COLE'S POVI had barely sunk into the couch in my chambers when I heard a knock at the door.I closed my eyes, exhaling heavily. Can’t I get a moment of peace? Of solitude?The knock came again, sharper this time. Urgent.“What do you want?" I snapped, my patience hanging by a thread. I silently hoped it wasn’t Yaz. He’d walked past me earlier, saying nonsense like the fool he was, likely still drunk from his nights out.“It’s me," a voice replied.For a moment, I frowned, rubbing my temples. The voice was familiar, but with all the Alpha duties mother had been drilling into my head, I couldn’t place it immediately.“Alpha? May I come in?”Then it clicked. I bolted upright and walked to the door, pulling it open to reveal my most trusted spy. He was drenched in sweat, his breath labored as if he’d just escaped death itself.I gestured for him to enter, glancing down the hallway to ensure we were alone. "What's happened now?" I asked "Who’s trying to kill who this time?"“It’s Yaz,”
COLE'S POVHours had passed since my confrontation with Yaz. After leaving his chambers, I’d gone to the only place that usually brought me peace, if only for a moment. But even my canvas, with its half-finished painting and the silent muse posing nude before me, did nothing to calm my nerves. My hand trembled as I attempted to paint, the brush slipping and ruining the curve of her figure.Frustration flared inside me. For the first time, not even the strokes of my brush could ease the uneasy feeling inside me. The documents, the mounting danger, Yaz's threats - it was all too much. I tossed the brush aside and stormed out, knowing that painting wouldn't solve this problem. Not today.I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off the chaos that Yaz had unleashed. Perhaps burying myself in the pack's endless reports would clear my head. But as I walked back to my chambers, the sight of smoke rising in the distance made my heart race. I quickened my pace. “What’s happening?” I
COLE'S POVI had made my decision. There was no going back now.I walked through the palace gates. I knew Yaz would be there, waiting, savoring every moment of his so-called victory. He always relished the chance to gloat, to twist the knife even deeper.And there he was, standing in the middle of the throne room like he owned it already, feet spread apart and with a gun in his hand. His smile was as vile as ever.“Ah, the Alpha graces us with his presence,” Yaz sneered, rubbing his thumb along the metal of the gun. “Here to hand over your title, or here to die trying to keep it?”“Cole, no!” A voice cut through the tension.I turned sharply, my heart freezing in my chest. My mother knelt to the side, her hands bound behind her back. Bruises covered her swollen face, and the whip marks across her arms and legs turned my stomach. Her torn dress and disheveled hair, streaked with dirt and leaves, told the story of how they’d dragged her here, how they’d broken her. Pain gripped my ches
COLE'S POVIt was madness. It was a suffocating whirlwind of chaos. Every day, it felt like the pack was sinking further into the depths of hell, loyal or not, all of us were trapped under Yaz’s tyranny.Yaz had become a monster. A tyrant in every sense of the word. He killed without hesitation, and each day, new rules were former. Cruel rules. He had turned everyone into slaves. Pack members' homes were ransacked, their food hoarded for himself. The only ones who ate were those who bowed before him and slaved to meet his impossible standards.The sight of children, once full of life, now dragging their small bodies through hard labor broke me. Their tiny hands once meant for books and laughter now cracked and bruised from the work that had been forced upon them just so their families could survive. How could anyone be this cruel? Even the young were not spared his wrath.I had anticipated a reign of terror, but never like this. Not even in my darkest thoughts had I imagined he woul
YAZ'S POVI stood before them like a supervisor surveying his disciples. They were a sea of cowards trembling at my mere presence. Their heads bowed, their bodies rigid with fear. The power I felt in that moment surged through me like a drug, intoxicating, overwhelming. They feared me, and rightfully so. The scent of their fear was more potent than the blood spilled at my command, and I reveled in it."Raise your heads," I commanded. A few flinched, but they obeyed. Slowly, one by one, their heads lifted. Eyes still averted, they dared not meet my gaze. Weaklings. That’s what they had become under the pathetic rule of Kylian and Cole. Their reign had bred softness. The Moon Goddess. I sneered at the thought. A lie they clung to. The moon goddess was a fairy tale to they used comfort themselves in their pathetic existence. But I? I was no myth. I was here, real and strong. I was the only god they would ever need."You’ve been lied to your entire lives," I began, pacing slowly before
OSCAR'S POVI could still smell the blood on my hands—thick and suffocating. It wasn’t the familiar blood of animals I’d butchered to feed the royal family, nor was it my own. No, it was the blood of others. The innocent ones. The ones I had tried—and failed—to save alongside the healers. The blood of those whose lives slipped through my fingers with their dying breaths haunting me. I had to get out. I couldn’t stay in a kingdom where lives meant so little, where we were butchered like animals. If I stayed any longer, I knew it would be my turn next. There was no escaping that reality.The tall trees stretched high into the sky. The forest was familiar, like the back of my hand, but tonight, it felt more like a cage. I had been running for hours, leaving behind the kingdom that had become my prison.My lungs burned. Every breath was a painful rasp as I forced my legs to keep moving. I couldn’t afford to stop. Not even for a moment. If I did, they’d find me. They always did. The Alpha
LORRAINE'S POV The next morning, I woke with a sense of excitement thrumming through me. Today was the boys' birthday, and I couldn’t wait to see the joy on their faces.Kylian had taken the boys out for a morning stroll after we sang them a birthday song over cupcakes. Their little faces had lit up with happiness, and their gratitude had melted my heart. What they didn’t know was that the real surprise was still waiting for them.“They’re coming!” I whispered, peeking through the curtains as Kylian and the boys approached the house.We all hid, stifling giggles as the door creaked open.“Why is it so dark?” Alex’s little voice echoed through the house.“Mum?” Aiden called out.When we heard the door close behind them, we jumped out from our hiding spots, shouting, “Happy birthday!”Kylian flicked the lights on, and the boys froze in surprise. Their wide-eyed expressions slowly morphed into pure excitement as they took in the decorations and the crowd of people gathered for them.“A
LORRAINE'S POVKylian hoisted me up with ease, his hands firm on my hips as I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist. My arms curled around his neck, pulling him closer until there was nothing between us but the rapid thrum of our hearts. The tension in the air was electric, crackling as his lips hovered inches from mine.A low sound escaped him as I rolled my hips against his, feeling the heat of him through the fabric that separated us. The moment was heavy, filled with the sweet anticipation of what was to come. He began walking backward, never taking his lips off mine. Our tongues rolled together hungrily. I wasn’t sure where he was taking us. I didn’t care. Not when his lips found the curve of my neck, his breath hot against my skin. The gentle pressure of his mouth sent a shiver down my spine as he pressed me closer, our bodies in perfect sync.He kicked the door shut behind him, and with a smooth movement, laid me onto the bed. His body never left mine. His hands roame
MOLLY'S POV. I had a perfect plan. Every step I took was meant to secure my position of power. But there was one crack I hadn't anticipated—Kylian hated me. He didn’t just dislike me; he despised me in a way that seeped into every glance, every word. He treated me worse than the maids, worse than the guards, like I was less than nothing.And now, the staff was starting to notice. They no longer gave me the respect due to a Luna. The way they looked at me—it was unsettling. No. This couldn’t go on. I needed to make Kylian like me, at the very least respect me as his Luna.Killing Lorraine had crossed my mind more times than I cared to admit. But the truth was, the second she dropped dead, suspicion would fall squarely on me. Kylian wouldn’t even need proof. He’d throw me in the dungeons without a second thought, and what good would all my plotting and power be if I was rotting away in a cell?So, I searched for another way. Something quieter. I asked around, made some discreet inquiri
KYLIAN'S POV The pack was finally restored to its natural state. It hadn’t been easy—trust was fragile, but over time, the pack members began to heal, learning to live once again in peace and harmony under my leadership. The shadows of Yaz’s reign gradually faded. I hadn’t expected Yaz to step down willingly. The day he discovered the truth, he climbed onto the stage, addressing everyone. His voice was heavy with regret as he apologized for the trauma he had caused. But his words were met with silence, and the pack didn’t believe him until he publicly denounced his desire to lead and declared he would step down.It wasn’t until the moment he stepped off the stage that I realized how deep their wounds ran. Stones, shoes, food—everything imaginable—was hurled at him. The shouts and curses came fast.“You beast! You killed my daughter!”“I have nightmares because of you!”The scene was chaotic, heart-wrenching. Yaz, once feared, now stood vulnerable, bearing the wrath of a broken pack.
YAZ'S POVIt was the day of the fight. The one Kylian, that bastard, had challenged me to.For the hundredth time, I cursed myself for not ending him when I had the chance. I could’ve killed him, and no one would’ve batted an eye.What about Cole? And his formidable soldiers?Cole’s weakness was simple—his mother. I could use that, easy.As for Kylian’s soldiers...I clenched my teeth at the memory of how stubborn they were. After we returned to my pack, I’d crammed them into three of the largest cells we had. They fit into three separate rooms, and I went to each one, offering them riches and power, attempting to sway them to my side. But they stood firm. “We only answer to Kylian,” they had said in unison.I hissed under my breath, adjusting my fighting gear. "Fools."The battlefield loomed ahead. The ground was cold beneath my feet. Kylian was already there, and the sight of him made my heart skip—he looked...stronger. How? I’d locked him in that cell, barely feeding him enough to
KYLIAN'S POV “I’ve got your back, man. Do as he says,” Cole whispered to me. I wanted to yell in his face, to scream at the injustice of it all, but I saw the truth in his words. There was no choice. Not with Yaz standing there with his cold eyes watching me like a predator about to strike. I’d heard stories of Yaz’s cruelty, his ruthlessness, but seeing it now—the hard lines on his face, the smug twist of his lips—was enough to make the hair on my neck stand up.This was once my Beta, someone who stood by my side for years. Now, I realized he wasn't who I thought he was. Yaz was my best friend, my best man, the person I trusted. He had my family in his hands. My pack. My people.My nails bit into my palms as I fought to control the rage boiling inside me. How had I let this happen? Right under my nose, that bastard had gotten his claws into everything and everyone that mattered to me. My men stood shackled, helpless. I couldn’t protect them. Not yet.I glanced at Rose. Her chest r
LORRAINE'S POV "No!" Aiden's screamed "I won’t leave you, Mommy!" He started climbing the ladder again, his small hands gripping each rung."Aiden, please," I whispered My pulse thundered in my ears. "Please, go."But Aiden wasn’t listening. His little body moved back toward me.The soldiers were closing in fast. Their boots pounded against the earth, rattling my bones. I saw Rose rush from the house in a futile attempt to stop them, but they struck her hard across the face and bound her wrists instantly. I wanted to scream, to run, to fight, but every plan I thought out didn't make sense. There was nothing I could do in this moment. Too much happened all at once. Even if I ran with Aiden, I knew they’d shoot. My boy—they would kill my boy.So I stayed. I stayed rooted to the spot, paralyzed as the soldiers finally reached us and pulled Aiden from the ladder, their rough hands gripping him too tight. Aiden cried. I struggled, my own hands clawing at their arms, trying to free him. B
KYLIAN'S POV “Are you sure we can trust this man? How do we know he’s not tied to Yaz somehow?” Cole’s voice was thick with WORRY. I sighed, keeping my eyes on the road. “For the last time, Cole, the guy’s not interested in politics or alliances. He just wants to do business. You tell him how many soldiers you need, he gives you a price, you pay, and that’s it. He’s a mercenary, not one of Yaz’s lackeys.”Cole grunted, “I just don’t want us walking into a trap. Yaz has become a monster—he controls everyone through fear. One wrong move, and these mercenaries could turn on us in the middle of a fight.”“I get it, I do. But trust me, brother. This guy is solid. He doesn’t care about Yaz or anyone else. All he wants is his gold.” I kept my voice steady, though I understood his hesitation. The stakes had never been higher, and one misstep could cost us everything.Silence settled between us as the car hummed along the road. Since Oscar's funeral, I’d been working every contact I had to f
WES' POVI thought the goddess was punishing me. That was the only explanation for what my life had become.After days of endless torment, I'd stopped trying to survive. The pain was relentless, pulling at me until I was nothing more than a shell. Cole had promised to take care of Lorraine, and I believed him. He always kept his word, even when he acted like he didn’t care. There was nothing left for me to fight for. I wasn’t living—I was simply enduring, and each day brought new horrors.When Cole left, my world spiraled into endless agony. They introduced me to tortures I hadn’t known existed, using my body as a test subject for their newest, most sadistic weapons. I prayed for death, begged the goddess to take me, but she never did. I could still hear the sharp crack of the whip, the searing hiss as fire scorched my skin. My body was nothing but pain, a ragged thing barely holding on.My voice had long since given out. My screams echoed in the dark until they became part of the sil
KYLIAN'S POVI pulled my eyes from Lorraine, though the connection lingered in the air between us, as Oscar’s voice filled the space."Rose and I," he began, his voice shaky but firm, "we’re both related to Kylian."The room fell silent as both Rose and Oscar's gazes landed on me. The weight of their attention was palpable. I blinked, my mind racing, trying to piece together the puzzle they were laying before me. How could this be? I didn’t know Rose, not at all. Oscar had worked for me since I was a kid, yet nothing in our relationship hinted at anything beyond employee and employer. I knew how close he was to my father. That was all. But I didn’t say any of this aloud. No one did. We all waited. The tension was thick as Oscar took a breath, pressing his bruised hands to his chest.“I am your grandfather,” he said, his voice breaking slightly, “and Rose here is your mother.”I should have laughed. If I hadn’t already regained my memory, I might have believed them. But I had. I knew
LORRAINE'S POV Rose had finally convinced me to let one of the nurses take Aiden to the children’s section. Though my heart ached to leave him, I knew he would be safe, surrounded by others his age. I watched him settle in. His cute face looked back at me with a smile before I turned away.Once we were sure Aiden was in good hands, I rushed after Rose, following her down the corridors to Oscar's ward. My heartbeat quickened with every step. I could feel an unshakable sense of dread building within me. When we burst into his room, the sight that greeted us left me frozen.Oscar lay battered, bruised, and broken. The bandage wrapped around his head, the casts on both legs, and the sheer number of cuts scattered across his body—he looked like a man barely holding on.“Oh Goddess,” I gasped, my hand flying to cover my mouth. The world tilted slightly as I absorbed the state he was in. Yet somehow, through all that pain, he managed a weak smile.“How did this happen?” My voice was barely