Kieran’s POVI didn't hesitate when I heard the crash coming from Evans' chambers. My instincts sharpened as I tore down the corridors, my wolf charging forward. My stomach twisted into knots as the air was filled with the smell of blood. Evans dodged a dagger as I threw the door open, her golden eyes blazing with fury and strength.In the little candlelight, two shadowy creatures hovered above her. I knew it was her fault that one was already falling, but the other was relentless.The assassin was too quick. Too talented. He aimed his flashing blade toward her throat, seeing her eyes from the flick seconds already closed for the acceptance of defeat. I shrieked. “No!”I made a lunge at the figure.I tackled him in the middle of his blow, and a savage snarl tore from my breast. We rolled over jagged wooden splinters and smashed onto the floor. He got up fast and flipped over, but I was there immediately, my fists swinging, hitting his ribs with a crack that made my stomach turn.
Evans’ POVI couldn't get the message etched into the scout's body out of my head. * "Her awakening will bring the end of us all." * The words had echoed like a prophecy whispered from the depths of something ancient and relentless, and I had hardly slept since they were said out loud. I ran from the room, leaving Kieran to the strange figure as I held my head due to the loud muffled noises. *Evans. Your awakening will bring the end of us all.* I sensed it in every look and cautious stride around me, even though no one had stated it directly. The pack was terrified– war-afraid. Fearful of me, and already disdaining me. I was, too, for the first time. ******The aroma of herbs filled Briony's hut, strong and acrid. Dried roots and vials, cures for everything from a simple fever to wounds that would not heal, were piled high on the little wooden shelves. However, nothing in this place could make me better. With my hands clutching the borders of my cloak as though clinging
Chapter 55: The Eclipse’s WarningKieran’s POV “But what do you really do?” I asked the figure who by Evans was the *Eclipse Coven*He let out a guttural grin. “You act as though you don't know.” “I have passed the message to your leaders already.” he said, his tone stern and brave.I could feel the stench of every word. Every movement that seemed powerful as I couldn't dominate or gain control over the situation. “And….”“...And.” the warm smirk remained on his lips. “Oh! Don't worry. You will know soon.” He said, turning out towards the window when a knock hit at the door.“Beta Kieran!” A delta guard called from the other side of the door. “I have been looking for you and luckily I found you.”I lost patience from the guards words. “Just shut up! What do you want?” My voice was loud and stern.The figure called before flying through the window. “Goodbye beta Kieran! I will see you soon.” He said, before letting out a dark laugh.I darted my eyes back to the door. “And who is calli
Evans’ POVEverything around me was on fire. The moonlight was suffocated by thick smoke that twisted into black serpents and clawed at the sky. The smell of burnt flesh, blood-soaked dirt, and death filled the air. In the distance, flames blazed, devouring the remains of pack homes, villages, and holy places. In the middle of it all was me. Not as a rescuer. But as a leader. Thousands of wolves knelt in front of me, their throats exposed and heads bent in surrender. The golden flame of my mark—a fiery symbol that pulsed on my wrist, giving me supernatural strength—was reflected in their eyes, which were sparkling with both loyalty and terror. On my head, a crown of onyx and silver held the weight of complete control. My pulse was an extension of the battleground in front of me, and my heart thumped like a war drum. Then I caught sight of them. Kieran's soldiers, the fallen were scattered among the kneeling wolves. The elders of Nightclaw. The pack that protected me
Kieran’s POV I was disturbed by the mark on Evans' wrist, holding her wrist in awe and curiosity. “Any visions again?” I asked her.“Yes. I had one that was deadly.” “And it was about you.”“Me. What business do I have with your Queen's visions and dreams?” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.Her eyes furrowed for a flick moment as she shrugged. “You were in danger, Kieran. You were bound and set to be killed by strange people.”I chuckled, ignoring her words as my eyes rested on her burnt wrist. “You are just a day-dreamer girl.” I said, parting her back. “That can't happen. I am the great Beta Kieran.”“Kieran, my dreams…..” I was interrupted by his hoarse voice.“Let's just forget about that and focus on the real thing. What's the meaning of the strange mark time on your wrist?” I asked, my voice stern and unwavering.The image was still etched in my memory as I stood outside the war chamber. As though branded by the Moon Goddess herself, the ancient, twisted symbol seared in
Evans’ POVThere was no request for the trial. It was a request. A statement from the Eastern Shadow Pack that I had to prove myself to them, to the wolves who still didn't believe me, to the world. I felt the weight of history crushing down on me, my fingers twitching involuntarily as I stood in the center of the sacred clearing, surrounded by warriors who had either stood in mute defiance or bowed in allegiance. I was more than Evans Blackthorn. I was now a divine.She still didn't realize that I was the girl with the mark of the Moon Goddess and the awakened powers. The person whose name had started to whisper in the wind like a prophecy that was about to come true. They were frightened by that. With quiet yet passionate voices, the Nightclaw Elders argued among themselves. Kieran was standing next to me, his posture stiff, his jaw so tightened I could feel the muscle twitching. From the sight I caught at him, he was enraged.I sensed it in the way his vitality throb
Kieran’s POV As I paced outside the Nightclaw council chamber, the air was heavy with the smell of moist ground and burning wood. Within, the elders discussed the outcome of Evans' trial in quiet tones, which were a mixture of fear and respect. I balled my fists. Beneath my flesh, my wolf skulked, restless and uncomfortable. Evans had gone through the sacred ordeal, and I had seen her stumble through images that made her relive her worst nightmares. She had seen me standing over her body at the conclusion of it. When she came out, her mark throbbing on her wrist, her breathing ragged, her eyes locked onto mine. The unspoken words between us had been more powerful than any blade, even yet she had remained silent. Did I really have to betray her? The doors of the chamber creaked open, and the Nightclaw Alpha, Cedric, stepped out first, his face carved from stone. His piercing golden eyes locked onto mine, unreadable. Behind him, Briony and the other elders followed, their exp
Evans’ POVLike a death omen, the smell of blood and burning permeated the air. Far away, screams rang out, a clamor of anger, suffering, and conflict. I was in the center of it all, my body throbbing with energy I had never really released before, my pulse thumping in my ears. The battlefield was filled with the clash of steel and the snarls of nightclaw warriors as they engaged the intruders. This time, there were more members of the Eclipse Coven, and they moved and attacked with precision. Their purpose was to take me, not to destroy. I wouldn't allow it. With his claws shining in the moonlight and his teeth exposed, a rogue sprang at me. Before I could think, instinct took over and my body moved. His claws just missed my throat as I sank low, feeling the rush of air. I spun and rammed my palm into his chest with a burst of sheer power. My contact sent him flying backwards like a shockwave. His body went limp as he hit the ground with a terrible snap. I stared at my h
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
Evans povThe night was restless and long. The cool air cooled my perspiration as I sat by the open window with my fingers locked around the material of my cloak. Shadows flashed and danced like ghosts of the past as the moon's silver light spilled across the wooden floor. Or perhaps future ghosts. The mark that connected me to Draven was still there on my wrist, a dull, pulsating warmth. I could have ignored it at first because it had started off as a whisper of heat. However, it now burnt like a brand, telling me that I was selected by fate with each heartbeat. Fate. That was a word I detested. I had fought my entire life against the expectations of who I should be and what other people wanted me to be. Yet here I was once more, imprisoned by an unseen force from which I was powerless to free myself. I wouldn't give up, though. I had made up my mind. Kieran. Love, devotion, and guilt were among the feelings that rushed through me at the mere mention of his n
Evans’ POV Prophecy weighed me down like a noose, getting tighter every second. It was evident in the way Kieran's gaze pierced me, probing, asking, and requesting something I was unable to provide. The revelation had broken him, and the stillness that followed was more agonising than any charges that were yelled. With the fire in the hearth flickering wildly as though it, too, could sense the storm building inside Kieran, the room was filled with the smell of cold iron and burning wood. He had his arms folded across his chest, his broad shoulders rigid, and his palms so firmly clenched that I thought I could hear the slight crack of his bones under strain.At last, he muttered, "You don't believe this," in a low, controlled voice that had a hint of desperation and sharpness beneath the surface. I took a deep breath. I was unwilling to accept it. Even though the name Draven seemed like poison to me, his presence had become entrenched in my thoughts, fantasies, and sense of self. I
Kieran’s POV The battlefield was a graveyard of silence. The Eclipse warriors had vanished as if they had never been there, leaving only the scent of blood and death in the air. My chest heaved as I struggled to regain control over my body, my limbs still weak from whatever power Draven—the Eclipse King—had been used against me. But it wasn’t the pain that burned through me the most. It were his words. *You were never meant to be her mate.* *She belongs to me.* Every word from Draven dropping as though I was a baby without any words.With anger burning through me like wildfire, my hands balled into fists. That someone had the audacity to claim Evans still made my wolf growl in defiance. My friend. Except... I looked over at her. She was still there. She was motionless as she gazed at the location where Draven had vanished. The odd glow of the symbol on her wrist was still there, pulsing. I could see how her breath caught in irregular gasps and how her fingers trembled be
Evans’ POVLike a death omen, the smell of blood and burning permeated the air. Far away, screams rang out, a clamor of anger, suffering, and conflict. I was in the center of it all, my body throbbing with energy I had never really released before, my pulse thumping in my ears. The battlefield was filled with the clash of steel and the snarls of nightclaw warriors as they engaged the intruders. This time, there were more members of the Eclipse Coven, and they moved and attacked with precision. Their purpose was to take me, not to destroy. I wouldn't allow it. With his claws shining in the moonlight and his teeth exposed, a rogue sprang at me. Before I could think, instinct took over and my body moved. His claws just missed my throat as I sank low, feeling the rush of air. I spun and rammed my palm into his chest with a burst of sheer power. My contact sent him flying backwards like a shockwave. His body went limp as he hit the ground with a terrible snap. I stared at my h
Kieran’s POV As I paced outside the Nightclaw council chamber, the air was heavy with the smell of moist ground and burning wood. Within, the elders discussed the outcome of Evans' trial in quiet tones, which were a mixture of fear and respect. I balled my fists. Beneath my flesh, my wolf skulked, restless and uncomfortable. Evans had gone through the sacred ordeal, and I had seen her stumble through images that made her relive her worst nightmares. She had seen me standing over her body at the conclusion of it. When she came out, her mark throbbing on her wrist, her breathing ragged, her eyes locked onto mine. The unspoken words between us had been more powerful than any blade, even yet she had remained silent. Did I really have to betray her? The doors of the chamber creaked open, and the Nightclaw Alpha, Cedric, stepped out first, his face carved from stone. His piercing golden eyes locked onto mine, unreadable. Behind him, Briony and the other elders followed, their exp