Anna POVOver the years, our pack had experienced far too much violence and upheaval. Emerging from the rubble of one revolution to be overwhelmed by the next wave of bloodshed, conflict, and political scheming. But nobody could have predicted the chaos that was going to break out from within our ranks, even in the middle of that history of ongoing hostilities. As most catastrophic tragedies do, it started rather simply. Just another restless evening passed into the next as our family bonded over my priceless nephew Jaxon, the newest member.The terrifying Alpha, Sebastian, all strength and control, lovingly cradling his son. Hendrix, giving up his future leader character to share in our infrequent moments of humor. Even the typically collected Athena was moved by Jaxon's baby antics.Evenings like that stood for the peace I tried to find in the middle of the storms.So I had foolishly thought.Because, I had no idea, malignant seeds of dissension had started to sprout in the shadows
Sebastian POVOver our ancestral grounds hovered the sour smell of Kellen's betrayal. What had started to be a night of planned family time turned into blatant rebellion quite quickly.I enjoyed my mate and the puppies' calm for a little while. Hendrix's constant presence at my side, his intensity and pride reflected in his lycan eyes. The impulsive Anna, flshed in that well-known dance of guarding her baby brother.And then the entire planet erupted.The well-planned invasion by Kellen played out like a lavish operatic wickedness. suddenly turning coat, those who had pledged unwavering loyalty suddenly flocked upon me with a ferocious zeal, their muzzles peeled back in shows of repulsive ambition.I answered with the cold, mechanical efficacy of a lunatic son born to the role of leadership, not with fear or uncertainty. My years of tempered combat experience, stature, and conditioning came in very handy as I skillfully crippled many attackers with well-timed blows.But two more appea
Athena POVThe ritual grounds had the wounds of earlier catastrophes carved into their sacred skin like weeping runes. The craters and blood-dimpled furrows where cosmic energies had previously fought in great elemental overtures. Looking at this ancient battlefield was to see the never-ending struggle for dominance.And there was a tense, reverent silence over the land itself on this terrible new moon. As though the very elements had gone into a trance, waiting for divine signs to upset the uneasy balance that covered the stadium.I felt more than saw Sebastian arrive his unyielding determination and rage radiated forth like a sun corona tinted in crimson. His ragged rank was shrugged off as he moved with a nearly dreamy cadence, layers of lupine musculature trembling with expectation.Brother. Alpha being me. His whole life had been a list of rebellions carved in excruciating verse on the cosmos itself. Risen from the charred remains of poverty to accept, by pure willpower, his inev
Sebastian POVIt cost nothing to declare victory. I could feel the whole weight of my efforts pulsing through every shattered sinew as the ceremonial flames fell to smoldering embers in the wake of my ritualistic victory over Kellen. A deep, bone-deep pain that bit avariciously at the fundamental fabric of my existence, beyond bodily injuries.It was the price I paid for taking even my already increased lycan enhancements to unnaturally high levels. Every muscle cord and tendon that had been scarred and stretched to the breaking point to put a stop to Kellen's rebellion cried out.Not for the first time in my life, I was slipping in and out of awareness, the line separating feverish insanity from waking reality becoming thinner. In those erratic hours, I would be visited by strange visions spectral, primordial impressions that alternated between a feral need and a primitive fear.I coldly bore them. Not that these hallucinogenic journeys were unwanted after my victory. Just the spiri
Hendrix POVA few critical moments stay vividly in one's memory. Important times when the boundary between the past and future feels thin and shimmering when time seems to pause and then quickly shift direction.That important moment became clear to me at the Ceremony of the Ascension. Our most holy and mysterious holiday was full of rituals and signs that had nothing to do with the real world. Even my sharp senses were thrown off.Both old and new members sat with the Nightwalkers and our friends from Drystan's group to watch me go through the magical rituals. To become the strong leader, I was meant to be and move up from being an Alpha son.The events have left a deep mark on me. I remember very clearly a wave of emotions and changes in my body and mind. The Scariest Sign was the Severance, which meant that I had to cut away my old self and everything that made up the old Hendrix.It broke down everything in a way that helped me understand my life. Bit by bit, truths crumbled away,
Sebastian POVI sucked in the cool night air. The wooded clearing was glowing ethereally from the full moon, which hung high overhead. I looked about the assembled throng, the strong warriors and ferocious she-wolves that comprised our pack. Hendrix was in the middle, his hulky body exuding power and authority appropriate for the new Alpha. As I saw my kid take up his proper leadership role, a wave of pride sprang within me. For the Nightwalker pack, the voyage had been quite one of upheaval, treachery, and hard-earned victories. We had, nevertheless, come out of it all stronger and closer than ever.My eyes went to Athena, who was standing erect by Hendrix's side. Her golden hair shimmered in the moonlight, and even after all these years, I was astounded by her strength and vibrancy. As I thought back to those turbulent early days when we had had to overcome one challenge after another just to be together, a tiny smile pulled at my lips.Sliding up next to me, Athena said, "You're l
Liam POVThere was a blanket of quiet in the woodland around the Nightwalker property that night. We had an undercurrent of discomfort, though, that I was unable to escape. As Sebastian's most trusted enforcer for decades, call it instinct, or maybe a sixth sense developed from seeing the growing human invasion of our land.For whatever reason, I was walking the boundaries of our holdings more often these days, listening for anything unusual. My muscles tightened like a panther prepared to attack at the slightest smell of something foreign. We had become too smug, I realized, sighing with fatigue. Comfortable in the seeming security of our remote wooded sanctuary. But the fast-growing human settlements drew closer, their numbers and technology always improving to perceive what should be invisible.Our basic existence was going to be revealed to the outer world in due course. Ice slid down my veins at the notion. To make sure that our pack survived, Sebastian and Athena had given up
Hendrix POVI waited in the hole for the packs to react to my suggestion in great silence. The choice of whether to leave our ancestral house felt like a millstone around every lupine throat. It was against every strand of our beings to uproot our whole lives and to turn our backs on the places that had protected us for ages. Still, the hard fact of cold could not be overlooked the human world was invading far too much of our land. If we stayed, exposure and the carnage that would surely follow seemed like an increasingly certain fate. The alphas started nodding their terrible assent one by one. First was Drystan, with his sharp but firm rugged features. The grizzled warrior understood the great need of this circumstance after seeing enough cycles of violence and death. "You make a good point, Hendrix," he rumbled, his rich baritone booming across the hollow. "Much as it hurts, we have to give our packs top priority. If moving is the only way we can guarantee our ongoing safety and