JAMES’ POV. The sound of my boots connecting to the marble floor echoed as I walked down the hallway, not on my own will but I was being pulled by the wrist like a little kid. “What is it Lydia?” I asked with a raised brow but I got no answer.Lydia continued pulling me, she came to a halt in front of her chambers, pushed the door open and pulled me in while locking the door behind her. “Are you okay Lydia?” I asked with a raised brow.Lydia sighed, already caught her breath. “Are you out of your mind, James?”I frowned, wondering why she was sounding this way. “Oh please, don't give me this look, you know exactly what I'm talking about” she frowned. I still looked puzzled, confused as to why she had pulled me with her like a little boy who was warned not to do something but still did. “I have no idea” Lydia sighed “why will you stand up to Cecilia like that, do you want to get yourself in trouble” I raised a brow as realization dawned on me, now I knew exactly what she was ta
JAMES’S POV“You’re coming with me,” I said.Jon nodded, falling into step beside me without a word. That was what I liked about him, he didn’t ask unnecessary questions. He just acted.He was quiet and very loyal to me, one of the best warriors I have trained. Together, we moved through the trees, walking toward the bar, as we walked, the crunch of leaves beneath our boots were the only sound between us. Of course there are many routes to take to the bar, however I had chosen this one, which was to make our movement more secure and unnoticeable. At this time of the night. The place was quiet , as most pack members were probably in their houses, carrying out one or two activities, some in the bar drinking away the stress they went through during the day. The bar sat at one corner, just a stone throw from the pack house, a small wooden structure with a crooked sign that swung gently in the wind. In no time I was already at the door of the bar, it pushed it open and at that moment
Ezekiel's pov.“To leave this place, you must have to complete a trial, a trial set by the spirit of the lost werewolf lineage, This is the only way you will be permitted to leave”I face folded into a deep frown and I could also see the shocked expression in the eyes of my comrades and also kailey. I had no idea what this was, what this spirit was, however I knew it was of no good. I hated the fact that I was in this mess with kailey.I hate to put her in this kind of a situation,one that threatens her life. In all of my years I have never witnessed anything like this, however I had heard stories from some of the older wolves mention something like this, a spirit which duels In the deep forest.Though I believed it, I still felt they were all myths, but seeing what was happening here, I was convinced that they were not just myths. The rest of my guards who were knocked down earlier had already gotten back to their position. I glanced at kailey, I reached for her hand and pulled h
Kailey’s POV. The thick mist curled around my legs as I pushed deeper into the forest. According to the spirit, I have to get the relic to take the curse away from Ezekiel. I hated the fact that this was stopping Ezekiel and I from seeing Auren, from returning back to the pack house. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of how little time I had left. Ezekiel needed me. I can't afford to allow Ezekiel to turn into a wild beast for the rest of his life. Auren needs his father, and I was not going to sit back and watch this happen to him.The mark from the forest spirit was spreading across Ezekiel's skin, dark tendrils creeping toward his heart. If I didn’t find the relic soon, I would lose him.I knew this and it fueled my zeal to find the relic. I clenched my fists and kept moving, my boots sinking into the damp earth with each step. The forest was somewhat quiet, save for the occasional rustling of leaves far ahead. I could see Shadows shifting in the
Kailey’s POV. It still baffles me how the altar disappeared into thin air, it was hard to fathom. Multiple questions flooded my ear, I was getting confused and it also felt like I was losing my mind. It was obvious that the voices I heard earlier, the voices of Auren, were just an illusion created by the forest to fool me, to deceive me and delay me from acquiring the relic on time.However, was the altar also an illusion created by the forest? Or was it something else.?While inside, I had felt a difference, a change in atmosphere and for a second I thought I had the relic already, I thought the relic was already in my hands. And then the next second the whole altar disappeared into thin air. I sighed as the thick mist curled around me, swallowing every inch of the forest in an eerie white haze. My boots sank into the damp earth as I trudged forward, my body aching from hours of searching. I was already tiring out, I could feel it in my bones, it felt like there was something
Kailey’s POV.How can this be?, yet again the forest had played tricks on me, I sighed, resting my back on a tree as exhaustion washed over me. Just when I thought I had found the relic, when I thought all of this was over, the forest had struck and the relic had disappeared. Now I was left with nothing. How would I cope?How was I supposed to go about this? What was I supposed to do now? Even with the coldness the mist brought, beads of seas gathered on my forehead. I wiped them off with the back of my palm, the mist in the air was everywhere , my throat was dry and it felt like I was going to pass out if I didn't get water to drink.Right now, it felt like I was losing my mind, thinking.Straight was more like a difficult task for me now. However, I knew I needed to move on, there was no reason to stick around,I still had to find the relic, I still had to save Ezekiel and return him to Auren. Ihaen idea how much time Ezekiel has left, same with Auren,I had no idea what was going
Cecilia's pov. How could he stand up to me? How could he challenge me? In front of the elders.The nerve of him. The absolute audacity.I stormed out of the pack house, my heart pounding with rage, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. James.That worthless James had dared to challenge me. Right before the elders.In front of everyone.I gritted my teeth as I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders, the night air cool against my skin.The full moon was high in the sky, casting long shadows over the forest path ahead of me.My boots crunched against the dried leaves, but I barely heard them over the furious pounding in my head.I was furious and mad, and right now, I could tear apart anyone who stood in my way.James had stood up to me, his voice steady, unshaken, he dared to step in when I was already close to my goal. I was just a step away, if the healer had proceeded with the blood test, they would have found out the Auren was not Ezekiel's so.This was beca
JAMES POV. It was night time , The pack house was quiet, the kind of silence that came with a hint of unease. I sat in the lounge area, the dim lighting casting soft shadows across the wooden walls. Auren sat on the rug in front of me, cross-legged, while Lydia lounged on the couch, her head resting against the armrest.We sit out here this way, most of the time. The fire crackled in the hearth, it was the only sound breaking the quietness of the night.I watched Auren fidget with his fingers, his brows furrowed in thought. He had a lot on his mind,I could tell, We all did.Lydia sighed and stretched. “It's been a long day.”“Yeah,” I agreed. “But at least things are calm for now.”Auren looked up at me, his green eyes bright with curiosity. “James, do you think the pack is okay? I heard some of the warriors talking earlier. They sounded... worried.”I exhaled through my nose, leaning forward so my elbows rested on my knees. “There's been some tension, but nothing we can't handl
Lydia's pov. I opened my eyes slowly and for a moment I didn't move, I just laid on the ground, I didn't move, my eyes and ears open as I listened to my environment The cave was quiet except for the soft dripping of water deep inside. I felt the cool earth beneath me, it was rough but better than the night before, it was better than how cold it had been the night before.The smell of damp stone and leaves filled the air.I raised my head and could see how vines covered the entrance of the cave. I watched as they moved slowly with the morning breeze. We made it here last night. I was grateful to the moon goddess for providing a shelter for Auren and I. I wonder where we would have slept if we hadn't come across the cave. We were already tired at the tone, exhausted and I knew just as I couldn't move further, Auren also couldn't. This little cave had been like a gift from the Moon Goddess. It wasn’t much, but it kept us safe.I turned my head and looked at him. Auren was still asl
Kailey’s POV. My eyelids slid open and I blinked, confused. I frowned deeply as I looked around me. Just a moment ago, I had been in the forest with the red flowers around me, then suddenly l, I found myself at the edge of the cliff with Auren and Ezekiel falling from the edges. And now, I was standing in front of the pack house. It was hard for me to believe anything happening at this point l, how could I?I have been deceived multiple times by the forest which created multiple surreal illusions. Right now, I don't know what to believe. My breath caught in my throat, The tall building rose in front of me, silent and still. Its windows gleamed in the soft afternoon light. I looked around, my heart thudding, something wasn't right, I knew this. However, what if I had already found the relic without knowing and the forest had already sent me back to the pack house, together with the others, Ezekiel and the rest of the warriors. I frowned as I slowly took in my environment, I not
James pov Jon frowned. “James…”“We can’t leave her out there. Not with Cecilia. You know what that woman is capable of!” I muttered. “I know. But rushing out there in the middle of the night isn’t smart.” Jon muttered, his voice laced with concern. “I don’t care if it’s smart,” I snapped. “Lydia’s out there and she’s not a fighter, you know this”Jon raised his voice. “And we’re not in good shape either, James! You’re bleeding. I can see the cut on your side, though we are healing fast, it's still not enough.”I looked down, my shirt was soaked in blood. I hadn’t even noticed the pain until he pointed it out. But it didn’t matter.“She could be hurt,” I said quietly. “She could be dying out there and we’re just standing here.”Jon ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m worried about her too. I know you care about her, James. But going out there like this could get us killed. And if we die, who’s going to save her? We can’t help her if we’re dead.”I didn’t answer. I just stared a
James pov. Despite the coolness in the air, beads of sweat hung on my forehead, my eyes were filled with worry and my eyes were fixed on Jon. Jon remained on the ground, his chest rising and falling, however, his eyes were closed. His wounds were healing, I could see this, however, they were healing at a very slow pace. “Stay with me, brother” I muttered, grabbing Jon by the collar. I placed the back of my palm on his head. We remained like that for a while until his eyes suddenly shut open. A wide smile appeared on my face that minute as I saw this, he was wide awake now. How et l, he still remained on the ground, I could tell he was trying to gather some energy. “You are awake,” I muttered with a smile.Jon coughed gently as he tilted his head slightly to meet my gaze. “I'm a tough man you know” I smiled widely, “Yes you are” With that We remained like that for a little while until all of his wounds were totally healed. After that Jon was able to sit back up and after a li
Lydia's pov. Cecilia stood by a small lake, her back to me. Auren was on the ground, tied up. He looked scared, his little eyes were wide, and he was crying.Seeing this, I didn’t waste a second. I ran forward and screamed, “Let him go!”Cecilia turned around fast, her face twisted with anger. “You again? Don’t you ever give up?”I frowned immediately, though my heart pounded in my chest. “Not until I take him back!”She laughed. “You? You can’t stop me.”I raised my knife, hiding my fear. “Watch me.”Cecilia dropped into a fighting stance. “I guess what I didn't to you the first time isn't enough for you, you seem to have learnt nothing from that encounter. Do you really think you can beat me?”Hearing this, I didn't answer, I summoned all the courage I could get and with that, I charged at her” As I got closer, my eyes widened, Cecilia was fast m, much faster than I expected. She kicked the knife out of my hand before I even got close. It flew into the grass, I gasped and backed
LYDIA'S POV.I didn't know if it was due to the determination and zeal to bring back Auren or if it was something else, but my broken ankle was fully healed nowI could fully flex it the way I was supposed to. Right now, the only sound coming from the Forrest was that of my boots crushing the dried leaves on the forest floor.I ran as fast as I could, this part of the forest was thick and dark with trees which had gigantic leaves, wide enough to wrap around a person. Which was why it was a little difficult to navigate through this part of the forest, as one would need to dodge these wide leaves which were alps blocking the moonlight from entering the forest. As I ran, my hands were tight around my knife,my heart pounded on my chest like a drum.Right now, I could barely see Cecilia ahead, I could make out the shape of her, however, it was more like a shadowy figure. The only thing I noticed very clearly was her long hair which swung from side to side behind her as she ran, pulling
James pov My mind was still occupied with the thought of Lydia running of into the night all by herself. We have all seen how dangerous Cecilia can be, we have seen what she was capable of, which was why right now, it was hard to take my mind of it. What if Lydia was hurt already? What if Cecilia had some rogues waiting and then they Ambushed Lydia, how would she come out of that? However, even with all of this thoughts, I knew I needed to be positive, Lydia has a strong will and I'm sure her string will would save her. All of this still narrowed down to the man in front of me, Damon, I needed to take him out as fast as possible so I could go help Lydia, but that didn't seem like an easy task. The night air was cold, but I barely felt it. Right now, my muscles burned, my chest rose and fell with each heavy breath I took. I could see blood dropping from the cut above my eye, although it was already healing, it was healing at a slow pace. Probably because my body have been stres
Lydia's pov. I could hear the sound of my heart beating wildly on my chest. I wasn't sure if chasing after Cecilia was a good idea, but I just knew I was doing the right thing.I didn't really give it a thought before dashing after her.What were you thinking Lydia?. A voice rang in my head, I shook off the feeling and quickened my pace. I had no idea what was happening behind, James and Jon taking on the leader of the rogues. I sighed as I darted passed a tree, Damon was strong, so strong that he would even be able to go tie to tie with Ezekiel, which was why right now I could hope James and Jon were alright. The night was cold, and the forest felt like it was closing in around me. Shadows moved with every step I took, but I didn’t care. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I ran, I could hear it, my own heartbeat, like a drum following me as I ran.I gripped the small knife with my right hand, however, I could feel it shaking in my hand, I just knew I was scared, so scared an
James pov. As we ran through the forest, fast but quietly, I knew Cecilia was nearby, there was no way she could have gone that far.As we moved together, I noticed anything and I was certain Jon and Lydia must have noticed it too. The forest was quiet, a little too quiet than usual, which was odd. Jon tilted his head to look at me “you noticed that too don't you?” I nodded in affirmation, glancing at Lydia, “Stay close” I gripped my sword tighter as we moved deeper into the trees. The air was cold and damp, and the only sounds were the soft crunch of leaves under our boots and the occasional snap of a branch coupled with the sound from the battle back at the pack house which slowly faded behind us. My eyes kept darting around, watching the shadows, I knew Cecilia was not far from here l, however, the least I wanted was an ambush. There was nothing she couldn't do, she was that bad. “With how quiet the forest is, I am beginning to think we might get Ambushed” Jon muttered wh