MasukCaya POV“Go ahead.”I looked at Nero. “You want me to go ahead?”He nodded toward the trail ahead. “Find out what's happening at the palace before we get there. If Moonstone is as divided as they say, I don't want us riding straight into another fight without knowing what's waiting for us.”I glanced at Nero. “And you two?”“We'll catch up,” Nero said. “Take the main road. Stay close enough that we can find you if anything happens.”I smiled. “You finally trust me to scout ahead?”Nero gave me a look. “Don't make me regret it.”“I make no promises.”I turned my horse toward the road leading to Moonstone, but the moment I moved away from them, the smile disappeared from my face.There was another reason I wanted to reach Moonstone first.A reason I hadn't told any of them.My real mother was here.I had known for years that she lived somewhere in Moonstone. Not because she had ever told me directly, but because of the messages she used to send through the woman who raised me. They had
Nero POV“I vote to become King of Alphas.”For a moment, nobody moved. Then the entire hall exploded.Voices collided from every direction, some shouting Anatoria's name while others demanded that the vote be stopped. A few wolves immediately stepped toward me, while others moved behind Anatoria as if they had already chosen their side. Kade raised his voice, trying to restore order, but nobody listened. Anatoria stood in the middle of the chaos with a calmness that told me everything I needed to know. She had not made that declaration because she was angry. She had made it because she was prepared.I looked around the hall, taking in the faces of the wolves who had once bowed when I entered a room. Some still looked at me with relief. Others looked afraid. A few couldn't even look at me at all. Then I noticed the Alphas standing near the council platform. More than half of them had already moved closer to Anatoria.Kade saw it too.His jaw tightened.“She knew this would happen,
Nero Pov“Is that really you?”Kade stopped the moment he saw me.For a few seconds, neither of us moved. He just stared at me like he was trying to make sure I wasn't another rumor, another ghost from the past, or some story the palace wolves had made up because they wanted to believe I was coming back. Then his eyes dropped to the runes glowing faintly across Remi's skin before returning to me.“Nero.”I stepped off my horse and walked toward him. Kade looked different. Thinner. Tired. There were shadows beneath his eyes that hadn't been there the last time I'd seen him, and for once, my brother didn't look like the man who had taken my place on the throne. He looked like someone who had been carrying something far too heavy for far too long.“You came back,” he said.Kade stepped closer and grabbed my arm before I could move past him.For a moment, he said nothing. His grip tightened, and I could see the relief he was trying to hide.“I thought you were dead,” he finally said.“I
Remi’s POV“Stop.”Nero pulled sharply on the reins.Our horses slowed almost at the same time, their hooves scraping against the uneven ground as they came to a reluctant halt. We had been riding toward Moonstone for what felt like forever, following the old trail that cut through the forest, and all I wanted was to reach the palace, understand what had happened while we were gone, and figure out our next move against Chimera.But something had changed.I looked down at my hand.The runes were glowing.Not brightly enough to light the forest, but enough for me to see the faint red-gold lines moving beneath my skin.My heart skipped. “Nero.”He was already looking at my hand. “What is it?”“I don't know.”The warmth spread from the center of my palm toward my fingers. It wasn't the painful burning I had experienced before. This felt different.Familiar. Almost like something inside me had suddenly recognized something nearby.I turned my wrist. The runes brightened.Then my hand move
Abel PovWe mounted again.The trail narrowed as we continued, forcing us to ride almost single file. Trees crowded both sides of the path, their branches twisting overhead and blocking most of the sunlight.Then, sometime later, I felt it.A strange heaviness behind my eyes.At first, I ignored it.I blamed the heat, the long ride and the little sleep I had gotten the night before. The trail stretched ahead of us, winding through thick woodland, and I had no intention of wasting time stopping unless it was absolutely necessary.Rian rode on my left. Teren followed behind us.“Should we stop?” Rian asked.“No.”“You've been rubbing your head for the last ten minutes.”“I'm fine.”Teren chuckled. “You don't look fine.”“I said I'm fine.”Rian looked at me. “Your face is pale.”I rolled my eyes. The world seemed to shift. I straightened in the saddle and shook my head and continued riding.But the heaviness became worse. My fingers tightened around the reins.The trees ahead seemed to
Abel’s POV“Abel, I need you to bring Nero back.” I stared at Kade across the desk.For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.“You want me to find Nero?”“Yes.”“And bring him back to Moonstone?”Kade nodded.His eyes looked exhausted. There were dark circles beneath them, and the man sitting in front of me barely resembled the confident king I had watched take the throne. He looked like someone who had been carrying a mountain on his back and had finally realized he could no longer carry it alone.“What happened?” I asked.“Everything.”I frowned. “That isn't an answer.”“It is the only answer I have.” Kade leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. “Rashford is gone. Chimera is moving faster than we expected. Victoria is still imprisoned. Half the palace wants one thing, the other half wants something completely different, and everyone keeps looking at me as if I have the answers.”“You are the king.”His eyes lifted to mine. For a second, I wondered if I had gone too far.T







