LOGINThe Echo of a ChoiceThe moon sat low above the broken courtyard. Its silver light poured over the stones like a quiet alert. The wind had stopped. It carried the heavy feel of choices that could never change. No one spoke for a long time. The fight had worn them all out. But the true clash was just starting.Aria stood in the middle. Her breaths came fast. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her wolf paced inside her. It felt dangerous. It felt true. It felt betrayal. The faint glow in her hands had faded. A cold numbness filled her chest.Kael faced her. His body was stiff. His shoulders were tight. His gold eyes flashed with guilt and challenge. His power hummed around him. It was held back but strong, like a storm ready to burst."You knew," Aria whispered. Her voice shook with shock. "You knew right from the start... didn't you?"Kael clenched his jaw. A muscle jumped in his cheek. He stayed still. "Aria—""No." She held up a hand to stop him. "Don't make it gentle. Give me the truth.
When the Moon TremblesThe night felt off.Lyla noticed it first. A heavy feel hung in the air. The wind stayed still. Even nature seemed to hold its breath. She stood on the balcony at the Alpha house. Her arms hugged her body tight. Her eyes locked on the dark forest edge. The Moon hung high. It shone silver and bright. But its light wavered. It flickered. Something deep under the ground stirred.The door creaked open behind her.“You sense it too,” Kade said in a low voice.He skipped his usual strong Alpha tone. His words came out uneasy. That shook her deep inside. Kade seldom showed fear. Not even when chaos hit all around.She turned to face him. “The ground hums, Kade. What’s it mean?”Kade stayed quiet at first. He moved next to her. His sharp eyes scanned the forest. They glowed soft in the moonlight. His jaw clenched.“The barrier weakens quicker than we thought.”Lyla caught her breath. “The Elder said we had days—”"But the Elder said we had days—""The Elder was wrong." K
The Edge of a Shattered VowThe forest felt unsettling this evening.Not perilous—unsettling.As if the very air was holding its breath, anticipating something to snap.Aria felt it the instant she crossed the tree line. The wind, which typically whispered like a confidant, now swirled in jagged gusts, brushing against her cheek as if to caution her to retreat. Yet she could not. Not this evening. Not when the truth was so near she could almost sense it throbbing beneath her skin.Behind her, Kade trailed quietly. He did not inquire why she had insisted on venturing out here. He did not question why her gaze kept wandering to the shadows, or why her wolf paced restlessly within her chest. He merely remained close—solid, warm, and steady—as if protecting her without the need for words.That alone was sufficient to make her heart constrict.“I have an aversion to this place,” Kade finally murmured. “The scent patterns are unusual. It’s as if someone has been circling this area all day.”
The Silence Before the BreakingThe forest was unnaturally silent.Not the serene quiet that accompanies dawn, when dew caresses the leaves and wolves lazily stretch in the warmth of the rising sun. No—this silence was oppressive, pressing against the skin, laden with foreboding, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath.Aria sensed it the instant she crossed the boundary stone.Lysander walked alongside her, his body tense, one hand poised near the dagger secured to his thigh. He remained silent, yet she could feel the tempest brewing within him—fear, calculation, and a smoldering anger he was striving to conceal.They were not alone.Behind them, Kael and three elite warriors from the Lunar Guard spread out, their movements slow and deliberate. Each crunch of leaves, each shift of the wind, caused them to glance around sharply.This was meant to be a reconnaissance mission.Just a brief survey of the disturbance reported near the eastern ridge.Yet the scent of something
Shadows That Refuse to DieThe camp was eerily quiet.Not the serene kind of quiet—this one felt shaped by fear. Even the wind appeared anxious, brushing against the treetops as if it feared being noticed. Luna stood at the heart of it all, her breath shallow as the burden of the past few hours weighed heavily on her chest. She could feel every heartbeat, every reverberation of the chaos still bubbling beneath the surface.Her mate stood behind her—tense, vigilant, and exuding barely contained rage. Adrian’s wolf was perilously close to losing control.The message relayed by the wounded scout replayed in Luna’s mind: “They breached our barrier… and they took two of our own.”Two pack warriors—lost.Not slain.Abducted.That informed her of everything she needed to understand. The enemy was not finished. They sought leverage, fear, and disorder.And they were achieving all three.Luna swallowed hard. “Show me where the breach occurred.”Adrian immediately stepped beside her. “I’m accom
The Weight of What Comes NextThe moon loomed low over the valley, heavy and swollen as if it bore a secret that no one was prepared to hear. The wind gently rustled through the trees, conveying warnings that only the night could comprehend. In the midst of it all, Aurora stood at the edge of the clearing, her heartbeat resonating loudly enough to compete with the distant thunder rumbling across the mountains.Everything in her life seemed to have been leading to this moment—yet she felt unprepared. Not for the truth. Not for the repercussions. Not for what she might lose next.Behind her, footsteps approached with a slow, heavy tread. She did not turn. She already knew who it was.“Are you going to remain out here all night?” Darius inquired softly.His voice was composed, but she sensed the concern lurking beneath it like a crack beneath ice. He halted beside her, the warmth from his body brushing against her arm. She did not pull away. She could not.“Everything feels… too rapid,”







