Thorold’s POV The blade at my throat was cold. Not just in temperature — it carried the chill of betrayal. It was the kind of cold that sinks into your skin, slides down into your bones, and makes you wonder if everything you’ve known was a lie. The face behind the blade was shadowed at first. But the voice? I knew it. “Lira,” I said quietly. “Why?” She didn’t flinch. Didn’t try to lie. Her grip on the dagger remained steady, her expression unreadable. “You were never supposed to get this far,” she said. “You were meant to burn out — like the others.” I blinked. “Others?” She hesitated. For just a breath. And in that pause, I saw her for what she really was. Not just a spy, but just a traitor. “The Council sent you,” I said. “To what? Watch me? Report on me? Kill me if I crossed a line?” “Yes,” she said. “But that’s not all.” The blade didn’t move. “Then what?” She stepped back slightly. Not lowering the knife — but giving us both room to breathe. “I was born in a
Zara’s POV The bell rang just after dawn. It wasn’t a warning bell or a ceremonial chime — it was the ancient bell built into Stormfang’s oldest watchtower. A relic of the first Luna, meant only to sound when the veil between worlds trembled. It hadn’t rung in over two hundred years. Until now. I froze where I stood, halfway down the corridor toward the infirmary. The sound pierced through my bones like a forgotten memory coming back to life. Ryker was already moving when I turned the corner. “You felt it,” he said. Not a question. I nodded, one hand on my chest. “It was him.” He didn’t ask how I knew. We both did. The Pulse of Power Throughout the packlands, wolves dropped what they were doing. Warriors emerged from training grounds, scholars abandoned scrolls, and pups looked skyward like they sensed something bigger than themselves had awakened. A pulse of magic had torn through the air — not violent, not chaotic. But final. As if a seal had broken.
Thorold’s POV The next morning, the Circle summoned everyone to the Basin. Not just Guardians or Seers, but every wolf, every spellweaver, every outlier who had made their home beneath Black Hollow’s ancient roots. Elyra stood tall at the heart of the circle of stone, her gold eyes sharp but unreadable. I stood beside her, the orb in my pocket pulsing like it was alive. Lira was near the edge, hidden behind two other students. I’d asked her not to stand beside me. Not yet, Not until this ended. Not until I knew who would survive it. Maelen was already there when I arrived — arms crossed, expression carved from stone, a picture of control. He offered me no greeting, no accusation. But his eyes? They knew I knew. Elyra raised her voice, letting it ring across the Basin like a bell. “There has been a fracture in the Hollow,” she said. “A seed of corruption planted where we should have only had sanctuary. This gathering is not a trial of law…” She turned toward me.
(Zara’s POV) The wind had changed. I felt it the moment I stepped outside the Stormfang manor — the bite in the air, the tension in the leaves, like the trees themselves were holding their breath. Something had shifted. No messages. No messengers. Just instinct. Just a mother’s bond. I looked toward the distant north, toward the invisible cradle of Black Hollow, and felt it in my chest — a ripple. Not pain. Not fear. Thorold had done something. Something that would either mark the beginning of peace… or war. The Warning from the Seer Ryker found me an hour later in the old temple ruins just beyond the training fields. I stood near the worn stone altar, palms pressed against the moss-covered runes. “He’s still alive,” he said quietly. I nodded. “But something’s coming.” Seris arrived soon after. Her silver cloak billowed in the wind that didn’t touch the trees. “I saw fire last night,” she said without preamble. “Not destruction. Not yet. But the kind that signals mov
Thorold’s POV I’d been told once that war didn’t begin with a blade. It began with whispers. Black Hollow was quiet now, but not calm. Since Maelen’s exile, the atmosphere had shifted. Wolves no longer trained with focus. Conversations felt heavier, looks lasted longer. It wasn’t fear anymore—it was expectation. Everyone waiting to see what I would do next. I wasn’t sure what they saw when they looked at me. A leader? A threat? A weapon they hoped would turn toward their enemies and not their homes? I stood at the center of the Basin, alone. The runes in the stone pulsed beneath my feet, sensing the change. The Veil, too, knew something was coming. And it was coming fast. Behind me, Lira approached in silence. “They’re gathering near the southern ridge,” she said. “Elyra says the Hollow has never seen so many wolves ready for battle.” “They’re not ready for what’s coming,” I murmured. She stepped beside me, her voice low. “Neither are we.” We both looked out toward the wood
Thorold’s POV We were three days from moving when the first arrow fell. It landed at the edge of Black Hollow’s northern cliffs—no message, no warning. Just flame. A Council mark, scorched into the shaft. They weren’t coming. They were **already here**. I stood with Kael at the watch post when the second wave hit. Not arrows this time—but mist. Thick, black, rolling like a storm tide, choking the trees below the ridge. Lira appeared moments later, breathless. “Scouts aren’t returning from the frostwood. They're being pulled—one by one—into the fog.” “Magic?” I asked. She nodded. “Blood-bound.” “Council-grade?” “Yes.” Kael’s claws extended instinctively. “They’re cloaking their army.” “No,” I said, my voice low. “They’re cloaking something worse.” We had to move. The command hall shook with urgency. Maps unrolled. Wards lit. Spells drawn into the air like threads across time. Elyra stood at the center, calm, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. The Council had n
Thorold’s POV The gates of Stormfang came into view just after sunrise. They rose tall and proud against the backdrop of pine-covered hills and silver skies, exactly as they had in my earliest memories—the ones that never quite felt real. I’d dreamed of this moment more times than I could count. But now that it was here, my legs didn’t want to move. The Hollow’s warriors flanked me in silence, carrying no banners, only purpose. Kael walked at my right, Lira at my left. As we crested the final hill, the watchtower horn sounded.The pack was waiting. They lined the walls and walkways, some in armor, some in robes, many in quiet disbelief. I saw every expression—curiosity, awe, fear. But none of it mattered. Because at the heart of them stood her Luna Zara my mother. She didn’t wear a crown or a ceremonial robe. Just dark leathers, dust on her hands, her braid loose in the wind. Her eyes—so much like mine—were locked on me and nothing else. And beside her, a presence
Thorold’s POV The Academy was different now Or maybe I was. The corridors no longer felt like chains. The shadows no longer whispered my name in fear. When I walked the halls, students didn’t flinch or scatter. They nodded. Some stared. A few even smiled. And for the first time since I could remember, I didn’t feel like a prisoner. I felt like I belonged. Even if only for a moment. I’d been given a guest room in the western dorms—small, with stone walls, a modest cot, and a narrow window that overlooked the lower gardens. It wasn’t the Hollow. It wasn’t Stormfang. But it was mine. No guards. No spells to bind me. No locks on the door Just me. Classes were optional for me now—no one dared insist otherwise. But I still showed up. Not because I had to. Because I **wanted** to. Because I’d never had the chance. I stepped into the Enchanted Runes lecture late, nodding to the instructor, who paused only a moment before continuing. I found an empty seat near the middle, beside
Thorold’s POV I had forgotten what laughter sounded like — real laughter. Not the kind that hides wounds or buys time between battles, but the kind that spills from a wolf’s chest effortlessly, without purpose, just because the sun is warm and the air no longer smells like death. I stood at the edge of the clearing near Stormfang’s lake, watching pups splash in the shallows, their fur soaked and wild, their howls sounding more like songs than calls to arms. This was the pack I had only heard about in stories. Now, I was a part of it. It had been weeks since Mia disappeared into the forest with what remained of her army. No more shadow-wolves. No more traitors. No more blood in the halls. Just quiet. And peace. We didn’t trust this peace completely. But we allowed it in because we were tired and needed to believe that survival could mean more than just the absence of war. I sat in the grass with Kael and Lira, our game of cards forgotten as a group of young warriors tossed a
Thorold’s POV I had forgotten what laughter sounded like — real laughter. Not the kind that hides wounds or buys time between battles, but the kind that spills from a wolf’s chest effortlessly, without purpose, just because the sun is warm and the air no longer smells like death. I stood at the edge of the clearing near Stormfang’s lake, watching pups splash in the shallows, their fur soaked and wild, their howls sounding more like songs than calls to arms. This was the pack I had only heard about in stories. Now, I was a part of it. It had been weeks since Mia disappeared into the forest with what remained of her army. No more shadow-wolves. No more traitors. No more blood in the halls. Just quiet. And peace. We didn’t trust this peace completely. But we allowed it in because we were tired and needed to believe that survival could mean more than just the absence of war. I sat in the grass with Kael and Lira, our game of cards forgotten as a group of young warriors tossed a
(Zara’s POV)I spotted Thorold behind the healer’s hall, sitting on the low stone wall with his boots dangling just above the dirt. His elbows rested on his knees, shoulders relaxed, and for the first time in days, he looked… at ease.He didn’t flinch when I approached. His head turned slightly, and he gave me a small, tired smile.“Trying to disappear?” I asked.He shrugged. “Just hiding from Ryker. He wants to spar. I told him my bones need a break.”I smiled and sat beside him. “Smart choice. He doesn’t go easy.”“I’m learning.”We watched a few pack members sparring in the open yard. There was no war urgency in their movement. They were laughing, shouting challenges, tripping over their own feet. It was the kind of scene I used to dream about.“You look like him,” I said quietly, surprising myself.Thorold looked over. “Ryker?”I nodded.“The way you stand when you’re thinking. That habit of checking the exits even when you’re smiling. And when you lift your chin before speaking…
LAUREN'S POV Logan was too hot my heart pounding and when I felt his fingers playing with my n**ples, it gave me a different sensation. it felt so good as if that was the first time we were making our downtown move slowly and grabbed my hard n**please, and sucked on it, he was such a baby. "Will you stop teasing me already?" I said to him angrily. Logan kissed me again with passion, his gue trailing down to lick my collarbone, then feature down to my n*please. Logan slipped his hand into my pants and started playing with my cl*****s "Baby you are already wet?" he said, whispering into my ears. he looked up into my eyes, " Bianca,l love you so much, and thank you for not giving up on me when I was lost. he touched my n**ples again, your n*ples are so hard and I love it when I turn you on. I looked him in the eyes, "Will you f**k me already and stop the talking?" my pussy throbbed and ached, he inspected his finger into my p**y and f**led me with his two fingers. it was so g
LAUREN'S POV The elders of the kingdom led the way, followed by the younger members of the pack, all dressed in their finest clothes. As we walked, we sang a beautiful song that celebrated the arrival of the full moon and the union of two souls.As the procession reached the centre of the valley, the elders stepped forward, and the crowd fell silent. They began to speak, their voices strong and clear, and everyone listened intently."We are gathered here tonight to celebrate the arrival of the full moon and the union of two souls. This is a momentous occasion, one that we have been waiting for, for many years. And our young wolves are allowed to explore and find their mates.""We are honoured to witness this union, and we wish the happy couple all the best."The crowd erupted in applause, and the pack elders stepped back, allowing us to step forward. we were both dressed in beautiful clothes, and we looked radiant in the moonlight. They stood facing each other, our eyes locked. "ou
LAUREN'S POV The elders of the kingdom led the way, followed by the younger members of the pack, all dressed in their finest clothes. As we walked, we sang a beautiful song that celebrated the arrival of the full moon and the union of two souls. As the procession reached the centre of the valley, the elders stepped forward, and the crowd fell silent. They began to speak, their voices strong and clear, and everyone listened intently. "We are gathered here tonight to celebrate the arrival of the full moon and the union of two souls. This is a momentous occasion, one that we have been waiting for, for many years. And our young wolves are allowed to explore and find their mates." "We are honoured to witness this union, and we wish the happy couple all the best." The crowd erupted in applause, and the pack elders stepped back, allowing us to step forward. we were both dressed in beautiful clothes, and we looked radiant in the moonlight. They stood facing each other, our eyes locked
LAUREN'S POV As the preparations unfolded, the atmosphere crackled with anticipation, and excitement was palpable. From far and wide, members of various packs journeyed to join in the festivities, eager to witness the union of two destined souls and perhaps even find their own mates amidst the throngs of wolves. The air was filled with the scent of roasting meat, and the sounds of laughter and chatter echoed through the forest. The clearing where the celebration was to be held was adorned with colourful ribbons, and a large bonfire had been lit in the centre. As the sun began to set, the sky turned a deep shade of orange, and the first stars began to twinkle above. At the heart of the clearing stood my mate and I resplendent in our fur coats and adorned with feathered headdresses. we exchanged vows of love and loyalty, and the packs howled in approval. It was a moment of pure joy and unity, one that would be remembered for generations to come. It was a one-week program for ev
LAUREN'S POV "Meet Reagan, your brother," my dad said to me with a smile. I couldn't contain my excitement. "there is no way is this big bad wolf my brother," I said with a smile before hugging him tightly. Reagan hugged me back with a warm embrace, and then kissed me on my forehead. "I'm so happy to know you're my sister," he said with a smile. I was over the moon to finally have found my brother. We spent the entire day getting to know each other, laughing, and sharing stories. He was everything I could have hoped for in a brother, and I knew that we would be close for a long time to come. Later that day, Jack, and his mate Harriet walked in. Jack was surprised to see Reagan there, and even more surprised to find out that he was our brother. "Are we missing out on something?" Jack asked with a smile. "Yes, meet dad's mate and our brother Reagan," I said, but Jack chuckled. "You're just finding out now that Reagan is our brother?" he asked incredulously. I nodded, pretendin
LAUREN'S POV As the preparations unfolded, the atmosphere crackled with anticipation, and excitement was palpable. From far and wide, members of various packs journeyed to join in the festivities, eager to witness the union of two destined souls and perhaps even find their own mates amidst the throngs of wolves. The air was filled with the scent of roasting meat, and the sounds of laughter and chatter echoed through the forest. The clearing where the celebration was to be held was adorned with colourful ribbons, and a large bonfire had been lit in the centre. As the sun began to set, the sky turned a deep shade of orange, and the first stars began to twinkle above. At the heart of the clearing stood my mate and I resplendent in our fur coats and adorned with feathered headdresses. we exchanged vows of love and loyalty, and the packs howled in approval. It was a moment of pure joy and unity, one that would be remembered for generations to come. It was a one-week program for ev