LOGIN_Anya's POV_A short while later, we left the main residence and followed Elowen towards her home.I had expected her house to look something like Elara's cottage in the Silvercrest pack. However, Elowen's house was completely different.It was a large and beautiful building made of pale stone, with wide windows and a wooden entrance. A neat garden surrounded it and a small fountain stood near the front steps. There were flowers growing along the stone paths and several trees provided shade over the garden.It looked like the home of a wealthy member of the pack rather than the house of someone who spent her life studying ancient spells. I glanced at Elowen as we approached."I thought your house would look more like Seer Elara's cottage."She laughed. "What did you expect? A crooked little house filled with bubbling potions and strange objects?"I felt my cheeks warm. "Something like that.""Well, I am afraid you will be disappointed. I like comfortable furniture and large windows ju
_Anya's POV_The following morning, I woke up feeling slightly better than I had the previous day.For the first time in what seemed like forever, I had slept in a proper bed without being disturbed by nightmares or the sound of someone moving outside my door. The room Alpha Kaelen had given me was large and comfortable, with a wide window overlooking the forest. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, filling the room with a warm glow.For a few moments, I simply lay there, staring at the ceiling. I was still in the Eclipse Moon territory.The red mark beneath my collarbone was still there but I had not felt Jacob's presence in my mind. That alone was a relief."Perhaps we can finally breathe a little," Maya whispered."I hope so.""You should be happy that we are somewhere safe."I sat up slowly and pushed my hair away from my face. "I am happy that we escaped Jacob but I cannot forget that he is still searching for us.""We will find a way to break his magic. The Seer promised to h
_Anya's POV_He signalled to another warrior, who hurried along a narrow path leading deeper into the territory.I stepped out of the car and wrapped my jacket more tightly around myself. The cold air brushed against my face and I looked around at the armed warriors standing near us.Even though they had not threatened us, I could feel their suspicion. I could not blame them. We had arrived without warning and they had no reason to believe that we were harmless.Still, the sight of so many armed wolves made me uneasy."Are we really safe here?" I whispered to the Seer when she came to stand beside me.She looked at me with understanding. "I believe this is one of the safest places we could have chosen, Anya. But I will not promise you that nothing bad can happen. No place is completely free from danger."I appreciated her honesty, even though it was not the reassurance I had wanted.Before I could respond, the warriors shifted aside as a man approached from the path leading into the t
_Anya’s POV_I did not know how long I had been asleep when the movement of the car finally woke me.For a moment, I could not remember where I was. My eyes opened slowly and I stared at the unfamiliar trees passing outside the window. The darkness beyond the glass made it difficult to see anything clearly and the steady sound of the engine was the only thing that reminded me I was not alone. Then the memories returned.Jacob's mansion…the dark magic…my mother's spirit….and Leon.I turned my head slightly and found him sitting beside me. He was watching the road. His face was serious as the car moved along a narrow path surrounded by thick trees. He must have noticed that I was awake because he glanced towards me."Are you feeling better?" he asked quietly.I was about to tell him that I was fine but the words caught in my throat. I was tired, frightened, and confused, and pretending otherwise would not change anything."I'm all right."He nodded without asking more questions. I looke
_Anya's POV_I wanted to know how my mother had died, why her spirit was trapped and whether she had tried to find me.If she had been dead for so long, what had she been trying to tell me in my dreams?"Why was her spirit still in Jacob's mansion?" I finally asked and wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. "Why would she be there if she was dead?"The Seer took a slow breath before answering. "I do not know the full reason but I could feel that something was holding her there. She did not seem to be free to leave the mansion."My heart clenched. "Something was holding her there?""Yes. I sensed dark magic around the place where I saw her. I cannot say for certain that the magic was responsible for keeping her there but I believe the two may be connected."I stared at her in disbelief. "Can you free her?"The Seer looked troubled. "I cannot promise that yet. I would need to study the magic and understand what is binding her before I could attempt to break it. If I act without knowi
_Anya's POV_The road stretched endlessly before us. I sat beside the window, watching the forest pass by as the car carried us farther away from Silvercrest. I had no idea how long the journey would take and honestly, I did not care. All I wanted was to get away from Jacob and the horrible mansion where I had spent so many days living in fear.Yet even as we moved farther from him, I could not convince myself that I was safe.The red mark on my neck had stopped glowing. But I could still feel it beneath my skin. It was a constant reminder that Jacob had found a way to reach me, even when he was nowhere near me. I was terrified that he could take control of my body again without warning. What if I hurt someone? What if I hurt Leon? What if I became nothing more than a puppet while Jacob used my body to carry out his plans?I pressed my fingers against the mark. I was hoping that the faint ache would disappear but it remained."He cannot control you as easily now," Maya whispered insid
_Anya's POV_A soft knock woke me before sunrise.For a few seconds, I stayed under the blanket, confused and heavy with sleep. The room was still dark. Then the knock came again.“Anya,” Alpha Jacob’s voice said through the door. “Get up.”My heart gave a strange jump inside my chest.It was too e
_Leon’s POV_I drove through the night with my jaw locked so hard it hurt.The road blurred under the headlights but my mind was sharper than it had ever been. Every breath I took felt too hot. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles had turned white.Beside all of that rage
_Anya's POV_The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Mom Jess showed me earrings, necklaces and bracelets. She held them up against my skin and asked me which ones I liked best. I tried to answer her properly but my mind was still not there.Every time we passed a mirror, I looked into it careful
_Anya’s POV_I do not remember my parents. I do not remember where I was born or who carried me in her arms when I was a baby. The only story I know about myself is the story the Alpha told many years ago. He said that some guards on patrol had found me near the southern border of the Silvercrest p







