As we all moved to the reception area, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and chatter. Raina and Callum were recounting their own milestones, and Cillian was engaged in a deep conversation with some of the pack members. The sense of unity and celebration was palpable, and it felt like the culmination of so many struggles and victories.I took Cheryl’s hand, pulling her gently aside from the crowd. “Can we talk for a moment?”She looked at me with a mix of curiosity and amusement. “Sure, what’s up?”We walked to a quieter corner of the airstrip, where the sound of the crowd was a distant murmur. I glanced around to ensure we had some privacy before turning back to her. “I just wanted to say how incredibly proud I am of you. This day, this achievement—everything you’ve worked for—it’s amazing.”Cheryl’s cheeks flushed with a pink hue. “It means a lot to hear you say that. I’ve worked so hard, and sometimes I wasn’t sure if it would all be worth it.”“It’s more than worth it,” I sai
It was another mating ceremony. I glanced over at Luke as we both watched the couple perform their rites, it was sundown, by the time the moon was out they would walk into the woods and come out by the morning. That was how these things went down.I could feel the waves of emotions; possession, longing, hurt … as it pulled through Luke all in my direction. I was shocked at how others couldn’t feel it. Luke was standing next to his father, at a closer distance to the couple. Not many humans turned up for ceremonies like this, except you were close to the couple. Luke’s brother was standing next to his father, who was in between Luke and Callum. Callum’s mate Raina was next to him, Luke looked not necessarily like the weaker one of the two but looking closely you could just tell there was something meeker about him. He finally glances at me and I manage to give him a huge grin which he returns and turns his attention back to the ceremony. After the ceremony both my parents and I walk
“…. May your hands forever be there to lift each other's heads and your hearts full of love, congratulations Lana and Draco, to the happy couple.” Callum toasts to the new couple.Ceremonies like these are especially hard for him and I. I feel his eyes lock on mine, my every move, every breath I take his eyes trail. Till I finally give in and look back at him, he takes a slow dragging breath before he realizes I’m staring at him and realizes that he was staring and fills his face. He smiles sheepishly and apologetically and turns away from me.I remember vividly the day we realized. I was 14 and he was 17, a crazy age gap, but it didn’t feel that way, we had grown up close together for some reason. Always close, for as long as I could remember. I always wondered why my parents lived so close to the enclave and why they never batted an eyelash over our families closeness. A human and a wolf, it was more common nowadays in this town but I imagined it hasn’t always been that way.We were
“What?!” I say frantic, backing away.His dark eyes turn back to normal as he realizes what just happened.“What do you mean mate?!” I ask again.“I’m sorry,” his eyes pleaded. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”We both go silent, trying to grasp what this means now, mate. Me! Mate… me, I’m Luke’s mate. This can’t be happening, it didn’t even make any sense. This has to be a dream. This was playing out like a badly written wattpad werewolf fanfiction. I couldn’t understand or believe it.Luke avoided me for the next few weeks. He stopped coming over, it was like he disappeared from school, he just vanished and wasn’t around anymore. But at night I’d look out my window and see yellow eyes staring at me through the woods. By that time I basically already had his wolf memorized, it was so unlike his appearance in human form. Very light ash with deep spots of jet black, black paws and dark spots around the left eye. It was stunning, I was always fascinated by it.He would shift and sit next to
“You’re drunk Callum,” Luke deadpans.It was getting harder and harder for him to control his wolf, I could feel it, it’s a wonder how he had it in check for this long.“Raina, Callum has had too much to drink. You should get him home before he embarrasses himself.” Luke calls.I could tell it was taking a toll on him, though he looks meeker than his family. Luke was very strong, the mating bond he had to suppress for so long was taking a toll on him. We had had several conversations of what it would mean if we were to finally address it, whether rejecting it, how it would affect him. I couldn’t stay in Ravenstown my whole life. There was nothing wrong with it, it was a beautiful place to live. But that was just that, it is a beautiful place to live, but did I never want to leave? I had plans, dreams, I want to travel, see the world, and experience new cultures. Luke’s place was here, with his pack, his family, his alpha. If heaven forbid any emergency or death, he would be next in li
It feels almost like slow motion as I fall directly into his arms, our lips touch. Time stands still as we both freeze, unable to react. I almost feel his lips move and mine attempts to move in unison when I pull back immediately. That did not just happen. We both stared at each other, trying to comprehend what had just happened and we both had just done. I’m about to speak when he beats me to it and his voice almost shrieks.“You perv! You did that on purpose.” He clears his throat as my jaw falls open.Me! Me! Perv?!!! “ You pulled me to you.” I accuse them of pointing.“I was trying to keep you from hitting a tree, Miss I don’t look where I’m going.” I turn to see it is indeed true, a large tree trunk was right in front of me and I would’ve hit it if not for him.“Oh, I didn’t know that. How could you call me a perv over something as little as that?!” “Little?! Do you go around kissing people?” His voice gets lower at the end of the question, losing its playfulness.I stutter,
That incident put Luke on edge, he dropped me off at home that night with stern instructions not to go out alone anywhere without him. Noctis was fast approaching and whatever this new threat was they needed to curb it by the festival. Having werewolf hunters lurking around when the wolves were most active in giving info their primal instincts did not seem like a good idea. Luke had informed his father and brother about what we saw that night, as well as other important pack members. From what he told me, they were keeping the information within the inner circle first in order to not cause a mass panic. So far, trackers were already sent out to figure out whose blood it was, and word was sent to neighboring pack to find any missing person and tell them to be on high alert. People in town were not yet aware of these dangerous predators in their midst and Cillian was taking great measures to keep it that way for the time being. My parents and I have noticed tighter protection around
“Stop it.” He growls once we’re out of earshot.I stop, my head swiveling back to him. “What?”He sucks in a breath. “That.” Shaking his head Luke walks towards me. “I respect you too much as my friend to not do what I want to you right here.”If I were lighter I’d have gone bright red like a tomato.“I can hear your heart beat from here, feel you take in breaths, smell you… from here.” Taking in a deep breath as his eyes shift from wolf to human.My knees almost give way. The manner which he is staring at me, like I’m a piece of candy his parents confiscated from him on Halloween. Leaning close to my ear he lets out another agonized breath. “I would take you right her right now if you’d just let me. Say it and I’m turn your uterus into my carnival tour, i respect you too much to do it without that.”I let out a shuddered breath trying to take a step back as his hands moves to my waist immediately, keeping me in place.“Luke, please, we’ve… we…”“Don’t make me wait any longer Cher, p
As we all moved to the reception area, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and chatter. Raina and Callum were recounting their own milestones, and Cillian was engaged in a deep conversation with some of the pack members. The sense of unity and celebration was palpable, and it felt like the culmination of so many struggles and victories.I took Cheryl’s hand, pulling her gently aside from the crowd. “Can we talk for a moment?”She looked at me with a mix of curiosity and amusement. “Sure, what’s up?”We walked to a quieter corner of the airstrip, where the sound of the crowd was a distant murmur. I glanced around to ensure we had some privacy before turning back to her. “I just wanted to say how incredibly proud I am of you. This day, this achievement—everything you’ve worked for—it’s amazing.”Cheryl’s cheeks flushed with a pink hue. “It means a lot to hear you say that. I’ve worked so hard, and sometimes I wasn’t sure if it would all be worth it.”“It’s more than worth it,” I sai
We settled onto the couch, my head resting on Luke’s shoulder as he flipped through the channels. He landed on a cheesy action movie that promised endless explosions and improbable heroics. The sheer absurdity of it all was exactly what I needed to distract me from the tangled mess of emotions that had been swirling inside me.Luke grabbed the remote and turned up the volume, the sound of gunfire and dramatic music filling the room. “Prepare yourself,” he said with a grin. “This is about to get incredibly ridiculous.”I laughed, feeling the tension in my shoulders begin to ease. “I’m ready. After today, I think I can handle just about anything, including whatever this movie throws at us.”He pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around me in a protective cocoon. “I’m not sure if I should warn you that there’s going to be some serious plot twists or just let you be surprised.”“Surprise me,” I said, snuggling in against him. “I could use a good laugh.”As the movie progressed, it quickly
The evening felt like the perfect reunion. My parents sat comfortably on the couch, their familiar presence filling the room with warmth and ease. The scent of Luke’s takeout still lingered in the air, mixing with the smell of freshly brewed tea. My mother, Muna, looked more relaxed than she had in months, her dark hair tucked behind her ear as she chatted animatedly with Luke about the city. My father, Ray, though still recovering from the injury inflicted by the wolf hunters, was a quieter but solid presence, his health having visibly improved since the last time I saw him. The sight of him sitting there, looking healthy and at peace, made my heart feel full."You know, Cheryl," my dad began, breaking from his usual quiet demeanor, "there was a time I wasn't sure I'd get to see this—us sitting together like this. I owe a lot of that to you."His words hit me like a soft blow to the chest. I smiled, though there was a lump in my throat. "Dad, you don’t owe me anything. I was just doi
As I dig into the takeout, I catch Luke watching me with that soft, adoring expression that always makes my heart do a little flip. The food is good, and the company is better. After a long day of classes, this is exactly what I need—a quiet evening with Luke, no stress, no pressure, just… us.We settle into a comfortable silence as we eat, the clatter of chopsticks and the hum of the city outside filling the space. Luke’s arm rests on the back of the couch behind me, his warmth seeping into my skin. I lean back slightly, savoring the moment.“How was your day?” I ask, turning to look at him.He shrugs, his lips quirked into a half-smile. “Busy, but not too bad. Had a few meetings this morning, checked in with Callum and Raina this afternoon. Things at the pack are going well.”“Good,” I say, genuinely relieved to hear that. The pack’s been through so much, and knowing that Callum and Raina are slowly finding their footing again makes me happy. They deserve it.Luke looks at me for a
The sunlight spills through the windows, warming the small kitchen of my apartment as I stand at the counter, staring at the half-empty bag of flour. Baking was never really my thing, but after everything that’s happened, I’ve been wanting to try new things—things that make me feel normal, grounded, and more connected to life. But trying to bake cookies without knowing what I’m doing feels like an absolute disaster in progress."Cheryl?" Luke’s deep voice carries from the living room.I hear his footsteps approaching, and I turn just in time to see him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, with that smirk that makes my stomach flip every time. His black T-shirt clings to his chest in all the right ways, and even though I’ve spent more time with him than I can count, my heart still skips a beat."What’s going on here?" He raises an eyebrow, glancing at the mess I’ve made of the kitchen—flour on the counter, the floor, and somehow even on me. He grins wider when he sees a streak
The sun’s just beginning to rise over the horizon as I pull into the small parking lot outside Cheryl’s apartment. It’s a modest place on the outskirts of the city, not too far from her aviation college but far enough to give her some space from the chaos of the pack. I kill the engine and take a moment to sit back in the driver’s seat, letting the quiet hum of the city wake up around me.It’s been a strange few months since the war ended. We’ve all been healing, some of us faster than others. Cheryl’s been pouring herself into her studies, and I can’t say I blame her. I think we all needed something to focus on after everything that went down. As for me, I’ve been doing my best to juggle a new kind of life—a life that’s split between being the Alpha of our pack and being by Cheryl’s side.Shifting between the city and the pack’s territory hasn’t been easy. I never realized how complicated it could get, managing the responsibilities of leading the pack while also figuring out how to r
The evening air is cool as it wraps around us, the early signs of autumn bringing a chill that makes me snuggle deeper into Luke’s embrace. His arms are warm and strong, holding me close as we stand on the porch of the pack house. The house itself is almost fully rebuilt now, the scaffolding mostly gone, the fresh wood standing proudly where the old had been torn away. It feels like a symbol of our own lives—patched together, but stronger than ever.I’m still riding the high of my first day at the Aviation College. The reality of it is finally sinking in. I’m really doing this. I’m going to become a pilot, something I’ve dreamed about for as long as I can remember. It feels surreal, like a part of me still doesn’t believe it’s possible. But Luke does. He’s believed in me all along.“How does it feel?” he asks, his voice soft as he rests his chin on top of my head.“Better than I could’ve imagined,” I murmur, closing my eyes and letting myself sink into the warmth of him. “I was so ner
The air is crisp as the early autumn wind sweeps through the trees, carrying with it the scent of wood smoke and damp earth. The pack house is finally taking shape again, the framework standing strong after weeks of intense work. There’s still a lot to do—windows to install, walls to paint, but it feels like progress, real progress. More than that, it feels like a reflection of where we all are. We’re all standing on firmer ground now, even if it still feels shaky sometimes.Luke’s been my rock through all of this, and it’s not lost on me how deeply we’ve both changed. Somewhere between the battles and rebuilding, we found each other in a way I never expected. Loving him has been the one steady thing when everything else was chaos. But as strong as my feelings for Luke are, there’s something else that’s been weighing on me, something I’ve been too scared to think about.I haven’t seen my parents since this whole nightmare started.When the conflict with the wolf hunters kicked into hi
Callum and Raina’s relationship is healing, too, though it’s a slower process. They’ve been spending more time together, talking quietly when they think no one is watching. Callum’s still wary—still hurting—but I can see the way he looks at her, the way his walls are slowly coming down.Raina knows that Callum needs time. She knows she can’t undo what’s been done, can’t erase the mistakes she made when she got involved with the hunters. But the way she moves around him now, careful but committed, shows how much she’s trying to make up for it. She never pushes too hard, never demands more than he can give, but she’s always there—steady, like a rock in the middle of a river. I respect that about her, even after everything that happened.Callum, though still guarded, is beginning to soften. It’s in the small things—the way he’ll linger when she talks to him, or how his eyes follow her when she’s near. I’ve known him for most of my life, and I can see the cracks forming in the wall he’s b