Semua Bab Born of Moon and Magic: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Armida's POV The Beta didn't loosen his grip on my wrist even once as he led me deeper into Black Moon territory. His pace was steady, forcing me to match every long stride despite the soreness in my feet. Twigs and sharp stones had left countless tiny cuts on my soles during my sleepwalking, and every step sent a dull ache shooting up my legs. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from complaining. Judging by the expression on Beta's face, he wouldn't care whether I was in pain or not. The morning sun had risen fully now, bathing the vast pack grounds in a golden glow, and despite the fear gnawing relentlessly at my chest, I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering. Black Moon was unlike anything I had ever seen. The stories I had heard growing up hadn't been exaggerated. The pack stretched as far as my eyes could see, its buildings constructed from dark stone that gave the entire settlement an imposing, almost fortress-like appearance. Wide paths connected every section of

Demetrius's POV I sat behind my desk as the morning sun filtered through the towering windows of my office, bathing the room in a warm golden glow that contrasted sharply with the endless stack of reports waiting for my attention. Trade agreements, border patrol reports, pack finances, disputes between neighbouring packs—they were all neatly arranged before me, each one demanding a decision that would ultimately shape the future of Black Moon. Many believed that being an Alpha was simply about strength; about leading warriors into battle, defeating enemies, and protecting one's territory with sharpened claws and brute force. They couldn't have been more wrong. Strength alone could never sustain a pack. Leadership was forged through patience, discipline, and the willingness to make difficult decisions long before swords were drawn or wolves shifted. Every treaty I signed determined whether another pack became an ally or an enemy. Every punishment I handed down reminded my wolves t

Armida's POV I stood in his office long after he'd slammed the door, my head still reeling from the shock of what had just happened. The wood had barely stopped rattling in its frame, and yet the silence that followed felt louder than the slam itself. I didn't know whether to chase after him, to demand an explanation, or to simply stay rooted where I was and let the walls swallow me whole. An unfamiliar feeling crept in — sorrow first, then disappointment, then something heavier that I could only call dejection. It clawed at my chest, slow and deliberate, threatening to tear it wide open. I pressed a hand flat against my chest as if that alone could hold me together. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but it did little good. Hot tears pooled in the corners of my eyes, blurring the edges of the room, as I made my way on unsteady legs to the sofa and sank into it like my bones had given up holding me upright. I've cried so much these past few days, I thought, forcing a

Demetrius's POVBy the time Altracas had finally run himself out, the sky had shifted into deep orange, the sun sinking low enough to bleed color across the water. I let him have his swim at the creek, the cold current washing the blood and dirt from his fur, and when he finally handed control back to me, the forest had gone quiet and dim, evening settling in fast the way it always did out here.I climbed out, dressed, and started the walk back toward my private residence, my mind already circling back to the one problem I hadn't managed to outrun. A run was supposed to clear my head. It always had before — years of channeling frustration into speed and distance until whatever had been eating at me burned itself out somewhere in the trees. It hadn't worked this time. If anything, the quiet only gave the thoughts more room to spread, until every step home felt less like distance gained and more like distance I was reluctantly giving back.I told myself it didn't matter. I told myself I

Armida's POVOnce I was dressed, the quiet of the house settled over me like a second skin, and I realized I had absolutely nothing to fill it with.I wandered out of the bedroom slowly, half-expecting someone to appear and tell me I wasn't allowed to be wherever I was standing. The house was empty in that particular way that made every small sound — the creak of a floorboard, the hum of the refrigerator down the hall— feel too loud, like the silence itself was listening.I let my fingers trail along the back of a leather armchair in the sitting room, noting the way everything here seemed to belong to a man who valued order over comfort. No photographs on the walls. No clutter, no half-finished mug of coffee left out, nothing that hinted at a life outside of duty. I wondered what kind of boy grew into a man who kept a house this bare, and whether that had been a choice or simply the only thing he'd ever known.I'd already searched the kitchen earlier — quickly, quietly, half out of cu