“He’s moved into the apartment above mine,” I told her.
“What?!” Harlow exclaimed, incredulous. “Wait-yesterday he literally walked away from you at the airport! He chose Cira, didn’t he? He should be signing those divorce papers without hesitation! What’s he playing at, trying to have it both ways?”
“Who knows what’s going through his mind,” I sighed. “At this point, I just hope he sticks with Cira and leaves me alone.”
Thinking about the i********: post, a tight knot formed in my chest.
Something told me it was only a matter of time before Cira and the Shadow Pack came after me.
Then again, this wasn’t exactly unexpected-after the charity gala incident, I’d practically made enemies of them all.
–
Alpha Xavien’s head throbbed mercilessly.
He groaned, turning over in bed as the shame from last night lingered, even through the haze of alcohol. His phone buzzed relentlessly. With a low curse, he grabbed it and squinted at the screen.
Alpha Garvin.
Cira’s brother.
He answered, his voice tight and urgent. Garvin’s words hit him like a punch: Cira had attempted suicide. She’d cut her wrists. They needed him immediately.
The color drained from Xavien’s face.
On his way there, he scrolled through i********:, each post twisting his emotions into knots.
Meanwhile, at the Blood Moon Pack’s Alpha house, Luna Daria sat rigidly at the breakfast table, her phone buzzing nonstop. The viral video had thrown their entire family into turmoil.
On the screen were two women: the human girl who had somehow captured her son’s heart, and the she-wolf who had taken him away. Luna Daria’s eyes were cold, burning with hatred. She wished both would vanish.
Alpha Claude, her mate and Xavien’s father, ate breakfast quietly beside her.
Alpha Claude had flown back from Switzerland after the charity gala disaster.
His health was fragile-he’d been receiving treatment abroad-but the news of Xavien’s affair, Celina quitting the company, and the public scandal at the gala had nearly given him a heart attack.
He wasn’t a man of emotion.
At first, he shared Luna Daria’s doubts about Celina’s human background, but over time, he’d come to respect her intelligence and determination.
“Celina is capable, loyal, and steady,” he said calmly that morning, slicing his steak. “She’s done more for this pack than most born into it. Not to mention she’s smart and attractive-good genes for our Pack.”
Luna Daria rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.
“Invite her to dinner,” he suggested. “Apologize properly. And tell the Shadow Pack she-wolf to stay away from our son.”
In Alpha Claude’s mind, if the Blood Moon Pack swallowed its pride, healing things wouldn’t be impossible.
Luna Daria shoved her phone across the table.
“Look at them-trouble, both of them,” she snapped.
Alpha Claude barely glanced at the screen.
“Celina’s always been strong,” he said. “The Shadow Pack she-wolf? She seduced Xavien. That slap was well-deserved. If you won’t invite Celina, I will.”
“Fine. You do it,” Luna Daria muttered, standing up, frustration tightening her chest. “I’m done.”
As she stepped outside, her phone rang again. She glanced down-and froze.
Cira.
Without thinking, she declined the call.
Seconds later, a voice message appeared.
“Luna Daria,” Cira’s soft, hurt voice said. “It really hurts that you hate me so much.”
There was a pause, then a low, eerie laugh.
“By the way, I found your little secret at Devil’s Thumb Ranch. Wow. I had no idea you were so… energetic for your age. Heh heh heh.”
Luna Daria’s blood ran cold.
She looked around nervously, heart pounding, suddenly afraid someone might be watching. With trembling hands, she called Cira back.
“H-How did you find out? What do you want?!” Luna Daria’s voice shook as she took a step back.
No answer. Only silence.
But she knew.
This wasn’t some lovesick girl chasing after her son.
Cira was dangerous.
And now, she held power.
“Don’t get upset,” Cira said softly, her voice almost fragile but laced with a chilling coldness beneath.
“I just want to bond with you, Luna Daria. After all… I’ll be joining the Blood Moon Pack soon. You’ll be my mother, won’t you?”
She smiled sweetly. Sickeningly sweet.
“Don’t you agree… Mother?”
The word hit like ice.
Luna Daria’s blood ran cold as the realization sank in, deep and merciless.
This wasn’t a girl in love-this was a predator.
A predator she had invited into their Pack.
Into their lives.
And now, it was far too late to turn her away.
Celina
Nearly five days had passed since the injury on my leg, and by now, the wound was almost completely healed. The last several days had been strangely quiet-too quiet, in fact. The usual chaos that seemed to follow me had inexplicably paused.
Xavien hadn’t made a single move to bother me.
Given the recent explosive drama with the i********, I figured he must be preoccupied, juggling the fallout with a heartbroken Cira and the enraged Shadow Pack. Yet, despite this calm, a gnawing unease settled deep inside me. If they couldn’t reach me here, in this secure building, then surely they would try to strike elsewhere.
That unsettling thought first struck me shortly after a tense phone call with Harlow a few days ago. I’d already run through every possible worst-case scenario in my mind, but this one lingered stubbornly: if I was untouchable in this safe haven, then their next logical step would be to target someone close to me-someone I cared for deeply.
Determined not to wait for their move, I decided to act first.
That very night, I dialed my father’s number.
“I think it might be a good idea to visit Grandma for a while,” I suggested, trying to keep my voice light despite the tension I felt beneath each word. “Maybe get out of town for a few days.”
He didn’t question my reasoning. Harlow must have already filled them in on everything. Still, the silence between us stretched longer than usual, thick with unspoken worry.
I gripped the phone a little tighter, forcing myself to sound steady.
Finally, he spoke softly, “Take care of yourself.”
Just five simple words, but they landed heavily on my chest, weighing me down. I stared at the blank screen long after the call ended, heart pounding.
Then began the long, anxious wait.
Each morning, I braced myself for something-a knock on the door, a shadow lurking in the hallway, an unexpected call or message. But nothing came.
No one appeared at the complex. No one tracked down my parents’ home. Not even a single anonymous threat.
Yet, online, the storm raged on, growing stronger by the day.
The silence around me felt all the more ominous because of it. Were they plotting something bigger, something more dangerous? Or were they still hesitant to cross Alpha Sebastian? Could that single, public display of protection at the gala really be enough to hold them back?
Speaking of him…
I hadn’t seen Alpha Sebastian since I moved in. Even Lian had quietly shifted his quarters to the staff area, only appearing during mealtimes, clearly avoiding any hint of impropriety.
For a man who wore his power like armor, his self-restraint was almost surprising.
Sometimes, his gentlemanly demeanor caught me off guard.
That evening, I found Lian in the kitchen preparing dinner. I stepped in to help, seizing the chance to ask a question that had been on my mind.
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