MaliaMy body felt heavy.I could feel something thick and warm against my skin, soaking into my clothes, clinging to my arms, my hands.It smelled metallic.Blood.My eyes shot open.The room swayed for a moment as my vision adjusted, my head pounding like someone had taken a hammer to my skull. I was lying on the cold stone floor, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I tried to push myself up, but my limbs felt weak—like they weren’t entirely mine anymore.Something was wrong.I blinked, looking down at myself.Blood.It was everywhere.Splattered across my arms, my chest, my hands—seeping into the fabric of my clothes. The sight of it made my stomach lurch. I had no idea how long I had been out, but the blood was still warm. Fresh.Panic clawed at my throat as I tried to move, forcing my body to sit up. My hands trembled as I looked around. The dim light in the cell cast eerie shadows, but there was no mistaking the scene before me.Jude was still standing.Not dead. Not even injured
MaliaMy father groaned as he struggled to get to his feet, and my mother and I immediately rushed to help him. His weight was heavy against us, but we refused to let him fall.His face was pale, his breathing uneven, but he was alive. That was all that mattered.As we steadied him, I caught the look in both my parents’ eyes—the quiet, aching sadness that mirrored my own.We were all thinking the same thing.I didn’t ask for this life. None of us did. And yet, no matter how much we fought against it, no matter how much we tried to escape… we kept getting pulled back in.My father’s hand reached for mine, and I was startled by the warmth of it, the way his calloused fingers curled over mine with an unfamiliar gentleness."Malia," he said, his voice softer than I had ever heard it.I turned to him, and for the first time in my life, he wasn’t looking at me with reserved distance or quiet observation—he was looking at me with sorrow. With regret."I know," he began, hesitating for a seco
Malia“Malia, have you eaten?” My mom asked, giving me a concerned look. I was about to scoff and say yes out of habit—but then I paused.Have I eaten?I frowned, trying to recall the last time I put something in my mouth.And then it hit me.I hadn’t eaten anything since I first left Jude’s prison.Everything had been such a whirlwind—escaping, being hunted, waiting for Jamie’s decision, preparing for my own death, being thrown back into Jude’s hands—that I never even noticed the hunger gnawing at my stomach.No wonder I felt lightheaded. My mother sighed as if she already knew my answer."Malia," she said, shaking her head. "You have to take care of yourself."She turned to my father. "Take her to her room. I’ll make something for her to eat."My father nodded, then gently guided me toward the exit of the cell.I didn’t resist.Even if I had wanted to, my body was exhausted. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving me drained in ways I had never felt before.I expected him to take me th
JamieI wasn’t sure why I was heading to Malia’s room.I told myself it was just to check on her—to see if she was settling in, if she needed anything, if she was okay after everything—but deep down, I knew that wasn’t the only reason.After everything that had happened, after she nearly died, after I nearly had to kill her myself, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I'd apologize to her for what I'd done.It was annoying.I didn’t know how to apologise. I suck at it — yet I owed her an apology.But here I was, standing outside her door, debating whether to knock or just walk in.I sighed, running a hand through my hair.This was dumb. I should just ask Amara for help or—And then I heard it.A sound.A moan.I froze.My brain short-circuited for a second, trying to process what I had just heard.Another moan followed… A breathy, pleased moan.I blinked.Was Malia… satisfying herself?My face immediately heated.Shit.Shit.This was not what I expected to walk into.I took a step back,
JamieI took Amara’s hands in mine, my fingers curling around hers as if I could physically keep her from slipping away once I said what needed to be said.“I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while,” I started, voice low, uncertain. “But I never gave you a real reason for our breakup. Other than… the council, my dad—” I hesitated before correcting myself. “My late father—and the others refusing to accept our relationship.”Amara’s eyes searched mine, waiting, listening. “Yeah,” she said softly. “And it never made sense to me.”I nodded, heart hammering in my chest.She squeezed my hands reassuringly. “But I want to know. I’m glad you’re finally telling me.”I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, willing my voice to work—to just say it.But the words wouldn’t come.The truth was a boulder sitting on my tongue, impossible to move.Amara tilted her head. “Jamie, you can speak freely. We’re back together now, so whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”My body betrayed me before my voice
JamieI stood there, staring at the empty space where Amara had just been, my mind still reeling.That wasn’t how I wanted things to go.I didn’t want to hurt her. I didn’t want to push her away.I just wanted her to understand.But instead, I’d finally destroyed everything.I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a frustrated sigh—only for my mood to plummet even further when I heard a door open behind me.Malia’s door.I turned just in time to see him stepping out, his arm slung around Malia’s waist, his hand resting low on her back. Malia leaned into him, laughing at something he’d said, her fingers brushing against his chest.My jaw tightened.Are you kidding me?Corey had just come back to life—literally—and the first thing he did was latch onto Malia? The same woman who was the reason he died in the first place? And he had the nerve to do this now, right after I’d just had the worst conversation of my life?I felt something snap inside me.“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mut
JamieThe room had already been tense, but after Aieran’s words, it turned downright suffocating. A heavy, thick silence settled, punctuated only by the shallow breaths of the council members. I crossed my arms, the leather of my jacket creaking softly, and took a deliberate step forward, exhaling through my nose. “Then do it,” I said flatly, the words sharp and clipped. “Proceed with finding the woman.”Corey’s head snapped toward me, a predator’s swift, violent movement. His entire body stiffened, a taut wire of contained fury, his golden eyes narrowing in disbelief, the irises flickering with a dangerous light. “We will do no such thing,” he growled, the words low and guttural, a warning rumble.The other council members shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances that spoke of unease and unspoken fears. The air crackled with unspoken tension, the weight of their unspoken opinions pressing down on us like a physical burden. But it was Aieran who spoke first, his voice cutting through
JamieMy stomach twisted, the knot of dread tightening. “Left?” I echoed, my voice sharper than I intended, the word laced with a growing sense of panic. “What are you talking about?”Aieran’s expression shifted from surprise to confusion, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You came to see me earlier,” he said slowly, his voice laced with a hint of bewilderment. “Dressed in a suit and glasses. You told me you needed the special Storm combat crew to accompany you to Lycone in case the meeting with Ronin was a trap.”The air in my lungs turned to ice, a sudden, chilling realization washing over me.It wasn’t me.It was Corey.He impersonated me and took the special combat crew with him!I clenched my fists, the knuckles turning white, as realization hit me like a freight train. Corey had betrayed me. The implications of his actions were staggering, a devastating blow.And if he was taking warriors to Lycone without me…Then this wasn’t just about proving a point. This wasn’t some childish ac
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