LOGINKeren’s POVThe lake at the edge of the Silver Moon estate was the only place where the air felt thin enough to breathe. It was a mirror of dark, glacial water surrounded by towering pines that whispered in the mountain breeze. I sat on a flat, sun-warmed rock, my knees pulled to my chest, watching Maverick.He was a few yards away, crouching in the tall grass at the water’s edge. He wasn't growling or pushing anyone today. He was just a boy, his tongue poked out in concentration as he tried to track something moving through the reeds. For a few minutes, I allowed myself to forget the "Soul Seed," the Alpha Prime gene, and the shadow of Bree hanging over my neck.Then, the air changed.The scent of spice and rain-soaked earth hit me before I heard the snap of a twig. My body reacted before my brain did. A hum of electricity sparked in my marrow, a magnetic pull that made my skin feel too tight for my bones.I tensed, my hand instinctively reaching for the silver blade hidden in the fo
Fabian’s POVThe morning air was biting, a cold lung-full of mountain mist that usually helped me clear the cobwebs of the night. I was on my third mile around the residential hub of the Silver Moon compound, my boots hitting the gravel in a steady, rhythmic thrum. My wolf was restless, pacing behind my ribs, still vibrating from the pride I’d felt watching Maverick send that bully flying.I rounded the corner near the warrior barracks, slowing my pace as I approached a group of teenagers loitering near the training racks. They didn't see me coming—my scent was downwind—and their voices carried clearly through the crisp air."Did you hear?" one of the boys whispered, leaning against a wooden post. "Alpha Ford cheated on her. That’s the real reason she vanished five years ago.""Shut up, no way," a girl replied, her eyes wide. "Alpha Ford? He’s practically a monk. He hasn't looked at a woman since she left.""I'm telling you, the Luna said it herself! She told him right there in the li
Keren’s POVThe four walls of the guest suite were starting to feel like a cage I had built for myself. For three days, I hadn't let Maverick past the threshold. We watched cartoons until the colors blurred, played with plastic cars on the rug, and ate every meal from trays brought by silent, watchful guards.My dream about the lab, the man with the yellow eyes, and the forgery had settled into my bones like a cold fever. I was paralyzed by a new brand of paranoia. If the Ashfords wanted him as a weapon, and the Vales wanted him as a result, then the only safe place for my son was behind a locked door with me.Maverick started whining and dragging his little body across the bed like a dramatic old man who has been imprisoned for years instead of a five-year-old who just discovered boredom exists.“Mommy,” he groaned, flopping onto his back with a sigh so exaggerated I almost rolled my eyes, “I am soooo bored.”I didn’t answer.My eyes stay glued to the TV, but I’m not watching it.
Keren’s POVThe air in the basement was thick with the scent of ozone and something metallic, a sharp, copper tang that clung to the back of my throat. I was walking down a corridor I had never seen before, located in the deep, restricted underbelly of the Silver Moon compound.In my dream, I was nineteen again. My heart was a frantic bird against my ribs. I remember the guard…. his name was Thomas, a man with a jagged scar across his brow telling me that Ford was waiting for me here. He had said Ford wanted to surprise me after our argument that morning. I had been so eager for peace, so desperate for a sign that he still loved me, that I didn't question why we were heading into the dark.The walls were damp, sweating with moisture. It was creepy, the kind of stillness that felt like a predator holding its breath. I was about to turn back, my hand already on the cold stone of the archway, when I heard it.A whimper. Then a scream that sounded like a soul being torn in half.I moved
Keren’s POVThe new nursery that the twins had built for Maverick in the room beside mine was the only place in the villa where the air didn't feel heavy with the scent of a thousand secrets. I even loved the fact that they had done a conjoining door so I could easily access his room from mine. I had even gone the extra mile and made sure there was no other entrance to his room. If anyone wanted to sneak into his room, they had to go through mine…. meaning they had to go through me. I had spent the afternoon organizing Maverick’s new toys, trying to create a sanctuary of normalcy within the walls of a fortress. Maverick was napping in the car-shaped bed, his breathing deep and even, finally at peace.The door creaked open, and I didn't need to look up to know who it was. The smell of expensive jasmine and something metallic that always reminded me of the clinic drifted in.Bree."It really is a lovely room," she said, her voice a soft, melodic chime. She stepped inside, her hands
Keren’s POVThe morning air at the Silver Moon compound was crisp, but the heat radiating from the two men flanking me was enough to make the back of my neck sweat. We were walking toward the training grounds, a sprawling field of packed dirt and obstacle courses where the warriors spent their dawn hours.I had decided to stop being a ghost. Hiding in the guest suite was defensive; moving among the pack was offensive."You're quiet this morning, Keren," Ford said, his voice hopeful. He walked closer to me than usual, his shoulder occasionally brushing mine. Every time it happened, that familiar, unwanted fire licked at my skin.I didn't answer him. Instead, I turned my head slightly toward Fabian. "I was just thinking about the library," I said, my voice softening just enough to be noticeable. "I want to spend more time there. I feel like I missed so much of the pack’s history. I want to understand your world better, Fabian."I saw the way Fabian’s green eyes lit up. He reached out, h







