LOGINTracy’s POV I looked around the room as the last of the warriors came through the doors. Corbin was with them. So were Raiden and Zayden, Kael, Ryker, and the rest of the warriors who had gone with them. Every face I had been waiting to see was finally back inside the palace. My shoulders finally relaxed. Kieran and Theron were in the floor playing nearby, completely unconcerned with the fact that their fathers and half the warriors in the kingdom had just returned from a battle. Kieran had a toy floating in the air, while Theron watched it with the kind of concentration that told me he was probably trying to decide whether he wanted to take the toy. I smiled. “Those two have been showing off since they left,” Sarah said as she came up beside me. I glanced at her. “Only since they left?” Across the room, Marge spotted Corbin and immediately headed toward him. He caught her in his arms, and for a moment they simply held each other. I watched them, then looked back toward the door
Raiden’s POV The moment Ryker’s team hit the perimeter, the compound erupted. Warriors poured from the buildings before the first group had even cleared the outer wall. The sound of shifting bones and snarling wolves ripped through the darkness as both sides collided. I shifted without hesitation. Nyx surged forward, and the world changed. The scent of wolves filled the air. Adrenaline, dirt, blood, and the sharp metallic scent of silver hung around us as we charged through the opening Ryker’s team had created. Zayden was beside me. We moved together without needing to speak. A warrior lunged toward me, and I caught him before his claws could reach my chest. I drove him backward, twisted, and sent him crashing into the ground. Zayden took down another beside me before either of us had to look toward the other. We had spent too many years fighting together to need instructions now. “Left!” Zayden shouted. I turned just as two wolves came through the trees. I met the first one h
Zayden’s POV The compound was exactly where Kael had said it would be. Hidden beyond a stretch of thick trees, surrounded by enough land to make approaching it unnoticed almost impossible unless you knew what you were looking for. Tonight, we knew exactly what we were looking for. I crouched behind the cover of the trees and studied the compound in the distance. The walls were high, reinforced in several places, and there were warriors stationed around the outer perimeter. Ralph had prepared for an attack. What he hadn’t prepared for was us arriving before he had a chance to make the first move. Raiden was beside me, his attention fixed on the compound. Kael stood a few feet away with Ryker and Corbin. Each of them had a small group of warriors positioned behind them, waiting for the signal. Nobody was talking loudly. Nobody needed to. We had gone over the plan enough times before leaving the palace. Now it was about execution. Ryker crouched beside us and pointed toward the far
Raiden’s POV The room had gone quiet after my last words. “We attack them first.” Nobody immediately argued or disagreed. That told me more than anything else could have. Everyone in the room understood what that meant. We weren’t talking about sending a few warriors to scout Ralph’s territory. We weren’t talking about making a threat or waiting for another attack. We were talking about ending this. I leaned back in my chair and looked around the room. Zayden sat beside me, his expression thoughtful. Traci was across from us, with Sarah nearby. Corbin and Marge were still there, along with Kael and Ryker. The twins were the only ones who seemed completely unconcerned with what was happening. Kieran and Theron sat in their high chairs, happily entertaining themselves with whatever food had been put in front of them. I almost envied them. They looked like they didn’t have a care in the world. While we’re discussing an attack, they are eating, floating their food, or doing whatever
Zayden’s POV By lunchtime, a lot of the surrounding packs have already shown up. We were finally able to sit down and have lunch. Traci sat beside me at the table while Raiden sat across from us, and the rest of the room had filled with familiar faces. Corbin and Marge had barely taken their seats before their attention went straight to the two little boys sitting in their high chairs. Kieran and Theron had apparently decided eating lunch wasn’t nearly as entertaining as making everyone watch them eat lunch. Marge leaned toward Kieran and wiped a little bit of food from his cheek. “There you go, handsome.” Kieran stared at her for a second before grabbing another piece of fruit. He didn’t put it in his mouth. Instead, the fruit lifted from his tiny hand and floated several inches above the tray. Marge’s eyes widened. “Well, look at that.” The piece of fruit drifted across the table. Corbin reached for it. Kieran immediately moved it away. Corbin stopped with his hand hanging in
Raiden’s POV After the mind link with Traci ended, Zayden and I knew there would be a problem. We rushed out there to take care of the situation, or at least to see if anything was going down. I almost made it to Traci when I saw Edward reach into his pocket. Something fell onto the ground. The small packet landed at Edward’s feet, and for one second, nobody moved. Then Kael stepped forward. “Oh, what do we have here?” Edward looked down. His face changed immediately. Kael bent and picked up the packet carefully, making sure not to disturb whatever was inside. He held it away from his body and looked at me. “Take it,” I said. “Get it tested as soon as possible.” Kael already knew what to do and headed toward the palace without another word. Edward suddenly turned, trying to move in the opposite direction. “Stop him.” The warriors surrounding us reacted instantly. Two grabbed Edward before he could get more than a couple of steps away. He fought against them, twisting hard enou
Raiden’s POVRogue attacks across the kingdom had gotten worse every year.What once started as small raids along distant borders had evolved into organized assaults with strategy behind them. More warriors. Better timing. Stronger fighters. Somebody was building an army in the shadows, and whoever
Zayden’s POV“Sienna,” I muttered against her neck as she settled herself onto my lap with a satisfied little smirk.Soft music drifted through my chambers while firelight flickered across the walls, casting golden shadows over the room. The scent of vanilla and wine clung heavily to the air. Hones
Zayden’s POVPeople hear the words Alpha King and immediately imagine some noble male standing on a balcony giving inspirational speeches while dramatic wind blows through his hair.Absolute bullshit.Most days consisted of paperwork, meetings, threats disguised as diplomacy, and elders breathing d
Raiden’s POVThe steady scratching of my pen against paper filled the office while morning sunlight spilled through the towering windows behind me. Stacks of reports covered nearly every inch of my desk. Territory disputes. Border patrol updates. Financial summaries. Supply inventories. Apparently







