Ellie.Wrong.The only experience in combat I had, was being ambushed by multiple wolves and somehow making it out alive. I wanted to tell Julie, but the combat instructor suddenly appeared, cutting my words short.I was certain I wouldn’t know what real combat was like even if it hit me in the face, but looking at all the hype-up wolves punching, ducking, and kicking, I realized I did know, and I was very bad at it.The instructor had told me to stand aside and watch since he taught most of the moves while I was…resting, and by just watching them, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do a thing. It was true that I had been lucky a few times, and my wolf worked tirelessly to protect me, as well as other wolves in my life, but where strength met experience, I was talentless, and I feared that if the other wolves saw how weak I was, they would use the opportunity to pounce on me again.“Then do your best. You work well under pressure, and if you don’t want everyone here to bully you again, you
Ellie.“Is it just me or is something definitely wrong with this place?” Julie asked from beside me. I nodded frantically. Something was horribly wrong with the place, and that something wasn’t just the eerie feeling of the atmosphere, but the smell. The forest was filled with a harsh smell of fresh blood mixed with something else, something dangerous, but I couldn’t quite place my finger on it.We had spent at least five minutes in the forest, and with each passing moment, the place seemed even more off, like there weren’t any animals, which made the forest quiet. The harsh smell was more like a confirmation.“Look, we need to leave here. Carly just said something but she’s not sure so I’m not gonna repeat it,” she said with a deep breath.I pursed my lips, wondering who Carly was. Julie must’ve sensed my confusion;“Carly is my wolf,” She explained and I nodded in understanding.“Whatever, we need to leave.”“I agree that this place seems very weird, but what if it’s all part of the
Ellie.Loud and eerie clear, the sound of flesh being torn filled my ears, but it must’ve been the shock that made it possible for me to not feel any pain.No, something is not right. I told myself and peered my eyes open, only to be shocked to see that not only was I in one full piece, but the one who had been torn was none other than His Majesty, Archer. I stood frozen, wondering how the heck things turned out the way they did.In one motion, Archer turned, released his claws, and pierced the monster’s head, taking out its brain. The monster released a very loud shriek, as blood poured out of it’s head, and then nearly every hole in its body, before it fell to the ground“Hold on to me! You’re safe now,” Archer then turned to me and muttered, hugging my head to his chest.“You’re safe now,” he repeated over and over until I had enough and released myself from his hold. He got hurt while saving me, but he was only worried about me.“You’re hurt too!” I reminded him, but he didn’t res
Ellie.I pressed a hand over my lips to keep me from screeching in pure shock.“I asked you a question, Ellie,” he drawled lazily, the rich baritone of his voice sending shivers up and down my spine.“I–” I started, but the footsteps stopped right in front of the door outside, which was about to send me into a mini heart attack until Archer pulled me towards the hospital bed.“Lie down and stay quiet,” he ordered. I gulped, eyes darting from him to the door, but I joined him in anyway. The bed was warm and smelled like him, masculine and minty. I didn’t fail to notice the way my body melted into his own, as he wrapped an arm around my waist, then covered my head with the covers, so I was left staring at his fully clothed wide chest. I took a big whiff of his scent, letting myself remember why I liked being next to him.Mere seconds later, there was a small knock on the door, and whoever it was opened the door without waiting for a confirmation. I gulped hard, my heart beating frantica
Ellie."Turn around," Archer ordered, standing up, and I complied, feeling the weight of his stare on my back."Bend over the bed." Despite his injury, his dominance radiated off him in waves.My heart raced as I leaned over, my hands gripping the edge of the hospital bed. I felt cool air on my neck as he leaned forward, the anticipation making my pulse quicken."Why did you come here dressed like this, Ellie?" Archer's voice was a whisper in my ear. His good hand slid up my thigh, pushing the dress higher."It was the only way I was allowed into the hospital," I whispered, my voice trembling with excitement.His hand came down on my ass with a sharp smack, the sting making me gasp. He alternated between soft caresses and hard spanks, each strike sending a jolt of pleasure through my body. My skin tingled, the pain and pleasure blending into a delicious sensation."Do you like that, Ellie ?" His tone was mocking, but it only made me wetter."Mmmh, yes," I moaned, pushing my hips back
Ellie.“I can’t believe we’re leaving here soon,” Julie said with mock sadness, and a sigh to follow.“You say that but it seems like you’re happy to leave,” I returned, nudging her side, as we walked to combat class.It had been a week and two days since the forest incident, and four days left until the end of our training camp. In that time, Jon and the others that terrorized me were summoned out of camp. Lizzy and I didn’t say one word to each other, but she no longer bothered me, and with Julie’s help, I was able to focus well on everything we were being taught.It wasn’t lost on me that I had to put two times the effort everyone else was putting in, to get the same result, but I didn’t see it as a punishment. If anything, I quite liked it, because it pushed me past my limits.“No, I’m happy I don’t need to do any more combat classes. It is the bane of my existence,” Julie said with a sigh. I responded with a roll of my eyes.“What?” She dragged, amusement touching her lips.“If a
The atmosphere and everyone’s initial opinion of me changed drastically after the decree was passed and sent out two days ago. Everywhere I went, wolves said hi to me, and even tried becoming friends with me. The Omegas working as staff in the villa, always did things for me, like giving me an extra portion of food and offering to clean my room. I can’t lie, I liked it, because it was the first time I was receiving such treatment.“Earth to Ellie,” Julie snapped her fingers in my face. I shook my head and blinked immediately, an instinctive reaction, as I returned to reality.Julie and I were currently looking through her dresses for our graduation, which was to take place the next day. Julie was kind enough to lend me something of hers after I told her that most of my stuff was still in my former pack–of course, I left out the fact that I used to be mated to the alpha of that pack and basically, everything that happened afterward. Julie believed Archer took me from my former pack bec
Ellie.“Hey, why does your eyes look so…lifeless? Didn’t you sleep last night?” Julie took my arm as we walked to the hall, where our graduation was to take place.Julie had sent a dress–the button-down dress–to me late last night with the help of an omega staff, and even with how beautiful it looked on me, with my hair laid down, I guess it wasn’t enough to distract Julie from the bags under my eyes.“I did,” I opened my eyes wide, “I guess I can’t wait for everything to be over, so I can leave here,” I told her.“Well, I’m glad you feel that way because I was informed earlier that you, Tristian, and I would perform a graduation task today after the ceremony,” She said.“Alpha Tristian? How is it possible he’s graduating with us? I barely saw him attend lectures,” I tilted my head to the side.“Tristian took night lectures, he arranged with the instructors because of his busy life, I guess,” she said with a one-sided shrug and I nodded.“What is the task though? The one we’re to perf
Ellie.I had been feeling different for weeks now. My appetite changed, my energy fluctuated, and lately, even my wolf seemed quieter than usual. I suspected the truth but hadn’t dared confirm it. Not until this morning.Standing in front of the mirror, I pressed my hand against my lower abdomen, feeling the faintest of curves. A small smile crept onto my face. There was no denying it now—I was pregnant. My heart fluttered with excitement. Archer had always wanted children, and now, the thought of telling him made my pulse race. But I knew I wanted to tell in a way that would make the moment special, so I went in search of my friends.“Julie! Gilly!” I whispered as I rushed into the room where they were chatting. Both of them turned to me with curious looks.Julie’s eyes widened, immediately sensing something was different.“Ellie, what’s going on?”“I think…” I began, but then corrected myself, “No. I know. I’m pregnant.”Gilly gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.“Oh, Ellie! This
Ellie.Archer’s eyelids fluttered open slowly, the usual sharpness in his gaze softened by tiredness. Relief flooded through me as I smiled down at him, a warmth spreading in my chest.Without thinking, I hugged him, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly. His body was still weak, but his arms managed to slip around me, holding me close.He smirked, his voice low and slightly hoarse.“I really don’t know how I could ever live without you, Ellie,” he said, his lips curving into a half-smile, “You’ve saved my life more times than I can count.”I leaned back just enough to look into his eyes, brushing a few stray strands of hair from his forehead.“That’s only because you saved my life countless times when I was an omega,” I replied softly, my fingers still lingering on his skin.“Do you know… if you hadn’t taken me away from Crimson Pack that day, Vito would’ve killed me.”His brow furrowed, a shadow passing over his expression.“I meant what I said when I told you Vito and Nadine dru
Ellie.Archer stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides, muscles tense.“What do you want, Seraphina?” His voice was low, brimming with barely contained rage.She laughed softly as if we were sharing a joke, “Oh, I have so many plans,” she replied, a hint of malice lacing her words, “But most importantly, I’ve discovered something extraordinary during my time, going around,” her sinister smile intensified as she gestured to the far side of the room.I followed her gaze and felt my breath hitch. There, carved into a stone, was an intricate seal that pulsed with a dark, ominous energy. It seemed to throb with a life of its own, casting a strange glow that began to illuminate the room.“Behold,” Seraphina said, her voice dripping with excitement, “the seal of forbidden magic. A power so great that it could change everything.”“What are you planning?” I asked, my heart racing. I could sense Ru’s agitation, a low growl reverberating through our bond as we moved closer, studying the seal
Ellie.“This must be the doing of the witches,” Tristian said and I nodded.Since witches were known for experimenting with animals and even wolves, I believed it was possible.“Get ready,” Archer commanded, his voice steady and calm. His eyes flickered red, taking in every detail of the surroundings.Suddenly, the creatures appeared—animals twisted into monsters by dark magic. Their glowing eyes and grotesque forms lunged at us from the palace, snarling and snapping.Ru surged forward, and I shifted in an instant, claws tearing into the first beast that came at me. It was a tainted. I ducked as it swiped at me, saliva dripping from its mouth, I struck hard at its side, sending it skidding back. Its howl filled the early morning air, but it wasn’t done yet. It twisted back toward me, fury in its glowing eyes.Archer moved beside me like a protective rock.“Don’t let them surround us!” he shouted, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he cut down another beast, “Stay on the move!” He h
Ellie.The dawn was just breaking, casting a soft golden light over the assembled warriors.They had come from all corners of the kingdom in their large numbers, their expressions set in serious determination.Archer stood at the front, his presence commanding as he addressed them.“We are not waiting for the witches to come to us,” Archer’s voice boomed over the crowd.The warriors stood at attention, their eyes fixed on him.“We’re going to hunt them down. We’re going to seek them out, and we’re going to exterminate every last one of them.”A murmur of approval rippled through the crowd, the tension building in the air. It had been a week since we discovered the serum worked. I’d spent three days on lockdown, recovering after giving so much of my blood for the serum. It hadn’t been easy, but now, after my rest, I felt ready. More than ready. I needed to be out there with them.Beside me, Tristian shifted his weight, his gaze focused on Archer. He hadn’t wanted to leave Gilly’s side,
Ellie.“We found a way to make it work!”Archer and I exchanged a look, a slow smile forming on both of our faces. The tension that had been hovering over us for days seemed to lift just a little.“Show us, then,” Archer said, his voice calm but eager. He slipped his hand into mine as Julie gestured for us to follow her.We walked through the halls of the research center, the walls gleaming white under the fluorescent lights. The scent of chemicals and something distinctly metallic filled the air, making my nose twitch. My mind raced, trying to piece together how they’d done it—how they’d managed to do it.Julie led us into the main lab, where an animal—a sleek, muscular dog—stood next to a warrior wolf. The warrior looked calm, though I couldn’t help the slight edge of concern that rippled through me.“Is it safe to use a warrior for this test?” I asked, squeezing Archer’s hand a little tighter.Julie nodded, her smile not faltering for a second. “Completely safe. We’ve run simulatio
Ellie.In the following days, leading up to a week, I had a routine.Every morning, I’d submit more blood for testing, spend hours in the lab with Julie and the others, searching for a way to make it work, then I’d head over to the training grounds for training with the warriors.And Archer worried more with each passing day. I could see it in the lines forming on his face, the way his hands would linger on my shoulders, as if grounding himself to make sure I was still alive and well, when I returned.Today was no different. I had just returned from training with the other wolves, my muscles sore, when I found Archer in our room, waiting for me. His eyes flicked to the bandage on my arm before locking with mine.“This can’t go on much longer, Ellie,” he said quietly, standing from the chair he’d been sitting in, “If Julie doesn’t come up with something concrete this time, I’m putting an end to it.”I sighed, pulling my hair out of its messy bun and running a hand through it.“Archer,
Ellie.“Ellie, can I talk to you? Alone?” Archer asked, his voice was soft but firm.I nodded, following him out of the research lab. Julie stayed behind with the other seven wolves, their faces a mix of shock and curiosity.The door closed behind us, and the silence that settled between Archer and me felt heavier with each passing step. He wasn’t saying anything, his jaw tight, and I found myself pressing my lips together, wondering what he was thinking.We walked in silence through the halls until we finally reached our room and when the door clicked shut, and I turned to face him, the tension between us lingering like a storm about to break.“Are you angry with me?” I asked, unable to keep the question to myself any longer.Archer shook his head, but his eyes were serious as they met mine. He reached out, taking my hand, his touch soft despite the weight in his gaze.“No, I’m not angry, Ellie. I just… I need to know what your plan is.”I swallowed, my heart racing a little.“I’m wi
Ellie.As Julie and I walked out of the royal hospital, I could feel my heart banging loudly in my chest.But just as we stepped through the entrance, we encountered Jacob, who was making his way inside. He bowed respectfully, a warm smile breaking across his face as he greeted us.“Your Highness, Lady Julie,” he said, his tone a mix of formality and friendliness.“Jacob,” I replied, returning his smile. “How are things?”“Busy, as always,” he said with a slight chuckle. “But I can’t complain because everyone is going through it.”“You’re right,” Julie nodded.“Has there been any progress on your end? about Gilly?” I asked and he shook his head.“She wasn’t poisoned, so there’s no antidote she can be given. She wasn’t cursed, so there’s no ritual we can do to lift the curse. I think we just have to let her regain consciousness herself,” He said and I sighed.“Thank you, Jacob,” I told him and with a nod, Julie and I continued on our way, leaving the hospital behind.But even as we wal