INICIAR SESIÓNZORYALiora’s laughter carried across the garden as she chased a butterfly through the grass.“Slow down, sweetheart!” I called, watching her with a smile.She glanced back at me, her curls bouncing as she ran. “I’m not going too fast, Mommy!”“That’s exactly what someone going too fast would say.”She giggled and continued her pursuit, determined to catch the butterfly despite its obvious refusal to cooperate.I shook my head, smiling.It was a beautiful morning in Lunaris City. The sun warmed the garden, a gentle breeze stirred the flowers, and the distant sounds of the city blended into the peaceful afternoon. Nothing about the day was extraordinary.And that was what made it precious.There had been a time when I couldn’t imagine standing here, watching my daughter run freely while knowing she would return to me when she was tired. I had spent months wondering whether I would ever hold her again, whether she would remember the sound of my voice, whether she would grow up believing
ZORYAThe university garden looked exactly as I remembered it.The stone benches still lined the winding paths. The fountain in the center still sent water spilling over its edges, and the old trees still offered shade to students who wanted somewhere quiet to read between lectures.Nothing had changed.Yet everything felt different.I stood beside the fountain, watching a group of students hurry past with books tucked beneath their arms. Somewhere behind me, two girls were laughing over something on a phone. A young couple sat beneath a tree, arguing playfully about where to have lunch.Ordinary lives, moving forward without needing permission.I remembered coming here for the first time, carrying a bag that contained almost everything I had managed to take with me when I left my former life behind.Back then, I had been frightened.I had lost my marriage, my position as Luna, and daily life with my daughter. Darian had made decisions that changed everything, and I had walked away be
ZORYALiora had decided that our living room needed a castle.Not a small castle made from a few cushions and a blanket, either. She wanted towers, a bridge, a royal bedroom, and enough space for five people to sit inside without touching the walls.“Six,” she corrected when I counted the cushions. “There are six of us.”I paused with a folded blanket in my hands.Six.Me, Liora, Ares, Gunner, Kai, and Finn.She had counted everyone without hesitation.“You’re right, sweetheart. Six.”Liora nodded as if she had expected me to understand that important detail, then returned to arranging the cushions.The four Alphas had arrived less than an hour earlier. I had invited them for a quiet afternoon, hoping we could spend time together without turning it into an event. Liora had taken one look at the cushions in the sitting room and decided our plans needed improvement.Finn, naturally, had volunteered to be the royal entertainer.“I should warn you,” he told Liora solemnly, “that I am very
ZORYAThe first time I felt my power awaken, I thought it would destroy me.I remembered the silver light spilling from my hands, the terrible pressure inside my chest, and the fear that I would become something I couldn’t understand. Then came Kaelen, determined to turn that fear into a weapon. He had looked at my bond with the four Alphas and seen nothing but an opportunity to take what wasn’t his.He had almost succeeded.Now, several weeks later, I stood in the garden behind my apartment, watching moonlight settle over the grass. The night was peaceful. No ritual circle waited beneath my feet. No dark magic pressed against my mind. There was only the quiet rustle of leaves and the sound of four men arguing over a wooden table.“You are holding it wrong,” Kai said.Gunner looked down at the small wooden box in his hands. “It’s a box.”“It’s a box with a loose hinge.”“Then the hinge is loose. That doesn’t mean I’m holding it wrong.”Finn leaned against the table, eating a pastry. “
ZORYADarian requested a meeting on a Thursday afternoon.His message was brief. He wanted to discuss the changes in Liora’s routine and “clear the air” between us now that the custody arrangements had been settled.I read it twice before responding.A few months ago, the thought of meeting him would have kept me awake all night. I would have imagined every possible argument, every cruel remark he might make, and every way he could turn my words against me.Now, I simply checked my schedule.I had a lecture that morning, time set aside for Liora in the afternoon, and an appointment with my academic adviser the following day.I offered Darian an hour at a public café.He agreed.I didn’t tell the four Alphas until the evening before the meeting. When I did, Ares immediately offered to accompany me.“I appreciate that,” I said, “but I can handle this conversation myself.”He studied me for a moment before nodding.“All right. Call me if you need anything.”“I will.”There was no argumen
ZORYAFor the first time in a long time, I had nothing urgent to fight.No ritual to destroy. No legal document waiting to be challenged. No call from Darian threatening to undo the progress I had made with Liora.The quiet should have felt like relief.Instead, it left me with a question I hadn’t known how to ask.What did I want?Not what did I need to survive. Not what did I need to do to reclaim my daughter. Not what did I need to prove to the people who had once looked down on me.What did I want for myself?I sat at the kitchen table with my university schedule spread in front of me. Beside it was Liora’s drawing of our family. She had drawn herself in the middle, with me on one side and her father on the other. There were four tall figures nearby, each with a different color of hair.Finn’s figure had a huge smile.Gunner’s had enormous arms.Kai’s wore glasses, though he didn’t actually need them.Ares had a crown.I smiled at the drawing.Liora was still figuring out where ev
ZoryaThe sunlight was brutal. Sharp, blinding rays sliced through the thin curtains of the small apartment like punishment. My head throbbed with every heartbeat, a dull drum pounding behind my eyes. The taste of cheap vodka clung to my tongue, and when I sat up, the room spun twice before settlin
ZoryaThe next evening, Vivia stormed into my apartment like a one-woman hurricane, waving two sleek black cards that shimmered under the neon light.“Guess who’s getting a night out?” she announced, tossing one onto my bed.I blinked up from my laptop, still staring at the university’s email as if
ZoryaThe bus hissed to a stop like a tired beast, releasing a gust of heat and exhaust that stung my nose. My entire life fit into one worn-out duffel bag that was half-filled with clothes, an old phone, and the burden of everything I’d lost. No map, no family waiting at the station, no pack to re
Zorya The thick, unmistakable scent of sex hit me before the sight did. I froze at the threshold of Darian’s office, fingers tightening around the doorframe. The air was heavy, saturated with pheromones and the faint spice of his cologne. I’d worn that scent on my skin once, believing it meant ho







