CHAPTER 7Katrina’s POVThe torment and beating went on with Amanda’s mocking laughs and words and Shaun’s ruthless kicks and whips. At some point everything went blank as I lost consciousness.I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or dead but I suddenly saw a beacon of light approach me. Frowning and squinting my eyes, I sat up and watched it come closer.Luckily for me it didn't get too close thus I would have been blinded by it. It stopped and I observed it with interest, questions flying about in my head. ‘Be strong Katrina,’ a feminine voice echoed from the light, causing my frown to become deeper as I wondered what the hell was happening.‘Who are you?’ I questioned in a quiet tone, trying to peek behind the light as I wondered if the guard stationed at the door was sleeping or had left thus it seemed like I was the only one there with whatever the light was.‘Someone you’d come to thank,’ the voice said. ‘You have questions which would be answered in due time.’‘No, I want them answ
Katrina’s POVDays went by and my bruises just got a little bit better. No one cared about the state of my health as I was back doing errands and hard labor the next day.Being without a wolf made me totally different from others of my kind. At times it was bliss because there was no annoying voice in my head to tell me and issue me orders.Nonetheless at times when I felt too alone, I wished I heard the presence in my head to fill me in with some company. Also at times like these when I needed to heal fast, I wished she was with me because I was healing slowly like a human.Bending over, I finished wrapping the bandage around my knee for the second time in a few days. Having no one to help me out or care I learnt to do stuff for myself.Even Shaun who had the audacity to show up after what he did to sleep with me didn't even flinch at the bruises and bandaged knee and a swollen elbow on my body.I managed to kick him out of course and since then he hadn't visited. It had been a week
Katrina’s POVHer words stung but I let it slide and simply left to do her bid, picking up the bucket in my right hand which was gratefully in good condition.No matter how I tried to get rid of the hurt of his rejection or set my mind it wasn't my fault, someone or something ended up telling me otherwise and it always stung.Heaving a sigh I walked out of the pack house and began my trek across the pack lands. It was still morning and one could hear the voices of mother's and kids as they got them prepared for school and father's get ready for the day.The bloodmoon pack was not as developed as some others I had heard of, maybe it was because Shaun was a heartless and stupid Alpha. Sometimes I wonder what made me love him but the answer was always the damned matebond.I exchanged no greetings with anyone I came across and no one uttered a word to me either. I was the outcast of the pack who had caused the death of both parents at her birth.An hour went by and I approached a clearing
Days had flown by and I was back to being in hell. Amanda didn’t relent as she threw insults at me and tried to mock and hit me at any chance she got.As for Shaun, he happened to stay clear of me. He hadn't approached me personally since I chased him out of my room after he threw me in the dungeon. He even went through the trouble of avoiding eye contact.I was ecstatic about that fact as I needs a break from his madness. I just hope he doesn't return back to being stupid soon. I loved things the way they were.As for my health and recovery, it was going well and I was starting to heal. Vanessa had become a great help by volunteering to do the strenuous chores, therefore reducing the stress on me and giving my body time to recover.To my surprise Vanessa had proven to be totally different than what I had thought. She happened to be the friend I needed by standing by me as she was mentally stronger and more capabable in handling pressure unlike me who succumbed to it easily.When I as
Katrina’s POV“Hurry,” I said to Vannessa who was getting dressed while I stood beside her, already dressed.We were in my room. Vanessa was not given a place to stay when she was brought and the maids wouldn't want to get on Amanda’s bad side by accomading her in their quarters.I only found this out some days after we met. It was early in the morning and I was heading to run an early errand Amanda had indicated to me the previous day when I observed her sleeping beside my door.She didn't know it was my room by then. Feeling sympathetic and deciding to give her a chance, I let her sleep in with me after I warned her about its state.To my surprise she didn't act disgusted or flinched instead she was grateful and it was nice having company and someone to share the days events with.Vanessa loved to discuss and badmouth people a lot so sharing chats with her was always fun. Staying together made us bond more with each other and she got really comfortable with me.It was sometime in th
Katrina’s POVThe words flew past my ear as every other person in the room went still for a moment as the news settled in their system. Amanda inhaled a deep breath and nodded at the guard who exited after."You all heard the guard," she said in a loud tone. "Round up whatever it is you are doing and leave as soon as you can.""If you can't round up everything then pack up and leave," she issued out the command, clapping her hands rapidly for emphasis.The men whom I was about to work with began climbing down the ladder and packed up their equipments. I tried to help but they shook their heads no. They didn't appear familiar and I wondered where they were from and if they were humans, wolves or lycans.Another side effect of not having a wolf, I couldn't sense or figure out simple things like that. Except if I was told or if a situation came up that somehow revealed it to me."Katrina!" Amanda yelled my name all of a sudden and I jumped, wondering what the problem was this time."Yes
Katrina’s POV“Umm that would be a lie,” Amanda said and broke out in a hysterical laugh which to me showed her nervousness. “Who would feed you such information?”“Are you indirectly calling me a liar?” The man who spoke earlier questioned. His tone icy as his statement held animosity. “I’m the Lycan King and I have people at every corner ready to give me whatever information I seek.”“When they don't?” He implored, making sure there was silence for some moments. “I tend to investigate matters myself. This is to say everything I speak of has been thoroughly checked and confirmed before I take action”“Pssss,” an object poked my back and I stared behind me to see the maid with a tray following me. “Why haven't you gone in?”“Ummm, I-”“Move,” she jabbed me with the tray. “You are not the only one who hates to be scolded and I’m in no mood for your shenanigans.”Having no choice I used my right elbow while tightly holding the tray of food and bent the door handle. I heard a click and p
Katrina’s POV“Then tell us,” Shaun declared after sharing a quick glance with his Elders and Amanda. “Is there someone you admire?”“I wouldn't use the word admire,” he corrected as I was almost at the door. “But yes, I have my eyes out on someone.”“Who might that be?” Luca one of the elders implored.“Her,” Davos announced as my hand reached the handle. For the third time since I came to serve, the room grew quiet and I felt eyes digging into my back. Feeling compelled to turn around, I did just as Amanda screamed, “Her?!”“What?” I blurted the question before I could think, the empty tray in my hand shaking.“Yes,” Davos affirmed as I fully faced him from a distance, his posture relaxed in a short sleeved brown and black designer shirt and black slacks. His chin held high, a small smile playing on his lips. “Why?” Shaun interrogated.“I have my reasons,” he replied, golden eyes I never knew existed raking my form, his gaze still intense and it came off as if he could see beneath
Katrina’s POVSharp, constant pain throbbed in my ribs, but I made myself sit up. With bodies moving, weapons clashing, and the smell of blood heavy in the air, the battlefield remained a blur. My body was screaming for me to stay down and breathe, but I was unable to do so.With Mira out there, no.She was in charge of a mission that had the power to alter everything, somewhere beyond the mayhem.Shaun squatted next to me, his expression tight. "You ought not to be moving."I cleaned my mouth of blood. "I have no other option."His eyes grew gloomy. "Mira will take care of it."I forced myself to stand up despite the pain in my limbs and let out a sharp exhale. "She must."Because we would all fail if she did.The night was thick with tension and pressed against my skin.Somewhere out there, Mira and her crew were sneaking through the enemy's fortifications, moving like ghosts in the dark. Destroying their supply chains wasn’t just a mission—it was our only chance. If they fa
Katrina's POV With the exception of the distant crackling of flames devouring the remains of the dead, the battlefield was strangely quiet. The ground was slippery with the remains of soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for this conflict, and the air was heavy with the smell of blood and burned flesh. I walked over corpses, some I recognized, others I didn't, and my heart ached. The never-ending cycle of violence had taken another person, and each one was a loss. And yet there he was, in the middle of the slaughter. The Alpha Crimson. Despite the devastation all around him, he remained tall and intimidating. His posture eased as if he were just a spectator to the mayhem he had created, and his crimson eyes burned like coals. My body cried out for me to fight, to put a stop to this once and for all, and my grasp tightened around my blade. However, he held up a hand. "We need to talk, Katrina." My whole body hummed with stress as I tightened my jaw. "I have nothing to say to
Katrina’s POVUnease was in the air at the war camp. The tension was oppressive and unavoidable; it adhered to my skin like a dense mist. There was a problem. The absence of food supply had been the first clue. When additional warriors joined our army, we first believed that the rations were being stretched thin, which was a simple error. Weapons, however, disappeared. Our strategy tent's plans outlining our next course of action vanished. Worst of all, fighters were vanishing into thin air. I looked around the camp as I stood outside my tent. Long, unsettling shadows were thrown over the restless warriors by fires that flared in the darkness. They experienced the paranoia and the feeling that something was falling apart inside of them as well. Shaun came over, his face serious. "Last night, another fighter disappeared. a top scout for us. No indication of a fight. It seems as if he just left. Mira folded her arms. "Someone is helping the enemy." I let out a deep breath, my thoug
Katrina's POVEven the most courageous soldiers were hesitant to enter the safehouse since it was tucked away in the deepest area of the forest. It was an area unaffected by conflict or the mayhem engulfing the world beyond the woods. My youngster was protected here.That's what I kept telling myself, anyhow.As the last of the sunshine slipped behind the tall trees, I watched from the doorway of the little wooden home. The soft sound of my son's laughing reverberated within, a tune so innocent that it didn't fit with the burden on my chest.I balled my fists up. The Crimson Alpha's soldiers were gaining momentum as the conflict reached its climax. My troops continued to fight without me for every second I was here. They lost another second life. But leaving was a total gamble. Leaving him was necessary.I turned and stepped inside, feeling a chill. With the flickering fire creating gentle shadows on the walls, the cabin's warmth enveloped me. Mira gave my kid some wooden sculptures t
Katrina’s POVAs we gathered around the frayed scroll, its mysterious lettering flashing in the faint torchlight, the atmosphere was heavy with suspense. Every time my heart beat, it served as a harsh reminder of how much depended on us. We had arrived to the deserted Lycan ruins, a location lost to time, thanks to the mystery. I felt the old carvings under my fingertips as I moved them over the stone walls. Relics from the past. Back when werewolves and lycans weren't adversaries. When they were one, that is. Shaun was standing next to me, looking over the ruins with amber eyes. "This place gives me a bad feeling." Mira let out a loud sigh. "Whether you like it or not, this is where the puzzle took us. Here is the solution. I looked to a big archway at the far end of the room and nodded. Beyond it, the blackness went on forever. I got a weird feeling that we were closer than ever before, like a weight pressing down on my chest. "We move together," I murmured while holding onto m
Katrina’s POVAs we gathered around the frayed scroll, its mysterious lettering flashing in the faint torchlight, the atmosphere was heavy with suspense. Every time my heart beat, it served as a harsh reminder of how much depended on us. We had arrived to the deserted Lycan ruins, a location lost to time, thanks to the mystery. I felt the old carvings under my fingertips as I moved them over the stone walls. Relics from the past. Back when werewolves and lycans weren't adversaries. When they were one, that is. Shaun was standing next to me, looking over the ruins with amber eyes. "This place gives me a bad feeling." Mira let out a loud sigh. "Whether you like it or not, this is where the puzzle took us. Here is the solution. I looked to a big archway at the far end of the room and nodded. Beyond it, the blackness went on forever. I got a weird feeling that we were closer than ever before, like a weight pressing down on my chest. "We move together," I murmured while holding onto m
Katrina's POVThe air shifted around me, thick like a heavy mist, pulling me under. My body no longer felt like my own. The world faded, the ground dissolving beneath me until I was floating in an endless void. I wasn’t sure how I got here—one moment, I had been gripping the scroll the temple guardian had given me, reading its cryptic words, and the next, everything had gone dark. I took a slow breath, steadying my nerves. This was part of the trial. I had known there would be one. The moment I touched the scroll, I felt something pull at me, dragging me into a place beyond the physical world. But I hadn’t expected it to feel so... real. A soft whisper echoed through the void, a voice both foreign and familiar. "You're not prepared." I spun, searching for the source, but there was only darkness. Then, out of nowhere, a figure stepped forward. My breath caught. It was me. Or rather, it was a version of me—one twisted, darker. Her eyes blazed an unnatural red, her lips twisted
Katrina's POV The icy frost seeped into my bones as the wind howled across the rocky summits. As we ascended more into the mountains, I felt the weight of our mission bearing down on me with each step. The faces of the slain flashed before my eyes, and the remains of the previous fight still troubled me. There was no time to mourn, but we had just about made it out alive. Shaun walked purposefully in front of me, his golden eyes searching the way. The cold air made Mira's breath haze as she walked next to me. We all remained silent. All we could hear were the distant howling of wolves borne by the wind and the crunch of snow under our feet. The temple was near. I sensed it. Legends about a secret temple tucked away in these mountains, unaffected by time or conflict, have persisted for ages. An ancient order of werewolves, warriors pledged to defend a holy weapon—the sole sword that might finally put an end to The Crimson Alpha—were supposed to guard it. However, getting there woul
Katrina’s POV The world continued to rotate. For a minute, I believed I had lost everything as darkness engulfed me. As I pushed myself to walk, I gasped for air in ragged breaths. The air was still heavy enough to choke on with the stench of decaying dead and burning flesh. They had lost the fight. We had had to back off, almost making it out alive. We had been teasing the Crimson Alpha. Now that much was obvious. Beside me, Shaun moaned and clutched his side, his fingers dripping blood. Mira was so tired that her body was shaking and her face looked pallid. We weren't dead, but we were shattered and bruised. Something has to count for that. I took a deep breath and looked around the remains of the former enemy stronghold. It had long ago been wrecked by the battle, and all that was left was eerie quiet and crumbling stone. It was our lone haven of safety and a place to rest before confronting the next nightmare. I had just risen to my feet when I became aware of the wall marks