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 goddess!” one of the elder wolves, Alicia, stared at Esmeralda Samael, holding her hands in prayer as a greeting before proceeding to what she had to say. “We need you at the infirmary.”
Jordane and Livvy exchanged curious glances, each shrugging as they watched the events unfold before them.
“What happened?” Esmeralda answered, already forgetting about Jordane.
Alicia considered Livvy and Jordane for a moment before she let out a resigned sigh.
“It’s chaos, and I have no other words to describe the situation. It’s better when you see it for yourself.”
Esmeralda turned to Jordane and Livvy.
“I don’t want to hear any more mishaps from you two.”
The two friends obediently nodded, watching the elderly women leave Jordane’s room. The door creakily closed in their wake.
Jordane bit her lower lip and was about to open her mouth when Livvy beat her to it.
“Let’s go,” she chirped excitedly. Jordane shook her head, grinning while she took the time to get out of bed.
Glimpses of the vision she had earlier appeared before her, halting her progress briefly. Livvy caught on, immediately catching Jordane before she could fall.
“Whoa,” Livvy placed a hand on Jordane’s back, supporting her. “I think you should sit this one out, Jadie.”
Jordane shook her head, closing her eyes momentarily before blowing out a determined sigh.
“No,” she insisted. “Let’s go.”
Livvy hesitated.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Jordane replied, chasing away the thoughts about the man in her dreams.
‘If only he didn’t look so scary and sound like a psycho pervert, that would have been a thrilling experience.’
Jordane rushed out of her room, refusing to let him invade her mind twice that day.
“You know,” Livvy spoke, interrupting Jordane’s thoughts. The latter turned to her friend. Livvy had just closed the door to her room, looking worried. “I think this might be a bad idea.”
Jordane snorted, placing her hands on her hips.
“And when did that thought ever stop us?”
Livvy chuckled, rolling her eyes as she threw her hands in the air.
“Never.
“Exactly.”
–
Other than the infirmary in town, the Eastern Werewolves decided to have their own facility within the border.
They managed to have two doctors in the pack, and most of the women helped out with assisting and tending to the patients.
The infirmary was not usually packed as the wolves maintained a healthy lifestyle and avoided getting in trouble lest they would be punished by the Alpha.
It was then quite interesting for Jordane when her mother was called over. Esmeralda Samael’s expertise lies in being a midwife.
Jordane witnessed it a few times. Many young women had different struggles in labor.
It was her mother who always helped out.
A few cases were amusing as the young mother ended up shifting, her fear and the excruciating pain felt by her body forcing her wolf to come out in an attempt to protect her.
Jordane knew her mother would scold her if she learned what she thought of it. But it was one of the things that kept her distracted.
Her dreams of the man with a prominent scar had visited her more often. It was troubling, but Jordane didn’t know whom to talk to about it.
Livvy had been a great listener, but Jordane knew her friend hardly believed any of it. She wouldn’t either if she wasn’t the one at the receiving end.
Jordane heard a loud crunch from behind. She squinted, grateful for the amplified eyesight gifted to them by the moon goddess. She narrowed her gaze at Livvy, who mouthed sorry and tiptoed her way to join Jordane crouching by the window.
The infirmary was the former house used by the former Alphas. It had several rooms for different purposes.
Her mother and Alicia entered the labor room. Jordane immediately heard the shrill scream of the one in pain. It was followed by a shattering of glass and a growl.
“Yikes,” Livvy commented. She and Jordane peered through the window, trying to see what was happening.
Esmeralda wore the gloves but had yet to approach. The pregnant wolf was standing at the corner, claws out, ready to attack anyone who came near.
Three other women were in the room, trying to calm her down. Crystal shards were scattered around her, proof of the chaos that Alicia mentioned.
“This makes me not want to have any children at all,” Livvy added with a grimace.
Jordane clicked her tongue, smirking.
“I would be the first person to be there when it happens, Liv,” she answered. “Don’t worry, I—”
The sound of breaking glass and the tiny crystals that suddenly fell above them, along with the cracking of the window's wooden frame, disrupted Jordane’s thoughts.
She and Livvy had to dive away to avoid getting scratched.
“Whoosh!” the figure that jumped right out ran away as quickly as possible, leaving dust and a warm gust of wind in its wake.
Jordane got up, exchanging glances with Livvy. She turned to the broken window, catching her mother’s scrutinizing gaze.
It only took her a while before drawing a conclusion about what happened.
Jordane ignored her mother and turned to Livvy.
“I’ll find her. Keep my mother busy.”
“But,” Livvy started but trailed off as Jordane squeezed her hand and left. “I should come with you….”
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
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
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