Scarlett.The morning sun streamed through the windows of our café, casting warm shadows across the freshly polished tables. Five years. Sometimes it felt like another lifetime since I’d fled the pack, and other mornings – like today – the memories rose fresh and raw in my mind.“Your coffee’s getting cold,” Alisha called from behind the counter, her dark hair now streaked with subtle caramel highlights – another small act of rebellion we’d both embraced in the human world. She’d traded her maid’s uniform for chef’s whites, and the confidence in her bearing made her unrecognizable from the timid wolf who’d once served the pack.I smiled, watching the morning rush of humans queuing up for their breakfast pastries. Our pastries. Who would have thought a former Luna and her maid would end up owning the most popular café in downtown Portland? The irony wasn’t lost on me.“Just lost in thought,” I replied, but Alisha’s knowing look told me she understood. We both had days when the past cre
FinnI was barely sixteen when I found my mother’s body in our pack house, her throat torn out, my father kneeling beside her in a pool of blood. The evidence planted by Alpha Alaric—Scarlett’s father— was meticulous. Witness testimonies, my father’s supposed motive, even his rage were all twisted into a perfect lie that convinced some of our own pack.My father, former Alpha Marcus Foster, was executed for a crime he didn’t commit. I watched him die with his head held high, his last words to me: “Truth will prevail, son. But patience before vengeance.”I didn’t listen.At seventeen, I became the youngest alpha in our territory’s history, rebuilding a pack shattered by scandal. I changed our name from the Steel Pack to the Crescent Pack, erasing history to escape shame. Loyal ones stayed, but we were shadows of our former strength.For ten years, I restored what Alaric had destroyed. Every alliance was crafted carefully, every business deal planned meticulously. Our pack’s influence g
Finn“Are you sure you don’t want to know anything about her?” His voice trailed after me as I walked back into the pack house. I didn’t answer.“Alpha,” I heard his voice in my head. What kind of nagging wolf was David? Why couldn’t he just let me be? With my alpha speed, I rushed to my office.‘I think we need to listen to him,’ my wolf said.‘Storm, are you thinking of living happily with her when you know her father was the one who destroyed our once-happy home?’ I yelled. ‘Tell me.’ My anger was evident as I trembled. ‘You’re right, I should have killed her to save myself from this stress.’‘Finn, I didn’t mean it.’‘You know how hard we worked to rebuild everything from nothing. The endless training, hiding from everyone’s eyes just to get where we are today. I refuse to show weakness now.’ I clenched my fists. ‘Yes, I still feel something for her, but how could I make her my Luna? How could I face her every day, looking into eyes that remind me of the murderer who slaughtered m
FinnMonths passed by quickly. I buried myself in pack work, desperately trying to keep my thoughts from wandering to her.Today had been particularly exhausting. After working through the night, I was reviewing documents when my Beta approached my desk.“Alpha,” he said quietly.“Do you need something?” I looked up from the stack of papers.“I need to step out for a moment,” he replied. “I’ll be back soon.”“Make it fast. We still have a lot to get through.”“Yes, sir.” After he left, I returned to my work, the mountain of paperwork seeming endless.‘Time to bring in the third in command,’ I thought to myself, rubbing my temples.I was still working when Daniel burst into my office. I stood immediately, my wolf on high alert.“What is wrong?” I asked with a growl.“Alpha, there’s something you need to know.”“Are we under attack?”“No, not that.” Daniel hesitated. “It’s about your mate.”My eyebrows drew together in anger. I had explicitly warned him never to mention her again.“What
FinnThe reports landed on my desk with a dull thud, another stack of dead ends in my endless search. Five years of following every lead, every whisper, every trace of her scent – and still nothing. I rubbed my temples, trying to ward off the familiar ache of failure, when quick footsteps approached my office.A sharp knock, then one of my trackers burst in, his eyes bright with urgency. "Alpha, I have information about the Luna."My pen clattered to the desk as I shot to my feet, heart hammering against my ribs. "Where?""In the human realm," he replied, and suddenly everything made sense – why our best trackers had failed, why her scent had vanished so completely.“What! Are you sure?”"Yes, sir. Got that information directly from John.""Where can I find him?""He's waiting at the human portal entrance."“Thank you.”I was halfway to the door when my Beta's voice cut through the corridor. "Alpha, where are you going?""To the human realm," I called back, not breaking stride. "They'
ScarlettMy hands shook as I locked Sweet Escape’s door, the key scraping against the lock three times before I finally managed to turn it. Finn’s scent still lingered in the air – pine and smoke and everything I’d tried so hard to forget. Ray whimpered inside me, already mourning his departure all over again.The street lights cast long shadows as I hurried away from the café, my heels clicking against the pavement in an uneven rhythm. Every shadow made me flinch, every rustle of leaves had me looking over my shoulder. After five years of careful anonymity, I felt exposed, raw, as if Finn’s appearance had stripped away all my carefully constructed defenses.“Scarlett!”I nearly jumped out of my skin before recognizing Alisha’s voice. She jogged toward me, her usual smile fading as she caught sight of my face. “I was just coming to meet you. Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”“In a way, I have.” My voice sounded strange even to my own ears - hollow, distant. “We need to
ScarlettAutumn faded into winter, and Sweet Escape continued to flourish despite my lingering fears. Each morning, I’d pause before unlocking the café doors, half-expecting to see Finn’s silhouette through the glass, but he kept his word. He didn’t return.Life returned to its usual routine – the hustle of morning commuters in need of their coffee, the calm of afternoon regulars working on their laptops, and the contentment of tallying up the day’s profits.Sometimes, I could almost convince myself that his visit had been nothing more than a dream, if not for the way Ray still stirred restlessly on quiet evenings, searching for a scent that was no longer there.“You know,” Alisha said one morning as we prepped for opening, her hands expertly weaving through the morning pastry routine we’d perfected over the years, “I was worried you’d want to run again after he showed up. But staying? That was the right call.”“Running once was survival. Staying is something else entirely.”“Somethin
Scarlett“Alpha Dickson isn’t someone who gives up easily,” Alisha said, her fingers nervously tapping against her coffee mug.I lifted my gaze to meet hers. “What exactly are you trying to say?”“The letter, Scarlett.” Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “You know what he’s capable of.”“So what would you have me do?” Heat crept into my voice. “Crawl back to that hell? Let him treat me like his property again?”“God, no!” Alisha’s eyes widened in horror. “That’s not what I meant at all. I’m just worried he might track you down here.”I straightened my shoulders, feeling the new strength that coursed through my veins. “Let him try. I’m not the same weak wolf he knew. Peter’s training has made sure of that.” The letter from Dickson still burned in my memory, though I couldn’t fathom how he’d managed to have it delivered. One thing was certain – I’d rather die than return to his pack, to the nightmare I’d escaped.“My life belongs to me now,” I declared. “No one else gets to de
NinaI couldn’t contain my scream as the pain tore through me.“That’s more like it,” Jack murmured, satisfaction darkening his features. “Now tell me, Nina. Was it worth it?”Tears blurred my vision, but I lifted my chin, forcing a smirk onto my lips despite the agony. “You tell me, Jack. Does this make you feel powerful?” I let out a shaky breath, my voice dripping with mockery. “Or does it remind you that you once loved me?”“Really?” His smirk turned cruel as he plunged the silver blade deep into my chest, stopping just short of a fatal wound. My scream echoed off the walls, raw and primordial. The pack’s cheers rose around us like a grotesque chorus, celebrating my torment.“Scream more,” he snarled, twisting the silver deeper. My body obeyed, another agonized cry ripping from my throat. This pain was beyond anything I could contain, beyond anything I could fight.“It hurts so much. Please.”“Tell me, why did you choose to hurt me despite how much I loved you, Nina? Why did you c
NinaWeeks crawled by in silence, each day without a word from Jack leaving me weaker. The guards’ sporadic meals – mere scraps twice a week – barely kept me alive. My body had become a hollow shell of what it once was.I huddled in the corner, gnawing absently at my fingertips when footsteps echoed down the corridor. I didn’t bother looking up, expecting another cold-faced guard.But then his scent hit me – that familiar, intoxicating aroma that made my mouth water. I raised my head to find Jack looming over me, his face twisted with contempt.I scrambled to my feet, my heart surging with a desperate joy. Something stirred deep within me, electric and primal, awakening every dormant cell in my body. The wolf inside me howled in recognition. I felt alive.“Jack,” I breathed. “Is it really you?”“Does seeing me make you this happy?” His voice was ice.“Yes,” I whispered, drawing closer. “I’ve missed you so much, honey.”His eyes blazed with such fury that I staggered back. This wasn’t
NinaThe cold stone walls of my cell seem to close in with each passing hour. How long have I been here? Days? Weeks?Time bleeds together in this darkness, broken only by the dim light filtering through the tiny window near the ceiling.My hands trace the rough surface of the wall, fingers catching on jagged edges, a sensation that’s become almost comforting in its familiarity.Jack. His name burns in my mind like acid. He should be dead. He should be rotting in the ground by now, not walking around, breathing, living. I did everything perfectly.The poison was untraceable, so much so that even the most thorough autopsy wouldn’t have detected it.I watched him drink it, watched the bottle empty as he swallowed every last drop. I remember fighting to keep my expression neutral, to stop the satisfaction from showing on my face as he thanked me for “taking care of him.”A bitter laugh escapes my throat, echoing off the walls. Taking care of him, oh, I took care of him alright. Or at lea
DianaThe walk to the main hall felt like an eternity, each step bringing us closer to the moment I’d been waiting for.Jack walked beside me, his presence steady and strong, while my husband followed close behind.The whispers of servants and guards echoed through the corridors, spreading news of Nina’s arrival like wildfire through the pack.The alpha had already announced before her arrival that everyone should make her life a living hell for attempting to kill their beta, but they were strictly forbidden from taking her life.When we entered the main hall, I saw her standing there; her posture straight and proud despite being surrounded by our guards.For a split second, I caught the flash of shock in her eyes when she saw Jack, alive and well, before she quickly masked it.My wolf snarled beneath my skin. She thought she could fool us again, playing the role of the innocent mate. I watched as she made herself appear smaller, more fragile, her eyes wide with pretended concern.“Ja
DianaThe moment those words left my husband’s lips, my world shattered all over again.Lucy.My sweet, brave Lucy.The truth of her death hit me so hard that, suddenly, I was transported back in time, to when we were young, and the world seemed full of possibility despite its cruelties. I was just a low pack member until I met her.I remember the first time I saw her as if it were yesterday. I was sixteen, the awkward daughter of a low-ranking pack member, always an easy target for the others.That day, a group of girls had cornered me behind the pack school, their taunts cutting deeper than I had imagined.They weren’t just bullies – they were architects of misery, experts at finding the hairline cracks in someone’s confidence and splitting them wide open. Their wickedness went beyond simple meanness.“Look at her! Can’t even shift properly yet. What kind of wolf are you?”“My grandmother shifts faster than you, and she’s practically dead!”Their laughter rang in my ears as I presse
JackMy breath came in short, sharp gasps.“She is Jack’s mate.”The words echoed in my head over and over, like a cruel joke the universe had played on me. My mate. Nina.My stomach twisted violently. My hands trembled as I clutched the letter, crumpling the edges, but I couldn’t loosen my grip. My lungs burned like I was drowning, yet no matter how hard I gasped for air, I couldn’t breathe.This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.But the truth stared back at me from the inked words on the page, clear and undeniable.I felt Alex’s eyes boring into me, his shock a tangible thing between us. He wasn’t the only one. Lucas stood frozen, his face locked in a mask of unreadable emotion.The silence was unbearable.Then Alex scoffed, a sharp, disbelieving laugh that made my skin prickle. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”I wanted to agree with him. I wanted to tear this letter apart, throw it into the fire, and erase this moment from existence.But fate had already decided for me.“Jack
JackI quickly left, leaving Alex alone with him. My heart pounded as I searched the grounds until my gaze landed on Scar, and the sight knocked the breath from my lungs. The woman before me was unrecognizable, a ghost of her former glory.The designer clothes she once wore with such pride now hung in tatters from her skeletal frame, like flags surrendered to decay. Her hair, which used to cascade in glossy waves, had become a matted mess the color of dead leaves.But it was her eyes that haunted me the most. Those eyes that once flashed with wit and confidence were now hollow caves ringed by exhaustion’s purple bruises.Her skin, sallow and lined, told stories of endless nights spent running from demons I had helped create.“Scar,” I called softly, taking a hesitant step forward. Her gaze fell on me.The raw emotion in her gaze hit me hard. Hurt, hatred, and revulsion churning together in a toxic brew.I understood every ounce of her contempt, but I prayed she might find it in her he
Jack“How can that be?” The words escaped me in a whisper. “She can’t do that.”“She can’t do what?” Mother leaned forward, concern etching her features. “Tell me, speak up, son.”I forced a smile, though my eyes caught my father’s furious gaze. “Nothing, Mother.” Then, turning to Dad, I added, “I can’t remember anything.” The lie tasted bitter. I refused to believe my mate could do something vile like that.She wasn’t capable of such things. There had to be another explanation – perhaps the maids in that wretched pack had manipulated her, handed her poison while claiming it was medicine for my wounds.I could feel my father’s heated gaze on me as it burned into my skin. I knew he saw through my deception. I knew he didn’t trust a single word I spoke. But it didn’t matter. For Nina, I would endure anything.“I understand,” he finally said, his voice heavy with judgment. “Sooner or later, you will get to know the real her.” Without another word, he strode out of the room.Mother’s gent
Jack“Where is she?” my sister leaned forward, eyes bright with curiosity. “Is she from the Crescent Pack?”I frowned. I knew exactly who she was, and how she’d found her way to our pack.My stomach churned at the thought of telling my parents that the woman destined to be my mate had been sold by her own family to serve as Lucas’s mistress.Father’s brow furrowed as he studied my face. “Something troubling you, son?”I forced my lips into what I hoped was a reassuring smile. They needed to know. The Moon Goddess had chosen her for me, and that truth couldn’t be hidden forever.“You... actually know her,” I began, choosing my words carefully.Mother’s face lit up. “Really?” my mother asked, beaming with happiness. “Is she from this pack?”“No, Mum,” I muttered.“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” she urged, practically vibrating with anticipation.I drew in a deep breath and met their eager gazes. The silence stretched between us for a heartbeat, then two, before I finally spoke.“She