The wind whistled enthusiastically in Jordane’s ears. Her legs strained to keep up with the escaped pregnant wolf who went straight for the woods.
“Sometimes I really find the young ones kind of idiotic,” she mumbled, catching her breath.
Jordane surveyed their surroundings, wary not to cross the border again, whether accidentally or intentionally.
‘Although, crossing paths with that gorgeous Alpha wouldn’t be too bad,’ she thought, surprised by it.
Ashamed and alarmed, Jordane banished the image of the handsome man from her thoughts.
“Focus!”
The other wolf had run faster than Jordane anticipated. She could feel her muscles staining at the effort.
Jordane looked up, disappointed that the moon wasn’t at its fullest. She would have loved to morph into her wolf. It would make the chase much easier.
But more than that, she wanted to know what the other wolf was thinking. Jordane could feel her distress even from a distance between them.
She tried to think of various reasons why the pregnant woman was scared of. There were too many to consider, but was that enough to have her running through the woods at night all of a sudden.
“Not to mention the possibility of crossing the border,” Jordane added, hating herself for immediately thinking about the gorgeous Alpha.
“Dammit,” she mumbled, grateful that her mother couldn’t hear her muttering curses left and right.
“Awooooo!”
Jordane’s eyes widened. She felt the power of that howl, sending shivers to crawl all over her skin.
“Hey!” Jordane called out, hoping she could calm the woman down before her father or her mother could get involved.
But her voice only frightened the latter, sending her to run at full speed.
“No!” Jordane exclaimed, the wind howling along with the Alpha’s warning. “Can’t you hear that?!”
Jordane felt her throat getting parched and her lungs overworking themselves.
“Your best chance of not getting punished for causing all this ruckus is me!”
Her voice rang loud and clear, echoing with the whistle of the wind blowing in the opposite direction and the Alpha’s howls.
The mother wolf kept running until the next bend. She stumbled, disappearing from Jordane’s line of sight.
“Oh, dammit!”
Out of breath and bathed in sweat, Jordane ran faster, finding the other wolf on the ground. She caught Jordane’s gaze, her eyes pleading while the metallic scent of blood hit her.
“I’m sorry,” Jordane dropped on all fours beside her. “I didn’t mean—”
The lady grabbed Jordane’s arm, gripping her so tightly she could feel her nails digging through her skin.
Jordane ignored the sting, focusing on the woman struggling to stabilize her breathing.
“Help me,” she gasped. “My baby.”
“I really want to help you. But I have no idea how this works…” the latter trailed off, hearing the ear-piercing growl from her father.
“This isn’t good.”
Jordane took the time to assess their surroundings, her peripheral vision narrowing in certain areas. Relieved they hadn’t crossed the border, Jordane turned out the howls. Even though she had no idea what she was supposed to do, she was determined to help.
Pulling her shirt over her head, Jordane would use it to wrap the baby. She may not have helped her mother in the infirmary with the birthing process, but she had a general knowledge of how it should go.
“Alright. You know, I’m going to give it my best shot. But don’t expect too much and shift your focus on saving your child. Okay?”
The woman screamed.
“Please don’t give him to them!” she added, scaring the innocent animals within the area.
“I’m not….” Jordane stared at the woman. “I don’t really know what the hell is going on. Why did you run away? Maybe you could make me understand, but first, you must push!”
The howls had stopped, alerting Jordane of her father arriving anytime soon.
“Never mind that. If you want to keep your baby, start pushing before the Alpha arrives.”
Obediently, the woman started pushing. The laborious cries echoed around the woods, awakening every sleeping creature.
Jordane watched the woman’s face contort in pain. She was crying, every vein in her body becoming visible as she used every ounce of her strength to get the baby out.
“I can’t do this!” the woman screamed after vigorously trying. Jordane could see a tiny head already poking out. But she considered the level of pain the mother must be in.
“Well, I wish I could tell you to stop, but we don’t have time, and you said you don’t want anyone else to have him. So, keep that in mind and push really hard. Your child’s life depended on this. Okay?”
The woman nodded.
“On the count of three, scream all you want but push really hard. Do you hear me?” Jordane watched her shut her eyes close but nodded once more. “Ready? One.”
A rustle of leaves came from the opposite direction Jordane was facing, allowing shivers to crawl all over her skin.
“Two,” she continued, ignoring the tingling sensation at the back of her head. She smiled encouragingly at the woman. “Three!”
A piercing scream broke out from the woman. It was followed by the babe finally coming out. Jordane carefully extracted the newborn. She wrapped him carefully using the shirt she took off, listening to its cries that replaced the mother.
Just as she handed the babe to the exhausted mother, the wind whistled loudly, followed by a harsh whoosh.
Having made up her mind, Jordane stood protecting the mother and child, prohibiting him from taking another step toward the woman.
“Firstly,” Jordane raised a hand, daring to glare at the Alpha. “Whatever mother has said, you need to hear me out. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for all this chaos.”
“Yes, it does, daughter,” the Alpha replied, his eyes glowing gold against the bright moonlight.
An unseen force made Jordane’s stand waver. She knew her father was using his abilities to get her out of the way. However, she made a promise, and Jordane did not break promises.
Closing her eyes for several seconds, Jordane calmed her thoughts and battled against her raging emotions.
When she reopened her eyes, she saw her father’s aura burning bright yellow, enveloping him in so much power.
“You may be the Alpha, father, but you aren’t always right.”
“You don’t understand, daughter. Move out of the way. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Make me understand then.”
There was a tense silence as the Alpha fought with Jordane in a staring-down contest. Whoever would look away first would surely be at the losing end.
“Fine,” the Alpha growled, his gaze shifting toward the woman and the newborn child. “That child is cursed. He doesn’t belong here.”
At that instance, Jordane understood what the woman was trying to do. She glanced her way, noticing fresh tears springing to her eyes.
Jordane knew the logical response was to let the Alpha handle the situation. However, she had never been in agreement with the establishment of the border.
“And what do you intend to do with the child? It won’t survive on its own, but you cannot cast away the mother and neither will she be accepted on the other side,” Jordane paused, a realization hitting her. Her eyes grew wide, and she looked at her father incredulously.
“You plan to kill it?”
The town market buzzed with life during midday when the sun was high, and the heat was on. It was where all creatures mingled, each hiding their true nature. Salazar pulled the hood of his jacket closer, ducking his head as he ventured through the crowd. Although no one would burn him alive if they learned that he was not entirely human, he had been accustomed to avoiding looking at anyone in particular when he was in public. Part of the curse he was given was to see a person's lifespan. As much as possible. Salazar had been cautious not to make eye contact or accidentally bump into anyone. His power to see the future sometimes becomes a little too much that he has no control over it. Seeing the red eyesore of a door down a few blocks from where he was, Salazar sighed with relief. He put power to his feet and moved quickly, maneuvering his way to get past the people who seemed to be walking like dead persons in front of him. Despite hurrying his way to meet with the wise, old
Dry leaves scrunched beneath their feet, and the faint howl of the night owls echoed in the still woods. Jordane stared at the skies, her heart beating like crazy. She heaved out a silent, heavy sigh, receiving a slight to her right ribs afterwards,Livvy had edged closer to Jordane, her eyes warily shifting toward the exhausted mother walking behind them. There were only four of them, as per Jordane's request, and they were headed toward the boundary separating them from the other werewolf pack. Although no formal letter was sent to inform the Alpha of the pack they were approaching, Jordane must find a way to get him to talk with her face-to-face. That was part of the condition her father had agreed to. Whether the other Alpha decides to kill the mother and child would be out of Jordane's father's concern."Stop scowling," Livvy hissed in Jordane's ears. Her feet hurt from walking, and they couldn't afford to rest until they reached their destination. "Didn't you want this?" Li
Maverick squinted at the moon, his brows somewhat furrowed in a frown. His friend, Lucas, walked idly behind, contemplating."Are you still mad at me about Lily?"The Alpha continued to walk, ignoring Lucas's question while glimpses of his beloved invaded his mind. He tuned out Lucas, savouring every piece of her in his memory.Her vibrant laughter rang softly in his ears, sending an arrow straight to his heart. 'Goddess! How I miss—' The Alpha shifted his gaze toward the dark woods before them. They were drawing closer to the border that separated the two packs long before Maverick could even walk.His jaw clenched as a faint scent wafted through his nose. It was a very familiar and enticing smell, one that Maverick could never mistake to be anyone else's. Straightening his back and narrowing his gaze toward the border, Maverick turned to Lucas and, without exchanging words, gestured for him to walk faster. "What?" Lucas asked, his ears picking up the sound of footsteps. Dry leav
Clenching her hands as she tried to stop her rapidly beating heart, Jordane eyed the Alpha. She clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes in response to the Alpha’s sudden outburst.“Of course you would assume that,” Jordane eyed him up and down, getting a nudge from her side. Livvy leaned in, looking horrified.“What are you doing?” her friend demanded. Jordane only gave her friend a sideways glance but said nothing in return. She hoped the latter would understand that she had no time to explain.Livvy cleared her throat, letting Jordane know she finally understood what was happening. Standing idly beside her, they acted like a shield, concealing the woman and her baby before the Alpha and his beta.“Only an idiot would do such a thing, woman,” the Alpha snickered, not oblivious to how Jordane was reacting to his presence.Beyond what the eye could see, he could almost sense her heart breathing in synchrony with his, creating a melody that only they could hear. Maverick had almost succum
Thin, cold rain hadn’t stopped pouring since the crisp starless night had fallen in Telesiya, a faraway kingdom in the North. Crickets echoed from the thicket of trees in the abandoned forest near the farmland of the Rowan, a meager family of four. The smell of wet grass and mud hid the strong odor from the inside of the small house in the middle of the vast land. The animals in the barn lay lifeless on the ground. Their eyes were open and hollow, and blood gushed out from their slit throats. The rain and the occasional thunder rumbling from the skies couldn’t hide the growls from the monsters with thick furs roaming and searching the forest for any survivors. Bright golden eyes widened in fear as two sisters—one was sixteen and the other eighteen, lay hidden under a fallen tree that served as a bridge to a big gaping hole in the ground. Nessie Rowan, the younger of the two, held onto her sister’s hands tightly. In response, Natalia pulled Nessie closer to her. Their frail bodies
Smoke rose to the sky as the bonfire crackled and was continually fed by sticks and dry leaves. A small circle of unmated wolves gathered around the fire. The tall canopy of trees that surrounded them swayed lightly to the cool breeze that whistled once in a while. Three of the council of seven stood in the dark, watching, observing, and had no intention to meddle unless it was necessary. In the middle of the circle, Esmeralda Samael stood reverently, taking note of the faces of the young wolves in their pack. She also noticed how her daughter was yet to present herself in the crowd. But as midnight approached, Esmeralda knew she had to begin the ritual with or without Jordane. Jordane had recently turned nineteen. Esmeralda remembered her youth. She was mated when she was sixteen and had her firstborn that year. A little while later, a soft rustling echoed from the right side of the forest. Esmeralda subtly turned in that direction and saw Livvy join the circle with Jorda
The lake glistened, displaying the beautiful blanket of stars above. Ripples occasionally danced on the surface, disturbing the stillness as the soft breeze whistled silently. Various trees of every kind stood around, protecting the quiet place before the crunching of angry footsteps burst forth from one side of the forest. With heavy, ragged breaths, Jordane came to a halt. She let her head hang for a minute before bending over, her hands on her knees. She ran as fast as she could, hoping to distance herself as far away as possible. Recovering from the uncalled-for escape, Jordane dragged herself to the edge of the lake. The image of a girl with startling golden eyes stared back at her. Her hair was a mess, and against the moonlight, she rather looked pale. "Dammit," Jordane muttered. Now that the adrenaline had left her, she felt the sting from the minor cuts on her legs. They were itching and numbing like ant bites. Sitting by the bank, Jordane broke her reflection as sh
The sun had barely peeked on the horizon, but Maverick was already out of breath. His chiseled chest was bathed with sweat. A soft wind blew in his ears, influencing the smirk that crossed his lips while he narrowed his gaze at his opponent. Wearing only their leather pants, Maverick and Lucas sparred near the forest close to their territory. "Who's she?" Lucas squinted at his friend. He noticed something different about him last night and would like to assume he was keeping something from him. Images of the mysterious woman popped into Maverick's mind. He got distracted, and Lucas didn't let that slip. He charged at him, pushing Maverick to the ground. Maverick fell on his back with a grunt. His chest rose and fell as he heaved in and out while Lucas loomed over him, a smirk on his lips. "Are you going to talk, or do you want me to squeeze the details from you?" Maverick snorted. He hauled himself to get back on his feet. Lucas offered him help. The former accepted it, dusti
Clenching her hands as she tried to stop her rapidly beating heart, Jordane eyed the Alpha. She clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes in response to the Alpha’s sudden outburst.“Of course you would assume that,” Jordane eyed him up and down, getting a nudge from her side. Livvy leaned in, looking horrified.“What are you doing?” her friend demanded. Jordane only gave her friend a sideways glance but said nothing in return. She hoped the latter would understand that she had no time to explain.Livvy cleared her throat, letting Jordane know she finally understood what was happening. Standing idly beside her, they acted like a shield, concealing the woman and her baby before the Alpha and his beta.“Only an idiot would do such a thing, woman,” the Alpha snickered, not oblivious to how Jordane was reacting to his presence.Beyond what the eye could see, he could almost sense her heart breathing in synchrony with his, creating a melody that only they could hear. Maverick had almost succum
Maverick squinted at the moon, his brows somewhat furrowed in a frown. His friend, Lucas, walked idly behind, contemplating."Are you still mad at me about Lily?"The Alpha continued to walk, ignoring Lucas's question while glimpses of his beloved invaded his mind. He tuned out Lucas, savouring every piece of her in his memory.Her vibrant laughter rang softly in his ears, sending an arrow straight to his heart. 'Goddess! How I miss—' The Alpha shifted his gaze toward the dark woods before them. They were drawing closer to the border that separated the two packs long before Maverick could even walk.His jaw clenched as a faint scent wafted through his nose. It was a very familiar and enticing smell, one that Maverick could never mistake to be anyone else's. Straightening his back and narrowing his gaze toward the border, Maverick turned to Lucas and, without exchanging words, gestured for him to walk faster. "What?" Lucas asked, his ears picking up the sound of footsteps. Dry leav
Dry leaves scrunched beneath their feet, and the faint howl of the night owls echoed in the still woods. Jordane stared at the skies, her heart beating like crazy. She heaved out a silent, heavy sigh, receiving a slight to her right ribs afterwards,Livvy had edged closer to Jordane, her eyes warily shifting toward the exhausted mother walking behind them. There were only four of them, as per Jordane's request, and they were headed toward the boundary separating them from the other werewolf pack. Although no formal letter was sent to inform the Alpha of the pack they were approaching, Jordane must find a way to get him to talk with her face-to-face. That was part of the condition her father had agreed to. Whether the other Alpha decides to kill the mother and child would be out of Jordane's father's concern."Stop scowling," Livvy hissed in Jordane's ears. Her feet hurt from walking, and they couldn't afford to rest until they reached their destination. "Didn't you want this?" Li
The town market buzzed with life during midday when the sun was high, and the heat was on. It was where all creatures mingled, each hiding their true nature. Salazar pulled the hood of his jacket closer, ducking his head as he ventured through the crowd. Although no one would burn him alive if they learned that he was not entirely human, he had been accustomed to avoiding looking at anyone in particular when he was in public. Part of the curse he was given was to see a person's lifespan. As much as possible. Salazar had been cautious not to make eye contact or accidentally bump into anyone. His power to see the future sometimes becomes a little too much that he has no control over it. Seeing the red eyesore of a door down a few blocks from where he was, Salazar sighed with relief. He put power to his feet and moved quickly, maneuvering his way to get past the people who seemed to be walking like dead persons in front of him. Despite hurrying his way to meet with the wise, old
The wind whistled enthusiastically in Jordane’s ears. Her legs strained to keep up with the escaped pregnant wolf who went straight for the woods.“Sometimes I really find the young ones kind of idiotic,” she mumbled, catching her breath. Jordane surveyed their surroundings, wary not to cross the border again, whether accidentally or intentionally.‘Although, crossing paths with that gorgeous Alpha wouldn’t be too bad,’ she thought, surprised by it. Ashamed and alarmed, Jordane banished the image of the handsome man from her thoughts.“Focus!”The other wolf had run faster than Jordane anticipated. She could feel her muscles staining at the effort.Jordane looked up, disappointed that the moon wasn’t at its fullest. She would have loved to morph into her wolf. It would make the chase much easier.But more than that, she wanted to know what the other wolf was thinking. Jordane could feel her distress even from a distance between them.She tried to think of various reasons why the pre
Muffled voices and a damp, cold towel pressed to her skin woke Jordane. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, taking in the worried faces above hers.Her mother was the first to sigh with relief, thanking the goddess before staring down at her daughter.“You made us all panic, and for a moment, I thought I would be a grandmother.”Jordane’s eyes widened at her mother’s claim; she immediately caught sight of Livvy, who pretended to check her nails, avoiding eye contact. “Well, wouldn’t that be a dream come true?” she muttered, lacing with as much sarcasm as she could, removing the cloth from her forehead. Jordane grunted as she pulled herself to sit up. She craned her neck to the side, peeking at the window behind her mother’s shoulder. Night had already fallen, and Jordane could hardly remember what had happened. She cleared her throat, eyeing Livvy pointedly. The latter opened her mouth to say something, but the door of Jordane’s room suddenly bursting open cut her short. “Thank godde
His footsteps echoed as he entered the building. It resonated against the marbled floor and perfectly painted walls.People wore formal suits, most had tailored tux and petite skirts bowed as he walked past. Some were doing it out of respect, while the majority feared him.The man walked on, his shoes echoing behind him. He needed to get to the hallway before reaching his office on the second floor by the east wing. As he was about to turn to the hallway after passing by the two young receptionists, another man caught up with him. The first one halted; his working eye gazed at the second man standing before him. The latter lowered his head, greeting the other. “Gael,” the second man spoke. He slowly lifted his head, locking gazes with Gael, one of the elder wolves in their pack. “Seiko,” Gael replied, tapping the younger wolf's shoulder. “I bring news,” Seiko replied. Gael, knowing what he meant, briefly scanned the hallway. One corporate employee walked past, bowing in his dire
The young wolf stifled a yawn, playing with the sun’s rays that slipped between her slender fingers. She placed one arm under her head, letting the shade of the live oak planted before she was born hide her from the sun’s harmful glare. Jordane lay flat on the ground, the grass tickling her skin. The events from last night would have been forgotten if not for the vivid images of the fine-looking Alpha she met by accident. The soft rustle of someone approaching disrupted her lustful thoughts. When Jordane looked up, Livvy’s silhouette had blocked the sun’s rays that she had been playing with. Eyeing her friend thoughtfully, Jordane considered the messy glory of Livvy’s hair and the visible sparkle in her bright eyes. “Oh. My…” Jordane sat up, grabbing Livvy to sit with her. The latter chuckled, yelping one ‘oof’ when her butt hit the ground. “Goddess! What happened? Give me the juice but not in full detail.” Livvy smacked her lips, tracing an invisible zipper on them, causing t
The sun had barely peeked on the horizon, but Maverick was already out of breath. His chiseled chest was bathed with sweat. A soft wind blew in his ears, influencing the smirk that crossed his lips while he narrowed his gaze at his opponent. Wearing only their leather pants, Maverick and Lucas sparred near the forest close to their territory. "Who's she?" Lucas squinted at his friend. He noticed something different about him last night and would like to assume he was keeping something from him. Images of the mysterious woman popped into Maverick's mind. He got distracted, and Lucas didn't let that slip. He charged at him, pushing Maverick to the ground. Maverick fell on his back with a grunt. His chest rose and fell as he heaved in and out while Lucas loomed over him, a smirk on his lips. "Are you going to talk, or do you want me to squeeze the details from you?" Maverick snorted. He hauled himself to get back on his feet. Lucas offered him help. The former accepted it, dusti