Novels by EstherJ

Elena’s POVA few days had passed since the war happened, and since we didn’t really gather any destruction, it was quick and easy to clear things up and go back to our usual lives.The boy who helped us bring him down, our enemy, was also trying to gather his life back.Before going back to the pack, he and his sister wanted to speak to us one last time, so we gathered in the guest living room.“Thank you, your highnesses, for not going back on your word. Thank you for protecting us,” the sister said softly.I smiled. “You don’t have to thank us. You also played your part, and it is one of the reasons why we had so much success without losing too much. I just hope you guys are able to find peace in your new lives.”She gave a small smile. Although I could tell that she had a lot going on in her mind. Perhaps, she was still trying to get used to her new freedom.“Have you been able to gather any of your people so far?” Horace asked. “Yes, but just a few. After we sent the word out, s

Horace’s POVThe worst was now over, but it didn’t mean we could rest. We still had a lot to do.The doctors and nurses came in, carrying out the injured people one by one. The lifeless were also taken out, and although none of them were my men, I couldn’t help but feel a slight tightness in my chest.Most of those people were just unfortunate to have been tagged with the wrong person, and they paid for that with their lives.I sighed deeply, turning to my wife and taking her hand in mine. “It's over, Elena. We can finally breathe again.”She drew in a deep breath, staring at the scene in front of us. “Yes, it’s over. And it’s left our children with a bit more maturity than they had yesterday. One has had her first proper fight, and the other has crossed the line he can never come back from.”I nodded gently. “A line he must get used to because, clearly, whether he likes it or not, he must fight. Even when he tries to avoid it, bastards will come from nowhere with little to no reason

Elena’s POVAs soon as I heard the loud scream, I quickly turned my head towards where it had come from. It was Lila, but the scream had nothing to do with her. Instead, she was looking in a particular direction, so I turned my head towards it, and to my horror, the animal who started all of this had a dagger aimed directly at my son.“Ethan,” I shouted, my heart skipping so quickly for a few seconds. The man was so close, and I was sure that it was certainly going to hit him. But just like we all heard the scream, it seemed to have alerted him on time also, and before the man could pierce the top of his head, he jumped, using his claws to scratch against the man’s face fiercely. This disoriented him, causing the dagger to fall from his hand and his body to the ground.Just then, Horace ran towards my son, ready to help, only to see that the work had already been done.He paused in his steps, staring at Ethan with a surprised but proud look in his eyes.But that wasn’t the time to

Horace’s POVThe doors burst open, and sure enough, Elena was right with her sign. They were the ones— strange men dressed in sacks.However, to their horror, the smiles they had on their faces had wiped off the moment they walked in, as they weren’t expecting what we had prepared.Every single person in that room was a warrior. Even my young daughter, who decided to stay back for the fight against my wish, seemed ready for them. I made sure my best fighters were ready to take them on.With them was the boy who exposed their whole plans.Beside him was a girl who looked a bit like him… certainly had to be the sister he spoke about.They still hadn’t discovered that the boy had betrayed them, which was a good thing.The man let out a smirk, stepping closer to the middle.I mirrored his movement until we were a few meters apart.“Who the hell are you and what do you want?” I asked sternly.He paused, running his eyes over the scene in front of him. He was still in disbelief.“Alpha, w

Ethan’s POV“I was never witness to people from the beginning. I don’t even know who they are,” he said softly.All the bravado he had from the beginning had completely washed off, and all I saw was a little boy in distress, trying to protect whatever little peace he had left.This left me and my father more confused about the whole matter.“So how did you end up with them?” I asked gently.He gave a small, sad smile. “It all started one day when we noticed strange men around our pack. My father, being a global heart, decided to welcome them without suspecting anything. However, we never knew this act of kindness would lead to the destruction of our family and pack.”He paused, sobbing lightly.“One day, while we were having a small pack celebration for a milestone, a loud noise came out of nowhere, and before we could understand what was happening, we noticed this strange man attacking us from different angles. At first, even as a young child, I didn’t want to believe what was happen

Horace’s POV“Your highness, he’s coming towards you. He’s alone,” Dave voiced into the walkie-talkie.I moved forward, Ethan behind me as we prepared to block the boy. “So what are we going to do when we get him, Father?”“Well, for starters, we have to question him. Hopefully, he cracks and tells us what his people are planning. I really don’t want casualties. I want to downplay this war as much as I can.”We heard footsteps and quickly paused, hiding ourselves from view. We didn’t need to wait long because a moment later, a young boy walked past us, not knowing that we were right behind.“Don’t move,” I said, coming out of the shadows. Ethan quickly moved forward, blocking him in case he tried to run.The boy looked between us, shocked and terrified, but I could tell that he was trying to stand his ground.“Who… who are you? What do you want for me?”“I think that question is meant for you.”He squinted his brows. “What do you mean? I don’t want any trouble, okay. Just don’t bother

Tanya's POVThe east perimeter site looked different in the fading light. The old fence sagged in places, and the ground near the trees was already marked with fresh symbols, messier than the ones at the maintenance gate, like Ginna had rushed through them without caring who saw. We moved in quietly, the same formation as before. Liam and Seraphine took the flanks again. Elias stayed back with his tablet, calling out readings in a low voice. Max covered the rear, and Gideon walked right beside me in the center, his hand brushing mine every few steps.The tether still gave that occasional sharp pull on him. I felt it through the bond every time his breathing changed. But I stayed close, the way we’d been doing since the ridge. My presence helped loosen it. The research had been right all along: social bonds heal. I wasn’t just repeating the words anymore. I was using them.“These marks look worse than the last ones,” I said quietly as we reached the first cluster of symbols. “She’s not

Tanyas POVWe didn't go back to the dorms after fixing the maintenance gate. The team needed a break from all the attention on campus, so we headed to a clearing behind the old greenhouse. It was the one place on campus that still felt untouched by Ginnas stuff. It was quiet, leaves rustling and generators humming in the distance. I stayed close to Gideon, holding his hand, feeling our bond flowing steadily between us. Every time his tether pulled at him, I felt it too. I used the same thing that worked on the ridge: my presence, my wolf, and what we'd built. Our research wasn't theory anymore. It was why his breathing calmed down when I leaned into him.The others spread out in a circle when we got there. Liam and Seraphine checked their supplies while Elias set up his tablet on a rock, pulling up readings from the site we'd just left. Max stayed at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, eyes on the ground like he was still carrying the weight of what he'd told meI let go of Gideon

Tanya's POVWe made it back to the edge of campus after midnight. The maintenance gate site was cleared behind us. The air felt lighter now. What we found still weighed heavily on my mind. That torn page with my name and the crimson wolf sketch kept flashing in my head. Ginna is not just marking spots anymore. She is getting ready to use my bloodline as the piece of her ritual stays broken.Gideon walked beside me, his hand linked with mine. The tether still gives us trouble, making his steps hitch sometimes. Every time it happens, I stay close to him. My shoulder brushes his, and my fingers tighten around his. The bond between us responds, warm and steady, pushing back against the damage. I learned that social bonds can heal. Now I am living it.The team gathered in a spot behind the library. It is the spot Gideon and I used after I first got Max's folder. It feels right, private enough to talk without people overhearing. Liam and Seraphine stood together checking their ward supplies

Tanya's POVThe sun was low when we got to the maintenance gate site. The old chain-link fence looked really cool with the orange streaks from the sun. We walked in the tight group as before. Liam and Seraphine were on the sides Elias was behind us with his tablet. Max was at the back. Gideon walked with me in the middle. His hand touched mine every step. The tether was still pulling on him. When it happened, I stayed close and touched his arm. The bond between us felt warm and strong. It helped push against the damage.I said quietly, "This place feels different." The air felt heavy, like the markings were changing the space. I saw glowing lines on the ground. They looked like the ones in Max's photos. They were fresher.Gideon nodded. His eyes looked around in the shadows. "She's not hiding what she's doing anymore. That's new."We stopped near the gate. Liam held up his hand, so we waited. He and Seraphine checked the area. I turned to Gideon. I kept my voice low."How bad is the t

Tanya's POVThe team got to work away after our morning meeting. As soon as we left the dorm common room, Gideon kept his hand in mine while we walked across campus to the research wing. People were still talking about the "rogue incident," giving us eyed looks as we passed, but we didn't pay them any mind. We had work to do.Elias had pulled data overnight from the ridge fight, and he wanted to show us something in his lab. Liam and Seraphine came with us while Max said he'd catch up after checking in with campus security. Gideon refused to rest as the others had suggested. He stayed beside me the whole way, the bond between us humming steadily. Every step I felt it give another small tug on him, but I stayed close, feeding that steady warmth through the connection like we'd learned last night.When we got to Elias's lab, he already had three screens lit up with charts and energy readings. He didn't even look up when we walked in."Sit," he said, gesturing at the stools. "You need to

Tanyas POVI woke up to sunlight coming through the blinds in lines across my bed. My body hurt in places I hadn’t even realized were bruised from the fight on the ridge night.. I could feel Gideon’s presence in my chest like a warm and steady hum. It reminded me I wasn’t alone.Jess was already getting up quietly on her side of the room. She was pulling on a hoodie. Gina was still under her blankets with only a messy tuft of hair showing. I sat up slowly. Rubbed the sleep from my eyes.The events of the night came back to me in fragments. There was the clash with Ginna, the magic slamming into the ground between us, Gideon dropping to one knee while the tether tried to rip him. Then there was the walk back where we’d talked about breaking it for good.“Morning " Jess said softly when she saw I was awake. She kept her voice low so she wouldn’t wake Gina. "You got in late. Everything okay there?”I nodded and stretched the stiffness from my shoulders. "The ridge is secure. Ginna ran. W