Raven povI’ve been here for almost a month, and I’m nothing more than a glorified prisoner.I can walk around the palace, but I’m never alone, guards tail me like shadows, watching my every move. No matter how far I go, there’s no real freedom.And Kelvin won’t let me leave that bastard.I never asked to be his queen, never wanted anything to do with him. But he doesn’t care. In his eyes, I belong to him. And he’s made it very clear: if I step out of line, he’ll kill me without hesitation.But what unsettles me the most isn’t Kelvin.It’s the creatures; well, I guess Kelvin isn’t exactly a werewolf.I’ve seen things here that shouldn’t exist. Things that can’t be werewolves. Shadows that move without a source. Pale figures with elongated limbs gliding through the forest. And one night, I saw something with red eyes sipping blood from a goblet like it was wine.I threw up everything I’d eaten.Moon-shade Park is wrong. It pulses with darkness, with something ancient and foul that mak
Asher’s POVThat morning, we ran with other wolves from our pack, a very small army. If possible, we wanted this to be diplomatic, a simple conversation to settle the tension. But in my gut, I already knew it wouldn’t be that easy.I told myself I didn’t want to find Raven there. That it would be better if she wasn’t trapped in that corrupt pack. But the truth clawed at me like a wound I couldn’t close. I did want to see her. I wanted to know she was alive and breathing even if it broke me to see her in their hands.And at the same time, the thought of her being touched by those lowlifes made my blood boil. My mate, suffering in a place like this? It made me want to tear the entire pack apart with my teeth.We ran hard, the air heavy with tension, until dusk fell and we crossed the border into Moon-shade territory. The moment we did, something shifted.The place made my skin crawl.The trees were twisted. The ground was slick with mud, and the entire forest smelled wrong — metallic,
Ansel’s POVThe second Asher crossed the border, relief flooded through me like a wave. The bond we shared as brothers tightened, pulsing with relief, I could feel Asher’s emotion.He found her.But we weren’t out of this yet.I barely dodged Kelvin’s claws as he lunged, his teeth snapping dangerously close to my throat. He wasn’t running, he was fighting. And he was stronger than I expected, using powers I am sure no wolf should possess. But I am not a weakling; I am the alpha of the Crescent Silver Park.“You think you can just take her from me?” he snarled, landing a brutal punch to my ribs that made my bones shake. “She’s mine. I claimed her the second she stepped into my territory.”I wiped the blood from my mouth, laughing bitterly. “You didn’t claim anything. And I’m going to enjoy tearing you apart for touching what’s ours.”Kelvin’s eyes flickered with something sharp and knowing. “Ours, huh?” he said, circling me like a predator. “I wondered which one of you she belonged to.
Raven’s POVI stayed on the cold floor long after Ansel left, too broken to move. My body throbbed with pain, every lash and bruise screaming at me, but nothing hurt more than the ache in my chest.I am back.Back to the place I’d spent weeks trying to escape, I am just so stupid.And I was more shattered than ever.I curled into myself, swallowing sobs, afraid someone would hear me cry. I didn’t want to make another mistake. Didn’t want to give them a reason to come back in. My skin still burned from Ansel’s slap, and my heart hammered like it was trying to escape my ribs.I should have just died in that place.I should’ve let Kelvin kill me.Because now… now there was nothing left of me.I dragged myself to the bed eventually, biting my lip to keep from whimpering as I crawled onto the mattress. My limbs barely worked, and my whole body shivered from the cold sweat clinging to my skin.The sheets felt suffocating like they were swallowing me whole. I think I am getting sick.But I d
Rowan's POV AHHHHHHThe scream tore through the air, it was loud enough to wake up the dead.Noooo!!“What the fuck is going on?” I muttered as the sound echoed through the pack house. I hadn’t heard anything like it before — not from her. Not from Raven.I bolted out of my room, my heart pounding really hard, only to freeze when I reached the hallway.I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.Raven — our mate, was clawing at Ansel with everything she had. She looked wild, feral, her nails tearing into his skin, blood dripping down his chest. Her face was twisted with rage, her eyes burning with hatred so intense it made my wolf moan in sadness.But she was losing.She was too weak to fight Ansel, her body still wrecked from whatever Moon Shade had done to her. Yet, she didn’t stop fighting.She dodged one of Ansel’s swipes and sank her teeth into his neck, tearing into his flesh like an animal. Blood spilt down his collarbone, and Ansel roared in a fury, grabbing her by the hair and yank
Rowen’s POVI woke up gasping, my body shaking like a leaf as the pain finally started to fade.The last thing I remembered was the intense pain, my brothers chasing after me. The agony had been unbearable, like every bone in my body was breaking and resetting, carving the curse into my very soul.I lifted my head, feeling exhaustion sink deep into my bones. Ansel and Asher were both standing nearby, looking so worried.“You back?” Asher asked, his voice rough.I nodded, pushing myself up, but the second I tried to stand, I staggered.The connection to my wolf, Rome, felt wrong. Distant.Rome? I called out in my mind, my heart hammering.Nothing.The bond wasn’t gone — I could still feel him, like a faint pulse in the back of my head — but his presence had dimmed to almost nothing.Talk to me, I tried again, panic rising.Still nothing.I swallowed hard, rubbing at my chest like I could physically reach for him. The curse must have drained him — the power shift, the transfer of pain.
Raven’s POVThe palace was suffocating.Days passed in a blur, each one stretching longer than the last. I barely left my room, only slipping out when I was sure no one would see me.Not that it mattered.No one was looking for me.They hadn’t left.They were still here. Somewhere in this massive place, grieving their father, dealing with politics, handling whatever chaos came with the death of a king.I told myself that was why they hadn’t come.They were busy. Distracted.But deep down, I knew the truth.They’d forgotten me.Not once in the endless stretch of days did any of them come to check on me, not even to make sure I was alive.It shouldn’t have hurt.But it did.The bond throbbed like an infected wound, the connection still pulsing beneath my skin — a constant reminder that no matter how much they hated me, I was still theirs.“Ara,” I whispered, curling my knees to my chest as I sat on the cold floor. “Are you still there?”My wolf had been quiet for days, her presence fain
Raven POV We kept walking until I stood before my mates, their faces shadowed with exhaustion. Yet even in their distress, they looked… as good as ever. While I dragged myself through life feeling like a corpse that forgot to die.The throne room was deathly quiet.Ansel sat on the centre throne like it was his birthright, his golden eyes gleaming as he watched me approach. Asher leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, fingers laced tightly together like he was barely holding himself together.Rowan…Rowan didn’t even look at me.His gaze stayed fixed on the floor, his shoulders slumped in a way that made my chest ache. But I forced myself to bury that feeling — to shove it down until it disappeared.They didn’t care when I begged.Didn’t care when I screamed for help.I owed them nothing.The guards stopped, and I stood there, swallowing the burning knot in my throat.“Why am I here?” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. Let them hear my brokenness. Let them feel the weight of wha
Raven's POV I was still in a state of shock when Kelvin strolled into the room, completely unfazed by the bodies at his feet. He walked over them like they were nothing like he’d seen this kind of carnage a thousand times before, and he probably had.He wore that infuriating smirk again, the one I was beginning to realize was just part of his face. Part of his behavior.“Your Highness,” he greeted Morgan with a bow. Then his gaze slid towards me. “Oh, the little queen is here. Lovely to see you, Raven.”I rolled my eyes, refusing to give him the reaction he wanted. The urge to punch that smug face of his clawed at me, but I held it down. Barely.God, if I ever got the chance, I’d kill them both. Rip them apart and bathe in their blood if that’s what it took.I felt my wolf stir inside me, a low growl vibrating through my chest.She didn’t like being separated from our mates, caged like that. And these two were responsible. Again.Twice now, they’d taken me from the ones I belonged t
Queen Gwen POVIt’s been three days since the battle.Three days since blood painted the earth and death hung heavy in the air—on both sides.It hurt to kill them. Those creatures… they were mindless, controlled by Kelvin and that cursed Queen. They were puppets, not monsters. But it was either them or us.And still… we lost.We fell for their diversion. We lost Raven.I’ve been trying—truly trying—to stay strong. I’m a queen. I’m supposed to be composed, logical, unshaken.But the thought of something happening to her…It chills me in a way I can’t explain.From the moment I first laid eyes on Raven, I knew.I don’t understand the feeling, not fully but I knew. I was meant to be near her. To protect her. To fight for her.I was meant to be her sword.And I let her down.“Hey… are you okay?” Loira asked gently, walking up beside me.I tried to force a smile. “Yeah. I’m just… sad, you know?” My voice cracked. “It feels like we were so stupid.”She said nothing, just listened.“She shou
Raven POV “What did you say, Raven?” she asked again, her voice low and skeptical.“I said I’ll join you, Morgan,” I repeated, steadying my voice. “But only on one condition.”She sighed as though she was enduring a headache. “And what is it now?”“You’ll release Mathias.”Her brows lifted. “Who?”Of course, she doesn’t even remember. The disgust rose sharp and hot in my chest, but I swallowed it. I was in enemy territory now. I had to play this smart.“Mathias is one of the prisoners. He was in the same cell I was thrown into.”“Oh,” she said with a chuckle. “That’s all?” Fine. I’ll have him released today.”“And—”She cut me a glare, her patience thinning. “And what?”“You’ll give me the dagger. I need it.”Morgan narrowed her eyes. “I’ll think about it. "Don’t push your luck, little bird.”She turned away, already done with the conversation. “When Kelvin returns, your real training begins. I’ll need you ready.”"But aren’t you scared, Morgan?” I asked, my gaze steady.“What?” she
Raven POV We walked out of the cell, the heavy door slamming shut behind me with a loud clang that echoed down the stone halls.I tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in my stomach, tried to shove the fear deep down where it couldn’t reach me — but it was there, crawling under my skin.Facing that beautiful monster again made my heart pound harder against my ribs.We moved through a large hallway, the stone walls cold and silent witnesses to my march.From what I could tell, it was already dawn — soft light trickled through high windows.Two days.I had been trapped here for nearly two days without food.My legs ached, and my body screamed for rest, but I forced myself forward, step after heavy step.Finally, we entered a large throne room.At the far end of it, sitting on a towering, jagged throne of black stone, was Morgan.She looked… magnificent.Beautiful and terrible, like something carved from nightmares.Her smile, slow and cold, made my skin crawl.I paused, instinctively gla
Raven POV Unluckily for me, I was thrown into a cell by Queen Morgan’s hounds.The heavy iron door slammed shut behind me with a sound that echoed like a death knell. I stumbled forward, catching myself on the rough stone wall.I turned around slowly, trying to assess the cell.I’ve been locked up more times than I can count.This wasn’t new.I wouldn’t panic. Panic was the enemy now.First thing first, I needed a way out.But gods, it was dark.The air was thick with rot and something far worse—a sour, metallic scent that made my stomach turn. The walls oozed dampness, and the floor was uneven under my boots. The whole place felt like it had been forgotten by the world.Squinting my eyes, I edged deeper into the cell, ignoring the way the shadows seemed to reach for me.And then I heard a faint cough.It was soft and strained. From somewhere in the darkness.I froze, my heart hammering against my ribs.“Is anybody there?”My voice barely rose above a whisper, but in the stillness,
Ansel POV Raven is the child of the prophecy.And they kept it from us.Rowan and Raven both knew, and yet they chose silence. I don’t know what game the goddess is playing—first binding us all to the same mate, now tying her fate to an ancient prophecy—but I’m sick of being left in the dark. I should’ve seen the signs. The dreams she said she had, the divine visitations… they were all there, and I ignored them.And now, the truth burns in my chest like fire.My son—our child— will carry power in his blood. A legacy. He will be everything. But Morgan, if she’s taken Raven—if she lays a hand on what’s mine, I will tear this world apart.And if my brothers even think of challenging me for the child, for Raven, for the throne—I’ll destroy them too.We ran through the day and into the dusk, not stopping once. Our men were weary, barely holding themselves together, but there was no time for rest. Every second we wasted could mean losing her.When the palace finally came into view, I w
Raven POV Morgan didn’t look back at me. “What do I want? Oh, Raven, that’s the wrong question. What do you want?”The silence stretched out between us, the air thick with tension. My mind raced, trying to make sense of everything I was seeing.Morgan’s cruelty was evident in the creatures that slithered and prowled around us, their eyes cold and lifeless, their movements like puppets on strings. My anger surged, burning through my veins.“Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice tight with fury. “Why are you enslaving innocent creatures, using them like this?”Morgan’s smile stretched into something far colder, more calculating. She tilted her head slightly, finally turning to look at me, studying me as though I were an insect in need of examination. “Innocent?” she repeated, almost amused. “You call them innocent? These creatures are nothing but tools—tools that help me achieve what is rightfully mine. They’re weak, living in fear. And I’m giving them purpose.”I shook my hea
Raven POV I stood there, with my hand pressed to my chest, heart racing, feeling the weight of the queen’s cold gaze upon me.“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice shaking despite my attempt to remain calm.She chuckled softly, the sound low and almost mocking. “Oh, so you know who I am,” she said, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “That’s very interesting, don’t you think?”“Very interesting indeed,” I muttered under my breath, not able to stop the bitterness that seeped into my words.She stepped closer, her presence suffocating. “Well, it seems like you haven’t been getting my messages,” she said casually, “So I came to pick you up myself.”“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I snapped, clenching my fists, unwilling to show the fear that threatened to rise in my throat. “You monster.”She raised a single eyebrow, her lips curling into a slow, sinister smile. “Who told you that you had a choice, my sweet girl?” Her words were laced with such venom that it sent a chill dow
Rowan POV The battle raged on with death on both sides, but something felt wrong. I couldn’t see Morgan anywhere. She kept sending mindless creatures at us, but there was no sign of her.Was it a distraction? Was there something else at play?“Behind you!” I heard one of my comrades scream. I spun around just in time to block a strike that would’ve taken my head off. Beside me, one of my comrades fell, lifeless.I turned and squinted into the far corner. From the shadows, Kelvin emerged, with a smirk on his face.Damn, bastard.I charged towards him with everything I had, shifting midair. My claws slashed through the air, aimed directly at him.We collided in a brutal clash, a flurry of strikes. I clawed; he ducked and retaliated with punches, sending invisible strikes that rattled my bones. We were locked in an all-out battle—neither of us giving an inch.“Where is your queen?” I demanded, trying to catch my breath between strikes.Kelvin’s smirk deepened. “Oh, she’s exactly where