[--Esmarie Cruz--]I sat at Martha's booth, working alongside her and spending the majority of the day helping to feed people. It wasn’t something I had expected to enjoy, but as the hours went by, I found myself actually looking forward to it. The rhythm of chopping, stirring, and serving felt comforting in a way I hadn't anticipated. The people who stopped by were all so kind, and their smiles after tasting the food made it all the more rewarding. Each compliment was like a small victory, and by the time the afternoon began to fade, I was proud of what we had accomplished. The booth was buzzing with energy, the air filled with the mingling scents of freshly cooked dishes. But underneath the pleasant hum of conversation and laughter, there was an underlying current of nervous excitement in me. The twilight ceremony was only a few hours away.I was both nervous and excited. It was my first time experiencing the twilight ceremony. The anticipation, the magic of it all, stirred somethin
[--Esmarie Cruz--]After the festivities of the evening, watching the vibrant fireworks and basking under the serene glow of the blue moon, Kaiser drove us back home. The ride was a quiet one, the kind of silence that feels natural after a long and eventful day. I felt a sense of peace, mixed with exhaustion and a tinge of happiness. The twins were snug in their car seats, their soft breaths barely audible but enough to remind me of their comforting presence. Kaiser seemed at ease as he drove, his usual stern features softened by what I could only describe as contentment.There wasn’t much to say between us, and the silence stretched comfortably. I found myself lost in the hum of the car’s engine, my thoughts wandering back to the festival. The glow of the moon, the music, the laughter of the crowd—all of it replayed in my mind like a pleasant daydream. Every now and then, I would glance at Kaiser, trying to decipher his thoughts, but his focus remained on the road, his expression unr
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I'm not entirely sure when Esmarie and I rounded off our conversation and made our way back into the house, but we did. It felt like one of those surreal moments where the world fades into the background, and for once, everything just clicks. I couldn’t stop replaying her words in my head, letting them wash over me like a balm to wounds I didn’t even realize were still open. The thought of being allowed to have a relationship with her—being given that chance—made something in my chest tighten in a way I wasn’t used to.It was all part of my grand scheme to seduce her, and it worked out well.Tch. Part of me wanted to punch the air, another part wanted to groan because I could practically hear my wolf laughing at me. There wasn’t some master plan to seduce her. I hadn’t been sitting around with a blueprint labeled Operation Win Esmarie’s Heart—but here I was, somehow making progress despite myself. Despite the universe actively choosing to expose all of my darkest
[--Kaiser Volkov--]Esmarie woke up a few minutes after I had been silently watching her. The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow over her face. Her eyes fluttered open, their deep hazel hue catching the sunlight in a way that made my breath hitch. I couldn’t help but smile as she stirred, her hair slightly tousled from sleep. She noticed me watching and blushed faintly, the kind of blush that warmed her cheeks and made my heart feel light.“Good morning,” I said softly.She returned my smile shyly, brushing strands of hair away from her face. Without a word, she slipped off of me, her movements careful and deliberate as if she didn’t want to disturb the serenity of the morning. Esmarie headed towards the nursery room next to her bedroom to check on her twins, her motherly instinct kicking in before anything else. I lingered for a moment, savoring the tranquility of the moment, then rose to begin my day.One day I would love for her to be sharing my
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I left her at the booth with Martha, as per usual, trusting the familiarity of their arrangement. Esmarie always enjoyed spending time with Martha at the festival, and the kids loved the bright colors and cheerful energy of the place. With the twins settled in and the day off to a smooth start, I excused myself, kissed Esmarie on the cheek- making her face turn red as she hadn’t been expecting me to do that, and made my way to the car. The hum of the festival grew softer as I drove away, heading toward the western gates.The wall came into view before long, towering and formidable against the landscape. Stretching as far as the eye could see, the wall surrounded the entire pack like a protective cocoon, standing as a testament to our resilience and determination to preserve peace. It hadn’t been an easy project. Three years of planning, construction, setbacks, and countless hours of labor had gone into it. But now, looking at its solid structure and the sense of se
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I wanted to stop by the festival for something to eat, but after dealing with the corpses and checking on the compound I was building to make some adjustments, I ended up contacting Elias instead. He had asked if we could meet at a bar situated between our packs. It wasn’t close for either of us—our territories are quite far apart—but over the years, we’ve identified a few neutral places to meet when necessary. One of those locations is a small town, though not the same one we’d previously used for drinks. This one was new, unfamiliar.Elias mentioned he’d be coming alone, which struck me as odd. Did he think I’d assume otherwise? Of course, he’d come alone—this wasn’t a summit or a pack meeting. It was just the two of us. He wanted to talk to me, not Scott or Berney, which only deepened my curiosity about the nature of this conversation.On the drive there, my thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected call.“Alpha Kaiser Volkov speaking. State your name and purpo
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I parked my car in the closest spot I could find, my mind focused on the promise of the beach. After a brief search, I’d located one just thirty minutes away from Mem. Stepping out of the car, I kicked off my shoes and let the soft, warm sand greet my bare feet. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled the air, their rhythmic roar blending with the gentle breeze, creating a calming symphony of nature.I thought about the face of the man I’d seen. Then I blew out a breath, the only thing I had left to tell Valeria is the abuse that happened at home. I think somewhere in my head there’s a quiet voice that reminds me that escaping hadn’t been easy since I was scared. I was trained to kill, trained to use my brain to pick out the best outcome of whatever orders I was given. But mentally I was weakened.Barry is.... a monster. There are criminals, and then there are monsters. My brother is a living example of that. But seeing that face reminds me of the
[--Kaiser Volkov--]“You know, I chose a bar to make you feel comfortable, right?” Elias’s voice carries over the gentle crash of waves and the chatter of people further down the beach. There about six of them far away from us, which gives us a sort of privacy to talk. He’s close enough now that the words are meant only for me.“I don’t drink that much anymore,” I say, watching the horizon instead of him.Elias scoffs, sharp and disbelieving. “Right. You’re going sober now?”A soft chuckle escapes me as I turn my attention to him. “I didn’t say that. I like drinking—I’m not giving it up. I just don’t drink every single day. I need to be sober for my festival.”That catches his attention. His eyes gleam with curiosity as he tilts his head, a practiced look of interest that makes my stomach tighten. “Right. That’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”I frown. “You wanted to talk to me about the Blue Moon Festival?”“Yes.” Elias hesitates, his lips pressing together like he
[--Kaiser Volkov--]The website was set up as a front to buy cupcakes, but they didn’t hide anything. The moment you scroll through the first page, you can immediately find a tag asking if you want information about me. There’s a place to leave reviews. I didn’t leave one; I know a good hacker. Unfortunately, that person happens to be Sam. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to talk to her again.I chucked that conversation up to tomorrow and brought my attention back to Elias. I rubbed my face, my head pounded. What else can I say to him? I want to hit him, over and over again, until there’s nothing left of him but a pile of pulp on the floor.“Get comfortable, boys. You’ll be sleeping here throughout the night.” I gave them my best smile before waving goodbye and leaving the room. They were still tied to the chairs, so this would be an uncomfortable night for them.With nothing else to do, I went up the stairs to my office. As expected, esmarie was wide awake. I should have asked her some
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I was pissed, I don’t think I can even explain what being pissed means. Someone is dying tonight. No, no, that is the wrong mentality. I pulled on the spare clothes Will had brought on and told him to go with Jackson to the hospital. That man did a good job defending the pack, so it is me... and some of the wolves who drove Elias and his men here.I had to count to sixteen to remind myself that violence is never the first option. Yup, that’s as far as my mind can go. I headed into the room where they were being held. I know Will is not happy with how bruised Jackson was but he looks alot better than these fuckers. I actually felt like I was about to laugh.“Give us some alone time, boys. Go back to your wives. Enjoy the rest of the precious festival. Then vet the whole place and everyone. I’m gonna find out how they got in here even if it means I murder a Domeros.”Elias cut me a glare but I wasn’t fazed by that stupid attempt to threaten me. The alphas didn’t argu
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I kept myself firmly between the two massive wolves, feeling the weight of their power pressing against the air. The energy crackled, sharp and threatening, like the moments before a storm unleashes.“Elias,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline racing through me, “you’re breaking the rules. You don’t step into another alpha’s territory without permission. So, here’s the deal—I need you to tell your men to stand down, right now, before Kaiser humiliates you by making you the newest bitch on the block.”Elias’s wolf froze, his molten gaze locked on me, calculating. The sharpness of his fangs glinted in the moonlight as his lips twitched into something between a snarl and a grin. It was clear he was considering my words, and weighing his options, but he was taking too long.The sound of approaching paws thundered through the clearing as more wolves arrived, their growls low and steady. The festival, after all, had drawn in more wolves than this territory had
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I made a split-second decision since none of the options in my head sounded right. I pulled out my cellphone, and quickly took a video of the Elias lookalike while he was still distracted before ducking into the nearest booth. Which turned out to be a photo booth, with a long curtain so thank goodness.I texted Kaiser the picture then I waited for him to call me. After five minutes I peeked out between the curtains. The Elias guy was still there. Looking at everyone. I took a photo before he could turn his head, then I ducked back in. This time I dialed kaiser.He’s a busy guy, I can’t expect him to look at every notification he gets.“I just saw your message. What the fuck is Elias doing in my fucking pack?”“I... don’t know,” I whispered.“I texted Jackson, he’s nearby. He will handle it. Where are you?”“I’m at a photo booth.”“Jackson will get you once Elias has been brought to me. Stay where you are. Don’t move an inch.”“Okay.”Kaiser hung up, leaving me in th
[--Esmarie Cruz--]The next few days of the festival went by quicker than I expected. The end of the first week was exciting, and I even won one of their games. I won two unicorn teddy bears for my children, the amount of freedom I felt being here was enough to silence the the nightmares that normally plagued my mind.And Kaiser, he was different. It was kind of scary how nice and charming he acted towards me. Today was like most days at the festival: lively. In fact, I think the number of people here has tripled. The second week was kicking off with a banger.Martha’s booth was closed today as she wanted to mingle and chat as much as she could with people. I walked around, tried some new food, and finally came across a booth I’d seen on the flyer: Ralph’s fortune-telling booth.I don’t believe in fortune tellers, but this could be fun. I bought a ticket and went in. The aura inside was .... strange if I had to be honest. It felt like I was walking into a whole new world. Someplace th
[--Esmarie Cruz--]After the speech, Kaiser stepped down from the stage, and the crowd around him buzzed with energy. The sun had set hours ago before he arrived, and the festival grounds were lit by warm, glowing lanterns that cast a golden hue over everything. It was the kind of night that felt endless, with laughter still ringing out in the distance and people lingering as if they didn’t want the magic of the evening to end. Kaiser moved through the crowd with ease, stopping to talk with some of the elders who had waited patiently for a moment of his time.I stayed back, watching him from afar. He had a way of commanding attention without demanding it. People naturally gravitated toward him, and he gave each person his undivided attention as if their words were the most important thing in the world. It was...endearing. And maybe a little infuriating. Why did he have to be so him? Ugh.I couldn’t help myself; my eyes followed his every move, like a moth drawn to a flame. The twins s
[--Esmarie Cruz--]The festival today was everything I hoped it would be—fine, entertaining, and so full of life that it made it hard not to feel swept up in the joy of it all. It was a day to forget everything else, to just breathe and soak in the energy of the pack as they celebrated. The music was loud and cheerful, drums beating in sync with the laughter and chatter that echoed through the clearing. The scent of roasted meats, freshly baked bread, and spiced cider hung heavy in the air, mingling with the floral undertones from the petals scattered all over the ground.At one point, someone pulled me into the center of a circle forming on the dance floor, and before I could protest, I found myself swept up in the rhythm of the music. The twins, who were strapped to me in their carriers, giggled and waved their tiny hands in delight. Their laughter was infectious, and soon I was spinning and twirling, letting the music dictate my movements. People cheered and clapped, their voices a
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I laid down on my couch, fully intending to just rest my eyes for a few minutes, but the exhaustion pulled me under faster than I could resist. It wasn’t a restful sleep—more like thirty minutes of uneasy drifting, filled with fleeting images and vague sensations that I couldn’t quite piece together when I stirred awake. My body felt heavy, as if the weight of the day, the festival I needed to make an appearance at later today, the note on my door, and my sleepless night were pressing down on me all at once. For a moment, I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the faint hum of the air conditioner and the muffled sounds of people moving around outside.Then my phone buzzed, the vibration cutting through the stillness and dragging me fully back into reality. I groaned softly, fumbling for the phone on the coffee table and squinting at the screen. Doctor Jacobs. The name blinked at me, and for a split second, I debated letting it go to voicemail. Bu
[--Kaiser Volkov--]Elias wouldn’t stop pestering me. Text after text, hour after hour, all asking for the same thing: permission to attend the Blue Moon Festival. The man didn’t just ask—he hounded, pleaded, and occasionally tried to guilt me, then insulted and threatened, as if I owed him anything. But the answer was always the same.No. I didn’t trust him, not with something this important, not with something this sacred. There was a reason I kept him at arm’s length, and his persistence only made him seem all the more suspicious. I could practically feel the tension behind his words, the kind of tension that made you wonder if someone was pushing a hidden agenda. Still, I refused. Firmly. Politely at first, then with less patience. Like telling him to fuck himself in so many words. Even the most cultured terms. Today marked day four of the festival, and if Elias thought I was going to crack, he was sorely mistaken.He couldn’t bully me about other things, so he should know better.