LOGINElara’s POVSomething cold pressed gently against my forehead, dragging me slowly out of darkness. The sensation was damp and careful, like someone afraid to disturb me too quickly. I tried to open my eyes, but the light pierced sharply through my vision, forcing me to shut them again.A soft voice broke through the haze.“Ma, can you see me? Can you hear me?”I blinked slowly, letting my eyes adjust bit by bit. At first, everything was blurred shapes and pale colors. Then Ava’s face came into focus, her brows drawn together with worry, a wet cloth still in her hand.“Ava…” My voice came out hoarse and unfamiliar to my own ears.I tried to sit up immediately, panic hitting me before full awareness did. “Where is Kael?” That was the first thing that escaped my lips.Ava quickly dropped the cloth onto the bedside table and supported me as I pushed myself upright.“Alpha King has been here with you the entire time,” she said gently. “He only stepped out not long ago to meet the border wa
Elara’s POVThe elder stepped forward once the war dancers cleared the arena, his voice carrying easily across the clearing.“The next event is the combat tournament between each pack’s chosen warriors. The rules are simple. No killing. Yielding must be honored. Strength without control is disgrace.”A murmur of anticipation rippled through the crowd.One by one, warriors from different packs stepped into the arena, swords gleaming under the fading daylight. They bowed briefly before circling each other, their movements sharp and calculating. When the first clash of metal rang through the air, it sent a thrill through the spectators.The sound of steel striking steel echoed powerfully. Sparks flew with every calculated swing. The warriors fought fiercely but with discipline, every strike measured, every defense deliberate. It was not chaos. It was art sharpened by survival.I sat upright, watching closely, Kael’s hand wrapped around mine as his thumb smoothed over my knuckles in quiet
Elara’s POVI had been staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours, watching shadows shift faintly along the carved wood above us. Sleep refused to come easily, no matter how exhausted my body was from the long day. My thoughts would not rest, and the closer tomorrow came, the louder they seemed.I turned slightly and saw that Kael was already dozing off beside me, his breathing slow and steady. Even in sleep, he looked composed, like nothing in the world could shake him.“I am worried about tomorrow,” I whispered, knowing he was not fully asleep yet. “What if I cannot stand beside you for long? What if I am still weak? I do not want to let the pack down.”His arm tightened around me almost instantly, pulling me closer against his chest.“You are not weak,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep but firm. “I will be with you through it all, and I am certain the pack will be proud of their Luna.”He tilted my chin slightly and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips.“Now close your eyes
Elara’s POV“Ma, your former pack is outside, and your parents are with them too,” one of the guards announced respectfully.For a second, my heart leapt like it used to, like the old Elara would have dropped everything and run barefoot across the courtyard without thinking twice. I could already imagine my mother’s embrace and my father’s proud smile.But I did not run.I inhaled slowly and nodded instead, rising to my feet with measured calm. Things were different now. I was not just someone’s daughter returning home. I stood in a position that carried responsibility and eyes watching every move.“Take me to them,” I said.As I followed the guard outside, I noticed how much the grounds had transformed. Colorful banners draped across stone pillars, flowers lined the pathways, and guards were stationed at every entrance. Several packs had already arrived, and attendants were directing them to their assigned quarters.This festival was not a small gathering. It was political.“Elara!”
Elara’s POV“Do you think she will be alright?” I asked softly, lifting my head to look at Kael’s face after a long stretch of silence between us.The small house was quiet except for the faint rustling of leaves outside and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear. His fingers moved lazily along my arm as though he were drawing invisible patterns into my skin.“Do you want to go and find out?” he asked without opening his eyes.There was something tempting about the idea of returning just to see the damage I had done, yet the thought of stepping back into that tense atmosphere made my chest tighten.“No,” I said honestly. “I like it here.”A faint smile curved his lips before he adjusted me slightly against his body with one arm. The shift pulled me closer, and that was when I became painfully aware of the solid warmth pressing against my stomach. My breath caught, and heat rushed to my face as realization dawned on me.I quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the woode
Elara’s POVI stirred the moment Kael left the room, though I kept my breathing steady for a few seconds longer. The knock had woken me before he told whoever was outside to come in, and I had heard enough to know that something serious was happening beneath the calm surface he always tried to maintain around me.Rhode was locked up.Starved.Punished.My fingers curled into the sheets as I slowly pushed myself up to sit on the bed. The room felt too quiet now, too still, as if it were holding secrets in the walls.I did not know whether I should feel relieved or afraid. Part of me was glad that Rhode had been caught because the memory of that night still clung to me like cold air. However, another part of me trembled at the thought of what Kael was capable of doing in my name. His voice earlier had been controlled, but beneath it I had heard something darker.What if he killed him because of me?My eyes drifted to the box resting near the wardrobe. Ava must have brought it while I pr







