I closed the door behind me, careful not to wake Rex. The image of her sleeping face stayed with me. Hearing her breathing finally even out helped relieve the crushing weight on my chest that had pressed down on me all day. She was healing. She was safe. At least for now. I descended the stairs two at a time, headed out to check on the aftermath of her fight. Outside the pack house, Lily and a few others were still putting out flames. They all turned when they saw me, silent questions burning in their eyes. “She’s fine,” I said before they could speak. The relief that softened their expressions said it all. They were worried. They cared. She was already becoming the Luna they needed—strong, brave, and theirs. They’d have questions about her, about what they saw. But those were hers to answer, when she was ready. My eyes landed on Selene. Of course she was here. Always ready to insert herself like she’d spilled blood in battle, when we both knew she hadn’t even broken a swea
“Rose!” I yelled, flung back into reality the moment I tried to leap from the bed. A sharp pain shot through my limbs, immediately dragging me down again. “Calm down, love,” Aries said, rushing to my side but the panic in me had already passed the boiling point. “Rose,” I repeated, louder this time. “She’s in danger, Aries. I saw her chained to a wall. I think she was kidnapped. Please, we have to save her!” My voice cracked with desperation. But then, another voice cut through the fog in my head, pulling me back from the edge. “I’m right here, Rex,” Rose said softly, stepping out from beside Aries. “What are you talking about?” she added, brows furrowed. I stared at her, breath caught in my throat. She looked… normal. Whole. Not like someone who’d just been locked in a dungeon. Confused, I tried to make sense of it. What did I see? “Rex,” Aries said, pulling me into a gentle hug from the side. The warmth of his body did more than enough to calm me. I took a deep breath, groun
The moment the question left my mouth, Robin didn’t speak. His eyes just darted around frantically—searching. Searching for him. For my friend. Then, as he turned slightly to the side… I saw it. Him. Julian. He was lying on the grass just a few feet away. The ground beneath him was soaked in blood, and crimson still poured from a burn wound on his side, sickeningly visible. His hand—twisted in an unnatural position, it looked like it had taken the full impact of a fall. Like he had been shoved. My heart dropped. I ran. Ran to him. I dropped to my knees, eyes already welling with tears. “No... no...” I whispered, over and over again, as I cradled his head gently in my lap. His eyes fluttered open barely—and pain etched itself into every line of his face. Every tiny movement made him wince, and my heart shattered at the sight. “Did we win?” he managed to choke out, trying—still trying to smile through the agony. I swallowed the thick lump rising in my throat and brushed a h
The moment the fireball disintegrated mid-air, shock flashed across the faces of the people beside Hugo. But they moved into defensive positions like they’d done it a million times—seamless and crisp. Disciplined.But I wasn’t intimidated. Not one bit.From where I stood, I locked eyes with Selene. If she came here to test me, then I’d give her a show. I’d make sure she understood exactly what she’d be dealing with if she dared touch anyone I cared about.“Get behind me,” Aries growled, suddenly at my side. But I didn’t move—not an inch.My blood was pumping. Not from fear, but from something deeper. Wilder. It was like a call. My veins felt hot, like my body had been thrust into a furnace.Another attacker hurled a fireball into the field. Robin leapt forward, shifting mid-air into his wolf form and tackling the man to the ground with a massive paw. The flames fizzled out on the scorched grass, hissing like vipers.Sparks flew across the battlefield as the red-cloaked strangers surge
Leaving Lucy’s building with all these plans set, even if they were small gave my heart a little peace. Not much, but enough. I walked beside Julian toward the training centre, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows as we moved in silence for a bit. I figured I’d take the chance to catch up with him, but of course, he beat me to it. “Little Rex,” he started, his tone soft but pointed. “Are you okay? Like genuinely okay. Not that fake 'I’m fine' crap about being cool with her staying here after everything with Aries.” I didn’t even try to fake a smile. “I’m not sure,” I admitted, my voice quieter than I expected. “I don’t doubt what Aries and I have. That’s not the issue. But I don’t know what her purpose here is and that unsettles me, Julian.” “I knew it,” he groaned. “You’ve got to stop pretending to be strong all the time. It’s not healthy to carry that weight on your chest constantly.” “I just... I’ll be fine if I can find out what the hell she is, and why she’s really her
The bond between us thrived as we finally became one. I could feel all of him, and I was certain he felt the same. As I lay in bed, the morning sun slipped through the curtains, casting a soft, ethereal glow across his face. My mate. My Alpha. “I can feel you staring,” came his husky voice. He turned toward me, a lazy smile finding its way to his lips. “I was just admiring the work of art you’ve become lately,” I said, matching his smile. “Only recently?” he teased, sitting up and instantly wrapping himself around me, his head resting against my chest. “I’ve always been a work of art. You just hadn’t seen all of me. Now that you have… what do you think?” “It was perfect,” I said, meaning every word. “It was perfect for me too.” He kissed my forehead, lingering just a little longer than usual. “But I think it’s time we get out of bed. I’ve got some investigating to do now that my head’s clear.” “Selene,” I said, swinging my legs over the edge. “Yeah.” He stood and began pullin