ANMELDENI had to get back. I had to tell Kade. I had to tell my family. This was the only solution at the moment. The second option was to go to where I was to meet the midnight bloom people and tell them what had happen, but what if they had been the one who robbed me? What if all of this was a trap set by them? My best bet was to get to safety and find a way to contact them immediately.The journey back felt endless. By the time I reached the pack gates, the sun was rising, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges that felt wrong. Warriors spotted me immediately. Shouts went up. Someone helped me through the gate, and moments later Kade was there, running toward me with Tim and my mother close behind.“Lyra!” Kade’s voice cracked with relief and fear as he caught me before I could collapse. His arms wrapped around me tightly. “What happened? Where is your father? Where’s the relic?”I clung to him, tears finally breaking free. “They took it. I… I never saw them coming. They dropped from
The news hit me like a physical blow.My father, the former Beta, was missing. My knees felt weak. Kade’s hand tightened around mine instantly, grounding me.“We’ll get him back,” he said, voice low and fierce. “I promise.”But promises felt hollow in that moment. My father had always been steady, quiet, the one who supported me. Now he was in Axel’s remnants’ hands or worse.Tim appeared moments later, face pale and eyes burning with the same fear I felt. Our mother followed close behind, her hands trembling as she clutched a shawl around her shoulders.“Lyra… Tim…” she whispered, voice cracking. “Your father…”Tim pulled her into a quick hug, but his eyes met mine over her shoulder. The Beta in him was already calculating, but the brother in him was breaking.“We have to go after him,” I said immediately. “Right now. Before they get too far.”Tim nodded sharply. “I’ll gather a small team. Fast and quiet. We can track them through the border woods.”Our mother stepped back, wiping
“What now?” I gasped, already scrambling off the bed.Kade was faster. He yanked on his pants and grabbed the blade he always kept beside the bed. His face had shifted from lover to Alpha in a single heartbeat . His jaw was tight and his eyes got sharp.“Stay close,” he ordered, voice low and commanding.We threw on the nearest clothes , me in a simple tunic and leggings, him in dark pants and a loose shirt, barely bothering with shoes. I snatched my own dagger from the side table as we rushed out the door.The pack house was in controlled chaos. Warriors sprinted past us, some half-dressed, others already shifted and howling. Torches flared to life outside. Alarms continued to scream.Kade’s voice cut through the noise like a whip. “How are things?”A warrior skidded to a stop in front of us, breathing hard. “Eastern perimeter, Alpha! Midnight Bloom remnants, organized, not just stragglers. They’re hitting hard and fast.”Kade didn’t hesitate. “Mobilize all border squads. Secure the
The ceremony was over. The feast had ended. The pack had finally gone to their homes, leaving the night quiet and still for the first time in what felt like forever.Kade and I slipped back into our quarters, the heavy door closing behind us with a soft click. It felt like the end of one chapter and the beginning of something new. The relic’s soft blue glow filtered faintly through the window from the chamber nearby, a constant reminder that we had won.Well, for now.But right now, none of that mattered.Kade turned to me, his eyes darkened. He reached out and gently traced the line of my jaw with his fingertips.“Finally alone,” he murmured, voice low and rough. “My Luna.”The word sent a shiver through me. I stepped into his arms, pressing my body against his.“Say it again,” I whispered.His hands slid down my back, pulling me closer. “My Luna. My mate. Mine.”He kissed me slowly at first, savoring every second, as if he needed to memorize the taste of me after all the chaos. I me
Weeks had passed since the night of the battle.I stood in front of the tall mirror in my room, smoothing the deep silver fabric of the ceremonial gown Kade had chosen for me.Yes, today was my mating ceremony with Kade. It was crazy how things could change overnight. I still had bruises from the fight, but had faded to faint shadows, and the cut on my lip had healed completely. Still, when I looked at myself, I saw the warrior who had fought Axel, defeated Torren, and stood beside her mate through fire and betrayal.Kade stepped up behind me, his hands settling gently on my waist. He wore formal black robes edged in gold. This was the attire of an Alpha on the most important night of his reign. “You look beautiful,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of my neck. “But then again, you always do.”I turned in his arms and smiled up at him. Kade’s eyes softened as he looked down on me. He took my hand and laced our fingers together. “Ready?”I took a deep breath and nodded. “Rea
THIRD PERSON’s POVAxel’s forces struck without warning.Hundreds of Midnight Bloom wolves poured across the eastern border in coordinated waves. Howls shattered the silence as they shifted mid-run, teeth bared and eyes glowing with feral hunger. Axel led from the front, his massive brown wolf larger and more savage than most, driven by fury over the stolen relic and the woman who had slipped through his grasp.Inside the pack house, alarms blared. Warriors scrambled for weapons and shifted forms. Kade burst from his quarters already half-shifted, Lyra at his side, her face set with grim determination despite the lingering bruises on her cheek and ribs.“Defend the relic chamber!” Kade roared, his voice carrying across the courtyard. “Protect the borders! No one gets through!”The battle exploded into chaos.Torren revealed himself in the thick of the fighting near the main gate. He had shed his Night Claw colors and now fought openly on Axel’s side, a dark cloak flapping as he cut do
THIRD PERSON’s POV (Hello readers, I did this to give a broader view of the story):The night after the scouting attack, tension hung over Night Claw like a storm cloud ready to break.Torren moved through the darkness with three of his most loyal followers; Garrick, Jace, and a quiet warrior named
Torren’s POVThe pack house was finally quiet. Most lights had gone out, and the patrols had settled into their night routes. I waited in the shadows of the western corridor until the last guard passed, then slipped toward the relic chamber like a shadow.My heart hammered with a mix of fear and th
Torren’s POVThe new moon was still days away, but the air already felt charged with the promise of chaos.I moved through the shadows of Night Claw territory like a ghost, heart pounding with dark excitement. The scouting party Axel had promised was due any minute. A small group meant to test the
LYRA’s POVThe rumors turned uglier overnight.By morning training, the whispers had grown teeth. No longer just “she slept her way to the top.” Now they said I was controlling Kade with the relic’s magic, that I had betrayed the pack in Midnight Bloom by making a secret deal with Axel, and that I







