Michael’s POV“Where do you think you're going?” Andrew asked, his voice dropping to threatening level. Gone was the warmth he tried to offer and in its place an icy tone that could cripple any wolf.But not Elara. She wasn't fazed by his reaction. “Trying not to waste your time.” She retorted, turning to towards the door.“We're not done yet.” He replied, as his body took on a stiff posture.“I don't think so.” She replied as she wrapped her hand around the door knob ready to twist and pull.“Sit.” He growled barely able to contain the anger that I saw on his face.“I said—”“I don't care what you said.” Andrew roared. “Sit down now.” His voice was filled with the Alpha power in him.There was no way she could resist that.I could see the resistance in her eyes. She was fighting it but no one could resist the an alpha’s command.Reluctantly, she dragged her feet back to her seat.“Now, where were we?” Andrew asked staring straight at her.“There's no way I'm putting myself in danger
Andrew’s POVThe door clicked shut behind Michael, leaving me alone with Elara. She was still sitting stiffly in the chair, arms crossed, a deep line between her brows.How much more of this insolence I could take, I didn't know. But somehow she knew how to push my buttons and get me all reeled up.But she is afraid. And my wolf does not appreciate it. I need to take it easy with her.I exhaled slowly. Michael had left because he knew this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. But I didn’t have the freedom of walking away. Not when it was my mate staring back at me with fire in her eyes and doubt in her heart.“Alright,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “No more yelling. No more commands. Just listen.”She scoffed but didn’t interrupt. Progress.I stood up from my seat and walked around my desk slowly as I made my way to her.When I was a feet away from her, I began.. “You know why I won’t let this go, Elara?”She lifted her chin. “Because you think I’m weak?”Weak? How could she say such
Lora's POVI sat alone in Elara’s room, the silence hanging over me like a dark cloud. The air still held traces of her presence—the faint scent of pine and something else uniquely hers. I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply before letting out a slow breath. I always felt safe around her.But now we had a new problem on our hands.The prophecy.I could still see the haunted look in her eyes when she spoke about it. Whatever she dreamt of was really scary to have her in that shape. The pressure of it weighed down on her like a heavy boulder, and for good reason. If the blood moon truly meant what she feared, then none of us were safe. But thinking about it now wouldn't change anything. I wasn't Elara. I had no part in the prophecy, no role in whatever destiny had chosen for her.But there was no way I was going to let her face it all alone. When the time is right, I would do what I must.So I decided to temporarily forget about the prophecy and Blood Moon. Instead, my mind dr
Michael’s POVI stood outside Elara’s room, staring at the door like it might attack me.This was stupid. I should turn around and walk away. Pretend like I was never here.But I couldn’t.Not after the way I treated her last night.Lora.The name echoed in my mind like a whisper and a war drum all at once.I exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of my neck.This was the right thing to do.I had to apologize.So, before my cowardice won, I raised my fist and knocked.Silence.Then, I knocked again, a little harder this time before I heard soft footsteps. A pause.The door creaked open.And there she was.Lora.Her dark eyes met mine, widening slightly before she schooled her features into something unreadable.“Michael.”Her voice was careful, controlled. Not cold, but not warm either.Not that I blamed her.“What are you doing here?” she asked , her voice cold. I hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Can I come in?” “Why?”My jaw tightened slightly. “I need to talk to you.”Why was
Lora’s POVMichael’s lips hovered just inches from mine, his breath warm against my skin. My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could hear it. The kiss we’d just shared had left me lightheaded, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.I wanted more. I felt too hot in my clothes. I wanted the fire that had erupted inside me and managed to lit my mons quenched.It was only him that could do it.His hand cupped the side of my face, his thumb brushing over my cheek with a tenderness that made my chest ache. “Lora…” His voice was rough, uncertain, as if he was still trying to hold back.I didn’t want him to.I had spent too much time second-guessing, too much time wondering if he wanted me or if he saw me as a mistake. But there was no hesitation in the way he looked at me now. No doubt in the way his body leaned into mine, drawn by something stronger than logic, stronger than our backgrounds.So, I did what I’d wanted to do from the moment I realized he was mine. I closed the space betwe
Michael’s POVThe hallway was quiet, except for the faint drone of voices drifting from the lower levels of the packhouse.I ran a hand through my hair as I stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, my body still humming with the aftermath of what had just happened. Lora’s scent lingered on my skin, a reminder of the sacred moment we just spent together.I have officially marked her. Lora has a mate. And it was me.It took everything in me to steady my breathing, and to push back the powerful need to go back, and spend some more time with her. My wolf couldn't get enough of her. I could feel his annoyance about leaving my mate back there. As much as I wanted to follow my animal instincts, I couldn’t.Not now.Andrew was waiting. And he was sure to ask questions. I had left in the middle of a meeting with his mate.The memory seemed so distant now though it was just a few hours ago.I exhaled sharply, rolling my shoulders as I forced myself forward.I had a job to do. I wonder what ha
Elara's POVWithout so much as a knock, I pushed the door to my room open to fid Lora lying on my bed. She had a far away look on face that made me think of a deer, comfortable in its home.She looked soothed. But my bed? Not so much. It looked rumpled and in disarray. It seemed some good shit went down here.A blind man could easily tell even though she was clothed.“Well, well.” I began. “Someone looks happy.” I had already accosted Michael trying to get out him what he had been up to, but he was adamant.I didn't need him to tell me the obvious. It was all over him, as much as he tried to play it cool.“Why wouldn't I be?” Lora asked sitting up. “I just had the most fantastic time of my life.”Hmmm. That much was obvious. Taking a good look at her, I could see how flushed she looked. Gone was the pale look she had when I left her in a hurry this morning for the meeting with Andrew.Speaking of which, I was grateful Michael was too busy to interrupt the way Andrew tried to convin
Andrew’s POVAs Michael walked in, I couldn't help but be irritated with him. We were in a middle of meeting when he suddenly left without giving me any detailed information on where he was going.Not that I was complaining about what the few hours of alone time with my mate in the office led up to.At least it helped quell her fear a little and allowed her to agree to training with me. She was one hell of a nut to crack.Not long after she left, he knocked on my door as if he was waiting for her to leave. I was sitting behind my desk, when he let himself in. I considered him more of a friend than anything but he was still my beta and I felt the urge to rattle him a little. The moment he was inside, I pinned him with my best piercing gaze as I rested my elbows on the polished wood, my fingers loosely clasped together. The best fucking look of calm. Making sure my face didn't betray any emotions. I knew he felt uncomfortable when I got like this.A beat of silence stretched between
Elara’s POVThe first breath I took was like drowning in light.Not air—light. Thick and sharp and everywhere. It filled my lungs, my veins, my mind.Then I came back.And everything hurt.My eyes snapped open. The world rushed in too fast. The ruins. The silence. The blood on my hands. The echo of Andrew’s voice still whispering my name.He was holding me.His arms were wrapped around me like he was afraid I’d disappear again.“Andrew,” I croaked. My voice didn’t sound like mine. It was softer—richer. Like something else had laced itself through me.He jerked back just enough to look at me, his face streaked with blood and ash and tears. His lips parted in a shaky breath.“You’re awake,” he whispered. “Elara, you’re awake—”“I’m okay.” I wasn’t. But I had to say it for him.He exhaled and pressed his forehead to mine. “You scared the hell out of me.”I touched his jaw. “You offered your life.”“I’d do it again.”He kissed me, quick and desperate. It wasn’t gentle. It was real.I clun
Lora’s POVThe world cracked.Not metaphorically. Not in the dreamy, nice and poetic way people say when things fall apart.I mean the altar—centuries old, cursed by blood and time—split down the middle with a sound like the earth itself had screamed.I flinched as shards of stone flew past my face. One grazed my cheek, warm blood sliding down before I could even register the sting. But I didn’t stop moving.“Elara!” I shouted, weaving between the broken stones and bodies. I saw her in Andrew’s arms, limp and deathly still, and something in me nearly shattered too.Not her. Please, not her. She was my best friend and the last thing I wanted was for her losing her life in this wretched place.Then Greg—no, the thing that had been Greg—turned toward me. His eyes weren’t his anymore. Red and empty. His smile too wide, very wrong and completely twisted.My heart pounded, fists clenched. The god had taken him. It had used him.But now?Now even that thing was looking like it wanted to devo
Andrew’s POVThe moment Elara expended her power trying to keep the god locked, it seemed like everything had stopped to focus on this particular moment. I stood screaming her name as she tried to do the impossible. But when I watched her falling, I couldn't take it anymore."Elara!" I tore through the red-glowing haze that had blanketed everything. My feet slammed hard into the ancient steps, sliding as I reached her. She was limp. Her skin had gone pale, almost gray, and her eyes fluttered like she was on the edge of leaving me. “Stay with me, dammit. Elara, breathe.”She didn’t respond. Her lips trembled, breath catching in shallow bursts.The air cracked above us—the sky splitting as the Blood Moon hit its peak. I looked up.And saw it.The gate was open. Not just some door or portal. This was ancient, raw, and alive. It was jagged light framed by black mist, spinning slowly in the heavens above the altar. And from it, something moved, a hand reached out.The forgotten god.Did
Elara's POVThe scream that tore from my throat didn’t feel like mine.It came from somewhere deeper—bone-deep, soul-deep. My back arched against the pulsing altar, and the red light crashing down from the Blood Moon carved through me like I was paper. Everything inside me felt like it was breaking apart. Shattered pieces of a girl who used to be Elara.Then I heard him."Elara!" Andrew’s voice cut through the chaos.I clung to it.The pain was still there, like I was being ripped from the inside out, but I clung to the sound of him. It grounded me. Reminded me of who I was. Of the nights we used to spend togetger as a couple. As mates. Of the way he whispered my name when no one else was listening.I blinked through the red haze and found him kneeling beside me, hands cupping my face. His eyes wide. Terrified. His thumb brushed the tears off my cheeks, and I leaned into the touch like it was the only thing keeping me alive."You’re still here," I choked out."I’m not going anywher
Andrew’s POVThe world went quiet.It shouldn’t have. There was chanting all around me, the sky roaring with thunder, cultists pacing like wolves ready to tear the altar apart. But all I could hear was the sound of her heart breaking.Elara’s eyes were locked on me—pleading, desperate, furious.And I’d faltered.Fates, I’d faltered.The girl beside her—the replacement—was glowing now. Not metaphorically. Literally. The altar pulsed under her knees, and I could feel the magic reaching for her like it had once reached for Elara.This was the moment.One path ended in her survival. The other? Salvation for the rest of the world.I didn’t move.My chest felt like it was splitting in half. The prophecy I didn't know much about seemed not to care who she was. It just needed a vessel. And now it had one.But she wasn’t Elara.“You said you loved her,” Michael’s voice tore through the tension, sharp and shaking. “So act like it.”I blinked.“She’s dying,” Dorian said again from behind me. Cal
Elara’s POVI couldn’t feel my hands.Not because of the chains—they’d long since numbed my wrists. It wasn’t even the dark magic humming through the stone under me, or the pulsing weight of that fake moon bleeding into the sky.It was the woman.Her.The one Dorian dragged in like an offering. The one who looked like me. I didn't know how he managed to do something this sick all on his own but it had my hackles rising.She stumbled, dirt in her hair, blood down one arm. Her eyes met mine—and I saw myself.I froze.My mouth went dry.No.No, no, no. I have to get to the bottom of this.“What is this?” I croaked. My voice was rough, scraped raw from screaming earlier. “Who is she?”Dorian smiled, cold and smooth. “Insurance,” he said. “A vessel the altar will accept willingly.”“She’s not me.” I pointed out trying to figure out exactly was going on.“She’s enough,” he said. “The Blood Moon doesn’t care for names. Only bloodlines. Only sacrifice.”Behind him, Harrow stood silent, arms f
Michael’s POVI’d seen hell before.I’d seen blood-soaked battlefields, the ruins of old packs cursed by forgotten gods, and the aftermath of hunts gone sideways. But nothing—nothing—prepared me for the madness that unfolded once Elara vanished into the altar.One second she was there, blood burning on the stones. The next, the ground split and swallowed her like she’d never existed. Andrew dove after her, but the crack sealed fast—too fast.We stood frozen. Just for a beat.Then the sky changed.A deep rumble rolled across the clouds—slow and hungry. The black above us began to shift, bruising over with a sickly red hue. The true Blood Moon was still weeks off, but what rose above the mountain now? That was no moon. That was an imitation. Something summoned.Kieran raised his hands, shouting incantations in a language I’d only ever know can be found in hidden scrolls and dark books.The cultists around him echoed the words. Voices rising, and twisting like one. If it wasn't for sac
Andrew’s POVI didn’t look at Elara. Not when I heard Kieran say it. Not when that thing that looked like her stepped into the firelight with dead eyes and a mocking smile.Because if I looked at her right then, I might’ve lost the control I’d been holding onto since we stepped into this cursed clearing. And right now, she needed me steady. Not broken.The Gatekeeper. That’s what he called it.But that wasn't Elara—not really. It was a lie dressed in her skin. Some unholy mimic summoned to rattle us before the real bloodbath began.Greg cursed softly behind me, low and venomous.“We need to move,” he muttered. “Now. They’re baiting us.”Kieran was already turning, robes sweeping the earth as he walked back toward the rise of the altar behind him. “Follow,” he called. “Or run. The outcome doesn’t change.”He was right. If we decided to back down, it won't change anything. His men will give chase and he could use some other means to capture Elara.I didn't want to be away from her.I st
Elara’s POVAfter what happened in tombs, Andrew and I managed to escape that place and made it back to our friends.“Are you ok?” The words hadn’t even fully left Andrew’s mouth when a message hit me. Not through the air, not by any messenger, but inside my head, cold and direct.“Join us willingly, and we’ll spare the rest of your pack.”Kieran.I stood frozen in the middle of the shattered cemetery, my boots soaked from the broken ground that still bled magic. Smoke curled in lazy spirals from the scorched edges of the broken seal behind us. The earth trembled, subtle but steady, like it was breathing beneath our feet.I didn’t move. I didn’t speak.Andrew’s hand brushed mine. “What is it?”I met his eyes, hating what I was about to say. “It was Kieran. He’s offering a deal.”Michael spun around from where he was guarding the broken archway behind us. “What kind of deal?”Greg, who hadn’t spoken since we’d forced the cultists back into the tunnels, just narrowed his eyes. I didn’