LOGINDerek’s POV Neither of us noticed the faint shadow moving along the opposite side of the garden wall.The person following Mira stopped when we entered the light.They waited until we disappeared inside, then they slowly turned away.I still did not know who they were, I did not know what they wanted.I did not know why Mira had come to our pack, or what she was running from, or why the mention of her family made her look as though she had been struck.All I knew was that I was falling for her.And for the first time, I understood that loving someone did not always mean knowing everything about them.Sometimes, it meant standing beside them while they found the courage to tell you the truth.Aria’s POV I had learned, over the years, that peace could be frightening when you had spent too much of your life waiting for something terrible to happen, because even the quietest morning could make my instincts whisper that I had forgotten something important.That morning had begun peaceful
Derek’s POV “Nothing happened.”“You are smiling.”“I am allowed to smile.”“You are smiling before breakfast.”“That is not illegal.”“It should be.”I laughed as she leaned forward.“You saw Mira yesterday.”I looked at her.“How do you know?”“You came back looking like someone had given you everything you wanted.”“That is dramatic.”“You were humming.”“I do not hum.”“You were humming badly.”I stared at her, “You are very observant.”“I am your twin sister.”“That explains why you are so irritating.”She laughed.Before she could continue, Mira entered the kitchen.Daniella looked at me and I looked at Daniella.She smiled.I immediately knew she was going to say something embarrassing.“Good morning, Mira,” she said, looking far too innocent.“Good morning,” Mira replied, smiling politely.Daniella stood.“I suddenly remembered that I promised to help Aria.”I frowned, “You did not.”She walked past me.“I remember it now.”I shook my head.Mira laughed softly.“She knows wha
Derek’s POV Mira laughed, and Tomas walked away before I could stop him.I looked back at her.“So, where are we going?”She smiled.“I wanted to show you something.”She led me toward the far side of the pack, where a narrow trail passed behind the gardens and disappeared into a small grove.I had been there before, but I had never gone far because the trail eventually became difficult to follow.Mira seemed to know exactly where she was going.“You have been here before,” I said, watching her as she moved confidently between the trees.“Yes.”“When?”“A few times.”“Alone?”She nodded, “Why do you come here?”She looked over her shoulder.“I like places where nobody asks questions.”I smiled.“That sounds like a very personal attack against me.”She laughed, “You ask more questions than everyone else combined.”“That is because you never answer them.”“Maybe I like watching you struggle.”“You enjoy torturing me.”“Maybe.”We continued walking.After several minutes, the trees open
Derek’s POV Instead, she slowly turned her hand and intertwined her fingers with mine.My heart did something ridiculous.I looked at her and she was smiling.Neither of us said anything.We simply walked.And for the first time, I stopped pretending our meetings were coincidences.I wanted to see her.She wanted to see me.Whatever happened after that, I knew I had crossed the line between curiosity and something much deeper.What I did not know was that, from the upper balcony of the pack hall, someone had noticed us holding hands.And unlike Daniella, who looked at us with amusement, the person watching from the balcony did not smile at all.Mira glanced upward once. Her fingers tightened around mine.I looked at her.“What happened,” I asked, studying her face.She forced a smile.“Nothing happened.”I looked toward the balcony, nobody was there anymore.I turned back to her, “Are you sure?”She nodded , “Yes.”I squeezed her hand.“Then I believe you.”Her expression softened.“
Derek’s POV I looked at her and she shrugged.“She is mysterious, but that does not mean she is dangerous, and you should not make assumptions about her because she does not talk about her past.”I nodded.“I know.”And I did. At least, I thought I did.What I did not know was that Mira had stopped at the edge of the courtyard, hidden behind one of the stone columns, and had heard everything.She looked toward me for several seconds.Then she quietly walked away.The next few days became a strange collection of coincidences.I would walk into the dining hall, and Mira would be there.I would visit the training grounds, and she would be crossing the courtyard.I would go to the market, and somehow she would be standing at the same stall I needed.I began wondering whether the pack was actually much smaller than I had thought, because apparently there were only two places in the entire territory, and Mira and I were both permanently trapped between them.The first real incident happene
Derek’s POV “Oh,” she murmured, raising her eyebrows as she looked at me.“What?”“You like her.”“I do not.”“You defended her.”“I defended the truth.”“You became defensive when I said she was annoying.”“She is not annoying.”“You really like her.”I sighed, “You are going to make this unbearable.”“I have not even started,” she replied, laughing as she walked away.I watched her leave, then looked toward Mira again.She was gone and that made me frown.I had not even seen her leave, that was becoming a habit with her.I found her again the following morning.This time, I was in the training yard, carrying several wooden practice swords toward the weapons rack, when someone stepped out from behind one of the stone pillars.I was moving too quickly to stop and we collided.The swords nearly fell from my arms.Mira stumbled backward, and the small basket she was carrying slipped from her hands.“Derek,” she exclaimed, catching herself against the wall as her eyes widened.“I am sor
Ronan’s POVThat fool Darren, he wasn’t just after Aria’s death. He wanted her blood for this. The ritual that gave the one who completed it power beyond the gods themselves. A ritual meant for kings.And that’s when it all made sense.They didn’t betray me because they feared I’d fail them. They b
Darren’s POVDerek glared back, his jaw tight, but said nothing this time. Aria sat motionless beside him, her head bowed. The candlelight flickered over her pale skin streaked with sweat and tears.She didn’t speak, but her silence was louder than all their laughter combined.I looked away. I didn
Aria’s POVShe gave him a thin smile, her voice light, honey-sweet. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ve got it right this time. She won’t ruin anything for us this time."Her words were almost playful, but her eyes, when they flicked toward me, were all venom. My throat burned. “Why?”The word came out cr
Darren’s POV The needle hit her skin, she screamed then went silent and that made me smile. Poor Aria, she looked even more beautiful when she’s unconscious. Derek’s head fell sideways, his jaw slack. Aria’s fingers twitched once before going completely still. For a long second, the only sound in







