KAIDENThe anger I had been trying so hard to keep inside started bubbling again the moment I heard a knock at my door. My jaw clenched as the first thought crossed my mind. Ivy. That girl must have come back, even after I had humiliated her and kicked her out.The door opened before I could even respond, and my tension eased a little when I saw it was Bradley who walked in. He looked concerned, his brows furrowed as he stepped inside.“Did something happen between you and Councilman Leonard’s daughter?” he asked, glancing around the room before focusing on me.I was sitting on the edge of my bed, slowly sipping from a glass of wine. I didn’t answer him right away. I was still too angry, not just because of Ivy, but because of everything that had been building up inside me all day. Ivy had just added fuel to the fire.Bradley spoke again after a few seconds of silence.“I saw her crying in the hallway. From the way she looked and what she was wearing, I could tell she just came from
KAIDEN“Kaiden?”Calantha’s smile vanished as soon as she saw me. Her eyes widened, filled with shock and confusion.Even with the alcohol still fogging my head, I kept walking toward them. My eyes stayed locked on Cross, who looked annoyingly calm. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snapped as I reached them.Calantha stood frozen beside us, completely thrown off by my sudden appearance here.“My King.” Cross greeted with a small bow, then stood straight again, a smug smile tugging at his lips.That smile. It made my blood boil.I clenched my fists hard at my sides, seconds away from breaking his face. But then a voice in my head reminded me…This isn’t why you came here. Don’t ruin it more with Calantha.“I ran into the Luna at the restaurant nearby,” Cross said, holding up a brown paper bag that smelled of food. Calantha held one too. “It felt wrong to let her walk back alone by this hour of the night. I was just being helpful.”His voice was calm, almost casual. But I
CALANTHA I had never seen Kaiden like this before and honestly, it scared me.He was looking at me like I was something priceless, like I meant the world to him. Like he was searching for something in me. That look in his eyes wasn’t the one I was used to. Kaiden’s eyes were always cold, sharp, and unpredictable. But now, they were soft and vulnerable. And that confused me.I didn’t expect him to show up at my doorstep. After everything. After all the silence. He didn’t stop me when I walked away, he never called, and never came after me. That made it clear that he didn’t want me. And I had forced myself to believe that. To believe that I was the fool for thinking we could have been something more.And now here he was, in my space, kissing me in the places he knew I liked to be kissed. Trying to wake up the same feelings he once buried deep inside me. Was this his plan? To make me feel everything all over again, just so he could walk away once more?That was why I gently pushed him
CALANTHAI sat stiffly on the couch, the TV series playing but my mind elsewhere. Although it was my favorite show, I couldn’t focus. Kaiden was seated so close beside me, and I felt his gaze on me every few seconds. The tension between us was overwhelmingly thick.After he had eaten the soup I made, he refused to go to bed and insisted on watching TV with me. I tried to convince him otherwise, but his stubbornness won. So here we were, side by side, barely any space between us. I doubted he was even watching, with the way his eyes kept drifting straight to me.Clearing my throat, I scooted over to create some distance but he slid right after, closing the gap again.“Are you kidding me?” I snapped, turning on him. Despite my frustration, he stayed unnervingly calm.“Everything okay?” He asked, pretending not to know what he was doing.“Cut the act.” I growled and backed up toward the couch’s edge. He followed.“Ugh, stop it!” I hissed, and this time his lips twisted into an amused sm
CALANTHAThat night, I couldn’t sleep. Even though Kaiden was in the living room and I was in my bedroom, knowing we shared the same roof left me restless. I tossed and turned, burying my face in my pillow with a frustrated groan.What the hell was wrong with me? I had vowed to move on, yet here I was, still feeling his presence so much, enough for it to even disrupt my sleep.Finally, I gave up on my bed and crept out for warm milk in the kitchen, hoping it would calm my nerves and finally put me to sleep. My feet hesitated in the hallway as I passed the living room where Kaiden was sleeping. I hated how anxious I felt just walking by his space.Once I stepped inside the living room, I froze at the sound of Kaiden’s harsh breathing and restrained whimpering. He was lying on the couch, shivering and murmuring names I didn’t recognize.“Raya… No… Please… No… Liam… No…”My heart thundered and I realized that he was in the grip of a nightmare. And a horrible one at that.I rushed to him
THAT SAME DAYSHADOW MOON PACK: ALPHA SLADE’S PACKHOUSEThe guards bowed their heads as Hera entered the packhouse, flanked by her handmaidens. As they passed, every servant and maid halted work to lower their heads in respect. Hera, as chief priestess of the capital pack, was accustomed to this display of honor and the quiet fear it inspired.A guard led her through the grand hallway to the guest chamber, where Alpha Slade sat in earnest conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Grant. Her handmaidens waited outside and the moment the Grants spotted Hera, they rose and bowed their heads. Hera inclined her own in return, then offered a formal nod to Alpha Slade. His expression was too calm, and the faint curve of a sinister smile touched his lips.“Finally. The chief priestess shows up,” Alpha Slade said, motioning to the seat beside him at the table. Mr. and Mrs. Grant sat to his left. “Please, have a seat.”Hera walked to the table but instead of taking the seat he offered, she chose the fart
CALANTHA Kaiden and I were now at the quiet corner of a café, both of us dressed to go unnoticed. I was wearing baggy joggers and an oversized hoodie pulled low over my face. While Kaiden was in a leather jacket and a cap angled to shadow his features. Our disguise seemed to work as no one seemed to recognize us.As we sat waiting for our order to arrive, Kaiden kept tugging at his cap. At first, I tried to ignore it but later, I couldn’t help myself any longer.“You’re acting suspicious while trying not to look suspicious.” I muttered, shaking my head.He shot me a self‑satisfied grin. “I’m too handsome to hide completely. If someone looks close enough, they’ll spot me.”I rolled my eyes at his show off, just as our breakfast arrived. The server set steaming trays in front of us and hurried off. My stomach rumbled as I began to salivate.“Ooh, this looks amazing. I’m starving.”“You’re not starving. You’re just a glutton.” Kaiden said calmly, lifting a mug of coffee to his lips. W
CALANTHA “Apologize.”The men froze, not saying anything at first. Then their shocked faces contorted, and they burst out laughing, now looking at Kaiden like he had just said the most ridiculous thing ever. But while they laughed, Kaiden’s face stayed the same.Not angry. Just calm and straight. But out of everyone here, only I knew how dangerous he could be whenever he wore that look."He said to apologize!" One of the men — the one who had tossed me the napkin and seemed like their leader — laughed loudly with his group."He’s really got some balls, doesn’t he?" he added, making the others laugh even harder. But even with all the mocking, Kaiden didn’t move. His straight face stayed the same, and his leg stayed stretched out in front of them, keeping them from moving forward.Knowing where all this could end, I decided to step in and let it all go."That’s okay, Kaiden," I said quickly, forcing a small, fake smile as I tried to get up from my seat. "I’m fine. It’s just a little st
CALANTHA As everyone started to panic, shouting things like “Who are you?” and “Why are we here?”, I took a step back and let my eyes roam around the strange room that had trapped the five of us together.The walls were tall panes of silver glass, stretching out in every direction like an endless mirror maze, reflecting our confused faces a thousand times over. A soft hum echoed through the room, and suddenly, a glowing clock appeared on one of the mirrors.00:10:59.An eleven-minute countdown.Fear climbed up my throat. What were we supposed to do?Beside me, the timid-looking boy stepped closer to the mirrors, frowning as he studied the clock.“We’re being timed.” He said quietly.“Timed?” The girl with soft cherry-brown hair echoed, stepping forward to see for herself. Her forehead creased with worry.As everyone started pacing in confusion, trying to make sense of the place, I moved closer to one of the mirrors and stared into it.My breath caught in my throat.My reflection didn
CALANTHAThe rune blinked once then glowed gold. The words on it shifted and changed:Passed ⅓.“Oh, thank the gods,” Eloise breathed out behind me, placing a hand over her chest. She looked like she had been holding her breath the whole time. I let out a small laugh, the tension finally easing a bit. I turned to the timid boy.“Well done.”He smiled shyly, his cheeks turning red as he looked down at his shoes. His ears were flushed too.Before we could say anything else, another door shimmered to life —this time, the obsidian one. A second riddle echoed through the chamber:"I wear your face, but hide a knife. I smile as you bleed. Once I strike, the scent of trust never returns. What am I?"Isadora folded her arms across her chest and stepped forward with her usual smugness. “That’s betrayal.” She said with a slight toss of her head, her voice sharp and confident.“Wait,” I said quickly, holding up a hand. “Could it be deception? Or maybe false love?”She let out a small snort. “I
CALANTHA"Um... I-I think I panicked and pressed the wrong runes." Isadora mumbled as the floor finally stopped tilting and the magic fog faded. We slowly picked ourselves off the ground. Eloise and I stayed close together, like something terrible might happen if we let go of each other. Isadora, on the other hand, was still trying to act calm, like nothing had shaken her."It’ll work this time.” She said confidently and started walking toward the rune slab again, but Eloise quickly stepped in front of her."We only have one chance left, Isadora," Eloise warned. "You already messed up the first try. What makes you so sure you won’t mess up again?""Oh really? Then why don’t you try it if you think it’s so easy!" Isadora snapped, glaring at her.Eloise scoffed. "Oh, now you admit it’s not easy? That’s funny coming from someone who said she’s the best in werewolf history.""You’re just jealous because I’m better than you!" Isadora hissed, her face red with anger."Me? Jealous of you?"
CALANTHAWe were all sorted into groups of five. In my group, there was me, Eloise, Isadora, a girl, and another timid looking guy whose names I didn’t know. Each group was given a name, and ours was called Group Starlight. Nyx ended up in a different group.I couldn’t help but glance over at Kaiden. He was grouped with Lysandra, Sara, Ryker, and another boy. A jealous feeling crawled up my stomach at the thought of Lysandra being in the same group as him. My jealousy only grew when Kaiden sent me a small smile from across the field. I pouted and looked away, feeling even more annoyed. Why couldn’t I have been in his group instead of her?"The gods, I’m so nervous." Eloise said next to me, kicking her legs as she warmed up, her face serious like she was going into battle.Before I could say anything back, Mr. Fisher spoke up again."Each group will enter the portal one at a time," he said, his voice loud and clear. "You’ll each be taken to a different puzzle room. You’ll have no mor
CALANTHA"I still can't believe you're hooking up with the Lycan King again after everything he did to you!" Eloise said beside me, throwing her hands up in frustration as we walked down the academy hallway, surrounded by other students. I had just finished telling her and Nyx about what happened yesterday. About me and Kaiden’s ‘little moment’, and Queen Adeline showing up at my doorstep. And Eloise and Nyx’s reactions were exactly what I had expected."Shhh!" I hissed quickly, glancing around to make sure no one had heard. I turned back to Eloise, shooting her a warning glare. "Someone might hear you! And remember, no one’s supposed to know I’m out of the packhouse yet."Eloise just rolled her eyes, and Nyx leaned in closer to ask in a quieter voice, "How did you two even make up?""I don't know," I said with a small shrug. "It just... happened."Eloise shook her head. "Well, as much as I don't want to see you get hurt again, I'm glad Queen Adeline walked in on you and Kaiden hal
CALANTHAI fell asleep in Kaiden’s arms, with his body wrapped so tightly around mine like he was afraid I would leave.His breathing was slow and steady against my back, and our naked bodies were tangled together under the warm sheets.For the first time in a long time, I slept peacefully.The heavy sadness that always clung to me at night was gone. I think I even fell asleep with a smile on my face.I didn’t know how long we slept, but when I opened my eyes, it was already late in the afternoon.As I moved a little, Kaiden pulled me even closer.He kissed my shoulder softly, his bare body still pressed against mine."Did you sleep well?" He asked in a low voice behind me.I slowly turned around to face him.His hair was messy, and his lips looked a little swollen from all the kissing we had done. His eyes were soft, so different from the cold and distant way he usually looked.I wondered if he felt the same peace I was feeling in his arms."Mmmhmm," I nodded and reached up to brush
KAIDEN"You’re dripping wet for me, my Luna. I can smell it.” I murmured as I set her gently down on the bed.I stood at the edge, drinking in the sight of her. Every bare, beautiful inch of her laid out before me.Slowly, I pushed my trousers down, kicking them aside until I was naked too, the cool air brushing over my heated skin.I caught the way her eyes immediately dropped to my cock, thick and straining, standing proudly between us.She swallowed hard, her cheeks flushed, and her arousal thickened in the air, so strong it made my own hunger sharpen.The look on her face; hungry, needy, starved for me… was enough to make my heart flip with pure, aching pleasure.Slowly, I crawled onto the bed, parting her trembling thighs with my hands.She watched me, her chest rising and falling, her eyes wide and dark and full of what looked a hell of a lot like surrender."You look so beautiful when you’re desperate for me." I whispered, a soft smile tugging at my lips before I lowered my hea
KAIDENThe way her big, olive green eyes stared up at me told me everything. She did not believe me. She wanted to, but she couldn’t.And honestly, I didn’t blame her.I had been a complete ass to her. It made total sense that she would doubt every word coming out of my mouth now.Hell, even I had needed time to finally accept what I felt for her."You’re mistaken, Kaiden," she whispered, her long wet lashes fluttering as she blinked up at me with glassy eyes.Her small arms were still wrapped tightly around her body, trying to hide her nakedness from me. It didn’t work. Nothing could hide how beautiful she was."You don’t love me," she said, her voice small and breaking. "You don’t know how to love."Her words cut straight into my chest. But again, I couldn’t blame her.She was right.I had locked myself away for so long. Cold, detached, untouchable and unreachable. I never let anyone get too close. I had convinced myself that love wasn’t something meant for me. That I wasn’t even ca
CALANTHA When we got back to my apartment, Kaiden kept his word and we ordered breakfast. As we ate, I couldn’t stop talking about how good he was at fighting. Even though I had stayed at the packhouse for a while before I left, I had never actually seen him fight. So, watching him handle those men at the café was new for me and without meaning to, it made me admire him even more.“Did you see how you grabbed that first guy and elbowed him?” I said, food still in my mouth as I waved my hand around, trying to show the move. Kaiden just ate calmly, looking a little bored, but I didn’t care.“I always heard you were a great fighter,” I said, grinning from ear to ear. “But I didn’t know you were this good. You fought like it was the easiest thing in the world and you didn’t even break a sweat! And I’m sure that was just a little of what you can really do, right?”Instead of answering, Kaiden rolled his eyes and lifted some food toward my mouth with his fork. His face was blank, bored.“E