Elena’s POVI looked at him sheepishly and just laughed my embarrassment off, hoping he’d forget about this soon enough.Just in time, though, one of the warriors came with a wooden basket filled with food and placed it down on the table.“Do you need anything else, Prince?” he asked as he put two canteen bottles of water in front of us.“No,” he simply replied and raised his hand as a gesture that he could leave.The warrior gave us a small bow before he turned and left.“Do you eat this kind of food?” he asked while unpacking the things from the basket.Leaning in, I took a closer look, and a smile formed on my lips as I saw the familiar delectable foods especially made for battles for both convenience and nutrients.There were four kinds of MRE in there, which was an abbreviation for Meal Ready-to-Eat foods. Basically, it’s a small pouch containing one meal. If you dip it in water, the self-heating pad inside it will activate, and it will cook by itself within minutes.And voila, t
Elena’s POVI swallowed, feeling overwhelmed by the dominating demeanor radiating all over him, proving that he was the Prince and the god of war that everyone feared to be an enemy of.He was towering over me. His pupils dilated in anger, and fire seemingly glowed beneath its dimness, showing the built-up fury within him while the veins on his neck protruded.I’m so dead.Chill cursed through my every vein as I suddenly felt so small in front of him. I leaned as far back as I could and was even having difficulty looking straight into his eyes.Damn! I’m an Alpha and a newly appointed Princess; I couldn’t believe I could be subdued so much like this by his demeanor.“As a Luna, did you even think twice before you impulsively did this?” he started, but I only kept quiet, supposed by his anger.I think it would be best to let him calm down a bit first before I reason with him.He tapped his index fingertip on the table while sending blazing fire of gaze my way, continuing with his scold
Elena’s POVI heard the synchronized footsteps of warriors taunting nearby and instantly woke up. After blinking for a while, I stretched out and sighed as I looked around.Because I was exhausted from all the running for the past three days, I went straight to bed after Prince Deacon left and slept, so I didn’t have enough time to check out the place.The bed I was on was smaller than the one in the Prince’s tent. Unlike the one in Prince Deacon's, the ground didn’t have any floorings, but the lighting, tables, and chairs were almost the same.What I found notable was that there was a separator on one of the corners to hide me when I was changing, which I very much appreciated.Since they were all men, none needed it, so I reckon they probably made it in haste for me. It’s made of wood and large leaves and straws.I’ve changed into comfortable pants and a simple shirt and still paired it with my combat boots.Just in time, as I finished changing, someone called out.“Luna Elena? This
Elena’s POVI looked at the man before me, completely dumbfounded by his judgment. He didn’t even ask questions about our background or anything, and he dared to reject us just like that.“Excuse me?”“What nonsense are you spouting about?”Saige and Maise respectively spoke. But while Saige merely had her arms crossed over her chest, Maise had her hands slammed over the table, which angered the recruiter, and she stood up with a red face that portrayed a bulldog who was about to go on a rampage.“You three, don’t cause a stir in here! This is a battlefield camp and not some playground for women like you!” he shouted.The three of us looked at each other with hungry jaws for a while before we all looked back at the recruiter with a fierce glare.What’s his reason?“Huh! And yet you have a homewrecker she-wolf as a general! The double standard here is just beyond my understanding!” Maise blown up.“Homewrecker?” The recruiter looked confused before he snickered, “Are you talking about
Elena’s POVPrince Deacon looked at the recruiter for a while before he shifted his gaze and directed it to Tyson, who was behind him. “Tell me, since when did we start recruiting warriors based on gender?”Tyson stood tall and cleared his throat, looking disapprovingly at the recruiter. “Never heard of any memo about that, Prince.”“Exactly, so… What’s happening here?”It’s impressive how Prince Deacon kept a straight face and a calm voice, but his words still weighed so much that I observed the others getting a chill on their spine.“It’s my fault, Prince Deacon.”My brows raised in surprise when the recruiter readily admitted it. He put his arms on his back and stood up properly in an attention matter or warriors.“Oh?” Saige side-commented as she finally stood up from the table and sent the recruiter the same look of disbelief as Maise was doing.The recruiter looked at each of us with a hint of surprise, admiration, and fear. Swallowing, he went on, “I never really thought in my
Bryson’s POVI sat in the middle of the Swiftridge Pack's grand hall today, wearing a midnight blue tuxedo with perfectly styled hair and expensive champagne in my glass while looking with terror at the scene that was unfolding in front of me here at my marriage ceremony with Glenda. Something I should be excited about, but instead, I’m feeling the opposite.Six days… It’s been exactly six days since Elena rejected me and left the pack. It’s been six days without her, and the pain brought by the rejection was still lingering in my heart.They said the pain should’ve only been for a day or two, so why was I still feeling this way?Six days after Elena left, with every penny I accumulated from begging from every pack, friend, and Alphas I knew, I finally managed to bring my wedding ceremony with Glenda into action. With limited funds, we could only do a limited number of things, including the venue, guest numbers, decorations, and food.Though it wasn’t poorly created, it still wasn’t
Bryson’s POV“King Desmond, Glenda, and I are here to receive your orders and ready to lead troops to the Withered Hinterland any second at your words,” I respectfully greeted as I kneeled down on one knee with Glenda doing the same beside me.We placed our right arm’s elbow on top of our bended knee and bowed our heads in respect to the King.“You may raise.”After hearing that, Glenda and I stood upright with arms on either side of us.Once the King gestured for the seats on the side, we sat down and waited for him to speak. Looking at his bothered face, a feeling of anxiety rushed through my veins.Did something happen?He let out a sigh as he grabbed the goblet beside him, gulping down its contents before looking up at me. “I need the two of you to lead troops in the Withered Hinterland as soon as possible.”“May we know what happened?” I asked.“Yes, isn’t Prince Deacon already in there? The last time I heard, everything was under control.”I gave Glenda a discreet hiss and glare
Elena’s POV“What was that?”“Did you hear that?”“Are those swords clashing?”Maisy, Saige, and I had jolted awake from our sleep almost simultaneously, throwing the blanket on top of us and getting up from bed with alertness.At first, Prince Deacan wanted to give them another tent to share, but I said they could stay with me. After all, we had a lot of things to catch up on.But what we didn’t expect was to wake up in the middle of the night from a series of screams, bombs, and sounds of clashing swords.We all looked at each other and nodded in understanding. In less than a minute, we had our combat clothes on.“Let’s give them aid. I’ll go to the front. Maise, you're in the west. Saige, you're on the east side,” I commanded while peaking from the in-between of the fabric door.But before we could step out, one of the soldiers rushed in. “Luna Elena, I’m sorry for barging in. I need to evacuate you as per Prince’s ord–”He didn’t manage to finish his words when he looked up and sa
Elena’s POVAfter everyone dispersed and returned to their tents, Prince Deacon and I also turned and left.We walked by each other’s side. I could feel him giving me a side glance every now and then, so when I could no longer handle it, I halted and gave him a look. “Say it.”Sighing, he uttered in a low voice, “Rumors are already spreading around at the camp like wildfire, and it’s only been a night. We both know who started this, but don’t let it get you down. They'll be all proven wrong once we go into a battle.”I let out a small laugh and waved my hand. “Of course, I know. Who else will it be? Besides, those words won’t shake me. After all, actions speak louder than words.”He halted from his steps and gave me a knowing look before he nodded his head a couple of times, letting out a mischievous smirk. “You’re right, actions do SPEAK louder than words.”I narrowed my eyes at him and leaned a little bit closer before tilting my head, vividly seeing the glint in his eyes like geers
Elena’s POVAfter the last night of drama, Prince Deacon walked me to my tent, and I lay on my bed, letting sleep consume me. And for the first time in a long time, I felt very refreshed as the weight I was carrying was no longer as heavy as before.Feeling energetic, I woke up and changed into my combat clothes before I tied my hair into a ponytail.Since I woke up in a great mood and the weather seemed so nice outside, I planned to go for a morning run.The warriors greeted me enthusiastically; some even offered me bread and drinks, but I respectfully rejected them, telling them I’d go for an exercise.“I always thought Prince Deacon was a man of honor and discipline. I heard he had always been imperial and would give punishment and merits to those deserving despite rank. It’s very disappointing that the god of war we looked up to is not as great as we thought he was.”"Indeep, I never imagined that our kingdom would be lowered to this. How can they easily hand outranks based on fam
Glenda’s POV“This is absurd. We brought these warriors, and now I’m supposed to step back and let Elena lead them. After everything we did to get in her as fast as possible?” I complained to Bryson as soon as we got out of the main tent and got further enough to know the Prince wouldn’t hear me.How come that unworthy, overprivileged, weak she-wolf like Elena would command my troops and me? I couldn’t accept it!If it weren’t for her father and her brothers, no one would even look at her, let alone know her name!“Bryson, say something!” I demanded as I shook his arm when I noticed that he wasn’t paying attention to my words.When he finally looked up, I added, “This can’t be happening! We’ve been through so much in the South, it’s unacceptable for them to just brush us off to the side!”“Calm down, Babe,” he uttered in a calm and sweet voice as he swung his arm around my shoulder and landed a kiss on my temple. “It’s the Prince’s command. We can’t do anything about it. This is the N
Elena’s POVBefore I knew it, I already lost count of the glasses I drank. Luckily, Prince Deacon only gave me a wine, and the fact that I wasn’t drunk after all that made me realize that it only had a low alcohol level.Narrowing my eyes, I looked at him to scold him, but then I was gritted by his dimmed eyes filled with fury and his fingers with stains of blood on them.“What happened?” Panic coursed through my body. Hurriedly, I leaned forward and grabbed his hand, examining his fingers.But when I lifted up his hand, I found that the side of the armrest of the chair he was sitting on was chipped.I was so drawn into expressing my pain and burden to him that I didn’t think of how it might have affected him. He must have been angry upon hearing about all the mishaps I’ve experienced, considering how righteous he was.Feeling guilty, I grabbed my handkerchief and wiped off the blood from his fingers to find that it had already healed. Indeed, he’s a Lycan, healing way faster than wer
Deacon’s POVElena and I stayed in that position for a while. I let her cry every single tear she had been withholding back for as long as she had tried to, even at the expense of drenching my shirt.My heart clenched as I heard her cry as if I was as heartbroken as she was. If only I could share half of her pain, I’d do so in a heartbeat. No… I’d even take all of it for her.Once she felt better and loosened her hold on me, I stood up and took off my shirt, not minding that I was now shirtless. After all, it was normal for male werewolves to be shirtless, especially during training.Having six brothers with her as she grew up, I’m sure she’s very used to it already.I opened one of the boxes on the corner of the tent and dug deep for the finest wines in there, along with two wine glasses. Sitting on her opposite side, I filled the glasses and handed one to her.“Thank you… I sure needed this,” she forced a smile after letting out a small joke that was obviously a half-truth.As she s
Elena’s POVThough Bryson and Glenda had their arms linked together, Bryson managed to delay his step for half a second, just enough time for him to cast one last glance back at me.Something in my heart flickered as I saw regret in his eyes before he vanished from my sight.Don’t be stupid, Elena!I wanted to smack and scold myself for feeling a fierce pain jolting in my heart whenever I encounter Bryson.He betrayed me, and I had already rejected him, and together with that was my vow to bury every last bit of my feelings for him. I freed him and myself the second I divorced him, which was why it frustrate me inside whenever I felt pain in my heart whenever I see him.“Of course, whether you want it or not, he became a part of us, and once upon a time, we loved him,” Ava reasoned.I blocked her out without wanting to hear Ava’s logical and truthful explanation.When the doors closed, Deacon approached me, his eyes searching my face with surprising tenderness.Though Bryson and Glend
Elena’s POVGlenda froze as her words were caught in her throat upon feeling Prince Deacon’s powerful aura that demanded submission. Like the rest of us, there was no doubt that she felt that chilling sensation that crept to our spine, and hers would have been far worse as it was directed to her. Eventually, she could only look away, silent for once, probably realizing that its futile for her to argue further.“Listen here, and listen well, Glenda. No matter how many merits you gained through war, there’s no amount of merit in this kingdom you could ever earn to have the privilege to disrespect me nor the King!” Prince Deacon uttered in a chilling voice as his eyes turned a glint of reddish-gold that’s a mark of Lycan wolves.“The King… I never…” she stuttered, as confused as I was.Indeed, Glenda was reckless and boldly retorted to Prince Deacon, but I never heard her badmouth the King—that would be like her asking for a death sentence.Abruptly, Prince Deacon grabbed my wrist and p
Elena’s POVMy gaze froze as my eyes started to grow red, but as I felt my heart clenching with pain and grief, I saw the slight grin that was about to form on Glenda’s lips.Not wanting her to feel any sense of satisfaction, I clenched my fist tightly and helped myself stay calm despite the overwhelming ounce of fury and grievance resurfacing in my heart. Thankfully, Prince Deacon gave me a glance of worry, which kept me straight upon seeing the comfort in his eyes.I could feel the heavy weight as everyone’s gaze fell on me, waiting for my explanation. Taking a deep breath, I held my head high, calmed myself, and kept my breathing steady.Once the storm in me dispersed, I uttered in an unwavering voice, “The rogues that my father and brothers fought here… They didn’t just claim territories. They went back and… massacred my entire family, my pack… everyone.”Though I had to take a pause now and then as flashes of their dead bodies flashed in my mind, I ensured that my voice would rem
Elena’s POVAt first, I was trembling with mixed emotions of anger, pain, and disgust as I watched Bryson and Glenda support each other, especially when I heard Glenda’s intentional remark, which was clearly intended to put me on edge.And I’d be honest, I almost lost my calm after seeing her shamelessness and audacity to ask me such a question.Thankfully, Prince Deacon came to my side. And like these recent days, his touch seemingly had a magic effect on me that always brought me warmth and comfort and kept me on my toes.Straightening my back, I gazed back at Glenda and let out an unbothered smile.“Well, I find it unnecessary to publicly announce such trivial matters, especially when it is I who…” I gave Bryson a quick glance before I smirked, “rejected him.”Turning my gaze back at Glenda, my smirk widened as I pointed out, “Now, there’s no need for me to be so cruel and further implicate damage to your Alpha’s pride by broadcasting it to the entire kingdom, is there?”Satisfacti