Elara's POVWhen he was done telling me about the man involved in trying to kill me, we settled in a companionable silence. Each of us lost in our own thoughts.What mistake could he be expecting them to make at this time? I wondered as I burrowed further into him.Couldn't help but take a little sniff at him as I twisted a little to bury my face into his skin. He smelt the same as always. A tang of woodsy and manly scent that I had come to associate with him.Over the course of the few hours we've spent together, I had come to know him more on a deeper level. Especially when he spoke about what his father did to him.For what he put Andrew through as a kid, I despised him, but I couldn't help but see things from his point of view as well.But in that moment, I couldn't help but feel guilty. I just told him no secrets between us, yet I had enough to probably throw me in a dungeon.I'm sure after what his father did to him, trust will be one of the last things on his mind, yet he was a
Andrew's POVAfter I got the call that Michael was finally awake, I was glad. Not that I was expecting anything bad to happen since he was off the hook, but because I thought it was about time.Then Mirabel told me he wanted to have a word with me and I got a bit confused. I wasn't expecting to see him till tomorrow.It was already dark and the day was stretching into the night, so the call had put on the alert.My plan was to spend the night with Elara, probably do more lovemaking and what not. But this call had just interrupted my night. I didn't want to leave. Knowing Elara, she was going to be very disappointed about my leaving.And just as I predicted, she was upset and I was a tad bit irritated.I practically thought I had lost my mate and then I just got her back, only for me to leave her within hours of her return.I knew Micheal didn't call me for nothing. He never calls me unless it's absolutely necessary which makes me wonder what could be really important for him to ca
Micheal's POVWhen I told Andrew about finding a mate, I didn't know what to expect. Not really. I was expecting some reaction.Probably joy or at least a sign that he was in support of my fate. Because I had no problem with it.But there wasn't much of that. When I broke the news, I was greeted by a face devoid of expression. And then, he launched into the question of how it happened.In that moment, I felt a rush of anger that was directed towards him. I had to remind myself that this was his first time of hearing this news.That must've been the reason for his reaction.When I pointed out his unhappiness, he seemed to be more at loss for words than indifferent. In that minute, I sort of understood his position. When he first brought Elara, I remember violently kicking against the idea. Now I had some semblance of respect for her.Thinking back to that time, I was ashamed for my brash behavior. Still I couldn't blame myself much. She was believed to be cursed with powers that could
Andrew’s POVWhen Lora blurted out that she was from Grimshade pack, there was a moment of silence that descended on the room.I didn't know what to say for a moment as I tried to process her words and what it meant.If she really heard about Elara's kidnap in her pack, it meant Dorian was involved. I wouldn't put it pass the bastard.After all, he wanted to take someone in her place. I guess my refusal meant he could hire someone to do the dirty work of kidnapping Elara for him.Michael as well seemed to be shocked by what his mate said and what it implied as a whole. I watched as blood drained from his face leaving it white like he had seen a ghost.“That explains your said friendship with Elara. I figure you heard the rumor from your alpha Dorian Gray.” I said trying to cement my thoughts.“You're right. I eavesdropped when he was talking with someone.” She stated. “I think he is planning something big. Though I don't know what it is.”I clenched my fists.Of course. I knew he coul
Lora's POVWhen I finally left both men to speak, I made my way outside. Who would've thought one trip to rescue my friend will change my life so much.If anyone had told me that I was going to get a beta for a mate, I would've laughed right in their faces. Talk more of the beta of Salientmoon pack.Though I was a bit hurt by the way he dismissed me earlier. I guess being a part of one of the worst packs could attract such reaction.But here I am, looking after him as he recuperated from his wound. I have never felt so intune with someone before. So when I had a feeling that he was going to die, I freaked out.I had to do something. That was why I did a quick check on him and knew if we didn't hurry, something bad was going to happen to him.I knew what it meant when someone loses their mate. It was like loosing a bit of your soul and it gets worse when you've been marked.Or so they say.As I neared the packhouse, I noticed the few stares that I got from the members of the pack. And
Elara’s POVI turned back from the window, my heart still racing from what I knew about the prophecy. Lora sat on my bed, gripping the piece of paper like it could provide the answers to everything we were unsure of.“So, what now?” she asked, her voice softer, and more cautious as if any extra sound could be her last.I sighed, rubbing my arms. “I don’t know. If the blood moon means what I think it does, then something terrible is coming.”Lora nodded, but her expression had now become unreadable. “And you think it’s connected to Deveriud?”I hesitated. “Yes. Or maybe it’s bigger than just him. Either way, this isn’t over.”They could be plotting anything right now. I had escaped from their clutches, which means they had something else up their sleeve.The room fell silent, as we both got lost in our thoughts.Lora shifted on the bed, suddenly looking restless. “You said the shadows took Andrew?”“Yes,” I confirmed. “Right before I could reach him.”She chewed on her lip, her brows f
Andrew's POVI pulled my chair closer to Michael’s hospital bed, my mind still reeling from everything he had just told me. A prophecy? Elara as the bridge between worlds? It was absurd. But at the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was bigger than we thought it was.Michael exhaled sharply, adjusting himself against the pillows. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were alive with determination. "I know it sounds insane, Andrew, but Theo wasn’t just throwing words around. He believed every damn thing he said."I rubbed a hand down my face, my jaw tightening. "That doesn't mean it's true. People believe all sorts of things, but that doesn't make them real."Michael shook his head. "This is different. He was convinced. And if Grimshade and Shadow Fang are willing to go this far, we might be playing a losing game."I clenched my fists. Grimshade. Dorian. Shadow Fang. Deveruid. Every problem we had seemed to lead back to them. I wasn’t about to let them decide what happened n
Elara’s POVThe moment I stepped into Andrew’s office, a cold sense of unease settled over me. The air felt heavy, like something unsaid remained between us, waiting to be revealed.It wasn't long ago that I got a message that Andrew required my presence. The first thought that entered my head was the fact he probably wanted to see me concerning what was left unsaid.I wasn't sure I wanted to tell him anymore. Especially not after what Lora told me concerning her own mate.If I told him about my former plans to kill him, he might reject me and even worse lock me in a cell.I didn't want any of that.I didn't think I will be able to survive any of it. I will need to come up with something else.Andrew was behind his desk, his hands steepled together in front of him, watching me with those sharp, emotionless eyes. He seemed relaxed, but there was something in the way his gaze followed my movements that made my stomach twist.What surprised me the most was seeing Michael, standing just b
Elara’s POVThe second Lora whispered our names, something inside me snapped.Not like a breaking—more like an unlocking. Like a door swinging open in my chest, one I hadn’t known was there until it burst wide and swallowed everything.Andrew’s hand jerked in mine. I clutched tighter.Heat bloomed between our palms, searing and alive. Not fire, not pain, but raw energy. My breath caught. My pulse pounded in my ears, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t.Light exploded from our joined hands. It spiraled into the air, coiling around us like a storm of stars. I heard someone—Michael maybe—call out, but the sound was distant, barely a whisper under the rush building in my skull.And then—I wasn’t in the cabin anymore.---I stood in a field of silver grass beneath a sky so dark it shimmered.The stars blinked like fireflies. The moon loomed low, full and watchful. The air smelled like rain and crushed violets.Andrew stood a few feet away, barefoot, shirtless, bathed in moonlight. Not the curs
Michael’s POVThe sound of Andrew’s growl ripped through the cabin like a blade.I shoved the door fully open and charged in, heart thundering. Elara was pressed against the wall, hands up, her eyes wide—not with fear, but with something worse. Desperation. She wasn’t running.Andrew stood in the middle of the room, half-shifted, his shoulders hunched and trembling, eyes glowing that same cursed red. He let out another guttural snarl and lunged again.Greg tackled him before he reached her.They hit the floor hard. Bones crunched, snarls erupted, and for a moment it was a disaster. I grabbed Elara and yanked her out of the way just before Andrew’s claws slashed the wall where she’d been.“Are you insane?” I barked at her. “He’s not himself!”“I know that!” she shouted, struggling against me. “But I saw him—Michael, he looked at me. He knew me for a second.”I held her tighter. “And the next second, he nearly ripped you apart.”“He wouldn’t—”“He did.”Greg grunted from the floor, stil
Elara’s POVI didn’t sleep. Not even for a second.Andrew lay on the cot, drenched in sweat, the veins along his neck pulsing black like ink trapped under skin. His breathing was shallow, ragged, the kind that made my heart skip every time there was a pause between inhales.Every few minutes, he let out a soft groan, like the pain was crawling through him in waves. I held his hand and tried to stay calm, but my grip trembled. I felt useless. Like watching someone drown while your legs were tied to the shore.The fire crackled, low and weak. It was still dark out, and the cabin smelled of blood, herbs, and unease.Lora had done what she could, but even she looked helpless when she stepped away. I kept asking what else could be done, and each time she avoided my eyes.Then Greg came back.He stood in the doorway, dripping with sweat from running, his jaw clenched like it was holding back a something.“What is it?” I asked.He didn’t answer right away. He looked past me, to Andrew. Then
Elara’s POVBranches clawed at my arms as we pushed through the forest, the moonlight barely cutting through the thick canopy overhead. My lungs burned. Every breath tasted like smoke and blood.Andrew’s weight leaned heavier and heavier against me, his steps sluggish, and uneven. He hadn’t spoken in minutes. I could feel the fever radiating off him.“Just a little further,” I whispered, mostly to myself. “Come on, stay with me.”It was crazy how our positions switched. The main reason why he was caught in this mess is to help me. Now, I was the one doing the helping.Luckily that stupid beast left after doing it's work leaving me with a very sick Andrew. I didn't know how far Michael and Lora had to go in order to get help.Noticing he hadn’t responded, I looked down as his grip on me loosened.“Andrew?” I stopped and turned, my heart hammering. “Hey. Look at me.”He swayed. His eyes blinked, unfocused. Then he crumpled.“No—no, no, no.” I dropped with him, catching his head before i
Andrew’s POVI didn’t think anything could shake me after everything we’d been through—Elara’s capture, the cult, the blade meant for my heart. But the thing crawling out of that seal wasn’t from this world.It was born from nightmares. A monster made of shadows and dark moon magic.It stretched as it rose, black tendrils spilling off its limbs like smoke, jaws clicking with bone and fangs. Its eyes locked onto us, glowing red-hot—rage, hunger, purpose.It was like it had a personal issue to settle with us.“Elara,” I said, backing up slowly, “we need to move.”She didn’t answer. She looked dazed, one hand clutching her chest like it hurt to breathe.“Elara,” I tried again, louder this time.She blinked hard, snapped back, and turned to me. “I can’t feel it.”“What?”“The bond. It’s gone.” Her voice cracked. “I—I think Jacob finished the ritual.”Shit. That explained the weakness in her posture, the pale cast to her skin. We didn't have time. The last thing I want is to be caught in t
Andrew’s POVElara didn’t stab me.Despite my unwavering trust in her, I could've sworn she wanted to gut me with the knife.She stabbed the cultist to my left—clean through the ribs.The robed bastard choked on his own breath, eyes wide, blood pooling from his mouth as he collapsed.And just like that, everything just seemed to go to shit as commotion broke out around us.Screams rang out in the still air. Chants siezed as every head turned and eyes snapped open towards our direction.Someone shouted, “She’s turned!”I didn’t need more time to think. My chains were half-broken the moment they stopped chanting. It seemed like they were using magic to contain me. The pulse in my chest hadn’t stopped. It was like a second heartbeat, wild and growing louder in my ear.I wrenched my right arm free with a roar, ignoring the tear of metal against skin. The pain meant nothing anymore. The moment Elara turned that blade, I knew—we were going to live or die together.“Elara!” I shouted.She s
Elara’s POVThe blade felt colder than it should have.Slick handle. Sharp edge.They’d placed it in my hand like it belonged there. Like I’d been born to wield it.My fingers closed around it on instinct, but my heart—fates, my heart refused. It pounded hard enough I thought it might split open my chest.Andrew’s eyes locked on mine, blood dripping down the curve of his jaw. He didn’t speak. Didn’t beg. Just looked at me, like he always had—steady, unflinching, and maddeningly full of love.Kieran stood behind him, watching like a predator admiring his own trap as Jacob came around to stand beside him.“This is the moment,” Jacob said, his voice low and coaxing. “Where the universe balances itself. You break the anchor, Elara, and disaster becomes your throne. You hesitate… and it becomes your grave.”I stared at Andrew. His breathing was shallow. His shirt clung to his chest, soaked in sweat and blood. And his mark—it pulsed like it had a heartbeat of its own through his torn shirt.
Andrew’s POVThe chanting started slow.Low. Rhythmic. Like a heartbeat echoing in the belly of a beast.I sat with my back to the cold stone wall, chains digging into my wrists. My blood had dried hours ago, stiff and sticky against my skin, but the real pain wasn’t in the cuts or the bruises.It was inside.The mark on my chest that recently appeared burned like it had just been carved. A deep, pulsing throb that synced perfectly with their damn chants. Every beat made it flare hotter. Sharper.I gritted my teeth, flexing against the restraints. Useless.They’d done their homework.Silver links.Wolfsbane laced through the shackles.But they didn’t know everything. They didn’t understand what the mark meant—not really. Not what it did to a person. To me.To Elara.I shut my eyes, trying to hold her face in my mind. Before the rituals. Before the chaos. Before I let my own pain turn me into something she couldn’t reach.And then I heard his voice.Kieran.“I’d say it’s good to see yo
Lora's POVThe fire wasn’t normal. It wasn’t the kind that crackled in fireplaces or flickered in campfires.It was alive, red, deep and pulsing like blood. It didn’t just burn. It seemed to breathe.I stood at the edge of it, frozen, and unable to do a thing while I watched it wrap around her. Elara. Her skin was streaked with ash, her hair wild and tangled, eyes wide and wet with something too painful to name. She wasn’t screaming.She was whispering.“Lora…”Her voice barely reached me through the heat. But I heard it. Goddess, I felt it.“Please…”The flames swallowed her whole.I woke up screaming.I shot upright, lungs dragging for air like I’d been drowning. Sweat drenched my skin, my nightshirt clinging to me like a second layer of skin. My heart slammed against my ribs, and for a second, I wasn’t even sure where I was.The dream still clung to me like smoke. It was thick, choking, and inescapable.“Elara,” I whispered into the dark.I didn’t bother grabbing a robe. I rushed