Ellie.News reaching us on our way to Crimson pack was that the entire pack was now overrun by the rogues, and the members of the pack had been influenced and some forced to kill each other. I just knew we would be forced into a battle under the moonlight. I looked up at the dark sky, taking in a deep breath.A messenger, which Archer had sent beforehand met us halfway through the journey to report the situation to us so we’d prepare.Honestly, if it wasn’t for Tristian and Julie by my side, I don’t know how I would’ve carried on after hearing the state Crimson Pack was in. It just brought back memories of when my pack got destroyed, which in turn weakened my body, not to mention the fact that I missed Archer already.After our little time of pleasure, he had meticulously searched my things, making sure I had everything I needed, and didn’t need, like the extra dragged he fit in a small pocket of my bag. I really did miss him.“We have to hurry,” Julie told us and we nodded.Due to th
Ellie.I watched in shock, Vito running towards our direction, scratch that, my direction, in full speed. The first thing I noticed about him was that he didn’t look sane, but I couldn’t put my finger on why until he fully approached me with a growl and his lengthened claws aimed in my direction.Now, the last time I met with Vito was when he blackmailed me into giving him some money and getting him back in Archer’s good graces, which I didn’t do, but I didn’t it was that serious of a matter for Vito to lunge at me like that.“Ellie, watch out!” Tristian yelled. I turned my head to him, and in that split second, I took my eyes off Vito, his fist connected to my stomach, sending me flying backward.Tristian whose reason for calling me was to assist me in evading Vito’s attack, was however thrown to the ground before he could reach me. It all happened at once and no one had time to react accordingly.I raised myself, coughing out to release the pressure from my throat, but Vito didn’t g
Ellie.I cradled the brown box to my chest despite the size–which was twice the size of my hands put together– while Julie and Brad watched me.I didn’t know what to expect, what was inside the box, because I was given strict orders to not open it before the appointed time, lest it cause havoc. But just holding it to me like this made me feel closer to my parents, so much so that when I closed my eyes and focused, I could almost see their smiling faces and feel the warmth of their hugs that I’d missed so much.“Are you going to open it?” Julie asked with curious glances at the box, I took a deep breath and shook my head.“I don’t think now's the right time,” I passed her a smile, “maybe when we’re more settled.”Julie gave me a nod of understanding, while I stared down at the box.From a distance, it looked like a completely ordinary box, but with a closer look, the little phases of the moon engraved on it told of how special it was.“Thank you, Brad,” I told him truly, and he nodded
I marched with my little squad to the warehouse where we kept the rogues when the sun came up. I had wanted us to visit Vito first, but I decided against it, thinking it would be better to question those who had come from the outside. It would be far better to listen to their story to know what they were about, how the attack came to be, and if truly, a witch was behind them.“You know, if a witch is involved we’d have to send for Gilly,” Julie said as we approached the warehouse.“Or Fay,” Tristian added, and I tilted my head to the side in thought.Fay was almost invisible, so much that I could count the number of times I’d met her on one hand, and I’d still have some fingers left.“I doubt Fay will come. She only listens to Archer and no one else,” Julie shook her head and I nodded, while Tristian laughed.When we entered the warehouse, some of the rogues got on their knees, and the ones that didn’t, couldn’t because of their injuries.I had spared their lives but that didn’t mean
Ellie.“When Vito follows you two back to the capital for questioning, this pack will be without a leader,” I added immediately when I saw the identical confused looks on their faces.“But Vito’s beta looks like he could do a good job,” Julie interjected,“He does look like he can do a good job, but that doesn’t mean he will do a good job. I can’t entrust the lives of everyone left into his hands when he knows nothing, Vito spoiled him. If something were to happen, with the way the pack is right now; without a defense system to keep them alive, everyone will be burned to crisps in seconds.”“She makes a valid point, but I don’t know how Archer will take this news,” Julie told Tristian, who laughed, ending it with a nod.“You know what?” He suddenly asked, “If you’re staying, I will too.”“Yeah me too!”I shook my head immediately.“You two need to guide those alphas back to the capital, and as you said, Archer needs to hear about this directly from us,”“But–”“I’ll be fine. I’m a big
Ellie.I opened my eyes to complete darkness, sitting up abruptly as sweat and tears trickled down my face to my chest. My breathing was heavy and my chest pounded loudly, at the vividness of what I came to realize was a dream, leaving me with an overwhelming sense of dread.“What’s the matter, Ellie?” Ru asked. For a few seconds, I could not talk, I could only look around me to be sure that I wasn’t in another nightmare.“I think Archer is in trouble,” I said. Ru became alert. I narrated my dream to her, and when she heard it, she froze.“I feel it. Something is definitely wrong with him,” she said, and a foreboding feeling passed between us.“We have to return to the capital,” I told her, anxiety flowing through my veins.“I agree, but what are we going to do about this pack?” She asked.I took a deep breath and released it.“We’ll have to trust Brad to lead everyone safely until we return. Who knows, We’ll get to the palace and see that he’s doing okay. This is probably nothing,” I
Ellie.If my mouth hung open before, it definitely hit the floor this time.“He did what?”“Yeah. Apparently, it’s something about his mate being a witch and whatnot,” she explained.My chest began beating heavily, as confusion overtook my entire body. That didn’t make any sense, because Archer was with me, and knew exactly who Gilly was. To imprison him for colluding with a witch was insanity.“Where is Gilly?” I asked her, and she shrugged. I took in a deep open-mouthed breath.“Where is Theo then? Theo should’ve stopped him.”Emma shook her head.“His Majesty sent him along with Julie,” she sounded so hurt, and I totally understood her because it seemed like Archer wasn’t himself. If I was that surprised at the news of everything that had been going on, I could only imagine what it was like for the ones who watched everything happen.I sighed and placed a hand on Emma’s shoulder for comfort.“I sensed that something is wrong with His Majesty, and I’m determined to get to th bottom
Ellie.“You’ll never find him,” The imposter yelled, laughing, as he grabbed the bars to the cell, “because I’ll make sure you’re dead before you do.”I turned to the cell wide-eyed, a tiny fact clicking in my head.Was it possible for a random wolf to take shapeshift into Archer and make such declarations? I didn’t think so. Only a wolf with authority of his own would dare to pose as Archer.“Not if I kill you first, Rogue King.”It was a stretch, but seeing how his eyes lighted up told me I was right, and he was indeed the rogue king.Tristan parted his lips to speak, but I grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling him with me out of the dungeon before guards arrived, because it was obvious the Rogue King planned to delay our movements until reinforcements came.We ran towards the back of the dungeon building to follow a hidden passageway to the gym, where we stopped to rest a bit, before sneaking off to the living quarters, where Archer kept Gilly for a while when she arrived.I urged
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