Se connecterAnna's POVThe Twins are outnumbered 20 to 1.The realization of the math hit my brain with a cold, crystal clarity, the platinum light behind my eyelids calculating the trajectories of the silver blades, the speed of the charging war-wolves, and the guaranteed death count of my mates if the front lines collided. I did not think about it, I did not consult the fragile human emotions trying to break through the frozen surface of my mind, I simply let the ocean of power inside my chest surge outward in a singular, localized burst.The ground beneath the five Alpha packs violently heaved, a massive, brilliant shockwave of platinum energy erupting from the dirt like a wall of solid glass, throwing the front lines backward into the brush and creating a deep, smoking trench that separated us."Ronald, Ryker, take my mother and run," I said, my voice cutting through the ringing silence, flat, empty, completely devoid of the warmth they were begging to hear."Anna, no, we are not leaving you,
Ryker's POVThe Council arrives and declares Anna an "abomination" that must be destroyed.The silver blades of the council guards flashed under the dark canopy of the trees, their tips pointing directly at Anna's chest, and a low, lethal growl rumbled in my throat as I stepped fully in front of her. My muscles bunched tightly beneath my shredded jacket, the hot blood dripping from my arm wound forgotten, and my yellow wolf eyes locked right onto Elder Vance's arrogant face."Step back, Vance," I snarled, my voice vibrating with a raw, savage command that made the frontline warriors hesitate for a split second. "You do not dictate the fate of our mate, and you sure as hell do not draw steel in our presence.""She is no longer just your mate, King Ryker," Vance shouted back, his hand tightening on the leather grip of his sword, his ancient eyes burning with a stubborn, icy determination. "Look at her, she is a walking weapon massing enough ancient power to level entire cities, and the
Ronald's POVA sharp, cracking sound snapped through the chamber, and a chunk of stone the size of a motorcycle broke off from the ceiling, smashing into the altar."The vault is collapsing," Ryker roared, his arm bleeding where the wolf had bitten him, his eyes scanning the widening cracks in the walls. "Ronald, we have to get out of here right now, the whole mountain is coming down."I scrambled over the rubble, my boots slipping on the fine white ash of the dissolved wolves, and reached for Anna’s hand. The platinum glow in her eyes was starting to fade, but her skin still felt strangely smooth, cool, and totally detached from the chaos around us."Anna, we have to move," I said, my voice shaking as another deep rumble shuddered through the floorboards. "Can you walk?"She didn't blink, her platinum eyes tracking the falling debris with a calm that made the hair on my arms stand up. "The structural integrity is compromised," she said, her voice completely level, lacking any of the
Anna's POV"I am the new Vault," I said, my voice echoing off the ancient stone pillars with a deep, crushing resonance that didn't even sound human.Magnus stumbled backward, his boots tripping over the uneven floorboards of the altar platform, his wrinkled face twisted into a mask of pure terror. "This is a perversion of the ritual," he hissed, his voice cracking as he pointed a trembling finger at my chest. "The Prime essence cannot be held by a living, moving form, it will tear your mind to pieces, girl, you have no idea what you have just invited inside your body.""I can handle it," I told him, though a sudden, violent surge of raw energy shot down my spine, making every nerve ending in my body scream with white-hot heat.The power inside me was a living, breathing ocean, crashing against the walls of my skull, a blinding torrent of platinum light that made my vision blur into streaks of silver and gold. I took a single step forward, intending to wrap my fingers around Magnus's
Anna's POVThe gunshot exploded through the chamber, a deafening roar that shattered the heavy silence, and a single silver bullet sliced through the air, cutting right through the shimmering wall of energy without slowing down at all. I watched it come toward me in slow motion, the metallic flash reflecting in my wide eyes, but I couldn't move a single muscle to dodge it. The bullet struck the exact center of my chest, burying itself deep into my flesh, and a sharp, white-hot sting flared out across my ribs, making my breath catch instantly."No," Ronald’s scream tore through the room, a raw, broken sound that vibrated right against my soul, and I heard the heavy thud of his body hitting the stone floor as he collapsed in complete despair.I waited for the darkness to take me, waited for my heart to stop beating, but the killing blow didn't come. Instead of tearing through my organs, the silver metal began to melt inside my chest, turning into a hot, liquid current that spread rapid
Ryker's POVThe words bounced off the stone walls of the vault, making my blood freeze over, and my hands started shaking so violently I almost dropped the heavy, silver-plated pistol tucked into my waistband. Ronald was still pinning Magnus against the stone pillar, his knuckles white, his fangs fully extended as a dark, dangerous growl ripped from his throat."You are lying," Ronald roared, slamming Magnus harder against the stone, the old man's head snapping back with a sickening thud. "You want her dead so you can take the power for yourself, you old bastard.""Look at her, Ronald," Magnus choked out, his eyes bulging as he gasped for air under Ronald's crushing grip, his face turning a dark shade of purple. "Look at the light, it is sealing her in, and once the barrier closes completely, the human girl is gone forever."I turned my head slowly, my chest heaving, the air thick with the smell of burning ozone and copper that made my throat raw. Inside the swirling pillar of black
Ryker's POVThe moment the phone went dead I felt it, a sharp pain in my chest where Anna had marked me. The black scars on my back started glowing silver."She's in danger," I said, ripping off my shirt to show Ronald. "The scars are reacting."Ronald's chest scars were glowing too, bright silver
Ronald's POVThe festival grounds were packed with wolves from every pack in the region, hundreds of them eating and drinking and celebrating under strings of lights. Music played from speakers while pack members danced and laughed, it looked peaceful but I could feel the tension underneath."Too m
Anna's POVWe had three hours until the festival started and I was standing in my suite staring at my closet, everything felt wrong. The Twins wanted me to wear something that screamed Luna Queen but I wanted something I could fight in."You need to look powerful," Ronald said from the doorway, he
Ryker's POVThe scratches on my back burned like hell, Anna had apologized fifty times while the pack doctor cleaned my wounds. We were in a private medical room away from the main hospital."I'm so sorry Ryker," Anna said again, wearing a robe with her eyes back to normal blue. "I didn't mean to h







