Wed By Force April took out her phone and called Chloe.“April, how is it? Have you told him you wouldn’t do it? She asked.“I am getting married tomorrow, Chloe,” April said and the line went silent.“Why are you doing this? Have you learnt nothing from my situation?” she asked.“Instead of striking a deal with the duke, The Taylors will strike a deal with me instead. Instead of an arranged marriage, a contractual one,” she answered.“Why?” Chloe asked, her voice low and sad.“Do you think I will get punished easily?” April asked.“What do you want to do?” Chloe said after a few seconds of silence.“I will raise myself to their height, then I will strike,” April seemed to swear.Daniel Taylor arrived at his parents house to find them lounging in the living room. “Mom, Dad, can you guess what I am doing tomorrow? Trust me, it is one for the books,” Daniel began, a hint of mischief in his voice.His mother, a regal woman with a discerning gaze, raised an eyebrow but could not look h
Moving to the Ancient LandAt this moment, all great clans were moving. It was not sure how they came to the decision, but it was now known that the hunt would take place in the ancient land.When Emerald woke up from her coma, Matthew was by her side.Light hit her eyes, making her squint.“Where am I?” she asked and Matthew jumped to her side quickly.“Baby, you are awake,” he called her till her eyes focused on him.“Matthew?” she asked.Matthew eagerly pressed the button asking for a nurse. Soon, Emerald’s room was flooded with doctors. They checked to see how well she had recovered before leaving.Matthew had stepped out to give them the room to work, but he was getting impatient. When the door opened, he approached the doctors in worry.“How is she?” he asked.“She just needs more rest,” the doctor said. He went ahead to advise Matthew on what she should eat and how she should be taken care of before leaving with his team.Matthew entered Emerald’s hospital room, his face etch
The Last great familyFar away, in the Stillwater family, the young wolves were holding a morning call. Intruders.In the early hours of the morning, while the moon was still high in the sky, when the forest was cloaked in darkness, the young wolves wandered the forest. They were only of the last families to leave for the ancient land. They were quite dissatisfied with how things had taken true. They were the ones to host the hunt this year. There were benefits to being the host, but when it was their turn, the Reeves family proposed moving to the ancient land. They were not so quick to comply. That morning, their young wolves ventured into the forest to do their morning call. Unknown to them, they were not the only ones there.Hooded figures emerged from the shadows. Their movements were stealthy, footsteps muffled by the damp undergrowth as they moved deeper into the heart of the forest behind the Stillwater family mansion.These mysterious individuals carried shovels and tools,
The Witch CouncilThe red robed group appeared in another forest. “Check for werewolves,” Kendal instructed her subordinate and the young woman started a spell to check if there were werewolves in the vicinity.Without another word, she turned and strode back towards the clearing, the hooded figure following her reluctantly. He desperately wanted to catch as many young wolves from the Stillwater family as possible and break their necks but they left quickly so he would have to hold it in.As they made another stone altar, the others were waiting, their faces looking as though they had words at the tip of their tongues but held it in. Jay stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene before them."What happened?" Jay demanded, his gaze flickering between Kendal and the bloodied figure.“One of the werewolves could not control themselves," she replied with disdain.This is why she did not want to work with werewolves. Sure those werewolves who came to their side held gr
The MeetingThe moment the Stillwater family entered the ancient land, a large wolf call started.Emerald jolted awake, her eyes snapping open as the distant howls of wolves pierced the early morning silence. Beside her, Matthew stirred, his muscular arms stretching under the sheets as he too woke up the moment she did."It's alright," he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep. "Go back to sleep. It's just the wolf's call."Emerald frowned, her brow furrowing as she tried to make sense of his words. "Wolf's call? What's that?"Matthew propped himself up on one elbow, his eyes glinting in the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains. "It's a tradition among my kind," he explained patiently. "The wolves gather in the forest and howl, marking their territory and warning others of their presence. A family has probably just arrived."Emerald nodded slowly, but she was still uneasy and could not sleep. "I don't think I can sleep anymore," she admitted sheepishly.A smile made its w
A forced vote.Matthew’s eyes flashed with a thought when he heard his father-in-law’s words.He thought back to the woman sleeping in his quarters, whose hair was slowly going red.“One problem at a time. For now, we should hear what the other families have to say to call for an assembly,” Matthew said with a smile hidden in his eyes.“But who called for one?” Nyx asked and they stepped out to look at the runes in the sky. A glowing symbol floating above.“The Taylor family? Who?” an elder asked.“They are that family rumored to also be of Stoneheart bloodline,” Harold said and everyone had many thoughts in their head.“Things are about to get interesting,” Matthew said with a smile.They all made their way to the white halls.The white halls were a grand gathering place for all the great families. This was considered the seat of power where they all gathered and made the decisions of the ancient land. It was still dark, but the white marble walls still reflected light, almost glow
Preparations.The meeting went on for a while after that. The date for the hunt was set and many things prepared.By the time Matthew returned to his room, the sun had long since risen high in the sky. He found Emerald coming out from the side bathroom, her hair damp and her skin flushed from the heat of her bath.Without a word, he crossed the room and pulled her into a fierce embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he inhaled her comforting scent. Emerald tensed momentarily, surprised by his sudden display of affection, but soon relaxed into his embrace, her arms winding around his broad shoulders. She was sure irritated a lot these days as she was tired, but she was always calmed when she was in Matthew’s arms.They stood like that for several heartbeats, before Matthew finally pulled back, his eyes drinking in every detail of her face as if committing it to memory. Emerald thought that he sure was clingy. But for Matthew, he had only stepped out but it felt like
The Hunt"This hunt is not merely a test of strength or prowess," the elder explained. "It is a rite of passage for some, a chance to evolve for others, but whatever it may be, pure glory awaits those who hunt the best."The wolves howled and cheered at the elder’s words."Within the Ancient Land, there dwells many creatures." The elder continued and silence returned "Massive, fearsome beast that will test not only your physical strength but your mental strength too.Your task is to hunt and bring back the largest game they can find. Bring their essence stored in their hearts."A shiver ran down Emerald's spine at her words but the young wolves seemed undaunted, their eyes alight with a mixture of excitement and determination."The only rule in the hunt is to return alive,” she said solemnly and silence returned.“Some of you will die in the shadow realm. When you step through that door, you stand alone,” the elder concluded, her voice solemn. "I wish you all a great hunt. May the bes