Waverly entered her bedroom that evening after dinner with an overpowering sense of vigour and confidence towards the upcoming Lunar Eclipse. Even though she didn't quite know if her and Sawyer were meant to be mates, she had an unexplainable feeling of assurance after their meeting that they could really work this out one way or another together. She unzipped her dress and stepped out of it into her sweatpants and an oversized sweater, making sure to grab a book before climbing onto the lounge chair that sat in the corner of the room. She opened her novel to the indented page and began skimming the pages when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she called out, without lifting her eyes from the text. Waverly listened, hearing the door open and then click shut. Footsteps approached her and a figure plopped down into the chair beside her. Her eyes glanced up from the top of the book."Waverly," Christopher said with a grin on his face. "Christopher, we really have to stop

Her heart seemed to seize as the wolf jumped forward and for the first time in her life, she didn't have the strength to transform. It was as if everything had shut down on her—her instincts, frozen. The man's eyes grew larger the closer he got and then just as quickly, they turned their attention to beside her, and Matteus' form seemed to shrink as she fell back onto the ground. Sawyer leaped in front of her, attacking Matteus full force, still in his human form. Matteus, caught off guard, staggered back. He paused and looked up at Sawyer, his eye colour illuminated by his dark fur. Then, he charged forward, pushing Sawyer into the trees behind him. As Sawyer's body made impact with the base, he crumpled and slid down into the pile of leaves on the ground. Matteus watched as Sawyer attempted to stand, only for him to fall back down. Matteus huffed and then turned to join the others when he was knocked from the side. He rolled near the slope of the hill and once he slowed, he glanc

By the second day, Waverly began to regain alertness and awareness of her surroundings. By the fourth day, she had reclaimed her strength, and by the sixth, she was feeling more like herself. While recovering, she was often visited by Felicity, who brought her meals and anything else she needed, as well as Christopher, who still made his rounds to ensure her safety, but also her compliance with their ongoing plan. The fate Christopher presented to her—burning under the Blood Moon—was not a favourable outcome, but the more she came to know Sawyer and the Crimson Shadow pack, the more leaving also didn't seem ideal. Every day since the battle with the rogue wolves and Waverly's injuries, Sawyer had come to check on her, tending to her dressings and having the pack healer examine her arm, which now was placed in a cast. Her pain had subsided, and so had the vomiting; however, she still had the occasional headaches, which were more intense than usual. She swung her legs over the bedsid

After the poisoning attempt, Sawyer had done everything he swore he would—security was raised, each beverage within the house, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic were dispensed of and replaced instantly. Unsure of who the perpetrator could've been, Sawyer had each staff member searched for any traces of the poison, which was unsuccessful. As Waverly regenerated and recuperated, Sawyer often came to visit her and once she was fully recovered from both attacks, which thanks to her shifting abilities, was only a few days, they moved their search to either the grand room or Sawyer's office. During their meetings, they would overlook documents and convolute with Christopher, Katia and the rest of the advisory to hear their opinions, as well as any odd behaviour they observed in either the town or the house. "I haven't seen anything, Sawyer," Christopher stated, his hands rested on the table of the great room. "Nothing's any different than it was two days ago." "So, what're you

For the next three hours, Waverly sat curled on the couch, absorbed in her novel about a World War II couple writing letters back and forth to one another during the height of the event. Even though Waverly had never given much consideration until late about finding her match, she still was passionate about reading stories surrounding the idea of fantastical love found in the most conventional and trope-like characters. She scanned every page, flicking through them faster than she imagined she would, completely captivated by the characters she was studying, until the front door of the house bust open. Waverly looked up from her book and noticed Sawyer walking through the entry, heading through the dining room. She quickly shut her book and threw off her blanket, racing behind him. "Sawyer," she called out, attempting to grab his attention. He kept walking forward, through the doors that led to the kitchen, and then out the other side, to the other end of the hallways leading from h