All Chapters of Three Alpha's, One Reckoning, (Wake by the Ancient): Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Sable's POV---The Hollow Queen offers me a deal at midnight, and for one terrible moment, I consider saying yes.I am alone on the balcony. The moon is full. The stars are bright. The world is peaceful. But inside me, there is a war.The Hollow Queen has been whispering for weeks. She has been patient. She has been kind. She has been everything I needed her to be. And tonight, she finally makes her offer."Let me in," she says. "Not just a piece of me. All of me. Let me become part of you. And I will give you everything you have ever wanted.""What is that?""Power. Control. Peace. No more battles. No more sacrifices. No more death. Just peace. Forever.""You are lying.""I am not." Her voice is soft. Warm. "I am the only one who has ever told you the truth. The light lies. The darkness lies. But I am the balance. I am the space between. I am the only one who can give you what you truly want.""And what do I truly want?""To rest. To stop fighting. To stop being the Heart of the Pac

Sable's POV---The Hollow Queen said she would return, and she keeps her promises.It has been three weeks since I refused her offer. Three weeks since I chose to fight instead of surrender. Three weeks since I stood on the balcony and told her no.I thought she would attack immediately. I thought she would send her shadows. I thought she would try to destroy everything I love.She did not.She is waiting. Watching. Planning. And that terrifies me more than any attack ever could.---I find Garrick in the training yard at dawn.He is not fighting. He is just standing there. Staring at the horizon. His hands are clenched. His jaw is tight. He has not been sleeping. None of us have."You feel it too," I say.He turns to face me. His eyes are red. His face is pale."She is coming," he says. It is not a question."Yes.""When?""I do not know. But soon."He walks toward me. He takes my hand. His grip is warm. Strong. Desperate."We will be ready.""Will we?""Yes." He squeezes my hand. "

Sable's POV---The Hollow Queen's shadows arrived at dawn, and they did not come to talk.I am on the balcony when the first scream cuts through the morning air. Not a wolf's scream. Not a human's scream. Something in between. Something that does not belong to this world.I look east. The horizon is black. Not dark. Not shadowed. Black. A wall of darkness that stretches from the mountains to the sea. It moves slowly. Patiently. Hungrily.And it is coming straight for the Silver City.---Garrick is beside me in an instant."What is that?""The Hollow Queen." My voice is hollow. "She is not waiting anymore.""How many?""Thousands. Maybe more."He takes my hand. His grip is tight. His jaw is set."Then we fight.""We fight."---The next hour is chaos.We gather the armies. The Moon-Touched. The pack wolves. The hybrids. Everyone who can fight. Everyone who will fight.Merrick organizes the defenses. He places the warriors. He positions the archers. He prepares the traps. His voice is

Sable's POV---The crown appears on my head at midnight, and I do not remember putting it there.I am standing on the balcony. The moon is full. The stars are bright. The world is peaceful. And then I feel it. A weight. A cold. A presence.I reach up. My fingers touch metal. Not silver. Not gold. Something darker. Something older. Something that should not exist.I walk to the mirror. I look at my reflection. And I see it.The Hollow Crown.It sits on my head like it was always meant to be there. Black iron. Twisted thorns. A single silver stone in the center that pulses with light.And I know, without knowing how, that it will never come off.---I find Garrick in the training yard at dawn.He is not fighting. He is just standing there. Staring at me. His eyes are wide. His face is pale."What is that?" he asks."I do not know.""Take it off.""I cannot.""What do you mean you cannot?""I mean it will not come off." I reach up. I pull. I tug. The crown does not move. "It is part of

Sable's POV---The Hollow Crown declared war at midnight, and it used my mouth to do it.I am standing on the balcony. The moon is full. The stars are bright. The world is peaceful. And then I feel it. A pull. A push. A presence.The crown speaks. Not to me. Through me."People of the Silver City," it says. My voice. My mouth. My body. "You have lived in peace for too long. You have forgotten the darkness. You have forgotten me. But I have not forgotten you. And I am coming."I try to stop. I try to close my mouth. I try to fight.I cannot."Your queen is weak," the crown continues. "Your queen is a child. Your queen is nothing. But I am everything. And I will take what is mine."I scream. I scream inside my own head. I scream with every ounce of strength I have.And then, silence.The crown stops. The voice fades. The presence retreats.But it is too late.The city is awake. The people are terrified. The armies are scrambling. And everyone is looking at me like I am the enemy.---I