Meeting Hugh to say that Ciara was his son’s mate was something she could never imagine.She was a rogue, not an ideal type to be a Luna, and her terrible past still haunts her. She felt unworthy to be with Scott, he was practically the star of his pack, and one day she had to stand beside him to rule Silvercrest.The hatred and rejection of the pack members was a nightmare that she wanted to avoid as much as possible.But when she saw Scott’s expression after he delivered the news, she couldn’t help but feel guilty toward him.Because Scott… he looked happy.His brows shot up as he finished conveying the horrible thing. Then his lips curved into an almost perfect crescent moon.Ciara gulped. “And… what exactly should we do when we meet… your father?”He was stunned at her question, then he chuckled while placing one hand over his eyebrow. “Are you afraid my father will force us to break up, baby?”His other hand slid smoothly down her arm, then stopped on her waist and, with one jerk
At last, the incident at the joint training had been resolved and Ciara’s innocence had been proven.But that didn’t mean she returned to Silvercrest feeling at ease.Along the way, her stomach somersaulted over and over again, and she was feeling dizzy. She asked Scott to open the car window so she could inhale the fresh air.“Better?” Scott asked. He looked worried, even though Ciara thought Scott would laugh at her for feeling panicked.She shook her head. “Not at all.”He reached out and pressed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Do you have a fever? Are you feeling nauseous?”“You think I’m sick?” she asked.“If not, then what?” Then his voice trailed off, and he glanced at her before looking back at the road. “Are you nervous? I told you that my father can’t kick you out.”“That’s not the case.” She ran her hand, looking for her necklace pendant, then squeezed it. The locket now felt warm from the sun as she stood long enough in the courtyard half an hour ago to say goodby
“Hayley, open the door!”“Go away!”“Oooh, baby, please! We need to talk!”“I said, get away from me!”There was the sound of something hitting Hayley’s closed bedroom door, then the sound of glass shattering as it hit the floor.“Leave her alone,” Gordon told his wife, squeezing her shoulder.Esme tugged at Gordon’s shoulder to release his grip. “How could I leave her alone while she was crying like that!” she shouted at him.Gordon took a deep breath. “Come on. She will come out when she feels better. You can cook her favorite meal while you wait.”“This is all your fault!” Esme pointed at Gordon. “If only you were firmer and immediately urged Scott to perform the bonding ceremony with Hayley, they would be inseparable partners by now!”Gordon clenched his fists at his sides, refusing to accept Esme’s accusations that cornered him. “That girl is Scott’s mate! You know there’s nothing we can do about it!”“Yes, there are!” Esme argued. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot with rage and c
Hearing Scott say that name gave Ciara chills.There were no fond memories with them, Nova was an exception, and Ciara hoped not to hear that name again for the rest of her life.It divided her heart and mind in two.She wanted to avoid everything related to Blood Dawn, but on the other hand, she wanted to know who they really were and what they had been doing to her.“Do you have to go?” she asked. She felt anxious for Scott. Even though she knew almost nothing about Blood Dawn, she could sense that they were dangerous and she didn’t want anything bad to happen to Scott.They just discovered the fact that they are mate. And it feels like they’ve just been enjoying their relationship for a little while. Ciara didn’t want everything to crumble like sand that slipped from her hands.Ciara was afraid that the happiness she felt now was like a fantasy that she could never achieve.She knew nothing would last forever, but she hoped that at least she could live the beauty of life longer tha
Ciara got the first shift patrol scheduled for the northern border. It was a place where she had encountered rogues.Anxiety still haunted her as her feet brought her there. Even though the incident had long since passed, she always felt wary whenever she headed to the northern border at night.This time she was on patrol with two new patrol members named Margo and Deck. Then there were the two senior members, a man and a woman, named Andre and Abigail.Margo was only fifteen, looking shy and innocent, with her red hair in two braids and freckles on her nose and cheeks. Despite her timid nature, she was a fairly good fighter and had a pleasant manner.Deck was a year older, but he acted like a new teenager looking for attention. All the way to the northern outpost, he repeatedly pulled Margo’s braids and made fun of her freckles.“I know you like Margo, but that’s not how to attract girls,” said Andre, after they’ve all let Deck have his way for about half an hour.“I don’t like her!”
When Scott drove to the alliance headquarters, he was already prepared for any possibilities. Except this.Fire blazed in part of the headquarters building and thick black smoke billowed, making the clear sky above look somber.Fire engines sprayed water through hoses and people swept by, carrying the injured.Scott intercepted one of the staff who was supporting his friend, who had a burn on his arm.“Hey, what happened?”“We are under attack.”“What?” It was a shock news for him. As far as he knew, alliances and werewolves rarely had any major enemies that would make them have to endure attacks like this. Their only enemies were rogues, and sometimes vampires, who like to make trouble. But nothing serious.“Who dares to do it?”The staff shrugged. “I don’t know.” Then he walked towards the ambulance nearby.There are several hybrid creatures at work here. They are the descendants of werewolves and humans who can not heal themselves. The two staff members earlier were an example.Sco
The file is named Werewolf-specimen 001.Scott’s hands shook as he hovered over it and pressed the cursor button to open it.He was unprepared, and his heart jumped as the file opened as if a sinister image had popped out of the screen and pounced on him.But of course that didn’t happen. There were only letters and some graphics, but they still horrified him.This organization kidnapped Ciara from her pack when she was one month old. They purposely created chaos in the territory to divert attention, so that no one noticed when Ciara was kidnapped.And since then Ciara has lived in Blood Dawn’s custody.With pride, they wrote in admiration for the healing abilities of werewolves. They did several ‘small experiments’ on baby Ciara to find out how far the healing ability was.Scott paused and looked away from the screen. He couldn’t read any further, at least it took him a few minutes to continue.He couldn’t stop himself from imagining the figure of Ciara, the baby version of her, goin
It was a trap.They had purposely made everyone on the Silvercrest patrol team think that the northern border was safe, and somehow they could predict that only Ciara would guard there.But Ciara couldn’t think now because she was surrounded and not sure if she could survive.Ciara growled and let her wolf take over.She started to attack the nearest werewolf. He incapacitated it in a matter of minutes, after which she switched to the other werewolves. Everything seemed so easy that for a moment Ciara believed she could escape and went to find help.She was concentrating so completely on the fight that she couldn’t use mind links, so the only way was to get out of the gap and run towards the nearest border.The werewolves that surrounded her from the other side realized that Ciara had defeated her opponents and now a way out was open for her.Without waiting any longer, Ciara ran there and, in a few more steps, she would arrive at the fork.Ciara had foreseen it all. Or so she thought
Ciara’s hand, which was gently rubbing Scott’s arm, fell limp upon hearing that. “What are you saying? What’s that supposed to mean?” She couldn’t think. She didn’t know what filled her mind right now. It was as if her brain’s functionality had been hindered, and she couldn’t draw conclusions from the reality Scott revealed. “Nova...,” Ciara murmured, uttering the name with confusion. “You... and Nova...?” “Yes. We’re siblings. Nova is my brother. A brother I never knew I had.” Ciara covered her mouth with both hands. It was too impossible to be called a coincidence. Nova had indeed mentioned that Silvercrest was the pack where her mother came from, but Ciara never imagined he had a blood connection with Scott. “I was as surprised as you when I found out about it from my mother,” said Scott. He shook his head. “It turns out my sibling has been looking out for you, Ciara. She saved you, my mate, from hell.” Ciara didn’t know why she stood up and walked to the riverbank, but she
There’s a nook beneath the cliff they had passed earlier. A stretch of white sand extends along the river with clear water as emerald as gemstones. An expanse of forest stretches on the opposite bank of the river, and there’s a large shady oak tree right next to the nook.Ciara sighed in amazement at the sight. A perfect place.“This is just the beginning,” Scott explained. There was a hint of proudness in his voice. “Wait until nightfall, and you’ll witness something much more beautiful than all of this.”Ciara furrowed her brow at Scott’s explanation. She was curious. “What’s going to happen?” Then she looked at the sky and remembered the expanse of stars in the Moon Warriors’ territory. “Are we going to see the stars?”“More than just that,” Scott murmured. He winked, and Ciara’s heart trembled at the sight.Scott led her into the large nook near the oak tree. There, he invited her to sit on the sand. He stretched out his legs and looked towards the river.“This is the perfect plac
“I was looking for you,” Ciara replied. “Louis came to me and Godrick, crying. He said you were missing, and he was terrified.” Ciara looked Margo up and down. “But seems like you’re okay. What actually happened?”Margo’s face appeared flushed. She bent her knees and hugged them, placing her chin there. “I... I’m okay,” she murmured. “I just wanted to... disappear for a while.”Ciara sighed. She took a seat next to Margo and sat with her. They both gazed towards the river. “What happened?” Ciara asked. “Will you tell me?”Margo picked up a stone near her foot and threw it towards the river. “I—this is embarrassing,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure I can tell you.”“Tell me. I won’t judge,” Ciara assured her. “And whatever happened to you is important. Just like you, I won’t take it lightly.”Margo stared at Ciara for a while. “I... I actually like Deck.”That wasn’t surprising. However, to spare Margo’s feelings, Ciara feigned astonishment. “Oh, really? Since when?”Margo sh
“But I’m not done,” Ciara said. “I still have to train them until later this afternoon with Godrick.”Scott frowned upon hearing her mention Godrick’s name. “Who schedules your activities?”“We schedule them together.”“If there’s a rescheduling, I won’t allow you to be paired with Godrick in anything.”Ciara could only roll her eyes and choose to ignore Scott’s protests. His jealousy was entirely unfounded.“What time will you be finished?”“At four in the afternoon.”“Then we’ll meet at home later in the evening, okay?”Ciara nodded, closing her eyes briefly. Scott leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “See you later, then.”He waved and walked away. Shortly after Scott left the main base, Godrick opened the office door and approached Ciara. “I’ve been peeking through the window, waiting for him to leave,” he grumbled. “He’s really annoying.”“Don’t you act like that toward your partner?”Godrick looked surprised at Ciara’s question. He blinked and then shook his head. “Me? Do you
Ciara waited patiently, but after their meeting with Mila, Scott had yet to fulfill his promise to take Ciara around. Until now, she didn’t know what the continuation of their plans regarding the couple’s ritual would be like.“Ciara, watch out!”Something rushed towards her and almost collided with her. Swiftly, Ciara jumped to the side, avoiding the attack and successfully saving herself from the onslaught of an uncontrollable wolf.They were having a routine competition among patrol team members, and now it was a match between Deck and a new member named Louis. The one who had just lunged at Ciara was Deck.After the match ended, Deck ran over to Ciara.“I’m sorry!” he exclaimed, bowing. “I didn’t mean to attack you!”Godrick walked behind him and pressed the young man’s head. “Bow deeper,” he commanded, pushing Deck’s head further down, almost to his knees.“Godrick, stop it,” Ciara said, glaring at Godrick.Godrick gave her a grin and released his hand from Deck’s head.“You were
Ciara concluded her story with a smile. She wiped away her last tears that evening and stroked the grave marker of Nova, bidding him farewell.“We’ll visit her occasionally,” Scott said.They walked side by side, Scott embracing Ciara, and Ciara hugging Scott around the waist as they headed towards the car.“That day... I don’t know what would have happened to me if it weren’t for you finding me,” Ciara reminisced, as the car drove away from the cemetery.“You would have become a captive for sure. They would have tortured you or even killed you. A rogue is one of the pack’s archenemies, and there is no mercy for those who dare to trespass into our territory.”“But you spared me.”“Because my wolf forbade me to harm you.” He glanced through the corner of his eye. “I guess our wolves have a strong instinct about each other.”When they arrived at Silvercrest, a stack of tasks awaited them.For the next few weeks, Ciara and Scott were occupied with their respective activities. Scott was p
That day was the day Ciara basked in the sunlight. She wasn’t truly outdoors, as she had always dreamed, but in a glass-roofed room revealing the blue sky and sunshine. As usual, Nova was with her.Today, he didn’t bring anything, but his presence beside her was more than enough to make her happy.“Do you like being under the sunlight?” he asked as they both sat in a patch of warm golden light.She looked up and raised her hand, shielding her eyes from the brightness. “Yes. The sun and the sky become refreshing colors to my eyes. They are something special.” Then she gazed at him. “You must see them every day, right?”Nova didn’t answer immediately. He just stared at Ciara with his gentle gaze that always made her heart race. “Yes... I see them every day to the point where I take them for granted.”Ciara smiled faintly. “In that case, we have a different perspective on what’s special.”Nova nodded. He then lifted his face and made the same motion as Ciara. As they both lowered their h
And imperceptibly, days had passed. Ciara had fallen under Nova’s charm, and for the first time, she listened to and obeyed someone in that place.Ciara didn’t interact much with people here, and none of them caught her interest. They seemed gloomy with stern faces and rough behavior. But Nova was different.Her heart raced every time he appeared. There was a fresh and calming scent about him that could mask the unpleasant smell of the cleaning fluids she despised. He always smiled whenever he entered her room, bringing new things to show her every day.Today, he brought some new items she had never seen before. She thought they might be tools for a series of tests.But it turned out they were called a television and a VCD player.“We’re going to watch a movie,” Nova said, followed by his usual sweet smile. “Have you ever watched a movie?”“Are you mocking me?” Ciara replied curtly.Nova laughed. “Sorry.”A few minutes passed, and Ciara sat quietly on the bed, observing Nova setting u
“Nova came to the place one day after the bad guys took liters of my blood and tested various types of bullets to shoot into my body.”Ciara started her story about Nova.*It was a rough day, just like any other day Ciara spent in that horrible place.She hated everyone there and her wolf was at a peak of rage, which she could not control. Every few minutes, someone injects a large dose of anesthetic and attaches a special device that renders her immutable.As the drugs and devices took effect, her vision became blurry and she could only hear voices around her. They spoke in stretched tones and it was as if they were talking underwater.The anesthetic reaction lasted only half an hour at most. Her self-healing ability makes the effects of the anesthetic fade quickly. And when she came to her senses, she heard someone speak angrily.“What did you guys do to her?!” the man exclaimed. “She could die if you treat her like this!”Then another person answered the anger with the phrase ‘thi