MasukTalia’s POVArya moved so quickly that I barely dodged her first attack. It was like she was trying to end the fight before it really began.‘Focus,’ my wolf snapped, and I barely dodged her attempt to sweep my legs. I jumped back, and her kick missed me by inches.Arya didn’t give me a chance to recover as she pressed forward. I blocked a jab, but she spun, and her elbow hit my shoulder. I stayed on the defensive as she never slowed, and every move was sharp and precise. Walden had made her the youngest deputy warrior, and now I saw why.The bell rang, ending the first round. I hadn’t landed a single hit. Arya smirked, barely out of breath, while I tried to catch mine and shook out my hands. I tasted blood on my lip from her lucky punch. My wolf inside me growled, ‘She’s fast, but she’s predictable. Stay defensive and learn her patterns.’Arya gave me a cocky grin. “Not bad,” she taunted. “But you’ll have to do better than that.”I wiped my mouth and gave a sharp smile. “Don’t get co
Talia’s POVAs we left the dungeon, no one spoke. When we reached the stairs, Walden stopped so suddenly that Della almost ran into him. “I’m sorry. I should have known Arya would try something like that.”“How could you have known?” “I…”“There was no way you could’ve known what she’d do,” I continued before he fully responded. “You can't take responsibility for this. She's an adult now."He nodded, still unsure. “Still, I should’ve seen the signs. I don’t know why she changed like this.”“Make sure the guards who saw what happened keep quiet. No one else needs to know,” I said. “We will handle this discreetly.” “As you wish, Luna,” Walden stated and then went back to speak with the guards in the dungeon.Della joined my side as I walked back to the hospital. “You do not need to fight her. I could do it for you.”“And then she won’t give us the antidote,” I said. “We can always ask Leslie,” Della suggested. “Leslie has enough to be worried about that and don’t you dare contact he
Talia’s POVOur footsteps echoed down the stairs into the sub-basement. The air smelled like old sweat and mildew, like a locker room no one had cleaned in years."Ugh, why does it always smell like this?" Della complained under her breath."The dungeon isn’t meant to be pleasant for anyone. That’s the whole idea," I said. Della just grumbled quietly.Walden stayed quiet, his face tense. He was probably still trying to figure out why Arya betrayed us.Marco’s voice carried down the hall before we even reached the holding cell. “You are not in a position to make demands,” he told her. “We’re trying to help you but…” "Then bring her here," Arya snapped, interrupting Marco. "If you want answers, bring the Alpha Queen. Otherwise, I’m not talking."She saw me before I could say anything. Her hands were cuffed behind her back. Arya stepped away from the bars and sat in the only chair in her cell, her eyes never leaving me.I crossed my arms and met her eyes. "You got what you wanted," I sa
Talia’s POVI stared at the new mark on Arya’s neck. Anger clouded my vision as I rushed at her. I slapped her hard, knocking her to the ground.My wolf growled inside me, fighting for control. “Get up,” I said as I moved closer to Arya.Walden grabbed my arm to stop me. “Wait, Luna,” he begged. I took his wrist and pulled his hand off me. My Luna aura surged, making Walden flinch as he tried to hold on.‘No. She dared to touch what’s ours,’ my wolf snarled. ‘We need to kill her right now!’Arya raised an eyebrow, almost daring me to hit her again. She stood firm, like it was just another training session. Arya smirked at me, and I sneered. I was going to slap that smug look off her face.Walden glanced between us and said, “Luna, please. I know how this looks, but please try to listen to me.”I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. The urge to attack grew, but Walden stepped between us before I could do anything.“Just give me one day, Luna. Let me figure out what hap
Talia’s POVOutside of the forest, I paced nonstop. Arya had howled an hour ago, but Nolan had still not returned. I reached out multiple times to Nolan and he never responded back. My mind raced. What if he’s hurt? What if something happened between them?Minutes turned into hours, and the wait became unbearable. Arya had shifted, as the howl told us, but they should have returned by now. A newly shifted wolf couldn’t run for hours like this.‘I can’t reach him,’ my wolf whined. My worry grew, especially thinking of him alone with another she-wolf.My worry for Nolan mixed with frustration at not being able to help. Walden walked over. “Luna, please calm down. There’s nothing to worry about.”“Don’t tell me to calm down,” I growled. “They’ve been gone for hours. That’s not normal and you know it.”Walden stepped closer and put his hand on my shoulder. He tried to reassure me, but his touch only made my wolf growl louder. “The woods are safe. Arya is safe,” Walden said. “I checked he
Nolan’s POVThe next night, Marco, Della, Talia, and I walked to the clearing together. Moss and leaves muffled our footsteps, making us nearly silent.Della suddenly said, “I don’t know why Arya insisted on this. Am I the only one bothered by this?” She glanced between us, her brow furrowed, clearly seeking agreement.“No, Della, you’re not the only one,” Talia responded. “She’s going to be naked with your mate. It’s mortifying. How can you be so calm?” Della asked. “I wish I had never come up with that stupid game.”“That’s because Nolan and I talked everything through,” Talia said. “I packed spare clothes for her, and I won’t be too far away if something happens.”Della scoffed. “That doesn’t mean he has to be the one to help her with her first shift.” She pointed at me as she spoke.“Arya’s still young, Della. Having Nolan there will make it easier for her, even more than if Walden helped,” Talia said.I knew I could use my Alpha aura to help Arya feel better, but I didn’t want t







