Emily's POV “That's okay.” I said, “You two can take a rest in the living room until the other Alphas arrive.”“But Alpha, Red Cross has only recently been exposed as a pack. Many Alphas may not be ready to accept it yet.”“Oh, they will.” I said. “It's only a matter of time.”“Yes Alpha.”Adam and Penelope walked away to the living room and I heaved a sigh of relief. It had been long since I last saw those two. It was good to see them.Not long after, the Alpha of Crystal pack came over. I greeted him and asked about his Luna. She was resting back home was his response. I let him join Adam and Penelope in the living room.By dusk, Alpha Dion of the Crestwind Pack had crossed our borders. He had once been an enemy, years ago. But I knew the enemy of my enemy might yet be the foundation of a shared future.And then… one by one, they came.Alpha Riva of the Moonclaw. Alpha Thorne of the Eastern Ridges. A rogue leader named Vasha, representing nearly a hundred unaligned werewolves. All
Emily’s POVThe room was spinning, or maybe it was just me. My legs barely carried me to the edge of the bed before I collapsed into its hold. Blood. The unmistakable warmth of it stained my thighs and soaked through my garments.I tried to breathe, to focus, but panic was rising like a tide I couldn’t stop.The door burst open just as the shadows started to close in again.“Emily!” Fayne’s voice was hoarse with urgency.Behind him stepped a healer—an older woman with a composed presence and knowing eyes. She moved fast, kneeling beside me without hesitation. Fayne hovered, his eyes darting between the blood on the sheets and the furrowed worry on the healer’s face.“Help her,” he growled low, his fists clenched.“I am,” the healer said gently, her hands already working. She pressed her palms over my lower stomach, a warm hum of power flowing into me.I felt the baby—alive. Faint, but there.“She’s still holding on,” the healer murmured. “The pregnancy is early, delicate. You must res
Emily's POV “I am its architect.” His voice sharpened. “I bled to carve this world and you—you ungrateful little thing—think you can reshape it just because you wear a crown?”I stepped forward, shoulders square despite the ache in my belly. “This pack is mine. And you’re just a bitter shadow crawling through the cracks.”His smile died.In one breath, he was before me. He struck.I barely blocked the blow, steel singing as I summoned my power—shadow and flame pulsing from my palms. Our magic collided, shattering the air with a boom that knocked down the throne room’s torches. I stumbled, catching myself against the wall as he advanced again.“You’re weak, Emily. You’ve always been,” He spat, raising a blackened blade—ancient and cursed.“No,” I growled, blood in my mouth. “You just never expected me to survive.”I launched my power again, this time from the core of me—fueled by rage, by memory, by the child I hadn’t even held yet. Fire burst across the room, smashing into him and se
Emily's POV Dawn broke over Galahad like a sigh of relief—gold light bleeding through the shattered remnants of war. The air still smelled of smoke and blood, and the ground outside the pack house was carved with claw marks, ash, and sorrow. We had survived.But we had not emerged unscathed.I stood before the remaining pack members in the central courtyard. Healers moved quietly among the injured. Warriors, some still bleeding, knelt beside the bodies of their fallen. I felt their eyes on me as I stepped forward—not as their Alpha, but as someone who bled alongside them.“We lost too many,” I began, my voice steady, though my heart throbbed behind each word. “But we are not broken. We are not done. Galahad still stands.”A low ripple of voices answered me, like the beginning of thunder.“Our enemies came into our walls,” I continued. “Not through strength. Not through skill. But through betrayal.”That silenced them.I looked at Fayne, who stood at the edge of the gathering with his
Emily's POV Later That Night – War RoomFayne was already there when I burst in. His face turned sharply toward me, sensing my fury before I spoke.“There’s a tunnel under my chambers,” I told him, holding up the dagger. “It’s how Lucien got in. I found this at the end of it.”Fayne took the blade gently from my hand, reading the name carved in the metal.“Matteo,” he clenched his teeth.“Yes. And if my brother’s been using it… it means someone in Galahad helped him.”Fayne’s face darkened. “Joren mentioned someone—someone higher up. They called him ‘The Watcher.’ Said they were orchestrating something from within.”My knees nearly buckled. The Watcher..My blood whispered with dread. I didn’t know who they were—but I would find out.Fayne stepped closer, his hand brushing mine. “We’re being gutted from the inside.”I nodded, throat tight.“They’ll regret underestimating me,” I said. “I’ll tear them from this pack one by one.”Even if it had to be carved from the bones of a broken pas
Emily's POVStanding by the window pane in my blue dress, I took out my right hand and snaked my fingers through the rays of moonlight that beamed into the room.For a moment there, my fingers stiffened. My nails got darker and elongated till my claws were fully jutted out.It wasn't a full moon that night, but I hadn't gained total control over my wolf-self.Fancied, — as though I hadn't seen my claws a million times — I swung my hand and cleaved at the window, leaving four slash marks on the glass. I had to hold back, so I wouldn't have to start clearing up broken shards of glass, again.Then I heard a voice, a familiar voice…“Ugh… Seriously, Emily, you have to stop doing that.”I retracted my claws and turned my gaze away from the window. Standing at the other side of the bed, with a hand on her tapered waist, was my best friend, Lyla Dune, a beta like me. She was much stronger though.“You know we just got that window, right? If you break this one, we'll miss the party,” she adde
Emily's POVA dream was what I thought it was. Scratch that. A nightmare would have been more suitable.But it was neither of them. It was real. Real!I could tell it was real because of the pain I felt when Lyla slapped me on the cheek. It pushed my head sideways and I hit my temple against the door’s glass. It hurt. My head spun.The next thing I could remember was seeing her crawl towards the back and open the door. But I still had my weight resting on it, so I fell immediately when it opened.I struck my body against the concrete floor of the car park. I could have sworn to hear a few bone cracks.Then the jeep roared to life and drove out of the car park, feeding me with dust and smoke from its exhaust pipe.I was left battered and bruised, both physically, emotionally, and psychologically. It was probably still a couple of minutes to six that morning because the sun was barely out. The surroundings were still dark and bleak.I heaved a relieved sigh that it was still early. It w
Emily's POVI woke up to find myself alone in the woods, on the night of a full moon.“Ugh…” I rubbed my glabella as my head throbbed in pain. It was as though my brain had switched places with my heart. My skull felt heavy.It was as I tried to lessen the pain that my nose twitched at the smell of a nice, savory scent. Still rubbing my glabella with two fingers, I dropped my head to see a small lunch box at my feet. It had a note stuck on it.I leaned forward as I reached for the lunch box with my free hand. I peeled off the note and brought it under my weary gaze.Even without looking at the footnote, I could instantly tell that it was from Tyler. His handwriting was unique.Reading the note in his voice, it said:“I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I had no choice. I thought you were dead.“I had to take you out of the house after you collapsed and passed out. My dad was visiting. There's food in the flask. Please eat that to replenish your strength.“And don't try to come ov
Emily's POV Later That Night – War RoomFayne was already there when I burst in. His face turned sharply toward me, sensing my fury before I spoke.“There’s a tunnel under my chambers,” I told him, holding up the dagger. “It’s how Lucien got in. I found this at the end of it.”Fayne took the blade gently from my hand, reading the name carved in the metal.“Matteo,” he clenched his teeth.“Yes. And if my brother’s been using it… it means someone in Galahad helped him.”Fayne’s face darkened. “Joren mentioned someone—someone higher up. They called him ‘The Watcher.’ Said they were orchestrating something from within.”My knees nearly buckled. The Watcher..My blood whispered with dread. I didn’t know who they were—but I would find out.Fayne stepped closer, his hand brushing mine. “We’re being gutted from the inside.”I nodded, throat tight.“They’ll regret underestimating me,” I said. “I’ll tear them from this pack one by one.”Even if it had to be carved from the bones of a broken pas
Emily's POV Dawn broke over Galahad like a sigh of relief—gold light bleeding through the shattered remnants of war. The air still smelled of smoke and blood, and the ground outside the pack house was carved with claw marks, ash, and sorrow. We had survived.But we had not emerged unscathed.I stood before the remaining pack members in the central courtyard. Healers moved quietly among the injured. Warriors, some still bleeding, knelt beside the bodies of their fallen. I felt their eyes on me as I stepped forward—not as their Alpha, but as someone who bled alongside them.“We lost too many,” I began, my voice steady, though my heart throbbed behind each word. “But we are not broken. We are not done. Galahad still stands.”A low ripple of voices answered me, like the beginning of thunder.“Our enemies came into our walls,” I continued. “Not through strength. Not through skill. But through betrayal.”That silenced them.I looked at Fayne, who stood at the edge of the gathering with his
Emily's POV “I am its architect.” His voice sharpened. “I bled to carve this world and you—you ungrateful little thing—think you can reshape it just because you wear a crown?”I stepped forward, shoulders square despite the ache in my belly. “This pack is mine. And you’re just a bitter shadow crawling through the cracks.”His smile died.In one breath, he was before me. He struck.I barely blocked the blow, steel singing as I summoned my power—shadow and flame pulsing from my palms. Our magic collided, shattering the air with a boom that knocked down the throne room’s torches. I stumbled, catching myself against the wall as he advanced again.“You’re weak, Emily. You’ve always been,” He spat, raising a blackened blade—ancient and cursed.“No,” I growled, blood in my mouth. “You just never expected me to survive.”I launched my power again, this time from the core of me—fueled by rage, by memory, by the child I hadn’t even held yet. Fire burst across the room, smashing into him and se
Emily’s POVThe room was spinning, or maybe it was just me. My legs barely carried me to the edge of the bed before I collapsed into its hold. Blood. The unmistakable warmth of it stained my thighs and soaked through my garments.I tried to breathe, to focus, but panic was rising like a tide I couldn’t stop.The door burst open just as the shadows started to close in again.“Emily!” Fayne’s voice was hoarse with urgency.Behind him stepped a healer—an older woman with a composed presence and knowing eyes. She moved fast, kneeling beside me without hesitation. Fayne hovered, his eyes darting between the blood on the sheets and the furrowed worry on the healer’s face.“Help her,” he growled low, his fists clenched.“I am,” the healer said gently, her hands already working. She pressed her palms over my lower stomach, a warm hum of power flowing into me.I felt the baby—alive. Faint, but there.“She’s still holding on,” the healer murmured. “The pregnancy is early, delicate. You must res
Emily's POV “That's okay.” I said, “You two can take a rest in the living room until the other Alphas arrive.”“But Alpha, Red Cross has only recently been exposed as a pack. Many Alphas may not be ready to accept it yet.”“Oh, they will.” I said. “It's only a matter of time.”“Yes Alpha.”Adam and Penelope walked away to the living room and I heaved a sigh of relief. It had been long since I last saw those two. It was good to see them.Not long after, the Alpha of Crystal pack came over. I greeted him and asked about his Luna. She was resting back home was his response. I let him join Adam and Penelope in the living room.By dusk, Alpha Dion of the Crestwind Pack had crossed our borders. He had once been an enemy, years ago. But I knew the enemy of my enemy might yet be the foundation of a shared future.And then… one by one, they came.Alpha Riva of the Moonclaw. Alpha Thorne of the Eastern Ridges. A rogue leader named Vasha, representing nearly a hundred unaligned werewolves. All
Emily's POV The sky was thick with ash. The scent of blood clung to the trees. The once-proud grounds of the Galahad pack house were now littered with broken timber, charred stone, and the wounded groans of warriors too stubborn to fall.I stood in the middle of it all, shoulders tight, dress torn and soaked in both my blood and theirs.Matteo had been dragged away. I’d spared his life—barely. Sent him back to my father with one message written across his chest in claw marks: **This land belongs to Emily. Come for it again, and bleed.**Now, silence ruled the ruins of the battlefield.Fayne walked beside me, quiet and steady, his presence grounding me like always. My hand rested on my stomach without thinking. The child growing inside me didn’t stir. But I was acutely aware of it. Every heartbeat of mine… was two now.“Let me take you inside,” Fayne said gently. “You’re hurt.”“I’m fine.” But I wasn’t. My body throbbed with bruises, and I hadn’t stopped trembling since the fight ende
Emily’s POVThe air cracked before dawn.I had barely finished reviewing the patrol routes when the first explosion hit—closer than it ever should have been. The ground trembled beneath the weight of chaos. I could feel it in my bones: the war had reached my doorstep.A guard burst into the war room, blood on his armor and fear in his eyes. “Alpha Emily! The Donovan forces… they’ve breached the second perimeter. They’re inside Galahad territory. Heading straight for the pack house.”I stood slowly, my heart slamming in my chest. “Sound the full alarm. Evacuate the pups and elders to the tunnels. Ready the fighters. No one retreats unless I command it.”As I stepped outside, the air was thick with smoke and magic—an unnatural tension. My wolves were already clashing with intruders in the woods, their howls echoing in my mind like a second heartbeat. But this… this wasn’t a raid.It was a full invasion.“Fayne!” I called out through our link, already sensing him cutting through enemies
Emily's POV Fayne helped me into my robe and placed a steadying hand on the small of my back as we followed Melissa down the hallway. The further we walked, the more tension built in my chest. I felt like every heartbeat echoed louder than the last, vibrating with the weight of what was coming.The war wasn’t knocking at our door—it was clawing at it.We reached the council chamber where two scouts stood, their cloaks dusted with dried leaves and their faces streaked with sweat. They straightened the moment I entered.“My Alpha,” one said, lowering his head. “We found signs of movement along the Donovan border. Not just soldiers—creatures. Twisted ones. Like hybrids.”My blood ran cold.“Hybrids?” Fayne echoed. “Explain.”“They smelled like us… but not. Their energy felt wrong. Tainted. Like they were made… not born.”I stepped forward. “Made? You’re saying Matteo is creating… corrupted wolves?”The scout nodded. “Yes. We think they’ve been experimenting. With dark magic.”My fingers
Emily's POV I tried to wave him away, but it was too late. He was already beside me in three long strides, crouching down, his arms reaching out.He stilled when he saw the blood. His eyes darkened with alarm, then narrowed in concentration. I could feel it—his senses opening, searching through the energies in the room, searching me.And then he stilled again, this time… in disbelief.“Emily,” he whispered, voice hushed. “Are you… are you pregnant?”I looked up slowly, lips parted in shock. He hadn’t even touched me, but he *knew*.My silence was answer enough.Fayne’s expression changed, softening with a mixture of awe and protectiveness. But the concern didn’t fade.“Why didn’t you tell me?”“I wasn’t sure,” I said weakly, my voice cracking. “I didn’t want to say anything until I could confirm it… until I knew it was real. And now—Fayne, I’m throwing up blood. Something’s wrong.”He immediately scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bed, his every movement cautious but urge