Andrew's POVElara's whispered words, Your turn, had that ring in my ears. I was thrilled, something really unexpected. It wasn't only her tone, breathless and full of need, but it was the look in her eyes. This combination of mischief and full-blown confidence, like she knew just what she wanted and wasn't going to allow me to stop her, remained in my mind.For a moment, I froze, caught between surprise and something far deeper, a heat that spread through me like wildfire. I wasn't used to this. I wasn't used to someone else taking the lead, but there was something intoxicating about the shift in power. She moved closer, her fingers roaming over my chest, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.Her lips hovered over mine, not a kiss, but close enough to steal my breath."Elara," I breathed, her name a pleaI couldn't quite disguise."Shh," she whispered back, her fingers pressing gently against my lips. "Let me."And I did.She leaned in, her lips skimming my jaw and then lower
Andrew's POVElara's slow breaths blended with mine, and her body warmed against my chest as the night surrounded us in a cocoon of silence. I sketched languid patterns on her back, my thoughts swirling with feelings I couldn't quite understand. The soft crackle of the fire in the hearth was the sole sound, an unsaid witness to this delicate moment. Her fingertips lightly brushed against my arm, sending a shudder through me.“What are you thinking?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.I hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on me. “That you...are everything I didn’t know I needed.”Her lips curved into a small smile as she tilted her head to look at me, her deep eyes catching the glow of the firelight. “Good,” she replied simply, her fingers grazing my jawline as if memorizing the contours of my face.For a moment, it felt like time had stopped, like we were the only two people in the world. The room was a paradise, a fleeting relief from the problems t
Elara's POVThe deep, frightening growls sent a shudder through the night air as they echoed through the silence. Every sound tore at my nerves, making me grip the blade Andrew had given me so hard that my knuckles went white. Amid the creeping terror, the cold steel seemed to be the only solid object keeping me grounded. Jacob. Like an evil whisper, the name slide across my mind. I felt sick to my stomach to see him here, confidently standing in the moonlight. His presence was overwhelming, not just threatening. Both the glitter in his piercing eyes and the sneer that flashed on his lips conveyed a terrible enjoyment. I straightened my posture. I wouldn't let him intimidate me.Andrew stood in front of me, a shield of raw muscle and simmering rage, his broad shoulders blocking my view of most of Jacob's pack. His protectiveness should have reassured me, but it only highlighted how unevenly matched we were. The glowing eyes surrounding us moved in sync, a combined reminder of how ou
Elara’s POVTime crawled to a stop the moment the figure stepped into the moonlight. My heart pounded loudly in my ears, drowning out the growls and the taunting smirk on Jacob’s face. The dagger in my hand shook, and I closed my fingers tighter, refusing to let it slip. But no amount of steel in my resolve could prepare me for who I was staring at.“Caleb?” I whispered, the name bitter in my mouth.There he stood, tall, commanding, just as I remembered, with the same piercing blue eyes which once made my knees buckle. His dark hair shone under the moonlight, giving him an underworldly glow. But it couldn’t be him. It shouldn’t be him. Caleb was dead.He’d rejected me. Cast me aside like I was nothing. Because I was the cursed wolf.The night he left me, his words were cruel, sharp enough to cut deeper than any blade: “You’re a curse, Elara. Being with you will ruin me. I can’t—no, I won’t—be bound to someone like you.”And then he was gone.The rumors of his death came weeks later. F
Andrew’s POVElara’s gasp for air sent a fresh wave of panic through me. She clutched at her chest, her knees buckling. I held her up, her weight against me like a lifeline. She was white, her breaths shallow, and the fire that usually blazed bright within her flickered dangerously low.“Elara,” I said, my voice firm and yet desperate, “look at me. Stay with me.”She struggled to straighten but faltered again, and I caught her, my hold tighter this time. Her words, whispered just a moment before, replayed in my mind. The curse. It’s real.Of course, I already knew. I’d seen it with my own eyes—the inexplicable way she had saved my life not long ago. But I didn’t see it as a curse.“It’s not a curse, Elara,” I said firmly, my voice cutting into her shallow gasps.Her eyes flickered open, glassy and unsure.“It saved me,” I went on. “If that’s a curse, then I’d rather be damned a thousand times over. Don’t let him”—I jerked my head toward Jacob—“twist this into something it’s not.”Her
Elara’s POVThe roar shook the ground beneath us, and I staggered back, my heart pounding in my chest. Andrew reached for me, steadying me before I could fall.“What now?” he asked, his voice tense.The glow of the runes intensified, their light pulsating like a heartbeat. The air around us felt thick, oppressive, as if the spell itself were alive, reacting to our defiance.Jacob stood at the center of the circle, his expression twisted with glee. Caleb hovered behind him, a shadow of the man he once was—or at least the man I had thought he was.“Do you feel it?” Jacob called out, his voice dripping with malice. “The power of the circle grows stronger the more you resist. It feeds off your hope, your desperation. You’ll never break it.”I clenched my fists, anger surging through me. “We’ll see about that.”Andrew glanced at me, his expression grim but determined. “You have a plan?”I nodded, though the truth was, my plan was half-formed at best. My mind raced, searching for a way out.
Elara’s POVThe moment the barrier shattered, the air shifted. The oppressive weight of the spell lifted, replaced by the fresh feel of the night. My breath came in ragged gasps as I struggled to steady myself, the remnants of magic still tingling against my skin.Then, the howls rang out.A chorus of them, rising through the night like an unstoppable wave. The pack had heard us. They were coming. Relief surged through me—but it was short-lived.Jacob moved fast.One second, he was standing amidst the fading runes, his face contorted with rage. The next, he lunged.“ELARA, MOVE!” Andrew’s voice was raw with urgency.I barely had time to react before Jacob’s claws sliced through the air where I had been standing. I twisted away, my boots skidding against the dirt as I dropped into a defensive stance.His eyes gleamed with fury, his fangs bared in a snarl. The moment of triumph I had felt moments ago burned away under the heat of his rage.“You think you’ve won?” Jacob’s voice was low,
Elara’s POVThe ground trembled beneath my feet, a deep, guttural vibration that sent cracks racing through the earth. The darkness around us thickened. I could feel it—ancient, angry, and rising.I sucked in a sharp breath. My pulse thundered in my ears as I staggered back, my gaze locked on the widening fissure in the ground. A raw, unnatural energy evaporated from its depths, seeping into the air like smoke.Andrew moved to my side, his stance tense. His injuries barely seemed to register now, his focus entirely on the thing emerging from below.Jacob watched us with that same twisted smirk, his eyes glinting with triumph.“You should run,” he taunted. “Or stay. Either way, you’ll get to witness the return of something far greater than you.”I clenched my fists, rage burning through my veins. “What did you do, Jacob?”His chuckle sent a fresh wave of unease crawling down my spine. “I didn’t do anything, Elara. You did. The moment you broke the circle, you set it free.”A roar erupte
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
Elara’s POVThe drums pounded through the courtyard like war cries. The smell of burning herbs and ash filled the air, thick and heavy, like it had a weight of its own. The cultists circled the altar, chanting words older than the land we stood on. Each voice layered over the next, rising into a sound that didn’t feel human.And above it all, I heard him.“Do you still feel it,” Andrew’s voice rasped, “or was it always a lie?”I froze. But before that—Before those words crawled into my bones and made my breath catch—I saw him.They’d chained him to the old execution post, like something out of a nightmare. His shirt was torn, blood streaked across his ribs, and his lip had split open. But he was upright. Breathing. Still defiant, even with all the blood on his skin and the metal biting into his wrists.Andrew.It was the first time I’d seen him since I was taken. Really seen him. Not in visions. Not in dreams. Not in those fleeting, aching flashes I told myself weren’t real.And go