For the next two days, Zahra-Rose stayed by my side, helping me in every way she could to speed up my recovery, which I appreciated. But the fact that my wound was healing so slowly made no sense. It should have started healing the moment the silver blade was pulled from my side, not lingering painfully for two days.After examining me, the pack physician delivered the answer I didn’t want to hear.“Wolfsbane was added to the silver metal used on you,” he said, his tone grim. I accepted his explanation with a tight nod and dismissed him.Now, I sit with Kai, trying to make sense of everything that happened that day, and how he knew about the plan they had in the arena. “What about what I asked of you?” I say as we finally find ourselves alone. Zahra-Rose has gone to retrieve something from my mother.Kai’s eyes held mine. “Let me show you.”I rise and follow him out the back of the house, heading toward the second house we rarely use. Hidden beneath it is a basement I had built years
“Are you sure about this?” Kai’s voice cut through the dark tension hanging between us. His golden eyes narrowed, suspicion curling in his tone.“Why, Kai?” I clapped a hand on his shoulder, letting my claws briefly press against his jacket. “We’ve been doing this for a very long time.”Kai’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, but you weren’t married the last time you pulled something like this. Remember what happened back then? You met her, and….”“It’s not like I’m meeting her there tonight.” My voice hardened. “She’ll be asleep, and I already told her I have things to handle. I need this, Kai, you know I don’t take orders from you.”Kai’s hands rose in surrender as he stepped back, his mouth twisting into a grimace. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”I didn’t answer. The truth was, I needed to get away. The weight of my pack, the battles, the constant tension, it was all suffocating. I couldn’t breathe beneath it anymore. I needed to clear my head, to find some shred of peace.But as I wa
I don’t know how or where the rumor all started, but suddenly, I could hear the whispers, the hushed, cutting words people spoke about me throughout the pack.I tried to ignore it at first, convincing myself it was temporary. That it would pass. But I was wrong. The whispers grew louder, sharp and biting, and this time they didn’t bother hiding it anymore.I thought escaping to the restroom during training would help, but even there, they followed me, making it impossible to cut them off from the hurt I was feeling. “Can you believe that? What exactly is she going to do for us? Sure, she has a little strength, but it’s nothing compared to a wolf’s. Imagine her facing a strong opponent, she would be overthrown in seconds, and we would all be in danger.” One of them that followed me to the restroom said to the others. I clenched my jaw. I didn’t want the words to get to me. I’ve heard worse before. But the sting behind my eyes and the tightness in my throat told a different story.Th
ASHVIN HARVEY’S POVI was back in the human world, the place I swore I would never return to. But these past few weeks have pushed me to the edge. If I didn’t find a way to release some of this tension, I might lose control.I waited in the back room, adjusting the outfit I had changed into. Every instinct screamed at me to walk away, to abandon this whole thing and pretend I had never returned back here. But I couldn’t.“What are you doing?” Zen’s voice echoed in my head, laced with judgment and irritation. He didn’t like this either, but I hadn’t let him talk me out of it.It had been a whole week, an entire week, since I had last seen Zahra-Rose. My mother had informed me that Zahra was training hard to become Luna, even though she was the first without a wolf. People were talking about her, disrespecting her. The first time I heard her name in the pack’s gossip, I punished those involved. Rank didn’t matter, I sent them to the farm to work, humbling them. But the more I punished
ZAHRA-ROSE POVFor days, all I could think about was what my father told me. It haunted me, lingering in the back of my mind no matter how much I tried to push it away. His words followed me like a shadow, whispering through every quiet moment, reminding me of exactly what he expected me to do.Now, with the way things are unfolding in the pack, I know I should concentrate more , but I can’t. My fathers word follow me everywhere, demanding I do exactly what he wanted me to.“I heard the Alpha wants to start rebuilding the MoonBright pack again,” I heard someone say. I walked closer to the door, pressing my ear against it so I could hear properly.“Yes, I heard too,” another voice responded. “He should abandon that pack. The Luna is already useless enough; he shouldn’t waste resources somewhere with no progress.”There was a sound of agreement from the other person. My chest tightened, and anger surged through me, burning hot and deep. Taking a steadying breath, I pushed open the door
The humiliation still clung to me like a stubborn shadow, impossible to shake. No matter how many drinks I downed, the memory of being left standing at the altar alone, humiliated, and exposed before countless witnesses was a weight I couldn’t lift.I tilted the glass in my hand, swallowing the last bitter drop without remorse. Tonight, there were no rules, no obligations, no expectations. Tonight, I wasn’t the perfect daughter, the obedient bride-to-be, or the polished princess. Who follows every role and nod yes to everything that was said to her.Tonight I am someone different, someone else entirely.The busy bar was far away from home, chosen precisely for its anonymity. No one here knew me, and that was the point.“Do you mind some company?” someone asked from beside without even looking at him I knew he had a smile on his face.I groaned inwardly, the voice cutting through my thoughts. I turned slowly, plastering on a sweet smile for the man hovering beside me. “I’m sorry, but
I scrambled to my feet, shoving him off me as I staggered backward. My heart pounded, disbelief and confusion washing over me.What the hell is he doing here? No, what is Alpha Ashvin doing working as a stripper?He’s one of the most powerful Alphas in the four realms, feared and held in awe to in high regard by all. And yet, here he is, in the human side of all places, doing… this.I blinked, rubbing my eyes as if the action might erase the impossible sight before me. Maybe it was a trick of my imagination there was no way Alpha Ashvin Harvey Matarys would degrade himself like this.“Alpha Ashvin?” I called his name hesitantly, my voice trembling with disbelief.He didn’t answer, but his sharp, assessing gaze bore into me. His silence was confirmation enough, and a chill ran down my spine. This was no mistake. This was him.“What are you doing here, Zahra-Rose?” His voice was low, laced with irritation.I took another step back, his tone sparking a defensive flare in me. He’s annoyed
It had been two days. Two days since my father was laid to rest. Two days of endless, frantic searching for my mother and sisters. And yet, no matter how hard we tried, we hadn’t found a single trace of them, it was like they had vanished into thin air.I kept telling myself this had to be some cruel dream—a test from the Moon Goddess. Maybe this was her way of pushing me, of telling me that at 23, it was finally time for me to transform and become the wolf I was destined to be.Everyone else had it easy. By the time they turned 18, they’d already met their wolves, welcomed the transformation, and embraced the life of a werewolf. But not me.I’d done everything to make it happen. Pushed myself beyond exhaustion. My father, determined not to let me live without my true self, tried everything he could. Rituals, prayers, training—nothing worked. I couldn’t feel my wolf. I couldn’t sense my pack the way everyone else could.If I’d had that connection, I might have known something was wron
ZAHRA-ROSE POVFor days, all I could think about was what my father told me. It haunted me, lingering in the back of my mind no matter how much I tried to push it away. His words followed me like a shadow, whispering through every quiet moment, reminding me of exactly what he expected me to do.Now, with the way things are unfolding in the pack, I know I should concentrate more , but I can’t. My fathers word follow me everywhere, demanding I do exactly what he wanted me to.“I heard the Alpha wants to start rebuilding the MoonBright pack again,” I heard someone say. I walked closer to the door, pressing my ear against it so I could hear properly.“Yes, I heard too,” another voice responded. “He should abandon that pack. The Luna is already useless enough; he shouldn’t waste resources somewhere with no progress.”There was a sound of agreement from the other person. My chest tightened, and anger surged through me, burning hot and deep. Taking a steadying breath, I pushed open the door
ASHVIN HARVEY’S POVI was back in the human world, the place I swore I would never return to. But these past few weeks have pushed me to the edge. If I didn’t find a way to release some of this tension, I might lose control.I waited in the back room, adjusting the outfit I had changed into. Every instinct screamed at me to walk away, to abandon this whole thing and pretend I had never returned back here. But I couldn’t.“What are you doing?” Zen’s voice echoed in my head, laced with judgment and irritation. He didn’t like this either, but I hadn’t let him talk me out of it.It had been a whole week, an entire week, since I had last seen Zahra-Rose. My mother had informed me that Zahra was training hard to become Luna, even though she was the first without a wolf. People were talking about her, disrespecting her. The first time I heard her name in the pack’s gossip, I punished those involved. Rank didn’t matter, I sent them to the farm to work, humbling them. But the more I punished
I don’t know how or where the rumor all started, but suddenly, I could hear the whispers, the hushed, cutting words people spoke about me throughout the pack.I tried to ignore it at first, convincing myself it was temporary. That it would pass. But I was wrong. The whispers grew louder, sharp and biting, and this time they didn’t bother hiding it anymore.I thought escaping to the restroom during training would help, but even there, they followed me, making it impossible to cut them off from the hurt I was feeling. “Can you believe that? What exactly is she going to do for us? Sure, she has a little strength, but it’s nothing compared to a wolf’s. Imagine her facing a strong opponent, she would be overthrown in seconds, and we would all be in danger.” One of them that followed me to the restroom said to the others. I clenched my jaw. I didn’t want the words to get to me. I’ve heard worse before. But the sting behind my eyes and the tightness in my throat told a different story.Th
“Are you sure about this?” Kai’s voice cut through the dark tension hanging between us. His golden eyes narrowed, suspicion curling in his tone.“Why, Kai?” I clapped a hand on his shoulder, letting my claws briefly press against his jacket. “We’ve been doing this for a very long time.”Kai’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, but you weren’t married the last time you pulled something like this. Remember what happened back then? You met her, and….”“It’s not like I’m meeting her there tonight.” My voice hardened. “She’ll be asleep, and I already told her I have things to handle. I need this, Kai, you know I don’t take orders from you.”Kai’s hands rose in surrender as he stepped back, his mouth twisting into a grimace. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”I didn’t answer. The truth was, I needed to get away. The weight of my pack, the battles, the constant tension, it was all suffocating. I couldn’t breathe beneath it anymore. I needed to clear my head, to find some shred of peace.But as I wa
For the next two days, Zahra-Rose stayed by my side, helping me in every way she could to speed up my recovery, which I appreciated. But the fact that my wound was healing so slowly made no sense. It should have started healing the moment the silver blade was pulled from my side, not lingering painfully for two days.After examining me, the pack physician delivered the answer I didn’t want to hear.“Wolfsbane was added to the silver metal used on you,” he said, his tone grim. I accepted his explanation with a tight nod and dismissed him.Now, I sit with Kai, trying to make sense of everything that happened that day, and how he knew about the plan they had in the arena. “What about what I asked of you?” I say as we finally find ourselves alone. Zahra-Rose has gone to retrieve something from my mother.Kai’s eyes held mine. “Let me show you.”I rise and follow him out the back of the house, heading toward the second house we rarely use. Hidden beneath it is a basement I had built years
ASHVIN HARVEY’S POV (THE FIGHT)A challenge for a fight?? it was laughable, especially coming from Kairo whose head cannot carry his body.Immediately he came out with that bullshit, I knew something was wrong. He had a plan, his father had a plan, and they were all out to get me.But he should have known that I was wiser and would never allow anyone to taunt me. And even if you taunt me, I will never be shaken, and yet he challenged me.“What will you do?” Kai asked me through the mind-link as we sat in the open field.My eyes moved to Zahra-Rose. I could see the fear in her eyes, the boldness she had speaking out, and I knew just for her sake, I needed to fight.“If you trust me enough, you will know he has no strength in him and that we have been blessed by the Moon Goddess,” Zen said, ever willing to show off.A smile rippled across my face as I looked at Kai.“Go and find out what he is planning, and be quick about it.”He left the arena, and within some minutes, as father and s
I have been restless all day. The entire pack was on edge, the tension in the air was thick enough to choke on. Maybe it was the lack of news, the heavy silence stretching too long. The fight should have been over by now, yet no word had reached us. The tension was eating me alive, and I was forgetting how to breathe.“This is all my fault,” I choked out, my voice breaking.Luna Verena held me, her arms steady and warm around my shaking form. She had been holding me like this since I got back to the packhouse, refusing to let me slip into the dark pit of my thoughts.“You mustn’t blame yourself, child,” she said softly, her hand smoothing over my hair. “Ashvin knows exactly what he’s doing. He wouldn’t have agreed to this challenge if he wasn’t sure of the outcome.”But I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t believe her.I should have stopped him from going to that pack. I should have convinced him not to engage with them, not to play into Kairo’s twisted games. And worst of all, I had let
Suddenly, his father, Alpha Deus, appeared from nowhere, the trail of Elders following behind him like dark wraiths.“Let us add a twist to this fight,” he announced, stepping to the edge of the arena. His gaze swept over the gathered wolves, predatory and sharp. He wasn’t just addressing the fighters, he was addressing everyone.What is the meaning of this? And what twist is he talking about now?I glanced at Ashvin, who sat there with his arms crossed, looking completely unbothered. A faint smile played on his lips as he watched Alpha Deus, who seemed far too pleased with himself.“And what is this twist?” someone called out when the Alpha let the silence drag too long.Deus’s gaze darkened, and his frown deepened as he spoke. His voice echoed with the weight of dominance, holding the attention of every wolf present.“We all know the concern of the two packs regarding the future of MoonBright. Their alpha left no heir, and it is foolish to allow the next leader to be chosen based on
ZAHRA-ROSE’S POVWhatever they have planned, I’m calling it bullshit.I’m sitting on a chair as some she-wolves apply makeup to my face. Ugh, makeup. I hated it so much.Whenever my sister, Haelyn, who’s obsessed with this stuff, would practice on my face or whatever the hell she claimed she was doing, it always itched. I would end up wiping it off before anything could come of it.But now I can't. Not unless I wanted to defy the future Alpha’s orders, which would cause a scene. And somehow, I knew I needed to obey whatever they were planning, without asking questions.I don’t know how I knew, but when I turned to look at Ashvin as he spoke with Kairo, I could hear the words in his eyes.“Don’t fight them. Don’t worry about anything, I’m always here.”His lips never moved, but I heard the words as clearly as if he had spoken them.Goddess, I’m clearly crazier than I care to admit.So, to keep him from worrying, I sit still as they paint my face, hating every swipe of the brush and eve