Chapter 5

Ivelle delicately cleared her throat to steer the conversation forward. "You want me to host the harvest?"

Liya nodded, her expression unreadable for a moment before settling into a thin smile.

Her grandmother gazed at her with soft, smiling eyes, and a warmth spread from her core to her extremities.

The gentle smile made Ivelle's heart tremble nervously. She feared her grandmother would confirm her worst fears by endorsing the plan to reveal her identity as the Moon Jewel, a title she was slowly coming to terms with but had not fully accepted.

The weight of the blessings seemed heavier than anything she had ever borne, leaving her breathless.

"I'm sorry, dear. I know you were hoping for a different answer, but I have none for you," Liya said.

Ivelle bit her lip and collapsed onto the sofa by the window, gazing out at the moonless sky. The heavy clouds obscured the moon, making it seem as though it didn't exist, but her crescent eye told her otherwise.

She felt the presence of the moon behind the clouds, its power fueling her. Ivelle realized that her strength grew considerably at night, especially when the moon was at its peak.

Her powers would intensify. Thankfully, her grandmother's purple liquid kept them in check, and for a short time, within the walls of her home, she could pretend to be normal.

"Have you reached Papa, by any chance?" Ivelle changed the subject, eager to avoid discussing her special abilities.

Liya wrapped her arms around Ivelle from behind, pulling her close. "Your father is searching for more purple gemstones. We need to stockpile them for you... I want you to be in control of when you tap into your powers. You should be able to switch them off whenever you just want to be… you," she said softly.

Ivelle nestled into her grandmother's embrace, grateful for her and her father—two of the most important people in her life who helped lighten the burden of her gifts.

"The clouds are so thick; we can hardly see the moon. It's a pity for the children of the moon, isn't it?" Ivelle mused.

"If you pity the children of the moon, then clear the heavy clouds and give them a chance to glimpse the moon," Liya encouraged, nudging her to use her powers.

Ivelle had learned to bend the elements of nature from the books her grandmother had given her to study the entire previous week.

"Will my powers attract wolves to the house?"

"Not with the shield in place. They will sense you, but they won't know where you are."

Ivelle extended her hand toward the sky, feeling the connection between her crescent eye and the moon. She cleared her mind, focusing solely on one thought: to clear the dark clouds.

The silvery essence of the moon flooded her bloodstream like a thousand powerful streams of energy flowing through her veins and into her palm.

With intense concentration, the dark clouds began to dissipate, revealing the moon and stars hidden behind them.

The werewolves of Salkire paused as they felt her power in the air. They looked up in astonishment as the storm they had expected cleared, revealing a bright, shining moon that lifted the darkness of the night.

"It's true! The Moon Jewel is real!" people exclaimed, eagerly anticipating the harvest where her identity would be unveiled.

Unbeknownst to Ivelle and her grandmother, Alpha Kyair stood outside her bedroom window, watching her harness her powers. He slipped into the shadows, careful not to make a sound that might alert Ivelle or Liya of his presence.

"I shouldn't have been so quick to reject you. How will I ever make this right?" he murmured to himself.

For two hours, Ivelle and her grandmother watched the moon, exchanging light conversation. They savored the peaceful scenery, and for a brief moment, the rest of the world faded away, leaving only their two beating hearts.

The weight on Ivelle's shoulders lightened as she sat in her grandmother's embrace. She counted the stars in the sky, wondering which one might be her mother.

She wanted to believe that her mother was watching over her, but the nameless wrist on her skin reminded her that no one was up there looking out for her. Had her warrior mother been in the sky, she would have held the moon goddess responsible for giving her a mate who wouldn't stick around to get to know her.

"It's getting late. I should leave, and you need to get some rest," Liya said.

"You're right."

"Goodnight, peach."

"Goodnight, granny."

As Liya left the room, Kyair stealthily entered, unseen by anyone. He approached Ivelle quietly.

Ivelle touched her wrist, the emptiness in her skin breaking her heart. Her emotions swayed wildly, as if she were losing a part of herself.

"Is this how I'll live from now on? With the real me locked up in my heart? I have to build a shield to protect myself now that you've reduced me to an outcast," she cried, her heart heavy with sorrow.

Unlike the clouds in the sky that could be cleared with her crescent eye, the wound in her heart wasn't so easily healed. There was no gesture she could make to fix the brokenness inside her.

Kyair felt a sharp ache on his crescent birthmark. The pain Ivelle felt mirrored his own, and he could feel how deeply he had hurt her.

She turned to inspect the white silk dress her grandmother had prepared for the harvest.

"Argh!" she gasped, startled when she noticed her alpha standing behind her.

Kyair quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from alerting Liya.

Her superhuman hearing allowed Liya to hear Ivelle's scream, and she rushed back upstairs.

"Ivie, baby, are you okay?" she called, her voice high-pitched as she hurried toward the room.

Kyair dragged Ivelle to the door. "I need to talk to you privately. If I let you go, will you scream?"

Neither her crescent eye nor her wolf detected any hostility from her alpha. In fact, Ivelle felt an instinctive trust in him, as though he would do right by her.

She nodded. Kyair removed his hand from her mouth, and when she remained silent, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Get rid of your grandmother, please."

"Alright," Ivelle said, wiping away her tears.

When Liya arrived at the door, she was relieved to find Ivelle unharmed.

"Why did you scream, dear child?"

"The d-dress... um... it looked so plain, without any... uh... decorations at all. That shocked me," Ivelle explained, offering a cover story.

Liya raised an eyebrow, holding back a laugh. She had seen many sides of her granddaughter in recent weeks.

Ivelle had always despised glamour, preferring a low-profile, simple life. Today, however, she was asking for decorations on her dress.

"Uhm... hand it to me. I'll have it decorated before the harvest ceremony tomorrow," Liya said, reaching for the dress.

Ivelle shifted her gaze between her grandmother and her alpha. She didn't like lying to her grandmother, but she couldn't disobey the alpha—her entire pack, including her family, was under his authority.

"You know what, I'm already going to attract a lot of attention tomorrow, so I think it would be best to leave it as it is. I can't draw attention to myself with my dress, too," she quickly added.

"Are you sure? I want you to be as comfortable as possible, child."

"I am."

"Alright, I'll head down. Don't stay up too late; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I won't, nana."

"Goodnight. May the moon's essence surround your bed while you sleep and keep the nightmares away," Liya wished, kissing her granddaughter on the forehead.

"Thank you, nana. The moon's blessings are with you, always," Ivelle replied.

Liya left the room, unaware of any strange scents or sounds. She suspected nothing was amiss.

Ivelle closed the door and stepped back, taking a moment to observe her alpha closely. Despite her status as the daughter of an Elder, she had never been so near him before.

"Would you like to sit down?" she offered, gesturing to the sofa she had previously shared with her grandmother, the only place not cluttered with books.

"Yes, thank you," Kyair replied, accepting the invitation.