Helios' POVI should have known better. I really should have. But there was something about Starlight, the way she held the reins of our relationship with quiet authority, the way she let me follow her lead without making me feel less of an Alpha, that made me reckless.I had never let anyone control me before. Never wanted to. Yet here I was, perfectly content to obey her every whim. Until I slipped up. Until my arrogance, the very thing she despised most about me, got the better of me.It started with something simple. We were walking through the packhouse, side by side. It had only been a few hours since I had beaten Hutchins into the dirt, and the atmosphere was still awash with the wave, of my victory.The wolves who had doubted me bowed lower than usual as we passed. None of them dared to meet my eyes. None of them dared to meet hers. It was exactly how things should be. Or so I thought.I smirked, letting my fingers graze Starlight’s wrist, testing her boundaries, enjoying the
Helios’ POVI was going to kill her. Not literally, of course. But this woman, this infuriating, intoxicating woman, was driving me insane.I could still feel the ghost of her lips on my cheek, the warmth of her breath when she whispered those two damn words: Good boy. I should have hated it. I should have put her in her place. But instead?I was sitting here like some obedient pet, fists clenched, jaw tight, and an ache in my chest that had nothing to do with anger. What the hell was she doing to me?She stood there, watching me with way too much amusement, her arms crossed over her chest. She was enjoying this. Enjoying me. "You look like you're about to explode," she said casually. I huffed. "You think this is funny?""I think you're struggling," she countered. "Which is interesting, considering how easily you crushed Hutchins like a bug earlier." My growl was instinctive, a sharp reminder that I was still Alpha, still dangerous, still not to be toyed with. But she didn’t flinch. I
Helios' POVShe was getting too good at this. Too good at playing me. Starlight was perched behind me, fingers working over my shoulders, her touch deceptively soft. She knew exactly what she was doing. And worse? I was letting her. Actually, I was enjoying it.I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly as her fingers moved lower, teasing, testing… punishing. "You're not as unshakable as you like to pretend," she murmured, voice dripping with amusement.My lip curled. "Careful, little moon," I warned, "you might just wake the beast." She laughed softly. "Oh, Helios," she cooed, voice laced with mock sympathy. "The beast? That thing that growls at my every word and then obeys me anyway?"A growl rumbled in my chest. She was playing with fire and she knew it. The problem was, so did I. Which is why, when she leaned in, her breath warm against my neck, and whispered, "Good boy." I snapped. Fast and instinctual.Before I could stop myself, I had twisted, grabbing her wrist, yanking her forward. In
Star’s POVHelios was enjoying this. I could see it in the way his lips curled at the edges, in the way his shoulders remained loose even as I loomed over him. It irritated me. No, it enraged me.I had expected resistance, expected him to snap, growl, or at least pretend he still had the upper hand. Instead, he stood there, arms folded, eyes watching me with quiet amusement, as if he were indulging me. Like I was the one being tamed.I needed to remind him that wasn’t the case. "You disobeyed me," I said, my voice sharp as a blade. Helios tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Did I?"I stepped closer, grabbing his collar and yanking him down. He didn’t resist. He let me. My fingers clenched the fabric of his shirt, my nails digging into his skin beneath it."You lied to me," I hissed. "I told you to stay in the chambers. I told you to rest. And what did you do?" "I took a walk," he said smoothly. "Hardly a crime, little Luna." I slapped him.A gasp left my lips the second my palm conn
Star's POVThe room was silent, the only sound the rapid pulse of my heart in my ears. He was laying there, like he didn’t have a care in the world, like he wasn’t the one who had pushed me to the edge. And yet, he was waiting for me to make the next move. He wanted me to break him.Part of me, the part I hated, wanted to give him what he wanted. He had become my rock, the only thing solid in this swirling, chaotic storm of emotions. Every time I thought I could break free of his grip, he pulled me back in, stronger than ever. But there was still that rage inside me. That unforgivable rage."Get up," I commanded, my voice barely above a whisper. Helios didn’t flinch. He simply raised an eyebrow, as if my command wasn’t important enough to warrant anything more than an idle glance. “You heard me,” I repeated, this time with more force. He didn’t move.I clenched my fists at my sides. "You think I’m going to let you lie there while you try to break me, Helios?" I growled. "You think I’m
Star's POVI wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I walked out of that room, but it certainly wasn’t the flush of heat spreading through my body, or the pulse of anticipation thrumming in my chest. I felt like I was walking on a fine line, balancing on the edge of something I couldn’t quite understand.I could still feel him, Helios, lingering in the room, his eyes, his smirk, the way he had been so damned certain that he would get under my skin. That bastard. But then, why did it feel so different? Why did it feel like I had just opened a door I couldn’t close?Shaking my head, I walked through the hallway, not really sure where I was going. My mind was racing, replaying everything that had just happened between us, and my skin still tingled from his touch. I had given him a glimpse of power, but now he was in my head, twisting everything.Why did he have to be so damn charismatic? “Star, wait!” I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. The deep, commanding tone of Helios’ vo
Star's POVThe next day, the energy between Helios and me was different. Tense, charged with something neither of us could fully define yet. He’d accepted the punishment, the silence between us stretched, almost tangible. But it wasn’t just silence. It was an understanding of sorts, an unspoken agreement that things had shifted between us.I could feel his eyes on me constantly, the weight of his gaze more than just a presence. He was watching me, studying me, like he was waiting for something. But whatever he was waiting for, I wasn’t ready to give it yet. Not fully.I stood in front of the large mirror in our shared quarters, my fingers tracing the edges of the ornate frame. The reflections stared back at me, eyes dark and hard, expression unreadable. Who was I becoming? The woman who pushed people away. The woman who held the reins but also had to let go at some point. I needed answers.
Star’s POVThe silence between us was heavy and almost palpable, but it wasn’t the kind of silence that suffocated. It was the kind of silence that left a lingering electricity, a promise of something more. Helios had agreed to my terms, albeit reluctantly, but I could see it in his eyes. There was a flicker of something, something he hadn’t realized he needed until I forced him to face it.I wasn’t sure what had changed. Maybe it was the punishment I had dealt him or maybe it was the way I refused to let him off the hook so easily. Whatever it was, something had shifted.I leaned back against the bed, staring at the ceiling as the faint glow of moonlight filtered through the window. I had spent years building walls around my heart, layers upon layers of ice and steel. But with Helios, those walls were starting to crack. I hated that it was happening, but a
Unknown POV Helios stood on the balcony just outside their private wing. The morning sun bathed the palace in gold, but his mind was a storm. He had seen enemies turned to ash, not by war, not by warriors, but by newborns wrapped in silken cloth.Star approached quietly, barefoot, hair down, a soft robe draped around her as if the cosmos had woven it. Her aura pulsed gently, no longer shy or hesitant, but commanding and calm, a sovereign in spirit. “You’re still thinking about it,” she said softly. Helios turned. “I failed to see it before. Who you really are. What you carry. What they carry.”“You didn’t fail,” she murmured. “You saw me when no one else did. Even when I didn’t see myself.” His throat tightened. “I submitted to you... because it felt right,” he admitted. “Even when everyone mocked me. Even when I thought you were just an omega... I felt your strength. But now...”Star stepped closer, cupping his cheek. “You don’t need to submit anymore, Helios.” He blinked. “I—what?”
Star's POV Later that evening, after the moonlight celebrations quieted and the palace halls glowed with soft amber light, I stood before the High Council in the Star Chamber. It's a vast circular room walled with crystal and etched with lunar glyphs. The King was seated at the head of the crescent table, his expression unreadable. The advisors whispered amongst themselves, still dazed by the roaring approval the public had shown me and the twins. But I was calm. Focused. Changed.“My Queen,” the King began, his voice warm yet formal. “Tonight you have earned the devotion of a kingdom. The people called you Moonborn... and I believe they were right to.” I inclined my head with measured grace. “I am honored, Your Majesty. But before we speak of titles and formalities, I have a request.”The murmurs quieted. The King studied me. “Speak it.” I glanced at Helios, who stood near the chamber doors in silence. Unlike the other alphas, he wore no medals, bore no sigil. Just quiet strength a
Star's POV The days passed in a hush of healing, quiet awe, and growing light. For five full days, I rested, by order of everyone from Helios to my newly found dad to the Oracle herself. The twins never left my side. Their tiny breaths, their moonbeam fingers curling around mine, anchored me to this new reality: I was no longer the girl who once flinched from her own shadow. I was a mother now. A Luna. A sovereign in the making. And on the sixth day, we rose.Hesperion’s jet cut through the sky like a blade of polished silver. We flew above the cloudline, my newborns cradled in my arms, Helios seated beside me, tense but proud. The seats were stitched with ancient sun emblems, embossed with the Hesperion royal crest. Still, nothing felt heavier than the silence between Hesperion and his queen.“She has been kept in isolation,” he said, not looking at me. “No one has seen her since the Oracle’s declaration.” I didn’t respond immediately. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face the woman
Starlight’s POVThey think I’m resting. But how could I sleep when my soul is wide awake? Even in my fragile state, I feel the shift in the air, a hum of reverence outside these walls. As if the land itself recognizes me now. My body aches, my mind swims between exhaustion and euphoria, but I am not broken.I am reborn. Two tiny lives rest beside me, their warmth tethering me to this world. Each pup has my scent... and yet something more. One burns like fire, another shimmers like the sea, and hums with stardust and shadows. Our children are not ordinary. And neither am I.The door creaked open, and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. His scent always preceded him, cedarwood, smoke, and something deeper now... regret, maybe? Or reverence. “Helios,” I whispered, and he froze mid-step, as if hearing his name from my lips physically struck him.He knelt beside the bed, eyes rimmed red, cheeks stained with silent tears. “Star… I still don’t understand how you survived. How you b
Helios’ POVMy tears soaked the hem of her blanket, and for a moment, I forgot who I was, Alpha of the Moonlit Pack, future High Alpha, ruler of thousands. All I could feel was that I was hers.“I don’t deserve you,” I whispered, voice cracking as I pressed my forehead to her knee. “You almost died bringing life to this world, to give me something I didn’t even know I needed.”Star shifted slightly in the hospital bed, a wince escaping her lips. I immediately sat upright, guilt flooding my chest again. “Don’t move,” I said quickly, brushing her damp hair off her forehead. “I’ll get the healer.” She caught my wrist.“No,” she said softly. “Just stay here… with me. Our babies are asleep. This moment belongs to us.” Her fingers were weak, yet her grip on my soul had never been stronger.I sat on the edge of the bed and lifted one of her hands to my lips, kissing the back of it. “Star, I swear on my life, from this day forward, my only purpose is to protect you. And them.” She smiled gent
Helios’ POVIf someone told me a year ago that I would be kneeling before the same wolf I once called a runt, I would have laughed in their face. But now… Here I am. On my knees. My heart a raw, pulsing thing in my chest.I remember the first time I laid eyes on her. Star. A frail little thing, bones too sharp, eyes too big for her face, always moving around like she didn’t belong. An omega, I believed. The lowest in our pack. I never spared her more than a glance.Why would I? I was Helios Bloodfang, the heir to Alpha Killian. Born into power. Groomed to command. I’d been told my mate would be strong. Respected. A fierce she-wolf that would rule by my side.When the bond snapped into place one cold morning, locking me to Star, that trembling, insignificant omega, I rejected it in my heart before the words even formed on my lips. I hurt her. Damn, I did worse than hurt her. I made her life unbearable. And she… she kept living. Kept breathing. Kept saving me, even when I didn’t deserve
Starlight’s POVThe tension in the hospital room was palpable. I could feel the magnitude of my father’s fury, the suffocating shame of the pack, and the trembling submission of Helios at my side. But more than that… I felt something awaken within me. A warmth, no, a power, older than bloodlines, older than crowns and packs. It pulsed inside my chest.My gaze swept over the room. The warriors who used to shove me aside. The Elders who called me worthless. The Luna who turned a blind eye as my skin bruised and my heart hardened. Even Killian, Alpha in name alone, couldn’t meet my eyes.The beast within me stirred.Not the frightened pup they had raised in shadows. But the wolf born of Ayana’s line, of witches and royals. A true Lunaby right. The ultimate Luna.The power surged, and before I realized it, a deep, primal growl rumbled from my throat. It wasn’t rage, it was command. A sound layered with centuries of dominance, carried in the blood of Moon-Gifted wolves. It vibrated through
Starlight’s POVWarmth. It started in my paw. A strange, tingling warmth that crawled up my limbs like sunlight breaking through the cold, heavy fog of sleep. I wanted to stay there, in the dark, where nothing hurt, where no one could reach me. In that place, the world was quiet. Safe.But something, no, someone, called to me. A tether, gentle yet impossible to resist, tugging me from the depths of nothingness into the harsh, aching light of life.The last thing I remembered was protecting my pups. The pain, sharp and merciless. The voices that followed, Ayana. Griselda. Their words still echoed, filling the hollow places I thought would never heal. You are Starlight. A name, a promise. Mine.I wasn’t sure when my eyelids fluttered open, but when they did, the light was too bright, and my body… my body felt strange. Lighter. Stronger. A quiet hum of something new coursed through my veins, something ancient and powerful that settled beneath my skin like a shield.My fur… gone. I sat up
Hesperion’s POVWhen we touched down, I had barely waited for the door to open before I stepped out, my feet hitting the ground with a purpose I hadn’t felt in two decades. My guards had called after me, but their voices were swallowed by the pounding of my heart.At that time, I couldn’t explain the pull in words. It was a tether, ancient, unyielding, long silent, now tugging with violent urgency. A bond reawakened after twenty long, empty years. It led me like a silver thread through the darkness, through the pack grounds I barely registered, toward her.I remember that as I moved, people parted in silence, falling to their knees. A sea of bowed heads. I didn’t look at them. Couldn’t. My focus was sharp, cutting through the haze of the world. The bond had spoken. My daughter… lived.I hadn’t felt this connection since the night Ayana was stolen from me. A thread of my soul ripped away by treachery, leaving a hollow ache no crown, conquest, or council could ever fill. I had searched