ELEANOR I pull the red cloak over my body to cover myself properly like a witch I am, I hold a lantern with a single fire flame in it. The light is dimmed and an incense is burned out, its smoke rising to the sky. I go far from my coven so that I will not be traced by any third party that Noah might have organized.Instead, I wait on the other side of the woods towards the north and stand at the centerfield, my hands are stretched out with the lamp hanging firmly. I have to appear as a high-ranked witch in other to make them feel comfortable around me, I detect their steps soon.Noah is not alone, someone else is with him. I cloak myself first, making me invisible for the moment until they come into view. Noah is with the shaman of the midnight pack, I unveil myself to them and they startle.“Greetings, the last and most powerful witch,” Noah greets with enthusiasm.“Just call me Eleanor,” I scoff.The shaman nods, “Greetings, Eleanor.”“You wanted to see me, why?”I look stern and d
Following Noah and the shaman back to the midnight pack makes me revisit the past, my mind plunders on how much things have changed since the extinction of witches. This was the reason why I had left the midnight pack because I knew that there was a threat to my existence. The pack hasn’t changed a bit, the mysterious clouds that lightened the days are still in the sky. The people are staring briefly at our car as we pass the streets, heading to the north. I prepare myself mentally for whatever I am going to face with Maeve’s energy, I am aware that her energy has waxed stronger for her to be able to embed her tattoo on Cora’s neck. The ruins that remain from the wrecking of the witch’s coven are livid, the memories refresh in my mind. As we near the covens, I feel Maeve’s energy. She must be expectant to see me here.“We have banned people from coming here since Maeve’s energy was unlocked, we felt that it is safer for this area to be empty,” Noah says.“As you should, Maeve’s ene
The quietness of my coven seems to make me uncomfortable, I feel like something is about to pop out and crash. Feeling tired, I lay on my comfy bed and closed my eyes. But the shuffling of branches from afar gets me on my feet again, I make my invisible and stand in front of my coven, watching ahead to know who is coming.Mireya’s figure comes into view and I hiss, unveiling myself to her. At first, she looks startled to see me in front of her but she waves it off soon.“What brings you here, Mireya?” I ask her.She huffs with pride, “Your son has made a terrible mistake and he does not want to correct it.”“Mireya, when you successfully convinced Alpha Ksovtik to take you as his wife and kick me out, did you forget that you made a promise to him to take care of Zane as your son?”She bats her lashes frantically at me, “Well I did but he is no longer with us and the responsibilities are back to you. My main concern now is giving my son the life he deserves…”“And that life involves th
CORA After Eleanor leaves me alone, I try to force myself to sleep. Shifting uncomfortably on my bed becomes a habit in seconds and at last, I force my eyes open and sit up. My hand flies to the tattoo on my neck and I caress it gently, I still can’t believe that it was burning so hot a moment ago. I sigh and head to the window, staring outside as the faded moon illuminates the sky. My eyes become hazy and I smile with satisfaction, knowing that sleep will soon take over. I return to the bed and close my eyes, I drift into sleep immediately but instantly regret falling asleep. Where I find myself is the pathway to the cottage at midnight pack, I don’t know how I ended up there but I sense that it’s not going to turn out well. The cool air blows out and I shiver as cold creeps up my skin, I head to the cottage with no other choice. At least the warmth will help me feel warm until I figure out how to get out of this place.The inside of the cottage is not what I expected, instead, sk
I jerk out of bed as soon as the first rays of sunlight come through my window, I change my clothes quickly and head to Zane’s room. Luckily for me, he is still in bed.“I need to talk to you,” I tell him. Confronting Zane is what I needed to do so I can know what decisions to make later.He opens his slowly then sits up and gives me a confused look.“Why are you here so early?” He questions.I go closer to him and look him directly into his eyes, I fold my arms too while he wonders why I’m acting weird.“I remember everything that happened that night at midnight pack, how could you pretend like you don’t know what my episodes are about?”Zane ruffles his hair like a busted teenager, “This is not the right time to talk about this, Cora.”“You can’t just say that it’s now or never.”He lays back on his bed and closes his eyes, probably thinking of what to say to end the conversation.“Whatever Maeve told you about me is simply a bluff and she intends to break free,” he says calmly.“Ma
My heart races with expectations, hoping to hear him say that he wants me to stay. A little bit of hope - just a little bit- to relax my nerves and make me feel okay.“Cora, I…” he hesitates again.“I’m listening, Zane.”“Cora, I agree that you should leave.”His words pierce into my heart like a broken shard, I feel the pain of those hurtful words that come out of his mouth.I must admit, I’m disappointed to hear him say that. It wasn’t what I expected him to say. But maybe I placed too much hope on him, I should’ve simply stayed still and not brought up the possibility that leaving was the best option.But then again, Maritsa is around the corner. She is waiting patiently for me to return to the Citadel pack so we can reunite and strengthen our bond. Zane is not aware of this reason, he must assume that I’m leaving because I don’t want him anymore.What other choice do I have than to accept this with a heavy heart? My feelings are mixed right now - probably confused about what to do
The servants carry out my luggage to the trunk, Conrad stands by the side of the car with his hands behind his back.“I have prepared the servants that’ll be staying with you there…”“I don’t want any servants,” I interrupt him.If I want to focus on fulfilling my mission then it’s better to be alone, being swarmed by servants will only distract me more.“If you say so, Luna Cora. I and the driver will be escorting you then…”I wave him off immediately, “I will go alone with the driver. He will return once he drops me off.”Conrad nods and steps aside, “Then shall I tell Alpha Zane that you’re leaving now?”“He knows that already, make sure no one reaches out to me unless I do.”“Are you saying that I should stop Alpha Zane from reaching out to you if he wants to?” He raises his eyebrows in concern at my cold behavior.But there is nothing he can do about it, Zane and I have made our decisions. I enter the car and take a deep breath in, then I release my breath slowly until my racing
After being mocked by the servants and Lily, I run off to the backyard to wipe off the smelly eggs from my body. Tears stream down my face as I look at my stained clothes and skin, Zane would never allow such things to happen to me if he was here.“You have to be strong, Cora. All we have to do is find a way to connect with Maritsa and defeat Maeve… easy peasy,” I murmur to myself.I pick a dry rag and soak it in clean water, then massage it on my skin to clear the stains but they don’t come off.“You need a hot bath if you want those stains to come off,” a voice says from behind me.“Alma?” I am dumbfounded to see Alma smiling comfortably at me, so weird.“Cora, it’s been a while,” she says.We sit on the grass to discuss. It is surprising to see how kind Alma is to me, unlike last time when she mistreated me however she liked.“You’ve changed a lot, Alma. This is unlike you to be nice to me,” I tell her.She giggles and picks a grass, her fingers twirling around the grass before she
The battle line is drawn and there is an unsettling feeling everywhere. The eeriness of silence is disrupted by the outpour of Maeve’s wicked laughter, I lay weakly on the floor. Maeve is unleashed now and it’s time for Maritsa to complete her mission - ending Maeve’s life will be a big point for Zane and me. But Maritsa is not active anymore, I can’t even feel her presence inside me.“Maritsa, where are you?” I call weakly. Not even an echo is heard, Maeve has already exited the building and probably heading for Zane’s pack. I feel like everything’s over and the wasted efforts of Alma hits my soul. “Help…” I mutter weakly. I try to get up but my body shakes vehemently, refusing to comply. Maritsa must have abandoned me, she has been lying to me all this while. What if she’s in alliance with Maeve and only wants to use me to unlock her friend?“Cora!” a familiar voice yells out my name.“Lily?” I manage to mutter.“Yes, we are here to help you,” she cries.Behind her are Luna Aria
“Cora, you have to get up, they’re after us!” Alma screams at me but I can’t do anything but wince in pain.“I’m so weak, Alma,” I tell her.She tries to help me up but I helplessly fall again, the hoarse voices are getting closer to us and we might be caught at any moment. Our plans will fail miserably if we are caught and there will be no escape for me from the evil that Alpha Ezequiel and Luna Aria have for me. I look at Alma with tears in my eyes, she’s trying to help me out despite my weakened condition.“Alma, listen to me, you’ll have to leave without me,” I tell her.She looks at me like I’ve gone crazy, “Cora, I’m not leaving you here. All our plans will be of no use if I leave you here to die, come on get up, we’ll leave this place together.”But I was just shaking my head like I wasn’t going to listen to her, her safety was what mattered to me. I grab her hands in an attempt to stand up but my body system seems to be rejecting every ounce of attempt I make.“Alma, can’t you
We watch anxiously as the footstep comes closer, not knowing what else to do. Alma closes her eyes, it is obvious that she has accepted her fate and is ready for the outcome. A guard with a heavily built stature enters, his face looking grim.“Dash! You scared me!” Alma exclaims after his face is revealed.I look at Alma in confusion, did she know who he is?“Alma, I was beginning to get worried. You took so long in there and my partner will soon return, are you not done yet?” Dash asks.I sigh in relief at learning that he is Alma’s boyfriend and the one who let her in. “I’m sorry, I just finished talking with her now,” Alma says.“We have to go and get ready for the escape plan tomorrow night. Cora, please be strong, Alma and I will return tomorrow night to help you escape,” he assured me.“I’ll be waiting,” I say.Alma stuffs more herb inside my mouth, she also applied some on the open cuts. The pains sting but I simply endure the pains.“This will help you feel better by the time
They drag me to the dungeon, I can’t even retaliate against them because of how weak I am. Alpha Ezequiel and Luna Aria follow them behind, they throw me on the floor when we enter the dungeon.“She will stay here until I order you to release her, she will be denied food and she will be isolated. Nobody is permitted to see her unless I approve of it, this will be your punishment, Cora,” Alpha Ezequiel commands.They hang me on a chain, and my two hands are dragged out and held up with the chains. The tip of my toes are only what touches the cold floor, this reminds me of the man that Zane was punishing. Now I know how it feels to be punished by the Alpha.But this time around I feel like I’m being punished wrongly, Lily bullied me first and triggered my Alpha wolf to emerge and suppress her which was beyond my control. “Bring the nightshade, it will make her more vulnerable and ready for our plans,” Luna Aria suggests.Alpha Ezequiel says, “Bring the nightshade and cut her five times
I am not feeling good today as I sit down on the bed and stare at nothing, my face is messed up from constantly crying last night. I can’t even use my phone because it is part of my seized belongings and now, I’m being pressured to give up my marriage for Lily’s happiness. I would have regretted coming here if not for what I had in mind to achieve, unlocking and bonding with Maritsa. Then unlocking Maeve and finishing her off finally.Remembering this reason alone, I’m determined to be strong enough to complete this. Standing up, I make up the bed and go to look for something to eat. Outside the room, I walk sluggishly to the kitchen. The servants are working busily and preparing the morning chores, Alma is supervising them so I walk up to her.“I’m hungry,” I whine to her.She chuckles and orders a servant to dish out my meal, a counter is cleared for me to eat there. But it seems like the day swore to be worse, Lily storms in right as I’m about to take a spoonful.“Wow, if it isn’t
After being mocked by the servants and Lily, I run off to the backyard to wipe off the smelly eggs from my body. Tears stream down my face as I look at my stained clothes and skin, Zane would never allow such things to happen to me if he was here.“You have to be strong, Cora. All we have to do is find a way to connect with Maritsa and defeat Maeve… easy peasy,” I murmur to myself.I pick a dry rag and soak it in clean water, then massage it on my skin to clear the stains but they don’t come off.“You need a hot bath if you want those stains to come off,” a voice says from behind me.“Alma?” I am dumbfounded to see Alma smiling comfortably at me, so weird.“Cora, it’s been a while,” she says.We sit on the grass to discuss. It is surprising to see how kind Alma is to me, unlike last time when she mistreated me however she liked.“You’ve changed a lot, Alma. This is unlike you to be nice to me,” I tell her.She giggles and picks a grass, her fingers twirling around the grass before she
The servants carry out my luggage to the trunk, Conrad stands by the side of the car with his hands behind his back.“I have prepared the servants that’ll be staying with you there…”“I don’t want any servants,” I interrupt him.If I want to focus on fulfilling my mission then it’s better to be alone, being swarmed by servants will only distract me more.“If you say so, Luna Cora. I and the driver will be escorting you then…”I wave him off immediately, “I will go alone with the driver. He will return once he drops me off.”Conrad nods and steps aside, “Then shall I tell Alpha Zane that you’re leaving now?”“He knows that already, make sure no one reaches out to me unless I do.”“Are you saying that I should stop Alpha Zane from reaching out to you if he wants to?” He raises his eyebrows in concern at my cold behavior.But there is nothing he can do about it, Zane and I have made our decisions. I enter the car and take a deep breath in, then I release my breath slowly until my racing
My heart races with expectations, hoping to hear him say that he wants me to stay. A little bit of hope - just a little bit- to relax my nerves and make me feel okay.“Cora, I…” he hesitates again.“I’m listening, Zane.”“Cora, I agree that you should leave.”His words pierce into my heart like a broken shard, I feel the pain of those hurtful words that come out of his mouth.I must admit, I’m disappointed to hear him say that. It wasn’t what I expected him to say. But maybe I placed too much hope on him, I should’ve simply stayed still and not brought up the possibility that leaving was the best option.But then again, Maritsa is around the corner. She is waiting patiently for me to return to the Citadel pack so we can reunite and strengthen our bond. Zane is not aware of this reason, he must assume that I’m leaving because I don’t want him anymore.What other choice do I have than to accept this with a heavy heart? My feelings are mixed right now - probably confused about what to do
I jerk out of bed as soon as the first rays of sunlight come through my window, I change my clothes quickly and head to Zane’s room. Luckily for me, he is still in bed.“I need to talk to you,” I tell him. Confronting Zane is what I needed to do so I can know what decisions to make later.He opens his slowly then sits up and gives me a confused look.“Why are you here so early?” He questions.I go closer to him and look him directly into his eyes, I fold my arms too while he wonders why I’m acting weird.“I remember everything that happened that night at midnight pack, how could you pretend like you don’t know what my episodes are about?”Zane ruffles his hair like a busted teenager, “This is not the right time to talk about this, Cora.”“You can’t just say that it’s now or never.”He lays back on his bed and closes his eyes, probably thinking of what to say to end the conversation.“Whatever Maeve told you about me is simply a bluff and she intends to break free,” he says calmly.“Ma