WENDELINE Late in the afternoon on this day, I spent a whole hour getting ready to meet the love of my life - Kairel. He was staying back in the Pack and this was right after I pleaded with him to not leave. How could he not stay back when he realized I would be a lonely person if he left? Especially after professing my love to him. A smile came on my countenance. I heaved a sigh this time around, hungry - realizing also that there was a need to eat something before I would leave for the chamber where the love of my life existed. “Will that be all, my lady?” Startled, I snapped out of my thoughts, recalling that there existed a maid with me in the chamber. “No. That should be all, or maybe not. I believe I am hungry and in need of food to eat before I leave this chamber.” “What shall I bring?” “Food. Anything at all. All I know is that I am hungry.” The door made a sound. I knew I was the only one in the chamber, so I walked to the couch with aid from my stick, taking a seat
AEGONFor a moment, I choked on my saliva. A smile came on my countenance. “I smile because I believe you to be joking, sister. Why do you play with my emotions in this way?” I turned around to be certain it was her I spoke to and no other person. “What can you see?” “I am in your chamber, of course—” she let out. “You're wearing a jacket over a black shirt and pants. Your hair is rough and you have your hand in a fist like you're going to punch me but I'll advise you not to.” “Wendeline!” I shouted. “Oh no.” Mouthing these words, I turned and walked to the other end of the room, while watching her eyes follow me even when I turned back to look at her. “I don't know you to be so wicked, Wendeline. How could you?” “How could I?” She walked to the other end just like I did, touching the walls before turning around to face me again. “You don't know you've tortured me all my life, do you? Do you think I blab when I talk about how much ruin you have caused me, Aegon?” She chuckled
WENDELINE Catching up with the door of my chamber, I walked into the space with the same tears that welled up in my eyes, running down my face. A loud shout ran out of my mouth as I fell on the bed. Many more tears ran down my face as I wondered about what came over me. It was unbelievable that I would speak to Ian like this and in this manner. More shouts ran out of my mouth. “My lady—” I heard a woman call from the door where she was. “Are you doing okay?” She knocked on the door and asked. “Would you need me to bring you something?” “Shut up!” I shouted at her. “And get out of my chamber!” Adding to it, I found myself on the ground and pacing the space - mouthing words I could not even hear. Anger welled up in my bones and I let out another cry. Standing back on my feet after pacing the space and sitting down on the couch a while ago, I walked to the window, leaning on it so that I could take a lookout. The wolves of the Pack, as usual, went ahead with their activities. Tod
ANNORAKairel was gone from the Pack. The right way to react to it was something I didn't know and could not figure out at the same time. What was I going to do? The strength to live was gone from me. All I wished to do was die and not be reborn at the same time - but be gone from the face of the earth for a long time. Kairel—Thoughts of this man overwhelmed me every time. Now that I thought about it, I realized I wished to have been gone with him from the very onset. Maybe from the life of Aegon who didn't deserve me, after all. And his child? They could always meet each other in the future. Could they not? A painful smile came on my countenance as I thought about my life and how it turned out of late. Many more thoughts ran around in my head, but I became startled, left with no choice but to sit up on the bed when a hand knocked on the door. Who else? Who else if not Sora? Who else if not her? “Who is it?” I jumped to my feet as I walked to the door to unlock it. “Who
100 - The TruthANNORAWh—what was she doing at the door of my chamber? “Do you know what you're talking about, Sora?” Maybe she had too much to drink the night before. “I'm more than sure, my lady.” These words were not enough and I was left with no choice but to catch up with the door so that I could take a look. She was the one right there. “Lady Wendeline—” myself and Sora echoed at the same time. “Open the door.” I added when the Alpha's sister knocked once again. “We can't keep her waiting.” The door was pushed and she walked in. Her fragrance filled my nose but why should I care? All I wanted was for Wendeline to be done with whatever it is she has come to do, and then be gone from my chamber. Sora was the only company I needed. “Lady Annora—” she was smiling. “Maid Annora.” She corrected with the wicked smile that I could see on her countenance. “It is nice to see you again.”Indeed. It was nice to see her too. No, it wasn't. “Good day to you, Lady Wendeline—” I bow
WENDELINE “I hope you survive this—” “Thank you—” tears welled up in her eyes and I moped, wishing I didn't do this but how could I not? A smile came on my countenance and I nodded. “I should make it back to my chamber, Annora. I should see you around and don't forget to make it to mine when you have an issue or even questions. Do you understand me?” “T—thank you, Lady Wendeline.” Bowing to each other, I turned and walked to the door. Another satisfied smile was on my countenance when I reached the door and was walking out of the chamber, thinking about how brave what I had done was. This was the perfect thing to do, for all that I knew. Aegon could suspect me if I killed anyone, as well as the rest of the pack which wasn't the right thing to do. “Good day, my lady—” wolves who met me on my way towards my chamber, did not hesitate to greet me. Including the ones who didn't greet me when I claimed to be blind. Little did they know that I wasn't blind. But how could they know? “G
ANNORA The words of the Pack's princess did not stop running around in my head - always starting from my waking up till the end of the day. Opening my eyes on the bed this morning, the first thing that came to mind were the words of Wendeline, like it had been for a long while now. “He doesn't love you. Is that what you thought?” I snapped the thoughts out of my mind, reflecting on something else entirely. So many thoughts were running around in my head but even at that, I managed to stand on my feet and not be a reflection of myself. The day had started. Although I wished for it not to start. Since the unplanned meeting with Wendeline, all I thought about was how useless I had become. Not just that, but also how wicked the Alpha could be and even how stupid I could be - not reading between the lines from the onset. But how was I supposed to do that? How was I supposed to know that the Alpha tried so hard to keep me from another man - the right man who was deserving of my lov
ANNORAIt was beginning to add up: why everything was happening. How could I have been so foolish? I asked myself this and more questions over and over again, standing on my feet as I paced the space with a worried look on my face. Didn't it make sense now? It was in the middle of the night when I woke up from a dream of thoughts, asking myself what happened and how I could have been so unfortunate. It wasn't my fault, was it? Maybe if I had run away from the Pack the very moment I was brought into it, all of these would not have happened. Amid my thoughts, I noticed how famished I was. How could I not be hungry when there were so many thoughts running around in my head? Not only that, but I have not had a single thing to eat since the day that just passed by—and I would fall to the ground if I didn't do something about my current situation. Pacing the space of the chamber, I also realized how weak my legs had become. I needed to eat something and there wasn't a way to reach out
KAIREL What to expect from this war was unknown to me. Even though this was the case, one part of me didn't care. That part of me was ready and willing to go on this war—just to see the end of a man who did this to me. So far, I have become a beast. But was I to blame for it? No, there was no way I could be blamed for turning into who I had become even though one part of me did not believe myself also. But what could I do? Waking up this morning, these and many other thoughts ran around in my head. Deep inside of me, I hoped that Annora had reached the pack and given out messages to Aegon who should ask his armies to do the needful by now. A smile came on my countenance at the thought of how Fennic made his men go out to look for Annora who was long safe and I was certain because I could feel it. The man didn't have the slightest idea who did this. I could not let him know, either. Another smile came on my countenance and I caught up with the bathroom door, walking in s
AEGON “Wh—what did you just say?” “Yes, Alpha Aegon. I saw Kairel at The Stormbringers Pack. That's where I am coming from. I got back there and there were so many people in the Pack. I didn't expect that. One part of me thought the members were dead long ago. They are all alive including the Alpha Fennic.” I watched her closely, listening, waiting for more. “And what happened next?” I could not wait to hear it all and then deal with her in my way. How could she poison me? And why did she tell it to my face that she did? “Speak up already, Annora. I don't have all day.” I cried, taking a spoonful of the meal and putting it in my mouth. “He was there. Apparently, I was locked up in a prison for more than two days when I refused Alpha Fennic my consent to go on a war with him.” More confusion ran around in my head. What was this woman talking about? “What war?” I looked around the chamber, at the men who moped at her while some had their mouths open. “What war are you ta
AEGON My eyes opened in a room I could barely recognize. Something went on inside of me but even at that, it was hard to lay my hands on it and tell what went on exactly. Where was I? Looking around the chamber, I met the gaze of men I could also barely recognize. “Aegon?” My eyes opened the more. That voice. The voice of a woman I surely could recognize. Even if I forgot the other things I should not forget, I was ever going to recognize the voice of Annora which sounded in my head. “Annora—?” “What has happened?” Someone mumbled. “Tell me. What has happened?” The person asked me who could not and would not provide an answer to the question. If not because of anything but because I didn't know the answer. How could I open my eyes in the space of a chamber I didn't recognize, with men I also could not recognize but the voice of a woman I could recognize? Someone barged into the chamber. “What is this that I hear?” The old Healer who I now recognized, walked towa
ANNORA I ran like never before, even though I knew I had become far away from Alpha Fennic and his wicked pack. Who knew? Maybe Kairel was not safe. But at the moment, I didn't care one dime about him. Not with the many things I had on my list, of which one of them was arriving back at the pack. What was I going to say to Aegon? What would I tell him as soon as I got there? Where would I tell him I have gone to? A sigh ran out of my mouth. Automatically, I stopped running. One, because of the many thoughts running around in my head and again, the fact that I needed to put something in my mouth before I could move again. There was no time to waste. Relaxing under a tree, I realized the danger I was. A pregnant woman in a wild place like this. Where did such courage come from? I could not worry less, maybe because of the many others that needed to be done. Taking the backpack from behind me where it hung all this while, I placed it on my lap—wondering at the same
ANNORA My second day in the prison came and went. It was my third day and I had yet to take a bath. How could that even be possible? I looked around the box of a room, wishing I had not come here in the first place. Maybe I should have stayed back and endured with Aegon. But how was I going to know that he was innocent at the end of the day? All of these looked like they had a purpose but I could not lay my hands on what exactly to do in order to be gone from this prison and the Pack in total. Maybe I found out the truth to die with it. There would be no way to make corrections and this was the sad part of it. Tears ran down my cheeks at the thought and realization of this—leaving me with cries. “Good morning, Lady Annora.” Snapping out of my thoughts, I met the gaze of the wicked man who watched over me since I was brought to this prison against my wish. “Get off my face.” I declared. “My lady—” he wasn't going to listen to me. “Your food will be here in a short while
AEGON It was late in the night when I opened my eyes. I should be bothered about Annora who hasn't been found since all these while, but I wasn't and that was the least of my concern as there was something wrong with me. Something I couldn't lay my hands on. What was this? I placed my hand on my chest to ascertain but I could not. Not when I didn't have the slightest idea what was wrong. Standing on my feet, I realized how weak my bones had become. So many thoughts ran around in my head and I wondered whether it was because of how much I missed Annora and maybe Wendeline who also hasn't been found. Managing to walk to the door, I walked out. Darius was on duty. He bowed with a smile. “My lord. Do you need me to do something for you?” Nodding, I walked back into the chamber with an expectation that he would follow me which he did. “Darius. I don't know what's wrong with me—” Unable to hide it any longer, I spoke up. “Pain in my body, especially my chest. Do you think I
ANNORA “Are you two joking right now?” “No one is joking with you, Annora. I'm asking you to join hands with your family so that an end can be put to this. Don't you understand the implications of letting Aegon live? News about your situation with Kairel was told to me last night and I cannot help but wonder how you feel.” “I don't feel anyway—” I mouthed, a painful smile on my countenance. “You don't know how I feel and it should be the least of your business. If there's any way I feel, then it's because of what you've done to me and my life. Leave Alpha Aegon out of him—he's done nothing at all to you.” Kairel coughed. “You love him.” “I'm not supposed to hate him, Kairel.” “After all he's done—” he chuckled and looked at Alpha Fennic who didn't speak any longer. “We can force a horse to the river but we cannot force them to drink. That's the case right here with Annora, my lord. What do we do?” “There's nothing you can do—” I cut short their thoughts. “I want to be lef
ANNORA Shock could be seen on my countenance. I didn't want to believe what I saw. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe I was hallucinating, or was I not? “Kairel—” “Annora—” he called, a smile on his countenance. “It's me. I'm not here to hurt you.” No, I wasn't dreaming. This was more than real. I reached the lock and turned it, opening the door automatically. “What are you doing here, Kairel?” I looked around the room to be certain I was not in any way seeing visions. “Is this real?” He walked in and shut the door. “It's real, Annora. I'm the one standing right in front of you. How are you doing?” Did he really ask me that? Did he expect me to answer him? “What is going on here?” I cried. “You knew all this while that my family was alive, didn't you? You knew this pack wasn't burned to the ground, didn't you?” “I didn't know. I found out the same way you did, Annora. This is why you should understand how wicked Aegon is. Can't you see for yourself already?” What was
ANNORA I had spent over a week in this pack. Even though this was another home of mine, I felt more like a total stranger. My identity, even though I knew what I looked like, became strange to me and I thought about how unfortunate I was all day in the chamber where I spent my day and night. There were so many thoughts. My eyes had been open all day. No, all night. So many thoughts went around in my head and one was the costly mistake I had made as I wondered if it was or wasn't too late for me to thwart what I had done. What have I done? What else if not poison Aegon who had done nothing at all to me? How could I be so wicked to him? Was he dead already? Why didn't I think twice before making that decision? These and more thoughts ran around in my head, especially if I wanted to have the baby. A fatherless child. What would I say to him or her was the end of their father? A deep sigh ran out of my mouth as I looked out the window, realizing the day had broken. Also, I realiz