Sophia
Checking my reflection in my small mirror, I tuck a few strands of hair behind my ear, which have escaped from my braid. Running my hand over my white dress, I try to smoothen it as much as I can. Honoring the Moon Goddess, all the she-wolves wear white, especially the unmated she-wolves.
This is the only nice dress that I own that I have been wearing for the past few years on the Red Moon. But since tonight is Full Moon Ball, I decided to wear it even though it is not Red Moon because I want to look a bit presentable in front of others.
Wiping my face with the small hand towel, I once again check my reflection before I head out towards the training ground to help others prepare the ground for the Full Moon shift.
All the unmated wolves will try to find their mates during the ball. And later, when midnight strikes, everyone would come outside and shift into their wolves and go for the run. Newly mated wolves will celebrate their unions while the other will run alongside their family and friends.
I join a group of pack members setting up tables and chairs for the post-ball feast. Almost everyone leaves as soon as I join the table, and moves to work on the other table. I can hear their taunts directed towards me and the sound of their laughs that they are having at my expanse.
But not paying attention to their words, I keep my focus on the work at hand; the sooner I finish here, the sooner I can get back into the safety of my room.
I am not allowed to attend the Full Moon ball as per my father's order because he is embarrassed to be associated with me. Joke on him, his blood runs through my veins, even if he want he can never turn his face from this truth.
Just as I finish setting up one of the last tables, I feel a rough shove from behind. I stumble but manage to catch myself before falling.
"Watch where you're going, bitch," a voice sneers.
I turn to see Kane, one of the warriors, glaring at me with a smirk on his face. His smirk identical to Cynthia's a strong giveaway he is her nephew.
Not only look, but it seems like they even share the same mean streak. Maybe it is their blood.
"Sorry, Kane," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I didn't see you there."
"Yeah, well, maybe you should pay more attention," he snaps, stepping closer. "Or maybe you are seeking opportunities to get closer to me." His eyes move up and down my body, causing a shiver to run down my spine in disgust.
I feel a surge of anger but force myself to stay calm.
"I am not interested in you." Keeping my face neutral, I look at him, "In fact, if anything, you disgust me."
His smirk falters, replaced by a flash of anger.
You should watch your mouth, Sophia," he snarls, grabbing my throat. "You don't get to talk to me like that."
He closes his fingers around my throat, blocking my airways. Everyone stops doing whatever they are doing and looks in our direction.
It is becoming difficult for me to breathe, and I try to free myself by clawing his hands away from my neck.
"Let go of me, Kane." My voice comes out choked as my vision becomes blurry due to lack of oxygen.
Suddenly, a large gray wolf comes out of nowhere and attacks Kane. I hear screams of horror coming from some she-wolves, along with Cynthia's screams.
My vision turns hazy as I feel myself losing control of my body. I begin to fall down as my eyes shut.
Even before I could fall down, a strong pair of arms wrapped around me while holding me close.
A strange comfort washes over me while my nose registers the most amazing and intoxicating smell I have ever smelled.
I am trying to fight against the darkness and forcing my eyes to open, but I am failing miserably.
AuroraI slip my favorite book into my bag, the one with the worn corners and the coffee stain that never quite faded. A few sticks of gum and Anastasia’s phone follow, before I slide the zipper closed. My sandals tap softly against the marble as I walk toward the door, my reflection flickering across the glass cabinets on the way out.For a few moments of the day, I can pretend to be free. In these stolen breaths of time, I can be myself, no pretenses, no perfection to maintain. But lately, even that is changing... changing in a good way, not in a burdening and suffocating way. Ever since Lucas came into my life, the thought of disappointing him has begun to crawl beneath my skin. I used to think I didn’t care what anyone thought. Now, his approval feels like the one thing that matters most in the world.The moment I step into the corridor, I hear it, the familiar rhythm of heavy footsteps trailing just behind mine. The guard. Always there. Always watching.I do not look back. I have
AuroraThe medicine makes everything feel slow, soft, and heavy. Like the world is moving through water. The ceiling light blurs into a halo as I blink, my eyelids too heavy to keep open for long. I remember doctor already waiting for me in the room when I was brought back, James must had called him. My arm stings under the dressing, but it’s dulled, distant.I should feel uneasy. Someone is here.I can sense it, the faint shuffle of movement, the sound of air shifting near the window. My instincts should flare, but they don’t. Instead, warmth seeps through the haze, an invisible cocoon wrapping around me. It’s strange, this calm. Strange, but not unfamiliar.Because I’ve felt this before, this safety that doesn’t need to be seen to be real.My mind drifts in and out of sleep, tangled between what’s real and what’s not. I think I hear a whisper, a breath close enough to stir the air beside my face. A touch... not real, maybe imagined, brushes against my hair like someone is brushing
AuroraExactly as the clock strikes eight, everyone is seated at the breakfast table. Punctuality here is not a virtue, it is a law. The faint chime of the grandfather clock echoes through the garden, signaling the beginning of another perfectly orchestrated performance.The table stretches long and gleaming beneath the sunlight, surrounded by manicured hedges and faces polished to perfection. Here, even the seating arrangement speaks of power. Nothing is random; every chair represents rank, lineage, and influence. The largest table, of course, belongs to the Blakes and a few others who are considered significant enough to share this privilege.Many people would kill to sit here, to be part of this carefully guarded circle.But I would give anything not to be.Unfortunately, my place is secured by blood. The one thing you can’t escape. The one thing that binds tighter than chains. I hold a position many envy, even within the family. Especially within the family.Dad sits at the head
AuroraI wake up earlier than usual, the faint light of dawn barely cutting through the curtains. My room is quiet, too quiet, but inside my mind, thoughts are already racing. Today isn’t just another morning. It’s one of those mornings. The kind where perfection isn’t just expected... it’s required.My feet touch the cold marble floor, and I take a slow breath before moving toward the vanity. Every movement feels deliberate, measured. Because here, one small mistake isn’t just noticed... it’s counted, recorded, remembered.This house doesn’t forgive flaws.Our rules are simple, and brutal. Breakfast is at eight. If you’re one minute late, you don’t eat. If you miss it without reason, you face silence, the kind that feels heavier than any punishment. It’s the same for lunch. The same for dinner.But the worst part isn’t the rules. It’s sitting with them three times a day. My family.I start getting read
AuroraEven though I could talk to him forever, we both begrudgingly hang up. The second the call ends, the silence feels too loud , like it’s mocking me. The room is the same, but it isn’t. The air still hums with him, the echo of his laugh, the way his voice dipped when he said my name.And just like that, I start missing him. Instantly.It’s ridiculous. I just heard him. I can still hear him. The memory of his tone hasn’t even faded yet, and still... it’s not enough. It’s never enough.I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at the phone like it’s a forbidden relic. Because it is.That’s when the trance starts to break, the Lucas haze that somehow makes the rest of the world blur out. And when reality seeps back in, it brings the weight I’d pushed aside.There’s a problem.A huge one.The kind that doesn’t just vanish if I ignore it long enough. The kind that could ruin everything.The kind that looks exactly like the phone in my hand.This little, innocent-looking thing... black,
LucasThe phone feels heavier than it should, like it’s holding more than plastic and circuits. Like it’s holding a possibility, the possibility of hearing the voice that silences all the chaos in my head.I sit at the edge of my bed, elbows on my knees, the weight of anticipation brewing in my chest like an unfamiliar ache. I’m not used to this feeling. I am Lucas. I don’t anticipate... I decide the outcome. But this… this is different. Because no matter how many outcomes I decide, this one depends on her.The first ring starts. A sharp inhale escapes me. The walls of my room feel too close, the silence too thick. The sound of the ring cuts through it, relentless, each chime hitting something raw and alive inside me.Come on.Second ring.I drag a hand through my hair, my grip tightening around the phone. Every muscle is tense, alert, strung tight like a bow ready to snap. I’m listening for something that isn’t even there yet... her voice.Third ring. She won’t answer. The thought