Chapter 59: Unspoken TensionsHana stood alone in the castle gardens, her gaze wandering over the trees and flowers she had once admired. The air was still, the birds chirped softly, but inside her, everything felt unsettled. Jarrel had been summoned for a meeting with the Elders in the Council, leaving her with nothing but her own thoughts. Despite the beauty surrounding her, Hana’s mind churned, filled with questions and doubts she couldn’t seem to escape. She had tried to find peace in the stillness, but peace eluded her. It had been days since the tension at the party, and though Jarrel’s presence had soothed her at times, the unease from her people’s disdain remained. She didn’t feel like she belonged, no matter what Jarrel or anyone else said. They still saw her as an outsider—someone to be mistrusted and not to be respected. And she couldn’t entirely blame them. Hana took a deep breath, the crisp morning air filling her lungs as she stepped deeper into the gardens. The solitu
Chapter 60: The Meeting Of The EldersThe council chamber was filled with the usual suspects: elders with faces as craggy and cold as the stone walls surrounding them, seated in a half-circle around the large oak table. In the center, Alpha Jarrel sat, his broad frame taking up the entirety of the stone-carved chair. His golden eyes gleamed under the flickering candlelight, cold and unreadable as he stared straight ahead, unbothered by the heated discussion that raged around him. The Elders were losing their composure, their voices growing louder, as if they believed volume could sway the Alpha’s decision. But Jarrel remained silent. He was never one for unnecessary words. He did not care for their opinions, nor for their whimpering protests. His decision had been made the moment Hana asked him to free her people. It had been made because she was his mate, and no one—certainly not these self-important, aging fools—would question him on it. “She’s nothing but a prisoner!” Elder Kolri
Chapter 61: The Garden ConfrontationThe corridors of the castle felt colder than usual as Jarrel walked through them, his mood dark and brooding. His steps echoed off the stone walls, the weight of the recent events pressing down on his mind. He had left the elder’s chamber in a storm of fury, but now all he wanted was to see Hana. Her presence, despite everything, had a way of calming the tempest that constantly brewed within him. He had asked one of the servants about her whereabouts, only to be told that Hana was in the garden, speaking with the remnants of her pack. The mention of a fierce banter made his jaw tighten. He could imagine what they had said to her, how they had torn into her, their hatred for him undoubtedly poisoning their view of her. His wolf stirred with unease, irritated that she had been left alone with those who despised her. Jarrel pushed open the large doors leading to the garden and stepped outside. The air was crisp, the morning light filtering through t
Chapter 62: Jarrel’s DarknessThe vast, opulent room was shrouded in shadows, the flickering candlelight casting eerie shapes on the walls. Jarrel lay alone on his king-sized bed of a grand oak, his posture rigid, as if the weight of his own darkness had crystallized into a physical burden. The cool night breeze whispered through the slightly ajar window, bringing with it the distant, mournful cries of the night creatures. Yet, the room was still, save for the rhythmic ticking of a clock on the wall—a cruel reminder of the passage of time and the heavy price he had paid for it.Jarrel tossed in his sleep, his face contorted in a grimace. The sheets were tangled around his legs, damp with sweat. His breathing was ragged, each gasp a struggle to escape the nightmare that gripped him. In the darkness of his mind, he was relieving his past—a hellish landscape where agony and fear were the only constants.The scene unfolded with haunting clarity. He was a child again, back in the cold, sto
Chapter 63: Torn Between Two WorldHana sat alone in the quiet of her nicely decorated garden, her knees drawn to her chest, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the sky met the distant mountains. The air around her was still, the morning sun was barely lifting above the trees. It was too peaceful for how chaotic her mind felt. Inside, she was breaking apart piece by piece, the weight of her conflicting emotions pressing down on her like a stone tied to chest.Her thoughts kept circling back to her people. The survivors. The ones who had stood before her only hours ago, faces twisted in anger and disappointment. Their words still echoed in her mind, sharp and venomous, each one a danger aimed at her heart.“You’re a traitor, Hana. A coward.”She had tried to speak, but the words had stuck in her throat, choked by the undeniable truth in their accusations. What could she say? How could she possibly defend herself when she had no idea what she was doing? She was the one who should have l
Chapter 64: Shadows of GuiltThe castle hallways were empty, save for the flicker of torches casting long, distorted shadows across the stone walls. Jarrel stood before a window in his private quarters, staring out into the dense forest that surrounded his kingdom. His reflection stared back at him in the glass, dark eyes brooding, his jaw clenched with tension.He hadn’t been able to shake the nightmare. Every time she closed his eyes, the past clawed at him, dragging him back into the dark corners of his already messed up mind where his father’s voice still echoed, cold and unrelenting.“You are my weapon, Jarrel. You will do as I command, no matter the cost.”His father’s words were burned into his memory, spoken with the icy conviction of a man who knew no mercy. Jarrel’s fists tightened as he turned away from the window, pacing the length of his room. He could still feel the sting of the lash against his back, the sting of his father’s disapproval for showing even a hint of hesit
Chapter 65: The Desperate SearchThe silence in the castle was unnatural, oppressive. It suffocated everything, thick and heavy like a storm that refused to break. Jarrel stood in the grand hall, his fists clenched at his sides, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. He stared at the large doors that led out to the courtyard, the air around him crackling with barely restrained rage. She was gone.Hana had run. No one had seen her since she walked out of the garden. No one knew where she had gone, or how far she had gotten. Jarrel’s pack, usually so vigilant, had failed him. They had let her slip away. Behind him, Magnus stood near the fireplace, eyes red-rimmed, his shoulders slumped. His guilt was written all over his face. He had been tasked with keeping an eye on Hana, with making sure she stayed within the castle’s walls. But he had failed, and the weight of that failure was crushing him. “I’m sorry, Alpha,” Magnus whispered, his voice barely audible. His hands were tremblin
Chapter 66: Hana’s Escape The wind howled through the dense trees, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and pine. Hana crouched low, pressing her back against the rough bark of a towering oak, her heart pounding loud enough that she feared it would betray her. She had been running for hours, maybe even days, though the passage of time had blurred. Her lungs burned with each breath, but she wasn’t ready to stop. She couldn’t stop.The bond that tied her to Jarrel tugged at her, a faint pull in her chest that made her want to turn around, to return to him. But she fought it, the memory of her pack’s accusations ringing in her ears. Coward. Traitor. They had spat at her, looked at her with such disgust that the guilt had settled in her bones like a sickness. Hana wasn’t sure if she was running from them or from herself. Her body trembled, partly from the cold seeping into her bones, but mostly from exhaustion. She hadn’t slept properly since she fled the castle. She couldn’t. Every
Chapter 161: Epilogue II: A Legacy of Love and Power The forest was alive with magic. Silver moonlight bathed the clearing, casting an ethereal glow over the gathered pack members who stood in awed silence. The air hummed with energy, a perfect blend of anticipation and reverence. This was no ordinary night. This was the wedding of two Alphas—an event that would forever mark the union of strength, love, and destiny. A ceremony that was held in the borders of SeaHowl and MoonLight Packs—a symbol for a united pack. Hana stood at the edge of the ceremony circle, her heart pounding with a mix of nerves and exhilaration. Her gown, spun from silken fabric that shimmered like the night sky, flowed around her like a dream. Intricate patterns of wolves and moons were embroidered in silver thread along the hem, a tribute to her lineage and power. Her long hair was adorned with a delicate crown of woven flowers, their soft fragrance mingling with the crisp scent of the forest. She felt
Chapter 160: Epilogue: Beneath the Endless Stars A year passed in a swift blur, and yet for Hana and Jarrel, every moment together was carefully etched in the timeless landscape of memory. Hana had taken over the role of an Alpha and they had rebuilt their lives with dedication, each morning a fresh start, and each evening a quiet promise renewed under the glow of a full moon. Now as they sat on the hill overlooking their land, the same land they had once fought to protect, they found a peace that neither had ever imagined. Hana lay nestled beside Jarrel, her head resting on his shoulder, fingers entwined with his as they looked out over the valley. The gentle hum of their pack moving about below filled the air, the sounds of laughter, chatter, and life blending into a beautiful harmony. Hana’s heart swelled with a joy that had replaced the scars of old. “Do you ever think about how far we’ve come?” she asked softly, her voice almost lost in the cool breeze that swept through
Chapter 159: A Promise and a Coronation Jarrel paced in his study, the anticipation swirling around him as he glanced toward the open window, where the first light of dawn hinted at a new day. His thoughts kept returning to Hana, her courage, and the path she had walked to bring the two packs—SeaHowl and Moonlight—closer together. He could hear the distant sounds of preparation from outside—the servants bustling about, the echo of laughter and chatter as SeaHowl and Moonlight members mingled. Today would mark a new chapter, one where Hana would be officially named Alpha Moonlight. But there was something else, a deeply personal step he’d waited for: proposing to her, this time on her terms, out of love rather than destiny’s pull. Magnus entered quietly, holding a small, ornate box in his hand. Jarrel looked up, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety flickering across his face. “Is that it?” Jarrel asked, his voice betraying a rare nervousness. Magnus grinned and handed him the
Chapter 158: The Reunion Under the Moonlight Jarrel stood in the castle’s open courtyard, his gaze distant as he stared up at the shimmering night sky. The moon hung full and bright above, casting a silvery glow over the garden. Beside him, Magnus stood patiently, watching his Alpha with concern. It had been months since Hana left, and while Jarrel had done his best to maintain a stoic demeanor, Magnus could see the cracks in his armor. “Don’t you think it’s high time you pay a visit to Hana, it’s been three months already, Alpha Jarrel,” Magnus said, his voice barely above a whisper as he feared for Jarrel’s reaction. Since she left he had found a way to bury himself in his study, attend meetings, and discuss the progress of the pack. After all the day's facade, after putting a fake smile for the pack to see, Magnus knew he still retired to Hana’s room at night to cry his heart out. Magnus waited for a response but didn’t get one, there was silence. “Maybe you stopped thin
Chapter 157: A Moment In the Stars for Us The meadow lay bathed in the golden hues of late afternoon, the sun’s rays filtering through the towering oaks at the edge of the clearing. A soft breeze stirred the wildflowers, carrying with it the faint, sweet scent of lavender. Hana stood at the edge of the field, her breath hitching as she took in the sight before her. Jarrel stood in the center of the meadow, his back to her, the light catching in his dark hair and casting a faint glow around his tall figure. For a moment, she hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest. This was real. He was real. As if sensing her presence, Jarrel turned. His green eyes locked onto hers, and the gentle smile that spread across his face was like the breaking of dawn. Without a word, he extended his hand, an unspoken invitation. Hana stepped forward, the soft grass brushing against her bare feet. She felt her nerves melt away with each step until, at last, she reached him. She slipped her hand into h
Chapter 156: Down the Childhood Memory “I don’t understand, uncle,” Hana replied, her voice quiet like the sounds of the water flowing by. Hana stood in silence afterwards, her uncle’s words echoing in her mind, refusing to settle. The man she was mated to—Jarrel—was her childhood friend. The revelation still struck like a cold blade to her chest, slicing through the layers of time and memory. “You’re wrong,” Hana whispered now, her voice trembling. Her fingers dug into her palm as if anchoring herself in the present. “It can’t be him. I don’t even remember his face.” Her uncle, a seasoned wolf with years of wisdom etched into his stern features, leaned forward. “You don’t remember because your parents forbade you from seeing him. They wanted to protect you from… from a bond they didn’t trust—A Sinful Bond. But Jarrel never forgot you Hana. He was there that night.” “That night” hung heavy in the air—unspoken but understood. The night her family was slaughtered. The night her pac
Chapter 155: The Return to MoonlightHana took a steadying breath as she stepped into the heart of the Moonlight Pack’s settlement, her hands clenching and unclenching by her sides. The familiar sights of her old home greeted her—the pack houses, the training fields, the watchtower stretching toward the sky like a sentinel over the pack. It had been two years since she’d last stood here, and yet very detail was as vivid as the day everything came crashing down.She had spent the previous day together with her uncle, Elder Bart. It was her uncle that opened her eyes and mind to the truth, it was her uncle that told her that her love with Jarrel was not an abomination. And now they were in the center of the pack to meet with the surviving members of the pack. It wasn’t long before the pack members arrived, one by one, troops by troops. Murmurs rippled through the cries as they gathered, eyes filled with a mixture of shock, curiosity, and, to her surprise, a hint of guilt. Hana’s return
Chapter 154: The Alpha’s ResolveJarrel sat in the leather chair at the heart of his study, eyes unfocused as she stared at the stacks of papers on his desk. He’d been here for hours, long before the afternoon sun had even considered taking over the sky. The heavy silence of his study felt oppressive, as if each dark corner of the room held fragments of his thoughts, and all of them pointed back to her. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to look away from the window where, barely a day ago, he’d watched Hana leave. With a sharp intake of breath, Jarrel shuffled a pile of documents closer. Pack alliances, supply chain logistics, wolves deployment schedules—his duties were endless, enough to drown any other man in work, but Jarrel found no solace in them. The tasks felt hollow, devoid of meaning, as if every line, every number was merely an echo in his empty heart. His gaze drifted up, flickering to the intricately carved bird flute resting on the far side of the room. He hadn’t dar
Chapter 153: Return to the Forgotten Hana took a slow, tentative step into the heart of Moonlight territory. She felt as though she was stepping into place suspended in time, untouched by the years she’d been away. A familiar ache bloomed in her chest as her eyes traced over the trees, the old buildings, each stone and patch of earth seeming to carry the echoes of her past. A gentle breeze rustled through the branches, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. Memories rushed to her like waves crashing against the shore, each one louder and clearer than the last. She could see herself, a younger version, running barefoot down the worn paths, laughing as her mother chased her, her father’s warm smile waiting as she stumbled into his arms. Hana’s breath hitched, her vision blurring as the weight of those memories pressed down on her, heavier than she’d expected. It had been two years—two years since she’d seen this place, her home. Yet, standing here now, it felt like she had never