MasukNovel's POV I didn't hear the door open. I didn't even hear the floorboards groan under his weight. I was lost in a sea of my own shadows until I felt the sudden, searing heat of hands on my shoulders.I jumped, a small gasp escaping my throat. "Alexei," I whispered, my voice thick with salt and grief."Why are you crying, Novel?" His voice was a low rumble, laced with a sharp edge of worry. He reached out, his fingers brushing my chin, trying to tilt my face toward his. I resisted, tucking my head down. I didn't want him to see the wreckage behind my eyes. I wanted the tears to stop, but they were like a dam that had finally burst."Is it because of me?" he asked softly."I hate myself so much!" The scream tore out of me before I could stop it. "I think life would have been better for everyone if I just... wasn't in the picture.""Novel, don't say that……""I hate that you love me so much!" I stood up abruptly, my chair skidding back. My hands were clenched so hard my nails bit into
Alexei's POV I knew what Novel said made sense. To anyone else, I probably looked like a fool for holding on.But the revelation she’d just shared felt like a physical weight in the room. Maxillo had a scar on his wrist? He was bigger now? I ran a hand through my hair, my heart hammering against my ribs. I couldn't bring myself to believe Viktor would lie. There was no reason for it, no motive for him to betray the one person who had his back.Novel didn't understand. She couldn't. Viktor had been the anchor in my life since the day he was brought to this pack.I closed my eyes, and the memories rushed in. I saw myself as a small boy again. Lonely, So damn lonely. As the Alpha’s son, I was a ghost to the other children. They saw the golden hue of my eyes, the mark of a wolf that had claimed me before I was ready….and they turned away in fear. My father was always buried in pack business; my mother was a blur of movement between her duties and the library. I was a prince in a golde
Novel's POV After Viktor led Emilia from the room, the silence left behind felt heavy and suffocating. Alexei turned to me, his brow furrowed with a suspicion he couldn't quite hide.“What were you two really talking about?” he asked.I forced a small, practiced smile, trying to keep my voice steady. “Nothing for you to worry about, Alex. Just girls talk.”“Really? Because I can tell when you’re lying to me, Novel.” He stepped closer, his eyes searching mine.I looked away. I couldn't tell him, not yet. He wouldn't believe that Viktor, his closest confidant, was a snake in the grass. I had no proof, no evidence that Emilia was merely a pawn in a much larger, darker game. If I spoke now, I would just sound paranoid.“Did you see Maxillo’s body?” I asked, desperate to change the conversation.“Yes. Viktor sent me a photo of the scene,” Alexei said, pulling his phone from his pocket.He scrolled for a moment before turning the screen toward me. The second my eyes hit the image, the worl
Viktor's POV I still remember the day I was brought to the Red Moon Pack. I can still feel the weight of the eyes on me, every member of this pack looking down at me with a mixture of suspicion and forced charity.They destroyed my home, then had the audacity to claim they took pity on us. People say rogues don’t have homes, but I did. I won’t deny that my people struck first or that blood stained the earth because of it, but it doesn't matter. I will have my revenge.I knew Alexei would never see me as an enemy. That lonely, pathetic boy was always starving for his parents' attention. When they were too busy leading, I was the one he crawled to. I liked him once; I even thought of him as a brother. But my ambition outweighs my affection. I want to be the Alpha. The sting of insult still burns in my chest when I remember my mate, Ava, being pushed toward him just because he held a title I didn’t.The prophecy is a shadow I have yet to step into, but I’ve pledged to uncover it by any
Novel’s POVI woke up to an empty room. The golden afternoon light filtered through the curtains, but the space beside me was cold.“What happened to me?” I asked the quiet air.“You fainted from exhaustion,” a voice chirped, making me nearly jump out of my skin.I whipped my head around until my eyes landed on Kitty. She was sitting majestically on the floor by the bedside, her white fur glowing in the sunlight.“Kitty! You scared me,” I huffed, clutching my chest. I took a breath to steady my racing heart. “Where is Alexei?”“He went to deal with some business. I heard him mention a woman named Elora.”“I see.”I didn't rush us back home just to sleep; I came back to solve the puzzle. I needed to confront the visions and the voices that had been haunting me. I stood up, my muscles feeling heavy but functional, and headed for the bathroom.I peeled off my clothes and sank into the warm depths of the bathtub. “How I missed this,” I sighed, leaning my head back against the porcelain.
Alexei’s POVIt had been two days since we returned home, and Novel was still unconscious. I knew her new powers would have a side effect, but the sight of her so still made my chest ache. I looked at the white wolf who had been sitting by Novel’s side since the moment we arrived.“Kitty,” I called out. The wolf looked up, her piercing blue eyes meeting mine.“You were the wolf I saw on the mountain, the one with the blue eyes, right?” I asked. She didn't bark, but there was an intelligence in her gaze that was unsettlingly human. “I don’t know why Novel decided to keep you, but I want you to know one thing: you have to protect her. She is weak right now.”I looked back at Novel, her pale face framed by the dark silk of her hair. “She’s everything I’ve got. I promise to reward you handsomely if you keep her safe.”“Ahhh,” I sighed, the sound heavy in the quiet room.I had unfinished business with the people who had dared to harm my Luna. I couldn't wait for her to wake up to handle t
Novel's POV It's been two days since I recovered, strangely the pendant was always on my neck,not that I care.Today I had to return this book to the Library, I got dressed and hurriedly took a cab, even when Alexei offered a driver to me, After a long drive, I arrived at the Library, I paid the d
Novel's POVAfter returning home, the book seemed to pulse on my desk, demanding to be opened. Earlier, I’d told that woman I had a boyfriend, but the truth stung, Alexei hadn’t even asked me out yet. How pathetic of me.“The Book of Outer Land,” I whispered, sliding on my reading glasses. As I ope
Alexei's POV I sat on a stool, my heart heavy as I waited for her to wake up. After what felt like hours, she finally jolted awake, gasping as if she had just escaped the grip of death. My relief was short-lived.“Blood,” I whispered, my voice cracking.Thick, dark blood began to pour from her nos
Novel's POV I didn't sleep early; I was too consumed by the terminology of wolves. My mind raced as I memorized the hierarchy:The Alpha: The Ruler of the Pack.The Beta: Second in command.The Gamma: Elite, rare warriors.The Omega: The majority of the pack.The Luna: The Alpha’s Mate.The Anchor







