The zipper on the jacket Scott gave Ciara was so difficult to put on. Her hands were slippery from the damp ground she had unconsciously been clutching inside the cave while waiting for him, who was yet to arrive.As Scott approached her, Ciara thought he would scold her for not being able to do something as simple as zipping up her jacket. However, she didn’t expect him to kneel and help her with the zipper.“Thanks.”Her gratitude received no response from him. Instead, he looked up, his gaze fixed on her lips.Afterward, he brought his face closer to hers, and she instinctively pulled away. Her movement startled him. He blinked and seemed momentarily confused.“Let’s go back,” he said then, turning away and leaving her.What was he about to do just now?*The cabin was in a state of chaos. It was no wonder the team members were worried about Scott’s condition. Scott probably felt the same way if he saw all this, plus the reports from the Moon Ashes patrol members.The main room in
Hayley didn’t come alone. She was accompanied by several patrol team members, including Burke and Godrick, as well as Maila.While the others simply stared at Scott in disbelief, Hayley walked in and pointed her finger at him.“I knew it!” she yelled. “You’ve been hiding something from me!”After saying that, she glared at Ciara and raised her hand high. A slap was about to land on Ciara’s face if Scott hadn’t caught Hayley’s hand and pushed her away.“What are you doing?!” Scott barked.Hayley pulled her hand away from Scott and held her wrist. It seemed Scott had gripped it too tightly in the heat of the moment, and now Hayley looked pained. Her expression was a mix of anger, pain, and disappointment.Scott knew his defense of Ciara would hurt Hayley. But for the Moon Goddess’s sake, Scott was ruthless and felt no pity or guilt towards her.“Why are you protecting her?! Whose side are you on?!”“You shouldn’t have slapped her! She’s innocent!” Scott defended.Of course, this only fu
Ciara’s two legs felt as though they were bound to stone chains as she crossed the gravel road that led her to Scott’s residence. The two werewolves accompanying Scott weren’t particularly friendly towards her. They didn’t smile at all when she accidentally met the gaze of both men, who were waiting for her and Scott at the bottom of the cabin’s stairs.“Let’s go,” Scott said to his friends.The two men walked ahead, and Scott and Ciara followed. She searched for her necklace pendant and her heart rate slightly calmed when her hand felt the cold surface of the object.The distance they covered felt so far, and as the trees became sparse and the road transformed from dusty gravel to a smooth black surface, she spotted a row of houses in the distance, and her nervousness escalated rapidly.This was the first time she was inside a pack of werewolves. Until now, she had been surrounded by humans who treated her unjustly.She felt both excited and fearful at the same time. Excited because
“I have to make sure she is not dangerous. I don’t want to endanger our pack,” Scott glanced at Ciara before looking back at Hugh and speaking. “And I’m not a cold-blooded werewolf who kills every rogue I encounter. We can get information from them.”“And what information can you get from her?” Hugh asked.Scott fell silent. “I don’t think it’s something we can discuss in front of her.”Hugh took a deep breath and said, “Well then, until you get information from her, confine her in the prison—”“No,” Scott interrupted. “She’s not a threat, so we don’t need to confine her.”Tension mounted, and Ciara edged behind Scott. She didn’t want to end up back in a cell...“And what assurance can you give me that she’s not dangerous, Scott?” Hugh challenged. “After all, I’m still the Alpha of Silvercrest. If something happens, and this girl is the cause, I have to take responsibility for it.” Hugh, shorter than Scott, raised his chin and gazed at his son. “Now, tell me. What assurance can you gi
Ciara was taken aback by Scott’s question. Thinking about Nova had made her sad, and without realizing it, she started crying. She quickly wiped away the tears on her cheeks while forcing a laugh.“No!” she said. “I’m just tired.” Her voice trailed off at the end, and then she hid her face by bowing her head.I am a bad liar; she thought. She wasn’t good at lying, and she was sure Scott didn’t believe her weak excuse.However, Scott didn’t comment further on it. It seemed he wasn’t too concerned about whether Ciara was really crying or not.“Stand up. We’re going to my house now,” he commanded.She stood up and brushed the dust off her backside. She followed him, who was walking ahead. They left the Alpha’s house, and she took a deep breath, feeling like she had successfully passed through something terrifying.She prepared herself for more curious stares, but when they stepped outside, there was no one on the streets.“Starting today, you’re a guest at Silvercrest,” Scott said as he
“I heard the news that my fiancé invited a girl to stay at his house,” Hayley said, placing her hands on her hips. Her jaw clenched as she fixed a sharp gaze on Ciara. “Turns out the news is true,” she added.“It’s not like what you think,” Scott said. However, he seemed indifferent to Hayley’s rage. He continued cooking instead of approaching her to calm her down.Of course, Scott’s demeanor only made Hayley angrier. “How can it not be what I think it is?! Now, if I were to invite a man to live with me, share the same room and bed, wouldn’t you think of what I think?!”Scott half-slammed the knife he was holding onto the countertop. One hand rested on the edge of the table, and the other was on his hip. He took a deep breath and stared at Hayley.“That’s a totally different thing!” he snapped. “It’s not like I invited her to stay here because I like her. It’s all because Hugh told me to take responsibility for Ciara being here.”“Oh... so your name is Ciara?” Hayley no longer paid at
Ciara heard the front door being opened and then slammed shut. Not long after, Scott returned to the kitchen. He stood with his hands on his hips and said, “Don’t mind her.”But that was impossible, of course. Hayley’s position at Silvercrest was stronger than Ciara’s; it had to affect her. “Is she your girlfriend? What does ‘engagement’ mean?” Ciara asked.Scott furrowed his brow. “You’ve never heard the word ‘engagement’?”Ciara shook her head. “No,” she said. “I only know about boyfriends and husbands.” She paused for a moment. “Nova told me.”“I know.”“Know what?”“I know Nova is the one who told you.”This time, Ciara raised an eyebrow in surprise. “How could you know?”Scott walked behind the counter and continued cooking. “Because I only heard the name Nova from your mouth and no one else’s. So, I concluded that this Nova person is the one who taught you everything about life.”Ciara felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She looked down and played with her intertwined fing
There were more werewolves gathering when Ciara arrived at the patrol team’s main base. The place was huge, consisting of wooden buildings, a very spacious semi-open room, and a courtyard capable of accommodating a thousand people. Ciara felt the burning enthusiasm amidst her embarrassment. She was happy to meet many werewolves, something she had dreamed of for a long time. However, just like when she came to Silvercrest, all eyes looked at her with suspicion and curiosity.She followed Scott as he walked while chatting with Sewell. She lowered her head, occasionally glancing towards the crowd, who stared back at her cynically. Among the crowd was Hayley.Everyone crowded toward the open space near the field and stood in rows. Five other people, including Scott, stood facing them. Ciara knew those five people; three of them were the ones who came to Scott and Ciara at the cabin. It seemed they were important figures in Silvercrest, just like Scott.Ciara stood outside the room, near t