LOGINFINNI chuckled, unable to suppress my amusement. “Dad, you’re so dramatic. I didn’t know you had this side to you.”“Laugh all you want,” he shot back, though his lips twitched for a second. “But you need to choose a Beta. So that by the time you return from one of your escapades and you see your pack in shambles, it’ll teach you a lesson.”“Fine, fine,” I nodded. “But you know it’s up to Nyx,” I said, referencing my wolf. “So far, he doesn’t agree with all the candidates we’ve had. It’s not my fault.”My father muttered something under his breath but let the matter drop since we were already standing in front of the pack office building. When we entered my office, he wasted no time handing me a thick stack of files that required urgent attention.For the next few hours, I worked through the documents, signing and approving where necessary, while he stood nearby, occasionally explaining key points. The complexity of the paperwork felt like a stark contrast to the adrenaline-filled mo
FINNWe arrived at the pack house almost an hour later. Isla had fallen asleep in my arms at some point during the journey. I decided to take her straight to the Alpha house instead of the general infirmary.The moment I walked through the gates of the Alpha house, I spotted Luna Seraphina pacing anxiously in front of the main entrance while my father hovered nearby, looking helpless and frustrated.“Alpha!” the guard on duty called out, announcing my presence as he bowed respectfully.“Oh!” Luna Seraphina took in several shaky breaths, clutching her chest dramatically. She looked like she might faint, and my father had to steady her quickly. “Is she dead?”“Of course not!” I chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tension. “She twisted her ankle, but she’s fine now. She even fell asleep on the way back. Will you show me her room so I can put her down?”Luna Seraphina nodded quickly, gathering herself as she led the way inside. I followed her through the familiar halls until we reached I
FINNIt was killing me.Sitting around and waiting was slowly destroying me from the inside. I had barely slept a wink the entire night. Every few minutes, my eyes darted to my phone, checking and rechecking until I drained the battery multiple times, desperately waiting for a return call from Maya or Nanny.My paws pounded hard against the wet earth as I pushed myself faster. I raced through the dense forest in my wolf form, trying to outrun the heavy uncertainty that had taken root in my chest ever since I helped Maya come back from her semi-trapped state.I wanted to escape the haunting words The Dark One had whispered to me with such smug confidence: that he had been waiting for me all along and knew I would come.I wanted to run away from the crushing pressure of leading my pack. All I truly wanted was to lie beside Maya and forget everything.Oh, how desperately I wanted to forget…But Maya wouldn’t even take my calls. It wasn’t like her to ignore me, and that silence made my wo
MAYANeeding to clear my head after everything that had happened, I dressed quickly in comfortable training clothes and headed straight for the training ground. I knew that if I engaged in some physical exertion, it would help me forget about the weird dream I had about my wolf. I didn’t want to think too much about Nymeris or the possibility that she was real. Since I still couldn’t communicate with her or feel her presence when I was awake, it was safer to assume it was all in my head. I didn’t want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed again.I started warming up with simple stretches and lunges, trying my best to shake off the emotions from the dream. The rhythmic movements helped ground me, even if my mind kept drifting back to those brilliant blue eyes and the forked tail.“Didn’t think I’d find you here so early,” a familiar deep voice teased from behind me.I turned around to see Kael standing at the edge of the training area. A playful smirk tugged at his lips. He wore
MAYANot again, I thought as panic rose swiftly in my chest like a tidal wave.I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my blurred vision. Towering trees slowly came into focus around me. I was in the forest again. There was no doubt about it. With frantic movements, I scrambled into a sitting position. Dried leaves crinkled loudly beneath me as I moved. My hands flew up to my hair, clutching the strands tightly between trembling fingers. My eyes darted wildly around the clearing, desperately trying to piece together how I had ended up here once more.My breathing came out shallow and uneven.“Why… how?” I stammered under my breath. My chest heaved as I spun around in place, searching for any clue that might anchor me back to reality.A calm voice suddenly cut through my spiraling thoughts.“You’re awake.”I whirled toward the sound, startled. Leaning casually against a nearby tree with his arms crossed stood Tobias. “Tobias?” I called out shakily. “What… what are you doing here?”He push
MAYAI stood in the middle of a vast, moonlit clearing. The stars shone with an intensity I had never witnessed before. The forest around me was eerily quiet.A profound sense of peace washed over me. For the first time since my second cleansing, I felt truly at ease. It was strange, a voice calling my name in the middle of nowhere should have frightened me, but instead, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. As if I had been waiting for this moment my entire life without even realizing it."Maya..."The voice called out again, wrapping around me like a gentle embrace. Slowly, I turned toward the source of the voice.But what I saw next confused me deeply.Mother Liora was pouring ceremonial water over my head in a deliberate gesture. Beside her, Nanny clasped my hands so tightly that I could see the veins standing out beneath her skin. Both of them wore serene expressions, surrounded by a soft, glowing aura.Something wasn’t right.I was standing here, in the clearing, wat
MAYAMy heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, the entire hall seemed to hold its breath with me. I glanced around quickly. My eyes darted from Finn, who sat a few paces behind me with that quiet, steady presence I’d always relied on, to the council members watching me with varying degrees of cur
FINN“Yes,” The priestess nodded solemnly. “Every Moonwhisperer in history, including Neriah, the first, has at some point been stripped of their abilities. This is not the first time.”“So how were they able to fight?” Elder Mira asked, leaning forward. “They all underwent training,” the priestes
MAYAFinn’s car idled quietly outside the Ashbourne pack house. We’d pulled up nearly twenty minutes ago. Neither of us moved to get out.I sat with my hands folded in my lap, absently tracing the edge of my blouse with one fingertip. My mind kept replaying the day in loops.Heat crept up my cheeks
MAYAI should get used to disgrace by now, but as I walked away from the hall, feeling a thousand pairs of eyes burning into my back, I knew I would never get used to it, no matter how much I tried. Maybe I should just die and be done with it. I kept walking until the murmurs faded into the dista







