Biting wind beat against my face, and whipped at the folds of my long white dress. I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked, wishing the dress had long sleeves. But it wasn’t just the weather that sent shivers down my spine. No, something deeper and far colder, that resided within me. It was as if my heart had turned to ice, frozen and unyielding.
Yet, a heavy pain weighed upon my heart with an unbearable intensity as well. With every step, I could remind of Adrain’s face. He might know by now that I'm gone. Was he finally satisfied with me?
The driver of a passing vehicle yelled at me, and I realized I’d wandered into the middle of a road. With no specific destination, emptiness filled me. A route through the forest grabbed my attention and became my destination, at least for the moment. As I entered the woods, the sky began to darken, so I didn’t waste any time resting. Though I wasn’t sure where I would end up, I kept pressing onward. After a long time, my legs grew tired, and I slowed.
Then a thorn pierced my foot. “Ahh!” I exclaimed and then dropped to the ground. As I removed the thorn, I could no longer contain my feelings. Tears welled and then flowed from my eyes. I dropped my head into my hands, feeling so lost and alone.
A branch cracked behind me. Then a series of a sudden, I heard growls sounded.
“Look at her,” said a man’s voice. “She looks like a young whore. What’s she doing here?” I heard a man’s voice.
I whipped my head around to find several rogues approaching.
They were rogues!
“Fuck! She is a beautiful bitch.
“Catch her!”
Panic flooded me. I jumped to my feet and ran, hearing them scramble to catch up to me. I cried out, then increased my pace to widen the gap between me and those dirty men. As I ran, I prayed for my children.
Their intention was clear. They wanted to rape me.
‘Where will I go now? How could I save them?
No time to think. I had to keep going. Branches and thorns assaulted my arms and legs as I fled. I hissed in pain as spots of blood stained my white dress.
But then the boundary of another pack appeared ahead. At that moment, it wasn’t just a border, but a hope. I launched myself into a mad dash, hearing the men’s footfalls grow louder.
A quick glance behind me told me three of the five men had shifted into wolves shift to catch me. The two still in human form, halted the others.
Then one spoke to me. “Come back to us. Don’t cross that border. There’s a dangerous pack over there. They’ll kill you.”
As if I would believe them? Besides, what choice did I have? The entire world was full of beasts. A lone woman wasn’t safe anywhere. But I was safer across the border than I was allowing those men to catch me.
I turned and continued to bolt, hastily crossing the boundary into the other packs’ territory. Another quick glance told me my pursuers hadn’t followed. I finally relaxed and took a breath. Then I pressed on with , my stomach growling, my muscles aching, and my body’s strength waning. If that weren’t enough, my head began to ache, as well. I clutched my dress over my belly, reminding myself that I’d done this for my children.
Crunching sounds met my ears. The border guards must have noticed me and begun their pursuit. As I started to run again, my head spun. A moment later, I collapsed. A pair of brown boots came to a stop in front of me as the world around me faded into darkness.
**********
When I came to, I saw that I was in what appeared to be a hospital room, one I didn’t recognize. Terror engulfed me, and I bolted upright, only to see a handsome man sitting on a stool next to me.
“Who are you? Where am I? How are my children?”
“Your children are fine,” he said. “No need to worry. But how do you feel?”
“No. First, tell me, who you are and where I am.”
Placing his hand over mine, he smiled at me and said, “You’re in the confines of the Blue Blood Pack, and I’m Jason Hansley, the pack's future alpha… and you are my sister.”
His answer shocked me."How is that even possible? I am an orphan." I said to him with a confused face.How did I reach this pack and get a family here? I had been told throughout my entire life that I did not have anyone. However, how did it come to pass that I was suddenly a member of a royal family?The young man named Jason looked older than me. I could guess that he was three or four years older than I was, which would put his age somewhere around the same as Adrian's.His demeanor was impeccable. The way he was conversing with me made me feel a sense of warmth. However, how could I believe that what he was saying was true?As if he tried to ease my mind a little, he changed the topic and asked me,"Are you feeling pain anywhere, Jessica?"I was dumbfounded.Jessica?Who was he talking about?It made me believe that he caught the wrong person.I took his hand away from my head and said,"See? I told you that it's impossible. You mistook me for someone else. I'm sorry to say, but
Adrian's POVAfter taking care of Lynda in the hospital for a few days, I finally remembered that Natalia seemed to have been injured that day as well.But when I got home, I didn’t see Natalia anywhere.I scoffedm I believed that Natalia would regret leaving me. She would come back home very soon.So I did not care much after returning home.I was in a bad mood. Because after Natalia left the pack house, Dad scolded me a lot.I was furious at her. I just waited for tomorrow morning when she would return here hopelessly. I just wanted to see her face at that time.That night, I had a dream.I was kidnapped by some bad guys, and then a girl's voice appeared; she kept calling out to me. She helped him out of danger and healed me with herbs. I kept trying to see the girl's face, and this time, I succeeded; the girl was not Lynda, but Natalia!As I jolted awake from my dream, I sat up straight.In reality, it was a nightmare about my memories from the past.When I was a child, my father h
Adrian’s POVDuring these days, after Natalia left the pack, I slept in the apartment that belonged to the pack company.I didn’t know why, but I had no desire to return to the house. Today was a visiting day with my father, so I drove to the pack house. When I entered, I saw my father pacing in the living room. He didn’t look happy at all. I approached him, unable to determine what had caused his mood to darken so completely. “Dad,” I said quietly. He looked at me and asked, “Why do you get drunk every day?” I stayed silent. I didn’t feel the need to explain myself. He had blackmailed me over something that was mine from the start. He destroyed my life. My life would’ve been so different if I hadn’t listened to him, if I hadn’t married Natalia three years ago. When my father saw I wasn’t responding, his eyes grew colder. He barked, “Come to my room.” I followed him. My mother sat quietly, watching us. I wanted to ask her what was going on, but I refrained. I kne
SIX YEARS LATER Natalia’s POV "Come here. Don't run faster. You'll get hurt." I said to my children with a wide smile on my face. The sight of my son, Noah, falling to the ground caused my smile to fade away. "Mom, it hurts." My daughter, Aria, spoke out. Even though Noah was the one who was hurt, Aria appeared to be in a state of sadness because she had a deep love for her brother.Although I lost one child six years ago, having these two angels already makes me very happy. In a hurry, I went to Noah and gave him a hug. He was very strong. Though he got hurt, he didn't cry a little bit. "I am okay, Aria," he said with a gentle tone. As I looked at my twins, I couldn't help but smile once again. It brought me great joy to take my twins for a walk in the woods. I have had a wonderful time at the Blue Blood Pack these past few years. It was my real family that helped me recover so well. At this point, I was on the verge of forgetting the pain that I had experienced
Natalia's POVAt long last, the day of the party that the werewolf council had been planning had arrived.I was experiencing a great deal of anxiety on the inside. During these five years, I attended quite a few parties; nevertheless, most of them were held within my own pack, which was the Blue Blood pack.Here, we had to face so many new people, one of whom I did not wish to see again."Shall we enter, my lady?"I turned my head to my right side to see Eric. As he approached me, he extended his arm. In response, I nodded my head and placed my hand on top of his. We entered the party hall while holding each other's hands.The various powers that were present in the hall, as well as the decoration that was inside the hall, left me in a state of awe.It appeared as though a large number of head Alpha and Luna had arrived to take part in the party.And why not? It was not just a party but a conference of werewolf council.I held Eric's hand tightly and let out a long, deep breath.'I can
Adrian's POVFor Six years, I had been searching for Natalia, but I had never heard from her.I had no idea where she was. No one found any traces of her or the direction she took in the forest when she left this pack."Adrian"I heard a voice calling out to me with a soft tone.I emerged from my thoughts and turned my attention to the person who was standing at the door of my office room.She walked in with an innocent grin on her face.“Lynda,” I uttered and rubbed my forehead.She had been with me for the past five years. Three years ago, when my father made me the head Alpha of this pack, she wanted to be my Luna. For the simple reason that I was not yet prepared to make someone my Luna, I did not make any promises to her. So I had not announced Lynda as my pack's Luna either.Nevertheless, she accepted my decision and conveyed to me that she was not with me out of greed; she only desired to be with me.She was a really good woman. Maybe too good for me."Adrian, I heard you are l
Adrian's POVI was able to observe her eyes widening, which was a sign that she was also experiencing the mate bond.I could not believe that she was my mate!She had a wolf!It came as a greater surprise to me too.During the time that I was attempting to gather my thoughts, the scent of strawberry reached my nostrils. It was her scent.My mate's scent!In a state of bewilderment, I asked my wolf, "Is she my mate?"Nevertheless, the only thing he did in response to me was to pressure me to give him control.I ignored him and shut him inside. I switched my attention to Natalia, who was staring at me with astonishment on her face.Is she pleased that she was able to get me back at last? Without a doubt, she was overjoyed.Did she come here to grab my attention?Is it possible that she entered this place using my name? If that were not the case, who would allow her to access such a significant event?My head was filled with a tremendous number of questions.Even if she used my name, I d
Natalia's POVMy fate shocked me. How could he possibly be my mate? It would be impossible for me to be with the man who had broken me in the past.He did not forget about the night. He continued to hold me responsible for that night. His remarks were cruel, and they hurt my heart. I was surprised that his words continued to have an impact on me.As I worked to keep them under control, tears began to form in the periphery of my eyes."You're still so rude; you haven't changed a bit." I said while staring at him.The hold that Adrian had on me loosened. He released his grip on my arms."This is the last time I'm going to explain; believe it or not, I was not the one who drugged you that night."He scoffed at me as if I were lying to him. I felt that this man could get more power for himself, but he would never change.He was still the same Adrian Miller that I had left behind five years ago.I attempted to turn around and leave, but his words prevented me from doing so."What about thi
It was quite late at night.Jason had left the pack house. The Leightons went to the guest rooms, which had been prepared for them by the maid. Hazel also went back to her bedroom.Adrian was sitting on the couch with his parents beside him. There was nobody else in the living room."Adrian, you made the right decision when you said you wanted to make Hazel your mistress," his father, Lucas Miller, said.His mother, Grace, was silently listening to them."They had come to recreate the past. This time, don't repeat what I did years ago," Lucas added.Adrian did not respond; he was staring at the marble floor the entire time.As if he were experiencing numbness on the inside, he was unable to make any expressions.His mind went completely still as he listened to the voices.He shut his eyes. He took hold of his head and used his fingers to massage his forehead. He had felt this since waking up today.By the time he regained consciousness after the accident, he was already in the hospita
The sharp eyes of Ansel were able to observe Hazel. It was clear that she was not in the least bit pleased. "Hazel, don't forget why you are here."“I-I asked you something. Didn't you say—”"Shut up!"Hazel bit her tongue and averted her gaze from Ansel. Ansel grabbed Hazel's hand and looked around to see if anyone was there.When Ansel saw there was no one, she leaned close to Hazel and said angrily,"If I hadn't come here, you would have spilled all the truth to Alpha Jason."Hazel looked at her, intending to speak, but Ansel shook her head. "No, no, honey. You are not brave enough to do it."Ansel's hand moved toward her belly, raising her brows. Hazel tried to push her hand, but Ansel pressed her hands against her belly."Don't dare to lose the track, or I will kill your child."Hazel gritted her teeth, nodding her head. "Don't kill my child."Ansel grinned evilly as he examined Hazel's belly. "Who wishes to kill it? It will get Alpha Adrian's name. If your brother had not been i
Hazel let out a painful hiss. She remembered the time Natalia had grabbed her by the neck. She became aware that both of the siblings were easily agitated. Turning her head away from Jason, she muttered,"I—I didn't know he was your sister's h-husband; otherwise...""Otherwise? Otherwise what? You would have slept with some other guy?" He let out an angry laugh.His jaw clenched as he stared at the woman. There was a burn in his chest, making him feel irritated.He could never describe what he was feeling inside. All he wanted was to kill this woman."You were here, living a luxurious life in this pack while carrying another man's child, and there I..."He paused, attempting to hide his emotions from her.Hazel cast a slow glance at him. She took a shaky breath before asking,"You what?"His hand gripped her jaw and he pulled her face toward his. Their faces were close, which caused her to remain still."And there I have been looking for you throughout your entire pack. I thought your
Jason looked mad as if his blood was boiling. He was inhaling deeply as though he would harm her at any moment. His jaw clenched, preventing himself from doing anything wrong.Lastly, he could not control himself, and his hand immediately moved to grab her neck. He growled at her as he asked,"How dare you sleep with another guy and get pregnant?"Hazel's eyes grew larger, feeling difficult to breathe. She patted his hand to release her. His eyes remained sharp, glaring at her while he waited for her response."J-Jason, I—"His grip tightened, making it impossible for her to take a deep breath. She could breathe out, but she was unable to breathe in to continue talking.Her eyes began to well up with tears and her face went pale. Tears rolled down from her eyes, falling down on her cheeks. Her hand, gently caressing his, slowed down her movements. Her lips quivered in fear that her heart might stop beating at any moment.She reached up to touch her belly with her other hand. She looke
With a frown on her face, Natalia turned to face her brother. What was it that he desired that made him to assist the family, such as the Leightons? It was not unfamiliar how these people were. They were notorious and vicious people who could only cause harm to others. So why did he help them in the first place?She noticed that he was looking in a certain direction. Before her eyes could follow his gaze, Hazel got up from the couch."Excuse me. I am coming back in a few minutes," she said in a low tone.After that, Hazel walked past everyone.Natalia followed her movements until she left the living room. When she noticed that Hazel was sweating as if she had been startled, she was perplexed.Wasn't her family there for her to set up things for herself? Then why did she look so afraid?Natalia suspected that Hazel had begun to behave strangely since her family arrived.But why?As other people resumed their conversations, the living room started to emit a reverberation of voices.Afte
Hazel's sister-in-law, Ansel Leighton, was shocked. She did not expect Natalia to respond like that. Her eyes widened and glowed with anger."Did you just—"Lucas Miller, Adrian's father, stopped her from speaking when he noticed the atmosphere growing heated."Please don't take her words to heart."Natalia looked at Lucas to see why he had stopped Ansel. She wanted to hear her out before responding with what she deserved.A shameless family like Leighton deserved to be insulted rather than respected."My sister is very blunt. "She never considers who is in front of her; she always stands for the truth," Jason stated proudly.Ansel raised an eyebrow and said, "Then she should stand the truth this time as well. The truth is that someone else is carrying her husband's children. How can she not show her support for the woman? Can't she support the feelings of these two people and make her own decision?"Natalia clenched her jaw. How did she know what she and Adrian had talked about befor
Natalia was surprised to hear her brother. She glanced at the old man once again.Was what her brother said right?Her eyes quickly swept over Adrian's bandaged forehead. Before he could catch her eyes, she averted her gaze off of him.She pondered, 'Was it Old Leighton who was responsible for the burn on his forehead?’By telling herself that she did not care about Adrian anymore, she attempted to calm her heart.Through a hushed voice, she responded to her brother, "Okay."Jason shrugged his shoulders and said to the old man with a grin.“You are talking about culture and rules? In spite of the restrictions that my pack imposed, have you forgotten how I managed to make it to your pack? You are aware of the reason why I went there, right?”The expression on the old man's face changed. His thick brows furrowed, but then he let out a chuckle."I see I have offended Alpha Jason. Don't mind my words. I was only talking about terms. If that offends Alpha Jason, I apologize."Natalia was s
In the silent living roomEveryone's attention was on Natalia. The three new people scrutinized her with their predatory eyes.The pair of emerald eyes, which had been experienced by seeing many things, keened by focusing on her."How can you refer to her as this pack's Luna when there hasn't been a crown ceremony yet?"Hearing the strong voice, which did not shake a bit even though the owner was old, took Natalia aback.She turned her head to look at the old man. She felt awkward inside after meeting his gaze.It appeared that he possessed far more power than she had expected. The power of the wizarding world was something she was not unaware of. The words that he spoke pierced her heart and brought her to the realization of something that she had neglected to remember.'Crown Ceremony!' she thought, averting her gaze from the old man.She came to the realization that she had not yet earned the title of Luna of this pack. The reflection of the night the Crown Ceremony flashed on her
Natalia scrutinized the three people who did not greet her and instead went to take seats on the couches. Adrian did not even bother introducing her to them. She felt like an outsider.For once, she wanted to leave them for now.However, her brother held her hand and shook his head, indicating that she should not leave at this time."I hope we will not bring up the past. Our children made some mistakes; we will try to solve this," Lucas Miller said with a soft tone.Natalia remained composed, trying to concentrate on their conversation.The young woman had not yet sat down on the couch. She walked up to Adrian and stood beside him."Refreshing to see you again, Alpha Adrian."She was grinning charmingly, and as she gazed at him, her eyes glistened.She raised her hand and gently laid it on his shoulder before brushing something out of its way. As she slowly ran her fingernails over his shirt sleeve, she spoke again while gazing at the bandage around his forehead."You shouldn't have l