LOGINCyrus'POV“Taken?” I asked, now curious.She nodded her head as she took in a deep breath.“On her 18th birthday, she disappeared. There was an attack in the coven as well, so we all assumed that she was among the many we lost that day.” Her eyes glistened as tears threatened to make an appearance.“We were shocked to see her resurface with your king. That’s when we found out that she was actually captured and held prisoner.”I kicked myself internally. Everything made sense now. I could never understand why Dom had been so patient with her. Why sh was so fierce one second and then timid the next.I was careless with in the beginning. I could only imagine how trapped she might have felt. And my coldness didn’t help.‘We will be better in the future.’ Xio announced.“My Luna has been through a lot it seems.” She looked at me with a mixture of sorrow and nodddd in agreement.“Your Luna, my High Priestess.” She smiled sweetly and nearly took my breath away.Her breath caught. I shifted c
Dom's POVTheir bodies hung in full display. Exposed as a warning. Gasps erupted as the crowd took them in. Some growled while others fell to their knees in shame.Everyone’s eyes shifted to me once I stepped forward. The images of Ana only fulling the rage that simmered in my chest. I pushed my alpha aura out violently, letting it crash into everyone.The air around me trembled and every spine bent. Their heads lowered into submission. Amos surged forward, merging with me.“My Luna was attacked last night.”The square fell completely silent, and not one eye dared to look at me.“And she carries my heir.”A ripple of growls l, gasps, and whimpers spread through the crowd, but none dared to look at me.“I told you all what would happen if you disobeyed my order,” I roared, power cracking the stone beneath my feet.“And still, traitors and rogues dared to lay a hand on her.”I pushed my aura out with more force, so much so that everyone present bowed until their foreheads touched the ea
Dom's POVHer eyes fluttered, and I felt her tap into my energy and after a few seconds, the sigil on the sanctuary door glowed. It began to crack until it dissolved, and the door finally creaked open.The moment she fell limp against my chest, the healers rushed forward in soft sobs and whispered prayers.Hannah arrived first, already naked and covered in blood and dirt from the fight. She didn’t waste a second. She only locked eyes with me, nodded once, and slid into her medical role beside the coven’s healers.“Priority patient!” she barked, voice sharp.“Possible deep lacerations and internal bleeding!”I carried her into the infirmary and placed her onto a bed, and they immediately got to work. Magic flared blue around Ana as three healers placed their hands over her wounds and another began cutting the clothes off of her. A few Lycans with torn limbs were ushered in behind her, but they were directed to the edges of the sanctuary’s infirmary.I stayed beside her as they worked.
Anastasia's POVThe Moon Goddess thrummed inside of me angry and protective, but I had poured too much magic into sealing the sanctuary. I couldn’t pull enough power fast enough.The creature lunged again. I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting impact but it didn’t come, instead, a roar shattered the air.I barely lifted my head in time to see a blur of dark fur slam into the twisted wolf that stood over me. It was ripped off me with brutal, effortless force.Amos. No, it was both of them. How?They tore the rogue apart, shredding it until nothing remained but scraps on the forest floor.I forced my blurred eyes open and struggled to pull in air. Our bond pulled their attention to me immediately. They quickly came to me, chest heaving, and their glowing orange eyes were scanning me.His entire body jerked and in the next breath, he shifted back. Fur collapsing into skin, and claws curling into fingers that trembled as he dropped to his knees in front of me.“Ana.” His voice cracked, shatt
Anastasia's POV The moment Elara screamed “ROGUES!” the entire circle shattered. The warm hum of the Goddess inside me snapped into awareness and every instinct I had, mine and Hers, surged in the same direction. 'Protect them. Protect them all.' the most angelic voice filled not only my mind but my soul. I didn’t think or even breathe. Before I knew it, my palm hit the ground and power erupted out of me in pulse of white and gold light. A barrier shot outward, curving over the clearing like a shimmering dome just as the first rogue burst through the treeline. The impact rattled the shield, sending ripples across the surface. “High Priestess!” Rowan’s voice rang out somewhere behind me, but I was already stepping forward, holding the barrier steady with one hand. More shapes moved between the trees. It was too many and they were too fast. Some were Lycans, but others… I froze. Wolves. They looked just like the ones who attacked our coven before. Huge and twisted. Thei
Anastasia's POVMy legs trembled as tears spilled down my cheeks. The weight of Her recognition, of Her acceptance, it was overwhelming.A soft sob came from somewhere in the circle, and then another. They felt it too.Their magic pulsed in the air, trembling with awe and emotion. Some of them fell to their knees while others leaned on each other but they never broke the circle.For the first time in my life, I had no doubt of who I was or what I was meant to do. The Moon Goddess herself was validating that for me. I truly am a natural born High Priestess.The thought alone nearly broke me again. She didn’t hate me, she didn’t disown me. She had chosen me.Ester’s voice cracked as she finished the final blessing. “By blessings of the Moon Goddess, the guidance of our ancestors, and witnesses of this sacred circle, we recognize you, Anastasia, as our High Priestess. May your path be steady, your spirit strong, and your intuition ever clear.”The coven chanted in ancient, repeating the







