PEONY CRIMSON’S POVFor the rest of lunch, Xavier spent it doing his best to convince me that Elenor Garnet was nothing to him.I tried to conceal the surprise. It wasn’t plausible if Xavier hadn’t been set up with someone during his years of solitude. No matter what the Moon Goddess had planned, Xavier still hasn’t yet found his fated mate. Then he asked me to choose him. It seemed impetuous.Or maybe I was hesitant to break the mate bond with Xander. He had already made me a rogue after completely cutting me off from Blue Moon. But deep inside me, that bond was still there, tucked away and suppressed. Even if I cut it out, Xander would find out immediately.Because it would hurt me and both of us, and I didn’t know if I was ready for more pain."Fey, I have a question," I requested as I watched her reflection in the mirror. The girl was standing behind me, busy doing her best to style my hair.Since he openly declared his intention to make me a Luna, Xavier has invited me to join di
PEONY CRIMSON'S POV"Then Aunt Eve said she wanted me to get married. But I only told her to wait. I still need a lot of experience to jump into a serious relationship." Elenor's crisp laughter filled the air, followed by laughter from the other witches next to her.I behaved as instructed, or at least, in a way that wouldn't shame myself. Still, I had a hard time enjoying the moment as I sat across from a stunning Elenor, who was clinging to Xavier for her dear life.Well, I didn’t blame her. She was young, bubbly, and soulful. Whenever she laughed, everyone beamed. Her radiance illuminated every inch of the hall, as the center of attention should be.I nibbled a tiny piece of butter-seared lobster, struggling to finish the rest of the dinner in such an awkward atmosphere. Ever since the priestess's speechless stare earlier, she gave me the cold shoulder. So did the other witches.I didn't want to get my hopes up. In fact, it was good that I didn't have to beat around the bush with p
Elenor's morning tantrum was soon forgotten as Xavier explained the news Lazarus sent over a few minutes ago."This search’s starting to find some light," Xavier said, linking his fingers with mine.He rested his forehead on my shoulder and inhaled my scent deeply. A growl rumbled in his throat. "I’ve fought the urge to rush over to the mortal world and beat that vampire myself. But for the little deal I made, Lazarus already took care of it."Rose, Jasmine, and Violet were still alive. They were somewhere, either locked up or caged—both horrible—but unharmed. Lazarus just needed to draw their location from the suspected vampire he was trying to capture."They’re Children of the Moon. They’ll survive because they’re stronger than you know. The Alpha blood runs through them," Emily whispered in the back of my mind.After showering me with kisses on my cheeks and neck, Xavier left the room. My chest was a little lighter, and my breathing was much easier.But the relief didn't last long.
ELENOR GARNET'S POVMy teeth chattered, and I grabbed the table edge so firmly it nearly cracked. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away hastily. My chest rumbled with jealousy that had been building up since last night.I had spent the last of the boring winter in Colvon, listening to Eve's lengthy advice and following her like a duckling. I had spent my nights researching new artifacts and magic so that I could bring them back to White Moon and present them to Xavier. To let him know that I was a good girl who did everything for him.But Xavier had broken me with that announcement. There was another woman he was going to crown as Luna.My shoulders trembled. I thought back on Peony Crimson, who stood quietly next to Xavier when he welcomed my coven. A woman with radiant, beautifully styled blackish-brown hair, clear eyes filled with foreign determination and natural grace, and so many heavenly features that I could hardly admit it because I felt I could never comp
ELENOR GARNET'S POVI hopped down the window, easily landing on the floor of the room thanks to the agility of my four furry Calico legs.Even with this cat's chubby body, I could freely sneak around wherever I pleased. I grinned. I wasn't really good at it, but this transformation magic helped me know what it would be like to be a werewolf. Except when shifting, their animal bodies were many times bigger than my cat form.If I could choose my transformation form, I would definitely choose to be a winged beast. Like Eve, who can transform into a dashing eagle that soars through the sky. However, since my power was unstable, my choice was limited to the fat Calico cat I now saw in the reflection of the mirror.It had a round belly with sagging fat, three-colored furs that often fell out, and four fat legs that couldn't run fast. Everything about this form was ugly, even though it was effective for sneaking around. At least this cat’s eyes were bright orange. Almost like my unruly frizz
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVEverything around the packmansion burned as the fire spread wildly through the building, destroying plants, furniture, and anything else in its path. Dark plumes of smoke soared up to meet the gray, gloomy clouds. Thunder rang out in the distance, mixed with grieving screams and cries from all directions.The thick scent of blood and death assaulted my senses; my stomach was all knotted up. I did my best to balance myself so I could stand. as far as my eyes could see. My heart ripped out of my chest when, in the middle of the clearing area, I saw my eldest daughter gasping for air.Violet's breath formed a white mist. Her body was bent at an odd angle, as if it were weighed down by something. I stared in horror at a pair of huge black feathery wings glued to her back.Quietly, Violet rotated her body to face me. Blood and dirt covered her bone-dry face. Her feet and hands looked more like a beast’s than a human’s, complete with sharp, pointy claws. The tang of bloo
PEONY CRIMSON'S POV"Any word from Xavier?" I asked Chadwick when we passed each other in the dining hall the morning after.He eyed me for a second, adjusted his glasses, and shook his head."It's only been a few hours since they left." Chadwick frowned. "Did you get enough sleep last night?"Maybe he saw the dark moon under my eyes. Although Fey had covered them with concealer, my droopy eyelids were the final proof. I took a long breath.Yeah, last night I could only wriggle in discomfort. The bed felt wider, and the void next to me gave me an uncomfortable feeling. I had hesitated to close my eyes, worried that the nightmare about Violet and her two lifeless sisters would come back as soon as I fell asleep. And if that happened, Xavier wasn’t there to reassure me with his gentle touch.Plus, thousands of negative thoughts about Rose, Violet, and Jasmine were already haunting me. Lazarus couldn't have been lying. My triplets were alive, but that didn't mean they weren't hurt. Such
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVThe clearing area on the border of Springwood Forest was the place I chose to train with Gloria. Earlier, Chadwick had offered access to the warriors' training grounds, but I avoided being exposed to anyone.Before me, Gloria wore a sleeveless tank top and long black leather pants. She clenched and released her fists several times to ease the tension in her muscles.Without her usual style, Gloria now looked like a real witch. As long as I knew her, I never really saw how much magic power she had. She only showed me a few tricks, and even our battle with the guards back then was a surprise to me.Maybe she could turn into a dragon? Who knows."Have you ever fought a magic user?" she asked. Gloria looked more anxious than I was."No." I grinned, "But I did spar with John Willick a few times when I was at Blue Moon. He taught me to fight in both human and wolf form."He was a beta for Xander, one of the few people who looked out for me during my time as Luna of Blue