Diana The Castellanos Alphas—every single one of them had this hair. This exact color. And now I know why. The Moon goddess’ touch. Behind me, the doctors shift again. One of them clears his throat. “Luna, your vitals remain perfect, but… we’d still like to keep you under observation for a few more days. Just to be safe.” Dom doesn’t even hesitate. “Yes,” he says immediately. “She’s staying.” I turn back to him, lifting a brow. “There’s really no need.” “There is,” he replies, eyes dark and unwavering. “You nearly died, Diana.” His voice is low, hoarse. Fraying at the edges. “I didn’t,” I reply gently, but I already see it—the flicker of pain behind his calm. I step closer and reach up to cup his cheek. He holds it right away. His grip is firm, grounding, but there’s a tremble in his fingers that betrays the tension he’s holding back. Dom’s voice is raw, almost a croak as he speaks. “You were unconscious for days, Diana. With no reason… and then you just woke up
Diana I wake to silence. A sterile, too-quiet silence that immediately tells me I’m not in my bed. My eyes flutter open, sluggish and heavy. I blink up at the white ceiling, tracing the clean lines of the panels until the fuzziness in my head begins to clear. A faint antiseptic scent stings my nose. Machines beep quietly beside me, steady and rhythmic. A hospital. I turn my head slowly, trying to get my bearings. The walls are familiar. The scent is, too. I’ve been here before. This is the pack’s hospital. I try to sit up. My body protests with a weak ache in my joints, but I manage to swing my legs over the side of the bed. As I slide off the mattress, something tugs sharply at my arm. I look down to find a thin tube stuck into the crook of my elbow, attached to some clear bag of fluid hanging nearby. The second I take a step forward and unintentionally yank the IV out of my arm, the heart monitor beside the bed starts shrieking in alarm. “Oh,” I mutter, blinking in c
Dominicus The fury I had managed to suppress spreads through my veins like a virus. Fast and invasive. I slam my fist down on the desk, the sound cracking through the office like thunder. “Fuck!” I growl. My body vibrates with fury, but there’s no outlet. No enemy to tear apart. The madness reacts to my fury and my eyes rapidly turn blue. My wolf growls in my head, snarling to be let out. To go and tear them to shreds. I’ve only been gone less than a century. Less than a hundred years. And yet in that time, this—this—has happened?! What were the Alphas doing?! The Council?! How did no one notice? Or did they just not care? I remember the ‘Elders’ I recently deposed and a sneer curls my lip. No. Fucking. Surprise. There. Fuck! I knew they were useless but I didn’t know they were this useless! My eyes glow blue. I don’t have time for this shit! The pressure suddenly explodes. My emotions spiral out of control—too fast, too much. Maybe it’s the strain of
Dominicus “No.” I instantly reject, “That doesn’t make sense. The Council wolves might be under a different banner now as the Amadeus pack, but you guys haven’t lost your teeth—still just as trained, just as lethal. And even if you’re not stationed with the Council anymore, no sane wolf- rogue or not, would mistake that for weakness. No, this is something else.” My jaw tightens as I whirl to face Clyde. “How did it happen? Step by step.” Clyde straightens, eyes sharp despite the tension I see clenching his jaw. “The attacks happened simultaneously across every affected pack. All twelve. Coordinated to the second. They came fast, in large numbers, hit key points—supply caches, communication centers, defense posts—then disappeared. They were in and out in thirty minutes.” “Casualties?” “Only five of the packs had any- all smaller packs. Two dead in one pack, and one dead in the remaining three. All sentinels guarding the borders who got careless.” He answers, “thanks to the lo
Dominicus “And everything the old Emerald did will have nothing to do with the new one.” Brodik hesitates. “Are you sure?” “Yes,” I say slowly. “After everything she’s been through. She deserves a normal life. A father and an elder sister who will love and dote on her. And friends. She’ll make those in the pack.” I continue. “With her, Brodik. It’s more complex than ordinary. You see… she's not just Billy's daughter. She's the next Primarch Arcana. And she's a child who could burn the world if no one shows her how not to.” I thread my fingers together and rest my forearms on the table. “She’s learned the darkness of the world far too early. And she’s learned how to survive it… but not how to live…” “…And it’s only fair I give her the chance to learn the latter.” There’s silence on the line for a beat. Then Brodik says, voice low, “Yes, Alpha.” There’s respect in his tone. Deeper than before. The call ends. Eleanor’s voice echoes in my head—words she spoke just as
Dominicus I’m in my office, a pen tapping absently on the table. The chair beneath me creaks as I lean back, leather groaning under my weight. I don’t bother calling the secretary this time. I pull out my cell phone and scroll until I find Brodik’s number. I already know he’s off territory. I felt it the moment he passed the border. The phone rings twice before he answers. “Alpha,” he greets. “What have you been able to find?” I ask, skipping the pleasantries. Brodik huffs a quiet laugh. “It’s only been two days, Alpha.” I raise a brow, even though he can’t see it. “And?” He chuckles again. “Alright, alright. I’ve found something. A lot of somethings, actually.” I’m not surprised. “Tell me.” His tone shifts immediately—serious… but there’s something else too. Dread. “I just emailed it to you. But gods, Alpha…” His voice trails off. I press the speaker button and set the phone down, swiveling toward the monitor. My inbox is already open. I refresh it once, and