DeneraThe maid stood silently as I ate, her presence both comforting and unnerving. I picked at the food, overwhelmed by the lavish spread in front of me.“Is there anything else you need?” I asked, breaking the silence.“No, my lady,” she replied, her tone respectful but firm. “I am here to assist you.”“Assist me?” I repeated, unsure of what that entailed.“Yes, I will be by your side from now on, to teach you our ways and to serve you,” she said. “I will only leave when the Alpha returns.”Her words surprised me. “And your name?”“Rachel,” she answered, a soft smile gracing her lips. “Shall we begin your day?”I nodded, still trying to adjust to this new life. Rachel led me to the bathroom, where she filled the tub with warm water, fragrant with herbs.As I sank into the water, I felt the tension in my muscles ease. Rachel began to wash my hair, her fingers gentle but firm.“You don’t have to do this, you know,” I said, feeling a twinge of guilt.“It’s my duty, my lady,” she replie
RockanI walked into the room, my mind preoccupied with thoughts of Denera. I waited all day just to see her once again. She was sitting on the couch, her posture stiff and her eyes flickering nervously around the room. It was obvious she was still afraid of me, and I couldn't blame her. My reputation precedes me, and the half-mask I wore on my face did nothing to soften my image. But I needed to try, to show her that I wasn't the monster she thought I was.Well, I was, but I didn’t plan to become one with her. “I’m still figuring out what that means.” She tensed up and I shook my head. I reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You will, in time.”She was quiet, still very stiff, and afraid of my presence. I sighed internally. This wasn't going to be easy. She had been on my mind all day, and I had to constantly remind myself that the softness I felt towards her was because of the mate bond we shared. But was it really just the bond? I wasn't sure anymore."Denera
Denera “Please, stop,” I pleaded, hugging my legs tighter to my chest. There was fire everywhere. Nothing made any sense and I could hear the screaming of children from a far distance. It wasn't safe to be here but my legs would not move. “Help,” I croaked. I was surrounded by trees and they were all covered in flames, I watched as some fell to the ground and whimpered when the hot scattered pieces met with my skin. “Mum, Dad,” I cried out to no one in particular. “Denera!”***I jolted upright in bed, my eyes flying open wide as my heart raced frantically. Drops of sweat covered my entire body, with some trickling down my face. The sudden sensation of fear left me confused and uneasy.A dream - another vivid, unsettling dream. But this one had felt different, in it, I called out to my parents. I never really knew my parents. A heaviness settled in my chest. They were a blank space in my life, a big hole that my subconscious mind seemed determined to try and fill, even if o
DenaraThe day was finally upon us, the day the whole pack except me of course was waiting for. It was the day our next alpha, alpha Tim’s only son, was coming back home from his five year study trip.So it only meant one thing for us: the packhouse maids. More work! Though other maids could see a positive side to this, I couldn’t because it meant more people would visit the packhouse and more people visiting the packhouse would mean more errands for us.Running more errands wasn’t exactly my problem, the problem was running errands around people. I dreaded being around people because the more people in my space, the smaller I felt.“You have been on that spot for how long now?” The familiar voice of Freya, my cousin, made me turn to know who else was with her.It was Magda, the chief of the maids. I didn’t know when they entered because I was lost in thoughts.“And you are still standing there looking at what?” Magda asked. I quickly turned and continued what I was doing, hoping the
DenaraDisbelief flooded through me as Freya's words sank in. My parents...traitors? It was almost impossible to comprehend.Random fragments of memories I had of them began to flood my mind. They seemed kind, so peaceful. My father and mother would never have done such a terrible thing - or even thought about it. They were killed because they tried to take over the alpha's position?"Your dad was the Beta?" Bruno asked, his eyes wide with realization and devastation.I stared at him, my own eyes surely reflecting the same mix of emotions. "I-I don't understand," I stammered, feeling unsteady on my feet. "This can't be true. My parents were good people. They would never..."My voice trailed off as the implications of Freya's revelation sank in. If what she was saying was true, then everything I thought I knew about my family was a lie.I felt dizzy, and the room around me began to spin. Overwhelmed, I took a step forward, reaching out towards Bruno, seeking his steadying presence. B
~Denera~….The thunderstorms had been going on for hours. It was cold and dark, the cottage's wooden walls creaked as the wind blew hard against it. I had my blanket to keep me company as I quietly drew on the sketch pad on my lap. Aunt Rosa and her family were settled at the main house. I initially used to feel bad about this but after sometime, I grew accustomed to it. Plus I would rather be alone in an old cottage than stay in a cosy house with the likes of them. I jerked up from my bed when I heard a loud bang against the door. At first, I assumed it was one of the calamities of the thunderstorm but then it rhythmically happened again. “Open up!” Someone yelled from outside, making me rush out of bed to check it was. Uncle?Abruptly I turned the knob open and he instantly shoved me aside before walking in. “You bastard! Haven’t I warned you to never lock the door? Look how damp I am now!” Uncle Austin growled. “I’m sorry sir.” I whimpered, wondering why he came here in the f
~Alpha Rockan~I didn’t need a mate, the moon goddess knew this and saved herself the stress of giving me one. All my life I hated a weakness or anything that would make me slow down and having a mate and a child would do that, but these elders won’t listen.I had one already, my brother Tyris, even though everyone in the world including him thought I didn’t give a fuck about him, I still did, but no one had to know how important he was to me so they wouldn’t want to use him against me.“Alpha, you might end up going feral just like the alpha of the red lake pack. We can’t afford to watch anything happen to you, you’re like a god to us, what am I even saying, you are our god and our lives are in your hands.” Timothy, one of the elders repeated what they had been saying over the years, but this time he added an example.I knew his name because of the name tag he had on his chest. I told all the elders to always come with a name tag so I could identify them because I didn’t have the lux
Denera..His trousers fell down his legs and my eyes widened in horror as different thoughts about what could be happening crossed my mind. Uncle Austin took his shirt off also and I almost believed he was trying to take the wet clothes off before he caught a cold. Aunt Rosa was spending the night at the pack house with Freya so I knew only he was at the main house. Memories of how he stared at me when I served him dinner earlier flashed through my mind and I couldn’t help but whimper. “Uncle, what are you doing here, sir?” My voice cracked as I tried to speak but he kept mute. He held a dark gaze at me making me cower. I knew one mistake and he would beat me till I could not move—so I remained quiet. “Take those clothes off your body,” he ordered and I felt my heart sink to my belly in sadness and disappointment. “I…” I trailed off, losing words as the reality of what was about to happen hit me. I should’ve seen the signs, I did see them but I chose to ignore them. He had alwa