LOGINClarissa’s POV The world for me has always been a map of sounds and feelings. I can’t see the sun but I can feel its warmth on my skin. I can’t see the trees but I can hear the wind rustling their leaves and smell the sweet scent of pine after it rains. My feet know the path from my small room to the great hall by the way the stone floor feels, smooth and cool, then rough where it was repaired after a fight long ago.I sat on the floor of my room with my back against the cool stone wall. The window was open and a soft breeze carried the smell of baking bread from the kitchen. I closed my eyes, even though it made no difference to what I saw. It helped me focus. I pushed away the smell of the bread and the sound of children playing outside. I sank down, deep inside myself, and listened to the pack.It was a sea of feelings. So many worries, like little waves splashing against me. Alpha Thompson had made everyone afraid. His rules were hard and his punishments were harder. The pack fel
Clarissa's POV Morning light meant little to me because I could not see it, but I could feel it. It came like a soft warmth on my face, slipping through the window beside my bed. Jasmine, my loyal dog, had been up before me. I could hear her tail brushing the floor and the quiet rhythm of her breathing as she waited for me to move.“Good morning, Jasmine,” I said softly.She barked once. That was a cheerful sound that always made me smile. I stretched, feeling the cool air touch my skin, and listened to the familiar sounds of the house waking up. Somewhere outside, I heard Tessy moving things around while humming to herself.It had been a long night. I had not slept well after the mindlink that came to me so suddenly. The voice had been soft and almost gentle, but was filled with urgency. It was Camellia. Her tone still echoed in my mind. “Clarissa, come to me tomorrow. There is something you must know.”I did not ask questions then. When Camellia called, it was never without reason.
Helen's POV The night was quiet, too quiet for comfort. I sat in my room, staring at the soft glow of the lantern on my table. I couldn’t sleep. My mind wouldn’t let me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Clarissa's face again. The blind girl who somehow returned stronger than before. The one everyone whispered about with awe, pity, or both.She was supposed to stay broken. That’s what people like her did. They fell and stayed down. But she hadn’t.And that… that made me hate her more than I wanted to admit.The council had welcomed her back like she was some savior. They spoke of her like she was an important personality, and how she carried something rare inside her. I didn’t care about any of that. All I saw was how easily the pack’s eyes turned from me to her. How they smiled at her, even though she couldn’t see them.I was part of the ruling council now. I had fought, schemed, and smiled my way to that seat. I had earned it. Yet, the moment she returned, it was as if my years
Clarissa's POV The hostility and animosity toward me from pack members had become painfully obvious. I remembered going to the kitchen one afternoon to get a cup of tea when a female pack member suddenly bumped into me. The cup slipped from my hands, shattered on the floor, and the hot liquid splashed across my feet. Instead of apologizing, she hissed and began hurling insults at me.I was called all sorts of unprintable names, yet I chose to walk away. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t her fault—or that of the others who treated me the same way. I knew whose hand was behind it all. Helen. She was poisoning their minds, planting seeds of hatred in their hearts.But the height of it all came one night after I had taken a warm shower. I was just getting ready to rest when someone knocked on the door. The messenger said Alpha Thompson had sent for me.I frowned, puzzled. “Did he say why?” Tessy asked, her tone sharp with concern.The messenger shook his head. “No, ma’am. I was only told to br
Derek’s POVI woke up drenched in sweat, my breath coming in shallow bursts. The room was silent, except for the faint rustle of the curtains swaying in the night breeze. My heart pounded like a drum inside my chest. I had just had another dream—one of those dreams.It had been happening for the past three nights, always around the same time. I would jolt awake, sweating, shaken, and unable to shake off the feeling that the dream meant something. But tonight’s dream… this one was different. It was clearer, sharper—too real to ignore.I rubbed my face with my palms, trying to steady myself. The events of my life had driven me into a place I could only describe as desperate. A man can carry many burdens, but even the strongest alpha has limits. I was Derek, Alpha of Crescent Moon Pack, leader to many—but I was empty inside.I should have had a mate by now. Every alpha is born to lead beside one—a Luna, a bond of heart and spirit. But mine was gone before it even began.It all started th
Clarissa's POV I began to notice it slowly, like the first chill of winter creeping beneath a door. At first, I thought it was my imagination; that perhaps my blindness had made me oversensitive to people’s tones, to the weight of silence, to the subtle things sighted ones often missed. But then the small changes began to pile up, and the air around me felt different, colder and heavier.The first time was in the pack kitchen. I had gone in with Jasmine padding quietly at my side, her steady breathing guiding me more than the faint scrape of her paws on stone. The scent of baked bread and roasted herbs filled the air, and I smiled, grateful for the normalcy of it. I reached for the counter where I always placed my hand to find my way toward the cupboards.“Good morning,” I said gently, tilting my head toward the warmth of voices I heard ahead.The chatter that had filled the room hushed. For a moment, no one replied. The silence pressed into me, heavy and unnatural. Then one voice, N







