Evelyn PoVAt first, I had not thought that Gilly's story would turn out to be so tragic. I thought I was merely doing my mother a favour: I was releasing a spirit and giving peace to the pack. But every single step I took in the direction of solving was heavy with shadows that just threw more secrets in my direction. I could feel the darkness circling in, twisting me into a hangman's noose.The old records of the pack were dusty and brittle, worn yellow with age. Weeks I spent in the archives bent over a desk deciphering the scribbled handwriting and cryptic notes. Draven helped where he could, his fingers dancing over ancient texts while I pieced together, bit by bit, the fragmented history of Gilly's downfall.It started innocent enough. Gilly was loved; with those attributes of kindness and strength, she was never really a natural leader. Somehow respect turned to jealousy, and jealousy turned to betrayal. The swirling in the ancient documents held very hostile stories of a family
Authors PoVThey started like whispers in the night.In the stillness of sleep, they forced their way into her brain to take her through dark and twisted visions. Some shadows curled around her, cold and snake-like; their touch glided over the rippling skin and left frosted impressions behind. The dreams picked their way through her nightmares the same way—her pack in chains, expressionless and with eyes like black pits; there was someone ahead, a person cloaked in shadows.The figure's face shifted and distorted; at one time it would be reminiscent of Gilly with her soft features, at another of Gloria, with that awful smirk. She would desperately attempt to run, to scream, but either the land would crumble beneath her feet, swallowing her whole in the world, until she woke up gasping for air.The dreams haunted her daily, tormenting her with the reality of the world outside the realm of sleep. Gilly's spirit seemed to linger in the edges of reality sewn into the very fabric that woul
Evelyn PoVThe truth sat heavy on my chest, a stone sinking into dark waters. Gilly's voice lingered in my mind, a soft, desperate whisper threading through my thoughts even as I went through the motions of daily life. The blood of the betrayed will break the chains.Those words had been haunting me ever since the ritual with Draven, every syllable a jigsaw puzzle piece that refused to fit. What betrayal? Whose blood? The answers I sorely craved could only be unearthed by digging deeper into Gilly's past, the life which she had led before Gloria's darkness swallowed her whole.I started my search among the old documents located in the pack's ancient archive building where old books and fragile scrolls blended their aged scent with forgotten tales. For hours I studied the pack's historical records that included birth and death records as well as political alliances and loyalty breakdowns. Being careful with my page turns made me sharply conscious that the sound of crinkling pages carri
Evelyn PoVWas this a mere figment of my imagination?… Gilly’s voice had become an echo that trickled into the stillness, catching me unawares. The torment did not even allow me peace in sleep. I would close my eyes, and her voice would take me into shadowed dreams-corridors layered in darkness, chains clanking in the distance."Evelyn."It now sounded weak and soft, no more than an echo but soon merely a whisper grazing my skin. Jerking upright in bed, I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders."Wh-What do you want from me?" I whispered back, my voice lost in the dark.Silence.I woke up abruptly from my bed before drawing the blanket closer to protect my shoulders."What do you want from me?" I demanded quietly. I managed to answer him but my words vanished into the darkness.Silence.I clenched my fists. “If you’re real I need to see you to be sure.”The air moved through the room as the window remained closed. The candle flame moved in an unexpected sideways wave as though
Evelyn’s PoVAs I came to stand amidst the rubble of Odessa’s fortress, there rioted smells of smoke and blood. The bodies of both friends and foes lay scattered on the ground from a battle that, to me, seemed less a victory than a doomsday. My body screamed for peace, and the tightness of every muscle felt unbearable; yet it could hardly compare with the turmoil within me.Finian stood a few paces away, his eyes piercing into mine. His expression was inscrutable-somewhere between hope and acceptance. His knuckles were bruised, his hair caked with dirt, and yet still he seemed the bedrock I have leaned upon during my stay with the pack at Odessa. He had saved me countless times, and now, standing before freedom, I no longer knew where we stood.And then there was Marcus.He emerged from the smoke like an apparition. Relief, pain, and something else—something much deeper, something older, much older—were stamped on his face, making my chest tighten. The last rays of sunlight broke thro
Author PoVBefore sentries had time to alert their camp the arrows struck their targets. The wolves crashed into each other while they shifted as their howls unified their counterparts.Inside the fortress, Evelyn felt it. The vibrations of battle were within her, through the stone walls, deep and low; she felt a low hum settle deep into her bones. She was clasped in silver chains burning against the skin, watching Finian about to die.One of the guards entered the room quickly, his face extremely pale. "We are under attack!"Odessa's face hardened, "By whom?""Callum and his people… he’s alive my alpha. And the Red Blood Moon pack."Odessa's lips twisted into a snarl. "Then they have come to die." She turned toward Evelyn, handing her a dagger she had drawn from her belt. "I ought to kill you. But I will save you for last.”Evelyn then looked into Odessa's eyes, her fear burning away and replaced by determination. "No, I will save you for last.”Then the ambush began. Callum and Ryan