~ Luciana’s POV~Omar's face lit up with a small, shy smile. Luciana could tell that he appreciated her understanding and support."Okay," Omar mumbled softly, his voice filled with a mix of anticipation and determination.In that moment, Luciana felt a deep connection with Omar. They shared a secret plan, and she was determined to make Keita's birthday surprise a success. Together, they would create a joyful memory, celebrating the bond they all shared as a family.Just then, Keita bounded up the stairs, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the apples in the bowl. Without hesitation, he reached for another apple, eager to take a bite. However, instead of returning to his playful adventures in the backyard, Keita had a different plan in mind. He took a bite from the apple and then extended his hand towards Omar, offering him the remaining piece.But Omar shook his head, his expression clearly showing his dislike for the apple. He firmly stated, "No, I don't like red apples."This res
~ Elijah's POV~The baking festival was happening just as planned, and Elijah wished with all his heart that everything would go smoothly and peacefully. Many more members of the pack were present and actively participating in the exciting event. Suddenly, he heard the sweet sound of his mother's laughter and eagerly turned his head to acknowledge her. As she stood there, wearing her apron, she returned his friendly wave, radiating a warm smile that melted his worries away.Ophelia, his mother, was the kind of person who wouldn't miss a baking show for anything in the world, and Elijah couldn't help but feel grateful that she was at the festival and had come out to support them.Ever since Alister had left for the council meeting, it felt as if the whole pack had fallen into a state of panic and confined themselves indoors. Elijah secretly hoped that more pack members would overcome their fears and join in the fest.Just as he was lost in his thoughts, a familiar voice called out to
~ Elijah's POV~Was Elder Haruto facing a serious illness or nearing the end of his life? The elder had held his position for nearly fifty years, and the thought of losing him left Elijah feeling unsettled. Who would succeed him as the new Head elder? So many questions swirled in his mind.Matt offered a comforting pat on Elijah's shoulder, acknowledging the weight of the situation. "I'll catch up with you later, I've got to run," he said, bidding farewell and leaving Elijah deep in thought.Now, suspicions began to surface in Elijah's mind regarding Alister's decision to stay back at the council meeting and have a conversation with Wilson. It all started to make sense. He needed answers, and he instinctively reached for his phone, intending to call Alister for some clarification. However, just as he was about to dial the number, fireworks suddenly burst into the sky, catching his attention and momentarily diverting his focus.As the vibrant colors filled the night sky, Elijah's init
~ Alister's POVAlister was fast asleep when someone shook his shoulders, waking him up from his nap. He quickly opened his eyes but could not recognize the room he was in, since his brain was taking its sweet time to figure out where exactly he was. "Alister…" Then he heard Wilson's voice calling his name, and he turned his head to see Wilson sitting right next to him on the bed. Alister let out a sigh, realizing that he was still at the council and had been crashing in one of the rooms at Wilson's place. He couldn't help but groan as he slowly sat up on the bed, feeling a bit drowsy. The only thing he could recall was sending a short text to Matt. Matt had messaged him earlier, saying that he was going home because he really wanted to go to the awesome baking festival that Elijah and Luciana were putting together."Hey... are you back?" he quietly said.Wilson nodded, "Yeah," he replied.Alister noticed the exhaustion on Wilson's face and felt sorry for disturbing him when he nee
~ Alister's POV~At the crack of dawn that morning, Alister reached the pack. Instead of heading straight to his office, he decided to go home first. The pack seemed unusually quiet, which made him think that whatever had happened, Elijah must have kept it a secret.As he parked his car in front of his house, Alister sent a quick text to Elijah, letting him know that he had arrived. He took his time getting out of the car, stretching his body before retrieving his bag from the backseat.Even before he saw Elijah approaching from around the corner, Alister could sense his presence."Good morning," he muttered to Elijah, slinging his bag over his shoulder."Morning," Elijah mumbled in response.Alister locked the car door and turned to face Elijah. Although he could detect a hint of worry on Elijah's face, he appeared to be relatively composed."So, what's going on?" Alister inquired, eager to get to the bottom of the situation.Elijah glanced around cautiously. "You don't expect me to
~ Alister's POV~Alister woke up feeling all alone in his bed, and the bright sunlight filled the room. Luciana had opened the curtains, but she hadn't woken him up. Using his super sharp senses, he figured out that there were people inside the house. He could hear voices coming from downstairs, all the way up to his room.Feeling tired and sleepy, Alister swung his exhausted legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. He quickly took a shower and then made his way downstairs to where all the noise was coming from. The house was filled with commotion, but the voices he heard weren't those of his own children. Instead, they were the voices of other kids who were playing in the backyard.Alister spotted Luciana in the kitchen and walked over to her. Sneaking up from behind, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a sweet kiss on the neck."Good morning, my love," he greeted her, unable to resist grabbing a juicy berry from the bowl on the table right in front of her.But Luciana was
Alister's POVAlister turned his attention to the two young boys by his side, particularly focusing on Omar, who seemed to be having some difficulties with his shifting. Every time Omar attempted to shift, he would stop midway, unable to complete the transformation. Noah had mentioned that the boy was afraid to fully shift into his Omega form, but Alister couldn't help but wonder if there was something else bothering him.He knelt down to Omar's eye level and looked into the boy's eyes, asking, "Are you comfortable like this?"Omar hesitated for a moment before responding, "I don't want to go any further..."Alister observed the patches of white fur covering Omar's body and noticed the emergence of sharp claws on his hands and legs. As long as Omar could keep up with the run, Alister thought they would be fine. On the other hand, Keita's half-black and brown wolf was already running in circles, playfully and chasing its own tail and emitting adorable growling sounds.With a shake of
~ Luciana's POV~Luciana's gaze shifted to the door as it swung open, revealing her two boys entering the house hand-in-hand. Her mate, Alister, was absent, but seeing Keita and Omar together gave her a sense of relief. The run they had gone on seemed to have worked its magic in mending their bond. Letting out a sigh, she felt grateful that things had returned to normal between them."Good morning, Luna," greeted the warrior who had accompanied the boys back home. Luciana smiled warmly at him and expressed her gratitude before he departed. Turning her attention back to her sons, she observed that Keita still had traces of wetness in his eyes, while Omar clung tightly to his hand."Go freshen up," she instructed them gently, "and then come downstairs for breakfast." Luciana watched as Omar tugged Keita along, both of them ascending the stairs to do as she had asked. Returning to the table, Luciana resumed sorting through the pile of mail that had accumulated. She had noticed that th