SophiaThe last thing I remember is finishing the preparation for dinner, making sure everything was perfect for Mikhail’s return. The effort had taken its toll on me, but I wanted to surprise him.I don't have much to offer him, so I want to do whatever I can to make him feel special.I hope he likes the dinner.Afterward, I stepped outside to get some fresh air and clear my head.I must have fainted.The lack of food and exhaustion from the last night's events must have caught up with me, causing me to faint.Before I can fully gather my thoughts, I hear a deep voice, and the scent that accompanies it is unmistakable.Mikhail.I can feel he is talking to someone else, but after a moment, I feel his hand lightly touching my body, and a low growl emits from him.Fighting the remains of unconsciousness, I open my eyes. My eyes instantly connect with Mikhail's, and it seems like they are looking through me instead of at me.His face is so close to mine, and his hands run across my body
MikhailMy wolf thrashed in me when we heard the pack doctor tell us how underweight she was. She almost seems starved. Now, when I recall how small and fragile she felt in my arms last night, it makes me wonder how it is possible that I overlooked her condition. I can't stop myself from touching her just to confirm the truth behind the doctor's words. I could literally count her ribs when I ran my fingers across her skin.How was my wolf so blinded in the craze of mating bond that we didn't notice this earlier?I have asked Alexei to make sure she is comfortable here, so what is she trying to prove by not eating?When I inquired about her lack of eating, Her answer stunned me. I hadn't considered that she would wait for permission to do something as basic as eating. This makes me wonder what kind of treatment she has gotten in her pack. From her confusion, it seems like she has also been deprived of basic freedoms, like eating.I should not care about it, but something in me stir
SophiaYou will fulfill all the duties of a mate because that is what you are required to do. You will give my wolf what he wants from you.His words keep echoing in my mind, but my heart refuses to acknowledge them because it still believes there will be more to this mate bond. Maybe if I continue to give him what his wolf want then one day even he will see that what we have is much more than these primal needs.I don't want to deny him anything because I am afraid to lose him. He is my mate; he is all I have. I will do whatever I have to do to keep him happy and safe. And it is not that he is forcing me to do something, he has been very careful of my needs and always make sure that I am fine. He is taking what is rightfully his as my mate.He makes me feel cherished... a feeling I never knew.Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath when his hands grab the length of my skirt and pull it up bunching it around my waist. A cold breeze touches my bare skin, causing goosebumps to rise on
MikhailDeath.No matter how much you see, still, you can never get used to it. Losing one of yours is never easy. Their death haunts you. I have lost my entire pack in the past, and I have seen numerous deaths of my own. Yet each life that I lose takes away a piece of my soul of mine and fills it with darkness.These wolves—these people—are mine. They are my responsibility, and I have failed them by not being able to protect them.If I hadn't been so consumed by this mating bond, these wolves might have been alive. But what was I doing? I was busy playing mates with this girl whom I didn't even know anything about.I know it wasn't her fault, yet I can't shake off the anger that I feel towards her.There was no need behind my actions, just pure anger. I wanted to punish her, and I wanted her to feel that she was not the one in control; I was the one who controlled everything.There was this raging storm inside me, and somewhere, unknowingly, she calmed that storm.A small part of me
Sophia I have never known my mother, nor do I have any idea how she looked apart from the knowledge that she had beautiful long hair. But when I was around five years old, I had a dream. In that dream, I heard a woman's voice whose face I couldn't see. She told me something... something that has stayed with me since then. "True power lies in being connected to your roots." I don't know who that voice was, but my heart tells me that it was my mother. I always felt a pull towards our rituals, which were performed by our ancestors, the rituals that are vanishing with time. It hurts me to think that soon a day will come when no one will be aware of our roots, our traditions. These are not mere rituals; they are our connection with our past. So when Mikhail ordered me to attend the warriors' burial, I knew I had to give them the respect they deserved. They died while protecting their people, and they deserve the burial of a true warrior. When everyone was at the clearing, I prep
MikhailThe pack members settle into their seats, utensils clinking against plates and low murmurs filling the dining hall. I can't see their faces, but I can feel the change in their feeling as the grief is slightly lessened by the comfort of knowing their brothers are in the company of the Moon Goddess. Also, somewhere, it is due to that knowledge that I have found my mate.It should not be big news because most of them are aware of my arrangement with Layla and how she is an unofficial Luna of the pack. But maybe because, like other packs, they also believe that my finding a true mate will result in a blessing for the pack; that's why they seem content.I can sense Sophia's shock as well, but she should know I haven't denied her of being my wolf's mate, nor am I going to hide this fact from my pack. No matter how I feel about this mate bond, it is true that she is my true mate... more like my wolf's true mate.The scent of Sophia's meal wafts through the air, and I can feel my pack
SophiaLast night, I couldn't sleep because my heart was heavy with the weight of Mikhail's words. He had already been very clear about what I am to him, but somewhere, there was a hope that maybe once he started looking at me more than someone who is his destined mate, things would change.The hope is not entirely lost because if I lose this hope, then I will not have anything to hold on to. Still, sometimes I wish things were not so complicated, and I would have been mated to someone who would just accept me and love me.Why does he insist on keeping this distance between us? Does he not want a mate? Or is it that even he thinks that I am not worthy enough to be his mate?The last thought breaks something inside me. I push these thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand.Last night at the packhouse, one of the pack members, Sheena, asked me if I could make a beef casserole for her. It is her son's tenth birthday, and since the pack won't be having any celebration, she wants to
MikhailI could feel Sophia's joy when Alexei was here.And I don't like it, especially my wolf.I don't want her as my mate, but until she is, I don't like whatever is brewing between her and Alexei,So, will it be okay for her to be with him after I reject her?This thought doesn't sit right with me."What are you trying to do, Alexei?" I go straight for the question that is on my mind. "Do I have to remind you that I haven't rejected Sophia?"I have never been known to beat around the bushes, so why would I do that now?"Yet," Alexei adds, making me growl lowly."Alexei, if I were you, I would be very careful of whatever next words come out of my mouth," I warn him."You can't stop me from saying the truth, Mikhail." Alexei scoffs, "You don't want her, so don't have the right to act like a jealous mate when someone else talks to her. You don't have the right to be jealous when you are still with Layla, even after you have found your mate.""I am not jealous!" Another growl rumbles
JakeI don’t like this. Not one bit.Rogues creeping closer. Hunters sniffing around. Trouble coming at us from every damn direction.It used to be quieter. Sure, we had threats, but nothing like this. Now, almost every week, we find signs of rogues too close to our borders... scents that don’t belong, paw prints where they shouldn’t be, carcasses left behind like warnings.It’s not just a few wanderers anymore. They’re moving in groups, testing the edges of our land, and none of us are taking it lightly.But the rogues aren’t the only problem.The hunters are here too.We’ve found traces of them in the neutral land, tracks, old camps, abandoned traps. We don’t know if they came because of the rogues or if they were already here, but it doesn’t matter. Hunters are never good news.I don’t like not knowing why they’re this close. If they’re just tracking rogues, fine. We don’t need to cross paths. But if they’re here for something else, if they’re watching us… that’s a whole different
Anastasia**A few months later**Every step feels heavier than the last.My legs shake, my muscles scream, and the deep gash on my side throbs like a warning I refuse to listen to. I press a hand against it, feeling the warm, sticky blood that won’t stop.My breath comes in short gasps, and my vision blurs for a second before snapping back into focus.Keep moving. Just a little more.Stopping isn't an option.I press my hand against my side, feeling the warm, sticky blood seeping through my fingers.Damn it.Where the hell are the others?My heartbeat pounds in my ears, drowning out the rustling of the trees around me. They wouldn’t have left me. No way. Something must have happened. Maybe they got separated. Maybe they’re still fighting. Maybe they’re dead.No. No, I can't think like that.I suck in a sharp breath, trying to ignore the way my vision blurs at the edges. They wouldn’t abandon me. They couldn’t abandon me.That’s what’s ingrained in us. Never leave your own.One for all
Anastasia's POVThere are two ways to live in this world. Our world. You either step up and be brave, choose to be the predator, or you cower, bow your head, and live as prey.I choose the first. Always have.Hunting is more than just instinct. It’s the rush in my veins, the fire in my chest when I move, when I chase, when I strike. My body doesn’t hesitate. It knows what to do before my mind even catches up. Every step, every breath, every heartbeat... it all leads to one thing.The kill.That’s not something you can fake. You can’t learn it, not from a book, not from someone else. It’s something that’s just... there. Deep inside. Like a second heartbeat, pulsing through me.And it’s real damn hard to fight against something that’s carved into your bones, something that’s built into every fiber of your being. Only if my father would understand.Don’t get me wrong, I love my father. Always have, always will. He’s done everything he could for me, tried to raise me with care, to protec
The first thing he registers upon waking is the quiet.No, not the silence because nature never allows that... but the kind of quiet that settles deep... that is constant and familiar.The rustling of leaves, the soft stir of the wind, the distant sounds of life beginning to wake. Everything as it should be.His senses pick up on everything, long before his feet touch the ground.It’s instinct. Survival. Something that doesn't seem out of ordinary to him becase it is his second nature to assess, to calculate, to prepare. By the time he’s out of bed, he’s already piecing things together—last night’s events, today’s responsibilities, the things left unsaid.. the tasks that needs his attention. Everything.Mornings are the only time he has to himself, before responsiblities catches him, before people start looking to him for answers. He takes his time, moving through the routine that is more habit than thought.His mornings are not rushed, but never lingering either. A shower, the stea
Tonight is the kind of night that feels untouched by sorrow, where happiness shines in every face, unburdened and free.He stands at the edges of it all, not quite a part of it, but not apart from it either. Watching. Taking it in.Tonight, Sophia finally became the Luna.His eyes find her, and his lips curve into a soft smile as he watches her. She glows beneath the moonlight, laughter bubbling from her lips as she spins Rose in the air, their joy mirroring each other’s. She has come so far and endured so much, and now, finally, she has everything she has ever fought for. And yet, what frustrates him is how she still doubts herself.She doesn’t see it... the way people look at her, drawn in by something unnameable yet undeniable. There is a quiet strength in her, a fire that refuses to die, and an instinct to protect that rivals even the fiercest warriors. From the moment he met her, he felt it, too. There is this strange sense of ease that she carries with herself like you could un
Sophia Elder Merope places her hand gently over my arms causing me to look away from Mikhail."You both have bonded as Alpha and Luna among your pack," she looks between me and Mikhail, "Now, only the final ritual remains."I look at her questioningly.I have already bonded with the pack. What more could be needed?Merope offers me a small, knowing smile. "This tradition has been practiced in our pack for generations. It holds great significance because it creates a link between the Luna and her pack… without the Alpha."I blink, the meaning settling in slowly. A bond without Mikhail? I glance at him, but he doesn’t seem surprised. He already knows.My brows pull together in confusion a link between Luna and her pack without Alpha, it is something unheard of.Sensing my confusion she continues explaining. "This bond is to ensure that if something ever happens to the Alpha, the pack will not be left broken. They will not feel abandoned because their Luna will still be with them. And i
SophiaMikhail’s hand slips into mine, his grip warm and steady. He squeezes lightly, and that simple touch says everything. I am not alone in this. He is here, right beside me, and he is not going anywhere.I take a breath, letting the moment settle deep inside me. I am not afraid. I won’t let him down, and I won’t let this pack down either.That is what I have learned... to focus on what I can control and leave the rest to fate.Shifting my gaze from the pack, I glance at Mikhail. There’s something in his eyes that pulls me in, something deep and unshakable. Love. Pride. Maybe even reverence. I can’t name it exactly, but whatever it is, it has me locked in place, drawn to him in a way that feels like gravity itself.Without a second thought, I interlace our fingers and tug him closer. My free hand finds the side of his face, my palm meeting the rough scrape of his stubble. The contrast between the sharpness and the warmth of his skin sends a shiver down my spine. He tenses under my
SophiaThe closer I get to you, the bigger my smile grows. I can’t help it. It’s like my heart is too full, spilling over, lighting up every part of me.But you just stand there, watching me like I’m the only person in the universe that matters. Like I’m the only thing you see.You’re awestruck. I can see it, even behind that carefully blank expression.There was a time when your stoic face used to shake me, used to leave me second-guessing what you were thinking. You never let anything slip, well, except your anger sometimes. That, I always saw.But now? Now, I love this about you. I love that your emotions aren’t for the world to see. They’re for me. Just me. I love the way you let yourself be open with me, the way you give me a side of you that no one else gets to see. I love that I get to be the one who knows the truth behind that unshaken mask.Your face gives nothing away, but that has never stopped you from showing me how much you love me. You don’t need words. You never have.
SophiaClutching the roses tighter to my chest, I start walking towards the clearing.There is a lightness in my steps as I make my way to the clearing.Every memory tied to this place plays in my mind like a movie, scene after scene flickering across my heart. The first time I stepped into this pack, lost and uncertain. The first time I met Mikhail, the way his presence felt like a storm I wasn’t ready for. The first time he touched me, and my entire world tilted on its axis. The first time I felt betrayed, when I thought there was no hope for me, when I was sure I would always be a burden, always be unwanted.But then, the first time I felt loved. Truly, deeply loved. The first time I realized I had someone who would take care of me, who would hold me when I was breaking, who would see every shattered piece of me and decide to put me back together anyway. The first time I knew, without a doubt, that I was wanted.With each step, every moment I have shared with Mikhail rushes through