ALPHA RAIDEN~~I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel my jaw shift out of place as Aurelia’s unbelievably strong fist connected with it. I could feel the ache but it wasn’t something I had never felt before. The pain wasn’t new to me. What was new to me was getting punched in the face by a woman.And not just any woman. It was Aurelia. The same woman who couldn’t look me in the eyes back then just hit me in the face without flinching and she looked like she was ready to do it again. I was too stunned to speak while Aurelia stared at me with nothing but hate and anger in her orbs. If I had been blind, I’d have been able to smell her scorching anger from miles away. Goddess! How do I go about this? What words would sound right to her? I knew how I felt and In my mind, I knew the right words but each time I opened my mouth to speak to her, I ended up saying the wrong words. Heck! She unraveled me. “Don’t mess this up, Raiden. Please. I need her back.” Lex pleaded with me. Even my wo
ALPHA TRISTAN’S POV~~“You left and rejected me, Aurelia. How could–”Raiden’s words echoed in my mind as I strolled back to the apartment he made available for reasons I didn’t know back then. I’d asked myself why he was acting nice and suspicious but it wasn’t until now that I got my answers. I heard every word, starting with Raiden’s claim… starting with how he called her Aurelia instead of Lia as she told me that day in my special hospital room where she delivered her babies… Raiden’s babies, I supposed. I might not have heard every word because I just happened to stumble into the duo but I heard enough to justify the roaring flame of anger underneath my skin. I heard enough to make me understand that I’d been a fool for almost six years.She lied to me. She deceived me. She played me for a fool. Despite the grace I showed her and her kids? Hell! I provided her with a place to stay, a home, a pack, a family, and a new life because I thought she was from a dead place. That dea
AURELIA~~A yelp escaped my mouth when a cold hand wrapped itself around my leg, yanking me off the bed in one swift movement. I hit the cold floor of the room with a thud. I was genuinely terrified until I perceived and came face to face with Hazel’s amused face. “For goddess’s sake, Hazel. You just killed me.” I yelled not finding her stunt funny. However, Hazel laughed, “If I did, you wouldn’t be yelping, girl.” My best friend shrugged, the sound of her laughter echoing in the bedroom while I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off the floor. Hazel threw herself on the bed and supported her head with her hand so she could look at me as I struggled to get back in bed. “You look like shit, Lia.” She pointed out, her tone neutral but her hazel eyes flickered with the genuine concern that I knew her heart carried. I rolled my eyes again, settling into bed with Hazel. “Tell me something I don’t already know.” I tried to sound unaffected but deep down, I was barely holding back tear
AURELIA~~My daughter wailed out loud, failing to hide her feelings like she would have done on any other day. Seeing Katie like that broke me even more. My heart tightened as I forgot how to breathe and soon enough, Kyle broke into tears as well. “Shush, babies. Shush.” I said amidst tears. I crouched to the level, pulling Kyle and a muddy Katie into my arms. “Enough of the tears, babies.” Kyle spoke up, his voice shaky and muffled, “Yo-you and Katie s-st-tarted it.” Katie countered, pulling away from my hug and wiping her muddy face, “Mom s-started it. I came in and s-saw her c-crying in Auntie Hazel’s a-arms.” My heart tightened even more as I watched them both argue about me instead of telling me what the hell happened to Katie. Her lower lip was busted for crying out loud. I cried bitterly, realizing how bad of a mother I’ve been these past few days. What has gotten into me!Hazel came to my rescue when she asked, sniffing back her own share of tears, “What happened to yo
ALPHA RAIDEN~~My efforts to keep Aurelia in my pack were proving to be futile. Despite shifting the final rounds of the games so I could have more days with her and also figure out how to make sure she never returned to the Black Fur pack with Tristan, I have failed. In three days, the final round of this year’s pack games will come to an end and the next day, Tristan will take Aurelia away forever. Fuck! “You’re giving up? So soon?” Lex snorted within me. I retorted sharply, “What else would you have me do? It's not like I can tie her down when it's time for her to leave.” “I don’t expect that but you could at least try to find out who tried to kill her after she escaped the pack. You know she isn’t lying and finding the culprit might help to lessen the hatred she bore for you.” Lex said, forgetting that I had just three days left. There was no way I could trace down the assassins from six years ago in three days. Especially not when I had to oversee my warriors and other re
LARISA’S POV (2)~~I knew he was coming home to ask me questions. Although I didn’t know why he was coming home to question me after he had spent the last four nights and days away from me, treating me like I was one of his home servants. However, I was told he was on his way to me and I laid out a trap for him. Yes, my body. Raiden has always been weak to his bones when it comes to my body and even though he hasn’t touched me or made love to me in years, I knew just how to make him crumble… how to make him say, “Stay with me, Larisa. Please.” Raiden stepped closer to the bed and I smiled, stretching my hand out to pull in flat over my body. I just knew he would make love to me today and maybe mark me. The dinner with my parent failed to push him to take the final step but this would.“I’ve missed the feeling of your hands on me, Raid. Please–” I started, staring at him with lust in my eyes. But rather than take my hand, Raiden picked up the thick black duvet I had kicked off
ALPHA RAIDEN~~Larisa didn’t return to my mansion that day and while a part of me felt relieved that she had gone back to her dad’s home, a bigger part of me felt like I was the asshole Aurelia and Lex had been calling me. I shouldn’t have treated Larisa like that and while it was a good choice to reject her body because I didn’t want her, perhaps I could have found a better and less insulting way to do it. And Aurelia? Nothing could ever make up for the way I treated her in the past. She made me realize I wasn’t as perfect as I thought I was. I said I hated bullies but I bullied Aurelia emotionally for the three years she stayed married to me…. Until I literally slapped her with divorce papers, running into the arms of Larisa… who I had been treating poorly as well. Maybe I was under a curse– To never love any woman like they deserved to be loved. “Curse? Hell no! You’re just plain stupid.” Lex countered my thought even though I was already feeling like shit. He added, “You
AURELIA~~It gladdens my heart and blessed my soul to see my kids having a good time after sulking around the room throughout yesterday. I’ve also created time to spend with them. Alpha Tristan decided to join us for our family play date after his training session with the representatives who would be taking part in tomorrow’s finals.And here we all are, in a small garden close to the apartment building and a bit private. “I’d love to read with you, Alpha Tristan,” Kyle replied respectfully and with a wide grin. Alpha Tristan muttered to him, adjusting Katie’s weight in his arms, “You know you are allowed to call me just Tristan like Katie does, right, Kyle? You both are my favorite twins in the whole world.” Kyle’s smile widened as he nodded eagerly. What I would give to have a stable family with my kids… Hell, what I would give to have a father figure in our little family. The way Alpha Tristan relates with them makes me want that for my babies. As If Katie could read my tho
ALPHA TRISTAN~~“You should take your leave.” The he-wolf who smelled like a strong gamma seethed at me. “She doesn’t want to see you.”Although I had been standing by the border of Dark Moon Pack for hours, I intended to remain there until I got to see Aurelia. “C’mon, Gamma Seth. You know we mean no harm.” Louis, who had officially resumed his duties as my Beta after I was reinstalled as Alpha, said to the strong Gamma. “This is a peaceful visit.”I simply listened as my Beta negotiated with the Gamma, feeling more like Louis was the Alpha. I would be lying if I said I haven’t felt useless these past few days. After regaining consciousness, I found out that Louis had become more influential, not only in my pack. Obviously. “Your ego is bruised?” Dolf mocked me. But his assumptions weren’t exactly the case. I just couldn’t wait to get back my strength and become myself again. “This isn’t about your intention, Beta Louis. It’s about my Alpha and Luna's wishes.” The Gamma answer
AURELIA~~Perhaps it was anger or hate, I couldn’t tell. Or maybe it was both. I was angry that Tristan was back to his feet even though I permitted Lori to send some Mender to Black Fur Pack to help him after Beta Louis took the oath, signed the peace treaty, and pleaded for help. I was so angry that my mate had to fall and Tristan got to rise again even though he didn’t deserve it.And for the hate, it was simple– I hated Tristan.Although my hate for Larisa was greater, Tristan wasn’t far from being another Larisa to me–“Talking about that bitch. She has had enough peace, don’t you think? It’s time we pay her another visit.” Inara snarled into my mind, fueling the hatred in my heart. My wolf had taken a hobby in tearing Larisa apart since she had become our prisoner– one that I wasn’t ready to kill just yet. Each time we pay her a visit in her cell, we torture her until death flashes before her eyes, leave her to healers to heal her, and return to start the process all over
AURELIA~~Life was different now. Before the war, I simply trained to get better and increase our chances of winning, but now, I am the leader of two packs and have more duties than I could have imagined. Life was different but one thing remained constant– my life was difficult.“Are you with me, Luna?” Andrew’s voice called me out of my self-pitying thoughts. I blinked rapidly, composing myself despite my desire to just go home, be with my kids, and–“Do you want to take the day off? I can handle the pack affairs while you recuperate.” Andrew offered and Seth who was sitting on the chair beside him nodded in agreement.But to be honest, I have rested enough. It’s been two months after the war and while a lot still needed to be fixed, the pack was recovering better than I thought it would, thanks to the help I have gotten from both sides– White Shade and Dark Moon.Andrew and Seth have been helping with Dark Moon’s affair and the elders of the White Wolves have been very helpful
ALPHA TRISTAN’S POV~~As my eyes fluttered open, I could have sworn that my body had forgotten what it meant to be alive. Opening my eyes was harder than it should ever be for anyone but adjusting my eyes to the brightness around me was way harder than opening them. I let out a groan when I tried to lift a finger and pain consumed me. My entire body ached. I felt so heavy.“Alpha. You are awake.” Louis. That was his voice but it sounded more like noise to me as his voice sent a sharp ring through my aching head, making me groan again. At the moment, I didn’t feel like an Alpha. It took forever before I could see clearly and Louis's face was the first thing I saw. He was hovering above me, looking at me like he was scanning me for damages. “Thank the Goddess. I was beginning to worry that you might never wake up–” Louis stated, smiling. But seeing him so close to me sent flashes of what I knew was the past through my mind. I recalled everything. How he joined forces with Laris
aryAURELIA~~“We can’t give up like this, Relia. You shouldn’t give up like this. Mend him. Do something.” Inara uttered, urging me even though Raiden was gone. Do something… I couldn’t count the number of times I had heard those two words today and I hated the sound of it, mostly because I couldn’t do anything. “Yes you can, Alpha.” Tamia’s voice echoed in my mind. I didn’t know how she managed to reach me despite the turmoil my mind had become but she did and her voice would have given me some sort of peace if I wasn’t mourning my mate… My teary eyes found Tamia and Lori beside me, making me wonder how long I had sat in the dirt with Raiden’s body. For how long has his heart been crushed right there in my presence? For how much longer can I keep this devastating news from my kids–“Oh, my kids.” I cried out, undiluted misery settling within my being, making itself at home. They just got their father. How do I tell them it would be just us from now on? How do I manage this
AURELIA~~I knew I screamed. I felt my lips parting and my lungs pushing out air as my mouth widened. I knew I screamed but I heard nothing. The world went still while Raiden kept falling. Faster than my brain could register. Faster than my body could react. Although I was still standing, I fell with him. Although my eyes were still open, they closed the second his eyes did. I saw the same darkness he saw when he closed his eyes. I felt the same pain he felt when his heart was engulfed by a strong force and maybe I screamed because I knew there would be no going back as that force crushed his heart before I could even blink. “No!” Inara’s cry burst through my crushed soul as she exclaimed, “Do something, Relia.” But what could I have done? After draining Larisa as my wolf suggested, I didn’t expect any sudden movement from her. Heck, she was as good as dead and when Louis screamed those warning words, I was too tired to react quickly. Converting Larisa’s dark energy to pure
ALPHA RAIDEN~~It took seeing Larisa and Aurelia in a fight for me to realize that I was wrong to assume that I could take down Larisa just because I was the most powerful Alpha in the realm… Physical strength was no use against Larisa because she had soaked my soul in dark energy. She wasn’t even touching me and I was feeling pain despite floating in the air like gravity had decided to take a break.Sadly I realized that I was of no use in this war. In fact, I was merely a weak link that Larisa wanted to use to defeat Aurelia and have her way in the realm. I was trying so hard not to scream and came off as a powerless puny before my exhausted mate and my warriors but this pain was eating me alive. It was everywhere. Digging deep into me. I have been trying to block the pain from getting to Aurelia as I could tell that she didn’t need that right now. If I couldn’t contribute power, I shouldn’t add pain either.But of course, that wasn’t easy to achieve. I could feel the pain slip
AURELIA~~Raiden’s scream was heard by every warrior. I could feel every one of our friends and pack members freezing for a moment as we all understood that for an Alpha; in fact, the strongest Alpha in the realm; to scream like that, hell was coursing through him. We all understood. I, as his mate and Luna, knew even better because the second the hell burst out within him, I felt it burning me from within and it was only a matter of time before I let out a scream of my own. “You dare not, Relia.” Inara’s voice echoed, breaking through whatever Larisa was doing to Raiden which was affecting me greatly as I tried to keep the spiritual link between me and the warriors open. If those links should close, they would all die as they would be no match for Larisa’s fortified warriors. “It hurt. I’m burning from within and–” I cried to my wolf even though Phoebe was still right behind me, healing me and Otis keeping me out of sight.“Do you know why she is coming at you hard?” Inara as
ALPHA RAIDEN~~My feet couldn’t carry my body weight fast enough as I ran through the forest, noticing how deserted my pack was. Those pack members who were not in the hall with Mia Lu were with Aurelia on the battlefront where my body was literally yanking me toward.I was on high alert and if I was being honest with myself, I would admit that I wasn’t in my right senses but how do I even think when all I felt was the urgent and dying need to be with Aurelia? It was like a pull.The kind of pull a mate should feel only when his mate is in grave danger. The kind that makes a man’s heart bleed and every nerve in his body go out of control.Yes, I was losing it. I had lost it from the second I regained consciousness and felt the strange burn on Aurelia’s mark which was sitting on my neck.I woke up with the need to get out. To break free and get to Aurelia even though my kids were in the hall and beside me. The second I saw Mia Lu stagger due to exhaustion, I ran and hadn't stopped