LOGINSo this was Sage, Luna's Beta. I'd heard about her, a legendary fighter who'd never lost a battle. "Our pack scouts just arrived. They say there's going to be war if Thelma isn't freed. Alpha Marcus is rallying the southern packs. They're preparing to march on the Silver Moon." Luna's face went pale. "War? Over one trial?" "It's bigger than that now," Sage said. "A True Alpha has awakened and chosen to protect someone. If the Council executes her anyway, it sends a message that even True Alphas can be ignored. Every pack with a strong Alpha will see it as a threat." "How many warriors?" I asked. Sage turned to me, her eyes assessing. "At least five hundred, possibly more. Luna's father is leading them. He says he won't let the Council corrupt justice." Luna grabbed my arm. "Theo, this is spiraling out of control. We need to stop this before wolves start dying." "I'll go to the Council," I said. "Show them this evidence about Thorne. It might be enough to shift the vote."
POV: Theo The entire pack was in chaos. I stood in the main hall, watching wolves rush past in panic and excitement. News of Xavier's True Alpha awakening had spread faster than wildfire. Everyone was talking about it, arguing about it, trying to understand what it meant. "A True Alpha hasn't been seen in over a century," one elder muttered. "It's impossible. He's not even Alpha born." "But we all felt it. That power, it was real." I pushed through the crowd, heading toward the Council chamber. Luna caught up with me, her face flushed from running. "Theo, what's happening? I heard Xavier awakened as a True Alpha." "He did. Right in front of everyone. When Damien tried to strike Thelma, something in Xavier just exploded. Power like I've never seen before." Luna's eyes widened. "True Alphas are awakened through selfless sacrifice. Xavier was willing to die to protect her." "Even though he doesn't remember loving her," I said. "His soul knows what his mind forgot."
"The curse is designed to spread. One memory triggers it, and it cascades through the entire family line, targeting anyone with my blood. Finn would die. Any children I might have in the future would die." I sank into a chair, the horror of it washing over me. "Then you can never have your memories back. Ever." "Apparently not without killing my little brother." Xavier's voice was hollow. I wanted to scream, to rage against the unfairness of it all. Morgana was dead, but her final curse lived on, ensuring I could never have Xavier's love again. "Wait," Xavier said, flipping through another book. "There's more here. Records about Alpha James." I looked over his shoulder. The pages detailed investigations into James's rule, documents proving what I'd always suspected. "He wasn't a tyrant," Xavier read aloud. "He was trying to prevent powerful wolves from being weaponized by the Council. He saw what they were doing, how they manipulated strong Alphas, how they eliminated anyone who
POV: Thelma The lockpick was tiny, barely larger than a needle, but it felt like salvation in my palm. Neon had slipped it through the bars an hour ago, his face twisted with guilt. "I can't undo what I did under Morgana's control," he'd whispered. "But I can help now. Elena died saving me. The least I can do is help save you." Now, with the guards changing shifts, I worked the lockpick into the silver chains. My fingers trembled, both from fear and from the burns the silver had left on my wrists. The lock mechanism was complex, spelled to resist tampering. But I'd picked locks since I was twelve years old. Magic couldn't stop determined fingers. The first cuff clicked open. Relief flooded through me as the silver fell away. The second cuff took longer, precious seconds ticking by as footsteps echoed in the corridor above. Finally, it opened. I was free of the chains, but still locked in a cell in the middle of enemy territory. One wrong move and I'd be executed on the spot. The
POV: Xavier The Council was in session when I burst into the meeting chamber. Five Alphas sat around a massive table, including Alpha Celeste and Elder Thorne. They all turned to stare at me. "This session is private," Thorne said coldly. "Leave, boy." "I'm not your boy," I replied, walking straight toward him. "But apparently, I am your son." Silence fell over the room. Celeste's ancient eyes widened slightly. The other Council members exchanged shocked looks. Thorne's face remained emotionless. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Don't lie." I slammed my hands on the table. "You raped my mother twenty four years ago during a visit to Silver Moon pack. She got pregnant. Alpha Damien claimed me as his own to protect her honor, but we both know the truth. Your blood runs in my veins." "Careful, Xavier," Celeste warned. "These are serious accusations." "They're not accusations. They're facts." I turned to face all of them. "And I want everyone in this room to know that
POV: Xavier Something was wrong with my mind. I stood in my room at the Silver Moon pack, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The face looking back at me was familiar, but the person behind it felt like a stranger. There were gaps in my thoughts, moments where I reached for memories that should exist but found nothing. It was like walking through a house and discovering entire rooms had been sealed off. I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to force the memories to surface. Nothing. Just a dull ache and a profound sense of loss I couldn't explain. My eyes fell on the sketch I'd drawn, the woman with golden eyes. Thelma. According to Theo, she'd been my mate. We'd loved each other. But when I tried to remember her touch, her voice, her laugh, there was only emptiness. Someone had taken those memories from me. The Oracle, Theo said. To save my life. But why would memories be dangerous? I turned away from the mirror and grabbed the leather journal I'd started keeping. Insi







