ZAYLENIt all clicked into place. Of course, it would be Liana who would do this for me. She had always been my rock, my anchor in the storm. The realization filled me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love for her.Ryan looked at me, his expression softer than I had ever seen it. "Your Luna, she is a good woman. She reached out to me, told me what was happening. I couldn't just stay away after that."I took a deep breath, my emotions swirling. "Liana... She did this?"Ryan nodded. "Yes. She cares about you, Zaylen. She wanted to make sure you were okay."A lump formed in my throat, the weight of Liana's love and support hitting me hard. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for her, knowing she would go to such lengths to protect me.Ryan's voice broke through my thoughts. "Zaylen, I want to apologize. Sincerely. For everything. I know I wasn't a good father or leader. And I'm sorry. I won't be back again. I've cleared everything up, as I should have long ago."I looked at him,
LIANAA few days later, the entire pack was abuzz with the news. Jordan and Sara had just announced their wedding, and the commotion it stirred was palpable. I could hear the murmurs and whispers as I walked through the pack house, the tension almost tangible in the air.I made my way to the common area, where a large group had gathered. Jordan stood beside Sara, his arm protectively around her waist, as they faced the curious and, at times, judgmental eyes of our pack members."Are you serious, Jordan?" one of the elders, Sophia, spoke up, her tone incredulous. "You, the Beta, marrying a non-mate? Even with the new law, it's... unprecedented."Jordan squared his shoulders, his jaw set with determination. "Yes, Sophia, I am serious. Sara and I love each other. The law was changed to reflect the freedom of choice, and we're choosing each other."Sara looked around nervously, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment. I gave her a reassuring smile, hoping to convey my support."But Jor
LIANAAs the workday came to a close, I gathered my things, my thoughts drifting to Zaylen. The stress of the day still clung to me, but I knew just seeing him would lighten my mood. I made my way to his office, my footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway.When I reached his door, I peeked my head in quietly, not wanting to disturb him if he was deep in thought. His chair was turned away from me, and I could see him engrossed in his work, his broad shoulders tense with concentration. A mischievous idea sparked in my mind, and I couldn't help but smile.I tiptoed into the room, careful to keep my movements silent. As I got closer, I held my breath, ready to surprise him. Just as I reached him, he suddenly spun his chair around, catching me off guard. I lost my balance and ended up falling right into his lap with a surprised yelp.Zaylen's arms wrapped around me instinctively, pulling me close. His eyes sparkled with amusement, a smirk playing on his lips. "Caught you," he teased, hi
LIANAI paced around my living room, my mind still reeling from what I had overheard at the office. A secret society? Agents? The words kept echoing in my head, a mystery begging to be unraveled. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was important, that it was something we needed to know about.I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found Jordan's number. He was Beta of the pack, and if anyone knew about the ins and outs of our world, it would be him. With a deep breath, I hit the call button.After a few rings, he picked up. "Liana, what's up?""Hey, Jordan," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I wanted to ask you something.""Sure, shoot."I took a deep breath. "Is there anyone in the pack, or maybe in the werewolf community, who keeps tabs on... everything going on? Like, someone who monitors all the weird stuff, secret organizations, that kind of thing?"There was a pause on the other end of the line, and when Jordan spoke again, his tone was cautiou
LIANAZaylen's hand tightened around my waist, his expression questioning as he looked between Ricky and me. I could feel his tension; his protective instincts had kicked in."What's going on here?" Zaylen asked, his voice tight with concern.I turned to him with a reassuring smile. "Nothing, uh…"Ricky chimed in smoothly, "Just flirting with a lady I thought was single, but apparently not. My bad."He winked subtly at me, and I gave him a thankful smile, silently urging him to play along. Zaylen didn't need to know the details of why I was really here.Otherwise, it would go like usual where Zaylen would forbid me and I wouldn’t listen to him and then, we would get into a heated argument. I looked up at Zaylen, his gaze searching mine with concern etched on his features. His hand still rested protectively on my waist as he leaned in slightly, his voice low and serious."Why did you come here tonight, Liana?" he asked, his eyes probing.I met his gaze steadily, a small smile playing
LIANAI blinked, momentarily taken aback by his directness. "Ricky? What do you mean?"Zaylen nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "Come on, Liana. You know him. Why were you talking to him? Tell me."I hesitated, trying to gauge his reaction. "I... I felt like it. I wasn't trying to take any information from him. Heck, I didn't even know he sells information. I thought he just sold pretty nice drinks, that's all."Zaylen crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "Do you think I'm dumb? You think I wouldn't doubt that you went to this particular club and just happened to be talking to Ricky, of all people?"I swallowed, feeling a mix of surprise and defensiveness rise within me. "Zaylen, come on. Why not? Like he said, he was hitting on me. What’s my fault?” Zaylen arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Yeah, like he would be dumb enough to hit on my Luna. In the Serpent's Den? That's convenient, don't you think?"I paused, meeting Zaylen's gaze steadily. "And how exactly is he supposed
LIANAI knew my guess was correct the moment I saw Ricky’s face. Ricky's smirk deepened, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and intrigue. "So you knew? How did you guess?""It just all added up," I replied, my voice dazed as my mind reeled with the implications.James. Memories of him flooded back — how he had killed some of our pack members without remorse, his eyes cold and calculating. He had claimed it was for revenge against Zaylen, but he never mentioned he was working for some organization. Now, it all made sense. When he failed to exact his personal vendetta, he must have joined forces with Lara in her sinister endeavors.Images of the past swirled in my mind — James' ruthless attacks, his cryptic words. The revelation that he had been a part of something larger, something more organized, sent chills down my spine. Perhaps their ultimate goal was to frame the werewolves for the murders of humans in the forest, using it as a pretext to take us all down.A sudden
LIANA The car was dimly lit, the faint glow from the dashboard casting eerie shadows across Zaylen's face. My heart pounded in my chest as I prepared to tell him everything. The hum of the engine and the occasional passing headlights outside were the only sounds breaking the heavy silence between us. I took a deep breath, gripping the edge of my seat. “There’s this organization,” I began, my voice unsteady. “It’s been around for a while, working in the shadows. They’re called ‘The Secret Society,’ and I know it's a terribly cliche name, but hey, I am not the one who kept the name.” Zaylen chuckled slightly at my attempt at lightening the mood. “Anyway,” I continued, “their sole purpose is to hunt and kill werewolves.” Zaylen glanced at me briefly before returning his eyes to the road. I felt compelled to continue, filling the void with words. “They have connections everywhere, Zaylen. In the business sectors, the police force, even in some government sectors. They’ve de