MasukFreda’s P.O.VAva tugged on my cloak and stepped back to admire her work. “Perfect. You almost look unrecognizable.”I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult. My once-silver hair, which had grown brighter since the mark began glowing, was now buried beneath a deep brown hood smeared with ash to dull its shine. Ava had also smeared dirt across my cheeks “for realism,” though I was certain she enjoyed doing it more than necessary.“I feel like a thief,” I muttered, adjusting the hood again.Lena snickered from the side. “You look like one too. But that’s the point, sweetheart. No one would suspect a thief to carry ancient blood.”Craig’s voice cut through our chatter. “We move in five minutes.”Even without looking, I could feel his presence — steady, commanding, distant. For the past two days, he’d avoided looking directly at me, like my existence was something too heavy to bear. It was frustrating. I didn’t ask for his attention, but the silence between us fe
Freda’s P.O.V“I’m tired.”Ava passed a bottle of water to me after taking a sip. Her lips were dry, her hair clinging to her temples. We had been on this journey for two whole days, stopping only for short breaks in between. The air smelled of dust and pine, and the soles of my boots felt like they’d been rubbed raw.The past two days had done nothing but widen the space between Craig and me. For reasons I couldn’t explain, it felt like he was intentionally avoiding me. He spoke to everyone else, gave commands, planned routes — but when it came to me, he said nothing. And because of that, Ava, who was always by my side, ended up being ignored too.“Sorry,” Ava muttered, catching her breath. “I believe we’ll take a break soon. Everyone’s exhausted.”I looked around and realized she was right. Most of the warriors were leaning on one another, trying to keep their balance. Their steps were slower now, heavier. Some wiped sweat from their foreheads with trembling hands. The only ones who
Freda’s P.O.V“What are you searching for?”I asked again, this time softer, hoping Craig would finally tell me something—anything—about what he was truly after.But instead of answering, his expression shifted. The openness that had briefly been there vanished behind a wall of calm indifference. “I think they’re gone,” he said flatly. “Let’s go back to camp.”I nodded slowly, understanding what his silence meant. He wasn’t ready to open up—not to me. No matter how many battles we’d survived together, or how many nights we’d shared by the same fire, I was still just a stranger to him.We walked in silence through the forest, the only sound coming from the faint crunch of leaves beneath our boots. The sky had turned pale gold, streaks of sunlight piercing through the dense canopy. The world around us looked calm, almost peaceful, but my chest felt heavy. There was a growing space between us, one that no amount of shared danger could close.By the time we reached the camp, most of the o
Adrian’s P.O.VThe sound of glass shattering filled the room, echoing sharply as fragments scattered across the floor. The maids flinched and hurried backward, but my beta stood rooted in place, his eyes downcast, his hands clenched behind his back.“I’m sorry,” he muttered.I flexed my hand, forcing myself to calm down when all I truly wanted was to smash something else. The rage boiling in me was too loud, too raw to ignore.“I can’t believe you all lost to just one outcast Alpha.”Silence followed.Jason knew better than to offer me any lame excuses. What could he possibly say? It was already humiliating enough that I had lost to Craig. But what stung more was that I had lost her. Freda.And now, I had no clue where she was or what she was doing. How was I supposed to make her my Luna if she had completely vanished from my grasp?The only lead we had was the rumor that she was with that outcast Alpha — the same man fighting to reclaim his pack from his uncle. If she truly intended
Freda’s P.O.VThe fire crackled softly, sending thin ribbons of smoke curling into the night air. The forest around us was still—calmer than it had been in days. Craig sat opposite me, his back against a fallen log, his arm completely healed.For the first time since we escaped, I allowed myself to breathe.My fingers brushed the faint glow on my thigh. The mark wouldn’t stop pulsing beneath my skin. It wasn’t painful, but it carried a strange warmth, like something alive was sleeping inside me, waiting to wake.Craig’s eyes flicked toward me. “It’s glowing again,” he said quietly.Ever since I got the mark, this was the first time it had glowed continuously.I nodded, staring at the silver veins that shimmered faintly under my skin. “It started right after the fight. It’s been doing this on and off since then.”He leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. “That’s not normal magic. It’s something deeper—ancient.”“Ancient?” I repeated, trying to keep my voice steady.He nodded. “The
Adrian’s P.O.VIt was hard for me to believe that I’d been beaten — and not just by anyone, but by an outcast Alpha.I winced as the maid pressed a damp cloth against my wound. The pain burned through my shoulder, hot and unforgiving. If only we still had a healer in the pack, I wouldn’t be sitting here gritting my teeth like this.This—this was exactly why I had to get Freda back.“Where is Adrian?” My father’s growl rumbled through the corridor, shaking the air. I could hear the hurried footsteps and panicked whispers of the servants outside. No one ever wanted to face him when he was angry.The first group he’d sent to retrieve Freda had failed miserably. Now, I had failed too—and returned wounded.The door slammed open. The moment my father stepped in, the maid tending to me dropped the cloth and fled without a word.“Where is she?” His tone was cold, final, heavy with authority.I said nothing, just clenched my jaw. The pain was bad, but my pride hurt worse. I had never lost a fi







