24th is my fav number. It's my bday date. And Xavier being Sassy is a new turn on. Do you guys know what Holi is?
Everything around me was null. Nothing made sense anymore. What I thought was a normal case of being troubled by the Vampires and my repentance to protect the pack and be a better Alpha, turned out to be a part of a prophecy.A prophecy?No one has ever heard of something like that. We have only heard of tales and stories from our grandparents as kids, as they captured our attention with these stories.But today, after whatever happened, I don’t think I shall ever see them as stories.Elders never interfered with normal lives. They lived on their own. No one even knew where they lived. They could be summoned by some special people, but usually they never stuck their nose in anyone’s business at all.On top of everything, the irony was not lost on me. There was a time I rejected Ariana, now, even if she was willing to accept me, her body didn’t. Her fate didn't.I felt a sting in my chest thinking of the way she reacted to the mark and the way the mark sealed. Werewolves are proud of tw
After the shock that Xavier gave me for asking about his thoughts, both of us fell into an uncomfortable, awkward silence.What scared me even more was Aurora’s silence.I need to find out what is wrong with my baby.Her calm and composed nature irritated me to the core. Did they do something to her? I shall kill that woman if I find her again. I wanted to pinch my baby and see if she cried. Was that wrong of me as a mother? I don’t know.Xavier was not helping at all.The doorbell rang and I looked up to see if Xavier would answer the door. He did.Looked like someone from the pack had made a visit. They handed something to Xavier in a bag and left.“What is it?”“Some dress for you to wear tonight.” He handed me the bag.I peeked into it and found a white satin dress. Would it even fit me? And who selected it?I looked up to glance at Xavier to see if he was thinking about something like this, but he seemed lost.I just picked it up and headed to the bedroom, carrying Aurora on the w
She looked like a dream in her white dress. Perfect.It hugged her body, cascading from down her waist and flowing onto the floor.Would it have looked like this if we were about to be married?I could imagine her standing at the altar, her hands adorned with delicate gold jewelry, her hair woven into soft curls that framed her face. There would be no tension in her eyes, no burden of fate weighing on her shoulders. Only love—pure and untainted.I would have stood before her, heart racing, hands itching to claim her, knowing that in just a few moments, she would be mine in every way possible. No marks sealing against me. No prophecy dictating our lives. Just us. Just the way it was meant to be.Aurora would have been my pup.
I didn’t think that he would introduce me to his parents.Not like this.Not after everything.It wasn’t something I had prepared myself for—not that I ever thought about meeting Lucas’s parents in the first place. There was a time when I had dreamed of being accepted into his life, of standing by his side as his Luna. That time had long passed, and yet, here I was, wearing his family’s crown, standing before the people who had raised him.I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.Lucas’s mother was graceful, composed—her sharp eyes missing nothing. She had that natural authority that only Lunas carried, the kind that came with experience and time. His father, on the other hand, was un
The feast was in full swing. For the first time in a long time, I was genuinely happy. Happy for my pack, happy for my people and happy for myself. For the first time I felt like an alpha. Kids running around, mates chatting happily, couples whispering and laughing, everything was perfect. I closed my eyes and captured this moment in my mind.Today, I found strength, not just peace. I found the strength to fight these battles. Strength that everything shall be fine tomorrow.But there was one thing I had to do at the earliest.The Elders.I had spent my life knowing they existed but never once imagining they would interfere in my affairs. Yet, they had—declaring prophecies, speaking in riddles, and acting like they held the strings to my life.I needed answers.The decision to meet them hadn’t been easy. But if I wanted to secure the future of my pack—of her—I had to risk it. I didn’t know where they resided, but I knew someone who did.Shane.The Elder Wolf had been an advisor to my f
It had been a week since the sacrifice.Things have been….good.There was no unnecessary drama, no troubles, no movements and no conspiracies. I wish this world would become so. I wish this pack and every other pack, finds peace. I imagined the Moon Goddess I saw in my dream and prayed to her.Lucas was not in the picture. He did not visit or disturb us. We lived in our small bubble filled with love, laughter and happiness.Aurora went back to being a normal child, crying, screaming and laughing. I cried the first time she cried again. Xavier was worried to the core, afraid that something might have happened to both of us. When I told him the reason, the expression on his face was priceless.He look
I was right when I said something was wrong. All of that peace felt like silence before the storm.That night when I went to bed, I was pretty restless. I had this nagging feeling in my belly telling me something was wrong. Yet, Xavier’s touch lulled me into a sleep.But then came a dream.The dream came in pieces.Shadows slithered through the trees, twisting around thick trunks and curling against the roots. There was whispering—low, indecipherable murmurs that sent chills down my spine.I turned, but the world around me shifted. One moment, I was in the forest. The next, I was standing in front of the ancient church where Lucas and I had taken the blood oath.The doors were ope
The feeling didn’t go away.Even as the morning stretched into daylight, even as I tried to brush it off as lingering fear from my nightmare—something inside me knew. Something was wrong.I moved through the motions of the morning, tending to Aurora, brushing my hair, washing my face, but nothing felt normal. My own reflection in the mirror looked pale, haunted. Maybe it was just the restless sleep. Maybe it was just the remnants of the dream still clinging to me like a cold mist.But deep down, I knew better.I found Xavier sitting at the edge of our bed, fastening his boots. His dark hair was still tousled from sleep, but his eyes were sharp, alert. He had felt it too, hadn’t he? The
I sat at the dining table, my appetite long lost. Aurora was playing on the floor, with the other pups. Some kids had found a special liking towards her and decided to make her their friend. I smiled, looking at them, sharing toys and food, enjoying this phase without a care in the world.My stomach stirred, uneasily and I rubbed my belly. My son kicked me hard, as if he was complaining about forgetting about him. “Don’t worry baby, Mamma didn’t forget you.” I whispered to my stomach.In spite of the cheery mood set up in the pack house, there is a nagging feeling of dread. Something is wrong. Something isn’t right.I sighed, the smell of pancakes making me forget everything momentarily. I gulped down the food as Saya prepared it for me, smiling as she saw me eat well. I had difficulty eating food, and if I ate, I had difficulty stomaching it down. But today seems to be different. I could eat as well as keep it down. Maybe my son was similar to his mom, who loved pancakes more than ce
The nights here weren’t silent. They were haunted. Not with ghosts, no. I would have preferred ghosts. These walls were drenched in screams, soaked in betrayal, and painted with the stench of blood. No matter how hard I tried to shut it out, the whispers found me. But when I closed my eyes, she was there.Ari.Not the one they talked about here. Not the ‘whore’ I’d accused her of being to keep up my pretense. No. The real one. My Ariana. My girl who looked like spring and smelled like home. The one who held my hand and promised to stay even when the world broke me. The one who brought Aurora into this world and made me a father.I missed them. My soul physically ached from the emptiness they left behind. Sometimes I wondered if they missed me too, or if I’d become a passing thought in their new life. Was Aurora calling someone else “dada”? Was Ari smiling again? Was she eating properly, sleeping enough, laughing like she used to?My chest tightened.I remembered the first time I watch
I felt her eyes on me. They always have been. And I knew that her intentions weren’t pure.Sitting in the court, listening to the plans of taking down the werewolves, starting with the Blood Bound pack. The pack ruled by Lucas. Pack where Ariana was born into. There was a sacrifice. A sacrifice that made the vampires invincible. Invincible from their arch enemies the werewolves and get unlimited access to their elixir–human blood. I sat on the chair assigned to me, at the coven, where Esteben sat. The king of vampires.He looked ugly. The pale face that was almost white, from drinking so much blood and remaining hidden in the dark. He was a great king but a poor ruler. He knew the art of influencing people well, but rarely took a step, dipping his hands in dirt. He stood at the end, placing his people in front of him as a s
They came just before dawn.I was asleep when the alarms went off. At first, it felt like a dream. A strange buzz, loud but distant, like a warning that never truly reached the ears. But then I woke up with a strange pressure in my chest—a mother’s instinct or maybe Luna's bond with her people. Either way, something wasn’t right.By the time I got Aurora dressed and made my way down the stairs, Saya had already rushed in, eyes wide. “There was a breach,” she told me breathlessly. “A group of vampires tried to get through the north perimeter.”My blood ran cold.We had increased security after the last attack. Warriors rotated in shifts. No one got in or out without passing three checkpoints. So how did this group manage to get so
Aurora and I recently started going on walks. The security that was assigned to our house, near the outskirts of the city, was now assigned to us. The warriors walked at a considerable distance from us, allowing us to have some privacy. Since they were always on high alert, I am pretty sure they could listen to us with their werewolf hearing. Aurora loved spending time outside in nature. Just like him. He was an extrovert and adventure-ist while I was pretty content in the confinements of my home. She liked to stop and play with the grass while I spread the picnic basket I would make for us. Fruits, juice, water and some spicy snacks that I craved. Saya would help me pack this and we would spend a day or two every week outside. This was Saya’s idea.She wanted me to get a change of place, weather and mood so that the tensed and hyped up pack couldn’t get to me. Also, walking was good for the baby. Aurora still didn’t know about the baby. About her brother. I decided to tell her now, a
As I promised her, I left the following evening, just before the sun began to set. There was an old library, older than all of us, where secrets, mysteries, and stories lived. I remember my grandparents telling me tales of this place, how their grandparents and their parents had contributed and made efforts to preserve the supernatural community. This was a treasure for anyone who wanted to learn. Vampires, werewolves, spinks, anyone. As we slowly started to spread, so did the attention from this place. This place was slowly forgotten as communities isolated themselves to avoid conflicts. For the past few years, fewer packs survived as we were hunted for studies and immortality. And very few lived well. One of such packs was mine. Thanks to my father who made peace with the neighbouring communities, governments and families to ensure our safety and strength. This place was a bit far away from the pack house, much deeper into the forests where they warned us from wandering. I shifted
Ariana seemed distant. Lost again.What was I even thinking when I agreed to host a baby shower for her when the pack members demanded? I should have at least thought twice even though she agreed on it. She was a fantastic Luna. She might have convinced herself to agree to do this for the sake of the pack. After all, they were excited for this baby even though it was not mine.It? He.Now that we knew it was going to be a baby boy, calling the baby it was senseless.Or did something happen at the party yesterday? As far as I knew, she was having a great time, enjoying and eating with the pack members.I walked to her room and knocked on it. It was way past her office hours, and she hadn’t come down yet. She was usually on time, in spite of her pregnancy. But today, neither Ariana nor Aurora had stepped out of the room.I waited for her to respond, but there was no response. Maybe they were sleeping from all the party fun and excitement.I turned around to leave, when I heard the door
The next day arrived faster than I had expected.As I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the flowing gown Saya had picked for me, a strange mix of emotions swirled within me. I was dressed in a deep blue dress, one that flowed down my body gracefully, hiding the prominent swell of my belly yet making it obvious that I was carrying life within me. My long hair had been braided loosely, soft curls cascading down my shoulders.I barely recognized myself.“You look beautiful, Luna,” Saya said with a wide grin as she placed delicate silver earrings on my ears.Luna.I still wasn’t used to that title. Even though I had slowly stepped into my role, even though the people had started seeing me as their Luna, it still felt foreign at times. But today wasn’t about my struggles with my identity. Today was for my baby.I turned away from the mirror and gently patted my belly. “I hope you like attention, little one, because today is all about you.”A small kick in response made me smile.Saya
If time had a speedometer, I would love to measure the speed it goes by. Ever since the surprise attack on the pack two months ago, everything again looked eerily calm. There was no sight of those bloody monsters or even a whisper of their presence. And then there was no news of my husband.“Mama, Paa.” My one year ran into me with a very frustrated and tired Saya behind her on her heels. I smiled at her and let Saya know that I could take care of her while she attended her other chores. I opened my phone and checked into my gallery. Pulling a picture of Xavier on the screen, I put on the screen record as well as the child lock and handed it over to her. She babbled something to him, sharing her experiences and mischief with him. When I made a conscious choice, about three months ago, to be more active, involved and get my life together, one of the actions was to remind Aurora of her father. Lucas was a father-like figure in her life, but she still needed to know Xavier. Forgetting him