LOGINDarius’s POVThe fire crackled in the hearth of my private study, casting long shadows across the walls lined with maps of the seven realms.I leaned back in my chair, a glass of aged wine in hand, savoring the burn as it slid down my throat. Reports had been arriving all day. The plague was spreading beautifully — faster than even I had anticipated. Vesper’s pack was in chaos. Lancelot’s territory was on the verge of collapse. Whispers were turning into open accusations.And every trail led back to Lucian Blackthorn.This brought a smile on my face.Perfect.I had plotted this with Alpha Vesper weeks ago, during one of our secret meetings far from prying eyes. He wanted power. I wanted Elara and the satisfaction of watching the cursed king fall. Our goals aligned nicely. I supplied the Canus — a rare, forbidden herb known to destroy immune systems in werewolves and other creatures alike. Vesper’s healers mixed it into the medicinal herbs being distributed to the affected packs. Simpl
Lucian’s POVI stood at the tall window of my study, staring out at the horizon without really seeing it. The silence was deafening.My thoughts were consumed by Elara. The way her white hair had glowed under the moonlight before she left. The softness in her eyes when she looked at me. The way she had kissed me like she was memorizing the feel of my lips. Dusk had fallen hours ago. I hadn’t even noticed the sun dip below the mountains, painting the sky in deep purples and golds. Time slipped away when I thought of her.A sharp, vicious pain twisted in my gut.The curse.It hit like claws raking through my veins — sudden, ferocious, unrelenting. My vision blurred. It seized my muscles seized forcing me to glance up at the sky. The full moon hung low and merciless, round and bloated like a predator’s eye watching its prey.Full moon.I had forgotten what it truly felt like, had stopped keeping track of the full moon days. Elara’s presence had dulled the curse, made it bearable, almost
Elara's POVThe atmosphere in the hall shifted the moment the words left the healer's mouth.One second, they were looking at me like I was something holy. The next, like I was something dangerous. The reverence that had filled the room when I healed the little girl curdled into something else entirely. Whispers started at the back and spread forward like fire through dry grass."They say the herbs came from the Lycan King.""Was this whole thing a trick from Blackthorn?"I stood frozen in the middle of the hall. My white hair still glowed softly. My hands still tingled from the healing. I didn't know what to say. How could I defend Lucian when the evidence was right there in the herbs? I had no answers myself. The healer with the gray braid was still holding the bundle of dried plants, her eyes narrowed, waiting for me to explain something I didn't understand.I opened my mouth. Closed it."Former Beta Damien...!" Someone called out from outside.Two men carrying an older man between
Elara’s POVThe little girl’s hand felt so small and fragile in mine.Her skin was burning with fever, dark lesions spreading across her arms and neck. Her breathing was shallow, each inhale a struggle. Her mother knelt beside us, tears streaming down her face, whispering desperate prayers.I didn’t think. I didn’t plan. The power inside me simply rose, warm and certain, like it had been waiting for this exact moment.I closed my eyes and let it flow.White light bloomed from my palm, soft and radiant, spreading gently over the girl’s body. It wasn’t forceful or dramatic — it felt natural, like breathing. The light sank into her skin, chasing away the darkness of the lesions. The fever broke almost instantly. Her breathing deepened and steadied. Color slowly returned to her pale cheeks.It was effortless.Like I had done this a thousand times before.When I opened my eyes, the little girl was looking up at me with clear, wonder-filled eyes. The lesions were gone. The fever had vanishe
Elara’s POVDawn came with bad tidings. I was already packed and preparing to leave when the news came. The plague had grown resistant to Gaius' temporarily remedy.It had spread faster than anyone expected and had now reached two more packs — including Alpha Vesper’s territory. Reports spoke of entire families falling ill overnight, high fevers, dark lesions on the skin, and rapid death. The death toll was rising quickly.I had to go. Immediately.But first, there was one small thing I needed to fix.Kylan stood in the courtyard with his arms crossed, still sporting the long, fluffy white rabbit ears I had accidentally given him. They twitched every time he moved his head, and he kept glaring at them like they had personally offended him.Gwen stood beside him, looking amused but also a little concerned. “I could reverse it,” he offered, “but undoing a White Witch’s spell would drain me significantly. I need my strength for the journey.”I stepped forward. “I’ll do it.”Kylan raised
Elara’s POVThe next few days blurred into a rhythm of relentless training.I threw myself into it completely. From dawn until the stars came out, I worked with Gwen in the meadow or the training grounds. The power no longer felt like a locked door, it felt like a wild river that I was slowly learning to direct. I learned to shield my mind first. At the beginning, every stray thought from servants, guards, and even birds overhead crashed into me like waves. Now, I could block them out and choose whose thoughts I wanted to hear. It was exhausting, but empowering.Spells came easier too. The light orb no longer flickered and died. Shields held strong, everything just felt right. Gwen was impressed, though he never stopped pushing me. I didn't blame him, I needed to be stronger for the sake of the diseased people. I could only rid them of this plague if I was stronger.“You’re progressing faster than anyone I’ve ever trained,” he told me one evening, wiping sweat from his brow. “But powe
Lucian’s POVI burst into Elara’s chambers without knocking, the door banging against the wall hard enough to rattle the hinges.The royal physician was already there, bent over the bed, pressing a cool cloth to her forehead. Elara lay under the covers, cheeks flushed, skin glistening with sweat. S
Elara’s POVThe cage bars dug into my back as I pressed myself against them. The metal was cold and rough, smelling of rust and something sour that made my stomach turn. I wrapped my arms around my knees and tried to breathe slow. My heart hammered so loud I could hear it in my ears.This was worse
Elara’s POVI felt hurt and bad that he could get angry like that even after our morning encounter. The teasing, the laughter, the way he had stayed with me through the nightmare — I thought things had changed between us. But the moment I stepped into that room, his anger returned full force, sharp
Lucian’s POVI burst through the palace gates with the unconscious girl cradled against my chest. The full moon still hung high, bathing everything in cold silver light. My bare feet slapped against the stone courtyard. Blood from the rogues still coated my skin and matted my hair.The two guards a







