Elia stood beside Anana in the sunlit courtyard, her excitement was impossible to contain; it practically sparkled in her eyes. “So,” she began eagerly, bouncing on her toes, “what adventure are we having today?”Anana’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. She leaned in close, her head slowly tilting as her black hair caught the light. Her voice lowered as though she were about to reveal a great secret. “There’s a place I found,” she whispered, “and I think you’ll absolutely love it.”Elia’s eyes lit up, her whole face lighting with curiosity. “Where?” she asked, leaning in even closer, her whole body practically vibrating with curiosity.Anana paused, letting the suspense hang just long enough to make Elia pout. Then, with a knowing grin, she said softly, “When Lucien and I went hunting months ago, we passed a spot deep in the forest… an entire clearing filled with every kind of herb imaginable.”Elia’s gasp was dramatic. “Herbs?” she squeaked, eyes wide as the word alone sent her
The morning light spilled softly through the corridor where Anana and Elia stood. Anana leaned close slowly, her voice a whisper of mischief. “Elia, do you know,” she began, her lips curving in a secret smile, “that the sweetest bread in the whole Crimson Blood Pack comes from the Master’s oven himself? Golden crust, soft as clouds, and sweet enough to make you forget your name.”Elia’s eyes widened like a child hearing a fairytale. “Really?” she gasped. “The sweetest in the whole pack?”Anana nodded solemnly. “Mm-hmm. I’ve tried… oh, I’ve tried… to sneak one for myself. But the Master of the Kitchen always catches me.” She laughed, the sound soft and warm. “You’d think being Luna gives me some power there, but no. That man guards his bread like treasure. Still…” Her eyes glinted. “It’s on my bucket list to steal just one, without him knowing.”Elia grinned, puffing her chest. “Then I’ll do it! I’ll steal that bread without being caught.”Anana chuckled, shaking her head. “Elia, noth
The older warrior’s jaw tightened, but he obeyed, drawing his sword and facing the boy. The younger one paled, gripping his weapon with both hands.“Do not hold back,” Lucien ordered, his tone brooking no argument.Steel clashed as the older warrior lunged, the boy stumbling back, blocking poorly, his footing clumsy. Twice, three times, the older warrior pressed him, each blow sending sparks and dust into the air. Finally, with a sharp strike, the boy’s sword flew from his hands, clattering to the dirt. He fell to one knee, chest heaving, fear raw in his eyes.Lucien’s boots carried him forward, and he stared down at the boy. “On the battlefield, hesitation is death. Weakness is not a wound that heals… it is a rot that spreads and kills your brothers beside you. If you cannot fight without fear, you are already dead.”He looked at the older warrior. “Again. Strike him barehanded.”The boy’s eyes widened in panic, but the older warrior lunged, his fist crashing against the boy’s jaw. T
Anana’s fingers trailed tenderly along the velvet petals of the iris, her touch was both soft and tender. And her smile was faint. “We will talk when you return.” She whispered.Before Lucien could press further, the crunch of hurried footsteps broke the moment. A guard approached, bowing deeply. “Alpha, the carriage is ready.”Lucien gave a small nod, but his attention never left Anana. His eyes burned with possessive softness. Then, lowering his head to her, he murmured, “Whatever it is, you wish to tell me, we will discuss it when I return. Nothing will remain unsaid between us.”He kissed her forehead with lingering warmth, then stepped away, his cloak sweeping behind him. The air seemed to shift with his departure.Anana remained where she stood, the flower cradled delicately in her hands, its faint silver-kissed fragrance rose to fill her senses as her eyes followed his departing figure.As the sun dipped lower, the fading light painting the garden in shades of her heart, she w
Elia’s lips trembled, but she forced the words out, her voice quivering. “It was Mira.”The name left Anana stunned. For a moment, her mind refused to register the name. Then, in disbelief, she echoed it, almost as if saying it aloud would break its meaning.“Mira?”She shook her head slowly, brows knitting, lips parting in stunned confusion. “I… I never thought Mira was such a person.”Elia leaned closer, her eyes hard with bitter truth. “That woman is not who she seems. There is far more to Mira than what meets the eyes. Her hands fidgeted on her lap, her fingers curling into her dress as she continued. “Do you remember what I told you earlier… about Mira’s poisoning?”Anana’s eyes widened. “Yes…”Elia nodded, the corner of her mouth twitching as if she despised the words she was about to speak. “The person responsible… was no one else but Mira herself.”The silence that followed was suffocating. Anana’s body stiffened, her breath hitched at the thought of it. Shock widened her eye
The sun rose earlier than usual, spilling its golden glow across the Crescent Moon Pack. Its rays softened the land in warmth, but warmth did little to touch the tension that gripped the pack. It was the day their Luna fell into labor.The Packhouse courtyard was crowded, not with noise but with silence. Wolves of every rank… warriors, omegas, elders, even pups stood gathered beneath the morning sun, their gazes fixed on the Alpha’s chambers. Every ear strained, every breath hitched, every chest heavy with the weight of what unfolded inside.The warriors stationed closest to the chamber door stood rigid, their shoulders tight as if waiting for war. Each time Mira’s cries pierced the air, their eyes flickered gold, their wolves thrashing to answer her pain.The elders stood in a cluster, their lips whispering ancient prayers, bone-and-stone beads trembling in their hands. “Protect her. Protect the heir. Protect the bond.” Their voices wove into the charged silence like a chant pulling