Xander's povSomething felt off, I don't know why but the feeling was there. I was walking to Ava's room because I had forgotten to invite her to have dinner with me earlier.I stood outside her door and hesitated for a moment before knocking. I still couldn't shake off the fact that she was hiding something from me. I understood that our relationship was still rocky— very rocky, so I didn't expect her to open up to me so easily.With a sigh, I raised up my hand and knocked.Silence.I knocked again.No response. “Ava?” I called out and was still met with silence.Frowning, I pushed the door open. It was unlocked, surprisingly. The room was empty and her bed was made.Where could she be?Her scent was still faint in the room as I followed it.Where could she be at this hour? Having dinner with the other servants?I followed her scent as I walked through the empty corridors. It led me through different hallways. I had expected it to take me to either the servant's quarters, kitchen or
Xander's povI reached her door and placed my hand on the door handle but I hesitated.If I go in, what would I say to her?I stood there for a moment contemplating my decision. Leo growled in frustration and urged me to go in but I ignored him as I pulled my hand back. Barging in will not give me what I want, rather, it'll make things worse.Whatever she was doing, whatever she was hiding, I would find out.But not tonight.With a sigh, I turned on my heels and walked away, ignoring the lingering questions at the back of my mind. Avs was keeping secrets, and it was only a matter of time before they came to light.When they did, I wasn’t sure if I’d be ready for the answers.I caught sight of madame Mary as I walked to the dining room. I didn't want to talk to anyone let alone dine with them.“Mary,” I called out, making her turn to me. “Have dinner brought to my room.”“Alright, your majesty.” She gave me a curtsey then walked to the kitchen to do as I had instructed.The walk back t
Xander's pov"Rogues?" I asked, frowning.“Yes. A group of them arrived at the border and they've requested to speak with you.” He continued.Group? Rogues were known to travel alone as wild animals.“How many?” I asked.“About eight.”Eight? Even if rouges move together they do so in small numbers. Something was going on.“How did they manage to get so close to our border without being detected?” That was impossible.Magnus shook his head. “We don't know. It was as if they just appeared. They somehow bypassed the patrols, not just ours but that of the other neighboring packs as well. It was like… I don't know, it's just too coordinated for rogues to pull off.”My body tensed at his words. He was right, this wasn't normal. Rogues were disorganized, scattered and usually too weak to be a serious threat let alone demand an audience with me. But this... this was different.“I'll be there shortly.” I said, Turing to go grab my boots.The air was thick with tension as Magnus and I walked t
Xander's povThe tension in the air was thick and suffocating as I walked back to the castle with the package in my hand. The scent of the tracker will forever haunt me, I was the one who approved the mission and now his family has lost him.I thought of a way to deliver the news to his family.I placed the package on my desk in my office, staring at it as if it held all the answers I needed. I looked up at the warriors who had followed me in, they were silent and their expressions were grim.The rebellion was no longer a distant threat and was not as small as we thought. How rogues and humans formed an alliance was beyond me, I couldn't comprehend it nor could I have thought that a day like this would come. They were here, right on my doorstep and they had made their first move.Leo growled in the back of my mind, his anger mirroring my own. “We need to act fast.” he snarled.“We will,” I said aloud, my voice cold and steady. “But first, we need answers.”I noticed that Magnus and L
Xander's povIt was later in the day, I had spent the whole day cooped up inside my office sorting through the list I had asked Magnus to provide for me. Nothing seemed amis and this stressed me more.There was something I wasn't seeing. Someone who was well hidden, I didn't know who to trust at this point.I wanted to ask Lyra or Magnus if they had seen the person that the rogue had looked at. If my mate was a suspect then so was everyone else regardless whether or not we are related.Leo growled in my mind, he had been doing that all day. This time, I didn't hush him because he was right and it was time for me to stop avoiding the truth that was clearly in front of me.I stood up from my seat and allowed my legs to carry me to Ava's room before I could rationalize and change my mind. I didn't bother to knock because this time, I was here for a confrontation. I pushed the door open and stepped inside.Ava was standing by the window, looking out onto the pack grounds. Her silver hair
Ava’s POVThe tension between Xander and I was suffocating as I led him through the dimly lit hallways in the castle. His presence was comforting behind me, I still couldn't believe that he didn't know but something deep in me told me he was telling the truth.Now, he needed to know the truth.There was a deafening silence between us, only the sound of our shoes on the stone floor could be heard between us. I could feel his eyes digging into my back, burning with curiosity and lingering suspicion.I didn't blame him for being suspicious. Now I knew that I needed to be more careful and take note of my surroundings when going about my business.“These are forbidden parts of the castle, how did you find, let alone enter this place?” He said, voice low and cautious.“Forbidden?” I paused and turned to look at him. “A glow led me here.”“Glow?”“Yes, just a trail of golden light.” I replied. “Come on, you need to see this.”We resumed walking and Xander was silent behind me but I sensed hi
Ava's povXander moved fast, he stood in front of me, claws out and a low growl rumbling in his chest. I couldn't see due to his figure blocking my line of sight.“Show yourself.” Xander called out, lowly.A shiver went down my spine in fear. Who was that?“I'm the keeper, Ava.” The voice was right next to her ear, it made her jump in fright.There it was, the glow. It wasn't a trial this time but it had a masculine type body but no face. Xander turned and pushed her behind him once more.Did it read my thoughts?“Yes, I did.” The glow said.This was beginning to freak me out. “Calm down, both of you.” It said softly.“What… are you?” I asked.“The keeper.” It said again. “I was entrusted with guiding this room from people who sought to bring it harm.”“You were the one who led me here the first day, right?” I said, stepping out from behind Xander.“Yes.”“Why?” I asked.“I sensed Aria and knew that the time was drawing closer.” the keeper answered.“Who's Aria?” Xander asked. He was
Ava's povI stumbled back and let go of Xander's handI started at the statue, heart pounding. “This…this can't be.”“She looks just like you.” Xander said, next to me. Voice filled with confusion that mirrored the expression on my face.Why is there a statue that looks like me, in the castle? I wondered.“She is you.” I turned to look at the keeper as it spoke.“Why is it here? What does it mean?” I asked.“It's here because you are more than you know, Ava. Your role in all this is far greater than you could have imagined.” The keeper answered. “Come, the answers to your endless questions await.”It walked to the podium in the centre and waited for us to join. Xander and I exchanged a look before walking up to the podium.“Place your hands on the podium.” it said.Xander and I exchanged uncertain glances again. I felt his hand brush mine before he took it in his grasp and held it tightly. He was still guarded and didn't trust the keeper, I could feel the tension radiating off him in
Ava's povI always thought pregnancy would feel magical. Glowing skin, cute bump, a sense of purpose, maybe even that mythical "pregnancy glow" everyone swore existed.Instead, it felt like I was being hunted… by my own body.“Move,” I growled at Xander, who stood directly between me and the basket of moonberry tarts I’d been craving since sunrise and asked the cooks to make.He turned slowly, blinking. “You’ve already had three.”I narrowed my eyes. “And?”“And… I love you,” he said quickly, stepping aside and lifting both hands like I was some scary creature.Which I kind of was.Pregnancy had changed me. It was like I had become Ava 2.0—crying over songs with puppies, getting irrationally upset when Xander didn’t refill the honey jar, then five minutes later curling against him like nothing ever happened. The mood swings weren’t just real. They were ruthless.The moonberry tart was cold by the time I got to it, but I didn’t care. I devoured it with all the speed of a starved animal
Xander’s POVThe moonlight spilled through the open balcony, casting soft silver over the sheets tangled at the foot of the bed. The fire in the hearth had died a while back, quiet and tired like the rest of the castle.The day has taken an unexpected turn which I loved so much. A twist that made my heart race and a smile light up my face.She was asleep.Ava.My mate. My Luna. My light.Her hair was fanned across the pillow, her face relaxed and peaceful—something I never took for granted anymore. I didn’t move, just sat at the edge of the bed, eyes watching the delicate rise and fall of her chest.Her unexpected words echoed in my head like a metal being hit by something.She’s pregnant.It should have been a simple announcement. But for me, it cracked something wide open.For weeks, I’d noticed something different in her scent. Not wrong—just new. I hadn’t placed it, not until she stood before me and told me herself. There had been no grand preparation. No expectations. Just her an
Ava's povSunlight spilled through the high windows of the grand hall, gleaming on the silver fixtures and dishware. For the first time in months, the hall wasn't empty. Laughter echoed all around me, mingling with the clinking of cutlery and the smell of warm bread and honeyed meats.I sat between Xander and Vanessa, my fingers curled around a steaming cup of tea. My stomach fluttered—not from nerves, but from something far newer. Something growing.The thought never failed to pull a smile to my face.I glanced around at the faces gathered at the table. Rowan was teasing Kael over a burnt piece of toast, Kaida sat beside him, her hand resting lightly on his wrist. Lyra was at the far end, wrapped in a thick shawl, her expression quiet but calm, a faint smile playing on her lips as she watched them. There was no tension in her shoulders.They were all here.All of them.And that meant more to me than any feast ever could.“Gods,” Vanessa said, stretching back in her seat. “It’s been f
Ava's povThe morning sunlight filtered in through the tall windows, casting soft golden glow across the stone walls of our chambers. The fire from last night had burned down to glowing embers, but I still felt warm—safe in the memory of the stars and the enormity of the secret I’d carried all night.I smiled, rubbing my tummy even though it didn't have a bump. It all still felt like a dream to me. I couldn't believe that I was carrying my child— out child— and would soon be able to hold him or her in my arms.This was like a reward from the gods for taking down zerathos. It was the most perfect gift.Xander’s scent hit me before I heard his footsteps. Woodsy. Earthy and a hint of citrus.He pushed the door open with ease, stridijg in, he was already halfway out of his ceremonial coat, his black shirt clinging to his chest beneath it. His eyes found me immediately—still seated at the edge of the bed, half-dressed, barefoot, lost in my thoughts.“There you are,” he said, his voice soft
Ava's povPregnant.The word sat on my tongue like a secret not yet ready for the world to know. Heavy and new. Sacred. My hands trembled as I exited the healer’s wing, the soft glow of lanterns lining the path doing little to light the darkness within me.It wasn't a bad darkness, it was just confusion.The corridor behind me felt like it belonged to another world—a place of certainty and whispered truths. Healers always knew things, some that we wanted to hear and the ones that we didn't want to hear. Out here, beneath the dark sky things felt more real.Too real.I walked slowly, aimlessly, not ready to return to the castle after what I had just learned. Not ready to face anyone. Especially not Xander.Not yet.The gardens were quiet this time of night. Peaceful. A hush had settled over the grounds, as though the very earth was holding its breath. The petals of Kaida’s cherry blossom tree glowed pale pink in the moonlight, and I found myself drawn toward it. Toward the spot we alwa
Ava's povSunlight streamed through the tall windows of the Blackthorn castle, warm and golden as it spilled across the newly polished floors. I stood at the balcony just outside the council chamber, my eyes tracing the distant tree lines. Smoke no longer rose from the hills. Screams no longer echoed through the valley.Peace.It was strange how something we fought so long and hard for could feel so… quiet.I placed a hand over my stomach. That now familiar queasiness cane again, subtle but persistent. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, grounding myself the way I’d been practicing since taking on the Luna title. Calm. Poise. Grace.“Luna Ava?” A voice called gently from behind. One of the omegas.“Yes?”“Lady Vanessa and the others are waiting in the courtyard. You said you wanted to walk with them today?”“Yes. Thank you.”I smiled and nodded, but the moment I turned my back, the nausea returned—like it never left. I gritted my teeth and blinked back the faint dizziness. I've been
Xander's povThe night was quiet, save for the faint crackling of the fire still burning at the center of camp.But Ava… she had curled up beside me, her head on my shoulder, her fingers gently tucked against my arm. Her breathing slowed sometime between Rowan’s quiet jokes, Vanessa blushing with Kael teasing her and Lyra sitting in silence after her brief confession.She fell asleep there, in the circle of firelight and friends and whispered memories.I couldn’t bear to wake her.So I carried her.Her warmth pressed against my chest as I walked us to the chambers we’d been assigned in the temporary Ashville pack house. The bed was a bit small but clean, sheets tucked in and blankets folded. I laid her down carefully, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek before covering her with the blanket.I wanted to stay awake and watch over her. Zerathos may be gone but he has left a lasting trauma and fear of the shadows. I was scared that if I closed my eyes and opened it I would real
Rowan's POVLyra’s breathing had finally evened out beside me, a soft, steady rhythm that showed that she was finally at ease and I was glad. She didn’t say another word after I wrapped the blanket around her and sat by her side. She didn’t need to.I looked at her, really looked.Her face had lost weight in the past months, the edges sharper now—grief had carved out the softness she once had so effortlessly. The dark, sunken circles beneath her eyes told me she hadn’t been sleeping much. And even now, in the calm after the war, her body was tense beneath the blanket, like she was ready to spring awake at any given time if someone so much as touched her. .But she had opened up.That alone made something in my chest unclench for the first time in weeks.I tilted my head back, let my eyes gaze up to the stars, but even their beauty felt muted tonight. Everything felt… dulled. Like we’d survived the fire, only to emerge into the ashes.But she talked. She talked.And I’d take that over
Lyra’s POVThe fire had burned down to little fire, and one by one, they drifted off to sleep. Ava had fallen asleep curled against Xander’s chest. Vanessa and Kael were tangled up on a blanket near the edge of the camp, whispering and grinning like the war had never happened and they were in some sort of fairytale. Like they’d known peace all their lives.I was happy and envious of them so I forced myself to look away.Rowan had stayed with me.He always did.By the time the last bit of fire was snuffed and silence had settled over the camp, he rose, wordless, and offered me his hand. I took it, letting him guide me away from the others, deeper into the shadows where the weight of their stares couldn’t follow.We walked to a place in Ashville that we liked. It was a little hill above the camp where the entire land could be seen and the sky felt so close. The stars were particularly bright on that night, I just stood there and took a deep breath.The night air was cold, crisp, almost