Mikhail Sophia’s rejection hits me like a physical blow, and I stagger, struggling to stay upright. The world shifts beneath my feet as Sophia's words sink in. This is all I ever wanted since the moment I found her... to reject her and this bond. But then why am I feeling this emptiness like someone has squeezed the life out of me? "Sophia, no!" My voice is raw and desperate, but she doesn’t look back. The hunters drag her away. However, a thundering growl erupts from me when someone hits her, nearly causing her to fall. They don't even wait for her to get to her feet as they continue dragging her across the ground. Her white dress is now tainted with dirt and her blood, but still, she doesn't look back. What scares me the most is that she is not fighting at all to free herself from them, as if she has resigned herself to this fate. It's like the fire inside her has been extinguished. I try to stand and reach for her, but my injured leg buckles beneath me, sending a sharp pain s
MikhailMy ears twitch at the sound of whisper yells mixed with the conitnuous beeping sound. My mind feels haze and disoriented, while there is a hollowing ache inside my heart.I frown and try to open my eyes when I hear low growls emitting from somewhere near me. However, my eyelids feel heavy to obey my command.Where am I?What is going on?And what is this annoying sound?My senses start to become sharper as I am feeling more awake by every moment.The sterile scent of antiseptics and the faint beeping of what sounds like a medical machine tell me I’m in the pack’s infirmary.Why am I here?Abruptly, everything comes back to my mind. The attack, those bastards, the broken bond... and Sophia.I wake up with a start. I struggle to sit up, but the sharp pain in my leg makes me gasp.Looking down, I notice an IV places in my right arm while my leg is in a cast. My shoulder is also bandaged.Suddenly, the sounds that I earlier heard dies down, apart from the beeping sound which has b
Mikhail"Alexei, what is the situation of the pack?Different thoughts are running inside my mind, but I need to focus on finding Sophia, and then later, everything can be taken care of."Thankfully, the quantity of the wolfsbane found in the food was less, but still most of the pack members are still recovering from the effects. Elder Merope is helping the members, but first, she helped the warriors so that the pack is secured." Alexei runs his hand through his hair and lets out a frustrated sigh, "I have enforced more patrols on the border, and I have personally made sure that our pack is secured.""I will come with you to the border and check myself if there is any sign that can lead us to the hunters," I remember them ambushing us from the western side of the border, that border is near the neutral territory. "Maybe we can send a search team in the neutral territory to check if they have seen Sophia or hunters there.""Mikhail, you have not recovered. You need to rest." Layla plac
MikhailStaring at the floor, I wait for the answers to all the questions that are swirling inside my mind. Elder Merope sits on the front couch while she looks in some deep thoughts.Alexei's presence beside me is comforting because it carries a hint of familiarity that I have been used to throughout my life. "Mates are known to heal each other." Elder Merope finally looks up, her gaze holding amazement and awe, "But to see something like this is nothing short of a miracle.""But if it was because of mate bond, then his vision should have been restored when he first marked her." Alexei frowns, looking confused, "But why now?"Elder Merope even seems confused because Alexei's question is valid."Maybe it wasn't because we haven't completed the mate bond." Looking up, I glance at them.It still feels surreal to see the faces whose voices and presence have been ingrained in my mind. "What do you mean?" Merope asks, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. "Mating and marking wer
Sophia Groaning, I turn on my side as pain shoots up in my body. I don't know how much time has passed... Maybe it has been hours, maybe days, or maybe even months. The small cell in which I have been kept has no window, and it is always dark. There is a small wooden bucket placed in the corner that they told me to use if I need to answer nature's call, as they are not going to allow anyone to leave the cells. This place smells so horrible that I ended up puking a few times when I was first brought here. That ended up in more beating, and that is the only constant thing here. These stupid people think that they can weaken a wolf by beating them. But it is almost the opposite, as their beating will only fuel the revenge that the wolf is planning, and once it gets a chance, it will make sure that these people will regret their every action. However, unfortunately, I don't have a wolf. Grunting, I push myself up and lean against the wall for support as the sound of screams echoes
SophiaThe hours crawl by, each minute stretching into eternity.In the course of time, I have realized they not only make you go through physical torture, these hunters makes you suffer mentally as well.They force you to listen to the agonizing screams for your cell mates, the cries of pain and the sounds of torture that they put these wolves through. Each time when exhaustion takes over me, I drift into the darkness hearing these torturous sounds.I curl up, trying to find some comfort even though I am aware that nothing can safe me from whatever fate is awaiting for me.I don't even know how it is possible, but I find myself drifting off to sleep. Maybe it is a coping mechanism, because once I am asleep then I will no longer be confined in this cell. Sometimes, I wish when I sleep don't ever wake up again, but then when does what I wish for ever comes true?The cell door creaks open again, and I startled awake by a harsh kick on my side.Instinctually, I tense, bracing for another
SophiaI can feel my entire body trembling like a leaf when I slowly start to gain consciousness. Every single bone of my body hurts like they have been broken a thousand times. I can hear the sound of faint voices coming from somewhere around me. My hand flexes and the feel of something sticky and wet makes me internally frown.Forcing my eyes to open, I blink a few times to adjust my vision.My eyes widen at the amount of blood in which I am covered. But what actually shocks me is the brutally ripped bodies of the hunters lying across the room. It seems like some feral animal has attacked them, leaving nothing but the shreds of flesh of them."Oh, this is nothing." My eyes snap to the voice, and now I notice I am not alone, but there are a few guys standing in front of me. "You should see that bastard." He grins, pointing at something to his right.I can sense these all are werewolves, so I relax a bit. Silently, I look in the direction that the guy has pointed, and suddenly, eve
Sophia"Cousin?" I narrow my eyes at them with suspicion. "I don't know you guys, and I definitely am not your cousin. And what if you give me this mark."It is possible they all are lying, even though my heart is telling me to believe them.Caleb steps forward, his expression turning serious. "We didn't give you that mark, Sophia. It's something you're born with. A mark of our lineage.""Our lineage?" I echo, still trying to wrap my mind around everything.Jake, who has been quiet up until now, finally speaks. "Yes, our lineage. We come from a long line of werewolves, and those marks signify our heritage. They appear when we first shift.""But, it wasn't there when I shifted for the first time... and that was the only time I shifted until now," I protest weakly. "I thought my wolf was... gone.""She was never gone," Lucas says gently. "Just dormant. Something must have triggered her awakening.""Triggered her awakening?" I mutter, thinking back to the intense anger and the voice that
MikhailPressing my nose against Rose's hair, I take a deep breath. After Sophia, her scent is the only one that can help calm me down. My wolf's fury dulls to a low, simmering growl, the primal need to protect finally sated with my mate and pup in my arms."Shh, Rose. I've got you," I whisper hoarsely, my voice raw with emotion. My hand gently strokes her back, my touch trembling as I try to comfort her. "Dada's here. It's okay now."Her little arms tighten around my neck, her sobs hitching as she nestles closer. For a moment, the world narrows again, but this time, it’s not from rage or panic. It’s from the overwhelming need to hold on to them, to keep them safe.I glance down at Sophia, still lifeless against me. My chest aches, a dull throb that matches the fear coursing through my veins. "Sophia..." her name escapes me like a prayer, desperate and pleading."Mikhail, we need to take Sophia inside." That same man speaks, and through the haze of fury, I can finally recognize him.
MikhailI burst into a sprint, the bond's silence tearing through me like a jagged blade.Each step pounds against the earth, my wolf's restlessness and my desperation driving me faster.The world blurs around me, trees and buildings nothing more than streaks of color as I push myself harder."Sophia!" I mindlink again, hoping to get a response from her.But the void answers me. Hollow. Dead.The absence feels like a gaping wound, a suffocating emptiness that claws at my chest.My lungs burn, not from exertion but from the sheer panic constricting my breath.The mate bond is supposed to be the unbreakable connection between us, an eternal thread that binds us, no matter the distance.So why can't I feel her?I push harder, my claws digging into the earth as I leap over a low wall."Sophia! Answer me!"Nothing.I snarl, the sound ripping from my throat as I surge forward again.My wolf's fury roars in my ears, a wild, unrelenting force demanding to find her. Demanding to protect her.T
MikhailFrom the beginning, there's been nothing to hide.I've never felt shame or regret for the things I've done to claim my revenge. They were choices I made with clarity, knowing the full weight of the consequences of my actions. But telling Sophia, peeling back the layers of who I am, admitting to the blood I've spilled and the darkness I've carried... feels different. It doesn't feel like a confession. It feels like freedom.It's as if I've ripped open a part of myself I've kept locked away. And instead of flinching, she listened... and in her gaze steady, there was understanding.My kindhearted mate didn't judge me for my actions but understood me.It feels as though a veil has been lifted between us, one I hadn't realized was there until this moment. Now, we are both truly bare in front of each other.Her acceptance isn't blind; it's deliberate. She knows my flaws and my sins, and still, she chose me.I am definitely Moon Goddess's favorite; that is why she gave me Sophia.I
SophiaThe soft glow of evening filters through my window as I finish tying a delicate bow on the basket I’ve been working on. The woven basket is filled to the brim with goodies, a homemade vegetable and chicken stew to nourish the new mother, some soft blankets for the pup, and a few herbal teas to help with her recovery, along with some other baby essentials like diapers, warm clothes, and beanies. I’ve tucked in a small stuffed duck for the pup too, because I remember how much Rose loved grasping her soft toy with her tiny fingers.It feels right to do this, to bring something personal, something thoughtful. Being Luna means more than holding a title. It means being there for the pack, celebrating their joys, and comforting their sorrows. Mikhail told me that it is a tradition in their pack that Luna welcomes the newest members of the pack and is one of the first guests to visit the new mom and the pup. So, here I am prepared to welcome our new member.As I step outside, the cr
Sophia Mikhail pulls me into his arms, his grip firm yet tender, as though he’s trying to anchor himself to the present and shake off the ghosts of his past. His breath brushes against my neck, warm and steady, and I can feel his body relaxing in my embrace. Wrapping my arms tightly around him, I hold him close. My fingers find their way to his hair, threading through the soft strands as I kiss his cheek. I can feel his emotions, raw and unguarded. There’s a strange lightness in him now, as if the burden he’s carried for so long has finally begun to ease. It’s subtle, but I know him well enough to see it, to feel it. With everything that we shared—our past, our experiences, our feelings—the bond between us felt stronger and more real. Closing my eyes, I take a steady breath and let the familiar warmth of my power flow through me. I send it through the connection that ties us together. I can feel his pain, his hurt... his struggles, and I want to erase them and fill every corner
Sophia“I had just gone through my first shift. Since our healing strengthened when we found our wolves, everyone thought that maybe after my first shift, I would gain my sight or it would improve. But things weren't simple; even in my wolf form, I was blind. Not as blind as I were in my human form, but still blind." He absentmindedly continues to play with the lock of my hair as if it is the thing that's holding him to the present. "My wolf was wild, and lack of vision made him almost feral. My father's training turned even harsher because he had to help my wolf reign his energy. Even now, a part of him is still feral."A small pout forms on my lips because I don't think his wolf is feral. He has that wild energy that surrounds him, but it makes him lethal and powerful. He is magnificent.Mine. A word echoes in my mind as my wolf agrees with me."In front of you, he behaves like a lovestruck crazy beast, but he is still feral." He softly chuckles and taps my lips with his finger as
Sophia I shift slightly, propping myself up on one elbow so I can look at him. He still looks lost in his thoughts, but knowing him, I know he is alert and ready to take down any threat if it appears.His guards are never down... even while sleeping, there is alertness about him. It's like his mind is up and working even when his body is resting.The gentle sway of leaves above us fills the silence, but a question forms on my lips, one I hadn’t thought to ask until now.“Mikhail,” I begin, my voice low but steady, “tell me about yourself."He blinks as if he’s not quite sure he heard me correctly.Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he turns to face me fully. A mischievous smile curves at the corners of his lips, one I know all too well—one I’ve seen a thousand times, used to distract, to shift focus, to keep things light. But this time, it doesn’t work.I stay quiet, my expression unchanged as I wait for him to acknowledge the question that still lingers in the air between us.H
SophiaThe nagging feeling is still there, but it is not as intense as before. When I considered what I could lose instead of gain if anything went wrong, the decision wasn't that difficult for me.Despite all the threats and dangers surrounding us, I am living my dream. And to ruin to find out something that I will eventually find out one day would be foolish of me. And how would I know that I would find out the truth one day? No matter how much anyone tries, the truth always makes itself known."Still thinking about everything?" Mikhail rubs his thumbs over my knuckles and lightly tugs my hand to get my attention."Yeah." Nodding my head, I pull all my hair to my side."Where are we going?" I ask, finally noticing that this isn't the path that I took from home to Elder Merope's place."Finally, you noticed." Mikhail smirks and teases me, "And here I was, getting worried about how clueless my mate was, that anyone could kidnap her, and she wouldn't even be suspicious.""I am with you
SophiaAbruptly, there is a knock on the door, sharp and insistent.Before I can even blink, the door swings open, and there he is—Mikhail. His tall figure fills the doorway, eyes locked on me with that familiar intensity that makes my pulse race.Mikhail strides in, eyes blazing with urgency. My heart lurches at the sight of him, and the tension that gripped my body eases in an instant."Sophia," he says, his voice low, almost a growl. "Are you okay?" He doesn’t wait for me to answer, his eyes scanning me like he can see right through to whatever’s going on inside me.I don't need to speak, though. He can feel it. I know he can. His wolf is connected to me, just as mine is connected to him, and right now, I’m a storm of emotions thrashing inside. He can feel that, too. The worry, the anxiety, the anger swirling inside me like a tornado, too strong to be ignored."Your emotions," he continues, stepping closer, his gaze tightening, "they’re… they’re driving my wolf crazy with worry. It