LIANAI was waiting in a five-star restaurant, wearing a stupid fancy dress.Today was the day I was supposed to meet my dad, and I couldn't shake the sense of dread that accompanied his arrival. He always wanted me to look up to our standards, and according to him, a nice lady from a well-off family should wear dresses.He always used to get mad at me for going out in jeans and tops back when I was in high school. I had to dress up like a mature lady—all posh and pristine. But I have to say, I did earn a lot of compliments for my elegant fashion sense.Even now, I still dressed elegantly, but their point was to be comfortable, not look loaded.“So you couldn’t get a bigger table? Table for two only? A corner one at that?” I heard my dad’s voice and lifted up my gaze to look at him. His honey brown eyes squinted in disappointment as he pulled a chair to sit in front of me. This was Maves Clarins — my so-called father and to summarize: a terror.“It was a last-minute call, so they onl
LIANAMy dad's unexpected question about James caught me off guard. "James? Oh, we are not together anymore," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral despite the surge of bitterness that rose within me.Dad furrowed his brows. "Why was he pestering me a couple of weeks ago?"I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the mere mention of James. "He cheated on me," I admitted, my voice tight with resentment."What? Why are you so dumb, Liana? How could you not catch on?" Dad's disapproval rang loud and clear in his words.I bristled at his criticism. "How did you not catch on that Mom was cheating on you?" I retorted, unable to hold back my frustration any longer.His expression darkened, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "What are you talking about? How do you know this?" he demanded.I took a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction. "Lara told me," I confessed, watching as his features contorted with a mixture of disbelief and rage.“That snitch!” Dad muttered under his
LIANA"Where do you want to go?" Zaylen asked as we settled into his car."How about going on a long drive and then off to the beach?" I suggested, already relishing the idea of my first day of official freedom.Zaylen grinned at the suggestion. "Sounds perfect to me," he agreed, starting the engine and pulling out onto the open road.As we cruised along in his convertible, the wind tousling our hair and the music blaring from the speakers, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration.It was like shedding all the weight of my worries and obligations with every passing mile.Zaylen glanced over at me, concern etched on his face. "How is your wound?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine care.I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What wound?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.“That wound on the back of your shoulder,” Zaylen reminded me. "Oh, it is healed," I assured Zaylen with a casual shrug."What? So fast?" he exclaimed, genuine surprise evident in his voice."Yep," I confirmed with
LIANAAs we reached the beach, I couldn't contain my excitement. Without a second thought, I kicked off my heels and dashed towards the sand, feeling the soft grains beneath my feet. Zaylen followed closely behind, his laughter ringing out behind me."Liana, wait for me!" Zaylen called out, his voice tinged with amusement as he jogged after me.But I couldn't help myself; the ocean beckoned, its siren song irresistible. "Come on, Zaylen! The water feels amazing!" I shouted back. Before he could catch up, I was already wading into the water, the cool waves lapping at my ankles.Soon, Zaylen joined me in the water."You do remember we didn't bring extra clothes, right? So we can't exactly get wet," he reminded me, a teasing glint in his eyes.But I couldn't let practicalities dampen my mood. "Please, I'm enjoying my freedom. Don't put restrictions on me today! I will worry about the dress later," I insisted, flashing him a mischievous grin before splashing water in his direction.“F
ZAYLENLiana and I were laying on the sand together under the vast expanse of the night sky. We were star-gazing together silently.All of a sudden, Liana shifted closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder. “It’s peaceful, isn’t it?” she mumbled.I just hummed. I couldn’t voice out anything in response as I felt my heartbeat fastening at our closeness. Why was Liana’s touch affecting me like that?I was pretty sure she could hear my heart hammering in my chest, but she didn’t say anything. She was really calm, as if none of this was affecting her, meanwhile I was ready to go crazy.Realizing I was staring at her, I shifted my gaze on the sky. The stars were twinkling brightly tonight.For a moment, I found myself lost in the peacefulness of the moment. It was as if time itself had slowed down. I wished this could last forever. Me lying here, with Liana — watching the sky.No, Zaylen, stop! Wanting to not think about this anymore, I tried to focus on the stars, but my attention
ZAYLENNope. Not possible.I couldn’t like Liana. She was a human, and I was a werewolf! It was simply impossible. It was a disastrous forbidden love waiting to happen.Nope, I was not going to go through that route.Suddenly, I realized that I forgot to remind Liana about something. So I took out my phone and texted her. Zaylen: Don’t forget to take a warm shower as soon as possible, okay? You were in cold water for too long today.Liana saw my text and replied instantly.Liana: Aye, aye, boss!I chuckled at her text and started driving back home. The song which Liana had put on loop was still playing. My fingers were tapping along to the beat of the song playing in the background. Despite it being one of those tunes Liana loved, and I used to hate, I found myself smiling the entire way home.I was really engrossed with Liana’s thoughts. I tried not to think about what my feelings meant and decided to just focus on the happy memories I made with Liana today. It was like a sweet
ZAYLENAs I arrived at Liana's place the next morning with breakfast in hand, I braced myself for the conversation ahead. Sitting across from her at the table, I took a deep breath before broaching the topic."Liana, as I said to you last night over the call. I… " I began, my voice steady despite the nervous fluttering in my chest.Liana looked up from her plate, her expression incredulous. "You want me to find you a perfect date for you?" she asked, disbelief coloring her tone.I nodded, my gaze earnest. "Yes, because I need to find my Luna before the next full moon."Her eyes widened in shock. "What? That's in ten days!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with concern."I know," I replied simply, a sense of urgency weighing heavily on my shoulders."How can we find your Luna in that time when you haven't found her in 27 years?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration just like the elders of my Pack.I feigned hurt, placing a hand over my chest dramatically. "Ouch, but okay," I con
ZAYLENThose fingers… running through my hair… I gulped at that thought. Focus, Zaylen, I chided myself inwardly, realizing what I was thinking. I tore my gaze away, a flush creeping up my neck as I tried to shake off the distracting thoughts. “Zaylen, I need more information about you. Like your date of birth and all,” she said to me.I started to tell her all the required information as she filled up everything. When it was time to fill up the bio, she asked me, “Your Luna has to be a werewolf too, right?” I nodded instantly as she further inquired, “So how do we specify you are a werewolf?” I pursed my lips, thinking for a while before a suggestion appeared in my mind. “Just write from Darkwood. If they know, then they know.” “Good idea,” she chirped before typing again. “Are you done with this silly thing?” I finally let out, and she frowned, shifting her gaze to me.“Silly thing? I am fixing your messed up life!” she defended. A subtle smile appeared on my lips. “That yo