INICIAR SESIÓNRudela,It was around five in the morning when I woke up. The pale light of early dawn filtered through the thin curtains, casting soft shadows across the room. I had to prepare some breakfast for the guest and for us. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, the kind that settles deep into the bones after too many nights of restless sleep. I turned to get up. I froze when I saw Kyle standing there, eyes red, tears streaming down his face. My heart sank so sharply it felt like something inside me had cracked open. I abruptly pushed myself upward, sitting on the side of the bed, the sheets cool against my skin.“Kyle? What happened?” I was still unclear what was happening before me. Kyle had never cried, no matter what happened to him. Not when his father fell ill. Not when money was tight. Not even when the world seemed determined to break him. Now he was crying, and it freaked me out in a way that made my stomach twist.“Why are you crying? Is Mom okay? Did something happen?”He didn’t a
Rudela,Warner told me to go home after cleaning things up. I obliged and started cleaning the potion making moonstone bowl and the used bowls for carrying the herbs. The water ran cold over my hands as I scrubbed away the residue. The scent of crushed leaves still hung in the back room. I rinsed each bowl carefully and set them on the wooden counter.Warner came downstairs and walked into the kitchen area. He held out a few bank notes. “Rudela, here, take this money and buy some organic vegetables and meat from the local market. Tomorrow you do not have to work. Just cook for him.”I paused for a second. “I was thinking of asking you to give me a day off tomorrow. I have something important to do.”He paused for a moment and then muttered, “Then can you cook extra potions in your house and bring them here? He is a Lycan King. I dare not offend him.”“Alright,” I said quietly. “I will prepare some food and bring it here. But I am not coming to work tomorrow.”“Okay. Take your day off.
Rudela,“Give me water.”The voice was barely more than a whisper, yet the command in it made both Warner and me tremble. Authority lived inside those three words the way a blade lives inside its sheath, quiet, certain, and lethal if drawn. The tone itself demanded submission without forming the word.“Get a glass of water.” Warner moved at once, walking straight toward the Lycan King without hesitation.I could not move. My feet refused. This man… I had no word that fit him. He was not the dramatic male lead from stories, nor the sort of man who stole a heart at first glance. His appearance simply stopped thought. Before the idea “Oh God, he is handsome” could form, another rose first and stronger: How did God create him?Thick dark brows shadowed eyes the color of fresh blood, predator-red, unblinking, staring into the soul as though it already belonged to him. His skin was deeply tanned, stretched tight over muscle that looked forged rather than grown. A heavy beard framed a jaw sh
Rudela,We people from the slum rarely married the modern way. To have the Moon Priestess perform the ceremony and issue a marriage certificate cost around three thousand dollars. For those who could barely keep their stomachs full, it was far beyond reach.So soon after I turned eighteen and he turned twenty, we married in front of the elders and completed the basic marking ritual.Now, walking the bumpy roads, I realized one thing. I was grateful that in the last six years he had left me alone under the Moon Oracle and that I had never carried his child.A bitter smile touched my lips. Just yesterday I had been ready to sacrifice my life for him, dreaming he would always stand beside me.In the end I had been foolish enough to dream such a thing.“Rudela, let me shift. It will be faster,” my wolf whispered.“Okay.”We reached the shop not long after leaving. The door stood wide open and the backyard light was on.“Boss!” I called as I stepped inside. He lived on the second floor. Th
Rudela,By the time I returned home, it was already past eight in the evening. Kyle was in the kitchen, cooking eggs and rice. When the door opened, he turned.“Honey.” His voice was gentle, the familiar passionate one that could always make me feel feverish. “Are you alright? I have been calling you. Why didn’t you answer my call?”I took off my shoes and placed them on the shoe rack before entering the kitchen. The scent of expensive perfume hit my nostrils.“In the herb shop, we had an emergency. I had to go to the city to grab some herbs,” I said in a casual tone. I was surprised to hear my own voice. I did not sound like someone who was heartbroken and betrayed by the person she loved more than anyone.“Really? Are you exhausted? I have already filled the tub with warm water. Take a shower. I am cooking something special.”I glanced at the kitchen. There was beef, tomato, and potatoes. Behind them was steak-cut beef. The marbling of the meat said it all. It was expensive.Was he
Rudela, It took around half an hour of intense concentration to prepare the potion. Warner looked exhausted, but he did not give up. While he processed the medicine that needed to be applied, I cleaned the Lycan’s wound and carefully stitched it closed. “Rudela, don’t hit his nervous system. He might attack you,” he warned just before he placed the last ingredient, moon water, into the mixture. “I am being careful!” I answered, applying a bit of pressure on the skin. Within seconds, the Lycan’s left claw shot out and sank into my arm, the sharp tips digging deep into my flesh. I hissed in pain. My body trembled violently when a dangerous voice struck me. “Who are you? How dare you touch me without my permission?” The Lycan’s red eyes met mine and sent a terrifying jolt through me. “Don’t hurt her!” Warner hurried toward us. “It’s all right. She is a nurse here. A nurse is allowed to touch her male patients.” The Lycan groaned in irritation and then lay back down. Those red eyes







