The moon was high, casting its pale light over the dense forest as the carriage rolled quietly through the winding path. Inside, Serena dozed lightly, her head resting against the velvet-lined wall. The journey had already stretched longer than expected, and the thick woods had a strange, calming rhythm that had lulled her into a half-sleep. But even in her rest, she felt the persistent hum of something foreign—something wrong.She shifted uncomfortably as the wheels bumped over a root. The sound of rustling leaves and the whisper of wind crept into her dreams, blending with the heavy stillness that surrounded them. Her wolf stirred within her, a quiet nudge at first, like a breeze brushing past her mind. Serena didn’t pay it much attention. She was still unused to the voice within, still uncertain whether it was instinct or imagination.“Something isn’t right,” the wolf warned her again, this time firmer. Serena blinked her eyes open. She leaned slightly forward, stretching her back
Serena folded the last of her dresses into the leather satchel, her fingers brushing over the delicate embroidery as she paused, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She was leaving. Not because she was running away this time, but because she was finally returning—willingly, wholeheartedly—to the man whose absence she felt in every breath. Her wolf, still new and unfamiliar in her mind, stirred with a strange energy. The beast wasn’t just content. It was excited.“Let’s go, Kiara,” she said as she slung the bag over her shoulder.“Are we heading to the palace?” Kiara asked, raising an eyebrow.“Not yet,” Serena replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. “I want to visit my family first. I need to see them before I leave.”Kiara nodded, understanding the sentiment. Together, they made their way through the familiar roads of Serena’s childhood village. The air was crisp with the scent of pine and burning wood, and the trees bowed gently under the weight of early frost. Her heart pounded fa
The wind howled like an angry spirit across the snowy northern border. The air carried the scent of pine and steel, mixed with the bitter bite of frost that never seemed to leave this land. Alexandro stood at the edge of the watchtower, his cloak wrapped tightly around his shoulders, his hands gripping the icy railing as his amber eyes surveyed the treacherous terrain beyond. The mountains loomed like silent sentinels in the distance, and beyond them—the shadow of Valerian's dominion.It had been weeks since he returned here.Weeks since he held Serena.And yet it felt like months. A lifetime.He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the cold bite into his skin, grounding him in the present. But his mind betrayed him, as it often did, pulling him back to memories that had become far too sacred. Serena's laughter as she watched the snow fall outside the palace window. The feel of her skin against his, the way her eyes softened whenever she smiled at him. The way her voice always sounde
The light outside was beginning to fade, casting a soft amber hue through the large windows of the palace’s west wing. The air felt heavy with unspoken words, and Serena’s heart beat a little faster when she was told her father had arrived. It had been months since she last saw him. Months since she had learned the truth about who—what—she really was. And now, finally, he had come.She walked through the marble corridor quietly, her fingers brushing against the stone walls as her thoughts raced. Her father had always been a steady presence in her life—stern but loving, silent but deeply protective. And yet, in the days after discovering she was a wolf, that same presence had felt distant, his silence louder than words. She had written to him, even tried to justify why he did what he did, but she couldn’t help the ache that grew inside her. He should’ve come sooner.Serena entered the meeting chamber. The door creaked open gently, and there he was—her father, standing tall, the weight
The moon hung high above the lake, swollen and silver, casting a reflection so clear upon the still water that it looked like a second sky. The air was quiet—reverent, as though the world itself was holding its breath. Serena stood barefoot on the frost-kissed grass, her cloak fluttering softly around her ankles. Beside her, Kiara waited patiently, arms folded, her eyes flicking between the moon and Serena. Tonight was not just a full moon. It was the night Serena had chosen to face what she’d been running from her whole life—the truth that had finally come knocking with a whisper in her blood and a fire in her bones.Clutched in Serena’s hand was the potion given by the shaman, its pale lavender contents swirling with a subtle shimmer. It had sat unopened for days, tucked inside her drawer like a secret she wasn’t ready to face. But the more time passed, the clearer it became: she could no longer run from who she was. The pull was getting stronger. Her wolf’s voice—once gentle and fa
The days after Alexandro’s departure felt strangely quiet. The palace halls echoed with stillness, even though there were always people walking through them. Serena filled her hours walking the gardens, reading in the vast library, or simply watching the snow fall from her balcony. But inside her, something restless stirred. Something waiting.It was Kiara who noticed it first.“You’re distracted,” Kiara said one evening, pouring herself a cup of hot spiced wine. “You keep staring into space like you’re listening for something.”Serena paused, looking up from her untouched tea. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like… a whisper inside my head. Faint, like the wind in the trees. But it’s not mine.”Kiara’s eyes sharpened with understanding. “It’s your wolf.”Serena blinked. “What?”“You’re finally hearing her,” Kiara said softly. “She’s always been there. But now that your transformation has begun, she’s reaching out to you. It starts like a whisper. Soon, she’ll be as much a part o