The atmosphere in the Stonevale territory was tense, the air filled with the weight of recent battles and hard-won alliances. Rayka and Sylvester had just returned from a skirmish with the Steelclaws, the relief of victory tempered by a newfound alliance with Stonevale. It had taken all their strength and diplomacy to secure this partnership, and now that they had it, they knew the cost of failure was even higher.Rayka sensed the underlying unrest even as they met with Thorne and his senior advisors, sitting around a council fire deep within the Stonevale woods. Stonevale’s warriors watched with wary eyes, their trust in the Moonshadow Pack still fragile, and rightly so. Only days earlier, their neutrality had been threatened, and whispers of betrayal still lingered.As the meeting began, Thorne addressed the tension, his voice somber. “It has come to my attention that some of my own pack members are not entirely pleased with our alliance. Their discontent runs deeper than I realized
As dawn’s first light crept over the horizon, casting long shadows across the Stonevale forest, an unearthly silence settled over the camp. Rayka and Sylvester could feel the weight of Bael’s betrayal bearing down on them. Their alliance with Stonevale was more fragile than ever, and the threat of the Steelclaws loomed dangerously close. Just as they were about to join Thorne for a strategy meeting, an elder wolf, bent and cloaked in heavy robes, shuffled into their path. “Alpha Rayka, Alpha Sylvester,” the elder rasped, her voice as brittle as dry leaves. Rayka blinked, taken aback. She hadn’t seen this wolf before; her fur was a grizzled silver, and her eyes were clouded with age. She leaned heavily on a twisted cane, her steps slow but deliberate. Sylvester tensed, recognizing her as a seer—a figure of reverence and mystery among the packs, rumored to carry glimpses of the past and future. The elder’s gaze fixed on them, though her eyes seemed to look beyond, as if she saw things
by Ethan Choi His name is Thorran Savage although he preferred to be called by one syllable nickname “Thor”. Yes, just like the God of Thunder, he’s our god. We call him our god because we had no other choice. Thor is the strongest of the strongest hence there is no comparable word other than god. In all honesty, I’ve never been fond of him. I’ve never met him but it’s crazy to see how adeptly he paved our lives for us without even knowing our existence. If I could be blunt, I could even say that I hated him my whole life. After all, he was the sole reason why every one of us must be removed from our family callously to attend boarding school until the age of eighteen. It’s compulsory, he declared. It was also compulsory to attend further education until we obtained a useful job like doctor or lawyer. Of course that rule didn’t apply for misfits. What happen to those? They were shipped off to manually train to be nothing more than security guards. Shipped off to provide security f
I'm not an easily intimidated girl. Never have been. But no one has induce a cold chill across the surface of my skin like the woman in front of me. Her eyes are a steely, intense hazel. Usually hazel is a warm, inviting colour. Not in this case. Her dark hair is pulled away from her face, revealing the sharp facial structure created by her jaw and her cheekbones. I don't know what hole she crawled out of, but it's clearly a very immaculate one. "Is your name Aerys Maria Sinclair?" she asks coolly. Her accent is Discipline Pack bred, but there is something about her that seems unnervingly unfamiliar. Foreign. I reach for the cool I keep deep within me. "Who's asking?' Ignoring the sharp glare Mistress Thatcher shoots me from the corner of my eye, I continue to smile sweetly. She returns my smile tightly, lacing her fingers together. "You may refer to me as Miss Tilsbury," she tells me. Her tone is no nonsense. Miss Tilsbury it is, I suppose. "I am a representative for a corporatio
Seeing this is making me shy away from my initial excitement. The facility is imposing, a building behind the main office scaling larger than any other. The plaster cladding is an ash grey, the windows tinted dark and reflective. The office is slightly warmer, manicured gardens consumed by small topiary line a gravel footpath up to the main doors. The other buildings are similar, with more windows. But outside the ajar car door, despite the cold atmosphere, birds chatter and cherry blossoms from the drive sweeten the air. "Inside, we will have your other contract ready for you to sign if you are willing," Tilsbury says, as I nervously slide out of the car, leaving the plush seats of the SUV behind. "And then we will proceed from there." I follow her as she abnormally strides along the gravel in her heels, leading me through the front door. My assumptions were that this is an office. But there is no reception desk, no manicured lady or short sofas partnered with sleek coffee tables
I didn't sleep easy that night. The bed had sunk into the shape of someone else, so all night, I shifted uncomfortably. The unknown haunt my dreams, the amount of times I woke not knowing where I was being ridiculous. I'm in the middle of nowhere, my fate unknown. Whoever sleeps in the rooms around me are surely as anxious about tomorrow. I take comfort in knowing I'm not the only one. The lack of curtains truly live up to their desired effect. Sun glared into my eyes the moment it rose, at some ungodly hour. As much as my body protested, I knew it was my cue to get up and face this undetermined day. Out of sheer habit, I made my bed. If this is anything like the institute I grew up in, someone would come in to check it, then scold me if it was done incorrectly. So I fold the sheets up, and decide to figure out what to wear. I wasn't allowed to bring any clothing or personal items with me. As much as it saddens me, I know I didn't own anything or significance. I'm sure all of it wil
I wasn't aware we would be meeting the Alpha so early. A sense of nervousness seems to settle over everyone. We all share the same disbelief. Perhaps if our Alpha did more public appearances, or didn't have the amount of rumour surrounding him that he does, then we wouldn't be so stricken with surprise. Juan leads us out of the building we all slept in, leading us toward one which towers so high above us, the shadow it casts chills me to my bone. The large doors are pushed open as we arrive, Juan ushering is in. Everyone is too stunned to utter a single word, as we look around what I assume is a gymnasium. Juan requires to all line up, which we all do without a word of protest uttered. I'm assuming the lot of us are too worried Thorranmay be watching to act out. I stand between Mira and Drayton. After what Drayton admitted, I'm nervous being in his presence. Why did he go to jail? Everyone here seems to have some history with delinquency, me included to a degree. It leaves me wonde
Even if I wanted to talk, I couldn't. Fright has seized my voice. The man standing in front of me is terrifying. He seems power and intimidation, eyes as blue as the foaming ocean, but as cold as chips of ice. The the fabric that covers his nose and mouth matches the hood pulled over his head, and the clothes close to his body. His jacket seems to be made out of a hardened mesh fabric - as if to drain away the blood of an unfortunate victim - with hardened panels on the breast area and shoulder. Whoever he is, I'm about to obey his every word. I wouldn't stand a chance against him. I can see the thickness of his muscle stature under his clothes. One wrong move on my part could mean the end of my life. He flicks a finger toward the door. It's covered in a leather glove, to leave no trace of himself. It's frightening. I noticed the camera's mounted in the corners of the room yesterday. Are they not seeing this? Following the silent instruction, I quickly hustle into the corridor, the