LOGINShare
15. Regroup and Recover
Last Updated:
2023-01-10 23:00:14‘There is nothing that teaches you more than regrouping after failure and moving on.’ -Charles Bukowski
King Soren
I was sitting in my study at my desk looking over a map of the packs, covens and clans that I still needed to take over for everything to be mine. If I was successful with taking out the Timber Coven today, that would leave only six more covens for me to take over.
Suddenly, there was a knock on my door and I said, “Come in.”
Ulric opened the door, walked in and closed it behind him so we could speak. I knew this had to be an update on the attack on the coven. I’m all too intrigued to see what he has to say. It’s been a couple of hours
Related chapters
Ember 16. Some Answers
‘Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.’ -Dr. SeussEmberThe next morning after breakfast, Killian called a pack meeting in the dining hall. I sat at the high table with Reginald and Wren while Killian stood in front of the table facing the pack members as he talked.“Some of you already know that yesterday five of our guards were killed while they were on duty, leaving our pack and the Timber Coven unprotected by patrols. I wanted to let everyone know formally about the loss of our members and also the loss of the entire Timber Coven. Everyone was massacred yesterday without our knowledge or us being able to go help them,” Killian said with a heavy voice.
Last Updated : 2023-01-11Ember 17. Pack Alliances
‘Seek out alliances; they are essential to growth and provide resistance to bigger competition.’ -Richard BransonKillianWe arrived at the Dark Cove Pack right before dinner time. We rode up to the gates of the village at a slow pace, then pulled our horses to a stop. The gates were closed for the day but the guards were out on duty right outside.“What business do you have?” one of the guards asked me.“I’m Alpha Killian of the Nightshade Pack. I’m here to speak with Alpha Blair,” I told him.I watched as the guard's eyes went dull to contact Alpha Blair and the gat
Last Updated : 2023-01-12Ember 18. Heading Home
‘Still round the corner, there may wait, a new road or a secret gate.’ -J.R.R. TolkienKillianThe morning after getting the alliance with the Silver Dagger Pack, we had a large breakfast, then said farewell to Alpha Blair and Luna Isra. The five of us mounted up and left to start our journey back home. I’m not going to lie, when Ember called Nightshade home and talked about wanting to sleep in our bed again, it made me happy. I wanted her to know that she was always at home with me.Our first day on the road back home was quiet as we watched and listened while moving along. We needed to stay alert in unknown territory in case there was an ambush or anything. I was happy that we hadn’t encountered any trouble while traveling.&nb
Last Updated : 2023-01-13Ember 19. I'm Watching
‘Watch your back, little wolf, they say. Enemies arise from unexpected places.’ -Marie Lu Commander Ulric I walked through the halls of the castle from my office to Soren’s study. I needed to see what our next course of action needed to be after letting our people rest for a while. I pulled two units of our army together to make a large one again. I only have four units to use now instead of five. That attack cost us a lot more than what he might be thinking and I needed to let him know that. I stepped up to the closed study door and lifted my fist to knock when I heard the sounds of a woman screaming loudly in pleasure from the closed-in space. I dropped my hand to my side and walked away. I would come back in a little while to ensure that he was finished with whomever he was with. I turned down the hall and went up a flight of stairs to go to the sitting room. I knew that’s where Lark was and I wanted to see her since I had time to waste. I stepped into the room throu
Last Updated : 2023-01-13Ember 20. Sea Witch Coven
‘In the hearts of witches, love and hate lie close together and often tumble over each other.’ -George MacDonald Ember The next day, Killian and I wasted no time on the mission we had to accomplish. We had fresh horses saddled up and waiting for us in the stables. We climbed on our fresh mounts and rode towards the Sea Witch Coven. It was only a few hours away from the pack, so we would be there in no time. The ride there was quiet as Killian and I stayed alert for any trouble like we had on our last trip. Bastet slept in my lap the whole ride there. I could feel and hear him purring as he slept. I loved it when he purred. When we arrived at the gates to the Sea Witch Coven, we stopped and the guard looked us over. There was only one guard at the gates. They were at the very edge of the continent and the back of the coven faced the ocean off a cliff. There was only one way in and out of here unless you could fly. “Who are you and what business do you have?” the g
Last Updated : 2023-01-13Ember 21. Fever
‘Love is a fever which marriage puts to bed and cures.' -Richard J. Needham Ember It was now time to fully focus on the harvest of the pack’s crops and what we would be taking to trade with the Mirror River Pack. What we weren’t taking on the trip, we were putting in the pack’s storage cellar. I learned that we gave out food once a week to pack members from the cellar and the packhouse kitchen used ingredients from it also. I had just finished looking over how much the harvest was to see how much we could spare as the months were about to grow colder. We would have a good amount of food to trade with the Mirror River Pack and still have plenty for ourselves. I left the cellar with Bastet and went into my office to write down numbers in the ledger. Once I had everything down, I stood up to go into Killian’s office to see what he was doing and if I could help him with anything. I sat in a chair in front of his desk and Bastet jumped up on his desk before lying down on a
Last Updated : 2023-01-13Ember 22. Conversation
‘I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don’t dare let out.’ -Ally Carter Ember I said nothing but just looked at him while we lay there naked together on our bed. I was terrified of what was about to happen. I looked away from him and up to the ceiling, trying to fight the emotions going through me. His hand left my stomach and came up to my face. He cupped my cheek and turned my head to face him once more. I didn't fight him, yet I was still terrified of what was to come. “I can feel through the bond just how scared you are. Why are you scared?” he asked me. “Because you know," I said with a waver in my voice. I tried to keep my voice as even as possible but I failed. I hated this feeling. No one knew my secret except for Bastet. Now Killian would know and there was no telling what he was about to do. “What do I know?” he asked with a calm voice. I said nothing. I couldn’t answer him. He seeme
Last Updated : 2023-01-13Ember 23. Mirror River
‘They may fight with us, but they don’t fight for us.’ -Christopher Paolini Ember Almost a week later, we were packed up and ready to leave with the food supplies to trade with the Mirror River Pack. We would be trading corn and potatoes for steel and wool. The steel would be used to make weapons and other necessities the pack members needed. The wool would be used for clothing and blankets. Killian and I were mounted on our horses while two warriors drove the cart of food supplies. Kit, Otis and Cyrus were mounted on horses to accompany us yet again. Their company was a welcome sight again. It would take us two days of slow moving to get to the Mirror River Pack. Travel during the day was quiet as we all stayed alert for any signs of trouble. Bastet rode in my lap or in Killian’s. They were becoming really close and I loved that. Seeing this big man that could shift into a wolf, love and pet a small cat was sweet to watch. At the first stop of the trip, we pulled
Last Updated : 2023-01-13
Latest chapter
Ember 44. Years Of Peace
‘There is no way to peace, peace is the way.’ -unknown ~Sixteen Years Later Ember We have had peace throughout the land for more than two decades now. Our communities were thriving and the populations were growing once more. It was amazing to see the sorcerers come out of hiding and rebuild one of their grand cities. Their population was still small, but it was better than them being completely gone. To think that someone could wipe out a species from existence just because of their hate was sickening. I visited Elding Gala once over the past twenty years, just to see if anyone was living there. It was completely deserted and overgrown with vegetation. The wild was taking bac
Ember 43. To The Future
‘Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.’ -John F. Kennedy ~Six Years Later Ember I was outside sitting in a chair in the sunlight enjoying the heat of the day after a long winter with everyone stuck inside. This past winter had been harsh so it kept most of us inside while it snowed. There were even several blizzards this past season, making us wish for sunny skies. All winter the kids were working hard to drive Killian and me crazy. If we had to stay inside another day, I think we would go crazy with the three rambunctious hellions. As I sat out in the fresh air, I closed my eyes to bask in the feel of the sun after reading my most curren
Ember 42. New Life
‘With every newborn baby, a little sun rises.’ -Irmgard Erath Ember I was walking the grounds of the pack with Bastet as we checked on everyone to see how spring cleaning was going. We will be having a spring festival tonight and I was looking forward to it. There would be a large feast and a bonfire lit to ward off the winter so spring could take over. Winter had been long but the pack lived through it. Killian and I kept each other warm each night and worked beside each other every day. Bastet had even found a little love over the winter and his mate was pregnant with kittens. I wondered why it was so easy for him to get another cat pregnant but it was taking Killian and me forever.
Ember 41. Another Abomination
‘We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong.’ -Laura Stavoe Harm Ulric After five months of peace, our group here at The Delta has grown incredibly large. We had about one hundred rogues here and they were of four different species. I was acting as the Alpha even though I wasn’t one. Lark acted as the Luna and I had to admire how good she was at it. I was happy to be able to provide a place for all rogues to go. So many of us wanted a second chance at a better life, whether we deserved it or not. We wanted to do better with this life we were seeking and that's what I was offering here. I fully planned on keeping my promise to
Ember 39. Heirs
‘She was the heir to ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.’ -Sarah J. Maas Killian The morning after Rook took his place as the Alpha of Scarlet Moon, I let Ember sleep for a little while, as I met him in his office. I sat in a chair while he moved around the office and organized things to his liking. I see where Ember gets her organizational skills from now. She was a lot like her father. “So what are your plans as the Alpha now?” I asked in curiosity. “I really don’t know. I need to see what issues the pack has been having, but I don’t have any big plans yet. There’s no war to fight, so that’s off the table.” &nbs
Ember 38. Visiting Scarlet Moon
‘We may have our differences, but nothing’s more important than family.’ -Coco Ember It’s been a little over a week since the fall of Elding Gala and Soren. So far, life has been going smoothly and there have been no threats of any kind. It’s been quiet and we aren’t really sure what to do or think about that. Though this is what we have been fighting for. We were happy to learn during this time of peace that Wren and Reginald claimed each other. They were so much happier now and you could feel the peace the pack was under. I just hope this sense of peace lasts and none of us get restless for war. Killian and I decided that we needed to go visit Scarlet Moon and check on my fath
Ember 37. Where To?
‘Home, the spot of earth supremely blessed, a dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.’ -Robert Montgomery Ulric We fled the castle as I pulled Lark behind me. We took nothing with us, which was probably a mistake, but we needed to get out of here. I ran quickly through the city trying to get her out of harm's way. Who knows what happened after the battle ended and if there were people now after me? I had been a big part of so many deaths and cities falling. I had a lot of blood on my hands. As we passed through the city, I noticed that it was completely deserted. I have never heard this place so quiet. It was strange and eerie yet at the same time peaceful. We met Erebus and Diamond at the city gates and started heading south.
Ember 36. We Will Go Home
‘Returning home again is clean water to my parched mouth; it is air, rich in oxygen, to my lungs as I gasp for breath.’ -unknown Killian Watching Ember and Affra kill Soren was like watching a weight being lifted from the world. It would be a much better place without him in it, and we could all thank her for being the strong woman she is. Without her, none of this would be possible. Seeing her naked standing there after killing Soren, I knew I needed to find something for her to wear or to put around her. I spotted a cloak in the corner near the throne at the head of the room. I went over and picked it up before draping it around her shoulders and bringing her close. I kissed her forehead while holding her in my arms before leading her
Ember 35. Death By Fire
‘They had forgotten the first lesson, that we are to be powerful, beautiful, and without regret.’ -Anne Rice Ember I found another door that was closed and heard a lot of movement inside it. Killian and my dad both heard it also and stepped up beside me right as the door was ripped open from the inside. There we were met with a werewolf holding the hand of an elemental and two other elementals right behind them. I instantly stepped in front of Killian and my father to protect them, building my temperature and power right away. These were Realm Assassins and the man looked like what everyone said Commander Ulric looked like. The man I assumed was Ulric, unsheathed his sword and p
