Natash's POV
My parents separated when I was very young, and I lived with my mother.
However, when I had just come of age, my mother fell ill and passed away. At the age of sixteen, I found myself returning to the life of the Red Valley Pack.
My father, Jacob Yael, had remarried. Over the years, Jacob Yael had achieved success in his career, and by the time I returned to the Red Valley Pack, he held a position in the pack's council.
The memory of the small barn had transformed into a standalone garden house.
My stepmother, Linda, was an opera singer, but I had no idea of her fame.
She was polite but distant.
Her politeness was so ingrained that from the moment I entered the Red Valley Pack, I felt like an outsider.
Subconsciously, I believed that this was not my home.
My true home was the small barn where my mother and I had lived together.
It was an ordinary life, but the mother-daughter bond was filled with warmth and love.
In the Red Valley Pack, I was a complete outsider.
My father was always busy, with endless meetings and social engagements.
To him, I was a constant reminder of his former marriage, and while he carried guilt for abandoning me, he also saw me as a burden.
In his eyes, I was a burden.
Blood ties bound us, and I was an obligation that he wouldn't choose if given the option.
As a rebellious teenager in such a complicated family environment, I began to shed my previous obedient demeanor.
I started skipping school, getting into trouble, and causing problems.
Whenever I caused trouble, it was never my father or stepmother who came to my rescue but the secretary in my father's office.
While there was a lack of emotional closeness in the family, materialistically, I had everything I needed.
My stepmother was generous, and my monthly allowance was almost equivalent to what I used to live on with my mother in a month.
However, it was still just money, and using money to dismiss me created a sense of psychological rejection.
My stepmother's gaze towards me was not strict, but it always carried an undertone of seeing me as a troublemaker.
I became exceptionally sensitive, and as a sixteen-year-old girl, it was challenging to change for the better but remarkably easy to learn bad habits.
Dating, skipping school, smoking, drinking—these were part of my past, even though there was no trace of these behaviors in my present life.
Although my life had veered off course for a while, it hadn't been completely twisted. The person who steered me back on the right path was Jaclyn Dills.
He probably didn't even realize the extent of his influence on me.
At the school I attended, it wasn't very prestigious, and there was a stark divide among the students.
Some had already bonded with their wolves and found their mates at a young age.
At that time, I couldn't control my wolf very well, which gradually distanced me from most students.
I ended up hanging out with the less academically inclined students and getting caught up in reckless behavior.
The first time I encountered Jaclyn Dills was at an upscale members-only bar.
I was there with a group of people, and I still wasn't entirely comfortable in such places.
The noisy music, the dance floor illuminated by neon lights, the couples dancing with a certain intoxicating aura—it all had a tempting allure, an urge to indulge in decadence.
I didn't know how to dance, so I sat on the side, sipping a colorful cocktail that tasted sweet and slightly spicy, like soda.
I enjoyed drinking because it left my head in a hazy state, as if I could forget about the most immediate worries. Among that group of people, I was quite popular.
I wasn't stunningly beautiful, but I had an attractive, somewhat mature appearance with a touch of melancholy and a hint of rebellion. It made me more charming than girls my age.
I particularly attracted the attention of older boys going through their adolescent years. This vague sense of affection and admiration made me quite popular.
Even though I didn't talk much and always seemed a bit reserved, it didn't matter.
I declined an invitation to dance from a familiar guy because I didn't know how to dance.
In fact, my life had been simple and monotonous in the sixteen years leading up to that point. I had never learned to dance, but I had studied ballet. From childhood until middle school, my mother had been teaching me ballet, but I stopped once I reached high school.
Here, my ballet skills were probably considered a joke.
I was adept at concealing my awkwardness, so I rarely appeared anxious.
On the other hand, it was also a manifestation of my timidity.
I sat there, growing increasingly bored, when suddenly, the delicate fragrance of daisies caught my attention. Jaclyn Dills was being surrounded by a group of people as he entered.
Like any other girl, I had an appreciation for handsome men, and each of the four men who accompanied Jaclyn Dills seemed more attractive than the next, exuding powerful auras.
The reason I noticed Jaclyn Dills was not only due to his impeccable features but also his innate elegance.
As he walked to the front and joined the band in playing a melodious saxophone tune, his elegance was both graceful and dazzling.
Standing at the front, Jaclyn Dills seemed like the brightest star in the night sky, and from my perspective, I could only look up to him.
In the next moment, this star suddenly landed right next to me. He took the cup from my hand and examined me closely, patting my forehead. "Little girl, go home early.
This is not the place for you. Come back when you're a bit older; it's never too late."
In that moment, not only did I catch the scent of daisies I had never experienced before, but I also saw the moon goddess herself.
Natash's POV For the first time, I tasted the flavor of a secret crush. My previous relationships had been nothing more than youthful adventures. When Jaclyn Dills first approached me, the pounding of my heart, the silly way I stared at him, the sensation of my entire body heating up, and the way my mind went blank repeatedly reminded me that I had feelings for this man. If the two of us hadn't had any further interactions, perhaps my secret crush wouldn't have lasted very long. However, fate had a playful twist in store for us. That's why they say destiny is a decisive factor in the relationships between men and women, capable of guiding the twists and turns of a lifetime. In just a few days, I saw Jaclyn Dills at my home. It was then that I learned that Jaclyn Dills' father was my father's former boss and a well-known elder in the pack. Jaclyn Dills' mother was an opera enthusiast and often attended performances by my stepmother, Linda. Over the years, our two families had ma
Natash's POV The ringing tone not only interrupted my reverie but also yanked me out of my thoughts. My face was slightly flushed, and my small hands were quick to push away the man in front of me. I belatedly realized that his influence on me was still immense, to the point where, when he got close, I had no resistance left. I knew very well that I was at a significant disadvantage from the beginning. Our marriage had nothing to do with the love that resided in my mind. Love, in Jaclyn·Dills' case, might be something that didn't exist at all. And it was because of this that I realized that the Moon Goddess could make mistakes too. In the past, when I watched idol dramas and cried my eyes out, if Jaclyn·Dills ever saw me, he wouldn't say anything. Instead, he would look at me with an incredible expression, owing to his good manners and poise. Sometimes, he would cast a glance at the TV screen, where some melodramatic eight o'clock drama was playing, and furrow his brows before say
Natasha's POVI didn't want to say anything to him here.My face had already suffered enough embarrassment moments ago, forgetting everything in the midst of kissing in a place like this. It's a hospital, and apart from us, there are several patients receiving IV drips and nurses around.I lowered my head, deliberately choosing to ignore the faint but noticeable gazes fixed on me.Exiting the IV room, I walked briskly. Despite my short stature and petite frame, I took two steps, and Jaclyn Dills caught up with just one step.Therefore, by the time we reached the emergency room door, I was already slightly out of breath, while Jaclyn Dills continued to follow me with an unhurried pace.It was well past eleven at night, and the early winter evening breeze carried a bone-chilling cold.Lifting my gaze, I could see distant, dimly lit lights and some desolate streets beneath the chilly glow.At first glance, this place resembled Red Valley Pack. Same bustling city, the noise settling into
Natasha's POVI avoided him precisely because of this—I didn't want to endure his anger. In reality, he had never erupted in front of me, except for the one time when I wanted to work after our marriage. Most of the time, I couldn't read this man. He stood tall, looking down at me as if a deity, and I, a mere ant in the vast world.From the beginning, we were never meant to be together.The forced compatibility due to our backgrounds disappeared, and I chose to leave for the sake of the little pride I had left.For the past two years, I deliberately avoided thinking about him.I didn't pay attention to family matters, didn't read newspapers or news. I subconsciously avoided everything related to our past.Annelie said I was running away, but other than running away, I couldn't think of any other solution.When I found out I was pregnant and felt the living presence of a small life inside me, my life took a turn. A child, a child belonging to Jaclyn and me.I was overjoyed, like any wo
Jaclyn's POVI really wanted to tear open this woman's chest and take a good look to see what exactly was on her mind. Or perhaps, she had no heart at all; it had long been devoured by some stray dog.Clearly a timid woman, yet a few words from her could infuriate me to no end.I didn't even care about it, but she was all focused on getting a divorce from me.How beautiful.When we got married, she was more than willing. Now that she's married to me, there's no way she can get a divorce.She talked to me about matrimonial law as if I wasn't familiar with it. I raised a sarcastic smile and said, "The pack's law states that if mates' wolves live separately for more than two years, it can be considered a possible condition for a broken relationship, provided that one party files for divorce. So, what's your intention? Are you going to file for divorce and take me to court, or are you going to sue Jacob?"Natash Yael kept her head down, biting her lip in silence.She knew very well that s
Natash's POV:As soon as I opened the door, I saw Sophia walking around in the living room, holding Perry and murmuring softly.It startled me.Perry was born premature, a month early, weighing just a little over four pounds.She spent almost half a month in an incubator.Her little face, small body, and weak breath made her look like a fragile and pitiable kitten, with a mouth so small it couldn't even hold a bottle.My breast milk was limited, and my overall care during that period wasn't great.The poor little girl often couldn't eat enough, lacked strength, and fell asleep with a bottle in her mouth, whimpering and twitching in her sleep.It got a bit better after three months, but at six months, she developed bronchitis. She had needles on her tiny forehead, and the pain in my heart was unbearable.I spent many nights holding her, rocking and comforting her. Normally, at this hour, a child would have been asleep, but holding her now likely meant she wasn't feeling well again.I h
Jaclyn's POV:I returned to Red Valley Pack overnight and sat on the terrace of the villa for the whole night. In the morning, I drove back to Red Moon Pack.I spent the night pondering but couldn't figure out why she didn't come back with me, just like I didn't understand why she left in the first place.For the first time in my life, I began to question my charm. Could she hate me so much that she wanted to avoid me for the rest of her life?The girl who used to be docile and obedient in my arms, now seemed to have grown bold. I even doubted whether I had been mistaken before; perhaps, if a rabbit bares its teeth, it could bite. Even if not fatal, it would still hurt.Then, I remembered the kiss in the hospital. Suddenly, I felt that she wasn't completely indifferent to me. The direct reaction she had, I could feel it.So why this inconsistency in her actions?I needed to figure this out. After a night of contemplation, I couldn't understand anything else, but one thing was clear—I
Annelie's POV"What now?" I felt a bit puzzled by these two. In fact, I knew about Natash·Yael's secret crush on Jaclyn·Dills for a decade.Natash·Yael was a reserved and stubborn person.Back when I was distressed by my inability to afford tuition and pulling my hair by the college lake, she approached me, softly asking about the reason.We shared a dorm, but for almost a semester, we hadn't exchanged many words.In my eyes, Natash·Yael seemed a bit aloof, and at the time, she was quite insecure.Here, she wasn't the celebrated top scorer in the pack's high school; she was just an outsider from a pack.It took me a while to realize that not everyone was kind and genuine. Some people were malicious, even contemptuous and mocking.In less than a year, I experienced it all. Just when I was losing hope and on the verge of despair, I met Natash·Yael.Although Natash·Yael would never admit it, she was my benefactor, showing me hope in moments of despair.This seemingly ordinary and reserve