XAVIER ASHERIUS’S POVAs the door to the Second Hall opened wide, I stepped out. A breeze scent of sweet florals and Damask roses brushed my nose. The scent concentrated in the narrow hallway next to the Second Hall. The corners of my lips lifted. I deeply breathed in the lingering Peony’s scent. She wasn’t within my line of sight, or maybe she took a quick peek before leaving with her witch friend.I intended to find her to ease my longing. But Zed, my Beta, reported some other issues that I needed to deal with. All the pack matters can't be handled on their own unless I intervene.I deliberately finished my work just before lunch. I went to my room to ask Peony for lunch together in the gazebo, like we used to do.When the door opened, my heart immediately sank. Peony, the woman with lustrous black eyes, was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her empty stare was like that of a dead fish. Her shoulders were hunched forward, and I could see an invisible sadness weighing her down.When sh

PEONY CRIMSON’S POVA wave of emptiness crashed over me once the two black SUVs vanished from visibility. Closing my eyes, I clasped my hands and brought them to my chest. Sending up a prayer of safety for Xavier and the search team.I opened my eyes and didn't find Zed by my side. He had already paced his way towards the second floor, where Alpha's office was. I hurried to catch up with him."So... um... Zed?" I called him out.Zed stopped his steps abruptly, and I almost bumped into his solid back. But I avoided it by putting the brakes on my own feet. Zed turned, his figure towering like a giant wall. I gasped. Zed's ocean blue eyes flashed an indescribable anger. Pulses clearly popped out of his neck."You've been hiding in the mortal world for so long that you don't know how to respect anyone higher than you. Do you?" Zed snarled sarcastically.I laughed nervously. What was up with that attitude? He had turned into another person after Xavier's departure. I recalled that Zed isn’

PEONY CRIMSON’S POVThe next gust of wind brought back that burning smell, as well as the wolfsbane that almost numbed my senses. I tore off the hem of my skirt and used it to shield my nose."Ugh, the smell is getting stronger," Emily complained. As a wolf, she was the one who suffered the most.We all know that wolfsbane was the deadliest flower that could kill a werewolf with just a petal. But the burning flesh?!The only way to explain all of that was to go straight to the source.I couldn't let Emily carry us there, so without shifting, I made a beeline for the forest in front of the watchtower. The wolfsbane scent had dissipated with the breeze, but the blood and burnt flesh remained. It could be used as a reference point.Something churned in my stomach, bringing cheesiness to the tip of my throat. I was about to vomit. My mind blurred, and I almost collapsed from the sickening smell."What’s that?" Emily whispered.I crouched behind a tree and peered out. Within a hundred yard

XAVIER ASHERIUS’S POV(A day before the Moon Festival)"The cops we questioned earlier weren’t all different from the other mortals, Alpha.” Judd reported. I saw his hands clenched into fists as muscles jumped out at his temples. "They're wasting too much time. If you drop your command, I'll crush their bones into mere dust."This was our second day in the mortal world. It didn’t take long for my nine-person team to identify the people who may have had contact with my triplets on the day they disappeared. My team took everything with detail and precision, and I was quite pleased. They handled this impromptu quest with such dedication."Not now." I grinned faintly.After interrogating every elementary school teacher and staff member, Jedd and two other members went to the police station this morning. Only to discover there were no reports of missing children, as Peony had explained to me. Unsatisfied, I had Theo sneak into the police archives, but he returned empty-handed.There was no

XAVIER ASHERIUS’S POV"Does it still hurt?"I walked out of the bathroom as I wiped my fists with a towel after washing away the rogues’ blood. Peony sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly deep in her own thoughts. She glanced at me. Her eyelashes swayed gently as she blinked, followed by a faint smile on her rose-red lips."I'm fine. The regeneration worked," she responded."Let me see."I tossed the towel into the laundry bin and knelt in front of Peony. I lifted her right sole gently, her skin twitching in response to my touch. I slowly peeled off the bandage around her calf. I sensed Peony hold her breath. It brought a smirk to my face.The floor swallowed the fallen bandage, revealing her porcelain skin beneath, perfect without any scars—as she said. I grazed her delicate skin with my forefinger tip. An electric shiver ran down to my skin. Peony tensed as my mere touch transformed into a gentle stroke. Her lips slightly opened, letting out a silent moan.I grasped her sole, liftin