Chapter Eight:The Breaking of DawnThe clearing fell into silence as the last of the wolves dispersed, leaving Kane and me alone under the pale moonlight. The tension lingered in the air, thick and oppressive, wrapping around us as we stood there, neither of us moving. I could see the weight of the coming fight etched into every line of Kane’s face, the hard set of his jaw, the storm clouding his eyes.Tomorrow at dawn, Kane would face his father. And if he lost… no, I couldn’t even consider the possibility of him not losing, he had to. I knew how much he’d sacrificed to claim his place as Alpha, how hard he’d fought to protect this pack and I wanted to crush that, his pride and finally get my revenge. “Kane,” I murmured, stepping closer. “Are you… prepared for this?”He turned to me, his gaze softening for a brief moment, the fire of resolve flickering behind his eyes. “I don’t have a choice, Sophia. This fight… it’s something I’ve known might happen ever since I took over. My fath
Chapter NineSecrets in the DarkAs Kane and I walked side by side, the tension between us was almost tangible, though it was no longer the heat of a fight—it was something colder, a sense of duty forced by circumstance. Even after all he had done to solidify his role as Alpha, I couldn’t shake the resentment simmering beneath the surface. Every victory he claimed felt like it came at a cost I was forced to bear.Kane’s words echoed in my mind: *He’ll be back. And when he does… I’ll be ready.* But a part of me wasn’t so sure that I wanted him to be.The forest was dark and silent as we made our way back to the heart of the pack’s territory. Kane was still breathing heavily, though he tried to mask his exhaustion behind his stoic gaze. I found myself wanting to keep my distance from him, wanting to let my own thoughts settle without his presence lingering beside me like a shadow.“Are you planning to stand by me in this, Sophia?” he asked, his voice low but firm, piercing through the s
Chapter Ten:Under the SurfaceThe faint light of the early morning filtered through the drawn curtains of my room as I sat on the edge of the bed, the events of the night before still lingering in my thoughts. The meeting with Marcus, the pact I’d made in the shadows of the forest, and the weight of it all pressed against my chest, threatening to crush me under its magnitude.I had to be careful. Every move, every word, had to be measured. Marcus might be playing his game, but I was caught in a dangerous web, with Kane at the center of it all. Before I could gather my thoughts, a knock at the door interrupted the quiet. My stomach turned. There was only one person who ever called on me with such intent, and I wasn’t ready for it.I opened the door to find one of the younger pack members standing there, their face tense with apprehension. “The Alpha requests your presence in the main hall,” they said softly, before quickly retreating down the hallway.I took a deep breath, steeling m
Chapter 11Threats and TerrorsIt didn't take a while before I was summoned by him again. This time, he was in the palace library, taking sweet time to analyze different books on a particular shelf. I definitely knew he felt my presence as potent as I felt his, even though he didn't acknowledge it in the slightest by turning to give me a glance. “One of your men said you called for me?” I asked, puffing my chest up with an aura of confidence as I watched him move. His hands stopped over a particular book, drawing it out. He didn't acknowledge my words. I was sure he heard me, but his stinging silence pulsed my nerves with annoyance. “We have certain rules in this Kingdom, Sophia,” he began, flipping the pages of the book. His eyes were sternly locked into it, but I could feel the waves of cold repulse emitting him on a different intensity, like he was still angry at me. This wasn't going to be a continuation of our small spit-off earlier, was it?“Do you want to know what happens
CHAPTER 12Good Girl or BadIf I maybe pitied him in the slightest, I hated him to my very core now. I wasn't hundred percent certain, but remembering that night, the moment Aunt Evelyn was slaughtered in cold blood by the wolves that had ambushed us that night, and pairing with his warning now, he was probably involved in her death. How else would he have known about her?The rising chill in the room as the sun hid away from the sky did nothing to fade off the burning hate building inside me. Once again, I assured myself that I hadn't made a mistake joining forces with Marcus. If Kane was out of the way, I would be free, and maybe solve a little of the mystery that was my Aunt's death.If in any case I were to be betrayed by Marcus who I could begrudgingly agree with Kane on the fact that he was a dangerous shifter wolf, I had to protect myself. I shouldn't trust anyone here; not if I wanted to survive. “Agreed,” Amra uttered in my head, her voice steeled with an angry resolve. T
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BE MY FRIEND I walked behind his fading footsteps, my mind racing with thoughts of how he would reciprocate my spiteful words. I really shouldn't have said what I said, especially since I'm trying to play the loyal wolf. Despite how slowly I was moving my legs, I soon arrived at his location—his bedroom.I knocked softly on his door and turned the doorknob to open it when I heard a gruff. "Come in." I walked into his room to find him standing in front of one of the windows, his body positioned in its regular stiff posture. Clearing my throat, I spoke. “I am sorry about what I said; it was uncalled for and not my place to say such, especially considering what I’ve witnessed of your relationship with your father.” Kane turned sharply at my words, his face still stiff with tension and anger. “Is that all you have to say? How about apologizing for speaking recklessly to me in front of my subordinate?” One day, your blatant disregard for me is going to get you into
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: A KissI left the training grounds for a walk to occupy myself, as there was nothing to do.I walked around until Amra spoke to me. “Sophia, there’s something here.”I stopped and looked around to sense the person’s presence. I could feel someone staring at me, so I called out, “Who’s there? Stop being a coward and face me.”I heard leaves crunching, signaling that the suspect was revealing themself. I smelled him before I saw him, and when I turned, it was him. My heart stopped when I realized that if Kane saw us together, everything would be over.“Is there a reason why you are following me around?” I asked him, tapping my feet in impatience and anger.“Yes, and I think you know my reason. You haven't given me the information we agreed on. Why is that?” Marcus asked.“That is because your son does not fully trust me yet. He saw me talking to you on the day of our agreement and now suspects me. You are risking everything by cornering me like this,” I told him.“You
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: A KissI left the training grounds for a walk to occupy myself, as there was nothing to do.I walked around until Amra spoke to me. “Sophia, there’s something here.”I stopped and looked around to sense the person’s presence. I could feel someone staring at me, so I called out, “Who’s there? Stop being a coward and face me.”I heard leaves crunching, signaling that the suspect was revealing themself. I smelled him before I saw him, and when I turned, it was him. My heart stopped when I realized that if Kane saw us together, everything would be over.“Is there a reason why you are following me around?” I asked him, tapping my feet in impatience and anger.“Yes, and I think you know my reason. You haven't given me the information we agreed on. Why is that?” Marcus asked.“That is because your son does not fully trust me yet. He saw me talking to you on the day of our agreement and now suspects me. You are risking everything by cornering me like this,” I told him.“You
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT: THE RETURN As Aunt Evelyn's words hung in the air, I felt a strange sensation wash over me, like a gentle tug on my soul. The world around me began to fade, and I felt myself being pulled back into my physical body. I tried to resist, to hold on to the sense of peace and comfort that I had found with Aunt Evelyn and my past memories, but it was no use.Slowly, I began to wake up, my mind foggy and my body aching. I was aware of a dull pain in my bac and a sense of disorientation that made it hard to focus.And I heard voices, distant and muffled, but growing louder with each passing moment. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt heavy, as if they were weighted down with lead. I tried to move, but my body felt like a leaden weight, impossible to lift.As I lay there, struggling to come back to myself, I heard Kane's voice, his words indistinc, but his tone clear. He was calling my name, his voice full of worry and concern.As I slowly regained consciousness, Ka
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: Near death experience.Everything seemed to slow down as I felt myself falling, my vision blurring at the edges. I saw Kane's face, his eyes wide with horror and concern, as he reached out to catch me. I saw Marcus, his expression twisted in satisfaction. And I saw a figure, standing just behind Marcus, a figure I couldn't quite make out.As I fell, I felt a sense of weightlessness, as if I was floating through the air. My mind was a jumble of thoughts and images, memories flashing through my mind like a slideshow. And then, everything went black.I was aware of nothing but the sound of my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears like a drum. I was trapped in a void, a dark and endless space where nothing existed but the sound of my own blood pumping through my veins.As I floated in the void, I began to feel a gentle tug, as if I was being pulled towards a distant light. As the sound of my heartbeat grew fainter, I found myself standing in a lush, vibrant garden, in
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: As I ran towards the pack, the sound of gunfire and snarling wolves filled the air. I knew I had to act fast, I had to get the moms, teenagers, kids, and elderly to safety. Rafe's words still echoed in my mind, but I knew I couldn't just leave, I had to help.Another set of footsteps run beside me, and I turn to see it's Rafe. “We said we are a team, right?” He said, and my heart warmed.We ran for the nursery first since that's where many pups are looked after while their parents worked. Their minders were aware of the present situation because they were all huddled together, the pups crying and trembling with fear. Without hesitation, we rushed towards them. “Come on, we have to get out of here!” I yelled and helped one of the minders to her feet. “Is there a place that is dedicated to hiding in situations like this?” I asked her.“Yes, there's a bunker, but the sos came late. We weren't able to lead the children out of here to safety because we were scared of
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: He made sure I could stand on my own before we started running. I was not as fast as I usually would be because of the lack of connection to Amra and the effects of the wolfsbane. As we hurried up the stairs, I could hear Soraya call after me. “Sophia, you are one lucky girl.” I ignored her and continued moving as fast as I could.“How did you get the keys?” I asked, knowing that he isn't in charge of the prisoners.“Shhh!! I'll tell you when we are in a more secure place.” He said, and I finally noticed that strapped to his back was a backpack. He positioned his hand in a wait signal and did. He peeked outside the stairs door, and when he confirmed that the ghost was clear, he signalled me to move.We moved silently through the shadows of the buildings, our footsteps quiet on the floor. Rafe led the way, scanning the surroundings with his eyes as I followed closely behind. As we ran, I could feel that we were close. Freedom was near. Even without Amra, I coul
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: The hours following Rafe's departure, I reminisce on his words. "It's used only for the worst of the worst wolf criminals," he said, his voice low and serious. "It destabilizes and weakens them, blocking their ability to communicate with their wolves. When a wolf consumes wolfsbane, they're essentially stripped of their powers, left as vulnerable as a human.”As I continued to try reaching Amra and my efforts were futile, I felt a surge of panic as I realized the extent of my situation. I tried to reach out to Amra, but it was like hitting a brick wall. I poked my head into the mental space where Amra usually resided, but instead of finding her familiar presence, I was met with a solid, impenetrable barrier. It was as if a door had been slammed shut, separating me from her comforting presence.The only thing I could do was cry, and I did. Tears trailed down my face as I examined what it could be my new reality if Rafe couldn't get me out of here.I studied the
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: THE ATTACK 3.I looked at Kane in betrayal as I was dragged from the office.Few pack members watched in horror and confusion as I struggled against Sean and Ken.They dragged me down a flight of stairs and with nothing but a T-shirt to protect my skin, bruises and scratches formed on my skin from the harshness of the floor.“Don't do this Kane. I didn't do anything wrong.” I screamed at the top of my voice.” When I realized that he didn't care, I started screaming at the pack members.“You all will die tomorrow. There's going to be an attack, be careful.” I screamed as I struggled against them. Soon we descended the last flight of stairs into the dungeon. It was cold and foreboding. The walls of made of grey stone that seemed impenetrable as it absorbed the faint light that managed to filter in from the high slits above. The air was heavy with the scent of mold and decay. The only reason I could place the scent was became it smelt like the restaurant I was fir
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: The attack 2.“Shit!” I exclaimed.Through Amra’s ears, I heard Marcus ask Dorian “hear what?”“That sound. Like someone is here with us?” Dorian said. Soon, I heard him move around, lost likely searching for what he heard.“Don't stress yourself son, there is nobody here. This hideout has been hidden for many years and has never been found because of how deep into the forest it is.” Marcus told Dorian. With a sigh, Dorian accepted Marcus's words and sat back down.Once the ghost was clear, Amra took off on a quiet run until we were far enough to slow down.“Phew! That was a close one.” I said.“I know. We could have taken them down if they became aware of our presence.” Amra defended, making me roll me eyes at her.“I don't think so Amra. There were lots of people there. Our strength won't have been enough to fight against all of them.” I argued.“You underestimate yourself and our strength, Sophia. But soon, you will understand.” Amra said mysteriously and I just
Chapter twenty: You can cook?“I don't have anything concrete planned, yet.”“When you do, let me know.” I got up and walked to the door, glancing back at the last second to say “won't you walk me back?” Rafe got up at my words and I waited for him to open the door before I stepped out. “This is another reason you need me in your life, who else is going to teach you gentleman manners?” I asked. I would have added since his mother couldn't teach him but I didn't think we had reached that level in our relationship yet.He escorted me to the path where he ambushed me and promptly abandoned me. Finally alone in this midst of lush nature, I could clear my head.“Amra, do you think that I'm making the right choice by aligning my allegiance with Rafe? You didn't say anything when I was conversing with him.” I asked my wolf in my head.“Honestly, no and yes.” Amra replied.“Why no and yes?” “No, because Kane is our mate and something tells me that it would be a mistake to continue this reve
CHAPTER NINETEEN: The Alliance. I took the napkins from him and wiped my tears, and continued. “One day, I had a very bad day, and to cool off, I went into the forest. I wish I had done something else instead of going into the forest because my aunt might still be alive. I wandered too deep and was attacked by a wolf. Another wolf came to save me, only to be attacked by a bigger wolf. The bigger wolf attacked me, and I passed out. The next thing I knew, I woke up in my aunt's house with a mark on my neck.Rafe stood up to get me a glass of water and some tissues to wipe my face since I had been crying since the beginning of my narration.As I was still trying to figure out what went wrong, the wolf that bit me attacked my house, and in the process of trying to protect me, my aunt was killed. I ran into the forest and shifted for the first time in my life. Once I shifted, I had a connection to my wolf and was led to this pack, where I discovered it was Kane who was behind everything.