When Scott woke up, he was already in a chair. His feet and hands were bound by chains, and they were silver chains because they burned his skin, and his body was tied together on a chair.Ciara was kneeling before him in a cage. Hands and feet were still tied to the handcuffs. Not a single strand of thread covered her body. And at that moment, Scott roared with anger. He growled and tried to break free from the damn chain.No one is allowed to see Ciara—his Ciara—in this state.“What do we have here?” hissed a voice, and a figure emerged from a dark corner of the room. It rose like a slender tree trunk in winter. “To think it was so easy to catch a werewolf,” he said. “So it’s true. Love makes anyone stupid, including werewolves.”Without needing to be told, Scott could deduce who this bastard in front of him was. He was the one who made Ciara’s life miserable, locked her up like an animal, and made her a guinea pig all her life.“Welcome,” said the man as he spread his arms, as if h
Blood-red lights flickered in the distance. Scott saw a flash of light as he leaped at Crane and smashed him against the bars of the cage. Crane groaned as Scott pressed against his chest, crushing his bones.His eyes were red as blood, his anger surging. He used all his strength, his hatred, to crush the bastard under his two hands.Crane was vomiting blood, but Scott didn’t stop. He continued to press Crane’s chest until there was no more cavity in it. Every sound of bone breaking was music to Scott’s ear, and when Crane made a strange sound, like a man was choking, Scott knew the bastard’s life was not long.“Scott.”He heard Ciara’s voice as if coming from a distance.“Scott, stop it. He’s dead.”Scott heard the clatter of chains, then a touch on his ankle. He looked down and saw Ciara trying to reach him. She was on all fours, one hand extended to his leg and her face up, looking at him.“Let him go,” Ciara pleaded. Her eyes trembled. “He’s dead.”Scott’s vision was momentarily b
The dripping water sounded like monotonous music, bringing a cool breeze through the open window.Ciara stared blankly outside, letting the raindrops wet the patch of floor under the window.Every time she blinked, she was afraid that this place would change and she would return to her prison. And she breathed a sigh of relief that it didn’t happen. No matter how long she closed her eyes when she opened them, she was still in the living room of Scott’s house.Upon returning from the horrific kidnapping drama, the main team gave her a long vacation from patrol. Even though Ciara said she needed to be out there more to relieve her anxiety, the team decided otherwise. And this time Ciara believes they took the decision under Scott’s influence.Three days had passed and during those three days, it had been raining non-stop. Sometimes the water flows down from the sky, along with the wind and lightning, sometimes it’s just a weak drizzle like this afternoon. It was the perfect atmosphere f
“Hayley.”Even though Ciara had expected it, she was still surprised at hearing Scott say the name.“How?” she asked. “How did she contact them?”“That’s what I would ask her.”Scott’s hands clenched at his sides. He turned his gaze to Sewell, who was staring back at him. Out of the three of them, he seemed to be the most shocked to hear that there was a traitor in the pack.“Take care of her until I get back,” Scott ordered Sewell. And Sewell immediately put away his stupid look, turning into a serious expression.“Yes, sir,” he answered firmly.“Scott, I’m coming with you—”Scott glared at her, and she stopped. “I’m not going to set you up with her, Ciara. Nothing good will happen if you meet her.”Scott’s words have a point. And Ciara did not find a gap to argue. But she wanted to know how Hayley contacted them.She knew Hayley hated her, but she didn’t expect Hayley to be that mean.“I’m going to make sure she can’t mess up again,” Scott growled.He looked at Ciara one more time,
Even though Sewell didn’t say it as blatantly as Vaire, Ciara could tell he was feeling bored.If she thought about it, even though it’s nice and clean, Scott’s house didn’t really have much to offer. He didn’t have a walk-in closet full of pretty clothes like Vaire’s, or a large swimming pool surrounded by chaise lounges with big umbrellas.Even the main base looks more interesting than this boring house. There Ciara could do many things and meet many people.All this time Ciara didn’t notice, because she was busy making love to Scott every chance she got. They don’t just do it in their bedrooms, but also in living rooms, on kitchen counters, and—“Hoam!” Sewell yawned really hard, then he covered his mouth while glaring at Ciara. “I’m sorry!”This was the fifth time he had yawned. Sewell had been playing on his cell phone for about ten minutes after they had talked about things related to the patrol team. Looks like he’s getting bored with his phone, too.Ciara felt sorry for him.“
The rain has stopped this morning.Yesterday, after a small commotion at Scott’s house that forced Ciara to destroy the living room, Silvercrest was in an uproar.Sewell, who was the first to come to the scene, immediately arrested Hayley and escorted her to Alpha’s house. Scott came soon after, made sure Ciara was okay, and repeatedly told her about the dangers that could come anytime and anywhere.Even so, Ciara was relieved that at least it was over.From Scott, she learned that Hayley and her family would be expelled from Silvercrest. And because of the incident that Hayley did to Ciara, the expulsion that was planned to be carried out next week was accelerated to the next day.All of the Silvercrest pack members emerge from their homes and gather in front of Alpha’s house, witnessing the expulsion of the Hayes family once and for all.Word spread quickly among the members, and now everyone knows what Hayley did to result in her expulsion.Hugh was still generous enough to ask the
Ciara was stunned.“My real… pack?” Her voice felt unreal, echoing in her chest and head. “What do you mean?”Actually, Ciara knew what Scott meant. She was just too scared to admit it. Because this is all so impossible to be true.All this time, she had been instilled in the belief that she did not belong to a pack. She was just a lone werewolf who had an unfortunate fate and ended up in the hands of a criminal organization.So when Scott said that to her, she couldn’t just believe it.“You know what I mean,” said Scott. “You come from a pack deep in the northern forest. A closed community. They don’t interact much with the outside world, so I know little about them.”Ciara stared blankly at the top of the bed. The sheets crumpled underneath, and the blankets piled at the foot of the bed became silent witnesses of her and Scott’s romance. And now those objects bear witness to one of the biggest realities in her life.Just a few minutes ago, she had felt happy and now her feelings wer
Scott’s car sped through the darkness in the early hours of the morning. Music was playing softly from the car’s speakers, humming Ciara’s favorite song, Hysteria.Ciara hummed, singing each of the lyrics at random while looking out the window. The flickering trees only looked like shapeless shadows.“I see you have memorized Def Leppard’s songs,” praised Scott.Ciara turned to look at him, flinching slightly at the sound of his voice amidst the layers of silence that floated over this old song.“Uh—yes.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced at the dashboard, where a faint blue glow glowed from the dial. She couldn’t hide her nervousness, and he must have noticed it.He reached out to hold her hand. “It’s gonna be fine.”Ciara let the warmth of Scott’s hand soothe her. She lifted the hand pressed it to her cheek and closed her eyes. “I’m scared,” she whispered. “What if they reject me?”“Don’t you already have a family in Silvercrest?”Ciara opened her eyes and stare
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