Back in her room that night, Maria was deep in sleep when a chilling scream escaped her lips.
"I can’t die here... I’ll fight you with everything I have!" she cried out, bolting upright in bed, her body drenched in sweat.
Her breathing was heavy, her eyes wide with fear. It took her a moment to realize it had only been a dream—but it felt too real.
"What are these nightmares?" she whispered, trembling. "Why do they keep haunting me?"
Despite the air conditioning, her body was soaked in sweat, her heart pounding in her chest.
"I need to move faster with my plans," she muttered to herself, getting out of bed. "These dreams... they feel like warnings. I just hope they’re not signs of something worse."
Her eyes burned with a new intensity. There was no time to waste. Time, she realized, wasn’t on her side anymore.
And she refused to die like her parents...
***
Maria was in her room, carefully preparing for the meeting she was meant to accompany Bernard to at the packhouse.
Her mind was busy, half-focused on what to expect, when a knock on the door startled her.
"Yes, come in," she called out, turning slightly toward the sound.
The door opened, and a maid stepped in, holding a neatly packaged bag in her hands. Maria’s brows furrowed in confusion.
"Where’s that from?" she asked, eyeing the bag with curiosity.
"It’s from Alpha Bernard," the maid replied with a polite nod. "He asked that you wear the gown inside for the meeting at the packhouse."
Maria blinked, taken aback. "Bernard sent this... for me?"
The maid nodded once more, handed over the bag, and left without another word.
Left alone, Maria stared at the bag in her hands, then mumbled to herself with a puzzled expression, "Why would Bernard choose an outfit for me without telling me first?"
She carefully unzipped the bag. Inside was a gown... elegant, and radiating beauty. It was undeniably stunning.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Maria wrestled with her thoughts.
’Should I wear this?’ she wondered. ’Would wearing it mean I’ve given in to him, completely?’ After a long pause, she finally stood and slipped into the dress. Something about it made her feel seen... chosen. Whether she liked it or not, this gown was a statement—and she was about to make it.
noveldrama Once she stepped out of her room, she was met with the eyes of Beta Gilbert, Bernard, and his mother, all gathered in the sitting room waiting for her.
Their gazes softened as they took in her appearance.
"You look beautiful," Bernard’s mother said warmly.
Beta Gilbert gave an approving nod, but it was Bernard’s smile that lingered. He didn’t say much, just smiled at her all through the car ride to the packhouse.
His expression made it clear; he was pleased, proud, even that Maria had accepted the gown and was standing by him as his Luna.
**At the Packhouse** The car pulled up, and the group stepped out with grace. Bernard walked toward Maria and offered his arm, a silent gesture for her to hold him.
Maria hesitated only for a moment before slipping her hand through his arm.
Bernard beamed, and they walked side by side into the packhouse. As they passed through, pack members bowed their heads in respect—the Alpha and his Luna had arrived.
When they reached the elders’ table, the elders stood and bowed as well. Maria and Bernard acknowledged them with nods and soft smiles.
Maria remembered this kind of greeting, it mirrored how her parents had once been welcomed in grand events like this.
They soon took their seats and the meeting commenced. One of the elders, standing confidently in front of the crowd, called the gathering to order.
"Good evening, prestigious members of the great Blue Moon Pack!" he boomed.
The crowd responded with thunderous howls. Maria remained silent amidst the chorus, her quiet presence going unnoticed in the excitement.
The elder continued, "Traditionally, we should all transform into our wolf forms to welcome our new Alpha to the podium. But this Alpha..." He paused with a smile, "...is different. He has requested we stay as we are. He appreciates your presence here today!"
The room filled once again with howls as the elder gestured toward Bernard, welcoming him to the stage.
Maria’s heart had nearly dropped when the elder mentioned transforming.
’I still can’t shapeshift,’ she thought in panic. But Bernard’s intervention spared her the shame. She let out a quiet breath of relief.
She watched Bernard intently as he took the stage, delivering his speech with confidence and strength. Every time he mentioned her name, his eyes found hers—and he smiled.
’Is Bernard truly falling for me?’ Maria wondered. ’Or is he just playing the game better than I am?’ She frowned slightly.
’Bernard has never been the type to hide his feelings. If he had truly wanted me back then, he would have said so. No, he’s playing a game. He must be.’ Still, she smiled, masking her thoughts behind a composed face.
The crowd erupted in cheers, especially as Bernard delivered the final part of his speech with fiery determination.
"I will not be a weak Alpha! I promise you all, the Blue Moon Pack will be the greatest pack to ever exist! And if anyone, from any pack, dares to challenge us..." He growled, his tone fierce. "...they will answer to me!"
Suddenly, before anyone could react, Bernard transformed. His body shifted in seconds into a giant white wolf, his eyes glowing blue, the sacred color of the Blue Moon Pack.
Gasps filled the air as Bernard leaped into the crowd with powerful strides. He ran toward the back, fierce and fast, before grabbing a man hiding among the pack members.
He dragged the man to the front, back to the podium, baring his sharp fangs. Everyone watched in stunned silence.
"Please! Don’t kill me!" the man cried out, trembling as Bernard’s massive form towered over him.
Bernard shifted back into human form in a flash. His voice, though human again, carried raw fury.
"Where are you from? Who sent you here?"
The man stammered, shaking uncontrollably.
"I... I don’t know who he is! He always comes to me at night... threatened to kill me if I didn’t follow his orders. He gave me your picture, described this place. That’s all I know, I swear!"
"So you have no name. No identity. Why should I spare you?" Bernard narrowed his eyes.
"I-I just know that when he visits... his bodyguards, they transform, like you did. But their eyes, they’re not blue. They’re different," the man added quickly.
The word transform echoed through the crowd.
Maria’s chest tightened. The elders exchanged uneasy glances. The implication was loud and clear.
An attack is coming from the rival pack, which means, war was looming...