"Duck!"I blink, hear the sharp whistle of something slicing through the air, and drop just a breath too late. An arrow zips past the space where my head used to be."Silas!" I shriek, spinning around with wide eyes and hands on my hips. "You nearly took off my ear!"The older man grins, lowering his bow with a shrug. "I told you to duck. You were the one admiring the squirrels like they were your long-lost cousins."I can't help the laugh that bubbles out of me, even though my heart's still thudding."You can't throw out life-or-death commands like you're offering tea, Silas. Warn a girl properly next time.""Next time, listen faster."We've already caught three squirrels. Well, Silas caught them. I'm more like moral support with a good eye and a lot of commentary. The late afternoon sun filters through the canopy, and there's something peaceful about being out here with him. The scent of the forest mixes with the ever-present smell of herbs clinging to him like a second skin. It'
I don’t see the slap coming. I mean, I feel it coming, the breeze and the ugly look on Zara's face.But for some reason, I don't see it. And when I don't see something, I tend to believe it's not happening.Well...Zara’s palm crashes across my cheek like a whip of fire, and for a second, I just stand there, blinking through the sting and shock....I guess it is happening."Are you out of your damn mind?" she hisses. "You slapped the Alpha? In front of pack members? Omegas?!"My face is burning, but I don’t look away. "He insulted me."Wrong answer. Another slap, sharper this time. Kira snarls in my head."Let me take over. Just for a second. One second and I’ll put her on her back.""Not now," I think back. "Not like this."Zara grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks. Hard. I gasp, stumbling back, trying to twist away from her grip."You think you can talk back to me now, omega?" she growls, yanking again. "Disrespecting your Alpha and your Luna?"I shove at her arm. "Let go of me, Zar
As soon as Lior leaves, I set the ice pack down and a shiver runs through my spine at its absence.One of the many reasons why I try not to get myself involved in a fight is because I never have what it takes to defend myself.Not that I can't physically, I'm just not emotionally built to hurt people. I don't get that concept for some odd reason.By the time the kitchen’s warmth settles into my bones, I’m convinced the ache on my cheek has set up a permanent residence. Every part of me feels sore, but it’s the inside that hurts the most—the part where my dignity used to live. I’m hunched over a tray of carrots, trying to act like nothing happened, when a soft knock on the side door makes me glance up.It’s Lior. Again?Of course it’s Lior again.His smile is the kind that can stop a hurricane, easy and bright, like the sun after a thunderstorm. He’s holding a small jar, the kind Silas uses for his potions and ointments. I blink in confusion as if asking why he's back.“Special deli
The fire crackles low in the hearth, the amber glow barely touching the shadows that crowd the corners of my office. I’m on my third sleepless night—though I’ve stopped counting. The whiskey in my glass has long since gone warm, untouched in my hand.“You’re falling apart and it’s your own damn fault.”Cyan’s voice slices through my thoughts, harsh and cold.“Not now,” I grit out silently.But he doesn’t let up.“You rejected her.” His snarl echoes louder, claws scraping against the inside of my skull. “You let fear make you a coward.”My jaw tightens. I close my eyes, but that only makes it worse.I drag a hand down my face and stare into the flames. I hate that he's right. Hate that I can still smell her in the halls. Hate that her laughter echoes in my head like a curse. Hate that the moment I finally made my choice—it broke something vital inside me.A knock disturbs the silence. Before I can answer, the door creaks open and Zara steps inside. She’s wrapped in a deep red silk n
What does a dead wolf look like?Scattered hair, eye bags, three migraines in two minutes, a half buttoned shirt and a little drunk.Yes, a dead wolf looks like me. Not that I was ever much alive to begin with lately. Everything feels muffled—like the world is underwater and I forgot how to swim. I haven’t slept in… who even knows. Time’s been a blur. Days and nights bleed into each other, and I’m pretty sure my body's running on pure spite. And caffeine. And alcohol. And guilt.My mother assured me that it would be easy since I never gave Tamsin a mark. Oh, she spoke tales of how easy it would be to forget especially since I was in love with Zara to begin with.Let me tell you something? No love compares to that of a fated mate. I heard those words a thousand times and now I understand.I’m just sitting there, in my study that smells like ash and old leather, staring at nothing like a total idiot. My hands are clenched tight around the arms of the chair. I don’t even realize I’m d
“Fuck you,” I mutter, dodging the apple Lior just threw at me like we’re two middle schoolers in detention.He grins, obnoxiously pleased with himself, and takes a bite of his own apple. “Relax, it was a love tap.”“Your love taps could knock out a small horse.”“You’re not that small.”I glare at him, then roll my eyes and go back to rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. “Why are you like this?”“Born this way. Sorry to disappoint.” He leans against the counter like he owns it, all easy charm and broad shoulders. “You’re grumpy this morning. Want to talk about it?”“No.”Truth is, even though Lior constantly hanging around me eases the pain that comes from the rejection with Nox, it doesn't take it away a hundred percent.Last night, it was more painful than it had ever been and I lay awake mostly crying. I don't know what to do with myself. I can't keep on like this. But can you blame me really? The pain does something to me that sometimes, it's asking too much of me to try to ma
It’s always the same. The recent dreams I've been having, I mean.Tamsin in the woods, her long brown hair all wild but her eyes are tamed. Soft and innocent like they usually are.And she’s laughing, actually laughing, like she wasn't carrying a burden placed on her shoulders. She turns to me, reaching out her hand, and right when our fingers are about to touch? She's gone. I wake up with blood on my tongue from biting my lip too hard and my chest feels like it’s cracking open.To hell with this, I want to tell myself, however, I'm already in hell. It crazy, don't you think? That I'm still on this path of pain and obsessing over someone else?Maybe it's because she's been hanging out with Lior, I don't know. But nothing sits down right in my chest anymore.The room’s dark, but I can still see Zara lying beside me, skin bare and tangled in sheets I don’t remember pulling up. Her scent is too sweet. Too foreign. And I already know what I did. Again.Cyan groans in the back of my he
It’s funny how moonlight makes everything look softer. Even scars.The Full Moon Festival is in full swing—lanterns swaying above the courtyard like floating embers, laughter spilling out of every corner, and music thumping in the ground like a second heartbeat. Everyone looks radiant, glittering, drunk on wine and the illusion that everything’s fine.Including me.Lior spins me in the middle of the courtyard, and I laugh—genuinely. Like something in me is still alive.“You’ve got a good smile,” he says, grinning as he catches me, his hand warm on the small of my back. “You should wear it more.”“I should punch you for saying something that cheesy,” I mutter.“Do it. Ruin my night. Although, I know you won’t,” he teases, smug as hell.I roll my eyes, but the corners of my mouth twitch upward. Damn him. How has he managed to crawl his way up to my head?Heck, I still haven't stopped feeling the tug of the severed mating bond between Nox and I. I would say that sometimes, it feels lik
I’m walking towards the market, the familiar path through the woods a comforting routine. Lior is still at the pack house, dealing with whatever Beta duties remain even with Nox… well, with Nox being Nox. He’s meeting me at the cabin later, and I’m picking up a few things we need – some fresh herbs, maybe some berries if they look good. The air is crisp, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth, but beneath it, I catch snippets of hushed conversations as pack members pass by.“Did you hear?” a lady is saying, her voice tight with a kind of nervous excitement.“The council… they actually did it,” another replies, in a low and sad tone.I incline my head left towards the voices, to try to catch more of what they're saying.“Temporary, they say…” one of the farm boys I recognise as Lenny says, with his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear.Curiosity prickles at me. Their voices are low, almost conspiratorial. Then I hear it clearly, a phrase that stops me in my tracks. “…unseate
I stumble back into the pack house, the scent of damp earth and pine clinging to my fur. Another reckless run. Another night spent trying to outpace the relentless gnawing in my gut. It never works. Cyan is a restless beast within me, mirroring my own fractured state. "Another stellar display of Alpha leadership," he snarls, the sarcasm dripping.Just as I’m about to retreat to my room, hoping for a few hours of oblivion, Gareth, one of the enforcers, blocks my path. His face is grim, his usual jovial demeanor absent.“Alpha,” he says, his voice low and serious. “You’re needed in the council hall. It’s urgent.”“Can’t it wait?” I grumble, the thought of facing anyone right now making my skin crawl.“No, Alpha. Your mother specifically requested your presence. She said it can’t wait another moment.”My mother. That cold woman who seems to always be disappointed in me no matter what I do."Well, if I were her, wouldn't I be?" Cyan laughs dryly. If she’s summoning me, it’s likely no
I wake to the familiar warmth of Lior’s arms around me, the soft scent of him clinging to the sheets. The morning light filtering through his window in the pack house is gentle, painting the room in pale gold. He’s still asleep, his breathing even and quiet against my hair. It should feel perfect, this closeness, this intimacy. And in a way, it does. He’s here, he’s real, he’s chosen me.But a knot of unease tightens in my chest, a familiar unwelcome guest. Guilt. It’s been my constant companion since… since I slammed the door in Nox’s face. The memory of his expression haunts me – that raw, almost desperate look in his hazel eyes. He’d looked… broken."Idiot," Kira mutters in the back of my mind, her tone sharper than usual. "You didn’t even let him speak. Maybe his words were just what we needed to connect some dots."Why didn’t I? What was I so afraid of hearing? Was it fear of the truth, whatever that might be? Or was it a stubborn refusal to let anything tarnish the fragile
The woods only offer a temporary escape, a place where Cyan runs until his lungs burn and his muscles scream, a desperate attempt to outrun the gnawing emptiness inside me. But the quiet fury that propels me through the trees eventually gives way to a bone-deep exhaustion, and I am forced to return to the suffocating reality of the pack house.Zara is waiting. Of course she is. I've been gone for about a day, approximately, which is not my nature, so if course she'll be waiting.Her face, usually so composed, is etched with worry, her eyes red-rimmed like she'd been crying.As I step through the door, the scent of her anxiety thick in the air, she rushes towards me, her arms outstretched. Instinctively, I flinch, a raw, visceral reaction I can’t control. I shove her away, not hard, but enough to make her stumble back, a hurt gasp escaping her lips.“Nox!” Her voice is a choked whisper, her eyes wide with a confusion that mirrors my own internal chaos. “What in the moon’s name…?”“Ju
The crisp morning air carries the usual scents of the pack house – pine, damp earth, the faint aroma of breakfast still lingering. But then it hits me, a delicate sweetness that makes my senses sharpen. Strawberries. Tamsin. But… different. Cleaner. The sharp undercurrent of dish soap, the tell-tale sign of her usual omega chores, is absent. It’s just the pure, sweet scent of her. My jaw tightens. She’s not doing her duties. Of course she's not. With her now status of the Beta's lover, I doubt he would let her resume omega chores.He’s coddling her.I take a few more steps and I catch his scent, woven into hers like intertwined vines. That familiar, comforting leather and something else, something possessive... arousal.They’re close. Too close.“Ignore it,” Cyan rumbles in the back of my mind, a low growl of impatience. "Council meeting, remember? The elders are waiting for their brilliant Alpha."But my feet have already changed direction, drawn by an invisible thread. The straw
If it were completely up to me, I'd stay in the mountain cabin for the rest of my confused and controversial life.But it's not up to me, is it? Lior is always needed down in town as Beta and he always loves that I'm close to him at all times.Weird, but I don't mind. If he's obsessed, then I'll happily let him be. My mind is still not clear from the series of thoughts I've been having about him, but I guess I can put that aside and just live and love in the moment.Besides, maybe I was just being paranoid. You know, once bitten twice shy.Back at the pack house, things feel… different. Lior has been incredibly attentive since our return from the cabin. He insists I shouldn’t be doing the usual omega chores anymore. “You’re with me now, little star,” he’d said, his arm possessively around my shoulders as he steered me away from the laundry piles. Instead, I find myself helping him with his Beta duties, mostly paperwork that seems endless and a little dull, but I don’t complain. It
The quiet of Lior’s cabin has settled around me like a soft blanket, a stark contrast to the turmoil churning inside. He left early this morning, a lingering kiss on my forehead and a set of keys pressed into my palm. “Stay as long as you need, little star,” he’d murmured, his green eyes filled with a concern that felt both genuine and… something else. Something I can’t quite decipher.Now, the sun climbs higher in the sky, casting long shadows that slowly shrink and then stretch again across the wooden floor. The silence amplifies the thoughts swirling in my head, a restless dance of emotions and uncertainties. My love for Lior… it’s there, a warm ember that flickers steadily. He’s been my anchor, my light in the confusing aftermath of Nox’s rejection. He’s shown me kindness, affection, a sense of belonging I desperately craved.But then there’s the ghost of Nox. A faint echo of a connection that was never truly explored, a bond severed before it could fully form. Yet, it neve
The training fields are mostly deserted this morning, the early light casting long shadows across the worn dirt. Perfect. I’ve been tracking Lior’s scent since he left his cabin, a bitter tang of pine and leather cloyingly sweet clinging to him. He’s over by the sparring dummies, a lazy smirk playing on his lips as he lands a half-hearted kick. He knows I’m here. He always does.“Lior,” I call out, my voice low and tight as I step into the clearing. Cyan rumbles in the back of my mind, a low growl that mirrors the tension coiling in my gut. "About damn time."Lior turns, his smirk widening. “Alpha. Fancy meeting you here. Decided to finally get some training in?” His tone is light, almost cheerful, which only serves to fuel my simmering anger.“Don’t play coy with me,” I snarl, taking a step closer. “I know what you’re doing.”His eyebrows lift in mock surprise. “Oh? And what exactly am I doing, dear Alpha?”“You’re taking advantage of her,” I accuse, the words raw with jealousy.
Warmth. That’s the first thing I register. A comforting weight pressed against my back, an arm slung possessively around my waist. I’m nestled against Lior, his steady breathing a soft rhythm against my hair. His scent, familiar and comforting now, fills my senses. We’re back in his cabin, the familiar scent of pine and woodsmoke a stark contrast to the lingering aroma of the harvest celebration.My eyelids flutter open, the soft morning light filtering through the cabin window painting the room in gentle hues. I close them again, a wave of fuzzy memories washing over me. Last night… it’s a bit of a blur. Laughter, the warmth of cider, the dizzying swirl of the dance floor. I must have had a little too much to drink. My cheeks heat with a touch of embarrassment.Lior shifts behind me, his arm tightening. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he murmurs, his voice still thick with sleep. He tries to nuzzle into the crook of my neck, a playful growl rumbling in his chest. “Come back to bed. It’s