The Alpha's bane

, but Azriel felt

xpanse of land he was sworn to protect. Shadows stretched long beneath the towering trees, their whispers ca

wo

pa

ly he breathed it in,

he fought the familiar sensation, but the curse-the bane that haunted him-was relentless. It st

in his mind, smooth and insidious.

s curled i

ldn't

ould

lp

eet away, arms crossed over his broad chest. His expression was unr

said, nodding toward the

ered to honor their bond with the moon, their strength, their unity. But for him, it was so

from his pack. Even if he fe

ward the clearing where fires burned

-

Fest

eely through the clearing, their voices blending in a harmony of joy and camarader

was cel

tered, a subtle shift ri

ir gazes in deference, while others hesitated, their smiles fal

espect

ollowe

also fe

ad not gone

ar the outskirts, scanning the faces. The warmth of the firelight flickered

enly-a sce

hing he had ever e

ter a long drought, mixed with some

lf stirred. His heart s

tur

en he

enc

r-blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face both delicate and fierce. She hel

nto place with the forc

inct, older than time itself, called him forward. His wolf howled

ckly as the moment c

rejection like

im, smirking. "She won'

suppressing the growl building

a sudden change in the a

A heavy silence fell over the clearing, thick with tension.

-the whi

old. I

t escape m

st in his he

as h

s edge. Twisted. Shadowed. A presence not fully human

lse roared

this p

In his nightmares. In t

t haunted him... had