Dylan Her suspicious look slowly faded away, and with a gentle smile, she said, “Mine too, Dylan, but… will your wolf behave himself if I take the last two measurements I need?” I huffed a laugh, wanting to reassure her more than I wanted to touch her. “I promise he’ll behave.” Stepping forward, she kneeled down in front of me, measuring the width of my thigh, then my knee. I’d fantasized about Cherry so much over the years, wondering what I’d say to her if I found myself with an opportunity like this one. But, excruciatingly, now that she was actually here, I was hopelessly tongue-tied. It didn’t help that my wolf that I’d just promised would behave, rumbled with approval at Cherry’s position, kneeling in front of me. The Alpha beast in me wanted to dominate the beautiful creature in front of me. The urge to push her down on the floor and take her in my arms was in danger of overshadowing my rational mind. The hunter within me seemed to creep up and down in
Cherry But the banquet hall had been cleared of its huge table, leaving rows and rows of seats, and an aisle between them, up to a stage. Behind the stage, the huge balcony, open to the blue sky, provided a beautiful backdrop. The different décor and the fact that lots of my old friends surrounded me with merry chatter distracted me from the past. Bert went up nearer the stage, taking a seat in the front row, but I chose to stay nearer the back of the room, determined to keep out of the limelight. At the rear of the room here, another balcony lay open. A welcome breeze dampened the heat caused by the large gathering and the mild day. When the old Alpha walked into the room and down the aisle, the pack stilled, and we all took our seats. Heather came next, the old Alpha and Luna, turning to look at us all from the stage. My heart tripped over itself as Dylan strode down the aisle next. In a tuxedo, he was devastatingly handsome, but I recognized the power and presence he exuded too
Dylan I felt my wolf seize control of me. Since being named Alpha, it has dominated me even more. And it knew what was best for me. And for the pack. On an instinctual level, it understood what we needed. Lucy might be the daughter of an Alpha, and her bloodline, the ability to produce a powerful heir, but she wasn’t my mate. The pack would only be truly strong if we followed the true will of Nuu-Chah. As Alpha, the Moon God’s guidance had cut through my uncertainty as surely as a full moon the darkness. I suddenly understood how vital it was that I sated my wolf and me. My pack and I would only be strong if I claimed the mate and Luna I’d always been destined to have. Cherry. My shoulders stiffened as I turned to my father. “My relationship with Lucy is unstable. We need to talk about the future Luna of the pack more, Father,” I declared, a new level of confidence coating my every word. I was the Alpha of Starsmoon. My father had to yield to my command now. My father’s face grew
Cherry My mind kept cycling over her words, trying to make sense of her rejection, but everything within me kept returning to her heated kiss and the humming satisfaction I sensed from her wolf. I couldn’t fathom what had just happened. Why had she rejected me again? My weary gaze fell upon the bar that had been set up out here on the balcony. Clearly, for celebratory drinks after my ascension ceremony, but it was a commiseration drink I needed now—a long one. I strode over to the table, picked up a bottle of red wine, and a sense of Deja-vu rippled over me. I thought of how familiar this chain of events seemed. Why did it feel as if my Luna was determined to destroy me when all I wanted to do was love her? With a bitter toast to my mate, I raised the bottle and swigged. As the wine soured on my tongue, my thoughts darkened. The first act my pack had witnessed me try to accomplish, to claim my mate, had failed. But then, Cherry’s sincere voice haunted me: “The fact that you’re putt
CherryWhen my dad eventually returned, I almost leaped out of my skin. Yet as he rushed through the door and pulled me into a much-needed hug, I calmed down instantly. For a moment, I reveled in the fact that words were unnecessary. As part of the pack, he’d witnessed Dylan’s outburst and must have watched as he’d found me in the crowd, then pulled me out to the balcony.“I knew I shouldn’t ever have come back,” I murmured forlornly into my dad’s chest.He stepped away, taking a seat on the sofa opposite me, while I poured him a coffee from the pot into the other mug I’d already readied for him. My hands trembled, but doing something felt good.“Thanks, love.” My dad accepted the drink. He drank it black, and although it was too hot to drink yet, he brought it up to his mouth, savoring the aroma as he always did.For a while, we were quiet. With my dad for company, I no longer felt so jum
DylanThe pain in my body wasn’t just from the terrible hangover thumping through my skull like a stampede of raging rhinoceroses. It struck me as I realized that Cherry had left the country. Bright afternoon light stole through the crack in my bedroom curtains, and I knew it had to be noon; Bert had told me that Cherry was due to fly out the day after my ascension ceremony.As the harsh reality dawned that it was that day, loss pealed through me anew. After Cherry had left yesterday, I’d drunk so much that I couldn’t recall anything much from the latter half of the day. Blurry pieces of Bert talking to me and helping me back here to mine last night surfaced in my sluggish thoughts.My hangover continued to make itself known, twisting my stomach, making my chest and back tight, and even my legs seemed to ache. But none of these afflictions compared to the one constricting my chest. My wolf seemed to feel the growing distance between Cherry and
DylanLucy’s olive complexion paled, but she swiftly hid away her shock as she got off the bed and glared at me. “You Starsmoon are all the same. I can’t believe I was willing to bind myself to you for the sake of our packs. I hate you.” Putting her hands on her hips, she vowed. “Mark my words, Dylan, you’ll pay the price for rejecting me.” And in a flurry of lace and bare olive skin, she sashayed to the door, slamming it behind her.I was barely given ten minutes’ reprieve before my phone rang. For a moment, I just lay in bed, not caring to pick it up as I dwelled again on the fact that Cherry was gone. Then, the thought that it could be her calling had me launching myself out of bed and tearing my phone from my discarded trousers on the floor. The hope beating through my chest was all- consuming, and I didn’t check the caller ID.“We need to talk,” my dad said from the earpiece.My stomac
Opening the passenger door, he helped me in.As he got in and pulled out, he asked, “So, how was Seattle? Was it a supplier you were meeting?”I often went away to meet a new supplier for my design business, so it was a natural assumption for him to make. Other than the text I’d sent about when I was getting back, Carl and I hadn’t talked since he’d last called me last… My heart quickened as I remembered again what Carl had suggested over the phone then: it was time to get a hotel room together, time to take things to the next level in our relationship.I tamped down the fluttering feeling in my stomach. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do about his suggestion. Instead, I focused on the conversation we were having now and answered as honestly as I could, “No. I went to visit my dad, actually. He lives in the city still.”Carl and I hadn’t spoken much about our families. He knew I was from Seattle, while I knew he was originally from Brussels. We hadn’t gotten to the stage of talki
Giovanni's PerspectiveI sat in my study, my eyes gazing out the window, filled with mixed emotions. I already knew that the distance between Diana—no, Fern—and me had been growing, but after seeing the news of my marriage to Elena today, the guilt and unease that had been building in my heart felt like they had been set ablaze by a small spark, exploding relentlessly. Elena, the woman with whom I had never truly shared my heart and soul, whose coldness and calculating nature sickened me, had become part of a marriage contract based on power and profit, forcing me to compromise.Despite my inner reluctance, I had come to realize that this was the only decision I could make. But as I replayed this hypocritical union in my mind, a sharp knock suddenly came at the door."Come in."The door creaked open, and to my surprise, standing in the doorway was not one of my subordinates or clan elders, but Daniel.I jerked my head up and met hi
Fern's PerspectiveI stood in the shadows outside the ballroom and took a deep breath. My hands tightened around the hem of my dress as I tried to steady myself. Even though I had long told myself that none of this concerned me anymore, I still couldn't find peace as I stood here, watching the grand banquet that once belonged to Giovanni and me. Every laugh, every cheer, cut into my heart like a blade.Has he really forgotten me? I whispered to myself, a flicker of pain flashing in my eyes.Six years was enough time for everything to change—enough time for Giovanni to go from the man I once knew so well to a stranger. I remembered the first time I met him, his eyes brimming with passion and determination. I remembered the good times we had, the nights we walked beneath the moonlight, sharing our dreams and secrets. But all of that shattered after the battle. My "death"—the one I had orchestrated myself—had taken everything from us.My gaz
Giovanni's PerspectiveI sat by the window in my study, gazing at the distant city, shrouded in twilight. My eyes were empty, my heart a tangle of emotions—anger, helplessness, loss, and even a sliver of pain. Despite the signed agreement lying on the table before me, bearing his personal signature, there was no sense of victory, only a suffocating weight pressing down on my chest.The handwriting on the document no longer held my attention. I had long grown accustomed to days like this—spinning endlessly in the vortex of power. As the Alpha of the werewolf pack, I was bound by relentless responsibilities and obligations. And today, I had made yet another compromise—one that had felt inevitable."Alpha Giovanni, it's come to this. If you don't accept Elena's union, the entire pack will be thrown into chaos."Tobias's words echoed in my mind like a thorn lodged deep in my heart. He was my loyal Beta, a seasoned strategist
Daniel's PerspectiveThe wind howled in my ears, and my heart nearly leapt into my throat. In that moment, the world seemed to freeze. There was only the sound of the wind and the frantic thumping of my heart. I looked down, closer and closer to the lake, knowing that this was the moment when I would reach my limit.But then, at the exact moment I braced myself, I turned my head to look at Giovanni. He, too, had leapt off the cliff and was plummeting downward. I had expected him to squeeze his eyes shut, flailing his arms and legs like I was, bracing for the inevitable plunge into the water. But what happened next was beyond anything I could have predicted.As we neared the surface of the lake at nearly the same time, I witnessed an incredible transformation: Giovanni shifted mid-air. In an instant, his body morphed into the form of a majestic werewolf—his muscular frame expanding with raw power, his entire being exuding the energy of a st
Daniel's PerspectiveI thought nothing special would happen today – or at least, that's what I originally believed. But as it turned out, I misjudged how the day would unfold. And that's how life often works—always teaching you an unexpected lesson when you least expect it.In the plaza of the amusement park, sunlight filtered through the swaying trees, filling the air with laughter and the tempting smells of food. People were buying cotton candy from the booths, jumping on trampolines, and shouting with excitement as they zipped by on roller coasters. I moved along with the crowd, step by step, almost as if I were trying to leave the mundane behind—without even realizing it.Giovanni, Finn, and I stood at the entrance to the park, and despite knowing I didn't really belong here—not with the joy that seemed to surround me—I couldn't help but look around. My gaze drifted from one attraction to the next, my insides fl
Fern's PerspectiveI almost held my breath. I knew that the temptation embedded in that statement wasn't just a comment about Daniel.My fingers brushed the edge of the tablecloth without thought, the cool fabric pulling me back from my musings. My gaze quietly settled on Daniel and Giovanni, their interaction like a subtle tug-of-war—effortless and fluid, but sending ripples through my mind.Giovanni's gaze was intense and focused. The familiar scrutiny that sometimes swept over Daniel made a cold sweat break out across my back. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that everything was under control—at least for now.To keep Giovanni from discovering Daniel's true identity, I'd turned to Peter the Wizard, the eccentric and mysterious old man. He'd given me a potion that supposedly shielded Daniel from the fluctuations of werewolf power, making him appear like any other ordinary child. However, the potion's effects were limit
Fern's Perspective"Mom, I'd like another roast." Daniel's voice rang out sharply, pulling me back to the present. His little hands shot up in the air, and his eyes sparkled as he eagerly watched the waiter bringing the dish. His movements were effortless, as though he had nothing to hide, no secrets to keep.I took a deep breath, and the corner of my mouth lifted into a faint smile. "Eat slowly, don't choke." My words were light, but underneath the table, my hands clenched into fists, a thin sheen of sweat breaking out on my palms.Giovanni's gaze felt like a searchlight, locking onto me with unsettling intensity.I kept my composure, the smile on my face unwavering. "As you can see, Mr. Giovanni, this is my son, Daniel.""A human son?" Giovanni asked bluntly, his tone smooth yet heavy, the kind of gentleness that carried a weight you couldn't ignore. He picked up his dinner knife and sliced into his steak with deliberate slowness
Giovanni's PerspectiveThe air in the room seemed to freeze, my eyes locked on Diana, like black holes intent on piercing through every secret she tried to hide. She stood on the other side of the desk, her fingers gripping the strap of her handbag so tightly that her knuckles turned white. I didn't respond immediately to her words, just stared at her in silence. But inside, my emotions churned like a storm, threatening to suffocate me."He's human," Diana repeated, her tone firm but betraying a subtle tremor. "Daniel is my child with a normal human. He has nothing to do with the werewolf world."I rose to my full height, my towering frame casting a shadow over Diana's petite one. Slowly, I rounded the desk, each step deliberate. The air grew heavier, charged with the intimidating presence only an Alpha could command. Her small frame trembled slightly under the weight of my unspoken challenge."Diana," I said, my voice low and even, thoug
Fern's PerspectiveEarly in the morning, with the fresh scent of damp earth in the air, I sat at my desk, my fingers resting on the keyboard, my gaze drifting aimlessly. Today's work felt unusually uninteresting, and my mind had already wandered far away. For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that something unusual was about to happen.I couldn't focus at all; my heart beat erratically, as though something was urging me to face it. I glanced at the clock on the wall, and just as I was about to dial my assistant, I heard a sudden voice.