Evans’ POVThe euphoria that covered Briony's hut was thick, filled with something viable but invisible. I could sense it pressing against my delicate skin, a suffocating weight that made my heart throb behind my ribcage. Kieran's towering presence could only add to it, his eyes locked into mine that reflected something unreadable and dark.“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone resonating sharper than I intended. He had barged into the hut as though he had the right to thwart the processing peace I was trying to build.His sharp jaws clenched. “I'm not here for your games. I am here for serious business.”“The Mister is here for serious business. Interesting.” I scoffed inwardly. That had been his excuse. Always having a duty is more important than the feeling we both felt. I folded my arms across my chest, leaning at the table filled with dry roots and mixtures.Briony, sitting on her usual stool, gave no response. She could only feel the expression we exhibited, her expression
Kieran’s POVThe gleaming silvery moon hung high in the sky as we rode through the dense forest, its beams shimmering through thick canopy. The air filled with damp earth, but beneath it lurked something preternatural.Evans rode her horse beside me, her face covered by the hood of her cloak. She had been silent since I told her of us coming to the western border. Evans always had something to do for every situation.but here was her fur in her silence.“We're getting close to the scene,” Garrick, my Gamma voice cut through the tense air. “The scout also told me of him seeing something strange near the Nightclaw route.”“It's all good.” I said finally. “We will get to the root of this all by the help of.the Moon goddess.” I prayed.I gave him a stern, but sharp look, my grip tightening on my sword. The western border which has always been heavily guarded is now the most vulnerable area of the pack. But whatever this is, it had left a mark of destruction. I could still hear and see the
Evans' POVThe strange laughter from the figures still filled my ears long after they left, leaving behind a thick, unsettling silence. My pulse raced violently against my ribcage, every strand of muscles yelling of us being in danger. The air felt charged, as though the ground was unsafe.Kieran stood befuddled, the grip on his sword quivering. His eyes scan through the dark forest as though expecting another primal attack. The warriors reassembled in panic as they drew their swords. I could feel the fear, taste it in the lingering air.But what re-echoed deep inside my head were the last words of the dark shadow.*We want her blood.*For a flick second, I pondered on the blood they were insinuating about.My blood.A strange jolt rippled up my spine as I tried to steady my already trembling hands. My mind reeled with questions, each one more dark than the previous. What did they want from me? What was my relationship with them?Garrick was the first to break the wall of questions in
Kieran’s POVThe reverberation of the strange, ancient laughter still echoed in my eyes as we skittered our horses through the thick forest, our movements swift through the weighty undergrowth. The gush of wind howled against us, carrying with it the lingering scent of flesh and blood. Whatever lurked in the dark was still around. I could sense the presence in the air.Evans' horse was beside mine, her hood covering her face as she howled loudly in pain. She had seldomly altered any word since her encounter with the strange voice— *We need her blood*---which had resonated through the trees, sending cold down our spine. I had seen the way her fingers trembled below her reins, the way her wolf howled in agony.My jaw clenched, resting my gaze on what laid ahead.“Faster,” My commanding voice echoed. “We're not yet safe.”Garrick rode his horse at my flank, his sword still drawn out, ready for any impromptu attack. “That for sure wasn't a rogue. From what my eyes saw it was something une
Kieran’s POVThe howl then cut through the tensed air sent a shiver of fear through my spine, unease rising through my chest. It wasn't the yearning of a beckon or the cry of rogue—it was another thing, something that didn't exist. Something that sent my wolf, Soren snarling in fear.The warriors that assembled around me froze, their hands clenched to their already drawn sword, bodies coiling with panic. My mind raced as the sound of footsteps resonated towards us. The scout that had run to me was still swirling on the floor, catching the rush of air that escaped his lungs.“Did you hear that?” I asked one of the warriors beside me.“Yes, I heard…” The words were interrupted by another sharp howl, but this time grew closer. The ground beneath our feet trembled, and my heart throbbed from the surge of fear that clouded my heart. My wolf fought to hold control, but I laid it still. I need to understand. I needed to take the lead.Evans took a deliberate step forward, her cloak rolling o
Evans' POVThe council hall's air was oppressively heavy. A cacophony of voices rang out against the stone walls, piercing and relentless. The bloodstains that had not yet been removed from the flooring following Alpha Chris's passing blended with the smell of dread and anxiety. I stood in the middle of it all, their eyes piercing me like knives, and my skin prickled. With his grizzled visage contorted in suspicion, Elder Vaughn hissed, "The attacks began after she returned." "Death followed the instant she returned to this pack." The assembled council members were surrounded by murmurs of agreement, with some nodding and others talking to one another. I took a deep breath and forced myself to remain upright in spite of the pressure of their charges. My nails bit into my palms as I clenched my fists. Another elder narrowed his eyes on me and said, "She was present when the bodies were discovered." "How is it that she recognised those markings?" "This is ridiculous," Kieran sai
Kieran’s POVThe elders were in turmoil. The air filled with tension, a vulnerable mix of agony, fear and uncertainty. The death of Alpha Chris still lingered in our hearts, the pack laced on the edge of what ravaged the air. Voices clashed, warriors tugged, and the elders struggled to stay stern in their words.“We can't stand another war!” Elder Vaughn slammed the desk in front of him. “The darkness lurking around us is demanding for the blood of this omega, giving us the condition that if we don't oblige, we will all be gone. And I know you won't want to afford that, Beta Kieran.”A guttural growl erupted from my guts. “So you suggest that we let on one of our very own?”“Don't say that. She isn't one of our own,” another council member snapped. “She was rejected by her pack. Everything started becoming dark the moment her foot rested on this pack. Now the Alpha is dead, and Nightclaw is under the threat of war.”My jaw clenched, fighting the pull to erupt the turmoil that ate deep
Evans’ POVMy hands shoke its grip on the letter as I read it for the second time, my heart running in gasps as it throbbed against my chest. My parents words, written in desperate call-to-action, warned of a curse—one laced to the blood in my veins, one that could revive something I wasn't prepared for.*You are not a mere omega, Evans. The blood of the Lunar Queen runs in your veins, and with it, the load of many generations lies on your shoulders. But be cautious….comes great power comes great responsibility.*My fingers traced the faded ink, my stomach churned into knots. I had given my entire being like air, a trash to the pack. But this. This changed everything about my ideology. It meant that my past, my banishment, and even the strange occurrences surrounding me weren't normal. There were signs.The dimly lit archive room felt suffocating, the silhouette formed from the candlelight cast on the wall, reflecting shadows on the cracked walls. If my parents had known about all thi
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
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’ 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 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’ 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