Malia“I don’t understand,” I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why do I have to fix a problem that you created?”Jude arched a brow, unimpressed.“I did everything you asked,” I pressed on, desperation creeping into my tone. “I—I even…” I hesitated, my face burning as I forced the words out. “I even pleased Ronin.”Jude scoffed, shaking his head as if I were some foolish child. “Oh, Malia,” he mused, crossing his arms. “You weren’t just pleasing Ronin. You were pleasing yourself too.”The air in my lungs vanished.Heat rushed to my face as I dropped my gaze to the floor, my stomach twisting painfully.He knew.Of course, he knew.I could still feel Ronin’s hands on me, the way my body had melted under his touch, the way I had wanted it. Jude’s words cut deep, slicing straight to the ugly truth that I didn’t want to acknowledge.I had wanted Ronin’s touch.I had craved it.And that made me feel sick.Jude watched me for a moment, a smirk tugging at the corner of his l
MaliaI stormed through the hallways, my vision blurry with rage. My steps were heavy with anger, my body moving on instinct alone. I could barely see past the red haze clouding my mind. My fists clenched so tightly my nails bit into my palms. I hated Jude. I hated the way he controlled my life, the way he toyed with me like I was nothing but a pawn in his game.I hated myself more for letting him.I barely registered the blur of students around me as I stormed down the hallway, too lost in my own fury to care if anyone noticed the storm brewing beneath my skin. I didn't see the figure lurking nearby, didn’t hear the hurried footsteps approaching—until a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and yanked me into an empty classroom.Panic surged through me. My back hit the wall, my breath catching in my throat. Before I could react, the door slammed shut, and I found myself face-to-face with Nina.I blinked, momentarily disoriented. “What the hell—?”“Shh,” Nina hissed, pressing a finger to her
MaliaNina narrowed her eyes as she watched Corey walk away. “Why are you even here?” she called after him.Corey didn’t stop, but he did glance over his shoulder. “Business with Ronin.”Nina scoffed. “Shouldn’t Jamie be handling that?”Corey rolled his eyes and kept walking. “Read the room, Nina.”With that, he disappeared down the hall, leaving us standing there in silence.I turned to Nina, frowning. “Maybe he and Jamie had a fight?”Nina, still watching Corey’s retreating figure, shook her head. “Even if they did, the elders and council members decide who represents them in important matters. And let’s be real—between Corey and Jamie, they’d pick Jamie. He’s the more rational one.”She had a point. Jamie had always been the level-headed one, while Corey was more… unpredictable. If Corey was here instead of Jamie, it meant something was going on.But whatever it was, it wasn’t my problem.As the day dragged on, I tried to shake off my lingering thoughts about Asher’s note, Ronin, a
MaliaAmara stood frozen for a moment, disbelief clear on her face. Then, she let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You can’t be serious.”Jamie rubbed his face, exhaling sharply. “I wish I weren’t.”Amara narrowed her eyes at him. “So… what? You went through with it? You’re engaged?”Jamie’s shoulders tensed. “No. I haven’t decided yet.”“Oh, you haven’t decided?” Amara scoffed, shaking her head in disgust. “So it’s still on the table?”Jamie’s jaw clenched. “It’s complicated, Amara. You don’t understand—”“Then explain it to me.”He took a slow breath, trying to gather his words. “This isn’t about me. It’s about the pack. This—” He gestured vaguely toward the woman beside him. “This arrangement is what will keep our people safe from what’s coming.”Amara’s expression hardened. “What’s coming?”Jamie hesitated. “A war.”A chill ran down my spine. War.I could see the gears turning in Amara’s head, but she wasn’t buying it. “So you’re going to marry someone for the sake of a political alli
MaliaI stayed hidden, my back pressed tightly against the side of Amara’s house as I listened. My heart pounded so violently I could hear the rush of blood in my ears.Jamie was still talking, his voice firm and serious.“You don’t understand the full extent of what happened in Storm Pack,” he told Amara. “There’s a lot you don’t know.”Amara scoffed, her voice laced with frustration. “Then explain it to me, Jamie! Because so far, all I’m getting is that Jude is hunting me down, and you expect me to trust a bodyguard I’ve never met! None of this makes sense!”Jamie exhaled sharply, as if trying to gather his thoughts. “It will make sense,” he muttered. “Just listen.”There was a brief pause before he continued, his voice dropping lower, darker.“After we captured Malia, I was going to kill her,” he admitted bluntly. “I was ready to burn her when Corey stopped me.”Amara scoffed. “I know Jamie, I was there.”Jamie let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “Yeah, you're right. But what I'm say
Malia “I need you to start researching. I don’t know much about witches, but maybe there’s a way to find out what’s really happening. And if it's possible that she's not using Malia's body so we can kill her.” Amara let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You want me to figure that out?” “Yes,” Jamie said firmly. “I have to head back to Storm Pack. I have to keep an eye on that thing pretending to be Malia. But you… you need to stay here and stay alive.” Amara exhaled sharply. “I can do that. She doesn't have to stay here, Jamie. I can take care of myself.” There was a beat of silence before Amara spoke again, her voice sharper this time. “Also, before you go, what about Corey? What’s he doing here? Why is he in Lycone instead of you?” Jamie was quiet for a moment before answering. “It's because that witch has another task—to tear me and Corey apart.” “So I’ve been acting recklessly,” Jamie continued. “Pushing Corey away. Defying orders. Giving the council no choice but to send Co
MaliaI had to do something.My mind raced as I crouched in the shadows outside Amara’s house, heart pounding. I couldn’t just walk away—not when I had the perfect opportunity to warn Jamie before it was too late.But how?I couldn’t just march in there and expose myself. I’d worked too hard to stay hidden, and if I revealed anything too directly, Rayna might realize I was the one who sent the tip.No. I had to be smart about this.I needed to be anonymous.I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I typed out a message:"Do not trust the bodyguard."For a second, I hesitated. Would Jamie even take this seriously? He was stubborn—he wouldn’t believe something without proof.I added another line."The bodyguard is actually Rayna, impersonating her."I sent the message before I could overthink it.Inside, Amara and Jamie were still talking, but I could see Jamie go silent. His brows furrowed, and he reached into his pocket, checking his phone.I held my breath.Even from a
MaliaPain.That was the first thing I felt. A deep, pulsing ache behind my eyes, spreading through my skull like fire. My body felt heavy, like I had been hit by a truck, and every movement sent sharp stabs of pain through me.I let out a weak breath, forcing my eyes open.Everything around me was blurry, swimming in hazy colors and dim lighting. When I first opened my eyes, the world was a blur of dim lighting and sterile whiteness. Everything around me felt hazy, my vision swimming as I struggled to focus.I blinked several times, trying to focus. But I could almost tell that the ceiling above me was a dull off-white, lined with fluorescent panels that flickered faintly, casting a cold, clinical glow over the room. The walls seemed like they were painted in a washed-out gray, the kind that felt lifeless and impersonal, like this place wasn’t meant for comfort—only for function.Then, the scent hit me.That unmistakable, sterile hospital smell.A mixture of antiseptic, bleach, and
AsherThe sun began to rise.The golden light washed over the field like a mercy none of us deserved. It touched the broken, the bloodied, and the dead. Too many. Faces I’d known. Names I’d grown up with.The Reece mages dropped one by one, barely able to stand. Their magic was gone—sacrificed to stop one man.Rhedd clutched her stomach, pale and shaking, her magic burned out like a candle in wind.The wolves—those still standing—shifted back. Naked, bruised, and dazed. They looked at me like they didn’t know what to feel.And then I turned and saw him.Ronin.He was bloodied, bruised, still limping from what Jude had done to him. But his eyes were sharp. Watchful.He walked toward me, the others parting in his path.He stopped a few feet away, lifting his chin.“So,” he said, voice raw. “Now what?”I didn’t answer right away.“I know what you think of me,” he continued. “And I don’t blame you. But I pledged because it was the only way to win. That doesn’t mean I—” He hesitated, jaw c
AsherJude was just a man. Twisted, obsessed, and broken. A shell of the force that had terrified every wolf and Lycan under the moon. And I wasn’t sure killing him would be victory… or vengeance.Should I kill him? Is that the answer?Behind me, I heard Rhedd cry out, pulling me out of my thoughts.“Keep him still!” one of the Reece mages shouted.They circled Malia where she lay floating in the air and then slowly brought her to the ground. They were unraveling the last of the threads Jude had embedded inside her. Magic that pulsed and bucked like it didn’t want to let go.“He used her like a damn conduit,” Rhedd muttered. “If we don’t cut it clean—”“He’ll pull her soul out with it,” another finished.I didn’t take my eyes off Jude. His breath hitched. His gaze was unfocused, but when it landed on me, I saw something strange flicker behind his eyes.Fear.Not because he was about to die.But because he wasn’t in control anymore.“You think this fixes anything?” he rasped, coughing
AsherWhile everyone else was unable to move. Ronin had it worse. His bones cracked—loud enough that even the stunned silence couldn’t hide the sound. I watched him fall to his knees, coughing up blood. His spine jerked one way, then the other, like it was trying to twist him into something unrecognizable. Something wrong.“Damn you,” Ronin hissed through clenched teeth. “I’ll kill you… I swear, I’ll—”But Jude just smiled and raised two fingers. Another wave of agony surged through Ronin, folding his body like a puppet whose strings had snapped.No one moved.Corey. Jamie. Rhedd. Everyone stood frozen in place, either physically or emotionally. Shock. Despair. Fear.Except me. I didn’t flinch and unlike everyone else, I wasn't unable to move. I just stood still because… well… I was stunned by all that had happened. But for some reason, Jude's magic wasn't working on me.Jude turned to me slowly, his eyes glowing like coals.“You’re quiet,” he said. “But you always were a little slowe
AsherI felt it before I saw it.A deep hum tore through the battlefield like a pulse from the earth’s core. The ground cracked beneath us, vibrating with something ancient and wrong. My body stilled, instincts taking over. Every wolf on our side growled low, confused. Even Ronin, standing opposite me with blood on his hands and a twisted glare in his eyes, paused mid-strike.And then it happened.The earth opened up and Jude rose from it, Malia by his side.He wasn’t walking.He was floating—levitating above the dirt like he belonged to another realm. Malia hovered next to him, limp but breathing, her hair weightless in the still air. Streams of energy—magic—flowed from her into his hands like threads being woven. Her face looked drained, pale, as though the life was being siphoned out of her bit by bit.I froze.This couldn’t be real. I heard he was confined and starving in the same cell that I had been locked in. But he was here.And he wasn’t just alive—he was drawing magic from
AsherThe moon was full and heavy in the sky, throwing pale light over the open field ahead. My boots pressed into the soft earth as I looked over the line of soldiers behind me—my father’s secret elite, all in wolf form, silent and still. Every one of them had trained for this night, and still, we were outnumbered.Four packs stood against us—Sky, Storm, Range, and Lycone. Wolves I had once thought would always be loyal to me. Jamie and Corey - Brothers I had fought with. Now they stood across from me with their teeth bared and claws ready, all of them backing the one who took what was mine.Ronin.He stood on the ridge ahead of us, arms folded, his wolf just beneath the surface because he wouldn't turn. He didn't need to. He was a Lycan. Day or night didn't matter for Lycans to shift. He didn’t look tense. He looked smug, like he already believed this battle was over. I mean, with me being outnumbered, he was probably right.I exhaled through my nose. My heartbeat was steady. I did
MaliaI didn’t breathe.Not for a full minute after Ronin said those words.Asher Mendoza is alive.I stood there, frozen beneath the branches of the old silverwood tree. Just moments ago, I’d been smiling faintly at the way Ronin had grumbled about paperwork. Just hours ago, I’d kissed him without shame in front of his guards.And now, my world has split in half.He was alive.My Asher.The one I had mourned in silence. The one I had cursed the stars for taking too soon. The one whose name I had stopped speaking, not because I forgot—but because remembering hurt too much.I had let him go.And now he was back.Ronin didn’t look at me. His entire body was taut, rage pouring off of him in waves as he crumpled the letter in his fist.“He dares to ask me to step down,” he growled, pacing. “After everything I’ve done—after the unity I’ve forged? The peace I’ve built? He wants to come back from the dead and reclaim what he abandoned?”His eyes flicked toward me at last. And the moment he s
MaliaIt had been almost a year.A full cycle of moons since I stood before the altar in a dress that felt like a cage and pledged myself to a man I did not love. A year of silent dinners, of shared quarters and unshared sheets. A year of waking up beside someone who looked at me like I was a world he couldn’t touch.Ronin had not once tried.He had kissed my cheek in public, taken my hand at royal events, and always ensured I had a personal guard at my side. He gave me space. Respect. But not once had he laid a single finger on me—not without my permission.And that restraint… it had become unbearable.Tonight, the weight of it collapsed on me.I sat on the edge of our bed, staring at the hearth’s dying flames. My nightgown clung to my skin in the low firelight, and my chest ached with something I hadn’t let myself name in months.“Just accept it, Malia,” Rhedd had told me only hours ago, his voice quiet but final. “He’s not coming back. If Asher was alive, he would’ve come by now.”
AsherThe moon was high the night I met with Nina’s parents. I had to meet them since I now knew the truth. They were the only ones I could trust. We gathered in the ruins of the old Northern chapel, a place sacred enough to keep secrets buried but strong enough to host rebellion. I didn’t ask how they got in contact with me—they always had a way to do things discreetly. Nina’s father, Nathan, regarded me with the tired eyes of a man who had carried the truth for too long.“He told us this day would come,” he said. “Ian prepared. We kept his will safe. And we kept his soldiers even safer.”From the shadows, they stepped forward—silent, deadly, focused. Wolves in human skin. Elite. Trained in secret under Ian’s orders for the day I would reclaim the crown.I couldn't believe my eyes. How did Ian think of this? How was he able to predict that I may not get any support unless he provides one for me?I was relieved that I had been given a head start, but it wasn’t enough. Not for a war.
AsherMy thumb hovered over the next page for longer than I cared to admit. The leather binding creaked softly beneath my grip, like it too feared what lay ahead. But I couldn’t stop now. I needed to know it all—no matter how much it hurt and no matter how much I wanted to stop, I turned the page.‘Brooke and Renah began their affair not out of love, not truly—not at first. Brooke wanted affection. She wanted to be wanted. Renah… he was a convenient escape. They were discreet. Not for my sake. For hers. Always for hers. She didn't want to ruin her reputation.’I leaned back, jaw tightening.So it was true.I watched them once. They didn’t see me. Her smile was real. His was reverent. That was the moment I knew—Renah loved her more. Brooke? She simply needed to be adored.It painted such a different picture of my mother than the one I’d held growing up. She had always seemed powerful, poised, in control of every room she walked into. I never imagined her desperate. Or fragile. But with