As soon as Hailey left the bathroom, Jane followed her and entered it intending to wash up in a hurry. Hailey began blow-drying her hair as the mist from the hot water rose through the air. There was a knock on the door right at that moment. "Come in," Hailey said, dragging a towel across her body.The door opened, and the glam squad entered, carrying bags and equipment. They greeted Hailey cheerfully, their professional demeanor a mix of energy and efficiency. “Good morning! We are here to help you prepare for this momentous day. Where should we set up? One of them inquired.Jane, stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair, pointed to a spacious corner of the room. “You can set up over there.”The glam squad nodded and immediately started setting up their stations, transforming the corner into a mini salon. Brushes, makeup palettes, hair tools, and mirrors appeared as they worked at a surprisingly fast tempo. Hailey took a big breath, feeling both excited and
At the Blood Moon throne room, Alpha Duncan was fuming with anger and pacing from one end of the room to another. The Luna his mother, sat calmly watching him react to the news she just broke. She knew how upset he was but it was time for him to know the truth. As Duncan's pacing slowed, she spoke softly, "I understand this is difficult, but we must consider the welfare of our pack.""The welfare of our pack? Did you just say... I am the one getting into some loveless marriage, not the entire pack?" Duncan's voice was filled with incredulity and frustration as he halted his pacing to confront his mother."And I understand, but considering who she is, the union would help you politically. Your union might not even be as bad as you fear," his mother replied calmly, her tone trying to reassure him despite the tense atmosphere in the room. Duncan clenched his fists, his frustration evident in the furrow of his brows. “Politics shouldn’t dictate matters of the heart,” he retorted, his voi
Hailey’s heart skipped a beat, her mind struggling to process her father’s words. Leave with her husband? The thought sent a jolt of confusion and anxiety through her. She had always imagined choosing her mate to be a moment of connection and understanding, not something decided for her by others.“Dad, I... “I don’t understand,” she said, her hands trembling at her sides. Her dad looked serious, not changing his expression as he told her something that destroyed her hopes quickly.“It’s for our pack’s good, Hailey,” he said firmly. “This marriage will make our bond with the Blood Moon pack stronger and help us succeed for a long time.”Hailey felt like everything had fallen apart. Her special ceremony, which used to make her excited, now felt like punishment. She felt really sad, realizing that her dreams for the future were gone because of her duty.Looking at the moonlit forest around her home, the familiar trees felt strange. Their shadows seemed to tell her ancient secrets and wa
“I don’t know, but I must do something,” Hailey exclaimed, her frustration evident in the furrow of her brows.“Hailey, whatever plan you have, you need to be careful. You know the kind of man your father is,” Jane cautioned, her tone filled with concern.“How about I run away?” Hailey suggested a glimmer of desperation in her eyes.“Hailey! Is that the best you can come up with?” Jane exclaimed, her disbelief evident in her tone.“Come on, what else would you rather have me do?” Hailey countered, her voice tinged with frustration.It is dangerous,” Jane argued, her voice reflecting the worry she felt. “If you’re caught, the penalty could be severe. And even if you do manage to escape, you’re gonna have to live as a fugitive for who knows how long.”Hailey nibbled on her lip and looked worried, her forehead creased with worry. “You’re right,” she said with a sigh accepting his idea. “But at least it is still better than doing nothing at all”Jane put her hand on Hailey’s shoulder tryi
The situation weighed heavily on Hailey as she moved to her room almost in a zombie-like demeanor. The moment she walked in, Jane stood up and followed her to the bed where they sat down. Concern visible on her face, “What is it? Why are you like this?” Jane asked, her voice filled with worry.It was apparent that Hailey was still very emotional because as she spoke her voice cracked. “I am getting married and there is nothing I can do about it,” she said in a low tone before she started crying.Jane could only fathom the pain her friend had to go through, and so, embraced her tightly in a sisterly hug. “Oh, Hailey, I’m so sorry,” she whispered soothingly, her own eyes becoming slightly teary. “You know, I really wish there was something I could do to assist.”Hailey waved her off with a bitter laugh, her tears flowing unchecked. “Don’t beat yourself up, Jane. If my own mother couldn’t help, I don’t expect anything from anyone,” she said her eyes filling up with tears of disappointmen
"Hailey, wake up! It's the day," Jane exclaimed, shaking Hailey gently to rouse her from sleep."Uhmm," Hailey mumbled groggily, blinking her eyes open."Wake up, sleepyhead! We're getting our wolves today. “I can’t wait”, Jane added more energy to her voice, and she became full of anticipation.This finally made sense to Hailey, and she straightened up immediately from her position on the bed, getting a rush of adrenaline. “Is today…?” she asked, unable to complete the question as the reality of the day's occasion set in."Yes, it's finally happening," Jane confirmed, her excitement mirrored in her bright smile.As the day wore on and anticipation built, Hailey and Jane found themselves eagerly counting down the hours until the shape-shifting ceremony would commence. It was like their real birthday, they were so eagerly waiting for it and the air was full of energy.As the day stationed itself to make way for the night, all were called to gather at the open field for the ceremony. Ma
The Luna turned to Duncan, her expression resolute. "Our promise to the Silver Spring pack still stands, Duncan. You haven't found your mate yet so I see no reason why Hailey’s inability to shape-shift should be a problem Duncan's eyes widened in desperation. "Luna, please, listen to me. There has to be another way. We don't have to go through with this."But Luna shook her head and walked away, her long cloak trailing behind her. Duncan's heart pounded in his chest as he ran after her, his voice pleading. "Luna, you know this isn't right! Just give me more time. I'll find my mate, I promise!"Luna paused, her back still turned to him. “Time is a luxury we don’t have, Duncan.”Meanwhile, back at the palace, the guard sent to find Hailey returned, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He stood before the Alpha, his head bowed. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I couldn’t find her.”The Alpha’s eyes flashed with anger. “Incompetence! How could you fail such a simple task?”“I a-apolo-gize for my incompete
The morning sunlight is filtering through the crack of Hailey’s window. It looked like getting up from her bed was a difficult task but she had to force herself up. She could not liberate herself from thinking about what occurred the previous night.Today was the ball and she felt an increasing feeling of unrest within her. A soft knock on the door brought her back to her reality.“Hailey, are you awake?” Jane’s familiar voice called out.“Yes, come in,” Hailey replied, her voice still groggy. Jane entered with a bright smile on her face. “Good morning! Ready to get all dolled up for the ball?” Hailey tried to mimic Jane’s energetic tone, “Yes Jane, I am as ready as I can be.”A team of servants quickly entered the room wheeling trolleys filled with hair styling tools, make-up palettes, and accessories.One of the servants, a kind woman named Elise, carefully brushed out Hailey’s hair. “You have such beautiful hair, Miss Hailey. We’ll make sure you look stunning tonight.” Hailey o