Alina Pov:
Vampires infiltrating the pack and attacking our members wasn’t a minor issue—especially not the day before Nicola was set to take over. It was already being seen as a bad omen. So tell me why, in the middle of all this chaos, Jeremy couldn’t wipe that stupid grin off his face. “I’ve always thought those leeches needed a clean-up,” he said with a smirk. “This just gives us a solid reason to act.” Mother shot him a look, arms crossed “This isn’t something to be excited about, Jeremy. People were hurt.” I added, remembering how badly wounded the wolves were or my fate in the double forest Jeremy’s expression shifted, just slightly. “I know. But we need to act fast. First, we need to figure out how they got past the barrier and into the pack without Father being alerted. If they got in once, they can do it again. And we can’t assume those were the only ones.” Father’s brow furrowed. “You’re suggesting there’s a traitor.” “I’m saying it’s a possibility,” Jeremy replied. “Someone helped them—or at least turned a blind eye.” Mother sighed, her voice quiet but sharp. “We’ve kept the barrier protected for decades. If they slipped through now, someone inside knew how to make it happen.” Jeremy nodded. “Exactly. We need to assume there’s an insider. Someone who knew how to bypass security or distract the patrols.” Father’s jaw was tight. “You’re both right. We’ll begin a silent investigation, so the pack members won't get alarmed" “And what if it’s someone close?” I asked, voice low. “Someone we’d never suspect?” Father looked at me then, tired but steady. “Then we find out the truth anyway. No matter who it is.” Jeremy actually seemed thoughtful for once. “Until then, we can’t trust anyone outside this room. Not completely.” Mother’s gaze shifted toward the window, her voice distant. “We’ve lost enough already. I won’t lose any of you too.” I could hear the sentiment in her voice, the reason we started clearing rouges I watched Jeremy as he spoke. Sometimes I forget he’s capable of more than just swinging fists. He could actually make a strong Alpha—if he didn’t enjoy violence so much or maybe his violent tendencies was a good thing The four of us stayed in that room longer than we meant to, going over details, names, possibilities. When we finally broke apart, the air still felt heavy The pack house felt colder than usual when I made my way back to my room *** Dreams weren't supposed to feel this real. I stood in an endless void, the ground beneath me shifting like mist, neither solid nor liquid. A strange scent filled the air—earth after rain, sharp iron, and something darkly sweet. It curled around me like smoke, sinking into my skin. I heard a sound from a distance A whisper, deep and smooth, brushing against my ears like the wind through leaves. "Come to me." I spun around, my pulse hammering. Someone was there. Shadows moved in the distance, twisting and curling until they took shape. A tall figure stepped forward, his face hidden by the gloom. But his eyes—silver, burning like molten moonlight—pinned me in place. I tried to speak, but my throat locked. My body swayed forward, like something inside me recognized him. A pull. Not gentle. Not kind. It was a force deep in my bones, an invisible thread winding tight around my heart, dragging me toward him. He raised a hand, and though there was still distance between us, I felt his fingers brush my skin. A shiver ran down my spine—pleasure, fear, something I couldn’t name. "You are close," he murmured, his voice curling around me like silk and steel. "But not ready." A sudden, searing pain—like claws raking down my soul. I gasped, doubling over. The shadows twisted again, turning violent, and then— "Wake up." The command crashed into me like a wave. I jolted upright in bed, sucking in air like I’d been drowning. My chest heaved, my skin damp with sweat, but it wasn’t the heat that made me tremble. It was the pull. This wasn’t just a dream. I shoved the blankets off, my heart hammering. My mind screamed at me to ignore it, that I knew better, but my body moved on it's own. My mate—whoever he was—was out there. Waiting. I moved swiftly, slipping on my boots and a dark hoodie along with a black pant, The packhouse was quiet, the halls cast in moonlight as I cracked my window open, the cool night air kissing my skin. I took one last steadying breath. Then I climbed out, heading for the double forest, I also need answers, if I was going to protect my pack from those vampiresAuthor's note: The song used in this chapter is called The willows by Erutan, you can listen it to for better understanding, also when you see these punctuation > and —the other were led by some other witches , but I was sure we were all staying in the same place, I was quite surprised that the witches had hotels and their buildings were made from brick, I didn't know what I was expecting, maybe some woods and trees. She’d left these clothes for me, saying it would be what I’d wear to the festival. The white gown reached down to my heels, sleeveless and elegant. A golden sash was tied tightly around my waist, and a long white strap wrapped around my neck like a choker. For weeks, I had been traveling with Valerian. I’d never had the chance to dress up, and he’d never seen me in a gown like this. Today would be the first. A flutter dropped in my stomach,
Alina pov: Tales of this kingdom had spread across the world, the kind you’d think only existed in fairytales. The land was a mystery, never found on any map, which led most humans to believe it was just a myth. But for us supernaturals—even we were considered myths—it was different. We believed the land was real. We believed it only opened its doors to those it chose. Who would've thought the Witch Forest was hidden here?If not for the urgent need to find the Witch Queen, I would’ve jumped out of the car and started my own adventure, searching for proof that all the legends I’d heard were real.Valerian kept driving along the narrow, winding path. The road wasn’t wide, and we’d been on it for almost an hour. How would we even recognize the Witch Forest when we reached it? All I could see were tall, eerie trees cloaked in thick fog, strange bird calls echoing through the stillness. The atmosphere made my stomach twist, the deeper we went.The car stopped abruptly. Valerian stepped o
Alina pov: i couldn't decide if I wanted him closer or not, the bindings held me in place— restricting my movement—his mouth was making me feel so much pleasure I hadn't even known was possible. I almost whimpered from the loss of contact when he pulled away from me Gasping, I barely had the time to catch my breath before I felt his fingers again sliding through my now sensitive spot—slow, teasing—as they brushed over the wetness his mouth had left behind. his fingers pressed on it, moving a circular motion, gentle at first, then deliberate. My toes curled. My head fell back."Mmh.." I bit my lip to stop the sound that slipped free, when I felt a sharp pain pierced through my nipples, it was so sudden that I let out a cry"Shhhhh, it'll ease" Valerian whispered as his fingers continued the circular motion. The pain did ease, just like he said—but it didn’t stop. It shifted, morphing into a strange vibration, a tugging, pulling sensation that shot down to my core. "Ah—aah—mmm" My b
Alina pov By the time we returned, night had already fallen. My shoulders felt light, still wrapped in the afterglow of our outing. Valerian had taken me mountain climbing and skydiving. It was easily one of the best experiences of my life.Standing at the peak of a mountain, screaming into the open sky without a care in the world, then plummeting through the air only to bounce back up—it was wild, freeing, and so alive. I’d had so much fun, I hadn’t even noticed the sun had dipped below the horizon. We had to cut the adventure short and return back.As we stepped into the house, I noticed something odd—the sitting room lights were still on, which was unusual during this time of the night. Usually, everyone would be off doing their own thing.“Xavier,” Valerian called out, slowing beside me. I followed his gaze.Xavier sat on the arm of the couch, arms crossed. Rory leaned casually against the wall nearby, twirling a dagger between his fingers.They both straightened at the sound of
Alina pov:I walked towards Valerian, grinning.Fighting with Lucian had been fun—exhilarating even. It let me release the stress and frustration I’d been bottling up for days. It reminded me of training sessions back in my pack, the thrill of pushing limits and landing solid hits. I missed that.Still grinning, I came to a stop in front of Valerian.His expression was the complete opposite of mine. poker face in place, only the slight twitch of his eyebrows gave him away. He was silent not uttering a word.After a long, awkward pause, I broke the silence "that was fun" I said, beaming, still buzzing from the adrenaline rush.Valerian stayed silent, his aura heavy, I frowned tilting my head up at him "what's—" My stomach growled loudly—deciding that this was the perfect opportunity to let out a protest since it had been ignored for long.I froze in place, mortified. I glanced toward Creys and the others, who were watching with barely contained amusement. A few chuckled, and I wished
Alina Pov: I made it downstairs with Valerian in one piece, after our bath and a quick stop by my room to grab a change of clothes. Before making our way toward the group, I silently wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole—after he caught me staring at him, and now my face was as red as a tomato. 'Really, thank you for trying to give this a chance," Kaia giggled inside my head, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to my Lycan. "Being my mate, fate or not, is enough to make me want you. Tell me you didn’t swoon when you heard it," she added, her voice teasing. The fuck? "No, I didn’t," I gritted out 'And why was he so sure I'd fall in love with him? I can't...I couldn't." "I don’t think you understand the meaning of giving this a chance. It means being true and open to love," Kaia chimed in. “Whatever,” I muttered. The sooner I got out of here, the sooner I’d be away from him. He was walking silently behind me, his presence impossible for me to ignore. I