Bella POVThe sting on my wrist made me jolt awake. I hissed and clutched my arm as fire pulsed beneath my skin. The moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating the faint glow of a crescent mark that seared into my flesh."What the hell?" I exclaimed in shock, throwing off the sheets. My heart hammered as I stumbled into the bathroom, flipping on the light switch.The mark shone in the mirror, just under my skin like it’s always been there. I grabbed a towel, ran it under cold water, and scrubbed as hard as I could. But it doesn’t fade.I began to panic and I could feel my throat tightened. Nothing in the moment made any sense. Then, I saw a woman with silver hair. Her lips barely moved, but her voice echoed in my head.“Seven nights until the Blood Moon. Choose him… or lose everything.”I gripped the sink, gasping for breath as the vision faded away. My pulse thrummed wildly, drowning out the stillness of the night.Choose who? And why the hell does it feel like I already kno
POV: SageAll I saw was fire, it surrounded me, it devoured everything in its path. The sky was blood-red, the air thick with the scent of burning flesh. A scream pierced through the chaos, it was desperate. Bella.I spun towards the sound, but she was already fading, swallowed by the inferno. My legs refused to move. I reached for her, my fingers stretched through the heat, but she vanished like smoke."No!"I jolted awake, my breath came in gasps. Sweat clung to my skin, my hands trembled as I pushed myself upright. The nightmare lingered, it was vivid. I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn’t just a dream.I needed air.I stepped outside but something felt off. My instincts sharpened. Then, I saw her.A woman in white stands at the edge of the woods, her silver hair shimmered under the moonlight. She watched me with stillness, a small white pup was at her feet. The wolf’s eyes were milky, blind, yet it tilted its head as if seeing straight through me."You felt it," she said.
Sage POVA Few Days Later… The moon was full, high in the sky, it casted a silver glow over the clearing as the crowd gathered. The altar was dressed in white and gold, the traditional colors of unity. Lanterns floated above the space, flickering like stars caught in motion. The scent of night-blooming roses filled the air, mingling with the sound of low drums and hushed whispers. It was all in preparation for the Mating ceremony of I and Bella. We wanted to heed to the warnings of the revelation. Everything was perfect. Except she wasn’t here. I had been waiting for some time now but for some reason, Bella had not shown up. I stood at the altar with my hands clenched at my sides, waiting. Heart thudding. Breath tight in my chest. My eyes scanned the crowd for any sign of her. But Bella wasn't anywhere around. The pack had gathered in silence, excitement humming through the air as they anticipated the Mating ceremony of their alpha. Elders, warriors, even pups—all of them stoo
Sage POVThe place was now empty, flower petals scattered by the wind. The altar still stood—mocking me. The moon hung overhead, full and bright, but its beauty was meaningless.She didn’t come.Guards whispered and avoided my gaze as they filtered out, clearing the area. Malrick stood near the tree line, watching me. He took a step forward.“She’s not coming, Sage,” he said gently.I didn’t answer.“She made her choice.”Still, I said nothing.After a few seconds, Malrick sighed and gave a small nod before turning away. His footsteps faded with the others.But I didn’t move. I couldn’t.Bella knew what was at stake. She knew about the mark. The Blood Moon. The Sentinel. Everything. She wouldn’t just walk away… not after all we’ve faced. Not after we finally began to understand each other again.I waited with hope that she'll show up.The moon began to sink, its light shifting from silver to pale.Still… nothing.Then I felt a snap in my head. Like a bone breaking—sharp, sudden. Not p
Bella POV"She's waking up.""Shut up. Keep your voice down."A groan left my throat before my eyes even opened. The scent of moss and damp earth hit me hard. My head throbbed. My wrists burned. My body felt like it had been crushed and left in the cold."Where—" I muttered, blinking against the faint rays of the rising sun filtering through the trees. The lake shimmered nearby. Water lapped gently at the edges.“She's alive,” someone whispered again. Footsteps retreated fast.I tried sitting up, but my entire back screamed. Then it hit me—last night. The mating ceremony. The preparations. I was in the room. Someone came in. The scent had been sweet, but heavy. I turned too late. A sting in my neck—"Shit," I gasped, scrambling to my knees. The hem of the silk robe I’d been dressed in for the rite was soaked and torn. “No. No. No.”I staggered to my feet, swaying like a drunk. My wolf stirred weakly inside me, still sluggish from whatever had knocked me out. The packhouse was beyond t
Bella's POVHe blinked at me. "Are you that hungry?""Yeah." My voice cracked. "I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I just… I need something. Please."He studied me for another long second. Then he grunted. "Come on. I’ll throw you on an easy job."I followed him to the back where he handed me gloves and a spray bottle that smelled like hospital-grade chemicals. “You clean the corner café down the street. Mop, wipe, trash. They close at ten. You finish before midnight, bring the key back here.”I nodded quickly and grabbed everything.“Don’t steal nothing,” he added. “I got cameras.”I was already halfway out the door.The café wasn’t far. Small place with dusty floors and sticky tables. The cook was just locking up when I got there. He barely looked at me as he handed me the key.“Don’t break anything,” he muttered."I won’t," I said.When I was alone inside, I dropped my bag and started scrubbing. It felt weird—almost unreal—to be wiping down floors instead of dodging guards or prepari
Sage POVI pulled away at the last second, throwing myself sideways into a tree. The trunk cracked from the force. Tree bark embedded into my shoulder, but I barely felt it.“You’re not this. You don’t hunt like this.”But the beast growled in response—my voice, warped and guttural.A war was happening beneath my skin. It was terrifying. I dropped to all fours, panting. The moon was still above, glowing red with warning. My reflection shimmered in a puddle beside me. The creature stared back. Black fur. Twisted limbs. Silver-ringed eyes.Still me.But not.“Stop,” I growled, forcing the word through my muzzle. “This isn’t who we are.”My voice was low. Distorted. But it was there.For a split second, the beast stilled.Then it growled back—from within.I clutched my head. Sharp claws dug into my scalp but it didn’t break my skin. A laugh, but not mine—echoed in my head.“You let her go,” it sneered. “You lost her. So now you lose me too.”“No.”I slammed a fist into the ground.Dirt
Malrick POV“Shut the door,” I snapped the moment the last guard stepped into the room.Ronan kicked it shut with a hind leg before shifting back to his human form. The others followed suit, panting, bruised, and shaken. Some collapsed onto the benches lining the wall, others paced. I stayed standing, facing them, arms crossed behind my back.“That wasn’t Sage,” one of them muttered.“No,” I replied calmly, “that was a monster.”“You sure it was him, Malrick?” Ronan asked. “His scent… it was off. Mixed. Almost like—”“I know my Alpha,” I cut in. “Even in that twisted form. That thing was Sage.”“But he didn’t attack us,” another guard, Kael, said, rubbing his arm where fur had been singed from the brush fire Sage had accidentally triggered. “He ran. Fast. Like a beast with a death sentence.”“He didn’t need to attack,” I said slowly. “Not this time.”Ronan scowled. “Then what do you think he was doing?”I leaned forward, voice low. “Watching. Waiting. Testing how far he could go befor
Sage POVThe snow is deep tonight, it clung to my fur like frostbite waiting to happen. I move low to the ground, my body slink between trees that creak with cold. Every breath foghed the air. I haven’t shifted back in months—not since the dungeon. Not since Malrick.My beast form keot me safer out here. More muscle, better speed. The downside? I’m losing pieces of myself. Human thoughts came in fragments now—disjointed, buried beneath the instincts that snarl louder with each passing day.A branch snaps up ahead causing me to freeze, every muscle locked tight. My ears twitch. A low rumble builds in my chest, a warning to the night. I heard another snap, it was softer this time. Just wind or something watching?I sank back into the shadows. The patrols have been thicker lately. Malrick’s voice—his commands—they ride the wind like old songs I can’t stop hearing. I don’t know how many men he’s sent. Five? Ten? More? Doesn’t matter. I stay out of sight. Always watching. Always moving. Th
Bella’s POV The morning after I got my first A, I woke up to the smell of cinnamon and burnt toast.“Who let Liam near the stove again?” I called from the stairs.“I resent that,” Liam’s voice echoed up. “I’ll have you know this is a controlled culinary experiment.”“Controlled by what? Gremlins?” June giggled.I walked into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from my eyes. June was perched on the counter in mismatched socks, waving a spatula like a conductor’s baton. Liam stood proudly beside a skillet full of what looked like... slightly-charred pancakes shaped like wolves.“Are those ears or legs?” I asked, squinting.“Both,” he said without hesitation.“Harper, you’re seeing this, right?”She entered from the hallway in her oversized cardigan, her eyes were still soft with sleep. “I’ve learned not to question Liam’s methods before coffee,” she said, reaching for the pot.June held up a plate. “These are for you. Nurse Bella needs fuel.”“They’re actually really good,” Liam added quickly.
Bella’s POV The sky was ash when I found her again—June, leaning against the porch railing, a wool blanket wrapped tight around her shoulders. She didn’t look up when I stepped outside, just sipped from her mug like the world hadn’t tried to break her.“You’re gonna freeze out here,” I said, nudging her lightly.“I like the cold,” she replied.I didn’t have a response for that, so I just stood beside her and let the silence settle between us. Sometimes that was better than pushing. And lately, silence didn’t feel so heavy.Inside, Harper’s laughter drifted from the kitchen. She and Liam were cleaning up after dinner, arguing over who forgot to defrost the chicken. It felt normal. Safe. Like the council hadn’t carved messages into our door or hunted us through ancient forests.But even in that peace, a small ember inside me kept burning—restless, searching, quietly desperate for something more.I didn’t tell them right away.Weeks passed since we decided to stay. Weeks of healing, adj
Bella’s POV We left the house to a hotel to spend a few days and not raise any suspicion. The air in Ålesund felt different the moment we returned. The ferry ride back had been quiet—too quiet. June barely spoke, and Harper’s silence was thick with tension. Even Liam, usually steady, kept glancing over his shoulder like something was breathing down his neck.Now, standing on our front porch again, everything felt wrong.The snow hadn’t fallen naturally. It clung to the trees in odd clumps, too heavy, too still. The ravens had returned in droves, black feathers scattering across the drive like a warning. One perched on the porch railing, staring straight at June until she shooed it away with a flicker of energy that crackled in the air.“Don’t,” Harper said, voice sharp. “They're watching.”“They?” I asked.“Not just the Council. Something older. Something waking up.”Inside, the house was just as we left it, but colder. I could smell unfamiliar scents mixed into our own—cologne, swea
Bella’s POV The pendant flared white-hot. The ground beneath her feet cracked. Trees bent back like something had exhaled violently. Birds scattered from the branches, screaming into the sky.Liam lunged forward, grabbing her shoulders. “June! You have to control it!”“I don’t know how!” she screamed.Wind howled. Real wind. Not the kind from storms, but something summoned—something born.Harper raised her hands, murmuring an incantation. Runes lit beneath her fingers in sharp blue flickers. “Bella, keep her steady!”I rushed forward and grabbed June’s hand. She was trembling violently, her breath coming in gasps.“I don’t want this,” she cried.“But it’s already yours,” I said. “Let it in. Or it will tear you apart.”The pendant cracked down the middle, releasing a pulse of energy that knocked all of us back. I landed hard in the snow. When I sat up, June was on her knees, her chest was heaving—but calm. For now.The snow around her had formed a perfect ring of frost, etched with ru
Bella’s POV The days following the attack were a blur of healing and conversations about the way forward. Harper on her hand, immersed herself in ancient texts, her fingers stained with ink and herbs. One evening, I approached her as she traced a rune onto the floor with a mixture of ash and blood."Harper," I began cautiously, "you're pushing yourself too hard."She didn't look up. "We need stronger protections. The Council won't stop, and neither will what's coming.""What's coming?" I pressed.She finally met my gaze, her eyes momentarily flickering silver. "There are older things than the Council, Bella. Things that have been dormant for centuries."A chill ran down my spine. "And you're waking them?"She returned to her work. "Better to wake them on our terms than theirs."Liam and I stood watch outside, the snow crunching beneath our boots. "She's changed," I murmured.Liam nodded. "Magic that deep always leaves a mark. She's treading dangerous ground.""Can we trust her?
Bella’s POV We didn’t speak much on the way home. The lantern lights faded behind us, replaced by the hush of falling snow and the quiet thrum of adrenaline. My wrist still pulsed from where Kalen had touched me, like the cold had rooted itself beneath the skin. I kept rubbing it, trying to forget how close I’d come to unraveling.Back at the house, Liam was already waiting at home, pacing by the window. He had left earlier to check if the house was safe before we got home. “He was there,” I said.He didn’t need to ask who.“He got too close,” Harper muttered, locking the door behind us. “Too fast.”June dropped her coat, cheeks flushed. “We’re running out of time, aren’t we?”Harper didn’t answer right away. Instead, she crossed to the fireplace and knelt down, pulling away the base of the stone hearth. I heard the click before I saw the opening—a hidden compartment built into the wall, older than the house itself.She drew out something long and wrapped in thick, cracked leather.
Bella’s POV I swallowed. “Harper told you?”“No.” He glanced at me then, his expression was unreadable. “I felt it. Your energy flared through the wards like a damn flare gun.”“I didn’t use powers. It was just—” I paused. “Instinct.”“Exactly.” He faced me fully now, stepping closer. “Your wolf’s too close to the surface.”I scoffed and dropped my bag by the kitchen table. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”“It is when people start to notice.” His voice was low. “That doctor of yours—Haldren? He’s already talking about it. Calling you some kind of miracle worker. Word spreads, Bella. Fast.”I sat down slowly. The wood beneath me felt cold, grounding. “What do you want me to do? Let someone die next time?”“I want you to control it,” he snapped. “There’s a reason we train to separate instinct from action.”Silence stretched between us. I broke it first. “I’m not just a wolf, Liam. I’m not just a nurse either. I’m… in between. And no one taught me how to be that.”He rubbed his fac
Bella’s POV The morning after the rite, I woke before the sun rose. Everything felt wrong.The wind outside wasn’t louder—but I could hear it now, like a low whisper curled through the house. My heart thudded faster than usual. Every sound—June’s sleepy breathing upstairs, Harper’s footsteps in the kitchen, Liam locking the front door—hit me like thunder.I pressed a hand to my chest, breathing deep. Harper handed me a cup of coffee as I entered the kitchen, her eyes were already on me. “You’re hearing more now, aren’t you?”I nodded slowly. “Footsteps, breathing. Even the streetlamp outside—I can hear it buzz.”“Your instincts are awakening.” She stirred her tea, eyes dark. “They’ll either sharpen or overwhelm you.”I didn’t want to be overwhelmed. Especially not at work. At the hospital, I kept my head down. I tried to focus on charts, patients, and ward rounds. But it was hard. I could hear heartbeats behind closed doors. I knew when someone was lying—even when they didn’t know it