On a rocky landscape surrounded by tall mountains, a vast plain of ice and shallow streams stretched as far as the eye could see. In this plain, a pack of brown furred wolves could be spotted darting back and forth on a certain boundary. They sniffed around and left their scent markings on boulders and regions they perceived as their territory, before shifting into their human forms. "What do you think of the Werewolf Mistress?" One of the wolves suddenly asked. "Not what I was expecting, really. Since she entered the Pack, no one has seen her change. This makes me wonder if she's one of the formless." Another replied. "Then...if she's only an ordinary human, what will that spell for us and the pack?" Zain's ears pricked in eager anticipation. These patrols were the only source of information he had on his Ira and their kids. He ducked under a small outcropping and intently eavesdropped on their conversation. For the past two months, he had been stealthily traveling in the Himala
Once out in the chilly wind, Naira sighed tiredly and trudged her way to the stone house allocated to her and her kids. "Another clash with Princess Celia?" A slight breeze ushered her scent, before Aisha scurried to her side. Naira smiled and helplessly replied. "When has there ever been peace between us?" "You know, I kind of understand her feeling. Before you appeared, she had been set to become the strongest female authority of the largest pack in the East. Sadly, she wasn't born a werewolf." "Hehe. You make it sound like I'm one." "Hey, even though you can't shift, you still have werewolf blood. That's a hundred times better than the princess with pure vampire genes." Aisha deadpanned. Naira helplessly shook her head and refrained from making any comment. The Riverside Pack strictly adhered to the ruling of ranks and hierarchy. Clustered around an ice mountain, from the outermost part of the packground to the center, the houses of the pack members were divided into the lo
"Daddy!" Zara and Zanai leaped off the bed, sprinted across the room, and threw themselves into their father's arms. Zain laughed joyously and picked them up. With a slight turn, he twirled them around in a full circle. The warm welcome melted his heart and brought tears to his eyes. Just for this moment alone, he would happily reexperience the past days of struggle without hesitation. "Daddy, you're finally here! Do you know the people of this pack are bullying Mommy? They said bad stuff about her, and called her the Vampire Lord's keeper!" "Dad, what does a keeper mean? Will the Vampire Lord keep our Mom away from us?" "Let's go and tell him! Mommy will stay with us, and we'll be a happy family!" The kids talked over each other, each growing more excited as they condemned the pack and advocated for a face-off against the Vampire Lord. Zain chuckled amusedly and looked at them in turn. The feeling of holding a miniature Ira and Zain in his arms overwhelmed his senses. Walking
Naira froze, then looked up at Zain in shocked disbelief. She and Zain...they were still husband and wife? How was that possible? They had already signed the papers! Her mind turned sluggish, and she wondered if it was possible to hallucinate from suppressed expectations. With her undying obsession with Zain Adeel, it wouldn't be surprising if that was the case. Only... The man's cold glare made it difficult for her to dismiss his frigid words. "You...what...did you just...say?" She stuttered. Seeing her confused expression, Zain's fury dissipated. Sighing helplessly, he rummaged through his clothes and withdrew a stack of documents. He sat beside her and cautiously spread out the wrinkled papers. "Ira, look carefully. See what this is." His fingers pointed at the bold letters at the top of the document, then slid down to their faded signatures at the bottom. "Our...divorce papers?" Why was he still holding onto them? With her heart hammering in her chest, Naira grabbed the
His deep husky voice sent shivers down her spine. Naira felt surreal. Was this still the same Zain she had been pinning for and was unable to attain? Why did it sound like she was the unattainable one? Her head seemed to inflate as various questions swarmed in her mind. "Stop thinking so much. Let's go and see the children. Now that our family of four is complete, we must have a family meal." Zain was afraid his wife would turn down his advances. He wanted to enter her heart, but she already loved the Vampire Lord. To carve a space for himself, and become an essential part of her life, it was necessary for them to spend time together and develop an unbreakable bond. As such, he shamelessly used his trump cards. Their kids. Though she was alone and homeless, his Ira still carried them in her womb for 6 months. She gave birth to them and raised them alone for 6 years. This was enough to show how much she loved them. With her mind still out of sorts, Naira obediently followed Za
Celia paced in the hall of her living room. The lowly omega was too damn slow! It's been hours since she heard of Daemon's condition, but she had yet to receive an update of how he was doing. "This bitch! She must be doing this on purpose!" Now that a Werewolf Mistress had been chosen, the lowly dogs weren't behaving as obediently and honestly as before. Celia slumped into the couch and frustratedly ran a hand through her burgundy mane. She and Daemon were once a couple. Their love and loyalty towards each other turned many eyes red with envy. Even when that slut appeared 200 years ago, she failed to separate them. However, her death succeeded in forming a crack in their relationship. Recalling the events from 200 years ago, Celia's delicate features turned crestfallen. Why was she the one always struggling? Always clinging onto him and fighting for their love when this bitch popped up? Couldn't the Moon Goddess keep her dead forever? "Princess! Princess! There's bad news!" Rig
"They what!?" Zain jumped to his feet. His blue eyes blazed with crimson radiance, and his alpha aura burst out with a fury might. Vases crashed and the table flew into the wall. "You can't marry him! You're my wife!" He growled. Naira glanced at the mess with a sarcastic sneer. "Your wife? Did you forget I was your wife when you divorced me for Jules Hayden seven years ago?" "You..." "No, why would you forget when you didn't even care? You married me at will and divorced me at whim. Zain Adeel, our divorce papers might not be processed, but for me, the moment I signed those papers, our relationship had already ended." Pushing to her feet, Naira brushed past him and climbed the stairs. With a loud bang, she closed the door of her room and her heart to Zain Adeel. "Already ended? How can it end?" They had children. Two beautiful children with their blood coursing in their veins. Zain stumbled and slumped into the couch. Journeying alone for so many days, the thought of meetin
"Kids, stay here. I'll go talk to your mother." Zain rose to his feet and fixed his clothes. Then with determination in his eyes, he climbed the stairs and knocked on Naira's door. Knock, knock. "Ira, open the door. I want to talk to you." Silence stretched as he waited for her. A few seconds turned into minutes, and just as he thought she wouldn't answer him, her tired voice sounded through the door. "I have nothing to say to you, Zain. Go back to where you came from." Naira sighed. She was so tired. She didn't want to think about anything or anyone anymore. Just for once, she wanted to sleep her worries away. Daemon was unconscious, and the fucking Council wanted her to marry him. According to their words, his condition could only be healed by his Werewolf Mistress. If she refused, Daemon would die, and the Riverside Pack would hold her responsible. This wasn't what she signed up for. When she agreed to become Daemon's fake girlfriend, she believed she would only be a fi