Sorry for the late update guys, writer's block issa bit****. Anyway, here it is, enjoy and please don't forget to comment. Love, Nora, xoxo.
Chapter 12 Ciara's POV I rolled over on my side and yawned, opening my eyes. Yesterday had been a fruitful day if I do say so myself. I had accomplished what I set out to do and I felt very proud. I was one step closer to my goal of being a strong Luna and being remembered as one. Orion ignored me when I served them the other day but I knew he noticed my presence. Either way, I was glad he had ignored me. I couldn't take any hurtful words at this stage. I was just starting to find myself again and I didn't want anything stopping that process. Bryan on the other hand was still a puzzle and I didn't know what to do with him. I found myself wishing he was my mate instead of Orion because, unlike Orion, Bryan was attentive towards me and my pain. He was sweet, kind, less scary and he was just different really. I knew he probably had his flaws and demons but at least he tried to be a better person and I was grateful for how different he was; like a breath of fresh air. I
Chapter 13 Ciara's POV As I walked towards the dining room, my heart was beating fast inside my chest. I was struggling to breathe and if I didn't get a hold of myself, I would pass out from the shock of everything. Alpha Stone and his wife and mate, Luna Stone preferred Sophie over me and just like their son, they had made it clear especially on the day of the coronation ceremony and my Luna reveal. So the fact that he was asking me to join the family for breakfast was a fact I was struggling to understand. The maid stopped suddenly and I had to stop before I ran into her. She held the door of the dining room open for me and I bit my lip, not sure if I wanted to go in there. No one in that room liked me well except Bryan but he didn't know me so........on second thoughts none of them knew me. It would be utterly disrespectful of me to ignore the Alpha's invitation and for that reason, I forced my legs to move towards the door. I passed the maid who bowed and closed
Chapter 14 Bryan's POV When father asked the girl to go and bring Ciara to the dining room, I didn't know what his plans were and I didn't care, as long as he didn't insult her or try to demean her with his words, I was okay. And when she eventually showed up wearing that cute white number that left her legs on display and her shoulders on display as well, I swooned She was cute and she was strong, if she wasn't she wouldn't be standing in this room, especially with the criticisms she must have endured while growing up as a child. I was curious about why she had stormed off like that but I was even more irritated with Orion and his nonchalant behavior towards her. It was so disgusting the way he treated her. Something my father said must have upset her because colour drained from her face after the announcement. I had been ready to pull her into my arms before I wondered how it would look seeing as her mate was sitting only a few feet away from me. I glared at my father
Chapter 15 Ciara's POVI smiled as I picked up the little girl and chuckled when she tried to kiss her nose."She's so cute," I cooed, staring at Bruce who had tagged along uninvited. I loved children so much and I had always dreamt of being a mother myself. After the disastrous breakfast experience, I ran to my room to process what I had heard and ended up shedding a few tears. Someone had knocked - probably Bryan because I couldn't think of anyone else who would run after me like that - but I didn't answer, I couldn't so I had ignored them and then when a few minutes had passed, I forced myself to get a grip. Initially hearing about that dreadful place where I was tortured brought back dark memories and that's part of the resasons why I fled. I just couldn't look beyond the name in the moment so I had to leave the room where he was. Eventually I realized I had overreacted because so what if Bryan was the Alpha of the Blue Moon pack? It wasn't like he had been part
Chapter 16Bryan's POV I looked up as Ryder walked into my room and frowned at him. "What?" He gulped as he met my eyes, shaking like a leaf. Granted I was glaring at him with so much force but he ddin't have to be a whimp either. "The Council would like to meet you." I shook my head, looking back down att the papers in my lap. "Schedule a meeting for next week."I dismissed him and waited to hear the door close behind him. When I didn't, I looked up and frowned at him. "What now?" What had he done now? "Alpha, they insist it must be today." He said and I sighed, waving him off with my hands. "Have the driver get the car ready." He nodded and started to walk away but I called him back again. "Alpha?" "Let me know when Ciara gets back." I told him and he nodded, running out of the room. I tossed the papers on the bed and rose to my feet having lost interest in them. Ciara wasn't back yet from her trip into town and I found that very strange especially since it was getting darke
Chapter 17 Ciara's POV Coming back to the packhouse to find Bryan gone left a sour taste in my mouth. I had just stalked off to bed and stayed up all night thinking about why he had left so suddenly without saying goodbye. Granted, he owed me nothing and if he didn't want to explain he didn't have to after all I was just his future sister-in-law, a title that was a probability as long as Sophie could be found. If it was up to Orion and his family, I would be the last candidate for the role. After the weird encounter I had with the tarot lady and the readings she gave, I found myself needing a distraction and if possible, someone to tell but when I didn't find him, I resigned to fate and went to bed. Opening my eyes this morning, I realized it's been two weeks since he left not that I was counting or anything. I missed him every day and no matter how much I tried to distract myself with my strolls around the pack or my time in the kitchen and even with training, it just didn't do e
Chapter 18Orion's POV"What's the new update on Sophie?" I asked my Beta as I walked into my office. He stood up and didn't take his seat until I was seated behind my desk. It's been a month since I started searching for her and each time we thought we had found something, it always ended in a dead trail. It almost seemed like Sophie didn't want to be found or something. Like she had disappeared from the face of the earthI had used my influence and connections as Alpha to check other packs but nothing,. Each of them denied knowing anyone by that name and picture. I was losing my mind with each day that passed by. The extra time I had asked for was about to lapse and I wasn't any closer to finding her. It was frustrating and a serious waste of time but this was Sophie, she was the first woman that made my heart beat, the person I responded to. Her gentle soul and kind heart drew me to her and I just couldn't imagine being with anyone else.I don't care about the mate bond because So
Chapter 19 Ciara's POV I blinked back tears as I walked into the room. Grandfather was looking so small on the bed with all those wires all over his body. the machines beeping were the only sounds in the room. Grandmother Grace was sited on one of the chairs looking older than her original age. I had never seen her look so sad and sullen, she was never speechless or without anything to say. It was strange to see my vibrant grandfather lying still and unmoving on the bed and it was weird seeing Mama Grace quiet. She always had something to say to me or anyone around. She always had something to say about my fashion sense, my choice of deodorant, etc Things right now were too weird. I never thought a day would come when I would see my family like this. When Sophie left, I didn't think anything of it terming it as one of life's many things. Grandfather lying in this bed looking lifeless was not one of such things and neither was Mama Grace's silence. I closed my eyes as memories flo
Chapter 153Orion's POV It's been two days since I watched my brother and Old Man Heartfield leave me behind to search for Ciara. In those two days, they were all I could think about. I came so close to getting into my car and joining them but each time I stopped myself. Whenever Mikey's name or an image of Lacey's face when she had been crying the other day came to mind, I told myself it was better one of us stayed behind because the goddess forbid that we all perished together leaving these kids on their own. Because of that, I allowed myself only those two days to wallow in self-pity but afterwards, I pushed them to the back of my mind, refusing to obsess over it any further. In the last few days since they left, I had managed to get closer to the children. Missing thr boys was a constant in my life but with Lacey and her brother around, it was at least bearable. Since meeting the duo the first time, there had been a deep yearning inside me to get to know them. Granted I wa
Chapter 152Ciara's POV Sunlight bounced into the room and I groaned as some of it got into my eye. Shielding my eyes, I sat up and looked around trying to make sense of my environment. The last thing I remembered was that I was leaving the old woman's home so why was I here? Except Bryan had changed the decor in my absence, this didn't look like our room. “Good morning ma,” I heard and jumped, my eyes searching frantically for the source of the voice. The sources were two girls who couldn't be more than twelve that were standing together at the foot of the bed and smiling at me. “Who are you?” I asked before I could help myself. I was so close to losing it. They exchanged glances and then turned to me. One of hem, the slender one walked up to me and bowed. “The Alpha King would like to see you.” As I was trying to take that information in, more light began to flow into the room. Looking up, I saw that the other girl had moved to the curtains and pushed them aside. With b
Chapter 151Bryan's POV “Are you still reading that?” Orion asked as he walked into my office a few days later and I nodded. The grin that had been on my face since the day the letter bearing Ciara's message had arrived was still on my face. How wouldn't I grin? Finally after months of trying to find her we got a letter from her telling us she would be home in a couple of days. Just when our hopes were down. It was like the moon goddess had finally smiled down on us. And if that wasn't worth a smile, then nothing was. “It's so nice to see you like this again, you know.” He whispered as he sat down in the seat across from me. We were back on talking terms to some extent because I was no longer mad at him and seeing him with Lacey had done something to me. It was a good thing Ciara was coming home soon so that situation could be resolved once and for all. All the guilt, secrecy and suspense would kill me if we didn't finally let everything out in the open. “Yeah, I can't wait
Chapter 150Ciara's POV “You're finally up,” I smiled just as my eyes started to close again. “No, no, you have to eat something first, sleeping beauty,” the old woman chuckled and helped me sit up. While eating, I dozed off a couple of times but she didn't mind after all she was used to it. It had been five months since Sophia ordered James to kill me and he let me go. After I landed in the old woman's home, it had been a repeated case of falling in and out of consciousness. When I wasn't in a semi comatose state, I was eating or rather she was feeding me because I couldn't do anything yet. The woman deserved a medal for how well she had taken up the role of my caregiver in these months. Anyone else might have given up on me already but she had been steadfast and so patient, never asking too many questions. When I asked why I was so groggy fearing that just maybe the old woman was planning something sinister, she explained that my body had shutdown to ensure I recovered fro
Chapter 149Bryan's POV There was a hollow feeling in my chest that wouldn't go away as I watched Orion walk out of the room leaving Lacey with me. Granted Lacey asked for me to hold her but still. Orion was her father but neither of them knew that and Lacey had only ever known me as her father. “Are you okay baby?” I asked as I patted her back gently. Walking into the room and seeing her like that kicked up my protective instincts. This would have been the perfect time to let Orion shine with her and to let their father-daughter bond grown but I couldn't let that happen. Was I that inconsiderate? No, it wasn't that. I just simply saw my little girl in pain and rushed to check on her. I probably should have envisioned her reaching for me to get comforted the moment I walked in but that was the last thing on my mind when I saw the state she was in. Orion had seemed upset when he walked out of here and I wished I could tell what was running through his head. “You're probably b
Chapter 148Orion's POV “We'll find Ciara no matter what and way before the Alpha Rogue King is able to get his hands on her.” I told Old Man Heartfield as we settled in his office. After briefly entertaining the children, we had moved to the office to round up our conversation. We didn't want to risk either of the children hearing anything we were saying, especially about Ciara's disappearance when we've been feeding them lies about her being on a trip. It was a stupid lie, one no one would even fall for but children didn't have so much wisdom and took everything you said to be true especially if they trusted you. The lies were becoming too much for me. Lying to Bryan was one thing but now lying to the children especially Lacey was a completely different thing. As I looked into her eyes and told her that Ciara travelled, it felt as if multiple pieces of glass were piercing my heart. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was a strange connection between us, kind of like a bo
Chapter 147Bryan's POV Two weeks later…“I'm glad you're feeling much better,” Orion said as soon as I parked in front of Old Man Heartfield’s house. Leaning back in my seat, I killed the engine and shrugged but I didn't reply. Perhaps all it took was for me to see him in pain for me to come back to my senses. Barely two weeks ago, I had been spiraling out of control and losing my mind but now, my mind was clearer than ever. Ciara's disappearance still kept me up at night but now I knew better that wallowing wasn't the solution, not by a long shot. Orion had lost so much in such a short amount of time and maybe if I had sucked it up and handled my grief better then finding Ciara would be the only thing we had to worry about. Now we had Ciara to find, two missing boys and a serial killer on the loose. “What are you thinking so deeply about?” Orion asked, tapping my arm and I was pulled out of my thoughts. What an idiot I have been….He sighed when I didn't reply and opened th
Chapter 146Orion's POV It's been four weeks since Sophie up and left and my men haven't been able to find any trace that'd lead me to her. If she had left all by herself without taking my sons then I wouldn't have bothered but she took them. James and Jeremy had become an essential part of me and knowing that they aren't mine biological hadn't changed that. The love I felt for them when I thought they weren't mine hadn't diminished just because she said they belonged to someone else. If anyone was to blame in this situation then it was her lying cheating ass for deceiving me all these years. She made me leave Ciara, my tree mate and she did this to me. Such a witch. It's no wonder Bryan has always hated her. He had been able to see through her bullshit while I had loving up on her back then. When she eloped with some other guy before our wedding I should have moved on immediately with someone else preferably Ciara. That should have been the sign I needed to know that she wou
Chapter 145Ciara's POV I finally got a hold on my wavering emotions and pushed James away. He never expected the strength or force of my push and it sent him staggering a few feets backwards. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” I asked, anger bubbling inside of me. “Have you lost your mind?!” I raised my hand and slapped him, the anger I was feeling radiating off me in waves.He blinked, clearly in shock and then rubbed his lips with his fingers as if trying to wipe off any traces of the kiss. “You're testing me, woman, and I hate being dared."The eye roll that followed his words was an unconscious response to his silly statement. “Stay away from me and keep your filthy hands to yourself, you disgusting pig!” James sneered. "You don't give the orders. I'm the one in charge here."I spat on the ground close to his feet and leaned up with a raised eyebrow. "You're nothing but a spineless coward who accepted Sophia's orders simply because you're too whipped to see that sh