My mind is in a haze, the thoughts that are running through my head are multiple and I hold my head up to control them. The spark that I felt with Zane is like a mystery that needs to be unraveled. If we were mates, Zane would have told me about it right?But he didn’t and should mean nothing. I relax myself, tonight is the coronation and I have to brace myself for what will happen. The Alpha family will be present and probably watching to see my downfall, I can’t give them that hope.The dining room is empty when I arrive there to eat breakfast. I do that hurriedly, I need to rest and probably feed my thoughts with more theories.“Cora, can I have a word with you?” Erika asks on my way back to my room.“Yes?”“Do you think that doing this will work out for you?”I recognize her question as a warning to remind me of failure, I will not let her break my walls down. I fold my arms and smile at her, she does not know my weakness yet so that gives me the upper hand.“Does it matter what a
The rest of the week was spent avoiding each other. The fire-blazing passion between us that night made me sleepless and uneasy. I wondered why Zane had pushed me away when it was obvious that we were both enjoying the kiss. There was no one to talk to, Eleanor did not show up again and I can not open up to Yuri.Tired of being alone and bored, I storm off to Zane’s room. On my way, I bump into his beta, Conrad.“Greetings, Luna Cora.”“Where is Zane?” I ask, allowing my curiosity to get the better of me.Conrad replies, “He went to the training ground.”“Take me there.” Conrad hesitated a bit before leading me to the car. If Zane will not come to me, then I am going to him. Either way, we are both going to talk about this maddening feelings that are attached to us.What I did not prepare myself for was the outcome of where I was going. The training ground is the largest I have ever seen, with a large capacity that can contain thousands of people.Conrad leads me to the main field w
My night is clouded with dreams of Zane and I am convinced that I am not alone in this, I felt his presence in my room probably in the middle of the night. His peonies fragrance had hit my nose but I was too sleepy to open my eyes. Now that I am awake, a refreshing sensation hits me.I stretch my body while Eleanor prepares my bath, she applies the same oil to my skin. I'm beginning to wonder how she was so sure that the oil would work, how was she even able to come up with such sentiment?Is this some sort of a love potion, because the last thing on my mind is attracting the wrong person?“This oil won't turn into a huge problem if another guy gets attracted to it, right?” I ask her, just to clear my doubt.Eleanor chuckles but shakes her head, “This is not a witch's potion or a fairytale oil, Luna Cora. Let's just say my mother was once a powerful herbalist and I learned some recipes from her.”I nod in understanding, but there is something in Eleanor’s demeanor that makes me think
“Brown Doe, are you okay?”My eyes hurt as I try to force them open, my head is spinning from constantly trying to stir from my deep sleep. His voice resonates in my head and I relax my nerves, my eyes open slowly. The environment is blurry at first but it soon clears, Zane’s worried face stares back at me.“W… what happened?” I stammer.“You were poisoned by the nightshade thorn,” he replies.“Nightshade…?”I gasp when I recall the thorn I had snatched from Conrad’s hand, If a single one could make me dizzy, what about the man that was plugged with so many of them?“What about the man?” I ask.Zane growls but replies to me anyway, “He’s fine now.”I sighed in relief that I had saved a soul. Zane holds my hands, his warmth creeps on my skin and I suddenly feel hot inside.“You scared me earlier, I thought I was going to lose you,” he lets out.“If you are scared of losing me, why do you keep pushing me away?”That question seems too hard for him to answer, his silence tells me so. “Y
Since I had nothing else planned for the morning, I decided to visit the man who was being punished yesterday by Zane. Eleanor had left to take care of her housework, promising to come back tonight with a special treat for my task.I follow Yuri’s lead to the hospital and she shows me where the man lies, his body is covered with bandages on the bruises. He is fully awake and panics when he sees me coming in.“My Luna, I’m sorry for implicating you in such a manner. It is my fault and I will accept your punishment wholeheartedly,” he says hastily.“I’m not here to punish you, I grabbed the nightshade without thinking about the consequences. I’m here to see how you are doing, I hope the remedy is taking immediate effect?”He seems to calm down and his voice softens, “It hurts a bit when I stir my body but the pains are bearable. My life was spared all thanks to you, Alpha Zane never shows any pity when he is punishing offenders.”I keep silent, not knowing what to say. I do not want to
One of the best seasons to be in the Dark Howlers pack has come - The wrestling tournament. I hum in excitement while the servants pack my bags as the first level will be taking place at the sister pack of our pack.It is a wholesome experience, Andy has told me about the last season and although they lost, everyone is hoping that this season will be an epic one. It is a good thing that Zane did not stop me from tagging along with them, at least the boredom of staying in the pack house has been limited.We are taking three vehicles for the trip, Zane and I occupy the first vehicle while Conrad and Andy are in the second vehicle. The third one is a bus ride that contains the pack warriors eligible for the first level and a few Cheerios. We won’t be using any servants as the hosting pack will provide us with one.The journey starts and I smile at the loud cheers coming from the third vehicle, they seem too eager for the tournament like I am.“Have you been to a tournament before?” Zane
“You’re looking beautiful this morning, Cora,” his voice whispers in my ears. I stir around and face him, he places a soft kiss on my lips and I smile. Last night was memorable although we still did not engage in the main deed, I feel like giving myself to him but my mind is against the idea.“Good morning,” I mutter.“Good morning, brown Doe. Hope you had a good night's rest?” I nod and sit up, a knock lands on our door, and a young omega comes in.“Greetings, Alpha and Luna. I’m here for the cleaning services,” she says and starts her work.I would have gone for breakfast since it was mid-morning, but the odd movements from the girl threw me off. She bends slightly and her short skirt pulls up to her lap, Zane notices this too but decides to ignore her. He throws a shirt on and leaves the room, probably going down for breakfast. “What’s your name?” I ask the girl.“Tana,” she replies.“Tana, are you aware of your actions this morning?” I ask calmly.I simply want to caution her
The next journey to the next pack for the second round Carrie’s more powerful anticipation than the first, we travel alongside Aaron and Gaia to the Midnight pack where we will be participating.“I’ve heard so many mysteries about Midnight pack,” Gaia tells me.“Really? Can you tell me about it?” I ask.“I heard that the witches coven and the werewolves of that pack made a pact to live together, this caused the pack to be magically blessed with beauty and magic. But the other werewolves were against the idea and attacked them, eliminating the witches except for the last powerful witch who protected the pack from evil.”I marvel at how mystifying the story is. I never knew that witches existed until now when Gaia told me about it, it would be amazing to meet the last witch in person.“Will the witch be present for the tournament?”Gaia shakes her head, “No one has seen her for years. Rumors have it that she has a child…”Zane clears his throat loudly, interrupting us. Aaron leans close
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