INICIAR SESIÓNZANE I can’t breathe. Not in the way that means I’m out of breath. No, this is worse. This is the kind of breathlessness that comes from drowning in your own mind. Every wall I’ve built is shaking. Every line I’ve drawn is blurring. And every rule I have made for myself is cracking. The madness in my mind is louder than ever. The pounding in my head is constant, and there is a persistent ringing in my ears. I can feel the darkness crawling under my skin like a thousand insects. I have not slept since I saw him. I have not been able to think of anything other than that twisted shadow with my face. That clear hunger for blood in his grin and the pain that went through my body as he drove the dagger into my chest. He kept the relic with him when he was buried in the tomb. He knew a shield would locate the relic and release him with it. And now… He didn’t just stab me. It left some sort of mark. He worsened the chaos in my mind. The visions have become even more vivid. I have co
LYRAI narrow my eyes at Xander. The sun has now set completely now, leaving just the two of us standing in the dark forest. “Our goddess, Diana,” he gestures back to the statue, “watched as her wolves slaughtered each other. Even after Eris was defeated, the wars continued. And Khaíros spurred it on. He wanted to create enough chaos to strengthen his goddess and bring her back.” Well fuck. “So Diana needed something that could contain the chaos magic and turn it into something different… That’s when Tiberius Wynter offered himself.” I look at the wolf next to the statue. “He… volunteered?” “He prayed to the goddess to stop the war. And she molded him into what she needed.” “How?” I shake my head, trying to process this shitload of information. “She blessed him—the Golden Shield. Not just power. Not just strength. A barrier between the world and the corruption still leaking from Eris’s influence. He kept the magic from spreading.” “Golden Shield,” I mutter, and sig
LYRAThe next day, I wait in the training hall. And surprise, surprise… No Zane. Not at dinner last night. Not at breakfast this morning. And now not even at training. Again.When did he start becoming so un-fucking-reliable? At the start it was every day, same place, same time. Always fifteen minutes late, on the dot. But lately, he’s been all over the place. He’s changed completely. And that’s weird, right?Or is this his way of sending me a message? That he’s done? With training. With me. Just… with all of it. Should I finally accept it? Fuck… of course he’s done. And of course there would be no talk to tell me. No heads up. Just silence. He doesn’t owe me anything more. I have no right to demand anything more. At least that’s probably what he thinks. And you know what, screw it. Screw him. Screw everything single thing about him.Since he clearly doesn’t care what I’m doing anymore, I’m allowed to do what is right for me. I can do whatever the fuck I want.The training hall
LyraThank the goddess, the morning flew by in a blur of activity. I ran with Nessa for nearly two hours. Although ‘ran’ might be the wrong word for it. We full-out raced, and I had way more fun than I’m willing to publicly acknowledge. Because racing through the forest like kids, laughing my ass off every time I won and her big bad wolf just rolled its eyes and growled… yeah. I had a blast. But of course all good things must come to an end. And my end came when we went to the gym for strength training. Nessa insisted that we be spotting partners, and she completely humiliated me. Hey, I guess all is fair in love and war. I didn’t have weaponry today, thank fuck, so I could run straight to the Alpha’s house after training, jump in the shower, and meet Ellie and Talia at the car. Now, I stretch my legs across the backseat, my boots nudging Talia’s thigh as Ellie fixes her lip gloss using her phone camera. Like we’re not currently being escorted to the human city by six fully
LYRA “What the fuck, Zane?” I’m surprised my voice comes out at strong as it does, even as the rest of my body is totally spent. "What?" His voice is husky, and forehead rests on my shoulder. Goddess it feels good to have him lean on me like this. Needing to be so close to me. No, Ly. Come on. I need answers first. "What happened to 'no face to face'?" His head snaps back and he sighs. His face contorts into an emotion I don't recognise. But he doesn't answer. "What happened to not trusting the pill, Zane?" No answer. Even as he slowly pulls out of me, and sets me down. In the same stupid chair I sat in the first day I got here. Back then, I sat here and he barely looked at me. Now, I sit here, completely ruined by him—and he doesn’t look back. Zane wipes the sweat from his abs, and starts picking up clothes. He pulls up his pants, and buckles his belt like he’s getting dressed in the morning before work. Definitely not like someone who just fucked against a wall.
ZANEThe entire walk, I wait… stewing. By the time we step back onto Eclipse Pack land, I am close to imploding. Finally, we enter our home, and I turn to her “Office. Ten minutes.”Her brows lift like she’s about to argue, but she makes the wise choice, simply nodding and heading in the direction of the staircase. Good.I need answers, and I need them now, before my sanity finally snaps.Because what happened at that altar… The way my power responds to her, doesn’t reject her presence, has been bothering me since the day I first saw her. Today, her blood saved me… and the way it tasted in my mouth. It was intoxicating. I have never wanted someone so much in my life. To mark. To mate. To know. To claim. And the worst part? I don’t even know what she is. Not a regular wolf. Not a witch. She is something else completely. Something powerful. Though is she powerful enough to protect herself against me? Should the madness overcome me, will she be strong enough to stop me? M







