ELIJAH“I told you I’m not leaving without you. And I won’t let you go down that path. You are not a monster, so stop acting like one!” She growls in my mind. I stand on my paws. “Shut up! You don’t even know me!” “I know that Rena wouldn’t accept this. Do you want her to look at you the same way your mother did?” Her words snap something in me and I lash out at her, kicking her on the flank. She did not anticipate that move and is thrown across the room, her large body hitting the wall. “Elijah!” Joshua growls at me in anger. “What the fuck, man?” I don’t listen to him and head straight towards Theon who is trying to crawl towards the door near to him. I won’t let him get away. I charge at him and he yells in panic as he sees me. But a figure blocks my path and I stop as I realize that it's mom who’s standing between him and me. “Please,” she pleads, tears glistening in her eyes. “Please let him go.” A tear slides down her eye and the fear in her gaze makes my heart squeeze pai
VERENAThe familiar facade of the Moonlight Pack estate looms large in the fading light, a comforting sight that eases the ache in my chest. From the moment I have left the Iron Claw Pack, my gut has been in tight knots. I don’t know why but I have a bad feeling crawling inside me. Elijah. Since the moment he has marked me, I can sense his emotions strongly. Even when I’m away from him, I can sense him in me. Why is it all so painful? My chest tightens in worry but the sight of my home eases it for the moment. It hasn't been too long since I have returned home, and as I drive up the winding driveway, a wave of nostalgia washes over me. Once again, I feel safe. My heart races with a mix of excitement and apprehension. I step out of my car, the cool evening air brushing against my skin. “Luna!” Norton and Kyla walk over to me. Norton greets me. “It's good to see you again, Luna.” He bows and I am shocked to see a small smile on his face. Norton barely smiles and he hardly shows any
VERENA“Really? You haven’t sent it to me.” I say and start checking my messages to see if he sent me the audio. He shakes his head. “I haven’t. Since you said you’ll come here, I decided that I’ll show you the recording in person. Here…” He pulls his phone from his trousers pocket and taps on the audio that’s sent to him. “Listen to this.” He says, his voice filled with a grave seriousness. I take the phone and plug it into the nearest speaker. A voice, cold and calculating, fills the room. Its a male voice. “Hope you got to hear your precious mate’s voice. I’m sending this to inform you that this is just the beginning. Soon, the Moonlight Pack will be burning to the ground. Your daughter will have to die. A celestial wolf’s death will be the biggest downfall for your entire pack. Hope you are prepared for it. The game has begun.” I take a sharp breath and stare at the number on the phone. “Is this…Regef?” I ask and look at dad. He seems zoned out as he stares ahead into the spa
VERENA“But how can she be kidnapped from the packhouse? Ruth doesn't step outside the packhouse very often because of her health. There’s tight security around the pack.” Dad says and I hum. Then where is she? I shift into my wolf form and run through the forest. Fifteen minutes later, I reach Carlisle’s pack borders. The guards there recognize me immediately and let me in. I shift back and meet Carlisle at the entrance of his house. “Did you find anything so far?” I ask as we both head to Ruth’s room. “The last time she was seen in the kitchen. You know how she is. She loves to cook. But that was nearly one hour ago.” He replies and I frown. “Who saw her? The kitchen staff?” I ask. “No, it was Gareth.” “Your beta.” I mutter. I enter Ruth’s room and go through her stuff. It's strange. Everything is its place. The clothes are there, her shoes and accessories, her medicine. Nothing is out of place. Then how? “We are looking for her throughout the pack,” Beta Gareth’s voice catc
VERENAI don’t know if I should tell Carlisle. Elijah’s real identity needs to be kept a secret. He might not support it if he learns that he’s a Shadow wolf. “I don’t know. We are figuring it out.” I mutter and take a sip. Carlisle stares at me for a while and I can tell that he does not believe what I said. But he does not push me any further. “Did you find out where Dory is?” I shake my head. “Not yet. But I have a feeling that if we find Dory, we’ll find Ruth too.” He frowns. “You think the Ashwalkers are behind it?” I shrug. “Anything is possible at this point.” “But I don’t understand. Why Ruth?” He asks. “No idea. Dory was kidnapped because she was considered the weakest among us. Maybe Regef wanted to do the same to you.” I look at him and he frowns. “That is a possibility. Ruth became a target of the Ashwalkers when they attacked.” His eyes lit up as if he realized something. “Is that what it is? Were they targeting her from that point on?” he asks and my eyes turn wi
VERENA“Where is Irene?” I ask, my voice trembling. The receptionist points towards a hallway. “Ward 3B,” she replies. “Thank you.” I hurry down the hallway with Drake. As we approach the ward, I can hear the faint sound of voices. I hope she’s alright. I push open the door to Ward 3B. Irene is lying on the bed, her face pale, her eyes bright with defiance. Joshua sits beside her, his face etched with worry. An assuring smile plays on his lips when he sees me. I notice that he’s also injured, a bandage wrapped around his arm. “Are you okay?” I ask, my voice filled with concern. Joshua nods. “I’m fine, he replies, his smile fading. “But Irene…” I turn my attention to Irene, my heart sinking. “What happened?” I ask, my voice trembling. Irene shrugs, a wry smile playing on her lips. “Looks like hospitals suit me,” she jokes, her voice weak. I ignore her attempt at humor. “How did this happen?” I press. Joshua sighs. “We met Theon in the Shadow Den,” he explains. My eyes widen i
VERENABut we don’t discuss our plans with the rest of the staff of the packhouse. Then who would know where we are going or what we are planning next? “I’ll tell Elijah to run a thorough checking of the members that work with us. If someone is working for them, then we need to know it fast.” I mutter and look at the door. “Where’s Elijah?” “I don’t know,” Irene says. “Josh has been here but I didn't see him when I gained consciousness.” “He’s hurting,” Joshua says with a serious face. “I don’t think he’s in a good mental state right now. You should talk to him. He’s in the packhouse.” I frown. Why didn’t I sense him in the packhouse then? “Alright.” I head back to the packhouse and walk up stairs. I open the door to the kids room and find them sleeping . Venus makes a few sounds while she’s in a deep slumber and Ezra’s clutching a drawing book in his arms. I step inside, keeping my steps as light as possible and slowly pull out the drawing book from Ezra’s arms. He stirs a lit
ELIJAHA few hours ago…The hospital waiting room is a blur of white walls and sterile furniture. I sit there, my mind reeling from the events of the past few hours. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t feel any pain from the wounds that I got from fighting with Theon and his men. But now it hurts like a bitch. It feels like someone has ripped my skin open. “Elijah, you should get treated,” Joshua speaks beside me as he takes a seat. I don’t look at him and stare at the white wall across me. “I’ll be fine,” I say in a stubborn voice. He sighs and the door to the ward where Irene is admitted swings open. The doctor steps out. Both Joshua and I get up. He approaches us with a calm, stoic face. “There’s nothing to be worried about. She will be fine. We have drained the poison out of her system.” I frown. “Did it affect her body in any way?” I inquire. He shakes his head. “No. The poison wasn’t that harmful. It's more like a sleeping drug. We use it on patients when we need them to b