/-Raven-/We stood at a distance, watching the village go up in flames. My lips were slightly apart as I watched in shock.It was dawn already and the village was up in flames, just as she predicted, but it wasn't caused by the fire wielders or cloaked persons or whatever was chasing me. It was set ablaze by a man beside me. Maybe that was why she wanted me to leave as soon as I could. Because in the end, fate couldn't be changed. It would happen one way or the other. If Declan didn't do it, the cloaked men would have still done it. I looked at him, but he stood there, an emotionless expression on his face like he didn't slaughter an entire community and set their village ablaze.It made me realize just how powerful and dangerous he was. He could have killed me if he wanted but he tolerated me talking back at him and defying him.I wasn't innocent, but this… this was a massacre. No one was spared, not the women, not the children. He killed every living thing in it. It was suffocati
/-Raven-/“You're going to stain my sheets, Raven,” he stopped by the bedside. “You can change them in the morning,” I answered. “Join me in the bathroom,” he offered and my eyes flew open. “I beg your pardon?” “Don't act innocent now. You just spent a whole night and half a day with my naked self,” he shrugged. My cheeks flamed up. “Don't say things like that. People might think there is something between us,” I groaned. He climbed the bed, straddling me. “And there's not?” he smirked. I pushed him off me and jumped out of the bed. He laughed as I ran towards the door I assumed was the bathroom. There was an inbuilt pool, a tub and a shower cubicle. The whole place smelled so nice and I could feel the pool calling to me. I took over the soldier uniform and jumped in. It was so refreshing to swim freely in the water. Declan suddenly walked in and I submerged my body inside the water, leaving only my head out. “Do you not know the meaning of privacy? You can't just walk in
He stood in the middle of the room, his back turned to them, with the purple royal regalia covering a vast area of the floor. The two cloaked men fell on their knees, shivering as they pleaded for mercy. They knew their master would not forgive this incompetence.“You had one job…” His iciness in his tone made them shudder. “May I know why five of you left here yet two returned without her?”The two men exchanged glances, none willing to speak first. “Answer me!” He growled, turning to them with raging dark eyes. “We… we almost had her, Your Highness, but then we were suddenly attacked by this large grey wolf. He moved so fast that we couldn't even make a move at him. Three of our brothers were killed by him…”“You mean one wolf took down all five of you and left with the girl?” He demanded, his voice laced with disbelief. “Yes, Your Highness…”“Then you are all useless if a mere wolf could take you down. Do I have to do everything myself?” He growled. “Please have mercy on us, Y
/-Raven-/I couldn't sleep. My mind was haggling between Selene and Declan. While the doctors said she was in a very critical condition and would likely not survive it, Declan’s agonizing howls could be heard across halls and buildings. They said the injections needed time to kick in, but it was almost an hour, and I found myself flinching with every cry of pain. Othelia and Lisa were by Selene's side, which left me alone in the room. Unable to take it anymore, I found myself going toward the hall that led to Declan’s room. His painful howls turned to hysterical cackling at intervals as he threw threats. “I will kill all of you…” an unsettling chortling followed. “These chains won't hold me…”I stopped at his door, contemplating going in or not. A heavy silence fell suddenly like I was being given a chance to make a decision. “Make up your mind, princess…” his voice was calm, almost as though he was perfectly fine. It made my skin crawl like it was pricked with a hundred needle
/-Raven-/“I'll be heading back in now,” I got off the floor abruptly. He quickly stood. “Come on, Raven, don't tell me you're upset,” he said, and I shot him a look. “I know how you feel about him, I just need this small favour…”“We're not close enough to exchange favours, Tim,” I said plainly. If Declan hadn't been involved and he wasn't just a pawn in Lisa's sick games, I would have helped.“But we can be…” he insisted.“Tim…”“Let's be friends, Raven. Please?” He extended his hand. Friends? The word was almost strange to me. I have been a loner all my life, and I wouldn't even lie; it felt good. I could do whatever I wanted without stopping to consider anyone's feelings. Tim was going to complicate my life, plus the fact that I didn't plan to stay here for long. Something clicked in my head and I took his hand. “Fine!” I said. “But don't think you will be spared any brutality.” “I'm counting on that,” he chuckled. “I need to head back in and check on Selene, if they let me,
/-Declan-/All my life, the only thing I have ever truly known was pain. From my mother's hate and curse, to my father's betrayal, to my mate's rejection, to the stigma of killing my father to the tower and many others I would rather not remember.Yet none could compare to the pain of another rejection. She didn't know what she had done. She probably thought it was funny… but it wasn't. My heart rate sped up, and my heart clenched so tight it felt like I was suffocating, but I fought to keep it in. “Hmmm…” Raven stared curiously at my blank face. “Did I say the words wrong? You seem pretty comfortable.” With each passing second, it felt like multiple daggers were plunged into my heart. Rolfe growled in my head and I knew things were going to blow out of proportion in a couple of minutes. “Raven…” I could barely recognise my own voice. “Take it back…”“Why should I? Did I hurt your little Alpha pride?” She mocked. I moved away from her as I felt the shift in my body. Rolfe was f
/-Raven-/This wasn't Declan. I could tell from the glowing red eyes. I now understood why Declan insisted I leave the room. I just wanted to taunt him a little, not infuriate his wolf. The minute he ripped off those chains to pounce on me, I knew I had taken things too far.It was the first time I was ever truly afraid of Declan. I mean, a were breaking off wolfsbane, it was almost impossible. The persistent banging on the door reminded me that there were people outside, trying to get in. Possibly the doctors. I cursed myself for locking the door in the first place. The pain in my shoulders was crippling and he kept sinking deeper into me.“Rolfe please…” I pleaded as blood trickled down my arms. Surprise crossed his features briefly. He probably didn't expect me to be able to tell the difference. “Please stop… you're hurting me,” I pleaded. “Please…”“You. Hurt. Me. First.” He gritted. “I'm sorry… I swear to the goddess, I am,” I pleaded. I thought having those fire wielders ch
/-Raven-/I didn't like Rolfe. Not even a little bit. It felt like I was an open book to him. Like he could read my thoughts without me saying a word.“Walk faster, the woods are more dangerous at night,” he said. “I don't suppose you would care if I fell into a bottomless pit,” I muttered. “I won't,” he affirmed. “As long as you fall after we've found Hannah. I couldn't care less if you threw yourself into the ocean.” I looked ahead in an attempt to ignore the clawing feeling in my chest. What was so special about this Hannah anyway? And how was she his mate when I was his mate as well?“We got into a fight; she misunderstood and rejected me,” Rolfe answered, and I stopped. He pushed me forward. “Keep moving.”“So I am your second chance mate?” I asked.“Regrettably.” I scoffed. Of course. Why did I even think I would be Declan's one and only mate? His true mate, as he put in, when in fact, I was only a replacement. Hannah was the real mate, and I was just a second choice, as
/-Raven-/“What do you mean by you took it?” Declan's surprise was plastered on his face. The poor man didn't know what was going on. I wasn't even sure he would believe it if I told him unless Tim opened up. “I… I know how much Lisa likes the idea of being Luna, even though she can't. I just thought if I got her the stone, it would make her feel better,” Tim went on. “Do you think I'm stupid, Tim? Do I look like a fool to you?” There was an underlying irritation in his voice. “You are twice the size of every person in the pack and you think I wouldn't have immediately recognised you from the footage?”Lisa's panicked expression caught my attention. She knew things were going to go sideways faster than she anticipated. Tim stuttered, unsure of what to say. “He didn't do it himself,” Lisa cut in. “Yes, that's right. I got two of the maids to do it for me,” Tim answered. “Really?” Declan's brows furrowed. “What are their names? I'll send a guard to fetch them.”Tim glanced at Lis
/-Raven-/“Oops! Trouble in paradise?” I snorted, watching the heated glares pass from Declan to me. “I just wanted to tell you that you're a shit caregiver. My arm feels like I lifted a building.”Declan gave me a look and I threw him a sweet smile. I knew what I was doing, of course, and I enjoyed every bit of it. “What happened to your arm?” Hannah's deviation spun me. I didn't peg her as someone who cared if I was trapped in a burning building. “Well… a chandelier came crashing on me,” I told her. “I see you didn't die. Quite fortunate,” she drawled, a sinister look crossing her eyes. “or maybe you did it so you could get in his bed.”My mouth went agape. What kind of psychopath did she perceive me to be? Why would I set myself up for death just to get attention?“I'm sorry, what?” I sat up properly.“You heard me. You could have completely left the way if it was indeed crashing but you just had to let it injure you, huh? Just so Declan would take care of you,” Hannah spat. I
/-Asiah-/“What news do you bring?” I asked.“He is Alpha Declan of the IronClaw pack, Your Highness. Breaking in is not an option for us,” Tarius, my commander said. “Lucky for, one of our own is already living amongst them. Not just anywhere, but in the palace.”That immediately caught my interest. “A dragon blood is within the walls of IronClaw?” I asked. “Yes, Your Highness. Although she is not a pure breed, she is one of us, nonetheless,” he answered. I frowned. “Hybrid?”“Yes.”My frown deepened further. “How do we know she is not working for them?”“After we discovered who he was, we sent spies into the pack at night to report everything to us. Information reaching us is that she stole the Luna Eclipse stone from Alpha Declan using the form of another,” he said. “I don't understand,” My impatience was overflowing with confusion. “Is she a shapeshifter? And how does this information benefit us?”“She is your majesty. It benefits us because she wants to be Luna and Raven's pr
/-Raven-/“What happened to you?” Declan asked. It was weird and almost adorable to see that he came to me immediately he felt something was wrong. I wasn't sure if he was aware of the mark yet but his presence here brought me some form of comfort. “A chandelier crashed next to me. I guess it was aiming to hit me, but I just missed. Tough luck,” I smirked but he frowned.“Does this look like a joke to you? Have you seen your arm?” The seriousness in his tone was new. This had to be the first time since I met him that he was serious about something involving me. He picked the arm carefully as if it were a gem and examined the bandaged wound as he sat next to me. “The doctor said the cut was very deep and could get infected very easily if not carefully treated. I understand you are wolfless, but can you not at least heal?” He asked. His voice held nothing of the mockery I was used to when someone talked about me not having a wolf. If anything, it was genuinely concerned and my stu
/-Raven-/“What if she's innocent?” I whispered to Francesca. “You're suggesting that the CCTV is lying?” She asked me with furrowed brows. Right, it didn't make sense when she put it like that. “I just have this nagging feeling that she is innocent. Did you see her eyes? I can boldly say that she had nothing to this,” I said. “You better not say it out loud before this people without evidence,” she whispered harshly. “let's leave it to the Elders and mind our business.” “I guess you're right,” I sighed. But if she was indeed innocent, it would be really sad. “What do you think they will do to her now?” “She is still denying it so they will probably torture the truth out of her. Either way, the truth will come out , whether she likes it or not,” Francesca shrugged.“Can we go back to the library now?” She asked. It was surprising how casual and unbothered she was about Othelia's arrest. They had been staying together long before I came here and even if they didn't like each oth
/-RAVEN-/Declan was furious. Furious enough to keep everyone under the heavy rain. The courtyard wasn't exactly large and the palace had a lot of workers. Luckily, Francesca and I managed to squeeze ourselves under the roof. “I am only going to ask this once and after that, there will be no form of mercy. If you have the royal emblem and the Luna's eclipse stone, kindly surrender them now,” Declan's voice cut through the rain. So this thief didn't just take the emblem but the eclipse stone as well? Whoever ever did it either had a death wish or was just plain stupid. For the next five minutes, no one said a word or even admitted to knowing who took it, which wasn't surprising. The men who stood beside Declan, who I suspected were the Elders, studied everyone present. They wanted to pick out the slightest shift in expression and body language from anyone. My gaze shifted to Hannah and Lisa who happened to be talking in hushed tones, glancing at me. “What are those two up to now
/-Raven-/“Hey.” I looked up in surprise. “Mind if I join you?” She asked.“I don't own the chair,” I answered. Francesca smiled, taking a seat beside me. It was weird for her to suddenly talk to me, but again, she was only mistress who didn't go out of her way to make my life miserable. She was rude to me a few times, but she has mostly minded her business. “Are you still planning ways to escape?” She asked me and my lips curled.“Why would you assume that?” “You were sitting out here, lost in thoughts for several minutes. It's a clear sign you're up to no good,” Francesca answered with a small smile. “Subtle way of saying that you've been stalking me,” I noted. “I wouldn't call it stalking. I was just passing by and saw you. Thought you could use some company,” she said. “How remarkably generous,” my voice dripped with heavy sarcasm. “Cut the chase, what do you want?” “Nothing,” she answered. “I just told you the truth.” I nodded, deciding to let it slide. “You know I adm
/-LISA-/“You never told me he was going to find Hannah,” I scolded Tim. “Because I had no idea, my love. I was just as surprised as you are when he suddenly returned home with her. We have been searching for years now and never got any positive results,” Tim said, reaching for my shoulder. I shoved his hand away. “So, just a few days with Raven, and he already found Hannah? It doesn't make any sense, Tim!” I could barely control the anger in my voice. All these years, I had managed to convince myself that she was dead in a ditch somewhere or at least, married with children. I didn't think she had any reason to want Declan after her family was killed before her. It gave me hope. I was almost convinced I was heading somewhere with Declan before that little witch showed up with her disgusting attitude. Now, Hannah was here as well. How was I supposed to deal with all this now? Especially when Hannah has always been my best friend.Tim wrapped his hands around me and I felt utterly
/-DECLAN-/“You locked me away for days!” I growled. “Shut me out completely and leave me in the dark!”“I understand you're angry, but I'm certain with the news I have, that will barely be a problem to you,” he said, but I wasn't buying it. I was very furious with him and I was going to shut him out as well. Completely.Rolfe growled as soon as he realised my intentions. “Now is not the time to be angry, Declan. I found Hannah!” That immediately caught my attention. “What do you mean by you found Hannah?” I asked, perplexed.“She's right here in the palace with us,” Rolfe said. “I brought her home.” I wasn't going to believe him until I saw it myself. “She's in the slave quarters,” he informed me. I wanted to go see her, but at the same time, I didn't. I wasn't sure she would want to speak with me ever again after what happened to her. I didn't even know how Rolfe convinced her to come here. “I have everything under control, Declan. You only need to talk to her,” Rolfe assured