"He was awake?" Kira asked herself in her mind as the realization hit her. She had no idea he had been awake the whole time. Heat crept up Kira's neck and bloomed across her cheeks."You were pretending to sleep this whole time?" She asked him, her voice a soft whisper as she was caught between disbelief and embarrassment. "You really might even be able to play dead... Jeez, Bryan.""I didn't want to miss the show," he replied, chuckling softly. "You were really getting it hard," he added, making her unable to contain her blush, her skin tingling from his gaze and words."Well…" she swallowed hard, but instead of shrinking away, she met his eyes with a defiant smile. "Maybe next time, you can also do the same or more or whatever," she quipped, her tone daring.Although she sounded confident about her dare, deep down she was very nervous, and her heart raced."A dare is a dare, and this one, I won't decline," Bryan accepted, giving her a peck on the lips. "Sleep, you must be so exhaus
Kira walked between Bryan and Aiden, as they took her to her parent's grave. When they got there, they gave her some time and space, standing back while she took small steps forward.Her hand trembled as she reached into the bundle of flowers she carried with her, placing them gently at the foot of the gravestones, and then proceeded to trace their names, which were carved on their gravestones.By now, she was already kneeling in front of the gravestones, her hands rubbing her thighs as she tried to calm herself."Hi," she muttered with a soft smile, her eyes watering a bit. "I'm sorry it took me so long to visit. Have you both been good?" Kira asked them, trying hard not to break down and staying calm for the moment."I have been good, I'm getting stronger also," she said, wiping the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "I have so many things to say and tell you guys.""Okay, first I will start with this," she spoke, wiping more tears that rolled down her cheeks with trembling hands. "
Aiden placed a gentle hand on Kira's back, offering support as she clung to both him and Bryan. She was calm now and had cried as much as she wanted to. She knew it was time to leave, and she could always come back to visit.With her arms slowly loosening, they helped her to her feet. Aiden steadied her by the waist while Bryan held her hand."Are you good?" Bryan asked her, and she nodded."Yes, thank you.""Okay, let's go," he said.Once inside, Aiden guided her gently to the couch, where she sat down, emotionally exhausted from the amount of emotion she had released. Neither of them rushed her, allowing her space to breathe and get herself back, but they stayed close and sat beside her.After a few moments, Bryan leaned forward slightly, his voice gentle. "Would you like to watch a movie and some ice cream?" he asked, hoping to bring a small smile to her face and some comfort."Yeah," Kira turned to him, managing a faint smile, her voice soft. "That sounds nice."Getting his answer
Kira gave them a soft smile, but she did not give them an answer. Instead, she stood up, the blanket slipping from her shoulders. "Come with me," she said, looking very excited and her tone playful.Bryan furrowed his brow in confusion but stood up anyway. "Okay, now you have got me curious," he muttered, following her."I guess we will find out," Aiden said, letting out a breath and following her too, after he had hesitated for a second, trying to figure out what she had in mind.They both followed her as she opened the door and walked outside into the sweet, cool night. "Come on!" She called out to them and started running to the words. "Quickly!"Bryan and Aiden laughed but ran after her. "Kira, what exactly is happening?" Aiden asked her."You'll see," She answered, turning to look at them as she ran and giggled.Kira finally reached deep into the woods and glanced over her shoulder once, her smile widening as Bryan and Aiden were just right there."You, young lady, better tell u
Bryan soon joined, running his hands through her soft fur, admiring her beautiful fur color and eyes. But then, Kira playfully nudged them both, this time urging them with her brown eyes.She went to their sides and nudged them again against their sides, "Come on, change too," she said through their shared mind link, "I want to run with you both."Bryan and Aiden smiled. There was no need for words, they could feel her excitement. Bryan grinned, his eyes glowing as he said, "Alright then," through the mind link.Together, he and Aiden stepped back, deactivated their rings just as Kira had done, and began to shift. Their bodies rippled with power as their wolves took over.Within moments, both of them stood in their wolf forms--- large, imposing, and powerful. Kira was also captivated by their dominance and beauty, with Bryan's fur white, Aiden's fur black and both their eyes, black. Even in her wolf form, she was smaller, but no less stunning.Kira took a step back, her eyes filled wi
Bryan and Aiden were currently in Iceland and on their way to a village called Reykholt. What they had wanted to tell Kira two days ago was about their business trip to an undeveloped village in Iceland and how they would be there for a week.They had also informed her that she would be the one in charge of the pack. Well, she is the Luna after all, but she is the one to take full control, since they would be gone for a whole week, and she still had some things to learn. She also had Ryker with her and as a fast learner, they were sure she would do well and pick up things fast.The day of Bryan's and Aiden's trip arrived, and they bid Kira goodbye with kisses and hugs, before they left. Kira already missed them as they departed, and they, in turn, missed her just as dearly.Welcome to Reykholt!The sign they had passed while going into the village had that written boldly on it, the engine of their car purring softly as they drove into the old village. It may be old and not developed,
The first light of dawn crept through the small window, waking Bryan and Aiden from their slumber. Today was the day of their meeting with the ruler of Reykholt.After a quick wash in the small, rustic bathroom attached to their room, they felt refreshed. Although the water was cold and there was no option for hot water at that moment, it did the job of waking them fully.After bathing, they dressed in clean simple shirts and trousers and once they were ready with the documents they needed, they left their room and made their way to the ruler's residence.The ruler's home was grand, no doubt, but still rustic. The exterior was built from stone and wood, its roof thatched and windows small, just like every other house in the village, except that this was more grand. Finally reaching the ruler's home, a pair of guards stood at the entrance. These guards were dressed in traditional garb, their swords at their sides.As Bryan and Aiden approached, the guards gave them a nod, already expec
Bryan wiped his mouth and stood up after they were done eating. "We should head out," he said to Aiden, who was already on his feet.They left the pub and made their way to the woods. The men earlier had described what part of the woods the old man would be in, so it was easier to find the man, but even without that, it was still possible that they could have just tracked him down."This place feels… off," Aiden muttered as his eyes scanned the whole place. "There is some kind of energy here."Bryan nodded in agreement. "We are getting close though," he said quietly as they kept walking.A small cabin finally came into view, its thatched roof sagging and looking old. They wondered how the old man managed to survive in the woods all alone."This has to be it," Aiden said, his voice low. "It's definitely it."Bryan nodded as he and Aiden went closer. But before they could knock, the door creaked open."Alphas." The old man's voice rasped from the doorway, his eyes sharp and clear despit
Once again, the silence fell heavily on them after Lucinda was done talking, and Kira closed her eyes for a little moment, taking in a deep breath and letting it all out.Her chest rose and fell slowly as she absorbed everything, right from the pain she saw in Lucinda's eyes, the loss, her bloodline, and everything else. She didn't rush to speak. Instead, she let the silence stretch a few more seconds as she grounded herself and also wanted to find a way to reason with Lucinda.After the few seconds passed, she opened her eyes, her gaze locked onto Lucinda's, who was currently watching her with a blank expression. As for Kira, her eyes had no anger, just calm, and a deep, aching empathy.She couldn't lie, she understood why Lucinda was doing what she was doing, but for Bryan and Aiden to suffer for it also didn't seem fair to them."I am truly sorry that you both had to go through all this," she started, her voice warm and gentle. "I know my words aren't enough to heal you from that
Kira's face, which initially had the expression that she had guessed right, twisted to shock and from shock to visible confusion, her brows drawing together and her eyes darting over Lucinda's form as though she was trying to put the pieces together.There was a long stretch of silence between them, which Kira broke as she asked a question slowly and unsure. "I don't understand. Her twin sister?""Yes," Lucinda answered simply, watching Kira's confused state.Kira gave a short, humorless smile, not one out of amusement, but the one that was more like one of those reactions when something becomes too complicated to make sense."Even though you are her twin sister," she said. "I still do not understand how you are here. What exactly is going on? And why are you here?""I know that you know the answer to that question, and what you are thinking is right," Lucinda confirmed. "This is my revenge for my sister."For a good three minutes, Kira didn't say anything and just stared. Then she
At the first light of dawn, Kira's eyes opened, and she got up from her bed.The night before, after leaving the living room, she had headed upstairs, but then remembered she had to go get her weapons, and so, she made a quiet detour and went out to go see her horse."Hey," she whispered as she brushed her hand along his mane, smiling gently while looking at him.Kai responded with a low grunt and nudged her shoulder, happy to see his rider.Tied to his saddle, was a dark leather roll—her weapons pack.A warhorse like Kai didn't just carry a rider; he was also trained to carry a small arsenal for her, and Kira was genuinely grateful that no one had touched her stuff, as she rubbed Kai's mane for a little longer before taking what she needed.The leather roll was fastened to the side of his saddle, just behind the stirrup. It contained her bag of knives, her quiver of arrows, and her sword.Kira unhooked them carefully, one by one, checking each with her hands in the dim, stable light.
Kira folded the small paper and slipped it into her trouser pocket before she took one last glance around the marketplace, which was now busy again.Everything and Everyone had returned to normal, and with nothing much to do there, she walked, leaving the place.The boutique door swung open, the chime sounding above as she stepped inside, her eyes looking for Elara, who she finally saw near a display of long coats, holding up a deep burgundy one and checking herself in the mirror."There you are!" Elara called when she turned at the sound of the door and saw that it was Kira. "I almost went looking for you," she said, half laughing and half worried.Kira smiled and walked toward her, leaning in as she gently pecked Elara's cheek, a soft, affectionate gesture."I'm sorry, Mum," she said sweetly, brushing Elara's arm. "I'll explain everything later. Promise.""That's alright," Elara nodded, although she was clearly curious. "As long as you're okay.""I am," Kira assured her. "Now let's
The first boutique Elara and Kira had gone to was a cozy one in a quiet spot tucked between two larger stores. It was the kind that smelled of fresh clothes, freshly printed tags and soft perfumes. It wasn't too big, but it was a lovely place to shop in.Elara was currently admiring a dress she had found, twirling in front of a mirror, while Kira, who had gotten most of what she wanted from the boutique, carefully folded the items into their shopping bags.As they rounded up, they made their way to the door, their hands full of what they had bought. Taking a deep breath, Kira let the outside air clear her head—the gentle breeze needed.She was about to close the boutique door behind her when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.She noticed that it didn't sit right with her and that someone was watching them, but she didn't let it show and pretended to know.She remained calm, not bothered, and was simply observant of the person watching them as she dropped the bags into the
Kira, who was already done with her meal and was taking the last bite, paused, her expression shifting."He's dead," she said, setting her fork down."But how?" Aiden inquired. "He was old but didn't seem like someone who could be easily killed.""Well, he was killed. Easily," Kira chuckled sadly and then went on to tell them everything from when she first met Baba Razz to how he died, how he was nice to her, and his role in her meeting the elves."I felt strangely comfortable around him," she admitted. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but I don't know. His death was painful, and I did blame myself, but I knew he wouldn't want me to do that, so… yeah.""I'm sorry," Aiden muttered as he and Bryan leaned in on each side and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head."May his soul rest in peace," Elara added quietly. "And I'm sure he will be very proud of who you are today."Blowing Elara a kiss, Kira agreed and decided to change the topic, not wanting their happy moments to be sour.
Stepping out of the room after getting dressed, Kira felt very comfortable in the oversized clothes Bryan had given her.She had also noticed the difference in the clothes—how the shirt smelled like Bryan, while the shorts were definitely Aiden's.She wondered if they had debated over if she would wear Bryan's clothes or Aiden's before coming to the conclusion of mixing them and giving it to her.The thought was so funny that she couldn't help but giggle as she made her way down the stairs, her hair packed in a messy bun."Sorry for keeping you all waiting," she said when she walked into the dining room, everyone already in their seats waiting for her."Oh, nonsense, sweetheart," Elara said, waving for her to join them. "It's completely fine.""Yeah, it's not like we were starving or anything," Aiden added with a smile.Bryan gave him a look and just smiled while shaking his head before turning back to Kira. "Come on, sit. Quit acting like a stranger.""I am not acting like a stranger
Kira, Bryan, and Aiden walked through the pack lands, accessing the pack to ensure that everyone was safe and everything was still intact or not too bad. It had been years since she had set foot around the pack, and as they moved, they could hear the whispers from the pack members. Elders, warriors, and even children stared at her in surprise before approaching."Luna Kira, child, how have you been?" An elderly woman with gray hair that was braided neatly asked, placing a gentle hand on Kira's arm. "It is so good to see you again.""I'm very well, thank you," Kira answered while smiling, her tone soft and warm. "And how about you? How have you been holding up? Are you okay?""Yes. Yes," the woman answered, smiling back at Kira as she patted Kira's arm. "And we thank Goddess for you coming today. Everyone has heard of how you helped. We are truly grateful, Luna.""Oh, please, you don't have to thank me. It is my duty as Luna," Kira said sincerely and rubbed the old woman's hand. "Take
As the elves disappeared into the portal, Kira turned to face Bryan, Aiden, and Ryker, giving them a small smile. She was going to miss El'fiannor, Lythari, the friends she had made, the trees, every single thing, but she was also happy to be back home."So...this is Kai, my horse," she announced as if she was introducing an old friend. "Say hi," she urged them."Oh yes, hi," Bryan said quickly, laughing softly right after. "Hi Kai, very fitting name," Aiden added, laughing as well. "You suit... your rider too."Ryker, however, eyed the horse, thinking about something. "Well, he will need a proper home," he said. "I'll take him to his new place. There's a building we can turn into a stable for him.""That sounds perfect," Kira accepted and extended the reins to Ryker, who took them with ease before leading the horse away.Watching as Ryker left, Aiden turned back to Kira with a warm, eager expression. "Come on," he said, "I'm sure Mum and Dad would be very happy to see you.""As w