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781 Words
When they saw me, their laughter died immediately. They straightened up, bowed their heads respectfully, and quietly murmured, "Luna."
I nodded coldly.
Luna. That title sounded like a sarcastic label stuck on me now. But soon, I'd tear it off myself.
"The Frost Moon Pack's inspection isn't supposed to be for another three days, is it?" I asked.
One of the she-wolves explained, "The Frost Moon representative said if he came at the scheduled time, we'd have everything prepared and there'd be nothing to inspect."
I had to smile. That was so typical of Frost Moon Pack's style.
When I pushed open the door to the council hall, Sara rushed over, holding a coffee cup. She was my right hand in handling pack affairs and one of my few friends in Crescent Moon Pack.
Sara leaned close to my ear with barely contained excitement. "Oh my God, Clara, did you see him? That man from Frost Moon Pack...he's like walking testosterone!"
She gave me a knowing look and then disappeared into the break room.
Judging by the way she was practically drooling, I could already picture what this man looked like—probably just another textbook case of masculine perfection, broad shoulders, narrow waist, radiating raw power...
I was so done with it all.
Sara rushed back over, looking me up and down with concern before whispering, "Henry really wore you out last night, huh?"
Oh, Sara got that right. He wore me out all right. He'd hollowed out my soul, leaving nothing but an empty shell.
Thinking about Henry made nausea surge up my throat. I almost threw up on the spot. I forced the bitter taste down, my voice hollow and strange even to my own ears. "It's nothing. Just didn't sleep well."
The gossipy excitement on Sara's face vanished instantly, replaced by genuine worry. "Are you sure? You look...terrible."
I shook my head. "I'm fine."
Right as I looked up, I saw the man Sara had called "walking testosterone."
He was leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His well-tailored suit outlined perfect muscle definition. His hair was dark gold, falling casually over his forehead, above a pair of smiling green eyes—like forest lakes, clear and dangerous.
When he saw me, his face broke into a smile that was almost too bright. He greeted me with easy familiarity. "Hey, Clara, long time no see."
I froze. The man in front of me was no longer the awkward boy from my memories. His features were sharper now, his jawline hard, his body tall and imposing, radiating an unmistakable Alpha presence.
When he smiled, he was like the midday sun—dazzling enough to blind you. But I knew there was a cunning wolf hiding behind that sunshine. By calling out to me like that, he'd turned everyone's attention on me like spotlights, full of curiosity and speculation.
They couldn't imagine I actually knew someone from Frost Moon Pack.
Under their curious stares, he sighed dramatically, his voice dripping with mock hurt. "Ah, looks like my Clara doesn't remember me anymore."
Of course I remembered him. Ryan.
I just never imagined Ryan would reappear in my life, especially not at this moment when my world had just collapsed.
I'd met him when he was a fifteen-year-old boy—three years younger than me. His father had sent him to Moon Lake Pack for training. He'd declared in front of everyone that someday he'd become Frost Moon Pack's Alpha and make me his Luna. Everyone treated it as a joke—except Henry. Henry hadn't given him a pleasant look for an entire week after that.
Now, that kid had grown up. He stood there, confident as the sun itself. And I had just crawled out of hell with a shattered soul. The irony was almost perfect.
"Ryan, long time no see," I said with a smile.
When he saw me hesitate before saying his name, his sunny smile froze for a second, but quickly recovered.
"Wow, you had to think that long just to remember my name? Clara, you're really breaking my heart." He dramatically placed a hand over his chest where solid muscle pushed against his tight shirt, impossible to ignore.
He stepped forward, too close. A clean, crisp cedar scent wrapped around me, making me want to sink into it. An uncontrollable feeling gripped my heart, making me instinctively want to back away.
But my wolf, Lucy, was excited.
She said she felt a deadly attraction. That was...
The bond of fated mates!
"Good to see you again." Ryan lowered his voice, those eyes gleaming. "We should find time to really 'catch up.'"
- Writer
