True Power

In his younger years, Kieiran had grown used to seeing his aunts enter into new marriages. His grandfather held considerable authority and influence, especially when it came to choosing suitable partners for his daughters. With twelve sisters and three brothers, Kieiran's mother hailed from a large family.

Except for the youngest sibling, who remained unmarried, the rest seemed to change households each year.

'Is moon goddess even real?'

He had attended numerous grand weddings and had witnessed his own mother's weddings on four separate occasions.

'If she was real, how could there be no fated mates for werewolves? I've read an old book from the library before. A story about werewolves having faith that the moon goddess will give them a mate, and that mate will forever become their life partner.'

Sometimes, he found himself contemplating why his mother never seemed content with just one husband.

'By having a mate, werewolves will challenge destiny to find that one person who can share their worries. They will be faithful to each other, and one will never remarry if the other dies. They will also protect their children and will never force rules on them. Neither will they impose decisions on behalf of their children.'

As Kieiran pondered these experiences, he realized that if his stepmother chose to interfere in his affairs as Caelum had suggested, it would signify a lack of understanding and acceptance towards him in their household.

Such a scenario left him feeling isolated, without anyone in the family truly comprehending his perspective.

Since he found it challenging to accommodate and adjust to this situation, he reasoned that he could leave home and settle in an apartment close to his school. His father had never imposed financial limitations on him, so procuring an apartment, whether through purchase or rental – wouldn't pose a significant hurdle.

Subsequently, after relocating, if tensions with his stepmother persisted, there would be no viable way to mend the atmosphere at home. His foremost hope was that his stepmother wouldn't treat the werewolf pack poorly.

'If the new Luna is capable of protecting the pack and treating every pack member with respect, I might truly go as far as she would want me to be. I will also respect my father's choices if this day ever occurs. Maybe I am not enough to be the next heir of the pack, and maybe she could give birth to a more qualified son.'

However, Kieiran's understanding of Seraphyne was somewhat limited.

'I hope the son she can give my father in the future won't be as problematic as me. And I hope he can grow happily with the love of a complete family.'

He hadn't realized that Seraphyne was neither as free-spirited as he thought nor a person who would deliberately sow discord, even more so considering her unique condition as a transmigrated soul in a different world.

Seraphyne, on the other hand, was completely baffled by the circumstances that led to her soul transmigrating into a parallel universe, far from her home after the accident.

'There were no transmigrators in my family! Not even relatives who experienced the same accident...'

She found no connection to others who had experienced the same phenomenon, like those writers who wrote popular novels, leaving her bewildered and disconnected.

The initial moments in her new body were difficult as if the body was assessing her soul's compatibility with the powers it contained. Her skin seemed to burn, and her heart raced uncontrollably, nearly robbing her of her second chance at life.

'Why do I feel like I'm on fire? This body won't die because it was burned alive, right? Or what if it was?'

On that first day, even drinking water felt off. It tasted acidic and unsatisfying.

Then, she sensed an unrelenting craving for something else.

A whisper echoed in her mind: 'Blood...'

The book she found herself in was sparing with details about the stepmother's character.

'Wait! Why can't I think of anything else other than blood? Will I be some banished fairy turning into a demon and drinking blood to live? Then, what? The body was burnt to pay for my sins?'

The stepmother's existence mainly emerged through conversations between the hero and heroine discussing family dynamics.

'I should be a descendant of another race and far from becoming a vengeful demon!'

As a result, Seraphyne couldn't gauge whether the stepmother was faring well, struggling, or even in a state of illness. She only knew that she wasn't even human. 

One night, she vanished from her room, only to reappear in a different location. Overwhelmed by thirst and hunger, she frantically crawled, her weakness evident, until her hand met a spring's water. As she sipped from her palm, the sweetness of the spring water finally quenched her thirst.

"I can't entertain thoughts of blood! I am not a monster!" she cried out in anguish.

'When will I overcome this madness?'

Exhausted and drained, she eventually lost consciousness on the bare ground. When she awoke, her surroundings had shifted back to her room, but she was covered in blood.

'Am I truly a hybrid?' It was the first time she had discovered what kind of race runs in her blood.

The shock of the sight triggered a frantic attempt to piece together any lost memories.

'Did I do something unforgiving? But I never left my room!'

She checked any footprints on the ground that would testify to her leaving the room.

'There's no evidence of me leaving. Not even marks on the walls. Nor were the windows or any door opened? So where did I escape?'

Terrified that she might have harmed someone, she faced her reflection in the mirror, simultaneously hiding her actions by disposing of the blood-soaked garments.

"I am not a monster... This must be a coincidence. It must be a rare condition, like an illness," she repeated to herself as if trying to convince her own mind of her innocence before finally succumbing to sleep.

Her conviction that the original owner of this body wasn't the typical vilified stepmother grew stronger. She could sense an emptiness within the heart that wasn't truly her own, devoid of the vengeance or hatred often attributed to such characters. This assurance was bolstered by her confidence in Zephyir, the hero's father.

As Seraphyne drifted off to sleep, her final thoughts were tinged with the determination not to let herself be labeled a criminal.

In the novel's storyline, Kieiran's relationship with his father, Zephyir, carries a peculiar dynamic. Despite his apparent detachment, Kieiran has always held a deep admiration for his father. His actions, such as deliberately confronting and fighting with others to stir up trouble, were often aimed at gaining Zephyir's attention and recognition.

Zephyir, the calm and wise Alpha, never allows his son to face injustice. His presence exudes a sense of all-seeing perception, a demonstration of his role as both an Alpha and a shrewd businessman.

Following his divorce from Kieiran's mother, he refrained from remarriage for many years. When he finally considered a new union, he exercised utmost caution. His choice to marry the original Seraphyne was grounded in his foresight that she would not pose a threat to his beloved son.

Furthermore, the stark contrast in their statuses further delineates their differences.

The original owner of Seraphyne's body was a successful orphan who graduated as a top student and reveled in global travel. Regardless of being seven years younger than Zephyir, the concept of age shifts for werewolves who are destined to spend three centuries together do not matter. Age becomes a mere number in their enduring existence.

Having spent his years amassing invaluable experiences, the Alpha transcends the impulsive passions of youthful love. He's evolved beyond the rash infatuations of his earlier years.

In this context, Seraphyne considered her situation akin to navigating the 'hard mode.' She contemplated her odds of winning the heart of a man like Zephyir, who had grown beyond youthful inclinations.

Given the circumstances, instead of fervently striving to fulfill the roles of a dutiful Luna or an ideal stepmother, Seraphyne saw an opportunity. She recognized that her current status and resources presented her with a chance to secure a stable future, a decision driven by pragmatism rather than unrealistic expectations.

The gentle sound of running water roused Seraphyne from her slumber. As her eyelids lifted, a breathtaking panorama unfolded before her, revealing a stunning paradise that seemed to defy reality itself.

The air was alive with the melodies of birdsong and the whispering breeze, while vibrant flowers adorned the landscape with a kaleidoscope of colors. Tall trees stretched toward the heavens, their canopies forming a natural canopy that filtered sunlight into a gentle, golden embrace. Beneath her, a bed of soft, verdant grass seemed to invite her to linger, its texture almost ethereal against her skin.

"Where am I?" Seraphyne's voice carried a sense of wonder as if she had stepped into a vivid dream or a page plucked from a fairytale.

She shifted her gaze around, taking in the splendor of the surroundings that appeared too exquisite to belong to the realm of reality. It was as if she had stumbled into a world where every element conspired to create a realm of unparalleled beauty and serenity.

"So beautiful..." Her words escaped as a whispered sigh, her heart touched by the sheer magnificence that unfolded before her.