LOGINSophia
Checking my reflection in my small mirror, I tuck a few strands of hair behind my ear, which have escaped from my braid. Running my hand over my white dress, I try to smoothen it as much as I can. Honoring the Moon Goddess, all the she-wolves wear white, especially the unmated she-wolves.
This is the only nice dress that I own that I have been wearing for the past few years on the Red Moon. But since tonight is Full Moon Ball, I decided to wear it even though it is not Red Moon because I want to look a bit presentable in front of others.
Wiping my face with the small hand towel, I once again check my reflection before I head out towards the training ground to help others prepare the ground for the Full Moon shift.
All the unmated wolves will try to find their mates during the ball. And later, when midnight strikes, everyone would come outside and shift into their wolves and go for the run. Newly mated wolves will celebrate their unions while the other will run alongside their family and friends.
I join a group of pack members setting up tables and chairs for the post-ball feast. Almost everyone leaves as soon as I join the table, and moves to work on the other table. I can hear their taunts directed towards me and the sound of their laughs that they are having at my expanse.
But not paying attention to their words, I keep my focus on the work at hand; the sooner I finish here, the sooner I can get back into the safety of my room.
I am not allowed to attend the Full Moon ball as per my father's order because he is embarrassed to be associated with me. Joke on him, his blood runs through my veins, even if he want he can never turn his face from this truth.
Just as I finish setting up one of the last tables, I feel a rough shove from behind. I stumble but manage to catch myself before falling.
"Watch where you're going, bitch," a voice sneers.
I turn to see Kane, one of the warriors, glaring at me with a smirk on his face. His smirk identical to Cynthia's a strong giveaway he is her nephew.
Not only look, but it seems like they even share the same mean streak. Maybe it is their blood.
"Sorry, Kane," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I didn't see you there."
"Yeah, well, maybe you should pay more attention," he snaps, stepping closer. "Or maybe you are seeking opportunities to get closer to me." His eyes move up and down my body, causing a shiver to run down my spine in disgust.
I feel a surge of anger but force myself to stay calm.
"I am not interested in you." Keeping my face neutral, I look at him, "In fact, if anything, you disgust me."
His smirk falters, replaced by a flash of anger.
You should watch your mouth, Sophia," he snarls, grabbing my throat. "You don't get to talk to me like that."
He closes his fingers around my throat, blocking my airways. Everyone stops doing whatever they are doing and looks in our direction.
It is becoming difficult for me to breathe, and I try to free myself by clawing his hands away from my neck.
"Let go of me, Kane." My voice comes out choked as my vision becomes blurry due to lack of oxygen.
Suddenly, a large gray wolf comes out of nowhere and attacks Kane. I hear screams of horror coming from some she-wolves, along with Cynthia's screams.
My vision turns hazy as I feel myself losing control of my body. I begin to fall down as my eyes shut.
Even before I could fall down, a strong pair of arms wrapped around me while holding me close.
A strange comfort washes over me while my nose registers the most amazing and intoxicating smell I have ever smelled.
I am trying to fight against the darkness and forcing my eyes to open, but I am failing miserably.
JuneI lift my head slightly from his chest, my hands still resting against him, still holding onto him without thinking about it. The word is still echoing in my mind, soft but persistent, like it is asking to be understood.I look at him.“What is mate?” I ask.The question feels simple when I say it, but I know it is not. Not with the way he says it. Not with the way it makes something inside me respond without permission.He looks at me for a second, his gaze still a little rough around the edges, still carrying that wildness that has not completely settled yet. But there is something else there too now. Something softer. Something that is only for me.“You,” he says.His voice is quieter this time, not as coarse, but still carrying that raw edge.“You is mate.”I blink at him.Because that does not make sense.And somehow… it does.I don’t understand how he manages to say things in the simplest way possible, and still make them feel like they carry more meaning than a long explan
June The word mate lands in my ears, and for a split second, everything else fades.I don’t react.Not on the outside.My face stays exactly the same, calm and unreadable, the way I have trained it to be for years. No widened eyes. No sharp inhale. No flicker of confusion. Nothing that gives away the way that single word echoes in my head.Mate.My eyes stay on Caleb.His entire body is rigid, muscles locked tight, anger rolling off him in waves so intense that it almost feels like something you can see. His chest rises and falls hard, each breath carrying a low, dangerous sound. His grip around Kylie’s neck is firm, lifting her off the floor like she weighs nothing. Her hands claw weakly at his wrist, her face turning red, then pale.I should feel something else.Shock. Anger. Questions.What didn’t he tell me?What else is he hiding?But none of that comes.Because the moment that word leaves his mouth, something inside me settles.Like it fits.Like it has always been there, waiti
June Everyone is enjoying the dinner. The hall is filled with voices, laughter, movement. Plates clink softly, chairs scrape, conversations overlap in a way that makes the whole place feel full in a way I am not used to. It is warm. Lively. And yet, there is no sign of Caleb. My eyes keep drifting toward the entrance without me realizing it, like I expect him to walk in at any second. Each time, it is someone else. Aurora stays with me for a while, talking easily, filling the silence without making it feel forced. Then she gets pulled into another group, offering me a quick smile before she leaves. I am alone again. Misha is not far, but she is busy, laughing with some guy from the senior group of trainees, her face bright in a way that tells me she is finally relaxing. Kylie is nowhere to be seen. I do not know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but I decide not to waste my thoughts on it. Suddenly, a plate of snacks appears in front of me, sliding onto the table. I l
JuneThe dining hall looks nothing like it usually does.For a second, I pause at the entrance, taking it in.The long rows of plain tables are gone, replaced with neatly arranged round tables covered in clean white cloth. Soft lights hang overhead, warmer than the usual harsh brightness, giving the whole place a different kind of feel. Along one side of the hall, a long buffet table stretches across, filled with food that actually looks like someone put effort into it. There are trays of different dishes, bowls of salads, platters of desserts, and drinks set up in a way that makes it feel more like a celebration than just another meal.The smell alone tells me this is not ordinary.Misha was not exaggerating.Not even a little.“This is what I was talking about,” she whispers beside me, her voice carrying a mix of excitement and nerves.I nod once, my gaze still moving across the room, taking in the small details. The way people are already gathered in clusters, talking in lower voic
June I sit on the edge of my bed, my fingers moving absentmindedly over the fabric of my shirt. The room is quiet, almost too quiet, and my backpack rests beside me, already packed with the few clothes and things I own. Everything is ready. Just in case. If I have to leave tonight, I do not want to waste time gathering pieces of a life that has never really been rooted anywhere. It is easier this way. Quick. Clean. I glance at the bag for a second, then look away. My thoughts drift beyond these walls, to the life waiting outside. It will be the same as it always has been. Moving from place to place. Figuring things out as I go. Nothing permanent. Nothing that asks me to stay. It does not scare me. It never has. But then another thought slips in, softer this time. Elise. I have not checked on her in days. A small frown pulls at my brows as I think about it. I should go see her. That will be the first thing I do. After that… I will decide where to go next. I pause, my finger
June The half of the day passes like it always does, measured in drills, instructions, and the constant awareness that today is not like other days. There is something heavier sitting under everything. A tension that no one says out loud but everyone feels anyway. By the end of today, some recruits will be sent back. No second chances. No long explanations. Just gone. I can see it in the way people move. The way they talk a little less. The way they keep checking the instructors’ faces like answers might appear there if they stare long enough. Misha is one of them. She tries to act like she does not care about anything, like training is just something she is tolerating rather than something she is fighting for. But I see the difference in her today. The way her shoulders stay a little too tight. The way her eyes flick toward the instructors more often than usual. It is not fear exactly. It is pressure. Kylie, of course, notices it too. Kylie always notices everything in the wo
LucasNight settles over the estate the way it always does here, quiet but never relaxed. The kind of quiet that listens back. Aurora is asleep by the time I move, her breathing slow and even, her body curled toward the space I occupy like she expects me to stay there forever. I pause beside the bed
LucasAurora exhales sharply through her nose. I feel it before I hear it, the way anger moves through her like a flare, fast and hot. The bond carries it straight to me. No filter. No softening. Just raw feeling pressing against my ribs. She does not look at me. Her gaze stays on the wreck of her
AuroraEach step he takes feels like something clicking into place. The room shifts around him. Conversations lose their rhythm. Glasses pause halfway to lips. Someone laughs too loud and then stops. I catch all of it because my mind does that thing where it notices too much at once. Lucas has that
AuroraI stand in front of the mirror longer than necessary.Not because I am admiring myself. Not because I am nervous about the guests filling the house downstairs. It is because my eyes keep drifting to the same place, like they have a mind of their own.My neck.Just near my collarbone, faint b







