Staring at the full moon, drowned in its beauty, bathed in its silver light, I still hear their voices echoing in my memory. That night, in the clearing where the stars leaned low and the world hushed to listen, my three mates had asked Mother and Father for my hand. My heart had soared, my tears had fallen, and in their vows, I had found home.Now, years later, the memory is as clear as moonlight, but the present is brighter still.Laughter rung through the courtyard, causing me to snap back to reality. I looked down at the pages of the photo album that were opened, where it was the four of us while I was showing the engagement ring they had personally crafted for me, reminiscing to those times. I gently closed it and returned it to the bookshelves before storming out of the library.Giggles echoed as my feet brought my to the courtyard.Then I saw our two daughters, Tatiana and Catalina, in their five-year-old, dart between the lantern-lit trees, their small feet pattering against
"Father!" I exclaimed happily and couldn't contain my joy as I ran towards him.Father chuckled softly and pulled me into his embrace. He was dressed in pure white, his spirit form glowing faintly. Even like this, I could still feel the same warmth I had cherished when he was alive.He told me he had been watching over me through all my hardships in the mortal realm. The moment our eyes met again, the dam of my emotions broke. I clung to him, sobbing, while he held me tightly, whispering apologies for not being able to protect me from our clan.Regret weighed heavily in his voice, but I reminded him of the countless things he had done for me and how he shielded my true identity and stood his ground against my uncle."Oh, my beloved daughter! I am so proud of you!" Father's voice cracked as we finally pulled apart. He cupped my cheeks with such tenderness, his eyes glistening. "Look at you, mija. You've grown so much. You're the image of your mother now... brave and intelligent."His w
As we arrived in the Blazing Winter Pack, I was greeted by our fellow pack members, who were happy that I had gotten the title I deserved for myself and for Thaddeus' pack. My three mates let me be alone with them as I chattered to the rest of the pack members, thanking them for greeting me.We were only interrupted when Cretheus said that I had visitors waiting in the parlor room. Bewildered, I followed him while his hand was intertwined with mine."Are you not really going to tell me who the visitors are, my valiant?" I asked tenderly as Cretheus began to rain kisses on the back of my hand.He smiled sheepishly. "You'll see soon." He winked as we went to the parlor room."Congratulations, sister!"As soon as the door opened, I was greeted by my four older sisters named Isabella, Novalie, Seraphina, and Dominixe. They hugged me as soon as they saw me, causing me to giggle and hug them back."Thank you, older sisters!" I said, feeling more at home now that they were also here. When we
Six months later...The wind was sharper in the highlands where the Knight Faction trained. The cold no longer bit into my bones the way it used to. Or maybe I had simply changed enough to stop feeling it.The scent of pine and steel replaced the blood and smoke of the Azai Clan's downfall. The memories still lingered. Some days heavier than others, but the screams had faded. My hands no longer trembled when I looked at them.Today, they bore calluses from sword drills, not blood.A horn blew in the distance, signaling the end of the graduation ceremony. I stood a little straighter as my name echoed across the stone courtyard one last time. "Knight Kasumi Azai." Applause followed, polite but distant. The others were clapping for tradition. For honor. For rank.But the three men standing near the outer edge of the circle—Thaddeus, Theodore, and Cretheus—clapped for me. Their actions were enough to make my wolf squirm at how they were supportive of my achievement today.I waved my hand
My eyes wouldn't leave Uncle Hajime as I was walking towards him with a bloodlust flowing inside my body. The pain of seeing my father flashing before my eyes made me want to end his life as soon as possible."Come on, my little niece." Uncle Hajime smiled. "I'm sure that you can spare me. I have spent my entire life supporting you." He fluttered his eyelids, looking at me innocently. "After all, it was the other four elders who had told me to bring disaster to Hideyoshi and to you. I am only following their orders.""You asshole, Hajime!" Pops shouted angrily while in pain.I clenched my hands, facing him, preparing myself to attack him. "Forgive me, uncle. But I know very well how you envy my father," I said bitterly. "How he stole your glory... or must I say," I paused and stared at him. "He was always a befitting Alpha of the Red Sun Pack, not you, a coward brother of his."I would never forget how Father died in front of me. I would never forget who had him killed. Everything. I
My fingers twitched, longing for the feel of a blade. My lips trembled with the rage I'd caged for too long before they finally stretched into an empty, cold smile. "You really knew how to get on my nerves, huh?" I whispered, the words thick with venom. "You never fail at all."A flicker of something—was it satisfaction?—flashed in Uncle Hajime's eyes, but he didn't speak.Cretheus stepped closer to me, close enough for his heat to calm the tremble in my limbs, but not enough to hold me back. He knew this wasn't his fight to lead. This was mine.I drew in a few steadying breaths before meeting their eyes with quiet resolve. "Worry not, Uncle," I said with a faint smile. "Bringing ruin to the Azai Clan was always part of my destiny, just as I vowed in the heart of the Adamantine Volcano."I gave a mock curtsy, the gesture laced with icy grace. "As a deity, I, Kasumi, Goddess of Gallant and Retribution, intend to keep that promise."Some people lurking in the dark shifted, and in the b