PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE Kole was busy gathering the new coats I had commissioned for Tyler and myself, and I had thought of gifting one to Ginny as well. Diana had crossed my mind, a gift for all the hard work she has done over the years but I'm still indecisive over that fact. My feet takes me to a winding stairwell, an unknown force pulling me in the direction of the cellars, but not quite that low. No light illuminates the passage way and I grab a torch, lighting it at a burning ember before going down the darkened hallway. The wind whistles in from an open window, opening and slamming every time as it knocks and forces itself in. I pause my steps, studying the small fixture to stem the resounding pounding that echoed through the halls. The torches against the walls immediately light up, shadows fleeting at the sight of bright yellow rays. There's a loud rumble that sings from the end of the halls, the sound of rumbling waters that has burst from it's cage, forcing my eyebrows to f
EASY ON ME I make my way into the pack at nightfall. I can sense the lingering gazes, the unspoken questions. They're all wondering who I am, while speculating that I was only human. The marks on my skin don't make much difference. They question more along the lines of why I even have them than consider me now their own blood. That's good by me too, their more for me and anyone else who does know what each is for. The gate closes behind me, Grayson's Gamma going off with a nod of head as he leaves me be. We haven't spoken a word to each other, I dont know him enough to exchange conversation and he wasn't up to the task either. Gerzi walks alongside me, and I leave the horse at the stable, heading into the enormous house that was once my greatest dread and then my home. It's close to midnight now, my steps echoing back to myself as I tred through the vacant hallways, before coming in contact with a small figure at the top of the stairs.The child yawns, rubbing his eyes but stares at
FALLING MASKS My vision blurs from staring into space for a while, thinking of everything. I want to reconcile with Grayson but I didn't know how to go about it and I did not want to leave on bad terms as before. Then there's this issue of being wrong about him. I'll admit to my insecurities that I've maybe not forgiven him for allowing Trish's death. Though I know it's only being hypocritical of me, seeing how much he's risked and taken care of me when I was down. Even Marie while I was unconscious. I'm not the only one being ass here."Are you listening to me mamy?" "Yes," I answer quickly, snapping myself from my stupor. "No, I'm sorry, I got distracted for a moment .""It's fine," He tells me hanging his head. "It doesn't matter .""What, no," I grab his hand in mine pulling him back to me, before kneeling at his side. "What's wrong tell me?""We have the archery contest and there's no one to be my partner. Papa is always busy and I'm not very good. Everyone will laugh like the
LOSING GAME I stand staring at the rustling grass, blinking as if I've just received sight my entire life. Grayson and I had spent the remainder of the night together, soaked in the rain like wild animals curled around each other and I slept so peacefully it hurts to admit. It felt as if I was trapped in a glass cage and he set me free, when he remarked me. God what am I doing? This wasn't the course I had set out for at all. The worst thing about it is there has to be someone else. Someone in his life and Tyler's. He couldn't have been waiting on my return all these years.The camp had changed so much since the last time I was here. I had changed so much. Tyler was....Tyler was still a baby then, so small and required so much attention, love. I had been so scared for him then. Terrified that someone, anyone would attempt to hurt him. So much has changed in seven years. He was no longer a dependent. Now he was as fierce as his father, exerting so much authority, get being so innocent
NO ANSWERS MORE QUESTIONS I stood watching Tyler from a distance as he rallied the other children to play. He's giving orders to the others as they walk around searching for something to build with. It's ironic that he's just standing there but doesn't help and I wonder what had they been teaching him about being Alpha.The direction of my thoughts changes once more thinking of how strange it was that I was yet to receive any word from home. Surely the Alpha King had some news to relay to me. But there hasn't been one bird. That wasnt a good sign, which meant I'll have to leave maybe a little earlier than planned.But Tyler….And the unforseen future with Grayson as an enemy is rather forbidding. I was supposed to come here to make friends with him, instead I wound up making him more of an enemy, rasing more questions and stirring emotions that I never knew existed. Why didn't he ever mention that he felt my emotions through our bond? That he knew how I felt within a given circumstan
NOT ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR My body vibrated at the sight before me, as I tied the horse to a nearby tree. I couldn't believe my eyes, there's no way there could be a crack in the fortress' wall. I won't say the structure was immaculate, of course not. It probably withstood centuries of wear and tear, but that crack was definitely new. I hurried inside, silence greeting by ears and I braced myself against my worst fears. There's a probable explanation for all of this," I chided myself. Everything is fine. Everything is fine.Everything is not fine.Everything is not fine I realise finding the camp in disarray, rampaged and destroyed as if a war was waged heavily here. Arrows pierce the ground and castle walls, swords abandoned, blood streaked against the dirt and grass, the reality of everything pounding deeply into my chest.I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe.My hands trembled terribly as my knees gave out from the sight before me, tumbling me to the ground.Where were th
A NECKTIE FOR THE LADY I could still hear Gerzi's dissuading voice in my head calling me to a stand still, but I fight against it with every facet of my being. I am going to find them and I am going to kill every last mother trucking one of them for all the blood they've shed without cause. The disgraced Prince or his men had no right to invade us. I never bothered him in his crusades but now he made himself my enemy and I wont stop until every life was avenged."Leila!" Gerzi growls."Either you join me, or leave me alone, Gerzi!" I warn him, tapping the reigns of my horse for him to move a little faster."You're going about this all wrong," He tells me. "You need help. You need Grayson.""Fine, run along then and go get him. I don't see the reason why you won't suffice however, if you ceased bitching.""Do I look like a guard dog to you?" He hisses offended by my words. "And while I would like to, I can't spend anymore time away from Grayson. It's been too long. While he says it doe
GRAYSON RETURN TO SENDER Leila.Something was wrong. I could feel it with every fibre of my being that something was wrong with my mate. The bond had grown stronger and senses more sharper ever since that fateful night I remarked her beneath the moon. The same way it had started then. But this feeling wasn't the same sharp and hallow sense of pain that I felt for her sometime ago. No, it was much different. I dropped everything walking towards the woodlands with haste. Something within me told me that whatever it was, was time sensitive. I couldn't let her down. Even if I was disappointed that she chose to run away once more. Thunder clashes above me as lightening splits the sky in half momentarily, a shy reminder of the tumultous thunderstorm that was approaching. The rain will make the terrian a little more tedious with it's loose ground and slippery mud, but this wasn't the time to think of how forbidding the circumstance was. I only needed to be cautious. Time wasn't a luxury I
BONDS TRIUMPH ANY TRIAL The worst thing about starting a revolution is that you have to see it through. I'm starting not to like that idea. Mostly because I'm stuck inside alone- well not necessarily all by myself but those that support me, cannot attend to my needs.And by needs, you know what I mean.No, not sex. Get your head out of the gutters.I meant conversation, cuddles, and late-night plays.I was part of the front line too, but then I was physically and forcefully removed without choice or option; because we found out an important matter. Only I knew first this time but kept it hidden. For good reason.This eventuality.I sigh once more palming my stomach. Grayson has been gone for three weeks. He's taken my women, his men, frankly anything that would remind me of what's going on outside those gates. So many more humans have joined our cause to live freely and have freedom. And we have spread like a wildfire, expanding our borders in even spaces I didn't think possible. We
HE'S NOT THE ALPHA Darnick is compliant with his decision to return, which only leaves Rasmus and me as the only jittery pawns on his chess board. This uninformed selfish decision of my father will run everything we've worked for into the ground and when Leila gets wind of this, it will be nothing short of a fuse explosion. "When are we leaving?" "At a convenient time for all of us," Xavier answers as if we're talking about abandoning cattle. That these weren't people with lives. Lives that were depending on us to protect them. "When was this decision made? ""Does it matter when it was made? My decision is final.""We're leaving them to die. It's a suicide mission. " I clarify just in case he was too blind to the reality of the situation at hand. "Commander Lyra has the know-how to navigate even the toughest of circumstances. ""The capability but not the equipment she needs. She hasn't had that for a while now. Or was that the reason why you've decided to save half her battalion
IMPOSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCESGRAYSON "You've made a grave mistake confronting him before everyone else, " I told my little mate when we had returned to her quarters."I know, I know, " Leila nods. "You allowed your emotions to get the best of you and now he's out for blood. ""I know. He'll want my head for this." She paces around her room rubbing her arms as if exposed to the cold. "I just, it felt too much. After I thought we lost them all. I mourned them, Grayson." Leila's dark eyes meet mine confusion swirling in the midst as she gazes up at me. "How are they still alive, it's not possible? Why wasn't everyone else saved? If he's so strong why isn't everyone still alive? Marie, Louis, and his family. "Leila's body trembles as she breaks into tears once more, her emotions overriding the restraint she had built up now bursting at the seams. "It doesn't matter. They're here and alive. ""Except it does. How can I tell the part of me that's been hollow for months now that it was all a
A PACK LOST A PACK GAINED I was on the outside surveying our space to plant more food and possibly rear a few animals. It's been a rough couple of months and my arm heals at snails pace. The wolves are still gathered around the periphery of the fortress, steadfast and unmoving since Grayson hasn't lifted his command. Hadn't we had them, perhaps Phineas' attempts to destroy us would have succeeded at his first crack.A hand reaches around, blocking my view and I attempt to back away, ducking beneath in the process, only to be enclosed in hard flesh and bones. "Morning," He growls at my ear ."It's afternoon," I correct."Still early," he rasps at my ear, back pedaling both of us in the process."Where are you taking me?" I question the oaf."You'll see soon enough.""I have work to do," I argue."You're always working," His reply comes, feet still walking blindly and his breath warm a constant against my cheek."Do you even know where you're going?" I enquire not liking the fact that
STRONGERDaina runs away while I sit in open contemplation. My chest and cheeks hurt like fudge sticks, my shoulders are sore, but my head felt as if I'd hit it against the column, knocking myself out for half my lifetime. My body was heavy as lead, even though I was only seated upright."I wouldn't advise moving as yet, Luna. You took quite a nasty beating and the medicine still needs time to circulate.""Impeccable timing," I told him, my voice croaking as that of a hoarse frog, my eyes quickly sweeping the room. It wasn't mine, but from the nonexistent accolades, I knew this was Grayson's plain room. I could almost chuckle thinking of how filled this room will easily become with Tyler's drawings over the years.That is if he intended on staying here. Fear seized my chest and I clutched at it, telling myself I'm only overreacting. Where else would he seek to go?"Where's Grayson?""The Alpha is currently being looked after." Gamma Kole answers.My brain dissects the funny way he dec
DAINA ALL MEN MUST SERVE Inside was just boring and mourful. All everyone bickered about was the war and how things should have been different. They lamented about losing people and about not being prepared more. All it did was agitate me. It was the past, it was said and done and cannot be changed. I desperately wanted to scream at them to just shut up and move on with their lives. Focus on freaking surviving. What else could we do at this point?Glancing around the blackened room and finding the newly acquired Alphas only made my mouth more sour. Six people from two entire packs survived that freaking attack. What kind of monster army did Alpha Phineas have to have subdued them like that? His Luna had been such a simple girl when we met last. I supoose that's the reason behind her apparent simpleton behavior. Her Alpha was terrifying.I push to leave the suffocating atmosphere of the dead and dying, a human warrior shifting into my path and blocking my way."Sorry," He says voice
GRAYSON ALPHA COMMAND That bastard Phineas, I bet he had timed Leila just right to have cornered her inside her room. I had every intent on ripping his head from his shoulders, but the damned ass had escaped rolling over the window and scampering down the wall with his tail between his legs.I huff, watching as he scurried away, a f*king cheeky smile on his face, echoing the words of his return. I can't stay furious, turning to find Leila unmoving, my worst fears manifesting seeing how beaten up she was.My teeth screech on edge, Phineas now making himself my number one enemy. Known to him, I promised death to whoever touched Leila and my wrath knew no bounds or creed. My body bows with stress, kneeling before the blood that heats my veins. Leila cries out from pain that strikes my soul, her entire being trembling as I took her into my arms. Her lips bleed, bruises lining her forehead and arms. That son of a bitch!"I'm going to die, I'm going to die," Leila whispers, her words mir
SACRIFICES ***WARNING: May contain triggers.Our walk to the fortress takes days when in reality it should've only been a few hours. With the massive injuries that our group had sustained, we were left to creep as old men, creating shelters and entertaining others from dwelling on the reality of our condition. Tyler sticks on my heels aiding me to gather as much fruits as possible. A few murmur about having only that to eat, but I turn my ears and bite my tongue. What did they want me to do, hunt a boar? They weren't Tyler and I was never asking Grayson to go find one either. Everyone had to learn to live within their means and accept the case for what it is. If we send enough abled out people out and they were attacked, any hopes of us rebuilding would be smashed against the rocks. I glance at the sky a little perturbed about the overcast weather, but think better of it when I glanced back at the ailing pack. Maybe it was best that we didn't rush them. Tyler tightly grips my arm u
BLEEDING HEART "Leila, you cant afford to have your emotions control you," Gerzi scolds or maybe it's sturdy advice. My entire body trembles at the thoughts of the many people we've lost. The glossy eyes that stare back at me- us by extension. The many children lost, the parents that are beside themselves in agony. Too traumatized to even utter a word. The carnage of Trish's body flashing before my eyes forcing me into a mental hell I wanted not. I paused my steps, closing my eyes as I grit my teeth through the pain. I didn't want to loose anymore people to this. I couldn't!War has places us all on the same ranking. We were all vulnerable and helpless. Dependent on each other for growth, stability and strength. We were as weak as the smallest one among us. It shed light on our shortcomings. The distrust and lingering desparities between us. There were no lines today in that attack. We were all preys."There's a large cave nestled in some rocks ay the edge," Gerzi directs. "Just ke