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
Eleanor couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest. Ever since Drakken proposed to her, something had been off about his behavior. He was distant, distracted, and seemed to be hiding something from her.Her bedroom was shrouded in darkness as she lay in bed, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioning. She tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position. The moon peeked through the window, casting a faint glow on the room, but it did little to soothe her restless mind.Unable to sleep, Eleanor decided to go to Drakken's room to check on him and help him cope with the loss of his parents. She wanted to know if he was alright, if there was something she could do to help him. But as she approached his door, she heard a noise coming from inside. It was faint at first, but as she listened closer, it became clearer - a peal of soft, muffled laughter.Eleanor still knocked on the door and pushed it open. What she saw was like a punch to the gut. Gwendolyn was sitting on
Drakken paced nervously in his chambers, his mind racing with troubled thoughts. He had never imagined himself in this position - caught in his own game and made to do something under duress. Gwendolyn's threats had him backed into a corner, and he knew he had to adhere to her wishes if he wanted to avoid Eleanor hating him forever.Taking a deep breath, he strode towards the door, steeling himself for the meeting that was about to take place. He had called for a gathering of the elders to announce Gwendolyn as his bride, and he knew it would not go over well. But he had no other choice.As he entered the grand hall, all eyes turned to him. He could feel their scrutiny, their judgment. Clearing his throat, he spoke."I have called you here today to make an important announcement. I have decided to take Gwendolyn as my chosen mate."There was a stunned silence in the room. He continued. "I must ask for your support in this matter. With my parents no longer here, I would need an extra h
Eleanor lay motionless in her hospital bed, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with the help of the oxygen mask. Emma sat beside her, anxiously waiting for any updates on her condition. Suddenly, the sound of the door opening interrupted the silence.It was the nurse, carrying a file with Eleanor's test results. The nurse handed her the report, and Emma's eyes widened in disbelief as she read the words "positive" under the pregnancy test. Eleanor was pregnant with Drakken's child. Again. Which was odd timing, because today was the Luna ceremony.Emma bolted out of the hospital with the result. Eleanor was pregnant with Drakken's child. She knew she had to find him and make him aware of the situation before he took the greatest decision of his life The grand hall of the palace was adorned with the most intricate decorations one could imagine. The flickering of the candles on the walls illuminated the room, casting a warm glow on the guests who had gathered there. The air was fi
Eleanor couldn't believe what Gwen had just said. Her heart felt like it had sunk into her stomach. Drakken, the only man she had ever loved, could not have killed her family. It was impossible, but Gwen's words had left her feeling shaken."What are you talking about, Gwen?" Eleanor asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice."He killed your family," she repeated. "He's been lying to you."Eleanor laughed, thinking that Gwendolyn was bluffing. "You know that's impossible, Gwendolyn. Drakken would never do something like that.""You think you know him so well, but you don't. He's not the man you think he is."Eleanor shook her head, refusing to believe what Gwen was saying. "You're lying," she said, her voice trembling. "You're just trying to hurt me."Gwen thrust her shoulders forward, her face inches from Eleanor's. "Ask him yourself," she sneered. "Ask him if he killed your family. See what he says."Eleanor pushed Gwen away, feeling a sudden surge of anger. "I don't need to ask h
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