Rune.I blinked my eyes into focus, but I was plagued by darkness. It was only after a few seconds when I felt a certain pressure wrapped around my head that I realized I’d been blindfolded. Adrenaline shot through my system, and I felt a tingling in my chest as panic settled in. My head felt heavy and memories fuzzy, trying to make sense of where I was and why I was in such a state. I tried to lift my hands to pull the fabric used to blindfold me from my eyes, but I realized my hands had been bound so tight the fabric dug into my skin. I let out a shaky breath as a sudden, overwhelming sensation of dread overcame me. I’d been kidnapped, and I was tied and blindfolded. There was only one outcome to it: my kidnappers were going to kill me, and I would die without knowing my crime, without knowing why some wolves thought my life was not worth a thing and why it was so important for me to be removed from the earth. “She’s conscious. Thank fuck!” A familiar voice yawned, and my body
Rune.Doc didn’t kill me. Yet. Although, he tried.After my outburst, he wrapped his fingers around my neck, choking me and cutting my oxygen supply. I truly felt like I was going to die and contemplated begging for my life, but I didn’t because it was all a mind game. I was scared, but I couldn’t show them I was scared, or they’d treat me far worst than they did. My time as a servant taught me that much. Back then, I felt guilty and thought I had to take the insults and maltreatment to pay for what my father did. The more pathetic I was, the worse they treated me. Not again. Even after Doc released me–thanks to the other wolves that reminded him that killing me was not the plan–I still felt threatened by the parting gaze he shot me that I refused to eat everything they offered. They agreed it would be their loss if they killed me because it meant they would have a lesser chance of reaching their goal. But I was not convinced.It was my third day in captivity–or at least I believed
Kane.“Shh, don’t let Alpha hear you. You know how he’s been since the news,” a wolf whispered outside my tent. “I’ve never seen him so angry before,” a second wolf sighed. My brows drew together in a hard frown. Weren’t they aware I could hear them?“I heard it’s been a hassle dealing with him. Last night, he even choked the commander until he fell unconscious. That kind of rage is out of this world,” the first wolf said.“I just hope she returns in one piece, or else he will burn down everything in his path,” the first wolf said and other wolf sighed. Their retreating footsteps followed after. Jett cleared his throat and folded his arms. “Such a nice reputation you have, Alpha, don’t you think?” I gritted my teeth but said nothing, pacing back and forth to the calm, the storm brewing inside of me. It had been eighty-two hours since my mate was kidnapped and twenty hours since I sent for her rescue—against my judgment, as I wanted to go myself, but Jett strongly advised against
Rune.Kane pulled me into his lap almost immediately, cradling my face to his chest, whispering to me that I was fine and I didn’t have to worry about anything. He was right; I didn’t have to worry about anything because he was with me. I felt safe with him; the relief that flooded my body at perceiving his scent was enough proof, but I couldn’t stop the tears that poured from my eyes. I was overwhelmed by everything that had happened in mere days. I’d had a few near-death experiences, and each time I was saved and recovered, I always thought it was the worst thing that could’ve ever happened to me, but this was it. My body was weak, I could barely move, and I’d lost Kimi; I ran until I fainted, after which I woke up in Black’s arms. I found out last night that Mystery Wolf had a name, and it was Black. The escape was not easy. It would’ve been impossible if Black had not made a difficult decision, which I was against but didn’t have the time to protest.
Rune.My fluttered open and shut them immediately. Rays of sunshine infiltrated the room, and it was too bright. I tried the second time, making sure to keep my eyes open for them to adjust to the brightness. I couldn’t tell what time I fell asleep or how long I slept for, but I know I did so on Kane’s body. However, when I looked around, I was met with an empty cold bed and tent. Kane had never been into extravagant decorations—the pack house was proof— so I wasn’t surprised to see the minimal decorations and arrangements of the tent. The tent was quite spacious, with the bed on the right end and a large desk rivalling the one he had back at the pack house on the other end with a tall chair behind it. A small rack filled with clothes hung on the wall beside the bed, and his little belongings lay here and there. I sighed at the same time the tent’s’’ cover was pulled back, and a shirtless Kane emerged. His eyes found me immediately, and a faint light appeared in them. “You’re awak
Rune.The first thing I inhaled was the stench of blood as Kane marched toward us. I trailed my eyes from his face down to his hands, where blood was dripping from them. An alarm went off in my head, and I shot to my feet immediately, concern flooding my body. “Are you okay?” I asked, bewildered. Instead of replying, Kane wrapped his bloody fingers around my wrist, pulling me to him before he carried me in his arms and out of the cafeteria. Embarrassed, I shut my eyes as he took me in his arms across the entire base and back to his room. “What did I say right before I left?” He heaved heavily. “You said you wanted to find me here when you returned,” his face hardened. “I went to eat,” I defended myself. His face hardened further. “You weren’t eating when I found you,” he breathed, and I swallowed. “I was talking to Black, thanking him for saving my life,” I blinked. Kane growled in response. I did not understand where his anger was coming from. He’d been the sweetest to me before
Rune.Kane’s scent spread across the room; all I could smell was him. Gone was the stench of blood, but Kane must’ve hated seeing the blood on his hands. He pulled away from me and went to wash his hands; when he returned, I still expected him to say he made a mistake and leave, but he came to me, reclaiming my swollen lips. His now clean fingers trailed the lines of my body, stopping at the swells of my breast and kneading them softly as he kissed me. “Tell me to stop when you’ve had enough,” his voice pleaded against mine as though he could barely control himself. I nodded, knowing very well that I’d go all the way with him. I tugged on the hem of his shirt with pleading eyes, and he took it off in one swift motion, returning his warm fingers to my breasts. He squeezed and caressed my breast gently at first, then rougher as his breath picked pace. I couldn’t keep up with his kiss; he was too much for me, but I loved it. My nipples hardened, and Kane’s fingers flicked the hard b
Rune.Kane ended up napping on my body for nearly two hours or so. I didn't keep track of the time, and each time he moved in his sleep, my body would go stiff, thinking he would wake up, but he didn't.Jett even came looking for him an hour into his sleep, saying he had an important meeting to attend, but I was too scared to wake him up, so I said nothing and let Jett believe we were both sleeping. Everything felt surreal: Kane sleeping and holding me tight the way he did, what we’d just done, and the soreness between my legs and around my body—most of which came from my injuries.I had almost forgotten I was injured; all my senses were directed at Kane and how he easily gave me what I didn’t know I needed then.I couldn't see his face from how he laid his head on me, but I imagined he looked nothing like the strict alpha I knew him to be; he probably furrowed his brows in his sleep or had a small smile while he dreamt of something happy.When Kane stirred in his sleep for the last t
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