Semua Bab Star-Crossed Wolves: Silver Moon Rising: Bab 81 - Bab 90

POV: Ian GrecoThursday morning brought the perfect opportunity to test my preliminary work as I found Otto sitting alone in the library's quiet study section, staring at his phone with the expression of someone who'd just received unwelcome news.I approached with coffee and pastries from the campus café, the universal peace offering of stressed students everywhere."You look like you could use caffeine and sugar," I said, settling into the chair across from him. "Rough morning?"Otto glanced up with obvious surprise, then managed a weak smile. "Ian, hey. You didn't have to...""Consider it fuel for brilliant minds," I replied, pushing the coffee toward him. "Besides, I was hoping to pick your brain about something, and bribery seemed like the polite approach."The attempt at humor earned me a genuine laugh, and Otto's shoulders relaxed slightly as he accepted the offered caffeine."What's on your mind?" he asked, taking a grateful sip."Actually, it's about your research project. I'

POV: Tybalt CapuletThe scent of deception hung thick in the Great Hall, and my wolf was restless with unease.I moved through the glittering crowd of pack nobility with predatory grace, my formal wear immaculate despite the tension coiled in every muscle. To the casual observer, I appeared to be simply another young Alpha enjoying the Autumn Equinox Ball. In reality, I was a weapon disguised as a gentleman, scanning for threats to my family's honor with the single-minded focus of a born protector.Juliana was somewhere in this maze of political networking and teenage romance, and keeping her safe was more than duty—it was the purpose that had defined my existence since we were children.I paused near the refreshment table, accepting congratulations from various pack dignitaries while my attention remained fixed on the crowd's movement patterns. Three Montague pack members had been spotted entering the academy grounds despite not appearing on the official guest list. Two had been ide

POV: Otto MoorlandShe said yes.The thought kept circling through my mind as I led Desi Whitmore onto the dance floor, my palms sweating despite the cool autumn air drifting through the Great Hall's open windows. Three hours ago, asking her to dance had seemed like the most terrifying prospect in the world. Now, with her hand warm in mine and her smile bright enough to power the floating lights overhead, it felt like a miracle."You look surprised," she said softly as I placed my other hand on her waist with careful reverence, like she was made of spun glass and might shatter if I held too tight."I am surprised," I admitted, trying not to step on her feet as we began moving to the orchestra's gentle waltz. "Half the Alpha heirs in the room have been trying to get your attention all evening.""Maybe I don't want an Alpha heir's attention," she replied, her brown eyes sparkling with something that made my heart skip erratically. "Maybe I want Otto Moorland's attention."The simple st

POV: Miranda ProsperoThe injured boy stumbled into our hidden grove like something out of a fairy tale, all golden hair and torn formal wear against the backdrop of ancient pines.I pressed myself deeper behind the massive oak tree that had been my hiding spot for the past hour, watching the chaos at the main academy building through my father's old binoculars. The Autumn Equinox Ball had erupted into something that looked more like a political summit gone wrong, with pack Alphas shouting at each other while their security details formed threatening clusters around the courtyard.Papa had forbidden me from attending, of course. "Too dangerous," he'd said in that tone that brooked no argument. "Too many powerful families asking questions we're not ready to answer."So I'd done what I always did when the outside world became overwhelming—I'd retreated to the forest sanctuary where I'd spent most of my seventeen years, tending to the injured creatures that found their way to our hidden

POV: Ferdinand KingI found myself wandering the moonlit forest paths two nights after my encounter with Miranda, my mind churning with memories I'd spent months trying to forget.The formal dining hall of the Southern Alliance palace. My father's voice, cold and commanding as he issued the order that would haunt me forever. Twenty-three prisoners of war, most barely older than myself, kneeling in chains while the court watched with anticipation."Execute them," he'd commanded. "Show the court that you understand the price of defying our authority."I'd stood there in my ceremonial uniform, the silver blade heavy in my hands, and felt something fundamental break inside my chest. These weren't enemy combatants—they were teenagers from a minor pack whose only crime had been refusing to surrender territory that had belonged to their families for generations."Father, perhaps we could consider exile instead—""You will execute them, or I will have you executed alongside them."The memory