ANNORA Wh—what did I hear him say? I moped at Lord Kairel. My mouth opened in shock as I moped at the man who moped back at me. “Say something, Annora.”Say what exactly? What was he trying to say? A sigh only myself could hear ran out of my mouth. Another sigh ran out, and I caught up with the same couch I asked him to sit on - more than grateful he did not sit. I didn't know what to say. What was I supposed to say to such a request? “I—” I moped at him. “I don't know, Lord Kairel. Are you even sure about what you speak of?” “I'm more than sure—” He walked to the front of the couch, kneeling so that our faces could meet. “I'm more than sure of what I say, Annora. All I need you to do or say is agree to come with me, and that would be all.” That would be all? What happens to my child? A child that belongs to Aegon, who I knew would do anything to keep me under his roof? Under his watch also. Another sigh ran out of my mouth, and I looked up to meet his gaze again - Lord Ka
WENDELINE In the space of my chamber, I was alone as usual. But on this day, I wasn't alone. The thoughts in my head had come to keep me company and I was shocked by my actions recently - wondering also if I did the right thing. Stopping in my tracks, I looked at nothing in particular. What if I had done the wrong thing? What if I didn't have to tell Kairel of my feelings? A sigh ran out of my mouth for the umpteenth time as I turned around, leading my way back to the bedside with the stick in my hand. By now, he must have left the Pack, or has he not? According to what he said the other day, he would be leaving as soon as the next morning and for all that I knew, the next morning of that very day had come and gone. Was he gone already? I didn't want to ask to be told yes because it would break my heart - I took a seat on the bed and fell on my back, wondering what to do because the man in question was the man I loved with all of my heart. How could he leave? Because of a wom
KAIREL Another morning - another day to try again. What else was I willing to try if not convince Annora to leave with me by dawn? Aegon's words from the other day at the diner made me think all through the week, right from the moment Annora could not provide me with a ‘yes’.Maybe Aegon was right. Maybe he meant it when he said she would choose him over me - even though I hadn't completely confirmed that. But I was willing to try again for the second time. And the last time, of course. Waking up this morning, I felt good. Maybe more than good because this day would decide what my fate with Annora would become. That was all I wanted. I wanted to know - just as Aegon had made me suggest. Standing on my feet, I snatched a towel from the closet and caught up with the bathroom - more than ready for a bath as I planned to be at Annora's chamber before the next hour ended. That was what my day would be about. It didn't take long for me to be done with my bath, and I was hurrying
AEGON I knew in my heart that I should have reacted to the talks of Kairel that day by making a move on Annora just as he was doing. But there was no way I could do that. Or maybe I could have. Maybe I could make a move, but I didn't want to. Not now. Not ever. Even though I was angry at Kairel for trying such nonsense, I could not do anything but let him try his luck, at least. The last time I checked, Annora was old enough to make certain decisions and that was what I wanted her to do. Choose who she wanted to be with. And what was going to happen if she chose Kairel? What the fuck would become my fate? A sigh ran out of my mouth as I sat up on the bed, nodding in satisfaction but with a wonder of what would happen to me if she chose him. Nothing would happen. What was supposed to happen if not a woman left with a man she loved even though she was leaving with a child that belonged to me? A smile came on my countenance and I got on my feet, pacing the chamber for some tim
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
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
AEGON It all made sense. It made more than just sense, in fact. Walking out of my chamber, I knew I didn't have to send Darius to do it like the other time. The last time I asked him to speak to the men about searching for Wendeline, no one found her. Maybe if I talked to the men about Annora myself, they would do something about it. It had to be so. “Men of the Pack!” My voice, even though I was tired, I managed to make use of it. “It's of great pleasure to meet with you all again. There's a lot that has come to my ears and I would love to speak with you about it.” A while ago, I asked Darius to gather the men and that he had done. Speaking to them was what was left and that was what I was about to do—before that, there was something I needed to address. “I want to say something.” Each man had his gaze fixed on me. “If you had a thing to do with the search for Wendeline, you may leave this gathering. My calling you has to do with looking for someone who was discovered to be
AEGON Confusion got the best part of me on this day. I moped at Darius who moped at me with more confusion on his countenance. “Do you know what you are talking about?” I asked with a smile that came alive on my countenance. “How can the men not find her?” “My lord.” He bowed. “I'm sorry but we tried our best. They tried to look for Wendeline just as you asked but they could not find her and this is not in any way their fault.” “Shut up, Darius. Is it my fault?” He looked to the ground and shook his head. Indeed, it was my fault but the man did not want to say it to me. “What happens now?” I looked at him. “Is this one way to tell me that my sister cannot be found?” “I'm afraid, yes.” The truth sounded in my ears. It was a bitter one and I didn't want to hear it again. Standing on my feet, I walked to the closet and looked at the man who was still looking at the ground. “You should leave my chamber now, Darius—” he was walking to the door when it dawned on me that I