Elara has spent her life as an outcast. Marked by a half-moon birthmark and whispered to be cursed, she has known nothing but isolation in the Grimshade Pack. When her fated mate rejects her—only to die soon after—the rumors of her misfortune spiral out of control. Then, in an unexpected twist, Alpha Andrew of the Salientmoon Pack claims her as his mate. Ruthless and feared, Andrew is known for his icy heart and the dark whispers that surround him. His offer isn’t born from love—it’s a calculated move in a brewing war. But as Elara is pulled into his world, she begins to wonder: is she truly cursed, or is there more to her fate than she ever imagined? And beneath Andrew’s cold exterior, does a heart beat that just might shatter the chains binding them both?
Lihat lebih banyakElara’s POVPain brought me back first. A dull, aching throb in the back of my head. My arms were numb. My mouth dry as sand. I tried to move, but metal bit into my wrists, cold and tight.Chains.Again.My eyes fluttered open, heavy with whatever they’d drugged me with. The room was dim—stone walls, a single torch flickering from a place near the door. Shadows danced across the floor. I was sitting against a wall, ankles bound too, arms chained above my head.Not the infirmary. Not home.I didn’t have to ask where I was. The stench of blood and damp earth was enough. Dorian’s stronghold. His dungeon, probably. How poetic.It was easy to notice where I was. I've been here on different occasions. But thinking about it felt like a lifetime ago.Footsteps echoed before I could gather my thoughts.I lifted my head. Slowly. Dorian’s shadow emerged from the dark corridor like something from a nightmare. Tall. Composed. That familiar smirk stretched across his face like he’d won the damn war
Michael’s POVWe moved fast.The second the sun started to rise, Lora and I were already past the east part, slipping past the border into the dense pine thickets beyond the territory lines. There were no patrols, or guards. Lora stayed a few steps behind me, light on her feet but tense. She hadn’t spoken much since Greg gave us the order to follow up on Mara and Rhea’s movements. I didn’t blame her. The silence between us was laced with suspicion neither of us wanted to say out loud yet.Mara and Rhea. Trusted pack members and protectors.Or so we thought.“They escaped during the fight” I muttered, glancing at the tracks in the dirt. “Didn’t say a word.”Lora grunted. “And stole the ancient relic. That’s what tipped Andrew off.”“Smart of him,” I said.“Too late,” she replied quietly.Yeah. It was. We were playing catch-up, and with Dorian breathing down our necks, every second mattered.We followed the trail for another mile before the forest gave way to an old hunting cabin. It l
Elara’s POVI knew something was wrong the second I stepped into the east wing.The air was too quiet. The silence too deep.I picked up my pace, boots tapping softly against the stone floor as I rounded the corner. The scent of blood hit me hard—sharp, coppery, unmistakable. My pulse spiked.“Andrew,” I whispered, and broke into a run.Then I saw him.Slumped against the wall. Blood smeared down his jaw, his shirt torn, one arm bent at a sick angle. Greg was kneeling beside him, pressing cloth to his ribs, while Michael stood nearby, sword still drawn, face pale and furious.“Gods,” I breathed, dropping to my knees beside him. “What happened?”“He was ambushed,” Greg said without looking at me. “Two attackers. One escaped. The other…” He jerked his head toward the body behind him. “Didn’t make it.”Andrew coughed, his eyes fluttering open as I gripped his hand.“Elara?” His voice was raw, barely a whisper.“I’m here,” I said. “You’re okay. Just breathe.”“You’re late,” he rasped, try
Andrew’s POVElara’s words echoed in my skull like a blade dragged across stone.“Maybe I’m already a traitor to them.”She hadn’t looked back when she said it. Just walked off into the cold air, leaving me frozen there like an idiot.I didn’t chase after her. Maybe I should have. But gods, I was too tired of chasing people and questions. We were all bleeding from wounds no one wanted to talk about.By the time I reached the main hall, Greg was already waiting for me with that same grim look he always wore these days. He handed me a letter unfolded.I scanned the contents fast. Border movement. Enemy signs. Dorian.I exhaled through my teeth. “How close?”Greg stepped back and let the tension crackle between us before answering. “Too close. We have scouts reporting unusual gatherings. Clusters of his soldiers shifting along the northern part. Tactically scattered, but coordinated.”“How many?” I asked.“Don’t know yet. But enough to stir up real fear. And we’re not exactly standing on
Elara’s POVThe forest was quiet.I didn’t move. Didn’t even blink. Kieran’s voice still lingered in the air like smoke, sweet and poisonous.He stood before me, filled with arrogance, wearing that half-smile like he owned the godsdamn moon. He was dangerous—that much hadn’t changed. But something in his eyes tonight was different. I didn’t like it.“You’re serious,” I said.“Deadly,” he replied. “And if you’re smart, you’ll stop wasting time and start fighting them.” He flicked his fingers toward the east. The council chambers. The heart of everything rotting in this pack.Andrew’s voice was low, controlled. “You think Elara’s going to join you after everything you’ve done?”Kieran didn’t even look at him. His eyes stayed on mine. “I think Elara’s smart enough to know the rules were written to break her.”I clenched my jaw.Michael was already moving. “Enough. You’re under arrest—step away from her now.”Greg followed with his sword drawn, boots crunching on the leaves. I didn't eve
Andrew’s POVI couldn’t sleep again. Not after that message.The relic belongs to me now.Dorian didn’t have to sign his name—we all knew who sent it. The words were enough. No other person knew about the relic we had in our possession. Elara hadn’t said a word since we returned. She sat at the edge of the firepit behind the west wing, where the grass still bore bloodstains from last night’s attack. She stared into the flame like she could will herself to burn, or maybe disappear into it.I stayed back at first. Watching. Thinking.Then I finally walked over, crouched beside her.“You don’t have to go.”She didn’t even look up. Just flicked her eyes toward the flame, lips pressed tight.“Elara,” I tried again, softer this time. “You don’t have to leave.”She turned slowly. There was something unreadable in her face—tired, proud, uncertain.“You saw what the council did,” she said quietly. “They made up their minds before I even walked in the room.”“I don’t care what they decided,”
Elara’s POVWe didn’t win that night. We survived it but barely.The next morning was colder than it should’ve been. The scent of burnt wood clung to everything—my hair, my clothes, the inside of my mouth. Ash coated the ground, making it look like snow had fallen during the night. The council chamber was gone. Just blackened beams and smoldering rubble now.We’d spent the night counting our wounded and burning the dead.I didn’t sleep. None of us did.And we didn’t catch Mara or Rhea. Not a single damn trace.They vanished into the forest with whatever they stole—leaving behind bodies and a mess none of us were prepared to clean up.I sat on the flat edge of a broken pillar just outside what used to be the vault room. My limbs ached. My mind hadn’t stopped spinning since the explosion. My blade rested on my lap, stained dark red. I hadn't had the energy to clean it.Andrew crouched beside me, holding a cracked piece of the council vault door in his hand.“It wasn’t just the ledger,”
Andrew’s POVSmoke curled through the air forming dark clouds above us.I didn’t have time to think. One second I was reaching for Elara, the next, the ground shook beneath us. Flames erupted near the council chamber. The building shuddered as an explosion cracked through its foundation. Shouts turned to screams.“Elara!” I yanked her back just in time as a burning beam crashed down inches from where she’d been standing.We spun, backs pressed together.More masked wolves rushed out of the commotion; Dorian’s spies. At least six. Maybe more.“Go!” I barked. “Get to the council!”“I’m not leaving you!” she snapped.A blade slashed through the smoke toward me. I caught the arm mid-air, twisted, and drove my elbow into the spy’s throat. He crumpled.“Elara—”“No!” she shouted. “We do this together.”I should’ve known better than to argue.She grabbed the fallen blade and launched into the next enemy before I could stop her. Her movements were fluid, and controlled, just like they always
Elara’s POVThe silence in the chamber was absolute. I could hear the tick in my jaw from how hard I was clenching it.Tobias raised his hand. “We begin the vote now.”One by one, the elders stood. Each step, each movement, felt like I was getting steadily to death.“Guilty,” Mara said first, her voice sharp, smug.“Guilty,” Rhea followed, without hesitation.I screamed inwardly.How could they give them an opportunity to vote? They aren't even elders.Elder May shifted uncomfortably, then said, “Not guilty.”Greg hesitated, looked straight at me, then said, “Not guilty.”I swallowed hard.Two to two.Then Elder Harrow rose. His cane thudded on the stone floor as he walked forward. His eyes swept over the room before they landed on me. Old, and tired.“I find her guilty,” he said.A gasp rippled across the chamber.Tobias didn’t speak immediately. His face looked carved from granite. Then finally, he gave a single nod. “The council has decided. By a narrow margin... guilty.”I felt th
Elara's POV Today was supposed to be an ordinary day. I was meant to run simple errands, mind my business, and make it back to my little corner without incident. I wasn’t aiming to be noticed, especially by the pack members who always made it their mission to remind me where I stood—or, rather, where I didn’t. But sometimes, I wondered if staying out of their way only made them seek me out even more.I pulled my hood up and ducked my head, hoping the less they saw of my face, the better. The market was busy, filled with laughter and chatter, and I hoped the noise would hide my presence. I had to pass by a group of wolves, talking loud and carefree, completely absorbed in their own conversations. My steps were quiet, deliberate.But luck wasn’t on my side.“Hey, isn’t that Elara?” The voice was sharp, familiar. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was—Mira, the pack’s reigning queen bee and self-proclaimed guardian of everyone else’s business.I ignored her, quickening my steps....
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Komen