NOVA My heart was pounding all night, stealing away my sleep. Something odd filled the air, and that something was far from pleasant. Yet, I told myself that it was normal to feel such anxiety before tonight. With the Blood Moon reaching its peak, the fated mates were going to feel their bond. Would I be able to feel it too? Felix told me that we would take fate into our own hands and would be together no matter if we were fated mates or not. I wanted nothing more than that, but could we truly make it happen? Felix was going to become an Alpha soon, and he would need a Luna by his side—a she-wolf Luna. I doubted that anyone in this pack would accept a Luna who was a witch unless that witch was Alpha's destined mate. The more I thought about it, the more restless I was... "Get a grip, Nova!" I yelled at my reflection in the mirror. "You will go to that ball, you will freaking shine, and then you will stay together with the man you love!" My confidence and good mood lasted exactly th
NOVA I stood in the middle of the ballroom, staring at the large door in front of me. According to Eric, all the male wolves would walk through that door in a little less than fifteen minutes. I kept rubbing my sweaty palms together. My heart was racing. I sucked in shallow breaths, clamping my mouth like an idiot and most likely resembling a dying fish. Every second spent waiting in this place felt like torture… "Here, drink this. It'll calm your nerves," I heard a gentle female voice and saw a glass of champagne brought in front of my eyes. I smiled awkwardly and took the glass. "Thank you…" I turned toward my savior and almost choked on the last note. Lya Crain smiled at me. "You're welcome." Then she gently prodded my shoulder. "Don't worry, we are all nervous. This night can determine our entire lives. It's normal to be nervous." Lya was as astonishing as in my vision. She was dressed in a cream-colored gown decorated with glittering golden scales, making her look like an emb
FELIXI was staring at the stunning blonde beauty before me. Everything within me kept telling me that she was mine. How could that be? We were standing in the middle of the ballroom, surrounded by aroused and rejoiced newly found pairs of mates. Perhaps I should enjoy my happiness as well, but somehow the word "mate" left a sour taste on the tip of my tongue.Just the night before the Blood Moon, I wanted to spend my entire life together with Nova, but just a few moments ago, I looked into her eyes and felt nothing. Then I watched her leave the ballroom, surprised by my own indifference. Is that how the mate bond was supposed to work? Was I truly destined to hurt the one person who was willing to sacrifice everything for me?"Um… You must be confused... Believe me, so am I." Lya smiled hesitantly, taking my hand in hers. "I'm sorry for Nova too, but she should have predicted it."I frowned. "What?"She chuckled nervously and stroked my palm with her slender fingertips. "I mean… a mat
NOVAFive hours earlierAsriel held my hand and led me through a dark, narrow alley. Any other day—or rather, any other night—I would be anxious about where we were going, but now, I felt too numb to care. He said that this place would help me heal my pain, and I wanted to believe him."We're almost there," he said, pointing at the end of the block.He led us to an old, creepy-looking building with one steel-enforced door. A sliver of rationality struck me, and I gave him a nervous smile. "Are you sure we came to the right place?"He smirked and knocked on the steel surface. The door was opened by a six-foot-tall, bulky bouncer. He saw Asriel and instantly bowed so low that he folded in half. Then, without saying a word, he stepped to the side and gestured at us to come in. I gulped and glanced at Asriel. He winked at me and pointed at the dimly lit corridor. "After you," he said.I took a deep breath and started walking forward. A few steps later, I started to hear a distant mix of d
NOVA I hadn't told Asriel about what I saw in my vision, but I kept thinking about it while we were walking back home. "The things we see in our visions… are they real?" I finally asked him. "Or perhaps it's just a metaphor that requires deep interpretation…" He chuckled. "I can't answer that question. The first time I drank the elixir, I saw a scene from my past, something I had forgotten about. Elixir helped me realize the importance of that event. Another time, I saw a person stealing money from me. It turned out to be true, made him give everything back with interest." Then he grabbed my hand and smiled at me. "You also appeared in one of my visions." I swallowed, and my lips stretched into an awkward grin. "What kind of a vision was that?" He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. "I hope that it was the future." I slid my hand away from him, still feeling the tingling that his lips left on my skin. I had to admit that, at some point, I started to consider Asriel as the p
FELIXWell, I surely could have handled it more gracefully. Idiot. I hadn't felt like myself since last night, and somehow, my frustrations decided to erupt the moment Nova walked into my office. This conversation was supposed to go smoothly. I was supposed to tell her that I wanted her to stay by my side. I was supposed to show her that I had already chosen a room for her—a spacious chamber in the corner of the wing, not too far from my room. I was going to make this work, and, in time, turn our relationship into a solid friendship. And then her magnolia scent hit me...My heart began to race, and everything inside me told me to make her stay. But how could I be so selfish? I tried to collect myself and be reasonable. I spent a few minutes, inhaling her scent and telling myself that I could handle it, but the moment mustered my courage, I realized that her scent was nothing compared to what I saw in her eyes.Their glow faded. I was the one who took it away, and the realization of it
NOVAI had enough. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get as far away from this place as possible. Screw that! I could live anywhere else in the world! I didn't need a man by my side! I didn't need… love…My heart clearly thought otherwise. The wave of pain I felt at the mere thought of my loveless life was proof of it. Pathetic. My life couldn't be fucked up that much. My fate couldn't just sentence me to everlasting torment. Where was the end of the storm above me?I kept walking, uncertain of where I was going, until I found myself in the shopping district, right in front of Cassandra's boutique. I gulped. Did she have the answers I was looking for? Was I ready to know everything about my fate...?Chills ran down my spine, but I took a deep breath and walked toward the door. I slowly placed my hand on the door handle and immediately heard Cassandra's voice coming from inside."Come in, Nova. I've been waiting for you," she said, a chuckle lacing her voice.Of course. She told me
NOVAMy heart jumped in my chest. What was it that he wanted to tell me? Did he have any doubts about his bond after all? I was pissed at him for the way he treated me the last time we talked, but still, there was a thing or two I was itching to discuss with him…My hands shivered so badly, I could barely type my reply. "Where do you want to meet?""Come to the packhouse. We'll meet on the south wing's terrace."I smiled nervously. How the hell should I know where that terrace was? No one had ever given me a tour of that place when I lived there…"How about we meet in your office?" I suggested."No. My servant will wait for you at the main entrance at midnight. Don't be late."My eyebrows rose as I read it. What was with all that secrecy? Was he afraid that Alpha Rainier or Gisele would see us? No matter how strange his request was, I agreed.The conspiracy mood must have been contagious because I ended up dressing up in a black top and pants and getting off the taxi a block away from