Daisy's POV
I lay on the bed as I watched Dickson sleep so quietly. I can not help but smile at how cute he looks while fast asleep. After lodging at a hotel, I had to move him back to my place around 5am in the morning because it felt awkward if I and Dickson slept together at a hotel. Dickson told me he needed more sleep and that we would talk once the day became bright. Clearly, he was still slightly tipsy from last night's drinking and needed more rest so I allowed him to sleep. The time is already 8am, courtesy to the clock hanging carelessly on the wall. I want to wake him up because I have a bad feeling that his new mate, Rosa might walk in on us but at the same time, I want Dickson to have enough rest. Even after everything he did for me last night, I still love Dickson and a part of me is holding out for him to return back to his senses. "It is creepy to watch people sleep." Dickson mumbles, his rough voice startling me. I gulp a lump down my throat and watch him slowly flutter his eyes open. Has he been awake all these while? I am about to reply to him but all of a sudden, the door to my room flies open wide and just as I had imagined the worse, someone steps into the room. Luckily for me it is not my step sister, Rosa but my step mother, Luna. She gasps in shock as I and Dickson jerk off the bed in alarm. I bow my head low to hide the embarrassment I feel. "You brat!" Luna yells, she rushes towards me and smacks me by the arm. I yelp in pain and our eyes meet, Luna's eyes flash red in anger and it scares me. She smacks me again and yells angrily. "How could you do this to your own sister? How do you expect her to feel if she finds out about this?" She growls angrily. I did not feel remorseful at all. Maybe it is because Dickson was mine first and Rosa successfully snatched him away from me. Luna would not understand my feelings anyways, somehow she has always valued Rosa over me. "I would really appreciate it if you do not tell Rosa about this, ma'am." Dickson says in a low tone. Luna scoffs in reply and yells at him "How about you pick a side?" "Rosa's side, anytime and any day. I will always pick Rosa." Dickson says hastily. His words sting again. I suddenly feel stupid for having sex with Dickson because I thought he would reconsider things between us. I feel stupid for waiting for him to return back to me. Dickson no longer has feelings for me, I need to accept that fact, help my wolf heal and move on with my life. "Good. You go, I need to have a word with Daisy." Luna says to Dickson. She points at the door and gestures to him to leave. Dickson nods his head hastily, he bows at her in agreement and does not even bother to spare me a glance. Dickson turns around and walks away. I bite my lower lip to hold back the tears that threaten to fall from my eyes as Luna speaks to me with so much disdain. "This had better remain a secret between you and Dickson, or else I will make sure to banish you out of the kingdom!" Her words cause me to stagger backward. Banish? All of a sudden? "This is such an embarrassment. No one must hear about this. Have I made myself clear?" Luna shoots dagger glares at me. I nod my head in agreement. "Good." Luna hisses and walks out of my room. She slams the door in my face causing me to slump to the floor in defeat and break down into tears. The preparations for the wedding fly by so fast. I stick to my promise to Luna by not telling anyone a single word that transpired between me and Dickson. Although, as I watched Rosa prepare as Dickson's bride, it hurt me because it should have been me. I should have been the one to marry Dickson. Today, I decided to attend the wedding. It is just my own way of finally saying goodbye to Dickson and our four years old relationship. This is the only way I can move on. I step into the open area, a lot of people are already sitting in the chapel with wide grins on their faces. Dickson stands at the podium neatly dressed in a black tuxedo, his hair is neat and he looks extremely gorgeous as a groom. I could not help but allow the drop of tear to fall down my cheeks and force a smile on my face as Luna approached me. "Hold this while I make sure everything is in order." Luna hands me a small microphone. I nod my head at her and watch her disappear into the crowd. I gaze back at Dickson and surprisingly, he is already staring at me. He whispers something to the man standing besides him and slowly begins to walk towards my direction. People make whispering noises as Dickson freezes right in front of me. All eyes are now on us. "Daisy, what are you doing here?" Dickson questions. I clutch the microphone tight and whisper slowly. "Just here to congratulate Rosa." "You can not be here Daisy." Dickson suddenly snaps at me. I scoff, taken aback by his sudden outburst. "So I am not even invited to your wedding? Is that how much you hate me?" I raise my voice a bit. "Daisy. Stop trying to play victim here. You know what I mean. We had sex, it feels weird seeing you at my wedding." Victor mutters through gritted teeth. "So are you suddenly blaming me for having sex with you? You came at me first!" This time my voice echoes loudly through the speakers. I gaze at the microphone and suddenly realize that it has been connected to the speakers. Everyone averted their gaze towards our direction with wide eyes. Did I just admit to having sex with Dickson in front of everyone?Daisy’s POV"Silas," I said quietly.He stepped into the tower slowly. "You remember me.""I remember everything."Dickson moved in front of me. "You don’t belong here."Silas smiled. "That’s where you’re wrong. I was born in this city. Just like her."Rosa raised her blade. "You were banished.""Banished," Silas repeated. "But not broken."Zuri stepped closer to me. "Mom, don’t let him touch you."Silas tilted his head. "The child speaks the truth. She sees far.""Leave now," Rosa warned."Or what?" he asked. "You’ll try to kill me again?""This time, I won’t miss it."He smirked. "You always miss what you don’t understand."Dickson’s POVI took one step forward. "You want her. Why?"Silas didn’t blink. "Because she’s the only one who can unlock the flame fully.""She won’t help you.""She already has," he said. "The mark is awake. The seal is broken. That’s all I needed."Daisy gripped my arm. "We have to stop him.""Too late," Silas whispered.He raised one hand.The ground beneath
Rosa’s POVThe last time I walked this far into rogue territory, Lycan was alive.Now I walked with his name burning inside me like a vow.Every step was a promise.A warning.A threat.The trees here were twisted, darker than I remembered. The air carried something foul—like blood that had dried long ago but never been washed away.Vera walked behind me. Two of our strongest warriors, Greer and Imani, followed closely. Quiet. Focused.We were looking for a cave the scouts marked.We were looking for **him**.Ignis.But I wasn’t just here for revenge.I was here for answers.And if I had to tear through a hundred rogues to get them, I would.\*\*“Are we close?” Vera asked, her voice low.I glanced at the map. “Just past that ridge.”She pulled her dagger tighter to her belt. “Good. Because I don’t like this place.”I looked around. “Neither do I.”Imani sniffed the air. “Wolves. Close.”“How many?” I asked.She frowned. “Too many.”I drew my blade.“Stay ready,” I warned. “This reeks
Daisy’s POVThe air was colder than usual. Maybe it was the wind. Or maybe it was fear.We left camp before sunrise.Zuri, Rosa, Vera, Lycan, Dickson, and me.Our destination was the **Crimson Wastes**—a dead forest burned in an ancient war, where Rosa believed Ignis might be hiding.No birds sang there. No animals walked. Just ash. Trees like skeletons. Smoke in the air, even though nothing burned.Zuri walked beside me, her hand in mine.“I’m not afraid,” she said.I squeezed her fingers gently. “I am.”She looked up at me. “Why?”“Because fire doesn’t choose randomly. If Ignis is watching you, it’s for a reason.”Zuri went quiet.I didn’t say more. But I could feel something changing inside her—growing stronger.And it scared me.Rosa’s POVWe reached the edge of the Wastes by noon.The land was black and broken.The trees had no leaves. The ground was cracked. The sky looked darker here.Vera pulled her jacket tighter. “This place smells like death.”“It is,” I said. “No life grow
Daisy’s POV / Zuri’s POV / Dickson’s POVDaisy’s POVI was cutting apples in the kitchen when Zuri screamed.Not crying.Not whimpering.Screamed.The knife dropped from my hand.I ran.“Zuri!”I threw the door open. She was on the floor of her room, holding her head, shaking.“Zuri! Baby, what’s wrong?”Her eyes were wide. Her lips trembled.“He’s here.”“Who?”She pointed to the window. “The man from my dreams.”I rushed to the window. Nothing.“Dickson!” I shouted.He came running.“What happened?”“She saw something again. She says he’s here.”Zuri clutched my hand. “He’s not outside. He’s… inside.”Dickson turned. “Inside the house?”“No,” she whispered. “Inside someone’s head.”Zuri’s POVI didn’t know how to explain it.He was whispering again.Not in my ears, but inside my mind.“He says the moon is dying,” I told Mom.She stared at me. “Zuri, what does that mean?”I looked at her. “He’s coming when it turns black.”Dickson knelt beside me. “Zuri, focus. What did you see?”“A
Daisy’s POV“What We Choose To Feel”It was the silence after storms that always scared me most.The stillness wasn’t peace.It was waiting.I sat alone on the edge of the porch, the night heavy with dew. Stars overhead blinked lazily, uncaring of the chaos that had passed.Zuri was asleep.Tobi too.For the first time in what felt like years, there were no screams, no knives, no blood pooling in corners of rooms we once called safe.Just this moment.And me.Then the door creaked behind me.I didn’t have to turn to know it was him.“Couldn’t sleep either?” Dickson asked quietly.I shook my head.He stepped beside me, barefoot, shirt clinging to him from the heat of the house. There was a tiredness in his eyes, but something more—a tightness in his jaw, a quiet storm behind those eyes.We didn’t speak for a while.Not because we had nothing to say.But because we were finally ready to say everything.“Zuri told me something today,” I whispered.He glanced over. “What was it?”“She sai
Daisy’s POV“Shadows Don’t Fade”The moon had barely faded from the sky when I felt it—that strange stillness that usually meant trouble.I sat up in bed, blinking the sleep from my eyes.Dickson stirred beside me. “What is it?”“Something’s wrong,” I said, already pulling on my hoodie.He sat up too. “Another attack?”“No. Not outside,” I whispered. “Inside.”I moved down the hallway, every step quiet. Tobi and Zuri’s room was at the far end. I opened the door slowly.Zuri was gone.My heart stopped.Then a whisper.“Mom?”She stood by the window, arms wrapped around her stuffed bunny.“Zuri!” I rushed to her. “What are you doing?”She looked up at me. “He’s watching us.”I knelt beside her. “Who?”“The man from before. The one who hides now.”My blood turned cold.“Lycan?” I asked carefully.She shook her head. “No. Someone worse.”Dickson’s POVThe air had that old scent—metallic, bitter, wrong.I stood on the porch while Daisy checked Zuri again.Kelvin approached, gun slung over