Trapped in Code (Vera's POV)I hit the ground hard, a sharp pain shooting up my side. Gabriel’s arms cushioned my fall, his broad chest pressed against me in the dark. His pine scent flooded my senses, and my heart raced. The trap door had dropped us into Moonveil’s underground server room. “Vera, you okay?” Gabriel rasped, his amber eyes glowing faintly. I nodded, scrambling up, brushing dirt off my leather jacket. “Yeah. You?” He grinned, standing tall. “Tougher than that fall.” I turned to the server, its green lights blinking. “We need that shard,” I said, pulling out my device. My fingers flew over the keys, hacking into the system. Code streamed past, but then—bam—Selene’s virus struck back, locking me out. “Damn it!” I hissed, my aura flaring green.Gabriel growled, stepping in front. Five Moonveil guards charged, claws gleaming. He slashed at one, fangs bared, blood spraying. The other lunged, and he grunted, struggling. “Getting overwhelmed here,” he called, dodging a s
Into the Silver Web (Gabriel’s POV)I stood at the urban outskirts, neon lights casting shadows over Moonveil’s fortress. Vera led the raid, her leather jacket gleaming under the dusk glow, raven hair whipping in the wind. My heart swelled with pride along with a sharp stab of fear. She was fierce, unstoppable, but damn, this place screamed danger. Could we pull this off?“Jace, flank left,” I barked, claws flexing as I scanned the perimeter. My beta nodded, his dark hair bouncing, claws out and ready. Moonveil’s drones hummed overhead, their red eyes blinking. Then—static—our comms jammed. “Shit,” Jace growled, smashing a fist into a wall. “They’re blocking us.”I cursed under my breath, glancing at Vera. She hunched over her device, fingers flying, hacking into their defenses. Her emerald eyes narrowed, glowing faintly. “Almost there,” she muttered, but the screen flickered. Selene’s encryption hit back hard. My wolf snarled.A drone swooped low, lasers charging. I lunged, shovi
Echoes of the Shard (Vera's POV)I burst into the tech den, the notebook from the library clutched tight. I slammed the book onto the table, staring at the hacked data flickering on the holographic screens. Moonveil’s pack emblem stared back—a silver web over a crescent moon. My heart pounded. Can I track the third shard?The door creaked open. Pine scent hit me like a wave, and my wolf stirred. Gabriel strode in, his amber eyes locking onto mine. “I’ve got Nightmoor intel,” he said, voice low, holding out a data chip. My breath hitched, but I kept my face hard.“Hand it over,” I muttered, snatching it. His fingers brushed mine, sending a jolt up my arm. I glared, pulling back. Focus, Vera.I plugged the chip in, fingers flying over the keys. The screen lit up with Moonveil’s outer defenses—firewalls, traps, the works. I dove in, hacking fast, code streaming past. Then bam, a counter-virus slammed down, locking me out. My aura flared, frustration boiling. “Damn it!”Gabriel stepp
Library’s Truth (Vera's POV)My moonstone necklace pulsed against my skin, my eyes narrowing as I faced Gabriel. His eyes pleading that I do exactly what he asked me to do.“Why, trust isn't something I give freely, so why you?” I asked, my voice sharp, my heart racing, his amber gaze steady.I knew this question wasn't necessary. We literally fought together to take down Kael and his pack.That says a lot. But with the whole pack's eyes on us and my Grandfather not too far from where we stood, it made me act like my defenses are really high.He stepped closer, his pine scent overwhelming, making my breath hitch as I had this strong impulse to lean into him. “You need backup,” he said, his voice low, his fingers lingering on my wrist. “We make a perfect team together. You can't ignore that.”My wolf purred, the mate bond sparking, as the side of his lips tilted up in a knowing smile.Ahhhh. The alpha knew he had me. From the light in his eyes, he had something else to add but for som
Seer’s Burden (Cee’s POV)My knees hit the cold stone floor of Starfang’s council hall, the dim torchlight spinning as my pendant dimmed, its glow fading after that vision “The moon splits in several parts.”A cloaked figure with the other shard lingered in my mind, its pulse burning my eyes, Damon’s escape from the rooftop a bitter reminder. Could that be the other shard?It can't be. That one was for sure corrupted judging from the effects it was having on him.My hands trembled, my eyes wide, my breath shaky. The pack’s murmurs pressed in, their questions sharp, and my heart raced. What’s the truth behind the new shard?I clutched my pendant, its warmth slipping, and tried to stand, but my legs wobbled. Vera knelt beside me, her emerald eyes glowing faintly, her moonstone necklace pulsing. “Cee, what did you see?” she asked, her voice urgent, her hand on my arm steadying me.“I—I don’t know,” I stammered, my voice cracking, my head pounding. The vision blurred, a cloaked figure w
Victory’s Shadow (Vera's POV)The torchlight flickered across Starfang’s initiation grounds, the air thick with celebration and unease, as Eleanor’s words echoed in my mind. It was upsetting to see how low she regarded me, her daughter in comparison to that viper Lana.If only she knew half of what she did in my past life.The festive beat of drums clashed with my racing heart, Damon’s escape from the final battle a bitter taste, his red eyes taunting me still. My moonstone necklace pulsed against my skin, its star-and-moon pendant warming, my eyes scanning the crowd. My leather jacket clung to me, my raven-black hair loose, but my claws twitched, suspicion gnawing.I wonder what that shard Damon held really did.Gideon stepped forward, his gray eyes hard, his aura heavy. “Bring the shards from the vault!” he barked, his voice cutting through the cheers. “We combine them tonight.” His distrust lingered, his jaw tight, but his order set the pack moving, warriors rushing to obey.I