“I will take whatever punishment you all deem fit for me,” I whispered.
“What you did is treason, Ivyanka. And the punishment is…death,” Logan said.
“Then death it is…” I nodded.
“But she has confessed and that changes everything,” Rose spoke up. “And we should be thankful to her that, regardless of what is at stake for her, she chose to tell us the truth. This could cost her everything…”
“Yeah,” Cora nodded. “I agree that what Ivy did is wrong and it really hurts because we thought of her as family from the start. But I don’t know…what would we all have done if we were in her place? The pain of losing your family, I know that. And had I been in her place, I would have tried everything I could to save my father. And she is an Alpha. It’s her job to protect her pack members.” I blinked, not really expecting them to say that. Rose gave my hand a squeeze, offering a small smile.
“Yes, but she could have told us earlier?” Logan grumbl
IvyI was draped in the most magical dress one can imagine. It was a silver gown, scattered in silver sequins that seemed like someone had dusted it with fairy dust. My hair was left open and Cora had added a stunning, small tiara at the top. However, despite all the shimmering, my blue eyes seemed dull as the day outside, my face gaunt like a ghost.“You look beautiful. This dress is an ode to your wolf,” Rose smiled brightly, even though it was evident that she was worried about Asher just as I was.“Yeah,” Cora agreed, squeezing my bare shoulders. “The perfect Luna.”“Asher?” I whispered, turning around. Cora’s smile faded and she shook her head.“Nothing yet,
Song: Coping (Rosie Darling)“He will come back,” Cora added softly. “Don’t worry. Mingle with the guests a bit, you should get acquainted with everyone. Remember, these people are our allies and, in the long run, we will definitely need them.”“Will you come with me?” I asked, because I didn’t have the strength to fake smiles at the moment.“Of course,” she nodded and held out her hand to me. For the next hour or so, I put on my best fake smile I could manage and greeted the guests or at least tried to greet the guests with the same poise Rose and Cora had.“Can I get a drink?” I grumbled at the bartender, my mouth dry as hay.“Ivyanka,” I turned around and blinked at one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen. She had beautiful dusky skin, shiny golden hair and a face and physique you only see in those fashion magazines. I don’t think I have met her before.“Yeah, that would be me,” I nodded.“I am Cat
AsherThe cold water soothed an invisible burn I couldn’t escape. My whole body felt like it was on fire, a dull ache spreading from my chest. I thought if I distanced myself from her, I might gain some perspective and forgive the betrayal. So, I ran deep into the mountains, as far as I could go.I killed a fair amount of wildlife there until Eli hunted me down and dragged me back. I don’t know how he found me but I injured him quite a bit before I had to give up and return. But not before I drowned myself in alcohol. Yet, the moment I saw her in that silver gown, the pain hit like wildfire. The first woman I ever loved was here to destroy my family and my pack. How do I forget and forgive that?She claims that she fell in love with me. If she hadn’t, would she have told me the truth? Or would she have just blatantly sold out my love and my pack to some bloodthirsty creep? Even now, how can I trust her? How do I know she’s not lying again? Trust doesn’t come easy to me, and with Ivy, i
Ivy“Once all this is over with….you’ll accept my rejection and leave. For good,” His voice was as cold as winter knocking at the door. And this was the same man whose eyes had lit up with a warmth no fire can compare to when he confessed his love for me. I could see the hurt in his eyes, the pain from my betrayal.“Asher…” Cora started but he held up his hand and shook his head.“This is between us,” Asher said firmly, his eyes still locked on mine. I gazed into his eyes and I knew this was his way of making me feel the hurt he felt. I knew he still loved me so if me promising to leave brings him some kind of relief then be it.“I promise,” I said. “Once this is done a
“A vampire-werewolf hybrid?” Logan grimaced. “Oh for fucks sake…”“But how can that be?” Noah frowned. “To be a hybrid, one parent needs to be from another species and Roman was definitely an alpha wolf. And if I am not wrong, his mate, Charlotte, was the daughter of Alpha Louise of the Red Mountain pack. They both were werewolves then how can Killian be a vampire-werewolf hybrid?”“I agree with him,” Logan nodded. “Noah took his history lessons very seriously.”“We don't know what happened in the last thirty-four years though,” Asher said. “Mating of two different entities is just one way of becoming a hybrid. There could be other ways as well,”“I guess that’s what we need to do first,” Rose muttered. “Fill in the blank spaces because right now we have simply no clue exactly what Killian is up to, or how big is his pack. How big and powerful is his army?And for goddess sake if he is a hybrid.” Logan swore under his breath and at this point, I could actu
Asher“What the fuck happened?” I demanded, storming into the meeting room. Reed was there along with two of our messengers, Hunter and Kyle. These two were specifically trained to be spies for GrayCrest and were experts at extracting information.“There have been two more vampire attacks,” Kyle said. “At BlueHounds and at WillowCreek, both within the last two days.”“Wait, but they are both GrayCrest’s subsidiary packs,” Logan hissed. “How come Jordan didn’t tell us?”“Jordan was at the wedding,” Noah remarked. “He seemed fine.” Alpha Jordan was the Alpha of Bl
AsherThe tattoo parlor was as usual humming with customers and regular whirring of machines with some old ass rock songs playing in the background. Ruby stood by the corner, grimacing at a female customer making a fuss.“Ruby!” I called. She turned around and rolled her eyes at me.“Bloody sissies. If you can’t handle pain, why get a tattoo?” she grumbled, stalking to her office. I followed after her, shutting the door behind me. She lit a cigarette and then flopped down on her desk.“Yes, it’s nice to see you too,” I said, taking a seat.“Oh cut the crap, we are both beyond these formalities boy,” she
Asher Her scent was like a mix of a lot of flowers, like spring. And like any other female scent, it didn’t appeal to me anymore. Now the only scent that appealed to me belonged to my mate. She thankfully released me and stunning hazel eyes twinkled back at me.“You haven’t changed much,” Catalina exclaimed. Her English was laced with Spanish, but it kinda sounded sexy.“Catalina,” I managed a smile. “I…what a surprise.”“Shouldn’t I be the one saying it, Alpha?” She gave me a look.Catalina was Alpha Juan’s daughter, the man whose pack I went to train in Spain. The moment I saw her, she had my attention because, of course, she was mesmerizing. Glowing dusky skin, beautiful eyes, perfect full lips and the face of a goddess. How could you not be attracted to someone like her? Throughout my eight months of stay there, we had gotten pretty close. She was not just beautiful, she was funny and very talented.But that was not the only thing. We fucked. A lot. And it was so freaking damn goo
AsherKillian’s army was a flood of darkness, their silhouettes stark against the snow. Rogues, hybrids, and vampires, all moving in perfect unison, their eyes glinting like red-hot embers. They were spread thin at first, testing our defenses, but I knew better than to think it was random. They were probing us, looking for weakness.“Hold fast,” Logan’s voice rumbled through the link. “Stay focused.” Noah’s wolf, Noel, was at my right, his massive form solid and unyielding. His deep growl vibrated through the ground as we waited for the first strike.To our left, Cora and Catalina led the charge on the flank, their wolves sleek and fast as they darted through the snow. The left side was tight, their warriors moving like a well-oiled machine, cutting off any attempts by Killian’s forces to circle around us.Then, I saw it—the telltale signs of their strategy. A group of vampires, positioned in the trees on the far edge of the battlefield, began to move. They were staying low, using the
AsherThe wind howled, carrying a bitter chill as we marched toward the battlefield. Snow whipped through the air, stinging like icy shards against my wolf’s fur. Mac's paws crunched through the thick blanket of snow that coated the ground, the cold barely registering in my mind. The forest loomed ahead, its dark silhouettes blurred by the blizzard.At my sides, the pack moved in perfect formation. GrayCrest wolves formed the vanguard, their steps steady and deliberate. To our left and right, allied forces spread out, forming a crescent that stretched into the treeline. Despite the storm, every movement was precise, every warrior holding their position with discipline.Logan’s black wolf, Axel, massive and imposing, led the charge at the center. Beside him, Noah’s wolf, Noel, kept pace, its bulk matching Logan’s, his ears twitching at every sound carried by the wind. I took my place beside them, Mac surging for
IvyI stepped closer, my dagger glinting in the dim light. “What were you doing here? What was the ritual for?”Thalora’s lips curled into a smile as if she were savoring some private joke. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”Sabrina’s magic flared, and the chains constricted sharply. Thalora hissed in pain but laughed again.“You’re standing in the middle of it and you don’t know? Typical. Always so blind to the bigger picture. Fine, fine. You disrupted it anyway, but you might as well know what you’ve doomed yourselves to.” Her gaze flicked to me, dark amusement dancing in her eyes.
IvyThe tunnel opened into a dimly lit corridor, damp and suffocating. The walls were carved from rough stone, and the air carried a mix of mildew and iron—the unmistakable scent of blood. My boots scraped softly against the uneven floor as Sabrina and I moved forward, her magic casting a faint glow that barely pierced the oppressive darkness. I knew this place. This was the Crescent Moon dungeon.“Stay alert,” Sabrina whispered, her sharp eyes scanning ahead.A faint noise—shuffling footsteps and low murmurs—pricked my ears. We slowed, pressing against the cold stone walls.“They&rsqu
IvyI armed myself with whatever possible weapon I could—wolfsbane in small vials, a wolfsbane laced dagger and even small blades laced with wolfsbane. My heart was pounding in my chest as I took deep breaths, pulled on my gloves and headed downstairs. The weather outside was turning darker by the second and Sabrina predicted a blizzard to hit soon.The last update Asher gave me through the mindlink was that the armies have gathered and the glimpse he tried to give me of Killian’s army…things were really not looking good for GrayCrest. We literally had half of what he had apart from the vampires and the hybrids. The only hope now was tha
Christmas morning was filled with the comforting smell of roasted meats, warm bread, and the spice of mulled cider as pack members gathered around the tables for a feast. No one talked about the war, even if between us, we knew that Silas was dead and Noah had actually sent his dead body over to the Crescent Moon—a Christmas gift Killian would remember. Sabrina told me that she has managed to create the antidote and tomorrow she and Avery will start injecting the warriors and everyone else with it before leaving for the battlefield.Cora, Rose, and I had gathered gifts over the past weeks, and together, we made our way through the pack, handing small wrapped bundles to every member. The omega children squealed with delight as they tore into theirs. Stacks of gifts piled up for Aurie and Theo, each pack member contributing something to bring joy to the children. I glanced at Shae and Lia as they added their own contributions to the ever-growing pile. Everyone’s gestures, big or small,
Ivy“How could they even decide that without asking us what the truth was?” Cora growled as Asher’s eyes scanned the letter, turning dark with rage every passing second.“Natalie must have been very convincing,” I grimaced. “Does Logan and Noah know?”“Yes, I told them,” she nodded.“Are they still working on Silas?” I asked. “It’s been long enough.”“None of what Silas told them is of any use to use. And apparently, even he doesn’t know Killian’s war strategy. Logan has tried enough…you wouldn’t want to see what he has done with him. I have never seen Logan this angry in all my life and I have seen a lot…” I pursed my lips. If it scared Cora watching what Logan had done to Silas, then I definitely didn’t want to know.“Well, if we get through this the Council is fucked,” Asher hissed, crumbling the paper in his hands.“Now what?” Cora asked.“Now we fight with all we have got,” he said. “This isn’t going
Out of all the places, I didn’t expect Asher to take me to a tattoo parlor. Did he want to get a tattoo now?“I don’t think this is an appropriate time to get a tattoo…” I muttered as he headed inside.“I’m not here to get a tattoo, but this is where I have got all my tattoos done, in case you were curious. And when all of this shit is over, I have a matching tattoo planned for us as well,” Asher said. “Now…this is why I am here,” I frowned as he pointed to a woman in black standing by one of the booths. She had pink hair tied in a ponytail and looked pissed as fuck as she watched an artist work on a guy.“Ruby,” Asher called. The woman turned around and I blinked. She was typically not the kind of female I could imagine Asher being friends with.“Hello Alpha,” her scowl instantly turned to a grin as she walked over and gave Asher a hug before turning her eyes covered in kohl and liner to me. “Wait…don’t tell me…it’s her, isn’t it? The Silver wolf?” I frowned.How did she know that?“
Ivy Reed, dad and I were gathered in the common study to discuss war strategy. We had spread out maps and charts and all that stuff and now my father was deep in talks with Reed as he explained the old strategies of the army to him. My father looked much recovered now, very much like the alpha he was. If there will ever be a second in my life where I won’t be grateful for Eli’s sacrifice, then I hope the Moon Goddess kills me right there.“Hmm. I believe Killian’s forces will be advancing from this side…” Dad muttered, deep in thought.“Yes,” Reed agreed, his expression serious as he analyzed the map. “And we’ll be positioned here.” He tapped a cluster of trees on our side of the field. “It’ll be steep and treacherous, but we can use that to our advantage. If Killian’s vampires try to attack from higher ground, the slopes and snow will slow them down.”“They’ll likely position their main forces here—vampires an