-Corrine-I was grateful to the Moon Goddess because the rain had continued to pour heavily as I assisted Trevor into the car. How he found me, I still did not know. Perhaps my wolf had called out to him. Now that I had officially become a full-fledged werewolf, I could contact any of the pack members through the mind link, including Trevor.I settled Trevor in the passenger seat, then I went to the car’s trunk to get the spare t-shirt that Trevor usually put there. I took the T-shirt into the car. After sitting in the driver’s seat, I put it on.Fortunately, Trevor had taught me how to drive, so then I could take him home to Wesgrove.Midway through the journey, Trevor regained consciousness. But his voice still sounded weak as he inquired about my condition.“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to touch my arm.“It wasn’t me you should worry about, Trevor. But yourself,” I replied. My eyes remained fixed on the road.There was a sense of concern that the Lycan might be chasing us.
-Corrine-What the hell?“I don’t think—““I agree,” Dad interjected. “Someone has to protect Corrine while she’s in Golden Valley.” Then Dad turned to me. “If you want to continue your studies, you have to accept this decision, Corrine. It’s the best path we can offer you.”“What if I refuse?” I asked.“Then there will be no more studies. You have to leave Golden Valley and come back here.”“Training to be a warrior isn’t a bad idea,” Mom added. “You have talent, dear. Like Trevor.”My jaw clenched, and my eyes shot a sharp look at Jerome. How dare he smile at me after the suggestion he made? He knew I hated him, so he did it deliberately.You cannot run from me, Corrine.I jerked at the sound of Jerome’s voice in my head. Then I remembered our minds were connected after my wolf appeared. He could invade my thoughts and say things I didn’t want to hear.I have to learn to block his voice.“Well then,” Jerome said, redirecting his gaze away from me. “We will patrol. Be on the lookout
-Corrine-My breath caught. My whole body tensed. Yet, I didn’t feel afraid.Instead, I felt a strong pull to approach him, to touch him. Even though I tried to resist that urge, my wolf howled with anguish in my head. Then I felt my muscles stretching and my spine cracking.My wolf forced her way out to take over my body so she could reach her mate.I threw the blanket aside, intending to confront the Lycan. But when the blanket obstructed my view, the Lycan disappeared.I sat at the edge of the bed, blinked my eyes, and then looked around, searching for the presence of the Lycan. He was nowhere to be found.Had I just dreamed it?Then, as if answering my question, my bedroom window swung gently. Raindrops entered and soaked a patch of the bedroom floor.I walked towards the window and opened it, peering out, but found nothing out there except trees and a row of houses.*“I’ll be staying near the campus. Just a ten-minute walk. The location is right across the university complex.” T
“Okay. Could you repeat our plan?” I said to Eva after she finished getting ready.Eva combed the ends of her wavy hair with her fingers while looking up at the ceiling, perhaps recalling the plan we had laid out yesterday. Then she opened her mouth, took a breath, and said, “Are you sure about this, Corrine?” squinting her eyes and smiling hesitantly.I sighed, reaching out my hands to hold hers. “You like him, don’t you? I could see it in your eyes, and I’m sure Trevor is into you, too!”Eva shook her head. “That’s not what I mean.” She grinned. “Thanks, though.”“I’m just going to visit Andrew’s house for a moment. There’s something important I need to confirm to him. Your job is just to keep an eye on Trevor for me. Make sure you two spend some time together until I get back to the dorms.”While planning this, I just found out that Andrew
-Corrine-I jerked and completely hid myself behind the trees, but I was pretty sure the man had seen me. My wolf growled, urging me to shift and confront them, but I wasn’t sure if I could defeat them. Who were they, and what were they doing at Andrew’s house? Or did I come to the wrong house?While catching my breath, I tried to think. My best chance was to escape. I could see the main gate from where I stood, but would I be fast enough to run there and avoid getting caught?My mind was overwhelmed by various scenarios until I heard someone’s voice from the direction of the house, loud enough for everyone in the yard to hear. “You forgot something!” shouted a woman’s voice. “Mr. Ashbridge has prepared lunch. Didn’t he ask you all to have lunch here after the meeting?”Then I heard footsteps moving away, accompanied by fading conversation murmurs. I intended to peek to see if those peopl
-Corrine-I could feel his hot breath burning in my skin. His fingertips caressed every sensitive spot in my body. Slowly yet mercilessly, Andrew lowered my bra strap to mid-arm. Then he slid his fingers under my bra, stopping right below the curve of my bosom.He was torturing me. It was showed in the way he looked at me, and how his lips crooked a teasing smile.“I’m waiting for another question, Corrine,” he said with a low growl.I cleared my throat. Fuck! How could I even ask a single question if he kept sparking and playing with my lust like this??“I—uh—“ As I started to speak, he snapped back into action.He now placed his hand on the top of my breast, caressing the hardened peak with the tip of his finger. I could no longer avoid the breathy moan from escaping my lips. My toes curled when I couldn’t hold back the sensation overflowing within me.“I what, Corr
-Corrine-I exchanged glances with Eva.Crap. I hadn’t considered the issue of Andrew’s shirt and my wet hair from the rain.Could Trevor smell Andrew’s scent on the shirt I was wearing? Or did his scent linger on me?“It’s my shirt!” exclaimed Eva as she walked to the other side of the chair and faced Trevor. “This is a shirt sold by the university football team. I bought it, and Corrine wanted it, so I lent it to her until she could buy a new one.”I glanced down at the shirt I was wearing. That’s when I realized it was a Golden Valley football team shirt. “Yeah, right,” I said then, nodding firmly. “I borrowed it from Eva.” Then I raised my hand to touch my hair. “And I just took a shower. I needed to clear my mind so I could work on all these assignments.”Trevor fell silent, observing me and Eva in turn.I knew he wasn’t easily convinced, and I could clearly see that now from his expression.My heart was pounding. Its voice sounded loud in my ears, almost deafening me.“You shoul
What the fuck did this bitch say just now?Giving her virginity to Andrew?I didn’t know why but I felt so furious I wanted to rip her head apart. My wolf growled in my head and I saw red. And thank the Moon Goddess because Eva was there with me and she pressed her hand on my shoulder, snapping me back into reality.“You okay?” she asked.I blinked and slowly dragged my gaze to her. “What?”“You look—“ she glanced toward the girls in front of us, “—angry.”The sound of a whistle made all of us turn to the field. Then I looked at Andrew, who was now observing the candidates along with the coach.I no longer heard the angry growl inside my head. My wolf calmed down again, as did my heart. I didn’t know who was influencing whom, but it was clear that this wasn’t good for both of us.If only Eva hadn’t been with me earlier, I would have surely ended up in jail for killing a girl.“I’m not,” I said, shrugging, trying to act indifferent. “Just a little annoyed. But, hey, he’s not my boyfrie
-Corrine-When I said that almost all of my problems were solved, this was the one that remained unresolved. I didn’t know why my mother suddenly wanted to meet me and Andrew after everything she had said and done to us, but I hoped this was a good sign.For everyone’s safety and comfort, we didn’t meet at Moon Dust or Andrew’s mansion, but instead in Golden Valley.Andrew and I arrived first and headed straight to Houghton Commons. We chose a quiet spot outside, near a large shady tree. The weather was quite windy today, so most people preferred to sit indoors.I pulled my jacket tighter around me and waited, occasionally glancing toward the entrance.“You seem nervous,” Andrew said. I turned to him and frowned, trying to see his eyes behind the sunglasses he was wearing.“Are you not?”“Why should I be? She’s your mother, not mine.”“Right. But she’s going to talk to us, not just me. You still remember how much she hated you—so much that she even worked with Jerome to—”The distant
-Corrine-The next morning, when I opened the window and looked at the clear blue sky, I still couldn’t believe that it was all over.All of my problems were solved—well, most of them—but the danger had passed, and I could finally live in peace.I stretched out my hands and inhaled the fresh scent of the trees, closing my eyes and letting my body soak in the warm sunlight.I smiled, and my smile turned into a wide grin when I felt Andrew behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing the crook of my neck.“Morning,” he whispered in my ear before giving it a soft bite.I rested my head against him. “Morning.” My voice was hoarse. I closed my eyes and took in the scent of his shampoo lingering in his messy hair. “Did you finish your business yesterday?”Last night, after dropping me off at the mansion, Andrew had left to return to the forest. He wanted to make sure everything was truly settled, including mobilizing the lycans to search for Gary’s body. Andrew wanted to see wit
-Corrine-Something held my foot. My body jerked, suddenly stopping mid-fall before swinging in the air.“Corrine! Hang on!”I tried to look up and saw Andrew. As much as I was relieved that he had found me, we were still in danger.Andrew’s hand gripped my ankle tightly. He was using all his strength to pull me up. There was nothing I could do except stay still and let him try to save me.Relief washed over me like cold water, bringing down my adrenaline as Andrew successfully pulled me to safety. He immediately hugged me, repeatedly calling my name.“I’m sorry, Corrine. I’m sorry, baby, I’m late.” His face was buried in my hair, and his lips pressed kisses against my ear and cheek.With trembling hands, I cupped his face and looked into his eyes. “You’re not late.” I smiled weakly. “You saved me.”We stared at each other in silence for a few moments before both of us burst into laughter. Laughter that born from the lingering fear of facing death and the joy of having survived it.“I
-Corrine-Something happened.Suddenly, the moon shone so brightly that its light blinded both of us. I squeezed my eyes shut, and I heard Gary scream in pain.The next thing I knew, he was no longer on top of me, and I was able to move my body. It was as if the potion’s effect had completely worn off.I opened my eyes and scanned my surroundings, and then, from the corner of my eye, I saw something—a glowing white wolf across the ravine. Even though we were separated by darkness and distance, I could feel its gaze on me.Use your power.I was stunned to hear an unfamiliar yet soothing voice in my head—a female voice.Was she—?I blinked, and the wolf was gone.“Shit! Shit!”My attention snapped back to Gary. He was rolling on the grass as if he was attacked by some invisible creatures.For a moment, I just stood there, watching him writhe in agony. Faintly, I heard that voice again, and I immediately shifted. This was the power she meant—my wolf. I would fight until the last drop of
-Corrine-As soon as the liquid spilled into my mouth, my body burned in agony. A white-hot pain shot through my throat, and my vision temporarily went blind. I could feel my body shaking violently as Gary’s sinister voice whispered in my ear.“How does it feel, Corrine? I hope you can bear the pain because I need you alive.”I could feel the liquid flowing down into my stomach, and an unbearable pain surged through me, forcing a pained groan from my lips. Then I felt it… and it seemed Gary knew it, too.“It works.” He flashed me his wicked grin. “The mark Andrew gave you. The scent he left on you… it’s all gone.”“No.”“Yes!” Gary pressed my shoulders into the ground while sitting upright on top of me. “I will mark you now, Corrine. You will be mine, and nothing can separate us.”My body weakened again, and I teetered on the edge of despair as I struggled against Gary. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he bent down, pressing his lips to the crook of my neck. He was going to
-Andrew-I didn’t know what had happened, but not long after the rogue attack that disrupted the Alpha Moon Dust’s decisive battle, the rogues suddenly withdrew as if they had been defeated.The Moon Dust warriors lined up at the border of the territory, waiting and watching the darkness with ragged breaths and bodies covered in wounds.“It looks like they’re not coming back,” said Harry, who was standing beside me.I nodded. “They only came to create chaos.”“Let’s continue the fight.” Harry then signaled to some warriors who hadn’t been involved in the Alpha battle to patrol the borders.That was when I realized something was wrong.“Where’s Corrine?”I turned in all directions, scanning the unfamiliar faces around me—faces that looked back at me with confusion and fear.“Corrine!” I shouted.A bad feeling crept up on me. Something wasn’t right. If Corrine were here, she would have come straight to me the moment the battle ended.Or was she helping someone who was injured?“Corrine!
-Corrine-As soon as Gary got me, he blindfolded me and dragged me away from the Moon Dust territory. I knew from the deepening silence that we were getting farther away as I felt my body sway in Gary’s embrace.Thank the Moon Goddess, he didn’t harm me or do anything nasty to me. But I was pretty sure he would—sooner or later. He was just waiting for the right place and the right time.“We’re here, Corrine.” His breath tickled my ear, and I desperately wanted to push him away, but somehow, he made my body go limp. The only thing I could do now was breathe.Slowly, Gary removed the blindfold from my eyes. I blinked a few times, adjusting my vision so I could see my surroundings more clearly.We were now in the middle of a forest. That forest. The one where that stupid glowing plant grew.“Soon, I will change you so we can be together forever. You will become like me.”My eyes darted to Gary, and our gazes locked. He seemed to recognize the question in my head as he said, “Before we ge
-Corrine-The scream froze everyone in place, and together they looked back and forth between me and Andrew.“You cheated!” accused the teenage girl. “You deliberately distracted us by accepting this fight, and then you had your friends create chaos, didn’t you?!”“No!” I yelled. “I would never use such a cheap trick!”“You are cheap!” the girl shrieked.Rage boiled in my chest. I had been holding back, tolerating her insolent attitude, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I dashed to her and slapped her cheek as hard as I could, making her stagger and nearly fall.“Did your parents not teach you any manners?!”I still wanted to hit her again, but a few people ran toward us and separated us before the fight escalated.“That’s enough, Abby!” shouted Harry, who held the teenage girl back. I remembered her now. Abby. She had always disliked me because Jerome paid more attention to me.“We should have killed her!” screamed Abby as she struggled in Harry’s grip. “She only brings trouble to this
-Corrine-Believe it or not, the first fight was won by me.I had just defeated one of the strongest warriors in Moon Dust. And it wasn’t just me who was surprised; all the pack’s members who were present there were stunned, watching as Sam was thrown to the ground after I landed a fatal blow to his chest.Harry counted to ten, but he didn’t get up.“The first fight is won by Corrine!” he announced, and only Andrew clapped and cheered.“Five minutes break for you, Corrine. After that, you’ll face another candidate,” Harry said then.Sam had returned to his human form—he was still breathing, thank the Moon Goddess—and some people pulled him out of the arena.I walked over to Andrew at the edge of the arena. He unfolded a robe for me, and quickly wrapped it around me the moment I turned back into my human form.“That was awesome, babe,” he praised, grinning.I returned his grin weakly. He told me to sit down, then handed me a bottle of water, which I chugged in one go.“He was a tough o