JACKSON’S POVThe forest swallowed us whole as we moved—silent, swift, shadows among shadows. Every breath I drew was sharp, controlled, but my heart… my heart was a drumbeat of desperation, each thud louder than the last.Laila. Just hold on. Please.The warriors flanked me, Lycans and wolves alike, their rage a living thing, pulsing in the air. We slipped past their security like ghosts, undetected, fanning out toward the eastern wing—where the scout had last seen her. But by the time we breached the perimeter and descended into the dungeons beneath the pack house, Laila was gone.We tore through cell doors, ripped off chains, but every cage was empty. No sign of her. Not even a trace of her scent. It was like she had vanished into thin air.My heart sank. If she wasn’t here, then where was she? What had they done to her? A growl erupted deep in my throat as I paced the place. Now is not the time to panic. We have to make a decision fast.We couldn’t leave without Laila—not tonight.
KAREN’S POVJackson wasn’t alone.From the trees, shadows moved—big, fast, and lethal. Dozens of wolves burst through the underbrush, and with them came Lycans. I recognized them instantly, their sheer size and strength impossible to miss. They weren’t just any warriors—they were Shadow Moon’s elite.And they came for blood.The six Blue Cross Pack wolves that had surrounded me barely had time to react before they were overpowered. One by one, they were taken down—ruthlessly, efficiently. Blood splattered the ground, paws tore through flesh, and the snarls of Shadow Moon’s warriors drowned out everything else.I couldn’t take my eyes off the silver-and-black Lycan tearing through the enemies with terrifying precision. It wasn’t just his strength—it was the rage in his movements. Controlled, focused, deadly.When he finally shifted back to his human form, my breath caught.Liam. Laila’s twin and Jackson’s brother.He stood tall, blood streaked across his bare chest, his expression unre
KAREN’S POVMy heart pounded in my chest as the blaring alarm echoed through the pack house, cutting through the night like a knife. I knew that sound wasn’t meant for me—it was bigger, louder. A full-scale alert. Something was terribly wrong.Laila. Her name tore through my mouth as panic surged through me like a tidal wave. She was still inside. My brave, reckless, selfless Laila, who had come all this way alone just to help me escape.My stomach twisted painfully as a memory of Salma’s lifeless body flashed before my eyes. What if Grayson got to her too? What if… what if she was already—No! I forced the thought out of my head. Laila was strong. She was fast. She had the blood of an Alpha and a warrior’s heart. She had to be okay. She had to.I crouched in the brush, hidden in the shadows like she had taught me, watching the chaos unfold. The scent of fear was thick in the air. I could hear voices shouting, footsteps thundering through the compound. Then, the pack house door burst
ALEX’S POVThe room reeked of sweat and frustration—Laila's sharp, angry scent mixing with my own confusion. My muscles screamed with every block, every dodge, but the burn felt good. Right.She moved like a damn ghost—fast, silent, deadly—but I could feel her wearing down. That slight stumble in her step. The way her breathing hitched just a second too long between strikes.She's getting tired.Her next punch came flying at my face—but there it was again. That tiny hesitation.My body moved before my brain caught up. I caught her wrist mid-air, twisting hard."Ah—!" Her gasp cut through the air like a knife.I yanked her arm behind her back, using her own momentum to slam her into the mats. The impact rattled through her—I felt it in my bones—and a choked sound escaped her lips.I didn’t let up.Before she could twist free, my knee pinned her chest down. Her pulse jackhammered under my grip, her breath coming in ragged bursts. For one frozen second, our eyes locked—hers wide with sho
ALEX’S POVThe moment I stepped into the hall, something felt off. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The packhouse, usually filled with the scent of my father’s plans and the faint, tangy undertones of the magic he so often used, felt unnaturally quiet.I paused in front of Karen’s room, my hand tightening around the doorframe.The guards should’ve been there, watching over her. But the hallway was eerily empty.I cursed under my breath. I’d left them specifically for this—so she wouldn’t try anything stupid. So she wouldn’t think she could escape.I reached for the door, pushing it open with force, only to find the room empty. The bed, untouched. The window, wide open.My heart dropped into my stomach, my chest tightening in an instant.No. No, no, no.I stormed into the room, fists clenched. My wolf was howling in panic, the urgency in his voice echoing in my head. She’s gone.“Damn it,” I muttered, turning and slamming my fist into the w
KAREN’S POVThe air in the dimly lit room was thick with the scent of damp earth and burning herbs—the kind that clung to the back of my throat like smoke. Alpha Grayson loomed before me, his shadow stretching across the stone floor, swallowing the flickering torchlight.His lips curled into a slow, predatory smile, revealing teeth that seemed too sharp, too eager. "Use your blood," he murmured, his voice like gravel dragged over ice. "To complete the potion. With your blood, Karen, I will gain immortality."The moment the words left his mouth, my heart stuttered. A cold, creeping dread slithered down my spine, turning my limbs to lead. My blood—my blood—was the key to his twisted ritual.I swallowed hard, forcing steel into my voice. "Over my dead body." My fingers curled into fists, nails biting into my palms. "You want immortality? Then go to hell and take your dark magic with you."For a heartbeat, he said nothing—just stared at me in silence. Then—His expression twisted, a grote
LAILA’S POVI clung to the shadows, my fingers brushing the rough brick as I edged closer to the training grounds. The voices of two guards reached me, their words sharp, laced with something ugly."She’s not going to last long in there."The first guard spat on the ground, his boot scuffing dirt as he leaned against a crate of rusted weapons. His face was hard, unfeeling. "You saw what Alpha Grayson did to the last girl who tried to run."The second guard—taller, with a jagged scar running down his jaw—let out a low, humorless laugh. "She’s not just any girl. She’s the one from Shadow Moon. The white wolf." He lowered his voice, but I caught every word, each one like ice sliding down my spine. "Grayson has plans for her—dark ones."My breath hitched.Karen. She was really here—and in trouble. And she wasn’t just a prisoner. She was prey.The guards moved off, their laughter grating against my skull. I waited until their footsteps faded before slipping deeper into the heart of the com
LAILA’S POVThe woods were too quiet. Not the peaceful kind of quiet—the kind that makes your skin crawl, like the whole forest was holding its breath. No birds chirping. No squirrels rustling leaves. Just… nothing. Like even the animals knew to stay the hell away from this place.I pressed my back against an old oak tree, the bark digging into my shoulders through my thin shirt. My heart was doing a damn tap dance in my chest—thump-thump-thump—so loud I swore the guards patrolling ahead could hear it.Get it together, Laila. Breathe.I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second, nails biting into my palms. The smell hit me again—wet dirt, rotting leaves, and underneath it… her. Karen’s scent was faint, like someone had dabbed a drop of perfume in a sewer, but it was there. Honey and wildflowers, just like Jackson had always described it.You’re close. Keep moving.I’d been tracking her since midnight, moving like a ghost. Step when the wind howled. Freeze when it died. My boots were soa
I didn’t sleep again after the nightmare. I just sat there, staring out the window, waiting for dawn to come like it might bring some sort of clarity—some kind of peace. But as the first rays of sunlight bled across the horizon, all I felt was rage. A deep, burning rage that simmered just beneath my skin.A knock came at my door just after sunrise. Before I could answer, it creaked open, and Liam stepped inside, his face pale and drawn. He didn’t have to say a word.“They’re back,” he said quietly.I was already up, brushing past him without a word, heading for the war room where my father and the others had likely gathered. My feet moved fast, but my mind was already racing ahead.Please let her be okay. Please tell me she’s alive.The door swung open before I even reached for the handle, and there stood one of the spies—Samir—covered in dust and sweat, his eyes heavy with something I recognized instantly: guilt.I stepped inside. My father looked up from his seat, his expression gra