Senseless bickering. That’s what kept on Ciara’s head for several days. She didn’t know who was to blame and who had the right to be angry. One thing was clear none of them were willing to start the conversation or apologize.After that day, Ciara no longer saw Scott at home. He always went to the main base early in the morning when she wasn’t awake, and came home when she was asleep.But even in his anger, he always left a portion of breakfast for her and put it on the dining table. And even though she was mad at him, she still ate his food and smiled bitterly while looking at the kitchen and imagining him cooking.She missed talking to him in the kitchen.A week has passed. And today was the day of the Silver Blood Moon event.This morning, after eating the breakfast Scott had prepared, Ciara stepped glumly to the main base. The main team was in the office. She could hear them as she walked by. She resisted the temptation to come in and greet them just so she could see Scott’s face.
Hours have passed without Ciara realizing it. She was delighted by all these preparations and the hospitality shown by Vaire and her mother, Janine. They tirelessly chose several dresses for her, styled her hair, and tried on different shades of eyeshadow and blush that matched her skin and eyes.Her first experience with dressing up made her both excited and sore. She wasn’t used to staring for hours in the mirror and letting someone smear something on her face. But all that was worth it for her to do after seeing the results she got.After trying on several dresses and hearing from Vaire, Ciara opted for a two-tone gold sequin mini dress with low cleavage and puffed long sleeves. Janine made one big braid on the side of her hair and put it together into a messy low bun right at the nape.She spun in front of the mirror after her preparations were complete and Vaire and Janine held their breaths with amazed expressions.“Ciara, you look so beautiful!” cried Vaire, covering her mouth
Someone knocked on Scott’s door at seven in the evening. Scott, who was preparing to leave for the Moon Ashes territory, opened the door after putting on his T-shirt. He took a deep breath when he saw Godrick standing on the other side of the door.Godrick was carrying a bouquet and wearing a fucking black shirt. For the sake of the moon goddess, why was he preening for Ciara?Scott grabbed the bouquet and yanked it down. Godrick clenched it so that the bouquet did not fall to the floor, but still, the petals fell and scattered.“Hey, man. They have done nothing wrong to you,” complained Godrick while looking at the fallen flower petals.“Put the flower away,” Scott growled. He spread one hand on the door and gave Godrick an annoyed look. “Why did you come here?”Godrick arched an eyebrow, then looked past Scott, peering into the house. “To pick my date tonight. Duh.” He rolled his eyes. “You didn’t tie her in your room, did you?”Scott glared at him, and Godrick grinned mischievously
Music boom greeted Ciara and her friends when they arrived at the Silver Blood Moon event. Young people from several territories gathered in one place and all looked stunning in beautiful dresses.Ciara couldn’t stop gawking at the excitement of the event. Colorful decorations are affixed to the walls and corners of the room. Dim lights in blue, purple, pink, and yellow twinkled alternately to the same rhythm as the beat of the music.Vaire cheered and greeted some people Ciara didn’t know, then she introduced Ciara to them.“They are patrol team members from another pack. We met during pack joint training,” Vaire explained, and Ciara returned her with an understanding nod.After greeting and exchanging news with them, Vaire pulled Ciara to a table filled with food and drink. Vaire took a piece of chicken wing, placed it on a plastic plate, and handed it to Ciara.“Try it!” she shouted, offsetting the sound of the music that was now playing loud and making the partygoers scream in exc
Ciara had already poured down three glasses of booze, and now she can no longer walk straight. But she was happy, and she saw Godrick laughing with her while holding her arm so she wouldn’t fall.“You’re drunk,” Godrick muttered after the laughter died down and Ciara couldn’t stop hiccupping.A few minutes later her laughter turned to nausea. She covered her mouth and squeezed her stomach as she bent down, and Godrick stopped smiling at her. “I guess I have to stop you.”She shook her head. “No—” She stopped because she choked on spit. “I’m good.”Ciara grabbed another glass and was halfway through pouring the drink over her lips when Godrick caught her hand and took the plastic cup from her grasp.“Hey!” she reprimanded him and took Godrick by surprise. He frowned and put on a sour look.“You know what? You have to stop right now or we can get into trouble.” Godrick stared at her. “Not that I’m afraid of trouble. It’s just that Scott—” He cleared his throat and then mumbled other wor
The video Godrick sent kept bothering Scott. He couldn’t stop imagining that scene when a boy approached Ciara.What happened next? Why did Godrick leave Ciara unguarded so that no man would dare approach her?‘Fuck.’‘Language.’Scott didn’t realize he was voicing an expletive through a mind link, which let Burke and Maila overhear.‘What happened to you tonight, Scott?’ asked Burke.They were running at moderate speed towards the southern border, which separated the Moon Ashes and Silvercrest territories. There, they will meet with the Silvercrest routine patrol team and will share information about tonight’s security.“Nothing,” Scott replied. He couldn’t possibly tell the truth to either of them.But it seems Maila knows more than he thought.‘What else? I bet he was thinking about her. Ciara, I mean,’ said Maila. And Scott heard a low growl of laughter from her and he returned it with a growl of annoyance.‘You should’ve asked her out,’ said Burke.Scott grunted at the sound of t
Scott’s feet moved one by one, stepping closer to the wolf before him. She looked very familiar. The way she moved, the smell, the way she stared at him.Scott recognized her everywhere, and there was a temptation he couldn’t resist.The bond that had connected them for a long time.Mate.Under the silver-red light, the wolf moved closer to him. They were like shadows moving in a rhythm, approaching each other. And as the distance grew closer, Scott found a pair of bright blue eyes that always haunted his nights, appeared in his dreams.‘Ciara.’Her scent was many times stronger tonight. It was so intoxicating and made him want to embrace it and inhale it deeply.His heart was pounding, making his chest tight. His blood was roaring, rushing swiftly through his veins. His wolves rebelled, forcing him to make her his.And that was exactly what he really wanted to do right now.The light flashed and the air pressure changed around them as they returned to their human form.Ciara looked u
Scott didn’t want to rush it, but he couldn’t wait to get a taste of Ciara, either. He wanted to devour her, but he didn’t want this night to end just like that. He wanted to make every second meaningful, to make sure that nothing was missed, and that there were no regrets. Scott wanted to explore every inch of her body, not wanting to miss a speck of her skin.Ciara lay beneath him. Her eyes widened, blinking, long eyelashes shadowing her cheekbones. She wasn’t smiling, but her expression was so innocent that Scott couldn’t control himself. As her glossy pink lips moved and parted slightly, he grabbed her and stiffened when he heard her sigh.He held his body with both hands so as not to pin on her. His legs straddled her body beneath him.“Scott…,” she called his name in a half-whispering and half-sighing voice, and that was so fucking sexy. Damn, she drove him crazy.“What is it, baby?”Ciara raised her hand slowly and pressed her fingertips to his cheek. “Tell me it’s not a dream.
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