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
CORAMy pupils gleam with expectancy as I think about my birthday party tonight - well, not my birthday party but Lily’s. The Alpha and Luna of the Citadel pack must have thrown this huge party because their daughter will be turning the same age.Sweet eighteen - an age that all young werewolves await with hopeful expectations to move toward and I can not wait for that moment to come.Unfortunately for me, I am an omega with no significant background story. Some said that I was raised by foster parents who picked me up in the woods, some said I was picked up by the Riverside while some said that I was found at the doorsteps of the pack house.And then after my foster parents died - they never told me the real story because they abhorred me for no reason - I was forced to become a servant in the pack house, I had no other choice but to accept my fate.Working as a servant is not quite a beautiful experience for a young girl like me, I was bullied by everyone except Isla who became my be
“Who are you?” Alpha Ezequiel growls.I bit my lips, anxiety is creeping in and disorganizing my body system. I take two steps backward and swallow down my saliva, the sour taste swirls round my throat and I wish that the ground will just open up and drag me in.“I am… Cora,” I answer him with the least courage I can muster.“Cora who?”“Cora nobody,” Lily replies. It is obvious that she is irritated by my unannounced interruption, the time is ticking and our shifting juncture is close.“I’m sorry for barging in like that, Alpha. It’s my birthday too and I only wanted to join the party too,” I apologize.“You should not have come when you know that you're late, being clumsy is not an option for an omega like you. Meanwhile, Liliana works hard to see that the rightful activities are being delivered to the pack. With the special abilities of an Alpha, Liliana will make waves and be a great leader one day. I hereby declare…”Another interruption comes from me, my bones start cracking and
“You are our biological daughter…”“What?”I stare back at them with my mouth wide open. My ears keep popping up and suggesting that I must have heard wrong but their faces say otherwise. “Yes, “ Luna Aria voices out. She stands up and walks towards me, “You are our daughter, Cora. It turns out that you were switched at birth with Liliana. We are still scrutinizing to know who is behind this, that’s why we decided to tell you the truth.”The door flies open and Lily barges in. The anger on her face is much worse than the one I saw earlier.“Lily!” Luna Aria exclaims.“Dad! Mom! Tell me that this is not true,” she barks like a mad dog.“Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?” Alpha Ezequiel asks instead.“It doesn’t matter, Dad…” Lily tries to say but is cut off by Luna Aria.“Liliana, you know that it is wrong to eavesdrop on people when they’re in a conversation!”“But mom…”“Apologize, immediately!” the Alpha says grimly.Lily gulps in fear and keeps her head down, “I’m sorry
“You’re not the woman I’m supposed to marry.”The grim look on his face explains how irritated he must be to have gotten married to me. My heart leaped at first when he grabbed my arm like that, I thought he wanted to hurt me.“Answer me, young woman.” he snaps.“It’s Cora, Mr. Alpha and no, I’m not the one. But, you signed up for the Alpha’s daughter and here I am,” I reply with heavy sarcasm.He lets go of my arm, “Is the redhead woman the other one?”“Lily, and yes, she was supposed to be your wife,” I answer. I’m not even in the mood to speak to him.He nods and turns to the tall man who is driving us. “The other woman is talkative and this one looks more quiet and feisty, she’ll do.”The tall man nods but says nothing more. An awkward silence follows next and I choose picking my nails as my new occupation. We drive for hours and stop at a motel to take our rest, a question suddenly pops into my head as he is about to come down.“Mr. Alpha, you walked out when the elder said that
ZaneThe brown Doe follows me behind with an inquisitive stare, she continues to turn her head around possibly taking in her new surroundings. Her boldness is what baffles me the most, she is not afraid of me one bit - only flustered. “Stop staring or people will begin to think that you came from the woods,” I convey to her quietly.She huffed, “Let them think what they like. This pack house is the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life!”“And how many have you seen?”“Just one, but the citadel pack is not as enormous as your pack.” I ignore her as we pass the series of omega servants standing at both of our sides, they bow their heads in fear and look down to the ground. Cora looks at them in awe, I wonder if her pack is not so organized like this.Taking the stairs, I check my wristwatch. I’m supposed to be having a conference meeting at my company in a few hours. Cora bumps into me as I stop to check my phone notifications.“Sorry, Mr. Alpha…” she mumbles.“I told you to stop
After my short nap, I prepared myself for the conference meeting. It is already evening and the sun is setting, I enter the dining room to have a meal. Cora is already seated there while the servants are serving bountiful food on the table, her mouth is watery and those doe eyes are opened widely.As I take my serving, she taps me lightly on my hand. Her eyes blink nervously - and shyly - when my eyes meet hers.“It seems like I have a little problem here,” she tells me.I remain silent, giving her a simple nod to go on.“I have no idea how to use the cutlery.”“You’re saying that as a joke, right?” I ask.She nods in response, biting her lips in a manner that arouses me oddly. It is quite shocking to learn that from Cora, I know that she is not the Alpha’s daughter. Probably an omega that was used to supersede their daughter, but knowing that she has never used the cutlery all her life is a huge blow.First of all, I dismiss the servants and guards in the room. I don't want them to h
My eyes flutter open as the rays of sunlight radiate on my face. I stretch my body and run a cold shower, my mind recaps that I had a fallout issue with Cora last night. I made up my mind to apologize to her for making her feel bad.I slightly open her door when I get to her room, Cora is sleeping peacefully on the bare floor. I carry up to the bed and she wakes up, her eyes slowly opening. She scowls when she sees my face.“What do you want?” She snaps.“Why are you sleeping on the floor?” I ask her instead, my apologies being swallowed up by pride.“I am used to it. Back at the pack, I slept on the cold floor in my narrow attic. Is that really why you came to my room this morning?” I ruffle my hair, now looking for a cover-up. Cora cocks her eyebrows at me, her eyes glimmering with a huge expectation for me to apologize. “I’ll be taking my leave then,” I reply instead.“Is that all?” She drawls.“Don’t sleep on the floor again so you don’t get a cold.”She scoffs behind me as I wa
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