“No one here wants me around, it's no different from my old pack, need I be Luna if the pack hates me?” I looked up at him, teary eyed. “Just let me go, please.”His face softened slowly, perhaps the sight of seeing me cry moved something in him, I couldn't tell. Or perhaps it was just his wolf reacting to the pain of its mate.“There'll be a Luna test soon, it's a series of physical and cognitive examinations to certify that you're Luna material.” He explained, looking everywhere but at me, “You have then to change their minds.” I sighed, pulling away from him, “We might as well break it now because I'm never going to pass the test.”Holding up my injured wrist, I pointed out, “look at me, I can barely heal fast enough. I can't run as fast as other wolves, I can't sense when someone's sneaking up on me, I can't track, I can't do anything. I'm useless!”Kieran stood still, watching my mental breakdown display.“So please, put me out of my misery, reject me now so I can go back to my
“Hold on,” I said, blinking. “I must’ve heard you wrong. Did you just say you were an Underdog too?”Kael gave a small laugh, scratching the back of his neck. “Nope, you heard right. I used to be one. I didn’t get my wolf until recently.”“Seriously?” My brows shot up. “That must’ve been rough… I can’t imagine the kind of things you went through.”He shrugged, a crooked smile forming. “It had its moments. But it wasn’t all bad. I mean, my brother’s the Alpha. Most people were too scared to mess with me—usually afraid Kieran would rip out their throats if they did.”He laughed again, but this time there was a lingering sadness underneath it.“But still,” he continued, his voice a little softer now, “it was hard. Not being able to shift. Not being able to mindlink. It felt like I was watching everyone else live in a world I inside a world I couldn’t reach. I was always on the outside.”I stayed quiet, listening to him.“My dad… he thought I was useless. A disappointment. And honestly, m
Ivy’s Pov: He was gone. I woke up and he wasn't beside me. The room still had a faint trace of his scent, so instead of sulking that he was gone, I inhaled the most of what I could of his smell. I sat up slowly, the ache in my muscles reminding me that I hadn't imagined last night’s event. My wrists throbbed, and I noticed faint bruises already formed where the rogue had grabbed me. I ran a thumb over them, shivering slightly. Kieran left without a word, of course, it wasn't like he was obliged to tell me when he was leaving. It stung me, I didn’t know why it did. It wasn't like I expected anything more, he'd only spent the night with me because the pack house was infiltrated. After dressing, I stepped into the hallway. The guards posted at my door gave me a stiff nod and nothing more than that. I made my way toward the dining hall, my stomach tightening with unease. A small part of me hoped to see him there, thinking that there might have been a slight chance that I’d misread
Ivy’s Pov:I couldn't sleep.The bed was warm, the sheets soft, and yet my body remained tense, curled into itself like a bow. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard whispers—echoes of voices not my own.They slipped into my mind like ghosts: fractured, angry, grieving.“They took the children.”“Where was the Alpha?”“She’s not one of us.”“She’s a curse.”I tried to block them out, tried to remind myself I wasn’t supposed to hear them—not unless someone linked me directly. But the voices weren’t speaking to me. They were speaking about me.A chill crawled down my spine as I sat up, clutching the sheets tighter around me. I didn’t know if it was just my anxiety… or something worse.Then—a knock came at the door.I stiffened.Another knock came, firmer this time. I hesitated, reaching out with my senses, but the mindlink was silent now. I couldn’t hear whoever was at the door and it sparked my curiosity to know who it was—could it be Kieran? He was the only one who knew I could listen
Kieran’s pov “Alpha Kieran, thank the moon you’re here!” a pack worker cried as I stepped out of the car beside my Beta. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes wide with panic—and instantly, my senses went on high alert. Something was wrong. “What’s going on, Caregiver Clover?” I mindlinked her, keeping my tone calm but firm. Her response came sharply and with a sense of urgency. “It’s the school—rogues have raided it. Some of the pups have been taken hostage.” A growl tore from my throat before I could stop it. “And how in the hell did this happen?” I half-roared, already storming toward the school’s entrance. Xander’s hand shot out, gripping my arm. His voice rang firmly through the mindlink. “Don’t rush in blindly. It could be a trap.” “They have children!” I snarled, yanking free. His expression darkened with worry, but I didn’t stop. I sprinted into the building, my heart pounding in my chest. There was no trace of the attackers but they left a mess in their wake; Papers w
Kieran’s POVAfter breakfast, I left the packhouse with my beta, Xander, to review the day’s priorities and ongoing operations.“The border guards are requesting additional supplies,” Xander began as we slid into the backseat of the SUV that would take us into town. “They’re also asking for shorter rotation hours. Apparently, many of them are eager to take time to mate and contribute to expanding the pack.”I leaned back against the leather seat, my jaw tightening slightly. “Their needs are understandable, but we can’t afford to compromise border security. Not with the tensions rising near the Eastern ridge.”Xander nodded. “Agreed. But their morale is dropping. If we don’t give them some kind of compromise, we might start losing capable wolves to exhaustion… or worse, as pawns to the enemy packs.”I stayed quiet for a moment, watching the trees blur past the window.“Draft a new rotation schedule,” I said finally. Rework the shifts to give them time off in turns. Also, arrange for a