Drakken stormed out of his study immediately after he received the news. The palace guard had given him a description of someone coming out of the nursery, and Drakken knew without a doubt it was Eleanor. Everyone described her the same way because of her outstanding features.Nicky was the reason she never attempted to escape the palace. It gave him the upper hand. But now she had found him. Drakken could not say how. He had underestimated her too much. He was slightly terrified she was going to leave now that she had found Nicky. He had done his best to avoid that outcome.He was not ready for her to leave yet. Drakken did not think he would ever be ready for it. Nothing could prepare him.As he swung the door to his mother's private parlour open, he was gripped to see Eleanor sitting side by side with his mother, her hands clasping Eleanor's tightly. How had they become that close in a matter of minutes?"There you are, son. Perfect timing." His mother released Eleanor's hands. "Th
Eleanor knew she made a huge mistake saying what she did to Drakken. She never meant any of it. It would fuel whatever anger he had toward her for sneaking around the nursery. That is if they told him.She was only mad at him for being so reckless with his mother. The woman seemed to be extremely nice, and he just had to speak to her in that manner.Eleanor wanted parents but did not have that luxury. She wished every single day they were still alive being one happy family. Drakken had it. He had parents and he took them for granted.She heard hefty footsteps stomping down the hallway before the object of her thought came in without knocking. Hands folded across her chest stubbornly, Eleanor matched his gaze with the same intensity. He was not going to intimidate her. Not this time."What the hell was that about back there?" Drakken left her bedroom door open behind him and walked in. "Why did I get a report that you were sneaking out of the nursery?" Oh, Lord!Both were rhetorical qu
Eleanor stared into space as Evie packed her bag to go camping. The maid's lips moved like she was saying something but they all fell on deaf ears. Eleanor's mind had wandered off. After the argument with Drakken last night, she felt drained and only wanted to stay in all day without talking to anyone. But she had promised Emma she would show up camping with the rest of the hospital crew.The last thing Eleanor wanted was Emma getting mad at her too, or else she would have come up with an excuse for not going.She needed the exposure, Eleanor thought again. Going out there was a better option than being depressed in her room. It would take her mind off the nagging feeling of hopelessness that had haunted her in the last hours.She had been debating in her head who was more at fault for her recent disagreement with Drakken and everytime, Eleanor was caught at a dead end. Nothing seemed to be making sense."You do not seem like your usual self." Evie zipped up the small bag and handed i
Drakken’s temper had been awful since the argument with his mate. Awful was putting it mildly. The situation kept him up the whole night until the early hours of the morning when he headed to his study to look for something to distract himself as his friends weren't awake yet to fence with him. It was almost midday now and Drakken's bottle of whiskey had already emptied.He had hoped alcohol would do something to reduce the pain in his chest as it always did. But no, his mind kept replaying last night's activity. Had he been too harsh on her?Sighing, Drakken moved to his window and pulled back the curtain, staring outside. The first thing he saw was his father guiding a horse which Gregory was perched on top giggling heartily. The mere sight of his father increased Dtakken’s anger. He was the bane of Drakken's life. An annoying obstacle responsible for the misfortune he was going through.Drakken swayed slightly on his feet, the alcohol in his veins taking its course. He was drunk b
Eleanor went hunting with Benjamin and watched him send an arrow flying toward a deer. Impressed by his perfect aim, she applauded him as he walked over to take out the arrow from the dead animal, nursing a proud smile."I did not realize you were that good," Eleanor commented."I have been hunting since I was a boy." He beckoned for her to come closer and she did. "What did you get to do as a child? Play dress up and wear makeup?""My childhood was not exactly a normal one," she admitted."It depends on what you view as normal.""I was homeless and slept on the streets."His reaction told Eleanor that was not what he expected to hear. She could not blame him. "Fine. I will take your word for it." Eleanor opened her mouth to say something in return but he placed a finger over his lips, hushing her. "I hear another deer running this way. It is your turn to have at it.""Are you nuts? I have never held a bow and an arrow."Benjamin handed them over to her regardless. "Today is your luck
Eleanor was not in her room when Drakken swung her bedroom door open. He hated being the first to give in but his wolf was driving him to the point of insanity. Drakken felt like a pup all over again with little to no control over his wolf.He had come running only to find her room empty, causing disappointment to wash over him, then he remembered Eleanor worked at the healing school and was probably there. Drakken made a mental note to return that night and went about his daily business.He drove out of the palace and away from the suburbs to have a meeting with his real estate workers. It had been a while since he kept track of the activities there. Drakken could not blame himself. The workload in the pack and the expectation from the twelve Kingdoms as an AlphaKing was beyond draining. Moreso with matters of his mate and the burdening pressure that came with the wedding of the vampire princess.He had foolishly blabbered on about his mate the previous day to Gwendolyn after getting
The sun had almost gone down when the game was over. Eleanor spent more than half of the day listening to Benjamin tell tales about the werewolf kingdom. They had a rich history that was not recorded in the history books she had read about them, Eleanor realized.She told him about the human world too even if he was familiar with it, sharing stories, and making jokes along the way. Her carefree laugh rang loud in the forest and his blended along with hers.Eleanor was still laughing at something Benjamin said when Emma stormed up to them, looking very pissed. The rest of the crew had changed back to their human forms and assembled. Eleanor sensed something was wrong. The air around them felt different, uncomfortable."Leave us," Emma told Benjamin, her eyes still trained on Eleanor. "I need to speak to Eleanor alone.""What is this about?" he questioned, seeming confused too."Nothing that concerns you. Leave while I am still being nice." The two siblings engaged in an intense stare o
The bonfire ahead of him sparked with flames into the night and Drakken knew he had gotten to his destination. He had picked up the smell of burning tinder wood before he saw the fire, and heard the voices that sounded distant.There were eight tents in total, Drakken noticed when he neared the campsite, all circling the large bonfire in the middle. The hospital crew that chattered and laughed amongst themselves immediately stopped their activities at the sight of him, some of their mouths agape in surprise.He had never involved himself with the likes of them, let alone show up to their camp activity. This was a first."What are you doing here?" Emma asked what was on everyone's mind, walking up to him. "Did father also tell you to watch over me?""I came here on my own will and it is not to watch over you." He looked around. Eleanor was the only one missing from the crew. "Where is she?""Who?""You know damn well who I am talking about. Where is Eleanor?"Emma shrugged nonchalantly
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