Chapter 15\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat cross-legged on the bed, my palms resting on my thighs, eyes closed. My breathing came out shallow and controlled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sweat ran down my back in slow trails, clinging to the thin white garment that now pressed tightly against my skin. It was uncomfortable, but I couldn\u2019t allow myself to care. If I broke focus now, or faltered even once, I would cough blood again, and tear something vital inside me, or worse, I would die.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This technique was never meant for the weak. Many had died trying to master it. It would\u2019ve been easy in my older body. but now I had no choice but to tread carefully. This was the only way to strengthen this frail body.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I steadied my breath again, circulating the energy through my body in the correct rhythm, feeling the way it moved like waves under my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air in the room shifted. I could sense the good energy, brushing against me. I slowly drew it in, letting it flow into my veins, and nourishing me. It filled every aching muscle, every fragile bone, spreading warmth until I felt the heaviness of my body begin to fade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Minutes\u2026 or hours, I didn\u2019t know how long had passed. My body felt lighter, more agile, the stiffness replaced by a strange serenity. When I felt the energy settle inside me, I began to slow my breathing, letting it return to its natural rhythm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, I opened my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The darkness of the room greeted me first. My pupils adjusted slowly, catching the faint flicker of sun that seeped through the cracks in the curtains. I flexed my fingers, clenching and unclenching them. There was a difference, I could feel it. My body was more powerful than before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The breathing technique was part of many techniques out there. A werewolf could only learn a technique, because it took years to perfect one, and learning more than one could lead to death because techniques could clash against each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The result of the breathing technique wasn\u2019t that remarkable, but every art, no matter how powerful, begins with understanding one\u2019s own body. And this one helped me do just that. By drawing in the energy around me and calming my spirit, I could relearn myself piece by piece. Besides, I knew every technique; I had mastered one in every lifetime and learned how to bend them all to my will.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was why I had spent an entire week locked inside this dark room with no food, rest, or distractions. Evelyn had stood guard outside the whole time, never letting anyone through. She took her duty so seriously that even when the temple servants tried to intervene, she drove them away in anger. I heard it all from the other side of the door, even in the depths of my meditation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And even now, I caught a familiar scent drifting from behind the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A small smile tugged at my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could almost picture her now, pacing impatiently outside, her hands fidgeting, dying to open the door and make sure I was\u00a0<\/p>\n
still alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can come in, Evelyn,\u201d I said softly, stretching my neck and rolling my shoulders. \u201cI\u2019m done-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door burst open before I even finished speaking. Evelyn stood at the threshold, panting as though she had been running laps around the temple. Her eyes widened when she saw me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lady!\u201d she gasped, rushing to my side. \u201cWhat happened? Why are you sweating so much? Are you sick?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head, flexing my fingers and stretching out my legs as I leaned back slightly. \u201cNot at all, in fact, I doubt I\u2019ll fall sick easily now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:40 Tue, Dec 23 MG\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 15\u00a0<\/p>\n
She blinked at me, confusion clear in her wide eyes. Of course, she wouldn\u2019t understand what I meant. I didn\u2019t bother explaining either. Some things were better shown than told.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at me properly, Evelyn, do I look sick to you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hesitated, then really looked at me, her gaze scanning from my face to my posture, to my hands and back again. Her brows lifted slowly in surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you don\u2019t,\u201d she said, smiling. \u201cIn fact, you look slightly more\u2026 grown. Your cheeks are fuller, your skin is glowing. Oh, goodness, my lady, you look amazing! You are already so stunning, how could you look even more stunning!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I chuckled, the sound low. \u201cThank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She grinned, clearly proud of herself for noticing, but then something changed in her demeanor. Her smile faltered, and she bit her lip nervously, clutching something in her hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised an eyebrow, amused. \u201cDo you have something for me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn froze. Her eyes darted away from mine before she awkwardly scratched the back of her head. \u201cI- yes, I do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my head, curiosity piqued. \u201cCan I see it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her grip tightened around whatever she was holding, as if she were embarrassed, but after a few seconds she finally opened her palm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A small jade pendant lay there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at it, surprised. The stone was simple, smooth, and oval-shaped, with faint carvings around the edges. It wasn\u2019t anything luxurious, but the delicate craftsmanship and the soft shade of blue made it oddly beautiful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn\u2019s shy voice broke the silence. \u201cI know it\u2019s not worth anything,\u201d she said quickly. \u201cThe pendant isn\u2019t really suited for your status, but when I saw it, I couldn\u2019t help it. The color reminded me of the blue in your eyes, so I carved it into a necklace for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t say anything for a moment. My eyes stayed on the jade pendant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn\u2019s nervousness grew. She fidgeted, her fingers trembling. \u201cI-I apologize, my lady,\u201d she blurted, her voice almost cracking. \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have given you something like this. Please forgive-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before she could finish, I reached out and gently took her hand, closing her fingers back around the pendant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is rule number one?\u201d I asked, meeting her startled gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn stared at me, her lips moving before her voice came out in a sof\/murmur. \u201cDon\u2019t\u2026 apologize,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taking the pendant from her trembling hand, I held it up to the faint light. The jade shimmered faintly. Without hesitation, I tied it around my neck, the cool stone pressing gently against my pale skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fingers brushed the pendant once, lingering on its smooth surface. \u201cThank you, Evelyn, I love it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her face brightened instantly, a wave of relief washing over her features. \u201cThank the goddess,\u201d she exhaled, clutching her chest dramatically. \u201cI was so nervous. I wanted to give you something for your coming-of-age ceremony, but I was terrified you wouldn\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked. \u201cMy what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn blinked back at me. \u201cYour birthday, my lady,\u201d she said, tilting her head slightly. \u201cToday is your eighteenth birthday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:40 Tue, Dec 23\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 15\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tonight, under the full moon, you\u2019ll finally receive your wolf. The whole pack is talking about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, I froze. Her words echoed in my ears. Eighteen. My wolf.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could feel my heartbeat quickening from the anticipation that burned through my veins. My hand instinctively moved to the pendant, clutching it as a slow smirk curved my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So\u2026 it\u2019s finally time. Mira, It seems we\u2019re going to finally meet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u7530\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comment\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send gift\u00a0<\/p>\n
No Ads\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:40 Tue, Dec 23 MG.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Hope Is Not Optional \u2014 Manuel Flores 15 Chapter 15\u00a0 Selene\u00a0 I sat cross-legged on the bed, my palms resting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-ruthless-tycoons-obsession-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27809\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}