171. Ashes and Goodbye

Chapter 171: Ashes and GoodbyeANYA’S POVI stood frozen in the doorway of the preparation chamber that morning. Damien lay on the raised stone platform, dressed in his ceremonial black robes trimmed with silver. His face looked peaceful, as if he might open his eyes any second and smile at me. The healers had cleaned the blood away and closed his wounds, but nothing could bring back the warmth I remembered in his skin. My legs buckled. Gavin caught me before I hit the floor.“Easy, Lady Anya,” he said quietly. He kept his arm around my waist until I found my balance again. I walked closer on my own. My hand hovered above Damien’s cheek. When I finally touched him, the coldness shot through my fingers and straight into my heart. This was not my husband. This was an empty shell. I pulled my hand back as fresh tears stung my eyes. I had expected him to wake up. Even now, part of me waited for his chest to rise, for his voice to say my name and tell me it was all over. Nothing happened

172. Whispers From the Storm

Chapter 172: Whispers From the Storm ANYA’S POV The nights were the worst. Not because the darkness came, but because it always brought him back to me, whole, laughing, and alive, only for dawn to rip him away again. Five years. Five endless years since I had held Damien’s body in my arms and felt his warmth bleed into nothing. I still woke up reaching for the empty side of our bed, fingers curling around cold sheets that smelled faintly of cedar and storm, even though I had washed them a thousand times.Tonight the emptiness clawed deeper than usual. I stood at the window of the Alpha’s chambers, staring out at the rain-lashed gardens, both wedding bands heavy on my finger like anchors trying to drag me under. The pack thrived. Trade routes gleamed with new wealth. Borders held firm. Children laughed in the training yards. But none of it touched the hollow place where my mate had been torn out of me. A small voice drifted down the hall. Elias. I found him on the rug in his room,

173. Return From The Void

Chapter 173: Return From The Void DAMIEN’S POVDarkness wrapped around me like thick chains that never loosened. I existed in an endless void with no beginning and no end. Time lost all meaning there. I drifted in a liminal space between life and death, aware yet trapped, unable to cross into the afterlife or return to the world I left behind. My body felt absent, but my mind remained sharp with regret and longing. I had begged the higher powers many times to let me go back to Anya and our child. They always refused. This was the price I paid for my borrowed time, they said. So I waited in silence, exhausted and shabby, suspended in nothing.A shift came without warning. Soft light pierced the darkness, gentle at first then brighter. A presence filled the void, warm and ancient. The Moon Goddess appeared before me, her form shimmering like moonlight on water. Other spirits gathered with her, their voices blending into one clear decision.“It is time,” she said. “Your son has called

174. Light After Darkness

Chapter 174: Light After Darkness ANYA’S POVI could not stop touching Damien. My fingers traced the line of his jaw, the familiar scar above his eyebrow, the strong shoulders I had missed for five long years. He sat propped against the pillows in our bed while sunlight streamed through the windows and warmed the room. Elias played on the rug nearby with his wooden figures, occasionally glancing up to make sure his father had not disappeared again. The mansion buzzed with activity downstairs. Messengers had carried the news to every corner of our territory, and visitors from allied packs already gathered in the courtyard, stunned by the miracle. Damien caught my hand and pressed it to his chest. His heartbeat thrummed steady and real beneath my palm. “I am here, Anya. I am not going anywhere.”Tears blurred my vision again. I leaned in and kissed him softly at first, then deeper as relief and joy crashed over me. He tasted like home. When we pulled apart, I rested my forehead agai

175. Roots and Renewal

Chapter 175: Roots and Renewal DAMIEN’S POVThree weeks had passed since I returned, and the rhythm of our days had settled into something I never thought I’d have again, beautiful, steady, and real. The pack had welcomed me back as Alpha without hesitation. The ironclaw pack ran smoother under my hand once more, trade agreements flowed cleaner, border reports grew quieter, and a sense of stability wrapped around our territory like a warm cloak.I ended the meeting session with the elders and walked toward the terrace where Anya waited with Gavin and Iris. Sweat cooled on my skin, but energy still thrummed through me. Gavin handed me a cup of cool water while Iris adjusted her shawl.“Crescent Moon Pack reached out this morning,” Gavin said as we clasped arms. “They are willing to trade with us. They said they will stick with the twenty percent offer you gave them.”I took a long drink and nodded. “I knew they were going to give in. They made such a good choice by doing that.” I tur

176. Full Circle

Chapter 176: Full Circle ANYA’S POVA YEAR LATER… I rested my hands on my rounded belly and smiled as the baby kicked strongly beneath my palms. One year had passed since Damien’s return, and our lives had bloomed into something richer than I ever dared imagine. Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the nursery windows while I sat in the wide rocking chair. Elias knelt beside me, pressing his ear to my stomach with complete concentration. His face lit up every time the baby moved.“She kicked again,” he announced proudly. “I think she likes my stories. Did you hear that, little sister? I will teach you how to shift and how to make sparks dance like Mommy does.” Damien leaned against the doorframe watching us, arms crossed over his chest and a soft expression on his face. He crossed the room in a few strides and crouched beside our son. “You are going to be the best big brother, Elias. She will be lucky to have you.”I threaded my fingers through Damien’s hair as he rested his ha