LOGINBella’s POVThe more time I spent at the healer's quarters, the more the air inside the hut became thick with the scent of dried herbs and burning incense, curling through the dim light like invisible fingers. It came to cling to my skin, to my thoughts, and to everything it touched. The healer stood across from me, his aged eyes studying me carefully as though I were both patient and troubled.The tension was building between the two of us as I stood looking at him.“How do you feel?” he asked slowly. “And how is the incense working on him?” he asked, referring to Zach.I tilted my head slightly, as if the question amused me. “I will have to test it further before I can say,” I replied coolly.The healer exhaled through his nose, displeased. “The maid requested more potion than usual. That is not something to ignore, Bella, as it means the wolf is resisting harder than expected,” he said firmly.My lips curved faintly, but there was nothing warm in it.“Aggressive?” I echoed. “His w
Hayden’s POVThe relief didn’t come gently; it slammed into me, hard and cold, like the first breath after drowning. Yes, Ronan had been right.I stood by the tall arched window of my chambers, staring out at the forest stretching endlessly beneath the darkening sky. The wind howled through the trees, restless… almost aware. My fingers curled behind my back as I exhaled slowly.“So it’s really happening…” I muttered. The Beautiful Moon Celebration.A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Beautiful, they called it.To humans, it was nothing more than a rare eclipse, an excuse for gowns, laughter, wine, and meaningless applause. A gala drenched in ignorance. But to us wolves? It was something far older and far darker. The moon wouldn’t just dim, it would die, and turn pitch black as though something unseen had swallowed its light whole.Every ten years, without fail, we gathered beneath it, not to celebrate, but to remember.A knock came at the door, cutting the deeper thought I was in.“Ent
Bella’s POVThe thought refused to leave my mind. I was thinking about Emerald. If I could strike there, if I could tear at the very heart of that place. It would be over faster than she had ever imagined. Cleaner and final, but there was a problem. A dangerous one is Livia.My jaw tightened as I paced the length of the dim corridor, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. The sound echoed like a ticking clock, each step reminding me that time was slipping, and Livia was always watching, listening, and always knowing.“How do I move,” I muttered under my breath, my voice low and venomous, “when every thought I have might not even be mine alone?” I stopped abruptly, my fingers curling into fists.Livia’s power was suffocating. Invisible chains wrapped around my every move, every plan I built felt exposed.Unless there's something I could do to prevent her from reading my mind. My lips slowly curved into a cold smile as an idea popped into my mind.“The healer,” I muttered
Livia’s POVI paced around with anger visibly in me. It is all madness. A pure, suffocating madness that I'm finding difficult to comprehend.“What do you mean, Bella has gotten too smart?” I snapped, pacing the room like a caged animal. “She’s always been cunning, Alexa. Always add that's not new.”Alexa stood by the window, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her eyes scanning the darkness outside as though danger itself lurked between the trees.“This is different, Livia,” she said quietly, but there was an edge in her voice that made my stomach twist. “This isn’t just her being manipulative. This is calculated and strategic.”I could see the seriousness in Alexa's face as she said those words.I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Strategic? Bella? Please…” I said nonchalantly.“She’s recruiting,” Alexa said and my steps halted. The silence that followed was deafening.“What?” I whispered. Alexa turned to face me fully now, her expression grave. “She’s trying to coerce wolve
Livia’s POVI paced around with anger visibly in me. It is all madness. A pure, suffocating madness that I'm finding difficult to comprehend.“What do you mean, Bella has gotten too smart?” I snapped, pacing the room like a caged animal. “She’s always been cunning, Alexa. Always add that's not new.”Alexa stood by the window, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her eyes scanning the darkness outside as though danger itself lurked between the trees.“This is different, Livia,” she said quietly, but there was an edge in her voice that made my stomach twist. “This isn’t just her being manipulative. This is calculated and strategic.”I could see the seriousness in Alexa's face as she said those words.I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Strategic? Bella? Please…” I said nonchalantly.“She’s recruiting,” Alexa said and my steps halted. The silence that followed was deafening.“What?” I whispered.Alexa turned to face me fully now, her expression grave. “She’s trying to coerce wolves
Chapter 87Bella’s POVA lot of thoughts were running through my mind as I paced in my room. I was restless, waiting for the call to come in.I have checked my phone minutes of times but no messages or calls have come in.“Why is she taking so long to call?” I muttered staring at the phone in my hand. ***The call finally came in just as I stood before the mirror, my fingers lingering over the slight swell of my stomach.“He’s in the car, ma’am.” the voice echoed from the other end.My lips curved, slow, deliberate, and dangerous.“Good,” I said quietly, my voice laced with satisfaction. “Keep your distance. I will handle the rest.” I ordered and the line went dead. I stood there for a moment, I didn’t move as I simply stared at my reflection, my eyes dark, calculating and alive with something almost unhinged. This was it as everything was finally aligning the way it should have from the beginning.“All I need…” I muttered, reaching for the small vial on the table, “ is control.”
Zach’s POVThe moment felt unreal, like the ground beneath my feet had cracked open, but instead of falling, I was forced to stand there still, composed, and watched by everyone.My jaw tightened as my eyes locked onto Bella. What the hell is she doing here?My chest rose and fell slowly, but inside
Zach’s POVThe moment my eyes landed on her, everything else blurred into nothing.Livia stood across the grand hall like a memory that refused to die, elegant, composed, breathtaking in a way that felt almost cruel. The soft lights above only made her glow more, her presence commanding attention
Bella’s POVI stood by the tall window in my room, my fingers gripping the curtain so tightly the fabric wrinkled in my hold. My reflection stared back at me from the glass, perfect, composed, but my eyes betrayed me as they burned.“I won’t lose,” I whispered to myself, my voice low and sharp. “N
Livia’s POV“I don’t want to go.” The words slipped out before I could stop them, barely louder than a whisper, yet they felt like they shook the walls of the room.Clara, who was there with me, froze behind me, her hands stilling mid-motion as she adjusted the clasp of my dress. “You don’t have a







