Leo and I exchange alarmed looks before turning back to the servant. "Speak clearly, would you!?" I command and I see him shake under the boom of my voice. "What is happening?"The servant is still shaky but he tries to study himself. "Reports are coming in from all the provinces, Your Majesty. Attacks on the borders, fires in the villages. People are dying. And the people..." He swallows hard, pauses briefly like a storyteller who wants to build tension.“What is wrong with the people!?”I ask impatiently"They're gathering in the streets. They are scared. They are demanding to see the white wolf. This is the prophecy of the curse, Your Majesty. The children are showing signs of the curse already. They say... they say we're running out of time and you need to show them the white wolf."I move to my window, Leo following silently behind me. From here, I realise for the first time in that morning that the whole Kingdom is covered in smoke."Your orders, My King?" Leo asks quietly.I star
Alora's POV…Then grabbing my hand - this time without asking me, he pushes me towards a corner in the room- I guess that is where the hidden tunnel is. “We need to start moving…” but he stops when we hear pounding on the door. My heart stops and my body threatens to shut down. “ have finally been found…” I shake in fear. “Lucas, you don't need to get involved just turn me in… tell them you found me…” I look at him with watery eyes…The pounding keeps coming heavier. The person knocking is so insistent. We have tried to ignore the person but they keep knocking. I am so afraid and frozen to a spot, but Lucas grabs my shoulders, trying to push me toward the tunnel entrance."Go, Alora! Run as fast as you can and don't look back!" he urges. I can see that he is scared tooBut I stand firmly on the ground, shaking my head- I cannot betray him like this. The guards know that he is on here with somebody, if I leave, he would be queried. I shake my head again. "No, I can't! They'll know yo
Lucas's POVOfficer Frendricks closes the tunnel door behind him and he lets out a sigh of relief- thankfully, it is only the both of us that know about the tunnel. “I pray she gets there safely,” he clasps his hands together in a prayer form“Me too,” I reply, my heart still racing from helping Alora escape. I don't like seeing her tear-stained face because it haunts me. It has been such a long time since I last saw her cry. After I broke our bond and broke her heart, she cried so much and begged me for days. That time, I had bled in my heart, cursed myself for not being man enough and screamed at the moon goddess for putting me in that kind of situation. When I continued walking out on her, she toughened up around me and avoided me like a plaqueNow I have seen her cry, my heart bleeds again. Life is so … cruel and unfair towards her. Sometimes I think to myself if she had committed a crime in her past life that she is suffering for now. I silently pray to the Moon Goddess to ke
As they split up, I catch Frendricks's eye. The slight nod we exchange shows that we both know what we are doing.The commander pulls out the cloth- a small white shirt that is definitely for Alora and he takes in a long hard sniff. My heart nearly stops working at the sight of it, but I force my face to remain with a confused look. The shirt looks worn and familiar- I recognise it as one she often wore while working in the garden at night. It is a long sleeved shirt. Since Alora doesn't have any sweaters to protect her body at night from insects, she always wears the shirt whenever she is working late at night. The shirt is not even originally Alora’s, it is Leah's old, worn out shirt. To make the shirt authentically hers, Alora had put a floral embroidery by the collar- I was there the day she did it“What the hell?” I mutter to myself. They came prepared. Now I have to pray that they don't smell Alora’s scentAfter sniffing the shirt, he passes it round to his troop- I guess this i
My heart nearly stops when I hear Commander Darren bark orders to head towards the Cha-Cha grasslands. Frendricks is anxious, so am I. He looks at me, “What are we going to do now?” he asks in uncertainty. We both know what this means - they're heading straight for Alora. I start to think of all the things you can do to her. Commander Darren is not exactly nice. In fact, I think he hates her. He might probably even start torturing her before he even takes her to her father- he is wicked like that"Stay here," I tell Frendricks in a low voice. "Keep up appearances. If anyone asks, I'm reviewing security protocols in another sector. Tell them I asked you to stand for me. Tell them what I want to do is urgent"“So what are you going to do now?” he asks“I don't know… I just know that I would do something…” I let my voice fade in uncertainty. What am I going to do?He nods in understanding. I can see that he is sad about the situation of things. If Alora is later found, our effort will g
Alora’s POVThen I see itIn front of me is…In front of me is…In front of me is… a cupboard full of…Full of food!!!In front of me is a cupboard full of food! FOOD! REAL FOOD!I run to it so fast that I almost trip. I get to it and my hands shake violently as I yank the cupboard doors open so hard they bang against the walls loudly. But I don't care. I don't care about anything except the food in front of me - stacks and stacks of food for my hungry stomach and tired self. I get more and more desperate as I approachI grab the first thing I see - a sweet, soft looking loaf of pure white cheese rubber bread- a rare type of bread to find in werewolf territories. We always have it in our pack house, but I have only eaten it once and that is because I stole it from the kitchen when I saw the opportunity. After stealing and eating it I felt bad for days. So bad that I had to go tell mother that I stole bread and she will punished me- I cannot forget that day in a hurryI grab the pure
Alora’s POVMy hands are still sticky as I rush to check the locks, leaving honeyed fingerprints on everything I touch. Part of me wants to go back to eating - my stomach still feels so empty, but I have to set my priorities rightI nod at the warning, forcing myself to step away from the food. It physically hurts to leave it, but survival has to come first. Still, I grab a piece of dried meat to hold in my hand as I move through the cabin, checking windows and doors. Just holding it makes me feel safer, even if that's foolish to me- I feel I should bolt out of there and find safety first"Do you think he really broke our bond to protect us?" I ask my wolf ,but she has gone quiet again. “Would he want to claim me as his mate if he saw me like this anyway?" I keep talking to myself and as soon I say it, I magically change into a new- prettier cloth. “Wow!” I say, startled- there is a lot of things that I don't know yet about this house“Stay inside. Lock everything. Don't come out unti
Hours pass like this - me inside, them searching outside. My body is aching from hiding in uncomfortable positions. The fake Lucas tries a few more times to convince me to come out, but eventually gives up. I hear Darren cursing, ordering his men to expand the search area. Why is Darren even trying to sound like Lucas? Does he even know our relationship? I stay hidden until I know that they have gone far awayBut I don't relax. This could be another trick - what if he is leaving a few quiet men behind to watch. I stay alert, checking windows, listening for any sign of movement. I am not sure of the extent of the magic in this houseNear midnight, exhaustion starts to weigh me down. I haven't slept properly because the events of the past twenty-four hours have drained what little energy I had left. The bed in the other rooms calls to me, but I don't dare sleep there - they are too far from the exits.Instead, I drag a blanket into the corner of the main room, where I can see both the f
Alonso’s POVI attempt to keep thinking, but my beast is panting hungrily. He has other ideas. Before I can stop myself, I pull her into an embrace. She stiffens, but relaxes as time goes on"Thank you," I murmur. "You don't know what this means to me."She looks up at me. "I think I'm beginning to understand what the curse is all about"Our eyes dance as they lock. Our minds turn to one. Without doubt, I lean down, and to my surprise, she rises on her tiptoes to make my work easyOur lips clamps together. Shehe doesn't pull away, instead she wraps her arms around my neck and presses closer, something ignites within me.The kiss deepens. I feel the heat rising. My beast wants more. He makes me to kiss her deeply and roughlyI pull back suddenly, concerned about hurting her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…""Don't apologize," she interrupts, her voice breathy and she pulls me in again to continue the kiss“Take her to our room,” my beast demands. Not this dungeon. She deserves better.F
Alonso’s POVI follow Leo to the secure room deep beneath the castle. This is where I spend every full moon, locked away from everyone for their safety. The full moon possesses my beast, and we can’t let evil happenThe room door is blocked with steel and silver. Chains hang from the walls, attached to my limbs and body to hold against supernatural strength."Are you ready?" Leo asks as he helps me secure the chains around my wrists and ankles.“Yes,”I reply grimly.“Stop this!” my beast suddenly roars inside my head. “Something is different tonight! Don't chain us! I promise not to go feral!”I ignore him. My beast always fights the restraints and at points like this, he becomes very manipulative. On the full moon, my beast becomes a monster. This is the curse I have to bear- alongside this terminal sickness has been eating me up. I don’t even know the name, and it doesn’t show yet. But only I know how I feel. If Elena is the white wolf, at least I should feel better, but I am worse
Alonso’s POV“Marrying who!? What the hell?” I stutter. "What are you suggesting?" I ask, even though I suspect what he might say"You will marry both women," Fergus announces. "Alora will remain your wife, but Elena will be declared your first wife, as she is the wife of prophecy."“Why, I married Alora first!”“We shall follow the prophecy or risk the wipe out of the lycans! You are lucky the goddess is not asking you to disengage yourself from the wolf you married without the consent of any elder!”This makes no sense! I open my mouth to speak, but Leo steps close and whispers, "Hold your horses, Alonso. Think before you speak. The kingdom needs this. You don’t even know this Alora girl from anywhere”I look at Alora, feeling a pang of guilt. I married her first so why is she pushed to the position of second wife? But doesn't seem upset or even interested in the conversation. Instead, I see her smiling and playing with a group of pups around her feet. She is making funny faces at
Alonso’s POVThe gates are thrown wide open. What the hell!? Do they not know that this is careless? Enemies can attack! Where is Leo!? Why did he let all of these happen?I take a paise and I look around. Everywhere is decorated with white flowers and ribbons. Guards are not even standing in proper attention- their faces are tainted with smiles. This is jo pose for a guar"Your Majesty!" one guard calls out as he sees me. "Ah! Thanks be to the goddess that you have returned! We have a celebrationq!""What celebration?" I demand, trying not to lose my coolThe guard looks surprised. "The white wolf has come, Your Majesty! The prophecy is fulfilled! We are no longer a cursed kingdom!”I nearly drop Alora in shock. "What did you say?""The white wolf," he repeats. "She arrived yesterday. She has proven to be authentic. The entire kingdom is celebrating!"My mind tumbles. This is impossible. The prophecy clearly states that I must find the white wolf. She doesn't come to me - I go to her
Alonso’s POVI carry Alora in my arms as we leave the Midnight Pack. Her weight is nothing to me. My wolf is strong, and she is small - too small for a wolf her age. I think she is disliked because of how they have been treating her all these years. I cannot even start to imagine the kind of painful audit she has been through in this packShe does not speak much as I run through the forest. The drugs they gave her for the heat are still affecting her, making her drowsy. She just trust me completely- latching onto me as if I am her only hope"How long before we reach your kingdom?" she asks in a small voice."A few hours," I reply straightforwardly. I don’t want to engage in any type of conversation that would bring up feelings. This is a business arrangement, nothing more. I married her to save her from that wretched pack and their abusive Luna. In return, she will be my queen - pretend to be the white wolf so that the elders will stop pressuring me to find a mate, and I can focus on
Alora’s POVLucas has been the one to suggest that Alpha Leo consummate the marriage immediately. He has betrayed me completely, selling me out for wealth and status that my mother and sister lures him with"You were the one who told Alpha Leo to take me by force," I say. "You pretended to be my friend all these years, and then you sold me for what? Money?"Now that King Alonso has come to save me, perhaps I should just see my mind. What can they do to me?Lucas explains coldly. "I am mated to Leah, I could be somebody. With you, it just suffering ""You are pathetic," I spit. "You traded my life for your wealth.""It isn't personal," Lucas shrugs. "Emma money for schooling . And Leah... well, she's not damaged like you are."His words cut deep. He has become a coldhearted beast all because of money. I am beyond caring now. I have one more thing to do before I leave this cursed place forever."Take me to my father," I say to Alonso. "Please. Just for a moment."“Okay,” he says, carry
Lucas’ POVLeo's turns into a wild, wide grin. "I like this suggestion. Very much,” he says. “ What is your name again?”“Lucas,” I reply acting like I am very into this shit“ Lucas, I like you very much- you seem to have studied me so much. I will reward you someday.” Leo grins more"Lucas?"Alora's voice, weak but suddenly clear, cries in the air. The drugs must be wearing off just enough for her to understand what is happening. I force myself to look at her finally, keeping my face without any expression on it."Lucas, please," she whispers, tears forming in her eyes. "You promised. You promised you would help me.""I don't know what you are talking about," I say coldly. Even though I cannot bear it I force myself to be rude to her"You promised!" Her voice rises slightly. "You said you would come back for me! That you wouldn't let them do this to me! What happens now? What happened to the promises you made to me?”"Control your bride, Alpha," Agatha says smoothly from her seat o
Lucas’s POVLeah leans in, her lips brushing against my ear and I just feel like pulling at her lips and slapping them back in. "I always get what I want, Lucas. Always."My wolf growls deep inside me. My wolf is more than angry now, but what can he do? "She is just like her mother. Evil to the core,” he saysI silence him again as trumpets suddenly blow loud in the air, announcing the arrival of Alpha Leo and his entourage. The pack members immediately drop to their knees to show the arrestment,. I follow suit, head bowed, though I can't help but peek up.Alpha Leo's entrance is as usual, but this is the first time I am very close. He is massive, not just in his alpha presence but physically he is as enormous as a whale. A whale is even an understatement. His body has clearly gone beyond what a normal looking wolf shou look like- especially one who is an alpha. His Fat pushes at his groom’s belt, straining the belt and the fabric of his clothes. I wonder to myself if his tailor did
Lucas’s POVToday is the day everyone has been waiting for. Alora is one girl in this pack that nobody wants to be like. Some people are sad for her, some are indifferent and some just want to watch the drama. This time around, the doors to the throne room would be opened up to all the pack members. I am sure that a whole lot of pack members would attend- because Alora’s heat affected all the males in the pack and the news of her wedding to the gruesome alpha is everywhere now. As I dress up, I can hear the bustle outside and it makes me more tenseI head down stairs where the pack servants are arranging flowers and setting up tables for the feast. Leah spots me and comes running over, throwing her arms around my neck."Lucas!” she pecks me repeatedly on my cheeks. “Oh my Lucas! Is it not wonderful? soo, Alora will be properly mated, and the pack will be secure. You will be my husband very soon too" Her eyes shine with happiness."Yes," I force myself to say. "Wonderful.""Mother told