It's been three days after the blood ritual. Everything seemed to go back to normal in the Blood Crescent pack.Visha was already the most loved woman in the pack. Everyone bowed to her everywhere she went, singing songs of praise to her.It twisted Reyana's insides, but she tried her best to mask it, even though it was a bitter pill to swallow.Reyana was now an insignificant shadow. Almost no one paid attention to her, and she felt empty and alone.She had been waiting impatiently for her sister, who promised to send a potion to Klara, but she still hadn't gotten a word from her.Randall demanded to know where she had gone the other day, but he didn't believe her truth when she told him what had happened.Whatever it is that is going on around her was surely happening against her favor.She also hadn't heard from Shota after their last meeting. It was almost as if everyone who held answers for her deserted her.She walked through the pack, heading toward the fortress to see Klara. S
Reyana sat quietly in her room, a new determination brewing in her. It was time she stopped being a fool for Randall. The mate bond had done her more harm than good.She thought of ways to get him to reject her so she could move on with her life.He had told her it was time for her to bear his Lunar Scribe mark. She'd be damned to accept it wholeheartedly.He wanted so hard to cage her when he knew he didn't want her. She was never going to subject herself to such a life - a life of loneliness.Reyana reached out for the potion Shota had given her. She looked at it momentarily, contemplating what to do with it.At this point, she didn't care anymore about being the chosen one, or not. She didn't care about anyone else but herself. She wanted to become selfish. Caring for others hasn't exactly done her too well.To hell with every other person, including Randall.She opened the vial in her hand and emptied its contents into her mouth. It tasted bland, but she swallowed it up in one gul
Reyana angrily walked toward the fortress. She had an important meeting to attend to. She didn't care what the consequences would be.She was in such a hurry that she didn't notice the person coming ahead of her."Watch where you're going!" A familiar voice snapped, laced with a hint of amusement when she was about to stumble on a small rock just at the entrance of the fortress.Reyana blinked, her anger momentarily forgotten, "Oh!" she gasped, snapping back to reality, "Klara..." she called with relief.Klara's sharp eyes immediately scanned Reyana's face, taking in the tightly drawn features and the repressed anger radiating from her every pore. "What's happening with you? You look like a storm cloud about to burst.""I am fine. Your attention is needed, right? Everyone is waiting, including the Alpha." Reyana said urgently.Klara's gaze narrowed. "You seem… tense. And where exactly within the fortress are you headed in such a hurry?"Reyana hadn't anticipated this line of questioni
Reyana stepped into the familiar chamber gingerly. She looked around it, and it still held the same deceiving look as the first time she had visited.Then, suddenly, everything began taking shape, and Shota emerged from her usual spot - the garden. Her hair was as white as freshly fallen snow. She looked up, her smile as sharp and knowing as ever."I thought I'd never see you again," She said."Not a chance," Reyana replied, "I need answers, Shota. I have too many questions.""And I assure you, child," she said, her voice laced with a hint of mischief, "I'd answer them all, as long as I have the answers myself.""I took the potion you gave me," Reyana pressed, her voice tight with frustration. She crossed her arms, jerky and abruptly. "Nothing happened. Did you lie about it?"Shota scoffed, "Of course not, child," she said, her amusement morphing into something akin to pity. "I see you are desperate to reclaim what you've lost," she said with a smile of amusement."I am. I want to red
NOTE: From here on, this book takes a drastic turn. It is the full introduction of Rashka, and he is as dark as he seems."Please, forgive my mother. She is getting old and her memories fail her sometimes," a young girl in her earlier twenties stepped forward, clutching onto Briana's arm as she bowed her head in apology to Visha and Randall.Visha heaved a heavy sigh of relief. She was already scared and thinking of the next best action to take. Thankfully, this timely intervention came."I thought so," Visha replied with a nervous smile."I am certain about what I saw. I do not mean to disrespect you, Alpha Randall, but I am certain. The Luna was the one who made his fingers twitch. It all happened right before you walked in," Briana insisted, a frown creasing her brows."That's enough, Briana. Just like your daughter said, you must have seen wrongly," Randall intervened, his tone leaving no room for further argument.Klara watched without saying a word. She was done thinking for him
Visha sat alone in her chamber. She huddled beneath the meager furs on her cot, the night's chill seeping through the damp stone walls of her chamber. The night was quiet. She had all the time in the world to herself... Time to think.A sad sigh escaped her lips. Tonight was one of those nights she felt the sting of loneliness. She had no friends. And try as she may, it gets to her sometimes.Everyone sees her as the Alpha's most precious mistress. But that wasn't entirely true.She could feel the Alpha's pull toward his actual mate each time. She was Randall's only hindrance; else, he would have been heads-over-hills with Reyana by now.This was why she made sure to spend ample time with him always, in order to make sure he didn't have the space to think about Reyana.A choked sob escaped her lips, a single tear tracing a glistening path through the moonlight that streamed through a narrow window. With Randall, she could experience a little bit of what love felt like.Visha squeezed
Visha walked down the lonely, secret path toward the border. It was a hidden path she had discovered that guards hardly ever patrolled there.It is so secret that even the enemy can never discover it as a hidden entrance into the pack.She was in a hurry. She was desperate to get her powers back. Klara was hot on her tail and needed to be equipped for whatever Klara brought her way.Their meeting hadn't ended well. Visha had to make Klara leave earlier than Klara would have wanted. She had other important things to attend.Just as she crossed the border, she saw the familiar figure of her sister walking toward the border. She ran toward her, wrapping her arms around Jasina with relief."Jasina! What are you doing here? I never sent a message... Thank the goddess you are here. Something is wrong with me. I woke up without my powers. I feel empty, Jasina. I was..." Visha rushed her words, pulling out of her sister's embrace."I had to be sure to contact you as soon as possible. I was go
"Randall?" she breathed, disbelief lacing her voice. "You're in love with Randall?"Visha flinched, a flicker of shame coloring her tear-stained cheeks. "I... I can't help it. These feelings for Randall... they snuck up on me. They're real, Jasina. I can't deny them." she mumbled, looking away.Jasina's control snapped. "Are you out of your mind? He's the Alpha of the Blood Crescent pack! Our enemy! Everything we've been working towards, all the sacrifices... you throw it away for a fleeting infatuation with a man who would gladly see you crumble? Is that the new mission objective the master bestowed upon you? To infiltrate the enemy's heart?""It's not an infatuation!" Visha shot back, "We have a connection, Jasina. A real one. He sees me, not just the chosen one. Don't you understand? He makes me feel..." Her voice trailed off, a choked sob escaping her lips."What I understand is that you've jeopardized everything we've worked for! Years of training, and sacrifices, all for a forbi
The war was over. The long awaited and anticipated war was finally over. The warriors cleaned up the battlefield as they mourned their fallen warriors.Rashka had ordered his Ashkais to return to the Green Oasis. He was left with a few of his top warriors.They were inside the fortress. Rashka, Randall, Novak, Reyana. All inside.Reagan hurriedly scanned the area. He hadn't seen his pregnant Ria. He was worried. He had looked everywhere. His heart was racing really hard."Ria!" He called desperately but didn't get a response. When no reply came, panic set in, tightening its grip around his chest.Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of her familiar frame among the fallen warriors somewhere around a hidden area, almost outside the battlefield. She was struggling to stand up when she heard Reagan's voice.Ria slowly pushed herself up from the ground, her body aching from the ordeal.Reagan's heart skipped a beat as he saw Ria attempting to rise, her movements sluggish and pained. He sprinted
The name rang a bell. A very negative bell. Kasiri was an ambitious witch who always wanted to associate herself with everything good and prestigious.People wondered why the Alpha hadn't thrown her out of his pack those years. It was even suspected that the Alpha was having an affair with her, which made him unable to take a stance and exile her."How?" Rashka asked with a broken heart. Everyone knew Kasiri. He wondered why his brother fell for her tricks. He had expected his brother to be smarter than that.Randall's voice was thick with remorse as he spoke, his eyes never leaving Rashka's. "Kasiri knew how to manipulate my feelings, how to twist the knife of jealousy deeper into my heart. She convinced me that the only way to gain our parents' respect and the pack's recognition was to outshine you—to take the leadership from you."Rashka's face hardened as he processed the information, the history of deceit unraveling before him. "She played on your insecurities, pushed you to betr
With a sickening crunch, Rashka's paw connected with Randall's side, sending him crashing to the ground. The pain was excruciating. He coughed blood as he gasped for air.Randall lay sprawled on the blood-soaked earth. His breath came in ragged gasps. His vision blurred at the edges, and the world seemed to tilt and sway.His gaze traveled in the direction of Reyana. He watched in dread as Reyana unleashed the full extent of her abilities. It was as if she was a goddess descending upon the battlefield to deliver righteous judgment.His warriors were clearly outnumbered. A lot of them were already dead.He stood up weakly, trying to raise his sword, his arm heavy and trembling. He could barely hold the weapon, let alone defend himself. He was bleeding profusely from all sides of his wounded body.It was almost as if his healing abilities were no longer there, even before he lost connection with his wolf. Rashka came prepared with dark powers that no one could ever imagine.Rashka raise
Alpha Randall was proud of his warriors. At the same time, he was thankful for Alpha Parthe's warriors. But at this point, he saw a very difficult situation facing them. The war seemed impossible to win.His warriors were totally outnumbered, and Alpha Parthe's warriors, despite their skills, were acting based on their Alpha's order: 'Leave the battle the moment one hundred of his men are down.' Alpha Parthe likes his warriors the same way he likes his women. He doesn't tolerate losses. And if it isn't his own battle, he doesn't see why his men should risk their lives saving another pack, no matter what the deal was.A cold dread washed over Randall as he watched Alpha Parthe's warriors begin their retreat. The signal was clear: one hundred of their men had fallen, and as per their agreement, they were withdrawing.Randall's heart raced, and his mind scrambled for a solution. He couldn't blame Parthe for protecting his forces under his stringent rules of engagement, yet the sting of
Randall's vision blurred with pain and anger. He could barely process Rashka's words, his mind struggling to reconcile the reality before him. "Reyana," he called out, his voice strained. "What has he done to you?"Reyana's eyes glinted with mischief and darkness, "This is who I am, Randall," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion. "Rashka has shown me the truth. Our destiny is to rule, not to serve."Randall's heart shattered at her words, but he knew he couldn't afford to lose himself in grief. He gritted his teeth against the pain and forced himself to stand. The wound in his side burned, but he refused to let it weaken him further.Randall tightened his grip on his sword, his resolve hardening. "I won't let you destroy everything we've built," he declared. "I will fight until my last breath.""Your last breath is all I desire, brother," Rashka said with a cruel smile and walked back to the warriors he had come with.Reyana followed him behind.Randall's vision blurred with a mix
The war was a maelstrom of steel and blood, tearing through the heart of the Blood Crescent pack.The war had begun in full force. The chaos was heart-wrenching. It seemed Rashka's army had one assignment - destroy everything that made up the Blood Crescent pack.They were not soldiers fighting for honor or glory; they were instruments of destruction, their eyes burning with a cold, inhuman light. They tore down buildings with savage glee, their laughter echoing through the chaos.Women and children screamed, fear consuming them.The Ashkais barely had the time to fight. It was almost like they weren't scared to die.Of course, they weren't. Not that they were actual wolves. They were just Rashka's twisted creations."Protect whatever you can! We can't lose all our homes!" Randall yelled into the air as he lounged at one of the Ashkais who was headed toward the homes for the elderly.Alpha Parthe had sent about a thousand warriors. His armies could never be killed by mere blades, which
"Make sure every able-bodied warrior is armed and ready. We can't let them breach our borders." He ordered Xular, the new Head of his warriors, as he dished out orders to his men."Alpha! Xular!" Two men ran breathlessly toward the warriors who were warming up for the war ahead. They looked troubled."What happened?" Xular stepped forward."The armory! The armory is on fire! It's been set ablaze!" One of the men said almost breathlessly."What?" Randall asked, "Armory ablaze?" he repeated, disbelief and a growing sense of dread washing over him. The armory was their lifeline, their teeth against the world. Without it, they were defenseless pups facing a hungry wolf pack. His eyes widened in shock as his legs propelled him towards the armory without a second thought.As they hurried toward the armory, they saw the women and children coming from the direction of the Shelter."Where are you all going? You should be at the Shelter..." Randall began, but his voice was drowned out by the ch
"What?" Randall said, holding her by both arms, "How did you know?""He told me. Last night." She replied, getting Randall even more confused."How? Did he come here? How did no one see him?" Randall almost panicked, but he had to be calm."No, Randall. The Sigil. With the Sigil of possession, I am never far from Rashka. Prepare for what's to come, Randall." Reyana said, walking away into her chamber.Since she woke up that morning, she had been feeling strange. The feeling of hatred and pain she felt while at the Oasis seemed to intensify after her encounter with Rashka last night.As Reyana moved through the dimly lit corridors of the fortress, a wave of nausea washed over her. The Sigil on her back throbbed with a dull, insistent pain, its faint glow pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.She stumbled into her chambers, closing the door behind her with trembling hands. The room seemed to close in around her, the shadows elongating and shifting as if they were alive.She felt utmost
Visha was dragged from the dungeon, her wrists bound in iron shackles that rattled with every step. Her heart raced. She knew this was the end for her.Memories of how she had lived her life and how she was meant to live came flooding her. Regrets had become her best companion throughout her stay in the dungeon, but there was nothing she could do to save herself.Her sister had warned her. But she was blinded by stupid feelings. Feelings that they had been taught never to let get in their way.No one is coming to her aid. Not Novak. Not the Master. Not even her sister. Because she had gone against everyone just to be with Randall. The same Randall who was going to be her executioner today.Reyana stood beside Randall in the middle of the crowd, her gaze fixed on Visha. A cold satisfaction crept into her heart as she watched her former tormentor face her ultimate fate. The woman who had caused her so much pain was finally going to pay the price.A cruel smirk played on her lips.Randal