Adira quickly sat up in her bed, heart racing, her blonde hair disheveled from sleep. Her sleep last night was a restless one, filled with nightmares of the past events and losing her sister. Adira swept her slender fingers through her blonde hair, willing her heart to stop pounding, as she affirmed to herself that her sister would be alright. She got down from her queen-size bed, her tiny feet slipping into her bedroom slippers—pink, thick foam slippers with the big ears of a cat on top of them. She moved into her bathroom, turned on the tap, and bent over to splash water on her face. The chilled water helped jog her to a full wakefulness. She raised her wet face to look at the mirror nailed to the wall above her, her hands pressed on the cool white surface of the sink. She stared at her reflection in silence. Her green eyes looked sad and tired. She didn't like what she saw in the mirror and felt slightly bothered, so she walked away. Before she entered the shower s
“Mum! What’s happening?” Adira cried, her voice trembling with fear as her wide eyes locked onto her sister’s writhing body. Her mother turned to respond, but something incredible unfolded before the words could escape her lips. Her sister suddenly stilled, as if Adira’s voice alone had quelled the storm within her. Everyone froze, a shocked look on their faces. “What happened?” Adira’s father asked, his voice carrying the question that echoed in everyone’s mind. Everyone looked clueless, including Adira. She was unaware that her sister's wolf responded to her voice. “Mum, what happened?” Adira repeated, her voice laced with worry as her eyes locked onto her mother. Her sister might be calm now, but she didn't look out of danger. “Your sister has been poisoned with silver,” her mother said grimly. “Her wolf is trying to purge it from her system.” Adira gasped, her eyes widening. Silver poisoning is as dangerous to wolves as it is to humans, only worse with wolves as
Kendra hesitated, her gaze fixed on the grassy ground beneath her feet. Her expression betrayed the thoughtfulness reserved for someone wrestling with feelings they’d rather ignore.Her parents recognized the look immediately. Kendra had never been good at hiding her emotions. As a child, every feeling she had was plain to see. If she was happy, the whole world knew it. If she was sad, her tears came unbidden. And if she was angry—oh, there was no mistaking it.“Who is he?” Kendra’s mother asked gently, her tone soft and tender. There was only one reason why her child would look this troubled: if she loved someone but wasn't sure of her feelings. Kendra didn’t look up. A knot of fear twisted in her stomach. How could she possibly admit the truth? That her mate wasn’t a “he” but a “she.” Her mate was her adopted sister, and she is in love with her, even though she always denies it to herself. When her father saw how much his daughter struggled to out her feelings, he decided to ease
What happened?” Nate curiously questioned, his green eyes gleaming with excitement. He was always keen on a bit of girl gossip.Meredith and Adira turned their heads in unison, muttering like conjoined twins, “None of your business.”The other guys chuckled, while Nate glared at the girls, though there was no real anger in his eyes.Just then, the Alpha and the Luna walked into the room. The laughter stopped instantly as the young ones straightened their postures, trying to appear serious. They avoided eye contact with their leaders, except for Adira, who met her parents’ curious gazes head-on.“Mum, Dad,” she greeted softly, stepping away from Jake.The Alpha’s piercing gaze swept over the group, finally settling on Jake. “What are you all doing here? Why aren’t you at school?” he asked. His tone wasn’t scolding, just mildly curious.The friends exchanged glances, silently deciding to let Jake take the lead in responding.A little intimidated by the Alpha’s commanding presence, Jake
Kendra opened her eyes to see her adoptive parents hovering over her face, and the doctors poking around in places they shouldn’t. “Is there a problem?” Her voice cold, hoarse and weak shattered the silence in the sterile room, alerting everyone to her wakefulness. Her mother was the first to react. She looked up eyes wide, wet with tears and excitement. “You are awake!” She exclaimed the obvious in a soft voice.Kendra nodded, then asked. “What happened?” She looked from her mother to her father who stood off to the side watching her intently.Kendra couldn’t read the Alpha’s expression. His impassive mask made her squirm a little bit, though she fronted a brave face in the face of his stoic expression.Without reading her father’s face she knows he is angry with her about something. The Alpha always goes this cold and expressionless when he is mad at her for something.“You were attacked by rogues,” the Alpha answered, his flat and cold tone causing Kendra to wince inside. She r
Kendra scoffed at her mother’s words, shaking her head in disbelief. The idea of her ruling the BlackMoon Pack was absurd. The Pack would never accept an Alpha who wasn’t born into their Pack, no matter how long she had lived among them. The truth was simple—she wasn’t one of them and never would be. “You seriously think the Pack will just stand by and let Dad hand over the Alpha title to me when he retires?” Her voice was laced with bitterness. Becoming Alpha wasn’t something she even desired, but knowing how impossible it was regardless of her worth stung. For one to rule, you need to have the blood of the Pack running in your veins, and Kendra’s blood is from another Pack. The rule is for all the Pack, not just the Black Moon Pack. An Alpha retired from leadership at fifty, passing the reins to a successor. “I do,” the Luna replied calmly. “Your father is the Alpha, and the Pack will respect his decision. You are the rightful heir to his position, Kendra. You have earned
Dylan drove up to the Pack House and parked in the spacious driveway. The massive house loomed above him, its sprawling structure an imposing reminder of the strength and unity of their pack.Jake came down from the back of the car. Adira cradled protectively against his chest, looked fragile and small. Yet, Jake carried her effortlessly, his features unreadable except for the subtle tightness of his jaw.He walked away toward the looming structure of the Pack House and stepped inside. Inside, a handful of pack members lounged in the grand hall, their chatter tapering off as they spotted Jake. Some offered knowing grins; others murmured congratulations to him on finding his mate. Their voices were tinged with admiration, but Jake acknowledged them with a curt nod, his expression stoic. Despite his restraint, his chest swelled with pride. Being seen as Adira’s mate meant something to him, even if the bond wasn’t what they thought.He ascended the grand staircase, his footsteps heavy a
With his piercing and tattoos, Meredith doesn't see the redhead as worthy of her attention. Her parents will not approve of someone like him. They are friends because the redhead is friends with Jake. Meredith’s words stung like a punch to the gut. Nate’s easygoing smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before he recovered, his walls going up as quickly as her barbs had landed. He was used to being judged for his tattoos, piercings, and the rebellious edge that seemed to put people off before they even got to know him. But this… this was harder to brush off, even though he tried. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he fired back, his voice smooth but laced with hidden pain. “Hell will freeze over before I ask you on a date. I just thought you might want to hang out. But if you’d rather be alone, fine by me.” He turned on his heel, ready to walk away before the cracks in his façade became visible. “Stop!” Meredith’s voice rang out with commanding authority, freezing Nate mid-step. There
Kendra heard their mother long before she walked into her room. She has always been a light sleeper. As a warrior and a hunter, she trained herself to sleep with one eye open, ever ready for anything, even when asleep. The first thing that changed was her breathing before she opened her eyes. Her mother was just outside their door. Kendra moved her hand along the back of the young woman plastered against her side, soothing her back to sleep when the blonde grumbled as if disturbed by her nightmares. She felt her mother hesitate at her door before the older woman turned the handle and walked in. Kendra held her eyes closed and waited for the older woman’s reaction to the sight of her sister in her bed, plastered against her nakedness. She didn’t react like she had something to hide. Her sister sleeping beside her is all innocent, even though it is not unless they make it not so. Luna Grace doesn’t know how to interpret the sight before her. The s
While watching their Mother interact with her sister, Adira stares longingly, wishing things were different. She wants to be in her sister’s arms to assure herself she is alright, but she can’t because no one knows that she is her mate. When Kendra looks at her, Adira’s heart skips and her green eyes soften with tenderness as she silently coveys her feelings to the brunette. The stare lasts a brief second before Kendra looks away. She tries to rise from the couch, uncaring about her nakedness, when two warriors storm into the living room wearing urgent expressions, forcing her back to the sofa to hear what has the warriors looking like their houses are on fire. The warriors stop short to pay respect to the Luna and then ask after the Alpha when they don’t see his tall frame in the living. "He is in his office," Luna Grace directs, and they turn to leave, but Kendra speaks, stopping them in their tracks. "What is the
After her shower, Adira joins her mother in the living room. The older woman offers her a cup of hot coffee as she sits beside her on the sofa. "Anything?" Adira looks at her mother as she takes a sip, her still cold inside welcoming the warm heat of the coffee. Luna shakes her head as she peers into her daughter's worried eyes, her similar eyes reflecting the same emotion. "Nothing yet." Just as she finished speaking, the outdoors crashed open, and the warriors rushed in carrying an unconscious Kendra, the Alpha hot on their heels. The warriors gently set Kendra on the long sofa while the Alpha barks. "Can someone call the Pack doctor?!" Mother and daughter flew to their feet with confused, terrified expressions. They looked from passed-out Kendra to the Alpha, who stared at his daughter worriedly and demanded together. "Dad, what happened?!""Honey, what happened?!"The Alpha looked from his daughter to his mate, his eyes resting on her worried face. "Your stubborn, reckless d
Kendra looked toward the snapped twig, and glowing red eyes met her sharp blue ones. She quickly pushed her sister behind her as multiple big wolves prowled out of the darkness. Their glowing red eyes contrasted sharply with the thick darkness surrounding them. Kendra heard Adira whimper in fear and quickly reassured her without taking her eyes off the six rogues that had them semi-surrounded."Don't be scared. I will keep you safe."Her voice sounded confident and cold. Her expression was fierce. The one thing she will not take a chance with is the young woman's life behind her. She means too much to her.The assurance in her sister's voice settled Adira's nerves. Kendra's sharp mind assessed their situation. She wondered how the rogues could access their land without alerting the patrol. Secondly, she was outnumbered. Although skilled, she can't face off six rogues alone and keep her sister safe. She needed backup, and even though Kendra hated asking for help, she knew she needed
Adira stared at her father in disbelief, her eyes blazing with anger. "You can't force me to mate with someone who isn't my mate!" she snapped loudly, her fists clenching and unclenching in frustration. Alpha Conor stared at his daughter with a cold and calm expression, unbothered by her explosive reaction. She was young and didn't know what was best for her. If the moon goddess hadn't given her a mate, then Jake would be good for her. He knew his daughter loved the young man and was stubborn because he had asked her to mark him. "I didn't; you did," Alpha Conor replied in a leveled tone. He didn't shrug to show how much he didn't care about his objection, but the others felt his nonchalant reaction to his daughter's anger. That is not to say that Alpha Conor doesn't care for his daughter because that is far from the truth. The BlackMoon Pack's alpha loves his daughters so much, but he believes his daughter is too young to know what is good for her. Luna Grace was stuck between he
It is dinner time. Alpha Conor is having dinner with his family alone; the pack members stay away to allow the Alpha family some privacy with their eldest return. They were eating silently, with Luna Grace desperately trying to infuse conversation and liveliness into the meal, but everyone seemed lost in their thoughts. “Your sister found her mate,” Alpha Conor said suddenly. Kendra and Adira froze. Adira looked at their father sharply, wondering why he brought this up. Kendra kept her eyes on her food as she answered their father. “I know.”Alpha Conor nodded, then took a deliberate bite of his mashed potatoes, savoring the rich flavor. He followed it with a forkful of vegetables, a hearty drumstick, and a sip of wine. “And you?” he asked curiously, looking toward his eldest. The young woman had not told them about her personal life, and he was dying for information about her life in the city. Adira looked at her sister, interested to know if she was seeing someone.“No, I ha
“What do you think is wrong with Meredith?”Adira asked Jake as they bounded up the stairs to her room. She looked back briefly to see her boyfriend's reaction to her question. Her best friend has been acting weird these past few days, and her angry outburst is more than her usual cranky personality. Adira can't shake the feeling that more is going on with her best friend. If the blonde isn't talking to her, maybe she said something to their other friends.Jake stiffened at the mention of Meredith. He masked his nerves with a stiff smile on his lips. “Babe, you know how Meredith is? She is always like this when she meets someone new.”Adira shook her head. She believes it to be more. “I don't think...”Adira trailed off suddenly. They were at the top of the stairs and about to enter Adira's room when a sound in the adjacent room caught her attention. Jake noted Adira's frozen expression and asked. Is something wrong? He stared at the petite blonde before him with a frown between his
After what happened with her sister last night, Kendra woke up the following day and decided she had had enough of the hospital food. Her parents walked in on her, arguing heatedly with her doctor, who believes she is not strong enough to leave, but Kendra argues that she knows her body better than the fucking doctors. “What is going on here?!” Alpha Conor asked, looking from the doctor in scrubs to his fully dressed daughter. They both turned to the Alpha, a stubborn look on Kendra’s face, while the doctor looked frustrated and relieved to see the Alpha. He has never met a more stubborn young woman. “Please, can you talk some sense into her,” the doctor pleaded dramatically with the Alpha. Last night, she tore her stitches from doing God knows what! And this morning, she wants to leave. She is not yet strong enough and can barely stand on her own. “I can stand alright, thank you very much.”“What did you do to tear your stitches?” Alpha Conor asked his daughter in a calm voice.
Nate stood staring after Meredith with a bewildered look on his face. He didn't understand what the hell was wrong with the blonde. It was only eight o'clock in the morning, and she was already worked up. "I was only trying to help," he mumbled loudly before deciding to go for his first period. Before he could walk away, a female voice yelled his name loudly in the hallway way to get his attention.“Nate!”Nate stopped walking and turned. His gray eyes widened slightly at the sight of his friend from the Park.They haven't seen each other since the Park. “Gloria, what are you doing here?” Nate asked when the redhead joined him. “I just transferred," Gloria smiled at him. Nate nodded. “What year?” He asked as they walked down the hallway. “Senior”Nate looked at the redhead, shocked. He thought she was younger. She looked sixteen to him. Gloria's smile widened at Nate's shocked expression. “I skipped a few classes,” she explained. “You must be brilliant then,” Nate commented wit