CherryIn the blink of an eye, my mate was all over me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, tugging me closer to his body.One of his restless hands fondled me with his needy touches, caging my jaw. The other one palmed my boobs. Breaking away from our kisses, Dylan looked down at my chest, stopping at the part where my heart was.“What's it? Anything wrong?” I asked, a little pissed off at his sudden pause when my wolf and me were starting to ache for more.“Dylan—” I pursued after getting no response from my mate for quite a while.“Your heartbeat...and our bond! My wolf can hear yours again! And it hasn't sunk to me yet that you're back here.” Dylan's voice quivered with agitation.I gazed down on my chest, where his palm was still feeling the life in me.But all my mind was preoccupied with the concern about how provoking our position was: my legs straddling on his laps and my dress giving a peak at my thighs.“Dylan—” I was cut off when my mate suddenly crashed his lips with min
CherryAfter seeing all the guests off late that night, I returned to our packhouse with my Alpha, never feeling this secure than ever before.Dylan and I decided to leave the charity project to Bill and Maisy, so that I could focus on getting prepared for the Paris Fashion Week.Waking up from a sound sleep early next morning, we took the first flight to Berlin. To join our family there and to get inspirations for my upcoming show.While we headed towards the arrival hall after landing, my mate's eyes had been busy searching for our parents and pups.“Don't you think that a week here in Berlin is too much? Should we just cut this trip short and go back to Seattle earlier?” This idea popped into my mind out of nowhere.Maybe I'd been a martyr to my nerves for too long. Long enough that the ease of unease had run deep within me, and it surfaced from time to time.Slowing down his footsteps, Dylan turned round and cupped my shoulders, fanning my face with his minty breath.“Relax, baby.
Cherry“Yes, we are! And we've even got the paperwork done.” Nina couldn't hide the excitement in her voice. “Dylan got it done!”“He did?” I asked, shocked to hear that all their paperwork had been ready.“Yes. We're not doing this on a whim, Cherry. Every designer dreams to be part of the Paris Fashion Week; so do Kendra and I. We made this choice because we want to make a step forward in our designing career.” Nina held my hand tightly while looking into my eyes keenly.“Not wrong. And Seattle gets all the diversity that a designer needs. We cannot just spend all our life here in Berlin. It's time we go and experience this world for ourselves. And we enjoy working with you and Maisy. It's just so great that we got to work back together.” Kendra chimed in with her idea.After catching up with Kendra and Nina and having a lively conversation, I bid them goodbye.Just as I returned from the door after seeing my friends off, Fern popped her head from behind the sliding door that led to
Cherry"Morning!" Maisy greeted me the next morning as I stepped into the shop, her face glowing happiness."You had a good time last night?" I asked mischievously."Hey, stop making fun of me! Let's get down to the final check with everything. We'll fly to Paris tonight." Maisy feigned anger, ducking her head shyly.After we packed up the last dress to be exhibited at the show in Paris in the afternoon, Bill and Dylan arrived at the shop to drive us to the airport."See you in Paris next Saturday." I bid goodbye to the gentlemen as Bill's arm left Maisy's waist reluctantly.********After landing in Paris, we buried our heads in the exhibition stuff immediately. Flinging ourselves in the Fashion Week preparation for quite a few days non-stop, we finally got a big ready.Tomorrow was gonna all about final checks and rehearsals. Then the big night would just come.Kicking off my heels after closing the door behind me, I decided to treat myself to a hot bath.While I was indulged in the
Cherry “Cherry, you've got to see this! She's here!” Kendra greeted me in excitement the minute I arrived backstage at the show. “What's it?” I asked, snickering at Kendra making a fuss about everything. “It's Anna Wintour! She's here! The chief editor and brain behind the famous vogue magazine is here at our exhibition!” Overwhelmed with joy and surprise, Maisy and Nina came over, joining Kendra to share this amazing news with me. "Anna Wintour's here at my show?!" I mumbled in disbelief, taking my eyes off my colleagues and following their eyes towards the front row, where Anna was seated. "But she didn't reply to our invites. I thought she was declining us." Things just happened too fast. I still couldn't believe what was going on in front of my eyes. “No, she didn't. But we did send her the catalog of your works at the show together with the invite. Maybe she happened to flip through the pages and saw something special in your concept!” Nina chirped cheerfully. “Nin
PrefaceAfter witnessing how the love between her parents helps them conquer all the hardship that they went through in the past, Fern grew up wanting to have such love and bond with her fated mate.Almost every shifters are bound to find their fated mate once they turn eighteen, but just that was not the case for Fern.Two years after Fern turned eighteen, she remained mateless.But she had a hunch that, in this year's mating ceremony, her fated mate would finally show up.Fern's fated mate did come.The only problem was the shifter whom the Moon Goddess fated her had a complicated feelings towards her.With a fair share of hatred towards Fern and her family, it sounded next to impossible for Fern and her mate to make love bloom between them. But who knows?After all, they were once crazy for one another.Fern's Perspective The mating ceremony officially ended. Shifters who had found their mate started to leave the mating ground, and just like the last two years, I was left standing
Fern's Perspective Giovan's eyes hardened. "You're not doing that little tree," he said to me. Giovanni is my brother. I could feel our bond as fated mates, but I didn't want to accept it. Nuu-Chaah might have made a mistake pairing us. "Eight years ago, I didn't blame nor resented you when you couldn't do anything to help me when Alpha Dylan exiled me...." "Giovan, please. If we accept the bond as fated mates. Daddy will hate you even more! If he only threw you to the wall before, this time he might kill you—" "Don't turn your back on me the way our parents did, Fern," Giovan begged. He looked in pain. "We grew up together, Giovan. Half your life you were treating me like a sister." "Do you want to know why Alpha Dylan and Luna Cherry agreed to kick me out of Starsmoon Pack?" I shook my head and covered my ears. "Your father saw the way I look at you. He said that's not how a brother looks at his
Fern's PerspectiveGiovan slowly pulled away from my neck. Our eyes locked in."Who do you belong to, Fern?" He asked."You," I said. My inner wolf growled in desire. Something about Giovan attracts me deeply, I found his scent addicting, and my wolf now can't stand being away from him, not even an inch."Who?" Giovan asked again."Who owns you, little tree?""You do," I said again.Giovan pushed the hair off my neck, staring darkly at the mark on my neck. He draws a smirk."Do you know what else happens on the night a she-wolf was claimed by her fated mate?"I looked at his wound."H-How can we mate when you're hurt and weak?" I asked. Giovan lifted my chin, gently crashing his lips with mine."Part your lips wider, Fern," he whispered. I pulled away from him remembering something."You remember it now. Our first kiss," he whispered to me."
Fern's PerspectiveThe morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the curtains, spilling onto the tabletop and adding a touch of warmth to the humble cottage. Sleep still lingered on Daniel's face as he lazily rose from his bed, his eyes—so deep and dark, like Giovanni's—slowly opening as he gazed out the window at the distant view."Mommy, are we going to the market today?" His voice held a note of anticipation, and despite his young age, he always seemed older than other children.I smiled and nodded, a warmth filling my heart.Since I started working, I'd rented a small house near my company and began living independently with Daniel, despite my parents' strong objections. But I wasn't a little girl relying on my parents anymore; I was a mother now.Besides, after the day of my interview when I learned I'd be working for Giovanni's company, I'd worried that he might uncover Daniel's existence through his investigation of my background. That's why I had to leave my parents behi
Giovanni's PerspectiveI sat in my office, brow furrowed, with papers piled as high as a mountain in front of me. My fingers absently scratched across the desk, and my eyes occasionally flicked to the stacks of pending paperwork, but my mind was far from them.Ever since Diana joined the company, my heart has never been at ease. Every day, her familiar figure, always within my line of sight, seemed to remind me of a long-forgotten past. An unspeakable feeling, one that had quietly begun to grow, spread deep within my chest.I don't want to
Fern's Perspective"Diana, good morning." A clear greeting interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see the manager who had called my name and tried to offer a natural smile. She was my immediate supervisor, Marianne, and while she had a kind face, it was clear that she was not someone to be easily overlooked."Good morning, Marianne," I replied with a smile, doing my best to keep my voice steady.I then turned and walked into the office. Before me was a modern work environment: spacious desks, rows of computer screens, and neat shelves filled
Fern's PerspectiveWhen I got home, I sat at the dining room table, staring down at the newspaper in front of me while my mind wandered far away. Giovanni's face, those deep eyes, and the aura that surrounded him seemed to pull me back to a past I couldn't escape. I had been so happy to see Giovanni, to feel the way he looked at me, and yet now, it felt like a distant memory."Mom, how was the interview today?" Daniel suddenly jumped up from the couch beside me, looking at me mischievously.I froze for a moment, then forced a smile. "It wa
Giovanni's PerspectiveI sat in my spacious office, a mountain of papers piled in front of me. My fingers absentmindedly skimmed over the pages without truly registering their contents. Distracted, my gaze would often drift toward the window, where I imagined the bustle of the world outside. It had been a long time since I'd taken over the pack, and moments of inattention like this were rare for me.Today's meeting had left me drained. The pack elders had engaged in a heated debate over my decision to choose a Luna, knowing full well that some of them didn't want me to make a rational choice. As a werewolf alpha, I under
Fern's Perspective I sat on a couch in the office lobby, my hands instinctively tightening around the strap of my bag. My interview hadn't even started yet, and all around me, the soft murmur of whispered conversations filled the air as candidates discussed various questions. I stared at my phone screen, but my heartbeat refused to slow. Suddenly, I heard a familiar name. "I heard this company was founded by Alpha Giovanni of the Dark Howl Pack. In just a few short years, it's become one of the most influential companies out there," a girl whispered. "Yeah, I heard his business tactics are as ruthless as he was when he was Alpha of the pack," another added. "..." My heart sank, and in an instant, the murmur of voices around me faded. The name echoed in my mind. Giovanni—the man who had touched my heart so deeply, the man who had given me everything, and yet, had left me scarred. How did he end up here? This company was founded by him. My mind immediately flooded with memo
Tobias' PerspectiveMy gaze involuntarily returned to his stoic face, and a flicker of unease stirred in my chest.There I stood, half in shadow, my eyes fixed on Giovanni sitting behind the desk. His posture was as rigid as a stone, silent and solitary, blending seamlessly with the somber atmosphere of the room. The air felt cold, and his presence made the silence almost suffocating.This man—once my friend, once the leader of our pack—was now nothing more than an empty shell, devoid of emotion.
Tobias' PerspectiveI stood in the doorway of Giovanni's office, took a deep breath, and then knocked gently on the door."Come in."His voice was cold, with an undeniable air of authority.I grasped the doorknob and gently pushed the door open, stepping into the lavishly furnished office, its atmosphere chilled. The scent of paper and leather hung in the air, and sunlight poured in through the heavy curtains, but it couldn't dispel the cold silence that env
Fern's PerspectiveOliver walked over to the table and bristled, as if he thought he had done nothing wrong. "As I've said many times, he's just too naughty and needs some training. Otherwise, sooner or later, his own wolfishness will crush him." His usual cold expression matched his typical, less-than-congenial demeanor, giving off an unapproachable air."You're too mean," I said with a blank look, though my heart was full of gratitude. At least he hadn't given up on Daniel's training, and that gave me some comfort. Even though my past had been full of pain and regret, Oliver always made me feel a touch of warmth.