Chapter: 39.******Kael stood at the Gates of the Manor, overlooking the vast expanse of land stretching as far as he could see, beautiful gardens and fields with rolling green hills in the distance, all perfectly landscaped and cultivated to perfection. A small river winds its way through the valley to disappear into a hidden pool. A few large ponds are scattered amongst the land. A magnificent view that should have been breathtaking but all Kael saw was an endless stretch of dull grey. The only colors were the white stone buildings and the green grass. Today was not a day for the beautiful scenery. Today is the day he introduces father and son. His eyes wandered to the little figure clenching onto his pinky, standing side by side with him and staring ahead into the Gates. A small smile stretched across his lips as he watched his son. For all his outward appearances he was the most stoic little man anyone had ever seen. His face was impassive, his mouth set in a frown, dark hair ti
Chapter: 40.******Leonardo spotted six Betas charging toward him and he shifted, watching intently as they drew nearer, and upon closer inspection, he recognized them, then immediately shifted back and stood on guard as they approached him slowly, deliberately, without aggression at all. He didn't know why they were here and how they knew where this was, and what they wanted, but he was certain that it wasn't anything good. He kept one ear perked to their conversations, but they seem to have noticed him and stopped conversing altogether.One stepped forward, she was a female with dark hair and spoke up in a gentle voice. "It's alright, Alpha Leonardo, we just want to talk to you for a moment, please don't be alarmed," The female said and Leonardo could hear the tremor in her voice despite how well her voice was controlled. The five other males surrounding her shifted, and bowed before the Alpha."Alpha," They all chorused simultaneously, and Leonardo shifts his eyes over to each of
Chapter: 41.******Leon gasped and sat bolt upright in bed. His heart hammered so hard that he could barely breathe through it, but after a few seconds of staring at the ceiling and listening to his racing pulse, it began to slow down. He took deep breaths into the cool darkness of the night, which helped steady him, too. When he could trust himself to do that again, Leon looked around, trying to focus on anything except how badly he had just panicked. This wasn't exactly uncommon. He always finds himself going into a shock-like state whenever the Lycan is unwell or injured. Leon glanced around the room once more but found it empty. He was going to return to sleep when the door creaked and he snapped his eyes toward the door.Dare walked hurriedly into the room dragging a doctor with him, looking harried as if he had been running. Once the doctor stepped inside and shut the door behind him, he turned to the bed and their gaze met. "I thought you said he fainted?" The doctor asked, tur
Chapter: 42.*****Rafa opened his eyes and looked around the room. He was alone, having sent his Betas away, he needed a moment to himself and to speak with Leon. Although, the call left him with a feeling of dread that won't leave even as he stared at the bookshelf holding the keys to the Book of Neer. Though he needed to be rushing over to check and be certain the Book lies safe, he couldn't find himself to get up from the bed. There is this feeling swirling around inside of him, the feeling of Fear and longing. It's not an emotion he can explain but it keeps him rooted on the bed in place as he stares at the bookshelf. He was afraid. Afraid of confirming the lingering truth already visible in his mind. The one he hasn't admitted out loud yet.And in truth, he does not want to admit it as truth.It's a feeling we can attest to at some point in our lives.That feeling you get when you know something is true but a part of you still clings to the useless false hope that maybe it isn't
Chapter: 43.******Rafa and Leon arrived at the valley of shadows just as dawn was breaking over it. The ground was soft, covered in a thin layer of snow. They hadn't been there for long before the first rays of sunlight lit up the dark horizon, bathing their path in bright light. They climbed the first hill to survey the situation before they continued with their search. It wasn't hard to spot the little cabin, perched high on the mountain. Their target. The cabin had clearly seen better days, as the structure was leaning badly to one side. Its front left wall hung open to the sky. The door was hanging by only one hinge. No window. It seemed like it had either been abandoned or blown out during a tornado. Even in the low light, the walls were blackened from fire damage.A thick layer of frost clung to the outside of the walls, leaving them almost translucent to the touch. It didn't look like anyone else had lived there in some time, but the cabin itself stood on its own like an old m
Chapter: 44.******Caleb growled and flung him aside, Rafa flew backward and crashed into the side of the cabin, hitting the floor hard, the sound echoing loudly through the area, and leaving a large gaping hole in the wall behind them. Rafa sat up, his vision swimming. He coughed hard several times before pushing himself onto his knees, trying to regain control over his body. He gasped painfully and staggered, falling to his hands and knees as his legs failed to support him any longer. He whimpered weakly, his limbs trembling uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of dizziness passed. His breathing grew harsh, the pain becoming unbearable, his throat burned as if he swallowed a firewhisky, the scent of copper and iron filled his nostrils, and his mouth tasted bitter. He opened his eyes once again and looked up at the sky, the clouds were thick, dark, and heavy, threatening to pour down more rain, lightning flashed across the darkened horizon making everything look
Chapter: 45.******Dr. Creiff jolted awake when he heard the loud bang at his front door. Knowing there's only one person in the whole of River Bay who would make such a mindless entrance, the Doctor sighed, sat upright, and pulled his night robe from the hanger by his bed. He threw the robe on, wrapping it around himself, and sighed again when he heard Rafa roaring his name downstairs. Creiff slipped his foot into his plush slippers, and threw the door open, dashing down the stairs this time. Upon arrival to his living room, he met emptiness, but there were blood splatters across the floor and on his favorite rug. He frowned and peered over the armrest of the sofa near the fireplace, where he saw Rafa sprawled out, face first, with blood dripping from his hands. The Doctor knelt beside him as gently as he could, and put a hand against Rafa's forehead. "Rafa?" He asked, his frown deepening further.Rafa exhaled and snapped his eyes open as if awakened from a deep sleep. He was unsta
Chapter: 46.******Little feet pattered along the ground in a flurry of activity, running through the forest with excitement, and in his hands was a little white bunny. It was his first hunt and he could not wait to show it first to his father and then his mother. Dressed in only a black short, his chest was covered in mud from his journey into the woods, his hair sticking up in all directions from all the running and tumbling he had done in the bushes. Little ears peeked out of his dirty blonde locks and his brown eyes were alight with excitement as he ran through the trees and over the roots that hung from them in the forest floor like vines of a vineyard. He had been in this part of the forest almost every day for weeks now, just exploring and playing and getting a bit lost.But he did not have the time to get lost today. Today, he was going to be on top of the world when he showed the bunny off to his father, and the people at school tomorrow. He had a smile stretched on his face
"Why can't I have my own birthday?!" Dirk grumbled as he paced the Penthouse, glaring at his parents. Although he hasn't seen the Triplets since their eighth birthday, he still would like to have his sixteenth with his own group of friends. He shared birthdays with the Triplets for eight years, then his Father was called back to the Pride, and he took him along. Dare would refuse to come at first but eventually joined in when he got pregnant and just like always, Caleb got pregnant too. Once again, they both had Omegas whom they have both found their pride and joy and yet they won't let them be. "You haven't seen them in eight years!" Leon replied from where he sat in an armchair by the fireplace. "Be a little excited, you all will be having your first shifts tonight, and need I remind you, hopefully finding your Mates... As the Soulmate to the Alpha of Alphas, I must be there, and that can't happen if I am here throwing a birthday party for you." He tried to reason with his stubborn
Chapter: 61.******Both Conri and Leon paced the hallway of the hospital repeatedly, their heavy footsteps resounding like gunshots in the otherwise silent corridor. The Soulmates exchanged glances in between their anxious strides, a wordless conversation passing between them as they did so. “What’s taking so long?” Conri asked impatiently, his voice sounding much more strained than he had originally intended it to be. They had waited for over an hour. Does it usually take this long? They wondered. "You both need to sit down!" Phoenix yelled, but his words fell on deaf ears. The two continued to pace, never stopping in any one spot for more than a few seconds at a time. "I'm telling you both to sit down right now." His eyes widened as he caught sight of something across the hall; two men walking towards them. Phoenix made to run to them, but both Lycan and Lion beat him to it. "Fucking Creiff!" Leon yelled, grabbing the man by the shoulder. "What was happening in there? You won't l
Chapter: 60.******Caleb looked away and let his eyes search for his Mate and he found him standing in the circle, his gaze burned into him and the Alpha's Mark grew brighter. Phoenix pulled him back when he noticed he was walking faster, his gaze fixed on his Lycan. He leaned to whisper into his ears. "Remember, to control it until the ceremony is sealed, and think about the pups while you do it tonight," This had Caleb blushing a bright red and he lowered his gaze in embarrassment. A smile curled onto his face, and he nodded and looked up to his Alpha. Phoenix gave a soft nod, and kissed him briefly, before releasing him with a gentle squeeze of his hands. Caleb felt the tingling warmth run down his chest and to his fingertips. He gave a small smile as he turned to walk into the circle. As the pack members bowed to him, he gave them all a quick bow and then stood in front of the Alpha who was smiling warmly at him with a proud expression. He could feel how much Conri was trying to
Chapter: 59.******The garden flowers smelled divine, it soothes the wave of nausea that had plagued him all day long. As he walked, he let his hands wander over to the topiaries that lined the path, admiring the variety of colors and patterning they presented. He felt better with every step he took forward, he felt lighter, as if all of his burdens were lifted off his shoulders for a moment in order for him to enjoy his surroundings more fully. A pleasant breeze rustled his hair and caressed his skin, his body was covered from the neck down by a heavy coat, which only served to make him feel colder instead of warmer. Even his body temperature seems out of place, just like his health in the past few weeks. His breath rose in visible clouds and then dissipated on the autumn air around him. The sun hung low in the sky and cast its rays on his face, turning it a soft yellow hue. In spite of this, the wind persisted in picking at his sleeves, tugging gently at them as they fluttered back
Chapter: 58.******The grounds were cold, and her skin was damp with condensation. The night air felt sharp against her face, and it didn't help that she was pressed face down into the wicked cold floor. Her breath made small clouds of mist that floated in the cool air before dissipating into nothingness. Her hair clung to her cheek, damp and clinging to her tears. The only light around her came from a single candle burning from where it was placed on a broken piece of wood. She felt trapped, but more than anything she felt useless. All her life she's had to run from one obstacle or another, and now she was left without an exit route. She was trapped in this room alone, even her son had abandoned her. She was neither allowed outside nor permitted to go in search of him.She wished to apologize for how she had spoken to him the last time. He was all she had left. And if she needed to escape this Hell, then she would need his help. Her wounds grew deeper, and they smell like rot and de
Chapter: 57.******Reynold had the dining hall decorated beautifully that morning. The tables were all polished to a shine with white tablecloths adorning the surface, and a large vase of roses sat in one corner to give them an air of romance. The chairs had fresh chrysanthemums placed around the edges, which gave off an extra scent. Even the silverware was pristine, gleaming brightly under the light of hundreds of candles lit up throughout the room. It looked like something from a magazine set. He’d even taken it upon himself to arrange the flowers into the shape of hearts and stars as well as his personal favorite - two rosebuds. That seemed appropriate to him, somehow. He smiled at this small victory before he turned back towards the kitchen entrance.“Morgan. How are things going here?” he called out in his most cheery tone as he approached the kitchen doors. Morgan, the head chef for all the kitchen staff, didn’t need to turn away from the oven to answer her boss. She was wearin
Chapter: 56.******The Weretiger began to tremble again, snuggling deeper into his arms with a barely audible gasp. Cooing softly, Conri brought the blankets up around himself and his lover, taking a moment to caress Caleb's cheek before wrapping his arm around the other again. Within minutes, he realized the trembling wasn't from the cold, Caleb's growing whimpers and protests telling him so. The weretiger had woken up many times, barely got an hour's sleep before jerking awake from nightmares. So again, Conri ran his hands down the Weretiger's back, shushing him, trying to keep him asleep. This time, his lover fell quiet, untensing and resuming his snuggling, a faint smile gracing his lips again. Conri too began to smile, but it faded as the restlessness of his lover began to settle within his heart. He wondered why he wasn't sleeping as soundly as he had done the night of his Rut. Did he perhaps cause it with his absence the entire day? Each time he would jerk awake, he would cur
Chapter: 55.******Caleb woke up feeling slightly better than he did the day before. He stretched slowly, wincing from the sharp pain he felt below his stomach. He hissed and sat up, looking around the room and a frown marred his face when he realized he was alone again. He looked toward the side of the bed where Conri should have slept and frowned when he noticed how undisturbed the sheets looked. He didn't need anyone to tell him that Conri did not come home last night. Or maybe he did and picked a different room. Reynold had fooled him with the whole Erasthai thing. Feeding his head with dreams of hopelessness. Conri would never make him his Greatest Desire. He had only slept with him because of his Rut, nothing more. And whatever they had done during, was all done in the waves of his Rut. He didn't even come home. Was he repulsed by the thoughts of having sex with him that he would abandon his own bed? Or did he sleep in the arms of another? No! Caleb shook his head as if trying
Chapter: 54.******Documents were placed carefully on the desk for him by Barbara while he signed, and flipped them shut then passed them over to Clyde and proceeded to sign the next. There was an assortment of documents from his fathers estate as well as some from various business associates that he needed to deal with. He hadn't planned to spend his entire day signing documents and drinking firewhisky. He needed to get out of there and stretch his limbs, but knowing he had been away from his duties for quite some time, he must tend to the documents now, or else they kept piling up even more. And he would be a poor leader for all if he couldn't even deal with these small annoyances.The sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon, he could feel its warm yellow glow through his office window, and his eyes ached in protest. His body aches, too. He hadn't slept well in weeks and hadn't taken care of himself since he went into Deep Sleep. That is, after all, when things became rath