~ Zora. The moment we turned a corner, my uneasiness dissipated. I noticed that the walls were made of stone and the air here wasn't dank and musty like I'd expected."What's the dealio with Alastair?" I asked."He's something we call an Ennoia. A special kind of lycan born with the ability to detect threats and fight against it. They can see into the soul and know what your intentions truly are.""But he's blind. ""Physically, yes, but he and his kind see better and deeper than any other canine." "His kind? You mean there are more of him here?"I asked as we came upon another set of stairs but this time they were circular and illuminated by a firelight torch. "All the guards here are Ennoias. Their job is to protect and guard the prison and keep prisoners from escaping. They were ordained as Prison Guards by my father who gave them the titles as a means of earning their living and accomodation." "Were the Ennoias always born blind?""No. They used to be warriors in the long war b
~ Zora I stood there as Roman glared at me, fumbling for words to say. “Be careful how you speak to her,” Nox said calmly, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Despite your friendship, she is still your Queen.” Roman glanced at Nox, and his hardened gaze softened. He nodded and stood away from the wall. “Any news from the men?”“Apparently when Troy and his men were run out, they liased with other rogues and came together to become a pack. There are hundreds more where they came from.”“Any info on how they knew where my mate would be?”Roman’s forehead creased, shaking his head as he looked down causing his hair to fall around his face. He swept his hair back with his hand, looking haunted. “I don’t know what happened but I can’t get any more information than that.” Nox’s brows pulled together as he folded his arms and widened his stance. “What do you mean?”“I mean there’s a block. Everytime I try to pry into their minds and make them tell me more, they get seizures or suicida
~ Tyler It was now a day to the wedding and things had changed drastically. Usually there were about two to three men on patrol around the lycan border but now there were a dozen lycan men in their wolf forms, watching the entire area. I laid low on my belly as a furious looking lycan passed by, scanning with his eyes while sniffing the air with his nose. During the training back at my pack, I had learnt how to keep my wolf scent to a minimum to avoid detection and right now, I was glad it was working for me. Even though I wasn’t afraid to take on a lycan in combat, I still didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to myself. “Any update?” Emilia’s voice seeped through my mind. I hated the way she used her authority with me like I was one of her errand boys. Once again I went through the dual stages of my hate-love feelings towards her. "There's no way in. Security is air-tight. We'll never be able to find The Underground." "Fine. Pull your men out. We'll find another way." Using
~ ZoraBy the time I woke up, the sun was already streaming in. I stretched and yawned, turning in bed to see my sister softly snoring beside me. Once again, I had to spend one day apart from Nox, so I was in my other bedroom. Naughty thoughts about him invaded my mind, making the heat I had been suppressing all this while flare up with a vengeance. I bit my lip, swallowing the urge to cry out. Rushing to the bathroom, I ran myself a cold bath and slipped inside, hoping the coldness would at least calm my nerves. It really didn't. "Are you okay?" Nox mindlinked. "Yea, I'm golden." "Don't lie to me." "Okay fine. Not good. Heat is back.""I'm coming ""No! I can hold it! We get married tomorrow and it's over.""Are you sure?"I wasn't sure but I lied that I was. "Where are you?" "In a meeting with the Elders." "What's up?""They are giving me updates about the pack and also discussing burial arrangements for the men."A fresh wave of guilt enveloped me when I remembered Liam. "
~ ZoraMy wedding day had finally come. A day I had always anticipated since the moment I learnt about mates. Everything had been decorated and designed just as I had dreamed it would be. A simple flower themed wedding in an open field.I had to give it to Abigail, she went far and beyond to make my dreams come true and I was glad that during the process, we had become somewhat agreeable. The thought alone made me smile to myself. Months ago, I was a girl who could never stand up for herself, not when I was bullied and bruised by my former pack, or when my parents took my little paycheck and used it for themselves. Now, I was a different person and it felt good to be on the other side of power. My bedroom was alive with teeming servants and personnel who catered to my needs and that of my flower girls and bridesmaids.Penelope had invited two of her friends to be flower girls and as their hair and make up was done, they chatted happily with big smiles and excitement. I was seated b
~ ZoraGwen’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Her eyes were shifty, going from me to the door and back. “I’m sure I don’t understand what you mean, your Highness!” She said, making an attempt at a genuine smile but failing miserably. “So now, I’m your Highness.” I said, narrowing my eyes at her before moving in further into the room. She eyed me warily but doesn’t move back from me which means she’s not intimidated by me. I leaned in close to her face, peering down into her moss green eyes. Gwen was roughly five foot seven, so I easily towered over her. “Of course, you’re my Queen.” She said, rounding her eyes, feigning her innocence. “Well, that’s not what I heard,” I said, rising to my full height. “Word on the street is, you think I am a flake, gold-digging my way to the King’s heart. Am I right?”Gwen’s eyes turned into slits, her false innocence disappearing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, your Highness.” “Really?” I asked, scratching my chin. “Wha
~ ZoraMy wedding dress was beyond what I could have ever imagined. It was an A-line mermaid style dress that pooled to the floor and had a massive train starting from my waist all the way back like about four feet. My neck to my wrists were covered in transparent flower patterned lace and the best part about my dress was that it was adorned with diamonds. My jaw dropped when Abigail unveiled my dress. It hadn't been adorned before the fitting, now it glittered and sparkled and my body practically trembled as I wore it and was fitted to it. By the time the tailor was done, I was a sparkling bride and a diamond crowned veil was set on my head. Before the veil was completely thrown over to cover my face, Sydney came in with a package from Nox. It has a letter on it and when I opened it, I saw some words in cursive handwriting, "I have always loved your pretty neck, and there are so many things I wish to do to it, including placing my mark there. But since I can't now, I hope this gif
~ ZoraThe double doors of the temple opened prompting everyone to rise to their feet. I had never experienced this much attention before in my life and it made me almost want to run in the opposite direction. “Roman, I’m nervous as hell.” I mindlinked him.“That’s to be expected. Just take one step after the other.” I nodded in response and did as Roman said. According to tradition, a lycan’s bride wore no shoes on her walk to her husband-to-be. Instead, she had to walk on lotus and peony flowers spread on the ground all the way to the altar by one or two of the priestesses. These flowers had been soaked in moon blessed water and laid out under the early morning dew before they were brought here and as my feet tread on them, I felt special. Hailey dutifully carried my train behind me and as we progressed I could see people murmuring in awe and nodding their heads in approval as if they could see me through the veil. "What are they saying?" I mindlinked Roman. "Can they see my fac
~ 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