Kieran’s POVIt was too quiet. There would be a storm. It's one of blood and war instead of wind and rain. Gazing into the dense treeline that encircled us, I stood at the edge of the Nightclaw camp. Something felt wrong beneath the smell of damp earth and pine that filled my lungs. Beneath my skin, my wolf shifted uneasily, growling in warning. *An event is imminent.* Evans— or Selene, as they now called her— I was still unconscious from the rite when I turned to face the temple. She had fallen, her breath shallow, her body soaked with perspiration, and the Nightclaw elders had brought her inside. She was evolving. Before I left Darkmoon, Briony had told me that Evans' awakening may be dangerous, not only for her, but for everyone around her. For the preternatural world. The burden of that warning now weighed heavily on my shoulders as I gazed out into the limitless forest in front of me. Garrick had stated, "We should move her," prior to my leaving him in the main wa
Evans’ POvLike a second skin, darkness clung to me. My limbs dug into the chilly stone below me, and my body felt heavy. My lungs burned as if I had been drowning, and I gasped for air. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, blood, and something foul, and it covered my throat. Upon opening my eyes, I saw that the world was in ruin. I was shattered the Nightclaw stronghold, the place that had taken me in, that had called me by a name I could hardly comprehend. The bodies of warriors who had once stood tall and uncompromising now nothing more than lifeless husks were strewn all over the temple grounds. Dark and motionless, as if the land itself had been mortally wounded, blood pooled between the cracks of the stone. With my head spinning, I pushed myself to my feet. The ritual and the excruciating pain I felt after the relic burned its mark into my palm were the last things I remembered. Then there were the murmurs. The visions. *You weren't supposed to live.* I wishe
Kieran’s POVThe Nightclaw camp was a smoldering cemetery. The smell of charred wood, blood, and death was carried by smoke that curled into the chilly night air. Some of our warriors' and some of theirs' bodies were strewn all over the clearing. However, the fight was far from over. The Eclipse Coven had temporarily retreated. They would return. With her back to me and her shoulders swaying with every trembling breath, Evans stood in the center of it all. The faint glow from the mark on her palm persisted, as though it were whispering a promise she wasn't prepared to hear. I let out a sharp breath and moved in her direction. "We must depart." “No. She spoke in a raspy, tired voice, but unyielding. Oh, how obstinate she is. I balled my fists up. "They'll return." They will not stop until they have you — you witnessed what they did to your warriors. Then she turned, her expression unreadable, her eyes wild. "So, what would you recommend? I run? Hide?” "Yes." I
Evans’ POVThe mist that surrounded me was heavy and oppressive, encircling my limbs like invisible chains. Despite not touching anything, my feet felt as though they were delving further into something enormous and ancient. Standing in the infinite emptiness, a place that belonged neither to the living nor to the dead, sent a shiver down my spine. An idea. This place of echoes and silence, where the weight of invisible eyes pressed against my skin, was a place I had been before. However, it felt different this time. heavier. As though someone—something—was anticipating my arrival. Ahead, a glimmer of light appeared, piercing the night like a lone flame against a starless sky. Then I moved forward as though pulled by an unseen force. When the mist cleared in front of me and I saw two figures standing side by side, my breath caught. Two monarchs. One stood in a golden glow, his presence commanding, warm, and oddly familiar. In addition to his physical strength, he exuded a
Kieran’s POVThe pungent smell of burning wood and flesh blended with the pungent smell of blood. It was the realization that Nightclaw was surrounded. The sound of the first explosion, which echoed through the valley like the wrath of the gods themselves, had broken the silence of the evening. When the first screams ripped through the air, I was following Evans' scent on the outskirts of the main village. My heels moved in fast cycles, every droplet of sweat forming a line of stream through my cheeks as my pulse raced in escaping velocity towards the scene that hallowed deep inside the forest. My Chaos had broken out by the time I got to the center of the pack. This is where the Eclipse Coven was. In the streets, warriors engaged in combat, their claws tearing through flesh as steel met steel. Known for their pride and tenacity, the Nightclaw Pack was falling.And I was unable to locate her. “Where was Evans? Is she safe?” I muttered the barrage of questions that rippled th
Evans’ POVOn the battlefield, there was anarchy. All of it blended into a thunderous roar, including the clash of steel against steel, the guttural growls of wolves in the middle of their shift, and the last cries of the fallen. However, I didn't feel any of it. The whirling of cold breeze cascading against my skin. But the burning was all I could feel. With every roaring heartbeat, a fire raged beneath my skin, wild and unbridled, pulsing through my veins. The silver glow intensified as if something inside me was finally awakening, and the mark on my wrist pulsed with a searing heat. With a gasp, I staggered back, my head spinning. There was an issue. The warriors of Eclipse strode forward, their eyes shining with merciless resolve. They desired my survival.Garrick stood motionless behind them, watching me with a sort of satisfaction, his eyes reflected its primality of cunniness snd desperation for power. I was aware of his desires. He desired for me to give up.
Kieran’s POVOn the battlefield, I had witnessed a lot of things. I had seen packs disintegrate under the strain of battle, and I had witnessed warriors fall to their deaths. I had encountered monsters that lurked in the shadowy corners of every pack, adversaries without souls and creatures without names. However, I had never been so afraid of anything. Similar to her. Evans' mark shone against her skin like moonlight as she stood in the center of the blood-stained field. Dozens of wolves were still kneeling around her, their heads lowered in silent surrender. She didn't use words to order them. She didn't have to. “All hail the Queen,” were the cacophonous sound that resonated through the tensed air.The pull in my chest was something I could feel, a force whispering to me to give up and kneel in front of her like the others. Every muscle in my body locked in resistance as I struggled against it. This wasn't ordinary.She wasn't like this. Like a poisonous snake,
Evans’ POVThere was an uncanny silence on the battlefield. Something inside of me broke the instant Kieran said, *this power is changing you*. Like the surface of a frozen lake under excessive weight, I sensed it fracture. But a presence swept across the field before I could process the pain in my chest or demand to know if he really thought I was losing myself. Icy, dominant, and familiar. Nightclaw and Eclipse were among the warriors when a ripple of silence passed through them. Something unnatural laced the air, making it heavy. It coiled like invisible chains around my throat and pressed against my skin. At that moment, he emerged from the center of the Eclipse Coven's ranks. A person wearing a silver and midnight cloak, with a polished obsidian mask that glinted in the moonlight. His movements were unhurried and fearless—as though he already controlled this battlefield. And he had a voice like velvet wrapped around steel when he spoke. "You are mine." A
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