Time never healed Ciara’s hurt. Each day gave her heart a fresh wound because every morning she had to wake up and see Scott. He avoided her and didn’t talk to her, and the happiness she felt before now turned to pain.She had been training with the rest of the patrol team and she was making rapid progress that made Scott’s friends smile. Even Maila was a little soft on her, though she still frowned whenever she spoke to her, and never smiled when she greeted her.The friendliness that the people of Silvercrest had slowly shown lightened her heart a bit, though not by much. That was enough for a start.And Ciara knew not everyone in this place could accept her. For example Hayley and her friends.“Bitch,” muttered a girl named Bianca, one of Hayley’s closest friends, when Ciara passed in front of them.One of Hayley’s friends even deliberately extended a leg for Ciara to trip over, but she dodged at the last moment and she didn’t fall. This led to mutters of annoyance and derision tha
Scott towered behind Bianca and looked at them one by one.This was on purpose, Ciara thought. As if Scott hadn’t tortured her enough by having to see his face every morning and night, they were even on the same sub-team.“From now on we are in the same sub-team,” said Scott. “I hope you can work together and I don’t want to hear any more team members whining to be transferred to another sub-team.” Then he looked at Bianca. “If you do it one more time, I’ll kick you out.”Bianca nodded obediently, though she didn’t look happy with the decision. She walked over while grumbling and stood next to Vaire.“We will be patrolling the north border area. There are two shifts overnight, and we get the first shift. We will carry the patrol out for three hours and after that, we will exchange with other sub-teams.”Everyone nodded, understanding Scott’s explanation.“Any questions?” he asked.Vaire raised a hand. “What if there is an attack? What should we do? Should we call in reinforcements?”“
‘Where are you?!’ Ciara shouted while running towards her arrival.‘Help me!’ was all Bianca had been saying. She sounded scared. Seemed the situation was very dire.Ciara nearly collided with Scott while sliding down the ridge. She yelped, and Scott nodded. They both ran towards the caves on the cliff, beyond the pine forest. It was quite dark there, moreover the clouds had just passed and covered the moon.Scott lifted his snout in the air, smelling Bianca, and Ciara tried to do the same. But instead of finding what she was looking for, she found another scent. And all her fur bristling with horror.The same scent she had inhaled most of her life.They are here; she thought. They had found her.Her wolf felt the panic, and fear build up inside her, and the calm she had enjoyed earlier, the control she had had over her wolf, was gone in the blink of an eye.Ciara growled loudly and dashed past Scott, into the dense forest, following her keen sense of smell. Their smell became more pu
“I’m immune to silver.”Burke looked at her like Ciara had just made a bad joke.She shrugged. “I know that’s hard for you to believe. But that is the truth.”“How can you be immune to silver?”She turned her head, her view slightly obscured by a strand of her hair. “Sorry, but… I can’t tell you. I just want to talk about it with Scott.”“I assume Scott didn’t know about it yet.”Ciara nodded.“Are you planning to tell him this?” he asked again.Actually, she didn’t plan to say that. But since Burke already knew, and sooner or later Scott would too, she had no choice but to say it.“Yes.”“I hope you say it as soon as you meet him.”“Sure.”Burke was about to leave when Ciara stopped him.“Burke,” she called.Burke turned to her. “What?”“Don’t tell anyone about this,” she begged. “Please.”Burke stared at her expressionlessly, and Ciara didn’t think he would approve of it. But he said, “Sure,” in a casual tone and walked away.Ciara stayed where she was until everyone left the post.
Anxiety crept all over Ciara’s body when her steps brought her back to Alpha’s house for the second time. She had a feeling that whatever talk that was about to happen would definitely not be good for her. But she had no other choice but to obey the order, because she was an eyewitness to the terrible events on the territory’s border.Scott repeatedly calmed her down, but the words he said didn’t make her anxiety go away.“Ready?” Scott asked as they reached Hugh’s study door. Scott held the door handle and looked at her.Ciara raised her gaze to him. “I have no choice,” she muttered.Scott pursed his lips. “I know. Hang in there, okay?”She nodded, and he opened the door.Inside, Hugh, Gordon, and several other werewolves that Ciara had never seen were waiting for her and Scott.“When they said you were badly hurt, I thought they were kidding,” Gordon said. He stood up from the chair and greeted Scott, giving him a manly hug while gently patting him on the back.“I’m not badly hurt,”
Someone knocked on the door, and everyone’s attention was diverted. Ciara was discouraged from speaking. Scott walked to the door and opened it, then she heard Burke’s voice.“Sorry to interrupt your meeting,” Burke said. “But I want to report something important.”“Not now.” Gordon sounded annoyed. “You can come back later.”“Beta Gordon,” Hugh called out to Gordon in a tone of rebuke that was subtle, but enough to make Gordon realize he had no right to command members of the pack as long as Alpha was with him.Gordon shut his mouth, and Hugh stared at him for a moment before looking at Burke.“What is it, Burke?”“It’s about the rogues. And I bring you Bianca and Hayley.”“Why are you dragging Hayley into this? She has nothing to do with it!” Gordon widened his eyes and pointed at Burke, but Burke said nothing. It was Hugh who reacted to Gordon’s attitude.Hugh got up from the chair and growled at Gordon. “If you can’t shut your mouth, then I have to ask you to leave this room.”“Bu
Ciara and Scott returned home, mentally and physically exhausted. But they didn’t have much time to rest. Burke had scheduled each member of the patrol team to assemble later that evening, conduct briefings and increase the number of members on each sub-team. The main team also wanted to emphasize to each member not to run away when they encounter an enemy, even though they are at risk of facing death.“What a shame what Bianca did,” Scott muttered as they walked into the house.Ciara didn’t dare to comment on Scott’s statement because she was just an outsider. She didn’t want to pretend to be the wisest and most meritorious after what she did. What was on her mind right now was the question of what punishment Bianca would receive for neglecting her duties.“I’ll cook,” Scott said, walking into the kitchen.Hearing that made Ciara jump in front of him, stopping his steps. “Stop!” she screamed, stretching her arms to her sides.Scott arched an eyebrow as he looked at her. “Something’s
“Wh—what?”Ciara thought she heard wrong until Scott repeated his words. “I will break off my engagement with Hayley.”This was heartening news, at least for Ciara, but she didn’t know what response to give. Jumping for joy is certainly not one of them.“Why?” That’s the only thing she could ask after a few moments of awkward silence.Scott turned off the stove. “I know I don’t love her,” he muttered.“Then why are you engaged to her?”“Because I need her to become an Alpha.”She didn’t understand what he meant at all. “I don’t get it. Why her?”He stared at her, long enough to make her legs limp. “My father is about to step down as the Alpha and I should have taken his place. But he made a condition for me to have a partner, a Luna, and only then he would give me the Alpha position.”“That’s... that was shocking.”“Which one?”“That you’re engaged to Hayley, but not in love with her.”He chuckled. “Really? Then you’re the only one surprised at Silvercrest.”“What do you mean?”“Come
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