Rune.I thought I would feel a disconnect in my body when I stepped out of pack territory, but it felt the same way it felt yesterday when Soph and I snuck out for alcohol. There was nothing special about it. I hadn’t even realized we’d stepped out yet. I had to check to be sure we were out, and when it was confirmed, Kimi and I unconsciously let out breaths of relief.Our eyes met, and we chuckled. We hadn’t said a word to each other since we met at the pack house because I knew wolves. There was nothing that got past one wolf’s listening ear. Any talks about our movements would’ve been heard, and we would get caught and most likely be punished for trying to leave on the most important night the pack has had in decades. “We’ve overcome the hardest part,” I smiled down at Kimi, who nodded eagerly and looked up. “I feel the goddess is pissed at us for leaving tonight,” Kimi whispered and pointed to the sky. I looked up. Since I was born, I have witnessed all kinds of things that wer
Rune.I could not answer Alpha Kane’s question, and he didn’t seem like he cared for my answer anyway as he swooped me into his arms, slightly pressing my head against his chest. I was still shell-shocked from what had just happened and how I almost lost my life for the third time in less than a month. I let my body relax into the relief that flowed out of his body into mine—basking in the sweet, soft fabric of his coat that added to my comfort, although it smelled like him mixed with blood. The blood of the wolf he’d just killed.From the way his wicked eyes hardened when he looked at me a little over a minute ago, I knew he had a lot of things to say to me concerning my behaviour. I had disrespected his command to not leave the pack, and worse, I ended up in danger. But he showed up, once more like he’d been doing since our fates intertwined together on that one sunny morning. Zarah purred with a satisfied smile sitting on her face and dreamy eyes.Zarah’s behavior clicked a tiny f
Rune. My mouth hung open at the declaration as though it was my first time hearing about it, matching the shocked faces around me. Behind me stood the moon, clear and bright, announcing to the entire pack that I was exactly who they’d been waiting for: the Alpha’s mate.“That’s not possible,” a voice said from beside me. It belonged to one of the “chosen” females.“It can’t possibly be her. She’s a nobody,” she shook her head. I stared at her long black hair that framed her face, flowing loosely with the wind behind her. I had never seen her before; I didn’t even know her name, but she knew I couldn't be the Alpha’s fated mate. No doubt she had hoped it would be her, but then all the other females that stood beside me thought it would somehow be them. The other girls, Rachael included, made sounds of agreement, but all seemed to cease when Alpha Kane stepped down slowly from the altar, and his eyes glowed with a savage inner fire as he walked silently. I sucked in a breath and held
Rune.I found out days later that my training was by no means a punishment. The real punishment was Soph being so close and not speaking to me. I thought she was going through a rough time and needed some space on her own, but I found she was all smiles with Marian and even Kimi, who, by the way, was too excited to join me for the training. According to her, Alpha Kane had summoned her and told her that if she wanted to be by my side or live in the pack house at all, she had to do something about her weak bones. Soph was our trainer; she was strict and very strong. Those rumors about her started to feel true. She was rigorous and firm, barking out commands without a smile on her face, even when I cried out in pain. Marian and Kimi saved me that day. It was later revealed to me that the training had been to strengthen my body so I’d have enough stamina to perform a customary dance as an offering to Alpha Kane and the pack during the feast. It was right of Alpha Kane and Soph to arran
Rune.I told Zarah off after her absurd suggestion, but I couldn't help but think about it. I curled up in my bed, thinking about the possibility of succeeding at seducing him and birthing his heir. Would I really then be untouchable by him and everyone in the pack? Would I have the power to demand the release of my family? To be with them and make sure they live their lives as normally as possible? I sighed and turned.The problem was I couldn’t pull it off. Sure, there was a time or two we’d gotten close, and I felt aroused by him, his scent, his body. There was no way he felt the same. Asides from saving me– which I know he had only done out of duty to the bond we shared– there was no telling if he was affected by me in any way or form. His scowls were proof that he cared for me as much as Rachael cared for me. There was also the sickening feeling of deceiving him. I sighed and turned my neck to my open window, staring at the half-moon and stars-stained sky. There weren't as many
Rune.I woke up feeling well rested as though I had six hours of sleep when, in reality, I barely slept for an hour before the sun rose and it was time to head to the training room. The evidence of my lack of sleep sat in the bags under my eyes, which went unnoticed. It was the first thing Soph pointed out when we– Kimi included– gathered at the front door of the pack house as we’d been doing for the past days to go for training.Alpha Kane had been very opposed to Kimi sharing a room with me, so he assigned one of the lower rooms to her; it was on the same floor as the one I was locked up in and left to die a few weeks ago. Kimi loved it; she loved the idea of not sharing a room with anyone else, having a space of her own, and leaving at peace, where no bully could waltz in and give her a whacking she did not deserve. Her words, not mine. I waved off the questions and curious gazes, telling them my body hurt from all the workouts I had been doing. It didn't feel like the perfect t
Kane. “Say whatever is on your mind, or stop looking at me like that,” I frowned at Jett through the floor-length mirror. He was summoned to prepare me for the feast as was the custom, but Jett stood behind me with his arms folded and a sly smile on his lips while an omega did his job. “I have nothing to say,” he chuckled and shook his head. “But I just remember you saying something about never letting a certain someone bec–” “She’s not becoming anything!” I interjected before he could finish the statement. He held his arms up in mock surrender, and I shot him a glare. “The goddess chose her,” I mumbled under my breath because that had been my response a few nights ago when she bumped into me in the kitchen. My body wasn't the only thing she bumped into that night. The feel of her tiny body in my arms, right where she belonged, set me off in many ways that I disliked. Her warm gaze had watched me that night, brown eyes searching for some type of redemption in that night dress she
Rune. Making such a request through mind link to catch Alpha Kane off guard was a poor attempt at seduction, but it worked wonders. His eyes had widened briefly, probably at the fact that Zarah returned his access to communicate with me through mind link, or maybe it was because I had spoken in such a tiny voice, and it threw him off. Whatever the reason was, it worked; Alpha Kane kept his eyes on me while I readied myself for the dance. When the gong that indicated the start of my performance was hit, a sudden pressure overwhelmed me. It dawned on me that I had the eyes of nearly– if not all– the entire pack on me, others judging me, others out of pure curiosity. There I stood in the centre of almost all the wolves in the pack, some of which bullied me or said less than nice things to me, about to dance for them like a puppet. My heart hammered against my ribcage, matching the deep echoing sound of the gong. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was not going to give anyone
Rune. I stilled as I watched Kane fall to his knees, covered in his blood and others, and more flashes of my dream engulfed me.But things were supposed to be different. We changed our fate, he was supposed to save me and take me back with him to our territory, so why?I looked up to the sky, and the full moon stared back at me, but the more I stared at it, the more I felt as though it was coming to me. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain all over my body, and cracks as though my bones were breaking. “Zarah! What is happening?” I yelled out, but Zarah remained silent. I didn’t know what was happening until my claws began to lengthen, and white fur emerged from my skin, coating my entire body. “We are shifting,” Zarah finally said, “and I will end this!” She added and I watched as she lunged at Black, growling dangerously at him. “Rune!” He called out, but Zarah wasted no time in biting off one of his limbs, giving him no choice but to shift. We ran around the pack in search of my fathe
Rune. Black had arrived shortly after to show me to my room, claiming I’d have more time to talk with my father at dinner because he wanted me to rest since I was pregnant.I didn’t want to leave my father, but I was grateful for the solitude the room provided because I could finally think. I replayed everything my father said to me, picking out the most. My father was innocent, and he knew where my mother and sister were kept, which meant we had to be careful if we didn’t want to be caught. When my father said Black planned to kill him and force me to stay with him, I believed him instantly, because a person who could conceal his real identity to carry out various plans was dangerous and was capable of doing plenty of damage. Before we parted, my father had told me to find a way to contact Kane because he was the only one who could save us, but I doubted I had such skill. I had never initiated a mind link with Kane when we were in the same territory, talk more of doing so while
Rune. Black had suggested we visit my father, claiming that it would help me make a better decision; the decision to go to him. I was so confused, and numb that I couldn’t even cry or scream, instead, I sat stiffly on Black’s back, laying out my thoughts and thinking about what my next course of action would be. It was then I recalled my dream. My dream had some truths to it, like how I’d seen my father with Black, and some Elders, while the entire Shadow Moon pack was wiped away. “I know you’ve missed your father, so I knew this would warm your heart,” I heard Black say, but I was not bothered by him. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew I couldn’t do anything until I heard all the sides of the story, the most important side being my father’s.Black ran for a while and stopped at the border of territory nearly thirty minutes later. My brows knitted in confusion as I recalled that the nearest pack to Shadow Moon pack was Pearl Crest, and if I was right then that meant Bla
Rune. I woke to the gentle warmth of sunlight filtering through the small window of the cabin. Blinking away sleep, I stretched and sat up, realizing I was still in Black's cabin. The events of last night came rushing back to me—the unexpected reunion with Black, the cozy cabin, the little talk we had. However, when I noticed the sun shining brightly, I realized I had slept in and Black did not bother to wake me.Frowning, I slipped out of bed and padded to the door, intending to find Black and ask him to let me leave. To my surprise, he was nowhere to be found. A sense of unease settled in my chest as I searched the cabin, finding only silence and emptiness.Resigned, I located a pen and paper on a nearby table and hastily scribbled a note:Black,I appreciate your hospitality, if you’re reading this it means I’ve gone. I’ll see you some other time.Rune.I folded the note and placed it on the kitchen counter, intending to leave immediately. But as I approached the door, I realized
Kane. The night air was thick with tension as I returned to Shadow Moon Pack after my secret mission. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale silver glow over the familiar grounds that now felt haunted by the feeling that something was wrong, but I deduced that it was my finding that made me feel that way. My mind raced with the revelations from my short trip to Pearl Crest, where I found they were the ones behind the charms and wolfsbane plaguing my territory. On my way home, I had made plans of what I would do and how to go about ending that pack and everyone in it for good, but upon entering the pack house, I found Soph, Jett, and Kimi gathered in the living room, their expressions somber and troubled. My eyes swept over them, dread pooling in my stomach. “What is going on?” I demanded, my voice low and urgent.No one spoke for a tense moment, their silence deafening. "Where is Rune?" I repeated, my voice rising with each word.Jett shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze
Rune. “Black?”The cool evening air whispered through the dense trees as I stared at Black, my senses on high alert. Scanty rays of sunlight filtered through the branches, casting shadows on the forest floor. It was unusual to find anyone out here, let alone Black. He stood before me, tall and imposing, a smile in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"His smile widened, his eyes a mixture of relief and uncertainty. "I wanted to see you, Rune. I... I wasn't sure how, but then you appeared, as though the goddess herself guided you to me.""In Shadow Moon territory?" I raised an eyebrow, eyeing him warily.He nodded solemnly. "Yes. I had to see you."“What are you doing here though?” he asked, his eyes traveling up and down my body. I shifted uncomfortably in my tank top and black shorts. I ran out of the pack house without thinking and ended up leaving in such little clothing."I... I came out for some air," I stammered, feeling foolish.His gaze lingered on me, his expression unreada
Rune. A sigh escaped my lips when I no longer felt Kane’s presence in the pack; a dreadful feeling of emptiness settled in immediately, as though it was waiting for his departure. However, I had to wipe the sadness from my face when I headed downstairs nearly two hours later, taking note of the omega’s cleaning the pack house instead. Kane was away on a mission and I had a mission of my own; to track down the wolf sending those notes to me, and to make sure no one could tell Kane was gone.“Good morning,” An Omega greeted, making her way up the stairs.“Are you going up to clean my room?” I asked her, and she turned, long black hair swaying behind her before she nodded.“Don’t bother. Alpha is still sleeping,” I told her, pulling off the best nonchalant attitude I could muster so she wouldn’t suspect me, and thankfully she didn’t.Everything was going well, and no one came to ask if they could clean the room again, but it seemed our luck ran out when a group of elders came to seek K
Kane. “I hate to say it but her dreams bother me,” I said with a deep breath, “Especially when it shouldn’t,” I added, running my fingers through my hair.“Does it bother you because you think it could happen or because she’s the one who had those dreams?” Jett asked with a raised brow, and I frowned at him. We were lodged in his house, an hour after I had put my mate to bed. He had opted to drink, but I was more worried about the pack and Rune’s dream to indulge him, and now he was just trying to get on my nerves.“Are you crazy?” “Not quite,” he replied with a little laugh and I shook my head before I turned serious.“On a more serious note, I think I’ll have to visit the Fay soon, to hear more about this dream my mate had. I think we’re missing something very important here,” A sigh escaped my lips at the same time Jett nodded, taking a sip out of his alcohol right after.“If you’re making plans to see her, then that means you accept her? I thought you’d turn to your precious pri
Rune. “Talk to me,” Kane inched closer, staring intently at me. “I don’t know how accurate I am, or if this will mean anything to you, but I had a bad dream that the pack was set on fire, and a lot of wolves died.”My words were met with silence and Kane’s head hung low.“Did you hear me?” I tilted my head to search his face. “Fire you say?”I nodded. “I’m sure Soph has told you about the charms we found in the pack?” I nodded, patiently waiting for him to explain to me the relationship between the two things. “I’m forced to believe there’s a new pack targeting us, and they work closely with witches.”The seriousness of his words settled in and I found myself sitting up straight, my hands in his.“But what do you believe?”“I believe Pearlcrest is behind it. I mean it makes no sense that it’s a new pack because all the leads are somehow connected to Pearlcrest but yet, I’m being told something entirely different.”“Soph told me they are the ones with sightings of more charms?”H