AMIRA“Are you ready, children?” Inara asked, her white hair and white eyes glowing under the moon.“Yes” We chorused.I was nervous and I was certain I wasn’t the only one who shared that feeling. This was the first time we were going to cross realms and we were going alone.Inara, the pack seer was going to cast a spell to open a portal that would take us to the human world. Apart from being a seer, she could also cast some spells.I guess you could say that Inara could be likened to a witch except witches had no wolf but she does and she was more powerful that the average witch.Inara closed her eyes and began to chant in a strange language we couldn’t understand. We were doing this in front of Inara’s hut since she didn’t like to venture far from it.A small portal appeared before us. I looked inside but there was nothing in it. It made me wonder if we were being transported to the dark forest directly.“The portal would remain open for the next three hours so you have to do whate
AMIRA “The simulations here are crazy. It’s hard to tell that it’s simulated” Rune commented as we walked deeper into the forest and I shared his thoughts as well. If we hadn’t come through a door, I would not have been able to tell this place had been created. The similarities to real life was way better than what we had back at home. The creepy dark aura of the forest made chill travel down my spine with each noise and creak it produced. “Watch out, Rune” Koa caught him before he could trip over a branch that was laying on the floor “The forest might be simulated but the creatures in here aren’t so keep quiet and listen. We can’t let our guard down. We can get hurt here” “What crawled up your pants and died there?” Rune grumbled and ducked with a chuckle when Koa tried to smack him. “Can you both leave your bickering till later and let’s communicate through the mind link so we can hear our surroundings better.” Soren scolded and they straightened. We continued our journey
SOREN“I’m beginning to doubt the scientist guy and his statement about dangerous creatures in here. We’ve been walking for a while and yet to come across any. And how big is this place? We’ve been walking for a while but we haven’t seen Ami nor seen what we are looking for” Rune complained in the mind link.I was still pissed at him for causing the landslide with his carelessness but I was keeping it to myself because I knew I might lose control here and it wouldn’t be good for us so I chose to ignore him.“Just focus before you cause an earthquake this time” Koa warned, having an annoyed look on his face that Rune noticed which made him shut up.“Ami? How are you guys?” I asked her through the mind link because I was filled with worry. I couldn’t think clearly and all I wanted to know was where she was and if she was safe.“I’m safe” she replied after some minutes and I let out a relieved sigh “You?”“We are okay. We haven’t seen anything yet” I said with a sigh.I was just as tired
AMIRAWe had been walking for a while with the others nowhere in sight and thankfully, no creatures at all. It made me start to doubt that there were any here.I could not stop worrying about Soren and the way he sounded before he put a wall on our private mind link channel.“Let’s wait here. Hopefully, they would meet us here” I told Ivannah when we got to any intersection.I was hoping the road they were on would lead them to us since there were many parts connected to it. I didn’t want us to thank one and miss the others again.I took a seat without waiting for an answer from Ivannah. She had not complained again after I warned her not to and I hoped she remained quiet.“Are we just going to sit on the floor?” She snidely asked and I didn’t hide the irritation on my face as I glared at her. I guess it was too early to say she would behave the entire time.“If you can’t sit, then be my guest and leave” I snapped at her, not in the mood to deal with her.Ivannah grumbled under her br
AMIRA“Amira” Ivannah called again and I looked at her in surprise. It was the first time I would hear even something remotely close to concern for me in her voice.Growling dragged my attention from her back to the wolf that knocked me down. His eyes glowed a slimy green, indicating that he wasn’t a regular rogue wolf but one that had lost its mind and was dangerous—a dark one.I jumped on my feet, ignoring the pain that travelled through my body at the impact of the tree. I stared at the broken tree behind me and at Ivannah who had paled like a ghost as she stood with fear on her face as she stared at the wolf.“At least she would shut up now” I muttered, ignoring the concern I heard in her voice before running towards the growling wolf that was storming towards me.The wolf launched at me, claws spread and his eyes firm with the intent to kill me. I moved swiftly to the side,
SORENI was getting frustrated the longer we walked without any sight of Amira and my worries were stronger and my desperation to find her, choking.We moved cautiously, eyes alert as we watched for any rustle or movement in the dark forest around us.Suddenly, a menacing growl broke the silence, and a wolf emerged from the path in front of us. His eyes gleamed green with feral insanity.“Isn’t that a fucking dark one?” Rune asked with surprise and fear in his voice.“They had dark ones in here? Are they stupid or what?” Koa growled as well as he prepared for the attack.I don’t know what came over me but I wasn’t in the mood to waste time and deal with the delay in finding Amira, so I stepped up, fueled by my desperation and slayed the wolf in front of me with a powerful and swift strike of the blade in my hands.
SORENThe forest seemed endless, and we were growing tired. The fake moonlight was the only thing giving us light and it seemed like we were never going to find the symbol.“How big is this place?” Rune asked, breaking the silence. There was frustration in his voice, and we shared the same feeling. “We have been searching for ages, and we’ve found nothing. Are you sure it’s in here? It feels like we are being punished”Koa nodded in agreement “I can see why the alpha built this in the human world. He would have never been able to hide something this big in our world”“That’s not what I am talking about, who cares about how well hidden this place is” Rune growled and Koa only pursed his lips, amused and kept walking.“Maybe we should yell that we give up and we don’t want to do this anymore. The alpha can just hand the symbol to you when it’s time for you to take
AMIRAThe fire burned fiercely around us, threatening to consume everything in its path. I was frozen in both fear and surprise as I stared at Soren.He was roaring with so much rage, more anger than I had ever seen from him and the fire burned furiously like the anger he felt. It was terrifying.“What is happening?” Rune yelled. His eyes were wide with fear, and Ivannah looked like she was close to death.Koa was surprised but not scared, and it made me wonder if he had ever suspected or known that Soren was an elemental before us.“Ami, do something, or else we are all going to die here” Rune cried, snapping me out of my thoughts as I turned my attention back to Soren.The air was thick with smoke and his body was blood red. It looked painful like streams of flames were on his skin instead of sweating. It was a terrifying sight to se
SORENThe room was suffocating and I wanted to get out. It was too much. The lies, betrayals and secrets that had all been laid bare for me felt like a fog that was blinding me and pulling me under. I looked at my father who stood unrepentant in the middle of the room and I still couldn’t believe what I had just heard. “You experimented on me” I said, this time my voice was calm but it was a huge contrast to how I felt on the inside. It was as though I was finally digesting everything that had been said. My father knew what I was. He knew I had a mate he tried to kill and just like Ami said, he tried to play God. “Why did you do it? To fight Curtis? Is that why you decided to do this?” I asked “Did you do it? Was that why you stopped being a scientist?” Noah had a weary expression but I couldn’t care less about the guilt on his face. All I wanted was answers and not the regret they didn’t have until they got caught. “Yes” He confessed “I was the head scientist of the operation
AMIRA I had not spoken a word to Dad from when we left the house until we arrived in front of Soren’s office. It was hard to ignore the whispers and fingers pointed at me as I walked to the pack house. It was the first time I had shown my face in public since I had returned, so the members were shocked to see that the rumours were true. Ruelle and Koa didn’t follow us to the office. We separated at the entrance and I pleaded with Ruelle to go back to my house so she would keep an eye on the twins while I thrashed this matter once and for all. “Ami” Dad called with a quiet tone but I was not ready to look at him. He would have to explain everything here. I knocked twice and pushed the door open. The air inside Soren’s office was thick with tension the moment we stepped inside. My eyes found Soren immediately and my chest tightened when I saw the anger and shock on his face. I wondered what happened before we got here. His shoulders were tense as though he was preparing for
AMIRA I stood by the edge of the bed and watched as Meridia worked quickly. Her old but experienced hands moved with ease and care as she tilted Ezra's head slightly and brought the vial to his lips while chanting softly. I held my breath as I watched every drop of liquid from the vial disappear into my baby’s mouth while I prayed silently that it worked. Dad placed a reassuring grip on my shoulder but I couldn’t take my eyes off Meridia. I was biting my tongue so I wouldn’t start to question Meridia and the effectiveness of the vial for the nth time. She said I needed to trust her and that was what I was trying to do. “It’s done” Meridia announced after placing Elias back on the bed and adjusting the covers over his little body. She stood up and faced Dad and I “The potion should kill off all the venom and the body will purge it out” My throat tightened “So he’s...” “He is going to be fine now, child. You have nothing to fear anymore” She assured me “His body will expel the
SOREN I stormed into my office, ready to slam the door and let out a growl that measured the intensity of my rage, but paused when I saw my parents waiting for me in the office. I was ready to kick them out, especially my father because I was not in the mood to deal with any of his bullshit today. “Look, whatever you have to say, keep it till later. I am not in the mood…” “Is it true?” Mum interrupted before I could finish my demand for them to leave. “Is what true?” I could see through the cracks of her false composure that she was worried. With the way she kept glancing at my father, I knew this would turn out like our other discussions, where he had never been able to control himself. “That Amira is back and with children?” I sighed tiredly. I had not bothered to tell them Amira was back or with my kids because I had been busy with Elias. “Yes” My dad shot to his feet, appearing in front of me in the blink of an eye. “And those children? Are they yours?” I clenched
AMIRA “Talk?” Dad asked with a confused expression “About what?” I felt a tiny tug at the helm of my shirt before I could answer and I looked down to see Elias with wide teary eyes staring up at me. “Eli?” I bent down so I was at eye level and wiped his cheeks “Why are you crying, baby?” “Why did Daddy leave? Is he angry with me?” His trembling voice broke my heart and I pulled him into a tight hug. “No, baby” I peppered multiple on both sides of his face “Daddy isn’t mad at you” “Then why did he leave? I want to go with him” Fresh waves of tears appeared again. My heart clenched painfully in my chest. There was no doubt that Ezra had gotten attached to Soren. I wanted to be happy that Elias found it so easy to bond with Soren just barely two days after they met but at the same time, it hurt me that he would not be able to spend much time with his father since I planned to leave the pack when Ezra had recovered. “Did you spend all the time when I was gone with your fa
AMIRAI stepped out of the portal into the house. Thankfully, the portal brought us back to where we had left off.“The house is quiet. Are they at the pack house?” Koa asked as he stepped out after me.“No, they are still here. I smell them. They should be at the back” Koa followed me to the garden.As soon as I stepped through the back door, familiar delighted gasps reached my ears.“Mummy” Elias squealed with wide eyes when he saw me. His small feet pattered across the floor as he raced towards me with his small arms outstretched.I bent down and picked him up as soon as he reached me. I missed him so much. I had never stayed away from them for this long. I peppered kisses all over his face and was rewarded with excited giggles as he tried to push me away playfully.“I missed you, Eli. So so much” I leaned back to study his face.“Me too, but I had so much fun playing with Daddy and Grandpa. Did you bring the medicine for Ezra? Will he be fine now?”Amira softened, brushing his curl
IVANNAHI stared at the door with a new kind of numbness and hurt. I could feel everything I had ever worked for slip away from my fingers like water; it was terrifying. I lifted my hand to pound the door down. How dare Soren do this to me?I suffered years of humiliation and insults to remain by his side, as the Luna of the pack and he runs to Amira as soon as she returns. What happened to the years of hatred he harboured for that bitch?My hand fell back lifelessly against my sides. There was no use knocking. The result would only be as cold-hearted as the one I had just received, if not more.“Mum will know what to do” I whispered to myself before I turned away from the door.I ignored the sneers and looks of curiosity as my legs hurried me towards my mother. My breaths were uneven and ragged as I picked up the pace, almost in a sprint as my desperation rose.Mom had moved into the pack house after she had a nasty fight with Dad after Amira left. Dad was hell-bent on finding her ba
SORENI held Elias to my chest as I walked around the room. He had fallen asleep in my arms, and I was reluctant to put him down. I pressed a kiss to his curls as his heartbeat matched mine. It was peaceful and calm.I felt warm holding him to my chest and I would stay like this forever if I could. His tiny hand clutched my shirt tightly and I told myself he held me like that because he trusted me and didn’t want me to leave.Noah had something to do in town, so he left me to watch over the kids. Meridia had come over earlier to check on Ezra and make sure that the venom was not spreading fast and left me with a vial to always give him a drop every hour.A knock at the door interrupted my moment with Elias. I took a whiff of the air and my eyes narrowed when I smelt Ivannah. What was she doing here?I took Elias back inside and lay him down beside his brother. I kissed both of them on their foreheads before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind me.When I approached the
IVANNAHTheir eyes followed me as soon as I stepped into the pack house, and I scoffed at their hatred. If they thought those malicious looks would ruffle me, then they had another thing coming.Whether they liked it or not, I was Luna and Amira was gone. It was a reality they would have to live whether they liked it or not.“I don’t know how she manages to keep her head high when Soren can’t stand her,” one of the pack members whispered to her friend, who also had a glare on her face as she eyed me.“She is so shameless. Soren will always be Amira’s whether she likes it or not”A glare from me had them scurrying away and soon the hallway before me was empty.Amira.As much as I loved to pretend that I won, I didn’t. That bitch was still everywhere and the pack members would not shut up about her. The comparison affected me more than I would like to admit and I hated it.I pushed my thoughts to the back of my head as I made my way to Soren’s office. I was getting frustrated each day a