LOGINLyra Nightbane POVThe moon moves fast through the sky, and the big opening day for my new custom hockey gear shop, LEO, finally arrives in Ironvale City.Early in the morning, a giant flower truck screeches to a halt right on the gravel lot, and the delivery wolves start placing dozens of beautiful pine-basket flowers all over the wooden front deck.Theresa stands there totally dumbfounded, her jaw dropping open. Who sent our shop so many wild mountain flowers? She runs straight to the big delivery wolf and shouts, "Who paid your truck to bring these baskets here?""Our paws are just paid to drive the wheels, female. Our snouts do not know the sender's name. Go look at the little paper cards stuck in the leaves if you want to know."Theresa had already searched all the green leaves with her fingers and found zero names, which is why her boots ran over to ask his truck. "Forget it then!" she huffs.Fixing her bright purple dress gown, she turns her legs around to walk back inside the
Lyra Nightbane POV"Are your bones feeling any warmer now, Elowen?" Vespera Crowe asks, his deep alpha voice sounding super worried as his big paws hold her thin elbow.Elowen Frost lets out a tiny, weak laugh from her pale chest. "Much warmer, Alpha. The winter sickness is not a big monster today, so your heart can stop shaking.""Do your gray hairs think you are still a tiny pup running in the woods?" Vespera Crowe huffs, glareing down at her tired face. "Our joints are getting super old now!"Elowen Frost looks down at the wooden steps, her eyes turning a bit dejected. "My brain still feels like a young female wolf! The exact day my fur first met your eyes feels like it just happened yesterday under the moon."When our boots reach the big private study lodge, Vespera Crowe helps Elowen Frost slide her bones into a soft leather chair before turning his sharp snout straight toward my face. "Open your jaws and tell my ears what your tracker came here to say, Mirelle.""Hold your tongu
My face drops a bit, looking super dark. Remembering Kaelen’s icy attitude back when the marriage contract was ripped up, it is a very hard thing for my tongue to explain to a child. After all, Darius is just a small pup, and his heart will feel super sad if he knows the real pack drama."Please tell my ears," Darius says, tugging hard on my sleeve like a stubborn little wolf. "Please, please, Mirelle!"I have zero choice left but to let my tongue speak. "Your dad had another female pup running in his den at that time... so...""He was married to Mommy and he kept another female wolf in the bushes?" Darius snaps, his small fists clenching with pure anger. He knew there was a bad reason behind the split, but his brain never expected it to be a cheating mate. What female pup? He just thinks Kaelen is a total rogue traitor. Darius spits out angrily, "Male wolves are pure trash!"I let out a big chuckle at his sharp tongue. "Aren't you going to grow into a male wolf too, little tracker?"
Lyra Nightbane POV"Really?" Kaelen barks out a deep, rumble of a laugh, his bright yellow eyes locking straight onto my collarbone with a giant, playful gleam under the shadow chamber lamps.Liora nods her tiny head like a good little pup, her voice completely innocent. "Of course, Daddy! Mommy has soft milk inside her chest, but your bones are just flat like the ice rink!"Kaelen’s big mouth stretches into a teasing smirk, his sharp fangs showing just a little bit as he glares right through my shirt. "I cannot believe your words, little one. My paws have never touched her fur there, so my eyes cannot tell if you are speaking the truth.""Mommy, let Daddy touch your fur so he knows!" Liora chirps happily."Kaelen Blackthorne!" I gasp out loud, my face turning so hot I think my skin is going to catch fire. Has his alpha beast zero shame in front of a tiny cub? "You are going way too far!" I yell, wishing the stone floor of the shadow chamber would crack open and swallow my boots whole
Lyra Nightbane POV"Why are your eyes staying so quiet?" Kaelen asks, his alpha voice sounding super cold like winter ice.I press my back hard against the bedroom door, my hands shaking and wet with scared sweat. "I saw Mirelle Ashen down in the hallway."Kaelen stops and looks at my face. "So what if you saw her fur?""She told my ears a giant secret, Kaelen."He stands there completely quiet, waiting for my tongue to move.I take a deep breath to find my courage. "She says your wolf sent bad rogues to ruin her skin inside that vault. Is that the truth?"I look straight at his big eyes, hoping he says no, hoping his beast is not a mean monster."Yes," Kaelen says.My ears start to buzz like wild bugs and my throat feels like it has a huge rock inside it. "Why? Why did your claws do that? Did your wolf never love her skin? How can you be so cruel to a female?""Are you getting this angry just because of that girl?" Kaelen asks, his eyes turning from mad to totally calm."Is this a sm
"Alistair told your tongue a giant lie!" Mirelle laughs like a demon. "The male beast who mated with your fur in the dark that night did not belong to any far pack land!"I keep my boots moving, refusing to stop my legs. Mirelle is just throwing random words to make my mind crazy. But why is her mouth doing that? I don't know, but my wolf is completely sure she is not kind enough to hand me the real truth. She is probably just telling giant lies to trap my paws.I turn my head around one last time to glare at her ugly smile. "Stop wasting your breath, Mirelle! My soul will never be fooled by your tongue, and I will never believe a single word you say!"Mirelle doesn't even get mad at my shout. Instead, her mouth lets out a super happy, creepy laugh. "My beast has been totally stupid and failed to hurt you so many times, Lyra. But even a stupid wolf cannot fail every single winter... my claws must win at least once!""The wolves who break the moral laws of the Moon Mother never win," I
Lyra Nightbane POV“When will your inner wolf finally accept my line, Lyra?” Kaelen whispers, his large lips moving down until they are practically brushing against my ears. His thick, hot breath hits my neck and sends a giant rush of electricity straight through my skin, making my knees go totally
“Yes,” Orion snaps back with total confidence. “My mommy grew me in her own skin. She loves my fur more than anything.”Kaelen just smiles at the boy’s simple logic. He drops down on his knees so his eyes are level with the pup’s face. “Little wolf, you can never give her the kind of protection and
Dr. Alistair Viremont POV“Children are tiny, and every pack member’s chest naturally feels softer for them,” I mutter, my thumb rubbing the dark glass screen of my pack phone.The corners of Kaelen Blackthorne’s lips twist up into a tiny, mocking smirk as he stands near the pack trucks. He knows e
“Kaelen…” she whispers.Kaelen doesn't even give her a glance. He steps into my space, his large arm coming around my waist to steady me because my knees are about to give out.I lean against his chest, staring through the carriage glass at Alistair. “Give Orion to me, Alistair. I am begging you. Y







