《Whore of the Werewolf Billionaire》


 Chapter 1: Moonburn

    I waited for my father and mother to cease fighting in the car.


    We have arrived in Moonburn. Yet, we''re still sitting in the car waiting for their argument to end. My sister''s baby kept on crying and the sound of my brother''s gaming tablet is very


    much a nuisance to my ears.


    I often wished to be like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. At least, she can live peacefully in


    a castle full of books-never mind the talking dishes and whining furniture.


    Finally, my father, who''s in the driver''s seat, unlocked the door and I went out immediately. I heard my sister''s ''scolding'' voice for the one thousandth time today, but I just ignored it, like I mostly do.


    The neighborhood is calm and peaceful, probably because of the frigid weather or they just don''t care about newly-moved folks.


    A blonde woman, perhaps in her early forties, waved at me. Her house is just next to us. I smiled and waved back as well. She looks so happy and cheerful upon seeing us, upon seeing


    me.


    But there''s something odd about her actions. As soon as I waved back at her, her expression changed. The smile dropped from her previously kind face and she turned her back on me, going inside her house. I was a bit shocked. But for a person who''s constantly being turned back by everyone, it didn''t bother me that much.


    "What the hell are you doing there, ine? Go inside and prepare our food!" My mother''s thundering voice is the only one loud enough to echo in the silence of the


    neighborhood.


    I red at her, silently willing her to lower her voice. But, she just rolled her eyes and tried


    to throw her slippers at me.


    I quickly dodged; I''m a pretty good dodger. My family is very chaotic as you can see. Each has their own business and only pays attention to you if they need something.


    again.


    My younger sister gave birth when she was sixteen. I am eighteen, and yet jobless


    I left my friends and job in Maine to be with my family. At least they are a family in some ways. Despite their cruel treatment of me, my mother is still my mother and my father is still my father nheless.


    I didn''t go to college as my parents wouldn''t allow me, even though I told them that I''m going to use my own money. My mom told me that instead of spending my money on college, I should give it to them so that I will be at least ''of use'' to this family.


    "We have raised you for more than a decade. Don''t tell me you''re not going to pay us back all the money we''ve spent on you since I gave birth until you graduated in Senior High School!" That was my mother''s words every time I mentioned that topic.


    And every time she finishes blurting out those words, she always ends it with an attempted p on my face that I always managed to avoid. As I said, I am pretty much a professional dodger of ps and things thrown at me. I think if I were Belle from Beauty and the Beast, I would not think twice about going to Beast''s huge castle if I have a family like this.


    I wandered through the house, exploring my new surroundings on the way to the kitchen. The wallpapers are still intact, no hint of beastly scratches and blood stains. The house wasn''t as creepy as I was suspecting. I guess my family is much more hideous then.


    The real estate agent told us that the only daughter of the previous couple was abducted on the night of a leap year. And thus, they left-abandoned this city and went into another city to start a new life.


    It sounds like one of those unsolved cases and disappearing people that I used to watch on Buzzfeed. I am an avid fan of the paranormal and supernatural. That''s why I am overly happy that the house we are now living in has some supernatural, mystery case connected to it. Especially since it''s a leap year tonight, February 29, 2020.


    I''m gonna prepare my journal for this year''s chilling phenomena. Like the one I caught in my camerast year where I saw the image of a floatingdy before my eyes and I managed to capture it.


    "ine! Where the heck is our food?!" my sister yelled at me. The four of them were just casually sitting in the living room, watching Netflix on the television that came with the house. "Coming!" I answered back like how a housekeeper responds to her employer. I better be


    a housekeeper of this family if this is how they treat me. At least I''ll have a monthly sry if I am their housemaid. To be frank, I''d rather be abducted by an alien at midnight or transported to a faery realm rather than continually living with those four huge pigs that call themselves my brother, father, mother, and sister.


    I carried a food tray with tes of fruits and vegetables and a bit of meat that were paid for with myst month''s sry before I resigned. I used to work as a waitress at a diner in Maine. Well, to tell you honestly, I once even had a brief rtionship with my boss before I found out that he only used me and has been actually married for five years.


    I sighed and slowlyid the food on the table before them. Before I could even yield a


    step back to the kitchen, a dozen people barged in into our house.


    Two words could describe my face: utterly bbergasted. Thedy that waved at me


    earlier was one of a dozen people.


    "What the shit is going on?!" My father demanded.


    asked.


    "Who''s the eldest female child?" The man carrying a white dress on his shoulder


    I frowned. My brows knitted, confusion was visible in my face. So does my family.


    My brother, who was still clinging to his gaming tablet, pointed at me. All eyes in the


    room were fixed on me. Thedy from earlier stepped forward.


    ; "Then our sacrifice to the White Wolf is now settled." She spoke more to the people with her rather than to us.


    "I''m sorry, what?" I breathed.


    "You''lle with us. Bring only yourself. And nothing more," she added.


    ; I tried to protest but the man holding the white dress shouted in anger. "Come with us now before the sun sets!"


    My family just looked at me. I was expecting them to stop these people. But my mom just stood and said, "Go. Go with them ine. Before they kill us!"


    I''m done with them. Even in thisst minute, all they think is about themselves. All they care about is their safety. They didn''t even stop me or grab me by the hand. The people I called family didn''t even fight for me, beckoned me to stay with them. They just handed me to these people that, in the devil''s name, we don''t even know who they are.


    What if they''re a cult? A coven of witches? What do they mean by ''sacrificed to the white wolf''? Does that even exist until the twenty-first century? A bunch of thoughts were flooding my mind.


    I know that my family is scared of them as these people are holding a rifle, an axe, a rake, and even a rope. Am I some sort of animal to be butchered?


    Nevertheless, my family remained silent even as I slowly walked towards the people. This ce that we recently moved in minutes ago is definitely odd and creepy and something''s fishy. They handed me to them as some sort of bread to be given to the beggars.


    A tear slid down from my face but my sister just rolled her eyes, my brother returned to his gaming tablet, my mother''s face was just nk, and my father...he hoisted his hand and waved goodbye at me. I blinked, but he immediately averted his gaze and grabbed a newspaper.  They knew. They probably knew this was going to happen. All four of them. And I am the only one who''s oblivious to this.


    As soon as I left the house, I felt light-hearted. It''s as if I am ready to greet death as being


    this people''s sacrifice. I felt relieved by being freed from my family''s chain.


    At longst, I, ine Rutherford, who is now lying on top of a stone table in the middle of


    a grassy field, can now rest peacefully in this white dress that the man forced me to wear. Until I saw a huge white wolf approaching me amidst the night of February 29th.

 Chapter 2: The Offering

    "Where are you taking me?" I whimpered as the huge wolf carried me on its shoulders.


    The path is dark. I cannot see clearly. But this white wolf, which is walking on its two feet, seems to know the path like no one else. It walks like it''s some sort of a man rather than an animal. In fact, it breathes and acts as if it''s not an animal at all.


    The wolf had been walking through this forest for a couple of minutes now. It was silent in here, like the grave. Is it going to bury me alive in the middle of this dark, gloomy forest? Too bad I didn''t scream when it took me from the stone table. But what''s the use of screaming anyway? Insects and trees wouldn''t help me get away from this predator. I doubt they can even recognize my scream as a shout for help.


    Heaven knows where this is, until it halted. I tried to move my head to see what''s in front of us that made it stop. Luckily, it turned me around and I can see a huge rocky wall that extends to nowhere. It seems to be a divider between this forest and whatever ce is beyond that wall. And, despite carrying me on its shoulders, it managed to move the stone that blocks the entrance in just one hand. It turned around again in less than twenty seconds. Is it some sort of a mutant? Wolverine maybe?


    ''Is he an alien or something?'' I whispered to myself. As soon as we entered the cave-like pathway, it then pushed the huge boulder again, blocking the entrance once more and bathing the whole ce in absolute darkness.


    I was now facing the path. I prayed to whoever is listening that this is not a bad thing for carrying me in front instead, not in the back. My heart skipped a beat when it clicked its finger (or paws, I don''t know) and a me was now floating before us.


    "Are you a wizard or something?" The huge white wolf just snorted.


    "So you can understand me, huh?" Silence just answered back at me.


    ''At least this doggie knows and understands the human tongue,'' I mused.


    We walked for several minutes. Only its footsteps (or pawsteps) reverberated. After speaking some words of wisdom to myself, I finally decided to open my eyes. The floating fire that this wolf summoned earlier greeted me and I saw two huge wolves guarding the entrance by the end of the wall, both standing on their two feet and carrying torches.


    I tried to hide my astonished face but the ck wolf smirked at me and gave me a curtsy bow. ''What the hell?!'' I shrieked in my own mind.


    "Are you guys wolf people? Or perhaps the lost colony of Roanoke?" Those words unexpectedly came out from my mouth.


    "You will soon find out, mortal. And one thing..." The brown wolf winked at my still gaping face, "We''re a pack, not a colony."


    My throat bobbed. Since when do wolfies and doggies talk? This. Freaking. Brown. Wolf. Just. Talked.


    Gosh, am I in heaven already? I didn''t know that heaven is as dark as this and is packed with talking dogs and wolf-like men. Or perhaps I''m within the ninth circle of hell...


    I can''t. My feet and body wanted to go home. Although I was suddenly aware that I no longer have a home to go to. I don''t mind spending time with homeless people in the homeless'' abode. I just wanted to run away from this creepy, odd, unearthly ce.


    My teeth chattered as soon as we came out from the cave-like pathway. It was cold in here, as if all the frigid winds of the mountain had gathered in this ce.


    It turned around and the ck and brown wolf gave the white wolf, which was carrying me, a signal and a tight nod. Even here, I can see the huge wall that is made up of solid stone that extends from hell knows where. ''Perhaps this is another marker of the equator or something,'' I wondered.


    It put me down roughly and my bodynded on the murky ground. Mud stained his moon-white fur and I smirked and stuck out my tongue. I moved my leg a bit and, because of pain, I almost yelled.


    "Ouch!" I cried in a soft manner. But the wolf''s cerulean eyes just stared at my filthy body. The white dress that the man gave me earlier was now colored in brown mud.


    My whining ceased when a light shed before my eyes and a white wolf was no longer standing a few inches from my dirty feet.


    The wolf had shifted into a man. A man with a glorious body; his muscles and abs and all of him was perfectly crafted by some god or deity or Great Spirit. His skin was mocha in color, quite identical to the mud that was covering all over me. His hair was bluish ck; blue when moonlight drenched him like it was now, and ck if the darkness was the only nket shrouding all over us like that in the forest. His eyes were cerulean blue, I only managed to take a great look now because this whole ce has light in every corner, contrary to the forest that we just trekked. And my favorite part is the fact that his skin was the only thing covering his entirety, nothing else.


    My eyes involuntarily slid into the bulging area between his legs. I wonder how long it was, or how hard could it be if I stood naked before him.


    ''Shut up, ine! Why are you so hot in front of your abductor?!'' I scolded myself, almost forgetting that I am a ''sacrifice'' to this creature.


    A malicious grin was stered on his face. A part of me tried to set aside the fact that I am an offering for the prosperity of the city. I just want to kiss those red, plumpy lips until the dawn breaks.


    Wait, I am an offering and sacrifice. But what kind of sacrifice?

 Chapter 3: The Sacrifice

    "You seemed in deep thoughts, ine."


    My eyes could''vee out from my face. "How did you know my "


    "Wee to Ste''s Soul, ine." Then he walked away, without even bothering to look back at me or answer my question.


    I followed him with my eyes. And, I just realized now, how Las-Vegas-looking this ce is. I was expecting it to be a tribe with two older people roasting a wild pig under the canopy of trees and some almost-naked children eating dinner from banana leaves.


    Instead, a gilded fountain stood before me. Huge rosarium surrounds it. Neon lights  Los Angeles illuminate the night of the leap year.


    This ce is secluded. But, it was morevish than Moonburn-perhaps more expensive than Beverly Hills.


    A young woman who was dressed in navy blue and white helped me get out of the mud. "I''m sorry about Tyler. It''s his first time to get out beyond the wall and see a female mortal. Especially one as gorgeous as you are despite all the mud."


    Her voice was kind and sisterly. She looked young and


    "You''re pregnant?"


    "Yes. I''m married to Jason, Tyler''s older brother."


    My brain seems to have more difficulty in processing things now. "So you''re Tyler''s sister-in-w?"


    "Yes. And I am the sacrifice from thest leap year,st February 29, 2016..."


    An ''oh'' escaped from my mouth. "So what am I doing here then? Am I¡ª"


    That freaking can''t be. I am not. I cannot. I will not. Even if the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.


    "You''re Tyler''s bride. The next full moon will be the Worm Moon and that will be the time which you and Tyler will be wed."


    "Worm Moon? That''s a pretty odd name," I said.


    The womanughed. "Worm Moon is the name of the moon for March''s full moon. Each month has their names ording to ancient traditions. January''s full moon is named as Wolf Moon which is the most sacred moon for werewolves and so forth."


    "Werewolves?" My brain seems to leave my own skull and bathe in the same mud I was just soaked in.


    "Yes. Tyler and all the billionaires here. They are werewolves. And we, the ''sacrificed'' women''s duty, are tasked to give them children as their fellow female werewolves can''t bear them a child if the father is also a werewolf. It must be a werewolf and a mortal in order to conceive another werewolf."


    A sigh just came out from me. Maybe because it''s the only thing my body could do after all the revtion I just found out, as well as the pain in my whole body that was still lingering in my bones. She mentioned the wedding. Not too bad to be married to a wealthy talking doggy at the age of eighteen anyway.


    "What''s your name?" I asked.


    "Well, I am "


    "Melissa!" shouted a shirtless honey-haired man from behind. He''s handsome, at least. "It''s cold outside. It''s not good for a pregnant woman like you!"


    The man rushed to her and covered her with a warm, fluffy nket. He nced at me for a moment. "Didn''t Tyler escort you to his mansion?"


    "No, honey. It seems your younger brother was still acting like a child despite the fact that he now has a bride."


    Jason clicked his tongue and whistled. An old woman, older than Melissa and I, came running towards us.


    "Yes, Mr. Jason?" the old woman uttered as she gave him a bow even when she was still catching her breath.


    "Escort the new one here to my brother''s mansion. And tell Tyler to quit being childish and be more manly!"


    "As you wish, Mr. Jason."


    Jason and Melissa strode to their abode behind the red rose garden.


    The old woman took off her jacket and handed it to me. She said that Tyler''s mansion is two houses from Jason''s.


    "Well, that''s going to be a few minutes of walking exercise," I teased. Her face didn''t yield even a smile. She walked first, and then I trailed behind her. We had taken a few steps away from the gilded fountain when a light shed before us.


    Tyler was now standing tall a few feet from us. The old woman''s head was still lowered, as if she already knew who and what to do when a light shed before her, especially one that came from a shifter a werewolf.


    "I''ll escort my bride, Rowena. You may rest now."


    I watch the old woman, Rowena, vanish behind the trees.


    "What are you staring at, mortal? Follow me." Tyler spoke in a rough, thundering voice.


    Before I could step forward, he grabbed my arm. My facended on his bare chest. He was pretty much taller than me. Too bad he''s now fully clothed. I prefer him wearing nothing at all.


    I jerked my head and my emerald eyes met the windows of his soul, whose color resembles the southern waters of this continent.


    And under the Snow Moon of February 29th, amidst thete night''s breeze, his lips crushed into mine without any hesitation or reservation.


    I drowned-we drowned-in each other''s arms and lips. His hand travelled into my back and lingered in there.


    So this is what they mean to be a sacrifice then. All I can do is to answer with fiery passion.


    After all, I am ine Winona Rutherford, the eighteen-year-old mortal who was chosen to be a ''sacrifice'' to the billionaire werewolf, Tyler.

 Chapter 4: Tyler

    "I just wanted to test my soon-to-be bride if she fits my taste," he murmured between my lips.


    "And what if I''m not?" I parted my face from his plumpy, kissable lips.


    He smirked. "You will be. I will not save you from your family if you don''t fit my taste."


    I nodded. "My family. They are..."


    "They died a week ago."


    Sleepiness left my soul. "What did you say?"


    "The people that are with you...they are not people. They are Heart-eaters. They can assume any appearance they like as long as they feed on mortal''s hearts and werewolves. Most especially werewolves'' hearts."


    "What?! How? Why?!" Several questions flooded inside my mind. I knew my family was not the kind of family that everyone wished for.


    But being oblivious of their death for over a week is...I can''t. This is so baffling. What''s going on then? What happened to them?


    "Surely it''s not a coincidence that I was brought here?" I asked with braveness relevant in my voice.


    "I''ll exin to you tomorrow. For now, change your clothes and rest." He ced a kiss on my forehead. I didn''t budge. How could I when he just revealed to me that I no longer have a family? It is utterly devastating, and confusing.


    "Rest, ine. I brought you here for sanctuary and for being my bride as well. Surely you have met me once, honey."


    Honey. That sounds familiar. "Jordan?"


    He nodded and smiled. "Yes, ine. I am the man that you met at that night bar in Maine." "So you''re the man that I have a drink with and-"


    I stopped. He smiled. "I am the man whom you have a one-night in bed with."


    So he''s that man then. "You had a different face at that time."


    "It''s a mour," he answered. "Werewolves can assume any appearance during a full moon only."


    "And this body you have is not a mour?"


    He chortled. "No. This is my real body. You will be the judge of that if you will be my wife soon." Tyler gave me a wink that warmed my cheeks.


    "And that me back in the wall?"


    "An exclusive gift for White Wolves only. White Wolves are Elementals. Brown Wolves can read, alter, and add memories. ck Wolves can control darkness and light. Those are the gifts from Selena, our Moon Goddess."


    I just listened to his exnation as he walked me into his front gate. "And did this moon deity also choose me as your bride?"


    He shook his head. "No. Fate is a matter that we, werewolves, can only make. She has gifted us with this ability, with this privilege. But our life, our fate, depends on us based on our decisions alone. Not her."


    "Well said then," I uttered. "Your goddess is not a tyrannical one."


    Heughed. "She is now your goddess. As soon as we are bound together under her light next month, you will understand the life of a werewolf further."


    He kissed my hand as he stopped me by a bedroom''s door. "For now, enjoy yourself as ine Winona Rutherford before you be Mrs. ine Winona Moonstorm."


    My brows rose. "Is that your family name?"


    "Unbelievable isn''t it?"


    Before I could reply, he brushed a kiss on my lips and, in a wave of a hand, the bedroom''s door opened.


    I gaped as soon as I beheld the magnificent view of the bedroom.


    ***


    Gold bathed the whole room, glinting in every corner where my eyes met them.


    Gosh, I never saw a house as luxurious and regal andvish as this. If I had known earlier in my


    life, I would dlye by and be the ultimate sacrifice to this werewolf anytime of the year. "So..." I turned to him. "This will be our bed, then."


    He gazed at me from head to toe and said, "I''m at the adjacent room if you need anything. Just ring the bell on your bedside table and I will be there."


    Then the door mmed shut.


    "Pheww, he''s such a killjoy!" I frowned as I made my way to the king-size bed. Even its covers and nkets are in gold color. "I am just asking if this is our bed."


    Jason is right-Tyler''s childish. One moment, he''s jovial and delightful. Then in a heartbeat, he''s back to his grumpy self. To be honest, he can pass more of a woman due to his constant mood shifts.


    Iid in this shimmering and shiny bed. As soon as my body felt thefort of it, I felt like sinking into the heavenly clouds themselves¡ªso soft and cozy and fragrant.


    I then noticed a vase filled withvender and roses on the left side of the bed. Its colors are my favorite. It seems to wee me, and smile at me.


    "Hey there,vender! How''d you doing, rose?" I caressed the flowers and spoke to it, as if it would reply.


    Frustrated, I stood and went by the windows. It was made of ss, from the ceiling up to the floor. I could see widely what''s on the outside.


    I think it''s better not to mention what I''ve seen amidst this time of day or night, I don''t know. They were so loud that their moans made me cover my ears. I watched them for a few seconds. The man is muscr and the girl was...is she pregnant?


    "It''s not good to peer at other people''s business." There he is again, suddenly speaking without me even knowing how he entered my room.


    "You better sleep now. I bet you''re tired." Tyler strode towards me and shut the gold and ck curtains.


    He smirked down at me. I grinned at him as if to say, ''Will we be doing like that soon?'' "There''s a secret door from my room to yours. The bad thing is that only I can open it."


    I was about to open my mouth when the people who were doing it outside became very loud. They''re probably having their climax now, I whispered to myself.


    I sneaked into the curtains for a second when he wasn''t looking. They were still outside. Their bodies are still united, as were their lips.


    When I turned around again, Tyler was nowhere to be found. "So unfair of him that he can sneak into my room but I can''t do that to his!"


    My face was still pouting even when Iy down on the heavenly golden bed. The softness of it made me calm a bit but I was still drifting into my thoughts.


    "Is it true what he says about my family? Or was it just a ruse so that I will no longer visit them?"


    I noticed I was still wearing that white (it''s brown now) wedding-ish gown given to me by the people who took me in that forest. I decided not to change clothes. Because in the first ce, I freaking didn''t bring any clothes with me.


    I


    I suppose he would like to see me naked. But it''s too cold to be just nude.


    So I shut my eyes, with the question about my family still lingering in my mind.


    Sleep eventually visited me and my snore reverberated amidst this one hell of a golden room.

 Chapter 5: The White Wolf

    Tyler''s POV


    There she is, lying atop the stone table like some sort of a call girl waiting to be thrusted wildly. She was beautiful in white, calmly looking at the stars above as if she was waiting for something, for someone.


    The girl was some sort of humming a tune in which I can''t vaguely recognize. I proceed to approach her in a predator walk, still in my wolf form.


    I walk nearer, closer to her. Now, I can hear clearly the song she was humming.


    It was Brahms Luby-but in a creepy way.


    "Gosh, when will that wolfe?" Those wordsing from her mouth made me snarl. Does she really think I will eat her?


    Well, I will soon eat her. But in a different way.


    "Hahaha," my wolf Remus''ugh was deep and dark.


    She noticed me and her eyes grew wide. Then wider as I stood on both of my feet.


    What made me bbergasted is that she didn''t shout or shriek or yell. She sat straight and just stared at me, assessing me in my wolf form.


    And when she didn''t budge further, I closed the distance between us and lifted her from the stone table. I carried her onto my shoulders.


    I forgot that I am in my wolf form that I''ve walked into my feet, standing and walking amidst this forest more like a man than an animal.


    Yes, I''m half and half of those two but I''m more of a man than a wolf. I mean, I act more like a man than a wolf, often forgetting that I am in my wolf form just like now.


    I can sense that ine is suspecting me now. Or has she figured it out already?


    She''s still quiet as the grave. But, I''m pretty sure her thoughts are shrieking in her mind. I am a White Wolf whose domain is only limited to the natural elements of this world, not a Brown Wolf who can read thoughts and memories.


    I trekked to the forest, stering a poker face-my stone-cold wolf face. I am wholly pretending that I don''t have a fluffy heart.


    Gosh, she was even more beautiful than thest time I saw her, which makes it more difficult for me to remain poised and brute-looking.


    Every time I secretly see her, which my brother and sister-inw don''t know about and only thought that it is my first time seeing her to prove the notion of ''love at first sight'', my childish side would automatically surface. And I hate it.


    But I also like it. I secretly smile in this form which makes ine turn her attention to me.


    I continued to talk, I mean walk, into the dark of the forest. I know she can''t see clearly, and I can which makes me blushed more as it proves that she trusts me...or perhaps she has no choice because she''s on my shoulder and I hold a grip of her because I''m basically ''abducting'' her.


    I cringed at the term. Seriously, I dislike our tradition inpelling humans to give us women to mate, to bed, to be married. Why can''t we just go out in Moonburn and date and fall in love with random women just like mortals? We have money anyway, as well as other wealth, a well-toned body, charisma, and a ten-inch you-know-what.


    Or maybe that''s our way of making people obey us. We are also protecting them from Heart- eaters anyway. And as far as you can see, wolves like to be the dominant-the one that must always be followed. The one that, in just a single word ofmand, anyone will obey.


    And even though I hate to admit it, I love it that way. Because first of all, I am a fucking werewolf, and it has been embedded in our soul, been practiced by our traditions over time that we must be the dominant one-the leader-type of creature.


    We now reached Selena''s Wall. It is a huge wall that serves as the border between the mortal realm of Moonburn and the hidden glorious vige of Ste''s Soul. As the name suggests, it is the wall that has been erected by the eldest of our Triple Goddess-Selena, the Goddess of the Moon and the one who bestowed us with our exclusive gifts.


    Ste''s Soul, on the other hand, was crafted by its namesake the Goddess Ste, the one who makes the stars twinkle every night and the weaver of dreams.


    The other goddess, the youngest one, is the one who gives us protection and our wealth. Aurora, the Dawn Goddess and thedy who gives hope. She is also our love deity, the giver and watcher of the sweet and truest kind of love. Selena is the one who rules the domain of bodily desires such as sex and the likes. Ste, on the other hand, is more of the familial kind of love-the friendship weaver and the family binder.


    And these three are the ones who make the werewolves in the twenty-first century prevail to exist. Mortals only know them as myths. But for us, they are the reason why we are a legendary creature in the kingdom of the night.


    She tried to move her head to see what''s in front of us. I just smiled-smirked rather. I turned her around quickly and I barely held myugh as I nced at her when she saw a huge rocky wall before us that extends to nowhere. Was she thinking that this was some sort of the story in Stardust? I bet she thought that I am a witch''s pet and henchman.


    I moved the stone that blocks the entrance in just one hand, despite carrying her on my shoulders. We entered Selena''s Wall, then pushed the huge boulder again, with the hand I used to move it.


    She''s still on my shoulders. This time, she was now facing the path. I quickly summoned a me


    to enlighten the path. Boy, I almost let out a giggle when she was startled that I can call forth a fire in just a heartbeat.


    "Are you a wizard or something?" she asked. I just snorted.


    "So you can understand me, huh?" I just let the quietude sink in, refusing to answer her.


    She closed her eyes after, probably because of frustration. We are now back to trekking again for


    a couple of minutes. Only my footsteps echoed inside Selena''s Wall.


    I can now see Bryant and Flint, the two guards for tonight as I ''get'' ine from the mortal side of Moonburn. She finally decided to open her eyes when she discerned the cool air. I think I have no words to describe her ''gorgeous'' face when she beheld Bryant and Flint guarding the entrance by the end of the wall, both standing on their two feet and carrying torches. She was like holding her astonished face but at the same time was on the verge of letting out a shrill.


    Bryant smirked at her and gave her a curtsy bow. He''s definitely a brute for making fun of ''neer'' mortal women. I mean, it was kind of fun to see him make fun of Jason''s wifest year who is now my sister-inw.


    But this is about ine. And him making fun of my woman...if I wasn''t carrying ine on my shoulders, I''ll definitely burn an inch of his wolf ear for making my ine as a source of tonight''s humor.


    Trying to hold that poker face again on my face, when she was done conversing with Bryant, which is pretty muchedic especially with his wink, I proceeded to bring her to the very inside of Ste''s Soul-in front of Aurora''s Waters: the gilded fountain.


    And when shended on the icy, cold ground of Ste''s Soul, I can obviously see that the frigid temperature is devouring her. Mud stained my moon-white fur but I just ignored it.


    I smiled as I shifted into my human form, disregarding the wintery weather as wolves are used to that, showcasing my godly body before her.

 Chapter 6: My Chosen Bride

    It''s been normal for me to see women gape upon seeing me naked.


    But seeing ine bbergasted...gosh, I almost forgot not to bite my lip seductively.


    I just put her down roughly on the murky ground, courtesy of this morning''s cold rain. Mud had already stained my moon-white fur earlier, sshed into my wolf body the moment shended on the filthy ground.


    She whimpered in pain, and I just watched her because my entirety is aching as well. My cerulean eyes sparkled as I can now clearly see her beautiful body under the light of the Snow Moon. She has huge melons for her age, perfect and round. I bet it will just fit in my hands. Her kind peering eyes seem to feast on my unclothed body. Her hair was as ck as this night¡ªas well as luscious and a bit wavy, but not too straight either. Her skin is the color of snow and her body is the shape of an hourss.


    I arrogantly showcased my body before her, hoping that ine would be aroused. I am sweating heavily, causing my mocha skin, which is the same color as the mud she was now covered in, to glisten by the moonbeam.


    I saw her forest-green eyes gazed upon the sheer sword between my thighs. It was not so hard by now as she was still in her clothes. If she was unclothed, I suppose this sword of mine will be the same length as a ruler.


    stering a mischievous grin on my face, I watch her lips parted slightly, as if she''s imagining my lips were between hers.


    "You seemed to be in deep thoughts, ine." I finally let her hear my deep, thick voice that had sent several women dropping their underwear on the floor.


    "How did you know my-" ine''s eyes widened, shock and confusion were painted on her gorgeous face.


    "Wee to Ste''s Soul, ine." Upon finishing those words, I turned my back to her, and then walked away. Without bothering to look back at her or answer her question of curiosity.


    I can''t hold it. Every time I beheld her sparkling eyes, I''m imagining her naked-pounding on


    top of me as what previous women that weren''t a part of ''the sacrifice'' had done.


    All of them are dying to taste and thrust on my cock except ine or was she only pretending to be uninterested in me?


    I understand she was still undergoing some pondering because she just arrived in this mysterious city of Moonburn. She''s now in the icy, murky ground of Ste''s Soul instead of sleeping on the floor of Melissa''s former home-my sister-inw''s previous abode beyond the wall.


    ine is feasting her eyes on the scenery. Even me, who''s been in Ste''s Soul since birth, will even gape to this magnificent ce. Lush but stillvish. ssic in its style, but still fits the modern times.


    There is only one word I can describe for Ste''s Soul: home. It was the home that every homeless person and those who grew up in a chaotic household dreams of. And for ine...I''m d she sees this as a home, as a ce to start new-with me. With her soon-to-be family.


    I can see it in her eyes-the silent joyous face she now disys.


    Even as I walked away to clothe myself in a more decent apparel, I am still smiling. In delight and in sess.


    It was the first time in our werewolf tradition that we took a ''sacrificed'' woman without her shouting and shrieking from the stone table until we reached the inside of Ste''s Soul. Most of them demand to be returned to Moonburn, threatening to sue us with those useless humanws that we don''t even abide by.


    We have our own rules, of course. The werewolf bloodline wouldn''tst this long without rules to obey and punishment to give in case one disobeys.


    The gilded fountain, Aurora''s Waters, was among the stars of Ste''s Soul. And it stood only a few inches before ine. I bet she''s already calcting how much karat of gold that fountain consists of.


    I entered my mansion which was coated in silver paint both outside and inside and quickly grabbed a pair of shirt and jeans in less than a minute. Thanks to my butler, who''s already snoring in his room beside the stairs, for preparing my clothes on the rose-gold couch that is situated in front of the firece.


    I felt bad that I prioritized wearing clothes while I left her in the filthy mud, devoured by the cold winds of this ce.


    Nevertheless, I don''t want to walk nude while I carry her towards my mansion. If I walked naked, I felt like a real wolf holding a prey between my teeth with only my thick, moon-white fur keeping my entire body warm.


    I immediately shifted and sprinted towards where ine was. But I was shocked, at the same time relieved, that Rowena was now escorting her towards the mansion I just recently grabbed my clothes from.


    A light shed before them, courtesy of me changing into human form.


    I stood tall, emphasizing my broad shoulders. Rowena''s head was still lowered. It was ine''s face who made my cheeks red.


    "I''ll escort my bride, Rowena. You may rest now," I ordered.


    "What are you staring at, mortal? Follow me." I don''t know why I have to act brute in front of her. Maybe because I''m embarrassed that she''ll find out that I''m as soft as a teddy bear. But my body craves for her, yearns for her lips.


    So, even before she could yield a step, I grabbed her arm,nding her face on my warm, bare chest. She hoisted her head and her forest-green eyes met my cerulean ones.


    The Snow Moon of February 29th is the only witness as my lips crushed into her mouth, savoring her precious taste. I''ve been longing for her warm and kissable lips that I feasted on this same night a year ago.


    My hands explored her body, my temple. I seem to memorize her every curve and every inch of her skin, despite only watching her often from afar-even if I only fucked her for a night in Maine under the same Snow Moon.


    She was submissive, letting me take hold of her at this moment.


    ine Winona Rutherford, the eighteen-year-old mortal who I chose to be my bride, is indeed the gift of the Trinity Goddess to me as we drowned further into this sensual irresistible kiss.

 Chapter 7: A Surprising Truth

    "I just wanted to test my soon-to-be bride if she fits my taste," I murmured between her lips. To be honest, I never knew I was a very good liar.


    "And what if I''m not?" She scooped my face, parting it away from her red shining, cherry lips. Why is this woman ying hard to get?


    ''Dearest Goddess Selena, please make my fucking woman crazy for me...'' I prayed. Well, it''s more of a demand than a prayer.


    "You will be. I will not save you from your family if you don''t fit my taste," I smirked because my face loves to do it.


    She nodded. "My family. They are..."


    "They died a week ago." I hate to tell her that but the truth always hurts. It even hurts me when Jason ''truthfully'' told me that I must wear a deodorant if I want to keep women clinging to me. Of course, I''m angry at my brother. He has a goddamn two decades to tell me that I smell and he just recently told me that unpleasant truth about me minutes before I went to ''fetch'' ine on the stone table.


    "What did you say?" She looks sleepy. But her eyes tell me that she''s about to erupt like a volcano.


    "The people that are with you..." I still told her the truth despite that Remus told me not to. "They are not people. They are Heart-eaters. They can assume any appearance they like as long as they feed on mortal''s hearts and werewolves. Most especially werewolves'' hearts." "What?! How? Why?!" I could see her utter shock. She was frightened. I watch her both feet and it seems she wants to sprint back outside Selena''s Wall.


    ''Don''t let her...'' my wolf, Remus,manded.


    ''Of course, I won''t!'' I replied to him, and Remus just chortled in a dark way. ''I know you wouldn''t. Just don''t take your eyes off of her or you''ll surely be like those goddamn wretched creatures!''


    Remus is not that frightened with Heart-eaters. In fact, he hated them. Back when I didn''t have a wolf, I feared them so much that I carried a moon ne, made from iron and soaked under the light of the full moon for a month straight, around my neck. Heart-eaters hate iron, much as werewolves despise pure silver. Thank God you can just rarely find pure silver nowadays. The ne is still around my neck, the crescent-moon shaped ne. And I would never let go of it-much as I would never let ine Rutherford vanish in my sight.


    "Surely it''s not a coincidence that I was brought here?" ine asked with wholly braveness despite that I just recently revealed her family''s untimely demise.


    "I''ll exin it to you tomorrow. For now, change your clothes and rest.¡± I ced a kiss on her lovely (but wide) forehead.


    "Rest, ine," I added. "I brought you here for sanctuary and for being my bride as well. Surely you have met me once, honey."


    "Jordan?" Dear Goddess, she freaking remembered me. I am on cloud nine!


    I smiled as wide as I could. "Yes, ine. I am the man that you met at that night bar in Maine." "So you''re the man that I have a drink with and-"


    She stopped, which made me ster one hell of a devilish grin. "I am the man whom you have a one-night in bed with."


    "You had a different face at that time."


    "It''s a mour," I answered. "Werewolves can assume any appearance during a full moon only."


    "And this body you have now..." She waved a hand on my entire, Adonis-like body "...is not a mour?"


    "No," Dear Goddess, why does this woman always make meugh? "This is my real body," I added. "You will be the judge of that if you will be my wife soon." I then gave her a masculine wink.


    "And that me back in the wall?" ine arched her brows.


    "An exclusive gift for White Wolves only," I replied. "White Wolves are Elementals. Brown Wolves


    can read, alter, and add memories. ck Wolves can control darkness and light. Those are the gifts from Selena, our Moon Goddess."


    "And did this moon deity also choose me as your bride?"


    I shook my head. "No. Fate is a matter that we, werewolves, can only make. She has gifted us


    with this ability, with this privilege. But our life, our fate, depends on us based on our decisions alone. Not her."


    "Well said then," she whispered. "Your goddess is not a tyrannical one."


    Iughed, probably for the hundredth time already. "She is now your goddess. As soon as we are bound together under her light next month, you will understand the life of a werewolf further and what it means marrying one."


    I kissed her hand as I stopped by her bedroom''s door. "For now, enjoy yourself as ine Winona Rutherford before you be Mrs. ine Winona Moonstorm."


    Her brows rose. I''m not the only one who''s curious about the origin of my family name. "Is that your family name?"


    "Unbelievable isn''t it?" I crooned.


    I brushed a kiss on her lips and, in a wave of my hand, the bedroom''s door opened.


    She was gaping as soon as the bedroom door swayed, making ine''s eyes feast on the magnificent view of the bedroom.


    ***


    Gold drenched the whole room, as much as I predicted. It seems that humans also loved them aside from us.


    Every inch of this room glints where her eyes met them. It seems it''s her first time seeing thisvish, this grandiose kind of room. For us werewolves, it''s just a normal everyday thing to see in Ste''s Soul, especially Aurora''s Fountain is bombarded with gold.


    "So..." I turned to her upon hearing her words. "This will be our bed, then."


    My brows arched. ine lowered her head.


    "I mean, will this be our bed then?" She looks embarrassed. I grinned mischievously as soon as she returned her gaze to the golden room.


    I gazed at her from head to toe, wondering if she knows that no werewolf and woman can sleep together if not yet bound by the light of Selena if one is within Ste''s Soul. Oh, my bad. I didn''t tell her that either.


    "I''m at the adjacent room if you need anything," I purred. "Just ring the bell on your bedside table and I will be there."


    Then I mmed the door shut. My wide, wide smile was finally able to surface without her peering eyes.

 Chapter 8: The Alpha of Show-offs

    Karlo and Gialyca are having sex outside on this damn hour.


    They are so loud and rough, and never hesitated to do it in front of ine''s window. They must


    be ine''s reason for still being awake, especially the windows of her room serve as some sort of


    a television''s screen-making her see such a breath-taking, clear view of Karlo and Gia''s


    convergence.


    ''Can''t they just do it in the room?'' I thought.


    Damn, Karlo is acting like a real wolf again-taking his mate under the sea of stars, thrusting inside her in a dog''s mating position.


    I frowned at him when he saw me standing at my arched windows.


    ''Getid inside, Karlo!'' Imanded via our minds'' link. He''s a ck Wolf and the Alpha of the Onyx Pack, a maniptor of all things that give light and dark.


    Gialyca Farmiga is a famous supermodel who decided to live permanently in Moonburn. The citizens of Moonburn didn''t think twice to vote for her as the sacrifice eight years ago and even dragged her to the forest andid her atop the stone table naked. I found out from one of the in-house mortal servants of Ste''s Soul that the people found Gia banging the mayor''s son the moment the people came for her to ''sacrifice'' her to our kind.


    Deep down, I still cringe when mortals use the term "sacrifice" where in fact we only asked a ''volunteer'' woman to be our bride.


    Maybe there were no women left in Moonburn to volunteer that''s why they resort to barging beautiful women''s houses and carrying them to the forest despite the fact that they were thrusting someone, milking cows, or watching adult movies at that moment.


    That''s how strong our words and essence make the people of Moonburn go frenzy, apart from the yearly cash they receive from our pocket. Okay, maybe money is the primary role and our intimidating fangse in second ce.


    But the point is we have them on our leash and can make them do anything by just whistling. To be honest, it looks more like the people of Moonburn are more of a dog than to us-where in fact we are technically a dog.


    I mean all wolves are dogs but not all dogs are wolves...


    Remusughed at me due to that statement.


    Anyway, I watched Karlo bring Gia inside thefort of their house while his material was still inside the wetness of her core.


    Curious, I decided to check at ine if my reprimanding of the two, who just entered their house and yet are still having sex at the balcony, made her now asleep.


    "It''s not good to peer at other people''s business." I clearly startled her with my deep, Batman- like voice.


    Seriously, are there were-bats? If there''s a werewolf, there should be a were-bat...


    ''What the hell are you thinking?!'' Remus asked.


    "You better sleep now," I said to ine, my face still yields that i-am-heartless kind of expression. "I bet you''re tired."


    I walked towards her and shut the gold and ck curtains. Smirking down at her, she grinned at


    me. Ste knows how long I can hold this i-am-a-brute-werewolf personality. My innate teddy bear self had long been wing inside me to escape.


    "There''s a secret door from my room to yours. The bad thing is that only I can open it," I whispered with that same dark and deep voice of mine that Jason once said, "You can make any womane with just your voice, brother."


    Oh no, brother Jason. I beg to disagree. Even without my voice, women were already panting every time they saw me as if I''d finished rocking them for four rounds.


    I scanned her room for a second. When I whipped my head back to her, she was sneaking at Karlo and Gia''s rough dance on the balcony again.


    So I just vanished into the secret door without any sound, letting her eyes feast on the two. After


    all, all ine could do is watch them from afar and will never be able to experience it-unless she invites me for a demonstration which I will dly do.


    "Is it true what he says about my family? Or was it just a ruse so that I will no longer visit them?"


    I heard her mutter, my ears are literally sticking on the walls.


    "Does she doubt me?" I whispered to myself. Remus just snorted.


    I checked her room through that secret door. And when I peered at her again while being


    shirtless, sleep finally beckoned her to be with the realm of sweet dreams.


    I smiled. Before I returned to my room, I gave ine Winona Rutherford, the soon-to-be Mrs. Tyler Jane Moonstorm, a kiss on her forehead.


    ***


    ine was still snoring when I opened her bedroom door at nine in the morning.


    I only intend to check on her, see if she''s still processing about her family''s death or was she


    awake all night. I closed the distance between us with my silent style of walking.


    The sun''s heat is very hot nowpared to when I was jogging at the moment the sun began to crawl to the sky.


    I peered at ine''s window and Jason, along with the rest of the Amber Pack, has already started their daily training at the Fighting Hall.


    The moment I said to her the thing about her familyst night, I can see all the emotions in a nce. It was all painted in her face: confusion, astonishment, bizarreness.


    Most of the women we took from Moonburn to Ste''s Soul took days to process that we''ve ''abducted'' them to be our bride-to reproduce and multiply our kind. It took a couple of words and shirtless fellow hot men of my age to exin to recently taken women that we are not going to kill or devour them-well at least it''s only in bed we''ll devour them.


    But ine... "She''s different," said Remus, my wolf,


    There''s just something in her that feels different. Even in our first meeting where we getid under the motel''s roof, she stands out from everyone else. Something in her made my heart leap in joy every time I beheld her face.


    Is this thing called love? Or I just confused this feeling with that one-the feeling that made my cock go hard every time I gaze at her eyes.


    "You cared for her," Remus whispered to me again. "How rare of you-of us to feel maic to a mortal woman like this ine..."


    Even I was confused. Instead of me being the me between us, she''s more like the fire and I am the wood, burning without knowing that we, Remus and I, were already caught fire.


    "She''s on fire," he added. "I bet the me in her heart was what made her different. I guess we have now a contender in the wintery powers that flow in our veins."


    I rarely use fire. As a wolf born under the light of a Snow Moon, I feel affinity for all things cold and icy.


    Even in training, I use frosty winds and ice for attack and defense. I rarely use fire and other elements in special circumstances such as if it was also ice that was used against me by my fellow White Wolf.


    I went back to my room. And, as I was about to go into the shower, Jose barged in. "Hey you, bro!" The Beta White Wolf greeted. "Perhaps the big old Teddy Bear forgot about our bet yesterday." The copper-haired young wolf smirked at me and patted me in the shoulder. "I won," Jose dered with a wink.


    He jumped from my window. I know I lost. But there was another bet between us that I had a chance to win.


    I leaped from the window, my shirt still on my bed. My ripped blue jeans was the only thing that hindered from everyone beholding me utterly naked.


    Inded in front of Jose, bringing my hand behind me, where I started to form a couple of ice crystals. Its coldness made my veins leap in joy. "No, Jose. You have not won yet."


    Then I strike a flurry of snow. Jose was pretty much a skilled White Wolf because he managed to hurl the nearby burning fire. With a circle of his hand, he formed it into a shield, protecting himself from my icy wind.


    I stomp my foot and the earth bes frosty, a wave of ice on Jose''s way to where he was standing. He leaped to the nearby tree and I followed.


    Climbing up, I froze each branch that my hand, burning with cold, touched. And every hoist of my head, Jose would send a zing twig or wood to my face. But the wind is my friend, and with the wave of my hand, the morning warm crisp air turned to a freezing one.


    Jose was a wolf of fire, leaving anything he trekked and touched drowning in mes. Whereas I... I am Tyler Jane Moonstorm, the bringer of cold and storm.


    I stretched out my hand, gathering the raging sky and thunder in one ce to trap Jose. I may have lost our bet that this year''s people of Moonburn''s sacrifice will not be ine. But this bet of ours, to whom will be the first one to call forth a storm, I will win.


    I am the Alpha of Wolves whose blood rages with fire, flows with ice, breathes in the fury of the


    air, and stands in the strength of the earth.


    "Oh, look. Herees Alpha Tyler, the great and terrible Stormbringer," Jose smirked.


    "Yes, pup." I smiled at Jose, teeth and fangs shing. "I am the fucking Stormbringer." Then a huge thunder struck the tree where Jose is sitting. The wind rolled him up right to my feet.


    Lying in the holiness of the ground of Ste''s Soul, my Beta beamed at me.


    "Fine, Alpha Jane." Jose only calls me by my second name when embarrassed, especially some of the wolves in training and their mortal wives halted just to watch our fight caused by a bet. "You freaking win this time. One score for you and one score for me."


    I grabbed his hand to hoist him up whileughing. "Get up, you pup!"

 Chapter 9: Beach Problems

    ine''s POV


    One week ago...


    "What the hell are you doing there, ine? Go and grill some pork!"


    Even on the beach, my mother''smanding voice didn''t stop me from taking a break. In fact, I haven''t yet taken a swim.


    Frustrated, I strode towards the barbecue grill and grabbed some marinated pork that I''ve also marinated before we got here and started to grill. While them...they are just casuallyughing and ying beach volleyball. I was so in rage, treating me as if I''m their private maid and ordering me with even the tiniest chore like taking off their shoes and picking up their towel in the sand. Even wiping their body dry from the seawater, it was still my job to do.


    I clenched my fist and focused on grilling. But my wicked mind yed a trick on me and I imagined that I was cooking them atop the sizzling enormous charcoal-grill that I exclusively made for them alone. All four of them in the sharpness of the human-sized sticks I made and above the smoking hot pile of burning charcoal.


    Someone hit my head and my face almost touched the grill. I looked to my side and my younger sister''s grinning face made me just grip the tongs. I force myself to just grip it or else my wild daydream will begin on my sister.


    "You could have told me that you already finished one pork belly," said my sister, Lyta.


    "And why did you fuc-I mean why did you hit me?"


    "Hah, you dare swear in front of your little sister? I''m going to tell mom that you said the F word


    in front of me and I will also tell her that you burned the food!"


    "What burned? It''s called well-cooked you, idiot! And I didn''t swear at you, I''m just reminding you who amongst us is the elder sister!"


    Lyta rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of me, pouting. "You''re not even a real Rutherford, you adopted big pig!" Lyta spitted on my feet which was just washed off by the waves. She kept on insisting that I''m adopted where in fact, in my birth certificate, I definitely came out from my mother''s pussy.


    ''Maybe I''m really adopted...'' I thought.


    I returned to the grilling area and finished until thest lobster was well cooked. It was great timing that my mother approached me upon seeing me put thest of the lobster I cooked in the metal te.


    "What the hell are you doing, ine?" Mom growled.


    "Well, uhm, I''m done cooking so-"


    "So what? You''ll be eating as much as you can?!" She pointed a finger to me and sauntered towards me. As she walked towards me, I kept on walking backwards, pushing me away from the table. "Remember, ine. It doesn''t mean you are at the beach, you will just forget what the rules are in the family, huh?!" Mom hit my forehead with her finger twice. "You will only eat once we''re finished, no matter the amount of food we left for you!"


    Mom never fails to forget to shout at me even in the presence of the crowd. I cried running away from them, thinking that maybe I should just pack my things and leave for good. I have enough money anyway. I have secretly opened a bank ount unbeknownst to them because I am pretty sure they will always scavenge my bag for cash and jewelry.


    The money I kept in the bank is the one I earned even at the age of seven. I remember back when I was young, my family just casually made me stay in the house when they went to the beach or the mall or when they went out of town for me to do housesitting. Without even paying or buying something for me as a gratitude for being a good girl. Not even a ''thank you''. Since I already know what their tactics towards me are, I often went to our neighbors from house to house and offered simple chores that a seven-year-old girl can do. I do things like pulling the weeds in their backyard during spring or cleaning their front yard from dried leaves during autumn. And since I''m a cute industrious girl, they hand me a dor or two. Sometimes with a lunch and snack and sweet treats. During the holiday season, the Rutherfords spend their Christmas in the countryside and I was left to do house sitting alone again and have holidays on my own.


    My neighbors often invite me during their Christmas Eve and New Year''s Eve, sometimes the morning after. And, at the end of the day, I was even luckier than them because I was given cash, free gifts, and was able to eat for free at ten different houses. Sometimes more. Whereas them...they often run out of cash because they have to feed thirty or more people. Sometimes, their rtives ask for extra cash and some even ask for an extra extra money. Sometimes in winter, nature gifts them with a snowstorm. I remember there was one time when bad luck also visited them, making their car run out of gas in the middle of a snowy, icy road that made them walk and push the car for more than five kilometres since it was how far the nearest gas station is. There, they also found out that a tire was probably shed by the thugs that asked them for a ride earlier and forgot to check it before they drove away.


    So yeah, I''m not entirely filled with misery and bad luck after all. ''Cause I know that karma is a bitch and that life is a wheel, sometimes you''re up then you''re down in a blink. It''s just a matter of attitude.


    I looked back and my family is but a dot now to where I was standing. I soaked my feet in the sea waters when I saw eggshells. I traced it and saw a newly-hatched baby turtle which was just about to crawl away from the egg it came from.


    A crow cawed and I realized it''s in a big rock not far away from the turtle.


    "Shoo!" I sshed the bird with water and it immediately went away. "Come baby, turt." I beckoned the hatchling toe to me and sat beside me as the waters from the sea made me smile.


    I saw it slow down and decided to just scoop it in my hand and put it in the very shallow hole in the sand that I made between my legs. The waves crashed into us and I brought a handful of water to the baby turtle''s little hole. It lifted its head and yawned. I giggled.


    "Let''s wait for your mommy, baby turt," I said as I stroked its little head with my finger. "You''re a lucky one, dearest." I continued and it just looked at me as if it understands me. "You have a mom that patiently waits for you."


    It''s now waddling its flippers and sshed water at my skin. "I hope all moms are like that. I hope all families are like that they really treat you as a part of them like you''re an extension of themselves..." I don''t care if it''s only the wind and the sea and the turtle that can hear me. At least I was able to speak in a way that no one will silence me just because I want to go to college. At least I was able to unsheathe my emotions without a so-called family shoving it back inside the hollowness of me


    "I envy you, baby turtle." It tried to bite my hand, which is so cute. "Sorry, I have no fish," I whispered.


    I stood and rubbed the sand from my body. "Just wait there, little friend."


    Then I decided to head back since my stomach is already grumbling. "I envy you, little friend." I breathed as I gave the little turtle onest nce before I return to my family who only thinks of themselves.

 Chapter 10: Horrible Creatures

    I was right.


    They are done eating and I waste for a couple of minutes. And because of my tardiness, a palm-sized beef steak and a lobster''s head is the only thing left for me to eat amidst the abalones, crawfish, pork belly, chicken breast, beef steak, crabs, shells, and three lobsters I prepared, cooked, and bought for them.


    This is all I have, all that was left for me to eat: a fucking palm-sized beef steak and lobster''s head. I smashed my fist on the table due to this anger simmering inside me. I don''t know if it''s a good thing that they''re swimming in a distance from me but I guess it''s a good thing then. So that this knife and grill will notnd on their eyes and throat.


    I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my shirt. "Perhaps if I''ve been earlier, there will be more food for me to eat." I think not. Early or tardy, they will still see me as an extra baggage to the family that can just be discarded and forgotten anytime. They will still leave me scraps of food they ate despite the fact that I was the one who cooked and prepared and bought it with my own money


    for them.


    "I''m so done!" I decided to go back to where I put the baby turtle. I hope the crows didn''te back for it. The water is warm on my feet; the sand reminds me that I am on the beach to have fun, not to pout. But I cannot eradicate this expression on my face when I am being treated like a scullery maid who does not even have a monthly wage.


    I sometimes think what Lyta said was true. Perhaps Lyta was right. I was just adopted or maybe sold to them by my real parents. Even though mom and dad kept denying that I wasn''t, even though mom said she almost died when I ripped her pussy apart when she was inbor, their actions say otherwise.


    And because of that, I realized I only have myself to rely on. Not like baby turtle here, who''s still swimming but with his mother watching.


    The mommy turtle looked at me and I can read the gratitude in its eyes. I smiled back as I stroked mommy turtle''s head. "Go now with your mommy, baby turt." I picked up the hatchling and ced it on the back of the mother.


    I waved goodbye as the turtles swam back to the womb of the sea, to return to their family where baby turtle will warmly be weed. Unlike me every time I go home from work. How I wish every family was like that...


    I hoisted my head and touched my forehead. The sky is strangely gray but no thunder nor sign of rain. It suddenly began to feel cold that even the hair in my arms rose.


    ''What the hell is this?'' I mused to myself as I rubbed off the sand and washed my footwear with the waters of the sea.


    And just as I turned back, the sight made my eyes almost pop out from my face. Several crows are encircling the sky. A huge ring of ck and ebony was flying in a circle just a little far away from the beach.


    A little voice inside my head pushed me to investigate it, to see why the crows are flying in a circle. Everyone knows that crows love dead and decaying flesh that''s why it''s an emblem of death. And knowing that there is an enormous amount of crows'' presence on the beach... "Oh shit! Please, God. It can''t be."


    I brace myself for whatever I may find in there. And when I do, well, I''m a good runner anyway. I always run around our neighbourhood every time I get into a fight with one of my family. That''s my way of letting out frustration.


    I inhaled and exhaled, preparing my eyes, my smell, my stomach. It''s time to use these two lightning-fast feet of mine because I''m pretty sure what I may find in there is something that can freeze one to where they are standing.


    ***


    Walking on my way to investigate, with the sand serving as my red carpet, my imagination is already giving me weird thoughts on what I may find.


    "Please don''t make it a dead body. Please don''t make it a dead body. Please don''t make it a dead body," I chanted, hoping that it would just be a huge dead whale that washed up on shore. I was justmenting on how weird the surroundings are when I saw an unusual thing on the seashore. It''s so unusual that I wouldn''t think that people will really do that in the beach: a couple was having sex. And not just any sex, there''s a camera that stands with a ck tripod. How uncanny!


    The woman, who''s breasts glints as a ray of sunlight cast upon it, has her two hands on the rock while her partner does her on the back in an epic dog position.


    "Gosh, people really film their sex video in a public beach!" The weirdness of that made me shake my shoulders in disgust. It''s a good thing they didn''t do it in the sea itself where the crabs and starfish and urchins would probably be delighted in their nakedness.


    I immediately walked past them. I didn''t even turn around for a second time. I''m just detested by that. Why can''t they do it in a room at the nearest motel? Or perhaps in the car for some privacy stuff?


    I shouted for them but they just ignored me. "Hey!" I waved a hand so they could notice me. They did see me and they stopped for a heartbeat but returned to uniting their bodies in a blink. I walked towards them and it seemed they didn''t feel ashamed that a teenager saw them fucking on the seashore.


    "Aren''t you bothered by the crows flying in circle?" I pointed to the sky and the man followed with his eyes to where I was pointing. The woman''s moans be louder and more irritating. "Can''t you see we''re busy filming here?" I turned to the camera and almost forgot about that. "Sorry," I mumbled. But the man just gave me a middle finger. "Don''t worry sweetheart," the woman turned to me. "You can join us after we finish our work," she winked. She. Freaking. Wink. God, she even has the gut to invite me for a threesome. I rolled my eyes and strode away. But I can feel their eyes following me until I vanish from their sight. I was nearing the site where the crows are still flying in a circle when that awful, unearthly smell interrupted my senses. "What the "


    Even if there''s a huge rock blocking, I can see the pale, lifeless hand. There''s a dead body.


    I puked by the rock before I peeked again. There are dead bodies.


    My stomach turned upside down and vomited again by the rock. ""Bitch!" I cursed. So this is what the scent of a corpse smells like. It''s very unpleasant and hair-raising and pungent that you want to spray three bottles of Victoria Secret perfume a couple of times.


    I have never seen a dead body before. Maybe that''s why fate let me see a hundred of them. Piles and a stack of bodies are just on the shore of the beach, a few feet away from the water. I don''t think there''s a sign of drowning because they''re bodies are not bloated. It''s also not impossible that there is already one or two corpses that caught the attention of beach goers. Maybe the people have already discovered one ahead of me. I don''t know but perhaps it''s just a good choice that I didn''t proceed to criminology or any course that deals with murder and blood and dead bodies. I once dreamt of wearing a police uniform. I once dreamed to be a forensic doctor like I watched in TV shows like The Mentalist and True Crime and CSI. Not anymore. I guess even slicing open a cadaver would already send me sprinting away.


    Perhaps being ine the Waitress suits me more. You know, the girly stuff.


    I strolled further and the smell got even worse, to the point that it would stick to your clothes even how many times you wash them. But there''s only one thing I notice that''s simr to these corpses: their hearts are carved out. Like literally carved out without the use of instruments.


    I think it''s a bare monstrous hand that did these, pulling their beating hearts right before their sight.


    And my guess was right, especially when an ebony-ck entity that resembles a wolf but with ram-like horns stood ten steps away from me.


    "Oh shit!" I blurted as I held my hand atop my heart.

 Chapter 11: Hearteaters

    "I still want to hold on to my heart, you know," I said to the beast as I prepared my lightning-fast feet for a sh-like run.


    And just like that, I run. Without waiting for any signs if I should.


    ''Run, ine. Run!'' My chant seems to not work when the entity bes hellishly terrifying. It leaped on top of the huge rock to where I just puked earlier and gave me a chase.


    I refrained from looking back and forth and focused my eyes, my feet, and my whole


    body to just freaking shit run.


    ''Just run.'' I told myself, the beast on my tail. I ran faster and quicker than I ever have as if my life depends on this. Well, my life and my heart-do depend on my running, on how fast I


    could run.


    I was running for goddamn I don''t know how many minutes when I reached the spot to where a couple was having sex earlier.


    Well, the couple is still here but they are no longer having sex. Blood stained the white sand of this beach. To be honest, I think they are no longer breathing either.


    I froze, the shivers rising from my legs to my shoulder. ''Should I continue to run and just leave them behind?''


    true.


    But curiosity strikes me, guiding my entire body to inch closer and check if my feeling is


    It''s true.


    They are both lifeless, naked. Their fingers turned blue and their lips turned purple and- "Where the fuck is their hearts?" I whispered as I stared straight in their empty chests, blood still pooling from their bodies.


    The couple..."It''s like the dead bodies in there."


    And when I heard strange noises, when I heard someone or something is approaching my back, I realize then that-


    ***


    That one hell of a monster earlier isn''t alone.


    "These beasts are here in a group," I sucked my breath.


    My guess is true.


    How can I say that? The freaking strange wolf-like figure that stands like a man but with a


    horn of a ram is positioned a meter away from my face.


    "Shit!" Yeah, I''m doomed.


    Its bat-like hands wrapped around my neck, choking me. Lifting me to the ground, beckoning my soul to leave this body so it can own my heart.


    I would not let it. Not in a thousand years.


    It has hands and arms and wings like that of a bat. Even the sun hid from the clouds due


    to this malicious creature. Everything around me is frigid and gray. The scent of death flooded


    my senses. Its pungent smell drives me crazy enough to die, enough to allow this diabolic entity to take my breath away.


    But I would not let it. Not when the bright morning star is still twinkling in the day sky.


    ; Its hand tightened but I continued to fight. I struggled and kicked and hit it with all the


    sliver of strength left in my veins.


    live.''


    ''I will live,'' I told myself. ''I will live. I will keep my heart beating in my chest. I will live.''


    It red at my eyes; its eyes are wholly ck. ''I will live. I shall breathe. I will live. I will


    ''I will live.'' It ripped the sleeve of my shirt, exposing my shoulder. And, in a blink, it released me. It released me from its grip that almost made me greet death, as if something made it stop.


    I covered my exposed skin with my hand. When I hoisted my head, it''s monstrous hand


    was pointing at my shoulder. No, not at my shoulder. It was pointing at my-


    "Your birthmark..." It spoke.


    ;  It. Freaking. Spoke.


    Its voice is filled with unearthly essence. Hair-rising, soul-stealing. Evil.


    That''s why I came to realize that-


    "People died where they were because of you!"


    who-"


    But it just smirked, a mocking grin. "No, ine." It called me by my first name. "It was you


    I poked its eye and blew a handful of sand before its face, giving me time to run away as


    fast as I could. Fleeing from it to keep this only life I have.


    "I will live. I will live..." My words finally sunk into my mind and bones that I, ine Winona Rutherford, have indeed lived.


    ***


    I returned to our ce where the food I grilled and covered with paper tes were untouched.


    ; That means, since the time I left, my family hasn''t yet returned to the table. "Where in God''s name are they?!"


    They are not swimming in the sea. They are not building horrible sandcastles that, in a single blow of a wind, will eventually crash into the shore. They are not even ying beach volleyball where the only person who knows how to y the game is me.


    "I hope that the devil will not follow me here." I heard a shriek from a teenage girl. I don''t have to guess why she released a sudden shrill because it probably was because a corpse has already reached the swimming area.


    I cursed while looking for my phone in the bag I left in the chair and dialed 911. I noticed that the sun is now back shining brightly amidst the afternoon sky.


    I gasped when my eyes looked around and scanned the environment. I am not the only one who was calling the police and emergency. I am not the only one panicking, some are subtle like me while some fainted like the teenager that bellowed earlier.


    I also gaped at the fact that there is not only one dead body that has been washed up on shore.


    There are five.


    ***


    The police saw the pile of dead bodies


    But those devilish creatures...they''re gone.


    I only saw one of them. I don''t really know if they are in a group since I only saw one of those wolf-like inhuman creatures with bat-like arms, hands, and wings and ram-like horns.  But judging they''re wolves..."Wolves travel in packs," I whispered.


    "What did you say, Miss?" One of the police officers asked, the one who approached me first upon a team of police and S.W.A.T. and emergency personnel arrived at the beach.


    "Why did you reach this area then? This is restricted as you can see by the barrier." "I¡ªwell, I am not the only one who was here. There were a couple who were here first. They are jackhammering each other while naked_"


    "Okay fine, enough. Are those the bodies we find before reaching this pile of heartless


    bodies?"


    ; "Yes. The couple are heartless too. Literally and figuratively," Imented, rolling my eyes.


    The police gave me a stare that seems to say that ''If it was not for your alibi, I would have thought that you are the killer.''


    Yeah, I know the phrase "First witness is always the first suspect" seems to be the words that made witnesses always think twice to give information or not.


    "Where''s your family?" He asked me again.


    "I don''t know. I can''t find them either." I thought statement-giving will onlyst a couple


    of minutes. It''s already been an hour since I stayed at the police''s side.


    Oh, I just realized that...this handsome man was a detective. "You can go now-"


    "Mr. Evans!" A younger looking man, perhaps Mr. Evans'' colleague, was sprinting towards


    us. "There are four more bodies in the man-made mini-forest of the beach just behind the volleyball court."


    Perhaps they are just normal dead bodies.


    ;


    "The four bodies...they all die brutally. As if monsters-"


    "Shut it!" Mr. Evans red at his colleague. "What else?"


    ''Four more bodies, eh?'' I mused to myself. The two have a little more talk about detective stuff so I turned to my heel.


    I was about to leave his side when his younger colleague uttered words that felt like I


    dived right in the middle of a frozenke.


    "All of them have missing hearts while their other organs remain intact, aside from the fact that their skin was ripped right from their bodies..."

 Chapter 12: What a Strange Family

    ¨®h, God. Oh God.


    police?"


    ''Could it be my fam-''


    "Ms. Rutherford!"


    I whipped my head to Mr. Evans. "Yes?"


    Beads of sweat cascaded down from my face. "Do you have nothing more to say to the


    My brows rose. My heart throbbed.


    "More info to give, statement to say?"


    I shook my head.


    "Nothing? You are somewhat shaking to be honest."


    "Nothing more than the statement I already gave," I finally exhaled.


    "Good. You are free to go now."


    So I did. Without looking back. I just walk to where my untouched food is, where I was hoping that it was still untouched and my family are still wandering to hell where they want to explore.


    ''But what if it''s my family that I shook my head and hit my shoulder with a tap. ''It''s impossible. My family has a foul smell. I don''t think the wolfish creatures would feast on such foul-smelling souls.''


    But what if my guess is true. What if...


    "They are still not here." I stared at the palm-sized beef steak and lobster head on a te that made me drool.


    My stomach rumbled and I just realized that I only drank coffee for breakfast because the breakfast te that was meant for me...they fed it to Joey, our Golden Retriever.


    Yes, they care more for the dog than for me, who is the actual family and the actual one


    who prepared their morning feast.


    I seized a fork and scooped a pea-size steak in my mouth. "It''s still good."


    Of course it is. I am the one who cooked and seasoned it.


    So, I look out for my family while having a quick breakfast-lunch because my mom would definitely shriek at me if she ever saw me still eating at the table instead of preparing a clubhouse sandwich and French fries for their afternoon snack, and use me of secretly eating the snack they should have eaten where in fact it''s my own money that it was bought with. I sighed, gulping down a ss of coconut juice that now tastes a bit sour.


    "How I wish I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast..." I breathed.


    An hourter has passed and I''m done preparing their Golden Clubhouse sandwich and French


    fries that I fried with olive oil and sprinkled with some pepper and salt.


    I ate one and the fries melted right on my mouth. "Oh, God. It tasted so good!"


    I was about to take a bite from the sandwich when someone pinched me in my left


    shoulder.


    "Eat up in the car. We''re leaving right now." I watched as some patrol cars, detectives,


    and police officers were still in the beach area. My gaze returned to my younger sister''s sweating face. She smells like the dead.


    "What? Why? I thought we would be having an overnight here..."


    "We''re leaving now!" It was mom who grabbed the car keys and I was forced to plunge the whole sandwich in my mouth.


    I forgot this food was actually for them, the one I prepared and cooked for their afternoon snack.


    "Aren''t you going to eat your snack?" All of them look at me at once. I don''t know but it''s weird. Their faces, their scent, the way they act. All of it.


    ;"We''re full." It was dad who answered, who was currently carrying the ice box and other heavy things as if it didn''t bother him.


    Every time we go swimming at the beach, it is always me who carries the ice box and anything heavy as if to tell me that "hey, since you''re a burden to the family, you should also be carrying what''s heavy for us."


    Yeah, that''s my life.


    "Eat up, ine!" My sister thrusted the other two slices of sandwich in my throat as if I am one of those enormous celebrity food eaters that was featured on various food contests like eating twenty burgers in ten minutes.


    "Eat the fries in the car," my mothermanded. Her voice was deep and surprising. It


    sounds like she''s afraid of someone, of something.


    This was the first time that my family just allowed me to eat to my heart''s content.


    ; I suddenly heard a wolf''s howling and my mother, my father, my brother, and my


    father...they stopped all at once.


    car.


    ;In a heartbeat, our ce on the beach is now clear and my family crazily hurried to the


    "You drive," said my dad, who''s just beside the driver''s seat.


    "Me?" I frowned, the wind became chilling so I shut the windows. It was also because of


    my mother''s order.


    "Have you forgotten where our house is?" I muttered jokingly.


    But, surprisingly and eerily, all of them are just quiet. Poised. Hands on theirp and


    heads leaned on the chair.


    I sighed to make myself calm.


    Bang-


    My youngest brother looked up when we heard that loud sound. In a heartbeat, a huge white wolf is on our driveway. Another ck wolf on top of the car and a gigantic brown wolf on the roof as seen on the side mirror.


    "DRIVE NOW!" My father bellowed and it was the scariest and loudest one I ever heard in


    my life.


    I started the car and the white wolf immediately went to the side. But it still gives us a


    chase.


    I took a turn and the ck wolf was still in front of us.


    "Make it go away!" shouted my brother.


    So I drove fast. I grabbed its attention and, when it wasn''t looking, I took a turn by the


    street, resulting for it to fall. The poor ck wolf stumbled on the road.


    ;


    I paused, stopping the car for a breath.


    "KEEP DRIVING!" My mom shrieked.


    ; "Why the fuck is everyone shouting?" I asked before starting the car again.


    "Just drive, ine!" my sister demanded.


    The brown wolf in the roof tried to enter by the back by repeatedly smashing the


    rear ss window.


    "DRIVE!!!" They said it altogether, shocking me.


    In a second, it looks like they are all having a headache when they all sped their heads as if they heard a ringing sound.


    I started the car and we were almost hit by a delivery truck. I drive faster, hitting the pedal at the maximum speed. We could get a ticket for speed driving but my family didn''t mind that at


    all and just told me to keep driving.


    The brown wolf climbed back to the roof as heard by its footsteps. And, in a blink, the


    huge white wolf is on the road again, setting the path on fire.


    "What the hell!" I screamed, almost hitting another car but I dodged.


    "It''s on fire! It''s on fire!" My brother yelled.


    "Yeah, I know baby boy!"


    "Our seat is on fire, you idiot!" It was my sister who grabbed my hair and forced


    me to look what''s happening in the backseat.


    It is indeed on fire. The seat suddenly bursts into mes. But it wasn''t burning anything.


    In fact, it doesn''t even smell like fire or give off smoke.


    "What''s happening!" My dad is now going crazy, putting his head in the ice box. My brother is fanning the fire with his gaming tablet and my sister...


    ; "Why the hell did you undress?"


    "I''m trying to seduce the wolf with this body," she hissed.


    ; "Seduce the wolf? You all are lunatics!"


    They all stopped synchronically again. This time, my mom whispered to me. "Why don''t


    you drive naked and see how these fucking wolves will react?"


    I really don''t know what''s happening now. Since when are wolves tempted by a woman''s naked body? All they see is a curve of flesh and a mountain of meat when they see a naked human. Not a youngdy with big tits and curvy hips and bold ass and nice hips.


    So I did what they said. I drive while naked. Unexpectedly, the wolves'' eyes widened. The brown wolf peacefully went down and went to the sidewalk. I looked at the car''s mirror and the fire at the backseat vanished like a bubble popping on thin air. The white wolf, which was slowly walking towards us amidst the fiery road earlier, is now beside the big brown wolf.


    "I told you mom. ine''s the moon to the wolves'' eyes."


    I just sighed, not knowing what to believe anymore despite all that I heard and saw and witnessed.


    We arrived at our house silently after that moment. When I stopped the car and my sister was about to exit, I saw a reflection of that horrendous figure sitting on the backseat to where she is now-its glowing ck eyes stared right at my soul, its ram-like horns reach the top and


    its wolf-like body upied most of the space. But what''s more horrifying is that it was smiling. It was smiling as if it was devouring every single living thing that it smiles at.


    I blinked and I found my sister smirking at me. "What are you looking at, big


    sister?"


    ; "Nothing," I lied. Or maybe I didn''t, especially when I yawn and feel that sleepiness is


    crawling in my bones.


    I opened the car''s trunk because dad said that''s where Joey is sleeping, that''s why they didn''t bring him with them inside the car.


    When I opened it, I shrieked. Like crazily shrieked.


    And the one that made me scream wasn''t the fact that Joey is dead and inside the car''s trunk. It''s because my sweet little puppy''s chest was open, as if its heart was grabbed right from its tiny breathing body.

 Chapter 13: Dream the Spiciest Dream

    In ine''s Dream...


    I don''t know if this is a dream but this felt good. Very good.


    water.


    He strode down the stone steps until he reached the bathtub, until his body touched the


    I smiled at him as we sat us both down in the golden tub, its edges glinting in every strike of moonbeam. I pushed him off to sink further beneath the surface, filling us with water up


    to our chest. Tyler picked up a bar of that rose and vani soap and handed it to me.


    "Clean yourself first, before we get dirty." I could listen to his voice for an eternity. But it


    was his wink that made me freeze and released.


    "I coulde just by listening to your voice..." I do not know why I said that but I did say that. And I dide.


    "So, technically, we are now bathing in youre. Your sea of release..."


    Tyler touched my flesh. My purr of pleasure is a brush of air against his ear. He moaned to my cry that I unleashed, heating the water with more of his natural hotness. Our natural hotness. My face heated but my core tightened. Werewolves do have big dicks-I confirmed. I traced my finger to every nipple on his chest. It was his turn to release a cry of sensual paradise. "Open." He obeyed, spreading those magnificently built legs of his, enough for me to find the erecting tower.


    Carefully. So carefully, I lowered myself to him. My body is a flesh of scorching passion and pleasure.


    Thevender-scented candle''s ocherous light danced over his numerous faint scars, invisible when afar but vivid when one''s hand was on his skin. I stroked every scar after my lips met them. He looked down at me, hands braced on the rim of the golden bathtub.


    "You must be more than a shapeshifter," I purred. "You''re a warrior sent by the Trinity Goddess..."


    The muscles on his arms tensed as Tyler let out augh. "So you''re now praising me now, mortal?"


    "I can praise you forever if you worship me now." I don''t know but, if this wasn''t a dream, I could have choked while uttering those sweet and romantic words that are rare for me say in front of a man-in front of a wolf-shifting man.


    "I think I''m already falling," he whispered, caressing my skin as if I''m a delicate dove. "Falling to where?"


    "Falling for you..." Tyler''s words were barely audible over the trickle of water as I washed his naked body.


    "Let me wash you now, love." I froze. And in a heartbeat, he''s already rubbing that fragrant soap in every inch of my skin. In every bit of my mortal soul, in every moment that we


    share this bath.


    "Why are we bathing here in the first ce?" Tyler Jane Moonstorm just gave me a wolfish grin.


    "To make love, my love."


    "Then," I said, letting him crawl on top of me. My head on the lip of the tub while my hands gripped his waist. "You have a perfectly good reason to be with me tonight, Alpha Tyler." My heart leaped in joy. For the years that I have been a ve to the people I called family...I forgive them. I have a new life now. The past is ours to bury, and the future is mine to take.


    I will spend my present and future here, in Ste''s Soul. With my soon-to-be husband and the other wolves that will soon serve as a part of this huge family, who I can also call as my friends.


    He kissed my neck, reaching to the center of my entirety and pushed a finger down there.


    I moaned, closing my eyes to relish it. He shove two more fingers. I opened my eyes and found a pair of cerulean eyes staring down at my soul. "You''re beautiful."


    "I love you." Then he entered me with all of his masculinity. I was his to take for this night. And he was mine to make love for the rest of the years I shall live with him.


    "I love you." His breath was warm on my ears. Wordlessly, he thrust and rode me. Moving so slow that made me beg for more.


    "Beg me, ine."


    "I beg you, Tyler." He grinned. I bit his lip as I slid my hands from his waist up to his neck and lingered there. "I beg you to be fast."


    He rubbed my clit and went deeper. I was an ocean and he was the kraken. Tyler sank deeper inside me and the song of pleasure began to y. My moan was iparable to his. I never heard a man who moaned louder than a woman when fucking.


    No, we''re not fucking. We''re making love.


    "You are my savior, and I am d I am your sacrifice." Tyler cackled at my words but immediately clenched my jaw and his warm, smoking hot lipsnded on mine.


    His strong hands pressed against my stomach, then to my waist, then finally to my ass. He lifted me. And now, I am on top of him. This time, his head rests on the edges of the gleaming bathtub.


    My pussy tightened and I groaned.


    "Dance on top of me, ine."


    I smiled, a beguiling one. "Slow or fast?" "Fast."


    "Hard or soft?"


    ;


    "Hard."


    I grinned again. "On top or like a dog?"


    "Damn it, ine. Just fuck me!"


    My sound of amusement echoed in thisvish bathroom, where the candles surrounded


    us and the only thing illuminating our rough night.


    My lips went onto his abs. I leaned further in order to make his velvet-wrapped steel delve and go deeper inside me. His thumbs massaged my lips but I bit it. Softly. "I will wrap youpletely around my cave."


    "I want to see you try." He''s challenging me. He''s freaking challenging me.


    His eyes danced with canine amusement. "Be rough to me, love. Beautifully rough."


    "Aye, aye, Alpha!"


    We both chortled, giggling to our hearts content.


    "You called me beautiful." My cheeks turned red but I don''t care. I continued to move


    and make him smile, make him moan.


    "You are," he remarked. His hands gripped my hair, its color like a moonless night, and


    brought it to my breasts.


    The idea that he found me beautiful at all is¡ª


    "You are the most beautiful female I''ve ever seen. I thought that from the first moment I saw you in Maine under the light of the Snow Moon."


    "Was it because of my melon tits? My green eyes? My body?"


    And it was stupid for me to ask what part of me that Tyler found beautiful. My eyes burned. It burned with this feeling called love. I knew I loved him the moment I saw him as Jordan. But this...


    "You also thought I was the most beautiful man you''d ever seen, thanks to Jason''s mind-reading gift."


    "So it makes us even, then," I exhaled.


    "Yes, we are equal. We are both dominant and submissive. But we can be either at any time." "Anytime?" My brows hoisted. It''s my turn to challenge him.


    "Anytime, love."


    He smiled at me. I grinned at him. "So be it."


    I frowned and he chuckled. Hands sliding to grip my waist and tug me closer to him. He rose


    from the tub and sat down on the bench on the corner.


    I followed him and straddled him. With his groin between me, inside me yet again. "Tomorrow," Tyler said, mouth slightly open to make way for my kiss. "We''ll prepare for our wedding."


    ; "You''re telling me this now that we''re in this position?"


    "I forgot. Because my soon-to-be Luna is giving me pleasure that I can only taste when I am with her," Tyler said with twinkling eyes.


    And the light in those blue eyes, the subtle joy, the silent love...they knocked a heartbeat from me.


    A future. We would have a future together, one that I only often wish on a wishing fountain. I would have a future-a life with the werewolf I was sacrificed. My husband, my Alpha.


    And for the rest of the night, I give myself to him. Discarding the candlelight and faint light of the night. Here, in the darkness, our bodies shall join in a heaven that can only be found on earth.


    I give my entirety to him-my essence, my heart, my soul. Myself.


    And Tyler Jane Moonstorm, Alpha of the Silver Pack, the Stormbringer and a white wolf, did the same.

 Chapter 14: New Home

    Present Day...


    I woke up to a very loud sound nearby.


    A dream. I rubbed my eyes and just stared at nowhere.


    That was a dream, where passion is burning and bodies scorching with the heat of our


    lovemaking.


    A very wild dream.


    "That was the wildest dream I ever had..." I touched my neck and my lips, to where Tyler kissed me in my dreams. I can''t believe I really dreamed something like that.


    I blinked when I beheld the ceiling. I just realized that the entire ceiling of my room is made of a whole fucking mirror.


    "How expensive!" What more should I expect in this room? Golden bed and gilded furniture, mirror ceiling and red marble floor that you can clearly behold your reflection.


    "Oh yeah, I haven''t yet checked the closet." I mouthed to the lilies in the vase atop the bedside table. Then I turned my head to the side. My heart thundered when I realized that a huge wolf stuff toy is pretty much facing me. Tyler must have put it to make me scream so that he can visit me in the middle of the night¡ªor dawn.


    He''s one hell of a cunning wolf, there''s no doubt about that. Making a stuff toy as his excuse just to see me is another level of Tyler''s genius-ness. I pinch the nose of Taylor, the wolf stuff toy. Yes, that''s how fast I can think of a name.


    "It''s fragrant, not bad," I whispered. It''s some sort of a husky dog like the one that my youngest brother received on his birthdayst year. Well, uhm,te youngest brother to be exact. I returned my attention to the mirror ceiling. Sitting at the edge of the bed, I realized it''s around four in the morning due to the grandfather''s clock near the entrance door. I suppose Mr. Clock is also the one who wakes me at exactly on the Witching Hour.


    "Gosh, that was a weird dream..." I recalled my dreams as I grabbed a ss of water on the kitchte. The fridge is also full of food and beverages too, for a mortal of course.


    "I wonder what werewolves eat," I pondered while roaming my eyes on each corner of this huge golden room, making sure that I visited each inch.


    I swung open the antique-looking closet. Its doorknobs are golden in color, though'' its entirety was made of Oakwood. It has a mirror on the inside of the right door. I sniffed my clothes and, as expected, it''s full of forest shit and tears and my saliva and mud. Dirty, to be short.


    With my wavy hair, awful smell, and a face that seems to be foreign to water, I look like that ghost in one of the Korean drama series that I binged the other night.


    "What the f-" The closet is now full of clothes. Last time I remember, five corpses can fit in right here due to its emptiness.


    ''What the hell am I thinking?!'' I bellowed in the walls of my mind.


    clothes!


    I just stared at the gorgeousness of the clothes. And not just clothes, they''re designer


    The apparels have several designs: velvet red turtleneck dress with a belt of Chanel''s logo in gold and diamond, emerald crop top paired with a ck leather leggings, and little white dress with a neckline of a blue swan jewel and pearls.


    Wow. Just wow. Do these werewolves have their own personal designe  "It''s Tom Ford!" I eximed as I read the brand name at the back tip of the neckline.


    "Gosh, this is sovish!" I squealed-almost forgetting that it''s only four in the morning.


    ; When I was about to shut the closet, I noticed a little note in neon pink on the other door.


    "Dear Mrs. Tyler Jane Moonstorm," I blushed while reading. Why do people address me as I am a de facto wife of the Silver Pack''s Alpha? "This is only the closet where you put the clothes that you''re going to use for the next few days or what you''ll be wearing for the week," I gasped while I continued to read. "The main walk-in closet is hidden behind the golden wolf statue. Just push the golden head and it will automatically open. Sincerely, The Grand Housekeeper of the Silver Alpha''s Mansion."


    Okay, this is another level of awesomeness and grandiose-ness. I knew there was more to this room than being filled with gold. But having a hidden walk-in closet...


    I followed the instructions and found the sitting golden wolf statue just beside the cherry blossom painting. I pressed the head and, like magic, the wall slightly opened horizontally, revealing the hidden closet.


    Myriad of glinting and luxurious-looking apparel kissed my eyes and made it burn. If heaven existed on earth, it''s here in Ste''s Soul. I suppose mortal women who were the wives of werewolves, either Alpha or Omega, always have beautiful smiles on their faces. I wonder how many of them are like me who came from a dysfunctional family. Perhaps some of them have been orphaned or have been in an ident or have experienced trauma.


    As I glided through the closet, letting my palm feel the texture of every piece of clothing,


    I found a strange thing in the wall. It looks like a door knob.


    I thought it was just a design on the wall. But when I turn the knob...this ce_


    "It''s like in my dream just a while ago."


    The bathtub directly built on the wall, the circr ss on the ceiling that allows you to gaze at the moon, the window that wees the moonlight warmly, the candles and the flora- everything.


    It''s as if...as if someone purposely let me dream that. Knowing that these creatures around me can control the weather and read minds and call forth light and darkness. "This is where Tyler and I made love..." But I already yawned as soon as I started


    speaking those words.


    ; Sleep has invited me to delve into its realm again, along with the glorious kingdom of dreams.


    ***


    I woke up to the sound of thunder hitting a tree.


    I knew it was morning. But why so cold and stormy?


    I peeked at the window, to where I saw two people making lovest night.


    The clouds are gray. The rumbling of thunder and chilled air made me open the door on the veranda and went outside. The sky beyond the wall is sunny and clear, whereas here in Ste''s Soul...


    "Tyler! Tyler! Tyler!" I heard Tyler''s name being chanted. Is there a brawl happening in early in the morn


    "Oh shit, it''s already nine!" I bellowed.


    I immediately went to the bathroom, the one inside the closet.


    I was about to take off that wedding dress that was drenched in filthst night (which I


    wear while sleeping) when I saw a huge ck wolf before the stone bath.


    The bath is steamed and I can hear the waters rushing.


    But what I cannot fathom is why there''s a ck wolf sitting like a cat before me?

 Chapter 15: Open Heart and Open Mouth

    "His name is Cerberus. He''s just an ordinary ck wolf."


    I turned around and found Tyler on my back, chest glinting and muscles tensing. His face is tamed and smiling.


    "He usually surveys neer mortal women here."


    Cerberus walked towards me and stopped at my feet. "He''s just a pet wolf here in Ste''s Soul, particrly the Shadow Pack''s pet. See?" Tyler patted the wolf''s head and it wagged its tail like an actual dog.


    "How do I know if one''s a pet and one''s a werewolf?" I asked.


    "This." He hoisted a jewel around Cerberus'' neck. "See this pendant? That''s the symbol of Ste, a waning moon."


    I reached for Cerberus'' head and patted it as well. It barked then wagged its tail cheerfully.


    "He likes you," my cheeks turned red when he said that. I nced at the bathtub and my dream


    "Do you want to meet Cerberus'' brothers?"


    "He has brothers?" I gave him an astonished look.


    "Yep, Hades and Pegasus. Brown and white wolves respectively."


    "So they are the Amber Pack and Silver Pack''s pets?"


    "Yes," His lips formed into a smile. "I''m d you are quickly learning about everything here in Ste''s Soul."


    "Am I?" My cheeks burned again and my shoulders lifted a little.


    "You are." He brought my strands of hair behind my ear and I blushed even more. I don''t know why I feel like a schoolgirl interacting with a senior crush but I can''t stop it; I can''t help it.


    I watch the cute and ck Cerberus disappear at the door.


    "So..." He started, touching his jaw. "Shall we take a bath first?"


    I swallowed all that hesitance and shove it down my throat. There is no saying "no" when a hot, wolf-shifting naked man invites you to take a bath with him. Never to an aching, begging-to-be- watered young woman like me.


    "Yes. Sure," I beamed at him. A smile that I have never shown to any man in my life but to Tyler, to the once-Jordan I had a one-night standst year.


    I looped my arms around his. He went down the stone bath first before offering a hand to me. "Lady ine?" I epted his hand like an actualdy, with a curtsy bow of a head and a wide luminous smile.


    "Lord Tyler..." I don''t know what''s with this roleying before bath sex but I kinda like it. It makes me excited and aroused even more.


    He stripped off his wet tattered jeans and tossed it to me. I smelled it, and it smelled of him¡ª rain and forest and mist.


    Cold but bold. Icy but hot.


    "You like smelling men''s clothes, hmm?"


    I raised my brows. "Don''t men originally do that?" I paused and leaned closer, "And want that?"


    He grinned, teeth shing. "It should have been me smelling your clothes."


    It''s my turn to undress. I first removed that wedding dress that the old man forced me to wear


    Tyler barked a curse but I hoisted my foot to where his dick is resting. I stood, breasts gleaming in wetness. Hair untied and drenched in water.


    "Smell it first, Alpha." I never knew I could speak to a man as seductive as this. I disrobed myce underwear and threw it to my soon-to-be husband.


    His palm caught it in a swift movement of a hand as if he''s used to catching women''s panties. "They both smelled of cherry pie and strawberry milkshake." Iughed loudly and didn''t even notice that I was already sshing water.


    Tyler waved his hand. And, before I could say it, the water was now a bit cold. Cool but soothing to my skin.


    "I like this," I closed the distance between me and the Silver Alpha. But he grabbed me instead. "ying dominant, mortal?" My throat bobbed in answer.


    Tyler clicked his tongue. "Werewolves, though dogs in some people''s eyes, like to be dominant and always, always ON TOP..."


    "Always on top-" Before I could finish what I was saying, Tyler already pounced on top of me like a wolf over a sheep.


    I stared at his chest, my gaze lingering slowly towards down there, willing the heat and redness on my face would fade.


    "You''re beautiful." That was the same thing he told me in that dream. His breath was warm in my skin like aforting hug.


    But what he was doing... Tyler''s body just perched atop mine-


    "And you are handsome," I said, clenching his jaw. I caressed his lips, his cheeks, his neck and his arms, then finally, his chest.


    I was about to stroke his stomach when he grabbed my hand and brought it to his cock. "Open your hand," he said. It was more of amand that I didn''t think twice to obey.


    I opened my palm and Tyler slid his flesh on to my hand, thrusting and moving carefully. "Our happiness lies in your hands." I don''t know if it''s literally or figuratively-or both-but I loved his poetry of words.


    "I thought we''re only taking a bath?" The White Wolf just smiled at me before pulling his dick from my hand and just shoving it directly to my mouth.


    "I thought we weren''t allowed to fuck before being married?"


    Tyler shook his head as my words were inaudible while he''s inside my mouth so he pulled out.


    "What did you say?" He asked, jaw tightening and arms tensing.


    "I said that you once told me that we weren''t allowed to bed before marriage..." "Oh...well, first of all, we aren''t in bed. We are in a freaking bathtub!"


    Tyler''s boisterousughter bounced on each wall but I just looked straight at his warm blue eyes. "We are basically having sex without the D on the P!" I didn''t expect to say that but I did not also expect Tyler''sugh to be louder, dominating the space of silence.


    "Nah, just enjoy this preparation of ours for our wedding," he dered before pushing his red velvet steel back into my mouth.


    I was left with no choice but to ept him wholly-with an open heart and an open mouth.

 Chapter 16: A Bath with the Alpha

    The bath then became silent, except for our breathing.


    No, I am not just breathing. I am panting, gasping for breath. Even if Tyler didn''t slide inside the dark cave that I have reserved for his mighty and cocky beast, I still enjoyed our time together-touching and kissing, blowing and fingering.


    "Have you had enough?" I asked. And I don''t know why those words escaped my mouth. "Had enough?" He shook his head as his hands made their way to my tits. "For a


    beautiful woman like you ine, no man or wolf or God would have enough..."


    A thin line formed in my face, a strange sense of happiness settling on me. ¡°Is that a


    "I guess or maybe a love confession."


    I chuckled with my face only an inch away from being kissed by this Alpha. "I think it''s time that we wash ourselves."


    "Are you avoiding me, Lady ine?"


    I shrugged. "No, Lord Tyler. I''m just worried that my body could no longer endure the coldness of the water," I purred.


    ***


    I didn''t know that Tyler brought his clothes in my room.


    My face flushed while watching him put on his garments and I couldn''t hide it much as I would like to.


    "What?" His voice startled me.


    "You''re just going to wear blue jeans and white shirt?" I nced at the shirt he was wearing that apparently did nothing to hide his smooth, mocha chest.


    "Why not? Do you expect me to wear a magician''s clothes?"


    I gave him a nervousugh. "If that is so, I''ll be wearing a whitece blouse and skinny


    blue jeans as well."


    Tyler''s head motioned up and down as he zipped his jeans. "Ready?" "Ready for what?"


    "For your exploration of the grounds of the wolf kingdom."


    "Haha, your words are so cringy and poetic that it became so funny."


    I looked up and found his narrowing eyes stinging at my soul. "Are you making fun of


    me, mortal?" His voice shifted into a deep, more mysterious one.


    My throat bobbed in answer.


    "I''ll take that as a yes," he muttered.


    Silence befall between us before


    "Ha! Got you, ine!" Tyler''s boisterousugh made me drop my underwear to the floor and went straight to him, pping his face gently but with emotion.


    "Don''t talk like Batman to me again!"


    "Oh look, you are so cute when you''re mad." Tyler Jane Moonstorm pinched my cheeks


    on either side before brushing a kiss on my lips. "Wear your underwear first, ine."


    My face brightened with redness even more as we both looked down to my hairy forest and realized I''d been standing in front of him without panties.


    "Okay," I replied.


    "It''s cold," I said to Tyler.


    "Really? This is actually the normal temperature for these hours."


    My brows furrowed as I looked to my side where he was walking. "Can''t you feel the cold?"


    Tyler just shrugged. "I suppose Moonburn is really hot then, considering that you deemed the temperature here as ''cold''."


    ; "Then what is cold for you, Lord Tyler?" I crossed my arms across my chest.


    "See that little pond over there?" I gaze at the pond at the center, surrounded by yellow tulips and foliage. "We rescued some turtles there because we, as werewolves, also felt like what it is to be an abandoned animal..."


    I nod at his words and thepassion that shone in his eyes... ''I guess werewolves aren''t bad at all. Just a little brute and stubborn,'' I thought.


    "If the werewolves pond froze a little or the surface turnedpletely into solid ice, then that''s the time you can dere it''s cold, Lady ine."


    Tyler held my hand. His palm is warmpared to mine that is pretty much freezing. My breath is even misty.


    I stopped walking. So did Tyler.


    "Here, to keep you warm." The Silver Alpha dived down into my mouth. His breath was also warm and this kiss we had was calming and mellow.


    His tongue lingered in my mouth until he parted his lips. "There, is my little snow flower still cold?"


    answer.


    Snow flower? I can''t decide if it''s cute or sweet or romantic or teasing.


    A grin formed in his lips. With his thumb, he caressed my lips and I bit my lower lip in


    The phone in his pocket lit up. "Jason?"


    I just stood there while feeling the warmth of his hand to my cheeks. It wasforting, amiable. Home.


    Ste''s Soul was indeed a paradise for this was the one who nurtured my home-my Tyler. Tyler was my home, despite ''abducting'' mest night beyond Selena''s Wall. Yes, I am finally Belle. And though Tyler doesn''t look beastly, he is indeed a beast when ites to making women drown in pleasure.


    "I got to go," he kissed my hand. "Jason has sent Melissa as yourpany. My brother and I have some important things to take care of outside the wall."


    He kissed me onest time, a passionate one, before walking away.


    I was left with the turtles as I sat at the pond. A huge one came swimming towards me


    and it popped its little head from the surface.


    "Hello, big Turt." I stroked its quite huge head and poke its nose with my finger.   It came closer to me. Closer.


    When a cold ice wind blew in our direction, the turtle dived down into the water in a


    blink of an eye and swam further until it found somewhere to hide.


    "Turtles do love to hide, that''s why they have their shells," I sighed.


    "ine?"


    I hoisted my head into the direction where Tyler vanished earlier.


    A smiling, bright woman sauntered towards me. And in just a few steps, I can now clearly behold the beautiful and young face of Melissa.


    ***


    The crispte morning bothers me due to the fact if this is a natural urrence or because of the werewolves'' doing.


    "Is it always cold here?" I nced sideways, to where Melissa is eating chocte. "Yes," she popped a Ferrero Rocher into my mouth and I chewed it jovially. "Ste''s Soul


    is basically surrounded by mountains, that''s why it''s always frigid in the early morning and chilling in thete evening as if you''re inside a fridge."


    "I thought it''s because of Tyler and his pack," I muttered as I slid the golden wrapper of


    the chocte in my pocket.


    "Sometimes,¡± she answered. "When they are training or just ying."


    "P-ying?"


    "Yeah, like dogs fetching balls and frisbees."


    "So they just summon a storm out of boredom?"


    Melissa nervouslyughed. "That''s the reason why the mansions here are built to withstand severe storms and tornadoes."


    I see. So I''m basically going to be married to a man who''s the werewolf version of Storm in X-Men...


    "This is Hades by the way." I stared at the brown wolf beside Melissa.


    "Hi there, Hades!" I patted its head and held Hades'' pendant, which is a waxing moon, in


    my palm.


    I turned to Melissa and continued walking beside her. "Are their weather- controlling abilities limited to Ste''s Soul or "


    "No, their powers work even outside of Moonburn and Washington." I watched Melissa pluck a flower and Hades sniffed it.


    A cold wind kissed my cheeks even if the ten-in-the-morning sun was brightly


    shining in the werewolves'' abode.


    "So," I sighed before facing her again. "Can you tell me more about the werewolves in Ste''s Soul?"


    "I thought we''re already talking about them?"


    I shook my head. "No I mean yes we already are. But I want to learn from the basics


    about them like their day-to-day life, what they eat, and many more."


    "Sure!" Melissa eximed, squeezing my cold hand. "Where shall we start?¡±

 Chapter 17: A Lesson about Werewolves

    "Let''s begin with the different kinds of packs," I suggested.


    "I think it is better if I tell you the history on how these Shapeshifters came to find their abode in Moonburn, Washington first." I nodded my head and noticed Hades trying to lick my hand.


    We passed to a ce I had only seen today in my life: a sea of red grass swaying to every movement of the wind. The sound of male fighting with bare chests and females kicking and grunting reverberating in the scarlet field.


    "The women you are seeing now are werewolves too. Though, as if the Trinity Goddess have reserved them only as warriors, they couldn''t bear children to their male werewolves." "Why?" I asked.


    "It''s a mystery even to the Alphas. Though contrary to werewolves in Ennd, women here are treated nicely even if they''re Omegas."


    "What''s an Omega?"


    Melissa and I walked through the red grasses, its length quite tall. "From the Latin word which means the end, an Omega werewolf is thest and lowest ranking. In Ennd, they still practice treating the less fortunate Omegas as ves."


    "Why didn''t the three packs here adhere to the English system?"


    "Because we are different." I can feel the pride in Melissa''s words. "And we value


    equality."


    She paused for a heartbeat. I yielded another step and felt the cold sensation. There''s icy water, and they''re soaking my feet.


    I didn''t notice that Melissa and I have already passed through a small brook, the size is that of a cow.


    "During The Great Hunting that seeded the Witch Trials in the seventeenth century, some of the werewolves fled here in Moonburn, Washington-one of the first ces in America to see the misery in burning women and using them of so-called witchcraft. That''s why some werewolves from the west that came from all countries decided to gather here, and this is where the Trinity Goddess took them under their wings."


    "Did the Trinity Goddess-I mean I never know there are deities here in Washington." "They are said to be some of the Native American''s deities that took interest in taking care of the Shapeshifters. After all, their names aren''t always that easy to pronounce. It is the first wolves and the founders of Ste''s Soul that renamed the three so that they can easily be uttered. They then divided themselves based on the color of their fur and the Goddesses also gifted them based on their color..."


    "And?"


    "And the rest is history, ine."


    This felt like a history ss I never heard before. Imagine me, a lowly eighteen-year-old girl who came from an abusive family, chosen to be the ''sacrificed'' to a big-dick Alpha and tasked to bear his heir, has actually been a part of something incredible that even renowned American archaeologists and historians will never discover.


    I looked around me, breathing in the delicious smell of serenity. Standing in the middle of trees, a brook beside me and the sea of red grass beneath our feet...this is life. A life surrounded by nature. A life filled with modern luxury. A life where the extraordinary and ordinary weaved with each other.


    This is Ste''s Soul, where Aurora''s Waters flow in the gilded fountain. The whole ce is protected by the might of Selena''s Wall. This is home. This is life.


    I gazed back to the training wolves, muscr chests glinting against the noon sun. Different shades of feminine hair wobbling with every strike of their fists. Sweat and little blood and ample amount of tears. I never saw a ce that is so modern yet still upholds their ancient traditions of fighting.


    "Werewolves believe that training everyday doesn''t only enhance one''s strength and tone one''s body, it is also a way of discipline. Control. Power."


    Melissa''s voice could belong to a history teacher if she wasn''t the Luna of the Amber Pack.


    "Ste''s Soul consists of three werewolf packs." We sat beneath a mulberry tree and picked some. Melissa sat on top of a huge log that is painted in brown and ck and lined with silver. "Amber Pack or the Brown Wolves, in which my husband is the Alpha, are capable of reading minds as well as erasing and altering memories. The Shadow Pack or the ck Wolves can manipte all things that produce darkness and light including fire and electricity. Andstly, The Silver Pack¡ª"


    "Is that the pack that my soon-to-be husband belongs to?"


    "Yes. And he''s the Alpha. The Silver Pack is said to be the strongest of the three for they are the Elemental Gods."


    "Elemental Gods? Sounds cool and scary at the same time."


    Melissa cackled. "Yes. They are known as Elemental Gods for they can control the four basic elements here on earth: fire, water, wind, and earth. Though each wolf can manipte the four, there is one element that they are always good at. Sometimes two."


    She popped a berry on her mouth before noticing that I am, indeed, not wearing a bra


    since my nipples are sticking out as if it yearns to be bare as well.


    "Your Tyler-"Wow, Melissa really said my Tyler. If one could die just because of immense smiling, perhaps that will be the cause of my death on my death certificate.


    "He is known as The Stormbringer. Apart from Jose, he is the fastest one who can summon a storm-which is abination of two elements: water and air."


    I can''t believe it. I am married to a god. And not just a god, a fucking hot, with a twelve-


    inch you-know-what muscr heaven of a god.


    Tyler. He is everything. The calm before the storm, the bringer of the storm, and the silence after the storm. He is my Tyler. My Alpha, my brute Alpha...


    "You must be ine." I immediately straightened my back upon hearing that word from


    a masculine voice. The man...


    ''All big-muscle looking men here are werewolves, ine!'' I thought.


    His skin has a deep shade of brown, one that you can say has been soaked under the heat of the sun many times a day with a smooth and beautifulplexion. He''s bald, no hair can


    be seen on his head. I don''t know if it''s sexy or nasty but I tried to hold my chortle when a


    gleam of sunlight reflected his hairless head and into the surface of the little brook.


    "The sun is out now," I sighed as I arched my head up to the sky, stretching far into the horizon where the sky could be seen everywhere and anywhere as cloudless. Bright and with the color of sky blue.


    "It''s time for you toe to the Lodge of the Luna, ine. The High Priestess is patiently waiting for your arrival." Jose bowed down his head upon extending his hand.   ''Such a polite wolf,'' I mused.


    "Go now, ine. Tyler''s Beta will escort you safely to the Lodge." But before I could stand, Melissa leaned into my ear, whispering words that I couldn''t believe.


    "Be careful what to think when you''re in front of the Priestess. She''s a Brown Wolf, and


    your thoughts are nothing but an open book that can easily be read by her."


    I took a deep breath before putting my hand above Jose''s and walked beside him


    towards the Lodge of the Luna.


    "Help me, Moon Goddess," I prayed.

 Chapter 18: The Alpha Brothers

    Tyler''s


    POV


    "Are you sure about the information, Jason?"


    I cocked a brow, to which he just nodded. "Absolutely."


    My brother was standing at the edge of the roof of one of the houses in the neighbourhood where the Offering Team, a term we use for mortals who are in charge of bringing mortal women every leap year, say ine''s family came from.


    "It''s a quiet neighbourhood," Imented.


    "It''s because most of the Offering Team live here and they know that we patrol at night." "It''s not every night, is it?" I sucked a deep breath.


    "It is," my brother blurted. "And you may not know that Stormbringer because you


    basically don''t go out often."


    I snorted, arms crossing across my chest. "I do go often."


    Jason turned his back on me. "I bet you did.


    "Seriously, I do!" I tread towards his side and the city lights became clearer in my


    werewolf sight.


    ''It''s beautiful,'' said Remus.


    "Rememberst year when I went to Maine to grab for a drink at the bar, I getid by a woman named "


    "Hush, Tyler!" Jason silenced me with a finger. I watched a fog-like miste out from my older brother''s palm that covered both of our figures.


    ''Why are you making us invisible through an illusion?'' I asked via mind link with my brother. Opposite to the English wolves where a pack can onlymunicate with the wolves that are within their pack, the werewolves in Ste''s Soul canmunicate to anyone in the three


    packs as long as they are under the Trinity Goddess'' blessings. We, in Ste''s Soul, are basically one big family divided into three sses depending on our fur''s color.


    ''A Hearteater is nearby.'' I immediately knew Jason was telling the truth when our


    respective moon nes glowed in faint light.


    ''I didn''t know you wear your moon ne every day,'' I grinned at my brother. A total brotherly romance as his hand was now covering my mouth and his skin was an inch away from meeting mine.


    ''Because I''m not a teddy bear like you who always unts his moon-moon around his neck every second!''


    I pouted, and that made Jason roll his eyes. When I was six, I used to call the ne as moon-moon because I pronounce ne as neckce and Jason will always walk awayughing upon hearing me say moon-moon.


    ''Focus!'' Remusmanded.


    But I still grinned. Smile was still clinging on my lips even when both of us jumped from the roof andnded on the cold March ground with both of our feet. Well, it''s not only cats that cannd with both of their feet. So do dogs-wolves. Werewolves.


    ''It''s a mortal, Jas-"


    But my brother already lunged for the man''s neck, pinning him in the wall. A red-head


    girl was silently crying and I helped her get up.


    "This one just ate the real boyfriend yesterday," Jason dered. My brother''s mind- reading abilities are definitely useful when scouting and hunting these monstrous beasts under the starry sky.


    "It''s a good thing you managed to shriek just before he took your heart."


    Jasonmanded me to tie the Hearteater''s hands and feet via wind magic. "What?" The girl''s brows knitted. "He to-took my heart?"


    "Forget it." Jason waved a hand towards the red-head''s direction. "You take care of that bastard."


    Then Jason took care of the young, red-head. What I mean by taking care is by erasing and altering the girl''s memories that will not make the teenager go frenzy and still remain oblivious about the existence of Hearteaters-and werewolves.


    I hoisted a finger and a little me danced in my eyes. I can see the knees of the heart-


    eating shapeshifter tremble. "Hi, there son of a bitch!"


    "Fuck you!" He bellowed, but I just shed a wolfish smile.


    "Yeah. Fuck you too!" Then my fire finally tasted the skin of this Hearteater.


    ***


    "It''s true then..." Jason tied thest of the iron chain around the Hearteater''s body who''s still wearing the face and body of the young girl''s boyfriend. "That Hearteaters are now swarming in Moonburn, Washington."


    My brother nodded to my query. "Get the moon water, brother."


    I scowled. "What are you going to do amidst Eliane''s Forest?" Eliane, the Forest Witch that is said to be the one to create the Hearteaters, used to live here. She was once a Native American and a priestess of the Trinity Goddess. But she once desired to be worshipped as well. That''s why she made her own monstrous creation: the beasts that lurk the night and can only thrive if they eat a human heart and a werewolf''s heart. They are said to have wolf-like bodies that stand like a man. Ram-like horns adorned their heads and they had bat-like hands and arms. "Oh you know," my brother wiped a sweat on his brow. "Torture by moon water while this diabolic creature shrieks due to the iron chain wrapped around it."


    ***


    "Fascinating," I sighed. Jason smiled.


    I darted my gaze back to the Hearteater and it''s now awake.


    "So let''s begin?"


    I nod at my brother as I bring the bowl of moon water on the Hearteater''s feet.  "Let''s begin."


    My soon-to-be wife''s family, I mean the Hearteaters posing as her family, have gone missing. All


    four of them ording to the Hearteater we just captured.


    "That was easy." Jason said as he scattered the ashes of that Hearteater in the fountain,


    its moon-drenched water was oozing to its brim.


    ;


    "You always said that as if what we''re doing was never hard."


    Jason gave me a look and I smiled. "I made ine dreamst night."


    "What dream?" I pretended that I was not interested.


    "That you and her are having coitus in her stone bathtub."


    I almost choke with his words. "You did-no freaking way!"


    "I did."


    I shook my head. "No, you didn''t."


    "Tyler, I did! The scene I crafted is the one I saw from a movie that Melissa is watching. It


    was Fifty Shades of something, I can''t remember the title."


    "You''re one unbelievable dog."


    "Werewolves are not dogs," Jason insisted.


    "Aren''t they?" I smirked in a way that made Jason stick out his tongue.


    "Whatever." He wrapped a shoulder around my neck. Jason and I are of the same height


    so it just looks like two dudes are walking casually at midnight.


    "Why don''t you gift her with mortal gifts like a new iPhone or a Chanel bag? Or


    maybe a moon-moon?"


    It''s my turn to roll my eyes. "Me and ine already fucked."


    My brother''s mouth opened.


    "Last year, when I got drunk in a bar. She was the one I told you that I have a one-night


    stand with."


    "No way. It can''t be that coincidental!" Jason barked.


    I shrugged, my head looking at the moonless sky. "Who knows? Anything is


    possible."


    Jason was gaping because he now knows that I am telling the truth.


    "You son of a bitch!" My brother nudged my shoulder gently and punched it softly as if


    he''s just hitting a pillow. "You are one hell of unbelievable greatness!"


    For the next few minutes, Jason was still chanting ''son of a bitch'' to me and I just pretended that I was deaf.


    But I can no longer hold it so I grab his face and squeeze it. "A bitch is a female dog and werewolves are technically dogs so you, Alpha Jason ire Moonstorm of the Amber Pack, is also a son of a bitch."


    And the path to Selena''s Wall was filled with my brother''s boisterousugh and my own soft giggles.

 Chapter 19: Melissa

    ine''s POV


    I didn''t know that the Lodge is just a few minutes walk away from Selena''s Wall.


    I didn''t notice that it was the first building that I first saw since I came here. Well, that was


    dark at that time anyway and my frail body was quivering in coldness.


    I looked up at Selena''s Wall. It''s so tall, perhaps as tall as the Great Wall of China and it extends to I don''t know where or for how long. All I know is that it separates Moonburn from Ste''s Soul-from the humans to the inhuman.


    side.


    "ine!" When I turned to my heel, I saw Melissa treading towards me, Rowena at her


    "How''s the Lodge?"


    "Well, it was fine. She just informed me the do''s and don''ts of being a Luna."


    "Really?"


    "Yes!" I beamed jovially.


    "Well, the High Priestess did ask me when I met the Hearteaters..."


    Rowena and Melissa''s faces were bbergasted.


    "What?! You met them?" Rowena asked with a crooked voice.


    "Did they hurt you?" Melissa looks frantically worried.


    "Well, yes and no. Those are my answers to your questions."


    "You know what," Melissa looped an arm to mine. "We should have dinner first since our


    husbands are both out in the hunt."


    "Out in the hunt?" I cocked an eyebrow.


    "They''re hunting for Hearteaters." It was Rowena who answered.


    The dinner is quiet and mouth-watering.


    And the ce...I thought my room was the most gilded ce I have ever seen. It wasn''t. The restaurant, facing ake to what Melissa called earlier as The Lake of Longing, is filled with gems and silver and gold, along with seashells and other fancy woodworks. The ocherous light inside made my eyes more rxed and warmed, as well as the mellow instrumental music that ys in the background.


    ''Damn, their interior designer must be very rich by now!''


    A pepper steak with white sauce was on the te before me, along with buttered vegetables that consisted of corn, broli, and carrots.


    "I-I never knew that the food in here could be this delicious," I muttered.


    Melissa nced at me as she licked her finger that bears the roasted ribs'' juice. "Well, our husbands here are so rich that they can afford a bunch of in-house culinary chefs."  I almost choked on my steak and immediately grabbed the wine. I took a sip before wiping my mouth with a table napkin.


    "Are you okay, dear?" I looked up at Rowena, who''s face brightened with a smile.  "Yes." Taking a deep breath doesn''t only calm me, it also makes me feel morefortable.


    Ste''s Soul has this restaurant where you can just sit anytime of the day and just tell the waiter what you want to eat without paying anything. Like literally nothing. ording to Melissa, they often give you a menu or tell you what the specialty is for the day. Or if you are craving for something like Melissa, just tell the in-house mortal stuff and they will take care of you. Truly, Ste''s Soul wasn''t left behind as the modernization of the outside world continually progresses. But in every mountain wind that kissed my cheeks, it still reminds you that there is magic in this ce. That there are werewolves and deities in this ce no matter thevishness and luxury this secret vige was bathed in.


    "You can also just call the Caf¨¦ Del Luna if you want them to serve right at your own table in Tyler''s mansion," Rowena said as she sat across from us, wiping the utensils and tes.   "Aren''t you going to eat?"


    Rowena shook her head. "In-house servants don''t eat in front of their masters."


    I opened my mouth but shut it again. I just beamed at her and proceeded to finish my food.


    A man in a neat tuxedo approached me. "Would you like to try our special Seafood Feast for tonight, Madam?"


    I looked past him and saw a group of other mortal wives with their respective husbands. Jose and his wife amongst them.


    "Oh yes please! We would very much like it." Melissa is definitely into her food. One minute, her backbone ribs'' sweet smell is still flooding the air, then in another minute, all of it is gone. As if Jason''s wife hadn''t eaten in a day.


    "Don''t mind Melissa. She''s eating for two you know." I nodded, my mouth still munching that delicious pepper steak.


    ***


    Melissa and I are able to finish the Special Seafood Feast.


    The head of the lobster is still staring at me, making me feel this ridiculous feeling


    of being guilty because I ate it.


    "Well, that''s what you call dinner!" Melissa eximed. I burped and we both burstedughing,


    I was about to stand, thinking that it''s the sign that I can now rest on my golden bed when I heard footsteps behind me.


    tray.


    The waiter earlier came again and this time, he''s bearing two bowls of ice cream on his


    "All right, girls'' date night will never bepleted without a cup of ice cream!" I can''t believe Melissa is not over yet with eating even with that amount of food we just consumed.  I couldn''t even button my pants properly without sucking my breath for a second.   "Melissa?"


    ; "Hm?" She hoisted her head to me when she was about to dig in the dessert.


    "I had a dreamst night, about me and Tyler..."


    ; "Intriguing," Rowenamented.


    "It''s beguiling," she turned to Rowena, then back to me.


    "Tell us sweet ine. What did you dream of?"


    So I told them. About me and Tyler on the bathtub. About being naked and didn''t hesitate to kiss and touch despite the werewolves'' rule to ''no sex before marriage'' kind of thing. About the steamy activity we did in the dream and the actual sexual intercourse we performed in the middle of the night, in the wetness of the stone bathtub.


    I told them everything, not missing every detail even if my cheeks heat up and my dignity


    meter bing lower and lower.


    "Yeah, that''s my dream..." I brought a spoon of green tea ice cream to my mouth.  "That''s no dream," Melissa took my still-shaking and still-cold hand.


    "I bet so too," Rowena whispered.


    I don''t know what''s with the whispering, considering that Jose and hispany are just


    on the table behind us and werewolves'' extraordinary sense of hearing is so incredible that you


    don''t want them to even hear you farting in the midst of the crowd.


    "I think it''s my husband Jason who let you dream that. So that you will fall for Tyler more and the fact that you, as the ''sacrifice'' for this leap year, won''t run away."


    "I don''t have any n of running away. Besides, who doesn''t want to stay in thisvish vige?"


    "The girl''s right Melissa. It''s better if you tell Jason to stop letting this poor innocent beauty here from letting her dream adult things.


    "She''s an adult, Rowena."


    "Yes, but she''s still a young adult."


    Embarrassed that the elder people in front of me look at me as a child and an innocent beauty, I changed the topic.


    "I''m curious about you, Melissa? May I know what your story is?"


    She nced back and forth at me and Rowena. The olddy just gave her a tight nod.


    Just as I was about to open my mouth, Melissa put down the spoon of her lemon gto and took a deep breath.


    ;  "Okay," she murmured.

 Chapter 20: Like a Sister

    "I was the daughter that vanished in the neighborhood four years ago."


    "You mean..." I tried to calm myself but my heart didn''t listen. "You were the daughter of the family that previously lived in our house?"


    Melissa nodded. My soon-to-be sister-inw was the former one who lived in our house.


    "Is this entire thing a coincidence? You, being my sister-inw who was the daughter of


    the previous upants of the house we just moved in. Tyler being the ''Jordan'' I metst year who I had a one night with "


    "Wait," Melissa and Rowena''s eyes turned to me. "You and Tyler already did it?"


    Oh boy. Oh. Boy.


    "Uhm, heh I mean it was,uhm, you know..."


    "Know what?" Melissa didn''t hesitate to throw a question for the tenth time.


    "We met in the bar and just talked about our lives," I replied nervously. Damn, my tongue slipped. Tyler''s gonna roast me tonight if he found out that I told Rowena and Melissa about our past.


    "You did not answer our question, pretty one. Did you and Tyler already have coitus?" Seriously? Rowena using the term coitus is-


    "Old-fashioned," I whispered to myself.


    "What did you say?" Melissa interrupted my thoughts.


    "Oh, nothing. It''s just that, well, uhm me and Tyler-"


    "So you two already have sex?!" I almost forget that Jose is just behind us, approaching


    our table as if he''s a shadow that we never notice.


    "Fine, yes!" I cried, hoisting my two hands in the air.


    "Ooh..." Melissa, Rowena, and Jose all muttered at the same time. They look at me as if I


    was just telling a joke, as if I was a virgin all this time.


    "You know, virgins are to be scavenged these days due to their rareness," I remarked. "Yep, she''s not a virgin!" Jose, whose chocte skin makes me jealous, winks at us before returning to their table.


    "Well, I was a virgin at that time."


    I looked at Melissa like I never believed that there are still virgins at the age of eighteen. "Really?"


    "So do I," Rowena added.


    "Well you''re no wonder that you are, Rowena, because your time is pretty much ssic. But Melissa..."


    Yes, there are indeed virgins at eighteen. Even twenty, perhaps. Or thirty. Or fifty, maybe.  "Well I lost my v-card when I was seventeen. With Tyler-Jordan I mean..."  "Well, at least you lose it to the man you''re going to marry," said Rowena. I smiled at that thought. It''s not bad though.


    Thest dick I''ve rode will be the cock I shall swallow forever since I will be the Luna of the Silver Pack, the bride and wife of Tyler Jane Moonstorm, the fucking gorgeous Stormbringer.


    "You seem to be dreaming already even though you''re not asleep yet." Rowena''s voice is amused. Melissa just shrugged and returned to eating her lemon gto.


    Well, maybe being a virgin may not be everyone''s cup of tea but for some people in the world, it''s their ss of champagne.


    I gripped the sweating ss of the four-season juice and drank it to relieve myself from embarrassment. "Well since you''re here, Rowena, why don''t you tell us your story?"


    mid-air.


    ***


    Rowena froze, unable to look at me candidly in the eye. Even Melissa froze her spoon in


    "Why not?" Rowena spoke as I brace myself to listen to her story.


    "I was the first sacrifice by the start of the 21st century..."


    ; I gasped while clinging to my chair. "That''s...so brave of you, Miss Rowena."


    "I know," she nced at me for a second. "My father constantly beats me and my mother, that''s why I ran away. When I heard from the Offering Team that there is a secret vige of elites that requires women to reproduce and marry off to them. I thought it''s an illegal kind of stuff, you know trafficking and all sorts of hideous actions. But it wasn''t. And when I volunteered to be the sacrificed woman, I found out at the stone table that these elites are werewolves- whose skin can be that of a man and a wolf."


    Listening to Rowena''s story made me think deeper about my situation. If Tyler and the others weren''t werewolves, if they are some sort of a mafia and stuff, will I still agree to be their sacrifice?


    A part of me said yes but a part of me also said it depends-it depends if their cocks are enough to make me moan so loud that the windows will shatter.


    "It''s better to be in the boiling pits of hell than to be in one''s home which is actually worse than Satan''sir..." I breathed towards her. Rowena just grinned at me in a gentle way. Melissa''s cold hand squeezed mine.


    "But my husband was killed by a Hearteater when I was six months pregnant."


    A song of silence began to y between me, Melissa, and Rowena. I watched a tear fall from the eyes of the woman across me. But she managed to wipe it away in a single motion of her finger.


    Rowena smiled, a sad one. "I¡ªwe also lost our son at that time. There, in the Misty Forest." She jerked her chin towards Selena''s Wall. The Misty Forest is the forest behind the wall, the one that stretches wide before the borders of Ste''s Soul. And to where the stone table is also located, to where I wasid at the night of the leap year.


    "He was protecting me and my child," she continued. "And me losing his heir in my womb is like treating my husband''s death a waste of life. For I...I''ve been a failure." Melissa rubbed her back as Rowena finally let go of her river of tears and cried. She wept and wailed despite the peering eyes and the listening ears around us.


    "I have one job-one life to protect. But still..."


    ;


    I reached for her rough, calloused palm. "Hush now, Rowena. It''s not your fault."


    Her sorrowful face beamed at me and she nodded her head.


    "Yes, that''s why I am grateful to Melissa here."


    "What does that have to do with me?" Melissa''s brows rose.


    "I believe the one you''re carrying is my beloved." Rowena''s voice shifted from being


    gloomy into being happy. Hopeful.


    I looked at Melissa, then Rowena. Thetter turned to me. "When a sacrificed mortal woman is already married and bound to a werewolf and that werewolf identally dies, she cannot remarry anyone in Ste''s Soul unless he''s your beloved''s reincarnation..."


    Wow, they believe in reincarnation. "So werewolves can be reincarnated?"  The two of them nodded. "They can. A werewolf can be reincarnated up to seven times. But their wolf will remain the same..."


    "Wow. That''s so interesting and-"


    "Beguiling?" I looked past me and found Jose grinning at me. My Tyler''s Beta seems to be fond of me or maybe he was deployed by my fianc¨¦ to watch over me. I don''t know.   "Hi there, Jose!"


    "You are always jolly, Winona," he smirked.


    I narrowed my eyes in embarrassment. "Don''t call me by my second name," I whispered


    at the brown-skinned shifter sitting at my side.


    means."


    "Why not? You are the eldest daughter. And that''s basically what the name Winona


    I rolled my eyes and put a spoon of my dessert in his mouth.


    "Maybe that''s why werewolves here love eldest daughters-because we are always a


    feast in their eyes and a dessert in their tongue," I purred.


    "Wooh!" Jose stood, his muscr body a mountain that can be seen from afar, ¡°Look everybody, an eighteen-year old youngdy here is as feral as a mountain lion!"


    Everyone cheered and pped and nced at my direction.


    I stood as well, breast and chest out. "Well, what can you expect from a fresh and hot-


    looking, bride-of-the-werewolf youngdy like me?"

 Chapter 21: What a Fun Night

    "The girl has a point, Jose," said Rowena, swallowing the blueberry as if she''s just devouring the tip of a dick.


    "Now back off ''cause this is adies'' night!" Melissa shoved the poor young man away from our table.


    I watched Jose walk away with his ass swaying like a Victoria''s Secret Angel, making me think whether he''s a straight man or is he looking for straight men...


    story?"


    ''God, he could be a gay-


    Rowena giggled as she finished thest of her blueberry milkshake.


    "What about you, ine?" Rowena put down the sweating ss of shake. "What''s your


    My mouth fell open, only to realize no words came out from it. "Well...mine''s not that depressing as yours, Rowena."


    "But it''s still depressing?" Melissa arched a brow in question.


    I gave them both a simple nod while fixing my seat. "I was adopted by the Rutherford family, from a zing orphanage that only I survived..."


    "That''s already depressing." I heard Melissa murmur but I just ignored it.


    "But I was so young back then. And from the time I started to mutter a few words, I always thought I was the eldest Rutherford child-that I am not a daughter of foreign blood." "But you are." Rowena stood and sat beside me. Her body is a warm wall as I leaned my head, and cried.


    I just cried. I just let my tears freely flow from my eyes as I told them my story.


    As I told them my first ever babysitting job I got when I was eleven, my very first kiss, the every fight me and my mother quarrel about which is about me going to college and spending my savings for a goddamn course that she said I wasn''t fit for. I told them about Jordan and my job at Maine, my first sex and the first time I feel liberated and unchained from the so-called family who adopted me.


    Minutes turned to hours as I just narrated my heart-wrenching story. Melissa and Rowena just vivaciously listen to my whine and tales, my rant and my longings.


    "And the very day that we moved in Melissa''s house was also thest moment I was treated as a ve for I may be a sacrifice to a wolf-shifting dude but, at least here in Ste''s Soul, I have that one thing I was never able to have back when I was with the Rutherfords." "And what is that?" Melissa softly asked.


    "Freedom."


    Rowena smiled. I grinned back. Melissa''s jovial expression just remained.


    ; And so three women clinked their wine sses in cheers and celebration when midnight struck.


    "We are not just here to serve as baby makers then..." Melissa stroked her belly where Jason''s heir is curling inside her womb.


    "We have been chosen by the Trinity Goddess," Rowena paused as she raised her ss of champagne higher. "To love and to hold our husbands_"


    "In sickness and in health," Melissa stood as well.


    "Until death do us part..." I breathed in the cold, midnight breeze as the three of us looped the hands that hold the sses and drank from it.


    ***


    I did not know when Tyler arrived.


    I just found him lying beside me in the golden bed, shirtless and with unbuckled pants. "Ehem!" I cleared my throat, hoping to wake the sleeping dog.


    Tyler is in his wolf form. I even mistook him for Pegasus, the Silver Pack''s white- furred wolf pet.


    I don''t even know why werewolves have pets. Imagine a dog having a pet dog. It''s just like Mickey Mouse having Ratatouille as a pet.


    "Ehem!!" I narrowed my eyes as I realized that Tyler''s holding Taylor-no, not holding. He was hugging the wolf stuff toy.


    "EHEM!!!" But the Stormbringer, whose breath reek of alcohol, just snored in answer.


    I didn''t try so much as clear my throat for the fourth time. This queen-size bed of gilded shade used to be big for me. But with Tyler''s wolf form, only a quarter of it remained mine. The rest was upied by the sleeping white demon of a dog.


    I called him a demon. Not because Tyler''s evil, but because his presence makes me do all the wicked things and think of all the immoral actions one could ever think of. One of which is by rocking on top of him while he sleeps.


    And it is pretty much disgusting and alluring for me at the same time.


    He yawned and, in a sudden blinding light, he shifted to his naked human form. Which makes me mused if he really is sleeping or do they need to be awake to shift?


    Rowena told me that these werewolves shift naked to be a wolf and also shift back to their human form unclothed.


    It''s interesting when Tyler and me are alone. But what if I walk in the city with Tyler in


    his snow-colored furs and tell him to shift in front of me?


    The girls, women, anddies might have squeaked when they saw Tyler shirtless, how much more when he''s not wearing his pants and underwear?


    Either way, I won''t let that happen. I will only allow my fianc¨¦ to stand shirtless and brief-less in front of me, no one else.


    I reached a hand at his bluish-ck hair, ruffling it softly and touching it gently. "This is getting boring," I murmured as Iy down, facing the mirror ceiling. I stared at the reflection of the sleeping Tyler while hugging Taylor and me-an inch away from falling from this shining, shimmery bed.


    I must let Tyler wake up and leave my bed, because this is only good for one, for me. That''s why it''s called queen-sized: because it''s only fit for a queen. Like me.


    I saw my eyeliner in the mirror near the hidden closet. It''s beckoning me to do something hrious that will wake Tyler up.


    As I tiptoed towards my eyeliner, I watched my body in the mirror, covered in a rose-gold nightgown and smiled.


    "This is going to be outrageously fun!" I purred.

 Chapter 22: Ride

    Tyler''s POV


    She''s waking me up.


    I know it, but I don''t want to. I didn''t even know that I was hugging something, a pillow maybe.


    My eyes remained shut, I remained pretending asleep. She repeatedly nudged me and by any other means so I could just wake up. I let the temperature in the room be a little colder so that she''ll fall asleep.


    ***


    But, I didn''t expect it was I who fell asleep first.


    ine''s POV


    I woke up smiling.


    Tyler was still beside me, the art I sketched on his face remains intact. And he doesn''t have a single clue that he''s sleeping with the face of Pikachu, thanks to my eyeliner. The iPhone that I used to take a picture of him on his Pikachu face while hugging Taylor is still in his pocket, unbothered.


    mouth.


    "Wake up, sleeping dog," I wiggled his nose before brushing a kiss on his forehead and


    Tyler yawned as I climbed out of bed. "I''ll go to the bath first. You should wash your face for the meantime."


    Tyler is still oblivious as he mistook my serious voice for seriousness where in fact I told him that so that he can see his adorable, eyeliner-filled face.


    "Rowena already put a coral dress in your closet," his chin jerked to the oakwood closet just across the bed. "Wear that one today."


    He seems formal too, different from his usual jolly voice. Or maybe he''s having a hangover?


    Damn, I don''t even know how he ended up in my bed still wearing the clothes he wore when he went to the city while shrouded by the smell of alcohol.


    "Where are we going?" I asked as I untied my red violet silk nightgown.


    "We are going to have breakfast with the other hunky billionaires," he muttered as he fixed the bed, folding the nket and picking up the pillows that fell on the floor. I never saw a man so diligent in fixing a morning bed even if he has servants.


    Tyler Jane Moonstorm is indeed beautiful, wholly and beautifully handsome of a man. "Hey doggie, can I ask you something?"


    His eyes darted to my bare chest and I don''t know why I undressed here in front of him instead of inside the stone bath.


    "What is it, little snow flower?" Oh God, he''s calling me by that Shakespeare-esque nickname again.


    "Why is Jane your second name?"


    Tyler coughed unexpectedly as I flinched. "Ohh uhmm," he bends to the floor to pick up the fallen Taylor but it took him fifteen seconds to rise again. And when he did, his cheeks heated. Stained in red. "That''s my, uhm...that''s my grandma''s name."


    I nodded as I lowered my underwear and my bare pussy greeted his face on the other side of the bed. "Is she an Alpha too?"


    His throat bobbed in answer, or maybe in reaction. "She''s the current High Priestess. Didn''t Melissa tell you that?"


    He ran his palm across the bed to smoothen the sheets before treading towards me. I clemently shook my head as I looked up to him, still towering with his six-foot height over my 5''4 one.


    "She didn''t or maybe she just forgot," I lowered my head so he couldn''t see me biting my lip.


    "But Grandmama Jane already oriented you with being a Luna at the Lodge of the Luna right?"


    I sucked a breath, my heart a drumroll of embarrassment against my chest. I actually thought of my dream on that day as I faced the High Priestess, the picture of my tits bouncing as I rode Tyler ying briefly in my mind.


    Maybe that''s why she smiled at that time. Or grinned. Or smirk, I don''t know.


    Her face shed again and I am entirely sure now that that was a smirk. A freaking "my grandson is hot af, isn''t he?" kind of a smirk.


    Jane, the High Priestess and doggie''s grandmother, has cerulean eyes and silver hair styled in the likes of Emilia rke''s Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO show "Game of Thrones". I haven''t yet watched the eighth season because I couldn''t find any television in this room. I hope the T.V. here has an annual HBO premium subscription so that I can also binge "Sex and the City".


    voice.


    "You seem to be in deep thoughts, ine." He said that again. This time in a darker


    "Are you assuming I am blowing you in my mind?"


    "No." His eyes shone, a canine smile crawled across his face. "But I am already


    jackhammering you in my mind."


    That wolfish grin of his fits well with the Pikachu face I draw.


    "I am d you really see me as a woman." I ran my fingers along his shoulder


    down to his nipple and lingered in there.


    "You should really see yourself in the mirror, Mr. Tyler," I gestured to the huge mirror in


    front of us as a grin stered in my face.


    ***


    I couldn''t stop chortling when Tyler shrieked like ady upon beholding his face.


    Tyler''s POV


    The bitch is still smiling.


    But I couldn''t bring myself to hate her because she''s so cute, like a little ck cat begging to be hugged by his daddy using her smile as a weapon.


    "Hunky billionaires? You are known outside the wall as hunky billionaires? Seriously?!"


    "I don''t see any bad thing in that." I pulled my tie to the base of my neck in a smooth motion of a hand.


    "Well I do. Because you aren''t just pretending to be rich, Lord Tyler. You are also a wolf- shifting freaking hell of a man!"


    "One: I don''t see anything wrong pretending to be a hunk ''cause I fucking am. Two: I am utterly, absolutely, wholly rich."


    I finally opened the garage and ine fell silent, her bodynding softly on the floor as her eyes behold what''s inside my garage.


    "Choose which one of them you want me to ride.¡± Or do you want me to ride you, dearest snow flower?


    Remus onlyughed at that thought.


    I pointed at a gold Lamborghini with no roof, perfect for a ''ride with the wind'' date night ording to her; a red Ferrari that is patiently waiting to be used for a car sex, still ording to her words; a midnight blue Porsche Carrera, headlights flickering as I click its car key which she did not utter anyment.


    "The Lamborghini seems to be so wild. The Ferrari seems to be so head-turning and carnappers will probably stalk us for the day. The Porsche one is a bit formal yet casual and is not so ''an apple of the eye'' so I guess I want that one for us."


    My brows lifted as I touched my stubble while listening to her. Even though she has no knowledge about cars, she seems to be a perfect judge of one just based on my collection''s dazzling appearance.


    first?"


    ; "Okay then, let''s go?"


    But the woman before me grinned as she whispered, "Can you swim in my ocean


    I frowned and she pouted. When she headed for the blue car first, I immediately grabbed her by the wrist and threw her in the back seat as I kneel before her, loosening her panty.

 Chapter 23: Sleep after Sex

    Tyler''s POV


    I look to my side, to where my woman is still panting.


    I started the car and headed for the secret exit. We have another exit and entrance in the wall that is only reserved forvish cars like this one I''m using, just a little farther from the Lodge of the Luna.


    I waved a hand to Garrick and his twin Derrick. The two ck Wolves are in-charge of guarding the pathway this week.


    "Going outside, Moonstorm?" Garrick gave me a high-five as he pressed the button that lifted the metallic bars of the gate. A forest so green and wet, probably because of the rainst night, greeted us early in the morning.


    Two White Wolves in their wolf form guard outside, situated at either side of the gate as if they are justmon white wolves in this forest. Theo and Leo, who are my most talented Betas when ites to summoning fire and making ice swords in a blink of an eye, are in charge of looking outside Selena''s Wall for stray humans who went hiking and, of course, Hearteaters.


    I lowered the window a little and the twins peered inside. Derrick pointed to ine, who''s still catching her breath after a couple of minutes of me diving in her ocean. "Is that her? The new girl everyone''s talking about?"


    I saw her flinch in the corner of my eye. "Yes. This is my ine."


    "Well then..." Garrick hoisted a brow as I uttered the word ''my ine''. His twin''s lips only curled into a smile. "Good luck outside."


    I gave the boys a tight nod as I drove forward.


    ''This girl is quite fragrant to our fellow wolves,'' Remus stated. Or maybe it''s ament


    of his with regards to the beauty sitting beside me.


    ''It''s ament,'' my wolf added.


    Yep, I was totally right.


    "Are you okay?" I nce at her as I drive by the slippery, muddy road. The murky path is already staining my midnight blue baby. Poor car, though it''s still shining and looking expensive despite all the shit.


    And ine is still gasping for breath.


    "Are you "I noticed her hand was still inside her. "Are you still not done?!" I asked


    unbelievably.


    She cleared her throat as she wiped her fingers with the tip of her coral dress. "There. I''m done." I shook my head in disbelief.


    "You really "I sighed instead, continuing my focus on the wheels. "Never mind."


    I heard ine breathed before leaning her head in the wall.


    "Sleep well, my snow flower," I whispered as I caressed her rosy cheeks.


    ine''s POV


    This was the first time I went outside of Ste''s Soul and Selena''s Wall which really feels like forever.


    It was only a day and a half since I was brought there. Yet, several things already happened to me in a matter of hours.


    The hotel, Flower Moon, as the sign said as I climbed down from the Porsche is as grandiose as its name.


    "Wee to Flower Moon Hotel, Mademoiselle." The valet''s deep voice gave me goosebumps because I remember my mom and dad used to tell me that one of my biological parents is French...


    ; I don''t know if I should believe them because I can no longer spot which of their words


    is true, and which only appears as true.


    ; "Thank you," I murmured as I fixed my dress and held my bag on my right arm.


    "Your breakfast is at The Gazebo, Mr. and Mrs. Moonstorm." A white-haired man, probably the butler for VIPs, approached both of us as Tyler told the valet something before walking towards me. I turned away and cringed secretly. Can''t they see that I don''t have a shiny, shimmering wedding ring yet?


    I tied my hair in a ponytail, splitting it in two as I brought it in front just enough to cover my breasts. This coral Sunday dress has a huge V-cut, almost letting my nipples slip any minute I bend or raise my arm.


    The air is warm, yet a slight hint of coldness still kissed my cheeks and uncovered skin. I touched my lips with the finger I used to give myself pleasure back in the car.


    "Winona," I looked up and saw Jason with Melissa at his side. Her hand lingering in her belly.


    "Please don''t call me by my second name," I begged with a wide smile.


    I meant it though. I really do.


    "You and my brother are really peanut butter and jelly. You fit each other very well." "Whatever," I heard Tyler muttered as he wrapped his hand around my waist. I look up to


    him. My height is just the length of his armpit. Maybe lower.


    My stomach rumbled in hunger which made him shed a sheepish grin to Jason and Melissa. "My woman is hungry now. In fact, we are frantically alreadyte for breakfast."


    Jason smiled, teeth showing. "Shall we then?" Tyler strolled at his brother''s side, leaving


    me alone to relish the beauty of the floral garden surrounding the gazebo.


    "Let''s go to the feast now, ine." I did not think twice to walk with Melissa as the pregnant Amber Luna looped her arm with me, leading me to the regal breakfast ce as we both breathed in the beauty of nature.


    ***


    The gazebo has a brown chinese-style roof, open on all sides so that the wind can freely touch our skin. The paint is as white as the clear morning sky, droplets of water trickling in every leaf and petal due tost night''s rain.


    The foods arepletely set on the table. Aromatic croissants and a sliced loaf of bread toasted rightly in a perfect crisp, aligned in a clean white oval te. I went to my chair across Melissa''s and beside Jason, who is sitting at the center of the burgundy-clothed rectangr table. Karlo, the Alpha of the Shadow Pack, sat at the opposite of Jason''s.


    The smell of Americano distracted my staring at Tyler''s older brother. I wrap my hands around the white cup of the still warm and fresh coffee.


    Jason Moonstorm, who Tyler said has a middle name of ire, thanks to their great grandmother, is actually more handsome when you sit near to him, making his expressive features more vivid and his rugged look more unfaltering.


    Still, he looks formal and intimidating. Which made my knees buckle.


    Tyler cleared his throat as if to ask "Are you alright?". ncing at my left to where he is sitting, I gave him a simple nod and a smile that didn''t reach my ears.


    "Fine," he mouthed wordlessly. Jason, Melissa, Karlo, and Gialyca all stared at me. Silence


    breaking amidst the chirping of morning birds.


    "Well?" Jason spoke as he ced his two huge hands atop the table.


    "Well what?"


    Karlo looked at Gia. Gia looked at Melissa. Melissa nudged her husband by the elbow.


    Jason''s sapphire eyes darted at the man beside me.


    ; "Well?" Jason tilted his head to the side as if to signal his younger brother to do something.


    Tyler cleared his throat but my eye remained at Jason''s face, gaping at staring at his admirable beauty.


    It''s true that Tyler is handsome. Butpared to Jason''s, Tyler''s more of a good-boy vibe whereas Jason''s...he could pass as a fierce Italian Mafia boss, whose every breath sent several men quivering and pissing their pants.


    My wolfie man cleared his throat again which made me blink and ceased my feasting on Jason''s devilish beauty.


    But as I turn around. Tyler Jane Moonstorm, my wolf-shifting fianc¨¦, is already kneeling on the stone-covered floor, facing me and showing the happiest smile he ever made.

 Chapter 24: Proposal

    "Will you, ine Winona Rutherford, take me as your husband, friend, mate, master, and ve until our hearts ceased to beat together?"


    I did not know what to say. I freaking don''t. I just stared at the heart-shaped sapphire stone that ornaments the gilded engagement ring. It is already making me drool, especially when a ray of sunlight casts its way into our direction, the ring glinting like diamonds in the sky. All I notice is that a pool of tears starts to escape from my mouth, along with my gaping and stuttering.


    "Just say yes," he whispered, ivory teeth shing. I didn''t need to look at ourpanions'' expressions when Tyler said that.


    "Yes." There, I said it. "I will be your wife, friend, mate, master, and ve as well. Until our hearts ceased to beat together." Finally I said it, as if this was an actual marriage proposal. As if I wasn''t abducted from my home andid me on a stone table for an Alpha to carry me in his shoulders while wearing an itchy white dress. As if I wasn''t referred to as Mrs. Tyler Jane Moonstorm by mortal servants and even employees of this hotel.


    He slid thevish Swarovski engagement ring in my finger, brushing his lips against mine while doing so.


    As if Tyler and me haven''t engaged in a sexual activity yet. Well, if one meant sexual intercourse, yes. We haven''t yet allowed the D to enter the P. But other forms of sexual pleasure...we certainly already have. In my room, in that steamy stone bath. In my mind and in my dreams.


    Even here, now. Tyler looked at me as if he''s already stripping me naked, banging and fucking me amidst the wetness of the flower garden.


    A sh of a digital camera from the butler suddenly made me smile wider, sweeter. Ourpanions pped their hands as if they were just normal wealthy people. As if the skin they are wearing today is their natural skin. As if they are not the kind of people who hide their wolfish features behind every smile and twinkling of their eyes.


    But even though they have another much feral identity, they still look astounding, Stunning even in their simple clothes.


    Jason is wearing a ck leather jacket above a bloody red shirt that has the picture of Be and Edward from the movie Twilight. Melissa is wearing a mint green dress fit for a pregnant woman. Karlo, like Jason, is wearing a leather jacket-except for the in white polo shirt underneath the jacket. Gialyca Farmiga, whose face remains the same after leaving Victoria''s Secret, is wearing a mint green off-shoulder blouse that made her cleavage uncovered. A pair of ck leather jeans embellished her long, slender legs.


    And me...I am wearing a coral Sunday dress the only dress whose color is different from the other two females in the table. Not to mention the V-cut along the neckline that makes me look like a walking whore.


    "Can we dig into the breakfast now?" I purred as I grabbed Tyler''s hands and hoisted him from the floor, leading him to the chair beside me.


    They all started to pick up their utensils and began eating. I first reached the Caf¨¦ Americano, savoring its strong scent and warmth. Tyler put a teaspoon of butter on a slice of toasted bread and gave it to me. I smiled back and peeled a soft-boiled egg for him in return, sprinkling the bowl of soft egg with salt and pepper.


    "You two already looked like a married couple." It was the first time I heard Karlo speak. The Alpha of the ck Wolves seems pale and firm-looking. But I guess I should never judge a wolf just by the color of their fur.


    I can really say that the three men here are hunky billionaires, despite their simple outfits. And Karlo''s voice...it''s fit for a radio DJ or even a lead singer of a band. It''s much tamer than Jason and Tyler, whose two voices may fit for a shark mafia boss. And Karlo''s more friendly and has much lighter features.


    Tyler popped a grape in my mouth as I turned to him, making me blush. Melissa giggled and I was left quite embarrassed in my chair, forcing my mouth to chew the fruit.


    I am not entirely a fan of public disys of affection. But if this is how Tyler shows to his brother and fellow Alpha on how he takes care of his woman, then I will proudly eat here in my chair-chest out and chin up.


    But seriously I am notfortable eating with more than one man at the table. Tyler is enough to make me squeak inside. And with Jason and Karlo... if only I wasn''t eating the buttered toasted bread and bacon, my feet have long taken control over my body and ran away as far as it can.


    But there is something about running away that brings chills to my spine. It brings back memories from a week ago. On that beach my former family and I went swimming. Stumbling upon that horrendous scene gave me consecutive nightmares, not to mention the scent that still haunts me up until this day. So maybe one should never immediately run away. ''Maybe I could walk out?'' I mused to myself.


    "You seem pale, Winona." It was the former supermodel, Gialyca Farmiga. Her voice is dark, like the actress Cate nchett. Except Gia, as to what Tyler and Karlo call her, is not blonde. "This is my first time with you guys..."


    "You mean first time eating with the friends of your abductors?" Melissa elbowed


    her husband and Jason wiped his mouth.


    ; "I''m joking." All of them chortled, except Tyler and me.


    "It''s not funny, brother." The grin disappeared at the Amber Alpha.


    "Seriously, ine. What''s bothering you?" Jason darted his eyes towards me, piercing me


    with his intimidating gaze that made me melt like butter in an oven.


    I smiled wryly, one that cannot be even called a smile. "I''m just...I''m not used to eating with more than one person at the table. I grew up eating alone because my adoptive family would never allow me to eat with them."


    The Gazebo echoed in quietude. And Melissa reached out for my right hand which holds


    a gran bar.


    "We are a family here. In Ste''s Soul," said Jason.


    "Don''t werewolves eat humans?"


    The three men cackled. "I mean..." Tyler nced at me; his blue eyes are enough


    to give me a warm hug. "Wolves eat human flesh."


    "We don''t." That was a firm response from Karlo, the Shadow Alpha. "Werewolves are shapeshifters. Man-shifting wolves or wolf-shifting man, either way you call us, we have more than one skin that we wear. More than one face we uphold. But it doesn''t mean we are monsters. If we are, we have long devoured Moonburn upon our arrival here." The way Jason spoke can clearly be seen that he''s the eldest Alpha.


    And I almost forgot that he reads minds. ''Oh, shit.'' "Oh, shit!"


    "What?" Tyler patted my back.


    "I almost forgot that each of you have special powers."


    Tyler, Jason, and Karloughed once again, leaving usdies tough with them. Maybe werewolves are more than the myths I read and stories I have heard. Maybe they have no choice but to act upon their nature. Maybe their birth as a werewolf is a gift they must ept and a curse they must endure. Maybe being a wolf shifter isn''t always being a hunter and a predator.


    Like a snake that also fears an eagle, werewolves can also be the prey of something. Something far more sinister. Something unimaginable. Something that breaks them and shatters them despite their strength and might.


    Something unearthly, that perhaps, I have already unknowingly met.

 Chapter 25: When an Alpha Purrs

    Tyler''s POV


    "Have you had enough?"


    She nced up to me, mouth twitching to a faint smile. "No, thank you. My pussycat is


    still badly aching."


    Iughed way hard; so hard that it bounced off at every leaf and flower living and


    growing in this garden.


    "ine Winona Rutherford, the soon to be Mrs. Tyler Jane Moonstorm, I am talking about


    the breakfast at The Gazebo."


    Realization struck her like a lightning crashing a tree. "Oh..."


    Her expressions made me giggle even more, to the point that even Remus himself is


    cackling like a quacking duckling,


    "Oh!" She scratched her head. "I thought you wanted to jackhammer me in this garden." "Fuck!" My cheeks turned red. She''s not lying though. "Okay, stop it."


    "Stop what? I''m not doing anything."


    "I was not talking to you." And I burst outughing again, turning my back from her so


    that she will not be embarrassed that she is the cause of me and Remus'' giggles.


    I sucked a breath, so that I will not end up sucking her tits. The dress Rowena chose for her is so sexually appealing that even Karlo, the most loyal wolf in the table, could not hide the redness of his cheeks upon seeing my ine closer for the first time in forever.


    My ine. Yes, she is my possession and my treasure. My equal, my wife. My mate. My. Mate.


    Yes, she is. I imed her. I marked her. I owned her, as much as she owned the entirety of me-my face, my mind, my heart, my dick, my soul.


    Contrary to the English wolves where they recognize their mate by the first sight, the werewolves of Ste''s Soul recognize our mates by our first sex.


    Yes. The first time. Our first time. The very first time our bodies became one wherever weid ourselves naked. Body inside a body, igniting the fire within, shattering stars into thousand pieces that eventually made the chain that binds us. That bound us--to one another, blood to blood and soul to soul.


    Sincest year, I already knew it would be her. Sincest year, I have known that she is the woman I need in my life. The woman I want in my life. Making love is a thing that every wolf must value. Not having sex. Not fucking each other. It is making love; for love should be the center when a man and a woman be one.


    For when there is love, there is desire. And when there is desire, the fire in each other''s hearts is alight. As bright as the sun shining down the world.


    A fire that will forever burn.


    "Tyler?"


    I woke up from my daze, returning my gaze to her angelic face. It''s angelic for me no matter how people define an angel and what an angel looks like. She is my angel, my little snow flower. My ine.


    I don''t know why I am feeling like this towards her today. Now I suspect that either Jason or Karlo have spiked my drink with an aphrodisiac.


    ;


    ''Chocte and strawberries are an aphrodisiac, you fool!'' Remus eximed.


    Oh. That''s why. That''s why my pancake is chocte. My drink is chocte. The only fruit that Jason is passing to me are berries, particrly strawberries. And the tea that Karlo gave me is strawberry lemon.


    Fuck yeah.


    "You seem to be in deep thoughts, Lord Tyler." Fuck, she said it perfectly this time. With her bit of sway and darkening of her voice, she sounds more like a Mafia Queen cornering her henchman.


    Breathing in her rose and vani scent, which I can''t distinguish if it''s from her perfume or fabric conditioner or from her shampoo, a smile crept from the shadows and into my face.  ''You look like sick,'' Remus whispered to which I just set aside.


    I reached for her hand and kissed it, the sapphire ring glittering in my eyes. "I am thinking about you, the woman I will soon be calling my wife. The woman who will soon bear my children."


    "Bride of the Stormbringer. It''s not so bad though," she shrugged her shoulders, inclining her head against my neck as we sat under a tree, the leaves wet.


    "You should get used to it" I whispered. "Lady ine..."


    "Why are we addressing each other as if we are in the regency era again?" "Because you are mydy. And I am your man." I kissed her rosy cheeks, the wind singing softly, rustling the leaves of the wet tree that eventually made us leap away under its shade. ineughed, so did I. "You basically have nothing else to say to the point that you are now quoting from one of Celine Dion''s songs."


    I gave her a Cheshire cat grin. "Am I? Phew, my bad!"


    "You really love sarcasm, eh?"


    I gave her a bow that reached my waist. "Sarcasm is my middle name."


    ine Winona Rutherford burst out chortling again, her face brighter than the light of


    day. "Your middle name is Jane, Lord Tyler Jane Moonstorm."


    "Fine, you win."


    "I always win," she purred, a cat''s voice.


    "But it doesn''t mean you cannot lose." I nudged her arm before running for a few meters from where she''s still standing.


    ; "Last one to reach the car will sleep on the floor tonight!" I challenged.


    I heard her chuckling and the sound of her footsteps quickening behind me. I continued


    to sprint towards the Porsche Ferrera, suddenly remembering that I actually left my shoes in The Gazebo.


    "Fine, I will sleep on the floor tonight."

 Chapter 26: Silver & Gold

    ine''s POV


    I guess it''s because of the breakfast at The Gazebo that made me hold on to Tyler''s muscr arm tightly, walking with him on the busy street of Moonburn at almost eleven in the morning.


    I don''t know where he''s taking me. He said it''s a surprise.


    I pinch his muscles. It was so firm and strong, brute and intimidating. Tyler''s expression did not so much as shift except for the jerking of his chin and the twitching of his stubble. "Tyler?"


    "Hm?" He did not look at me though. His eyes remained on the road we were walking. "Why did you propose to me in front of them like a mortal fianc¨¦?"


    Tyler stopped, slowly turning to face me. "If you''ve been abducted by a mafia boss, do you agree to marry him when all he did is just show you his face and body and cock?" "Maybe. Why?"


    Tyler rubbed a hand on his jaw. "You know, ine. You are often slow..."


    "What kind of slow?" I snorted.


    "That."


    "What?"


    "That."


    I look around us and into my outfit. "I don''t get what you''re saying."


    "You see. That''s what makes you slow sometimes." He continued to walk. But I can see that he smirked in the corner of my eyes.


    cream.


    "Tell me, please!" I nudged like a child begging to be bought a cone of chocte ice


    Tyler took a deep breath before walking beside me, my hand still clutching to his. "We do that so that women will not be in shock. We give them an ample amount of time to realize what''s going on and what''s going to happen to their life. That''s why the wedding will be next month. And we also appoint mortal wives to tell the neers what it is like to be a bride of a wolf shifter."


    "You are still not answering my question," I pouted.


    He pinched my cheeks. "We propose before marriage so that even when women are brought to Ste''s Soul against their will, they will still be able to feel that the one they are marrying still has humanity left inside them."


    "So that we will not think you guys are monsters?"


    "Indeed. Yes." I shrugged, nice exnation though. "And also to let women feelfortable when they marry a Wolf God. That''s why we pamper them and spoil them." Tyler then winked, white teeth shing.


    We turned right when we reached the corner. This time, more shops are calling at me situated at the side to the pathway we are traversing. Dress boutiques, candy and chocte stores, perfume stores, dessert caf¨¦, and a bunch of coffee shops and restaurants.


    Gosh, this was the busiest street I''ve seen in my life. Not to mention expensive. "This is Moonburn''s Business Park," exined Tyler. "Any business that is built in here will always prosper."


    "How can you be so sure?" I crooned.


    Tyler Jane Moonstorm looked past me with a wicked grin. "Because werewolves own Moonburn."


    ***


    "Here we are."


    Tyler opened the door of the shop for me. No, it was not just a shop. It''s a boutique- one that has every item costs at least a thousand dors.


    My throat bobbed. I felt anxious. Cold drops of sweat suddenly start to stream down


    from me. "Don''t worry, ine." Tyler rubbed my back. "They know who we are."


    "Mr. Tyler!" The voice did not sound manly, but not feminine either. The person is a man


    of nature but his clothes...they are in neon green and his boots are in glittering pink. A fluffy magenta scarf snaked around his neck.


    "I told you we are a Wolf God," he whispered in my ears. Tyler''s warm breath made my pussycat even tighter.


    "Yeah, you attract all people of age and gender!" I turn around to hide my giggles. He rolled his eyes and continued towards the man in bright colors.


    "Is this your bride?" They both turn their attention to me. I''m just quietly watching the aquarium where the baby turtles are stacked to one another as they dive into the water.  "Yes, she is." Tyler answered for me. "She''s beautiful, isn''t she?"


    I blushed and the man bit his lip. "She''s a goddess."


    Then they vanish in my eyes and proceed to talk to where a bunch of gowns and other wedding ephemera are disyed.


    "ine?" The voice is familiar. But I continued to browse through the wedding catalog atop the square table near the couch.


    "ine, it''s you!" It was my younger sister. Alone. But a foul scent of rotting flesh


    surrounds her. The air bes colder, heavier.


    "Where are mom and dad? And why are you here?"


    "ine..." Tyler''s voice thundered and my sister immediately went for the door


    without answering my question.


    "Who was that?"


    ;  "It''s my sister, Ty¡ª"


    "But your family is dead, ine-Oh, shit!"


    sister.


    "What?" I became even more nervous.


    "Oh. Shit." Then Tyler vanished in the door as well. I presume he''s going after my


    "Your husband is so protective of you, little one."


    "But that''s my sister?!"


    "Didn''t you hear what your fianc¨¦ told you?" The man who wears bright and jovial female


    clothes sat beside me, hugging a white wedding dress. "That''s not your sister."


    "Then what is it?" I sweated even more, heartbeat pounding even more.


    ;


    ; "That''s a Hearteater."


    ***


    "So you are also-"I leaned to whisper to him. "You are one of the wolves'' servants?"


    "Oh yes! I have managed several of their weddings for twelve years already," he answered with a loud voice that made me quiver a little inside.


    ; "So, how did you end up at their feet?"


    "Well..." He looked past me before shifting his seat on my right. "It''s like a Faustian


    Bargain, but this time there is no devil. It''s the "


    "Wolf God?" I cut him off before he finished.


    "Yes." He extended a hand. "I''m Nicole by the way."


    I shook his hand. "In the morning or at night?"


    His boisterousugh made me smile despite the news about my family and the monsters in the city wearing their faces.


    "Both. I was born as Nicole. My mother insisted it''s a unisex name that''s why she named


    me Nicole even though I have a dick."


    Iughed harder at hisst word. "Do you have a boyfriend?"


    "I have a husband." My brows rose.


    "Where is he?"


    "The one walking beside your Tyler." He stood, smoothing the white dress. "We are both


    private servants of the wolves but our business is open to all."


    I can see it. The Silver &; Gold Wedding Boutique is asvish as its name. Truly, this is what a lot of money can do. Both from the business and from the hunky wolf-shifting billionaire that I am betrothed to.


    I heard a barking and I thought it was Tyler in his wolf form. I''ll definitely scold him if he''s going to shift inside the boutique with his clothes inside the backpack he told me to carry.


    Well I guess the private servants of his are used to seeing dogs entering and turning to a man, extending a pair of tuxedo and cks without so much of hesitation.


    But it was not Tyler. No, the barking came from a white wolf, almost like a Siberian husky with its fur as white as snow if it wasn''t for the silver chain around his neck that bears the wolf''s


    name.


    "Come, Pegasus!" I called the wolf and it jumped on myp, licking my face as Tyler and the husband entered the boutique once again.

 Chapter 27: Wedding Gowns and Boutique

    The boutique is clean and white.


    But the colors of gray and pink may have been the reason why the interiors are deemed as beautiful.


    The huge leather couch that I am sitting on is gray in color. Pink swirling designs that appear as a rose and a head of a wolf on the center entuate the furniture even more, same as the couch where Pegasus is napping.


    The vases are smoothly gray and snaked with pink geometry designs. The carpet is even gray and soft. It made me almost cringe because it''s like it''s derived from a dozen gray wolf skin and sewed together in order to make a grand carpet for human feet to brush on.


    "Are you alright?" Tyler never failed me to ask that, as if every second I breathe, danger


    will eventually be knocking on my door.


    Well, it even entered the boutique minutes ago.


    "I''m fine. She did not manage to touch me."


    "Good," he remarked. "Or else that Hearteater will be luring you into Selena knows where and eat your heart!"


    I stood, rubbing the base of his back as I breathed in his scent of rain and forest and mist. "You don''t need to worry, Ty. I''m always careful."


    His eyes narrowed when it shed at me but I remained serene and half-smiling. "I promise," I added.


    "Okay," he muttered. I sighed in relief. "But you must ept this gift of mine. Just think of it as a bridal shower gift."


    "Bridal shower gift from a fianc¨¦? Do you really have knowledge about mortal customs and traditions?!" I whispered.


    "Whatever," he rolled his eyes like a pissed-off woman. Sometimes I wonder if twenty- two years old is old enough for a werewolf or is it still considered as a teenager?


    "Just Just take this. Your password is the date I have taken you from the stone table and shove right into myir."


    Tyler uses the word ''taken'', instead of ''abducted'' and ''sacrificed''. I love how he sees me as an actual woman he will soon be married to rather than a piece of mortal flesh that he will soon be grinding for the rest of his life.


    My cheeks heated more when the thought of Tyler grinding me in our wedding clothes-


    I nced up at him. He''s naked, from head to toe and chest to thigh. The sun shone on his bare body, glinting in every inch of mocha gloriousness. I don''t care if the body I am seeing now is capable of ying an entire household without so much of a backache. I just want to be the driver of the Lamborghini between his legs.


    "ine?" I blinked and the mirage left my eyes. I shook my head along with the words, "Yes, I''m fine."


    I epted the phone, the iPhone. I never had an iPhone, especially a brand new smartphone. In fact, I never had a brand new phone. The phone I usually have when I was still in the Rutherford household is either one that my younger sister broke or my mother''s old Nokia. The bad thing is that I have to endure the bullying of my high school friends. The good thing about having an old phone is that you will never be a subject of a thief''s eyes.


    But this my hand cradling the white expensive gadget...this is too much.


    I am more ted, more lucky. More grateful. I am d that I am the sacrificed woman to the one and only Stormbringer Alpha.


    "Thank you..." I said in a soft and girly voice, bringing my hair behind my ear.


    He reached a hand for my face, caressing me in front of his seasonal servants. I can see Nicole squeaking at the corner of my sight.


    Tyler.


    "Follow us in the tea room, darling," Nicole said to me before striding after my


    I was left with Pegasus and the iPhone, both white and valuable in my eyes.  The Silver Pack''s pet wolf licked my tongue as I stared at the phone.


    Biting my lip to refrain from shrieking andughing so hard, I fathomed that it was the phone I used to take a picture of him sleeping; his face drawn with Pikachu, thanks to my eyeliner.


    ***


    I looked down at Pegasus who was still wagging his tail, waiting for me to follow in the tea room. "Don''t tell your daddy about the phone, okay?" I don''t know why I used the term daddy but my own voice sounds cute in my ears. Pegasus barked with his tail still brushing on my feet.   "Good boy!" I patted its head.


    Every step I take is everyugh I hold. I opened the gallery and his picture is still there. I presume he never knew I took a picture of him in that sinfully ridiculous face.


    Melissa''s number is already in the contacts. Hoping to find a partner-in-crime, I sent Tyler''s hrious face to my soon-to-be sister-inw.


    Pegasus walked beside me and I opened the door before the tea room, its softvender color left me in awe. Not to mention the gold-and-diamond doorknob.


    "Oh, here she is!" Nicole went towards me and took my hand. "There," he pointed at the


    chair between Tyler and his husband. "Sit beside your honey pie baby boy."


    ;  Honey pie baby what?


    I only gave her a half smile. Pegasus sat by Tyler''s feet.


    "So the blue-and-silver theme is final, Mr. Tyler?"


    I jerked my chin. I would actually like pink and purple but it looks more of a debut


    birthday party. "Yes, blue and silver seem regal yet simple."


    "So about the cake..." I just found out that Ghino, Nicole''s husband, is a cake artist. And there is nothing more I would bow before than a job that mixes food and art.


    Well, I guess food is art itself.


    Tyler, Nichole, and Ghino continued conversing and discussing the wedding. I just let them because I don''t think I am entitled to even disagree with them because: 1) Tyler''s money is


    the one going to answer this grand wedding. 2) I am a sacrifice a sheep whose mouth is


    fastened well with i-am-contented-with-being-the-bride-thank-you.


    ; While they were talking, my phone lit up. Melissa has replied with emojis.


    I covered my mouth to hide myugh. "You''ve been a bad girl," she added in her text.


    "I know right," I typed back, along with an emoji with heart eyes.


    Melissa and I have grown close so quickly as if we are destined to be in a sisterhood rtionship even before we met. She''s a sister I never had. A friend I used to have. A family I will always have as soon as I took the surname of Moonstorm.


    "...And that will be all for the meeting. I trust you your wedding will be magical!"


    "I bet it already is," I inserted. Tyler nced sideways as if he knew what I have been up


    to.


    "Just contact Rowena and other in-house servants," he told the two before standing from


    the table, hands shaking in a smooth conclusion of the day''s meeting.


    He strode past me. Pegasus is catching after him.


    "You''re going to beid, girl!" The dy'' in a blinding bright green and pink attire


    eximed before me.


    "Nicole!" Ghino reprimanded. But I just giggled like ady living in the regency era.  I heard Tyler''s exit in the boutique, making me sprint after him. Oh no, did I make him mad for not paying attention?


    "Tyler!" I called out. Apparently, the sky is not in a good mood as well.


    "Sweetie, wait!!!" People eyed me, noticing the height and age difference of me and my ''boyfriend''.


    Tyler halted beside a fast food chain. I already anticipated he just wants to be called in an endearment.


    "I''m d you are slowly learning to use an endearment towards me, sweetheart."  To puke or not to puke, that is my question with regards to his sugar-coated words.  Or is his sharine praise more eye-rolling than my endearment?


    Anyway, I continued to move my feet forward, following him like I''m a girl scout and he''s my teacher. Despite Tyler''s childishness, I still can''t believe that this kind of world exists-the world where werewolves walk in a polo shirt and jeans, blending with the humans I walk with, I live with, I breathe with.


    Sometimes, I wonder if the man in the coffee shop reading the newspaper is really a man or just another being of myth. A dragon, maybe? What if thedy beckoning potential customers


    to try their cupcakes is actually a witch? What if the traffic enforcer is a gargoyle? What if the birds and cats and dogs we see are actually shapeshifters and spies?


    Fascination never touched me the hardest. A hidden world inside a modern world. Things that only used to be inked in books are actually happening day-to-day-unbeknownst to the ny percent of the city''s poption.


    And I am grateful that I have been a sacrifice to the Alpha.


    ;I, ine Winona Rutherford, am d that I have been a part of both worlds.

 Chapter 28: Doggy Style

    "Don''t tell me the mayor also knew about you?" I questioned, arms knitted behind my back.


    We are trekking through the forest; the same pathway where he led me that night of February 29th.


    But Tyler only smirked at my query in a way that I only see Cersei Lannister of HBO''s Game of Thrones did.


    "We are the one who put him there," he breathed.


    "We?" My brows met. "So it''s the Trinity Alphas then who put Mayor Winterwood in his current seat," I remarked.


    The youngest Moonstorm only shrugged, eyes darting to the heavens. The waxing moon has now awakened, bathing the sky in its silver light.


    And the waxing moon means that the full moon is nearing as well as my wedding. Our wedding, the day Tyler and me will be as one. Bound under the light of Selena, the great Moon Goddess.


    weather.


    "It''s drizzling!" I eximed. Tears from the sky slowly get my hair wet, then my dress. Until rain finally poured onto us, as if someone or something purposely put us under this


    I turned to Tyler, who seemed to have a dive at a river. He is so wet, utterly wet. Wetter than me.


    But I like it. The shape of his body is much visible, much easier to feast with my eyes wide open and my legs ready to open.


    Tyler took off his jacket and gave it to me. "I don''t want you to get wet."


    "I already am." I nced up at him with a bright grin.


    But he still took off his jacket and handed it to me. "I might as well be naked, thanks to the rain."


    Tyler remained staring at me. He didn''t even beckon me to take shelter under a tree or use his wind magic whatsoever so that the waters will not continue bathing us in wetness.


    But he just stood there, eyes not looking at me.


    ''Wait.'' I thought, ''Fuck, he is looking at my body.''


    I looked at my body. And there, I found the source of his frozen eyes, of his subject of staring: my breasts. My big, round melons bathed in waters from the sky.


    But I wonder...is the rain natural or is it Tyler''s doing?


    "You''re staring..."


    He finally blinked. "Is it bad?"


    "No," I answered.


    "What I mean is...is it that bad to rip off your clothes this instant and leave you begging for more of my cock?"


    weeks."


    My throat bobbed. I took one step backward. Just one step. "Tyler, we''ll be married in two


    "Fuck marriage!" He bellowed like it was a roar of a lion before a quivering wet sheep. "I already have you now. Here, and now."


    "Tyler." But before I could protest, he pinned me in the trunk of a tree. The leaves rustled as my backnded. Alpha Tyler hoisted a hand above me.


    His eyes were still on me. This time on my face.


    "I love the way your lips move." Oh, God. Why is he so poetic? "I wonder how it does when it''s inside mine."


    My throat went dry. My mouth was fastened by some feeling I can''t describe. Some feelings that affected me to behave like this. Some feeling that it made me release down there. "Tyler, please..." It was not my way of saying no-it was my word to him to keep me turned on. To keep me warm inside.


    His jacketnded on the floor. Then his shirt. The unzipping of his jeans echoed in my ears but both of our eyes remained gawking at each other.


    Until his entire skin glistened by the moonbeam, the rain still showering upon us. "I lied, ine." His ears inched closer. "I lied that a werewolf and his bride are not allowed


    to touch one another before the wedding night."


    "But why did you lie?" My hands travelled all the way to his face. Until I reached the area where his tower is erected.


    tree.


    I stroke his flesh in a swift motion, making Tyler moan and forget to answer my question.  "So I can do this." Then he pushed me to the grass, to the earth under the huge


    But I managed tond perfectly with legs wide open even before he could blink.


    ***


    Tyler released even before he slid inside me.


    I brought my hand full of his white milk to my lips, savoring the saltiness and the sweetness of him.


    "I never thought you were wild."


    I smirked at his words like how he smirked at me minutes ago. "One should never judge a woman just by her knowledge of sex. Some imed to be virgins while being able to handle a butterfly position inside a car."


    "A butterfly position, eh? Is that what you want, Lady ine?"


    "Yes, please. I will be d to do it with you, Lord Tyler."


    We are back to our role ying again as if we are in one of the Jane Austen novels.


    I let him taste his own white milk before crashing to his mouth, my tongue dancing in a


    French kiss.


    "I will be gentle, ine."


    "Don''t." My voice is as firm as his flesh. "And that is amand."


    moan.


    He smiled as he slowly pushed into my entrance, shattering my silence and turning it to a


    We are joined as one here in the darkness of the forest, where insects and trees and the sky are the only ones watching as Tyler moves inside me, above me, on top of me.


    I hope that no one else is peering at us. I wish nothing else is stalking us.  "Tyler..." Yes, I finally said his name without actually calling his name. It is a


    "I don''t want to hurt you, baby."


    "Ohe on!" I eximed. Tyler gripped the soil as he drove fast.   "Faster," I barked.


    "Oh shi-" was the only thing he said.  "Tyler, please," I leaned to his ears. "Faster..."


    If I was a car, Tyler have long wrecked me and crushed me into pieces. He was big


    and strong yet passionate.


    His every careful move still radiates with burning emotion. Tyler''s scorching and panting breath warmed my neck. So did mine. We returned to our speed in less than a second, not so fast but not so slow.


    dog."


    "Baby..." I whispered between his lips as I kissed him. "I want to be fucked like a


    Tyler Jane Moonstorm smiled. "Turn around. Make sure your ass is kissing my lips."


    I didn''t so much as blink as I obeyed his behest.


    Now I know why people like a doggy style.


    "Oh, Tyler..." I purred like a cat, pulling his hair to my chest where my breasts were


    patiently waiting for his mouth.


    This is paradise. A heaven. Bestowed by the Wolf God making love to me.  "ine..." He howled back. Tyler''s mouth sailed down to where he pulled out and dove into the gloriousness between my legs.


    This is the first time we have sex as ine and Tyler, not as Winona and Jordan a year ago. The first time our bodies bursted in mes of pleasure, never mind the rain soaking us until we run and seek for a dry ce.


    We will not. This is our moment. Our time to let the feelings of sensuality between us


    grow into a huge tree like the one we are taking canopy.


    I turned to my stomach again. And for the second time around, Tyler did me in a canine


    position. In a dog''s position. In a wolf''s position.


    As much as I presume, he did not hesitate to go rough this time.


    "What level is this?" I asked.


    "Level 3."


    ; I brushed my lips to his cheek. "I would like a Level 5."


    The next thing I know, I was bellowing his name in a "Holy Fuck" and "Yes! Tyler, yes!"


    repeatedly until my lips was shut by his kiss.

 Chapter 29: Better than Werewolf Movies

    Tyler''s POV


    My butler opened the door for us.


    I can see it in his eyes on how both soaked in rain we are. The fragrance of petrichor is strongly shrouding me and ine. Not to mention our clothes are covered in mud and grass dirt. "Good morning, Sir!" I already told him he can drop his British ent since ine is a


    French-American anyway.


    "Good mo-Wait a minute, why did you say morning, Robert?" I asked my butler, who forgot to tie his night robe.


    "It''s already one o''clock in the morning, Sir." Still, he is speaking in an impressive British ent that I only hear when he''s nervous.


    "No need to be nervous, Robert. Miss ine is an American."


    "Very well, Sir!" Yes, his ent still didn''t change.


    "Anyway, is our dinn-"


    "Is our food still hot?" ine cut in, hand to her rumbling stomach. "We are definitely


    starving."


    "Yes, Madam. I prepared two pots of goat stew and a dozen crab bruschetta, along with a te of assorted fruits and a teapot of steaming chamomile tea."


    "Thank you. But, can you grab us two towels for a second?" I requested.


    Robert remained smiling. "I suggest you and Miss ine have a warm shower first before you dig in."


    Well my butler has a point though.


    "And I suggest you take a shower at Miss ine''s stone bath since your room is currently being renovated." Robert then winked.


    I guess even my butler is pushing me to bathe with ine.


    ''I told you renovation is a good idea,'' said Remus.


    I beamed at Robert then extended an arm to ine, which she quickly epted. "Lady ine, can you now point me to your bath?" I uttered in a British ent.


    room.


    Robert huffed augh but my grinning facested even when she shut the door to her


    "Oh, Tyler."


    Then she pinned me to her bed, her core aligning perfectly atop my groin. She''s looking down at me. And I looked up at her, eyes echoing with words of "Let me fuck you like a cowgirl, Daddy" and it made my throat bobbed.


    It took an hour before we slid to the stone bath and climbed down from the golden bed without our lips crashing and bodies embracing together.


    ***


    "I already reheated the goat stew, Sir. Enjoy your meal!"


    I''m surprised my butler is still awake though. Though his SpongeBob pajamas indicate


    that he just woke up from his sleep when he heard our footsteps upstairs.


    "Thank you, Robert. You may now sleep. Again." I heard the maid quarter''s door


    mmed and I smiled at ine, who sat across from me.


    I picked up a spoonful of goat stew and offered it to ine, mouth opening wide. "It''s so meaty and full of broth!" She said while chewing.


    I cleared my throat, waiting for her to do the same.


    But her focus remained on her food. Even when she already finished three bowls of goat stew, I realized that... that a man should never be romantic in front of a starving woman-


    "Oh my God, this crab bruschetta is so delicious!" She took one bite and looked at me. "Here, try it," she offered.


    I secretly smiled and did not think twice about opening my mouth. "Indeed, it is," I said, brushing a thumb at the corner of her mouth.


    Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you just have to wait for a woman to finish three huge bowls before waiting for your turn to be treated in a romantic way during a meal.


    "Here, try the crab bruschetta dipped in goat stew!" I opened my mouth again, not knowing where to look: at her messy face courtesy of the thick stew or at her chest where her nipples are sticking out, thanks to her wet hair.


    ine''s POV


    I burped in front of Tyler.


    But the shifter just chuckled.


    "I was expecting a louder burp from you, considering you finished five bowls of


    goat stew."


    I blushed. Is that how wild I eat in front of him tonight?


    "Don''t worry. I''m not judging you. You''re just...so cute. Just watching you eat already makes my heart race."


    "And why is that?"


    "Because I know that the next minute I look at the pot, only a little of it is left for me." Alpha Tyler''s cackle made me pout but I quickly let it go.


    "Maybe because we have such a wild encounter that it renders my body so hungry afterwards." I smirked. His eyes narrowed.


    ; "Considering we have another round on my bed and on the bathtub," I added.


    "It''s just a free taste so that you will know how feral I am when ites to making love."


    Well, I already know sincest year. In fact, my core is still swelling.


    I crawled beside Tyler, who is sitting on the red marble floor while scanning for a T.V. show to watch.


    ; "Why did we trek in the forest again?"


    He nced at me sideways. "You mean where is my midnight blue baby?"


    ; I nodded. "Yes, your car baby."


    "Remember that Hearteater that took the appearance of your sister?"


    "What of her?"


    "She destroyed Karlo''s car while they were capturing her. So he borrowed mine to drive her with him to the ce where we interrogate and burn them."   "You burn them?"


    "Yep, they are afraid of fire and heat. And fire is a cleansing element."


    I stroked the firm muscles in his arm. I just noticed that he set up a bed on the floor. "Are


    you really going to sleep on the floor?"


    Heid his head on the pillow. Honestly, he looks like a little child begging me to sleep with him in the room because there''s a monster under his bed. "What happened to your " "It''s being renovated," he jerked his chin to the adjacent room. "Besides, I lost to our bet earlier at Flower Moon."


    "Oh? I didn''t know that your room is being renovated. Since when?"


    ;  "Just this morning."


    My brows furrowed in confusion and curiosity. Is that his form of excuse just so he can


    sleep with me in my room?


    "Are you going to sleep now?" I asked again.


    "I''m still full to be honest." He rubbed his stomach.


    A smile crept to my face. "Would you like to watch a movie?"


    He sat back and faced me. "What kind of movie?"


    I shrugged. "Like vampires and werewolves maybe?"


    Tyler choked on my words. "That''s..."


    "An insult to your kind?"


    The Alpha shook his head. I just noticed he''s wearing a Pokemon shirt bearing the


    face of Pikachu. "It''s a good idea."


    "Yes! Yes! Yes!" My grin stretched wider, making me leap in joy atop his sleeping mat. Until I slipped a foot and almost hit my head on the marble floor.


    But thanks to my fianc¨¦''s agility, he managed to catch me and shield my body


    from the marble floor with his strong chest.

 Chapter 30: Watching Twilight

    Tyler''s


    POV


    ''Is that how clumsy she is?'' Remus snarled. ''Or is that her form of excuse so that she can just


    touch you again?''


    Iughed at him. ''Just let her act as if she needs us all the time. It makes our hearts flutter


    with butterflies.''


    ''Not for me.'' I swear I can feel Remus'' eyes rolling.


    "So now, we are going to watch Twilight."


    My brows met. Our eyes met. "Why is it titled like that?"


    But my snow flower just smirked. "Just watch and you shall see," she muttered.


    The opening credits rolled in and I don''t see why she''s so excited.


    "I''m rewatching this for the thirteenth time," she said, eyes focused on the movie. "And I still feel goosebumps."


    ''Now, that''s weird for us,'' Remus blurted. The wolf inside me is even confused. Though I am curious on how the movie industry portrays us.


    Minutes have passed and it''s just about this not-so-hot girl who now lived with her father and went to a new school. "There he is!" ine squeaked in a way that an actual fan girl would really do upon meeting her idol. Her cheeks are still vividly red despite the light being off. She is hugging Taylor, which made me narrow my eyes.


    "Who is that?" I cut off.


    "That''s the vampire-that''s Edward Cullen!"


    "Edgar Collin?"


    It was her turn to narrow her eyes, "No, Tyler. Ed-ward Cull-en!"


    I just nod my head, returning my attention to the movie. Nothing much is special. I already know where this is going. Immortal falls for a mortal and a bunch of people are opposing them just to add a conflict to the story.


    This Twilight is just a ssic Romeo-and-Juliet tale about forbidden love and oveing the obstacles of love. I wonder if this E and Edgar will end up dead like them.


    "That''s Jacob," she pointed to a shirtless man with brown skin. He only has abs but I bet


    he doesn''t make a woman cum by just being shirtless.


    "He''s my crush ten years ago," ine murmured.


    "This is ten years ago?" I pointed to the movie.


    She nod her head, biting the head of Taylor gently as she swoon over that Jacob man- "Wait. He''s a werewolf?!"


    ine didn''t respond as she crawled to the floor, to where my mat and pillow is.


    "And he shifts back to human form with clothes?!" I bellowed.


    She whipped her head to me, throwing Taylor the stuff toy on myp. "He''s Jacob, Tyler. What do you expect? This is based on a book for teenagers. Do you want them to portray like how an actual werewolf shift, which they probably never knew, and walk around while their cocks are waddling in front of girls? Come on!"


    I huffed a nervousugh. "There is a bunch of wrong info in this teenage movie. Not to mention the fact their wolf form looks more of a fluffy dog that rides a sleigh in the north pole! No hint of fierceness or even a look that will make the vamps shiver!"


    ine hoisted her hands in the air. "It''s a movie, Tyler. Not a documentary." But I still grinned when her eyes rolled before turning her back to me, facing the movie again.


    She seems so happy while watching the film whereas me...I sat at the back like some sort of an emotional support teddy bear in case she shed tears at the middle or at the end of this Twilight film.


    To be honest, I don''t even know why it''s named as such. Why not Midnight or Full Moon? Why not Day or Dusk?


    But the movie brings some sort of unfathomable delight to my ine that even I, an actual werewolf and Alpha, cannot discern.


    I just let her watch and mumble while I sat on the golden couch behind her, pretending that I am watching while hiding the fact that I don''t even know what is the purpose of the story other than a love affair between a hundred-year-old something and a teenager who hasn''t even reached adulthood.


    ***


    I managed to open my eyes before the ending credits of Twilight appeared.


    I covered my mouth as I yawned and sat straight as if I never fell asleep.


    ine found her way beside me, discussing her unforgettable moments and scenes. "... and do you know that Jacob is Be''s childhood friend?! Gosh, I''m still swooning even if I''m already eighteen! And what do you think about the love triangle between Be, Edward, and Jacob? How about the tension between the two males?"


    My brows met when I turned to her. "I thought we were just watching. I didn''t know that there would be an exam after."


    She pouted, arms crossing across her chest. I managed to open my mouth even before she could say a word again. Remus groaned inside me and I justughed at my wolf. "The love triangle seems cold but the tension seems hot."


    ine tilted her head. "Are you kidding me? Two hours and ten minutes and that''s just your review? Seriously?"


    "Look, Lady ine..." I brushed a kiss on her forehead. "There are some elements of it that are partly urate. I may have shaken the hand of the creator or writer whatsoever."  "What part of it is urate?" Now I can say that ine is indeed a fan girl of werewolves and vampires.


    "That some vampires are born with special abilities. And that werewolves are warm- blooded but can thrive in the cold nheless."


    She gripped the beast inside my pants with her cold palm. "Is that it? You don''t feel any emotion towards the characters? Their struggles, the conflict¡ª¡°


    "That doesn''t seem like a conflict at all. It could be solved if the female agreed to be turned because that''s what vampires do. The author just dragged the conflict just so Twilight can be called a series."


    ine was speechless. She did not dare utter any single word.


    "If I were Edgar-"


    "Edward."


    I sighed. "If I were Edward, would you allow me to turn you into a blood-draining creature of the dark?"


    "Hell yeah!" ine beamed. "They are immortal and cool and-"


    "They are not cool," I dered. "And they are not immortal. You just have to plunge a


    silver knife in their heart and cut off their head. Poof! They''re dead."


    me to.


    She seemed to be on the verge of tears when I didn''t like the film as much as she wanted


    ; "Look, ine." I reached for her hands. She pulled them from me at first but they eventually sought my warmth.


    ; "The movie is cool, at least not for us. The author have a brilliant mind-"


    "Her name is Stephenie Meyer," she chirped.


    "Stephenie has a brilliant idea but it just doesn''t resonate with us. It doesn''t resonate with


    the real-life folks that the creatures are based on but the movie looks good, I guess."


    ; A kiss from me thennded on her lips. "At least for teenagers. I guess it would be their


    cup of tea," I added.


    But she justughed at that. "Are vampires real?"


    I held my breath for five seconds before I answered. "Yes."


    "And are they good to the wolves? What do they look like?"


    "The Hearteaters..." ine flinched at that word. "Their creator is-Their creator


    based them on vampires."


    "Oh....Is that so?" I nodded.


    "And this Stephenie Meyer, with the way she presented the movie, it seems like she met


    an actual werewolf and just subtly hinted it at her writing. I just noticed it by the end."


    ; ine Winona Rutherford nervouslyughed before me. "Which part of that?"  I saw her throat bobbing but I just ignored it.


    "The woods where they film their of the wolves...it''s actually the forest outside of Ste''s Soul. At least, it''s a bit farther from the entrance to Selena''s Wall," I breathed. She cackled; there was no sliver of amusement in her eyes. "What a dumbfounding observation."


    But she seemed ''Shook,'' Remus remarked.


    now."


    "You look bbergasted, ine."


    "It''s nothing." She wiped a tear that fell from her eye. "I think we should get some sleep


    "I bet we do," I sighed.

 Chapter 31: Ghostly Memory

    ine''s


    POV


    The moment I opened my eyes, I just realized that I was back at The Gazebo of the Flower Moon Hotel having breakfast.


    Except it''s only me and Tyler.


    I don''t know how but the air here seems fresh and cool and sweet, one that even by the brushed on the skin, you can discern that it''s not that polluted despite being in the city. Maybe it''s because of the flora and trees encircling The Gazebo, that doesn''t only make the ce beautiful and calming but also clean and uplifting.


    I don''t know what time we woke up today or how we managed to drive here without


    remembering if I even took a bath or changed my clothes. But the moment I opened my eyes, as if it''s the only time that I am finally awake, breakfast is already beckoning me and greeting my


    nose.


    "What time did we sleepst night?"


    "The Ghostly Hour," Tyler replied as he shove a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.


    "What time did we wake up?" I couldn''t get enough of this coconut pie that Tyler ordered for me. He said that I should eat this because today will be a long day ahead. "Where are we going in the first ce?"


    "In the tallest building here in Moonburn, The Lunar Empire building."


    The Lunar Empire building, the center of business of Moonburn. Some called it the Heart of Moonburn, Washington. I heard during my senior high school days that most of my ssmates who want to pursue business wanted to work there. They say that the sry there is much more favorable than going to New York and California.


    "I heard that you can earn six figures there even if you are just a waitress," Cara, the French-Filipino migrant whose parents owned a Bed and Breakfast in Maine, once convinced me to work there. She was even quite jealous when I called her the morning before me and the Rutherford family drove to Moonburn that we will be moving in this city.


    "Jason just called and said that they are on their way there now."


    "Why didn''t they join us?"


    "Karlo and Jason went out hunting in the forest while their wives stayed in the hotel just across the Lunar Empire building so that they would be guarded."


    "Did they find any Hearteater?"


    Tyler shook his head. "That bitch who is in the guise as your sister refused to talk so they waited for her to shift to her original form and chopped her piece by piece starting from her feet."


    I swallowed my shock. I knew werewolves could be brutal...but this brutal-


    "Do you know what they look like?" I asked.


    "We are eating, ine. If I tell you, your appetite might disappear."


    "It won''t," I convinced him as I reached a shaking hand for the cheese bread. Tyler just nervouslyughed. "Hearteaters are able to walk and roam the earth while gaining their abilities as Werewolves and Shapeshifters as long as they consume hearts of mortals and werewolves to survive and thrive. Their true forms are wolf-like entities that stand like a man but with ram horns and bat-like hands and arms."


    Every word Tyler sent across me made my heart pound, throbbed, beat rapidly as if there''s no tomorrow. "And one thing you can fathom their presence is that once they are around, the sun seems to hide and everything suddenly turns cold. The air is flooded with the scent of death that you can only smell when in front of a decaying corpse."


    I think I have met these eerie creatures. The exact descriptions: the way they look, the way they smell... ''Those are Hearteaters in the beachst week where me and the Rutherfords went swimming.'' I pondered, ''Where a sea of bodies and their rotting smell still haunt my senses...''


    "I''m sorry. I think I should go to the restroom for a minute." I excused myself before Tyler. He muttered some apology, asking if I am okay repeatedly and telling me that he shouldn''t have told me about those archenemies of theirs.


    I immediately closed the restroom and stared at my reflection. I puked and, the way I feel dizzy and sweating, I think this is not just because of Tyler''s revtion about Hearteaters.


    I think it''s because of the fact I just came across one of them without knowing that they devour hearts as if it''s just a piece of candy.


    That horrific encounter. Those monstrous words of that beast echoed in my head. The way that the creature ripped my sleeve while I tended to my exposed skin with my hand. The way


    its horrendous hand was pointing at my shoulder-to where my birthmark is.


    I took a look at my birthmark and I found nothing unique in it. But the way the


    Hearteater spoke-


    ''Your birthmark...''


    It was an entity directly from my nightmares, crawled straight out from the tar ck pits of hell.


    ''Your birthmark...''


    I couldn''t wipe out that monster from my memory. Its unearthly voice. The way it made


    the hair on my arms rise, the way it could''ve knocked out my very soul from my body.


    Evil. Its essence is pure, unfeigned evil.


    The way it smirked at me and mocked me with a grin. ''No, ine.''


    sister?


    That Hearteater knew my name. Was it the same Hearteater who took the form of my


    ''No, ine.''


    It knew my first name. Does it even know who I am?


    If it wasn''t for my survival instinct, if I didn''t poked its eye and blew a handful of sand before its face, I could have been in its stomach now-my heart could be digesting in its stomach a week ago.


    This is the only life I have. I am not immortal. I am not a werewolf like Tyler who can call forth a me and summon a lightning storm, who has incredible strength and sheer sense of smell and hearing.


    "I will live." I rinsed my mouth with the water from the faucet. The words sinking deeper in my bones in an unbreakable vow to my only self.


    Three knocks from the outside could have sent me a heart attack if it wasn''t for Tyler''s soothing voice.


    "Are you done, ine?" He may have a beastly dick but his voice is dark and


    delightful.


    "Just a second, Tyler!"


    "I will live." I sucked a breath, repeating that mantra for another second. "We will live, ine." Gazing at my statuesque reflection, I tied my hair in a ponytail, ready to greet the rest of the day with my fianc¨¦.


    "Let''s go?" Tyler asked as his hand rested on the doorknob.


    I brush my palm on myvender dress, its bodice adorned with pearls and whitece as I lift my head to the handsome Alpha wearing a tuxedo before me. "Let''s go."

 Chapter 32: Lunar Empire Building

    So this is the Lunar Empire building.


    Its name did reflect on its magnificent appearance. It''s so tall and towering, the silver fa?ade glints as sunlight gilded the entire building.


    I heard it glows like the moon at night, sometimes said to be the beacon by motorcycle riders and taxi drivers during a dark night when there is no moon illuminating the heavens.


    "Tyler! ine!" Jason, who is wearing maroon long sleeves, waved a hand in our direction. We used the red Ferrari since Tyler''s midnight blue Porsche was being fixed by the in-house servants of Ste''s Soul. "You, Mister President, arete now!"


    "You''re the president of the Lunar & Co., Tyler?"


    Tyler only sighed when I looped my arm to his. "You remember Nicole, right?"


    I nodded, and I heard Jason groan in front of us. "You stay with him and his husband at


    my office. We will just have a short meeting with the board members, okay?"


    I pressed a kiss against his pinkish lips. "Okay, wolfie!"


    Then the Moonstorm brothers disappeared before me. I was left scanning through a


    lifestyle magazine in this fancy lobby.


    Even the interiors have several crescent designs. The silver chandelier has a crescent moon at the end of each bulb. The curtains have moon prints. The couch is silver lined with blue strips.


    But the star of the lobby is the huge marble statue of three Goddesses. Curious, I walked towards it and read thebel that stood before the statues. "Selene, the titan Greek Goddess of the moon."


    I nced up to the sixty feet statue. The Goddess had untied long hair and was holding a sword. A circr sapphire sits atop her crown. I suppose the blue jewel has been the eye of many art thieves.


    The said statues weremissioned by a Greek-Italian sculptor who passed away justst year ording to thebel I am reading.


    I walked up to the left and the entity is very familiar to me. The Goddess'' bow and arrow points to where Tyler and Jason just vanished. "Artemis, the virgin Goddess of the Moon. Twin to Apollo." Just like Selene''s crown, a sapphire also adorned the Maiden''s head. This time, it''s shaped like a waxing moon.


    "The right one is Hecate." I turned to my side and found Nicole, wearing a pink trench coat under a purple outfit. A neon blinding orange scarf snaked around his neck. "The statues are based on the three lunar deities of Greek Mythology."


    I surveyed Hecate''s statue. She is the only one who doesn''t hold a weapon. Instead, her right hand bears a torch while what seems like a snake slither around the Goddess'' neck. A sapphire waning moon shone above her head to where her crown is.


    "Wow." I gaped as I stepped backward, standing in the center as I breathed in the


    glorious work of art. "This made me feel like I am in Greece."


    Nicole chuckled and slid his arm around mine. "I have brought you an outfit."


    I couldn''t hide my excitement as I walked beside him, his husband trailing behind us.


    ***


    As soon as the door in Tyler''s office swayed open, a tear escaped from me as Melissa gently ran


    and gave me the tightest hug a woman has ever given to me.


    Even my ''sister'' and ''mother'' never gave me a hug. Cara was the only female who


    hugged me every time we both watched a horror movie.


    "You look dashing." Melissa pinched my nose as her palms traveled across myvender pearl dress, where the gap between my breasts are widely open, giving every man a nice view of my cleavage.


    ; Even the cheeks of Nicole''s husband warmed upon seeing me back at the lobby.


    "If I look dashing, how much more you in that royal blue dress?! You look like thete Princess Diana!" A smile blossomed in the face of Melissa Delvin-Moonstorm, as well as Gialyca Farmiga''s.


    My eyes darted at the table in the center, cups of piping hot tea and coffee as well as a tower of mini-cakes and sweet bites, beckon me to sit on the nearest couch to where the food is situated.


    ; "So..." Nicole patted my shoulder. "Shall we begin our own ''discussion'' here?"  A giggle escaped from me, redness stained my cheeks and the heat from the sun


    outside immediately dissipated.


    "I am beyond fucking ready," my voice thundered in the room.


    A girls'' talk will never be tiring I can do it for eternity.


    "Hi, my little purple snow flower!" Even before I could turn, Tyler''s lips were immediately


    at my ears. "How are you and the girls?"


    "And the gays?" I added, a beam shone on my face. "Oh, I have the time of my life.


    I never experienced this when I was "


    "Caged in the chains of the Rutherfords?" My brows furrowed at his statement. "You


    should drop the Rutherfordst name. You are no longer part of them anyway."


    My stomach churned. "ine Winona seems too in and-"


    "A flower is more beautiful without a ribbon tied around it." I sucked a breath and stared


    at Tyler. "After all, you have always been the graceful eldest daughter since birth. Your name already suggests it."


    ; Tyler never fails tofort me and relieve me of my past.


    "What did you discuss with the board?" Curiosity filled my soul.


    "About the recent death of my two adult actorsst week." Wait, what?


    "You own a porn studio?" I shook my head in disbelief. "Is a porn studio necessary?" My feet did not hesitate to follow after him.


    Tyler''s brows rose. "Don''t worry, both businesses are licensed," he whispered, willing my face not to look inside the car''s window while he reached for his keys. "Both?" My brows arched with the rising of my voice.


    "You think it''s for my own benefit?" heughed, one that made the hair on my arms rise. "It''s still a form of entertainment. I''m the founder of Sweet Heaven, a famous porn studio and porn site."


    "Yes, I pretty much heard about it." Cara once told me that it''s like Porn Hub but ''lighter''. I don''t freaking know if there is a thing called ''lighter'' in adult videos. As much as I know, pornography has only one goal: release. I''m talking about the ''release'' that happens down there, in which people have so many names and ngs.


    "And I run Sugar Hell," I crooned, scowling; unable to believe that he actually ran that kind of business.


    Tyler looked at me with a look that made me step back. "That''s a good name, ine!"  "Name for what?" I crossed my arms across my chest.


    "For a studiopany that houses erotic romance films and television shows." I gaped at him. "I''m pretty sure several erotic authors would like to work with us like the one who wrote Fifty Tastes of Earl Gray."


    I leaned my body on the bright red car. "It''s Fifty Shades of Gray!"  Tyler only snorted.


    "And do you really have to manage sexy businesses?" I mumbled, emphasizing the plural word businesses.


    This was the first time I saw him since the day he brought me to his mansion that Lord Tyler Jane of House Moonstorm bit his lip, hand pressing against the roof of the car. "Sexy or not, business is business. And speaking about business, would you like to see how our adult actors film?"


    I blushed in a great amount. Even though my head would shake from side to side, curiosity took over my tongue. "I think there''s always a thing that we must know even though we have the fear of knowing it."


    lunch."


    "Good," Tyler brushed his thumb on my lips before starting the car. "But first, let''s have


    I only sighed deeply when the car began to move.

 Chapter 33: A Lunch with the Alpha

    Tyler beckoned me to have lunch with him alone because, ording to his words, he gravely missed me for over five hours.


    For a damn five freaking hours!


    ''He''s just overreacting,'' I thought.


    It''s already a bitte for lunch. Two in the afternoon seems a good hour tobine lunch and snack at one mealtime.


    As soon as my ass rested on the chair, Tyler asked for the menu as I surveyed the ce. We chose the table on the second floor since we have a nice view at Times Square.


    "Is this your first time in Red Lobster?" He asked as he flipped through the pages.


    "Yes," I tried to stop the tears that threatened to wet my makeup. "The Rutherfords only


    go here alone and I was always left house-sitting our own house."


    "May I now take your order, sir?" A masculine voice interrupted our conversation.


    "No, not yet" I hoisted my face on the waiter, only to run out of words.


    It was him the manager at the restaurant I once worked at in Maine, the one I found out


    on the day of our breakup that he is frankly and very much married.


    "We will just call you." Thank the Goddesses that their Tyler has saved me once again. Well, Tyler always had my back when he saw me having a hard time getting out of a situation or if he noticed that my expressions shifted in a snap of a finger just like now. "Your face is so pale that it looks as if you just said hello to your ex."


    "I just did," I sighed, reaching for my handkerchief when a tear finally ruined my eyeliner. "Are you breaking up with me?" I almost choke at the cheesy bread biscuits I am eating. "Gosh, no. I was talking about the waiter."


    "Ohh...."


    My eyes narrowed in amusement along with the words of, "You know you can be slow sometimes."


    "In bed or when talking?"


    Thank God I finally swallowed the bread. "I meant when thinking. Just when I told you I just talked to my ex."


    "I didn''t know you had such poor taste that you even banged a waiter."


    ; I looked away from Tyler''s cerulean eyes. "He was a manager back when I was working at the restaurant in Maine."


    He nodded, leaning his body from the chair and closer to me."ording to one of my ''seasonal servants'' who happens to be the branch manager here, he recently got a divorce from his wife since the wife is the richer one and it happens the wife got tired of his constant cheating."


    bastard.


    Constant cheating. So that means I wasn''t the only one I wasn''t the only victim of that


    "You really have spies, huh?"


    Alpha Jane just grinned.


    Another waiter approached us about five minutester bearing two bowls of their soup of the day. Thank God or whatever Supreme Deity that hears my thoughts now that I didn''t have to gaze at that bastard''s same face twice.


    Tyler told me he actually already booked what we are going to eat here so there''s no use ordering and waiting for the food. And that,dies and gentlemen, why having a fucking VVIP fiance is jackpot.


    "Every wealthy person knew us werewolves. We are basically the walking devils here on earth, where people make a deal with us mostly business and everything that is rted to wealth and we grant them, in exchange of a particr thing that we always end up agreeing and signing in."


    A huge grilled and cheesy lobster greeted me. It''s the chunkiest, biggest, and meatiest lobster monster I ever saw-bigger than the ones in The Gazebo at the Flower Moon Hotel. "Herees Mister Lobster!" I opened my mouth widely as Tyler picked with his bare fingers the lobster''s tail and didn''t think twice to put it in my mouth.


    ; "Gosh, it''s so juicy!" I eximed as I chewed the meat.


    "You should try their lobster roll too, babe." I wondered for a second why the hell his voice became louder.


    When I looked to my right, I immediately knew why.


    A group of four female friends whipped their heads towards us, staring and surveying Tyler then me. As if they are weighing the reasons why Tyler is dating me and, if they have the same qualities as mine, then they can ensnare Tyler too.


    ''Hell yeah, girls. Tyler chose me because I have a big fat pussy and I have a womb that can bear triplets.'' I didn''t so much as blink as I stared back at them. ''Meet my muscr and big fluffy man who always cracks the oysters for me and gives me the biggest crab and lobster meat before he eats!''


    "Just forget about your ex-boyfriend," Tyler stated as he squeezed a slice of lemon for my lobster roll that I never tasted before. "Past is past that one should never discuss. Present is a gift which you should relish now."


    He held up the lobster roll close to my chin and I took the biggest bite from it. ''Judge me all you can, people. But I will not stop showing and unting to you how sexy and manly and altruistic my fianc¨¦ is!'' I shriek at my own mind as I give Tyler Jane Moonstorm a sweet, dick-jerking smile while I chew my first ever lobster roll in a very cute way.

 Chapter 34: Steamy Car

    Tyler and I burned the calories in our bodies from those immense tes of food inside the car.


    "I never tried this before," I blushed as I reached for my bra and underwear.


    "What?! You never had sex after a restaurant date before?"


    I shook my head as he locked my bra from the back. "No, not once. Not until now." He chuckled softly against my skin, his breath a warm sensation that made my nipples hardened.


    "I think we should go now, Tyler." But the Alpha continued to shower me with soft, wet kisses, trailing my body as if it was his flower only meant for his pinkish lips.


    "I still want to be inside you, babe." His whisper is sweet and spicy, hot but romantic.


    "Let me show you how I give a mind-BLOWing reaction to the JOB you are doing, Tyler." He immediately deciphered my secret code and, in a bite of my lip, I was facing the hugeness of his flesh once again, kneeling on the floor of the car as Imenced.


    ***


    The room is dark. And cold.


    Not to mention that I couldn''t even see the faces of the people here. The screen is the only thing why I can still see amidst this dim room.


    We are inside the meeting room of the Sweet Heaven office, which upies the first three floors of this building. It''s still in Moonburn but not in the Lunar Empire.


    I don''t know the name apart from Tyler''s "We are here" as I climb down from the fiery red Ferrari, wearing this virgin-lookingvender dress that makes me look like a whore due to the cut between my breasts. Not to mention my tits are a total head-turner as I walk the hallway earlier.


    "Good day, everyone! The unedited footage that will be shown may show a bloody scene that is directly filmed on the day of the death of our two actors." A man in a silk suit, which I first thought was an adult actor, greeted us and gave a brief speech. I cannot clearly distinguish the face but I can see the silk apparel he''s wearing.


    "His name is Luis," Tyler whispered beside me. "He is one of our executive producers."


    "I see." I murmured back, hands locked with my Alpha.


    Tyler''s other hand slid inside my dress, touching and lingering down there.


    "There''s a bunch of people here," my cheeks heated as I leaned into his ears.


    The footage started to y. As usual like any other adult film, it starts with a role y.


    But he kept on stroking me, eventually going inside my core. I didn''t so much as flinch or


    moan, but I bit my lip with every grinding of his hand.


    "Tyler..." I sang his name between my lips. I shot my eyes back to the projector. The actors are starting to undress but lips are still locked with each other.


    "ine..." His rasp breath kissed my skin, sending waves of excitement deep down inside


    me. As a woman, my body tensed but I remained seated. So as Alpha Tyler Jane.


    But his huge hand never faltered in waving threads of pleasure. Between us, he''s the one who wants a thrill. He''s the one who never feared to do me in public and in the eyes of many people.


    But Tyler Jane Moonstorm is a feral lion and I am but an obedientmb to him. After all, I am a sacrifice to a Wolf God-a maiden and a muse, an eighteen-year-old adopted girl who never knew her parents and loved only herself. Until he came.


    Until Tyler came.


    I reached the climax, shattering every patience and self-discipline I''ve built. But his hand didn''t leave my cave yet. His essence never even left my soul.


    Yet, I''m d the board members never noticed. Or did they?


    The actors on the screen began banging now on the seashore. The sea looks quite


    familiar but my focus was still pinned on Tyler.


    "ine..." he whispered again in that sensual tone that made me grip tighter on the edges of this cushioned chair.


    I closed my eyes and felt this moment. Our moment. Ecstasy rippled from me like a majestic storm that wrecked an entire vige-especially when Tyler slid three more.


    I can barely hold my breath. I can barely hide my aroused face in the darkness. I can barely hold


    the moans that had long wanted to escape from my throat.


    Opening my eyes, the actors on the projector are doing it in a canine mating position. I


    clenched my palm to a fist as I bit the back of the chair.


    And the moment my eyes darted to the faces of the actors...I froze.


    I knew those faces. I''ve seen those expressions before. And the beach where it was filmed


    "Tyler."


    But he kept drilling inside me.


    "Tyler." My tone bes more fierce and willing.


    I think I''ve seen those two before.


    Tyler halted, pulling his right hand from my dress.


    And when we both jerked our heads, my face came across the screen.


    ''Oh shit, howe I am in that footage?!''


    "Why are you there?" It was the second time Tyler asked me.


    But my mind hasn''t yet moved on from the fact that those two actors, the two people who were having cake by the ocean on the very day I came across a Hearteater, were dead on the spot. Their hearts missing.


    ; "The authorities announced that there was an escaped wild animal on that day. A


    ferocious direwolf to be exact," Luis discussed.


    Those beasts med it on the wolves again. Their move is totally predictable. "Why are you ther_"


    "I think those are Hearteaters, Tyler." His mouth was immediately shut. ; "Come again?"


    ; "I said those are fucking, Hearteaters. The monster that took the form of my sister!" I tried to keep my voice as low as I could.


    But judging by the aggressiveness on my face, mixed with fear, people started to linger their gaze on me.


    The darkness vanished and the curtains opened; the light from the day outside made my eyes blinked a couple of times.


    To be honest, I feel embarassed being in a pornographic video. Well, not as a performer but as a witness who saw what had been done to them as soon as I walked back to my family''s table that day.


    The scent of death returned in my memories, flooding and haunting my nose as if I was still stuck at the pile of corpses and the face of that monstrous Hearteater never intended to let


    me go.


    Chills run down from my spine. A minuteter, I was already rushing for the restroom and emptied my mouth to a vomit.


    Eerie, unfaltering horror filled my mind, my heart, my soul.


    A masculine hand rubbed my back-the minty and cool smell of rain and forest and mist soothed my head.


    "I''m right here, ine." Tyler hugged me from the back, making me breathe in his presence. "I will always be right here."

 Chapter 35: A Week with Tyler

    It all happened a week before, or was it more than a week?


    I can no longer count the days of horror that filled my lonely soul since then, since that horrifying day that I found out Joey has died. Ever since that day that I drove the car home, my mindless family inside that car while we are chased by huge wolves that I once thought were werewolves.


    Wait...were those huge, horse-sized ck and white and brown wolves Tyler, Jason, and Karlo? ''Are you drunk, ine?!'' My own mind scolded my awake self.


    But every image and detail on that beach never left me since that day: the foul smell, the horrid sight. Every single fucking thing.


    "I''m worried about you, you know..." Tyler brought strands of hair to the back of my ear. My head cocked to his cerulean eyes so blue that every time my gaze lingered on the eyes of my betrothed, I drowned like a sturgeon cascading at the bottom floor of the ocean.


    In fact, I am drowning now. But I am not dying. In fact, his ocean eyes were the jewel in the rough that saved me from my humdrum life-from the life of the people who I thought were my family. The people who have also been victims of Hearteaters.


    I no longer know what emotions I am going to boil for them: anger or pity? Sorrow or happiness? Should Iugh like a devil in their graves or should I cry like a martyr saint as Iy down a bunch of flowers on their tombstones?


    I know karma is a bitch. But this kind of bitchiness..."This is too much."


    "Are you talking about your parents?" I nod my head stiffly. But my sobbing didn''t fail to make its presence known before him.


    Tyler was a man I dreamed of. Yet, he is also a man I never dreamed that I could one day marry. He is thoughtful but childish, has a strong sex appeal and may be wild at times but gentle in many ways.


    I never knew what my life would be after that beach incident without him. I know Elsa


    from Disney''s Frozen said that one cannot marry a man that she just met.


    But Elsa dear...I met Jordan/Tyler a year ago. Even spent a night with him in bed without knowing that he''s a freaking rich dog who owns a room that glints in gold in every corner as if gold is just an element he can get whenever he wants.


    "I''m sorry that your first time watching how our actors work turns out to be a total disaster," the Alpha apologized. I turned to face him, his plumpy lips beckoning me for another round of minutes-long kiss.


    "It''s okay. We cane here again, even after our wedding."


    The wolf in a man''s clothing hugged me tightly.


    "Oh Tyler!" And I hugged back.


    "Everyone, this is my fianc¨¦e, Miss ine Winona."


    The people stood from their seats to wee me back in the meeting room, eyes still lingering on my face.


    Tyler really dropped the Rutherford surname because, ording to him, I was never one. Especially with the way my former andte family treated me since I breathed.


    As soon as I got to my seat, where I bit the back of the chair earlier as Tyler''s hand gave me euphoria in a rough way, the board members copsed to their chairs once I was seated. Their narrowing eyes were no more, along with their who-is-that kind of look.


    Throughout the discussion Tyler gave as a Chief Executive Officer, at least in the eyes of oblivious humans, he is indeed a great human being. Responsible and courteous towards his business partners and subjects as well as kind andpassionate to his actors and employees. Tyler is a man that has an overflowing charisma, one that will immediately send you to your knees once he ordered to. He has an unexinable presence that, even the first time I saw him back at Ste''s Soul with naked shining, shimmering body, intimidates you. Intimidates me. Tyler, Jason, Karlo, and among other wolves may seem as unyielding and merciless behind Selena''s Wall. But when they face their mortal subjects...they are different. As if it wasn''t only their skin that has duality, so as their personalities.


    I always thought that werewolves are just men and women who can shift into ck, brown, and white wolves at will. I never imagined them to manage a billion-dor business or even contribute greatly to a city''s economy.


    I didn''t even imagine that they are the sole reason why most of Moonburn still has their hearts within their chests. They are the only ones that stand before the Hearteaters, hindering them into consuming the hearts of the people of Moonburn like how one easily plucks an apple from a huge tree.


    And above all, I never knew a werewolf resides in a secret elite vige that only a number of people knew, as if it''s a secret Garden of Eden only meant for their kind to prosper and their future generations to live in a greener pasture.


    So now...as my wedding draws nearer, I am proud. I don''t care if I''m a freaking orphan or a woman who has no surname. I am proud that one day, I will bear a child that shall be the heir of Alpha Jane Moonstorm.


    I am ted that, even amid the pain that showered in my entire existence, I finally have


    this paradise that one can only dream of.

 Chapter 36: Marked by the Monsters

    My day ended with a tired smile on my face.


    My exhausted body is pretty obvious to the Alpha''s sight..


    Jason and Karlo''s repetitive questions about the beach incident more than a week ago made my head much heavier.


    "Are you okay now?" Karlos rubbed my back.


    "Did they touch you during their original form?" Jason was much firm in squeezing me for answers. I just shook my head and he sighed with ease.


    "This is the sign, Tyler-"


    "What sign?" I immediately put Karlo''s words to a halt. I know the setting sun is beckoning me now to walk my ass home and quit interfering with the wolves'' patrolling during the night for those heart-wrenching creatures of the dark.


    But curiosity, as always, kills a cat-or more like, dys the dogs for their appointment.


    It was Jason who faced me. "That the event we fear the most has finallye to reality." "And that is?"


    "The century feud of battle hasmenced again."


    "Again?" My brows met. Tyler pressed the palm on his forehead. I don''t know if it''s because of my undying thirst to know the unknown or is it because I''m going to spend dinner


    without him again.


    "Just go home, ine." Tyler''s way of calling me by my first name instead of the nicknames he crafted for me tells my gut that I should obey him this instant.


    "Okay," I replied with a forced grin. The mind-reading Jason touched my hand and patted my head as if to say, "Just follow our orders. This is for your own good."


    Jason is this older brother that does not only care for his younger brother, but also to his sibling''s future wife. I hope I was ''abducted'' from the Rutherfords a little bit earlier, say when I was sixteen.


    These folks-shifters are my family. I may be only an Alpha''s bride, an Alpha''s Luna as what the High Priestess said, but their worries are my worries. I share the same exact sorrow for not seeing their beloved tonight with them.


    "Melissa and Gia already went home earlier at three. I called Jose, Tyler''s right-hand and most trusted Beta toe and fetch you instead," Jason cupped my cheeks and the warmth from his palms made the coldness from my skin disappear.


    Tyler, whose unwavering worried face already sent him to a fighting mode for tonight, refused to look at me. For he knew, we both knew, that each time he looked at me ever since an hour ago when he found out about me and the Hearteaters, a tear on his eye would unknowingly escape from his hold.


    I never saw a man like Tyler in my life. He looks so worried yet calm, so strong and muscr yet still can cry like a young boy who didn''t get his cone of chocte ice cream.


    "Take care." Those words are meant for my Alpha. But it was Jason who gave me a tight nod instead, along with Karlo''s patting on my jacket.


    In fact, this jacket is actually Tyler''s zer. But because of my petite size, this looks more like a jacket, a coat even, since its length reached my knees.


    As if the Trinity Goddess heard my prayer, Tyler came running towards me and gave me the tightest of hugs. "Be careful."


    I hugged back, both of my hands pressing against his bare back. "I always will."


    Tyler grabbed my waist to kiss and the cloth that kept me warm fell from my shoulders.


    As soon as his lips parted from mine, Jason''s eyes went wide. I followed his gaze and it lingered on my shoulder.


    mind.


    ''Your birthmark...'' That unearthly voice from that wretched creature yed again in my


    My birthmark always looks like a faint scar. Even Tyler would never notice it when I pound on top of him.


    But now...it''s as if someone or something cut it. It looks like a fresh wound. Yet, I cannot feel any pain. Not even a tingle or a sore sensation.


    "What the fuck is that ine?!" Tyler demanded. His romantic, soft face shifted from a stone-cold one. His face is immensely pale despite his brown skin.


    ; Before I was able to answer, an approaching footstep made us all turn back towards the busy street of Moonburn.


    "Here I am, Alpha Tyler!" Jose waved his hand at us yfully, oblivious to the serious atmosphere between the three Alpha of Ste''s Soul and me.


    ***


    "What took you so long? I called you an hour ago!" Tyler''s angry voice made me distance a few paces from him.


    "Look, Alpha. I''m sorry, okay?"


    ; Tyler''s face changes. "Alpha? You are calling me, Alpha?"


    I saw Jose''s confused expression and just blinked.


    "Never mind," Tyler waved a hand towards me. "Take ine safely in Ste''s Soul. And I mind you..." Tyler towers over Jose, or maybe it''s just because of my utter admiration to my fianc¨¦ that made me assume and swoon that any man always looks like a dwarf when standing next to him.


    Jason threw another nce at my birthmark reddening. "The Hearteaters have marked you since birth." I willed myself to not gape or even shrink my presence. "It is a mark that signals if a Hearteater is nearby," Jason analyzed.


    "But it is also a tracker," Karlos finally let his voice reverberated in the light of dusk.


    "Hearteaters already know where we are whenever we''re around her."


    "They always know where we are," Tyler blurted. "At Ste''s Soul."


    "Karlos meant where we are at Moonburn every time we are not in Ste''s Soul." The two


    brothers'' staring at each other is already a debate itself in silence.


    Or maybe they aremunicating through their wolves...


    "That''s why during that boutique incident where a Hearteater takes the form of her sister," the Shadow Pack''s Alpha added. "Those creatures seem to know her personally." "Well, I¡ª"


    "It''s gettingte now," Jose intervened, stepping at my side. "I should take her now to Ste''s Soul before the moon fully lightens up the sky."


    I managed to give Tyler onest nce before Jose escorted me away.


    "Be careful." I swear Tyler''s masculine voice still reached my ears as if the wind itself whispered to my soul.

 Chapter 37: A Glamour of Blood

    Tyler''s


    POV


    Jose seems weird.


    He addresses me by Alpha instead of Ty or Jane. And he''s wearing jeans and a shirt when I told him to wear a suit.


    "Let''s go hunting," Jason patted me once on the shoulder. My eyes remained on the busy street, where the crescent moon brightens the dark heavens.


    I trailed after Jason and Karlos after a minute, thetter in his wolf form; his fur is a cloak of shadows. We were crossing a deserted alley drenched in darkness when a car honked, stopping us in the middle of the street.


    "I stopped by a car repair shop since I don''t know how to fix your midnight blue Porsche baby, Ty."


    I froze, coldness wrapped my body. Remus howled fiercely inside me. Before I could blink, Karlos was already sprinting on the opposite side. I remained pinned to the ground.


    ''ine...'' My soul ached.


    ''ine...'' A tear fell from my face, the nightly breeze wiping it away.


    "What the fuck is happening?"


    It happened so fast, so fast that I could not believe or process or even breathe. My lungs stopped functioning in a heartbeat, my heart on the verge of blocking the air on my throat.


    I was stunned. And I''m lucky Jason is with me now.


    "A Hearteater mimicked your appearance." It was Jason who answered for me. "Shit!" Jose murmured. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"


    My brother and my Beta went after Karlos. But I was still stunned, unable to move.


    "AHHH!" My shriek trembled the nearby building, the light on themp posts shattering. Jason just allowed me-left me to where I am-as they haste towards my betrothed, my


    fianc¨¦e. My snow flower.


    "Fuck you, Hearteaters!"


    Then Remus took over my body, a sh of light in an instant.


    Next thing I knew, I was on my moon-white fur body, running and hurrying.


    ''Faster.'' I begged my wolf.


    ''I am.''


    I let that fear inside me curl in the corners, hoping and praying to the Trinity Goddess


    that we will still be able to reach her in time-reach her alive in time.


    ***


    ; ''I will save you,'' I breathe, Remus huffing. ''I shalle for you, ine.''


    ine''s POV


    We are now trekking in the forest.


    "Why didn''t we use the car? There''s a pathway over there that your Alpha and I used when we go shopping for bridal dresses..." But Jose didn''t answer back. I only heard him inhale a sharp breath. Jose parked the car outside the borders of the emerald forest and we have been traversing for five minutes already.


    Something felt wrong. The night was young but the moon seemed to be covered by the clouds, dimming the pathway.


    "It''s dark, Jose. Maybe a little fire will help." But Jose kept walking behind me. We passed the stone table where the memory of me wearing that white dress made me giggle inside.  "Did you take a bath already?" I asked as I continued to tread forward. "You smell


    awful."


    I didn''t mean to offend him but it''s the truth. Well, real-life pet dogs do smell bad, how much more wolves? And man-shifting wolves to be exact...


    "You should try avender soap or the lemon verbena oil. It''s good for your skin." I gaze


    at my fingernails before turning around, only to find that Jose disappeared.


    There was no Jose when I turned my body behind. Only the forest and the night. "Jose?" And it was here again, that unearthly, bizarre smell. It was breaking every consciousness left in me. Though I was standing here alone, frozen and cold, that smell and presence is shoving me deep down the earth-burying me alive as I try to turn to my heel for a


    run.


    But I fought back, with all my remaining strength and courage. I tried to hold my breath so I may not breathe in that scent of death.


    But I couldn''t. And I copsed to the ground, the darkness of sky greeting me. The light of the moon, the cosmic body that gives my Tyler his strength, gives me strength, hid from my sight. Hidden from my eyes by these foul creatures whose corrupt soul sent me on the threshold of death every time they appear.


    "Jose..." My sight became blurry. And I whispered the name of Alpha Tyler''s Beta even though, deep down, I know it wasn''t him.


    Everything turned cold. Even the ground is frigid. I crave for the warmth of Tyler''s skin, his breath. His touch. But the scent of death is flooding the air, lingering in my nose, pinning me to the earth.


    Without anyone to save me or even see how I die.


    "ine..." It was the same voice from the beach. The same creature that I met on the


    sandy shore.


    "ine..." Deep and hellish. Cold beads of sweat fall from me, along with the saltiness of my tears watering the grassy ground. I cannot move my feet or even curl my fingers.


    I was in a body that felt like I did not even own.


    I closed my eyes-it was the only movement I can do. I rather shut the windows of my soul than to see the face of death.


    Then masculine bellowing voices filled the horrific air, reced with shouting and yelling that I do not know if it belongs to a bunch of Hearteaters or to a pack of werewolves.


    A scorching wildness of fire warmed my skin, saving me from the sea of fatal coldness, pulling me away from death''s doorstep. I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids are heavy. My blurry sight and hearing made me wonder if I''m still alive or if I already left my corporeal form.


    "ine!" Someone shook my shoulders. The shrill of a monster not far away from me made my blood run in my veins again.


    "ine!" The person didn''t falter in shaking my body, cupping my face; his palm a warm


    dream in my skin.


    "ine!"


    I moved a finger.


    "ine!"


    I opened my eyes.


    "ELAINE!!!"


    It was Tyler''s unwavering, unyielding masculine voice that woke me up from the


    phantoms of death.


    "Tyler?" I saw behind him how Jose cut the bat-like arms of the Hearteater with an ice sword, how Karlos'' dark me burned the body where not even ashes in the wind could be seen.


    I see how Jason controls the mind of the heart-eating beast while huge drops of sweat threaten


    to cloud his gaze.


    I see the crying face of Tyler Jane Moonstorm, my husband-to-be, my wolfie, my fluffy


    dog as he hugged me tightly as if he never hugged me before.


    "Thank Selena you''re alive!" he cried.


    And I puked at his shirt, on his very chest.

 Chapter 38: Moonlight Musings

    Tyler''s POV


    I wiped her mouth as she opened her eyes.


    We did not proceed at my mansion yet. We are here, in the Luna''s Lake, theke beside the training field and sparring arena.


    The moon above, now fully illuminating the starry nket, reflected in the surface of theke, where I washed every filth away from her body and healed ine''s every wound with the water''s help.


    Only scars on her skin stayed when she yawned and stretched her arms. Beautiful scars that make us now equal. I have scars on my own, from training and fighting and hunting Hearteaters. Even from lovemaking from the various women I bedded but never loved.


    I took off my shirt, showing my biceps andying my godly body before her. A feast for her to savor, Remus whispered.


    moon.


    "Am I alive?"


    I gave her a nervousugh. "You can only see my dick when you''re alive."


    She grinned. "Then I fucking am alive."


    This was the night before the first day of the full moon, the Worm Moon. March''s full


    Her smile faded into something, something that made my flesh jerked in reverie. I extended a hand out to cup her breath-taking face in my palms.


    ine''s skin glowed, gilded in silver moonlight as she sank deeper in theke. Only her head popping out on the surface. Bright as her smile. Bright like how she lit up my werewolf life. "My snow flower," I whispered, summoning a water to form in the shape of a heart. I opened my palm and it freezes into solid ice.


    "Wow," she breathed. Warm and beautiful. She epted the heart of ice, the heart I crafted for her. Those ine eyes, the color of the forest outside Selena''s Wall, met mine. I ran a finger down her neck until I reached the tip of her bosom. "My mate."


    Mate. I called her that.


    Mate. That is what she is.


    "Mate? We are not married yet under the Goddess'' light."


    "We already are. Our souls are one, bound and unbroken even if Hearteaters wed their way to separate us."


    A smile blossoms in her radiating face. Iughed as she sshed a handful of water on me. I don''t know if it was just me but the night glowed a little brighter tonight.


    I took a deep breath before swimming down, only to appear behind her. ine leaned in, kissing me softly. Then wildly.


    Kisses turned to moans. Moans turned to touch. Touch turned to a savage dance in the middle of Luna''s Lake.


    "Oh Tyler..." She sang my name repeatedly as I moved inside her. Flesh to flesh, I grind and move and thrust. Breath to breath, our lips met and drowned.


    She wrapped her legs around my waist. I draped my arms around her neck. I was rock-


    hard against her, pushing to where she floated in the water.


    I saw a huge rock and pinned her to its rough surface.


    "I want to ride you, babe." She pushed me in the water, the shore underneath my naked body. ine positioned herself, aligning her core to my erected tower. She is delicate and poised right above me. Remus snickered inside me and I just cried in ecstasy.


    She''s inside me, palms on my chest. I am inside her, resting on theke''s shore and


    letting her take charge of this sensual, primeval dance.


    ine rocked for a few minutes before jerking her body away, the water bathing her. Light shed and I was in my wolf form, and my nose was immediately on her cave. She moaned as I tasted her in this majestic moon-white body. She opened her legs wider, letting me brush my wolf tongue against the wetness of her womanhood.


    Everything I am as a man-shifting wolf and wolf-shifting man had beenid before her goddess body. I howled before diving again in her, licking and tasting. Savoring and relishing. My rock-hard sword is still the same size when I am in this form. I barked and she


    whimpered. I slid deeper, my paws on either side of her face.


    I licked her tits and her lips. She giggled as I went to her neck, her arms, then back to her bosom. ine lifted her two hands and held my wolf body of shimmering white like how a pet owner held her husky.


    "Good dog," ine patted my head. I howled again, unleashing the song of wolves amidst the night.


    Some wolves answered back. Some barked.


    ; She released first, clenching the sand on theke''s shore as I pulled out and shifted on my human form.


    My lips crashed even before she could breathe.


    ***


    ine''s POV


    I wanted all of him, wolf form or hunky form.


    I gripped his shoulders, guiding him onto the waters as I sat on top of him, still inside. My fingers ran down his muscled abdomen farther and farther. Until I reached the center of attraction of him being a man.


    He was enormous in my hand, as always. So hard yet so warm despite the coolness that the Luna''s Lake, as Tyler called it, tried to drown me in. He hissed as I pinched him but his cock immediately jerked as I brushed my thumb over the tip.


    I grinned before I dived down. Down theke and down his manhood. I only shoved him inside my mouth for a second then went back to the surface, panting and gasping for breath.


    The dog squeezed my hand. "My turn."


    "Woof! Woof!" But his palm only pressed against my bosom as he pushed a finger inside.


    Then two more.


    Until his fist is inside.


    ; I cried and sobbed and bellowed and even called forth all deities and saints I could


    mutter.


    my hair.


    "Finally, I fisted you."


    I couldn''t counter back as I am still hurting, tears racing against the waters dripping from


    Then, he used his water-controlling abilities to levitate us in the air, forming a bed of water beneath me like how my golden bed looked like.


    "Bed of water, eh-"I found myself moaning, reaching for something to sp but it was only the water and me and Tyler and the moonbeam.


    Alpha Tyler barked my name as he thrusts like a dog, my back facing him. My virginity has long been gone. But I felt it vanishing even more as he mmed deep inside my flesh, my soul, my entire being.


    ; When we were done, he remained atop me. My fingertips dug into his chest and lingered there.


    "We''re not fucking done, ine," Tyler howled as if he can read my mind. Tugging my wet head and hoisting it in the air a little, I face him. Our bodies in a ssical


    style of lovemaking.


    Then the wolf pounced on top of the wet doe, making her cry even more.

 Chapter 39: Bonding with the Alpha

    Tyler''s


    POV


    "Fifty Shades of Gray? That''s what we are going to watch?!"


    My little snow flower nodded like a beagle being asked by her master.


    "I thought we were going to watch a funny movie."


    "This is a funny movie," ine reasoned. "At least some part of it. The original trilogy is basically a fanfiction of Twilight, the movie west watched."


    "Twilight? The one where they portray vampires with diamond skin and werewolves that shift with clothes on?"


    "Yup. That''s the one!" ine even chucked, which made my brows furrowed in confusion. Mortals have a weird taste of literature to be honest. As ine grabbed her popcorn and I was left sitting on the golden couch shirtless andpelled to watch whatever this film is about, I slid my hand to my dick to keep my palm warm.


    "The title sounds poetic though?" She just shrugged.


    "So tell me..." I continued. "What are the fifty shades of gray?"


    ine coughed and quickly reached for a cold ss of water as she put down her butter- vored popcorn. "This movie is not about color, Lord Tyler. It''s about BDSM."


    "Breakfast and dinner since morning?" I cocked an eyebrow.


    "Jeez, Tyler. No," she chortled. "It''s about kinky stuff and wild things couples do in bed


    that includes leashes and handcuffs."


    ''Whatever she says...'' Remus snorted.


    "Whatever. Just bring it on."


    And so the movie begins.


    ***


    The movie has finally ended.


    And I asked ine many times what are the names of the actors in case I have spare projects to give them in Sweet Heaven. But I think those two, I forgot the names (something like Ana and Christian if I''m not mistaken) would do well in Sugar Hell, the new brand and daughterpany of Sweet Heaven that is yet to beunched and discussed with my board of directors. I told ine about this. And all she replied is, "I never knew werewolves are so business-


    minded."


    "Wait ''til you met the vampires."


    "Wait, vampires are real?¡± Her voice thundered in the room.


    I only smiled like a sheep as I turned my head towards her. "Legends will never be


    legends if there were no real-life stories based upon it."


    ine only inhaled through her nose.


    Remus and I, throughout the rest of the night since my room is still ''under renovation'' and we ended up asleep with her in thisvish golden bed, have finally won a debate against ine Winona, my ever-beautiful fianc¨¦e.


    ine''s POV


    The rain remained pouring since we woke up at six.


    "It''s raining cats and dogs, babe." The naked Tyler whispered to my ears, his lips


    eventually giving warm kisses on my neck and unclothed back.


    "Then it''s a sign that we should cuddle more." I only beamed at him in return.


    I''m quite grumpyst night because I lost our little argument about Fifty Shades of Gray. Tyler eventually won. It seems like no matter what movie I watch with him, it will always end up as a one-star rating to Tyler.


    Worst of all, there are no stars at all.


    "Do you know what I''m thinking?" I sat on the bed, hoisting my body from the golden pillow as I covered my bosom with the thick nket. "No, what are you thinking?" Tyler beamed at me as he reached for his clothes. "Let''s cook breakfast!"


    ***


    Though it''s not so exciting because I have always cooked breakfast ever since I was in my old ''family'', seeing a man cook makes my heart flutter like the fragile wings of a butterfly, filling my soul with glitters and stardust from above.


    "A man cooking is definitely sexy," I said as I leaned my body on the nook which looks like I''mying my breasts atop the table and seducing Tyler to make me his breakfast instead. I was imagining sweats spread across his muscr chest and biceps as he did me in a butterfly position here, atop the marble breakfast table.


    ''Gosh, why so dirty, ine?!'' I kept the scorching desire inside me at bay as Tyler emerged from the walk-in fridge bearing eggs, chives, bacon, and other food I cannot distinguish in his arms.


    "I would very much be happy to lend you my hand," I breathed with a sexy wink. "It''s morning, ine. I prefer hand jobs at night." My mouth sewn shut by his words as if those were threads that made my lips pursed tightly. "I mean the cooking, Alpha."


    Tyler threw me a bemused look which I pouted upon. "What are you going to make?"  "A Japanese fluffy omelette, the one I saw in a Japanese restaurant the other night."


    "Hmmm, are you craving it?" his lips formed into a smile that even if he wasn''t facing me, I could see it.


    "I''ll chop the chives," I offered. I didn''t wait for Tyler to answer as I got the knife and wooden cutting board, mincing the chives into tiny pieces enough for an egg omelette recipe.  "Can you hand me the butter, babe."


    Babe. He''s finally calling me with his twenty-first century nicknames again, and it stained


    my cheeks with pink and made my tits harden in excitement.


    "It''s raining, Tyler. I think porridge with chicken broth and minced carrots fits the mood more than a te of omelette."


    He looked at me for about ten seconds before striding to the huge ss fridge that I first


    thought was the shower.


    "But I''ve already beaten some eggs," he cried like a seven-year-old boy.


    "You are a kitchen amateur, aren''t you?" I clicked my tongue when he didn''t respond.


    This time, I smile because I know I won. "Let me cook the porridge for you."


    "And let me cook the fluffy Japanese egg omelette for you," Tyler yielded those puppy eyes and cute voice which I eventually fell for.


    "Well, it''s a nice idea anyway. Instead of boiling eggs, we try omelette as a partner for chicken porridge."


    "And instead of cooking alone and brewing a kitchen disaster, you are here to catch and


    save me, babe!"


    I turned my heel towards him and tied my hair in a ponytail. "Women are born to cook while men grew up to eat from our cooking."


    Tyler only ced a soft kiss on my cheeks as he heated the frying pan with butter. "Do you know how to cook it?" I asked with wide eyes when he used the butter knife to spread the butter in the frying pan.


    His throat bobbed in answer. "I watched the tutorial video for this twenty times." "But you have never done it before?" The adorable White Wolf shook his head and I tally another point for ine Winona, zero to Tyler Jane.


    My face shone brighter with that. Stretching my arms and folding the sleeve of Tyler''s polo that I grabbed from hisundry, I grinned further amidst the dark, rainy, wet morning of March. "Then I guess you should learn from your fianc¨¦e who worked at a restaurant as an assistant cook for years, babe."

 Chapter 40: Eliane and Dream

    I am in the realm of dream, where fantasy feels like reality. Where being a princess without a prince is possible. Where summoning a storm without being wrecked by it is within a reach of the hand.


    I am dreaming. I am sure of it.


    Or am I not?


    I look around, let my senses see and hear and touch and taste and smell everything.


    I can feel the heat of the sun, taste the cool wind around me, and hear the rustling of the leaves in the Misty Forest. I can see the bright green leaves, the wide grass field beckoning me to feel its natural softness. I can smell the fragrance of after-rain, of petrichor and


    "Someone''s cooking," I turn to my heel and search for the origin of the scent. The smell is from roasted pork belly, seasoned with what smells like pepper and salt and rosemary. And butter.


    I can see a tiny house in the distance, smokeing out in its chimney. Is that a farmhouse? A cattle, the sound of chickens and rooster crowing, the pigs in the pen can be seen from afar.


    I never knew there''s a farm in the Misty Forest, outside of Ste''s Soul.


    The structure is familiar but I cannot recollect where I have seen it: if I have seen it in real life or in a picture or on a television, I do not know.


    I walk closer, the mud sticking in my feet.


    When I reached the house, I peeked at the curtainless window. No one''s inside. But the grilling of pork in their front yard indicates someone is at least within the house''s perimeter. The front door is open, unlocked. "Hello?"


    But no one answered back. Then I heard an infant crying in the breakfast nook of the kitchen. The cry is so loud that it''s hard not to notice.


    The interior does not look modern but not too old either. Candbra are everywhere. Only a few are lit, most are not.


    "Is that her? Your daughter?" I see someone with silver hair in the living room. Judging by the back of the head, I can see that the person is a she. An aged woman, perhaps in her forties. "You are paying me to adopt your child?" The old woman inhaled deeply. "Where are you going?"


    "I will never be back here in Moonburn." The familiar voice answered back. It''s so familiar that it sounds like-


    Mine. The voice is mine.


    "Take her far away," the person with my voicemanded, pleading. Begged. "Where do


    you live?"


    asked.


    "My husband and I live in the capital. Did you grow up here?" The silver-haired woman


    "Yes."


    "Eliane?" A man in an old farmer''s clothes appeared at the threshold of the living room. So I''ve guessed. This woman, as I walk nearer since they cannot see me, is Eliane. Her forest-green eyes radiate sadness though. Her porcin skin and onyx hair is very simr to mine. But she let her hair be swayed by the strong wind that broke the window pane. The old woman''s face became pale.


    "Go. Go now. Take the money and the child." The old woman obeyed and the man in farmer''s clothes became confused.


    "What are you doing, Eliane?"


    "What I need to do," Eliane replied, her voice firm and thundering.


    "That''s our child, Eliane!"


    "And what if she is, Ruel? I am a murderous witch. You are a servant of the wolves. We are not even supposed to bear a child."


    Another strong wind made its presence known, almost crushing the wooden door in pieces.


    "They are here, aren''t they?" Eliane ran outside without waiting for the man''s


    answer.


    I cannot deduce what is happening. But as I observe, I''vee to realize that this Eliane, whose face is so identical to mine that I first thought she was me, still has humanity in her. ; She''s a murderous witch. But why? How?


    As I follow her and look her straight in the eyes, I can see myself in her reflection.


    What I could have done. What I could be.


    "What are you doing, Eliane?" The man, Ruel, shouted from behind.


    ; I look up at the sky. The sun hid behind a cluster of gray clouds. The heat vanished and was reced with winter-like coldness.


    "I shall pay for my sins..." The woman answered.


    The green corset she was wearing made my brows furrowed. Am I transported in the past?


    Eliane. The name is familiar. I cannot recall where I heard it.


    "I will never let you go, Eliane! Not like this."


    "Who are you, Eliane?" I asked as she stopped where I halted. Yet, my voice didn''t


    so much as let her whip her head to me.


    I reach for Eliane''s hand. And somehow, I was able to. But she immediately shook it off in


    a gesture that shows how irritated she is that the Ruel man followed her.


    ''We are not even supposed to bear a child.'' Those words from the woman made me more curious. I inched closer to Eliane. Her emerald dress swept through the grasses, where the rain started to pour. Her hair as ck as Ruel''s eyes started to be wet, as well as the bright red cloak that flowed from her neck.


    "Your cloak is the devil''s color," said Ruel, whose hands were locked with hers.


    "I must go now, Ruel. I must make peace with them and undo my creation before-"  An arrow from behind appeared. My throat almost broke from the shout I unleashed in warning.


    I froze as the metallic tip of it pierced right into her heart. Blood as red as rose cascaded to the watery earth.


    But the one that is a mystery to me is why she did not so much as cry nor copse. Her face is the calm before the storm. Her beauty is beguiling yet can destroy an entire vige. "I only wanted to be loved, to be epted for what I am..." At first, I thought she was talking to the man,


    But she was not.


    Eliane is talking to me.


    "I only wanted to be worshipped like how I worship the Goddesses. I only wanted..." I began to cry and I cupped her face, her weeping face.


    "Love. Affection. I never intended to kill. But people, they...they see me as murderous


    entity who shall do anything in order to have power."


    She arched her head up, to where I was listening in serene manner.


    "You cannot escape your fate our fate..." The wolves as big as horses galloped from the shadow of the forest, then to the side. Wolves of ck and white and brown appeared from all over the field, running towards her. Towards us.


    "I''m sorry, Eliane...I am sorry for betraying you, for having to betray you." Ruel said from behind me before running away, vanishing into the woods.


    Then it was only me and her. Her forest-green eyes smiled at mine, gazed into mine. Strong but sorrowful. Those emotions reverberate in her stare.


    "You must choose. Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine." Rain bathed every inch of my skin, leaving none of my body dry.


    "Choose, ine. Choose wisely. Don''t let your heart fool you."


    She knows my name. Eliane knows who I am.


    "Who are you?"


    A raging voice shattered my ears from one of the wolves who shifted into a man.


    "WHO ARE YOU, ELIANE?!" I shrieked, desperate for an answer.


    Her voice was deep. "I am you. You are me." Then red blood sprayed in my face, shutting


    my eyes in shock. When I opened them, I was only holding her neck. Her head now lies on the ground covered in mud.


    The rain became stronger and I came face to face with the man holding the bloody


    sword, his cerulean eyes sending shivers down my gut.


    I locked eyes with the man. Green eyes meeting blue eyes.


    "Who are you?" The man asked, drenched in frigid rain.


    "I am her."


    ***


    Everything vanishes the field, the body of Eliane, the man with cerulean eyes. Blinding light greeted my eyes. I am facing a mirror ceiling and my body on top of a luxurious golden bed. "Gosh, that was a weird dream!" I eximed as I held the rm clock on the bedside table. It''s three in the morning. Sweet.


    I walked towards the little fridge and grabbed a pitcher of cold water before letting my dry lips taste its coolness.


    "What kind of dream is that?" I asked myself, as if some voice inside me would


    answer.


    "Nah. I''m just overthinking my overthinking."


    I grabbed an erotic book that I found in Tyler''s room earlier about a priest and a virgin.


    The Silver Pack Alpha is in his room, snoring ''cause I told him to do so.


    I have a habit when I wake up in the middle of the night, even before the break of dawn, I


    will have a hard time falling asleep again.


    So I read an erotic book, this erotic book-hoping it will wake up the sleepiness in me and let me rest my eyes again before four in the morning.

 Chapter 41: Wedding Preparation

    Days passed and I spent those preparing for the wedding like any other mortal bride, while Grandmama Jane tutored me in the afternoon at the Lodge of the Luna on what are a Luna''s duties aside from spreading legs and bearing babies.


    "...and most of all, love him. As if he''s the half of your soul."


    "I am indeed half of her soul." I do not need to turn around to know that it is Tyler''s dark, erotic voice.


    ine?"


    "For Ste''s sake, Tyler, wear a shirt!" Janeined.


    The grandson only chuckled. "Why not? My Luna would like to see this, don''t you,


    I swallowed my shame, doubtful whether I should shake my head or give Tyler a nod. "She says no." I met Grandmama''s eyes. Tyler narrowed his towards his grandmother and then to me.


    Then the bastard took off his jeans, throwing it to me before light shed in my eyes. A figure of a white wolf galloped outside, hurrying to get out the High Priestess'' radar. Grandmama Jane clicked her tongue, tying her silver hair to a bun. "That boy always shows up naked."


    "I bet he is." She locked eyes with me.


    "Did you and Tyler already sleep in one bed?"


    Oh God. Oh, shit.


    "Yes. Because he said his room is under renovation so he sleeps with me."


    The High Priestess arched her brows, head turning to where Tyler''s mansion stood. "I


    can''t imagine you can sleep with him."


    I held my breath. When I was about to reply, she returned her gaze to me. "Tyler always snored, not to mention there''s a lot of movements from him when he sleeps. It''s more like the three-fourth of the bed is his while yours is only a quarter."


    I burst outughing with her, releasing an air of calmness. I thought she meant the other meaning of sleeping with Tyler. Thank Aurora, it wasn''t.


    "Anyway, congrattions in advance! Just be who you are here in Ste''s Soul. If you''re hungry, there''s Caf¨¦ del Luna. You can bathe at the Luna''s Lake and you can alsoe to me if you have problems or questions or something is bothering you, here, in the Lodge of the Luna.¡± I know. The way the term Luna is relevant to most ces here in Ste''s Soul gives


    emphasis on how the wolves took care, even pampered, their mortal women.


    "I have a question, Grandmama..."


    "What is it, dear?"


    I inhaled before resuming. "What do women do here? I mean, the female werewolves..." "Female werewolves can never be pregnant if paired to a fellow werewolf. Some of the male in-house servants here are their husbands. Unlike women, the spouse of she-wolves prefers to work, help in a general sense, than to stay in luxury and do nothing like most of the mortal wives did. I''m not saying that mortal wives only take their husband''s money because raising the wolflings or young werewolves have also been part of their job. What I mean is that mortal men prefer something to do everyday such as cooking, cleaning the arena, trimming the grasses in the training field. She-wolves also share their wealth with them, if you''re curious." Tyler''s grandmother gave me a wink as she sipped a cup of what smells like peppermint tea.   "The Offering Team, do they-"


    "No. Mortal men are mostly rtives, friends, and acquaintances of some of the mortal women, who arepelled to promise to remain the secrecy and existence of this world to the world outside the borders of Selena''s Wall." Her eyes darted to the glowing gilded fountain of Aurora''s Waters as the sun set in the western horizon.


    "I trust you, ine. Even if, deep down, I shouldn''t."


    My eyes almost popped out from my face.


    "Why? Why do you not trust mepletely?" I simply asked, brushing off the fear


    and anxiety that started to boil inside me.


    "The creator of the Hearteaters is a witch..." I straightened my back as she started. "Her name resembles yours. It was Eliane."


    "Eliane?" Yes, it did sound simr. The same, even.


    "Eliane is the most trusted High Priestess of the Trinity Goddess: Selena, Aurora, and Ste. But, she eventually bes envious of how the werewolves worship the three deities. She wanted to be recognized, to be known."


    "To be worshipped," I added. She waved a hand as if to say yes. "But the werewolves are loyal to the Goddesses. And so, when she met a man who was unfortunately born without a wolf, she preyed upon him."


    "What kind of preying?" I braced myself for her answer.


    Jane looked away from my forest-green eyes, into the flickering light of thevender- scented candle, hovering her palm on its me.


    "She promised him that he will eventually have a wolf-she will give him a wolf, in


    exchange for worshipping her."


    I could not hide my astonished gasp. "Eliane desired to be bowed before, where creatures will look at her with awe and kneel down upon her presence. The Forest Witch eventually managed to gather a dozen of wolfless ones."


    She paused when she noticed the emotion that shed across my face. "Eliane, like me, is a High Priestess. In fact, she''s the first High Priestess of Ste''s Soul. But she was not a werewolf. Her witchcraft, which originated from another deity, a gift to her bloodline as my predecessors once told me, is the only thing she has the only thing she can wield."


    "Eliane was the one who found this spot, the verynd where Ste Soul was built upon. She was the confidante of the first werewolves here in Ste''s Soul-our ancestors. But her desire and envy burns brighter, made her darker. Made her wield dark magic that we do not even attempt to unearth."


    "Her magic made the Hearteaters?"


    "Yes," she answered. "And it was also her magic which resulted in their monstrous appearance. Why they are beasts made of shadow and envy, crafted from desire and darkness." "Is it true that consuming hearts are their only source of power?"


    "Yes." Grandmama closed the windows and shut the curtains. "They are deadly to both us and your kind. That''s why Tyler invited you to stay here until your wedding is over judging by the nature of thatst incident."


    I know how fatal those motherfucking Hearteaters are. But something inside me felt more curious about their creator. "Did Eliane die?"


    Redness on her lips vanished. "She was killed. By our kind."


    "She was betrayed?"


    ; "No. Our ancestors killed her for good."


    "Are you sure she is really dead?" My tone became a bit more aggressive. "Considering


    she''s proficient in dark magic, maybe she''s "


    "Eliane was a Forest Witch. Yet, she is only a witch. She is no deity...well, more like, she did not get the chance to be one. Considering that you must have arger number of worshippers to be a Goddess."


    "But," my unyielding desire to know more to know what I do not know-definitely would never falter. "How did they multiply?"


    "Just like how werewolves multiply they kidnap mortals and make them their baby factory."


    What. The. Bloody. Fuck.


    "Let me fetch my cup of tea first. Wait here..."


    Could my sister and mother, I mean Mrs. Rutherford and her daughter, be one of their baby makers from now on? Considering I actually lived with Hearteaters for a week since Tyler


    said the Rutherfords died at the beach on that day when I met those beasts...


    ''Go. Go with them ine. Before they kill us!'' The voice of Mrs. Rutherford yed again in my mind, the moment before the Offering Team took me away from Melissa''s house and shoved me


    in that white wedding dress andid me atop the stone table.


    So if they are Hearteaters at that time... ''Before they kill us!''


    Is Mrs. Rutherford, I mean the Hearteater impersonating Mrs. Rutherford, referring to the


    werewolves by the ''they'' in ''Before they kill us!"?


    ''Before they kill us!'' I thought she meant the Offering Team bearing weapons as props


    when they barged into the house toe and fetch me.


    It turns out she, the Hearteater, was referring to the werewolves.


    But the question is, how did they know I was to be offered as a bride to the Hearteaters?

 Chapter 42: An Unexpected Attack

    After almost ten minutes of waiting for her and her dismissal so I can go home and give Tyler a blowing, she was finally back.


    "Grandmama?" The night is now bright. But the High Priestess has not yet turned on the lights, only the sole candle shining between us illuminates the Lodge of the Luna.


    The loud sound of bells ringing echoed inside, and on the outside.


    "Intruders! Intruders!" Heart-shattering shouts from around us made me flinch. Panic starts to swirl inside me.


    I jerked my head, the face of Jane Moonstorm eventually warping to something...a wolf- like entity that stood like a man but with ram horns and bat-like hands and arms towering over


    me.


    ''Selena, help me,'' I prayed.


    The candle went out. The light went out. The fire, the only element that can scare them away, went out.


    Everything is utterly dark, the thick coldness is suffocating. The fragrance of death sent me crumbling from the chair and onto the ground.


    "Hearteaters!" A feminine shrill from the outside made the calmness inside me dissipate. "Go summon the Alphas!" Several yells remind me that I am still in Ste''s Soul. Yet, even if I am facing a monster here, I cannot do the same: shout for help.


    "Whe-where is Jane?"


    "I don''t know," its unholy voice responded. "I only saw her going outside on the back door so it was her image I replicated. Who knows, maybe she left you to rot in here and for me


    to sacrifice you" His voice became more manly, more human. "...ine."


    "TYLER!!!" I finally shrieked. The Hearteater onlyughed at me, his dark amusement


    bouncing in every goddamn wall.


    "TYLER!!!"


    "TYLER!!!"


    "TYLER!!!"


    "TYL-" It pped me before I could shout again. The Hearteater pounced on top of me,


    on my very chest where breathing is nearly impossible.


    "Oh Eliane, the great and glorious Forest Queen, Mother of Hearts, Lady of the Dark of the Moon, I summon you..." It began to chant with words I do not know why it seems to wake something inside me.


    Then, before I knew it, darkness came lunging at me.


    A sea of shadows engulfs every bit of life in my entirety, sending me to a ce I do not know if this was heaven or hell.


    ***


    This felt like a dream. But I am pretty sure it wasn''t.


    skin.


    true.


    I can''t feel the heat of the twilight sun, the tawny shade of it colored my cheeks and my


    "I shall pay for my sins..." the voice is familiar. I want to turn around to see if my guess is


    But it wasn''t.


    The voice resembles mine. So as the face.


    ;Is that me? Am I in the future?


    The feminine outline and conservativeness of her outfit is like the ones women wear


    during the eighteenth century.


    "I will never let you go, Eliane!"


    That masculine voice calls the woman Eliane. Is she the one Jane refers as to the Forest Witch and the-


    "The creator of Hearteaters," I realized. Yet, my voice didn''t so much as interrupt their conversation. Can they hear me? Maybe not.


    ; I cleared my throat, willing myself to touch them. But only the wind was in my hand. Am I


    a ghost? Or are they?


    Curious, I inched closer to Eliane. Her emerald dress swept through the grasses drenched


    in rain, her hair as ck as raven''s wings were covered by her vibrant red cloak.


    "Your cloak is the devil''s color," said the man whose hands were entwined with hers. Who


    the hell is he?


    ;


    I froze.


    "I must go now, Ruel. I must make peace with them and undo my creation before-" An arrow appeared from her back.


    ; Blood flowed from her chest, right from her heart. Yet, she did not so much as cry nor


    panicked. Her face is calm, innocent. Pure.


    ; I cannot believe her heart is not as angelic as her mien.


    She hoisted her face to the man-no, it was to me.


    "You cannot escape your fate our fate..." Huge wolves appeared from behind, then to the side. Wolves of ck and white and brown appeared from all over the ce, running towards her. Towards us.


    "ELIANE!" A dark, haunting, and raging voice made my knees buckle. The man in front of Eliane, Ruel, cried as he slowly stepped backward, slowly turning away. "I''m sorry, Eliane..."


    Then it was only me and the Forest Witch. Her forest-green eyes met mine, locked with mine. Unyielding and sad. The emotion of being betrayed shone on the very windows of her soul.


    I looked around and the night bathed the forest in shadows. I have been here before. I knew it. The smell of the forest and the way my feet sank in the earth. "...you must choose. Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine."


    And the owner of that dark raging voice appeared behind Eliane, sending her head tumbling on the cold ground.


    ***


    Tyler''s POV


    Thank the Goddesses she finally opened her eyes.


    "ine?" Grandmama Jane was on her side all throughout the hour.


    "Two of the Hearteaters have now been burned, Alpha," Jose whispered. My Beta can never hide the fear that shone in his eyes-fear for ine and for the safety of Ste''s Soul. ;  "How did they enter?"


    "Like you, I have no idea," he squeezed my shoulder. ''Take care of her first before we settle this problem.'' His voice echoed in my mind.


    "Tyler?" She reached for my hand. Grandmama Jane instead caught it.


    "I''m so sorry, dear. It''s my fault!" The High Priestess burst into a sob. My ine tried to sit but I gestured to her to stay lying in the bed.


    She''s in the mini-hospital here in Ste''s Soul that mortal women can only step in when they are on the verge of giving birth or are due toboring. Our in-house doctors are the one who usually go to their husband''s mansion. Some physicians are Brown Wolves, mostly Brown Wolves since their gifts are useful in that field.


    "How are you feeling, babe?" I ignored my croaked voice and ced a kiss on her forehead.


    "Fine. It''s just..." She cocked her chin to me. "I have this weird dream."


    "We all have that," Grandmama Jane nced at me, referring to my wet dreams.


    "It felt so real. It''s about Eliane." My grandmother and I both straightened our backs at the mention of the bitch''s name. Jose opened the door and the figure of my brother and the Shadow Alpha, Karlos, appeared on the threshold.


    "What happened, Jane?" Karlos is in the fierce mode again. He rarely does that. But


    now-


    "I went to my kitchen to grab a cup of tea I hope to share with her before I dismiss her from our Luna sses. But the door on the back opened and Rowena came rushing at me, saying that something is urgent and it concerns Melissa..." She briefly looked at my older brother. "... Jason''s wife."


    "Tyler?"


    "Yes, babe?"


    "Is it because of me that''s why they came?"


    ''Maybe. But I don''t see why her and why now,'' Remus uttered.


    ; I darted my gaze at Jason, then to Karlos. And finally, I nced at my grandmother, the


    High Priestess, who gave me a tight nod.


    "No, ine," I sighed before leaning closer. "I think there''s a traitor within Ste''s Soul."

 Chapter 43: The Mole

    ine''s


    POV


    A traitor is inside Ste''s Soul.


    Is my dream a premonition or-


    "It can''t be..." I murmured to the midnight wind; it''s cold but not suffocating.


    "B-But who could be betraying us? Could you find that out? Could Jason and Grandmama Jane find it out?" Tyler slowed me down. The High Priestess reached for my hand, "Just leave it to him and our pack, dear." Her eyes darted to the Alpha of the Amber Pack.


    ***


    Though it wasn''t my fault, I still felt guilty.


    I have been marked by the Hearteaters since birth. Once again, my ignorance almost cost someone''s life. First it was the beach ident that killed the Rutherfords and my pet dog Joey,


    and now...


    Does my arrival in Ste''s Soul put the lives of the wolves here at risk?


    ''You cannot escape your fate our fate...'' The words directly from the tongue of Eliane,


    the Forest Witch, ringed in my ears.


    ''I must go now, Ruel. I must make peace with them and undo my creation before-'' Does Eliane try to revert her wrongdoings? Is she really the viiness everyone said she is?


    But the memories of that dream-like encounter with her, the moment when I looked at her eyes, their color identical to mine, I felt some sort of emotions I do not know why I feel. Emotions that are-


    "Pity and mercy." I could not hear my own voice. The way that man, Ruel, betrayed her...


    Why does she affect me? Who is Eliane really? Is there more side of the story told by the werewolves of Ste''s Soul?


    ''Every viin is the hero in their story.'' That quote whispered to me as if another voice lives in my head.


    The air whipped across my face as I went down the carriage that brought me to the entrance of the arena. Its fa?ade may contend to Rome''s The Colosseum. Tyler said that this is where sparring and gathering usually take ce. And also where the wedding reception after the ceremonies will take ce.


    I felt excited and scared at the thought of me and Tyler''s wedding. A sudden strayed sadness wrapped around my heart and I don''t know why. Tyler is too much for me. Am I worthy to be her wife? To be her Luna?


    A muscr arm was instantly wrapped around my waist as soon as my feet touched the ground. Tyler''s scent makes me feel serene and secured. "Are you okay now, ine?"


    I was looking up at him the entire time. When he lowered his gaze to mine, my lips brushed at his stubble. He smiled.


    "I want to fuck, babe," I whispered. As if other werewolves cannot hear me through their


    sharp hearing.


    "Later," he muttered. But it was more of a promise to me.


    "Later," I just murmured back what he said to me.


    I took a very deep breath, willing my emotions to stay in their ce. Letting my


    ''confident'' and fearless side take over me.


    ''Here we go, ine,'' then I exhaled.


    Then Tyler pushed the gigantic door open. Everyone is already inside: the in-house servants, the husbands of she-wolves, the cook, the mortal wives, every wolf member in the Amber, Shadow, and Silver pack. Even Hades, Pegasus, and Cerberus are even inside; the barking of the three pet wolves made me confirm that.


    And in the stage, at the center, is a heart-eating beast-the Hearteater is tied to a wooden pole, bed of hay andrge twigs beneath him. The fire floating at Jose''s palm is ready to jump at it and burn the bastard that even the ashes could not escape the wind.


    I looked around the spacious arena. It truly is an arena. I thought it was just what it''s called. Only the midnight sky serves as the roof, the twinkling stars add as a source of light to therge torches at the four corners.


    Windy and cool, thank the Goddesses Tyler lent me his ck leather jacket. I reached for his hand as he walked me to the seat. His breath is warm; the heat on his palm makes me wonder if werewolves are immune to even the harshness of Antarctica''s climate...


    "We are gathered here for the sudden disturbance of the beast-" Jason pointed to the Hearteater tied at the stake. "That threatened to shatter the concord Ste''s Soul has maintained for years."


    ; I suddenly sneezed. Jason and the Hearteater''s eyes slid towards mine. The fucking


    heart-eating monster smirked.


    face.


    ; "Eliane..." I can read between its lips.


    Jose''s sword of ice inched closer to the Hearteater''s neck. But it just spits at the Beta''s


    It took Jason''s strong hand to stop Jose from decapitating the awful beast. Yet.  "Jose." Tyler''smanding voice thundered, shutting everyone both mortals and werewolves in a heartbeat.


    "If I were you, Alpha..." The Hearteater spoke, mocking Tyler''s title. It tilted its head to the side before speaking again. "I would not marry that green-eyed bitch if you want to save your kind."


    Jose''s nose red; Jason blinked. But Tyler..."I was surprised that even a monster can beg for mercy."


    "I was not begging for mercy. I am only warning you if you want to avoid her wrath..." Her? Who? Eliane?


    "Eliane is dead. Her head lies six feet beneath Ste''s Soul," Jason countered.


    "Her body is dead. But her soul...she''s evesting. The Forest Queen lives forever-in the woods, in the wind. Even on this night."


    Light shed before my eyes and, before I knew it, a great white wolf tore the bat- like left arm of the Hearteater.


    Tyler''s towering appearance then appeared beside his brother. "Don''t you dare tell me what to do!"


    The Hearteater chuckled. It was the same dark amusement that sent me at that phantom where I saw Eliane


    Is the beast referring to me as a green-eyed bitch?


    *... You must choose. Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine.'' Eliane''s words reverberated inside me again. My head suddenly ached and I fell to the ground, hand pressing against my forehead.


    ''You cannot escape your fate our fate...''


    I heard Jose shout my name. But I was left dazed, unmoving. That unknown presence ws inside my mind.


    ''Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine.'' I screamed in pain. I pulled my hand and when I looked at it, the tangy, rusty aroma of blood astonished me.


    Soon I felt it. Blood leaking from within me and through my eyes. I am crying¡ª crying with tears of blood.


    ''Or your destiny will bleed like mine...''


    "ine!!!" Tyler''s shriek knocked the breath out of me.


    When I hoisted my head, only a burning image at the stake was visible in my sight before werewolf healers and mortal in-house doctors came rushing at me.


    ***


    Tyler''s POV


    "There were three Hearteaters here in Ste''s Soul," I began giving my speech while I constantly monitored my fianc¨¦e, who was resting in one of the seats apanied by healers and doctors. "No one can enter inside if no one invites them to Ste''s Soul." I tried to control the fury


    inside me. Thank the Goddesses that Remus is helping me with that.


    The two Hearteaters earlier are easily incapacitated. But the one that recently burned, seen by several subjects, is the one who imitated Grandmama Jane. And the one I witnessed on top of ine, taking the living daylight out of her and pushing her closer within the grip of death. But I will never allow it. I did not allow it. Not in a freaking thousand years. Not when I am


    still a breathing flesh.


    "If you are all going to be honest about who and why you did that, we may be able to


    understand and forgive you."


    ''I doubt you will,'' Remus blurted.


    I hid my smirk and my brother took over the stage.


    Striding towards ine as I bnced the warmth and coolness of midnight air, I beamed


    at her when she arched her head to my direction.


    ; But she shut her eyes again, leaving me grumpy. Pegasus barked once beside her and I


    stroked the Silver Pack''s pet moon-white fur.


    "Let us begin," Jason''s dark and hoarse voice sank in. I grinned at my brother whereas he


    just gave me a simple nod.


    It''s time to know who the motherfucking mole is.

 Chapter 44: The Betrayed

    Tyler''s


    POV


    My brother waited for five minutes for someone inside the arena toe forward and reveal it was them, eventually confessing why they let three shitty heart-eating beasts enter Ste''s Soul. ''A liar will never confess the truth unless he or she is tortured, ''til one see the face of death smiling at them,'' Remus breathed into my soul. My wolf''s words of wisdom sent a grin blooming across my poker face.


    forward.


    ***


    And even when the timer runs out, as expected as we have anticipated, no one moves


    And that''s why we resorted to thetter of Remus'' advice: torture.


    ine''s POV


    Every breath I take makes me anxious even more.


    Only one of us inside the arena could be the mole.


    Ste''s Soul is a vige where basically those who are only a member can enter due to a gold-ted card handed out to everyone, even to me.


    And they can invite anyone as long as the invitee is with the member upon crossing Selena''s Wall.


    Seriously, why would a vige encased with magic use modern technology instead when they can use the Brown Wolves as the guards outside the wall as the sensors, touching anyone who passes and reading their minds if they are hiding something beneath their calm eyes.


    I wonder why Jason isn''t touching each one of us. Maybe it''s because they hope and respect everyone''s privacy by giving them the freedom to give in themselves and confess that they are the traitor.


    But, since when did a snake give someone a heads up that they are venomous?


    One look in Tyler''s cerulean eyes and I know this night will not end well. Not with deafening shrill, unbearable pain, glowing crimson blood, and salty tormenting tears being witnessed by every soul.


    I do not know what kind of torture did the three Alphas will do but I knew it will be an


    unforgiving one.


    I scanned each Alpha''s face. And among the three, Tyler has the one with the most unreadable expression. My Alpha could be a fluffy teddy bear on some nights. But often...he can be a dinosaur that will surely give you a chase if you ever turn your back at him.


    dawn.


    It''s past midnight. But the darkness of the sky tells me it is still far from the break of


    The Three Alphas do not care if anyone everyone does not get sleep tonight. Well, if I was in their shoes, after what urred hours ago, I would definitely not even blink an eye.


    Anyone can be a snake. Anyone, even me perhaps, can be a traitor. Every single fucking breathing being is capable of betraying. But the question is, will they dare?


    Will they do it in times where life and death is at the hands of the looming darkness the Hearteaters bring?


    Will they?


    Judging what happens, as my heavy eyes slid to the ashes on the earth, though the suffocating coldness has vanished, the scent of death still lingers. The scent of death that Hearteaters bring every shitty time they are around. Judging by that sight, I presume someone with a mighty gut and unbroken conscience has already betrayed us.


    ; But who can it be? Is that someone I knew? Someone I already met? Does the person


    have an innocent face or a bitchy/bastard one?


    ''Never judge a book by its cover...'' Truth be told, sometimes we do.


    And my curiosity, as always, wins this time. I take a look at the faces surrounding me and try to guess who the mole is.


    But the soreness of my limbs and the headache that visited me an hour ago has not yet left my side.


    So I leave it all to Karlos, Jason, and Tyler to do the rest. They are, ording to my fianc¨¦s words, Wolf Gods after all.


    And I am just a sacrifice to one of them, only meant to primarily spread my legs widely for pleasure and for the continuation of their mighty bloodline.


    ***


    "I know you all are dying to end this meeting in this very arena where sparring only happens."


    I straightened my back when it was Karlos who took the stage. The air of mystery always thickens when he speaks. Yet, when ites to his wife, Gialyca Farmiga, Karlos is an uncaged fucker who always had a vigorous sex with his wife.


    Horny, sexy, mysterious; silent but deadly. Those are the ingredients that made up Karlos ckwind, Alpha of the Shadow Pack and a fucking ck Wolf who is capable of manipting all things that produce light and shadow. He even has the power to control the two of them itself. Karlos opened his palms and ck-colored fire, who Tyler called as the Shadow me, blossomed from his hands. It went to the sky, filling the air with dark, unburning me. It was more of a shadowy wind that slowly encircled The Arena, surrounding us with bright darkness. I looked up and the sky could no longer be seen. But I can still distinguish the white glowing orb behind Karlos'' power as the moon in its waxing form.


    Noises then came from all directions. I can see why.


    Shadow me does not act like fire. It acts like an amplifier of Jason''s mirage. Images of Hearteaters surround us. It felt so real yet it was not. I close my eyes and the


    shouts around me is a heart-wrenching harmony.


    I was not so much affected as I knew what it felt like when those beasts were around. The unexinable rising of the hair on my arms, the cold that floods in the air that is enough to choke you, and the bizarre smell of unholiness and unliving.


    Not to mention the eeriness and the heaviness of your emotions. You want to scream but you cannot. You try to breathe but these beasts take hold of that.


    "Today is the first day where the moon will be full soon," I opened my eyes and the face


    of the man I met a year ago took my emotions away. "Since it is technically already morning, the moon will be fullter at night-where my wedding will also take ce." A nce at my face and Tyler only gave me a wolfish grin.


    I responded with my signature smile. My heart beats back to its normal rhythm as the visions in the air halted. Yet the cries did not dissipate.


    "I would very much appreciate it if the drama will end here and the mystery will be solved within this hour-" A series of embers danced in his fingertips as he lifted it for everyone to see. "Please," he added. Begged.


    I stood, willing to ''sacrifice'' myself that it was me since I was technically been marked by Hearteaters by birth. Every time I see the fuming expression of my fianc¨¦, it saddens me and makes my heart skip a beat.


    I would rather take the me for something I did not do than to see my beloved, the only man who cared for me, vivaciously letting anger danced in his eyes.


    ; After all, I am sacrificed to the Alpha.


    Tyler saw me stand-I am the only one who did amidst the seated crowd of werewolves


    and humans in the arena.


    But Jason, reading my face, immediately knew what I was up to. I ignore the murmurs and whispering voices around me as I walk towards the stage. I rather be shamed now thanter on be rumored that my apparent arrival broke the peace that has long flourished in Ste''s Soul.


    "It was me." But those words did note from my mouth.


    I slowly turn around. I braced myself, prayed to Aurora, Ste, and Selena that it wasn''t the people I cared about that betrayed us.


    Betrayed me.


    "It was me," her voice reiterated.


    I exhaled, finally being able to summon all the courage left in my heart. "Why?" I let those words echoed in my ears-my own words-as I looked at her with heartache and wonder, of curiosity and anguish I cannot stop swirling inside me.


    ''I will not ept this,'' I mused. ''She''s just lying.''


    As if she could hear me, she remained silent. Maybe my face made her speechless. We


    are the only ones standing amidst the sea of people in their chairs.


    They looked up to us. But my eyes remained on her eyes, on her face and soul. "Why?"


    She just shook her head; I shook my head. Pain flowed through every vein inside me like


    a river of untamed dismay.


    "I am the one who let the Hearteaters inside Ste''s Soul." Rowena Cruz''s face made me shed a tear, my heart shattering into thousand shards of sadness as I copsed to the earth and wailed.


    I cried, for I was hurt by Rowena''s betrayal...

 Chapter 45: Friendless

    "It was Rowena. It was her who betrayed us." Hearing those words from Tyler himself as I look up, hearing his voice as he confirmed to me that she really is the one makes the chain of thorns around my heart wrap even tighter.


    My torned heart and grieving mind begged to reject and not believe any of these, any of these that happened tonight.


    But truth always stabs harder and leaves a deeper wound than lies.


    ''Truth always hurts...'' That same unknown voice whispered to me again. ''So now you


    must choose wisely...''


    My throat bobbed at thest words. Is that Eliane all along?


    "ine!" Rowena shouted my name.


    "Get the fuck away from my wife, Rowena!" I look up at Rowena''s astonished but hurt face, who tried to pick me from the ground as my tears continue to stream down from my eyes. She backed away. And before I knew it, Jose made her kneel, making her knees bleed. I can see the pain in her eyes as the chain that bound her hands from behind tightens even more with Jose and other White Wolves capturing her. Incapacitating her.


    "I''m so sorry..." It was the only thing she said the only words she could say.


    I cried even more, this time quietly. I let Lady Sadness take hold of my heart. I cannot stop these feelings of anguish and dismay from boiling inside me.


    ''Just cry,'' the voicemanded. ''Pain always lightens when you let it sink deeper.'' "Ahhh!" I shrieked, willing that anger to escape from my chest and be turned into a cry of


    heartache.


    Rowena broke my heart, betrayed my trust, and ruined our friendship. She did those all at once. The first person I met in Ste''s Soul did all of that in one day.


    That''s the reason I only have less than five friends. Joey, myte dog, was among them. "ine..." Melissa''s soft voice calmed me. An angel amid the song of storm. "Melissa..." Then I hugged her, feeling the bump in her belly. I don''t care what Jason will think of this, I just badly need someone to hug and seekfort right now.


    I almost died earlier, I almost reached Death''s threshold because of Rowena''s betrayal. Because of a friend''s betrayal.


    traitor?


    Why is that a friend''s betrayal hurt more than finding out a random stranger as the


    ''The ones who give you the most memories are the ones who will give you the most painful of all scars...'' I don''t know if that was Eliane but I don''t care. Her wordsfort me, her voice is mine-identical to mine.


    I do not know if she is my higher self or if I already descended in the sea of lunacy that I start to imagine things.


    "Let''s escort you to bed, dear," Grandmama Jane''s voice woke me up from my stupor, her hands wrapping around my arm as she hoisted me from the dead-cold floor of The Arena.


    ***


    ''I was the first sacrifice by the start of the 21st century...''


    ; I can still recall the day she said that, her eyes oozing with sorrow that even up to this moment, I can still vividly remember.


    I remember gasping while clinging to the chair at Caf¨¦ del Luna while saying, ''That''s...so brave of you, Miss Rowena.''


    ''I know,'' she nced at me in a heartbeat that time. Her story was etched deeper in my memories every time I reminisced about her calm, old voice that radiates the nature of her soul. ''My father constantly beats me and my mother, that''s why I ran away. When I heard from the Offering Team that there is a secret vige of elites that requires women to reproduce and marry off to them, I thought it''s an illegal kind of stuff. You know, trafficking and all sorts of hideous actions. But it wasn''t. And when I volunteered to be the sacrificed woman, I found out at the stone table that these elites are werewolves-whose skin can be that of a man and a wolf.''


    Every word I try to remember, every inch of that story I try hardly not to remember...it was painful. Listening to Rowena''s story and remembering her story this time is different. Something like deep sorrow tugged in the bones of my heart.


    Rowena had been a good friend, an obedient servant. And yet-


    ''The ones we believe that will never betray us are the ones who already did behind our backs...'' That voice, those Eliane-ish words murmured again.


    But I did not flinch. I don''t know why. It''s a voice I don''t want to hear yet I also need to hear in this time of uncertainty and hurt.


    ''It''s better to be in the boiling pits of hell than to be in one''s home which is actually worse than Satan''sir...'' I remember saying that to her after hearing her story. And the gentle smile that spread across Rowena''s face uponforting her...


    ; ''But my husband was killed by a Hearteater when I was six months pregnant.''


    I do not understand why she had betrayed us to the very creatures that killed her


    werewolf husband and unborn baby.


    I can still remember the single tear that escaped her eyes but she managed to wipe it


    away in a single motion of her finger.


    ; Her tears, her voice, her sad smile... "Why, Rowena? Why?!"


    ; My body crashed on the golden bed. It used to be as soft as clouds. But now...now it''s heavy. My body felt numb.


    The grandfather''s clock across the room rang at three in the morning-the Witching Hour as Tyler call it.


    ''I-we-also lost our son at that time. There, in the Misty Forest, the forest behind the wall, the one that stretches wide before the borders of Ste''s Soul. And to where the stone table is also located, to where I wasid at the night of the leap year...'' Rowena''s voice still yed in my mind like a tape I recorded from my old camera. ''He was protecting me and my child," her voice continued to haunt my mind. ''And me losing his heir in my womb is like treating my husband''s death a waste of life. For I...I''ve been a failure.''


    You are not a failure, Rowena. You still served the wolves with all your strength. ''I have one job-one life to protect. But still...''


    I closed my eyes and the memory of me reaching out for her hand, the texture of her rough, calloused palm still lingered in my skin. ''Hush now, Rowena. It''s not your fault.''


    Yet, I do not know why I do not feel rage towards her. "I am more angry with myself." There must be a reason why she did that. Why she broke the Trinity Alphas'' trust and betrayed each of the residents in Ste''s Soul, both werewolves and non-werewolves.


    Tyler was not on my side now, and that makes me free to cry loudly and let out my pain and


    sadness without the peering cerulean eyes of the Stormbringer.


    And even when I went to sleep, even when I plunged into my dreams, Rowena Cruz''s sorrowful face still beamed at me under the roof of Caf¨¦ Del Luna.


    ***


    "ine?"


    I heard a masculine voice calling me, the smell of forest and rain and mist beckoning me to open my eyes.


    "ine, babe? Breakfast is ready." I slowly opened my eyes and a pair of kind but sad eyes willed me to sit.


    In myp, a tray of smoking hot food is ready for me to eat. "Did you cook this?" I


    asked.


    Tyler gave me a weak, half-smile. The sadness in his eyes is unfaltering yet unyielding to show. "I don''t have the strength to burn everything I cook so I let my English butler take care of the kitchen."


    I smile and turn to the bed-side table for my ponytail, tying my hair in a neat bun. Tyler lifted his hand on my tear-dried face, brushing his thumb on the corner of my lips. "Rowena was my nanny when I was six..."


    That untamed dismay crawled back from the pit again, drowning my heart and mind in a wave of sorrows. Tyler brushed away the tears that streamed down from my forest-green eyes and onto the goldenvish bed.


    "You only knew her for days. I have known her for decades," Tyler turned away from me but I could still hear the sob and see the silent tears that wet his palms. "But still..." he finally cried, which made me do as well. "It both hurt deeply. She was a friend, a servant. She stood as my mother every time my parents went outside the wall and patrolled Moonburn, leaving me in my crib with Pegasus and an army of teddy bears."


    I brieflyughed but both of our eyes still shone with tears and unreleased weep. Quietude yed between us and we silenced it deeper when his lips touched mine in a soft andforting morning (mourning) kiss. "But there are things we must let go, ine."


    "I don''t think I''m ready to lose a friend."


    "If you are not ready, how much more me that Jason and I knew as our mother for years


    in times our biological mom wasn''t there to hear our cries and witness our fights?"


    Tyler was right. There are things-people-we must let go, we must release. We must unchain.


    "Rowena has served us well, served Ste''s Soul well. She will always be remembered..." Tyler breathed.

 Chapter 46: Comforting Words from the Alpha

    ''She...will...always...be...remembered...'' Those words echoed in my ears like some sort of death bell that made my world stop in an instant.


    "Wha What are you going to do with Rowena?" I tried to remainposed and unbothered. But deep down, I am panicking. My emotions are absolutely fucked up.


    If what my guess is true of what they are going to do, knowing that wolves and werewolves are brutal and savage by nature, I will never forgive myself if I will not step in and stop the Alphas.


    And perhaps betray them as well-betray Jason, betray Karlos, and... ''Betray, Tyler...'' That same voice murmured into me as if it''s just beside me. The hair on my arms rose, sending shivers


    down my spine.


    But Tyler only stood from my gilded bed, walking away from my question and shutting my bedroom door close, leaving me with the now-cold tray of breakfast sitting in myp.


    I shove every boiled egg, cereals soaked in chocte milk, porridge, and bacon in my mouth as


    if this is myst supper.


    I must hurry, even if it takes me not to chew my breakfast and choke to death. I will hurry.


    I need to make haste and visit Rowena before they punish her.


    Tyler''s butler beamed at me at the half-open door. "Is everything to your satisfaction,


    Madam?"


    I was about to say yes but my mouth was so full with food that I could hardly part my lips. So I just gave Mr. Butler a thumbs up and he immediately closed the door.


    "Also, Sir Tyler said to go to Sir Jason''s house, Madam. He also wants me to drop the message that your wedding gown has already arrived."


    And now I am finally alone again.


    I swallowed all the food and was relieved that I finished my breakfast when I looked down, and a pair of Hungarian sausage and Vienna sausage were still smiling at me.


    Instead of shoving them down in my throat along with a ss of orange juice, I stabbed the Hungarian sausage first with a fork and brought it to my mouth, eating it bite by bite. "It''s not bad though," I shrugged, wondering what my wedding dress would look like. I should be happy because this is my wedding day.


    I will be married and probably get pregnant at eighteen as well. "Not bad at all," I touched my chest proudly.


    But as I look at the windy surroundings outside the ss window that also served as a sliding door, I remember the impending doom Rowena was going to meet.


    On the other hand, as I finished the Hungarian Sausage and picked up the Vienna one with my bare hands, I wonder if I am just concluding things all by myself without so much evidence to back it up.


    "Maybe they are not going to kill Rowena. Maybe I am just being an ass and assuming things immediately due to these feelings burning inside me..." People in my world used to say that making decisions when you are in the height of an extreme emotion is not good. I now know it''s true. You should not decide when you are so angry or too sad, you should not make a decision when you are overflowing with happiness and brimming with guilt.


    I sighed, biting thest of the Vienna sausage and rubbing my hands clean with kitchen tissue.


    "Maybe I should give more attention to my wedding?" I advised myself.


    I stood and finished thest drop of orange juice before strolling to the balcony. The sky


    is covered by clouds but no rain was pouring on the ground.


    It''s so cloudy. This is a good weather to go for a walk. Suddenly, Nichole appeared below


    and shouted something at me that I did not discern.


    back.


    ***


    "What?" I shouted down the balcony, clenching tightly to the ss railings.


    "I saide down and quit pouting. Let''s get you ready as early as now!" Nicole yelled


    I realized what I ate was as good as brunch, that means I ate breakfast and lunch at the same time.


    ;It''s eleven thirty in the cloudy morning and Nicole led me to a building I have not yet visited since I arrived.


    The interior is like a spa center or maybe this is a spa center exclusive for Lunas, where I saw Melissa, vibrant in a royal blue off-shoulder dress as an in-house servant painted her nails in the same color.


    ; "Look everyone. Here''s the bride!" Nicole waved his two hands at my figure and


    everybody cheered for me.


    A brown-skinned, Asian-looking woman beamed as she stopped in front of me. "Let''s see. You are already beautiful." When I did not smile back, her expressions changed. "I''m sorry for what happened hours earlier. Even we, in-house mortals, are heartbroken by Rowena''s doing. But since it''s the first day of the Worm Moon, thest full moon of winter, that''s why it''s a good day to celebrate your wedding with Alpha Tyler. A new life, a new you when Springes next month!"


    Nicole pressed his hand on my back once before informing me that he will be in the next room, where the dresses I shall wear, including the wedding and the reception and the pre- wedding dresses are fully prepared, even pressed and ironed.


    "Shall we go to the sauna first?" I swallowed my question as the Asian woman, Meah, led me outside the room.


    When we reached the hallway, a red carpet shone in my eyes. A bunch of paintings on either side of the wall seems to be too expensive to touch. Three bright chandeliers, each with a different design, illuminate our path with its ocherous light. We turn to the corner until we reach a wooden door.


    Meah stopped, so did I. She opened the door for me. And before I knew it, the room behind the wooden doors was so steamy and hot that I was already perspiring even before I stepped in.


    "The changing room is here," she pointed at the door beside me. "You change first and then wear a bathrobe before I let you have a session for one hour."


    "O-one hour? Am I not going to be a dumpling when I go out?"


    ; Sheughed so hard that itsted for five seconds. "No, dear. I can see you have not been in a sauna before?"


    I shook my head. Judging my rtionship with thete Rutherfords, I didn''t even have the chance to visit a spa. I only visited a salon, where the manager I date once, who never told me was married and only told me that he''s been single for years, paid for my haircut and treatment of my hair.


    "I shall wait for you here." Then I slid into the changing room. As soon as I entered, arge mirror the size of threevatories greeted me. I upied the first empty stall and immediately took off my clothes, tying the bath robe as soon as I slid it in my body.


    I looked at myself in therge mirror, inhaling and exhaling all the luxuries Tyler showered me ever since my first night here in Ste''s Soul. I will be trying a sauna for the first time thirteen hours before my wedding. Nice.


    "Are you ready?" Meah already opened the wooden door where I sat on the corner nearest to the door. The heat steeped in my skin but not to the point that it would roast one alive like what the ancient people do with a brazen bull.


    "Rx," Meah pinched my cheeks and I waspelled to smile. "It will be


    rejuvenating, I promise."


    ***


    And Meah mmed the door behind, leaving me alone in this sauna.


    "Hello, babe."


    At least I only thought I was alone.


    "Ah!" I screamed. But as soon as a pair of cerulean eyes looked at me, the color of


    the robe I was wearing, I stopped.


    "Tyler? Why are "


    "I usually want to warm myself when I am upset or sad or enraged."


    "Or all of the above..." He nodded and sighed.


    "Do they know you are here?" Tyler Jane Moonstorm only smirked at me.


    "There''s a window where your whole body can fit. Often reserved for emergency purposes inside the sauna."


    I nodded. I never knew they had that.


    "As soon as I hear you will be undergoing the pre-wedding preparations, beauty preparations to be specific, I immediately climbed here for I know they always put a woman under the heat first before cooling them down." He squeezed my legs. And by the look of his eyes, I already know where this encounter will lead to.


    Tyler was already shirtless. He always is when he shifts to human form. "Where''s your


    clothes?"


    "On the Silver Alpha''s Fortress since I shifted from there to here."


    "Others will pick up your scent," I countered. But the doggie just grinned sheepishly. "I


    don''t care. I missed you. And I want you. And "


    "And want to make love with you?" I purred.


    "I was about to say I want to be inside you."


    Tyler parted my legs, resting them on top of his shoulders. He gently pushed, gesturing


    to me to stay quiet as he dived in.


    Then less than a minuteter, his entirety had finally entered. With his hugeness of ten


    and a half inches, it took two of my hands to bite my tongue and not moan.


    I do not know which is more hot: the sauna or the wild ride Tyler is giving me. "Tyler..." I crooned, singing his name as softly as I could. I gripped his biceps as he threw


    himself fully to me, hands pressing against the sweating wall.


    The heat rises as well as the pleasure inside me. It thickens with his every movement. And with his every movement, I was shocked of myself on why I hadn''t gone crazy yet.


    ; "ine..." Tyler spoke my name. I whimpered as he rested my thighs on either side of


    my head.


    But despite Tyler''s warnings, I still moaned, dropping my hands from my mouth. We moaned and moved, danced to the rhythm of our hearts'' beat, rocked to the melody of the sounds of pleasure.


    He never pulled out. His indomitable, rock-hard velvet-wrapped steel was still stabbed to


    my middle. So I remained open like a blossoming flower.


    ;  "I love you, ine."


    Kissing him back as I leaned towards his mouth, his cock plunging deeper inside me as I


    whispered. "I love you too, Alpha Tyler."

 Chapter 47: Queenly

    "Meah''s approaching." His breath is as warm as the sauna in my ears.


    "I''m surprised you know the name of every staff member here, huh." He then kissed my forehead. "I was born here, ine. I even know the names of their children and their children''s children."


    When Tyler mentioned the word children, I remembered I do not see them often ever since I arrived. "Why don''t I see them often?"


    "Do you remember the Luna''s Lake?"


    "Yes."


    "The children''sir is behind that, cloaked with magic. Don''t worry; they will go outside as part of our entourage."


    "Wait. Did the children see us that night?"


    The smoke suddenly thickens near the door. Tyler faced me and wiggled his cock in a goodbye motion of the hand. Light shed and I heard a thud on the ground outside. I was about to lean outside the window when the wooden door burst open.


    "What the " Meah blurted upon seeing the thick smoke. "Why the hell is the smoke so thick here?"


    I shrugged innocently. "I do not know."


    Avoiding her gaze, I sat on the sameer as I pretended to massage my neck with my sweating hands.


    "I''m here to say that twenty minutes left before your session ends."


    I nod without looking at her direction.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Oh, I''m fine! Totally, absolutely fine."


    Her brows met but I immediately pulled my stare away.


    "Okay. I will just prepare your towel as soon as you are done." I gave her a wry grin as she slowly closed the door, eyes to where I am sitting.


    When the door was finally shut and the thick smoke vanished, I sighed with relief. Touching my core to where my fianc¨¦''s dick was inside earlier, I secretly smile.


    "Oh, Tyler..." I couldn''t hide the beam in my face as I reminisced about our quickie minutes ago.


    ***


    I can really say that the people are busy preparing for the wedding-my wedding-despite all the recent attacks that urredst night and the unbelievable confession from someone close to me that even shattered my trust in people I consider friends.


    But I must cheer up. This is my wedding, not a funeral.


    I look at the preparation outside: the posters, white and blue flowers, the red carpet that looks like a river of blood towards the Trinity Goddess'' temple. Imagine having a grandiose wedding like this where you didn''t spend a penny and your betrothed is one hell of a muscr, fucking rich Sex God. Where your role as his future wife includes to make use of your womb and let his awesomeness prevail through your bosom.


    Everything felt like a fantasy. But this is real, freaking real. "Oh, Goddesses..." I gave thanks as I dried my hair. Meah is walking before me. I don''t know what the next part of this beauty preparation is but one thing''s for sure: I could only wish that I had been here earlier than eighteen years old.


    Meah opened the door of a mysterious looking room. The scent ofvender and the sight of candles made me gape as soon as it became ajar. "I''m going to have a full body massage?" "Enjoy!"


    My throat bobbed in reaction. Then she mmed the door again, almost knocking the tall row of candles tacked in the wall.


    "Hello."


    ears.


    I turned around to see a woman with silver hair draping on the either side of her


    ; "I shall be in your service this noon."


    Is it noon already?


    "Sure!" I replied.


    ; "What would you like to have first? A Swedish massage or a Hot Stone one?"  I do not know one hell of an idea what those are. "What do you suggest?"


    Her wrinkled face brightened with a smile. "I suggest you go for Hot Stone first. Since you''re from the sauna, Hot Stone massage will rx you and increase blood flow which will be important since you will soon be pregnant."


    I only remained silent and took off my clothes in the changing area.


    Well, I almost flinched when seven stones were ced on my back as soon as Iy in my stomach. I felt like a trout being roasted with a bunch of volcanic rocks inside. It''s rejuvenating and calming, especially for the first time. But my anxiety that the stones will leave my back ready for the crows to eat due to it being a cooked meat in my imagination is inevitable.


    I''m always anxious about things I have not yet tried before. I don''t know why. Maybe that''s also the reason why I''m quite afraid of being pregnant and carrying a child inside me for nine months. I mean, how sure I am I can endure until the ninth month without miscarriage or losing Tyler''s baby. How sure I am that I am healthy enough to¡ª


    "Rx, Miss. You will have the Swedish massage next."


    I don''t know what it is but I hope it will lighten my mind''s burden. I peeked at my side and I saw it, a crescent-shaped ne around her neck-the same ne Tyler constantly wears that Jason told me my Alpha used to call it moon-moon.


    "Wait, you''re a werewolf?"


    The old woman pursed her lips as she tried to hide her amusement. "It took you so long


    to recognize me, dearest."


    Oh. Fuck. It''s Grandmama Jane. How could I not recognize her voice?


    "The tawny light is enough for you to cloak your face and hard enough for me to notice that it''s you."


    Then the thought of the woman massaging me is actually a Brown Wolf, a wolf whose gift includes reading memories through touch struck me like stars colliding with one another.  I have been thinking of me and Tyler''s steamy encounter at the sauna earlier. Did she also read it?


    I just swallowed my embarrassment. I shove my shamefulness deep down in that pit of nothingness inside me.


    Jane kept on massaging me, enough to lull me into sleep.


    "I''m sleepy..." I mumbled to the air as soon as I let the yawn escape from my mouth.


    I woke up to feel something digging in my ears.


    ; I opened my eyes and Meah is standing beside a woman I cannot discern, holding an ear


    bud with a very long stem.


    "It''s ear-wax cleaning, darling."


    Again, this is my first time being in this kind of cleaning.


    "Is this necessary?" I asked softly, my voice still snoozy.


    "Yes. This is a part of beauty preparations for the mortal bride of Alpha Tyler Jane Moonstorm. You just have to rx."


    So I did. And Meah has repeated those words several times throughout the day. When I sat down at the dental clinic led by an in-house dentist and assisted by her. When I sat down in the same room where I saw Melissa earlier and they washed and trimmed my hair. They even suggested that I should straighten my wavy onyx hair but I insisted that I don''t want to because that is a reminder to myself that even though I already buried my past from the dysfunctional Rutherford family, I am still ine Winona. I am still the seventeen-year old girl who Jordan/Tyler had a one night-stand with, the same ine Winona who the Offering Team have taken from Melissa''s former house and forced to wear a white dress and beenid at the stone table as my forest-green eyes twinkle by the light of the leap-year moon, my onyx hair swaying by the dancing of the wind.


    Meah never left my side when a ck and White wolf gave me a foot spa in their wolf form. How they manage to do that remains a mystery even to me.


    "I suggest your manicure to be cobalt blue and your pedicure to be French- tipped."


    "Yeah, anything you say."


    I let the in-house servant take care of myst stage of this beauty bridal preparation: the manicure and pedicure as well as the full make-up and hairdo made by those in-charge.


    I just sat in the same chair where they did my hair treatment. Someone uses their creativity on my hair while another one uses her talent on my face. Two different people are working at my manicure and pedicure and I try to take hold of myself not to have an anxiety attack.


    Four people and me in this room. In this air-conditioned room where I can only see Meah tending to a whitece dress. Melissa and Nicole are not yet in my radar.


    ''Breathe, ine. Breathe.'' That has been my mantra since the foot spa featuring ck


    and white wolves happened.


    ''Breathe.'' I repeated to myself onest time as the make-up artist told me to close my


    eyes as she did my eyshes.


    ''Breathe...''


    ***


    "Tan...tan...tanan..."


    My cheeks be even redder as Nicole suddenly appeared like a genie summoned.  Wearing a neon orange and aqua blue knee-length zer, he made meugh with tears as I couldn''t believe myself in the mirror.


    "Finally, you''re here! I''ve been looking everywhere for you!"


    "The bride is more beautiful than I expected!" He muttered as he cupped my face, facing


    me to the mirror that upied the whole width of the wall.


    "You remind me of the time me and Jason had our wedding four years ago." I hugged Melissa, her strawberry scent always filled my senses with utter serene.


    "Are you ready to try on your wedding dress?"


    "You don''t have to ask me if the answer is already all over my face!" I eximed. And before I could protest, Nicole covered my eyes with his hands as he led me outside


    this room.


    ; "Do not open your eyes yet, sweetie!" I hear the creaking of the door and Melissa''s


    chuckles.


    "Open your eyes!"


    "Wow!" I remained gaping for five seconds.


    ; As soon as Nicole removed his hands, thevish, glorious, white, and queenly wedding


    dress sparkled before me.

 Chapter 48: The Visit

    "The wedding dress is the trend nowadays. It''s called a mermaid-style wedding gown."


    It''s so white that, I presume if I walk down the aisleter at midnight, I''ll be the shining beacon amidst the dark of night.


    It has no sleeves and has a huge V-cut by the breasts. As I survey the wedding gown, I look at my chest, calcting how revealing my cleavage would be.


    see?"


    "I thought my wedding gown would be a conservative one?"


    Nicole raised a brow. "Nah, why hide something your Alpha would very much love to


    He and Melissa pped and I was left pouting. "And what exactly is that something?" I crossed my arms.


    "Your tits." Melissa chuckled.


    "Shh, Melissa." But my soon-to-be sister-inw remained giggling.


    "It''s you. Your beauty. The shape of you, raw and dazzling. So unt it, girl! We are no


    longer in the conservative era-we are now in the cleavage era!"


    "Okay." I don''t know if I should cover my chest with a shawl.


    "Okay? You seem unhappy." Nicole frowned and he''s so cute that I cackled.


    "Okay!" I squealed.


    "That''s the ine energy we are looking for!"


    I look at the gown again. It''s basically glittering and breath-taking, loaded with swirling designs and beads and sequins and even a belt of blue pearls across the waist.


    "So, what are you waiting for?" Nicole stretched a hand.


    "What?"


    "Oh, ine!" Nicole pressed his hand on his forehead. "Try it on so we can see how it looks at you and if there is to be adjusted like the hemline or is it too long, h h h." I blushed. "Ri-right now?"


    Nicole almost rolled his eyes gagging while Melissa squeezed my right hand. "It''s only seven hours before your wedding, ine. I''ll be here to assist you."


    "I''ll carry the dress." Meah volunteered. I almost forgot she''s here. Still here.


    I put on the wedding dress and it''s so huge and heavy that Melissa and Meah had to


    hold the dress as I slid my body inside.


    As soon as I hear the shutting of the zipper, I turn around the skinny mirror in the


    changing room.


    "Oh, dear Selena!" The V-cut opening reached an inch before my navel. This is the most revealing apparel I have ever worn.


    "You''re gorgeous!"


    "You look like Kate Middleton!"


    I looked at Meah and ine and I cried out jumping as the two hugged me.


    "Oh Meah! Oh Melissa!" Nicole''s thundering voice mmed against the door. When we opened it, it''s a good thing his husband was beside him upon seeing me in his creation, in his jaw-dropping masterpiece.


    ***


    "Oh, ine! You''re a fucking Goddess!"


    I squeaked as I brought my hair behind my ears while acting femininely cute, "I know."


    No adjustments were made when I took off the wedding dress.


    I feasted my eyes on my reflection, praising myself that I have endured half of the day without breaking down. My hairdresser inspired my look from Queen Elsa from Frozen''s coronation, where a braid was wrapped around my hair and tightened with a bun.


    "Here is for your bridal party," said Meah as I finally fixed the white spaghetti dress in my figure.


    "Bridal party? I already have my Bridal Shower," I answered as I locked the circlr dangling earrings.


    "That''s a different one. And this, starting at five in the afternoon, is basically a club for you before you are presented to the wedding altar in Alpha Tyler''s eyes."


    "Oh?" I never knew werewolves are the type of party people.


    "It''s more like a dinner party held with dancing and is mostly attended by women, served


    with expensive food at the same time party food."


    Melissa met my gaze when Meah and I closed the changing room behind us, who was in


    a midnight blue dress the same thing she wore when I saw her earlier.


    "Let''s go?" she asked.


    I inhaled, then exhaled. In seven hours, I will be Mrs. Tyler Jane Moonstorm. In seven hours, I will be the Luna, the Queen, of the Silver Pack.


    In seven hours, I will finally have a permanentst name-Moonstorm.


    ine Winona Moonstorm, so beautiful and elegant to hear and pronounce even in my mind.


    "Let''s go," I beamed at her and at Meah.


    It''s full of colors and modern music. Women, mostly young and in their early thirties, graced


    their bodies on the dance floor, swaying and moving with every beat of pop and rock music.


    ;


    I remained seated in the center, eating mozzare sticks.


    "Why aren''t you dancing?" Melissa asked as she sip from a sweating ss of mocktail. "Because I''m eating." She almost threw her beverage on the floor.


    "Ohe on, ine. I know you. You are just anxious."


    I gave her a half smile and an arched brow. "Maybe. But I cannot erase in my mind what happened to...what she did...and what will happen to "


    "Rowena," she hissed her name. "I knew her longer than you since I am the ''sacrificed'' that came before you. But..."


    "Anyone can betray anyone," I don''t know if I''m telling that to her or to myself. "That''s why I don''t make a lot of friends. Because the more you do, the more people will hurt and disappoint you."


    Melissa reached for my hand and pressed her palm against mine. "You don''t need to be sad. I am right here for you. I will give you advice, guide you, and be there for you when you and Tyler''s little one start to grow in your womb."


    She gave me a gentle smile and I just pulled my hand away, as well as my eyes.


    I will be spending myst hours as a single woman this cocktail dinner party with girls in their colorful dresses whereas me is stuck in white. Melissa said it''s a symbolism of my singleness and purity and that I must relish thest hours of being a maiden before being wedded to the Alpha-bedded by the Alpha.


    I breathed in the smell of lobster being roasted topped with cheese and chives. "Maybe you are right. We can ept the pain brought by the past and by the people we have trusted. But the thought of it happening is the reason why parties exist."


    She roared withughter; we both did. It''s the first realugh we had that we almost forgot that existed sincest night.


    "Forgive and forget," she mumbled as she pulled me to the dance floor and we both danced in ckPink''s As If It''s Your Last.


    "I don''t believe in it."


    "You don''t?" Her tone was confused as she moved her body, her left hand rested on top of her belly.


    "No. because I believe in Party Now, Cry Later."


    "Oh God, ine!" Melissa Delvin-Moonstorm almost cannot stopughing even when we reached the music''s outro.


    ***


    I danced and drank, almost exposing my breasts to the party-goers due to the amount of alcohol flowing in my body.


    I crawled to the more silent area, fixed my clothes and started crying.


    ;


    Because I believe in the happinesses-before-and-after-sadness supremacy.


    I poured all the emotion in the shadowy corner while my handkerchief was still dry. And


    my dress.


    I bowed down and covered my face with my palms, eventually digging into my crossed arms as I buried it with the neatness of the white dress.


    Emotions mixed inside me and I felt like a blender while sorrow, anger, betrayal, anxiety are the ingredients thrown in the blender. I just poured my feelings through my eyes. I don''t care


    if it will eventually flood the area but at least, I vented out without screaming, just silently letting the rain in my eyes drench my soul.


    "A bride should never cry hours before her wedding." I debated hoisting my head. The


    voice is familiar but it wasn''t Tyler''s.


    "Jose?" I wiped my eyes with a swift movement of the back of my hand. "What''s bothering you?"


    It took me five seconds to answer as I gasped for breath. "Rowena..."


    He just nodded, eventually pulling his gaze from me. He sat beside me with only a handful of space between us.


    "I grew up without knowing my mother as those heart-eating bastards have eaten her..." He started to speak and I couldn''t help but listen and open my ears for him, straightening my back. My tears dried eventually.


    "Rowena...she was my babysitter at first. But the old womanter took on the responsibilities of a mother."


    "I was hurt too," he added. I never saw Jose so emotional now. I only saw his strong face during that forest incident and heard his jovial quirky words back at Caf¨¦ del Luna the night after I came to Ste''s Soul. I never saw the softness of the man behind the iron-faced Beta until now. "You missed her, didn''t you?" My cheeks warmed in reaction. "That''s why you crawl here


    in the corner and bury your face in your white dress while you try to silently cry?" Jose clicked his tongue. "That''s what I also did during the meeting at the Silver Alpha Fortress with your fianc¨¦ hours ago. Rowena had been the nanny for me and the Moonstorm brothers. But they had their mom until they reached adolescence. I didn''t have mine as early as six."


    her?''


    He turned his body to face me, still in a sitting position. "Would you like to visit


    Those words made my senses bright and awake in an instant. "I can?"


    "Yes. If you keep it only between us." Jose winked, but woe still sparkled in his eyes. "At


    least before your wedding, you can have a closure with her. Give your friendship a proper exit


    and say goodbye to her before she receives her punishment."


    "What''s her punishment?"


    Jose only sighed. "Only the Three Alphas knew."


    Maybe I should ask Tyler by parting my legs open instead of my mouth?


    "I''d like to visit her," I whispered to Jose''s ears.

 Chapter 49: With Joses Help

    The road to the basement is as dark as the crow''s wings perched atop a leafless tree.


    From the party to here is a motherfucking almost fifteen minutes'' walk. It''s a good thing I am not wearing stiletto shoes.


    "I''ll wait for you outside," Jose then crossed his arms as he turned around. The wind howled as I turned on my heel, walking like a panther in the hopes that me and Jose''s mission would go unnoticeable.


    We bravely hope.


    The stairs were steeped as I climbed down with only five steps before the door. I pressed my left palm on the wall of brick since no railing can be gripped by my hands. Rough and hard, but I ignored those two. This is not a time toin like an entitled woman.


    "It''s locked, Jose." Jose sucked a breath before going down with me very quickly, as fast as lightning. As soon as he stopped, Jose froze the glinting metal under the light of the Worm Moon, the name of March''s full moon. Frost devoured it. The strength of coldness wrapped the metal silver lock and, with one push of Jose''s mighty fist, it broke and crashed on the ground into tiny icy pieces. The sound echoed and I bit my lip.


    "Half an hour, ine." But Jose didn''t seem rmed by the sound of the metal covered in ice cracking in the stone-cold earth. My white wedge shoes were covered by a bit of frost and snow as well.


    I nod to the number of minutes he gave me. Jose is literally this guy bestfriend everyone must have. If Tyler is my partner-in-crime, Jose is my partner-in-murder.


    The door shut behind me. As I slowly walk forward, my shoes clinking in every step, mist of air appears every time I exhale. It''s so cold down here even with the heat of the mes from the torches.


    Contrary to the modernity of the surface in Ste''s Soul, the basement-the underground-seems ancient. One that I see in historical and medieval movies and T.V. series. Only the light of the fire illuminates the path before me.


    There are so many empty prison cells. The ce reeks of pig shit and several other shit I cannot distinguish. When I heard the grunting of a woman, I immediately ran towards the source of that noise.


    "Rowena?" The light from the torches is not enough for me to recognize if this woman is really her.


    I can see the figure standing from the corner and walking towards me. A few bars on the central upper part of the wall behind serves as a tiny window, letting the moonlight enter in the cell.


    I finally sighed with relief when a moonbeam shone in her face, the face of the old woman I came for. Rowena Cruz.


    One look and I can see this is the only moment she stopped crying the second she heard my voice calling out for her name.


    "E-ine?" She let out a breathy, nervousugh. "Why are you here?"


    Ipelled the ocean of tears in me at bay. "I wanted to see you. Before midnight, before my wedding..."


    Then she wept, copsing to the murky ground of the prison cell. The fat, rusty iron bars are the only ones that separate us. I stretched out my hands to her and hers to mine.   "I''m so, so sorry."


    I looked down at the food on the te left for her at the side, where vermins are feasting on a bone of chicken and rancid-looking rice.


    "I''m sorry, too," I muttered. Though I do not really know what I am asking for forgiveness. "I''m sorry, Rowena. That I wasn''t there for you, that I did not defend you stood up for you. I was so shocked and nailed in ce that I could not mutter a word in front of the Three Alphas. I. Am. So. Sorry."


    Then I weep with her. Our synchronized cry is like an orchestra without a conductor. A thunderstorm without rain. A violinist ying a broken instrument.


    She was imprisoned here, in this dark ce beneath the ground. An abyss of loneliness,


    the ce where the traitors are punished.


    Traitors-I''m meeting with a traitor, talking to a traitor. Crying with a traitor.


    "Why did you do it?" Her head hoisted upon hearing that question. "Why?" I asked gently.


    Then, as if the God of Anger possessed me, my rage broke free from its cage.


    "WHY?!"


    Rowena flinched and released my hand. She copsed to the floor as I slowly lifted my legs to stand up. "You were the first woman I met here in Ste''s Soul. The first one I trusted after being abducted. And now, you¡ª"


    "They will be removing my memories and recing it with a fake one," she murmured so softly that I almost could not hear it due to the heaving of my chest. "The Amber Pack will be the one in-charge to punish me despite my status as being a widow of an Alpha."


    "Where will you go?" I finally calmed down.


    She took a deep breath while hugging her legs. "They will be sending me to a seasonal servant named Nicole, who owns a boutique and I will be taking the identity of an old tailor that has long worked under him or her. I don''t know who this Nicole is, if this person is a she or a he." ''Both,'' the voice in my mind giggled. There''s only one Nicole I know that is a seasonal servant and owns a boutique.


    I sighed with relief when I found out what kind of punishment she''s going to receive. "At least they are not going to disy your head on a pike.¡± I anxiouslyughed.


    Rowena did not smile or grin. ''Gosh, that was a bad joke.'' I whispered to myself.


    Then silence befalls between us, deafening and unbroken. Me and Rowena are both


    debating on who to break the quietude.

 Chapter 50: Destiny Bleeds

    And when neither of us dares to speak, I did not make bold of knowing how many minutes have passed; I just studied her-stared at her.


    Her eyes are wholly focused on the ground, tears quietly cascading from their origin. She''s sad and acknowledging her mistakes, I can see it. Feel it deep in my bones.


    Yet, I still did not know why she betrayed us. She did not answer me earlier. Yet. "Why did you do it?" I now took the courage to break the silence and ask her that vital question. But the shaking of my voice did not hide the fact that I was debating asking it. "My brother was eaten by Hearteaters weeks ago, the remaining rtive I knew, on a sunny beach in your hometown..."


    Wait. Did it happen the same day they killed the Rutherfords and the very day I crossed paths with those hideous creatures?


    Holy fuck.


    "I don''t see why it''s a good reason to do a bad thing," I uttered with untamed


    disappointment.


    "On that same day you were attacked at the Misty Forest, I was outside Selena''s Wall at that time. And one of them confronted me by mocking me how the face of my brother, the scent of him identical to mine, was so delicious that if only I was there to witness his death, I would be utterly devastated and shattered. And that brings them happiness-seeing people desperate and tormented while they cry for what has already been taken by taking hold of their heart..."


    I clenched my hand to a fist. This is all the fault of Eliane.


    ''You cannot escape your fate our fate...''


    Those words whispered to me again. A brush of cold wind stroke my cheeks, cupping it


    as if the cold wind are invisible hands of someone I do not know but utterly does.


    "The Hearteater told me persuaded me that I can see my brother again if I let them inside...inside Ste''s Soul."


    "So you let them in?" I gave Rowena a brief breathyugh. "Why would you believe those devilish creatures?"


    She looked at my green eyes, the eyes of the Misty Forest. "Eliane has the power of resurrection. And they told me that, they convinced me that if I help them revive the Forest Queen, my brother will be the first and foremost soul she will bring back."


    I don''t know if I should believe a traitor. I cannot discern whether she''s lying or


    fabricating truth but...Rowena has not lied to me before¡ª


    She already did. By betraying us and letting the Hearteaters inside.


    "What do they need here inside?"


    "Eliane''s bones are hidden here. And only by acquiring it they can revive her before the first day of full moon. They n to bring back Eliane here, within Ste''s Soul itself. But when one of them saw you the face of Eliane, your face, made them realize you are somehow connected to her..."


    ; I froze as I listened to her. I took a step back, legs wobbling. "I-I am...I¡ª¡±


    "No one knew what Eliane looked like. Not even the High Priestess Jane. Only the Hearteaters knew her face. And when one of them saw you, the one that was burned to ashes in front of us in The Arena, the Hearteaters decided that they will resurrect Eliane through you instead, a living fleshpared to remnants of bones..."


    Fear coiled inside me. My throat tightened as if someone was choking me. I was unable


    to reply. I looked away, turned away from her.


    Should I trust a traitor''s words? Should I believe someone who is capable of lying? ''Everyone lies. Some people are even born with how to say it nicely...'' That voice left me shivering. Not from the cold or but the darkness of the voice, but because I


    Am I the reincarnation of Eliane? Or perhaps her descendant?


    "Don''t go to the wedding, ine," Rowena startled me and I whipped my head to her.  "You betrayed us. And now that I am asking you politely why did you do it, you lied to me?"


    "I am not lying!"


    "Hah! All liars said that." I tilted my head to the iron bars. "And after betraying and lying, you tell me persuade me-not to go to my wedding? I guess you are a monster after all behind that motherly face of yours."


    Rowena''s lips never opened again. I shut her down, shut her up.


    I was about to return and turn back when-


    "I am only warning you. If you go to your wedding, if you entwine your life to the Alpha,


    the Hearteaters told me that your destiny will bleed, ine. Your fate shall flow in crimson blood if you mate with him."


    I stopped. I can no longer hear my heart beating, my lungs breathing. I cannot feel the blood in my veins. I was frozen. The world ceased moving.


    ''You cannot escape your fate our fate...'' The face of Eliane shed before me, the arrow


    pierced to her heart, the tears descending from the windows of her soul.


    Her forest-green eyes met mine, lingered in mine. Is that how my eyes look? So


    unyielding and so sad. The emotion of being betrayed shone on her eyes.


    ''We were both betrayed.''


    I can still see the prison cell on either side. But before me...I am gazing at the Misty Forest, the nightly nket wrapping the forest in dark shadows. ''You must choose. Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine.''


    Destiny. Bleed. Choose. Fate. Blood.


    Those words keep clinging and ying in my ears like a broken radio in a car.


    I blinked and Eliane, the Forest Queen, was grabbed by long hands that came from behind, from the sea of shadows. She cascaded below the earth as if I were before a veryrge hole in the ground.


    Someone is calling my name repeatedly, both femininely old and young and masculine.  I blink and, before I know it, I am staring at a pair of cerulean eyes. Two Brown Wolves in wolf form on each of his sides.

 Chapter 51: Jason

    "Jason..."


    I spoke his name as if it was Tyler''s. I really thought at first that it was Tyler. Thank God it was not him.


    Or maybe I should be thankful it was him?


    The Worm Moon was already shining brightly amidst the evening, my shoulders are gilded in silver thanks to its light. After a while, the air began to change as I returned my attention to my fiance''s brother. I lifted my head and drank in the cool smell of the cold wind, closing my eyes so I could breathe in it more. It carried something pungent and foul on the moist breeze.


    Someone stomped a foot. It reverberated in this narrow dark ce so I opened my eyes in an instant.


    "We''re right here, ine." Jason swept his arm towards the view of empty cells around him while his gaze was steadily on me, watching and waiting. "So stop shutting your eyes and look at us."


    I took in a deep breath and held it. In front of me is a man capable of reading thoughts and manipting memories. How could I not quiver in fear?


    Jason ire Moonstorm''s stern eyes lingered into my face, into my body, into me for being here.


    He approached me with feral wolf grace. And as he stood a few breaths away, he leaned closer to my side until his mouth was right next to my ear. "I knew you would be here... You don''t need to ask for assistance from someone else." His words were as clear as crystal, unmarred by the air inside the prison. Jason encircled me like I was a chicken and he was the vulture, surrounding me with dread and anguish.


    My words hung in my throat as I looked up at him. His jaw was clenched. His eyes were firm and fierce, angry even. Had he been here even before I stepped foot? Did they manage to watch me and Rowena as we shared our cries in the dark?


    "I will forgive you this time. But beware that my brother will hear of this disobedience." I blink to his statement. He will be my brother-inw in a matter of hours, why should I be afraid of him?


    The Alpha of the Amber Pack arrived only to speak these words to me. He tried to grab my hand but I immediately hid it behind, out of his reach. I know he will only be reading my thoughts which I gravely do not like. Among all of the wolves of Ste''s Soul, the Brown Wolves'' gifts are the least I like. In fact, I resent it.


    I noticed Jason suddenly change today. The way he looks at me, talks to me, treats me. Everything.


    Did he hear what Rowena said earlier about the Hearteaters'' n to resurrect Eliane and about my apparent connection to her? Did he?


    "How long have you been here, Jason?"


    "Why do you care?" My throat bobbed. The way he answered tells me that he had long been here. Maybe he was here since the moment I stepped in and just cloaked themselves with mirage and illusion.


    "Go. Go now, ine," Rowena bellowed behind me. "Go now."


    I swallowed all the emotions beginning to stir inside me. "Goodbye, Rowena."


    Then I turn aroundpletely. But not before Jason told me a shivering truth.


    "Thanks to you, ine. Rowena managed to spit about the Hearteaters'' n and about Eliane." His eyes softened a little.


    I breathed through my nose. Inclining my head to the side, I smirked. "I guess I should


    say ''You''re wee'' then?"


    "You could say that," he smirked back. Jason''s smile is like that of an adder.


    I nodded once and lowered my head. I couldn''t bring myself to look back at him and at


    my former friend behind the rusty iron bars.


    Jason really looks eerily bizarre. I can feel it but I can''t prove it.


    ''Maybe he''s just having a stressful day...''


    I finally turn my body away from Jason, his two wolves, and Rowena.


    I am finally able to leave this light-damned ce for good.


    As soon as I exited to the same door where Jose smashed the lock by turning it to


    ice, I left every emotion that I felt behind.


    A piece of my heart behind.


    "I told you thirty minutes," Jose blurted.


    But I just grinned in answer. "Time flies fast when you''re talking to a liar."


    Jose''s brows met, unable to decipher what I meant by.


    The Beta looked at me from head to toe as if assessing something. "Your wedding dress is still with Nicole!"


    "I know..." I whispered to myself as I walked away, shoving all the things I knew from


    Rowena deep in the abyss in me.


    The wind whipped my dress around my legs as I walked on my way. I nced at the watch around my wrist since I was tempted to know what time it is already.


    Shit.


    It''s an hour before midnight-before the wedding.


    ; I feel something following behind me. As I slowly turn around, it turns out it was only Jose in his wolf form.


    Light shed before me and I had to close my eyes as I turned my body ny degrees to the side, avoiding Jose''s gaze and his glinting copper skin. He was wholly naked. In front of me. And he''s my fiance''s bestfriend.


    Fuck.


    "I guess you should be riding in my back if you want to save twenty minutes of


    walking like a runway model."


    I rolled my eyes behind. "That''s a good idea."


    I only pursed my lips to hide the heating of my cheeks.


    So I climbed on his back. His wolf size is nearly as big as a horse but notpared


    to Tyler''s.


    As Jose started to move, I blushed even more when I fathomed that I freaking looked like a cowgirl in white wedge shoes and spaghetti dress on the Beta''s back.


    ''Who cares?'' I thought as I spread my arms horizontally in the almost-midnight breeze like how Rose from Titanic did.


    "This is life, bitches!" I chuckled as I gripped Jose''s white fur tightly.


    ***


    "You''rete!" I already anticipated Nicole''s scolding and Melissa''s where-the-fuck-have-you- been speech.


    I ignored both of them and single-handedly took the wedding gown and rushed to the


    changing room.


    I never knew weddings are this stressful even though I did not put up any money.


    Because, in the first ce, I don''t even have even a penny.


    Nicole pounded on the door three times. "Your wedding is in fifty minutes'' time!"


    "I know!" I yelled back, my mood shifting from excitement to utterly irritated. The feelings swirling inside me almost made standing impossible as if these emotions knocked the strength of my knees.


    But I kept going-I slid my body in the immensely heavy dress and zipped the back with the use of one of my hairpins.


    My silent tears swept across my face along with the stray strands of hair draping in front of me as Nicole suddenly opened the door fiercely that a few cloth from the gown fluttered like the wings of a robin.


    does.


    "Thank heavens you are dressed," he crossed his arms like how an office manager


    I just grinned as I took his arm. A frowned face was reced by a slowly smiling one. And as I looked up to my new fairy godmother, I knew I should, at least for a few hours, enjoy the night as I am bound to Tyler under the bright light of the full moon night.

 Chapter 52: Red Carpet

    I stood at the end of the blood red carpet, its color is the same as a strawberry jam.


    This is the length of the walk I shall take. From the entrance of the wall in Ste''s Soul until the Temple of the Trinity Goddess.


    And that would be around fifteen to twenty minutes of walk. Sheesh.


    ''Is this a wedding or a Walk for a Cause? Or maybe a walking marathon...'' I mused,


    secretlyughing.


    My stomach could have crumbled before me. The wild ride from Rowena''s prison to the building where I wore the wedding dress is still making my legs shake. And now, I am going to experience the second part of that?


    ''Help me, Moon Goddess...'' I prayed.


    Cold sweats from my face that could be mistaken as tears start to plummet on the red carpet. Meah is my Maid of Honor tonight since she''s the only unmarried one that became close to me. Melissa stood as my mother and sister since I both don''t have one, her hand atop her round belly before we were separated from each other earlier.


    And Jose, my fianc¨¦''s Beta..."Are you ready?" he extended his arm for me to take. Jose will be escorting me to the altar and take the role of my father (and brother). "Don''t worry. You are not going to walk your path alone." The brown male then winked at me to which I just nervouslyughed.


    This is it. This will be it. My eighteen years of finding and hoping for a greener pasture will eventually be worth it as I will officially be a Ste''s Soul resident through my marriage


    to Tyler.


    ''Don''t go to the wedding, ine...''


    I can feel Rowena''s voice just behind me.


    ''I am only warning you. If you go to your wedding, if you entwine your life to the Alpha, the Hearteaters told me that your destiny will bleed, ine. Your fate shall flow in crimson blood if you mate with him.''


    But I am always the type of woman who does not listen to what others think of me.


    ''I am ine Winona, the future Mrs. Tyler Jane Moonstorm,'' I repeated to myself. ''I will


    not be afraid...''


    I epted Jose''s offer and extended my hands to his arm. I breathe in the crisp and cold


    air, the midnight moon shining above me as I look up.


    ***


    "I will not be afraid."


    Jose looked at me sideward.


    "You should never be," he asserted as he rubbed a brotherly hand on my back.


    The Temple of the Trinity Goddesses is just beside the Luna''s Lake.


    If the wedding had been held earlier in the day, it had probably been more delightful. But now, with the light of Selena hovering over us, theke looked dark and ominous. Above it, a few clouds smeared the sky with theke reflecting the bright glow of the moon. Luna''s Lake looks so cid but my heart is notpared to that. As I walked nearer the altar, my heart hammered


    on my chest, its throbbing could probably be heard by all the seven circles of hell below.  "Rx," Beta Jose''s calm voice broke me from my anxiety and panic.


    "I will not be afraid," I reiterated.


    I wrapped my fingers tightly to the bouquet of white lilies and bluebells and among several flowers of blue and white color tied with a bright red ribbon.


    "But you look like you''re going to vomit any minute now," he teased; his hoarseugh echoing in my ears.


    ; "I will not."


    "Then don''t be afraid. Tyler''s not going to bite. At least not in your honeymoon bed." He winked again in my direction, and I blushed. My cheeks are so red that I have to cover a few stray strands of hair from my bun and sneak my fingers beneath the veil.


    The bloody color of the carpet was no longer highlighted as a bunch of silver and blue flowers gave a faint glow as I slowly walked forward, nearer to the altar. I could not help but turn my head slightly to the side, admiring the flora glowing in the dark of night. Instead of torches, bluish white lights are encased in small square sses and are ced at the sandy floor.


    The night is so dark but so bright. I gaze at every person I pass by and intimidation fills my lungs. Their eyes were on me, I am sure of it. Jose is just clemently walking as if he''s just going to disappear after this any minute now.


    Then Jose left my side as I am three minutes away from the altar.


    Behind the High Priestess and Tyler is arge circr design, which Jose whispered earlier before leaving me alone that it''s called a moon portal, filled with flowers and gemstones and locks, love locks like the one you see in Paris.


    The temple is open above, only the starry sky serves as the roof. Fireflies are faintly glowing and they look like orbs of moonbeam floating around. The ce looks so magical yet so modern. It looks well-preserved throughout the years with its beauty still intact even after centuries of it being erected.


    The Corinthian-style pirs are steeped in gold; the waning, waxing, and full moon symbols are all over the ce in a glow-in-the-dark material. Silver and blue cloths hang around the edges, intersecting each other to form an intricate view.


    I was raised Christian. And being married to a paganistic temple seems new and awakens this little excitement in me. I admit I always have anxiety when trying new things. But this is the only one of them that I did not feel afraid of as soon as I stepped foot in the Temple of the Goddesses.


    I feel jovial; raw happiness pouring to my soul. Maybe I was always meant to be in this secretmunity.


    Perhaps, even before I was born, I was designed to be a resident of Ste''s Soul. I can feel in my bones and veins that, I am fated for this-


    I am destined to be a Luna of the Silver Pack, a Queen beside the King and an obedient servant to Tyler Jane Moonstorm.


    ***


    Grandmama Jane looks regal in those silver flowing robes and the blue long-sleeve dress underneath.


    Her moon-white hair remained untied, swaying with every touch of the midnight breeze. She looks younger in this attire than her usual look where her hair is always tied to her back.


    As I reached the altar, Tyler faced me and put his right hand on his left chest before he bowed slightly.


    I did the same and curtsied as if I''m bowing to a royalty. Well, here in Ste''s Soul, Alphas are royals anyway so it''s a win-win situation.


    ; We then faced the High Priestess, whose white robes are the beacon in the night, in a


    swift turn of our bodies.

 Chapter 53: The Sacred Ceremony of Marriage

    "We are gathered here today for this sacred ceremony, where ine Winona of the mortal realm shall be bound under the light of the Worm Moon to Tyler Jane Moonstorm, Alpha of the Silver Pack, Protector of Ste''s Soul, Guardian of Moonburn, and the Stormbringer."


    ''Breathe, ine. Breathe...'' I repeated to myself as I looked at Jane''s face directly. "Before themencement of this matrimony, is there anyone who would like to go against this lunar union?"


    ''Don''t go to the wedding, ine...''


    I ignored the whispering words. I looked around, searching for Rowena because she''s the only one I knew who would go against this wedding.


    But only silence answered back.


    "As of 12:12, no one would dare to go against the lunar union of ine Winona and Tyler Jane Moonstorm," Jane, with her silver hair swinging, took a deep breath. "Let us begin."


    It became windy, so windy that my veil threatened to rip apart from my hair. Thanks to


    Nicole he managed to pin it in ce before I sprinted earlier to this wedding.


    "Before we start the unity ritual, let us all stand for the Invocation to the Goddesses." The audience stands altogether and that mesmerizes me. Under this veil, I looked Tyler in the face. Thetter just gave me a brief grin and returned his eyes to the altar.


    "Oh Great Goddesses, you light the night with your brightness, guide our day with your mightiness. May the grace and blessings from the power of three under one belief shall shower over us," they began praying and I was left listening. I never heard Tyler or Jose or any of them pray solemnly. Not until now.


    "I put my faith in Selena, the eldest of the Three, she who makes the moon shine may light up our sky in times of the darkest. Oh Selena, bright and pure, the giver of our gifts, the one who bestows the breath of every wolf, hearken us!"


    I continued to listen to them, their voice is one, unbending and devoted.


    "I believe in the Ruler of the Stars, Ste, the might of light, the weaver of dreams. May


    you listen to the dreams we keep on dreaming."


    I remained silent, lips pursed,posed and observing.


    "I celebrate the gloriousness of Aurora, the youngest, the Lady of Dawn, she who bathes


    us in ten folds of gold, she who showers us with wealth and health. We pray you heed our call. Guide us in each day that we may remain unyielding like the rise of dawn," they stop for a


    heartbeat as they pound their chest with their fists as they speak thest part of their invocation. "Oh Lady of Hope! Oh Ruler of Stars! Oh Queen of the Moon! We put our faith in you, we believe in you, we celebrate you!"


    The prayer ended and I was left in awe. I could have pped my hands if it wasn''t locked with Tyler''s.


    "You may now sit down," said Jane.


    I sat in the flowery chair beside Tyler, who is on my left and I am on his right.


    The High Priestess Jane has muttered more words, mostly pertaining to their belief from the Book of Moons. I was left listening and the twenty-minutes preach almost sent me to a slumber if it wasn''t for Tyler''s presence¡ªhis scent sending me in a garden of serenity.


    "It is now the time for our Handfasting Ritual." Tyler willed me to stand as he hoisted my hands in the air. Jose and Meah, who bear a ribbon of blue and silver respectively, approached


    us.


    "Before that, let the Alpha mark his bride as his and the Luna to the Alpha as hers. Let the Marking of the Matesmence."


    Tyler''s hand slid to my neck and lingered there. I almost shrieked when his fangs sank in my skin and it tingled. It''s sore but not that painful.


    Tyler then tore his tuxedo, revealing his six-pack abs. Meah handed me two pairs of silver fingernails.


    ; Grandmama Jane gestured to me to scratch Tyler''s chest in a cute roar-roar motion of her hand.


    I quickly slid the silver fingernails. And, with a swift swipe of the sharp silver nails, red blood flowed from his chest but it immediately faded into four curve lines. A scar on his chest and a scar on my neck. Those are the Marking of the Mates.


    ; "Let us begin the Handfasting." Grandmama Jane nodded to Jose and Meah, then to Tyler and me.


    "I, Tyler Jane Moonstorm-" he started, Jose tying the blue ribbon around our entwined hands. "Alpha of the Silver Pack, Protector of Ste''s Soul, Guardian of Moonburn, and the Stormbringer, will take ine Winona of the Mortal Realm as my wife, friend, mate, master, and servant until our hearts cease to beat together. I will give my words to her to remainmitted, mutually loving, and sexually equal in this union. My body shall be her body. My heart will beat with hers. My soul will be bound to hers. We are one, from now until death ims us."


    I smiled at him and he smiled back, sweetly. The smile I see when Tyler''s back to himself,


    to being the fluffy dog I know and the thoughtful fianc¨¦ I once knew.


    Meah then extended the silver ribbon as she slowly tied our locked hands atop the blue one as I spoke my vows. "I, ine Winona of the Mortal Realm, will take Tyler Jane Moonstorm, Alpha of the Silver Pack, Protector of Ste''s Soul, Guardian of Moonburn, and the Stormbringer as my husband, friend, mate, master, and servant until our hearts ceased to beat together. I will give my words to him to remainmitted, mutually loving, and sexually equal in this union. My body shall be his body. My heart will beat with his. My soul will be bound to his. We are one, from now until death ims us."


    The ribbons felt tight as we squeezed each other''s hands. Tyler grabbed from Jose a silver ring with blue diamond surrounded by tiny pearls and slid it to my hand, ignoring the ribbons. Meah appeared beside me and I slid a silver ring with a diamond that shone as moonbeam cast its way at us and slid it to his hand.


    All I notice is that a pool of tears starts to escape from his eyes. I wanted to wipe those tears away with my thumb so badly but I couldn''t. So I just blinked at him, once. He blinked back twice at me


    "Happy tears," Grandmama whispered with a delightful smile.


    I beamed at her.


    "By the power of the Three invested upon me, the couple may now seal this union with a kiss." Tyler slowly lifted the white flowing veil, my face wet with waterworks thanks to this one heaven of an emotional night. His thumb brushed my lips. And before I could blink, Tyler Jane Moonstorm''s lips crashed into mine.


    And on the night of March 29th, I, ine Winona-Moonstorm, savored the kiss of my now-husband. I could only hear the standing of people and the sound of them pping and cheering as we seal this union with a passionate kiss.

 Chapter 54: Long Live the Luna and Alpha

    Tyler parted his lips first. I was left panting, grasping his wrist as I caught my breath.


    "I love you," he murmured as he slowly pulled away his face.


    "I love you too."


    As the sound of the silver-and-blue bells spread in the air, Tyler and I walked the blood red carpet with hands entwined to one another, souls bound to each other.


    We walked down the carpet not just as husband and wife, but as two souls connected with a far deeper bond-


    We walked down the aisle as mates, unyielding and unbroken. Shining and jovial as ever. "Long live ine and Tyler!" Everyone cheered as each one of them raised a flower. I don''t know why they are saying as if we''re newly crowned English royalty but I smiled anyway.


    As they hoisted their flowers, a strong wind blew everyst petal away from the stem. It was such a mesmerizing view-a shower of petals that seemed like cascading from the starry sky.


    Tyler squeezed my hand and he hoisted it, the ribbons dancing as the wind blew past our direction. The cheer from the attendees even grew louder as Tyler kissed my cheeks softly.


    "Shall we begin being a couple now?" He whispered, ivory teeth shing. I didn''t need to look at the people of Ste''s Soul''s expressions when Tyler said that.


    ***


    I beamed at my husband. "We already have."


    The bridesmaids followed me out to the edge of the water. I don''t recognize most of them but I am sure half of them are mortals and half of them are she-wolves, the same as the groomsmen. The entourage is bnced with the number of mortals and werewolves because that''s what Ste''s Soul is anyway-a ce for both kinds to prosper and live together, letting the strength of love surpass envy and judgment.


    The sand was harder here. I slipped off my white wedge shoes and let my toes sink down into it. The water is refreshing and cool and pleasant.


    "One, two, three!" Then a sh from the camera and the sound of it made me quickly smile without even brushing away the strands of hair that blocked my eyes.


    My bridesmaids closed the distance from me and we ended up with several memorable posts that I only managed to do with a few of my mortal friends in Maine.


    "Reception time, everyone!"


    Tyler took my hand and we led the different packs and cluster of mortals to The Arena- which a hint of sadness briefly shed in my face due to my memory of Rowena there but it eventually vanished as soon as a myriad of circr tables, covered in silver and blue cloth appeared before me. To the side are rectangr tables all filled with food and beverages and desserts. On the stage was arge picture of me and Tyler photoshopped in a romantic scene: him lifting me from the ground as our faces nearly met.


    Tyler left my hand to shake hands with seasonal servants like Nicole who only often attends and he rarely meets.


    I saw Jason dressed like Marilyn Manson, an electric guitar dangling from him. He looks much happier than an hour ago though I did not see him during the wedding ceremony or maybe he''s just in the corner because I was so focused on Tyler and our wedding.


    "Hi, Jason!" I waved as soon as I saw him, brushing aside the embarrassment I feel due to the prison encounter earlier.


    "Ooh, how''s my sister-inw, hm?" He immediately hugged me as if his anger never existed an hour ago.


    "Tyler, uhm, how''s Rowena?" I asked shyly.


    "She''s fine, I guess. I haven''t visited her since this morning. I was busy practicing for this reception''s music which will be led by us, The Brown Boys. It''s been a while since I yed a mortal instrument." Jason chuckled and winked before saying goodbye as another male dressed almost like him dragged him to the stage. They need to begin ying now in order to make midnight more alive as far as I''ve heard from their conversation, not even paying attention to me as the bride, as the new family member in Ste''s Soul.


    "Maybe they are just busy. Everyone has their role and I must not be overly emotional," I said to myself.


    But did I just hear clearly what Jason said before disappearing? Did he really not visit Rowena since morning or even meet me at the prison earlier?


    "ine!" That female voice only belongs to one person.


    "Melissa!"


    "Congrattions!" She hugged me tightly and I almost could not breathe when she lifted


    me an inch from the stone earth. "Oh m¡ªyou finally passed through everything! Wee to the family!" The pregnant woman is so happy, so smiling.


    But my head began spinning.


    "ine?"


    My sight began to fade.


    "ine?" Melissa''s voice echoed.


    ***


    Then I copsed.


    "ine!!!"


    Thevish Swarovski engagement ring in my finger faced me, beside it was the wedding ring that Tyler slid-


    "What time is it? Where am I?!"


    "Rx, ine. You just fainted." Tyler''s voice is so sexy. But that sexiness was not enough


    to stop the terror in my system.


    "You''re pregnant, ine." Melissa muttered beside me. I can still hear the music and the reverie from the reception even from here.


    "What?!" Tyler and I both bellowed at the same time.


    Melissa only nodded her head. "The doctor told me minutes ago, the one ying the drum in Jason''s band."


    "Just an hour of being a bride, you already lost bnce. Is that a bad omen?" Jose''s face is facing me directly; his body leaning at the back of the headboard of this bed.


    I just noticed this bed was not situated beside the wall.


    Jose was no longer wearing a tuxedo. He''s now wearing a shiny ck leather jacket above a bloody red shirt. Melissa is still wearing that off-shoulder midnight blue dress. Tyler, like his Beta, is wearing a leather jacket-except for the in white polo shirt underneath it. I looked down at my body and realized I was no longer wearing the heavy but stunning wedding dress. I am now wearing a royal blue spaghetti dress that made my breasts almost left unclothed. I don''t know why people think that, if you''re showing too much skin, it means you''re sexy. For me, it''s not. Absolutely not.


    "I would like to change my clothes..."


    ; "Didn''t you like the dress I picked for you?" I never noticed Meah, who was beside Jose, if she did not speak.


    "This is too revealing." I can see Tyler grinning.


    Jose only smirked. "Of course, give the married woman a proper dress, will you?" His voice is sarcastic and Meah immediately recognizes it, rolling her eyes as she walks away. ; "How long have I been carrying a child?"


    "Two weeks," replied Jose.


    "How did you know?" Melissa demanded.


    ; "What? I just heard your conversation with that doctor."


    "But it''s a women''s conversation!"


    Tyler and I onlyughed as I slowly willed my body to sit.


    ; "I am a werewolf who can easily hear the voices beside the room, what do you expect,


    woman?!"


    Jose pouted cutely.


    "I''m hungry," I sighed.


    "Of course you are. It''s already two in the morning," Tyler pressed a hand on my forehead.


    ; Jose only huffed a breathyugh. "Why didn''t I realize both of you are already acting like


    a couple even before you are wedded?!"


    Tyler gave his sister-inw a tight nod. Melissa pulled Jose and dragged him outside the door. "Wait, what are you doing?" Jose demanded. I held myugh when I saw his face. "It''s still two in the morning, don''t tell me they will be having sex in a hospital bed!"


    But the door still mmed shut.


    Tyler looked at me with worry and happiness. "Now that you''re mine, can we be kinky now?"


    I gave him a half-smile. "No, thank you. I prefer a vani sex rtionship."


    Even if I tried to protest, because first of all, the door is not fucking locked, Tyler


    still dived down in my mouth.


    Only to be stopped when Meah entered, as silent as a sleeping cat.

 Chapter 55: The Wedding Reception

    I am wearing a cerulean blue dress the color of my Alpha''s eyes. Its sleeves reached my elbow, and the neck has more of a U-cut than the V-cut ones I often wear for the past weeks since I arrived.


    This is more conservative. Since I''m married now, I only want Tyler to be the one to see my asset beneath thisyer of clothing.


    "Can we dig into the reception now?" I purred to Tyler, whose nose is still ring at Meah. The in-house mortal servant only grinned like a Cheshire cat.


    I grabbed Tyler''s hands and hoisted him from his seat, leading him outside this room


    from one of their little hospitals within Ste''s Soul.


    The Arena is still full of people. When Melissa saw us, she waved a hand to the table


    meant for the newly-weds.


    Pop music flooded the air where Jason is the vocalist. As I sat at the table, a tray of food was already beside mine: sizzling butter scallops, a huge grilled lobster, filet mignon, and a bowl of avocado sd.


    Those were the only ones I ate first since I am still feeling a bit unwell. "Feeling better?"


    I gave Melissa azy nod. "Better but not well."


    She stroked my hair and I looked up to her, wishing I was facing my mother instead.I


    never knew my parents; I''m adopted, that''s why.


    Since I''m married now, I feel the urge to look for them, see them at least once.


    But with the threat of Hearteaters lingering around Moonburn... ''It''s impossible.''


    I spent the rest of my time eating and listening to Melissa about her story back when she was still na?ve. Eating and listening, drinking and talking. From my misfortune in having boyfriends in highschool to my one-night stand with Jordan/Tyler, me and Melissa''s rtionship grew even more.


    She was indeed the sister I never have. Now that she''s my sister-inw-I will cherish this familial bond with her. I reached for her hand, cing mine atop hers. Our eyes met and we smiled, findingfort from each other.


    When Tyler''s voice suddenly interrupted us.


    No. He was not talking. He''s freaking singing on stage, making the lead vocalist, which is


    his brother, standing beside him, grumpy like a turtle.


    ***


    "I''ve been your crying boulder. I''ll be the hope of your empty side..."


    Tyler''s singing the stage. Our ears almost bleed if it wasn''t for ourughing.


    He doesn''t even know the lyrics of the song. Yet, he still tried hard to impress me.  "You be aughingstock." I said to him as soon as he came down and invited me for a walk at theke.


    "I never intended to impress you by singing. I want to make youugh by singing." I roared withughter, almost rolling in the sandy shore of the Luna''s Lake.


    Tyler and I walked while holding hands. The ribbons are finally untied and tied in the moon portal in the temple instead, along with the love locks that bear our name. "You are always beautiful when you smile."


    I stopped as he withdrew his hand. We are now far from the reception, covered in the shadows even with the moon''s light. Theke is dark and ominous, beckoning us to bathe in its serenity.


    Tyler then moved his hand to my neck, brushing aside the stray hairs that hade loose from my bun and wrapped his index finger around a strand of hair. He grinned like a wolf, twirling the lock of my onyx hair.


    "You look beautiful, my moon..."


    I arched my brow. "I was not informed you have new nickname for me."


    He chuckled darkly. "Our Honeymoon House is over there," he looked past my


    shoulder. "Just saying."


    "We will not be spending it in your mansion?"


    He shook his head. "We must follow the traditions, babe."


    I leaned to him, my mouth on his stubble. "And did the tradition tell you not to get wild


    in bed?"


    "We are always wild in bed," said Tyler. "I don''t need to base by the book about fucking."


    I giggled so hard that I dropped to the water, my mouth on the zipper of his pants to where his dick is sleeping.


    "We should go back now." I uttered, looking at the partying people in the distance that are but a faint noise from afar.


    ***


    "I don''t want to yet." Tyler yielded a seductive look as he unbuckled his pants.


    And I was left waiting until his pants were wholly in the water.


    All it would take would be one smooth move and Tyler would be inside me.


    Yet he remained standing in theke while I fullyid my body in the water''s coolness,


    looking up to the sky and wishing I was one of the stars.


    I stood from the water when he failed to move, both of us dripping wet.


    When he still did not budge, I instead hooked my legs around him as he lifted me


    from the water, our lips close to meeting.


    And it did meet. And we both crashed in the water when I pushed him. No one heard the sshing of water in the distance. Not when werewolves and mortals are busy partying at a wedding that will only happen every four years.


    I put my palms atop his chest, to where I scratched him earlier with the silver fingernails. I kissed those scars, Tyler moaning as my lips were on those markings while my hand massaging his manhood. Warm and smooth-he is warm and smooth and manly against my naked body. His scent of rain and forest and mist contend with the briny fragrance brought by theke. I set him down and stared at him. He stared back at me.


    As if the Goddesses are watching, the moon casts its light to where we are. Me on top of him. Shining-Tyler and I were shining bright like a fiery beacon, like one of the stars that illuminates the dark sky.


    And I dived down into him, full and confident.


    As I unleashed my majestic femininity atop him, we almost forgot that there were people in the distance.


    But we did not care. No. Pleasure is the business we only care about now. I ceased moving inside him, my core just devouring his masculinity as if it was hungry and ravishing for his mighty essence. Tyler put his hands on my waist and began to dance, filling my world and my soul with dazzling power. Unburning red fire surrounds us. Cold meets heat as we moaned and moved and fucked; the stars, the moon, the wind, and the shadows of the night are the only witnesses to our wild convergence.


    He was my man. I was his. Tyler''s body is my body; my heart beats to the rhythm of his movement. My soul sings the hymn of his name. This is love, pure and equal in all aspects. I am his master, he is my ve beneath me tonight. I gazed down at him; he looked up at me. Ecstasy purred throughout my bones. Fire became embers, rippling from him like vines of fierce light.


    Then it vanished into but a smoke in the wind. As he reached out a hand to me, I instead entwined it with mine, bringing it to the either side of his head. My lips sat on top of his, brushing and teasing while my body bounced and grind against his.


    I came first. But I waited for him, so I kept moving like a cowgirl atop a huge horse. ; I waited and moved, danced and kissed. I don''t care if the wolves hear us. We are


    married anyway under the light of the Worm Moon.


    And so we will have our bed under the light of the night, with the moon watching over


    us, smiling as we both reach the peak of our sensual convergence.

 Chapter 56: A Newlywed Lovemaking

    "The light from the party has turned bluish..." I said to Tyler as he locked my bra while my back faced him.


    A woman should always marry a man who knows how to lock and unlock a bra.


    "It''s time for a toast," Tyler only kissed my nape.


    One moment, lights burst into various colors of the rainbow. Now, it was utterly blue for minutes already.


    "You will find out as soon as we return to The Arena," he barked as he threw me my whitece underwear. Looking up to him, his untamed sexiness did not falter, I grinned like a pussy cat. "I can''t get enough of you, wolfie."


    Alpha Tyler touched my flesh before wrapping his arm in my waist. "Neither did I."


    "Okay, everybody. Listen up!" Jason''s cheeks are now colored in red.


    ''Is it because of the alcohol?''


    "We have now reached the end of our party."


    The entire people groaned. Good thing Jose is behind him and is still not yet fully intoxicated. "What Jason meant is that we have nowe to the part where we will now send off our newly-weds for their Consummation Session in the Honeymoon House but we will still be partying until, drum rolls please!" Jose then cheerfully ordered. "UNTIL THE BREAKING DAWN!" Everyone cheered, even my husband beside me who was clearly overwhelmed by his brother and bestfriend''s energy.


    "Let us toast." They raised their sses-we raised our sses. And the sound of clinking reverberated early in the morning, where the sun is not yet out and the sky still shines with darkness.


    ''Does the Goddesses crafted them during a party or they put a sprinkle of party-lover in their soul?'' I pondered as I emptied half of the ss.


    "But before that," Jason grabbed the microphone. "Let us know who will be wedded in the next four years!" Drum rolls sounded and cheering echoed when Jason dered those words. "Will the bride stand in the center facing the audience?" I did what they said. And it was only women and in-house male mortal servants that stood in front of me. All the werewolves are positioned on my back.


    "On the count of three, the bride will throw the bouquet and the one who can catch it will be the next one to have his or her wedding four years from now!"


    Both werewolves and mortals roared when Jose''s voice reverberated. Fixing my grip on the flowers as I forbid my body to turn around and see, I then threw the flower in a swift throw of my arms.


    Next thing I knew there was the sound of overjoyed shrieking at the back and the women and mortals pping and smiling widely.


    "Jose! Jose! Jose!" Their cheers are so jovial and vivacious that, when I turn to look, Jose


    is lifted from the ground by Jason, who poses in a model-like position who looks like he is sexily seducing anyone on the floor. The flower being hoisted by his left hand.


    "Jose will be the next one to bring a mortal girl! Hooray!"


    The lively music returned, colors bursting into a rainbow again. I only grunted when Tyler lifted me from the ground while tending to my waist-into a carriage pulled by wolves, who all look like ponies in blue and silver mascots and feathery hats around their heads.


    Tyler clicked his finger and the four wolves howled together. I whimpered when the pulling of the carriage started and the sweating drink around my hand stained my dress.


    "Oh shit!"


    "It''s alright," he assured me as he touched my chin. And, in a wave of his hand, my ss is full again.


    I wonder if it still tastes like champagne or more like water.


    "It tastes more like water since our water magic does not include making wine out of thin air." We both chuckled to our hearts content until I saw in the corner of my eye that one of the wolf nced at us like how a female does when seeing two couples smooching,


    My fingers remained in Tyler''s grip. Tasting the cool and crisp wind and the faint light from the moon vanished as we stopped in front of the Honeymoon House, the fa?ade so big and beautiful for two people who will be living here in a week.


    "Here we are, ine " Tyler whispered to me as my eyes were fixed on the fading


    carriage from a distance. "Finally."


    I turned to him. He was tall and dark and handsome, short hair ttering in the breeze. Something stirred inside me and the next moment, my whole body was lifted from the ground, carrying me in his arms like how he picked me up from the stone table on the night of the leap year.


    ***


    I was on fire like the candle in the oldmp beside our bed.


    The party has finally ended. And we are now in our bed.


    Our honeymoon bed.


    thing.


    Alone and dark as Tyler perched on top of me like a raven ready to devour this poor


    This will be our first time ever together since the official Consummation Season began thirty minutes ago.


    With our breaths as the music and the floor as the dance floor, our bodies continue to dance in the song of pleasure. Clothes discarded on the cold ground covered by the darkness of the night.


    "Dawn is nearing," I murmured between Tyler''s balls.


    "Who cares about the dawn?"


    He shrugged, letting his dick slide inside my mouth again. Devouring him whole, tongue


    ying and lingering. Blowing him as if this will be myst.


    "Even if vultures surround us, we have all the time in the world, my snow flower."


    "We don''t." I released his cock and sat, tits bouncing while doing so. Though Tyler''s


    weight made the half of my body still pinned on the blue bed.


    "Am I going too fast? Am I too big? Why did you stop?"


    I shook my head in answer. "No. Can''t you see the sky from the window? It''s already the break of dawn!"


    But the Alpha in front of me just pressed his hand on my bosom and entered me behind,


    continuing our halted intercourse.


    I just sighed and justid my body t on the bed.


    "Fine. Just promise me this will be ourst round. My pussy is already sore!"


    I could feel Tyler grinning with his teeth shing. His wet lips dive down on the neck of


    the beauty he''s banging, to where his mark lies. I moan and cry out his name, pounding my fist


    on the bed sheet with every sensual thrust he did.


    ***


    "You already seem tired, ine."


    ; Half an hour has passed and thank the Goddesses Tyler finally realized that.


    "I fucking am, husband!"


    I was washing myself in the stone bath, this time it''srger here. He strode down the stone steps until he reached me, until his body touched the water.


    I beamed at him as we sat us both down in one of the stone steps of the water, solid and hard against my back. He pushed me off to sink further beneath the surface, filling us with water up to our neck. I reached for the bottle of liquid bath soap ofvender and melon scent and handed it to him.


    "Why are you so eager to clean yourself when you know I will still get you dirty?" He winked at me and I blinked in answer, it means that every little thing he does to me affects me greatly. His voice is so orgasmic that I could listen to him just talk and talk for the rest of the night/early day.


    Tyler touched every sensual part of me: my lips, my neck, my tits, my flesh, my legs. I situated my body on top of him just above his hugeness; my purr of pleasure is a brush of air against his ear.


    "Tyler, fuck me." He looked at me when I unleashed those seductive words, heating the water with more of his natural sexiness. His face heated but my core only tightened, open for him at any time. "Open." I obeyed, parting my petite legs in one quick motion.


    And it also takes one move of him toe inside me and fill me with his entirety. Our bodies are a breathing flesh of scorching passion and the reminder of tonight''s


    pleasure of our consummation, here and here only.


    The strawberry-scented candle''s tawny light danced over my neck to where his Mark of the Mate can be found. He kissed it before his lips found my mouth and lingered in there. I looked down at him, my arms around his neck while his were spread on the edge of the warm bath.


    Cold wind blew and touched my cheeks; his strong and careful thrusts unwavering. The muscles on his arms tensed as Tyler let out a moan.


    He moaned and moaned, until I joined his cry of sexual paradise. Here, in the waters, in the warm bath. The rushing of water stopped. With Tyler''s every move, it rippled in the bath sexily.


    "You are mine..." Tyler''s words were barely audible over the trickle of water as I washed my naked body.


    "Let me wash you now, love." I froze, and in a heartbeat, he''s already applying that fragrant soap in every inch of my skin.


    "I love making love with you, my love."


    "I never knew you''re phenomenal in tongue twisters." He chuckled against the tip of my breasts. He dived down on my two mountains again, his head buried on my cleavage.


    "Let''s just fuck." I dered while letting him crawl on top of me. We changed positions, my head on the concrete rim of the tub while my hands gripped his waist. "You have a perfect way of saying you want to be with me tonight, Alpha Tyler Jane Moonstorm."


    "Well you can''t me me, Mrs. Moonstorm." My heart leaped in excitement. From this very night, I will spend my present and future here in Ste''s Soul. From now on, I shall focus my attention with my soon-to-be husband and our soon-to-be born child. I will wee the other wolves that will soon serve as a part of this huge family and I can also lean on them as my friends, today until there is no tomorrow.


    He continued rocking on top of me. I can feel his gaze despite me closing my eyes as I relish this time we have. When I opened my eyes, I only found a pair of cerulean blue eyes staring down at my body and soul. "I will always love you."


    "I love you too." He is mine to make love for the rest of the years I shall live with him. He


    is mine to kiss in every night that wakes and every morning that dawns.


    His breath was warm on my ears. I bit Tyler''s lower lip as I slid my hands from his waist up to his neck and lingered there.


    I never heard a man who moaned louder than a woman when fucking.  We''re making love. Not fucking, not banging. We are making our love that will be felt by our bodies, physically and intimately.


    "You are my Alpha and I am d I am your sacrifice whoter turns out to be your wife and Luna." Tyler cackled at my words but immediately clenched my jaw and his warm, smoking hot lips crushed on mine. "You are my queen on a chess board, where my every single step cannot contend with every powerful move you make."


    His strong hands pressed against my stomach, then to my waist, then finally to my ass. He lifted me as he kept pushing and pulling. My pussy tightened and I cried in ecstasy. My face buried itself in his abs. I leaned further in order to make his dick delve deeper.


    His thumbs massaged my lips but I bit it softly and seductively.


    His eyes danced with canine amusement. We both chortled, giggling to our hearts content. My hands gripped his hair, its color is ck in the dark but blue in the ray of light, and brought it to my breasts. My chest burned. It burned with these wild feelings that I can only express when I''m naked and rocking him.


    "We will always be equal. We are both dominant and submissive. But we can be either all the time."


    "All the time?" My brows hoisted. It''s my turn to challenge him.


    "All the time, ine."


    I bit my lip and he kissed my mouth once. Tyler''s hands sliding to grip my waist, tugging me


    closer to him.


    I straddled him faster and rougher. With his groin between me, I always felt alive. Different but alive.


    "Tomorrow," Tyler said, mouth slightly open to make way for my kiss. "I will fuck you in the clouds."


    ; "You''re telling me this now that we''re in this position?"


    "I forgot. Because my Queen and Luna is giving me pleasure that I can only taste when I


    am with her," Tyler said with sparkling eyes.


    And the glorious light in those blue eyes, the joy, the love, the desire...they knocked a breath from me.


    A future. With him. We finally have a future together, one that I only often wish under the twinkling stars above. I would have a future-a life with the werewolf I was sacrificed. He is my husband, my Alpha.


    I give myself to him fully and wildly. Here, in the Honeymoon House, our bodies shall join in a paradise that can only be found when we are one. I give every bit of my heart to him. I handed over my entirety to him-my body, my spirit, my heart, my soul. My past, my present, my


    future.


    Myself.


    And Tyler Jane Moonstorm, Alpha of the Silver Pack, Protector of Ste''s Soul, Guardian


    of Moonburn, the Stormbringer, have already done the same even before I first came to Ste''s


    Soul.

 Chapter 57: Rowans Story

    (Told in 3rd POV)


    200 years ago...


    "You shall be the Alpha if something ever happens to me or to my son before he turns eighteen..." Those words reverberated in Rowan''s ears as he inched his ears closer to the wall. His father is talking to Beta Geoffrey just a day before the night of his eighteenth birthday.


    Rowan does not know what to feel. He feels excited because his birthday is nearing. But he also feels pressured because, anytime, his father can rece him if Rowan disappoints the current Alpha.


    It''s as if everything he has waited for years and years of his life will be taken away in a blink of an eye.


    Rowan put a hand to his chest, where his throbbing heart is caged within him: scared but eager. Frantic, he climbed to the peak of Selena''s Wall, where the view in the city of Moonburn as well as the secret vige of Ste''s Soul can be both seen. Rowan drank in the taste of full moon night; crisp and cool, those feelings lightened the emotions wrapping tightly in his heart like a ribbon. Delicious light of the sky prompts him to moon-bath, and took off his shirt.


    Slowly, Rowan Moonstorm took off his clothes until his upper torso was wholly drenched by moonbeams, not even an inch hidden from the touch of the night.


    ''If only I could shift into my wolf form...'' He wished as he put his two hands under his head as his face looked up to the night above.


    Under the sea of stars like in a sleeping position, Rowan turned to his side, to where the bright city of Moonburn is situated.


    A faint light in the distance captured his attention, as well as the sound of horses


    neighing and a woman''s cry for help.


    "Help! Help! My horseman fainted!" Rowan''s nose red, sniffing the air. "Alcohol," he murmured.


    With his werewolf strength, though not as strong with the ones that have wolves, Rowan Moonstorm climbed down from Selena''s Wall and onto the ground of the Misty Forest,nding on both of his feet like a cat.


    "Need help?" His sweaty chest glints by the light of the first full moon night, making the woman shriek louder.


    "How dare you, sir! You need to put your clothes on or "


    "I don''t have clothes," Rowan stalked nearer, the darkness of his hair bing brighter


    as he stepped out of the light.


    "Are you lost too?" The woman curtsied towards her, handing him a coat to cover his bare six-pack abs.


    "No." He said firmly. "I live here."


    "Oh..." The woman looks as if to try to grab back the fur coat from him.


    "Locals said there had been werewolf sightings in this ce," he can see the shivers barking in her body. "But I don''t believe in that stuff, not even ghouls or ghosts. We are just lost and-" she stopped as the horseman began to snore. The womanughed breathily, nervously. "He''s just drunk," Rowan snapped. Her face full of make-up was oozing with embarrassment. "Just head straight in the right and you will find your way to the road and out of the Misty Forest."


    She looked at where he was pointing, curly hair wobbling as she whipped her head. "Misty Forest? Is that what this forest is called?"


    But no one answered her back. She looked around, and only mist stretched far in the empty space.


    "Wake up!" She pinched the man''s neck and he woke up. But the light in their carriage was its turn to sleep.


    "I think we will be heading out on the road without lights, Madam." "Hush, you "


    Howling. She heard howling. They heard howling.


    "Is that..."


    The howling was followed by vigorous barking.


    The horseman''s eyes went wide. Cold sweats streaming down her face.


    "We should get out of here."


    "Yeah, you should." Rowan growled from behind. His growl sounds more monstrous than he expected as he hides in the cloak of mist.


    neigh.


    "AHHH!" The woman and the horseman sprinted away, whip echoing with every horse''s


    "That was fun," he bit his lower lip before traversing back to his home.


    "You look amused, son." His father, Alpha Karin beamed at him by the doorway, themp tacked


    in the wall with the scent of honey wax candle melting at the either side of the door greeting his


    nose.


    "I was just out for a walk in the Misty Forest."


    "And what is that feminine scent?" His father raised a brow, smirking unwaveringly.  ''Oh Selena...'' Rowan mused.


    "Is it the same woman?"


    Rowan nodded. "Yes. The same woman who keeps on getting strayed in our forest."


    ; "The Misty Forest you mean? It is not our forest. No one owns the forest but nature herself."


    "Of course, you have lectured that to me all the time," Rowan could not keep his eyes rolling whenever his father would tend to be a preacher of Philosophy rather than a pack leader.


    "Anyway. Just make haste and go clean yourself. Join me for dinner afterwards."


    ;


    "Yes, father," Rowan curtsied to a bow.


    ; "Don''t let the food wait for you!" Alpha Karin''s voice thundered in the air.


    "Of course, he would say that." Rowan sighed as he shook his head, stalking towards the


    ***  "It''s cold."


    Rowan lifted his feet from the surface of the Luna''s Lake, almost hesitant to take a bath under the light of the moon when a hand, light and with dainty fingers settled on his shoulders. "It''s only cold when your body is not on the water itself. Try going a bit further and sink into theke up to your neck. The coldness will vanish instantly, I promise."


    His eyes narrowed at the High Priestess, whose flowing white dress that did not so much cover her bosom was now wet when she stepped on to the water.


    "Come on!" Eliane turned towards Rowan, whose cheeks heated for a bit, gaping at the woman who he only saw as nothing more but the High Priestess of Ste''s Soul.


    But now...Rowan Moonstorm now sees her as a woman¡ªas a blooming young woman with delicate features and body so beckoning for a young man like him.   For a man like him.


    Eliane''s flowing white dress, which honestly did not so much cover her breasts and body, was now wet when he stepped on to the water.


    "Come on!" Eliane turns towards Rowan, who wiped the sweat on his brows. His eyes did not look away from the High Priestess.


    "She''s beautiful." Rowan''s muscle tensed as he whispered it to the night. "Thank Selena, she can''t hear me."


    ; "Come now, Rowan! It''s not that cold," Eliane shouted. Her hair and face now utterly wet with theke''s waters.


    As Rowan walked into the water, half of his body devoured by theke''s coldness, he sshed water at her when he reached Eliane and thetter countered.


    And they stopped when their gaze locked at each other. Something sparkled between


    those gaze. Something unexpected and forbidden. Yet, inevitable.


    "Eliane..."


    "Rowan."


    And so they are consumed by their bodies'' yearning for each other under the light


    of the dead of night.


    ***


    "What took you so long to bathe?" His father, Alpha Karin, sniffed the air as Rowan was about to enter their abode.


    "I-I got so much pondering in theke because of the coolness of the waters. That''s why I did not notice the time I had already consumed."


    Alpha Karin''s eyes only narrowed as if he did not believe his son. "And how about the lesson that the Priestess Eliane taught you about riding a woman? Is that included in the time it took you to ''ponder''?" His father asked with a wolfish grin, ivory teeth shimmering in the light of the candles.


    Rowan swore there was an unspeakable emotion in his eyes that made Alpha Karin''s grin be a smirk.


    He beamed back at him but his father''s gaze fell on the untied pants and the jerking of his manhood. "Put on some proper clothes. We have important matters to discuss at the dining table."


    Then silence befall between them. The crickets'' nightly song was the only thing that disturbed the quietude as Rowan slid to his room, the candle flickering and dancing amidst the dimness for his father had left him to light the other candles all by himself again.


    ''If father can light all the candles in the house with one wave of a hand, why leave me to light my room''s candles all by myself?'' Rowan mused; brows meeting in that question that was never answered no matter how many times he tried to think of it.


    But Rowan''s father always said to him why he does that: discipline. Alpha Karin trained his own son, the future Alpha of the strongest pack in Ste''s Soul as a disciplined, not only a son, but as


    a werewolf under the blessing of Selena, Ste, and Aurora.


    "Does it really take you ten minutes to change your clothes?"


    Rowan only sucked a breath before sitting across his father. "You only lit one candle in my room. What do you think I did with the rest of my seven minutes?"


    Karin would often describe his son as rebellious. But Rowan only brushed it away and insisted that it was him being a perfectionist.


    A smile made its way on his father''s face. But he only snorted, rolling his eyes. "I''m d you''re bing more like me," his father added.


    "More like an Alpha." Rowan''s voice thundered, "Not all Alphas are like you," he snarled like an actual wolf. But Alpha Karin just waved a hand in his direction.


    "What is it that you want to say to me earlier before you bathe in theke?"


    ''And made love with our High Priestess...'' was what the Alpha wanted to say further. But he only stopped at the words hanging in his tongue since he wants his own son to admit it: that Rowan and High Priestess Eliane let their bodies be one under the witness of Mother Moon.


    "I already found a woman to be ''sacrificed'' to me."


    Karin raised a brow. "Good. I thought you would never think about that, considering it was you who caught the bouquet of flowers during the wedding four years ago. I almost stopped you at that time but I realized you are already fourteen," Karin paused to emphasize his amused expressions to his son. "And you will be eighteen by tomorrow." His father then smirked; it''s more of a pat in the back than a sardonic one.


    "Who is she then?" His father brought another piece of honey-roasted rabbit meat to his mouth. Rowan cleared his throat before answering, but his eyes are still on his fresh sliced honeydews. "The one I met today. It was the samedy."


    "Which of them?"


    Rowan bit his lip to refrain from reacting too much. "The mortal beyond the wall, of course." Alpha Karin only pursed his lips as if he doesn''t believe his son entirely. Rowan, on the other hand, has a knot of muscles at the right side of his jaws pulsed.


    "We''ll ''arrange'' for her as soon as you turn eighteen. Remember, traditions require you to approach the sacrificed in your wolf form." His father made thatst sentence clear and vivid: Alpha Karin Moonstorm does not want his son to have no wolf.


    Rowan nodded, this time he''s staring straight at his father. Though he''s only curious and doesn''t really want to ask that question, his curiosity takes hold of his tongue. "And what if I don''t have a wolf, Father?"


    The Alpha halted, utensils clunking when they were suddenly put down. "Can you call a storm as one when there is no rain?"


    Rowan squared his shoulders. "Well thunderstorms, in some cases, doesn''t often have rains so


    "You already know what''s the answer to that, Rowan. A werewolf without a wolf is as good as mortals." Rowan''s gaze slid to their butler. He didn''t so much react even when their butler, the son of his father''s brother and Rowan''s cousin, is one that his father hates very much-a werewolf without a wolf.


    A werewolf who can mimic a howl but can never bark like the Alphas.


    But Rowan saw his cousin''s throat bobbing, the only reaction he got from his uncle.


    If there is one thing Rowan is afraid the most, it''s having no wolf when he turned eighteen. "Why does the Goddess bless others with so much power while some didn''t even have an ember of that gift? Isn''t that unfair on some of our kind''s part? Not to mention it''s so disappointing and distressing for them..."


    Alpha Karin eyed him, one that could cut his soul in half. His father exhaled through his nose, wiping his mouth with the table napkin. "Save your questions tomorrow." His hand squeezed Rowan''s free hand. "I know you would never disappoint me, would you?"


    It took five seconds before he answered. "No son would ever wish to cause chagrin to his father." Rowan''s words echoed in his own mind, in the very core of his heart.


    ''I will have a wolf,'' he dered to himself. Rowan prayed to the Trinity Goddess and wished for


    the mighty stars brightly shining above that at least one of them would listen to this desire. His


    desire.


    "I will have a wolf, Father."


    Alpha Karin only beamed at him before digging in the bowl of fresh strawberry ice cream.

 Chapter 58: Wolfless

    Sunlight warmed Rowan''s cheeks as his fistnded on another punching bag made of hay. ''Today is the day,'' he mused, a set of white teeth shing as his smile slowly made its way to his face.


    He feels excited and happy. But at the same time, the nerve of anxiety seeped into his bones as the chilling thought of being wolfless run down his spine.


    Rowan''s early morning daily schedule already includes this: exercising and letting his body be drenched in heat and sweat, sunlight and warmth.


    And thinking. Overthinking.


    The sons of other Alphas said that it is just normal to worry, especially one''s eighteenth birthday and the day one''s wolf will be awakened will happen at the same time.


    But to Rowan... "I will have a wolf, father." He dered to the wind, a morning prayer to


    the Three Goddesses who blessed theirnd. "I will not disappoint everyone."


    "Or maybe they will disappoint you." A pair of emerald green eyes met his gaze, her hair


    as ck as a moonless night gracefully swayed by the passing wind. A few strands blocked her face but she managed to swipe them behind her ears in a single motion of a hand.


    "High Priestess," Rowan brought his head to a bow.


    But Eliane onlyughed gently. "No need to be so polite, Alpha Rowan."


    Rowan snorted to Eliane''s tone while saying the sacred title of being an Alpha. "You''re mocking me."


    Eliane smirked. "Am I?"


    He peeled off his eyes away from her, slightly shaking his head. "Why are you here?" "What I usually do. I am a witch tasked by the Goddesses to watch over you, puppies." Rowan leaned on one of the wooden fences where a horse is still sleeping. "By watching, do you mean that as a literal or figurative one?"


    Her sparkling eyes briefly scanned his shirtless body before giving its focus back to his grinning face. "Both."


    Rowan''s amusement resonated with Eliane''s. Both of themughed as if Rowan was never worried about tonight''s oue.


    "Don''t worry," she ran a finger down his torso. "They will bless you."


    "Yeah, like how the Trinity Goddess blessed those rtives of mine who never manage to know what it is to have a wolf." He himself has wolfless rtives. His cousin, for example. One that this father, Alpha Karin, made his cook and butler in their mansion.


    Every time his eyes darted to him, he could feel that sadness swirling in his cousin''s eyes. One that, even if he is not the one who is suffering, he can still feel his longing-his yearning for the one thing he can never have: a wolf.


    He has seen many times that his cousin shed his silent tears in a dark corner after being scolded, sometimes after being beaten by their rtives. How none of those will ever happen if only he is like them, constantly shifting here and there. Talking about their wolves as if it''s an extension of their personality and among other things that those who have wolves do. Rowan wonders that, if he has no wolf, will he be like his cousin?


    ''Probably worse...'' he thought, his throat bobbing in fear and worry. ''Please Goddesses, just let me have a goddamn wolf!''


    Rowan."


    Eliane, as if she knew his thoughts, pursed her lips in silence. "I will see you tonight,


    Rowan sucked a breath as he reached for his shirt hanging from a horse''s reins. The High Priestess'' footsteps already faded away. "I will have a wolf," he muttered to himself, fingers curling to a fist.


    "I will have a wolf," he told himself, repeated to himself; encouraged himself. ''Please let me have a wolf,'' his thoughts loudly hoped to the clear bright sky above. ''I will never wish anything more than that.''


    ***


    Rowan is just wearing a loose white shirt, one that didn''t so much hide the muscr abs beneath, and a pair of blue jeans that can easily be taken off the moment his wolf will make its presence known.


    The cloudy night did not yet yield the bright full moon that will tell everyone if he''s wolfless or will be the next Alpha. Not yet.


    ''Breathe, Rowan. Breathe...'' He whispered to himself, his thoughts suffocating him¡ªboth worry and excitement to the point he cannot inhale properly.


    "...and now. The most awaited part of this night," Alpha Karin''s voice is jovial and thrilled. But to Rowan, his father''s voice is but a warning of how many more seconds left for him to prove that he is his father''s son. That he is not a disappointment. That he shall be the proimed Alpha of any of the packs, depending on his wolf fur''s color. That he, when the full moon bathed everything in silver, will have his wolf and shift before them.


    And afterwards, he will worry about what he shall call his wolf like all his friends did as it is the owner who shall give the wolf its name as a sense of ownership and the start of a life-long contract.


    Rowan looked up at the sky, the clouds slowly moving away to give the starry nket the rule of Mother Moon.


    "My son, Rowan Moonstorm!" His father extended his arm to where he was standing in the middle of the tform for everyone to see. Though it puts a wide smile on his father''s face, Rowan felt like an used witch that, any minute now, will be hanged for everyone to see one''s distorted face before his body will be burned at the stake in order to relieve any of his diabolic remains from the whispers of the society.


    "Show us your wolf, son." Alpha Karin''s voice was soft and gentle. But to him, it wasmanding. Demanding.


    Rowan looked up to the sky again, the wind whipping his hair away from his face. Few clouds left hovering before the moon. The shadowy light of the night''s moon is a faint one because of the cloud''s presence.


    So he counted, waited. ''Please let me have a wolf. Please let me have a wolf. Please let me have a wolf. Please let me have a wolf- Rowan prayed on the top of his lungs, until his patience would snap the hell out of him.


    He did not stop chanting until three clouds left hindering the moon''s brightness to bathe Ste''s Soul.


    "Please let me have a wolf," he murmured, disregarding the fact that everyone could hear his plea even with the softness of his voice. "Please let me have a wolf. Please let me have a wolf."


    ; Rowan kept praying and praying.


    He prayed.


    Until there were no clouds left to cover the bright full moon.


    ***


    ;  And so Rowan waited.


    Rowan Moonstorm, son of Alpha Karin of the Silver Pack, waited for a tiny growl and howl of a wolf inside him.


    Everyone''s brows furrowed, murmurs and whispers began to flood about him of him being wolfless like his cousin. Like all those rtives and friends of his who do not even know what it is to belong in Ste''s Soul, what it felt like to shift and brag to everyone your white fur or your fire-controlling abilities.


    For they are as good as mortals, pathetic and wolfless. Useless.


    And it is what Rowan felt now. Especially even when ten minutes have passed, standing on that wooden tform. Still, people waited for him to shift and smash the tform to pieces and howl against the darkness of the night.


    But no Rowan shifted. There was no Rowan who howled as if one''s singing the glorious


    hymn of wolves.


    Rowan remainedposed, hiding his emotions. Though he is the kind of man that everyone expected him to be fierce and emotionless like his father, Rowan cried. First, it was just a tear that cascaded from his cheeks. And another one followed. Then another. And another. Until the rain of sadness is now streaming from the windows of his soul, the only way of letting these untamed feelings inside him be unleashed and be free from his grip.


    "Rowan..." his father''s voice echoed. The hair on his arms rose. "Rowan."


    But Rowan remained looking up to the moon, hoping for some miracle. Wishing for a tendril of the impossible to flow to him, giving him the strength to tear this shirt and shatter the night with the growl and howl of his wolf as big as a horse.


    Yet, there was nothing. "I''m a failure, Father-"


    "Rowan!" His wolfless cousin''s cry of warning is alreadyte when his father, now in fangs


    and fur, pounced on top of him from behind.


    Blue eyes met golden wolf eyes. One belongs to a wolf and the other belongs to the wolf''s son. But only one of them can howl and pounce and snap the wooden tform with a single flick of a paw.


    They both fell in the bare ground, the wooden debris decorating his skin with vibrant flowing crimson. Yet Alpha Karin remained on top of his son, his gaze unfaltering.


    Even though his father can only snarl at him, Rowan already knew what it meant already knew what it meant for him as a Ste''s Soul resident who hadn''t been blessed by the Trinity Goddess with a wolf and power roaring in his veins.


    Rowan will never be an Alpha from the moment his father tore his own white shirt away from his body, his naked chest gilded by tonight''s silver beacon.


    Rowan Moonstorm now knows what it feels like to have no wolf...to be wolfless to be pathetic and useless.


    ***


    ; And this is just the beginning.


    Rowan does not care whether someone will hear him shrieking and weeping in the Misty Forest


    on a full moon night.


    As long as he can let it all out.


    For a now-adult man and as a Ste Soul''s resident celebrating his eighteenth birthday,


    this is aplete nightmare-something straight from a bad dream, wrecking his heart, spilling


    his soul in the cold ground through his tears.


    But Rowan just let himself cry in agony and pain and sorrow. And disappointment with himself, his failure in fulfilling the werewolf society''s expectations.


    And to the three Goddesses probably watching him now but still did nothing. "This


    is all their fault."


    care.


    The Misty Forest is so quiet, even when midnight is still five hours away. But he didn''t


    He is what he is now-a useless, wolfless son. The son who disappointed his father. The


    son who is no longer one for his father would obviously disown him now, and the Alpha title will now pass unto Alpha Karin''s Beta obviously.


    ; But Rowan didn''t weep because he cannot have the title of the Alpha or because his friends wouldugh at him.


    He wept for he failed as a son. All his life, he just wanted to be seen by his father as more than an errand boy or assistant.


    his flesh.


    Rowan wanted to be seen by his father as a son, true son. Blood of his blood, flesh from


    Yet, with what happened on this full moon night...


    "This is all their fault!" Who else should Rowan me but those deities who blessed theirnd but didn''t even give him a sliver of power by giving him a wolf.


    "Aurora, Selena, and Ste. Wherever you are now, I hope you are now happy with my misery." Rowan''s rage shrouded him, filling every inch of him. Anger now guides his tongue, his thoughts, his actions.


    "DAMN YOU!" His voice thundered within the Misty Forest, the leaves and trees trembling with the fury epassing his words.


    Rowan, without any choice, already knows what he is: a wolfless son of the Alpha.  But the burning emotions within him can never be put out no matter how hard he tries to hide them.


    And from afar, behind the huge trunks of the trees and the vibrant dark green covering of the leaves, a pair of emerald green eyes shone with utter sadness and pity; her red cloak swaying with the wind and her raven-colored hair dancing along with the nightly breeze.

 Chapter 59: The High Priestess

    "So much for crying." Rowan slowly lifted his head. It was a pale-skinned hand bearing a handkerchief that stopped his red-rimmed eyes from flowing more tears.


    "You should stop now." A sweet smile bloomed across Eliane''s features, making his focus drifting towards her. "Honestly, you could flood the entire forest with that sea of sorrows cascading from your face..."


    Rowan gave her a breathy, anxiousugh. "You only said that because you''re not the one who disappointed your father."


    "You did not disappoint them," Eliane sat beside him, her red cloak being caked by the soil. "They disappointed you."


    "What?" He whipped his face to her. "Why?"


    The High Priestess snorted. "Because they could not ingest their principles to you for the reason that you will never understand their belief due to you not being like them."


    them."


    Rowan does not understand her. And yet...


    "Sometimes, it feels good to be different," she added. "To know you are not like most of


    "Why?" It''s the second time around asking her that same question.


    Eliane met his gaze; those beautiful emerald green eyes unyielding, sending stars to the ck hole within him.


    "Because they can never be like you, the same thought that you can never be like them." Rowan swallowed, throat bobbing even though it has been dry ever since he ran away from his father''s eyes. "But having a wolf is the greatest achievement of all."


    Elianeughed again, darkly. "Who says that in the first ce?"


    They both shrugged. "Only your father and your friends said them. The greatest achievement of all in our kind is not that one."


    them.


    "And what is it, then?" she smiled at him even with the shadows of the night covering


    "eptance," the High Priestess mumbled. "If they are really courageous beings, they will ept and tend to those who cannot even shift into a wolf, knowing that your strength and theirs are not the same. Hence, you need their help."


    "And they need ours because we''re the only one who can still walk with humans despite the werewolf blood running in our veins?"


    Eliane clicked her tongue. "Precisely."


    He lowered his head, staring at the moist earth beneath their feet. "They would never understand this. My father would never understand me; all he cared about is me having a wolf so that he can show to others that I am not a failure."


    "Only you can define what failed you." Rowan does not know why the long-lived witch and High Priestess watching over Ste''s Soul is taking his side. Is it because she''s just a witch


    or...


    "No one else would help us but each other. Only we can help ourselves, our own kind. Even wolfless residents of Ste''s Soul can contribute to our society as a whole even if it''s simple, little things to other eyes. The point is, they are still helping us in the ways they can."


    She opened his hand, cing a little snowdrop she picked up along her way here with its petals still drenched in rain before curling his palm into a fist. Tightly, the snowdrop crushed against his mighty strength. "What do you think, Rowan?"


    Rowan, though hesitant on what he really believed in, on what his father raised him to believe in, still smiled at Eliane. "I think you''re right, High Priestess."


    ***


    It began to rain the moment they tried to traverse back to the gilded fountain, where Aurora''s Waters provide coolness to every resident in Ste''s Soul.


    Eliane looped arms with Rowan, whose face was already dried with tears but his red- rimmed eyes did not hide the fact that he did cry. A young man with rough features and muscr body was not ashamed to let anyone know that even a man like him could cry and weep like a damsel.


    But Eliane, who can still see the emotions coiling within his soul, kept pushing the fact that he is not useless. That he has a worth of his own despite what everyone would say when they arrive.


    Both of them did not hide the moment the presence of water pouring from the sky appeared, the cold air shrouding them like how sadness tightened its grip on Rowan''s heart. They are now one step closer to the wall when Rowan screamed, frightening her. The sound of rain going along with his broken shrieking voice. Rowan cried again, as if the moment he stepped again in Selena''s Wall just proves the fact that he is a failure as an Alpha''s son. That he just ignored all those sweet assuring words from her tongue.


    The rumbling of thunder and the sh of lightning made this moment more difficult for them to carry on.


    ;


    "Rowan..." She ced a warm hand on his neck. "Everything will be alright."


    Eliane knew it wouldn''t. With the kind of mindset of Alpha Karin and how everyone treated a wolfless eighteenth birthday celebrant... "I''m just right here for you."


    Rowan reached for her palms, holding her hand as if she was his wife-his Luna,


    his moon. His mate.


    "I know..." he murmured. "But they don''t care if you side with me or not."


    And all ine could show is how right he is, her lips forming into a thin line and eyes gleaming with pity.


    ***


    The midnight was full overhead.


    The rain halted along with the dissipation of thunder and lightning.


    And it was bright from a distance. Merry bright, and a lot of dancing and music.


    "Are..." Eliane sucked a breath. "Are they partying?


    Both of them yield a look on why where in fact the birthday celebrant is wolfless.


    "Maybe your fathermanded it. To at least give you honor as his son on your


    birthday, and not a wolfless heir that is supposed to take over the Alpha title."


    But as they neared closer and closer, people were shouting a different name. "Geoffrey! Geoffrey! Geoffrey!"


    "Geoffrey?"


    He nodded at his side, his hands cold. "Geoffrey."


    Rowan''s eyes shone with an emotion she did not know. eptance, maybe eptance that he will never be epted by his father.


    Geoffrey. Alpha Karin''s Beta and right-hand. ''You shall be the Alpha if something ever happens to me or to my son before he turns eighteen...''


    Those words made the hair on his arms rise, the bile making its way up to his


    throat.


    His father did fulfill his words. But not to him.


    So much for his hope of eptance.


    ; "Rowan?" his wolfless cousin was the first one to stalked towards where Eliane and him are nailed on the ground they are standing.


    ; "You shouldn''t be here," his cousin''s voice is hoarse. "You-they are celebrating


    Geoffrey''s "


    "I know," the coldness of his voice made Eliane jerked her hand away, pulling her arms from the entwinement of his.


    "I know," he reiterated, facing the High Priestess. Rowan''s face was wholly pale, no color can be seen even from his once red lips.


    "I know!" He scolded himself, turning on his heel and running for the gilded fountain of Aurora, the Goddess of Wealth. The fountain glinted on their eyes as Rowan mmed his palms on the fountain''s brim.


    "I know I''m a failure. You don''t need to p it right in my face!" Rowan''s cousin and Eliane looked at each other, both nudging to whom should give him a pat on the back. It was Eliane who reached for aforting touch.


    "Get away from my sight." Rowan harshly brushed her hand away, "And you " he pointed at his speechless cousin. "You''re happy now? Ha! Who knows it was both of you who sabotaged my birthday. That instead me having shifted into a wolf and running along with my father''s pack, you two conspired against me so that you will not be the only wolfless Moonstorm in Ste''s Soul."


    "That''s not true," his cousin breathed, eyes gentle and understanding. "It is just a mere misfortune that we aren''t blessed with a single power. Not even a power to feel the strength of the moon or hear the whispering of the wolves."


    "Rowan," Eliane leaned to his ears. "Come to my fortress. I shall give you a soothing tea if


    you''d like."


    His cousin nodded at Eliane before treading back at the party, where he''ll obviously be an errand boy and the one who will clean the after-party''s mess.


    "Come, Rowan." She brushed a soft kiss against his cool cheeks. "Let me take care of you."


    ***


    As soon as she lit the couple ofmps with the small fire magic flowing in her witchy veins, she peered into Rowan''s ocean eyes. Tears are forming on its threshold but Alpha Karin''s son will not escape.


    He just sat there on top of the wooden chair, looking past the window where the rain and thunder made its presence known again.


    ''Rowan is probably ming the Goddesses now...'' she thought, folding the towel between her arms.


    "Here." He looked up to her. "So that you won''t get sick from the cold rain."


    The hand of sadness touched Rowan''s once fierce eyes again.


    "Promise me you will not cry again this time," she whined.


    He stared at her, smiling as if it would be hisst. A smile of disaster. But still, it was very appealing to Eliane that she beamed back at him. Sweetly.


    And when he undressed in front of her, Eliane forced herself not to shut her eyes and witness what the society''s extreme expectations have done to the young man before her.


    It was reeking of sadness and weakness, tears and hopelessness. His body was broken, not physically but emotionally. His skin bears a sea of scars inflicted by his father, both fresh and


    old.


    She constantly hears them reason that it''s a form of discipline to the young wolves. But


    to Eliane...it was not. It was control, manipting and molding their sons until their finest dreams and likeness are met. To the point that some young ones are suffocated with pressure, dying on the inside secretly.


    She reached for a hand to touch him, to let him know that she is there to support andfort him. "Rowan-"


    "Go away!" Nothing can beat a man so woeful than a cry so sorrowful.


    His whole body is so drenched in rain as if he had taken a quick dive at a river. He is so wet, utterly wet. Wetter than Eliane now.


    But deep inside her, she likes it. She likes him naked and bare, the shape of his body is much visible, much easier to feast with her eyes wide open and her legs ready to open. "If I do, it will just show to everyone how useless you are. People will say that even the High Priestess left the once great Rowan Moonstorm because of the one thing he will never have: a wolf." She said thest word with utter emphasis. ncing down at him with a bright grin. Chin up and breast out, literally.


    Rowan just stood there, eyes not looking at her. As if she was never there, as if he was just all alone in the world where not even the Goddesses took heed to his cry for help and demand


    for answer.


    But Eliane soon realized he was looking at her body.


    So she slowly undressed, for him. So that this man would stop pouting and instead smile


    like he did that night when they bathed together in Luna''s Lake.


    And when she''s done, she looked at her body. And there, she found the source of his frozen eyes, the subject of staring and why his blue eyes are no longer watery: her breasts. Her


    wet and big, round bosom that was bathed earlier with the waters from the sky.


    "You''re staring at me..."


    He finally blinked. "I''m sorry, truly sorry."


    "No," Eliane answered. "You didn''t do anything bad."


    She could rip off his clothes in an instant and leave him begging her for more of her


    sudden wildness. ''Too bad he''s now naked,'' she thought.


    And just like that, he pounced on top of her, pinning her on the wooden floor. Rowan''s tongue was savage, leaving her almost breathless. They kissed, hands ravishing


    for each other''s touch. His hands traveled from her neck, down to her breasts until he reached


    the crevice between her thighs.


    "I can grant you a wolf," she murmured between their hot kisses. Rowan stopped to look


    at her eyes, the color of the Misty Forest just before Selena''s Wall.


    "That kind of magic demands a great price, even your soul is not enough..." And as


    Eliane spoke those words...she knew that will also be thest time she shall see him as soft and tearful.


    For he is Rowan Moonstorm-the wolfless Alpha''s son who will do anything to have a wolf and


    show to his father that, after all this time, he is worthy to be called Alpha Karin''s son, heir, and


    Alpha.

 Chapter 60: The First Hearteater

    "Alpha..."


    "Speak what you must have spoken earlier," his fathermanded. The sweating ss of sweet ale wrapped around his fingers.


    "I now ept the fact that I am no longer your heir since I am wolfless "


    "Ever since you were born, I know deep down, you have no wolf." Karin only red at his son, blue eyes stared at brown eyes. "Not even a sliver of courage flows in your soul. You''re a failure, Rowan." His father paused, to let everyone hear what he''s going to say next. "You are a failure. And from now on until the end of time, you are no longer my son..."


    Then Alpha Karin straightened his back as he rose from his seat, feet leading outside the tavern. ¡°Don''t expect that you willst long in Ste''s Soul."


    Then his father was gone along with his scent and voice. But the words of Rowan''s father...it was like a wildfire and he is nothing but a single branch in the zing forest where not even ashes could be seen. He was entirely devoured by the mes of his father''s fury, leaving him nothing not even a dust in the wind.


    Eliane stood outside. Her emotionless face was bright in the break of dawn, colors of orange and yellow bathing her mien. She nodded once, and Rowan did not hesitate to follow her footsteps leading outside Selena''s Wall.


    "I told you," Rowan wiped the sweat on his brow. "My demanding, antagonistic father would never listen to my exnation. Not even a wording from my mouth.


    "Why is he so angry at you?" Eliane hissed, grabbing his hand to will him to a stop. The


    chilled morning wind just made his wrath be more vivid.


    "My mother died because of me." The High Priestess opened her mouth, but she let him continue despite her oozing curiosity. "She died of childbirth; I am scooped right from her open womb where not even a werewolf''s healing power could mend that."


    "Why didn''t I hear of that?"


    "Because you came to Ste''s Soul just ten years ago," he answered. "The time when the elders have heard the Goddesses said that they will bestow upon us a High Priestess, a witch with no wolf to guard and guide over us."


    "As far as I have known, witches literally have no wolves," she chuckled, bringing her feminine hand to soften herugh. But Rowan never cackled, not even a smile shed across his face.


    "I just want to uplift your mood," Eliane shrugged. "You know, make you smile even for a little-"


    "I ept." She blinked, but Rowan only looked at her with the most serious expression he ever gave to her. "I want to undergo that transformation. I don''t care even if I lost my soul to that magic. The important is¡ª"


    "You will have your wolf..." she finished, a tone of sadness echoed in his ears. "It''s not easy, Rowan. It''s not just amon werewolf magic or the lunar magic I lectured when you and your kind are just pups."


    But The High Priestess already knows his answer. "I. Do. Not. Care."


    "It will take a month to make the magic fully work-¡ª"


    "I don''t care."


    "We need a sacrifice, blood offering and human sacrifice."


    "So be it." A hint of finalization was in Rowan''s words. Not even a tear of remorse or a sh of doubt bloomed across Karin''s son.


    "Are you really sure about this?"


    Even how many times Eliane will ask that question, even how many attempts she did to dissuade him to not continue with this transformation...she could not extract even a small ounce


    of pity from Rowan''s heart. Whatever he decides, it will always be his final decision.


    Without any other choice and with the shadow magic still wing its way to Eliane''s


    heart, she wrapped a hand around Rowan''s waist before smiling sweetly.


    ***


    "Then in the Darkness'' name, let''s do this."


    It was an eclipse, a full lunar eclipse.


    Eliane was dressed in raven ck, the first time he saw her wearing that kind of shade. Usually, the High Priestess of Ste''s Soul would wear white and silver-the colors of the moon. "Are you ready?" Her question radiates an emotion of worry, the tenth time she''d ask


    him throughout their trek to the darkest part of the Misty Forest.


    He stared at her face; her hair was brought to a tight bun. Rowan looked at her as if she was a different person now, not the High Priestess that consoled him and offered a chance to have a wolf just so he can redeem his pride and gain his father''s approval.


    When he did not answer, she sighed. "Do you really want to do this? Do you think it is all


    worth it? There will be no turning back as soon as we havemenced_"


    "I know what I want, Eliane." His eyes dart to the night above, where the sky bleeds in red and crimson. The supposed heavenly light is as faint as the hope still clutching to his conscience.


    "I think if you were in my shoes, you would also do the same."


    "If I were in your shoes, I would rather be a lone wolf," she paused, looking directly at him where she met his gaze. "And forget that I was once an aspiring Alpha in Ste''s Soul." "And your father''s daughter," he breathed.


    Eliane chuckled, darkly and anxiously. They do have different views of the world. For him,


    a wolf is everything. For her, being wolfless does not mean one is already useless.


    But Rowan...he knew, deep down, what he wanted-what he always wanted. He will dly sell his soul and let it burn in hell just so he can have that one thing he desired, yearned, wanted, and needed the most: a wolf.


    Eliane nodded in his direction and proceeded to reach for the athame. The ritual''s de is jade, almost the color of her eyes shining in the dark with the fire that Eliane started with the little fire magic in her witch blood.


    And the fire melted the white cloth that embodies something mysterious above them, hanging from the branch of the tree like a cocoon.


    A floating pale girl now floats before him; she''s around the age that a female would start


    to bleed monthly. She was beautiful, Rowan thought. Not to the level of Eliane''s beauty, but the


    kind of beauty that one would turn every time she passed by.


    ; But beauty, like hope, only stays temporarily in his eyes.


    Eliane''s wind magic slowly let the pale girl''s body descend into the earth, as if she was


    nothing but a hare to be feasted by a murder of crows.


    ; Rowan leaned closely, surveying the young girl''s features: rosy red lips and cheeks, ginger hair, skin almost the color of pearl.


    "She was used of witchcraft in Salem." Drops of water formed into the air as it snaked from her palm and hovered before the girl''s face. "She''s a daughter of an adulterous preacher


    "And you think she will be a perfect sacrifice," he finished. Color dried out from his face


    when he noticed how young this girl would die just to fulfill his desire to have a wolf.


    ; ''Do you really want to do this? Do you think it is all worth it?'' Eliane''s question earlier bothered his breathing and thinking.


    Are these really worth the sacrifice?


    "Power is everything." Rowan did not even hesitate to brush a thumb on the girl''s lips before jerking it away as he turned around, pondering and inhaling. Questioning everything and exhaling.


    "These will be all worth it." Just as Rowan muttered, the young girl''s eyes slowly cracked open-and it was their faces that immediately made her shriek.


    ***


    A beating heart is now on Eliane''s hands, blending with the dark red light of the fading lunar eclipse.


    ; He nced at the young girl, who is now a corpse. But what made him blink isn''t the fact that the young girl is now dead.


    But because of the grin now spreading on Eliane''s face. Her expressions yield satisfaction, one that tells Rowan that she enjoyed carving out the young feminine heart as it slowly left the girl''s body and lingered on the High Priestess'' palm.


    ''That kind of magic demands a great price, even your soul is not enough...'' Rowan recalled her own words hours ago, back when the Eliane she knew have not yet shifted into a murderous witch.


    ; "Take it." She slowly hoists her head to the moon, "Take it with the Darkness'' blessing. Feel it in your hands."


    Something coiled within him. Something like pity and a little bit of regret. But they are all


    a tendril of emotion to the giant feeling now swarming in Rowan: wicked delight.


    The sheer sight of the youth dying has sent his heart leaping with wicked delight, transferring his fury and anger from his own kind into the mortal. Death has shown him delight. Death has shown him what he truly is not the obedient son who follows every single rule of his father but a being who smiles when someone dies.


    He is a viper in the skin of a wolf. Swift on the outside, lethal on the inside.  Rowan opened his palms, receiving the heart as if it was nothing but a lifeless dove


    in his hands.


    Eliane traced on the air with her two bloodied fingers with symbols that Rowan does not know. She encircled him, like a hawk does to a snake. Careful, and steady.


    The High Priestess began to unsheathe her clothes and reveal her naked body enveloped with the shadows'' cloak. Eliane reached for the athame, carving it in her own skin.


    And she began to dance, blood dripping from all over her. She danced and waltzed


    in a bizarre, untamed way.


    She chanted and danced, drawing his skin with symbols using the maiden''s blood. Vines of shadows erupted from her chest even with the mes shining in her hands,


    swirling around her and around Rowan-


    Then it mmed to the heart.


    light.


    Rowan stared at the heart, now ck yet still beating. Glowing with faint ebony


    He inhaled through his nose, telling himself that this will all end before he knew it.  But it didn''t.


    All Rowan feels is that something is watching them, someone is watching them as the ravens, crows, wolves, and snakes surround them as if waiting for something.


    Then all the animals fell to the cold ground, the swirling shadows taking the light of them. It is only the time he notices that Eliane is nowhere to be found, only a thick cloak of darkness wrapping and suffocating the light out of him.


    ;


    Rowan looked at the heart again, ck and darkly glowing.


    "Eat it." Eliane''s voicemanded. Yet, she''s nowhere to be found. Then he heard wailing


    and growling; anxiety roaring in his veins.


    It sounds like it was the High Priestess'' voice, at the same time it was not.


    Rowan blinked, "Eat the heart." The voice of Elianemanded, now materialized before


    him as a crone, a youngdy to the side, and a pregnant mother on his right.  "Eat it, Rowan." Eliane''s green eyes turned ck. "Eat it, and be my creation." So Rowan did.


    ***


    "Your son managed to shift in front of everyone in the tavern, Alpha..."


    Alpha Karin''s morning coffee was halted mid-air. "What did you say?"  But before Beta Geoffrey could answer, his towering muscr son appeared on the


    door, kicking it with one quick motion


    "Your son is here, father." Rowan started, "And he now has a goddamn wolf you''ve said you know that he will never have."


    The Alpha''s library echoed withughter, both from his father and the Beta who Karin named as the next Alpha of the pack.


    Rowan didn''t so much as shift or blink, but his throat bobbed.


    "And how did you manage to have that?" Karin smirked. "Did you sell your soul to the devil and he granted you it with ck magic from almost the month you''ve been gone?" His father shook his head, mouth twitching to the side. "I thought you''re already dead. I have already prepared the pyre for you, s you aren''t yet¡ª"


    "Yes," he answered with a fierce tone. His father''s grin immediately vanished. "What?"


    "I sold my soul and everything I have to the Deities of the Dark just to have a wolf


    "Get out." Alpha Karin stood, grabbing his shirt that almost lifted Rowan from the floor. "I never want to see you again," the Alpha whispered.


    Rowan sneered at his father, tears quietly cascading from his youthful face. "I know you would say that, Alpha."


    ***


    "I seek shelter," he swallowed. "In your presence, if I may."


    Somehow, Rowan, as the first wolfless son of the Alpha to have a wolf through dark ways, seems to no longer feel the tears in his eyes and the thorns around his heart. All he can feel is nothing and everything he was once then. Now...now that he is just as he wished and prayed to


    be-


    ''Nothing can stop me now,'' Rowan thought. "I don''t need validation and eptance." His fingers curled into a fist, face yielding a mirthless expression. Releasing a frosty breath through his nose, he lifted his head from his bow and gave Eliane a wide wolfish grin. "Funny how sometimes, evil starts to grow when we desperately desire something. No matter how you do something good, you end up listening to the whispers of darkness instead." Eliane looked at him sideward, like a mother proud of her son; a sister that wees her long- lost brother with unwavering open arms. "Evil is like a flower. When it blooms, it will keep on blooming..."

 Chapter 61: Honeys Moon

    Present Day


    ine''s POV


    My body felt sore and tired; I still felt sleepy despite being asleep for seven hours already.


    But I stretch out my arms anyway, willing myself to wake up. It''s already around ten in the morning and the heat of the sun is already seeping in my skin.


    I looked to my side and Tyler was still snoring, hugging Taylor. A fluffy pillow was between his legs. I don''t even know how Taylor ended up in our bed. I ruffled his messy hair as I climbed down from the purple bed.


    I was not able to see the sunrise, where the sky will begin to bleed in tangerine and pink, and the water of the Luna''s Lake reflecting beautifully especially in this distance. Yet, theke still glimmers with every sunshine sent by the heavens.


    I smiled, my sleeveless nightgown almost left my body when a strong mountain wind passed by.


    "You should have woken me up." A pair of muscr arms appeared from my waist,


    holding my stomach.


    I turned my head to Tyler and kissed him.


    "You ruined my morning meditation."


    Heughed as I nced behind him; the French doors are still open.


    "How long are we going to be isted in this Honeymoon House?"


    He raised a brow before stroking his hand on my nape. "A week. As most honeymoon seasonsst." Tyler''s lips were now on the tip of my ear, biting it. "Why are you so eager to leave now? It''s not like we cannot be wild here, can''t we?"


    "I''m just..." I returned to the bedroom, Luna''s Lake sparkling as I strode to the bed and my body crashed on the mattress. "It feels different. I was ustomed for the past few weeks to the noise in the morninging from the people, the mansions standing next to each other, windows opened as women gossip early in the morning-it feels a bit lonely here. Not that I mean that you are here with me but..."


    "You are worried about something." He brought my hand to his face. "Are you worried about Rowena?"


    I pursed my lips, refusing to look at him. "Is it that obvious?"


    "Very obvious," he crooned.


    I ran my lips from the thickness of his pants, seductively acting and looking at him. "Can I go outside and meet with Melissa?"


    Tyler shook his head but his dark amusement reverberated in the walls. "You could have


    asked me simply and not act like a dog sniffing my pants."


    I tilted my head, "I thought you wouldn''t allow me that''s why I also did not wear my underwear," I purred.


    ***


    My ass is still hurting.


    That was my first time being stabbed at the back in the shower by Tyler''s sword. But it felt good, glorious even.


    "ine!" I saw Melissa at the same spot where we used to sit in Caf¨¦ del Luna. There are a few people inside. Some smiled at me when I walked by. Some even called me out on how my first night with an Alpha is.


    I just shrugged and replied, "It''s lunatic." And they will beughing when I disappear from their sight.


    I immediately sat beside Melissa as soon as I arrived at the table. "I''m surprised Tyler let you out of the Honeymoon House. Werewolves generally would not allow their wives away from their sight even for a second.


    juice.


    "I gave him an anal, that''s why." I winked at her, and she almost choked on her coconut


    "You" She wiped her mouth. "I heard it''s painful."


    "It is. Why do you think I''m sitting like a frog." She looked behind me and grinned. ;  "Did hee inside?"


    "Twice."


    "Twice?" I nodded while sipping clemently on the sweating ss of orange juice.  "In your bed?"


    "In the bathroom."


    Melissa''s mouth fell open. And as I looked at her closer, she''s wearing a ck, long- sleeved dress.


    "Why are you wearing a mourning ck dress?" The amusement on her face vanished like bubbles popping in thin air.


    "You haven''t yet heard of it?" Melissa waved a hand around. My eyes roamed to the interiors of Caf¨¦ del Luna and just noticed that ck ribbons hang from the ceiling, everyone is wearing ck.


    "Did someone die?" I asked while briefly chuckling.


    "Rowena." My lungs yielded a breath for a second as soon as I heard that name. "Her heart is found missing."


    I ced the ss gently while I stared at the seat in front of me nkly, as if I was not staring at all. I exhaled, willing those negative emotions to remain at bay.


    "Jason was the first one who saw her as he brought a tray of smoking hot breakfast like


    what he did the morning on the day of your wedding..."


    It seemed as if the sky had shattered, raining down splinters of sadness on top of our heads. My eyes locked with emptiness and time slowed. Around us, there was only light and the fine mist from the hot soup Melissa ordered for me.


    I looked at Tyler''s mansion which was just towering on the side across Caf¨¦ del Luna. The windows reflected the midmorning sun, making it impossible to see inside.


    If Tyler is watching me.


    Melissa Delvin-Moonstorm, my sister-inw, met my eyes as I returned my gaze to her without even listening to a single word she said since the moment she told me about Jason serving breakfast to Rowena in the underground prison. I silently pleaded for her to understand how I am feeling for that kind of news. Her face hardened for a moment, and then she nodded tightly. One nod and it was enough for me to let go of my tears.


    Atop the table in Cafe del Luna, where Rowena once sat across me, a passing wind softly grazed my fingers in a way how Rowena used to brush her hand on mine. The throb of my pulse pounded in my neck, making me close my eyes as the pain wed deeper and deeper to me with every beat of my heart.


    "I''ll just go out for a bunch of fresh air." I stood up, wiping the cold sweats


    descending from my forehead.


    I nced at my shoulders before disappearing."I shall return shortly."

 Chapter 62: The Forest Queen

    I could spend the rest of my life hoping things could have been different.


    But it was no use to keep on wishing for some things that will nevere true; it''s only a waste of time.


    It was better to be grateful for the little mercies life gave me. I''d rather choose to remember the


    way my fate was always meant this way to experience happiness while worrying if death will take it away any second I blink or breathe.


    I turned my head away from Tyler''s mansion, where most of our memories reside. Bile


    rises in my throat. Do I deserve these all?


    The luxury, this vige, the sexiest and most thoughtful husband-


    I still felt as if I had never been here, that I should not be here. The voices of my sister, Lyta Rutherford and her mother echoing in my mind, ordering me to go buy groceries with the money I just got as sry as a waitress.


    I don''t know if these emotions are mine at all or is this because I am carrying me and


    Tyler''s child?


    Fuck myself. I never hated myself just as I do now.


    In less than a month, several deaths urred. In just a month, I came to taste everyvishness I never tasted before. Within a month, I married my former fellow one-nighter and lost the very first woman I met in Ste''s Soul.


    I used to not believe in coincidence. But with the recent happenings, it''s very much


    possible that all things are connected. And it has to do with me.


    With me still being alive.


    With me existing.


    Is my existence the bane of these shifter creatures? Is the cause of my life shall be paid with their death? Will my existence eventually result in their extinction?


    I heard a voice deep within me saying yes to all those questions.


    If that is the case... ''Oh dear Goddesses, why did you let me live until now? Why not just kill me?''


    Maybe I should just die in the Hearteater''s arm that night in the Lodge of the Luna. Maybe I should just allow that night in the forest where a Hearteater impersonated Jose to kill me and end me for once.


    for all?


    Should I just throw myself in our enemies'' door and end things for good, for once and


    ''Damn it, ine!''


    ine. That is my name. very much simr to Eliane, the Forest Queen, the Lady of the Dark of the Moon. The Mother of Hearts.


    voice.


    Everything about us is the same and that includes our eyes and beauty. And face. And


    ''What if I''m Eliane?'' The hairs on my arms rose, the sky darkened in such a bizarre way where the sun seemed to hide behind the vast ocean of clouds.


    ''What if the voice I am hearing is not Eliane but my own memories as Eliane?''


    No. No, no, no. That couldn''t be right. Rowena must have misunderstood or must have been tricked into believing that I am Eliane so she might have given me to them. But-


    ''Eliane''s bones are hidden here. And only by acquiring it can they revive her before the first day of full moon. They n to bring back Eliane here, within Ste''s Soul itself. But when one of them saw you the face of Eliane, your face, made them realize you are somehow connected to her... No one knew what Eliane looked like. Not even the High Priestess Jane. Only the Hearteaters knew her face. And when one of them saw you, the one that was burned to ashes in front of us in The Arena, the Hearteaters decided that they will resurrect Eliane through you instead, a living fleshpared to remnants of bones...''


    Is that Hearteaters'' way of mocking the Trinity Goddess by resurrecting the very entity


    that created the werewolves'' archenemy here in their home?


    Maybe. I mped a hand over my mouth, trying to push back the bile that rose in my throat. Not even the deadliest of threats could have prepared me for what thete Rowena said to me. How do I know if I am really Eliane?


    ''I want to speak to you, Eliane?'' I voiced in my own mind, hoping she would answer back.


    But I only heard the rumbling of my stomach and the rapid beating of my heart.  Something moved in one of the foliage near me. I swallowed my fear, my lips


    tightening, my whole body trembling. "Eliane?"


    Why the fuck did I say her name out loud?


    But no one, not even a thing, answered back.


    Aurora''s Waters, which is a gilded fountain situated in the very front of Selena''s Wall, is silent and empty. Only I stood and relished the view here, calm and peaceful-the perfect ce for crying and wanting to be alone.


    I looked at my reflection in the sacred waters of Aurora. Beautiful, green eyes, hair as dark


    as a moonless night.


    But deep in this gorgeous mask is an ine who does not know her parents. Who does


    not know where she came from and who the fuck she is to Eliane.


    I am but a beautiful mask to a dark secret embedded in my soul. But I don''t know how to


    crack it and find that inner power and reveal who I really am.


    ''If you do, what will happen to you and your husband''s child?''


    My eyes darted to my belly, rubbing and stroking my palm atop it.


    There is a life inside me.


    ''There is life inside you.''


    The voice...is that Eliane?


    ''Eliane?'' I asked from my thoughts.


    ''I am you. You are me.''


    I imagined the two of us alone; the rest of the world melting away into the darkness the


    way it seemed to do when Eliane looked at me.


    ''Love. Affection. I never intended to kill. But people, they...they see me as a


    murderous entity who shall do anything in order to have power.''


    That eerie voice whispered so strongly that it felt like it was around me. Within me. ''You cannot escape your fate-our fate...''


    I close my eyes and imagine talking to her-talking to me. I want to know what I am to her: why she speaks to me and why her creation sees me as a bridge to bring her back to life. I imagine her forest-green eyes smiling at mine like how she does in my dream and stupor. I can still feel the weight of sadness in those eyes every time I gaze at them, and it was like gazing at my own soul. Strong yet sorrowful, those emotions reverberating in her gaze. In her essence.


    ''You must choose. Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine.''


    I can hear the rushing of Aurora''s Waters, the sweet sound of flowing fountain


    waters.


    ''Choose, ine. Choose wisely. Don''t let your heart fool you.''


    I took a deep breath. ''Don''t let your heart fool you.''


    Is loving Tyler entirely wrong? Or is it one of the statements they say as ''we have


    the right love at the wrong time?''


    I bet thetter is more correct.


    ''I am you, you are me...'' The voice repeated.


    It waste noon, well past noon to be honest. Upon realizing I am in the heavenly paradise on earth, something tugged inside me an emotion, an essence of someone like a chain that coiled like a snake deep within me.


    ;


    If I am the Forest Queen-if I am Eliane...


    "Then Tyler has just married the very entity that eats the hearts of their kind."


    Utter fear and anguish wrapped tightly around my body,


    I love Tyler. I love him so much that it bruises and hurts every time I think of him. Why did I have to feel this way about him? Why did I have to want him to see me this


    way forever?


    I am a monster worth burning in the stake. I should die. I should perish. I should-  A hand was on my neck, making its way on my head.


    I braced myself and opened my eyes, wiping the tears away with the palm of my hand.


    Someone stroked my hair. I smiled. At least, hisforting touch tended to me.


    Yet, feeling him here did nothing to ease the bitterness of the realization I just discovered.


    If anything, it deepened the ache inside me.


    The hand fondled my hair repeatedly, and it made my head lower so I also lowered it down.


    It lowered and lowered and lowered, until my lips were on the brim of the fountain.   "Tyler?"


    Only an unearthly growl answered, the scent of death filling the cold air and not


    Tyler''s smell of rain and forest and mist.


    ;It was not Tyler''s hand-especially when my face dove down in the fountain.


    My vision became cloudy. Water filled my lungs; someone or something is drowning me,


    leaving my ability to breathe almost impossible to achieve in a heartbeat.

 Chapter 63: Into the Drowning Deep

    The hand released me after a minute of struggling.


    When I managed to gather enough air to breathe, I turned away from the fountain.


    I search for someone''s presence. But no one''s around. I looked to the side, behind. In front and


    on top of Selena''s Wall where ravens usually rest.


    But no one was around me; no one was with me in Aurora''s Waters in this gilded


    fountain. Only silence devoured the entire space.


    "ine, you''ve been-oh my Aurora, why are you so wet?!" Melissa rushed to me, holding on to her belly as she ran to where I am sitting on the ground.


    "I''m fine for now," I replied with a gloomy voice. My face is so wet as well as my clothes, waters dripping from my hair and body as I stood and strolled towards her.


    The wind brushing in my path makes me shake in coldness, not to mention I am only wearing a thin see-through dress over a white sleeveless and shorts.


    "Someone tried to drown me," I blurted out as I wiped a tear from my eyes.


    Melissa''s eyes radiate with shock and fear. "Where?¡± Her voice is shaking. I can sense it. "I didn''t even notice it until my head was already on the water and my lungs almost filled with water that hindered me from breathing."


    "The fountain is sacred. How sphemous of that bastard who tried to drown you!"


    "Did you see who drowned me?" I asked out of nowhere. I don''t know why.


    Melissa did not blink. "I only saw a man stalking behind you as you left me and your food


    in Caf¨¦ Del Luna..."


    I inhaled a sharp breath through my nose. "Fuck, they''re still here!"


    My sister-inw hugged her arms as she asked in a whisper, yielding a step forward to


    me. "Who?"


    ***


    "The Hearteaters," I gritted my teeth as I shook the water from my body.


    Our eyes locked and time seemed to slow down.


    ; Jose knew why I was standing in his ss balcony while his back faced me.


    Around us was only a shadowy light since his abode is nestled by two huge mansions in


    the front and back and on either side. The fine mist of water that sprayed off the falls of his resort-like pool beside the veranda clouded my vision for a heartbeat.


    Jose curled his palms into a fist and the waterfalls stopped, the noise of the waters fading into utter quietude until only me and his breathing can be heard.


    "I should have checked on you and her." His voice is different, sadly different from the cheerful Jose I knew.; It seemed as if his world shattered, raining down sadness on his soul as he began to cry.


    Woeful and full of guilt, those emotions radiate as he slowly stepped towards me and opened his arms in a hug.


    I hugged back, filling my nose with his calm scent that made me wish under the cold sun that he''s my brother. Jose seems fluffy on the outside but he''s the most emotional one so far I''ve seen far more emotional than Tyler.


    "Are all White Wolves this emotional?" I asked. It was originally a joke meant to make himugh but he ended up sobbing more.


    He did smile for a second but that was eventually reced with theughter of his tears falling from those beautiful masculine russet eyes.


    When he parted from me, I leaned my head back against the pirs of his balcony and took a deep gulp of noon air.


    I was afraid to admit it. But I could almost taste Rowena''s words of awful truth fresh and bitter on my tongue: there is a possibility that I may be Eliane''s reincarnation.


    Jose''s warm hand settled on top of my shoulders.


    "Did you really not see them? Jason and two Brown Wolves in wolf form enter the basement?"


    ; Jose opened his mouth, only to find out that not even a ''no'' woulde out. "It''s my fault," my voice rasped and croaked. "It''s my fault!" I punched the wall


    repeatedly. "It''s my fault! It''s my fault! It''s my fau¡ª"


    "You are not the only one to me." My cry was stuck on my throat as he held up my hand and turned me away from the wall. I looked up at him, my eyes still wet with my own tears.


    "I have been on the outside of the door the entire time. It''s also impossible that it was Jason


    because he was in his Fortress the entire time, practicing for the band that yed in the reception of your wedding."


    I know Jose is telling the truth. But... "I know what I saw, Jose!"


    "I know," he nodded. "Those bastards are using dark magic that makes them execute


    their move without being noticed." He clicked his tongue, hands on his waist.


    a cat.


    "Is there another mole?" It was a question I should not ask. But as always, I am curious as


    "No," he shook his head. "We have put two Brown Wolves, two White Wolves, and two ck Wolves on both entrances. I guess those pricks now know how to go undetected, thanks to the teaching and blood magic of Eliane."


    Eliane Jose spitted her name with utter disgust and hatred. Eliane...


    Am I really Eliane?


    I could have been mistaken but-


    ''I am you. You are me...'' I can feel the coldness of her voice in my ears, sending shivers


    deep in my bones.


    "But how did they enter? It''s entirely impossible that creatures blessed by three Goddesses have been surpassed by entities created by a mere witch who wields dark and blood magic!"


    My husband''s bestfriend and right-hand man inhaled through his nose, eyes darting to where Selena''s Wall stood strong, stretching far and wide between Ste''s Soul and the Misty Forest. "Eliane is no mere witch. I''m sure of that."


    Yeah, she is. Judging by the fact that her essence still lingers in modern existence even when two hundred years have already passed.


    The sound of approaching footsteps made me jerk from where I was standing and hide behind Jose''s back, hugging his copper muscr arm as the sound gets louder, the footsteps


    nearer.


    "Tyler?" I muttered his name but only a cloudy breath due to the surroundings getting cold appeared.


    "It''s not what you think," Jose advanced; his body is in a position that seems ready to pounce at my husband if he ever attacked first.


    But my husband only smiled, wolfish teeth shing. "Bro, you forgot you told me that


    you''re gay, remember?"


    I tilted my head in question and curiosity, brows furrowing as me and Jose''s gaze met. Brown eyes meet green eyes.


    "What?" He asked, a smirk slowly creeping across his handsome brotherly face.

 Chapter 64: Rowan and Eliane

    Tough or to ask Jose if that''s true, that is the question.


    "She''s my friend and sister type. ine''s not my lover type," the Beta immediately went in front of me.


    "Why are you acting as if I''m going to attack my wife?"


    Jose snorted. "I''m not doing it because of that."


    "What is it then?" It was me who asked.


    "My shorts have a whole on the back," Jose whispered. "I''m not wearing any underwear since it''s been hanging out for the sun to dry yet.¡± He looked to the side, his fluffy and smiling face returned.


    "I heard that," Tyler grinned, hoisting his phone in the air. "Now turn around, pup. Your social media followers are dying to see that chunky, chocte-ish fat ass."


    us."


    "Shut up, Stormbringer and bring your wife to the dining room. I will prepare the feast for


    Tyler only made fun of Jose behind as we both strolled after him. Tyler showed me Jose''s shirtless photos as Pegasus coiled on top of his head and as he does a handsome young man in a canine style.


    fade.


    We arrived at the dining table when Jose cleared his throat; the smile on our faces did not


    My eyes then darted to the rectangr long table, covered in royal blue cloth. Jose surpasses me as being a foodie.


    He''s much more festive when ites to lunch, especially when we are with him since he forced us to dine here because he imed to have no picture of the newlyweds yet having a lounge (and lunch) in his mansion.


    "Praise, Ste!" Jose bellowed as he reached for therge roasted pig in front of us, the crunchy sound as he peeled the pig''s skin made me swoon. This is a feast fit for twenty people. And it''s only the three of us.


    In this kind of setting, our appetite is the only limit.


    Tyler handed me a te of seafood feast which consists of grilled cheesy oysters, pan- fried trout, a small bowl of New Orleans style shrimp gumbo as Jose murmured to my ears. "Enjoying it?"


    I nod as I chew slowly, the juice of the seafood dripping from my mouth. I reached for the table napkin but Tyler''s hand was quick enough to wipe my mouth with a tap and tap of the cloth to my skin.


    "Dude, I''m basically right here. Don''t let me feel like I''m a third wheel," Jose grinned like how Pegasus did as he sat across from me and beside his chair.


    "As if you are not." Tyler countered. I saw the amusement in his eyes and he just wink at me, sexily and with a biting of his lip.


    "I know I am a third wheel but bro, four years is a long time before I found a woman to make me swoon every second!"


    with."


    Tyler only snorted. "Then go find yourself a male Omega that you can have anal


    Jose winced, opening his mouth but closed it again. "At least I''m the one who cooked this meal."


    My fork of penne carbonara halted mid-air. "You cook this feast?" he nodded. "All of this?!" Jose nodded again, narrowing his eyes to Tyler''s.


    "See? The way to a woman''s heart is through her stomach, Alpha Tyler."


    "It''s through a man''s dick, Jose. Don''t act as if you''re not horny on a full moon too." "Wait, you are? I mean, werewolves are?"


    Pegasus, the white wolf pet of the Silver Pack, just barked.


    "Yes," Jose and Tyler both answered. Looking at each other with both brows raising, I look


    at Tyler then to Jose. Then to Tyler again.


    I smiled secretly. "I love this lunch, Jose!"


    Tyler''s nose red, his doggy envy surfaced. "You only do the kitchen. But I do my wife in the kitchen."


    The orange juice almost filled my nose as I suddenly sat down the sweating ss. "Tyler, please. We''re eating!"


    "Jose started it!" My husband pouts like a kindergarten. They do both look like having a kindergarten fight when Jose brought his index finger on the either side of his head to form a horn-like expression while Tyler faced me.


    I cackled until my jaw would drop, my voice echoing and reverberating. Tyler only threw a piece of cucumber at Jose who managed to grab it by his mouth like an actual dog.


    And this is what it feels like to have a lunch buffet with two dogs-I mean werewolves. And with the apaniment of a pet white wolf.


    ***


    It''s cold. And dark.


    But not a shadowy dark-a nightly dark.


    This ce is familiar, and that sense of something unfeigned is whispering in my ears again. ''This is a dream...''


    "This is a dream," I reminded myself, touching my face, my lips. Looking down, I see the reflection of moonlight waving at me, saying hi to me as if the moon itself is speaking at my very soul.


    "Where am I?" I asked myself. Though I know no one would answer but me.


    No one would seek the answer but me.


    "It''s cold."


    I see a man with bluish ck hair lift its head to "Eliane?" I realized.


    With our identical features, our face, our smile, our body and beauty, it looks like the man


    is looking up to me.


    I cannot see his face because I am standing beside the Forest Queen. The man lifted his feet from the surface of the body of water. I do not know if this is in Ste''s Soul but I have a feeling that it is.


    Eliane looked beside her. ncing at my direction, she smiled. Not a grin or a smirk, but a smile. A wide smile.


    "It''s only cold when your body is not on the water itself," Eliane spoke. "Try going a bit further and sink into theke up to your neck. The coldness will vanish instantly, I promise."


    Eliane''s flowing white dress, which honestly did not so much cover her breasts and body properly, was now wet when she stepped on to the water.


    "Come on!" Eliane turns towards the mysterious man, I don''t think it is Ruel because that man has brown hair.


    I watched the man lingered its gaze on Eliane as she walked further into what seemed like ake drenched in moonlight.


    "She''s beautiful." I heard him whisper which made me raise my brows. I extended a hand just the level of his eyes but it seems he cannot see me. I am but a phantom-or are they the phantom?


    ; "Come now, Rowan! It''s not that cold," Eliane shouted at the distance. Her hair and face


    now utterly wet with theke''s waters.


    Rowan. That''s the man''s name then.


    "Rowan." I called out to him but he just ran towards Eliane, smiling.


    He sshed water at her and the Forest Queen countered as well.


    From afar, they certainly look like a perfect couple.


    But the surroundings slowly vanished, fading into the air, swirling into a thick mist that


    hindered my sight. In a second, everything is white and misty and moist.


    Something moved from behind me. Something feminine and ancient.


    Before I could tell, her flowing white dress and the starry crown above her head made me gape with the beauty it brings to her.


    Eliane does look like an angel that came down from the heavens gifted by the Trinity Goddesses...


    If it wasn''t for her snake-like smile.


    "Hello, ine," she beamed at me.

 Chapter 65: Pregnant

    "ine!" Someone is calling my name. "ine, wake up!"


    I opened my eyes. "Tyler?"


    "You''re screaming, babymb," Jose touched my forehead, who was standing beside my husband. "You don''t have a fever, do you?"


    "Maybe because of the baby," Tyler said as he leaned his ears to my navel.


    Jose''s expression told me that he somehow forgets that I am in a delicate condition if Tyler did not mention it. "So have you already gone to the doctor?"


    Both of us shook our heads. "The doctor is tending to Melissa now. It''s her schedule. I''ll see if I can insert ine this afternoon for a check-up."


    Jose nodded, handing me a ss of water. "Here''s some lukewarm water for you." Tyler left me for a second before dialing to his phone. "Hello, doctor?"


    When my husband has gone a little far from us now, Jose sat beside me. The couch wobbles as he did. "Are you really pregnant?" Jose murmured to me. His whisper is almost inaudible.


    "You were there that night when Melissa told me so, remember?"


    His expression tells me he is scanning his memories. "And is Melissa really telling the truth? What if she''s just pranking you?"


    I inclined my head. "Of course she is, Jose." I put a hand on his muscr arm. "I''ll be fine," I immediately added when he''s about to turn around. "I''ll name our son after you if it''s a boy."


    It didn''t reach a second before he shook his head repeatedly. "Don''t you dare," Jose Whiteme growled, grinning.


    ***


    It''s a good thing that Tyler carried me towards the Honeymoon House throughout the time we trekked by feet from Jose''s mansion.


    He didn''t seem to get tired as he did not even put me down until we reached the rooftop, where the wind filled the space as well as another greenish and more jungle-looking pool in the center.


    "Tyler, we need to talk about something serious," I said when he put me down and turned to the ice cream fridge.


    He bursts out from the shadows a minuteter while only licking the back of the ice cream spoon. "What is it? And what for?"


    He hoisted his head to where I am only wearing my oversized white shirt now, the one he gave me when I woke up from that nightmare. My face is kissed by the tawny light of sunset as I lean to the railings of this rooftop paradise.


    The sound of slow music started, beckoning me to dance on a pole while naked.


    But there is no pole here. Only the metal railings of the rooftop balcony of the


    Honeymoon House.


    I started dancing as if there was an actual pole, hand gripping the railings tightly, swaying


    my ass in the wind and jiggling my breasts as if I''m selling my soul to the devil.


    His lips curved into a smile of amusement, putting a hand on his hips. He raised the music''s volume louder, enough to drown the ce in music and me pole-dancing without an actual erecting pole.


    The only thing erecting is Tyler''s you-know-what. The bulge in his pants as well as the tensing of his muscles tells me that.


    The other hand of the Alpha, whose palm glowed with green me, traveled towards me and snaked around my waist and into the back of my neck, setting the white shirt I am wearing that belonged to him down into burning pieces until it''s only my underwear and bra between his erotic touch.


    Every footstep is a song that makes my core excited every second. Tyler stopped in front of me; his hand reached for my hair first as his other hand slowly untied the strings of this swimsuit-like bra.


    "I''m surprised you did not tear it away like what you did to my previous ones," I smirked; face bright with the setting sun''s light.


    "Because this is more expensive than most of your lingerie," he licked his lower lip. "Not


    to mention that I am tired of calling my seasonal servant who owns a lingerie boutique, begging


    them to send a dozen of those in Ste''s Soul here and now."


    I burst outughing but Tyler only remained standing before me as he massaged


    my neck, the back of my head, and my bosom.


    "Can you be mine tonight?"


    "I am already yours from the moment I knew you as Jordan until the second I became


    Mrs. Tyler Jane Moonstorm."


    ;


    "I didn''t know you are more poetic than me," he said with a breathyugh.


    ;


    I chortled back. "Poetry is my frustration, Lord Tyler."


    His hand shone again with white light, a beam amidst the waking night as his free hand


    slid in my underwear and stayed there for the rest of the minute.


    My breath thickens with every move of his fingers inside me, slow then fast then slow again. The waning moon finally hovers above us, the light from his hand serves as if he has the moon on his very palms, the light leaking through the wafting shadows. I tiptoed to kiss him as he continued to give me pleasure, thanks to his mighty hands.


    I moaned at the wild taste of him. He opened his pants for me. I brushed my tongue


    against his, our lips are doing their own dance it seems.


    I held his hugeness in my red-nailed hand, pleasing him the same way he did me. Tyler Jane Moonstorm became more and more ravenous until weid ourselves in the ground. My mouth was on his sweet flesh while his tongue relished my wet cave.


    This is the first time we did this. Yes, I am pregnant. But, as a mortal married to a feral wolf-shifting husband...I couldn''t get enough of him. I want to try all the positions in that book Kama Sutra Jose lended me because he said it will be helpful in my sex life¡ªin me and Tyler''s sensual and spicy side of married life.


    "I couldn''t get enough of the taste of you in my mouth." I heard him say this despite the loud instrumental sexy music that keeps on ying in the background.


    My ass was literally on his face but he still managed to praise me poetically? Damn, this man is on another level.


    "Let''s get this done, baby." So I faced him, aligning my middle into the jerking monster between his thighs.


    Then I slid down. Down and down, until he reached the deepest trench inside me.


    I know he has been inside me many times. But every time he did, it''s a different feeling. It''s like I know the feeling of being fucked by him but I don''t know the feeling in this moment of another love-making session. More, more, more-that is what my mind is telling me as he grinds his hips and thrust into my womanhood to the point that I thought I would burst into a thousand aromatic rose petals due to the pleasure seeping into my soul.


    I hissed out a breath. And as always, Tyler surpassed my moaning as if his own moan could sustain a concert full of naked women.


    The thought of another woman other than me made my nose red despite my breasts being covered by his palms, despite my pussy being devoured by his snake. Despite my body settling on top of him, perching above him with wide open and weing legs.


    I was covered in him, my mouth tasted of him. Filled with him. His werewolf-ness and manliness devoured my body and soul like how a wolf does to amb.


    My eyes rested on his face, eyes closed and mouth open as moan after moan after moan escaped from those lips. If only my thoughts about Eliane and Hearteaters aren''t swimming in my mind like how a duck waddle in a pool of mud, I could have enjoy the fact that I am his mate, his wife, his bestfriend, his master, and his ve. That I am a part of his family here in Ste''s Soul.


    I selfishly want to have him all to myself even for a while, but the ride he is giving me now as I reached the climax after ten minutes...


    Tyler''s smile was gentle, sweet-very much showcasing his fluffy side. "We have all the time in the world to practice that position earlier since I now get you all to myself for the rest of eternity."


    He said that to me after the Silver Pack''s Alpha and his Luna''s love-making session concluded, that fast and deep primeval dance amidst the vast ck nket of stars shining with the crescent moon is utterly memorable. And unforgettable.


    I parted from his body and walked towards the door downstairs first since my skin


    badly yearns for the shower''s waters now.


    But my Alpha Tyler caught me lifted me from the ground. Carrying me in his arms like how he did on that night of February twenty-ninth...

 Chapter 66: Come for Me

    Tyler grabbed my hands.


    And to my shock, he put it under his pants. I could feel it was already hard and ready to attack after we watched the adult actors on the screen of hisptop.


    I feel his warmth; beautiful warmth enveloped from my hand up to my arms. My cheeks blushed as soon as our eyes met.


    He couldn''t control himself anymore because of what he had taken out of the waistline of his trousers. With such a monstrosity I have ever seen from him, even in my alcohol-induced, hazy state, I felt uneasy. Thinking that it would be too much for me to amodate, unbearable


    even.


    Green eyes met blue eyes, then the symphony of love-making began to y.


    His thick member had bulging blood vessels the shade of a deep, rich wine. In its engorged state, the fresh blood rushing to the end visibly pulsed. To say the raw size of the genitalia was asrge as the Alpha of a pack-which he is-was not an exaggeration. It was actually an understatement to be honest.


    "Stroke it," he whispered,manded. Demanding that I do something because I froze on my seat. "Feel it, ine. Feel it like it''s your first time." His hot breath tickles the sensitive part of my earlobes, leaving me breathless.


    And I did what he ordered me to do.


    My perk tips hardened like corn. And I knew it''s visible, because he was staring at it like a hungry, feral beast. Stroking it up and down, my mouth hangs open. I felt my insides getting wet because of his orgasmic gesture, sending me to my innate sea of lunacy that only Tyler could send me drowning.


    Tyler''s eyes hooded as soon as we started devouring each other. The house fell silent, and the only sound we heard was the moaning of the girl in the background. My eyes remained pinned on the screen, watching. Mimicking what the girl was doing to her partner, while in my peripheral view, I saw Tyler''s eyes never leaving mine.


    If only his eyes are as wild as his dick, I already shattered seconds ago, my world fracturing and vanishing into nothing more but a whisper between the stars in the night sky.


    I felt hot all of a sudden. Not a sweating hot, but a spicy and sexy kind of hot. My strokes became faster. Tyler''s groan could have reached a neighbor''s ears if only we had one in the Honeymoon House. But it was only the night breeze that heard our groans and moans as we plunged on each other deeper.


    I left my eyes on the screen and focused on Tyler''s reaction. Damn it, why is he so fucking hot than me?


    His mouth fell open. Tyler''s masculine cry echoing in my senses while I did the deed. His jaw moved up and down, as if he was ready to growl at me. His eyes were closed, as if beckoning me to let them open with how I stroked him. His head positioned on my left shoulder de while I continued my hand in an up and down manner.


    When I felt like he was ready toe, I knelt in front of him and pushed his legs wide open. In between his legs, I lower down his pants and grab his dick, sliding it to my open mouth. I swallowed him; his rough and calloused hands glided on my hair and grabbed a handful of it.


    He gripped my onyx hair tightly, my mouth licking his tip. Relishing and savoring him while he stayed inside my mouth. I could feel his warm cock pulsating in my tongue as I devoured him like a good young girl.


    "Fuck!" he cursed, barking. Pleasure purred inside me as the veins on his arms bulged out as his hand was in up and down motion. It felt as if the overwhelming amount of sensuality attack had numbed my brain, turning into a mushed pudding. The repetitive erotic wordsing from Tyler''s tongue as I pleasured him made me unpleasantly quiver. But I like this. A wife giving his husband a blow... ''Sounds fun,'' I mused.


    My lower body trembles as I continue to swallow all his silver waters. Tyler let out a pleasurable groan and quickly picked me up from the floor to sit on hisp. Still unsated, he sucked my flesh hard between my lips, leaving just another ring mark. The act was so wild, that looking at our reflection in the mirror, it creates a picture of an adult movie we have watched earlier.


    I smiled at my reflection as if I am grinning toward the essence of Eliane.


    "You are mine," Tyler growled and flicked his hot tongue inside of my mouth. The kiss was long and hungry, like he''s ready to consume me whole like how a wolf does to amb. I moaned and held on to his arms for dear life, because he was ready to crush me erotically. In a way that I only dreamed a charming prince would do.


    But Tyler was no prince charming. No, he''s one hell of a king who leads his own gilded kingdom under the silvery light of the Moon Goddess.


    I could feel his growing bulge under his trousers while I dry-humped him. Moaning, his forefinger dug inside me and didn''t hesitate to push it inside. His thumb found my clit and tugged it side by side, giving me so much pleasure.


    The pleasure sumbed to me. It was utterly unbearable that a shrill escaped from my lips. I could feel the stickiness under my panties because of how wet I am now.


    ''Oh my Goddess-Tyler. He''s so fucking good at this!'' I whispered to my head, where the only other part of me could hear.


    "Please..." I begged.


    "What do you want, ine?"


    "I want it... " my throat bobbed as I pleaded. "I want you, Tyler."


    "Beg more," his dark voice made my jaw clenched.


    "Please!" I shrieked when his forefinger quickened its pace inside me. My eyes rolled at the back of my head while I fucked his big fingers, my body hungrily want to go with his oscition.


    "Do you really want it, my little bitch?" Bitch? As in a female dog-


    "Yes!" Oh Dear Moon, I''m such a crazy wife now because he turns me on even more.


    "I can''t hear you." I can vividly see the bright dark amusement waltzing in those cerulean


    blue eyes, begging me to be his submissive for tonight.


    "Damn it. I want it so much, Tyler!!!"


    "Okay," he softly hissed against my ears while his hands locked my jaw in one ce. I found it hard to speak. My speech was distorted, my words slurred without control, and nheless, I fought against the weight of my tongue.


    Tyler grabs a hold of his dick and positions it on my entrance. He slowly pushed it in as


    he whispered. "Don''t fucking tell me to stop because you begged for this."


    I gasped when he mmed his thing inside me ruthlessly even before I could blink. "It''s... too big... It won''t... fit..." Those words escaped from my lips in a stutter.


    "It fitst time. Have you forgotten already?" his voice being yful now. I couldn''t muster another word.


    Instead, I let out a cry of pain and pleasure. He was so ruthless, wild and savage and feral. And I am sure that tonight, he''s not going to go easy on me even when his seed is now beginning to grow in my womb.


    ***


    Tyler made mee five times in a span of two hours.


    When he heard my stomach churning because I was hungry, like hungry for food, he chuckled and stopped.


    Goddess, he will only stop if I''m hungry. And he wants me energized to have sex


    again with him. That''s it.


    I wonder if my stomach didn''t yield, will he not stop until dawn breaks?


    Maybe. Maybe not.


    With his naked body and glorious cock, he went out to call for a room service in Caf¨¦ del Luna. Which is so far from here, the Honeymoon House.


    "Thank you," I heard him telling the in-house staff. It was a relief that the staff wasn''t a woman, but a man.


    I don''t know why but my jealousy will always kick in if I ever saw Tyler interacting with another


    woman.


    ''I guess now you know what it feels like to be in love...'' That soft unearthly voice whispered to me, a cold phantom hand touching my cheeks.


    "Dug in," he said and put the bed table on my bed. He was about to feed me with the


    spoon, but I stopped and red at him. "You haven''t paralyzed me yet."


    He chuckled and shrugged, grinning ear to ear while waiting for me to finish the food so


    that we could resume our physical activity that we started earlier.


    After our dinner, we took a bath first and made love in the shower again.


    "Ah! Ah!"


    His shaft was not something my body could easily amodate. Even though he had diligently loosened me up with his fingers, my lower part squeezed him tightly. A feeble attempt to push back the foreign object.


    My stomach felt full to the brim that a slight bulge could be seen. My tears mixed with saliva trailed down to my chin because of extreme pleasure as well as the cold shower waters.


    Tyler positioned me in a canine style. My hands were cold on the ss wall as he fucked me hard at the back. "Come on..e on," he whispered against my ears as his hands tightened around my hair, making it into a messy bun. "Come for me, ine." "Tyler... Ah! Ah!" I moaned.


    We did it in the shower for another two hours. Before we slept, Tyler tucked me in the bed and kissed me on the forehead.


    He said that he noticed that I am now tired so he just let my body rest atop the bed rather than rest on top of him and his monstrous cock.


    Tyler''s arms wrapped around my body like a warm nket, territorial and possessive. I secretly smiled even though he couldn''t see my teeth shing to a grin.


    I couldn''t thank the Trinity Goddesses more for still being alive on the second day of the honeymoon despite the beastly threats of the Hearteaters, and for leading Tyler to my mortal, used-to-be-miserable life.

 Chapter 67: Rowenas Ghost

    I did not know how to inhale anymore.


    But I still did breathe, letting the night know that I am still fucking here, alive and beautifully standing on the white tiled floor. The presence of her sent shivers down my spine. My body''s sudden outburst of cold sweats threatening to flood the kitchen.


    Rowena. I can see her smiling creepily at me. When I say creepily, it''s when a part of her face''s skin dangles from her head as it would peel off from her any second but she''s still smiling widely. But I don''t think I can reach her, touch her. As well as she to me.


    It''s as if we are in the same room but only one actually exists in this world: me. I don''t think I believe in the afterlife¡ªor if Tyler''s kind believes in it but wherever Rowena is now, I hope she''s in peace despite the mangled, horrible way she died.


    But who is this Rowena standing, floating in the air, before me?


    It''s midnight. And Tyler and I been asleep since eight in the evening, thest hour we fucked. I only came down because I felt a sudden emotion of being thirsty; the beautiful feeling when a cold water makes its way down one''s throat makes me leap out of bed and venture here. Where I saw Rowena''s ghastly figure.


    I turn my heel from the fridge. The pitcher of cold water is sweating on my hand. Is this the effect of too much sex? Or am I just tired and this stupor is a sign to me that I should return now to our bed, where Taylor is magnificently naked, hugging Taylor in his arms.


    I stopped by the bottom of the stairs, the railings beside it are made of ss. And that made me frown.


    What if I''m scared and I''ll be running upstairs because of some ghost in the past making its presence known to me again and I suddenly tripped, causing miscarriage?


    ''Shut the fuck up, ine. You''re overthinking!'' I yelled at my own mind.


    I rubbed my eyes. But the feeling that someone is watching me...I can''t brush it off. My heart pounded on my chest. Panic roared on my veins, sending drops of sweat down to the steps of the stairs as I slowly but surely made my way upstairs.


    I am pregnant. I can''t risk sprinting on the stairs just because of some strange feeling


    that Rowena''s ghost is scaring me.


    But it did scare me. And I am pretty much afraid. Easily afraid.


    "Run, ine." Rowena''s bloody pale face and heartless body suddenly appeared beside


    me, her unearthly presence an inch away from my ears.


    I ended up screaming.


    I shrieked and yelled and bellowed until my voice echoed in every wall and almost


    shattered every ss.


    ;


    But I don''t care. I am fucking scared.


    And I must run.


    No, I should run.


    Here.


    Now.


    And I did run away, sprinting my way up. Letting go of every tiny bit of self-control from me and every inch of courage burning in my soul.


    Sometimes, I need to be afraid. Because it''s a sign that I am still human after all.


    Despite the inkling knowledge that I am connected to Eliane and the freaking fact that


    the Hearteaters sought me and wants to kill me.


    I am afraid now that''s why I am running. I am running because, amidst being married to a


    mighty storm-summoning Alpha, I am a human in any aspect.


    ***


    I am a powerless human being after all.


    "What the ine?"


    I hug my knees as Iy at the floor at the end of the shiny purple bed. Tyler''s question didn''t so much as make me shift or flinch to where I am situated.


    "What happened?"


    "She was there. Just right there." I pointed to the door with my still trembling


    fingers and broken sobs and croaked voice.


    "You must be tired."


    ; "I told myself that many times, Tyler. But the sheer sight of Rowena is-is..."


    "Here we go again." Tyler put his hand on his forehead, sighing. "I told you and you know


    it too. She''s dead, already dead. Rowena''s already buried in Luna''s Cemetery. We even did that despite her betrayal to the "


    "How the shit can you still think of that? Just because of one mistake, you will already set aside all the good things she has done to you?!" My patience is no longer helping me cage the anger sealed within me. "You are no different to mortals outside Ste''s Soul, always remembering one''s mistake but easily forgetting one''s good deed."


    He could see the bobbing of my throat, the heavy heaving of my chest up and down. "Stop, ine. You''re shaking. You need to rest."


    "I don''t need to rest!" My lungs would have exploded with so much fury oozing up to its brim. "How could you care less about Rowena? She had watched you when you were little. She took care of you, fed you-"


    "Her betrayal almost killed you. I could have lost you, ine. I am so in love with you and angry with her that both strong emotions threaten to cut the living daylights out of me."


    "But she''s still a family, a member of Ste''s Soul. You call yourself the Protector of Ste''s Soul yet doesn''t give a shit to an old woman''s death just because she let those bastards in. Who are you, Tyler? Are you even the Tyler I married? Are you?!"


    Tyler, too, was fuming. His voice thundered like a storm in the room. "Everything I''ve done, I''ve done it for you. Every move I make is making sure you''ll never get hurt again. And that''s what you think of me? Rowena had a choice not to listen to the Hearteaters but she still did anyway. And now you are fucking ming me for branding her a traitor, where in fact, she is indeed one?" He nervouslyughs. "Then you are no different from all the wives out there, bathing on their husband''s wealth and yet still ming us for mistakes we never make." Tyler grabbed his robe and mmed the door so loud that the bookshelf near the door rattled a little.


    I picked up Taylor where he tossed it on the floor and hugged it tightly. We are left alone, me and the stuffed toy and this luxurious bedroom. Where a canopy of white cloth hangs from a four bed post, the scent ofvender and strawberry candles still flooding the air despite his absence.


    I saw a sh of light outside and peeked at the window. Tylerid his body on the cold grass and dark night, eventually closing his eyes and didn''t so much nce at my direction. My husband is sleeping in his mighty white wolf form, its size and weight perhaps more than a horse.


    Is this mostly what happened to newlyweds? Only days after being married, it''s as if the embodiment of fighting and God of War also joined our honeymoon, making its presence known to us hour after hour.


    I shook my head to that thought, letting my curiosity stay out of that question. And throughout the night, I was left hugging and cuddling Taylor (the stuffed toy) alone, instead of the man, the husband, the Alpha who gave it to me...

 Chapter 68: Dreams from a Ghost

    Here I am again, dreaming. As if it''s the kingdom I ruled.


    But this time, it is not about Eliane. It is about Rowena Cruz, the friend who betrayed us.


    I admit we have only interacted briefly in that ghostly apparition of hersst night. But the way she cared for me during the days she was still alive-how she told me to run at that very night, at the night of my wedding in front of a so-called Jason...it makes me feel guilty.


    Rowena saved me that night, saved my heart from being torn away from my body on the very day that I will be giving my heart to my Alpha.


    "I thought you were going to deliver her to us." The Hearteaters sneered down at Rowena, "Why did you tell her to run then?" That voice of utter darkness and unearthliness is making me grip the bars tightly as I stood as a phantom observing them. If shadows could speak, that would be the Hearteaters'' voice. One that you pray that you will never be able to hear again. One that you constantly make sure there is light around you for these creatures are forged from dark and cold and death.


    Rowena looked me in the eye, her eyes piercing my heart already wrapped with thorns. Now I''m beginning to doubt if I am dreaming or am I witnessing an actual conversation that urred?


    What if...


    "She passed by your side the moment I told her to go. Why didn''t you grab her?" The monster''s human nose red. "I don''t want to make our disguise fail."


    "But you already did fail even without disguising." Rowena''s smirk might have earned her


    a pat in the back from me.


    She drifts her head to the space behind the Hearteaters, to me. Can she see me? Can she really recognize my presence in this¡ª


    Is this really a dream? Or am I transported back to the day this happened? The day she- I inhaled through my nose. And when I looked again, the Hearteater that took the form of Jason is now inside the cell behind Rowena, grasping her neck from behind as if it''s just a piece of meat.


    Rowena didn''t so much as whimper. She instead smiled.


    "You may kill me now. But she will never yield to you, especially when she''s now more in favor of them than your kind."


    Even with the Hearteater''s deathly true appearance, that inhuman throat bobbed in reaction from her words.


    "Eliane will always be Eliane," the Hearteater countered. "Whether she''s in the body of


    that Luna or in the name of ine, her soul will always be as corrupted as ours."


    I freeze, coldness running in my bones, seeping in every veins and sinews. I hugged myself, thinking that I could warm my body.


    But no.


    I am Eliane. Like the Hearteaters, I am forged from the coldest pit of darkness, the aroma of death wrapping in my soul-Eliane''s soul.


    ''A liar will never tell the truth...'' someone whispered to me. Was it Eliane''s? Does that


    mean that I shouldn''t believe anything that these beasts said?


    "Is she?" Rowena''s grin became wider, putting a hand to her chest.


    And my shriek filled this dimension when the other Hearteaters plunged its bat-like hand


    in Rowena''s chest, staining her already filthy dress with bright dark red blood.


    I couldn''t smell that rusty scent especially when that Hearteater hoisted a beating heart


    in the air. It beats for a few seconds until it just bes a heart on one''s palm, neither beating nor living. But I know how much pain would fill one''s soul, dying in the most brutal way I could even imagine. This feeling is the same back when I saw Eliane''s head leave her body and tumble on the grassy ground.


    Both were in a dream. But both also felt as if it never was.


    ; It''s like a memory that I have already witnessed but couldn''t remember-did not even know that I have seen that.


    And something, someone, tugged me away from this dream. An orb of light appeared, brightly swirling before my eyes as I slowly went back to my own consciousness.


    Back to my own body.


    ***


    I woke up to the sound of barking.


    But I could not smell the fragrance of rain and forest and mist which are my husband''s scent. My Alpha''s aromatic fragrance that my nose constantly yearns for.


    "Pegasus? Cerberus?" The Silver Pack and the Amber Pack''s pet wolves were both in this purple bed as soon as I opened my eyes, with Pegasus licking my hand and Cerberus nibbling yfully on my socks.


    "You''re awake, dear." A woman in white coat opened the door. Tyler strolled after her from behind.


    A moonstone ne hangs around her neck shaped in a crescent moon. She''s a werewolf.


    "How are you?" The doctor-my personal doctor here in Ste''s Soul and Melissa''s as well-asked me gently.


    "Well, I am pretty much okay-" My upset stomach made me sprint in a heartbeat to the bathroom just across the room, puking at thevatory. I let it all out; the downside effect of being pregnant made its presence more vicious now.


    ''Gosh, so this is how it felt like to be pregnant...''


    The woman knocked on the door. "ine?"


    I raised a hand, letting her know I''m fine. But the next moment, she''s already rubbing my back, filling my ears with assuring words that it is normal for every woman who holds a life in her womb.


    "I know," I said in a soft, still-trembling voice.


    She brought a little bottle in my nose; its size is the same as my thumb. "It has a menthol scent that will help you lighten your feeling."


    I held the bottle as soon as she parted her hand from my face. Someone cleared a throat


    by the bathroom''s threshold.


    "Is it a boy or a girl?"


    The doctor rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Tyler. She''s only in her first trimester!"


    And finally, I have my firstugh on this day, my amusement echoing in the walls of the Honeymoon House.


    ***


    Tyler''s POV


    "Now that the check-up is done, shall I now escort you to the paradise I said earlier?"


    "Which kind of paradise?" Her eyes sparkled with loveliness that I can only see when she''s with me.


    She rubbed her belly, hair tied to a clean ponytail.


    I''m finally going to be a father.


    Remus howled. ''New pup! New pup! New pup!''


    It''s my first time hearing my wolf in an eager mood. Most of the time, he''s just as solemn and poker-faced as he is, as if he''s ready to sprint to war anytime and anywhere.   "What did the doctor say?"


    ine just squared her shoulders. "She says that I should minimize my overthinking and I


    should stay away from things that cause me distress."


    ; "Finally," I sighed. Her brows met at that. "You''re finally quitting thinking about Rowena."


    She faced me, her expressions showed that she''s ready to debate with me again but I put


    my finger on her lips, hushing her.


    "We are going to bathe in the spring."


    ; "What spring?" my wife crossed her arms.


    And before she could say more, I revealed a backpack, pic basket, and a small hand-


    carry box.


    "Would you like to ride me in wolf form or in this form?"


    She cackled. "I already knows how much of a hustle fucking you in wolf form at Luna''s


    Lake so I prefer you in this form."


    My boisterousugh echoed in the house, almost cracking every ss due to its loudness. "I mean our way of traversing towards the spring, ine!"


    "Oh..." her cheeks warmed, staining in red. She looks so embarrassed that I could pinch


    those fluffy red cheeks of hers.


    I turned to my heel, positioning my body in a way that I am ready to give her a piggyback


    ride. "The road is rough and sloppy towards the said paradise."


    ; "You''re going to carry me at the back?"


    "It''s fun."


    ; She snorted. "I prefer to walk, doggie."


    "I don''t want my pregnant wife to be tired when we arrive there." She gaped at


    the use of my Alpha, domineering voice.


    "So, let''s go?"


    Her throat bobbed in reaction. Remus barked in delight.


    "Let''s go," my wife, mate, bestfriend, ve, master-ine Winona Moonstorm-¡ª


    uttered.

 Chapter 69: The Hidden Spring

    ine''s


    POV


    I was gaping at this lush scenery of waters and green and the sheer sight of nature just being nature: the glorious sound of waters rushing, birds chirping, and the harmony of colors green and blue and brown are so sophisticated I can say this is a paradise.


    It''s so quiet that you can hear your own heart throbbing within you.


    "The residents of Ste''s Soul only call this the Hidden Spring because it is obviously


    hidden."


    I see why it''s hidden. The most beautiful things are the ones that have been hidden long enough for one to see it.


    This ce can be reached by traversing through a mountain and cave first. Thanks to Tyler for letting me ride on his back-a piggy back ride to be exact.


    He suggested he shift but I can''t gulp the fact that I have to be bringing another


    backpack for his clothes to carry.


    "But I can just be naked when I shift back. It''s a spring anyway, and our main purpose there is to swim and bathe and you-know-what." But I rolled my eyes, pouted and crossed my arms. "I want a piggyback," I said in a cute girly voice. "I never had one. So I want to know how it feels like."


    "You are one hell of a curious woman, Lady ine. I apud you for it."


    And that''s the story of our pre-journey here in the Hidden Spring.


    "Would you like to bathe or eat first?"


    I grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I can do both. Since I can eat you while we''re bathing."


    The Hidden Spring is like one of those natural springs we once visited in Florida when I was in Senior Year. It was a field trip, and the expenses of that were from my own pocket from the sry back when I was working on a night job at the local nightclub.


    I take off my flowery Sunday dress, revealing a two-piece bathing suit beneath. I climbed down the wooden stairs, the wind so cool and breezy and fresh. Not like the polluted and over- saturated air in the city.


    My toes touch the waters first, the spring''s pristine turquoise color matching my outfit. The waters rippled with every step I took, my toes sinked in the sand. The water is so clear that you can see the tiny fauna swimming and the greens living in this body of water.


    "Do you like it?" Tyler''s hand already slipped in my nape even before I noticed he''s


    already in the water, beautiful and naked.


    ; "Do you want to see how we swim in the water when we''re in our wolf form?"


    I couldn''t say no. Tyler''s smiling so wide as if he''s more excited to show me and doesn''t really care if I say yes or no. "I''d love to, babe."


    A sh of light boomed in the area and a huge white wolf devoured the center space of the spring, the waters covering most of his wolfish body and white fur. Only his huge head, probably bigger than a horse''s head, stuck out of the surface. Breathing and visibly swimming. In a nce, one could mistaken him for a dog if not for his gigantic size and weight that made the waters near the wooden stairs now reached above my mouth.


    Tyler swam just like how I watch myte pet dog Joey does in a brook or pool. There''s no difference, aside from the fact that my Alpha is a wolf-shifting man and Joey is a dog by nature. When he finished, I ended up pping for him to at least make him know he has an audience after that doggy wolf trick of his. Tyler''s canine appearance beamed at me at the dry side of the spring, shaking the water from his wolf body before returning to his magnificent, naked, masculine mien that I married under the light of Worm Moon.


    I swam where Tyler is standing, jerking his flesh and pleasuring himself as I focused my eyes on him with every move of his hand and every biting of his lip.


    As soon as I rose from the water, he emptied his seed and it came directly at my lips the moment I hoisted my head.


    I narrowed my eyes but he only smirked. He sat on the stone, a few grass covering it and crushed his mouth into mine. "Now we both have my taste," the wolfie said as soon as he parted his lips.


    Tyler''sugh echoed when I grabbed a towel, sitting on a huge stone and taking a bite from the box of doughnuts he got in Caf¨¦ Del Luna.


    The little waterfall at the side drowned my satisfied moan with every bite of the snack, eventually tempted to open the box which holds Burger King''s newest Monster Burger. The size is as big as my face.


    "Don''t tell me the owner of the Burger King is also included in your connection?" His eyes smiled and I already knew the answer to my own question. "Only the Moonburn branch owner is a part of my circle," he answered. Tyler''s panty-dropping voice will always surpass any loud sound, may it be the thunder itself or the rushing of waters from the waterfall. I could listen to it for a million years if I were to wish upon a Genie.


    "Want to know a nice fact about this ce?" Tyler sat beside me, waters dripping from his hair, body, and dick. I badly want to dry it with my own lips if it wasn''t for the burger and doughnut I was eating.


    I only nodded my head as I licked my fingers.


    ; "My ancestors said that this is basically the powerhouse of Ste''s Soul."


    ;  "Define powerhouse."


    "This is where the first wolves of Ste''s Soul spotted the Trinity Goddess. And since then, werewolves of Ste''s Soul, either Amber or Silver or Shadow, still imed that they often see Aurora and Ste and Selena in this serene lovely ce."


    "When was thest sighting?" my curiosity takes hold of my tongue again.


    "Some say it''s two hundred years ago, the same year where the Hearteaters and Werewolves'' feud began and the very day when Eliane fell."


    "Fell?"


    He nced at me sideways. "Died."


    ;  Oh.


    My Alpha''s hand locked with mine, squeezing it gently as if to alleviate the cold derive from the coolness of the spring. "You know, it''s actually a bit funny and bizarre to me that your name basically just sounds like Eliane''s. Except the L, I, and A are interchanged."


    Fuck. Is he suspecting already? I didn''t know he could realize it as early as now. "Anyway, this world is full of mystery nheless. How about we go to that side and visit


    the little altar my ancestors set up for the Trinity Goddess?"


    I inhaled, sighing through my nose before putting back the unfinished food in their respective boxes.


    I must act naturally. I must act as if I am not hiding secrets from him. I must act as if¡ª


    ''I haven''t proven it true yet so I can still exin my side to Tyler, I guess?'' I pondered, my


    own words reverberating in the walls of my mind.


    "Yes, please," I breathed, smiling at my husband, Tyler Jane Moonstorm.

 Chapter 70: A Picnic with the Alpha

    We arrived at an altar made of stone, which reminds me of a Marian grotto that I and the Rutherford family visited on the west coast.


    It was only a little one; the size of it probably is enough for two people and not the one like we visited where five people can enter all at once.


    Three huge candles are in the center, all are white. In one nce, it showed signs that they have been used many times. Tyler waved his hand and the candle''s wick immediately started burning, the me dancing in my eyes.


    No statues can be seen unlike the ones I see in a Cathedral church, where several different versions of the Virgin Mary representations are disyed. There are versions of her wearing a white veil while holding the Emmanuel in her arms. Some statues also depict her as having curly hair and some are depicting her with a more Westerner appearance rather than the original Israeli look.


    But here...it was just the stone altar and the candles, me and Tyler and the nature surrounding us. It was so quiet that I am afraid to say a prayer out loud, fearing that I will break the silence devouring the whole ce.


    As I ced my hand above the candle''s light, my palms warmed as I said my own prayer in my mind, vines and foliage under it with little blooming flowers adorning the altar.


    "I often came here when I was a child. When I was scolded by my dad or by my mom, I find peace in here, talking to the candles as if I was not saying a prayer. Letting out those emotions, venting and ranting...I do it here for I know that I am wholly alone and only them and this ce are with me."


    The Hidden Spring is more than a body of water to be bathed and relished by the bodies, this is a sacred ce but at the same time like a soundproof room-you can shout here all you want with only you and the trees and the waters hearing it.


    This is a paradise that is more than just beautiful; this is calming and helpful to one''s mental health.


    his face.


    I turned my heel and faced Tyler, who slightly avoided me as I saw him brought a hand to


    He was wiping his tears away so that I could not see them.


    "Are you crying?"


    "Me?" Tyler shakilyughed. "Of course not!" But his voice said it otherwise.


    I can see why this ce is important to Tyler. I don''t know how many words or fierce emotions that the trees and the turquoise spring have absorbed. But one thing for sure, this is where nature and paradise meet, where one can cry to his or her heart''s content with the peaceful ambienceforting one.


    And now I know in my heart why I love this because this reminds me that even a firebringer creature can shed tears from his eyes in this ce.


    ***


    "I can''t do this ine! Why make fire from rocks when I can just summon one from my palms?" I took a deep breath. "Sometimes it''s nice to see how a thing you''ve worked so hard to achievees out. So yeah, keep rubbing!" I said with a jovial voice, as if I never knew a thing about Eliane and the Hearteaters, setting aside all those problems for once and enjoying my time with my husband while thissts.


    "I''ll prepare the meat. What condiments did you season it with?"


    Tyler flinched. "You''re seasoning the meat for grilling? Does it defeat the purpose


    of the natural taste of the food?"


    I sighed, he has a point though. "You''re a werewolf. I''m a mortal. And I prefer our to-be-


    grilled meat with pepper and salt and a bit of turmeric seasoning."


    Tyler shrugged. "It''s a good thing I packed them in the pic box. I''d love me some


    seasoning too but I want it when the meat is already cooked."


    I looked at the basket he bought. There''s a bunch of liquid condiments in it that I bet he doesn''t even know where and when to use it.


    I started to soak the pork belly and chicken breasts in soy sauce, slicing some lemons and squeezing its juice on top of the meat and other seafood such as shrimp and crab. After, I sprinkled some pepper and salt before spreading a pinch of turmeric and brown sugar. My eyes caught a pack of dried chili peppers in Tyler''s bag and I put them on top and below the pork and chicken.


    "Wow." Tyler eximed as soon as he was an inch away from me. "It already smells good even before being cooked."


    I smiled, my teeth shing. "That''s how you tell a food will turn out to be so good when, even before being cooked, it is already so beguiling and orgasmic that you can''t wait to eat it." Tyler''s hand slid to my waist. And before I could protest, he clicked his fingers and the


    fire roared behind him, setting the mood for a perfect grilling.


    "I can''t help it anymore so I set the rocks aside instead," Tyler whispered. And that made


    me grin femininely.


    ***


    The cracking of the crab''s shells, legs, and pincers already made me swoon.


    "Here, love." I opened my mouth for Tyler as he slid a good amount of crab meat in me, covered in melted butter and garlic.


    It tastes like heaven, like heaven ''heaven''. I chewed and chewed until I swallowed the meat. As Tyler wiped his mouth after taking a bite from the crab, I grabbed the crab pincers right from his hand and gobbled the seafood in less than a minute.


    "Slow down, babe-"


    ; "I''m pregnant," I said with my mouth full. "I''m eating for two, remember?"


    A smile bloomed across my face when Tyler''s surrender made him grab for the pork belly instead.


    But the exquisite sound of the grilled pork belly-the crunch and texture and smell made me pause and stare at him. I picked an already-sliced pork belly, its size as big as an ice cube, and coated it in soy sauce with lemon and chili. I paired it with a crispy shrimp from the bowl beside me and drenched in the same sauce as the pork belly''s, eating it at the same time.


    My tongue could have melted as soon as the pork and shrimp touched it. I chewed and chewed, relishing in the freshness of the food as well its savory and ptability.


    I enjoyed thete lunch with him, especially since I''m eating with the man who could alleviate me from all of my worries.


    "We are leaving the Honeymoon House for four days," Tyler spoke as soon as he burped, grabbing the bottle of coconut juice from my hand.


    I raised a brow. "And what does that mean?"


    "It means we can resume our honeymoon outside of Ste''s Soul."


    "And the beastly threats?"


    Tyler blinked at that but he immediately brushed away the hint of worry on his handsome face. "Grandmama gave us permission to travel outside for four days, outside the wall and outside of Ste''s Soul...outside the Misty Forest."


    I gaped, not knowing if I should be happy or excited or uneasy.


    I took a bite from a chicken drumstick before replying to my husband. "That is a surprise worth of a dozen king crabs."


    Tyler Jane Moonstorm''sugh echoed in the silence, bouncing from the pristine turquoise spring''s surface. "I bet you can finish them in less than an hour."


    I narrowed my eyes, grinning like a feral Siamese cat. ¡°I''m d you already know."

 Chapter 71: Out of the Country

    I couldn''t believe it-me and Tyler going outside of Ste''s Soul for our honeymoon. It is certainly another sweet surprise in the air.


    It just felt like yesterday where I have beenpelled to be sacrificed by my neighbors. My heart would often still feel like this is a dream to have this fantastic life with the man I


    beddedst year.


    Yesterday, Tyler surprised me that we are allowed to go outside the wall for our honeymoon for four days. He didn''t tell me if it is within Moonburn or Washington or are we going overseas, which adds up the fuel of excitement inside of me.


    I was thinking what country are we about to have a trip to. The West Coast? East Coast? Europe? Asia? God, I''m so excited! I have never felt this alive and eager before.


    Going out of the bathroom, I almost shrieked when I saw my half-naked husband with only a towel draping on his torso to cover his poking sex. Just... seriously? He has a boner early in the morning?


    ''Werewolves...'' I mused.


    He probably saw my stupid reaction because Tyler grins, wolfishly and ivory teeth shining by the morning sun''s light.


    "What?" I mouthed, arching my eyebrows at him. He licked his lower lip and stepped forward. Now I felt nausea and my stomach flipped multiple times.


    "Come here," hemanded. I know I probably look constipated. But when I didn''t respond, his gaze hardened, morepelling. More beckoning. "ine, I saide here," he growled in amanding voice.


    Why does his fluffiness vanish on the very day we are going outside? Yesterday, Tyler''s the ultimate teddy bear husband. Now...now he''s acting more of a feral wolf, an intimidating shifter. Biting my lower lip, I step towards him. We are only an inch away now. He''s so fucking tall. And with his broad shoulders, I know he can smash me anytime in the wall, in the bed, or even by just standing in front of each other. "Why do you look scared? I''m your husband, remember?" he asked, eyes softening while lowering his gaze from my eyes, to my lips, and back to my eyes again.


    "S-Scared?" I snorted. "Of course, I''m n-not scared!"


    "You are,¡± he whispered and ducked his head to bite my earlobes gently. "Are you backing out now?"


    I know he was pertaining to our honeymoon outside Selena''s Wall. Of course I''m not backing out. I''m even excited because I will be strolling through the city again after these days of misery and worry.


    Swallowing his question, I tried to open my mouth. But no words came out until five secondster. "W-Why would-Why would I back out?" Iughed nervously, pushing his hard chest away.


    I turn my gaze from Tyler, stepping backward and trying to regain myposure.


    ''Chill, ine!'' I told myself, willing my body to calm down.


    "I mean, y-yeah, it''s our first time to get outside the wall for our_"


    Why the hell am I stuttering?


    "Honeymoon," Tyler purred.


    "Yeah," I sucked a breath. "I''m getting dressed now!" I said all those words without looking at his eyes. Damn it, what was happening to me? Why am I panicking? Is it because of that thing... poking down there early in the morning? Why is he that hard, though? Or was it because it''s natural?


    ''It''s natural,'' my mind answered back. ''You''re his wife. And he is your husband. You two are bound and mated, you marked each other. You are his friend and mate, master and ve; the same thing he is to you.''


    It''s early in the morning. The birds are chirping and the sky is bright and blue. The perfect weather for traveling. Though I still have a lot of things to do, my heart didn''t cease to throb inside my chest. I haven''t yet packed since we returned here, the Honeymoon House, tired and drained. And we ended up sleeping atop each other in a ridiculous position.


    "ine." I heard Tyler sigh when I turned my back to him.


    Smiling, I finally stared at his eyes which shocked me because it was so softpared to minutes ago. Damn. Why does his eyes look so dangerous yet so vulnerable when those pair of cerulean eyes slid at me?


    "Hmm?" I twitched my lips to the side.


    "I love you."


    I giggled, my feminine amusement making his brows meet. "I know that very much."


    "But I didn''t say that with more emotionpared now!"


    I gasped, my mouth hanging on the floor. My heart drummed in my ears the moment he said those words. My ears started ringing because I cannot find the right words to respond to my Alpha.


    He grabs my elbows softly and brings his lips to my forehead. "Why do you look shocked?" he whispered after. "It''s normal for us newlyweds." He heard me sighed, "I figured out humans love to hear those three letter words "


    He brushed his lips on mine. "Fuck, maybe it doesn''t apply to you."


    Is he kidding me? The way he says it almost takes my breath away.


    ''Speak, ine! Let him know you love it!'' My mind shrieked back at me.


    I parted my lips, my eyes hiding the fact that I am still deciphering what makes him act bizarre


    today. Cute but soft and romantic. The Tyler I know is rough and seductive.


    "So am I..." I whispered because I don''t know what more beautiful words to counter his i-love- you thingy.


    "What?" He suddenly steps backward, arching an eyebrow in my direction. "You should say, ''I love you, too''."


    I breathe out a soft chortle. "Childish."


    "Only for you," he cupped my chin and gave me a smack on my lips. I was taken aback once again, and I startedughing to ease it off. He looks more than serious now. "Why are youughing? There''s nothing funny here." Dark and dominant, his voice hummed in my ears. "I know. I know." I put a hand on my mouth to halt myughing. "It''s just that... you''re so random this early morning."


    "You just don''t love me!" Tyler pouted, rolling his eyes and leaning his body on the bedpost. "Say it, ine!" He''s always cute when he''s angry. He looks like the red bird in the Angry Birds game.


    Tyler pretended to sob. "It''s just three motherfucking words."


    "No." I cackled as I zip my luggage, finally able to pack the things I need and want.


    "Say it," his voice getting darker now, as dark as the polo shirt he was wearing. The first three


    buttons of it were open for my eyes to feast.


    "I said no, Tyler," I said in a girly highschooler voice that didn''t think twice to reject the boy who had a crush on her.


    "Say you love me, too." Now, he''s using the voice of an Alpha tomand me.


    I made my way to the couch, parting my legs in a yful but seductive way. Without further ado,


    my back straightened and my mouth automatically opened to say the three glorious words he always wanted to hear.


    "I love you, Tyler," I dered.

 Chapter 72: A Greek Vacation

    "Good girl," he smirked in a despicable manner while he patted my head like a little bitch.


    Slowly, Tyler cupped my face. His other hand drifted away into my wet core, pushing a finger every time I blinked and pulling as I looked straight in his eyes.


    "Now kiss me on the neck and scratch it using your forefinger." Inside my head, I wanted to protest badly. But his sexiness and the fact he''s using his Alpha voice tomand me...I cannot.


    I am a ve today; the ve''s master is the man she''s married to.


    And that is why I fucking love my Alpha Tyler, because despite of those horrendous things happened around him, his dick still has the capability to stand tall.


    Obeying like a good little wolf, I moved my head and started kissing his neck. Each kiss is a little reminder that he''s here with me and I am still with him, alive and breathing; horny but loving. My hand slipped from his hardened stomach down to the tip of his towel to reveal his poking sex. But he caught my hands mid-air, putting it on his neck instead. His hand is now slowly leaving my pussy.


    "Not a chance," he whispered in my ears, breathing uneven. I still have to tiptoe in order to deepen my kiss on his neck and use my forefinger to scratch it. I left marks on his corbones and saw the bulge going up and down while I did it.


    Tyler started panting heavily when I deepened the kiss even more. His heart thundered and drummed on the palm of my hand as I ced it on his muscr chest. I didn''t know I could do this great when he used his Alpha''s voice tomand. Maybe because this is what I wanted all this time: to be rough and act as a ve while also showing to him that I can be a master who can alsomand him like this anytime, and anywhere.


    What I desire the most is kissing Alpha Tyler; pleasuring him and surrendering to him as all wives do to their husbands and them to us.


    "Fuck, you''re bing so good at this, huh?" he whispered and one secondter, his veiny hands were wrapped around my neck to softly choke me. I was never choked by him before. It hurts but it also felt so good and orgasmic. He parted my hair to the right and started kissing me on the erotic spot of my neck; Tyler''s warm lips leaving a trail of intimacy on my skin. I whimpered when his tongue hit a spot that already makes me wet-


    Down there...he began to slide my panties until it reached the floor. From there, he started touching and fucking me with his hand.


    Until his warm and wild tongue reced those three fingers and I ended up gripping his hair and the couch as if I was holding onto thest piece of rope before I plummeted to the sea of lunacy.


    ***


    The morning was intense after that, like every morning does when I wake up next to him. And him to me.


    My n is always ruined when Tyler is in the picture. Now, I finally have the time to breathe properly without my heart throbbing and my pussy wetting. I made a checklist on my notes app and everything''s going smoothly. While rechecking my things and Tyler''s things, I saw a notification on my phone. It was Tyler''s. He told me that we can''t have our private jet for our trip so we have to be ''normal'' and conform with the crowd in the airport.


    Although there are bodyguards in ck suits around us, mortal servants outside Selena''s Wall, I think no one notices that they were our men when we went to the airport. They''re so casual and normal-looking.


    Grabbing my duffel bag, Tyler took it away from my hand and jerked his chin to the door. "Go inside first."


    Smiling because of him being a gentleman-like figure right now (which was on rare asions by the way), I tighten my coat and do as I was told. It didn''t slip on my eyes how the flight attendant tried to flirt with my husband.


    I gave her an intense re one as venomous as a cobra. And she immediately stopped as soon as I slid my hand on my belly, my palm lingering there.


    ''That''s right, bitch. I''m pregnant.''


    I hold my husband''s hand as we walk on the aisle, showing to everyone that he is fucking mine. And only mine.


    We got an economy ticket and not the business one because I wanted to. I don''t want to be secluded in a ce with Tyler because the Trinity Goddess knows what will happen. ''Oh Ste, just thinking about it makes my cheeks already flushed!''


    "Are you okay?¡± Tyler asked as soon as we were seated. He looked a bit worried so I just gave him a breathyugh. "Nothing, of course."


    Tyler nodded at me, and then to the man in ck at our back. It was one of our bodyguards, just in case something happens, ording to Tyler. What could go possibly wrong with our trip? We have so many bodyguards. Not to mention the fact that he''s a fucking storm-summoning, fire- wielding, water-controlling, and earth-manipting Alpha. I think he''s just paranoid because it''s my first time getting out of Ste''s Soul since the night of February twenty-ninth. And I''mpregnant with our first child.


    The first thirty-minutes of the flight were alright, nothing exciting and nothing panicking. That flight attendant did not try flirting with my husband again because I purposely showed her our intertwined hands, with the blue and white diamond rings glinting on our fingers. Tyler was busy typing with hisptop, probably business and work. I almost forgot that he knows how to use one, to be honest.


    While me...I was trying to sleep so that me and the baby could store energy as soon as wended to hell where Tyler is taking me.


    I heard it was Greece. But maybe he will take me to Find? Or d? Or maybe to Antarctica, I don''t know. Penguin-watching perhaps.


    Unfortunately, I could not sleep. Not with another flight attendant trying to flirt with my husband again. This time, she''s a red-head.


    ''Oh Selena...'' I put my hand on my forehead. Do these women still have some dignity and shame? I am literally beside Tyler.


    "I did not request a coffee," my husband''s baritone voice echoed in our seat, not even giving a nce to the bowing flight attendant beside her. The woman shed her wide set of teeth and apologized to Tyler. I know she just wanted excuses to see my husband.


    Well, if they want, I can give them a two by two size of his face just in case they forget that this billionaire is also one of the stockholders of this airnepany.


    But seriously, is that how attractive he is to other mortals? Well, I know he is so gorgeous and handsome and muscr but... ''Maybe I could ask Tyler to burn a bit of their hair in order to learn their lesson?''


    Now, I am determined not to sleep anymore. I did not even dare close my eyes. I don''t know why I am acting possessive towards him but I am indeed acting possessive towards him NOW. I should keep on guard or another bitch will leech and hit on my Alpha again.


    ''Perhaps I can request him to shift into his wolf and let these women know that he''s a freaking carnivorous canine and the only one who can tame him is me, which is his owner and beautiful wife?''


    I just shrugged, brushing that maleficent thought for the clouds to condense them. Sighing for the nth time, Tyler noticed me. "Are you ufortable here? We can request the-"


    I cut him off mid-sentence. "No, I''m fine here," I said in a subtle angry voice. Why is his face so drop dead gorgeous and attention-seeking? Not to mention even his breath could flocked a thousand women. Even the other passengers, both young and old, married and with a boyfriend, are ncing at my Tyler from time to time.


    ''Oh Goddess Aurora...this is making me insane!'' I mused.


    I should''ve known this in the first ce, that the man I marry is not some ordinary guy. He''s not some ordinary supermodel or Hollywood actor. He''s not some ordinary motherfucking Chief Executive Officer or billionaire.


    He is Tyler Jane Moonstorm, Alpha of the Silver Pack, Protector of Ste''s Soul, Guardian of Moonburn, and the Stormbringer.


    And most of all, he is married to me. And to me only.

 Chapter 73: Maven

    "You look familiar..." Someone said from behind. His jovial voice is masculine enough to be a straight man.


    Turning his body towards me, my eyes widened with shock because it was Maven, the only close male friend I had back then in my mortal life, back when we were still living in Maine. Last time we had a conversation was a year ago, maybe more.


    "ine?! Oh my," he blurted out my name out so loud that the passengers around us knitted their brows. He apologized to the people before turning back at me. "Sorry, but God...is that you?" His eyes traveled all the way from my face down to the Louis Vuitton shoes I am wearing and to the 24-karat gold ne ornamenting my neck. "You look... wow. I don''t even recognize you at all!"


    My heart suddenly melted because, after all, Maven and I were good friends back then. He was the only guy who treated me right and made me feel alive. It was great to see a familiar person here on the ne. At least, my thoughts won''t be flooded by some women trying to flirt with my Tyler anymore.


    "Yeah, it''s me," I bring a few strands of hair behind my ears. "How are you?"


    "I''m doing great, so far. I''m on my way to get my Master Degree in Business in London. But now, I decided to have a vacation break in Greece." He sounds confident, speaks confidently. Back when we were in high school, he couldn''t even say a monologue without quivering and his voice shaking.


    I was truly in awe because he used to tell me that his only dream was to finish college. And now...now he''s taking masters after graduating college! It looks like the odds are in his favor. But I think I''m luckier than him, still. At least ording to my definition of being lucky.


    "How about you?" Maven asked, shing his infamous smile at me his subtle yboy grin at me.


    "You know what, I''m so happy for you." I gave him a gentle tap on his shoulders. I see in the corner of my eyes how my husband flinched at that touch. I sense the way he''s staring at me, as my skin touches another skin is almost making him summon a storm in the very inside of this ne in order to drive Maven away. But at least for this moment, I don''t give a fuck what Tyler thinks. Maven is my one and only male friend. "It feels just like yesterday that you were joking at me that if you can''t graduate, I''ll cut your short hair until you be bald!"


    I let out a smallugh, willing my voice not to be louder. I don''t know why I feel joyful today, as if the worries of Eliane and the Hearteaterspletely drifted away to the wind and beyond the horizon. But again, I don''t care. This is my honeymoon. Maven is my friend. And it was true that he promised to be bald when we see each other yearster and I found out he did not graduate.


    Well, speaking of graduation, it''s actually me who hasn''t gone to college yet. Because, well...you already know what happened. And who made it happened.


    Yes, it was the Rutherfords. And yes, it was because of them why I never pursued higher education.


    But thinking of that now, in the middle of a century-old war between Werewolves and Hearteaters, in the middle of matters of life and death, I guess I should at least think about my husband''s kind and their future for now.


    Especially that the continuation of Tyler''s kind relies on me. Because I am his wife, and it is my job to bear him an heir. Heirs, as Tyler whispered to me during our honeymoon night.


    Maven let out a brief breathyugh, one that made the passenger on the other side of the aisle put on his headphones. "Oh, yeah? You still remember what I said? Too bad," he shed a goofy smirk, showing off at me that his smile is still as charming as ever. But I know already, it''s just Maven and his goofy personality bing one. "I can''t be bald. How can I have a girlfriend if that happens? How will my girlfriend grip my hair when we fuc-"


    I covered his mouth and we both burst into a cackle that we tried so hard not to echo in this ne.


    After being able to breath properly, I threw him a smile and was about to reply when I felt


    a sudden shift of the seat beside me. The atmosphere begins to thicken.


    Tyler cleared his throat, arching his eyebrows at me while his hand slid to mine and squeezed it¡ª tighter than a corset.


    Now, his only attention was at me, and to the guy beside my seat. Where was hisptop? I blinked and turned my body towards him. Hisptop seems to evaporate in the air all by itself. Earlier, he was just typing beside me with a serious face. But now...


    I cleared my throat as well. I smiled in a more formal manner now at Maven and introduced Tyler to him. "Maven, this is my husband, Tyler."


    Maven froze on his seat; his smile washing away in a quick blink of his eyes. Tyler grabbed my hand and locked it, purposely showing our rings to my old friend. He shed a look that screams ''Yes, I am his bitch'' to the young man beside me. To the old friend beside me.


    "Nice to meet you," said Tyler in a soft but dangerously dark voice, like he already wants to end the conversation here without wanting to know Maven''s name. Although it was clear that Tyler was not interested, Maven still replied. "Maven, ine''s old friend." The friend of mine reached out his hand and that made me stifle a chortle.


    ; Maven is always oblivious to what''s happening. He doesn''t even notice when the atmosphere changes just like now.


    "Ah, friend. Yes, of course. What else would you be to her?" Tyler grins while saying the word ''friend'' in a sardonic tone.


    "Yeah. And oh, we even promised that we''ll marry each other if we still don''t have


    spouses by twenty-five yet and-"


    "Maven," I cut him off mid-sentence. I know he is only reminiscing memories between us. But dogs, werewolves, are creatures that can easily feel jealousy.


    Sighing, I wipe the cold drops of sweat plummeting from my face with the handkerchief that Tyler brought me back when we went to the New York Times Square. ''Oh Goddesses, not in this ce, please,'' I humbly prayed. I can feel my seat getting hot. Situated between two men where one is an Alpha and the other one is Alpha-like is so nerve-wracking.


    "It was good to see you, Maven. Can you please excuse me and my husband?" I courteously asked. He immediately nodded at me, who did not even break his eye contact with Tyler. My husband, on the other hand, doesn''t seem to balk or back down to this igniting, man-to-man fight.


    I was right. Tyler did not have the patience to have the economy ss and requested to get us a first ss flight. No, not first ss. A fucking VIP one.


    I don''t know how he did that. Influence does matter in times like this, I guess. But in just ten minutes after my conversation with Maven, we are now seated here. Here, in this luxurious part of the ne, where colors of red and gold bursting everywhere I look.


    I didn''t talk to him the whole flight. It was my close friend, and he just ruined the chance to catch up with him. He doesn''t seem to care about my feelings because he was back again, typing on hisptop, and answering phone calls from Selena-knows-who.


    Greece.


    After hours, the exact duration is maybe three or four, I don''t know, we finally arrived in


    Yes, Greece. Thend of the Gods, where history and mythology intersects. I saw the rugged mountains, forest, andkes on the ne''s window before we set foot in the country. The heavy feeling I was carrying subsided because of the beautiful sunshine weather, where I can already taste the air and feel the Greek sun warm my cheeks even before getting out of the ne.


    body.


    "This is going to be so nice!" I eximed to myself, a rush of delight sweeping all over my


    Even when we manage to get our bags already, I never manage to see Maven again. I don''t know where he will be going but I wish I could just say goodbye to him. At least for onest time.


    "We are going to Santorini," Tyler''s voice suddenly thundered in my ears, walking beside me whilemanding his men, the mortal servants, to get the rest of the luggage.


    I raised an eyebrow, "I wasn''t asking." Pouting, I crossed my arms on my chest and left


    him to where he was standing. I turned my back in a split of seconds.


    A storm of emotions erupted inside me. ''That''s what you get for not letting me interact


    with my friend!'' I thought, eventually hugging my own self.


    And even if I heard him taking a deep sigh behind, I simply don''t care anymore.

 Chapter 74: Sunset in Santorini

    I have researched Santorini before, and it was one of my travel bucket lists back when I was just the Rutherfords'' household maid and money provider. And a mere teenager.


    My mouth stretched into a smile because of that realization. And to think that this was all for free... ''I love my husband very much.''


    Yes, my hatred towards him has already vanished now. And wherever Maven is, I hope he


    is happy without me. I hope he will remain sessful in his endeavors.


    Even though I am physically here, I can''t stop telling myself that visiting Greece for the first time is indeed a dreame true. The weather, the scent, the people and scenery- everything is so perfect that one might think it is straight from my imagination.


    Santorini is the most popr Greek ind. The sunset views from Oia, as far as I can remember, the northernmost vige of this small ind, are many people''s answer to the question, "What is Greece famous for?"


    While I feast my eyes on the views of this country-the street, their fashion, the restaurants lining outside the hotel, I smiled at Tyler, who mostly did the checking in of the hotel and getting our bags and luggage while I freely walked and admired everything and anything Greek.


    When we finally managed to arrive at our suite, I felt a sense of relief. Finally, I can breathe in Tyler''s scent alone and unbothered. He''s finally mine for the rest of the days.


    And when my body sank into the softness of the hotel bed mattress, when tiredness finally made its presence clear in my aching back and exhausted feet, I did not notice that I already drifted to a nap.


    I was already too tired when we arrived in the room and, before I knew it, my eyes lulled me into a nice deep sleep.


    ***


    "ine!" a cold-baritone voice barked at my presence. Gradually opening my eyes, I saw first the white ceiling above me. Then the close-up face of my husband, to which I could already count his eyshes.


    It''s already near sunset when I woke up; the sky began to beautifully erupt in colors of coral and tangerine. The shades of pinkish and reddish in the heavens made me gape, my eyes reflecting the breath-taking view from our hotel room''s balcony.


    "You haven''t eaten yet," he said softly behind me. He started running his fingers on my hair, which made the joyous song inside me begin singing again. Facing my husband, I looked up at him. His towering and glorious height made me just nod my head for I could no longer find the words I wanted to say.


    "Where are we? I mean the name of the hotel..." I managed to ask after a couple of minutes of deafening silence.


    "At the Slyver." I almost choke because, as far as I can remember, it''s currently the most expensive hotel on this ind.


    And indeed it is.


    "You could''ve got an ordinary one, Tyler." I softly muttered as I inched my face a little further from his lips.


    "By ordinary, you mean cheap?" My Alpha''s eyes only smiled; his dark amusement bathing my soul with flowers and butterflies. "Why would I? It''s our honeymoon."


    Luckily, I managed to control myself not to roll my eyes. "It doesn''t matter." When he didn''t reply, I just continued looking at the sunset on the balcony when my stomach rumbled. I arched an eyebrow because he frankly looks angry.


    "What do you mean it doesn''t matter?" he hissed, a hint of disappointment and sadness


    in his voice. I straightened my back, turning away from him. "What? You think this honeymoon really matters? Until now, I''m contemting why you suddenly invited me to travel far, far away from your home from Ste''s Soul!"


    "Oh Selena...!" He pressed his palm against his forehead, the other hand on his waist. "Did you hear what I told you before we had a flight?"


    My jaw moves, and I tried not to look at him because if I do, I would soften. I would melt like butter when met by his heat.


    "It matters to me, this honeymoon," Tyler waves a hand to the room and to me. "You matter to me. I want you to take away from the source of your worries for a time. Melissa told me what happened to you at the gilded fountain that..." he shook his head as he shifted, his muscr back now facing me. "I cared for you, ine. You and our child."


    "Whatever you say," I whispered and ducked my head. I don''t know why I am having extensive mood swings. One minute, I was grateful to him for bringing me here in Greece. And now, I somehow felt irritated and wondered why, all of a sudden, would he take me out of the only ce we are safe from Hearteaters.


    But to think that those monster shit have already infiltrated Ste''s Soul, not one, twice-


    ; ''You are only safe in his arms,'' a voice not belonging to me whispered, lingering in my


    bones. Probably Eliane.


    My stomach rumbled again. But neither of us heed it.


    "I told you that I love you. Do you think I would say it for fun?"


    "Who knows?" I inhaled through my nose. "You had a fair share of women before. I am only a sacrifice to you, remember? Maybe when you fucked them, you would whisper sweet little things such as ¡°


    I stopped breathing when his hands wrapped around my neck, pinning me to the French doors. "And now you are jealous?" Heughed breathily. "Why are you always turning the table, ine? I should be the fucking jealous one here!"


    My mouth parted when he admitted he was jealous. Tyler? Jealous? Oh Goddesses, no, that wouldn''t happen. That would never happen. "Y-You''re j-jealous?" I asked, mesmerized by his confession at the same time bbergasted. He nodded and breathed on my lips, "Fucking.


    Jealous. You two seem to know each other for one hell of an eternity!"


    I tried not to grin, but I guess I had no control this time. Smiling, I lick my lower lip and soften my gaze on his cerulean blue eyes. My green eyes grinning on their own. "We did not. Thest time Maven and I talked was a year ago."


    "Yeah?" he breathed; his thumb caressed my lips, his other hand still on my waist. "And you''re telling me you had a marriage conversation? Strangers don''t do that."


    Iughed. Why am I so happy right now? "You''re wrong. The ones you share with strangers are the topics you don''t want to share with your friends. Do you know why?"


    He didn''t reply. He was just staring at my lips. I answered my own question, "It''s because you will never see them again."


    "But you see that man now," he pouted. Smiling ear to ear, I crushed on his lips for a long time, tongues dancing against our own mouths.


    After a heartbeatter, I pushed his chest and got away from his hold before anything


    else might happen this minute.


    I heard him letting out a dismayed sigh.


    "I''m going to look at the sunset!" I bellowed as soon as my hands grabbed my


    pair of white wedge shoes.


    He groaned. "Too bad, babe. Sun''s already down."


    "No, there must still be!"


    "ine," he said in a dangerous and concerned voice.


    ; "Hmm?" I asked, tying thece of my shoes. "My ancestors..." he trailed off.


    "What about your ancestors?"


    "My ancestors first came to existence in Greece." He shoved both of his hands on


    the pocket of his pants.


    I stiffened and looked at him. "Is that a problem?"


    He just smiled and shrugged without answering my question, grabbing his jacket that


    hung from the chair. "Let''s go see your sunset, little snow flower."

 Chapter 75: Just Some Couple Having Fun

    Tyler brought me to a fine dining restaurant, one where the sky bes our roof and the shades of sunset gilded the te and sses.


    I am so content with my life now. I have a fine dinner plus a fine and cocky husband. I am back to my Tyler-worshipping mood, my irritation from him has now dissipated.


    leaves.


    Is this what it feels like to be pregnant? Emotionse and go, irritation knocks and


    I''ll just endure this for nine months. But Melissa does not seem to be like me. She seems calm and jolly, still beautiful-looking. How can I be like her?


    There is nothing more I could want-nothing more but to be on Tyler Jane Moonstorm''s side forever. I don''t like her stare of disappointment towards me, it makes me sad. I don''t like seeing Tyler displeased by my presence, it makes me hate myself. I want to be with him for eternity, until time stops bing time. Until all cease to exist, bing but a whisper of memory, a stardust in the universe...I will stay with him, love him. Choose him.


    Even if I am really Eliane, even if I am really their archenemy''s reincarnation...I will choose him over those wolfless bastards.


    "Why are you smiling?" Tyler''s words broke me from my daze and I nced at the waiter pouring wine at my ss, his perfume making my nose re. I''m not a fan of perfume. But if Tyler is to be a perfume...I will bathe myself in it everyday.


    The smell of steak and lobster made my stomach rumble. The waiter threw a nce at me and I blushed. Tyler, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear as he swirled his wine, bringing it to his nose before letting his mouth taste it.


    "I still couldn''t believe this, babe..." Then the waiter was now striding away. True enough, Tyler brought me to the tallest building in this vige. And I have the nicest, clearest view of the sunset that I always wanted to watch. It feels a bit different because I am not watching it from the balcony of Tyler''s mansion or the Honeymoon House. I am watching it through a Greek fine dining restaurant with Tyler as if having a lounge at Slyver wasn''t expensive enough.


    My food arrived, honey-roastedmb and Greek pasta topped with king crab. Just at the sight of these already made my throat bobbed and mouth watered, beckoning me to gobble everything on the te as if me eating here is being limited to a certain number of minutes. "Wow," I whispered, though with my husband''s werewolf hearing, I doubt he could not


    hear it.


    "Wow, what?"


    "Wow because I know for sure this is goddamn expensive, too costly." But he just smirked, as if he''s happy that I am having a hard time finishing all of these, especially when a te of Caesar sd made its way in front of me even more. The bunch of other appetizers and soup and meat waving hello in my direction.


    "It would be a waste not to finish all of this," I said, preparing my stomach for this one hell of a feast. "It tastes great."


    When I hoisted my head from my te, I saw Tyler''s hardened expression. His side-angle proves to me that he has a sharp jawline. I saw the muscle on his neck move up and down while drinking the ss of water.


    He then surveyed me and stood from his seat, taking a step forward towards me.


    "Stop smiling," Tyler said. But he smiled after.


    I gave him a feline grin. "Can''t I just be happy that I am eating delicious food?"


    He sighed and sat back from his seat, his arms now crossed on his chest. "Wow. How fast your mood changes, huh? From giving me the silent treatment and now you are the jolly and happy ine again?" He clicked his tongue, shaking his head and proceeded to slice his steak and peel off the lobster meat.


    I managed to finish my main course firstpared to Tyler. For dessert, the waiter served me ice cream with three different vors in a bowl.


    But I insisted I have it in a cone.


    It took a little nudge of Tyler''s knees across me to convince them to give me my ice cream in a


    cone.


    "What?" I arched my eyebrow while licking the chocte vor on the topmost part of the ice cream cone, zed with Nute and caramel and sprinkles. My tongue then travelled to the bottom vor, Matcha. Tyler did not even blinked when his eyes stared at me as if I''m a specimen under a microscope.


    Minutes ago, I wanted ice cream, and he gave it to me even though there''s no ice cream in this country, ording to what I have heard from his men. But I gave a small tantrum at him, and now... well, the good thing here is I have my ice cream. In a cone.


    "Where did you get th¡ª" I halted, waved a hand at him before devouring the chocte ice cream whole so that I could have an excuse not to talk for a couple of minutes.


    I don''t know where he got these. And I don''t want to know either.


    As long as I have my three-vored ice cream in a cone, I am delighted enough.


    The taste of purple yam spreading in my tongue and sending me to ice cream paradise reflected


    in my face, in my eyes and in my mouth.


    "Do you want to have some fun?" My tongue halted in the middle. Tyler''s eyes lingered on my


    lips.


    I almost choked on my food. He immediately gave me a ss of water, the ice cream dripping from my lips. His eyes narrowed and suddenly he was back to being serious again. ''Oh Goddess Aurora...''


    "You''re not the type of person who likes to have some fun!" It was true. Tyler is childish, yes, but other than that personality...he''s all ck. Ruthless, even. I''m not that surprised though since his status of being a pack leader required him to be one. He is serious as fuck, and from what the mortal world ng would say, ''Kill joy!''


    Kill joy of all things. He doesn''t have fun with life. Well, I hope he''s enjoying himself right now because he wasughing. His husky voice makes me shudder, ringing in my senses. It was... heaven to my ears. I don''t know why but it is what it is.


    "Well, sometimes I do like to have ''fun'' depending on what fun you want to have." He grinned when he saw my reaction. My mouth hangs low and I literally had goosebumps crawling all over my skin while I tried to hide my face from him thanks to the flower vase between us.


    He grabs my hand and kisses the top of it. "You''re beautiful," he whispered after his lips touched the skin of my hand. My cheeks flushed, my heart skipped a beat, and my hands suddenly began


    to sweat. Nervousness devoured me but it was eventually reced by the ocean of happiness that I am now drowning in like a sturgeon slowly reaching the ocean floor.


    I don''t know what else to think as he started throwing kisses on my fingers but I like it. This feels romantic. He looks romantic-and cute.


    Breathing heavily, I rested my other hand on my thighs and squeezed it a bit to release the pressure building up in my body. He started licking my fingers as if it was his favorite dessert he always wanted to taste. He started licking my hand as if it was a nice cold ice cream. "T-Tyler..." Shit, what the hell is my husband doing?


    "What are you doing?" I finally managed to gather the courage to gently ask him after a couple of seconds swooning over his actions. He closed his eyes and the moment they flew open, we had a staring contest for I don''t know how long.


    "Let''s have fun." The words reverberated in my ears again, sending both excitement and worry deep in my guts.


    Should I say yes?


    "I don''t take no for an answer," he added.


    I froze in my seat and just epted my fate for tonight, especially when Tyler''s dark, orgasmic voice made mee for another heartbeat.

 Chapter 76: Casino Virgin

    The ce is just so bright, so wrongly bright that I keep blinking with the neon lights shrouding in every corner I look.


    I took a deep sigh as soon as my eyes darted to the sea of people inside the wide room. "Is this the kind of fun you like?!" There was a hint of disappointment in my voice. Tyler must have known it because he smirked.


    "Yes, we''re going to have fun here," he waved a hand to the entire casino. "Let''s y some game before we go to bed." I''d be damned. I am fucking damned. This is the first time I ever set foot in a ce like this and yet...


    I never thought this is the kind of fun he wanted US to have. Clearly, this is a casino. And looking


    at the men wearing ck suits while holding wine sses and chattering, probably talking about some business, I know this night will be boring. And worrisome.


    There''s a reason why I never stepped into one until now. Because clearly, this sort of heaven does not fit in my earth.


    "Come on, baby girl," Tyler whispered in my ears, wrapping his arm around my waist as he led the way.


    "I''m not a baby and I''m not your girl," my mouth twitched to the side. "I am your woman, Tyler. I. Am. Your. Wife."


    "Thank you," he said to the waiter and gave me a ss of wine, ignoring my whining words. "Wow, you want me to get drunk immediately, huh?" I barked, my voice could tore a wholemb apart. I narrowed my eyes at him when heughed, his dark amusement resonating with his


    cerulean blue eyes.


    "What''s so funny?"


    "I ordered the least alcoholic drink for you and now you''re using me of getting you drunk." Tyler squared his shoulders, his yful tone made me spread my lips in a thin line, vividly showing to him that I am, indeed, dismayed.


    But he is not.


    I can clearly see it especially when he shoves us both to a cluster of people around the table, each bearing a card on their hand.


    ***


    "Damn it, whatever. I will y all the games here if that''s what you want!" I boldly uttered after taking a sip of this alcoholic drink.


    Where did I get that energy? Probably from this drink. But if this drink is not too alcoholic, then...


    "Tyler-" Damn it.


    "Whatever!" I hissed. I''m going to get and have some ''fun'' here if that''s what he wants. And I will make sure that my soul gets one for tonight.


    Even though I have never been inside a casino and never yed a game before, I was confident enough to participate in a game where only a bunch of old men were ying. Why wouldn''t I? My husband is a billionaire, a werewolf, and a fucking Alpha-both in werewolves'' term and mortal''s term: a dominant.


    When they saw a fresh face of a woman stalking towards them, they all halted as if my face itself is enough to make the world freeze in a matter of seconds. All the old men turned to me and gave me the spotlight I needed, I deserved.


    As soon as we started, I tried to keep up with them with all my might. But they''re too damned good with this, hell knows how they did it.


    Are they cheating? Does this sort of game have a form to win?


    ''I already fucking lost all my bets!''


    "Better luck next time, youngdy!" Someone yelled and suddenly, a boisterousughing from these old men echoed throughout the whole room. People from the other table were looking at me. Someughed, while some just threw a nce at my direction, wondering what was going on.


    Feeling down, I excused myself to go to thefort room even though I wasn''t going to. I want my man right now and ask him how to win this bitch of a game. Do I need to cheat? Watch their hand movements? Count how many times the dice rolled? Because if yes, and if that''s what it takes to win and get out in this hellish paradise, then I will cheat. Never mind my conscience and principles.


    "There you are,¡± he whispered, his breath on my ears a warm hug to my current emotional status. "Follow me." He grabbed my waist. I don''t know what''s on my waist that he kept on touching it but I liked it anyway. It kind of shows to everybody that I belong to him and only Tyler could touch me like that.


    Looking up at Tyler, I saw him go to the table I yed at earlier. The old guy recognized me and said, "Oh! Never thought you''re more shameful than you look!" My hands curled into a fist, ready to wreck his already-old face even more when Tyler intervened.


    The old man doesn''t seem to notice Tyler because he was busy checking me out. If I had scissors right now, I would have started digging holes in his chest and scoop out his eyeballs in a matter of a blink. Our mortal men-in-ck escorts reached for a chair for Tyler and, as if they too can read what''s on my mind, hurled my fist to my back, away from the eyes of the old men to see. I only need to inhale through my nose to know that the game is already starting with Tyler in it. I have more trust in my husband than in my casino capabilities because I know he always gets what he wants.


    And always wins what he wanted to win, like how he won me.


    "What are you" I tried to whisper, not believing all of these because, on the first and second try, he lost. However, Tyler''s face is nk and cold. Like he knows he has lost but is still enjoying the game as if the money he puts in the table is nothingpared to his entire wealth. In fact, he doesn''t seem to be moved by it.


    The old men were even teasing him; they thought he was something but turned out not to be. In the fifth game, Tyler won.


    And I almost shriek to the point that my throat would shatter to pieces.


    But looking at the women besides their husbands and how they would just p like a calm and supportive wife...so I also did the same. Clearing my throat, I massaged my husband''s shoulders after rubbing his back. "You better win or else," I paused to emphasize my next set of words to him. "You are not going to get a chance with me tonight. And probably sleep on the floor." I saw Tyler''s ears turn red after dering that to him. His jaw moved ferociously, lips pursing to a t line. "I''m still going to get you whether I win or not," he whispered back, my fingertips turning cold. "You are fucking mine after this game."


    Swallowing, I looked away. It''s my turn to hide my red face away from the spectators. I willed myself to move farther from him but Tyler''s possessive hands draped on my waist, pulling me once again beside him until I''m sitting on hisp like how a call girl does when being ordered by a client to do so.


    "Tyler!" I hissed, not liking our utterly sensual position right now. His lips moved near to my ears, "Rx,¡± he whispered and gently bit the sensitive part of my earlobes. The hair on my skin stands. I am freaking sweating heavily now. "The game''s just about to start."


    I just nodded so that this awkward position of ours wille to an end soon. I hope so.


    His massive chest hugged my upper body where my breasts are jerking on their own as he started shuffling his cards on the table.


    I thought his first win was a buff.


    But then after ten more minutes, he won three consecutive games. Three fucking consecutive games.


    It seems like he''s good at this. Oh, not just good. He''s proficient in gambling.


    ''Oh, shut up, ine! You should''ve known about it. Your husband is a business tycoon and has lived a wealthy, fulfilled life!'' I mused, telling those words to myself and to my ''soul''. He has probably done these multiple times even before I came to his life and I''m pretty sure of that. My pondering suddenly halted when the man organizing the game announced that this will be thest game.


    Before Tyler started, his arms rested near my stomach. Butterflies immediately pped its wings inside me, giving me these emotions that I should only feel when both of us are in our closed bedroom, naked. His forefinger then touched my belly button and lingered there.


    How the hell... since when did his hands get inside my dress?!


    "What was it again, hmm?" Tyler asked. "What did you say earlier if I won this game?"


    "Huh?" I swallowed. "I d-don''t know what you''re talking about."


    "Shut up," he purred, voice dripping with sexiness. "I will have you under me. Naked. Tonight. You understood?"


    ''Oh Goddesses...'' I touched my forehead, pulling my gaze away from him even if I did not even reply to him yet.


    What on Selena''s earth did I just married?

 Chapter 77: Hot Alpha

    We went back to our room after thest game.


    Of course, Tyler won and ended up beating each of those old men who mocked me because I couldn''t win. That I don''t even know how to y that damned kind of gambling. It seems like he was just beating around the bush and letting them win for a few games just to tease them and p them with the truth that they canugh as much as they want-but thestugh would always being from us.


    And yet, even with those losses, he still ended up getting all their money with his consecutive winning.


    A yful grin was stered on his face when he led me back to our room. My heart was beating loudly and I could feel the cold air rushing through my skin. ''Goddess, why am I so fucking scared? It''s not as if it''s our first time being alone together...''


    I tried to breathe properly, inhaling and exhaling. But I couldn''t. My anxiousness still possessed me even in front of the Alpha''s sheer sight.


    Tyler went inside the bathroom first to take a bath and washed off what has remained sticking to


    his skin from the casino. To be honest, I thought he loved gambling.


    It turns out he only brought me there to show to everyone that I am his wife. And he is my husband, a wolf-shifting billionaire man.


    And when I heard the sound of water rushing, that''s when I searched through my things and started picking what lingerie to wear. What seductive lingerie to wear.


    "Should I wear this?" I mumbled to myself while looking at the polka dots and maroon pair of lingerie on the bed. "Or this?"


    "Babe!" Tyler suddenly shouted from inside the bathroom. "Y-Yes?" I answered back, preupied with my thoughts. "Can you please give me the towel?"


    "Coming!" I shouted, and looked around our room. It''s a small room and the style is subtly medieval. This room felt like we were living back in the ancient times yet there''s still a touch of modern interior added, making it look a mixture of ss and sophisticated elegance. And because of my preupied thoughts, I found the towel five secondster on top of


    the bed.


    "God, from all things you forgot to bring. You forgot the towel!" It was just a fa?ade to my bursting feeling. I made it sound like I was frustrated when I stretched my arms to give him the towel he needed.


    But Tyler did not waste anymore time. Because the moment his hands touched my arms, he fucking grabbed me and mmed my back on the cold walled tiles.


    Tyler''s lips hovered over mine, his hands stroking my back in an up and down manner. His kisses were like wildfire, quickly spreading in the air even when itnded on my cold lips. I suddenly felt hot when his tongue entered mine. And after a series of long and hungry kisses, I gasped for air. But he was immensely aggressive and kissed me again to the point that my chest would explode. His lips dominated my body, my soul, my system. And yet, he wasn''t done with me. While kissing, his hands from my back molded my ass and harshly p it, leaving an erotic ringing p in the air.


    "Hmmm..." I moaned.


    "You''re so hot tonight, love..." he murmured in my ears and licked the sensitive part of my earlobes. He was still not done because his fingers slowly pushed the inside of my thighs, leaving me helpless and in unfeigned ecstasy.


    "Tyler..." I grab his arms and hold it, never mind the rising pleasure slowly filling the void in my soul.


    "Oh yeah?" he taunted.


    "What are you "


    "Don''te yet," he ordered.


    Damn it. Why is he so good at this? His forefinger pushed up and down while his thumb found my clit, ying with it. After a couple of seconds, I was panting so hard and ground my lower body on his finger. My eyes started seeing stars, and I bit my lower lip hard not to stifle another erotic moan.


    I know this is embarrassing-embarrassing yet the pleasure is suffocating me to the point I couldn''t breathe properly.


    "Tyler... I¡ª"


    "I said don''t fuckinge yet, ine," he growled against my lips while his fingers were doing me down there miraculously. Tyler had been dominantly wild for the past few days but I don''t mind him. This is the kind of man I wanted to make love with.


    The kind of man that I always wanted to marry.


    Nodding, I tried not toe on his finger because that would disobey his orders. Then, he suddenly pushed his two other fingers. Then three, and then four fingers, leaving me clutching to thest thread of sanity dangling in my mind.


    "Who am I?" he asked.


    "Tyler," I replied.


    "Wrong. Who am I?" he repeated, now more aggressive than before.


    "Alpha Tyler, the werewolf whom I''m sacrificed to."


    His eyes became dangerously feral. It sent shivers down my spine the way he looked at me with those beautifully inhuman eyes. It was, as if, he was fucking me too just by looking at me with his sharp sight.


    "Come on, ine. You''re better than this." His other fingers were ying with my taunting peaks now; my breasts hungry for his worship.


    "Tyler!" I gasped, barely holding his biceps now because I lost my energy. If he did not grab my waist and mmed my back again to the cold tiles, I would''ve ended up lying on the floor. ¡°Still a wrong answer,¡± Tyler barked and pped my ass twice and turned me back. My hands were on the walls now, my back in front of him. His hand found my jawline, tilting it to face him. "Onest chance to correct your answer," I could see his lips blooming to a grin. "Who am I, ine?"


    "My h-husband..." I; swallowed.


    "Good." He let out a darkugh, his yful smirk still not leaving his handsome face. He was probably waiting for that damn word toe out of my mouth.


    Screw it, now that is what we call forey.


    Tyler stopped ying with my clit, his fingers withdrawing from my insides. My brows furrowed and I tried to look back at him. "W-Why did you stop?"


    As soon as I turned around, fully facing my husband''s entirety, I gasped when I found out why.

 Chapter 78: Just a Sacrificed Bride to the Alpha Having Fun in Greece

    "Oh my God¡ª" I could have called forth every saints and idols in every religion.


    I shrieked out when his tongue darted to my insides after he knelt down, ready toe. But it stopped. I willed it to stop.


    Then he went down at me... until I felt my sudden release that I can no longer keep at bay. "What did I tell you? When I tell you toe, you will. When I tell you not toe, you won''t." My throat bobbed with Tyler''s thundering words. The way he bes more overly aggressive and immensely dominant ever since we became husband and wife... is he really the fluffy Tyler I married or is he just like that because I am now his wife?


    "I-I''m so-sorry..." I softly said, sending those words to the air enough for him to hear. "You''re not going to get another one."


    "What? No-" I cried, burying my face in the coldness of my palms.


    "Just follow my orders and you will be rewarded." Tyler stood up, stalking towards where his towel hangs. He smirked when he saw my irritated face.


    "What an ass," I whispered and took a shower. He was done so he went out of the bathroom already, leaving me alone and still flushed. Still stained in the shades of red.


    I wasn''t content with what Tyler has done to me. So, I finished on my own, taking matters into my own hands. I imagined his face before me, his lips sucking my nipples, his enormous cock thrusting in and out of me while my own fingers were doing me. I came off thrice, and then, when I felt guilty about it, I went out of the bathroom to dry myself ready to sleep. "You''re not sleeping?" I asked when I saw him on the sofa.


    "Can''t sleep. I might stay up the whole night."


    As a response, I just nodded and got dressed. I couldn''t control myself not to show him my disappointed look.


    So much with our ''romantic'', out-of-his-world honeymoon then...


    ***


    I woke up to the moment that I felt the sun was already warming my cheeks, beckoning me to get up and bathe in it.


    Tyler went out, probably and obviously, because he wasn''t there in our room as soon as I willed myself to sit. I don''t even know if he slept beside me or if he even slept at all. I guess it was indeed true that he stayed up the whole night to do something, probably business or- "Whatever!" I whispered to myself, frustrated because our first night on our honeymoon overseas trip wasn''t that great. Well, should I expect something from him? He already let me relished his taste many times even before we were married so I wouldn''t be excited every time we bathed ourselves in love nakedly. But... I still do feel this wave of eagerness every time Tyler make a move. Every time he kissed me, it felt like it was the first time. Every time his mighty dick slid into me, it felt like it was my first time losing virginity.


    But with the constant happenings pertaining to werewolves and Eliane and Hearteaters...I shouldn''t make my expectations too high because in the end, I will just end up getting disappointed.


    A knock shattered the silence inside our bedroom. Wrapping a bath robe around my body, I looked at who it was through the peephole before turning the doorknob.


    "Good morning, Madame. Mr. Moonstorm summoned me to apany you," he paused as soon as he beheld my figure. "The chopper is already prepared outside. He wants you to get ready." An old man wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt said. He wasn''t smiling or frowning either. He has this stoic face that one may think of as angry or enraged.


    "I''m sorry?"


    "Good morning, Madame. Mr. Moonstorm summoned me to apany you," he reiterated, the old man''s voice sounds likeing from a robot. "The chopper is ready_"


    "Yeah, I get it!" I cut him off. "What I mean is, for what? He didn''t tell me we''re going out today." As I have said, I don''t want to expect anything from my husband anymore.


    One moment, I was just scratching my head, curious to where the hell he went. And in just a blink of an eye, I found out that he sent someone, knowing that I am wholly naked since our wild encounterst night, ordering me to get ready because a chopper is waiting for me outside.


    In response, he checked his antique watch. "Please be ready in ten minutes." Then, he closed the door, shutting it right in my face.


    "Wow!" I eximed, shaking my head then my fingers.


    Sighing, I have no choice left but to follow that old creepy man. If I stay up here, then that will


    be a waste of time considering that I don''t have any knowledge about Greece apart from the bookish information I know.


    I stalked towards the French doors andnded myself on the balcony, where the beautiful view here in Santorini, Greece can be seen.


    Magnificent and breath-taking. Those two words describe what I am seeing right now.


    In less than a minute, after being able to savor the morning breeze up here in the balcony, I readied myself.


    Or else that stoice-faced man woulde knocking at my face again.


    ***


    "Good morning, wife." Tyler greeted me with a kiss on the forehead that eventually made my frowning vanished.


    He extended an arm for my waist, to which I breathed in his scent of rain and forest and mist. His men gave him two leather jackets, one for him and one for me. After putting on his own jacket, Tyler helped me wear it while guiding me to the inside of the chopper.


    Acting like I wasn''t moved by his action earlier. I put a silent treatment on him while he prepared for the flight. To be honest, I have a fear of heights. But with him inside me in the chopper all alone...I don''t want to think of what will happen next.


    Sex or kissing or making out, I don''t know. And I don''t want to know.


    Luckily, horny Tyler didn''t possess him right now and he instead shared stories about a vige, the very reason that made him stayed up all night long-one that is about a secret luxurious vige of werewolves like Ste''s Soul, where the residents still choose their bride and husbands outside the wall to bear their heirs.


    But with different guardians, deities to be exact.


    "What?!" I eximed because that exins why I find the old man earlier in the morning creepy. I knew it; his bizarre scent is something I have never smelled before but I just set aside those feelings because we were in another country.


    "You didn''t tell me!" I squealed, eyes piercing right through his soul. But he justughed off at my angry face, even pinching my cheeks after telling me that I look cute every time when I''m furious. "We''re here."


    Then Tyler mumbled something I don''t understand, probably for the take-off of our chopper. He was good throughout our trip. Unlike his manly demeanor, he was a gentleman for today. The food and cuisines in the restaurant we dined in, situated along the streets of the center of Santorini were a must-have experience. The important and elite-looking people we met really have a high regard for my husband-and towards me for being the billionaire Alpha''s wife. "Calm down, no one''s going to steal your te." Tylerughed at me, shaking his head. He is clearly more enjoying in teasing me rather than eating his actual meal.


    Though deep inside I am delighted, I rolled my eyes as I told Tyler Jane Moonstorm, my husband and Alpha of the Silver Pack, to shut up because my Greek-style lobster had just arrived.

 Chapter 79: Dianas Edge

    "This is Diana''s Edge."


    Tyler''s voice is nothing but a whisper in the wind. Still, my mortal ears caught them as we both stared at the limestone wall magnificently standing before us like how Selena''s Wall does.


    I could not see it at first. But with Tyler gathering the droplets of water in the air, willing his water magic to obey as he mmed it in a clearing between two huge trees...the White Wall now shimmers as I look at it from bottom to top. Pure awe shone on my face, nose ring and eyes sparkling with the kind of magic my storm-summoning husband rarely uses.


    We are on Mount Olympus, (probably) the tallest mountain in all of Greece. And Diana''s Edge is situated behind it.


    We were just shifting our feet when a silver-haired beautiful man stalked towards us. Only wearing a pair of boxer shorts, he bowed to Tyler before giving me a warm smile. "Wee to Diana''s Edge, where the moon is our sun."


    I didn''t even notice that the wall has hidden two gigantic stone doors. Contrary to Selena''s Wall that we have to trek through the cave-like entrance before we reach Ste''s Soul, here you just have to need a Greek wolf weing you. And before you know it, you are already in Diana''s Edge.


    "You may now enter," he invited.


    Tyler caressed my hand before squeezing it as if he''s saying, "I''m here, and I am with you."


    I am not afraid. I have seen enough werewolves in my life. But upon beholding the sizes of Greek Wolves standing by the stone doors... "Howe these Greeks are bigger than yours?" "Because we are the original ones." It was the silver-haired beauty who answered. His enthralling mien is one that came straight from an anime screen.


    "Original?" I asked, curiosity once again taking hold of my tongue.


    "The first ones." It was Tyler who answered my question this time, eyes focused on the bleeding colors of sunset. Tangerine and tawny shades running the rivers and brook with their brightness, along with a bit of pink and purple.


    "This is beautiful here," I said between my stride as I kept my pace with them. Men, especially those with werewolf blood, are really fast trekkers. I suppose even the mountain wind couldn''t keep up with them.


    But even with its ancient aura, Diana''s Edge is still like Ste''s Soul in many ways: a sanctuary for those creatures who have wolves as an extension of their personality.


    A sanctuary where both modern style and centuries-old architecture intersect, the Corinthian


    gate with several gilded pearls adorning the body is an example of that.


    The houses that have t roofs and ss balconies, yet are still loyal to the Greek design on the outside, especially with the garden.


    As I fill my soul with the magnificence of yet another home of supernatural strangers...I can''t help but gaze at Tyler and the silver-haired masculine beauty.


    They are talking as if they are long-time friends yet still have a space of boundary between them. "Why don''t you go with Nyrene, Winona? The Hymen has a nice selection of wine and cheese.¡± I just nodded at him, his voice is more orgasmic than his look.


    "And grapes," my husband added, his wink making my stomach turn upside down. So much for public disy of affection.


    "You must be the Luna from Ste''s Soul." A woman with midnight blue hair voiced from behind me. Tyler and that Greek friend of his had already gotten far from my sight when I turned around to face her.


    At first, I thought her hair and eyebrows were dyed. But they are not. They are of natural color: the color of a moonless night where the blue sky dwells. ck but blue, and both.


    They are different from Tyler''s bluish-ck hair from her. For Nyrene''s, one can really tell that it


    is both abination of blue and ck whether in the light or in the dark.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered, extending my delicate hand for a handshake.


    But Nyrene just brought her head to a bow. "We rarely use handshakes here."


    I followed her. This time, I was able to make my way beside her, inhaling her scent of what seems


    to be melon and red wine.


    "I''m Kairo''s wife and sister, the one who you met earlier."


    Wife and sister?


    "Well I guess you still keep up with the Zeus-Hera traditions until the twenty-first century, eh?" I purred in a jovial manner. But Nyrene didn''t yield a smile. Instead, a smirk crawled across her copper-skinned face.


    "Half-sister. I am part-werewolf by birth. My mother''s half-werewolf, raised by mortals due to a conflict before beingid at the stone-table eighteen yearster."


    My throat bobbed. Nyrene seems so serious that you do not know whether she''s talking to you solemnly or if she''s already being sarcastic.


    We reached The Hymen, and it smelled of wine. Strong wine that I first thought to be coffee.


    "It was named as The Hymen after the Greek God of Marriage and Wedding Feasts. This is a safe


    space for all married men, women, and couples so no infidelity of sorts will be formed."


    I breathed through my nose, inhaling the delicious yet strong scent of wine and cheese.


    I surveyed the ce. It was like Starbucks except there''s no roof andrge barrels of wine serve


    as the table of the drinkers and eaters.


    Nyrene popped a grape in my gaping mouth as soon as I turned towards her. And it was only the moment I chewed it that it was actually stuffed with cheese.


    "It wasn''t stuffed with cheese,¡± she uttered as she led the way to the table nearest the snake terrarium. "It''s just that I managed to shove both in your mouth in a single motion of a hand," Nyrene chuckled.


    ***


    It was already two hours before midnight when we returned from Diana''s Edge and into our hotel room in Sylvar, where I noticed that Tyler''s energy was still intact.


    Not a hint of exhaustion is drawn on his face.


    Due to the immense tiredness I have due to that trip and listening for hours on Nyrene''s endless gossip, I fell asleep on the couch without realizing it.


    Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Tyler''s masculine gaze upon me as his hand gently stroked my forehead then tucked my hair behind my ears.


    "You haven''t had your dinner yet," he said in a soft tone.


    As I blinked twice, my green eyes widened as they scanned the room. I noticed an unopened box


    of pizza on the table and assumed he was waiting for me to join him.


    "Pizza?" I imitated a soft cackle and whispered it. It basically smelled of Hawaiian vor.


    "You did mention that you were craving it," he scoffed.


    It was true though. While we were on our tour at Diana''s Edge, the homemade scent of pizza beguiled me to gobble a few slices in a matter of minutes. And even after those minutes, I kept bringing up the notion that I missed the special pizza of Caf¨¦ del Luna.


    I''m sure my cravings must have gotten old for Tyler to hear me say another ''pizza'' word again. When Tyler got a taste of my lips, my eyes lit up. Climbing down the bed, I walked over to him and helped myself to bite the half slice of pizza that he started to eat. And as expected, after devouring the first slice, I looked up at him with puppy eyes.


    "Thanks," giggling all the while.

 Chapter 80: On An Eclipse Night

    "Stopughing." He blinked his eyes and brushed his thumb across my top lip.


    We stared at each other for I don''t know how long, as if we are both a masterpiece crafted by Fate and Destiny. Even the way we look at each other, our strong love is really vivid. ''Enjoy it while itsts...'' Eliane''s voice creeped into my ears again. Since I''m good at hiding emotions, Tyler didn''t know that I am really freaked out.


    What if I''m not really Eliane? What if Eliane also manipted me and Rowena and even her creation which is the Hearteaters?


    me...''


    ''Don''t let your heart fool you.'' Those words ringed in my ear again. ''I am you, you are


    ''Stop it, Eliane''


    "You know it makes mee every time youugh near me." I blinked when Tyler released me from my stupor. Taking a deep breath with his hands near my breasts, he could feel my lungs beneath his warm palm in a rhythmic oscition.


    "There''s something you have in your lips," he mumbled, eyes pinned on my rose-colored mouth.


    Does he want to fuck me in my mouth?


    The way he''s looking at me makes me nervous. It was his inevitable i-wanna-fuck-you gaze which made my breath uneven, my blood boiling with the presence of pleasure slowly crawling in my system.


    The time was shown on the old wall clock that caught my eye. It had been two hours since midnight.


    I slept for four freaking hours-for hours, I''ve snored in these clothes, in this look, and without dinner.


    And with Tyler probably staring at me while I sleep, probably making my sweat run cold. After eating both boxes of pizzas, which the other vor is still a mystery to me, I no longer felt sleepy. Tyler said nothing the entire time I gorged myself and gobbled the food resting on the center table just before the television on the wall.


    "Where are you going?" I asked when he stood up from his chair, drifting away from my line of sight. He nodded to the terrace and to the French doors, pushing aside the white printed curtains.


    His stance became firmer, hands solely in his pockets. I looked to see where his eyes were darting. He was staring outside.


    Goddess, even his back looks so freaking handsome. So orgasmic and fuck-able. Gulping,


    I looked away and cleaned the mess that shed across my face.


    whistle.


    As I was cleaning the table where bread crumbs and boxes are scattered, I heard him


    "There will be an eclipse," Tyler mentioned. I just nodded and fixed the white long dress that I just changed into. Walking towards him, he turned around and met his eyes zing in fire.


    sleep."


    He was checking my body out, stubble twitching. "Are you done?"


    "Yes," I nodded.


    "Good," he jerked his chin to the bed, to our bed. "Let''s go to sleep."


    I narrowed my eyes at his statement.


    He was about to climb to the bed when I suddenly caught his wrist, stopping him. "I can''t


    "I will make you."


    "I told you," I snarled, teeth shing. "I can''t."


    "You will, ine." There was a hint of finalization of his voice, a subtlemand I should not disobey.


    "Tyler..." I whispered, unable to look him in the eyes right now. "I...¡±


    "What?"


    "I want to..." I trailed off, swallowing; asking myself if I should really utter this. "What is it?" he stood again, crossing his arms on his muscr chest. "Speak."


    "I want to get fucked." There, I said it without blinking, only bile rising up to my throat. I


    was on the verge of puking but I willed it to stop the moment it began.


    Looking back, we haven''t really had a honeymoon since the past few nights. And it wasn''t a great thought to ponder.


    never.


    And me saying those words of plea, those words of suggestion...betterte than


    He insulted me with a snort. Where has my fluffy Tyler gone to? I can''t always do this- initiating things, reminding him what we have built this rtionship in the first ce: love and affection and sex. A lot of sex.


    And now... I want passion. Fiery, burning passion.


    And the moment I saw it tonight in his eyes, the moment those blue eyes rekindled into zing mes...I knew he wanted to do it with me, too.


    ; Or maybe I was just assuming too much?


    "No, scratch that," I whispered, bringing a hand on my belly where his heir is already inside me. My cheeks stained red with embarrassment that I am dying to run away and lock myself in the bathroom for this wholly awkwardness.


    "I want you to make love to me." My eyes sparkled when we shared a look¡ªthat look that only yearning husband and wife would share. He swallowed a lump on his throat and marched at me, the footsteps of someone going to beid. He grabbed my wrist in a manner he had been doing for the past days and softly turned my shoulders back.


    I felt like something cold and metallic was ced on my nape. Astonished, I felt Tyler''s cold-ice palm cradling my head before his other hand reached for the pendant hanging around my neck.


    "W-What..." I tried to jerk my body away from his grip. "Why are you..."


    Then my mouth dropped open in shock as his hand slowly slid down from the ne, lightly touching the skin above the low cut of my neckline.


    I close my eyes, knowing he can easily rip off my white dress that costs almost five thousand dors.


    My breath came out in a trembling gasp, my blood pumping immensely as I pushed his arm away from me. But Tyler Jane Moonstorm didn''t budge, not even a blink from that poker face.


    And when he got a close distance from my ears, his hot breath warmed my sweating skin. "I thought you want to get fucked?" Gently biting my tender skin, he grinned.


    A moment of thought and I ended up shaking my head side to side and said, "Uhmm...I don''t know about that."


    ''Oh Ste!'' I blurted in my mind. I''ve been waiting for this moment and yet... I was contemting and having a second thought?!


    ''Enjoy it while itsts...'' There she is again. Eliane_


    He interrupted me in the middle of my thoughts with a chuckle. His dark amusement made my stomach churned. "You''re not going to give up now, babe."


    Where are his Shakespearean nicknames towards me and why the hell is he now using more modern monikers?


    And even before I knew it, Tyler''s lips mmed into mine. The passionate kiss was full of biting and possessiveness, our tongues merry in their own dance. My grip tightened on his biceps; my slender fingers wing into his ferocious material as I began to lose myself in the ming kiss.


    This was not the first time we shared a kiss. But no matter how many times I kissed Tyler and he kissed me...it was always like my first time, sending memories deep within the dark soul living in my heart-Eliane.


    And making her jealous.


    And the thought of her made me flinch. Followed by the worries of Hearteaters'' presence here, the image of Rowena being torn apart by them like how a murder of crow do to a mere


    scarecrow...


    ''Stop it!'' A voice not mine entered in my stream of thoughts. ''Enjoy what you have


    today.''


    Does she mean of Tyler? Or me being still alive?


    Probably both.


    Tyler saw my pale face as if it was the face of Wednesday Addams. White as snow, and


    half-dead.


    "Are you alright?" he asked.


    I swallowed, shoving that thought into the abyss within me. "Yes."


    A trail of kisses followed Tyler as he proceeded from my lips and to my jaw, then down


    my neck. He suckled on my softer skin, then returned to my mouth, where our tongues immediately began to fight for control.


    Tyler whispered, hands darting to where my breasts are jerking. "I''ve been thinking about this all day." My husband touched me in every erotic part between kisses, so did I.


    His cock now hard as steel in my hands. "And every time you looked away from me at another guy, I could hardly keep from mentally branding you as mine."


    What is he talking about? Ipletely ignored the salesman at the Santorini stall we stopped at before going straight to our room.


    To my ears, Tyler''s snarl was a wild howl. I suppressed a groan when I felt the rumbles of vibrations at his chest.


    By this time, I was positive that my heart was pounding so furiously against my chest that it might actually explode and find a haven between his thighs. His rough hands reached up and grabbed the back of my neck, drawing me even closer to him if that were even possible.


    As I exhaled a series hot breath in gasps, Tyler snarled, "Fuck." I gripped to his shoulder, pushing my fingers harder. To no avail, I fought desperately, forcing myself further into his chest. There was a new chill up my spine, and I couldn''t tell if it was from fear or passion as my eyes reached the horizon from the open French doors, where the ck sky bleeds in various shades of red.


    But one thing''s for sure as I returned my forest-green eyes to the blue eyes of Tyler, my husband will be finally making love with me on this eclipse night.

 Chapter 81: Our Lovemaking

    This is what I call lovemaking. Our lovemaking.


    His warm lips brushed across my earlobes, neck, and vicle as his strong fingers stroked my crevice tenderly. He was like a starving beast that had just caught its first meal in a very long time, panting and eyes burning with hunger for passion.


    "I can''t bring myself to resist," he whispered against my skin. "Even if I die, I''ll want to do this tonight." Tyler paused to meet my gaze, "At least for tonight."


    Tyler, using the remaining power he still has for the day, pushed me to the bed and grabbed both of my legs at the edge, ripping my clothing apart.


    My exposed breasts shimmer in the light. I bit back a scream as I looked down at my thumping chest, red and hot, and he dove in-swallowing my perk tips in his warm lips.


    My thoughts began to blur as his hot tongue flicked my nipples, swiveled around it and expertly grazed his teeth. My gut lurched in a familiar way as he suckled like a new-born baby. "T-Tyler..." I released a sigh and found my hands reaching for his head, yearning to grip his hair. But I couldn''t decide if pulling him closer or pushing him away would put out this fire ming between us.


    "Don''t say that you don''t want it," his hoarse voice reverberated in my ears. "Say it. Simply tell me that you want me, my ine." He was demanding harshly, but his eyes filled with an ardor that seemed to engulf me were soft.


    When I looked again into his piercing stare, my heart jumped to meet it. "I...I-"


    "Let me love you more," he purred at me, continuing his movements. "Allow me to experience thefort of your body. My heart longs for you even if you were never far from me. Something in your eyes always sparks a familiar emotion that, even how many times I think about it, I couldn''t remember."


    ''Love him while itsts...'' That same dark and eerie voice echoed in my senses once more, as if Eliane was just here with me-watching us.


    "Damn, I am indeed bing really thirsty talking to you," he chuckled.


    We are in bed, a tangled mess of limbs and clothes. But I didn''t forget the desperation in his voice as he rushed again for my lips. And my arms coiled automatically around his neck. My emotions including worry, excitement, fear, and ecstasy-were all over the ce, swirling in the ck void within me. I felt like I was flying on a cloud as I epted his kiss, my head bowed in a daze from being devoured in the sheets.


    Tyler got on his hands and knees andpletely removed my white dress. I was beginning to reach the peak when the chilly air brushed over my heated, sensitive body. ¡°Hold on, let''s take a shower first," I sat up, my chin jerking towards the bathroom.


    "And you''re going to sleep once more?" He sneered, "Absolutely not."


    He snuffed out my protests with another scalding kiss and gripped one of my peaks, his palms sending shivers down my spine. As he kneaded my rounded summits, he squeezed the wet, soft mass of flesh between my thighs.


    "Later, I''ll wash you," I heard him say between his kisses on my abdomen. "You do not need to worry about it." Tyler murmured as he worked to shape my physique to his liking. I squealed with utter delight, my arms iling as I sought to ground myself in the nkets.


    I was keening, but he persisted in his dark caress, tugging and twisting at the tender point of my breasts. As the heat rose to a fever pitch, I massaged my thighs together and noticed a strange new sensation making its way into my stomach. "T-Tyler... It''s not enough; I want more," I mumbled. "Please."


    I tried to stop squirming beneath him. It was embarrassing, yes. After positioning himself between my thighs and wrapping my legs around his waist, Tyler used his other hand to stroke my nape. His massive form towered over mine as he loomed over me; his hips inched closer to myher regions, and his d member brushed against my opening. He pulled his jeans entirely down to his ankles and pushed them off with his free hand as he kissed me again. While ravishing my lips, our tongues became lunatic and entwined with each other. Our hands also gently battled for control, roaming to every inch of erotic parts of our body. Damn. What a huge...cock.


    ''Well, it''s always that size,'' my mind countered. ''At least you must be thankful that it didn''t grow even an inch.


    My internal monologue ceased the moment I felt three of my husband''s fingers making its way inside me. So, I opened for him wider.


    As the raw tip of his manhood scraped against my wet entrance, my thoughts became muddled. Unconsciously, I slowly spread my legs apart again to make it easier for him to slide inside and fully sheathe himself on me. Unleashing his mighty strength and thrusts in my entirety tonight.


    To express my slight difort, I writhed. I clung to him, my ws bit into his skin to make crescent shapes. As Tyler came into my presence, I could feel tension in his body. He groaned as my body heat pressed in on him from all directions, in all aspects of me being ine -and Eliane.


    "Damn it!" he barked. "Don''t tighten so much," he sounded almost imploring.


    "S¡ªSorry..." Fine, I''ll be the submissive one this eclipse night.


    Speaking of eclipse, it was finally done bathing everything in crimson darkness, and the midnight sky was again sparkling with thousands of stars adorning the heavens.


    "Exhale deeply... "Tyler groaned. "Yep, yes baby, just like that..." I could reach the peak of


    our sensual convergence by just listening to his orgasmic voice.


    As he continued to overpower me, I could smell the wine on his breath and taste it on his tongue. Probably while me and Nyrene also drank a nice cup of wine from each other, he and Kairo are also doing the same.


    I felt like I was drowning, almost reaching the ocean floor. I was unable to catch my breath from the pressure inside me. Every time he thrusts, I could feel his velvet-wrapped steel starting to ache inside my core.


    "Your body is tailor-made for me." The expression of dreadful anguish on his face was at odds with the sweetness of his words. I did what I could to get used to having him down there, to feel his hips shift against mine.


    My already delicate skin was being constantly irritated by the slightly abrasive cloth. By this point, Tyler''s resistance had worn thin, and he started swaying his hips.


    "Ah! Ah!" I moaned, the gradual loudness of my voice painted his face with a wolfish grin.


    His pulsating manhood slid into me once more before he slowly retracted it until only the tip was left. Never before had I experienced such a sweltering heat and soaking wetness. With each thrust, he dissolved my worries-my fear, my excitement, my delight and turned it all to his own version of pleasure. Our sensual pleasure.


    When he suckled on my naked chest again, my eyes widened a little, and the pain was even worse. With every thrust, my legs pushed more and deeper into Tyler. My whole body shook. I could feel myself approaching the summit of this heavenly paradise, and I knew that Tyler was doing the same from the gentle pressure of his hands on me as he held on for dear life. "Tyler, I''m...coing..." I whispered in a raspy breath.

 Chapter 82: Such a Sexual Thing to Do

    I let out a startled gasp as I wriggled beneath him.


    But my body was unconcerned, and it continued to eptably squeeze his essence. Suddenly, I felt myself being pushed over the edge and into a blinding white light; the beat of my heart pounded in my chest. Still in shock, I saw that Tyler hadn''t finished. Not yet.


    I wanted to cry from the overload of sensations, exploding and fracturing the stars. So I clutched to him even tighter as I felt myself being swept away by the rush of ecstasy. I wanted to sink deeper into him as he pounded me with the same desire to cool off my body. Never before have I experienced simultaneous feelings of pleasure and anguish the bizarrebination of worry and excitement.


    My muscles ached as he pushed forward, ramping up the pace and, if at all possible, getting them closer. His privates mming across my thighs flooded my ears with a luscious sound, the music that me and Tyler are jamming with.


    Eventually, I just couldn''t take it any longer. Seeing that I was ready to withdraw, Tyler picked me up and seated me on hisp, pressing much harder than before. My legs straddled his, growing wider as I went lower. I absorbed his length until he was against my cervix.


    "Ah, ahh..." I moaned, my voice loud and clear to anyone staying next to us.


    There was a little pause as he satiated me, during which my lips twitched subconsciously in response to the energizing sensation at the very center of our entwined bodies. He pped my round rear and grumbled something.


    "A little more," he whispered. "Let me have a little more of your attention, ine..."


    Then he gently pushed me up against him. Our smooth warm flesh pressed together with his push.


    I grabbed his neck, enjoying the sensation of his body entering and exiting mine. Pulling and pushing, producing an addicting melody. Each time he dug in and closed our bodies, my waist trembled on its own and clutched his material as if to demand something, like a broken embankment with no way to stop it.


    And I don''t care to be broken by him, as long as the fact that it was him who fixed me would foreverst.


    Just as the heat and stimtion were getting to be too much for me, he stopped moving, eyes locking with mine. A ragged exhale escaped his mouth, making me bite my lower lip. I shut my eyes hard as I felt a lukewarm sensation spread across my abdomen and a bead of sweat wrap over my eyelids, pouring down my cheeks like tears ofughter.


    The notion of dying on the inside crossed my mind. He fucks so hard that I don''t think I''ll be alive the next moment he touched me.


    Tyler mumbled something as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a swift motion of his finger. I still couldn''t get my bearings, making me stare dazedly at his reddened face. His cerulean blue eyes were roaming around. As if he was not quite full through his disheveled mane of hair. And that was thest thing that registered to my mind before my consciousness drifted into the realm of dreams.


    ****


    "Wake up." A masculine voice awoke me from my sleep.


    "Wake up, we''re not done." From beside me, Tyler muttered as he slid his hands up my hips and leaned forward to delicately suckle my lower lip. My eyelids slowly opened and I looked up at him, my thoughts still fuzzy.


    And I am, honestly, still sleepy.


    Then, hovering above me, he shifted me so that my back was against the bed. He stood up, threw his shirt over his head, and sat down in front of me. My body shivered with pleasure as our bodies crushed together, much to his apparent delight. And mine.


    After cing his hands on my waist, he reached down and gently gripped my ankle, lifting my leg until it rested against his shoulder. Seeing the sweat on our bare flesh, I let out a moan of ecstasy.


    The union of our bodies was incredibly sensual. As I realize that this is a dreame true, one of the many dreams I usually have, my breath bes more ragged. As soon as Tyler rolled his hips into mine, though, I becamepletely oblivious to my surroundings. My brain had turned to mush from the intense pleasure that was rising within me.


    "Uhm... hmm..." I reflected his erotic sounds.


    "Take a look at us," Tyler groaned.


    My stomach ached as he rocked faster and harder, groaning the whole time. He had one hand on my knee which he had propped up on his shoulder, and the other on my chin which he used to make me stare at our symbiotic body parts.


    Just looking at it makes the bile rise into my throat. It was so foreign and frightening, and may also be described as intoxicating. He continued to press until his hilt waspletely inside my core. Every time his member moved up and down my tummy, my stomach puffed up.


    The heat was rising again. I could feel it gathering inside me


    ; I thrashed beneath him, looking for something to grab onto. Luckily, I managed to hold on tight to the nket. "Oh, my Goddess!"


    When the pressure on my stomach increased, I let out a gasp and closed my eyes, focusing my attention to his thrusts instead and ignored everything my sight would catch. "No," he gently pped my face with his male hands. "Don''t turn a blind eye and keep


    looking."


    Tyler''s demand made me fully awake instead, my eyes staring right at his soul. His pace was bing erratic and pleasurable. With each passing second, he pressed harder on my womb, bringing me perilously close to the edge of sexual delight. With my head in his palms, I wailed aimlessly. Tyler''s veins popped out of his neck from the pressure.


    We were making rough, passionate love outside of Ste''s Soul. Far from the everyday worries of the Hearteaters, far from the ce that made me witness several tragic deaths. Far from the ce where most of my life has been.


    At the same moment that I wanted to dislodge him and force him to stop, I craved the sensation


    of his hands digging further into my body; his scent shrouding me as if to choke my own smell. As the pain against his sensitive muscle grew, Tyler clenched his teeth.


    When he elerated, I felt myself opening up like a flower does with a bee''s approach. He rubbed his member on my stomach, creating a wonderful friction that fueled my bliss. With each of my thrusts, I was giving him a good squeeze. And Tyler acted as if he were trying to crack me open, shaping me specifically for his pleasure. I sobbed and buried my face in my hands as I realized my climax was almost here.


    So, so close. To the heavenly paradise they said I can only experience when my world is revolving around him in a bed.


    And when I reached the peak, thest thing I remember is being bathed in a bright white light while simultaneously experiencing the most indescribably pleasant experience¡ª


    Just when my husband shoved his flesh right where my mouth gaped.

 Chapter 83: Unwell

    I wasn''t feeling well as soon as the sun rose the next day.


    "Are you okay?" Tyler extended a hand to my forehead, gently touching it. "You look tired and... pale." He gave me a meaningful grin when he saw me inside thefort room, washing my mouth with the running water from the faucet. My arms were on the side of the cold tiles of the sink as we stared at each other''s eyes.


    "Shut up," I said in an irritated manner. But Tyler...he just crossed his arms and saw how it


    corded, leaning on the ss door of the bathroom. Just like me, Tyler was wearing a bathrobe- and it looks like he''s waiting for me to finish and wants a long bath.


    "Do you want to go to "


    "No," I replied without letting him finish his question.


    "Please," I raised my arm to cut him off when he was about to say more. "Let''s just stay in the room today," I insisted. Tyler shrugged, squinting his eyes at me. Staring at my every move like a hawk and me as his prey.


    "If that''s what you want..." he stalked towards me, muscles tensing with every step he takes. "Then so be it."


    I nodded and dismissed him by waving my right hand when he cocked an eyebrow. "You sure you''re okay?"


    "I said what I said, Tyler." I''m now beginning to be irritated to be frank. But I keep my anger at bay; I don''t care how many times it tries so hard to explode out of me. "Now, if you please, let me have some ''me time'' here."


    He chuckled when I quoted the phrase ''me time'' and hoisted his two hands in the air. "Fine, I surrendered."


    He saluted joyfully and closed the door in a m. But before I can even hear the click of the lock, I duck my head as my stomach churned into knots.


    I held on the cold tiles while vomiting on the sink, the sounds so disturbing yet inevitable. After a minute, I washed my hands, drying it after. I blink at my reflection as I wiped my face because there were still remnants of my puke at the side of my mouth.


    ''What the hell is happening to my body?!'' I questioned myself as if someone else inside me would answer.


    My heart beats crazy, like real crazy. I gaze back at the reflection of my eyes in the round mirror. Anyone could tell that I''ve been fucked hard by Tyler, and in one look of my now-pale face...one will know that he had been a ruthless husband every time he does me. Well, thest one was a lie. He''s been a good husband so far for me but a wild one in bed. As if I am making love to a different person, a more feral one. Even so, I couldn''t ask for more.


    "Hey," I whipped my head to him. "How are you "


    "Please, just shut your mouth." I bump Tyler''s shoulder as I went out of thefort room. Head still spinning and heart still pounding. I didn''t know why I said those hurtful words, maybe because the upset-ness of my body has now reached my brain.


    I heard him sighed from behind as I crashed my body in the sofa bed. "You don''t look okay. I''m worried about you, you and our child¡ª¡±


    "I''m okay!" I shrieked at him so loud that I thought the mirror would crack. Grabbing the remote control to turn on the television, he watched me roll in the sofa bed, staring at me with emotions I could not fathom. Even the sit series isn''t that funny to me to the point that I almost throw the remote control on the T.V. if not for my husband who immediately snatched the remote control back.


    "What''s wrong, ine?" He crossed his arms; his tone more lethal. Now, he sounds more worried and serious than for the past few minutes.


    He knelt in front of me on the sofa, reaching and attempting to squeeze my hand. I creased my forehead and shut my eyes close, massaging my head with my free hand. "I don''t know... I think I''m sick."


    "That exins it..." he whispered, brows furrowing.


    "I''m sorry." My pout is vividly making my face ugly now. "Was I that moody?"


    He nodded, pursing his lips like he wanted to say something. But he''s being careful, I couldn''t me him though. I sighed and I held tight to his hand. "I''m sorry."


    He stood up and went to his desk to call someone. "What are you doing?"  "I''m calling Dr. Montesros." My eyes widened in shock because that''s the prominent doctor in Ste''s Soul.


    "Is he here... in Greece?" God, who am I kidding? Of course not, they couldn''t get out without permission from the High Priestess.


    "No, he isn''t." Tyler replied shortly and calmly, moving his jaw like he''s been keeping his patience at bay.


    "Dr. Montesros," his voice was dangerous, maybe because the doctor didn''t pick up immediately. The call is on-speaker so I heard the doctor''s stuttering. "My apologies, Alpha. What can I do for you?"


    "Pack your things," he uttered with sheermand. "My wife needs you as soon as possible."


    "W-What, Sir? If I''m not mistaken, you''re in Greece-"


    "Didn''t you hear me? My wife is sick. The Luna is sick. I need you to get your ass here. Right. Now!" He growled and I knew he was using hismanding Alpha voice. I grabbed his arms and soothe it because he was getting aggressive, more freaking aggressive than me. He''s going to crush his phone any minute from now in a single curl of his fingers.


    "Yes, Alpha!" The doctor replied, voice quivering like a dying chicken. Tyler ended the call right away. I gave him a faint smile as I tried to carry a casual conversation. "Are there Hearteaters here in Greece?" I asked. I know it''s so random that I almost thought he would not answer me. Yet, he sat beside me and wrapped his body in mine.


    I snuggle closer, leaning to his shoulder and breathing in his scent as I hear his rapid breathing. Tyler then slowly opened his mouth.

 Chapter 84: Definitely a Sign to Go Home

    "Hearteaters will never be brave to step out in Moonburn since they are only in power when they are near their creator." Which was me, Eliane-my so-called mysterious other half by the way. I almost voiced it out if not for a ghastly grip that wrapped around my wrist. Eliane''s grip.


    "Hearteaters may travel around the world but their power and strength weakens the farther they are to the bones of Eliane." Nodding, I grabbed the remote and asked him to y a game with me so that we could immediately cut off our conversation about Eliane and her mighty creations. Our so-called masterpiece.


    We ended up choosing Super Mario Bros, simple yet entertaining even until now. Tyler and I yed, and I always ended up winning. I knew Tyler was just bullshitting the hell out of me because he knows I enjoy being the winner and him being the loser so that he could pressure me in bed that, since I won, I should be the one to do him.


    The one that should be on top of him.


    He just lets himself lose in the game so I could have a smiling face and grinning pussy. So I can do him under me, smiling at his victory.


    Everything is almost so perfect this afternoon: the incandescent light of the candle in our room as well as its romanticvender scent, the cuddling, theughter echoing in the four corners...it looks as if I have never offended him at all. As if I have never been unwell.


    Tyler is grinning ear to ear when I boast to him how I won the game for the fourth time around.


    "Are you feeling okay now?" he asked, mouth twitching to the side as his eyes traveled to my beaming face. We''re cuddling on the sofa while ying this game. No steamy stuff, just pure romantic cuddles.


    I nodded at his question, a big smile stered on my face. He kisses the top of my head for a long time, then repeatedly. My only response is my secret smile and the butterflies pping their wings on my stomach as he snuggled closer towards me.


    An hourter, Tyler called for room service and ordered us sumptuous food as soon as the menu was handed not to mention he chose the most expensive ones. My mouth waters as soon as I see the food in front of us when it arrives: steaming hot soups, grilled lobster topped with mozzare,vish huge chunks of steaks drowning in aromatic sauce. I could not do anything other than let my throat bobbed before quickly digging in, savoring every inch of the food and relishing the taste of every drink.


    And of course, I tried more Greek food. We ate more Greek food-Moussaka is this creamy delicious dish made of spiced beef ormb, cooked in tomato sauce and thenyered with fried eggnt and bechamel sauce ording to the chef that served us, who, by the way, was the very one whoid the te in our table. Pastitsio, on the other hand, is another traditional Greek dish that consists of bakedyers of pasta, juicy minced beef, bechamel and tomato sauce. They do love bechamel and tomato sauces as far as I have observed, not to mention that this dish is also topped with melted cheese. The minced beef is cooked in a tomato sauce along with some spices. Tyler said that the beef sauce has a simr taste to the Italian bolognese sauce which I immensely agree with. Andstly, Stifado, which is a Greek beef stew cooked with tomatoes, onions, cinnamon, vinegar or red wine, and a variety of spices and herbs. And it is either served with rice, chip potatoes, or egg pasta. I love it with chip potatoes and rice, not so much with the egg pasta. The personal Greek chef of our trip has also stated that this dish is suitable for cold winter days, served with a te of mashed potatoes for a more hearty and warming meal. It''s good to have a little bit of Greek cuisine knowledge with me. I can share it with Melissa or the Cafe del Luna chefs and staff so that we will have a more variety and diverse choices of food. Tyler was looking at me seriously as I gobbled each Greek food that met my eyes. "What? You''re not used to seeing me eating like a pig?" I asked, brows knitting. He chuckled, brushing his thumb at the side of my lips. "Nothing. You still look beautiful even if you eat like a pig."


    I rolled my eyes at him while trying to turn my head away from his gaze to hide my blushing cheeks. "Whatever, Tyler."


    "My wife has a fine dinner. I hope I''ll still have mine to eatter." In response to his naughty remarks, I red at him. yfully. He smirked and chose to watch me the whole time as I chug thest piece of food on my te.


    His phone suddenly rings, and it immensely irritates me. Tyler answered it immediately so


    I quickly put down my hands that I use to cover my ears. I watch how his facial expression


    changes so quickly: jaw clenching, eyes turning into slits, and sighing like he epted what the caller had just said.


    "What is it about?"


    "Dr. Montesros is dyed for tonight because of the tropical cyclone."


    I tried not to gasp."Can we just see another doctor?"


    "I''ll look up and see who can check up on you. Dr. Montesros is the only doctor I trust


    in this field," he sighed. "It''s sad to say I''m disappointed with him this time."


    "It''s not his fault if a cyclone hase on its way between us," I whispered, eyes darting to the skies outside. Yet, he still put his two hands on his waist as if my words did not convince him


    either way.


    Inhaling, I nodded at him because I''m beginning to feel sick again. Tyler must''ve seen my reaction the moment he shifted towards me. He sauntered like a peacock showing off one''s feathers and I can''t help but breathe in the fragrance of his scent to calm my senses. I used to love his perfume before. But when I sniffed his perfume this time along with his natural smell of rain and forest and mist...I almost choked and ran in a marathon towards thefort room. Pushing the door open with a kick, I went to the sink and threw up everything I ate for tonight without hesitation.


    Damn it. The food was so expensive-too expensive to just vomit and waste. I''m throwing up again; I don''t know how many times I already did in just a single day. ''What the hell is wrong with my body?!'' I asked myself, but it was more of a scold. My body answered back with a bile rising up to my throat.


    I found myself emptying my stomach for another few minutes.


    Tyler twisted my hair into a bun and gripped it tightly while I spew everything all out. It was a


    long five minutes throwing up, only stopping to catch my breath.


    My mate, husband, and bestfriend was standing next to me, helping me. Tending to me. My


    limbs suddenly felt weak as if it would crash any second now-


    And it did crashed into the cold tiles of the bathroom.


    Not to mention that I freaking felt so sleepy suddenly.


    And so, as I hoist my head to the side, thest thing I remember seeing before my vision


    blurs was Tyler''s anxious expression that almost sent him to tears.

 Chapter 85: Home

    I want to go home now. My world is spinning; stars fracturing, wind cleaving as if it was threatening to cut me in half.


    I slowly cracked my eyelids open, slowly inhaling his scent. I stared at his red-rimmed cerulean eyes, the eyes that can vaguely hide sorrows and immensely pour out unspoken sadness.


    "I want to go home." I murmured with these eyes closing again, never minding if my voice is enough to be heard by someone or even by the ghost of Eliane herself.


    I know how important our honeymoon is and how productive our days here in Greece has been. Yet, being apart from the first ce that I called home is a torture enough to let me yield to Eliane''s unfathomable essence.


    "I am your home." It was all he dered; it was a love confession. Affectionate words that let me remember that I am never alone that I will be forever bound to him, eternally.


    I heaved a breath. "I mean in Ste''s Soul."


    He blinked by my mere uttering of those words. "I know you would say that eventually." "Eventually?" I asked because his face paints a set of disappointed grimaces.


    "I am not done here yet..." he nced at my womb, his eyes slowly traveling up until it halted at my face where the forest-green windows of my soul remained shining. "...but I cannot say no with your condition."


    Tyler turned to his heel, the air condition did not hide the subtle fact that he was perspiring gravely. "I shall pack our clothes."


    "I will help¡ª"


    "No." It was more of amand than a mere muttering of a two-letter word and the shaking of his head.


    love.


    "No," he continued. "Stay in bed. That is where you are best safe."


    Best safe? Am I that pathetic?


    "Rest, ine." His tone is now softer, fluffier. More like him, the Tyler I met and came to


    I sometimes wonder if me being married to him has let his fluffiness appear and disappear. Or maybe it was because of the recent unpleasant happenings back at Ste''s Soul for the past months...


    Returning my attention to him, I yield another smile. A sweet, feminine smile. A wife''s grateful smile towards her husband.


    ***


    And I nodded my head as I forced my eyes to drift back into sleep once again.


    Another reason that I found out that Tyler immediately agrees that we return home was that he wants me to be checked up as soon as possible.


    He told me that as soon as I woke up, slowly processing that I am now on a wheelchair despite just being unwell due to pregnancy. I nced at my watch and it was already one o''clock in the morning. Thest time I checked it was still eight in the evening.


    Roaming my eyes from the face of my beloved to the twopanions that are surely his seasonal mortal servants, I realized that, in any situation, Tyler is always ready. Everything''s ready including our luggage, my flight clothes that I am wearing today and among other stuff.


    I wonder if I tell him that Eliane''s soul lives inside me that I am Eliane herself...would he be ready to ept that fact? That truth?


    ''Tell him as long as things are not yet slipping out of hand.'' Eliane''s voice is no longer ghastly and hair-raising, it is now more gentle. More like me.


    As if it belongs to a living person and not a two-century old vengeful spirit.


    "Sir, the pilot did not manage to get through the tropical cyclone as well..."


    Tyler''s eyes narrowed. "So are you saying my ne has not yet arrived at the exact minute that I needed it?!"


    The servant''s knees quiver. I can see it with my bare eyesight. "Ye-Yes, sir."


    Tyler sucked a breath and was about to punch the poor thing when I saw that dark male beauty, that one I saw back at Diana''s Edge.


    "Alpha Tyler," the Greek Alpha saluted.


    "Kairo..." My husband did not even use the sacred title of Alpha in addressing the Greek wolf.. Alpha Kairo waved a hand to a not-sorge ne situated behind us. "That one is mine. You can freely use it for your safe travel back to Ste''s Soul."


    His throat bobbed, as if calcting whether he will ept the offer of this foreign Alpha or not.


    "I suppose you have no other choice but to ept, Tyler..." the Greek Alpha''s eyes darted


    towards me, "considering your precious wife''s unwellness for the day."


    I can sense something on fire is between them, a tension extending as long as the London Bridge.


    "Take that as a gift, a substitute offer to the one I declined." Kairo''s ent is rich and thick, one that can let any woman kneel and any man bow.


    "Then I shall ept it." My husband stretched out his right hand to which the Greek Alpha


    epted with his left, "You are wee,d."


    Kairo speaks like an older brother to him, older than Jason. But Tyler speaks to him as if he''s far superior. More powerful than the Greek masculine beauty I admired.


    I wonder if Kairo and Tyler are to spar, which of them will win?


    ''Winning is losing everything...'' Eliane whispered. ''Choose wisely, ine. Or your destiny will end up like mine.''


    It has been days-weeks-since I have heard Eliane''sst phrase.


    ''I am you. You are me. You cannot escape your fate our fate... You must choose. Choose wisely,


    or your destiny will bleed like mine.''


    Up until now, I wonder if Eliane''s words are literal or have a deeper meaning than what the original words tried to convey? What choice shall I choose wisely? And what, exactly, is the kind of fate she''s talking about?


    Shall I die with my head tumbling on the ground? Will I be killed by a Hearteater or by a


    ''I only wanted to be loved, to be epted for what I am...'' That dream is returning to my senses again.


    That dream where I first saw Eliane talking to me.


    ''I only wanted to be worshipped like how I worship the Goddesses. I only wanted...'' I can still remember how I cried as I cupped her face, her weeping face.


    ''Love. Affection. I never intended to kill. But people, they...they see me as a murderous entity who shall do anything in order to have power.''


    That moment when she arched her head up to where I was listening in serene manner made me hold tightly to the wheelchair.


    ''You cannot escape your fate our fate...'' Images of wolves as big as horses galloped from the shadow of the forest, then to the side. Wolves of ck and white and brown appeared from all over the field, running towards her. Towards us.


    It was only me and her in this daydream. Her forest-green eyes smiled at mine, gazed into mine. Strong but sorrowful. Those emotions reverberate in her stare.


    ''You must choose. Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine.'' I can still feel the coldness


    of the rain as it bathed every inch of my skin, leaving none of my body dry.


    ''Choose, ine. Choose wisely. Don''t let your heart fool you.''


    A raging voice shattered my ears from one of the wolves who shifted into a man.


    ''WHO ARE YOU, ELIANE?!'' I can still feel my shriek on my throat at that time, desperate for an


    answer.


    Her voice was deep as she answered me. ''I am you. You are me.'' When red blood sprayed in my face, shutting my eyes in shock, I now knew the answer to my own question then. I stared at where her head now lies on the ground, covered in filth and mud.


    The rain became stronger and I came face to face with the man holding the bloody sword, his cerulean eyes sending shivers down my gut.


    I locked eyes with the man. Green eyes meeting blue eyes.


    ''Who are you?'' The man''s voice is familiar now that I realize it, the voice that made me smile and shiver, grin and grumpy.


    ''I am her.'' That was my answer to the man who looks like Tyler.


    Someone clicked their finger and I woke up from that daze. It was Alpha Kairo.


    "Someone tried to poison her," the Greek Alpha suddenly said as we were about to turn and


    walk towards his ne. I blinked, not sure where to focus: on the daydream seconds ago or to the revtion Kairo uttered.


    "It''s not just some pregnancy sickness," Alpha Kairo revealed in front of my face, in front of me and Tyler. "Someone tried to kill your wife."

 Chapter 86: Poisons, Poisons

    Someone has been poisoning me.


    And if someone has been poisoning me, who could that be? The only person that has been with me all the time is...


    "Tyler," I muttered my husband''s name, brushing away that parasitic thought that I have no proof of if he actually did it. Besides, he has no reason to poison me-


    ''I am you. You are me.'' Eliane''s voice shook my core. I brush it away with a subtle shake of my head. ''Please, Eliane. Leave me alone!''


    No one told me that one cannot fight her own corrupt soul. Yet, here I am...sending Eliane away from my mind as if it was possible.


    "She only felt that more gravely now because she is far from Ste''s Soul." The voice of Alpha Kairo, even a few meters away, still shakes every corner of my bones. He nced at Tyler before jerking his jaw to me. "It was my sister who told me. She can detect poison and is immune to poison. Nyrene even tried giving you a drink with poison to see if your body would react. But you didn''t. And now you did."


    "What the f¡±


    "The poison Nyrene gave her was a magical poison that will eventually disappear in one''s system after an hour. No need to worry about anything."


    "I have every reason why I should freaking worry about anything!" My husband shrieked, eyes almost popping out from his face due to the immense rage guiding his emotions. "My wife is pregnant and you tried to poison her!"


    "I told you, Tyler," Kairo inched closer. "Someone was poisoning her since the moment she arrived in Ste''s Soul."


    "I don''t believe you." Neither do I.


    "I didn''t force you to believe me. I''m only telling you this so that you have something to think of when you go home."


    "You mean so that we could have a thought to stress on?" He gave him a mirthless grin, an insulting and mocking one.


    "It depends on you how you view my help."


    Help? Is someone telling me that ingesting a poison in my body is a sort of help?


    Probably yes, mostly not.


    "Goodbye, Kairo." Then we turned away from him. But the moment I hoisted my head, Kairo was already in front of us.


    ''He can teleport?'' I asked myself. Only a ghostly tight grip around my wrist answered, probably from Eliane''s.


    "Someone has been poisoning ine the moment she came into Ste''s Soul and it was only felt by her gravely by now because she is far from her ''home''."


    "ine?" Tyler''s eyes saved me again from that phantom, from Eliane''s dream-like visions. "You see, Kairo? You are scaring my wife!"


    "I think it''s the other way around." The Greek Alpha muttered that as if it has no heavy meaning meant to be crashed to us.


    "Be careful what you''re pinpointing, Kai."


    The Greek Alpha scoffed. "I am not. Truth is sometimes a needle. But most of the time, it''s a knife."


    My brows met, so as Tyler''s.


    "You''re just upset, Moonstorm..." he closed the distance between us, voice soft but deadly. "You''re only upset because I turned down your ''business proposal"."


    Business proposal? "What kind of business proposal?"


    But Alpha Kairo and his mortal servants in gray suits are already strolling away even before I finish my sentence. I took a step backward, the sound of being near the ne almost brought my ears bleeding.


    Tyler let go of my hand that used to be romantically wrapped around his. My handnded on my side, the throbbing of my heart deepens.


    All my happy thoughts and beautiful memories here in Greece vanished like a bubble bursting in thin air. All was then reced with worry and fear.


    Tyler has changed, I am sure of it. But I cannot me him though. With all those gruesome deaths and nasty revtions...if I were in his shoes, I would also be the same.


    Yet, whatever happens, I cannot let Tyler know about me and Eliane no matter what. ''You are her but she is not you.'' Rowena''s unforgettable words threatened to let my fingers dig on my own skin.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Moonstorm." The female flight attendant reached out a hand to me and I immediately took it. I frowned at her greeting before realizing that there are no such words as "Good Dawn, Mrs. Moonstorm." When my feet felt the softness of the ne''s floor, I saw him already striding towards the love chair situated near the window. I do not know why such a ne has a love chair because I also don''t want to imagine how Kairo uses it.


    I reached Tyler, who''s already closing his eyes trying to take a nap.


    "You should also rest ." His voice seems more casual, as if he''s talking to a stranger. He didn''t


    call me babe or ine or those Shakespearean monikers he used to call me.


    "Sure," I tried to hide my scowl, willing my tears to remain at bay.


    But I justid my body across him on a couch, brushing the thought away to even kiss him on his cheeks or on his forehead.


    "I love you, Tyler." I reminded myself; my tears were already making their way down my face


    quietly.


    ***


    "Eliane!"


    I turned around to whom the voice belonged, only to realize no one can see me here in


    the realm of dreams.


    But I can see them.


    A woman in a filthy gray long-sleeve dress approached where I was standing.  "Eliane!" The woman called again. But Eliane only lifted her chin as the woman stopped a few paces before us.


    "What kind of siren song did you sing before all the wolves of Ste Soul that they still respect you even for not having a wolf?"


    me."


    Eliane scoffed, crossing her arms. "I don''t know. I don''t even know they respect


    "You" The woman pointed a finger before her face, only for it to be suspended in mid-air.


    "You..." she shook her head, dropping her vulgar gesture. "I don''t see you as a priestess but just an ambitious, ignorant witch."


    Eliane stiffed, but she wielded her hands not to eveny a finger to the woman.  "A werewolf must also be our High Priestess, not a stinky whore witch like you." Eliane tilted her head to the side, a smirk shing before me. "At least this stinky witch


    can assume the shape of a wolf even if she''s not a werewolf by blood."


    "You bi-" But Eliane caught her arm, nails digging on the furious woman''s skin.


    "I know you''re the one been poisoning me." Eliane''s words echoed throughout the Three Goddesses'' temple. "But that''s the least you can do. For a jealous wolfless Alpha''s daughter, I pity you. Jealousy is a knife where the de is pointing right to your heart."


    Eliane closed the distance between them, breathing into her ears. "So keep an eye on that de."


    She smiled at me, as if my old soul acknowledged my presence. And, even though this act is a mystery itself to me, I smiled back.

 Chapter 87: Ambushed

    I woke up to the sound of a gunshot.


    I slowly cracked my eyes open, a set of seven people were a few paces before us. The view from outside the car is now telling me I''m no longer on the ne. The light of the car tells me they were all men judging by the way they stalked towards us.


    To my left, Tyler''s face remained calm-deadly calm. One that he often wears before he indulges into a full battle stunt. His face is wholly painted to what most people call as the ''calm before the storm''.


    He''s the Storm Summoner, there''s no doubt he won''t live up to his title and moniker. Yet, something tells me his expression is a little bit different to what I mostly see.


    He''s not angry, ording to this angle I am staring at. He just sat there, not even bothering to open the door and greet them with a wall of ice. My husband just remained sitting beside me, waiting for something I don''t know.


    Wiping the misty surface of the window with my own sweaty left hand, I peered outside; my breath a little chilly, causing the window to be misty again.


    "What''s that?" I voiced to Tyler.


    "Shut up." My husband rushed to cover my mouth. Another gunshot reverberated in the area, and I can hear the tires of the car slowly being out of air.


    I began to perspire despite the coldness of early morning. My heart hummed to the beat


    of anxiousness and fear. Fear for the life I might lose. Fear for my life I might be clinging to a cliff edge. Fear for the man I might not see again after this moment.


    Something''s telling me that we will be in this kind of position longer than I expected. My feet already wanted to get free from this stiff seat where I have to pretend that I am some sort of nude model for a painting, forbidden to move at any time until one was ordered to do so.


    The moon is unfortunately not out, though I trust my husband''s elemental gifts would


    aid us this time even if he cannot shift into his gigantic wolf form.


    Even before we stopped driving towards Moonburn, my stomach tied into knots that I thought I was going to puke again. But no, it was my instinct that''s telling me something is wrong.


    Something unexpectedly wrong will happen tonight.


    And judging by the current situation we are in-Tyler''s hand squeezing my other hand to let me know that he is just beside me no matter what, I was right.


    ***


    We are trapped in some dark, abandoned alley in Washington. I''m not really sure where we are since my vision is beginning to blur due to the quivering my body exhibits and the anxiousness now seeping into every bone of mine.


    "How far are we from Moonburn," I asked in a whispery tone to my husband despite his hand hovering before my lips.


    "We just have to cross the bridge. The other side is already on the border of Moonburn." I don''t know if I should be happy or worried considering that we are just one drive away. One drive to escape these maniacs.


    "Wait," I whipped my head to him. "Are we in the middle of the bridge?"


    Despite the darkness, I can see Tyler''s tight nod, his jaw clenching-calcting his first move and style of attack.


    Three loud knocks banged the door of the van. "Don''t move."


    The Alpha of the Silver Pack snorted, loud enough for the owner of the voice earlier to


    crash the window with one swing of his golf club.


    "Are you mocking me, man?" the man spitted on the shattered window. "Tyler-"


    "Leave this to me." And before I knew it, the man who smashed the car''s window was now gasping for breath, eyes slowly stained with red. His wind magic wrapped around the man''s throat tighter and tighter every second.


    Even if my husband''s hand was still suspended in the air, the choking sound of the man was horrible enough for me to puke at the little bucket beside my seat that his mortal servants prepared.


    "The only one allowed to disturb my pregnant wife in her morning sleep is me." Then Tyler punched the man in the throat, sending him away from the car.


    The Alpha went outside, mming the door behind, totally leaving the chair beside me empty. My eyes scanned for the man. I found him on the corner, hands clinging to his punched throat, vomiting lots and lots of blood.


    broken.


    Then, in one single motion of my Alpha''s hand, his neck twisted to the opposite side,


    "You bastard!" He dodged the ax, kicking the man who attacked him at the back. Fire waltzed on his fingers. When the man with an ax turned around, his face was greeted by the fire on Tyler''s left hand. The ax then quickly turned into solid ice with my husband''s right hand''s grip.


    "Tyler, behind you!" But my husband easily yeeted the attacker from the side, the mighty wind on hismand. The sky rumbled, thunder shing and hitting the tree nearby. I sped my hand together, praying to the Goddesses and to any deity who can hear me.


    A man in a brown coat grabbed me by the throat. I didn''t know if he came from behind


    me or from the opposite side. "Let''s see what you got, Storm Summoner."


    Me and Tyler''s eyes met, pleading eyes begging his cerulean blue eyes.


    ''Let me possess you for a bit, ine.'' Eliane, of all the entities who will answer my call for help...it was a century-old, vengeance-seeking soul. My old soul. ''Let me possess you so you can have my magic.''


    Without any choice, I turned to the man and grabbed his balls. My mouth crashed into his dull, bitter lips. And before he knew it, I knocked the gun from his hand and kicked the mighty cock residing between his thighs.


    "Tyler!" In a wave of his two hands, I entered the makeshift wind-fire shield he created for me, burning anyone who tries to enter. And also burning me if I try to get out.


    My husband only gave me a look that solidifies my theory that he is no longer the fluffy Lord Tyler I once adored, the man that used to give jokes and cranky kisses between our baths.  He is now in his warrior mode; bright fire engulfing his figure yet didn''t seem to be harmed by it.


    ***


    "Let''s finish this," Tyler muttered with utter sternness.


    The man earlier wiped his mouth. "At least I''ve got to kiss your whore."


    A heartbeatter, all I hear is the battle cry of a Wolf God.


    They were now as ck as charcoal, devoured entirely by Tyler''s mes. Only the smell makes it


    a bit vomiting since burned human bodies are very much unpleasant to one''s senses.   "Tyler, I-"


    "Not now, ine." My hand stopped in the middle of the moment I was going to touch him, to feel his sultry brown skin on the tip of my fingers.


    Am I bing ugly? Did I say something to hurt him? Is this my fault that we were ambushed by a bunch of men that I have never seen before but seemed to know about the existence of Tyler''s kind and me?


    "I just want to make sure you''re okay, babe."


    "I''m a werewolf," his voice is dark and deep. "Fighting has been my forte ever


    since."  "I just...don''t want to see you hurt," I swallowed.


    "ine, please!" his voice became louder. "Will you stop acting as if I cannot take good care of my own goddamn self? I''m stronger than you know, than you''ve seen."


    ''And I''m much more powerful than you think.'' I wanted to tell him those words, badly wanted to tell him that I am Eliane so that he can kill me here and there, in this very vehicle to which he is driving.


    "You know I love you," I said with much more gentleness than he cared to disy. I saw him stiffened, as if he didn''t know what to say. Or doesn''t want to say what he wanted to say more. His lips pursed, his fist clenched and unclenched amidst his focus on the safety of our road towards Ste''s Soul.


    But Tyler only inhaled deeply. "Sleep. Just let your tiredness drift away."


    I turned my head to the window outside, the sun slowly climbing, slowly pushing the dark


    skies and coloring the heavens with shades of bright orange and yellow.


    I didn''t even know how fast he had changed the tires considering it is nearly impossible for us to travel by car minutes earlier. But Tyler is Tyler. He always finds a way, no matter how impossible it may be.


    No matter how impossible I thought it may be.


    I put my hand against my mouth, stifling the cry I badly wanted to shriek. I nced at the shattered window that the dead man broke earlier, the sole thing that proves that we have indeed survived another attack this time outside Selena''s Wall. I breathed in and exhaled, watching the dawn slowly vanish into morning light.


    Even with me trying so hard to keep my emotional release at bay, my tears still wed its way out; my silent weep wetting my face, untamed sadness slowly lulling me to a sleep even before I could blink.

 Chapter 88: Together

    It is my first time waking up in Ste''s Soul-inside the Honeymoon House without the scent of rain and forest and mist weing my senses.


    Tyler taking off his shirt and going inside the bath was thest thing I remembered before I cuddled with my pillows, eventually upying the whole bed with my snore.


    I should apologize to Tyler. But what am I going to apologize for? I don''t even know what I did wrong. I don''t even know what triggered Tyler to act coldly towards me.


    "You''re awake." There, by the threshold of our room, Tyler leans by the door. Shirtless and unzipped pants beckoning me to reach for his dick.


    My breath thickens with every step he takes, closer and closer to where I am sitting at the edge of the bed.


    "Are you feeling nauseous?" I shook my head.


    "Aren''t you going to vomit? Shriek because you have a migraine? Go back to sleep


    because of your pregnancy sickness?"


    I keep shaking my head with every question he drops at my feet. Is he angry because I''ve been sickly for the first few weeks of me carrying his heir?


    ''Seriously, Tyler?'' I thought, biting my lip as I tore away my gaze from his eyes.


    "The attackers at dawn...they are not Hearteaters." He lifted my chin, the warmth of his


    touch rekindling the life inside me.


    I swallowed. "What are they, then?"


    "They are mortal servants of Hearteaters." Tyler sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "They have mortal servants too?"


    "They''re technically werewolves too."


    "That''s why they have mortal servants too?" My eyes darted to the floor, still not believing that they have minions to haunt and hunt us.


    A few minutes of silence gave way to make me inhale and exhale, repeating it for a couple of seconds.


    "So," he started. "Are we done?"


    Confused by what he meant, I stood up-only to beid back at the edge of the bed by one push of his hand. The bed wobbled as I tumbled on its soft surface, gasping for breath once again.


    Then Tyler''s lips crashed into mine, hungry and ravishing. He waved his hand and the door mmed shut, fully trapping me in his arms.


    "Tyler, I''m pregnant." He paused, searching for my gaze.


    "That''s a plus reason why we should fucked while your belly isn''t big. Yet."


    I tried to open my mouth but his tongue found my breasts, and my cry of protest turned to


    a moan of pleasure. I justid down here and let Tyler in control of everything he does on top of me. The worries, the problems, the doubts, the revtions were all washed away as soon as Tyler was at my entrance.


    "I missed this," I breathed, clutching the bed sheet as tight as I could.


    His smile was the brightest; the iconic fluffy, doggy smile he gives me every time we make love. "I missed you, too."


    Tyler Jane Moonstorm began to move inside me and I couldn''t help it but enjoy and fill the room with my moans and sounds of pleasure. The morning crisp air is the only witness to our dance atop this honeymoon bed.Our movements are rhythmic and in melody, carefully executing this glorious primeval dance in such a way we both desired and enjoyed. A dance only danced by couples, guided by the music we produced on our own as Tyler dug deeper in my core, my fingers gently wounding his olive skin.


    Here, we can express our love for each other wildly. No one can hear us, no one can scold us for being loud while making love under the bright light of day. No one can stop us no matter


    in what way we would like to express our feelings. We are two uncaged wolves, one male and one female feasting with each other''s body.


    "Harder, love," I begged, and he obeyed. Like a faithful servant, he obeyed his master''s call, his master''s plea. I am candidly just spreading my legs wide before him, lying in the bed like I was just chilling out.


    "This is just a morning exercise for me," he boasted, saying between my lips as I held tightly onto his hair.


    He moved and thrusted swiftly and carefully, filling me with his hugeness that I always look forward to when making love.


    "Just like that, babe," I murmured.


    "You''re now calling me babe, woman?" I chortled but immediately moaned again-the music that is repetitively urging my husband to move faster, rock quicker, and thrust deeper.


    "Is it just okay for the baby?" I jerked my head to him, my legs were around his waist. It was now my turn to dance like a cowgirl. And by the look of his face, he was utterly enjoying it. Enjoying this morning''s lovemaking session of ours.


    "How many times did you ask me that?" he whispered, pausing and panting mid-thrust. "It''s okay. This is just an ordinary thing to do by couples, isn''t it?" Our uneven breath has turned the air into a steamy feast. I lifted my body a bit for him.


    But Tyler pulled me upward, and I am now facing him beneath me. He held tight to my


    waist, my belly meeting his wet, rock-hard cock.


    "I love you, Alpha." There. Those are the words that he had been longing to hear, always wanted to hear. It made his snake more ferocious and stronger now.


    "You sound like a submissive ve," he muttered. I slid down, aligning his flesh carefully into my abyss, "And I loved you too."


    Then Tyler gripped my hair tightly, as if all his pleasure relied on how tight his grip is. I turn away from him, my back facing him. His other hand was caressing the bosom where his heir will soon linger.


    "Look into the mirror," he sat from the bed and hoisted my face to the mirror since the bathroom''s door is open. "I love our chosen position..." His warm breath tickles my ear, "...and this union."


    I turned my head to him and met those wet lips as I slowly moved. Slower and slower, prioritizing our kiss rather than our bodies'' needs."This is what our souls want, what our souls desire."


    He chuckled, and I suppose that''s his way of telling me that I am right. Perhaps this is one


    of Eliane''s magic, forcing me to relish me and Tyler''s moments together while itsts.


    ''Kill him.''


    I exhaled.


    ''Kill him, ine.''


    I inhaled.


    ''Kill him for me,'' Eliane ordered. I froze, my hands suddenly turning cold as if I bathed in an


    icy river.


    "Are you okay, snow flower?"


    Snow flower? He''s addressing me with that Shakespearean moniker now?   ''Kill him, ine.''


    ''Stop it, bitch!'' I fought back. I slowly rose from his body and ran towards the bathroom,


    locking the door.


    "ine!"


    "I''m okay, Tyler."


    ''No, you''re not.'' There, in front of me, is the image of myself. In the mirror, she took form her original face the face with emerald eyes and raven hair, the face that I have seen a million times throughout my life.


    I blinked, willing those swirling emotions inside me to remain at bay.


    As soon as I opened my eyes, my mouth was left open, enough to let the chill from what I saw enter my body.


    He was inside her, inside Eliane. And she was inside him, too. Eliane was clutching at Tyler''s hair as he fucked her, her eyes piercing towards me, grinning wickedly.


    Eliane''s moans reverberated, prompting me to cover my ears. "Stop!" I yelled, tears drenching my face. "Stop it, you bitch!"


    "ine!!!" Tyler''s banging the door so loud that it almost surpassed Eliane''s hair-raising darkughter.


    I don''t know which side I will take now. If I will side with Tyler, then I have to end my life as soon as possible so that I may not end their kind. If I were to side with Eliane, then I have to surrender to her, possibly y my own love and lead those Hearteaters towards the extinction of the werewolves.


    I leaned at the door, my body on the cold floor. Eliane''s image on the mirror has not vanished yet. Tyler has not stopped pounding and forcing the door to open either.


    ''What should I do, Rowena?'' If only Rowena was here, if only someone would help me to make a decision and enlighten my shadowy path...


    But all I have is me, myself and I.


    All I have is to stand and choose.


    So I stood, grabbing the crystal swan decoration under the mirror. I ignored the heaviness, ignored the expensiveness, ignored the beauty that shall be left empty to where it was once ced.


    ''Choose, ine. Choose wisely, or your destiny will end up bleeding like mine.''


    ; As I opened the door, I wiped my tears and inhaled deeply.


    And struck it to the one I did not choose.


    ***


    I looked at my bloodied hands, stared at Tyler''s face and exhaled.


    What have I done? Is the one I choose worthy of my decision?


    "ine..." Tyler cupped my face, his cerulean eyes immensely worried.


    ;  "Tyler?" I breathed.


    "What the hell did you do?" I look straight at his eyes. "Why did you smash my


    mirror?"


    ; I nced at the shattered mirror, its pieces scattered on the floor, on the sink, everywhere.


    "I..." I swallowed my courage to reason. "...because I''ve chosen you, Tyler."


    He chuckled, my Lord Tyler has finally returned to his fluffiness. "You have always chosen


    me, just as I have always chosen you."


    ; I forced a smile, though only a grin showed up. "I know."


    "Is something bothering you?"


    I shook my head while moving away from his sensual touch. "Someone is bothering me,


    someone who died a long time ago and has been forcing me to make a difficult choice."


    I did not look into his eyes. I only saw his throat bobbed. And by that, I wonder if he has figured out whom I''m referring to.


    "We will fix this together, just as we''ve always been."


    "Right. Together."


    "Together." Then Tyler hugged me, tightly and lovingly.


    Together, our souls converged like how our love was meant to be. Meant to end.


    Together, we''ll fight her-fight my old soul, Eliane.


    Even if we will just be together for the span of ten minutes or ten years, I will cherish every


    moment, every dance, every kiss and every hug.


    "Together," I whispered to the wind, to the sun, and to the universe, hoping this is enough


    to show them how strong our love is.

 Chapter 89: Shadow Creatures

    "It''s been a while since you dined here," Meahmented as she ced my food beside hers. I nced at her sidelong and smiled wryly.


    "How''s Greece?"


    I shrugged. My expression immediately shifted upon remembering the Greek Alpha''s face and his tension with Tyler, "Great. It''s my first time abroad and Tyler didn''t disappoint me." ''Not really, just a little bit disappointed.'' I''d like to add that phrase. But judging by her look, I suppose Meah has already read it in my face even if I did not voice it out.


    "Where''s Melissa?" I asked, scooping a spoon of butter corn soup as I felt its warmth enter my mouth.


    "She''s due in two weeks'' time. Melissa is on a bed rest now."


    "I see." I looked at Meah, but she didn''t look at me. So I continued eating my brunch of roasted beef and barbecue ribs with a side of mashed potato and rice.


    It took me a lot of strength not to burst into tears at what happened an hour ago. Me and Tyler are just having a nice, cozy sex when Eliane interrupts. dly and sadly, I chose Tyler over her, over my own old soul.


    I cannot feel her presence anymore, probably she has gone to find another vessel because her original body has rejected her. I may be her and she may be me, but we are two different entities now.


    day.


    We are entirely of different essence at this very moment, like how a night differs from the


    "I was surprised that you had a great time in Greece."


    I snorted. "Why not?"


    "Because Tyler actually prioritizes his business there and just dragged you along in order


    to not rm the citizens of Ste''s Soul."


    I scowled, putting back my fork of roasted beef to the te. "I think you are just


    imagining things, Meah-"


    "Tyler went to Greece to seek the help of the Greek wolves," she looked with a gaze that could slice my soul in half. "He took you there, thinking he could persuade the Greeks to help us


    with your presence. Yet, his mission failed somehow even with your pretty little face."


    ''You''re just upset, Moonstorm... You''re only upset because I turned down your business proposal,'' Kairo''s voice haunted my mind once again.


    So that''s the kind of business proposal that the Greek beauty meant.


    "Do you really think Tyler brought you outside of Selena''s Wall just to have a honeymoon


    in Greece?!" She clicked her tongue, disappointment glimmering in those eyes.


    Is Meah talking to me like that because I did not just worsen the situation but also did


    not manage to help as well?


    I sucked a breath while chanting to myself to remain calm. But hatred for my own goddamn self resurfaced, leaving my hands shaking while attempting to shove that roasted beef inside my mouth.


    "No," I whispered. I could see Meah blinking through her reflection on my wine ss. "No, because I believe my role as Tyler''s wife is to prioritize the safety of his kind no matter what my feelings are."


    She shut her mouth for the rest of the meal, only silence apanied me as I ate my food. I realized that...I am not just losing my sanity, I''m also losing my friends. Rowena, Meah... and perhaps Melissa avoided me because she already knew why we went to Greece.


    "I''m sorry about that." She wiped a napkin at the side of my mouth, "It''s just..." I heard her take a deep breath before continuing. "I fear for the werewolves'' lives, our lives."


    "I know," I covered my mouth as I burped and Meah just smiled. "I fear that, too." Though I couldn''t pull out the thorns that the news brought in my heart, I already suspected it. Why should Tyler dare to take me to Greece even with the Hearteaters'' recent attacks? It doesn''t make sense at first. But now that I knew the truth, now that Meah revealed the truth, I can now piece together the picture that he has been doing in Greece.


    He didn''t go to Santorini for our honeymoon, to enjoy being an official husband and wife for the first week of our marriage. It was an alibi so that the residents of Ste''s Soul won''t panic. Since we have managed to return as whole, they may think that the threats from those heartless beasts are no longer lingering.


    They shall return for me soon.The Hearteaters will attack again I know it deep in my bones. They want me alive since I am the only connection their Queen has left in this world. And with me being able to breathe every second means that the werewolves are


    marching towards their extinction closer and closer than they''ve expected.


    I mean, that is if they''ve thought about being extinct for a millisecond.


    Meah squeezed my hand. And for a second, my shaking stopped. "We''ll take care all of these shenanigans..." That rare grin I see on her face now is a picture worth taking, "...together."


    ; I pursed my lips, I can feel Tyler''s heir inside me wanting to say the same.


    "I hope so," I uttered with enough assurance. "Unless the Trinity Goddesses themselves woulde down and help us perish those foul creatures." Both of us know that we''re not enough, the strength of the werewolves of Ste''s Soulbined is not enough to defeat the darkness that aided the Hearteaters.


    Meah nodded, a tight nod that I eventually mimicked as she stood from our table and carried our tes to the kitchen.


    I stick my two hands together, forming it into a prayer gesture. "If only someone or something will help us. Then, I guess we can defeat them." We can defeat my creation, Eliane''s ugly pets.


    If only help wasid at our doorstep, then perhaps, we can rise from this peril


    together.


    ***


    "Tyler?"


    If only there was help.


    I immediately returned to the Honeymoon House with Meah''s apaniment after dining at Cafe del Luna. Tyler''s not in the Honeymoon House again as soon as I walked past the foyer. "Why does he keep leaving when it''s still our Honeymoon!"


    I kicked the carpet, unleashing my irritation and dismay at the things that had nothing to do with why he left without a word.


    "I told him to wait for me." I invited him to eat with me but he said that he''s going to be


    busy and that I should socialize with other residents as well.


    So I agreed. But, vanishing without a word to where the hell he will go-


    He always does that. He''s always not there the moment I need someone to lean on, someone to hug tightly. Someone to talk to and someone to confront with their secrets. I thought I''m the only one hiding secrets. Turns out, no one in Ste''s Soul does not have secrets.


    "Where the hell is he?!" I pouted in front of the grandfather''s clock, a scowl visible on my delicate face.


    I rubbed my belly when I suddenly burped so loud that I felt ashamed and at the same time relieved that no one heard me. I know that being a newlywed is a struggle, but how can we resolve this and make our rtionship stronger when the other one refuses to participate?


    ''He''s just busy. Maybe he''lle home knocking on the door before I know it,'' I thought as I surveyed the unexplored areas of the Honeymoon House.


    The pool is ced under a canopy of-like roof where vines and flowers ornamented it, only a few rays of sunlight able to pass through and shine on the water''s surface. I dipped my hand, the pool''s a bit cold even though it''s no longer winter and spring has already begun. A few white-colored flowers and pink and red petals floated, making their way towards me.


    "I should invite Tyler to a swim here," my voice echoed. I looked around and no one else was here with me. The wife is all alone by herself, walking around the house in order to forget her husband''s shorings.


    I am that wife, that utterly lonely wife. Strolling around the house like a bird wandering all around her gilded cage.


    "Is this really the life I want?" I looked at my reflection, my gloomy face staring back at me. I grew up in a family that only adopted me so that they will have someone to serve them, someone to work for them and provide them with money.


    Yet, here...I have every material thing a human being wants and needs-money, wealth, luxury, protection, and even people to answer my every need and serve my every want. "What do I really want in life?" I stared at my palms, as if I could read my fortune there. As if I could vividly see my future in my hands.


    I have everything, yet I feel nothing. If I am the reason that gruesome things keep on happening, then I would rather drown myself in this cold pool like what the Hearteaters wanted when they dunked my head in Aurora''s Waters.


    I could still recall the memory where the water tried to block my breath, how that monstrous hand tried to end my life in the same spot where the beautiful golden fountain stood. ''She did that to you.''


    That voice, that sweet motherly voice... "Rowena? How are you able tomunicate "


    "Hush, child. Or the Shadow Creatures will hear us."


    Shadow Creatures, what the fuck are those?!


    "Where are you, Rowena?"


    "Look at the element that takes form to whatever shape its vessel is."


    My brows met. "Why are you talking in riddles?!"


    Only silence whispered back at me. Sighing, I tried to look around, searching for this element that she''s referring to.


    "Gosh, does she even know that I suck at riddles?" I have no choice but to try and just shake my head despite my gut telling me to ignore Rowena. But I can''t ignore her, especially when she''s the only one who knows my situation, my connection to Eliane, and probably the only one capable of answering my questions. Lots and lots of questions.


    ; I stepped to the side of the pool again, searching for her voice. But I only found my reflection pouting at me.


    "Gosh," I crossed my arms. "When will I have my own happy ending?!"


    Heavy footsteps suddenly thundered behind me, the air shifting into a darker mood, one that feels like in horror movies.


    "Hello?" I swallowed my emotions, letting it swirl inside me. "Tyler?"


    The footsteps faded, but the thing that made me yield a couple of steps forward are the bunch of framed pictures adorning the wall beyond an entrance that I have only seen when standing on the other side of the pool.


    "Why does it feel like I''m investigating a haunted house?" I shake my hands, willing that eerie feeling to vanish this instant. The only thing that should be haunting within these walls are the moans of those newlyweds being fucked and the sound of their bodies as they ensure the existence of the Alpha''s heir in the woman''s womb.


    I walked towards the mysterious hall, only loneliness apanying me. It''s a bit dim, only the ocherous light emitted by themp on either side of the wall gave way for me to see. I looked at each picture. And after three or four pictures I surveyed, I realized they are the wedding pictures of those sacrificed women and the Alpha they are married to-considering I''ve seen Melissa and Jason''s at the dead end part of the hall.


    The walls are in bloody red color with rose prints on the wallpaper. This looks like Drac''s house like the one that I''ve seen in various adaptation movies.


    I gasped. "Wait, if there are werewolves, then there are also vampires?!" I tried so hard to


    cover my mouth so that I will not end up unleashing nonsense rming shrills.


    Then my eyes caught it. A leather notebook with a lock on the center of it. "Key, key,


    key..." I looked for a key on the drawer to see where it was.


    Suddenly I noticed a glinting object when the light cast its way in one of the framed pictures.


    ; I walked toward that picture, keeping my hands to myself.


    I stopped a few paces before it. As I stared at the picture, I almost knocked down the flower vase behind me if not for thest self-control left within me when I saw who the couple in the picture were.

 Chapter 90: Smile of a Mother, Lies of a Lover

    Rowena was smiling towards me; a sweet, unfeigned motherly smile that I could easily fall for if I was not on my right mind.


    I blinked, hoping that I was just imagining things, that I never found this gallery hall and never heard Rowena''s voice under the bright light of day.


    Yet she was there, still grinning as if it''s the only expression she knew. If a smile could kill,


    I have already dropped dead seconds ago due to my eyes not peeling away from the image of her smiling a few momentster.


    "Rowena..." I breathed, touching the frame, the names engraved on it. Rowena Cruz and Alpha Bryant. Year 2000.


    "So you have found me," her eerie voice echoed in my ears. "I know that you have always been a smart girl, ine."


    I couldn''t hide my blush though. It has been a long time since I''ve heard apliment from someone other than Tyler. Speaking of which...he has note home yet even though it''s past four in the afternoon, the time that he promised to me that we''ll be having a marathon of Netflix movies and shows.


    "Where are you and why have you managed to reach out to me?" A heartbeatter, I found myself conversing with the quietude again.


    She was gone, maybe because I urged her to. This shit is already scaring me. Just by the thought of hearing your dead friend''s voice while bathing in the sight of the pool is such a hair- raising, save-me-Tyler-please kind of situation.


    But my curiosity didn''t balk even for a second. So I let it take over, better let it lead my actions rather than letting fear guide my hands. I scanned my eyes around for about five seconds and return my gaze to the picture, studying it until¡ª


    "Is this a journal?" I swallowed the fear trying to get hold of me again, threatening to choke the breath out of me.


    What if this is a dangerous book that shouldn''t be opened? What if this very journal will wreak havoc here in Ste''s Soul and demands the life of every resident that lives here?


    ''You''re just overthinking,'' I whispered to myself in order to calm down the rapid beating of my heart.


    It helps though, yet as soon as I opened the leather journal, I realized Rowena''s name is written in blood on the first page since it stinks very much and turned into a dark, brownish color.


    "There, you found my journal." So this is her instrument then: the reason why she manages to talk to me at this hour.


    "But why would you contact me now? Why, Rowena?!"


    "This must end," her voice bounced at each picture. "With everything that happens, this must all end. With you."


    This...all of these. This does not make sense. How can Rowena reach me in the living realm when she''s already on the other side?


    "What are you, Rowena?" My heart could have grown its own feet and escape from my very chest and run away. "You''re not just a mere mortal bride, are you?!"


    I stepped back, only to bump at something solid. A body.


    "Rowena? How "


    "Open my journal." Her voice is utterly authoritative, one that I just heard now.


    "Why are you doing this?"


    "Just do what I say."


    So I did, ignoring the bloody handwriting on the first page.


    "Read the one dated on November second, year 2000."


    I released a sharp breath, "It''s the day of your wedding!"


    "Read it," she ordered. "Solemnly."


    ''Solemnly?'' I shrugged, keeping those words on my own. ''Where the heck is Tyler? Did he abandon me for good this time?''


    My eyes darted to where my hand rests atop my belly, to where a growing life lingers, slowly adding to my excitement to this marriage life. Slowly driving me crazy, to be frank.


    Rowena gave me a tight nod, her appearance is now a little bit less scary than when I see her during me and Tyler''s first day of being married. She was wearing a ssic wedding veil, her face pale but bright. No signs of blood nor violence shrouding her body. Maybe being a ghost makes you your own boss on how the hell you want to look like to someone, more like the same being alive. The difference is that one can appear as headless when being a ghost, which makes it more quirky and spooky.


    I braced my mind, my heart, and my soul before flipping page after page, its sound


    adding to the never-ending drumming of my pulse.


    And then I found it, written in a different inkpared to most of the journal entries. It


    was written in red, bloody dark red. As if Rowena dried any animal''s body just to let it be the ink that tells her story on her very special day.


    Slowly but surely, I read each word, letting my stomach digest it even though it


    protests and almost turning upside down.


    ***


    ; I will do this. I must do this.


    ;For it is only through her journal I can find the answers to my questions-


    This is only where I can find the truth, no matter how dark it is.


    "You...you''re a "I drop to my knees, shock suffocating the life out of me.


    I should have known. I should have known that the enemy had been inside Ste''s Soul all along even before my arrival. I should have known that Rowena was not that innocent as she looks, that she''s a wolf wearing a sheep''s skin.


    She''s a monster under the guise of a victim.


    "I''m a Hearteater," she confessed, her eyes twinkling with sorrow. She can act as dramatic as she can for all I care. But to me, she''s just the same as the others, as them a fucking, heart- eating, shape-shifting, cunning monsters.


    "I know what you''re thinking. You hate me even more nowpared to the time you''ve been oblivious to my true identity.


    I tried to act as innocent as I could. It is the only way I can extract the truth from recent happenings. "H-how?


    Yes, I am cunning as well, but I am doing all of these for Tyler. For his kind that has be my family and for Ste''s Soul.


    "You may think I''m a monster," Rowena lifted her head and looked me straight in the eye. "But you must remember that all of these would never happen if you have never existed."  So existing is a sin, then. My existence is a mistake itself.


    So much for hoping for a better life and the best version of myself.


    ; "I may be a different monster than you but I can still fix all of these. Even monsters have dreams, you know."


    She chuckled nervously. "Like conquering the world?"


    "Like conquering one''s fears," I answered. I tilted my head, the most swaggering smirk enlightened my face despite the dark truth that sshed my soul. "And making sure I will never make the same mistake again."


    "Easy for you to say. But trust me, I have done it before and look what happened to me." Her grin is more haunting with her clean, youthful facepared to the one when she appeared as bloody as hell to me. "I strived to be different from the kind I was born with. Yet, thriving to be different is just like walking straight to the grave you never expected that will one day spill your end along the way." She clicked her tongue before inhaling like me, disregarding the fact that she''s already dead. "Just do what Eliane says."


    "Eliane is gone," I blurted. "I chose Tyler over her."


    Rowenaughed darkly. Sheughed andughed andughed. For minutes long. And for all I care.


    She was stillughing when I pped her face and managed to do so despite the fact that she''s already a ghost. "I shall choose my fate now. I shall choose wisely. I will not let my destiny bleed like what has happened in the past."


    "Choice is an illusion. Eliane is just making fun of you all this time-torturing you as if you


    can still change what will happen. What must happen."


    Liar. I should have known Rowena was a liar, a good na?ve-looking liar. My baby kicked, I don''t know how he managed to do that even though I''m still in my first trimester.


    "And why should I believe you?" I muttered in a viinous tone. My left brow hoisted, my arms folded across my chest.


    "You might act as strong as you are. But I tell you, the Forest Queen always wins." Rowena''s challenging stare is making me vomit. She never acted like this before. Maybe she''s- "You''re not Rowena, are you?" I inched closer, my icy green eyes never looking away from her gaze.


    And the world slowly shifted. The one I always see as bright and colorful became gray and dull, and pale. As pale as the entity now standing before me, still in Rowena''s clothes. "Eliane," I whispered. "I should have known earlier it was you. Such a deceiver-" "So are you, ine." She eyed me and Tyler''s wedding picture, the one that has thergest sizepared to the other former couples who had been in the Honeymoon House. "How long are you going to continue this scheme?"


    She clicked her tongue. I took a step backward. "The people around you see you as rainbows and butterflies, ine. How long do you think Tyler will notice that you have an uncanny resemnce to me?"


    "Stop it." My voice is but a whisperpared to Eliane''s thundering one. "Do you know that Tyler is the only one who managed to get a glimpse of my painting in the Three Bitches'' Temple before it was burned and the ashes tossed outside of Ste''s Soul? I''d pay a thousand gold coins just to see your husband''s expression that his wife is actually the very entity that he desired to end."


    "No matter what you do, or say..." I filled my lungs with enough courage to speak. "I will never be like you. I may have been you and you may have been me, but I will not repeat the same mistake you have made. I have chosen Tyler and the werewolves. It''s time you know that you and your Hearteaters only have a few moons to live."


    Instead of anger and pursed lips, Eliane instead let my hands went still with her shivering smile. "Rowena is right. You''re such a smart, brave girlpared to what I was before. But as I have said, choice is an illusion. I made you believe that you have one, as if the world and your fate have not yet been decided even before you were born."


    But they already are. I can read it in her eyes, those emerald green eyes that somehow remind me of who I am. I am basically talking to myself-my old, real self. Not the self that I have made the residents of Ste''s Soule to love and smile at.


    "You''re carrying the heir of an Alpha," she touched my belly. I was not able to smack her hand away due to some force that made me utterly frozen to where I am. "Just as I did to Rowan''s."


    I saw it. The sh of sadness, pure and not fake, gilded her appearance for a heartbeat.


    he?"


    "I died even before I managed to hear him cry."


    "That baby..." my voice has gone soft, and I don''t know why. "He''s my ancestor, isn''t


    The widening of her smile tells me that it''s a yes. That my life has already been nned and spelled out even before I was born in this merciless world.


    I am just a pig raised for ughter, nothing more but a pawn in this game I never asked


    to y. Although I am technically the Forest Queen, my body is just the vessel for Eliane, waiting


    for the right time and right moment to ripe and ready to be harvested.


    "Well, now that you know a little more about us. Aren''t you curious about Rowena''s past? Aren''t you curious about the life of the former Alpha''s wife that you once saw as the mother that you never had?" Eliane reached for my hand and ced it atop hers. "I, for one, grew up without a mother to call me daughter as well."


    ; How many moreparisons will she p in my face just to convince me that I am not differentpared to her?


    "I am curious. It''s just that you don''t have to tell me every damn minute why the hell I


    am no different from you."


    She huffed, her amusement echoed in this dark-colored wall.


    I stared at her, biting my lip as if those words in my mind would nevere out.


    But it did. And it didn''t turn out to be kind towards Eliane.

 Chapter 91: Like a Lamb for Slaughter

    "You finally admitted that you are annoyed by those facts about you," I hoisted my chin, eyes staring straight into hers. "You are indeed just like me, ine. Always interested in other people''s life so that we may forget ours that are as fragile and broken as a shattered ss."


    Eliane waved a hand when she noticed I am no longer looking at her. "Fine, fine. But I cannotpletely swear my word, especially when the things I''m saying are actually what you never wanted people to know."


    "Just stop it," I sneered.


    Eliane chuckled, one that made me realize that evil never hides in the dark. Sometimes it''s more visible under a bright light.


    "You know what, ine. Girls in ss houses should never throw stones." Eliane circled me, a predator slowly letting its prey know that it has nowhere to go to. "You are as perfectly imperfect just as I am and was. So stop turning your back, it will just hurt your feet even more."


    I swear my eyes were already bleeding just by seeing her, how much more my ears when hearing her chortle every damn minute!


    "Even if choice is an illusion, it doesn''t mean I cannot make an illusion of my own." I narrowed my eyes no matter how bitchy I look, "The final decision is still on me. I know I will still die one way or another. But mind you, Eliane. This is my destiny now despite the freaking fact that you are me and I am you. I don''t care if my destiny will bleed. I will decide whether I will bleedughing or I will bleed smiling."


    The dance of amusement finally left her eyes. And slowly, just slowly, I saw that pair of bright green eyes slowly turn into solid ck.


    "You''re a monster just as I am!"


    "I know," I grinned. "I''m not denying it. In fact, I''m enjoying it."


    I heard the sound of a doorbell ringing which made me flinch.


    "You''re still afraid, aren''t you? That they will suddenly find out and you are not


    prepared." She slightly tilted her head, "See? You are me after all, dear."


    "ENOUGH!!!" I took a nice, five-second deep breath and shook my hands twice. "Enough


    of your maniptions, Eliane. Please, I beg you just this once."


    That mirthless smirk is definitely sucking the living daylights out of me. "I am not manipting. I am just stating the fact on why you should reconsider your choice your decision in choosing Tyler is the one I expected you to make. However," she gave an emphasis to thatst word. "Are you sure it is the best? Considering that my Hearteaters are always one step ahead of your wolfies, I doubt that the Werewolves will even have time to ring the sound of rm the moment they appear at Selena''s Wall, brightly dark and ready for bloodshed."


    "Well see, then." It might be technically talking to my other self but I made her feel that I am not intimidated by her presence. "One can only assume things that have not happened. Yet." She chuckled, a hair-raising, eerie one. As if the entity I was talking to is the viin of all viins. "Go on, then. I''d like to see you try." Her smile still did not vanish, "I''m d you''re slowly being stubborn. That means you cannot be easily manipted by the people around you just like me back then."


    "Yet, you''ve be manipted by your own heart." I clicked my tongue in an authoritative way. "Too bad that the great witch and Forest Queen had be a ve to her own emotions-"I gave her the creepiest smile that ever bloomed in this seemingly-brimming- with-innocence face, "Even until now."


    "As if you were not controlled by your fear." I stiffened. Her face inched closer, the identical face that I always wore, closer to my lips until it almost kissed. "Perhaps you forgot, even before you''ve been introduced to Ste''s Soul, you are always afraid that your ''family'' wille charging at you again like some bull."


    My throat bobbed in panic. I remember the sound of the door opening just the moment Tyler''s voice filled the room upstairs, "I''ll just be taking a bath, honey!"


    He knew I''m here, if it really was Tyler. Eliane is the Queen of Illusions and I now doubt


    the credibility of the things I''m seeing and hearing.


    "I will never forget that. It''s just that I already buried my past so that I can discover more of my future."


    ine?"


    "Such wise words from an eighteen-year-old pregnant Alpha''s wife. How to be like you,


    I tilted my head in amusement. "Just don''t be you and you''ll eventually be like me," I replied sarcastically.


    Her hand halted mid-p when Tyler, whose lower part of the body was only wrapped by a wet towel, appeared behind her. "Oh, I guess you''ve found the gallery then. I was actually about to give you a tour on this part of the house but it got lost in my thoughts. I''m so sorry, love."


    It''s a miracle that Tyler is acting that way. That sweet, altruistic Tyler I have fallen for in the first ce. "It''s okay, babe. I have found it on my own so there''s no need for you to stress about it."


    Tyler walked towards me in a very sexy way. I don''t know how or maybe because he''s shirtless but he''s so hot and orgasmic and


    Tyler kissed me even before I could blink, even before I could shoo Eliane away.


    My Alpha husband kissed me passionately in front of the ring eyes of Eliane, the very enemy he sought to destroy.


    ***


    The moment I parted my lips from my Alpha, the terrifying face of Eliane finally dissipated just like some dust in the wind.


    ; "Why didn''t you call?"


    Oh Goddesses, I forgot I actually have a cell phone. "I just want to take a break from the outside world."


    "But you''re my world, ine."


    Our days have been numbered, and thank the Goddesses that I manage to see and hear


    the sweet Tyler I havee to love before our days together will run out.


    "You''re mine, too," I chuckled, hiding the pain from my face and shoving it down my throat, swallowing it whole even though it will hurt even more. "I missed you, Tyler. I missed the time before the Hearteaters messed up my life, our lives."


    "If they didn''t, I will not meet you at this very moment." His eyes stared at me as if I was


    the most beautiful thing in the world.


    ; "You''re the most important thing to me, Tyler-more important than my life..."


    "Don''t say that, babe." He wrapped his hands around my waist, "You know how


    much I love you, didn''t you?"


    I nodded, brushing away a tear that cascaded from my eyes. "Then love yourself as much as you love me," he whispered.


    Tyler''s smile...it was like the stars smiled down at me. Bright and beautiful, illuminating


    this dark path I am walking now despite the loveliness of my face.


    "You look tired," he pulled me closer to his naked chest, to where I bumped at his velvet- wrapped steel hiding beneath the towel. "Don''t you want a nap? I''ll take mine after a warm shower."


    If my mind could talk, it already shouted at Tyler and refused his suggestion. I am still curious about Rowena''s identity even though it was Eliane who approached me in broad daylight.


    ; "I''ll read a few pages from this book," I answered softly. "Then I''ll drag my ass on the bed."


    He chuckled at my words, darkly and sexily. One that sounds like from a mafia boss that I constantly see in movies.


    ***


    "I''ll go take a shower now. I actually turned it on before checking if it was you I heard."   And so I let him.


    Tyler was already snoring the moment I took a break from reading Rowena''s journal-her most honest and most outrageous collection of secrets and info about herself that only she and this piece of leather journal knows.


    "I may have sinned, Trinity Goddess. I know I did, but my heart always whispers the name


    of that Hearteater minion even though my life is already tied with Alpha Bryant." I have read that


    line three times in a row already. But every time felt as if it was my first time reading her confession. I made sure my voice is so soft, considering that my husband is just sleeping behind my back. Literally.


    "I only married Alpha Bryant out of responsibility. Out of fear. But I assure you, dear journal. Even I myself, who has been acquainted with a Hearteater for almost half of my life, does not even fully understand the powers and capability of these heart-eating beasts, how much more the werewolves?"


    I am profusely sweating that it could fill a bucket. I am reading something I should not read, should never read. Eliane is still sticking her nose to my every move. I know she''s just watching me.


    ; Well, fuck that old soul because I''m going to do anything I want. Anything. "Alpha Bryant may seem like a beast standing on two legs, how much more when he worked on those legs on me in bed?" I continued reading. And for a second, it felt like I''m reading a reverse harem novel with detailed intimate scenes to the point that I could feel every word. "But the one I love...he''s nothing like the Alpha I was married to. He was meek and small, but strong at heart. He fought for me, willing and begging me to stay and refuse as being the sacrificed. During the debate of the Offering Team, it was actually me and a young widow in her twenties. Although it was thetter that was d to beid on the stone table, the majority of them eventually chose me since Werewolves prefer the clean and chaste ones. Well, the thing is...I''m not a virgin. Nor clean."


    Iughed at Rowena''sst statement that I thought would wake Tyler. It''s a good thing I fucked him hard that our sex knocked him to sleep in just a matter of minutes after reaching his climax.


    "She''s...everyone thought Rowena''s just a mortal." I clicked my tongue, leaning my back


    on the chair. "Why does everyone have secrets in this vige?!"


    I can no longer hold my tongue. I watch Tyler shift, the fluffy Taylor still being wrapped by


    his muscr naked chest. How many more secrets did Rowena keep from me, from us?


    "I can''t." I shook my fingers in dismay and disgust. "I just can''t."


    And yet that tiny voice gued me again, the voice of curiosity and hunger for truth. ''Keep reading, ine.'' It kept on telling me every time I paused while reading her journal.


    ''Just keep reading.''


    My brain tells me not to.


    But my heart...I took a deep breath, the night is still young and the box ofsagne and pizza have already gone cold.


    "I will not stop until I find more truth from her."


    And so I braced myself-my heart, my mind, my body and my soul. "I will keep


    reading."

 Chapter 92: Rowenas Story

    "Yes, I am a Hearteater myself..." I read silently, disregarding the knitting of my brows. "...and so


    I must continue our bloodline, the original Hearteater''s bloodline as what my Hearteater father suggestsmands."


    ''Oh, Selena!'' I huffed. Even though I badly wanted to crawl beside Tyler and sleep, I must know more. Perhaps that''s why Rowena-Eliane whoever that is, led me to this journal that still reeks of dried blood.


    I bowed my head, letting truth after truth just crowd and swirl within me. Even Rowena has secrets. Maybe even Tyler has secrets, too.


    "With my life," her handwriting bes different this time. From bold to cursive, I knew this part will be more emotional than the rest. "I could only grasp the remnants of the dreams me and Mikhail wished. I never fail to miss the gratitude that softened in his eyes. But life is no fairy tale, and light eventually left Mikhail''s eyes in the hands of my father, Rowan-the first and leader of Hearteaters." I was a fool to start reading this when I should have handed this over to the Alphas.


    ''And disregard the fact that Rowena might have written here that you''re the future vessel of Eliane''s soul? Forget it...'' I couldn''t agree more with my thoughts. I took this journal for my own benefit, why should I think about other things?


    ''You''re beginning to act and think like a viin, ine...''


    Shit. Oh shit.


    I caressed my belly, to where my little one could be sleeping. I should have known better the moment I found Rowena''s journal. I shouldn''t be guilty in reading this since I am just looking for truth, for a way to fix all of these without me actually dying.


    It''s not that I am afraid to die. It''s just that...I nced at the snoring Tyler, his hugeness filling half of our bed. What would happen to him and to our child if I ever passed away? ''Don''t be so negative, ine. Finish her journal!''


    I cleared my throat. I embraced my own self, the portrait of a supposed monster who cannot keep her nose from other people''s business. A very curious woman wearing the skin of an innocent would-be mother.


    "I gave birth to a Hearteater. It wasn''t the image of a beautiful boy crying with soft, rosy cheeks and delicate skin. The baby has the face of a young child but with its true form: the child I gave birth to is a wolf-like entity with tiny ram horns that could have given me several scratches. As soon as I met his gaze, the child''s bat-like hands and arms tried to reach for my breasts. The very moment I gave birth to it, the sun seemed to hide. Light abandoned me and darkness ruled instead. Everything turned cold and the fragrance of death scattered throughout the air like some expensive perfume."


    Oh, Goddess... "Did she really give birth to a monster?!" I scowled.


    "Who?" I immediately whipped my head behind. Tyler, though with his sleeping mask on, seems to overhear my cussing.


    "Uh-uhm...I''m reading a book¡ª"


    "Is it Twilight?" He removed his mask and his blue eyes met my green eyes. "I read from Tumblr that Jacob the Werewolf nicknamed a vampire''s daughter after the Loch Ness monster." My throat went dry. Did Tyler be a Twilight fan?


    "Yes, I am reading Twilight," I lied. That was a white lie anyway. No need to worry about my moralpass.


    I was about to continue reading when he stalked towards me, reaching first for my hair and patting my head like a dog. "You should go to sleep."


    "I''m still "


    "Now." I heard him sighed, "Please. I don''t want my bed to be empty of your beauty." I gripped the leather journal tightly behind my back, my sweat threatening to cover-up my lie. "Okay."


    Tyler smiled. "I''ll wait for you in a minute."


    Standing, I took off my bath robe until my bare skin glistened in his twinkling eyes. "Give me one more chapter to read," I begged.


    "I always like it when you beg." He jerked his chin to the reading table. "I''ll wait for you. If you don''te by five minutes, I will drag you here in the bed by grabbing you by the feet." Though a bit stunned, I swallowed and tilted my head. "I''d like to see you try."


    ***


    He snarled.


    "Fine!" I hoisted my hands. "I''ll be there beside you in five minutes."   And then I continued to read.


    It''s three in the morning, yet my eyes didn''t even get tired reading her journal-Rowena''s book of confessions.


    Word by word and sentence by sentence, I devoured her confessions-Rowena being a Hearteater, her father being the fucking King of Hearteaters, her Hearteater baby and the fact the child''s father is a Hearteater''s mortal servant.


    I shouldn''t have trusted her. I shouldn''t have trusted anyone. I''m so soft, why the fuck is that?!


    What other truth will she reveal?


    I finally went back to my reading desk, where I swallowed every letter from the journal


    and shoved it down my stomach as if it could digest them.


    "Even if I am born as a Hearteater, I managed to stay hidden and unharmed here in Ste''s Soul for I am the closest to our creator''s bones, to Eliane''s bones." I sucked a breath. And another. Then another. "I never knew where Eliane''s bones were, because I never asked my Alpha husband or the High Priestess. I am afraid that my cover will blow up and they''d be suspicious of my queries that I might have lied asking out of sheer curiosity. I doubt that if I do it again and again, they will be bothered on why a mortal Alpha''s wife would be asking such questions that should never be asked."


    Dawn is still far, but it seems like the wind is bing a bit hotter than the cold air earlier that made Tyler fall asleep immediately. I clenched my fist, holding tightly to the page. Eliane''s bones are indeed here in Ste''s Soul. But I thought she was burned to death after the Werewolves decapitating her?


    Which of them are really telling the truth? Or am I supposed to find that out myself?


    I flipped to thetest page dated just weeks before our wedding and her death. So many dates left nk with only a couple of dots and dashes visible. "Is this a Morse code?" I shrugged, maybe indeed it is.


    "And throughout my stay here, I was never captured. In fact, it did me a favor...my stay here made me stronger, even stronger than a Hearteater used to be. Even if I am a Hearteater by blood, I don''t know the full measure on what I can do. But even though I never used my ability


    as a Hearteater, except for some circumstances where I need to shapeshift, whichpels me to eat a heart of a pig or goat for everything has a price."


    She became stronger here in Ste''s Soul? Oh, Goddess.


    My eyes are pinned to that certain sentence. "And throughout my stay here, I was


    never captured." Not even once? Seriously?!


    "Gosh, Rowena must be a powerful one, more powerful than anyone of her kind." I


    inhaled, as if those words are a scent I must breathe. "But who''s her mother?"


    My question was immediately answered as soon as I flipped to the next page. "I learned


    that when Hearteaters make a mortal woman carry their heir, the mother would eventually die as


    it will feed on the mortal mother''s heart as soon as the baby cries. That was gruesome and


    horrible, yes. But I cannot do anything for it is our nature a monster''s nature."


    Well, I can''t say anything other than ''what the actual fuck did I just read?!''


    "I am the only Hearteater that managed to be this closest to our creator, Eliane. Hence,


    my presence to where her bones are hidden gives me strength. That''s why I was able to hide my true self. That''s why I was able to live and breathe by wearing this harmless-looking human widow skin. That''s why...I managed to spy on the Werewolves and hand them over to my father, Rowan."


    ''Breathe, ine. Breathe...'' I told myself, forced myself. I shouldn''t have trusted her. I shouldn''t have trusted anyone but myself.


    Well, to be honest, I don''t even trust myself. Reading Rowena''s diary proves that.  And because of my actions, I suffered even more. There is no redemption for me


    now.


    I am amb for ughter so that the Queen will rise, shall rise again¡ªand even the werewolves'' Three Goddesses cannot stop this.


    ***


    "Good morning, wife." Tyler greeted me as soon as he sat on the chair across from me.


    I got up early, because what I had read hours earlier made it even more impossible to sleep soundly. "I called the Caf¨¦ del Luna staff and they delivered our hearty breakfast at this very table."


    ; "I see you didn''t cook," hemented as his eyes slid to my face. "Are you not in the mood?"


    I simply nod. I don''t know man but...I can''t even look my husband in the eye-the eyes


    of the ocean and calmness and... "Tyler." Those are the eyes of Tyler, the man I loved so much


    that I am willing to sacrifice my life and my heart. Even choosing over my old soul.


    "Hmm?"


    "Is today ourst day here in Honeymoon House?"


    Tyler swallowed his food before replying to me. "Yes. Why? You haven''t yet seen every corner in this house?"


    "No," I shook my head. "It''s just that, I can''t believe that we are ACTUALLY married and we will be staying at our own house and our Honeymoon week has ended in a blink of an eye." He chuckled, face bright with joy that made me realize why Rowena never harmed him a bit. "Don''t worry. I''ll just go to the meeting with Jason and Karlos. After that, we''ll have a movie marathon, okay?"


    ; I did not reply nor nod. "I just want to be on your side every second. Can''t Ie with you?"


    I tried to wipe a tear with the table napkin. "Honey it''s... it''s for you and our baby''s safety. I want you to rest and enjoy yourself in our house, our home starting tomorrow."


    "I can never be enjoyed without your scent and smile and presence. I want "I paused, hoisting my head to where my gaze met his. "I love you."


    Tyler yfully smiled as his fork twirled into the bowl of Carbonara. "I love you more, ine Winona Moonstorm."

 Chapter 93: Blood Debt

    "Why are we having pasta for breakfast again?"


    Tyler sighed, his muscles tensing. "For carbs and to give us energy, I guess."


    Even if he''s going to feed me a bucket of Carbonara, it will still not give me enough energy to face Eliane. To face all of these shenanigans and bullshits that has been causing chaos in my head.


    I thought being here in Ste''s Soul is just being a wife to a werewolf, pleasing the Alpha, being good to other Ste''s Soul residents, fucking my Alpha husband and giving birth to his heir. Those were the things I have expected ever since I''ve learned about their world.


    Until I learned about the Hearteaters. And Rowena and dark magic, Eliane and this fucking bitchcraft which involves the fact that I must die so that thetter can resurrect. "Why ine? You don''t like pasta for breakfast?"


    I nodded. I forced my feet to stand when he blocked me, eyes burning with emotions I couldn''t fathom.


    "What do you want to eat then, babe?" Tyler faked a smile.


    "Pancakes and waffles," I shrugged.


    "Fine," he emptied his te of pancakes and waffles and carefully ced it on mine. "Is it our little one''s request?"


    "Yes." Taking a bite from the strawberry pancake, I countered his smile. This time, my grin is real. I''m d he remembers our little one. "I''m not in the mood of eating any pasta as of now."


    I am not in the mood of eating anything to be honest, even his dick.


    "Are you " he shook his head. "You want to retire to bed?"


    I blinked. "Yes, please." That was a lie, an excuse so that I can read more about Rowena


    from the journal she had written herself.


    I don''t know if Eliane put me under a spell. But considering my current situation...I think


    so. There''s no doubt about that. I don''t even know if these thoughts and words were mine or are they dictated by her as well?


    I swallowed the hazelnut waffle I just shove into my mouth and pretended that all was well. That all is well.


    always.


    That all will be well. I tried to nt in my consciousness that everything has been okay as


    But it sometimes felt good not to feel well. It''s often okay to not be okay. But considering that my days are numbered and my hours are slowly turning into mere seconds...I must act and think fast.


    But what can I do anyway? What can I do to refrain the unstoppable from happening? Life is unpredictable as much as death is inevitable.


    Should I just die and let Eliane win or should I tell Tyler here and now and ignore the fact that he''s gonna squeeze the air out of me in just a matter of a heartbeat?


    I''m going to die anyway, either way. But my choice, this choice...it still matters.


    Shall I die with Tyler''s kind or as the creator of their archenemy? Shall I stab myself in the heart or let Tyler see for himself how the light left my eyes.


    "I''ll be going to bed now. My body aches so much that I can''t describe it," I whispered without finishing my pancakes and waffles. I didn''t wait for him to answer and rose from the table, walking upstairs without even ncing back.


    My body and my mind are no longer cooperating with me, as if they, too, are controlled by Eliane.


    Well...I am the reincarnation of Eliane so there''s no need to be reeling about that.


    As soon as I smell the air freshener of Tyler''s master bedroom here in the mansion since


    we have already left the Honeymoon House, I immediately made sure that the door is locked. I can''t afford for Tyler to be sneaking behind my back again, to hell with what he might read while I open Rowena''s ''immensely personal'' journal.


    "My father, Rowan, was also the one who killed myte husband Alpha Bryant." I am just starting, but the first sentence to where I left off is already making my stomach turn upside down. This has been the price for my curiosity, for my meddling between the affairs of Werewolves and the Hearteaters.


    Well, even if I didn''t interfere..."I could be dead by now. I could be dead even before I knew I was pregnant."


    So I sat back from the love chair, my back leaning at the edge of the bed. "Alpha Bryant found out about my true nature almost immediately. I''m not that adept at blocking a Brown Wolf''s radar as I am now to Jason''s but he managed to find out almost immediately about me and Rowan, my father and the leader of the Hearteaters."


    Gosh, I can now hear my own heartbeat. I don''t need to read a novel or watch a television show to devour this kind of drama. I pinched myself briefly, reminding myself that this isn''t a fictional soap opera or melodrama.


    This is fucking real. This is Rowena''s journal.


    "Bryant was able to know about me and my Hearteater baby, as well as Mikhail. In fact, his love vanished in that instant, threatening to spill my secrets at the very arena we had our wedding reception. I guess he values his life and brethren more than his love-that is if he really ever loved me." Okay, so I''m just going to think of this as a paranormal thriller novel with a dash of love triangle. "He threatened to tell the others everyone else if I don''t kill my beastly baby and Mikhail. But, fortunately and unfortunately, my father was at the Misty Forest at that time. He was snatched by him even before he knew it-keeping true to the rules the Hearteaters abide by. Mikhail and Bryant never made the forest out alive. My father, the self-appointed King of Hearteaters, made sure of that."


    Yes, this is too much for me to handle. Too much for me to know and read, even to see. It seems I am the only witness to an unsolved mystery case that has a different story far from the truth Rowena had written.


    Far from the truth she had unraveled.


    For such heavy words and verity that has weighed my heart, it feels like I am responsible for everything.


    I thought I was going to die because the life and existence of Werewolves is the responsibility of me. Turns out, Rowena''s death has always been by my responsibility upon my arrival here in Ste''s Soul.


    No, it has always been due to my existence whether fate or the Three Goddesses or some other supreme beings has swept me here in thisir of wolf-shifting men. It has always been me, my entire damn fucking life.


    It seems living is indeed a mistake-a sin. Because of me being able to breath and pregnant up until now, several have lost their lives and their loved ones. Myriad of them have been crushed by their own dreams and hope for a better world.


    It seems a better world is nothing but a fiction crafted by one''s mind now. Maybe I should just kill myself by burning my body so that she wouldn''t be able to resurrect, so that her vessel will be no more but filthy ashes in the wind since I am thest of my blood.


    "Eliane''s vessels are only of feminine of nature," Rowena added in her journal. "If Tyler''s first child is a son, then he is spared. But not ine, the poor meek youngdy. She sure will be targeted by Hearteaters no matter what." I don''t want me and Tyler''s baby to suffer the same fate. I guess I''m confident about that.


    But my life...Right. If I should die, at least it would be in my own hands.


    If my life should end, at least it is in the way I have prepared. Expected. Anticipated. The death I knew that would solve both problems: Werewolves will continue to be werewolves and Hearteaters will continue to be heart-eating beasts-but with no hope of seeing their Forest Queen ever again.


    ''What about Tyler? What about our soon-to-be born son? Will I just dump all those wishes and promises I tried so hard not to break?'' Those thoughts crossed my mind like some random ducks passing by the road.


    I hold on to the current page before flipping it to the next. I can see my name on the next page due to a cast of sunlight in my direction. My heart beats faster and harder, not knowing what other ''truth'' I might read-I might know.


    "I was also the first one who deduced that ine is Eliane. The first time I showed her, I bowed down my head, thinking it was our creator. Turns out she was the one sacrificed to Alpha Tyler, the one set to marry him and bear his heirs."


    I dropped the journal, causing it to thump on the floor. Tyler has already left the house for his Alpha duties. I guess he didn''t check on me since he''s confident that I am just taking my morning pregnant nap.


    "I wonder if Melissa has already given birth." I don''t know why I thought of her but it seems every day that passes, I am bing more selfless. And self-less.


    Maybe I should just die right now.


    ''You still have to finish reading her journal,'' a thought popped in my head. ''If you''re going to die, at least know more truth from the person you least expected to divulge it.'' So, I forced my eyes to remain open. Where the heck is my unfaltering curiosity when I needed it the most?


    Never mind. The journal is now in my hands-more truth is now resting under my hands waiting to be opened again.


    Waiting to be picked up and read silently again.


    Bile rises up in my throat as I scan the first sentence. "It was also me who had been poisoning ine from the very beginning. My fathermanded me to kill her as soon as possible but in a subtle way the moment I told him about ine''s arrival. I asked him why, and all he just said is a riddle that I have already memorized since then: ''One must wither in order for the other to bloom.'' And from that minute, I realized from the monstrous eyes of Rowan that he had tasked his one and only daughter to kill ine. And resurrect Eliane..."


    Not wanting to stain the white clean bed sheets, I sprinted to the bathroom and emptied my stomach. I never knew devouring more truth could end up vomiting more as well. Something ached in my chest. Not physical pain, but it was worse than being stabbed


    eye-to-eye with a friend rather than being betrayed behind one''s back.


    I wish I had never been in this fantasy, lunatic world. I wish I should have told the Rutherfords at that time to go to Miami beach instead. That way I could prevent their untimely deaths.


    And mine as well.


    The mirror that once reflected back the beauty I am so proud to possess has be a living nightmare. This very face is the one that Tyler wanted to destroy-the face of the Forest Queen, Eliane.


    To hell with my face.


    And life.


    And existence.


    "Fuck me!!!" Yes, I am now having a breakdown. Not just somemon


    breakdown. A nervous, anxious, suicidal breakdown.


    I might have been the favorite of the devil since he bathed me in this luxurious torture


    one will never ask for. I was a piece-a pawn-in a game I never wished to y. Yet, my wish and


    my dream and my hope of having a better life filled with love and luxury could have been more just a wine mixed with bedonna.


    All was temporary: this happiness, Tyler, the family I could have...all of these.


    I grabbed a tiny de, positioning it to my wrist where I can fill the humming of my


    blood. "You must do this, ine."


    ; ''You must do this ine.'' Some other voice, not mine, reiterated what I just uttered.


    Eliane.


    ''No, you must not.'' My own thoughts are warring, if they were really my thoughts.


    I stifled a cry as soon as a drop of blood flowed from my wrist. Then, I hoisted the de


    higher, expecting to cut deeper in my flesh. "This shall be my happy ending."


    But a soft knock awakened me from this suicidal trance. "ine?"


    That was the voice of my husband, my savior.


    I looked back at my reflection, smiling then pouting.


    "I''m fine, babe." I threw the de on the trash before opening the door, letting the


    rushing water clean the bright red staining my skin.

 Chapter 94: A Kiss of Distress

    Several full moons have passed, distress is still whispering in my mind.


    I have finished reading Rowena''s journal as far as I can remember-before the moment my eyes burned upon Tyler seeing a bloody de in the trash, forcing me to make up excuses believable enough for a pregnant, powerless eighteen-year-old woman like me.


    I never felt sadder than today. It felt like, since I already knew enough from Rowena''s


    journal, I no longer felt the need to live.


    And I...I remained prepared for whatever unexpected might happen.


    What unexpected things I might let happen.


    I stared at the she-wolf doctor''s face. She''s calm and gorgeouspared to me. I might


    still look beautiful on the outside. But deep inside, I''m panicking. Quivering and anxious about what may happen in any minute now.


    I''m ready to die, yet still afraid of death.


    "You must be extra careful, ine. Since you''re in your final trimester, you''re more sensitive and fragile than thest few months."


    I simply nod along with a soft sigh. Fear has still kept its hands around my neck and the fuck I know if I can still give birth before I die or will I die as I give birth.


    Either way, I will still die. I might sound so negative, but what do you expect when your enemy''s side wants you dead to resurrect their queen and the other side will immediately kill you the moment they found out that you''re a descendant of their archenemy?


    Thank Ste this she-wolf doctor of mine is a ck Wolf. Tyler might be pissed off why I''m keeping a distance with his brother and other Brown Wolves for all I care.


    It often felt good to be selfish sometimes. It sometimes felt good to just think of yourself and yourself only.


    "Yes," I finally answered, hiding any remnants of emotions swarming inside me.


    "Good. I''m going to go now. Alpha Jason''s wife just gave birth yesterday." I gaped at her words, no wonder Tyler always leaves my side-to make sure his sister-inw is safe and sound. ''He prioritizes Melissa more than you. You poor thing...'' But I ignored the wicked


    whisper. Instead, I walked her to the door.


    "Thank you, doctor." She shook my hand. "I''ll see you soon."


    ''I doubt that.'' I want to voice that out, but she''s already striding towards Caf¨¦ del Luna which can just be seen from here. I can no longer feel if I''m hungry or I''m just stupid enough to think that people here care for me if I die here and now.


    The bitterness of my fate and the sweet invitation of death have not yet left me all alone. It still lingers in my mind and soul.


    I must act fast-find a way to end my life fast-before the Hearteaters swarm and cut


    through the Wall. And kill me. And resurrect their Queen, Eliane.


    Though no attacks have happened or have been reported since that day I tried to end my life with a single tiny de, it doesn''t mean those beasts have retreated in making their ne to life and just simply gave up.


    No. My gut is telling me that they are just waiting for the calm before the storm-the silence that will perfectly deafen anyone when they break it.


    Soul.


    And lunge for the Werewolves'' throats, as well as the rest of the residents here in Ste''s


    Even if I cannot see the future, I know these monsters will strike at their enemy''s weakest. At the time their enemies least expected them to attack.


    And I...I don''t know whether I am their ally or enemy.


    The hell I care.


    But for me, I have always seen them as an enemy. My enemies. Once an enemy is always an enemy, as much as a dove is always a prey to a serpent. As much as amb is always meant to fill a wolf''s belly.


    "Maybe I should drown myself in Aurora''s Waters." A grotesque smile split across my face at the memory of a foreign hand shoving me in the gilded fountain. Macabre thoughts and ideas swirl in my mind, pulling me closer to death''s embrace.


    Right. I should make this fast and quick. I don''t care how painful it is.


    "But what if the Hearteaters drag my body instead and resurrect it?"


    No. I should burn. I should incinerate myself in a ce where no one can find me. Perhaps The Hidden Spring will do, where a hidden grotto of the Three Goddesses can be found. There, no one can smell the smoke. There, no one can notice the fire the moment I burn. There..."Tyler will just find my ashes, mourn for me and throw my ashes in Luna''s Lake and all will be well."


    I hope so. I really hope that all will be well after that. After I burn myself ourselves.


    It''s an hour-long trek there. In my condition, maybe I should drive Tyler''s midnight blue baby and park it near the Honeymoon House. And from there, I''ll walk to The Hidden Spring.


    That''s n A. I hope I will only have n A.


    Wiping the tears that trickled from my eyes, I reached the garage and started to gather supplies: gasoline, lighter, match, torch. Any mmable, any fire-giving stuff that will not ruin my n.


    ;


    I have epted death. It had been my destiny all along.


    ''Choose wisely, ine. Choose wisely, or your destiny will bleed like mine.'' No, mine will not bleed. Mine will burn. "I will burn, Eliane. And there''s nothing you can do about that."  No foreign voice answered. Good.


    As soon as I arrive there, I will savor the intimate touch of mes in my skin as if it was nothing but cool snow drifting and sliding along my skin. I will never be able to smell the scent of rain and forest and mist anymore if I do that do this. I will no longer be able to see the breath-taking cerulean blue eyes of my husband, the eyes I have always loved. The eyes that enlightened my life of darkness.


    I was a fool to think that I have a happy ending like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. I was a


    fool to think that fantasy can no longer hurt as reality.


    But no. Both are painful in their own ways.


    No matter what side I take, I bleed. No matter what side I choose, I will burn.


    For I was born to die-to save and to be the destruction of either Werewolves and


    Hearteaters. And I chose to die for the Werewolves.


    I am ine Winona Moonstorm, thest living descendant of the Forest Queen, Eliane. And herst living feminine vessel.


    But today, this day, I shall die.


    Will. Burn.


    ***


    I reached the Honeymoon House at exactly noon.


    No one had noticed me when I drove Tyler''s blue car within Ste''s Soul. No one had questioned me why I went to Luna''s Lake and parked my husband''s car near The Honeymoon House.


    No one paid attention to me. No one heed the silent cry I made as I drove carefully to Luna''s Lake. No one saw me and asked me why my husband was not apanying me.


    No one dared toe forward and stop me from my death, or at least convince me not


    to. That there is another way to save this species, some other way


    "But there is no other way. It''s either I burn or they bleed."


    The noon sun seemed to hide as I rested my hand in a forest tree. "I''m almost there." I''m almost in The Hidden Spring, its name could''ve made me chuckle if this was another time. The air shifted and coldness whispered in my skin. Are they here already?  The Hearteaters would have not known what I was nning. Rowena shouldn''t know what I was nning.


    But Eliane...it had been weeks since I heard herst whisper. Months, actually. Thest was when I was gripping that tiny silver de between my fingers, almost victorious to cutting my wrist and ending my very breath.


    But I realized fire is the only element pure enough to cleanse me, to get rid of me. To end


    my misery and anxiety and fear.


    "I will win this time. I shall rise from the ashes as victorious as I could be." ''And let your soul burn in hell,'' my mind countered. ''Burning a life in your womb with you is


    counted as murder, merciless murder. And you think that you are saved?''


    I don''t care if I am saved. As long as Tyler and the people here are saved.


    As I have said, day by day, I am bing more selfless. And more self-less.


    I keep walking like a damsel in distress, though I hope a knight in shining armor will never sniff me in this not-so-dim forest. The bag that bears a liter of gasoline, match, lighter and torch are masked like a pic bag.


    Yeah, this shall be one hell of a sizzling pic.


    My baby kicked and I halted, my heart lurched on my throat. My sadness creeping into every bone. ''You will not only kill yourself,'' a goddess-like voice interrupted me. ''You shall also kill that innocent soul inside you.''


    If I don''t do this, if I don''t end my line...then all my efforts will just be wasted. Even if Eliane''s vessel are only females, my son will soon have heirs of his own. And if he ever has a daughter, if I ever have a granddaughter... Eliane''s hair-raising grin shed in my thoughts, sending me almost breathless.


    I cannot let that happen. Two lives to save a hundred. Tyler can just have another sacrificed one to marry and fuck and kiss and-"Love."


    But I am his mate, his one and only wife. Soulmate. Bestfriend. All of these, and yet more than those.


    We are bound, soul to soul. My life is his life. His breath is my breath. So if I die...if I burn


    ''Tyler will die too...'' A young goddess-like voice added. I can feel a gentle hand caressing my belly.


    Are they the Three Goddesses? Are they the ones whispering to me right now?


    ''Is there any other way?'' A voice more older than the former one asked. But it was me who shook my head, it was me who answered. "There''s no other way. A fire for a me. A storm for a flood."


    When I didn''t hear their voices, I braced myself-willed myself that only I can save me.


    I forced a long, deep breath in my lungs, ignoring all worries and setting aside all


    emotions.


    "I can do this," I repeated my mantra. Then I stepped forward, continuing my journey to my


    death.


    ***


    I can now see the spring from here.


    In just a few steps, no one can im my body. In just a few more steps, I will eternally rest forever. We will eternally rest in peace.


    Yet, as soon as I reached the spring, its rocky treacherous shore forced me to grip the nearest tree.


    The air swept towards me a hint of the scent of rain and forest and mist. But manly.


    "Those were not natural," I whispered. Just then, a tall, muscr man appeared on my


    side. Walking towards me from that grotto in the corner.


    ;  No.


    "E-ine?"


    No. Shit.


    I swallowed. "Tyler? What are you doing here?"


    I should have made a n B because Tyler made my n A more difficult to execute


    smoothly.


    "Wh-what are you doing here and what is that bag? Is that for me?"


    I blinked at his questions, not knowing where to look first and what to answer first. I looked straight in his face as I opened my mouth. "I should ask you the same, Tyler. What are you doing here in The Hidden Spring?"


    "Praying," he answered. I flinched, surprised. "For months I''ve been praying. And keeping myself here to think and breathe properly."


    ; "For months?"


    "Yes, for months. I told you, since I was a child, this was the best ce to think properly.


    To contemte and iste from the world briefly."


    Funny ''cause I will iste myself here from the world permanently.


    "What''s wrong, ine?" Tyler slowly approached me with predatorial grace. "Is that¡ª gasoline I smell?"


    Oh shit. His werewolf senses never wronged him.


    "What''s happening, ine?" He demanded. "Why are you so pale? Is something


    wrong?"


    "Tyler, I" then, I forced a fake sweet smile. "We''ll have a barbecue here." That lie is not enough to convince him so Iid the bag in the grass and ran towards him.


    Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed Tyler deeply and passionately-forced myself to do so for onest time.

 Chapter 95: When She Burns

    Tyler''s POV


    I parted my mouth from her trembling lips.


    She was cold and pale despite the balmy breeze here in the spring.


    Something is wrong with her. I can smell it. Feel it.


    My hands immediately reached for her bag even before she could protest. And there was only gasoline and matches, a torch and a lighter. "So we''re going to have a barbecue and you didn''t bring any meat?"


    She chuckled, eyes looking straight at the body of water before us. "I hope you can teach me how to hunt. A rabbit will do."


    here.


    She''s been speaking all along without looking me in the eyes. Something is very wrong


    The doctor just called me minutes ago that ine is acting suspiciously, disturbingly. Asking questions about burning and suicide, says it''s about a book she''s reading.


    The once joyful ine, my ine, has suddenly be cold and distant. Scared and worried. "What''s wrong, my snow flower?"


    She gasped at the moniker I just remembered to use now. "You...you called me snow flower." Then she wept, crying in front of me as if she hadn''t cried for months. As if those tears have been caged in her eyes, wing their way out day and night.


    I reached for a handkerchief and pressed it against the cold waters that streamed down her face.


    The world started to spin as I turned around to face the grotto as the darkness overhead crowded the brightness of the noon. My vision blurs, the wind bes cold and distant like her.


    I stared at her face longer than I intended. Jason''s voice then drowned in my memories two hours ago. "Grandmama found this old painting in one of the Moonstorm''s vault. She said this is the face of..." I watched my brother''s throat bobbed before he resumed. "That is the face of Eliane, the Forest Queen and the creator of the Hearteaters. The Mother of Hearts and the Lady of the Dark of the Moon."


    Then all went to ck as if I was pushed in a sea of darkness with no hope of someone to rescue me.


    Eliane. ine. Emerald green eyes smiled at me. Raven hair swaying by the breeze- My ine. My wife is...


    "Do you know the story of Eliane, the Forest Queen?"


    She immediately jerked her face away from me. "No," she simply answered. Eyes still


    focused on the surface of the spring.


    "Are you all right?" She nodded and took one more long, shuddering breath before I started. "Eliane is the first High Priestess of Ste''s Soul. A witch with great power, well-respected despite being a non-werewolf resident of Ste''s Soul."


    Her eyes began to darken as I continued. "She fell in love with a wolfless Alpha''s son, Rowan Moonstorm."


    Yes, my ownst name burned in my tongue as me, myself, is ashamed of our lineage. I could see the question twinkling in her eyes, but I resumed. "Rowan Moonstorm was revealed to be wolfless during the night of his eighteenth birthday. And at that time, being wolfless is synonymous as being useless."


    "How about now? What happens to the wolfless ones?"


    I shrugged with a smile still clinging to my face. "They are wee here to live. It''s their choice whether to serve the ones with wolves or live among us. After all, they still have werewolf blood in their veins."


    "Don''t you discriminate against them?"


    "Time''s change, ine. That was two hundred years ago, and wolflessness equals weakness. They are deemed as inferiors, ves. Outcasts."


    "So Rowan..." She turned away from me. "He urged Eliane to give him a wolf by means of dark magic."


    "Others say it''s the story. But ording to some," I narrowed my eyes when she returned her gaze to me. "It was Eliane who offered. Driven by her love for Rowan, seeing him cry hurts her deeply so she did the unthinkable: dark magic. And it consumed her, darkness possessed her. There''s a solid reason why dark magic is forbidden even in ancient times."


    "So it was just a messed up love story, then. Both of them have the right love at the


    wrong time."


    I inched closer, lifting her chin. "How did you know that Eliane gave him a wolf by means of dark magic?"


    Silence answered back at me. She tried to open her mouth but closed it again before her voice coulde out.


    "Never mind," I sighed. "Past is past after all."


    "Tyler, its...Well, I am "


    I sat at the rock nearest the shore, my feet drenched in The Hidden spring as I turned my body to my wife. "Do you know why we visited Greece in the first ce?"


    "To ask for help from them to battle the Hearteaters."


    "So you''ve heard," realization breathed into me. "But do you know why they refused us?" ine pulled away her watery eyes from me and walked to the grass and sat, the distance between us is excruciating. It''s as if she''s avoiding me purposely. "No."


    I buried my face in my hands knowing that the next set of words could change everything on how she views us, the werewolves.


    Or maybe it could ruin everything, considering she''s... "Eliane. Not just because they fear the witch''s wrath but because it''s not their matter in the first ce. Our own deities, the Three Goddesses, have blessed us with powers not just to boast and intimidate humans. But also to protect and, well, for battling evil."


    Battling your evil creation.


    ''Are you even sure of your conclusions?'' My own wolf threatened to question my beliefs.


    ''You have no proof yet.''


    ; ''Her eyes and looks, and even her name, is very much her.''


    ''Not just because one looks like Jesus doesn''t mean he''s already the savior.''


    Remus is right. I''ve been drawing conclusions as quickly as I want to draw blood to attract Hearteaters here.


    cold.


    The sun dimmed and the air reeked of death, the breeze'' touch was unnaturally


    They are here. Those freaking, heart-eating monsters.


    ''Or am I just imagining things?''


    Remus didn''t reply so I sshed water in ine''s direction. She only smiled for a second before returning to her anxious expression.


    The longer I stared at her, the deeper the words of Alpha Kairo sank in. ''Evil sometimes takes the appearance of those we love. Look at her, Tyler. Her innocent eyes could be the piercing ones of that witch. Her hair as ck as moonless night will soon be thest thing you behold before she squeezes the air out of your lungs. The Greek Wolves know the face of Eliane for she once came from us. A child of Circe, the Goddess of Sorcery. Punch me if I''m wrong but I tell you, Diana''s Edge is enchanted to never be the fortress where one hides the truth. We even reveal the lies...''


    "ine?" I tried to sound as normal as I could. If she is really Eliane, then...  ''Kill her,'' Remus challenged. ''Once an enemy will always be an enemy.''  But my body won''t let me. My hands do not want to cooperate. My magic cowers and retreat back from the hollowness of my soul.


    I can''t.


    She''s my wife, my mate, my bestfriend. My ine.


    My eyes slid to her belly, her treacherous tears now disying that she, too, knows who


    she is. And what I am going to do to her what I must do to her.


    ''And she''s also the mother of my heir,'' I swallowed.


    Is the story of Rowan and Eliane reflecting into us? Is this the curse Grandmama Jane warns me even before the Offering Team ced ine on the stone table?


    ''Beware of her whose eyes are green. She''s the one you must kill once you''ve


    seen.,'' the current High Priestess once spoke


    No. I will not kill her. Not in this life. Not in the next.


    Not for eternity.


    "ine,e." Surprisingly, she obeyed. Wiping her tears with her arm, she swam with


    me in the pool. Both of us didn''t bother to discard our clothes.


    ''Kill her, Tyler.'' Jason''s voice faded in my memory but the pain remained. ''Kill her if you must. We vow to protect our kind. We shall do everything in our power just to not yield to the Hearteaters.''


    My lips crushed into hers, savoring her taste and her essence. Relishing this borrowed time within the palm of our hands.


    She lifted her hands to my face, gently cupping my cheeks in her palms before kissing me again. ine ran her hands down my arms as she pulled away a minuteter. Their warmth soaked deep into my bones. "I love you, Tyler."


    "I love you too." Then my huge hands found her neck, sending her below the surface of the water.


    The woods were quiet, but clear. Death''s quietness. And it made my head spin. ine thrashed as I held her neck, scratching my arms and punching my muscr chest.


    And suddenly my chest expanded with hope. "This is not happening. This is just a nightmare." I wanted to believe it. I wanted to believe that every little thing that happened here is not real.


    I wanted to believe that she really loved me. That she never lied. That I was the only man she loved.


    I closed my eyes and let go, surrendering to my fate-my fate that I am meant to kill my mate. Without fear, without question, I let myself float in the darkness and sadness, suspended as


    the whole world melted away. As my world dies. As ine took herst breath.


    This was how it was supposed to be the two of us. Enemies. Predator and prey. Wolf


    andmb.


    her.


    I opened my eyes. ine stopped moving.


    "Tyler?" My mind drifted back to the present. Blinking, my face slowly parting from


    She smiled, I stared at my hands resting on her neck, caressing her skin as I did the first time I touched her.


    When she finally pulled away and climbed back to the shore, the dizzy world spun slowly back into ce.


    "I am Eliane." My world stilled again, the quietude sank deeper. I let her finish. "I am Eliane''sst living descendant. And vessel. The Hearteaters wanted to kill me-needed to kill me -since the only way to make way for Eliane''s soul is to get rid of mine."


    "That-that''s their n?" she didn''t answer as she dried herself and tossed her wet clothes to the grass. "That''s their n," I repeated, more of a statement to myself. "So what


    now? You''re going to hand yourself to them?"


    She shook her head fiercely. "No. I am going to burn myself."


    Then she ran away, together with the bag of matches and gasoline.


    ine, my wife, ran away from me even before I could discern what was


    happening.


    ***


    ine''s POV


    This is my chance.


    No-this is my only chance.


    ;  This is now or never.


    I ran far away so far that I can no longer see the spring. In just one pour of the liter of


    gasoline, my naked body is now covered in it, bathed in it.


    "Fuck!" The match won''t budge due to my wet hands. Desperate, I reached for the lighter


    when someone shrieked. The lighter tumbled on the grass.


    "ELAINE, STOP!"


    But I didn''t. I forced my hand to pick up the lighter. After three tries, the colors of


    the me danced in my eyes.


    And I dropped it on my feet.


    In one swift motion, bright light erupted. One moment, I was just wet with gasoline. But


    now, I am screaming. Screaming from the pain of the fire, burning. I am burning, a beacon amid


    the dark forest. A wild me, in flesh and bones, dancing above the grass.


    melting.


    Tyler screamed and ran towards me but I sprinted away from his reach, my skin slowly


    I can no longer feel my body. Death has finally got hold of my hand.


    With one final nce to my beloved, to my mate''s eyes, I mouthed those four


    words as silent as the grave.


    ;


    ; "I love you. Forever."


    Then I willed myself, my body and my soul, to quietly burn.

 Chapter 96: The End of Forever

    Tyler''s


    POV


    The smell of burning flesh flooded the air, choking me in desperation as I watched my wife burn. My wife. My mate. "My ine..."


    ''You love her?'' Remus asked. I continue to watch mes erupt from her and burn the


    nearby grass.


    "Yes," I muttered loudly. As loud as ine''s shrieks, whose bones are probably melting this very second I hesitated.


    ''Then save her.''


    Hesitation flooded my face and mind. But this is not the time to cower. No, I have been a coward long enough. It''s time to make little sacrifices of my own.


    I forced my body and soul to crawl near her, disregarding the tears that tried to hinder my sheer sight.


    ine sacrificed herself for us-burned herself for us, even killing our child in her womb. This is wrong. Utterly wrong.


    Minutes ago, I imagined her killing myself-drowning her into the very spring where I used to bathe to clear my thoughts.


    And now..."ELAINE, STOP!"


    But she didn''t. She even ran away from me.


    I forced my legs to move, to go after her. I gave a sprint and it was enough to reach the stone where she sat while she waited for her body to turn into ashes.


    I did not waste any time.


    Wrapping a protective wind barrier between me and the fire, I quickly summoned an icy wind in her direction, slowing the burning and getting rid of its foul smell in the air.


    Then, in a swift motion of opening my palms, ice coated her body and the fiery mes devouring her were no more.


    I love her. I couldn''t see myself just letting her die.


    If the Hearteaters want her to die, then I will die with her. If she was destined to burn, then I shall burn with her. Never minding that it would mean the end of my line, Jason can take care of himself anyway.


    "ine..." I whispered her name as I turned her to face me in the grass. With a click of my fingers, the ice cracked, revealing the body that I can no longer recognize beneath.


    "ine." I caressed her face that I used to cup in my hands: that sweet smile and her beautiful emerald eyes were no more. Her raven-ck hair was nothing more but ashes. That was the first thing that burned.


    "TYLER!" I don''t need to turn around to know that it''s Jose''s voice. "Tyler, they''re " Jose paused. Brows furrowing to guess whoy in my arms when he saw the wedding ring on the burnt body.


    ; "Tyler, I''m-"


    "Be done with it," I said with watery eyes, still not facing my Beta and best friend. "Why are you here?"


    Jose sighed before putting a hand on my shoulder. "They are here, all lined up outside Selena''s Wall."


    I nodded, simply letting the lethal realization sink in. "Of course, the Hearteaters are here."


    ***


    I slowly turn my head to face Jose''s copper-skinned face. "They''re here for ine."


    ine''s POV


    I know I am already dead, and I''m sure my death certificate will reveal that I died by self- immtion.


    That is if I did really die.


    But something happened in a split of seconds. Yes, I can now see my body being clutched by Tyler and, yes, I have seen him trying to save me via his ice magic.


    But it''s over now. Everything is over now.


    All is done. With my death, the Werewolves are saved. With my death, the Hearteaters are doomed.


    I am thest of my line-thest living descendant and vessel of Eliane, the Forest Queen. The Mother of Hearts and the Lady of the Dark of the Moon.


    But something shifted in the tree nearby. A feminine body emerged, with an


    uncanny resemnce to my own.


    ***


    I only have to blink to know who she is. Eliane.


    She hase for mee for my body.


    ;  No.


    No, shit.


    My efforts cannot be wasted.


    "Go away, Eliane!" But she only grinned, and dove into my burnt body.


    The ckish burns in my body slowly dissipated, my once old skin began to surface again. Porcin and smooth, and without scars.


    Not a single scar, even the mating bite that me and Tyler shared have vanished.


    Hair as ck as night quickly grew and it swayed by the non-existing wind. The colors in my cheeks returned and the breath-taking emerald green eyes shone once again.


    Tyler gasped. But I wailed, with no one to hear me and help me as I stood beside Tyler.


    Invisible and hopeless, broken and lifeless.


    I stared at the body that had once been mine.


    Even Jose put a hand on his mouth as he realized what he just witnessed.  The body opened her eyes. And Tyler gasped, "You''re not my ine."  Eliane smiled, a cold and scary one. "I''m d you know, Alpha."


    I have finally met my doom-my sad ending. So much for wanting a happy ending.


    I was killed by my mate. No, I killed myself in front of my mate.


    "You did what''s best," Eliane''s voice came from behind me. Everything around me is


    dark, and she''s the only one glowing with light. Unnaturally bright.


    I don''t know whether I''m in hell or heaven or in limbo, I simply don''t care anymore.


    If I wasn''t with Tyler, all is lost. I am nothing without Tyler.


    But still... "I want to be with him for eternity even if it is only a dream." I wiped a tear that fell from my face. "Until time stops bing time, I will keep on dreaming. Until all cease to exist, bing but a whisper of memory. Even if this world bes nothing more but a stardust in the universe...I will stay with him, love him. Choose him."


    The Forest Queen smiled at my deration. Not mocking, not horrifying. But a sweet, unfeigned one that I usually wear during the first few weeks I have been with Tyler.


    I remember the first time he walked towards me in his wolf form as I clutched to the


    stone table, the white wedding dress coiled against my grip.


    Even if I am really Eliane, even if she had already taken over my body, even if I am really their archenemy''s reincarnation-


    Even if I woke up as Eliane and I cannot do nothing but watch...I will choose Tyler over those wolfless, heart-eating creations I have made.


    My hand slid to my belly to where life once grew. "I will always choose him."


    I will always choose Tyler.


    From now, until then.

 Alternate Ending: Chapter 1

    Tyler''s POV


    I thought it will be a peaceful night.


    We were bombarded with the news circting in the pack about a pulp who was found dead in the middle of the woods. The guards who were having their nightly rotation immediately reported to the headquarter''s office about the said situation.


    "We thought it was a human, but it turns out it was one of our pack, Alpha," Geoffrey, a guard on duty, exined to me. A mixture of jasmine and vani filled my nose.I nced at the far left corner, and there, I saw ine''s shadow.


    Her eyes were telling me that she was worried. Very worried.


    I quickly went to her and grabbed her arms. "What are you doing here?!"


    "What do you mean?" She scoffed. "Someone from Ste''s Soul is dead!"


    "As if it was new to you," I growled. "That''s why you shouldn''t be here, ine. Go back to our mansion!"


    "Are you kidding me, Tyler?"


    "No, I am not." I sighed, my chest felt heavy while my eyes roamed around the ce. The guards saw my gesture as a warning to be alert because our Luna is here. My Luna is here. And they must protect my wife at all costs, whatever happens.


    "Go back to our house. Beta Jose will escort you out."


    However, ine seems to be so hard-headed the past few days because she just ignored me. Instead, she went to the hole and knelt in front of the killed pup. "My poor baby..." she whispered so softly that everyone heard it because of the deafening silence.


    My jaw moved, and I nodded to Jose to get her the fuck out of here. This is a danger zone. Anyone could attack in a blink of an eye. We still have to find out who killed one of us.


    The growing rage inside me wants to do something. I wanted to kill someone, spill their blood on my mothend. I was thinking of many brutal ways to get even. The pup is innocent. This might be idental, but who the hell cares?


    They killed one of us. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.


    My pack got alerted when we heard a bristle noise. ¡°Protect the Luna at all cost!¡± I shouted to everyone. I nodded at Geoffrey so he could send a back up right now in case something happens.


    "Tyler!" ine shouted, and I was ready to kill anyone who touched her. It turns out no one did. She saw something in her eyes. I could sense it. Her big, emerald eyes were shining in fear. As if she just wanted to disappear at this moment.


    "ine?" Panic began to crowd my sight. "ine, what did you see?"


    "Tyler..."


    "Fuck. You''re making me worry." I shook her shoulders, "What is it?"


    "I saw... I s-saw the Hearteaters in their true forms. They must''ve been the one who killed the poor boy."


    Hearteaters. Damn them. Hearteaters are led by Rowan, werewolves who have no wolves. Since they can now shapeshift into a wolf and even more than that, they are now a werewolf. Hearteaters are former werewolves that weren''t granted and blessed by the Trinity Goddesses. Centuries ago, with the help of an entity that was only known as "The Forest Queen", they are able to walk and roam the earth while gaining their abilities as Werewolves and Shapeshifters as long as they consume hearts of mortals and werewolves to survive and thrive.


    Their true forms are wolf-like entities that stand like a man but with ram horns and bat-like hands and arms. Every time they arrive, the sun hides, everything turns cold and the scent of death floods the air.


    They used to be rare, and less popted, but now it seems like they were trying to overpopte... and it''s bad. Evil.


    And we are doomed.


    What the fuck did Rowan do? He must''ve been nning something ridiculous. Something unpleasant and notorious.


    "Can you confirm it?" I asked the doctor, who was checking the signs of the dead pup''s body. His eyebrows creased while pulling out something from his pocket. With a slim stic on his hand, he showed me a familiar canine tooth of a Hearteater.


    "Damn it. I thought they''re endangered?"


    But the doctor shook his head and pursed his lips into a thin line. "We all do. But it seems like they''re trying to grow their poption. I heard cases like this from the mortals. They are targeting the pups and human babies. I researched and found out that they want fresh and healthy hearts, that''s why they''re targeting the babies... and most especially, the youngsters." "Do you think... the pup was eaten?" ine asked and stood up from kneeling. I saw the raging anger on her face. Her cheeks were red, her eyes in bloodshot red, too, and I saw her hands balled in anger.


    "Yes, it was indeed the pup that was eaten by a hearteater. Based on the wounds, the deed was done four hours ago. If it was found an hour after she was eaten, we could''ve saved her." We all looked at the buried pulp with sadness and guilt.


    "I''m sorry. I did my best to revive her. But it''s toote."


    ine and I nodded at the doctor before he bid goodbyes to us. I want to punch something, someone, so I grab a random Werewolf''s head and shove it to the log of a tree.


    "What the hell, Tyler!" ine shouted. I didn''t want ine to be part of our fight or get involved in the sparring, so I brought this man, who was being called Justine by his folks, on the top of the tree. Justine grins at me while spitting blood from his mouth.


    This one is well-trained, then.


    "Come on, Alpha. Show me what you got!"


    His sarcastic voice irritated me. Damn the Hearteaters! I shouldn''t have let my guard down. They killed one of us. I will make sure it''s the end, and there will be no innocent lives to be taken away. In order to do that, I will kill them all with my own hands. Brutally.


    Justine punched me back in the right cheek and grabbed my neck, ready to smash my face on the ground. But I quickly hovered over him and turned his back, squeezed his shoulder de, and twisted it hard.


    He screamed at the top of his lungs that the murder of crows flew from a tree''s branch. I was so angry that I started grabbing both of his legs and swinging it to my left and right.


    "Someone must die tonight!!!" Wildness gets hold of my head as I m Justine on the soil. Jose started shouting my name to stop, but I didn''t stop-couldn''t stop. I imagined him as the Hearteater who killed one of our kind, and that, he must be killed too, tonight. "Alpha Tyler! I''m not a Hearteater!" Justine finally begged, shrieking. "Fucking die, son of a bitch!"


    "Tyler!" A familiar feminine voice screamed and held my waist to stop me from killing him. "Please... Tyler, stop it. He''s not an enemy. Don''t add another grave tonight. One is enough." The loud banging of my chest suddenly slowed down as I felt ine''s tightening grip on my waist.


    In a soothing voice, she says, "Let''s have an agreement with the Hearteaters. We will talk to them in a quiet manner."


    My jaw hardened. "No truce will freaking happen, ine. I will kill every single one of them until thest of my breath."


    ine shook her head. "Please... I don''t want a war, Tyler. You''re talking like you''re dering a battle that hasn''t even started."


    "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," I told her. "That''s why I will dere a war myself."

 Alternate Ending: Chapter 2

    Luna ine and I got into a fight an hourter after that.


    I was ready to prepare for a war. I trained my pack like an army, where death sweeps to wherever we fought alongside each other. Those who want to be part of our journey will sign up voluntarily, those who don''t want to, they can freely not. I''m not an authoritarian leader, so it''s up to the choice they will make. However, all men signed up. No one backed down. "ine..." I sighed, looking at her tucked up in our bed. She''s been like this for the past few days. I was so busy with the pack that I could only check her up in the evening. Tonight, I couldn''t hold the deafening silence between us anymore.


    "Please, my wife, don''t be like this."


    No response was heard a heartbeatter. "Can you just support me?"


    I heard her muttering a heavy sigh before turning at me. "Why will I support someone who


    wants to be a killer? You''ll be no differentpared to the Hearteaters."


    My jaw moved, and I couldn''t help but to look away from her or else she would see the disappointment and rage twinkling in my eyes. "I''ve killed hundreds before, ine. And you knew that."


    "Yes but you killed them with reasons, Tyler! Unlike now¡ª"


    "What do you mean?" my brows knitted, and I was ready tobat another argument with her. "What do you mean, now? We still have the same agenda. Hearteaters are cruel, ine. They don''t care who they eat, who they kill, or who they want to fucked with. They''re evil, and you wouldn''t want to meet one of them in your life!"


    "But I already did!" She bellowed, facing me. "What I''m pointing out here is, you''re being impulsive. This is not you! Dering a war is not the right way. You know that in war, there is no win or lose. Both parties will suffer because of the damages. Those innocent lives who signed up to be with you...they are all too young to suffer. They don''t deserve this. They should be running around the woods, ying, getting to know their mate. A war is not a fucking joke!" "Do you think I was joking when I said I will dere a war?"


    Her lips pursed into thin lines and beads of sweat started to cascade from her forehead. "Tyler... I..." she was out of words.


    "What?" I asked.


    "I just think dering a war is an impulsive decision, very much impulsive and reckless. I know there must be another way. A way that is... safe, peaceful, and negotiable. Please, Tyler, think about it. War will do no good for us. It will only harm our pack and Jason''s pack. Not to mention Karlos''. Yes, we might win against the Hearteaters but you''ve seen them wield dark magic. We will still suffer in the end."


    ine is now standing in front of me. I was towering over her, but it felt like she had the power over me. I saw it shimmering in her eyes. She doesn''t want war. She will do everything she can just to stop me. And I think... It''s working.


    Her eyes glittered with joy and happiness when I stepped forward. Sighing, I held her hand and asked, "What''s your n, then?"


    She suppressed a victorious smile and told me about her ns.


    ***


    "Did they receive our letter?" ine asked Jose, my bestfriend and Beta, when he arrived at my mansion''s doorsteps.


    Beta Jose nodded and knelt in front of my wife to give her the mail from Rowan, the alleged leader of the Hearteaters.


    It was bad news, yes. Based on ine''s furrowed brows and clenched fist, she''s exasperated. "What did it say?" I softly asked and she gave me the letter.


    Rowan''s penmanship described his whole fucking personality. It can''t be read without re-reading the whole damn thing:


    To our dearest Ste''s Soul ine,


    My beautiful and loving, ine. I havee to terms that you and I will meet in the Shooby''s restaurant at St. Joseph''s Street in the heart of Moonburn. Please wear a nice, seductive, and gorgeous red dress so I could easily spot you. But with your ethereal beauty, I know I will be blinded with the lights the moment you enter the restaurant. Much better, I think, that you''ll just walk inside naked. God, my balls just squeezed just by writing this stupid letter. Not kidding aside, you will be the ONLY one. If I ever detect that your fucking husband of a leech and his minions is lurking around us, my babies will kill you. Got it? Yeah, this isn''t a warning. I am just being myself. Whatever. I know for sure you know my reputation. If you won''t abide with my rules, well, you will be buried ten feet underground just like our first ever gift to your pack. See you there, my beautiful and gorgeous, ine.


    The next Alpha that you will serve,


    Rowan


    I balled the paper in my hands and tossed it in the trash can. My breathing became heavy, and uneven. I saw the fear inside ine''s eyes and it pierced something in me that a tear trickled from my eye. "You will not go there alone, understand?"


    She nodded, and so we executed our n the way I wanted it. Always wanted it.


    ***


    ine wants to have a peaceful agreement with the Hearteaters.


    She will try everything in her power to convince Rowan that the Hearteaters should stop pestering and messing Ste''s Soul. Instead, she will propose to him that the Hearteaters can make a home, their pack, outside of Ste''s Soul while our pack remains inside Ste''s Soul. After all, she''s their creator''s reincarnation. I''m sure they will listen to her.


    I hope so.


    But I fucking know this won''t work. I trust my wife, yes. She will be guarded, of course, and I will be there.


    Goddess, if Rowan ever fuckingy his hand on my wife, I will skin him alive in front of the humans.


    Rowan knows his game. He wants to meet ine in the property of humans because he knows I couldn''t kill innocent lives-humans, most especially. Looking at ine''s straight posture, I tighten my cap and drink the slurpee.


    Both of these are my first time.


    "Thank you," I told the waitresses and gave her a tip, my eyes never leaving ine''s back. Rowan wasughing, probably cracking a joke to my wife, and ine''s going with the flow. I heard herugh, but mentally, she''s cursing him.


    I could feel it, even if I''m not a Brown Wolf.


    "You mean we can build our own home outside Ste''s Soul? Wow, that must be so thoughtful


    of you, ine! You are indeed, Alpha Tyler''s, reputable Luna. I must say you deserve the title." The bastard bowed and caressed my wife''s hand.


    "Thank you, Rowan."


    "But you know..." Rowan leaned on the table and whispered at her. "How can I trust you in this agreement when in the first ce, you can''t follow my rules in our first meeting?"


    "What do you mean "


    Rowan cut her off and looked at me dead-straight in the eye, ready to fucking kill me. I sat on


    the corner while they sat in the middle. As soon as his gaze shone with lethal grace, I alerted the pack and in a blink of an eye, the tables turned, and the chairs splitted into two.


    And everything bes chaotic inside the restaurant.

 Alternate Ending: Chapter 3

    I know Rowan is stupid, but I didn''t expect him to be dumber than a street dog.


    He only had a few back up from his kind, but half of them were now on the floor. People were going crazy inside the restaurant as I stumbled on my table and grabbed ine''s wrist to get her out of this ce. However, a blonde Hearteater kicked my knees and pounced on ine''s face. And my wife was thrown away from my grip.


    Words have no ce in a fight to the death. My vision blurs and I no longer fucking care who I''ll kill. Anyone who tries to intervene me will fucking die.


    I lunged at Rowan but fainted at thest second. He goes whistling past me. Rowan encircled me first before his hands stretched out to grab me.


    I leap onto Rowan like a howler monkey. When he throws his hands up into my hair and yanks, bending over and trying to flip me off, I cling for dear life, viciously digging my nails into him as hard as I can, tightening my grip like a freaking boa constrictor. He spins and rushes backwards. I don''t even realize what he''s doing until he ms me into the wall behind and my grip almost loosens and I almost fall off for a second.


    Gasping for breath, I tighten my arms at thest second and keep hold of him. "You are wishing for your own death!"


    "Get off of me," he snarls, twisting and throwing himself into a forward roll. I fly over his head and shoulders and fall off of him-but I grab onto the sides of his face as I do, dragging him with me. He lets out a strangled grunt of pain and staggers, dropping to all fours, clutching the deep red gouge marks I''ve left on his face. I rolled away from his body, my fingers stained with his ck blood. The blood of Hearteaters.


    I''m panting and sweaty and my hair is getting all in my eyes now. I feel like an animal, blood in my mouth and on my hands. But what can I do? I''m in a life-or-death situation and I don''t care how the hell I look.


    I get to my feet and try to rush at Rowan again but he grabs me from behind and another blonde Hearteater wields my face. I can tell he''s going to try to snap my neck. Panic res up in my body and power explodes out of me along with a strangled shriek of fear. I prefer my neck unsnapped, thank you very fucking much.


    And fire coiled within me, wing its way out. Of course, how the shit could I forget that I can summon fire and ice?!


    I opened my palms wide and fire erupted from my bare hands. Everyone ducked and sought shelter under tables and chairs.


    While both Rowan and the blonde Hearteater are still on the ground, I dive for the Hearteater nearest to me and straddle his lower body, drawing my fist back and punching him in the face with as much force as I can muster, allowing my power to flow out along with my punch. I hear


    something crack and blood gushed from his nose.


    "Oops, I think I''ve broken your nose, dear boy."


    And then I swung another punch. And another. And another. Until my hands were fucking numb and reeking of rusty scent of blood.


    Rowan suddenly flips out the arm of a broken table near him and sends it spinning at me. Now this is what I''m talking about. My blood sings with the sudden adrenaline and I throw myself to the side while throwing my hands out at the broken arm of the table. I hit the ground hard and rolled, leaping back to my feet and am pleased to see that I managed to st the broken arm of the table away from me with my wind powers. It tters to the ground and Rowan lunges at me, scooping it up on the way-


    And then we''re fighting furiously. Again.


    He''s definitely the faster one, but I am a more trained fighter than him. I just hope so.


    This two-century old monster has agility and coordination and strength on his side. His punches graze me, yes. But I have speed and elemental powers on my end so I st him to the wall. I manage to st him away from me almost every time he tries tond a hit. Yet, he manages to hit me once and I fly backward and hit the ground hard. Very hard.


    He freezes and calls, "Is that ine?" but I roll over onto my belly and throw my hands out, close them as if I''m grabbing his ankles, yanking them towards me. He ms backwards, hitting the floor hard and I drag him towards me. He lets out a curse as I climb on top of him and pull my fist back-and it hits the broken arm of the table as he pulls it in front of his face.


    I hit the broken arm of the table with both my fist and my powers, zing fire coiling in my arm, and the shock vibrates through me, almost knocking my teeth out. He throws me off and yanks me to my feet, shoving me away from him. He''s definitely not going easy on me but I can see from his expression that he''s worried about hurting me--but I fucking know he''s being sarcastic. "Painful, isn''t it?" He is mocking me.


    The thought fuels me to assault him even harder. I''m going to freaking kill him brutally. Slowly. However, my vision almost cks out when Rowan throws the broken arm off the table and my vision blurs again. I saw him forcefully get the ice cream freezer, and throw it up towards ine, who froze in her ce adjacent to where I was standing.


    It sliced empty air, barely missing the edge of her shirt as she stepped aside. ine held her breath. I shifted my weight and blocked ine''s view, hoisting my arms as a shield. "Fuck, that scared me off!" I mumbled under my breath.


    "Are you okay?" I asked her. She nodded and looked at Rowan, who''s smirking behind me. The expression on her face might have been a scowl, if she had been a little less regal. Maybe because Rowan was embarrassed that he didn''t crush her with the freeze or maybe because I wasn''t crushed by the freezer as I sprint towards ine.


    But with the way I was standing, somehow looking down her nose at him in spite of being a foot shorter, it just looked like dignified distaste. "Yes, I am. I am not a damsel in distress."


    ine ducked and dove, putting increased effort into not being cornered, but I alreadymanded Jose via our mind link to her out of here before I could kill him because he wasn''t doing his job well.


    Well, maybe not since he''s the only bestfriend I have I ever have.


    When I turned around, Rowan was already captured and the rest of my pack was holding Rowan''s kind in defeat. Immediately, I walk towards him and look at him dead straight in the eye. "We''re dering war."


    He snarls, "My pleasure."


    "Inform everyone, then."


    "Why don''t you tell him? In fact, Ste''s Soul pack is infamous for being formal and follows the rules so shitfully well."


    I ignored what he just said and shed him a smile with gritting teeth, "Listen. I will kill all of you. You understood?"


    He smirked, pretended to be afraid. "You can''t." My forehead furrows when his gazends behind me. Turning around, I saw ine''s confused face. "Before the war starts, she will be back to who she is. Who she really was..."


    I braced myself as Rowan continued. "She''s Eliane, Tyler. The motherfucking Forest


    Queen, Mother of Hearteaters, and the Lady of the Dark of the Moon."


    Then Rowan snatched her away from me as I descended into darkness.

 Alternate Ending: Chapter 4

    Jason''s face crumpled and stared at the wounds on his body. "Don''t you think it''s weird?" "What?"


    "I''ve been kidnapped, but they treated my wounds."


    "Yeah, I agree. What else could be the reason that they were keeping you alive?" Jason scratches his chin and looks at the ceiling seriously. "I don''t know..." He continues, "They''re trying to get something from me."


    His jaw locked. We fell in silence. He looked at me again. "Where''s ine by the way?"


    I blushed. "She''s out to get me food." I lied with a poker face.


    "Oh," he nodded, "you''re hungry..."


    "Yeah. I crave something... sweet."


    He fell quiet. "Let''s just wait for her."


    Both of us agreed to ''wait'' for ine before we escaped to my white mansion. ine has been kidnapped by them, and I woke up in my mansion after that with my brother pounding on the doorstep. However, a ring sound of an rm echoed inside, and a monotone and robotic voice spoke on the speaker. "Code 134. Code 134. Code 134. An alien got into the hospital. Be alert! Be alert!"


    Alien?


    "Shit, we gotta go now!" Jason hissed and removed the nket from his body. "Hey! You''re still


    "Don''t worry about me!"


    "But-"


    "Move, Jason! Or you wanna die in this ce? My ce?!"


    The Hearteaters are here, and we''re nowhere to being prepared.


    Shaking my head lightly, I pressed a thin line on my lips and helped Jason from his hospital bed.


    He groaned in pain as he tried to stand up. "Can you stand up?"


    "Yeah..."


    I panicked. "We should just wait for ine."


    Jason chuckled without humor. "Yeah, and we''re gonna die first before shees here." "I wouldn''t let that happen!"


    Jason gazed at me. "Listen to me attentively. People inside in this mansion are most probably humans-ves of Hearteaters. They have guns, and weapons, and one click of their guns or syringes at us, we''re going to fucking die in a second. You got it? So we must move now." "Got it."


    "Good. Now, help me up and we''ll find a safe ce first to wait for ine."


    I followed Jason''s orders, and still didn''t tell him about my wife. His hands and chest were full of cast, and I saw his face flinched in every flex of his body as we moved from the room we were staying in. When we go out, we haven''t seen a single human roaming around like the usual scenario I had seen when I first got here.


    "Where are they?"


    "Keep going, brother," Jason whispered back. His one arm was draped around my shoulders and we continued to walk in the hallway. The lights flickered on and off when we went inside. It was


    like the climax part of a horror story that I used to watch with ine before.


    I saw stacks of empty syringes scattered on the cold tiles of the floor. For what are they, in the first ce?


    "Watch out for the debris!"


    Wait, do the human ves have cannons?


    Jason grabbed my arm when I almost stepped onto a broken cylinder. "What happened?" I asked.


    He chuckled. "I have no idea."


    "Someone must''ve got in."


    "They have got in, idiot."


    "And why didn''t you tell me?"


    No way the Hearteaters are this careless. This is not their strategy. "Jason, I have a bad feeling about this."


    "Please, stop feeding me ideas to overthink, brother." The outside was so quiet that I could almost hear our breaths while walking fast. "If you think you''re in danger, run," Jason calmly said. "We''re still both weak."


    I looked at him with concerned eyes. "And what about you?"


    "It is my duty to protect the Moonstorm family."


    "Shut up and let''s just move. I will not like your idea, too."


    He chuckled and sighed. "Speaking of you, where the fuck have you been?"


    Before I knew it, a loud ng of the bell resonated. "Goddamn, we''re like inside a horror house." "Jason!" I shrieked when a dark shadow appeared in front of us. Someone grabbed him from my shoulders, and I heard a loud thump on the floor. Hearing Jason''s groan, I felt a sense of relief because he was still alive.


    The lights flickeredpletely off and the whole area was dark. I could still see the moving shadow, but I couldn''t fathom whether he''s human or not. It''s like a moving shadow... like a reflection of mine.


    "Run, Tyler!" Jason shouted at me when the shadow was about to attack me. I took a step backward and ran as fast as I could.


    Anywhere. I will run anywhere.


    The shadow was still behind me when I nced at it. Beads of sweat started streaming down at the back of my head. Cold shivers reverbated on my body but that smell of jasmine and lemon verbena-her smell.


    How could I feel safe and scared at the same time?


    The lights flickered on once again. "ine?" Jason''s voice was heard. Fuck. I was sure I ran away from him, yet why am I here back again in front of him? Jason was sitting on the floor with widened eyes.


    My chest heaved in and out deeply. "What the hell just happened?"


    "ine..."


    "What is it, J-Jason?"


    "It''s still there... at your back. It didn''t leave... "I have never seen Jason look so scared in his life.


    He was crawling away from me, like, even he couldn''t take the sight of the thing behind me. I


    saw glistening tears at the corner of his eyes, and he started shaking his head. "Fuck! No! No!" "Jason? What''s happening?"


    "She''s fucking here now, ine! The prophecy is right!


    "What do you mean by her? Jason?!"


    But Jason shut his eyes forcefully. A familiar pain pierced through my heart. A voice echoed in my ears like a sweet voice of an angel.


    ''Don''t panic. I''m always here for you, Tyler.''


    I screamed at the top of my lungs when her sweet voice like an angel was reced with demonic


    A loud bang was heard and before I knew it, my body copsed on the floor. Vivid images shed in my mind. There were bad memories of me with my family, and joyful memories with ine and to my new family in Ste''s Soul as if it recapped my whole life. After that, it turned into pieces of nightmares... until the only memory left was me sleeping on a white coffin. And... finally, thebination of radiant and nd colors faded into the abyss of death.


    ; Did those bastards kidnap ine and did something to her?


    "Shit."


    My eyes were open, my eyelids were drooping, but my eyesight wasn''t functioning. I could still hear the hushes of voices surrounding me. Rowan''s voice vibrated through my ears. "Go to Ste''s Soul and announce to everyone that the Silver Pack''s Luna has fallen," his voice cold as ice, but the exuberant tone is evident.


    I was still lying beside my brother when I heard the rest.


    "... and that Eliane is finally resurrected."


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