A few weeks laterthe peace of the night was shattered by the first wave of excruciating pain. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as though the sheer force of my grip could somehow alleviate the intensity that seized my body. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, and with each agonizing contraction, I felt more alone than I had ever been. Brax’s absence loomed over me like an unshakable shadow, and the weight of solitude pressed down on me, almost as unbearable as the pain itself.I’d told myself that I didn’t need anyone with me when I gave birth because it was something that I would have to face alone just like I would have to raise these babies on my own. But as the pain became unbearable, I called. “Pearl.”Pearl came rushing into the room. Since finding out I was pregnant and Brax's death, Pearl had never been too far away. Her eyes widened at the sight of me, and she sprung into action, her nurturing instincts kicking in. "Oh, Luna, hold on. Breathe through it," she instructe
Four years later"Luna, the Elders are waiting for you," Pearl's voice cut through the morning silence. I turned away from the window, where the first rays of the sun danced over the rolling hills, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch into my heart."I know," I muttered, lips pressed into a thin line. The Elders had been relentless these past months, urging me to marry and find a new alpha for the pack. They didn't understand—I had no intention of letting anyone replace Brax. But they also didn't understand the fire that had been smouldering inside me for four years, longing for revenge that threatened to consume me."Are you ready for this?" Pearl asked gently, her eyes filled with unspoken concern."Ready or not," I replied, walking towards the door. "Let's get this over with."We stepped into the grand hall where the Elders awaited. Their eyes, filled with wisdom and judgment, tracked my every movement as I took my place at the head of the table. The air was thick with tensi
After my training session, the evening air felt cool against my skin, and I took a deep breath, savouring the moment. Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, but I wouldn’t allow myself the luxury. With the Elders' meeting still fresh in my mind, I was eager to get back to the house and see my children. My children were the centre of my universe, the reason I fought so hard every day. As I neared the edge of the training grounds, I saw Nick approaching. He moved with purpose, his brow furrowed. "Luna," he called out, his voice carrying a weight I instantly recognised.I slowed my pace, turning to face him. "Nick. How did things go with the lead on the underground rebels?"He sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I'm sorry I missed yesterday's meeting with the Elders. I was following up on that lead about the underground rebels. It took longer than I anticipated.""It's alright, Nick," I replied, though I couldn't hide the edge in my voice. "Did you find anything useful
Exhaustion clung to me like a second skin as I climbed into bed, thoughts still racing with the day's events. I could feel the tendrils of sleep pulling me under, but my mind wouldn’t settle. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and muttered a soft prayer. "Please, not tonight. No dreams of Brax…"Sleep descended quickly, but mercifully, my dreams took a different path this time.I found myself in a dimly lit, unfamiliar place. Shadows loomed and danced around me, creating an oppressive atmosphere. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something metallic. My heart pounded as I wandered through what seemed to be an underground tunnel."Brax?" I called out, my voice echoing off the walls. "Brax, where are you?"A faint groan reached my ears, and I followed the sound, desperation coursing through my veins. There he was, bound and injured, his usually fierce demeanour reduced to a look of pleading helplessness. "Luna... help me," he whispered weakly.I sprang towards him, but
The hallway to the playroom felt like a never-ending tunnel. Each step echoed as fear gripped my heart. I prayed for it not to be something horrible; the thought of losing Blue on top of all the loss I had already been through was too much to bear. Daisy’s small hand clutched mine, guiding me faster as if sensing my urgency.As I finally reached the playroom, I froze at the door, my breath catching in my throat. They stood Spike; I couldn’t believe my eyes. Naked and vulnerable, he held a teddy bear in front of him, an uneasy but familiar grin plastered across his face. The sheer absurdity and wonder of the sight left me momentarily paralysed."Luna, don't just stand there gawking. Aren't you going to give me some clothes?" Spike's familiar voice broke me out of my trans. His humour was uncomfortable and entirely out of place, yet it was undeniably him."Spike?" I whispered, my voice trembling. Slowly, I moved towards him, each step measured as if a single misstep could shatter this f
Seb's grip on my arm was a stern warning, but Spike's return flooded me with emotions too overwhelming to heed it fully. Yes, I knew the lore, the stories of dark entities hitching a ride back with the resurrected; I knew that more than anyone, as it had once cost me so much, but every fibre in my being screamed that this was different. I couldn’t feel anything malevolent in Spike; all I felt was joy and unimaginable relief.“Luna, we have to be careful,” Seb insisted, his eyes scanning Spike suspiciously as if an evil spirit might rear its head at any moment. “You know what bringing back someone from the dead could mean.”He wasn't wrong to worry. The legends were clear: resurrection was unnatural, a tear in the fabric of life and death that could let in all manner of darkness. But my heart refused to let the happiness of seeing Spike alive again be tainted by fear.Spike, now comfortably wrapped in the robe Seb had brought, seemed as bewildered as any of us. "Look, I've been through
"Blaire, get up, or you'll be late for work," my mother yells at me from downstairs.I let out a frustrated groan; I just want to sleep. For some reason, I have been exhausted for the past few weeks—it has been since my eighteenth birthday. Maybe I partied too hard, and my body can not take it."I’m up," I yell back, dragging my tired body out of bed and into the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, my long black hair is out of control, as if I went ten rounds with my pillow last night. I had another strange dream last night where this lady tells me to run from the monster chasing me. I keep running as this thing with blood-red eyes chases me. I always wake up right as it gets to me, and I'm always covered in sweat. My body shakes when I wake up. I don't understand what it means.Getting myself ready for work, I hope that today will be a slow day at the diner. I don't want to run around waiting on people's needs. I want a nice cruisey day with maybe one or two customers, so I don
I hid in my room for the rest of the day. The voices had stopped, but my head was still pounding. I thought about telling my mum and dad about what happened, but I didn't want to worry them or for them to believe that their daughter was going crazy. Blue stayed with me the whole time, watching over me like he was waiting for something to happen.I lay in bed, finally drifting off to sleep when I woke up. I looked around the room. Everything was dark. I looked at the time. I'd been asleep all day and half the night. I didn't feel the normal heaving feeling at the end of my bed where Blue slept, so I got up and looked for him. It isn't like him to go anywhere without me. Creeping through the house, all the lights were out. I made my way to the back door. I thought that's where he'd be outside doing his business. As I got to the door, voices started to come into my head. "not again," I muttered to myself.Opening the door, I saw Blue sitting near the back fence. It looked like he was look