Gabriel’s lips collided with mine, hot and relentless, a war all on its own — war I hadn’t consented to, war I should have pushed away in a heartbeat.But for one moment, I didn’t.For the briefest moment, the way my body melted into the heat of him, the primal claim of his fingers digging into my waist, the smell of him — smoke and pine and something that was his alone — engulfing me like a looped belt.Then reality slammed into me.I pulled back hard, pushing him so violently he took a step back."What the hell was that?" I spat, my voice like a razor, trembling with rage — and something else.Gabriel’s golden eyes burned. "You know what it was."I wiped my mouth, furious. "You don’t get to do that!"His breath was slow and controlled, hands clenching into fists at his side. “I had to clarify something.”I scoffed. "To who? Lucian? The pack? Yourself?"Gabriel’s jaw ticked. "To you."My stomach turned, but I pushed the feeling aside.I laughed—sharp, humorless. "That’s rich. You tre
Lucian had just declared war.And Gabriel was prepared to give it all up in protest.The tension was thick, choking, a razor’s edge waiting to snap.I had witnessed Gabriel angry before.But not like this.Not with his wolf under grated, his body humming with pure rage, his golden eyes pinned on Lucian with a lethal gleam.Lucian?Lucian had a smirk, totally unfazed, because he’d wanted this.He’d been prodding the beast, waiting for Gabriel to break.And it was working.Gabriel’s breathing was sharp, his fingers twitching at his sides as if he were one heartbeat away from lunging for Lucian’s throat.Lucian sucked in a breath, tipping his head. "Careful, Gabriel. You don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of all these visiting fleets, right?”Gabriel snarled.And that’s when I realized—We weren’t alone anymore.A crowd had formed.Other warriors. Pack members. And more importantly—Alphas.And now, they were witnessing the Moon Crescent Pack’s Alpha slip the reins on me.”I c
Gabriel walked away.And this time?It felt final.I was stunned, staring into the empty void he’d left behind, my heart racing, a whirlwind of thoughts I could not settle.I wanted him to be able to walk away.Hadn’t I?I told myself that I needed space, that I needed time, that I wasn’t ready to let him in again — but now, standing there, feeling his absence fill my chest like a cold weight —I wasn’t sure anymore.I blew out air sharply and pushed the thoughts aside.I had more important things to worry about.”The Games. The pack. The fact that Lucian was still out there, circling, watching, waiting for a crack.I had no time for Gabriel and his tortured feelings.And yet—A spine-chilling wail pierced the eerie stillness of the night.I froze.It wasn’t just any howl.It was a cry of pain. Of warning.My body moved before my brain had the chance to react: instinct kicked in immediately. I ran toward the sound, toward the source, my wolf wanton under my skin since it had to be the
I had just made a decision.A dangerous one.And once I had taken this road?There was no turning back.The weight of it settled over me while I stood there, my gaze flicking between Gabriel and Michael and Kayden — all of them staring at me as if I’d just agreed to throw myself into a den of vipers.And maybe I had.Because getting close to Lucian wasn’t simply a task.It was a test.A test of my patience. Of my loyalty. Of my ability to be in the fire and never be burnt by it.Gabriel sighed, raking a hand through his hair. An unreadable excitement flickered in his golden eyes.Regret?Frustration?Possession?It didn’t matter.I had already made my choice.It was Kayden who broke the silence, shaking his head. "This is insane."Michael crossed his arms. "It’s necessary."Kayden snorted. "Necessary? You expect Angel to be used as a bait for one of the most powerful Alphas in the area. It’s not even needed — it’s a death wish.”I sighed, giving him a look. "No one’s baiting me, Kayde
The hush that followed Gabriel’s outburst was deafening. The whole room froze. Warriors and Alphas staring at the broken table, the scattered drinks, the tension that hung so heavy in the air. It was suffocating. Gabriel stood frozen, fists sunk at his sides, golden eyes ablaze with rage, the burn of hot breath inflating and collapsing his heaving chest.Perched in front of him, Lucian remained, that infuriating smile on his face, the iceberg unaffected, as if he had just won a game he’d prayed was not what it was. He raised his drink — the only one still miraculously intact — and took a languorous sip, his arctic-blue eyes twinkling with mischief.“Well,” said Lucian, placing the glass carefully down, “that was dramatic.”Gabriel growled, stepping forward, but before he lunged, Michael stepped in, catching his arm and jerking him back. “That’s enough,” Michael said, his voice low and firm, although he himself looked uncomfortable. “You’ve made your point.”Gabriel’s nostrils flared.
Crackling flames shot through the trees, their haunting light throwing long, flickering shadows on the battlefields. The smell of burning wood and blood was heavy in the air, thick and suffocating, joining shouts of warriors with the snapping jaws of the shifting wolves. The Moon Crescent Pack’s eastern border was under siege and right at the epicenter—Lucian.He stood, tall, a little too relaxed for someone who had only moments before helmed an attack, his icy blue gaze glinting as he beheld the bedlam around him. His warriors did not hit us with brute force, they struck in waves, making our pack defensive.It wasn’t a rash ambush.It was a statement.Gabriel growled next to me, golden eyes trained on Lucian, body coiled like a predator ready to spring. “This bastard planned this.”No shit.I barely had time to process; before I knew it, a rogue wolf had charged us from the side. I spun, ducking the blow and smashing my elbow into his ribs before driving my blade into his shoulder. H
I felt it the moment Lucian’s claws dug deeper into my throat. The shift in the air. The day everything changed.Gabriel wasn’t moving.He wasn’t fighting.He was thinking.And that’s when I knew — he was going to run.The weight of it smashed into me, heavier than Lucian’s grip, heavier than the flames licking behind us, heavier than the betrayal crystallizing behind my ribs like a poison.Gabriel stepped back slowly, one step.Lucian laughed draped over my ear, low and teasing. "There it is," he murmured. “The moment she sees what sort of man you truly are.Gabriel’s golden eyes glimmered, yet he didn’t deny it.Michael went stiff, his face going from fury to disbelief. "Gabriel. Don’t."Gabriel didn’t look at him.He didn’t look at me either.Because he knew.“But if I did, there was no way I’d be able to do it.”Lucian sighed dramatically. “Honestly, I expected some more fight from you. But I guess this just proves what I’ve always known — you’re a coward.”Gabriel flinched.But h
Lucian laughed. A slow, cruel sound out low in his throat as though I’d just told him the most hilarious joke he’d ever heard.“Oh, Angel,” he murmured, stepping near so his icy blue gaze could latch onto mine with disturbing ease. “You still believe you have a choice.I did.Even now, even with my wrists shackled in iron and my pack miles away, even with the weight of betrayal embedding into my breast like a dagger, I still had a choice.To fight.To survive.To make Lucian sorry he ever thought I was something he could possess.I lifted my chin; I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of being scared. “You can keep me imprisoned, but you will never break me.”Lucian regarded me for a long moment, something unreadable flashing in his gaze. And then, confusing the hell out of me, he sighed.“See, that’s the thing with warriors like you,” he mused. “It’s hard to think outside of your mind, but you think survival means fight. You believe denial to be strength. But tell me, Angel—” He dropp
The pack’s compound rose like a fortress from the forest’s embrace, its wooden walls battered but unyielding, torches blazing against the creeping dusk. The air was cold, heavy with the scent of pine and the faint metallic tang of the city’s lingering echo, a reminder of the mirror’s chaos, the void’s white eyes, and her scream—my scream—still clawing at my mind. The mark on my chest pulsed, a relentless tether to the shadow, to the flame, to the void, and now to Lyra, the spark, walking beside me, her shard glowing faintly, her blue eyes—my eyes—etched with the same dread and determination I felt. The dagger in my hand was warm, its symbols flickering, syncing with her shard, binding us to the Veil’s fractured heart. The bond with Lucian thrummed—his fierce heartbeat, my unraveling courage, our shared resolve—but it couldn’t silence the truth: the trinity was a lie, not three but four—lock, spark, flame, void—and the choice, one stays, one guards, one ends, was a weight I could bar
The Cradle’s glow lingered in my vision as we trekked back through the mountains, the plateau’s black stone and pulsing crystal now a memory, but its weight clung to me like damp earth. The mark on my chest throbbed, a steady pulse tying me to the Veil, to her—the shadow—and to the flame, whose fading words, hurry, echoed in my mind. The dagger at my hip hummed faintly, its symbols dim but restless, mirroring the shard in Lyra’s hand, her blue eyes—my eyes—fixed on the path ahead, her presence a constant reminder of the trinity: lock, spark, flame. The bond with Lucian burned—his unwavering strength, my fragile resolve, our shared defiance—but it couldn’t silence the choice looming over us: one stays, one guards, one ends. A sacrifice I wasn’t ready to face.Lucian led, his blade sheathed but his hand close, blood crusted on his arm, his silver eyes scanning the rocky trail for threats. The air was cold, the mountains’ peaks sharp against a sky streaked with fading violet, a remnant
The Cradle swallowed us whole, the tear’s violet light spitting us onto a plateau of black stone, its surface veined with glowing runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. The air was heavy, charged, not with the city’s metallic tang but something older—earth, blood, time itself. The mark on my chest burned, syncing with the dagger in my hand and the shard in Lyra’s grip, their symbols flaring in unison, tying us to this place, to the Veil’s first node, its forge. The bond with Lucian thrummed—his fierce resolve, my trembling courage, our shared defiance—but it couldn’t drown out the flame’s voice, it’s time, or the shadow’s distant laugh, a cold thread weaving through my blood. The trinity—lock, spark, flame—was here, and the Cradle was waking, its echoes stirring, ready to test us.Lucian stood close, his blade drawn, blood crusted on his arm, his silver eyes scanning the plateau’s edges, where cliffs dropped into a void—not sky, but chaos, stars and shadows churning, the Veil’s raw edge
The pack’s compound loomed ahead, its wooden walls scarred but standing, torches casting flickering light against the encroaching dusk. The forest was quiet now, the hum of the city’s bridge gone, the shadow’s scream—my scream—fading into memory, but the mark on my chest pulsed, a relentless tie to her, to the flame, to the Veil’s trembling heart. The dagger in my hand felt heavier, its symbols faintly glowing, syncing with the shard in Lyra’s grip—the other me, the spark, her blue eyes wide with the same exhaustion and fear I felt. The bond with Lucian burned—his steady resolve, my unraveling certainty, our shared fight—but it couldn’t silence the flame’s words: lock, spark, flame, the Veil’s trinity, to choose. A choice I didn’t understand, but one that held the world’s fate.Lucian led, his blade sheathed but his hand close, blood crusted on his arm, his silver eyes scanning the compound’s gates for threats. “We’re here,” he said, his voice rough, a mix of relief and tension. “The
The forest’s edge was a jagged line between us and the pack’s compound, its smoke curling into a sky bruised with fading violet, the last trace of the fracture’s glow. The mark on my chest pulsed, a steady ache tying me to her—my shadow—and now to the other me, the spark, standing beside me, her blue eyes mirroring my exhaustion, her shard glowing faintly in her trembling hand. The dagger at my hip was warm, its symbols dim but alive, a quiet reminder of the power we’d wielded—and the cost. The bond with Lucian thrummed—his fierce heartbeat, my fraying resolve, our shared determination—but it couldn’t silence the Architect’s voice, "bring them to me", or her laugh, "you’re mine", still echoing in my bones. We’d pushed them back, but the war was closing in, and we were running out of time.Lucian’s hand rested on my arm, his silver eyes scanning the trees, blood crusted on his face, his wounds raw but ignored. “We’re almost there,” he said, his voice low, rough from the fight. “The pac
The forest stood frozen in the aftermath, the glowing runes on the ground now ash, their light snuffed out like a dying star. The gate was gone, its collapse leaving only a faint hum in the air, a ghostly echo of the city beyond the Veil. My chest heaved, the mark pulsing with a dull, insistent ache, tying me to her—my shadow—and now to her, the other me, the spark they’d hidden, standing before me with my face, my voice, but blue eyes brimming with fear and a shard glowing in her trembling hands. The dagger in my grip felt heavier, its symbols flickering, as if unsure of the new presence—her shard, my dagger, two pieces of the same fractured whole. The bond with Lucian thrummed—his fierce resolve, my spiraling shock, our shared need to survive—but it couldn’t quiet the truth screaming in my mind: I was not one, but many, split by a ritual, bound to the Veil, and now reunited in a war I barely understood.Lucian’s blade stayed raised, his body a shield between me and her—the other me—
The valley’s stillness was a fragile mask, the air thick with the fading echo of the Architect’s voice and her scream—my scream—still ringing in my ears. The mark on my chest pulsed, a dull ache now, but alive, tying me to her, to him, to the Veil and its war. The dagger lay in my hand, its symbols dim but warm, a silent vow of battles yet to come. The bond with Lucian thrummed—his steady pulse, my fraying courage, our unbreakable tether—but it couldn’t erase the truth: I was the heart of a conflict older than the pack, older than me, and the city beyond the Veil was only the beginning.We stood in the mud, battered and bloodied, the stones behind us dark, their runes extinguished, the spiral’s glow gone. Lucian’s hand rested on my shoulder, his silver eyes fierce despite the blood streaking his face, his wounds untended but ignored. “We need to get back,” he said, his voice rough, cutting through the valley’s quiet. “The pack’s vulnerable, and we need answers—about the nodes, the Arc
The valley’s silence was a lie, a thin veneer over the trembling pulse of the Veil, still fragile after the core’s destruction. The mark on my chest throbbed, a faint but persistent echo of her—my shadow, my twin—weakened but not defeated, her presence a cold whisper in my blood. The dagger hung at my hip, its symbols dark, its hum silenced, but I felt its weight like a promise of battles yet to come. The bond with Lucian burned—his heartbeat a steady drum, my resolve a flickering flame, our shared defiance a shield against the truths I’d uncovered in the Between: I wasn’t just pack, wasn’t just Angel. I was the Veil’s lock, its key, forged in a ritual I didn’t remember, tied to a city that called me home.We trudged through the muddy pass, the storm’s remnants dripping from jagged cliffs, the air heavy with the scent of wet stone and something sharper, metallic, like blood. Lucian walked beside me, his blade sheathed but his hand hovering near it, blood crusted on his arm, his silve
The tower’s core pulsed like a dying star, its crystal heart casting jagged beams of light across the chamber, each one splintering into visions—her face, my face, the city, the Veil, worlds colliding. The mark on my chest burned, a searing tether to her, my shadow, my twin, whose presence filled the air, not as a body but as a force—her laugh in the walls, her eyes in the crystal, her voice a song that clawed at my soul. The dagger in my hand hummed, its symbols blazing, but its light felt fragile against the core’s radiance, like a candle in a storm. The bond with Lucian was a faint thread, stretched across worlds, his voice—*Angel, fight!*—a whisper I clung to, the only thing keeping me from drowning in her.The chamber was vast, its walls not stone but liquid crystal, flowing, shifting, etched with runes that moved like living things. The floor was glass, reflecting not me but her, her black eyes staring up, her smile taunting. The doors had sealed behind me, trapping me in this h