Alarm for Dylan, for my dad, and Bert, and all the other males of my pack swept through me. Sweat beaded along my forehead, even in the crisp coolness of fall. I was pleased that Fern was being looked after by Maisy at my dad’s house. The other children were gathered in the main reception room. Their quiet chatter was the only noise punctuating the stillness.
Worry bit at me as I thought of Fern. What if, after finally being given her dad back and after meeting her grandfathers, she lost them now? I clenched my hands, refusing to let fear swallow me. I remembered Dylan’s promise to me: “Your Alpha, will lead our pack into battle, and we will be victorious.” The pack was strong and powerful. The lines of male wolves gathered on the plain declared that. The full force numbered two hundred.The full might of Starsmoon would defend our lands. Dylan and our pack would win. Belief filled me up, not just in Nuu-Chah, but in my mate. After all, he had so muOne enormous wolf stood apart from the pack in the center of the field. He raised his muzzle skyward and howled out our victory into the night. As he did so, the last of the enemy still within the field bolted across the plain, making for the shelter of the trees in defeat.My wolfish eyes admired my mate in his hunter’s form, and I married my howl with his. As our tones paired, he came to me, transforming into his human form and throwing his arms around me as I shifted too. I ran my hands over his handsome face, marveling at his strong jaw and lean body around me. There was no shame in our nakedness as the rest of the pack shifted into their human forms too. Yet, I smiled knowingly as Dylan draped his arm around me, shielding as much of my bare form possessively from the rest of the pack. I could tell from his scowl he didn’t like the idea of me being naked around anyone but him. I thought about the other naked shifters, our pack, around us and hoped they didn&rsqu
Bert gritted his jaw, his eyes blazing with fury, and he nodded as he charged off to find my Gamma and the team of wolves.I paced the room, and my fists clenched as I strode up and down my bedroom. Who had dared do this to my mate? My gaze roved over Cherry’s damp face, and I smoothed away her blond hair from her burning skin.Cherry’s dad sat on the edge of the bed. He tugged at his beard as his worried gaze tracked over his daughter.My mom pulled me away from my mate and hugged me.My dad clapped a shoulder on my back. “She’s going to be okay, son.”Fear blared through me. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe as dread twisted my insides. Everything felt tight as my muscles refused to relax, screaming at not being able to do anything for my mate. I needed to do more.My gaze fell on Cherry’s dad. “Mike? Fern should be here, would you–”“I’m on it,” he said, jumping up and h
CherryThe blurry edges receded, and with fluttering lids, I blinked my eyes open. I took in Dylan's muscular form by the bed. He was sitting in a leather armchair, and I realized we were in his house in Starsmoon. He looked tired, and deep bags rested under his eyes.Groggily, I tried to remember how I got here, but I couldn't. Awareness prickled over me as I realized I was wearing one of Dylan’s t-shirts and PJ trousers. Where were my things? Why was I in Dylan’s house? We’d agreed to wait until our bonding ceremony for me to move in. Then a flash of the battle with Bloodmoon skittered through me, and Dylan hugging me to him in the field…My mate must have heard a change in my breathing because his dark stare moved to me. Dylan startled. Then the next moment, he was next to me, crushing me to him. “Cherry,” he murmured.I could barely breathe; he hugged me so tight.As he let me go, I took a breath and said, “Dylan...” I trailed off, realizing there were tears falli
CherryI admired the window display. “This is stunning work, Maisy.” The fall dresses in oranges and browns rested in the store window, and my assistant had made sweeping sculptures of leaves in red, orange, and yellow tones as if gusts of wind carried them around the clothes.She glowed with pride under my notice, her long red hair and rosy cheeks looking just perfect with the fall collection colors around. I knew on the opening day tomorrow, she’d appear to great advantage here and no doubt make loads of sales. I turned my attention to the perfectly laid out store with just the right amount of railings, space, and displays peppered throughout, and only then did I try on the shimmering silver dress in the large client dressing room.Maisy gawped at me as if I was one of our A-lister clients back in Berlin. “I don’t think I need to do anything to this, Cherry. You look stunning.”I had altered much in size since the last time I’d worn it. The only difference was that the line of my bre
(1)Cherry After a long day of celebration, Dylan carried me bridal style to our room at night. It was finally just the two of us now. I couldn't remember when I had started wishing for the celebration to end so that I could have him all to myself. And now we were here? I got off his arm and spent the next second staring at him, until he decided to break the silence between us. “Hey, I have something for you,” Dylan mumbled. “Hmm? What's that?” He walked to the bedside table. From the drawer, he took out our passports, together with two flight tickets. “With everything that had happened, this is the least I can do for my wife and my Luna,” he said in a monotonic and ever sweet voice, handing the passports and tickets to me. I jumped in his arms the minute my eyes saw the destination. “Oh my God! Are we really...?” I took a pause, allowing my brain to process what just had happened. “Are we really going to Maldives?” I shrieked. Dylan smiled and caged my waist. I tiptoed and t
CherryDylan's incident left me deeply troubled. I lay awake the whole night after tucking Fern into bed eventually. With my father, Bert, Chris and Heather being away from the community, I had to face all this alone. After dropping Fern at school and reassuring that her daddy would be back from his "business trip" soon, I rushed to hospital immediately.From the door of the ward, I saw Dylan lying in the bed, pale and still. “This is so unlike of you, mate. I'm not used to seeing you like this,” I muttered to myself while eyeing him.The doctor walked towards me, wearing an expression that made me anxious.“Luna, I have some bad news. We detected wolfsbane in Alpha's body. He is now reacting to it. I'm afraid that, from right here, his condition would get worse and he'll lose memory.”"Wolfsbane?! How's that possible? Aren't I the only one who got the poison during that war?" Not believing what I heard, I turned to stare at my husband with my mouth half-opened. "Alpha is awake now.
DylanI dashed into a thick forest after running out of the hospital.I was not sure why I was doing it, but there was a voice in my head, a constant reminder that the forest was the safest place.“To the forest is where you should go. No one would harm you there.” Those words sounded in my head. A mist blurred my vision, and I could only run forward, aimlessly. Waves of intense pain pulsed through my head, as if it was on the verge of splitting open.I had no idea how long I had run, stumbling forward, until I collapsed onto the chilly forest ground.The smell of grass and earth seeped into my nostrils, easing my pain. With my eyes becoming even more blurry, I drifted into unconsciousness.When I woke up again, my eyes met a wooden ceiling and then found myself lying in a wooden bed. “Where am I?” I asked myself.There were thin rustling footsteps outside this room. I got off bed and gently pushed the door open. My eyes fell on a woman with her back to me, long, dark green hair fall
Cherry Dylan's missing was no longer a secret eventually. Some of the pack members got to know it.“I know that she is our Luna, but with the sudden disappearance of our Alpha, she would take over and lead us.” “Why are we letting a cursed shifter lead us? We should ask her to abdicate her right as a Luna,” one of the oldest shifters in the pack whispered to her granddaughter. ...I could feel the weight of their accusations. They suffocated me with guilt and heartache.However, I couldn't bring myself to just leave as wished. Not when Dylan was still missing. “Dylan, where are you? When will you come back? I am hanging by a thread here, and I really need you now.” I mumbled as if Dylan was around. He'd be able to hear that.Ignoring the hostile stares and cutting words, I ventured out into the stormy nights, searching for any trace of Dylan.“Dylan! Dylan, please come back!” I shouted, looking around just in case he would suddenly show up. “We need you! The pack is starting to fa
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.
Fern's PerspectiveMy heart skipped a beat, and my vision blurred. A thousand thoughts rushed through my mind, but none of them stuck. First, I was shocked. Then, fear gripped me. And finally—anger.It was almost surreal that my past, especially with Giovanni, was being casually dragged into the open today. The anonymity I'd worked so hard to maintain had been shattered by an uninvited guest."How did you... know?" I finally asked, panic evident in my voice. My heart pounded, as though a vice had tightened around my chest, making it
Fern's PerspectiveMoonlight streamed into the room through the blinds as I sat by the window, my hands clutching my cell phone. The unexpected message on the screen made my heart skip a beat. For days after the party had ended, I'd been anxious that Giovanni might discover something about Daniel, but to my surprise, Giovanni hadn't shown up at the office. All my suspicions and insecurities gradually settled, and I convinced myself I could go on with my life as it was—until this moment."I know your secret. If you don't want it exposed, meet me tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Eclipse Café."
Fern's PerspectiveI never imagined I'd be standing in front of Giovanni at a moment like this. Six years had passed—six years enough for me to almost forget that painful memory, those deep and tangled emotions. But today, fate had brought me face-to-face with those eyes, eyes that once pierced so deeply into my heart.My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might jump out of my chest. Instinctively, I hid Daniel behind me, doing my best to block Giovanni's view. Even though I knew Giovanni's gaze was far sharper than I'd ever anticipated. My body tensed, frozen, barely able to move, and the clash of reason and in