Chapter 23The tension in the truck would give any blade a hard time to cut through. Everyone was silent but still, the unspoken words were deafening. Everyone was battling with their inner thoughts and battles. Feria was stealing gazes once in a while at Rose. It was taking every fiber in her being to stop herself from stretching out and burying her fangs in the latter's neck. Why the hate? There were a lot of reasons why she was upset. Feria usually wanted the front seat for the ride. She had hopped into the truck with the hopes that Grim would be the one driving. But she was disappointed when it was Dale who had hopped into the driver's seat. Dale was pissed that he was the designated driver. He had expected his younger brother to take the wheel. He wanted to protest, but he already knew what Grim's response was going to be. “I am the ruler and I'm ahead of you. When I give you an instruction, I expect you to obey.” Not ready to be embarrassed in front of the others he had q
Chapter 24Grim has spent the majority of the trip watching Rose sleep. As fate would have it, the woman drifted to him, putting her head on his shoulder. She looked so innocent in her slumber. It came as a surprise to see her in such a calm state. For a moment he was beginning to doubt his plans for her were the right thing. They had only spent the past hour with each other and he was already rethinking his actions. But when he remembered what was at stake here, he snapped out of his delusion. Meanwhile, Rose couldn't contain her excitement. She was finally going to see her mother. She turned to hug Grim out of excitement but held herself back. Everyone stepped out of the truck. But Rose delayed a bit. She didn't have to worry about her luggage, Judy had already gone to get it. She was more bothered about the environment they had just arrived in. She had expected to be taken to some beautiful vampire pack that was crawling with people and beautiful scenery. Instead, she saw h
Chapter 25Grim was conversing about something random with Dale when he saw Rose approaching. He knew a time like this would come so he prepared himself for this conversation. “Where are we, Lord Grim?” She asked, getting in front of Grim to block his path. “For the tenth time, it's ‘My Lord' to you,” Grim scolded. “Please answer the question. I was hoping to see my mother. I have no plans to fight a war.”“You're not here for that. These are the men that are going to help us find your mother.” “You said that she was going on a courtesy visit. What do you mean by they're here to find her? Is there a chance that she is lost or is in trouble?” “She didn't reply to the messages we sent out to her. This is the only way that we can find out what happened to her. They're here to help us.” Dale walked behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “There is no need to be scared. You'll get to see your mother in no time.” Grim couldn't stand watching Dale hold her like that. He wanted to
Chapter 26Wanted? Rose couldn't understand why her mother was being wanted. How could a hero be wanted? She couldn't see what was written clearly but there was a list of reasons why Vanessa was wanted. It was confusing. This didn't sound like the Vanessa that she had heard about. Rose walked towards the poster. Right then a pair of telescopes would be highly appreciated but unlucky for her they are not lying around anywhere. She looked around. No long rods were lying around. The only thing that would give her a clear view would be climbing onto one of the buildings, especially the one that overlooked the pole directly. A strong wind swept by brewing up dust and dirt. Rose muttered insults for the breeze until she noticed that it was in her favor.The poster was swaying in the breeze. It was barely hanging on to the pole. One side of the paper was already off the pole while the other half was still stuck. Rose waited under the pole ready to grab it. When it finally came off, it
Chapter 27By the time Rose returned to the table, the food had been exhausted. Every flesh of meat has been cleared out and the jug of blood has been exhausted. “Too late, Rose. I had quite an appetite today,” Feria sympathized mockingly. “There are some leftover bones in the plate for you.” Feria pointed to the bones in a bowl, the same bones she had conveniently crunched to bits. “But those are already eaten?” Rose muttered shockingly. Her face exuded disbelief but her heart exuded happiness. Feria scoffed. “The way I see it, you either suck on these bones or you stay hungry until the next meal.” She paused to down a cup of blood. When she lowered the glass she stood up. “Also Rose, make sure you clean the table.” Grim stood up and accompanied her as they made their way back to the room they shared. He felt pity for Rose for how she was treated but he stayed out of it. He planned to take her out later in the day and he would get her something to eat. Right now he needs to res
Chapter 28 Rose stood transfixed staring at the figure leaning on the doorpost. Her first thought was that she was sleepwalking but nothing about those wide-opened eyes said that she was in a slumber. “What are you doing here, Judy?” Rose asked, clearing her throat. She was sure that she had applied the sleeping liquid to the food in enough amounts to knock everyone out. How then did Judy manage to escape being affected? “Nothing, Ma'am. I was just looking for you. When you didn't come back from dinner I was worried. I had just walked out of the room when I found you here.” Her words are calculated and she didn't want to give off her true intentions. Rose was baffled. She couldn't stop wondering if the other woman had seen her take out the poster from Dale's coat. If Judy was awake did that mean that she had noticed her walk into the room before?“Oh, I was just rounding off a few things before I came to rest. I was about to walk past when I noticed Dale's door was open. I wan
Chapter 29 The only way out seemed to be the window. Rose slung the satchel over her shoulder and walked to the window. It was just a floor down but it looked like she was gazing down a steep bottomless hill. At the end of her view was a trashcan loaded with trash. “Please tell me we are not landing on those bags of trash,” Her wolf said. “We have no choice, Daisy. Either we get out of here now or risk being hanged in front of everyone.” That was the most gruesome death Rose could imagine. “Never!” Daisy rebuked. “Then brace yourself for impact. We are jumping out of here and we are jumping out of here now!” This time the banging on the door has increased. It was so intensified that Rose began to fear that the door would give way. She first dropped the satchel off watching it fall into the bags of trash. One of the trash bags expanded as soon as the satchel landed on the heap. Rose climbed on the window frame looking down at the incinerator hoping that she would make a safe
Chapter 30 Rose woke up to the sound of crackling fire and the distant sound of screeching owls. She held her head trying to battle her dizziness. She looked at her legs and all the wounds that she had sustained while running away were cleaned and healed. She turned to see Judy at the other end of the fire. The latter was watching the flames as she brandished a penknife on a rock. “Where the hell are we?” Rose asked, looking around. It felt like they had fallen into a hole.“We are in a cave I spotted on our way coming here. It should give us enough shelter for the time being until we can figure out what is going on.” But her words didn't bring Rose comfort. “What about the guards? Did we lose their trail?” “Yes, we lost them a long time ago. Judy grabbed a cup of freshly brewed tea and handed it over to Rose. “Take this, it should help with the headache.” Rose peered at the drink with a skeptical gaze. Just smiled. “Don't worry I will not try to drug you like you did to me. It
Chapter 112 The entire Solemn Roar Pack was in attendance at the town's square. Everyone had gathered because the Alpha had arrived, and even though he had yet to explain the whereabouts of the groups he had taken to battle, they still welcomed him. Word had spread that he had summoned everyone, and they had appeared like ants, eager to know the outcome. Some of them had already packed up their bags. It was in their pouches, but it was also lined up on their beds. They wanted to be the first to move into Bittercullen, just to see how it felt to trample another man's territory. Then there were still the good ones who didn't come to cheer. The ones who wanted to protest about the way things were treated but didn't have enough courage to carry out the task. If the Alpha heard a single word of complaint, it wasn't news that he would not take it kindly. Then there was Rose. Waking up to this was the strangest feeling ever. Last she could recall, she had been back in her room, a
Chapter 111 Grim had already seen the scheme play out. Even before she could move the sword, he had already felt his head roll off his shoulder and his throat wastes hastily to the floor. It was not new news that he hated him and would not make it less so if this opportunity had just been bestowed on her. She drew the knife on one fast love arm, and he gasped. “You’re lucky my daughter seems to find something in you.” He kept checking his name. And when he had concluded that it was still whole, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for sparing my life,” he said, leaning against the pile once again. “I shouldn’t have. Now I’m regretting why I didn’t, now that it’s too late. With the way you ruined my life, who wouldn’t if the same thing was done to them?” “I regret it as well. I regret leaving you like that because now I know how it feels to have someone so close betray you like that. I had the self-reflection I needed, and I’m here to say I’m sorry.” It felt great h
Chapter 110Vanessa’s breath came in sharp, ragged bursts as she stepped onto the battlefield. The air reeked of scorched earth and blood and was filled with something fouler, something *alive*. Magic. Wild and hungry. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a drumbeat of fury and fear. She’d felt it was the moment Rose lost control. That shockwave of power, tearing through the night like a scream. It had iced her veins, screaming one truth: *Too late, too late, too late—* And now, as the chaos unfolded before her, her worst nightmare took shape. Rose hung limp over Reed’s shoulder, her hair a tangled curtain, her body too still. Vanessa’s chest caved in. *No. Not her. Not my girl.* Rage erupted inside her, white-hot and vicious. It begged for violence, for teeth and blood and fire. But she choked it down. This wasn’t the time for fury. This was the time for precision. One misstep, one reckless move, and her daughter was gone. Her eyes locked onto Reed. He stood there, smug, *v
Chapter 109 A touch from Rose was all it took to put Grim in a good mood. Suddenly, the pain didn’t matter. All his senses were heightened, and a couple more strands of strength were added. This was a reminder of what he had been fighting for. She was worth it. She was worth every bruise, every scar, every drop he had spilled in the war. He would do it all over again for her and only her. “Is this because I talked about your father?” “Don't do this, Reed! She said no!” Grim said, leaning forward. He was trying to avoid the dark side of her coming to the fore. “Stay out of this, Grim. She is just being stubborn and needs to be reminded of what happens to people who think they can mess with me and get off free.” He slowed his tone, focusing his gaze on Rose alone. “I absorbed their necks right in front of their daughter. I ripped their hearts out.” Rose was fighting hard, but the image of her father’s face, begging in his last moments, wouldn't stop popping up in her min
Chapter 108Rose sat on the porch stairs, gazing into the distance. She could see it. The flames rising into the sky, the screams for help. Yes, the scent of blood had gotten to her as well. She could thank her hidden vampire sense of smell for that. It was just her and Vanessa at home. She had been sensing something was coming. Rose was waiting for her. She wanted to be the first to get the news of Judith’s return. Why hadn’t she snuck out yet? She was afraid of getting caught. It was an easy path to take back to the palace. But what could she do if she got there, huh? Werewolves now hated her. If she showed up, it would mean no surprise that they would either tear her to death or put the blame for what they were facing on her. To avoid that, she had stayed put. This was not a time for her tricks. The war was serious. Her mind kept wondering if Grim was still alive. Was he safe? The place she had seen him seated looked familiar to her. It was in Noetvelle, and that me
Chapter 107If looks could kill, Reed would have been on the floor, spirit unbound, blood-filled. That attack would not be from the thousands of people waiting patiently to see him for his downfall. It could be from Grim. If not for the sorceress keeping him in check nothing would have stopped him from reaching out his hand and blocking both of its eyes. it might not have been successful but at least they would have tried. He had heard the stories about how Reed had treated Rose, how he had tortured our father and chased her from the pack. On top of that he had the guts to call her his wife?“I have no idea who you are talking about,”* Grim replied, picking up a piece from the floor. “Oh, man. I love that vase,” he said, running his hands along the vase. “You’re going to have to pay for that.” He was stalling. If you thought the man was interested in an average deal with his villain, you were terribly wrong. It was a clever and subtle attempt to stall, and he was doing it on purp
Chapter 106Talk about chaos and bloodshed. It quickly puts you in the direction of the battle. Why, you ask? Why was this very revered place suddenly turned into a battlefield for survival, where very few could make it out? Well, I'm going to tell you. Because it started with a... "Bang!" The sound of the metal gates falling to the floor as they heralded the enemy. The sky over Nostville burned red with fire and chaos. Smoke billowed from the rooftops, filling the air with the acrid scent of destruction. It stretched as far as the horizon, and by the time Tom and his people arrived, no stone had been left unturned. Everywhere was hit. Every crevice was blown right open. Screams cut through the darkness—desperate cries of men, women, and children who ran blindly, their eyes wide with terror. The once-proud streets of the coven had become a battlefield, littered with bodies—some writhing in pain, others eerily still. Yes. Clearly, a spell was put on everyone. Shadows mo
Chapter 105Grim could hear the bangs and yells from a distance. But he didn't move a muscle. Gormee was the only one he could see. Excited to go wherever that would go. On a good run of days ago, he would have snuck back into the coven just to see how he could help them. But he was tired of fighting for a group of people who didn't give a damn about him.“Come on, Grim. How can you be here and watch your people scream and beg for help when they are calling for you?”He sighed. “I can’t say I ever agreed with their choices, but they had the chance to make the right choice. They didn't. They have to learn a lesson. Alistair is capable, right? Well, they could count on him to save them.”He took a sip of the root beer. It was his only company, the only thing that made him feel welcomed.“Don't be heartless, Grim. You know that man has no idea what he is doing. He is just being manipulated, and if you don't stop it soon enough, he is going to ruin the whole coven. You don't want that, do
Chapter 104 The sound of beating drums and people faintly whispering was the scene that woke up all of Nostville. That was the minute number who were able to get any sleep the previous night. As far as everyone else was concerned, their eyes were wide open, absorbing the gates in wait of the approaching battalion. Everyone was indoors. Rocking chairs sat alone, unoccupied, swinging with every tug from the violent wind. Even the windows remained still. For a community of people who were always fetching for gossip, everyone seemed settled in the inner parts of their households. It was better not to be aware of what was going on than to afford to be the first one that suffer the massacre that was brewing in the air. Their homes still stood the chance of getting attacked, but at least it was the safest they could be. Meanwhile, Reed was ever so comfortable in his seat. His eyes could sweep across his surroundings. “It’s just a matter of time,” he said to Jael. “History is