Diana “That’s not all,” Eleanor says, her voice calm and certain. I glance at her from where I’m standing beside Dominicus, my arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. He’s seated across from her at the table, silent and still. He hasn’t spoken since she revealed the truth about the Soulforge Binding—about how she twisted a death curse into something that kept him tethered to this world. His silence is heavy, but not stunned. He’s focused. Sharp. Absorbing everything like a blade honed to perfection. Eleanor’s eyes are locked on him with something like wonder. There’s no fear in her expression. Only awe. “You’ve probably noticed it already,” she says, a slight, intrigued smile playing on her lips. “You’re constantly getting stronger, aren’t you?” Dominicus gives a single nod. He doesn’t elaborate. He doesn’t need to. I blink in surprise and glance down at him. Really? Wow. “Your body hasn’t stopped,” Eleanor continues. “It’s still absorbing magic—even now, as we speak. You are
Diana She blinks, confused for a moment—then her expression softens in understanding. A smile curls her lips. “As I said earlier—she’s your Anchor Bond. The curse recognizes her as home. You’re bound, Dominicus. It won’t let her go.” She gestures to the mark on my neck. “As long as that bond holds—as long as you’re still mates—her lifespan is tethered to yours.” She turns to me with a teasing smile. “No need to worry, sweetie. You’ll be stuck with your grumpy Alpha for as long as he lives.” Relief hits me like sunlight breaking through clouds. I melt into Dom’s arms, and I feel him tighten his hold on me just a little more. Then Eleanor’s voice draws us back. “This appearance of yours,” she says thoughtfully, “unchanging and untouched by time… it’s probably part of why the Elders could never let you go. Even after everything—even through fear—they were drawn to you. They couldn’t resist. You terrified them, yes. But they wanted you too. Wanted to keep you close. Like mot
Diana Eleanor’s voice lowers, shadowed with old pain. “I still don’t know how he did it. Maybe some were afraid. Maybe others were seduced by the raw power he wielded. Or maybe… maybe they were already waiting for someone like him. But whatever the reason, more and more turned to his side. And before long, more than half of our kind had abandoned the way to follow him.” A heaviness builds in my chest. “They gave themselves to the darkness. And it rewarded them. Their powers grew quickly—unnaturally so. They soared past their natural limits. It was like the magic fed off their corruption. Off their bloodlust.” Her hands tighten. “The rest of us—those who held on to the old ways—tried to resist. But we were unprepared. Unmatched. Only the strongest among us could stand against them. The rest… were forced to retreat.” She shakes her head slowly, almost in disbelief even now. “But Caedrim’s war was never just about light witches versus dark. That was only the beginning. His
Diana “After the war, the remaining dark witches scattered. Those who survived went into hiding, slinking into the shadows. And the light witches… we came together. We spent years unraveling the dark magic Caedrim left behind. Healing the plagues. Cleansing the land.” Eleanor pauses, gaze distant. “But the war had cost us too much. We’d lost too many. Entire bloodlines wiped out. The few of us left withdrew from the world. We faded into secrecy. Survival demanded it.” Her voice softens further. “We withdrew from the world. Just as Azrael—your ancestor—did after the sealing. He took the divine rune and vanished with his pack. People forgot, but it was necessary. That kind of power... in the wrong hands..." She trails off, and I feel a chill despite the fire crackling nearby. “After that, peace returned. There were still flickers of trouble here and there—mischief, whispers of dark spells—but nothing like before. The world settled into something resembling calm.” Her eyes
Diana “Killing the Castellanos Pack twenty-one years ago, at the time it happened hadn’t been random. It was timed. Because- That’s the year they had planned to perform the unsealing ritual.” I freeze. A tremor passing through me. “The ritual to unseal the Dark Mage,” she continues quietly, “must be done during a very specific celestial convergence. One that comes twice in a century… and then not again for seven hundred years.” I lean forward, heart thudding. Eleanor’s voice drops to a hush. “It’s called the Seventh Solstice.” “The Seventh Solstice?” I echo. The name doesn’t ring any bells. “It comes twice in one hundred years, then disappears for the next seven centuries. The first of the pair appeared twenty-one years ago… exactly one week after the Castellanos Pack is wiped out.” A chill creeps up my spine. “On the night of the Seventh Solstice,” Eleanor continues, “the veil between life and death thins. The dark realm cracks. To unseal Caedrim, they need to present six hu
Diana My heart stops. I turn slowly. Eleanor doesn’t move. Doesn’t flinch. Her expression doesn’t change. But her silence—her absolute stillness—says everything. I stare at her, my thoughts reeling, crashing, burning. “You…” I whisper. “You’re the Primarch Arcana?!!” my voice comes out high pitched towards the end. She meets my gaze, calm. “Yes,” she says. I blink, trying to process them, but my heart is already racing—hope igniting in my chest like a flare. Eleanor. The Primarch Arcana- granted, I don’t really know how powerful that is, or even what that means- I gasp, “were you the one that fought against the Dark Mage?” She looks at me quietly before answering with a simple, “Yes”, again and this time, my gasp is audible. That person is really Eleanor? My mouth hangs open. She’s that witch? The one who fought alongside my ancestor and Dominicus’s to defeat the Dark Mage? She’s here. Sitting right in front of us. I almost laugh. It’s perfect. I was thin
Diana Dom leans back, and the flicker of firelight reflects in his eyes, cold and gold. “That’s not the only thing that doesn’t make sense.” I glance between them, my heart beating faster. The air is thick. The shadows in the corners of the room seem to stretch. His voice lowers again, but now it’s laced with something else—uncertainty. Concern. “All this time, Eleanor… you’ve been quiet. Passive. Watching.” He pauses. “That’s not who you are.” She bites her bottom lip hard, but she still doesn’t respond. “You’re the Primarch Arcana. You stood against Caedrim. You fought beside the Castellanos Priest and the Alpha of Amadeus to seal him. You’re no coward.” Silence. “So if you haven’t fought all this time,” he says slowly, “then the only explanation is…” He trails off. I sit still, not daring to move. He looks at her—truly looks at her—and I see it in his face. The shift. The weight of the conclusion he doesn’t want to reach. “You’re injured or something. I don’t
DianaShe stops in front of him.“The witches at the Castellanos pack…” she says, voice quiet, “they did reach out to me.”I bite down on my lower lip. Hard.“But not to ask me to come. They weren’t calling me for help.” Her gaze flickers to me. “They just wanted me to know what was happening. That the dark witches were there. That the Castellanos were preparing to fall.”Her voice dips, heavy with the weight of regret.“I wanted to go. I swear I did.” Her hands tighten at her sides. “But I knew… I knew if I went like I was, I’d only be a burden.”The words hit like a cold wave.“I couldn’t use my magic properly,” she continues. “It was still tainted. I was still walking that razor’s edge. And if I stepped into a battle like that—drew onto the bulk of magic to battle- the dark magic inside me would’ve stirred violently… fed on the chaos”Her throat tightens.“I would’ve had two choices: fight it or give in. If I had resisted, it would have killed me. If I had given in…” She looks up a
Diana A low growl rumbles from Alpha Darius of the Plena Luna pack. His eyes glint with raw grief. “No. I will avenge my son. I’ll hunt down those bastards myself!” Dom’s sharp edge softens for the grieving father, though just slightly. His voice lowers, gentler, though still firm. “That won’t work, Darius. The best thing you can do — for your mate, for your pack — is live. The best thing you can do for your son is protect what’s left. If you rush out looking for a fight, you’ll only throw your life away. And that helps no one.” Alpha Darius’ eyes are red with rage and frustration. His trembling lips open and close for a moment before a strangled and pained sound is wrenched from him. Alpha Stefan however, is obviously not so easily convinced. He gives a sharp, sarcastic laugh. “You must be kidding me.” His eyes glitter with derision. “I’m not the kind of man who lets someone else decide his fate.” He sneers, gaze sweeping from me, to Dom, to Eleanor. “Especially not peopl
Diana Alpha Livia clears her throat delicately, her fingers tapping once against the table before she speaks. “So… as the Priest…” I lift my chin, my voice cutting clean through the room. “Priestess.” She pauses, a flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes, then corrects herself with a small nod. “Priestess. As the Priestess, how exactly would you seal the Dark Mage? Alpha Dominicus mentioned the Priest played a crucial role before — but he didn’t explain how.” And there it is. My stomach knots faintly. That’s the problem, isn’t it? I’m not entirely sure myself — not yet. But Dom and I plan to find out as soon as this meeting ends. Still, we had agreed beforehand: no hint of uncertainty, no gaps, no loose threads. We couldn’t risk sparking panic among the packs — or worse, letting anything slip that the dark witches might catch wind of. I part my lips, preparing to smooth over the gap, but Dom beats me to it. “Even if she explained it, you wouldn’t understand.” His voice is
Diana Her voice cuts crisply through the air. “The first time the Dark Mage was sealed… you said it took the Amadeus Alpha, the Primarch Arcana, and the Moon Goddess’s Priest.” Her eyes sweep the room, assessing. “Are you saying we’re going to repeat that now?” Dom nods once, calmly. “That’s right.” Alpha Livia’s brow furrows slightly. “And you, you’ll stand in for your ancestor?” Dom’s mouth curves in the faintest of smiles. “I will.” Her gaze sharpens. “That leaves the Primarch Arcana… and the Priest.” She casts a slow look around the table, then back at Dom again. “Until today, none of us even knew there was a Priest. Do you know where this Priest is?” Dom’s eyes flick briefly to me, and parts his lips to answer, “Yes. It’s-“ I finish for him. My voice quiet but clear. “-Me.” The room freezes. Every head turns. I keep my face composed, letting my voice carry evenly across the silent table. “Allow me to properly reintroduce myself. I am Diana Castellanos—Alpha
Diana Suddenly, a voice slices sharply through the heavy silence. “We have to stop the ritual!” An Alpha halfway down the table shoots to his feet, his face flushed with urgency. His Beta, seated beside him, tugs lightly at his arm as if to steady him, but the Alpha shakes his head sharply, his eyes locking onto Dominicus. Dom doesn’t even flinch. His voice remains calm, almost weary. “Naturally.” He lets the word hang in the air for a beat, then tilts his head slightly. “How do you propose we do that?” The Alpha’s response is instant, raw with emotion. “Easy. We find them. We go to their coven and wipe them out—all of them.” Dom blinks once, slowly. Then gives a faint, almost pitying shake of his head. “Easy?” He leans in just slightly, his tone still smooth but edged with a dangerous undercurrent. “How exactly do you plan to find them? Don’t forget—these aren’t wolves we’re dealing with. They’re witches. You think you can find a witch who doesn’t want to be found?”
DianaThe next Alpha my eyes land on pulls my attention instantly.He’s middle-aged, broad-shouldered, hulking—even among all these Alphas, he stands out as particularly powerful. His short-cropped hair and sharply cut features give him a severe, almost intimidating air.But what surprises me is the look on his face.Unlike the others, there’s no flicker of wariness, no veiled animosity in his gaze.Instead, he’s smiling. Calm. Almost amused, like he’s simply waiting for the meeting to begin, perfectly at ease.Intrigued, I shift my gaze to the third Alpha who stands out.And this time, I have to look twice.The Alpha, her Beta, and the two Gamma warriors flanking her… they’re all women.The Alpha meets my eyes directly—her expression steady, cool, unreadable. Then, with a small, polite nod, she acknowledges me before turning her attention back to Dom.All of this unfolds in seconds: quick assessments, sharp glances, the silent tension of predators sizing each other up.By the time my
Diana I spot Dom waiting just down the hall, his arms crossed, his sharp eyes flick up as soon as come out me. His face softens—just slightly—and he reaches out. I walk up to him and slip my hand into his. Eleanor falls into step behind us, quiet and peaceful, her presence a steady pulse at my back. Together, the three of us move toward the wide double doors at the end of the hall—the conference room where today’s meeting is about to hold. The air feels thicker here, heavy with the scent of too many wolves, sharp anticipation, and something almost metallic — the bracing edge of challenge, perhaps, or simply the weight of so many packs gathered under one roof. As we near, an Amadeus warrior steps forward. Clyde. He bows smoothly. “Alpha. Luna.” He gives Eleanor a polite nod. “Ma’am.” Dom gives him a curt nod in return, but I offer Clyde a small smile. Eleanor answers warmly, “Hello dear.” Clyde straightens and says, “The packs have brought a fair number of warriors w
DianaI blink, brow arching. Magnus almost mated to someone? That’s news to me.Can’t find it in me to care.The first girl nods eagerly. “Exactly! And it was super suspicious. It was supposed to be this huge deal — even our Alpha was invited — but just a week before the ceremony, it was called off.” She waves her hands for emphasis; the others nod vigorously.She leans in, voice dropping. “I heard Natasha left Zervos and went back to the Silvanus pack, then mated with an Omega from Plena Luna.”Another round of wide eyes and startled gasps.“It’s obvious why the ceremony was canceled,” she smirks. “Natasha met her real mate. Everyone thought Magnus set the match because he hadn’t found his mate yet… but he had. And he rejected her!”The gasps turn into soft curses. I catch words like scum and bastard tossed out under their breath, and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.The third girl eagerly nudges the first. “And? And?! What else?”The first girl glances around, then leans
DianaWhat were they thinking?A low voice, warm and smug, ghosts by my ear.“See?” Dominicus says. “I won.”I don’t turn. I can feel the smirk behind his voice and the presence of him just a breath away.I shake my head slowly, incredulous. “They actually came…”“And with a whole damn parade,” he says with a huff of amusement.“Pompousness and posturing,” I mutter.He chuckles. “That’s what you bet against, dulcis.”I scowl, still watching the arrivals, still baffled by the absurdity of it all.“And now,” he says, voice low as he leans down slightly, “you owe me.”I start to ask what the terms were again, but then I feel his lips brush the shell of my ear, and his whispered words burn hotter than sunlight across my skin.My breath catches. My entire body flushes.Damn him.Dom steps back and with a sweeping motion of his arm, the corners of his mouth quirking upward, he says, “Ladies, shall we?”I pull my gaze away from the window, and roll my eyes at him. “Lets.”Behind me, Eleanor
Diana “You’re on speaker, Alpha. They can all hear you now.” Dominicus doesn’t waste a breath. “Good,” he says, his tone flat, cold. “Then listen closely because this-“ he pauses, just long enough to make the weight of his next words settle into their bones, “—is the key to a ‘peaceful retirement’ for all of you.” There’s no trace of politeness. No deference. Only the weight of his authority, sharp as steel. The line is silent. No one dares interrupt. “Of the thirty-seven packs–,” he continues, “you each used to run one of the major nine.” Ten now - The Amadeus pack is back, I muse. “The rest of the smaller — scattered, less resourced packs are no less important. Therefore you are not only to go back to your own packs. You will each take responsibility for informing the Alphas of the minor packs in your regions. I don’t care how you do. Just get it done.” He paces a little, jaw tight. “You will tell them witches exist. You will tell them that dark witches have returned — tha