LOGINCHLOE'S POVKael was getting closer.Far too close.Every day he watched me a little longer.Questioned a little more.Even Kiara, despite trusting me with all her heart, had started asking questions I never thought she'd ask.How much longer could I keep lying?I didn't know.But I did know one thing….Rowan's mark was getting stronger.And Seraphine would not wait forever.I stood in my room, staring at the small black crystal hidden inside a wooden box beneath my bed.For days I had avoided touching it.The moment I picked it up, it pulsed with dark purple light.A message.Seraphine wanted to speak.I swallowed nervously before closing the curtains and drawing a protection circle on the floor.With a deep breath, I placed the crystal in the center.It floated slightly above the ground.The room grew cold.The purple light expanded until it filled every corner.Then...Seraphine appeared.Not physically….Only her image."You've kept me waiting.""I couldn't risk contacting you.""You
KAEL'S POVThe moment Kiara finished telling me everything she had overheard, one name echoed relentlessly in my mind.Celeste.I had known her since we were children.We had trained together.Fought together.She had stood beside me through countless battles, and I had always trusted her as a friend.But somewhere along the way...That friendship had become something darker.An obsession.And now she was dragging Chloe into whatever game she was playing.Whether Chloe was guilty or not was a question for another day.But Celeste...She had crossed a line.I left my office immediately, my wolf restless beneath my skin.Warriors stepped aside the moment they saw my expression.Everyone could sense my anger.It didn't take long to find her.She was in the training grounds, sparring with two female warriors.The moment she noticed me, a smile spread across her face."Kael."She dismissed the warriors with a wave of her hand before walking toward me."I was actually hoping to”"We need to talk."
KIARA'S POVThe next morning felt strangely peaceful.For the first time in days, Rowan had slept through most of the night. Although the mark on his back remained, his fever had lessened, and seeing him resting quietly gave me hope I hadn't felt in a long time.Kael had left early that morning to oversee the warriors strengthening the pack's borders after the Coven's sudden retreat.Olivia was watching Ryder while the witch doctor examined Rowan once again.Wanting a few moments to myself, I decided to take a walk through the gardens.The cool morning breeze brushed against my skin as birds sang overhead. Everything looked normal.Too normal.Ever since the Coven disappeared, I couldn't shake the feeling that they hadn't truly left.Something was coming.I could feel it.As I wandered farther into the gardens, I heard voices ahead.One of them immediately caught my attention.Celeste.I frowned.Who was she talking to?Curiosity got the better of me.I quietly stepped behind a large o
KAEL'S POVBy sunset, the impossible had happened.The Coven was gone.Not a single witch remained outside our borders.The warriors stood along the walls, confused as they watched the empty tree line."They're... leaving?" Liam muttered.I narrowed my eyes."No."He looked at me."No?"I slowly shook my head."They didn't come all this way just to leave.""Then why retreat?""I don't know."And that was exactly what worried me.An enemy who attacked was predictable.An enemy who walked away...Was planning something worse.I looked toward the forest one last time before turning back toward the pack house."Double the guards."Liam frowned."But Alpha, they've already—""I said double them.""Yes, Alpha."He immediately hurried away.As I entered the pack house, I found my mother waiting for me."The witches are gone.""I know."She studied my face."But you're not relieved.""No.""Why?"I looked toward the nursery upstairs."Because Seraphine isn't the type to surrender."Olivia nodde
CHLOE'S POVThe moment I heard the alarm bells echo through the pack, my heart nearly stopped.Warriors were running in every direction.Women hurried children indoors.The gates were being reinforced.Something had happened.I grabbed the arm of a passing warrior."What's going on?""The Coven."He didn't stop running."They're outside our borders."The color drained from my face."No..."I whispered."No... what are you doing, Seraphine?"I hurried toward one of the watchtowers overlooking the pack borders.The moment I reached the top, my breath caught.Hundreds...No.Thousands of witches stood beyond the forest.Completely surrounding the territory.At their head...Seraphine.She stood as calm as ever, staring directly toward the Alpha's house.I clenched my fists."This wasn't the plan."She couldn't attack now.Not now.Not while Rowan's mark had only begun awakening.Not while I was still inside the pack.If war started now, everything we had spent years planning could be destroyed
KIARA'S POVI couldn't stop thinking about the portrait.Even after Kael led me back to our room.Even after he searched every hallway, every empty room, and every hidden corner of the pack house.He found nothing….No secret passage….No footprints….No signs that anyone had been there.But I knew what I had seen.It wasn't another vision.It wasn't a dream.It was real.It had to be.The moment we entered our bedroom, my eyes immediately searched for Rowan.He was still asleep beside Ryder.His tiny chest rose and fell gently.The mark on his back had faded slightly, but it was still there.Watching him brought a little relief to my heart.Just a little.Kael closed the bedroom door behind us."You shouldn't be walking around alone."His voice wasn't angry this time.Only tired."I know.""You scared me."I looked at him."I'm sorry."He sighed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders."You've apologized enough tonight."I leaned my head against him."I really did hear someone.""I know you be
KIARA'S POVSomething was wrong, I had tried to ignore it at first.Everyone expected me to be tired. After all, I was pregnant.But this wasn't normal.Every day, I felt weaker.Every day, I struggled to get out of bed.Even simple things exhausted me.The twins were growing too fast.And my body was pa
KAEL'S POVSomething wasn't right and the more I thought about it, the less I liked it. It had been days since Kiara told me about the vision days since she admitted she knew nothing about Chloe's family.At first, I told myself I was overthinking Chloe had been by Kiara's side for years.She loved
KIARA'S POVFear showed up in his eyes."Tell me everything " he said.For a moment I could not say a word. My hands were shaking inside his as tears kept falling down my face. The pictures from the visions appeared in my mind again. I saw blood and people screaming and dying.Kael held my hands ti
KIARA’S POVWe've been trying to access my hidden memories for days now. Every time we would get close, my mind would shut us out and I would end up unconscious for hours."I think we should take a break," Stefan said."I need to know oaky. What demons lurk behind my past that are so bad I locked t







