Nobela ni Melissa

The words dropped between them like grenades.Garrison went very still. Then he started laughing.Deep, gut-wrenching laughter that filled the room like smoke. He doubled over, clutching his stomach, the bottle dangling from his fingers."Oh my...." He could barely breathe. "Oh my god. The universe....the Moon Goddess..." More laughter. "She really does have the sickest sense of humor.""It's not funny.""It's hilarious." Garrison straightened, tears streaming down his face. "My perfect son. My self-righteous, holier-than-thou son who's spent his entire adult life judging me for falling for a stripper...." He wiped his eyes. "And your fated mate is exactly the same.""She's nothing like Lydia.""Isn't she?" Garrison's smile turned cruel. "She takes her clothes off for money, doesn't she? Dances for strange men? Human, I'm guessing? No pack, no protection, no one to defend her?""Stop....""That's Lydia. That's exactly Lydia." Garrison stepped closer. "The only difference is I had a

Kadence POV The pack house loomed ahead like a monument to everything Kadence had spent his life trying to uphold and everything he was currently failing at spectacularly. He was left standing alone in the driveway of a house that had never quite felt like home. The east wing light was still on. His father, awake at one in the morning on a Thursday. Which meant drunk. Which meant looking for someone to drag down into his misery. Kadence should have gone to his room. Should have avoided the confrontation that was clearly waiting for him like a landmine in the dark. But his feet carried him inside anyway, through the grand foyer with its portraits of dead Alphas judging him from their frames, up the stairs that creaked under his weight, down the hallway toward that single burning light. He pushed open his bedroom door. And there was Garrison, sitting in Kadence's chair by the window like he owned the space. Like he owned everything, even though he'd long since forfeited t

‎‎‎Asha stood abruptly, the booth seat scraping against the floor. Ronan said something.... she didn't hear what, but she was already moving, her body acting on instinct while her brain scrambled to catch up.‎‎"He's here."‎‎She didn't know how she knew. Didn't understand the certainty that flooded through her like cold water, sharp and clarifying. But she knew, with the same bone-deep awareness that told her when a storm was coming or when someone was watching her from across a room.‎‎Kadence was here.‎‎The pull intensified as she got closer to the entrance, that invisible rope tightening until it felt like her ribs might crack from the pressure. Her hand was reaching for the door handle when...‎‎Nothing.‎‎The sensation cut off so abruptly that Asha stumbled, catching herself against the wall. ‎‎The warmth was still there, still radiating from somewhere behind her sternum, but that "pull" that magnetic certainty that had felt as real as gravity... was just... gone.‎‎

‎She stood before Jade could protest, pulling on sweatpants over her costume and shoving her feet into sneakers. ‎ ‎ The back door of Ember led to an alley that smelled like garbage and broken dreams, but it was private and quiet and right now Asha needed both of those things more than she needed fresh air. ‎ ‎The October night was cold against her face, sharp enough to cut through the fog in her head. ‎ ‎Asha leaned against the brick wall and closed her eyes, trying to organize her thoughts into something coherent. ‎ ‎He looked at you. ‎ ‎You looked at him. ‎ ‎Something happened. ‎ ‎He ran. ‎ ‎You feel different now. ‎ ‎That was it. That was the whole story, and it explained nothing. ‎ ‎Asha pulled out her phone, thumb hovering over the G****e search bar. ‎ ‎ What did you even search for in a situation like this? Why do I feel warm in my chest after making eye contact with a stranger? Psychological explanation for instant connection? Am I losing my mind? ‎ ‎Sh

Asha's POV; ‎The applause was cotton in Asha's ears.... distant, muffled, like she was underwater and drowning slowly while everyone around her thought she was just swimming. ‎ ‎She finished her set on autopilot, muscle memory guiding her through the familiar movements while her mind was somewhere else entirely. ‎ ‎Somewhere back at that moment when her eyes had locked with a stranger's across a crowded room and the entire world had stopped. ‎ ‎Not slowed down. Not paused dramatically like in movies. ‎ ‎Actually stopped, like someone had reached into the machinery of the universe and yanked out a critical gear. ‎ ‎Asha descended the stage stairs, her legs shaking in a way that had nothing to do with the six-inch heels she'd been dancing in for the past twenty minutes. The backstage area of Ember smelled like it always did.... cheap perfume trying to cover cheaper alcohol, hairspray, and the particular brand of desperation that came from women working jobs they'd n

Kadence moved immediately, shoving through the crowd, desperate for air, for space, for anything that wasn't the scent of honeysuckle and the feeling of his entire world cracking in half. He burst through the club's exit into the parking lot. Cool October air hit his face but did nothing to calm the riot in his chest. His wolf was clawing at him, furious at the distance, demanding he go back inside but his human mind was screaming something else entirely. No. Not her. Not like this. Anything but this. He'd found his mate. The one person in the entire world meant for him. And she was everything he'd sworn he'd never want. The Moon Goddess really did have a wicked sense of humor, because Kadence Thornwell, the man who'd built his entire life around three simple rules, had just discovered that fate didn't care about any of them. His mate was a stripper. And his wolf didn't care. But Kadence did. He cared so much it was killing him. Inside the club, the music continued. The li

CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN _ARIEL_As we fought, the cave rocks began to crack and tremble, and the ground shook beneath our feet. The girl's eyes gleamed with a fierce light, and she seemed to be channeling the ancient power of the cave. I stumbled back, my footing unsure, as the rocks creaked and groaned around us. In a desperate bid to claim the amulet, I ducked away from the girl and made a grab for the pedestal. But she was too quick. With a swift motion, she snatched the Moonstone Amulet from its resting place and held it aloft, its glow illuminating her triumphant face."No!" I cried, my heart racing with disappointment. "That's mine!"The girl merely laughed, a wild, untamed sound, and held the amulet out of my reach. "Catch me if you can!" she taunted, her eyes sparkling with mischief. With a wicked grin, she turned and ran, the amulet clutched in her hand.I scrambled to my feet, determined to pursue her, but the cave was collapsing around me. Rocks crashed down, blocking my pa

CHAPTER SIXTY SIX_ARIEL_ "But what if I could help them in other ways? I'm a skilled researcher, and I know how to gather information. Maybe I could dig up something on Ryker and his followers, find out what they're planning and where they are."I stopped pacing and sat down at my desk, pulling out my laptop and starting to type. I searched for any mentions of Ryker or his followers online, but there was nothing. I tried searching for other keywords, like "werewolf packs" and "supernatural threats," but still came up empty-handed.Just as I was about to give up, I remembered a book I had read a few months ago. It was about the supernatural creatures of the world, and it had a section on werewolves. I grabbed the book off my shelf and started flipping through the pages, looking for anything that might be useful.As I read, I came across a passage about a powerful werewolf artifact. It was said to be able to protect a pack from harm, and it might just be what Selene and our pack neede

CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE_ARIEL_I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease as I left the Orion's mansion. My mind was racing with thoughts of Selene's newfound identity and the secrets that had been kept from her. I tried calling her multiple times, but her number just rang and rang."Selene, pick up! I need to talk to you!" I said, frustration creeping into my voice.But it went straight to voicemail. Again.Days passed, and I grew more concerned. I tried reaching out to her on social media, but she seemed to have disappeared. A knot formed in my stomach as I wondered if everything was okay."Chris, have you talked to Selene lately?" I asked, trying to sound casual when I called him."Yeah, I've tried calling her too, but I haven't been able to reach her," Chris replied, sounding equally concerned."Aren't you worried? I mean, with her newfound identity and all..." I pressed on."I'm sure she's just processing everything. But hey, speaking of Selene, her birthday is coming up soon. We sho

CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR_ARIEL_As Selene's best friend, and like a sister to her. It was the most shocking part of her life I got to know. I know how much Selene hates the idea of werewolves and all that. Not to talk of being a werewolf from an Alpha bloodline?I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Selene, my best friend, my sister in every way, was telling me that she was with a birthmark owned by werewolves? It sounded like a joke, but the seriousness in her voice told me otherwise."Guys, I'm telling you, I have this birthmark on my body and it means I'm from an Alpha werewolf bloodline," Selene said over the phone.I was taken aback. I had always known Selene to be a skeptic when it came to supernatural things, and now she was telling me that she was one of us?"Selene, that's impossible," I said, trying to reason with her. "You know as well as I do that you've always been a normal person all your life, how come you suddenly have that birthmark?"But Selene was insistent. She told us

CHAPTER SIXTY THREE_SELENE_I was leaving when I heard her talking again."I'm afraid that's not possible, Selene," the moon goddess said, her voice firm but gentle. "You are a guardian of the packs, and you cannot simply reject your destiny. You have a responsibility to protect them, to lead them.""I don't want it," I said, shaking my head. "I don't want to be a guardian. I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's lives. I just want to be free."The moon goddess sighed, her expression softening. "Selene, you are not like other humans. You have a special gift, a special purpose. You cannot simply walk away from that.""I can try," I said, my voice defiant. "I can try to leave it all behind and start a new life, a life without the constant fear and responsibility."The moon goddess shook her head. "You cannot escape your destiny, Selene. It will follow you wherever you go. And besides, you are not just a guardian. You are a leader. You have a role to play in the greater scheme

CHAPTER SIXTY TWO_SELENE_I stepped out of the room as I began thinking why on Earth the moon goddess made sure of it to see me miserable.I found out I was werewolf so late into my life. when I actually thought I had a normal life.I found out my aunt isn't my aunt but a maid in my parents house.I found out I have an uncle who is an evil man and I'm to fight against him to save all the packs. I found out I was mated to a cold Alpha and I was from an Alpha bloodline.Every incident so far has been messy for me.Now that I thought I was going to enjoy my life with my mate peacefully, my mate dies."Like, why am I cursed? Why does it have to be me?" "Why does my life get messed up whenever I think I'm getting better?"" I can't do this, it's all stupid and silly" I groaned angrily."To hell with the moon goddess, To hell with every damn thing she said." "Why do you always have to make my life so difficult?" I muttered to myself, kicking a stone in frustration. "Can't you just leav