Noah's POV. I watched Zara’s white skin lay on the white bedsheets, with a lost radiance as the healer rubbed some salve along her skin. “What is the current situation?” Liam asked in a morose tone, the entire room haunted by guilt and the feeling of failure. The healer turned to us, her eyes shining with sadness, setting the mood for an unnerving one. “She will be fine.”I could hear a ‘but’ in her tone no matter how much she tried to hide it. “But?”“I think something different happened. She panicked and hit the ground but it set the stage for something deeper.” She said “By your confusion I'm guessing you have no explanation whatsoever for that.” Liam interjected, his eyes focusing on the woman until she squirmed. “I'm sorry Alpha.” “It's not your fault.” I responded, cutting her off. I didn't want to repeat the same mistake I made with Zara. I had treated her badly in the past. “Do not inform my mother of this. If she does, I wouldn't hesitate to cut your tongue.” Ethan jo
Zara's POV. My eyes blinked open slightly, trying to grasp consciousness.This must have happened for a few minutes until I heard chuckling coming from the side and my eyes finally popped open. "Hey, I'm sorry for laughing. You just looked pretty cute and I couldn't resist." Noah spoke, covering his lips slightly. Jumping on his feet immediately I coughed, he was at my side instantly. "I'm sorry, I should inform the healer. How are you doing?" His avalanche of questions had my head spinning, and I frowned in response. "Why didn't you tell me that she had awoken?" Ethan came barging into the room, overwhelming me with his scent. "I was going to inform you. Plus you were already in the building, need I still call you for something that probably doesn't make any sense?" Noah responded stiffly. I kept watching both of them, wondering why they were suddenly at loggerheads. "My throat..." I croaked out. "Get her a bottle with water. I think you should also call the healer. Where the
The morning frost painted delicate patterns across my bedroom window, nature's cruel reminder that another birthday was upon us. Not that anyone would remember mine - not when it coincided with the coming-of-age ceremony of the Stone triplets, the pride of Winter Moon Pack.I pulled my threadbare blanket tighter, trying to squeeze a few more precious moments of warmth before facing another day of servitude. The pack house was already buzzing with excitement, voices floating up from below as preparations for tonight's celebration kicked into high gear."Zara!" Selene Stone's sharp voice cut through my brief peace. "Get down here this instant!"I sighed, running fingers through my tangled dark hair. Even on my eighteenth birthday, there would be no respite from the Luna's demands. Nine years of this - ever since my parents disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving me at the mercy of the Stone family. Nine years of being their servant, their punching bag, their entertainment.T
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the great hall as I arranged the final decorations for tonight's ceremony. My hands trembled slightly as I hung the last of the silver and blue streamers, my mind still reeling from the morning's revelations. The mate bond thrummed beneath my skin like an electric current, making it impossible to forget the three alphas who now dominated my thoughts."A little higher on the left, omega," Selene's cold voice cut through my concentration. I adjusted the streamer, biting back a retort. Even now, hours after discovering her sons were my mates, she treated me like a servant."Yes, Luna," I murmured, though the title felt strange on my tongue. Would I be expected to call her "mother" now? The thought made my stomach churn."The caterers will be here in an hour," she continued, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against her phone screen. "Try not to get in their way."I nodded, watching her stride away in her designer heels. Nine years I'd l
The moon cast silvery shadows through the great hall's windows as pack members filed in for the ceremony. My hands trembled as I arranged the last of the champagne glasses, trying desperately to avoid catching the triplets' heated gazes. Since our confrontation in the kitchen that morning, their presence had become overwhelming - every brush of their scents making my wolf whine with need.I couldn't shake off the memory of that heated exchange. The truth about my parents’ disappearance looked over me, though the triplets promised to show me rather than telling me.What did Ethan mean when he said he knew everything? Would their disappearance finally be revealed tonight amidst this celebration?"Stop fidgeting," Selene hissed as she passed, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor. "And try not to embarrass us tonight."I bit back a retort, focusing instead on the delicate crystal stems before me. The irony wasn't lost on me - serving at my own mates' ascension ceremony. No
I don't care what information you have about my parents' disappearance or death," I spat, backing away from Noah's intense gaze. My hands trembled but I forced steel into my voice. "And mind you, my parents aren't dead. I was told they left me. I made a vow to find out what happened, and I will do it myself."The moonlight streaming through the stairwell windows cast harsh shadows across Noah's face as he took a step toward me. "Zara, please-""Keep your information to yourself," I cut him off. "Not that you care. None of you get to use information about my parents to manipulate me."My voice cracked on the last word, but I lifted my chin defiantly. "Watch me as I find out about anyone involved in this. I don't care if it's people close to me. I will crush them all."Noah's expression softened, though his eyes remained intense. "We're not trying to manipulate you, Zara. We're trying to protect you.""Protect me?" I laughed bitterly. "Like you protected me all these years? By making my
The folder containing evidence about my parents lay heavy in my hands as dawn broke outside my window. I hadn't slept, spending the entire night poring over bank statements, witness accounts, and cryptic notes written in the triplets' familiar handwriting. Each document painted a darker picture of Selene's involvement in my parents' disappearance.A knock at my door made me jump. "Zara?" Mia called softly. "Are you okay? You weren't answering your phone."I quickly shoved the folder under my mattress before opening the door to find both Mia and Ava looking concerned. They took in my disheveled appearance with worried frowns."We heard about what happened at the ceremony," Ava said, pushing past me into the room. "The whole pack's talking about it.”I forced a smile, trying to mask the turmoil within me. "Yeah, just a little... drama."Mia crossed her arms, her brow furrowing. "It’s more than just drama. You confronted Noah in front of everyone. That can’t be easy."I sighed, moving
One Step At A Time. “We’lll be outside.” Mia and Ava said in a rush before leaving. Noah and I faced each other, with eyes gleaming with various inflections. I didn't want to believe that he of all people was willing to talk to me so calmly. I knew that he probably wanted to make things right which was a great idea and I respected him for it but at the same time, my heart kept on tilting towards disbelief. “You don't need to be afraid of me.” Fright was an understatement for exactly how I felt. I squared my shoulders, in a bid to be in control of my situation. “You don't need to also act strong. I know how hurt you have felt in the last few years when you thought you were abandoned. It is something to ponder on but I'm glad that you are not one of those girls who go about acting like the entire world is about to crash on them.” A little compliment which he wouldn't have given to me on a normal day. I sighed, “You know what? Why exactly did you come here again?” I asked, feeling
Zara's POV. My eyes blinked open slightly, trying to grasp consciousness.This must have happened for a few minutes until I heard chuckling coming from the side and my eyes finally popped open. "Hey, I'm sorry for laughing. You just looked pretty cute and I couldn't resist." Noah spoke, covering his lips slightly. Jumping on his feet immediately I coughed, he was at my side instantly. "I'm sorry, I should inform the healer. How are you doing?" His avalanche of questions had my head spinning, and I frowned in response. "Why didn't you tell me that she had awoken?" Ethan came barging into the room, overwhelming me with his scent. "I was going to inform you. Plus you were already in the building, need I still call you for something that probably doesn't make any sense?" Noah responded stiffly. I kept watching both of them, wondering why they were suddenly at loggerheads. "My throat..." I croaked out. "Get her a bottle with water. I think you should also call the healer. Where the
Noah's POV. I watched Zara’s white skin lay on the white bedsheets, with a lost radiance as the healer rubbed some salve along her skin. “What is the current situation?” Liam asked in a morose tone, the entire room haunted by guilt and the feeling of failure. The healer turned to us, her eyes shining with sadness, setting the mood for an unnerving one. “She will be fine.”I could hear a ‘but’ in her tone no matter how much she tried to hide it. “But?”“I think something different happened. She panicked and hit the ground but it set the stage for something deeper.” She said “By your confusion I'm guessing you have no explanation whatsoever for that.” Liam interjected, his eyes focusing on the woman until she squirmed. “I'm sorry Alpha.” “It's not your fault.” I responded, cutting her off. I didn't want to repeat the same mistake I made with Zara. I had treated her badly in the past. “Do not inform my mother of this. If she does, I wouldn't hesitate to cut your tongue.” Ethan jo
Zara's POV.My heart was pounding so hard that I almost felt it leaping out of my chest. My hands were tight but I had only one will.I needed to live, even if that was the last thing that I did. There was basically no option for me and I wasn't going to take chances. "If she gets away, we are doomed!" Somebody yelled from behind me. I was a little bit irritated by the way they were acting but I couldn't blame them either. It wasn't entirely their fault the way things were going, they had just been conditioned to think that Selene wielded the entire power. I also thought the same way, a long time ago until I figured out that it was a complete lie. I ran through the bend, rushing through the arena that I knew like the back of my hand. Selene had always sent us into the wild to get her whatever she wanted without thinking of how this was going to impact us. I felt the weight of their footsteps pounding after me, threatening to harm me by the time they got their hands on me. Selene
Zara's POV. Picking up my bags and taking a walk to the border was not as interesting as I thought it would be. One of the reasons I was a little bit worried for myself was because there was nothing to do. Mia and Ava were pretty worried sick for me, but I kept on telling them that it was nothing, but they didn't want to believe it. "Why do you just want to leave? You can always tell Noah, he will fight for you no matter what. You cannot allow yourself to be pushed into doing something that you shouldn't be." Ava said, her eyes flickering with concern as she looked at her friend. "I don't think that that's going to be a problem. I don't want to cause any issues. If staying away is going to allow me to figure out a few things on how to ensure my parents get justice, I might as well take it." "I think you've been getting everything wrong from the beginning, and that's a problem, but even at that, you still have to be careful. I don't want you to get into trouble." Ava said placing
Zara's POV."So, what happened between both of you?!" Ava asked excitedly, jumping on my bed as soon as Noah left. I was annoyed at their interruption in something that I considered very important to me. How did they simply go from wanting to get revenge to liking the man in question?"I don't understand why you're jumping because of someone that you apparently don't know?" Mia waved her hands dismissively before looking at me in horror. "Wait, do we hate him?" "I'm not going to make you hate someone." I evaded the trap question. Ava snapped her hands in my face, "Exactly what I expected you to say. So, we don't hate him, we only hate what he represented the last few years. Got it." She gave a mockery salute that made me a little bit angry at them. They, of all people, knew the drill, and there was no need to bother myself with this one bit. "If you have a lot to deal with, you have to ensure what's done." "I understand you better than you thought I think that you're a little hu
One Step At A Time. “We’lll be outside.” Mia and Ava said in a rush before leaving. Noah and I faced each other, with eyes gleaming with various inflections. I didn't want to believe that he of all people was willing to talk to me so calmly. I knew that he probably wanted to make things right which was a great idea and I respected him for it but at the same time, my heart kept on tilting towards disbelief. “You don't need to be afraid of me.” Fright was an understatement for exactly how I felt. I squared my shoulders, in a bid to be in control of my situation. “You don't need to also act strong. I know how hurt you have felt in the last few years when you thought you were abandoned. It is something to ponder on but I'm glad that you are not one of those girls who go about acting like the entire world is about to crash on them.” A little compliment which he wouldn't have given to me on a normal day. I sighed, “You know what? Why exactly did you come here again?” I asked, feeling
The folder containing evidence about my parents lay heavy in my hands as dawn broke outside my window. I hadn't slept, spending the entire night poring over bank statements, witness accounts, and cryptic notes written in the triplets' familiar handwriting. Each document painted a darker picture of Selene's involvement in my parents' disappearance.A knock at my door made me jump. "Zara?" Mia called softly. "Are you okay? You weren't answering your phone."I quickly shoved the folder under my mattress before opening the door to find both Mia and Ava looking concerned. They took in my disheveled appearance with worried frowns."We heard about what happened at the ceremony," Ava said, pushing past me into the room. "The whole pack's talking about it.”I forced a smile, trying to mask the turmoil within me. "Yeah, just a little... drama."Mia crossed her arms, her brow furrowing. "It’s more than just drama. You confronted Noah in front of everyone. That can’t be easy."I sighed, moving
I don't care what information you have about my parents' disappearance or death," I spat, backing away from Noah's intense gaze. My hands trembled but I forced steel into my voice. "And mind you, my parents aren't dead. I was told they left me. I made a vow to find out what happened, and I will do it myself."The moonlight streaming through the stairwell windows cast harsh shadows across Noah's face as he took a step toward me. "Zara, please-""Keep your information to yourself," I cut him off. "Not that you care. None of you get to use information about my parents to manipulate me."My voice cracked on the last word, but I lifted my chin defiantly. "Watch me as I find out about anyone involved in this. I don't care if it's people close to me. I will crush them all."Noah's expression softened, though his eyes remained intense. "We're not trying to manipulate you, Zara. We're trying to protect you.""Protect me?" I laughed bitterly. "Like you protected me all these years? By making my
The moon cast silvery shadows through the great hall's windows as pack members filed in for the ceremony. My hands trembled as I arranged the last of the champagne glasses, trying desperately to avoid catching the triplets' heated gazes. Since our confrontation in the kitchen that morning, their presence had become overwhelming - every brush of their scents making my wolf whine with need.I couldn't shake off the memory of that heated exchange. The truth about my parents’ disappearance looked over me, though the triplets promised to show me rather than telling me.What did Ethan mean when he said he knew everything? Would their disappearance finally be revealed tonight amidst this celebration?"Stop fidgeting," Selene hissed as she passed, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor. "And try not to embarrass us tonight."I bit back a retort, focusing instead on the delicate crystal stems before me. The irony wasn't lost on me - serving at my own mates' ascension ceremony. No