Just as I step out of my office, a deafening siren slices through the air, signaling danger. The pack walls have been infiltrated.I sprint forward, my legs burning as I push myself faster. Over the hills of the pack grounds, swarms of warriors descend from all directions like a flood of shadows under the sun. Shit."Reid, make sure there's a team to get to Claudia!" I command through the mindlink, my voice edged with urgency. I don't need him to respond I need him to find her. Then, I shift, bones snapping and reforming as I surge into my wolf form. The moment my paws hit the ground, I charge toward the trees. The scent of rogue wolves fills my nostrils—wild, unhinged, bloodthirsty. Their snarls vibrate in the air, a chaotic symphony of hunger and rage.Two colossal gray wolves lunge at me, one veering left, the other right. A distraction. A trap. I keep my eyes sharp, scanning for a weakness. But I don’t wait for them to make the first move—I strike.I launch at the one in front of
I squeeze through the bars, my hips scraping against the metal, the sting immediate and sharp. Welts are already forming, the raw skin throbbing with each shallow breath. By the time I make it through, exhaustion claws at me, my body convulsing as another wave of unbearable heat ripples through my veins. My skin burns like an open flame, every inch drenched in sweat, my clothes sticking to me like a second skin.I stagger toward the desk where Braden left my blade and grenade. Sunlight glints off the compact disk beside them, a flash of silver that momentarily blinds me. Pulling myself up, the wood splinters beneath my fingers, sharp pricks piercing my palm. I swipe the sweat from my brow, sucking in air, my breath shallow and ragged. My legs tremble as I force them to hold my weight. The battle outside the tent rages on, steel clashing, wolves snarling. I don’t have time. I need to move.Leo.I have to get to him.Shoving the blade back into my boot and tucking the grenade into my ja
Braden appeared suddenly, and I lunged at him, my fist driving into his gut with a forceful punch. As he staggered, my leg swung out, jamming into his thigh with a satisfying thud. He retaliated with a feral growl, his claws slicing into my ribs, sending a sharp jolt of pain through my side. "I'm not going to let you kill me," he spat, as I shoved him away with all my might.Amid the chaos, her scent reached me, and my eyes snapped to meet her jewel-blue gaze. She was trying to push through the fray to get to me, her face radiant with a smile that cut through the violence like a beacon. "Leo," her voice seemed to rise above the clamor of battle cries and snarls, but perhaps it was just my imagination. I turned my attention back to Braden, slicing his jaw and neck, blood pouring from the wounds like a crimson river. The urge to obliterate him was strong, but I had made a promise to let Claudia deliver the final blow. Knowing she was here, seemingly unharmed, brought me a sense of relie
** Trigger warning the next few chapters are extremely dark which some readers may find disturbing **There is a pounding and ringing in my head, an unbearable cacophony that I can't pinpoint. A steady drip echoes past it, a rhythmic torture that seeps into my consciousness. My body aches with a pain so intense it feels inevitable—I will pass out again. I try to open my eyes, but they feel sealed shut, clogged with dirt and debris. A hiss escapes me as fire licks up my back and thighs, every second intensifying the agony. The dripping sound persists, my breath thins, and I descend into darkness. * I wake again to a searing burn against my skin, an acid-like sensation peeling away layers of flesh. Every nerve screams, but my limbs remain immovable—dead weights anchored to stone. I suck in a ragged breath, my mind a sluggish fog, struggling to grasp where I am or how I got here. Time slows, stretching endlessly, and all I can register is the infernal dripping and the unrelenting fire
“Where is she? What have you done with her?” I demand, the sight of Braden fueling me with renewed strength. I may have failed her once, but I won’t do it again.“All in good time. Let’s not rush this,” he grins like a Cheshire cat, dragging a chair in front of me before casually sitting down. The second he does, a roar rips from my chest.Behind him is my mate.Claudia hangs suspended, her wrists bound with metal chains, arms stretched high above her head. Her toes barely graze the floor, her body trembling with the effort. She is completely naked, her skin slick with sweat, and I can see the telltale red veins snaking across her body—her heat is consuming her from the inside out. Her nipples, darkened to a near-crimson hue, are tight with unbearable need. A glistening trail runs down the inside of her thigh, dripping onto the cold, unforgiving floor beneath her. Time is running out. If her heat isn’t relieved, her organs will boil from the inside, killing her. I will do anything—say
My face snaps to the side as pain flares hot and sharp across my cheek. Skin stings, heat radiating from the blow.“Come on now, wake up. The clock is ticking, Ashy.”Braden’s voice drips with amusement, a cruel snicker following his words. My eyes flutter open, the raw sting of my battered face sharpening my awareness. My once-tanned skin is now pink, peeling, blisters covering every inch of me. The scent of burnt flesh lingers, metallic and acrid. I snarl, tasting the dryness in my mouth, the bitterness of dehydration, but my gaze flicks past Braden’s shoulder.Claudia hangs limply, her body trembling, sweat slicking her skin. Her thighs press together in a desperate attempt to soothe the unbearable heat coursing through her. A soft, choked whimper escapes her lips. I can taste her arousal on the thick air—a heady, addictive bitterness that curls in my gut.I swallow hard. Time is slipping through my fingers. I shouldn’t have passed out.“Tell me you want me to fuck your mate. Beg m
Braden laughs, slow and deliberate, before starting a slow clap, his face manic, eyes gleaming like he just won the lottery. I thought he was bleeding me out because that was his plan all along, but I was wrong. He only wanted to weaken me. Now I've just told him what I am and for nothing it seems. “Leave. Now,” he orders the rogue, his voice calm but commanding.The rogue hesitates, his breath catching. “But—you promised. You just said—” He stutters, tripping over his words, trying to make sense of Braden’s erratic mood swings.“Yeah, yeah, I know. Relax, there are plenty of she-wolves to entertain you,” Braden waves him off, unbothered.But the rogue snarls, his fingers curling into fists. “A deal is a deal. I can smell her heat. Besides, she needs it,” he growls.Claudia trembles, her skin turning blotchy and red, sweat slicking her body as she fights through the agony of her heat. Her breath comes in short, pained gasps, her head lolling forward as she clings to the last thread o
I watch as his eyes bulge, veins protruding, as I squeeze his puny neck. His breath comes in short, desperate gasps, his face darkening to an ugly shade of puce."You don't want to kill me, Ashy," he rasps, voice barely a whisper. "That wolfsbane bucket will keep refilling, drenching you until you're too weak to do anything but watch your mate die—right before you do. I'm the only one with the key. The only one who can save either of you."I tighten my grip. His throat bobs beneath my fingers, his pulse hammering like a trapped bird. Then, with a growl, I hurl him aside. He crashes to the damp concrete floor, wheezing and clawing at his bruised neck.Fuck. My breaths come hard and fast, each one a battle. I can feel my energy draining, the last dregs of strength bleeding out of me. Both my beast and my wolf have retreated so far into my mind that I can no longer sense them. Without them, I won’t be strong enough to break free from the silver before the wolfsbane eats through me. Even i
Epliogue Part 2Thirty Years LaterToday is the day Grey finally moves out of the castle. My youngest is ready to explore the world on his own. None of the other kids have moved far, not really. But this feels different. This is him leaving. He won’t be under our roof anymore. And even though we have centuries together, it doesn’t make this any easier. My heart still aches at the thought of his absence echoing through the halls.What doesn’t help is the fact that Gaia and I both believe his mate is her daughter, Summer. Which means he’ll be hours away from us, living at the New Moon Pack. Gaia and Reid are thrilled at the idea. Honestly, I sometimes suspect Gaia’s been nudging fate with her magic… except her spells have no effect on Summer, and Grey never seems to react to any of Gaia’s not-so-subtle hints that they should mark each other.Summer and Grey have been inseparable since they were little. Every year, we’d spend the summers with the New Moon Pack, or Gaia, Reid, and Summer w
Epilogue Ten Years LaterThose years with Braden feel like nothing more than a distant memory. There was a time I couldn’t imagine being happy or free like I am now. That’s not to say the nightmares don’t still come—those nights I jolt awake in a cold sweat, heart racing, lungs gasping for air as if I’m still trapped in that hell. But all it takes is a glance into the storm-grey eyes of my mate, and the past fades like smoke. I’m here. I’m safe. It’s over.The last ten years pass in a blur. It’s only when our son arrives that I truly feel the weight of all the children I lost. Pregnancy, as joyful as it is, terrifies me. I dread something going wrong, haunted by the possibility that Braden’s poisons still lurk in my blood, waiting to strike. That's really when the nightmares came once again. The birth is… intense. I’d like to say it went smoothly. But Leo, on the other hand? I see clumps of his thick dark hair littering the hospital floor by the time the nurse is telling me to push.
Things are finally settling down and becoming normal again. Leo and I work hard, but we play hard too. It’s exactly how I always pictured my life would be when I was younger—only now, it’s my reality.“There you are, baby. I’ve been looking for you.”I’d know that voice anywhere. Every hair on my arms and along my neck prickles to attention. My stomach drops.“No… no, you’re dead.” I whisper because it's the only thing that makes sense. I spin around, heart thundering in my chest. He stands there—Braden—his dark blue eyes gleaming with a sinister glint, his wolfish grin carved across his face like a predator who’s already won. I know that look too well now. Nothing good comes from that look. He strolls toward me, each step slow, measured, powerful. I stumble backward until the wall presses into my spine. My breath stutters. It doesn’t make sense. He’s dead.He stops just in front of me, reaching out to toy with a strand of my hair. His fingers are deceptively gentle until they tight
I feel a squeeze on my hand as silence creeps in, thick and heavy like a storm about to break. Even Erin glances our way, her eyes narrowing as if she can see straight through me—like there’s a neon sign on my forehead flashing the word Lycan.The crowd shifts subtly, a ripple through the mass of bodies. I follow it with my eyes until I see him—a man at the back moving with unnatural smoothness, like a shadow cutting through the haze of murmurs and hushed breathing. One of the guards. I recognize him; he usually works the front gate, stopping intruders from ever getting this far.He’s coming closer. Step by step.My pulse thunders in my ears.Should I pull Claudia behind me? Should I shift? Should I fight?I count the seconds, heart pounding, my beast snarling just under the surface. Claudia’s grip tightens on my hand—iron strong. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.The man climbs the stairs to stand before us. My beast pushes forward, hackles rising, claws itching to tear through
We’ve called a pack meeting, and nerves twist in my gut like a coiled serpent. Claudia told me to come clean—about who I really am. It’s not that I don’t want to. This has been my pack for years; it’s my home. I know these people. I trust them. They’ve had my back through everything. But knowing I’m a lycan means other packs might come for us. They always do. No one likes someone stronger, faster, who heals quicker than the rest. Envy breeds discontent, and I don’t want to paint a target on my back—not when we’ve finally found peace. Not when we are about to have a family. At the same time, we need to explain what’s happened—why Gaia and Reid have left the Blood Moon pack, and why we’ve both been missing for the last few weeks. I’m getting ready now, trying to tame my hair from where Claudia’s fingers pulled at it through the night. I smooth down my shirt, ensuring it’s pressed just right before tightening my belt.Claudia appears in the doorway, her long, dark hair cascading like in
She sucks me deep, taking me into her throat with a moan that vibrates through my entire body. Her tongue swirls around the sensitive head, lapping up the precum already leaking from me. Her hand works in perfect rhythm with her mouth, pumping and twisting as she sucks me off like it’s the only thing she’s ever wanted to do.“Fuck, love,” I growl, my hands tangling in her hair as I thrust into her mouth, fucking her face with a desperation that matches her own. She gags slightly but doesn’t pull away, taking every inch of me like a fucking champion. The heat of her throat squeezes me, and the pressure coils tight in my gut, my balls heavy and aching.But she’s not done yet.She pulls off my cock with a wet pop, her lips swollen and shining with spit as she crawls up my body. Her tits brush against my chest, soft and maddening, leaving streaks of heat on my skin. She kisses me deep, and I taste myself on her tongue—salty, musky, and so fucking her. She reaches between us, guiding my co
We make it back to the Blood Moon pack in record time. Claudia falls asleep early into the car journey, with Erin joining her shortly after. Erin snores the entire way home, the sound sharp and grating, but it keeps me awake.It may have taken us a long time to get here, but I know now—nothing is going to come between us again. We are having a pup. Something I hadn’t dared to dream of, especially so soon. After everything Claudia has been through—every miscarriage, every tear, every ounce of pain—I had no expectations. I was happy just having the two of us for a while. But now? Now, everything is different.It does put a slight hitch in my plans, though. I need to check the library to see if it’s still possible. I want to change Claudia into a lycan. It’s a grueling process and there are risks, but after the time I spent away from her—after how Braden altered her mind so she no longer recognized me—I can’t risk anything like that happening again. More than anything, I want time with h
The BBQ goes well — the pack loves Gaia, and maybe they always have. She’s been here from the beginning, after all. She is one of them. With Reid by her side, I know that whatever lingering trauma she carries, he will be there to catch her if she stumbles. The two of them are annoyingly cute together.Leo’s arms are wrapped around me as the five of us settle into the quieter part of the garden, drinks in hand, our bellies full — probably more than full. I swear we’ve eaten twice our body weight. The smell of smoked herbs and charred vegetables still hangs in the air, making my mouth water despite the feast. And I’m eating for two now, so there’s always room. At least that is my excuse.“I think I’m going to like it here,” Reid muses, scratching his chin. Gaia is draped lazily across his lap, gazing at him like he’s hung the moon itself. He toys with her wild hair, curling it around his fingers, and the two of them look so achingly content it almost feels like we’re intruding.“I guess
There is a pack BBQ being set up in the garden of the Alpha mansion. The intricate bushes, towering trees, blooming flowers, and the gentle trickle of the pond all add to the loveliness of the day, but there is a hum beneath it, something stirring beneath the surface. To my surprise, Gaia is already in the thick of it, directing where the marquee and BBQ station are to be placed. She even has a few guards digging up part of the garden for a hog roast, their shovels biting into the earth with sharp, rhythmic thuds. There’s a pep in her step as she waltzes through the preparations, her eyes scanning every detail to make sure the decorations are just to her liking.I can’t help but wonder if everyone in the pack is secretly relieved now that Braden is gone — or if Gaia is using her persuasion magic to ease them into the transition. I can’t be sure. The energy feels too smooth, too compliant. But perhaps I am overthining it. When she spots me walking across the lawn, she runs toward me,