Chapter 1 " Mom ! Mom ! We did it - we passed !! " I was in the kitchen preparing dinner when two excited voices thundered from the study . " Mom ! Adrian and I both got into the Royal Warrior Academy ! " In the next instant , my twin sons barreled out of the room and wrapped me in a fierce embrace , their tall frames towering over mine . I gazed up at them , pride swelling in my chest . " You two are incredible . You'll always be my greatest honor . " My mate had been gone for many years . As a lone mother , I had raised these twin boys on my own for eighteen long winters . Now , they had finally earned what every young wolf in the kingdom dreamed of - the right to train at the Royal Warrior Academy , a place reserved for future Alphas and the strongest of our kind . Long ago , my mate Edward and his first love , Vivian , had perished together during a Blood Moon Hunt , leaving behind two tiny pups . Everyone in the pack had urged me to abandon them , sneering that they were nothing but " bastards . " But I had ignored their scorn and raised the twins as my ownL Eighteen years later , my sacrifice and devotion had borne fruit . The boys had become strong , disciplined warriors , the pride of the entire pack " Mom , thank you .... for everything , you've done for us . " " Yeah , Mom . Without you , we wouldn't be here today . Their voices trembled with sincerity . They had always been filial , always promising that once they graduated and made their mark , they would ensure I lived the rest of my life in peace . My throat tightened with emotion . Watching them now , I could almost believe that promise . And then I remembered their coming - of - age ceremony was only two days away . But this tim In past years , I had celebrated quietly , booking a small hall and preparing a simple feast . this time was different . This time they had been chosen by the Academy . This deserved more than a small dinner . This deserved a true celebration - a Rising Ceremony worthy of future Alphas . So I booked the grandest banquet hall in the city . At the same time , I sent word of their achievement across the pack's mental link , the network that bound us all together . The moment the news spread , congratulations poured in . " Adrian and Lucas have made the whole Stone family proud ! " " If only Edward could see his sons now ... w ... he would rest easy at last . " I scanned the flood of messages , then shared the banquet's time and location with the entire pack . After that , I put the communicator aside , quietly waiting for the day that would change everything