Janet didn’t pull her hand away.
She let the moment settle.
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Let the weight of what had just happened sink in…quietly, deeply…before she finally lowered her hand back to her lap.
Darren rose to his feet, slow and controlled, but something felt different now.
A line had been crossed.
And he knew it.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Janet exhaled lightly, her gaze drifting back to the fire.
“There’s something else,” she said.
Darren’s patience thinned almost instantly.
“There’s always something else with you,” he muttered.
Janet didn’t react to the tone.
“Relax. It’s about the ritual I spoke of,” she continued calmly. “You want my guidance, don’t you?”
That caught his attention.
Darren’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’m listening.”
Janet tilted her head just slightly, as if she was listening to a voice beyond the room.
“The ritual requires more than intent,” she said. “More than preparation. More than just blood.
”
She paused.
“It requires the right blood.”
Darren cleared his throat.
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Something about the way she said it… made him nervous. But he tried to look composed.
“What kind of blood?” he asked.
Janet’s gaze lifted slowly to meet his.
“The kind that hasn’t walked this earth in generations.”
Silence followed.
Darren frowned faintly, already irritated.
“Stop speaking in riddles.”
Janet didn’t.
Instead, she said-
“The Celestine Luna.”
The words settled between them.
And for a second-
Darren just stared at her.
Then he laughed.
Sharp and disbelieving.
“You can’t be serious.”
Janet said nothing.
That only made it worse.
Darren shook his head, a scoff slipping out as he turned slightly, pacing a step before facing her again.
“That?” he said. “That’s what you’re basing this on?”
His tone hardened.
“That old story?” he continued. “Something they fed us when we were children?”
His gaze sharpened now, irritation building.
“I know that tale better than most,” he added. “We all grew up on it.”
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A slight pause.
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“The rare Luna,” he went on, his voice edged with mockery now. “Blessed with sight. With healing. Blood so powerful it could ‘elevate a pack beyond all others.”
He exhaled sharply.
“It’s a myth.”
Janet didn’t react.
Didn’t interrupt.
She just stared at him.
And slowly-
That confidence in his tone began to falter.
“You don’t believe that,” he said.
“I don’t deal in myths,” Janet replied calmly.
Silence.
Darren’s jaw tightened slightly.
“You’re telling me,” he said slowly, “that something no one has ever proven… something no
one has ever seen…”
His gaze locked onto hers.
“…is suddenly real?”
Janet didn’t look away.
“It has always been real.”
The certainty in her voice made the room feel smaller.
He studied her carefully now.
Because Janet didn’t exaggerate.
She didn’t chase fantasies.
If she was saying this-
Then it meant something.
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“Even if I entertain that,” Darren said, more controlled now, “what does that have to do with me?”
Janet leaned forward slightly.
Everything about her sharpened just a fraction.
“The ritual you want,” she said, “cannot be completed without her.”
Janet held his gaze.
“That blood,” she continued quietly, “is what transforms it from a regular ritual… into something that changes everything.”
“And if you want to give this pack power no one can challenge…”
Her voice dropped slightly.
“That’s where you begin.”
–
BLOOD CRESCENT
FAYE
I was sitting across from Alexander in his office. He was pacing, hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowed in that way he did when he was trying to figure something out.
“I might be wrong,” he began, glancing at me briefly, “but… I think there’s something… unusual going on between Jeffery and Roman.”
I raised an eyebrow, and I could see the moment he realized how that sounded.
“Not… like that,” he quickly added, hands lifting as if to physically separate the thought from the words he’d just spoken. “I mean…there’s something in the way they interact. Some kind of recognition, subtle, but… there.”
Recognition? I blinked, tilting my head slightly. He paused and ran a hand over his face before continuing.
“I also noticed something back on the first day Jeffery visited… Roman walked into the living room from outside. It was brief, almost nothing, but I noticed Jeffery’s posture, the way his shoulders tensed, how he shifted when he saw Roman.
“At the time, I didn’t think much of it, just assumed it was… nothing. But after what happened earlier today, it’s coming back. I can’t shake the feeling there’s more to it.”
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I waited for him to get to the point.
“Is it possible Roman is a Stonevale wolf?” Alexander said.
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I thought about it for a moment. Possible, yes. But Alexander might be overthinking…he had a habit of connecting dots no one else could see.
“I haven’t noticed anything,” I said softly, “Maybe you’re just reading too much into it.”
He met my gaze and gave a small shrug, that tight, deliberate shrug he always did when admitting he might be wrong. “Maybe,” he said quietly.
I let out a slow breath, feeling the need to move, to release the tension settling in my shoulders. The office felt stifling all of a sudden, heavy with unspoken thoughts.
“I… think I’m going to…” I paused, rising from my chair. “I’m going for a walk.”
Alexander’s brow lifted slightly, a crease forming between his eyes. He was probably surprised I wasn’t as invested in the discussion as I should have been. “Are you alright?” he asked, his tone filled with concern.
I paused, tilting my head as if checking myself. “I think I am,” I said slowly. “I’m just feeling a little… off. Nothing’s wrong, really. Just… not feeling bright today.”
I woke up feeling a little anxious today. And I had no idea what was wrong with me.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
