ELIASI paced the length of my office while running a hand through my hair. Anger was tearing at me like a ferocious beast and my mind was a jumbled mess.When i had so desperately wanted to enjoy my reign and the Seal Of The Moon just popped up and now having the relaxation I wanted was impossible.I gritted my teeth as I looked at the papers strewn all over my desk, none of which had the solution I needed. With his arms crossed and his back to the wall, Maurice my Gemma remarked ."You look like you're about to break something. "Despite his calm tone I could tell he was observing me and trying to know the cause of my annoyance because I knew him too well. "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, Maurice." I said and he looked away. I let out a deep breath. "I gave Layla's aunt and uncle a call, I asked some servant to do that."He narrowed his eyes slightly but Maurice remained motionless. "And? He asked. My hands clenched into fists as I turned to face him." I informed t
DRAKE The humid night air stuck to my skin like an unwanted guest. The moon merely made an appearance through the shifting clouds in the deep unending black sky above. The night was perfect for what I was going to do. I paused at the wooden door, its gleaming surface which I was just noticing was smudged and cracked.I bet they had been surprised to see me here again. I let out a breath and made a loose fist with my fingers before knocking The slow deliberate rhythm of the sound echoed in the silence. It was not long before the door creaked open. Layla's uncle stood in the doorway his face drawn cautiously his eyes sunken and surprise swept through his face.His eyes lingered on me for an excessive amount of time flickering with hesitation and confusion."Drake" he finally said his voice was hoarse from age." You came back ?" I smiled slowly and comfortingly at him." I hope I'm not bothering you at this hour Uncle."His mouth formed a thin line. Layla's aunt shifted uneasily
LAYLA "Get her! " I heard as an arrow whizzed passed my left check drawing out blood. Branches slapped against my face as I sprinted through the forest, lungs burning with each breath. The footsteps behind me were getting closer. Whoever they were , they weren't stopping and neither would I. The wind howled through the trees, but I could still hear them.Heavy, relentless footsteps , closing in on me. I had to keep running. I had to get to him. My mate . My Alpha. Drake He was the only one who could help me, the only one who would protect me. I stumbled over a fallen log , nearly crashing to the ground, but my legs kept moving, powdered by adrenaline . My wolf growled in frustration , begging to shift but I couldn't. Not now ,not when I was so close. The Packhouse was just ahead, beyond the clearing. If I could make it there ,I had be safe. I knew that Drake would be there . He had to be. I burst through the treeline panting hard . Relief surged through me at the
I had tried to forget the past . But as I stood there ,numb from seeing my mate with another woman, memories of that fateful day flooded my mind , dragging me back to the darkest moment of my life . We were just teenagers when it all happened. The day I lost everything FLASHBACK "Layla! Run! Don't look back!" My mother's voice rang out ,her usual calmness shattered by fear. The trees around us blurred as I stumbled through the underbrush, my heart racing,my wolf clawing at me, begging to be let out. But I couldn't. My parents had told me not to shift . Not yet. I turned back ,the scent of blood ,the sound of snarls filling the air. Rogue wolves. Dozens of them. My father's howl echoed through the forest ,a warning and a plea. He and my mother were the Guardians Of The Moon ,a title given to those who were responsible for the protection of the Alpha and his family and sworn to protect even the future Alpha with their lives . But I know that they couldn't hold of
What choice did I have? When your own mate looks at you like... you are less than dirt... What's left to fight for? The one I had loved for three years. Drake — the Alpha of Silver Crescent, the man I thought would chose me as his Luna— had thrown me aside like yesterday's trash. I thought I could endure anything for him. Three years of being overlooked , waiting for him to see me . To love me. But when his cold eyes met mine at the ceremony.... I knew. I was never going to be enough. I had begged silently for him to consider, to change his mind but nothing. Instead he had chosen the Beta's daughter over me. Ugly and wolfless That what was he had called me. The tears couldn't stop as I was been led out of the pack very early in the morning. Allowing me to spend the night was the only good he had done for me. The pack was no longer my home and I cried silently as we got to the ends of the pack ,guards flanked by my sides like I had committed a heinous crime. I couldn't stay
Pregnant? The word echoed in my mind like a distant bell,its sound growing louder until it consumed me. I laughed,but it wasn't a laugh of joy . It was sharp, bitter, like something dark clawing its way up my throat. How could this be real? It felt like a cruel dream, and any moment now, I'd wake up in my tiny cabin — still heartbroken,but not pregnant. Not like this . "Are you serious?"My voice trembled, barely holding back the storm of emotions building inside me. I glanced at the man who had helped me ,his expression unreadable. He didn't finch, though.My hands trembled, gripping the blanket tightly.My heartbeat felt like a drum in my chest ,fast and erratic. "I wouldn't joke about something like that ?" He said softly,his tone unusually gentle. "The physician was certain." I swallowed hard. There had been no one else— Drake . The thought of carrying his child,afterall that had happened, twisted my stomach into knots. " I saw you at the Alpha's Mating ceremony, rumour
I woke up with a sinking feeling in my stomach. It wasn't just because I hadn't eaten much—a bowl of cereal and some fruits —but because I knew today will be another difficult day . Antoine's warning echoes in my mind has I prepared to head out. Who will want to employ a pregnant woman? But what choice did I have ? I have to survive. I had a child to think about now. I placed my hands slightly over my stomach and felt my child growing. "We are going to be fine." I whispered softly, hoping my words could erase the dread I had been feeling inside me The marketplace was very busy, with the scent of fresh bread and grilled meat, mixed with the underlying scent of sweat and heat. People rushed by ,merchant shouted over one another and the crowd bustled as if the world was still normal— for them at least. I scanned the job board, hoping to find something, anything to make a little money but every job either required heavy lifting or paid so little , it couldn't even cover my
LAYLAThe sound of Antoine's footsteps echoed down the stone corridor until it faded completely. His silhouette had long vanished, yes the sharp stab of betrayal he had left behind remained—a crown lingering reminder of his abandonment.How could he do this? Antoine, the perfect stranger I had trusted with my heart, had turned me over like a lamb to the slaughter. All those promises of keeping me safe, the naive hope that he had protect me were shattered in one swift act. I had been foolish to think I could rely on anyone, even him after what Drake had done to me.The darkness pressed in, thick and suffocating, broken only by my shallow breath and stifled sobs. I could barely see through the blur of tears as I sank the cold floor, my fingers clutching at the rough stone. How was I going to survive this? My thoughts were spiraling, dragging me deeper into despair. The only thing keeping me for breaking entirely was the gentler reminder of life blooming within me— the tiny heartbeat of
DRAKE The humid night air stuck to my skin like an unwanted guest. The moon merely made an appearance through the shifting clouds in the deep unending black sky above. The night was perfect for what I was going to do. I paused at the wooden door, its gleaming surface which I was just noticing was smudged and cracked.I bet they had been surprised to see me here again. I let out a breath and made a loose fist with my fingers before knocking The slow deliberate rhythm of the sound echoed in the silence. It was not long before the door creaked open. Layla's uncle stood in the doorway his face drawn cautiously his eyes sunken and surprise swept through his face.His eyes lingered on me for an excessive amount of time flickering with hesitation and confusion."Drake" he finally said his voice was hoarse from age." You came back ?" I smiled slowly and comfortingly at him." I hope I'm not bothering you at this hour Uncle."His mouth formed a thin line. Layla's aunt shifted uneasily
ELIASI paced the length of my office while running a hand through my hair. Anger was tearing at me like a ferocious beast and my mind was a jumbled mess.When i had so desperately wanted to enjoy my reign and the Seal Of The Moon just popped up and now having the relaxation I wanted was impossible.I gritted my teeth as I looked at the papers strewn all over my desk, none of which had the solution I needed. With his arms crossed and his back to the wall, Maurice my Gemma remarked ."You look like you're about to break something. "Despite his calm tone I could tell he was observing me and trying to know the cause of my annoyance because I knew him too well. "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, Maurice." I said and he looked away. I let out a deep breath. "I gave Layla's aunt and uncle a call, I asked some servant to do that."He narrowed his eyes slightly but Maurice remained motionless. "And? He asked. My hands clenched into fists as I turned to face him." I informed t
LAYLAUsing my apron to wipe my hands, I observed the dough rising in the stone oven. I smiled as the aroma of roasted meat and baked bread filled the kitchen. While the other maids were kneading dough, chopping vegetables and stirring pots I noticed that some of them were giggling at something.I shook my head and gave a small smile .I felt at home here even though I was the Luna. Perhaps it was because I enjoyed its normalcy, the sensation of accomplishing a straightforward simple task. But as soon as I looked out the window, my peaceful moment was destroyed and my heart sank immediatelyAt first I wasn't really sure of what I was seeing and I blinked rapidly. Young women in a long line were dragged into the courtyard. Their faces were bruised, their wrists were bound and their clothing was ripped. A few of them hobbled, while others were hardly conscious, their heads drooping like ragged dolls. I felt uneasy and I swallowed hard.I knew what I was seeing, I knew what this i
DEL MORINO. I was having trouble breathing. The dream clung to me like thick oppressive smoke. Mother's voice, pleading with me to live, sacrificing herself for me, the screams of those who tried to protect us had filled my ears all these years and my mother's face was still etched in my memory.It's been years ago but since that day I could still feel the anger of having that scar on my left eye. It hurt me that I had lost the only person who cared for me.My shaky fingers automatically reached for my face and found the cool leather of the mask I wore, a barrier separating my shame and anger from the outside world. My memory was etched with the assassin's image—a man with an arrow and a crescent moon tattooed on his neck. After years of searching packs and questioning mercenaries I had never found him but he had disappeared like a ghost. His name was unknown and no one had ever seen him.Sometimes I wondered if I had imagined things that night.He was now like a shadow I couldn
DEL MORINOAlong the path to the Temple of the Moon Goddess, the branches of tall trees made it difficult to see the silver crescent moon that hung high in the sky.The smell of flowers that were blooming at night filled the air and the sound of gentle footsteps echoed through the silence. With the murmurs of our entourage behind us, my mother sat beside as she held my hand warmly.Although the temple has long been a quiet location for prayer and tranquility I felt uneasy tonight. My six year old mind was restless.Something or someone hiding in the shadows seemed to be observing us as the cart went through the hard route to the temple.Mother had said that the rocks along the paths
It was just a few hours to dinner and my thoughts were racing against each other.At first, I thought it was just a joke but as I kept thinking about it, I felt so uneasy.At the moment all I had was stress and a pounding headache but being an alpha was supposed to bring dignity and power, isn't it?I kept thinking of the elder's warning: no Seal of the Moon, no pack security. And guess what? Layla had the key to that damned Seal.I guess so.Layla who most likely hated me now.Layla had sacrificed everything for me to pay he
I sighedThese Elders don't know me.They had spoken like I should be scared or something.Then I should run to Del Morino's pack and beg Layla to come back, kissing her feet and shedding tears.Nah.Just because I'm in danger, even little pups are constantly in danger.To look intimidating or at least that's what I hoped, I twirled a dagger between my fingers while lounging on the meeting room's enormous fur chair.As though their breakfast had been stolen the elders sat in front of me with their typical sullen expressions.
DRAKEI ignored the sunlight that poured in through my large windows.I lay sprawled on my velvet chaise and gazed at the ceiling's elaborate carvings letting my thoughts wander to things I'd prefer to forget.Layla.Her name evoked feelings I didn't want to confront like a whisper in my mind.I hate that I had seen her with Del Morino.Not that it mattered but the way she was, carrying herself with so much confidence and pride broke me in two.Not that I was hoping she had been a slave or something, but I had wished I was the one who had given her that luxury she w
LAYLAIt was a painfully quiet night. I sat on the edge of my bed staring out the window and down at the moonlit pack grounds.Del Morino and the strange visit to the other packhouse were circling in my head leaving me confused about thoughtsHe had presented me to Adrian as his mate in a way that seemed purposeful even to make Adrian jealous or something like that.He was trying to arouse the other side of Adrian.To make him stay away from me?It had to be that. I balled my fists rage brewing beneath me.