*Mackenzie*I woke up with terrible pain in my jaw. Even though my whole body hurt, this pain was a completely new sensation. I rose from the pillow and looked around for the compress Anna had left for me on the bedside table.Unfortunately, there was no bedside table, and the room I found myself in was completely different from the one that belonged to Conrad. It was much smaller and lacked elegant decor. However, the severity of this room was familiar to me, and I knew exactly where I had woken up; the only question was why.I raised myself on my elbows and discovered, to my horror, that someone else was in the room besides me. Only that this girl's condition was worse than mine. With my heart beating heavily, tears in my eyes, and ignoring my body's protests, I climbed out of bed and walked over to Fireball, who was panting heavily."Who did this to you?" I cried as soon as I noticed her stab wounds and the drying blood.Fireball moaned in pain in the corner but moved her head at t
*Mackenzie*I was staring at the plate, playing with the food; despite the delicious smell and the terrible sucking sensation in my stomach, I couldn't swallow anything but water, and even though I knew that I needed strength to escape, my energy disappeared when I woke up and noticed that Fireball had disappeared.Robert did what he promised: He got rid of her without my knowledge. He took her out of the room and abandoned her somewhere like an unwanted animal. He treated her worse than a dog. Robert took away my last opportunity to say goodbye to her, hug her, let her go, and give her a decent burial.And even though emotions tore me and the pain that tormented me did not allow me to do much, I had to punish him somehow for his crimes. So, if his only intention were to have me, I’d ensure he only gets the worst version."You should eat something, Mackenzie. You won't get very far in your condition, and we have a long way to go. Tomorrow, someone will deliver us the car, and we can f
*Conrad*I threw another glass against the wall, pissed off. It shattered into tiny pieces, adding more elements to the already large pile on the floor."I don't care how; you must find her now!" I growled at Miles, who was trying to reboot our tracking system.Rip wanted to shift and start chasing Mackenzie, but I did my best to keep him in check. It was not easy because he was strong and, as the dominant element, put up fierce resistance. Yet I put all my strength into it and succeeded."I can't help it. Someone hacked into the system and infected it with a very complicated virus. Repairing takes time, Conrad. I'm doing everything in my power to get this sorted quickly." Miles replied calmly but firmly.I breathed like a madman, claws digging into my hands, watching Miles sit calmly in the operating room in the dungeons, where our main computer was located."Conrad, please calm down. Rip, you do the same; you won't do anything if you're angry and can only harm Mackenzie. You need to
*Mackenzie*I woke up drenched in sweat. My whole body was convulsing, and my chest was tearing up from the inside. I tried to scream, but my voice got stuck in my throat.I grabbed my soaked T-shirt and started pulling at it, trying to tear it as if that way I could relieve the pain. But nothing worked."Help me quickly. We have to give her stimulants, or she'll scratch herself to death!""Don't order me. Just save her! If something happens to her, I'll kill you. Do you understand? I'll kill you!"I heard shouting, insults, threats, and accusations against each other. Even though I didn't want to think about them, I couldn't. The image of a worried Maddie standing over my bed stuck in my mind and haunted me. I swallowed and forced my dry throat to work."Why?" I asked, turning my head towards her."Why are you doing this to me?" I asked again, struggling with the pain and shivers.Maddie looked at me apologetically and started injecting some drugs into me intravenously. I didn't feel
*Conrad*I woke up suddenly from a nap, unaware of when I had fallen asleep and where. The pain in my head was pounding as if after drinking hectoliters of the most potent drink known to werewolves. My throat was so dry that the air I inhaled irritated and scratched me severely.I tried to swallow saliva to ease the pain, but even producing saliva was beyond my strength. Choking and coughing, I rose to look around the room where I had fallen."Oh fuck." The pulsation intensified with the slightest movement, and the light from an unknown source almost burned my eyes. "Where am I?" I choked out, raising my hand to shield myself from the blinding light."It's good that you've recovered. You knocked yourself down for a good two hours, quite a long time for a big guy." Caris chirped from above my head, adding to my suffering with her mocking and annoying voice."Drink. Give me a drink." I ordered, falling back onto the soft surface."And not to mention an annoying one, " she sneered. "As y
*Mackenzie*Screaming, crying, hitting and breaking glass. These sounds woke me up from my strange dream. I gasped for air as my lungs burned with fire. My whole body was shaking, even vibrating, and the excruciating pain in my chest intensified.I don't know how long I slept, but I must have slept at least the night in this position because, from the windows, I could see the morning ray of sunlight breaking through the tops of the trees. However, despite my agonizing condition, I could not ignore the terrifying screams from the next room, and, half-conscious, dizzy, and sore, I tried to get out of bed."How could you betray me! You sneaky little bastard. I should have stabbed you like I did that damn lynx! There's no use for you either. You were supposed to watch her, and now you let something like that happen? He put his dirty hands on her. My innocent girl was defiled. And it's only your fault!"Robert shouted slander into the sky in a voice full of hatred and madness. In response,
*Conrad*Nothing prepared me for the view I encountered when I finally reached my destination. Everything that happened before that moment went like a blur, and everything I’d done seemed to be done on autopilot.Rip ran like crazy, leaving the others behind by a few hundred yards. As soon as I woke up from this strange dream, I discovered that I had been sleeping on the couch- the same one where I talked to my dad in my dream. Mom, Caris, and Garett were deep in conversation, drinking mulled wine as if nothing had happened.As soon as my senses awoke, I jumped out of the cabin, shifted into Rip, and ran as fast as possible toward the cabin my mother often uses on her strange adventures.I didn't have to wait long before the voices in my head screamed, demanding an explanation. With little time left, I explained to everyone where I was going and why and found myself driven by the wind, the storm, and the pain Mackenzie was experiencing.I didn't think seeing her would arouse so many e
*Mackenzie*I did not know what to say. Claire's warmth and love brought on an avalanche of tears and a strange feeling in my stomach. Everything suddenly fell apart when Caris greeted me as if I had returned from the dead.My heart couldn't stand it and opened to every tiny ray of hope. I snuggled into Claire, just as I had done with my mother recently. Even though she didn't smell or feel like my mother, her motherly love and care radiated from her as strongly as if my mother flowed through her."She loved him so much, and he still didn't choose her. She died because of him. Rejected, we die to return to the creator. I won't forgive him for this. He took my mother away from me. I won't forgive him for this." I sobbed, filled with grief and anger after discovering the truth."Shh, baby. You're with us. You're loved. Revenge can wait." Claire comforted me by stroking my hair.But I didn't want to wait. I wanted to punish him for taking my mother away immediately. And not only for that
*Mackenzie*Fireball leaped over the log and, with a wild roar, sank her teeth into the native's shoulder, causing him to drop his ax to the ground with a groan. I stepped back, stretching my hands and summoning my flames. The natives also retreated when they saw my powers and the burning lynx, which did not hesitate to tear them to shreds."Holy shit, Starfish. You run from me again, and you won't be able to sit down for a week. Do you understand?" Conrad ran out of breath, tearing up the vines blocking his path."And you, young lady, can forget about scratching behind your ears for a month." He threatened Fireball, who reluctantly released the native and, offended, turned away from Conrad."Don't give me that shit. I'm not joking, little one." Conrad repeated, but Fireball stood unfazed."Honey, maybe it's better to focus on these people than on our punishment, ok? After all, they tried to cut me up with those axes." I pointed at the retreating people, not extinguishing my flames.Co
*Garrett*I wandered the halls, assessing what else was needed before handing the pack to the new Alpha. No one asked me to do this, but I needed to ensure everything was fixed.Caris felt obliged to meet my father and the people I grew up with, so she spent the entire day meeting them. I hope that her temperament and love of alcohol will not be perceived negatively. I love her to death, but even I got fed up with her sometimes. Ansel roared in agreement with me. Tanga could also give him a hard time from time to time.'It's just a pity you can't admit it in front of her, you coward.' I commented, knowing how meek he could be, nodding to Tanga.'It's called pampering your lady.' Ansel took offense, exhaling air through his nostrils.'Yeah, whatever makes you sleep at night, man.' I scoffed, returning to assessing our losses. "Pussy." I muttered under my breath, laughing.Ansel got angry and started growling at me, but I quickly blocked our communication, enjoying the undisturbed silen
*Conrad*I sat on the bed, staring at my bare feet. There was still dark outside; the moon gently peeked into our window, illuminating my face as I slept and waking me up at night. I sighed quietly and turned to look at my peacefully sleeping Starfish, sprawled out on the bed, taking up more than half of the mattress. I laughed under my breath. Her nickname fits her perfectly.I got up from the bed and walked around to cover Mackenzie, who had kicked the blankets out and was snoring adorably. I picked the blanket from the floor and covered her body, watching her sleep soundly, undisturbed by decisions that may affect our future.I brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her head before taking in the delicious scent of blueberry cheesecake she smelt of before I got dressed and quietly left the room for some fresh air.I was putting on a T-shirt when a woman in a messy bun, a loose T-shirt, and jeans came out from the opposite room, yawning. She stopped dead when she saw me, wonderi
*Mackenzie*I stared at Claire with a tornado of thoughts in my head. I was extremely grateful that Garrett was still holding me in his arms cause I didn‘t trust my feet. My knees almost buckled when Claire dropped that bomb suddenly."Fifty years," I mumbled, turning my gaze to Agatha.Agatha Allard. Roy's mother, my grandmother, has been dead for over fifty years.I slowly got out of Garrett's arms and cautiously approached the chest. I knelt next to her and placed my hand on the lid. I felt a strange power of attraction, as if there was something inside that belonged to me."Now, it doesn't matter whether she died half a century ago or half an hour ago. She didn't reveal anything important. Nothing except her last request to destroy that chest." I said, revealing Agatha's last words."If no one wants to take this box outside, we'll have to do it here," I announced as I slowly detached my grandmother's bony hands from the chest.Everyone gathered stared at me, wondering if they shou
*Claire*I didn't know how to feel. After over thirty years, I returned home. And even though it was no longer my home, the sentiment remained. And my heart beat faster every time I walked along a familiar path or passed a place where Levi and I spent our most precious time.Dara was in a dilemma. Although, like me, she was pleased to be back at Green Forest Pack, her heart could not forgive what happened to us here. Here in our home, everything we loved was taken away from us.'You act as if we were going to come back here. But I didn't say anything like that. Not even a thought.' I laughed when she growled at me again when I got too close to the tree swing near the school.'You don't have to say anything; I feel and hear everything. After all, I'm your smarter half.' She countered, reminding me of her importance.'Thanks for reminding me that I'm the stupidest one here. You can always count on smarty-pants.' I rolled my eyes as I left the swing and headed towards the pack house.'Yo
*Mackenzie*The day was ending, and nothing we had set out to do was ready. The wounded were still being treated. The missing people are still searched, and the dead, although there were not many of them, were waiting for their turn. We only managed to organize accommodation for over five hundred people in a banquet hall that had not been used for centuries.People asked about everything. Why did this have to happen to them? Why do they have to suffer for the sins of others, and why can't they return to their homes? I didn't know what to answer them; no one did, especially Claire, who was constantly surrounded by a group of people excited about the return of their real Luna.Even though she had a tired look, she didn't refuse anyone, even those who interrupted her meal. She always greeted everyone with a smile, kindness, and openness. And I will have to learn this from her because I avoided people like the plague.When we left the pack house and Maddox set me on my feet, Conrad relaxe
*Mackenzie*The kiss didn‘t last long, but it felt like forever. I clung to Conrad, not letting him end the kiss or our embrace. My wings fluttered playfully before fully penetrating my back, wrapping me in their soft feathers, clinging to my ribs."I guess it's over," Conrad whispered, combing my hair."I guess it's over," I confirmed, blushing after our sweet yet public display of affection.Around us, people were still confused, not knowing what to do, how to react, or what to say. I'm not surprised. Not every day you get to fight against those who want to free you. It's not every day you find out that the last decades of your life were a lie, and it's not every day you experience a fight between creatures that, according to legend, have long since existed."Why don't we clean up first and then deal with the aftermath?"Someone made a suggestion in the crowd, and hearing the multitude of unanimous cries, it must have been someone who held power."What do you say, Alpha?" The same m
*Melody*I lay semi-conscious on the cold, wet grass, staring into the empty eyes of my lover, Chase. My body wracked with sobs of despair that continued despite the pain of the completely severed bond vanishing. My body had fully processed the pain, but my soul was still mourning. My soul lost its half, my heart fell into pieces, and my mind couldn't cope with the most tremendous loss of my life."Ch-sss." I tried to say his name despite my broken jaw and howls.My poor weak wolf Isola cried mournfully for the Moon Mother to take her and reunite her with Axel. Her sense of life had just vanished, taken from her with the death of her soulmate. I didn't have the strength or desire to comfort her in her sadness because I wondered whether to ask the Moon Goddess to take me too.Despite my broken legs and arms, I tried to get closer to Chase's body and leave this world with him, embracing him until my last breath. Every inch I got closer to him hurt like hell, and every second I spent clo
*Conrad* "Now, I'll show you your failure." Esther chuckled above Mackenzie‘s head, staring intently at me, "Alpha Levi." She addressed me and dragged her nails into Mackenzie‘s neck, piercing her skin. Rip couldn't stand it, and at an alarmingly fast and excruciating pace, he shifted, tearing apart all the clothes I had on. And with a sinister roar vibrating in the air, he stood before the witch in all his glory, ready to tear her to shreds. Esther smiled even wider as if she had been waiting for this very moment. Her eyes lit up when she saw Rip, and I realized where her mad enthusiasm came from. 'She thinks we're Dad. She thinks we are Levi and King.' I noticed, and Rip growled, proud but excited to show Esther who we were. "I didn't think I'd have the opportunity to kill you twice. The first time was a pleasure. Now I'll make it historic." Despite her obviously weak body, Esther snickered, threw Mackenzie aside, and lunged at Rip. All the people gathered moved aside as Rip us