"I love Alpha Usher Thorne."Vione Celestia Munest was frozen. She remained motionless and said nothing in response to the confession she had just heard. How should she react? Should she continue to expend energy, as she had done before, knowing that it would be in vain?Vione realized that Mireya Lark would not waver. Mireya would never leave, but neither would she."Why are you silent, Vione? Didn't you hear what I just said?"Vione blinked. Her shoulders shifted slightly as she took a breath. "What do you expect me to say? You don't expect me to congratulate you, do you?"This time Mireya remained silent. She stared at Vione with narrowed eyes, clasped her hands in front of her chest, then walked around Vione with a mocking expression."I don't need your congratulations. It's not important, but I think someone is coming to her senses."Vione closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and hoped in her heart that this disgusting conversation would end soon."Congratulations? Hmm. Doesn'
Vione must have heard wrong. Maybe Usher had misspoken. After all, how could an Alpha threaten his own Luna in front of his mistress?It was not embarrassing, but it was heartbreaking. Even Mireya's slap could not compare to the reality that had just hit her.True. In Usher's eyes there was only Mireya. Vione never meant anything. Just as people had said, she was just a worthless werewolf. She was an invaluable Luna.Vione's vision was blurred by the tears. In the midst of her efforts to regulate her breathing, she saw Usher leave her to embrace Mireya again.They looked harmonious. Both handsome and beautiful. They were like gods and goddesses who should be together."Usher, aren't you doing a little too much? Look at Vione. She seems to be in real pain."Usher turned and looked at Vione with a snarl. His look was mocking and highly contemptuous."I thought it was the other way around. The punishment is not enough for what she did to you."Vione tried to rise with great difficulty. S
"W-what?" Usher blinked. "Breaking our pairing?""Why? Don't you want to?"Usher did not answer, and Mireya immediately freed herself. She stood up while Usher looked puzzled."It seems that what Vione said is true. In your eyes I'm nothing more than a mistress.""Mireya."Usher stood quickly and grabbed Mireya's hand. He held it tightly, preventing her from moving any further."Usher, let me go."Usher shook his head. "No.""Don't be selfish, Usher. You won't let me go, but you won't let Vione go either? Do you want to have both of us?"Mireya's accusation left Usher speechless. He remained silent while Mireya tried to pull her hand away."I'm not selfish, but..."Usher's words hung in the air. He took a breath, and confusion creased his forehead.Something was not right here. Something was wrong and Usher could sense it. But what?"But what, Usher?"In one swift movement, Mireya managed to free her hand from Usher's grip. But instead of walking away, as Usher had expected, she turne
Vione ignored several pairs of sympathetic eyes that stared at her. It was not the first time; she had received such looks many times before. Being small, it was only natural for people to pity her.But this was different. It seemed that in the history of the Frostholm Pack, no Luna had ever suffered such a tragic fate. Usually they lived happily, cherished, and loved by everyone, not only by the pack but also by the Alpha.Unfortunately, that was not the case for Vione. The hopes and dreams that had filled her days after Ayla's prophecy were gone. Without the love and affection of the Alpha, she truly became a pitiful Luna.After arriving in her room, Vione let out all her sadness. She let out all the screams and tears she had been holding back. Her chest hurt and she thought she could not take it anymore.Maybe this was the end. Maybe it was time to give up.Vione could not take it anymore. She knew her limits and she had crossed them.It was not just the pitying looks people gave h
The morning sunlight poured in through the vents and tried to pierce the thickness of the curtains that still covered all the large windows in the room. Its brightness and warmth cast a beauty that should have been irresistible to anyone, including Vione.Slowly Vione opened her eyes. With the return of consciousness, a beautifully curved smile adorned her face. She let out a small sigh, and fleeting memories flashed through her mind.Usher and I....Vione paused for a moment. Last night had been beautiful, but she wondered if it was real or just a dream.Still fresh in Vione's mind, she and Usher had a fight. She cried and ran across the room. Her consciousness faded as exhaustion and sadness
The same morning repeated itself for the umpteenth time. Vione awoke without Usher at her side. Usher had left and she sighed as she rose from the bed. As she sat up, holding the blanket to her chest, she surveyed the aftermath of the chaos in the room—a testament to the passion of their love the night before. The thought of it brought up a myriad of flowers with different scents, all blooming simultaneously in Vione's chest. Her emotions soared, and she felt as if she could truly fly until she touched the ceiling. Unfortunately, the joy was interrupted when a trace of resentment managed to surface. Every once in a while, it seemed appropriate, not overly so, that Vione wanted to wake up in the morning in Usher's embrace. She wanted to start her day with Usher for breakfast, feel the warm kiss on his forehead, and open her eyes to see Usher's face first. But Vione realized that Usher was really busy. He got up early every morning to be on time for work. There were many responsibilit
"What do you mean, Mireya?"Mireya turned away. She looked at Usher, her raised hand pointing at Vione. "She, the Luna respected by the pack, is a low woman. She betrayed you, Usher. She betrayed you."Vione was stunned. She looked at Mireya with an incredulous expression, shook her head and then grimaced. "So, this is your next tactic, Mireya? Not content with taking Usher away from me, now you're trying to smear me?""Slander?" Mireya answered with a confident smile. "Do you think I should bother to slander you? When Usher himself loved me so deeply?" She shook her head. "No, Vione. I don't need to get my hands dirty because this is the reality of what happened."At this point, Vione could not understand Mireya's plan. As Mireya said, there was no point in accusing Vione anymore. In reality, she had already won Usher's heart and love without any additional scenarios.Nevertheless, Vione could not remain silent. She would not let Mireya accuse her of something she had never done."I
Vione thought that her unhappiness and suffering were enough. Despite the happiness she received from her adoptive parents and those who cared for her, there was still considerable sadness, mostly from those who often used her shortcomings as an object of ridicule. Still, she tried not to be sad as much as possible. After all, that's life. Happiness and sadness are always meant to be together, inseparable.The challenging journey of life had shaped Vione's heart. She was no longer easily hurt. She had gotten used to it. More wisely, she focused on those who loved her rather than those who hurt her. But she forgot that there is always an exception to everything.That exception was called Usher. But Vione had her defense. In the past, Usher belonged to the category of people who loved her. Usher was warm and always there for her. Then everything changed after they became a couple. Usher was no longer the Usher she knew. She began to think that Usher's kindness all along
Vione couldn't answer Jemma's words. Her heart was truly touched and she fell silent, only able to look at Usher, knowing that everything Jemma had said was the undeniable truth. Pregnancy was always a happy announcement. But Vione's pregnancy was more than joy; it was a blessing. For Usher, Jemma, Rowena and the Frostholm Pack, Vione's pregnancy was the greatest gift the Moon Goddess had given them. So, it was no surprise that when the palace announced Vione's pregnancy, the entire pack rejoiced and celebrated everywhere. Without exception, the news spread to the farthest corners of the Frostholm Pack territory. Smiles and beaming eyes adorned the faces of every member of the pack. They continued to give thanks for all the good things that had happened to the pack—from their victory in the war to Vione's pregnancy—and they didn't forget to pray for Vione's wellbeing. Ayla, the Sacred Elder, made hasty preparations. She arranged for a blessing ceremony for Vione's pregnancy to be h
There was a bright, blinding light. It seemed to be the morning sun, its warmth soothing her soul. Vione wasn't alone. Next to her was Usher, always holding her hand. They were talking, laughing, when suddenly a scene made her eyes widen. "Sylvia, come back! Don't go too far! Oh, God! Silas, can you go after her?"Usher pulled Vione into his arms. "Don't worry, she won't get lost. They're smart kids." "Usher," Vione groaned, pressing her lips together and raising her hand to point. "That's too—" Vione frowned. Something was holding her hand. Something was stroking the back of her hand, squeezing her fingers. "U-Usher." "Vione? Are you awake?" Usher's voice echoed in her head, like the buzzing of a thousand bees, driving that beautiful memory from her mind. It made her slightly dizzy and she moaned softly. "Vione? Can you hear my voice?" Vione frowned and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Usher's face, filled with immeasurable relief. "Usher." "Oh, thank God," Usher whispered, k
The meeting was only ten minutes old—it had only just started—and the first presentation had only just been given, but Usher's concentration was already disturbed. He couldn't concentrate on the data being presented. His mind kept wandering back to Vione. He had tried to ignore it, but suddenly his heart was pounding with an unfamiliar rhythm.Usher held his breath. Vione. Had something happened to her?At the same time, Usher saw Garth reach into the inside pocket of his suit. He watched as Garth stepped out of the meeting to take a phone call and for some reason Usher was certain that the call had something to do with Vione.Usher's intuition was right. Immediately after the call, Garth approached him and whispered in his ear."Alpha, Cora just reported that Luna fainted at a banquet—"Usher immediately got up from his seat. He left and Garth quickly said, "The meeting will be postponed."Then Garth hurried after Usher. They left the office five minutes later, Garth driving as fast
Two days later Rowena was ready. With her was Cora, whom Usher had specially assigned to accompany her on her journey.Rowena cupped Vione's cheeks. "Don't worry, Vione. We'll see each other often. Besides, it's the only way I can make up for leaving you as a baby.""No, Mama." Vione held Rowena's hands. "You did it so I could live with other werewolves. I understand that."Still, Rowena's guilt remained. So, she promised to make up for it with happiness and togetherness in the future."I hope you take good care of yourself, Mama," Vione said, calming her heart. Then she took off the moon necklace she was wearing. She put the moon necklace into Rowena's hand. "Let me know if anything happens."Rowena nodded. "Of course."Vione and Usher watched Rowena leave, certain that this wasn't goodbye. In truth, they were just living apart. They would keep in touch. They would still meet and visit. So, everything would be fine. There was nothing to worry about.That was what Rowena believed too.
Vione's hope was the promise she had made to Ivan. After so much suffering and sacrifice, there was only one thing she wanted most: to live a peaceful life surrounded by those she loved—Usher, Jemma and Rowena.They were owed many happy days because of the tragedies that had unfolded over the years, along with the war. Now Vione simply wanted to repay that debt by enjoying their time together, especially with Rowena.For countless days, Vione had longed for the loving touch of her biological parents. Despite the fact that her life with Addy and Hilary had been happy and full of love, she could not deny that deep down there was a part of her that longed for the warmth and love of her real parents. And when she learned that Ivan was long gone, all her hopes were placed in Rowena.Vione wanted to experience the affection she had only imagined. She wanted to spend endless days with Rowena in the palace. But it seemed that Rowena had other thoughts than her own."W-what do you mean, Ma?" V
Silence. Ivan and Rowena both stood still, staring at Vione without blinking."I'm meeting Usher, Dad," Vione said again. She pouted as she continued, "We've been dating since the night of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony." Her face flushed, obviously embarrassed. "When we were celebrating at the palace, and that's when we..."Vione didn't finish her sentence, but both Ivan and Rowena understood. They could guess what had happened that night. But one thing was still unclear to them.Ivan cleared his throat. He rubbed his chin, looking puzzled. "Usher?" he asked. "Which Usher are you talking about?""Papa," Vione groaned, feeling even more helpless. She was completely embarrassed. "There's only one Usher I know, the one you both know, Usher Thorne."Ivan's mouth opened, but no words came out. He seemed genuinely shocked and needed a little more time to fully process the name Usher Thorne.Ivan stared at Vione. "Usher Thorne?"The doorbell rang at the same moment. Vione's eyes widened. She lo
A month had passed since the war against the Nimbria Pack, and now normal days were once again colouring the Frostholm territory. Everyone carried on with their activities as before, full of energy and joy. The children played and went to school without a trace of fear, while the adults worked diligently, occasionally breaking into light chatter and laughter.There were no worries. Fear and anxiety about the future had vanished, replaced by happy, vibrant faces. They knew that the danger that had loomed over them for years had been overcome.On the other hand, the peace that now surrounded the Frostholm Pack did not lull Usher into complacency. He refused to become arrogant. Instead, the tragedy that had befallen the Nimbria Pack had taught him many lessons. He would not be careless and would make sure that this would never happen again.As a basis for preventive measures, Berg continued to increase security throughout the territory. Inspections of outsiders became more thorough and r
A heavy silence had fallen over the Frostholm territory since the night before. The area was truly desolate, with no sign of the Frostholm pack except for Berg and the guards stationed everywhere to protect the borders and the palace. The rest of the pack had evacuated to Amerotha Forest, hiding under the protection of Rowena's magic.The tension was palpable. The members of the pack seemed restless, their minds filled with fear, even though their safety was guaranteed within the forest. They knew that this security did not extend to those fighting in the war; there was no guarantee of safety for them.No one could close their eyes. They couldn't even stay in their tents. Instead, they chose to gather together and pray without ceasing.Hope poured from the depths of their hearts. Every prayer was accompanied by sincerity, and many shed tears. Their sorrow ran deep, and the Amerotha Forest could feel it.A blue-golden light slowly emerged, flowing from the ground and spreading everywhe
One thing Usher would remember for the rest of his life was that war never brought anything good. On the contrary, only bad things came out of war—death, pain, loss, suffering. For this reason, he would do everything in his power to ensure that there would be no more wars in the future—at least not in his lifetime—even if it meant making extreme choices.Usher hated war and he hated killing, but this time he put those feelings aside to ensure the safety of the Frostholm Pack. He had learned from experience that Kendrick's compassion could never touch the humanity of the Nimbria Pack. In truth, greed had blinded the Nimbria Pack, causing them to ignore the opportunity presented by the Frostholm Pack. Worse still, the Nimbria Pack saw Kendrick's decision as a sign of weakness, leading them to attack again whenever they had the chance.So, this time, Usher abandoned all compassion and humanity. The Nimbria Pack didn't deserve it. Instead, he would make sure that the Nimbria Pack felt all