ALAYNA’s POV
It is past midnight.
I sit with my back against the bedroom door, knees tucked into my chest, eyes wide open.
Outside my bedroom, all has gone silent. No footsteps. No murmurs. Not even the usual creak of the floorboards under heavy boots. That is good. That means everyone has gone to sleep.
Including Drake.
I press my palm flat against the cool wood of the door. My breath trembles in my throat, barely there, like it is afraid of being heard. Slowly, I twist the handle. It gives without a sound, thank the Goddess and I ease the door open just a crack. The hallway reveals itself, bathed in a wash of silver moonlight spilling through the window at the far end.
My bare feet make no sound as I slip out and close the door behind me. One soft click. That is all.
I tiptoe through the corridor, rubbing the itch in my nose caused by the scent of lemon polish lingering faintly in the air. There
ALAYNA’s POVGolden Eye is here. And he is with Drake.Red, searing pain and black despair. These two colors, these two forms of torture are all I know for the next few seconds. It is not as if I lose sight of the room, it is just that I see it from another angle.To realize that I have been married all along to the enemy, that I was in fact his greatest ally, is too much for me. Death, if it would just involve oblivion, would be more than welcome. But I know there must be a special hell prepared for the one who betrayed Ezra and I.I force my hands still as they tremble against the folds of the curtain and my bare toes curl against the cool marble, trying to anchor me, to stop the rising rage clawing up my throat.How dare he? How dare they?!Golden Eye chuckles low and sharp. “A toast to our victory then.”I hear a slow swirl of whiskey in glasses before they clink. They are drinking and I imagine Drak
ALAYNA’s POVColin is slumped against the far wall in a crumpled heap, chained by wrists and ankles to iron rings set in the stone. His shirt is shredded, soaked in blood, both dry and fresh. His face is almost unrecognizable. Swollen, one eye completely shut, the other barely open.And yet, when he sees me, his lips twist into something resembling a grin.“Hello, Luna. You’re late.”“Goddess…” I gasp.“I’m pretty sure I still look like a man, not some lady from the moon.”“Colin!” I run towards him. My hands tremble as I reach out, not even knowing where to start. So much blood. He reeks of it, the coppery tang heavy in the air.“Well damn,” he croaks. “Didn’t think the queen herself would come down to see little ol’ me.”“Did Drake do this to you?”“Long story cut
ALAYNA’s POVThe prisoners had breached the mansion grounds before I even reached it.I push through the shattered front gate of the mansion, once the pride of the Northlands. Now, it groans like a dying animal beneath the weight of chaos.The grand arch that used to gleam with carved wolf sigils is scorched black. The night is truly filled with filth. The stars labour through thick smoke, mixing with the moans of the wails and the fast-spreading crackle of flames.The front lawn is littered with debris and torn banners, the crest of the Nightwalker pack trampled into the mud like it was never worth the blood it took Ezra to earn. The air is thick with fear, not just the scent of it but the sound, too. Screams. Pleading. The sharp crack of whips.I cross into the grand foyer and freeze.The portraits lining the walls, of past alphas and their victories have been slashed to shreds. Miniature marble statues
DRAKE’s POVI stand at the top of the staircase and stare down into the cold stone steps that spiral beneath me like a serpent, its spine descending into the bowels of the mansion. And at the bottom, she lies.Alayna. My Luna.Her lips are closed, matching her closed eyes. She looks so peaceful. Yet something is very wrong.A halo of dark crimson spreads beneath her head, leeching into the cracks of the stone. She lies in a pool of red. The reason is very simple.Her skull is cracked.My fingers curl tightly around the bannister, knuckles pale against the black iron. What have I done?Then I hear the frantic footfalls behind me. Wanda appears at my side and she gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Goddess…”She shoves past me and races down the steps.I follow suit but each step feels like an eternity. Why am I moving so slowly? Why is my heart slamming against my
EZRA’s POV(The event takes place concurrently with Alayna and Drake’s Wedding)There is pain. At first, it is everywhere, heavy and unbearable, and I struggle to return to unconsciousness. But my aching body drags me awake, taking back its many parts, each with its own special hurt: my head throbbing, my arms burning, my back cramping. I open my eyes reluctantly, feeling the sting of light.No.Not lights. The lights, theymove, fluttering like fireflies but pulsing brighter and slower, as if aware of their own glow. Strange.Then I sit up. Too fast. Way too fast.Pain crackles across my ribs like dry twigs snapping beneath heavy boots and I take in a painful breath. Damn, it hurts to breathe but the scent that wraps around my senses is so pure I have to wonder if it is real. I place a palm to my sides and inhale again. Lavender, sweet and sharp. There i
ALAYNA’s POV “Whore.” “Slut. ” “Pathetic mute bitch.” Whispers slice through the air and hit me the moment I step into the brightly lit ballroom. I take a deep breath and lift my head high as I make my way towards the main table, where Ezra, my husband sits. The verbal abuse does not affect me, at least, not anymore. I have gotten used to it after three years of marriage to Ezra Nightwalker, Alpha King of the North. I finally reach the grand banquet table and quietly take my seat. Laughter, loud and boisterous, fills the air as guests sip wine and congratulate Ezra on his latest conquest. “To Lord Ezra, the great Alpha!” they toast and I lift my glass in sync, my fingers trembling just slightly. He has just conquered the Southlands, successfully taking over the Alpha King of the South’s throne. With his latest conquest, Ezra has made more enemies, but he has also gained immense power, power that no one would dare defy. His jaw is strong, his cheekbones high and his midnight
ALAYNA’s POV “Then show me her dead body.”Ezra’s words echo in my mind, it is like a cruel loop I cannot escape.“Then show me her dead body.”Ezra has never cared about me. He has always been distant, detached—cold, even when I tried to reach out to him. No matter how hard I tried, he never looked at me the way I needed him to. Not with warmth, not with tenderness.But this is too much. This abandonment is too, too much.Ezra does not care if I am dead or alive.I just want to die.But now is not the time.I hear the crazed man with the golden eye dialling his phone again, frustration clear in his voice as the line rings. He is calling Ezra again. The ringing stretches out, long and endless, until the call goes to voicemail.I do not need to see the man’s face to know what he is feeling. I can hear it in his growl. He is not happy, not one bit. Guess things aren’t going according to plan, Golden Eye.“You call this man your husband?”His sudden words hit me like a slap to the face
ALAYNA’s POV I stand in the middle of the room, with Drake beside me. The room is barren, its walls cold and uninviting. The cement floor is cracked in places, with faded marks of what was once a storeroom. There is only one small window, a narrow slit barely big enough for a hand to pass through. And through the window, a pale glow of moonlight filters into the space, casting long, distorted shadows across the floor. Outside, the sky is in turmoil, the thunder of an approaching storm reverberating in my chest, while lightning dances wildly, crackling against the horizon. But I can only hear the sound of my wild beating heart. This is not right. The man who held me hostage is nowhere to be found. Gone are the bloodstains that puddled the floor just moments ago. It is as if no one had ever been here. It does not make sense! My breathing quickens as I scan the room again, my mind racing to piece things together. I remember hitting him. I remember the weight of his body as he colla
EZRA’s POV(The event takes place concurrently with Alayna and Drake’s Wedding)There is pain. At first, it is everywhere, heavy and unbearable, and I struggle to return to unconsciousness. But my aching body drags me awake, taking back its many parts, each with its own special hurt: my head throbbing, my arms burning, my back cramping. I open my eyes reluctantly, feeling the sting of light.No.Not lights. The lights, theymove, fluttering like fireflies but pulsing brighter and slower, as if aware of their own glow. Strange.Then I sit up. Too fast. Way too fast.Pain crackles across my ribs like dry twigs snapping beneath heavy boots and I take in a painful breath. Damn, it hurts to breathe but the scent that wraps around my senses is so pure I have to wonder if it is real. I place a palm to my sides and inhale again. Lavender, sweet and sharp. There i
DRAKE’s POVI stand at the top of the staircase and stare down into the cold stone steps that spiral beneath me like a serpent, its spine descending into the bowels of the mansion. And at the bottom, she lies.Alayna. My Luna.Her lips are closed, matching her closed eyes. She looks so peaceful. Yet something is very wrong.A halo of dark crimson spreads beneath her head, leeching into the cracks of the stone. She lies in a pool of red. The reason is very simple.Her skull is cracked.My fingers curl tightly around the bannister, knuckles pale against the black iron. What have I done?Then I hear the frantic footfalls behind me. Wanda appears at my side and she gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Goddess…”She shoves past me and races down the steps.I follow suit but each step feels like an eternity. Why am I moving so slowly? Why is my heart slamming against my
ALAYNA’s POVThe prisoners had breached the mansion grounds before I even reached it.I push through the shattered front gate of the mansion, once the pride of the Northlands. Now, it groans like a dying animal beneath the weight of chaos.The grand arch that used to gleam with carved wolf sigils is scorched black. The night is truly filled with filth. The stars labour through thick smoke, mixing with the moans of the wails and the fast-spreading crackle of flames.The front lawn is littered with debris and torn banners, the crest of the Nightwalker pack trampled into the mud like it was never worth the blood it took Ezra to earn. The air is thick with fear, not just the scent of it but the sound, too. Screams. Pleading. The sharp crack of whips.I cross into the grand foyer and freeze.The portraits lining the walls, of past alphas and their victories have been slashed to shreds. Miniature marble statues
ALAYNA’s POVColin is slumped against the far wall in a crumpled heap, chained by wrists and ankles to iron rings set in the stone. His shirt is shredded, soaked in blood, both dry and fresh. His face is almost unrecognizable. Swollen, one eye completely shut, the other barely open.And yet, when he sees me, his lips twist into something resembling a grin.“Hello, Luna. You’re late.”“Goddess…” I gasp.“I’m pretty sure I still look like a man, not some lady from the moon.”“Colin!” I run towards him. My hands tremble as I reach out, not even knowing where to start. So much blood. He reeks of it, the coppery tang heavy in the air.“Well damn,” he croaks. “Didn’t think the queen herself would come down to see little ol’ me.”“Did Drake do this to you?”“Long story cut
ALAYNA’s POVGolden Eye is here. And he is with Drake.Red, searing pain and black despair. These two colors, these two forms of torture are all I know for the next few seconds. It is not as if I lose sight of the room, it is just that I see it from another angle.To realize that I have been married all along to the enemy, that I was in fact his greatest ally, is too much for me. Death, if it would just involve oblivion, would be more than welcome. But I know there must be a special hell prepared for the one who betrayed Ezra and I.I force my hands still as they tremble against the folds of the curtain and my bare toes curl against the cool marble, trying to anchor me, to stop the rising rage clawing up my throat.How dare he? How dare they?!Golden Eye chuckles low and sharp. “A toast to our victory then.”I hear a slow swirl of whiskey in glasses before they clink. They are drinking and I imagine Drak
ALAYNA’s POVIt is past midnight.I sit with my back against the bedroom door, knees tucked into my chest, eyes wide open.Outside my bedroom, all has gone silent. No footsteps. No murmurs. Not even the usual creak of the floorboards under heavy boots. That is good. That means everyone has gone to sleep.Including Drake.I press my palm flat against the cool wood of the door. My breath trembles in my throat, barely there, like it is afraid of being heard. Slowly, I twist the handle. It gives without a sound, thank the Goddess and I ease the door open just a crack. The hallway reveals itself, bathed in a wash of silver moonlight spilling through the window at the far end.My bare feet make no sound as I slip out and close the door behind me. One soft click. That is all.I tiptoe through the corridor, rubbing the itch in my nose caused by the scent of lemon polish lingering faintly in the air. There
ALAYNA’s POVSarah is dead.Her head rests in my lap, heavy and still like a doll left too long in the rain. I cradle her as best I can, my arms trembling beneath the weight of grief and guilt. Her skin is clammy, pale against the red welts and bruises on her neck and arms. Her lips are slightly parted, as if caught mid-sentence but her breath is long gone.I cannot stop rocking her.Back and forth I go, as though motion might stir her heart again. My tears fall freely onto her face, tracing the path of bloodstains and dirt. With a trembling hand, I smooth back a lock of hair from her temple—tangled, stiff with dried blood and whisper her name.“Sarah, I am sorry.”I do not know how long I stay like that, kneeling on the cold dungeon floor, cradling her ruined body. Torches flicker overhead, casting a wavering orange light on the stone walls but the world feels dim and s
Those we love don’t go away,They walk beside us every day.Unseen, unheard but always near,Still loved, still missed and very dear.-Author unknown-ALAYNA’s POVThe morning sun is cruel this morning.Its light slants through the window in thick, golden shards, making everything too warm, too bright. I sit at the edge of my bed and stare at the new maid incredulously. What madness is this?“She poisoned you,” the maid repeats with arms crossed around her chest, looking as if she is bored out of her mind.The around me tilts and I have to palm my head to stop the spinning.“No, Sarah couldn’t have done that. She would never do that.”“Well she did, Luna. The guards drew the confession out of her. She’s in the dungeon now, punished for the murder of your chi
ALAYNA’s POVI am dreaming again. And like all the ones that came before, it does not feel like a dream.The sun is setting and I stand in the middle of a vast meadow, the air heavy with the scent of wildflowers and damp earth. A gentle breeze tugs at the edges of my hair, carrying with it petals that drift lazily across the sky. I close my eyes for a moment, taking in all the serenity that surrounds me. The quiet, the softness of the wind and the colors of the sky melt into each other. Everything is so perfect, so still.When I open my eyes again, I see her.A little girl, no older than five with raven-black hair that cascades down her back like silk stands at the far end of the meadow. She is wearing a simple white dress that billows out behind her as she skips through the tall grass. Her laughter is light, almost melodic and it fills the meadow.Strange, I think I know her.“Hell