Lira stood at the edge of the training grounds, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, as shewatched the warriors spar. The icy wind of winter nipped at her skin, but it was nothingcompared to the tension that was coiling tighter and tighter inside her chest. She could feel thepressure, the expectation, and it had been growing stronger every day. Only a week remainedbefore her birthday, and with it, the moment she had both dreaded and anticipated her entirelife.Her first shift.And four days after that—the full moon.Lira’s fingers clenched into fists at her sides as she thought about it. It had been a constantworry in the back of her mind for as long as she could remember. There was so much she hadto prepare for. The full moon would be the moment when everything changed. She would stepinto the world as a fully realized wolf, something she’d been dreaming about for years, but alsosomething she was terrified of. What if she wasn’t ready? What if she failed? There was no way
Lira barely had a moment of peace before Kora barged into her room, her usual energetic self,arms crossed and dark curls bouncing with every step."LIRA!" Kora practically shouted, making Lira jolt in surprise. She blinked at the suddenintrusion, her heart racing for a moment before she realized it was just Kora being Kora."You are officially few days away from your birthday!" Kora’s voice was loud enough to shakethe walls, her eyes sparkling with mischief.Lira stared at her, still processing the words, a frown forming on her face. “Uh… yes?”Kora’s grin grew wider, and she threw herself onto Lira's bed dramatically, landing with a bouncethat made the entire mattress shift. "Do you realize what that means?"Lira gave her a blank look. "That I’ll shift for the first time?" she asked cautiously, unsure if thiswas leading to something she wasn’t ready for.Kora rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t pop out. "That too, but also…" Shesat up with exaggerated excitemen
Lira woke up to the softest kiss on her forehead. Her eyelids fluttered open, and sheimmediately felt the warmth of Caius beside her."Caius?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep, her mind still tangled in the hazy remnantsof dreams."Wake up, love," he whispered, his voice low and warm. "I have something planned for youtoday."Lira blinked, the sleepiness clinging to her like a blanket. "What...?" Her voice was slow,reluctant to shake off the drowsiness."You’ll see," Caius replied with a teasing smile that she could feel even though her eyes werestill half-closed.Later That Evening…Lira walked into the main hall, her steps slow as she took in the space around her. There wassomething off about the atmosphere. It was too quiet. Too still.Then, suddenly—"SURPRISE!"The doors swung open with a dramatic flourish, revealing a breathtaking sight. The entireballroom sparkled, glittering with gold and silver decorations that shimmered under the soft glowof fairy lights strun
The night air was crisp, the sky stretching vast and endless, illuminated by countless stars. Agentle breeze whispered through the towering pines surrounding Grimhowl’s training grounds,carrying with it the electric anticipation of the wolves gathered. Tonight was the night.Lira stood at the center of the clearing, barefoot on the frozen earth, feeling the energy pulsingaround her. The pack was silent, their collective presence a quiet yet steady supportsurrounding her like an invisible shield. Each breath she took seemed to magnify the moment,the weight of everything leading up to this night pressing down on her shoulders. But there wassomething else that grounded her, something more solid and real than anything else—Caius,standing beside her, his presence like an anchor. His steady gaze never wavered from her, andthe strength in his eyes made her heart hammer in her chest.“You’re ready,” he murmured softly, his golden eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that madeher pu
Lira had never felt this alive.She raced through the forest, the cool night air rushing past her, her paws barely making asound against the frozen ground. Each step was effortless, her body moving with a fluid gracethat felt almost otherworldly. Her senses were heightened beyond anything she could haveimagined—every smell, every sound, every shift in the wind was as clear to her as though itwere happening inside her own body.Beside her, Fenrir ran with equal speed and precision, his powerful form flowing through thetrees like a shadow. His dark fur contrasted beautifully with her radiant white coat, and hisgolden eyes glinted in the moonlight, watching her with an intensity that made her heart race."You’re incredible," his deep voice rumbled through the bond between them, the words vibratingthrough her as if they were spoken directly into her chest.She shot him a playful glance. "You’re just saying that because I’m your mate," she teased, hertail swishing behind her as she
Lira couldn’t sleep.The moonlight spilled softly through the curtains, silver beams washing across the room in gentle strokes, but nothing about the night felt peaceful. Her skin still tingled from the shift. Her wolf stirred restlessly beneath the surface, alert, alive.But that wasn’t the reason she was still awake.It was him.Caius lay beside her, too still, too silent. His breathing was even, but not the steady rhythm of sleep—no, this was control. Restraint.She turned toward him, and sure enough, his eyes opened to meet hers—golden and glowing faintly in the dark.“You’re thinking too much,” he murmured.“So are you.”A faint smirk curved his lips, but his gaze stayed serious. “What’s on your mind?”Lira hesitated, then whispered, “The bond feels… different now.”Caius nodded. “Because it is. Your wolf is awake now. She recognizes what’s hers.”A shiver danced down her spine.“What about you?” she asked.His smirk faded, the heat in his gaze deepening. “I’ve always recognized
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and freshly fallen snow. Lira stirred in the warm embrace of Caius, her body still humming with the aftermath of their night together. She had never felt so… whole. It was as if something deep within her had finally aligned, like a missing piece had clicked into place.As she stretched, she noticed how heightened her senses felt—every sound crisper, every scent sharper. Even the energy within her felt stronger, no longer something she had to strain to reach but something that now pulsed effortlessly beneath her skin.Caius stirred beside her, golden eyes meeting hers with a lazy smirk. “You feel it, don’t you?” he murmured, his voice husky from sleep.Lira nodded, pressing a hand to her chest. “It’s like my body has fully awakened. I feel… powerful.”Caius hummed, reaching out to brush his fingers along her arm. “I feel it too. My strength, my reflexes… everything is enhanced. Even Fenrir feels it.” He turned his gaze to the window
The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of snow as the sun shone over the training grounds. Despite the lingering winter chill, heat radiated from the gathered group as they stretched and prepared for another rigorous session.Lira adjusted her stance, rolling her shoulders as she faced Caius, Ronan, Elias, and—unexpectedly—Kora, who had decided to join the sparring.“I figured it was about time I learned how to properly fight,” Kora said, smirking as she tied her hair back. “I can’t let my best friend be the only badass around here.”Ronan, standing beside her with his arms crossed, scowled. “You don’t need to train, Kora.”Kora shot him a glare. “Oh, so I should just sit back and let you protect me while I do nothing? Yeah, not happening.”Elias chuckled. “You walked right into that one, Ronan.”Caius smirked. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”The session was intense. Lira sparred with Caius first, testing her speed and strength against his sheer power. The bond betw
CAUISThe walls of the packhouse felt smaller than I remembered.Every creak in the floorboards, every breath I took—it all sounded louder now without Fenrir’s presence muffling the world. Without him, my senses were mine alone. Just mine. But it didn’t feel like freedom. It felt like a void.Lira walked beside me, silent but steady, her hand wrapped around mine. She hadn't let go since the clearing. I didn’t realize how much I was leaning on her until we reached the edge of the war room and I stumbled slightly.She caught me, of course. Just like she always did.“I’m fine,” I muttered, more for myself than for her.“You don’t have to lie to me,” she said gently, guiding me into the chair beside the long table. “You’re allowed to break, Caius. Just… not alone.”I leaned back, resting my head against the chair. The same chair I used to sit in when planning patrol routes, border meetings, or war tactics. But now I felt like an impostor in my own command.“I used to feel him everywhere,”
CAUISTwo days.That’s how long I’ve been walking around with the weight of a war I can’t even fight properly. Since Morgana’s revelation—since Ysara’s talisman reacted to me—I’ve been carrying more than just the burden of being Alpha.I’ve been carrying him.Malakar.He’s been leaking into my mind, into my instincts, tainting my bond with Fenrir. I’ve heard whispers that don’t belong to me—urges that feel wrong in the marrow of my bones. At first, they were faint. But now… they pulse beneath my skin.I’ve kept it hidden. From everyone.But Morgana knew.She came this morning, not alone—but with Aldric at her side.I was in the clearing behind the packhouse—the only place where Morgana’s wards still muted the noise in my head. It was the only place I could think. Or at least try to. And Lira, my luna, had been by my side through it all.I heard Aldric’s boots before I saw him—solid, slow, and full of purpose. Morgana’s steps were quieter, but the magic she carried always announced her
MORGANAThe scent of rosemary and dried bloodroot clung to my robes as I pored over the fifth tome of the morning. My fingers trembled—not from age, but from urgency. It had been two days since we discovered the truth.Two days since I learned that Malakar had not merely touched Caius’ mind… but had laced himself into his very shadow.A tether. A slow poison.A curse older than most witches alive today.I hadn’t slept. The fire in my chamber barely flickered anymore, kept alive only by the pulse of my magic and the constant rustling of pages. On the table before me, scrolls lay scattered, ink smudged by my hurried notes. I’d summoned wind spirits for answers. Brewed insight draughts. Called on the ancestors through the Oracle’s Mirror.Nothing had given me what I needed.Because this was no ordinary corruption. Malakar wasn’t just feeding off Caius—he was waiting. Waiting for the right moment to seize full control.And that moment was drawing near.Caius hadn't said much in the last t
CAUISWe scoured the halls until our feet ached and our patience thinned.Every wall, every crack, every space in the packhouse was searched—twice. The talismans Ysara gave us were sensitive, humming lightly in our palms whenever they neared even the faintest trace of cursed energy. But for hours, they offered nothing but silence.Until Kora stopped dead in her tracks."Wait… the old stone hearth," she said, her voice sharp with realization. "The one in the original east wing kitchen. No one uses it anymore, but it's still there."The east wing. Of course.No one cooked there now. The kitchens had been rebuilt on the other side after the fire years ago. But the room remained accessible—used occasionally for storage, sometimes by pups playing hide-and-seek. A forgotten relic of our home’s past.And the perfect place to hide something no one was meant to find.We rushed to the hearth, the talismans growing heavier with each step.As soon as we crossed the threshold, the symbols on the t
MORGANA I didn't walk. I ran. The vision still echoed behind my eyes like lightning that refused to fade. I had no time to waste, no room for caution. I clutched the edge of my cloak and stormed through the halls of Grimhowl, the weight of destiny—and dread—pressing down on my shoulders like an avalanche ready to fall. Caius. Lira. They needed to know what I saw. The future was still uncertain, a thread split in two. One path led to fire, ruin, and death. The other—hope. But both required a choice. A sacrifice. A weapon. And time, we had little of that left. I reached the dining hall, heart thudding in my chest, relief washing over me as I spotted them all inside. Lira stood beside Caius, her hand resting gently on his. Tobias and Thoren sat nearby, deep in conversation with Seraphina and Dain. Deanna and Elowen were seated next to Ronan and Kora, who looked up the moment I entered. Elias stood at the far end, arms crossed, eyes alert. Even the Elders Council had g
MORGANA The moment I stepped out of the war room, scroll clutched tight to my chest, I felt the weight of centuries settle on my shoulders like a cloak spun from memory and magic. The Map of the Bloodseer. I had heard of it in whispers—in forgotten tomes and fragmented chants. A myth, they claimed. A tale told by seers too old to trust and too mad to be believed. But it was real. Right in my hands, pulsing faintly with the tangled threads of fate itself. This could be the turning point in the war. Or a trap we were too desperate to ignore. I moved quickly through Grimhowl’s stone halls, ducking into the small chamber I’d claimed as my study. Candles flared to life with a flick of my fingers. Runes on the walls shimmered, reacting to the old magic now saturating the space. I laid the map out carefully across the old table, heart pounding not with fear—but with urgency. Because this time, it was personal. My hands hovered over the parchment, and I whispered an incan
CAUIS I stood at the head of the hall, my hand resting lightly on the back of Lira’s chair, listening to Ronan speak. His voice echoed just enough to remind us all why we were really here. "Alright, as beautiful as all these long-lost family moments are,” Ronan began, flashing a small grin, “we didn’t come back just to cry and sniff each other’s hair.” A few chuckles rumbled through the hall—Kora rolled her eyes, Seraphina smirked into her cup, and even Tobias cracked a grin. But I could feel the shift in Ronan’s tone even before the humor faded from his face. “We come bearing news from the Village of Enomenos,” he said. Just like that, the air changed. I straightened. “Then we need to meet. We’ll keep this here brief and move to the war room.” “Thoren, Tobias, you and your daughters stay,” I added, catching my mate’s gaze and brushing my fingers across her hand. “You deserve the time to catch up.” “But unfortunately for Elias,” Ronan smirked over his should
ELIAS The warmth of the dining hall clashed with the tension humming beneath my skin. We’d only just returned—Thoren, Ronan, Kora, and I—bringing news from the nearby village. We hadn’t been gone long, but in war, every hour stretched thin. Every moment was weighted. And yet, in the middle of it all, I found myself rooted in place—not by dread, not by urgency—but by a scent. I froze near the entrance, my breath catching. It drifted through the air, cutting through the aromas of roasted meat, earth, and fire. This scent was different. Unmistakable. Fresh rain on wildflowers. Sweet… and wild. Mate. My head snapped toward the far end of the hall. And that’s when I saw her. She stood beside Dain, half-shielded by the curve of his arm. Her gaze was already on me. Wide-eyed. Curious. Like she felt it too. No—she knew. The world narrowed. Sounds dimmed. I took a step forward before I even realized I was moving. My heart thundered in my chest as I closed
SERAPHINA The warmth of familiar arms still lingered on my skin. I was wrapped in it—reunion, laughter, tears. The scent of my mother, the comforting cadence of Tobias’s voice, even Morgana’s sharp, dry wit—it all created a fragile kind of joy, stitched together by disbelief. I was home. Somehow. Even though the walls were different, the ground colder, and the people scarred by what had come before, I was here. After so long, I let myself breathe again. Because suddenly, something cold twisted in my gut. My father. The joy faded from my face like ash on the wind. I turned sharply, searching the faces around me—Tobias, Morgana, Dain. Dain. He stood near the fire, his arms crossed, face half-cast in shadow. “Dain,” I said, stepping forward. “Valenwood… what happened to it? Where’s my father? Is he still—” I couldn’t finish the question. My voice cracked, and the unspoken horrors hung between us like smoke. His jaw tightened, lips pressing into a thin l