Morning sunlight filters through the windows, casting a soft, golden hue across the Stone’s kitchen counters.
It’s downright serene.
In the quiet of early dawn, I slipped out of Stone’s bed and quietly padded my way downstairs. There were just too many thoughts brewing in my mind to lay still—even if laying next to him is incredibly enticing.
God, being surrounded by his scent—it was heavenly.
Of course, I found myself seated at the kitchen table—a place that feels like a refuge in the never ending storm called my life. For the past twenty minutes, I’ve been nursing a mug of coffee, the steam swirling like the thoughts in my mind.
My sleep last night wasn’t great—too many anxious dreams to feel truly restful. However, I must have gotten enough because I do feel clearer about what my priorities are.
Or at least, what they should be.
While all of this stuff about prophecies and ancient artifacts has a certain kind of allure, they also feel like distractions keeping me from my main objective: retaliating against Andres and putting the rest of the werewolf community on notice.
I am not to be trifled with.
Especially if they think they can go after my kids.
Moving to Black Crater was never supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be my place of peace after the vitriol of my divorce.
Instead, I don’t even recognize my life.
And my ex?
Hell, things with him have gotten far, far worse.
I didn’t even think that was possible.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.
I still don’t know what I’m going to do about him but something tells me that situation is going to continue to get worse before it gets better.
Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath and contemplate adding some booze to my coffee.
Clementine is supposed to come over sometime this morning and I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to face whatever she has to say. After the revelations from Isolde last night, I don’t know that I can handle more surprises—or distractions.
I can only hope Clementine’s discoveries with the Luna Scrolls will help me connect a few dots. Hell, maybe there will be something in there about how I can defeat Andres and protect my kids from any further attacks.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
“Hey, you,” Stone says, entering the kitchen with a sleepy expression.
His dark hair is mussed in a way that makes my insides flip and his tight-fitting white t-shirt that hugs his muscles in all the right places only adds to the sentiment.
God, he’s gorgeous.
And so damn patient.
He’s given me space to process everything, knowing all too well the storm that’s been brewing inside me. His ability to innately know when I need that space has been astounding. It’s something I still have trouble at times believing.
Especially after my previous disasters called relationships. None of them have ever been what you’d call, empathetic.
I smile softly, my shoulders relaxing at his close proximity. “Hey.”
It’s like simply being around him is enough to take the edge off my particular brand of anxiety.
“Did you sleep okay?” he asks, reaching into the cupboard and pulling out his own mug.
I watch his back muscles move under his shirt and my eyes snag on the way the shape of his backside is highlighted in his faded denim jeans.
“Yeah, for the most part.” I nod, hoping like hell he doesn’t press further. “You?”
He pauses briefly, almost as if he’s about to say something. Instead, he simply nods and then brings his mug to his lips.
The kids are still asleep and the house is wrapped in a rare, peaceful silence that belies the turmoil of our current lives. The last thing I need to do is bring up the fragments of panic that managed to worm their way into my dreams all night long.
As if sensing my apprehension, he takes a seat at the table beside me and places his palm over mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.
I can’t help but let loose a sigh of contentment at the contact. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until his skin touched mine.
Stone watches me for a moment, his gaze probing, as if he’s trying to peer directly into my thoughts. However, I have them locked down tight, putting a wall around my mind so I don’t carry the panic into this new day. Or pass it over to him.
He takes a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving mine. “You know, Ella,” he begins, his voice low and steady. I can tell he’s weighing his words carefully. “With everything going on—Troy, Andres, and now these cryptic messages from Isolde—it feels like there’s no end in sight to all of the craziness.”
I nod, feeling the weight of his words. It’s a relief, weirdly enough, to hear him articulate it. In some small way, it makes it feel less like I’m drowning in my own head.
“Things are definitely crazy,” I mutter, huffing a humorless laugh.
It feels like it’s all just there to keep me from having my eye on the prize—Andres.
Yet, I can’t explain it—there’s also a strange pull to uncover the mysteries. Like it’s worth my time to explore them, even with everything else going on.
I feel bipolar.
“What are you thinking about?” Stone asks, likely sensing my shift in thought.
I narrow my eyes and exhale slowly.
If there’s one person I trust to help me work through this, it’s him.
So, I whisper, “Do you feel like all the talk of prophecy, Moon Wolves, and now the Breath of Selene—are they just distractions from the real threat Andres poses to my family and the pack? I mean, how does all this lore help me when Andres is out there—a clear and present danger to everything I hold dear?”
Stone settles back in his chair, giving himself a moment to think through everything I just threw at him.
Finally, he says, “I understand why it feels like these things are pulling us away from our main focus, Ella. But remember, knowledge is power. The more we understand about the prophecy, the Breath of Selene—and even the idea of being Moon Wolves—the better equipped we’ll be to face Andres and any other threats. Maybe it amounts to nothing. But maybe it ends up saving our asses. The way I see it, it’s not just about direct confrontation—it’s about being strategic and using every piece of information we have to our advantage. I don’t think we should dismiss these elements as distractions. They might just be the advantage we need.”
I inhale sharply and nod. “There’s sense in that. Thanks, Stone. See? This is why you’re my Delta.”
His green eyes sparkle with humor when he says, “Is that all I am?”
“Of course not,” I find myself saying without thought.
His forehead scrunches as if he’s debating whether or not to unleash his next few words. “Despite everything going on, there’s something that keeps nagging at me.”
“What’s that?” I ask, trying not to hold my breath at his sudden intensity.
“It’s us, Ella. Us navigating through this together. I know we haven’t known each other all that long—at least, not in the grand scheme of things. But it feels like we’ve been in this fight side by side for a lifetime. Hell, longer.” He pauses, searching my face. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but sometimes—I can’t help but wonder if you’re as committed to seeing where this leads. I know it must be a lot.”
His words catch me off guard. It’s something I’ve been pondering too, but have been too afraid to voice. The uncertainty, the fear of what the future holds for us, it’s been a giant, silent specter in the room.
I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “I’ve been thinking about that too, Stone. I know this hasn’t been easy for you. It’s like we’re in the eye of the hurricane, trying to hold onto something real, something solid. But for me”—I hold his gaze, hoping to relay all of the emotion I really do feel for him—“that’s been you.”
He reaches across the table, his hand again covering mine in a gesture of solidarity and warmth. “I feel the same, Ella. But I guess I need to know, are we on the same page? Is this”—he gestures vaguely between us—“something you see lasting beyond the immediate threats? Forget the bond and all of the fated werewolf bullshit. Because if you don’t—”
His question hangs in the air, heavy with implications. For some bizarre reason it feels like crossroads moment, and I know my answer will set the course for whatever comes next.
“I want it to be, Stone. More than anything,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “But with everything that’s been thrown at us, I’m just a big fucking mess. I’m scared of what it means to commit to this—to us—when our world feels like it could come crashing down at any moment. I know it must seem selfish…”
Stone shakes his head, understanding flashing in his eyes. “I get it, Ella. The fear, the uncertainty—it’s all valid. But know this—whatever happens, I’m here. For you, for the kids—for our pack. And when it’s all said and done, I still want to be standing by your side. In whatever way you’ll have me.”
His declaration warms me from the inside out, offering a glimmer of hope. It’s a promise of a future, however uncertain, that we can build together. And in this moment, it’s everything I need to hear.
The doorbell rings, yanking us from the heaviness of the conversation.
Stone releases my hand and stands up, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. Then, he strides out of the room and to the front door to answer it.
Honestly, I hadn’t even registered Clementine’s arrival until she rang the bell—no small feat, considering my werewolf hearing and my pack awareness that’s always thrumming through me. But I guess when you have your heart in your throat and your mind tossed in a sea of tumultuous waters, being aware of her arrival wasn’t high on my to-do list.
Clementine breezes in, her presence as commanding as ever. She’s dressed in her usual style that somehow blends ‘pack leader’s widow’ with ‘boho chic.’ Her green eyes scan the room, landing on me with a warmth that’s come to signify our burgeoning friendship.
I shoot her a lopsided smile and wave. “Morning.”
“Morning, guys,” she says, her voice carrying that distinctive tone of someone who’s about to drop a gigantic knowledge bomb. In her hands is a long, slender tube. “I hope you’re ready for some revelations. The Luna Scrolls have been quite chatty.”
I can’t help but smile despite the swirling vortex of anxiety in my stomach.
“I don’t think we have any other choice,” I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel.
Clementine settles into one of the kitchen chairs with the grace of a seasoned diplomat.
“Buckle up, then. What I’m about to tell you is going to take some processing,” she begins.
Stone and I lean in, our coffees forgotten, already hanging on to her every word.
She opens the tube and unfurls a set of ancient, parchment-like papers across the table. Their edges are worn and their surfaces filled with cryptic symbols and writings that seem to pulse in the morning light.
Stone inhales sharply as he stiffens beside me. I raise an eyebrow in question, but he shrugs it off.
“These scrolls,” Clementine gestures, her fingers tracing the lines of text as if she could read them like a book, “speak of a time when the moon’s essence was woven into the very fabric of our reality. A time when the Moon Wolves weren’t just creatures of myth but guardians of a balance we’ve long forgotten.”
I exchange a glance with Stone, trying to mask my skepticism.
Guardians of balance?
It sounded more like the tagline for a cheesy superhero movie than anything resembling reality. But the earnest look in Clementine’s eyes holds me back from voicing my doubts.
I mean, who am I to talk anyway? My life is practically a superhero movie as it is.
“The prophecy,” she continues, her gaze locking onto mine, “isn’t just about power or destiny. It’s about restoration. About bringing back a harmony that’s been lost to the ages. And you, Ella, with Stone by your side, are central to this. At least, if I’m reading the scrolls right.”
The weight of her words settles over me.
Restoration?
Harmony?
While both would be great, I somehow doubt that sort of thing is even possible.
Hell, I can’t even manage to do that with my ex-husband. How am I meant to accomplish a feat this big for the werewolf community?
I’ve only been Alpha for a couple of months but it’s pretty damn clear to me that our kind can’t seem to get their heads out of their collective asses long enough to trust one another.
Or anyone else, for that matter.
It’s each pack for themselves.
Stone leans forward, his elbows on the outer edge of the scrolls as he looks them over. “How exactly are we supposed to do that? What does this restoration entail?” His voice carries the weight of his protective nature, always seeking clarity—always looking to shield.
“I’m not entirely sure yet, but there’s more,” Clementine adds, a hint of hesitation in her voice. “The scrolls hint at a series of trials. Tests that the Moon Wolves must undergo to prove their worthiness and to fully awaken some sort of power within them.”
My eyes widen as I glance up at her.
This is starting to sound less like a destiny and more like an obstacle course from hell.
I let out a nervous chuckle. “What kind of trials are we talking about here? Because if it involves math, we might be in trouble.”
Clementine smiles, a brief flicker of amusement crossing her features. “Not math, Ella. These are trials of the spirit, of courage, and of heart—everything that matters to wolves. My guess is, they’ll challenge you in ways we can’t yet imagine, but they will also reveal strengths the two of you never knew you had.” Then, she leans in, lowering her voice as if sharing a sacred secret. “From what I can tell, the ultimate goal of these trials is to guide you both toward something ancient and incredibly powerful. I’ve only been able to translate it as the Essence. It’s an entity or force, deeply connected to our very existence as wolves, believed to be lost or hidden for centuries. Understanding the Essence might just be the key to fulfilling the prophecy and truly restoring balance. It won’t be easy, and the path to it is what these trials are designed to illuminate.”
The room falls silent as the weight of her revelation sinks in.
The Essence… Could this be the Breath of Selene?
The timing is just too… coincidental.
It all sounds so daunting, yet a part of me—a part I wasn’t fully aware of until this moment—thrums with excitement at the prospect.
“How do the trials work? Like, how will we know they’ve begun?” I ask.
Clementine makes a face. “I knew you were going to ask that.”
Stone’s eyes narrow and he stands up to pace.
“See,” Clementine’s gaze shifts, a serious note underlying her next words, “the trials—Ella, they’re not just arbitrary challenges. They’re deeply intertwined with the events shaping our world. The destruction last night, your confrontations with Andres, even your internal struggles as Alpha—I think they’re all part of the trials.”
I feel a shiver run down my spine. “So, everything that’s been happening... it’s all connected? It’s all part of these trials? They’ve already begun?”
Clementine nods, her expression serious. “Exactly. The trials are meant to evolve you—to prepare you for what’s to come. And yeah, I think you’re already in it.”
Stone looks at me, his expression one of determination mixed with concern. He’s likely thinking the same thing I am—that the fears and worries about this being a distraction were unfounded.
If everything is connected, then it’s all intertwined—whether we like it or not.
Clementine leans back, a thoughtful look on her face. “I hate to say it, but there’s one more thing,” she says, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. “The scrolls speak of a final trial, one that will demand the greatest sacrifice and offer the most profound revelation. It will be the key to unlocking the full power of the Essence and put the Moon Wolves on their ultimate path.”
I exchange a worried glance with Stone.
Well, shit. This can’t be good.
“What kind of sacrifice?” I ask, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation.
Clementine’s eyes lock onto mine, a grave intensity in them. “It’s unclear.”
I run my fingertips across my forehead. “Of course it is.”
The gravity of her words hangs heavy in the air. Stone and I sit in stunned silence, absorbing the magnitude of what lies ahead.
In the silence, an awareness that we’re about to have more company filters in. Then, a firm tap on the door confirms it.
Stone moves to the door, to let Marta in while I settle back in my chair, wondering if her arrival is a sign that our troubles are ramping up, and our next big challenge is literally knocking at the door.