"Forgive me, Usher. It seems that I cannot keep the promise I made to you. I couldn't maintain this bond when you asked to end it."Usher closed his eyes, groaning to bear the excruciating pain. The reason was Vione's words, which kept turning in his head. They echoed incessantly, making his chest tighten as if the whole world was pressing against him from all sides.His body shook violently. Usher was shaken by a shock that hit him hard. He clenched his fingers tightly to regain control.No. Usher shook his head. No, Vione. No, please.But Usher's hope was not fulfilled. Instead, Vione's voice continued to echo. Each word seemed to bounce off the walls of his mind, refusing to go away.Usher tried to control his breathing. He took a deep breath, but it only made him suffer more. It was like inhaling a poisonous gas. As a result, each breath only increased the pain in his chest, leaving a burning sensation that was incredibly painful.Usher's mind was chaotic, drifting between reality
"Honestly, I haven't thought of anything yet, but I will send some people to spy on Vione. Based on my observations, if Vione is really hurt, she might be planning to take revenge on you and Usher."Mireya's eyes widened. It seemed that she had overlooked this possibility. "I can definitely feel Vione's hatred, but I never thought she would plan to take revenge on me.""Aren't you a woman, Mireya? So would you sit quietly if another woman tried to seduce me?"Mireya growled. Her expression changed instantly. "Of course not, Torin. If she even thinks about it, I'll get rid of her immediately."Torin's laughter echoed. "You're really straightforward, Mireya, and that's why I love you so much.""Enough, Torin. Don't try to distract me. I am really exhausted right now," Mireya said and let out a long breath. She stood up and went to the kitchen to get a cup of warm water. "These pregnancy hormones make me miss you terribly."This time Torin's laughter was replaced by a long groan. "Do you
The voice was muffled by the mask. Addy couldn't be sure. But the tattoo on the neck gave him a definite answer.Addy instantly froze. His movements stopped abruptly. His body suddenly seemed to lose all strength. Worse, his face turned pale and his eyes stared at the man in confusion—almost blankly. Then he spoke. "Alpha."The man's eyes closed dramatically. His mouth was tightly shut with an expression of frustration he could not hide. He realized that the slight reflexive answer he had given had indirectly answered Addy's curiosity about his identity. It was too late for him to control himself. Now all he could do was curse himself as he tried to leave. He wouldn't let Addy get any more proof that he was indeed Usher—especially the future Usher.Luckily for Usher, Addy seemed to be in a real state of shock, which caused his anticipation to fade. He took full advantage of that. He released Addy's hand from the hood of his jacket. Then he restrained Addy instead. He looked at Addy in
Addy's eyes widened at the sight of Hilary's presence. Reflexively, he backed away, putting distance between himself and Usher. "Hilary.""What are you doing here?" Hilary asked as she approached. She looked at Addy for a moment before her gaze shifted to Usher, who was trying to hide his face from her. "Who is he?"Addy blinked with a confused look on his face. He could see Usher trying to avoid eye contact with Hilary. Additionally, Usher continued to cover his face, even though he was wearing a mask."Hilary." Addy approached Hilary at just the right moment, preventing her from getting closer to Usher. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on patrol."Hilary ignored Addy's question. She continued to look at Usher as she tried to get closer. "Who is he, Addy? What were you talking about? Why do I get the feeling something is wrong?"Addy shook his head in confusion. Usher, on the other hand, didn't want to take any chances. He thought it was enough that Addy knew his identity
Mireya noticed that the intensity of communication between her and Torin had increased lately. The reason was that there were many unexpected things that forced them to talk frequently. Just like this morning, Torin contacted her again, and the topic he brought up made her sure that the conversation would not end quickly.Mireya blinked in disbelief. "W-what did you say, Torin? There's a possibility that the Munest family is planning a revenge?" She shook her head several times. "That's impossible.""It could be because of Vione's scandal," Torin said bluntly. Then he added a very reasonable possibility. "I'm sure the incident with Vione is enough to shake the loyalty of the Munest family. Surely they are now preparing a plan to take revenge on Usher and you."Mireya's eyes narrowed. Her look reflected doubt. "That sounds plausible, but I didn't think they would go that far.""As I said. They must be desperate. They are ashamed of the shame that has befallen Vione. Being a deposed Lun
Usher froze as he listened to every detail of the conversation between The Past Usher and Mireya. Every word they spoke, every detail of the plan they were about to execute, sparked fear that quickly spread throughout his body. Worse, the dark memories he had buried deep within himself resurfaced, adding to the horror that pushed him to the brink of despair.Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, then ran down his temples. Usher's lips turned pale and trembled. No, this can't happen again. Wasn't it supposed to be later? Wasn't it still a long way from that day?Usher vividly remembered that the day Addy and Hilary had been captured by the Palace was still far away, not this day. But the conversation between The Past Usher and Mireya indicated that the event would happen again soon. Just as it had happened with him and The Past Vione, he had rejected The Past Vione earlier than before.A growl rumbled in Usher's chest. Fear and anger at himself hit him hard. He realized that the past w
Everything happened so fast. It seemed like only a minute ago that the golden wolf had arrived, and now the warriors of the Frostholm Pack were scattered everywhere. They all landed on the ground in a pitiful state, even though they weren't injured at all. With precise and measured movements, the golden wolf managed to knock down the warriors without causing any injuries.Everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they saw how helpless the warriors were in front of the golden wolf."You," Mireya growled, a possibility immediately coming to her mind. Her guess was that the golden wolf was the mysterious man Addy had encountered. But there was something that made her heart beat uncomfortably. An unpleasant premonition made her wonder. "Who are you?"The golden wolf glared at Mireya. He growled, and his eyes seemed to glow more intensely the longer he stared at Mireya. It was as if an immense rage consumed him.On the other hand, Mireya's body felt a piercing cold from the
A sickening sensation hit him, shaking with unimaginable agony. Usher seemed to suffer greatly, almost collapsing several times before finally reaching the secret room of the palace.The cold floor greeted Usher's weak and powerless body. He collapsed completely in a pitiful state. He tried to stand up, but his body felt heavy. It was as if all his strength had been drained, replaced by frustration and despair that tore him apart.Usher felt his chest tighten with regret and sadness. All those negative emotions burst out in the form of heartbreaking, hysterical sobs."Forgive me, Vione," Usher whimpered in a most pitiful manner. He closed his eyes tightly, and all the memories of the earlier tragedy spun in his head. "Forgive me."All the memories of his failures hit Usher like endless waves. Memories of times when he couldn't protect the most important people in his life came like a whirlwind, destroying his sanity. In the end, he realized that all his decisions, actions, and efforts
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