LOGINAria……I smiled softly and nicked Kaelen's ear teasing him,“Catch me if you can, big guy.”He growled and I ran as fast as I could,head down, legs pumping. Instead of running down the pack house I decided to run toward the forest. I'll have an easier time losing him in there.I heard an ear-splitting roar sound from behind me and grinned, knowing his control had finally snapped. Ahead of me there was a grassy field, the border of the forest on the other side.I glanced behind and spotted Kaelen at the edge of the Forest standing, watching me with eyes that had turned black. I definitely didn’t imagine that, then. Every muscle was bulging, and he had an eerily calm expression on his face.Fear and anticipation clenched my gut as I realized he wastoying with me. Letting me get farther away before hunting me down. I had just unleashed a predator. Was i ready for this?Too late to turn back now.I ran faster toward the forest, scanning the trees for a low branch. He might be big an
Aria’s POV The moon hung low over the camp, casting the clearing in a soft, silvery glow. Fires burned in tight circles, warriors gathered around them like moths to light, their faces grim but determined. The night smelled of steel, smoke, and wild resolve — the scent of wolves preparing for war.I stood beside Kaelen at the heart of the clearing, the map of our lands spread across a rough wooden table. Pins, lines, and notes marked every border and possible ambush point. Around us, the leaders of each allied pack stood waiting — Damien, Lyra, Kael, Matilda, and the new Alpha of the Red Hollow pack, the amber-eyed woman who’d arrived that morning.Kaelen’s voice was steady, commanding, every word laced with quiet authority that silenced even the most restless warrior. “The Evil King has divided his forces. Half of his army is holding the southern ridge — the other half is stationed at Blackmarsh, near the ruins of the old fortress. If we attack head-on, we’ll be crushed.”Lyra folded
Aria’s POV ....The morning broke with a pale silver light that seeped through the thin fabric of the tent. My eyelids fluttered open, and for the first time since my escape, I felt… still. Not healed, not whole — but still.The air smelled of pine and smoked meat drifting from the campfires. Warriors murmured outside, footsteps thudding, children crying, elders whispering. There was urgency everywhere. War was coming.But for now, I had a few breaths of quiet.I stretched slowly, wincing at the soreness that rippled down my spine. Matilda’s healing salves had worked wonders, but exhaustion had settled into my bones like frost. If I stayed still too long, I might fall apart. If I moved too fast, I’d crumble.Kaelen slipped into the tent just as I pulled on a clean tunic. His hair was damp, jaw clenched, eyes shadowed by the weight of the morning.“You’re awake,” he said softly, but the concern in his voice was sharp.“Yes,” I breathed.He crossed to me in two strides, his hands warm a
Aria’s POV ……..The forest finally gave way to the familiar scent of home — pine, steel, and faint traces of magic that only existed around the Royal Pack’s borders because of me. My paws faltered when I saw the first torchlight.Home.The word ached in my chest. My legs trembled, exhaustion creeping through every vein. I shifted back to human form before crossing the final ridge. My skin was smeared with dirt, blood, and soot, my dress torn and clinging to me like second skin. But none of it mattered — because I could smell him.Kaelen.Warriors on patrol saw me and let out a howlThe scent of storm and frost and something deep, something that always found its way to my soul.I stepped into the clearing. Guards stiffened immediately, eyes widening as they recognized me.“Luna—” one whispered, voice cracking. “She’s alive.”Before I could respond, a howl broke through the camp. Loud. Raw. Familiar.Kaelen.He came through the shadows like a force of nature — eyes glowing molten gold,
Aria’s POV....The moment dawn crept through the cracked walls of the dungeon, I was already awake. My body ached from the bruises Serena’s rage and bitterness had left, but pain no longer mattered. Not when I’d overheard what I did last night.The guards had spoken carelessly near my cell, boasting about the ritual — a blood offering under the Red Moon to strengthen the Evil King’s hold over the rogues. But what struck me most wasn’t the ritual itself… it was the name they’d whispered.Serena.Not as a servant. Not as a victim. But as his daughter.She was made from th dark magic and was sent to spy on us all this while.My heart had stopped in that instant. Serena — the one who had fought beside us,and betrayed us — was the Evil King’s blood. She hadn’t been corrupted by him. She’d always belonged to him.Now I understood everything. Her sudden loyalty, her cold smirk when she watched me beaten, the way the Evil King looked at her with approval instead of suspicion. It all made sens
Kaelen’s POV — .....The forest was silent. Too silent. The kind of silence that crushed your chest and filled your veins with dread.My wolf snarled restlessly beneath my skin, pacing, clawing, raging. Mate. Find her. She’s out there.I’d been hunting for days — nights, too. Sleep meant nothing now. Food was tasteless. The moon offered no light worth following. Every path we took, every trace we found, led to nothing but ashes and fading scents.Damien trailed behind me, his breath heavy, his eyes grim. “Kaelenl, you’ve been at this since dawn. You need to stop for a moment.”I turned on him, eyes flashing gold. “Stop? While she’s out there? While rogues drag her gods-know-where?” My voice broke mid-sentence, sharp and raw. “I can feel her, Damien. She’s hurting.”He looked at me the way one looks at someone breaking apart — helplessly. “And you think killing yourself out here will save her?”I didn’t answer. My fists clenched. I could still smell her faintly — that soft mix of moonf