Fern's Perspective
"Fern, wake up."
Late at night, I was awakened by the soft voice of my wolf.
"What's going on?" I asked groggily.
"There seems to be someone talking outside."
"What are they saying?"
Before my wolf could answer, a voice from the living room caught my attention. I immediately recognized it as Tobias.
"What do you mean, what am I going to do?"
"You were at the meeting. Now there are accusations that Fern is the cause of this whole mess, and as Alpha, I have to find out who she's been in contact with," Giovanni's voice replied.
It wasn't surprising; everyone in the pack now knew that. But hearing it from Giovanni's mouth hurt more than I expected.
"Even though your actions might cause more chaos in our pack? I can't believe you actually trust what Aurora said," Tobias challenged.
"Are you questioning my decision, Tobias? Need I remind you that I am your Alpha?"
"But Fern is our pack's Luna. Regardless of your initial intentions, she became our Luna the moment you brought her back and marked her. It wouldn't have been in her best interest to betray us. I can't think of any reason why she would want to. This is her pack, isn't it?" Tobias countered.
"Her best interest? Of course, she had a reason to do it. She's always wanted to get out of here, hasn't she? Someone who's always thinking about leaving can never be a truly qualified Luna."
Qualified… Of course. I would never be a "qualified" Luna because I couldn't even earn love or a shred of respect from my Alpha. And Giovanni was right—I always wanted to leave. My heart never belonged here, not since I realized Giovanni wasn't the warm, protective "brother" I once thought he was.
A bitter taste rose in my throat.
"But things have changed since Fern came to us. We all care about her… even you," Tobias said quietly.
I held my breath, wishing desperately to hear a word of affirmation from him.
Once, with the help of Nuu-chaah, the moon goddess, I had briefly won his heart, and that was when I noticed a change in him.
I longed for the dreams I had before to come true, even though I knew they never would.
"Don't think you know how I feel," Giovanni's gruff voice responded, irritation clear in his tone. "Everything I do is for the pack."
I sighed bitterly. Fern, you should know better...
"For the pack?" Tobias protested in a low voice. "Giovanni, I've known you since you were a child, and we both know that's not true. The truth is, you're just worried about her leaving, aren't you? You're afraid of losing her—why won't you admit that?"
"Enough!" Giovanni shouted angrily, clearly losing his patience. Then, as if trying to convince himself, he added, "In any case, for the sake of the pack, I need to find out exactly who has been in contact with Fern."
"You know that's not what I'm talking about!" Tobias said, his voice rising.
"Will you keep your damn voice down?" Giovanni snapped as he walked over and shut the door completely.
It was obvious I wasn't supposed to hear whatever they were discussing. But unfortunately for them, Alpha blood runs through my veins. My senses are sharp—especially my hearing.
My instincts told me I shouldn't keep listening, but I couldn't help myself.
"I'm sorry, Alpha..." Tobias gritted his teeth and struggled to continue. "But I don't agree with this plan."
"I don't need your consent," Giovanni said coldly. "You just need to carry it out."
"So after everything... you're still going to do it?"
"Yes, Tobias. I can't let the same thing happen again."
Giovanni's voice was low, but I still heard the next words—the ones that would haunt me forever.
"Look, the pack is facing a major challenge right now, and I won't allow anything to spiral out of control. It would only cause more trouble for us. Once we've investigated everything, we need to find a way to let her go peacefully."
Giovanni's words sent a chill down my spine, and my eyes widened in shock.
What did he say? What does he mean? Who could tell me?
Fear and panic surged through me, and I clamped a hand over my mouth, stifling the sobs threatening to escape. I couldn't let them hear me. I couldn't let them know I'd overheard everything.
Eventually, their voices faded, and the sound of the front door closing echoed through the small apartment. I rose from the bed and cautiously peeked out into the main room, scanning the space to ensure they had indeed left.
"What does that bastard mean? Has his hatred reached the point where he wants to kill us?" My wolf asked in shock.
"I'm not sure."
My knees buckled beneath me, and I slid down the bedroom door, my mind racing with the thought, "What am I going to do…?"
The night was as dark as ink, and the silvery-white moonlight spilled over the old castle at the edge of the forest, casting a mysterious glow over the otherwise stately building.
I stood by the windowsill, my eyes fixed on the dark night sky outside. My emotions were as tangled and elusive as the silent night itself.
Thinking about what Giovanni had said, it felt like a heavy stone was pressing on my heart, making it hard to breathe.
Just as my thoughts were in turmoil, a faint sound broke the stillness. My gaze snapped to the source of the noise, and through the window, I saw a familiar figure—Aurora.