Marco’s POVLily’s screams ring in my ears, and she thrashes wildly in the pond, sending water in every direction. I race to her side, jumping in before Eric even reaches the edge of the pond. Lily wraps her arms around me with a gasp, her nails digging into my skin. I grimace as she splashes me, hauling her out of the water. “Lily, calm down. Stop it. I got you,” I growl at her, and she wiggles a bit less at my command. I carry her out, setting her down gently on the ground. Eric quickly joins us, his expression wrought with worry. “You shouldn’t have done that,” my brother says quietly to me. “I would have gone in to rescue her.”I know Lily is not mine to rescue. She’s with Eric now, and he’s the one that should be rushing to her aid. But I’m faster and stronger, and I would have done it for anyone. Even though Lily and I aren’t together anymore, I wasn’t going to stand by and watch as she drowned. “You’re welcome,” I growl at him sarcastically before nodding towards Lily. “Tak
Tanya’s POVI’m hot and cold all at once, the fever wracking through my body. The chill of the pond from that night seems to have seeped into my bones, making me shiver even a sweat clings to my skin. My hand rests on my stomach as guilt courses through me, stronger and sharper than any discomfort from the fever.If I were the only one sick, I wouldn’t mind. But at that moment, when I jumped in after the earrings, I forgot that I’m not just making choices for myself anymore. There’s a child growing in me that will suffer the consequences of my mistakes. I berate myself for not having thought of that when I recklessly threw myself into the water. If this baby suffers because I made myself ill, I’ll never forgive myself.What kind of mother will I be?Something shifts on the best beside me, and I wince at the stiffness in my joints. My eyelids are heavy with fatigue, and everything seems blurry and far away like I can’t tell whether I’m awake or dreaming.Suddenly someone’s lying beside
Tanya’s POVOnce I’m fully recovered, I visit Lady Vivian’s home in the palace every few days to learn her craft. The days I get to work as her apprentice quickly become the highlight of my week. Her wing of the palace is not as grand as the ballroom or the main hall, but I can tell from the moment I step through the doorway that Lady Vivian’s home is filled with love. She has a delicate woman’s touch and carries herself with admirable grace and dignity. She looks young for her age, but there are a few tiny wrinkles around her eyes when she smiles that make her look friendly and enchanting. “Careful when diluting the oils, dear,” she says, watching as I pour the contents of a dropper into a larger bottle. “Remember that the concentration of the extract will affect the intensity and duration of the fragrance.”I follow her advice, carefully mixing the solutions. There’s something incredibly soothing about being around Vivian, and I can’t help but feel the need to make her proud.“Wel
Tanya’s POV“I just don’t know what to do,” I mutter in defeat. “I don’t know how he would want to celebrate exactly, but I want to make it perfect for him.” There’s a hesitant silence on the other side of the sheer curtain, and I stare at my hands, fiddling anxiously with my wedding ring as I proceed. Perhaps I’ve missed something? “My husband… He’s very special, and everyone knows it. But I see more to him than high society and status. He’s the child of a surrogate, and his biological mother died when he was very young, just like me. My relationship with my stepmother was always strained, and my father never allowed me to celebrate my birthday.” My father resented that I was born on a blessed harvest moon but didn’t manifest a wolf, so he considered my birthday a waste. Unlike me, Marco is very strong and powerful. I don’t think the king hurt Marco like my father hurt me. But there are many to damage a child. “I believe my husband has a complicated relationship with his own step
Tanya’s POVHe’s here. Goddess saves me, Marco is here, and I don’t know what I’m going to do. There’s no way I have enough time to take down all the ribbons, balloons, and ornaments that I’ve used to decorate the interior of the townhouse. There’s no time. The best I can hope to do is hide the birthday cake, so I pick up the tray where I’d set the cake and gift down and whirl around to try and stash it away. But it’s too late.I turn around and freeze at the sight of Marco hovering in the doorway. He stands there staring at me, his face unreadable as his eyes scan the gathered crowd. Nobody dares cheer or yell ‘surprise!’ Everyone just stands there in deathly silence, and I wish I could disappear. I’m so ashamed I could crumple into the ground. Marco takes a step towards me. Then another. Each step echoes in the quiet hall and feels like a blow to my heart until he’s standing right in front of me. I stare at the floor, feeling like an utter fool. He doesn’t say anything for a while
Tanya’s POVAfter an early dinner, Marco invites me to go on a drive with him. He takes me out of the capital, driving for miles until we reach a glen on the outskirts of the kingdom. He tells me that we’re in the Blue Moon Pack.It’s impressive to see how expansive the Kingdom of Mador truly is, and I’m reminded of how much power his family holds to rule over all of this, even the territories inhabited by other packs.“I want to show you something.”Marco parks the car, and we walk for a short while, reaching a beautiful clearing in the glen. At the heart of the small valley is an enormous tree with hundreds of little beautiful flowers. I’d never seen it before, but I immediately recognize where we are. Even I’ve heard the wondrous stories of the Blue Moon Tree. Legend says the ancient tree was blessed by the Moon Goddess herself many centuries ago, and those beautiful flowers around the tree must be the Blue Moon Flowers.People are gathered in the open space, some walking around pe
Tanya’s POVI am walking back home with excitement clearly written all over my face. I have a bright smile on my face while I cling the application form closely to my heart.When I consider how my life has drastically changed, I am very surprised. My life has gotten much better, and I have a number of people to be grateful for. One of those people is Lady Viviane, Lily’s mother.We’ve only known each other for a couple of months, and it feels as though we’ve known each other since forever. She is slowly becoming the mother I never had.I finished early with Lady Viviane, and I want to enjoy an evening stroll before I reach home.My stroll takes me by the main gate of the palace. The main gate is truly a majestic work of art. It is adorned with gold and shines brightly under the evening sun. The gate was also peaceful. I expect to feel the same peace as I walk by but a loud noise startles me. I look towards the gate and am surprised to see the guards forcefully toss a man out of the pa
Tanya’s POVI can’t bring myself to watch anymore.Each second I spend by the window feels like a shard of glass is constantly digging into my heart.I can’t bear it anymore.The moment Lily’s silhouette intersected with Marco’s I turn my head away in pain. I don’t have the courage to continue watching. How can I stand there watching my dearly beloved husband kiss another woman? I can’t. I hastily turn away from Lily’s office and run back the way I came. The pain in my heart is almost unbearable. I’ve never felt this much pain in my entire life, and it feels like I am breaking apart with each step I take.The tears that pool in my face make my vision blurry as I run back to my office. I clasp my mouth tightly with my hands as I try to fight back the tears. Although I don’t want to believe it, it doesn’t change what happened.Lily and Marco kissed.I am struggling not to cry but it is becoming increasingly difficult. I quickly scoop my bag from the table and dash out of the office. I d