LOGINAlpha Richard’s POVCaptain Ellis’s words settled over the council chamber like smoke.Someone close to me.For several seconds, I stared at him across the table, waiting for the rest of the room to react. No one did. The scouts kept their heads lowered, while the councilmen seemed fascinated by the maps beneath their hands. Even the guards near the doors refused to meet my gaze.Cowards.Every one of them.They were already searching their memories, wondering which conversation might condemn them and whether I had noticed every nervous glance exchanged across my table. I had. Grief had not dulled my instincts, despite what some whispered when they thought I was too far away to hear. I knew when fear entered a room, and I could smell guilt beneath all that mud, sweat, and polished leather.“Close to me in what way?” I asked.Ellis’s throat moved before he answered. “Someone with access to patrol rotations, private roads, and the restricted routes surrounding the northern estate.”“Hal
Alpha Richard’s POV Lucian’s room was the only place in Star Pack where time had stopped. I had forbidden anyone from touching it after his death. Not the servants. Not the cleaners. Not even my closest advisors who believed keeping a dead wolf’s belongings untouched was a weakness. They were wrong. Weakness was forgetting. Weakness was pretending losing my son was something I could simply accept and move beyond. I refused to do either. His cloak still hung over the chair near the window, exactly where he had thrown it after returning from training one evening. His maps remained spread across his desk, covered in his handwriting and battle strategies he would never have the chance to use. The sword he carried since his eighteenth birthday rested against the wall, polished and ready despite the fact its owner would never pick it up again. Everyone else had moved on. They had returned to their duties. They had returned to their families. They had returned to pretending Star Pac
Lyra’s POVI stayed beside Rowan’s bed while Amber worked, even when she told me twice to move so she had more room.I ignored her both times.She noticed.She always noticed.“Lyra,” she said without looking up, “if you’re going to stand there, at least make yourself useful.”I folded my arms.“I am being useful.”“You’re glaring at him.”“I’m making sure he knows he isn’t allowed to die.”Amber finally looked up at me, pushing her glasses higher on her nose.“That is not how medicine works.”“It should be.”A tired smile tugged at her mouth before she turned back to Rowan.That was the first time since she arrived that I saw even a little bit of the Amber I knew.The rest of her focus was on him.On every small detail.The way he breathed.The temperature of his skin.The wound she was trying to keep from getting worse.She had barely stopped moving since she walked through the door.“Tell me exactly what happened,” she said.Mara stepped forward.“He was injured while we were escap
Commander Rourke’s POVPain dragged me back to consciousness.Again.A sharp throb pulsed behind my eyes, somehow worse than before. My skull felt like someone had driven a spike straight through it, and every heartbeat sent another wave of agony crashing through my temples. My mouth was dry enough to crack, and my shoulders screamed from being forced into the same position for what had to be hours… or days.I had no idea anymore.There was no sunlight beneath Aurelia’s deepest dungeon.No windows.No sense of time.Only darkness, cold stone, and the slow drip of water echoing somewhere beyond the bars.I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.How long had I been here?A day?Two?Longer?Seraphine had made sure I couldn’t tell.That realization settled heavily in my chest.She hadn’t simply imprisoned me.She had erased time itself.I shifted, immediately regretting it as the iron shackles bit into my wrists. The skin beneath them had long since rubbed raw. Every movement sent fre
Commander Rourke’s POV Pain exploded behind my eyes before consciousness fully returned. A low groan tore from my throat as I fought through the crushing pressure inside my skull. Every heartbeat sent another wave of agony through my temples, while a bitter taste coated my tongue and left my mouth painfully dry. I tried to swallow, but my throat felt like it had been packed with sand. What happened? I forced myself to breathe through the nausea rolling through my stomach, searching through the fog clouding my mind. Fragments of the previous evening drifted through my thoughts. The council meeting. The endless arguments. The reports covering my desk. The glass of whiskey I poured after everyone finally left, hoping the silence would give me enough clarity to think. Then… Nothing. My memory ended there. No struggle. No warning. No attack. Just darkness. A cold instinct settled deep in my chest. Something was wrong. Very wrong. I forced my eyes open. Darkness surroun
Lyra’s POVThe knock at the door jolted us all back to attention as we listened to the agreed-upon code being tapped out. Taking a deep breath I stood up and strode towards the door clenching a silver dagger in my fist as at this point I’d rather be safe than sorry.My hand hovered for only a second before I opened it.Cold air rushed in first, sharp and cutting through the heat of the cabin.And then Amber stepped inside.She didn’t move further at first.Just stood there for a beat, eyes scanning the room like she was confirming what she was walking into was real.Then her gaze landed on me.Everything in her face shifted.“Lyra.”My name came out like it hurt to say it.Before I could answer, she crossed the space between us and pulled me into her arms.It wasn’t gentle or cautious. It was immediate, tight, and grounding—like she had been holding herself together by force for too long and this was the first thing that let her loosen.I held her back just as tightly.For a moment ne
Lyra’s POV Pulling away from Aurelia, we gradually started driving down the five-mile driveway that led to the main road. It had once been beautifully paved, smooth and free of bumps, potholes, or sinkholes, providing a seamless surface for travel. But, like anything, add a bit of neglect and a ce
Lyra's POV My alarm went off at six a.m. on the dot. You'd think, after years of training with us, waking up at 5:30 a.m. to run and do calisthenics, I'd be a morning person. The truth of the matter is, I hate the morning; no matter how much coffee I drink, I still feel like a zombie. Rolling out
Rowan's POV I left Lyra's room, my feet pounding down the hall towards Commander Rourke's office. Climbing down the stairs, I reach the hallway leading to his office. Stilling myself, I take a minute to calm down. I couldn't let her do this alone. We've taken every step together since we were six.
Lyra's POVEvery beat of my heart echoed in my skull. I did my best to project an air of calm, not letting my body language give away the emotions I felt. Commander Rourke sat across from me, still staring at me, waiting for some response or reaction."Well, do you understand what the council and I







