—A few hours later— Maya She finally found the place where she had last seen Karen, after circling around several times. The poison she had spread to escape the Alpha of the Westwood Pack had left the ground dead. It was obvious from the panting breaths and muffled words of Rylan and the others that they knew the aura of the black magic rogue had been here, and the speculation was running wild. If only they knew, she muttered. There were demands to know how and why Nathan was here. They were also increasingly worried about their missing friend, wondering if Nathan had somehow gotten to her. For the most part, she ignored or deflected their words and comments. Silence would help her avoid stumbling and getting caught in a lie or two. Karen's scent seemed to dissipate as if she had vanished, but she knew that Alpha Xavier had probably just whisked her away through the forest at top speed. By leaping to the highest branches of the trees and bouncing from one perch to another, she was
RylanThe music changed again, becoming dark and faint. Dark red smoke spewed from the flutes in a huge swirling mass that surrounded the corpses as well as Rylan and the others. Lightning danced among the clouds that rose around their waists in darker and darker waves. It was as if the fog was alive, pulsing with electricity, tickling all their senses, yet somehow painless.The music swelled, like a scream caught in an instrument, but then became a shriek as the corpses withered and wailed, colliding with each other, even falling to the ground to be swallowed by the red mist. Those who could still stand uttered a final scream before the evil aura that emanated from them even in death flew out of their described bodies and headed toward Uma. From different directions, great soul power shot towards her to be absorbed into the necklace with a large purple gem in the center, surrounded by many small white, gold, and silver gems, which hung around her fleshy neck.The woman's eyes were clo
Rylan As night approached, the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, leaving a trail of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows before being covered by a sky of deep blues and purples. For him, the moment of sunset was a time he always enjoyed. He would sit in a tree and enjoy the play of colors as he contemplated. However, like Carolina, this beauty was slowly disappearing from his life. He often reflected and remembered the precious moments they shared a few years ago when their love grew and blossomed. He remembers Carolina lying comfortably on his lap, her head resting against his beating heart, on the leaves of the forest. In that moment he felt the warmth of the woman he loved and he felt close to her. In those memories, he would bury his nose in her long, beautiful dark brown hair, smelling the herbal scent that always clung to her. The scent brought back memories of healing and caring, her way of always being willing to help people who were hurt or sick. Carolina was a good heale
Rylan He was fighting against a horde of rogue barbarians who were relentless in their taunts and insults against him. The harsh words were like constant blows, but he endured them. He had learned to control his anger and not respond to their taunts. But even though he tried not to care, the words tore at his heart. "You useless and weak werewolf," a faceless voice said. He was surrounded by rogues, but he couldn't tell who was speaking as the taunts and insults continued. "You can't win because you're weak, unlike your father and brother." "Sooner or later, your weakness will get you killed. "Or your worthless loved ones will die first..." threatened another. "You can't protect them." "Shut up and fight me!" shouted Rylan angrily, trying to keep his concentration. "They're going to die because you're not strong enough to protect them." The taunts continued, no matter how many rogues he killed. He didn't know why their words hurt so much. Why did he care what these barbaric
Maya Damn, that woman! She thought as she walked and stumbled again. She gritted her teeth and dug her claws into the palm of her hand, or tried to grasp it. Her left arm had long since lost all feeling, her hand unable to clench as she tried to restore sensation to the useless limb. Maya had never received a spiritual attack in her life, and had always avoided holy priests and the like for that reason. Although her encounters with werewolves endowed with such powers were limited, she knew instinctively that the dead woman was stronger than most, and she only had to be hit by one of her spiritually powerful arrows like Karenina. They had traveled only a few hours, but the journey seemed much longer as the wound refused to heal and the blood had long since covered her red clothing. The scattered patterns of her clothing had turned an ugly brown where the blood had dried, while closer to the wound the fabric was still a deep red as the blood continued to flow. Her vision was gettin
SeleneThat night they were immersed in the darkness of the forest, lit only by a small fire that crept between the trees. Selene and Mike remained vigilant beside Elena, who was battling a burning fever.Elena was pale and sweating profusely, occasionally mumbling incoherently. She was struggling to breathe, as if breathing was difficult. Though they had tried pouring cold water on her several times, her fever would not break.Samuel lay down next to Felix to rest, seeking warmth in the wolf's arms. They both looked exhausted after the long and tiring journey.Selene spoke softly to Mike, not wanting to disturb her friends' sleep. "I don't know if she'll recover," she said.With a thoughtful expression on his face, Mike shook his head. "We can only hope that she survives. I have a feeling she's no ordinary she-wolf. I feel the power in her.""Hmm, I don't understand what she's talking about. She keeps talking about 'Alicia' and 'why', it seems," Selene expressed her confusion."She's
Karen Karenina sat quietly in her room, accompanied by the soft morning light streaming through the window. Her hair, a dark brown that shone brightly in the sunlight, was gently combed by Helga, bringing a feeling of peace that she had always enjoyed. Karenina had always loved moments like this, remembering how her mother had combed her hair and how she had found comfort in her gentle touch. As she sat with her eyes closed, her mind drifted back to the previous day. She remembered how boring she had been when she had been stuck in her bed all day and night just to rest and recover from her injuries. The only thing that broke the monotony was Xavier's sudden visits to her room every three hours. Although it was only to give her the power of a deep essence aura on the wolf side of her, there was something in the way he looked at her and kissed her that made her feel it was more than just an act for her recovery. After that, she would be haunted by guilt, and she would feel as if she
Xavier Karenina followed Raine through the twisting corridors and large rooms without complaint, even as her injured hand was held tightly by Raine. She ignored the pain that coursed through her, choosing to simply enjoy the moment. Karen had vowed never to go out without a guide, as the complex maze of the Pack Westwood mansion could easily lead one astray. As they walked through the halls of the Westwood mansion, Karen could not help but be mesmerized by the grandeur of the place. It was as if she had stepped into a childhood fairy tale come to life, complete with a beautiful princess or royal ruler. Karen took in all these sights with her beauty-hungry eyes and let herself be mesmerized. The hall itself was painted white, with golden ornaments decorating the walls, and doors leading to closed rooms were scattered on both sides of the hall. The servants who passed by paid their respects; all Omegas here were trained to serve. Karen felt a little uncom
Karen For the last year after Nathan's death, she lived with Xavier. She had told him that she needed time to get to know him and for their relationship to grow before making a big commitment, and during the time they had been 'dating', he had been giving her several tutors to assist her in adapting to her new life. So many tutors, she thought with a sigh. At first, she only had tutors who helped her explain and control her powers now that she was a full-blooded she-wolf, while others taught her combat and how to fight hand-to-hand, while still others taught her to use swords and daggers. Although she seemed to be making progress after a year, Karen knew that she was far from proficient. It would take years for her to become a fighter and master her new weapons, even though she always carried a bow and arrow. However, a few months ago, she had surprised Xavier by asking how to behave as Luna in the Westwood Pack. She could see the concern and eager anticipation in his eyes when he r
Karen "You're acting weird, Rylan," she said with a frown as her best friend led her out of the place where she used to play hide-and-seek with Raine. Instead of fighting with her like she thought he would, Rylan glanced at her before looking away. He crossed his arms and started walking back and forth in front of her. This made her upset because she assumed that his weird behavior had something to do with her changed appearance. "Why the hell can't you look at me?" While walking over to him, she grabbed his shoulders and forced him to face her. "Why is it so hard for you to look me in the eye, Rylan?" She demanded, her voice trembling. Why wasn't he looking at her? Could it
Karen Her arms wrapped around his body, lowering him onto her, and when their naked bodies met for the first time, it was like ecstasy. Her hardened nipples poked at his muscular chest, her curves fitting perfectly next to his rock-hard body like she was made just for him. It was a piece of perfection. She stared straight at him, meeting the burning intensity in his golden eyes, making her body shiver. That Xavier craved her so much never failed to surprise and amaze her, but it also made her grateful, because she felt the same way. He had seen her naked before, yet Xavier still seemed mesmerized by what he saw, as if seeing her for the first time. Hence, she did not feel ashamed under his gaze. Far from it. In fact, she felt beautiful. She called out his name again. Her body burned and ached. She needed him to d
Karen He means it... As she thought with teary eyes, she knew it was true. She could see it written all over his face and in his eyes. All this time, she had thought that he had such little feelings, never seeing a hint of emotion on his face since the first day she met him a few years ago. But she was wrong. Xavier did have feelings, and judging by his expression, he felt a lot of things. So much so, that she could practically hear his heartbreak, and somehow, it only mended her own. The veil that shrouded him had been lifted, and what she saw had removed her resentment for him, taken away her bitterness, and left only the love she felt for him swelling in her heart. As she ran towards him, slamming into his chest, Karen increased her strength, causing his body to be pushed back slightly, but he remained upright and didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her. The desperation in his hug confirmed his words, chasing away the darkness in her heart. "I forgive you," she whispered into
Karen One week later after the battle... She was in her room, curled up on her bed, and holding a pillow to her chest. One hand held the pillow while the other stretched out over her bed. Inside her fist was a sacred moonstone. Nathaniel was dead, killed by Xavier, with no help from her at all. She should have felt happy, relieved, hell, she didn't know, at the death of her most bitter enemy. Especially when all her friends were safe. After their moment of heartfelt embrace, Xavier used his remaining strength to carry her back to the pack house. It was the last time she saw him, but she was told that he was recovering and wouldn't die from his injuries. That was two days ago, and she was lost in thought. Her eyes were fixed on her clenched fist that held the gemstone, the sacred moonstone, the heirloom of the werewolf lords. Karen did not need to open her fingers to know that so far she had failed to purify the stone. The gemstone was still black in color, silently indicating that
Karen Xavier stood slightly hunched over, his fine hair flowing around his angelic face, almost hiding his expression from her. Blood dripped down across his chin from his mouth - a mouth that she couldn't help but remember kissing and getting lost in - but what brought tears to her eyes was the dagger that had stabbed him in the back, protruding out of his body for her to see. While his blades were partially sheathed in the ground, a line where the daggers had cut into the ground was beyond them, as if he was trying to use his daggers to stop his forward motion. One dagger was stuck in his right leg, stuck firmly, most likely adding to the pain that he was experiencing. Another dagger dug into his left shoulder, and another pierced his left side. A large amount of blood stained his white shirt. Staring into the face of the man she was growing t
Karen That's for sure. Xavier was right. Then her eyes narrowed on Nathan. Although Xavier had stolen more than she could have imagined, Nathan was still her enemy, and although she did not remember anything that happened after her conversation with Nathan until she woke up in Xavier's arms, she was not stupid. Although her spiritual energy was gone, perhaps gone forever, somehow she could still sense the fragments of the sacred moonstone. There was a large piece that belonged to Nathan, nestled in his chest, in what should have been his heart, but there were two separate fragments inside of her. She could practically sense their dark presence deep in her chest, dark and riddled with corruption. Nathan had played this game many times before, not only controlling Karen in the past but also many other people he controlled using the damaged fragments. She didn't know what she had done while under Nathan's control, but from the scent of Xavier's blood, and Nathan's blood on her nails, it
Xavier ‘If I can't find and remove the fragment, then I will eliminate Nathan's control.’ With grim resolve emanating from his golden-colored eyes, he rushed to confront Karen, responding to her attack when she returned to attack him, or so it seemed at first. Instead, he somersaulted over her head at the last second, landing a few meters behind her, and before she could turn around and attack him again, Xavier snapped her wrist, using the rope that had been thrown from his hand with controlled accuracy. As Karen turned to face him, he moved around her, immobilizing her arms to her sides, and then pulling her arms back as he lunged at her. Catching her near his chest, he easily locked her against him, controlling her attempts to break free. With his arm still around her and the other arm wrapped around her waist, Xavier used his free hand and dug his fingers into the blood clot at the back of her head, forcing her head back at a painful angle, making it impossible for her to move h
Xavier A movement caught his attention at the mouth of the small cave and out of it came a woman wearing a familiar dress, a ruby red stain was also drawn on her face, her dark brown hair matted in places from the drying blood. There were no visible wounds on the woman he was so intimately familiar with. Perhaps seeing his perplexity, Nathan spoke up. "Don't worry, Alpha. The blood is not hers. Though, I'm afraid that you are already too late if you want to see Maya. We had a... Well, a little disagreement, if you know." His sarcasm did not go unnoticed by Xavier. Although he did not know why or how Maya was dead. So much blood had soaked Karen that he wondered if Karen had killed the she-wolf. He hadn't thought about that possibility, not when his eyes caught the physical changes in the woman he cherished so muc