LOGINWhen the guards came for my cage, I thought my prayers had finally been answered.Relief flooded through me so strongly I almost sobbed, because my body had been screaming as every muscle ached from being cramped in the same position for what felt like forever. My ribs throbbed with each breath, my wrists were bleeding from where the shackles had rubbed against my skin, my throat burned from thirst, and my stomach twisted with hunger so sharp it felt like something was eating me from the inside.I had been given only half a cup of water earlier, and it had done nothing to ease the dryness in my mouth or the pounding headache that made my vision blur at the edges.My legs had gone numb hours ago, tingling with pins and needles whenever I tried to shift. My back felt like it had been broken and put back together wrong. Even my fingers were stiff and painful to move.But none of that mattered when I heard the cage being lifted.A guard carried the cage through the corridors, and I clutc
AUTHOR'S POVAlaric pushed the door to Alpha Derek's chambers open with force, his jaw tight and his eyes burning with urgency.Two guards rushed in immediately after him, their expressions torn between duty and panic.“Prince Alaric, please!” one of them said urgently, his voice strained.“You cannot enter. It’s past the Alpha’s restricted hours. And you know no one is permitted to disturb him at this time—not even family.”The second guard stepped forward, his hand reaching out but not quite touching Alaric’s arm.“We mean no disrespect, prince,” he said quickly. "But the Alpha’s orders are clear. No interruptions after midnight unless it’s a matter of life and death for the pack."Alaric didn’t even look at them.He strode further into the room, his fists clenched at his sides.The lights suddenly flicked on, flooding the room with brightness.“Father,” Alaric said immediately, bowing his head slightly. His voice was tight, his face stern.The guards immediately dropped to their
AUTHOR'S POVAlpha Derek sat in his chamber, his fingers tapping slowly on the armrest as he stared at the door.A few seconds later, one of the guards at the door announced that Lancelot had arrived.After giving permission for him to enter, the door swung open and Lancelot walked in.He stopped a few feet from Alpha Derek's chair and dropped to one knee, his head bowed.“Alpha Derek,” Lancelot said."You summoned me.”Alpha Derek didn’t respond immediately.He just stared at Lancelot, his eyes narrowing slightly.Alpha Derek finally spoke as he confirmed that he did.He leaned forward. “I heard about what happened at the square tonight. But more than that, I saw it.”Lancelot lifted his head slightly but kept his gaze lowered.One of the elders who had witnessed everything had brought the footage to Alpha Derek to show him.Afterward, Alpha Derek told Lancelot to explain when he first started transforming.Lancelot hesitated for a moment, then stood up straighter.“I
AUTHOR'S POVThe pack gathering at the village square was in full swing near the central bonfire—a weekly tradition where pack members socialised and sparred to strengthen pack bonds.Lancelot counted at least forty pack members present.He walked slowly through the crowd, his hands shoved into his pockets.But his eyes were sharp, scanning the faces around him until they landed on the one he was looking for.Marcus.The Gamma of the pack.He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a thick scar running down the left side of his jaw.His hair was dark and cropped short, and his eyes glowed faintly gold even in human form.He had been making Lancelot's life a living hell for years, always ready with a cutting remark about Lancelot’s “uselessness”, his “pathetic human frailty”, and how he was “dead weight the pack dragged along out of pity."Just last month, Marcus had shoved right past Lancelot in this same spot, sending Lancelot crashing to the ground in front of everyone.Marcus had stood
ANDERSON'S POV“What?” The word escaped my lips in a disbelieving whisper, as though my ears had twisted Lancelot’s words into something impossible.Luckily for him, he had answers to the revelation I'd heard from the students, although they offered no comfort whatsoever.He’d told me everything about last night—even details I didn’t know, like the ring that was bound with magic which Sarah couldn't take off from her finger and was blocking her powers.We were inside the storage room by the back stairwell.I had told him to meet me here.The only light came from a small window near the ceiling.He’d explained how he shadowed Alpha Derek all night without being noticed, following my instructions to dig up information.That’s when he overheard Alpha Derek talking to Alaric, revealing the real reason he’d let her live.Lancelot added that was how he'd found out about her attempt to escape before she was caught, when a warrior came to report it to Alpha Derek.I turned awa
ANDERSON'S POVThe hallway buzzed with noise as students whispered and gossiped about how Alpha Derek had spared Sarah because she was Alaric's mate, as Lucas walked next to me.“But how?” Another voice chimed in from a group leaning against the wall."How could someone like her be mated to the future Alpha? She’s not even a werewolf. She’s a curse.”A guy snorted. “Yeah, exactly. She’s an outcast. A murderer. How is the Moon Goddess supposed to pair someone like that with Alaric? It doesn’t make sense.”"Or maybe Alaric's being punished for something. Imagine being bound to her for life."“Maybe it’s a mistake,” someone else muttered."Or maybe Alpha Derek’s lying.”“Why would he lie about something like that?”“I don't know, but it's weird."Their words faded as we moved past them.Lucas chuckled.“Seems like she’s really gotten herself into a big mess this time,” he said, shaking his head. “I mean, being mated to Alaric? That’s either the best thing that could happen to her… or the







