~Eleanor~ I opened the door with just a crack and peeked out. Two guards were pinned against the corridor walls, groaning, seeming to be in intense pain. The figure darted past them, cloaked in black, moving like a shadow. I barely registered the motion before it got in front of me. I tried to slam the door shut but I was too slow. A flash of dark energy surged forward. Boom! The blast of black magic struck me square in the chest. I flew back like a ragdoll, crashing against the far wall. Pain erupted through my body. I hit the floor hard, coughing violently as blood spilled from my lips. My ribs screamed, and it felt like my organs were collapsing in on themselves. ARGH! Damn! I tried to rise but failed. My limbs shook. My vision had gone mia. The cloaked figure silently stepped inside, swiftly, with her face hidden beneath the folds of black fabric. I could tell from the small form of her cloak that a female was behind it. The aura around was suffocating and cold; soaked in fo
~Eleanor~I buried my face in my hands, mortified beyond belief. My cheeks were flaming, and my heart was racing like a rabbit under a hawk’s shadow.Nadia gently strode inside and set a silver tray on the nightstand. Her movements were composed, as though nothing was amiss. I didn't feel any better. It’d be better if she at least teased me but said nothing… oh Goddess."Drink this, Miss Luna," she said softly, handing me a steaming bowl of herbal medicine. "It will help with the aftershocks."I slowly looked up. "Is it morning?"Her lips curved faintly. "It's the second morning since the ritual. You've been in and out. Mostly out."That startled me. "It’s been two days?"She nodded, glancing briefly at the man beside me. I followed her gaze. Alpha Nathaniel, still lying beside me bare-chested, was completely motionless, save for his chest, which was steadily heaving up and down."Has he been asleep since then too?" I asked, feeling a bit shocked. Isn't he the all-powerful Alpha? How
~Unknown Location~ The night was thick, moonless, and drowned in silence. Shadows clung to the brick walls like rotting ivy, wet with the stench of decay and forgotten bodies. Two figures stood where the alley narrowed into pitch-blackness. “Master,” the smaller one said, bowing low. His voice was a rasp of wind over bone. “I bring news.” A low, amused hum answered him. “Speak.” The spy’s eyes flickered with fear. “The lady you speak of… the one of royal bloodline. She’s getting stronger than before. If we don't act fast now she'll become a bigger obstacle. Plus… there's another one.” There was a pause after the statement was made. “Another obstacle?” the taller figure asked. “Yes, Master. The witch, Nadia. She’s being too stubborn with zero ambition. Unlike the other one, Jenna. She refused to be manipulated. She believes in the girl. Deeply, too deeply. She’s pushing Eleanor toward reclaiming her Luna strength.” The Master let out a cold and lifeless chuckle. A sound that d
~Eleanor~ I don’t know how long I stood there, unmoving, as his words echoed repeatedly in my head. Why him? He is just perfect. An Alpha with all power and authority yet he looks and claims to have a soft spot for me in his heart. For me! An unintelligent, combat-less, and wolf-less wolf. Doesn't he need a powerful Luna to stand by him? Like Victor. He is a Beta yet he needs an equally strong beta mate. I sighed and took a deep breath. My gaze trailed over to the gown and silver robe still untouched in Nadia’s hands. The fire’s blue glow flickered against the stone, casting shadows that danced like spirits. Everything felt weightless and yet unbearably heavy. I hesitated. I needed my wolf alive, yet my body knew fear. My heart knew doubt. But in the space between those two, his presence grounded me. Nathaniel stepped forward and gently took the robe and gown from Nadia. Without a word, he turned to me, hands open in offering. There was no force in his eyes, no pressure, just
~Eleanor~The moment Nadia muttered the incantation and the spirit fled, everything around me blurred like smoke in motion. I barely had time to breathe, let alone speak, before the room around us shimmered and dissolved.The air turned crisp. The scent of pine and something ancient wrapped itself around my senses. In the blink of an eye, I found myself standing in the center of what could only be described as a coven’s sanctum, with high stone walls overgrown with thick black moss, encircling a clearing lit by moonlight filtered through fractured glass above. It felt like we were somewhere between the earth and a place far older.The silence here was different.Nadia didn’t waste a second. With a sweep of her hand, seventeen black candles dropped to the forest floor in a perfect circle around the stone dais. No wax melted. No flames yet flickered. She disappeared before I could blink, her body vanishing into the same shimmer that brought us here.“Wait… Nadia!” I called, but she was
~Eleanor~ *"It sounds like a wolf separation ritual."*My blood ran cold, and the world around me seemed to tilt. "A... wolf separation ritual?" I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper. I was stunned beyond words. How could they?Nadia nodded grimly, her face darkening with a seriousness I hadn’t seen before. She drew closer, lowering her voice even more. "Miss Luna, a wolf separation ritual was forbidden and outlawed centuries ago after the Great Purge. It’s considered one of the cruelest things that can be done to a werewolf," she said. "It's the act of severing the bond between a wolf and its human soul. It's... it's a partial killing." A chill spread through my veins, colder than any winter."But why? Why would they…" My throat closed up. The memories of the ceremony flashed before my eyes: the blindfold, the pain, the searing loss... the feeling of emptiness that never went away. Nadia bit her lip, a troubled expression crossing her features. Oh! How much more complicated