~Alden~

In his sleep, Alden’s mind spiraled to the first time he met Dana, her thick brown hair was lying on her shoulders, she wore an off-shoulder red corset Victorian gown hugging her frame, and her radiant smile was just as bright as the weather.

“ You are breathtaking,” he said, his voice calm. Dana's smile widened.

“I can’t wait for the moon goddess to bless us as Mate,” he said, staring calmly at Dana’s eyes.

“ I can only hope the moon goddess agrees” Dana replied her voice soft with uncertainty.

Alden’s mind began to drift further, a sharp voice sliced through his mind, and the once calm aura turned dark and cold.

“ Dana cheated on you with Damon your best friend, she is not fit to be your mate, and you made the right choice by sending her away.” Adria’s voice cuts through, her voice is cold, her eyes fury as she repeats those words like a mantra while hovering over Alden’s face.

Alden immediately woke up from his dream, seeing Adria smiling over him.

“ wh..what …are you doing here.” Alden stammered confusion overlaying his voice.

“ You looked a bit troubled while you were asleep, and I just decided to check up on you,” she said while trying to look away like she was hiding something.

“And you’re handsome even while you sleep.” she smiled

Alden smiled back at her.

“ I had a dream, Adria. ” Alden paused and he began to speak again.

“ First it was all about Dana before she became my mate ”. He looked up to Adria’s face.

“ Then I saw you.” Adria smiled as he said that.

“ Just in the same position as you were when I woke up, you told me Dana is a cheat and I made the right choice by sending her away,” Alden said.

Adria’s smile faltered and she began to play with her fingers while trying to avoid looking Alden directly in the eyes.

Then she walked to sit beside Alden on the bed.

“ My Alpha,” she said calmly as she put her hand on Alden’s shoulder using her other hand to gently cup his face.

“ You’re probably feeling guilty that you sent Dana away,” she said as she started to run her fingers through Alden’s hair

“ And you don’t have to be, because you made a good decision.” her voice began to become Sluttier.

She moves closer to Alden, gripping his shirt and pulling him closer to her.

Alden still a bit confused, grabs her by her waist as she cocked her head to the right, Alden leaned in slowly his lips touching hers, as he locked his lips against hers and began to move slowly.

Adria parted her lips as she closed her eyes and mirrored the same expression of Alden, running her fingers through Alden’s hair. They began to lick each other’s tongue their lips moving in slow sensation. Alden slowly pushes Adria to lie down on the bed, his body hovering over her as they continue to take in each other's tongue, slowly kissing.

***

~Dana~

Dana walked aimlessly inside the wood searching for fruits or anything edible to eat, she walked from one tree to the other eating unripe fruits, her stomach churned and she felt a burning sensation in her stomach. She whimpered and placed her hands on her stomach holding her stomach tightly.

She managed to continue walking, she saw a tree full of ripe berries a distance from where she is, her eyes widened and her lips curved into a smile as she increased her pace.

She finally gets to where the tree is, with trembling fingers, she snatches the berries from their branches and stuffed them into her mouth, calming the rumbling of her stomach.

The rustle of leaves broke the silence in the woods, pulling her attention from the fruits, she raised her head, eyes widened scanning through the place where the sound was coming from, and her heart began to race.

“ Who’s there?.” She called out, her voice trembling with fear.

The bush rustled violently as someone rushed in between them but Dana could only make out the blur of movement of the person as the person was too fast.

“ Who are you? , come out!.” She ordered her voice trembling.

The figure still refused to come out, chills ran down her spine, the hair at the back of her neck stood up, her heartbeat quickened and she began to walk back gently, one foot across the other as though she was testing the soil below her feet, her eyes still fixed on the spot were the leaves had rustled. She quickly turned to run away but she stumbled on someone, a figure which was much taller than her, her eyes darted around and several men encircled her.

Their faces were covered in black scarves such that only their eyes could be seen.

She moved around them slowly, she tried to break free from the circle, but the closure tightened around her, and one of the men pushed her forcefully with his hands.

Her body thuds on the floor, she wrenched in pain, she lay there for a while whimpering with all the men staring at her.

She clenched her fist, her eyes red with fury, her forehead creased with anger as she forcefully stood up from the ground. Her sharp claws and her teeth came out, she howled in anger as she yanked on one of the men her claws deepening on the flesh of him. She angrily throws him away to the ground.

The other men began to come after her, each of them hesitating to go after her at first.

Then they began to go after her, as she continued to yank them off one by one.

Her body began to palpate, she was breathing heavily, her hands started to tremble and her legs began to shake sinking slowly to the ground. Her body began to give way and her vision began to blur. She fell slowly to the ground as one of the men came hurriedly over her his claws sharped as a sword, and he set his hand over her aiming to deepen his claws on her chest.

Another person, a feminine figure, stretched her hands forward grabbing him by his neck, her sharp claws deepening into his neck with blood gushing out from his neck and him screaming.

“ You’re save.” her soft bubbly voice caught through Dana’s mind as she finally passed out.

~Dana~

The smell of nice scented candles filled the air, the place was warm and the bed was so soft. Dana squished the pillow, curled up in the bed, and squeezed her eyes tighter. Immediately her eyes flew open as she sat up quickly, and the calm of the sleep disappeared in a flash. where am I?.” Her brows furrowed with confusion lying in her voice.

“Oh, you’re awake.” a bubbly voice said making her turn her head towards the direction.

“Who are you?” Dana asked her voice trembling.

“ I’m Milan,” she said as she dropped a book on the desk while standing up from the couch, and walking close to where Dana lay.

“Why am I here, how did you find me, where is this place ?.” Dana asked all in one breath

“ One question, please. ” Milan replied with a warm smile on her face.

“ Okay I will start by answering your first question .” she paused for a while as she took a seat close to the bed.

“ You’re here because I saved you from some Rogue werewolves who nearly took your life in the woods.”

Dana went quiet trying to recall what had happened in the woods. Milan's voice cut through her thoughts as she started speaking again.

“ This is my home, the moon crest pack,” she said, raising her hands as she took a wide look around the room.

“What were you doing in the woods,” Milan asked.

“I was lost” Dana replied while shifting her gaze from Milan picking the dirt from her fingers.

“We are going to find your home ”Milan replied nodding her head in reassurance.

Dana remained quiet.

“Oh, she is awake.”Milan’s mum dressed in a long gown is of Average height, her dark hair was packed in a bun, and her skin looked very radiant walked in making Milan and Dana turn their heads towards her.

“Oh, poor child.”Milan’s mum said, concern lying in her voice.

“We need to get her something to eat, she must be really hungry,” she said, facing Milan.

“I’m Samantha, the Luna of this pack,” she said as she stretched forth her hand to Dana for a handshake.

“I’m Dana, Dana Greene” Samantha smiled at her.

“What were you doing in the woods,” Samantha asked while maintaining a serious tone.

Dana fidgeted shifting her gaze away from Samantha.

“ Oh, it seems you might be too tired to talk now, don’t worry we will talk about that later,” Samantha said with a change of tone now cheerful with a wave of dismissal of her hand.

***

Milan And Dana were walking around the pack house, the pack members were busy with one thing or the other.

Dana's mind drifted through how her pack was entirely different from here, in this pack they were very organized, duties were shared among different members and they tended to do their work diligently they all seemed to be friendly too, Dana thought.

“So…, can you remember anything now?” Milan asked cutting through Dana’s thought.

Dana shook her head.

“We will try to get you to your pack, okay ?” Millan said with reassurance overlaying in her voice.

Dana and Milan continue walking around the pack house with Milan showing her around. As they continued their Tour, Dana’s eyes darted from one corner to the other, everyone seemed to have a duty or one purpose to contribute, unlike her pack where there was always tension. This place seems organized…Too organized.

“ who’s she?,” a young woman whispered pulling her workmate closer to her, but Dana caught the voice of the woman making her turn her head to their side while they continued Making something else too quiet for Dana to hear.

The Murmurs began to grow louder as Dana and Milan walked further, different pack members began to stare at her whispering something under their breath. Dana began to feel nervous and uneasy as she wasn’t sure if the whispers were all in her head or if someone knew something that they were unwilling to share.

As Dana and Milan continued their walk further, Milan stepped aside to attend to some workers, while Dana stood there waiting for her.

“ Oh.. that’s her!.” one member said as she dragged her workmate to a corner Oblivious to Dana and Milan.

“Who is she?.” The other workmate asked with curiosity in her voice.

“ She’s the Luna of my pack, I heard she was banished .” the first member said.

The other member gasped.

Dana froze, her Heart started pounding in her chest, and her palms began to become sweaty. How come they know about her banishment, when she hasn’t even told Milan yet, what is a member of my pack Doing here she thought.

Milan came back standing beside Dana“ Alright, that’s all for today, let’s go inside .” she said as the workers came out of the corner while bowing their heads to Milan, with the first one staring intently at Dana in the eyes.

Dana stared right back at her in the eyes, who’s she? , why is she here? She wonders. Her mind still lingers on the words of the girl.

“ Dana.” Milan's soft voice jolted her from her thoughts.

“ Are you okay?” She asked calmly. Dana nodded still staring at the girl.

~Alden~

Alden entered his chambers the weight of the Battle still all over him, his body ached with every step he took, but the soreness from the fight was not what even bothered him but the feeling he had been having since the day before, something he just couldn’t explain.

He sat forcefully on his bed, using his hands to run through over his face, trying to make the feelings go away. What was it? Why does everything seem blurry like he was under the effect of something, he wondered.

His mind went back to the war the chaos, the blood, the growls, the defeat. They were things he had seen countless times in Battles but this time they weighed heavier that was not it, there was something more, that he could not understand.

He clenched his fist in frustration, growling in anger, he reached out to a cup of water on his table gulping everything forcefully.

He slammed his hands on the table, facing his head downwards, his head hurting with frustration. He didn’t have time for what was going on with him, he needed to clear his head fast “Tea!.” He called out sharply, a maid rushed in bowing her head with Alden barely acknowledging her.

“ Make me something strong,” he commanded, the maid nodding her head, rushed out While Alden with frustration still clouding his mind went to sit back on his bed.

Seconds dragged into minutes, and His impatience grew. It was unlike him for him to be this unsettled. Something was wrong.

Finally, the maid returned, carrying a tray with a steamy cup on top“Here is your tea, My Alpha. ”she said handing the cup over to him. Alden responded with a brief nod without glancing at her.

Alden lifted the cup to his lips, hoping the herbal tea would clear what was wrong with him, but the moment the liquid touched his tongue, his instinct was wrong, the taste was off.

He held onto the cup firmly, a slow burn began to rise in his stomach slowly building up to his chest, Alden’s chest tightened as he began to wheeze his muscles weakened.

He slammed the cup on the table nearby causing the sound to echo through the room. His vision began to blur, but he tried to maintain his focus. He glared at the maid who was standing at the door.

“ What… have you done? He asked, his voice low but with a dangerous growl, his eyes were clouded with fury.

“ My Alpha, I do..don’t know .” the maid stammered with fear in her eyes.

“Guards” Alden called out. Two guards entered the chamber immediately.

“ Take her away,” Alden ordered his voice going low as he was already feeling too weak.

“ I swear… I don’t. I don’t know what happened. ” the maid stammered while trying to free herself from the grip of the guards.

“ To the Dungeon. ” Alden completed, his voice growing weaker as the poison worked through him.

The guards dragged the maid away as she continued pleading.

Alden’s body felt weak with each passing seconds, the poison or whatever was in the tea had slowly sapped out his Energy, his vision began to blur again and his legs felt numb.

“Everyone get out,” he ordered, his voice growing weak but still has authority, the remaining servants around the chamber sensed some kind of danger but were afraid to question him. They all gave him a bow and quickly moved away closing the door behind them.

He started wheezing again, the room spinning around him, his mind tried to fight what was going on with him, but his body was unwilling to do so.

He growled in frustration, and his body tightened and began to feel sore, he collapsed onto his bed, and his body tried to resist the effect of the poison as if his Wolf wanted to fight, but it was no use because the effect of the poison pulled with greater force into a deep sleep.

Adria slipped into the chamber, tip-toeing her away inside Alden’s room with calculated steps, her breath below a whisper. She looked around making sure no one saw her as she entered Alden’s room.

Alden was lying down on his bed motionless, Adria gazed at him for a moment—she had to do this successfully to keep the spell working or else Dana would be brought back and her mission to control the pack would go away forever, she thought.

She took a deep breath as she reached into her cloak bringing out what the witch had given to her, a small root tied with strings. The witch's instruction was clear —use the root to round over his head in a circle, mention the incantation and the magic works.

She knelt beside Alden’s bed, her hands began trembling as she held up the root over Alden’s head. She whispered some incantations, her voice barely audible circling the root over Alden’s head.

A glimmer of light shined as she mentioned each word, with Alden’s body twitching up, sweat gathered on his forehead as his eyes fluttered for a bit threatening to open but the magic held him in place.

Adria continued to mention the words, her voice growing intense and cold, her eyes focused on Alden as his chest began to rise and go down rapidly. The ritual was working she thought, just as the witch had promised.

She finally said the last word, the light around Alden faded and his body relaxed into the bed. Adria stood slowly from beside Alden’s bed gazing at Alden, her heart racing, wondering if the spell had fully clicked In.

Without mentioning another word, she began to leave, taking a once-over look at Alden, she tip-toed her way quietly just as she had entered into the room. She closed the door quietly behind her.