~Ivory~I blink a few times, trying to process his words. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t sent just for Regina’s missions, but there was something deeper at play, something only the unseen knew. There was so much I was hiding from him, and I feared he was slowly lifting the veil, unraveling me bit by bit.Trying to divert the conversation, I stroked the horse while asking, “Do you miss her?” The question had always lingered in my mind. I wondered what was going through his head every day—does he think moving on would feel like betrayal to the soul tie he once shared with her?I glanced at him; his eyes held so many emotions I couldn't read. As the breeze picked up, he undid his bun, letting his hair flow wildly. I expected him to shrug my question off, but to my surprise, he spoke after a brief pause.“My Adeline.” He chuckled softly, his gaze distant, and I found myself smiling with him, my mind drifting to Riley. “She was a singer, the daughter
~IVORY~I could feel his worry radiating through the room, very visible in the tightness of his shoulders and the hurried gestures he made as he spoke. I found myself genuinely concerned. I watched him from the corner of my eye, careful not to make my curiosity too obvious, yet I couldn’t take my gaze away.I tracked his movements as he finished speaking with the man across the room, hastily making his way toward his chambers. “Excuse me for a moment, Maya; I need to do something quick,” Heather said casually and walked away in a hurry. “I'm staying here.” Riley smiled at me, yanking my arms as I smiled back at her innocence. “It's ok, Riley. I'm right here with you.” I nodded to Heather as I watched her walk away. My curiosity deepened, pulling me like a magnet. I wanted to understand what troubled him so much. I wanted to help, to somehow shoulder the weight he was carrying, although I knew how dangerous that urge could be. Espe
~Alpha Zeeb~I looked at her, bewildered by the mysteries she carried. Ever since I found her, I wondered how she got into my territory without any traces or links. And what baffled me the most is, I could sense lone wolves or rogues from across the border, so how on earth had she slipped past the guards and appeared in the withered meadow?I glanced at her profile, her scent overwhelming me as the wind picked up. She was indeed a unique work of art. Her beauty alone could bring gods to their knees.She licked her lips to wet them and furrowed her brows, lost in thought. It was a habit of hers I picked on when she was nervous, but instead of answering my question, she diverted it.I wasn’t one to force answers out of her, but I knew I’d get them in time. “Do you miss her?” she asked.My breath stopped momentarily. I knew who she was referring to, and my mind drifted to the past. Do I miss her? How was I supposed to answer that?
~IVORY~Swallowing back hard, I tried to avert my eyes from her, who, at the moment, felt triumphant. Why was I feeling hurt when I had promised myself I would never flinch over a man again? He wants Aurora, right? Then he should have her for all I cared. I turned sharply on my heels at the sight of her, brushing my hair through my fingers.“Where are you going?” she called out, a tinge of mockery lacing her voice.Without sparing her my time or giving her room for taunts, I headed back to my room. I didn’t want to attract attention or disrespect from her, knowing I wouldn’t take it lightly.Upon reaching my room I paced around, biting at my fingers anxiously, trying to steady my nerves, but it seemed almost impossible. Heck, I had never felt as restless as I did now. My mind drifted unconsciously to them. Was she in his arms, wrapped around his chiseled chest? Or maybe he is running his hands through her thighs.I blinked several ti
~IVORY~“What do you think about this? Is it a suitable gift for a woman?” His gruff voice cut through my reverie, catching me off-guard while pulling me away from being lost in his magical eyes.I blinked, noticing the object he was dangling in front of me. It was a pair of beautiful stone earrings.Was I guessing correctly? Could he be the Logan I’d heard so much whispers about? He didn't look anything like the wicked man from the rumors. In fact, the smile on his face carried a warm charm that drew me in effortlessly.“Oh yes, I think it’s quite an exquisite pick,” I replied, realizing I had been staring for too long. But I just couldn’t get over how ethereal he looked. He was the spitting image of the King.“Thank you. Have a great day,” he said, his smile broadening, revealing perfect, pearl-like teeth. Before I could reply, he turned on his heels, the scent of citrus and oakwood trailing behind him.I stood there torn. What
(Alaric’s POV)“No way, Alaric. What do you mean by deerskin? It’s wolf or nothing! Get that straight.” Valerie’s cheeks flushed red with rage as she paced around the room. “Do you want to make me an object of mockery? Is that your aim all along?”I sighed, pressing my temples, feeling the frustration seep into my voice slowly. “Ivory never gave me this much trouble, Valerie. But I can't say the same for you; you are always on my neck looking for trouble." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.Her lips parted in disbelief, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. I didn't even regret saying it, and the truth was that Valerie and I had been clashing more often than not. She is too stubborn, and not only as a wife but also as Luna, she challenged me at every turn, always pushing back on my decisions.“But you know that can’t happen,” she snapped while crossing her arms. My son cannot wear ordinary deerskin! He is th
~IVORY~Arghhh. I held my head, this can’t be. The world around me spun, their presence triggering something I thought I had long buried.Bind this vile woman! The memories of my execution replayed in my mind like a cracked cassette. My ears picked up a long, piercing sound. Alaric and his two men also stopped in their tracks. I recognized the other — Kaiden. “Ivory!"I heard someone call out. I didn't know if it was real or in my subconscious, and without waiting for a second, I turned on my heels, tuning out on any conversation and hurrying away.Tears blurred my vision as the sharp wind slapped against my body. It was too painful for me to handle, both physically and mentally. I didn’t know which one was draining me more.Branches sliced at my legs, but I ignored them, running straight to the beautiful meadow where the King had first found me.It felt too hard to breathe. I was heaving, trying to take in as much
~Alpha Zeeb~“What do you mean she’s gone?” I responded to Heather’s link as I shot to my feet almost immediately. How could she be missing within the fortified walls of this pack? It didn’t seem possible. My chest tightened as I charged toward Heather, the weight of anxiety pressing down on me. Careful not to draw attention to the situation, I forced myself to stay composed. This needs to stay low-key for now. I grabbed Heather’s elbow and guided her to a secluded spot where I was certain no one could overhear our conversation. “What’s going on, Heather?” She was restless, pacing back and forth. “I… I don’t know, Zeeb,” she stammered. “She said she was going to see Regina and promised she wouldn’t take long. But when I checked, she was gone. I’ve searched everywhere—it’s like she vanished.”“She must still be within the pack. Calm down Heather.” I said, mind-linking Jerome to stay low-key but help with the search.We disperse
~Alpha King Zeeb~“I’ll head in first,” Maya said, walking out of the balcony even before I could respond.As the balcony door closed behind her, I released a frustrated grunt and ran a hand through my hair, tussling the strands.She was pulling away, but not because of the kiss. No, the withdrawal that was evident on her face and in her scent wasn’t something that had just popped up. It had been there, brewing since the night we came to Father’s territory.What was going on?My wolf whined at the realization that I knew little about what was bothering our mate, and that, in turn, bothered me.I didn’t like Maya’s withdrawn demeanor, but could I really blame her? I wasn’t exactly sure what had been making her uncomfortable. So much had happened, and was still happening, and her attitude was… understandable.I had felt the frustration and stress radiating off her, but at the same time, the confusion in her scent and the way she tried so hard to put on a mask told me there was more.And
~Ivory~ I pulled away, shoving Zeeb in the chest to create some distance between us, my eyes wide as I turned toward the door. But… no one was there. We were alone, with the door slammed shut behind us as it had been when Zeeb first walked in. But that couldn’t be possible. I frowned, recalling vividly that Zeeb had indeed shut the door behind him when he entered. So, the only way the door could have opened was if someone else had come in. Which meant… An icy chill snaked down my spine as the possibility hit me that someone might’ve seen us kissing. I turned my gaze sharply to Zeeb. “Someone was here.” Zeeb frowned but didn’t respond immediately, as though he was trying to figure something out, most likely trying to detect who had been spying by the lingering scent in the air. But even for him, it seemed like a daunting task to tell, especially with so many guests at the party, scents flying around. But I wouldn’t deny the fact that he also had abilities far surpassin
~Ivory~My eyes flew open at the unexpected reveal.“R-Rendering them human?” I repeated, genuine surprise lacing my voice.Being a special Luna from the Legend was one thing, but possessing a power so unimaginable… that was something else entirely.My brows furrowed as I tried to digest the information I had just been given. I could feel their eyes—Zeeb’s, Vinita’s, even Dimitris’s—all fixed on me, watching closely, silently waiting.But for what?A reaction? A decision? A sign that I understood what this meant?Dimitris was the first to speak, breaking the silence that had stretched on longer than I would have liked.“This power… it changes everything,” he said quietly, his voice laced with both awe and caution. His eyes remained locked on mine. “You need to understand what you are now and what that means for all of us.”“What it means for all of us?” I asked. A second passed, and when no one answered, the silence became its own kind of response. Then, like a thread snapping loose i
~Ivory~ Confusion washed over me as I looked between Vinita and Zeeb, trying to understand what had prompted Vinita’s reaction and Zeeb’s words. The growing whispers in the room weren’t helping either. “Something special?” I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly. “What exactly are you talking about?” Zeeb’s smile remained, but from his eyes, I could tell even he was trying to wrap his head around the words he had just spoken. Nonetheless, he nodded and took a step forward, reaching out to touch me. It wasn’t intentional—more like an instinctive reaction to being thrown into the spotlight so suddenly. With all the watchful eyes on us, I instinctively took a step back, avoiding his touch. Zeeb’s face fell ever so slightly. It wasn’t a pleasant sight, and I felt the urge to apologize—to let him know I wasn’t avoiding his touch because I hated it but because I had been caught off guard, overwhelmed by all the eyes and whispers surrounding us. But there were more pressing matters
~Ivory~"We've heard so much about you. We're so glad to finally meet the famous Maya in person." A regal couple, whom Dimitris introduced as the Alpha and Luna of moonpack, extended their hands for a handshake, which I gladly took, accepting their greetings."Thank you very much for your kind words," I replied, still feeling awkward to be put under the spot. The Luna then proceeded to gush about my beauty."Everyone spoke of your beauty, but seeing you in person surpasses all expectations. You are indeed a catch." I gave a nervous chuckle as she continued, remarking on my pale skin and we fell into an easy conversation, the tension I felt earlier long forgotten. There was something about them that I found comforting. Another couple approached. I recognized the man from the assessment as a board member. Though we exchanged pleasantries, I sensed a subtle hostility in the way their eyes burned, the scrutiny, and the way they exchanged knowing glances between themselves, but I couldn't
~Ivory~I leaned into Zeeb’s touch. For a moment, I almost lost myself in his arms, everything fading into a blur around us—and that was what scared me. I was scared of losing myself yet again. I wanted to open up, to tell him about Mrs Nora and the visions I got, but I didn't know how. I didn't know where to start. So instead, I bottled it all up. “Please leave before anyone sees you here.” Instead, I pushed him away, afraid of confronting whatever this was. No matter the bridges I created between us, Zeeb always found a way to fill in the gaps.He was reluctant at first. I knew he wanted to oppose me, to challenge me, to say he didn’t care about being seen. It was right there, at the tip of his tongue, but he sighed, his shoulders slumping briefly before he nodded and placed a lingering kiss on my forehead.I watched him walk away. My wolf snarled at the back of my mind, crossed with me for ruining the moment with her wolf, but I couldn’t afford to entertain her shenanigans. Instea
~Alpha King Zeeb~ “So…” I trailed off, clearing my throat to gain Father’s attention. His normally hard features softened slightly, and I knew this was the perfect moment to finalize the discussion. No matter how difficult he was trying to be, I reminded myself that I was doing this for Heather. “About the mating ceremony…” His shoulders tensed instantly, a clear sign that this was a sore topic for him. He shook his head in disapproval before I could even finish. “We’ve been over this,” he said in a low, firm voice. This time, he fully turned toward me, his gaze sharp. “As far as I am concerned, no lineage of mine will be tied to bad blood, soiling our perfect generation. Derrick and Heather happening is out of the question, and that is final.” I clenched my fists, swallowing the fury bubbling inside me. Once again, Father was doing the same thing—dictating our lives under the guise of protection. I knew he had our best interests at heart, but his love came at a cost. I could
~Alpha King Zeeb~“Look who we have here.” Father’s voice carried the same quiet authority it always did, though his eyes never left the checkers board in front of him. He cleared his throat, tapping a red piece absentmindedly. “If it isn’t the almighty King himself.” He added, mumbling under him breath. I playfully rolled my eyes and exhaled, pulling my hands from my pockets. “Good day to you too, Father,” I said in a monotone voice, settling into the seat across from him.A ghost of a smirk played on his lips before disappearing just as quickly. Without looking up, he nudged a piece forward. “Your turn.”I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows, already recognizing the challenge in his voice. He was being his usual self—dictating the pace before I even agreed to play.He’d already decided we were playing before I even sat down.“I don’t recall agreeing to a game.” I grazed a piece, considering my next move. “…You always take the center first.” I completed, moving the pieces. Father smi
~Ivory~ What in the world is going on? I swallowed down my saliva hard, confusion twisting in my gut as I watched Mrs. Nora unravel completely before my eyes. “Nooo!!” she screamed loudly this time, her voice hoarse from sheer anguish, she pulled and tugged at her hair with frantic desperation, one which was unsettling. Her wide, unblinking eyes shimmered with terror as she twitched. “Bunch of liars… they are all a bunch of liars!” Her sudden outburst sent a shiver through me. Her wild gaze darted around the room as if looking for an escape before snapping to mine. For a moment, I swore she was looking right into my soul, searching for something, as if I were a piece of a puzzle she had long been trying to fit together. Something in the way she looked at me—like she knew me, as if she was seeing something beyond my flesh and bone. It sent ice through my veins. It was something more than just recognition. Almost like…. desperation, as if she were trying to reach me, to pull me into