MiaAmidst the chaos, I focused on the immediate threat in front of me—a cloaked figure lunging towards Mason. Reacting instinctively, Mason dodged the attack, his claws meeting the assailant's sword with a resounding clash."Nice try," Mason grunted, pushing back against the attacker.Lycidas engaged another cloaked figure, his movements fluid and precise. "You picked the wrong pack to mess with!"I glanced around, realizing that the cloaked figures outnumbered us. Fear crept in, but I couldn't let it paralyze me. Spotting an opportunity, I lunged at a distracted assailant, my wooden claws meeting their side. They staggered, momentarily thrown off balance."Take that!" I shouted, more to boost my own confidence than anything else.The leader of the cloaked group observed the chaos with a sinister satisfaction. "This is amusing, watching you pups struggle."As Mason and Lycidas fought with unmatched determination, I noticed a glint in the leader's hand—a small, shimmering vial. Before
MarthaI continued to stare into the now empty space where the mysterious wolf had disappeared. Michael joined me, his brows furrowed in concern."Martha, who was that? What's going on?" he asked again, a sense of urgency in his voice.I shook my head, still processing the encounter. "I don't know, Michael. It was a wolf, but not one of ours. There was something... different about it."A rustle in the bushes caught our attention, and Maya stumbled into the moonlit clearing. She looked weaker than ever, her fur matted and eyes dulled with exhaustion. I rushed to her side, my concern for her momentarily pushing aside the mystery of the stranger."Maya, what happened?" I asked gently, helping her to sit. Her response was weak, almost a whisper."I fought... Some wolves. Got injured," she managed to say, her voice strained.I exchanged a worried glance with Michael. "We need to get her back to the cave. She's in no condition to be out here."As we helped Maya back towards the cave, I coul
Selena's POVIn the dimly lit cave, surrounded by the worried faces of the pack, I couldn't shake the lingering unease that had settled in my chest. Hazel's distant demeanor, the revelation of Nightshade's plans, and the monstrous creature they had unleashed—all of it weighed heavily on my mind.As I stole a glance at Hazel, who stood stoically by the entrance, his gaze distant, I couldn't ignore the ache in my heart. The connection we once shared felt strained, and the unanswered questions lingered in the air."Hazel," I whispered, my voice barely audible amidst the hushed conversations in the cave. He turned to look at me, his expression guarded."Are you okay?" I asked, my concern evident in my eyes. He nodded, but the distance in his gaze remained."Hazel, we need to talk," I insisted, my voice quivering with a mix of frustration and vulnerability."Now is not the time, Selena. We have more pressing matters to deal with," he replied, his tone firm.I took a step closer, unable to
Hazel meets MiaHazel's POVSoon, the early morning sunlight filled the cave. I stood and stretched and looked around at all the people gathered. Despite myself, I could not help feeling a bit proud. In this time of danger, I had saved my people. That had to count, no matter how wicked they thought I was. Anyway, it was only the capital city that was evacuated, so it was really not that much of a problem to bring everything back to normal. But I would do that later in the day. For now, I want to go on the track of the beast I had seen last night. I couldn't shake off the feeling that it was more than I could afford to brush off. I just had to know what it is or else, I would never be at ease. For the first time in many days, I gave a sleeping Selena a kiss on the forehead, then walked out of the cave. The forest lay still in the early morning light as I ventured out, the pack members still resting in the safety of the cave. The not so distant memories of Nightshade's revenge surf
Mia's POVThough I tried to turn away coolly, my heart was beating very hard. My shoulders tensed, and I had a very intense urge to turn and keep my eyes on him as I walked backwards faster than any one living or dead had ever done.I could literally feel my skin tingle and goosebumps washed over me as I remembered all the tales from Lycidas about Hazel. Had he become that way because of me? I didn't care anymore. He broke my eyes once, and judging from the look in his eyes just now, he was ready to break it a second time no matter what he said.The first time, I had nearly died.All I wanted now was to get as far away from him as possible. "But I do want something you have," his voice rang out, and I paused in my tracks. After an intense personal struggle, I finally bit out a question. "What?" I felt his breath on my neck and tensed even more. I had not heard him close the distance between us. Despite myself, I turned my head so I could look at him. I wouldn't feel comfortable w
Mia's POVI let his hand slip under my dress, looking him all the while in the eyeballs. There was defiance in my eyes. As I watched, the subtle threat of seduction in his eyes changed to one of intense desire. An alpha wolf could never resist a challenge, especially when it involves dominating a strong headed female and getting her to submit. I smiled to myself as I saw the challenge come into his eyes. I was going to drive his wolf senseless with the need to dominate, addle his brain so he can't think straight, then I will make good my escape. Hazel's hand lingered on my inner thigh, his gaze fixed on mine. In that intense moment, I felt a surge of satisfaction, knowing that I had turned the tables on him. As his desire intensified, my plan unfolded."You think a little touch will break me?" I taunted, maintaining eye contact.A predatory grin played on his lips. "You underestimate the effect an alpha has, Mia."I chuckled, a hint of mischief in my eyes. "Well, let's see if you c
Lycidas's POVAs I waited, I couldn't help but notice that my heart was beating harder than normal. It had been more than an hour since Mabel sent Meli…Mia to go gather the herbs. I couldn't help wondering if the Nightshade lunatics had gotten her. Last night, as we fought, our opponents had be extremely talkative, and it didn't take much asking to learn that they're from the Nightshade pack, intent on revenge on the Blood Moon pack for the war waged on them by alpha king Hazel. It had been a bitter battle. Sighing, I tried to stand up, and immediately regretted it. Groans escaped me as I fell back on the bed, opening a few wounds. The room felt suffocating, and the passing time only intensified my apprehension. Mabel, had been calm and collected when she checked on me a few minutes earlier, but I had seen the worry in her eyes.With the way those two behaved around each other, one would never imagine they would be anything but pleased to see the other gone. But I was sure of wh
Mia's POVThe shock of seeing Lycidas in the clearing, his eyes widening at my exposed state, was eclipsed by the sudden realization of my near-nudity. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I instinctively tried to cover myself with whatever remnants of my torn dress still clung to my body."Lycidas! What are you doing here?" I stammered, a mixture of embarrassment and surprise coloring my words.He shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. "I came to find you. Mabel said you'd be fine, but I couldn't shake off the worry."A rush of conflicting emotions swirled within me—gratitude for his concern, embarrassment for being caught in such a compromising situation, and frustration at the circumstances that led us here.I hastily gathered the shreds of my torn dress, attempting to salvage some semblance of modesty. Lycidas, despite the initial shock, quickly averted his gaze, respecting my privacy."Are you hurt?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes.I shook my head, trying to ignore t