Liam's POV.
I stood at the edge of the fish pond, the air still and heavy with the scent of wet stone. I dipped my hands into the cool water, and the Koi fish reacted instantly. Their tails flicked like flashes of silk, circling my palm in a rhythmic dance. The smaller ones were bold, leaping right over my skin. One, two, three... I counted six of them before I pulled my hand back and wiped the water off on my shorts.
Then, the water went dead silent. A sudden calm settled over the pond, and I felt the familiar shift in the air. She was coming.
A shaky sigh escaped me as my shoulders finally dropped. On my chest, the wolf tattoo began to move. It didn't just shift— it felt alive, breathing against my ribs. The ink bled into my skin, sending a frantic, pulsing heat through my veins. I watched, almost in a trance, as my fingers stretched and my nails split to make way for curved, obsidian claws. Then the fur came—a midnight-black pelt that felt like needles at first before softening into a thick coat. My bones groaned and reset, shifting my frame into something built for the hunt.
"Why look so worked up, young Alpha?"
Lady Koile, the Pond Mistress, rose from the water. A shimmering bubble of moisture clung to her like a gown. She was powerful, far beyond any normal creature of the deep, yet she still carried the essence of the water she called home.
"It hasn't even been a year since the former Alpha passed. His men stepped down, and the Northern Regions are yours. You have control over the entire plains."She paused, her eyes wise and ancient. "And you don't always have to shift into that wolf form just to talk to me."
I didn't answer with words. Instead, I lowered my front paws to the dusty ground, bowing my head in a sign of deep respect. I didn't care about the dirt on my fur.
"I have seen her," I rumbled, my voice a low growl of longing. "I want her to be mine. I've come to you for advice. How do I make her stay?"
As the words left me, a sudden spray of water hit my face. The world blurred, the cool droplets feeling like a heavy shroud. My strength vanished, and I fell flat against the earth, the darkness taking me before I could hear her reply.
The moon hung in the sky like a giant, blinding eye, its silver light so bright it actually hurt. I snapped back into my own skin with the force of a pulled bowstring. A low, jagged snarl ripped through my throat as I tried to find my balance. My claws dug deep into the dirt, my heart thumping with a heavy sense of dread. I threw my head back and let out a howl that sliced through the quiet night like a blade. If my internal clock was right, I had been out for over six hours.
"The Moon Goddess may be quiet, but the waters always flow with the truth," Lady Koile's voice drifted over me. "Young Alpha, I'll be taking my leave now."
Without another word, she dived. No lectures, no ad
vice for her fish, just a splash and then a silence so thick it felt heavy. I stood there, feeling more lost than when I arrived. This was getting out of hand.
I forced myself to stand as my claws slid back. My bones groaned and shifted, clicking back into my human form. I stared at the still water, caught in the messy web of my own thoughts, when I felt a light tap on my shoulder.
I turned my head and saw Kelly, my Beta. Just the person I needed—even if he was a total nut head sometimes. He looked at me for a few seconds, his expression full of wonder and a bit of relief.
"Liam, let's go grab a beer," he said with a small smile. "We can talk about it there."
I just nodded, letting out a long, shaky sigh.
"I've been looking for you all day," he started, his voice trailing me as we walked. I could hear the worry he was trying to hide, but as an Alpha, I could smell the anxiety rolling off him. "How do you just vanish? Not even Jake or I knew where you went. You just stepped in as the Lord of the Northern Regions, Liam. You're a target now."
"Which is exactly why I should be able to walk my own lands alone," I replied. I tried to sound calm, but my voice came out with a gravelly edge that sounded a lot like a growl.
Kelly flinched slightly, catching the tone. He went quiet for a few minutes, giving me some space, but it didn't last long before he started his worrying all over again.
"That doesn't mean I won't do my job," Kelly muttered, sounding like a worried mother hen. "And it doesn't mean you get to wander around without a guard. I even had to go through the ladies quarters to find you."
He kept talking, his words piling up like trash, but then he slapped a hand to his forehead. "They were all staring at me like I was a snack! I had to sneak my way to Pixy's room, and guess what she was doing? You wouldn't believe it."
He paused, clearly waiting for me to bite. I think he expected me to get curious, to turn around and beg for the gossip. After all, Pixy was supposed to be my future Luna.
"Guess what she was doing! Liam!" he shouted, jumping in front of me to block my path. He waved his hands in the air like some crazy dancing statue. It was beyond annoying.
I didn't say a word. I just let my gaze lock onto his, heavy and cold. I stared him down for a long beat, then slowly shifted my eyes to the path he was blocking—a silent command to move—before dragging my eyes back to his.
All that brave confidence of his just evaporated. His eyes went wide with terror. His ears, which had been so alert, pinned themselves flat against his head until they practically vanished into his hair. He didn't just step back; he seemed to shrink into himself as he scurried out of my way.
When we finally reached the lounge, the air felt a little cooler. Kelly sat down and poured himself a cold beer, then handed me my usual—a glass of deep red wine. I stared into the dark liquid like it held the secret to calming the rage bubbling under my skin. I tilted the glass back and forth, watching the wine swirl dangerously close to the rim, but never letting a drop fall.
Kelly knew something was wrong. He could sense the storm building inside me, but he was probably too naive to realize how close I was to the edge. I couldn't blame him, though. I've always been good at keeping a calm face, no matter how much I wanted to tear something apart.
"Summon the Omega who's handling the kitchen this week," I said, my voice low and dangerous.
My fist clenched the arm of my chair so hard the wood began to groan. Tiny cracks spread under my fingers, a mirror to the way my own control was starting to break.