Noah was still in shock from Ophelia’s outburst. It was the first time he has seen her deliver this side of her. The side she keeps hidden. This wasn’t just momentary anger because Ryan said the wrong words. It was the accumulation of many days, starting from the day she ran away - no from the moment she saw her estate on fire with her brother Luke, till this moment today. Day after day the pain escalated to a degree far from what she imagined, and it went beyond that to the point where she lost track of it. She was faring well so far however, she couldn’t hold back her irritation and burst out at Ryan. It was the force needed to hold back, she was getting sick of it. For once, she desired to break loose. Her eyes shot daggers at Ryan, though deep down she knew that it wasn’t his fault she was so angry but she didn’t care. She was beyond reasoning. Noah hesitated to intervene. The fury he saw in her eyes was one he has never seen before. Behind her lilac-violet eyes, there was

With their ears pressed against the door, Ophelia and Noah could hear nothing but the muffled incoherent sounds coming through the thick wood. At first, they believed that Bernard was caught in an argument with someone, but the less heated it become and they were left with incomplete sentences. They pulled back, realizing that there was nothing more to hear. But it wasn’t enough to feed their curiosity. They clearly heard a voice yell at the Alpha. Now it was a question of, who dared to do such a thing. Noah sighed in defeat, his shoulders slumped in disappointment. “There is no way to know now,” Noah pouted, rubbing a frustrated hand through his ink-black hair and turning to Ophelia. “Did you get to hear anything?” 

The 1st of January. It was the day of the long-awaited council meeting and Ophelia barely had a wink of sleep. She was staring at the canopy hovering over her bed waiting for Sarah to wake her up. Until then, she tossed and turned to find a comfortable position but nothing seemed to work. She replayed all the instructions Bernard gave her that night a few days ago. “It will be as if you are never here,” he said, leaning forward on the dining table. “I know it’s hard but you will stay within the second floor’s range.” The council meeting will be held on the ground floor. The Alpha reassured her that there was no need for their guests to roam around the house. The meeting usually lasts a couple of hours before everyone departs back to their home. Ophelia’s room was on the first floor. However, the Alpha found that it was better to safe than sorry and told her to stay the rest of the day on the last floor and away from any paths that the guests could take. All 8 clans were goi

THE COUNCIL OF GLAHAM It was the first time for Noah to sit in the council room. The room was always empty and piled with dust. It took years for the council room to be used. If each clan held the meeting every 8 years, then Noah was 4 years old when the Moonglade last held it. After that, he was probably too young to travel with his father. And when he did actually travel, he only greeted the guests and waited somewhere else. Noah only recalled the past 3 or so years. But here he was, sitting next to his father in the council room. The chandelier was lit with warm yet bright light. The walls were lined with portraits of Noah’s ancestors, some he failed to recognize. His father, Bernard, sat at the head of the table. Behind him was a huge map showing Glaham and Moonglade was highlighted in blue. Moonglade was near the north surrounded by forest from all directions, which made it the safest among the other clans. Noah’s eyes wandered the map till he spotted the land labeled ‘Crescent

Ophelia hovered over the sleeping boy curiously. His skin was as pale as milk, the bright red of his hair contrasting with it. His hair was as red as the first rays of dawn. He was as tall as Noah maybe a little shorter but he was too thin for his age. Ophelia doubted that it was because of lack of nutrients, him being the Alpha’s son and all that. ‘Perhaps what Noah said about him being sick was more serious than I thought?’ she thought, her hand moving impulsively to stroke away the strands escaping to his forehead. “Merrick Fort,” she muttered his name, trying the sound of it on her lips. As if the redhead could hear her, his eyes fluttered open. Ophelia withdrew her hands instantly with a gasp. She was too stunned to say anything so instead, she shared an awkward stare with the boy who seemed to be still half asleep. His caramel-colored eyes were still drowsy from sleeping, it had that mysterious gentleness to it. The kind that Ophelia never understood. For a minute there she