I had told Torin I would go for a short walk, and I ran deep into the woods. As soon as the tents and fire were no longer in sight, I braced myself against the tree, heaving my guts out. According to Torin, Sarendonia's warriors had used dark powers to gain leverage in the war. It sounded ridiculous. I had never felt any dark forces surrounding our army. And yet, I knew that Torin wasn't lying…My body rattled, and I couldn't determine whether it was from the night's cold or sheer terror and disgust. Probably the latter. My mind struggled to process everything I had heard.“The son of the Silver Mountain Pack's Alpha… summoned the demon,” I mumbled, repeating Torin's words. Jarith's father had been the Alpha when the war had begun. Jarith hadn't even been born yet, so Torin must have meant one of Jarith's older brothers…The alpha bloodlines were often blessed with longevity and aged more slowly than the average shifter. It wasn't unusual that some Alphas lived for more than two hundr
DEARONI felt a strange pull in my chest, and an odd restlessness followed. I jerked up to sit, my eyes wide open. A shiver skidded down my spine, and a single word filled my mind…Kaira.A few seconds passed, and I exited the tent. Torin rose to his feet, turning away from the fading fire. His brows inched up, his mouth opening, but I was first to ask, “Where's Kaira?”He blinked. “How did you know she's not in her tent?”I stepped toward him, my anxiety rising. “Where is she?” I strained through my teeth.Torin pointed at the dense part of the forest. “She went in that direction. She said she was going for a walk. Then Ahren went to find her…”I was running before his words fully sounded. I was barefoot, wearing nothing but linen pants, but I couldn't care less. My heart thundered against my chest. She was in danger. I wasn't sure how I knew that; I just did, and the thought that something might happen to her…Shit. Where were those fuck-up feelings coming from?! I was supposed to s
KAIRAMy heart still thundered as I returned to my tent. My mind was a hectic mess. Perhaps I should have been glad that Dearon and I managed to fix things between us, but had we truly? My wolf had a different opinion on that matter. She wanted me to get close to Dearon, not put some uncrossable boundaries.“It's better this way… safer,” I convinced myself as I crawled under the covers.I placed my hand on my pounding heart and breathed deeply. After my conversation with Ahren, I knew for certain I couldn't stay here. This time, the one who knew me chose not to reveal my identity, but what if he changed his mind?“Gods,” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. Had Ahren told Dearon the truth, the Moon Shadow Pack's Alpha wouldn't have dared think about kissing me; he would have rather considered the best way to kill me!Then I recalled what Ahren had said about Sarendonia warriors, and my blood turned cold. For him and the villagers, the people who had fought by my side were monste
KAIRA“Good morning, Luna Kaira!” Maryl sang, sashaying across my chamber.I slowly rose from my bed, releasing a long sigh. “I'm not the Luna, Maryl.” She gave me a knowing look, and a sheepish smile crept onto my lips. “At least not yet.”“But you will be.” The maid pulled back the heavy velvet curtains, letting in the early morning sun. “We all know Alpha Jarith will soon announce it officially.” She winked at me and added, “If the Moon Goddess hadn't taken away our bonds, I'm sure you and he would have turned out to be fated mates.”“I would have loved to feel we're destined to be together,” I admitted.“You are destined,” she assured. Then she smoothed her blond curls and walked over to my bed. “Alpha Jarith should have officially claimed you months ago, right after the Great Battle. You basically won this war for him. Not to mention that you were the one who killed Alpha Callum—not him.”I winced at her words. Only a few members of our pack knew the truth, but I was fine with Ja
“Excellent. I was hoping to hear that.”I slowly turned toward Jarith, taking in every bit of smugness written on his face. My heart thundered against my ribcage, my pain and rage blending and growing stronger. My wolf roared, rushing me out of that room, away from the man who betrayed me. But I had already known how this scenario would end…I ground my teeth, struggling to put my hectic thoughts in order. I had always been able to see glimpses of the future. I had used them to guide me or choose the right strategy in the battle. My gift appeared in brief and vague premonitions but never in a vision as precise as the one I'd just had.I clenched the talisman hanging around my neck. I didn't believe it had any special powers. I valued it because it was the only thing I had left of my mother, but why would Jarith want it?The bastard didn't even spare me a glance as he casually discussed his upcoming marriage with the Fiery Mist Pack's elders. He dared laugh as he mentioned the mating c
Another shiver danced down my spine, and I glanced up at the dark sky. I shifted my gaze to the wolves before me. I had no chance against them. I could defeat one or two… but six? Not to mention, I would have to fight Alpha Jarith, too. My throat worked on a hard swallow. I looked at the sky again and heard more thunder roar. My powers whispered…I sucked in a sharp breath and lowered onto my front legs, adjusting my stance. ‘You want the talisman?’ I glanced at the sky before fixing my eyes on Jarith. ‘You will have to take it yourself, sick bastard.’I could have sworn his eyes blazed even brighter—blazed with hatred. He looked at the warriors flanking him, giving them an order. My breath froze in my chest as I watched the wolves lurch—I leaped back as the lightning struck one of the massive oak trees, tearing its trunk in two. A heartbeat passed, and the large tree fell where Jarith's warriors were. The vicious snarls turned into cries and whimpers as the trunk crushed their bones
I breathed in the scent of pine and the night's wind. I found it almost blissful. I inhaled again, and a soft smile curved my lips. A faint pain tensed my body, but it was strangely bearable. More than that… I wasn't cold.I opened my eyes and saw a bright linen fabric hovering above my head. A tent—I was inside a tent. It must have been dawning since the early sunrays slipped through the linen, illuminating the small space. Inhaling slowly, I looked around—looked at myself. I was lying on a soft blanket, covered with thick furs. Then I glanced underneath and noticed I was wearing a black tunic—a far too large tunic.My heart began to race. How the hells had I found myself in someone's tent? I lifted my aching body to sit and released a breath, gathering my thoughts. The black wolf… He saved my life. Was he the one who had brought me here?Sucking in a shaky breath, I rose to my feet and walked toward the flap before slowly stepping outside. My eyes instantly drifted to the dying camp
I stared at Dearon in disbelief. My body had already healed. I could fight, but becoming a mercenary? A few days ago, I would have laughed off such a proposal. I had been Jarith's main strategist. I had often been a squad commander in battles. The “me” from a few days ago would have been disgusted had I even considered killing rogues for money. The problem was that I might not have too many options.Dearon, Torin, Rafe, and Nazo clearly knew this territory. They could easily travel through Korendorr without raising any suspicions. Moreover, none of them knew I had killed Korendorr warriors. None of them knew who I was, which made traveling with them relatively safe…“Come on, Kaira.” Torin nudged my arm, his green eyes sparkling. “We could use a she-wolf in our group.” I gave him a look, and he quickly raised his hands in surrender. “I only meant I'd enjoy looking at your beautiful face… and not only at those uglies here.” He jerked up his chin, pointing at Rafe and Nazo.“Who do you
KAIRAMy heart still thundered as I returned to my tent. My mind was a hectic mess. Perhaps I should have been glad that Dearon and I managed to fix things between us, but had we truly? My wolf had a different opinion on that matter. She wanted me to get close to Dearon, not put some uncrossable boundaries.“It's better this way… safer,” I convinced myself as I crawled under the covers.I placed my hand on my pounding heart and breathed deeply. After my conversation with Ahren, I knew for certain I couldn't stay here. This time, the one who knew me chose not to reveal my identity, but what if he changed his mind?“Gods,” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. Had Ahren told Dearon the truth, the Moon Shadow Pack's Alpha wouldn't have dared think about kissing me; he would have rather considered the best way to kill me!Then I recalled what Ahren had said about Sarendonia warriors, and my blood turned cold. For him and the villagers, the people who had fought by my side were monste
DEARONI felt a strange pull in my chest, and an odd restlessness followed. I jerked up to sit, my eyes wide open. A shiver skidded down my spine, and a single word filled my mind…Kaira.A few seconds passed, and I exited the tent. Torin rose to his feet, turning away from the fading fire. His brows inched up, his mouth opening, but I was first to ask, “Where's Kaira?”He blinked. “How did you know she's not in her tent?”I stepped toward him, my anxiety rising. “Where is she?” I strained through my teeth.Torin pointed at the dense part of the forest. “She went in that direction. She said she was going for a walk. Then Ahren went to find her…”I was running before his words fully sounded. I was barefoot, wearing nothing but linen pants, but I couldn't care less. My heart thundered against my chest. She was in danger. I wasn't sure how I knew that; I just did, and the thought that something might happen to her…Shit. Where were those fuck-up feelings coming from?! I was supposed to s
I had told Torin I would go for a short walk, and I ran deep into the woods. As soon as the tents and fire were no longer in sight, I braced myself against the tree, heaving my guts out. According to Torin, Sarendonia's warriors had used dark powers to gain leverage in the war. It sounded ridiculous. I had never felt any dark forces surrounding our army. And yet, I knew that Torin wasn't lying…My body rattled, and I couldn't determine whether it was from the night's cold or sheer terror and disgust. Probably the latter. My mind struggled to process everything I had heard.“The son of the Silver Mountain Pack's Alpha… summoned the demon,” I mumbled, repeating Torin's words. Jarith's father had been the Alpha when the war had begun. Jarith hadn't even been born yet, so Torin must have meant one of Jarith's older brothers…The alpha bloodlines were often blessed with longevity and aged more slowly than the average shifter. It wasn't unusual that some Alphas lived for more than two hundr
It was a relief that I got my own tent back, especially now that things between the group and me were still slightly weird. Nazo and Rafe stopped giving me the cold shoulder, but Torin remained distant, and Dearon… well… I wasn't even sure how to describe what was between us.I'd seen the tension sharpening his face when I'd told everyone about my talisman. From that moment, he kept looking at me as if he could sneak into my mind and read me like a book. Unlike how he had asked me about Harlow's death, now he didn't try to approach me, and I couldn't decide whether I found his distance relieving or irritating.Groaning in my rising frustration, I undressed from my traveling clothes and put on a light chemise. Then I finally lay down and wrapped myself with fur covers. Staring at the linen tent fabric above my head, I slowly blew out a breath. Was it possible that my mother had gotten that crystal from someone in Korendorr? I didn't have many memories of my mother, but I could see her
KAIRAWhat the actual fuck?! I barely survived the swirling storm of emotions that had invaded me. The fear of exposure quickly turned into a burning desire, only to lead to a quite bitter disappointment…I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel. I didn't know what I was supposed to think. Perhaps I should focus on the fact that my secrets remained hidden, that no spy had framed me or revealed my true identity. But that kiss…Gods, it had felt like a dream, only better—ten or twenty times better, actually. His touch, his scent, the way he'd kissed me—I hadn't felt anything like this before. It had awakened this odd need inside me, and that feeling…In that heated moment, I'd wanted to be his, to belong to him, and all reasonable arguments seemed irrelevant. It felt as if some primal instincts had taken over, and all I could do was follow their lead. Of course, it all had changed when Dearon decided to turn around and walk away as if it meant nothing to him. And now, seeing his all bu
DEARONI carried Kaira in my arms while inwardly muttering a long stream of curses. Torin and Nazo shouldn't have taken this that far. They even wanted me to use the Alpha Command on her, but I knew there were other, simpler ways to make her talk.Her heart raced. I could feel it with how close her chest was half-pressed against my own. Surely, the pounding could have been the result of silver poisoning, but I'd rather think it was because of our proximity. My wolf would certainly vote on the latter. He seemed amazingly satisfied with our current situation while I… well, I had yet to establish how I felt about it. Unfortunately, his urges quickly became my own…A few minutes passed, and I caught myself savoring the way her fingers brushed against the back of my neck as she tried to hold on to me. My one hand was on her back while the other held her bare legs, right under her knees, and gods, I began to wish I could slide that hand further, to her thighs and between them. I wanted to p
KAIRAMy heart thundered, and I could barely control the trembling of my hands and feet. Perhaps I should feel relief now that the last bastard who had set Alletia on fire was dead. Unfortunately, his death only made me ten times more restless.While Torin, Rafe, Nazo, and Dearon went to the cave to examine the body, I slowly began to roll up the tents, with “slowly” being a key word. “This is bad… This is so fucking bad,” I gritted out as I packed the blankets into the bag.I sucked in a deep breath, but it sure as three hells didn't help me calm down. I raised my gaze from the blankets and scanned the crowd of villagers slowly getting out of their tents. The spy this dead fucker mentioned had to be among them. How did I know that? Well, the answer was simple: I wasn't the one who killed the bastard in that cave.I'd wanted to. I had planned to kill him. I'd known I would have had to kill him the second Dearon had told me about the interrogation. I'd learned that the guy's name was H
I stood next to Kaira, her eyes on the tent—our tent for the night. Far too many people had lost their homes, and we'd decided to give them two of ours. That left us with one for Torin and Nazo, another for me and Kaira, and a small one for insufferably snoring Rafe.Kaira nibbled on her lip, her arms folding across her waist in a protective gesture. “Um… I can sleep outside somewhere,” she murmured. “You can take the tent. I'll take the blanket and—”“Out of the question,” I said curtly. “You're sleeping here, with me.”Her jaw clenched. “Explain this to me one more time: why can't I use the small tent? If you were a gentleman, you would share this tent with Rafe, and I—”“First of all, you're right, I'm no gentleman.” A sly grin curved my lips. “Second, there's no way in all three hells that I'm going to share a tent with Rafe. His snoring is legendary, and I need to be still sane in the morning. And third…” I inched closer, locking my eyes on hers. “I can always make you lie down n
DEARONI was staring at the bloodied corpse of one of the fuckers who burned Alletia. I almost regretted not having more time to enjoy this kill. I would have skinned him alive and savored his every scream. Breaking a few bones and drawing a couple of cuts through his skin granted him a death too swift and far too easy. He'd deserved to suffer—they all had. But those people needed help. They needed us back in that burning village.‘We kept one of them alive, since I figured you wouldn't,’ Torin muttered through the link.A grim smirk pulled at my lips as I glanced at the dead wolf at my feet. ‘I considered it, though… for about one second.’Torin's snort came through. ‘We'll chain the fucker in the nearby cave. Rafe will keep his eyes on him until you get there.’‘Good.’ I rolled back my shoulders before turning into my wolf form. ‘Run back to Alletia. There are a lot of scared and grieving people out there.’I didn't wait for Torin's response as I ran back to the village, finding Naz