MasukLira's POV Damien and Alura moved toward the rest of the Blackthorne guards. They gathered close, speaking in low tones, likely deciding who would take charge once they returned home.Left where I was, there was nothing to do but sit and think. Almira’s words stayed on my mind. So did the thought of how to hide from Salcan and even Divine if it came to that.There was hope in finally finding answers.But beneath that hope was fear. No one could tell what the outcome would be.Almira moved quickly toward one of the carriages at the far end of the march.A few minutes later, she returned with something in her hands. It looked like a cloak, but not like any I had seen before.A bright smile spread across her face as she walked up to me.She began adjusting it, pulling out extra fabric from the bottom and folding the neck covering neatly into itself. Then she lowered herself to her knees in front of me.Carefully, she spread the cloak open beside me, making sure everything was in place.
Lira's POV My brain went cold. I ran out of words to say although I hadn't said anything yet. Damien’s eyes stayed fixed on mine, but my focus had already shifted.It was not on him anymore. I was trying to find Almira's heartbeat, faintly coming from beneath the carriage. I said a quiet prayer to myself with hope that he wouldn't hear it too. But deep down, that hope felt useless. If the sound was clear enough to notice, then he would hear it too.He outranked me in every way.Before any plan could form, his gaze shifted. It moved to the exact spot where she was hiding. Then it returned, and a small smile appeared on his face.“I have known she was there since we left the Ashen lands,” he said calmly.The breath caught in my throat.He leaned closer.“You can come out now, Almira.”For a moment, there was no movement.Then slowly, she crawled out from beneath the carriage and stepped forward. Her eyes moved between us as she scratched her head.“Um… we just… we had to,” she said, he
Lira's POV It was strange for the Moonblessed to hold a feast. Back then, it was never something they did. So if it was happening now, it could only mean one thing. Their numbers had grown, and they finally had a reason to celebrate.It would not be surprising if wolves from smaller packs had joined them out of fear.Silence settled around Damien as he stood before the Tarlock wolves. From inside the carriage, their expressions were clear. Calm and Unafraid.That alone made me uneasy.There was a time when no one would dare stand like that in front of him. Not when the Blackthorne name still carried weight. Back then, they would have bowed or stayed far away.But things were different now.Without warning, one of them pulled out a dagger. The other followed with a sword.“You know we cannot let you pass,” one of them said. “There is a bounty on your head.”He paused and sniffed the air.“There are others with you,” he continued. “Different scents. Not all of them are Blackthorne.”A
Lira's POV That was the first time I stepped out of the Ashen lands, and everything felt different.I had breathed the air there for so long that I had forgotten what the outside world felt like, what it even smelled like.The difference was clear the moment we left. The air was heavier, rougher, and not as calm as what I was used to.We had been travelling on a rocky road for about two days. The journey was slow and tiring, and we had barely made any real progress.Even after all that time, we were still far from the small villages and settlements ahead.I turned to look at Damien. His face seemed different, changing more with each passing day.The tension from our earlier argument was still there, heavy between us.bI had told him we should not take this journey, but he had already made up his mind. For the first time in a long while, I could not change it.My gaze dropped to my legs.I knew what I had to do to fix them. I knew there was a way.But it all came down to one thing.Was
Lira's POV The fact that they were siblings made everything worse. What was my excuse now? Even if I lied, I knew Carlos would not support it.Almira’s eyes stayed on me as I looked up at her. I was still trying to find the right words when Carlos spoke.“Why the awkward silence?” he asked, looking between all of us.“Oh, that’s just a nickname,” I said quickly, feeling a lump in my throat. It was a terrible answer, but it was already out, so I had to continue with it. I took a breath and noticed Almira still had not said anything.“That is one of the reasons Carlos is so fond of me,” I added, hoping he would play along.“He has been insisting that I try to communicate with the master,” I continued, hoping that would help my case.Carlos stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled.“We all know daughters of the moon are not as powerful as they used to be. I don’t think they still exist.”As soon as I heard that, I knew I had convinced him, but I also knew what it meant.“Alpha Damien is w
Lira's POV The fact that they were siblings made everything worse. What was my excuse now? Even if I lied, I knew Carlos would not support it.Almira’s eyes stayed on me as I looked up at her. I was still trying to find the right words when Carlos spoke.“Why the awkward silence?” he asked, looking between all of us.“Oh, that’s just a nickname,” I said quickly, feeling a lump in my throat. It was a terrible answer, but it was already out, so I had to continue with it. I took a breath and noticed Almira still had not said anything.“That is one of the reasons Carlos is so fond of me,” I added, hoping he would play along.“He has been insisting that I try to communicate with the master,” I continued, hoping that would help my case.Carlos stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled.“We all know daughters of the moon are not as powerful as they used to be. I don’t think they still exist.”As soon as I heard that, I knew I had convinced him, but I also knew what it meant.“Alpha Damien is w
Damien's POV It had been decades since I last saw a liquid that looked and smelled that bad. When Lord Marco lifted the vial, my stomach twisted. I felt the urge to vomit, but I swallowed it down. An Alpha throwing up in front of his pack was not an option.I had already given Desmond his instruc
Lira's POV I tilted my head, trying to understand what I was seeing on her face. Alia looked tired. Too tired. It was like something dark was moving under her skin, especially around her eyes. Her face looked dull, like she had not slept in days. That didn't make sense. She had been asleep since o
Lira's POV When my legs hit the floor below, dust rose into the air. It filled my nose and made me cough. The place looked like it had been abandoned for a very long time. Algae covered parts of the walls, and the floor looked dry, like water had not touched it in years. I looked around. There
Damien's POV It felt like walking toward something I already knew I could not stop. They said they had a hostage. Someone from my pack. That part alone made my chest tight.I tried to tell myself it could be anyone. Half of my pack had gone east. There were so many of us. Hundreds. Maybe more. But







