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
Drakken and Benjamin both waited for what felt like forever outside the camp tent, pacing back and forth in anticipation of what news Emma might bring. Good or bad as she tended to Eleanor inside the tent. Eleanor had gone overboard with stabbing herself. Although it stopped the fight, they now had bigger issues to worry about.Drakken threw Benjamin a deathly glare. He was not quite finished with him. He thought he was going to lose his mind when he met their lips locked at that stream, and his wolf had taken full charge without restriction. He still heard his wolf growling when Emma finally walked out of the tent, her facial expression very somber."Can I see you for a minute?" she asked Drakken. "In private.""Why? I want to know if she is alright too," Benjamin said and received glares from them."You should feel lucky you are still alive," Drakken growled. "I am not done with you."He walked to the back of the tent with Emma, making sure they were out of everyone's earshot."
Eleanor lost count of the hours she'd spent laying quietly in Drakken's arms. She could lay there forever if given the chance, but Emma came into the tent and cut their moment short. Eleanor pulled away from Drakken when she joined them.Their recent argument back there at the stream made Eleanor avoid eye contact with her. She was grateful to Emma for saving her life and at the same time, the words Emma had said to her were too hurtful to just let it slide."You're awake." She sounded relieved. Emma dropped the herbs she'd picked up in the woods and moved to hug Eleanor, surprising her.Was she going to forget their argument so soon? This reaction wasn't what Eleanor expected, especially from someone like her."Thanks to you," she murmured back in response, slightly wincing in pain. "Don't hug me too tight. It still hurts."Emma withdrew from her. "Sorry. I brought Dandelion herbs to help reduce the pain since I don't have much of my medicines or equipment here. We would have to impr
Emma didn't need to look back to know who it was. She'd recognize her favorite scent anywhere. Warm and floral, like fresh cut flowers. It engulfed her as the person got closer and dropped down beside her.Sophia. Daughter of the shaman in the pack and Emma's mate. No one knew about their relationship but the two of them. They wanted to keep it that way until either of them dared to tell their families. Mostly her father. Emma could predict what his reaction would be. Her mother, on the other hand, was the more reasonable one out of them and she hoped her arrogant brother too. Eleanor had seen them fucking once when she walked in on them that night and promised to keep her lips sealed about it. Emma appreciated her for being discreet with it. She didn't act like it, but Emma was terrified Eleanor might blabber her secret out to someone someday.Time had proved that the human was trustworthy.Emma reached out to intertwine her fingers with Sophia's as they sat in silence, Sophia's hea
Eleanor was exempted from school activities due to her injury and she felt it was too much of a stretch. Emma wouldn't stop overreacting to the incident even with the days that had passed.She visited Eleanor every night to administer drugs and a couple of other things Eleanor couldn't name. They were endless.Today she walked into Eleanor's room holding more medicines and concoctions. Eleanor fought the urge to groan at the sight."Rise and shine." Eleanor rolled her eyes at Emma's enthusiastic voice and pulled the sheets away, sitting up on the bed."What are you making me drink this time?""Oh, nothing much," Emma waved it off. "It's for the healing process. Drink up."Eleanor took the cup from her hands and frowned into it. A curious mixture of things, like a bunch of brown liquid, swirling inside the cup."Just drink it, Eleanor. It's not poison," Emma said when she took too long to drink it."It sure does look like one.""This right here is made from a flower," she decided to ex
Drakken left.He came to her last night, got what he wanted which she foolishly gave him, and then left without warning. Eleanor couldn't help but feel like he'd used her to get his mind off what had been bothering him before he came to her.And she had mistaken it for affection. How stupidly naive she was.Surprisingly, his actions didn't make Eleanor hate him more as she should. If he came to her tonight again, she would most definitely welcome him to her bed. Drakken had her in a complete spellbound. She could not deny being bewitched by him anymore.Drakken might never see her more than a whore or a stripper and the more Eleanor tried to come to terms with it, the more she got hurt.In the hospital, she sat in a toilet stall, wallowing in her misery. It gave her more privacy as there were eyes everywhere, and Emma noticing the slightest change in her mood which might raise questions. Questions she didn't want to answer.Eleanor heard other students troop in and out of the toilets,
Eleanor walked back to the clinic alone after her stroll with Benjamin in the woods. To her surprise, she saw Drakken standing outside the hospital with an unpleasant scowl on his face.Good thing he didn't see her with Benjamin this time. All hell would've broken loose. The scowl did not leave his face even as she neared him. What would the hospital workers say if both brothers kept coming there to see her? Being a topic for their next gossip didn't appeal to Eleanor."Where were you?" Drakken asked as she warily glanced around. Fortunately, no one was paying them attention."We're in public.""And I do not care. Answer the question."Eleanor looked away from him, thinking hard about her response. He couldn't know she was with Benjamin. "I went out for a walk."She convinced herself it sounded believable and not strange to hear that she went out for a walk in the middle of work.But then Drakken yanked her towards him all of a sudden and her face collided with his chest, shocking he
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