"Rest while you can," he said, standing. "I won't go easy on you tomorrow."As the door closed behind him, I clenched my fists tighter, my nails digging into my palms. My hatred for him burned brighter than ever.He wanted to break me. But I wasn't going to let him.Sleep claimed me faster than I expected, my exhaustion too great to resist. But peace did not come with it.Darkness engulfed me, a suffocating void that pressed against my chest. The air was heavy, carrying an eerie chill that made my skin crawl. I stood in the middle of an endless forest, its towering trees twisted and gnarled, their bare branches like skeletal fingers reaching toward the blackened sky.The ground beneath my feet was damp and cold, the soft squelch of mud echoing in the silence. A thick fog swirled around me, obscuring everything beyond a few feet. The faint rustle of leaves sent a shiver down my spine, though there was no wind to stir them.I didn't know where I was, but every instinct screamed that I sh
I needed to clear my head.The club was loud and suffocating, the bass reverberating through the floor as bodies moved to the music. It was a stark contrast to the quiet of my office, but that's why I came here. To drown out the noise in my mind with something more tangible.I sat in a booth near the back, nursing a glass of whiskey. The amber liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but it wasn't enough to silence the thoughts clawing at me.Daisy. Her name was a curse, a distraction I couldn't afford. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, she lingered in the back of my mind like a ghost."Alpha," a sultry voice purred, pulling me from my thoughts.I glanced up to see a young woman standing before me, her lips painted a deep red and her dress clinging to every curve. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, her intentions clear."What do you want?" I asked, my tone flat.She didn't answer, instead sliding into the booth beside me. Her fingers trailed up my arm, her touch warm and inviting. "You lo
“What?” she gasped, her composure faltering for the first time.“You heard me,” I said coldly. “She needs to learn her place.”The guards hesitated, but a sharp look from me had them moving. They grabbed her arms, dragging her to the center of the room.“No!” she yelled, struggling against their grip. “Let me go!”Her cries fell on deaf ears as they secured her hands above her head, tying them to the beam that ran across the ceiling. Her defiance should have angered me, but instead, it fascinated me. She was terrified, yet she refused to beg.I stripped off my coat, tossing it aside as I grabbed the whip hanging by the wall. Its leather coils felt heavy in my hand, a weight I was all too familiar with.“Maybe this will remind you who’s in charge,” I said, my voice low and menacing.The first strike echoed through the hall, her sharp intake of breath cutting through the silence.“You think you can challenge me?” I growled, lashing the whip again. “You think your brother’s pathetic schem
Daisy's POV::The days in this place bled together, each one filled with a mix of humiliation, exhaustion, and pain. But through it all, one constant remained: Wikh.It was strange to think that I had begun to trust him—if “trust” was even the right word. Maybe it was just the absence of cruelty in his actions that made him seem different from the others. He wasn’t like Aiden, whose every glance felt like a judgment, a test I always failed. Wikh was... gentler. But I wasn’t stupid. Gentleness in this place was often a mask, and I wasn’t about to let my guard down.I sat in the small cell they’d thrown me back into after yesterday’s whipping, my back still aching from the lash marks. Wikh entered quietly, carrying a tray of food. He set it down without a word, his eyes scanning my face.“You’re healing,” he said after a moment, his voice calm.“Not fast enough,” I muttered, staring at the tray. The smell of warm bread and soup tempted me, but my stomach churned at the thought of accepti
Beside him stood the man with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking like he'd been cut out of a magazine. He stood tall and lean beside a strong, bulky Alpha, his eyes sharp and calculating. "I told you to get rid of her, didn't I? Now, she's becoming a real pain in the ass." He told Aiden who still kept his eyes on me."Shut up, Leon. Take her to my room and bind her to the chair." He commanded, making all the hair on my skin to stand. What was he going to do? Would he torture me? Do unspeakable things to me? I didn't want to submit, yet, the thought of what he could easily do to me wouldn't stop lingering in my mind. I was forcefully and roughly dragged to a dark large room that smelled of whatever men usually smelled like. Except it was good and really tantalising. There was something about the room scent that made me forget about my current situation for a moment. The visuals, the interior decor, the large king-sized bed, the dark walls and the fireplace crackling. I had little t
Aiden's POV::I walked out of the room and started through the hallway, noting how Leon and Wikh joined me. Leon had the look on his face that said he was curious about what went on in the room. Annoyed by their curious gazes preying on my back, I paused in my tracks and turned to face them."What is it?""Well?" Leon raised a brow. "I want to believe she's dead now. Right?" I kept my cool, clenching my jaw without making it obvious. Then I stepped forward, hands dug into my pockets. "Who is the Alpha of BloodMoon again?"Leon stuttered and looked away as if he just realized he was crossing a line. I nodded. "You're lucky I like you."I was about to leave when Wikh’s voice cut in. "He may not be able to speak up but at least, I can."With an inward groan, I turned to face him too, eyes fixed on the lanky man before me. "What is it now, Wikh?""You've had no problem killing thousands in your lifetime, rendering them either dead or not worth living." He shifted on one leg. "But with
The knock at my door came later that night, breaking the stillness that had settled over my chambers. I didn’t need to ask who it was. Wikh’s distinct scent reached me before he entered.“Alpha,” he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.“Speak,” I said curtly, pouring myself a glass of whiskey and taking a slow sip.“I heard you're trying to trace the letter,” he started, his tone measured. “It’s not just a threat—it’s a warning. Whoever sent it wants you to know they’re watching. They’re planning something.”I nodded, my jaw tightening. “Fendrel’s already tracking it. I’ll have answers soon.”Wikh hesitated, his usual composure wavering for a brief moment. “Good. But there’s something else I wanted to discuss.”I raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.“It’s about Daisy,” he said, his voice softening.The mention of her name sent a ripple of irritation through me. “What about her?”Wikh approached cautiously, his gaze unsettled. “I know what you’re trying to
Her hair—neatly styled in that high ponytail—was the final insult.It made her look like them. Like Neena and the others who had come before her.I stood, my movements slow and deliberate as I approached her. Her eyes followed me, wary but focused.When I reached her, I grabbed the base of her ponytail, tugging it gently but firmly so she had no choice but to tilt her head back and look up at me.“Who did this?” I asked, my voice low, my thumb grazing the edge of her jaw as I took in her features.She blinked, her lips parting slightly. “Neena,” she answered after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper.Of course, it was Neena.I leaned in closer, my breath brushing against her cheek. “You’re not like them,” I said, more to myself than to her.Her brows furrowed slightly, confusion flickering across her face. “What do you mean?”I didn’t answer. I let her go abruptly, stepping back as I turned away, my mind churning with thoughts I didn’t want to confront.“Take the ponytail down,”
“Your claws, right?” Daisy asked her. “In case you haven't noticed, the strange energy in the air died along with Asper. Whatever magic he was using is now gone, and so are your false powers. You're just plain old Neena now.”Neena looked up in horror. “No, no, this can't be happening. Please, don't kill me. I could still be of use to you. Keep me as a slave or anything.” She collided with Appa as she backed away and he shoved her angrily. Smiling, Aiden turned to look at Daisy. “Do you want to do the honors?”“With pleasure,” she replied, licking her lips. “No, please,” Neena pleaded and so did Abut Daisy ignored their cries as she extended her claws. Neena turned to run but Daisy suddenly appeared at her side. “When you see Leon on the other side, be sure to tell him I sent you, and that I did it happily,” Daisy said and Neena looked at her with dismay.With one vicious slash, Daisy sunk her claws into her. But she didn't stop there. She continued slicing her, just like Neena had
I heard a satisfying cry from him but he still didn't give up. The earth rumbled as we struggled with each other, hoping to get the upper hand. We inflicted several injuries on ourselves, yet, none of us gave in to the other. The longer we fought, the more energized I felt. I guessed it was the same with him because his attacks became more and more intense. He tried to throw me to the ground, but I held fast and when I saw that he was concentrating all his energy on that one move, I reached out with my second paw and swept him off his feet. He didn't move after that and I turned back in Aiden's direction. He was sitting with his back against the wall of a nearby house and Neena was standing close to him. I growled and started running in their direction but I had only gone a few meters when I heard teeth gnashing behind me.“Daisy! Behind you!” Aiden yelled, pointing in my direction. I turned as fast as I could but it wasn't fast enough to defend myself from Asper's attack. His pa
I'd never felt so much hatred for anyone than I did myself in that moment. Since I had nowhere else to go, Aiden's pack was the only place I could return to, even though it was the last place I wanted to go. That was the only place that still felt like home and it was Aiden that made it feel that way.Now, with his absence, I wasn't sure it was going to feel like that again. Dejected, I walked away from the burnt house and headed back. As I walked through the woods, I stayed on alert, ready to defend myself against anyone that might attack.I knew Neena and Asper would still be looking for me, and if they happened to come across me as I was heading back, then I would have to be the one to defend myself. I held my claws ready as I went, jumping at every slight movement or sound. But I had no trouble on my way back. At some point, I realized I was heading in the direction of the cottage and changed directions immediately. Nothing could ever make me go back to that dreary place. I was r
The pressure of his leg on my neck restricted my airflow and I found it hard to breathe. I struggled against him but he was too strong and when I realized that struggling was only making things worse for me, I gave in, ready to accept whatever was going to happen. Jeff was still unmoving and he had also returned back to human form. Neena was the only one still in her wolf form and she maintained her distance from Asper. She was still scared of him even now that she had the advantage. Asper pressed my neck harder, making me cough as I inhaled dirt in an attempt to breathe. Forcing my hand to move, I brought it up to pat his leg repeatedly but he kicked it away with force. I winced from the pain that shot up my arm and I could hear my own heartbeat thudding against the ground as I anticipated what was going to happen next. That was probably the end of the road for me. Neena was the only person that could possibly help me in that situation and I couldn't trust her to do that, not if A
It must be the same witchcraft he'd been using back at the cottage and I wondered where he got it from since everything related to witchcraft had either been burned or destroyed many years ago. The people gasped, all of them murmuring in fear as they backed away from the advancing wolf. Its howling became louder, and at some point, all of us had to cover our ears. Then it stopped suddenly. Both the walking and its howling. Its eyes were glowing red, just like the color of the sky and I suddenly remembered that it was the same color Daisy's eyes had been after Asper had injected her the second time. Turning its head from side to side, its eyes took in everyone present and in a split second, it launched its huge paws forward, striking three people dead in that one move. Everyone scattered immediately after that, running in whatever direction that came to their mind. “Attack!” Neena yelled and the six men that had come with her rushed forward immediately, like puppets. One by one, th
“There's no moon in the sky, you fool, and it's not even night yet,” Jack chided. Thankful that their attention had been directed away from her, Neena took the opportunity to put more distance between herself and them. She'd only gone a few meters when one of them suddenly turned in her direction.“Hey!” He shouted and the others returned their attention to her immediately.Jack pointed at the sky as he approached her. “Are you the one doing this? Is this some trick to help you escape from us?”“No. I don't know anything about it,” she replied.“We'll see about that,” Jack said and started running towards her. Her heart raced and she took to her heels, fear gripping her. “You're only delaying the inevitable,” Jack shouted behind her and she ran even faster. She knew the others had joined him too. She could hear their feet slamming against the ground as they chased her. After a few seconds she realized she was heading in the wrong direction. The path she was taking would lead her bac
“You all should stand aside,” I said calmly, hoping that my words will resonate with them. “If you fight me, I will not hold back.”“Then don't hold back!” someone yelled. “We're tired of your rule!”“Yes! Like Appa said, it has brought nothing but death and destruction!” Their words broke my heart, but I kept an emotionless mask on. “Is this really what you wish? For me to kill you all?”“Ha!” Appa cried from the back. “You're such an arrogant man, Aiden! You think you can kill them all? Your own people, people you trained?” Jeff glanced at me, and I saw the worry in his eyes.“No.” I cracked my neck. “My own people wouldn’t do this to me. I'm killing the traitors.”With that statement, silence fell upon the crowd for a moment, as though the people were thinking about what they'd gotten themselves into.Then someone charged at us. I took on a fighting stance, my eyes focused on my target, only for the sky to suddenly go from bright blue to pitch black, and finally, it turned to a
Dear goddess, she'd used the same witchcraft that Asper had.“This is bad,” Jeff muttered.“As bad as hell,” I agreed. Then I gave him a nod, and we both decided to turn and walk away. If she could create a barrier where I couldn't enter, then she definitely could make one where I couldn't walk away.“Too late,” I heard her giggle as though she'd read my mind. The next minute Jeff and I were slamming into another invisible wall. I jumped and whirled around to meet her, frowning.“Let us out.”Instead of laughing, she glowered at me. “So what? So you can go and look for Asper? Or so you can fuck Daisy?” I grinned at her questions. “Both, actually. And you have to be kidding yourself if you think you can just randomly call my woman's name like that.” Beside me, Jeff let out a groan and ran a hand down his face.My answer seemed to infuriate her, because she snarled and took a step towards us. “No one leaves if I don't let them. Those are the rules of the game.”She had the audacity to
“Don't be stupid.” He had a vexed expression. “He can handle himself. He didn't become a feared Alpha for nothing. You, on the other hand, have more likelihood of failure than of success.”I paused and turned. “What?”“You'd only slow him down.” His expression was grim. “Whatever he's doing, let him do it by himself, Daisy. Besides, he has Jeff. They’d be alright. Come on, go to bed.” I conceded and left for my room again, but when it was night, I opened my eyes and looked out of the window, only to see many men camped under it. Initially, fear of an ambush filled me, but their faces were familiar, and after close study I realized that they were the guards who'd been present earlier. But why were they- oh.Appa must have placed them outside my window after our discussion since he didn't trust me. I scoffed, and quietly stepped out of the room, hoping that my housemate was sound asleep. Then I looked out the kitchen window. It was devoid of men. Thank goodness.As soon as I found