Alpha Jaxon's POVMy elders looked at me intently in the urgent meeting I had called immediately after I returned."I only have a few months to live." I announced going straight to the point.I saw the shock and disbelief bloom across their faces even as I felt my Beta stiffening behind me as I revealed my biggest secret to my council.A secret I and the rest of my family had spent a lifetime hiding from them."Alpha what are you saying?" Elder Gideon who was usually the calmest of the lot sounded utterly confused.Elder Jared backed him up almost immediately, his eyes shifting from me to Caleb behind me."Yes, Alpha. You have completely recovered from your fight with Alpha Finn so what do you mean?"Elder Elias remained silent watching me with an almost narrowed gaze.I could see now unlike immediately after the fight with Alpha Finn when I had been completely blinded.The sight I had acquired in my time in the Supreme Witch's realm had not left me yet because of the Witch's last gif
Astrid's POVI knew that I was going to escape before I did it.I made the decision shortly after realizing that I could actually shift now and that it had not just been a stress-induced reaction from the swamps.Victoria, my wolf, however, was still very shy and rarely spoke to me unless I disturbed her.Even when I did, she would do the mental equivalent of raising her head before laying back down again.I didn't blame her. If she felt half as traumatized as I felt, then her behaviour was justified.Initially, when I woke up, I couldn't walk but then after my first partial shift, I regained the ability to walk again.But I continued to pretend that I couldn't walk because it gave me enough time and space to plan and attempt to escape.The day I escaped, I saw Alpha Jaxon. He came up to my bedside while I pretended to be asleep and stroked my cheek almost lovingly.I hated the way my body responded eagerly to his touch even my wolf was no longer lethargic the moment he touched us.I
Astrid's POVStaying in the desert was surprisingly fun even though I was underground for most of the time.The rooms were spacious and beautiful, Dad attended to my every need painstakingly and I was happier than I had ever been.As it turned out I had been right about the size proportions in the main house being way larger than it looked on the outside.Apparently, this desert was a safe harbor of sorts inhabited by different people or families that mostly kept to themselves.There is a general spell that distorts the appearance of the houses around so as to prevent detection.The cottage is actually really pretty apart from the sandstorm protection around it that is more functional than pretty.Time passed but I didn't really keep track of it without the sun to keep time underground.I learnt more about my parents as people and the court I would have grown up in as. a princess if my situation had been different.It was equally fascinating and unbelievable how much of my life had ch
Astrid's POVI couldn't be pregnant. It was impossible."No, it can't be." I denied it reflexively.Dad was more certain than I was as he took another deep breath inhaling my scent before nodding like that had confirmed something for him."When your mother was pregnant with you, she had the same symptoms and her scent changed. Just as yours has." He said finally.Was it truly possible that I was pregnant? I mean if I was pregnant, surely I would have noticed. There would be signs.I cradled my belly and I immediately paled when I remembered something.I haven't had a period since coming out here in the desert. It wasn't the first time I would miss a period.It had happened to me generally while I lived in the Moon Shadow pack as an omega working under extreme stress. I wasn't stressed now though.In fact, I was so relaxed I had begun to add on a bit of weight, my figure more curvy than it was once but that was only because of the amounts of food I had been eating to satisfy my weird c
Astrid's POVI listened intently as my Dad spoke, unable to believe all of this had happened while at the same time knowing that Alpha Finn was exactly the sort of person to do something like this."We were at war and the capital was tense with many nobles trying to take advantage of our war against the vampires to seize more power."My father's gaze was blank as if he was looking at the battlefield at that instant watching his men die."Finn was one of my trusted generals and so was Ryker until he died."I paused when I heard that name, certain that I must have misheard something."Ryker? As in the former Alpha of the Crimson moon pack?"And Alpha Jaxon's dad. Was it possible that Alpha Jaxon and I had more of a connection than I initially thought?My father nodded solemnly, his face a mask of pain."Yes. He died years earlier when the war just began in a bid to save my life," Dad said and I could see the anger on his face that hadn't dimmed all these years. "It wasn't until years la
Alpha Jaxon's POVI looked at the timer still shocked.How was it possible that I was still alive?I was thirty years old now. It was time for the curse to kick in yet inconceivably, I was alive.I immediately called out to my Beta."Caleb, get Doctor Rachael here!"Even through the pack link, I could feel the tremors of his surprise that I was still alive but he was quick to respond to me."Yes, Alpha."Minutes later, Caleb walked into my room with Dr Rachael who also looked surprised to see me alive.She took my vitals and gave me a full examination. When she was done, her eyes were wide with shock."Alpha… congratulations you have been cured!"I looked at her, the words not fully drinking in so I had to ask her again."What do you mean?"She smiled at me brightly, her eyes sparkling with punished tears."I mean from what I can see your curse is gone. You are pretty much normal now, Alpha."This was impossible. The Supreme Witch had said reversing the curse was beyond her abilities,
Astrid's POVI reclined on the chair after Dad stepped out to get the peppered roast meat that I have been craving recently.I was considerably larger now considering the fact that I was in my early trimester. My ankles were swollen, I couldn't see my feet and I was pleased to report that I now waddled instead of walking.I also got tired and napped very quickly any time that I wasn't eating. My wolf didn't lend me much of her strength because due the fact that she had limited reserves seeing as we hadn't shifted in a while.She saved that strength for guarding the baby and I could feel her wrapped securely around the baby, continuously protecting it and it warmed my heart.I heard a knock on the door. That was fast.I hadn't expected Dad back home for some time.I opened the door only to see Alpha Jaxon standing there."Astrid."I panicked."I'm afraid you have the wrong person."I tried to slam the door close but Alpha Jaxon didn't hesitate before putting his hand between the door a
Astrid's POVI was probably being a weak ass by letting Alpha Jaxon in so easily but I wasn't heartless.The sandstorms here were ruthless as I had grown to discover in my months here. They could strip the flesh off a mortal and kill them but for a wolf, an Alpha like Alpha Jaxon, he wouldn't die but sustain massive injuries.I suspected that he had used the circle to travel like I did, meaning that he didn't have anywhere else to ride out the storm. That was the only reason I let him in.The only one.Alpha Jaxon smiled at me like I had done something bigger than tell him to come in."Thank you."I ignored him and the way his smile made my heart flutter as I walked back into the house heading for the staircase that led to the bunker.The stairs had become a struggle as I progressed further into my pregnancy but as this alongside walking around the house was the only form of exercise that I got, I always did my best to waddle through the staircase at least twice a day.Today, however,
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."