LOGINALARIC’S POVThe Royal Council Chamber had never felt so divided.Outside the towering windows, the capital of the Lycan Kingdom continued as though nothing had changed.Merchants shouted through the crowded streets. Carriages moved along the stone roads. Soldiers patrolled the palace walls while royal banners danced proudly beneath the afternoon wind.Life continued. But inside the council chamber… Silence hung like a blade.I sat upon the throne with my fingers resting against the carved armrest as I studied the council gathered before me.Every Alpha in the room wore a different expression of Concern….Frustration… Impatience…. Fear and beneath all of it was the same unspoken question.Where was the Crown Prince?At the center of the chamber stood Lord Garrick, Alpha of the Iron Fang Pack.He bowed respectfully before speaking.“Your Majesty, the kingdom can wait no longer.”I said nothing.Lord Garrick continued. “The coronation has already been delayed once.”Another elder stepped
NOAH’S POVThe rain had washed away most of the tracks by morning.I stood at the edge of the abandoned watch post, staring at the mountains rising beyond the forest. Gray clouds still hung low over the peaks, their edges glowing faintly beneath the early morning light.Water dripped from the branches around me. The entire forest smelled of wet earth and pine.But I barely noticed as my thoughts were somewhere beyond those mountains.Somewhere hidden beneath layers of silence, forgotten history, and carefully buried lies was the answer I had been chasing since the day the cottage in Oakridge burned.I could almost feel it… Close.So close that sometimes I believed I could reach out and touch it. Yet every time I thought I was getting closer, another door appeared.Another mystery. Another dead end.My hand moved instinctively toward the medallion beneath my shirt… The crescent symbol.I still didn’t understand why someone had tried so hard to erase it from history, but I knew one thin
ROSELYN’S POVThe wolf’s howl echoed in my dreams again and again.It wasn’t frightening but… lonely.Each time I reached toward the sound, it faded deeper into the darkness. I saw myself running through a forest covered in silver mist, chasing the distant cry, but no matter how fast I moved, I could never reach it.Then, just before I woke, I saw a pair of glowing eyes between the trees watching me and waiting.I reached toward them but they vanished.I woke with my heart pounding.Outside, dawn had barely broken. Pale light slipped through the curtains, and the valley lay beneath a blanket of silver mist.For a moment, everything looked peaceful. Then I remembered the map.The red circle and the hunters… They were getting closer.A knock sounded on my door, I sat up startled… Another knock followed. I quickly pulled on my clothes and opened the door.Darius stood outside with a serious expression.“Were you awake?” He asked.“I don’t think I ever really slept.”His eyes studied me f
Noah’s POVThose words echoed in my mind long after I and Rowan resumed our journey.“They know you’re here now… they knew even before you arrived.”I don’t know why those words bothered me so much.Perhaps it was the certainty behind them.By sunset, I and Rowan reached an abandoned watchtower overlooking the eastern frontier.The structure had once been an important military post, but time had not been kind to it. Most of the wooden supports had rotted away, and thick vines covered the lower walls. Several sections of the stone tower had collapsed completely.Rowan dismounted and tethered the horses beneath a large tree.I barely noticed as my attention was already fixed on the tower.I climbed the crumbling stone steps carefully, placing one hand against the wall for balance.When I reached the top, I stopped. The view stole my breath.Endless mountains stretched toward the horizon.Beyond them were hidden valleys, ancient forests, and rocky peaks that disappeared into the clouds.
Roselyn’s POV The broken crystal remained on the council table. Even after everyone had left the room, I couldn’t stop looking at it. The meeting had ended nearly an hour ago, but I remained seated, staring at the small piece of crystal that had caused so much uneasiness. It was strange. Beautiful, even in its broken state. The surface caught the faint light coming through the windows, reflecting pale silver patterns across the wooden table. But there was something else about it. Something that made the pendant beneath my clothes feel unusually warm. I reached beneath my shirt and touched it. The broken crystal looked almost exactly like my pendant. Close enough to fool a stranger but Not close enough to fool Darius. “They’re copying it,” I whispered. Darius stood on the opposite side of the table. He hadn’t said much throughout the meeting. He rarely did when he was thinking deeply about something. Now, he simply nodded. “They’re trying to.” I looked at
~ Noah’s POV ~The morning mist clung to the forest road as I and Rowan approached Briar’s Crossing. The village was small… Too small to appear on most royal maps, yet Gideon’s last report had mentioned it twice.If the masked hunters had passed through here… Someone must have seen them right? But the question was whether anyone will be willing to talk.The village square was unusually quiet. Merchants packed their stalls in silence. Children disappeared indoors the moment they saw strangers arrived…I and Rowan.Even the blacksmith avoided looking at me.Rowan frowned. “What’s going on? Are they afraid?.”“I don’t think so.” I studied the faces around me for some minutes.“Looks like they’ve been warned.”Close to the road, an elderly woman sat outside a weathered cottage, weaving a basket.Unlike everyone else, she didn’t look away when I approached, so I bowed politely.“Greetings.”She continued weaving, and without looking up, she spoke.“I know who you are.”Rowan stiffened. “Re







