After testing if my body system was working now, I was so excited, so was Luca and Killian. Killian moved closer, took my hands and gave me a hug then he made me sit down. Shivers run down my spine as our body collides. I didn't flinch. I didn't move. I just accosted the hug. After a few discussions between the both, I couldn't hear them well. I knew I was back to life again but my body was still weak and my vision was blurring.“She needs some sleep now, maybe when she wakes her body system will be better than now,” Luca said to Killian. From the edge of my eyes I saw him pierce his eyes on me and he leaves the room. Leaving me all alone in the room.Slowly I closed my eyes and slept off.The first thing I felt when I woke again wasn’t pain—it was emptiness in me.I lay still for a long time after my hand was staring at the ceiling above me, a soft flickering glow from the lantern casting shadows that danced like whispers I couldn’t hear. The weight in my chest hadn’t left; in fac
Killian’s POVThe door slammed shut behind me as I stepped into the private underground chamber—the place where secrets came to rot and the truth was dragged out, screaming if it had to. The torches on the stone walls flickered with an orange glow, casting sharp shadows on the face of the man chained to the wall like a broken dog. Raven. The traitor. The snake who slithered into our Pack and infected it with poison.I sank into the heavy obsidian chair at the far end of the room. It was carved from stone and enchanted to enhance my Alpha presence—a symbol of judgment and execution. My fingers drummed lightly on the armrest as I studied him. Raven was barely conscious, blood crusted at the corner of his mouth, eyes swollen from earlier beatings. But the bastard still had the nerve to smirk.Elara stood beside him, arms folded, her fingers itching to strike again. She’d been interrogating him since I sent her—while I stayed behind. My mind immediately thought of Selene. My mate. My reas
Killian's povThe halls echoed like a tomb which was filled with silence, each step I took it was bouncing back with hollow finality. Every footfall was a grim drumbeat, a chilling reminder of the silence Selene had been forced to endure. My boots struck the marble floor with a rhythm that felt too calm, too deliberate, for the tempest tearing through my veins. The air itself was heavy—thick with judgment, tension, and the memory of her nearly dying.Raven’s confession rang in my skull, louder than the whispers that chased me through the corridors like shadows with teeth.He had tried to use the poison to kill selene or better still as he said to crippled her. And he had nearly succeeded in doing that if not only for the divine intervention of Luca. What haunted me wasn’t just the attempt—it was how close he had come to fulfilling it. How precise his plan had been. How utterly personal.He didn’t charge at her with a sword or strike from the shadows with a dagger.No.He chose somet
Killian’s POVThe hall was filled with a tension that clung to the walls like smoke—thick, suffocating, and impossible to ignore. It wasn’t the calm before peace. No, this stillness was deceptive, the kind that coils in the shadows before a beast bares its teeth. The council chamber, ancient and echoing with the whispers of centuries-old decisions, now felt like a battlefield. No swords would be drawn today—only words, power, and truths too sharp to speak plainly.I stood at the center of the chamber, the weight of my title pressing heavier on my shoulders than my ceremonial armor. The domed ceiling loomed high above, bearing the sigils of past Alphas carved in obsidian. I wondered briefly how many had stood here like me—haunted, conflicted, and forced to choose between the heart and the crown.To my left stood Elara. Dressed in her usual crimson robes, her figure cut a striking image of grace and poise. Her chin was high, her lips closed tight, and her gaze never drifted far from me—
Killian's povSuddenly I saw Elara standing up and moving. My heart raced on what she was up to this time around.I wanted to stop her from further steps but she already began to speak.“Strength of heart is noble,” she said, tone velvet over steel. “But ruling a pack is more than emotion. It's a strategy. Legacy. Loyalty. Has she proven hers?” “Elara—” I warned, but she raised a hand, still the picture of calm. “I only ask what others wonder, Killian. We barely know her. And already she’s brought danger into these walls. We cannot afford uncertainty.” Something in me snapped. “You’re not asking,” I said, stepping toward her, “you’re accusing. Say it plainly if you dare.” Her eyes flicked to the Elders, then back to me. “I am loyal to the pack and have always been loyal. To you. I only—” “To me?” I said coldly. “Then honor my choice.” Her jaw tightened. Silence fell again. The Elders were watching us, and it was weighing down. They weren’t just witnessing a presentation. They were
The silence inside my room felt heavier than usual. Even though it was late outside, I hadn’t changed out of my clothes, yet the one I put on to attend the meeting with the elders and Elara.I was still pacing the wooden floor with restless steps.Killian hadn’t returned yet. He was told earlier that the crystals are missing. Hearing that made a knot tightened in my stomach.The Moonlight Ceremony is tomorrow, and without those crystals, the bond wouldn’t seal properly between us both. It wasn’t just symbolic—it was spiritual, binding. The Moon Goddess wouldn’t bless a union unless all elements were present. And right now, the most sacred pieces are gone.Stolen.I sat down at the edge of the bed and stared at my hands. They were trembling, though not from fear. Frustration surged beneath my skin like wildfire. After everything—after surviving exile, rejection, nearly losing my wolf, and Killian’s redemption arc—was this how it would all unravel?No. I wouldn’t let it. Not now that I
I smiled faintly at that—an empty gesture I’d learned to mimic over the years. The truth was, I had never truly been strong. I had just gotten good at pretending so I won't look like the freak I was known for. But the warmth didn’t reach my core tonight. Not even close.My fingers twitched with another question, but before I could raise them to sign, a memory surged—uninvited and sharp.The scent of ash.The cracking of bones.Sebastian’s voice, velvet-wrapped venom, whispering that it would only be a few more days before he came to take me away.Forcefully. As he always intended.My heart stumbled. I flinched and instinctively ducked my head, retreating into myself like a child hiding from the monster in the closet. But Sebastian wasn’t a nightmare I could wake from—he was the nightmare I’d lived.“Selene?” Luca’s voice was careful, but edged with worry as he stood up, his brows pulling tight. Maybe he noticed I had been lost in thought. I shook my head and stepped back, waving him
The mattress dipped beneath my weight as I curled into the thick bedding, but no warmth could settle my nerves. Not even the heavy, velvet blankets that once felt like a cocoon could still my racing heart. The palace was too quiet—ominously so.The crystal—the heart of the ceremony, the key to completing the bond—was still missing.My eyes traced the carved ceiling of the palace chamber as if answers might fetch themselves into the wood grain. The intricate patterns above looked like vines forever frozen mid-tangle, twisting in silence, much like the thoughts in my mind.Killian had insisted the ceremony could go on. That it would work regardless. But I could see the doubt in his eyes no matter how often he masked it behind steel. His voice had been firm, but his grip on my hand had trembled—just slightly, just enough for me to feel the truth.I rolled onto my side and clutched the pillow to my chest, my fingers digging into the soft fabric until my nails bit through the seams.He wan
Whispers Beneath the Moon.The moon-hollow spring shimmered like spilled silver beneath the gathering dusk. I couldn’t look away. It wasn’t just the reflection of the moon that caught my breath, but the way the water seemed to pulse with a life of its own, as though it were somehow aware of me. The air was thick with ancient magic, and it wrapped around me, squeezing my chest in a way I couldn’t explain.I’d seen beautiful places before, but none that made my heart ache with such unease. There was something so eerily perfect about this moment—too perfect. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. The soft ripples of the spring mirrored the flickering of my thoughts, both chaotic and restless. My eyes, locked onto the water’s surface, reflected a version of me I barely recognized—a girl lost in a world of secrets, searching for something she couldn’t quite define.My bare feet sank slightly into the cool, smooth stones beneat
The first thing I noticed was the scent of herbs—sharp, bitter, and so overwhelming that it clung to the inside of my nose like an invasive reminder. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t comforting either. I tried to focus on something else, but as soon as I opened my eyes, a wave of exhaustion slammed into me. The soft flicker of candlelight danced on the walls, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch across the room like tired spirits. The air was thick with the scent of healing oils, balms, and damp earth, all tinged with something sharper—the bitter aftertaste of the wolfsbane poison I’d barely survived.I tried to lift my hand to touch my face, but it felt as though a thousand pounds were pressing down on me. My body didn’t obey me as it once had. Each joint, each vein, felt like it had been soaked in slow fire.It burned and pulsed through every part of me. I was alive, but I didn’t feel truly awake. My skin felt too tight against my bones, my limbs heavy, sluggish. I barely
The first thing I felt was the pounding in my skull.It wasn’t sharp, but a deep, echoing ache—like someone was striking a drum underwater. Each throb sent a ripple through my temples, making it harder to breathe, to think. My lashes trembled against the weight of consciousness as I blinked slowly, trying to pull myself from the fog.A soft warmth surrounded me—the familiar scent of lavender detergent on my sheets, the feathery brush of my pillow beneath my cheek. I was home, in my room. But the peace I normally felt here had vanished. Everything felt... off. The silence was too heavy. The air is still. Time itself seemed suspended.And then I saw him.Killian. Perched at the edge of the bed like a sentinel refusing to leave his post. His usually unreadable expression had crumbled. His hand wrapped around mine, not gently, but like it was a lifeline—one he couldn’t afford to lose. The tendons in his fingers were taut, his knuckles pale from the force of his grip.He looked like a man
The air in the room felt unusually still when I woke up, like time itself had paused. I reached out and found Killian's pillow next to mine, the scent of him still lingering in the fabric, as comforting as it was bittersweet. He’d been staying close, his presence a constant reassurance in the chaos I had been thrust into. But today, I woke to an empty bed. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but the quietness of the room seemed to stretch on forever, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.Since arriving at the pack, I’d been doing my best to adjust. But no matter how much I tried, I always felt like an outsider. Still, I couldn’t deny that some things were starting to feel a little more familiar. I was slowly learning how to fit in—at least, I hoped I was. Killian had trusted me enough to leave me in Elara’s care while he handled matters within the pack.His departure wasn’t sudden, but it still left a pit in my stomach. He said he’d be back soon, that it wasn’t anything
The pain in my head is overwhelming, a dull throb that pulses in sync with the rapid beats of my heart. I blink, trying to clear my vision, but all I see are the blurry outlines of familiar faces, the chaos of the previous night still heavy in my chest. My hands tremble as I sit up in the bed, the cold sheets tangled around me, offering no comfort. The room is dark, save for the faint glow of morning creeping in from the window. But there’s something wrong in the air, an undercurrent of tension that seeps through the walls.I instinctively look to my side. Killian. His broad frame is sitting by my bed, his arm resting on my shoulder in what is supposed to be a comforting gesture. But all I feel is the weight of his presence—his protective nature, his concern. It suffocates me more than it soothes.“Killian?” I croak, my voice rough from sleep, but also from the knot of anxiety that twists in my stomach. He doesn’t answer, his gaze fixed on the distant corner of the room, his jaw clen
The air was still—too still. It was the kind of silence that didn’t soothe but stifled, wrapping around me like a noose. I opened my eyes to find the world bathed in a dull, gray light, the morning sun struggling to pierce through the curtains. Shadows clung to the corners of the room like ghosts. My chest tightened before I even sat up, dread anchoring itself deep in my stomach like a lead weight.My dreams had been nothing but twisted chaos. I’d seen Sebastian’s cold, dead eyes gleaming from the shadows, his mouth unmoving, yet his voice slithered through my mind like a curse. Raven was there too—his smile dripping with triumph, a smirk carved from cruelty. Their whispers had followed me into sleep, poisoning every corner of my subconscious. Even now, awake and aware, I could still feel them lingering—unseen but close, like breath on the back of my neck.I sat up, but my hands betrayed me—they trembled uncontrollably. I tried to steady them, to get the fear away, but it was like
I jolted upright in bed, a strangled gasp ripping from my throat as icy sweat soaked the back of my neck. My lungs burned for air, my chest heaving like I had just escaped drowning. The shadows in the room loomed larger than usual, clawing at the corners of my mind as if trying to pull me back into the nightmare I had just escaped.But it wasn’t just a dream—it was a vision. A message. A warning.Sebastian’s face lingered behind my eyelids, his pale eyes burning into mine with a haunting familiarity. It wasn’t just a memory—I could feel him. Somehow, impossibly, he had found a way to reach me through the tether that still existed between our cursed bloodlines. A bond I thought I had buried long ago now clawed its way back to the surface.Pain spiked behind my eyes, sharp and punishing. I clutched my head, pressing my palms against my temples as if that could cage the power surging inside me. It was like a storm—hot, relentless, alive. My magic stirred beneath my skin, crawling like f
I jolted awake with a strangled gasp, my chest heaving as though I had been running for miles. My skin was clammy with sweat, and my pulse thundered in my ears. The remnants of the dream—or rather, the vision—clung to me like a shadow that wouldn’t let go.I could still see his eyes—Sebastian’s—glowing crimson in the darkness, filled with amusement and cruelty. I could hear his voice calling my name, soft like silk, but with a promise of death in every syllable. And just before the vision ended, I saw flames devour everything I loved.I sat up, pulling the blankets off with shaking hands. My breath fogged in the air despite the warmth of the room. The atmosphere felt too still, like the world was holding its breath. There was a strange pressure in the air—thick, heavy, and pulsing like a second heartbeat. It wasn’t just the aftershock of the vision. No, this was something else—something inside me.A warm, tingling sensation rolled beneath my skin like electricity. I could feel it puls
I sat alone in my room, the silence pressing down on me like a heavy weight. The walls seemed to close in, leaving me feeling trapped in my own thoughts. My hands moved automatically, signing the familiar gestures of my language, trying to work through the panic that had become a constant companion. It was supposed to help me focus, to keep my mind from spiraling. But today, it felt like nothing was working. I couldn’t shake the sensation that something was different—that something was changing within me.The air around me felt thick, as though the very atmosphere was charged with energy. I pressed my palm against my chest, trying to stop the erratic beating of my heart. I felt it deep inside me—a strange, pulsing power that seemed to be growing stronger by the second. It was as if my very being was vibrating, a hum beneath my skin that I could not control. The power was building, a storm waiting to break free. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold it in.I tried to calm myself