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 lookedThe 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
After making sure that there was no danger of hunters outside, the wolves dispersed and slinked closer to the door and windows of the house. Jeremy and Celeste cautiously moved towards the door. Celeste's gaze remained fixated on the open doorway and the ominous darkness that lay beyond it. Her mind conjured up vivid images of a hunter leaping out from the shadows, their gun firing silver bullets that would rain down upon them. But nothing happened. The silence was all they got. It was an eerie kind of quiet, the kind that made the hairs on the back of Celeste's neck stand on end. There wasn't a single sound coming from inside, not even the gentle rustling of the wind or the creaking of floorboards. The only thing that penetrated the stillness was the unmistakable scent of blood that filled Celeste's nostrils. She recognized the scent of Raymond amidst the metallic tang, but before she could focus on it, the scent dissipated in the air, leaving behind a
Celeste stood there, uncertain why she didn't have the courage to finish her whole sentence. The rest of the words seemed to stick in her throat. Even she wondered if Jeremy could even figure out what she was trying to say. "I don't know if they're still alive," Jeremy said, shaking his head. "But either way, we'll bring them back, and the damn hunters will regret what they have done." Celeste took a long breath, and the two of them headed back to the house. The wolves searched around the house, looking for any signs of what the hunters were up to. But the hunters seemed to have covered their tracks well, leaving behind no evidence of their whereabouts. They had been out for too long. Plus, with Byron badly injured and needing care, the wolves returned to their secret base. The journey back was an equally silent one, the excitement that had filled them earlier replaced with a sense of disappointment. *** Over the next few days, the wolf pa
What? Demand Byron to explain? Celeste was a little taken aback by the sudden change. Her mind struggled to comprehend what was going on here. She had sensed a growing sense of distrust towards Byron from some members of the wolf pack, but she never anticipated the entire pack would be gathering together and demanding answers from him. Yes, Byron was acting weird these days. And sometimes he didn't look like himself. But no matter what, he was the Alpha of the pack. And wasn't Byron still recovering from his injuries? Were his wounds healed now? Celeste followed Ben's footsteps and entered the meeting room. The moment she stepped into the room, her senses were assaulted by a palpable tension. The room itself was suffused with a gloomy, oppressive energy that made Celeste feel as if she was suffocating. It was as if the very air was thick with unspoken accusations and unanswered questions. She couldn't help but wonder how this confrontation would end. Th
Celeste had no idea why Byron and Howard were suddenly looking at her. And she couldn't figure out the meaning behind their gaze. Jeremy followed their line of sight to her and seemed to be surprised at her presence in the room. Byron's voice was low and somber as he spoke, and the silence in the meeting room seemed to amplify his words. "You're right, Bobby. I owe you all an explanation," he said. "Hunters have invaded our town. When I asked you to seek refuge here, I wasn't entirely certain about the situation. It was all so sudden and I had only just received the news. But I was attacked by the hunters and injured, so we must remain vigilant. The danger is still in our town." Byron leaned forward, pulling back a bit of bandage to reveal the grotesque wound on his chest. The wound was slowly healing, but the newly grown flesh was tender and reddish through his chest. It was evident that he had been in grave danger. Some wolves gasped. Byron had always been a
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