~ A M E L I A ~‘I was going to ask you the same thing,’ Everett paced over and scanned the surrounding mess. His brow rose, and his eyes pierced right into mine, ‘Up to no good?’Narrowing my eyes at him, ‘In your eyes, always.’He scoffed and looked at the books surrounding my laptop. My heart palpitated, realising my laptop was still open with the article about the hospital fire.Don’t look. Don’t look. Do. Not. Look.Everett pulled a chair over and sat down next to me. He reached towards my laptop, making my stomach flip and heart race faster, and he picked up a book next to it, ‘Hmm… “The Alpha’s Roar”?’ he read the title of one of the children’s books and chuckled, ‘Why are you looking at books for children?’As he was still looking at the book, I closed my laptop shut and picked up another book, trying to act as casual as possible whilst steadying my racing heart, which he likely already noticed, ‘I want to learn more about the pack. The culture, the stories children grew up w
~ A M E L I A ~Damn it. I lost track of time.After Everett left me, I rummaged through all the books and picked a few to take home with me. As I was making my way back to my cottage, I checked my phone and I had multiple texts from each of my friends.HUDSON: It took longer than I thought to finish the research prep with my dad. Meet at the festival?SAMMY: Where are you? It’s almost 11 p.m.! KAYLEE: Do I need to come drag you out of that damn library myself? GABRIEL: The girls keep whining that you’re not here. Come and put me out of my misery. HUDSON: How are you not at the festival yet? I’m coming to get you. Shaking my head, laughing at all of them. I replied to Hudson. AMELIA: I’m just dropping off my things at mine. Need to change, then will head over soon. HUDSON: Oh, good, you’re alive! I was gonna walk, but Gabe and I are gonna drive to come get you now. Be there in 15-20.I didn’t bother protesting against it with him. He was too protective on a normal day, so I could
~ A M E L I A ~Tears were streaming down my face. Even with all the strength I had, it was nothing compared to the power that Andrew and Miles had against me, who had completed their werewolf transitions and had (almost) full access to their power. I was weak. Powerless. ‘Hurry up, Andrew, I want a go at her too,’ Miles huffed, gripping harder on my wrists. Andrew brushed his lips against mine and chuckled, ‘No way,’ he kissed my neck and moved up to my ear, whispering, ‘I’m going to savour every moment of this.’Choking out a cry, not loud enough for anyone to hear. I looked up at the sky and stared at the moon right above me. Moon Goddess… give me strength.As Andrew’s hand moved higher up my thigh, under my dress, a mere inch away from my underwear, I suddenly felt a wave of heat in me. Not a heat of desire like that, but a desire for power. A power that was suddenly flowing through my veins. ‘Let… go,’ I choked under Andrew’s grip on my throat. He chuckled, loosening his
~ A M E L I A ~Seated on the ground, leaning against a large tree and resting my arms on my knees, I was trying to regain some strength to move. Gabriel had disappeared further into the forest to call Kaylee and update the girls on what happened, so they didn’t worry about where we were. I tried to protest against it, as it would’ve worried them more. However, he was right in telling me that they should know. Hudson wouldn’t leave my side, understandably. He knelt beside me, watching me, almost like he was waiting for an order on what to do next. Sniffling, withholding any tears from falling, my mind played everything back on a loop. I sighed, ‘You don’t have to watch me so intensely…’ ‘I just want to make sure you’re okay,’ he said. Dropping my legs, I leant towards him, placing my hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat, hoping the steadiness would soothe me, ‘I’m okay… thanks to you and Gabriel,’ I moved my hand up his chest and rested it behind his neck, leaning closer to re
~ E V E R E T T ~My body ached, and my head throbbed.It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in years. Feeling as if all my energy had been drained out of me, I realised how much it took of me to hold myself back on my heinous desires last night… Though we again hadn’t been able to shift, the staff who worked in the manor were still permitted the day off today, as we usually allowed the day after a full moon. Luckily, the chef had prepared a feast for us to indulge in, which my mother and father had already enjoyed before leaving for their duties. There were no days off for the Alpha leaders, something I was soon to know first-hand when I found my Luna. Seated on the kitchen counter, I indulged in waffles, eggs, bacon and a variety of fruit whilst I was engrossed in my current read: a fictional tale of two star-crossed lovers. Their families are rivals to one another, but that doesn’t stop their love from flourishing. Humans wrote such bizarre stories, but truthfully, I couldn’t h
~ A M E L I A ~I wondered if I had gotten even a minute of peaceful sleep last night, which is something I seemed to ask myself every morning I’d wake since… I can’t even remember how long. It felt like forever at this point. Those three recurring dreams taunted me every night without permitting me any relief by allowing me to force myself to wake up.Engulfed in flames, surrounded by crying newborns. Attacked by a wolf with ash fur and eyes like a demon.A peculiar door down a mysterious hallway with a protection rune. It called to me, making me want to know what was on the other side. It was like I had to see them, all of these dreams, but the fear that two of those dreams brought to me was enough to make me never want to sleep ever again. Who knows what trauma was lurking behind that protected door? There had to be a reason why it was sealed after all. Maybe it should stay sealed… Last night, it was the same dream, the wolf with ash fur cornering me and lunging for my throat.
~ A M E L I A ~Hand-in-hand, Hudson and I enjoyed the stroll through the village. Though the ambience of the village was laced with mild distress due to the lack of shifting during the full moon, somehow, the people of the village were filled with life, joy and peace. Even in the darkest hours, the people of the Silver Moon pack chose to see the light. ‘Wait here, I’ll grab us some food and drinks from the cafe,’ Hudson said, planting a kiss on my cheek before heading over to the cafe. Leaning against a tree, I watched the village—the Silver Moon pack—do their daily rituals. I’d become so accustomed to the eerie setting of the village. Even if I didn’t know this place was home to supernatural beings, I would still find it to be a mystical place to be in. Almost like a fantasy world and the real world collided to create a hybrid of the two. That was the Silver Moon pack. It was beautiful. Cobblestone pathing weaved throughout the area. The morning market was still flourishing with
~ E V E R E T T ~Another Friday evening where my time was being wasted.I wouldn’t dare say that in front of my mother, who worked so hard to organise the party in which we hosted the Night Walker pack, but it was. A waste of time, especially since this was not how I wanted things to play out for myself. I didn’t want to force a bond with a false mate, which would lead to an arranged marriage… no, I wanted none of it. All I ever wanted was for it to happen naturally, as the Moon Goddess had it set out for me. The great hall was decorated in the usual formal manner for parties hosted by my parents—well, by my mother. My father wouldn’t waste his time on things such as this. Small bouquets with flowers local to the Silver Moon pack were placed on each table, with candles wedged inside to idly light the room. Larger versions of the bouquets were placed strategically around the hall to create a symphony of decor, or so that is what my mother states. Even the chandeliers were touched w
~ E V E R E T T ~‘What the hell is going on?’ I asked in a panic as the candle flame began to burn more aggressively, melting the wax representing Amelia’s life force that much faster.Sybil watched the candle in amazement. ‘Her journey through the spirit world has been far too impactful on her body. She’s too weak.’‘No,’ I cooed as I looked back at the small amount of wax that remained of the candle. Squeezing Amelia’s hand, I looked at her and hoped she could hear me in her state of unconsciousness, ‘Listen to me. You are not dying, do you hear me? It’s not your time. It’s not your—‘The room became eerily chilled as the candle flame was snuffed out. I refused to turn around to confirm, hearing Sybil’s saddened sigh was confirmation enough. ‘No… Amelia,’ I cupped a hand on her cheek, ‘wake up. Wake up!’‘Alpha-son, she’s gone.’ Sybil stood and lowered her head, staring at the ground. She also looked heartbroken by this loss. Stepping away from Amelia and towards Sybil, I snapped,
~ A M E L I A ~Panic surged through me. My father’s demise… it was at the hands of his best friend? The Moon Goddess brought us to the time of the battle. As she did, all the magic it took to travel through time was taking a huge toll on my spiritual body. I collapsed to the ground and whimpered, ‘What’s happening to me?’Kneeling beside me, the Moon Goddess helped me up, ‘You don’t have much time, we need to send you back very soon.’I groaned, feeling myself lose the connection and hold I had still back in the land of the living, I couldn’t feel warmth… I couldn’t feel anything. ‘How much longer do I have?’‘Enough time to see this last glimpse into the past.’Holding myself up with all my remaining strength, I watched as the events played out. My father and his best friend were standing head to head under the starry night sky. Many members of the pack, especially the council members, were bearing witness to the fight, awaiting to see who would triumph. ‘Are you sure you want to
~ A M E L I A ~‘What happened after that? How did Draven become Alpha?’The Moon Goddess had brought me back to her moonflower garden, her hand on my back rubbing back and forth soothing me, ‘My dear, you’ve witnessed a lot, are you sure you don’t want to take a break?’I shook my head, ‘I don’t have time for a break! You said yourself that I’ve got a limited amount of time left back in the human world, I can’t waste it.’She nodded, ‘I know, but I can sense your pain and suffering, and things only get darker from here…’Swallowing thickly, I stood tall, ‘Show me.’‘Very well.’~ ~ ~ Following the events of the hospital fire, the next day was sombre. It wasn’t just the families who were directly involved in the fire who were grieving, it was the entire pack. They were all traumatised and scared for what was to come. The funerals for the newborns were held all together, the Alpha and Luna ensured that they were all treated with equal respect and care during the entire process, as we
~ A M E L I A ~It began to rain. First a trickle, then a complete downpour. The Alpha and Luna looked out to the rain, a perfect resemblance of their sorrow, and knew that they had no more time to waste. They had to say their final goodbyes to their daughter and commence with their plan before people became aware. When they had finally said their goodbyes, Kali had come to terms that she would not be the one to venture out to take their daughter to the person they’d hope would be the one and only person they could entrust to take her outside of the pack and to her new human family. In her state of only recently giving birth, her werewolf healing was depleting her energy, plus her sudden disappearance from the fire would raise suspicions. They had to take their next steps carefully and mindfully.Enzo sent Kali back to the hospital, where she would have to act as though she had lost her baby in that fire, along with all the other mothers who lost their babies. Such a foul and disgus
~ A M E L I A ~They arrived back at Rieka Manor, successfully unseen by anyone else. Enzo placed Kali gently on their bed and began to pace up and down the room, muttering to himself. ‘Enzo,’ she was almost hyperventilating, ‘my love, please talk to me! What is going on?’ Kali spoke quietly, trying not to awaken their baby, who had finally fallen asleep soundly, but concern was laced throughout her voice.Yet he didn’t stop pacing, deep in his thoughts, ‘It can’t be them… They wouldn’t… They couldn’t betray us like that!’‘Who?’He shook his head, ’No, no, no!’ He slammed his fist against the wall, shaking the entire room, ‘These bastards,’ he muttered through gritted teeth before sitting next to his mate and wrapping his arms around her, embracing the love of his life and their newborn daughter.‘My love, my Alpha,’ Kali continued to cry silently, ‘Please. Talk to me.’Enzo looked at his mate, holding her face softly as he wiped away her tears with his thumb, ‘My radiant Luna…’ he
~ A M E L I A ~Devastated was an understatement for how I felt, but I was not surprised at all. Those men had been stuck in traditions for so long they were blind to the facts that were right in front of them. That women wanted to show their strength and power, to prove that they are equally as powerful as they are. Yet these men just have to prove themselves to be the best. The Moon Goddess took me later in the day. The sun was slowly going down, dimming the light sky and introducing us to the upcoming night. We walked down the long hallways of the hospital, and the sterile aroma of my surroundings was hard to ignore. We finally made it to the private room that was dedicated to my birth mother, Kali. She was in her hospital bed, sitting up while holding her baby girl, me. With one finger, she bounced my small hand up and down until I clasped my tiny fist around her finger. ‘I can already sense that you’re a strong one, aren’t you, little wolf?’ Kali smiled. Even after giving bir
~ A M E L I A ~My expression faded. That was not going to be easy to get used to, but I nodded and followed her towards my birth parents’ manor. ‘Most of the pack is slumbering away, nursing their hangovers or resting in whichever ways they seem fit,’ the Moon Goddess informed me as we walked through the manor grounds and phased through the door to enter the home. ‘However, Alpha Enzo knew the importance of caring for the pack, and always prioritised his duties before anything else. So, as his mate rested in the hospital and was learning to nurse you, he was back to his duties. They were still recovering from a recent conflict they encountered with another enemy pack. I believe you’re already aware of some people of the Shadow pack?’I nodded as we phased through another set of doors. Inside the room was a grand table. Sitting around it were men, mostly middle-aged but some older and some younger, but a handful of them I recognised from the present day in the Silver Moon pack. It wa
~ A M E L I A ~A wave of dizziness hit me as I reopened my eyes and took in my surroundings. The Moon Goddess and I were no longer in her garden of moon flowers, but deep within a forest. It was so familiar, yet different all at once. In the distance was a gentle glow emitting from lanterns.‘Where are we?’ I asked.The Moon Goddess linked her arm with mine, holding me close to her, ‘We’re in the village of the Silver Moon pack…’ she began walking me towards the lights, where noise and music began to tickle my ears, ‘…18 years ago.’I froze in place and looked at her, ‘Before I was born?’She nodded, ‘In fact, the day I brought you back to is your birthday.’Drawing my gaze back towards where the noise grew, it sounded like there was a huge celebration going on. This was it, this was finally the time I was going to learn everything. I was going to learn the truth and finally be able to understand who I am. But, for some reason, I could not move.‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ T
~ A M E L I A ~It was so cold and dark…Where am I? What is going on?My eyes slowly peeled open, feeling the weight of my drowsiness, meeting the night sky above me. There was not a star to be seen, which was unusual for the Silver Moon pack. No matter where you are, you’d always be able to see stars at night. It was one of my favourite things about the pack. Scanning my surroundings briefly without moving my head, there were trees all around me. How did I end up in the forest? Where was I last? Pushing myself to sit up slowly, my head felt heavy as I tried to recall what happened. Everett had told me to come see him… The Alpha ambushed me… pain… so much pain…My lip quivered as I examined and patted down my entire body, but there wasn’t a cut to be seen.Am I dreaming? What the hell is going on?A rustle behind me caught my attention. Twirling onto all fours and pushing myself to stand, I felt too alert and concerned for what was out there. ‘Who’s there?’ I said sharply. No re