Kieran’s POVPain. When my senses came back, that was the first sensation I experienced. Every limb felt weighted as if I had been buried under stone, and a deep, gnawing pain ran through my body like molten iron. My throat ached as if I had swallowed fire, and my breath was ragged and shallow. My nostrils were flooded with the aroma of damp dirt and herbs. I blinked against the faint candlelight flashing across the walls as I forced my eyes open. I was in the cottage of Briony. As I fought to sit up, a moan escaped my lips. My stomach churned with sickness, and my body reacted by tensing up. Briony's voice cut through the dense fog that was obscuring my thoughts and said, "You're awake."I looked over and saw her sitting next to me, her face creased with fatigue. Her hands were already reaching for another handkerchief drenched in some foul-smelling cure as she looked at me suspiciously. "How much time?" I could hardly speak above a whisper due to my raspy voice. "Three days."T
Evans’ POV As I rode into the darkening woods, I felt a tremendous weight of stillness on my chest. I was surrounded by Nightclaw warriors, whose presence was a menacing force that both alarmed and fascinated me. Every stride they took was deliberate and coordinated, as though they were transporting something—*someone*—much bigger than a wayward omega. I clenched my teeth and mentally repeated the Alpha's commands, my pulse pounding. * "You are not who you think you are." * An unexplainable shudder went through my body the instant he said it, making my blood run cold. Something had existed in his eyes—certainty, dread, and adoration. And I detested it. I was not unique. I was the outcast, Evans Blackthorn, the mate who was spurned. For my entire life, I had been a shadow and a bother. Now, though, I was being treated like something... *more.* I kept thinking about what the Alpha had said as we got closer to a huge, old building tucked away in the center of their domain.
Kieran’s POVThe silence in the woodland was eerie. There are no insects chirping. There are no leaves rustling. No screams from afar. Just absolute silence. And there was never any benefit to silence in the wild. I took my time, following Evans' fragrance into the thick forest that extended past the boundaries of DarkMoon territory. Under my skin, my restless wolf pushed me on. Something wasn't right, even though I had been following her for hours, the faint remnants of her perfume taunting me. I couldn't get Briony's warning out of my head. * "If she awakens too soon, she may lose herself completely." * I was more uneasy with the recollection of those words than I wanted to acknowledge. I have already witnessed mighty wolves being reduced to mere creatures by the consumption of power. Evans wasn't simply in danger if Briony's claim that Evans actually bore the Lunar Queen's blood was accurate. The danger *was* her. With their twisted branches extending toward the
Evans’ POV I felt the weight of ancient power crushing down on me like an invisible force in the temple air. The blue flames of the torches that lined the stone walls came alive as soon as I entered, creating unsettling shadows on the tall murals. Stories of long-forgotten monarchs, fought and lost wars, and sacrificed blood were inscribed on every square inch of this hallowed place. And there, on an altar of black obsidian, was the relic at the heart of it all. An interior light pulsed from a single, polished stone barely bigger than my palm. The Nightclaw Alpha had guided me here silently, pointing to the altar with an enigmatic face. He informed me that this temple had been unaltered for generations and was constructed for the Lunar Queen's lineage. However, I sensed it. The draw. awareness. This location had been anticipating my arrival. I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. My fingers twitched at my sides, the temptation to grasp for the artifac
Kieran’s POVAhead of me, a harsh wall of tall woods and grizzled fighters, the Nightclaw boundary loomed. Even though my muscles were tense from the constant pursuit and my breath was labored, I continued. I couldn't. Here was Evans. And if I needed to get to her, I would burn through the whole forest. The air was heavy with the smell of pine and damp ground, but underneath there was something darker. Here, the energy was different, ancient, and it crackled under my skin like static electricity. As soon as I stepped close to their land, I saw figures move out from the shadows and out from behind the dense trees. Warriors of the Nightclaw. At least a dozen, their stances tight with animosity, their eyes keen. The huge, dark-furred, amber-eyed beast who led them stepped forward. Even before he spoke, I recognized him. Alpha Theron His voice was low and tinged with suspicion as he remarked, "Beta Kieran, you've come a long way." "But you're not going to get any farther." I s
Evans' POVThe temple was dense with darkness that felt like invisible hands gripping my skin. There was something living there, not simply a lack of light. A spectacle. My heart was irregular and my breath came in quick gasps as I rubbed my palms against the chilly stone walls. The door was absent. No light crack. No sound but my own heartbeat pounding against my ribs. Then, it began. A low whisper. It slithered through the shadows, wrapping around me like an invisible chain. *"You should not be here."* The voice sent ice through my veins. It wasn’t just a voice. I had it. Heaving in my chest, I whirled around, trying to find the source. A figure moved forward as the darkness changed. I was the one. Not *me*, though. Her form wavered between flesh and shadow as she stood at the edge of the emptiness. Even with the hood drawn down over her face, I could still see the sharpness of her features—**my features.** —despite her flowing black cloak. The air wa
Kieran’s POV The air was heavy and oppressive, crackling with tension all around me. As I stared down my opponent in the Nightclaw dueling arena, my muscles tensed and my breath came in rapid bursts. “Why do you test my ego?” my voice barely above a whisper, as I clenched my grip on the chest of my opponent. This fight wasn't what I wanted. Evans was the reason I had come. However, the Nightclaw Alpha had left me with no other option. I was a trespasser, an outsider in their territory, and I had no right to demand answers. According to their customs, I had to show my value with blood. The warrior in front of me was enormous, his golden eyes flashing with merciless resolve, and his dark fur bristling in the moonlight. An experienced combatant—someone who had probably fought innumerable wars. But I had, too. I squatted down and bared my teeth. The murmurs of the wolves that were observing me were overpowered by my heart's ferocious beating. **If I win, I might be abl
Evans’ POVAs I staggered out into the chilly night, the temple doors burst open behind me, pushed apart by the weight of invisible powers. My legs shook under me, my vision became blurry, and my lungs heaved. The sign was deeply engraved into my skin, and the relic's mark still burned against my palm, throbbing with an unsettling brightness. It was more than a brand. It was a claim. A curse. I wasn't prepared to face this reality. As the world tilted, I grounded myself by pressing a hand against the rough stone wall. My mind was **a storm,** whirling wildly within my skull. The **war,** the **betrayal,** and the **burning of kingdoms** that the relic had shown me were more than just flashbacks. **They were cautions. ** Like spectral tendrils, the whispers curled into my ears as they **slithered** through the trees after I left. * "Selene..." * I froze. A breeze that shouldn't have existed wafted the name across the temple ruins. The air was heavy with something in
Evans' povSomething ancient, something alive, was thick in the ruins' heavy air. Draven moved closer, his silver eyes shining with a mixture of patience and hunger, and I stood motionless. My fingers were twitching at my sides, and my pulse was pounding in my ears. He said, "I have something to show you," The want to turn away was part of me. To give him a punch and run away. However, another aspect—the one that initially brought me here—kept me grounded. I required clarification. With his fingers hovering just above my temple, Draven raised a hand. Softly, "Let me in, Evans," he urged. "See for yourself." With a constricted throat, I swallowed. All of my instincts told me to turn him away and to fight whatever he was attempting.“You should stop that, you think it's that easy right?” My voice barely above a whisper as I cringed gradually. “I know it's not gonna be easy for you that was why I called here, Evans,” he moved closer to me, closing the distance between u
Kieran’s POV I sensed something wasn't right as soon as I entered Evans' vacant tent. The air was unspoiled and stuffy. The linens were still silky and unaltered, and the bed was still made. My chest coiled with a keen stiffness. I whirled around, looking around the pitch-black camp for her in the moonlight. My nostrils strained, searching for her aroma of wild rain and warm cedar, but it was too subtle. Lost. My throat rumbled with a roar. "No."With my heart hammering my ribs, I bounded out. She wouldn't have left me in the dark. Not after everything. Unless... I felt my stomach tighten with a horrible conclusion. She had gone to meet Draven. Just hearing the name made my blood boil. I pushed through the branches, moving quickly, my claws aching to reach farther. Every second since she had met him, every time I had witnessed her hesitating, every glimpse of something unreadable in her eyes—all of it was replayed in my head. I didn't want to accept it. Refu
Evans’ POV The smell of pine and damp dirt filled the cold night air. Long shadows were created over the thick woodland by the crescent moon, which was low in the sky and covered in floaty clouds. I didn't stop even though every step felt heavier than the one before. I was unable to stop from the moment the door slammed closed against me.Kieran walked in, as though my thought had beckoned him to return. But what I expected was a smiley face, only for what seemed like a cold expression shot back at me. “Evans, I have something for you.” He said, moving closer to me. A paper clenched at his hand. “What is that?” I asked, my eyes rested on the paper that he held.“She is now acting as though it is a surprise. But it's fine.” His voice was laced with mockery.“What are you talking—-” I was stunned by what caught my eyes. “Draven.” I muttered, taking the letter from Kieran's hands.“Ya, that's it!” I could not get Draven's message out of my head. L"Come to the ruins with me. By myself.
Kieran’s POVMy thoughts were loud, yet the forest was quiet. Even after leaving Evans last night, the pressure of what she had said still weighed heavily on me. *Something inside me responds to him.* The words that had escaped Evans lips earlier.The talk still hurt no matter how many times it resonated deep inside me repeatedly. No amount of reason or anger could make the deep, sluggish ache in my chest go away. All my life, I have been a warrior. Killed rogues. Killed wolves. Stood fearlessly in the face of monsters. However, this? In ways I never anticipated, this was shattering me. I leaned against the training post behind the barracks and clenched my fists, my claws cutting into my palms. I had to strike something. Shatter something. Anything to calm the raging tempest in my brain. But before I could, I felt a presence coming. I turned my faze to rest on the old woman, holding a walking stick. It was Briony. Even though she walked lightly, her presence was si
Evans’ POV Silence was thick in the night. That was not a calm kind. The kind that weighed heavily on my chest, stifling me and being dense with unsaid words. I could still feel Kieran's absence like a deep ache, even though his footsteps had long since gone into the night. Even though my wrist was no longer glowing, it continued to burn, as though the last of the power connected to Draven would not let me go. I placed my hand against it, like I could erase it, muffle the connection. But I was unable to since it was real and not in some sort of delusion. And I had told all the lies I could. I turned abruptly when a rustle of leaves pierced the stillness, my heart thumping. Standing at the edge of the clearing, partially obscured by shade, was Kieran. His stiff, inscrutable posture was characterized by his arms folded across his chest. I was shivering because of the intensity with which his eyes—those storm-filled, black eyes—were fixed on mine. He had returned. But w
Evans’ POV Even though the woodland was quiet once more, the storm inside of me continued to rage. My body buzzed with the lingering strength that wasn't really mine even after th scuffle was over and the Eclipse warriors had fled like shadows slipping through night crevices. I didn't know if it had ever existed. The heat that was still seething beneath my skin was not much relieved by the chilly night air. I had to fight every breath I took to suppress the energy, act as though nothing had changed, and ignore the fact that my wrist was still burning. However, I was aware that I wasn't the only one that noticed. Kieran was keeping an eye on me. His eyes, like twin shards of ice, had been fixed on me since the end of the battle, penetrating the darkness. It weighed heavily on my back, and I could feel the tension between us churning with unanswered questions. Focusing on the firm weight in my hand, I strengthened my hold on my dagger. I'll do anything to get grounde
Evans’ POVIt was too quiet at night. Silence was a predator that lurked just before turmoil broke out, but I had learned to trust it. The smell of pine and damp earth filled the air, but there was something more there as well. A hint of deterioration. A caution. Every muscle in my body tensed like a spring as I gripped my daggers tighter. The others gathered around me, anxious, anticipating. The warriors of Eclipse were near. I sensed it—a weight against my flesh, an invisible force scuttling through my bloodstream. A glimmer of motion. In between the woods, a shadow passed my vision. I whispered, just loud enough for the warriors beside me to hear, "Remain vigilant." I heard knives unsheathing with a gentle click. A few feet away, Kieran's presence served as a reassuring anchor despite the stress from our previous conflict at his room. However, I was unable to consider that at this time. A sigh. A change in the atmosphere. Then….A haze of movement. The ini
Evans' POVI could sense a problem as soon as I entered Kieran's quarters. He was standing by the fireplace, the walls framed by sharp shadows from the flames. He had his back to me, his fists clenched, his shoulders tense. The tense atmosphere in the room was oppressive. I gulped the lump that had formed in my throat, hoping my heart would calm down. With caution, I whispered, "Kieran," scarcely raising my voice above a whisper. He didn't look around. His eyes still blazed to the outskirt of his room. There was a dense, oppressive silence between us. I stepped closer, but his voice sliced through the silence like a sword before I could get close. "For what length of time were you going to conceal this from me?" I went cold. He spoke in a tone that was worse than anger. It was tinged with pain, treachery, and an untamed, raw quality that was hidden beneath the surface. I took a swallow. "What did I keep from you?" He laughed sharply and without humor. "Evans,
Evans PovTension permeated the war chamber's atmosphere. The weight of the revelation seemed to descend upon us like an unbreakable storm cloud, and the walls, adorned with faded banners and old maps, appeared to close in. Standing in the middle, Lucien's glittering eyes were piercing with power. Even though he was always an imposing presence, there was something about his posture today that seemed different—tense, cautious, as though even he wasn't sure how to say the words that would make all the difference. Briony's face next him was unreadable. She had always been hard to figure out, a lady who kept secrets like weapons and was selective about when and how to reveal them.They had both decided to share one of the most deadly realities of all tonight. With a calm but foreboding tone, Lucien started, "The return of the Eclipse King is not merely a possibility." "It is unavoidable." I tightened my jaw. "And what does that mean exactly?" Briony remarked, her emerald ey