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
I turned around, still feeling dazed by the sight of him looming in the doorway. I kept thinking that he’d disappear as if he were a figment of my imagination, but nope, he was really here. His tall, muscular body, which I’d pressed up against in the last few days twice, was very much here. His ruggedly handsome face and dark eyes held me with such attention that it threatened to take my breath away.“Coffee?” he asked, a crooked smile curving his lips.Heat flushed my cheeks, and I realized I’d just been staring at him. “Sorry, jetlag,” I murmured lamely, hurrying out and following him down the stairs.My nearest coffee shop was just next door, and both Dylan and I were soon seated at a circular table with steaming mugs in front of us.I noticed Dylan still took his black as he had when I lived with him while I sipped on a hazelnut latte. I needed as much caffeine and sugar to get me through the shock of Dylan’s sudden appearance. With difficulty, I finally wrestled back the memories
A few hours later, I parked myself in my hotel’s restaurant, enjoying a schnitzel for dinner. With meat this good, I was starting to see why my mate might like this city. I multi-tasked, scrolling through Berlin property listings within a mile radius of Cherry’s as I ate. My phone on the table vibrated, my Beta’s name popping up on the screen.“Bert?” I answered.“So, her suitor’s name is Carl Jacobs. He’s human, thirty-one years old, and lives in Wedding, in the Mitte District of Berlin. He’s a property lawyer and works for DLL Partners.”A smile wound across my face. Cherry was dating a human. This was hardly competition for me. Another thought occurred to me as I stumbled across a great find on the property website.“Bert?” I said, my mind whirring as I concocted plans. “I’m going to send you a property listing I’d like you to buy. And after you call to make the o
But I swore I’d only do so once so that she allowed Fern to accept the gifts.Meeting the woman’s gaze, I used my preternatural stare. “It’s fine, honestly. I’m a good friend of Cherry’s. Let Fern take the gifts, and I’ll leave and call Cherry to arrange a better time to visit.”Lara released Fern’s shoulder, and as she met Fern’s upturned hopeful eyes, the nanny sighed. “Okay, go on, Fern, open one.”I gave the young woman my warmest smile, and she blushed.I crouched down and handed Fern one of the packages. Soon she had ripped it open. She turned to Lara, “Look! It’s an Elsa and Anna set!” She beamed at me and threw her little arms around my shoulders since I was still crouched down at her level.My chest felt tight as I heard Lara opening the door and calling Fern in. I was about to be shut out, away from my daughter. Nuu-Chah’s insight stirred again
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.
Fern's PerspectiveSunlight poured through a gap in the curtains, casting a warm glow on the floor next to the bed. The ringing of the alarm clock yanked me out of my slumber like a bolt of lightning. My eyes snapped open, my mind racing as I tried to cling to the remnants of sleep, but all I could see was the familiar sight of my room—the wall clock already reading 7:30.Today, I have an important interview.The words echoed in my mind, urging me to leap out of bed. I rubbed my face quickly, then sprang to my feet, my movements hurr