(Sarah's POV)I jerked awake with a strangled cry, tears streaming down my face. My heart pounded painfully in my chest, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe through the crushing weight of grief.Aria. I'd been dreaming of Aria again.The dreams were both a blessing and a curse. In them, she was always vibrant and healthy, her silver hair shining in the ethereal light of what could only be the ancestral hunting grounds. In these dreams, her violet eyes sparkled with a joy I'd rarely seen in life, and her omega wolf presence was strong, no longer weakened by her heart condition.But waking meant losing her all over again.I curled into a ball on my bed, clutching Aria's pillow to my chest. It still carried the faintest trace of her scent—gentle like moonflowers, with that unique hint of silver that had always marked her as different from other omegas."It's not fair," I whispered into the empty room, my beta wolf whimpering in distress.Aria had never had a fair chance at life. A
(Third person's POV)William Stone stood frozen in the sterile hallway of the pack medical center, his golden eyes narrowing at the figure approaching from the opposite direction. Samuel Gray, Derek Silverstone's ever-present beta assistant, walked with his characteristic measured steps, his expression shifting from neutral to guarded upon noticing William.The air between them instantly charged with hostility, the mingling scents of their respective packs creating an invisible boundary neither wished to cross."Stone," Samuel acknowledged coldly, his beta presence carefully controlled yet unmistakably hostile.William didn't bother responding. The brief flicker of goodwill he had felt toward Dr. Reed moments ago vanished completely, replaced by the familiar burning hatred he reserved for anything connected to the Silverstone Pack.As they drew closer to each other in the narrow corridor, William deliberately bumped his shoulder against Samuel's, the alpha power behind the gesture
(Dr. Reed's POV)Pain was the first thing I registered as consciousness returned to me. My lip throbbed where Victoria Silverstone's enhanced pack guard had struck me with silver-enhanced dominance. The metallic taste of blood lingered in my mouth, and my throat felt like sandpaper."Water," I managed to murmur, my beta voice barely above a whisper.A hand appeared in my line of vision—long-fingered and broad, distinctly masculine—offering a wolfsbane-infused healing cup. I accepted it gratefully, not bothering to check who my benefactor was. The cool liquid soothed my parched throat, the wolfsbane essence already working to heal the internal silver damage.After quenching my thirst, I finally looked up to see who had helped me. My entire body tensed, my beta wolf whimpering in terror.William Stone.The Stone Pack heir lounged casually in the chair beside my healing bed, his golden eyes studying me with unmistakable amusement. His formal pack robes were immaculate as always, the
(Third person's POV)The stench was overwhelming—a putrid mixture of rotting garbage and silver-infused industrial waste that permeated the cold night air. Natalie Windsor gasped for breath as she was yanked from the filthy disposal pit behind Windsor Pack Territory's industrial zone, her once-pristine formal pack robes now soaked in foul muck.Her aristocratic features contorted with rage, silver-tainted mud dripping from her blonde hair. The pure-blood wolf's elegant appearance had been utterly destroyed, silver burns forming where the tainted water touched her skin."How dare you!" she shrieked, her claws extending despite her weakened state. "Do you know who I am?!"The masked wolves surrounding her remained impassive, their enhanced beta presence forming an intimidating circle around her.Natalie's eyes blazed with fury as realization struck her. "Derek Silverstone!" she spat, struggling against the grip of the wolf holding her. "This is your doing, isn't it? Betraying your p
(Derek's POV)I stood motionless in the shadows, watching Whitney Stone through my ceremonial mask. The moon cast an eerie glow across the abandoned warehouse at the pack territory borders. My enhanced pack guards had positioned themselves strategically around the area, blocking all possible escape routes.Whitney was still fuming, her scent sharp with anger and frustration. I knew the source of her rage—Alexander Blackwood had publicly snubbed her at the Silver Moon Pack Gathering earlier. Her pride had been wounded, but that was nothing compared to what awaited her."One hundred silver-enhanced dominance slaps, then take her to Silver Shadows," I repeated my order, my voice distorted by the wolfsbane essence in my mask.Whitney's head snapped up, her eyes widening as she realized the command was directed at her. Fear washed over her beta wolf as the implications sank in. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably."I've never offended your pack territory," she protested, her beta
(Derek's POV)The silver-enhanced ceremonial mask felt heavy in my hands, its weight symbolic of the burden I now carried. I traced my fingers over the gold-trimmed edges, feeling each intricate pack symbol etched into its surface. This mask represented more than just my alter ego—it was freedom from the constraints of being Derek Silverstone, heir to a corrupted pack legacy.Tonight, I would become justice itself.I slipped the mask over my face, feeling the familiar sensation of wolfsbane-infused material against my skin. The ancient symbols I had painted on my neck burned slightly, activating the power-masking enchantment that would prevent other wolves from sensing my true alpha presence."The vehicles are ready, Alpha," Samuel's voice came through our secured pack bond.I exited my private chambers, the fabric of my black formal pack robes whispering against the silver-reinforced floors. The mansion was quiet, most of the staff having retired for the evening. Only Marcus Stee