AQUAHannah wanted to...meet with me?After parting ways with Kianna, I took a taxi to the café where Kianna told me she would be waiting. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears when the vehicle finally stopped in front of the café.But it was just a meeting. So why were my legs trembling?I paid the taxi driver and faced the café. I felt like I had run a marathon to get here, yet there was a cold chill running down my back. I wondered if I should make up some excuse and return but I knew from experience that it wasn't the best solution.I took a deep breath, mustering every ounce of courage I had, and pushed open the door to the bustling café. The warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee surrounded me, mingling with the chatter of lively conversations. Despite the vibrant atmosphere, I found it difficult to spot Hannah among the customers.Just as I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, a familiar voice called out to me from above, cutting through the noise. "Hey, Aqua! Over here!" she wave
AQUAI returned to Gunnar's house in the evening, completely exhausted by the day's activities. My feet were sore, and my brain was screaming for rest, as I stepped into the house barefoot. The cab driver refused to take me to the forest once he heard my destination, claiming that no one was allowed to venture there without Gunnar's permission, so I had to walk through the forest all alone.Once I was in, I went straight to the stairs, eager to lay on my bed when I heard a pair of voices arguing with each other.It was Gunnar and his daughter, Fawn.I should have probably minded my business and walked away. After all, they made it very clear that I was simply a guest living in their house so I didn't want to get into trouble by butting into their private affairs.But then, Fawn screamed, her voice piercing through the air."I'm not the one at fault! All I did was say the truth!" she cried, half-defiant, half-pained. "Aqua is not my mother, and she can never replace her!"I froze at th
GUNNARAfter convincing Fawn to keep my secret about Aqua, I realized it was time to address the issue with River once and for all. At this rate, she was going to get all of us in trouble, so I needed to stop her before she did something stupid like getting cozy with my pack healer. My wolf had been on edge since we arrived in the pack, largely because we hadn't initiated any physical contact with our mate. Deep down, I almost wished we hadn't left that damn forest because everything between us had felt good back there. Now, it felt like we were back to square one. In fact, we were even worse than strangers, and I hated it. She had her issues, and I had mine. In the past, I hadn't been willing to work on our relationship, but now I was ready to try if it meant getting my life back in order.I didn't notice she had returned to the house until I reached the stairs with Fawn. Her scent lingered there, suggesting she had been there for quite some time, and that made me panic for some un
AQUAI woke up feeling refreshed, but the memories that lingered in my mind left me feeling depressed and sad. My wolf kept scolding me for rejecting Gunnar the night before, but I refused to listen until morning.She was right. What was I thinking, rejecting the Alpha King in such a crude manner? What if he got angry and decided to kill me?With that thought in mind, I locked the door and stayed indoors, knowing that no one would check on me anyway. By noon, I decided to sneak out of the house and visit the pack healer.When River saw me, his face lit up with pleasant surprise. "Aqua, what are you doing here?" He scanned me from head to toe, as if making sure I was okay, then removed his gloves and tossed them into the trash can."I just wanted to see you for a bit," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. This had seemed like a good idea when I formulated my plan, but now that I was here, I felt uncertain. I came here because of the comforting aura he possessed to calm
AQUAWhen River offered to take me somewhere, the last place I expected him to go was to the forest behind my mate's house. My feet refused to move the moment we reached the tree line, refusing to move any farther. River stopped a few steps ahead, turning back to me, a flicker of concern softening his features.“Is something wrong?” he asked, concern glazing over his features. I gulped nervously, wondering what I should say. Gunnar had repeatedly warned me not to expose Fawn's identity, and the last thing I wanted was to get on his bad side today. I didn't know if his daughter left the house often, but I could only imagine that she would sneak out at least once in a while to avoid suffocating in there.I lowered my gaze, focusing on the steady ground underneath my feet. “C-Can I ask what we’re doing here?” I stammered. “T-This is the Alpha King’s property… y-you know that, right?”River nodded casually. “Yeah, I know.” His soft chuckle faded when he noticed how tense I was. His expr
AQUA I quickly sprang to my feet when I saw Fawn and chased after her quickly disappearing figure, leaving River behind. He called out to me, his voice laced with confusion, but I paid him no attention as I pursued my mate's daughter.For a blind kid, she was remarkably swift and agile, maneuvering through the forest with ease. It was clear that she had the advantage of knowing the landscape, but her speed was still inferior to mine. I eventually caught up to her and blocked her path. Fawn instantly skidded to a stop when she sensed my sudden arrival. "We need to talk," I panted, my chest rising and falling rapidly. Looking at Fawn, I quickly straightened my back upon noticing how composed she appeared after such a long run. I guessed she was right about calling me weak because my lungs felt like they were on fire, despite the short chase.Fawn folded her arms defiantly and replied, "We have nothing to talk about." "What you saw is nothing," I explained, desperation creeping into m
GUNNARThe following days passed, each one worse than the previous, according to my wolf. He was in a terrible mood after Aqua's rejection, which also affected my mood too. To cope, I focused all my attention on the affairs of the pack. On the first day, I concentrated on strengthening security by conducting intensive training for the sentries guarding our territory. On the second day, I decided to watch over the young wolves in the pack and supervise their activities. On the third day, the elders summoned me. "I think you should go on a retreat," Nathaniel, my head elder, suggested after a morning pack run. "It will do you and your wolf good to spend some time alone. Just leave the work to your Beta for now." I struggled not to smile at his crafty suggestion, probably out of a desire to spare him some embarrassment. Leaning back in my seat, I replied, "I take it that your son has not yet told you the truth." "What do you mean?" Nathaniel questioned, his brow furrowing in confus
AQUA A week later...I walked to the full-length mirror with two dresses, each one in my hand. I compared each one against my skin, contemplating what I should wear this evening. Because tonight was finally the night River would be taking me out to the movies. A swirl of anxiety and anticipation churned in my stomach. I sighed, letting both dresses fall onto the bed in a soft heap. My eyes drifted toward the other outfit I had laid out. Although I had Gunnar's card to cover all my expenses, it didn't feel right for me to use when I was going out with another man. Fortunately, I still had some savings I kept before I left the Wind Ridge Pack. The door creaked open without warning.Fawn stepped inside, her small hand gripping the doorknob while the other leaned heavily on her walking cane. She paused at the doorway, and an uneasy flicker crossed my face as I moved toward her."Fawn," I murmured gently, announcing myself before reaching out to her. "What are you doing here? I though
AQUAWhen I opened my eyes again, I found myself in my room. The curtains were already closed, and the lights above my head were dim. I leaned against the headboard, trying to gather the scattered fragments of my memory. My lessons...the orange juice...me falling unconscious. My heart hammered in my chest when I remembered that I was poisoned. Now it all made sense why my throat felt dry and itchy; also, it must be the reason why my body ached all over. Just when I was about to reach for my phone to call someone in, the door suddenly swung open with a loud thud. Ella stood at the door, holding a tray in her hand. “Your Highness!” She gasped, clearly surprised to see me awake. “I'm so glad that you have finally regained consciousness. You have no idea how worried we all were about you.”I watched her place the tray on the bedside drawer, revealing a bowl of soup. “Have the guards caught Hannah like I instructed?” I asked. Ella nodded. “Yes, they did. They managed to apprehend her
AQUAWhen I vowed to myself that Hannah was going to pay for what she did, I truly meant it. That was why she was currently repeating a section of the rules, explaining it for the fourth time. I could tell she was about to lose her temper, but that was exactly what I wanted.I needed an excuse to make her pay for her actions. "That's enough," I interrupted her before she could repeat it for the seventh time. My ears were already aching, and the person I was waiting for had yet to arrive. "Why don't you go and fetch me some juice?"Hannah’s eyes blazed with indignation. "But you have maids waiting on you! Why the hell are you sending me?" She protested, her voice sharp and rising."Because serving the Luna Queen is an honor," I replied coolly. On a normal day, I took pleasure in reminding her that soon, I would become the most prestigious woman in the Wysteria continent. Today felt especially fitting for this reminder, as she appeared ready to explode.When she stubbornly refused to m
AQUAWhat the hell was going on?My eyes shifted from my daughter to Odin, who was perched in one corner, looking unfazed by the chaos surrounding him. His presence made me cautious in reacting since I knew he would never have appeared if the situation hadn't been dire. However, there was also a problem with Fawn's naughty behavior that I had to deal with.So, I decided to ask the third person in the room. "What did you do to my daughter, Mrs. Lambert?" I bent down to pick up a torn book near me before stepping inside the room. The maids behind me immediately spread out and started arranging the place while I approached the tutor lying on the floor. “I-I didn't do anything wrong, Your Highness,” she replied. Before she could utter another word, Odin released a warning growl that reverberated throughout the room, making both of us flinch. Many possibilities raced through my mind when I heard her words. My first instinct was to believe her because Fawn had already been displeased by
AQUAThey say to keep your friends close and keep your enemies even closer.At least, that was my belief until the moment Hannah arrived at my doorstep, her warm smile illuminating the dim hallway. As soon as Fawn learned that her beloved Aunt Hannah was back, she bolted down the stairs with excitement , rushing to greet her with open arms. A sharp pang of jealousy pierced my chest as I watched their affectionate reunion, the way Fawn’s face lit up with delight in Hannah’s presence. I felt a protective instinct surge within me, compelling me to step in."Fawn, it’s time for your lessons," I asserted, striving to maintain a steady and calm demeanor. My voice echoed through the foyer, firm yet measured. "You shouldn't keep your tutor waiting as you did last time."Fawn, her wide eyes filled with longing, turned to me, a protest bubbling on her lips. "But I want to speak to Aunt Hannah—""Fawn, don’t be stubborn now," I said, my tone sharpening as I placed my hands on my hips, unwavering
AQUAShit. I stared at the glowing tattoo on my wrist, my breath hitching as Bodhi’s revelation sank in. The energy seared into my skin like molten fire. A sharp hiss slipped past my clenched teeth, my entire body taut with the overwhelming sensation flooding my veins.“B-But this...” I struggled for the right words for some time before settling for one disbelieving question. “How?”Bodhi shrugged cluelessly as he got up from his seat. At first, my body grew tense as he closed the distance between us, but then he simply unlocked the door and raised the curtains. “Maybe your wolf got upgraded because of its sincere desire to protect its mate,” Bodhi cocked his head to the side as he spoke. “Isn't that what dominant wolves do?”Yeah, he was right. Most of my frustration had stemmed from my wolf's restlessness and fear. It was she who was sure that something bad would happen, so she needed to see her mate before she went crazy. I was so caught up in the storm raging within me that I b
AQUAI had only heard the news when I awoke from my sleep in the early hours of the morning. Gunnar was gone. I stared at my maids blankly, trying to digest the information I had just received on the bed. I was at the point where I didn't know if I should cry or just tear the entire place down in anger. So that was it? He just left without saying anything to me or his daughter? Not even a goodbye or a kiss?What the hell?Instead, I suppressed all my tumultuous feelings and asked. “Did he say when he was going to return?”The first maid shook her head before staring at the rest of her colleagues, silently asking if they knew anything other than the details she had just provided. When no one said anything, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other when she turned to me. “Well, he did say that you should meet Bodhi if you had any more questions,” she disclosed. “But he's not around right now. I heard he is in a meeting with the elders, and things are not looking good right n
GUNNARWhen I finally returned to the party, some people were already saying their goodbyes and leaving. My pack members were doing a good job directing them to the pack guesthouse, where they could stay for the night. I stopped by one or two people to say a few parting words before I headed straight towards the stairs to search for my mate.As soon as I got to the top floor, I discovered that her scent was all over the place. My heart thrummed loudly against my ribcage as I scoured through each room down the hallway. I found her on the third attempt, next to my daughter on the king-sized bed, her delicate features softened by sleep. She held Fawn so close to her bosom like she was trying to protect her from something or someone.The sight tugged at my heart, squeezing it in a mixture of overwhelming love and longing. This was the family I had yearned for over the years, a family I thought I might never have after the loss of Tia eight years ago. As I stood there, watching them, I fel
GUNNARI hurled Diane over my shoulder and bolted from the party, my boots pounding against the damp earth as I made my way toward the cemetery. At first, she kept struggling for her dear life, trying to escape, but my patience snapped when she drove her knees against my knees, so I knocked her out the next second.When we reached our destination, I dropped her on the cold earth with a dull thud. The rough impact jolted her awake. I folded my arms as I watched her struggle to regain clarity of the situation. "Rise and shine, Diane," I said.Diane looked left and right around her surroundings before she turned to me. "Where the hell am I?" she asked, trembling. "Why did you bring me to this place?"I folded my arms and replied. "Well, I thought since it's been a long time since you have been to the pack, you would want to meet your dear friend," I paused, letting my words sink in. "You guys must have a lot to talk about, right?"Diane screamed when she turned around and saw my wife's g
AQUAAs I continued to face the crowd, I could feel Fawn trying to yank her hand back, but I didn't let her go. Letting her go wasn’t an option after everything that had just happened. Truthfully, she had caused enough trouble right now, and the last thing I wanted was for someone to find out her true identity. Fortunately, the kid was smart and didn't even try to refute my claim over her. “So you had a child out of wedlock?” The Luna questioned. The curiosity in her voice was quite obvious, but there was something about her tone that rubbed me the same way.I lifted my chin defiantly. “Yes, I did. Is there something wrong with it?”The crowd started murmuring amongst themselves when they heard my words. I was a bit confused about why they were giving me strange looks, but I pretended not to care. “You must not have been informed properly, Aqua, but the requirements for a female wolf to ascend the throne as the Luna Queen are quite clear,” she said. “A female wolf must be a virgin