Scar POVEvery forced breath suffocated me with the odor of failure that hung heavy in the air. My soldiers' remains were scattered over the area, their once-mighty bodies reduced to little more than frayed husks.How? The question sparked my remaining sanity like a brand. How could we have sunk so low, driven to such a pitiful condition by the miserable pack we had set out to destroy?An all-consuming fire that had driven me to do everything for innumerable moons, hatred threatened to eat me from the inside out. I spat a globule of poisoned blood on the ground, my disfigured body yelling in protest at every little motion.Scar, you've lead us into a wonderful disaster.My self loathing was sliced through by Drystan's gravelly baritone, and his words were tinged with a sarcastic contempt that just made me angrier. I fixed the damaged Alpha with a sneer that might have curdled milk, rounding on him. I'll rip your tongue out of your worthless hide, mutt. Watch your tongue.Drystan laugh

Athena & Sebastian POVI had never seen such a depth of grief in Sebastian's eyes, as though he were exposing his entire soul for my assessment. Sitting in the quiet of our rooms, the roaring fire created flickering shadows over his chiseled features.He started, "You deserve to know everything, my love," his voice barely audible above a whisper but with a weight that seemed to vibrate through the air itself. "No longer omissions, no more half truths, no more secrets." A piece of me wanted to argue, to reassure him that the past was behind us and that the future we would create together was what counted. Deep down, though, I understood that without total candor between us, real healing would never occur.I therefore said nothing, allowing him to reveal the facts that had been hidden for far too long.Sebastian took a breath that settled, his eyes far away as though he were looking into the recesses of a long gone past.You knew me to be a strong, unflinching man. But that was just a f

Sebastian POVI looked about the gathered wolves. With a mix of respect and expectation, nightwalkers, former Black Moon rogues, and even the survivors of the scandalized Silver Moon pack under Scar, all observed me. My family, my packmates, waiting for the vision to lead us on after so much upheaval.As I spoke, "Brothers, sisters, fellow Nightwalkers," I slipped into the rhythm of an Alpha speaking to his pack. "We have seen tragedies and betrayals that could have destroyed our very life. The things Sienna and her friends did ripped open old scars and opened new ones that will take time to mend."Unconsciously, I squeezed my hand as images of Athena's near death from Sienna's poisoning, my own family turning against me, and the horror in my kids' eyes as they were used as pawns, flooded me. The wounds were profound even at this triumphant time."Let us never forget the great price we have paid to reach this point," I said firmly. The lives taken, the holy ties severed by manipulatio

Hendrix POVAs I drank in the wild celebration, the wild grin kept splintering my face. There were a lot of moons of conflict, treachery, and claw-to-fang fighting before this one moment of triumph and atonement. The blazing promise of an unbreakable future forged in the furnace of my parents' rekindled marriage replaced the shadows of the past.With bursting pride, Mom and Dad looked out over their reunited clan, arms linked and heads raised like the epitome of Noble Alphas. As well they ought to, as their unwavering spirits had carried them through the darkest moments of conflict and deceit to this final victory. Their relationship was the rock from which the rest of us would draw strength when the Nightwalkers sprang from ashes like a powerful beast.To be honest, doubt was still woven into the excitement. How many times in the last few years had I accepted that everything I had been raised to value would be destroyed? It all looked inevitable at certain low points of morale, our n

Athena POVThe joy of our hard-won victory was palpable, bringing a sense of renewal and hope, yet tension and uncertainty threatened our fragile unity. Among our group were familiar faces and wary newcomers from the Silver Moon wolves, uncertain of their new place. Acknowledging the need to address these doubts, I moved through the crowd, offering warm greetings. Previously, I had watched helplessly as betrayal tore our pack apart, but now, with the enemy defeated, I had a crucial role in shaping our future."Athena," a familiar voice called, drawing my attention to Sebastian. His authoritative presence and stormy emerald eyes conveyed deep emotions. "My love," I responded, smiling. "The celebration seems to be going well, doesn't it?"Sebastian's concern was evident. "For now," he said, worried. "But we can't bask in victory for long." I nodded, understanding his caution. Our triumph over Sienna was just the beginning. "The newcomers," Sebastian noted, looking at the former Silver M