CLAUDIA “Father wants to become king? Since when have you two been planning this?” I was shocked, I was never been carried along with anything going on in our pack, talk-less of the clan. But this, I should have known before the time of his speech. “For some time now Claudia. We wanted to surprise you.” “Surprise me? Or you kept it from me because you feel I am not mature enough?” “Claudia please, not this time. Your father needs us now, we can continue this talk at home.” I heaved a sigh and looked at Mr. Prophecy. He announced his name to be Everett Durchdenwald, but I’d prefer calling him Mr. Prophecy. He had a cold look on his face and I wondered why. I looked at what he was staring coldly at and I saw it was Father. *My father and my fated mates are rivals in becoming king. Why does the moon goddess hate me so much? This makes absolutely no sense! They would turn their backs against each other!* The people applauded Father as soon as he got to where the Monk stood. The no
EVERETT“You have been speechless for minutes now. Are you okay?” I sat next to Annette in the dressing room where I first met Claudia. My head was lowered in thoughts, I was trying to evaluate and plan how I would win the throne over Alpha Horst. “Talk to me Everett, I am worried.” Annette placed her hands on my shoulders and I sighed getting her hands off me. “I have so many things I’m thinking about Annette and you are distracting me! Please leave!” She flinched, and her mouth fell open after seeing my mood. She stood up and stared at me. I kept mute and lowered my head again. “Is this because of that small girl? You yelled at me Everett, because of her?” “Alpha Everett.”She went blank after hearing me speak. I looked at her coldly and she scoffed. “Alpha? Do I have to put the title now? Because of her?” “She is my mate and this has nothing to do with her! Not everything has to do with you, Annette. Let me be, I need to think!” I sprang up from the chair and appro
CLAUDIAI was sleeping on my bed, in my room when all of a sudden I heard a familiar voice whisper in my ear. “Claudia… Claudia, wake up.” Ma’am Petra tapped me softly as she called. I shrank my eyes and opened them slowly. I saw her face very closer to mine and I furrowed my brows. “Wake up, you need to see something.” I further arched my brows and sat up, I still kept my gaze fixed on her. “Why are you whispering?” My question was in a whisper because I wasn’t sure I could speak normally, not until she stopped whispering. “There is a man, he looks like he is in his early thirties, he is in the living room as I speak and he has a meeting with your parents as we speak. I overheard part of their conversation, I think you are getting married soon.”Everything inside of me stopped working, my heart felt so heavy for my body immediately, and tears heated my eyes like I was in severe pain. “It wasn’t a dream, I thought it was a dream!” I hurried out of the bed and began
CLAUDIA After father left the living room, I ran out of the packhouse and headed to Thorsten’s packhouse. “Claudia!” Mom, Ma’am Petra and two other women from our pack called but I turned deaf ears to all of them. As I ran down the dusty road, my legs turned dirty as I kept beating the dust with my bare feet. I forgot to wear my shoes, and I didn’t care. Not after father just gave us his blessings. I wore my silk nightgown which extended down to my ankle, I raised it as I ran. The people that saw me as I ran stared at me as if I was crazy. Well, I wasn’t sure if I was sane anymore, my eyes were so heavy that I couldn’t barely see the road. I sighted Thorsten’s pack house from afar and I increased my pace. I couldn't wait to fall into his arms and cry. I needed someone to tell how badly hurt I was and he was the only one I could think of, he had always been the only one. I got into their compound and I pulled the attention of almost everyone that was in the compound. I could even
EVERETTShe shuffled out of the packhouse with her head bowed. I arched my brows as I saw what she wore. *So the rumors were true.* I had overheard some women talking about how Alpha Horst’s daughter had run out of his packhouse without shoes or clothes. I asked the women talking where Claudia was headed and they told me the Schulz packhouse. These rumors made me hurry down to the so-called Schulz Packhouse. She approached me looking so pale and rough. She dragged her bare feet on the ground and she left me wondering how the sand didn’t hurt her. She wore a thin strap wine silk nightgown that extended down to her ankle. Her hair looked so unkempt and her eyes were swollen and puffy. She stood in front of the horse and I could see the shape of her small, but round breasts. Her nipples threatened to tear open the fabric she wore. “You came down here to stare?” She folded her hands under her breasts and lifted them, giving me that sassy attitude I hated the most.“Let’s go home.
CLAUDIA It was two hours before my wedding ceremony. It was 6pm, and the wedding ceremony was to start 8pm. Ma’am Petra had told me that the wedding ceremonies in Jamba Kingdom always took place at night because that was the period the moon goddess had chosen. The packhouse was busier than usual, it was more than the Moonball party’s evening. Ma’am Petra finished bathing for me, and she already treated my hair. She let my hair loose and it fell on my shoulders, she told me that was how it was supposed to be for the wedding. She applied the bright red carmine blush on my cheeks, and some other beauty patches on my face. I was wearing my under-bust corset and a linen skirt, I stood in front of my mirror. Mother walked into the room with two other maids of hers, they carried two dresses in their hands. “Claudia child, which one would you love to wear?” “I would love to wear nothing.”I kept my eyes on the mirror, I kept staring at my puffy eyes. Ma’am Petra tried to cover
CLAUDIA I needed no one to tell me what Alpha Everett’s slut meant, it was quite understandable. My marriage to Everett Durchdenwald is nothing but a sad one. “Do you know her?” Thorsten kept his gaze on her as she proudly walked away. “She is the woman that was with Everett at the moonball party. I am yet to know her name, but there is one thing I am sure of, she hates me.” “Why would she hate you? You are his mate, not her.” “Thorsten, I don’t care about what she thinks of me. What I care about is you. I won’t be able to see you anymore, and this breaks my heart more than anything else.” “I perfectly understand you, Claudia, I feel the same way too. But sometimes, we just have to accept fate. “I thought of something Thorsten,” I moved closer to him so I could whisper my words in his ear. He also moved closer to me and turned his ear to me. “Once I get to his mouth, and he marks me, I would run away.” I moved back and look at his face, he looked shocked because of wh
CLAUDIA The carriage in which we rode in stopped in front of a beautiful and extravagant packhouse. I was lost in its beauty. About twenty people were standing in front of the mansion, they were arranged in a straight linear line. I could guess they were his pack members. The coachman handed his hand over to me so he could help me down. I gave him my hand with a feeble smile on his face. Alpha Everett walked past me and headed for the door. I gulped hard looking at the people that stood in front of me, they didn’t take their eyes off me, making me uncomfortable. As an important member of the Crescent Moon pack and the Wagner clan, I summoned the courage to walk up to them. “Hello.”The words fell out of my mouth heavily. The way they stared at me was getting creepy and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I stood still, not knowing what to do next. “Let us all welcome Claudia Wagner of the Crescent Moon pack into our midst. We would have a little introduction before she proceed
~After eighteen years~Maximillian I gazed at the archery targets carefully, my left hand slowly lifted up, holding the heavy recurved bow firmly. My right hand reached for my quiver, and I pulled out one arrow. I positioned it in the bow and pointed it at the targets. I closed my left eye so that I could get the appropriate angle and degree to release my arrow. After being satisfied with my positioning, I dragged the bowstring and arrow real quick and let go of the arrow. The arrow travelled from where I stood to the archery target, and I nervously watched it move. The King, my father, was at the other end, and as soon as the arrow pierced the target, he ran to it to check. “Yes! You did it!” He yelled, and I jumped up and punched the air in excitement. “I told you I’d be able to do it!” I yelled back boastfully. *Since I turned ten, I grew a great passion for shooting arrows. No one in Jamba Kingdom was an arrow shooter, and I wanted to break that record. My mother, Que
CLAUDIA Everett and I sat in the living room with an awkward silence in the air. My head was full of many things. After witnessing Annette’s death, I wished I was never pushed to request her death. ‘What will my don think of me now?’ “Claudia, can you please tell me what is going on in your mind?” Everett asked, and I adjusted my eyes to look at him. “What will our son think of me now, Everett? I’m a murderer.” He shook his head and reached for my hand. He lifted my hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it. “You are no murderer, okay? I was the one that killed her, not you. She deserved to die, okay? Don’t feel so bad. You are a good person, Claudia, but sometimes, the good people are always pushed to the wall.” “About our son…” “Our son will be fine, Claudia. This would be written down, but you should know he would understand that she needed to be killed. She messed with the king, and the king killed her. You won’t be painted as evil because you aren’t. So be calm, okay
CLAUDIAI got to the front of the palace and threw Annette forward, making her fall to the ground. I could feel how fragile she had become because of the torture she went through in the dungeon, but she wasn’t ready to change, and I was done giving her chances to be a better person. “You are still alive till now, thanks to me!” I poked my chest and moved closer to her slowly. “It was so easy to tell Everett to get rid of you when you were in that dungeon, but I felt it would be so wicked of me, and I didn’t want anyone’s blood on my hands. But now, I don’t care if your filthy blood stains my hand.” “You think you can do whatever pleases you now, hun? You can order others around, but I’ll never let you order me around! I rather die than accept you as my queen!” She yelled back, and I scoffed. I wasn’t surprised she could still talk back at me like that. Everett had always said she is a fierce woman and won’t give up easily. “You rather die? Well, I’ll help you die.” I got to her
ANNETTE I stood in front of my full mirror and stared at myself. I looked so ugly and sick, and I hated everyone for that. No one cared when I was in that dungeon, and this made me see no reason why I should care for anyone too. If someone told me Everett would change drastically to the extent of throwing me into the dungeon, I’d argue with that person. This time, it was worse. He locked me in there for about nine months, and he didn’t bother to check up on me for once. He was busy with his wife. I rolled my eyes and tears dropped from them. I lowered my head and began to play with my finger. “Annette, you are not a woman they accept defeats. You can’t let this pass as if nothing happened. You are more powerful than that, baby girl.” I said to myself and looked in the mirror again. “Annette.” I heard Volker’s voice in front of my door. I looked at the door and saw him open it. He walked in with a tray in his hands. “There you are. I brought you some food.” He walked to the tab
~The next day~ CLAUDIA I woke up feeling much better, I slept all through the night, so I didn’t expect less. I dragged my body up and sat on the bed. My eyes ran through the chamber real quick and fell on my baby’s cradle. Beside the cradle was Nellie. She had her hand in the cradle, and she was smiling widely. “Nellie,” I called calmly, and she raised her head and looked at me. “My Queen, you are up.” Sue stood up and walked up to me. “Yes, I am,” I responded with a bright face. “I’m happy you look better, my queen. How are you feeling? Do you have aches?” She asked, and I shook my head. “I’m not feeling anyone. Am I supposed to feel any pain?” I asked, and she chuckled. “I have no idea. I haven’t given birth before,” She responded, and I giggled. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that kind of question,” I said, and she shook her head. “It is fine, my queen. Your baby is still sleeping soundly. Have you found a name for him?” I shook my head and looked at the cradle again. “I
CLARENCE I sat amidst the pack members as they chatted and cheered. The other day, I wasn’t feeling so good. I couldn’t stop overthinking. Now that Claudia has given birth to the heir, what would happen to us? What if she is now in love with him too and wouldn’t want to leave? This has always been my fear, but what can I do when it happens that way? I would have to accept my fate and move on. She is a wife and a queen, I can’t ruin their marriage because of what I feel for her. I grabbed the jar of wine that was on the table and poured myself another cup. Jan looked at me and knitted his brows. “Hey, are you good? That is the seventh cup you are drinking. Do you want to talk?” He asked worriedly, and I shook my head and smiled. “I’m fine, Jan. The wine is just so good to put down,” I responded, making him chuckle. “It’s the best wine in the Jamba Kingdom, what do you expect? The king is in a very good mood and that makes us happy. You can drink up all you want. But if you want t
~After seven months~ EVERETT I covered my mouth with my hands and began to pace in front of Claudia’s chamber. It was her delivery day. I was with her when she started feeling weird, so I had to call the best midwife in the kingdom to take care of her. “Push!!!” I heard the midwife scream, and after her voice, a roar followed. It was Claudia’s. My pack members, the elders were all waiting in the living room, but I was too anxious to wait there with them. I wished I was in the chamber with her. “Push!!!” I heard the midwife scream again, and I heaved a loud sigh. I hit the door and yelled, “Can you please take it easy with her?” “I’m sorry, my king but I just need one more push from her and the baby will be out. One more hard push,” She responded In a loud tone, and I lowered my head. “Claudia baby, you can do it, okay? Just one push. I hate the way she keeps yelling at you,” I said and moved slightly away from the door. “Arrrrggghhhh!!” An extreme roar filled the air and my eyes
CLAUDIA “Are you going to do whatever I ask of you?” Alpha Joachim asked Everett, who sat next to me on the couch and never let go of my hand. “You are leaving me no choice. What do you want?” Everett kept his eyes on my hand as he spoke. “I want you to invite Thorsten back to the Jamba Kingdom.” Alpha Joachim smiled after talking, and Everett raised his head to look at him. “Why would I want to do that?” Everett asked, making Alpha Joachim shrug. “Because Thorsten is my friend, and I care about him. If you want to get your wife back, without me telling everyone the evil you have done, then you’ll do this little favor.” Everett gulped and heaved a loud sigh. He lifted his eyes and looked at Thorsten who stood behind Alpha Joachim. “I’ll let him into my kingdom on one condition. I must not see hun anywhere close to the palace. The day I see him anywhere around the gates, I’ll kill him.” I watched Thorsten’s face as Everett spoke, and I could see anger register on his face. He clen
EVERETTAfter Two Weeks I walked into a familiar building. I tried to remember where I had seen the building, but nothing was coming. My head was blank at the moment. I boldly opened the main door and walked into the living room. I had one thing in mind. I needed to find my wife. I looked around the living room and my eyes fell on someone. He sat on a chair but I couldn’t see his face because his back was turned to me. I started approaching hun and wanted to speak when all of a sudden, I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up, and I saw Claudia walking down the corridor. She heard where we were standing. “Claudia! My wife!” I called and began to approach her. She opened her arms with a large smile, but before I could get to her, a man stood in front of her, making me stop abruptly. I looked at this man, and I saw someone I wasn’t expecting. “Alpha Horst?” I called in surprise. I looked at the chair, and I saw that the man that was seated on it was gone. He could guess the man