The moment gunshots rang out, instinct took over. Julian and I moved as one, ducking behind trees for cover while making sure the girls were safe. "Alpha, I can smell silver. It's definitely hunters," Julian said, his usual playful tone replaced with cold seriousness. "I know." My jaw clenched. Why today? The timing was too convenient, but there was no time to dwell on it now. We needed control over the situation. Judging by the gunfire, they’d be running low on bullets soon. That was our opening. As expected, the shots slowed, hesitation seeping into their attack. "Lily, get Rose and Rexxona to the pack house!" I barked. "Julian and I will handle the hunters." The moment Lily confirmed, Julian and I broke from cover, shifting mid-sprint. My wolf surged forward, muscles stretching, bones shifting seamlessly into form. Nobody attacked my pack and got away with it. Not again. We tore through the hunters with ease. Blood splattered the ground as claws ripped through flesh, fan
The moment my eyes snapped open, I became instantly aware of my surroundings. A sterile white room, bright lights, and— Aries. Sitting beside me. His intense gaze sent a shiver through me. I hadn’t expected him to be here. Maybe Rose, but not the Alpha himself. The thought of Rose sent a jolt through me, and suddenly, everything from earlier came rushing back—the attack, the hunters, the bullet, the power. I had revealed myself. Panic gripped my chest. What if Rose told everyone? If she had, I was in serious danger. I didn’t know how this pack would react, but after what happened at Blue Crescent, I doubted it would be much different. My breathing quickened. My heart pounded. I was spiraling— Until a firm, warm hand gripped my shoulder. "Rexxona, are you okay?" Aries’ deep voice cut through the noise in my head. I blinked rapidly, suddenly aware that he had been calling my name. He was looking at me with concern, brows slightly furrowed. I swallowed hard, forcing myself t
I was out of the hospital in less than 24 hours, but it didn’t feel like a victory. It was almost time to face the one thing I dreaded the most— Rose. Judging by the past few hours, I could tell she hadn’t told anyone about what she saw. When Julian and Lily came to visit, neither of them acted differently toward me. If they knew, I was sure their expressions, their energy, would have changed. Jillian was still his goofy self, cracking jokes and making me laugh. And for the first time, I realized something—I had never really had relationships like this before. Friends. People who actually cared about me, who made me laugh without expecting something in return. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. But I wanted to try. "We’re hereee!" Julian called, pulling me out of my thoughts as he and Lily walked in. No Rose. My heart sank. I wasn’t sure what I had expected. She had been shocked—anyone would be. But a part of me had hoped she’d be here anyway. "How are you feeling, dearie?" Li
The moment Julian mentioned the Blue Crescent Pack, my world tilted. I thought I was done with them. For good, this time. But now, they were back. Or rather, I was being dragged back into their world. At the thought of Ron, my heart clenched. The pull was gone—I was sure of that. Whatever weak bond had once existed between us had dulled into nothingness. But the hatred? That still burned strong. My mind spiraled into all the possible scenarios, searching for a way out. Aries would be the one going there. Probably Julian, Lily, and the pack elders too. Not me. I clung to that thought. There was no reason for me to be involved. I’ll be fine. I won’t have to see them. I forced myself to believe it. And just like that, I snapped out of my head and realized— Julian was staring at me. "What now, Rex?" he sighed. "You zoned out for dayssss." I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, it wasn’t even a minute. Just a passing thought." "Mmhmm." He didn’t look convinced, but he let it slide.
The past few days had passed in a blur.I was finally settling in.For the first time in forever, I had people I could call friends. Lily. Julian. Rose.It was something I had always craved.But lately, I found myself craving something else.Or rather… someone.Aries.I hadn’t seen him in days, and it was annoying how much I felt his absence.Why do I even care?I pushed the thought away, blaming it on the stress of trying to figure out my powers with Rose.Since I told her the truth, she had been completely on board with helping me.But so far, we had made zero progress.The book was still unreadable. Neither of us could decipher the language. The only thing we did notice was a recurring symbol—a green crest with a massive wolf.A mystery on top of a mystery.Controlling my powers?Still impossible.So, in summary, we had gotten nowhere."Rose!!" I yelled, barging into her room without hesitation.At this point, we were close enough that knocking felt unnecessary.She stepped out of
The past few days had been a blur. Between repairing the pack after the attack and preparing for the upcoming Alpha meeting, I barely had time to breathe. Julian and the others helped, but as Alpha, everything ultimately fell on me. Inspections. Decisions. Approvals. The usual duties of an Alpha. So, when I finally made my way back to my office after another long day, I wasn’t expecting to find Julian waiting at the door. I sighed. "What do you want, Julian?" Ignoring my tone, he grinned and strolled inside, making himself comfortable on the couch. "Well, Alpha, it’s been hard to see you when it’s not about work, so I figured I’d come hang out." I scoffed, shaking my head. Deep down, though, I was grateful for him. He had always been the one to keep me sane. "Well," he continued, "I was hanging out with Rex, but she ditched me for Rose today. Those two have been acting suspicious lately—always stuck together at the hip." He laughed. That’s when I noticed it. Her scent.
The moment Aries announced the venue change, I felt my entire shield shatter. For weeks, I had convinced myself that I was done with that part of my life—that I would never have to face him again. But now, he was coming here. Ron was coming here. Panic immediately set in. A million scenarios flashed through my mind, each worse than the last. "Rex, breathe!" My wolf, Ria, tried to calm me, but I was already too far gone. I felt Aries’ gaze on me, but I couldn't focus. The cheers of the pack faded into muffled sounds, and suddenly, the world spun. I instinctively reached out for Julian—he had been right beside me moments ago—but my hand grasped at nothing. "Damn—" The words barely left my lips before my legs gave out beneath me. For the second time in less than a week, I was about to collapse in front of the entire pack. I braced myself for the impact, shutting my eyes as I waited for the pain. But it never came. Instead, a strong grip wrapped around my waist, holding me
The meeting was supposed to be a one-day thing. A discussion between Alphas about hunter activity—sharing intelligence and coming up with a solution to get rid of them for good. But the moment they changed the venue to my pack and extended the visit to an overnight stay? I knew something was off. I had no solid reason to confront anyone about it, so I kept my suspicions to myself—for now. But the moment they arrived, I made a decision. "I need to get to the bottom of this." "Welcome to my pack, Alpha Levon." I greeted the head of the association and gave a nod of acknowledgment to the other Alphas. It was impossible to personally greet all of them, so this would have to do. "It’s a pleasure to be on your pack grounds, Alpha Aries," a voice responded smoothly. I turned my attention to the speaker— And froze. A man I didn't recognize stepped forward, standing just inches away from me, his hand outstretched. His scent told me he wasn’t an Alpha, which meant I wasn’t obliga
Lucy POV:I never thought I’d see that symbol again.Not since her.So when I opened the book Rose brought me and that mark stared right back at me, I felt the breath catch in my throat."Do you recognize it?" Maron had asked.I feigned ignorance.“I’ll need to look into it more,” I replied, keeping my voice steady—though inside, I was shaken.I knew exactly what that symbol meant.Even after Rex came asking, I gave the same excuse. But the moment she left, I walked straight to my room, the book still in hand, and set it down gently on the bed.Then I made my way to the closet.From the very back, behind old coats and boxes, I pulled out the one thing I’d promised myself I would never open again. I brought it to the bed, sat down, and brushed my fingers over the lid.Inside were pictures… amulets… books… journals—remnants of a friendship long buried.I picked up one of the photos, and as her face became clearer in my mind, so did the ache in my chest.Lyra.My friend.I pulled out one
The Banished Tribe? We all echoed in disbelief, and Lucy nodded solemnly. "Yes," she replied. "The symbol on the pages belongs to them. It's a mark that's always been associated with the Banished—a symbol lost to time," she explained, her voice low, almost like she was afraid someone might be listening in. I swallowed hard, my breath uneven. The Banished Tribe... I had only ever heard whispers about them—stories told to scare children. I'd never had the chance to learn much, but Maron had mentioned them once or twice. Most believed they were nothing more than legends. They were said to be a dangerous tribe, wild and uncontrollable, cast out by other supernaturals long ago. "But..." Julian spoke up, his brow furrowed. "They were just a myth, weren't they?" He stared at Lucy. "I mean, everyone learned about them as kids, but I always thought it was just fairy tales." Rose nodded in agreement beside him. But Lucy shook her head firmly. "No, dear. They were very real. And while n
After finishing my training session with Julian, I was about to leave the grounds when I spotted Aries standing nearby."Rex!" he called out.So, I guess I was back to being Rex—just like that, in a matter of minutes. He said he wanted to talk. About what? After the way he behaved earlier, what was left to say?So I came up with an excuse to avoid the conversation.I didn’t expect him to actually follow me all the way to see his mom."I’ll wait till you’re done," he said just as I stepped inside Lucy’s house.I pretended not to hear him and walked in without looking back.Inside, I was greeted warmly by Ma and, of course, Lucy herself."You’re here already, dear?" Lucy asked."Yeah," I replied, smiling. "I thought I'd just check up and see how it’s going with the book.""You’re so impatient," Maron teased, laughing. "She literally just got the book this morning. There’s no way she’s gone through it already!"She wasn’t wrong. I knew that. I just needed a reason—any reason—to avoid Ari
To say my night was actually used for sleeping would be doing a disservice to the very concept of sleep. And I wouldn’t want to insult the people who actually got some. My entire night was consumed by thoughts. Thoughts about her. What exactly was I thinking? I had no clue. All I knew was that my mind couldn’t stop drifting to her. I needed to figure out these feelings—fast. I had tried to kiss her. That alone meant I owed her an explanation when I saw her again. But what did I actually feel for her? That part, I still couldn’t put my finger on. All I was sure of was this—if we had kissed, truly kissed, I wouldn’t have regretted a single second of it. And that realization? It shook me to my core. Before I knew it, morning had arrived—and I still didn’t have answers. Being indecisive wasn’t like me, but I couldn’t help it this time. I dragged myself out of bed and stared at the guy in the mirror. “Way to go, Aries,” I muttered. “You totally pull off the zombie look.” With a shak
The sun peeping through the curtains did nothing to ease the anxiety twisting in my stomach. Every part of me wanted to curl back under the covers and pretend last night never happened. Pretend I didn’t nearly kiss Aries—the Alpha of the Awoke pack. Not just some guy… Aries.The worst part? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to avoid it—or do it all over again.After what felt like an hour of overthinking, I finally dragged myself out of bed. Maybe I could skip training with Julian and avoid the awkwardness. But of course, my legs had other plans. They carried me straight to the bathroom, right into my training clothes, and toward the door. Where was my willpower when I needed it?Julian had insisted we start training immediately. He wanted to be the first to witness my “cool powers.” So dramatic.I took a deep breath and stepped out of my room. The stairs creaked beneath my feet as I made my way down, nerves building with every step. I had to pass by Aries’s office to get to the training grou
Watching Aries’s face inch closer to mine sparked a feeling I couldn’t even begin to describe. All the fear, doubt, and confusion I had been carrying melted away the moment he stepped into the room. Just a few words from him, and I believed—really believed—that everything would be okay. That he’d stand by me. So I didn’t move away. Instead, my grip on his arm tightened, bracing myself for what was about to happen.Without realizing it, I closed my eyes, my heart racing in sync with his. As someone who had never kissed anyone before, I should have been nervous, but I wasn’t. I knew he’d guide me. I could already feel his breath mingling with mine. His heartbeat thundered, fast and intense.Then, just when our lips were about to meet-bam! The door flew open.We immediately jolted apart, each moving to our own side of the couch like guilty teenagers caught in the act.“Rex!!!” came a voice I’d recognize even in my sleep. Julian.I sighed and looked at Aries, who stood and offered me his
What happened hours ago refused to leave my mind. I kept replaying it, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for what Rex did—but nothing made sense.Seeing her display that much strength… Enough to lift an Alpha like he was a rag doll? That wasn’t just unusual—it was impossible. Or at least it should’ve been.The moment Rose and her mother led her out of the arena, I was going to follow—but I knew I had to deal with Ron first.“Julian,” I called out, only to realize he was frozen in place, eyes wide with disbelief. “Julian!” I said again, placing a hand on his shoulder. That finally pulled him out of it.“What the hell did I just see?” he asked, still dazed.“Not now, man,” I said, nodding toward Ron, who was still on the floor surrounded by his pack members. “We have to handle this first.”Without hesitation, I turned to Regal, who stood pale and silent. “Get your Alpha some help. My Beta will escort you out of my territory. We’ll provide transportation, so you don’t have
To say my mind was in the right place when I put Ron in his place would be a huge lie. My thoughts were a mess, and Ria had completely taken over. The rage was loud, clear, and honestly—justified. As much as I hated the way Ron spoke to Aries, I wouldn’t have exposed that much strength in front of a crowd. Not like that. I could feel Rose trying to pull me back, trying to stop me—but I just couldn’t let go. Not until I heard her voice. Maron. She pulled me back. Out of Ria’s grip and straight into the reality of what I’d just done. I was sure my eyes had changed—maybe even glowed—and without hesitation, Rose shielded me, Maron flanking my other side. Together, they led me out of the meeting room. I messed up. This is all your fault, I snapped at Ria. You might be able to tolerate that kind of insult, but I can’t, she hissed back. No one gets to speak to us like that and walk away. And just like that, she retreated—leaving me alone with the aftermath. I didn’t resist
The meeting started sooner than I had expected, but the moment the Alphas were all present in the room, I instantly mindlinked Julian to inform Rex. I hope their plan works smoothly, I thought as I brought my focus back to the meeting at hand. I was half-expecting someone to question the clash between Ron and me the previous day, but I guess he came up with some lame excuse—no one said a word.Thankfully, he remained quiet the entire meeting, so everything went smoothly. We were just about to wrap things up when my mom mindlinked me: Maron has been brought to her, and the spell is broken.I was ecstatic. All that was left now was for them all to leave so we could finally get back to our lives.“That concludes the meeting of the Association,” Alpha Levon spoke, rising from his seat. “Thanks, Alpha Aries, for the hospitality. We shall not forget it.”“It was my pleasure to host the Association,” I replied firmly, leading them out of the room.But as we stepped out, there was some commot