Lucian’s POV“What was all that about Lucian?” Rowan says and he sounds annoyed.“What was all what about?” I take quick long strides to my room. I need to take a break.“Is there something you’re not telling us? Something we need to know?” Damien says. I’m not surprised they can notice I’m not myself.“What’s going on with you Lucian? Since she stepped her feet into this place,you haven’t been yourself. You are different.”“We need to know if the difference is positive or negative. Don’t ask us to turn a blind eye in this situation.” Kai speaks up. I keep walking forward. I have no way to explain this to any of them.“Lucian, open your damn mouth and say something! Are you just becoming possessive over her or is the curse starting to act up?” Rowans asks. He tries to be as discreet as possible. But he still ends up offending me.I stop in my tracks. Anger,rage, hatred, myriad of negative emotions pass through me all at once.“Lucian, get a hold of yourself. We promised ourselves she
I pace around the hallway, anger twisting me on the insides. I stayed at the front of her room all through the night and I heard everything that was going on. I wanted to mock her, tease her, make her see reasons why I am the queen of this pack but Lucian lost control. Ever since I was here, this has never happened. I couldn’t explain exactly why it happened. My mind links it to the mysterious curse I’ve always been hearing was inflicted on him but he has never tried to leave the palace. I tried to ask Damien, Rowan and Kai. They all turned me down telling me that Lucian was going to be fine and needed rest. I stood in front of the door to assess him myself. Whenever they decide to open this door and come out, I will scan him with my eyes. Only then would I be able to put my heart at peace. And as for that stupid omega wolf that cannot even transform, today is the day I end her. I have had more than enough of her interceding in my plans. They were all supposed to go smoothl
Mira’s POV“Did you think for any reason that at any day in time, I will stoop so low to your level that I, Queen Serene with the capacity to balance the four Alphas would condescend down to the level of a human like me. Today is the day you die, even your useless mates would not be able to save you from me and my plans today.” She bolts the door and she turns back. “I, I; I didn’t do anything to you Serene. Let me go.” I move backward fully aware there is no escape at all in this room. “Oh,you didn’t? Who has me fighting for attention with the same men that you used to love and dote on me? You! Who has all of my plans changing and crashing every fucking time? You! Who took away the men that warmed my bed and hugged me in their arms? You, this bloody weak pathetic omega! You! You took everything,every fucking thing, I will not keep allowing you to ruin my agenda. You have to die, I’m sorry, ha! I’m not.” She throws her hands and her claws extend. “I know you have never had the beau
Mira’s POV“Serene!” Lucian’s voice bounce in the room. He sounds weak, so weak, I don’t think just him alone would be able to defeat Serene. To think that one of the people I was supposed to kill was going to watch me die, it shows just how much of hatred the moon goddess has for me. It has probably been the reason why father has always hated me to the core.He may have realized in the long run that I was going to lose my life without avenging my mother, without giving him a grand pup to look up to, maybe I am lucky. A mere human would not be able to survive for a day in this territory and the moon goddess has kept me alive for so long. Perhaps, I should be grateful. At least, the hands gripping my neck and sending me to death was none of the people I was supposed to kill.“Serene!” He shouts again.I crease my brows wondering where the rest of the brothers are. There is no way they would have left him all alone in this place, is there? Or did he insist on staying back?“Let her go
Rowan, Damien, Lucian and Kai’s POV“I’ll kill them!” Rowan exclaims,his fists clenched. “No need. We will get rid of them today. From the upper council to the lower council. We get rid of them today. We should have done this a long time ago. We knew when she was trying to infiltrate the council and we ignored it.” Damien says, still standing on the spot. “Shouldn’t we be concerned about Mira’s health and emotions? The maidens should also dress her as well. She is going to be meeting the council today. And she cannot meet them dressed in any of her outfits. One of us has to take her on her dressings and the rules as fast as we can. The meeting has already been scheduled.” Kai suddenly speaks up. “Mira.” Rowan turns to stare at her, a blunt look on his face. “This was not how we intended to introduce you to the pack but it has to happen this way. You have to keep up with the meeting,it’ll be best if Rowan helps you with the rules and the regulations and all while we prep for everyt
Mira’s POV“The Luna?” One of them with a ginger mustache immediately exclaims. I almost stop myself from moving forward when I remember Rowan’s words. Some of them would want to intimidate me. But in the end, I am the fated Luna. Plus, from their conversations, I could tell some of the members of the council had already pledged allegiance to Serena so of course getting a few opposition here and there was definitely not a bad thing. It would help me narrow out her supporters from mine. I put on a bright slight smile on my face and I continue walking slowly and steadily. I ignore the hushed whispers and the piercing gaze I feel on my back and I continue moving forward. “Alpha Lucian.” The man that ushered us in echoes his name. Lucian stands tall, he sweeps through the council with his eyes and sits down, his seat already drawn. I wonder the purpose for calling out all of their names when the Alphas are already familiar with the members of the council. I go over it in my head
Mira’s POV“Luna Mira.” They all stand and wait for me. I stand up from the seat as well. “He? He’s coming?” I quickly shut my mouth as I see the looks coming from Damian, Lucian, Rowan and Kai’s eye. “No, my Luna. I would be here waiting for the rest of the members of the council as I was just recently promoted.” He bows down. Now, I see the reason why they promoted him. His loyalty has been proven. “It’s fine.” I place my hands into Lucian’s hand and we walk back inside. “Ugh.” Lucian stumbles, nearly falling over. “Are you okay?” I ask him. I palm my head as I realize the nature of my question. “Does he look okay to you?” Damien scowls at me. “He’s not okay. We told him to rest here but he wouldn’t.” Rowan explains to me. “I wouldn’t or I can’t.” He places his hands on his knees. Beads of sweats drop furiously from his body. “We will explain the reason of your absence to the council.” Damien says again. “None of us can afford to be absent in the meeting with the council
Mira’s POV“Secondly, I’m sure you must have noticed. We have a new man in our midst. He was just recently promoted to the upper council. Any oppositions?” “None. It seems you were about to say something vital to the council, Alpha Rowan.” “Yes, very vital. Your queen Serene, a deserving punishment should be meted out to her. Being the Queen gives her no authority over the Luna. It does not make her supreme as well. Trying to take a person’s life due to jealousy, it is not an act we should merely overlook.” Lucian says. “What if we lock her up in the dungeon for three days?”“That is not suitable enough for someone that tried to take down a life here in the palace!” One of them says. Confused shouts echo all around the hall. “Silence.” Rowan says calmly. Despite how calm his call for silence is, they all respect his voice and command and keep shut. “She would appear before th council to commit to her crimes. To prevent such an uproar without further arguments, this is the punis
Kai POV The sky was still cloaked in darkness, though the faintest glow of dawn had begun to brush the horizon when our carriage rattled over the rocky terrain toward the Darkfire border. The journey had been long and heavy with silence at times, but inside the double space carriage, we found ourselves deep in conversation once again. The air was thick with anticipation.Rowan sat with his arms crossed, his gaze sharp and unwavering, while Damien leaned forward slightly, elbows on knees, brows drawn as he listened to me lay out the final version of our plan.“We go in under the guise of diplomacy,” I said, my voice calm, but firm. “We are visiting the King and the council to pay our respects. That’s the surface. But our real task—what we must accomplish before we leave—is to uncover the witches.”“Find Benard Sawyer,” Damien added, nodding. “And locate those woods—the site of the executions.”I nodded back. “Exactly. If the Last Witches truly died there, then the secrets of what
Mira POV The wind was soft, yet cold, brushing against my skin as I walked along the stone path leading to the shrine. The sun hung low in the sky, bleeding orange light over the trees that framed the sacred space. My steps were slow. Heavy. But steady.I had walked this path before.And yet, today felt different.The shrine loomed ahead, surrounded by people kneeling in prayer or whispering hushed words toward the sky. It was more crowded than usual, packed with villagers seeking comfort amidst the chaos that had overtaken our clan. Some clutched candles. Others held small, carved totems. Their eyes were glassy, tired. Lost.As soon as I was spotted, a small group broke off from the rest and hurried toward me.“My Queen,” one of them—a man no older than thirty—spoke first. “Please… what do we do now? The clan feels like it’s crumbling. We’ve heard whispers that the Kings have vanished.”“Are we at war again?” a woman asked, clutching her shawl tightly. “Is Blackwood falling a
Mira POV Pressure wrapped around me like a noose.It tightened more with every cry that echoed beyond the castle walls, the angry shouts of the clan members rising like a storm I couldn’t stop. My fingers trembled as I clasped them in my lap, seated on the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the door as if someone—anyone—would walk through it and tell me what to do.But no one came.The throne was mine. The responsibility was mine. For the first time, I was alone to rule.My mates—my kings—were gone. Their decision had been final. They left the castle with nothing but purpose in their stride and the weight of a plan I had no part in. And now, the clan wanted answers. Clarity. Leadership.From me.A pit had formed in my stomach. It felt cold and heavy, like a stone I’d swallowed but couldn’t digest. I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t wise like Kai or confident like Lucian. I wasn’t brave like Damien. I was just… Mira. A girl burdened by a legacy I didn’t ask for and secrets I wished I could
Mira POV I ran through the fields barefoot, the wind lashing my face. I was younger—perhaps thirteen—and the soft warmth of sunset bathed the skies above our small village.Laughter echoed behind me, the sound of teenagers playing a game I’d barely understood but tried to join. I had always watched them from the window of our cottage, envying their joy, their freedom. That day, for the first time, I had dared to approach.I remember how hesitant I was when I stepped into their circle. They looked at me, puzzled, surprised. I was the Chief’s daughter, the one who never spoke to anyone, the one who always looked distant. But they smiled, awkwardly at first, then welcomed me with timid warmth. I laughed—really laughed—for the first time in a long while as I tried to keep up with the game. It was clumsy and imperfect, but I had finally felt…human.Then he came.“Mira!” his deep, sharp voice split the air like a whip. Everyone turned.My heart dropped.My father stood at the edge of
Mira POV I stared at them, mouth slightly parted in disbelief. “You’re what?” I asked, even though I’d heard Kai’s words clearly the first time.“We’re going to the Darkfire clan,” Rowan said calmly, standing beside Kai with arms folded across his broad chest.My heart skipped. “Just like that? Without warning?”Kai’s voice was steady, resolute. “We’ve exhausted all our options, Mira. We’ve sent spies, scouts, even attempted magical tracking. Nothing’s led us to Baylor or any of the witches. It’s as though they’ve vanished from the realm.”“So, you’re going straight to the source?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Kai nodded. “Yes. To Benard Sawyer. He started this. Somehow, he brought them back from extinction. He knows something… and we intend to find out what.”“But why go yourselves?” I argued, stepping closer to them. “Why not send messengers? Or councilmen? Even your generals? You’re the rulers of this kingdom. Your lives aren’t just your own to gamble.”Rowan gave
Mira POV When I arrived at the shrine, I immediately knew something was different.The courtyard was crowded, more than I’d ever seen it. People were pouring in through the arched gates, their footsteps fast yet quiet, their heads bowed as though afraid to lift their eyes. Some clutched prayer beads, others held burning candles. A few sobbed quietly as they moved toward the inner sanctum.I stepped aside as a woman passed me, dragging two small children behind her. One of them looked up at me, his eyes swollen from crying. My heart twisted painfully.I made my way inside and found the head priestess, her wrinkled face lined even deeper than usual.“What’s going on?” I asked softly, trying not to let the heavy tension around us suffocate my voice.She turned to me with a tired expression. “The people are afraid,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Since the massacre… the castle guards, the bloodshed… word has spread.”I frowned. “Word?”The priestess nodded. “About the wit
Mira POV Two days later…I woke up before the sun had risen, the castle still blanketed in silence. For once, I didn’t wait for Adela or any of the handmaids to come in. I slipped out of bed, walked barefoot to the bath chamber, and poured myself a cold shower. The icy water hit my skin like a slap, but I welcomed it. I needed the numbness. My mind had been anything but still for the past two days.I couldn’t stop thinking about the massacre—the way the blood had soaked into the stone floors, the way the guards’ lifeless bodies had been carried away one by one. And the families… Gods, the families. They had gathered outside the castle gates yesterday, their wails cutting through the air like blades. Some had thrown stones, others had just fallen to their knees, begging for answers. Begging for justice.I stayed in the shower longer than necessary, hoping the water would wash away the unease churning inside me. It didn’t. When I stepped out, I dried myself quickly and dressed
Mira POVI sat quietly in the carriage beside Damien, the steady rhythm of the wheels rolling over the rugged trail doing little to ease the storm brewing inside me. The sun was still rising in the sky, casting golden beams through the trees, but my heart felt too heavy to appreciate any of it. We were heading to the place where Benard Sawyer was meant to be executed years ago. Damien sat across from me, flipping through an old parchment from the archives, but I knew we were both thinking about more than just the past.The silence stretched between us until I finally broke it.“How’s Lucian doing?” I asked, not looking at him. I didn’t know why I needed to know so badly. Maybe because the thought of losing him clawed painfully at the inside of my chest.Damien looked up at me, his expression shifting to something solemn. “He’s hanging on,” he said softly.“But not for long. The disciple told me the only thing that could really save him is complete faith—from the three of us.”I
Kai POVThe air was tense as we stormed toward Councilman Baylor’s chambers. I walked beside Rowan with six guards behind us, all alert and on edge. Damien and Mira had taken off earlier to the execution site where Benard Sawyer was once meant to die. I hoped they’d find something useful. But right now, our focus was Councilman Baylor.Rowan kept glancing at me as we moved through the corridor. “What if he’s already done it?” he asked, low but urgent. “What if he’s already summoned them?”I didn’t need to ask who he meant. “Then we’ll be too late,” I said. “But we can’t think like that. We have to act before they arrive.”Rowan didn’t speak again, but his jaw tightened. He knew as well as I did that there was no defense against witches—not unless we were prepared. And we weren’t. Not yet.When we arrived at Baylor’s chambers, they were eerily quiet. The guards took position at the doors while Rowan and I pushed inside. The room was dim, the curtains drawn, the fire out. It felt li