Mag-log inA soft, melodious hum faintly drifted through the air when I blinked my eyes open, almost lulling me back to sleep. But the unfamiliarity of the high, vaulted ceiling reflected by a light glimmer of sunlight streaming in through the large, arched windows, brought me out of the trance. Outside, a vast forest stood tall, the trees dark and ancient. To my left, a sleek, holographic monitor floated mid-air, displaying my vitals in glowing texts. I frowned, jerking upright so fast, my head swam. “You're awake.” The sudden male voice jolted me, my gaze darting around the room. A figure moved in the corner, his back to me. Long, golden hair cascaded over his shoulders, brushing the collar of his deep emerald scrubs. Even though he was right in front of me, it was as if he didn't exist—no energy, no presence, nothing to sense him in the air. “Who are you?” My voice wavered as the danger radar inside me kicked in, my eyes flicking to the pale gray walls as if they were about to attack. “W
“Beta Mason,” I called out, striding into the pack office building urgently. “Where is he?” “Luna!” Caught off-guard, he dismissed the other employee hastily and faced me, trying to conceal his unease with a polite smile. “Who are you talking about?” “You know exactly who. Zeus. Where has he gone?”He opened his mouth, clearly about to spew some half-truths in order to placate me. “Don't dare lie to me,” I warned him before he could.His mouth snapped shut, tension radiating through every inch of his tall frame. Then he straightened, getting all serious. “Luna, I can't tell you.”“You have to. You don't understand—”“It's the Alpha's order. I can't go against him.”I took a deep, trembling breath, trying to keep the immense desperation wanting out in check. “I need to know. The man he's facing… he is a trickster. He can go to any length to win. Please, tell me.”“The match will be held officially with council wardens and guards monitoring everything. He can't pull anything funny. B
I stumbled down the hall, my mind spinning as shock crashed over me in waves. My breaths came out in shallow gasps, the air feeling too thick, and my lungs too tight. My heart thundered against my chest, my throat aching as if a scream was lodged into it or sobs. “Zeus…” I called, but no sound came. I didn't know what was happening, too lost in the whirlwind of emotions tearing through me. Could it be true? Could he really…?My vision obscured around the edges, my legs trembling. Just when I thought I was losing control, Zeus appeared at the end of the hall, his urgent gaze fixing on me as he swiftly moved, closing the distance between us. “Anastasia.” “Z-Zeus,” I finally managed to voice. Pushing myself forward, I stumbled into his arms, and he caught me with ease. “Anastasia, what is it?” “Zeus,” I whispered, clinging to his shirt as if it was the only thing keeping me together. “Zeus, he—” I choked out, my breath hitching. “M-my father… my father's alive.” The thick worry o
“Ana!” Samara squealed, hurtling towards me and almost tackling me to the ground with the force of her hug. “Oh my God, girl, how have you been? I have been so worried about you. I wanted to come see you, but Talia wouldn't let me. Are you okay? What about Mrs. Miracle? I heard she had a heart—” “Sam!” Talia's sharp voice shut her rambling up, and she finally breathed, her cheeks flushing. “Sorry,” she muttered sheepishly. “I just couldn't help it. I’ve missed you so much. How are you?” I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head as I returned her hug. “I'm okay. Mom’s fine, too. And I missed you just as much.” I glanced around, taking in the familiar campus grounds. The old stone buildings, the woods at the back, and the chatter of the students; it was good to be finally back. Of course, it took a lot of pleading, convincing, and a dozen promises to get Zeus to let me come back. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of me being here without him, especially, since he wasn't returning to
“Begin,” Zeus commanded, and the feast came to life. The grand pack hall buzzed with clinking of cutlery and fine china as the pack members indulged in the ceremonial meal. Laughter and chatter echoed through every corner, excitement humming in the air. Only, I wasn't feeling any of it. My dinner sat untouched before me, my nerves tightening. It felt as though a dagger hung suspended above my head, inching down closer and closer with each passing second. The anticipation was unbearable, like waiting for a storm I couldn't escape.I had heard tales about bones shattering and reshaping, skin stretching, and muscles tearing as the body took a new form. One of the late bloomers in the pack even described it as being set on fire from the inside out. Even though I had experienced the transformation once before, it had happened so suddenly and in such a blur that mixed with the rush of adrenaline, the pain hadn't felt as intense as it should have. I took a shaky breath, trying to steel
I had been standing in front of my mom's hospital room for the past ten minutes, my fingers tightly wrapped around the door handle, but no courage, however, to go in, face her and tell her the truth. I heard she woke up last night but due to her weakness, the doc’s been keeping her under sedatives mostly. I wanted to see her so badly, but I was afraid if she found out I was no longer a human, but a werewolf, she would be hurt or even disappointed in me. I knew she had been in love with one, but after what happened to my father, she seemed to be in a constant panic mode whenever I showed any abnormal qualities. After she tended to me, she’d always say— What else would it mean, Tasia, my darling? You're a human, after all. It was as though those words were never for me, but for herself. Like she forced herself to believe so. Maybe she wanted a normal life, away from chaos. But look where life brought her again. “You know you can come back when you're ready,” Iris suggested from behi
I veered away from his touch, frowning myself. "What do you mean?""Who are you?" he muttered, his piercing eyes still observing me like I was about to transform into some mythical shit. Flashes of my elementary school classmates calling me freak crossed my mind. I huffed, my defense mechanism kic
"Ana!" A scream pierced through the ringing in my ears when the world spun in a swift motion right before I landed on my back. The sound of shattering glass rained around me. But not a single shard touched my skin, no pain bloomed through my flesh. Although something else burned through me.Unusua
The next day, I walked into college with a mission. To find the guy responsible for wrecking my chances at a peaceful year, and possibly my grades too. I had been so disturbed since yesterday that I couldn't focus on anything—let alone sleep. Even the homework I barely managed to finish didn't hav
"What do you mean you can't find my notebook?" I watched the skinny, pale guy in front of me with round eyes. "It has all my homework." "I don’t know. I just went to the washroom and when I came back, it was missing," he replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, no, no, no." Bending over the







