LOGINThe cold air on the balcony felt sharper once the warmth of my mother’s presence was replaced by her frantic retreat. I stared at the empty doorway, the word "extinction" echoing in my head like a death knell.I was about to chase after her when my phone buzzed in my pocket—a sharp, rhythmic vibration that broke the silence.I pulled it out, the screen illuminating my face in the dark. It was a text from Lira.[ Lira: I’m turning into the driveway now. Don't let the gloom get to you, Angie. I know Malcolm and Allison are busy playing soldier tonight, so I’m coming to take over. I'll be at your door in two minutes. Hide the good chocolate.]A small, weary smile tugged at my lips. Lira. She always had a knack for showing up exactly when the walls started closing in. She wasn't just my future in law now but a ride or die. Down below, the heavy iron gates groaned open. A sleek sedan pulled in, cutting through the line of sentinels like a silver needle. I watched as Lira stepped o
“I'm absolutely certain, Angie. I recognize charms like this. I remember them,” Dad repeated, his voice distant and heavy with memory.“Whose were they?” I pressed.“They belonged to a pack that no longer exists,” he said, his gaze fixed on the pelts but seeing something far away. “A pack that was utterly destroyed by a civil war a fifteen years ago, nothing more.”Shannon leaned in, her voice sharp with logic. “If they were destroyed, then what is this? Who is using their emblem now?”My father fell silent, his jaw tightening. He didn't answer. Instead, he looked down, his fingers curling into a fist on his knee a clear physical sign of a secret he was guarding.The air in the room thickened. Shannon watched him, her analytical mind calculating the odds. Malcolm and I exchanged a silent glance over Dad's bowed head. We didn't speak, but a silent agreement passed between us. We won't push him now. But we would find the answers ourselves, starting with the ashes of a pack he
I exhaled slowly, trying to settle my racing heart before answering. “Speak to me.““I appreciate the sentiment, Shannon,” I cut in, my voice turning grave as I braced myself. “But you didn't call at dawn just to offer congratulations. Has something gone wrong at the Guardian Quarter?”“No, no chaos,” Shannon whispered, her voice barely audible over the line. “I’m just calling to let you know I’ve dispatched the third dose of the serum—for both your father and Jennifer. If the rain holds off, it should reach you by late afternoon.”“Shannon, that means the world to me,” I murmured, a wave of relief washing over me. “I don’t even know how to begin to repay you.”“Don't worry about that now. Just stay safe—that’s payment enough,” she said, her voice dropping even lower, turning sharp with hesitation. “Angie, wait... there’s something else. Something I need to tell you.”“What is it?” I asked, my heart skipping a beat.Beside me, the air turned cold. Malcolm and Allison had stopped
“I’ll swear it on the Goddess Herself if I have to, Luna. During the height of midsummer, when our grain harvests were at their peak, she was bleeding us dry. She siphoned off the Pack’s supplies and sold them to rivals, pocketing the gold for herself. She even snatched the wages right out of the kitchen staff's hands,” Jennifer explained, her voice trembling with raw honesty. “That’s when she started cornering me, forcing that poisoned herbal tea down my throat under the lie that it would make me fertile.”I felt my expression harden, my voice dropping into a deadly, low register. “Was that the first time you caught her in the act?”“Far from it, Luna. Her greed was the heartbeat of that kitchen; we all lived in the rhythm of her darkness,” Jennifer’s voice grew steadier, colder. “Everyone saw her hands in the till, but no one dared to catch them. I’m only telling you about the grain because that was the bridge she burned to get to me. That was when her 'dark desire' turned into my
“Stay right here, Angie. Drink this herbal broth,” Mom said softly, pressing a warm bowl into my hands. Her voice was gentle but carried the weight of centuries of maternal instinct. “It's good for the little one.”“Mom, you really don't have to—““Hush now, just drink,” she whispered, her hand resting briefly on my hair. Her eyes held a world of unspoken worry and fierce determination. “You're not nearly strong enough yet. Let your mom handle things for a while.”Left with no choice, I took the bowl and drained the herbal brew in one go. It was agonizingly bitter—the unmistakable, sharp sting of a potent blend of rare herbs, famous in the werewolf world for their restorative power.“Where’s Malcolm?” I asked, setting the empty bowl down on the nightstand.“Malcolm is attending to pack business, darling. He’s still investigating who was behind the attack on Jennifer, while also overseeing the reconstruction of the buildings and the fields that were destroyed,” Mom explained.“He
Dr. Liana looked up at me, then at Malcolm, her expression a mixture of shock and something that looked almost like awe.“Luna…” Her voice trembled slightly. “You’re pregnant.”The world stopped.Malcolm’s hand tightened around mine so hard it almost hurt.“W-what?” I whispered, the word barely audible.“You’re pregnant,” Dr. Liana repeated, more firmly this time. “At least six, maybe seven weeks along. That’s what’s been making you nauseous, exhausted, and strangely emotional—your body has been quietly creating a life, Luna. What a miracle …”I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The room spun around me, tears began flooding my cheeks. “A baby? Is it… is it actually a baby?”“I wouldn’t say it if there were doubt. This is a pregnancy.” She didn’t rush the answer.“But how is that possible?” My voice trembled. “The doctors at Pearl Harbour said… said I might never be able to have children again—after Iona. And even if it were possible, they said the chances were only twenty perc







