The ride back to the palace was relatively safe and controlled. Philo, who had prepared to listen to Oscar's complaints, didn't hear a single one from the Alpha. Oscar seemed calm, occasionally whistling as he alternated between looking at his phone and the scenery along the way. It wouldn't be wrong to guess that Oscar was in a good mood right now.Philo narrowed his eyes. His speculation went further; this must be related to the phone call Oscar had received earlier.Era's name came to Philo's mind again, and he was one hundred percent sure that the call Oscar had received was indeed from Era. He let out a long sigh. Instead of complaining, he praised, albeit sarcastically. She was the one who made Alpha's mood bad and she was also the one who made Alpha's mood good again.They arrived at the palace. The car stopped in the courtyard and a guard opened the car door for Oscar. Oscar got out and so did Philo."You did a great job today, P
Ever since the dramatic tragedy in the Lunaria Forest, Era's thoughts had been consumed by a restless night's sleep. To this day, she often asked herself, if she hadn't ventured into the Lunaria Forest, would any of this have happened? Would she have been able to live as peacefully as before?Then a thought made Era grimace. Memories reminded her that she had never really lived a peaceful life. Somehow, chaos always found a way to disrupt her existence.Era came to believe that even without the dramatic tragedy in the Lunaria Forest, her life would still be chaotic. It was only the form of chaos that might have been different.But that didn't mean that Era was experienced enough to deal with such situations. In fact, she never seemed to adapt, even though chaos had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. So, it was understandable that she felt confused by the stares of her friends when she arrived on campus that morning.Era stopped her steps. As she looked around,
Barbara cursed Madeline the whole way. Her cursing only stopped when she saw Gerald with his friends and then her tirade ended. She quickened her pace and approached them."Gerald."Gerald raised his face and sighed dramatically, closing his eyes. He cursed inwardly. How could Barbara come to the campus and see them in such a bruised and battered state?"Barbara."Barbara pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked briefly at Gerald's friends before they all scattered. Turning to Gerald, she asked, "What happened to you, Gerald? I heard this was all Cooper's doing?"Gerald felt ashamed. Never in his life had he been so beaten and bruised by defeat. It was understandable that his face was flushed. "The news you heard is true. This is all Cooper's doing."Barbara had hoped that the news she had heard was false. But all hope vanished when she saw the signs of struggle on Gerald's face and body. Unfortunately, Gerald's words were even more shock
The morning came and Era woke up earlier than usual. The reason was that she had a meeting with Madeline scheduled for that day. Just like their brief discussion yesterday, the research team, consisting of her, Madeline, Clara, and Frida, would meet to discuss the research plans to be carried out.Era got out of bed immediately. She grabbed her hair tie from the bedside table and hastily tied her hair back. After that, she wanted to prepare breakfast quickly, but her phone rang, causing her eyes to roll dramatically when she realized who was calling her so early. It was Oscar.Era guessed that Seth had told Oscar about yesterday's events. So, she prepared herself and promptly answered Oscar's call before her phone exploded. She was sure that Oscar wouldn't stop calling until she answered."Hello.""Hello, Era. How are you?"Era decided to entertain Oscar while she made breakfast. "I'm fine and still alive. At least I slept well last night.""Um." Oscar hesitated for a moment. "Is some
A voice startled Era. She widened her eyes. "Seth.""Good afternoon, Era," Seth greeted with a bright smile and took over the cart. "Let me push it. Um. Where are you taking this?"Era shook her head at Seth's antics. "Of course, I want to take it to the library. I want to check it out.""Ah! You're right!" Seth's smile widened even more, then he gestured for Era to lead the way. "Let's go! Up front."They walked to the library desk. Seth placed all the books on the table, and the librarian quickly and efficiently scanned the loan."Thank you. Oh, can we borrow the cart for a moment?" Seth asked, looking at the badge hanging around the librarian's neck. "I hope you understand, Miss Lewis. These books are very heavy.""Oh, of course. You may borrow them, Cooper." Helma Lewis nodded enthusiastically with sparkling eyes. "No need to hesitate."Seth smiled. "Thank you, Miss Lewis. I'll return it soon."Era was amazed at Seth's attitude. Seth chuckled as they walked down the aisle, leaving
For a moment Era didn't react. She didn't respond to Oscar's words because her mind was filled with various question marks of disbelief. Did I hear it wrong? Did Oscar just allow me to leave without Seth?Oh, damn it, Era. It seems that Oscar loves you.Era blinked. She asked her inner wolf soul. W-what? What did you just say?Oscar loves you.Era's face turned pale. Unconsciously she murmured, "That can't be."
The village of Runevale was one of the villages on the outskirts of Celestial City that was well known to the wider community. Situated in a valley protected by hills and surrounded by exotic forests, it was an enchanting wonder. It exuded an aura of peace and elegance that was hard to find elsewhere. In addition, in the center of the village was a town square that served as the social and economic hub that was the pride of its residents.The town square boasted historic buildings with stunning rural architecture. There was a decorated square filled with colorful flowers. In addition, the traditional market filled with vendors selling fresh vegetables, fruits, and local handicrafts created a lively and colorful atmosphere.
Era groaned as her body landed on the ground in a pitiful state. Her bones felt shattered and she could barely stand up.At that moment, another thought crossed Era's mind: these men were no ordinary people. In other words, they were not ordinary people. No ordinary person could throw someone like that.You rogue scum. I'm going to pounce on you and tear you apart.Era braced herself on her hands and knees. Her hair tie broke, leaving her hair in disarray. What did you say? Rogue? What is this?Before her wolf spirit could answer, Era remembered the lessons she had learned from Ursa. She got the answer to her question and froze.You mean werewolves do not belong to any pack?Era's wolf spirit growled. Yes, they're rogue werewolves. They have no rules, no ethics. They're disgusting. Willing to do anything for money. Completely lacking in dignity.This explanation made Era wonder even more. Why ar
Era stepped out of the Opulence Bistro; her breath ragged. The sound of her sneakers scraping the pavement matched the rapid beat of her heart. The cold night air had no power to quell the fire of anger burning in her chest."Bastard," Era muttered, her lips pressed tightly together. Her frustration was so intense that it felt suffocating. She glanced back at the entrance of the Opulence Bistro for a moment before continuing on to her car. "I shouldn't have met him."You're right, Era. You shouldn't have met him. Didn't I tell you not to go? Oh God, I don't know what will happen if Oscar finds out what you're doing now.Suddenly Era's eyes closed dramatically. She responded to the words of her wolf spirit. Be quiet. I don't want to talk now.Era felt so stupid. How could she trust Freddy? She had been so naive, thinking that meeting him would lead to him releasing Amias.It wasn't that simple. The realization hit Era hard. Even if Freddy had Amias, that didn't mean he would just let h
Freddy was still in the Opulence Bistro. He stood in the corner of the room and stared at the table where he had met Era earlier. His wine glass was still there, its contents untouched.Freddy's breathing was heavy. His chest rose and fell with uncontrollable emotions. He could barely contain himself when Bernard finally arrived, his head bowed."Bernard," Freddy growled, his face flushed with anger. His hoarse voice made the air around them feel sharp and tense. "You really made a fool of me!"Bernard mustered the courage to speak. "Alpha, I—""You said the potion would take effect in ten seconds. But what happened?" Freddy's eyes widened in anger. His jaw clenched as the memory of what had happened earlier rekindled the fire of his anger. "The potion was useless. Era wasn't affected at all."Bernard looked stunned; confusion evident in his gaze. "That's impossible, Alpha. The potion—""Enough!" Freddy snapped, his anger spinning out of control. Reflexively, he grabbed Bernard by the
A grin appeared on Freddy's face. His happiness was written all over his expression. He casually leaned back in his chair and let the satisfaction flow through his entire body.Era's voice still echoed in Freddy's mind, repeating over and over like a victory melody. The wave of satisfaction became almost overwhelming, making it impossible for Freddy to hold back. A small laugh escaped his lips—a soft chuckle, but full of meaning.The plan had gone smoothly, even better than Freddy had imagined. His threats had backed Era into a corner. In the end, she had no choice but to follow his orders. Era had moved exactly as he had wanted.The room seemed to warm up, radiating an air of triumph from every corner. Freddy rose from his chair and walked to the large window that framed the dark night sky. He slipped both hands into his pants pockets while his eyes stared far ahead, brimming with confidence.Freddy had won the first stage of the game. The euphoria filled him with a passionate burst
The voice crept into Era's ears like a sharp knife, slowly slicing, creating invisible wounds that burned every nerve. It made Era's heart pound violently through words that carried an implied threat.A chilling sensation appeared, piercing Era to the bone and freezing her. Her body stiffened completely, unable to move in the face of the terror that gripped her.The atmosphere changed instantly. The air grew heavy, thickening within seconds.The walls of the corridor seemed to close in. They moved slowly, pressing mercilessly against Era, suffocating her with their closeness."Era, are you listening to me?" The voice came back, softer and yet sharper. It brought a wave of fear that crawled over every inch of Era's body, making her breath catch and her blood run cold.Era's hand holding the phone began to sweat, and the perspiration only got worse. That voice was no ordinary threat—it was a certainty of the disaster soon to come.Era’s throat tightened. Her tongue felt numb. Yet she
Oscar lay motionless on the bed. All of his wounds were hidden under layers of bandages. His chest rose and fell slowly, each breath sounding labored, as if his body was still fighting the exhaustion that consumed it. He looked exhausted. A pale hue colored his face, one that usually radiated the strength of an Alpha. Even his once strong fingers now rested limply, as if surrendering to time.Beside Oscar sat Era, who had been at his side the whole time. She sat close to the bed, her fingers lightly stroking the back of Oscar's bandaged hand.The worry inside her was relentless. Fear hovered like a specter, always looming. No matter how many times Landon and Philo tried to reassure her, Era couldn't calm her mind. For her, the only way to get all the dark thoughts out of her head was to see Oscar regain consciousness.For this reason, Era stayed close to Oscar. She wouldn't go anywhere until he woke up. She even refused Aaron and Ursa's pleas for her to rest. It was impossible for her
The darkness of the night began to fade. The glow of the full moon was no longer as bright as it had been. The sky gradually shifted, leaving a gradient of purple that slowly turned into orange streaks on the horizon.The morning breeze carried the scent of damp leaves and fresh dew, soothing the weary souls that had endured the long and harrowing night. Sunlight began to creep through the tall trees, illuminating tired faces now covered in gratitude. The atmosphere, once tense and heavy, gave way to a deep silence filled with meaning.The Lunaria Forest felt desolate. The scent of earth mingled with the metallic taste of blood, leaving haunting traces of the battle that had just ended. Tall trees, usually standing proudly, appeared damaged—some with broken branches from the fury of the brutal clashes.In the midst of all the destruction, Era felt a surge of emotion well up in her chest. Her heart pounded wildly—not with fear, but with an indescribable relief.Era’s tired eyes scanned
Instinct had already sounded its warning. An uneasy feeling clung to Oscar's mind ever since he received Nicholas' challenge to a fight to the death. He knew there would be parties trying to take advantage of the situation, and his suspicions proved correct. Information leaked. No one knew who was behind it, but the supposedly private fight to the death at Riverdale Bluffs had turned into a spectacle that drew a large crowd. Oscar couldn't even keep track of which packs were present.Unfortunately, the problem didn't end there. Bad news arrived just as Oscar was preparing to face Stephen. The palace had been attacked by the Phydaron pack. As a result, Oscar left the arena in a hurry. He ignored Stephen's taunts. It didn't matter if he was branded a coward for leaving the fight. After all, he didn't owe Stephen anything, and what mattered most was Era's safety—his top priority above all else.Oscar jumped effortlessly into the helicopter, followed by Philo, Thad, and the Warriors. As
Throughout her life, Era had witnessed and endured countless chaos. Her life had never been peaceful. More often than not, problems would come crashing in and leave her life in shambles. But of all the turmoil, none was more terrifying than what she was about to face.Era was shaken. The chaos wasn't just the physical destruction or the deafening noise—it was far more than that. It carried with it the threat of death everywhere, a fear so palpable and overwhelming that it felt like invisible chains wrapped around her entire body.The air grew heavy. Pressure from all sides. Amidst the relentless cacophony, Era felt small, fragile and utterly powerless.The Palace of Xylvaneth, long a symbol of strength and protection, was on the verge of collapse—both literally and symbolically. The tremors that rippled through the ground, emanating from the battle in Lunaria Forest, seemed like a harbinger of the disaster that was about to unfold there.The rumble of wolf paws pounding the earth in t
The sound of a heavy thud echoed as a brown-maned wolf was violently thrown to the arena floor. It whimpered quietly, but a second later it rose quickly. Strengthening its initially wobbly legs, it then leapt, intent on retaliating against the golden-maned wolf that had made it the object of ridicule for the past ten minutes.The golden wolf dodged effortlessly, as if the brown wolf's attack was nothing, completely harmless. It showed no fear and instead continued to attack with bold courage.The golden wolf's movements were very agile and nimble, causing its mane to flicker and shed shafts of light everywhere. It seemed to light up the dimly lit battle arena. Its attacks were precise, full of accuracy and power. As a result, the brown wolf was cornered, and the spectators were filled with awe.The golden wolf's claws sliced through the air with incredible speed. The brown wolf could not dodge. It chest was ripped open. It blood vessels burst.But the golden wolf didn't stop. It contin