When Usher reached his room, Mireya had just put Philip to sleep in the crib. She closed the door, and Mireya greeted him as usual—with a sweet smile, a gentle hug, and a cup of warm tea.
"You're here at last, Usher."
Usher took the tea from Mireya and drank it. Then he put the empty cup aside, making sure to praise its taste. Mireya smiled and they embraced again.
Usher rubbed Mireya's back, then kissed her forehead. "Sorry, there are many things I have to deal with."
"Is it about the pack?" Mireya asked, pulling away slightly. She created a little distance to look at Usher as she asked. "Have they filed another petition?"
Usher did not answer, but his expression had already given Mireya an answer. Her eyes widened and Usher could only sigh.
"Really?"
Usher's eyes closed dramatically. He understood Mireya's reaction, but he was extremely tired now. He rubbed the bridge of his nose before he said, "Don't worry. The petition mean
The Palace was in an uproar! Usher was declared ill and wouldn't wake up from his sleep!Mireya wrung her hands. She approached the doctor, Scott Saunders, who had just examined Usher's condition."How is he, Scott?"Scott took a long breath before turning to face Mireya. He looked helpless and his expression showed it. "I'm going to take a blood sample from Alpha for further examination, and if there's no improvement in the next two days, I'll recommend taking him to the hospital for more in-depth tests.""Oh, God," Mireya gasped. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with both hands, as if she couldn't contain her rising fear. "Is it that serious, Scott?""I can't tell if Alpha's illness is serious or not without further examination. Honestly, I didn't find any symptoms in Alpha from the medical check up I just did." Scott looked back at Usher. His look showed sadness, concern and confusion. "He's healthy and everything seems normal."
Mireya was enjoying a delicious breakfast when her phone buzzed briefly. A message had arrived. She read it immediately and her joyful expression turned to annoyance."How dare they disobey my orders. Damn them."Mireya left her breakfast. She hurried to Usher's room and found Greisy greeting her with her head bowed."Forgive me, Madam. I tried to stop them, but they ignored me."Mireya growled. "I know. They don't appreciate me at all," she growled, clenching her fists. "Open the door."Greisy nodded and opened the door for Mireya. She gestured for Mireya to enter and at the same time she shouted."What are you doing, Garth?!"Garth and Cora turned around immediately. They were surprised by Mireya's sudden appearance."Mireya."Mireya approached with a sharp look. "Don't you understand that Usher needs rest? He shouldn't be disturbed by anyone.""I do not disturb Alpha, Mireya. Besides, I want to see his conditio
Garth tried to remain calm and collected. On the contrary, Cora, standing next to him, reacted openly."What?"Mireya was surprised. She looked at Cora with an incredulous look and shook her head. "You should really watch your attitude, Cora. You're not displaying the behavior expected of a Gamma.""I was trying to maintain the appropriate Gamma demeanor, but I'm completely shocked. How could Garth be ignored like that?" Cora wondered. "He is the Beta in the Frostholm Pack. He should be the one to take care of all pack matters while Alpha is sick, but why is it that—" Her words were cut off. She turned and looked at her hand, which Garth was holding. When she raised her head, she found Garth looking at her. "Garth."Garth motioned to Cora before taking a step forward. "I'm sure Alpha has given this a great deal of thought and consideration.""Of course, Garth," Usher replied weakly. He nodded once and leaned back against the desk. "I have giv
Vione stood frozen. Her intuition grew uneasy as more signs of the werewolf's presence registered in her senses. She scanned the area, her eyes piercing the darkness. Damn, I am surrounded.The rustling of leaves and bushes disturbed the previously quiet forest. Slowly but surely, one by one, they began to reveal themselves.Vione's guess was correct. She was surrounded by an uncountable number of werewolves, and among them was the one she least wanted to meet."Mireya."Mireya stepped out of the darkness of the night, smiling. "Vione, we finally meet again."It was the meeting Vione feared. She knew that Mireya was trouble, and meeting her meant trouble ahead. Especially since Mireya had brought a considerable number of warriors with her.Vione's expression changed. The uneasy feeling intensified. No doubt, Mireya had come to capture her."It's been a while since we last met. Um. Maybe fifteen months ago?" Mireya asked, furr
Vione prepared herself and so did the warriors. They seemed to know that Vione would not give up easily. They exchanged glances, encouraging each other, each harboring a hint of doubt.After all, Vione had once been their Luna. Undoubtedly, a reluctance to use violence against her lingered in their hearts. Unfortunately, there was an order to be carried out. Mireya had the authority they had to obey, whether they liked it or not."Vione, it would be better if you surrender peacefully," the warrior leader, Storm, suggested.Vione turned to Storm. "I'm sorry, Storm, but I can't."Storm Meadow stood still for a moment. An inner struggle was visible in his eyes. The day he had captured Vione and her parents was still fresh in his mind. Now he had to do it again?Storm's common sense and his conscience fought. Following Mireya's orders should have been easy, but it wasn't."Storm!" Mireya snapped. She glared at Storm with a piercing look. "I told
The inevitable battle unfolded as Storm and the warriors transformed into their wolf forms and launched their attack.Vione instinctively stepped back after catching a glimpse of the golden wolf. Somehow, she felt the golden wolf urging her to move aside. She obeyed, retreating as the golden wolf lunged forward.On the other hand, Mireya could not shift her focus from the golden wolf. Her hands clenched tightly and she unconsciously began to bite her lower lip. Gradually, her restlessness turned into real concern. The eyes, the way it stared, and the shape of the golden wolf were unmistakable. But how could that be?In his majestic wolf form, Storm let out a commanding howl. Four warriors leapt forward with their front paws raised, sharp claws gleaming in the moonlight, ready to tear at the golden wolf.The golden wolf dodged with grace, effortlessly avoiding each warrior's attack. Storm, in his wolf form, growled in frustration. The warriors loo
"Mireya ordered me to capture Vione. So, my team and I ventured into the forest. We found her, but we were unable to bring Vione back."At this point, Storm stopped talking and cleaned his wounds. He pondered for a moment, staring blankly at the cotton in his hand."What happened?""That man showed up."Garth's body tensed instantly. "What did you say? The man? You mean the man accused of being Vione's lover?""Yes," Storm said, not taking his eyes off the cotton in his hand. "But he denied the accusation. He even boldly claimed that Vione is a loyal Luna. She never betrayed the Alpha."Garth fell silent, waiting for Storm to take a breath before he continued."I want to believe that, but when I asked him for proof, he couldn't provide it."Garth's eyes closed dramatically. For a moment hope had risen in his heart. If Vione was truly innocent and the man had proof, he thought it would be easier to convince Usher to reconsider V
Vione did not know how long she had been asleep—or perhaps unconscious—but when she came to, confusion was the first thing she felt. Her eyes focused on the ceiling, and a question popped into her head. Where am I?The ceiling looked unusual. There were no hanging lights or protective fixtures. Its black color gave it a hard, stone-like appearance.Despite her stiffness, Vione tried to stand up. Ignoring a fallen blanket, she surveyed her surroundings. She confirmed that she was indeed in a cave."Hello! Is anyone here?"Vione walked cautiously, her hands gripping the cave walls as she continued to call out."Hello!"No answer came to Vione. Only the echo of her voice could be heard. She scanned her surroundings for signs of other life, but found none. She was alone, and the man was gone.Vione's hope faded. It seemed the man had realized her intentions and decided to leave at the right moment. So, she lost the ch