Ivy's Pov.
The sun hadn’t yet touched the forest floor when I woke. My heart was beating faster than usual, and my wolf stirred restlessly inside me. Something was wrong. I could feel it deep in my bones—like a warning humming through my blood.
I sat up and looked out the window. The sky was gray, heavy with thick clouds as if the earth itself was holding its breath. No birds were chirping, no wind rustling the trees. Just silence.
Pulling on my boots, I stepped outside and followed the path toward the training grounds. Everything was quiet. Too quiet.
I didn’t see anyone at first, but as I neared the main house, I spotted Kieran. He was standing near the watchtower, speaking low to one of the guards. His body was tense, shoulders squared like he was ready for battle.
“Kieran,” I called softly.
He turned at the soun
Ivy's Pov.The sun hadn’t yet touched the forest floor when I woke. My heart was beating faster than usual, and my wolf stirred restlessly inside me. Something was wrong. I could feel it deep in my bones—like a warning humming through my blood.I sat up and looked out the window. The sky was gray, heavy with thick clouds as if the earth itself was holding its breath. No birds were chirping, no wind rustling the trees. Just silence.Pulling on my boots, I stepped outside and followed the path toward the training grounds. Everything was quiet. Too quiet.I didn’t see anyone at first, but as I neared the main house, I spotted Kieran. He was standing near the watchtower, speaking low to one of the guards. His body was tense, shoulders squared like he was ready for battle.“Kieran,” I called softly.He turned at the soun
The forest had never felt so heavy.I walked slowly along the worn trail that curved behind the pack house, my boots crunching over fallen leaves and twigs. The trees whispered above me, their branches shifting in the breeze. But there was no comfort in their sound today. Not after what we saw. Not after what we lost.I couldn't stop thinking about the village. The ash, the blood, the way everything had been burned with cruel precision. Families that trusted us. Wolves we had promised to protect. Gone. Just like that.My chest tightened. I pressed a hand to it, as if trying to quiet the ache."Ivy," a voice called behind me.I turned, already knowing who it was. Kieran. He jogged up to me, his hair tousled by the wind, worry written across his face."You shouldn't be out here alone," he said, stopping beside me."I needed to breathe," I a
Ivy's Pov.The morning air was cold against my skin as I stepped outside, the dew on the grass wetting the soles of my boots. The trees stood tall and quiet around me, but I could feel the tension crawling under my skin. There was no peace anymore. No rest. Not with what we now knew.The village that was burned yesterday haunted my dreams. Faces I didn’t recognize screamed for help in my sleep. Flames rose around me, licking at my body, but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. And when I finally woke up, drenched in sweat, I knew the nightmares would keep returning until this war was over.I walked toward the training field, needing movement, needing to feel like I was doing something. Ronan, Elias, and Kieran were already there. They looked just as tired as I felt. We hadn’t slept much the night before. Too many things needed attention. Too many questions we didn’t have answers to.Kieran’s eyes caught mine, and he gave me a small nod. His presence always brought comfort, a reminder th
Rhea's Pov.I woke before dawn, the air in my room cold and still. My body was tense. My chest felt heavy. I had barely slept. I sat up slowly and pushed the blanket off my legs. The floor was like ice against my feet. I stood and walked to the window.Outside, the forest was quiet, too quiet. Not even the wind moved the branches. Everything looked frozen. I could still feel that strange energy pulling at me, deep in the woods. It felt stronger now, like it was calling me.The search mission would begin today.I dressed in dark pants and a black fitted shirt. My boots were already by the door. I strapped two knives to my hips, tied my hair up, and stepped outside. The sky was still dark, only the faintest light peeking over the horizon.Ronan, Elias, and Kieran were already waiting near the stables. All of them were dressed for war."Ready?" Ronan asked me, his voice low.I nodded. "As I'll ever be."He handed me a map. "We split into two pairs. Kieran and I will take the northern edg
Rhea's pov.The sun had barely risen, casting a golden light across the forest, when everything changed.I was standing near the training grounds, watching a group of younger wolves practice their stances, when a loud howl pierced the morning air. It wasn't just a warning—it was laced with fear and pain. I turned on instinct, my heart pounding, knowing something terrible had just happened.Ronan and Kieran appeared almost instantly, their faces tense. Elias came next, his eyes locked on mine for a moment before he nodded. We all moved as one, following the sound of the howl into the forest.The scent of blood hit me before we saw anything. We found Marcus, one of our scouts, collapsed by a tree. His side was torn open, deep claw marks cutting through his flesh. Ronan dropped to his knees, checking his pulse. "He's alive," he said, but barely. Kirian pressed his hands to Marcus's wound while I crouched close."Who did this?" I asked urgently.Marcus's eyes fluttered open. He coughed, s
Elias Pov.The wind was colder than usual as I stepped out into the courtyard. Something in the air felt wrong. I didn’t know what it was, but my wolf was restless. It wasn’t the normal kind of tension that came before a battle or a hunt. This was something deeper. Something that scratched at the edges of my instincts, making my blood stir and my senses sharper.I looked up at the sky. The sun was hidden behind thick clouds. It was supposed to be midday, but it felt like dusk. The pack grounds were quiet. Too quiet. Even the guards were moving slower, their eyes scanning every corner like they felt it too.I walked toward the training field. Ronan and Kieran were already there, sparring in silence. Usually, they would be arguing or laughing, even when throwing punches. But today, they didn’t say a word. Just hit and blocked. Again and again. I watched them for a while.Kieran was the first to notice me. He nodded, sweat dripping down his temple, but didn’t stop. Ronan followed his eye
RHEA'S POVThe woods were darker than usual tonight. The moonlight, usually a comfort, barely touched the ground beneath the heavy canopy of trees. Each step I took felt heavier, like the earth itself was trying to pull me down. I hated this part of the job—the waiting, the quiet before the storm. Magnus liked it. He thrived in it. But me? I wanted action. I wanted things to move.Still, I followed his orders. I always had. Ever since the day he found me, broken and forgotten, and gave me a purpose. It wasn't love that tied me to him. No, it was deeper than that. A twisted kind of loyalty. One that came from survival and debt.I crouched low behind the thick brush, keeping my eyes on the edge of the clearing. It was the same spot where Ivy liked to train. I had watched her for days now. She was strong. Stronger than I expected. But she was also emotional, and that was her weakness. The triplets were her weakness. And that made my job easier.Magnus wanted her shaken. He wanted doubt p
MAGNUS’ POVThe fire crackled low, and I watched the shadows it cast dance across the stone walls. The room was quiet except for the wind outside pushing against the old wood of the window frame. I sat in the center, one leg crossed over the other, my fingers tapping slowly against the armrest of the old chair. Every sound in this place spoke of age and history, of secrets buried deep and waiting to be unearthed.It felt right.Power didn’t belong to the loud or the desperate. It belonged to those who waited. Those who planned.I had waited long enough.The council believed Ivy could hold them together. That a girl wrapped in legacy and soft words could rule wolves like us. Fools. Even now, they tried to pretend loyalty while hiding fear in their eyes. I had seen it. I had tasted it in the way they paused before they spoke her name. They feared her rise, yes, but they feared my return more.Good.Fear was power.And fear was the first step to control.Aidan entered the room quietly, b
RONAN’S POVThe wind was sharp as it moved through the trees, carrying with it the scent of something I couldn’t quite name. My wolf stirred restlessly under my skin, pacing inside me. He could sense it too. Trouble was coming.I stood at the edge of the cliff that overlooked the heart of the territory, watching the sun dip low on the horizon. The sky was orange, bleeding into crimson like a warning painted across the clouds. The heat from the afternoon still lingered, but there was a new chill slipping in, something I couldn’t shake.It had been quiet for too long. Ivy had sensed it too. Even Kirian was more tense than usual, and Elias... well, Elias had gone quiet. That said everything.The council had been holding more private meetings. Ivy wasn’t always invited. The same faces kept appearing—Malric, Edrin, Aidan. They were the ones who had once backed my father. Ivy had tried to trust them, tried to pull them to her side, but something about their loyalty felt hollow.And then the