I was in the library, fingers skimming over ancient texts, trying not to lose hope.
I’d gone through so many books, my eyes burned. Still, nothing explained the words I’d heard in my dream. The voice, the symbol, the fog—it all felt too real to dismiss. And yet, nothing. No answers. Just page after useless page.I was about to close another book when footsteps thundered past the door.Stefan.He was rushing—toward the study.I froze.Something about his stride, the urgency in it, made my heart race. I placed the book down and followed, keeping close but quiet as I trailed him.He didn’t see me. When he reached the study door, he didn’t knock. Just barged in."Would you knock, Stefan?" Kendrick snapped."I'm sorry, Alpha. But you must come with me.""What is it?""There's a woman downstairs. Says her name is Cara and she's looking for Alpha Kaiden."I stopped breathing.I was in the library, fingers skimming over ancient texts, trying not to lose hope.I’d gone through so many books, my eyes burned. Still, nothing explained the words I’d heard in my dream. The voice, the symbol, the fog—it all felt too real to dismiss. And yet, nothing. No answers. Just page after useless page.I was about to close another book when footsteps thundered past the door.Stefan.He was rushing—toward the study.I froze.Something about his stride, the urgency in it, made my heart race. I placed the book down and followed, keeping close but quiet as I trailed him.He didn’t see me. When he reached the study door, he didn’t knock. Just barged in."Would you knock, Stefan?" Kendrick snapped."I'm sorry, Alpha. But you must come with me.""What is it?""There's a woman downstairs. Says her name is Cara and she's looking for Alpha Kaiden."I stopped breathing.
ASTRID – FIRST PERSON POVThe moment my symbol touched Kendrick’s skin, a blinding light flashed across the room—and then he was gone. Thrown.I screamed as the force flung him away from me like he weighed nothing, and my hands reached instinctively for Kaiden.But the second I touched him, something else happened—something just as strange.Kaiden winced, and his hand flew to his side like he’d just been stung. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down. At first, I thought he was hurt. But then I saw the shock in his expression. His eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly open in disbelief.His fingers came away slick, but not with blood. They were clean. And then I realized what he was seeing.The wound.The wound Kael had given him in the fight—it was gone.He turned his body, staring down at his bare side, sweeping his hand over the spot again and again like he couldn’t believe it. The scar. The bruises. The blood. Every trace of it—all gone. His skin was flawless."You he
Astrid's POV"Who said you could pleasure her in my absence?" Kendrick's voice rasped, low and thick with something dangerous.My whole body jolted at the sound. Gods. His voice alone could undo me.Before I could speak, his fingers tangled in my hair, tilting my head gently back, and a wave of heat rushed through me. Kaiden didn't flinch. He only grinned wickedly, his red eyes hazy with lust as he sat up behind me and wrapped an arm tighter around my waist."I didn't know I needed your permission to please our mate," he murmured, voice soft but laced with challenge."She's mine," Kendrick growled."Ours," Kaiden corrected smoothly. "What are you going to do about it, brother?"Their eyes locked. For a terrifying second, I thought they might go back to fighting. My hands moved between them."You both promised not to fight," I whispered, heart pounding.Kendrick's gaze slid to me, heat burning behind his cocky smile. "Don’t worry, my love. Kaiden and I know better now... right, brothe
ASTRID POV"How are your eyes now?" Kaiden asked gently.I blinked up at him from where we lay on the bed, still feeling a little raw, but warm and safe. The glass that had cut into my face earlier had healed completely, but the memory of it still clung to my skin."It doesn’t hurt anymore," I whispered, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be.We were in a different room now. Kendrick had ordered the maids to clean up the disaster in the bedroom, and a few of the lycan guards had already started repairing the shattered windows. The glass had exploded like something out of a dream—or a nightmare.Outside, the sky had darkened. Heavy clouds rolled in, thick and gray, casting the mansion in a silver gloom. Wind howled around the edges of the windows, and a thunderclap split the sky. Rain followed, steady and cold.Kaiden got up briefly to shut the windows, sealing out the chill, and then returned to my side, tucking the blanket up around my shoulders. His hand slid around my waist, grou
KENDRICK POVI paced the study like a wolf too long in a cage, each stride a poor attempt to burn off the unease building inside me. Kaiden stood by the hearth, arms crossed tightly over his chest. Stefan leaned on the desk while Andrea perched on the windowsill, her eyes locked on the symbol we'd all seen burned into Astrid's hand."This can only mean one thing," Andrea finally said. Her voice was low, grim. "Astrid is a descendant of the Keepers."Stefan shook his head. "Not just a descendant. She is the Keeper—the last of their kind."The words sent a chill through the room."But that’s impossible," Andrea muttered. She turned to Kaiden. "You said she’s wolf-less.""She is," Kaiden confirmed. "She’s never shifted. But she can feel the mate bond."Stefan frowned. "Shifters who haven’t found th
ASTRID POVThe crescent moon shimmered against my skin, delicate and unreal. My breath caught as I stared at it.It was the same mark Kael had burned from me all those years ago. The one he told me never to speak of. I used to think maybe I imagined it—that it was just some trauma-scabbed memory clinging to me. But it was real. It had always been real.And now it was back.How? Why now?The symbol pulsed softly, almost like it was breathing. I was so lost in thought I didn’t notice Kendrick and Kaiden staring at me until I finally looked up.Kendrick looked like he’d seen a ghost. Kaiden’s eyes had narrowed, calculating. There was something in their silence that chilled me more than the mark.They exchanged a glance. Then silence.I knew they were speaking through the mind-link. I could see it on their faces.What aren’t they saying?Kendrick blinked and finally spoke. "This is..."He trailed off."Strange?" I finished. My voice sounded small. "Kael burned this off when I was eight. H