Elara’s POVThe room was loud again, chatter and the scraping of chairs filling the room as everyone prepared for the meal, but my mind was anything but calm. My hands trembled under the table, and I clenched them into fists to stop the tremor.This couldn’t be happening.The word “mine” echoed in my head like a haunting reminder of it meant. My wolf’s voice—the voice I thought I’d never hear again—had claimed Andrew, of all people. The Alpha I had spent weeks resenting. The man I had plotted against.It was almost hilarious, but there was nothing funny about it. It was crazy. A sick game played by fate.Why now? I demanded to myself hoping for an answer from my wolf. Why him?But there was only silence. The same maddening silence that had been my companion for such long I sometimes forgot I was a werewolf. My wolf had stirred just long enough to wreck my plans and then gone quiet again, leaving me to face the implications alone.I glanced up, my eyes following Andrew as he moved with
Andrew’s POVAfter Elara's words, the silence that followed was stifling. No one spoke, no one moved. Everyone was too shock to do anything.Elara stood at the far side of the hall, her chest heaving as if she’d ran a mile. All eyes were on her now, the pack’s full attention pressing down on her as they tried to digest what she had just said. All of a sudden, the room erupted. Voices rose in outrage, disbelief rippling through the crowd.My jaw tightened as I studied her, my initial confusion quickly giving way to irritation.“Silence!” I commanded making everyone go quiet in an instant.“What’s the meaning of this?” I asked, my tone cold as I turned back towards Elara.This had to end. Everything was gradually going into chaos because she had said the food we were about to eat was poisoned. Now, I needed answers.She didn’t answer immediately, her wide eyes locked on mine. Something in her expression—panic, fear, determination—made my wolf stir uneasily. The bond I’d felt earlier, f
Andrew’s POVThe commotion that followed Elara's fall in the dining hall was deafening. Plates clattered to the floor as my pack abandoned their meals, horror-stricken murmurs and panicked gasps filling the air. My heart thundered in my chest as I knelt beside Elara’s lifeless form. Her pale face, slack and devoid of emotion was burned into my mind.The memory of the other night we were attacked at the pack’s border flashed before me. She had taken a bullet meant for me then, her body collapsing to the ground as I tried fighting off the rogue wolves, hoping she doesn't die.And now, here she was again, lying on the cold stone floor of the dining hall, and the fear that I might lose her was clawing at me with as much ferocity as I couldn’t ignore.“Elara,” I whispered, my voice breaking.My wolf growled low in my chest, restless and angry. The bond between us, faint before, was now stronger with undeniable clarity. She wasn’t just another pack member. She was my mate.“Alpha, what do w
Andrew’s POVMirabel's outburst sent a chill of panic coursing through me. My muscles tightened, and my wolf stirred with agitation, growling softly in my mind. The atmosphere in the room felt heavy, the walls pressing in as I waited for her to clarify."What’s going on?" I asked sharply, moving closer to the table where Elara lay still.Mirabel hesitated, her hands pausing above Elara's arm. She shot me a look filled with disbelief and awe.“It’s not… an issue, Alpha,” she finally responded, her voice wavering.“Then what is it?” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “Speak up, Mirabel.”She took a deep breath, as if she were gathering her thoughts before meeting my gaze once more. “Her body… It's healing itself. At an alarming rate. I’ve never witnessed anything like it.”I looked at her, struggling to comprehend what she had just said. “Healing itself?”“Exactly, it is.” Mirabel nodded, indicating Elara. “Most of the poison has already been removed from her system. Her body is worki
Elara’s POVThe only thing I could perceive was darkness. It enveloped me like a choking shroud, drawing me further into the abyss. I felt both weightless and confined, my senses numbed and my thoughts hazy. A remote voice echoed in the void, deep and authoritative, sending a chill through my body.Then I glimpsed the source. The spirit.It emerged from the shadows, its figure cloaked in darkness, its eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. The sight ignited a blend of fear and rage within me.“Not you again,” I said, fixing my gaze on the figure before me.“That's not how you should greet a friend,” he answered, tilting his head slightly.“We are not friends.”“That is out of point. You lost,” the spirit spat, its voice slicing through the air like a whip. “Once more.”I clenched my fists, though I wasn’t certain if I even possessed a body in this bizarre, otherworldly realm. “I didn’t fail,” I shot back, my voice steely.I refused to let a strange entity, who expected me to murder som
Elara’s POVBut the burden of it weighed on me like a truth I could no longer ignore.I shifted awkwardly beneath Andrew’s gaze, his golden eyes boring into mine as if they could break down all my barriers. His unyielding look made me feel almost exposed, vulnerable in a way that felt unfamiliar.Stop looking at me like that, I thought, though I would never say it out loud. Instead, I forced a shy smile, attempting to suppress the startling energy buzzing between us.“Hey,” I stammered, my voice coming out lighter than I had hoped.Andrew didn’t reply right away. He simply continued to stare at me, his jaw tense, his expression now shadowed. For a moment, I feared he might not say anything at all, but then he leaned back slightly, his shoulders easing a bit.“Elara,” he finally said, his voice gravelly and deep, “you terrified me.”I opened my mouth to retort, but my words faltered when I caught sight of the gentle rays of sunlight streaming through the windows.Morning? How could it
Elara's POVThe applause resonated loudly in my ears, nearly overwhelming as it reverberated across the courtyard in front of the health center. The crowd's cheers were a blend of appreciation and joy, their faces lit up with admiration as they focused on me.Standing there frozen and uncertain about how to react, my chest constricted with a confusing mix of emotions. I struggled to decide whether to soak in the warmth of their gratitude or succumb to the chilling sense of guilt that threatened to engulf me.I looked at Andrew, my lips slightly parting as I sought his insight. “Why are they applauding? What have I done to earn this?”Andrew, towering beside me, leaned down a bit so his voice could pierce through the noise and reach me easily. “They’re here for you, Elara,” he said, his golden eyes softening. “To honor your recovery and express their gratitude for saving their lives.”Saving their lives.His words lingered heavily in the atmosphere, crashing into me like a powerful wav
Elara’s POVThe journey to my room felt like an eternity. Every step Andrew took behind me was careful and steady, as if he intended to walk forever. Meanwhile, all I desired was to hurry to my room and slam the door behind me. My heart raced erratically in my chest, a blend of excitement and anxiety gnawing at me. His words echoed in my head, “I have something to share with you.”What could he possibly want to discuss that warranted his following me back to my room?How would the others at the pack house react upon seeing their Alpha accompanying the cursed wolf?No. I doubt they call me that anymore, thanks to my gallant behavior. To my surprise, the corridors of the pack house were eerily silent, devoid of the usual lively chatter. Perhaps everyone was still at the health center, or maybe the recent events had hushed them, sending them off to their rooms. Either way, the stillness heightened the discomfort between Andrew and me.When we arrived at my door, I unlocked it and entere
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
Andrew’s POVI stood outside the council chamber, my hand clenched around the carved wolf’s head on the door.Behind it, silence filled the room. I hadn’t slept. Not since I made the announcement. Not since I watched the light in Elara’s eyes go dark right in front of me. That moment had shook something deep inside me—something I didn’t know how to fix.I told myself I did it for the pack. For peace. For fairness. But the way she looked at me…It felt like the worst mistake in my fucking life. I hated the fact that I was being indecisive.Ever since she broke the mate bond, it's like I couldn't come up with a sensible decision when it comes to her.With the mate bond gone, I shouldn't be feeling any attachment to her but it seems like I was wrong.From the look on her face, it was like she didn’t believe in fairness anymore.And whose fault was that?The doors opened with a low creak, and Tobias gave me a short nod from the other side. The other elders were already seated in their c
Elara’s POVThe masked figure lunged.I barely had time to react. My instincts kicked in, sharp and immediate. I twisted my body sideways as his arm slashed through the air where my neck had been seconds before. I slammed my shoulder into his ribs, hard enough to stagger him, then dropped low and kicked his legs out.He stumbled but didn’t go down.I backed toward the dresser, grabbing the first heavy object I could find—a silver candlestick Andrew had left me to see in the dark before everything went to shit. I raised it like a weapon.“Who sent you?” I demanded, my voice harsh and steady.The figure said nothing. Just adjusted his stance like he was waiting for my next move. His presence filled the room, tall and calm. That unnerved me more than if he had charged again.I struck first. I wasn’t waiting around for answers anymore.I feinted left, swung from the right, caught his shoulder. He grunted, staggering slightly, then caught my wrist mid-swing on the second try.His grip was
Elara's POVThe name on the note stared back at me like a ghost from the past. Kieran. There was something about it that set me off. Was the veiled sight reacting to the name?My pulse pounded in my ears like I had been running some kind of marathon. I tried to concentrate on the way I was reacting to this but I came up blank.What was it with this name?I had never met him, and the name looked as foreign to me as a language I had no idea even existed. But judging from their faces, they knew who he was. “Mind telling me who this Kieran guy is?” I asked holding up the paper to them. “I've never heard of him before but for him to get you in this mood, he must mean something.”Despite the turmoil going on inside me, I had opted for casual tone to avoid getting them any more agitated.Lora nodded like she knew who this guy was. Was I the only one who didn't know him? I came to this pack before her yet she seemed know more than I ever did.But my guess was Michael had filled her in on who
Elara’s POVThe tension in the air was thick enough to choke on. After the council had made their decision, it felt almost irreversible.But then Andrew stood at the center of it all—torn, conflicted, silent when I needed him loud. His hesitation was a wound that cut deeper than the accusations against me.Apart from the time he spoke up about me being watched closely, he hadn't said much. Not that it mattered now.I didn’t have time to dwell on it. There was so much to think about than a broken bond and a falling relationship.Three days. That was all I had before the trial, and I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for them to decide my fate.I needed answers. And I needed them fast. It's a good thing I enlisted the help of Micheal and Lora. With me under the kind of scrutiny I was, it would be difficult to look into certain matters without getting in trouble.It seems the troublesome duo didn't account for the fact that I would still have people willing to assist despite the accus
Andrew’s POVThe council chamber was suffocating. I can't remember the last time I had entered this place.If I was being sincere, it was probably my father died and I kicked Mara out. The council wanted to put me under trial but after some thought, they dropped everything.The former alpha had been acting off in recent times but none of them had the gal to call him out.I just had to take matters in my hands.I stood at the front, Elara beside me, but we felt miles apart. She hadn’t looked at me since last night. Not really. Not the way she used to.I didn’t blame her. I kind of—okay I actually let her down when I couldn't back her up when she needed me.But then I was still confused about how I felt about her. The bond between us was broken, and I felt the absence of it like a missing limb. But that wasn’t an excuse for my silence. I should have fought harder for her.I would. I had to. At least to make for yesterday. I just hope this turns out. At the end, It was my fault we were h