Mima’s POVCold.It wrapped around me like a firm hand, squeezing the breath from my lungs. My limbs refused to move, trapped in the unnatural pull of the lake. Panic clawed at my chest. I tried to fight or break free, But I couldn't.My body wasn’t mine anymore. My fingers twitched uselessly as the water dragged me deeper. The glow beneath me pulsed, silver and hypnotic, swirling like something alive.The Moon Goddess said my powers were sealed. Was this them breaking free?I opened my mouth to scream, but only bubbles escaped. Suddenly, the light exploded.A force just like I had felt that night surged through my body, burning and freezing at the same time. My skin prickled, my veins pulsed with raw energy, and my head snapped back as pain lanced through my skull.A voice whispered through the water. "Awaken." The world around me shifted.I wasn't in the lake anymore.I stood in a vast, silver-lit void. The ground beneath me wasn’t solid, but I didn't sink. My breath came in sharp g
Mima’s POVWe heard rustling in the forest and we both froze where we stood.The rustling grew louder. My body tensed, every sense on high alert.Daria edged closer to me. "Luna, something's out there."I nodded, scanning the treeline. My heart pounded, but the overwhelming power I had felt beneath the water was now just a faint hum. I didn't know if I could call on it again.A low whimper broke the silence. It sounded like an injured animal but I couldn't tell.A whimper sounded again and then I heard it clearly. A child.Daria gasped, rushing forward before I could stop her. "Wait!" I hissed, but she was already kneeling beside a small figure half- hidden by the underbrush.I stepped closer and froze. Aboy.He was curled up, his frail body shaking. His clothes were torn and dirty, and his arms were covered in cuts and bruises. He couldn’t have been older than ten. His dark hair was matted with blood, and his breathing was shallow.Daria reached out hesitantly. "He's hurt."I crouche
Mima's POVThe boy was locked up.I stood outside the iron doors of the cell, my fingers tightening around the tray of food in my hands. The dungeons reeked and this place was most definitely not suitable for a child.He sat curled in the farthest corner, knees drawn to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around himself. His dark hair, still matted with dried blood, clung to his forehead. He hadn’t moved since the warriors shoved him inside.“Here,” I said softly, kneeling by the bars. “You need to eat.”His eyes flickered to me, then to the food before looking away. He ignored me.Daria knelt beside me. “He’s scared.”“Of course he’s scared,” I muttered. “He woke up in a cage.”The guilt I felt grew stronger. I had carried him here, thinking I was saving him, but now he was locked behind bars as if he were some kind of criminal.Rake’s orders.I had fought him, of course. Had stood there, shaking with fury, demanding he let the boy go. But Rake had already turned away, shutting me out as
Mima’s POVI barely spoke for days.Daria tried, at first, asking questions like how I found the weather or how I liked my meal, bringing up small things to get me to engage. But I gave her nothing. Eventually, even she stopped trying.The only people I acknowledged were Kai and, occasionally, Daria.Rake kept his distance. He didn't ask about the letter, although I am sure Daria must have told him that I burnt it. We barely crossed paths, mostly because I stayed in my room most of the time.My nightmares, which had momentarily stopped, came back. They weren't the weird men but they went back to Dylan and Stephanie.They came like they always did, dragging me back into places I never wanted to return to. Dark dungeons, my old room and in each one, Dylan's face appeared, especially that night he tried to sexually assault me.Every time I closed my eyes, I was there again.I woke up gasping and shaking, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.And every time, I found Kai awake too, watching m
Mima’s POVRake’s lips moved against mine, sending a shiver down my spine. His hand rested on my waist, his fingers pressing just enough to make my skin tingle. My heart pounded in my chest, as I felt him thrust his tongue into my mouth, sucking on mine.I was kissing him.My mate.I let myself sink into it for a breath, two, before reality hit me. I came here for a reason.I placed my hands on his chest, pushing lightly. “Rake.”He didn’t pull away immediately. His darkened eyes roamed my face with a small smile on his lips before he finally exhaled, his forehead dropping against mine.“I need to tell you something,” I murmured.His thumb traced slow circles on my waist, a silent urge to continue. I swallowed, forcing myself to focus.“I’m going to the wedding.”Rake stilled. His grip on me loosened slightly. “You’re sure?” “Yes.”He nodded once as if accepting it, but his gaze flickered back to my lips. He tilted his head, his hand moving up to my jaw. “Then let’s finish what we sta
Mima’s POV“You’re taking him with you?” Rake said as he stared at me. His voice was calm as he spoke, and it helped to calm my racing heart, expecting his refusal.I met his stare, my arms tightening protectively around Kia. “Yes.”Beck shifted beside him, looking ready to intervene, but Rake didn’t break eye contact with me. Then, to everyone’s shock, he exhaled and nodded. “Alright.”A beat passed.Zahra let out a loud, exaggerated gasp. “It’s the kiss, isn’t it?” Heat shot up my neck. “Zahra—”She burst out laughing, and Beck followed suit, clapping a hand to Rake's back dramatically. Even Daria snickered behind her hand.Rake arched a brow, then smirked. “Maybe.” I gaped at him.Zahra collapsed onto the bed, gasping with laughter. “Oh, this is the best day of my life. Who would have thought I'd see a day like this? The big bad lycan king and my sweet childhood best friend”I scowled, picking up a pillow and chucking it at her head. “Pack faster before I leave you behind.”She on
Mima’s POVKia’s small fingers gripped my arm tightly as he shook, his wide eyes locked on Stephanie.His breath hitched as his tiny chest rose and fell too fast.“Kia?” My voice was soft but all he did was flinch when I spoke.His lips trembled, his fingers twitching as he stammered something under his breath. I leaned closer, trying to catch it. His voice was barely a whisper.“Witch.”The word sent a shiver down my spine.He pointed a trembling finger at Stephanie, his breaths ragged. His entire body shook as if his bones were vibrating under his skin.The room had gone silent. Eyes darted between Kia and Stephanie, murmurs breaking out.Stephanie’s expression twisted into shock and something I couldn't place my finger on. She raised a perfectly arched brow at me and then trailed her eyes to Kia.What did he mean by calling her a witch?I didn’t have time to analyze it. I wrapped my arms around Kia, pulling him into my chest. “I’m sorry,” I said to the table, my voice steady despit
Mima's POV“What do you want to tell me? Spill it out.” I turned to Dylan to hear him out. I felt Zahra’s hand on my wrist as she tried to tug me out of the room but I didn't want to leave.“Well, glad you made the right choice.” He smirked and walked over to his desk and sat on it.“There's this maid... what's her name again?” He placed his hand on his chin, faking trying to remember.My heart sped up because I knew who he was referring to, but maybe she wasn't the one.“Oh yes! Julia. That's her name. Wasn't she your friend while you were here? Have you seen her around lately?” He stared me in the eye, his smirk growing wider.“What did you do to Julia!” I screamed at him in anger. He couldn't have possibly killed her, would he?Zahra tried her best to hold me back but I tugged my hands away and stomped towards him.All colour drained from his face when I grip his shirt and pull him towards me.“What did you do to Julia? Speak this instant before I gorge your eyes out with my bare h
Mima’s POVI stood in front of the healersitent, watching as the injured soliders where taken in one by one. Any injury too big would then require my attention.“Mima.”I turned slowly, and there he was… Dylan.His once pristine armor was cracked and bloodied, a ghost of the Alpha he used to be. His face was gaunt, eyes wild and desperate. His steps were uneven as he approached, and for the first time, I didn’t feel the familiar hate that I felt toward him. I felt… nothing.“You came back from the dead,” he said, breathless, as if seeing me alive again was too much to believe. “You came back for me.”I frowned. “I didn’t come back for you, Dylan. I came back because my mate prayed to the goddess for me to come back. I had to. For them.”His jaw tightened. “You don’t mean that. You… you still love me. I know you do. You wouldn’t have come back otherwise.” He stepped closer. “Everything we had, everything we were, it meant something. I lost my Luna. But you… you're still mine.”“No,” I
Rake's POVThe world had stopped.I couldn’t hear the cries of victory around me. I couldn’t hear the screams of my pack. I couldn’t even hear the roar of the wind as it tore across the battlefield. All I could hear was the only sound that mattered.. and it was the deafening silence in my heart.Mima.My fingers brushed her cold, lifeless face as I cradled her in my arms. Her skin was pale, the life that once burned so fiercely in her eyes now snuffed out. “Please…” I whispered, my voice barely a breath as I bent over her. “Please, Mima… don’t leave me. Not like this. Not after everything.”My wolf howled in agony, pressing against my chest as if it, too, could feel the emptiness inside of me. The loss. The endless ache. The weight of her death was too much to bear. My chest tightened, my lungs burning as I fought to hold onto the fragile hope that somehow, someway, she would open her eyes again.But as I sat there, helpless, holding her in the midst of the chaos, a sinking feeling
Mima’s POVHe was smiling.That wicked, cruel smile, aimed directly at me, as if daring me to try something, to fight back.As if he hadn’t already taken enough.Kia gasped, kicking, blue sparks fluttering weakly from his fingers. Rake’s eyes were wide, his body twitching in resistance, but he was too weak and too injured.And I was useless… lying down there not able to save the ones I loved. Is this really how it would end? Is this what all I've done will amount to? A scream tore from my lungs as I forced my body to lift from the ground even with the hole of the sword attack from Stephanie still in my chest.My hair whipped around me as they grew longer and shone brightly in their white glory. The marks on my skin began to glow brighter and brighter than they've ever shone before and my voice? It didn't sound like it was only mine.I screamed again and the earth yielded to my call like I was its owner. The sky dimmed, clouds swirling. The earth groaned beneath me.Viktor's grin falt
Mima's POVRake’s grip tightened around me as I collapsed into his arms, and for a moment, I felt like I could breathe again. But the illusion was shattered now, and Viktor’s rage was not far behind.“How dare you!” he roared. The air around us rippled with pressure as if reality itself buckled beneath his fury.A blast of dark energy shot from his palm, slamming into Rake and sending him flying from me with a sickening crunch."RAKE!" I screamed.He hit the ground hard, coughing up blood, his body limp.I felt something inside me snap.The illusion, the pain, the grief, it all faded, replaced by a white, hot fury that surged through my veins like liquid fire.Viktor turned to me with a twisted smirk. "Still so fragile, little Alpha.” He looked as if he was lost in thought and then spoke. “I thought lycans are meant to be stronger.” Then bellowed out a laughter. But I was already moving.I summoned every ounce of power I had, launching a wave of searing fire toward him. It struck hi
Mima's POV"You're lying," I whispered. My voice cracked under the weight of everything.Viktor. He must be lying… there is no way that someone related to my family would cause so much actual chaos. He isn't telling the truth. He's not my uncle, he's not related to my dad's and there's no way he shares the same blood as me.He smiled like he knew every part of me. Like he was waiting for this meeting his whole life."No, Mima," he said gently. "I never needed to lie. Not to you. I mean this is the end that determines it all so why would I need to lie? I have no reason to do something as insignificant as that.”I took a shaky step back. My heart was racing, every instinct screaming at me to fight. To burn him. But I needed answers."You look exactly like him," I said, voice hardening. "How is that possible? Even if you're brothers you don't need to look like him this much. You must be trying to fool me." I already told you that I have no time to play such phony games and we look alik
Mima’s POVWe followed the trail that they had left behind.Marks, clawed bark, blackened grass, smoke spiraling in the wind like fingers pointing the way. The packs and their warriors that we have assembled, Alpha after Alpha and warrior after warrior followed me.No one asked where we were going. They trusted me. Rake walked beside me in silence. His blade never left his hand. Beck and Zahra were already ahead, scouting. Everyone else trailed behind, a small continent of fury and fear marching toward a battlefield they hadn’t seen yet.But I had.In my dreams. In the whispers from the goddess. In the warnings carved into the bones of my losses.Still, when we arrived, it didn’t look like a war zone.It looked… empty. What the hell is going on?And in the center, maybe twenty of them? The shadow soldiers.I stiffened. “This isn’t right.”Zahra frowned. “Where’s the rest of them?”“They want us to think this is it,” Rake said. “It’s not.”I didn’t speak. I just stepped forward.Ever
Mima’s POV“Rake? Mima?” Zahra called out as I poked my head out. She rushes over to me and hugged me tightly and Beck turned in the direction that Rake was looking and saw Martin's body leaning by a tree. The hood was off so it was pretty obvious that the man was dead. Zahra turned and saw it for a second before she held me tighter. I was numb and wanted to cry but no tears were willing to come out. “I'll get the body.” Beck volunteered and walked towards where the body was. He put the hood back on and carried the body in his arms while Rake took me out of Zahra's arms and into his. “You're certain that you didn't run into anyone on your way here?” He asked and they both nodded. Rake shook his head and then signalled for Beck to start moving so we can get back to the pack.No one said a word on the walk back.Rake carried me because I was still shaking too much to walk properly. His chest was warm, but it couldn’t chase away the chill inside me.Beck walked ahead of us, Martin’s
Mima’s POVIt was strange… waking up and actually feeling stronger.Not just rested. Not just healed. Stronger.It had been three weeks since training started, and a while since Rake and I mated and somehow everything was falling into a rhythm. The packs, once strangers and even enemies, had found a weird sort of harmony in blood and sweat.Kian had leveled up so fast it was almost scary. His elemental power had gone from flickering sparks to full-out flames, literal ones and his forcefield gets stronger as more impenetrable per day.At one point, he scorched the edge of the training field and Frederick nearly had a heart attack. Ria’s speed was unmatched, and she’d been training stealth maneuvers that left even seasoned warriors blinking in confusion.And me?I wasn’t just shooting fireballs anymore. I could shoot bigger ones and I could use my powers for a longer time without feeling tired easily.Rake noticed it first.“You’re glowing,” he said bluntly one night.I snorted. “What,
Mima’s POV“I must be dreaming,” I said flatly, staring at the man walking into my office.Dylan.Of course.“What the hell is he doing here?” I muttered.‘if you're here to ask for the release of your elders, it wouldn't work. They committed a crime on our turf and our land so your begging is useless.” I said and he looked taken aback.Guess he wasn't informed about that yet then. “He says he wants to help,” Rake said from beside me, jaw tight.I let out a dry laugh. “Help? His pack slaughtered mine. Help is the last thing I’d call this. Plus, his pack is filled with disgusting and bike creatures that would do anything for power. Him included.”I said loud enough for him to hear what I thought about him.“I know.” Rake’s voice dropped. “But we need the numbers.”I hated how right he was.We had maybe two, two and a half thousand wolves tops. Kian and Ria’s intel put Viktor’s army over six thousand. Trained.I didn’t have the luxury of pride right now.Frederick stood ahead, already