Thorold’s POV I didn’t run. But I didn’t stay, either. The moment I stepped beyond Mia’s stone doors and into the dying woods that surrounded her citadel, I felt the Veil shift again. Not against me—but within me. My blood still hummed from the almost-binding, aching with the echo of a bond that had never fully formed. She hadn’t chased me. But her magic clung to my back like ash from a fire I refused to feed. The wolves at the gates parted once more, but this time, their eyes lingered longer. Not out of reverence. Out of warning. They knew I was leaving with something she had wanted. Something she had failed to claim. The path back through the Shadowlands was different. The trees leaned closer. The soil pulsed like it remembered me now. I kept my claws drawn beneath my skin, my senses wide open. It wasn’t just the danger. It was the guilt. Because for a moment, I had wanted what she offered. Not the power, not the crown—but the connection. The family I n
Thorold’s POVI burned the scroll.Not because I feared it.But because I didn’t want it to be real."Remember us."Not a threat. Not a warning. A plea.One I didn’t understand.One I couldn’t ignore.At dawn, the wind blew colder.Zara called a meeting in the great hall. Stormfang’s inner council gathered quickly—commanders, scouts, rune masters, and a few witches loyal to the old ways. Ryker stood near the hearth, silent but watchful. The moment I entered, every conversation stopped.I felt the stares.Not suspicious.Not yet.But cautious.Zara spoke first.“Mia struck the Hollow and pulled back without blood. That alone makes it clear—she’s waiting.”“Waiting for what?” one of the commanders asked. “A retaliation?”“No,” I said. “She’s waiting for doubt. For hesitation. For someone here to crack.”A silence followed. One that felt heavier than it should.Zara turned to me. “Explain.”I walked to the table.“She sent a messenger last night. Not to kill me. To deliver something. A s
Thorold’s POV The wind changed again. Not the weather. The magic. Ever since Selene escaped, the Veil had grown tense, like a membrane stretched too thin, humming with anticipation. We didn’t know what she had truly done, but whatever it was, it gave Mia confidence. She wouldn’t wait much longer. She believed she had leverage now — a new trap, a hidden spell, or worse. That’s why I had to strike first. I called the war table to order at dawn. Stormfang’s captains arrived in armor. Ryker stood to my right, silent but solid. Zara across from him, her hands resting on the old stone map that had guided the pack through three major wars. Lira came from the Hollow at my call, Kael beside her. I looked over them all. And I spoke with no hesitation. “I’m taking a team into the Shadowlands,” I said. “We’re not going to burn Mia’s territory. We’re going to shatter her base of control — the blood forge.” The room froze. Zara straightened. “You found it?” “I found
Zara’s POV Stormfang has been attacked before. By rogues. By jealous alphas. Once, even by a dying king trying to steal its secrets. But nothing like this. The enemy outside our gates was not just claw and fang. It was rot. Magic born of betrayal. It was family, warped by pain and turned into a weapon. And that made it so much worse. Ryker stood beside me as we sealed the inner walls, his hands slick with blood, not his own. Smoke rose over the eastern ridge, casting shadows across the stone like ghosts watching from the forest. Below us, warriors rushed through the training grounds, dragging barricades into place, activating glyphs that hadn’t been used in generations. Witches knelt in circles, chanting protection spells, and healers prepared for the wave of wounded they knew was coming. I looked toward the main gates. Still holding. But they wouldn’t much longer. “She’s buying time,” Ryker said. “For what?” “For herself. For Thorold. For both to burn.” We had cleare
LAUREN'S POVSitting on the towel I've laid by the river of a deep forest close to my pack, I consider this hideout place my paradise.This is the only place I can be myself without the fear that someone will find out my true identity.I like to spend my quiet time by the river in the forest, not too far from my pack. I often visit the beautiful forest to clear my head from the day's stress.When the thought of a dream I had a day before crossed my mind, the moon goddess appeared to me again."My child, it is time."Her message to me was clear, but I asked still, “Am I prepared?”Am I prepared to take back my father's throne from the traitor, who killed my parents and took over our pack?It was just one sentence. She smiled at me and then vanished.The first time she appeared to me, I was just thirteen years after I first shifted into my wolf form.That was also the day I met my companion and my wolf Jada.“She’s gone, Lauren.” Jada said and then added, “She’s so incomparably beautifu
LAUREN'S POVSitting on the towel I've laid by the river of a deep forest close to my pack, I consider this hideout place my paradise.This is the only place I can be myself without the fear that someone will find out my true identity.I like to spend my quiet time by the river in the forest, not too far from my pack. I often visit the beautiful forest to clear my head from the day's stress.When the thought of a dream I had a day before crossed my mind, the moon goddess appeared to me again."My child, it is time."Her message to me was clear, but I asked still, “Am I prepared?”Am I prepared to take back my father's throne from the traitor, who killed my parents and took over our pack?It was just one sentence. She smiled at me and then vanished.The first time she appeared to me, I was just thirteen years after I first shifted into my wolf form.That was also the day I met my companion and my wolf Jada.“She’s gone, Lauren.” Jada said and then added, “She’s so incomparably beautifu
LAUREN'S POVSitting on the towel I've laid by the river of a deep forest close to my pack, I consider this hideout place my paradise.This is the only place I can be myself without the fear that someone will find out my true identity.I like to spend my quiet time by the river in the forest, not too far from my pack. I often visit the beautiful forest to clear my head from the day's stress.When the thought of a dream I had a day before crossed my mind, the moon goddess appeared to me again."My child, it is time."Her message to me was clear, but I asked still, “Am I prepared?”Am I prepared to take back my father's throne from the traitor, who killed my parents and took over our pack?It was just one sentence. She smiled at me and then vanished.The first time she appeared to me, I was just thirteen years after I first shifted into my wolf form.That was also the day I met my companion and my wolf Jada.“She’s gone, Lauren.” Jada said and then added, “She’s so incomparably beautifu
LAUREN'S POV His words hung in the air like a promise, a promise that I desperately wanted to believe in. It was a promise that held the potential to heal the wounds that had been inflicted, to mend the fragile bond that had been on the brink of shattering. Yet, even as his words settled around us, the doubts and fears remained. The wounds were deep, the pain too real to be easily forgotten. And so, I looked into his eyes, eyes that held a mixture of regret, love, and hope and I knew that the journey ahead wouldn't be easy. It would be a journey of healing, of rebuilding, of finding a way to navigate the stormy waters that lay ahead. I understand," I finally whispered, my voice carrying the weight of my own emotions. "But it's not going to be easy." my words were a plea, a plea for patience, for understanding, for the time that I needed to process the tangled web of emotions that had enveloped us both. He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I know,"
Zara’s POVSitting on the towel I've laid by the river of a deep forest close to my pack, I consider this hideout place my paradise.This is the only place I can be myself without the fear that someone will find out my true identity.I like to spend my quiet time by the river in the forest, not too far from my pack. I often visit the beautiful forest to clear my head from the day's stress.When the thought of a dream I had a day before crossed my mind, the moon goddess appeared to me again."My child, it is time."Her message to me was clear, but I asked still, “Am I prepared?”Am I prepared to take back my father's throne from the traitor, who killed my parents and took over our pack?It was just one sentence. She smiled at me and then vanished.The first time she appeared to me, I was just thirteen years after I first shifted into my wolf form.That was also the day I met my companion and my wolf Jada.“She’s gone, Lauren.” Jada said and then added, “She’s so incomparably beautiful.
LAUREN'S POVSitting on the towel I've laid by the river of a deep forest close to my pack, I consider this hideout place my paradise.This is the only place I can be myself without the fear that someone will find out my true identity.I like to spend my quiet time by the river in the forest, not too far from my pack. I often visit the beautiful forest to clear my head from the day's stress.When the thought of a dream I had a day before crossed my mind, the moon goddess appeared to me again."My child, it is time."Her message to me was clear, but I asked still, “Am I prepared?”Am I prepared to take back my father's throne from the traitor, who killed my parents and took over our pack?It was just one sentence. She smiled at me and then vanished.The first time she appeared to me, I was just thirteen years after I first shifted into my wolf form.That was also the day I met my companion and my wolf Jada.“She’s gone, Lauren.” Jada said and then added, “She’s so incomparably beautifu
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
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