MasukCalista's POV
I did not leave Zevran's side that night. Or the night after. Every evening when the sun dipped below the horizon, I made my way to his chambers and waited for the curse to strike. It always did. Like clockwork. Like something alive that knew exactly when he was most vulnerable.
The first few nights were terrifying. Watching him collapse. Seeing the pain twist his features into something unrecognizable. Hearin
Calista's POVI did not have time to process what was happening. One moment I was kneeling beside Zevran trying to heal his wounds and the next Seraphine was on her feet again. Impossible. Aldrid's sword had gone straight through her chest. She should be dead. Should be bleeding out on the ground as any normal wolf would be. But she was not normal anymore and the wound was already closing.She ripped the blade from her chest with a wet sound that made my stomach turn. Black blood poured from the injury but it did not slow her down. Did not even make her flinch. Whatever the Council did to her made her something beyond death. Something that refused to stay down no matter how much damage she took."Did you really think that would work?" She turned on Aldrid. Her face twisted with rage and betrayal."Did you think you could kill me that easily?"&nb
Calista's POVThe sound of war was different than I imagined. Not the clean clash of swords from stories but something messier. Uglier. Screams mixed with metal grinding against metal. The wet thud of bodies hitting the ground. The acrid smell of blood and sweat and fear thick enough to choke on. This was real. This was happening. And I was standing in the middle of it.Zevran had tried one last time to convince me to stay in the palace. To remain safe behind walls while others fought. But I refused. Could not hide while people died because the Council wanted me. So here I stood on the battlefield wearing armor that felt too heavy and gripping a sword I barely knew how to use. Terrified. But determined not to run.The Council's army had reached us faster than expected. They pushed through the mountain pass despite the traps Theron set. Despite the barricades. Despite everything we threw at the
Seraphine's POVThe pain was exquisite. Like every nerve in my body had been set on fire and then drowned in ice water. I bit down on the leather strap they had given me and tasted blood. My blood. Copper and salt flooded my mouth as my teeth cut through my own lip. But I did not scream. Would not give them the satisfaction of hearing me break.The Council chamber was cold. Stone walls that seemed to absorb warmth instead of reflect it. Torches flickered in brackets but their light felt distant. Wrong. Like they burned with something other than natural flame. Three Council members stood in a circle around me. Their faces hidden behind ceremonial masks that made them look like demons. Maybe they were. Maybe that was what happened when you spent centuries accumulating power with no regard for the cost."The serum is taking hold." One of them spoke. His voice was distorted by the mask. "Her body is accepting the transformation."Serum. That was what they called it. Like it was medicine i
Zevran's POVThe war room felt smaller than usual. Too many bodies packed into a space designed for strategic planning and not the tension currently suffocating us. My generals lined the table. Kaelen stood at my right. Lyra hovered near the maps with her usual intensity. And Aldrid sat at the far end looking like a man who had finally realized the weight of his choices.Calista stood beside me. Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from her skin. Close enough to anchor me when rage threatened to take over. The Council was coming. Actually mobilizing armies to destroy my kingdom because they feared one woman. Because they could not control her and what they could not control they destroyed."Tell us everything." I pinned Aldrid with a look that promised consequences if he held anything back. "Every detail you know about their plans."Aldrid cleared his throat. Looked uncomfortable under the weight of so many hostile stares. Good. He should be uncomfortable. Should feel the
Aldrid's POVI never thought I would see Noctis. The legendary kingdom that existed only in whispers and old stories. The place the Council pretended did not exist because acknowledging it meant admitting there were wolves beyond their control. But here I was. Being escorted through gates that should not have opened. Into a kingdom that made Vargath look like a shadow of what wolves could be.The beauty struck me first. Buildings crafted from white stone that seemed to glow in the morning light. Gardens bursting with flowers I had no names for. People moving through the streets with purpose and joy instead of fear. This was what a kingdom looked like when it was not strangled by the Council's grip. When wolves were allowed to thrive instead of just survive.Kaelen walked beside me. Silent and watchful. His men flanked us on all sides. A reminder that I was here as a guest at best. A prisoner at worst. I had agreed to come willingly after days of deliberation. After realizing that prid
Calista's POVI woke to warmth. Not the cold emptiness I had grown accustomed to during my years with Aldrid but actual warmth. Arms wrapped around me. A steady heartbeat beneath my cheek. The scent of pine and something uniquely Zevran filling my senses. For a moment I kept my eyes closed and just existed in the feeling. Safe. Cherished. Wanted.Reality crashed in slowly. Memories of last night flooded back. The kiss. The confession. The way Zevran had touched me like I was something precious instead of something to be used. Heat flooded my cheeks but I did not regret a single moment. Could not regret something that had felt so right."You are awake." Zevran's voice rumbled through his chest. His hand traced lazy circles on my back. "I can tell by the way your breathing changed."I tilted my head up to look at him. He was already watching me. Those ancient eyes softer than I had ever seen them. His hair was mussed from sleep. From my fingers tangling in it. The sight made my heart st







