~ ZoraThe more I read through the contents of the papers before me, the more confused I became. Leaning back in Nox's chair, I released a heavy breath, feeling a headache blooming in my skull. Roman was next to me with his sleeves rolled up and his face etched in concentration. When I sighed, he looked my way with concern, "You really need to get some sleep.""I will after I figure out why Nox had a treasure of information that could help him bring these Alphas to their knees and yet he didn't use them."Before Roman could reply me, there was a brief knock at the door and at my permission, the other person came in. "Abigail!" I said in alarm as the once pristine and most-put-together person I ever met looked a complete mess. I also noticed from her red rimmed eyes that she seemed to have been crying. Rising from my chair just in time, she pulled me into an embrace, surprising me. I exchanged glances with Roman who had his arms folded and watched us with intrigue. "Are you alright?
~ ZoraThat was enough to break my focus and send me flying out of Roman's mind. By the time, I came down to my own consciousness, I fell on my knees. My head felt like it belonged to someone else. It felt sore like I had a wound and every part of my head was hot and aching. Instinctively touching my face, my fingers came in contact with the blood streaming from my eyes and nose.I looked down at it again, wondering what I have done. To my right, Roman was just getting to his feet and then he approached me, helping me rise to mine. "Are you okay?" He panted. I simply nodded because I was short of words, then I looked up and met his gaze. All traces of the Roman I knew or the General was gone. In his stead, was a broken man. "You're in love with me?" I asked incredulously. Roman's gaze shifted away from me nervously. "It doesn't matter because I would never act on what I feel towards you."Closing my eyes, I shook my head briefly. "How long has this been going on?!" "Since the mome
~ ZoraIn half an hour, Abigail and I arrived at the temple and I was pleased to see men in the process of searching it but I couldn't help the feeling of unease that had my stomach in knots. Moving in, I found a dozen priestesses gathered around, whispering amidst themselves with their faces etched in confusion. I scanned their faces but I couldn't find who I was looking for. Before I could approach them, Roman and some Elders approached me. Roman in particular looked upset. "Talk to me." I said, looking into his eyes expectantly. "We found nothing." Roman said, with his hands tiredly sitting on his hips. My heart dropped mainly because I was expecting this. Kirsten gave me a sympathetic look and I sighted Elder Kane who didn't look pleased with me. "Did you search all the rooms?" I pressed. "Every single space including-""Including our rooms too!" Elder Kane fumed. "Your Highness, do you think we the Elders are capable of such a heinous crime?""When it comes to protecting th
~ ZoraWhen we got within a few miles, we decided it would be best if Sydney and I came down while Abigail drove the rest of the way there. My men in the other car found a place to hide their vehicle and so began the long journey to the meeting spot. We all stayed quiet and alert in case Mabel sent her men to scour the area. As for our scent, Sydney had given me a liquid to rub on my neck, face and open skin. She said it would prevent others from sniffing us out and that was something we didn't want happening if all should go well. When we got closer to the venue, my men spread out and climbed the trees while Sydney and I stayed down behind a bush. The place Mabel had chosen for a meet was an open field not too far from the main road and she had brought about a dozen men with her while Abigail was the only one standing opposite her. Luckily for us, Mabel was on a phone call with some other person and through some mindlink interaction, Abigail informed me that they hadn't yet begun
~ ZoraI couldn't believe my ears and Mabel's sheer audacity. "You can't tell Emilia this." Abigail warned. Mabel folded her arms and cocked her head as if she was deep in thought. "On second thought, I think I will. Do you know what will happen when I bring this information to Emilia? I will be known as a hero! The Luna who destroyed the Lycans or maybe…The Lycan Destroyer…I think I like that. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think? It would be wonderful to be worshiped and remembered as the one who saved all werewolves."Her reasoning stirred the latent anger that had been simmering within me since the Temple incident, so much so that my wolf actually surfaced. Before Abigail could speak, I came out of hiding…marching towards her. Because my scent was hidden, Mabel didn't see me on time but her men did. They growled at me causing Mabel to turn and her eyes grow wide. I stopped within a few paces of her, as she and her men bared their canines at me in a growl. Sydney and my men
~ ZoraI woke up in a brightly lit room and the familiar beep of a heart monitor alerted me to the fact that I was in a hospital room. Looking around, I realized I was in Nox's room but in a separate bed. Lifting up my cover, I swung my legs out of bed with the intention of grabbing a seat next to my husband. As a result, instant dizziness and nausea washed over me. Taking deep breaths, I closed my eyes waiting for the dizziness to pass. My head felt sore like I had taken a hit to it but aside from that, I felt fine. Gradually, I placed each leg on the cold, hard tiles of the hospital room, and I first stood on my feet, flexing my toes. When I became certain that the nausea was gone, I took small steps towards Nox. Reaching him, I grabbed the chair close to his bed and sank in it, suddenly feeling exhausted from that small feat. Thankfully, Nox was looking so much better than the last time I saw him. His skin color was fully back, and I could even detect a little blush around his
~ ZoraMy back was pushed against a wall and in a matter of seconds, Roman's angry face came into view. "Do you have any fucking idea how it felt to see you wheeled in, Princess?" He asked, putting two arms on either side of my head. "Do you what it fucking did to me?!"Lost for words, I could stare at him, wide eyed with a heaving chest. "I…" I stuttered. "I.. didn't mean to make you feel that way."His brow arched in question. "I told you not to use your mind control gifts."My blood suddenly boiled and I pushed him back but he didn't even budge. "It's not like I had a choice! I tried it your way and it didn't work!" His gaze softened and I sensed real despair behind his icy demeanor. "I know. Sydney and Abigail told me everything but it still doesn't make me feel any less shitty seeing you in a critical condition." "If you hadn't handled the situation with Mabel," he continued, "Goddess knows I would have marched right there and murdered her myself. " He said this while his hand
~ Zora"Come see this." I told Sydney and she hesitantly obeyed. Pointing to the blue flower that bore so much resemblance to the symbol on Emilia's gift case, I asked, "Do you know this story?"Sydney peered at Moon Goddess gifting Lykin the blue flower. "Do you know the story behind this?" I asked. Sydney gazed up, growing before shaking her head slowly. "No I don't.""What is going on here?!" A stern voice asked behind us. I turned around to see Kirsten staring wide eyed at us like we had done something abominable. Excited, I approached her. "Do you know the story behind that?" I pointed to the painting. Elder Kirsten didn't bother a glance at it. "Do you have any idea how many rules you've broken, your Highness?" She asked sternly. "It's like you have zero regard for our rules and law and frankly that is highly disappointing." "My apologies." I said, not really feeling apologetic. "I never knew it was against the rules to cross the altar."Kirsten's lips tightened at the corne
~ ZoraSeveral Months Later"Let me help you with that." My husband said, collecting a wedding present from my hand and taking it to the car. I stood in disbelief. "I'm just pregnant, you know? I'm not an invalid.Nox closed the car and gave me a shrug. "Well you have no choice." He bends down and holds my big belly before giving it a kiss. "As long as you're carrying my babies, you will do as little as possible." He came back up to kiss me and at first, I had my mouth closed refusing him entry. Then he tickles me in persistence causing me to laugh and give in. I wrapped my arms across his shoulders and leaned in deep into the kiss, letting him explore my mouth and ravish my tongue. He never ceases to amaze me with how much he could get my body to respond to his touch and make me want more and more of him. I felt a fire starting within my core and I quickly broke the kiss. Breathless, I stared at him and found him grinning to himself. "We can't continue or we'll miss the wedding."
~ Zora By the time I arrived back in Parsivia, driven by the man Roman left behind, I could see my people already in the process of packing their things. I wondered where we would go now that Emilia was getting her lands back. Once I arrived home, I sprinted out of the car and into the house. I was surprised to find that servants had begun packing as well. They bowed to me with smiles and I acknowledged them before asking about Nox. They told me he was upstairs in our bedroom so I ran up the stairs and.dashed straight for the room. The moment I came in, I found him standing at the balcony behind billowing silk curtains. He turns and finds me standing by the door and he crosses the floor to me while I do the same. By the Gods, he smelt so much stronger and looked so much better, that by the time he touched me, my body came alive like wildfire.I pulled his face in for a kiss and moaned into his mouth when his lips sent delicious warmth down my mouth and straight to my throbbing cor
~ ZoraIn a flash, Tyler steps in front of me and takes the knife in his chest. "NO!" Emilia yells and everything else happens so fast. Nox moves towards Troy and in seconds has Troy's head removed from his body.Tyler fell back on me and I had to hold him gently as I sank to my knees. Emilia rushes to his side to check his wound.Someone calls for a Healer we were told that yet they were tapped out and even Nox was spent too. Fortunately, Tyler's wound wasn't immediately fatal so he was quickly carried to one of Troy's cars. There was a pack closer to the scene which also turned out to be an ally of the Moonrise pack, we decided it was best that he was driven there for treatment.Roman offered to drive us and I had to go meet Nox, "I have to go. I need to make sure he's okay.""Go." He said but there was a certain sadness to his demeanor. "I'll watch over your family." I approached him and despite the blood he had splattered on his face from killing Troy, I kissed him on the lips.
~ ZoraIn shock, she grabs his wrist trying to get his hand off her neck as he slowly lifts her off her feet but he wouldn't budge. "Hey!" Tyler said running in but was soon stopped by about half a dozen wolvescoming out of nowhere, almost surrounding him and snarling at him to go no further.“It’s a damn ambush!” Roman mutters, stepping back while staring at something from afar. I look in time to see wolves coming out of the woods around us. They surround Nox, Roman and the other lycan soldiers. "What are you doing?!" Emilia chokes out from Tyler's grip. I could see the fear and the disbelief in her features as she looks at the man who once meant something to her.. "You dare come here barking orders at me? Who are you to believe you can be a ruler over me?"Emilia fumbles for words, clearly speechless! Her face suddenly became red as her eyes slid to mine. “Help me, please!”"Zora, get away from there right now!" Nox mindlinked me and I see him walking towards me despite wolves sn
~ Zora"I can't do that!" I immediately responded. "I can't kill Nox!"Troy gave me a sympathetic look that was meant to be mocking. "I guess your sister will have to die then." He said and turned to leave. Behind me Hailey coughed and I had to make a decision in a split second. "Wait!" Troy stopped in his tracks and half turned. "Yes?" He drawled with a malicious grin. I used that moment to try and invade his mind but I was instantly met with a blinding white light followed by a great pain hammering through my head. I cry out in pain as a result,, falling to my knees and holding my head in my hands!Troy’s laughter echoed towards me as he came closer. “I knew you would do that! Now, ain’t that a bitch?!” He chuckled. “You think I’d be dumb enough to come down here without fortifying my mind and that of my men against your power? Come on, Zora. You should give me more credit than that.”My head continues to hurt as if an electric current just passed through it. “What you just expe
~ Zora"Zora, wake up!" A groan escapes me when I feel hands on my face and open my eyes. My vision goes blurry at first seeing a warped figure above me but when I blink a few times, a person's face comes into view."Mom?" I ask. "Yes dear." She said, stroking my hair. I immediately went still. The last time my mother had stroked my hair, I was eight and had fallen terribly sick. It was an illness that lasted months and was part of the reason we quickly went broke. My mother noticed my unease with her affection so she stopped, retracting her hand from my hair. Behind her was darkness that I was unfamiliar with and around us and around us was a smell so bad, I had to sit up. Doing that caused the worst headache I had ever had. A pounding ache assaulted my head and began to pulse in my right eye.Another groan, yet I chose to look around. "Where are we?" I asked.My mother shushed me gently and whispered, "We are in a cell."At her words, I instantly became very alert. "A cell? How
~ TylerI shouldn't have but I had already started counting the days until I would see Zora again. Our last encounter had left a bitter taste in my soul and my spirit, corrupting my nights and leaving me sleepless. The harsh words that poured from my lips and became the stones that I threw at her now played over and over again in my head like a bad soap opera. I knew if I truly wanted to have peace, then I needed to see Zora again and beg her forgiveness.This was why I was a little bit excited when the guards came to drag me out of my cell to an unknown place. I was so riddled with thoughts of seeing Zora again that when I was brought into an office which had only Emilia, Nox, and his second in command, I automatically searched for her. "Where's Zora?" I asked as the guards worked on adjusting my chains so I could sit in a chair next to Emilia. Nox was seated while Roman stood and I noticed how both men looked sad and angry at the same time, as if something terrible had happened.
~ NoxWhen Elsa died, it felt like a part of me had died with her too. Before her, I was in a funk, dealing with the consequences of having a cruel father and a depressed mother. Growing up, Roman was the 'ray of sunshine' who didn't let me stay entirely in the dark and when Elsa came, she totally brought me into the light. She made me feel entirely vulnerable with my guard down. She was a girl I'd do anything for, including fighting my demons and conquering my fear of letting another human into my heart. Everything was fine until the curse took her and she died with her hand in mine. That was when I began to freefall into the deepest darkness I had ever been in and put up layers and layers of protection around my heart.And then Zora came along and began to chip away. She was a woman with a hammer breaking through my shield until she got to the last layer. Elsa. It was a layer I wasn't ready to bring down, not when death hung over her head. Now I find myself wishing she'd walk t
~ ZoraI woke up to the rhythm of my own heart beating and when I opened my eyes and looked around, I couldn't help the frustrated sigh that left my mouth when I realized I was in a hospital again. "Zora?" A familiar voice called and I turned my head to the right to see Nox sitting in a chair close to me. "Thank the gods, you're awake." He said, taking my hand in his. Although, I felt sparks tingling up my arms, they felt more like an inconvenience rather than something enjoyable. "What happened? How did I get here?" I asked, racking my head for my last memory. "You don't remember?" I shook my head. "The last thing I remember was…" I pause, suddenly remembering myself drowning. "... dying…and then you pulled me out."Nox met my gaze and I suddenly felt a mixture of guilt and relief emanating from him. "You saved my life." I concluded. “Thank you.”Nox responds by taking my hand to his lips and kissing it repeatedly and it should affect me in a positive light but the more I look