Mother's FearNyra's POVThe walls of the council room shut down on me, strangling me in their quiet. I could not sit. I could not draw breath. Each second ticked away and brought my son closer to being outdoors with her, Selene.And Zaira. My own blood seethed with a fierce, useless ardor that convulsed my hands as I paced on the ancient stone floor, my footsteps echoing in the heavy quiet."He's out there," I said to them, again, because the hush, the quiet consideration of the others, was intolerable. My own voice broke under the pressure of a mother's fear. I could no longer keep it hidden. "Auren is out there with her. Each minute carries him further away from us. Each minute, she poisons his head against everything that we have built, everything we are."The old tapestries adorning the walls of the room seemed to mock me with their scenes of forgotten triumphs, of wolves that howled during the night under starry skies. Liberty. Safety. Things that my son no longer had because I
Rage of a MotherNyra's POVThe night should have ended in victory. The fire from the dinner hall still moved against the walls, shadows dancing like drunk ghosts, the quiet voices of shocked pack members still going on long after Selene's lies had been shown to everyone. My chest had been tight with the good feeling of winning, my mind ready to enjoy finally getting what we deserved.But that feeling lasted for only a second.One heartbeat where I felt better.Then everything fell apart.I remember the scream. It was not mine at first. Someone near the back of the hall yelled, "She is taking the boy!" And I turned slow, too slow just in time to see Selene's face twisted with hate, her fake belly thrown aside like old skin, her hand wrapped tight around Auren's small arm."No," my own scream broke out of me, rough, wanting so badly to help.Auren's eyes were wide, scared, like he could not understand what was happening. His little fingers reached for me, shaking, while Selene pulled h
The Fall of DeceitNyra’s POVEira was already behind her, her voice loud enough to cut through the growing noise of the crowd. Her words rang out clear and sharp."Funny thing," Eira said smoothly, though her eyes were cold as ice. "One of the maids mentioned you left your fake belly in the bathroom once. She said, you nearly passed out, thinking you had lost the baby."A silence fell so sharply that it hurt my ears. The kind of quiet that comes before a storm hits, heavy and choking. Every conversation stopped. Every glass was put down. Every eye turned to our table.I could hear the way my wad heart was beating so loud, but my face remained calm. This was the moment I had been waiting for, planning for, dreaming of.Selene's face went totally white. Her lips moved, but did not make any sound for a while before she finally talked. "That is a lie!" she screamed, her calm mask breaking in front of everyone like glass that was hit by a stone. The pretty face she had worn for months cra
Unmasking DeceptionNyra's POV The hall glowed with golden light. Chandeliers brightened everywhere. Every pack gathering had weight to it, but tonight felt like a play where the actors did not know their lines. Except me. My pulse was beating loudly, but my face remained calm. This was the night that everything fell apart.I had spent weeks getting ready for this moment. Every detail planned out, every person where they needed to be. The wait made my skin itch, but my breath was steady. Tonight, the truth will be out.I sat down right next to Draven, my hand was on his arm. His tension moved through the table like electricity. I could feel the heat coming out of him, the anger that had been building for months. Selene sat down like a queen in borrowed jewels, right across us. Her hands rested on her swollen belly, and she kept touching it like she was the perfect mother.Looking at her made my stomach turn. How long has she been playing this wild game? How many nights had she practi
Selene's Hidden SecretNyra’s POVI knew patience was the key, but when Eira came to me that evening with fire in her eyes, I realized our patience was about to be rewarded. She didn’t knock, didn’t wait for permission to enter, just slipped silently into my chamber as if she were a shadow given flesh. Lydia trailed behind her, both of them wearing the kind of expression that made my chest tighten with anticipation.Eira lowered her hood. “She slipped.”My heart hammered. “What do you mean?”“She’s not pregnant,” Eira said flatly. “The maid in her service confessed. Selene wears a false belly.”For a moment, the room seemed to tilt. The very air crackled with the weight of those words. I had braced myself for schemes, manipulations, even a false claim of lineage, but this? This was more damning than anything I could have imagined.“Are you certain?” My voice was low, controlled, but I could feel the pulse racing in my throat.“She complained about the straps being too tight today,” Ei
Selene's Hidden SecretNyra’s POVI knew patience was the key, but when Eira came to me that evening with fire in her eyes, I realized our patience was about to be rewarded. She didn’t knock, didn’t wait for permission to enter, just slipped silently into my chamber as if she were a shadow given flesh. Lydia trailed behind her, both of them wearing the kind of expression that made my chest tighten with anticipation.Eira lowered her hood. “She slipped.”My heart hammered. “What do you mean?”“She’s not pregnant,” Eira said flatly. “The maid in her service confessed. Selene wears a false belly.”For a moment, the room seemed to tilt. The very air crackled with the weight of those words. I had braced myself for schemes, manipulations, even a false claim of lineage, but this? This was more damning than anything I could have imagined.“Are you certain?” My voice was low, controlled, but I could feel the pulse racing in my throat.“She complained about the straps being too tight today,” Ei