The aroma of sizzling meat and steaming sauces greeted River as she pushed open the swinging doors of the restaurant. The lunchtime rush was just beginning. She could tell by the steady stream of customers filling the tables and lively chatter buzzing in the air. She would love the view as she had come to cherish normalcy after being harbored in the De La Morts mansion for years, but right now, with Gonzalo’s episode, nothing seemed soothing to her. Tara, who was wiping down a counter near the entrance, spotted River and rushed over. "Thank goodness you're back!" she exclaimed, wiping her hands on her apron. "I need you right away." Her gaze traveled to the anxious expressions on Rain and Leo's faces clinging to River's side. "Everything alright?" River asked, shortly forgetting the encounter with Gonzalo. Tara didn't seem to notice the apprehension in River's eyes. "Everything's fine, just swamped," she said, ushering them towards the back. "Go drop them off in the living room
Tara's eyes widened as River uttered the name. "Gonzalo? You mean the Alpha of the Moonstone Pack?"River nodded, loathing talking about Gonzalo as a whole. "Yes, him."With her gaze fixed on Gonzalo, who sat impatiently at the table, “He looks so... normal," Tara commented. "Why is he dressed like that?""Wouldn't know," River replied, shrugging.Would Tara quit asking her about Gonzalo already?! The answer was no.Suddenly, Tara's eyes narrowed. "Maybe... maybe the rumors are true."Now, that piqued River's interest. Her head snapped towards Tara with curiosity sparking in her eyes. "What rumors?"Tara leaned closer, hands shielding her mouth as she said. “Word on the street is that Echo has been furious ever since you left. Apparently, Gonzalo refused to mate with her because he felt guilty about what happened to you. Now that the Moonstone Pack has come seeking shelter, Echo's been making things very difficult for them just out of spite.”Sounds like Echo; River thought. But did T
That was it.He just crossed the line. Did he just remind her of that night, the night when she shamelessly forced herself on him and he shamelessly took her?The night that begets her child. The best gift she could ever ask for. That night they shared alone behind closed wasn't a weakness if that was Gonzalo’s thoughts. It was a source of joy. Yet, a wave of shame washed over River at his words. Remembering how stupid she was when she snuck into his room made a blush creep up her neck. The memory of that night– knocked over in a moment of vulnerability and fueled by potent emotions was something she'd tried desperately to bury. But Gonzalo's words unearthed it, bringing back the searing pain of the rejection that followed. A blazing fury took hold of her like the moon took over the sky at night, overriding the shame she felt. Allowing her emotions to take the best of her, she lunged across the table behind them, grabbing the half-full bottle of wine that belonged to the patrons
“Rain! I told you not to mention that name anymore. Do you ever listen?!” River scolded her daughter.Rain flinched and scrunched up her small face. “I'm just trying to help, Mama.”This was such a distressful life River had and she was a hell of a lot tired of it. Her heart ached. How could she shield Rain from the turmoil she felt burrowing deep inside of her soul? Could she even achieve that now with Gonzalo back in the picture?Taking a tired sigh, she tried for a light tone. “Mama’s just a little tired, honey. But seeing your happy faces always makes me feel better.”Rain wasn't convinced. “Are you sure? Did Mr. Grumpy come back?”River's smile wavered slightly. “Mr. Grumpy?”“Yeah,” Leo piped up, finally looking away from his drawing. “Nicholas from the bakery who looked like he swallowed a lemon.”River chuckled genuinely for the first time since Gonzalo's arrival. “That's a good way to describe him, Leo.” She said, remembering how everyone used to whisper about the gr
“It's just a coincidence," River urged, forcing a casualness into her voice that she didn't feel. "Lots of people have amber eyes."Tara wasn't convinced. "But they're the same shade, River. Like looking into two melted pools of honey."River clenched her jaw. "Rain's father was human. We met when I first left home, Tara. I know who the father of my daughter is.”“Oh, wow. That's impressive. It's just that Rain looks a lot like Gonzalo which makes it very confusing and questionable.”River shut her eyes, willing herself to breathe. It seemed as though the walls were closing in on her right now. Nothing ever worked her way. Her daughter couldn't even come looking like her but looked like the bastard who rejected her instead.She tried to sound nonchalant but seemed to fail at it. “I don't really see the resemblance, Tara. Gonzalo is just Gonzalo and Rain is Rain. They don't share the same bloodline. Rain is not a wolf but a human. If she has wolf blood at all, then she got it from me.”
Gonzalo~~When Rourke fell into his hands, all blood and with an arrow burrowed deep in his chest, Gonzalo almost couldn't believe his eyes. Gonzalo's initial reaction was one of sheer shock. He knelt beside Rourke, his heart pounding in his ears. Time seemed to slow down as he took in the sight of one of his former warriors, blood-staining his clothes and the cobblestones around him. "Rourke! Stay with me!" he yelled, his voice dripping with panic. He checked for a pulse, hoping he’d find any. But the absence of a steady beat confirmed his worst fear.Grief threatened to engulf Gonzalo, but the urgency of the situation jolted him back to reality. He needed to act fast. He pulled out his shirt and applied pressure to the wound, hoping to slow the bleeding. “Rourke? Tell me what happened.” He panicked. When Rourke didn't answer, he looked around, searching for any sign of the attacker."Who did this? Where are they?" He shouted, his voice echoing in the empty alleyway.Sweat had
Gonzalo’s interest was all the more piqued. What was it about this familiar arrow? Thinking back to his last conversation with Rourke, he knew something more than ‘fishy’ was going on behind the scenes. It stressed him so much that he couldn't decipher what it was just yet.The doctor had disappeared into a back room and soon returned with a collection of dusty folders filled with photographs. Flipping through them with speed and impatience, she stopped abruptly finally."See here," she pointed with a trembling finger at one of the photographs. "What about it?" Gonzalo breathed, his voice hoarse with worry. "Do you know where it came from?"She straightened up and shook her head sadly. "These are typically used by the Ironclaw pack. But lately, I've been seeing more victims of rogue attacks with similar wounds, and this exact arrow.”What the heck?!How could the Ironclaw Packhouse’s arrows be found on the victims who had suffered at the hands of rogues? The rogues wouldn't have the
As he wondered where the doctor had found the men’s clothing she gave to him, he remembered her telling Pym to go get her husband's clothes. “I should leave the bathroom before the husband comes in and misunderstands.” He said and left the bathroom.As he entered the examination room again, the doctor looked up and her eyes widened. "Those belonged to my husband," she said, her voice quiet and eyes looking said. "He– he passed away a few months back. Rogues, they got him in the woods while he was trying to go to a neighboring pack for business."Gonzalo felt sympathy toward her. They had all lost their loved ones to this Rogue apocalypse. He just couldn't understand why the rogues had suddenly grown very confident and venomous. It was bad during their parent's days, but it wasn't even this bad. “I'm truly sorry for your loss. The rogues had taken something from us all. Our loved ones– they would all be avenged.” He offered sincerely.The doctor nodded, and with the sadness crossing
The air was filled with noises of music and laughter later that night. Every civilian member of the new Moon claw pack got dressed in their best wears as they swarmed the old Iron claw pack house in their numbers. The pack house itself was filled to the brim with people chattering and laughing among themselves. The large hall which was the venue of the celebration was decorated with d colorful disco light up ahead as a slow jazz music played in the DJ played a soft jazz music. Meanwhile, River was a little nervous as she got dressed with the help of Calantha, Claire and some maids. "Luna, relax, you look great." Claire assured her with a warm smile as she put the finishing touches on her wavy auburn hair. She was seated, facing a mirror, tapping her foot nervously as she looked up at the clock. "He hasn't picked up his phone in an hour. What if something came up?" She paused, her eyes lingering on the shimmering red dress she wore. "Besides, I don't think red is really my color...
The days moved fast again until the day finally came. The day of the celebration for the creation of the new Moon claw pack. River woke up that morning, stretching lazily on her bed. Today was special for three reasons actually. There'd be a full moon tonight and then the celebration for the creation of the pack.Wolves from both sides of the territory would be coming together in the old Iron Claw's pack house to celebrate. The place where it'd all begun…But also, today was the day of the official opening of 'Luna's Delight '. The restaurant had been set for days now, but River wanted a big opening. One that would coincide with a day of celebration.Gonzalo was currently at his side of the pack, preparing some things. They were constructing a new pack house, one that would represent the essence of their new pack while also giving the both of them a chance to stay together again. She already missed her charming Spanish prince, even though they'd last seen the previous morning.She g
ONE WEEK LATER . Things were looking good ever since their declaration for a joint pack. The new pack of 'Moon Claw' observed days of celebrations after the announcement. As for River, well, she finally did something she'd been meaning to do in a while. "Ta da!" She exclaimed excitedly, after taking off the blind folds from Gonzalo and Rain's faces. What stood before them was a large building with only a group floor and a neon sign board that read "Luna's Delight". It was still under construction—some site workers still going around and adding finishing touches, but it was basically done. It was a restaurant. Her very own restaurant situated at the border between old IronClaw and old Moonstone. They both gasped in surprise, looking between her and the building repeatedly. After a while, Gonzalo rushed up to her, lifting her in a hug. "Ugh. Pequena, I'm so happy for you! Your dreams are finally a reality." He blurted excitedly before dropping her to the ground. "I m
Hand in hand, River and Gonzalo walked out of the pack house, trailing behind Claire. As they did, they were greeted by civilians, all showing their respect and gratitude for their Alpha. "Thank you for saving us, Alpha Gonzalo!" "He's a hero. I got to see my son again because of him." A woman muttered to her friend with a grateful tone. "And look, isn't that River of the IronClaw pack?" "Apparently, it's 'Alpha River' now. She rules over her pack now." A man who'd been staying in River's pack provided casually. "What? Since when?" "Who cares? We wouldn't have gotten our pack back without her help too. They're both heroes." A blush crept up her face when she heard those words. She tried ignoring them like Gonzalo, but she just couldn't. Knowing that these people saw her as their hero brought pride to her heart. She was beyond touched. They finally got to the town square, which was packed to the brim with pack members. Men, women, and children from all works of life were gat
An old quote River once read says: "The aftermath of war is not just about rebuilding, but also reconnecting with what we love and stand for". Well, there was a lot of reconnecting and rebuilding to do, and the war wasn't over yet. They still had one more thing to do. They had to reclaim Gonzalo's territory from the rogues. "It's a simple plan. No diversions. No baits. And most of all, we're killing every rogue in sight." River spoke calmly as she drew a circle around a part of a large map where Gonzalo's territory lay. The moonstone pack's citizens have been seeking refuge in the IronClaw pack for a while, courtesy of the fake Echo, but there were still some imprisoned back in the pack by the rogues. Gathered in the dimly lit meeting hall were River and her advisors, which included Old Man Thomas, Gonzalo, Calantha, Claire from the rebellion, and also two other men from the rebellion. They stood around a table, their faces stern with one thing in mind. Victory. "I've sent spies
River woke up the next morning, her body aching like an old woman's. Last night was wild! She and Gonzalo literally had hours of 'naked cuddle sessions ' from dusk till dawn. She turned to look at the clock. Eleven AM! Shit, time goes by fast when you're overrun with pleasure! She tried getting up but only then realized that she was lying on top of Gonzalo's chest, his arms wrapped around her naked body. The man was drained, and she couldn't help feeling bad. Her face flushed with embarrassment when she remembered how she'd repeatedly used magic to increase his vigor and stamina whenever he reached orgasm. It was like having infinite strength, but there was only so much magic could do when it was used to offset the natural balance of a wolf's anatomy. The constant use of magic on both of them had them drained. Would they even be able to do anything today? Just then, Gonzalo turned, but his grasp on her body didn't lessen in the slightest. He blinked awkwardly as his eyes trie
Warning: Mature content The days after the battle at BloodHill were rather peaceful. River and Gonzalo enjoyed that moment of peace, using it to reconnect with themselves and also to spend more time with Rain. Emphasis on the ‘’reconnecting’ though. Their nights had been more steamier than ever, and they had some of the best sex since they took over IronClaw. Good moon goddess, have mercy, if she could just stay all night and all day having sex with her man, she would. But sadly, she had her duties as Alpha to attend to. And it was an unrealistic wish anyway. Unless…...“You want us to do what?” Gonzalo blurted out again when they'd entered their room one night and were about to get freaky. He arched his eyebrows in surprise, looking at her like she'd said the vilest thing known to werewolf, witch, heck even vampire kind. River purred playfully, as her hands went up his chest. “Come on, think about it. If I'm able to use my magic to increase your stamina, we'll be able to go
Warning: Some graphic scenesCalantha was relentless, as she bared her fangs at the rogue wolves, managing to intimidate a lot of them. She jumped down from the elevated area, causing the rogues on the ground to make way. The other four of her brethren also jumped down, snarling viciously at the rogues, but most especially the rogue witches who'd just lost two sisters.River smirked. That was her cue. She'd managed to gather enough magic up to that point and wiggled her fingers, concentrating all of it on her chains. It took some effort, but eventually, the chains fell off like threads, startling the rogue wolves watching over her and Gonzalo.“What the–?” The female rogue who she'd mind-controlled for that brief moment looked at her with bulged eyes and was about to draw out her weapon. However, River was faster as she brought out the two daggers strapped to her thighs, slashing the rogue on the chest first and then on her neck. It was so swift and the rogue was speechless, as she
The cave indeed had a large interior. The ceiling was lined with jagged stalactites, hanging over them like giant icicles and casting eerie shadows on them. The cave was lit up by several fire torches, and also by a large hole carved into the ceiling, which allowed moonlight to glimmer down like a wave, falling directly on a stone altar.The cave was filled with even more rogue wolves and was blossoming with activities. However, it all died down when the others from outside brought in River and Gonzalo. "Brethren!" The old hag raised her staff into the air triumphantly. "Behold, the hybrid Alpha of the IronClaw pack and her mate, the fallen Alpha of the Moonstone pack! The ones responsible for taking our hold on the IronClaw territory."The rogue wolves snarled, throwing a torrent of curses at River and Gonzalo. They dropped them to the ground, forcing her to kneel while Gonzalo lay there, groaning as his face hit the ground. Ignoring their plight, the 'maiden' of the trio of witche