Astrid's POVWhat was he talking about?How did his leaving kisses on my back and touching me translate into him trying to heal me?Alpha Jaxon let out a drawn-out sigh when he saw that I was still suspicious about his intentions before he began to explain."Some Alphas can speed up healing, especially silver wounds with their saliva. I am one of them."I looked at him, my jaw nearly dropping in surprise. Alpha Jaxon looked slightly embarrassed as he forced me to place my head back on the bed."So stay still, Astrid. I wouldn't touch you even if you begged me to at this point."Now it was my turn to be embarrassed.I stole a glance at him from the side, my cheeks on fire."Do you find me that repulsive now?" I asked him hoping that I didn't sound as insecure as I felt.Between what happened in the shower and him saving me unexpectedly, I didn't know what to expect from him. Was the reason he wouldn't touch me because he thought that I had willingly chosen Xavier over him?Did he find
Alpha Jaxon's POVI walked out of the room feeling more than irritated that my time with Astrid had been cut short."Where is he?"Caleb kept pace next to me."Chained in your office."I paused. Had he been left all alone in my office? Knowing Jeff, he would escape."Is he secure? He can't escape." I asked Caleb.I had to torture him for the information I needed first before he would have a chance to leave this pack and even then it would be in a body bag.Calen nodded. "He won't escape. I would have preferred not leaving him but I couldn't reach you through the pack link."He had? That meant that I had been so preoccupied with Astrid that I hadn't felt his probe through the pack link.I didn't think that even Astrid knew what staying around her did to me. I was already missing her and itching to go back to her. To hold her, touch her, kiss her.Caleb was still speaking. "Not to worry, Alpha, I have men watching him from all angles. He is not going anywhere."After I left Astrid to co
Kiara's POV"How do I look?" I spun in my new floor length dress that my sister had just gotten from me."Freya looked at me her rows furtowed like she was deep in though before she broke into an easy smile."You look amazing."I looked at myself in the the mirror lifting my hair to look at the neckline of my gown."Do you think Alpha Jaxon will like this on me?"Freya's smile stiffened around the edges then the stiffness was gone faster than I could blink and she was assuring me."Of course he will."I knew what my sister thought. I knew what everyone thought. That in was silly for falling in love with a man that was in love with someone else.But Freya didn't understand something. Alpha Jaxon was heartless. He didn't love anyone. He couldn't and I no longer minded. But if he couldn't love anyone anyway then why not him staying with me instead of that Astrid?My sister's plan had worked so fat. It would have worked better if the Elders had started punishing her sooner instead of argu
Kiara's POVNo!I couldn't believe that my sister just admitted the truth to Alpha Jaxon. He would never forgive her for this mistake.He was going to kill her and I would never let that happen. I pushed the door open and I ran in.Alpha Jaxon and my sister looked up to see me. Freya's mouth dropped open in surprise."Kiara?"I went on my knees next to my sister, my hands pressed together as I met Alpha Jaxon's gaze."Alpha, please don't hurt my sister."Freya pulled my arm turning me to face her and I could see the panic on her face, the fear that I would be drawn into her problem."Kiara, what are you doing here? Leave."Tears filled my eyes. This was my fault. If I hadn't threatened to end my life then she wouldn't have gotten pregnant by a different man. "I will never leave you, sister."She was the only person I had left.I turned back to Alpha Jaxon."Alpha, please she doesn't know what she is saying."The video wasn't here yet, if we could somehow intercept the video from Caleb
Kiara's POVBeta Caleb didn't waste any time at all before throwing me out of the Crimson Moon Pack and I was left on the borders with my heavy luggage filled with the new clothes that I had gotten with Freya.Clothes that Alpha Jaxon would never get to see because he had thrown me out of his life now. Clothes that Freya would never compliment me about because the Alpha I loved had killed her.I no longer had a home or a family. It was all Astrid's fault but the anger that I had been nursing in my heart had morphed into fear.As I was all alone out here, anything could happen to me. I had heard a brief story of what had happened to Astrid to bring her to our pack. About the slave traders.What if they caught me and sold me or worse what if I was ambushed by wild rogues that tore me apart?This was all my fault. I should have tried harder to convince Freya to not take the chance of betraying Alpha Jaxon instead of being secretly relieved when she did.Where would I go now?Suddenly, I
Astrid's POVI didn't know how long the news that we, the surrogates, were leaving the pack made me feel frozen.Now I understood why Beta Caleb had seemed to pity me when I asked how Alpha Jaxon was.This was good news. I should have been happy. I should have been ecstatic. I could finally be free to find my father and leave my own life. I would never be locked up again so why did I feel so shitty?I didn't know.I also didn't know why the moment I got into my room, I began to cry instead of packing up my load.I knew that Alpha Jaxon didn't love me. He never would. Men like that never fell in love. They only fucked, laughed, smirked and killed.Beta Caleb was wrong. I didn't feel anything for Alpha Jaxon. I had just heard his cold was dead and done what a normal person would; ask after his health.I could never fall for a man like that to begin with anyway. Only a fool would do that and I wasn't that dumb.By the time I was done packing up my box to leave the Crimson Moon Pack house
Alpha Finn's POVI watched as Xavier brought the surrogate to me.Finally, for once, he was doing something right although the full truth of that statement would have to wait till I had spoken to her.Maybe it was because I had shown him what was in store for him after I had to give up the Alpha King's daughter in exchange for him.Give up the Alpha King's daughter to no one else but Alpha Jaxon, a kid who had managed to displace me in the werewolf world in every way possible.I growled at Xavier."If you cannot prove that you are worthy of being my heir then I shall find a new one."He frowned at me, not understanding the severity of his mistake."How can you say something like that, Father? You know that I tried my best to get Astrid back."But did I? She was one powerless omega who wasn't even aware of her heritage. How hard could it be to get her out of the enemy's pack when between them, they had an injured but unbroken mate bond?That was what I thought but I couldn't have been
Alpha Jaxon's POVWhat?!The Moonshadow pack had the guts to try starting a war with me?I thought of the last time that I had seen Alpha Finn.Had sparing his son been a mistake? Maybe if I had killed that twerp Xavier, he wouldn't have been gutsy enough to try pulling something like this with me.A surge of suspicion suddenly made me jerk straight as something hit me. Alpha Finn almost never attacked me because he knew how small his fighting force was compared to mine.If he tried going up against me then there would be a bloodbath so why was he trying to fight me? Unprovoked at that.I looked down at Astrid whose eyes were as wide as saucers from my proximity or at the horrifying news that Alpha Finn was spoiling for a fight.It was no longer safe here, not with me being unaware of whatever Alpha Finn was plotting. I had to keep Astrid safe in my pack.I made eye contact with Caleb."Get a car to take Astrid home and gather the warriors."Astrid shoved at me drawing my attention to
Ten years laterAstrid's POV"The Crimson Moon Pack has successfully launched a multi-species academy in the interstate that will be our first step in cementing the centuries of bad blood between vampires, werewolves and witches."The entire hall fell silent listening to her and I guess even as her mother I was also in awe of Valerie's boldness and confidence.She was well-spoken for a child. Well, not that she was still much a child any more at ten.She would have her first shift in three years and then she would have a more active role in her position as Alpha King.She met my gaze across the distance between us and I gave her a subtle thumbs-up that had her smiling brightly before continuing her speech.No one would be able to tell how anxious she had been when she had been rehearsing this very speech with me."I know it will be hard. Everyone has lost someone. Even though I lost my dad to this fight, we will make sure their deaths are not in vain." Val's voice didn't crack even a
Kiara's POVIsn't it funny how the difference between a villain and a hero is the person telling the story?After Alpha Jaxon found out that I had been lying to him about being the daughter of the Alpha King, he left shattering my heart into so many pieces that even breathing was difficult for me.After he left, I hid myself in the grand expand of the supreme witch's home. She must have known that I was there but she didn't come looking for me.People like me didn't matter much to people like her.Until we do.That day for me was the day I left my hiding spot to get food to eat.One might wonder why I did just leave. But how could I leave when I had nowhere else to go? I no longer had a pack house, I no longer had a big sister to look out for me. Even the pack that I had betrayed Alpha Jaxon for had thrown me out.I had nowhere.In my haste to hurry back into my hiding spot after stealing some food, I took a wrong turn and found myself lost in the maze that was the Supreme Witch's res
Astrid's POVAs I hugged Alpha Jaxon, I felt at peace for the first time in a long while.The war was over. The vampire hunters killed the vampire king in our fight prior to meeting with Alpha Jaxon and the screams I heard leave his throat would forever live within me.We had lost people but I had faith that in time we would be able to rebuild and—A loud screech pierced through the air.What the fuck was that?I pulled away from Alpha Jaxon breaking away from our hug to see a massive shadow overhead.Goosebumps crawled over my skin as I realized that the form of that… thing was distinctly familiar."Those are…" My voice trailed off as my heart refused to believe what I was seeing."The monsters from the swamp." Xavier completed it for me.So it wasn't just in my head. They were really here.More of the creatures flew overhead, swooping in."What are they doing here?" Alpha Jaxon was as perplexed as we were.Last I remembered, Alpha Jaxon had informed me of the witch putting up a spel
Alpha Jaxon's POVFor Caleb.That's what I said within myself for every swing of my blade that cut down a vampire.Today's battle felt different whether that was because of my resolve to get rid of as many vampires as possible or because of something else.It didn't matter though.I beheaded the vampire heading right towards me in one fell swoop even as the frontlines of the vampires pushed against the werewolves."Hold the line!" I called out both in person for my allies and through the pack link for my pack members.We were on equal ground today due to the terrain so if we let their considerably larger force get through our front line, they would crush us regardless of how hard I fought.It was, to be very simply put, a numbers game.My frontline held and the battle thickened.I trode forward, step by step with enemies and friends alike at my side clashing and dying in different forms.From wolf to partial shift, to human and vampire form, they fought and the field ran red with bloo
Astrid's POVWhen I neared the border to the Crimson moon pack, I was moving as fast as I could.The Alpha hunter had won't to get the remaining two telling me that they would meet up with me in max two hours.Which gave me two hours to reach Alpha Jaxon and make a plan on how we were going to rendezvous with the army and the vampire hunters.Reaching the borders I heard a loud screech."Let me through! I need to talk to Astrid!"The guards didn't seem ready to let whoever that was through the borders."Leave or we will have to deal with you using force." The guard warned.The female sounded like she felt insulted by the guards' words."Using force? Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that?!"That voice. That voice was so familiar and the arrogance that laced those words could only belong to one person but what was she doing here?I walked faster so that I could see her face for myself to confirm but her next words confirmed my suspicions before I saw her."I am going
Astrid's POVYou see, there was something I didn't tell the Alphas about the vampire hunters.During my time in the bunker, Dad had told me about them when recounting the tales of the war.Three vicious heartless ferocious fighters who seemed to never age. Some said that they were bigger monsters than the vampires.I guess I would find out.I headed out trying to push away my father's cautionary words from my head but I couldn't.The vampire hunters had promised him help but at the moment when he needed them the most, they didn't show up.If they failed me this time as they had my father before me, then we were as good as dead."Princess." Elder Gideon seemed shocked to see me at the door of his house.Admittedly, it was a rare occurrence for me to be there at all. I always tried to keep a very professional relationship with the Elders before they could think to question my authority as a woman leading their pack"I need you to look after the pack for me in my absence," I said going s
Astrid's POVAlpha Finn tried to bluff his way through the situation."Do you really think they will betray me like that? You must have lost your mind, Astrid."He took a threatening step towards me only to be blocked by a much larger older Alpha on a buzz cut and with an unfriendly face.The Alpha looked down at Alpha Finn with barely restrained disgust."I think we are the ones that lost our mind following a hybrid."Alpha Finn took an almost unnoticeable step back but I saw it."Alpha Nicolai, can't you see she is trying to divide us?" He said cautiously.Alpha Nicolai bared his teeth at him."All I can see is a vamp whore."Then faster than I could blink, Alpha Nicolai reached out and tore Alpha Finn's neck open.A blow like that would have killed a wolf but for a hybrid like him, he healed almost immediately but the other Alphas were already crowding in on him slashing and tearing him up faster than he
Alpha Jaxon's POVI didn't tell Astrid the reality of this war.I didn't tell her about the stench of death that I woke up to. The blood, the pyres that never stopped burning and the senseless endless death.Astrid not coming here with me was without a doubt, the best decision I had ever made.The vampires fought to injure or maim us with obscene speed knowing that now we feared injuries as much as we did death blows hence why we opted for large-range weapons like swords, bows and fire bombs instead of just our claws now.But even with my intense strategy, it was still a numbers game. A game that we were slowly losing.The explosion rocked the earth and the last of the vampires began to retreat. We had won today's fight. Only the goddess could guarantee tomorrow's win."Fall back!" I called out for my men and our allies. "Take our injured and fall back!"Where did Caleb go?This was the time we were supposed to meet so t
Astrid's POVIt had been three months. Three months since I saw Alpha Jaxon. Three months since I touched him.I went to bed in my room with his clothes next to me because of how much I missed even his scent. I missed him more than I knew was possible. So much so that I found myself crying on the harder days.But that was only possible at night when I was alone in my room with Val.In the daytime, I was the backbone of the Crimson Moon Pack. The one the people and the elders looked up to in Alpha Jaxon's absence."The harvest last month is half what we used to have." Elder Gideon said and I could barely hold back a tired sigh.Between how much we were pumping out into the battlefield to feed the people there and the poor yield this season, it was to be expected.My hand beneath my jaw, I met Elder Gideon's gaze."We need to boost our output."Elder Jared, the bane of my existence these past three months scoffed."