Martha's POVI opened my eyes. Everywhere was in almost total darkness. The fire we had made last night had already burned down to embers that glowed in the darkness, making it even thicker and more inky.I wobbled for a few seconds as I stood on my four legs, but I soon got my bearings, shook sleep out of my eyes and started picking my way out of the mass of furry wolves of varying sizes. Most of their ears perked up as I passed, but they remained still otherwise and I passed with relative ease. Though I didn't look, I knew that their noses twitched along with their ears, and they only remained still because they smelled a familiar scent. Had I been a stranger, I would have been besieged by about fifteen feral wolves before I had even gone three steps. That was the main reason Alpha Fenrir had us sleeping in our wolf forms through the night, though it made falling asleep hard and very uncomfortable until you finally accomplished it. I walked out into the bright silvery light of t
Selena's POVI stare around the empty room. I had been back to the castle for a few hours, yet I hadn't seen Hazel since then. I thought he might be in a meeting with Damian and his parents because they had mentioned to me that they wanted to meet him personally. But I knew that there was no way their meeting could last hours. I sighed and closed the door behind me. I had just gotten back from the garden he once stood and proposed to Mia. He went there occasionally and always stayed a long time. But he was not there. I was expecting him to be in the room when I returned, but the empty room proved me wrong. I collapsed on the bed and sighed again. Lately, Hazel had been getting more and more distant. For the first few months after our marriage, everything was fine and I enjoyed the fruit of my troubles. But he went on a mission Damian sent him one month ago and when he returned, he was a different person. That was when his thirst for power and his conquest campaign started. I swa
Selena's POVGently, I traced my fingers over the bloodstains on Hazel's back, my heart pounding with worry. The tension in the room seemed to heighten as I examined the wounds. His breath caught, but he made no move to stop me."Hazel, what happened?" I whispered, my voice barely audible in the silent room.He remained silent, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the walls. The air was thick with unspoken turmoil, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something dark loomed over us.Ignoring his lack of response, I took a deep breath and walked to a shelf in the study. I knew he kept a first aid kit somewhere because one time he had pounded me so much during sex that I bleeded and he treated me using a kit he got from a shelf here. Those were the good old days when we used to have sex everywhere in the castle, as far as there was no one around. "Hazel, you need to tell me what happened. Why is there blood on your dress?" I urged, my voice more determined this time.I dropped t
Mia's POVMabel sighed. "Look, I know you two have your issues, but you're stuck with each other now. The prophecy, whether you like it or not, ties you together. So, figure out a way to make it work.""Why don't you tell me this prophecy of a thing? How can they be two of us?" Mabel sighed. "I guess it's time to tell you," she finally replied.I almost leaped off the bed in excitement. "Really? You're going to tell me?" I asked. She nodded seriously. "I will, but not now," she said. "We have to go hunt for food now," My face fell. I knew she couldn't be serious. She was just saying it to shut me up."Why can't you go hunting and gathering tomorrow?" I asked."You weren't around so you don't know what finally happened between Hazel and I. But I somehow let slip that I had the early stage corrupted. That's, those that were corrupted when the Silver Hands knew even less about unnatural powers than they did know," she said. I frowned in confusion. "And?" I asked. "Now, he's intent o
Mia's POVI was in a study, the exact same that I had had romantic conversations with Hazel in a lifetime ago. In the middle of the study was a young girl, about five or six. Instictively, I realised that was a much younger me. A me that wasn't aware of Hazel, because Hazel did not yet exist to it.Only the castle, and Mabel, and my parents: Alpha Megan and Luna Jessica. And their love. Their all consuming love that didn't care for the fact that she didn't have a wolf. It was refuge from the taunts of the other alpha princes and princesses that always taunted her with it whenever they came to our pack for one reason or another. Sunlight streamed in through a high window and she stood in the shafts of light, her small figure bathed in a warm glow. The younger me was captivated by a book in her hands, a worn-out fairy tale with colorful illustrations. She sat cross-legged on the rug, completely engrossed in the magical world within the pages.The scene shifted, and I found myself stan
Hazel's POVAs I rushed to the site of the commotion, I sighed. Seems each day brings its own troubles with it these days. New day, new trouble to solve. I couldn't help wondering what it could be this time though. The fight with Mabel drained me and I wasn't sure I could get in another fight now. But then again, I had dealt her a good blow, so she couldn't be here again looking for another fight, could she? Not unless she was made of steel, or healed faster than the moon. As I rounded a corner, I almost crashed into a guard. His eyes were dark, indicating that he had his wolf very close to the surface ready to be unleashed. "What's the matter?" I asked him.We only maintained the state he was in war times, when the enemy could attack at any time. The guard straightened, his expression tense. "Alpha, there's been an intrusion. A group of unidentified individuals breached the castle grounds. We managed to subdue some, but others escaped into the lower levels."My jaw tightened. In
HazelThe burly intruder's defiant laughter echoed through the chamber. I tightened my grip on his throat, my eyes narrowing with determination. "Nightshade pack? What do you want with my pack?"He spat on the floor, a mocking glint in his eyes. "You're not the only one with secrets, Alpha. Nightshade has its own agenda, and you're just a pawn in the game."I growled, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Enough games. Who sent you, and what are you after?"The agile intruder, still struggling against the ropes, sneered. "You think you're invincible, don't you? Nightshade won't rest until your precious secrets are exposed."I shot a glance at the chamber's entrance, ensuring no other intruders were sneaking up on us. "Secrets?"The burly one chuckled, a sinister edge to his voice. "We know more than you think, Hazel. Nightshade has eyes everywhere."My patience wore thin. "Tell me who leads Nightshade. What are they planning?"The agile intruder laughed, a mocking tone in his voi
MiaAmidst the chaos, I focused on the immediate threat in front of me—a cloaked figure lunging towards Mason. Reacting instinctively, Mason dodged the attack, his claws meeting the assailant's sword with a resounding clash."Nice try," Mason grunted, pushing back against the attacker.Lycidas engaged another cloaked figure, his movements fluid and precise. "You picked the wrong pack to mess with!"I glanced around, realizing that the cloaked figures outnumbered us. Fear crept in, but I couldn't let it paralyze me. Spotting an opportunity, I lunged at a distracted assailant, my wooden claws meeting their side. They staggered, momentarily thrown off balance."Take that!" I shouted, more to boost my own confidence than anything else.The leader of the cloaked group observed the chaos with a sinister satisfaction. "This is amusing, watching you pups struggle."As Mason and Lycidas fought with unmatched determination, I noticed a glint in the leader's hand—a small, shimmering vial. Before