A familiar delicious scent wafted through her nose and her stomach longed to be fed, grumbling to let her know. Her head throbbed and her limbs felt heavy. Turning her head to the side, she found herself in an unknown room.
Getting up slowly, the towel on her forehead fell on the blankets. Looking down, she noticed that she had no shirt on, and pushing the sheets lower, she wasn’t wearing her shorts. Covering herself with the blankets, panic surged through her.
Looking around, she saw a shirt on the nightstand and hurriedly put it on. As she questioned what had transpired on the night of her escape, the door swung open and she heard a familiar voice. “Good morning, Little One,” it said.
And when her eyes fell on him, her jaw went slack as her eyes widened in shock. Impossible. He looked older, but those steel grey eyes, the s
“You… never came.” Her words echoed in his mind as invisible knives stabbed his heart many times over it should’ve killed him. How could he refute the truth? He wasn’t there beside them when they needed him most. Their sole protector. What he did might as well be the same with that of abandonment.He solemnly sat at the foot of her bed, watching her shaking figure beneath the sheets and listening to her sobs. What she had gone through, what the Blood Moon pack did to her – he blamed himself for everything. And for the life he’s lived for the past years since that night, he regretted giving up on them, believing that they all died then.“Tell her, Gray,” his wolf urged.“Tell her what, Gin? I thought you were dead, so how could I have known?” he
Luca opened the door without knocking and entered the room with two steps. Caelum was lying in bed with his back to him, and didn’t bother turning to face him despite sensing his presence. It pained him to see his friend so crestfallen, it always reminded him of that time, and so he had been working non-stop to trace her location. The dark circles under his eyes and the smell of coffee that hung around him proved it. He was yet to get some sleep.Caelum was mad, her lingering scent only reminded him of her betrayal. And no matter how hard he tried to think of a reason as to why she would leave him, he couldn’t come up with any. Hadn’t he given her everything she might ever need? Why must she leave him? Why did they always leave him?“Caelum,” Luca spoke softly, earning no response from the Alpha.As he thought of
“Someone’s here,” Gin warned, at the same time Gray had the same feeling.His protective instinct towards his Little One soared; balled his fists, preparing for a fight. They were found too soon, but he wouldn’t let her be taken. Not now, not when he was finally reunited with her. She shall never get hurt again.“I promise I’ll protect you, Little One,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead before leaving the bedroom to the living room, and finally heading outside. He stood on the porch, flexing his shoulders, channeling Gin’s energy.He could smell one, an Alpha, the same scent that lingered on his Little One. Did he come alone? Gray doubted it. His men must have the cabin circled by now, hiding their scents with wolfsbane – it’s what he would’ve done.“Show yourself,&
Gray turned around and saw Astraea standing on the porch; her cheeks flushed, breathing heavy, and shivering. She had wrapped herself with a blanket but she was in no state to be outside, she could barely stand.“Go back inside, Little One. I’ll take care of matters here,” he said, turning his attention back to Caelum, who had a relieved smile on his face, from seeing Astraea.This angered him more that he wanted to kick him in the face but he could still feel her presence. “You don’t want to see what I’m about to do, Little One. I don’t understand why you defend him, but I promise you, he will get what he deserves,” he said through gritted teeth. “So please, go back inside.”“A-Astraea,” Caelum whispered, ignoring the pain coming from his abdomen. She heard him, and she came out
“Her pack is waiting for her return.”Luca’s words pulled on his heartstring, remembering the promise he made to his pack before he left them. It had been years since then, and he had cut all contact from them. They weren’t even his pack anymore. He was no longer Alpha, having passed on the responsibility to his Beta and best friend.He promised to return, and yet he never did. He was a rogue Alpha if he could still call himself one. No one knew about him, and he was certain his pack wouldn’t snitch on him. This kid knew, but did he really? There was a possibility the kid was bluffing.And his Little One, a Luna? She didn’t mention anything about it. All he knew was that someone hurt her and she was running away from the Blood Moon pack.“You dare fool me, Beta?” he spa
Gray paced back and forth on the living room, still in disbelief of what the two had just told him. Luca leaned on the wall beside the window with his arms crossed while Caelum sat on the couch in silence, still recovering from the earlier fist fight.Stopping, he said, “So let me get this straight. You’re telling me she’s the Luna and you weren’t responsible for those… those marks.”“Yes,” Caelum answered.“Why should I believe you,” he scoffed.“Do we have to go over this again?” said Caelum, rubbing his temples.“I still don’t trust you.”“I understand. But whether she returns or not is up to her. Just her,” Caelum said as he stood to face him. “Do we ag
“Thanks for doing this,” Luca said in a mind-link as the pack raced through the woods. He ran beside the Alpha, and together they led the group of warriors behind them.“I gave my word,” Caelum simply replied. “Besides, I trust she won’t run away again.”“Huh, looks like getting beat knocked some sense into you,” said Luca.Caelum growled. “Don’t bring that up again.”“So, what do you know about my mate?” Luca asked, changing the subject, and he tensed. It was only a matter of time before he started asking questions and of all the timing, it had been right when they were on their way to the Silent Moon pack.“She’s betrothed to another but she wouldn’t tell who he is,” Caelum answered honestly.“Is he one of those captured warriors?”
Astraea sat by the riverbank, her legs dipped in the water, swinging back and forth, cutting against the current. Her head rested on Gray’s shoulder, who sat beside her.A couple of omegas watched them from behind, planting more aconite and harvesting its purple flowers for processing.“I remember my Little One used to love playing at the river. Your Mom used to scold you all the time,” said Gray.“I can’t remember what she looks like,” she admitted. “Tell me.”“All you have to do is look in the mirror, Little One. You’re the spitting image of her,” he said. “You and your sister.”“Do you think they’re happy now? Being with the Goddess? I hope Nana’s with them,” she said, raising her head to gaze at the clear blue sk