In my head, what the hell? What is there for me to lose? Let me give this guy a chance to trust him because of what he did. I sighed before answering him.
"Sorry. My name is Wren Blevine. And you are?""Pleased to meet you, Wren. My name is Reule Conrad."I coughed when he mentioned his name. Reule Conrad is the Alpha of the Gray Pack. Almost everyone in the state fears Alpha Reule. He is said to be the strongest, heartless, and wise among all the leaders. He is also famous for being a womanizer and lustful among the Alphas."What happened?""Sorry. I just couldn't believe that I was sitting face to face with the fearless Alpha Reule.""Oh! So, you are aware of the reputation that I have made for me.""Is it true?""Which one?""Everything.""I have trained to fight and survive on my own since I was young. If I wanted to live long, then I had to be strong and heartless at times. But it doesn't come without reason. And because of that, I gained the respect of most of the werewolves who knows me.""What about the other rumors about you?""Which one?""Being..a womanizer."He smirked. "Well, I love to give the women who come to me what they want. I am generous, I could say.""I don't get it. How can women come to you? For what?"He smiled again. "It's up to you to discover.""Oh! I think I will pass on that.""You will be surprised at how much they love and want me.""I will let other women do that for you."He laughed and said, "So, Wren, why were you running? And who is Casper?""I was running from my pack. I belonged to the White Pack until five days ago when the new Alpha ordered killing my family and me if I disagreed with him. Casper got instructed to find me and bring me to Conri, the new Alpha. He just got crowned five days ago.""I have heard Conri took over after his father died. But why are you running from him? Did you do something?""Nothing except being different.""What do you mean different?""There has never been a wolf on my pack that cannot experience the fullness of being a werewolf. I am the only one. Since I have come to the right age, I only shifted to a full-blown wolf just once. It was on the first try. After that, I couldn't do it anymore. I don't feel the cycle of heat as well. So, they think I am the one bringing bad luck into the pack.""Hmm. I have heard rumors about you. I did not believe it at first, but now that you told me, I think some of the rumors were true.""My father was the best friend of Convell, Conri's father. So, despite the request of the pack members to kill me, Convell would not allow it. He believes that I deserve to live for as long as I don't do anything that endangers the entire pack. But Conri follows the suggestion of most of the pack members. He will only spare my family and me if I become his mistress. He wanted me for his personal use, and it angered my father. We tried to run, but since only four of us were there, my parents got killed trying to save my brother and me. My brother and I got separated. I don't know how, where or if he is still alive."I stopped eating. I felt like I wanted to cry. I missed my family, and now I will never see them."Conri was a coward. He should not follow what the pack members have to say right away. There should be a valid reason. The pack should follow him, not the other way around."I was surprised by what he said. I thought he would also agree that I am nothing but bad luck to the pack."He fears that the pack will revolt against him as he is not as strong as his father," I courageously said since I feel like I found a man who understands me."I also believe so. But strong leadership starts by making firm and wise decisions. It is not only based on how good you are in fighting.""I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks that way." I smiled after I said that because I meant it."You are beautiful when you smile. It would be best if you smiled more often," Reule said.It made me blush, and I got embarrassed. It had never happened to me. I have hated men on my previous pack because of the way they treat me. But Reule is changing something inside me."What will you do now? For sure, Conri won't stop looking for me.""Let him look for you. Let's see if he can take you away from me.""What do you mean? Will you be protecting me for all your life?""If you would allow me to do that, I will.""But why would you do such a trouble?""I am a straightforward and honest man. So, I think I like you. I wanted you to be my mate so I won't be alone. But I will not force you if you don't like it. I will only ask for you to repay me for saving you and protecting you."My eyes widened. I started to feel uneasy. I feel like the man in front of me will change and begin to show his true colors."How can I repay you?" I mumbled.Reule's smile looks like he was a demon about to collect his payment. At that moment, I began to question which was worse, him or Conri."I cannot help it. I am a man with needs like Conri. So, I would like to have a night with you, just to taste you."I wanted to scream and run. What have I gone into? I escaped from Conri, but I am with another man who is worse than him. Why is it that every man just wants to take me to bed?He looked at me, and he realized that I did not like what he asked of me."If you don't like either of my options. I will hand you over to Conri myself. I will not put myself and my pack at risk for someone my pack or I will not benefit from. You have two days to decide," he said coldly. Then he stood and left me.The first cry shattered the quiet. I froze, my heart pounding, and my palms slick with sweat. Then came the second wail, higher, lighter, and it pulled something deep out of me. Something raw and wild and new.“They’re here,” Nana Lolita whispered behind her mask, tears shimmering in her eyes.I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move, only breathe, and listen. Reule’s hand found mine, trembling just slightly. I glanced up at him, stunned to find tears streaking his cheeks. The Alpha, the feared, the relentless, was now crying like a man who had just seen the stars up close for the first time.“We have two healthy pups,” the healer announced. “A boy and a girl.”The air in the room shifted. Reule let out a strangled sound. I laughed, sobbing, broken, and elated. The healer brought them to us one by one, swaddled in soft cream blankets. I held our daughter first. She had a full head of thick, dark hair and Reule’s tiny frown.“She’s judging the world already,” I whispered.“She’s you,” Reule
The scent of roasted garlic hit me like a punch to the stomach. I was mid-stir at the stove, trying to be helpful for once in the kitchen when the nausea slammed into me. My knees buckled, and I dropped the spoon with a clatter, one hand flying to my mouth as I sprinted toward the sink.Behind me, Adriana’s voice floated in, far too cheerful for someone witnessing my demise. “That sounded dramatic. Should I grab a bucket or a priest?”I groaned over the sink, willing my stomach to behave. “Neither. Just… kill me quickly.”Adriana leaned against the counter, biting into an apple like we weren’t seconds away from me vomiting again. “You’ve been sick three mornings this week. And now mid-afternoon. Something you want to share with the class?”“It’s just something I ate,” I muttered.“Uh-huh.” She took another bite. “Or maybe it’s someone you mated.”I turned slowly. “That’s a very inappropriate accusation.”She grinned. “Not when you’re glowing.”“I’m not glowing. I’m sweaty and p
They dressed me in silence. Nana Lolita’s fingers were steady as she fastened the back of my gown, smoothing the silk across my spine. Adriana stood behind her, holding a pale veil that shimmered like stardust. My breath fogged the mirror in front of me, and still, I didn’t move.“You don’t have to be nervous, but if you are, it’s allowed," Nana Lolita said gently.“I’m not scared,” I whispered.“Then what is it?”“I just… want to remember every second of this.”Adriana placed the circle atop my head, her smile reflected beside mine. “You will. We all will.”The gown felt lighter than it looked. The fabric floated around my legs like the wind, and the moon embroidery across the sleeves glowed faintly under the candlelight. But it wasn’t the dress that made me feel different. It was the mark this night would leave. The night I became his.—They guided me out of the house, past rows of flickering lanterns, down a trail lined with white petals. The entire pack waited in the clearing. Th
I held the sealed envelope between my fingers, its edges still warm from the messenger’s hand. A single word had been scrawled on the front in slanted script:Luna.My breath caught as I traced the ink. The title felt surreal, new, like I hadn’t quite earned it, but the whole pack already believed I had.“Open it,” Reule said, his voice low, eyes still locked on the letter like it might explode.I slipped a finger under the seal and peeled it open slowly. Inside was a simple note, handwritten in delicate penmanship:Luna Wren,Your mating ritual robe is ready.It awaits you in the greenhouse. —N.L.My brow furrowed. “N.L.?”Reule stepped closer. “Nana Lolita.”Of course. My heart eased.“She could’ve just told me,” I muttered, trying to hide how touched I felt.Reule chuckled. “That’s her way. She likes theatrics when she’s proud. And tonight, she’s more than proud.”I held the note to my chest, the moment sinking in. I was really going to become his mate and his Luna.“We’ll have
The night air buzzed with celebration. Lanterns hung from the trees, casting a soft amber glow over the pack grounds. Laughter echoed around me as members of the Gray Pack danced barefoot in the grass, their joy contagious. Smoke curled from the grills, mixing with the scent of roasted meat and sweet herbs. The sound of drums beat in time with the thrum in my chest.And yet, all I could focus on was him. Reule stood near the bonfire, dressed in black, but not his usual; he looked regal. A black button-up shirt that clung to his frame, sleeves rolled just enough to expose the veins in his forearms. His hair was slicked back, and stormy eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on me.“Stop staring,” Adriana teased as she handed me a cup of warm cider.“I wasn’t staring,” I said, too fast.“You kind of were.”I nudged her with my elbow. “You’re imagining things.”“No, I’m not,” she said with a smirk. “And neither is he. He’s been watching you all night like he’s memorizing you.”I sipp
The eastern clearing had never looked more alive. Lanterns swayed from tree branches, casting pools of golden light on the packed earth below. A breeze danced through the pines, lifting the scent of roasted meat and crushed herbs. Everywhere I turned, I saw the people I’d been trying to belong to gathered in clusters, eyes lifted to the sky, awaiting the rise of the full moon.And me? I stood just behind the ritual stone, my heart rattling inside my chest like it wanted to escape before I made a fool of myself. I wore no armor tonight, no cloak to hide behind, but just a simple silver-threaded robe that brushed my ankles, bound at the waist with a thin sash. My hair had been left down, curling in dark waves over my shoulders. Nothing about me screamed power, yet I could feel the weight of the entire pack pressing down on me.The elders stood at the edge of the circle. Marla’s expression was unreadable. Elias, beside her, gave a small nod. Reule stood farther back, arms folded, eyes lo