Nyx’s POV

Alpha Darius had been furious with me ever since that incident. As I watched him—my fiancé, the future Alpha of the Ashenfang Pack—my hope withered more each day.

Thalia was always there. Always smiling, always laughing, always… too close. Closer than anyone had the right to be to my supposed Alpha. I knew what the whispers were—that I was meant for someone more powerful, more distinguished. But Darius was mine, and I was his. Or at least, he was supposed to be.

As I gazed out the window of my room, the weight of my impending wedding pressed down on me. In just a week, I was set to become Luna of this pack. Yet, instead of excitement, an unrelenting dread clawed at me.

Why wasn’t he here with me?

Every night, he vanished, spending hours with Thalia. The pack had already accepted her presence as if she rightfully belonged by his side. As if it wasn’t supposed to be me. When had it come to this?

A soft knock at my door broke through my thoughts. I knew before I even opened it—it wasn’t Darius. It was Ryker, his Beta, sent to deliver another excuse.

“Nyx,” Ryker greeted as he stepped inside, pity clouding his eyes. I despised that look.

“Alpha Darius… he’s busy tonight. He won’t be able to join you for dinner.”

Again. Busy with Thalia, no doubt.

“Busy with what, Ryker?” My tone was sharp, and I made no effort to conceal my irritation. “Pack matters or her?”

Ryker hesitated, shifting uncomfortably under my gaze. “He… it’s—”

“It’s always her,” I bit out, pushing past him as I stormed down the hallway toward Darius’s study.

Ryker followed, his voice edged with warning. “Nyx, don’t do this. He’s—”

“He’s what? My Alpha? My future husband? Or is he just Thalia’s toy now?”

I shoved the study door open, and there they were. Darius sat behind his desk, while Thalia leaned over him, far too close, her hand resting possessively on his arm—like she had every right to touch him.

“Nyx.” Darius’s voice was sharp, icy. He looked at me like I was the one intruding, like I was the one who didn’t belong.

My wolf stirred beneath my skin, her hackles rising. This level of disrespect was unbearable.

“Alpha, we need to talk. Alone.”

Thalia straightened, flashing me that same saccharine smile that always grated on my nerves.

“Oh, don’t worry, Nyx,” she purred, her voice thick with false innocence. “The Alpha and I were just discussing pack matters.”

“Pack matters,” I repeated, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “In my packhouse? Wearing my clothes? Using my things?” I turned to Darius, but he didn’t even flinch.

He stood, his imposing presence towering over me, but I refused to cower.

“Thalia stays,” he stated, his voice final.

My heart clenched, but I lifted my chin, refusing to betray my pain.

“I’m your fiancée. Your future Luna. She has no right to be here during our conversations.”

Darius’s gaze hardened. “And I’m the Alpha, Nyx. I decide who has the right to be here.”

My wolf paced restlessly within me, seething. “You’re the Alpha, and I’m supposed to be your Luna. But lately, it feels like Thalia’s been the one taking that role instead of me.”

Thalia moved even closer, resting her hand on his arm again.

“Nyx, you’re misunderstanding,” she cooed, feigning innocence. “I would never try to replace you. I’m just here to support Alpha Darius. We’ve known each other since childhood. It’s completely innocent.”

Innocent. The word was acid on my tongue.

“Don’t act like this is normal. You’re always around him, always taking what’s mine.”

Darius’s growl filled the room, cutting me off. “Enough, Nyx. Thalia is family. You’re making a spectacle over nothing.”

Nothing? My fists clenched at my sides.

“You think this is nothing? Watching my so-called Alpha spend all his time with another woman, letting her wear my clothes, use my things, and disrespect me is nothing?”

Thalia let out a delicate, pitiful whimper, her eyes wide with mock sadness.

“I’m sorry, Nyx. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she murmured. “If you want, I can leave… I just didn’t want to be alone.”

Darius pulled her close, shielding her as if I were the threat.

“You’ve done enough,” he snapped at me. “Thalia’s not going anywhere. If you can’t accept that, maybe you’re not fit to be Luna.”

His words struck deeper than any physical wound.

How had it come to this? How had I, daughter of the Alpha King, once revered and respected, been cast aside for some she-wolf playing the victim?

I stepped back, my wolf howling in agony inside me, but I swallowed the pain. I would not cry. Not in front of him. Not in front of her.

“Fine,” I whispered, my voice trembling with restrained fury. “But remember this, Darius—Luna or not, I am still the daughter of the Alpha King. And I will not be disrespected.”

For a brief moment, Thalia’s mask slipped, her tearful expression vanishing, replaced by a victorious smirk. She knew she had won—for now.

I turned sharply on my heel and strode out, finding Ryker waiting outside. His gaze flickered with concern, but I shook my head.

“Don’t,” I warned, voice firm. “Not tonight.”

Nyx's POV

I lingered outside Alpha Darius’s office, my heart hammering so hard it drowned out the rational part of my mind. I had lost track of how many times I had attempted to speak with him, only for him to shut me out, his cold indifference to a wall I could never seem to break through.

Summoning what little courage I had left, I inhaled deeply, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. He was seated at his desk, paperwork scattered in a haphazard mess. His dark gaze lifted to me for a fleeting second before dropping back to whatever pack business demanded his attention.

"Alpha," I spoke gently, shutting the door behind me. "We need to talk."

"Not now, Nyx." His voice was clipped, dismissive—the same tone I had been met with for weeks now.

A surge of frustration welled up inside me, but I refused to let it overpower me. "I’m not leaving until you listen."

My wolf stirred restlessly, bristling at the way he barely acknowledged my presence. I wasn’t just another pack member—I was his intended Luna. I had every right to demand his attention.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair, exhaling sharply as his gaze met mine with obvious impatience. "What is it?"

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. Where did I even begin? "We’re drifting apart, Darius," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "I can feel it. Things between us haven’t been the same."

He dragged a hand down his face, exasperation clear in his posture. "Is this about Thalia again? Nyx, she’s always been in my life. You knew that."

"Not like this." I stepped forward, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "You spend more time with her than you do with me. Whenever I see you, she’s right there, always in between us."

His jaw tensed, his expression hardening. "Thalia and I are friends. You need to accept that. You’re overreacting."

Overreacting? My wolf let out a low growl inside me, but I forced my voice to remain steady. "Overreacting? Darius, she’s wearing my clothes, inserting herself into moments that belong to us. You haven’t been by my side in weeks!"

He stood abruptly, his imposing frame towering over me, his Alpha presence suffocating. "She’s family, Nyx. You’re going to have to deal with it. This conversation is over."

His words struck me like a physical blow. Deal with it? My throat tightened as I struggled to hold back the storm of emotions threatening to overtake me. I had come here hoping to fix what was broken, but it was as if I was talking to a stranger.

"Darius, I’m trying…" My voice wavered. "I’m trying to understand, but this isn’t how mates should treat each other. We’re supposed to trust one another. Instead, it feels like you’ve already replaced me with her."

"Don’t be ridiculous, Nyx." He waved a dismissive hand. "Thalia isn’t replacing anyone. She’s just… helping."

Helping? I wanted to scream. "Helping with what? By pushing me aside? By taking my place before I’ve even had the chance to be your Luna? How can you do this to me, royal?"

His expression darkened. "Enough, Nyx. You’re being insecure, and that’s beneath you."

"Insecure?" A bitter laugh escaped me. "Maybe if you treated me like I mattered, I wouldn’t feel this way!"

The silence that followed was suffocating. Darius’s gaze was cold, unreadable, as if I was the one at fault—as if I was unreasonable for feeling this way. But how could I not, when Thalia was everywhere? When she lingered in every room, in every conversation, in every stolen glance between us?

"Go to bed, Nyx," he said at last, his tone laced with finality. "I’m done talking about this."

Maybe I should have walked away the moment I saw them embrace on the day he proposed to me.

---

That night, I sat in the darkness of my room, staring blankly ahead, my thoughts tangled in an endless loop of doubt and pain. Elara’s voice echoed in my mind—her warning still fresh, still sharp. She had been the only friend I’d made in the Ashenfang Pack.

"Nyx, she’s not as innocent as she seems," Elara had told me just days before. "Thalia knows exactly what she’s doing. She wants the Alpha, and she’ll use every trick in the book to get him."

A knock at my door jolted me from my thoughts. For a moment, a flicker of hope flared in my chest—maybe it was Darius, finally coming to his senses, finally seeing what I had been trying to tell him all along.

But when I opened the door, it was Elara. She slipped inside without a word, her expression grave.

"How did it go?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Exactly how you’d expect," I muttered, sinking onto the edge of the bed. "He doesn’t see it, Elara. He doesn’t care. He thinks I’m just being paranoid."

Elara exhaled, sitting beside me. "Darius is blind, but that doesn’t mean you’re powerless, Nyx. You don’t have to just sit back and let this happen."

I turned to her, helplessness washing over me. "What else can I do? I’ve tried everything."

"You’re his future Luna," she reminded me. "You’re stronger than this. Don’t let Thalia push you out of what’s rightfully yours. And if you don’t love Alpha Darius anymore, leave him before it’s too late."

She was right. I wasn’t powerless.

Nyx’s POV

The whispers in Ashenfang Pack carried an unease that settled deep in my bones. At first, I dismissed it as idle gossip, the kind that always swirled among wolves with too much time on their hands. But the longer I listened, the harder it was to ignore. There was something wrong—something lurking beneath the surface.

I stood at the edge of the training grounds, my gaze locked on Darius as he led the warriors through their drills. He was every bit the Alpha—strong, commanding, completely in control. Yet the air around the pack had changed. A tension ran through the ranks, an unspoken fear that no one dared to voice aloud.

"Did you hear?" a hushed voice floated from nearby.

I turned my head slightly, careful to keep my expression neutral. Two she-wolves huddled together, their words barely audible over the sounds of clashing weapons.

"About the rogues?" one of them asked.

The other nodded. "They’re organizing. Word is, they’re forming alliances. Fireclaw isn’t as untouchable as it used to be."

A chill crept up my spine. My wolf stirred uneasily, sensing my growing anxiety. Rogue alliances? That made no sense. Rogues were loners by nature—wild, unpredictable, and chaotic. They didn’t form alliances. They didn’t follow leaders.

But if they were…

I clenched my fists, trying to shake the dread clawing at my chest. It’s just gossip, I told myself. Yet, deep down, I knew better.

"Are you alright?"

Elara’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced at her, finding concern in her sharp gaze.

"I don’t know," I admitted, keeping my voice low as we walked away from the training grounds. "There’s been talk. About the rogues. About unrest in the pack."

Elara’s expression darkened. "I’ve heard the same. The warriors are uneasy. Darius is strong, but if the rogues are organizing, it could be a real threat."

I shook my head. "Why would they do that? Rogues don’t work together. It’s not in their nature."

Elara hesitated before answering, her voice grim. "Unless someone is leading them."

I stopped mid-step, her words landing like a blow to the stomach. "Leading them?" My throat went dry. "Who would be foolish enough to try?"

"I don’t know," she admitted. "But if it’s true, Fireclaw is in danger. And Darius—" She exhaled sharply, casting a glance toward the training grounds. "He might not see it until it’s too late."

A sick feeling settled in my gut. Darius had always been a strong leader, but lately, he’d been distracted. By Thalia. By the strain in our relationship. By everything except the growing danger looming over us.

"I need to tell him," I said, determination stiffening my spine.

Elara gave me a skeptical look. "And you think he’ll listen?"

I hesitated. Darius had barely listened to me about Thalia—what made me think this would be any different?

"He has to," I whispered, but even I wasn’t convinced.

---

That night, I found Darius in his office, the scent of pine and smoke wrapping around me like a ghost of what we used to be. The space was filled with scattered papers and half-rolled maps.

"Nyx, I’m busy," he said without looking up.

I closed the door behind me, my heart hammering. "I know, but this is important."

His eyes flicked up, irritation flashing in them. "If this is about Thalia again, I don’t want to hear it."

"It’s not," I said, though her name always sat bitterly on my tongue. "It’s about the pack. The rogues."

His frown deepened. "What about them?"

I took a step closer. "They’re forming alliances. There’s unrest in the pack. People are talking, Darius. Even the warriors are on edge."

Darius leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "And you believe them?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "Darius, what if this isn’t just talk? What if someone is leading them? You can’t ignore this."

His gaze darkened, his Alpha presence pressing against me. "I know my responsibilities, Nyx. I don’t need you questioning how I lead."

My stomach twisted. He wasn’t listening.

"I’m not questioning you," I whispered. "I just want you to take this seriously. For the pack."

He stood, turning away. "There’s no danger," he said, his tone final. "You’re worrying over nothing."

I swallowed back the sting of his words, realizing that he had already made up his mind. He wouldn’t listen. And that terrified me.