LIANA"Where do you want to go?" Zaylen asked as we settled into his car."How about going on a long drive and then off to the beach?" I suggested, already relishing the idea of my first day of official freedom.Zaylen grinned at the suggestion. "Sounds perfect to me," he agreed, starting the engine and pulling out onto the open road.As we cruised along in his convertible, the wind tousling our hair and the music blaring from the speakers, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration.It was like shedding all the weight of my worries and obligations with every passing mile.Zaylen glanced over at me, concern etched on his face. "How is your wound?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine care.I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What wound?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.“That wound on the back of your shoulder,” Zaylen reminded me. "Oh, it is healed," I assured Zaylen with a casual shrug."What? So fast?" he exclaimed, genuine surprise evident in his voice."Yep," I confirmed with
LIANAAs we reached the beach, I couldn't contain my excitement. Without a second thought, I kicked off my heels and dashed towards the sand, feeling the soft grains beneath my feet. Zaylen followed closely behind, his laughter ringing out behind me."Liana, wait for me!" Zaylen called out, his voice tinged with amusement as he jogged after me.But I couldn't help myself; the ocean beckoned, its siren song irresistible. "Come on, Zaylen! The water feels amazing!" I shouted back. Before he could catch up, I was already wading into the water, the cool waves lapping at my ankles.Soon, Zaylen joined me in the water."You do remember we didn't bring extra clothes, right? So we can't exactly get wet," he reminded me, a teasing glint in his eyes.But I couldn't let practicalities dampen my mood. "Please, I'm enjoying my freedom. Don't put restrictions on me today! I will worry about the dress later," I insisted, flashing him a mischievous grin before splashing water in his direction.“F
ZAYLENLiana and I were laying on the sand together under the vast expanse of the night sky. We were star-gazing together silently.All of a sudden, Liana shifted closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder. “It’s peaceful, isn’t it?” she mumbled.I just hummed. I couldn’t voice out anything in response as I felt my heartbeat fastening at our closeness. Why was Liana’s touch affecting me like that?I was pretty sure she could hear my heart hammering in my chest, but she didn’t say anything. She was really calm, as if none of this was affecting her, meanwhile I was ready to go crazy.Realizing I was staring at her, I shifted my gaze on the sky. The stars were twinkling brightly tonight.For a moment, I found myself lost in the peacefulness of the moment. It was as if time itself had slowed down. I wished this could last forever. Me lying here, with Liana — watching the sky.No, Zaylen, stop! Wanting to not think about this anymore, I tried to focus on the stars, but my attention
ZAYLENNope. Not possible.I couldn’t like Liana. She was a human, and I was a werewolf! It was simply impossible. It was a disastrous forbidden love waiting to happen.Nope, I was not going to go through that route.Suddenly, I realized that I forgot to remind Liana about something. So I took out my phone and texted her. Zaylen: Don’t forget to take a warm shower as soon as possible, okay? You were in cold water for too long today.Liana saw my text and replied instantly.Liana: Aye, aye, boss!I chuckled at her text and started driving back home. The song which Liana had put on loop was still playing. My fingers were tapping along to the beat of the song playing in the background. Despite it being one of those tunes Liana loved, and I used to hate, I found myself smiling the entire way home.I was really engrossed with Liana’s thoughts. I tried not to think about what my feelings meant and decided to just focus on the happy memories I made with Liana today. It was like a sweet
ZAYLENAs I arrived at Liana's place the next morning with breakfast in hand, I braced myself for the conversation ahead. Sitting across from her at the table, I took a deep breath before broaching the topic."Liana, as I said to you last night over the call. I… " I began, my voice steady despite the nervous fluttering in my chest.Liana looked up from her plate, her expression incredulous. "You want me to find you a perfect date for you?" she asked, disbelief coloring her tone.I nodded, my gaze earnest. "Yes, because I need to find my Luna before the next full moon."Her eyes widened in shock. "What? That's in ten days!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with concern."I know," I replied simply, a sense of urgency weighing heavily on my shoulders."How can we find your Luna in that time when you haven't found her in 27 years?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration just like the elders of my Pack.I feigned hurt, placing a hand over my chest dramatically. "Ouch, but okay," I con
ZAYLENThose fingers… running through my hair… I gulped at that thought. Focus, Zaylen, I chided myself inwardly, realizing what I was thinking. I tore my gaze away, a flush creeping up my neck as I tried to shake off the distracting thoughts. “Zaylen, I need more information about you. Like your date of birth and all,” she said to me.I started to tell her all the required information as she filled up everything. When it was time to fill up the bio, she asked me, “Your Luna has to be a werewolf too, right?” I nodded instantly as she further inquired, “So how do we specify you are a werewolf?” I pursed my lips, thinking for a while before a suggestion appeared in my mind. “Just write from Darkwood. If they know, then they know.” “Good idea,” she chirped before typing again. “Are you done with this silly thing?” I finally let out, and she frowned, shifting her gaze to me.“Silly thing? I am fixing your messed up life!” she defended. A subtle smile appeared on my lips. “That yo
ZAYLENI glanced at the array of clothes laid out before me and groaned in frustration. Despite knowing I could throw on anything and still look presentable, I found myself confused. I really wanted to make a good impression on my upcoming date.Besides, it was my first date ever. I never saw the point of going on dates when no woman ever caught my eye enough to ask out. But seriously, I should have asked at least some women out. Then, I wouldn't be in this situation—with no potential Luna.Ugh, anyway, what was the most appropriate attire for a first date?I really hated Jordan at this point. His timing for a vacation was the worst of all. Only Liana could help me decide now. With a sigh, I reached for my phone, dialing Liana's number and initiating a video call. I waited for a few seconds and soon enough, the call connected, her familiar face appeared on the screen, her expression curious."Hey, Zaylen, what's up?" Liana greeted, her voice laced with warmth."Hey, Liana," I repl
ZAYLENWhen is she getting here? I was patiently waiting while sitting in the restaurant. All of a sudden, I saw a blonde woman appear, walking toward me with a bright smile on her face as she waved at me. As Liana already sent me the picture before, I recognized she was Melissa — my so-called date. Unwillingly, I waved back, trying to force a smile onto my face, but my expression betrayed the underlying unease I felt.However, my apprehension melted away the moment Liana entered behind Melissa. Finally, she was here! My face brightened involuntarily at the sight of her, a genuine smile spreading across my lips.“Oh, you seem excited,” Melissa's compliment caught me off guard, her observation prompting me to stumble over my words in response. "Oh, I, um–" I began, my mind racing to come up with a suitable explanation.“It's alright. I like it when someone is excited to meet me,” she smiled at me. I put on a tight-lipped smile in return. “Great then.”Melissa was about to pull a