Drakken took Eleanor's hand and led her down a winding path lined with colourful buds. The scent of the blossoms was intoxicating, and Eleanor gazed upon the animated petals with admiration.When they veered around a corner, she caught sight of a table set for two with a red bottle of wine and plates covered with white materials. The table was surrounded by violin players who played an unfamiliar but tender melody as they approached.The colours of the blooms blended together in perfect harmony, and the music was so lovely that she felt like she was in a dream.When Drakken pulled out one of the chairs for her to sit down, she couldn't help but smile at him. "This is magnificent," she said, taking in the scene. "I've never seen anything like this before."Drakken simply smiled at her and took a seat across from her. "I'm glad you like it," he said. "I wanted to make this a special evening for us.""Special?" Eleanor raised a brow. "It's only a date."Drakken's eyes gleamed with excite
Somewhere in the middle of the night, Drakken received a link from Duncan requesting him to head to their private fencing room. Duncan didn't give a specific reason why, and he was reluctant to leave the warmth of Eleanor beside him."Can't it wait?" Drakken replied."No. It's urgent," Duncan insisted.Drakken sighed and untangled himself from Eleanor. All he wanted was to hold her in his arms forever, but Duncan had said it was urgent, and he had to attend to his duties. Duncan better has had a good reason for calling him out that late at night, Drakken whined.He reluctantly got out of bed, careful not to wake Eleanor, and put on his robe. He stood at the foot of the bed for a moment, watching her breathe softly. He should be glad she accepted marrying him, but he couldn't shake the nagging guilt that tugged at the edges of his mind. How could he ask her to marry him knowing what he had done? How could he live with himself if she ever found out?The simple way to handle it was to ma
Eleanor woke up that morning feeling like the happiest woman alive. She couldn't stop grinning as she stretched her arms and legs in her bed. The thought of being engaged to Drakken made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.She glanced over at the ring on her bedside table. It was a stunning emerald-cut diamond, set in platinum, with small diamonds encrusted on the band. She picked it up and held it to the light, admiring the way it sparkled and shone. It was a dream come true.Just then, Evie walked in with a tray of breakfast. "Good morning, Miss," she said with a smile. "I brought you some fresh croissants and tea.""Thank you, Evie," Eleanor replied, setting the ring back on the table. "I'm so excited. Can you believe it? Drakken and I are engaged!"Evie's eyes widened with delight. "Congratulations. It's wonderful news."Eleanor beamed with pride as she took a sip of her tea. "I can't wait to tell everyone. But first, I need to talk to Mrs. Goldberg."It was time the woman knew how de
As Benjamin made his way toward the retired alpha quarters to meet his father, he prepared himself for a dreadful conversation. The guards had informed him that his father had moved to the retired Alpha's quarters, and Benjamin couldn't help but wonder what that meant.He knew his father would be disappointed in him, and it pained him to think about it. The maids' gossip about Drakken's proposal to his mistress had been the talk of the pack, and Benjamin had overheard it all. The weight of the situation was not lost on him; he had failed his father's mission, and his mother would never return to the pack.On top of it all, he also came to hear about Eleanor being a werewolf. Everyone in the palace saw her transform. Benjamin couldn't decide yet if that surprised him more, or Drakken's proposal. Too many surprises at once . It was all too sudden. Just when he thought he was two steps ahead of Drakken, he did the most bizarre thing.His nerves got the best of him when he approached the
Drakken stood in front of his father's house, staring at the guard who had just given him the news of his father's death. Suicide, they said. No signs of forced entry. He wondered if anyone would believe him if he told them that he didn't feel any sadness or regret. His father was a cruel man, a manipulative man who had never cared for anyone but himself.He pushed open the door and walked inside. The air was thick with the smell of death. He walked through the mansion, his eyes scanning everything in sight. He felt nothing. Not even the slightest twinge of sadness.Drakken entered his father's bedroom next. His father's lifeless body lay on the floor, foam pouring out of his mouth. He felt nothing but disgust. The man who had tormented him all his life was now gone, and he couldn't bring himself to feel any sympathy.He walked closer to the body and looked down at it. His father's face was twisted in pain. The sight gave him a strange satisfaction. He wondered if his father had suffe
Drakken's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove through the winding roads leading to the palace. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. Eleanor sat beside him in the passenger seat, her eyes darting between the passing scenery and Drakken's stoic face.Eleanor decided to speak after minutes of silence. "I'm sorry for your loss.""Loss? What loss?""You can't be like that. He was your father."Drakken's grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly, and he turned to Eleanor. "That's why I'm going to give him a befitting burial instead of leaving his corpse out in the woods for vultures to feast on, which I'm very much tempted to do."She shook her head with a sigh and looked back at the road. "I saw Benjamin on my way out of the cemetery."He furrowed his brow, lost in thought as he tried to process what Eleanor had just revealed. "How could he have known our father was dead and at the cemetery?"Eleanor shrugged. "Maybe the guards gav
The day of the funeral had arrived. Dignitaries from every pack had come to pay their last respects to the departed king and queen. The palace grounds were bustling with activity as people arrived in droves.The sound of weeping echoed throughout the palace. Mourners came together to say goodbye to their beloved rulers. Some openly cried, while others struggled to contain their emotions, their faces twisted with pain and grief. The entire palace was awash with a sea of black, as people from all corners of the kingdom donned mourning attire as a sign of respect for the deceased monarchs.Even the Queen's family, who had been banned from the palace by the late King Alfred, had made their way to the palace to pay their respects. They were a bitter reminder of the long-standing feud between the royal family and the Queen's kin. They kept cursing the royal family for only allowing them to see their daughter in death.Drakken watched them from his chamber’s window. His mother's family was h
Eleanor's mind was still reeling from the funeral on her way back to the palace. The somber atmosphere had weighed heavily on her, and the fact that Drakken had been distant only added to her feelings of sadness. She couldn't help but wonder what could be happening with him that he would ignore her during such a difficult time.Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when Benjamin appeared beside her."I heard you got engaged," he said to her. "You must feel so eager about being the next Luna Queen.""How did you know about that?" she asked him, curious as to how the news had spread so quickly."I heard it from the palace omegas," Benjamin replied with a smile. "Congratulations, by the way. It's quite an honor to be proposed to by the King himself."The thought of becoming Queen was daunting to her."I bet you wouldn't have chosen my brother over me if I was the alpha king instead."Eleanor sighed, knowing what was coming next. "Don't start.""You know I'm right. I would've treated you
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