Back at Alaric’s Pack.. Mira’s POV The two guards hoisted Silas’s corpse between them, the sheet sagging like a shroud. The room emptied, leaving only Alaric, Valerie, and me. Valerie’s sharp eyes bore into me, suspicion tightening her features. She knew something was up. Valerie may be cunning and deceptive but one thing was sure, she was smart. And it wouldn’t be long before she found out things weren’t adding up. Meanwhile, Alaric studied the frayed rope still dangling from the beam—Silas’s final act. His fingers traced the fibers, searching for answers I prayed he wouldn’t find. I had to leave before he asked questions I couldn’t answer. Bowing my head, I turned toward the door— “Mira." His voice cracked like a whip, freezing me mid-step. I didn’t breathe. “Is Thalia awake?" My throat tightened. This was it—the moment I’d dreaded. The moment my lies would unravel. Fingers twisting the fabric of my dress, I forced myself to face him but ke
Thalia’s POV: The room was quiet—too quiet. After the chaos, the cliff, and the unintentional crash landing into a literal royal carriage, the silence inside the guest chamber they’d placed me in felt... unnatural. It was the kind of quiet that clung like a held breath, like the castle itself was waiting for me to slip up. I was barely clean. My face scrubbed raw, my hair damp and slicked back. The princess’s maids had worked quickly and silently, leaving behind a simple pale blue gown with delicate silver embroidery. It clung just enough to reveal curves I’d rather not show. Pregnancy was a secret I had no intention of spilling. Not yet. A soft knock at the door made me flinch. My muscles were still coiled like a cornered animal, even if the space was safe. Safer. “Miss Thalia?” a soft voice called. “Her Highness requests your presence for dinner.” I hesitated for only a breath before standing, smoothing the fabric of the gown with shaking hands. “Coming,” I
Meanwhile, as chaos consumed Alaric’s pack, Thalia was still on the run. Her freedom hanging by a thread. ——- Thalia’s POV: I didn’t know how long I had been running. Time blurred when your lungs were on fire and your legs screamed with every step. Molly stirred again. “Left. Cut through the ferns and jump that fallen log. I swear if you slow down, I’m dragging your pregnant ass myself.” “I’m trying!” I hissed between breaths, wiping blood from a fresh scratch across my cheek. My cloak had snagged, then torn, and now flapped uselessly behind me like a wounded flag. I stumbled over a root and bit my lip to keep from crying out. No pain. No fear. Just keep running. The moonlight was fading behind thick clouds, and I prayed for it to stay hidden. I wondered if they had found out I had escaped. I hoped not. Even if they had found out, I hoped they’d stumble in the dark while trying to look for me—better yet, lose my scent entirely. If the goddess wouldn’t bless me, the
Alaric’s POV: A low, guttural growl slipped from my throat as I leaned in, my voice barely above a whisper. “Take me to his chambers.” The guards stiffened but obeyed, turning sharply to lead the way. Valerie kept her pace beside me, her fingers twitching at her sides. She was scared. And I couldn’t blame her—so was I, but an Alpha afraid is an alpha weakened and I’d be damned if I let them smell it on me. A guard couldn’t just hang himself without reason. The walk to Silas’ chambers stretched too long, each step weighed down by the storm of thoughts raging in my skull. A guard committing suicide. Thalia, unconscious, carrying a child that I thought was mine. Valerie’s impending coronation as Luna. It was all too much happening in just a short period of time. When we finally reached his door, the guards parted, their eyes averted. My shoes clicked against the stone floor as I stepped inside—and froze. Silas lay on the bed, draped in a white sheet. The ‘to
Author’s POV: The first streaks of dawn bled through the glass windows of Alaric's study, staining the room in crimson and gold. He stood before the cold fireplace, his broad shoulders tense, the muscles along his jaw twitching like a trapped nerve. His claws had left deep prints on his desk, the wood splintered where his fingers had curled into fists. He couldn’t get himself to sleep. Kept asking himself questions he had no answers to *Why would Thalia lie?* *Who else has she been sleeping with?* “What was she doing in the woods?” And just then—- A knock. Soft. Uninvited. Disrupting his thoughts. It was her. Valerie. She entered without waiting for permission, the silk of her dressing gown whispering against her thighs as she moved. In her hands, she carried a steaming cup of tea, the scent of chamomile and oak root, steaming in the air. "Darling," she murmured, her voice a velvet stroke against the silence. "You'll make yourself ill." Alaric didn
Thalia’s POV: The night air hit me like a slap. I stumbled out of Mira’s tent, my bare feet sinking it the damp earth. The cold air lashed my face, sharp with the scent of pine trees . I just stood there, trembling, my body still weak from my unconscious state. How long had I been unconscious for? The wolfsbane paste clung to my skin, masking my scent but for how long? “Move. Just Move.” Molly, my wolf, stirred in my mind. Her voice was sharp but I could sense the worry in them. I took a step, then another, my legs shaking like a newborn trying to walk. The pack was eerily quiet, the usual hum of night activity stifled, I wondered why. Torches were flickering in the distance, casting long, claw-like shadows across the dirt paths. And then— A low murmur of voices. I froze. Two guards rounded the corner, they were just a few feet away from the oak tree in front of the guard quarters. Their shadows broad against the firelight. I p