In the darkness, Emory felt adrift, tossed about with no control over herself. She had lost all sense of agency, completely at the mercy of a current that swept her back and forth without end.Emory was trapped. Her body felt heavy, slowly sinking into something cold and thick. There was nothing she could do. She was helpless, completely drained, with no energy left to fight.A shadow of despair began to creep in, its silent wave signalling a grim end for Emory. But suddenly flickers of light appeared everywhere, darting around like tiny stars struggling to pierce the darkness of emptiness.The light felt warm, if only for a moment, as if it wanted to remind Emory of something long forgotten. Faint glimmers flashed, like shadows darting at the edges of her consciousness. She saw happy faces, places that seemed familiar, and echoes of distant voices.But it all faded just as quickly, leaving Emory in a painful silence. She was stranded in an empty space where time seemed to stand still
There were two letters on Emory's desk, both from the same sender, the Gardeno Pack. One had arrived yesterday, and the latest had just been delivered by Sienna, perhaps five minutes ago.The arrival of the second letter immediately made Emory tense. Her anticipation flared and she quickly ordered Sienna to leave the study. She didn't want to risk cursing Jaxon while Sienna was still there. The contents of the letter from the Gardeno Pack were not what they had expected.At first, Emory shared Orlando's thoughts. The letter sent by the Gardeno Pack had to be related to the fire in the wheat fields. Logically, the Gardeno Pack would seek retribution, and war could break out at any time, considering the losses caused by the fire.But Emory was wrong. The letter didn't mention the Gardeno Pack's wheat field fire at all; instead, it touched on something she wished she could forget."Jaxon." Emory closed her eyes and held her head. "What exactly are you doing? What do you mean by sending m
It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining brightly and the air was crisp and refreshing. Added to this was the happy chirping of birds singing a lively tune. Everything blended together in a harmony that soothed the soul.Unfortunately, the beauty of the morning wasn't enough to infuse Jaxon with positive energy. He couldn't shake the tension that clouded his face, and Thomas Wells—the Gardeno Pack's watcher—noticed it clearly."Would you mind telling us what's been bothering you lately, Alpha?" Thomas asked politely as he pushed Jaxon's untouched breakfast plate away. "You seem preoccupied. Perhaps I could be of some help."Jaxon blinked once before letting out a long sigh, a reaction that confirmed Thomas' observation. Then he spoke. "In all my life, I don't think I've ever been unable to solve a problem that seems so simple."Thomas frowned slightly. "May I ask what's troubling you, Alpha? I doubt this problem is as simple as it seems, considering how distracted you've been l
No wonder I've been feeling more at ease lately. Despite the many issues she had to deal with, Emory felt a sense of relief as she absently rubbed her neck. So, I haven't been wearing Myles' necklace for the last few days.Emory wouldn't have noticed if Myles hadn't pointed it out. With so many pressing concerns, something as trivial as a necklace hadn't managed to get her attention. Besides, she didn't even like necklaces. The loss of Myles' necklace had not caused her any distress.On the contrary, its absence had become a hidden blessing for Emory. She was grateful. Without Myles' necklace around her neck, she felt freer. Her breathing came easier, her chest felt lighter and there was no lingering unease within her.Still, Emory wasn't going to ignore the subject of Myles' missing necklace. Not because she felt any emotional attachment to it, but because she wanted to avoid being bombarded with Myles' incessant questions. She was sure he wouldn't stop asking until the necklace was
Jaxon's heart seemed to stop when his phone rang that night. An incoming call from a new number appeared. A smile immediately formed on his lips. He guessed it had to be Emory."Hold on a second, Damian," Jaxon said as he reached for the phone on his desk. The latest report on the state of the wheat fields after the fire was no longer his concern. "I've got an important call."Damian gave a brief nod but remained where he was, silent. He said nothing, just watched Jaxon's behaviour, which made his unease grow.A possibility had recently disturbed Damian's peace of mind. His thoughts were restless, all stemming from the fire in the wheat fields. The Gardeno Pack had suffered considerable losses as a result of the incident, yet Jaxon had taken no further action.Damian had repeatedly brought up the subject of the fire, hoping that Jaxon would order him to prepare a plan of retaliation. But no such orders ever came. Instead, Jaxon showed no inclination to seek revenge. He often avoided d
Lacey thought something serious was going on. Emory's voice had sounded shaky when she had called earlier, betraying an uncontrollable panic. So, Lacey hurried. She rushed to Emory's office and received an unexpected order."We're going to the Lustre Lounge, Lacey."Lacey's brow furrowed slightly. She was confused but remained alert as she followed Emory who had already left the office. A few minutes later they left the palace.Confusion continued to swirl in Lacey's mind as they drove. She hadn't expected Emory to contact her so late at night just to go to the Lustre Lounge. Tomorrow was still a working day and, as far as she could remember, Emory's last visit to the place had left an unpleasant impression.Lacey still didn't know what had happened to Emory that night. She had been careful not to ask, respecting Emory's warning. But Emory's behaviour now only deepened her curiosity."I know you must be wondering about my behaviour."Emory's voice came out of nowhere, causing Lacey to
The heat burned Emory's face. Her cheeks flushed, powerless as embarrassment struck her like a bolt of lightning. She had never expected Jaxon to instruct Damian to greet her arrival.There was nothing wrong with Damian's behaviour—nothing at all. He truly respected Emory, and that was the problem.Emory couldn't think of any other reason for Damian's respectful attitude towards her. There was only one possible explanation: Jaxon must have told Damian something.Damn you, Jaxon. Emory cursed inwardly as the lift began to move. What exactly did you tell Damian that I don't see a trace of hostility in his eyes? On the contrary, he's being overly polite to me.For two werewolves from different packs who had been enemies for over twenty years, Damian's behaviour was completely unexpected. It left Emory with a flood of questions swirling in her head. It wasn't just the fact that she was being greeted, it was also Damian's extraordinary display of respect and courtesy towards her.Emory's c
As long as she had lived, Emory had never truly felt the world turning, but she felt it with Jaxon.It wasn't the first time. Emory had experienced it once before, on the night of the wheat field fire. At the time, she had convinced herself that the overwhelming sensations of pleasure and happiness that burst into her chest were related to the exhaustion she had been carrying all day. She'd felt so utterly drained that their intimacy seemed to awaken something far beyond mere physical relief.But Emory's assumption was wrong, for tonight, under the silvery glow of the moon, the same sensation returned—only fiercer, more consuming than ever. She realised it wasn't that simple. It wasn't just exhaustion driving her; it was something much deeper, more urgent. Her body wasn't acting on instinct alone, it was driven by a desire fed by the strange bond between them.Emory couldn't dismiss it as a mere rush of hormones. She was certain that no amount of serotonin, endorphins, dopamine or eve
It seemed that a false sense of calm had settled over Zyranos Palace lately. The usual silence and stillness that should have signalled peace had instead become a sign of tense anticipation. The atmosphere had been altered by the commotion surrounding Isidore, Trina and Myles. Everyone was talking about it, spinning endless speculation—and because of that, Emory refused to be caught off guard a second time.Emory had made this case her sole focus. She was going to make sure that not a single detail slipped through the cracks, because this wasn't just about her safety—it was about the entire pack. Trina and Isidore's actions weren't just a matter of deceiving her; they bore the signs of a betrayal of the pack itself.Emory needed the truth to come out. She needed to uncover the true motive behind Trina and Isidore's actions. Their claim that it was all for their own good sounded like a flimsy excuse. Her instincts told her that something much bigger was at play—something important enou
The grey clouds drifted restlessly, darkening the sky above Montclair Manor. They obscured the sunlight, casting an unnatural gloom.A cold wind blew, rustling the leaves in an uneasy whisper. Nature stirred as lightning streaked across the sky, breaking through the last line of defence.Raindrops began to fall. A drizzle tapped against the windows, its rhythm growing heavier with each passing moment. What started as a light mist sweeping the ground soon turned into a torrential downpour.The trees swayed wildly, their branches creaking under the force of the wind. A distant rumble echoed in the background—a harbinger of the approaching storm. The universe painted a bleak picture, one that Trina watched in silence.Trina stood behind the window, motionless. She had been there for some time, her gaze fixed on the rain, her mind a storm of thoughts. Voices, faces and events crowded her mind, sending a heat through her chest.Everything felt different. The atmosphere had changed, thick w
With firm strides, Pierce stepped out of the palace, carrying the turmoil with him. His mind churned relentlessly, a restless storm that refused to be calmed, even when the wind blew in a soothing rhythm.Pierce paused for a moment, tilting his head back. His gaze was fixed on the sky, now shrouded in grey clouds. It seems, he thought grimly, the rainy season is beginning.The realisation added another weight to his shoulders, another layer of pressure Pierce would have to deal with. He took a deep breath and walked on towards his car.There was too much to do, none of it could be postponed. Time was passing and Pierce had no intention of wasting it. So, he drove to the Guard Headquarters without delay, a wry thought in his mind—his plans for rest had been cancelled.Arriving at Guard Headquarters, Pierce headed straight for the command room. He paid no attention to the incessant activity around him—guards moving back and forth, security systems being monitored and daily reports being
The familiar sight enveloped the Zyranos Pack headquarters as usual. Activity was everywhere. Operations never ceased, even in the final hours of the night. Signs of work in progress filled the air—heavy footsteps echoing through the halls, the occasional creak of an automatic sliding door and the low hum of internal communications.The routine continued endlessly, and so did Pierce, who remained absorbed in his work, unaware that the day had already changed.Stacks of documents cluttered his desk, scattered across the surface. The holotable glowed dimly, projecting reports he had read countless times.Fatigue weighed on his eyes. Exhaustion struck, hitting him hard as a consequence of working late into the night.Pierce let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair, massaging the bridge of his nose. He tried to shake off the overwhelming fatigue."Damn," Pierce muttered to himself, realising that despite countless sleepless nights, he was still no closer to a breakthrough. "It's l
The exhausting days continued relentlessly. Time seemed to turn with a heavy rhythm that sapped all energy. Ironically, it wasn't the work or the pack business that caused this, but the unexpected things that kept popping up without warning.Lately, everything felt like it was spinning out of control. One shock after another came in a way that was far from pleasant. They disturbed Jaxon's thoughts and his peace of mind.Strange thoughts crept into his mind. They followed every step Jaxon took. They shadowed his every activity. They never let him go, haunting him with an endless unease.Jaxon took a deep breath. He tried to calm himself as he received the same report again that morning. "Well," he said in a low voice. "Still no progress on Rosalie's case?""Yes, Alpha," Alexis replied carefully. Her head bowed slightly as she explained. "Kira and her team are still conducting a thorough analysis. So far, Rosalie's condition remains stable, although there's been no significant progress
Kira took a deep breath before stepping forward and entering the cell, Alexis and Yvonne following behind her. The dim light cast faint shadows across her face, accentuating her focused expression. Her gaze remained fixed on Rosalie, who lay motionless, showing no reaction to their presence, except for the occasional unfocused blink."She's lost her neurological response," Kira murmured as she observed Rosalie's completely diminished state. "Is that what you meant, Yvonne?"Yvonne clicked her tongue quietly. "I'm not quite sure. But one thing's for sure, none of the methods we've tried have been able to bring her fully back to consciousness. It's as if she's caught between being awake and unconscious."Kira cautiously reached for Rosalie's wrist, searching for a pulse. "Her pulse is weak and her blood pressure has dropped. If this continues, her body could shut down completely.""Is that the effect of something?" Alexis asked spontaneously. "Could it be poison? Trauma?"Kira sighed an
"It seems that my suspicions were right. Isn't it, Myles?"The accusation hit Myles like a cold, jarring slap. His body tensed. His fingers dug into the arm of the sofa as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded. His chest rose and fell in an erratic rhythm as he struggled to suppress the tremors creeping through his body.Myles remained frozen under Emory's gaze. He could feel the sharpness of her eyes, slicing into him like a blade, peeling away his skin layer by layer. He wanted to look away, escape, or at least blink, but his body refused to obey. He couldn't move an inch. And so, he became the target of Emory's silent but crushing power.Cold sweat beaded on his forehead before trickling down Myles’s temple. His heart pounded violently, hammering against his ribs in a frantic, uncontrollable rhythm.Myles took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. But the more he fought for control, the harder it became to remain calm.Every passing second was merciless. Time seemed to
The morning hustle and bustle at the Gardeno BioResearch Centre was business as usual. Medical teams and researchers had been filling the corridors since dawn, moving from room to room according to tightly scheduled programmes embedded in the central system. Similarly, assistants hurriedly carried laboratory results, while medical assistant robots glided silently to deliver test samples to the analysis unit.In the midst of the constant activity at the Gardeno BioResearch Centre, Kira sat behind a glass desk covered with a holographic interface. She remained motionless, her attention completely absorbed by the results of Jaxon's medical examination.Several transparent screens floated in the air, displaying biometric data, neurological scans, metabolic tests and various other analyses. Everything was neatly arranged in spreadsheets, accompanied by graphical visualisations that could be accessed with a single gesture of the hand.Kira dragged one of the graphs to the main screen, displ
Emory's private audience chamber was silent—almost too silent—shrouded in a chill that refused to dissipate even though the day had long since turned to midday. The sunlight, usually blazing with intensity, could do no more than pierce through the tall windows, casting its glow on the grand pillars and gilded furnishings within.In the centre of the room stood Emory, her posture erect. Her arms crossed over her chest; her fingers curled into fists in an attempt to maintain her composure. But nothing could quell the storm raging inside her.Heat burned in Emory’ chest. Her heart pounded with rage. Her breaths were deep and measured, but only God knew how much effort it took to appear composed.The blank expression was merely a mask to hide the seething rage within. The calm facade was a fortress Emory had built to hide the tension coursing through her entire body. No matter what, she would not lose control—not in front of them."Luna, they have arrived."Orlando's announcement made Emo