Star's POV
The night was filled with tension, but not the usual kind, the kind I was used to. No, tonight there was something more to it. The magnitude of Helios’s silent compliance was pressing down on me, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying.My heart pounded with a mixture of anticipation and the fear of what would come next. We were playing a dangerous game, and the line between control and surrender had never been so blurred.I paced around the room, my fingers tracing the contours of the carved stone walls, trying to keep my thoughts in check. It wasn’t just that I was enjoying this newfound dynamic, though, I won’t deny that I was. It was more than that. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach, that nagging doubt, the unsettling realization that I might be getting in over my head.Helios had changed. I could feel it in the air. His eyes no longer held the usual arrogance,Star's POVThe silence in the room was suffocating. The only sound that broke it was the soft creak of the wooden floor beneath my feet as I paced back and forth, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Helios stood in the center of the room, watching me, his eyes dark and unreadable. There was an unsettling calm about him, and for once, it felt like the roles had shifted.I’d never felt so in control, yet so lost at the same time. His mere presence was overwhelming. The man I had once feared, the Alpha who had broken me so many times, was now standing before me, seemingly at my mercy. But was he really? Was this the true shift in power, or was I fooling myself into thinking I had the upper hand? I wasn’t sure anymore.I stopped pacing, my breath coming out in a rush as I turned to face him. He didn’t move, didn't flinch. There was a strange serenity about him, like he had finally come to terms with something that h
Star’s POV The scent of damp earth and pine spread through the night air, as I strode toward the abandoned training grounds. My pulse pounded against my skin, but it wasn’t fear that drove me, it was fury. Helios thought this was a game. He thought that if he pushed hard enough, if he played his part well enough, I’d break. I wouldn’t. Actually, I couldn’t. Not after everything. I stopped in the middle of the clearing, my breath steady despite the fire raging inside me. This was where I used to train alone, where I’d beaten my fists against the dirt, where I’d bled and clawed my way into becoming more than the pack’s discarded omega. Memories surfaced like ghosts, whispering in my ears. "Know your place, Omega." "You should be grateful we let you stay at all." "Helios will never choose you." I squeezed my eyes shut, forc
Helios’s POVI stormed into my chambers, my fists clenched so tightly my nails bit into my palms. Star had walked away. Again. That damn woman! She thought she had control? That she could bend me to her will? She was wrong.I shoved a chair aside, the wood splintering against the stone wall. My entire body was on fire with frustration, but beneath it… something deeper coiled in my gut. Something raw. Why did I kneel?The question burned through my mind like an ember. It had been instinct, pure, unfiltered instinct. I should have fought back, should have thrown her off, should have.... "You know why." The voice rumbled from the depths of my soul, deep and ancient, carrying a weight I hadn’t noticed before.I exhaled sharply. Hades. My wolf had been silent for too long. Ever since Star had stood before me tonight, unwavering, unshaken, above me. And I had let her.
Helios’s POVI sat on the edge of my bed, my fingers digging into my thighs, my jaw clenched so tightly that it ached. My mind raced with everything that had happened. I had knelt before Star. My wolf had turned against me. I had been powerless before her. But that wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be.She thought she had won. That she could strip me of my will, break me like a disobedient pup, and leave me crawling at her feet. But she didn’t understand. I was Helios Blackridge. The Alpha. The ruler. And no woman, no omega, was going to change that.I had played along. Let her have her moment of dominance, let her believe she had tamed me. But that was a mistake on her part. She had let me close. Close enough to make her lower her guard.I exhaled slowly, my gaze settling on the moonlight spilling through my window. It cast an eerie glow on my room, making the shadows seem deeper, and thicker.
Star’s POVHelios thought I couldn’t see through him. I watched him carefully, my golden eyes locked onto his face as he spoke, feigning defeat. His shoulders slouched, his tone softer, his gaze lowered in supposed submission. It was an act.He thought if he played along long enough, I would lower my guard. That I would welcome him into my arms, let him mark me, let him reclaim the control he had lost. He thought he was being clever. But what he didn’t realize was that I wasn’t just watching him. I was watching Hades, too. His wolf had already betrayed him.Helios had made a grave mistake in thinking he could lie to me. Hades might have been bound to him, but the moment Helios defied the mate bond—the moment he sought to control rather than protect, Hades had turned against him.I folded my arms, tilting my head slightly as if I were considering his words. “You understand now?” I asked, m
Helios’s POVI had seen battles before. I had led them. Won them. But nothing had prepared me for this.The rogues attacked just before dawn, their numbers swelling like a shadow over the Moonlit Pack’s borders. It should have been an easy fight. We were stronger. More organized. But something was different. They fought like they had nothing to lose.By the time the last rogue fell, Moonlit warriors stood bloodied but victorious. The air smelled of iron and damp earth, and my limbs felt heavier than they should have. I had fought as I always did, on the front lines, taking down enemies with precision.But now, standing in the wreckage of the battlefield, something was wrong. My body wouldn’t heal.The claw marks across my chest still oozed blood. My broken ribs burned with every breath. My wolf, Hades, was silent, not guiding me, not helping me recover as he s
Star’s POVThe pack begged. One by one, warriors, omegas, elders, all those who had once scorned me, dropped to their knees and pleaded.“Please, Luna.”“Don’t abandon us.”“Save our Alpha.”Their voices mixed together, were a desperate chorus echoing in the morning air. But I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even slow my steps. My decision was made.I walked through the heart of the pack I had once called home, my only belongings packed into a small bag slung over my shoulder. The sun was just rising, casting golden light over the pack house as the scent of breakfast wafted through the air, fresh bread and roasted meat, but I tasted nothing but the bitterness of my resolve. My fingers curled tightly around the strap of my bag as I stepped through the entrance, my feet light but my heart was heavy. It was early, and the dining hall was packed. Warriors sat at long woode
Helios’ POVThe world around me was slipping. At first, I thought it was just the weakness from my wounds, the slow-healing injuries that should have closed by now but remained stubborn, festering. But the moment my wolf, Hades, let out a soul-crushing howl inside my mind, I knew something was wrong.No, something was gone. A deep, hollow ache, spread through my chest, a pain far worse than any wound. My limbs turned to lead, my body burning and freezing all at once. My breathing hitched, coming in shallow, desperate gasps.And then it hit me. She left. My mate, my Luna, and my Starlight had left. The bond… our pack bond… was severed. I felt it vanish, like a tether that had been keeping me grounded suddenly snapping. And with it, my already failing body collapsed.A strangled noise escaped my throat as I felt my connection to everything fade, my pack, my wolf, my very soul. Hades howled
Star’s POVThe gardens had changed so much. Once, they were a tangle of wild vines and neglected fountains. Now, they bloomed in every color the mind could conjure, a testament to years of peace, nurtured by steady hands and hopeful hearts.I sat beneath the silverleaf tree, a thick book resting in my lap, though I hadn’t turned a page in some time. Instead, I watched. Two figures stood at the edge of the training grounds, bathed in the golden haze of late afternoon.Lyra moved like liquid light, a blade in each hand, her strikes swift and sure. Kaelen countered, laughing, parrying her every move with effortless grace. Their magic pulsed between them, visible now,mwoven into every step, every breath.I smiled. They were no longer children clinging to my skirts. They were warriors. Leaders. Legends in the making. "You look proud," Helios said, dropping down onto the bench beside me. His hair was dusted with gray at the temples now, and fine lines fanned from the corners of his golden ey
Star’s POVThe great plaza of Solis Magna had never held so many. From every corner of the realm, from snow-dusted northern steppes to the emerald coasts of the south, they came.Nobles in gleaming armor. Magi in embroidered robes. Merchants in bright silks. Hunters, warriors, healers, even wandering bards. The city was a living river of humanity, all converging for one reason: To witness the birth of a new era.I stood at the center of it all, the twins at my side, Helios at my back. Today wasn’t just about us. It was about what we symbolized: Survival. Unity. A future carved from the ashes of fear.The royal dais had been draped in banners of silver and indigo, the colors of hope and rebirth. At its heart sat the Twin Thrones, two smaller seats forged from moonstone and steel, twined together by veins of shimmering crystal.An artisan's masterpiece. A promise made manifest. The twins shifted beside me, sensing the importance of the moment even at their tender age. Little Elira clut
Star’s POVThe battlefield was silent. Not with the unnatural silence of fear, but with the heavy, reverent hush of mourning.The crows had come to feast, circling high above the smoldering ruins, but even they seemed hesitant to land.It felt as if the very earth was holding its breath.I stood at the edge of the palace gardens, what remained of them, cradling the twins in my arms. The price of our victory lay all around us. Not in broken stones. Not in burned fields.But in the faces missing from the crowd.Sir Caldus, the grizzled commander who had once sworn never to serve under a "mere omega," had fallen protecting the southern gate, his body found draped over a trio of young squires he had shielded from the cult's last brutal strike.Lady Meriva, my oldest advisor and secret mentor in court politics, had refused to leave the war room even as the ceiling collapsed around her. Her sharp tongue and sharper mind, silenced.And Lord Riven, Helios’ second-in-command, a warrior as fier
Star’s POVThe dawn rose blood-red over the battlefield. I staggered through the wreckage, every breath burning in my lungs, every muscle aching. Helios’ hand never left my back, steadying me, grounding me. But it wasn’t over. Not yet.Above the palace, the twin beams of light pulsed stronger, not fading, not weakening but building. Growing. Drawing every soul’s attention like a lodestar. The survivors turned, warriors, mages, servants, all of them lifting their heads, faces bathed in the radiant glow.Even the enemy’s corpses, corrupted and twisted, seemed to dissolve into dust under its touch. The world itself was changing. I knew I had to get to them. Ignoring the protests of my battered body, I ran, up the crumbling stone steps, through the shattered gates, until I burst into the palace.The halls were filled with light. And at the heart of it all, in the throne room, the twins stood. No longer fragile infants. Not quite children either. They hovered inches above the ground, tiny
Star’s POVThe night before the battle, the sky wept black rain. It fell in thick sheets against the palace windows, painting the world in shadows.The twins slept fitfully in their cribs, tiny fists clenching, soft whimpers escaping their lips. Even they could feel it, the tension tightening the air, the storm gathering beyond the horizon.I stood at the highest tower, my armor a second skin, my sword strapped to my back, celestial magic humming at my fingertips. Below me, the army gathered. Wolf warriors clad in dark steel. Mages with their staffs glowing faintly. Archers stringing arrows tipped with silver and starfire.Helios was already at the front, speaking to the troops. I could feel him through the bond, calm, steady, a blazing force holding the line. I closed my eyes and let my power rise. Tonight wasn’t just another skirmish. It was the first true war cry of an ancient enemy. And we would answer it.The cult came with the storm. They poured out of the forests like oil slick
Star’s POVThe first sign was so small, so easily missed, that it almost slipped through my fingers. A scout failed to report back on time, nothing unusual, given the chaos at our borders.But then another disappeared. And then a patrol found strange footprints at the edge of the northern woods: bootprints, human, but alongside them, the scorched marks of something... other.I tightened the palace defenses that night, weaving additional layers of celestial magic into the gates, the walls, even the air itself. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t dare. Because deep in my bones, the truth was already stirring: There was a traitor among us.Three days later, it struck. The twins were asleep in their nursery, the palace humming with low, wary energy. I was reviewing troop movements with Helios when the alarms screamed through the halls, a keening, unnatural sound that made every hair on my body rise.I sprinted, Helios at my heels, instincts howling. Bursting into the nursery, I found chaos. The head
Star’s POVThe morning after the council’s cowardice was laid bare, the sun rose blood-red over the horizon.I stood alone on the highest tower, the cold wind snapping at my hair and cloak, my heart burning with a fire no frost could quench. Below me, the courtyard buzzed with nervous energy, soldiers drilling harder, blacksmiths hammering faster, scouts galloping through the gates.We had little time. The vision the twins had shared in flashes, beasts without faces, storms that bled black rain, fires that howled like grieving mothers, haunted me.The darkness wasn’t waiting politely at our borders. It was coming.And this time, it was not a squabble over thrones or a petty rebellion. It was annihilation. Helios joined me silently, his presence steady at my side. His arm brushed mine in a silent vow: Whatever comes, we stand together.I turned to him. “It’s not enough,” I said simply.The preparations, the drills, the polished armor, it wasn’t enough to face an ancient enemy that wiel
Star’s POVThe first sign came with the breaking of a mirror. It wasn’t just any mirror, it was the ancient obsidian looking glass that had hung in the royal antechamber for generations, unmarred by time or war. That morning, I found it split down the center, a crack as fine as a spider’s web radiating outward like a warning whispered from the bones of the earth. The second sign was harder to ignore.Reports flooded in, whispered by trembling envoys. Reports of black storms rolling across the distant borders, swallowing rivers, rotting crops in minutes, and waking beasts from ancient slumber. Villages that had stood for centuries vanished beneath the storms’ writhing clouds.And every time I reached out with my magic, trying to sense the twins through our invisible thread, I felt a hum of urgency. A pulsing hurry that prickled against my skin. The threat was coming. Not in months. Not even in weeks. Days.I gathered my court in the war room, a vaulted chamber carved of stone, with a
Star’s POVThe summons came at dawn. A formal decree, pressed into my palm by a pale-faced courier who refused to meet my eyes. The parchment crackled in my grip, the words stamped in wax as if the Council thought their authority alone could cage me.Helios stood beside me on the palace steps, reading over my shoulder. His growl rumbled low and dangerous. “They dare summon you like a criminal?” I smoothed the parchment with steady fingers, though inside, a storm brewed.“They fear what they don't understand," I said. "And they never imagined the power they tried to bury could rise stronger than them." He squeezed my hand, silent but burning with unspoken support.The Council had demanded not only my presence, but that of my father, King Hesperion, as if dragging him into their theater of fear would lend their accusations more weight. They were wrong. So wrong.The Grand Hall of the High Council was colder than I remembered. Ancient pillars loomed overhead, carved with the symbols of e