MasukChapter 160: The Serpent SmilesCASSANDRA’S POVThe dungeon smelled of wet stone and old blood. I sat on the edge of the narrow cot with my back against the cold wall, legs stretched out in front of me. Chains lay loose around my wrists, more for show than actual restraint. The single torch in the corridor flickered weakly, casting long shadows that danced across the iron bars. I had been sitting like this for hours, listening to the distant sounds of celebration filtering down from above. Laughter, music. It sounded like the pack was rejoicing. A guard’s boots echoed on the stairs. He came into view carrying a tray with stale bread and water. He stopped in front of my cell and sneered. “Luna Anya, your sister just had a baby,” he said, voice thick with mockery. “A healthy son. The whole pack is up there celebrating like fools. Luna and Alpha together again with their little hybrid prince.”I lifted my head slowly. The guard expected rage. Tears. Something broken. Instead, a soft l
Chapter 159: First Breath ANYA’S POV My eyelids felt heavy as I slowly opened them. Bright hospital lights blurred above me before the room came into focus. Machines beeped softly beside the bed and the smell of antiseptic mixed with something warmer. I turned my head and there he was. Damien sat in the chair pulled close to my bedside, his large frame hunched forward with our baby nestled carefully in his arms. He was real. It was not a dream from the edge of unconsciousness. He had come. Tears stung my eyes immediately. I tried to sit up but a sharp pull across my abdomen reminded me of the surgery. I winced and settled back against the pillows. Damien looked up at once, those golden eyes locking onto mine with an intensity I had missed for so long. “You are awake,” he said, voice low and rough with relief. He stood carefully and moved to the edge of the bed.I swallowed against the dryness in my throat. “What are you doing here? Why did you come?” The question slipped out befo
Chapter 158: The Pull Home DAMIEN’S POV I lay in the large bed staring at the ceiling with my eyes wide open. Every time I closed them I saw her. Anya’s face. The way she had looked at me the night she left. The curve of her belly carrying our child. The quiet pain in her eyes when I pulled away. Sleep refused to come. I tossed for another hour before I threw the covers off and stood up. My chest felt tight with something I could no longer ignore. I grabbed my cloak from the chair, pulled it over my shoulders, and walked out of the room. The hallway lights cast long shadows as I made my way to Gavin’s quarters. I knocked firmly on his door. He opened it moments later, hair messy and eyes narrowed in confusion. “What the hell are you doing up at this hour, Alpha Damien?” he asked, rubbing his face. I met his gaze without hesitation. “I need you to come with me to Elowen right now. I am going to bring my wife home.” A slow smile spread across Gavin’s face. He stepped back and grab
Chapter 157: Silent Storm ANYA’S POVI moved slowly along the stone path between the cottages, keeping my steps measured and my face relaxed. Sharp pains had wrapped around my lower back and tightened across my belly since the attack with the Shifter Council, but I refused to show it. The witches worked hard to repair the damaged wards and heal the scorched patches of earth. I carried a basket of fresh bandages and offered quiet words of thanks to everyone who passed. Each movement sent another stab through me, yet I smiled and kept walking. Iris caught up with me near the central well. She studied my face with narrowed eyes and slowed her pace to match mine. “You are moving differently today. Tell me the truth. Something is wrong.” I paused and rested one hand lightly on my lower back. “I am really fine, Iris. The fight took more from me than I expected, that is all. I just need a sound night of rest and everything will settle.” She did not look convinced but she nodded and left
Chapter 156: Moonlit Warning DAMIEN’S POV“I’ve been waiting for you, Cassandra. What took you this much time?”She froze in the doorway with her hand still on the knob. Her eyes widened in genuine shock as she stared at me. I sat on the couch with a glass of whiskey in my hand and my shirt discarded on the floor beside me. The scar on my face pulled tight as I watched her recover from the surprise.“How did you know I would come?” she asked, stepping further into the room while her posture shifted into something more defensive. I didn’t say a word to her, instead I set the glass down slowly and stood up. My muscles felt tight from days of restless energy. My memory replayed the night I collapsed in the garden when someone appeared to me. It was the Moon Goddess herself. She had pulled me out of the darkness and showed me fragments of what was coming. She had told me my memories would return when the time was right. She also made it clear why I had been sent back to protect Anya and
Chapter 155: Perfect BaitCASSANDRA’S POV.I received the summons at dawn. A black raven landed on the windowsill of my safe house and dropped a sealed note before flying off into the mist. The Shifter Council wanted me back in the mountains immediately. I dressed quickly in dark clothes that hid weapons and bloodstains, then drove the winding roads with growing excitement. They had acted faster than I expected. The attack on Elowen must have gone exactly as I hoped. The same hooded guards met me at the stone archway. They led me deeper into the mountain without a single word. Torches burned low along the walls and the air carried the sharp scent of old magic and stone. We entered the circular chamber where the seven council members waited on their raised thrones. Their presence felt heavier today, charged with fresh energy. The central figure spoke first. His voice rolled through the space like distant thunder. “Cassandra Voss, we visited Elowen as you suggested to see the hybrid
Chapter 30: Before The Vow ROWAN’S POV I stood in the pack house hallway and signed off on the final seating chart for the wedding, we were expecting three hundred guests. Three hundred people who would watch me chain myself to a lie in four days. My hand shook as I handed the clipboard back to t
Chapter 27: Love Me ANYA’S POV I spent the last three days pretending I was fine, but I wasn’t. Every breath felt heavy, every sound grated against my skull, every corner of Ironclaw mansion reminded me that I didn’t belong anywhere and the emptiness settled so deep in my chest it hurt to breath
Chapter 24: Love or Not ANYA’S POV I pushed the last piece of lamb around my plate, licking the sauce off my lip when the doors opened. That scent hit me first, cold pine and smoke, the one that always made my stomach flip. Damien walked in wearing a black shirt that clung to every line of him, s
Chapter 25: Ember and AshDAMIEN’S POV The car tore down the dark highway and every mile felt like a blade sliding deeper between my ribs. Anya sat pressed to the door, knees hugged to her chest, silent tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the black leather. The moonlight caught each on







