Chapter 30 - Games   Numb was the only word that described how I felt. I hadn't even heard them approach as the guards ushered me out of the throne room. I didn't remember the walk to my room as they left me standing there. I couldn't breathe; my heart thudded slowly as my mind wrapped itself around what had just happened. I killed a man, an innocent man. No matter how much I wanted to justify it for the greater good, I couldn't accept it. I knew I would have to kill, eventually, to gain Dela's trust but, I didn't expect it to be so soon and full of trickery.   "We will avenge their death, Athena. We had no other choice, this world is cruel, and we need to fit in if we want to stop this war." Phoenix was always the voice of reason, always the one to defend our actions. She, like me, held pride for what we had become,

Chapter 32 - Moon Flower   Erik's POV   We had two days until we would enter the Fae realm. Two days until we could kill Dela and Athena and I could start our life together. The pressure to launch a surprise attack wasn't new to me. It was the worry of the unknown that was eating away at me, making my mind race through all the possibilities. Fighting other werewolves was easy. We would scout out the territory, plan an attack and know our opponents. This attack was different. We would be going in blind. We would be charging in and only able to rely on raw instinct. The Dacian and Fae helped us plan, but even they weren't sure how much had changed in the last nineteen years.   Malcolm had visited the realm multiple times in the past, but he agreed that thing

Chapter 34 - Advantage   Erik's POV   Silence filled the air, no wildlife around. The world around us could feel what was about to happen, what was coming, war. The sun began to peek through the trees as it's welcomed a new day. The grass was glistening in the light from the morning dew. The smell of wet earth filled my nose as we waited outside for the warriors to line up. Everyone who was willing and trained to fight was moved to the west end of our territory. Beta Paul had the old packhouse and surrounding buildings prepped for our arrival. Two hundred men and woman had come to fight. Pride filled me as I looked at all of them walking towards the edge of the forest. They were ready to fight, protect our land and save their future, Luna. I stared at all the men and women before me.  

Athena's POV    I slowly opened my eyes. The only light that filled the room was the glow of the moon. My heart monitor was beeping, and faint snoring came from beside me. I looked to see Erik sleeping on a chair in the corner of the room. His head titled back, his chest calmly rising and falling with each breath. His scent filled the room, making any worry fade away. I shifted in the bed, turning off my monitor, and slowly pushed myself up against the headrest. My body ached, and sharp pain radiated in between my shoulder blades. I leaned forward and gently ran my fingers along the middle of my shoulders. I could feel a slight rise of a scar. It was cold to the touch and sent small jolts of pain with each touch. The memory of being stabbed rushed into my mind. The burning of the silver against my skin, the stinging of the blade entering my body, made my heart race, my breathing becoming heavy.

Chapter 38 - Reunited   Erik's POV   "Gabriel, While we're gone, I need you to be, Beta Paul's, second in command. You have proven yourself more than capable, even more so, during our last battle. If there are any immediate threats, you know our protocols. You are to take over Drakes posts and duties." I said. We called Gabriel in after Malcolm left, and Athena went to our room to rest. We filled him in on what had happened. As Delta, he had a right to know the specifics. I explained why we needed to go and why Drake couldn't stay behind. Only the four of us would be going. We had the best fighting chance. Fewer lives to risk, Athena and Malcolm had their powers to help break any wards. Drake was the best fighter, besides Lucas. As Alpha of the pack, my presence was necessary to p