Chapter 4
1695words
He turned to look at me, a flash of admiration in his eyes. Only then did I realize this was the first time he'd seen me in Luna's formal attire.
"Welcome home, Luna." The Grand Elder stood and bowed deeply. The other elders rose as well, showing their respect.
I took a deep breath and walked to the center of the table. This was my responsibility, my destiny—I could no longer run from it.
"I have returned, ready to accept Luna's training and responsibilities." My voice came out stronger than I'd expected.
The elders nodded with satisfaction. The Grand Elder spoke: "On the night of the full moon one week from now, we will hold the succession ceremony and announce your engagement to Liam, Alpha of the Shadow Pack. This will be the most significant alliance between our packs in generations."
"From today onward, I will oversee your training, teaching you to control and channel your power," Liam said, his deep voice making my heart race.
There it was again—that feeling.
My pulse quickened. Being alone with Liam? After yesterday's... incident?
After the meeting, Liam approached me. "Ready to begin training?"
His voice remained deep and magnetic, but more controlled than yesterday, as if deliberately maintaining distance.
I nodded and followed him from the council hall.
The Moon Shadow training grounds lay behind the main residence—a clearing surrounded by ancient trees. At its center was a small lake with water so clear you could see straight to the bottom, perfectly reflecting the sky above.
Liam shrugged off his jacket, leaving him in just a black tank that revealed powerful arms and broad shoulders. His muscles gleamed in the sunlight, and I involuntarily swallowed, forcing myself to look away.
"Stand by the lake," he instructed. "Close your eyes and feel the power of the moon."
I obeyed. The moment I closed my eyes, the sounds around me faded, replaced by a strange sensation—as if countless tiny particles of energy danced around me.
"Stretch out your hand and imagine moonlight gathering in your palm." Liam's voice came from just behind me, so close I could feel his breath against my ear.
My body trembled at his proximity, but I forced myself to focus. I extended my hand, imagining pure moonlight flowing like liquid silver into my palm.
At first, nothing happened. But as I concentrated, a faint silver light began to flicker at my fingertips.
"Good," Liam's voice carried approval. "Now, direct this power toward the lake surface."
I opened my eyes to see silver light actually gathered in my palm. I took a deep breath and pushed this power toward the lake.
The moment the silver light touched the water, ripples spread across the entire surface. Then something astonishing happened—the lake began to glow like liquid moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Is... is this normal?" I asked in surprise.
Liam's expression showed surprise. "No, this isn't normal. Usually beginners can only make the water emit a faint glow, but you..."
He didn't finish, but his meaning was clear. My power far exceeded expectations.
"Try again," he said. "This time, focus on controlling the intensity."
I closed my eyes again, feeling the energy within me. This time, I tried to concentrate the power at a single point before releasing it slowly.
But just as I was about to release it, a surge of energy erupted from within me, completely beyond my control.
"Liam, watch out!" I cried, but it was too late.
Silver energy waves surged toward Liam like a tidal wave, knocking him flat. I watched in horror as he lay sprawled on his back while my energy continued to pulse uncontrollably.
"Liam!" I rushed to him, dropping to my knees. "Are you okay?"
He slowly opened his eyes, saw my worried expression, and his lips curved into a smile. "Seems your power is much stronger than we thought."
I sighed with relief, but just then another wave of energy surged from within me, even more intense than before. I lost my balance and fell heavily onto Liam.
Our bodies pressed together, and I felt every hard plane of his muscles as his heartbeat thundered in my ears.
"I'm sorry, I can't control it..." I tried to get up, but the energy fluctuations made my limbs weak, pressing our bodies even closer.
Liam's eyes began to glow red, his breathing quickened, and his muscles tensed beneath me. I could feel his wolf roaring, craving me.
Our eyes locked, both burning with undisguised hunger.
"Selena..." His voice was deep and rough, thick with restrained desire.
My hand unconsciously caressed his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin. His gaze intensified, as if he wanted to devour me whole.
In the next moment, Liam suddenly flipped us over, pinning me beneath him. His arms braced on either side of my head, caging me in his embrace.
"I shouldn't be doing this," he whispered, his voice raw with conflict, "but I can't help myself."
Before I could respond, his lips crashed against mine.
The kiss was wild and possessive, his tongue claiming my mouth with fierce hunger. My rationality vanished instantly, leaving only primal desire.
My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands roamed my body, each touch igniting fire in its wake.
His kisses trailed from my lips to my neck, teeth grazing my sensitive skin. I couldn't suppress a soft moan—a sound that seemed to drive him wilder.
"Selena, you have no idea how long I've waited for this," he growled against my ear, his voice thick with passion. "From the first moment I saw you, I wanted to taste you like this."
His hand slid to my waist, pressing me firmly against the ground. I felt his desire against me, hard and burning.
Just then, my phone suddenly rang.
We both froze, as if jolted from a trance.
Liam slowly lifted his head, the red glow in his eyes gradually fading. He took a deep breath, rolled off me, and sat up.
With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone to see a new message. It was from Ethan—a photo of us together, embracing and smiling, looking blissfully happy.
Beneath the photo was a simple message: "Miss me?"
Liam saw the photo too, and his expression instantly hardened, all warmth vanishing from his eyes.
"Continue training," he said, standing up. His voice had returned to its usual coolness. "Control your power. Don't let emotions affect you."
With that, he turned and walked away, his posture stiff and distant.
I knew he was angry—not just about the photo, but also about our nearly out-of-control moment of passion.
I deleted Ethan's message, turned off my phone, and resumed practicing by the lake. But my mind wasn't on training anymore—it was filled with memories of Liam's kiss and the coldness in his eyes as he walked away.
Meanwhile, in an upscale bar in Silver Claw territory, Ethan was getting drunk with several of his packmates.
"Hey, Ethan, where's that little girlfriend of yours? Haven't seen her in a week," a werewolf teased.
Ethan knocked back a large gulp of whiskey, a confident smirk on his face. "Her? She's just throwing a little tantrum."
"I bet she's already dumped your ass," another werewolf laughed. "After all, you never planned to take her seriously."
"Impossible," Ethan scoffed. "She's crazy about me. How could she possibly leave?"
"Wanna bet on it?" a third werewolf suggested. "Let's wager on when she'll come crawling back."
"You're on," Ethan pulled out his phone. "Watch this. One text and she'll come running back."
He found an intimate photo of himself with Selena and sent it with a simple message: "Miss me?"
After sending it, he looked smugly at his friends. "Just watch. She'll reply immediately."
One minute passed. No response.
Five minutes passed. Still nothing.
Ten minutes later, Ethan's expression darkened. He sent another message: "Where are you? I need you."
Still no response.
"Looks like your little girlfriend really did dump you," a werewolf laughed. "You lost the bet!"
Just then, the bar's TV broadcast a news report: the Moon Shadow Pack would hold a succession ceremony in one week, announcing the engagement of their heir to Alpha Liam Nightfall of the Shadow Pack.
"Moon Shadow Pack?" Ethan frowned. "Isn't that supposed to be the most powerful wolf pack in the region?"
"Yeah, their heir is female," another werewolf said. "This is the biggest event in decades. All major packs are sending representatives."
Just then, a waiter approached and handed Ethan an envelope. "The Alpha of Silver Claw asked me to deliver this to you."
Ethan opened the envelope to find a gold-embossed invitation: The Moon Shadow Pack cordially invites the Silver Claw Pack to attend the succession ceremony.
"Well, looks like we get to attend this grand event," Ethan tossed the invitation onto the table. "Not that I care about some female heir."
His thoughts returned to Selena. How could that girl—always so gentle and devoted, who had never left his side no matter what he did—suddenly disappear?
"Ungrateful bitch," he muttered. "If she hadn't thrown her little fit, she could be accompanying me to this event."
He grabbed his phone and fired off another text: "Don't come crying back to me later!"
After sending it, he waved over the waiter. "Bring me your most expensive bottle."
He turned to the woman beside him, a blonde werewolf with striking blue eyes. "Vivian, care to attend the Moon Shadow succession ceremony with me?"
Vivian nodded excitedly. "Of course! It's the social event of the decade!"
Ethan slipped his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear: "Then it's settled. We'll go together and show everyone what a truly perfect couple looks like."
He glanced at his phone again—still no reply from Selena. A flicker of unease rose in his chest but was quickly drowned by alcohol and arrogance.
She'll come back, he thought. She'll definitely come back.
