MasukAéron's Point of ViewI stood beside the bed for several long minutes after Elara lay down. She had curled herself into one side of the mattress, facing away from me. Her breathing gradually became slower, and if I hadn't known her well enough by now, I would have believed she had already fallen asleep.But I knew better. She wasn't sleeping. She was hiding from the guilt. So many things have turned butter for her. Elara was afraid of Emily's screams and the questions none of us have answers to.I quietly walked to her side and gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. Even in sleep—or at least the illusion of it—her eyebrows remained knitted together."I'll bring her back." I whispered so softly that only the moon could have heard me. "I promised you and I don't intend to break that promise."She didn't respond. I pulled the blanket over her shoulders before turning toward the door. Just before leaving, I looked back one last time. "Rest tonight. I'll carry this burde
Aéron's Point of ViewThe walk back to the pack house was painfully silent.Neither of us spoke.The corridors that were once filled with greetings for their Alpha now felt unbearably empty. Warriors lowered their heads as I passed, but I barely acknowledged them. My attention remained on the woman walking quietly beside me.Elara.Her shoulders were slumped, her eyes swollen from crying, and her steps lacked the confidence she had shown after waking from the ritual. Every few seconds, she seemed to drift somewhere else, as though Emily's screams were still echoing inside her mind.I knew that look.It was the same expression I had worn after my father's death.The expression of someone blaming themselves for something they couldn't control.I hated seeing it on her.When we reached my chambers, I pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped aside.She hesitated.Her eyes slowly wandered across the spacious room. A large fireplace burned softly in one corner, filling the room with wa
Elara's Point of ViewEmily's words wouldn't leave my mind. "Please... save me... or kill me." They echoed over and over until I couldn't tell whether they were coming from the dungeon below or from inside my own head.I remained standing before the iron bars, unable to breathe, unable to think. Behind me, I heard hurried footsteps. Aéron. He stopped a few feet away, his face pale after hearing every word Emily had spoken. Neither of us said anything for several seconds.The silence hurt more than any scream. I turned toward him. The moment our eyes met, every ounce of strength I had been holding onto crumbled. I ran to him. My trembling hands clutched the front of his shirt as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face."Aéron..." My voice broke. "Please..." I shook him desperately. "Please save her. I can't watch her like this. If Emily dies..." Another sob escaped my lips. "I'll never forgive myself.""I brought her here. Idragged her into your world. She trusted me and now she's p
Elara's Point of ViewThe howl never seemed to end. It echoed through every corridor of the infirmary until the walls themselves felt as though they were trembling. I stood frozen, unable to tear my eyes away from Emily as another violent scream ripped from her throat."Emily!" I screamed Her body jerked so hard that the entire bed lifted off the floor before crashing back down. Crack The sickening sound of bones snapping filled the room."No..." I whispered, my entire body going cold.Her arms twisted at impossible angles before suddenly straightening again. Her fingers curled into claws, digging deep into the wooden frame beneath her. Veins darkened beneath her skin while her chest rose and fell in frantic breaths.She wasn't merely in pain. She was fighting her own body. Helena immediately stepped back."Everyone out!"Another crack echoed through the infirmary. Emily arched backward, letting out another deafening growl that no longer sounded entirely human. The healers scattered
Elara's point of view My lungs didn't hold my breath and my entire body went number for that specific moment. I couldn't move. My feet felt rooted to the cold stone floor as my eyes remained fixed on the woman lying on the infirmary bed.Emily was no longer the girl I used to know and it was my fault. While I was fighting my own battles, she was the one who paid price. She was lying on the bed or easy to say restrained on the bed.Her body arched violently against the restraints tied around her wrists and ankles. Thick leather straps strained with every movement as though they could snap at any second. Veins had darkened beneath her pale skin, spreading from the bite wound across her neck and shoulders like black roots.Her eyes... They were changed. I felt my heart shatter. The warm brown eyes that had always looked at me with kindness were now bloodshot, glowing with an unfamiliar golden tint. They darted wildly around the room, unable to focus on anyone.A guttural growl escaped h
Elara's point of view After the certain run and chaos around me, everything went silent. The eerie silence wasn't a peaceful kind but I felt suffocation. My breathes seemed shorter and suddenly the fear settled down in my guts. Something was wrapped around my eyes and I took it off.When I opened my eyes, I wasn't inside the infirmary anymore. There were no walls, no ceiling, no scent of medicine or blood. Instead, an endless white mist stretched in every direction, swallowing the entire world.A cold breeze brushed against my face. I slowly stood and realized I was standing on the edge of a towering cliff. Endless mountains rested beneath a silver moon so enormous it looked close enough to touch. It was beautiful and appeared almost unreal.While I admired the moon, I heard footsteps behind me. They were soft and a certain chocolaty smell that hits my nostrils. So, I turned slowly and found a thick mist behind me. As my gaze narrowed to look keenly, a massive white she-wolf emerged







