Kieran’s POV Waking up with Zoey curled against my side makes the looming uncertainties of the day feel like distant storms on the horizon—still threatening, but not yet here. Her warmth grounds me, a quiet reminder of what matters. For a moment, everything else fades. Just her. Just us. We get dressed quietly, exchanging soft looks and a few hushed words, and then make our way to the office. There's still unfinished business from last night, and it demands our full attention. Raven and Lucien are already there, waiting. Zoey settles into her seat beside me, her expression calm but alert. We discuss the plan again—clean, deliberate, and necessary. Then, Lily is brought in. It doesn't take long for things to spiral. Lily opens her mouth and says something smug, something stupid. The words barely leave her throat before Ragnar surges forward. My vision tints red, and before I know it, my hand is wrapped around hers. She gasps violently as her feet lift off the floor, her throat crus
Zoey’s POV I hold my breath as Anders stares at the open journal in front of him, hesitation flickering across his usually composed face. “What is it, Anders?” I press, my voice tight with impatience. He doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, he rubs his bald head sighing deeply. “I started going through my brother’s journals,” he begins, “and I found something. I think I finally know what triggered your reaction—the day your parents died.” My breath stills. He continues, voice low, unreadable. “Andrew spent his entire life researching Moonborns. You and your brother, specifically. He knew that traditional wolf poisons like wolfsbane have no effect on Moonborns… unless they’re combined with the root of Moonbane. That’s what was in the ‘candy’ Maven gave you.” My body tenses, anger flashing through me. “But how did Ronan know that? How could he have known how to hurt me?” Anders shakes his head. “I don’t know. But we’ve just confirmed something important. We need to be more carefu
Kieran’s POVAs soon as the door to Anders’ cabin shuts behind Lucien and me, and I’m sure Zoey is safe—truly safe—my entire being shifts into one purpose. One singular drive.I say nothing. My steps are heavy, calculated, echoing with intent as I head straight for the dungeon, my mind swirling with rage and confusion. Zoey deserves peace. She deserves to sleep tonight without fear, without being haunted by memories of her past.But how can I promise her peace when I haven’t ended the threat that caused her the most pain?“How are you even functioning right now?” Lucien asks, trailing behind me, concern in his voice as our boots descend the cold, spiraling stone stairs of the dungeon. The air is dank with mildew and the metallic scent of blood—old and new.“I don’t want to talk,” I reply shortly, jaw clenched. “Not yet.”Two of my warriors stand by the cell door, tension stiffening their postures when they see me. They’ve been here since we returned from Arrow Heart, guarding the walk
Zoey's POVI don’t wait for either of them. I asked them both to come, but something deeper than logic pulls me forward. It’s like a tether wrapped around my spine, guiding me across the overgrown lawn of the once-glorious kingdom. With every step, memories flicker at the edges of my mind—the last time I held my brother’s hand, the last time our family laughed together before it all fell apart.I push the memories down, not allowing them to root. Not now. I need clarity, not chaos.The large double doors of the kingdom creak as I push them open. The stale scent of disuse and damp wood wraps around me as I step inside. My feet carry me, almost on instinct, to Alpha Alex’s old office—the place where so many decisions were made, including ones that changed the course of my life.The room is silent, suffocating, like it remembers every word ever yelled inside it. The scent of mildew clings to the corners, mixing with the faint hint of aged leather and old anger. I cross to the desk, the o
Kieran’s POV I’m not sure what it was. Usually, when Ragnar comes forward like this, nothing stops him until there's a lifeless body—or bodies—at my feet. But this time… something does. Maybe it’s because the bag of bones I’m pummeling is someone I once called brother. Maybe it’s the memory of Zoey’s horrified face last time I lost control, that flash of fear in her eyes—of me. I swore to myself I wouldn’t let her look at me like that again. So I stop. Blood is streaming from Damon’s nose, slicking his face in crimson. It smears his teeth. Bruises bloom across his jaw like ink in water. Lucien and Raven hover nearby, caught between shock and relief. But Zoey—Zoey is nowhere to be seen. Not again. I don’t need to think. My feet are already moving, carrying me toward her like they’ve been waiting for this moment. I don’t know how, but somehow I know exactly where she is. Her voice slices through the quiet of the compound, frayed and trembling despite the calm she tries to wear l
Zoey’s POV Before I can blink, Kieran is on Damon—fist after fist slamming into him with the fury of a thunderstorm. His snarls cut through the silence, guttural and wild, like a beast unchained. I freeze, my breath catching. And suddenly, I’m back in the dungeon again. Not physically—but in memory. The last time I saw him like this. Unrecognizable. Savage. Consumed by rage. Back then, it terrified me. Now… now I feel it again. That same knot of fear tightening in my gut. My mate, the one who’s protected me, the one that makes me feel safe buried under something violent and primal. I don’t want to be afraid of him again. I can’t. I bolt from the room, the clash of bodies and the shout of voices growing faint behind me. Raven’s scream, Lucien’s growl—they're trying to pull Kieran off Damon, but I know it won’t work. Not until he decides to stop. My feet carry me away—away from the carnage, away from the weight of the accusation that had shattered the room. Not to my room, where