MAISIE“There was nothing else suspicious about him!” The frustration in my heart rose to a whole new level, causing me to move away from him until my back touched the wall. “After several complaints from the pack elders, Lincoln finally decided to use some of the money to build another orphanage and rewarded ten scholarships to the orphans.”My mind clicked immediately when I said those words. Lincoln was never a generous person and he despised children. Those things were not the only things I had noticed when I saw those documents so I asked Zayn, “Do you have the list of those missing children? Can I see them?”“Here they are.” Zayn tried to give me the paper but I simply stared at the table near us until he got the message. I knew what he was doing, trying to use his wolf to calm my own but the last thing I wanted was to be near him after what he did.I grabbed the papers from the table, reviewing the list with a frown. “The kids on the list are all safe, Zayn. None of them were t
ZAYNAfter Maisie exited the room, a sense of calm finally settled upon my wolf which gave me enough space to think clearly. My wolf's fierce anger towards our mate had been consuming me since I discovered the existence of my son. I could understand Maisie's fear for her life, considering I had threatened her, but how could she think I would harm our son?I couldn't help but mentally run the list of her wrongdoings in my mind, and it only served to infuriate my wolf even more. The poor animal was no longer pained anymore; all that was left was anger and the need for vengeance.“I don't know what happened between you and Maisie,” My head snapped up when I heard the pack healer talking, bringing a momentary distraction from those overwhelming emotions. “But that woman has been through a lot and she doesn't need your animosity to add to her problems.”“You don't know anything about this, Irene so stay out of this.” I snapped back. Pack healers and priestesses were universally revered in
MAISIEAfter uttering those words, Gwen swiftly flew over to my side and clamped her hand over my mouth. Her eyes anxiously darted around our surroundings, before she faced me with a hiss, “Be careful of what you say, Maisie Henderson! Someone might hear you!”My eyes flickered with remorse so I nodded slowly, fascinated with the tiny but strong heartbeat that pulsed underneath her skin. My heart was filled with happiness when I guided her gently back into the pack healer's house. The familiar antiseptic smell welcomed me as I dropped my purse on the table. “Welcome, who is there?” Irene reappeared from the hallway to greet her unexpected guests but her smile slowly died down when she saw Gwen by my side. She spoke with a deadpanned voice, “Oh, it's you. What can I do for you, Gwen?”“Please, come and check Gwen immediately,” My voice was filled with urgency and joy. I had already begun to think of baby names and stuff, things that I would do for the little child when it finally arri
ZAYNOn a quiet Tuesday afternoon, I finally received a text from Irene relaying Maisie's message that Lincoln was out of town and would return in the evening, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity for me to check out that cabin that was behind their house while they were not around. To avoid drawing attention from the pack, my men and I chose an alternate route through the forest with the guidance of the pack healer.The mission turned out to be a relaxing walk for both me and my men. Wolves were creatures created by the moon goddess and protected my mother earth, so our habitats were always built around nature. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth musk, with tall, dense trees enveloping us as we ventured deep into the forest. My wolf sprawled lazily in the relaxed atmosphere, enjoying the warmth of the sun above us and the warm breeze as we moved past a carpet of fallen leaves. After a few minutes, we arrived at the secluded cabin which was the only structu
MAISIE As I waited by my son's side, my husband entered the room, and I quickly shifted my attention back to my son, gently stroking his black hair. Soon after, Lincoln, a striking figure in his white suit, appeared before me. While not possessing the same rugged handsomeness as my husband, Lincoln exuded an air of suavity and charm. His sleek, black hair and chiseled cheekbones had earned him the title of the most coveted man in our pack, but no one knew the ugliness that lay underneath that handsome face. “Are you still angry with me?” Lincoln groaned with frustration when he received no response from me. Lincoln never liked it when things didn't go his way. “Maisie, it was just a small mistake. Why are you still punishing me by hiding here when you should be downstairs instead?”Anger arose in my chest when I heard his condescending tone so I shot up from the bed, my voice laced with bitterness, “Mistake? You call this a mistake?!”The room was plunged into uncomfortable silence
ZaynAfter the events at the anniversary party, my mood worsened once the effects of the alcohol wore off. I found myself constantly snapping at my colleagues, giving out orders in a harsh manner throughout the day. However, none of them seemed bothered by my harsh words, which left me confused until Micah explained it to me.“Look, I don't know what you and your mate did last night,” The deliberate wiggle of his eyebrows made me growl but he continued, “But it has calmed your wolf a lot. The men and I were even afraid that you would lose control and were preparing a contingency plan just in case-”“Yeah, I get it.” I ran a weary hand down my face. “What about the pack priestess? Has she returned from her trip?”Micah nodded, and I was grateful that he agreed to change the topic, “Yes, she is. Some of our men also came back with some valuable information that would help us in finding out the children's whereabouts.”Before he could elaborate more, I was already on my feet heading towa
MAISIE The whispers about my wedding anniversary party lingered in the air for days, but my mind was consumed by a different memory. The kiss between me and Zayn felt like it had been etched into my brain like a tattoo, making it impossible for me to focus on anything else, not even my husband, Lincoln Tolliver.After our heated argument that night, Lincoln seemed determined to win back my forgiveness. He showered me with grand romantic gestures, surprising me with flowers at work and preparing breakfast for both me and our son.Normally, these efforts would have softened my resolve. I usually let him get away with most of his misconduct due to the guilt I had of deceiving Lincoln into believing that our son, Alexei, was his own but this time was different. Lincoln's disappearance from our house had become more frequent, and I was slowly becoming convinced that he was the one behind the missing children's case. “Your party was a hit, Maisie!” Gwen's voice snapped me out of my deep t
ZAYNAfter what happened to the men stalking me, I could tell that the look in Lincoln's eyes had changed towards me. The sight of men's dead bodies hanging on a tree next to the alpha's house was enough to send any message of respect across the conceited man who thought himself my equal.I also found it amusing when he started asking me subtle questions about my departure but the notarization had been deliberately brought to an excruciatingly slow process that would drive anyone insane. My men and I could tell that he was trying to drive me away before the Moon Stone Festival came so he wouldn't have to invite me.But he seemed he had a lot of things to deal with especially since the news of the pack priestess's demise had spread through the pack, instilling fear and trepidation among its inhabitants. “I have seen this before,” I told the Moon Stone alpha when he called me to his study. “A similar case happened to a pack where the pack priestess offended the moon goddess. She went i
ZAYN As the sun descended the horizon, the garden was enveloped in a golden glow, casting a warm and enchanting aura around us. We found ourselves standing beneath a beautifully adorned gazebo, its delicate white flowers and twinkling fairy lights creating a magical scene. The tall oak trees surrounding the area rustled softly in the gentle breeze, adding a soothing and melodic whisper to the tranquil atmosphere.My wife looked absolutely radiant in her flowing green dress, perfectly complementing her emerald eyes. I gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she ran her hands over my crisp navy suit, exchanging joyful smiles with each other.As we exchanged the rings, I said my vows to her with sincerity. “The truth is I have never believed the moon goddess existed from the day I was born.” I lowered my gaze as I heard certain murmurs among the crowd of people gathered for the special occasion. “I mean, I had heard stories about her but I refused to acknowledge her existe
MAISIE We sprinted through the dense forest, desperately following Zayn's fading scent as it lingered in the air. Despite the mounting exhaustion and pain throbbing through my body, I was resolute in my determination to reunite with Zayn.Upon reaching our destination, Zayn gently guided me out of our haste and into the weathered stone building. Pausing for a moment, he looked into my eyes and said, "We need to trust him, Maisie. This is where we wait.""I know," I murmured hoarsely, my gaze fixated on the thick fog encircling the temple ahead of us. I immediately opened the mate bond between us, only to discover that it was blocked by my mate from the other end. Fuck. Zayn had likely decided to shield our mate bond from the pain, but I couldn't find appreciation for his considerate action in this instance. Waiting for him in that state felt like an unbearable torment had materialized on Earth, but I held onto the hope that he would emerge soon.That hope shattered when the bond ab
MAISIEXavier's eyes widened in terror when he discovered that Zayn was standing right behind him. He instantly turned around, swinging his fist at his opponent, but Zayn shifted to the side to avoid it before planting another punch in his stomach. Xavier immediately doubled over holding his stomach as blood gushed right from his mouth. Another man suddenly appeared from behind my husband, causing my eyes to widen. I warned my mate, “Zayn, watch out!”As soon as the man tried to sneak up on my mate, Zayn ducked down onto the ground and swiped his right leg in a circular motion, hitting the man's limbs. The man instantly lost his footing and fell to the ground, allowing Zayn to land several punches on the man until he finally went unconscious. The sight motivated me to resume cutting the rough, tight ropes that dug into my wrists. Although my heart had calmed down slightly, I was still worried that more of Xavier's men could come so I wanted to help watch my husband's back while he f
MAISIEThe air suddenly became heavy, causing Xavier's smile to vanish as his gaze wandered from mine to the man beside me. It was then I realized that everyone in the room seemed affected by his wolf's dominance, except me. The guards had already crouched in pain while Felix and Xavier tried their best to resist him. However, it was not entirely possible. Despite his injury, his wolf seemed to have more than enough strength to show his commanding aura. His red orbs glowed eerily in the dark and the sight of the dried blood at the corner of his lips only seemed to make him more frightening than ever. With slow and deliberate movements, he turned to Xavier, “You dare to hurt my woman?”Xavier clamped down on his lower lip, the pressure evident in the tightening of his jaw. His hands gradually came to a standstill in the tangled mess of my hair. I saw fear dance in his eyes for several seconds but despite this, he still challenged, “So what if I did? What the hell are you going to do?
MAISIEDuring the moments of my capture, I drifted in and out of consciousness. It was a result of the relentless agony caused by my inner wolf and the unbearable pain coursing through my body. My skin felt like it was burning, and I was acutely aware of the fever that had taken hold of me, pushing me to the brink of death. I didn't need a healer's diagnosis to know that whatever Xavier had shot me with contained a trace of silver, a substance that was very lethal to wolves. That meant I had very little time left. When I finally woke up again, I discovered that I was being carried by someone into a dark place. The air was stale with sweat, blood, and death. I forced myself to remain still so I could fool my capturers and escape but I knew it was only a matter of time before they would try to take my life again. If they weren't doing it now, it only meant that Xavier had plans for me and I guessed it had something to do with luring Zayn out. It felt like an eternity waiting for the
MAISIEThe air between us was thick with tension as we faced each other one last time. Odette assumed a defensive position, her dark attire mirroring my own. A tightly braided ponytail of blonde hair rested on the side of her neck, and her intense gaze bore into mine with unwavering determination.Our movements were slow and deliberate as we circled each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move and attack. I tried my best to remain calm even when I could hear my heart beating wildly in my chest. There was no need for me to feel scared since I was sure I dispatched everyone who had come with her. It was just the two of us now, and I wasn't going to rest until I made her suffer for all the things she had done to me and my loved ones.Odessa drew out her claws and lunged at me, meeting me for a series of punches and kicks. The wood underneath us creaked from the weight as we exchanged blows, each strike precise and powerful. Odessa's moves were filled with experience as
MAISIEMy heart raced as I lay in bed, trying to shake off the adrenaline from my encounter with the wolf, but sleep eluded me. Despite the fatigue weighing down my body, my mind raced with thoughts and fears, keeping me wide awake. I ate and took a long, relaxing shower to wash away the grimness of the arduous day but I couldn't stop thinking about my fight with Odette. Finally, I decided to take a walk to clear my head. As I put on my clothes and stepped out of my room, an eerie feeling crept over me, and I couldn't shake the sensation that something was amiss.Each step I took seemed to amplify the silence around me, and I could hear the thudding of my own heart as I cautiously made my way to the living room. My senses were heightened in the darkness, and every tiny sound made me jump. Navigating the room, I felt a surge of fear, my eyes struggling to adjust to the deep shadows that enveloped me.It wasn't until I safely arrived that I finally released a soft breath of relief. I th
MAISIEAfter my conversation with Madam Aurora, we left her office and encountered a group of women scurrying back to their positions as if they hadn't been eavesdropping on us. I couldn't help but notice a flicker of irritation on Aurora's face, but she calmly strode past them and instructed her secretary."I need you to arrange a private room upstairs for this woman and ensure that she gets some food," she said. As I cleared my throat, she turned slightly and added, "And make certain that nobody is aware of her presence or disturbs her in any way. Anyone who goes against my instructions will be immediately thrown out of this establishment. Is that clear?"The ladies who were pretending to be busy suddenly dropped their important work and chorused meekly, “Yes, Madame!”“Good,” The woman wore her glasses before she walked away, leaving me behind with her secretary as she climbed down the stairs. I knew she would try to even the score with me one day but since today was not it, I deci
MAISIE After she summoned me to her office, I found her observing me intently, so I met her gaze without hesitation. As time ticked by, I held my head high, taking in the subtle sound of her manicured nails tapping the wooden table. The Madam was undeniably beautiful, with fair skin and a toned physique earned through rigorous exercise. Her sleek bun and fashionable attire complemented her blonde locks, adding to her allure."Tell me, what brings the Luna of the pack to grace me with her presence?" Aurora inquired, her eyes fixed on me. "Is your mate still among the living? Where is he?""You need not concern yourself with my partner. We will handle this matter ourselves," I replied, leaning back in my chair and intertwining my fingers. I knew that the woman before me operated based on profit, but I needed to ensure she wouldn't cross me as she had my mother.The woman rose from her seat and stood by the window, deep in contemplation, careful not to misstep in this delicate situation