LOGINTessa had a talent for appearances. By the time the sun sank behind the pines, the Moonridge estate had been transformed into a vision of charm and civility. Candles burned in tall glass vases along the dining table, their light glimmering off polished silverware and crystal goblets. The air smelled of roasted herbs and honeyed wine. Soft music drifted from a corner where a young pack member played the violin, his bow trembling slightly under the heavy tension cloaked in beauty. Tessa had organized a "small dinner" she had called it. And now she stood at the center of it all, radiant in pale gold silk, her smile glowing as though nothing dark had ever passed between her and anyone in the room. "Thank you all for coming", she said brightly, her voice carrying across the table. “After such a long and… intense conference, I thought it would be nice for us all to share a peaceful meal. No politics, no tension. Just family and friends." Family and friends, the words sounded bitter in Ama
Amanda was sparring with Cassian, her movements sharp, deliberate. Her body moved with newfound strength, a quiet confidence she’d honed through pain. Cassian grinned, ducking a punch. "Not bad. You’re really hitting like someone who means it", he said. "Maybe I do", Amanda shot back, breathless but smirking. They circled each other. Cassian feinted left, but she caught the motion and swept his leg out from under him. He hit the ground with a grunt, then laughed as she offered her hand. "Okay, that one hurt", he admitted, taking it. From across the clearing, Skylar watched, his golden eyes unreadable. He hadn’t been training, he’d been observing quietly. But every laugh, every easy glance between Amanda and Cassian, made something coil tight inside him. When Amanda helped Cassian up, her fingers brushing his arm, Skylar’s expression hardened. "I'll take over", he said suddenly, his tone calm but clipped. Cassian raised a brow. "Why? We were doing fine." Amanda hesitated, glanc
"Has anyone seen my necklace?", Tessa asked suddenly. The room paused. Celeste who had been chatting quietly with one of the housemaids at the far end of the table stopped. Samuel looked up from the stack of papers he had been reading. Skylar hadn’t come down yet, and Cassian looked over from where he was leaning lazily against the wall near the window. Amanda looked up instinctively, catching the false panic in her tone before anyone else did. Celeste frowned gently. "What necklace, dear?" Tessa pressed her hand to her throat as though realizing it was bare. "The diamond one you saw on me last week, Mrs. Blackwood, the heirloom piece. You said it was remarkable and even said how much you wished you could have it. But I told you it was passed down from my grandmother." Celeste blinked, confused. "I said that?" Tessa’s cheeks flushed delicately. "Well– yes, you did at the charity dinner. You said it would look perfect with one of your gowns." Celeste hesitated. That didn’t sound
The Moonridge estate felt different now that the conference had ended. Breakfast that morning was quiet almost as usual, at least until Tessa arrived. Amanda sat beside Celeste, helping herself to a modest serving of fruit. Across the table, Samuel sipped his coffee, his thoughts elsewhere. Skylar had joined late, his usual brooding silence making the air feel colder. Then the dining doors opened, and the atmosphere shifted. Tessa swept in like she owned the place, dressed in a pale lavender gown that complimented her golden hair. Her smile was sweet, practiced. "Good morning. I hope I'm not interrupting", she said brightly, gliding toward the table. Samuel gestured politely. "You’re welcome to join us, Tessa." Skylar’s jaw flexed. "Thank you, Alpha", she said smoothly, taking the empty seat beside Skylar. The one Amanda had once occupied. Amanda looked down at her plate. Tessa leaned slightly toward Skylar, her voice a delicate murmur meant to carry just enough. "You didn’t com
Morning descended on Moonridge with the muted gray of exhaustion. The grand hall, which for the past week had been filled with arguments, boasts, and political posturing, now hummed with the brittle calm that comes before a storm finally breaks. The final session of the Alpha Conference had begun. The air was thick with formality and tension. Every Alpha sat in their designated place around the long crescent table, the carved emblem of the Moonridge wolf glinting in silver at its center. But the grandeur did nothing to hide the strain in their eyes, the quiet friction still simmering beneath forced civility. Alpha Cedric Moonslayer lounged in his chair like someone who’d already won a battle no one else had realized was being fought. His smirk was small, polite, but edged like a blade. The faintest shadow of amusement touched his sharp features as he studied Samuel Blackwood from across the room. Samuel sat at the head of the table, flanked by his Beta, Marco, and Skylar, who remaine
Earlier that day. The heavy oak doors of Samuel’s study creaked open, letting in a faint draft, and Tessa. She entered like sunlight filtered through glass: warm at first glance, but sharp enough to hurt if you looked too closely. Her heels clicked softly across the marble, her pale pink coat swaying with practiced grace. Samuel glanced up from his papers, his expression flickering between surprise and faint irritation. "Tessa", he said, setting his pen down. "I didn’t expect to see you today. I mean I know you said last time that you were staying, but I assumed you would still end up with your father." She smiled, demure, sweet. "That’s precisely why I came, Alpha Samuel. I needed to speak with you privately before Father does something… rash." Samuel’s brow furrowed. "I believe I've made my position clear. The engagement is over. What more is there to discuss?" "Oh, but it isn’t that simple", Tessa said softly, approaching the desk. Her perfume lingered, roses and something da
By the end of her third day at Moonridge High, Amanda knew exactly where she stood, beneath everyone. It didn't matter that her new stepfather was practically the richest man in Moonridge. It didn't matter that she wore the same uniform or walked the same polished halls, she sat alone at lunch, eve
The road twisted through a tunnel of low-hanging trees, their bare branches clawing at the sky like crooked fingers. Amanda leaned her forehead against the glass and exhaled, fogging it slightly. Beyond the mist, the forest seemed alive, like it was watching their car ride by."Almost there", her m
Dinner at the Blackthorne estate was usually a stiff, awkward formal affair, but tonight the tension could have split the long mahogany table in two. The chandelier overhead gleamed, servants moved like shadows pouring wine and setting silver trays, but none of that polished elegance could disguise
Amanda got ready for school sluggishly, dragging her feet very unwilling to go. If she could stay home without arousing her mother's suspicions she would have done so immediately. She knew everyone would be talking about how she collapsed yesterday, it would be the hot gossip and she was not lookin







