The Dust Paradise was packed with visitors. Smoke and the smell of sweat and wood polish filled the air. Scott wedged himself through the crowd as he walked into the place. His eyes rounded in fear when they caught a girl who was standing on the table right in the middle of the room.It was Ciara. She was carrying a bottle of beer in one hand and a glass of liquor, which looked like whiskey, in the other. She screamed and laughed along with the crowd surrounding her, twisting her body to the music.Anger burned Scott in an instant. The first thing he wanted to do was punch all the men in there, then burn the place to the ground.He clenched his fists, shoving roughly those who got in his way. They were all thrown aside and crashed into other visitors. Several people protested, but they shut their mouths as Scott glared at them.“Move,” Scott growled at the men surrounding the round table where Ciara was dancing.Ciara turned and looked at him, then a big smile spread across her face.
Scott carried Ciara out of the car as soon as they got home. When he stopped at the door and was about to open it, Ciara woke up from her sleep.She moaned and blinked, and then looked at him. “Scott?” She frowned and her voice was as soft as the early morning breeze.All of Scott’s anger subsided as soon as he saw her bright blue eyes. He was planning to scold her in the first place. He wanted to tell her to be more careful, to take care of herself, and not lose control in public. But when he looked at her now, the only thing he could do was smile back at her.“We’re home,” he said. “I’ll take you to bed. Go back to sleep.”She stretched and motioned for him to put her down. She almost fell trying to get to her feet, so he caught her by the wrist and kept her from falling.“Watch your step,” he muttered after successfully opening the door and guiding her inside.It was dark inside because he turned off all the lights before leaving. He closed the door and felt the wall for a switch.
“What?”There was a hint of surprise in that one word, and after it, disappointment etched on Scott’s face. Ciara had mentally prepared herself for his disappointed reaction, but her heart sank when she saw it firsthand. She felt like she had hurt him and herself.“Why?” was his next question. He scooted closer and changed his position. His eyes were fixed on her face, and the corners of his eyebrows furrowed slightly, emphasizing his disenchantment. “What’s wrong?” he asked again.“No, nothing’s wrong.” She shook her head, averting her gaze. She held her pillow even tighter. “It’s just... I don’t think your pack members will accept me.”“What are you saying? Of course, they will accept you! They have to accept you because you’re the mate that the Moon Goddess destined for me! No matter how resistant they are, they must accept that reality!”“But I’m not ready!” Ciara snapped, and then she held her breath while covering her mouth. “I’m... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”“Tha
It took all of Ciara’s determination to free herself from Scott. The morning practice whistle sounded and Scott pulled away, breaking their kiss. But Ciara was reluctant to let go of her hands and feet, which were wrapped around his body like a python.Scott smirked and draped his hands over her arms. “Come on. We have to get to the courtyard or someone will search and find us here.”She should have said that because she was the one who worried that their relationship would be exposed prematurely, but right now it was so hard for her to let him go.After stealing a few more seconds, she finally lowered her hands together with a long sigh of disappointment.He took her chin and looked her straight in the eyes. “See you at home.”Those words warmed her heart and made it swell with happiness. She smiled and he brushed his lips against hers. Before she could wrap her arms around his neck again, he pulled away and rubbed the tip of her nose with his thumb. “I’ll go first.”“OK.”She saw hi
Scott thought his days would go perfectly from here on. In one month, he would announce to all the members of the pack that Ciara would be Luna for Silvercrest. They would lead this pack together and live happily ever after.However, that dream would shatter on that afternoon. After their routine training was over and all the patrol team members had gone home, someone knocked on the main team office door. Scott and Burke were discussing the rearrangement of sub-team members, and they both looked up towards the door.“Hi, Scott,” it was Mila, the alliance leader. Scott’s heart seemed to stop when Mila said, “Do you have a moment? I want to talk to you.” She paused for a moment. “It’s about the rogue.”Scott exchanged glances with Burke, and Burke nodded, understanding that Scott had asked him to leave the room and give him space so he could talk to Mila.“Please, have a seat.” Burke offered Mila his seat as he stood up. Mila stepped in and smiled at him.“Thanks.” Then she sat across f
Right after Mila left, Maila and Ciara came.Maila looked back and saw Mila leaving.“What is an alliance leader doing here?” Afterwards, Maila realized her mistake and immediately shut her mouth. She glanced at Ciara before looking away while squeezing her eyes close.“Alliance business,” Scott answered curtly. He looked at Ciara, who stared back at him, and at that moment Scott wanted to scoop her up, carry her home, and pin her beneath him on the bed.She looked so fucking sexy with a tight shirt that exposed her curves and short jeans that showed her smooth thighs.“You guys looking for me?” asked Scott, trying hard to maintain an authoritative expression in front of Maila. “I thought you were home.”Maila sighed, then pointed her thumb at Ciara. “I asked her to go to a new restaurant that opened near my clothing store. And you know what? She said she has to ask for your permission first.”Scott raised his hand and patted Ciara’s head. “Good girl.”Maila rolled her eyes at his beh
What was he doing here?Scott cursed inside, and his distaste for Gordon’s appearance was reflected in his facial expressions and gestures. He clenched his fists at his sides as he glared at him.“Sorry, I didn’t knock first.” Gordon shrugged. He didn’t look sorry at all. “I was looking for you because you weren’t in the study, and I heard noises from this room,” he told Hugh.Scott knew he was lying. He must have seen Scott coming here and wanted to find out what Scott was up to.Gordon stepped inside with his hands behind his back. He smiled, the same fake smile he always gave Scott.“I heard Mila came to Silvercrest,” he said after he stopped beside Hugh. Gordon looked left and right as if searching for something, before looking at Scott and asking, “Where is she now?”“She’s gone.”Gordon sneered while nodding his head. He looked satisfied. “So, my guess was right all along, right? Ciara is the rogue the Alliance is looking for. Not the black wolf like you thought.” He half scoffe
Scott took Ciara in his car through the road in the middle of the forest. The silence between them made Scott feel tense, and it seemed like Ciara felt the same way.They arrived at their destination and Scott parked his car on the side of the road, then asked Ciara to get off.“Where are we?” she asked. She looked around and frowned. “Isn’t this the border area with Moon Ashes?”Scott nodded as he patted the top of her head. “You already know the Silvercrest area, I see.”Ciara touched his hand, which was still on the top of her head, took it down, then slipped her fingers between his. “Not really,” she said. They walked hand in hand along the small path that led them up the hill. “It’s just that this is where the rogues attacked you and Vaire and left you almost dead.”She lifted her face and looked at him with a sad smile. “I thought I lost you that day.” She caressed her thumb against the back of his thumb, then lowered her head. “It was one of the most horrific experiences of my