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THE FESTIVAL OF UNITY

Author: Ana belle
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-28 03:24:30

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 touch.

Music floated across the clearing, a blend of ancient drums and stringed melodies. Wolves mingled in their human forms, dressed in ceremonial leathers or elegant robes, their voices a low hum of laughter, argument, and negotiation. Veyra moved through the outskirts like a ghost, slipping between shadows, keeping her head down.

She shouldn't be here.

But the part of her that had touched Kael's hand—the part that had felt her soul ignite—was changing. Something inside her had begun to stir, and it refused to be caged any longer.

She wandered closer to the main circle where diplomats and pack leaders gathered beneath a sprawling oak draped in moonlight. That's when she saw him.

Lioren.

He stood a little apart from the others, his presence commanding without being loud. He wore a long ash-gray cloak trimmed in silver, the symbol of Ashfang sewn into the leather at his shoulder. His dark eyes scanned the crowd, cold and calculated, his jaw sharp, his posture perfect. There was a quiet power about him, like the calm before a blizzard.

And then his gaze landed on her.

For a heartbeat, everything stopped. Veyra's breath hitched. It was different from Kael. With Kael, it had felt like a wildfire roaring through her. With Lioren, it was ice-water—a sudden, silencing clarity that slowed her heart and stilled the world around her. The bond stirred beneath her skin like frost climbing glass.

Lioren tilted his head slightly. He had seen her. Seen through her.

Veyra spun and disappeared into the crowd, her cloak flaring like wings.

She shouldn't have come. Damn it, she shouldn't have come.

She slipped behind the merchant tents, weaving through the darker edges of the gathering. Her heart pounded in her ears. Two bonds now. Two. Her mother had said once the first was formed, the others would follow, but so soon? And with Kael still fresh in her mind?

Behind her, footsteps.

She froze.

"I won't hurt you," came a voice—calm, velvet-smooth, but firm.

Veyra turned slowly. Lioren stood a few paces away, one hand lifted slightly in peace. His eyes—dark as riverstone—watched her with quiet intensity.

"You don't have to say anything," he said. "I felt it. That's enough."

Veyra's voice was caught somewhere between her ribs. Her throat tightened. She wanted to run, to scream, to deny everything—but her wolf purred with recognition, curling in her chest.

"You're... Ashfang," she managed, barely above a whisper.

Lioren gave a slight nod. "Beta of the Ashfang Pack."

Beta. Just like Kael was a warrior from Ironhowl. Different roles, different packs—rival packs.

"Who are you?" he asked, softly. "I can't sense your scent clearly. It's... hidden."

Her heartbeat surged. The enchantment. Her mother's magic must still be masking her fully.

"I can't say," she murmured.

"You don't trust me," he said, not as a question, but a statement. "Wise. But I'll find out. I'm very good at finding things."

His voice was even, not threatening. But something in his tone—an edge of dangerous curiosity—unnerved her.

Veyra stepped back.

"Wait," he said, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion touched his face. "I don't want to scare you. I just— I felt it. Like the first breath of winter after a long summer. I've never... felt anything like that before."

Her eyes widened.

Kael had said something similar—about the roar in his blood.

This one, though... this one was quiet. A stillness that could turn deadly if disturbed.

"I shouldn't be here," she whispered.

"Then go," he said, stepping aside. "But know this—I will see you again. The bond doesn't lie."

She hesitated, then turned and vanished into the night.

Lioren watched her go, narrowing his eyes. Something was off. Not just about the strength of the bond or the way her scent danced like mist—almost undetectable—but the way she moved, like someone trained to disappear.

He turned back toward the crowd, but he was already cataloging everything—her height, the edge of her voice, the wildness in her eyes.

She was hiding something.

And Lioren Ashfang did not like unanswered questions.

Back in the woods, Veyra ran until her lungs burned. The sound of the festival grew distant behind her.

She collapsed beneath an ancient willow, the branches draping around her like a sanctuary. Her chest rose and fell in ragged breaths. Two bonds. Two.

Kael and now... Lioren.

She clenched her hands, staring at her fingers as if they might glow with the power inside her. But nothing happened. Just the thundering of her pulse.

She wasn't ready.

Her mind screamed it.

But her wolf?

Her wolf was singing.

And it sounded like the beginning of everything she'd feared—and everything she'd longed for.

________

My my my..... we finally get to meet our second mate.

If I were Veyra I'll be dying of excitement to be honest.

Having two hot mates damn.

Do y'all have someone you're rooting for already? Well I don't.

It's still too soon and we have many more to come you guys.

More hot mehn phew.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment.

Don't forget to vote and recommend to your friends and family.

Until next time,

xoxo

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Latest chapter

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  • 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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