Chester's POVA Collective gasp went through the gathered Elders of the Council. For a moment, I felt shame creeping into my face in the form of a blush.And for a few seconds, I had very conflicting thoughts. Had the sex been planned by that Alina girl? Had she connived with her father to come to me at my lowest and weakest point and try to force me into sex?Their plan had worked, that much I could tell. Because all the Elders were staring at me with disbelief: some with anger, others with disgust."That's right, fellow elders." Elder Lyall continued, then pointed to me. "That man whom you call your alpha, slept with my daughter just yesterday. And after this, what did our dear Alpha Chester do? He chased my poor Alina out of his mansion, as though she was nothing but a mere slave!""Preposterous!" One of the Elders yelled at me."Quite right you are, Elder!" Elder Lyall continued. Folding his arms behind his back, he began to pace the length of the meeting room. On his face, I cou
Nora's POVI continued to swallow spoonful after spoonful of porridge, trying to push down my disgust and nausea. This was the only kind of nourishment I could hope to get.Alpha Jacob had all but forgotten me in the past one week. It was as though he had me locked here, and then deleted me from his memory. In a way, I didn't mind. It had given me enough time to think about my captor, about the man that he had shown himself to be. I wondered if he had a wife, or other wives. He certainly looked and acted like he kept a harem of women around him.Did he have children? Other relatives? Did he live all alone in this stone sculpture of a pack house?I sighed, taking the very last spoon of porridge into my mouth. Then I set the empty bowl aside and leaned against the wall, setting my feet on the bed. This was the time I was left alone, to my thoughts.I had counted the time very judiciously: every hour I had kept watch. I had been in this room for one hundred and sixty four hours. Within
Nora's POVA split second passed, in which I held my breath. Then, several things happened at once.The spoon in Alpha Jacob's hand clattered to the ground. Almost on impulse, I lurched backwards on my chair. As I did so, my hand hit the nearby goblet, spilling wine all over the whit tablecloth.Wine as red as spilled blood.And before I knew what was happening, Alpha Jacob stood to his feet, lunged across the table and grabbed my neck.Alpha Jacob's fingers went around my windpipe, pressing down for all it was worth. His expression was twisted into a snarl as his rabid eyes regarded me. In that moment, I knew I was not truly safe. This man could gut me open like a pig for slaughter if I made any wrong move. He might be obsessed with having me as his wife, but he could as well decide to end my life.His voice was a low, menacing growl that sent shivers down my spine as he spoke. "You! Who do you think you are, anyway? Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? Do you know who
Nora's POVOn and on they dragged me, through the corridors and deeper into this stone fortress that was Alpha Jacob's pack house.I could almost feel Alpha Jacob's smile as I was led away like a ram to the slaughter house. I knew that he thought he'd won, that being sent to the dungeons will definitely bend me to his will. What he didn't know was that I had been through worse.He knew about my adopted family and how they had disowned me. Why would he not know the fate that I had suffered in their hands?I had been treated like vermin for most of my life. I had been treated like a second choice for as long as I could remember. My parents had turned out not to be my true parents, after all. Alpha Chester, who was supposed to be the closest to my soul, had banished me from his presence like a mere stranger, over something that was hardly my fault.And right now, I was in the literal jaws of my very enemy.It was right there and then, as I was being dragged to the dungeons, that I realis
Nora's POVI blinked and looked away, breaking eye contact. There was something uncomfortably familiar about his eyes. It was as though I had seen him before, even though I was sure that we had never met."When did you get here?" I asked."Ah..." His voice trailed away, and his eyes stared into the distance. "Not too long ago, I suppose. Although, time is hard to calculate down here...."His voice sent chills down my arms. It was nothing but the way he spoke, as it felt as though he had endured a lot in this dungeon."Do you want to come into my cell?" I asked him politely."That was the reason I came here, wasn't it?" He said, then grinned widely, deepening the lines that littered his face.I stepped aside to give him room in my cell.The person walked into my cell, then sat on the floor. I followed suit and sat right beside him. "You're a very pretty girl. You know that, right?" He started."I have been told that several times, but thanks." I muttered, then moved to the other end of
Nora's POVMy mind whirled with conflicting emotions as I sat next to Julius in the cold, damp confines of the dungeon. His words kept echoing in my ears, reverberating through the chambers of my mind. How could I believe this man? What if his words were all just fibs? I knew I had to take his words with a pinch of salt—at least, until I was sure that he was actually saying the truth.I stole glances at him, observing his worn-out appearance, the haunting lines etched into his weathered face, and the desperation lingering in his eyes. His flesh seemed to hang from his body in limp folds—the look of a man who had been starved over time.Part of me wanted to dismiss his words as the ramblings of a desperate man seeking an escape. How could I trust someone who had confessed to being a spy, a traitor who had orchestrated so much pain and manipulation in my life? Yet, another part of me couldn't shake the feeling that there might be a shred of truth in his words, despite the dread coiled
Nora's POVI sighed, turning back to Julius. The first hurdle was over, finally!"That was stressful. Eh, Julius?" I asked.Julius, who was slurping the last dregs of soup away, looked up. "Ah, yes, Nora. You did a good job."I nodded. I felt braver than I had been days ago, when thosw guards had dragged me all the way down here. It was as though in the space of a few days, my life had changed in drastic ways.And indeed, it had.I had been chased out of my former pack in shame. I had been locked in a room for an entire week, existing on nothing but porridge. I had made a friend in the form of a lone man in a dingy dungeon, discovered secrets and uncovered several lies and truths about my life. And now, I was facing the next hurdle in my journey head on.I was going to face the one man who had made my life a total, living hell."Do you think the guards would listen to me and tell Alpha Jacob about my offer?" I asked.Julius shrugged. "That is left for us to see. Though, I am sure that
Nora's POVThe smile on Alpha Jacob's face faded slowly; it was clear that my abrupt change of heart had caught him off guard."Are you....are you certain about this, Nora?" Alpha Jacob asked, his voice laced with a hint of disbelief. "You've changed your mind?"No! My heart screamed. But I met his gaze firmly. "Yes," I replied, my voice resolute.A smile, bright and triumphant, crept onto Alpha Jacob's face, illuminating his features. He motioned to his guards. "Let her out!" He ordered, then cackled like a witch. "She is to be my wife! Finally, my dear Nora is to be my wife and Luna!"As the heavy metal door creaked open and the guards escorted me out, a whole storm of conflicting emotions engulfed me. My heart still ached for Julius, who had selflessly guided and supported me. I felt the weight of my failure to rescue him in his darkest hour.He had helped me throughout my stay in the dungeons. And now, when he needed my help the most, I was utterly powerless to help him.Walking a
Nora's POVMy father's eyes fell on me, and I felt an insatiable anger fill me up from within.Suddenly, all I wanted was for this man to pay for every single thing he made me go through. I remembered the look of satisfaction I had seen on his face, as I had cried and groveled at his feet on that fateful day, when he'd thrown me out of his house.But the wheels had turned now. He was in my shoes now, and I would make sure he experienced the pain I had gone through as well.Or even worse.I understood that I was not his daughter, but what I did not understand was how I came to be in his house in the first place. How had I escaped the massacre that Jacob had done on my family, and how had I gotten to this vile man's household?However, all that was pushed to the back of my mind as I watched a fleeting look of fear pass across his face."Nora?" He called out, as though I was an apparition, and calling my name would dismiss me. "Surprised to see me, aren't you, Elder Lyall?" Goddess, how
Chester's POVAll of a sudden, Nora was standing before me, and it felt as though all my troubles were dissipating into the air.My hands darted forward, as though I was trying to catch air, and my mouth hung open. I could not believe my eyes. Was I dreaming? Was the alcohol finally kicking in and I was imagining things?"Nora...." I whispered again. She smiled as I called her name. Oh, that smile. How I had missed it so much!I felt my wolf jump in excitement before me. In the space of a few seconds, my eyes cleared, and I saw Nora standing before me, live and in person."I'm here, Chester." She whispered. I watched as a tear fell from her eyes, and something within me shattered into a million pieces. I stumbled forward, kicking my goblet aside. Finally, reaching before her, I stopped again."What are you doing...." I stammered. "Why are you here? Where have you been?"A million questions and more chased each other in my head. Nora's smile fell for a moment. "It is a long story, Ch
Nora's POVI walked the rest of the way to the packs border, trying to blend into the shadows that surrounded me. The moon was high in the sky by now, and I guessed that it was midnight already.On and on I walked, until finally, I got to the river that divided Moon Gold Pack from Wolf Claw Pack. I felt a tugging in my heart, and Chester immediately came to mind.Even though we were estranged from each other, I still missed him terribly. How I craved for the little moments that we'd shared. It was appalling how, in the space of a few months, this man whom I had hated with every passionate bone in me, had slowly grown to become an integral part of my life.I still hadn't forgiven him for pushing me out of his pack all those weeks. I still hadn't forgiven him for thinking the worst of me, but deep down, I could not deny that I missed my fated mate.I stopped in front of the river, contemplating how to cross to the other side. The bridge that would have helped me was broken, and the only
Nora's POVThe moment I confirmed that he was dead, I slowly rose to my feet. I kept my eyes on him all through, half expecting him to open his eyes and stare right through me.I waited for a few seconds, but it felt like several eternities. I had to make it look as though he wasn't truly dead.Crouching beside him, I placed both hands underneath his armpits and lifted him up. He was extremely heavy, the brute of a man!Wuth several grunts and heaving, I placed him on the bed. Finally, I stared at hid unmoving body and smiled to myself. If only he knew that I would be his undoing, he would not have taken a liking to me, would he?I rearranged his clothes, placing a folded piece of cloth against his neck to hide the gaping hole in there. I arranged his hands around him to give off the impression that he was asleep, then I took several steps backwards.Perfect, I thought. Save for the unusual paleness of his skin, he truly looked like he was fast asleep.Suddenly, I heard several steps
Nora's POVMy eyes caught a platter of cut apples, lying on a table by my side. Right beside the platter was a small, sheathed dagger.I narrowed my eyes as curiosity got the better of me. Slowly, I laid down the picture frame in my hands, then reached out to pick up the dagger. I pulled the dagger out of its scabbard and turned it in my hands, momentarily awed as it caught the sunlight at almost impossible angles. I immediately knew it was made of dragonblade, one of the strongest steels known to werewolves.The hilt was studded with several tiny rubies, but was built of pure, solid gold. On the hilt was emblazoned the initials Y.L; this dagger once belonged to my mother. It gave me a tiny comfort to know that I was holding something that once belonged to one of my parents."Hmm..." I murmured, sizing the dagger up against my hand. It was very small: not nearly as big as my entire hand, but sharp enough to do damage.I smiled to myself, a sinister fire burning within me. Sinking thi
Nora's POV"Who is there?!" One of the guards called out.Sarah and I froze, then exchanged terrified glances. Oh, Goddess! What would happen if we were discovered? I knew that we would immediately be taken to Alpha Jacob, and there was no questioning what he would do to us to punish us."Oh, we're done for!" Sarah wailed, quite loudly."Oh, keep your voice low!" I snapped. "Let's leave before they notice people are here." I pulled her hand as we scurried towards the door.But as Sarah and I hurried toward the exit, we found ourselves face-to-face with the guards already inside the dimly lit Black Door Room. In a quick decision, we stood perfectly still, hoping the shadows would conceal our presence.Pressing ourselves against the darkened corner, I held my breath, praying that the guards wouldn't notice us. Their looming silhouettes moved through the room, their voices echoing in the hushed space."Why's this door open?" one guard's inquiry reverberated in the chamber's silence. We h
Nora's POV.As I dressed up, I kept my mind resolute on the fact that I would find that door, whether Sarah helped me out or not. Julius' words kept ringing in my ears, giving me the courage I desperately needed.Sarah fetched a simple gray dress from a chest on the far end of the room—it was obvious that Alpha Jacob had stocked this room full of dresses for me, in case I happened to change my mind about marrying him."Here, Luna Nora," she murmured as she handed me the dress. Her eyes were averted, head downcast. I knew, deep down that Sarah wanted to help, but she was scared of the consequences that would follow if someone found out.I couldn't blame her. If I was in her shoes, I would be scared too."Thank you, Sarah." I murmured, accepting the gray dress. I slipped it on and fastened the buttons myself. Then I turned back to her. "Do you have a black cloak anywhere around this room?""Um...yes." Sarah replied. "Alpha Jacob's former wife used to keep one for special occasions, whe
Nora's POVThe smile on Alpha Jacob's face faded slowly; it was clear that my abrupt change of heart had caught him off guard."Are you....are you certain about this, Nora?" Alpha Jacob asked, his voice laced with a hint of disbelief. "You've changed your mind?"No! My heart screamed. But I met his gaze firmly. "Yes," I replied, my voice resolute.A smile, bright and triumphant, crept onto Alpha Jacob's face, illuminating his features. He motioned to his guards. "Let her out!" He ordered, then cackled like a witch. "She is to be my wife! Finally, my dear Nora is to be my wife and Luna!"As the heavy metal door creaked open and the guards escorted me out, a whole storm of conflicting emotions engulfed me. My heart still ached for Julius, who had selflessly guided and supported me. I felt the weight of my failure to rescue him in his darkest hour.He had helped me throughout my stay in the dungeons. And now, when he needed my help the most, I was utterly powerless to help him.Walking a
Nora's POVI sighed, turning back to Julius. The first hurdle was over, finally!"That was stressful. Eh, Julius?" I asked.Julius, who was slurping the last dregs of soup away, looked up. "Ah, yes, Nora. You did a good job."I nodded. I felt braver than I had been days ago, when thosw guards had dragged me all the way down here. It was as though in the space of a few days, my life had changed in drastic ways.And indeed, it had.I had been chased out of my former pack in shame. I had been locked in a room for an entire week, existing on nothing but porridge. I had made a friend in the form of a lone man in a dingy dungeon, discovered secrets and uncovered several lies and truths about my life. And now, I was facing the next hurdle in my journey head on.I was going to face the one man who had made my life a total, living hell."Do you think the guards would listen to me and tell Alpha Jacob about my offer?" I asked.Julius shrugged. "That is left for us to see. Though, I am sure that