MasukLuluMy heart hammered in my chest, a burning sensation spreading all the way to my fingertips. The shouting outside the inn about Dorian’s presence triggered something strange in my mother’s heart.I stood frozen by the window, gripping the wooden frame so tightly my knuckles turned white.“They mentioned Dorian, Alpha. We need to find out about him,” I murmured, more to myself than to anyone else.Caspian stepped closer while I kept staring at the commotion outside, where the wolf hunters were gathered, talking over one another.The scent of sea and pine; masculine and grounding wrapped around my senses, both comforting and suffocating. His large hand landed on my shoulder, turning me to face him. His gaze was sharp, radiating an authority that couldn’t be argued with.“You stay here, Lulu,” Caspian ordered. His Alpha tone washed over me completely. “Don’t leave this room until I’m back.”I wanted to protest, but he had already turned away. He called for Gamma Oliver, who had been s
LuluThat purple mist started to thicken, curling in on itself until it formed a silhouette I knew all too well. She stood a few metres in front of me, wearing a white dress that drifted as if caught in some ghostly breeze.“Mum, is that you?” My voice came out rough, barely audible in the suffocating silence of the valley.Her face emerged from the haze, full of soft and warmth, exactly as I remembered her when she was alive. She didn’t speak with her mouth; her voice echoed straight into my head, gentle yet painfully sharp.“Lulu, my darling, just stop,” she whispered. She moved closer, but somehow the distance between us never closed. “You’re walking towards your own ruin. The Emerald Earth Pack won’t protect you. Your presence there will only bring greater disaster for you and your baby.”I froze. Elijah, asleep in my arms, suddenly felt heavier. Her words sank in far too quickly.“But Mum, I have to find my heart like you said,” I protested.“Come with me,” she said, reaching out
LuluBlood and sweat hung thick in the air inside that small tent. I was kneeling on the damp ground, staring at Elara, whose face had gone pale as paper. She groaned, her fingers clutching the bedding so tightly her knuckles turned white. Richard looked panicked beside her, his eyes full of pure fear.I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing. “Sandra, I need you. Now,” I called through our mind link.Sandra’s voice echoed in my head, calm but firm. [I’m here, Luna. Steady yourself. I’ll guide your hands.]“Elara, look at me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was racing. “You need to push when I tell you. Your baby wants to come out now.”Sandra arrived five minutes later, gloves on and a bottle of potion pulled from her leather bag.The labour turned into an exhausting battle. Minute after minute dragged on like hours. Elara screamed as brutal contractions tore through her body, her voice clashing with the roar of the Dahn River outside.“Alpha, please take
LuluCaspian spread a worn-out parchment across the small wooden table in the corner of the inn room, just before dawn properly broke. It was a special map Erick had given us the night before.His fingers traced the intricate ink lines, marking rat paths and hidden routes that wouldn’t be picked up by border patrols.“The main route’s not safe anymore,” Caspian muttered without looking up. “Scott’s tightened security along the trade road since he started getting paranoid. We’ll take a detour and go by water.”I stood beside him, studying the route that curved far away from the usual paths. Erick had really gone into detail. He’d marked the spots where Emerald Earth warriors usually set up watch posts.“The Dahn River,” I said, pointing at the thick blue line on the map.Caspian nodded. “The current’s strong, but the dense trees along the banks will hide our scent and keep us out of sight.”We set off while the dew was still heavy. The journey began through a dense pine forest before t
LuluDorian’s face was still stuck in my head, even after Niobe had left the inn. I stared at the sketch again, trying to dig up whatever scraps of memory might still be buried beneath the trauma of having my heart ripped out.That jawline, that cold gaze felt like a piece of a puzzle that didn’t quite fit.“Still thinking about him, love?” Caspian asked softly, resting his hand over the copy of Dorian’s sketch.“Yeah, you know what I’m like,” I murmured, feeling that odd pulse in my chest, the one that didn’t belong to a real heartbeat anymore. “He feels familiar. Like I might’ve touched his hand once, just a simple handshake.”Caspian studied me closely. “We’ll find him. But you can’t think straight on an empty stomach.”Right on cue, my stomach growled. That whole tense discussion with Niobe had completely drained me. Caspian quickly called one of his loyal warriors stationed outside and told him to grab some food from a nearby stall.Not long after, the smell of grilled meat and w
Lulu“What was the original plan, then?”I weighed my question as Niobe tightened her grip on the silver scroll.It wasn’t easy to ask when I was still irritated with her. But I needed clear facts and information after everything that had happened between us.Niobe steadied her breathing. She explained that the Order’s initial plan had been to investigate reports of animal abuse or rather, the mistreatment of magical creatures within Cinderbloom.She said she had only learned about the Thirteenth Moon Ritual after one of the Order’s intelligence agents provided updated details a day before the dragon match.I listened carefully. If it was true that Niobe had been assigned by Caspian to spy on the Shadow Sorcerer in order to investigate the Dark Sorcerers, then our objectives were now aligned.Dark Sorcerers never changed. They always resorted to sacrificing magical creatures to satisfy their own ambitions.Without realising it, I touched my chest. Beneath my clothes lay the scar from
LuluI’d already made up my mind yesterday: stay away from Alpha Caspian.Simple. Effective. A clean way to protect my sanity from the storm he carried around like an aura whenever he got within two metres of me.But apparently, in this massive pack house, Alpha Caspian had the annoying ability to
LuluThe magical grip dragging me into the centre of the room finally dissolved… only to be replaced by dozens of eyes burning into my skin—hotter than my own elemental fire.The ritual symbols carved into the floor still glowed gold-red, growing brighter as I was pulled closer. The underground air
LuluI followed the trail with my breath caught in my throat. Four wet wolf prints slowly shifted into two human footprints.They led me to a small gazebo tucked away in the quietest corner of the pack house grounds, right in front of a swimming pool so murky it looked abandoned—algae everywhere, d
CaspianShe was standing there. Lulu. Her small frame, that fiery red hair tangled with thin cobwebs, and those wide eyes tracing the ancient shelves like a child caught stealing sweets. Her face paled the second she saw me — but that wasn’t what lit my fury.What made me snap was her blatant disre







