LILA ___ The night air bit at my skin as I crept through the dense forest surrounding Shadowfang Fortress My heart hammmered against my ribs, each step taking me further from the only home I'd known for years. But jealousy and bitterness had poisoned my soul beyond repair. I couldn't stand watching Roman moon over that human bitch anymore. The way he looked at her, protected her, chose her over his own kind— over me!!! And despite everything, I couldn't bring myself to poison the water supply...all this time. I never did. But my so called allies didn't need to know that... After everything I'd done for the pack, after years of loyalty, I was cast aside like garbage. The meeting spot Lucien had chosen was a small clearing about two miles from the fortress. Cassandra's brother was nothing like her— where she was calculated and cold, he was unpredictable and savage. But he'd promised me power, promised me a place in their new order once Roman's reign crumbled! "You're late."
Hours later... The moon had shifted position when Elijah caught the first scent of blood during his patrol. Something was wrong – the metallic tang was too strong, too fresh. He signaled to his patrol partner, Marcus, and they veered off their usual route. The clearing ahead reeked of death and betrayal. Elijah's heart stopped when he saw Lila's crumpled form, her body already growing cold in the night air. Beside her, scratched into the blood-soaked earth, were her final words: 'ATTACK SOON - EAST WALL - SORRY.' "Marcus get Roman. Now!" Elijah barked, dropping to his knees beside Lila's body. He gently turned her over, noting the savage claw marks that had torn through her midsection. This wasn't a random attack – this was an execution. As Marcus sprinted back toward the fortress, Elijah discovered a crumpled piece of paper clutched in Lila's rigid fingers. With trembling hands, he carefully extracted it: {To whoever finds this, I know it's too late for forgiveness, but m
ROMAN _____ Sounds of war horns pierced the early morning air. My heart slammed against my chest as I sprinted to the fortress walls, watching in horror as Cassandra's army emerged from the treeline like a dark tide . "EVERYONE TO THEIR POSITIONS!!" I roared, my Alpha voice carrying across the fortress. Warriors scrambled to their posts while those unable to fight retreated to the safe rooms. My eyes scanned desperately for Belle, finding her directing people toward the infirmary. "Belle!" I called out. She turned, her face set in determination rather than fear. The silver necklace that had belonged to Adeline glinted at her throat. "Stay safe," I managed to say, though what I wanted was to lock her away where no harm could reach her. "You too," she replied, her eyes softening for just a moment before she disappeared inside. The first wave hit our walls like a battering ram. Arrows darkened the sky as our archers released their volleys, but the rogues kept coming. They used
MIRABELLE_______The heat of battle had begun to die down when I heard the agonized roar. My head snapped toward the sound, and my heart nearly stopped— Roman was down, his black fur matted with blood from a devastating wound across his chest. Three rogues lay dead around him, but a fourth had managed to catch him with what looked like an enchanted blade. I abandoned my current patient, knowing the other healers could handle the minor wounds, and sprinted across the courtyard. Roman had shifted back to his human form, likely too weak to maintain his wolf. Blood poured from the gaping wound that stretched from his collarbone to his hip. "Roman!!!" I slid to my knees beside him, hands already glowing with healing energy. "Stay with me." His eyes were glazed with pain, but he managed to focus on my face. "Belle... get back... might be more..." "Shut up," I ordered, pressing my hands to his chest. The wound was worse than anything I'd tried to heal before. Whatever magic had been o
I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a carriage, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. The last thing I remembered was using my powers during the battle, channeling everything I had to heal Roman. My head was pounding, and even opening my eyes felt like a monumental task. The scent of sage and lavender hung heavy in the air—someone had been burning healing herbs while I slept.The first thing I noticed was warmth wrapped around my hand. As my vision cleared, I saw Roman slumped in a chair beside my bed, his large hand engulfing mine. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his usually pristine clothes were wrinkled as if he'd been wearing them for days. His dark hair was disheveled, and a three-day stubble darkened his jaw. Even in his exhausted state, he radiated an aura of power that made the air feel charged with electricity."How long?" My voice came out as a raspy whisper, scratching against my dry throat like sandpaper.Roman's head snapped up, relief flooding his featur
I pushed myself up straighter, ignoring the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm me. "You can't have it both ways, Roman. You can't expect me to be strong enough to be part of your pack but then try to shelter me like I'm made of glass. When those hunters attacked, when they had you pinned down..." I swallowed hard at the memory of his blood pooling on the forest floor. "I made my choice. Just like you make choices every day to protect this pack."Roman was quiet for a long moment, his jaw working. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words and complicated emotions. Finally, he spoke softly, "I know I've fucked up. With you, with everything. But seeing you risk your life for me..." He swallowed hard, adam's apple bobbing. "I can't lose anyone else I care about. Not after what happened to Marcus. Not after Adeline."The mention of my sister's name made my heart constrict."Do you think this is what she would have wanted?" Roman continued softly. "For you to sacrific
CASSANDRA_________I paced in my tent, rage coiling through my veins like poison. The siege on Shadowfang hadn't gone according to plan. That bitch Mirabelle was becoming more powerful by the day, and Roman... Roman was growing stronger with her by his side."My lady." Darius's voice interrupted my thoughts. He ducked into my tent, his broad shoulders tense. "Our scouts report heavy losses on both sides. Perhaps we should—""Perhaps we should what?!" I spun to face him, my lips curling into a snarl. "Retreat like cowards? Is that what you're suggesting?"Darius's jaw tightened. "I'm suggesting we be strategic. Our numbers are dwindling, and the men grow restless.""Fuck the men's restlessness!!!" I slammed my fist against the wooden table, scattering maps and battle plans. "We're so close. Roman's pack is weakened. One more push—""One more push could destroy us all." Darius cut in, his voice harder than I'd ever heard it. "I didn't agree to this alliance to watch my people die for y
ROMAN_____The great hall's ancient wooden beams seemed to groan under the weight of tension in the air. My head was pounding— a combination of stress, lack of sleep, and the fresh wound still healing along my ribs from our last battle. The faces of my pack blurred before me like an impressionist painting of fear, anger, and uncertainty. The aftermath of recent battles had left deep scars, both physical and emotional. Icould feel their doubt— hell, I was drowning in my own.Marcus's daughter had died three days ago. The image of her broken body, barely sixteen, . seared into my memory. She'd been trying to protect the younger pups when the rogues attacked our eastern border. The guilt sat like lead in my stomach."I know many of you question my leadership." I began, my voice carrying across the tense silence. A muscle twitched in my jaw. "After everything we've lost.... everything that's happened.... you have every right to."Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind through d
The soft ligh of the full moon bathed the gardens in silver light as I stood by the fountain, my fingers trailing through the cool water. six months. Six months had passed since the final battle, since we'd driven Cassandra into exile and brought peace to Shadowfang. Sometimes it still felt surreal, like a dream I might wake from at any moment.I touched the silver necklace at my throat, the one that had belonged to my mother, then Adelne. Though the pain of losing my sister would never fully fade, I'd learned to carry it differently now. The weight of it had transformed from a burden into a reminder of why we fought so hard for peace."There you are." Roman's deep voice came from behind me. Even now, after all these months together, his presence still sent a shiver down my spine.I turned to face him, drinking in the sight of him. He'd foregone his usual battle-ready attire for something softer, a simple black shirt that clung to his muscled chest and dark pants. His dark hair was
"It's beautiful." I breathed, leaning against him as we stood among the moonlit flowers. "Stay with me." Roman said suddenly, turning to face me. His eyes were intense, vulnnerable in a way I rarely saw. "Not as my healer, not because of duty or prophecy. Stay because you want to. Because this— us, it's real." My heart thundered in my chest. "Roman..." "I know I fucked up." he continued, his voice raw with emotion. "I know I hurt you, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make that right. But Belle," he cupped my face in his hands, his calloused thumbs gently stroking my cheeks "I can't imagine my life without you in it anymore. These past few days, watching you lie there so still... it nearly broke me." Tears pricked at my eyes as memories flooded back, Adeline's sweet face, the anger and pain that had consumed me after her death, the way I'd lashed out at Roman. But I also remembered his patience, his gradual transformation from the cold Alpha to the man who h
My eyelids felt heavy as consciousness slowly returned, like wading through a. thick fog. The familiar scent of herbs and healing balms filled my nostrils, mixed with something else— something distinctly masculine and comforting that made my heart flutter. Roman. I blinked several times, adjusting to the soft candlelight that illuminated the infirmary. My body ached, but it wasn't the sharp, devastating pain I remembered from channeling my Lunar Soul powers. This was more like the dull throb of healing muscles, a reminder that I was still alive. "Hey there little healer." Roman's deep voice came from beside me, rough with exhaustion but warm with affection. I turned my head to find him sitting in a chair next to my bed, his large hand enveloping mine. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his usually neat hair was disheveled as if he'd been running his fingers through it repeatedly. His clothes were wrinkled, suggesting he hadn't changed in days. "You look terrible," I managed to
The sight of him hurt, bloodied and struggling, triggered something deep and primal inside me. Heat surged through my chest, different from the destructive power I had felt earlier. This was something new....something pure. Without thinking, I raised my trembling hands and reached toward him. Light. Bright and blinding. It flowed from my fingertips, enveloping Roman in a golden glow. He froze for a moment, his head snapping toward me in shock, but I couldn't stop. The light wrapped around him, seeping into his body, and as I watched, his wounds began to knit themselves together. The gashes on his face closed, the blood disappearing as if it had never been there. Roman’s eyes blazed with renewed strength, and he let out a roar— half-wolf, half-man— as he turned back to Cassandra. "NO!!!!" Cassandra shrieked, her voice high and panicked. She lunged at me, her movements wild and desperate, but Roman was faster. He intercepted her mid-leap, his massive jaws closing around
MIRABELLE ---------I collapsed to my knees as Lucien's body disintegrated, the power draining from me like blood from a mortal wound. My entire body trembled, my hands shaking violently as I tried to steady them. The taste of copper filled my mouth, sharp and metallic, but satisfaction coursed through my veins like a balm to my soul. Adeline had been avenged.The weight of her death, the endless nights of guilt and grief, lifted from my shoulders— if only slightly.But the cost was high. I could barely breathe, barely think, as the energy I had summoned to end Lucien left me hollow. The wind carried the acrid scent of blood and ash, the battlefield around me littered with bodies of rogues and allies alike. It was chaos, pure and unrelenting, but I couldn’t bring myself to look away from the spot where Lucien had stood moments before. There was nothing left of him now— just ash swirling in the cold air."Belle!"Roman’s voice cut through the din, sharp and commanding, but tinged w
Through the mayhem, I caught glimpses of my pack fighting with everything they had. Elijah, my Beta, was a blur of motion, his massive gray wolf ripping through rogues with deadly precision. Fenrir, the once-mistrusted rogue who'd proven his loyalty time and time again, stood guard over the infirmary entrance where Belle worked. His hulking form was a wall of muscle and fur, and any rogue foolish enough to approach him was quickly dispatched. I spun, dodging the snapping jaws of a rogue before sinking my teeth into his throat. His gurgled scream was cut short as I tore him apart, my wolf howling in triumph. But there was no time to revel in the kill. More were coming. "ROMAN!!" Cassandra's voice cut through the carnage like a blade. I turned, my eyes narrowing as I spotted her atop a pile of bodies, her silver hair matted with blood, her eyes wild with hatred. She was in her human form, her slender frame deceptively fragile-looking as she surveyed the battlefield with a cruel smi
ROMAN-------The stench of blood and ash filled my nostrils as I stood at the fortress gates, watching the horizon darken with approaching rogues. My heart pounded against my chest, not from fear, but from rage. Belle stood beside me, her fingers intertwined with mine, the silver necklace glinting at her throat. That necklace was more than just a keepsake—it was a symbol of everything we'd lost, and everything we were about to protect. "They're coming" I growled, feeling my wolf stir restlessly beneath my skin. My claws itched to emerge, my body vibrating with the need to fight. "At least five hundred of them." Belle squeezed my hand, her grip stronger than I expected. "We're ready." Her voice was steel now, so different from the frightened healer who'd first arrived at Shadowfang. The past months had hardened her, shaped her into something fierce and unstoppable. She wasn’t just a healer anymore—she was a warrior in her own right, though she’d never admit it. I turned to her
His kisses continued downward, his hands sliding over my hips as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of my pants. He paused, looking up at me for permission, and I nodded, lifting my hips to help him pull them off. His eyes burned as they roamed over me, now nearly bare before him."You're perfect," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Every inch of you."Heat coiled low in my belly as he pressed a kiss to the inside of my thigh, his stubble scraping against my sensitive skin in a way that made me gasp. He kissed his way higher, his hands gently parting my legs, and when his lips brushed against the thin fabric of my underwear, I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped me."Roman..." I whispered, my voice shaky with both nerves and anticipation."I’ve got you," he said softly, his hands stroking my thighs in reassurance. "Just let me take care of you."He pulled my underwear down slowly, his gaze never leaving mine as he bared me completely to him. I felt vulnerable, exposed, bu
MIRABELLE_______I stood at my bedroom window, watching the storm clouds gather overhead. The prophecy echoed in my mind, each word feeling like a physical weight on my chest. My fingers traced Adeline's necklace, remembering her smile, her laugh, her final moments.A knock at my door broke through my thoughts. I knew who it was before he even spoke."Belle" Roman's voice was rough with emotion. "Please let me in."I considered ignoring him, but my feet moved of their own accord. When I opened the door, he looked wrecked. His usually perfect hair was disheveled, like he'd been running his hands through it repeatedly, and his eyes held a desperate intensity that made my heart clench."You can't do this," he said immediately, stepping into my room and closing the door. "I won't let you sacrifice yourself.""It's not your choice to make." I replied softly, turning back to the window. "You heard Kieran. It has to be my decision.""Fuck the prophecy!!" He grabbed my arm, spinning me to f