Flora’s P.O.V
“Flora!”
Daphne and Emma engulfed me into their arms as soon as I opened the door and let them into my room, a few hours after I came back from Andre’s office.
It was only a month since I had been away from them, but I had missed them dearly. They weren’t just my friends; they were my sisters and sisters always stuck together. No matter the secrets and the lies, they were family.
“I’m so glad you’re safe!” Emma told me as we pulled away. “Andre went half-mad when you went missing. He even got injured somehow an-”
“I know.” I told them. “Clay and I injured him when we escaped.”
“Oh God!” Daphne gasped. “Is that…are you injured?”
“What?” I looked down at my skirt, where Daphne had been pointing and found the splatter of blood on the peach colored material. I hadn't been in th
When the knock sounded on his door, Malachi had already been expecting his visitor.“Andre,” he welcomed his visitor. “Have a seat.”There was something wrong with the other man, that much, he was sure about, but what the problem was, he wasn’t aware yet. Andre looked unusually calm and his stance was rigid, robotic almost.Malachi debated on what he should ask the other man; thought it better to let him talk first. Malachi wasn’t a man to get easily intimidated or worried, but he had a feeling that Andre was lying about a lot of things. He was far older than what he had told and stronger too. He had a gut feeling about the other man that he couldn’t shake and it had only gotten stronger in the days after he had found the other man injured in the forest.He held a grudge too strong and he was sure there was much more to his secrets than he let on. Although it was understandable that he hadn’t wanted his mate
Flora’s P.O.V“Andre has…Malachi…”Everything seemed jumbled up inside my mind for an instant; my mind unable to cope with the shock.Malachi had been captured? Andre was the new Alpha?If Andre had taken over the pack and the castle, then everything was over right before our eyes.“Oh God…Emma!”The sudden yell had me turning to see Emma falling backwards from where she stood, her eyes having rolled back into her head. Daphne and I rushed to catch her before her head hit the floor and we managed to get to her just in time.“Emma!” I patted her cheeks, her head resting on my shoulders. “Emma, wake up.”“She’s in shock.” Samuel told us from the doorway, helping me snap out of my shock.“Daphne, Samuel,” I looked at them both. “Help me move her to the bed. She needs rest.”Samuel imme
Ezra’s P.O.VI paced back and forth on the tower balcony, feeling dread settle in the pit of my stomach. Something bad was about to happen and the stormy winds were a harbinger of bad omens.I knew there was going to be something happening as soon as Flora rejected Andre this evening. That man was nothing but bad news and the second he had stepped inside the castle, nothing good has come out of it. He had upset the balance that Malachi and I had maintained since the start of this pack. And now, Flora’s rejection might mean he was about to do something drastic once again.I couldn’t blame Flora though. Poor girl had too much trouble to deal with since the beginning and Andre’s appearance had caused her nothing but hurt. I can only wish I could do something to help her. But what can I do when I am bound by the same strings as her?“Shrine Maiden!”I halted mid-step, my restlessness was making my he
Ezra’s P.O.V“Till now, we have been made to believe from birth that the Moon Goddess, the creator of all werewolves, had given us a blessing…a chosen mate who is born just for us.” I looked at my Maidens as I spoke, as I laid out my heart and hoped for the best. “But even us wolves have a heart. A heart…that sometimes has a mind of its own and that wants to make choices even though it might not be the right one.”“Four centuries ago, when Lindersay castle hadn't yet been constructed…a war broke out between two rival packs. The Lindersay wolves and the WoodlandHunters.” I told the Maidens, remembering those days like it had only been yesterday. “The war started for very obvious reasons; because the wolves wanted more territory, more power and also because the packs worshipped two separate Goddesses. Lindersay worshipped the Goddess Selene and WoodlandHunters worshipped Artemis, the Go
Clay’s P.O.VSince I got my memories back, my mind has been more open, my thoughts have cleared.Although I knew it was all thanks to Flora and her healing, I couldn’t do anything to thank her. Malachi had warned me that for the next month, my life was about to get even more difficult and he hadn't been lying.Several men had searched the house I had been living in. They had destroyed what was left of the house we had called home for the past two years. Now we were truly no better than strays.And once again, I had been separated from Flora. It felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest once again; thrown to the ground and trampled on. How long would we need to keep fighting just so we could be together? Why couldn’t we be allowed to be happy just once?The Moon Goddess has gone too far with her testing, with her ego. She never had any intension of fulfilling her promise and I understand that now. It&rsquo
Flora’s P.O.VOne of Andre’s soldiers was stationed outside of Ezra’s room along with one of Malachi’s men. Both of them gave me followed me with their eyes as I came to knock on Ezra’s door, wearing the robes of the Moon Goddess.Ezra opened the door almost instantly and I went inside, only to realize exactly why the guards had been looking at me suspiciously.Daphne, Emma, Rosa and three other Maidens who I only knew briefly in passing, had gathered in Ezra’s room and it looked like we were about to have a meeting. Although it was normal to have this many Maidens at Ezra’s door, these weren’t exactly normal times. We were under an enforced lockdown, a prison of sorts where we weren’t allowed contact with anyone. Andre might not be allowed to interfere with what happens in the Shrine, but he was bound to get suspicious.“We have arranged for the bones to be delivered every day b
Flora’s P.O.VI stretched the bow string, feeling the strain in my upper arm.My eyes were set on the target that I had placed on the opposite wall. My room was big but not big enough that I could place the target further away. But this was the only place I could practice archery, because this was the only place where I wasn’t being monitored.I let go of the string and it shot out, hitting the target a second later.‘Keep the height of the arrow a bit higher than the target.’ I remembered Clay once telling me that when I had been practicing with him. ‘Gravity will pull down the arrow at least a few centimeters, so you need to shoot it higher.’Clay and I had been training with different weapons secretly for a couple weeks already. It had right after I had stopped training with Garrick and Clay had taken over my training.‘You’re a healer, so even if dange
Cold water splashing onto his face woke Malachi up from his unconscious form. Groggily, he opened his eyes to look into the face of the man who had him chained to the walls in a cell under Lindersay. It was a room even he had no clue existed. He was exhausted and drained both physically and emotionally. He had also lost count of days and nights a long time ago. Andre’s men occasionally fed him to keep him alive, but not enough so he could get back his strength. Today however, Andre was standing in front of him, something he rarely saw. But if Andre was here…it meant time was almost up. “Hello, little brother.” Andre knelt in front of Malachi, his smile twisted. “Mother is extremely disappointed in you.” “How come I didn’t know about you?” Malachi asked. He knew his other brothers and sisters, or had at least heard about them even if he hadn't had direct contact with them. But Andre? No, he had never seen him before. How could that be possible?
Bonus Chapter 3:The Beginning of a Legend:Ezra’s P.O.V400 years ago…“Beta, we are ready for battle.”I looked at the soldiers who had lined up outside my tent; all muscular men who wore the stripes of blue paint on their cheeks to show loyalty to their pack. Their wolves were young, not even close to the age where they have to find their mate and yet, they looked at me unsurely.A beta? A woman? Their thoughts were so clear it felt like I could hear them as if they had spoken out loud. But that didn’t deter me from my path. It wasn’t the first time I had seen suspicion and doubt in their eyes and it certainly would not be the last time either.“Listen clearly and listen well.” I announced to the young wolves. “We go into battle with the Lindersay battle today and do not make the mistake of thi
Dorothy’s P.O.V3 years ago:“Fucking, Trevor!” I looked at my phone for the thousandth time. He was supposed to pick me up after class at 4PM, but it was past 4.30 and I had been calling and texting him for the last half hour to no avail.“What’s gonna be his excuse this time? Abducted by aliens or fell into a crater and ended up on the other end of the earth?” I hugged, flipping my dark hair behind my back.I could’ve asked Flora to pick me up, but she was busy frolicking with the future Alpha, out in the woods somewhere.Ever since the rogue attack, Flora and Clay have been inseparable and even though I didn’t admit it to Flora…I have been feeling a bit left out. And now, even my boyfriend was ghosting me.“Looks like I’ll be walking home after all.” I rolled my eyes and switched off my phone. If Trevor wasn’t going to answer m
Clay’s P.O.V“You have to calm down.” Riley told me as he placed a hand on my shoulders. “If you keep pacing like this, you’ll create a crater.”I gave him a nervous smile, not in the mood for jokes or laughter.Flora’s water had broken this morning at the crack of dawn and she had been in pain ever since. Mercy had told me that since she was birthing twins, the birth might be a difficult process. But now that I could hear Flora’s screams from outside the room, I wanted to break down the doors and reach for my mate, to erase the cause of her pain.Only, this time…the cause of her pain was our children.Twin births were very rare in wolves and the fact that we had only found out after six months of her pregnancy, it was a risk in itself.“Yeah…” I took a seat outside the birthing room, just so Riley and Dorothy wouldn’t
Flora’s P.O.VI held Clay’s hand tightly in mine as he brought the car to a stop on the road right outside our pack unit in the forest.Three years.Three years that felt like three whole lifetimes.Clay and I had been through so much together…been separated for two years and had to endure test after tests from the gods, just so we could be together.And now…we were finally back to where it all started, but not permanently.“What are we going to say to them?” I asked past the knot in my throat.“The truth.” Clay answered simply, giving my hand a light squeeze. “They deserve it after everything we put them through.”Clay was right; I realized suddenly.For us, the last three years had been filled with tests and tribulations, but for our family…our old pack…I was the one who ran away suddenly after my best friend turned out to be C
Flora’s P.O.V“This is excessive.” I told both Emma and Daphne as I looked at myself in the mirror.“No!” They both protested at the same time. “This is just perfect!”“But…but…it’s supposed to be a wedding dress,” I pointed out. “This looks like someone robbed a Queen!”“Today, you are no less than royalty,” Emma came forward to adjust the veil of my dress. “You deserve it, after everything you have been through. Besides, it’s pretty much your coronation to the position of the Shrine Maiden. So enjoy the spotlight girl and stop complaining!”I gave Emma a wide eyed look. “Since when are you so forward?”“This one’s been rubbing off on me.” Emma shrugged, pointing over her shoulder to a smirking Daphne.I sighed and looked back at my reflection in the full-sized mirror. The
Flora’s P.O.V“W-wh-at?” I stuttered.“You are our blood, Flora.” Malachi smiled at me like a loving father, his eyes glossed with unshed tears. “It was a knowing deep in my bones the instant I set eyes on you. We have been waiting centuries to find you.”I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. “If you are my ancestor…that means…the Goddess…”“Yes,” they nodded. “You are the descendent of the Goddess as well. You are our grandchild’s child.”I shook my head in denial…but how could I deny the connection? I had always felt comfortable around Malachi and Ezra. I had always felt like they were my guardians, my blood. Now that they were saying that I was actually their blood…it did make sense, but at the same time, it seemed like a farfetched fairytale.“How is that even possible? My parents&hellip
Flora’s P.O.VCheers went all around the castle as we entered through the main doors.Mercy came rushing towards us along with four guards carrying a stretcher. Malachi was immediately escorted to the infirmary and Ezra went along with him.I saw almost all of the maidens rush toward the wolves that belonged to Clay’s pack. They turned to their human form to embrace their lost lovers and everyone started rejoicing all at once. I had never seen my friends, my sisters so happy. The entire castle felt vibrant, alive.“Come,” I took Clay’s hand in mine. “Let’s get out of here.”I brought him upstairs to the maiden’s quarters where my room was located and shut the door behind us. Clay’s wounds were healing faster now, but they might leave scars.I went to use my healing on him but Clay caught my hand. “Aren’t you going to see your packmates first?”
Flora’s P.O.V“We wish for Endymion to wake up.” I told her, shocking almost everyone around us.Goddess Artemis tilted her head to the side, studying me. “You wish for Endymion to wake up? Why?”“Because every time the Goddess Selene curses one of us wolves for rejecting the mating bond, it’s the pain that she herself has been suffering for centuries.” I explained. “Yes, she sees her lover every day, but he rests in an eternal slumber. She can never hear his voice again; never hear him tell her how much he loves her. We are vocal creatures and no matter how much a person shows us they love us…those three words can do so much more than just give us reassurance. Words. That’s why I want Endymion to wake up, so he can hold the Goddess in her arms and tell her from his own lips how much she means to him.”The Moon Goddesses looked at me in stunned silence. They hadn't e
Flora’s P.O.VThe figure of a woman appeared from the center of the column of light that stretched up straight to the sky.Clay was by my side in an instant, holding my hand in his as the winds swirled around us wildly. Thunder rumbled, lightning struck the land around the column of light and we moved back further to shield Malachi and Ezra from the flying debris.The war among the wolves had also come to a sudden halt and everyone was now looking at the column of light in fear and anticipation.And then the light disappeared, leaving behind a Goddess.Just like the Moon Goddess, Goddess Artemis stood taller than us by a few feet. Her skin was the color of ivory and it held a glow to it, like the blood inside her veins were illuminated. She had long dark brown hair that reached her mid-back and her eyes were a dark brown.She wore a white tunic with a short skirt that reached her knees and on her hand was a golden bow.