MasukARES' POVShe was bleeding on my shirt. Again. I carried her from the medical wing to her room like she weighed nothing. She didn’t. She felt like glass. Like if I held her too tight she’d break. Marcus was behind me. "Alpha, we need to talk about—" "Later," I said. "But the prophecy—" "Later." I laid her on the bed. 8 stitches in her shoulder. From Veronica. My hands were shaking. I hated that. I’m the Alpha King. I don’t shake. But when I saw her go after Veronica in wolf form. When I saw blood on white fur. I came apart. The door closed. Just us. She was asleep. Pale. I sat in the chair. Same chair from the last 3 nights. "Idiot," I muttered. "You kissed her. Then let her get hurt." --- I keep replaying it. The chapel. The knife. Her. `Can I kiss you?` God. I’ve claimed territory. I’ve ended wars with one call. And I asked permission to kiss her. Because she’s Alba. Because for 23 years people made choices for her. I wasn’t going to be another one
Alba's pov The word cut through the room. Ares said it, and the whole estate moved. Guards. Phones. Maps. Marcus was yelling orders. Veronica escaped 2 hours ago. With page 47. With the only copy of the second half of the prophecy. "She’s going to Nightfang," Marcus said. "Last tracker ping was 30 miles out." "Then we go," Ares said. He was already loading guns. "Now." He looked at me. "Stay here." "No," I said. "Alba—" "No," I said again. "She took something that’s about me. I’m coming." He stared at me. Jaw tight. Then he nodded once. "Fine. But you stay behind me." --- The drive was 40 minutes. Silent. Ares didn’t let go of my hand the entire time. Nightfang territory. The gates were broken. Rusted. Inside: empty. Abandoned. "She’s not here," Marcus said. "Then where?" Ares said. My phone buzzed. Unknown number. Video. Veronica. In a basement. Candles flickering. A knife on the table. And page 47 pinned to the wall wit
ALBA'S POV"I’d rather die by your hand than live without you." Ares said it like it was nothing. Like he wasn’t just telling me I was destined to kill him. The room was silent after. Just our breathing. His arms were still around me. "Let me go," I whispered. He did. Slowly. His eyes searched mine. "You believe it?" "I don’t know what to believe," I said. "5 years ago I was wolfless. Last night I was a Thorn Wolf. Today I’m supposed to murder you?" He ran a hand through his hair. "The prophecy is old. 400 years. Nobody’s seen a Thorn Wolf since." "So why me?" "Because you survived Nightfang," he said simply. "Because you didn’t break." He walked to the window. Back to me. "Marcus is pulling the texts. The full prophecy. We’ll know more in the morning." "What if it’s true?" "Then we find a way around it," he said. "Prophecies aren’t law, Alba. They’re warnings." He turned. "Get some sleep." "With you in the hall?" "With me in the chair," he corrected. He dragged a
ALBA'S POV The royal estate wasn’t a house. It was a fortress. Black stone walls. 10 feet high. Armed guards every 20 feet. Wolves patrolling the perimeter in both forms. Ares didn’t say a word the whole drive. His hand was on my thigh. Thumb moving in slow circles. Grounding me. Grounding himself. “Level 10 threat,” he said finally. “That text means Kieran’s desperate.” “What does desperate Kieran do?” “Stupid things,” he said. The gates opened. Inside: more guards. More cameras. And in the front hall, waiting, was a woman. Blonde. Tall. Red dress. And she was looking at Ares like he was hers. Ares’ jaw ticked. “Alpha King,” she said. Sweet. “I came as soon as I heard. You shouldn’t be dealing with this alone.” Ares didn’t introduce her. “Serena,” he said. Cold. “What are you doing here?” “I live here,” she said. Then her eyes landed on me. “Oh. The Luna.” She said Luna like it was a dirty word. --- My room was on the 3rd floor. Next to A
ALBA'S POV The news was everywhere before breakfast. THORN WOLF AWAKENS AT BLOOD MOON ALPHA KING CLAIMS REJECTED HEIR AS LUNA NIGHTFANG UNDER CROWN INVESTIGATION My phone was blowing up. 200+ messages. I didn’t read any of them. Ares was already dressed. Black suit. Black shirt. He looked at me over his coffee. “You look tired.” “I am,” I said. “But I’m okay.” “Good,” he said. He set his cup down. “Because in one hour we’re telling the world this is real.” My stomach dropped. “The contract?” “Is gone,” he said. “I tore it up this morning.” He held out the pieces. Right there on the table. Shredded. My hands shook. “Why?” “Because I meant what I said last night,” he said. “I don’t want to pretend.” --- The council room was packed. 12 alphas. Reporters. Camera drones. And at the back, Kieran. He looked wrecked. Suit wrinkled. Eyes red. Veronica wasn’t here. Ares walked in with me on his arm. Didn’t let go. The head alpha stood. “A
ALBA'S POV The Blood Moon rose red. I could feel it in my bones. In my blood. In the flicker in my chest that hadn’t gone away since 2am. Ares hadn’t let me sleep. “Training,” he said. “Eating. Training. Bath. Dress.” Like I was going to war. Because I was. The dress was white. Not red. Not black. White. Like the dress I wore 5 years ago. Ares picked it out. “Let them see it,” he said. “Let them see you in white and not break.” It was different this time. High neck. Long sleeves. Back still open. But armor. My hair was up. The silver wolf pendant at my throat. No makeup. I didn’t need it. Ares was in black. Always. He looked at me when I came downstairs, and his jaw ticked. “You’re shaking,” he said. “Not from fear,” I said. “Liar,” he said. But he smiled. Barely. “Good.” The car ride was silent. His hand was on mine the whole time. “Rules,” he said. “ One. Stay with me. Two. If you feel her, tell me. Three. No matter what happens,







