The Alpha Mansion was lit as bright as Christmas day. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the flowers adorning the walls and banister added charm to the Full Moon Banquet.
Naira entered the ballroom with her parents on either side, her hands clenched as nervous sweat slid down her back.
She felt like puking.
The closer it drew to midnight, the more nervous she became. And the more nervous she became, the harder she found to concentrate on anything but her pounding heart.
'Zain, Zain...Moon Goddess, please...'
She couldn't imagine herself mated to anyone else but him. She wouldn't know how to love that poor wolf.
After giving her entire heart away, Naira didn't even have the confidence to like someone other than her childhood friend, let alone love.
He was her first friend, her first confidant, her first crush, and her first love.
More than Yvone and Karim, her adopted parents, she loved and trusted Zain. Her entire world revolved around him.
If soulmates were meant to complete each other, then the Moon Goddess would connect their souls, because the only one who could complete her was him.
"Ira, you're here!"
Looking dashing in a blue suit, the man of her every thought walked towards her with a charming smile.
His dark silky hair gleamed under the chandelier light, enhancing his abnormally tall and lean stature. His strong jaw and deep blue eyes, set in his defined facial features, made him look like a Greek god.
Her heart picked up speed, and Naira couldn't help but blush. "Of course, I'm here. It's not like you're the only one turning 18."
"Haha! That's true. My Ira and I will turn 18 together. How do you feel? Nervous?" Stopping a few steps away from her, Zain studied her with a peculiar gaze.
My Ira...
The way he said it was so...sweet and claiming!
"I am. I...I don't know who'll be my mate..."
She said this to test his reaction. But his unruffled expression made her heart sink.
Zain. Did he not even feel anything for her? The thought of her becoming the mate of another male...it didn't affect him even the slightest bit?
Just a few seconds ago, she had been desperately praying for him to be her mate. But if he didn't even love her after 10 years...would he feel something because of the manipulation of some mystical being?
Would what he felt then be true love or mere attraction caused by the bond?
"Ira, there's no need for you to be nervous. Whoever becomes your mate, he'll be one lucky guy."
Like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, his casual words swept away her worries.
Naira felt her restless heart slowly settle down in her chest.
This was her Zain. His one sentence had the power to settle or shake her. Move her to tears or laughter. If he wasn't her mate, Naira couldn't imagine who else could be.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as I'm sure you're all aware, today we are gathered here for the coming of age ceremony of our pack's Alpha Heir and his best friend, Naira. Please wish them luck in finding their destined mates!" Alpha Adeel's voice boomed through the hall, and like some sort of a trigger, the pack members erupted into joyous cheers.
"Good luck Alpha Heir! Good luck Naira! May the both of you get the mates of your heart!"
Their thunderous cry echoed throughout the room, and filled her heart with hope.
"Ira...I wish you happiness. May you get the mate of your heart." Zain whispered.
"If the Moon Goddess wills, I will." Naira hesitated slightly, before raising her gaze and looking him in the eye. "Zain, whoever your soulmate turns out to be, I hope you'll give her a fair chance."
Zain's gaze flickered, and for a brief moment, she thought he was going to refuse. But in the end, he released a deep sigh and slightly nodded.
That was all Naira wanted. For Zain to give her a chance and not reject her when they turned out to be each other's true-mates.
With this knot resolved, she began to look forward to the full moon. To when their wolves would make an appearance and claim their mates.
Time seemed to flow at the speed of a snail. The lights winked out and couples gathered in the center of the ballroom.
When Zain asked her for a dance, Naira smiled, and followed him on the dance floor with butterflies fluttering in her stomach. They were friends who had accompanied each other since the age of 8.
From studying to training, they learned everything together, including dancing.
As Zain expertly spun her around, her red dress flared and bloomed around her like a gorgeous rose whose petals aspired to be only touched by him. Her dark eyes glowed, and when they connected with his blue orbs, a smile stretched out on her face.
"You are an amazing dancer, Naira. And in this dress, you look like a queen."
"No need to flatter me so much. I might misunderstand and think you like me..." She lightly teased, with a hint of shyness in her voice.
"Of course, I l..."
"Zain!"
A sharp cry cut him off mid-sentence. As Zain stopped and looked over her shoulder, Naira was in a trance, internally wondering what he was going to say.
'Did he mean to say he likes me?'
Naira's heart pounded in her chest.
Zain. Her Zain. He liked her as well, right? That's what he wanted to say.
The thought filled her with anticipation. She expectantly lifted her gaze to hear him finish his words. But the smile on her face froze when she saw his vision fixed on Jules Hayden.
A foreboding feeling invaded her heart.
Jules...she was Zain's girlfriend. Could she also be...?
Naira felt her heart tremble, then completely shatter. Because Zain only hesitated slightly, before he released her and walked off to the she-wolf.
Some claim heartbreak leaves a deep ache in the chest, and others say it makes one feel as if it's the end of the world.
For Naira, the feeling of seeing Zain walk past her and say 'Mate' to a woman other than her was like falling and falling into a bottomless abyss with no end in sight.
A blood-curdling howl echoed from the back of her mind, but she was too far gone to pay it any attention.
In a matter of an instant, she fell from heaven to the darkest pit in hell.
White agony blinded her vision. She held her chest, backed away from the congregating crowd, and staggered out of the Alpha Mansion.
She had entered with a nervous smile, but in the end, left in tears.
She would've liked to believe she had left to maintain her self-respect. To not embarrass herself by crumbling in front of everyone and bawling her eyes out.
She would've loved to believe she wished her Zain happiness with the one he was fated to be with.
However, that wasn't the case.
Naira knew she had escaped like a coward, because the sight of Zain standing besides the mate the Moon Goddess chose for him, the one deemed more worthy of him than her, had shattered both her heart and soul.
She was afraid she would lose her mind and attack Jules Hayden. Because for a split instant, an intense flare of hatred, and blinding jealousy, had welled up in her heart.
She had wanted to rush forward, yank the she-wolf's hair, and claw out her greedy eyes so she would never look at her Zain again...
There was no hope. It had been smothered. The tiny flicker completely snuffed as surely as if the flame had been doused.
Like an aged wine, her love had only fermented and grown deeper over the years. Unfortunately, even though it was strong enough to riddle her heart with wounds, it didn't seem to be strong enough to move the Moon Goddess.
Because now, there was no hope of it ever being reciprocated.
There was no Moon Goddes.There was no mystical being that answered prayers.If there was, she wouldn't be in such despair.Naira could hear the cheers, even in her room, even with the door and windows shut tight. The jubilant, the boisterous booms of laughter over music. It filled the gaps between her strangled sobs.A faceless woman basking in the worship and devotion of naive creatures that had no one to turn to, little more than an illusion conjured out of desperation amid a sea of confusion and lack of direction.That's what she was.A mere illusion conjured in a moment of desperation.Naira admitted her faith in the Moon Goddess was as flimsy as the wing of a cicada. It might've been due to the destruction of her pack or the tragic loss of her parents.But whatever the cause, the little bit of faith that pushed her to pray had completely shattered tonight.Taking off her red dress, she discarded it in a corner of the room, crawled into her bed and covered herself from head to to
Fate, or the Moon Goddess. They had a penchant to mess with people. Naira felt funny. When she yearned to marry Zain even in her dreams, her prayers went unanswered. And when she realized this dream would never come true and decided to let go, a bomb dropped on her head. Of course, she loved him too much to dodge it. Hence, the reason why she now stood on the altar in place of Jules Hayden. "Naira Karim, do you accept Zain Adeel as your husband and future Alpha? Do you promise to support him and guide him to be a better leader for the Moonlit Pack?" "I do." The preacher repeated the question three times, and she answered with nervous sweat. "Zain Adeel, do you take Naira Karim as your wife and future Luna? Do you promise to respect her and treat her with the honor she deserves as the Mother of the Moonlit Pack?" Her heart pounded in her ears, the words of the preacher sounding far and distant. Naira looked at Zain in trepidation. She didn't know if he would change his mind at
"Humm...hum...hum..." The early morning sun shone brightly through the windows. Naira carried a bowl of soul with a blissful smile on her face, humming a soft tune under her breath as she walked to her husband's office. The events of last night flashed through her mind, making her cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink that made the cleaning Omegas throw her a second glance. She had never felt so content. So complete. Her happiness was truly connected with her Zain. Arriving at his office door, she paused and took a few deep breaths. Once she regained her composer, she gently turned the knob. The soup was hot, and she was afraid to accidently spill it. So, she kept her eyes trained on the bowl, as she slowly stepped into the room. "Zain, baby, I was so scared. Those group of rogues...they were cold and ruthless. They killed my friend and chained me with silver. Thankfully, my father and his patrol found me when they did. Otherwise..." A coquettish voice resounded in the office room.
***7 years later*** "Zain..." He didn't stop moving his hips as he sealed her mouth and swallowed her moans. His hands cupped the swell of her breasts and rubbed her erect nipples with passionate hunger. Her slick cave, her fragrant saliva, he reveled in them like sweet nectar. Zain wanted to punish her, to make her experience the same agony he felt in her absence. But he couldn't bear to hurt her. So he tormented her with his hands and tongue, making her scr*am his name. "Zain..." Hot tears streamed down his face. He had been looking for her ever since she left them that day. His best friend. He hardly remembered what he felt after her departure. But the frightening hollowness that opened up in his heart...he could still remember as clear as if it were yesterday. "Zain!" Zain woke with a start, and groaned. Leaning on his desk, he held his head and closed his eyes, breathing heavily as he waited for the splitting headache to pass. "Baby, are you okay?" Jules moved to the ba
The narrow alleys of the residential buildings were damp and dirty, with trash and cans strewn about. Naira held her nose and skimmed over the puddles of water, her steps light and feathery as she dashed out of the alleys into the busy, crowded streets. Car honks and enraged shouts blared out from multiple directions. Naira didn't even stop to acknowledge the angry drivers as she continued her mad run into the congested road towards the other side of the street. "You crazy woman! Go die somewhere else!" "What a lunatic! Is she..." Leaving the curses behind her, she ran a few more blocks before turning into a secluded corner. Immediately, a loud drone filled her ears, and the scene before her eyes turned blurry, then completely transformed. On her left and right, towering black brick walls rose as high as the sky, while a black steel door with the engravings of a moon and star loomed before her. Frantically fixing her hair and clothes, Naira closed her eyes and steadied her breat
Naira's limbs shook like a leaf caught in a storm. There was only one individual in the world who called her Ira. "Za...Zain!?" "Hm." Strong arms wound around her waist, and pressed her tight against a hard chest. Naira's heart almost leaped out of her chest as Zain buried his face in the crook of her neck and vengefully nicked her skin. Before she could yelp in reaction, he tenderly kissed and rubbed his nose on the sore mark. "My Ira...I finally found you." A flood of turbulent emotions surged in his heart. Zain felt like beating the woman in his arms for tormenting him for so many years. But at the same time, he wanted to deeply embed her into his body and make her one with him, so she would never be able to leave him again. He wanted to scream and question her, ask her how she could leave him without even saying goodbye. But recalling he had spent seven years searching for her, he wanted to do nothing more than immerse himself in this reunion. Zain wanted to do so much, his
Naira jerked her head upward and glowered at the vampire lord. The neon lights streaming through the glass window painted his scarlet eyes a purple shade. Coupled with his dark-brown hair and finely sculpted facial features, he was the very definition of supernatural beauty. Unfortunately, his beauty wasn't powerful enough to move her heart. For the past seven years, Daemon had helped her without asking for anything in return. From erasing her traces so the warriors of her former pack wouldn't find her, to creating a new identity for her in an unfamiliar environment. He helped without being asked and without asking for anything in return. Alas, if she hadn't caught the slight resentment in his eyes on the night her children were born, Naira might've actually accepted his offer years ago. After all, her kids were not human, so staying among humans wasn't in their best interest. To ensure they received the proper education in terms of their true nature and abilities, they needed a
"Naira, you know my feelings for you. Though I felt resentful when you had the kids of the man who hurt you, I'm willing to embrace them because they're also your kids." Daemon sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "For centuries, the Riverside Pack had only accepted a werewolf Mistress and a Vampire Lord as their leaders. But a vampire Mistress in the previous century broke this chain, creating an unrest in the pack. Naira, I want you to become the new werewolf Mistress of the Riverside Pack and help me settle the growing tension among the supernatural races." A complicated expression appeared on Naira's face. "That...I don't think I have what it takes to calm a group of uneasy supernaturals. Daemon, I'm really sorry, but I'm not ready to shoulder such a heavy responsibility. My pups are still young, and I..." "I know. You want to be a capable mother for them. But have you ever considered? A mother is exactly what the Riverside Pack needs at this moment. The pack members...t