LOGINAlanza’s POV"You brought a weapon into the sanctuary, Silas. That is an act of treason." The voice belonged to the High Alpha of the Council, but I wasn't looking at him.I was standing in the center of a circular stone amphitheater, my feet bare on the cold, ancient floor. Surrounding me were the leaders of the twenty primary packs of the Northwest. The air was thick with the scent of pine, blood, and the heavy, suffocating pressure of twenty Alphas trying to crush me with their will. "She is the weapon!" Silas roared, pointing a trembling finger at me from the floor of the pit. He looked pathetic. His tactical gear was shredded, his face bruised from the avalanche, and his pride was a tattered rag. Behind him, my father stood in the shadows, his eyes wide with a mix of terror and a greed he couldn't quite hide. "She destroyed an entire unit of my men with a thought," Silas continued, his voice cracking. "She is a Lycan-Mage. She is a violation of the Treaty of the First Shift.
Alanza’s POV"You are thinking too much again," Sombra’s voice echoed in my mind, pulling me out of my own head.I stopped pacing and looked down at her. She was sprawled across the guest bed, her fur shedding slightly onto the expensive duvet. She looked exhausted, her usual regal posture replaced by a heavy, slumped weariness. I sat on the edge of the mattress and began scratching the soft fur behind her ears."I have a lot to think about," I whispered. "You do, too. You’ve been quiet since we got here."Sombra let out a long, huffing breath. Her golden eyes stayed fixed on the far wall. "My mind feels like a library that caught fire. I remember the titles of the books, but when I try to read the pages, they are charred. I know I was a Lycan Queen. I remember the weight of the crown and the smell of the council chambers. But the actual knowledge? The wisdom required to lead? It is gone."I felt a pang of sympathy for her. To hav
Alanza’s POV"I hope the new view is to your liking, Luna," London said, his voice echoing slightly in the high-ceilinged hallway of the Alpha lodge.I looked at him, then at the wall of stern, scarred faces lining the corridor. It had been two days since the transition, and the atmosphere at Crystal Lake had shifted entirely. London was in his element now, commanding a security detail that actually looked like they knew how to handle a threat. Beside him stood Karlos, who looked like he was vibrating with enough nervous energy to shatter a window. He kept his eyes fixed on the floor, clearly wishing he could be anywhere else but under his father’s watchful gaze.The new guards weren't the young, arrogant types I was used to. These were older wolves. They had the kind of jagged scars and heavy-lidded stares that only come from decades of survival. They were retirees, pulled back into service specifically for me.They are strong, Sombra murmure
Lucia’s POV"Being stuck in this hole for eternity is a joke," I muttered, my voice raspy from disuse.I leaned my head against the cold stone wall. Time didn't exist here. I measured the passing days by the cramps in my stomach or the rare moments I managed to drift into a thin, shaky sleep. The vampire was gone for now. That was the only thing keeping me sane. His absence was a gift I didn't deserve, but I took it anyway.The heavy door groaned on its hinges. Malakai walked in, her face set in a hard mask. She didn't look at me as she stepped across the filthy floor. She held a wooden tray, but she didn't set it down gently. She dropped it. The bowl tipped, sending a splash of lukewarm, grey soup across the stones. A few shriveled strawberries rolled into the dirt."Master is busy hunting a new friend for you," Malakai said.Her voice was sharp. It sounded like a child throwing a tantrum. I looked at the ruined food and then back at her. My
Alanza’s POV"A full-scale conflict would lay waste to everything we’ve built," Karlos said, his voice tight with a forced kind of calm. "The vampires aren't stupid. They won't gamble against our numbers. We have them outmatched by every pack in the region."London didn't even blink. He just leaned back, his eyes tracking Karlos with a look that bordered on pity. "Outmatched? They walk through your borders like the wind. They’ve already ended lives while you were busy counting heads. Tell me, do you even know who we’re fighting? Is it a lone rogue, or is it a coordinated cell? Which answer scares you more?""It has to be a single actor," Karlos insisted, though his posture faltered."And what happens when one single vampire can bypass your entire security net without breaking a sweat?" London countered. His voice dropped an octave, turning gravelly and cold. "What do you do when twenty of them decide to hold hands and walk through
Alanza’s POV"I am willing to give up my own life to save Lucia, but I cannot hand over the entire pack to do it," I said, the weight of the confession making my posture crumble. "I have no idea how to balance those two things."The truth felt like lead in my chest. London didn't look at me with pity. He simply gave a slow, knowing nod."That burden is called responsibility," he said. "It will always act as a leash on your heart. It is a vital lesson for a leader."I stared at my lap, my voice thick with regret. "I just wish I hadn't learned it while people were dying.""Sit up," London barked. The sudden sharpness of his voice acted like a physical strike. "Pull your shoulders back. Pitying yourself is a waste of time, and it helps absolutely no one."I flinched and immediately straightened my spine. My body moved to obey the old wolf before my mind could even process the command. Years of training under a man like him clearly left a
Luciano’s POV"I told you to stop talking, Karlos," I snap, my knuckles white against the steering wheel.The highway is a gray streak cutting through walls of dark timber. I have a cigarette balanced between my lips, the smoke stinging my eyes. I kicked the habit years ago, b
Alanza’s POV"Can you hear me? Wake up," a deep voice demands.The words feel like they are coming from underwater. I try to pull air into my lungs, but a sharp, stabbing heat in my chest cuts my breath short. My ribs are definitely broken. I keep my eyes squeezed shut for a s
Alanza’s POV"You better keep your eyes on the road before you kill us all," Mars growled.I stared past his shoulder at the blurring green of the forest. The city was long gone. Giant pines crowded the edges of the pavement like a wall. My throat felt tight, like a physical w
Luciano’s POV"Can I help who is next in line?"The voice is like a punch to my solar plexus. I have spent the last three weeks inhaling the ghost of her on unwashed pillowcases and lingering in the stairwell of her apartment building just to catch a stray note of vanilla and honey. Now, she is fiv







