“Nyaos was not the only one who escaped; we calculated wrong. Caleb too is out there and free,” Bailey says.“They did this to you?” I questioned, unable to fathom the brutality of the elders.“I betrayed them; I turned them all in, and then I came to take the last one— they let me believe it was only Nyaos left, and just as I had stabbed my brothers and sisters in the back, Caleb did the same to me. In all the centuries I lived, I had never experienced pain so intense that I longed for death. All for what?” Her voice croaked, “All to selfishly gain more power. I should have known you would never do as you said Thane, but maybe my hunger after power blinded my eyes.”“Bailey, I was never going to rule alongside the elders—one way or the other, I would have killed them after I got my crown,” Thane admitted, and I knew that was the truth; we all knew that.Bailey shut her eyes, deciding to ignore us all.“Bailey, if you want them dead, then you have to give us more details.”“I don’t ha
I walked into the healing room with a tray of food. I set it down on the table."How are you feeling?" I asked Bailey.She didn't look any better than she had been a day ago; her face was still scarred; she looked like she had been through crap and that she had been. "They fixed up the bones that had been broken, stitched the wounds, and cleaned them up—that is the best they could do," Bailey responded after a few moments of silence."I'm... I'm so sorry for what happened to you.""Are you truly sorry? I mean, this must be what you have wanted all this time, right?""No, I would never wish this—not even on my enemy.""Bullshit," she says, and I had been about to retort but decided against it. "Those injuries—would they ever heal?" I questioned"The injuries would heal after a few days, albeit they would leave nasty scars, but nothing I can't take; the missing fingers would regrow after a few months, but the burn," she says referring to the burn on her face. "This was inflicted by ma
"So I guess you didn't exactly mean your words when you said ‘you hope I died?" she questions"I thought I did; maybe I was wrong?""Do you know what I would have done if I were in your place?" She questioned, and I shook my head, indicating a 'no'. "I would have laughed right in your face before I stabbed you in the chest. Then I notify the others only when I was sure you were dead. I would tell them that I found a dead body in the middle of the woods. Of course they have no reason to doubt me. If you had been expecting a thank you from me, then I am sorry to disappoint you. Shut the door on your way out," she said before resting back on the bed."Do you think I came here for the sole purpose of checking on you?" I questioned her, keeping the emotion off my voice. I did come to check up on her, but she didn't have to know this."Then why are you here?""I know there is more—something you are hiding, and I thought if I talked things out with you, you would be willing to spill the bea
I tried pulling away from his hold, but Thane was really strong—maybe even stronger now.Thane pulled me closer to him, close enough that his breath fanned my neck, close enough that I could see how pained those completely black eyes looked. There was something different with the way he stared at me.I should be scared; I should have struggled harder, but I didn't, and at some point I gave up. I would never be able to fight him off; there was no use trying, and finally he let me go, his eyes returning to their original color. "Riley... what happened?" He asked, seeming lost."You are burning up; I need to go get Axel," I said to him, and before he could ask anymore questions, I darted out of the room.He couldn't remember what he did. I knew how guilty he would feel if he knew what he had done, and so I made a decision. He was not going to know.I pounded on the door to Axel's apartment; it was late and very rude to wake a person up this way, but I was panicking. Axel pushed open the
"How is that healing up?" Axel asked as he shrugged off his jacket."It's only a bruise now; that ointment must be really good," I responded.I had informed him earlier that I needed to speak to him, so I waited for him in his room. "So what do you want to talk about?" he asked radiantly. He was doing this purposely; he was acting like nothing had happened last night."I want to talk about last night.""What about last night?" he questions."You know what happened last night; why are you pretending like nothing happened?""Am I?""Yes, you are.""So, would you prefer I go announcing last night's incident to the whole pack to prove that something did happen?""No, the problem is you don't even seem worried about it."Axel turned to me. "Not everyone shows emotions like you do. I am worried about him, and I spent the whole day researching to find out what must have gone wrong with him, and I came up empty. Thane feels guilty about last night, I am supposed to help you take your mind of
Thane walked past me, and I followed after him, "Are you drunk?" I questioned again."No," he finally answers, "It would take more than a few bottles to get me drunk." "You are late and I was worried.""I'm sorry, I just..." he broke off his sentence, saying no more.“For fuck's sake it was only a scratch, it's no big deal!""It could have been more Riley, and you know that; what would I have done to myself then?"'"It wasn't your fault?""Then who's fault was it?""Whatever hellish thing that possessed you that night, that's what we should be worrying about." "Axel told me about your... theories, so you do think I'm different?" he questioned."Different in a good way, yeah," I added quickly."Maybe I've noticed a few changes myself; I wanted to believe it was all as a result of the crowing," Thane explains, and I nod. That makes sense; with the crown comes power. "But maybe I was wrong; maybe there is something more; I would have to find out."I settled on the bed, waiting for Than
I turned around, trying to trace back the route to the pack house, but we had gone so deep into the woods I would never make it. Of course he caught up with me. I couldn't fight free of his hold."Thane let me go." I begged just as I did that dreadful night. But once again he wasn't listening; his hold on me was unbreakable. I struggled, harder than ever before, but that didn't deter him; he seem to know every of my moves even before I made them. I kicked him in the groin, and that only pissed him off. He tossed me into the air like I weighed nothing, and my back slammed against the hard trunk of the tree. I dropped to the ground, a wave of pain washed through me. I rose slowly to my feet, but he was no longer in sight."Thane!" I called out, but no one answered.I called out his name over and over, trying to find him, but all I succeeded in doing was getting myself lost. I had never come this far on my own; my back hurt, and there would be more bruises on my body, but that I didn't c
Bailey was the last person I wanted to see right now, but I knew I had to swallow my annoyance. She had been the first to pinpoint Thane's abnormalities; she told me earlier that being with him would be dangerous; she had tried explaining to me that things would only get worse and soon I wouldn't be safe with him, but I hadn't been willing to listen; I had believed that she said all those things to scare me into passing the title to her.She knew more about this than she was letting out.Bailey was still in the healing room, still injured, but at least she looked quite better."So you are back; I didn't think I would be seeing you at all anytime soon," she commented."Trust me, I do not want to be here either, but I needed to talk to you about Thane.""And why do you think I would care for such conversation?" she asks, her voice blank, just like her eyes."Maybe because I would have left you to die but I didn't, this one thing I ask of you, and I hope you would try to be less of a bit
I sat in front of Thane's door the whole night, pleading and begging, but he never did come, and finally I rose.I had lost him, and it took me this long to see that. I hadn't only lost Axel; I had lost Thane's love too.How did my life turn into this? One moment it all felt like a fairy tale, one I didn't want to wake up from, and now it was a complete nightmare.Some days I questioned the point of my own existence; I had no use remaining here, and yet, I didn't want to leave, maybe because I still had hope that one day Thane would forgive me.I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, ignoring the knock on the door. I didn't want to see anyone right now, and I knew for a fact that it wasn't Thane. Whoever was behind the door persisted and it got annoying. I rose from the bead, heading for the door. I pulled it open, the frown on my face that disappeared the moment I saw my mother.She hugged me, knowing exactly what I needed. I couldn't help but be a child again and cry in her arms. "
I stared at the mirror; I looked like a mess. I sprayed some cold water on my face; a knock drew my attention.It was a maid."Can I help you?" I questioned."The Alpha sent me to pick up a file he left here. It must be that one." She said, pointing to the file on the table. She walked in, picking it up."You know what? I'll hand it to him." I said, taking the file from her hand. She seemed unsure."As you wish Luna," she said."Uhmm, where is he now?""The third room on the fifth floor," she said, and I nodded."Got it.".I knocked on the door to his ‘new’ room, and after a minute the door was pulled opened. Thane stared at me."What are you doing here?" He asked like I was some complete stranger, an intruder, but I couldn't blame him."I brought your files."He collected it, about to slam the door, but I placed a foot in the threshold. I pushed the door open and walked in."You've been avoiding me lately." I said to him, but he gave no response. He took a seat, opening the file and
The next few days I spent them with Thane; he was still in coma. The healers had to extract all of the toxin the elders had passed into his bloodstream; only then would the healing process begin, and from their report, he was doing well, but he still had a few more days to recover.I wiped his face with a wet towel; next, I gently brushed through his hair. I placed a kiss on his forehead and then his lips. I knew that when he awoke, things wouldn't be like they used to. I returned back to my room to take a bath before joining him once again.I couldn't bear the solitude of my room; I always ended up breaking into tears. I hadn't realized I was sleeping until the sharp intake of breathe jolted me awake. Thane was awake.The healers had said he would be down for a few more days, but he woke earlier than they had predicted; my heart pounded for the first time in excitement; I was so scared, I couldn't lose him too. "Thane!" I cried out, running to him to embrace him, but his cold star
A rock fell inches away from me, and I only managed to dodge it. Axel was losing a lot of blood. I knew what was about to happen, but I didn't want to think about it. It just couldn't."Riley, please listen to me." he said, and I turned to him; sweat coated his face and his breathing was laboured. "I can't make it, Riley. You know that, but if you go, you can save yourself and save Thane.""Please, Axel, we can make it alive, the both of us.""Look at me, Riley," he pleaded, and I did. "Kiss me."Tears rolled down my eyes as I leaned to him and kissed him. I wouldn't let him go; I just can't. "I love you, from the very first time I met..." he took a long breath. "But you were never mine, and yet that didn't stop me from wanting you. Don't blame yourself for this; you, Riley, were the best thing that had ever happened to me.""But Thane... he hates me.""No, he doesn't; reason with him; make him... make him understand." Axel coughed out blood. "Go now, get him, and leave this place.""
EARLIERBailey was still in here somewhere. I walked cautiously down the passage ways and I spotted yet another room. I pushed open the door and walked in. The room was similar to the one I had been kept in earlier, but she wasn't in here either.I needed a weapon; the sword alone wouldn't do to kill an elder as powerful as she was so I searched through the room. I pulled open a cabinet, and there I found more syringes filled with black serum, the very same ones used on Thane. I was almost certain of it. I would have to take a gamble with this. From what Bailey told me, this was created by the elders as a bane for Lycans, I could only hope it had some effect on her too, if it didn't work on her, then I was doomed.I strode out of the room, and there she was, standing at the very end of the passageway."So you've come to kill me." Bailey said with a smile on her face. "You know, Nyaos has been killed by your mate" She said to me.I couldn't exactly say I felt bad for that.I chose to r
THANE'S POVThe door opened, and Caleb walked in, his hands up as if in surrender. My beta, Axel followed, a gun pointed to his head."Free him," Axel said.Caleb walked to me, taking out the pipes. "The chains too." Axel said, and I could tell Caleb was not going to do that.Axel shot at his leg, but Caleb was strong—maybe even the strongest of all the elders. In the next second, Axel's gun was in his hands, and the table turned."Let him go, Caleb; it's me you want." I warned."You are right." Caleb says, "But I want him dead too."He shot at Axel. I growled, pulling at the chains; they burned my skin. He aimed for me next, pulling the trigger, but the gun was empty of bullets, and he tossed it to the ground."In every single room, I had planted a bomb; all I need to do is press the button, and everything would go 'boom'; everyone in this building would die, and I alone would be left. After a while, you will be forgotten, but for me, I'll take over from you; I will be known and fea
Axel unsheathed his sword before striding towards Nick.Nick let out his wing, flying right over us, but Axel leaped into the air, bringing him down by his wing. Axel pinned Nick down, holding both wings. I watched in amazement as Axel sliced them off, and Nick roared in pain, the bones where his wings had been attached prodded out of his back.Axel passed the blood stained sword to me. I limped to where Nick lay groaning in agony."Didn't I tell you, I will kill you?" Now kneel." I said, and he rose, falling on his knees. "Riley I..."I didn't let him say more; in a clean swipe, I incapacitated his head from the rest of his body.Axel took off his leather jacket and helped me put it on."I know a way out." Axel says, leading me out of the room, we walked down the hallways to an open space."Going somewhere?" A voice called from behind us. Bailey.She held a crossbow in her hands. "Nyaos is dead. Thane killed him. I guess this means our deal is… off."She shot the crossbow at me, bu
RILEY"It's girls time, Nick; you should leave." Bailey said to him, and he gave me a long look before leaving both of us alone. "I didn't remember telling you to stop with the dagger," she said."It fell." I lied.I didn't know if she bought that, but she spoke no more about it, taking a seat beside me."I'm going to tell you a story, one I had never told anyone before. Well, you would die in the end, so it makes no difference.I was in love once. I don't mean the casual crushes and those little feelings girls have. I was in love with Nyaos; he had always been there for me when I needed him; he helped me so many times; I can't even count the number of times he had saved my life. But Nyaos loved another; I was the ‘other woman’, and I knew that. Katara believed we were good friends; she trusted me; she trusted the both of us, and I knew what we did behind her back was very wrong, but I couldn't help myself. Nyaos said he loved us both, and though I always wanted more, I could settle
CAUTION: THERE WOULD BE VIOLENT SCENES IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS; PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.THANE.I could do it; I knew I could break through the chains. Rage is one powerful thing. I pulled hard, and the chains broke off. I ripped out the pipes that had been used to pass the fluids into my bloodstream, and I staggered to my feet. I heard footsteps approaching, and I positioned myself beside the door. Nyaos walked in; he noticed the empty chair, I could smell his fear; he should be afraid. I shut the door behind him, and only then did he notice me; he turned, his eyes widening in terror as I plunged my hand into his chest, past the crunch of his ribcage, and deep into his heart. His mouth opened, frozen in a silent scream."The cursed weapon isn't the only way to kill an elder." I whispered before I pulled his heart out. The sight of blood was so intoxicating it ignited a lust for blood in me, I wanted to spill more blood. An elder had been brought to nothing in a matter of minutes