LOGINThe feeling that ran through me was almost indescribable, but the only one I could be sure of was the pure relief that washed over me as the fact that Robin was still alive settled in. As long as he was alive, then finding him should be the only issue now. The confirmation I had been praying for had finally come. But at what cost? “Wait,” I rushed out, walking over to grab the letter from Aries’s hands. I looked over it one more time before letting it fall to the floor. “He didn’t make any demands,” I breathed, my chest tightening. “He didn’t ask for anything in exchange for Robin… why?” I asked, looking around before my eyes finally settled on Aries. “It’s unlike him, don’t you think?” “That must mean he has something else planned,” Lucian muttered before Aries could speak. “Seems like his letter was just to inform us that he currently has the upper hand. That’s all,” he finished. I let out another breath, mentally going through what was written in the letter once again to che
My eyes had been open for close to thirty minutes since I woke up, but I just lay there unable to move even a muscle. Laying in our room filled with his scent made the dulling pain in my heart hurt even more. My wolf wasn’t even fighting to come out anymore. He was curled in a corner, just whimpering and mourning the loss of his mate… the shattering of his bond. He seemed to be trying to make peace with the fact that Robin could actually be gone, that he was actually dead. But me… I could never believe that. No, I couldn’t accept that fact even if the gaping hole in my chest told me otherwise. Not until I saw his body with my own two eyes. Only then would I believe in the cruelty of the moon goddess, taking my mate away from me before we even had the chance to live as normally as we wanted. So until then, I was going to do all I could not to lose myself. I would push all the pain deep into my heart and use it as fuel to begin this search for Manuel. I had to find him myself
Robin’s POV Pain. That was the only thing that filled my head the moment I was finally able to force my eyes open. It wasn’t the sharpest kind of pain. It was dull… so dull that it settled in the pit of my core, tugging at me from within. I hissed lightly as I tried to sit up, only to be pulled back down by iron chains. An unsteady breath escaped me as I tried to get comfortable on the cold floor while my eyes scanned the dark room. I couldn’t make anything out at first, but my eyes adjusted to the lack of lighting in no time. The room was barely even standing, and that poignant smell of rot filled the place like it had been abandoned for years. My head and chest throbbed even more as I recounted what led to me being here… Rex. The rogues. The mention of Manuel. And… me snapping my bond with Julian. That was what that unending dull pain and hollowness was. My chest tightened even more as I thought of it, and my breathing almost ceased from the guilt and pain that rushed
“What do you mean Manuel?” I asked again, even his name sounding bitter on my tongue. “I heard the rogues talking,” Rex said tightly, “and they mentioned his name. There’s no way I misheard that,” she finished firmly. I pushed past the pain and forced myself to my feet, the gaping hole left by our shattered bond now filled with indescribable rage as I repeated his name once again. “Manuel.” My legs struggled to remain standing, but I couldn’t fall. Not now when we knew he was still out there causing harm. Not when Robin could be with him. “Robin’s not dead,” Damon muttered suddenly, stepping forward, and my eyes snapped to him immediately. “If this was really done by Manuel, then I’m certain Robin isn’t dead yet,” he added, firmer now. “They would have no need to take the body if he was. Leaving him dead and on display for us to grieve over is more of Manuel’s style,” he finished, squatting over where the trail of blood lay. He reached out and touched it lightly before bringi
Pain. That was all I felt as I struggled to run toward the direction Rex had come from, her screams still echoing in the night air. It felt like my heart was being torn into a million pieces with every single step I took. My wolf howled inside me, a sound of pure agony, as the bond that had weaved itself into the very fabric of our soul, the bond that had been nothing but comfort and light—shattered into absolute nothingness. I couldn’t even take more than a few steps through the rising chaos before my legs buckled, and I collapsed onto the dirt, tears blinding my vision. My hands clawed at my chest as if i could somehow hold the pieces of my soul together, but no relief came. Absolutely nothing. "Robin..." I choked out, my voice breaking under the weight of a sorrow i could barely bear. I clawed at the sand, the sounds of the celebration completely fading into a dull silence. "Robin, please..." I begged, hoping, praying that by some twisted miracle our bond would weave itself bac
Robin’s POV The only thought that ran through my mind in that moment was protecting Rex and her unborn child. Nothing else mattered, especially since I knew her pregnancy meant she couldn't risk using her powers. I held her firmly behind me, my arms acting as a shield as I stared down the rogues circling us. I had a faint idea who might have sent them, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. For all I knew, it could be a random rogue attack. Thinking Manuel was behind this after all this time felt like a stretch. Right? "I can’t reach Aries," Rex whispered frantically from behind me, her free hand instinctively guarding her stomach. "The noise from the celebration must be blocking the mind-link." I bit back a curse. Shit.They had picked the perfect time to strike. "What do you want?" I demanded, trying one last time to reach Julian through our bond but not getting a response . "I assume you didn’t just stumble onto this pack's territory by accident. " I took a slow, c
Julian’s POV I didn’t know where the idea came from when I opened my mouth. Maybe it was delusion. Maybe desperation. Maybe madness. But the moment I started speaking with every shred of confidence I had left—I began to believe my own words. What I said made sense. My powers weren’t restr
Damon’s POV I never thought I would hear that name again. Not in this lifetime. Not after everything. I truly believed that the chapter of my life involving them had closed the moment I was thrown in here. I accepted defeat without much resistance because I was certain they wouldn’t live lo
“The Men of the Shadows?” I repeated, taken aback by their reactions. All three of them were staring at me like I’d just mentioned something forbidden. “Do you… know them?” I asked slowly. Damon shook his head, jaw clenched, eyes darkening. “The real question is how you know them, Julian.” His v
Raven’s POV Just hearing Julian speak that name, that cursed name—undid something in me I thought had died long ago. The Men of the Shadows. I had spent years convincing myself time had wiped them off the face of the earth. That they were nothing but ghosts now. But hearing they were alive, a







