ANNABELLEThe sound of their cries echoed like a sweet melody in my ears. As I moved through the pack, invisible to their eyes, surveying my handiwork, I could feel the curse from my spell taking hold. My people—wherever they may be—would be pleased. Their wandering souls, driven by vengeance, would at last be satisfied, allowing them to move on and find peace in the afterlife.Flames consumed them left and right, but nothing could extinguish the fire, and yet, they didn’t die. The death toll climbed higher by the minute, with no one knowing who would fall next. I did. It was a game I enjoyed, betting with myself on who would be next.Smallpox, chickenpox, measles, plagues of every kind ravaged their bodies. Some had their flesh rotting away, maggots crawling out of their skin right before their eyes.Others burned from within, their thirst unquenchable. No matter how much they drank, the heat inside them could not be abated. Cold water did nothing to ease their agony, and they drank
ANNABELLEEzra completely ignored my taunt, as if I hadn’t spoken at all.“Who are you, and what do you want with my pack?” His voice was cold, but it wavered at the end, betraying the turmoil simmering beneath his stoic facade.“If you want to know who I am,” I said, kicking one leg out lazily, “Get on your knees and kiss my feet. I might be tempted to tell you. Might being the key word.”Anger flared in his eyes. His mouth parted as if to speak, but no words came.I arched a brow, daring him to defy me or say something foolish. When he kept his mouth shut, I tapped my lap, “Go on.”His jaw tightened, a visible pulse ticking in his cheek, and slowly, he rose from his seat. I held my chin high, keeping his gaze locked with mine as he approached.Up close, he looked lean,too lean. I knew he hadn’t eaten in days. His eyes were hollow, shadowed in his pale face. Yet, faint traces of his cologne still clung to him, a scent I used to love inhaling. Beneath it lingered the spiced, unique fr
ANNABELLE“Good boy,”My words had the exact effect I wanted. Ezra blanched and he looked like he was on the verge of throwing up but what would he vomit? He’s not eaten in days and I was so sure he’s drank nothing too.“Now, don’t be like that, love,” I grinned, all teeth, the flames still burning hot on my fingers, “Don’t you like being a good boy for me?”“Fuck off before I fuck you up,” Ezra growled, his eyes glinting wildly.I knew he was at his breaking point, and a little push from me would send him over the edge. I didn’t want that. It would ruin the whole point of this: entertainment.“Are you going to tell me who you are?” Ezra asked again, trying his luck.“Why do you want to know who I am? Why is it important to you?”“So that I’d know who I’m dealing with,” “You know a lot of witches, don’t you?” I smiled when his nostrils flared with annoyance, “Of course you do. After all, you spent years hunting them down and killing every last one of them, didn’t you?”I let the fire
“I would really love to get to know the people that took care of my daughter all the years that I couldn’t.” My heart dropped to my stomach. My mother could not be introduced to my pack because I’ve been banished. I was nothing but a traitor to them. Though I wanted her to meet Joel who was one of the reasons I survived but that too was impossible. I wanted her to meet our old alpha, Levi’s father who found me at the pack’s border but he was dead. Something just have shown on my face because my mother said, “Ahh, Sophia, it is okay if you don’t want us to meet them. I understand that they see you as their child and you would not want them to feel anxious or anything. We won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.”I shook my head to stop her, “It is not like I do not want type to meet them,” hell I don’t, “It is just that you cannot meet them,”“What do you mean?” My father asked.“What I mean is even if I want to introduce you to the one who found me, I cannot do that because
/-Melucia-/Blood, fire, Iron. Arrows.Screams disturbed the silent night as people ran helter-skelter, throwing balls of magic, in hopes of buying time. I saw wolves rip my people apart with their canines and tear open their stomachs with their claws. What would have been a peaceful night was adulterated with chaos. I didn't even have the time to reason how the wolves had been able to find our coven. All I knew was the air was polluted with poison and we needed to get out as soon as possible.“Enough!” I screamed, triggering a dune. The violent wave swept everyone within a ten-mile radius, and my body weakened momentarily. I took a look around. There was no attacker or victim. Everyone was on the floor now, some wounded and a few dead. I created a portal and hurried over to help a few of our people. I was hoping to buy us enough time for the remaining living witches to get out of there but then something struck me in the shoulder.It was an arrow, made of pure iron and it sent c
/-Melucia-/After accepting to his terms, he gave me a room in his wing. I was not to leave the room for any reason and I was appointed a personal maid to take care of me. Later that night, a maid came in to prepare for him. I didn't utter a word as she undressed me and prepared a jasmine bath. As I soaked in the water, I thought about the things that would happen tonight. As a priestess, I had never known any man, but today, I was going to lose my virginity to save my people. It made me anxious.Ezra was a very frightening man and I didn't know how he would react if I failed to please him.“Your shoulders are too tensed, my lady; you should relax,” the maid told me. It was shocking to hear a wolf speak so nicely to a witch. “I'm trying…” I told her, giving an awkward smile. After a few minutes, I decided to ask her. “Your Alpha… what kind of person is he?” “You mean Alpha Ezra?” She asked. “I can't really say. He has more of a mysterious personality. He can be extremely nice when
/-Melucia-/At the end of the fourth month, I had utterly resigned to my fate. Nine heads were already enough to crush whatever flicker of hope I had. However, the gods seemed to have seen my plight.My eyes watered as I stared at the doctor’s smiling face. “Congratulations, miss. You're one week pregnant!” He announced and I literally jumped off the bed in excitement.I was pregnant! Finally!After three months of unending violation and annihilation, I was going to give the cruel man a son. After being locked up in a room surrounded by iron bars with my only connection to the outside world as the windows, I was finally going to be free.My people were turned into slaves and although it was good to see them alive, the nine heads I have been forced to see haunted my dreams.It was a relief to see that all that was about to end. “Are you certain?” Ezra walked into the room. I shot him a glare. She was a doctor, why on earth wouldn't she be certain? He was just looking for a reason t
/-Ezra-/I sat at my desk, going over the reports for the day, but my mind kept drifting back to her. The witch. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get her out of my head. Melucia. Yes, our deal was done. I didn’t just have a son—I had two. That was all that mattered now. She was gone, and so were her people. She had been a breeder, nothing more. I couldn’t afford to think otherwise. I just hoped she wouldn’t cause any trouble for me. I pushed the reports aside with an exhausted sigh. Why couldn’t I stop this troubling feeling gnawing at me? Is it that I’ve made a mistake? Should I have kept her with me? I shook my head, reminding myself that I had made a deal to let her go. She had given me two sons—Axel and Dani. Now my focus needed to stay on them. Just then, a knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked up. “Alpha,” the guard's voice came through. “You need to come outside. The sky... it’s bad.” “Bad?” I grunted before pushing the chair back, rising t
“I would really love to get to know the people that took care of my daughter all the years that I couldn’t.” My heart dropped to my stomach. My mother could not be introduced to my pack because I’ve been banished. I was nothing but a traitor to them. Though I wanted her to meet Joel who was one of the reasons I survived but that too was impossible. I wanted her to meet our old alpha, Levi’s father who found me at the pack’s border but he was dead. Something just have shown on my face because my mother said, “Ahh, Sophia, it is okay if you don’t want us to meet them. I understand that they see you as their child and you would not want them to feel anxious or anything. We won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.”I shook my head to stop her, “It is not like I do not want type to meet them,” hell I don’t, “It is just that you cannot meet them,”“What do you mean?” My father asked.“What I mean is even if I want to introduce you to the one who found me, I cannot do that because
ANNABELLE“Good boy,”My words had the exact effect I wanted. Ezra blanched and he looked like he was on the verge of throwing up but what would he vomit? He’s not eaten in days and I was so sure he’s drank nothing too.“Now, don’t be like that, love,” I grinned, all teeth, the flames still burning hot on my fingers, “Don’t you like being a good boy for me?”“Fuck off before I fuck you up,” Ezra growled, his eyes glinting wildly.I knew he was at his breaking point, and a little push from me would send him over the edge. I didn’t want that. It would ruin the whole point of this: entertainment.“Are you going to tell me who you are?” Ezra asked again, trying his luck.“Why do you want to know who I am? Why is it important to you?”“So that I’d know who I’m dealing with,” “You know a lot of witches, don’t you?” I smiled when his nostrils flared with annoyance, “Of course you do. After all, you spent years hunting them down and killing every last one of them, didn’t you?”I let the fire
ANNABELLEEzra completely ignored my taunt, as if I hadn’t spoken at all.“Who are you, and what do you want with my pack?” His voice was cold, but it wavered at the end, betraying the turmoil simmering beneath his stoic facade.“If you want to know who I am,” I said, kicking one leg out lazily, “Get on your knees and kiss my feet. I might be tempted to tell you. Might being the key word.”Anger flared in his eyes. His mouth parted as if to speak, but no words came.I arched a brow, daring him to defy me or say something foolish. When he kept his mouth shut, I tapped my lap, “Go on.”His jaw tightened, a visible pulse ticking in his cheek, and slowly, he rose from his seat. I held my chin high, keeping his gaze locked with mine as he approached.Up close, he looked lean,too lean. I knew he hadn’t eaten in days. His eyes were hollow, shadowed in his pale face. Yet, faint traces of his cologne still clung to him, a scent I used to love inhaling. Beneath it lingered the spiced, unique fr
ANNABELLEThe sound of their cries echoed like a sweet melody in my ears. As I moved through the pack, invisible to their eyes, surveying my handiwork, I could feel the curse from my spell taking hold. My people—wherever they may be—would be pleased. Their wandering souls, driven by vengeance, would at last be satisfied, allowing them to move on and find peace in the afterlife.Flames consumed them left and right, but nothing could extinguish the fire, and yet, they didn’t die. The death toll climbed higher by the minute, with no one knowing who would fall next. I did. It was a game I enjoyed, betting with myself on who would be next.Smallpox, chickenpox, measles, plagues of every kind ravaged their bodies. Some had their flesh rotting away, maggots crawling out of their skin right before their eyes.Others burned from within, their thirst unquenchable. No matter how much they drank, the heat inside them could not be abated. Cold water did nothing to ease their agony, and they drank
ANNABELLE Ezra finally lost the last vestige of control. A feral roar tore from his throat as he lunged at me, no doubt intent on ending me. But just before his hands could close around me, I blinked out of the throne room and reappeared on the roof of his mansion. A loud cackle escaped me as I imagined Ezra’s reaction to my sudden disappearance. I was certain he would be seething with rage. His response when he realized I was in possession of Annabelle’s body had been the most disturbing. So, he cared about her, huh? He really believed it was sweet, innocent Annabelle occupying her body after the accident. Well, he was in for a brutal awakening when he discovered it had been me all along. “Hahaha!” I doubled over, laughing uncontrollably at the thought of Ezra realizing he’d been playing house with me, not his pathetic little Annabelle. I sat on the roof, my legs dangling over the edge, palms pressed against the surface as I leaned back and tilted my head toward the sun blazing
ANNABELLE“L-Let go,” I managed to wheeze, my voice barely a whisper as I clawed at the hand clamped tightly around my neck. My lungs burned from lack of air, and tears blurred my vision.Ezra looked deranged, his eyes wild with fury. Instead of releasing me, his grip tightened.“My children are missing, and you’re still breathing. What use are you now?” he growled.“Al-Alpha… if you don’t release her, she’ll die,” one of the elders stepped forward, his voice trembling. I could smell the fear rolling off him.For a moment, I thought Ezra would ignore the plea and finish me off. But then, with a snarl, he released my neck and shoved me aside before stalking back to collapse into his throne.Air rushed back into my lungs, and I gasped desperately, my hands flying to my throat as I tried to soothe the ache and clear my airway.As soon as air filled my lungs again, laughter bubbled up in my chest—wild and uncontrollable. Before I could stop myself, it burst out of me, spilling from my lip
ANNABELLE It’s been two days since everything changed. Two days since I killed Carden and regained my memories as Melucia. Two days since I took the kids and made sure they remained hidden.Ezra returned the night after the news broke, and after a thorough examination, Carden’s ashes were claimed by his family. Good riddance to rubbish.The pack was in chaos. Word had spread fast— their Beta was dead, and the Alpha’s children were missing. A reward of ten million dollars was offered to anyone who could provide information. A tempting sum, and one I could definitely use to set myself up once I got out of this mess. I was still working out how to play my cards right, to claim the reward without giving up the kids.“Fuck!”I had to fight the grin that threatened to split my face as I watched Ezra pace the throne room of the pack house like a caged lion. In just two days, he looked like he had aged twenty years.His hair hung in wild disarray around his face, and he hadn’t shaved since h
“What’s going on?” I finally asked—feigning ignorance—drawing the attention of the elders to myself. They all turned to me and I could see the disdain on some faces while the others looked as if they were relieved to see that I was alive. “Why is everywhere crowded and why are the guards running around?”“Everything is wrong!” Elder Lazarus growled, turning his ire on me. “Where have you been? We’ve been trying to reach you! Are you with the twins? Where are they?” He looked over my shoulders as if the twins would magically appear behind me.“I’m not with the twins. Selene here tells me that the twins are missing, is that true?” My voice was shaking with fear.“If you are not with them then they are really missing!” Another elder said.“Why aren’t you with them? Of what good are you to this pack if you cannot take care of the alpha’s children? Is that not why he agreed to the alliance between your pack and ours? So that you will be a mother to them!” Alpha Lazarus was gesticulating wi
ANNABELLE I drove around the pack for a little white. I could feel dark emotions crawling deep in my heart as I watched people move around, living freely and happily while my own people were in the ground, worms and maggots feasting on their bones and what would be their remains if they were even buried properly after we died in that fire.They all deserved to perish. They should all suffer like my people did. They also needed a taste of the suffering my people and I endured in the hands of their alpha. I would make sure they lived in constant fear. In torment and with diseases plaguing them, unsure and scared of who would drop dead next. My hands that were holding the steering wheel tightened, nearly snapping the thing in two if I hadn’t released it when I did.I would kill the twins just to torment their father and make him wish he was dead. What he fought so hard for, he destroyed my coven and so many others, would be lost but they were my children too. My blood. The children w