MAISIEThe morning that followed felt like a mere echo of the intense emotions that had unfolded between my partner and me the previous night. Waking up unusually late, I made a deliberate effort to join everyone for breakfast, acutely aware of the need to maintain a facade of normalcy for Alexei's sake.Seated at the breakfast table with my partner and our child, I couldn't ignore the palpable shift in the atmosphere. As I picked at my food, I found myself playing the role of the composed and unfazed one, while Zayn struggled to conceal their inner turmoil, unable to even muster a smile.His entire expression was solemn and dark as he concentrated on his plate of food quietly with a bent head. A silver of worry flashed through my heart while observing him from the other end of the table. After some time, I decided to open my end of the mating bond to check on his emotional state but to my surprise, there was nothing to be heard. There was nothing but complete silence at his other en
ZAYNWhen I saw Felix waiting for Maisie, I simply lost it and drove away like a coward. Instead of asking for forgiveness, I was beating myself for putting Maisie through pain and humiliation for several years. I knew there was just no way to justify the things I had done and there was a possibility that she would not forgive me in this lifetime. Because she had been right all along. This was my fault and I was the reason why Alexei was born and raised with another man as his father for the first five years of his life. "Damn it!" I slammed my fist into the steering wheel, feeling the resistance of the specially reinforced material as I vented my frustration. Taking a deep breath, I lowered my head, trying to regain my composure when the intrusive sound of my phone ringing pierced through the silence."Kodiak, now is not a great time," I muttered with a warning edge in my voice, anticipating the imminent lecture from my twin about my past mistakes.“I heard what happened.” He was u
MAISIE Today was finally my wedding day. This time, I awoke to the soft chatter of my female friends, who had spent the night at my place. As the sun slowly ascended, its warm light painted the dewy grass in a palette of gold. The morning air was refreshing, carrying with it the promise of a new chapter in my relationship with Zayn. Despite this optimism, I couldn't shake off my lingering concerns about our future.After today, what were we going to do about Xavier? How was he going to deal with his godfather and the Winchester family?As the laughter and chatter filled the room, I struggled to shake off my somber thoughts. Thankfully, Mei Lin had everything under control, guiding me through the preparations for the grand ceremony. Over time, I found myself soaking in the joyful vibes surrounding the wedding.The moment arrived, and I made my way into the chapel, holding a bouquet as my wedding gown cascaded down the aisle like a river of moonlight. Adorned in an intricately styled
MAISIEAs minutes passed, several doubts began to form in my mind when Maxwell did not appear as I had anticipated. I prayed to the moon goddess that he would because if he didn't, that would only mean that this old woman's life held no value and that would mean my death, along with my mate. Was she truly Maxwell's mate? I didn't really know. I had concluded after pondering why he would keep such a mistress for a long time despite having a wife already. And there was the fact that everyone knew that cheating on one's mate was bad, but Ryena had yet to receive any divine punishment from the moon goddess after having such an affair for a long time. So that could only mean that they were mates who couldn't be together for some unspoken reason.When Xavier did not see his father appear, his tense muscles relaxed before he raised his silver gun to aim at me, "How strange, I didn't see you drinking any alcohol during the party so why are you saying nonsense all of a sudden?" He shook his he
MAISIE As dawn broke, I finally arrived at the borders of Frost Fang. The tranquility of the early morning surrounded me as I carefully made my way through the twisted roots, my breath forming clouds in the cold air. Each step I took left delicate imprints on the dew-covered ground, almost like whispered promises.Behind me, four wolves dragged Zayn's unconscious body, their teeth clenching onto his clothes as they moved. Although I hesitated to reveal one of Zayn's secret trump cards, I had no other option at that moment. There was no way I could leave him behind since they were so eager to kill him. I had rescued him with the hope that he would make things right once he regained consciousness. My deep thoughts were broken by the old woman's movements as she suddenly halted in front of me. Her brittle voice cracked when she spoke to me, “My legs are aching, I want to rest.”“We can do that once we are out of here,” I nudged her again but she refused to budge so I threatened her, “I
As we finally made our way across the border of the Frost Fang pack, Ryena unexpectedly came to a sudden stop. I had already sensed her unease, so I gently nudged her to keep moving. She stumbled slightly over the weeds on the ground but managed to regain her balance. Turning around to face me, she fixed me with a glare and asked, “Are you really intent on taking me to the Dark Edge pack?”With a firm tone, I responded, “Yes, I am.”“That's preposterous!” she retorted, clearly agitated. “I am a servant of the moon goddess dispatched to this territory-”“If you hadn't betrayed our location to your lover, I would have set you free long ago,” I interrupted, a slight smile playing on my lips as I saw her freeze. “I know you've been leaving rye seeds along our path, which means they could be tracking us as we speak.”She denied it immediately, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”“I also know you have no powers right now, or else you wouldn't be like this,” Soft laughter escaped my
MAISIE We arrived in the Dark Edge pack in the middle of the night. At first, I was a bit skeptical about the group of men I was traveling with so I kept a vigilant eye on my mate, who lay unconscious. However, it was comforting to see that I wasn't the only one concerned about his well-being. Despite the danger still lurking around us, we decided to travel in our human forms so we would be able to transport Zayn personally. I was grateful for their thoughtful decision. As we approached the Dark Edge borders, I spotted a lone figure standing in the forest from afar so I alerted Oliver. He raised his hand in the air, a silent command to halt us as he spoke in a reassuring tone, “Let me go ahead and check first. You guys stay here until I come back.”I was slightly worried about letting him go alone because I had heard all kinds of stories about the Dark Edge pack. It was the only pack in the entire Great Landmark that housed rogue male wolves and each one of them was crazier than t
MAISIEAfter my long conversation with Kodiak, he kindly escorted me to his house and offered me a comfortable room for the night. Despite my exhaustion, I found it difficult to fall asleep, and as the hours passed and dawn approached, I was finally on the verge of drifting off when a sudden knock shattered the silence.A muffled voice came from the other side of the door, "Mrs. Cardinal, Kodiak wishes to see you. You have ten minutes to join him."Struggling to sound composed, I replied, "I'll be there in ten minutes!"I got out of bed and immediately showered before I went down to see him. Kodiak was not the first person I wished to see today but I knew I had no choice. Although there were a lot of things still left unsettled between me and his brother, those grievances seemed nothing compared to the current state he was in. He raised his head the moment I descended from the stairs but remained quiet until I entered the room. Different aromas from the food served on the table drift
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