KAEL’SPOV I watched Serena as she slept, her hair spilling across the pillow like a river of night. Her breathing was steady, calm, as though the confessions of last night had lightened a burden she carried alone for too long. But not for me. Every word still burned in my chest—the fact that she had seen Lucious, spoken with him, and trusted him enough to keep his secret when she should have told me. I clenched my fists against the sheets, my wolf snarling at the memory. The thought of another man’s scent on her, alive or a ghost from the past, was enough to make my blood boil. And yet… she was mine. She had chosen me, trusted me enough to tell me the truth finally. That was what mattered. I forced myself to breathe, leaning forward to brush a strand of hair from her face. You’ll never carry this weight alone again, I swore silently. When dawn broke, I left her resting and walked through the pack grounds. The air was thick, heavier than usual. Wolves moved about their morn
SERENA’S POV The pull of the full moon was unbearable. Every inch of my skin burned, my wolf clawing inside me, desperate and wild. The air itself seemed thick with hunger, my body trembling under the weight of heat I couldn’t control. And there was only one person who could stop it. Kael. I found him in our chamber, pacing like a caged predator, his shirt discarded, his golden eyes already glowing. The moment our eyes met, the bond between us snapped taut, like fire catching dry wood. “Serena…” His voice was guttural, torn between restraint and desire. “You’re burning.” I couldn’t answer. My body moved before thought, pressing myself against him, burying my face in the heat of his neck, inhaling his scent like oxygen. A broken sound escaped my lips. “Please, Kael. I need you.” He gripped my hips, claws threatening to pierce through his control. “I should be furious with you,” he growled into my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “You’ve been hiding things from me. Keeping s
SERENA’S POV The Black Ash Pack was busier than before. Laughter echoed across the village square as families hung lanterns shaped like crescent moons from wooden beams. Children dashed about with ribbons trailing from their hands, their tiny wolves howling in delight. Merchants from within the pack and beyond had set up stalls lined with spices, fabrics, and freshly baked bread that filled the air with mouthwatering warmth. The Full Moon Festival was more than a tradition, it was a reminder of who we were, a celebration of bonds and resilience. This year, it carried a heavier weight. After war and loss, after fire and blood, we needed this. We needed joy. I moved through the market with Alina by my side. For the first time in months, there was no hostility between us. She carried baskets of herbs from the healer’s stand, while I greeted pack members who bowed respectfully. Everywhere I turned, voices rose with pride, calling me Luna. And yet… even as I smiled, even as I held the
KAEL’S POV The night was too quiet. The kind of quiet that unsettled a warrior’s instincts, a silence that pressed against my chest like a weight. I should have been relieved after weeks of war, but instead, my wolf clawed inside me, restless and suspicious. And then there was her, Serena. Her scent had changed. I noticed it the moment she returned from her late-night run, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted with exhaustion. But beneath her usual wildflower-and-moonlight fragrance clung another trace, faint but sharp, distinctly masculine. My wolf growled low inside me, demanding answers, demanding to know which male dared come close enough to brush his presence against my Luna. “Where were you?” I asked that night, my voice harsher than intended. She looked at me, startled, then quickly masked her expression with calm. “Just running. The full moon is near, Kael. My wolf needed the release.” My fists curled at my sides. I wanted to believe her. Goddess, I wanted to. But I knew s
SERENA’S POV Peace had finally settled over Black Ash. The ruins of war were now replaced with the steady hum of life. Warriors sparred in the courtyards again, not with desperation but with discipline. Farmers reopened the markets with fresh fruits and herbs. Children’s laughter spilled through the training fields where Kael had built new homes, larger and sturdier than before. For the first time in weeks, the air felt warm, safe, alive. I found myself smiling more often, sometimes just standing at the balcony of Kael’s office, watching mothers weave flower crowns for their pups or young wolves sneak off for secret trysts. Peace had not only returned, it had begun to heal us. Yet, peace was never a stranger to fragility. The Full Moon was nearing. Every wolf could feel it, the hum in our blood, the restless edge in our steps, the way mates clung closer. For me, the pull was sharper, heavier. My wolf paced constantly beneath my skin, her power swelling with every hour. By t
SERENA’S POV It had been three weeks since Kael bound the remnants of Ronan’s pack to ours. Three long weeks of watching them work, guarding borders with heads bowed, repairing shattered homes brick by brick, tending to pups and the elderly while their own hearts carried grief. Some complied quietly. Others resisted with stares and muttered words, but even they bent under the weight of duty. And I watched. Always watching. Always measuring. This morning, as dawn painted the skies crimson and gold, the hall filled again. Not with the sharp edge of tension as before, but with something softer, hesitant, like a fragile truce. Kael stood tall beside me, but this time, I stepped forward first. My voice carried through the room, calm but firm. “You have served your punishment. You have walked our borders, rebuilt our walls, and cared for our young and wounded. Some of you did so with resentment. Others with silence. But all of you did it.” A ripple passed through them. Heads lifted