ROSE POV
The full moon hung low, a cold silver eye watching over Mooncrest, its light slicing through the canopy like a blade. Every step I took was calculated, measured. My heart beat in my chest like a war drum, its rhythm echoing in my ears as I moved through the shadows, careful not to disturb the dead leaves beneath my feet. The forest surrounding Mooncrest Pack had been my cage for ten long years, but tonight—tonight, I was going to escape. I had memorized the layout of Mooncrest Park like the back of my hand—where the guards patrolled, the gaps in their watch, the dead zones where I could slip by unnoticed. My body was a whisper of motion, my breaths shallow as I slithered through the underbrush, the cold air biting my skin. The walls of Mooncrest were miles behind me now, but the chill in my bones told me that I wasn’t out of danger yet. A twig snapped. I froze. My senses went on high alert, my wolf immediately alerting me to the danger. I could feel it, that presence in the air—heavy. Dark. A ripple of panic tore through my chest. No... I couldn’t get caught. I glanced over my shoulder. Nothing. Just the moonlight dancing on the trees. I exhaled slowly, just a little too soon. The presence shifted closer. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, my wolf instinctively growling, warning me that danger was near. And then, the voice. "Going somewhere, little wolf?" I didn’t need to turn around. His voice was too familiar, too dark. Alderon Kane. The Alpha. The monster. For ten years, I had avoided him like a plague. And now, standing just behind me, he was the last thing I ever wanted to face again. My pulse quickened, but I didn’t let it show. I couldn’t. He stood there—shirtless, his sculpted chest glistening with sweat, the glow of the full moon bathing his muscular body in an eerie, ethereal light. His skin shimmered with every breath he took, but it was his eyes that locked me in place. Those molten gold eyes that seemed to pierce through the night, and through me, like they could read through my soul. The anger. It instantly filled me. For ten years, I had suppressed it, ignored it, buried it beneath the hatred and fear that twisted my gut every time I thought of him. Waiting. Planning for the right moment. First, I had to escape, and my escape plan was going well until that moment. His presence was suffocating. It wrapped around me like a physical thing, pressing in, twisting in the pit of my stomach. His scent, dark and sharp, was like poison in my veins. It was so familiar, so wrong, that it made me want to scream. "You really thought you could run?" His voice was colder now, almost amused, as if this was all a game to him. But the anger, the disgust, burned inside me hotter than it ever had. I wouldn’t let him win. "You're mine," he added, his voice low, full of twisted ownership. I felt the heat of his fingers brushing the back of my neck before I even saw him move. It was slow, deliberate, as if he knew he could break me with the slightest touch. I wanted to kill him. The moon hung above us, a silent witness. My body trembled, not with fear, but with a sudden undeniable pull that ripped through me like a shard of glass. A feeling I had never felt before. The realization slammed into me like a freight train. we were mates. His scent burned my lungs, the force of it leaving me breathless and weak in the knees. His fingers grazed my cheek, sending a shockwave through my body. I wanted to push him away, to fight him. To never feel that pull again. But I couldn’t. The bond was too strong. Mate. The word burned through my mind like fire. I took a step back, trying to escape the suffocating grip of it, but it was useless. I could feel him everywhere, in my veins, in my heart. His. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought the tremor that threatened to overtake me. He couldn’t have me. not after what he did to my family, ending my father's life in the most brutal way, and turning my sister into a sex slave for his men. tears streamed down my cheeks, but I quickly wiped it off. But Alderon wasn't done either. He stepped forward, his towering presence making me feel small, insignificant. He was everything I hated and feared, and yet, the bond refused to let me completely turn away. "You’ll never escape me, little wolf." His words slid into my skin like a curse, his voice thick with something dark and possessive. I turned. I ran. But as I fled through the forest, my heart thundered with desperation, the bond remained, pulling, twisting. He was still there, still watching. I was his and even the ten years of harboured hate couldn't change that. I kept running, my legs aching with every step, my chest tightening as the full force of the bond clawed at my insides. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. All that mattered was getting away, putting distance between myself and the suffocating presence of Alderon Kane. But I couldn’t outrun him. I couldn't outrun the truth. My lungs burned, each breath a struggle, and my legs threatened to give way beneath me. The cold air bit into my skin, but it did nothing to ease the fire consuming me from within. It wasn’t just the fear or the pain—it was the bond. It was pulling me back, always tugging, always urging me to return to him. I gritted my teeth against it, but it was relentless. The world around me blurred as I stumbled, my vision swimming. Every tree seemed to blur into the next, the ground beneath my feet turning uneven and unpredictable. My body screamed in protest, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not until my knees gave out. Not until my body betrayed me completely. I collapsed onto the cold, hard forest floor, my hands scraping the earth as I tried to catch my breath. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat echoing in the silence. My body trembled uncontrollably, the strain of running for so long finally taking its toll. I didn’t know how long I lay there, struggling to regain some semblance of control. The darkness crept in, curling around me like a lover's embrace. My eyelids fluttered, and I fought to keep them open, but the weight of exhaustion was too much. Then, finally, the world went black.The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a silver glow over the quiet forest beyond the castle walls. I stood near the balcony, the cool breeze brushing against my skin, carrying the distant scent of pine and earth.Behind me, the door creaked open. Footsteps. A presence I knew too well.Alderon.I didn’t turn around, my fingers tightening around the edge of the stone railing. My heart pounded as he stopped a few feet away, silent. Waiting.Finally, I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. “I hated you for so long.”“I know,” Alderon said, his voice rough with something unreadable. Regret, maybe. Or something deeper.I turned to face him, the man I had once sworn to destroy. The man I had blamed for everything. The father of my child.And yet, standing here now, I saw him differently. Not the monster I had believed him to be. Not the villain I had painted in my mind. But a man who had suffered just as I had. A man who had carried burdens in silence, allowing me to hate him to pro
The fire in the hearth flickered, casting restless shadows across the stone walls. I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands resting over my stomach. But I felt nothing. No joy. No excitement. Only fear. Only anger.A baby.Alderon’s child.My fingers curled into fists over the fabric of my gown. I didn’t even realize I was crying until a soft knock echoed against the heavy door.Before I could answer, it creaked open, and Serena stepped inside.She smiled gently. “Hey.” Closing the door behind her, she walked toward me. “How do you feel?”I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “How do I feel?” My throat tightened as I looked up at her. “I feel terrible, obviously. I can’t believe I’m pregnant with Alderon’s child when all I want to do is kill him.”Serena’s smile faded. “Rose—”“I don’t know what to do,” I cut in, my voice raw. “I don’t want this.” A fresh wave of emotion rose as I pressed a hand to my stomach. “I don’t want his child.”Serena’s brows furrowed. “Rose—”“I despise him,” I h
A month had passed since Derek’s death, yet I was still trapped in the nightmare he left behind. I moved through the days like a ghost—silent, hollow, drifting through time without purpose.I barely spoke. I barely felt.Nothing mattered anymore.So when Eva came to fetch me for breakfast—sent by Alderon’s mother—I didn’t resist. There was no use. I let her dress me in soft silks, braid my hair, and dust my skin with perfume, like I was nothing more than a lifeless doll.I entered the dining hall without a word.Sunlight poured through the tall windows, casting a golden glow over the long wooden table. Plates of roasted meats, fresh fruit, and warm bread filled the air with an aroma that should have been inviting.But it wasn’t.Not to me.Serena sat beside Alderon’s mother, laughing softly. She looked content—at peace. As if she had already forgotten everything we had been through.I hadn’t.I never would.Sliding into my chair across from Alderon, I kept my head down. His golden eye
The door creaks open, and Eva steps in, balancing a tray in her hands. The scent of warm stew fills the air, but my stomach twists at the thought of eating.“Luna,” she murmurs, cautiously placing the tray on the small table beside the bed. “You have to eat.”I glare at her, my eyes red and swollen. My throat is raw from the silent sobs I refused to let escape. I don’t answer. I can’t.Eva hesitates, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress. Then, with a small sigh, she says, “I’m sorry for your loss.”The words unravel me.A sharp sob breaks past my lips, and before I can stop myself, the tears spill over, hot and relentless. I press my hands over my face, willing myself to stop, but it’s no use.Derek is gone.Dead.And it’s because of me.If he had never met me—never tried to help me—he would still be alive.Eva shifts awkwardly, watching me crumble. When she speaks again, her voice is steady, almost too firm.“My lady, if you ask me, he deserved to die. I hope he goes to he
Darkness.It coils around me, thick and suffocating.I don’t remember how I got here—back in Alderon’s chambers, locked away like some fragile, broken thing. The moment Derek’s head hit the ground, something inside me snapped.I fought.I clawed.I screamed.And still, he held me.Now, the room is silent except for my own ragged breathing. My hands tremble against my lap, my nails caked with dried blood—not mine. I don’t know whose, and I don’t care.The door creaks open.I don’t look up.Heavy footsteps approach, slow and deliberate. The scent of cedar and firewood fills the space, wrapping around me like chains.Alderon.My entire body tenses.He crouches before me, his presence overwhelming, his golden eyes scanning my face.I feel his fingers beneath my chin, tilting my face toward him. I refuse to meet his gaze.“You fought like a wild thing.” His voice is quiet, but there’s something dark lurking beneath it.I say nothing.“You tried to kill me.”I still don’t speak.His grip ti
A soft knock pulls me from sleep. I blink, my body heavy, my limbs sore. The space beside me is empty—Alderon is gone. Wrapping the blanket around my chest, I clear my throat. “Come in.” The door creaks open, and Eva steps inside, carrying fresh clothes. Her posture is relaxed, different from the first day we met, but there’s something unreadable in her gaze. She sets the clothes on the bed before walking toward the basin, pouring warm water into the tub. “The Alpha has asked me to prepare you,” she says gently. “There’s going to be an execution today, and he wants you to be there.” I freeze. An execution? My heart pounds against my ribs. A lump lodges itself in my throat. “Why?” My voice comes out hoarse. Eva lowers her gaze. “He didn’t say.” But I already know. Maybe this is a warning. A reminder of what happens to those who defy him. Maybe this is his way of showing me the consequences of running away again. I swallow hard, my fingers tightening around the blanket. “