Damian squinted his eyes and closed the distance between himself and Tristan, his voice low and menacing. "What did you just say?" he repeated, his eyes boring into Tristan's.Tristan remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Damian could tell that his trusted adviser and beta hadn't told him a lie. The truth was written plain on his face, and Damian was left to grapple with the weight of the new revelation.From all appearances, all his suspicions about Alice's strange behavior were confirmed. The unease, the evasions, the secrets - it all pointed to one thing: his arranged mate was hiding something from him, something big. Damian's gaze swept around him, his instincts screaming for a change of environment. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was eavesdropping on their conversation, and he couldn't afford to take any chances. Not now, not after what Tristan had just revealed."Let's discuss this where there'd be no audience," he said gruffly, already turning to leave the garden.
Luna Seraphine continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "When she refused your uncle's advances and equally refused to court his squire, who would have been a puppet in his hands, alpha or not, he sent spies to monitor your mother's movements. He ultimately learnt of her affair with your father and about the pregnancy. He had your mother killed and would have put you to the same fate. But a few of us stood up for her and insisted that she be given the respect for being the late alpha's daughter. She died having you."Arya burst into loud tears, her son waking up and matching her tears. Luna Seraphine, the calm and composed woman, broke down in tears with them, and Arya was touched. The weight of the secrets and lies crushed her, and she wondered how people could be so cruel. Her uncle's greed and selfishness had overcome his conscience, leading him to kill her father.Arya voiced her concerns, "But who will believe me? Who would accept that my words are true when I show up to court
Vivian sneaked back into the palace, her heart heavy with guilt. She had wanted to implicate her friend, Alice, to get her into trouble with Alpha Damian, but now she felt a deep regret. Who wouldn't be furious upon discovering their mate had slept with another man? Vivian's conscience tormented her, and for good reason - she had betrayed a friend, and the weight of her actions crushed her.Vivian quickened her pace, her heart racing with guilt and anxiety, her mind filled with turmoil.She knew Alpha Damian had always been cold and indifferent to love, rejecting his chosen mate on their ceremony night without a second thought.But he had surprisingly found love in Alice, and it had brought him a sense of happiness and warmth he had never known before.Vivian couldn't bring herself to be the one to tear them apart, to crush the fragile bond they shared, and destroy the joy that had finally found its way into Damian's life.The weight of her actions crushed her - she was the one who ha
Alice's gaze narrowed as she watched Vivian standing at the doorway, her eyes wide open in guilt and shock, like a rabbit caught in the rays of a vehicle's headlight.A surge of anger and betrayal coursed through her veins, and she wished to kill her friend where she stood. Her mouth filled with bitter bile and hatred for the woman standing several meters from her, and Vivian could only thank the distance that she still had her head on her neck.The air was thick with tension as their eyes locked, the silence between them palpable and heavy with unspoken accusations.Everything Damian had accused her of was Vivian's fault. Vivian had suggested she hire a man to get her pregnant, to save face before her mother-in-law and keep her mate. But Vivian had planted a camera in the room to tape the act, to use as leverage.Alice's mind raced with anger and betrayal as she realized Vivian's deception. She couldn't believe she had trusted her manipulative friend. The thought of Vivian's treacher
Alice's anger and frustration simmered as she sat in the cold, dark cell, her night vision piercing through the darkness. The putrid smell of mold and decay filled her nostrils, making her stomach churn. She glared around the small, dingy space, her eyes scanning the walls, floor, and ceiling with a mix of desperation and despair.As Alice sat in the darkness of the dungeon, her eyes adjusted to the faint light that seeped through the cracks in the walls. She noticed a small rat scurrying across the floor, its beady eyes glinting in the dim light. The rat crossed her feet, its tiny paws making barely a sound on the cold stone. Alice watched it with a mix of disgust and desperation, wondering if this was what her life had been reduced to - sharing a cell with rodents. She shuddered at the thought, her mind racing with thoughts of escape and revenge.As she gazed around, she noticed something peculiar - a faint outline of a figure etched into the wall. The image was barely visible, bu
Arya clutched her baby tightly to her chest. He had been very cooperative all evening, and even though she was yet to feed him, he hadn't cried.She looked down at him, and he smiled. Her heart went warm with love and affection for the little life in her arms.She remembered her parents, but instead of a void in her heart at the thought, she felt warm and loved. They would never be apart from her; their love and memory lived on through her child.She felt a sense of peace wash over her, knowing that she was carrying on their legacy and that their love would continue to grow through her son. Luna Seraphine reached down to touch Akira on his tiny cheeks. "He's beautiful," she said, her voice full of warmth.Arya smiled and whispered a soft "thank you" in response to the compliment.As she did, she felt the heat of Damian's gaze piercing her from his throne behind them. She had been offered a seat beside the Luna's throne at the foot of the elevation where Damian's alpha throne sat, and
The air in the room was tense as everyone watched the two men standing formidably at the door. All that could be seen of them was their eyes, so it was difficult to tell what their facial expressions were as they continued their affront on Damian's palace."Elite command! Fall into position!" Tristan called out to the men by his side, his mind filled with a sense of duty to carry out his alpha's instructions.The men, six of them, three on either side of their leader, fell into place and held battle-ready stances. Their eyes were fixed on the two mysterious figures at the door, their bodies tense and ready to strike at a moment's notice.The room was silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the men and the faint hum of tension in the air. It was clear that a confrontation was brewing, and everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.Tristan spoke to the one of the impostors who had been doing the talking on behalf of the duo, his voice firm and menacing. "You still have th
Luna Seraphine rose to her feet and placed a hand on Arya's shoulder. "It's been quite a long day. You and the child must be tired. I'll have a maid fix up your old room in the guest house. Come with me." Arya nodded and obeyed, still looking a bit dazed from the events that had unfolded.Luna Seraphine looked up at Damian in his throne and said, "We'll be seeing you at dinner, son." Damian nodded and said, "Of course, mum. I'll see you at dinner, Arya." Arya nodded again and followed Luna Seraphine out of the throne room, leaving the tension and brutality of the scene behind.As they walked, Luna Seraphine's hand on her shoulder was a comforting presence, and Arya felt a sense of gratitude towards her. She knew that Luna Seraphine was trying to shield her from the harsh realities of the pack's politics, and she appreciated her kindness.The guest house was a cozy building separate from the main palace, and Arya remembered it fondly from her previous visits. She was relieved to be esc
Arya stood before the tomb, her body shaking with sobs as she gazed upon the final resting place of her son, Akira. The tomb, reserved for descendants of the alpha lineage, was a poignant reminder of the legacy that had once belonged to her family, but now rested with Damian.Luna Seraphine's gentle touch and soothing words offered little comfort as Arya's grief consumed her. The pain was suffocating, and the realization that she would never see her vibrant, full-of-life son again was a constant, crushing blow.Arya's heart seethed with anger towards Alice and Leo, her cousins who had orchestrated the palace attack. If not for them, Akira would still be alive, safe in her arms. The thought fueled her anguish, and she whispered into the wind, searching for the essence of her deceased parents, who had promised to always be with her.But their spirits seemed distant, and Arya felt only despair. The warmth and love she once knew were now replaced with an unrelenting sorrow. Even with Luna
The priest ran his hand through his thinning hair and let out an exasperated sigh. "Arya, I really wish there was something we could do. But the laws of our order expressly state that we must not interfere in conflict between brothers of the same kind. The consequences are dire. I'm sorry Arya, but our hands are tied," the man said somberly with his eyes closed.Arya thought to herself and knew there was no use trying to convince the order to go against their traditions. But there had to be a way to salvage the situation and stop her cousins from visiting evil upon the pack and perhaps, the whole earth. Just then, an idea flashed across her mind and she gave it no time to settle well before voicing it out."How about you train me to harness my magic and become powerful enough to stop the enemy. That's not something you cannot do, right?" Arya asked, hiding the pain and anxiety in her voice as she spoke.The priest squinted his eyes, deep in contemplation. He focused on a particular gr
Damian approached the house with a plastic bag containing their dinner, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a mix of caution and confusion. He had parked the van a few poles back, just as he'd done when he was with Anika, and walked the rest of the way, his senses on high alert. As he moved through the night, he swept his gaze from side to side, high on alert to spot any strange movements, his ears perked up to catch the slightest sound. Not that he expected danger to be lurking around, but one could never be too careful.A sense of foreboding and dread sat in his stomach, and he suddenly felt goosebumps on his skin, a rare occurrence for a Vis Wood like himself. His heart raced slightly faster, and his hand instinctively went to the pocket where he kept his dagger, a habitual gesture that had become second nature to him. These were odd behaviors for his wolf, and he could only wonder what was wrong. The house came into view now, and he looked to the side, ready to cross over th
The Blood Sisterhood were a secret sect of elite female warriors who paid allegiance to the Luna alone. They were part of the hidden tradition of the pack, a secret passed down from one generation of Luna to the next.Luna Seraphine took a deep breath, gathering her strength. "Sisters, I need you to go and ask for help from the Order of the Sun, the coven Arya's father belonged to during his lifetime. Tell them a daughter of theirs is faced with the threat of death at the hands of wicked people."The forewoman spoke up with a hint of hesitation in her voice. "This thing you ask of us, it totally goes against all that we represent. It is against our ethos to seek help from the witches." She stated gently but firmly.Luna Seraphine's voice came barely audible above a whisper. "Unless you're up for a battle against hell itself, I suggest you do as I have just requested."The woman argued, "We shall fight till death then. Our pride as a group supersedes the need to ask for help from the l
"There's no chance that would ever work!" the witch cried immediately after Leo told her what he needed her to do. She gently extracted herself from underneath his piercing gaze and walked over to the other side of the room."And why is that?" Leo asked, his voice cold and impatient."You see, the only reason why your sister could call you back up from the underworld was because she had at least a part of your dead corpse. And the head especially, makes things easier. If you don't have her body with you, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help," the old witch explained, feigning confidence and busying herself with arranging spices on a shelf in the corner.Leo flashed to her side using his heightened reflexes and hoisted her up in the air by her neck. "I'll go get her body. If you are not here when I return, I will find you, and I will kill you," he threatened through gritted teeth."I'd also have to wait for a full moon," the woman's desperate voice pleaded."I don't care! You'll
Damian consoled Arya over the loss of her child, but he couldn't seem to comfort her enough. She was a wrecking ball of sobs as she held baby Akira's dead form in her hands, even as Damian held her to his chest. What the bastards they had just killed did to the baby was heartless. Even in death, Akira looked like a beam of peace, his lips and skin now taking on the grayish pallor of death."I wish I had the words, my love," Damian found himself saying into the air, even though he was addressing Arya. It hurt him to see the woman he loved in such a state.Tristan and the other men from the elite command that had come with Damian to rescue his mate stood akimbo around them, at a loss for how to console both their alpha and his mate.Suddenly, Arya let out a loud gasp and began crumbling to the ground, struggling to breathe. Everyone was too stunned to do anything at first, until Damian snapped out of his shock and held her up firmly, struggling to contain both her weight and that of the
Damian sat in the backseat of the van, lost in thought. He was confident that after asserting his dominance in the Silver Crescent pack, Jasper and his followers wouldn't dare trespass again. He adjusted his new jacket, provided by Tristan, knowing his previous clothes would be ruined after his transformation.As they approached the Ember Moon pack, Damian's keen sense of smell detected something strange. He exchanged a concerned glance with Tristan, who nodded in agreement. "Kill the engines," Damian ordered, and the driver complied without question.Damian jumped out and crept behind the wall, motioning to Tristan to follow. "Break the men into groups," he whispered. "Take the secret side gates scattered around the fence. We need the advantage of surprise." Tristan nodded and relayed the orders to the men, dividing them into four groups to cover the North, East, West, and South wings of the premises.Damian led his group of six, including Tristan, towards the West wing. As they appr
Arya and Luna Seraphine sat on their seats, their senses on high alert. The sounds were getting closer, and Luna's voice was laced with urgency as she turned to Arya and said, "Quick, go to Akira. I don't like these sounds."Arya's heart sank into her stomach as she remembered her dream and recalled that Akira went missing in the dream. She never found him. If that were to happen now, she'd kill herself. She was sure of it.She ran as fast as her legs could go, her pace fueled by adrenaline. She turned into a side door to climb into a corridor when a body was tossed out of the corridor, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her wolf instincts, though rarely active, screamed danger. The corpse was dressed in palace guard attire, partially shifted into its wolf form, badly disfigured, with a gaping hole where the left eye should have been and another in the chest.Slowly, she lifted her eyes to look into the corridor where the body was flung from. Her skin crawled at the sight before her.
Damian strolled into the garden, his eyes scanning the area for his mother and Arya. He recalled his mother inviting Arya to tea the previous night and smiled, remembering the closeness they shared. He had finally made up his mind to sire Jasper's child, and his thoughts were filled with Arya.As he approached the umbrella-shaded table, he beamed with a wide smile. "Top of the morning to you two, beautiful ladies." He kissed his mother's forehead and took Arya's hand, lifting it to his lips. His eyes locked onto hers, and he heard her subtle gasp."Hello, Arya. I trust you slept well?" Arya replied shyly, "Yes, alpha. Thank you."Luna Seraphine playfully rolled her eyes. "Yes, I slept well too, thank you." Damian chuckled and said, "I was going to ask you that, mother." He turned to Arya, his smile lingering.He noticed the tea on the table and teased, "I see you've both decided to have tea without me, then." He picked up his mother's cup, and she protested, "Put that back down, sil