MasukShare
|c.2|
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2023-11-18 00:31:16Channary’s world began to blur, the vibrant colors and sounds of the festival swirling into a dizzying whirl around her. She blinked, clutching her forehead, but the haze only thickened, pressing in until she could barely tell up from down. Heart pounding, she fought to keep her eyes open, to stay steady. The strange, tingling sensation coursing through her wasn’t what she had been expecting from the Unity Cup. This was supposed to be an ancient, almost sacred experience, a rite of the Blood-Moon—so why did her mind feel like it was wrapped in fog?
Something was wrong. Her parents had described the mild effects of the Cup, a warmth, a sense of clarity—nothing like this strange disorientation that made her limbs feel both heavy and weightless. She stumbled, her body swaying with each step, a sour taste building in her mouth.
“This… isn’t right,” she managed to whisper, her voice weak and shaky, though her mind screamed the words. She could barely focus, struggling to push down the rising bile as she staggered forward, desperate to find a stream or something to drink, anything to clear her head.
“Not right?” a deep voice came from somewhere behind her, startling her out of her daze.
Channary froze, her blood turning to ice as she whipped around, instinct telling her to flee even as her body resisted, sluggish and uncooperative. She saw a blurred figure stepping out from the shadows of the trees, his voice calm yet laced with something darker that made her skin prickle. Even in her haze, she could tell he was tall, his shoulders broad, but the details of his face blurred each time she tried to focus. Her instincts flared to life, telling her to get away, yet she felt something strange—a pull, a flicker of warmth.
“Who are you?” Her voice sounded small, fragile, as she tried to keep herself steady.
“Relax, I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, his voice a soft rumble. “My wolf led me to you—your scent…” He trailed off, inhaling deeply, and his voice dipped into a rough, almost pained whisper. “Moon above, you smell… intoxicating.”
Channary shivered, her body reacting to his presence, the pull between them undeniable even through the fog. She stumbled again, and before she could fall, he closed the distance, his strong hands catching her. She wanted to shake him off, to snap back into her senses, but the gentle warmth of his hands on her arms sent a rush of comfort that softened her resistance. She let herself lean into him, if only for a moment, letting his strength ground her in this spinning world.
“My name is Channary,” she managed, voice barely more than a murmur, her head throbbing as she clung to his warmth. She felt his breath against her hair, the smell of earth and pine mixed with the wild scent of his wolf.
His hand traced soothing circles on her back, his fingers trailing down her arms as if calming her by instinct. “Channary,” he echoed, his voice a soft growl. “This isn’t how I imagined meeting my mate. I…” His voice thickened with something like regret, and his hands stilled, though he didn’t pull away. “I want you, but not like this. If it weren’t for that Cup…”
His words swam in her mind, and a sudden clarity cut through the haze: the Unity Cup. They’d said it was an aphrodisiac blend to heighten senses for the ceremony, but for her—the Moon-Kissed daughter of the Alpha—perhaps it was too potent, too intense. She blinked, realizing the pull between them was more than just instinct.
“I… I feel dizzy,” she mumbled, slumping against him, her head lolling against his chest. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, the world spinning in endless circles.
“Keep your eyes closed,” he said gently, his voice laced with an almost unbearable restraint. “Just breathe. The dizziness will pass. It’s… it’s the Cup. I’ll hold you steady.”
He lifted her, and she felt herself drifting, held securely in his strong arms as the sounds of the festival faded. Her mind floated in and out of sleep, the warmth of his embrace calming her, his steady breathing in sync with hers, until finally, her world faded into darkness.
Bright sunlight cut through the trees, piercing her eyelids with a sharp, unforgiving glare. Channary groaned, her whole body aching, feeling as though she’d been pulled apart and pieced back together wrong. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the blur, and found herself alone. Her heart dropped as she sat up, clutching the rough blanket beneath her.
The place was empty, the only trace of him a faint imprint in the grass beside her. Her hand reached out instinctively, as if expecting him to be there, as if his warmth might somehow linger. But there was nothing—no scent, no mark. A pit formed in her stomach as she realized what this meant: he’d left her. He hadn’t marked her, hadn’t claimed her as his mate. He had walked away.
A tight, burning sensation knotted in her chest as she pulled her knees to her chest, a sob escaping her lips. “I wouldn’t even recognize him,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and raw. “Not even his scent…” The reality of it was like ice water washing over her, numbing her from the inside out.
What was she supposed to tell her parents? Her father would demand to meet her mate, to see the mark of their union. And she… she had nothing. Nothing but the lingering ache in her chest and the faintest memory of warmth. A wave of nausea rolled through her, not from the Unity Cup but from the fear of facing her father, the Alpha.
Shivering, she shifted into her wolf form, her ash-gray fur bristling as she whined, ears flat against her head. She sniffed the air, trying to catch his scent, some trace of him, but there was only the bitter tang of her own loneliness. Resigned, she began to run, her paws hitting the soft earth in a rhythmic beat that echoed the hollow ache in her chest.
By the time she reached home, the sun had risen high in the sky, casting the familiar surroundings in a harsh, unforgiving light. She crept in through the wolf-sized door her father had installed just for her, shifting back to her human form as she tiptoed through the house, her heart hammering at each creak of the floorboards. She slunk up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her and sliding down against it, the tension in her shoulders finally snapping as the sobs she’d been holding back wracked her body.
“Why?” she whispered into her knees, her tears flowing freely. “Why didn’t he stay?”
This night, the Blood-Moon, was supposed to be magical, a night she would remember forever. It was meant to be a blessing, the moment she met her true mate, her other half. But instead, she was left with nothing. Nothing but shame, pain, and an empty space in her heart where he was supposed to be.
She lay there, crumpled against the door, her sobs turning to silent tears as she heard her parents stirring downstairs. Her mother’s soft laughter and her father’s excited tone reached her, and her heart twisted. They were talking about her, their voices filled with pride, as they imagined meeting her mate and celebrating the unity.
“Channary?” Her mother’s voice floated up the stairs, tentative and warm, filled with love.
Channary’s breath hitched, and she pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling any sound, willing herself to remain hidden. She knew, sooner or later, she’d have to face them, to tell them the truth. But for now, she couldn’t bear it. She wanted nothing more than to disappear, to sink into her bed and let the world forget about her. She buried herself under her blankets, letting the silence consume her as she tried to ignore the pounding of her own heart.
In the dimness of her room, as daylight faded and the shadows grew long, Channary clutched her pillow, sinking deeper into her shame. The Moon had betrayed her, left her vulnerable, her mate unclaimed. She was the Alpha’s daughter, Moon-Kissed and blessed, yet here she was, abandoned and marked only by the emptiness of broken promises.
Bab terkait
Beneath the Moon |c.3|
It had been another day and a half since Channary locked herself in her room, hiding from the world, from herself, and from the life that had been shattered that night in The Grove. She lay curled in her bed, surrounded by the heavy silence, the air thick with the scent of her own despair. Shadows crept along the walls, seeming to close in on her as if even the walls knew she no longer belonged here. Her father’s voice had cut through the house several times over the past days, demanding she come down, barking his orders like she was nothing more than a misbehaving pup.It was her mother who finally entered, her expression a mix of pity, frustration, and that strange sadness Channary had seen there for as long as she could remember. She stood silently in the doorway for a moment, her eyes scanning the mess of clothes scattered across the floor, her daughter’s unkempt hair spilling over her pillow, and the dull glaze that had taken over Channary’s once bright eyes.“Chan,” her mother sa
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-11-23Beneath the Moon |c.4|
The tension in the room was suffocating as Channary stared her father down, her heart hammering against her ribs. His words echoed in her ears—cruel, unforgiving, and final.“You’ve been nothing but a stain on this family’s name,” Roman spat, his eyes like shards of ice. “Your actions on the Blood Moon have brought shame to our entire pack. You’re not my daughter anymore.”Channary flinched, but only for a moment. Her jaw tightened as she forced herself to meet his gaze, refusing to let him see her break. Her voice, though trembling, carried a quiet, simmering rage.“You never wanted me, did you?” she asked. “Not really. You only tolerated me because I was your firstborn.”Roman’s nostrils flared, and for a moment, she thought he might deny it. Instead, he crossed his arms, his silence damning.“You wanted a son,” Channary continued, her voice gaining strength. “That’s why you’ve been trying outside of your mate, isn’t it? You think I didn’t know? You think the pack didn’t know?” Her
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-13Beneath the Moon |c.5|
The sound of tiny feet racing across hardwood floors echoed through the modest house Channary had worked so hard to make a home. The twins, Sienna and Elara, were bundles of boundless energy, their laughter ringing out like chimes. Channary, now twenty-five, stood at the kitchen counter, rinsing paint brushes she had used to restore a faded piece of art she had picked up from the local flea market. Her long hair was pulled into a messy bun, strands sticking to her neck as the late afternoon sun streamed through the curtains, bathing the room in a golden glow.“Mama!” Sienna cried, bursting into the kitchen. Her dark curls bounced as she waved a drawing in her hand. “Look! I made a wolf!”Channary dried her hands on a towel and leaned down to examine her daughter’s work. The crude crayon drawing did indeed resemble a wolf, though its proportions were cartoonish. “That’s amazing, baby,” she said, ruffling Sienna’s hair. “You’ve got real talent.”Sienna beamed, but her twin, Elara, peeked
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-13Beneath the Moon |c.6|
The classroom buzzed with the cheerful chaos of children at play. Laughter rang out as the twins, Elara and Sienna, darted between their classmates, their silver-streaked hair catching the light like liquid moonlight. Ms. Claire DuPont watched them closely, her wolf stirring with a strange, aching sadness as it always did when the girls were near.She couldn’t understand it. Who were these children, and why did they tug so insistently at her instincts?Throughout the day, Claire found herself watching them more than usual, taking note of the subtle but telling mannerisms they shared: the way they seemed to mirror each other without effort, the unspoken connection that made them move and react as if tethered by an invisible string. Something about them struck a chord of familiarity, though she couldn’t place where she’d seen it before.It nagged at her through math lessons, coloring time, lunch, and even during the brief moments of peace when the children napped. Claire tried to push t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-24Beneath the Moon |c.7|
The rest of the dinner passed in a blur for Channary. Laughter echoed around the dining table, stories were shared, and the twins were doted on by Claire’s parents, who seemed genuinely enchanted by them. Yet, Channary couldn’t fully immerse herself. Her thoughts remained tethered to the eerie resemblance her daughters shared with the late Elena DuPont, the silver-haired twin who had captivated the family’s hearts even in death.The connection didn’t end there—Channary herself felt it, an inexplicable pull that left her unsettled. She was drawn to the warmth and familiarity of the DuPont family, as though she belonged among them. It was a sensation she couldn’t shake, no matter how much she tried to distract herself with polite conversation or the twins’ innocent chatter.By the time they arrived home, the girls were yawning and rubbing their eyes, their energy from the eventful evening finally spent. Channary moved on autopilot, guiding her daughters through their bedtime routine. Sh
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-19Beneath the Moon |c.8|
The moment Claire stepped through the door of her cozy apartment, she kicked off her black heels with a groan, each step echoing faintly against the hardwood floor. The familiar scent of cinnamon and worn leather wrapped around her like a hug, but it did nothing to ease the tight coil in her chest. She grabbed her phone off the entryway table, her fingers dialing Colton's number almost before she thought about it. The line rang and rang, each pulse stirring her irritation until finally—"Well, if it isn’t my dear sister," Colton drawled, his deep voice layered with amusement and just a hint of exhaustion. "To what do I owe the pleasure this late?"Claire scoffed, kicking her purse onto the couch. "Cut the crap, Colt. Why didn’t you show up to dinner tonight?"There was a beat of silence, too long, too telling."I got caught up with some pack business," he said finally, the excuse flimsy even to his own ears."Pack business, my ass," she snapped, flopping onto the worn leather armchair
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-20Beneath the Moon |c.9|
The drive to Channary’s house was thick with a silence so charged, it buzzed in the air between Colton and Claire. The late afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the narrow country road. Claire stared out the window, her fingers tapping an anxious rhythm against the worn denim of her jeans. Her mind spun with unanswered questions.Colton gripped the steering wheel tighter, the leather creaking beneath his fingers. His jaw was locked tight, every muscle in his body coiled and restless. The closer they got, the more his wolf stirred beneath his skin, pacing, pushing—hungryfor something he couldn’t name. Yet.When they finally turned onto Channary’s street, Claire unbuckled before the truck even came to a full stop. She swung the door open and hopped onto the gravel driveway, her boots crunching in the crisp autumn air.Colton remained seated, frozen, as a scent wrapped around him like a vice—warm, soft, sweet—a scent he hadn't smelled in years yet had
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-20Beneath the Moon |c.10|
The second Claire was safely back at her classroom to pick up her car, Colton had already pulled out his phone and messaged his beta—his best friend and the only person who truly knew the secrets Colton carried.Logan had been with him the night of the Blood Moon. He was the one who had found Colton afterward, bloody, confused, and broken in the sacred Grove, swearing up and down that someone had drugged him. Logan was the only one who had believed him, the only one who had kept the truth tucked away all these years.Now he was the only person Colton trusted with this new, fragile truth:Channary was his mate.The twin girls—those tiny sparks of life—were his daughters.And they were missing.It had been two full days since Channary and the girls had disappeared. Two days of gnawing silence. Two days of sleepless nights and pacing like a caged animal. He had Logan keeping an eye on their small, cozy house nestled at the edge of town, but no lights ever came on, no car pulled into the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-27
Bab terbaru
Beneath the Moon |c.12|
The afternoon sun had long dipped below the horizon by the time Channary and Colton emerged from the haze of the past. For hours, they sat on the old gray couch in the living room—its cushions worn soft by years of bedtime stories and rainy day cuddles. The scent of lavender and the faint aroma of cookies lingered in the air, a gentle reminder of the life Channary had built here.The house was modest but warm. Family pictures—just the three of them—lined the walls. Crayon drawings were pinned to the fridge with mismatched magnets, and a stuffed bunny with a missing ear lay abandoned near the hallway. The girls’ laughter had echoed through these rooms for seven years. But today, it had been quieter—more reflective.Colton sat hunched forward on the couch, his elbows on his knees, brows drawn in concentration. Channary, across from him in the armchair that used to belong to her uncle, held a steaming cup of chamomile tea she hadn’t taken a sip from. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun,
Beneath the Moon |c.11|
"Wait… what did she mean by she thinks?" Colton's mind reeled, the words echoing louder than the pounding in his chest. Keaton's grip around his throat slackened, and the room fell into tense, suffocating silence. The air was thick with unease, every breath heavy as the reality of the situation settled like dust in the air.Keaton's eyes darted between Colton, Channary, and the girls—his nieces. His expression, typically carved from granite, was unreadable for once. Claire was a damn fool for not noticing it before. Those girls were spitting images of Colton. The same stormy grey eyes, the same stubborn jawline, even the way they tilted their heads when confused—it was all him. Yet, they were softened by their mother’s beauty, their moon-kissed traits glowing faintly in the afternoon light pouring through the windows.The twins stood huddled behind their mother, clutching her legs tightly. Their wide eyes flickered between the men in the room, registering the danger, the chaos—and now
Beneath the Moon |c.10|
The second Claire was safely back at her classroom to pick up her car, Colton had already pulled out his phone and messaged his beta—his best friend and the only person who truly knew the secrets Colton carried.Logan had been with him the night of the Blood Moon. He was the one who had found Colton afterward, bloody, confused, and broken in the sacred Grove, swearing up and down that someone had drugged him. Logan was the only one who had believed him, the only one who had kept the truth tucked away all these years.Now he was the only person Colton trusted with this new, fragile truth:Channary was his mate.The twin girls—those tiny sparks of life—were his daughters.And they were missing.It had been two full days since Channary and the girls had disappeared. Two days of gnawing silence. Two days of sleepless nights and pacing like a caged animal. He had Logan keeping an eye on their small, cozy house nestled at the edge of town, but no lights ever came on, no car pulled into the
Beneath the Moon |c.9|
The drive to Channary’s house was thick with a silence so charged, it buzzed in the air between Colton and Claire. The late afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the narrow country road. Claire stared out the window, her fingers tapping an anxious rhythm against the worn denim of her jeans. Her mind spun with unanswered questions.Colton gripped the steering wheel tighter, the leather creaking beneath his fingers. His jaw was locked tight, every muscle in his body coiled and restless. The closer they got, the more his wolf stirred beneath his skin, pacing, pushing—hungryfor something he couldn’t name. Yet.When they finally turned onto Channary’s street, Claire unbuckled before the truck even came to a full stop. She swung the door open and hopped onto the gravel driveway, her boots crunching in the crisp autumn air.Colton remained seated, frozen, as a scent wrapped around him like a vice—warm, soft, sweet—a scent he hadn't smelled in years yet had
Beneath the Moon |c.8|
The moment Claire stepped through the door of her cozy apartment, she kicked off her black heels with a groan, each step echoing faintly against the hardwood floor. The familiar scent of cinnamon and worn leather wrapped around her like a hug, but it did nothing to ease the tight coil in her chest. She grabbed her phone off the entryway table, her fingers dialing Colton's number almost before she thought about it. The line rang and rang, each pulse stirring her irritation until finally—"Well, if it isn’t my dear sister," Colton drawled, his deep voice layered with amusement and just a hint of exhaustion. "To what do I owe the pleasure this late?"Claire scoffed, kicking her purse onto the couch. "Cut the crap, Colt. Why didn’t you show up to dinner tonight?"There was a beat of silence, too long, too telling."I got caught up with some pack business," he said finally, the excuse flimsy even to his own ears."Pack business, my ass," she snapped, flopping onto the worn leather armchair
Beneath the Moon |c.7|
The rest of the dinner passed in a blur for Channary. Laughter echoed around the dining table, stories were shared, and the twins were doted on by Claire’s parents, who seemed genuinely enchanted by them. Yet, Channary couldn’t fully immerse herself. Her thoughts remained tethered to the eerie resemblance her daughters shared with the late Elena DuPont, the silver-haired twin who had captivated the family’s hearts even in death.The connection didn’t end there—Channary herself felt it, an inexplicable pull that left her unsettled. She was drawn to the warmth and familiarity of the DuPont family, as though she belonged among them. It was a sensation she couldn’t shake, no matter how much she tried to distract herself with polite conversation or the twins’ innocent chatter.By the time they arrived home, the girls were yawning and rubbing their eyes, their energy from the eventful evening finally spent. Channary moved on autopilot, guiding her daughters through their bedtime routine. Sh
Beneath the Moon |c.6|
The classroom buzzed with the cheerful chaos of children at play. Laughter rang out as the twins, Elara and Sienna, darted between their classmates, their silver-streaked hair catching the light like liquid moonlight. Ms. Claire DuPont watched them closely, her wolf stirring with a strange, aching sadness as it always did when the girls were near.She couldn’t understand it. Who were these children, and why did they tug so insistently at her instincts?Throughout the day, Claire found herself watching them more than usual, taking note of the subtle but telling mannerisms they shared: the way they seemed to mirror each other without effort, the unspoken connection that made them move and react as if tethered by an invisible string. Something about them struck a chord of familiarity, though she couldn’t place where she’d seen it before.It nagged at her through math lessons, coloring time, lunch, and even during the brief moments of peace when the children napped. Claire tried to push t
Beneath the Moon |c.5|
The sound of tiny feet racing across hardwood floors echoed through the modest house Channary had worked so hard to make a home. The twins, Sienna and Elara, were bundles of boundless energy, their laughter ringing out like chimes. Channary, now twenty-five, stood at the kitchen counter, rinsing paint brushes she had used to restore a faded piece of art she had picked up from the local flea market. Her long hair was pulled into a messy bun, strands sticking to her neck as the late afternoon sun streamed through the curtains, bathing the room in a golden glow.“Mama!” Sienna cried, bursting into the kitchen. Her dark curls bounced as she waved a drawing in her hand. “Look! I made a wolf!”Channary dried her hands on a towel and leaned down to examine her daughter’s work. The crude crayon drawing did indeed resemble a wolf, though its proportions were cartoonish. “That’s amazing, baby,” she said, ruffling Sienna’s hair. “You’ve got real talent.”Sienna beamed, but her twin, Elara, peeked
Beneath the Moon |c.4|
The tension in the room was suffocating as Channary stared her father down, her heart hammering against her ribs. His words echoed in her ears—cruel, unforgiving, and final.“You’ve been nothing but a stain on this family’s name,” Roman spat, his eyes like shards of ice. “Your actions on the Blood Moon have brought shame to our entire pack. You’re not my daughter anymore.”Channary flinched, but only for a moment. Her jaw tightened as she forced herself to meet his gaze, refusing to let him see her break. Her voice, though trembling, carried a quiet, simmering rage.“You never wanted me, did you?” she asked. “Not really. You only tolerated me because I was your firstborn.”Roman’s nostrils flared, and for a moment, she thought he might deny it. Instead, he crossed his arms, his silence damning.“You wanted a son,” Channary continued, her voice gaining strength. “That’s why you’ve been trying outside of your mate, isn’t it? You think I didn’t know? You think the pack didn’t know?” Her
