Scarlet’s POV“Scarlet, I need to talk to you about something,” Elizabeth said as she approached me, her tone gentler than usual.I turned to her, sensing the weight behind her words. “What is it?”“It’s about your wolf.”I blinked. “Red?”She gave a slow nod. “Do you remember when I mentioned that I have a team of disciples and a small research department?”“I do,” I said quietly, remembering how proud she had looked when she told me.“There’s a case that came up recently. A young girl—she’s past the usual shifting age, but she hasn’t shifted yet. Her parents believed she was wolfless.” Elizabeth paused, her brow furrowed with concern. “One of my disciples went to examine her. At first, he said the same—no wolf. But after I asked him to check for something specific, based on what I observed in you… the results changed.”My heart beat a little faster.“She does have a wolf,” Elizabeth continued. “A very small, dormant one. Not strong enough to surface on its own. And she has no control
Scarlet’s POVWhen I reached the Alpha’s estate, I realised it was the same place where he had thrown that extravagant ball. The estate looked just as it had that night. But now it looked empty. As if deserted.I was told the estate was divided into two parts. The front was for official business, and the back—the private side—was Alpha’s personal residence. No one was allowed back there.Of course. No one but me. Again.As I stepped inside, something twisted in my chest. I had been here before. This wasn’t just any place.This was that place.The same room. The same scent in the air. The same floor we had...I closed my eyes and tried to push the memory away. But it clung to my skin like a second layer. The shame, the heat, the confusion—it was all still there, just beneath the surface.As I moved further in, I heard the soft click of the front door closing behind me. The sound startled me, and for a moment, my breath caught. Then I let out a heavy sigh, reminding myself I wasn’t in da
Dante’s POVAs she left the room and shut the door behind her with more fire than strength, I let out a slow, amused smile.Did she make me angry?No.She tried to.But I saw the tremble in her fingers. The way her voice cracked despite the venom in her words. She was terrified yet defiant. And that defiance... stirred something in me I shouldn’t be feeling.She was trying so hard to stand tall. To be fearless.And gods, wasn’t she beautiful when she burned.It was maddening.The same girl who had clung to me like a lifeline hours ago now spat accusations in my face. She hated me like she had every right to. And yet, some part of her still responded to me, like her body hadn't caught up to her mind’s rebellion.And some twisted part of me... responded to her too.She had no idea what she did to a man like me when she stood there, voice shaking, but spine straight. Like a flame daring the wind to try and snuff it out.A contradiction. A storm wrapped in bruises and scars.Something unt
Scarlet’s POVDante went to work. Or at least, that’s what I assumed. When I woke up, the place was empty and eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning. I hadn’t slept all night. My mind wouldn’t rest. I hadd pretended to be brave, but beneath that facade was a nervous, awkward girl unsure of what came next. How was I supposed to face him now?Hunger eventually pulled me out of bed. I wandered into the kitchen, half expecting emptiness, but instead, I found it fully stocked. The fridge brimmed with fruits, milk, cheese, and things I could never even pronounce. On the counter was a note in Dante’s sharp, clean handwriting:"Feel at home."I raised a brow at that. Feel at home? Alright then. If that’s what you want, I’ll feel at home.There was a massive television in the living room probably the size of my entire old bedroom. At my home, I was never allowed such luxuries. I couldn’t even glance at the TV, let alone touch the remote. Joy, comfort, even laughter, they we
Dante’s POVWhen I returned home, she was sprawled on the sofa, food packets scattered around her. She was fast asleep, completely unaware of the world. It was almost midnight—she had clearly been sleeping like this for a while. But why here? Why not in her own room?I gently picked her up in my arms and carried her to her bed. As soon as I laid her down, she curled up and hugged her own hand, like a child seeking comfort. I just stood there, watching her. She looked so peaceful, so quiet, so… innocent. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.And that’s when I realized—this woman was making me feel weak. Soft. I couldn’t afford that.I slowly took my hand out of hers and walked away from the room, reminding myself not to let my guard down. This woman would only bring chaos into my life. Destruction. Nothing more.Just as I stepped out of her room, the doorbell rang.Who could be here at this hour?I opened the door to find Rome standing outside.I narrowed my eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be
Dante’s POVIt had been a week since Scarlet moved in with me. She didn’t talk much not that I expected her to. I didn’t push her to smile or pretend she was happy. Still, the way she moved around my house was like she belonged here and it was enough to get under my skin. She didn’t ask for permission to act like the queen of my place. She walked like she owned the damn place.And then this morning, everything shifted.A messenger arrived unannounced, wrapped in black and crimson with the unmistakable crest of the BloodMoon Pack on his chest. My wolves let him through without a fight. Of course, they did. BloodMoon had stayed out of this war from the beginning. They didn’t pick sides when hell broke loose between my pack, the MoonLords, and the Darkwood wolves. They just watched from their tower in the north. I met the messenger in the council hall.He wasn’t one for pleasantries. “The MoonLord and Darkwood packs have reached out to BloodMoon,” he said. “They want a ceasefire. A trea
Scarlet’s POVI think rest is not written in my fate.Just when I had begun to feel a little bit of peace in my heart, I was ordered to move again.No one told me where I was going. No one bothered to explain why. They simply put me in a car with one silent driver. I looked ahead and saw nearly twenty cars in front of me and twenty more behind. The entire convoy moved through unfamiliar lands, and I sat there, quiet and uncertain, with questions pressing heavily on my chest.Where are we going. Why now.I had no answers. Only fear that crawled beneath my skin. I stared out the window and watched as we crossed familiar borders and moved deeper into enemy territory. That was when it struck me. We were entering the BloodMoon Pack.Why are we going here. I whispered it to myself, though no one was there to listen.The dread only grew heavier.When the cars stopped, I was led out along with others. I turned to look and saw men who wore the same expression I had. Some of them were from my p
Scarlet's POVI looked down at the woman crying in my arms—Alyssa. My so-called sister. The picture of grief and biterness mixed into one. Her tears streamed down her cheeks like a perfect performance, her voice trembling just enough to tug at the hearts of those watching.But I knew better.Each time I looked at her, I saw the face of someone who had helped destroy everything I once loved. I saw the girl who alomng with her mother harmed me always. I saw the woman who let injustice bleed through our halls and did nothing. I saw the one who got her own mother killed through her selfishness and lies. And now, she stood here, pretending to care.“Scarlet, I am so happy to see you well,” Alyssa said between sobs, still clinging to me like we had never been apart. Her voice broke at all the right places. Her timing was perfect.She looked beautiful even while crying. She always had. It made people believe her. Feel sorry for her. Want to protect her.But I knew her heart. And I knew she w
“Alpha,” Elizabeth said softly, careful not to wake the child. “Let me put her to bed. If she wakes up now and doesn’t see you, she’ll cry, and it’s hard to watch her cry. She doesn’t make a sound, but… it breaks you.”Annette, who had been quiet again, suddenly asked, “Aunt… she doesn’t speak?”Elizabeth nodded, her eyes growing moist. During her birth, there was an accident. It damaged her throat, especially the vocal cords. We’re trying everything we can… but so far, there’s been no sound. Not even a whisper.”She paused, her voice trembling.“I pray to the goddess every night that before I die, I will hear her say something or anything. It hurts. It hurts to see her frustrated, unable to express herself. When she cries, there’s no sound. It’s like watching a scream locked inside a glass box.”A single tear escaped her. “Maybe we have coddled her too much. But tell me, how are we supposed to act normal with her when she’s not? Doesn’t she deserve a little extra love for trying, eve
Dante’s POV“You’re so handsome,” Nora suddenly said, smiling brightly. “Just like my daddy.”I smirked. “Less or more?”She tilted her head, thoughtful, then said with dramatic flair, “Just a little less.”We all burst into laughter at that, Annette, Elizabeth, even me.“She’s so cute,” Annette said, nearly pinching Nora’s cheek. “Are your siblings as adorable as you?”Nora huffed. “Auggie is a meanie, and Amy is a devil.”Before I could even react, a small blur flew at us like a gust of wind. Another toddler, clearly Amy, shoved Nora aside and latched tightly onto my legs.“Amy!” Elizabeth gasped. The little one didn’t respond. Her brows were scrunched, her lips trembling, like she was about to burst into tears.Elizabeth’s voice turned soft. “Sweetheart, come to Grandma. Let Alpha go, okay?”But Amy only clung tighter, her tiny fingers gripping my trousers like I was her anchor in a storm.“It’s okay, Madam,” I said gently. “We have met before. That’s why they know me.”Elizabeth l
Dante’s POVA moment passed before the boy, Auggie, answered from above with a loud, cheeky voice, “Don’t want to!”Elizabeth chuckled, not even surprised. “He is just like his father.”I arched a brow. “Stubborn?”She gave a tired laugh. “Imagine the stubbornness of Killian and Vespara combined.”I winced playfully. “Ah… that’s a lethal combo. Is he lazy like Kill, too?”“Oh, no,” she said with an amused grin. “That would be our Nora, the lazy princess.”Just then, a new voice called out from above, “Did somebody call me?”I looked up and saw a girl peeking over the railing on the second floor. She was familiar somehow, but I couldn’t quite place how and suddenly everything clicked. Her eyes widened the moment she saw me, curious, startled, intrigued.aShe leaned over the railing to get a better look, and before I could process what was happening, she slipped.“No!” Annette gasped in horror.Even Elizabeth’s breath hitched. My body tensed, already ready to lunge forward but before I
Dante’s POVI asked Annette this morning if she would like to accompany me to visit Elizabeth. It had been two days since Vespara left the temple without looking at me, and something in me kept wondering if she had returned by now. She never stayed here for too long.We reached Elizabeth’s home just before lunch, and the moment we stepped inside, I could feel a shift in the atmosphere. It wasn’t the usual serene and quiet space I had come to associate with the house. Instead, it felt alive, busy, scattered, as if the home itself had awakened from slumber. I saw Elizabeth sitting alone on the couch in the living room, watching some cartoon on low volume. She turned the moment she sensed us and smiled. “Alpha… Luna,” she greeted us warmly. “You should have sent a message. I would have arranged a proper lunch.”I smiled back at her while taking in her face, the fine lines, the wisdom in her gaze and the stubborn light that never dimmed. “How are you? We heard you were unwell.”“I’m fin
Scarlet’s POVThe moment I switched on the local news channel, I reached for my phone and dialled Vespara. I had just finished a long, exhausting class on surgical techniques and returned to my office to catch up on the headlines. What I saw made my stomach twist with worry — two rogue groups had entered the capital and launched an attack. A city-wide curfew had been imposed. Streets were shut down, homes locked up, and the atmosphere on the news was pure chaos.I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to leave the institute tonight. Travelling now was far too dangerous. The roads were not just unsafe, they were being hunted.My fingers trembled slightly as I pressed the call button. When Vespara picked up, I didn’t waste a second.“Ves, did you leave?” I asked, panic rising in my voice.“We’re just about to,” she replied gently. “Don’t worry, Amy was an angel today. She didn’t miss you that much.”Her calm voice gave me a small moment of relief, but it wasn’t enough. I had to stop
Dante’s POV“What kind of teachings did your family pass on to their children?” I asked coldly as Rome entered the office.Rome looked caught off guard. He had never seen me this furious.“What happened, Alpha?” he asked, approaching carefully.“That nephew of yours…” I said. “He was bullying kids half his age. In the temple, no less. And all while his mother stood there watching.”Rome’s shoulders sagged. “I apologise… I’ll talk to my brother. Though honestly, it’s my sister-in-law and mother who have spoiled that boy beyond reason. He has never been corrected, never taught humility.” He let out a sigh. “But since the complaint is coming from you, Alpha, our family will take it seriously.”Then he added with a weak smile, “But since when did you start caring about children and their petty squabbles?”Before I could respond, a melodic laugh drifted into the room. A graceful presence followed as Annette, my Luna, entered and gracefully seated herself beside me.“That’s Alpha Dante you
Dante's POVI turned to the boy and said, voice sharp and firm, “Stop. Is this how you behave? Bullying little girls at the temple?”The boy shrank under my gaze, but before he could say anything, his mother arrived, rushed, breathless, and clearly having been nearby all along.“Alpha, please… he is just a child,” she pleaded, trying to shield him.I was angry no, furious. “Look at your child. He is picking on kids much younger than himself. Don’t let him out of the house again until you have disciplined him properly. Otherwise, his elders will answer for it.”The woman paled and quickly dragged her son away without another word.With them gone, I looked at the girls. The older one stood beside me, while the little one remained nestled in my arms, clutching me tightly.“Thank you, kind sir,” the older girl said, flashing a shy smile.She looked familiar, oddly so. I couldn’t place where I had seen her before.“You are very brave,” I said, impressed by how she had stood up for herself
Dante’s POV“About the upgradation project, make sure the preparations are wrapped up sooner,” I said to the construction manager, eyeing the layout spread across the stone table.We were expanding and reinforcing the infrastructure around the Moon Goddess’ temple which was now more of a landmark than it had ever been before. Over the years, it had become a center of pilgrimage and tourism, drawing attention not only from our own pack but from others far across the empire. With the coming full moon, we expected nearly a hundred thousand pilgrims to gather here. That number would only grow with time. If we wanted to maintain order and respect the sanctity of the temple, we had to prepare accordingly.In the last four years, our pack had thrived, territory expanded, borders strengthened, wealth accumulated. Under the favor of the Werewolf King, our lands had become the crown jewel of the empire. The most prosperous, the most stable, and arguably, the most envied.The discussion was done
Scarlet’s POVToday was Killian’s death anniversary.Vespara and the kids were leaving for Phantom Moon, and my heart was lodged firmly in my throat. I shouldn’t have felt this way, my home was here, with my daughter, with Vespara, in the life we had built together. But somehow, a piece of me felt homesick as if watching them leave was like watching them walk away from me and that to to the place that is my home.“Did you pack everything?” I asked softly as I entered the living room.It was still dark outside, the sky tinted with the faintest grey. Vespara was already dressed and moving with her usual quiet efficiency. I knew she hadn’t slept. Not a wink. She never did the night before going back to that place.She glanced up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I did. Why are you up so early?”I shifted Amy on my shoulder. She was still half-asleep, warm and limp in my arms, her curly hair sticking up in all directions. Her eyes fluttered at the sound of Vespara’s voice.“Morn