LOGINHector's POVThe room was silent.I sat by the window, watching the morning light creep across the floor. The curse still held me in its grip. My body was invisible. My reflection did not appear in the glass. I could see the world, but the world could not see me.The curse had taken hold hours ago, and it would not release me until tomorrow. Twenty-four hours of being a ghost. Twenty-four hours of watching the world move around me while I sat unseen and unheard.It was a strange kind of torture. I had grown used to it over the years, but it never got easier. The loneliness of it. The helplessness of it. Knowing that I could walk through the pack house and no one would see me. Knowing that I could stand in a room full of people and they would look right through me.But this time was different. This time, I had Anna.She knew my secret now. She had seen me in the grand hall, standing against the wall while everyone looked straight through me. She had not flinched. She had not run away.
Annastasia pov I stood in the main hallway of the pack house, my hands clasped in front of me. My heart was pounding. My wolf was growling low in my chest. She remembered Bella. She remembered every cruel word, every scheming lie, every moment of pain that woman had caused us.The car pulled up slowly. It was a modest vehicle, nothing like the luxury cars that usually arrived at Blood Moon. I watched as the door opened. My father stepped out first. He looked around at the grand pack house, his eyes wide with poorly hidden greed. He had never seen anything like this. Red River was a cottage compared to Blood Moon.She looked exactly as she always did. Beautiful. Delicate. Her blonde hair was perfectly styled. Her dress was simple but elegant, a soft pink that made her look innocent and sweet. The moment her feet touched the ground, her face transformed. Her eyes welled with tears. Her lips trembled. Her hands pressed against her chest like she was overwhelmed with emotion."Anna!" she
Annastasia pov I was still lost in the haze of sleep when the door burst open."My Luna! My Luna, wake up!"Lena's voice was high and urgent. I sat up quickly, my heart pounding. The morning light streamed through the curtains. My eyes were still heavy from crying the night before. The mate bond. Hector's words. The weight of everything pressed down on me before I could even fully wake."Come in." I answered, my voice horses from sleep. The door unlocked and Lena rushed in quickly. “What is it?" I frowned sleepily. Lena stood by my bed, her hands wringing together. Her face was pale with worry. "There are visitors, my Luna. Very important visitors. They are demanding to see the Alpha.""Who are they?""Hector's childhood friends. Marcus, Dorian, and Felix. They represent powerful packs. Marcus is the Gamma of the Iron Claw pack. Dorian is the Beta of the Silver Ridge pack. And Felix is the head warrior of the Northern Plains pack." She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The
Annastasia The silence between us was comfortable now. Not heavy like before. Not full of tension and unspoken words. Just quiet. Just two people sitting together in a small room, understanding each other for the first time.Finally, Hector broke the silence first. His voice came out of the empty air, sounding hollow and deeply exhausted."I have to stay here," he said softly. "The curse... it won't wear off until a full twenty-four hours have passed. Until then, I am completely trapped like this in this room." He paused, and I could hear the pain in his breath. "If anyone sees me disappear and reappear, it will raise questions."I nodded. "I know.""That means you will have to manage the pack on your own You have to take my place until I return. The Alphas and Lunas are still here. The council is still here. They will look to you for leadership."The words felt like a massive weight crashing down on my shoulders. Lead the pack? Alone? I was terrified, but when I felt the sound of hi
Annastasia The room was small and quiet. A single lamp burned on the table, casting soft shadows on the walls. Hector sat by the window, his head bowed, his hands clasped together. He looked nothing like the powerful Alpha who had commanded the grand hall. He looked tired. Worn down. Human."Sit," he said. His voice was rough.For a second, I hesitated. Then I walked to the chair across from him and sat down. My gown rustled softly against the floor. The silence between us was heavy.Hector stood. I watched as he walked toward the wall. Not toward the door. Toward the wall. And then he passed through it. His body shimmered and faded and moved through solid stone like it was nothing.I gasped. My hands gripped the arms of the chair. "Wh-what?” I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. A moment later, he walked back through the same wall. Still Invisble. In his hand was a bottle of wine and two glasses. He set them on the table between us and poured the dark red liquid into both glas
Annastasia "Alpha Hector did not run away," I finally said, my loud voice carrying across the crowd. "He is still here. He is handling the situation. You need to remain calm."All heads turned to me. "Right. I have known Hector for over a decade," one Alpha suddenly spoke. He was tall and broad, with a scar across his cheek. "He is many things. Ruthless. Ambitious. But he would never harm children. This accusation is baseless.""Baseless?" another Alpha shot back. "Then why did he disappear? An innocent man does not flee.""Perhaps there is an explanation.""Then let him come back and explain.""I agree with Alpha Marcus," a Luna spoke up. She was elegant and calm, her hand resting on her husband's arm. "Hector has always been fair in his dealings with our pack. He funded our medical center when no one else would. This does not seem like the actions of a man who would withhold a cure from dying children.""People change," Aldric growled. "Power corrupts. Hector has too much power. H
HECTOR 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 windo
ANNASTASIS POV The door closed behind Hector with a heavy thud.I stood alone in the council chamber, my hand still half raised, my mouth still half open with the words I had not gotten to say. He had rushed off so quickly. One moment he was telling me about the central research center for all sup
ANNASTASIAWe drove away as the first sounds of fighting began.I turned in my seat to look back. Through the rear window, I could see the courtyard of my father's pack house shrinking behind us. The crowd had scattered to the edges, forming a wide circle. In the center of that circle, two wolves f
ANASTASIAThe sharp, blinding ache behind my eyelids was the first thing that pulled me from the dark.I gasped, my eyes flying open, but the world was a distorted, dizzying blur of sterile white walls and harsh overhead fluorescent lights. The heavy scent of antiseptic and pack medicine burned my







