Alpha? Jeremy was Alpha?! Celeste turned to Jeremy. The words echoed in her mind as she stared at Jeremy, her eyes wide with shock. How could this be? How had she never known that Jeremy was an Alpha? She recognized the same disbelief and astonishment in Jeremy's eyes. But… How could this be possible? Their parents were both Beta, so the likelihood of him being an alpha was almost zero. And if Jeremy was an Alpha, why hadn't Byron identified and trained him earlier? It didn't make sense. Byron had always treated Jeremy like any other Betas in the pack. Or was he? A thought crossed Celeste's mind. She remembered her mother mentioning that Byron had asked her to inform him the moment Jeremy turned into a wolf. Did Byron know all along? Did her parents know? Celeste's gaze swept across the other wolves in the room, and she noticed that they, too, looked surprised when they absorbed the information. However, there was more to their expr
Jeremy gave Nancy a quick look before returning his gaze to the pack. Celeste's wolf whined instantly within her again. For what reason? She didn't want to acknowledge it. Her eyes followed Jeremy's, trying to catch his attention. But his gaze did not move to her, and she felt a strange twinge of disappointment. She knew Jeremy was only responding to Nancy's question. But that knowledge did not ease the inexplicable annoyance that had been brewing within her. It was like a knot in her stomach that refused to unravel. Nancy, on the other hand, seemed to puff up with pride at the attention, standing a little taller and jutting out her chest. It was like she had received some kind of confirmation, a validation of her worth. Celeste's lips twitched. She lowered her head, biting her bottom lip. That was when Jeremy's voice landed in her ear. His voice was still the same as before, but there was a hint of composure, confidence, and authority that made
Celeste went out of the room where the werewolves were engaged in the discussion to get Sarah and Byron back. The wolves were so absorbed in their conversation that Celeste guessed they didn't even notice her exit. As she neared the doorway, her footsteps slowed down a little. She couldn't fathom why her body was doing this, but her wolf had a different idea. It was as if her wolf had picked up on something in the air, and was listening with rapt attention, waiting for something. Celeste was hesitant to follow her wolf, but she couldn't help but pause for a second. The second felt like an eternity to her. She held her breath, waiting for something – perhaps the sound of footsteps that followed behind her, the familiar scent of grass, or the warmth she was used to. But the second ticked by and nothing happened. There was no sound of footsteps, no scent of grass, and no familiar warmth. A sardonic smile flickered across her lips. For a moment
Celeste's heart was pounding very fast in her chest. Her thoughts were racing as she tried to recall every detail of the wolves lying on the floor. Maybe... Maybe her parents were still alive! Maybe the hunters had kept them alive! The idea gave her a sudden surge of hope. The weight on her shoulders seemed to have lifted a little. For the first time in what felt like so long, she could breathe a little easier. Celeste paced back and forth under the tree. She could hear the sound of her own heart racing in her ears. Her wolf, too, seemed to be energized by the possibility that her parents might still be alive. She could feel the wolf's presence in her, pacing back and forth. She lost track of time under the tree, lost in thought. When she finally looked up, she realized that the birds that had been perched on the tree had flown away. Taking a deep breath, Celeste turned her gaze towards the path that she and Jeremy had taken to get here. The path looked
The sudden grip that seized her wrist caught Celeste off guard. The force was so unexpected and abrupt that she felt like a coiled spring, pulled tautly and then suddenly drew back. She couldn't believe that Howard had run up to her and grabbed her so forcefully. But when the angry and familiar voice entered her ears, the protest and accusation at her tongues froze. Celeste looked up and saw Jeremy's equally angry gaze. The anger in his eyes pierced through her and sent shivers down her spine. Celeste pursed her lips and held his gaze. His grip tightened around her wrist, hurting her a little. "Where the hell do you think you're going?!" the man repeated, his voice low and menacing. The anger and warning were clearly audible in Celeste's ears. Anger and warning? She was somehow ignited, and the emotion that had been suppressed seemed to flare up again. Her wolf whined in her heart, but Celeste chose to ignore her. "Let go of me!" Celeste struggle
Celeste made it back to her room, feeling drained from the eventful day. She plopped down on her bed and took a deep breath, trying to have a moment of peace. She looked around the room. Jeremy was not here. He did not return with her. Celeste closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted to their encounter in the forest, where he had stopped her from leaving. She shook her head and tried to push the memory aside. After Jeremy left, Celeste ran into Howard again. She expected Howard to ask questions about their relationship, or at least arch a curious eyebrow at her. But the man acted as if he hadn't noticed the way they interacted with each other at all. Whatever Howard thought about them, Celeste was glad that the man kept it to himself instead of bringing it up. She didn't have the energy to explain things. As night fell, the werewolves gathered together to prepare for their mission. And to her surprise, Nancy was among them. Celeste couldn't help but
The metallic tang of blood hung in the air like a phantom, a barely-there scent that only the wolves' sharp noses could detect. As they sniffed at the breeze, their instincts were on high alert, for unspoken danger lurking just beyond the reach of their senses. Celeste's brow furrowed with worry. Her skin prickled with a sudden chill, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up like sentinels. The scent of blood mingled with another, more familiar scent – their Alpha's scent. It was clear that the others had also caught the faintest trace of Byron's scent in the wind, as a trace of relief and hope crossed their faces. Nancy's eyes glittered with excitement as she gazed at Jeremy, and he gave her a small smile that spoke volumes. Celeste had no doubt that if Nancy were in her wolf form right now, she would be wagging her tail and even yipping with joy at Jeremy. She looked away from them and headed forward. The wolves remained wary, their
The sight in front of Celeste made her want to take a step back. She wondered if the images were about to engrave themselves into her memory, leaving her PTSD. She closed her eyes, hoping to shut it out, but even then, the image in the dark lingered in her mind, refusing to fade away. The metallic scent of blood in the air only made it worse, making the picture more vivid than ever before. Suddenly, a faint but unmistakable whimper reached her ears, and she snapped open her eyes to see a wolf lying on the ground, its eyes open a little and emitting a dim light in the darkness. The woman who had been keeping her head down also looked up, revealing the relief on her face when she saw her companions. "Thank the Goddess," Celeste breathed, finally allowing herself to exhale the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Sarah's voice trembled as she spoke, her hoarse tone barely above a whisper. "Byron is hurt. The hunters almost caught us." "Are
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