The sky was clear that day, the clouds drifting peacefully as though they too were welcoming the great event that came only once a year: the Gathering of True Wolves at the Moonfang Arena.As a symbol of unity and strength among packs, the arena—situated in the heart of neutral territory—stood as witness to the meeting of Alphas, Betas, and Lunas from every corner of the land. Liam and I were among them.After long days in the hospital and the turmoil of discovering traces of my father, Liam had finally recovered. His body looked strong again, his aura of leadership radiating as before, though I knew well the scars had not yet truly healed.“Are you sure you want to come?” I asked as we stepped out of the sleek black car driven by one of our Betas.Liam glanced at me. “I’m Alpha. Our presence matters.”“But you’ve only just recovered. Don’t even think of joining the fights,” I teased, giving his arm a small pinch.He chuckled softly, raising his hands in surrender. “All right, all rig
“LIAM!” I rushed into the isolation room the moment Ethan called me.Liam’s body stirred faintly on the bed. His eyes fluttered open, still weak. When he saw me, he exhaled, not in relief but as if straining against emotion.“Are you out of your mind?” he asked.I held my breath. “Liam?”“You went into that forest again without permission, without enough guards. I just woke up and they told me you vanished, leading a mission alone! Do you want to die?”I lowered my head, my hands clutching the hem of the Luna’s mantle I still wore. “I didn’t mean to defy you. But I had to know if it was really my father.”“You risked everything for a man who doesn’t even know you. You are the Luna of this pack. Do you think your place can be replaced if something happens to you?”“No one can replace you either! You chased me into the forest and nearly died for it. Do you think it didn’t shatter me to see you collapse in my arms?” I shot back.“But at least I was protecting you! That is my duty as Alph
The morning came as Liam and I staggered out of the forest. My body was wrapped in his jacket, my feet bare, my hair still tangled, and my skin covered with scratches from the fight and the flight. At my side, Liam walked unsteadily, his face pale, cold sweat trickling down his neck and temples. His steps faltered. More than once I had to grab his arm so he wouldn’t collapse.“Liam, let’s rest,” I begged, but he shook his head.“We have to get out before Gregor or his beta come back.”When we finally reached the edge of the forest near the hospital’s back fence, the morning light fell on Liam’s face. And for the first time, I realized how frail he had become.“Liam, no! Don’t push—”I didn’t finish. He fell. His body crumpled onto the damp grass.“LIAM!” I dropped to my knees, clutching him in my arms. His face burned with fever, his eyes half-lidded, his breath ragged.“Forgive me, I can’t—” he whispered faintly.I bit down hard on my lip, holding back tears. “Don’t speak. I’ll call
My body ran across the city roofs like a white shadow streaking by, hunted by two figures: the man who loved me, and the man who wanted to possess me.I leapt from building to building, every muscle of my lupine body moving with full force, fused with the pull of the full moon echoing from the sky. My claws scraped concrete, my breath came out cold, and the world felt sharper. The nocturnal birds, the roar of cars on the streets below, and the sound of Liam’s footsteps in the distance all came through clearly in my ears.But I was not entirely myself. A voice in my head whispered: run, run, run.“SIENNA!” Liam’s voice sounded from below. I paused for a moment at the edge of a tall building and turned. He stood on the hospital’s top floor, his body trembling with fever, yet his eyes never left me.And below him, on the street, Gregor stood. The dark-cloaked figure stared at me with embers for eyes. His grin was wide and unchanged.“Run, white wolf, but you know where you’ll end up,” he
The infusion pump ticked slowly, dripping fluid into Liam’s body as he lay feverish again. Cold sweat soaked his temples, though he still tried to look calm in front of me.I sat in the chair, holding his hand tight. His body was burning, his breath heavy. Yet every now and then he tried to lift his head and look at me with that stubborn gaze.“Sleep,” I whispered softly, dabbing his sweat with a cool towel. “I’ll watch over you.”But at that moment my eyes were drawn to the window. The thin curtain fluttered in the night breeze, revealing a sky filled with silver light. The full moon hung large, round, and bright—seeming to call only to me.My chest trembled oddly; my heart pounded. Something in my blood was stirring, like a wave I couldn’t hold back. The towel in my hand trembled with me.“Cole?” Liam’s voice was hoarse. He watched my expression with concern. “What are you feeling?”I swallowed, unable to lie. “The moon is calling me.”His eyes widened. He pushed himself up despite
We fell silent for a moment after Alyssa and Ethan closed the door. The sound of their footsteps fading away still lingered.I saw Liam watching me from behind his pillow, his eyes sharper than usual even though his body remained weak. Outside the window, the night sky reflected the full moon, vast and round.“I need to tell you something. Tonight is the full moon. I’m going to try shifting into a complete wolf,” I said.Liam tilted his head. “Are you serious?”“Yes. I haven’t tried since the last incident. But I can feel the moon’s pull tonight—it’s strong. I feel like I can sense something, like a scent calling me. If my father is still alive out there, maybe this is my chance to catch his trail.”“No. You’re not shifting tonight.”“Why not? You said yourself the beta already brought back information. If there’s a lead—”Liam raised a hand, stopping me. “That’s different. If you shift without supervision, you could become a danger—not only to yourself. You could lose control, draw d