LOGINARIA’S POV“I can’t take away the barrier, but at least this way, you both can talk.” Tapio disappeared into nothingness as soon as he said so, leaving everyone in confusion. Everyone but me.“What was that about?” Draven inquired.“The ancient myth has that the moon goddess and the forest god had a relationship that was never meant to be, millions of years ago.” I explained. “I read it in one of the many history books Agatha has.”“They were inseparable, but also never meant to be. They had a conflict over the forest. A long time ago when werewolves were primitive and lived in the forest. It was Tapio’s responsibility to guard the forest and pretty much that of the wolves to tear it down.” I continued.“The wolves ate everything in the forest with no regard for the continuity of life and in his anger, Tapio struck them down and the moon goddess could not take it. It was her responsibility to protect her people.”“They both failed to come to an agreement, even though that was what the
ARIA’S POV“What did you do to him?” I yelled, but got no response.Draven was squished in what looked like a clear giant cube of jelly.His cheek was pressed on the cube and his hand pressed open against it, like he was trying to force his way out, but he was suspended with bent legs.I looked at the Elder, but he was just as clueless.“Say something!” I demanded of the Guardian.“He’s absolutely fine,” Tapio finally replied.Draven dropped to the ground as soon as he spoke.“Draven!” I rushed to help him up, but my head hit a large wall I didn’t see there and I fell to the ground hard, after being pushed backwards.“Aria!” Draven tried to reach me too, but it was as futile as my attempt.‘He could see me!’Somehow, hearing him call my name made his presence real.It wasn’t some test.Well, maybe it was, but I could see him as much as he could see me. It was real.He really was here, but we couldn’t go close to each other.There was some wall between us. A wall we both couldn’t see,
ARIA’S POVThe ground beneath my feet was shaking.My first instinct was to guess it was another test, but the Elder was trying hard to hold on to Darren and she was trying hard to hold on to him too.They looked panicked and that was not a good sign, or something that I thought to be calm about.I stretched my hands and tried to grab onto a tree or anything else for support, but I couldn’t seem to reach anything. I could have sworn all the trees moved, because a minute ago, there was one within arm’s length.“What is going on?” I yelled.The shaking came with rumbling and I had to yell at the top of my voice, just to be heard.The horror lasted at least ten minutes and finally stopped.It had shaken every bit of food in my stomach.I tried to catch my breath and closely watched Darren and the Elder, until there was some calm around us.“What happened?” The fact I had to ask a third time was making me lose my mind. Just how exasperated I had gotten was evident in my tone.“The guardia
ARIA’S POVA familiar voice drifted through the air. "Aria..."I froze.It wasn't loud. It was barely a whisper, but I knew that voice.It belonged to my father.The one person I hadn't heard in years."You don't have to keep fighting." he said,I squeezed my eyes shut. ‘It wasn't real.’ I internalized, so I didn’t have to be unsettled and I guessed it was working. I wasn’t unsettled, just enraged.After everything that man put me through. He was the very reason my life came down to this. Of course, it was no surprise to me that when he would be showing up, it would be to discourage me from putting my family together, since it was the one thing he couldn’t be bothered to do in his life.The Elder had warned me. He just wasn’t clear enough on the brutality of these tests."You've carried enough." My father continued.I could not place my hands over my ears, block him out and not listen, because I needed my hands for the balance. So, I did the only thing I actually could–clench my fist.
ARIA'S POVMy breathing caught. The world around me suddenly felt very still, until a horn echoed.“What is happening?” I panicked, looking around to catch a glimpse of the elder’s and Darren’s face.There was already enough uncertainty in my mind, I could not afford any more disturbances. Not at the moment.The haunting sound of the horn rolled across the Hidden Forest, sending flocks of glowing birds into the sky, but at least the look in their eyes was calming.I think.It wasn’t fear. It was an expectation.I looked from Darren to the Elder."What is happening?" I was quickly losing my patience and there were only so many times I could ask.The Elder folded his hands behind his back. "The forest has welcomed another traveler."His voice was bland, it was hard to tell whether that was a good thing or not. So I just stared for more information. Even though none seemed to be forthcoming.For a long moment, he simply watched me. Then he gestured toward the crystal pool. "Come." His vo
DRAVEN'S POVThe forest was exactly as I remembered, and nothing like I remembered.The towering trees still stretched impossibly high into the heavens, their silver leaves shimmering beneath a light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Streams of crystal water wound through the undergrowth, glowing faintly as if moonlight flowed beneath their surface.Yet the forest felt...watchful. Alive.Every instinct my wolf possessed urged me to turn back. Every beat of my heart urged me to keep going."Alpha."Ragner stepped beside me, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "The others can't cross."I looked behind us. The ten warriors who had accompanied us stood frozen several yards away. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn't move another step into the forest.Ragner had immediately sent a search party after me when he woke up and found my absence the next morning.Since I stopped to sleep last night, they caught up with me. Despite my resistance, Ragner ins
Aria’s POV: I was sitting on the edge of the large, unfamiliar bed in the guest wing, tracing the patterns on the heavy quilt, when a sharp knock on the door made me jump slightly.I had barely slept the previous night because the sounds of the pack house were so different from the forest, and ev
ARIA’S POV:“I didn't know the little girl. I came here in the hope to get to know her, but the few times I got to spend with her, I knew there was something that did not sit well with that girl,” Violetta's voice was shaky, as she sat and testified.“Her love and gravitation towards Aria…it felt…f
ARIA’S POV:I could not shout—not for mercy, not for help, not even for an explanation. I walked with the guards in front of me and even more guards behind me.We walked by the council room and in front of the hall was Draven, Ragner, Logan and Violetta. All the men had saddened expressions. They a
ARIA'S POV: I stood in silence, watching the flames go up and her body become ashes. The whole pack was gathered too.“She was poisoned,” it had been two days since the physician gave that report and I had not been able to process it.“She's been quiet ever since the incident,”“It's like she's tr







