Drakken woke up with a start, sweat pouring down his face. He had just had a terrible dream, one where his deceased mother was crying out for justice. In the dream, she told him that evil was lurking within the Kingdom, brought by a stranger. The stranger was the only one in the pack who didn't belong, and she warned him to be careful. The dream was so vivid that it felt real, and it left Drakken feeling uneasy.He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake the feeling of dread that had settled in his chest. He got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, turning on the cold water in the shower. As he stood under the stream, he let the water wash away the remnants of the dream. He tried to tell himself that it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.But as he got dressed and made his way to his table and poured himself a glass of water, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right. Eleanor was the only stranger in the pack his mother could be referring to. He couldn't help
Drakken was fast losing his hold on reality as Eleanor’s hand stroked him forth and back, using his precum as a lubricant to work him up.Eleanor didn't know what initially possessed her. All she knew was that she wanted his hands on her, or hers on his. Whichever way worked for her. Drakken had been slightly withdrawing from her. She could sense it. Maybe it was the mate bond.She had to remind him of the sparks they shared, how good he delighted in her hand on him. Eleanor continued to stroke where he was the most sensitive. Her breaths came out in light pants and his scent only made her more drunk on him at the atmosphere."Eleanor..." he let out a light breath of air. He was fast approaching his limit of what he could take, so her name on his lips was more like a slight warning.Eleanor heard it clear as day but was already far too gone to care. His skin felt so smooth, so hard, yet soft and when she got to his tip, the bit of wetness make her stroke him easier. Eleanor was mesme
Drakken sat at his desk, his eyes fixed on the door as he awaited Emma's arrival. He was eager to hear what she had uncovered about their mother's death. When she finally entered the room, he could see the exhaustion etched on her face."Well?" he asked, not wasting any time. "What have you learned?"Emma sighed and began to speak. "The potion Eleanor used on our mother was a foreign one. It's nothing like I have ever seen." Drakken listened carefully, his mind racing as he processed the information. "Such potions can only be concocted by powerful witches that come from a particular coven. But they're extinct now. Which means someone truly set Eleanor up. We just don't know who yet."Drakken let out a sigh of relief. It was confirmed now. Eleanor really didn't kill his mother. He had feared the worst, but was grateful for the truth that set his mind at ease."Do everything you must to find who did it," he declared. "What do you know about night sleepwalkers?"Emma lifted a brow at his
Mrs. Goldberg and Eleanor followed Evie through the ornate halls of the palace, their heels clicking against the marble floor. Eleanor had the poisoned potion in her hands, ready to experiment on them in Evie's mother's house as Emma had banned her from going to the clinic. Besides, it wouldn't look good on her if a guard caught her there again past working hours.Despite the maze-like corridors, Evie led them confidently, her knowledge of the palace evident in the way she navigated the twists and turns.They left the palace and made their way to Evie’s family house in the pack. As they approached their destination, the maid pushed open the door to her mother's abode.Evie's mother's house was a cozy abode with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The living room boasted a comfortable sofa, plush cushions, and an impressive bookshelf. The walls were adorned with colourful paintings, and the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafted through the air. It was a small house, nonetheless.The agi
Eleanor trudged back to her room, the frustration of the day weighing heavily on her shoulders. No matter how much she tried, she seemed to be going nowhere with the case of the Queen's death.Every lead turned out to be a dead end.It was as if this was designed to be unsolvable.As she pushed open the door to her room, Eleanor let out a heavy sigh. She longed to speak to Emma but their last encounter had not gone well. Emma was still mad at her. The tension between them was palpable.Eleanor sat down heavily on her bed, her thoughts whirling around in her head. She knew that she had to find a way to talk to Emma again, to try and repair their relationship. But how could she do that when every attempt seemed to backfire?As she lay back on her pillows, Eleanor made a decision. She would try to talk to her again and explain her reasoning with the hope that Emma would understand.Eleanor couldn't wait any longer. She had to make things right with Emma, and waiting until morning felt li
The sun rose on a solemn day in the kingdom. It was the beginning of the late Queen's mourning, a day when the pack would come together to mourn their loss and pay their respects to the deceased. The air was heavy with sorrow, and a sense of mourning hung over the entire pack.Drakken was driven to the town square with him in the back seat, and George in the passenger's seat along with Duncan. No one said a word on the ride there as Drakken wasn't in the mood to engage in conversation.He looked somber as he stepped out of the car when they arrived, his head held high. Drakken was known as a strong and fierce leader but today, he wasn't just an Alpha King. He was a son who had lost his mother and his emotions were fragile.As Drakken stepped onto the platform, he saw that the square was filled with wolves, dignitaries, and representatives from other packs. The entire pack was present, and they all looked to him, waiting for him to speak.Drakken cleared his throat, and his voice echoe
Eleanor stirred as she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. Her eyelids fluttered open as she gradually emerged from slumber. She stretched her arms and legs, feeling the warmth of the blankets against her skin. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, groggily realizing that it was already morning. As she sat up in bed, she felt a wave of surprise wash over her when she saw Emma standing at her doorway.Emma looked equally surprised, and for a moment they just stood there, taking each other in. Finally, Emma spoke up. "Hey, sorry to wake you up this early."Eleanor rubbed the sleep off her eyes, forcing herself to be fully awake. "Is something wrong?""Not really. I just wanted to inform you to resume work at the clinic starting today," she said. "Don't forget to see me in my office as soon as you arrive." Then she walked back out of the room too quickly and didn't see the big smile on Eleanor's face.Eleanor could barely contain her excitement as she got ready for her first
Emma looked at Eleanor with confusion, wondering how she knew about the Darkfurs pack. They had always kept their existence on a low. She couldn't have easily figured it out."How do you know about them?" Emma queried. Her eyes followed to the book in Eleanor's hands where she pointed."I've been on it for hours on end. What about you?""I saw it in a divulgence just now in the lab. I was examining a silverweed specimen I'd ordered from an online werewolf store when it happened."Eleanor stared at Emma in disbelief. "How often do you get visions?" she asked, still trying to comprehend what Emma had just said."I don't have time to discuss that. Come with me." The urgency in Emma's voice had her moving on her feet."Where are we going?""My brother's," was Emma's brief response. "We need to tell him. Then we go for a search to find this Darkfurs pack.""We?""Stay behind if you're too scared to go." Now wasn't the time to get paranoid, so Eleanor shook off the feeling. No one said ge
EPILOGUE"Magdalene, come here this minute!" Eleanor screamed at the top of her lungs as she chased after her last child who seemed unaware of her mother's rage she giggled heartily, racing down the well-trimmed meadow at the back of the house where they went out to relax every day. "Magdalene!""Daddy!" The girl squealed, changing course from her favourite hiding spot at the back of a tall tree, towards her father who was smiling as he stretched his hand to catch her. "I am going to make sure you are sent off to a boarding school just like your older brother!" Threatened, Eleanor, tapping her forehead. She had been chasing the little foot from the house, refusing the help of the guards whom she knew her daughter feared greatly. Drakken had insisted his daughter was never to be left at the mercy of the brutes under any circumstances."Forgive us, Luna, we have sinned." Drakken made a face as they approached her, rephrasing the biblical words. "You spoil her, baby and then you leave
ONE MONTH LATER."I can't believe this is finally happening, dudes. Can y'all believe it?" George asked as he took a long swig from the glass in his hand, his face squeezing from the strong taste of the brown modern ale. "I can't believe it too," Duncan let out cheerily, his face a mask of smile. "So... I thought to ask Evie out today.""What!" George thundered, half sitting up from his seat in astonishment as his eyes widened in shock. "Eleanor's maid?" Duncan was nodding his head, his smile not breaking. "I haven't approached her yet, but I have been keeping tabs on her and know her real mate rejected her which somehow works to my advantage, you know.""What about your mate?"Duncan shrugged casually. "I have been crushing on Evie for as long as I can remember, Geroge. I am telling her tonight. If there's anything I'm certain of, is that I see the way she looks at me sometimes in a sneaky way.""That didn't answer my question, Duncan. Do you want to break her heart in the future?
Drakken threw himself at Benjamin at his words, already deciding within himself that if Benjamin wanted the throne then he had to win him for it. But one thing was for sure; he was done tolerating the bullshit called his stepbrother. As the situation was right now, someone's head had to roll for peace to reign.He delivered a clean punch to his guts and Benjamin toppled over, spewing out blood. When Drakken went to punch once more, Benjamin was very fast to move away, giving Drakkn a kick to the face. George rushed to carry Eleanor from the ground, getting Benjamin's attention who was on the verge of attacking Drakken and Drakken used the opportunity to clasp his big hands around his shoulders and crushed it over his knees. There was a painful growl and Benjamin started transforming into his hideous wolf.This was part of the reason Drakken had never been comfortable around Benjamin. When he was born, he overheard his father telling Benjamins's mother that he was never going to accep
Eleanor’s hands shook uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face. The world had stopped making sense to her. How could she have been so blind to the truth? The man she had trusted with her heart and her secrets had been the one responsible for the greatest tragedy of her life.She remembered the day when her family was murdered, the horror and pain etched into her memory forever. It had been Drakken who murdered them. And to think, she had trusted him all this time.But that wasn't the worst of it. The spy had gone ahead to reveal the thing that made Eleanor's heart sink to her stomach. Drakken was the one who had violated her, stolen her innocence and left her with scars that would never heal. And Nicky, the boy she had grown to love as her own, was the product of that brutal assault.Eleanor felt like her whole world was crumbling around her. She had lost everything, her family, her dignity, and her love. How could she face Nicky now? How could she tell him that the man he was s
Drakken charged through the palace, his eyes scanning every corner and room for any sign of Eleanor. His mind was in turmoil, his thoughts consumed by the fear that something terrible had happened to her. He could feel his wolf inside him, agitated and restless, struggling to break free in his anger.Every room he searched, every door he opened, brought him no closer to finding her."Drakken, you need to calm down," George said as he approached him. "Destroying the palace won't help us find Eleanor.""I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Drakken snapped, his voice rising in frustration. "Eleanor is out there somewhere, and make sure she is safe."Duncan stepped forward and placed a hand on Drakken's shoulder. "We understand how you feel, but we need to approach this logically. We'll cover more ground if we split up and search different areas of the palace."He took a deep breath and tried to reign in his anger, but it wasn't easy.Just then, Emma appeared at the end of the hall. She
Merit’s hands closed around a heavy object when Benjamin turned back to Eleanor. Before she could even raise the object to strike, Benjamin lunged at her with incredible speed. Merit tried to dodge, but he was too fast. He caught her by the throat and lifted her off the ground, squeezing with all his strength.Merit gasped for air as she struggled to break free, but Benjamin's grip was too strong. She could feel her vision starting to fade as the world around her turned black.Suddenly, Benjamin was thrown back by a force. Merit crashed to the ground, gasping for breath as she tried to regain her bearings. When she looked up, she saw that Eleanor had somehow managed to break free from her restraints.Eleanor was wielding a chair, her hands still bound tightly to it as she swung it at Benjamin. Merit watched in horror as Benjamin dodged the blow, and the chair hit her instead.Merit's head spun as she tried to shake off the blow. She could feel the blood rushing to her head as she stru
Eleanor slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing with a dull ache. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness that surrounded her. Panic rose within her as she realized that she had no memory of how she ended up here.As she tried to get up, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle and winced. Her heart was pounding now as she looked around the room, hoping to find some clue as to where she was. But the room was empty, except for a single chair in the corner.She tried to shout for help, but her voice was hoarse and barely audible. Suddenly, the lights came on, and she squinted, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.To her horror, she saw two figures standing in front of her, smirking evilly. It was Merit and Benjamin.She attempted to get up, but her ankle throbbed with pain, and she collapsed back onto the ground."Merit!” She said in shock from seeing her. “What the hell is going on?" Eleanor demanded, her voice strained.Merit stepped forward and delivered a hot sl
Drakken sighed heavily as he stood up from his desk, shuffling papers into neat piles before grabbing his black leather jacket from the back of his chair. He had been looking forward to this meeting for days, hoping to persuade the Vampire King to leave the palace and take his daughter with him. He was also about to send word to Eleanor that he wouldn't be joining her tonight. But now, with the news that George had just delivered, his mind was elsewhere."You were right about Gwendolyn," George was saying. "I caught her...with one of the palace guards."Drakken shook his head disapprovingly. "I told you so. It's best to forget about Gwendolyn. She isn't good for you. You'll find your mate soon enough."George nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And you deserve to be with yours.""I will be dismissing Gwendolyn and her father from the palace tonight. It's long overdue."As a slight frown appeared on George's face at the news, Drakken felt frustrated with his fri
Eleanor stirred in her bed and tried to shake off the remnants of sleep. She rubbed her bleary eyes and groaned, dragging herself out of bed as the carpeted floorboards protested beneath her weight as if voicing their own complaints about being disturbed so early in the morning. Eleanor stumbled into the bathroom, staring at her haggard reflection in the mirror and wondering how she would make it through the day.She was feeling restless that morning, and so she opted for a run. That was the only thing that could calm her, or at least she hoped.Eleanor put on her running shoes, tied her hair in a ponytail, and started to jog toward the forest at the back of the palace.As she entered the forest, she felt the cool breeze on her face, and her mind started to clear. She was running at a steady pace, but soon, she felt that same sensation that she always felt when she came here- like something was about to burst out of her.Eleanor stopped in her tracks and knelt down on the ground. She