AQUAAt the beginning of the night, Gunnar and I trained without taking a single break. I noticed Bodhi's weird look as he taught me a few moves, so I suggested we rest for a few minutes. At first, Gunnar didn't want to approve my request, but when he saw how hard I was panting, he had no choice but to call a time-out.I waited until he stepped out before I approached my mate's most trusted soldier. "Hey, is anything the problem?" I asked."Hmm?" Bodhi gave me a puzzled look and then shook his head. "No, it's nothing."This time, I knew he was lying to me. However, Bodhi seemed like a tight-lipped person so insisting on it would have been useless. I turned around and started walking away. "Okay," I said nonchalantly. "But it probably won't take Gunnar long to realize you don't like me."Panic flashed across Bodhi's face. "What? Who told you that?!"I threw him an innocent look. "Isn't that why you have been staring at me throughout training? Perhaps, don't tell me that you were actua
AQUAThe next day...When I finally arrived at the dueling podium at dawn, I was stunned to see the large amount of crowd that had gathered to witness the fight. The truth was that werewolves were deeply connected to our wild and primitive beasts, so some of us were always eager to observe violence.My heart raced with fear and anticipation as I approached the crowd with shaky steps. In times like this, both my wolf and I always wished that our mate would be here to comfort us but he was nowhere to be seen.Once it was dawn, Gunnar and Bodhi wished me victory in my upcoming duel before exiting the training quarters, But it wasn't until I heard him speaking with Bodhi that I finally realized something important."So what happens if I lose the match?" I asked him, my voice hesitant. "I mean, I understand that I would have to leave the pack so that just means that I can stay in a nearby pack or something, right?" A low rumble escaped from Gunnar's chest, and his gaze darkened when he h
AQUAAs soon as I stepped onto the podium, I felt the change of atmosphere immediately. Gladys stood at the other end of the corner, baring her teeth at me. I noticed she had sharpened her teeth in preparation for this duel while I had spent all night learning defense until it was ingrained into my bones.I couldn't wait to start the match already."Both opponents should please step forward," the pack priestess ushered us to the center of the ring. Once we faced each other, she waved her cane over us and incanted some blessings on us. My back straightened as she applied some kind of red paste on my face and then did the same for Gladys."You are going to pay for this, Aqua," Gladys swore under her breath. "I swear to the moon goddess you are going to pay for everything you have done. For crippling my mate. For embarrassing me and ruining my life!"I shot a look at the pack priestess, hoping that she would say something but she simply stood there. There was a look of cold disdain lurki
GUNNARSomething was wrong with my mate.When she didn't get back up like I had expected, I instantly knew that she was in trouble. I was torn between the urge to descend there and take her in my arms or simply wait for her to stand up. My wolf urged me to wait. He was not the type to panic in such situations, but I could sense his unease as he watched the situation. Although Aqua was still a submissive wolf, we both knew she was one of the most resilient women we'd ever met. My claws tore from my skin when Gladys kicked Aqua, sending her flying in the air. I barely managed to suppress a low guttural moan when she landed on the ground. Panic seized my heart seeing her look so weak and helpless.“Gunnar?” Someone called out to me, but I ignored it. My eyes stayed locked on Aqua, every fibre of my being connected to her. It felt like a sudden pressure was weighing hard on my chest, making it hard for me to breathe. Aqua barely managed to get on her feet, but I could see her whole bod
AQUAI could feel the poison taking effect as I staggered back for the fourth time. My wolf was fighting it as much as she could, but we both knew it was only a matter before I succumbed. My head felt like someone threw a rock at me, and 90% of my vision was already gone. Now, I was relying on my primal instincts of sound and smell but still, Gladys couldn't put me out yet."You're a fast one, I 'd admit that," Gladys said grudgingly, adjusting her stance. A small, nasty smirk appeared on her lips as she wiped the sweat running down her brow. "So I heard that you managed to get one of the sentinels to train you for the duel. Did you fuck him too?"My eyes immediately went to Bodhi who was acting as one of the umpires for the duel. From the slight narrowing of his eyes, I knew he heard us and that made me even angrier. "I told you to watch your dirty mouth, didn't I? Not every man cheats on his woman like yours, Gladys." I mocked.Gladys's face flushed red at my statement, providing me
AQUAI opened my eyes and found myself staring at the ceiling. The smell of herbs wafted into my nose, grounding me in the reality before me. As I blinked twice, memories came rushing into my head. The fight. The poison. I won.The knowledge hit me like a racing car crashing into my mind. Within a second, I rose from the bed with wide eyes. I scanned my surroundings, taking in the darkly lit room in which I was. The place was very tidy and neatly arranged, but what caught my attention was the scent that lingered in the room. The scent belonged to River. My eyes fell on the heavy fur blanket covering the lower part of my body. The sight made me curl my toes, flexing each muscle to make sure my legs were fine. Once I had confirmed that they were doing just fine, I lifted my head to stare at the blue curtains, which were shut close to block the sunlight. Curious to find out what the time was, I gingerly stepped left of the bed and walked towards the door with slow, deliberate steps.
GUNNARFor the first time, I felt my emotions almost overwhelm me when I heard them talking about Aqua in such a derogatory manner. They clearly could not accept Aqua's victory and the consequences that followed. If they had come to me and begged for mercy, I still might not have relented, especially since Gladys dared to poison my mate. But at least things wouldn’t have escalated to this point. When Tristan's grandmother and the others heard my wager, they panicked. I ignored their murmurs and crossed my arms, observing them. The good thing was that all the elders present were not related to Nathaniel Kincaid, which meant he wanted nothing to do with the situation. A wise decision. Hannah, who had sensed the intense atmosphere, cast a glance at the elders before intervening. "Gunnar, there's no need to be so harsh with them. They only wanted to clear up their suspicions concerning Aqua." She took a step closer and wrapped her arms around mine. "If you want them to drop the matter
GUNNARAfter Aqua left with River, I stayed behind with the elders and Hannah in the house. I secretly sent one of my wolves to guard them since I knew Oprah would do her best to stop them. That's why I stayed behind to make sure they didn't make sure they didn't try anything funny.As I moved about the kitchen, the rich aroma of brewing coffee began to fill the space, cutting through the thick silence. Suddenly, Hannah entered with a remorseful expression. I pretended not to see it as I worked the coffee machine, but then she grabbed a cup and placed it on the kitchen counter."Look, I know you are still mad about me trying to help the elders," Hannah said, "But I only did it because all of them have been good to you since your reign began. It wouldn't be good if you keep butting heads with them."Calmly, I poured the coffee into both cups she placed on the table before facing her. "Is that the only reason you have been helping them?" I asked her.Hannah's expression stiffened when
AQUA I woke up to the sound of water running somewhere. My vision blurred for a second, and then I was able to recognize my surroundings. This seemed to be River’s bedroom, a place that I had visited so many times. The room was well-lit but extremely messy, like he hadn't visited the place for a long time. There were clothes spilling out of his closet and some books scattered across the floor, the kind of mess that River would have never tolerated in the past. I tried to flex my aching limbs to adjust my position only to discover they were bound. The biting grip of the rough ropes digging into my flesh hurt enough to bring tears into my eyes. Panic instantly gripped my heart before my mind could even catch up to the situation. How the hell did I even get here? Where was River? Instinct immediately took over as I tried to retract my claws, hoping to free myself from the tight ropes. But these things were sturdier than I had anticipated, almost as if they were made from another
GUNNAR The sun was high in the sky when we finally reached the boundary of the Storm Fire pack. My men were exhausted from the heat, their bodies glistening with sweat after fighting off a pack of hyenas lingering near the territory. I could sense their fatigue through the pack link but chose not to acknowledge it. I wasn't trying to be ruthless; I knew their job wasn't unfinished. As soon as I stepped into the forest that marked our pack territory, I sensed something was wrong. The weapons the patrols were carrying were not the standard gear I had approved for pack security, which likely meant my family was in danger.I held up my hand to warn my men, who were trudging right behind me. The noise instantly faded into silence as tension seeped into the air. We watched the patrols head towards our location as we concealed ourselves behind the trees.Even their uniforms were different, I noticed when my eyes landed on a badge on one of the men's shirts. At this point, I was starting to
AQUAWhen we returned to the pack, Wilder took us straight to the Kincaid mansion, where the elders were already waiting. My stomach twisted as I climbed the stairs, flanked by guards, every step heavier than the last.Their eyes followed me like a shadow, and the fact that I sensed it made me even more nauseous. These were the same familiar faces that had stood in my living room just two weeks ago, offering smiles, congratulations on my engagement, and pledging undying loyalty to the Alpha King. Now, they sat cold and silent, the weight of their betrayal hanging in the air like a storm about to break.They’d all chosen Nathaniel.And that meant Gunnar’s throne…was no longer safe."What, are you surprised that we got the elders on our side?" Wilder released a low chuckle after he noticed my glare. "Don't be, darling. You'd be surprised at how dissatisfied they have been with your mate's way of doing things."At that moment, I was barely restraining myself from punching him in the fac
AQUA After Saint's death, Odin led Fawn and me to the pack boundary, the weight of our grief hanging heavily in the air. We journeyed for an entire day under a dense canopy of trees without taking a single break. Sunlight filtered through the tree, casting a path over me and my stepdaughter.I nearly stumbled over a root but managed to catch myself before I hit the ground. However, the sudden impact jolted Fawn awake, so I mumbled a soft apology before adjusting her to my body. Despite everything, the wolf didn't stop and continued to walk ahead of us. With each step, I could sense the exhaustion radiating from the wolf beside us, his powerful frame still trembling from the ferocity of that intense fight. He must have been devastated about the loss of his brother, yet he continued to push himself to complete the mission given to him. As we moved deeper into the woods, the air grew thick and rich with the scent of damp earth and pine, grounding yet unsettling. The guards had stopped
GUNNARI was several miles away from the Storm Fire pack when I felt it.The pain. The sorrow. The fury.All these feelings struck my heart like a tempest, consuming my senses until I couldn't think anymore. My heart felt so constricted that I couldn't stand anymore, causing me to fall on one knee. When my men saw this, they immediately rushed towards me in concern, but I stopped them with my raised hand. They must have been so shocked they couldn't control their emotions because I felt all their fears crash into my heart.Was it possible they were almost scared to death because of my sudden fall?No, that wasn't it. The general sense of unease spread among the soldiers, making them jittery. I pushed myself to stand, my legs trembling as they bore my weight against the unseen burden pressing down on my heart. Then, a piercing howl sliced through the heavy air, sharp and haunting, reverberating off the trees and sending a chill down my spine. Others might not know where it came from, b
AQUAThe first time I heard about hunter wolves was when I was in the Wind Ridge Pack. They were used to hunt a notorious thief who had broken into Julie's house one summer. The news spread across the pack in less than four hours, mostly because they didn't give us a choice to accept it or not. But if there was one thing I learned back then, it was that those people were ruthless. The kind of people capable of doing anything as long as they captured their prey. Some said they did it because they didn't have any other choice, considering the tight competition in the business. But others said they were psychos, people who enjoyed seeing the pain they inflicted on others. That's why I knew we were in deep shit now. The hunter wolf inhaled, breathing in the cool night air that was faint with our scents. It's the very reason why I had chosen to stay up in the trees, holding that the harsh wind current would mask our scents. But he still catches it nonetheless. “Their scents are still
AQUAOnce I heard the noise from the living room, I pushed Fawn into the kitchen and locked the door. The air was thick with tension, and our ragged breaths broke the eerie silence that enveloped the room. My heart raced as we waited, straining to hear the sounds from the other side of the door. But then, a sharp scream pierced through the air, followed by a series of female cries that sent a fresh wave of panic through me."Shut the fuck up!" Nathaniel barked. When the women's cries were finally reduced to frightened sobs, he muttered some words to the guards before turning to them. "I have no intention to hurt you, but if you don't tell me where Aqua and that little devil spawn are right now, then all of you are going to pay dearly for your silence."Ella remained unfazed by his threat. "But we are telling the truth! No one saw where Her Highness went after she gave us orders to search for her daughter."Nathaniel ignored her and continued to speak to the other ladies, but none of t
AQUAHogan froze midstep when he heard my words. The six-foot, muscular blonde man who had been cooking for Gunnar for over ten years gave me the most sinister look I have ever received. I couldn't help but retreat when I saw him take a menacing step towards me."You're not supposed to be here, Your Highness," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Does anyone know you're here?""I don't need to report to anyone about whereabouts because this is my house," I asserted, my voice sharp and clear. I noticed he had already retracted his claws so I did the same. "What were you doing in the kitchen storage room?"It was the only place we hadn't checked in the house, mostly because Hogan had always been sensitive about letting people in. He would spend the entire day talking about food contamination so I guess all of us were just subconsciously afraid of getting on his bad side.But now, it turned out that he was the traitor we had been looking for."Move aside, Hogan," I ordered. The air in the ro
AQUANow it was 8 pm.The angry mob and the elders were still outside the house, looking for a way to get in. They tried everything they could, but the house's defenses were top-notch, designed with the latest technology, so I knew we were going to be safe.For now."Has anyone heard from Bodhi? Anything?" I asked, my desperate eyes scanning the staff in the house. Due to the chaos happening outside, no one had gone home yet, so they were forced to stay with us.Ella, who had been quiet since she entered the house, finally spoke when she heard me. "I just received a message that he was deployed to fight the rogue wolves trying to evade our borders. He left with most of the sentinels, so there were no reinforcements when our guards were attacked," she explained.My head started pounding as I tried to think of a solution to solve the situation. I knew it was only a matter of time before these people came up with a plan to infiltrate the house that actually worked this time, and then we