LOGINThey began to murmur among themselves. A few people threw little stones at her while others stared at her with disdain.
Valerie slowed down on her steps. Something bad has happened to the Park; she could feel and see that but what it was, she couldn't say. She wanted to ask someone what was going on, but the look on their faces pushed her away. They don't even speak to her when things are okay. Would they want to do that now? She was also confused about why she had been pointed at. Did they suspect she could be involved? Or do they think it has got to do with her curse? Valerie had lots of thoughts going on in her mind. She decided to brush off those feelings and go in to find her dad so she could get the information she needed. "Where is she coming from?" Someone asked as she walked past a group of people. They weren't injured, but their properties seem to have suffered some injustice because they had some destroyed properties in their hands. Although Valerie was sad that some got injured, she was still happy that not everyone was. "She must have known something would happen or why was she not in the Park?" Another asked. They kept ranting bad words at her, but Valerie ignored them; she just wanted to know what had happened and her father might be her only option. Valerie entered the Park house to meet more injured people. Some were being attended to while others were left to take care of themselves. Valerie found her way to the conference hall. Her father should be there. She had thought. But when she got to the door and overheard the elders talking about the injured Alpha, Valerie became scared. What could have happened to the Park? How did her father get injured too? She ran in the direction of her father's room. She couldn't run for long because her legs failed. What if her father got injured because of her? What if the Park's sufferings are all linked to her? "Valerie?" She heard Luella's voice. "You are finally back. Thank goodness you are not hurt." Valerie wasn't sure if Luella meant well; her voice did not sound like she did. "You are not hurt either," she managed to say. "I wasn't home," Luella answered. "Unlike someone who went partying instead of taking responsibility." Valerie sighed. Maybe she should not have gone to the club. Maybe she should not have listened to anyone who had advised her about leaving her room; they only meant well though. She blinked the tears that had gathered in her eyes. But would things have been different if she were in the Park and was attacked like the rest? Valerie shook her head. It won't be. It doesn't matter to them whether she gets hurt or not, they will still blame her. It doesn't matter though. She just wants to find her dad and know what had happened. Luella flicked her fingers across Valerie's face jolting her back to reality. "What are you thinking about?" Valerie blinked slightly. "I wasn't thinking about anything." She thought about asking Luella what had happened, although she wasn't sure if she would answer. "Can you tell me what happened? No one wants to speak to me." Luella scoffed slightly. "I am not doing that. I am not your friend remember?" "Please, Luella. It's about the Park and not me." "Like I cared about that," Luella mumbled. "Well," she began. "The Park was attacked right after you left the Park yesterday. You..." "Right after I left the Pack? How did you know I left the Pack? I thought you were not around?" Luella scoffed. "Does it matter how I know you left the Pack? Aren't you more concerned about the Pack than you are about how I knew? I guess you do not want to know how your father is doing." Valerie moved closer to her. "Tell me how my dad is faring? Is he very hurt?" Luella nodded. "Gravely injured. Being the good Alpha that he is, he fought with his life; thank goodness, he did not lose it. It's a good thing he is more reliable than his daughter, who values partying over her Park." Valerie groaned. She doesn't understand why Luella kept attacking her about leaving the Pack. It wasn't as if anyone had cared about that in the first place. And they wouldn't care now if nothing had happened. She took a deep breath. "Are the people very injured? I mean..." Luella raised her brows. "Don't tell me you did not speak to anyone before coming in." Valerie shrugged. "They wouldn't speak to me." "I wouldn't either, if I had the choice," Luella mumbled. "What did you say?" Valerie furrowed her brows. "Nothing. You should go see your father now that you can." "What do you mean by that?" "You never can tell what would happen next," Luella answered while walking away. Valerie became scared. Were her father's injuries that much? What does Luella mean by her words? She rushed to her father's room but was stopped by the guards. "I need to see my father. Let me in," she snapped at them but they were determined to stop her. Valerie paced around the hallway, trying occasionally to get in but was stopped. The guards weren't speaking to her either; that made her more worried. A few minutes later, one of the nurses came out with a bowl of water mixed with blood. "How is my father?" Valerie asked hurriedly. The nurse stared at her. "Who are you?" "I am Valerie," Valerie answered. "I am not asking for your name. Whose daughter are you?" "The Alpha's," Valerie answered in a low tone, her voice failing her. It's funny how a lot of people don't even know her as the Alpha's daughter. "The Alpha's daughter?" The nurse asked and Valerie nodded. "Well, he is out of danger now," "Can I see him?" Valerie asked. "You can't. The doctor is still attending to him." Valerie breathed a sigh of relief. It's a good thing her father is out of danger. She sat on the floor beside his door, waiting for the doctor to leave so she could see him. The door opened and the Beta came out. Valerie stood up quickly. "How is my father?" The Beta sighed. "Valerie, can you at least change from your club clothes. Everyone is looking at you strangely." It was then that it dawned on her that she was still in the clothes she had worn to the club. She chuckled nervously. Could that be the reason they were pointing at her a while ago? "I will go and do that now." She turned to leave but the Beta stopped her. "Valerie, your father is out of danger now but the Pack isn't." Valerie turned swiftly. What is the Beta talking about? "Those who attacked the Pack are coming back again. We don't know when but they definitely are coming." Valerie's legs became weak; she almost lost her balance. With her father injured and the Pack in disarray, how are they supposed to win?Valerie was smiling and trying to joke about it, but Elora wasn't buying it. "This is not the time to joke, Val. I'm worried."Valerie tapped Elora's hand. "Everything will be fine." "I hope so," Elora mumbled."Diana came," Valerie said, trying to divert Elora's attention."She came?" Elora asked. Valerie explained everything to Elora. "He released her?""He did," Valerie answered. And then explained why Leonard did that."Do you trust him that much? What if he's using you?"Valerie smiled. "Am I not doing the same to him? Why should I be angry if he's also using me? I can only get angry if whatever he is doing can or will hurt me."Elora sighed. "Fine. I..." They heard a knock on the door. "Who's that?""Ariel." Elora stood up to open the door. "I'm coming."Ariel walked in after Elora opened the door for her."How was your night, Elora? Is Valerie back yet?" She asked."Yes. She came back a few hours ago."Valerie waved. "Hi, Ariel." Ariel moved closer to her. "Did you explain e
Valerie opened her eyes. She could hear Leonard calling her name and tapping her gently, too.She groaned. "What?"Leonard seemed not to have heard her because he kept calling her name and tapping her. "Valerie?" He called out again. "It's time to wake up.""I'm awake," she answered, and he stopped tapping her. "Why isn't the light on?"She reached out for the light and switched it on. She sat up. She looked at the window."It's not even morning yet. Why are you waking me up? Is there something you want me to do for you?""You need to leave," Leonard told her.Valerie furrowed her brows. "Are you trying to send me away?""You don't remember why you need to leave early?"He touched her forehead, and she pushed his hand slightly. "What are you doing?""Checking your temperature. It's not high. You don't look sick either. Did you not remember anything from yesterday?""Do you want me to forget something? Like you marking me without...""Aside from that, did you not remember the things
Valerie was surprised to see Diana. What is she doing here?"Isn't that Diana?" Ariel asked. "What is she doing in the Shadow Pack. Why is she eavesdropping on us?""She's obviously a spy," Arden answered."A spy?" Valerie asked. "Why would she want to do that?"Arden shrugged. "To keep a tap on you, obviously."Valerie was confused. Bryan was caught a few days ago and was released. Why would Diana risk herself to make the same mistake?Has she been planning to come to the Shadow Pack before Bryan was caught? Is that the reason she called her some days ago?Diana couldn't stare at Valerie or anyone. She was scared; she was shivering. Maybe she wasn't expecting to get caught. Or maybe she wasn't expecting to see Leonard.Valerie stared at her. "What are you doing here?"Diana said nothing; she was too scared to."Was it Luella who sent you?" Valerie asked. "Did you betray me for her?""She won't say a thing," Arden told Valerie. "She's too scared to do that."Valerie sighed. "What do y
Leonard brushed his hair backward. "I tried to make her leave, but she wouldn't. She was worried about me. I was also worried I would end up hurting her, so I tried to leave, but she stopped me." He sighed. "Then I sniffed a scent coming from her. It was intoxicating. Next, I felt a strong mate bond between us, and I couldn't resist marking her. After I marked her, I tasted her blood, and I couldn't control myself from feeding on it." "Y-you marked her?" Arden asked. He had walked in, just in time to hear Leonard talk about it. "That's not a good thing. I told you that you won't be able to control yourself. You might lose control.""Maybe if you had told me it was going to be a red moon and not a full moon, I would have stayed away from her and not lost control.""The red moon?" Arden asked in surprise. Ariel nodded. "It was supposed to be a full moon, not a red moon.""Everyone must have thought that too. But the full moon suddenly changed into the red moon. I was surprised too. It
"Are you okay?" Valerie asked. "Your eyes are red." Leonard said nothing. He stood up and headed to the door. He needed to leave the room before he shifted completely. Valerie was curious to know what was wrong. She stood up from the bed and followed him."Are you okay?" She asked again."Go to sleep," Leonard told her."You don't look okay," Valerie said. "You look hot. Do you need me to get you some ice? You..."Leonard looked at her. "Go away!"Valerie noticed Leonard's eyes had changed from burning red to ocean blue. She got lost staring at his beautiful eyes.He flicked his finger across her face, and she blinked."Y-your eyes. They are blue."Leonard ignored her and opened the door. Valerie stopped him. "Don't you think it's a bad idea if you leave now?""Stay away from me," Leonard told her. "I don't want to hurt you," he mumbled."What did you say?"Leonard ignored him and walked to the window instead. He moved the curtain aside, staring at the sky."Isn't that the red moon
Leonard nodded. "You should take off your veil. Aren't you hot?"Valerie shook her head. "I'm not. Is Luella really here?"Leonard returned to sit down. "She's not the only one here. Nelson is too. Do you know him?" Valerie shook her head. "He's the Alpha of the Blackcrown Pack.""Why is he here?" Valerie asked, moving closer to him."To confirm if you're my Luna," Leonard answered.Valerie sat on the bed. "So what are we going to do now?""You stay here until morning," Leonard answered. "You're leaving very early. Remember to take off your veil so she can see you.""Are we sharing a room tonight?"Leonard nodded. "You won't want their spy to find out we did not sleep together, do you?""They have a spy here?" Valerie was surprised. "How did he or she get in?""We had an open recruitment for the maids and guards that would serve me during my stay here. That was the only way to give them the chance to plant someone. They are not the only ones with spies here though.""Others took adva
It was finally the day for Elora to leave the Moonlight Pack, but Valerie could not bring herself to see her off, so she stayed indoors.She watched through the window to see when Elora would walk past; thank goodness her window leads to the main gate.Valerie thought about the last two days they h
"I am so sorry," the man apologised but Valerie ignored him."Sorry for yourself!" She mumbled, as she tried to walk past him. Someone pushed her, and she almost fell. The man was quick to grab her by the waist and pull her up. Valerie got angry about it and pushed him away."Are you trying to take
Valerie was still sleeping when a stone hit her window, and she had to wake up. She knew it was her best friend Elora. They would be going out soon, and she must have come to remind her of that."Valerie!" Elora called out to her through the window. "Are you awake yet? It's almost time to leave."V
Ariel smiled, lying on the bed. "You must be feeling sleepy." Valerie nodded and lay down too. She can't agree more. She is just happy that the wedding is finally over. "Good night, Val," Ariel mumbled. "Good night," Valerie answered. *** When Valerie opened her eyes, the surroundings felt unfa







