Rayne's POV“So what's it like, being a Luna?” Savannah asked, carefully painting her toenails at the edge of her bed. “I’ve always thought that being a Luna was tough, but you make it look so easy.”We sat in her room. Warm air seeped through the windows and pressed uncomfortably against my skin. Summer had begun, and with it, the last whispers of spring had faded.It was the afternoon after my choking incident, and after the harrowing event, Savannah had invited me over to her room once again. Not wanting to refuse a kind gesture from one who had not only been kind to me, but had also saved my life, I had accepted.“Well, it's not easy, if that's what you think. There are a lot of things involved. First off, you'd have to understand that it's not just you or your family anymore that you have to take care of. You now have to also consider the families that depend on your judgment,” I said, tracing an invisible circle on the bed. “And then, there's the issue of never really being able
Kaiden's POVWhy did everything I ever truly desire have to be so hard to attain? Why couldn't things have been so easy for me since I was born? Did I anger the goddess? Did I scorn someone in a previous lifetime?“Bradford, this isn't funny.”He looked up from his glass of cranberry juice and cleared his throat. “I told you that a hasty approach wasn't going to make things easy for you. But like you always do, you act like you are so perfect and make no mistakes when in fact, you do.”My thumb and forefinger pinched the bridge of my nose. “Look, I know that you warned me against being too forward, but I haven't done anything . . .” I trailed off when the memory of us tangled in bed together flashed against my mind like a white-hot reminder. Bradford paused. “What's that look on your face, Kaiden?”I whistled. Telling him would further give him more reasons to scold me like I was a little child that needed guidance. He would lose his head if he knew that I'd already jumped the gun.B
Rayne's POVI neatly folded my clothes into the little suitcase I had come with. Although I resisted doing so at first, later on I allowed my mind to wander to things beyond my control. For some reason, my stay in Mysticrock Pack resembled a vacation. The lush scenery, the welcoming smiles from random people I walked past, and even the enchanting garden made things here look so much better than things back home.Earlier on, Savannah had even given me her phone number.“For when you need someone to talk to. If you haven't noticed, I have a lot of time on my hands, and you obviously have a lot of stories to tell,” she had said with a wink.I put the last piece of clothing inside the suitcase and closed it with a little victorious sigh. A black shape landed on the window. A raven. It didn't look very old yet, but was obviously old enough to understand that straying too close to humans was dangerous. The moment I leaned forward to take a closer look, it let out a little caw and fluttere
Rayne's POVReturning to Oceanpearl Pack meant that I had to once again return to my old self. The one that barely smiled and had to force them when faced with people. I had barely lasted five minutes at the little welcome party that had been thrown for Reynolds' and I, before I slipped away to get some much needed rest. Two days after that, work began again. Things changed in some ways, and remained the same in others. Reynolds passed on the announcement that the alliance had been successful, and he now basically stood as the second in command to Kaiden. Of course, this was bound to create a shift in the balance of power within the pack. Those that supported Reynolds were happy with the decision, and others that didn't, could only whine and mumble their grievances. As for me, it meant even more work, because a rise in power meant a rise in responsibilities. Packs from other territories soon started to send in correspondence, wanting to get into Oceanpearl's good graces. Even thos
Rayne's POVI wouldn't go down without a fight no matter what! That was one thing that rang in my head as soon as I realized this was not just a robbery attempt but an assassination attempt."I'm not someone you'd want to mess with," I threatened, and brought out my claws.One of the rogues made a huffing sound. It sounded awfully like mocking laughter. Maybe it was. It didn't matter, these rogues were underestimating me, and I would show them how wrong they were in doing so.I may not have been skilled in combat, but I knew a few things about it, and I trusted that my intelligence wouldn't fail me now.If only I could just get one of them to face me head-on, the fight would be a little more favorable.The largest rogue stared me down. His wolf form almost appeared bigger than the car I'd come in. If it fell on me, I was sure to be crushed instantly.Facing him first wouldn't be the wise choice.I regarded them all, watching them as they did me. Either they were waiting for orders on
Kaiden's POVThings didn't feel the way they once did. Days passed by in a monotonous blur, bringing me little to no joy. I couldn't even close my eyes at night without my thoughts drifting to Rayne. Yes, an alliance had been created, and yes, it meant that once in a while I could have expected to see her, but it still wasn't enough. There was a gloomy atmosphere that had descended upon me since the day she had left. I went about my normal duties, but with the feeling that something was out of place. Savannah often asked me why I had become even more withdrawn, but I couldn't bring all my emotions into words. No one would be able to fully comprehend what happened within me.In some way, it was like I had been whole for a brief while. With her gone, my life felt split in two. I could pretend all I wanted, but truly, I needed her by my side. I wanted to feel the sensation of her body against mine once again, to feel her pulse beating against her skin. I needed to see her beautiful smil
Kaiden's POVBlue, serene, and clear. The river that Savannah and I had been going to visit since we were kids still held on to its beauty. Now, we were both adults, and its charm still held true.Beautiful fish swam underneath the surface, too beautiful for words. We had agreed long ago that because we had found this place together, we would protect it and the lives that it kept. Even though we technically came here to fish, we never actually hurt them; rather, after we caught them, we let them go. Also, we made sure that our fishing hooks were free of harmful barbs that could hurt the fish. It had been three days since the news of Rayne's disappearance circulated all around. More than one pack representative from other circles had reached out to me concerning the issue, as though I held the answers to the things going on in Oceanpearl. Sure, we were allies, and Reynolds now stood in as the second strongest Alpha after me. Those packs could have reached out to him for clarification,
Rayne's POVThe first thing that graced my sight was a clear, almost white ceiling. Its unfamiliarity caused me to frantically look around the room, for anything that could serve as a pointer to where I could have been. A hospital? I tried to sit up, but a slight weight on my left arm stopped me. Someone had fallen asleep by my side, with his head resting on my arm. Normally, I would have felt weird that someone I didn't know was by my side, but for some odd reason, I could tell he meant no harm.I cleared my throat, trying not to startle him. His head rose, and he blinked several times to clear his sight. A look of relief graced his facial features as he released a small sigh. “You're awake,” he said.My heart tightened in my chest. It had been a long time since I'd been so relieved to see someone. “Kaiden,” I looked around the room again, “where—what is this place?” My voice sounded raw to my ears. I cleared my throat again.“You're safe,” Kaiden said, rising to his feet. “I'll g