Andrew's POVElara's slow breaths blended with mine, and her body warmed against my chest as the night surrounded us in a cocoon of silence. I sketched languid patterns on her back, my thoughts swirling with feelings I couldn't quite understand. The soft crackle of the fire in the hearth was the sole sound, an unsaid witness to this delicate moment. Her fingertips lightly brushed against my arm, sending a shudder through me.“What are you thinking?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.I hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on me. “That you...are everything I didn’t know I needed.”Her lips curved into a small smile as she tilted her head to look at me, her deep eyes catching the glow of the firelight. “Good,” she replied simply, her fingers grazing my jawline as if memorizing the contours of my face.For a moment, it felt like time had stopped, like we were the only two people in the world. The room was a paradise, a fleeting relief from the problems t
Elara's POVThe deep, frightening growls sent a shudder through the night air as they echoed through the silence. Every sound tore at my nerves, making me grip the blade Andrew had given me so hard that my knuckles went white. Amid the creeping terror, the cold steel seemed to be the only solid object keeping me grounded. Jacob. Like an evil whisper, the name slide across my mind. I felt sick to my stomach to see him here, confidently standing in the moonlight. His presence was overwhelming, not just threatening. Both the glitter in his piercing eyes and the sneer that flashed on his lips conveyed a terrible enjoyment. I straightened my posture. I wouldn't let him intimidate me.Andrew stood in front of me, a shield of raw muscle and simmering rage, his broad shoulders blocking my view of most of Jacob's pack. His protectiveness should have reassured me, but it only highlighted how unevenly matched we were. The glowing eyes surrounding us moved in sync, a combined reminder of how ou
Elara’s POVTime crawled to a stop the moment the figure stepped into the moonlight. My heart pounded loudly in my ears, drowning out the growls and the taunting smirk on Jacob’s face. The dagger in my hand shook, and I closed my fingers tighter, refusing to let it slip. But no amount of steel in my resolve could prepare me for who I was staring at.“Caleb?” I whispered, the name bitter in my mouth.There he stood, tall, commanding, just as I remembered, with the same piercing blue eyes which once made my knees buckle. His dark hair shone under the moonlight, giving him an underworldly glow. But it couldn’t be him. It shouldn’t be him. Caleb was dead.He’d rejected me. Cast me aside like I was nothing. Because I was the cursed wolf.The night he left me, his words were cruel, sharp enough to cut deeper than any blade: “You’re a curse, Elara. Being with you will ruin me. I can’t—no, I won’t—be bound to someone like you.”And then he was gone.The rumors of his death came weeks later. F
Andrew’s POVElara’s gasp for air sent a fresh wave of panic through me. She clutched at her chest, her knees buckling. I held her up, her weight against me like a lifeline. She was white, her breaths shallow, and the fire that usually blazed bright within her flickered dangerously low.“Elara,” I said, my voice firm and yet desperate, “look at me. Stay with me.”She struggled to straighten but faltered again, and I caught her, my hold tighter this time. Her words, whispered just a moment before, replayed in my mind. The curse. It’s real.Of course, I already knew. I’d seen it with my own eyes—the inexplicable way she had saved my life not long ago. But I didn’t see it as a curse.“It’s not a curse, Elara,” I said firmly, my voice cutting into her shallow gasps.Her eyes flickered open, glassy and unsure.“It saved me,” I went on. “If that’s a curse, then I’d rather be damned a thousand times over. Don’t let him”—I jerked my head toward Jacob—“twist this into something it’s not.”Her
Elara’s POVThe roar shook the ground beneath us, and I staggered back, my heart pounding in my chest. Andrew reached for me, steadying me before I could fall.“What now?” he asked, his voice tense.The glow of the runes intensified, their light pulsating like a heartbeat. The air around us felt thick, oppressive, as if the spell itself were alive, reacting to our defiance.Jacob stood at the center of the circle, his expression twisted with glee. Caleb hovered behind him, a shadow of the man he once was—or at least the man I had thought he was.“Do you feel it?” Jacob called out, his voice dripping with malice. “The power of the circle grows stronger the more you resist. It feeds off your hope, your desperation. You’ll never break it.”I clenched my fists, anger surging through me. “We’ll see about that.”Andrew glanced at me, his expression grim but determined. “You have a plan?”I nodded, though the truth was, my plan was half-formed at best. My mind raced, searching for a way out.
Elara’s POVThe moment the barrier shattered, the air shifted. The oppressive weight of the spell lifted, replaced by the fresh feel of the night. My breath came in ragged gasps as I struggled to steady myself, the remnants of magic still tingling against my skin.Then, the howls rang out.A chorus of them, rising through the night like an unstoppable wave. The pack had heard us. They were coming. Relief surged through me—but it was short-lived.Jacob moved fast.One second, he was standing amidst the fading runes, his face contorted with rage. The next, he lunged.“ELARA, MOVE!” Andrew’s voice was raw with urgency.I barely had time to react before Jacob’s claws sliced through the air where I had been standing. I twisted away, my boots skidding against the dirt as I dropped into a defensive stance.His eyes gleamed with fury, his fangs bared in a snarl. The moment of triumph I had felt moments ago burned away under the heat of his rage.“You think you’ve won?” Jacob’s voice was low,
Elara’s POVThe ground trembled beneath my feet, a deep, guttural vibration that sent cracks racing through the earth. The darkness around us thickened. I could feel it—ancient, angry, and rising.I sucked in a sharp breath. My pulse thundered in my ears as I staggered back, my gaze locked on the widening fissure in the ground. A raw, unnatural energy evaporated from its depths, seeping into the air like smoke.Andrew moved to my side, his stance tense. His injuries barely seemed to register now, his focus entirely on the thing emerging from below.Jacob watched us with that same twisted smirk, his eyes glinting with triumph.“You should run,” he taunted. “Or stay. Either way, you’ll get to witness the return of something far greater than you.”I clenched my fists, rage burning through my veins. “What did you do, Jacob?”His chuckle sent a fresh wave of unease crawling down my spine. “I didn’t do anything, Elara. You did. The moment you broke the circle, you set it free.”A roar erupte
Andrew's POVThe second every trace of Jacob disappeared into the dark, I finally allowed myself to breathe. My body hurt, raw and bruised, barely holding together. But I pushed through the fatigue not wanting to appear weak. However, my mind, was a whole different story.Jacob's words stuck on me like a stain."That was just the beginning."A slow exhale escaped my lips, the cold of the night air biting at my exposed skin. Normally, I shouldn't feel the drop in temperature, but my body was already too tired to resist. Every muscle in my body screamed, but I refused to acknowledge the pain. Pain meant I was still standing. Still breathing. And right now, that was all that mattered.I shifted slightly, my gaze going to Elara. She stood rigid, her face pale beneath the moonlight, staring at the spot where Jacob had vanished. Her hands trembled at her sides, whether from exhaustion, shock, or something else entirely, I couldn't tell.“Elara,” I whispered, reaching for her.She didn't mov
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’