Brennan sighed deeply, slumping on the small bed in the room of a motel. He and his men had been on the search for Jenna for days and their search has yielded no result.It was only fair for them to take a few hours of break in the nearby motel in the middle of the town.Brennan was about to pull off his gear when there came a loud knock on the door.“Captain!” The voice behind the door cried, sounding urgent.Brennan sprang to his feet and opened the door quickly.“What is it?” He asked as the face of his comrade came to view. He looked excited and anxious at the same time.“I spotted her!” Were the first words he spewed.Confusion hit Brennan and his face contorted with it.“You spotted who, warrior?” He asked in a bold tone.“The Duchess, I spotted her!” The warrior answered, still sounding overly excited.Brennan's eyebrows shot up in shock. “Are you sure of this?” He asked, even though he walked back into his room to grab his sheathed sword.“I'm certain, captain. But we have to
Estan's men had rounded Jenna's men and they were being taken back to the castle in carriages.Estan was in the first carriage with Jenna and another warrior. He deliberately chose to stay here so he could have a conversation with Jenna.“So we've been to every hike searching for you, not knowing you were in an abandoned uncompleted manor all along.’ Estan said to Jenna.The latter didn't respond, she just remained silent. She had been dosed with wolfsbane to weaken her just like her men. So even if they wanted to escape, they wouldn't have enough strength to outrun them.“Why did you do this?” Estan asked in a sincere tone. As much as she was a traitor, he was genuinely concerned about her. It was in his nature.Jenna chuckled slightly, taking Estan by surprise.“You really…are …clueless,...beta…” she drawled, her voice coming out faintly. She was on the verge of collapsing.“Okay then, enlighten me.” Estan sat upright and faced her.She turned to him slowly. Her face was pale, her e
“Regan stop!” Ivorie yelled from where she sat as she witnessed Regan booting Jenna's head.The Alpha stopped immediately, but was still breathing hard and glaring down at Jenna with contempt. ‘Alpha, she still has to be tried.’ Estan warned him through the mindlink. Ivorie walked over to his side and held his shoulder. He faced her and met her solemn gaze. She shook her head once and Regan breathed.He stepped back and walked back to his throne.Most of the elders were already there and the guards went back to their posts. Jenna was to be tried and even if it was against Regan's will, it was the protocol.On his throne, Regan was still glaring at Jenna on the floor at the center of the throne room.“You have committed several crimes, some of which are false accusations, frame, attempted murder and so on.” Elder Callen began.“What were your motives when you committed all these crimes?” He asked.Jenna raised her head slowly, revealing her wide grin.“It…was…fun…” she drawled.“In y
A splitting headache inflicted Ivorie as inaudible chatters echoed in her head. She was regaining consciousness and it was so painful. It was as though she was hearing hundreds of voices all at once. She found it hard to open her eyes.Soon the voices reduced to just little chatters that were bearable. Finally, she was able to creak her eyes open.Although blurry, she could make out the face of Regan hovering over her.Her heart brightened up for reasons she couldn't explain and she somehow found new energy in her. She opened her eyes fully and groaned.The groan drew Regan's attention to her as he faced her with a worried frown.“Are you okay?” He asked in a soft tone.Ivorie managed to smile and nodded as she made to sit up. But Regan held her shoulders back.“It's okay, I feel alright.” Ivorie said assuredly. He sighed before letting her go reluctantly.“What…what happened?” Ivorie asked as she sat upright, resting her back on the bed frame.Regan glanced at Shaerah who was once a
“It was just a regular day after one of Regan's wars. Of course, they had won and it was a day of celebration.” Jenna began while Ivorie listened attentively. “Everyone was so busy making merry that we had probably lowered our guard. The castle was breached, right under our noses.” She faced Ivorie now.“The attackers were high in number and the guards at the castle gates were easily taken down. By the time Alpha Arthur and Regan were informed, the warriors quarters had been raised and the main block was left unprotected. It was left to the indoor guards and all the capable men to protect us.”She paused and exhaled deeply, adjusting her posture.“Where were you?” Ivorie asked in the meantime.“Me? I was with the other nobles; in the royal hall, celebrating.” She answered.“Regan and Evan went to check things out with most of the guards while the rest of us went to hide. I decided to help the maids and servants to safe places along with Elder Callen who was Alpha Arthur's Beta then. E
It was the following morning and the sun was just peeking out from beneath the clouds.Of course, Ivorie was still in her bed, deep in a sleep. She was the Luna and had no urgent chore or errand to get to.Suddenly, she groaned and rolled on her bed, feeling quite uncomfortable. Just when she wanted to throw herself back to her slumber, she felt uneasy again and groaned.This continued and soon, she just had to snap her eyes open. She groaned in a mix of annoyance and sleepiness, rubbing her eyes with her forearm.Just then, she felt something hit her arm. Puzzled, she sat up and glanced around her bed for what had hit her.She rubbed her eyes again as she spotted a thick squeezed paper. Picking it up and looking at it like it was a strange thing, she wondered how it got there.“Never seen a paper before?” A masculine voice jerked her out of her inspection, causing her to gasp loudly. It felt like her lungs gave up for a second but then her eyes landed on someone across her room and
“Cone on, you can do this!” Regan yelled out, sitting comfortably on a chair with a cup of wine in his grasp.Ivorie, who he was referring to, just ran past the front yard of the manor, sweating profusely and panting heavily.“Easy…for you…to ah…say!” she managed to say through the tightness in her chest.Regan chuckled, sipping from the cup with a smirk.‘Stop her! Why would you let our mate go through so much stress?’ Boris growled.‘She will be going through a thousand more stress if she doesn't train. I'm helping our mate.’ Regan answered.Boris wasn't quite satisfied, giving a low growl and sending a wave of guilt to Regan.The latter gulped down the entire cup of wine to push the unwanted emotion away.When Ivorie was finally done, she came panting in front of the porch, resting her hands on her knees.“Are you okay?” Regan asked with a worried look. It seemed the guilt hadn't gone away.Ivorie nodded, unable to speak through her heavy breathing. But suddenly, she began to cough
Ivorie sighed as she shivered from the cold. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm up her body. She glanced at the door and exhaled exasperatedly. Regan hadn't returned with the woods yet and she was worried.Did he leave the manor out of anger? Did he lock her in here as punishment for getting him angry?She knew him as a quite extreme person whenever he was angry so any possibilities were welcomed to her.Standing from the chair, she walked around the manor. If she could find a cloth or a blanket that she could use to cover herself, it would help with the cold. She wasn't sure how long she had experienced winter last. Her pack was in a region where that weather didn't come so often.After roaming around in the massive manor, she spotted a black blanket hung on the wall. She happily grabbed it and swung it over her shoulders, snuggling with it. Luckily for her, it was made of a very soft silk and she revelled in its marvellous texture.She walked back to the living room where she was.
The throne room was filled with a heavy sense of calmness. Regan and Ivorie were seated on their thrones, their demeanor calm and collected. They looked out upon the massive gathering of the pack Elders and Alphas from the allied packs. Decorum reigned amongst them as they had their gazes on the criminals at the center of the throne room.Alpha Johan, Beta Jordan, Nick, and Kiya knelt, their heads lowered in utter shame. They awaited their judgements.“Elder Callen, begin the procession.” Regan instructed in a strong voice.Elder Callen stepped forward and bowed to Regan and Ivorie before clearing his throat."Johan Kanin, Jordan Volkov, Nicholas Jenn, and Kiyalera Sven, you have been found guilty of the following; treachery, multiple murders, massacre of warriors, abduction, and attempted usurpation. These are heinous crimes and according to the law of Cresthowl pack, your punishment will be death."The room fell silent, except for the sound of Kiya suddenly bursting into tears. Whi
Regan and Blood Grove crashed into the nearby bush, their bodies entwined as they skidded across the dry underbrush. A thick tree was what stopped Regan from rolling.Blood Grove was the first to regain his footing. A sly grin spread across his face as he faced Regan."Alpha Regan, it's such an honor to finally meet you officially," Blood Grove said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.Regan stood up and swatted dust off his body.His eyes narrowed on Blood Grove, his jaw clenched in rage.“I wouldn't say the same for me. You have been a thorn at my side for far too long, assassin. Because of you, many innocent lives were lost, including that of my Beta.” Regan seethed and his hands fisted. His desire to fight burned through his veins."I was simply following orders, Alpha. But I'm sure you cannot understand, since you’re a ruler.” Blood Grove said with hatred.“I’ll kill you, for taking my son!” Regan shot, his eyes flickering red and blue.Blood Grove chuckled, his eyes glinting with a
The courtroom hummed with several voices. Ivorie sat at the end of the long table, silently watching the Elders engage in heated argument amongst themselves. Although it was not a pleasant thing, it took her mind off the worry of her baby."Luna, we understand that you've been grieving the kidnapping of your baby for days, as expected," one of the Elders said, his voice gentle but firm. "But I believe it is time we received more information concerning our Alpha's betrayal. We need to know what happened, and why Regan would betray the pack in such a way."The rest of the elders nodded in agreement.“And most importantly, why would he want his own newly birthed son kidnapped?” Another Elder added. Everyone went mute, awaiting Ivorie's response.Ivorie's eyes darted nervously around the room. It felt like a heavy weight had been placed upon her with the Elders’ intense attention on her.She knew that she had to tread carefully, to avoid revealing the plan that she and Elder Callen had e
Ivorie paced to and fro in her chamber, her mind reeling with thoughts of her baby. It had been two days since she had sent Jenna out to find him, and yet there was no update. The thought of that alone made her shiver occasionally.No word from Nick, no message from Jenna. The silence was horrifying, and Ivorie's anxiety was growing by each passing hour.She went to the fireplace, pacing back and forth in front of it with her hands clasped together in a futile attempt to calm her racing thoughts. ‘What if Jenna has betrayed me? What if she has used the opportunity given to her to gain her freedom without the need to help me?’‘What if Nick has harmed my baby? Oh goddess! Please help me!’ Ivorie's heart beat in accordance with thoughts in her mind. She covered her face with her palms, sobbing silently Just as she was starting to lose hope, the door of the room was thrown open. Ivorie raised her head and saw her mother walking in, a look of genuine concern etched on her face. "Ivori
The streets of Cresthowl had become totally different from what she remembered. She was used to a quiet and deserted night but tonight, the streets were reeking with a lot of people. And not just regular pack members, warriors also. The pack Watchmen and even guards were roaming and patrolling every corner of the pack.It made her wonder what in the name of the Moon goddess happened in the past year.It took her great knowledge of every nook and cranny of the pack streets to evade the warriors. She had grown up in the streets of the pack and she knew it like the back of her hands.Finally, she arrived at a lonely alley, near a very busy market. There were no warriors there.Her eyes were on a particular woman in the market. Black short hair and a skinny build. She was only going about her market scouring but Jenna had other plans for her.When the woman was done in the market, she headed through another alley adjacent to the one Jenna was in. She followed her.She paced after the woma
The darkness of the dungeon seemed to press in on Jenna from all sides, the cold stone walls and damp air a constant reminder of her captivity. She had been in there for about a year now, if her counting of sunrises through the small gap above her were accurate. One year of captivity in this wretched dungeon. An entire year of living in an unfavourable condition, consuming unhealthy food and breathing pungent air.She had begged the guards multiple times to clean the other corner of the cell where decayed human dung lied for a long time. She had learnt to live with it overtime.She sat in a corner, busy playing with a small stone. In this place, that was about the most interesting thing she could do.But she knew all these conditions she found herself in, were caused by her. She brought it upon herself. She blamed herself for going against the Luna of her pack. Especially when the Alpha himself had never taken a liking in her from the onset. She had made a grave mistake and she was
“I have given you milk, I bought some cookies for you from the market, risking my own safety. I even tried to sing you a song. But you keep crying!” Kiya wailed as she sat opposite Ashken in a small ramshackle hut.They had decided to remain in Cresthowl pack for the time being. As they believed that Ivorie would do their bidding because her baby's life was at stake.Although with Kiya's experience with Ashken, she feared she’d have to end his life sooner than planned.Kiya's eyes were fixed on the baby, whose loud cries filled the entire hut. Kiya's hands trembled, her veins coursing with rage. She glared at the child intently, her mind racing with many homicidal thoughts.Her killing intent reached its peak when she sprang to her feet. But fortunately, the door of the hut was opened.Her attention moved to Nick as he walked in. Any second later and she would have done something she would regret greatly.“What's all that dreadful noise?” Nick asked with a frown.Kiya walked over to
“...may not be back anytime soon. And if I don't return at all, please do right by your Luna. She is the perfect woman for you, your life changer. You may not see it, but she has brought a new light into your life. Believe it when your Beta says it. Believe it when your best friend says it.”Regan sighed as he read the last letter he got from Estan. His hands became heavy with great despair, almost clouding his very soul. He dropped the letter on the table before him as his eyes stung with tears.He raised his head, shaking his head and refusing to shed tears.‘Get a damned grip on yourself! You're the Alpha!’ Boris scolded harshly within him.Regan controlled his breath, but it was hard. He had lost his Beta, his friend. Not only Estan, but Brennan also. They both were his friends although he didn't acknowledge one until his death and that guilt was eating him up from within.Rapid footsteps invaded the room he was in and he quickly put on a stoic face, shrouding his sad expression.
His feet crushed the dried undergrowth of the thick forest in the outskirts of Crescent Moon pack. His feet carried him as fast as they could, but even with the speed, he was still as stealth as ever. It was as though he was running on the air and not on land. He practically appeared like a blur under the dim moonlight.He glanced around frantically multiple times, hoping no one was tailing him. Until he arrived at a particular cave surrounded by thick and tall trees. He looked back once more, making sure he was alone there before walking into the cave.As he entered the small cave, Kiya looked up, worry etched on her face. "Nicholas!” She exclaimed as she sprang up to her feet. “Goddess, I was extremely worried about you," she said in relief, rushing to his side.Nick cracked a smile at the corner of his lips, embracing her. "I'm fine, my love. I just had a close call with Regan's warriors."“Oh goddess, are you okay?” Kiya asked, checking Nick out for any form of wounds.“I'm fine,