Emma's POVMoon festival? As his Luna?I felt like throwing up. If there were two things I hated the most in this entire world, it would be Moon Festival and being Draven's Luna again.Moon Festival is the most important ritual for every pack done in the honour of the Moon Goddess herself. This ritual was celebrated once in three years during the night of Emrald Moon. If not done properly, the legends has it that the Moon Goddess would shower the pack with problems and turmoils.There was once a time when I used to look forward to this festival as it was one of those rare occasions when I would be respected and acknowledged as the Luna of the pack. But when the day of the festival actually came, I loathed it!The festival fell during the first year of our marriage. I was so desperate for the acknowledgement and love that I went above and beyond for the preparation.I was really looking forward to it but during the final day…I dressed up and went to the temple only to see that Sherra
Emma's POV“No.” He stood up from his seat and walked towards me, “The ritual can't be performed without the Luna. You will have to attend the ceremony whether you like it or not.”I rolled my eyes, “This just doesn't make any sense.” I paused and said, “How about the last time this happened? How did you do it?”“We assumed that you were dead, so we did it without the Luna. But you turned out to be very much alive! All the pack members think this is the reason our pack has been going through a rough time lately.”“Wait. You all blame me for the recent attacks?” I was stunned to discover this. I remember the meeting that was happening and asked, “That meeting a few minutes ago, was that about me?”“Yes.” Draven said, “The whole pack board agrees that you have to be present. You don't have any choice.”“You can't force me.”“Actually, I can.” He said and stepped close, towering over me, “If you attend this festival as my Luna, I will withdraw the case.”“You will?”“Yes.”At this point,
Desiree's POVMy life hasn't been the same since the Pack banquet. As the daughter of the Alpha and the sister of the future Alpha, I held a position of authority from a very young age. People feared me, and no one ever dared to speak against me; what I said was set in stone. Growing up with no one ever daring to question me did get in my head. I used to believe that no matter what I did, there was not a tongue which would slither against me. This bubble of mine burst brutally that evening. I have bullied Emma a lot of times in the past. I hated her for sobbing the life which rightfully belonged to my friend and I never even tried to hide it. I would trouble her whenever I would get a chance, even if she was not at fault, no one ever dared to stop me.Alex was the first man ever to call me out and humiliate me in public. That night, after he sent me back home, I was upset. This was my first time ever being proved wrong or sent out. I could not stop thinking about him. Who was he? W
Desiree's POVI left the Riverside pack early, claiming that I had some business to take care of in Silvermoon, but the truth was I came here just to meet him. That day when I showed up to his ward, I was nervous! I knew that he would be associating me with Stella and would not want to meet me. Also, if I was going to apologize, I would have to come clean that it was me who invited him.Given the current dynamics, it would look extremely suspicious of me to have invited him out of nowhere. He would have a lot of questions and I had to be prepared to answer them.I bought a bunch of roses, asked the receptionist about his whereabouts and made my way to his ward. I was feeling confident when I was still in the elevator but once it reached his floor and I stepped out, I started to panic. The fright within me only grew stronger when I spotted the door to his ward. I stood in front of the closed door and took in a deep breath. My heart was beating so fast that I felt it would leap out of
Emma's POVSeeing Desiree run over to me was something I never expected to see in this lifetime. I did not know what to feel about it! I was already having a bad day because of her brother; bickering with her was something I could not take for today.Natalie looked at me and whispered, “Should we dash?”“She saw us! It would be pretty of us to just run away.”“Why should we not run away? That woman is literally a devil's spawn.” Natalie gnashed her teeth. Because of her position as the pack’s ambassador, Natalie was forced to have a diplomatic relationship with everyone. This was the only reason she was putting up with the whole Sinclair family, especially Desiree. If she was not the face of the pack, she would have long jumped that spoiled brat for the things she put me through.I took in a deep breath and prepared for whatever bullshit was coming my way.Desiree stopped in front of us and caught her breath. To my utter surprise, she smiled at me and asked, “How are you? I did not ex
Emma's POV“What is your relationship with Alexander Frost?” Desiree's sudden question caught me off guard. I countered her question with a question of my own, “Why do you ask?”I had many more questions in my head. Why is she suddenly asking about him? They don't even know each other.Desiree said in a rather rude tone, “Can you not give me the answer without knowing the reason?”There she goes, going back to her true rude self after pretending to be polite for so long. I shook my head; it must have been extremely exhausting to smile at her.I did not get angry. Instead, I said calmly, “You called me here to talk. I am not obliged to answer your questions.”I stood up, preparing to leave but she stopped me, “Wait. Where are you going?”“Home because this conversation isn't going anywhere and, unlike you, I have a job and I have stuff to do.”“Wait! Don't go!” She stood up, her tone mellower than before, “I am sorry. Can you not go?”I looked at Desiree and saw something on her face w
Emma's POV“What is your relationship with Alexander Frost?” Desiree's sudden question caught me off guard. I countered her question with a question of my own, “Why do you ask?”I had many more questions in my head. Why is she suddenly asking about him? They don't even know each other.Desiree said in a rather rude tone, “Can you not give me the answer without knowing the reason?”There she goes, going back to her true rude self after pretending to be polite for so long. I shook my head; it must have been extremely exhausting to smile at her.I did not get angry. Instead, I said calmly, “You called me here to talk. I am not obliged to answer your questions.”I stood up, preparing to leave but she stopped me, “Wait. Where are you going?”“Home because this conversation isn't going anywhere and, unlike you, I have a job and I have stuff to do.”“Wait! Don't go!” She stood up, her tone mellower than before, “I am sorry. Can you not go?”I looked at Desiree and saw something on her face w
Emma's POVI squinted my eyes and shook my head in confusion, “Because of me?”She nodded, “Yes.” And proceeded to tell me what had happened and what all he had told her. I did not know how to react or what to say. To be honest, it seems reasonable. I would have done the same for him, I would never be friends with Alex's enemies. But how can I say it to Desiree without sounding mean?I replied diplomatically, “Maybe he is not trying to give up on his friend just like how you did not give up on Stella.”“No. You can't say that.” She protested, “Stella is in a coma, but I am here, talking to you and apologizing to him. Do you still think I support her?”What she said was thought provoking and I was rendered speechless again.Desiree said, “I know I have been troublesome in the past but it was just because of plain hatred. I am not heartless enough to support someone who tried to kill someone.”I nodded my head, “I think I might have had a wrong impression on you, after all.”“You do.”
Emma's POVMy composure crumbled. “Draven,” I choked out, “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I am hallucinating. I think I am losing my mind.”“Hey, hey. Breathe. Tell me what happened.”I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling as I sent him my location, “Please, hurry.”“I AM on my wa.,” he assured me. “Stay put.”Just as I hung up, movement caught my eye. A figure stood in the middle of the road, draped in a black robe.My pulse spiked. My instincts screamed at me to drive, to leave, but something held me in place. Slowly, I rolled down my window. “Do you need help?”No response.My phone chimed again. I glanced at the message from Draven—Almost there.When I lifted my gaze, the figure was gone.A shiver ran down my spine. I scanned the area, my breath catching when I turned to my side—The figure stood right next to my window.I barely had time to gasp. My heart slammed against my ribs, my chest tightening with panic. The woman’s hood cast deep shadows over her face, but I could f
Emma's POVJust when I thought that I was hearing things, I heard her again, “Mom… Can you hear me?”The voice was faint, distant, but unmistakable. My heart leaped into my throat and I gasped, my breath hitching as I heard the familiar voice echo through my head.“Ashel?” I called, my eyes darting frantically around the dimly lit space. But there was no one there, just the cold walls and the flickering bulb above me.My heart pounded against my ribs and I was dying to just hear her voice one more time. “Ashel!” I yelled again, desperation creeping into my voice.“Mom, please save me. I am scared.” Her unmistakable voice spoke to me.“I am here. I will get you, sweetie. Don’t be scared.” I pressed my ear against the door to see if anyone was there and heard the faint mutters of the housekeepers talking to themselves. I started pounding on the door with clenched fists, “Let me out!”The initial chatter stopped dramatically and there was dead silence now.A sharp wave of panic surged th
The air was thick with tension as I watched Traces disappear into the hallway, his silhouette fading into the distance of the Pack house. My heart twisted with unease. The children. Where were they? Were they safe? Every second that passed felt like an eternity, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on my chest like an iron hand.And then, out of nowhere, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. The ground beneath me tilted, my vision blurring at the edges. A soft gasp escaped my lips as my knees buckled. I tried to stabilize myself and grab something to help me from falling but alas, it was too late. I didn't even have time to prepare or understand what was going on, I just felt my body fall towards the ground.I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact but before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me mid-fall. The scent of embers and something unmistakably him enveloped me, steadying me even as my head spun."Emma!" Draven’s voice was sharp with concern, his gr
Emma's POVThe air was thick with tension as I watched Traces disappear into the hallway, his silhouette fading into the distance of the Pack house. My heart twisted with unease. The children. Where were they? Were they safe? Every second that passed felt like an eternity, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on my chest like an iron hand.And then, out of nowhere, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. The ground beneath me tilted, my vision blurring at the edges. A soft gasp escaped my lips as my knees buckled. I tried to stabilize myself and grab something to help me from falling but alas, it was too late. I didn't even have time to prepare or understand what was going on, I just felt my body fall towards the ground.I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact but before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me mid-fall. The scent of embers and something unmistakably him enveloped me, steadying me even as my head spun."Emma!" Draven’s voice was sharp with conc
Emma's POVMy fingers curled around the armrest as the plane finally touched down. The turbulence had been mild, but my exhaustion made everything feel heavier, the vibrations of the landing rumbling through my already tense body. More than twenty-four hours had passed since I last slept, but fatigue had yet to claim me. Restlessness coiled tight in my chest, refusing to let go.I stole a glance at Draven beside me. He was checking his phone, his sharp features set in a mask of unreadable focus. The moment the aircraft doors opened and we stepped into the terminal, his phone rang. The distinct vibration pattern told me it was Robin. Draven did not even waste a second and picked up the call immediately.“What is it?” His voice was low and controlled, but I could sense the undercurrent of tension.I stayed close as he listened, his expression darkening with every second. By the time he hung up, his jaw was clenched so tight I thought it might crack.He asked, “Are you sure you have the
Alex's POVDesiree froze on her spot and looked at me and Robin simultaneously, “What? Was I not supposed to say that out loud?”I narrowed my eyes as I gestured toward the tattoo on the grainy surveillance photo, “Do you even know what this means?”Desiree scoffed, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips as she crossed her arms, “Of course I do. I spent the majority of my life in Italy, Alex. You think I wouldn’t know about the underworld?”“Desiree, I swear on the Moon Goddess I will send you back to the pack on the very next flight if you are playing around with me.”“I don’t need to, Mr Frost. I am already bored here, I won’t give you a useless puzzle to solve so that you spend more time here investigating. Honestly, I just want to get out of here.”Robin and I exchanged glances, not sure how to react to this new information that was revealed to us. The girl looked too confident in what she was saying, there was no way she could be messing with us. But still, we could not blind
Alex's POVI stood near the edge of the tarmac, arms crossed, watching as Draven and Emma disappeared into the terminal. I could not shake Emma’s worried face off my head, Ashel and Asher were her whole life, and losing them was putting her in a spiral. I exhaled sharply, pushing away the gnawing feeling of unease that settled in my gut. For some reason, I felt like this was happening all because of me. I was the one who bought them here, I was the one who was responsible for their safety. I should have looked after them, but instead, I slacked off and now not only Emma’s family but the entire pack was in shambles.I have to find the kids, no matter what! And I had no time to waste, the time was ticking fast and I had to be quick.Just as I turned on my heel, ready to leave, a slow, deliberate smirk caught my attention. Desiree.She stood a few feet away, her arms lazily draped across her chest, eyes gleaming with a knowing amusement that instantly put me on edge. My jaw clenched seei
Emma's POVThe hum of the airport was a blur in my ears as my focus remained on Desiree’s face.“Desiree?” I involuntarily called out her name, causing her to look up. The usual haughty confidence that had been always there in Desiree’s eyes were replaced by flickers of shock when she us.She came to a halt right in front of us, staring at our faces as if we had caught her red handed or something.I barely had time to process her presence before Draven’s voice sliced through the tension. “What are you doing here?” Draven’s tone was sharp, authority laced in every syllable. Desiree tilted her head, an infuriating smile playing on her lips, “What does it look like? I mean, why do people even come to Hawaii? I am here for a mini vacation.” “I thought I made it very clear—no one leaves the pack.” Draven said, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone.Desiree shrugged nonchalantly, “Oh, I saw your little decree, Alpha. I just chose to ignore it.” I glanced at Draven, his jaw clenched
Emma's POVThe security room was a cramped, dimly lit space filled with monitors and buzzing equipment. The owner fumbled with the controls, his hands shaking as he brought up the footage from the day of the kidnapping. I stood to the side, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as I watched the grainy footage play out on the screens. Her mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions—fear, hope, anger, and an overwhelming gratitude for Draven. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He stood tall and unyielding, his sharp features illuminated by the flickering screens. There was something about him that made me feel safe, even in the face of the chaos surrounding us. “Here.” Draven said, pointing to one of the screens. The footage showed the children playing near the entrance of the restaurant, their laughter faint but audible. The grainy footage played on repeat, the flickering image of Asher and Ashel being dragged away at gunpoint seared into my mind. Three men—faceless, thei