"I can't-I can't find my wallet.""What!?" Her face paled instantly. Panic was written all over hers. "Let's search the area, you go over there and I'll go this way. We will meet here in ten minutes."I nodded, watching as she walked over to a couple of dining at the table adjacent to where we stood, she pointed toward where I stood, her mouth moving rapidly. They both nodded and she gave them a thumbs-up before rushing to me."I asked them to watch over our bags." She swiped a hand across her forehead."Oh, that was smart," I commented and she shrugged."You can handle yourself, yeah?" She sounded almost worried, but I knew that she didn't care about whether or not I was capable of handling myself, she was asking whether or not I would be able to defend myself if I needed to. It warmed my heart."Yeah, I think I can manage. We'll meet in ten minutes." She nodded, and I watched as she disappeared into the crowds. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me and I pushed it aside. I qu
Paige's strained grunts meet my ears and I cast her a pitiful look, the bags in my arms were weighing me down like rocks,"How much longer to the castle?" Paige asks between panting breaths, sweat dotting her brows. Her blonde hair was plastered to her face and her dark blue tank top was glued to her frame. She looked as if she had just finished running a marathon and I couldn't blame her. I didn't look any better. I take a glance at the clock on my device, doing an estimate in my head, "Three more minutes?"She groaned, letting her head fall forward. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, if only I'd been more careful..." I trailed off with a sigh. "Don't blame yourself, Dee. Blame the kid who stole your purse." I frowned, pouting as the events of the last few minutes replayed in my mind. The intensity of the stranger's eyes boring into mine made me freeze up. I wanted to apologize, to say something to make up for the mistake I had made. But I just remained on top of him, gaping
"I didn't ask you to help me."The words slipped past her lips in an annoyed huff, her coal eyes glaring daggers at us. Not only had we forced Cora to follow us into the dining hall, but Paige had also gone extra and insisted she sat with us for dinner. Now we had an overly sensitive she-wolf on our hands who would rather glare at us the entire night than eat."We had to diffuse the situation. You should be thanking us, you would've gotten your first and last strike tonight." Paige said coolly, pointing her fork at the wolf across from her.Cora scowled back," Thank you?" She scoffed incredulously, "I had the situation under control.""Ha!" Paige barked out a laugh, "It didn't look like you had the situation under control. Am I wrong, Dee?"Two of them faced me simultaneously, and my face burned at the attention. I swallowed the food that had stuck in my throat before answering, "No." Cora rolled her eyes, eyeing me with a sneer, "Why am I not surprised you agreed with her?"My chee
My fingers flexed against the leather of my gloves as I adjusted the strap on the back of my hand. The leather was soft and cool beneath my hands, reminding me of home. It had been a long time since anyone had allowed me to wear this sort of thing. The only other time I'd ever worn it was a few years back during my first and last combat in my pack, I'd emerged in second place following Judy. "These gloves are so cool, don't you think ?" Paige turned to me, an excited glimmer in her eyes. "Who knew leather could be this comfortable?" "It's imperial leather," I told her, pointing at the intricate silver engravings. "My father told me the capital produces the leather themselves, it's as hard as steel but feels like silk."A loud snort from behind us drew our attention, turning our heads toward the source of the noise. Cora had an eyebrow raised and her arms were crossed as she stared us down. "Everyone's at the arena already and you two are here discussing leather?"Paige made a chok
"I can't believe them. They're basically treating us like animals at the slaughterhouse." I nodded solemnly at her words, the fuming brunette was pacing the length of the room, her short dark hair bouncing up and down with each movement."They're just so cruel!" She hissed, the word sounding more like a curse than anything else. She stopped pacing abruptly to take one of her pillows off the sofa and slammed it against the wall. The loud thud resonated in my ears."Stop overreacting Bree, everyone is shocked about this too." The strawberry-blonde said soothingly, sitting on one of the armchairs, and reaching out to pat her hand comfortingly. I looked at Paige who had her head resting on my shoulder, her eyes trained on the scene in front. The news had shocked everyone to the core, some taking it harder than most, one of the girls had fainted the moment we stepped into the courtyard leading to our residence. "Overreacting? Didn't you hear the same thing I heard!?" Bree turned to fa
The arena looked completely different compared to an hour ago, for one, the once-empty bleachers were now occupied by a wild throng of spectators. The throne wasn't empty anymore, the Queen dowager sat regally on one of the golden chairs, the other was left vacant. My eyes flickered to the field where we would be competing, the dias was now decorated with golden and silver ribbons, and Lady Calloway stood at the center, microphone in hand. "Goddess, we're doing this in front of a crowd?" Paige's soft voice reached my ears and I turned to her. She still looked nervous, and I tried for an encouraging smile but my lips were trembling too much to be anything resembling convincing. I took a deep breath as we walked further into the enormous field, I'd lost sight of Cora and the rest of the girls during our run here. My eyes scanned the raving crowd, they looked pumped up for this, some even carrying banners. One group had been singing some songs I didn't recognize when we arrived. Oth
The back of my legs was aching. I had difficulty breathing and it felt like my vision would fade to black at any moment. But the pain in my left arm wouldn't let me rest. I forced myself to stand straight. My entire world shifted as my foot hit the ground again. My knees buckled and I struggled to catch myself on one arm. The pain flared even worse when I tried to stand upright again.Twenty minutes was starting to feel like an eternity. So many girls had fallen behind me, some were injured, and barely mobile just like myself. The roars of the crowd seemed to echo in my ears. It was hard to concentrate. We had less than ten minutes left and I hadn't set my sights on the finish line. I lifted my head to catch sight of Paige. Her hair was a tangled mess around her face, and tiny bruises littered her skin from the hit she had taken moments ago, but her eyes still shone with determination and concern,"The blade cut you deep," She offered me a hand which I gratefully accepted, "We have to
"You're joking!"I was halfway out of the room but Paige's hold on my wrist kept me rooted on my spot. My throat bobbed in a tight swallow, and I fought to get air into my lungs. "Let me go. I have to go speak to her." My gaze was firmly set on the cerulean-coloured curtains surrounding us. I tugged against her iron-clad grip, but she was strong, too strong for my feeble attempt. "You're insane! You passed already! You won, why can't you just accept it!?" The emotion in her voice startled me and I looked over my shoulder at her. She was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood but her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. My heart squeezed painfully as I wondered why she was upset, we hadn't even known each other that long but she was willing to risk her victory for my safety,Why?I opened my mouth to explain, but the words caught in my throat. In truth, I didn't know what to say, I couldn't tell her the truth...however, I couldn't find it in me to lie either. So I remained silent.
|SIX YEARS LATER|Castle Black, Pack Black Haven(Capital city).Another chapter. Another day, combined with hours of waiting and anticipating his return. It is cold, dreadfully so and it seems like no matter the amount of layers I put on, I will still remain frozen. Maybe it is because I am pregnant but Paige says I should keep warm, so the child wouldn't end up a white wolf as his mother. But I am doubtful, the doctor already said that one of the children will take on my gene, I only wonder who."Your highness!"Today, I had nothing important to do, asides settling a dispute between two neighbours who claimed ownership over a goat. Unlike what I'd expected, a Queen didn't have much duties asides making sure that the capital was in order. It took months to help the beggars on the streets and even longer to put an end to alleyway bag thiefs. I had to persuade the council to fund an open house for the poor and needy plus two orphanages as well."Your Highness!!"At first, they were skep
Gorgeous.The girl staring back at me was so unbelievably gorgeous, it shocked me to the core. Her snow blonde hair was thrown over a shoulder in beautiful waves, golden flowers were pinned in different angles of her head. Her ruby red lips would put the colour of blood to shame and kohl-rimmed eyes blinked back at me."You are truly stunning, Luna Emma," The voice from behind me was almost starling and I tore my eyes away from my reflection to stare at Lady Calloway who had an expression of awe etched on her features.I smiled grimly, looking back at the mirror. The gown I wore was a shimmering blue, the same shade as her eyes. Although she truly looked stunning, her lips were pulled down into a small frown.I blew out a heavy breath, twisting around to face the woman in front of me, "Do you really think I would be a good Queen?" I asked hesitantly, chewing on the inside of my cheek.Lady Calloway smiled gently, crouching and placing a palm above my hand, "I think you will make a gr
I stirred on the bed, stretching my limbs with a pop. My eyelids fluttered open, lips parting to release a drawn out yawn,I winced softly, rubbing my exposed tummy. My vision was a bit blurry and I squinted when I turned towards the window, the bright morning light shining in my direction."You're awake," I whipped in the direction of the voice, my lips pulling into a lazy smile. Theo walked around the bed towards my end and leaned to press a soft kiss on my head. He was still shirtless but had donned on a different pair of pants that looked a little bit oversized. His hair was messy on top of his head and there was a twinkle in his eyes, one I hadn't seen before. "Sleep good?" I shook my head, pointing between my legs, "I feel sore," My voice came out as a small whine causing him to huff out a short laugh."I knew you would say that, hence I prepared a warm bath for you,."I frowned at his statement. Warm bath?My question was brought to a cease when he moved his hands beneath my
The hem of my robe dragged across the floor as I walked, the candle was resting perfectly on the inside of my palm and I had to keep from wincing every time the hot wax dropped on my skin. It was dark, the moon hadn't fully risen yet all we had as illumination was the dim light of the bulbs overhead and the large rose-scented candles in our grip.The lady in front stopped suddenly, causing all of us to grind to a halt. She turned to look at me and for a moment, the corner of her lips curled upwards. Lad Calloway nudged her head towards the close door,"This is his chamber, wait inside until he comes." I inhaled deeply before expelling the air. In one swift motion, I turned towards the door and tipped my chin in a confident manner,"Open it," I said, my determined gaze set on the embellishments on the wooden entrance.Tonight was the night everyone had been anticipating, including me. The mating ceremony was a revered ritual among us, it was when two people either chosen or fated mate
I took in a deep breath after explaining, watching warily for his reaction. His face was gloom and drawn tight, there was a little furrow between his brows which meant that he was still digesting everything.Finally, he exhaled before shifting to properly look at me, "Why didn't you tell me? I would've ripped the bastard's head right off."I smiled wryly, tightening our conjoined fingers together, "Trust me, I wanted to do that too. I debated if killing was the best idea and then choose not to do it.""Why?" He asked curiously and I chuckled softly, bumping my shoulders against his."Because," I started, drawling in a tired manner, "For people like Hansen, their lives matter less to them but their prestige on the other hand?" I shook my head, "That's what their entire world is built upon." Theo hummed thoughtfully, his eyes glazing over. Suddenly he smiled brightly, throwing an arm over my shoulder, "I'm glad I have such a smart mate."I rolled my eyes, stifling the giggle that was t
I stared at my reflection in the large mirror, my fingers playing with the silk robe tied around my waist. After the whole contest yesterday, I was brought into the Queen's quarters and was given strict instructions not to leave there until instructed. Apparently, I had to be cleansed and purified before the mating process began.The dowager had asked me to phone my family and order them to be on their way so they would make it in time for the coronation. That was this morning and I haven't picked up my phone yet,"Black looks good on you,"I flinched, whipping around to face the intruder. Theo was casually leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest and a serious look in his eyes,I frowned, puzzled by his appearance, "How-when did you get here?"He shrugged, pushing himself from the wall and stalking towards me, "A while back,"I sighed and turned to face the morrow away, my fingers still fiddling with the knot in front. When he wrapped his large arms around my waist, I
"Should I be scared or nervous?"I gave the man a grim smile, pushing the small cup of tea towards him before grabbing my own. I gingerly took a sip, savoring in the warm sweetness that invaded my tongue instantly,"Which one of the two do you think is more appropriate?" I asked, arching a brow when he pushed his cup away, a small gesture but one I caught nonetheless.I gave him a look, one he not-so-politely ignored, clearing his throat loudly, "I don't quite know, you're no longer a contestant anymore but the mate of the Alpha and future Queen of the entire werekind. It would be stupid not to feel some amount of petrification." My lips curled and I slowly placed the cup back on the table, smacking my lips together, "I'll be straight with you, Lord Hansen," That piqued his attention causing him to lean nearer, "I called you here for one specific reason,"Something akin to uneasiness flashed in his eyes but he quickly concealed it with a cocky smile, "Do tell," "Jessica." I said si
When I was younger, I always wished that I would get like my sister's colour of wolf. Dahlia was my role model, everything she did, I copied and she loved it too so it was only natural that I got her colour. But sometimes, in the secret I would wish for my mother's colour too, hers was a beautiful grey and I loved the way the fur looked underneath the moonlight. Never in my life would I imagine being a white wolf. A wolf so powerful, they were regarded as too much for the werekind. A wolf so special, they were rare to find.So why, why did the moon goodness find me fit to become one?My eyes flew open, burning so bright and powerful. It felt like the sun was scorching me from inside and I couldn't help it. A piercing scream ripped its way from my chest and I curled into myself,My wolf emerged like lightning, spearing through my entire system. My eyes flew open and I shook my head but I realized that I wasn't in my human form anymore.Jessica looked stunned, her jaw was hanging open
The arena was filled to the brim, I was very much certain of that. They had used the same place as the first round where we had to go through different obstacle courses, the same place where I had purposefully broken my leg in a bid to avoid what I was presently doing.I looked around me, at the wild crowd cheering and crying. Their sentences almost inaudible since they were all yelling at once, excitement and tension pooled in my stomach,My eyes met my opponent's but she wasn't focused on me, her gaze was on the crowd. She was smiling and waving at them as though they were chanting for her, probably they were I couldn't hear anything either ways. I wondered if Lord Hansen had told her that his plan had flopped and there was nothing holding me back now. I wondered if she knew just how dangerous I could be once I shifted."Werewolves and shewolves," Lady Calloway spoke through the loud microphone that carried her voice round the entire auditorium. "The moment we have finally been wai