The Wolf's Eye

Chapter 3

After my sister left, I couldn’t calm down. I opened my laptop and typed in “Richard Gray.”

He turned out to be the president of Alpha Group, the largest investment bank in the world. Under his command were vast, well-known enterprises and insurance companies, educational and medical centers, all sorts of pharmaceutical companies, and media channels. In the list, I even found my father’s company.

This confirmed everything Dara had said. The alpha of the Moonlight Clan had nearly the entire global business under his thumb.

To my great surprise, it was nearly impossible to find any personal information about him. I spent two hours scouring the internet, but it was all in vain. Aside from a few official photos and some dry facts from Wikipedia, there was nothing.

I tried searching for Roxanna Gray. The search was more fruitful. I found countless photos of a beautiful, stately woman radiating luxury and significance. Once a successful fashion model, she was now the wife of politician and businessman Richard Gray, a patron of the arts, founder of charitable initiatives and auctions, and the mother of Dorian and Elizabeth Gray.

Now I understood why being part of that pack was a privilege. Sailing in the same boat with them meant reaping the rewards of wealth and success.

But why could it become a curse—I was about to find out very soon.

Victor arrived for dinner. As it turned out, he was staying with a friend from university and wouldn’t be living at home. Even though I understood he wanted to have some fun, I couldn’t help feeling a childish sting of hurt. He brought me a birthday gift—an amber pendant on a silver chain. I was thrilled.

Since my teenage years, I have adored ancient trinkets like this and loved collecting them. What I enjoyed most wasn't the items themselves, but the stories they carried.

“I found this pendant in a little shop in Florence, Clara. The moment I saw it, I thought of you.”

“Does it have a story?” I asked eagerly.

Victor smiled.

“Yes, it does. The shopkeeper was surprised when I started asking about it. Most people only care about how things look. But not you, little sister.”

“This stone is called the ‘Wolf’s Eye.’

It holds ancient powers and dark secrets. Legend says it was a gift to a countess born into a sinister bloodline steeped in myths and legends. In those long-ago days when the moon lit the nights and wolves howled in the fields and forests, the countess was known not only for her beauty but for her strange bond with nature’s forces.

She always wore the stone, as if it were part of her soul. On full moon nights, its bright amber glow shimmered in her hands, and her eyes took on a wild, almost animal glint. People whispered that the stone was not just jewelry—it was a key to another world. A world ruled by wolves, where only the one who possessed the stone could commune with those who walked in the form of beasts.

When the countess vanished one night, the stone remained. It was found in the dungeons of the ancient castle once ruled by her ancestors. Everyone who dared to touch it claimed to feel the hidden forces within it stir and amplify their strength. Rumor has it that the ‘Wolf’s Eye,’ in the hands of a true alpha, awakens the power of an ancient clan that never disappeared into history.

The stone can belong only to one who undergoes trials. Only the one who can feel the beast within and embrace it is worthy of its power.

But among the locals, darker tales circulate. They say the countess wasn’t merely a woman, but a powerful werewolf, and her bond with the stone was no coincidence. They say that only during the blackest nights, when the moon hides behind clouds, does its true power awaken—and that it can alter the fates of entire generations.”

Everyone at the table fell silent.

“You’re quite the storyteller, Victor,” Mom smiled.

“Not me—the shopkeeper. I was just as surprised he made up such a tale to hike up the price. But, to my surprise, he gave me a discount. This priceless relic ended up costing me a hundred and fifty dollars. So keep the story safe, little sister. My gift for your coming of age may well become a family heirloom. Just don’t go opening portals to other worlds—those places can be dangerous,” he finished.

And I stared at that amber pendant, completely spellbound.

After dinner, our whole family went out into the garden to get some fresh air.

Victor and Dara shared stories from university, and we laughed a lot. I was a little jealous. I couldn’t wait to get into college myself and fly from the parental nest.

When Victor left, Dara and I sat on the terrace, talking for hours about everything.

“Is there someone you like?” I asked her.

“What do you mean?” my older sister tensed.

“A guy. You’re twenty—don’t you have anyone who makes your heart race?”

Dara looked at me sadly and replied, “I don’t think there’s any point, little sister. Roxanna will decide our fate anyway.”

“What? That’s insane. What are we, medieval princesses?”

“Marriage must be earned, especially for people like us.”

“But that’s not fair. What about youth, love, hormones, for crying out loud?”

“You can’t, Clara. Wolves are pure-blooded and fastidious. They prefer one mate for life. If Roxanna suspects an affair, she can declare that girl an omega, instantly determining her place in the pack hierarchy. Then she’ll be obligated to satisfy anyone approved by the alpha. Not the best prospect.”

“I don’t believe this. It sounds horrific!”

“It is, little sister. That’s why you need to be careful who you talk to. Don’t let your feelings ruin your life.”

“You’re scaring me, Dara. What if I don’t want to obey Roxanna?”

“You don’t have a choice. She’s the alpha, and total submission to the alpha is the first law of the pack. Have you forgotten?”

“What if I refuse to be part of the pack?”

“Are you insane? You can’t refuse the pack—only the pack can reject you. And if that happens, you’d be better off dead.”

“If you ask me, I’d rather die than become an omega forced to please whoever the alpha picks,” I countered.

“When you put it like that, I agree. But some omegas actually enjoy their role. They’re full members of the pack. They’re desired.”

“Nonsense. No woman enjoys being passed around to satisfy the beastly instincts of others.”

“Wolves struggle to contain those instincts. That’s why they can be insatiable. They’re programmed to find their mate—to produce the best possible offspring.”

“You’re contradicting yourself. You just said the alpha decides our fate.”

“Yes, that rule was introduced twenty years ago to strengthen the pack. If a wolf from another pack finds his mate among us, he can be accepted into ours for a price—thus expanding our influence.

But if the wolf refuses, something terrible might happen to his mate. A lone wolf is doomed to a meaningless existence. There’s a danger of sinking into a madness that consumes you from within.”

Dara wiped tears from her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, surprised. “Are you crying?”

“No,” she snapped, turning away. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Nothing. Just... a friend of mine lost her true mate because of these stupid rules.”

“What friend?” I asked, beginning to suspect something.

“Why do you care, Clara? Since when do you care about other people’s problems?”

“Since those problems made my big sister cry.”

“You imagined it,” she snapped irritably. “Anyway, it’s time for bed.”