GUNNARI sat in my seat in the meeting hall, my fingers tapping the oakwood table. The tension in the room was palpable, and the air conditioning did little to dispel the heat from the midday sun outside. All eyes were on me, but I maintained a distant expression as I pondered the judgment for the wolf standing before me.“Wait, you can't be fucking serious,” Baylor grumbled, disbelief etched on his face. “Don't tell me you are really gonna punish me because of a submissive bitch who just entered the pack?”The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees at his words, the air charged with danger. My wolf, who had been pacing in the recesses of my mind, paused, questioning if he had heard correctly.Wilder growled, his voice sharp as a blade. “Would you shut up? Do you even know who that woman is?”Baylor responded with a confused look, his eyes darting from the both of us. But I was already too pissed to care about his ignorance. No one in the pack knew about my daughter,
GUNNARAfter my little talk with Wilder, I decided to stop by the pack healer's place. I received a call from River about a case concerning two women who had a catfight in the grocery store today. It shouldn't have been my business, except they unknowingly injured a little boy who had been walking behind them.That's when the sentries arrested them. Unfortunately, both of them were injured, so River had to heal them, and he called me instead.I parked my car in front of the house and came down, walking to the front porch. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows through the trees as I walked, and the air had that crispness that hinted at the approach of autumn. As I stood in front of the pack healer's door, I could hear the females screaming, but none of them were stupid enough to start fighting physically with each other because they were at the healer's house.And everyone knew the sacred places; the priestess's temple, the pack healer's house, and the cubs' nursery. No vio
GUNNARA few minutes later..."First and foremost, both of you are going to apologize to Kat and cover her son's medical expenses," I announced to the two dominant female wolves after I returned to the living room. "Then, you will compensate River for the damage you caused in his living room. Am I clear?"The two female dominant wolves exchanged glances. The tension in the room thickened as they regarded me with a mix of fear and defiance. The one with highlights cleared her throat to catch my attention and complained, "I can understand paying for the damage in River's living room, but why should we cover that boy's medical fees?""Yeah, it's not our fault the boy got hurt," the other woman chimed in. "If his mother had been watching him, he wouldn't have gotten injured. Honestly, how are these submissives training their children anyway?"I raised an eyebrow at their words. "I'm sorry, does this sound like a suggestion or something?"The two female dominant wolves froze at my words, r
AQUAI was sleeping in my bed when I felt his presence.Fawn had just returned to her room after expressing how much she despised me, and I couldn’t help but feel crushed by her words. Throughout my life, I had endured various injustices and nasty looks for being a submissive wolf, but this was one of those moments when I truly hated myself for being weak.She was right, I told myself, tears spilling onto my pillow as I surrendered to the night’s darkness. I was nothing more than a pitiful, weak wolf, unworthy of love or respect. That night, I cried myself to sleep but suddenly, I felt powerful, warm arms wrapping around me. Alarm gripped my heart, causing me to struggle against his embrace until his familiar scent filled my nostrils. It was a heady mixture of earth and something undeniably comforting. For a fleeting moment, the tension within me eased, and I relaxed into the hold, my body instinctively seeking solace from him. Yet, as reality crashed into me, my fight returned, and
AQUAThe next morning, I woke up to Gunnar's alarm blaring in the background. He had mentioned yesterday that he had a morning pack run to lead, so I reached for his phone to turn it off and wake him up. However, I suddenly noticed that my face felt very itchy. The more I scratched it, the itchier it became, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.I tapped Gunnar three times and watched him stir a bit. My throat also felt scratchy and painful when I tried to call out to him. "Wake up, Gunnar. You have a pack run to lead."Suddenly, a movement in the shadows stole my focus. My heart raced as I strained to see, and fear gripped me when I spotted a wolf with golden eyes curled up in the corner of the room. After calming my racing heart for a few more seconds, I reached for Gunnar again but this time, I was surprised to see that he was already awake.I greeted him with a small smile, "Good morning.""Good morning," he greeted me back, his voice deep and sexy. A warm rush of color spread ac
AQUAA few hours later, I went to the pack healer's house. Navigating my way around the pack was much easier than I had anticipated. I felt completely terrified when I ventured out of the isolated forest where Gunnar's house was located and into the main area of the pack. As I stepped out of the cab, I noticed a few curious glances from people passing by. I understood their confusion; after all, I had joined the pack but hadn’t yet been introduced to them.Self-consciousness crept over me as I instinctively pulled down my hood, trying to shield myself from their gaze. My face, marred with large, unsightly rashes, felt raw and exposed. After receiving the mental image Gunnar had sent me before he left, I confirmed that the house in front of me was indeed the pack healer's house I was looking for. The pack healer's house I was looking for. With my heart pounding loudly in my ears, I stepped onto the front porch and knocked on the wooden door. There was no response at first, but I knew
AQUAI retreated a few steps back when the figure stepped into the house. He looked intimidating and mean—his blonde crew cut, neat and precise. He had a Roman nose and shared the same eye color as River, a stormy gray shade that would have easily made any girl swoon. His right arm was covered with black tattoos disappearing under his white t-shirt. It took me a moment to notice the resemblance. The facial structure, the eyes—he and River shared more than just a passing similarity.“Baylor,” River's face turned grim as he addressed the visitor. “What are you doing here?”Baylor didn't even spare him a glance as he moved towards a couch with a predatory grace that made the hairs at the back of my neck stand. Once he sat down, he crossed his legs and leaned back like he owned the place.“In case you have forgotten, dear brother, pack members have the right to visit your house, especially family,” he drawled, his voice rough and deep.“Seriously, what are you doing here?” River pressed
GUNNARI wanted to kill him. I was already visualizing my fingers wrapping his frail neck and snapping his bones into half. My claws itched to extend and my fangs almost bared at him as I stood at the entrance. After leading the pack run and handling some important matters, I returned to the house but didn't find Aqua. When I discovered that she hadn't come back yet, I became more worried about her condition, wondering if her condition was actually worse than it looked this morning. But here, she was, holding another man's hand. Or was it the other way around?A low rumble echoed through my chest as I watched River tighten his hold on my mate without looking, his attention completely focused on the medical kit he was reassembling with his other hand.She was mine. And the fact that he had his hands on her obviously meant that he was asking for death. I stepped into the house, barely clinging to my sanity as I approached them. A wave of possessive anger swept over me when I saw thei
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