Astra’s POV.

It was such a horrible experience as we both stood in front of the Alpha of the Crescent moon pack, Kaelith and I. In my heart, I prayed the moon goddess saved those boys who were injured beyond repair, Humphrey most especially. The challenge and threat they posed on me was so much that I had to send a quick text to Kaelith who came along to help me out since I was outnumbered. Alpha ValdricWalter, alongside my father, Sir Alexis Young sat and watched us both in disappointment. I felt so ashamed of myself and wished I listened to Nymera initially, but I was carried away by rage and blood lust.

“How could you both do such a thing?! What happens to report back to the royal council?! If you knew you needed to do such a thing and take action on those kids, you should have taken action the right way and not by having them manhandled, what went wrong with you Astra?! I’m talking to you?!”

“I’m so sorry Alpha, they insulted my friend, she was without a wolf and they used that against her.”

“Oh, I see, she was without a wolf, did she complain to you about it? Did she?!” He scolded and stood to his feet this time after he banged his hands on the table in front. Kaelith and I shivered as he did this.

“You had the guts to even call on Kaelith, who foolishly ran to the scene and almost amputated one of them! You both have disgraced this family! I thought I had a son who was reasonable at least, I never knew I had a heartless fool,”

“Father?!”

“Shut your track son! I am the Alpha of this pack and I’m talking to you! I’m not feeling so healthy and you know it, I’m having a serious heart challenge here and yet you’re trying to make it even worse, what wrong have I done to you?! Astra, I’ve taken you as a daughter since the day you were birthed and we’ve trained you to become one of the strongest and most fierce wolves in the pack, yet you’ve let your hot-tempered nature take over you and look at the mess the both of you have done!”

“Alpha we’re sorry, it wouldn’t happen again. Honestly, I don’t want you to get so mad at us, I only felt I should protect my friend and get her to safety because those boys were going to deal with her mercilessly if we didn’t act.”

“I see, so you’ve turned out to be a guardian Angel overnight huh?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Listen attentively, I don’t want you to be engaged in any fights from henceforth, am I understood?!”

“Yes Alpha,” I replied but Kaelith was still stubborn, he loved fighting and it was in fact his hubby, he frowned at the Alpha who took a step toward him and repeated himself.

“I said, I wouldn’t want to see you both, involved in a fight from henceforth, am I understood?”

“Ye… yes father.”

“Very good, now you both should pray nothing happens to those boys otherwise, you’ll be held responsible for whatever happens, now you two get out of my sight.”

I stood to my feet and turned to my father, the king's warrior, Sir Young, as he sat and gave me a disapproving stare, I imagined what would be done to me when he came back home because he was silent all along while the Alpha scolded.

Kaelith was so angry at his dad for scolding him in such a manner and front of everyone else. He was full of pride and felt so humiliated at that point. Nymera who was in the middle of this was waiting for us outside the meeting hall of the pack, she felt so sorry for Kaelith and tried to get his attention.

“Kaelith? Kaelith, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t call my name,” he responded as he kept his face straight and walked right to the garden, he needed to have some time alone.

“Kaelith, please, don’t be offended, I’m just…”

I saw she kept on calling and following behind while he moved on.

“Hey, don’t continue, he’s got to have some me-time, you don’t know Kaelith Nymera, he wouldn’t respond to you, he’s got a very stubborn wolf, please, come with me, let’s get back to the coffee shop and grab some, I think I’ll need to cool off,”

**2 minutes later; At the coffee shop.**

“My dad is going to have me screwed once I get back home today, he couldn’t even say a word while we were with the alpha, he just let Valdricdo the talking while he sat angrily and watched.”

“I’m so sorry Astra, honestly I wish I could rewind the hands of time to the very moment you shifted, perhaps all these wouldn’t have happened, but you went too far Astra, why would you go ahead to call on Kaelith? You know he’s a very powerful werewolf and you’ve seen what he’s done to those boys, I pray the moon goddess safeguards them and grants them both a speedy recovery because what my eyes saw today, an ordinary human wouldn’t survive that at all.”

“Of course, they’re werewolves, you don’t have to feel so sorry for them, they’ll heal so fast and trust me, I don’t feel sorry for them at all, I needed that Humphrey guy to feel so much pain at least he was the one who posed to me in a challenge.”

“Astra, please take it easy, if anything happens to those children or one of them, we’re in trouble, I’ll be also included because I was the own referred to as…”

“It’s enough wolf! Just stop it, you don’t know what it feels like to be a werewolf yet, the urge for blood, for having a kill, do you know how I felt when Kaelith broke Humphrey’s arm? I felt like I was the one who did that, it would have made my day and at least if I’m going back home to be beaten or punished by my dad who’ll be waiting for me to get back home, I’ll be happy serving the punishment.”

“Astra?“

She laughed out loud this time.”

“Don’t blame me much wolf, I hate bullies even at school, they need to be nice.”

“But honestly I’m grateful for redeeming me from those fellas, indeed, you both went too far with them but at least it’ll serve as a lesson to the rest of them at school who’ll probably want to make fun of me for being without a wolf.”

I noticed she smiled at me. Astra was such a cutie, her dimples caught my attention and her sparkling eyes, a damsel who I’ll term ‘compete’.

“It’s okay Wolfless.” She said jokingly and tapped my shoulders while she laughed.

“So let’s talk about you,”

“Huh? Me?”

“Of course, or are you shy again? Nymera we’ve got a lot to unleash about you, at least you know a little about me, I’m quite popular, daughter to the king warrior of the Crescent moon pack and also in possession of a reputable wolf,”

“Astra, I don’t think there’s anything to be said about me, honestly I feel I’ve got so much to learn from you and Kaelith instead.”

“Of course you do,”

“So…”

“So, you’ve got to open up to me about you, especially the part where you’ll tell me exactly how you feel about him.”

I could bet my life on it that goosebumps erupted from her skin now. She has to tell me exactly how she feels about Kaelith because from all I observed earlier today, he was already in love with her and it happened so fast. How would two strangers just meet for the first time and boom…! They’re already in…

“I’ve known Prince Kaelith all my life and trust me, he’s been a very complicated figure, sometimes I don’t even know what to believe about him, but today was the first day I got to speak with him.”

“Hmm, complicated, well, that’s not for me though, I’ve lived under the same roof with him since I was a very little girl, we trained together and had so much in common, trust me, most times he could be very annoying.”

“Exactly…”

We both laughed at this before she threw a deep-rooted question at me. It felt like a bombshell.

“Do you love him?”

“Hmm?”

I needed to make the connection between the both of us look realistic So I held her hand, this was to make her see me as being neutral in this and not a rival, after all, I’ve lived with him all my life and know him better.

“Hmm…”

“I’ll take that as a yes if you don’t give me a direct answer right away,” she laughed again and this time Kaelith walked into the cafe, he wasn’t looking happy He held his phone and cried bitterly.

“Hey, What’s the problem?!, Kaelith?! Kaelith!” I called out to him in fear, Nymera stood to her feet and we both watched ourselves for a while, he handed over the phone to me and I stumbled on a picture sent by the Duke, his friend who worked as a cleaner at the hospital.

It was Humphrey who lay lifeless with a ‘RIP’ caption on it, he couldn’t make it. He held his forehead and turned to Nymera and me while he held the phone.

“What have I done?”

Nymera’s POV

The sun bled red as it sank behind the mountains, casting a strange, heavy light over the Crescent Moon Pack grounds. I shivered, arms crossed tightly around myself as Astra and I stood in awkward silence outside the healer’s ward.

It still didn’t feel real. Humphrey was dead.

Inside, Kaelith sat slumped in a chair, staring blankly at the tiled floor, his hands bloody from punching the walls when the news came through.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Astra whispered, her voice trembling. She wasn’t looking at me; she was watching Kaelith like she didn’t know him anymore. Maybe she didn’t.

Neither did I.

A few feet away, the Alpha’s guards whispered among themselves, shooting me dark glances like it was my fault. Like a wolfless girl could cause this much destruction.

I swallowed hard and turned away from them.

"I should go," I said quietly. "I don't belong here."

"You’re not leaving," Astra snapped, startling me. Her face softened immediately. "I mean—you can’t walk alone. Not tonight."

A chill slid down my spine. For the first time in days, I noticed how quiet the pack grounds had become. Too quiet. Even the wolves had stopped howling.

Danger lurked in the silence. I could feel it.

"Come on," Astra muttered, tugging my sleeve. "Let’s get you home."

We walked through the thinning crowd, boots crunching against the gravel path. Above us, the clouds thickened, hiding the stars. I kept my head low, trying not to notice the stares. Every whisper felt like a knife in my back.

Wolfless.

Cursed.

Trouble follows her.

Maybe they were right. Wherever I went, disaster followed.

“Don’t listen to them," Astra said under her breath, like she could hear my thoughts. "You didn’t kill him. It wasn’t your fault."

I wanted to believe her. I really did.

But something inside me whispered otherwise.

My house looked smaller than ever as we approached, its crooked roof leaning dangerously to the left, like it was too tired to stand upright.

Astra hesitated at the gate. "Are you sure you’ll be alright?"

I nodded, offering a weak smile. "Thank you for walking me."

"Hey." She caught my arm before I could turn away. "Promise me you’ll stay inside tonight. No wandering. No—" She hesitated, biting her lip. "Just… trust me, Nymera."

I frowned. "What’s wrong?"

She shook her head quickly. "Nothing. Just be safe, alright?"

And then, without another word, she was gone, vanishing into the mist that had started to creep over the streets.

Confused but exhausted, I slipped inside the house, bolting the door behind me. The silence wrapped around me like a second skin.

I didn’t bother lighting a candle. I just sank onto my narrow bed and stared at the ceiling, trying not to think about Humphrey’s blank, lifeless face.

Tomorrow, everything would be worse. I could feel it.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Sleep didn’t come easy—but eventually, the darkness swallowed me whole.

BANG!

The loud crash jerked me upright. My heart pounded against my ribs as I stared into the dark. Another bang—this time against the door.

I stumbled to my feet, hands shaking. Someone—or something—was trying to break in.

Stay calm. Stay calm.

I crept toward the window, heart hammering. Peeking out, I saw... nothing. Just swirling mist.

Until—

A shadow moved.

A large, hulking figure, pacing back and forth by my door. I couldn't see his face, but the fury radiating off him was almost visible.

I backed away, stumbling over the uneven floorboards. I needed to run—but where? The back door was jammed, and the windows were too small.

The door shuddered again. Then a low growl rumbled through the night.

Not a man.

A wolf.

But whose?

The packs never attacked their own... unless ordered to.

I have to move.

I grabbed the first thing I could find—a broken chair leg—and crept toward the corner, heart thundering so loudly it drowned out everything else.

The door cracked under another heavy blow.

One more hit, and it would splinter.

I braced myself.

But just as the final blow came—

A howl split the air.

High-pitched. Commanding.

Instantly, the shadow froze.

Another figure burst out of the mist, slamming into the attacker with the force of a freight train. The two figures rolled across the ground, snarling, snapping, blood flying in sprays across the dirt.

I pressed myself against the wall, breathing hard, terrified to even look.

The fight was brutal. It only lasted seconds—but it felt like forever.

Finally, the smaller wolf—silver-furred and bleeding heavily—forced the attacker back. With a final snarl, the hulking figure retreated into the mist, leaving only silence behind.

The silver wolf stumbled, panting hard, then shifted.

My jaw dropped.

"Kaelith?"

He was shirtless, bruised, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His eyes found mine instantly—wild, desperate.

"Nymera," he gasped, staggering toward me. "You have to come with me. Now."

I shook my head, backing away instinctively. "What’s happening?"

"No time." He grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward the door. "They’re coming for you."

"Who?!" My voice cracked with terror.

"The Council. The Elders. Astra—" His eyes darkened. "There’s a plan. They’re saying you cursed the pack. That you caused Humphrey’s death. They’re planning to execute you at dawn."

I froze.

"No," I whispered. "No, they can’t—"

"They can. And they will." His voice was rough. "Unless we run. Right now."

Tears blurred my vision. My mind screamed at me not to trust him—he had humiliated me, betrayed me—but instinct screamed louder.

I didn't have a choice.

"Where are we going?" I choked out as he pulled me into the mist.

He didn't answer.

Because up ahead, more shadows were forming—dark figures stepping out of the fog.

Blocking the path.

Kaelith cursed under his breath, yanking me sideways, into the trees. Branches tore at my skin, but I barely noticed.

Behind us, the footsteps grew louder.

Faster.

We broke through the trees and into a clearing—and there, waiting like a nightmare made flesh, stood a figure cloaked in black.

Astra.

She smiled coldly, a dagger gleaming in her hand.

"You should’ve stayed in your cage, little wolf," she said sweetly.

Then she lunged.

Nymera’s POV

Astra’s blade flashed under the moonlight, slicing through the mist as she charged toward me.

I froze, the world narrowing to the glint of steel and the wild fury in her eyes.

Kaelith reacted first. He shoved me aside, throwing himself between us just as Astra lunged. The knife scraped across his arm, blood welling immediately, but he didn’t flinch.

He caught her wrist mid-strike and twisted hard. Astra yelped in pain but didn’t let go. Her other hand swung up, nails clawing for Kaelith’s face.

He barely dodged, grabbing her and trying to pin her down, but Astra was fast—faster than I ever remembered. She ducked under his arm, slashing low.

I stumbled back, heart slamming against my ribs, useless, frozen.

Fight.

Move.

Do something.

The training grounds. The insults. The fists shoving me down.

The faces laughing.

Wolfless.

No.

Not anymore.

I snatched up a thick branch from the ground and gripped it tight, my knuckles whitening.

Kaelith and Astra were still locked in a deadly dance, snarling and circling each other like true wolves even in human skin.

I crept closer, the branch raised high.

Astra spotted me at the last second—but it was too late.

I swung with everything I had.

The branch cracked across her shoulder with a sickening thud. Astra cried out and staggered. Kaelith seized the opening, wrenching the dagger from her hand and tossing it into the trees.

For a breathless moment, none of us moved.

Then Astra laughed—a low, ugly sound that didn’t belong in this forest.

"You think this ends here?" she hissed, cradling her arm. "You think you’ve won?"

"Get out," Kaelith growled. His voice was so raw it didn’t sound human anymore. "Before I forget you were once my friend."

Astra’s gaze flicked to me.

I met her stare, forcing my trembling legs to lock, refusing to show fear.

"You’re dead, Nymera," Astra said, smiling sweetly. "You just don’t know it yet."

Then she turned and melted into the mist, gone as suddenly as she’d appeared.

The woods swallowed her whole.

I sagged against a tree, my heart still racing so hard it hurt.

Kaelith knelt beside me, clutching his bleeding arm. His face was pale under the moonlight, but his eyes were fierce.

"You okay?" he asked, voice rough.

"I think so." I swallowed hard. "You?"

He nodded grimly, but I wasn’t convinced.

"She’s not working alone," Kaelith said, scanning the trees. "There’s more coming."

Fear twisted in my gut. "Where can we go?"

He hesitated, then muttered, "The old Blacksmith’s cabin. No one goes there anymore."

My father’s forge. The place he’d loved, the place they’d burned to ashes after accusing us of betrayal.

I didn’t have time to protest.

Kaelith helped me to my feet, and together we ran.

The ruins of the blacksmith’s cabin loomed ahead, half-swallowed by weeds and ivy. Only the stone hearth still stood intact, a crumbling skeleton of what once was.

Kaelith led me inside what was left of the walls, breathing hard.

I crouched behind the old hearth, hugging my knees to my chest. Every branch that snapped outside made me flinch.

Kaelith paced like a caged animal, muscles taut, blood dripping steadily down his arm.

"You need to bandage that," I said quietly.

"No time." His voice was clipped. He kept glancing toward the woods like he expected Astra to come flying at us again.

A heavy silence stretched between us.

"You didn’t have to help me," I whispered after a moment.

He stopped pacing and looked at me. Really looked.

"I did," he said.

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. "After everything—you chose Astra. You chose to believe her over me."

Kaelith’s jaw tightened. "I know."

"Then why?" My voice cracked. "Why now?"

He crouched in front of me, close enough that I could see the bruises blooming under his skin.

"Because I was a fool," he said. His voice was low and fierce, like he hated himself more than anything. "I let pride blind me. I believed the lies I wanted to hear because facing the truth meant admitting I could lose you."

I stared at him, heart thudding painfully.

"Nymera," he said, and his hand hovered near mine but didn’t touch. "I was wrong. About everything. And I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I’m not letting them hurt you again."

I should have hated him. Should have spat in his face.

Instead, all I felt was a deep, aching sadness.

"You can’t protect me from all of them," I said. "Not forever."

His mouth tightened. "I can try."

A sound in the woods—a snap, loud and deliberate.

Kaelith surged to his feet, dragging me up with him.

"Hide," he hissed. "Now."

I pressed myself into the shadows of the hearth as Kaelith stepped into the open, tense and ready.

The mist parted—and four wolves emerged.

Not shifters. Not human.

Full wolves, massive and snarling, teeth bared.

Enforcers.

Sent by the Elders.

My blood ran cold.

Kaelith didn’t hesitate. He shifted mid-step, his bones snapping and reshaping, silver fur exploding across his body.

Even injured, his wolf form was breathtaking—huge, powerful, lethal.

He met the first enforcer with a roar, slamming into it hard enough to shake the ground.

I stayed frozen, too terrified to breathe.

The battle was savage. Fur and blood flew in the air. The wolves circled, snapping and lunging, and Kaelith fought like a demon, but he was outnumbered. Wounded.

I had to do something.

I have to help.

Frantically, I searched the rubble around me. My fingers closed around a shard of metal—part of my father’s old forge. Rusted, jagged, sharp.

I crept forward, heart pounding.

One of the enforcers had Kaelith pinned. His massive jaws closed around Kaelith’s shoulder, forcing him down.

Without thinking, I hurled the shard.

It struck the wolf in the side, not deep, but enough.

The wolf howled and stumbled back. Kaelith seized the moment, tearing free.

But it wasn’t enough.

The biggest wolf—their leader—snarled and lunged straight for me.

I screamed, stumbling backward.

Kaelith was too far. He wouldn’t make it in time.

The wolf’s teeth gleamed inches from my throat.

Then—

A second wolf crashed into the enforcer, slamming it aside.

A black wolf. Sleek, fast, savage.

It snarled once, then shifted—and standing there, bare-chested, bloody, and furious, was Dain Marcus, Alpha of the MoonBlood Pack.

My breath caught in my chest.

What—?

Dain didn't even look at me. His entire focus was on the remaining enforcers.

"You picked the wrong girl to hunt," he said, voice like iron.

And then he launched himself into the fight.

I couldn’t move.

Dain fought like he’d been born for this, faster and stronger than anyone I’d ever seen. Within seconds, two enforcers lay groaning in the dirt, broken and bleeding.

Kaelith, stunned, staggered to my side.

"We have to run," he panted. "Now."

"But—Dain—"

"He’s buying us time!" Kaelith roared. "Move, Nymera!"

He dragged me toward the trees. Behind us, the clearing exploded with snarls and roars, the sound of flesh ripping, bones snapping.

Tears blurred my vision.

I didn’t know who would survive this.

I didn’t even know if I would.

We crashed into the trees—and right into a wall of black-cloaked figures blocking the path. Elders. Warriors.

Waiting for us.

And standing at the center, wearing a smug, triumphant smile—

Astra.

"Going somewhere?" she purred.