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
When she regained consciousness, Era found herself in an ambulance. A paramedic accompanied her and helped her to sit up."Relax. You're safe and not badly hurt. You just have a few scratches. Everything will be fine in a few days."Era felt her body as the medic explained. Then she nodded. "Thank you.""You're welcome. Now, please get some rest."The paramedic wanted to get out of the ambulance, but something made Era hold his hand back. She asked, "What about Officer Phillips? Is he okay?""I'm not sure," the paramedic replied. "He's been taken to the hospital. Hopefully nothing serious happened to him."The medic left, leaving Era alone. She thought for a moment, trying to remember everything that had happened earlier. Her eyes widened as she remembered the man who had helped her.Era shuffled carefully. She made sure the IV needle on her wrist didn't move at all. Sitting in the back of the ambulance, she finally noticed that the a
Dree was drawn to something, so she narrowed her eyes. Her gaze became more focused to make sure she wasn't mistaken, and indeed, she was right.Dree sighed heavily as she continued her work with the cash register. "Poor guy. He must have come here just to see Era." Her fingers paused on the number keys. Her forehead wrinkled vaguely. "Should I tell him that Era is on vacation for a week?""I know."Dree had just thought about it when Seth suddenly stood in front of her with a wallet in his hand. She was stunned for a moment, which made Seth smile a little."Era."Dree blinked, then looked over. "Oh.""Thank you for your good intentions, but I already know that Era is on leave," Seth continued. He nodded briefly and sighed. "She's doing research in the Runevale village. Probably for about a week.""Ah." Dree smiled awkwardly. She hadn't expected Seth to know that much. "So, you knew.""It's understandable. We're from the same c
Philo had tried desperately to keep Oscar at bay. The same went for Seth. Both gave many reasonable reasons why Oscar should wait in the hotel lobby instead of following Era directly into the Arbora Forest."Sorry, Alpha, but it seems better if we wait in the hotel. I'm sure Era will be back soon," Philo said.Oscar stood up. He couldn't wait any longer. He put his hands on his hips and looked at Philo. "Can't I just sit here quietly and wait?"Philo and Seth held their breath. Oscar's question and glare silenced them. They remained motionless, seemingly afraid to move. They also realized that Oscar had not been sitting quietly the whole time.Oscar almost smashed the coffee cup the hotelier had provided. The newspaper was not spared either. He clenched it tightly and would have torn it apart if Philo hadn't stopped him.Oh, dear. Philo realized that his skills as a Beta were useless if the problem Oscar was facing was related to Era. There was not
Era was confused. Her eyes blinked repeatedly and her breathing began to slow. Her body shook from head to toe, accompanied by a slowly creeping heat that made her feel flushed."Os-Oscar."With all her strength, Era tried to stay conscious. But her consciousness was hanging by a thread. The focus of her eyes began to fade and everything seemed to disappear from her world one by one. Slowly, everything became empty, leaving only her and Oscar.They shared a passionate kiss. Accompanied by touches that felt like they were burning all over her body. Sweat was slowly streaming everywhere and her heart was beating faster
Time had passed since the incident, and Era was sure that Oscar must have left by now. Therefore, she should have been able to calm down. But the reality was the opposite.Era remained motionless on the bed. Her eyes were still closed and she had not moved at all since earlier. She was not sleeping; she was thinking about everything that had just happened.Several curses echoed in her head. Era cursed herself for losing her self-control in front of Oscar. She seethed and blamed fate for giving her a father like Amias. She firmly believed that the way Amias had treated her over the years had made her truly vulnerable to men's attitudes.
Oscar's return to the palace caused a stir among everyone. The reason was that they had heard rumors that Oscar had made a sudden trip to Celestial City to pick up Seth and then immediately went to Runevale Village. They suspected that it must be related to Era."So, what's happening now? Is something wrong with Era?"Philo had just stepped onto the atrium floor when Aaron, Ursa and Julie arrived from the opposite direction. It was clear that they were in a hurry and were relieved to see Philo before they went to Oscar's office."I heard rumors that you went to the village of Runevale. Is that true?" Julie asked, her
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
The previous nights had indeed been painful. Era was always worried about the condition of the people around her who were experiencing bad things because of her. But at least she could still sleep, even if she woke up feeling tired. Now, on the contrary, she couldn't even close her eyes for a minute.Era's feelings were truly uncertain. Even words like anxious, uneasy, worried, or scared couldn't describe her feelings now. She was adrift, trapped between waves that kept trying to pull her into an endless ocean.Era gave up. Trying to sleep was useless. Closing her eyes only made her more exhausted. So, she got out of bed.There was only one thing Era could do now, and that was to occupy herself. She had to distract her mind. She had to keep herself busy or the clock on the wall would explode from the constant staring.Era grabbed her pajama robe and quickly put it on. Then she left the room and wasn't surprised at all to find Aaron there."Luna," Aaron greeted as he folded the newspap
Oscar was determined not to let Era's worries and fears come true. So, he made the most of the time he had left. He trained diligently, perfecting all the techniques and strategies he had learned over the years. He wouldn't let any weakness get in the way of his goal. He had to return with his life intact.However, Oscar didn't just focus on himself and the upcoming fight. He wouldn't neglect something far more important, even more important than his own life.Oscar gathered several people in his office. It was just before they left for Riverdale Bluffs.Everyone gathered. Tension hung in the air. Their faces were filled with apprehension."Tonight," Oscar began, looking at each of them. His expression showed utmost seriousness. "I am going to Riverdale Bluffs with Philo, Thad, and several warriors. Although this is a one-on-one fight between me and Nicholas, no enemy can be trusted. So, vigilance is paramount."Oscar was determined to fight with determination and not allow Nicholas t
District Marindale, more precisely in the Falindor Forest—Ryloston Pack Palace.Freddy was inhaling the aroma of an 18-year-old single malt whisky that had just been poured into a rock-cut crystal glass by Peter McKay—watcher—when Bernard arrived. He knew that Bernard must have important news. But that didn't mean Bernard's arrival should interfere with his desire to relax.The crystal glass turned slowly. There was a soft clink as the ice hit the sides, creating faint ripples in the whisky. Freddy closed his eyes and savored the first sip. So did he, not wanting to miss a single taste sensation in every drop of whisky.Bernard, understanding Freddy's nature and character, decided to remain silent for a moment. He stood still, not saying a word until Freddy finally spoke."How is it, Bernard? Any news from Xylvaneth?"Bernard lifted his face slightly. He watched Freddy, eyes closed, still enjoying the whisky. "Nothing, Alpha."The spinning of the crystal glass stopped. Freddy's relaxe
Getting enough rest was never the answer to Era's anxiety; she had proven that. No matter how often or how long she slept, it didn't make her feel better. In fact, it only made her feel worse. When she slept, she was trapped in nightmares, and when she woke up, she was faced with a grim reality."Oscar?"Era looked around to find the room silent. She was alone; Oscar was not there.A heavy feeling made Era catch her breath. It was as if hundreds of tons of weight were trying to render her powerless. However, she managed to move her body, albeit with great difficulty. She got out of bed and at the same time Aaron entered the room."Luna." Aaron approached and helped Era. "How are you feeling?"Era winced slightly. She sat down and Aaron quickly prepared a glass of warm water. "I've never felt so bad, Aaron." She accepted the warm water and took a few sips. "According to Landon, I'm fine. I just need to rest, but why does my body feel completely powerless?"Aaron took the glass back and
Era remained silent as she felt the change in the atmosphere of the room. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath and scanned her surroundings. She saw Philo, who had just said something completely absurd. I am the last descendant of the Selunar Pack? Impossible.Era then turned to Dom. She remembered that just moments ago, maybe only a few minutes before, Dom had asked her about the possibility that her parents were not her biological parents. How could he ask such a strange thing?Finally, Era looked at Oscar. She paused for a moment before finally speaking in a low voice. "No, Oscar." She shook her head. "That's not me. I don't know anything about the Selunar Pack. It's completely unfounded gossip. I am the daughter of Amiass Ross and Sylvie Blair."This time, Oscar said nothing. He just stared at Era intently without blinking. His gaze was unreadable, which made Era feel uncomfortable.Era bit her lower lip. She tried to control herself as the discomfort made her act strangely.
Day after day passed with increasing agony. The Palace of Xylvaneth was filled with an atmosphere of tension. Not only Era and Oscar, but everyone felt anxious and on guard for any possibility that could happen at any time.Era tried not to think about the terror the Ryloston Pack had caused. She knew that Oscar had already ordered Philo to go to the Ryloston Pack's palace. So, all she could do now was wait for news from Philo.Unfortunately, bad thoughts kept creeping in and trying to shake Era's composure. What if Philo's arrival only made the situation worse?Era.Era blinked. The voice of her wolf spirit echoed in her head. I am really scared.Calm down. There is nothing to be afraid of. Oscar will take care of everything.Era winced. I know that. Oscar will take care of everything, but I am really confused as to why this is happening. Dad and Dree have already been affected. What if the same thing happens to others?Era, calm down. I promise you; everything will be fine. This wil
Philo understood, four in the morning was not a usual time to check out, but that was exactly what he did. All his belongings were neatly packed into a 20-inch suitcase, and then he left the room. He took the elevator down to the lobby and checked out with the desk clerk. Then he left the hotel.Philo's car moved smoothly through the still empty streets. His intention was to reach The Palace as quickly as possible. He had to report his findings as soon as possible.Philo stepped on the accelerator. The car's speed increased and suddenly his phone vibrated. At the same time, the dashboard screen lit up, indicating an incoming call, and the name displayed made him pull over immediately. He pressed the green button on the touchscreen and answered the call."Philo."Philo's brow furrowed slightly as he answered. "Hello, Alpha." Oscar's voice sounded different, indicating tension and anger. So, he asked quickly, "What is it, Alpha?""I order you to go to Ryloston Palace immediately."That
It was not unusual for Oscar to reassemble Dom and the others after the attack on Irene. He questioned Irene thoroughly, making sure nothing was overlooked. He made sure that nothing was done hastily.Oscar wouldn't keep quiet, that much was certain. Irene wasn't hurt, but the actions of the Lynoria Pack were like a blatant confrontation, an act that shouldn't have happened. Therefore, he made sure there would be a response to any form of threat they faced."Not just intercept and attack," Oscar growled after hearing Irene's full report. His face reddened, indicating immense anger upon realizing that his emissary had been sneakily attacked. "Even a single word of mockery must be answered."If anyone understood the terrible consequences of war, it was Oscar. He had felt the sadness and agony of war, convinced that nothing good could come of it. Loss was an inevitable price to be paid by all parties. So, he vowed to avoid war as much as possible.Oscar hated war, but at the same time he