POV: Mina***The cold mist hadn’t completely lifted from my skin. Every breath seemed to filter the echoes of Lyreth’s voice, my mother’s voice, my own fears.I clutched my chest where the weight had been sitting since we returned. Whether it was the blood bond… or the guilt—I wasn’t sure. Maybe both.“How far is it?” My voice came out in a whisper as we left the rocky crevice behind.Halvar didn’t look back. “Depends on how deep you’re willing to go.”I frowned. “What do you mean?”Zehra spoke from beside me, her voice sharp, but not unkind. “The Umbra Knot isn’t just a physical location. It moves. It surrounds. It responds to blood. And now, because Lyreth is wounded and you're bound to her, the path to the Knot has opened. But at a cost.”“A cost?”“Your soul will be laid bare before
POV: MinaThe sky above us was still gray when we returned from the pursuit. Zehra didn’t speak much, and Halvar walked slightly ahead, as if giving me space.I should’ve felt relieved—Rue was no longer vanishing into shadows. But that encounter left a bitter taste in my throat. Not because she didn’t apologize. But because… part of me still wished I could have my old friend back.The one she used to be."Is that stupid?" I murmured without thinking.Zehra turned to me. "What?"I shook my head. "Nothing. Forget it."But as always, Zehra could read me without needing an expla
POV: MinaI don’t know where I am.I don’t know who I am.There are voices, light, shadows whispering in a language I once knew—but can no longer understand.“You are a curse.”“You were born from a traitor’s blood.”“Everything would be better if you disappeared.”I tremble, wrapping my arms tightly around myself, trying to block out those voices—voices like nails hammered into my skull. I know this isn’t the real world. But it’s not a dream either. This is... something in-between. A place where souls get lost when body and mind come undone.
POV: MinaI didn’t know how long I’d been in this place.The sky above my head never changed. Black, silent, and curved around me like I was trapped inside the ribcage of some ancient sleeping creature. But I could feel its heartbeat. Faint. Like a second pulse echoing from deep beneath the earth.“I’m not afraid…” I whispered softly.But that was a lie.Thora didn’t answer. She hadn’t vanished, but she was silent. As if the voices flooding my mind were drowning her out. Voices that… shouldn’t exist.“You’re a monster, Mina. Just like your mother.”“You think those two alphas love you for who you are?”“They only want your power. Not your heart.”“Traitor. Cursed child.”I covered my ears. But the voices kept flowing. From the shadows. From the cracks. From the mist.“What is this
POV: Nyxon Our steps grew heavier. The path we followed—one littered with roots, moss, and endless mist—had taken us deeper into the forest. But... not to the right place. Benjamin, usually the calmest among us, had begun sighing more often. And even Dad—typically stoic and cold as a stone—had glanced left and right with growing suspicion. “I’m not seeing any consistent tracks,” Benjamin muttered as he crouched, brushing the soil with his fingertips. “It’s like we’re walking in circles.” “Could be magic from the Umbra Knot,” I replied, though even I was starting to doubt it. Dad stopped ahead of us. His gaze was sharp, cutting through us. “You’re following signs—not reading intent.” He turned to me. “Are you sure this is the direction Mina took?” I clenched my jaw. “The signs match everything the old Umbrawolf gatekeepers described. Thick fog, black moss on trees, wind that shifts direction suddenly—” “And all of that could be a trap,” Dad cut in. “You want to waste time
(POV: Kaiden) My steps halted at the edge of a narrow cliff, overlooking a fog-drenched valley. The wind here no longer felt like air—it carried whispers. Faint voices that did not belong to this world. Every breath I took felt like I was inhaling shadows.Sköll, my wolf, murmured in my mind.‘You feel that?’‘Yeah.’‘They’re watching us.’I clenched my fists, trying to still the strange tremble pulsing through my veins. The energy from this valley wasn’t like anywhere else. It wasn’t just dark—it was deep. Like a black sea hiding monsters beneath its surface.I had followed Mina’s tracks as far as I could. Even when her scent vanished, I knew where she had gone—straight into the heart of all this. To the place I’d sworn never to step foot into.Umbra Knot.I’d once heard that name whispered among the old warriors. They said whoever entered would never come back the same. But Mina had entered. And I... I couldn’t turn back.Not because she was my mate. But because I couldn’t l