Zara'pov The air inside the room was suffocating, heavy with an unspoken dread. The cries outside weren’t human—they were the growls of enraged wolves, a chorus of chaos that clawed at my nerves. My arms ached from holding Thorold so tightly, but I refused to loosen my grip. His tiny chest rose and fell with the steady rhythm of sleep, his innocence presence melts my heart. This wasn’t how I imagined motherhood. No one prepared me for nights like these, where I sat trembling with my child in my arms, my heart splitting between overwhelming love and bone-deep fear. They were out there for him—my son, my perfect boy, who had somehow become the center of a storm I didn’t understand. A loud crash from outside made me jump. The door flew open, and Adrian stormed in. His expression was grim, his usually composed face shadowed with urgency. “What’s going on, Adrian?” I asked, my voice breaking. His eyes darted to Thorold, who stirred but remained asleep, and then to me. "Stay here
Zara's pov The days that followed were a blur of pain and emptiness. My heart shattered into pieces too jagged to mend. Thorold was gone, and I was a mother without her child. The hours melted into one another, yet the agony stayed sharp, relentless, and consuming. I barely moved from the corner of the room where I had fallen the night he was taken. Adrian had found me there, clutching nothing but air, my cries so raw they scared even him. He had asked me who had come and what had happened, but I couldn’t answer. "A man," I had whispered, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "A man came for him." Adrian’s sharp gaze pinned me, his Alpha instincts pushing him to demand the truth, but I held my silence. How could I tell him the full truth? How could I explain the unearthly presence of Arcturus, his power, and the cold finality of his words? If I told Adrian, he would rally the pack to chase after Thorold, and the consequences… the consequences could destroy us all. So I kept it t
Zara's POV I thought the worst was over. I thought I could start rebuilding the shattered pieces of my life after losing Thorold. I was wrong. When news reached me of Alpha Ryker’s crusade, I didn’t know how to feel. Ryker, the mate who had rejected me with such cruel finality, was now rallying warriors to fight those who had threatened my son. The same man who had cast me aside, leaving me broken, was now charging into battle for a child he had no claim over. I didn’t know whether to feel anger, confusion, or gratitude. The first I heard of it was from one of Adrian’s advisors. I was sitting outside my cabin, the cool night air soothing my restless nerves, when the advisor approached. His face was pale, his eyes darkened with exhaustion. “Alpha Adrian wanted you to know,” he began cautiously, “Alpha Ryker has assembled warriors from neighboring packs. He’s leading them into battle against the remnants of Elizabeth’s forces.” I stiffened, the name alone enough to make my blood
Zara's Pov The morning was quiet, the kind of stillness that felt foreign in a life filled with chaos and grief. I sat by the window of my small cabin, staring out at the dense forest beyond. The sun was high in the sky, it was beautiful, but it did little to calm the storm inside me. Thorold’s absence was a constant ache, a hollow space in my chest that refused to heal. Each passing day without him chipped away at my hope, but I refused to let despair consume me completely. I had to keep going—for him, for myself. Nora stirred in my mind, her presence a steady warmth that I clung to like a lifeline. She had been my anchor these past few weeks, a reminder that I wasn’t entirely alone. "You’re stronger than this, Zara," Nora whispered. “I don’t feel strong,” I murmured aloud, my voice barely audible. "That doesn’t mean you aren’t," she replied, her tone gentle but firm. "And you’ll see it soon enough." I sighed, resting my forehead against the cool glass. The pack had bee
Ryker's pov The first thing I felt was warmth, a gentle pulse radiating through my chest. My body felt lighter, as if the weight of death had been lifted. Slowly, my senses returned—distant sounds, the faint scent of herbs, and then a voice. Her voice. “Zara…” My eyes fluttered open, heavy and reluctant. The blinding white of the room stung at first, but it didn’t take long for my gaze to find her. She was slumped against the bed, her face pale, her body frail. “Zara!” I sat up too quickly, a sharp pain shooting through my side. I ignored it, focusing entirely on the woman beside me. Her breathing was shallow, her energy so depleted it made my chest ache in ways I hadn’t felt in years. My hands trembled as I reached for her, gently lifting her onto the bed. She weighed so little, her body limp in my arms. It was then I saw the toll her actions had taken on her. The dark circles under her eyes, the way her once-vibrant glow had dimmed—she had given everything to save me. And I
Zara’s POVThe evening sun dipped low over the Crescent Peak mountains that framed Ryker’s pack territory. I stood at the edge of the packhouse courtyard, watching as the warriors trained in the distance. My heart ached, but my resolve was firm.I had come here for a reason, and that reason had been fulfilled. My son was safe, my point was made, and the lingering resentment that tethered me to this place had run its course.But leaving wasn’t easy. This place had once been my home. Ryker had once been my world. And now, I was about to walk away from it all.It wasn’t a decision I made lightly. Over the past few days, I’d tried to convince myself that I could stay for a little while since Adrian's pack reminds me so much about my son, I that I could find a place within Ryker’s pack again. But every interaction, every glance from his pack members, reminded me of the rejection I’d faced.Ryker had cast me out when I was at my most vulnerable. Pregnant and alone, I had survived, and I had
Zara’s POV I stood at the edge of Adrian’s pack territory, the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional howl in the distance the only sounds around me. Adrian’s pack, the Silverfang, had been my refuge after Ryker banished me. It was here that I rebuilt myself, piece by piece, finding strength I never knew I had.Adrian had been a constant, unwavering support. He didn’t ask for explanations or press for anything more than I was willing to give. But now, standing here with the weight of my decisions pressing down on me, I knew this moment would hurt us both.I made my way to the main packhouse, my steps heavy with the burden of what I was about to do. Adrian had been kind enough to offer me a place to stay after my recent ordeal, but I couldn’t linger. Not anymore.The packhouse was quiet, most of the warriors out training or tending to their duties. I found Adrian in his office, bent over a desk cluttered with maps and reports. He looked up as I entered, his piercing green eyes softe
Zara’s POV The soft rustling of leaves outside Adrian’s office filled the silence after my declaration. I could feel his gaze boring into me, his emotions an open book. Hurt, frustration, and desperation radiated off him like waves crashing against my resolve. But even as I said the words, as I promised myself I would leave Silverfang, a part of me hesitated. A part of me felt tethered to this place, to the safety and warmth it offered, and to Adrian—the man who had saved me from the depths of despair."wait I heard Adrian's voice." Adrian exhaled sharply, breaking the silence. “I can’t let you leave, Zara. Not like this, it's about the offer." I turned to face him, my brows furrowing. “Adrian, we’ve been through this—” “No, you’ve been through it,” he interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. “You’ve fought battles you shouldn’t have had to fight, and you’ve carried burdens no one should carry alone. I won’t stand by and let you leave when there’s another way.” I crossed my
Zara’s POVThe world was silent.Not even the wind dared speak as I stepped toward him—toward the boy who had haunted my dreams, lived in the hollow spaces of my soul, and burned in the back of my mind even when I couldn’t remember why.Thorold.He stood tall, wrapped in leather armor laced with symbols I didn’t recognize. His shoulders were broad, his eyes sharp like the edge of the moon. There was something wild and ancient about him, something that didn’t belong to this world entirely.But when he looked at me—really looked at me—I saw it.The little boy I had held for only moments before he was taken away. The baby I had whispered promises to in the dark. The life I thought I’d never see again.His mouth parted as if to speak, but no sound came.I took another step.Then another.Ryker was beside me, tense but silent. I could feel his heart pounding as loudly as mine.We weren’t Alpha and Luna now. We weren’t warriors or rulers or legend-bound lovers.We were just two broken peopl
Absolutely! Here's an intense, emotional, and captivating Chapter 10 from Zara (Zara’s POV) Dawn the gates of our pack was opened. I stood between two worlds—the one I had rebuilt from ashes, and the one waiting at the edge of destiny. Every heartbeat whispered the same word through my veins. Thorold. “Are you ready?” Seris asked, her eyes glowing faintly with power. I nodded once. “I’ve been ready since the moment I remembered his name.” Ryker stood beside me, his presence like a shield of steel and fury. He wore his Alpha armor—midnight black etched with silver—but it wasn’t the armor that made him feel so commanding. It was the storm in his eyes. He was holding himself together by sheer force of will. “I want to run,” I whispered. “I want to shift and run until my paws bleed.” Ryker gave a grim nod. “Same.” Seris mounted her mare, white as starlight, eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Then we go. The veil is thinning. The moment is near.” The Journey Begins We run-faster ,
(Zara’s POV I didn’t expect him to knock. Ryker never knocked. Not back then. He used to barge in, all Alpha command and heavy steps, like his presence was both declaration and promise. But this time, he stood silently outside the guest wing door, waiting. When I opened it, I barely recognized him. The same golden eyes. The same powerful frame. But his edges had softened. There was pain behind the strength, and something that hadn’t been there before. Humility. “May I come in?” he asked, voice low and quiet. I nodded. He stepped inside, looking around the room I had claimed since returning to the pack.I hadn’t moved into the Luna’s quarters. I wasn’t ready for that yet. Too much had happened. Too many pieces still scattered between us. But now… now we were preparing to meet the one piece that had never stopped belonging to both of us, Our son. We didn’t speak at first. He stood near the window, watching the wind sweep through the pines outside. I sat on the edge of the bed,
Thorold’s POVThe stars pulsed that night.I couldn’t sleep. My body was too restless, my mind wired with strange energy that wouldn’t settle. Something had shifted. I could feel it in my bones, in the way my heart beat faster without reason, in how my wolf paced under my skin like it was preparing for something ancient.And then, I heard it.Not in my ears. Not in the wind.But in my soul.A howl. Deep. Raw. Echoing across realms and reaching for something buried inside me.It wasn’t a call to battle.My body snapped upright in bed, drenched in sweat. My chest heaved, every breath tight and burning. My wolf surged forward, eyes glowing, claws half-formed.My lips parted before I even knew what I was doing.And I howled back.It was instinct. Bone-deep. Agonizing. Like opening a door that had been locked all my life.And through that door rushed memories that weren’t mine. Not images—feelings. A weighty kind of love. Loss. Regret. Hope so powerful it nearly brought me to my knees.My
Alpha Ryker’s POV I had grown accustomed to silence. Not the kind that comes from solitude or peace. No—the silence that wrapped itself around me like a second skin was different. It was the hollow, gnawing kind. The kind that lived in your bones. The kind that came after losing something you never truly got the chance to hold. Sixteen years. That’s how long it had been since I watched the woman I loved break into pieces to protect a child the world wasn’t ready to embrace. Sixteen years since I felt the brief, flickering warmth of a tiny body against my chest—my son. Our son. And then, he was gone. Taken to protect him. To protect her. Zara chose to forget. The decision had nearly destroyed me, but I let her make it. Because she believed it was the only way to keep him safe. And maybe, deep down, so did I. But the silence never left. Not in my halls. Not in the forests I patrolled. Not in the bed I still couldn’t sleep in without imagining what could have been. The kn
Zara’s POV It started with the wind. Soft at first. Then insistent. I was walking through the gardens behind the packhouse, letting the moonlight kiss my skin, enjoying the stillness. For months, peace had wrapped around me like a long-forgotten lover. No whispers of Mia, no attacks, no shadows clawing at my doorstep. Just the serenity of love—Ryker by my side, my title as Luna sealed, and a life I had finally claimed. But the wind changed that night. It whispered. Not in words, but in sensation. A pull. A tremor in the earth beneath my bare feet. My wolf stirred, her ears perking, her body tense. And then—I heard it. “Mother.” The word didn’t come from any direction I could name. It was within me, around me, threaded through my veins. I staggered, catching myself against the trunk of the moonwood tree, heart pounding. “Mother, find me.” The world faded. The stars above blinked out one by one. I felt my knees give way, my vision blurring as something ancient surged forward.
Thorold’s POVThe flames of the Eldoria fire pit burned low, casting long golden shadows against the stone walls. I sat across from Arcturus, my body still thrumming with the echo of Solas’s words: She’s alive. She’s been looking for you.The quiet between us felt like a taut wire, ready to snap. Arcturus hadn’t spoken since I’d returned from the cliffs, but I could feel it—the weight of something he’d been holding back for years.Finally, he broke the silence.“You’ve been asking the wrong question all your life,” he said quietly, not looking at me.I tensed. “What do you mean?”“You’ve always asked who you are. But the truth lies in who you come from.”His words struck like thunder. I leaned forward, pulse pounding. “Then tell me. All of it. No more half-truths. No more riddles.”Arcturus finally turned his eyes to mine. “Your name—Thorold—was chosen for you by your mother. She named you after an ancient guardian in werewolf lore, one who stood between the realms of light and shadow
Chapter 4 Thorold’s POVThe figure moved through the mist like it obeyed him, parting with every deliberate step. Cloaked in obsidian black with a hood pulled low over his face, he looked like a creature conjured from one of the forbidden scrolls in the Eldoria archives. Everything in me tensed—my claws itched beneath my skin, my wolf alert and growling.He didn’t belong here.No one just entered Eldoria.My training screamed at me to shift, to attack, but something—some strange, ancient instinct—kept me rooted.He stopped a few feet away, and even though I couldn’t see his face clearly, I could feel his eyes on me. Studying me. Measuring me."You're taller than I expected,” he said finally, his voice smooth, melodic, and ageless. “And stronger.”I didn’t reply. Instead, I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. “Who are you? And how did you get past the wards?”A hint of amusement curled in his tone. “Wards bend for those they recognize.”My blood chilled. “What does that mean?”He
Thorold’s POV The night air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. The only sound was the distant rush of a river cutting through the valley below. I stood at the edge of the cliffs, staring into the darkness, my heart pounding as if it knew something I didn’t. "Sixteen years." That’s how long I had been here, hidden away, trained in secret, raised by those who spoke in whispers and moved like shadows. But the truth was, I didn’t know who I really was. I had no memories of a mother or father—only the cold, watchful eyes of Arcturus and the others who had shaped me into what I was now. A warrior. A weapon. A secret waiting to be revealed. But I wasn’t just any wolf. I was something else. Something... more. The Fortress of Eldoria The fortress where I lived—Eldoria—was hidden deep within the mountains, protected by layers of ancient magic. Few knew of its existence, and even fewer could enter. It was a place for those who didn’t belong anywhere else. The peopl