I woke up to the warmth of a body beside me. The most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on—my mate. Shanika.She smelled like summer and strawberries, a scent that had become intoxicatingly familiar. I brushed a strand of hair away from her face and pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder, trailing my lips down the delicate curve of her neck. She stirred, letting out a sleepy hum, her body instinctively responding to my touch.Everything about her was mesmerizing. The way her breath hitched, the way her skin flushed under my lips—she was perfect. I started with small kisses on her neck and trailed it down the vale of her round, firm breast. I stopped to tease them a little; a lick and two, they immediately responded. I continued my way down to the prize. Her blue satin panties removed slowly with my teeth. Finally, the breakfast I was looking for. She was in a semi-awake state, still drunk with sleep. She shifted beneath me, her eyes fluttering open, a lazy smile spreading across her
My mom and I started heading out the door when I felt someone behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.“Ares, what are you doing?” I asked, a bit annoyed.“Hey, Snow, I’m doing my job. I’m protecting you.” His tone was smug, like he was enjoying this way too much.“Protect me from what?” I asked, crossing my arms.Totally ignoring the fact that some giant monster keeps attacking the pack in the late hours of the night.“Well, there have been attacks, and my job is to be your shadow. I’m putting my beta training on hold to be here. Don’t act like you don’t need me.”I sighed, rolling my eyes. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but I hated being followed around like I was fragile.“Fine, come along.”The night was clear, and the moon loomed huge and bright in the sky. It bathed everything in silver, and I could almost feel its energy pulsing through the air. The lake shimmered under its light, an eerie yet mesmerizing sight.When we arrived, my mother turned to me with a calm,
Rhett’s POV“Alpha, the training for Aurelia begins tonight,” Brandon said, his voice measured but firm.“Okay, sounds fun. So what does she have to do? Meditate?” I asked, only half-interested—until I saw the way his expression darkened.“You could say that... but it’s a bit more involved since she has to drown first.”“Excuse me?” I shot up from my chair, rage instantly curling hot in my gut. “What the hell did you just say?”“She has to go into the lake, submerge herself in the moon’s reflection, and stay under until she passes out. Amanda will be there to pull her out, and I’ll be standing by with emergency equipment, but—”A growl ripped from my throat before he could finish. My wolf surged to the surface, barely restrained, my nails elongating slightly as anger pulsed through me.“She cannot be drowned,” I snarled. “That’s insanity. How the hell is Amanda okay with this?”“She’s not,” Brandon admitted. “She’s tried to stop it, but Aurelia won’t back down. You know how she is.”I
Jeremy’s POVThe pounding on my door shook me awake, followed by the deep, urgent voice of our Gamma. "Alpha! The eastern quadrant is on fire!"For a second, I did not believe what he was saying, tthen the scent hit me. Smoke. Thick, acrid, suffocating. I bolted upright, my wolf immediately alert as I shoved the door open."How bad?" I asked, already pulling on a shirt and heading for the stairs."Bad. We don't know how it started, but the flames are spreading fast. The warriors are trying to contain it, but the wind is against us."Shanika was getting dressed and I knew she would be coming with us.By the time I reached the front entrance of the pack house, chaos had already taken over. Warriors ran back and forth, hauling buckets of water from the well while others yelled orders. The sky glowed orange, the fire raging in the distance, consuming everything in its path.I spotted my father, Alpha Jerry, standing near the command center, barking orders at the warriors. His face was gri
Aurelia’s POVI woke up from another restless sleep. It felt like peace had become a luxury I couldn’t afford. My dreams were flooded with strange visions—snow-covered landscapes, whispers about power, destiny, and companionship. They weren’t nightmares exactly, but they left me shaken all the same.Ever since that night—when my powers descended—I’d felt… different. Stronger. More alert. But also off. Like my own skin didn’t quite fit anymore.It was always hot now. It was summer in Alaska, but technically it never got really hot. But I felt like I was burning from the inside, like I was standing in the Arizona desert again. Even worse, everything felt tight, like my clothes were shrinking around me. All I wanted was to tear them off and run into the wind.“Good morning, sleepyheads!” my mom chirped as she passed our room, already dressed for the day. Ares groaned beside me. It was time for training. Again.“Can I skip just one day?” I muttered.“Nope,” she replied with a smile. “Even
Chapter 49: WolfBoom! The fireball shot wide, hitting a tree instead, igniting it instantly.The adrenaline was still pumping through me, my knees pressed into the cold, damp earth. I’d just frozen a lava demon with powers I barely understood—and still, it wasn’t over. I felt it in the air, like the tension before a lightning strike. Something worse was coming.The half-wolf demon, though wounded, snarled and lunged at me again, faster this time. There was no time to react.I turned my head, bracing for the impact—But I never felt it.Ares POVEverything was fire and chaos.
Aury’s POVHere I am yet again—injured. I’m beginning to think I do need a babysitter. My brother was doing such a great job. He got his wolf, and nobody died during today’s attack. But realizing I’m the target? That was a rough pill to swallow.I could feel energy coursing through me, but I couldn’t get it out. I guess I need my wolf for that. But where is my wolf? Why won’t she come out?“Aury, dinner is ready. Come down,” I heard Mom call.When I arrived at the table, my big bro was
Chapter 51: Recounting Rhett’s POVThe attacks had become routine. That was the real horror of it all. People no longer screamed in terror or scrambled blindly. They just reacted—defended, regrouped, and returned to what they were doing as if an ambush by demonic beasts was just another line item on the daily agenda.It was too much.The numbers were dwindling. Every attack left behind fewer warriors. Fewer civilians. Fewer healers. It wasn’t just a battle anymore. This was a war. And we were losing.And yet, that night—our night—was different.The fire crackled beside us, casting a warm glow on her face. I had prepared this spot in secret: a soft blanket spread across a bed of moss, a thermos filled with hot chocolate, and a picnic basket holding a few sandwiches, chocolate-covered berries, and some marshmallow snacks I had seen her sneak from the pantry once. She thought no one noticed. I did.Aury’s eyes had widened when she saw it. Her surprise surprised me.We had trained togeth
Jerry’s POVI woke up at 4 a.m. The sky outside was still dark and quiet. My body moved through its routine without thought—wake up, hit the gym, spar with one of the warriors. Then breakfast. Then the office. I had to process payroll before the banks opened. Running a pack isn’t for the faint of heart.My lovely mate was still sleeping. She enjoys her mornings slow, and I’m okay with that. Jeremy, on the other hand, was also asleep, and that I wasn’t okay with. He should be up with me, getting his discipline set. Instead, he was still floating in the honeymoon phase with his new mate.A gamma is not a bad match for an alpha. But he gave up a beta-blooded female with high priestess potential. Fated mate or not, he made a political mistake. That kind of bond could have brought strength to the pack—especially with these demon attacks getting worse.My own fated mate died in a rogue attack before we had a chance to mate. I chose another, Jeremy’s mother. Chosen mates are just as good, s
"Hi," I said timidly.She stood before me, tall, radiant, cloaked in fur as white as snow with eyes like garnets, glowing from within. My wolf. She was... like me."I have been waiting for this moment," she said. Her voice was regal, calm, and ancient. "I am Alba, descendant of the goddess Kheimon, first of my kind. High Priestess of Winter.""Is that who we are?" I asked, my voice trembling with awe. "High Priestess of Winter?""Yes, young one. That is who we are. Do you not feel our power?""I do," I whispered. "I felt it... when we attacked the demon."Only then did I look around us. We stood in what looked like the middle of a frozen ocean. Ice stretched in every direction, flawless and glistening, with no land in sight. Above us, the sky was glowing with soft, golden light, ethereal, energizing. Peaceful. Magical."Yes, we wounded that demon," she said."I thought we killed it. It turned to smoke after our attack.""To kill a demon requires more than drawing its blood," she said
The demon's grip tightened. The pressure was excruciating. I could not move, and I could not fill my lungs with air anymore.My ribs cracked, at least one of them did. I couldn't scream. Couldn’t move. The heat scorched through me, blistering my skin. I was suffocating, burning, and breaking.This is it, I thought.This is how I die.But just as the world began to fade into nothingnessI heard her.A voice. Fierce. Wild. Mine but not mine.“You will not kill us.”A sharp pain tore through my chest, not from the demon, but from within. It was like lightning cracked open my soul. My head snapped back, eyes wide, and my whole body exploded with a blinding white light.The demon howled.Frost spread across its hand and arm. The cold energized me; it was me as another surge came through my body.All the frustration, the weakness, the fear, it all exploded and dissipated in an explosion. As the demon’s hand shattered into a million pieces. It roared in agony. I fell hard onto the stone ste
POV: AureliaI woke up feeling strangely rested, as if the chaos of yesterday hadn’t left its mark. But it had. A warrior from another pack had been murdered inside our borders, and his chest was carved open, a demon mark left behind. And last night, I dreamt again.No, not a dream.The demon spoke to me.It felt too vivid, too real. Like it was no longer bound to the other side but slipping into this world… into mine.And then Rhett showed up. Like a knight in dark armor, he held me through the night. I’d fallen asleep in his arms and somehow ended up in my bed this morning. Ares was home. So was Mom, if the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen was anything to go by.Today, I needed normalcy.Breakfast with the family. Morning practice. After training, I went home, worked on some new jewelry, then walked to Market Street to drop them off at one of the shops that sold my work. I even considered expanding and maybe start selling online or even in human markets. Crazy, right?The sun d
POV: RhettI woke before dawn, a hum of unease crawling beneath my skin. It wasn’t the usual stress of leadership or the weight of politics pressing down on me. No, this was different. This was dread.I didn’t even make it to the war room before Brandon intercepted me in the hallway. His face was pale, his jaw clenched.“It’s Jonas,” he said.Jonas, the emissary from Crescent Ridge. Sharp. Steady. Loyal to the cause, if not to me.“Where?”“Behind the barracks. You’ll want to see this.”We moved through the thick morning mist in silence. The compound was quiet, save for the distant cry of a crow. One for death. Two for trouble. I remembered my grandmother saying that once.Jonas lay in the clearing, and one look told me everything.Not just murder. Ritual.His chest had been carved open with sickening precision. Symbols burned into his flesh pulsed faintly—demonic, like the ones Aurelia had described. There was no blood. No sign of a struggle. As if he’d gone willingly.Or been taken i
Aurelia’s POVI didn’t stop running. Not until I reached the pack house, not until I was standing in front of Alpha Rhett’s office door, panting, my heart pounding harder than it should’ve been. That symbol, branded into the temple stone like a fiery curse, was still seared into my mind.I knocked. Harder than necessary.The door cracked open, but it wasn’t Rhett who answered. Lily stepped out, looking… disheveled. Her lipstick was smeared, her hair mussed like she’d just rolled out of bed—or someone’s arms. She tugged down her tiny dress, pretending not to notice the flush on her cheeks.I stood there, frozen.Lily.Hair tousled, lipstick smeared, tugging at the hem of a too-short dress like it might magically grow an inch if she pulled hard enough. Her smirk was smug, but her eyes flashed like she’d been caught.Great.“Look what the avalanche dragged in,” she purred with a cruel smile. “A frozen corpse. Oops. Sorry, Aury—I got confused for a second. Your paleness threw me off.”Bi
POV: AureliaAfter the ball on Saturday and the Council meeting that followed, I was exhausted. My body ached, my thoughts were tangled, and the heaviness of responsibility settled into my bones like frost.And yet, it was only Monday.My official role as high priestess had barely begun, and here I was—sitting in war rooms, speaking alongside Alphas and strategists like I belonged. I wasn’t sure if I did. But I knew I had to.As the meeting began, we gathered once more in the war hall. This time, it was less ceremonial and more tactical. The long table was crowded with voices, not just in person, but through a large video screen that connected us to packs too far to travel. The faces of distant Alphas flickered with unstable connections, eyes squinting into their screens, expressions guarded.Some representatives were cooperative, offering records and patrol notes. Others were vague and evasive. A few, like the Blackwood and Night Howlers delegates, answered in clipped sentences and t
Ares’ POVWe were all gathered in the war hall—Alphas, Betas, and the trusted few they brought with them. I had specifically requested each pack’s leadership team be present. If they had heroes or people with unique insight, they were welcome too. We needed unity. And more than that—we needed the truth.Alpha Rhett stood at the front, shoulders squared, his voice calm but commanding as he addressed the room.“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” he began. “I want to be clear—this meeting doesn’t take away from this weekend’s festivities. But it is the perfect time to gather as many of you as possible and discuss our growing concerns.”He scanned the room, his expression unreadable.“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors,” he continued. “I’m here to confirm them—and to put any doubt to rest. The attacks are real. And they’re growing bolder. Our lands were recently targeted by something... monstrous.”The words hit like thunder.“They stood taller than any creature we’ve ever recorded
Ares' POVThis ball was a crazy idea. I wasn’t privy to most of the conversations swirling around the pack, but it was obvious this event was a strategy. A smart one. It brought in people, sparked bonds, and created the perfect cover to talk about the real issue—the attacks—without tipping off any potential enemies. The Council rarely met—once a year, tops—and only when something serious hit the fan. Alpha Rhett was smart. Maybe even brilliant. Honorable, too. I saw the way he looked at my sister. He hadn’t made a move, but the tension was thick. Maybe they were mates. Maybe not. Either way, the guy had restraint.The ball itself? It was a blast. I met a bunch of girls who made it very clear what they were after. Lucky for them, I’m available. Willing. But not a liar. When they asked, I kept it simple: I don’t date. I fuck. I’m waiting for my mate.My wolf growled about it sometimes—he didn’t love the casual flings. But my body? Well, that part of me didn’t exactly complain.The gue