The Breeder Luna Bites Back

ice pulls me from my thoughts.

g a smile. "Just...ne

s. "We've got your back. Besides, if any harpy

pression hardening. "They won't get n

set. "We'll protect

lly do. But the fear is still

ly. He looks at me with a thoughtful tilt of his head. "Actually, th

ng. "Oh, here we go. Betting

t a thing for that guy, don't you, Lys? Always bringi

. "He's a good guy, AND alpha. Strong, reliable. T

hair. "Yeah, well, some of us aren't as c

air like a haunting shadow. They don't know. They don't know he's the one w

of the room, the comfort of their presence. Tomo

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rough these halls that are supposed to be familiar but feel so foreign. Each

lled with old books and dusty trinkets. There's a large window on one side, letting i

Something tugs at the edge of my memory, a faint whisper of a time long forgotten. I

detailed, delicate. I pick up a small wolf, running my fingers over its smooth s

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kneeling beside me, his hands moving skillfully as he carves a small wooden wolf. I'm w

ask, my voice

with gentle hands. "Careful now,

to carve. The wood is rough under my fingers, but I'm careful, s

e says, ruffling my hair.

ud, happy. This is ou

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he wolf figurine slips from my fingers, clattering to the floor. I pr

r? A family friend?

he memory lingers, just out of reach, but it's there.

the hall. The air is cool, carrying the scent of fresh flowers, of earth and ro

bear, an old music box that plays a hauntingly familiar tune, a small bracelet wi

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d me, the branches scratching at my arms, my face. I can hear the wolves behind me

out, desperate, beggi

s me forward, faster, until I trip, falling hard to the ground. The

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but the fear still clings to me, thick and suffocating. I lean against the wall,

I need to cl

es-roses, hibiscus, something sweet and familiar. I walk along the stone path, my steps slow and measured, as if I'm c

ountain. The water cascades down, the sound soothing, cal

Kel