LOGINHECTOR It was midnight when we crossed the pack border.The moon hung low and heavy in the sky, half hidden behind a veil of clouds. The forest was dark and still. Even the wind had stopped blowing. The world was quiet. I had my eyes closed, my head resting against the cold glass of the car window. The trip had been long. Too long. A border dispute in the southern territory that required my personal attention. Hours of negotiations. Hours of diplomacy. Hours of pretending to care about land boundaries and trade agreements while my mind was elsewhere.With her.It was always with her.Ethan drove in silence. He knew better than to speak when I was in this mood. The hum of the engine was the only sound. The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the winding road ahead.We passed the border checkpoint. The guards bowed low as the car drove through. I did not acknowledge them. I did not open my eyes.But something shifted inside me.A prickle at the base of my skull. A cold k
ANNASTASIA The car stopped in front of the council building.The doors were pulled open before I could even gather myself. Rough hands grabbed my arms and yanked me out of the seat. I stumbled, my legs still weak from the sleepless night, from the weight of Lily's death pressing down on my chest. The guards did not care. They dragged me forward, my feet scraping against the stone pathway.The council building loomed above me. Dark stone. Tall pillars. The Blood Moon crest carved into the entrance. It looked like a temple of judgment. And today, I was the one being judged.This was the same place where Hector had stood beside me and told the elders that I was his chosen. That I was his Luna. That anyone who challenged me challenged him.But Hector was not here now.I did not know where he was. I did not know if he knew what was happening. A small, broken part of me hoped he would come. That he would burst through the doors and demand they release me. That he would protect me the way h
Annastasia. The whole house was warm and dim. A fire crackled in the hearth. The air smelled of herbs and medicine and something sad. Something that made my chest ache.The little girl was in a small bedroom at the back of the house.I stepped inside. The room was simple. A wooden bed. A shelf of toys. A window that looked out onto the dark forest. And in the bed, buried under a pile of blankets, was Mira.She was so small. So pale. Her dark hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat. Her eyes were closed. Her breathing was shallow and uneven. Her little hands were curled into fists on top of the blankets.I knelt beside the bed. I reached out and touched her forehead. It was burning hot.Her wolf was so weak that I could barely sense it. A tiny, flickering spark deep inside her. Like a candle flame in a storm. It was dying. Slowly. Quietly. It was almost gone.My throat tightened. My eyes burned. This was what the blood sickness did. It stole children. It took them piece by piece
ANNASTASIA Kassian blinked at me, and he looked completely confused. "No? Anastasia, this is a direct threat to your safety. To the cure. To everything we are working for.""I know. But if we tell Hector, he will launch an investigation. He will question everyone. The traitor will go into hiding. We will lose our chance to catch them." I looked at Kassian. "Whoever did this does not know that we found the tracker. They think they are still hidden. Still safe. We can use that."Kassian studied my face. "What do you have in mind?""We keep working. We let them watch. We let them think everything is normal. And when they make their next move, we will be ready."Kassian was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. "You are a clever girl, Anastasia. Very clever." He paused. "But you must be careful. If this person is willing to cause an explosion, they are willing to do worse.""I know.""Promise me you will not take unnecessary risks.""I promise."He did not look convinced. But
Anna's POVThe next morning, I woke before the sun.For a moment, I lay in bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting my mind settle. Yesterday had been chaos. The explosion. Kael. The confrontation with Hector. The phone call with my family.But today was a new day. Today, I would focus on the cure. Nothing else.I pushed myself out of bed. My body still ached from the beating I had taken days ago, but the pain was fading. The bruises were turning yellow at the edges. The cut on my lip had healed. I moved slowly, stretching my sore muscles, feeling the stiffness in my ribs.A knock came at the door. Soft. Familiar."Come in."Lena entered. "Good morning, my Luna. Did you sleep well?""Well enough," I said. It was not entirely a lie. I had slept, but my dreams had been troubled. Faces. Voices. Words that didn’t make any sense.Lena moved to the curtains and opened them. Pale morning light spilled into the room. Then she turned to me. "Will you be taking breakfast downstairs tod
ANNASTSIA The words left my mouth like poison. I stared at Hector, my chin lifted, my eyes blazing. He was still frozen, his hand half raised from where I had pulled away. His dark eyes were wide with shock. The great Alpha Hector, the most powerful wolf alive, was speechless."You kissed." I said. My voice was mocking now. Cold. I wanted him to feel even a little of the pain I had felt. "I saw you. In the garden. The moonlight was very romantic. The flowers were very beautiful. And you were kissing Valeria like she was the only woman in the world."Hector's jaw tightened. His hands clenched at his sides. I saw something flicker in his eyes. Anger? Guilt? Regret? I did not know and I did not care."It isn't what you think," he said. His voice was low and rough.I laughed. The sound was cold and hollow. It did not sound like me at all. "It isn't what I think? What should I think, Alpha? That her lips accidentally fell onto yours? That she tripped and your mouths collided?" I shook my







