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
LIRA Roaming around Grimhowl always gave me a sense of peace. It was different from Valenwood—larger and more structured, yet still filled with warmth. The towering pines, the fresh scent of snow, and the laughter of pack members going about their daily routines made this place feel like home.As we walked through the heart of the pack, enjoying the cool breeze, something caught my eye. There, beneath a massive oak tree, stood my father and grandfather—Alpha Tobias and Alpha Thoren—along with three Valenwood warriors.And they were hammering away at a wooden structure nestled in the thick branches of the tree. I stopped in my tracks, blinking in surprise before letting out a laugh. "Are you seriously building a treehouse?"Tobias, my father, wiped his brow with the back of his hand before turning to me with a smirk."What? You think just because we’re Alphas, we can’t do a little carpentry?"Grandfather Thoren, standing beside him, chuckled. "I wanted to do something with my hand
LIRA The night air was crisp, carrying the distant howls of wolves through the trees. Stars glimmered above like scattered diamonds, casting a soft glow over the vast Grimhowl territory. Wrapped in a thick blanket, I sat on the balcony of our room, my thoughts tangled in the weight of what was to come.Three days.Three days until the full moon.Three days until my fate was sealed.I tightened the blanket around me, my chest heavy with the uncertainty of it all. Would I be strong enough? Would I truly become the Luna and Alpha I was meant to be? And what if the Dark Lord reached me before then?The door behind me creaked open, and I felt a familiar presence before he even spoke. “You’re thinking too much again.”Caius.I turned my head slightly as he stepped onto the balcony, draping a fur-lined cloak over my shoulders before settling beside me. His warmth, his scent—earthy pine mixed with something uniquely him—eased some of my tension.“How can I not?” I whispered. “Everything cha
CAIUSThe sky had just begun to lighten, soft golden hues bleeding into the dark horizon as the sun prepared to rise. Inside our room, warmth still lingered from the night before, the scent of Lira and our mating thick in the air.I turned to look at her, still asleep beside me, her breathing soft and even. Strands of her dark hair were splayed across the pillow, and her lips were slightly parted. She looked peaceful, unaware of the storm of thoughts running through my mind.I could feel it in my veins, in the way my muscles thrummed with unyielding energy. But there was something else—something I couldn't quite put my finger on. A lingering presence at the edge of my consciousness.Leaning down, I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She stirred slightly but remained asleep. Smirking, I quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to wake her, and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before making my way outside.The cold hit me instantly, a sharp contrast to the warmth inside the Alpha mansion,
CAIUSBy the time I returned to the Alpha mansion, the sun had already risen, casting long golden streaks across the snow-covered ground. The crisp morning air still carried the remnants of winter, but the approaching spring was evident in the way the frost slowly retreated beneath the sun’s growing warmth. Birds chirped faintly from the treetops, a soft melody that accompanied the gentle crunch of snow beneath my bare feet.My body hummed with leftover energy from the run. Fenrir was unusually silent now, as though he too was digesting what we had felt—what we had become. A part of me wanted to call it a blessing, the natural result of a completed bond. But deep down, a whisper in the back of my mind reminded me it was something more. Something not meant to be awakened.I ascended the grand staircase of the mansion, each step echoing through the still halls. The fourth floor was quiet, the soft light filtering through the tall windows casting shadows across the stone walls. My hand re
LIRA The sun barely kissed the horizon when I stepped onto the training grounds. The morning air carried the scent of damp earth and pine, mingling with the faint crackle of magic in the air. I stood across from Ivy, her green eyes sharp with focus. The young witch had been training with Morgana for years, and though she was still learning, her magic was already formidable. “Again,” Morgana instructed, her voice calm but firm. I took a deep breath, feeling the energy surge through my veins. Ever since my first shift, the power within me had grown stronger. It was no longer a whisper but a steady pulse, waiting to be wielded. Ivy raised her hands, a soft golden light forming between her fingertips. “Ready?” I nodded. “Go.” She flicked her wrist, sending a pulse of energy toward me. I barely had time to react before the blast hit my shield, a shimmering barrier that flickered in and out as I struggled to maintain control. Morgana hummed. “Better. But still unstable.” I clenche
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
THOREN Ysara’s words clung to the air like a spell. “Yes, I am a Bloodseer, and only few of us are left. I’m the only one in Enomenos. We are not simply part witch and part wolf—we are two complete souls living as one. One soul bound to the craft of magic, the other to the wildness of the wolf. Balanced. Powerful. But vulnerable to corruption. And once turned, a Bloodseer becomes the perfect servant of darkness.” Her voice held both strength and sorrow. For all her wisdom, there was weight behind every word—weight that had settled into her bones from carrying the burden of truth for far too long. Her gaze drifted across the room, landing briefly on Kora, then Ronan, and finally me. “That is why I remain hidden,” she continued. “I'd rather die righteous than live twisted. But these people…” she gestured subtly to the villagers gathered in the shadows, “they need me. So I walk a thin edge.”I swallowed hard, the scent of smoke and ancient herbs thick in the cavern air. The fir
THOREN The girl’s name was Elianna. A quiet strength pulsed in her steps as she led us deeper into the woods, through a narrow trail flanked by thick underbrush and twisting roots that reached like hands from the forest floor. The silence of the village had followed us, replaced now by the occasional crackle of twigs and the distant hoot of an owl, despite the sun still shining overhead. Ronan walked close, eyes scanning the shadows. Elias brought up the rear, her steps light but cautious, her hand never far from the hilt of her dagger. The rest of our warriors followed closely behind. Eventually, Elianna paused in front of a large outcropping of moss-covered stone. She placed her hand on its surface, whispering something in a tongue I didn’t recognize. The stone shimmered, then split down the center with a soft groan, revealing a narrow entrance, just large enough for one person at a time to slip through. "After you," she said, offering a small smile. Inside, the passage wa