Chapter 49The journey Willow's POV The morning air was crisp, laced with the anticipation of what lay ahead. I’d been up before dawn, packing and repacking, my hands working mechanically, but my mind racing, tangled in the web of thoughts and memories I couldn’t seem to unravel. Today was the day I’d finally go back to the place I’d tried to leave behind, the place that held both the roots of my past and the scars that had shaped me.Ruby arrived promptly, a warm, familiar presence amid my nerves. She held a steady gaze as she gave me a reassuring smile. “You ready for this, Willow?”“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, trying to summon some confidence. She put a hand on my shoulder. “Just… be careful, okay? You’ve got people here who need you.” Her gaze softened as she glanced towards the stairs, where the kids were getting dressed for school.I nodded, swallowing down the knot in my throat. “I’ll be careful. And I’ll check in often, I promise. You know, I have to make sure tha
Chapter 50The Unimaginable Asher's POVThe machines in Axel’s hospital room were the only sound breaking the silence, their rhythmic beeps both comforting and tormenting. My brother's body was still, his pale skin a sharp contrast to the stark white sheets covering him. His lips had taken on a bluish tint, a haunting reminder that time was slipping through my fingers. I sat beside him, gripping his hand, though he didn’t respond. His chest rose and fell faintly, each shallow breath like a whisper of life refusing to give up. “You can’t die on me,” I said softly, my voice trembling. “You hear me? You don’t get to give up. I’ll fix this. Just hold on a little longer.” The weight of my words was suffocating. I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring Axel or myself. The sight of him like this, a shell of the strong, stubborn brother I’d always known was unbearable. I wished I had stopped us from going out that night, but I knew that without us, those kids might have faced a fate worse th
Chapter 51As Fate Fated Willow’s POVThe morning sunlight streamed through the curtains of my hotel room, casting long shadows on the floor. I barely noticed it. My mind was consumed by the whispers I had overheard the day before, the fragmented details about Axel and his deteriorating condition playing on a loop in my mind. Axel was dying. Even now, it felt unreal to connect the vibrant, overconfident man I once knew with the lifeless figure those hushed voices had described. I had to find out the truth. I threw on my disguise, dark sunglasses, a long hoodie, and a scarf wrapped tightly around my hair, and stepped into the crisp morning air. As I walked toward the pack's main grounds, my heart pounded in my chest. I stayed to the edges of the bustling pathways, avoiding direct eye contact. The voices of the pack members hummed like static around me, snippets of conversations drifting past. “I heard Axel’s barely hanging on,” someone whispered as I passed. I froze, preten
Chapter 52A Questionable SolutionWillow's POVThe night was restless. Despite the exhaustion that weighed my body down, sleep evaded me. I lay in the hotel bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling in every direction. Axel was fading. His pulse was weak. His body drained. The color had already drained from his skin, and I couldn't stop thinking about the state I had found him in. It had been worse than I expected. I had watched, helpless, as his life seemed to slip away from him. I couldn't rest, not when there was a chance, no matter how small, that I could still help him. The urgency of it kept my mind racing. The hospital had been an emotional rollercoaster, and it felt like every moment was slipping away, with nothing I could do to stop it.I sat up in bed and reached for my phone. My thumb hovered over Ruby's name, uncertain. But I knew she was the one person who would understand, who would not brush off my feelings of helplessness. Without another thought, I dialed he
Chapter 53Dine with the DevilAsher's POVThe silence of the night was like a thick, oppressive blanket, the kind that weighs down on your chest and stifles every breath. It had been a long journey, one filled with secrets, lies, and betrayal, and I was finally nearing the end. I made my way to the final location after collecting two separate packages. The first stop had been a successful exchange, a mountain of cash handed over for a much-needed brief respite. Now, with everything packed away in my duffel bag, I was headed toward the last meeting. Marcelle was waiting for me. He always was. The leader of the kidnapping squad. A man who made his living through fear and bloodshed, orchestrating the worst of crimes in the shadowed corners of the world. The kind of man I had hoped I would never have to deal with. But here I was, standing before him, the weight of responsibility heavy on my shoulders. The antidote for Axel, my brother, hung in the balance, and time was running out.I wa
Chapter 54Saved by the BellWillow’s POVTwo days. It had been two days since I’d last heard from Kingston. Two days that felt like an eternity. I had called, I had texted, and I had even left messages for him. But each time, my phone screen stayed silent. The number I had for him kept ringing, and every time, there was no answer. My stomach twisted with dread. I had done everything I could, everything short of throwing myself at his doorstep, but Kingston had not returned my calls. I knew he had promised me that the antidote would arrive, but I was starting to lose faith. Axel’s condition was deteriorating. His heart rate had been dropping steadily over the last 48 hours, despite the temporary solution they had given him. It was only a matter of time before it became irreversible, and I couldn’t let that happen. The thought of losing Axel, of losing him to something that might have been preventable, ate at me with every passing moment. Aiden had been on my case, too. Every time I
Chapter 55Slow RevengeAsher’s POVWhen I regained consciousness, the world felt wrong. It was the kind of wrong you sense in your gut, but your mind is too clouded to process at first. My body ached, a deep, dull pain radiating from my neck and limbs. I tried to move, but the restraints holding me were tight and unforgiving. I could barely move my wrists, let alone my legs. My surroundings were unfamiliar, cold, metallic, and humming with the low, steady rumble of an engine. I blinked several times, trying to adjust to the dim light.The realization hit me slowly. I’m on a plane.I jerked my head to the side, feeling the sharp tug of the ropes, but nothing gave. There was no escape. The air around me was thin, carrying a stale scent that made my stomach churn. As I struggled to orient myself, I saw Elena. She was seated across from me, her gaze locked on mine, unwavering and predatory. “How long?” I rasped, my throat sore from the silence. My words felt foreign like they hadn’t bee
Chapter 56Becoming SmartAsher’s POVIt had only been a week. Seven days, and I had already become someone else entirely. "Smarts," they called me. The men here had a strange respect for me, but it wasn’t one I had earned, at least not in the way I would have liked. They didn’t know who I truly was, or what I had done before I was brought to this hellhole. They only knew me as the guy who could read a map faster than most of them, or who could figure out the right tools to use before anyone else. They had no idea that I was here because I had failed my brother. Because my father had traded me away like some worthless pawn to settle his debts.And still, I was "Smarts." Even my cellmate, Leon, seemed to get a kick out of it. He was the type who found joy in the simplest things, like claiming me as his best friend the moment he could. I hadn’t asked for it, but it didn’t seem to matter. Leon was persistent. He was the one who would tell everyone that we were tight like we had a bond t
Willow’s POVIt’s been three years.Three years since the war. Three years since everything changed, and yet, in so many ways, everything feels the same. The palace is quieter now, though it’s never quite still. Life has moved on, unfolding, healing, and growing. The scars remain, but they’re faded, tucked away beneath the surface, just enough to remind us of what we’ve lost, but not so much that we can’t continue on. The pack has grown. It has become something new, something more, something better, despite everything. The bonds between us are unbreakable, forged in blood and fire, and we’ve rebuilt what we once thought was lost forever. Ruby’s presence in our lives has been a blessing in more ways than one. She’s become family in every sense of the word, not just my closest friend but a sister, someone I never knew I needed until she came into my life. And, of course, the triplets. My mates, my husbands.Aiden, Asher, and Axel. My heart still swells when I look at them, not just be
Willow’s POVThe cold, numbing silence enveloped me as I opened my eyes. I didn’t know what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. The last thing I remembered was the sharp pain from the knife, Alpha Thane’s knife. It had been a slow, agonizing descent into darkness, and now I was here, wherever here was.I was in a place that felt… unreal, ethereal even. The air was thick, heavy with an otherworldly presence, and a silver glow bathed everything. The landscape stretched out before me, a vast expanse that seemed to pulse with life, as though the very earth beneath me was alive. The ground was soft, almost liquid, but solid at the same time, and above me, a sky that wasn’t quite like any sky I had seen before—a sky of endless moons, their pale light shimmering like ghosts.And then, I saw her.My heart skipped a beat, a wave of dread and sorrow washing over me as I locked eyes with my mother. She stood there, her back straight, her expression unreadable. The sight of her should have
Alpha Thane’s POVThe cold stone walls of the palace felt more suffocating than ever as I stood in the center of the room, panting, my chest heaving with exhaustion. The world around me seemed to blur, my senses dulled by the toll of the battle and the relentless power I had been channeling. I had tried everything, spells, dark magic, fire, anything I could use to subdue her. But none of it had worked. Willow was too strong now. Stronger than I had ever anticipated. And with every passing moment, I felt my grip on this palace, on my empire, slipping away.I had become too reliant on my power. The souls I had taken, the spells I had cast, nothing seemed to matter anymore. She was the one I had underestimated. She had grown and changed in ways that even I couldn’t fathom, and now, I was standing here, helpless. The Moon Goddess had chosen her, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t stop it.She was coming for me. And she would not stop until she had destroyed me.I glanced around, panic
Willow’s POVThe scent of smoke and burning flesh clung to the air, mingling with the sound of clashing swords and furious roars. The battle was in full swing, a violent symphony of growls screams, and the crackle of magic. I could hear the howl of the Lycans, the battle cries of Ruby’s warriors, and the sharp clang of steel against steel. My heart hammered in my chest, adrenaline pumping through my veins, but my focus was absolute. This was us, fighting side by side to defend the world that we knew. The world that we had.The palace, once a symbol of power and dominance, had become a battlefield, a crumbling monument to everything my father had built. It was the final confrontation, the culmination of everything I’d been through. I was here, surrounded by those who fought for me, Lycans, Moon Descendants, and Ruby’s warriors. They fought beside me, united in our shared purpose: the fall of Alpha Thane.But this was not just their fight. This was mine, I needed to give those who had b
Axel’s POVI sat in the cold, dark cell, my eyes staring at the rusted bars. The sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere far in the distance. It has become a constant in the background of my life now. A sound I could never escape as if time itself was slowly draining away. Asher and Aiden were sitting on the other side of the room, their backs against the stone wall, their faces unreadable. But I knew the truth, I could feel it. Their hope had been drained, just like mine. We’d been broken and shattered, and it seemed like there was nothing left to hold onto. Everything had fallen apart. “Axel, we’ve tried everything,” Asher’s voice was hollow like he was speaking from the depths of a grave. He had given up. “We can’t keep fighting. We can’t keep pretending like we have a chance.” I clenched my fists, my teeth gritting together. It was the same speech every day, every night. We couldn’t fight back anymore, couldn’t do anything but sit here and wait for our death. But I refuse
Willow’s POVIt was a small, simple thing, a phone lying on the stone floor of the room... I hadn’t expected to find it, but there it was, tucked behind a pile of sheets, like some forgotten relic. My fingers trembled as I picked it up, feeling the weight of it, the symbol of the connection to the outside world. A lifeline. The voice of a friend, a reminder that not everything in my life had been consumed by darkness. I didn’t hesitate. With trembling hands, I unlocked it, hoping for some miracle, some ounce of luck. I had been so alone in this journey, carrying Daniel and Ella, preparing for war, and trying to keep us all alive. I needed to hear a familiar voice. I needed someone who could remind me of who I was. And there, on the other side, was Ruby. Her voice crackled through the receiver, but I could hear the relief in it. “Willow? Is that really you?” Ruby’s voice, full of emotion, broke through my heart. I could hear her relief mixed with something else, concern. “Where h
Asher’s POVI can still hear the sound of Kingston’s last breath echoing in my ears, the image of his crumpled body burned into my mind. It doesn’t matter how many times I close my eyes, I can still see it, him, falling to the floor in a heap, hollowed out by the man who should have been protecting him. Our father, drained the life from him like it was nothing. I had stood there, helpless, unable to do a damn thing to stop it. And now Lina was gone too. Her throat slit open by Elana’s cold, unfeeling hand. It all happened so quickly, a blur of rage, grief, and terror. I hadn’t even been able to scream out her name before it was over. Just like that, she was gone, and we were left standing in the rubble of our broken lives, pieces of ourselves scattered around us. The grief cuts deep, but there’s no time to wallow in it. Not anymore. Since the day our father took Willow, we haven’t heard a single word from her. No cries, no screams, no messages of distress. Nothing. I don’t know w
Willow's POVThe first day of training hit me like a storm, relentless and unforgiving. I had expected something rigorous, after all, this was no ordinary training. But nothing could have prepared me for the intensity that awaited. The training was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It wasn’t just physical; it was emotional, spiritual, and mental. Lina had taught me to control my powers, but this... this was different. This wasn’t about managing fire or controlling my strength. It was about awakening something deep within me, something I didn’t even know existed. My uncle, Alpha Enoch, had been kind but firm. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries. Every lesson was a trial. We started with the basics, or what I thought were basics. Meditation to connect with my inner wolf. Breath control. Centering myself in the moment. But as the hours dragged on, I realized that my uncle’s version of training was about pushing the boundaries of my abilities, demanding more from me than I th
Willow's POVThe morning sun filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm golden glow across the room. I sat up slowly, the remnants of the night’s exhaustion still pulling at my bones. My mind raced with the fragments of memories, moments that I had yet to fully comprehend. Where was I? How had I ended up here? The last thing I clearly remembered was collapsing in the desert, Daniel and Ella in my arms. I’d feared the worst, but here I was, alive. And they were safe, at least, that was what the woman had assured me. The same woman who had brought me to this strange, serene room. I didn’t know what to believe anymore, who to trust, or what the world had in store for me. Everything seemed to be moving too fast, too suddenly. I had no idea what was happening, but it felt like I was caught in a whirlwind of destiny, one that I hadn’t asked for.A knock on the door broke my reverie. I glanced up. The woman from last night stood there, her expression calm as ever. “Good morning