Talia's POV"Alpha!" Serena's voice rings from behind me which distracts me from my routine. What could be the issue? My friends know how much I don't like my routine distracted, so for Serena to push that aside, it only means whatever this is, is worth it."Serena, I'm busy and you know that." I try to remind her."Trust me, Alpha, this is worth your time because it's your sworn duty." She replies grinning like she just won a lottery. Something is fishy, I know it the moment Serena drags me away from my training routine, claiming there's an "urgent meeting" I need to attend."What kind of meeting?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her as she hauls me through the palace halls.She shrugs dramatically. "Important Alpha stuff. You wouldn't understand."I stop walking. "Serena, I am the Alpha."Serena grins innocently. "Then you need to be there."Before I can argue, Lyric and Luna appear, blocking my path with matching mischievous expressions."What are you two up to?" I ask because the exp
Talia's POVIf I could run from this, I would. Serena, Lyric, Luna, and half the pack's women swarm around me, their energy vibrating at a frequency I can't handle."Gold embroidery or silver?" Serena holds up two delicate fabric swatches.I stare blankly. "For what?"Lyric groans dramatically. "For your wedding, Alpha! You are getting married, remember?"I sigh, rubbing my temples. "I know, but I don't care about embroidery."Serena gasps like I've just declared war. "You don't care? Talia, you're getting mated-officially, publicly, grandly! The details matter!"Luna snickers. "She looks like she's plotting an escape." LunaI glare at them. "Because I am."Lyric waves a hand dismissively. "No way. Bran made us promise not to let you bolt."Of course, he did.Bran is thriving in all of this, greeting guests, making speeches, and enjoying the excitement of the upcoming union. Meanwhile, I'm drowning in dresses.Serena pokes my shoulder. "Come on, Talia. The pack is excited. The warrior
Talia's POVI keep sensing that something feels a bit off.We're still prepping for the wedding, and Bran keeps insisting we'll find the cookbook after the ceremony, but I can't shake this weird feeling that's lingering like a shadow just out of sight.We're not talking about an ordinary book here that's gone. This is more than the cookbook going missing. This is a warning and I can't turn a blind eye to it."Nothin'," Lyric grumbles, flinging a stack of books away after hours of searching.Jasper lets out a groan. "Do we know if it's here?"Luna lets out a sigh as she wipes down a shelf. "If it is, they did a great job hiding it."We've checked out every nook and cranny in the Starlight Pack's palace-the archives, the storerooms, and even the warriors' barracks but I can't find the cookbook anywhere.Bran leans against the door with his arms crossed, looking at me. "Talia, maybe-""It's not here," I interrupt. I can sense deep down that the book didn't reach the Starlight Pack. I mus
Talia's POVAn unusual chill goes down my spine realizing something is wrong.I stay frozen in the ruins of the Misfit Pack, my fingers stiffening around the burnt pages of the cookbook. The smell of burned parchment remains in the air, but it's the anxiety settling deep in my bones that gets me on edge.Suddenly, Tiara growls inside my mind, her tone quick and alert."We're being followed."I stiffen, my eyes scouring the forest area beyond the ruins. Shadows creep between the skeletal remains of homes, swaying with the breeze. At first glance, everything appears calm. Extremely still.A thrilling sensation creeps down my spine.Bran approaches, narrowing his bright eyes. "You see that?"I nod, and then with a faint voice I say, "We're not alone."A sudden movement grabs my attention. Suddenly, chaos arises.Figures step out of the shadows, fusing with the night. Rogues. But these aren't just ordinary stray ones looking all around for trouble with the Pack wolves.They act with preci
Talia's POV An unusual chill goes down my spine realizing something is wrong. I stay frozen in the ruins of the Misfit Pack, my fingers stiffening around the burnt pages of the cookbook. The smell of burned parchment remains in the air, but it's the anxiety settling deep in my bones that gets me on edge. Suddenly, Tiara growls inside my mind, her tone quick and alert. "We're being followed." I stiffen, my eyes scouring the forest area beyond the ruins. Shadows creep between the skeletal remains of homes, swaying with the breeze. At first glance, everything appears calm. Extremely still. A thrilling sensation creeps down my spine. Bran approaches, narrowing his bright eyes. "You see that?" I nod, and then, with a faint voice, I say, "We're not alone." A sudden movement grabs my attention. Suddenly, chaos arises. Figures step out of the shadows, fusing with the night. Rogues. But these aren't just ordinary stray ones looking all around for trouble with the Pack wolves. They ac
Talia's POV The ride back to the Starlight Pack is silent, each one of us's mind racing I'm sure. The wind howls between the trees, and the night sky stretches above us, empty and endless, but my mind is not calm. I lost it. The cookbook-the one thing my grandmother took time to warn me about in my dreams, the one thing that could save us when war comes-is gone. Even though I still wonder how old recipes would do such. Are we gonna be cooking for the enemies? I had never really thought of the usefulness of the book until now that I lost it. Grandma would always warn me not to lose it whenever it was my turn to own it. "You'll pass it to the next generation" she would say. I grip the reins of my horse tightly, my knuckles turning white from the grip. My heart pounds with frustration or, let's say, rage. Not just at the rogues, or wolves or whatever those creatures call themselves, but at myself. I should have known better. I should have protected the book. But who are these creat
Talia's POV The page trembles in my grip, my grandmother's handwriting stark against the charred edges. Come find me. The words whisper through my mind, wrapping around my thoughts like vines. They pull at something deep inside me, something I can't ignore. I barely slept after finding it. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the burned pages at the Misfit Pack ruins, the footprints, the word RUN carved into the tree. And now this? A page nailed to my door, like a message from the grave. I don't know who left it or how they got so close to my quarters undetected. But one thing is certain. This isn't over. Bran insisted I stay inside the palace today, but I can't. I need answers, and I know exactly where to start. I have to visit Mom, she might know something I don't know about this book. ********* The morning air is crisp as I walk toward my parents' house. It's one of the quieter places in the Starlight Pack because it's tucked away from the busier training grounds and council
Talia's POV The sacred grounds of the Starlight Pack glow under the rising moon, a silver sheen casting long shadows over the gathered wolves. The air hums with quiet anticipation, the weight of tradition pressing against my chest. This is the beginning. My mating ceremony. A week-long ritual meant not only to bind Bran and me as mates but to unite our packs once and for all. I stand at the edge of the river, the waters dark and shimmering beneath the lanterns strung from the ancient oak trees. Elders murmur prayers, their voices blending with the rustling leaves and distant howls. The scent of burning sage lingers in the air, meant to cleanse and bless. Bran is beside me, his golden eyes reflecting the soft glow of the firelight. He looks calm, assured-like a man who has never doubted that this moment was always meant to be. I, on the other hand, can't shake the nerves tightening around my ribs. Not because I don't want this. But because everything is changing so fast. A missi
Marlik's POV (The Head of the Dark Council)They call me the Hand of Silence. The One Who Casts the Longest Shadow. But names lose meaning after centuries. What matters is control and purpose. And keeping chaos chained at the edge of the world.And yet, even now, even with the full strength of the Dark Council bent beneath my voice, my mind lingers elsewhere.Bella.Her name lingers like a thorn in my breath. It's distracting.I remember the first time I saw her. She was clearly broken, but not crushed. That's the type of woman I like. A young woman with fire behind her betrayal. Most who betray their pack run with shame and regret. But she held no regret. Only bitterness, and hunger-for power, recognition and for something more than what the Starlight Pack ever allowed her to be.She was cast out after her deception-the foolish plot to replace Bran's fated mate with a rogue's child in disguise. A gamble as bold as it was stupid. And when it failed, she expected death. Instead, she wa
Author's NarrationTalia stirs beneath her blanket, but her eyes remain shut. She's gone again, not in body, but in spirit.This is the second trance. The next gate is as the Moon Goddess has instructed.She wakes in a place where everything hums. The sky is gold. The ground feels like air. Light moves like water, rising and falling in waves. There's no wind, scent, or sound-just the heavy presence of something waiting.She stands, heart quiet but alert. She knows now not to speak because the Trials don't answer to voice, only to action. The Moonstone glows faintly on her chest, and she grazes it with her fingers. It feels warm and ticking, like her heartbeat.The light around her shifts, pulling itself into a straight path which leads her on as she takes cautious steps.After walking on air for some seconds, the golden air fades, and she finds herself in a clearing ringed by tall glass walls. Each one shows a version of her. In one, she's small again, clutching her mother's scarf. In
POV: The Dark Council Head "You should be scared of the man you're becoming. Despite all the powers and fights, you lack that inner peace you've always wanted. You have no mate, no children and most of all no joy. It's painful because I'm tied to you. And now I cannot even have my fair share of happiness just because you chose the dark part." Fen my wolf purrs. He won't just keep quiet for once. "I am Malrik. This is the life I have chosen, and as a part of me, you deal with it." When I said everyone turned against me when I was a nobody, I mean everyone including my wolf. Don't get this wrong. He was once my ally, but since I chose this part he turned. Fen and I had never agreed since then. At first, I was not happy about it, and I cursed Selene for giving me a wolf who was not always on the same page with me, but not anymore. He can think whatever or say anything. My plan stays. I had once been hidden. But not anymore. Now I shake the ground of every supernatural court. Vampi
POV: The Dark Council HeadI walk down the corridor in silence. The floor beneath my boots is cold, each step I take echoing through the hall. I don't enjoy the silence, but I've grown used to it. These halls remember everything. Every lie. Every betrayal. Every choice I made.She floats beside me, her spirit glowing faintly in the light. Elara. The keeper's grandmother. She was once a powerful wolf. Now, just a spirit. But still dangerous and still strong. I guess that's my mistake. I should have ended her life that night. I shouldn't have locked her spirit up. "You walked without permission," I say. My tone is calm, but it has a warning behind it. "Again."She lets out a dry laugh. "I don't belong to you."We keep walking. The torches along the walls flicker more brightly as she passes. Even fire respects her. That's always been the case."No," I object. "But you are bound here. You should know your boundaries. You can't just keep roaming about any time you feel like, you know; som
POV: The Old Keeper (The New Seer)I was never supposed to hear her voice again. But she never seems to stop calling and coming. The hall glows, a hint of her presence.The old runes on the walls emit a dim shimmer-not bright enough to chase away shadows, but enough to remind me that I'm not alone down here. I sit with my back against the cold stone wall, my legs stretched before me and one foot bouncing softly in rhythm with the whispers in my head. The whispers never stopped since she returned. Or let's say since she had been aware of my presence here.I remember once being brave and knowing who I was. Now I count moments by the number of breaths I can take before my past claws its way into my thoughts.And just like every time before, here she comes.Her voice reaches me before her form does-soft, low, and carried like wind through bone."You remember more than you should."It echoes through the hall like it's soaked in moonlight. Her hunting yet comforting voice. She's closer now
POV: The Old Keeper (The New Seer)I was meant to be the Stone Keeper. I was chosen right before birth. So says my grandmother. My parents were killed because they weren't supposed to bring me to life. But it happened somehow and they got punished for it. The stone started calling to me when I was young. I heard its voice, felt its pull and sometimes touched it. But that was in my dreams. I was happy, and proud or maybe the right word is overjoyed to be the chosen one.The Moon Goddess chose me. Not because someone told her to, or because I asked. The stone chose me itself. So I heard. I stood alone on Starlight Crest, high above the land, with the wind pushing at my back. The light of the moonstone reached out to me, surrounding me. I felt its warmth settle inside my chest. At that moment, I truly believed I had found my purpose.I was proud and brave. Maybe even foolish.That night, everything changed.I was meant to complete the trials to become the official Keeper. I had already
POV: The New Seer of the Dark Council (Council of the East)I see her.Even before the stars split.Even before the Moon Goddess lays her hand on her heart.I see the girl awakening.Not with my eyes or with the cursed black things that smoulder in my head and glow when they shouldn't. But deeper. The way roots see water underground. The way wolves hear a storm coming before the first drop falls.Talia.Her name echoes inside me like it's written behind my teeth.She stands in that dream-space, her spirit wide open, and I'm there-barely, briefly. A shadow just outside the light.I wasn't supposed to see her that clearly.But I did.And now I can't unsee her.Her light. Her fear. Her power.The Moonstone has chosen her, and the trials have begun.I sit motionless in the far end of the council chamber, body still as bone, even as the fire in the center crackles and spits dark orange sparks.I don't speak until I must.Until I feel them watching me. The Council of the East-seven old clo
POV: TaliaTalia's body is still in Misfit Town.She lies motionless in her bunk, one hand still faintly glowing with the pulse of the stone. Bran is the first to find her. He had followed the ripple of magic that burst through the trees when she touched the stone. Now, he kneels beside her, his face pale with fear, trying not to panic.But this isn't about her body. It's about where her spirit has gone.Talia opens her eyes to skyless light. She's no longer in the woods or her room or anything that feels familiar. Everything around her is soft and glowing, like the space between stars had taken shape.This place isn't real in the way real places are. It feels more like memory and meaning stitched together. There's no ground, but she doesn't fall. No air, but she can breathe.In front of her, a tall stone arch rises out of nothing. Symbols glow along its edges-the same ones that had appeared on her arms. The same rhythm and same pull.A voice echoes across the space.Talia, Keeper of
Aunt MerleComing back to Misfit Town without being seen was never simple. But this time, it was more than just secrecy-I couldn't let anyone see me carrying the stone. Only the one meant to carry its power should lay eyes on me right now.That's why I used the bone ash spell. Just enough to hide myself from the senses of others. The magic made sound slip away from me and light bent around me. It wasn't perfect. But it was enough.I moved quietly past the outer trees of the town just before sunrise, the stone wrapped tightly in moon cloth and held close to my chest. It wasn't heavy, not in the usual way, but it throbbed with heat and energy-like it had its heartbeat. It didn't feel human. It didn't feel alive. But it was something old. Ancient.With each step closer to the heart of the town, the air changed. It started to hum softly. Like the ground and the trees could sense what I was bringing. Like the town itself was deciding if I should be allowed in.The streets and homes hadn't