LOGINTHIRD PERSON The cold autumn wind howled against the glass windows of the Alpha's grand study, rattling the heavy frames as if something outside wanted to break inside. The room was dark, lit only by the warm, flickering glow of a single brass lamp sitting on the large mahogany desk.Alpha William Lockwood stood by the window, his broad shoulders heavy with exhaustion, staring out into the dark shadows of the courtyard. Behind him, Luna Helen paced slowly across the Persian rug, her footsteps muffled by the thick wool. Her face was pale, and her hands were clasped tightly together in front of her chest.Sitting across from them in a wooden chair was Aria. Her amber eyes were wide with stress, and in her trembling hand, she held the fake council summons demanding her immediate exile to the eastern mountain sanctuary."It's a trap," Aria said, her voice shaking slightly in the quiet room. "I know it is. The dates on this summons match up perfectly with the exact days Trenton is schedul
THIRD PERSON The harsh white light of the desk lamp buzzed quietly, casting long, sharp shadows across the wooden surface of Aria’s dorm room. The room was freezing, but Aria did not feel the cold. Her fingers were locked around the edge of the paper, trembling so badly that the official council document rattled softly in the quiet air.She stared down at the peculiar handwriting on the page, tracing the strange, hooked shape of the letter 's' with her eyes."Maya," Aria whispered into the empty room, her voice sounding breathless and small.The handwriting did not belong to Officer Miller, the guard who had filed the false report against Trenton. It belonged to Maya. Aria’s mind raced as the terrifying puzzle pieces locked together with a sickening click. Maya hadn't just been typing notes in an office; she had been forging official pack documents, slipping false evidence into council files, and helping Tristan build the massive web of lies that had gotten Trenton banished.Aria gra
THIRD PERSON The heavy oak door of the small storage shed behind the stables was bolted tight from the inside. Outside, the cold autumn wind howled across the Winterridge pack grounds, rattling the loose metal roof tiles and casting long, flickering shadows through the dusty windowpanes.Inside, the room was dim and quiet, smelling sharply of old leather, dried cedar, and rain.Aria stood frozen in the center of the room, her hands pressed tightly against her mouth to hold back a sob. Just a few inches away stood Trenton. His broad shoulders were tense, his dark hair was slightly messy, and his amber eyes shone with a raw, painful mix of anger and sorrow. The council’s banishment order was less than an hour old, and he was being forced to pack his bags and leave Winterridge before sunset."They can't do this," Aria whispered, her voice breaking as fresh tears spilled over her eyelashes and ran down her pale cheeks. "Trenton, they are physically pushing you out of our home. Every sing
THIRD PERSONThe heavy brass clock inside the Alpha’s grand hallway ticked slowly, its loud, metallic sound echoing through the empty room like a countdown. Outside, the night sky was dark and heavy, choked with thick gray clouds that hid the moon.Inside the bright, warm study, the atmosphere was freezing.Trenton stood near the large mahogany desk, his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles looked like white stones. His chest heaved with angry breaths, and his amber eyes burned with a furious, restless fire. Just a few feet away, Alpha Lockwood sat heavily in his leather chair, holding a thick folder filled with official council papers. His face was pale, and deep lines of worry carved themselves into his forehead."They are saying what?" Trenton shouted, his voice cracking with sheer disbelief as he glared down at his father. "They are claiming I abused my authority as future Alpha? That I physically attacked a guard at the south gate just to force my way through?
ARIA The heavy wooden door of my dorm room creaked open, and the familiar, comforting scent of pine and winter snow washed over me. Trenton stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. He had driven through the night from the regional training camp, breaking the council's strict rules just to be here with me. His dark hair was messy, and deep, dark circles shadowed his amber eyes, showing how exhausted he was."Trenton," I whispered, rushing forward and throwing my arms around his neck.He caught me instantly, pulling me so hard against his chest that I could feel the frantic, heavy pounding of his heart. He buried his face in my hair, breathing in deep, shuddering breaths as if he had been starving for air."I got your message," Trenton murmured against my ear, his voice rough and shaking. "I dropped everything and drove straight here. What is this note, Aria? What did you find in the archives?"I pulled back just enough to look up into his face. My hands were still tremblin
ARIAThe cool autumn wind rattled the windowpanes of Tristan’s off-campus office, but inside, the air felt thick and still, smelling faintly of old paper and burning candle wax. I stood completely frozen in the shadows of the doorway, holding my breath so tightly my chest began to ache.Tristan was sitting at his heavy mahogany desk. He didn't know I was there. I had sneaked into his office through the back hallway while he was supposed to be at a council meeting, hoping to find more financial papers for our investigation. But what I found on his desk made my blood run cold.He wasn't looking at tax logs. He wasn't looking at council records. He was staring down at a thick, leather-bound planner, and his pen was scratching against the paper with slow, deliberate strokes.I squinted through the dim light, leaning my head forward just a fraction to get a better look. On the open page of his calendar, neatly drawn in harsh red ink, was a massive grid of numbers. Every single day leading
Aria's POVEven from where I stood, I still couldn’t understand why Trenton was staring at me with such suspicion. That look wasn’t just terrifying—it was horrifying. This was the first time he had ever looked at me that way.Even though the scene refused to leave my mind, I decided to brush it off
Trenton's POVCoach Damien raised his voice over the cheering. “Listen up, everyone!” The rink went silent before he continued. “For the championship qualifiers, the player representing Winterridge…” He paused. “Trenton Blackwood.”“Congratulations, man,” Lucien—my best friend—pulled me into a side
Aria“Not today, Tristan,” I muttered once I stepped out of the locker room. “Your brother will not die in my hands again.”Looking around to make sure that the coast was clear, I reached for the poison inside my bra, twisted the lid open, and stared at the dark liquid. The sharp smell of herbs—bur
AriaThe first thing I noticed once I stepped inside the locker room wasn't his fake smile or his scheming eyes that hinted that he thought he had me wrapped around his tiny fingers.No.The first thing I noticed… was the mate bond between us. It was no longer as strong as it used to be.In my prev







