The heavy air of Alpha Kevin’s pack lands reeked of decay. Derek strode past the worn gates, his presence commanding attention. Guards stiffened, and murmurs of his arrival rippled through the pack. “Take me to your Alpha,” Derek growled, his tone brooking no argument. The guards hesitated before one scurried ahead to announce him. Derek didn’t wait for permission. Pushing the door open, he entered the pack house uninvited. Inside, Alpha Kevin lounged in his study, feet propped on the desk, a glass of whiskey in his hand. His casual demeanor ignited Derek’s anger. This wasn’t the aura of a leader facing a crisis but that of a man indifferent to his pack’s suffering. “Kevin,” Derek’s voice was low and threatening, “you and I need to talk.” Kevin glanced up lazily, his lips curling into a smirk. “Derek. To what do I owe this... intrusion?” Derek’s patience was already wearing thin. “Where is Alpha Moore?” Kevin leaned back, taking a deliberate sip from his glass. “Safe, las
Derek guided Alpha Moore into the Moonstone Pack’s infirmary, his steps heavy with worry and guilt. Moore had been weakened from his ordeal, his face pale and drawn, but his eyes burned with barely restrained fury. Derek could feel the tension radiating from him as he used his mindlink to summon Alex, his beta, to call for the pack doctor.“Get him treated immediately,” Derek ordered Alex before turning his attention back to Moore. “You’ll be fine soon.”Moore gave a curt nod, but his silence was ominous. Derek wasn’t naive enough to think Alpha Moore would stay quiet for long.The doctor arrived swiftly, tending to Moore’s injuries with practiced efficiency. Derek stayed nearby, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching as Moore slowly regained some color.When the doctor finished and left the room, Moore finally spoke, his voice sharp and cutting. “Derek, where’s Ella?”The question hung in the air like a blade. Derek stiffened, his jaw tightening as he moved to sit a
As Derek approached the door, the tension in his body was palpable. His mind raced with plans to rescue Ella, his heart heavy with guilt and determination. Just as his hand reached for the handle, Alpha Moore’s voice broke the silence, stopping him in his tracks.“Derek,” Moore called out, his tone low but firm. “Wait”Derek turned slowly, meeting Alpha Moore's piercing gaze. “What is it?”Moore hesitated, his brows knitting together as though weighing his words carefully. “There’s something you need to know before you leave,” he said, his voice laced with urgency. Something I should’ve said earlier.Derek stepped back into the room, his eyes narrowing. “Go on.”Moore exhaled heavily, leaning forward in his chair, his expression grave. The lines on his face deepened, revealing the weight of whatever burden he was about to share. “I think you should investigate Alpha Kevin,” he began, his voice steady but grim. “Keep a close watch on him.”Derek’s jaw tightened at the mention of Kevin
As Derek walked into his Alpha chambers, his footsteps faltered, and he froze at the sight before him.Sitting on a high stool near the wine cabinet, a glass in her hand, was Clara—his Luna. The warm glow of the chamber’s lanterns reflected off her auburn hair, and her emerald-green eyes locked onto him with an unreadable expression.Noticing his presence, Clara turned gracefully, her gaze unwavering. “I’ve been expecting you,” she said, her voice smooth but edged with something cold. She took a delicate sip from her glass, savoring the wine. “What took you so long?”Derek blinked, caught off guard. He hadn’t seen Clara in months, and her sudden appearance was the last thing he’d expected.“What are you doing here?” he asked, still shocked.Clara tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Is that supposed to be a question?” she replied. “Or is it that you don’t want your Luna back?”Her tone wasn’t accusatory, but it wasn’t warm either. It was indifferent, cutting.
Derek paced his office, the echo of Clara’s ultimatum ringing in his ears. “Your title or your mate.” Her words lingered like a storm cloud, casting doubt over every decision he had made. He raked his fingers through his hair, trying to shake off the frustration gnawing at him. But there was no escaping it—Clara’s demand had thrown him into a whirlwind he wasn’t prepared to handle.Still, his duty as an Alpha came first. He needed answers, and Kevin was at the center of it all. He couldn’t afford to let emotions cloud his judgment, not with the safety of his pack at stake.He made his way to the war room, where his beta Alex and Gamma Rafael were already waiting. The tension in the air was palpable as Derek entered, his Alpha presence commanding their immediate attention."Alex," Derek said, his voice low and firm. "Have you found anything on Kevin?"Alex exchanged a glance with Rafael before replying. "Not much yet, but there’s something strange. His pack’s movements are unusually qu
Derek walked into the pack's infirmary, the faint scent of disinfectants lingering in the air. The quiet hum of activity greeted him—nurses moving about and doctors tending to the wounded. His gaze swept across the room until it landed on Alpha Moore.Moore sat propped up on a bed, his large frame noticeably stronger than the last time Derek saw him. The deep lines of exhaustion were beginning to fade, though his face still carried the effects of the plague. His wolf had fought hard, coupled with Ella's calming effect, but the lingering poison slowed his recovery.“You’re looking better,” Derek said, stepping closer.Moore looked up, his lips curving into a faint smile. “Better, but not quite my usual self,” he replied, his voice deep but calm. “Thanks to my wolf, though, I’m still here.”Derek nodded, crossing his arms. “The Doctors say you’re stable enough to leave, but I’m taking you to my home. You’ll need to rest somewhere safe while you regain your strength.”Moore raised a brow
The night was unusually quiet, the moon hanging low as if it were watching the world with bated breath. Derek sat in his study, pouring over maps and reports from scouts patrolling the borders. The plague had slowed but had not yet disappeared, and Kevin's schemes loomed like a storm cloud. A sharp knock broke the silence, and his Beta, Alex, stepped in, his expression grim. "Alpha," Alex began hesitantly, "there’s someone at the border requesting to see you." Derek raised a brow. "Who dares to request an audience at this hour?" Alex shifted uncomfortably. "It’s Kael Blackthorn." The name hit Derek like a punch to the gut. His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. Kael. The rogue Alpha. The man who had once stood at the pinnacle of power, only to be cast down for crimes he swore he never committed. “Take me to him” Derek ordered, his voice cold. Alex hesitated. "Are you sure? He—" "Now," Derek cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument. Minutes later, they got to the bord
“Protect the Alpha!” a voice roared through the chaos, barely audible over the crackle of flames devouring the heart of the pack. Screams pierced the night air as wolves, both in human and beast form, fought desperately to defend their home.“Hold the line! No one retreats!” Alpha Magnus's voice thundered over the chaos, his wolf form towering over the rogue invaders as flames consumed the once-peaceful territory of the Silverclaw pack.Kael’s small frame trembled as he clung to his mother, Luna Seraphina, who knelt in front of him. Her piercing green eyes, alight with a fierce resolve, scanned the battlefield.“Kael,” she said, her voice steady despite the blood streaking her cheek. She cupped his face, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “Take your sister and hide. Stay hidden until I come for you.”“But, Mother, I—”“No arguments,” she snapped, though her gaze softened. “You must protect her. Do you hear me? No matter what happens, keep her safe.”Before Kael could respond, she p
The scent of something sweet permeated the air. Derek stood and inhaled, wondering what it was. It was not the scent of his mate and neither was it the fragrance of one of her many beauty products."Why does your bedroom smell urm... Nice?" He asked her. Ella whirled around immediately to look at him. She wondered if he had noticed already."I…" she began to explain in a guilty stammer, her voice trembling, as she moved away from Valen who was holding her. Oh shit! She knew they were smart. This might turn out to be a wrong idea after all.She stared at them through the thick curtains of her lashes, not knowing how to respond. Alpha Derek gulped hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. For some reason, the very scene made him shiver in pleasure. It was the same for Valen as well. They both suddenly felt drawn toward her in an unusual way.She has to distract them. Breathing heavily, Ella stepped backwards. Valen unconsciously followed her, while Alpha Derek had to take a deep br
The night was young and the silver moon was high up in the eerie sky. Ella stood outside for a long time, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, wondering what would happen next. Drake had told her what to do, but she wondered if it was the right thing. She sighed as she turned quickly away from the balcony and went directly into her bedroom. She opened the cupboard, her fingers trembling slightly as she brought out a wrapped package, remembering the instructions from Drake. Her grip tightened momentarily around the package as she bit her lips.She kept the wrapped package aside and reached for a bean sized flowered satchel. She opened it and took out a round yellow pill. Studying it briefly, she placed it on her tongue and allowed it to melt. It tasted like sea salt and spicy curry.The pill caused her to feel dizzy for a moment, making her stagger backwards, she hurriedly gripped the wood of the cupboard for support, waiting for the spinning to stop. Slowly, the effect wore off
Sebastian sat on a round table. By his side was Sandra, Alpha Kelvin, and other fallen powerful leaders from different clans and tribes.Sebastian isn't one to waste time.Sebastian had carefully selected each individual—a collection of those he feels have a devious heart like his, people that can go through any length just to achieve what they want, those that care solely about themselves and most of all, those that are filled with hatred and revenge.“Thank you all for honoring my invitation” Sebastian said, lifting a wine glass to his lips as his eyes moved and scanned everyone seated.Their eyes held hatred, their souls burned with a desire to reclaim what had been taken from them.They all followed suit and lifted their wine glasses.Alpha Kelvin leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “So, we have all seen your plans and it's really not an easy one but I love it because it suits exactly to what I have in mind when my pack was destroyed and forcefully taken away from me, leaving me w
“Ella please can I speak to you privately?” Drake whispered to Ella, his tone low and pleading, his eyes looking desperate Ella nodded, stealing a glance at Derek and Valen, despite their intense gazes,she still led Drake to her room.Derek couldn't control his anger anymore, he stood up abruptly to follow, but Valen grabbed his hand, shaking his head to discourage him.Derek turned his frustration to Valen. “How could you be so calm? We don't even know that guys identity, we can't just leave him alone with her, we don't know his motives”Valen sighed. “I asked Dorian to confirm his identity and everything he said”“So?” Derek asked impatiently.“Everything he said checked out”Derek was momentarily stunned, he slowly sat down. “You are trying to tell me that guy is truly her brother?”“Possibly,” Valen said, shrugging.“Possibly?” Derek asked confused, running his hands through his hair in frustration “This wasn't a deep investigation, we need more time to know if he's actually her
Derek and Valen exchanged glances. Their murderous aura dissipated but the trace of disbelief and doubt was still in their eyes.They stared at Ella and Drake, back and forth, trying to see how it's even possible.“Aside from his hair color and eyes, he looks nothing like you” Derek blurted out, unable to contain his anger seeing Ella defend a stranger that way.A flash of irritation crossed across Ella's face. “And isn't that enough to prove he's my brother!?” Ella snapped, still protecting Drake.Derek's jaw clenched. “No!”Ella's eyes widened in anger, she was about to retort when Valen stepped in.He exhaled deeply, his voice calmer than Derek's, he knew something was wrong with Ella, but he couldn't place what it was. He arched his brow as he watched her closely.“You say he's your brother Ella?”“Yes Valen, I just found my long-lost brother. You should be happy for me shouldn't you?” Ella responded Derek scoffed loudly. “As if”Valen's eyes traveled to the young man standing be
“My brother?” Ella asked puzzled Her mind spuned as she tries to process the information. How's it possible she just found out about having another family and all of a sudden, a brother is here to see her? Do things work that fast? Did he also just find out about her too?A lot of thoughts ran through her mind as she stood there stunned.“Are you okay?” Dorian's voice brought her back to reality “Where's he?” She asked, her voice sharp with urgency.“He's here at the manor” Dorian said, pointing towards the hallway.Without waiting for him to say any other thing, she ran past him into the great hall.She stopped abruptly in her tracks when she saw him. There,at the center of the room, standing tall, was a handsome young man with brown hair and eyes just like hers.Her breath caught in her throat and her heart hammered loudly against her chest, she could hear it as she walked towards him.As she takes a step closer, he also takes a step closer to her as if he couldn't believe she was
As Ella exited the room, she found some stationed guards by her door and immediately they saw her leaving they followed from a safe distance. She doesn't like this arrangement but she knows it's for her own safety.She headed for the garden, aside from her room which was currently occupied by Derek and Valen, the garden is the next place she sees as her safe Zone.She needed space, she needed to think. A lot has been happening and a lot will still happen. Her feelings for Derek and Valen are still not sorted out and now she just learnt she had a family somewhere she doesn't know about.“You know you can always speak to me, I'm here” Lila said, jolting Ella from her thoughts.“You scared me Lila…don't ever do this again” Ella said softly “Do what? How else was I supposed to remind you I'm within you? I can hear your thoughts too and I can feel how troubled you are. This isn't your battle to fight alone, you can't bottle all of that emotions up “ Lila said.Ella sighed, sinking into a
Ella looked up to see the questioning gaze of both Derek and ValenShe took a deep breath, looking down at her hands on her laps.“Sandra mentioned… that I'm not related to their family in any way” she finally said, her voice quiet but steady.Derek exhaled as he took his seat. “Why am I not surprised?” he muttered, rubbing his temple.“Did she tell you anything about your biological parents?” Valen asked softly.Ella shook her head. “She didn't. Said something about her father dropping me off with her mother and asking her to run away with me and Sandra and to keep me safe”Silence fell in the room as everyone was lost in their own thoughts.Ella swallowed, forcing a bitter smile “Now I know she's not my biological mother, I can actually understand why she treated me like trash all these years. I guess… she blames me for the death of her husband” Ella said.Derek leaned forward, taking her hands in his. His grip was firm, reassuring. “No one should be comfortable with being treated l
Ella stood in the middle of a battlefield, the field was more like a blood-bath. The stench of blood and death filled the air. This wasn't a regular war; both werewolves and vampires teamed up to fight against a voracious beast and his merciless allies.But the more they fought, the more the beast was gaining ground. More vampires and werewolves dropped to the ground. Ella felt helpless as she watched in horror as the battle turned into a massacre.Suddenly there was a loud scream. Her body froze. Her breath ceased, her chest tightened and her eyes widened as she turned to see the claws of one of the beast's allies deeply embedded in the heart of Derek.Time seemed to stop.Her voice seemed lost as she tried to scream.Immediately a shadow fell above her, she raised her eyes to see the beast. His eyes were black like the abyss, his size bigger than anything she had ever seen, his hair was long and his face was very scary. The shocking thing was that there was not a single scratch o