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Chapter 4

Penulis: Jasmine Flower
Audrey’s POV

At ten that morning, a black transport bearing Northwatch’s crest pulled up outside.

Logan and the others were helping Chloe prepare for her acceptance party.

The childhood bond we’d formed during our first shift still connected us. Four familiar presences lingered at the edge of my mind.

Not one of them asked where I was.

The group chat, however, was busy.

Blake sent a photo of the party decorations.

Pink balloons covered the wall around a set of enormous letters.

MOONCREST FIVE

[Audrey, you have the best eye for this stuff. Come help. Chloe doesn’t like the backdrop.]

Owen replied.

[She’s still sulking. Stop indulging her.]

Cole sent a photo of the cake.

Four black wolves surrounded a white wolf pup.

[A few hard days up north will straighten her out. She can watch the party livestream from there.]

I didn’t reply.

The escort officer loaded my suitcase into the trunk.

“Northwatch’s commander personally approved your early entry. He instructed us to make sure you arrive safely.”

“Thank you.”

I got into the car.

Just before the door closed, another notification appeared.

Chloe had changed the group’s name from Five Wolf Pups to Mooncrest Five.

A screenshot followed.

My nickname in the chat had always been Little Luna.

Logan had given me that name when he was thirteen. He’d said that when he became Alpha, I would stand beside him as his Luna.

Now it read Northern Outsider.

Chloe added a giggling emoji.

[Just a joke. Audrey won’t get upset, will she?]

Blake replied immediately.

[If she doesn’t like it, she can run all the way back from the north and change it herself.]

Cole sent a string of laughing emojis.

Owen said nothing, but liked Chloe’s screenshot.

Then Logan replied.

[Suits her.]

With those two words, our future Alpha gave Chloe’s joke his approval.

I was the Northern Outsider now.

I selected Leave Group.

A prompt appeared.

[You will lose access to the chat history. Continue?]

Eighteen years of photos, voice messages, and promises were in that chat.

I tapped Confirm.

Then I removed Blake, Owen, and Cole from my contacts, one by one.

Just as I reached Logan’s name, his messages came through.

[Stop this.]

[Come celebrate with Chloe tonight. Make sure you finish her birthday video.]

He was still giving me orders.

I deleted him without replying.

The escort officer handed me a tamper-evident pouch.

“Please turn off your phone.”

“Your five-year pack transfer agreement takes effect as soon as we leave Blood Moon territory. Your former pack will no longer be able to locate you. Its Alpha will no longer be able to summon you through the pack mind-link.”

I switched off my phone and sealed it inside.

They could no longer call or message me.

The car pulled away from the packhouse.

As we approached Blood Moon’s border, the officer spoke again.

“Once we cross, the transfer cannot be reversed. Your childhood bond will also be forcibly severed.”

“This is your last chance to change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

The transport crossed the territory line.

Pain tore through my chest.

The four connections snapped, one after another. My wolf howled in agony. I gripped the seat belt and kept my eyes forward.

Just before the final connection broke, Logan’s frantic voice slammed into my mind.

[Audrey, stop!]
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  • The Fifth Wolf They Erased   Chapter 38

    Audrey’s POVThree years later.When I heard our fourth baby cry, I finally released my grip on the sheets.“Two boys and two girls,” the Healer told me with a smile. “All healthy.”Logan bent to kiss my forehead. His hand still trembled around mine.“It’s over,” I whispered.He nodded. Tears fell onto our joined hands.“You were incredible, Audrey.”After I’d rested for a while, the four babies were brought back into the room.Logan stood beside the bassinets, looking from one to another, afraid to reach in.“Haven’t you practiced this enough?” I asked.“There was only one when I practiced.”I laughed.Outside, Blake quietly asked whether they could come in.Only after I said yes did the three of them tiptoe to the bedside.They’d all claimed their places as godfathers long ago. Now they stood with their arms stiff, unsure which baby to pick up first.Blake smiled at our older son’s clenched little fists.“When he’s big enough, I’ll take him training. Maybe he’ll become Blood Moon’s s

  • The Fifth Wolf They Erased   Chapter 37

    Audrey’s POVMom was waiting at the door when I returned to Blood Moon.She held me for a long time.Dad took my suitcase and showed me my freshly tidied room. The desk was where it had always been.The broken lock had been replaced.“You’re the only one with a key,” he said.I nodded and set my Northwatch badge on the desk.Over dinner, I told them I’d applied to rejoin Blood Moon, but would keep my research position at Northwatch.“I’ll be going back and forth. I probably still won’t be home much.”Mom added another spoonful of soup to my bowl.“Then just tell us what you’d like to eat when you come home.”On Friday, Logan sent the message we’d discussed.[Are you free tonight? I’d like to take you to dinner. You choose the place.]I finished reading the last deployment plan, then sent him a time and an address.The restaurant beside the academy.He arrived early, pulled out my chair, and waited until I was seated before handing me a menu.“Grilled cheese again?”“I feel like steak t

  • The Fifth Wolf They Erased   Chapter 36

    Audrey’s POVAs I left the conference hall, my wolf finally spoke.You didn’t turn him down.I only told him when I’d be free.She gave a soft huff.I want to be close to him. But I don’t want to see you cry again.I stopped at a corridor window and looked at my reflection.Then we’ll take it slowly, I told her. You like his scent. I remember how good he used to be to me. But I remember the hurt, too.We’ll figure it out together, she said.Footsteps approached behind me.Cole came over, his camera lowered at his side.“Do you want to choose which photos we keep from today?”“Send them to me. Leave out the one where my eyes are closed.”He looked surprised, then smiled.Owen handed me a report with the pages marked.“There are two things I’d like your thoughts on. No rush. Whenever you have time.”“Send it to my work email on Monday.”“All right.”Blake opened his case last.Beneath the medal lay a silver moon crown.I recognized the crooked star at the top.When I was sixteen, I’d lin

  • The Fifth Wolf They Erased   Chapter 35

    Audrey’s POVThree years had softened their youthful swagger.Apart from that “All good” after my checkup, I hadn’t replied to their messages through the link. They still occasionally shared their news, but no longer followed my silence with more questions.Blake had passed the Beta assessment on his second attempt. Owen’s revised strategic analysis had been approved. Cole had learned to back up every piece of footage.Logan had told me he’d completed his change of major and was interning at Northwatch’s outer equipment station.They’d spent three years making those changes.After the presentation, I confirmed the next round of testing with my colleagues before leaving the conference hall.Blake didn’t immediately approach. Owen and Cole stayed where they were, waiting for me to notice them.Logan took two steps toward me.“Audrey, could I have a few minutes?”I stopped.“Go ahead.”He looked at the research badge on my chest. Whatever he’d prepared to say seemed to leave him.“Your pr

  • The Fifth Wolf They Erased   Chapter 34

    Audrey’s POVAs the tears fell, I remembered a rainy day when I was seven.I’d broken a model Logan had built and hidden in the stairwell, afraid to come out.They found me. Four hands crowded through the gap in the door, bumping into one another.“Come out first,” Logan said. “We can rebuild it. Together.”That day, I’d reached out through my tears and laid my hand over theirs.This time, I didn’t.Logan slowly lowered his arm.“It’s all right. There’ll be other chances. You don’t have to say yes now.”“Can we take that as you being willing to hear us out again?” Hope brightened Blake’s eyes.I said nothing.But he was already breathing a little easier.When the transfusion ended, the Healer reminded them to leave.“The temporary resonance established during treatment will last several months. You can use it to exchange messages during recovery. Once Audrey’s wolf core is stable, she can choose to sever it.”Logan paused at the door.“We’ll send messages. Answer whenever you want.”Af

  • The Fifth Wolf They Erased   Chapter 33

    Audrey’s POVI closed my eyes and rested for a while.When I opened them again, all four were still seated just outside the door.“Was there something else you wanted to say?”Blake stood first and came in, stopping two steps from the bed.“I failed my first formal assessment for the Beta position.”He looked down at his hands.“I did well in the preliminary tests. I thought that meant I knew how to handle everything. But during the teamwork assessment, I was so busy giving orders that I didn’t even let my teammates finish speaking.”I looked at him.“The instructor sent me back for more training. Next time, I’ll make sure everyone’s ready before I lead them out.”He took the old medal from his pocket.He didn’t press it into my hands.“I remember promising you another one when I became Beta. I hope you’ll still want to come watch.”Owen spoke next.“My strategic analysis was sent back. The early trial records were missing, so they couldn’t verify my conclusions. I have to resubmit it.

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