PEONY CRIMSON’S POVA wave of emptiness crashed over me once the two black SUVs vanished from visibility. Closing my eyes, I clasped my hands and brought them to my chest. Sending up a prayer of safety for Xavier and the search team.I opened my eyes and didn't find Zed by my side. He had already paced his way towards the second floor, where Alpha's office was. I hurried to catch up with him."So... um... Zed?" I called him out.Zed stopped his steps abruptly, and I almost bumped into his solid back. But I avoided it by putting the brakes on my own feet. Zed turned, his figure towering like a giant wall. I gasped. Zed's ocean blue eyes flashed an indescribable anger. Pulses clearly popped out of his neck."You've been hiding in the mortal world for so long that you don't know how to respect anyone higher than you. Do you?" Zed snarled sarcastically.I laughed nervously. What was up with that attitude? He had turned into another person after Xavier's departure. I recalled that Zed isn’
PEONY CRIMSON’S POV"What in the world is this?"My breath caught in my throat as a nasty metallic stench wafted from the paper. The red liquid I thought was wet ink turned out to be the fresh blood of a small mammal. Still, this discovery raised two big questions that immediately flashed in my head.Who sent this to me? Who is meant to return?***I stepped into the walk-in closet. After all these years, I was still amazed that the clothes, accessories, and skincare Xavier had prepared for me were still neatly stored alongside his own. Except for a few perfume collections that have changed, the rest are still the same as before.After getting dressed, I left the room. I met Gloria sitting alone at one of the tables in the dining hall."Isn't that the charm I made for the triplets?" Gloria asked, her eyes fixed on my neck.I touched the charm that I made into a simple necklace. It would always remind me of my babies and be a motivational tool to keep me on track."What’s your plan tod
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVThe next gust of wind brought back that burning smell, as well as the wolfsbane that almost numbed my senses. I tore off the hem of my skirt and used it to shield my nose."Ugh, the smell is getting stronger," Emily complained. As a wolf, she was the one who suffered the most.We all know that wolfsbane was the deadliest flower that could kill a werewolf with just a petal. But the burning flesh?!The only way to explain all of that was to go straight to the source.I couldn't let Emily carry us there, so without shifting, I made a beeline for the forest in front of the watchtower. The wolfsbane scent had dissipated with the breeze, but the blood and burnt flesh remained. It could be used as a reference point.Something churned in my stomach, bringing cheesiness to the tip of my throat. I was about to vomit. My mind blurred, and I almost collapsed from the sickening smell."What’s that?" Emily whispered.I crouched behind a tree and peered out. Within a hundred yard
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVThe second boom came like an earthquake, shaking this entire rocky cell. The chains entangling my feet and hands jingled loudly, opening up opportunities for contact with my skin. The sting of the painful burn spread like a fire, but I was too panicked to feel it."Hey! Someone! Can anyone hear me?” I called out, but all I heard was the echo of my own voice.In the next second, I struggled to avoid the falling rocks from the roof. Every time I moved and dragged my body to get out of the way, pain burned my wrist like a thousand daggers trying to rip out my veins."OUCH! These chains are all silver!” I exclaimed. Blood seeped from the burn, getting more and more painful until it was unbearable.Emily exclaimed, "Stop moving; your skin will peel off! My regeneration is limited to healing silver wounds!"It was easy for her to say that."In any second, this area will collapse. I can't just stay here!” I yanked my hands, "AAARRRRGGHHHH!!"My breath hitched. Both of my
XAVIER ASHERIUS’S POV(A day before the Moon Festival)"The cops we questioned earlier weren’t all different from the other mortals, Alpha.” Judd reported. I saw his hands clenched into fists as muscles jumped out at his temples. "They're wasting too much time. If you drop your command, I'll crush their bones into mere dust."This was our second day in the mortal world. It didn’t take long for my nine-person team to identify the people who may have had contact with my triplets on the day they disappeared. My team took everything with detail and precision, and I was quite pleased. They handled this impromptu quest with such dedication."Not now." I grinned faintly.After interrogating every elementary school teacher and staff member, Jedd and two other members went to the police station this morning. Only to discover there were no reports of missing children, as Peony had explained to me. Unsatisfied, I had Theo sneak into the police archives, but he returned empty-handed.There was no
XAVIER ASHERIUS’S POVI entrusted all the mortals’ matters to Lazarus and Judd, withdrawing the rest of the search team back to White Moon that very night. However, it still took hours of travel to reach my pack. We managed to reach the northern border after midnight.I contacted Zedd, Chadwick, and the Deltas via mind-link. From them, I learned that the rogues of Deadster Forest from the northeast were the rodents who dared to dig a hole in White Moon. They were alpha-less bastards who dared to live only by shifting into brainless lycans.Yet they were nothing more than puppy-powered monsters, childish and disruptive.A flare of anger erupted in my core. I put Zed, a gamma, and the deltas in my pack not just because they could run the pack as my replacements. How were those intruders able to sneak in when my second-in-commands was scattered all over the territory?They would get their comeuppance right from my hands."Theo, Walter, and the rest, spread out across the area. Evacuate t
XAVIER ASHERIUS’S POV"Does it still hurt?"I walked out of the bathroom as I wiped my fists with a towel after washing away the rogues’ blood. Peony sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly deep in her own thoughts. She glanced at me. Her eyelashes swayed gently as she blinked, followed by a faint smile on her rose-red lips."I'm fine. The regeneration worked," she responded."Let me see."I tossed the towel into the laundry bin and knelt in front of Peony. I lifted her right sole gently, her skin twitching in response to my touch. I slowly peeled off the bandage around her calf. I sensed Peony hold her breath. It brought a smirk to my face.The floor swallowed the fallen bandage, revealing her porcelain skin beneath, perfect without any scars—as she said. I grazed her delicate skin with my forefinger tip. An electric shiver ran down to my skin. Peony tensed as my mere touch transformed into a gentle stroke. Her lips slightly opened, letting out a silent moan.I grasped her sole, liftin
XANDER ALVERIUS’S POVTwo weeks ago. Mortal World.Over the past few years, Blue Moon has increased at a faster rate than any other pack on the entire continent. With some peace treaties, hereditary wars were finally stopped, which led to greater cooperation between the packs under my command.As Alpha of Blue Moon, I was the talk of the pack. That's why I got an invitation from Opal Moon—a pack with the mortal world as their base. I didn't see it as a golden opportunity. Still, I bothered to bounce all the way to the other end of the continent to see what kind of offer they had.Getting out of the car, I was immediately confronted by a crowd of pedestrians. The air was filled with a mortal scent that would make any vampire drool. It was a good thing my ancestors built Blue Moon in the deep forest, sparing me from dealing with weakling mortals.A sudden, strong gut compelled me to follow its call, leading my eyes to a random fast-food restaurant. The windows were wide, and a woman sto
PEONY CRIMSON'S POV Ten years later.His tongue swept across my teeth, claiming every inch of my mouth as his own. I was breathless, but with his hand on my ass, I couldn't help but deepen our kiss. The warm spring sunlight from the window falls on my hand on Xavier's nape. In his office, I was on his lap, pausing the kiss to take a deep breath. Our eyes met, locked, and the explosion of love in my heart grew greater and greater by the second.Xavier's thumb wiped away the saliva on the corner of my lips. His golden eyes glistened with warmth. His hand on my waist gave me a sense of security and comfort that hasn't gotten old at all over the past years.Xavier's hand traveled down my skirt. His touch burned every inch of skin and stung my inner thighs. I bit my lower lip when he rubbed my skin so gently and temptingly. I could see his mischievous grin when his finger slipped under my panties.“AHEM!” I gasped in surprise, almost falling over if Xavier didn't hold my waist. We both
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVThe gravestone bore Xander's name. A sculptor from Blue Moon skillfully carved it in no time. Even the carver was shocked when he was told to write his Alpha's name on it. This was due to the unpredictability of the man's permanent departure from the world.I was still in denial too. Only a few nights ago, Xander and I were finally on the same page, but later, I witnessed his body being placed in a casket and lowered into the grave.My eyes were swollen and my cheeks were puffy. My chest ached and my head was spinning. My energy was so drained that I didn't know how I'd find the strength to stand in front of Xander's grave. I was so mentally and physically exhausted that everything felt numb.My gaze shifted to the dozens of bouquets of flowers piled up on the mound of dirt. All of Blue Moon exploded in grief when the news came, then they flocked to accompany their Alpha to his final resting place. Xander was ruthless, volatile, and as fiery as his blood-red eyes,
PEONY CRIMSON'S POV "N-No, Vi-Violet. She's gonna break her promise again and again!" I cried out, grimacing at the pain wracking my head and body every time I tried to open my mouth. Killian rewarded me with an angry glare, as his hands clenched into fists, the more pain his shadow tormented me with.“Silence!” Azalea gasped, “The first thing I'll do after absorbing her blessing is to kill you!”I laughed like crazy. “You hear that, sweetheart?”Violet pressed Rose even closer in her arms. She had a defensive look in her eyes as she shielded her sister with fierce protectiveness. Azalea seemed weary of this little game. Her steps galloped closer. No matter how loud I screamed, Killian held me down with his magic and Azriel restrained me from getting up. My face repeatedly slammed into the ground, I swallowed dust and grass, but no matter what I had to stop Azalea from touching my daughters.And then, at the promised moment, it was like time stopped and everything went silent. In a
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVMy breathing slowed, stabilized. My rage was transformed by the satisfaction of seeing the Saintess lying on the ground. The corner of my lips lifted bitterly. As I was about to turn around, Elenor's hand suddenly caught my ankle and I almost tripped."You'll never know how powerful Azalea will be." Elenor coughed.I pulled my hand free from her grip. "She will never get the chance."Ignoring her, I strode back to Luna Lucia and Violet. Both were fine, but something sparkled in Violet's eyes when she looked at me. "You're okay?" I cupped my hand to her cheek. "Let's get out."Luna Lucia shook her head. "No, I think this is my limit. I can't walk any further," she breathed tiredly, "Huft... who knows that being pregnant makes my knees weak?"I gave her a sympathetic look, grasping her hand. The baby in her belly was the future of her pack, I couldn't force her to take risks if it endangered them both. "I know. I'm so sorry for dragging you into all of this mess. B
XAVIER ASHERIUS'S POVA tangy metallic blood dripping from Felix's muzzle stung our olfaction. The crimson liquid tainted all over the ground like paint on a canvas, added with corpses with ripped open neck as finishing touch.We changed shifts back into human and walked toward Jasmine on the stone table. Poor girl tied up, eyes closed, a purplish bruise on her neck. I watched Xander loosen the rope, totally self-aware that I couldn't precede him to help the girl."Didn't hold back at all, huh?"My eyes darted to the cave door. A woman with platinum blonde so bright it'd blind others and a pair of wicked green irises. A low growl escaped Xander's throat as he saw her."Take Jasmine back to White Moon. You're needed there more. I got this," Xander growled, patting my shoulder with a straight ahead glare.Giving him a quick nod, I slipped an arm under Jasmine's neck and down her legs, carrying her. Me and Xander were basically on the same boat, with the witches’ betrayal. But as I agree
PEONY CRIMSON'S POV "Seems like there's nothing to worry about so far," Elenor murmured, settling herself in an armchair by the fireplace.So that my two daughters could feel a little more at ease in this climate of caution, the Saintess, Rose, Violet, and Luna Lucia all made their way to the library.I was confused at first; after all, how could the Darkness have known about the Gifted One's return? Luna Lucia explained that they learned a lot from the Mystwolves they killed, and that it was easy to acquire secrets, even if they were based on rumor.The point is that the Darkness had their sights set on Rose. They would reach White Moon at some point. Ha, they wanted to take my daughter? Over my dead body."Is there anything we can do here, Ma?" asked Rose, all anxious but seemingly trying to hide it by fidgeting her fingers. Violet was next to her, tense and alarmed. She kept frequent glances at Elenor. If I showed them mine, it would only worsen their mood. In this uncertain stat
XAVIER ASHERIUS'S POVAll of the trees in the Nameless Forest had leaves that were turning orange and yellow by the time autumn arrived. The dry grass crunched beneath our feet as we came to a quiet stop not far from the cave we were heading to. Other than the wind whistling and the chirping of migrant birds, there was no sound. At that point, the silence in the area made me uneasy.A black wolf next to me pricked up his ears and glared towards the cave entrance. I told the mages to go into the cave and assess the situation first, while the other wolves dispersed behind us.I couldn't help but inwardly hope that at least two or three mages would stand guard there so that I could quickly complete this mission, bring Jasmine home and return to my new life with Peony as a happy, intact family."We must rush in and wipe them out! No time for strategy!" Felion snarled, "I'll behead all of those pesky witches!"Yes, the vicious Felion was hiding behind the irrational Xander. The fury had be
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVI straightened up and sat staring at him with a kind of bitterness filling the roof of my mouth, surprised to be shoved so unkindly. "That he is worthy of forgiveness." I said, no louder than the swish of the night breeze, but as serious as a heart attack. Xavier also sat up, squaring his shoulders. He blinked, then chuckled. His hand tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear."My Queen, your jokes are hilarious," he replied, about to lead me back to bed.I shook my head. "No, I mean it," I emphasized, "The deep regret and despair mixed with anger reflected so brightly in his eyes when he talked to me."A sheen of pain smeared across Xavier's golden eyes, and he squinted. His hands dropped to the mattress and his glare hardened, slashing the air between us with disdain.It felt like a very long time had passed between us at that precise moment. At that moment, he appeared so far away and inaccessible, even though we were sitting across from one other on the same b
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVThe team leaders, gammas, and betas convened in the meeting room. I was treated far more respectfully by the members ever when I was officially introduced as Luna. They were also aware that my girls were the subject of the discussion. I could see their confused glances as they found Xander standing as far away from the table as possible, with all his pent-up anger suppressing the atmosphere. "I sent Stuart and his team to the cave where I found the triplets. When we thought it was just an ordinary one, it turned out to hold something beyond measure." Xander was the first to speak up after Xavier had summarized the problem.Stuart laid out a drawing resembling a beehive on a sheet of watercolor paper on the table. The top left corner features a cardinal arrow. The illustration had numerous tiny squares joining a series of lengthy, twisted tubes that resembled octopus tentacles.Stuart extended his forefinger to the bottom end and divided the space in half by imagin