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Chapter 29
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2024-10-29 19:42:56As soon as he stepped inside Stefano's house, Tristan knew that his mate was there. He went straight to the library despite Gianna and Mira's protests, following his bond to Francesca. But when he opened the door, there was nobody in sight. He stood there for several seconds, wondering how his intuition could be wrong. And he was just about to give up when Francesca and Stefano materialized in the previously empty library. Francesca's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted while Stefano screamed in terror and pain. Smoke arose from the whole expanse of his skin as if he had just been burned.
"Em..." Stefano murmured, almost to himself. He screamed in torture again, clawing at his skin. But Tristan could care less for his fellow Alpha. He went straight to his unconscious mate.
"What happened?" Tristan asked no one in particular as he touched Francesca's cold forehead.
"Hell if I know," Gianna answered as she and Mira ministered over th
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Francesca woke up, breaking a sweat. She couldn't remember what happened, only vaguely recalling passing out after getting overwhelmed by the soldato in that dilapidated alley. She was extremely tired, her bones burning, and she could feel the familiar congestion in her lungs. She could barely open her eyes. Hacking a cough, she made a move to get off the bed she was on. Somebody stirred beside her and warm arms wrapped around her neck. Francesca stiffened, but only for a moment, as her mate's scent washed through her senses."Qin ai de," Tristan croaked, barely out of his slumber, "I'm sorry."Francesca squeezed her eyes shut at the apology, hot tears pooling within her lids."Wha--" she started, but a fresh bought of coughing started and she had to sit up in order to breathe. Tristan removed his arms to let her so, but he did not let go of her shoulders."Francesca, breathe." he coaxed."What else do you think I'm trying to
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The Gammas, the shamans of the pack, started talking excitedly over each other upon learning that their Alpha's mate was Selene. The Crescent Moon has all-female gammas, and they were famous in the werewolf world because of it. At that moment though, Tristan felt no pride about the fact whatsoever, as they continued to celebrate the news.He slammed his fists on the table. "You don't seem to be getting the point. We did not consult with you to give you joyous news. My mate is dying. I wanted your thoughts on how we can prevent her transformation from happening, not to celebrate it."The gammas turned to their leader, a serene-looking woman in her seventies, but she did not speak and only continued to silently observe the chaotic exchange before her."With all due respect, Alpha-" One of the elderly gammas on the table piped up."Don't talk to me about respect." Tristan snarled. "You're asking me to just give my mate up to the moon."
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Francesca waiting for Tristan to get off work in the cafe near the office lobby. She saw Jacob and they were both awkward."Hey." Jacob greeted her but she could only nod. He started to leave but then he retraced his steps."Listen, Francesca. I would like to apologize for my behavior the last time we saw each other.""It's--you don't have to---" Frankly, it was the least of Francesca's worries."No, I have to. I mean, I have to admit I don't think I will ever accept Tristan as Emerald's CEO. But the long history that comes with it is between the two of us. It has nothing to do with you. You obviously care about him and he adores you. I shouldn't have dragged your relationship through the mud. For that, I'm sorry."Francesca was torn. She could not help but feel hate for what Jacob had put Tristan through, siding with Stefano just like that. But then again, Jacob knew nothing about the werewolf world, and Tristan had told her that
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Francesca dreamed, and for the first time, it was a good one. A baby and a girl with a blue ribbon in her hair playing by the creek. She had no idea what the dream meant, but she rejoiced. Maybe it was a dream about her future with Tristan, just like how her mate dreamed of her all those years ago. It was quite bold of her subconscious, to think of having children with Tristan when there was an uncertain future in front of them. But if the moon goddess had a hand in her dreams, maybe this was also a message from her. She might be telling Francesca that it was going to be a happy ending for her and her mate, that the moon goddess was giving them her blessing to marry. Maybe it was that one sliver of hope that made her get out of bed early in the morning, leaving behind Tristan's sleeping form, and finally paint for the first time in years. At first, Francesca did not know what she wanted to paint, but as soon as she faced the canvas, it became obvious. She simply had to paint her dr
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As soon as they hit the bed, Tristan ran his hands through her body more forcefully than he ever did and he was uninhibited with his kisses. But Francesca needed him closer, mold his body into his. The last shed of clothing between them, and Tristan's fingers were suddenly between her legs. "Tristan," Francesca moaned his name as his touch met her most sensitive spot. She felt like burning up, and her wolf was no help either. They were both completely consumed by the moment. With an answering groan, Tristan dipped his head into her right breast, kissing the swell of a nipple. And then he was going down, nipping at the skin of her belly and into her aching center. Tristan's tongue against her was rough yet gentle, a combination that Francesca still yet to comprehend. As much as she tried, there were still parts of her that would cringe at thought of men touching her. Even then, as her mate made love to her, there were still ugly thoughts that crept into her head and her body would t
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"Gia, thank goodness. How are you feeling?" "Better now.""I-I'm..." Francesca was suddenly not sure what to say, "What happened? How did you escape? How did you find us?" "That's a lot of questions. How I escaped was a long story. As to finding where you are. Well, Emerald Tower isn't exactly that hard to spot here in New York, Ches." Francesca warmed at Gianna calling her by her nickname, "You're right. That was stupid." "Francesca." Tristan's voice made her turn towards the door. He took one look at Gianna and his eyes landed on Francesca again. "Can I talk to you alone, for a second?"Without another word, Tristan led her to the supply room of the infirmary, ignoring the curious looks of the nurses around them. He shut the door quietly. "Can you believe it? She's here. Sure, she's a bit banged up, but she looks like she's healing. And she's...actually here." Francesca was practically jumping up and down in happinness, "Now, we just need to rescue Mira and--" "Qin ai de, wha
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"I'm coming with you," Francesca said, following Tristan out as soon as he barged out the supply room door. "No!" he immediately exclaimed, eyes wide, hair mussed, and the front buttons of his dress shirt misaligned. It seemed almost comical to Francesca, if only the situation wasn't serious. "Not this again," she complained, then choked back her tears. "I let you go alone to face Stefano before and I almost lost you." "Qin ai de, you are in no condition to fight. You know that." Tristan whispered at her, cradling her face in his hands. Around them, some curious nurses have started to notice their distressed demeanor, but no one dared to ask their Alpha about it. "I'm fine, Tristan. I can fight. Besides, I told you I decided to be Alpha, right? How can I just stay here while everyone's in trouble?" "I know you're strong. Hell, you can probably take me even in your condition. But Francesca, for my peace of my mind---" "What about my peace of mind? You'll be out there. The pack wi
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"The specialized Zeta units are keeping our enemies in line with guerilla tactics. The traps we've set up around their territory have slowed them down significantly, too." Lynn's voice wafted from the speakerphone at the center of the long table in the room. The "Underground" that Tristan was talking about turned out to be a mini-mansion just right underneath Emerald Tower. It wasn't just a meeting room where Tristan briefs his pack members, just as Francesca had initially expected. "How many casualties do we have so far?" Tristan continued to inquire. There was a pause at the other end as Lynn answered, "We're at ten from the Zeta units and 25 from the Etas." Silence filled the room. "What about the humans, and our civilians?" Tristan spoke again, his grief barely concealed from his subordinates. "The gammas have worked their magic, so we have none so far." came Lynn's voice on the other end. Tristan's shoulders sagged in relief, and Francesca could tell that the people
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The pain was excruciating. Francesca felt her confidence waver. In front of her, the moon was about to mee the sun. And she wondered as hot tears ran down her face, if she would see it happen in her current state. She felt like dying. But Tristan, with their mind link, reminded her to keep looking in his eyes. He held her gaze, giving her all the strength she needed. "This is the last of the mark, Francesca. Please bear with it," the gamma who had been marking her whispered. The tip of the rod touched her skin once again and Francesca screamed. "I'm here. Keep looking at me. You can do this." Tristan said in her head. A long pause ensued as Francesca dipped her head low, completely spent from the ritual. "Qin ai de," Tristan murmured, his palm against her face. His voice shook in fear. "You're okay. You're okay, right?" Francesca willed herself to speak, or even to just lift her head to tell him that she was alright. But her face felt like lead. "Hello, Francesca." Two fami
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"I can't believe you kept me in the dark for so long," Francesca told Alberto. They were in the great hall of Luna's fortress, now Selene's again, looking at the trapped essences of the Roman goddesses in front of them. On that battlefield, once Helios became her and Selene, everything went smoothly. It didn't take much for her to overpower the Roman goddesses and harmlessly extract them from their vessels. But despite their victory, Francesca still had this weight in her heart. Considering what she just learned, no one could blame her. "I have nothing else to say except that I did it to protect you," Alberto replied. Francesca could only nod. She could tell any conversation with her father would just be for nothing. She knew why he did it and he would stand by it. Alberto cleared his throat awkwardly, "Do you really need to go?" "I want to be with him and he can't stay here. The moon would sap his energy." Francesca said. "And the earth would do the same to you." Alberto frowne
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Tristan dragged himself to Francesca and barely caught her from slumping onto the ground. His vision heated up in his panic. Briskly, he felt for her pulse. It was faint. His wolf howled in pain, and so did Tristan as vine-like cords grew on their mate, ruining her perfect skin. "Qin ai de, no. Wake up, please." Tristan whispered. Francesca was deathly pale, and it was breaking his heart. "Don't do this to me." "Selene, get ahold of yourself." Hecate suddenly appeared beside him. She touched Francesca's skin, just above where the glow was. Tristan, in his devastated state, faintly realized that there was also a white glow around Francesca. "It's Selene. She's being forced to leave Francesca's body. She's holding on, trying to save Francesca's dying body." Hecate whispered. "What did I tell you, sister? The battle is here, on the moon." Olga crooned. She stood a few steps away from them, her sisters beside her. All around them, people have completely stopped pummeling each other,
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The man sighed, "I guess I deserved that cold greeting." He inclined his head, as if seeing something in front of him other than Francesca, "Hello, sister." "Helios. It's nice to see you." Selene greeted, confirming what Francesca already suspected. Her sister getting burned like that, after telling Francesca that she was the sun. Mariana was the vessel for Helios, the god of the sun, and Selene's brother. "Where is this? Where did you take me?" Francesca couldn't care less about the sibling's reunion. She needed to know what he had in mind for suddenly showing up. "You're on the sun." Francesca whipped her head up at his height. But the shock was only temporary. In the past, Francesca would have panicked more at the thought of being on the sun, but she was too numb to feel anything at the moment. These gods and the games that they play, causing mortal casualties here and there. Helios needed to pay for what he did to her sister. "It was an accident, Francesca. Please, let him ex
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Francesca and her older sister Mariana were playing tag outside their old house back in the Philippines. Their little feet dangerously skittering on the wet ground. The rain had just stopped and the air had that smell that Francesca loved. "Cheska, come on! Faster!" Mariana shouted back at Francesca, "Count of ten and if you can't catch me by then, I won't tell you my secret." "Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Francesca yelled, giggling. "One, two, three, four, five.." her sister taunted and Francesac sped up. "Caught you!"Francesca excitedly announced as soon as she caught up with her sister, hugging her arms. Mariana shrieked. "Girls! Careful or you might fall into the water." their Mom shouted from the direction of their house. "Yes, Mama!" They said unison, giggling. Their Mom had such a loud voice. "So..what is it? What's the secret? Come on, I caught you." Francesca asked. "Okay, here goes." Mariana smiled, then she whispered, "Do you know? We are from the moon. You don't remem
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Tristan and Stefano found themselves fighting side by side, both using halberds to assist them in battle. They found it strange compared to how werewolves fight with their bare hands. Tristan, for instance, found it a bit troublesome. But as someone who wasn't from the moon, the place tends to suck some of his energy away, so he needed the boost. "Are you seriously leaving her alone to deal with Luna?" Stefano asked Tristan, briefly gazing in the direction where Francesca and Olga were dueling. "If there's a fight that she would win, it would be that one," Tristan answered confidently. "But don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on her." Of course, he was. Tristan did not need to say that out loud for Stefano to know. Stefano grunted, eyeing Tristan with begrudging respect as the latter overpowered three Lunars at once. Tristan was obviously much stronger now, having been turned into a full-blown Alpha. That also meant Endymion's soul had been extracted from his body and sent back to the
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Luna's forces now consisted mostly of Diana and Hecate's people. She could recognize them from the gaunt, haunted look of the people from the underworld, and the A****n-like hunter's garbs of the women of Diana. They stood a meter away from the Greek goddesses' forces, in a standstill before an impending fight. "Luna. I see you've made your sisters pick up the mess you've created again." Francesca said, speaking as Selene. "You." Olga spat out. She stepped forward to Francesca, but Tristan, his claws out, shielded his mate. Olga paused, staring at Tristan. Francesca smirked, she knew exactly why Olga hesitated. Tristan was different. Free from her hold. "What did you do to him?" Olga growled. "Nothing. He was just reminded that he belongs with me," Francesca said. Olga fumed but didn't say anything. Francesca knew that Olga and Luna didn't really need Tristan anymore. Their plan of trapping Selene by using the human half of Tristan's soul had failed. So, it was a matter of prid
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Their plan was to attack the unwitting Luna in her own castle, and Francesca could have a panic attack just thinking about it. It was true that the old Francesca, who was fearless and optimistic, was back. She could feel the old her and she was happy to welcome her back. But remnants of the version of her that was wounded by Stefano by all means possible still peeked from where she had hidden her. Speaking of the devil, Francesca saw Stefano approach her from a corner. She tensed like she always does whenever he's near. But she thought about what Tristan said about it previously and held her ground. "Hi," Stefano said as soon as he reached her, scratching the back of his neck. Francesca wasn't at all used to seeing him so unsure in front of her, it was unnerving. "Hello," Francesca greeted back cautiosuly. "Francesca, listen, I--" Stefano said. "If you say you're going to apologize for everything you've done, I would have no choice but to laugh." Francesca interrupted, her heart f
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Francesca almost fell on her seat. Selene. She was back. She grasped her chest in happiness. "Hello, Francesca." Selene said, "I see you left some space for me to easily find you. Thank you."Of course." Francesca replied, "But you had us so worried. What took you so long?" "Just found it hard to say goodbye for a while." the goddess answered. Just then, a delayed reaction of the goddess coming back inside her hit Francesca and she almost lost her baalnce again. “Francesca, are you okay?” Stefano caught her arm. Seeing who was holding her, Francesca pulled it back instinctively and Stefano awkwardly let go.Tristan frowned, "Qin ai de, you're tearing up. What's wrong?" he asked, replacing Stefano's hand on her arm. Francesca looked around as everyone stared at her worriedly and noticed it was true. The blur must've been from the tears that were starting to gather in her eyes. They were tears of happiness, though. “I’m alright. It’s just…” Francesca said. She couldn’t help but smi
