LOGINLyra’s POVI entered a dining room that felt almost regal, the kind of room that invited reverence. A polished, four-seater wooden table dominated the space, its surface gleaming under the warm, intimate light.The craftsmanship was beautiful, a reminder of the table my father once had. I felt oddly nostalgic, though I tried to push that thought away. The décor was a touch extravagant, befitting an Alpha who had means to spare, and though I was alone at the table, the soft elegance of my beige gown kept me from feeling out of place. I never would have guessed that the stranger I’d waved down on the highway would lead me here, to such a strange, almost surreal new beginning.A voice cut through my thoughts. “Alpha Keith Harold is making an entrance.”My heart skipped a beat. My mates had spoken of a different Alpha in the West, and the name Keith Harold was unfamiliar. I scrambled to my feet, hands trembling with nerves. What if this Alpha didn’t take kindly to a stranger? What if he s
Lyra’s POVThe question made me stiffen, and I shook my head slowly, hoping it wouldn’t change things. “No wolf,” I said softly. “I hope that’s… not a problem.”He tilted his head thoughtfully, but there was no judgment in his expression. “I did notice something odd, though,” he said, his eyes narrowing in concentration. “Your eyes—they shine neon green when you’re excited. But you don’t have a wolf?”“They used to be brown. They changed… suddenly,” I replied, remembering the strange shift, one of many mysteries I’d learned to accept without question.Ebenezer seemed intrigued, but he didn’t push. He simply nodded, acknowledging the strangeness of it without needing answers. But then his expression softened, and his voice dropped as he asked, “Are you… mated?”The question made my heart sink, and I struggled with how to answer. I knew if I lied and he found out, he might lose all trust in me. But telling him the truth could mean he’d cast me out. With a deep breath, I finally nodded.
Lyra’s POVAs we rode, the gentle hum of the car lulled me into an uneasy sleep. The nightmares were never far, though, filled with flashes of the North—cold and unyielding, just like the way they’d treated me.My mind replayed the harshest moments, making me flinch as I remembered their faces, the empty promises, the way they’d turned on me without a second thought. I believed in them, trusted in their words, and yet they’d left me to die, casting me off as if I were nothing.I’d thought I’d known suffering before, but nothing could have prepared me for the pain of their betrayal. They’d taken everything, left me with nothing but the scars of their abandonment.I could feel the tears slipping down my cheeks, but I quickly brushed them away, glancing over at Ebenezer. He hadn’t noticed, thankfully. I took a deep breath, gathering myself. It was time to look forward, not back.I was done with the North. Dax, Ronon, Keal—they could have it all, have the revenge, their so-called justice.
Dax’s POVElsa sighed, a deep sadness lining her face.“Poor girl had to endure too much. Any sensible wolf would have fled at the first chance. My grandmother warned your parents not to pass that Elder law—she saw this coming. I was just a child, but I remember her words to your father, warning it would lead to great calamity. Maybe this is what she meant.The Elders’ decision to turn against your Luna, to deny her humanity, has sparked a dark change. The shift in the wind, that darkness—it began with this unjust trial. You sent Gregory away, but they wouldn’t let her go. There are those in your council who can’t stand the idea of you being tied to Vladislav. This is what happens when wolves try to play god,” she said, shaking her head in frustration.Her words hit me hard, stirring anger and regret in my chest. The Elders—the very ones we were supposed to trust—had not only failed us but had actively sabotaged us. I felt the weight of their betrayal, the realization that this was a b
Dax’s POVAs we drove, silence settled in, heavy and uncomfortable. I could see the sorrow eating away at Ronon. He looked like he was drowning, his body slumped against the door, tears trailing down his face. His regret was a dark, consuming thing. Part of me wanted to scream at him again, to lash out and make him feel the pain I was carrying.“You were the one who said we should strip her bare,” I finally shouted, my voice ringing through the cramped space. “You gave that order.”Ronon’s head dropped even lower, but he didn’t defend himself. He seemed as if he couldn’t bear to look at me, or even at himself.“Was that really necessary?” I asked, my voice breaking with frustration and pain.Keal’s words cut deep, his voice sharp and unrelenting. “But you, fucking, went along with it, Dax,” he spat, his tone filled with a bitterness I hadn’t heard before. “So shut the fuck up and stop whining like a child. This anger is a little late, don’t you think? She’s gone, and nothing you do no
Dax’s POVI felt like I was losing my mind. Rage boiled inside me—hot, violent, uncontrollable—consuming every logical thought. I couldn’t rein it in, and neither could my wolf.How had we let it come to this? How had we allowed things to spiral so far out of control?I had been ready to go rogue, ready to tear through the Elders and force them to see reason if I had to. I would have wiped them out if it meant Lyra could be accepted. But Ronon and Keal had insisted on diplomacy—on patience.They wanted to clear her name.They wanted the people to love her.And look where that naïve plan had gotten us.When I saw the guards pulling her clothes from her body, stripping her dignity away like she was nothing, I could hardly bear to look. And then we found out they hadn’t been feeding her.They were starving her.We had given strict orders for her to receive the same meals as us—three times a day. But they ignored us. They starved her. Tortured her. All while we were out hunting that snake







