Hunter's POV

Today, I asked myself. Am I a terrible brother?

I heaved a deep sigh, remembering the events that transpired earlier. I lifted my palms and stared at it for a moment. These were the pair of hands that I used to protect my youngest sister Zoey from her bullies. But earlier, these were the same pair of hands I used to hit her. I shook my head trying to erase that awful memory. Did I really hit Zoey with these hands? My dear sister didn’t deserve all that!

All her life, people were looking down on her because of me and Savi. Being born into a family with high expectations was a burden she had to carry all her life. Zoey never had a chance to explore her own talents and abilities. Because here in Moonlight Pack, she was always known to be the weak sibling of the great Hunter and Savi Davis.

And, man! It broke my heart every time I hear it! She was too kind, innocent, and pure to deserve that.

I raked my hair as guilt began to eat me. I didn’t know what had gotten into me and why I did it to her. Perhaps her shameful action towards our alpha’s son was something I couldn’t bear. I knew how much she yearned to find her mate but I never realized that she would do such a thing. I mean, what was she thinking? Here I was trying to build her honor to the rest of Moonlight Pack and yet here she comes stripping in front of our alpha son. I have loved her with all my heart but I couldn’t let her get away from what she did.

It was utterly embarrassing! I couldn’t bear to look at Grayson’s face when he stood up for Savin instead of Zoey. I knew that Savi hated Zoey and was almost ready to scold her for hitting our youngest sister. But after hearing Grayson’s confession, my world came crashing down. Because for the first time in my life, I was forced to believe Savi’s words instead of hers.

However, why am I feeling this way? Why am I feeling as if I had committed a grave sin for believing Grayson and Savi’s words?

“What’s wrong, Hunter? You looked distracted.”

It was Justin’s voice, one of the trackers in our pack and a very close friend of mine. We were both assigned to scan the western perimeter of our territory and spy for any possible threat in our pack.

“Oh! Hmm...nothing. This is nothing important,” I scoffed. I tried to hide my distress by looking in another direction. However, my friend really knew me well as my excuse seemed to not work with him.

“I know that something is bothering you. I am a tracker, so I know whether you are acting normally or not. And based on my observation, something is bothering you. You know how crucial our duty is. Any distraction would cause a number of lives in Moonlight Pack.”

Hearing that, I bowed my head in shame. Justin was right, I can’t screw up this job. Being part of our security team was one of the hardest and most challenging tasks in our pack.    If I messed up, somebody would surely lose his life.

“If I were you, go and fix whatever problem you are having right now. Don’t worry about tonight’s patrol, for I will cover for you. Besides, the next set of guards will be here any minute now so you don’t have to worry.”

“There’s no need for that,” I refused. “I just needed some—”

“ But I insist,” he said sternly. “You better hurry because I might change my mind.   

Hearing this, I wasted no time and shifted into my wolf form. I figured that running in this form would make me reach home faster.

I nodded at Mark before bolting in the direction of our house. The rustling of the dried leaves echoed through the night as my feet dashed through them. The woods were a bit darker than on other nights because the moon was hiding behind the clouds. However, it wasn’t a big deal for me thanks to our enhanced vision. It was a good thing that my wolf Aegon was supportive tonight so he let me take over with ease.

Moments later, I reached our house. I went to the side and took a pair of pants that I hid behind the corner. Since my job required a lot of shifting time, I made sure to leave some clothes handy to keep myself from walking around naked.

I whistled a happy tune, as I was excited to see Zoey. I couldn’t wait to talk to my sister. She was my favorite person in the world so I hate seeing her like that. Maybe she did something wrong but that doesn't mean I would stop loving and caring for her.

As I entered the front door with enthusiasm, my smile departed from my lips when I saw my mom crying on the sofa. A surge of worry flooded my senses.

“Mom? Are you okay? What happened?” My voice was evidently distressed. I hurried to her side to console her. However, she stood up and went away from me as if I did something that upset her.

“Mom?” I didn’t understand what was happening. Why was she like this? Why do I have this feeling that something bad had happened?

“Can you please tell me what’s up? I am so confused right now. Why are you acting like this? Did I do something to offend you?” I was hoping my honest words could get into her. I wasn’t good at comforting someone. And yet, she was my mom, and whatever she was feeling concerned me. It was hard to see her face flooded with tears.

“It’s Zoey. She is…She ran away and had vowed to never come back,” she uttered softly, with his voice breaking in the process. My mom buried her face in her hand before producing another sob. This action didn’t resonate with me as I was left even more confused with what she said.

“W-w-wait, what?. What do you mean she ran away? I don’t understand—”

“She ran away from this pack! She was never coming back!” she yelled before running to her room leaving me with my jaw hitting the floor. I raked my hair, trying to wrap things up.    I balled my fist in frustration and stormed off to Zoey’s room to get to the bottom of this.

I have to see it for myself. I need to know whether my sister was already gone or not. And how I wished that my mom was only joking around!

“Zoey!” I pushed the door without even knocking, hoping that her image would welcome me. I expected Zoey to complain about invading her privacy but all I got was a deafening silence.

“No…It can’t be…” I uttered, broken and devastated. I collapsed at her bedside, staring at the cold wall silently praying that everything was just a bad dream. Nothing had changed to her things but it already felt different. It was not the same anymore, for Zoey was gone.

Dear, goddess! What comes to her mind for doing this to herself?

I turned my gaze to my left and saw her tableside. On top of it was a picture of me and her, taken a few years ago. It was proof of how much we cared for each other. Not shortly after, I felt something warm flow out of my eyes.

“Why, Zoey? What have you done?” I asked the evening breeze while holding the picture frame. I couldn’t believe my sister Zoey had run away to become a rogue. I never saw it coming. It was a situation I never imagined for myself.

And then, I noticed something else. There was a letter under her lamp. Curiosity hit me so I took it. My forehead creased as I read the name of whom the letter was for. It was for me.

“I am sorry for running away from all of this. The rejection I received from Grayson was too much to bear. I need time to heal my shattered soul. Take care of mom for me. I love you and I forgive you. You will always be in my heart wherever l go. Love, Zoey.”

My hands were shaking as I felt my heart sore with every piercing word. The memories of what had happened earlier came flashing into my head.

Dear, goddess! What have I done?

I rushed out of Zoey’s room, with my mind clouded with rage. My jaw tensed as I bit my lower lip to control my emotion. My wolf Aegon was howling from the inside but I did my best to subdue him. My mind was focused on facing the man that caused all these troubles.

Heaven forbid, I will make sure that Grayson will pay!

Grayson’s POV

“Oh, Grayson…Fuck me, please…”

Savi’s voice was on the verge of desperation. She moaned seductively as she writhed in pleasure under me. I was currently busy running my tongue to her navel. She looked like she was in deep pain but in reality, she was craving for more.

My lips traveled up to her lips and paused when I reached her collarbone. Once again, I stuck my tongue out and run that tiny muscle on her neck. Savi’s body arched. The gesture sent her to the peak of her desire.

I began to massage her white, smooth breasts. The next thing I knew, I was sucking it like a hungry baby. I held my teeth in between the peak of her breasts, pressing them slightly to put pressure on them. Then, I continued to play with her pearl using my index finger. This action made Savi go out of control.

“Ohh, please. Claim me! I am begging you…” A desperate moan escaped from her mouth. I smirked. This was the thing I was waiting for. I want her to beg like a slave.

I immediately laid her on top of the bed. Then, I started to take off my clothing. Savi sighed as she laid her eyes on manhood. I grinned. I knew that this was her favorite part of my body. I mean, who wouldn’t?

“Like what you see?” I taunted her while playing with my hard member at her front. In response, she opened her legs and whispered, “I liked it better inside me.

I kissed her lips once again, teasing her body once more.    “Not yet, baby. Not yet.”

I lowered my face once more. This time, I went between her thighs. I used my mouth to explore it, making Savi crazy with her carnal needs once again. The sensation was overwhelming for her. She held the satin bedsheet tightly while separating her legs more. The action gave me more opportunities to explore her womanhood and of course, I didn’t waste any of it.

“Yeah, that’s right. More….More…”

I continued to play with her wet core, making her delirious. Her loud moans filled the four corners of the room. Moments later, she reached the peak of her desires. I smirked as the warm liquid flowed outside her still-wet and pulsating core.

"You’re done already?" I taunted her. "But I am just warming up."

“Please…I can’t do this anymore. I need you…I need you to enter me…” And with that, I finally agreed to her pleas.

I separated her thighs and then moved my hips forward. Savi bit her lip when she felt my hard member inside of her.

I began to thrust, slowly at first. Every move was answered by Savannah’s moans. Indeed, she was loud in bed. That was fine to me as I thought of it as a validation that I was doing a good job.

“Oh, yes! More, baby! More!”

Her moans of pleasure filled the four corners of my room. Drops of sweat formed on my forehead as I continued to thrust forward inside her hot, sexy body.

“Oh…Oh…Grayson…Yeah…Yeah…”

Savi’s eyes squinted while her mouth remained open the whole time. Her skin flushed as her face continued to contort in different manners as I continued to ravish her.

I grabbed both of Savi’s breasts and massaged them to my heart’s content. Then, I taunted the pinkish mounds with my index finger, to which she responded by arching her back. Savi’s hands clung to the headboard as if her life depends on it.

My movements became faster and faster until finally, we both reached orgasmic pleasure.

“Oh, yes!…”We both panted hard after we hit our climax.

“That was one of a kind, '' Savi whispered after we were done. I remained on my spot and concentrated on my own breathing. After a few minutes, Savi’s breathing became steady. She took the blanket to cover herself before going to the bathroom to wash.

A deep, fleeting silence followed afterward.    Bored, I got up and went to my room’s balcony. The moon was hiding behind the sea of clouds so the night was a bit darker than normal. I took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of the cold, evening breeze. Feeling calm, I shut my eyes. My eyes remained closed yet the image of a woman was clear in my mind.

In the eyes of others, the lady was just ordinary. She had jet-black, messy-looking hair that flowed chaotically in the wind. Her eyebrows were a bit bushy yet complimented her deep, expressive hazel-brown eyes. Her small face would fit my hand, a simple hope inside of me that would probably remain a dream.

The moment I laid my eyes on Zoey Davis, I knew she was the one. The mate bond would only kick in once she reached her eighteenth birthday. So, I waited. And heck, I was right!

I waited for her to reach the right age for her to start looking for her mate. I silently wished she was destined for me. So when she approached me earlier with teary eyes telling me I was her mate, my wolf Eskel became ecstatic. But alas! I was a fool. Because instead of loving her, I chose to hurt her.

I had the chance to claim Zoey as mine, but I chose not to.

Yes, I was foolish. I was stupid to reject the woman who was haunting my dreams ever since I could remember. My reasons? My status as the future alpha of the Moonlight Pack. I know it was selfish but I have no choice. Everybody was expecting me to mate with a strong she-wolf.. The council wanted a Luna that was equally powerful as me.

And who would be their number one pick other than Savannah Davis, the only known female shifter in the land?

Suddenly, a pair of arms hugged me from behind. Her body was bearing a mixture of soap and my own scent. Her cheeks leaned to my back and whispered, “This was the best day of my life.

“Good,” I answered without looking back.

“I love you.”

“Okay.”

She waited for a little while before storming off my room leaving me on my own. I remained standing on the balcony trying to contemplate how foolish I was to choose my status over my mate.   

Savi would be perfect for me. She was strong, beautiful, and a great partner in bed. She was head over heels in love with me and I benefited from it.

But still, she couldn’t reach me beyond my physical needs.    I gave her an equal chance but nothing changed. My heart yearned for Zoey and I was afraid it would remain like that for the rest of my life.

With that thing in mind, I heard a sudden knock on the door. I pressed the side of my head and opened the closest mindlink to know who was behind the door. It was one of the omegas, so I started asking what he needed from me.

“Hunter Davis was downstairs, my alpha. He wanted to speak to you about something important,” the slave answered through the link.

My forehead creased yet decided to accept my unexpected guest anyway. “Tell him I will be downstairs in five minutes.”

“Right away, my alpha.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what Hunter Davis wanted to talk about this late. It must have been really important for him not to wait until morning to talk to me.

Without wasting any more time, I put on my pants. Looks like this night was far from being over.

Grayson’s POV

If there was one thing I hated about being the alpha heir of this pack, it would be unexpected late-night visits!

And yet, I remained optimistic. The moment I heard about Hunter Davis’ name, it was enough to keep me concerned. The guy was more of “the walk” than “talk”. Very seldom that he would leave his post to have a chit-chat with anyone. The guy was a sure asset to this pack. So hearing from the omega that he wanted to see me this late made me think that something really urgent was happening. And I sure wish that it was not related to the recent rogue attacks the other packs were experiencing these past few days.

As I descended the grand staircase of my home, I saw Hunter’s bulk. He was sitting on the sofa and probably waiting for my arrival. His hands were wrapped around his head as if he was in deep trouble.

“Ehem…”

The fake cough I did was enough to capture his attention. I knew that he sensed me coming as he raised his head to welcome me. But instead of greeting me, he looked at me with indifference and said, “Not here. Let us meet somewhere private.”

If I was an alpha full of ego, I would take offense at what he just said. I was the alpha heir and no one told me what to do. And yet, I kept my mouth shut.

Hunter Davis was a loyal subordinate. His loyalty to Moonlight Pack was beyond questionable. I knew that he would not do anything stupid, especially treat me with disrespect.

So it made me wonder why he was acting this way.

At last, we reached the garden of the packhouse. It was situated at the side of the house, where a fountain was located in the middle. There were a couple of benches too, and I sat in one of those. Hunter remained standing, with eyes looking somewhere far away.

“She’s gone,” he whispered, before turning his eyes to me. Hunter’s eyes were puffy and a bit reddish. His voice was an indication of remorse, broken I might say.   

“Who’s gone?” I asked. Although I knew for a fact who was the one he referred to.

But instead of answering, he took something from his pocket. He handed it to me before sitting on the bench and digging his head into his hands. His eyes darted to the side of the woods as if he was trying to avoid me seeing his emotions.

I scanned the thing that I am now holding. It was a letter. My eyebrows creased as I wondered what the letter was about. A mixture of curiosity and anticipation overcame my senses.

My jaw tensed after reading the letter. I swallowed hard, not sure of how I would react.

“Tell me the truth,” Hunter uttered after a while. He then turned his gaze toward me and looked me straight in the eyes. “Are you her mate?”

I heaved a sigh. There’s no point in denying the obvious. Lying was no longer an option here. But before I opened my mouth, another presence entered the scene. My wolf flinched feeling the intimidating aura that surrounded the being.

“You drove my daughter away!”

My wolf growled from the inside hearing the obvious display of threat. When I turned my gaze to the disrespectful member of our pack, I saw Mrs. Piper Davis walked toward us. Her eyes, which were always hazel brown, were now glowing bright yellow indicating that her wolf was about to take over.

Hunter became alert. Before his Piper inched closer, he immediately blocked her. He held one of her arms tightly but not to the point of hurting her. Hunter’s eye color changed as well and was on the brink of shifting. Although I am not sure whether he would defend me once a fight commences or if he would be the one to attack me together with Piper.

I shut my eyes and moved my head from side to side. When I opened it, my iris were now bloody red. This was one of nature’s ways of identifying the highest-ranking wolves, the alpha, from the rest of his pack.

“Mom, please. Let me handle this,” Hunter finally broke the silence. I felt a sigh of relief hearing his logical reasoning. Well, it was not that I feared Hunter in a fight. I just didn’t want to waste a great warrior like him. No one couldn’t deny his worth to our pack.

Piper’s tensed body calmed after hearing her son’s pleas. When she lifted her head, her eye color was back to its original hazel brown self.    However, the demeanor on her face remained hard, almost stony.

“I am sorry for acting inappropriately in your presence, our future alpha. I am ready to receive any type of punishment because of my insolence.”

My wolf calmed to her submission. I shut my eyes once more. This time, it was back to its normal color. “It’s fine. No harm done.”

“But…” she added, “I will never apologize for defending Zoey’s honor. My daughter is now wandering through uncharted and fatal terriSavies because of your rejection. You know how dangerous the life of a rogue is especially for a woman like her.”

Piper turned her back on us, but after a few steps, she stopped.

“While I am a member of this pack, I am also a mom. I will never forgive you for what you did to my daughter,” she declared before trending away, leaving Hunter and me to ponder her words.

After she was gone, I held a deep breath. This night was far from being over. As if in the queue, Hunter opened his mouth and went back to where we left off earlier.

“Grayson Anderson, alpha heir of the Moonlight Pack, he said. He looked me straight in the eyes pleading for honesty in my next word. “Are you the destined soul mate of my sister Zoey?”

I swallowed hard but decided to give him the honesty he deserved. “Yes,” I admitted in a soft yet still audible voice.

“You aren't anymore. Because you didn’t deserve her,” he said. His words were like daggers cutting through my heart.

“I sure hope that you will never regret your decision of choosing Savi over her. You deprived yourself of a loving mate, remember that.” With that, Hunter left me.

It was at that moment that I knew that I fucked up. Zoey was really gone. And it was all my fault.

My eyes started to well up in tears. I held on to my chest as the pain I was feeling intensified. Even my wolf Eskel howled in pain. My eyes shifted simultaneously from red to blue. I shut them in anguish as I fell to the floor on my back.

Is this the price I had to endure for choosing myself over Zoey?

In the last ounce of strength, I let go. I finally let my wolf Eskel take over my body and began my transitioning. I was dead tired. I needed a break. I need to get away from everything, even for a short while.

Fur began to grow on top of my skin. My bones creaked as my body morphed from man to beast. My nose transformed into a snout as my posture changed to that of a four-legged animal.

In my complete wolf form, I ran. All I wanted was to release myself from this excruciating sorrow I led myself into. I howled in despair as I ran to the woods without looking back.

But why did I feel as if my heart was ripped out of my chest? Isn’t this what I wanted? To be free from this bond and be with Savi?

No, this is not what I want. I want her back. I want my mate back!

Realizing what I had done, I ran as fast as I could. I needed to find her and goddess knew that I would do everything just to see her again at my side again.