MasukNicole’s POVThe office was silent, broken by the sound of my racing heart. Silence. That was the first thing that hit me after Mason said those words. Not relief, not gratitude, just a heavy, suffocating silence sitting in my chest. I should feel relief, excitement, anything. But I didn’t. I stared at him because I didn’t know what else to do. My brain refused to catch up. My wolf shifted anxiously under my skin, pushing forward like it wanted to get closer to him—stupid, reckless thing.Mason stood there, with an expression I couldn’t read but his eyes—they burned with fierce determination and something else, something I didn’t want to name.“I meant what I said,” he added quietly, like the room wasn’t already spinning for me. “I’m not giving you up. Not to Serena. Not to anyone.”My jaw tightened. “You’re insane.”His brow arched slightly. “Possibly.”“You’re talking about provoking Serena,” I snapped. “You’re talking about war. Blood. Wolves dying. Packs burning. And you’re sa
Nicole's POV I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't supposed to be safe, warm, breathing without fear while my pack was in shambles, my best friend was gone, and Talia crumbled under a weight she never deserved. The room Mason had assigned me was too quiet, too peaceful. It made the guilt louder. I sat by the window, elbows on my knees, staring at a world that kept moving as if mine hadn't shattered. Wolves trained in the courtyard below. Warriors sparred, laughed, and lived. Laughed. Lived. Meanwhile, I couldn't even investigate properly. Couldn't save Cassian. Couldn't ease Talia's pain. Useless. My chest tightened again—the same ache that had started since everything fell apart. I heard rapidly approaching footsteps, and the door burst open before I could move. "Mason wants you," a warrior panted. "Now. It's... Alpha Serena." My blood ran cold. Of course, it was. The moment I finally stood, the air already felt heavier. Like war had arrived wearing heels and a crown.
Talia's POV I was both intrigued and disinterested. "Huh," I muttered, pretending to go back to my book. What book was this again? "You felt it earlier, didn't you?" She asked. Her tone wasn't casual anymore. I glanced up slowly. "Felt what?" "That ripple," she said, her voice dropping lower... like she was saying something forbidden. "Like magic." My grip tightened around the book. The air shifted between us—heavy again, but this time it was deliberate. Like she'd intentionally entered forbidden territory just to get a reaction. Now thinking about it, her aura was off… almost incomplete. "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied. Her red eyes held mine—unblinking, unimpressed. A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "You're terrible at lying." I stiffened. She leaned back in her chair with an air of lazy royalty, crossing her legs and resting her chin on the back of her knuckles as she studied me—like a puzzle she fully intended to solve. "Magic leaves fingerprints," s
Talia's POVNicole grabbed me before I could do anything stupid.Mason didn't even flinch—just slammed the door shut like I wasn't a second away from tearing him apart. My fists curled so tight my knuckles ached. I forced myself to breathe, slow and controlled, even though everything inside me screamed to attack."Let go," I exhaled when I finally trusted myself enough to speak.Nicole hesitated, then released me."You need to control yourself," he warned, studying me like I was something dangerous. Maybe I was. "What were you going to do to him?"I didn't answer.Because I didn't know.What had I been about to do?‘Kill him,’ my wolf snarled darkly.A shiver crawled down my spine."Your powers... they're stronger," Nicole continued quietly. "And harder to control."I sank onto the edge of the bed, exhaustion weighing on me. "My emotions are everywhere," I muttered. "Whatever this power is, it feeds on them. Responds to them. And it drains my energy every single time."Nicole frowned,
Talia’s POV It’s been three days since I ran from my pack. Three days since the council erased me like I never existed. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, waiting to see… something. A crack, a change, proof that I’m different now. But I look the same—just tired. Bone-deep tired. The kind of tired that sleep doesn’t heal. ‘I miss my mate,’ my wolf whispered, her voice raw and small. My chest tightened. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. If I think about him too long, I’ll break again—and I don’t have time to fall apart anymore. Three days. That’s all I gave myself to rest, to breathe, to grieve the life that was stolen from me, to grieve the man that was stolen from me. Now, it’s time to move. If I’m going to take back my place as Luna—my place beside him—then I need to understand what’s inside me. My power. The thing the council fears. I’ve watched it, I’ve felt it. It always demands something from me. Last time, I’d completely lost consciousness. It drains my energy. And now
Nicole’s POV I watched the sun rise slowly over the horizon, watched the darkness fade away, watched the first speck of snow drift down and melt into nothing. Through it all, only one thought remained on my mind. Cassian was gone. Her voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to her. She was sitting upright, hair still matted, clothes still worn, eyes puffy and hollow. She didn’t get any sleep. She’d spent majority of the night tossing restlessly and mumbling her mate’s name. “You look…” I hesitated, because no word fit. “…awake, at least.” She cracked a smile—or tried to. And failed. “Did you get any sleep?” she asked quietly. “Ready to talk about it?” I countered, because the questions stacking in my chest were too heavy to ignore. Her shoulders sagged. That tiny movement hurt more than anything she could have said. And she told me everything. Cassian forgetting her. Being locked away. The trial. The council’s manipulation. Mrs. Alanna. Alpha Black. Her mother







