LOGINZOVADAI smiled as the Diner goers all greeted their new Alpha like he was a king coming home after a war. Simon spoke with each pack member attentively, respectfully, and asked questions as the crowd formed around him. I excused myself to the restroom, pride on my face as I looked in the mirror. Now dressed down in my favorite worn-out jeans, green flats, and blouse, my wild curly hair free of her pins, I looked more like the Zovada of yesteryears to match Simon’s dressed-down look, and for the first time since that morning, I was wholly alone with my thoughts and messy emotions. Why now? Why does he want to try now? My heart was heavy despite my smile. My eyes were tired, but not dead. The stall behind me burst open, and Regina exited. It was times like this I hated not having a wolf. I should’ve sensed her as soon as I entered; then I could’ve removed myself. “Oh my! Zovada. I almost didn’t recognize you, dressed like…trash.” She sneered.I smirked. “You mean comfortable? Not t
ZOVADAMy gaze widened as I swallowed my emotions, the benefactor long replaced by an imposter, Simon in front of me. He beamed at me like he had when we were much younger, with many fewer responsibilities and issues on our plate. Dressed in a baby blue Henley tee that felt like a soft cloud against my fingers and… worn-out, holey jeans with a bejeweled matching belt. He spun me around and pulled me back toward the main part of the office. Confused, I furrowed a brow as we passed the mirrored wall toward his office. The drastic difference between our appearance made me stop and take it in. The image of my designer black heels versus his worn-out baby blue Converse I hadn’t seen in years was dizzying. There in my layered black and green suit, my hair and makeup done to perfection, while he was dressed down and his hair messy. It looked like the Simon of the past had snuck through a portal to steal the Zovada of today. Simon noticed I stopped and looked at the reflection himself. He
ZOVADAWith a sigh and my head held high, I entered the Horne Holdings LLC skyscraper, my briefcase in one hand, coffee and breakfast in the other. Just like any other Tuesday. As soon as the doors to the elevator opened, a sigh of relief escaped, and I stepped into the only other domain besides Sanctuary that felt like mine. Didi was hot on my heels; her pressed black pinstripe suit made her look like a mafia queen as she tossed her platinum asymmetrical bob with black underlights and scanned our surroundings with her violet eyes.“You didn’t have to come babysit me at work, Didi…” I teased. She grinned. “Of course I did, Luna. Someone has to keep you out of trouble.”I laughed and stopped at my desk to drop off my things, then made my way to Simon’s office to drop off his boring bagel and black coffee like his soul. With a sigh of relief, I found the room empty with no indication he had arrived at all. Alright, this is normal; this is good. Everything in place as it should be. I
NORCUNISThe sun was high in the sky when the craving struck. A sensation I hadn’t felt in a millennia, like a memory, or a dream so close I could taste it. My teeth elongated as every human pulse in the room seemed to become the only thing I could focus on. The boardroom lights twisted with the sunlight through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls and blinded me with overwhelming light. The tempered glass had been turned off for as long as I could remember, unable to affect my skin in my current state–until that moment. Within moments, it felt like my skin was on fire. “This meeting is adjourned.” I snapped and all but slithered from the chamber to my private office with a slam of the soundproof mahogany doors. I collapsed and crawled to the back of the room; my body pulsed with hunger and need until I finally found my phone on the oversized desk. The call connected before it even rang, and I ground out, “Blood, I need…” “Right away, sir!” I had no idea how much time passed before Cra
ZOVADAThe smell of something sweet, sticky, and calming surrounded me. It vaguely reminded me of the smell of bread in the oven. Wind in my face as the world around me seemed to press against my form. My eyes fluttered open; I was wrapped in a giant talon, high above the forest, cardamom and coconut blended with the sweet smell. Warmth flooded my senses as we descended into the forest. The creature carrying me was darker than the night; had I not been in its grasp? I’d think the movement was a trick of the eye. The creature gently placed me on the ground, and with a stumble I hit the patch of grass beneath. I turned to say something, but it was already gone–silent as the night it disappeared into. With an uneasy breath, I searched my surroundings to find the same sprawling cabin in the woods from before. The ground crunched beneath me as I staggered toward the wrought iron gate with the V built into it. This time it was closed; dead, vicious-looking thorns covered the entire gate an
ZOVADAI sighed. Simon sighed. Claudia smirked. Gamma Didi raised a brow. Gamma Corbin pinched the bridge of his nose. Gamma Margery walked over to join her family and Luna Claudia. Her heels clicked on the floor as she moved. I couldn’t tell if the sound reminded me of a clock as it ticked or the countdown to a bomb. Her hands were behind her straight back, her head tall. Hair wild around her shoulders as she passed. She looked down at me from the corner of her eye. “My Luna, perhaps it would help the Young Alpha to understand just how much his unclaimed, unmated, and otherwise hidden Luna had contributed to his pack from the shadows.” she said firmly. “Oh, that won’t be necessary really. I just do my job. It’s really not that serious Gamma Margery.” I stammered and began to fidget with my hair, I avoided Didi’s eyes as she rolled them so hard I thought they’d fall out of her head. “I find that hard to believe. Don’t you Luna Mother?” “Perhaps. Simon. Tell me all the things Zo







