GaulinaviaTHE ALPHA'S CASTLE.Why did you mark her?” Ragnar asked immediately Henry entered the room. He was his father.Ragnar was a tall, imposing figure, with broad shoulders and a thick beard. He was dressed in a fine silk robe, with gold embroidery and jewels adorning his cuffs and collar.His chambers were opulent and imposing, befitting of his status as the leader of the werewolf clan. The room was large and spacious, with high ceilings and ornate mouldings. The walls were covered in tapestries, each one telling the story of a great battle or heroic feat.The floor was covered in a thick, plush carpet that felt soft underfoot. In the centre of the room, there was a large four-poster bed, with silk sheets and a velvet canopy. The bed was adorned with gold and silver embroidery, and the pillows were plump and inviting.In one corner of the room, there was a small sitting area, with a comfortable sofa and several chairs arranged around a low table. The furniture was upholstered i
As she was escorted by the maids to her new room, Ravenna felt a mixture of emotions. She was excited about her new life as his mate, but she couldn't help feeling a little nervous too. The maids opened the door, and she stepped inside, taking a moment to take it all in."Oh, it's beautiful!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide as she gazed around the room. "I can't believe this is all for me," she claimed humbly even when she had such luxury, even more, back at her coven.The maids beamed with pleasure, happy to see their new mistress so pleased with her surroundings. "We're glad you like it, my lady," one of them said with a smile. "Is there anything we can get for you before we go?"She shook her head, still taking in the beauty of the room. "No, thank you. I just need a moment to myself."sheThe maids curtsied and withdrew from the room, leaving Ravenna alone to explore her new surroundings. She walked over to the dressing table and picked up one of the glass bottles, taking a whiff of
GaulinaviaTHE DINING HALL.The grandeur of the Royal dining hall waa breathtaking. The hall was an enormous room with a high ceiling, adorned with intricate murals and ornate chandeliers. A long mahogany table, large enough to accommodate thirty people, ran through the center of the room.The servants, dressed in their finest livery, moved swiftly and silently, placing silver platters and bowls filled with steaming food along the length of the table. The dishes were a feast for the senses: roasted meats, grilled fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, pastries, and loaves of bread.The dining set-up was majestic; the plates, glasses, and silverware were polished to a shine, and there were intricate floral arrangements and candles as table decor.Then Ravenna approached the hall, accompanied by her maids. She wore a beautiful, lavender-colored dress that flowed elegantly down to her ankles. The bodice of the dress was embroidered with delicate, silver thread, and her long hair was styled i
Gaulinavia.THREE YEARS LATER...THE ALPHA'S CASTLE.The room was damp and steamy, the warmth from the hot water mixed with a pungent scent of herbs and medicinal plants. A group of maids had gathered around a large wooden tub, their faces filled with worry as they looked on at the figure inside. She thrashed about in her restraints, her pale skin flushed red from exertion as she tried to break free. The maiden’s long dark hair was soaked in sweat, her eyes wide and wild with fear. It was clear that something wasn't quite right; she had been infected by the dreaded blue blade disease which caused violent outbursts and aggression towards those near her. The women worked carefully but quickly, pouring buckets of warm water over the maiden's body and scrubbing at it with a soft cloth. They spoke in hushed tones as they worked, trying to soothe her despite her struggles against their grip. One of the maids ran a wet brush through the girl’s hair, gently massaging shampoo into it before
THE PRESENT.GaulinaviaTHE LUNA'S QUARTERS.She was running, her claws barely touching the wet ground. She was in her wolf form, yet she felt fatigued. That wasn't the only emotion she felt, as she doubled her speed. There was one other... A feeling which threatened to swallow her whole, as her wolf whimpered. Fear...She was being chased by someone she couldn't recognize. She was cloaked, and hadn't shifted. Yet, she ran faster than Elise who was in her wolf form. A loud howl, missing a step, and she was flung to a nearby tree.A soft whimper made its way out of her throat, as a warm liquid gushed through her fur, from her injured side."You thought you could run, didn't you?" She heard a maniacal voice ask, and her heart skipped a beat. She had sure heard that voice before. Through her hazy vision, she watched as the figure crouched down, her movements making the dried leaves crunch loudly. Then, she took off her cloak.The moonbeam from up above, cast light on a side of her face.
GAULIVANIA EliseThe sun was already making its way to the West, when I sauntered back towards the castle, from the woods. My shadow had grown longer, signifying that it'd be nighttime soon.It had been a very long day, which I had spent almost all of it in the woods, practicing my sync with my wolf. At the moment, I was fatigued."You're back?" I heard a sweet voice say, and I jolted. I hadn't heard anyone approach. Looking up, my gaze landed on a smiling Ravenna, and I subconsciously relaxed."I am, but I'm so tired." I chuckled without thinking. My mind suddenly wandered to how sceptical I had been of her, when she'd arrived. That strange aura I had felt. No remnant of it, was left now. I had come to regard her as the mother I had lost.My heart clenched at the thought, but I quickly forced a smile on my face. Knowing her, she'd stop.ay nothing to probe whatever it was that was bothering me."I know you'd be. Would you like a cold drink?" She asked, flashing me her s
Gaulinavia.It was nighttime, and as Lazarus sat at the balcony, sipping on his wine directly from the bottle, he couldn't help but think of his mate. Since Rory left, he hadn't made any attempt to contact him. Rory hadn't reached out either.He sighed, and took another long swig of his wine, as his gaze lingered on the starry night, above. They dazzled beautifully, almost like they were in a competition to outshine each other.He heard a soft footstep approach, and without turning, he knew who it was. He had come to recognize her scent, after her stay at the Alpha's castle."Queen Ravenna," the words dropped out of his mouth, involuntarily, if he could help it. And he felt the atmosphere get tensed almost immediately."Hey, may I join you?" He heard his mother ask, in a voice that was obviously hurt. He ignored it however. He wasn't in the mood to patronize her, in whatever means."You can." He leaned on his swivel chair, not bothering to throw her a gaxe. He carefully placed his bot
LAZARUSThe rain splattered on the window, as I stood, my hands tucked in my pocket. I was in my study, reminiscing on whatever mattered.More importantly, I was reminiscing on the now strained relationship between myself, and Elise. I had anticipated it'd happen. After all, all we had, was a whirlwind romance. There hadn't been time back at the correctional center, to get to know ourselves.More still, she wasn't mated to only myself, but to Rory, and to Thomas. At the thought of Rory, I groaned inwardly. Was he still mad at me? He hadn't reached out since he left Gaulinavia. Almost like he'd disappeared into thin air. And as badly as I tried not to care, I knew I did. We were friends after all, even if we we'd bound to fight at the end. Fighting over a mate, was something I knew would happen. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. Whatever was going to happen henceforth, if the current matter wasn't resolved, was bound to shatter our f
The rain poured down as hard as it could, the splatters, creating a little puddle in holes, by the roadside. The cloudy sky didn't show if it'd stop raining anytime soon.Rory sat on a chair, by the roadside, watching as he had been doing, before it even started raining. And he didn't have any intention of leaving anytime soon.His phone was tucked in his coat pocket, and without worries that the rain might damage it, not that it would anyway, he whistled to himself.He couldn't tell how long he had been sitting for, giving no reaction whatsoever. Not even when a concerned middle-aged man had offered him an umbrella. He hadn't accepted it, nor did he thank the man. Not even when a drenched dog, had barked its way close to him.He sat still, his hands placed on his wet lap, studying the wet environs. The air was filled with the sweet smell of rain meeting Earth. Although he wasn't in the mood to acknowledge the beauty of nature, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.Just then, his ph
CHAPTER 105The sun had just set behind the mountains, and the sky had turned into a beautiful shade of orange and pink. The atmosphere was filled with bliss.As the night wore on, the drinking began. The members of the pack passed around large jugs of honey wine, which they drank from large gourds. The wine flowed freely, and soon everyone was feeling a little light-headed and giddy. The merriment continued late into the night, with people laughing and singing, and the drums beating in the background.Finally, as the moon rose high in the sky, there was a sudden hush. Almost as if tye merriment spirit had been seized. Little by little, they all retired to their various homes, till there was no one left at the square.As Alpha Rory stood gazing through the window, at the view outside, his imposing figure wasn't masked. He was one with broad shoulders. It was already hours since Elise left his mansion, and he was already changed into another outfit. He was dressed in a fine silk robe,
CHAPTER 104."Why don't we go to my place?" Alpha Rory said, making Elise blink. "What?" She frowned."Please." And he shrugged, throwing a look towards her son.She was silent for some minutes. And when she spoke, against her wish, she found herself saying "Okay."Seeing the contented smile that spread across his face at her response, made her want to desperately eat her words. However, she decided against it, when her son suddenly dashed into the room.She threw a long angry look at Rory who was still intently watching her, without a word. She followed suit, as she decided to get ready. If she was right, by 'my place,' he probably meant his pack. If that was right, then she knew she had to get ready. She massaged her temple, suddenly feeling dizzy. Everything was happening so fast that she felt she couldn't keep up.....The car pulled over at the front of a beautiful looking mansion, and Elise stepped down from it. Her son followed suit.The grandeur of the mansion at their front
"So, what do you say, young man?" Alpha Rory questioned, as he watched the young man who was nonchalantly sipping on the glass of wine which had been served to him. They were currently at his pack.And for the umpteenth time, Rory wondered if he had acted in his own interest at all.Barely after his decision to while away time at a private island the previous day, which hadn't actually worked. All the time he had spent at the island, had filled his mind with nothing but thoughts of Elise. Was he that soft?"Why did you abduct me?" He heard the young man say yet again, and his gaze darted to him. He remained silent for a while, without a word. In his eyes was the same spark which Elise's held. The calm and calculated way in which he spoke was the same with Elise's. Uncanny resemblance."You're being trailed." Without mincing words, Rory said. He didn't let his gaze leave the latter. What was his name again? Alex was it? That was right.However, when his expression didn't change, Rory's
A CLUB"Having fun?" Rieka asked loudly, staring at Aella.Her voice wasn't loud as expected. The music in the club was too loud and Aella wouldn't be able to hear her if she didn't raise her tone."Yeah," Aella nodded, smiling. Rieka has been by her side ever since her parents passed away. She has helped in so many ways by caring for her and consoling her when needed. She had helped her out of the trauma of the death of her parents.Aella looked at her lovingly."What?" Rieka caught her staring at her. "Come on, don't get all emotional right now. Let's have fun tonight, okay?" Rieka urged."Oh! Yeah…. We should," they both laughed heartily.Rieka smiled deeply as they held each other's hands while dancing. It's been long she saw her best friend smile this way. It wasn't a bad idea bringing her here, anyways. Aella's happiness has always been a priority to her since they shared the same pain. Pain of not having parents to look after them. They were just 22.She sighed. She must make
CHAPTER 101.The sunlight poured into the room immediately Elise pulled back the curtains. She winced, and returned them to their original positions.She had slept in, and was feeling so fatigued. The previous night, she had a movie night with her dear son, and it was taking a toll on her. She glanced at her skin. It wasn't wrinkled one bit.Would she never become human? She sighed and was about to head back to her room, when she heard the doorbell ring. Her eyes narrowed. She had no human friend, and wasn't even expecting anyone. Who was it at the door?With agile steps, she hurried to the door. Her heart thudded against her chest, as her tempo increased. As it always did whenever she sensed something ominous.A young smiling man was at the door, when she opened it. Her brows narrowed, as she tried recalling where she'd seen him. "And you are?" Not trusting herself to speak, especially not to a stranger, she let the words out. He didn't respond. Her frown deepened. She was still a
CHAPTER 100.“You look absolutely lovely.”I nodded with a small smile and she led the way out of the room and into the hallway. We passed by several maids, all dressed in the same black and white uniform she had on, running up and down the halls, dusting surfaces while chattering away.They’d pause briefly, staring me up and down and muttering incoherent words, and then they’d go back to their cleaning. I felt quite uncomfortable under their watchful eyes, but the maid in charge of me, whose name I did not yet know, gave my hand a small squeeze and whispered into my ears.“They’re all saying you look lovely.” I smiled at her, thankful that I had someone that nice looking after me.We soon arrived at the door to the throne room and she stopped just before me.“I’ll be out here waiting.” She said, I muttered a ‘thank you’ to her before disappearing behind the doors.The throne room was enormous, with sunlight pouring in from the large windows and every inch of the room screaming royalt
CHAPTER 99.The words were out before he could stop it. He turned his gaze away, and looked through the window, at the sky which was getting darkened every seconds that passed by."Me too," It was moments before he heard the soft whisper, behind him. He turned in doubt, as if afraid it had been his imagination."It seems it wants to rain," Elise whispered in the dark. As if to confirm her words, a flash of lightning crossed the sky."I guess." He replied, with a nod, at loss of what to say.Silence reigned, none of them venturing to speak. He felt the edge of the bed sink in, and turning to see what it was, softness pressed against his chest. He gulped loudly."What are you doing?" He whispered hoarsely."Doing what you're deliberating within yourself, to do." She replied, as she wiggled her hip gently.Gently, not moving her gaze away from his, she straddled him, and grinded softly against him. He moaned softly, and wrapped his hands around her waist, pressing her harder against him.
CHAPTER 98. LARKIN The woods was silent, as I walked deeper into it. I avoided the thorny shrubs, clasping my hands behind my back, and humming a tune to myself. So relaxed, was I, like I had nothing to do that morning. Like I didn't promise my mother to help her clean up the house. The woods was dark, the only source of light, was the Sundays, which cut down through the leaves on their branches, above. I soon got to my favorite spot, and began stripping, when I suddenly heard a sound. My ears perked up, and a frown crept up my face. I whirled around towards the direction where the sound had come from, however, I didn't move an inch. I listened yet again, and heard it. It sounded low, than the former. Cracked, like someone in pain. With my heart thudding against my chest, I inched closer to the thicket. I gulped down nervously, but strangely enough, I wasn't afraid. "Any one there?" I called out, boldly. I soon got to a huge tree, and a glance made me gasp.Crouched at the sid