/ Werewolf / THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE / LAUGHTER AND LIGHTNING

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LAUGHTER AND LIGHTNING

작가: Ana belle
last update 최신 업데이트: 2025-04-28 03:31:24

The first thing Veyra heard was laughter.

Not just any laughter—his laughter.

It drifted through the trees like wind catching fireflies, playful and warm, stirring something in her chest she didn't want to name. Zevi was lounging on a low branch, just above her head, when she entered the glade they'd secretly been meeting in for the last three days. He always seemed to know when she'd be there. Or maybe he was always waiting. Either way, he made it seem like it was all just coincidence.

"Didn't know wolves climbed trees," Veyra said flatly, arms crossed.

Zevi grinned, his amber eyes catching the sunlight like a challenge. "We don't. But I'm not like most wolves. Haven't you figured that out yet?"

"You're something, alright," she muttered, though the corner of her mouth twitched. She hated how easily he could coax a smile out of her, how her chest fluttered when he was near, how calm her wolf was around him—like the storm in her bones grew quiet in his presence.

He dropped from the branch with feline grace, landing lightly in front of her. His dark brown curls were wind-tossed, and his leather jacket looked far too clean for someone supposedly traveling through rogue territory. "Did you miss me?"

"You're persistent," she dodged, but the pulse in her neck betrayed her.

"And you're terrible at lying," Zevi said, stepping closer. "But it's okay. I like a challenge."

She rolled her eyes and turned away, pretending to inspect the nearby wildflowers. "You're still a stranger. You shouldn't even be here."

"Stranger?" Zevi feigned offense. "After I saved you from a rogue? Risked my incredibly handsome face to protect yours?"

Veyra bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "You are so full of yourself."

He leaned in just a bit, voice softening. "You don't seem to mind."

She didn't. And that was the problem.

Her heart skipped every time he looked at her that way. Every time his fingers brushed hers. Every time his wolf whispered to hers without words. It wasn't like Kael's burning storm of dominance, or Lioren's icy chill of intellect. Zevi's presence was something else entirely—like laughter on the wind, like sunlight on skin. Dangerous in its ease.

Three mates. Three.

Veyra's skin prickled with the reminder. Her mother's warning rang in her ears: "Four bonds will awaken what sleeps inside you. The fifth will test your soul."

She was halfway there. And she was already starting to unravel.

"Zevi, you need to leave," she said suddenly, turning to face him. "You shouldn't keep coming back. It's not safe."

"For me?" he teased. "Or for you?"

"For both," she said honestly. "People are starting to notice."

Zevi's smile faded slightly, replaced by something quieter. "Let them notice. I'm not ashamed of what I feel."

"You don't even know me," she whispered.

"I know enough," he said. "I know that I feel you, Veyra. In my bones. In my blood. That first day in the woods, when I touched you... something shifted. Like I'd been waiting my whole life to find the missing piece. And then there you were."

She swallowed hard, backing a step away. "Don't do that. Don't make this harder."

"It's already hard," he said, and his voice was raw now. Honest. "But walking away from you? That'd be worse."

Before she could reply, a gust of wind tore through the clearing—sharp, icy, wrong.

Then came the growl.

Deep. Violent. Possessive.

Kael.

He emerged from the shadows like a blade—black cloak whipping behind him, fists clenched, eyes blazing gold. His wolf was just under the surface, seething.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Kael snarled.

Zevi didn't move. He tilted his head lazily, but the steel behind his casual smile was unmistakable. "Nice to see you too, Flame Boy."

Kael took a step forward, muscles rippling beneath his shirt. "You shouldn't be within five miles of this pack."

"Funny, I could say the same to you," Zevi replied, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve.

"Stop," Veyra snapped, stepping between them. "Both of you. This isn't a competition."

"The hell it isn't," Kael growled, his eyes never leaving Zevi. "He's touching what's mine."

"I'm not yours," Veyra said sharply, and Kael's jaw clenched.

"I didn't mean—"

"But you did," she cut him off. "I'm not a prize. I didn't ask for this bond, Kael. Any of them."

Zevi raised a brow. "That's... refreshing."

Kael's fists trembled. "You're seriously siding with him?"

"I'm not siding with anyone," Veyra said. "But I won't let you fight over me like I'm a damn bone."

Both wolves stared at her, tension crackling like lightning in the charged air. Her heart raced. Her wolf roared inside her—confused, overwhelmed, stretched in too many directions at once.

Kael's eyes softened slightly. "Veyra, I just want to protect you."

"I know," she whispered. "But sometimes protection feels like a cage."

Zevi stepped back, hands raised. "I'm not here to fight. Just... don't forget, Veyra—you're allowed to choose. Even if fate has its say."

Kael said nothing. But the fire in his eyes dimmed a little.

After a long, heavy silence, Zevi nodded once, gave her a meaningful look, and disappeared into the trees.

Kael stayed a moment longer, staring at the spot where Zevi had vanished, before turning to Veyra. "You're not safe around him."

"I'm not safe around anyone," she said, voice cracking. "Not when I've got three mates and a secret that could get me killed."

Kael reached out, but she stepped back.

"I need to think," she whispered, and then she, too, slipped into the woods—alone.

Back at the Hale home, the air was thick with something unseen.

Maelin stood at the window, her fingers twisting an old charm between them. She felt it—her daughter's magic shifting, spiraling, humming like the beginnings of a storm.

Elias sat in silence, sharpening a blade. The rhythmic scrape of stone against metal was the only sound for a long time.

"She's unraveling," Maelin said quietly.

"She was always going to," Elias replied.

"She's strong."

"She's alone."

Maelin looked over at him. "Not alone. Not yet."

Just then, Veyra stepped through the door. Dirt on her boots. Shadows in her eyes. She didn't speak. Just looked between them.

Maelin opened her arms, and Veyra folded into her mother's embrace without a word.

Later that night, as thunder rolled in the distance and lightning painted the sky, Maelin came to her daughter's room.

She sat beside her on the bed, brushing Veyra's hair away from her face.

"You were born to be powerful," Maelin said softly. "But power always comes with a price."

Veyra turned her head. "What if I don't want it?"

"You may not have a choice," her mother whispered. "But you do have love. And that... that might be enough."

Outside, the lightning struck again—bright and furious.

And deep in the forest, three wolves stirred.

A fourth was coming.

And everything was about to change.

_______

If only two men would fight over me like that, I would probably be on cloud nine.

Who are you guys rooting for? Zevi or Kael and there's our handsome Beta as well.

Just too complicated damn.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Don't forget to vote and recommend to your friends and family.

Until next time,

xoxo

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  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   RUNE OF THE WILDS

    The disease came like a whisper on the wind, silent and unseen. One day the pups were laughing under the trees; the next, they were coughing, burning with fevers no healer could name. The sickness spread with cruel precision through the Moonfang Pack, sparing no den or warrior's quarters. Veyra had watched it unfold from the safety of the outer territory, her heart clenched with helpless fear as her people—though they barely knew her—suffered.Two weeks had passed since the first wolf fell ill. Maelin had been working day and night with the Moonfang healers, pouring through ancient tomes and crushed herbs, casting spells of protection on the borders of their home. Veyra had helped quietly, cloaked and hidden, boiling roots, scrubbing cloths clean of blood and vomit. She had seen children limp in their mothers' arms, warriors too strong to break now collapsed and shivering. It was a strange kind of war, one without a visible enemy—but it was a war all the same.When the Thornswell Pack

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE FOURTH AWAKENS

    The firelight in the Hale hearth flickered like a heartbeat, casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. Veyra sat cross-legged on the floor, staring into the flames, her fingers absently tracing the hem of her wool cloak. The house was quiet—too quiet. Her father and brother were out on patrol again, and her mother, Maelin, moved silently in the adjoining room, stirring herbs into vials and whispering incantations to ease the lingering illness that still clung to parts of the pack.But Veyra's silence had nothing to do with the sickness. It had everything to do with the white wolf she saw in her dreams.The fourth bond had changed something inside her. Rune's touch hadn't just sparked the connection—it had unlocked a deeper part of her soul. Since that moment, her dreams had become a realm of moonlight and magic. Every time she closed her eyes, she found herself standing in a forest of silver trees, her paws—white as fresh snow—crunching softly beneath her. She wasn't just seeing

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   ECHOES OF A CURSE

    The full moon hovered like a glowing sentinel above the Moonfang Pack's territory, casting a silver sheen across the sacred grounds nestled deep within the woods. The trees swayed with a ghostly hush as if whispering secrets to the stars. The air buzzed with anticipation—an unspoken energy that crackled beneath the solemn stillness of the ritual night.Veyra stood cloaked in the crowd, heart pounding, her eyes trained on the flickering fire at the center of the moon-circle. Though she wore a hood that shadowed her features, she could feel the weight of unseen eyes—some curious, some cautious, and one pair...watchful in a way that made her skin prickle.She didn't belong here. Not in the open. Not where whispers could catch fire.But tonight wasn't about her—it was about tradition. The full moon ritual was sacred to all packs. A time of renewal, blessing, and balance. It was one of the few events where even the isolated Moonfang allowed outsiders to enter the fold—under tight supervisi

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE WHITE WOLF IN THE SHADOWS

    The forest whispered her name. Veyra Hale stood at the edge of the glade, her breath steady but her heart pounding like a war drum. The moon was high, silver light casting shadows that danced between the tall trees of the Moonfang Pack's outer territory. Out here, there were no curious eyes, no judgmental stares—just the wind, the trees, and the cold truth that she did not belong. She had never belonged. At twenty-two, Veyra's life had been one long, cautious inhale—never quite able to breathe out. She moved like a ghost among the living, careful not to draw attention, never stepping too far from the outskirts of the pack. Her family had built their home here, a cabin tucked deep in the shadows of the wild, far from the central pack village. It wasn't by chance. It was by design. By fear. Because Veyra Hale was no ordinary wolf. She was the white wolf—the last of her kind. Rare. Forbidden. Hunted. She tugged the hood of her cloak tighter around her face as the breeze stirred he

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   HOWLING HEARTS

    The morning broke quietly, the sun stretching golden fingers across the treetops outside the Hale cabin. Inside, it was a flurry of movement. Jon Hale buckled the last strap on his chest armor, the leather creaking as he adjusted the fit. His black cloak lay folded on the table, and his weapons were freshly sharpened. Though it was just a patrol mission to the neighboring border near Stonefang Ridge, he treated every assignment with the seriousness of war. That's how their father raised him—prepared, alert, unshakable. Veyra stood near the doorway, watching him with tight lips and folded arms. She hated when he left. The world outside their secluded haven felt sharper, more dangerous, without Jon's calming presence. He always made her feel like no harm could touch her. "You'll only be gone two days?" she asked. "Two and a half, max. We're just checking trade routes, reinforcing some pack-to-pack borders. Nothing serious," Jon replied, though his tone was clipped. "Still, I want y

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE WARRIOR’s BOND

    The moon had risen high by the time Kael slipped away from the Ironhowl merchant encampment. The light cast eerie silver streaks over the woodland paths, shadows dancing across the snow-dusted ground like spirits shifting in the dark. But Kael's mind wasn't on the moon or the cold. It was on her—the girl with eyes like stormlight and a scent that had embedded itself deep into his memory.He didn't even know her name."Who is she?" he muttered under his breath, weaving between carts and trader tents. "She has to belong to this pack..."But when he asked—quietly, cautiously, pulling aside younger warriors or curious market dwellers—they gave only shrugs and confused expressions."No one like that lives around here," one said."Sounds like you were hallucinating," another chuckled.Kael narrowed his eyes. His wolf snarled within. They were lying—or someone was hiding her. That kind of bond didn't just happen. And it sure as hell didn't go away. He remembered the way her body had jolted w

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE FESTIVAL OF UNITY

    The scent of roasted meat, pine sap, and crushed wildflowers drifted through the air like an intoxicating perfume. The central clearing of the Moonfang Pack had been transformed overnight into a mosaic of banners, lanterns, and ceremonial fire pits. Wolves from neighboring territories—some bitter rivals, others cautious allies—had gathered for the annual Festival of Unity, a political dance cloaked in smiling faces and carefully chosen words.Veyra Hale watched from the safety of the tree line, her hood drawn low, her heart pounding. She wasn't supposed to be here. She'd promised Jon and her parents she would stay hidden during the festival. The stakes were too high—too many strangers, too many risks. But curiosity had always been her undoing, and the call of the world beyond her isolation had grown louder since her strange encounter with Kael.Now, as twilight bled across the sky, she stood cloaked in anonymity, the festival glowing before her like a dream she'd never been allowed to

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   A SECOND FLAME

    Veyra Hale dreamed in shadows now.In the quietest hours of the night, she lay motionless in her bed, but her soul wandered far from the safety of the small cabin tucked deep into the forest's edge. The dreams had started two nights ago—after the festival. After Lioren.In her vision, five figures stood in a circle around her. Each of them loomed tall, their forms cloaked in mist, their eyes glowing with distinct colors: crimson, silver, obsidian, deep gold, and sapphire. None of them spoke. They only watched her. Their presence didn't feel threatening—it felt inevitable. Like destiny had wrapped her in their chains and tossed the key into the moonlight.She woke with a gasp, breathless, clutching at her chest as if she could pull the lingering sensation from her skin. Her wolf, usually quiet, now stirred with hunger and alertness. Something inside her had awakened. Magic, Maelin had called it. The mark of her kind—the rare, myth-bound white wolf.And now, with each bond that formed,

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28

최신 챕터

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   ECHOES OF A CURSE

    The full moon hovered like a glowing sentinel above the Moonfang Pack's territory, casting a silver sheen across the sacred grounds nestled deep within the woods. The trees swayed with a ghostly hush as if whispering secrets to the stars. The air buzzed with anticipation—an unspoken energy that crackled beneath the solemn stillness of the ritual night.Veyra stood cloaked in the crowd, heart pounding, her eyes trained on the flickering fire at the center of the moon-circle. Though she wore a hood that shadowed her features, she could feel the weight of unseen eyes—some curious, some cautious, and one pair...watchful in a way that made her skin prickle.She didn't belong here. Not in the open. Not where whispers could catch fire.But tonight wasn't about her—it was about tradition. The full moon ritual was sacred to all packs. A time of renewal, blessing, and balance. It was one of the few events where even the isolated Moonfang allowed outsiders to enter the fold—under tight supervisi

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE FOURTH AWAKENS

    The firelight in the Hale hearth flickered like a heartbeat, casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. Veyra sat cross-legged on the floor, staring into the flames, her fingers absently tracing the hem of her wool cloak. The house was quiet—too quiet. Her father and brother were out on patrol again, and her mother, Maelin, moved silently in the adjoining room, stirring herbs into vials and whispering incantations to ease the lingering illness that still clung to parts of the pack.But Veyra's silence had nothing to do with the sickness. It had everything to do with the white wolf she saw in her dreams.The fourth bond had changed something inside her. Rune's touch hadn't just sparked the connection—it had unlocked a deeper part of her soul. Since that moment, her dreams had become a realm of moonlight and magic. Every time she closed her eyes, she found herself standing in a forest of silver trees, her paws—white as fresh snow—crunching softly beneath her. She wasn't just seeing

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   RUNE OF THE WILDS

    The disease came like a whisper on the wind, silent and unseen. One day the pups were laughing under the trees; the next, they were coughing, burning with fevers no healer could name. The sickness spread with cruel precision through the Moonfang Pack, sparing no den or warrior's quarters. Veyra had watched it unfold from the safety of the outer territory, her heart clenched with helpless fear as her people—though they barely knew her—suffered.Two weeks had passed since the first wolf fell ill. Maelin had been working day and night with the Moonfang healers, pouring through ancient tomes and crushed herbs, casting spells of protection on the borders of their home. Veyra had helped quietly, cloaked and hidden, boiling roots, scrubbing cloths clean of blood and vomit. She had seen children limp in their mothers' arms, warriors too strong to break now collapsed and shivering. It was a strange kind of war, one without a visible enemy—but it was a war all the same.When the Thornswell Pack

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   LAUGHTER AND LIGHTNING

    The first thing Veyra heard was laughter.Not just any laughter—his laughter.It drifted through the trees like wind catching fireflies, playful and warm, stirring something in her chest she didn't want to name. Zevi was lounging on a low branch, just above her head, when she entered the glade they'd secretly been meeting in for the last three days. He always seemed to know when she'd be there. Or maybe he was always waiting. Either way, he made it seem like it was all just coincidence."Didn't know wolves climbed trees," Veyra said flatly, arms crossed.Zevi grinned, his amber eyes catching the sunlight like a challenge. "We don't. But I'm not like most wolves. Haven't you figured that out yet?""You're something, alright," she muttered, though the corner of her mouth twitched. She hated how easily he could coax a smile out of her, how her chest fluttered when he was near, how calm her wolf was around him—like the storm in her bones grew quiet in his presence.He dropped from the bra

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE BROKEN HUNT

    The morning sun hung low, spilling gold through the tangled canopy above as Veyra laced her boots. A crisp breeze drifted through the trees, tugging at the edge of her cloak like a whisper, as if the forest itself wanted to speak. She tightened the strap on her quiver and looked toward her brother. Jon Hale, already armed and ready, leaned against a tree, sharpening his blade with quick, precise strokes. His dark hair was tied back, and his sharp jaw was set in concentration—but when he looked up at her, his eyes softened."You good, pup?" he asked, voice low and warm.Veyra gave him a look. "I'm twenty-two, Jon. You've gotta stop calling me that."He grinned, a rare break in his usual solemn expression. "You'll always be my pup. Now let's move. It's just a training hunt, but I want you sharp.""Training hunt" was code. They both knew it. Ever since Kael and Lioren, her body had begun to change. Her senses were heightening, her reflexes sharpening. The bonds were awakening something d

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   A SECOND FLAME

    Veyra Hale dreamed in shadows now.In the quietest hours of the night, she lay motionless in her bed, but her soul wandered far from the safety of the small cabin tucked deep into the forest's edge. The dreams had started two nights ago—after the festival. After Lioren.In her vision, five figures stood in a circle around her. Each of them loomed tall, their forms cloaked in mist, their eyes glowing with distinct colors: crimson, silver, obsidian, deep gold, and sapphire. None of them spoke. They only watched her. Their presence didn't feel threatening—it felt inevitable. Like destiny had wrapped her in their chains and tossed the key into the moonlight.She woke with a gasp, breathless, clutching at her chest as if she could pull the lingering sensation from her skin. Her wolf, usually quiet, now stirred with hunger and alertness. Something inside her had awakened. Magic, Maelin had called it. The mark of her kind—the rare, myth-bound white wolf.And now, with each bond that formed,

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE FESTIVAL OF UNITY

    The scent of roasted meat, pine sap, and crushed wildflowers drifted through the air like an intoxicating perfume. The central clearing of the Moonfang Pack had been transformed overnight into a mosaic of banners, lanterns, and ceremonial fire pits. Wolves from neighboring territories—some bitter rivals, others cautious allies—had gathered for the annual Festival of Unity, a political dance cloaked in smiling faces and carefully chosen words.Veyra Hale watched from the safety of the tree line, her hood drawn low, her heart pounding. She wasn't supposed to be here. She'd promised Jon and her parents she would stay hidden during the festival. The stakes were too high—too many strangers, too many risks. But curiosity had always been her undoing, and the call of the world beyond her isolation had grown louder since her strange encounter with Kael.Now, as twilight bled across the sky, she stood cloaked in anonymity, the festival glowing before her like a dream she'd never been allowed to

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   THE WARRIOR’s BOND

    The moon had risen high by the time Kael slipped away from the Ironhowl merchant encampment. The light cast eerie silver streaks over the woodland paths, shadows dancing across the snow-dusted ground like spirits shifting in the dark. But Kael's mind wasn't on the moon or the cold. It was on her—the girl with eyes like stormlight and a scent that had embedded itself deep into his memory.He didn't even know her name."Who is she?" he muttered under his breath, weaving between carts and trader tents. "She has to belong to this pack..."But when he asked—quietly, cautiously, pulling aside younger warriors or curious market dwellers—they gave only shrugs and confused expressions."No one like that lives around here," one said."Sounds like you were hallucinating," another chuckled.Kael narrowed his eyes. His wolf snarled within. They were lying—or someone was hiding her. That kind of bond didn't just happen. And it sure as hell didn't go away. He remembered the way her body had jolted w

  • THE CURSE OF THE FIFTH MATE   HOWLING HEARTS

    The morning broke quietly, the sun stretching golden fingers across the treetops outside the Hale cabin. Inside, it was a flurry of movement. Jon Hale buckled the last strap on his chest armor, the leather creaking as he adjusted the fit. His black cloak lay folded on the table, and his weapons were freshly sharpened. Though it was just a patrol mission to the neighboring border near Stonefang Ridge, he treated every assignment with the seriousness of war. That's how their father raised him—prepared, alert, unshakable. Veyra stood near the doorway, watching him with tight lips and folded arms. She hated when he left. The world outside their secluded haven felt sharper, more dangerous, without Jon's calming presence. He always made her feel like no harm could touch her. "You'll only be gone two days?" she asked. "Two and a half, max. We're just checking trade routes, reinforcing some pack-to-pack borders. Nothing serious," Jon replied, though his tone was clipped. "Still, I want y

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