Tragic Love Werewolf-Kurzgeschichten & -Kurzromane

The Moon Goddess Festival had turned the area around Holy Spring into a sea of celebration. A moonstone blessed by the Moon Goddess rolled through the gathered werewolves. One werewolf after another lunged for it and missed. Finally, it came to a stop at my feet. For a brief moment, the entire place fell silent. I bent down and picked it up. Soon, laughter and cheers erupted all at once. "Give it to Adrian and have him make it into your ring." "It's been five years. This is the Moon Goddess' will." "Hurry and hold your marking ceremony before the blessing fades! You'll be blessed by the Moon Goddess for life." Everyone exchanged knowing looks before turning to Adrian. I lowered my gaze to the moonstone glowing with a soft silver light. I could still feel its lingering warmth against my fingertips as I quietly waited for him to say something. As long as he said 'give it to me,' I would place it in his hand. Instead, Adrian simply took the moonstone from my palm. I felt relieved. The next second, he turned around and handed it to his assistant, Emily. "She saw it first." He ruffled my hair. His voice was as gentle as ever. "She's in poor health. She needs the moonstone more than you do. "We'll wait for the next one." The werewolves' attention shifted away with the moonstone. Watching the surprise and nervous excitement on Emily's face as she cradled it in her hands, I chuckled. What Adrian didn't know was that I couldn't wait for another chance. My marking ceremony was next week.

On the night of my eighteenth birthday, the Lycan King came to me in a dream. He proclaimed me his fated mate and vowed to make me his queen when I turned twenty-two. Terrified, my father tried to help me escape this fate. Before he died, he entrusted me to his closest allies, a family with three powerful, wealthy sons who became my adoptive brothers. They once fought for my attention, each vying to be the one who would marry me. But that all stopped when they brought home Daisy, an orphan girl they found on the streets. They never spoke of marrying me again. Before I knew it, my twenty-second birthday arrived. A blood moon hung in the sky, and I trembled with fear, crying as I begged my eldest brother, Liam, to marry me. He had once had a million-dollar couture wedding gown designed just for me, swearing he would protect me for the rest of his life. But just before the wedding, he heard Daisy had a migraine. He abandoned me without a second thought, rushing her to a private doctor. Tears blurring my vision, I dragged the long train of my gown to find my second brother, Noah. The hot-headed brother who used to fight anyone who upset me now did not even spare me a glance. "Don't bother me," he snapped impatiently. "I'm busy preparing Daisy's medication." As the night deepened, my panic grew, and I ran to find my third brother, Caleb. He was holding Daisy, soothing her gently. "Evie, sweetie, stop playing the victim," he said with a gentle smile that didn't reach his eyes. "There was no Lycan King in your dream." "Your father was just afraid you were so spoiled that no one would ever want you, so he made up that ridiculous lie." "Once Daisy has fully recovered, we'll draw straws or something to decide which of us will marry you." My fingertips went cold as tears streamed down my face. So this is how they saw it. Marrying me was a burden. I stopped pleading. I turned, walked back to my room, and quietly waited for the Lycan King to claim me.

After taking a poisoned drink at a party for my Alpha mate, Magnus Ironwood, I am poisoned with a rare wolfsbane. Since then, my wolf has grown so weak that I can barely maintain a mind-link with the rest of the pack. Magnus travels from pack to pack and to healing centers, searching for healers and praying they can create an antidote for me. On the eve of Spring Hunt Caravan, I force myself out of bed to simmer a pot of meat stew for Magnus and our pup, Ronan Ironwood, only to collapse onto the couch and never wake up again. Moments later, Magnus walks through the door, followed by his assistant, Tala Brightfield, with Ronan in her arms. When he sees me lying on the couch, he sets down the moonstone necklace he buys for me and sighs helplessly. "Don't stay up waiting for us if you're not feeling well, and don't push yourself to make meat stew either." But Tala bursts into tears, "Your Luna doesn't like me, Alpha Magnus! Just half an hour ago, she texted me and told me to stay away from you. I think it's best if I leave." Magnus calls my name. When I don't respond, his expression turns cold, and the tenderness in his eyes is replaced by anger. "Maeve Nightshade! When will you learn the grace of a Luna? Tala has helped me rule this pack, so could you stop throwing these pointless tantrums? "Your antidote is nearly ready. Stop using your poisoning as an excuse to play the victim!" He stands there criticizing my body in front of Ronan, all for another she-wolf. It isn't until he sees my rotting body that he finally loses his mind.

Whenever Jacob called my name, his first instinct was always to utter his ex's name, "Anna". On our first anniversary, the gift he gave me was written: [Anna, let’s be together forever.] When we were intimate, he couldn't stop himself from whispering in my ear, "Anna, tell me you love me." Every time he called me by the wrong name, I could only helplessly reiterate, "My name is Anya, not Anna." Over time, Jacob probably felt some shame. Before addressing me, he would pause to think for a moment, and then successfully say my name, "Anya." Just when I thought he had finally stopped confusing the two of us, Anna suddenly returned. From then on, whenever Jacob introduced me to the rest of the pack, he called me "Anna" more frequently than ever. Even during our mating ceremony, as he held out the ring to me, he called out, "Anna, will you be my mate?" Looking at Jacob standing before me, I didn't bother to correct him this time. Since the name he called wasn't mine, I shouldn't be the one to accept.

This year marked the sixth Unclaimed Moon Damian and I had shared together. As the future Alpha of Moonridge Pack, Damian always believed this tradition would make our bond stronger. Every year, for one month after our anniversary, we suppressed our mate bond through an old pack ritual, stayed out of each other's lives, and gave each other complete freedom. If either of us found someone better, we were supposed to wish them happiness. If not, he would reclaim me when the month ended. Champagne sprayed through the hall as wolves laughed and cheered around the betting table. "Here's to our Alpha being unclaimed again. Another year of freedom." "The betting is open. Put your chips on the left if you think he'll reclaim her. Put them on the right if you think this is finally over." Through the haze of cigar smoke, I sat alone on a leather sofa, watching everything unfold as if none of it had anything to do with me. Damian slipped an arm around Vivian's waist. As he passed me, he lowered his voice and said, "Don't overthink it. You'll always be my only Luna." "When Unclaimed Moon ends, I'll come back to you." I rested a cold hand against the slight curve of my stomach, my expression unchanged. Damian, this year, I placed my bet on the end. I would disappear from your world completely. The claim you were always so sure I would never reject would be the one thing I walked away from tonight.

I hid my identity as a princess of the royal court and lived a quiet life with my fated mate, Kael Voss. The day I found out I was carrying his pup, he dropped a bombshell. "I'm actually the Alpha of the Thunderpeak pack. "In a week, I'm taking Freya Edris as my mate. She's the daughter of the Frostmoon pack's Alpha." I froze. He went on. "I'll set you up with an estate and a lifetime crystal ore stipend. It'll be more than enough for you and the pup." "So?" My throat tightened. "You want me to be your mistress? You want our pup growing up nameless, shunned by every wolf in the kingdom?" Kael looked away. "You're just a packless Rogue. Only Freya is worthy of standing beside me. She's the one who can help me grow the Thunderpeak pack. "As long as you behave, I can give you and the pup everything. Everything except the title of Luna." My eyes stung. So that was all I meant to him. Our pup, our mate bond, none of it was worth a thing. I lifted my gaze and looked him dead in the eye. "What if I told you I have a greater right to stand beside you than Freya ever will? "I wouldn't just help you grow the Thunderpeak pack. I could make it the most powerful pack in the entire kingdom."

On the night of my anniversary with Lawson, I found transfers on his phone that I did not recognize. The recipient of the money was his old flame. For a decade, he had sent her more than a hundred thousand dollars on the fifteenth of every month. I showed him the records and demanded an explanation. He was signing documents and nonchalantly said, "She was once pregnant with my pup, but she lost it because of a pack conflict. I owe her that much. Don't worry. Other than this, I won't give her any resources from the pack as compensation." I cried, argued, and went to my friends to vent. They tried to talk me down. "It's only a few hundred thousand dollars. Lawson is the Alpha of the largest pack. Even if he gave you that amount, you would think it was too little." "You'll be his Luna. The most important thing is to protect your status. Are you really going to lose your composure over an ex?" I thought about the bonding ceremony we were supposed to hold at the Full Moon Festival next month, and about the decade Lawson and I had spent together. So, I gave in. Then I discovered that every noon, the housekeeper would prepare a pup's meal and send it to Lawson's office. I stopped her with a frown and asked what was going on. The housekeeper was stunned. "Miss Monica, wasn't this prepared for your pup? That pup is already six. Every time he sees the Alpha, he calls him Dad."

Lawson and I had arranged to take photos for our upcoming marking ceremony. Dressed in my ceremonial gown, I waited for him in the forest all afternoon until my legs went numb and exhaustion seeped into every part of me. The werewolves accompanying me asked whether we should reschedule. I forced a smile and made an excuse for Lawson. "He's on his way. He'll be here soon." I had no idea where he was. I kept calling him over and over until my phone nearly ran out of battery. Only then did he finally arrive, but he wasn't alone. A shewolf followed behind him. She was draped in Lawson's suit jacket. When they descended the steps, Lawson turned back and offered her his hand. I recognized her immediately. It was Judy, Lawson's childhood friend. The moment she saw me, she looked startled and held onto Lawson's arm. "I'm so sorry. Lawson went to pick me up, so we ended up delaying your photo shoot." Lawson fastened his suit jacket around her shoulders before turning to me. "Let's get this over with. There are still matters in the pack that need my attention." Without a word, I walked toward the shooting location. Then Lawson frowned. "Your makeup's smudged. Let Judy test the moonlight first." Judy walked past me and stood beneath the ancient tree where Lawson and I had first met. I remained silent. Then I overheard two nearby werewolves whisper. "Honestly, Judy looks like a much better match for Alpha Lawson." Lawson didn't deny it. Instead, he glanced at me and reached over to smooth my hair. "If you keep making that face, you'll ruin everyone's mood. We're all exhausted today." I bit my lip as a lump formed in my throat. I couldn't help recalling the day we'd met beneath that tree. He had promised to take me around the world back then. Only seven years had passed, but those promises had already been long forgotten. Suddenly, I realized the person he wanted to make those promises to had never been me.

There was a legend in Mist Pack that whoever possessed the Moonstone Pendant, which was passed down through generations of the pack, would spend a lifetime with their fated mate. When my mate, Lucas, fastened the Moonstone Pendant around my neck, he promised he would never betray me. Later, on the day he publicly ordered me to take it off so he could place it around Layla's neck himself, every werewolf in the pack waited to see how I would react. After all, everyone knew how deeply I loved Lucas. Every time he led a hunting party, I would wait for him atop the pack's highest watchtower. It didn't matter how fiercely the snowstorm raged or if I had to stand there until dawn. Every werewolf wondered how I would tear Layla apart. But when Layla appeared before me while elegantly linking her arm through Lucas's, I simply removed the pendant and fastened it around her neck myself. While holding Layla in his arms, Lucas looked at me with contempt. "Diana, if you can stay as obedient as you are today, I might just let you remain by my side." I touched my bare neck with a blank expression on my face. What Lucas didn't know was that just before the ceremony, all of my memories had returned. I was the daughter of the Alpha King. I was also his only heiress. In three days, my dad would arrive at Mist Pack with his elite guards to bring me home.

My mate Alpha Rowan's childhood friend got pregnant by a rogue. To save her from burning at the stake by the Elders, Rowan claimed the pup was his. I asked him in disbelief what would happen to me and our pup. Rowan just hugged me tight, his eyes full of pain. "They'll kill Tessa, Gwen! Pack law only lets an Alpha pardon his own blood. I'm doing this to save her! You're my only mate. Why can't you understand?" Rowan had no clue. My Omega body simply couldn't handle his powerful Alpha blood. The pup inside me was draining me dry, eating me alive. My wolf was dying. Without my mate's scent and soothing day and night, I wouldn't survive the pregnancy. And I had no one else in this pack. Later, my bloodline-obsessed mother-in-law sneered at me. She said my wolf was weak because I was carrying a rogue's bastard. And Rowan? He was still playing house with his childhood friend. Through my tears, the truth finally hit me. He chose her over me. He chose duty over his mate. So I went to the Head Healer. I lay on the cold operating table and let them remove the pup that was killing me. Since my Alpha couldn't give me the protection I needed to survive, I had to save myself. Even if it meant losing our flesh and blood. But when he finally arrived and saw the blood-soaked surgical tray, he completely lost his mind.

While on a trip, I caught my Alpha fiancé cheating on me with my adoptive sister, Selena. Once they realized I saw them, they ruthlessly abandoned me in that forbidden forest and let Selena return to take my place. For ten days, I was missing. No search party came, and my communication crystal remained silent. Then, while trying to escape a savage bear, I fell down a rocky slope and was left broken, bleeding, and alone. Just as I was on the brink of death and unable to heal, Ryker appeared and saved me. He was wild and imposing, yet lethally gentle. During our days and nights together in the wilderness, it took only a few hoarse whispers to tear down my defenses. I grew absurdly attached to him, believing he was my only salvation in this desolate place. Until one night, I found him contacting the outside world on a high-grade crystal. On the other end was Selena. "Why haven't you finished her off yet? As long as she never comes back, Alaric will be all mine." And my devoted savior replied in that same doting tone, "As long as it makes you happy, I'd spend a lifetime keeping up this charade with her in the wilderness." It was then I understood. What I believed to be a gift from the Goddess was nothing more than another death trap, meticulously woven to ensure Selena got her way. When my heat arrived, on the night of our supposed marking, I threw myself into the roaring river of death that marked the border. I would rather be torn to shreds by the current than look at that despicable "mate" for another second.

I was reborn on the day Alpha Cassian Draven inherited Raven Hollow Pack. My first decision in this life was simple: reject our mate bond, transfer to another pack, and never give him the chance to destroy me again. In my previous life, he despised me as the Omega mate the Moon Goddess forced on him and chose the noble-born Seraphina Voss instead. When she accused me of cursing her, Cassian locked me beneath the pack house and used a forbidden bond-breaking rite to tear apart the bond between me and my wolf. I died under wolfsbane and silver. This time, I will not beg him to love me. When he bars me from Alpha Hall, I turn away. When he says an Omega like me will not survive outside Raven Hollow, I file for a pack transfer and accept Ironwood Pack’s protection. The next time we meet, I am already under another Alpha’s protection. Cassian finally loses control. He demands that I leave Ironwood and return to him. I look at him and smile. “You used to hate that I was your fated mate.” “Now that I truly do not belong to you, why does it bother you so much?”

The first time I find a hair tie in Ryder Jones' jacket pocket, his mother, Nara Winter, comes to me to explain. "Thea, you've misunderstood Ryder. I accidentally left that hair tie in his pocket." The second time, I find a moonstone earring in our den. His buddy comes over with a grin to claim it. "So, that's where the other one went. Ryder's hopeless. I asked him to buy me a pair of earrings, and he somehow lost one. Don't overthink it, Thea." Then, there's the third time, and the fourth time… Every time after that, one of his family members or friends would step in to defend him. The ninth time, I pull a pair of female panties from beneath his pillow. Holding them up in front of him, I ask softly, "Whose are these?" Ryder's fingers pause almost imperceptibly on the newspaper he's holding before he nonchalantly reaches for his phone. "Which one of you left your panties at my place?" On the other end of the line are my younger brother, Zane Thornton, and my best friend, Talia Stone. "Ryder? Talia must've left her panties over there. Sorry. You know what we're like during mating season. We can't control ourselves. Is Thea being paranoid again?" Talia's voice also sounds reproachful. "Thea, I really can't stand this anymore. How can someone like you be worthy of being the Luna?" When the call ends, Ryder flashes me an innocent look. "See? Can you stop doubting me now? How many times has this happened? If you keep making a scene, I think—" I cut him off with a smile. "Let's dissolve our mate bond." What he doesn't know is that the panties belong neither to his lover nor to Talia. I bought them myself and deliberately hid them under his pillow.

When I'm four months pregnant, I come home from a checkup to find my mate, Ethan Hale, standing on a ladder in the nursery, pressing glow-in-the-dark constellations onto the ceiling. His childhood friend, Mia Vance, sits below with her chin in her hands, directing his every move. "Ethan, Orion's crooked. Shift it right a little. Yes, like that, so my goddaughter can see it from her crib." "You're worse than the actual mom, you know that?" He laughs. They joke back and forth, and neither of them notices me in the doorway. A pack member wrapping up a furniture delivery catches Ethan on his way out. "Alpha, the Luna really cares about the pup. That star map looks perfect." Ethan glances at Mia, who ducks her head with a blush, and says nothing to correct him. I don't move. Every detail in this nursery is Mia's doing. She picks the snow-white paint on the walls and the carousel mobile over the crib. Even the baby's nickname is Amber—named after a rabbit Mia had for eight years before it recently died. I tell Ethan over and over that I don't like any of it. He always says the same thing, that it's just a casual nickname and not worth getting upset over. I open my phone and submit a mate bond dissolution request to the Elder Council because this is my pup, and I'm going to be the one who names her.

Everyone in the Moonshadow Pack knew that Alpha Dorian was utterly devoted to me. Cold and untouchable as he was, he crossed the forbidden grounds every year and traveled all the way to Moon Mountain, where he spent an entire month praying for me. I had always believed I was the happiest woman in the world until the day I saw a TikTok video. My younger sister, Calista, was holding a pup in her arms as she smiled at the camera. "Back then, this was where we lost control while praying to the Moon Goddess, and that was how we had our baby." "So every year, we come back to thank the Moon Goddess." The camera shifted slightly. I saw Dorian standing behind her, lowering his head as he gently tucked her windblown hair back into place. The movement was tender and practiced. I sat in the room with the fireplace burning, but the blood in my body seemed to turn cold little by little. Just then, the Healer from the pack clinic pushed the door open. "Liora, your test results are back." "You're two months pregnant." My mate had been cheating on me with my sister for five years, and I was carrying his pup. Tears blurred my vision, but my hand still moved to my lower abdomen, feeling the small life inside me. A moment later, I made up my mind and booked a ticket leaving in two days. I would take my pup and leave. But after I left, my mate lost his mind.

After three years of banishment from my pack, I finally learned to submit. On the day I returned, my fated mate, Alpha Kane, cornered me by the cliff with a cold warning. "If you ever lay a claw on Isla again, I will—" Before he could finish, I slammed my hand against a jagged rock. Once. Twice. Until the crunch of shattered bones echoed in the air. He stared at my limp, mangled hand. It wasn't healing instantly like it should. For the first time, his unwavering Alpha composure cracked. Back on the top floor of the Pack House, the Omega my parents adopted taunted me on the balcony. "So what if you have the former Alpha's bloodline? I am the future Luna!" With a vicious smirk, she dug her nails into her own arm, drawing blood. Then, she screamed. "Aurora! If you hate me that much, I'll leave! Please, just don't hurt my baby!" My mate and my brother rushed in just in time to see this. Instantly, they unleashed their terrifying Alpha and Beta auras, pinning me down. The suffocating pressure almost crushed my wolf. "You're beyond saving!" Kane snarled. "If anything happens to Isla or her pup, I'll wipe you off the face of the earth!" I nodded submissively. I turned around, walked straight down to the pack's dungeon. Without a second thought, I threw myself into the interrogation vat—a pool of highly concentrated liquid silver. Splashing silver burned my parents' skin as they burst through the door. My mother let out a horrific scream and fainted on the spot. My father fought through the searing agony, plunging his hands into the vat to drag me out. Meanwhile, my always cold and powerful Alpha mate froze. He stood there, shaking uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word. Agony tore through every nerve from the silver burns, but I smiled. Three years ago, after failing to win their approval, I was banished. The System had told me: Show absolute submission until death, and it will reward you with billions of dollars and send you back to your real world.

Liam Hurley's favorite thing to say to me is, "Don't worry." Don't worry. Once he consolidates his power and ends the internal strife of the pack, we'll reveal our relationship. Because of that, I waited for two years. Don't worry. We'll hold the bonding ceremony as soon as his mother accepts me. I waited for another three. In the fifth year, at the banquet celebrating Liam's rise to Alpha of the Ashmoon pack, his mother, Elana Gibson, unclasps the moonstone necklace from around her neck in front of everyone. Liam told me long ago that passing down the moonstone necklace is the Ashmoon pack's official ritual for acknowledging a Luna. I figure Liam won't be telling me not to worry this time. "Here, let me put this on you." Elana walks right past me and gently fastens the necklace around the neck of Lilith Powell, Liam's assistant. The whole banquet hall falls dead silent. Elana pats the back of her hand with a warm smile. "Lilith is so sweet and kind, and she's been a massive help to Liam. She has a special place in my heart." I hear someone whisper, "What about Freya?" Liam lowers his voice. "My mother cherishes bonds. Lilith really has done a lot for me, so don't take it personally. Don't worry, okay? Next month, I'll take you to pick out a better moonstone necklace that's way more valuable than that one." As the crowd scatters, Lilith strokes the necklace and gives me a smug smile. "Freya, are you jealous? Elana says this moonstone has been passed down for seven generations in the Ashmoon pack." I tell her I am. Just then, my phone buzzes in my pocket. "Have you made up your mind? When are you coming to Nordravia?"

In the fifth year of my becoming Damian Veylor's fated mate, he returns from a hunting mission with an injury. They say his memory has been destroyed by the toxins, and so he forgets everything about me, yet he still manages to remember Clara Whitmore—the she-wolf he grew up with and the one everyone always believed he would mark—perfectly. For her sake, he throws me out of the Alpha's quarters. Then, with his own two hands, he forces poison down my throat. The poison consists of silver powder and wolfsbane, two of the oldest, most brutal substances known to werewolves. It burns straight through my internal organs and sears its way into my bones. I can feel a certain part of myself burning alive. That's when I know I'll never be able to get pregnant. I'll never be able to carry Damian's pup, or anyone else's for that matter. "Only Clara is worthy of carrying the next Alpha. As for you? You're nothing but a Rogue who wandered into my territory and refused to leave."

After discovering that my Alpha mate, Silas, still couldn't let go of his puphood sweetheart, Julia, I began teaching our pup, Luke, to address him as Alpha. When Luke was injured and admitted to the healer's den, one phone call from Julia was enough to make Silas leave. Holding Luke in my arms, I gently prompted him, "Say goodbye to Alpha." Silas had promised to spend Luke's birthday by taking him to Moonshadow Park to watch the fireflies, but then Julia called and said that her own pup had no father to accompany him while crying. Without the slightest hesitation, Silas grabbed his coat and left. I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, I handed the phone to Luke. "Help Alpha cancel the park reservation." Every time, Luke would fight back tears and hesitate for a long while before doing it. It wasn't until one day when Silas finally realized how much he had neglected us and offered to take us to the movies. But just as we arrived at the theater, Julia called again. I could hear her voice trembling over the phone. "Silas, could you pick Aiden up from school right now? "The other pups keep teasing him for not having a father. They say he's a pup without a father to protect him." A look of pity appeared on Silas' face as he crouched down. He was getting ready to explain things to Luke. This time, without waiting for me to prompt him, Luke waved at Silas on his own. "It's okay, Alpha. "Go take care of your other pup. "This family can manage just fine without you."

On Alpha Adrian Blackwood’s thirty-fifth birthday, his foster sister, Selena Vale, put on a magic show for the entire Mooncrest Pack. Selena had insisted that I join her onstage and assist with the grand finale. She had spent months learning stage magic and bragging about every new illusion until the entire pack was convinced she was practically a master magician. So when the blades inside Selena’s illusion box turned out to be real, no one believed my screams. Selena laughed into the microphone. “Our Luna deserves an Oscar. Doesn’t she make it look real?” The entire pack laughed with her. Even Adrian frowned at me from the front row. “Elena, enough. Don’t ruin my birthday just because you can’t stand Selena being in the spotlight.” Our six-year-old son looked up at me and said, “Mommy, stop pretending. Aunt Selena worked really hard.” Then the next blade came down. And another. They thought I was putting on a performance to ruin Selena’s magic show. But I wasn’t acting. I was dying.