LUCIANThe dawn broke like a warrior in gleaming armor. The sunlight tore through the sky with gold-edged blades, slicing away the last remnants of night. It bathed Bloodfang in its radiant warmth, a sign—to me, to all of us—that the heavens had opened their arms to our cause. The air shimmered with anticipation. It was the kind of morning that called men to battle, that made the blood stir and the bones ache for victory.I stood on the steps of the Alpha house, my sword slung across my back, watching as the warriors assembled. The yard was alive, humming with raw energy. Wolves, young and old, donned their leathers and armor. Faces once dulled by fear now gleamed with conviction. Some painted marks of war on their cheeks; others tied red cloths around their wrists in honor of fallen kin. Songs rose from the crowd—not just any song, but the old marching song of Bloodfang, one that had not been heard since the last time we fought.We welcomed the sun with steel and with purpose. The cl
SELENAThe pack members stole glances at me like they’d never seen me before. Their eyes lingered on my face, some wide with disbelief, others narrowing with guilt or confusion. Even as Lucian addressed them with the commanding strength of a leader returned from exile, I noticed it—those subtle shifts in their expressions, the way conversations stilled momentarily whenever our eyes met. I could feel their surprise thick in the air, curling around me like smoke.I didn’t blame them. This was the first time they were seeing me since I disappeared—since I fled into the forest, accused and broken, escaping the death they had chosen for me. Perhaps, in their minds, I had long been swallowed by the wild, torn apart by beasts, forgotten by the moon goddess. But here I was. I hadn’t only survived—I had returned. Not as a shadow of the girl they once sneered at, but as a warrior standing tall beside the alpha they had rejected.Their glances told a story of silent questions and fractured memor
LUCIAN We arrived at Bloodfang Pack just as the last light of dusk gave way to nightfall. The sky above was smeared in strokes of dark purple and fading gold, but the land beneath it was darker still. The once vibrant heart of the pack stood cloaked in a heavy, almost oppressive silence. The Alpha house—once a symbol of pride, strength, and order—stood like a hollow giant, its windows dim, its towering structure stripped of its former glory. Vines crept along the lower walls as though nature itself had begun reclaiming it. The wind whispered through the cracks in the wooden fencing like it mourned with the people. I stepped out of the car slowly, Selena close by my side, her arm brushing against mine. Her sharp eyes scanned the stillness before us, and I felt her grip tighten ever so slightly, as if bracing herself for something she couldn’t yet see. It had only been two weeks and a few days since we left, but the changes that met us were chilling. The streets, once alive with th
LUCIAN I knew deep down that waiting until morning would only make things worse. Elder Damon didn’t come all the way here, bloodied and breathless, just to tell stories. He came because the danger had already begun. Bloodfang was under threat, and every second we stayed here added more risk—more damage.There was no reason to waste time.This wasn’t just about duty anymore. I wasn’t rushing off to fight for the sake of a title or to prove anything. I saw it clearly now—this was fate. A calling I couldn’t ignore. And this time, it wasn’t fate leading me back to the battlefield for my pack. It was fate leading me there because of Selena… and our baby.After marking her moments ago, something in me shifted. My wolf felt whole again. More than that, he felt content. At peace. Happy.He hadn’t been that way in a long time.But now, he moved inside me with purpose. He wasn’t pushing to fight for Bloodfang. He was moving because he understood what was at stake—what we were protecting. This
SELENAThe silence between us was deafening, but in that quiet, something powerful shifted. I had already made up my mind. I wasn’t going to look back. My path was clear, even if it terrified me. But then, his eyes found mine—soft, open, resolute."Selena," Lucian said, his voice low but sure, "I will go with you. I will fight with you. For your sake... and for the sake of our baby, I will leave everything once again."My breath hitched. I hadn’t expected that. Just moments ago, he’d been pleading, trying to hold me back, to make me see reason. But now, he was choosing to go with me. My heart trembled, and my body felt lighter, steadier, like something deep inside me had anchored. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear those words until they slipped from his lips.His arms opened, and I stepped into them, letting his warmth swallow my doubts like a tide sweeping over cold stone. I collapsed into his chest, breathing in the scent that had become home to me. His arms folded tightly
LUCIANI took the stairs two at a time, barely feeling the pain in my legs. My chest heaved with each breath, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My pulse thundered in my ears, louder than the creaking wood beneath my feet. Where was she? Where the hell had she gone?The hallway was too quiet. Too still. The kind of silence that screamed something was wrong.“Selena!” Her name tore from my throat, raw and sharp, echoing through the corridor like a desperate plea. My voice cracked on the last syllable, but I didn’t care.I reached the top of the stairs, eyes darting left and right. No footsteps. No whisper of movement. Just the heavy weight of fear pressing down on me.“Selena!” I called again, louder this time. My voice broke into the hush like a hammer. My heart pounded harder now, thudding against my ribs like it wanted to escape my chest.Then— A soft click.The bedroom door creaked open slowly, almost reluctantly. My breath caught. And there she was.She stepped into view, her hand w