Chapter 7
Jacob’s POV
Fucking Hell!
I don’t want her! I don’t want her!
Stop rejecting my mate! You can’t! my wolf growled inside me.
Fucking shut up! I growled back at him.
I know that I will never escape this mate bond, this is my fate. But how can I? How can I fucking accept her if I can see how weak she is?
That gray shadow that I’ve been seeing in my own, and what my mate possesses as well. Am I getting played by fate?
Lucianna…
She is amazing. A beauty beyond compare. Those big dolly eyes, sharp nose and plumped lips of her invites me, pulls me, seduces me. She don’t need any words, I would have grab her and take her the moment her eyes laid on mine.
But I can’t.
How can I?
I am an Alpha of the second strongest pack of the North but my shadow shows a gray color. I am weak.
We are not weak. My wolf says. He has been telling me the same words ever since I found out about my shadow eye ability.
Tell that to me when you can explain why our shadow were gray. I hissed. My wolf never knew the reason behind it, too. Both of us tried our best to be strong, to be what we are now, but we never knew why our shadows keep showing the same shade.
Gray. Gray is for the weak. I am weak, but where? What part of me is?
I sighed and closed my eyes.
I sensed Brent coming closer, he is my Beta.
“What do you want?”
“Why aren’t you spending time with your mate?” he asked, sitting on the space beside me.
I fucking feel like a child for running away, unwinding at the middle of the forest while the rest are enjoying their night with their mates.
I sighed instead of answering his question. I don’t want this conversation right now. I am still confused with my own thoughts.
The way I gave in to the bond’s pull earlier makes me curse myself over and over. The way I reacted only proved how weak I am to give in that fast from the mate bond.
Fuck-- I am not weak!
“Is she a weak one?” Brent continued to pry.
My jaw clenches as I was reminded by Lucianna’s shadow. Not just weak, I can’t even see other shade of emotions from her shadow.
What did she felt earlier? Was she turned on? Happy? Anything?
Her shadow is just a full gray in color, it is unbelievable that I am not able to see other of her feelings.
Brent is my Beta and he knew about the secret ability of my family. The Shadow Eye is not that necessary to brag about but for the sake of avoiding chaos, my family swore to keep it out of the crowd’s knowledge.
“I wonder why you kept on hating the weaklings. Is that the true use of the Shadow Eye?” Brent sighed, and I know he was trying to reason out my reaction.
“Stop using your antics to me.”
“Enlighten me, then.”
I am not dumb to share with Brent that my shadow is gray, too. I have been showing strength, leading this pack for the better, letting my pack fear my ruling, showing no sign of weakness on my side even though I see it everyday in the mirror.
But it does not mean I should tell my Beta about it.
“She is weak.” I just answered to stop him from wondering. “And the weak won’t help this pack to be stronger.”
Hypocrite! My wolf screamed at me. We are weak but we made this pack strong!
Shut the fuck up! We are not weak!
Low growls escaped my chest and Brent snapped his head to look at me with curiosity.
“Fine. No need to be furious. Your temper is already worse than before.”
“Then stop being nosy.”
“What do you plan to do with your mate? It will hinder your work if you will keep resisting the mate bond, you know that.”
“I just told you to stop being nosy.”
“I’m not prying about your mate crisis. What I cared about is the pack and from how I see it, this may affect your way of leading.”
I sighed, he got a point. The mate bond is hard to break, it is not just a rule, it is inevitable.
“What is the worst thing that I may encounter?” I asked, looking up to the moon. I wonder what games the Moon Goddess is playing…
“Well, a lot. You claimed her and it might ease the craving of your wolf, and having a full control of your power does not mean you won’t get agitated at times.”
I sighed. “I never focused on this mate thing, tell me more.”
“Yeah, we didn’t expect you’ll mate this soon. You only had the alpha title for a year.”
My father, the former Alpha of this pack, passed the position when I turned twenty-one, and now I am in my 22nd. This is too soon to meet my mate. Why is the fate hurrying to slap this mate bond into my face?
I still got a long way towards success…
“You think you can handle the urges?” Brent asked.
I was deep in my thoughts and I was lost onto what we are talking about.
“What?”
“The sexual urges. You met her, you claimed her, your body will continue seeking to complete the mating.”
Sexual urges huh.
“The way you felt these last month is nothing compare to what you will face now that you’ve met her. The wolf knew its mate, it will continue on lusting over her. Also, her wolf won’t stop producing its own mating call.”
“I can just fuck another.”
Brent snorted from my answer. “You know she will felt that, right?”
I chuckled. “So what? If she ain’t weak then she has to keep up with the pain.”
Why did that sound wrong?
“You’ve gone mad.” he shook his head. “But that won’t be enough, Jake.”
“I’ll have more to ease my thirst, then.”
“How about her? She will have her own urges and in two days, she might not be able to stop herself and jump on any male for sex.”
I growled from the thought. What is this feeling? Is this jealousy? This is not my emotion! This has to be my wolf!
Get the fuck out of my business! I scolded at him.
Ain’t doing nothing… my wolf whistled and ignored me after.
Fucking--
“Harley can take care of her,” I closed my eyes shut and cursed under my breath.
“Ohhkay. Whatever. Let’s hope she won’t jump on Harley while we are at it.”
I growled. “Are you testing my resolve, Beta?”
“Hey, you asked what worse may come. I still got a lot on my list--”
I stood up hastily. “Keep it. I don’t wanna hear more, you manipulative freak.” then I walked away.
I heard Brent chuckled and I growled at him in our portal.
‘Okay, I apologize.’ he teased.
I don’t find him rude. I got a hang of his way of balancing any situations, and one of them is his manipulating behaviour. Its not like I can’t read through it, but I know it helps at times.
Though he won’t have a say right now. I had to deal with this case, my own way.
Lucianna’s POV
“So…” I cleared my throat. “Can’t I stay for a while?” I asked the guy who Jacob sent for me. I can’t believe that he just left me in the hands of this man, not having my own mate to take me to his home!
Our home, to be exact!
“The Alpha instructed to take you straight to his house.” this guy is so boring! How can he say that to me when the party is clearly rocking inside the Hall?
We are still where Jacob has left me. I refuse to go, you know. This is the Mapping Ball! This night comes only ones in my life especially now that I found my mate!
“Who are you again?”
“Harley. I’m this pack’s gamma, Miss.”
Ohhh.
“So because I was mated with your alpha, that meant I’ll be a Luna!” I blurted. That was my thought but I can’t control my mouth and said it out loud.
Oh, yeah! I didn’t think of that! I will be a Luna of the second strongest pack of the North! The Luna of the Shadow pack!
Oh, heck! I only asked for a mate as a family but I guess I’m blessed with a whole pack! This is amazing!
Harley frowned from my words. “You seemed to realize it just now.” then he started walking away. I followed him quickly.
“Well, yeah. Wait! I still wanted to be at the party!”
Harley continued walking and we are near to what seems to be a parking lot. Okay, I guess I’ll have no time to party--Hell No!
“Hey! I’m your Luna so you need to hear my order! I want to go to that party!”
Harley stopped and scratched the back of his head before turning to look at me.
He sighed heavily, and he seems tired.
“Listen, Miss. Our pack is different from others. We uphold the rules and one of it states that you are not our Luna until Alpha Jacob held a ceremony for you. Now, I need to take you to his house, and get some rest.”
Oh.
Okay, that was awkward. So I’m not yet having a title. Ugh! This is so embarrassing that I claimed it easily like that!
I forgot that every pack has different ways and set of norms to follow.
But I liked to be in that party!
There is one thing that caught my attention though!
“There will be a ceremony for me…” my eyes are shining as I spoke bluntly. I blushed from the thought of being introduce to my mate’s pack! Ahhhh! Butterflies in my stomach! Stop!!
I can’t believe I’m feeling this enthusiasm from hearing that now!
“Yes, so can you be so obedient and get in the car?” Harley said in a dry, emotionless voice as he open a car door for me.
I looked back at the Hall once more and pouted. “I really wanted to be in that party though…” my shoulder slumped.
Oh, well, a Luna ceremony is better than that, I guess.
I slide inside the back of the car and closed my eyes. Harley closed the door and I watched him walk to the driver’s seat.
I smelled a sweet intoxicating scent and my core quiver just from it!
Mate!
I looked around and saw Jacob walking closer to the car I am in. Harley also halted before he could even open the driver’s seat.
I quickly enhanced my hearing to pry on what they will talk about.
“I’ll take it from here. You just came back from your mission. Take a rest.” my handsome, lovely mate!
He is taking me home!
I thought he wouldn’t but I guess he got a soft heart, huh?
Harley disappeared and Jacob fixed his suit before opening the car door and sliding inside the car.
I leaned forward and smiled at him even though he was turning his back at me. I’m basically on his face but he aloofly ignored me.
“You can’t resist me, hmm..” I swear, I’m risking my pride by teasing him like this! I tried my best to keep my shame away just to say that!
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Then why are you taking me home? I thought you don’t want to?” I chuckled.
He turned his head to me in an annoyed way and my eyes went wide when I realized how close I was to him.
Our nose almost touched!
Jacob cleared his throat and I pulled myself away a little.
“I still don’t want to but I forgot you’re a flirt. I’m just saving my Gamma the trouble.” then he started the engine and drove off.
My fucking jaw dropped flat on the fucking ground! Did I heard it right?
“What?! I’m not a flirt!”
Where is these judgment about me coming from?!
Chapter 8Jacob’s POVWhat the fuck am I doing?Save my Gamma the trouble, my ass!Your Beta got into your head. Ha! Thank him for me. My wolf laughed and I hated how he can see through my subconscious.He might be right but there is no way in hell that I will accept this. How can I stoop this low?“What? I’m not a flirt!” Lucianna burst and my jaw tightened together with my grip on the steering wheel.She is. She is! My head screamed.You sound to be persuading yourself hard there, my wolf laughed again. He sure is enjoying this!I growled at him in my head, but my tension made me snarled loudly and it reached my mate’s ears.Lucianna gasped at the back of the car and I froze. Did I scare her? Fuck!“D-Did you just…” her voice is low, shaky, and I don’t know why but panic is starting to build in my chest.What? Panic?No. No.I cleared my throat to swallow a huge lump I feel like stuck in it. Why would I care if I scared her or whatever? This shows just how weak she really is, right?
Chapter 9Lucianna’s POVThe sun is rising and I’m still in this corner of my room, sitting like a beaten pup, scared and trembling.I don’t know when my tears stopped falling down my cheeks. I didn’t even know that it will even stop, I thought it will go on until I make a river.What did just happen?It has been an hour since the pain stopped. He stopped. Jacob…How can he do this to me?I started sobbing again, hugging myself even tighter and yet it is not enough.My whole body is aching, but it can’t be compared when I’m still being struck by the pain as clips of my mate’s dirty work flashes on my mind.Jacob, my mate, the person I owe my life to even yet meeting him has cheated on me. How can he do that? We just met last night, and not even an hour passed and he gave me this pain…It hurts.Mate! I want mate! My wolf whined inside me.My wolf kept doing that since I can’t remember. While I’m suffering from the pain inflicted by Jacob’s infidelity, my wolf--who seem to not feel the
Chapter 9Lucianna’s POVThe sun is rising and I’m still in this corner of my room, sitting like a beaten pup, scared and trembling.I don’t know when my tears stopped falling down my cheeks. I didn’t even know that it will even stop, I thought it will go on until I make a river.What did just happen?It has been an hour since the pain stopped. He stopped. Jacob…How can he do this to me?I started sobbing again, hugging myself even tighter and yet it is not enough.My whole body is aching, but it can’t be compared when I’m still being struck by the pain as clips of my mate’s dirty work flashes on my mind.Jacob, my mate, the person I owe my life to even yet meeting him has cheated on me. How can he do that? We just met last night, and not even an hour passed and he gave me this pain…It hurts.Mate! I want mate! My wolf whined inside me.My wolf kept doing that since I can’t remember. While I’m suffering from the pain inflicted by Jacob’s infidelity, my wolf--who seem to not feel the
Chapter 11Lucianna’s POV“What do you think you’re doing?” Jacob said in a rough and serious voice. He didn’t move and he stood in front of me proud, not even budging.Am I wrong? Isn’t he attracted and almost giving in to the bond? What if he is not?I watched his face and tried analyzing what is on his mind right now. I can still see the same glint in his eyes despite the darkness at the hallway, but am I right? Is that glint meant desire?“Taking my towel back…” I said in a low, careful voice.Jacob’s jaw clenched and he held his chin up. The way he gulped hard didn’t escaped my eyes. Can I take that as a hint that he is affected?“You got it now. Walk away.” he said. His voice is almost a whisper, raspy, and deep.It sounded rude, and how he said it almost made me back out, run inside my room and lock my doors in shame but I couldn’t.“No.” I whispered again, staring back at his eyes. Jacob is looking down at me with his head high up. It was supposed to make me feel little, and i
Chapter 12Brent’s POVI shook my head as I hear moans of pleasure inside Alpha Jacob’s office.He’s at it again? I groaned.Alpha Jacob is smart, his war strategies are on top. The pack respected every rules he has come up with, and feared his merciless behavior towards wrongdoings. But, since his mate showed up, he started to get out of control and I don’t think he is aware of it.What’s so hard on accepting a mate, anyway? It’s not like he can escape his fate, its not like being matched with Lucianna will even change so why do he kept on denying her?Jacob could not control the bond at all, especially the urges and that was clear from how he fucked those bitches, yet he denies his wolf from wanting to mate. Not some plain sex.Its morning and he hasn’t stopped since last night. How far can he go?Damn his stamina.I sat on the couch outside his office and sighed. I guess I will need to wait here for a while before I can work. The files and my tasks are inside his office, it’s easy
Chapter 13Lucianna’s POVWhat is he looking angry at when I should be the one feeling that?I grabbed my phone, taking my eyes off him.“Uh, I’ll call you later about my decision, Dy.”“Sure. Everything okay?”I bit my lip, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Why didn’t I felt Jacob’s arrival? Does my senses get numbed, as well?“Y-Yeah. Later, okay?”“Sure. I miss you, Luce. I hope you think about the offer, can’t wait to see you-”“Yes! Bye!”I quickly turned off the call and bit my lip hard. Damn, why did he had to say those words?! Jake was here! Ugh, it’s not like he knew but still…I decided to continue eating without looking back to Jacob again.My senses heightened when I felt him move, walking towards to me. His steps are slow, it felt deadly like a dark aura was emitting from his body and lingering to the room. To me.I cleared my throat when I felt being suffocated with my loud heartbeats.“I-I didn’t know you’ll come o-over. I did not bother cooking b-breakfast for you.” I s
Chapter 14Lucianna’s POVThe morning passed so fast and its past afternoon. I’m still inside my room, and my tears died down a long time ago. I can’t remember if it lasted for an hour, but I remember myself in daze, staring at the wall.Jacob’s presence left the house during lunch and I don’t know why he stayed that long. I’m just glad that I ate breakfast and my stomach isn’t growling yet.I don’t want to leave mate! My wolf kept whining the same since this morning and I kept ignoring her.I know, alright? I don’t want that too but everything is a blur to me, and I’m hurting.Growing up, I had a lot to take in. Living alone is one of it but it does not match the pain of being lonely.And now, what Jacob is doing despite being here for two days is already killing me. I barely survived the previous ten years but I stayed strong. But these last two days made me something else.I lose my hope.I lose my gleam.I lose myself.I even fucking tried to accept being cheated on, nevertheless
Chapter 15Brent’s POVI’m sure when I planned this but it is still difficult when Jacob is already looking at me with those hawk like eyes.“You--what?!” he growled.I just told him that we lost track of his mate, and that Lucianna can’t be found anywhere. Tss… hold on a bit more, Brent. Let him be shaken…“She run off fast while I’m taking care of the payment and--” I tried explaining again but he cuts me off.“And where is Harley when this happen?”I can hear Jacob’s low growls in his chest but I can tell he was just trying to calm himself.“H-He was off to the bathroom, he trusted me into protecting Lucianna and--”“Idiots!” he shouted and stood up hastily that his chair fell loudly on the floor. Jacob was looking at me with deadly glare and his fangs are slowly showing.Here it is, go, run off, find her!That’s what I prayed for but Jacob suddenly hissed, closing his eyes and tilting his head up, calming himself again.Fuck, no.“Tell the border guards to not let her go out of my
Lucianna’s POV“Why proceed with it, then?” Aiden asked, wincing a bit from the heaviness of his words. I just told them about the Shadow eye and the curse of it because of a mishap that the first born didn’t inherit the gift.“Aiden! You can't tell a mother to get rid of her pup.” Ashira answered, agitated on my behalf. Aiden looked at me with apologizing gaze but the way his jaw clenched tells me his vote is just the same as Roscoe’s.“I actually tried to.” the sigh that came out of my lips was cold as memories came rushing.“Ohmy! Luce!” my friend's eyes were wide from shock, covering her mouth and tears forming on her eyes.My smile has shame lingering on it. This is a new emotion on my part. I always thought that I haven't done anything wrong when I decided to went with Roscoe on that cave. Maybe its because this is the first time I talked about it with a person of a same gender. Plus, Ash is a mother now so she can relate more than I could imagine how horrible what I did. I su
Lucianna’s POVRoscoe came and as soon as he get off his car, we exchanged a look that lasts for almost a minute. There was a lot in our eye language and it’s more like him saying ‘I told you so,’ and mine were ‘We’re in this situation so fucking try and talk with your mate’s body’. I saw his shoulder sagged as he sighed but headed to where Fhoxia was as if he read my mind.I really hope Roscoe can get something, anything, from Fhoxia. He does before, he still felt the bond between him and his mate’s body that the messenger borrowed. So I hoped, keep on hoping, there’s nothing I could do anyway.“He’s been there for how long?” Harley asked behind me.Time has reached a spot on top of my list that I prioritized to forget, so I just shrugged Harley’s question. Now watching Roscoe has made me feel dreaded in the guts so I decided to head inside and sit on the couch. Harley lingered longer by the porch, watching my brother-in-law like a hawk.I don’t know if I feel excited or anxious with
Lucianna’s POV“She’s creepy.” Harley commented as we drank coffee out at the porch. “How long has she been here?”“One week now.” I sighed. “I keep on asking her why she’s here but she won’t talk. Roscoe won’t be here until later this evening but he told me over the phone that Fhoxia didn’t reached out to him either.”“It means this messenger has no message to deliver? So, what, just being nosy?”I scoffed. “Bite me, I don’t know either.”“And Roscoe will be here? Jacob finally permitted his return?”Jacob gave a temporary ban for Roscoe after what happened in the cave. My mate hated the idea that his brother kept on deciding things for him.“Yeah, he only agreed this morning. He didn’t want to, I just convinced him since Roscoe might be the one Fhoxia could talk to or something.”“And that is why?”I sighed and nudged my mug at the messenger’s direction . “That body was borrowed from a dead woman. The dead woman was Roscoe’s mate.” Harley’s jaw dropped and before he could pry more,
A month has passed. A cough coming from our bedroom made me jumped from my deep thoughts. I was having my coffee in the kitchen and Jacob was at our bedroom. Laying down on our bed even when the sun has shone for an hour and a half.Not because he feel lazy to go to the Hall like he used to, but because he has become weak. His eyes had sunken with dark circles under it, there’s hollow in his cheeks, his skin has become dull and dry and no matter how much I put lipbalm in his lips, it keeps on cracking. His body was not as strong as he was. And everyday he get worse.I can barely look at him in this state but the only time I wasn’t by his side were morning like this. I drink my coffee alone then I’d cry my heart out without making a sound and spend the rest of my day beside him again. This is the time I used to outlet my sadness, fear and every other emotion I couldn’t show in front of him.There was still no news about another way. There’s still no another way and I lose the hope on
I was asked to lay down on a stone table. The coldness touched the bare skin of my back and arms, making my eyes shut hard.“No need to be scared,” the enchantress said, standing on my side while rummaging into a box of small bottles. A potion, maybe?Harley and Roscoe are on the other side of the cave, or the enchantress’s home, as she calls it. There’s no way they would hear our conversation.“Will it hurt?” I asked in a low, trembling voice.The enchantress looked straight into my eyes and there was something in the way she look at me. She was saying something, her eyes were saying something. She doubted my resolve in continuing with this procedure, I know that was what she think.“It will sting.” she smiles but arched a brow, as if testing if I will back down.But I closed my eyes and relaxed.“You’re not scared.” she stated, not asked. It was as if a question in her head was answered.I sighed, long and painful. “No.”“I want to know why,” she demanded with a tone that she wouldn
Lucianna’s POVI cut off the portal I shared with Jacob, feeling the severed connection like a heavy weight lifting from my chest—and yet, a gnawing pit settled in my stomach. It was better this way. He didn’t need to know where I was going, especially for what I was about to do. The decision had been far from easy, but once I made up my mind, there was no turning back. I wouldn’t allow myself to back down.“Calm down, gamma,” Roscoe’s chuckle was low, rough, and filled the silence like an unwanted echo. “You look so pale, I’d wonder if your blood left your veins.” His voice trailed off, almost as if he were talking to himself—though in a car full of werewolves, he knew better. I sighed, a breath that didn’t even begin to ease the tension coiled tightly within me.“Cut it out, Roscoe,” I muttered, my voice steady though my mind was racing. I could feel Harley next to me, practically vibrating with barely suppressed irritation. “Just drive.”The sleek growl of the engine hummed beneath
Jacob hadn’t returned home since last night and I haven’t slept a blink. Thinking over and over again about my decision, I cried all night and prayed, continuously apologizing to the unborn child in my womb.“You called for me?”It was Harley. Of course I called for him, I needed someone by my side right now and since Jacob was against this idea, I had to call for someone who wouldn’t turn down my heeding.“Yes.” I wiped my face and stood up. I probably looked like a mess right now but I couldn’t care anymore. “I also called for, uh, Roscoe. Expect his presence in a bit, I’ll just get something from my room.”Harley’s POVEverything was a mess around the pack. I heard Jacob was scolding his staff and throwing things everywhere. Brent told me, of course. He’d been snooping about what was happening with Jake and Luce that may had caused Jacob’s nonstop tantrums over the Hall.Of course I said nothing. I promised Lucianna I wouldn’t tell a soul about Jacob losing his control of his wolf
Jacob’s POVI once again looked at the corpse, it was shredded into pieces. It’s skull was crushed, bones torned apart and cracked. There was blood everywhere, from the ground up to the trees. The body was divided into four pieces and the head was retrieved up the branch of a tree.“Please forgive me, Alpha Jacob.” said Jordan. One of the council, head of trackers that also conduct the investigation. “I failed to distinguish the entity of the corpse, Alpha.” he bowed and the rest of his team bowed as well.There was no question to why they failed. The core of the corpse was gone, making it hard to distinguish it. Without the core--its heart-- a werewolf wouldn’t shift back to human. No one would know if it was a werewolf or a forest wolf.But I knew.The moment I arrived, the air whispered to my ears. The smell of death lingered in my nose. And the howl of a werewolf called my Alpha wolf.The corpse was a shape-shifter like us. Definitely a rogue because there was no distinguished pac
The door open and shut but I did not bother to look who it was. I can smell Harley, anyway. He just got back from the crime scene. I bit my fingernails from the nervousness I feel inside.What did he find out? Is it a shifter? A regular wolf? Damn it!I did not bother looking at Harley when I felt his presence in the living room. Pretending that I was watching the TV, I stopped biting my nails and inhaled slowly.“How’s everything out there?” I asked in a normal voice.Harley exhaled loud. “Just a wolf. Badly torn apart though.” he slumped himself down the couch. “How’s the talk with the brother?”I shrugged. “Just the usual.”“Yeah, like I know the usual, right?” he said sarcastically.I looked at him and squinted my eyes. Why was he so grumpy? “Someone twisted your panties or something?”Harley shook his head and looked away. It looked like he was thinking about something and wanted to say it out loud but also thinking if he should.“Don’t tell me you will act like that all day? Bec