Rayne POVThe forest was totally silent as Kael and Mateo’s gazes clashed, tension crackling up in the air like lightning ready to strike already. My heart pounded, each beat echoing louder in the deep silence as I stood between them, torn apart by conflicting emotions."Rayne," Kael said, voice low and raw, his eyes pleading, with him looking totally geuine. “I know it looks bad. I never wanted you to be in danger. But you need to trust me. Please."Mateo scoffed, stepping forward with a fierce determination that almost made me want to take a step back away from me. "Trust you? After everything you caused her? You show up out of nowhere, claiming to protect her, and now rogues are hunting us because of you." He turned his gaze to me, softer yet filled with an urgency I hadn’t seen before in his look. "Rayne, please, see through his lies. I know you feel it too."I looked between them both, Kael with his steady gaze at me, Mateo with his desperate plea to leave the guy who accepte
Rayne POVThe night felt colder, the darkness around us thickening like an angry cloud over us. I tried to focus, to gather my thoughts, but the voice that had emerged from the trees held a power that stole every bit of warmth from the air.A man stepped forward from the shadows, tall and imposing, his smirk dangerous as his eyes gleamed with a dark thrill. He moved with a predator’s grace, calm and unbothered by our presence. And somehow, his confidence was the most unsettling thing of all things ever.“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice louder than I intended it to be. Beside me, Kael tensed, and I could feel Mateo shift subtly, both of them on high alert on who this new man was.The man’s smirk widened as his gaze flicked to each of us. “Ah, Rayne,” he murmured, his voice deep and smooth, yet carrying a hint of malice. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you. And I must say, meeting you in person… it’s even better than I imagined.”Kael stepped in front of me, his jaw clenched, his stan
Rayne POVThe moon hung low, casting its silver light over the forest as we made our way back to the packhouse. The night should have felt peaceful, with the distant hoots of owls and the rustle of leaves in the cool breeze, but it didn’t. Instead, every sound seemed sharper, every shadow darker. My skin prickled with unease, a tension I couldn’t just shake off. Kael walked beside me, his presence solid and protective. Yet tonight, something about him felt… off and totally different than usual. “Rayne,” Kael said, his voice softer than usual. “Are you alright?” he asked with same toneI glanced up at him, forcing a small smile to my pale looking face. “I’m fine. Just tired and weak.” His dark eyes studied me, the way they always did, like he was trying to see through my words to the truth underneath. “You’re stronger than you think of yourself,” he said after a short pause, his voice laced with an intensity that made my chest tighten up immediately. I wanted to believe those
[ Much ealier before I came out ]The forest seemed quieter than usual, almost unnaturally so, as I stepped out into the moonlight. The packhouse was suffocating tonight, filled with too many whispers and too many suspicious glances. I needed air, space to think about everything that was happening. [ Present time ]Kael had been acting… different lately. The protective way he looked at me felt sincere, but there were moments—fleeting moments—when I caught something else were hiding in his gaze. Was it a flicker of darkness, like a shadow too stubborn to stay hidden. I clenched my fists and inhaled deeply, the cool breeze brushing against my skin. Maybe Mateo’s paranoia was getting to me already. He had been relentless in his accusations, constantly watching Kael like he was waiting for him to slip up from those shell he hid himself.But was it really just Paranoia or he was seeing something I just couldn't see? I shook my head, trying to banish the thought and have a good time
Rayne POVThe packhouse was quiet, but it wasn’t the comforting silence I’d grown up with over the years there. It was the kind of silence that creeps in after a storm, thick and suffocating, as if the world is holding its breath. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kael and the other day. His eyes, the unnatural way the mist had responded to him, the subtle but undeniable shift in his demeanor. And Mateo’s words kept echoing in my mind like . “That wasn’t the Kael you think you know or you have taken as a mate.”I shook my head, trying to push the doubts away. Kael had saved me, protected me. Whatever Mateo thought he knew, it didn’t change what I’d seen with my own eyes or at least, what I wanted to believe. The dim light of my room flickered, drawing my attention. I frowned, staring at the bulb. It flickered again, then went out completely, plunging the room into darkness. My breath hitched at this point,my chest hitting hard. “Probably just the wiring,” I muttered to myself,
Rayne POVMateo’s words wouldn’t leave my mind. "He is the darkness". The words were strong, all my try to get pass these Word's were totally in vein.I stared at Kael as he leaned against the wall, catching his half lost breathe.His normally calm features were pale, his hands trembling slightly. He’d saved me again. But there was something off. Something undeniable. Something strange. “You okay?” Kael asked, his voice hoarse, cutting through my tangled thoughts. I nodded automatically to his words. “Are you?” I questioned.He offered a small smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah. That thing was stronger than I expected of it to be, but it’s gone now atleast.” Mateo scoffed from the corner of the room, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. “Gone? You don’t even know what you’re dealing with.” Kael’s head snapped toward him, his jaw tightening with something within. “And you do?” his words felt attacking.Mateo pushed off the wall and took a step closer, his
Rayne POV“Tell me what you’re hiding, Kael.” My voice broke the suffocating silence, trembling with desperation and hunger for the truth. He stood a few feet away, his shoulders tense, his jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grinding. He refused to meet my eyes, and his silence cut deeper than any sharp sword have seen. “Kael,” I said again, stepping closer to him. “I trusted you from the very first day. I defended you anytime I had the chance to do so. If there’s something I need to know...” “You wouldn’t understand any of this,” he interrupted, his voice low and bitter. I froze. “Try me.” He turned sharply, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. “You think this is simple, Rayne? You think I want to keep secrets away from my own mate? That I enjoy hiding pieces of myself?” “Then don’t!” I yelled. The words echoed into the forest around us. “If there’s something wrong, if there’s something dangerous about you, I deserve to know!
Rayne POVKael stood in my room, the moonlight cutting through the thick/heavy darkness, illuminating the sharp angles of his face. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his body spoke up for him.“What do you mean about the darkness’?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my attempt to keep it steady and totally on the low. He closed the door behind him, his eyes meeting mine with a rare look. “You’ve trusted me this far, Rayne. I need you to keep trusting me and make this relationship go far. What I’m about to say... it might be hard to hear.” I stepped back, my heart pounding so hard. “What are you hiding from me, Kael?” “I’m not who you think I am,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to deny them, to tell him he was wrong, but the doubt that had been gnawing at me since the attack was impossible to ignore. “Then who are you?” I demanded with a serious look. “Because right now, I don’t know what to be
Chapter Twelve: Shadows of the PastCrystal point of viewI barely slept that night, my mind racing with everything that had happened. Orin’s attack had left a scar—not just on my body but on my soul. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel the shard’s darkness lingering, a shadow waiting to consume me. It was a chilling reminder of how close I had come to losing control.As the first light of dawn filtered through the trees, I forced myself to get up. The pack was already stirring, preparing for the day ahead. I could hear the low murmur of voices, the shuffle of feet as they moved about the camp. They were watching me now, but it was different. There was a new tension in the air, a mix of respect and fear that hadn’t been there before.I walked outside, the cool morning breeze brushing against my skin. Dante, Ezra, and Ryan were already awake, talking quietly near the edge of the camp. They looked up as I approached, their expressions unreadable.“Morning,” I said, trying to sound
Chapter Eleven: AwakeningCrystal point of viewThe darkness was suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on me, pinning me to the ground, making me feel pressured. My mind and body struggled to fight through it, but it felt endless and meaningless—cold, empty, and filled with whispers I couldn’t understand. Somewhere, deep in the void, I could hear voices calling my name, but they were distant, muffled by the shadows swirling around me.Then, suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my chest, jolting me back to reality. My eyes flew open, and I gasped for air, my lungs burning as I choked on the cold night air. I was on the ground, lying in the clearing where the battle had taken place. Everything was a blur, but slowly, I began to focus. The pain in my chest was intense, and I instinctively reached for it, only to find the dark shard that Orin had stabbed me with still embedded there, pulsing with an unnatural energy.I tried to pull it out, but the moment I touched it, a searing pain s
Chapter Ten: Betrayal in the Shadows.The howl rang out, cutting through the night like a blade. My blood ran cold as I recognized it—Cole’s rallying cry.“Cole’s coming back,” Dante said, his voice low and dangerous as his wolf senses sharpened. His posture was tense, ready for battle.I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. My heart raced, not from fear but from the anticipation of what I knew was coming. Cole wasn’t going to accept my ascension quietly. He’d rally whoever he could and challenge me head-on. But what unnerved me wasn’t just his impending attack. It was that haunting howl, the unmistakable call for war.“Crystal, stay close to us,” Ryan said, his eyes scanning the treeline. Ezra stepped forward, positioning himself in front of me.“He’s not alone,” Dante muttered, his voice grim.I could feel the tension ripple through the pack as they all turned their attention to the trees. Shadows flickered, and suddenly, from the forest’s edge, Cole emerged, flanked by a do
Chapter Nine: A Queen’s CommandThe pack knelt before me, the tension hanging thick in the air. I could hardly believe it. Me? Their Queen?The words sounded foreign in my mind, yet the power still hummed beneath my skin, undeniable.Dante stepped closer, his voice low but firm. “Crystal, you need to speak. Show them who you are.”I swallowed hard, glancing at the wolves who had once mocked and banished me. Now, they were kneeling, their heads lowered in submission. My hands clenched at my sides, unsure of what to say, but Dante’s presence grounded me. This wasn’t about them anymore. This was about me stepping into what I was destined for.I took a deep breath. “Rise,” I commanded, my voice stronger than I expected.The pack hesitated, exchanging nervous glances before they obeyed. Slowly, they stood, keeping their heads low, refusing to meet my gaze. The weight of their submission pressed against me, but I wasn’t going to let it crush me.Cole, still on one knee, finally stood as wel
Chapter Eight: Bonds of BloodCrystal point of viewThe moment the wave of power exploded from me, everything around us seemed to freeze in the thin air. The harsh light from my energy bathed the forest in an eerie glow, and I could hear nothing but the faint crackle of power still coursing through me like a river flowing water. For the first time, the wolves hesitated. Their snarls were replaced with uncertainty, their eyes wide with something I hadn’t seen before or even gotten from them before;fear.They were scared of me already.Alpha Dante, Beta Ezra, and Gamma Ryan stood by my side, their eyes glowing with intensity and low Word's to me. Their whole presence was more than just comforting to me, it was empowering. Dante’s towering frame exuded dominance, his muscles rippling beneath his skin as he prepared for the next attack even if the opposing team isn't ready to do that. Ezra was sharp like sword, his eyes constantly scanning for any movement, calculating the next step
Chapter Seven: The ChaseCrystal point of viewThe night was alive with tension, every shadow stretching long and ominous under the cold moonlight. Alpha’s words echoed in my mind like a bell. "The pack won’t wait long before they strike again.”He was right about those words. There was no time to rest, no time to gather my thoughts together. The pack was out for blood, and I was their target and there pawn in there big game.“We have to leave now,” Alpha said, his voice low but firm and controlling. The other men were already moving, preparing for what was to come up next. “They’ll come in full force, and next time, they’ll be better prepared to fight for themselves.”I nodded, my heart still racing from the confrontation. My mind was spinning unstop, but my body felt much alive, buzzing with the energy I had only just started to understand. I was ready, more than ready than I had ever been. But the fear was still hanging in there, lurking under the surface. This power, this destin
Chapter Six: The First BattleCrystal POVThe howls grew louder, closer, as the pack approached to my standing position. My heart pounded, my grip tightening on the silver dagger. I stood beside Alpha and his brothers, their presence grounding me as the power inside me pulsed up at once, almost eager to be unleashed."Remember, Crystal," Alpha said quietly, his voice low and controlled, distracting me of my Concentration. "You don't need to fear your power. Let it flow. Let it guide you on what to do."I nodded, my breath shallow. It was easier said than done.I had never had power or a wolf, never been in control of anything since my first day on earth. How was I supposed to wield something so raw, so dangerous, when I didn’t even understand how it works.The courtyard was bathed in moonlight, casting eerie shadows on the stone walls on us. The main tension in the air was electric, thick with anticipation. My ears picked up the rustling of footsteps—lots of them—closing in fas
Chapter Five: The AwakeningCrystal POVThe weight of his words hung high in the air, suffocating and impossible to escape. Is still not possible that I was The Lycan Queen.Me, of all whole wolves in the pack.It didn’t make any sense to me. None of it made equal sense to me. I couldn’t be some legendary ruler of the pack that hated me. I was barely surviving in this pack, bullied, ignored, and forgotten.But the look in the man with gray eyes told me he wasn’t joking. He truly believed it. And worse, there was a part of me, deep, deep inside, that wondered if it might be true or just a mere Story.“No,” I whispered, shaking my head, backing away from him, slowly. “I can’t just be.”“You are, Crysta,” he said firmly, his voice unwavering. “It’s in your blood, in your bones,in your flesh. You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The pull, the power? It’s been waiting for you to wake up.”I backed up until I hit the stone wall behind of me. My heart was pounding, my mind spinning with an
Chapter Four: Questions Without AnswersCrystal POVThe threemen’s words haunted me for days. “Afraid of what you might become.” What was I supposed to become in a pack when I am low classed? How could I be someone or something that people would fear? It didn’t make any sense to my own hearing. I was totally nothing in this new pack. Just a nobody wolf that everyone either ignored or despised.But now? Now they looked at me with suspicion, that was totally unreadable. Even more than before. The confrontation in the hallway had been the tipping point. The pack knew something was going on between we four, even if they couldn’t quite figure it out by themselves. And neither couldn't.*****A few days had passed since the incident with Cole and his lackeys, but the tension within the pack was thicker than ever and the tension was there was also high. The whispers had intensified, rumors swirling around me like a dark storm of the day. It just felt as if, everyone was watching me,