KOOKIE:
My paws pound relentlessly against the earth as I run through the forest, stretching endlessly before me. I don’t know where I’m going, but I know I am never turning back.
The thought of staying back in that pack means a lifetime of lies, of watching them pretend they never broke me. My baby deserves better than a father like Levi—or even my family. It is my duty to protect her, and I will do so even if it costs me my life.
Exhaustion soon takes over, and the setting sun begins to give way to the moon. I’ve run so far that nothing smells familiar anymore—just the leafy green trees, which remind me of the herbs we practiced with in school.
Finally, my legs give out, and my wolf shifts back against my will, causing me to collapse onto the cold forest floor, gasping for air. I lean against the rough bark of a tree, pressing my trembling hand to my chest.
A sudden crackle splits through the sky, causing me to snap my head up as lightning flashes in the distance, illuminating the forest. A storm is coming, so I force myself to my feet, pushing my sluggish body to search for shelter.
Shortly, the clouds open up, and my skin is met with droplets from the sky. A shiver cracks through my spine as the cold engulfs my body, but I refuse to give up. I keep walking until I see a hole up ahead. I rush towards it, relieved to see that it is a cave. It isn’t much—just a jagged opening in the mountainside, but it will have to do. I crawl inside, wrapping my arms around myself as the storm intensifies. My body aches, and I silently curse Levi for my misfortune. I vow to have my revenge as I grovel in tears and pain, but it doesn’t take long for sleep to take me.
**
A foul stench of rotten meat attacks my nostrils, causing my eyes to flicker open as fear grips my chest. A loud growl echoes outside.
Rogues.
I don’t move as I try to think of a plan to escape, but then the entrance of the cave lights up with three pairs of yellow eyes.
“She smells so nice. Our little meal is waiting to be devoured.” A man says, causing my heart to skip a beat.
A cackle escapes their lips, and I push myself up slowly, my heart hammering against my chest. Before I can react, they shift to human form, and one of them grabs my hand, dragging me out of the cave as my body scrapes against the rocky ground.
I want to question the Moon Goddess for my misfortune, but I am clearly at the bottom of her list of creations that she cares about.
“I want her first,” the man I assume is the leader says, and I shake my head.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out, hoping that will remedy my situation. But they are rogues who have lost all sense of humanity, and they let out a heart-wrenching laugh.
“You think that will stop us?” The leader chuckles, reaching for the already torn fabric of my dress.
I kick his face, trying to transform, but he lands a heavy slap on me, sending me crashing to the ground. The pain burns through my cheeks as he pins me down.
“Why take turns when we can all devour her at once?” he asks, and they all agree, hovering around me as he hurriedly unbuckles his pants. I shut my eyes, struggling against him, waiting for the agonizing moment with tears crawling down my face.
Just when I think it’s over, a deafening roar shakes the forest.
The man freezes, his grip on me loosening as a massive wolf appears from nowhere, colliding with the nearest rogue and sending him crashing into the cave wall.
The leader abandons me completely as he transforms.
They all lunge at the wolf, and before me unfolds a brutal fight. The wolf fights like a beast possessed, but the rogues are many. One sinks his teeth into the wolf’s side, another slashes his flank, and he lets out a howl that shakes the forest.
I should run while I have the chance, but guilt anchors my feet to the ground as I watch the wolf defend himself against the three rogues. As the last rogue flees into the woods, the wolf stumbles, collapsing onto the floor. His breathing is labored, blood pooling beneath him.
I rush toward him.
“Go,” he rasps. “They might come back.”
I shake my head because I know I can save him from dying.
“I’m not leaving you, because I’m a doctor, and that would be an insult to my profession.”
My hands tremble as I scan his wounds. I don’t have medical supplies, but I know there are herbs around. So, I set out to gather them. I grind them into a paste using two stones, then rush back to him, pressing the mixture to his wounds.
He winces in pain for a while before it soothes him, and his bleeding stops. I help him onto his back, resting him against the cave wall.
“What’s your name?” he asks, and I hesitate.
“Sage NightMoon,” I blurt out.
With one hand across his injured belly, he stretches out the other. “I’m Elias. Alpha of Moon Candy.”
Moon Candy? What kind of pack bears such a ridiculous name? I question myself.
“It’s like a refugee camp,” he adds, as if sensing my confusion. “For those with nowhere to go. Fugitives and lost souls. People like you and me.” He bores his eyes into mine. “You can come with me because we need a doctor. I know we’re still a growing pack, but in a few years, we will—”
“Take me there,” I cut him off.
I have nothing left, so there’s no point in contemplating a place that will offer me shelter and a new life.
And just like that, Kookie Morningstar died.
SIX YEARS LATERDR. SAGE (KOOKIE):Six years of pain, and I am finally living a bit of my dream life in a small pack with my daughter—the only light in my world. She sits in the backseat, swinging her tiny legs, humming along to the soft melody of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off, playing from the car speakers. I smile as I sing along with her, my heart swelling with warmth.The road ahead is clear, with the morning sun streaming into the car, and for a fleeting moment, everything feels perfect.Suddenly, we come to a halt in front of the school, and Blue claps her hands excitedly.“We arrived before Charlotte, yay!” she cheers, bouncing in her seat. I glance out the window to see her friend’s father pulling up a few meters away.“Yay,” I echo softly.I reach for the door handle, but before I can unlock it, her tiny voice stops me.“Mommy?”I look into the rearview mirror, meeting her beautiful golden eyes—eyes that remind me too much of him.“Will I ever see my daddy?”A sharp pang crosse
KOOKIE:It’s been a few days since I received the message from the Diamond Moon Pack, and God, I wish I could get it out of my mind. But after researching what is known as the “weekly virus,” the guilt keeps eating at me. I know they hurt me, but the thought of my parents dying from a virus I can easily stop keeps me up at night. And… a part of me still thinks of Levi, wondering if there’s an explanation for what he did.I kept tabs on him, and I learned he got the virus shortly after I got the letter. Each day I count down to when he is supposed to die, and currently he has about twenty-four hours, or if his immune system is strong enough, he will live for two more days to complete a week.“Mommy, can we get strawberry milk?” Blue’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I force a smile, nodding.“Of course, baby. Go grab one from the fridge, okay?”She grins and rushes toward the fridge at the end of the aisle. I keep my eyes on her for a second before turning to the counter to hand m
KOOKIE:Levi stares at me without words, and I cannot tell if regret is sinking in. But I doubt it—anyone who did what he did to me six years ago cannot have a heart, let alone feel.“What’s the problem? Cat got your tongue?” I ask, trying to sound brave to mask the hurt in my heart. After all these years, I still want to know why he hurt me.Even when I ask, he doesn’t say a thing.“Oh, I forgot. Your body must be buckling. Look at you—you can’t even walk.” His lips curve into a smirk as I say this, and it makes me feel like I’m losing control.He lets out a sigh, then speaks. “Thank you for coming, Dr. Sage.”He extends a hand for a handshake, but I do not take it. Even though he is properly clothed, I cannot risk touching him and infecting myself or Blue.“Keep your hands to yourself!” I bite out, cradling my baby tightly to my chest. He lowers his hand.“Very well then, we’ll go straight to the point,” he says, and my brows furrow.“You must have received the mail we sent. We need
KOOKIE:“Them.” His words linger in my head as I think of my parents.I wonder if they are okay, but I’m sure that if something had happened, Levi would have told me. And he’s right, if I don’t release the medication, my parents may catch the virus and die. I know I swore my daughter wouldn’t meet them, but since stepping foot into this pack, the nostalgia has been killing me, and the thought of them dying is almost unbearable.“Mummy, who is that man?” Blue’s question pulls me back to reality. I stare at her, trying so hard to smile, but even my muscles are too broken and sad to cooperate.“You don’t have to worry about him, baby. We’ll be fine, and we can watch your favorite movie soon.” I pat her hair gently, fighting back the unshed tears shimmering in my eyes. I kiss her forehead, pressing her face to my chest.I know she’s no longer a baby, but I couldn’t care less. She is my baby, and no matter how big or heavy she grows, nothing will change that. I pat her back slowly, trying
LEVI:From my window on the second floor, I see it all. The way Donald smacks her and the guard who rips her daughter from her arms. It eats deep into my chest, wounding me more than I already am.My grip on the wheelchair tightens, my knuckles paling. My wolf growls angrily at what it has witnessed. How could he? I want to hit Donald, but I know I cannot because my body is weak, and I hate it, but at the same time, I love it. This is because the Moon Goddess granted my last wish. All I asked was to see Kookie before dying, and now that I have, I do not mind dying.I should leave her a detailed note on what happened, I say to myself. But first, I have to make Donald pay for touching her. A part of me wishes I could live so I could give her the protection I couldn’t provide years ago because I was a foolish boy who allowed my mate to go so easily.As I watch Donald sling her over his shoulder, I manage to wheel myself back to my bed, where I slump onto it as more pain courses through m
Levi:“Mum, what are you doing?” I ask, watching her take off her mask and rub my sweat on her face.“What a mother must do,” she says, then I watch her put on the mask and cover her fingers. Suddenly, it hits me as I realize she wants to use herself to get Kookie to work, but I might be dead before then.“This will probably not work because I have only a few hours, and you might not get it before then.”The corner of her face lifts in a smile.“I am old, Levi, so I will be down with it by tomorrow. Besides, it can be detected in the body before one falls ill, so I will get her to see me, and I will let her run some tests.”She has a plan, but I try not to bank on it because I do not know how feasible it is.“That isn’t all there is to it,” she says, and I glare at her, waiting for her to speak. “You need to keep Kookie here. The Moon Candy Pack is not the reason she is great because we all know that pack is nothing compared to ours. She was raised here, and she studied at the Opal Mo
KOOKIE:When I hear this, I try to maintain a calm face, believing it is all a lie and they are trying to get me to fold because they know how much I care about Luna Jasmine. I ask questions, and I hear she lives far from the alpha’s pack. Her home is secluded, so how did she get the virus?Donald puts the phone on speaker.“Mom, what is going on?” Levi asks, then I hear Luna Jasmine’s hoarse voice.“I came down with a headache this morning.” My heart flinches a bit, and suddenly, I feel a little sense of care creeping in. She never really hurt me, and I know they kept the wedding away from me to protect me.I shouldn’t let her suffer because of her stupid son, I say to myself.“Is… Ko..okie there?” When she asks, my heart skips a beat as Levi looks up at me.“Yes,” he replies, causing me to inhale sharply as I try to ground myself.The emotions coursing through me are a lot to process, but I try my best not to have an outburst because a part of me wishes she could have come to my res
Kookie:As I stare at my parents, sitting on a couch in the Luna’s living room, I think I am dreaming. They haven’t really aged in the past six years, apart from the strand of gray hair that my mother has grown, which has only made her even more beautiful.The moment only lasts for a few seconds before it hits me—this could be a setup, and Levi might be using them to get me to help him. But Luna Jasmine would never do that to me, would she?“Kookie,” my father calls out to me, then rushes toward me, throwing an arm around me. He presses me to his chest, and I swear to the goddess, I want to be still, push him away, and not accept the hug, but my hands wrap around him involuntarily.My mother stands close to us, staring at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. I cannot imagine how they have lived all these years, but I try not to beat myself up or live in their perspective, because I, too, was hurt, and my feelings are valid.“I am sorry, my little girl,” my father mutters as he plants
KOOKIE:Rushing out of the room, I make my way downstairs, where my parents are waiting.“You guys can see her, but do not take off your suits until I am back!” I rush out without waiting for their response.Once outside, I see Donald seated with the driver.“Let’s go back to the Alpha’s mansion now!” I command, making my way toward the vehicle while they both rush behind me, trying to keep up.**Shortly, we arrive back at the mansion, and I waste no time. As soon as I enter the house, I walk up to the first guard.“Tell your Alpha that I would like to see him now!” The guard nods, rushing up the stairs while I make my way to the room Blue is in.I give a gentle knock on the door and wait for her to open it, but she doesn’t.“Blue, it’s Mummy.” The lock clicks as soon as I say this, and I open the door with a wide grin on my face. I have successfully taught her one safety precaution. Even I almost forgot about it, but she didn’t.I lift her up as I walk into the room, then plant a ki
Kookie:As I stare at my parents, sitting on a couch in the Luna’s living room, I think I am dreaming. They haven’t really aged in the past six years, apart from the strand of gray hair that my mother has grown, which has only made her even more beautiful.The moment only lasts for a few seconds before it hits me—this could be a setup, and Levi might be using them to get me to help him. But Luna Jasmine would never do that to me, would she?“Kookie,” my father calls out to me, then rushes toward me, throwing an arm around me. He presses me to his chest, and I swear to the goddess, I want to be still, push him away, and not accept the hug, but my hands wrap around him involuntarily.My mother stands close to us, staring at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. I cannot imagine how they have lived all these years, but I try not to beat myself up or live in their perspective, because I, too, was hurt, and my feelings are valid.“I am sorry, my little girl,” my father mutters as he plants
KOOKIE:When I hear this, I try to maintain a calm face, believing it is all a lie and they are trying to get me to fold because they know how much I care about Luna Jasmine. I ask questions, and I hear she lives far from the alpha’s pack. Her home is secluded, so how did she get the virus?Donald puts the phone on speaker.“Mom, what is going on?” Levi asks, then I hear Luna Jasmine’s hoarse voice.“I came down with a headache this morning.” My heart flinches a bit, and suddenly, I feel a little sense of care creeping in. She never really hurt me, and I know they kept the wedding away from me to protect me.I shouldn’t let her suffer because of her stupid son, I say to myself.“Is… Ko..okie there?” When she asks, my heart skips a beat as Levi looks up at me.“Yes,” he replies, causing me to inhale sharply as I try to ground myself.The emotions coursing through me are a lot to process, but I try my best not to have an outburst because a part of me wishes she could have come to my res
Levi:“Mum, what are you doing?” I ask, watching her take off her mask and rub my sweat on her face.“What a mother must do,” she says, then I watch her put on the mask and cover her fingers. Suddenly, it hits me as I realize she wants to use herself to get Kookie to work, but I might be dead before then.“This will probably not work because I have only a few hours, and you might not get it before then.”The corner of her face lifts in a smile.“I am old, Levi, so I will be down with it by tomorrow. Besides, it can be detected in the body before one falls ill, so I will get her to see me, and I will let her run some tests.”She has a plan, but I try not to bank on it because I do not know how feasible it is.“That isn’t all there is to it,” she says, and I glare at her, waiting for her to speak. “You need to keep Kookie here. The Moon Candy Pack is not the reason she is great because we all know that pack is nothing compared to ours. She was raised here, and she studied at the Opal Mo
LEVI:From my window on the second floor, I see it all. The way Donald smacks her and the guard who rips her daughter from her arms. It eats deep into my chest, wounding me more than I already am.My grip on the wheelchair tightens, my knuckles paling. My wolf growls angrily at what it has witnessed. How could he? I want to hit Donald, but I know I cannot because my body is weak, and I hate it, but at the same time, I love it. This is because the Moon Goddess granted my last wish. All I asked was to see Kookie before dying, and now that I have, I do not mind dying.I should leave her a detailed note on what happened, I say to myself. But first, I have to make Donald pay for touching her. A part of me wishes I could live so I could give her the protection I couldn’t provide years ago because I was a foolish boy who allowed my mate to go so easily.As I watch Donald sling her over his shoulder, I manage to wheel myself back to my bed, where I slump onto it as more pain courses through m
KOOKIE:“Them.” His words linger in my head as I think of my parents.I wonder if they are okay, but I’m sure that if something had happened, Levi would have told me. And he’s right, if I don’t release the medication, my parents may catch the virus and die. I know I swore my daughter wouldn’t meet them, but since stepping foot into this pack, the nostalgia has been killing me, and the thought of them dying is almost unbearable.“Mummy, who is that man?” Blue’s question pulls me back to reality. I stare at her, trying so hard to smile, but even my muscles are too broken and sad to cooperate.“You don’t have to worry about him, baby. We’ll be fine, and we can watch your favorite movie soon.” I pat her hair gently, fighting back the unshed tears shimmering in my eyes. I kiss her forehead, pressing her face to my chest.I know she’s no longer a baby, but I couldn’t care less. She is my baby, and no matter how big or heavy she grows, nothing will change that. I pat her back slowly, trying
KOOKIE:Levi stares at me without words, and I cannot tell if regret is sinking in. But I doubt it—anyone who did what he did to me six years ago cannot have a heart, let alone feel.“What’s the problem? Cat got your tongue?” I ask, trying to sound brave to mask the hurt in my heart. After all these years, I still want to know why he hurt me.Even when I ask, he doesn’t say a thing.“Oh, I forgot. Your body must be buckling. Look at you—you can’t even walk.” His lips curve into a smirk as I say this, and it makes me feel like I’m losing control.He lets out a sigh, then speaks. “Thank you for coming, Dr. Sage.”He extends a hand for a handshake, but I do not take it. Even though he is properly clothed, I cannot risk touching him and infecting myself or Blue.“Keep your hands to yourself!” I bite out, cradling my baby tightly to my chest. He lowers his hand.“Very well then, we’ll go straight to the point,” he says, and my brows furrow.“You must have received the mail we sent. We need
KOOKIE:It’s been a few days since I received the message from the Diamond Moon Pack, and God, I wish I could get it out of my mind. But after researching what is known as the “weekly virus,” the guilt keeps eating at me. I know they hurt me, but the thought of my parents dying from a virus I can easily stop keeps me up at night. And… a part of me still thinks of Levi, wondering if there’s an explanation for what he did.I kept tabs on him, and I learned he got the virus shortly after I got the letter. Each day I count down to when he is supposed to die, and currently he has about twenty-four hours, or if his immune system is strong enough, he will live for two more days to complete a week.“Mommy, can we get strawberry milk?” Blue’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I force a smile, nodding.“Of course, baby. Go grab one from the fridge, okay?”She grins and rushes toward the fridge at the end of the aisle. I keep my eyes on her for a second before turning to the counter to hand m
SIX YEARS LATERDR. SAGE (KOOKIE):Six years of pain, and I am finally living a bit of my dream life in a small pack with my daughter—the only light in my world. She sits in the backseat, swinging her tiny legs, humming along to the soft melody of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off, playing from the car speakers. I smile as I sing along with her, my heart swelling with warmth.The road ahead is clear, with the morning sun streaming into the car, and for a fleeting moment, everything feels perfect.Suddenly, we come to a halt in front of the school, and Blue claps her hands excitedly.“We arrived before Charlotte, yay!” she cheers, bouncing in her seat. I glance out the window to see her friend’s father pulling up a few meters away.“Yay,” I echo softly.I reach for the door handle, but before I can unlock it, her tiny voice stops me.“Mommy?”I look into the rearview mirror, meeting her beautiful golden eyes—eyes that remind me too much of him.“Will I ever see my daddy?”A sharp pang crosse