NOVAI couldn't sleep. It wasn't only because I wasn't used to staying in a place where no rays of sun wandered throughout the day, and no moonlight brightened the rooms at night. Who could have slept well after hearing what I had heard from Asriel?I was lying with my eyes open, staring at the dark ceiling. My heart hammered painfully against my ribcage, causing my hands to rest on my chest as if I needed to keep them there to stop my poor blood pump from bursting out.My thoughts and emotions were one huge, hot mess. Everything I thought I knew before I found myself in this fortress now needed to be revisited and revised, using a healthy dose of common sense at that. The problem was, my rationality had always been in conflict with whatever my heart felt, and this situation wasn't any different…I could establish one thing with absolute confidence: the conflict between lycans and the Crimson Mountain Pack would soon turn into a bloody war. Asriel and Felix would stand on opposite sid

FELIXThat was the right thing to do, or at least that was what I told myself. I took Lya's hand, and we came to Rainier and Alpha Val to settle the wedding. I still felt a strange affection when I looked into Lya's eyes, but it was different now that I knew she was not my mate. It still puzzled me if she was aware of it though. She kept looking at me with her bright eyes, and I could almost feel the warmth each time her plush lips curled up, blessing me with a smile. Something pricked my heart every time I saw that happen. Unfortunately, telling myself that whatever I felt had been induced by magic wasn't helping. Distance helped. That was why I insisted on planning the attack as soon as possible.Perhaps literary running away from my problems wasn't the noblest thing to do, but according to Cassandra, the faking-bond spell had a limited life span. If I could avoid Lya until the spell lost its power, the problem would miraculously disappear. I couldn't wait for that to happen. Once I

FELIX"Let's start from the basics," I said, straightening in my seat and watching Holden's mouth curl up. Holden was a ranked wolf, but from the first sniff of air around him, I knew that I could overpower him. He must have sensed it too. He must have also been aware that I could read the slightest change in the tone of his voice and the aura of his emotions, something I couldn't easily feel from Eric. That made Holden a perfect source of information since I would know if he tried to lie to me."What would you like me to tell you?" Holden asked, shifting in the chair to make himself more comfortable."It's a wealthy pack, but no one wants to tell me where the money comes from. I bet you know more than I do."He gave me a surprised stare, sitting still for a moment before he cleared his throat. "I was almost certain that Alpha Rainier told you at least about the pack's main source of income…"A dark smirk formed on my lips. "Well, he didn't... which I found quite odd, especially since

NOVAI returned to my chamber and slammed the door behind me. Fury flooded every inch of me, but I wasn't even sure why Maren's words irked me that much. Was it because she threatened me, or was it because she thought she could stake a claim over Asriel? The latter hit me with a strange realization. Did I… want Asriel for myself?"No…" I shook my head as a nervous chuckle broke through my throat. "I don't even know him, and I'm not just some bimbo he could mess with," I said, assuring myself. But it was more what I wanted to think, and far different from how my heart reacted as I thought about Asriel—it began to race.Shit. How was that even possible? Felix's name was still inked all over my soul, and getting rid of everything I felt needed time. I thought that there was no room within me to even consider filling my mind and heart with anyone else. Yet, I could have been wrong about that.I placed my hand on my madly pulsing chest. Heat washed over me time and time again as I stood by

NOVAAsriel left an hour ago, and I hadn't left the bed since. My head was spinning. There was just too much to process, and too many what-ifs kept popping into my mind. The overwhelming amount of information felt like a heavy weight on my chest.I clenched my fists, trying to ease my struggle with breathing. It took me a while before I inhaled deeply enough to gently soothe my pounding heart. As the serenity came, I started analyzing what I had learned.Asriel told me that when he first came near Crimson Mountain, he learned that there were two factions: the first wanted justice and to avenge their dead king, and the other felt no loyalty toward Asriel's father. This other fraction cared only for money. Neither the core, the jades, nor the deal with Hecate had any true meaning to them. They couldn't care less about the shelter for witches. They were eager to find some kind of agreement with Alpha Rainier and sell the core for a share in the profit that came from the jade mine.Asriel