Ciara's POV “Damien,” I began, locking eyes with him, “if your punishment were to let go of your obsession with Maya, are you willing to accept it?"I didn’t sugarcoat it. Henry had already assured me Damien wasn’t going to pursue her again, but I still wanted to hear it from his own mouth. I would also be having a talk with Henry about Zach’s true intentions later. The only reason I was even entertaining this option was because there had been a real shift in Damien. But I wasn’t about to let my guard down.“Yes! Yes, of course,” Damien said quickly, a little too eager. “I know I deserve to be punished for what I’ve done. But... is there really no chance, Maya? Not even a small one? Can’t you just let me show you how much I truly love and care about you?”Maya didn’t flinch, but her voice was gentle, more gentle than he deserved. “Damien, I think it would be best for you and Zach to move on with your lives. You need a fresh start. Go to another pack. Meet new she-wolves. Find your re
Oliver's POV I was proud of Maya. So damn proud. She wasn’t letting them drag her back into the shadows. She might not be back to full strength yet, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t need to be, not to handle this pathetic excuse for a Luna. Kayla had always played dirty, but now Maya was rising above her, step by brutal step.Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Henry watching Damien, Trey, and Zach intently as the fight dragged on. He didn’t speak until he approached Ciara, and the two of them started exchanging quiet words. When Maya called for her mother’s help, Ciara handed off Kayla’s suspended mother and returned to Henry’s side. Curious, I edged closer, careful to keep one eye on Maya while listening in.“So, you’re saying two of them have learned something from this,” Ciara said, nodding slightly toward Damien and Zach. “But the third… not so much?”Henry gave a clipped nod, then jerked his chin toward Kayla. “She hasn’t learned a damn thing. Still convinced she’s going to
Maya's POV I can’t let her get away with this. If she takes control, it’ll be the end of the Blackwood Pack.Kayla only cares about Kayla, she always has. She’ll drain the pack’s resources dry and leave them to collapse. And while I haven’t exactly been treated well here these last five years, I remember what life was like before Kayla became Luna. My father helped build this pack. He bled for it. I owe it to him and to every wolf here, not to let them fall apart because of her.If Blackwood fails, almost a thousand wolves become rogues. I won’t let that happen.In a blink, I was standing in front of Kayla. Her maniacal laughter died in her throat the moment she saw me appear. The shock on her face said everything.“If you had powers… why did you let yourself be locked in a cell?” she asked, stumbling back toward her parents. “You could have escaped at any time. I don’t understand.”She was scared. I enjoyed that.She hadn’t even realized I was the one who forced everyone to the grou
Damien's POV “Who the hell are you speaking to, Bridget?” I roared, my voice echoing through the clearing. “You and Caleb forced me to accept Kayla. I only went along with it to protect Maya.”I turned to face Kayla, anger boiling beneath my skin.“I tried to get her pregnant. For three damn years, we took no precautions. Nothing. But she still couldn’t give me a pup. And I knew it wasn’t me, my wolf, Dusk, confirmed it.”I stepped closer, voice dropping just enough to feel like a warning.“So, Kayla, do you want to tell them, or should I?”Her face flushed deep red, and she glared at me like I’d just betrayed her.“Don’t give me that look,” I snapped. “I have nothing left to lose here. Everything’s already blown up. The entire pack knows what we did. My parents know. Yours do. But if you think I’m going down alone, Kayla, you’re dead wrong.”From the look on my face, she knew I meant it.Kayla’s shoulders sagged slightly. “Look… I made a mistake, Damien,” she muttered. “You hadn’t f
Maya's POV I had seen Oliver getting scorched under the sunlight earlier. Watching him in pain like that, it hurt. But when we arrived and I saw he had already healed, relief washed over me.“I can finish this,” I told him, voice steady.There was a time when Damien’s presence made me feel small, and scared, even disgusted. But that time had passed. I was done being afraid of him.Oliver walked over to my mother and spoke with her quietly. I couldn’t hear what they said, but whatever it was sent her moving straight toward Zach. She didn’t say a word at first, just stood in front of him, sizing him up.I watched as the silence made him uneasy. He kept shifting on his feet under her gaze.She stayed quiet, thoughtful, until Oliver joined her again. They spoke briefly, then Oliver signaled for Henry to come over. The three of them huddled together, voices low and serious.A few minutes later, they all turned and stepped toward Zach.“Zach, were you Alpha-commanded to do what you did?” m
Maya's POV I had seen Oliver getting scorched under the sunlight earlier. Watching him in pain like that, it hurt. But when we arrived and I saw he had already healed, relief washed over me.“I can finish this,” I told him, voice steady.There was a time when Damien’s presence made me feel small, and scared, even disgusted. But that time had passed. I was done being afraid of him.Oliver walked over to my mother and spoke with her quietly. I couldn’t hear what they said, but whatever it was sent her moving straight toward Zach. She didn’t say a word at first, just stood in front of him, sizing him up.I watched as the silence made him uneasy. He kept shifting on his feet under her gaze.She stayed quiet, thoughtful, until Oliver joined her again. They spoke briefly, then Oliver signaled for Henry to come over. The three of them huddled together, voices low and serious.A few minutes later, they all turned and stepped toward Zach.“Zach, were you Alpha-commanded to do what you did?” m