Erin’s POVA gasp escaped my lips at the sight of her unconscious body swimming in what appeared to be her own body fluids. “Is that her?” Alaric asked, hands pointing to the almost lifeless body on the floor. I could not take my eyes off her.  I took in her appearance, which is nowhere near the once glorious matriarch of the Acklen Family. Luna Bella’s mottled hair looks like a bird’s nest. Her skin looked wrinkly, making her look years beyond her age. Her face was pale,  and her dress was soaked in urine. “Mother!”  A sob wrenched from me as I came nearer and saw her weathered skin.  She groaned in pain, alerting me to the dried blood that clamped around her ankles and wrists.  “She must be trying to take these shackles off,”  I told Alaric, hand frantically searching how to unlock the wretched thing and free her. 

“What is this nonsense, Erin? I asked you to see your mother, but you slapped me with a court order so you could get custody of her. What are you trying to prove?”  My father bombarded me with a torrent of questions when the other attendees to this meeting left us.  Now, only four of us were inside the hall - Alaric, me, Alpha Leo, and his beta Boris who looked daggers at me. I could tell from Alpha Leo's tone that he was trying too hard to rein in his temper.  Well, what should I expect from an Alpha who wields terror through intimidation and violence? If it were not for Alaric,  I am sure Alpha Leo's palm would have landed on my cheek by now. He would have slapped me so hard like he used to when I talked back to him or voiced an opinion.If it were in the past, I would have easily cowered after coming up to me so strongly. But I am not the old Erin.  I shook my head and looked Alpha Leo d

I saw the perplexed look on Alpha Leo’s face, causing a subtle change in my feelings. Was I too harsh in my pronouncements just now? Did I misjudge him?But then that expression was gone the next moment, almost fleeting, replaced by the hardening of his facial muscles. His jaw clenched as he addressed me, his tone calm, suppressing the storm raging inside him, which made him appear more dangerous despite his age. “You know that throwing accusations left and right was not a good way to grant your request in this court.” Alpha Leo retorted after Boris caught Lyla in his arms. “That was not your call, but Alpha Douglas’s, who sits at the head of this meeting!” I spat out.My words echoed in the room, followed by Lyla’s coughing fits while she massaged her neck and thumped her chest repeatedly as if that would help normalize her breathing. On the other hand, Boris ran his palms up and down her back, offering comfort. They looked like a picture of a devoted couple. It was unsettl

How do you mourn the loss of a mother? Someone who had been cruel to you all your life? “No!” A guttural cry was torn from me as Alaric held me in check. He tried to console me. He became the wall I depended on as I cried my eyes out. “Why didn’t she wait for me? I am trying my best to get her.” I asked, my voice filled with grief. He tightened his arms around me and pressed my face to his chest, not bothered that I was soaking his shirt with my tears. “Love, it was not that she could not wait. It was her time.” He said, running his hands on my back. Death was like a thief in the night. It comes and goes with none of us the wiser, leaving only the remnants of memories behind. For years, I resented her, but I realized she suffered as much as I did. She had to bear with me - a reminder of her mate and sister’s betrayal. She had to swallow her pride to be the Luna that her people needed, regardless of the damage to her own dignity.After a while, I pulled my head away from

I woke up with a start. I turned my head to the side to check on Cirala and Alaric. Both were sleeping soundly in bed. Cirala was sprawled in the middle, planked on both sides by Alaric and me. His cute little mouth twitched at the same time I felt a heaviness in my b*east. I picked him up, knowing it was his feeding time, and settled on the recliner near his cot. Then, I prodded my b*east toward him. He opened his eyes at the same time he opened his mouth to take my n*pple and started feeding. My child is hungry. I watched in awe at Cirala’s contented face. He was looking at me while his little hand reached out to pull the tendrils of my hair that escaped the scrunchie tied on it. After some time, Cirala fussed. I switched him to the other n*pple. When he was full, he let go of the nub too quickly that droplets trickled down and wet my dress. I took a fresh cloth from his drawer and put it over my shoulder up to my chest area to cover the wet spot. Then, I put Cirala’s