Kristy POVI moved through the darkened forest with swift, silent steps, sticking to the shadows out of a long habit.Soon I would reach the hidden cave where Owen awaited me, another clandestine meeting to further plot Ella's downfall. "I'll make sure you meet your End." I smiled.My pulse quickened at the thought. After long days of preparation, all the tangled threads were finally weaving together.The time I had dreamed of was nearly at hand - a new era dawning, with Ella gone and my rightful place restored. With Aiden!I just had to remain focused and let destiny take its course. Patience and cunning were all that stood between me and everything I had ever desired. I would not fail now, when triumph was so close I could taste it.Up ahead, the faint flicker of firelight marked the cave's concealed entrance.Owen's hulking silhouette paced restlessly at the mouth, visibly relaxing when he caught my scent. Foolish brute. His transparent desire was nauseatingly easy to exploit."T
Ella's POV I paced the training ground restlessly, squinting against the setting sun.Another day gone without sign of attack from the Blood Moons. The waiting grated on everyone's nerves, keeping the pack jumping at shadows. But I welcomed the delay. It gave me more time to marshal our defenses and shore up vulnerabilities. If war was coming, we would be ready.A familiar flutter along the bond with Aiden sent strength flowing through me.He was drawing nearer every day, his unwavering support bolstering my resolve. "Hurry up Aide, we need you." I mumbled to myself.Together we would protect our people, no matter the blood spilled trying to tear us apart.Lea stirred anxiously within as I made another circuit of the walls. Patience, sister. The goddess will reveal her plan in due time. I sent the she-wolf a reassuring caress. Lea spoke truth - this stagnation tested me, but fate's course would unfold as intended. For now, we need only remain watchful.Dusk had nearly faded to nig
Kristy's POV The cell door clanged shut with iron finality, sealing me in dank darkness.I collapsed to my knees, sobs wracking my body. After endless scheming and sacrifice, to be caged like a beast...it was unbearable."You play well, Kris, but your acting fools no one here." Lena warned.I smiled grimly into the blackness, straightening up. My wolf was right - histrionics accomplished nothing now. I needed focus, not despairThe game was not yet over. Actually it's just started. And I need a new plan.Rising, I prowled the confines of my cell, seeking any weakness. But there was none - solid iron on all sides.I was well and truly trapped, at least physically. But Ella had underestimated my determination if she thought these walls could confine my mind and spirit."Little bitch, no wonder Owen warns about her powers." I smirked.Settling cross-legged on the filthy straw pallet, I regulated my breathing and sank into meditation. With all my powers of concentration, I sought to pier
EllaAfter her visit to Kris, I really thought she would come around. That she would accept fault and turn back to our side. But no. She was as hard and unbreakable as a rock. Saying I should just wait for my downfall. It hurt to hear her talk like that. I mean, just weeks ago we were best friends. Sis, I would've called her. We did each other's hair, shared secrets, and cried on each other's shoulders. And now we're worse than enemies. It's like she wants me dead."I don't get it," I said aloud to my inner wolf, Lea. "How could Kris turn on me so fast? Was our friendship all just an act to her?"Lea's warm presence brushed against my mind. "Oh Ella, do not torment yourself so," she said gently. "Something has poisoned Kristy's spirit. This is not truly her."I shook my head, fighting back frustrated tears as I walked quickly through the stone corridors. "No, Lea. You didn't see the look in her eyes. That coldness, that hate...this is who Kristy really is." My hands clenched into
Ella Pain wracked my body as another agonising contraction hit me. I groaned, gripping the sheets in white-knuckled fists. This labour was happening too fast - it must've been triggered early by the poisoned "medicine" I drank. Damn Kristy and her sick schemes!Lea stirred anxiously within me as I panted through the pain. "Breathe, Ella," she urged. "Focus on your strength."I tried to steady my harsh breathing. But it was so hard to think through the relentless waves of pain crashing over me.Sweat soaked my skin and matted my hair. I felt like I was being split open from the inside out. Where was Dalia? I needed the healers. But the castle was in chaos with the fighting - no one even knew I was in labour yet.The guard also left. And didn't return.Another contraction seized my body. It was like getting stabbed over and over. A scream ripped from my throat unbidden.Lea's presence wrapped around my mind, calm and comforting amidst the agony. "You're strong, sister. Our baby will
Owen's POV I walked swiftly through the chaotic castle corridors, weaving expertly through the crowds of soldiers rushing to battle stations. None paid me any mind - with my guard's uniform, I was invisible.My pulse quickened, anticipating what was to come. Everything was falling perfectly into place. I had been the one to deliver the poisoned "medicine" to Ella, disguised in a cloak. The look of trusting innocence on her face before she drank it had been supremely satisfying. Soon enough, she'll be in labour, and her disgusting brat will be born. We didn't want to deliver a pregnant Ella to Alpha River. No, we would let her give birth, kill the child, and then I would take her. A flawless plan.I slipped unseen into the dungeons, the air instantly chilling. At the end of the row of cells was my prize - Kristy.Her face appeared in the barred window, eyes sparking dangerously when she saw me. Like a she-wolf scenting prey. It sent a pleasurable tingle down my spine."The potion wo
Ella Pain throbbed through every fibre of my exhausted body as I slowly regained consciousness. I blinked in the dim space, trying to get my bearings. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was falling into an exhausted sleep after the battle, my newborn daughter nestled safely in my arms. Jay had sworn to stand guard over us as we rested.But as my vision adjusted, I realised with dawning horror that I was not in my chambers. Jay was nowhere to be seen.Then realisation draws on me.It wasn't Jay. It was that shapeshifter guy with Kristy.I was trapped in what looked like an old carriage trunk, my hands and feet bound. My heart dropped like a stone. No, no this couldn't be real!I thrashed against the ropes desperately, but only succeeded in scraping my already raw wrists. No matter how I struggled, I couldn't loosen the bonds.Sucking in deep breaths to calm myself, I reached for the mindlink I shared with Jay and Aiden, seeking their voices in the terrifying darkness."Jay! Aid
Ella's POV I drifted awake some time later to find myself still caged on the front of the wagon, which was rumbling along in the pitch blackness of night. Still in the middle of nowhere.My shoulder was an inferno of agony, the shaft still protruding grotesquely. But I had no tears left, just cold rage and grit determination.Ignoring the pain, I twisted around seeking anything that might aid my escape. But the iron bars were unbreakable, the padlock out of reach.Despair threatened to crush what little hope I had left. Even if I did manage to slip these bonds somehow, I was still drugged and gravely injured.How could I dream of outrunning full grown warriors like this?"Lea nudged my spirit gently. We will find a way, EL. Focus. They have not defeated you yet.""You're right," I answered tiredly. "Giving up was not an option. We would keep fighting however I could until my last breath. My daughter was depending on me."The rest of the gruelling journey passed in a miserable haze of