Celeste's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She paused for a moment. She knew this hunter? Raymond was the only hunter she knew.
"You caught Raymond? Wh- How?" Celeste stammered, utterly taken aback to discover that it was Kent and his ragtag group of rogues who had managed to get their hands on Raymond. Raymond's place was right in this town, and she never expected him to get caught by the rogues. "Let's just say this guy lacks some serious hunter skills." He shrugged, leaving out any further explanation. Jeremy furrowed his brow and asked, his impatience evident, "Even if this hunter knows Celeste, what does that have to do with you showing up here?" "Well, my friend, that's the twist. This hunter might be as clumsy as a drunken squirrel, but he's tighter than a clam when it comes to talking," Kent paused, leaving Celeste wondering what it meant. What had they done to Raymond? Tortured him, perhaps? "We couldn't pry anything useful out of him. But maybe tThe journey passed by in utter silence as Kent zoomed away from their little town. Celeste watched as the scenery transformed from familiar to foreign, until they reached a road she knew all too well—the very same path where they had returned from their previous kidnapping crime scene. Jeremy whipped out his phone, and Celeste caught a glimpse of him texting Ben. She didn't need to peek at the message to understand that Jeremy was informing Ben to gather up the team and prepared to come here as backup. As Jeremy pocketed his phone, he caught Celeste's gaze and flashed her a comforting smile. Then, he reached out and grasped her hand firmly. It was a small gesture, but it filled Celeste with a renewed sense of strength. Amidst the quiet, Celeste could sense Kent's eyes on her. She raised her head and locked gazes with him through the rearview mirror. In that brief connection, she detected a lingering trace of bitterness in his eyes. But just as quickly, K
Once the door was shut, the room plunged into darkness. As the blackness engulfed them, an eerie atmosphere settled in, creating a silence so thick Celeste could almost touch it. Amidst this hushed tranquility, she could discern the uneven rhythm of Raymond's breaths and the faint thumping of his heart. She couldn't help but wonder if it was the lingering torment inflicted by the rogues that kept him in such agony. Gradually, Celeste's eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to make out the figure of the hunter who was bound to the chair. His face was a mess, disheveled and stained with smears of blood. Celeste couldn't fathom how the rogues could have subjected him to such punishment. It was beyond her imagination. Raymond lifted his head in the gloom, his eyes attempting to meet Celeste's gaze. But she knew he was just an ordinary human, lacking the night vision of werewolves. In the dark, he could at most catch a fleeting glimpse of the glimmer in her e
"So that's the son of a bitch's name, huh?" Raymond muttered under his breath. "Did he drag you along too? Didn't he tell you why I'm here?" Celeste stayed silent, her gaze fixed on Raymond, maintaining her posture like a hawk eyeing its prey. "Well, forgive me for slipping my mind again. You're the interrogator here, obviously," Raymond said, raising his hand to ruffle his hair in frustration. He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, before looking up and speaking. "Alright, here's the lowdown. We decided to go all out on these wolf troublemakers. But they were sharper than we thought. And that's when those buggers snatched me up." "You attacked Kent's pack? The rogue pack?" Celeste arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. At first, Celeste figured Kent nabbed Raymond because he was just strolling around, and those wolf noses sniffed out the scent of a hunter. But she never in a million years imagined Kent actually capturing Raymond am
Celeste couldn't believe her ears. Raymond's words hit her like a bolt of lightning. "Why on earth do you hunt us down?" Celeste asked, her brows furrowing. Thoughts of her captive parents surged up, causing her heart to tighten in her throat. Sure, they might have survived the hunt when the hunters took them, but how much agony and torment were they enduring right now? "As you said, in the eyes of the hunters, werewolves are nothing more than samples," Raymond replied, a hint of frustration dancing across his face. "To those hunters, werewolves are nothing but a bunch of test subjects, like lab rats. I used to think they'd just lock up the wolves, draw some blood… You know, try to figure out what genes turn you all into howling beasts," Raymond explained, casting a look at Celeste's hand, which moments ago had transformed into a fearsome wolf's claw. "And let's not forget how they are obsessed with unraveling the secret behind your lightning-fast shapeshiftin
Celeste asked Raymond more questions about the hunters. And one by one, Raymond answered her. Celeste was relieved to hear from his own lips that her parents were temporarily safe. And she even learned the exact location of the hunters. As Celeste strolled out of the room, her eyes caught sight of Jeremy and Kent, each propped up against opposite walls. The tension in the air was palpable, their gazes locked in a fierce standoff. But, to her astonishment, they hadn't come to blows. She half-expected to find a gruesome scene of blood stains on the floor as she made her exit. "How's it going?" Jeremy straightened up as soon as he spotted Celeste, a flicker of concern lighting up his face. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, searching for any signs of harm. When he found none, he let out a silent breath, visibly relieved. Celeste didn't utter a word, but her heart swelled at Jeremy's protective gesture. Kent shifted his gaze inward, peering into the room. Bath
Kent and Jeremy locked eyes, their expressions a mix of surprise and irritation. Then they both turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes landing on Celeste. Celeste couldn't help but be amused by their reactions, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes. But she quickly suppressed her laughter, maintaining a serious demeanor. Her gaze fixed on Kent as she spoke, her voice laced with playful taunting, "You know, you said wolf pack could handle anything on their own. Yet, didn't those hunters take you by surprise? Maybe it's time to reconsider our alliance between the two packs, don't you think?" As Celeste voiced her thoughts, she could feel Jeremy's intense gaze searing into her skin. She knew he was secretly delighted about not having to team up with Kent, and now she had reopened the topic. Clearly, he was not very happy about that. Under the table, Celeste nudged Jeremy's knee with hers, prompting a low grunt from him. Then, her hand stealthily found h
Kent's intense gaze remained fixated on Celeste, his eyes boring into her with unwavering focus. With each step Kent took, closing the distance between them, Celeste noticed Jeremy's brow furrowing even deeper, his face contorting with a trace of annoyance. His arm around her waist instinctively tightened, as if he was asserting dominance. Celeste couldn't help but find Jeremy's possessiveness slightly amusing. He had been so confident, assuring her that he didn't care about Kent's ogling eyes because he knew Celeste was his and they had shared intimate moments together. But now, in the presence of Kent, Jeremy couldn't resist the urge to assert himself, as if proclaiming to the world that Celeste belonged to him and him alone. She wondered if it was an inherent wolf instinct, this need to mark territory. Her hand gently rested on Jeremy's shoulder, a silent plea for him to relax. Understanding her unspoken request, Jeremy tugged at the corner of his mouth, his arm reluctantly
The two Betas who had set out to gather intelligence on the hunters returned with their findings, confirming the whereabouts of their elusive enemies. This revelation undeniably supported Raymond's claims, proving that he hadn't been lying. Persuaded by Celeste, Kent finally relented and released his tight grip on Raymond. Rather than keeping him constantly restrained, they settled for locking him away. As for Raymond's ultimate fate, they decided to postpone the decision until after they dealt with the other hunters. The hunters' hideout wasn't too far from where the wolf pack currently roamed, but the wolves weren't intimately familiar with the specific location. However, thanks to the information provided by the Betas, they learned that the hunters had nestled themselves deep within a dense forest, guarded by hills on each side. It presented an unexpected advantage for the werewolves—they could use the higher ground to stealthily observe their enemies while remaining hidden.
Jeremy blinked his eyes open, only to find himself perched atop the four limbs of his wolf. Right beneath his nose, a dagger glimmered with a silvery radiance, as if it held a secret power. His wolf recoiled at the sight of it, sensing something off about the blade. It exuded a wicked glow under the warm, flickering light of the orange-yellow candle, almost as if it dared to mock Jeremy. It teased and taunted, never daring to come too close. As Jeremy looked upward, his eyes met a round moon, dominating the sky after chasing away the dark clouds. The moon bathed everything in its gentle, mesmerizing glow, making the stars pale in comparison. A sense of awe washed over him as he beheld the celestial spectacle. With a deep breath, Jeremy lowered his gaze, steeling himself for what he knew he had to do. He gingerly pressed his chest against the razor-sharp point of the dagger, feeling a prickling sensation mingling with the coarse texture of his fur. A wave of se
The whole room exuded tranquility as if it held its breath. Jermey blinked his eyes open once more, stealing glances at the other werewolves nearby. To his surprise, most of them were slouched against the walls, snoozing away on their chairs. Ben's neck remained stiff, locked in a position fixated on the gloomy clouds above. But his tired eyes were twitching and his eyelashes seemed to engage in a battle of their own, struggling to stay shut. Jeremy's gaze landed on Kent, who was still wide awake and lost in contemplation of the cloud-covered heavens. As if sensing Jeremy's presence, Kent abruptly turned his head, forgetting for a moment that he had been stuck in the same position, resulting in a stiff neck. The contorted expression on his face confirmed this mishap. Despite the inopportune timing, Kent's unintended antics managed to tickle Jeremy's funny bone. Though they were now fighting on the same side, Jeremy still remembered that sneaky bastard h
Jeremy had waited for three days. Three long days. And tonight was supposed to be the night of the full moon. He could practically feel the anticipation in the air. But... "Quit your pacing, dude! You're making me dizzy. Take a chill pill," Kent blurted out. Jeremy came to a halt, but the fiery anger inside him refused to be tamed. He turned his gaze towards Kent, his eyes burning with frustration. "Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to calm down? Look at this freaking sky!" With an exasperated gesture, Jeremy pointed his finger at the outside world. Thick, menacing clouds raced across the sky, ruthlessly snuffing out any trace of starlight or moon glow. If anything could escape the clutches of those gloomy clouds, it would be the raindrops tumbling down from their murky depths. The rain wasn't exactly a downpour; it fell in a half-hearted drizzle, so faint that he could barely spot the drops unless he squinted. But the water puddles on the ground re
Jeremy recognized the familiar voice. Immediately, he snapped his head up. There stood his old Alpha, Byron. Byron had shouldered the burden of Jeremy's true lineage for all these years, even betraying the trust of their own wolf pack. When the truth came out, the pack's disappointment was palpable. Yet, in the end, they begrudgingly accepted Byron's presence, albeit stripping him of his leadership status. As fate would have it, just as Byron had hoped, Jeremy eventually rose to become the pack's new leader. However, Byron vanished without a trace. Though the pack had extended their reluctant embrace to him, Byron seemed incapable of forgiving himself. He had chosen to wander off on his own. But at this very moment, Byron stood before Jeremy, appearing considerably aged, yet Jeremy couldn't help but notice that the perpetual tension that had clung to Byron seemed to have dissipated. Perhaps, now that his secret was out in the open, it brought a sense of
It seemed like the hunter vanished into thin air, taking Celeste along for the ride. The werewolves had been tearing through Wolf Town all day long, desperately trying to sniff out any trace of their elusive hunter. But this place, despite its name, hadn't laid eyes on a single wolf. The poor werewolves were completely stumped. They had been at it since the crack of dawn, covertly searching while keeping their senses sharp for any hint of the hunter's whereabouts. But now, as the sun started its descent, painting the sky a blazing red, the pack gathered together, heads shaking in a shared disappointment. The look of defeat was written all over their furry faces. Jeremy's mood was growing increasingly restless. Since morning, he had been plagued by these annoying, erratic breaths that come out of nowhere. It was like someone's squeezing his heart every time, catching him off guard and causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead. With each occurrence,
"We're here, Cel. No doubt about it!" answered Celeste's father, Jeff, as he glanced at Celeste with a worried look on his face. "Hey, sweetheart, what have they done to you?" Her mother reached out and gently caressed Celeste's cheek. Tears welled up in her eyes, visible to Celeste. Celeste shook her head, determined to push aside the lingering dizziness. Though a bit disoriented, she refused to let it bother her. The blasted silver chains held her captive, severing her connection to her wolfish powers. Normally, as a werewolf, she would have bounced back from the electric shock in no time. But now, without her wolf mojo, she struggled to fully recover from the hunters' torment. With watery eyes, she looked at her parents and couldn't help but let a sob creep into her voice. "Oh, gosh, I missed you guys so darn much! Jeremy and I have been on the hunt for you for ages!" All she wanted was to give her parents a big, warm hug, but their hands were tied t
Celeste had no clue when she zoned out. All she could recall was the jarring click of a switch, the sudden glow of crimson lights, and a jolt of electricity coursing through her body, causing her to let out a scream. She squeezed her eyes shut, almost envisioning a lightning whip crackling against her wolf-like form. The excruciating pain hit her like a sucker punch, making her body writhe and convulse, but the damned silver chains held her captive. Yet, this first wave of agony wasn't enough to knock her out cold. Thankfully, the electrical surge was only fleeting, disappearing as swiftly as it had come. As Celeste regained her wits, she gulped down air as if she'd been trapped underwater, her heart hammering against her ribcage while her surroundings swirled in a dizzying haze. Once she'd gathered herself to some extent, Celeste's gaze fell upon Kevin, who was also gasping for breath, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. Had he just experienced a shocking sh
Jeremy and the rest of the wolves finally arrived at Wolf Town. As soon as Jeremy stepped out of the car, a peculiar sensation tingled through his body, leaving him bewildered. His heart skipped a beat, and he could feel a distinct surge in the connection between him and Celeste as if someone had turned up the volume. Without a doubt, Celeste was here, but where the heck was she? Where were the hunters hiding her? Jeremy closed his eyes, desperately trying to follow the invisible thread that bound him to her. It felt like Celeste's presence was swirling in every direction, teasing his senses. With every breath, he almost caught a whiff of her intoxicating scent, but dang it, where was she hiding? He was utterly disoriented, like a compass gone haywire. This sensation felt all too familiar. It reminded him of when Celeste had slipped away with the rogues before. Back then, he had been plagued by the same feeling, an uncanny awareness that Celeste was clo
What the actual heck was happening here? Celeste's eyes widened as she watched her twin brother clamber onto the same seat, getting all strapped up like her. It was downright unbelievable. Seriously, what was he up to? And what the heck did these hunters think they were doing? Wasn't Kevin one of the hunters? Did these hunters plan to experiment on Kevin too? As Celeste glanced back at the other hunters in the room, she noticed that two of them had sauntered out, leaving behind the black-haired man. His face was a mixed bag of emotions, and when his gaze swept over Kevin, a flicker of concern and guilt flashed across his expression, though it vanished in a heartbeat. Kevin locked eyes with the man and flashed a tiny smile at him. Celeste blinked, wondering if she was seeing things. What on earth was the deal between Kevin and this guy? Suddenly, two lab-coated figures waltzed in. Compared to the hunters, they were on the scrawnier side, lacking t