"Um, hello? Can you hear me?" Elena’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of a voice—familiar yet impossible. Her breath hitched. "Lena?" she whispered in her mind, unsure if she was losing it. "Yes! Oh my god, Elena, you can hear me!" Her heart pounded. She had heard nothing from Lena since that day. And now, out of nowhere, her voice was as clear as if she were standing right next to her. "How…? This doesn’t make sense!" Elena tried to sit up, but something held her down. Not something. Someone. She turned her head, her cheek brushing against warmth. Asher’s arm was draped around her waist, his grip firm even in sleep. Her pulse jumped. "Asher," she whispered, nudging his arm slightly. He didn't stir. Her fingers traced his forearm, feeling the muscles shift under her touch. Sparks shot up her skin, and she nearly shivered. The moment she tried to lift his arm away, he instinctively tightened his hold. She tensed. As if sensing her shift, Asher's eyes slowly o
Elena was still catching her breath, her heart pounding from the intensity of the moment. Asher’s arms were still wrapped around her, his forehead resting against hers. The silence between them wasn’t awkward—it was charged, humming with something unspoken yet undeniable. “I heard her,” she whispered finally, her voice barely above a breath. Asher pulled back slightly, his darkened eyes searching hers. “Lena?” Elena nodded. “She’s been here this whole time. I just—couldn’t hear her before.” His fingers brushed against her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine. “And now you can?” “Yes.” He exhaled slowly, something shifting in his expression—relief, curiosity, maybe even something deeper. His hand slipped from her face, fingers trailing down her arm before finally settling at her wrist, his thumb absently stroking over her pulse. “Elena.” His voice was softer now, more careful. “What does that mean for you?” She swallowed. “I don’t know yet.” "Oh, you two are killing
His gaze flickered to the frame in her hands. His throat bobbed. “Yeah. He did.”She hesitated. “What was he like?”For a second, she thought he wouldn’t answer. Then, he exhaled, stepping past her to sit on the edge of the bed.“He was…” Asher’s fingers curled against his knees. “He was strong. Not just because he was Alpha—he didn’t need a title to be respected. People followed him because they wanted to.” His jaw tensed. “And he never let them down.”Elena lowered herself beside him, careful, like one wrong move would make him shut down. “You miss him.”Asher let out a quiet laugh—bitter, hollow. “Missing him would mean I ever got over losing him.”Her heart squeezed.He ran a hand through his hair. “One second, he was there. The next, he was gone. Just… gone.” His voice dropped, raw and low. “They didn’t even let me say goodbye.”Elena’s fingers tightened around the frame. “Your mom—”“She tried.” His lips pressed into a thin line. “She did everything she could to keep me safe. Bu
Reflection and Healing: Elena stared at the lavish bathroom, momentarily stunned by its sheer grandeur. Marble countertops, golden fixtures, and a mirror so large it nearly took up the entire wall. The steam from the bath lingered in the air, curling around her like ghostly fingers. But it wasn’t the luxury that made her pause. It was the towel. Soft. White. Embroidered with one word. Luna. She reached out hesitantly, her fingers brushing the fabric as if it might vanish beneath her touch. Luna. The title still felt foreign. Unreal. She was his Luna. But was she worthy of it? Her gaze shifted to the mirror, her reflection catching her off guard. The bruises were fading. The cuts—once deep and angry—were now just faint lines against her skin. She looked… healthier. Stronger. It wasn’t just time that had healed her. It was Lena’s careful care. And Asher’s relentless protection. She pressed a hand against the cool marble, exhaling slowly. Safe.
Elena clenched her jaw. No. No, this isn’t truth. It’s manipulation. "You don’t know anything about me," she said, forcing steel into her words. Rachel raised a brow. "Oh, but I do. I know your type, Elena. The outcast. The one no one wanted. The one who spent her whole life fighting to be seen, to be loved." She took a slow step forward. "Tell me, do you ever wonder why Asher picked you?" Elena’s breath hitched. Rachel’s smirk deepened. "Of course you do. How could you not? A bond like this? A life you never imagined having? You must question it every day." "Stop," Elena snapped, but her voice wavered. Rachel laughed. "Oh, sweetheart. You already know the answer. You just don’t want to admit it." Elena’s stomach twisted. "You’re wrong," she forced out. Rachel hummed, unconvinced. "Am I? Or am I just saying what you’re too afraid to say yourself?" "Asher—" "What? Loves you?" Rachel’s voice dripped with mockery. "Are you sure?" Elena opened her mouth, but th
Rachel barely had time to react before Asher appeared. His movements were a blur, too fast for Elena’s dazed mind to fully process. One second, Rachel was towering over her— And the next, Asher had her pinned against the wall, his hand wrapped around her throat. The impact was violent, the drywall cracking beneath Rachel’s weight. She let out a strangled gasp, her hands flying up to claw at his grip. But Asher didn’t budge. His fingers tightened, his canines bared in a snarl. “You touched her.” The words were lethal, each syllable drenched in pure murder. Rachel’s face twisted in fear. Real fear. The shift in power was instantaneous. She had been the predator. Now, she was prey. Asher was going to kill her. Elena could feel it in the air—thick, suffocating, undeniable. She had seen Asher angry before. But this— This was different. His entire being radiated a level of fury that was beyond control. Beyond reason. Beyond anything human. Rache
"Stop running, Asher." Leo’s voice rumbled through his mind, raw with exhaustion. Asher ignored him. The wind howled through the trees, the rain drenching him to the bone, but he pushed forward, his paws tearing through the mud as he ran. Faster. Harder. His lungs burned, his muscles screamed, but it wasn’t enough. Not enough to erase her face from his mind. Elena. The way she had looked at him. Fearful. Uncertain. Asher let out a growl, his claws digging into the earth as he lunged forward, refusing to stop. "You saw her eyes," Leo said again, quieter now. "You scared her." Asher bared his teeth. I know. "You lost control." His legs moved faster, pounding against the forest floor. He wanted to outpace his thoughts, outrun his own damn reflection, but no matter how far he ran, the image followed him. Rachel on the floor, gasping for air. His fingers wrapped around her throat. The blind rage consuming him. Elena’s whisper slicing through it all. "Asher
Margot’s voice was soft but firm. “Asher.” His breath hitched. He hadn’t heard her voice in hours, but somehow, it still felt like she’d been waiting for him. His mother shifted slightly, careful not to disturb Elena, who remained curled up against her. The sight sent a pang through Asher’s chest. Margot tilted her head toward him. “Come here, son.” Guilt weighed down his limbs, but he obeyed, stepping forward until he was standing beside the couch. Margot’s sharp eyes searched his face, reading him in that way only a mother could. “Sit.” Asher hesitated, but when Margot gave him that look—the one that left no room for argument—he lowered himself into the chair across from her. For a moment, silence stretched between them, only broken by the rhythmic rise and fall of Elena’s breathing. Then, Margot spoke. “She had a panic attack after you left.” Asher’s whole body stilled. His stomach twisted painfully, and his hands clenched into fists. Margot’s voice remained
The world outside their little cocoon faded into nothing but heartbeats and whispered breaths.Asher's fingers brushed slow, teasing circles along Elena’s bare hip, drawing a soft gasp from her lips. His touch grew bolder, more deliberate, tracing the sensitive line of her waist, then venturing lower, making her body arch into him instinctively."Asher..." she whispered, breathless, her nails digging lightly into his shoulders.He chuckled against her skin, low and teasing. "What is it, beautiful?" he murmured, nipping playfully at the curve of her neck."You’re... you're teasing me," she said, half-laughing, half-whimpering, the sound laced with undeniable need.He lifted his head, eyes dark and full of wicked affection. "Maybe I am," he said, his voice rough with desire. "You drive me crazy... it’s only fair."Elena whined softly, bucking her hips up to him. "Please," she whispered, her voice cracking with longing.The simple word made Asher growl low in his throat, his restraint cr
A Love That Feels Like Home:"Asher, stop squirming," Elena giggled, trying to peel his shirt over his head as he wrestled with it like it was some wild animal."I'm trying!" he laughed, arms trapped above his head. "This thing’s possessed, I swear."She tugged harder, finally yanking it off with a victorious huff. His hair was a mess, cheeks flushed, eyes crinkling at the corners from laughter. Elena burst out laughing, dropping the shirt to the floor."You look ridiculous," she teased, running her fingers through his tousled hair, smoothing it down."You love it," he said, grinning crookedly, catching her wrists and pulling her closer."Maybe," she whispered, just as he ducked his head to kiss her neck. His lips brushed her mark tenderly, sending a shiver racing down her spine."You definitely do," he murmured against her skin, his voice low and teasing.Elena hummed, threading her fingers into his hair again, tugging playfully as he trailed slow kisses up her jawline. The air betwe
The door creaked open again.Elena turned, expecting Genevieve or maybe Dawn—but it wasn’t either.It was Asher.And he froze in the doorway.Time, breath, and sound—all of it stilled.He didn’t move.Didn’t speak.Just… stared.His eyes drank her in from head to toe. The white dress that floated around her like morning mist. The soft fall of her hair. The quiet strength in her posture. The way her lips curved just barely, nervous but glowing.“Elena,” he finally whispered, voice low and awestruck.Her heart stuttered.He stepped in slowly, reverently, like approaching something sacred. His gaze never left her face, as though he was afraid she’d vanish if he blinked.“Say something,” she breathed, voice barely above a whisper.“I would,” he said, his throat tight, “if I could remember how to speak.”That made her laugh, soft and breathy.He reached her then, his hands lifting but not yet touching—as if still trying to believe she was real. “You look like a dream I’ve had my whole life
Elena stood in front of the mirror, still and breathless. The ceremony was just hours away, but her stomach churned like she’d swallowed a storm.The room was quiet now. Genevieve had left to help with final touches. Dawn had skipped off with her flower crown. Even the hum of chatter downstairs felt far away.It was just her and the mirror.And fear.Her fingers trembled as she traced the edge of the white dress—soft chiffon with intricate embroidery along the neckline. The fabric hugged her lightly, flowing around her like mist. She should have felt like a vision.Instead, all she could see were memories pressing through the glass.The echoes of bruises that had once marred her skin. The hollow eyes she used to avoid in her reflection. The voice in her head that still whispered: You’re not enough. You never were.Her breath hitched.What if they see the truth beneath the silk? What if they see the scared girl still hiding under the skin of a Luna?She turned from the mirror, pressing
Elena stirred the next morning to the soft chirping of birds and the golden warmth pouring through the trees. Asher had wrapped himself around her during the night, their bodies curled together beneath a blanket of moss and dappled sunlight. For the first time in her life, she didn’t wake up flinching.Instead, she smiled.“Morning, Luna,” Asher whispered against her shoulder, his voice still thick with sleep.Her heart flipped. That title… it used to scare her. Now it sounded like a crown placed gently on her head, not one she had to earn by pain—but by love.Asher kissed her cheek before pulling himself up. “We should head back soon. Your ceremony's tonight.”Her breath caught. Nerves fluttered in her chest. Ceremony. People. Attention. Things she’d never felt comfortable with.And yet—she wanted it. For herself. For them.By the time they returned to the house, the buzz had already begun. Pack members moved in and out, carrying decorations, trays of food, and fabric-draped poles fo
"I think this is my favorite kind of silence," Elena whispered, her voice barely louder than the breeze.Asher turned his head slowly, his eyes glowing amber in the waning light. “The kind where we don’t have to say anything… but everything’s already understood?”She smiled faintly, eyes fixed on the sunset bleeding across the sky. “Exactly that.”The horizon was a watercolor of gold and soft lavender, bleeding into a dusky crimson that painted the clouds with fire. The lake mirrored it all—still, soft, endless. A hush had fallen over the world, as if nature itself paused to breathe beside them.“I used to hate sunsets,” Elena confessed, her fingers playing with a blade of grass. “They reminded me the day was over, and it meant going back into a night I couldn’t escape.”Asher’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t interrupt.“But now,” she continued, “I love them. Because I know what the night holds. You.”He reached for her hand gently, threading his fingers between hers. “The night belong
The forest began to thin, the trees spreading wider apart as the scent of water drifted to him—fresh, clear, kissed by wind. Asher slowed his stride, dark paws sinking into moss and damp soil as he followed the trail of delicate pawprints that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.Then he saw it.The lake.Still. Silent. Sacred.The water lay like glass, mirroring the golden sky overhead. Morning mist curled above its surface like a soft veil, and tall reeds swayed at the edges where dragonflies danced between blades.It hit him like a memory. One he hadn’t thought about in years.This lake—this exact lake—was where his father used to take him as a pup. Before the war. Before the loss. They would lie beneath the oaks and count the stars. His father had called it the heart of the forest, a place where the world stood still, where the bond between wolf and nature hummed the loudest.Now it whispered something else.Peace.And at its center—was her.Elena.She stood at the water’s edge, one
Elena clung to him, her hands sliding through his hair, and her lips parting with soft gasps as Asher kissed her deeper, rougher—no longer gentle. Something was shifting.And it wasn't just the hunger in their kisses.“I feel… different,” Elena whispered breathlessly against his lips, her nails curling against his shoulders.“I know,” Asher murmured, panting as his forehead pressed to hers. “It’s the bond.”“No… not just the bond.” Her pupils flared golden, and her voice came out lower—more layered, like two voices overlapping. “It’s her. She’s waking up.”A growl curled in Asher’s chest. Deep. Possessive. “Leo’s awake too.”As if summoned, their wolves surged forward—raw, primal instincts crashing through their consciousness like a tidal wave. A heat swept over them, curling in their bellies, wild and unrelenting.Lena growled through Elena’s lips. The sound was soft but primal. Her golden eyes narrowed, and she gripped Asher’s jaw, kissing him with such fire he nearly buckled.Their
Elena finished the last bite of her eggs in silence, her fingers idly circling the edge of the plate while her thoughts lingered somewhere far beyond the small kitchen. Asher watched her, his hand resting lightly over hers, thumb rubbing soft, steady circles along her knuckles.“Do you think…” she started, hesitating, “that Genevieve ever regretted helping me?”He frowned, scooting his stool closer until their knees brushed. “No. Not for a second.”“She lost everything, Asher.”“And gained something far more valuable,” he said firmly. “Self-respect. Integrity. You.”Elena looked up, her eyes shining with quiet pain. “But I didn’t protect her.”“You were a kid,” he said gently. “You didn’t have the power to protect anyone—not even yourself. That’s not on you.”Her lip trembled. “But if she hadn’t stepped in... I don’t know who I would’ve become. Or if I would’ve made it at all.”“Then she changed your life. And I promise you, Elena, she knows that. People like her? They don’t act out o