Amaya POV“Are you crazy?” I hissed, struggling against him. “There are guards everywhere.”Although it was a little dark and the training grounds were usually deserted at this time of night, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled upon us. And that would cause a lot of issues.“So?” he said, unbothered. “It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong. You’re still my wife.”“Ex-wife!” I snapped instantly. “I am happily married, thank you very much. To Ryder. Who, in case you forgot, is the soon-to-be Alpha of this pack and doesn’t need you breathing down my neck like some jealous wolf who can’t take a hint.”His jaw tightened, but I didn’t stop. If anything, I spoke louder. “We are over, Dante. I moved on. I am healed.”Of course, that was a lie. I wasn’t anywhere close to being healed. How does one even heal from that?“And now you’re here, messing everything up like you always do…”“Enough,” he growled, and I flinched at the raw sound of it. The kind of growl that made
Amaya POV “I volunteer,” I said with no hesitation. The room suddenly went quiet. Alpha Beckett furrowed his brow, Ryder’s eyes widened, and I could feel the tension shift. “You?” Dante asked, rising halfway from his seat. “Amaya—” “I said what I said.” I cut him off calmly. “This is my pack too. And if there’s danger near our borders, I’m not sitting here twiddling my thumbs while the rest of you bleed.” Ryder stepped away from the wall and was now fully focused on me. His jaw ticked, but he didn’t say anything. Beckett exchanged a look with one of the council members, then nodded slowly. “Fine. You’ll be briefed in twenty minutes.” I nodded and turned around before anyone could protest further, ignoring the burning gaze of Dante behind me. I barely made it past the hallway before I heard footsteps behind me. “Amaya,” Ryder called, and I stopped. My lips curled into a small smile, but as I turned, I was met with a blank stare that made it falter. “What is it?” I as
Amaya POV“Because he saved my life.”I had expected a thousand excuses to justify his actions. Political reasons. Strategy. Maybe even fear. I mean, a lot of packs were indeed afraid of Dante’s wrath, so it would make a little sense if that was the case. But that—that I didn’t expect.“What?” I said in shock, unsure of how else to respond.“Over fifteen years ago,” he said, staring down at his hands like they held pieces of a past he didn’t want to relive. “Ryder fell gravely ill. The healers and doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him—he was dying slowly right in front of me. I had already lost my mate… I couldn’t lose my only son too.”His jaw clenched as he relived the memory.“My Beta back then—Harlem—recommended someone. He said there was a powerful healer who lived beyond the northern border, someone who didn’t belong to any pack but had cured impossible cases before. The problem was, he wasn’t reachable. We had to go to him.”He paused, his expression hardened, and
Amaya POV “You cry really loud for someone who just volunteered as tribute.” I gasped with a startled breath. I whipped my head around, tear-streaked cheeks and wide eyes, only to find Briella lounging upside down on my reading chair. One leg dangled over the backrest, a book in her hand and a lollipop in her mouth. She didn’t even look up from the book. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, sitting up and aggressively wiping the tears from my face with the back of my hand. “How… how long have you been sitting there?” Briella finally looked up, popping the sweet out of her mouth. “Long enough,” she said, and casually set the book aside. “So… what are you doing here?” I asked. She sat up now, swinging her legs over the side of the chair. Knowing Briella, she never showed up unless she needed something or had something to say. Briella was many things, but silent company wasn’t one of them. “It’s about the mission,” she finally said. I knew it. I crossed my arms.
Amaya POV I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves as I recalled everything I’d learned up till now. “In situations like this, the last thing you want to do is panic,” Ryder had told me once. “The next… is to listen.” So I listened. I focused on the silence, let the cool air fill my lungs. I gripped my sword tighter and started moving forward carefully, step by step. That’s when I heard sudden footsteps heading right in my direction. My ears twitched and my instinct kicked in. The next rule Ryder had drilled into me came rushing back. “Find a safe place to hide. Then wait. Then strike.” I darted behind a thick tree, crouched low, clutching my sword so tight my knuckles turned white. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I kept my breathing steady. Just like I was taught. Then… I saw movement. A shadow passed me, and without wasting a second, I jumped out with a yell, raising my sword—ready to strike. But I didn’t even get the chance. A hand caught my wrist mid-ai
Amaya’s POV The rogues crept closer, their growls vibrating in my ear. “Cut me down,” I whispered harshly to Dante. “Do you want me to draw more attention to us?” he hissed, his gaze shifting from wolf to wolf. He had his blade out, his body angled protectively around me. But there were four of them, and I could already smell more in the distance. Then one lunged at us. Dante met it mid-air, clashing his blade against the rogue’s jaw. Another rogue darted toward me, but Dante was already at my side, blocking the third one with his forearm. He didn’t look shaken by the blow. He growled and slammed his sword into its chest. Three rogues. He was handling three rogues. Wanting to help, I tried to reach out for my belt, praying the dagger strapped to my thigh hadn’t fallen off, but my eyes widened as I spotted the fourth rogue. It wasn’t moving. It was just standing there, staring straight at me with a grin on its lips. Like it was toying with me. Watching me dangle—helple
Dante’s POV Amaya’s wolf was back? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her shift. It was the first time I had ever seen her in her wolf form, and for a moment, I genuinely thought I was dreaming. There was no way this was real. But then she growled—and not just any growl. It was deep, commanding, terrifying… and somehow beautiful. If I wasn’t an Alpha myself, I probably would’ve been on my knees. She was twice the size of a normal wolf. Her white fur shimmered like moonlight kissed it, and her presence alone was enough to make the surrounding rogues hesitate. I watched her take down two rogues in under a minute. Her moves were brutally efficient, like she had been doing this her whole life. The third rogue didn’t even try to fight, it just ran. Then she turned to me. Our eyes met as I stared at her now-glowing blue eyes, and for a moment, I forgot everything else. I was so lost I didn’t even realize the fourth rogue was still standing and was now slinking toward her.
Amaya’s POV“What are you doing?” I mumbled, confused as Ryder’s thumb brushed against my bottom lip. Especially when he leaned in and pressed his lips on the side of his thumb.My brow furrowed and I blinked a few times.Ryder’s eyes snapped open, and he casually leaned back, clearing his throat. “Dante was looking,” he said, and my stomach dropped.“What?” My head snapped to the door. There was no one there now, but it didn’t take a genius to realize what had just happened. “You… pretended to kiss me?”“Technically, I did kiss something,” he replied, trying to make a joke out of it.“Ryder,” I said flatly, and he held his hands up.“Relax, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said.I stared at him for a second, then repeated, “You pretended to kiss me because you saw Dante watching?”He didn’t respond right away, which annoyed me a little.I shifted on the bed and set the fruit bowl aside. “Do you realize how messed up that is?”“I was only proving a point,” he said, quieter now. “He n
Amaya POVMy legs gave out, but Asher caught me again, easing me down until I was sitting against a rock. I clutched my stomach tighter as the pain from the stab resurfaced.“Are you okay?” Asher asked. When I looked up at him with a glare, he sucked in his lips and muttered, “Of course you’re not—you just got stabbed.”Thankfully, it wasn’t that deep. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.The white wolf must die.Another shiver ran down my spine as I recalled their hollow eyes and hateful words.“They really think I’m the villain,” I whispered, mostly to myself. But Asher, who had been pacing back and forth, froze and slowly turned to face me like he wasn’t sure if he should say something or just shut up and sit down.His eyes darted around before he finally walked over and crouched down in front of me.“They’re just kids,” he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re scared and brainwashed. They don’t know what they’re saying.”I didn’t respond.He sat down beside me, no
Amaya POVI thought it would be difficult, but I guess the perfume played a big role. Walking down the hallway, many guards glanced in my direction, but they all had the same expression—wrinkling their noses.And even when one tried approaching, I simply raised my hand before he could get closer, dismissing him instantly. Kara had a bossy, bratty reputation, so this was easy.Asher led me to where he claimed the kids were being held captive. By now, we had passed over twenty guards and turned more corners than I could keep up with.The moment I stepped inside, my fists clenched. It felt like a prison—but for children. I glanced around as I slowly approached. There were still other guards inside, watching the kids, but what pissed me off was the condition these kids were living in.When I walked past a cell, they shuddered back in fear, probably mistaking me for Kara.My fists clenched tighter when I saw a girl who looked around eight, holding a boy who couldn’t be older than five. She
Amaya POV“Aughhh!” I yelled, thrashing violently. The more he tried to hold me down, the more I struggled.“What’s going on!” Two guards rushed in, seeing the scene.“I don’t… she just started… acting all crazy,” the boy whose name I still hadn’t learned said. He was actually better at acting than I imagined.The two men shoved him away and held me down, and though they succeeded, it didn’t stop me from screaming.Soon, the sound of heels echoed down the hall. “What the hell is all this racket about?” Kara’s voice rang out as she strode into the room.The two guards stepped back, allowing her to assess the situation while I continued screaming, acting like I was mad.Kara snapped her finger. “Asher…” she called, and the boy slowly stepped forward. “What is this?” she demanded, pointing at me.“I… I think it’s the silver,” Asher muttered, his eyes darting from me to the guards. “She… she might be reacting to it.”Those words caught the guards off guard and one of them muttered, “… but
Amaya POVAlpha Kieran.A name whispered like a curse among rogues. He was powerful, ruthless, and once upon a time, respected.He was a rogue leader like no other. One who carved his power out of chaos and stitched together an empire from scraps. But even with all that, he had rules. Boundaries.That all changed after a war.No one knew what happened on the battlefield, but the Kieran who returned wasn’t the same. He came back… sick. Strangely, the next morning he ordered an attack—not against a rival pack, but his own people.Entire rogue settlements burned overnight.Children were ripped from their mothers’ hands screaming. Families torn apart like paper. Blood soaked the ground, and no one dared ask why. Kieran’s silence was more terrifying than his rage.And behind it all, his obsession with the White Wolf grew. I had been the target since my father’s death, but back then it was more subtle.But capturing me wasn’t enough. He wanted to extract my powers. And to do that, a ritual
Amaya’s POV It’s been four days since I’d been held captive. I hadn’t seen Kara since then, which was a little disappointing because I’d only been able to gather small pieces of information. The only person who ever visited was the young man—or should I say boy—who brought my meals every day. Every time he came in, he’d remove just one chain from my hand, place the food carefully in front of me, then watch from a distance as I ate. At first, I didn’t trust him. I thought maybe the food was poisoned, but remembering the blue-eyed man’s words about how they couldn’t harm me… it couldn’t possibly be. So I ate. And, as suspected, nothing happened. The boy who was sent to watch me never really spoke. In fact, the only time I ever heard his voice was when he muttered a single word. “Eat.” That was it. He didn’t even look at me when he said it—like he either didn’t want to or wasn’t allowed to. But I saw him. The way his fingers trembled when he unlocked the chains. The way
Dante POVI had just returned from another long, useless search for Amaya. It was late, almost past midnight, and I was dead on my feet.Not that it mattered. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. I’d become increasingly restless ever since Alpha Becket pulled me aside.He had also warned me to keep the truth from everyone — even Cyrus. According to him, the fewer people who knew, the safer it would be.Who would’ve thought the once delicate, childlike woman who stole my heart would turn out to be the last white wolf?I was so lost in thought that when I turned a corner, I slammed right into someone. I growled under my breath, massaging my temples.“I’m—” The apology died in my throat when I looked up.The man I’d bumped into was standing still, stiff, glaring at me. It made my instincts prickle.“I’m sorry for bumping into you,” I said, thinking maybe that was the reason for his attitude.Lately, I’d been apologizing more than usual. Normally, I would’ve just pushed past without
Amaya POVFew Days Ago…Briella had come to visit, which was unusual for her. It was late, and I had just stepped out of the shower, my robe clinging to my damp skin when I heard a knock at my door.“I need to talk,” she said. Without waiting for me to respond, she walked past me and collapsed onto my bed. I blinked, confused, then followed her.I turned back to the dressing table to dry my hair, but the silence stretched between us.“You wanted to say something?” I muttered, turning to meet her gaze. She wasn’t looking at me, but at her own hands, twisting nervously in her lap.I raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”Briella heavily slumped her shoulders. “I’ve been dishonest.” Her words caught me off guard. I stopped drying my hair.I turned fully to face her, leaning against the table. “What do you mean?” I asked.She fidgeted, her fingers twitching anxiously — a side of her I hadn’t seen before. Something was very off.“That day at the rogue territory…” she began, her voice bar
Amaya POVPain was the first thing I felt when I opened my eyes. There was a burning ache at the back of my head, and a throbbing pulse in my wrist where something cold and heavy dug into my skin. The sack still covered my face, so all I could see was nothing.I tried to move, but the chains rattled loudly, forcing me to realize my wrists were shackled to the wall behind me. The more I struggled, the deeper they dug into my skin.Where am I?I took a sniff of the air. The scent was unfamiliar. Suddenly, I heard footsteps followed by the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor.My heart began pounding heavily, yet I stayed as still as I could, keeping my breathing shallow under the sack.The dragging became louder and closer until it stopped right in front of me.“She’s awake,” came a rough voice.I flinched as cold fingers yanked the sack off my head. I squeezed my eyes shut due to the sudden brightness.When I finally dared to open them, I found myself staring into th
Dante's POV "Amaya!" I screamed and bolted upright in bed. My head spun and my arm burned from the IV a nurse was hurriedly trying to fix. It took only a second to realize I was in a hospital. "Where is she? Where is Amaya?" I growled, which startled the nurse so badly she stumbled back, trembling like a leaf. "I-I don't know..." she stammered. "You were found passed out on the road. Some passersby rushed you here. I-I'll go inform Sir Ryder you're awake," she said quickly and rushed out before I could stop her. Panic gripped me harder. How long had I been out? I glanced out the window. The sun was already high outside, and memories of last night crashed back into me like a nightmare. Amaya had been taken, and she had been missing since last night. Shit! I yanked the IV out of my arm and rushed towards the door, only to almost collide with Ryder, who was storming in. "Where is she?" he demanded, stepping furiously into the room with his eyes filled with rage. "You were with he