LucianMy own elders. Not one, but almost all of them shuffled through the crowd out to my presence. All were present, except Quade—draped in their red garments. Elder Balad—who seemed to be the one who spoke earlier, stepped forward. “We can’t say for sure if they are manipulators or not,” he continued, pausing for a brief moment and scanning the faces of the sacred pack members. “But who are we not to trust your instincts, Alpha? You have been leading us for years. There’s been tough times and as well, rosy times, but for once, this pack has never fallen. We trust you, Alpha, and we respect whatever decision you make.”My heart squeezed with emotion, but my face showed no hint of emotion. My hands which have been curled into a ball loosened. I never knew how much my wolf and inner self needed to hear a sentence like this. I had braced myself to lose it all against my elders, but for the first time in a while, they did their jobs—supporting me. Before I could even find a word of a
FionaMy breath caught in my lungs. I froze. My heart thumping loud into my ears. There’s no way this could be possible. I must be hallucinating or something. Alpha Maddox can’t be here. He can’t be in my brother's office, chatting as if they were long-term friends. But the laughter—the sharp emotionless sound that echoed out through the door told me that this was real. My feet moved without the permission of my brain. I carefully rest my ear on the cold wooden door, waiting for another word from Maddox. My heart almost jumped into my throat when the door suddenly swung open, causing me to stagger slightly. “What are you doing here?” Orion’s voice was detached. It was almost as if he was talking to a mere stranger. “I… I wanted to tell you about—”“You shouldn’t be here,” he protested, momentarily interrupting me. “You’re meant to be out there helping the wounded.”My brows furrowed. I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. Or what I was seeing. Orion shielded my vie
FionaWe both watched as the murderer vanished under the cover of the blackened sky. Hours later, the stables were cleared. Damir’s son, now sleeping peacefully in my arms, stirred only once when I passed him to a nurse. I kissed his forehead and whispered into his ears that he was safe now. And I hoped to the goddess that would be true. It needs to be true. Morning light had long since broken through the clouds, and now the sun poured its rays over the pack hospital in pale gold. Inside, the scent of blood and antiseptics filled the halls. Painful moans and murmured reassurance passed from room to room. I refused to let any nurse fuss over me. My wounds were minor, and it could wait. After all, Mera was doing her best to cover them up. Slowly. I worked with them, moving from room to room, mopping wounds, applying salves, and wrapping bandages, also making sure the injured swallowed their medicine. My jaw clenched, and my fingers tightened around the silk cloth I was using to mo
FionaMy blood ran cold. “Damascus,” I whispered. Orion stumbled to his feet, body hunched forward, and his breathing labored. His back had become a map of fresh burns, ripped skin and dried blood. And yet, he somehow found the strength to bare his teeth. “You bastard. You should be dead,” he growled. Damascus took a step into the stable, moonlight catching the glint in his eyes. He didn’t bother hiding the wide gash across his chest, or the blood pouring from his side. But he was walking. Breathing. And smiling. “Well, I was dead,” he said with a chuckle. “You had a silver blade to my chest—good aim by the way. But there’s a secret, one I’m sure you’d be interested to hear.”Orion narrowed his eyes. “I’m only interested in one thing—another chance to slice through your heart.”“Oh, so you do believe in second chances,” he walked closer to a horse, carefully caressing its back with his bloodied hand, like a lover admiring a cherished relic. “Let me tell you one thing about second
FionaI’ve heard so many stories. Wolf and tangled whispers that floated through the air when I was just a pup. Back then, Orion would sit with me, wide eyes and a voice dipped in mystery, telling me tales of witches. Evil and ungodly creatures. He’d whisper about their abilities, their portals and shadows as well as their ability to bend and mature to their will. About how they once controlled the skies and even dared to challenge the moon goddess herself. I’d curl into his arms and ask, ‘are they real?’ And Orion would grin and say, ‘if they are not, then who are we supposed to fear the most?’Back then I thought it was all tales and made-up stories. Until now. Two figures emerged from the mysterious swirling portal. Both of them were cloaked in darkness, their eyes shimmering like molten silver. Even from across the room, I felt their power, dripping off like the venom of a poisonous snake—slick and suffocating. I moved quickly, grabbing the boy by the shoulder. “Come on, we hav
FionaOrion didn’t speak, and I didn’t know if I should wait for his response, or I should just leave. But my legs won’t move, my brain is somehow waiting for him to register my demand. To argue. Or maybe to stop me. Finally, he rose, his eyes not leaving Damir’s body. “This is my mistake, and I will take care of it. Leaving this place isn’t a mistake I can take care of. In fact, I won’t allow it.”I scoffed bitterly. “Do you still think you have a right over my life after this? After what your ignorance has caused?”Before he could give me an answer, a familiar voice boomed from the end of the hallway. “That is enough!”We turned sharply to the source of the voice. Damascus stood several feet away, half of his body covered by shadows from where some lights seemed to have gone off, and flanking his sides were several other warriors. His shirtless torso was smeared with blood with his chest rising and falling with rage. His lips were curled into a snarl as he pointed straight at Ori