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
Deacon’s POVThere it was again, that bright smile that seemingly reached the sky, those sparkling eyes like stars, and that joyful laugh that could liven up even the crying clouds.I was breathing heavily as I walked toward Elena, who had herself carelessly slammed on the ground, back leaning on a post log with one leg stretched out while the other bent with her elbow leaning on it as she drank water from the bottle so carelessly that some water spilled to her face. It seemed intentional, though, as if she was trying to refresh herself from that long, exhausting battle.“How many did you kill?” she asked excitedly and so casually, as if it were not Rogues we were talking about.Pride rose in my heart. It seemed like it was just a piece of cake for her.Caressing her cheek after I’ve wiped her face clean, I praised her for killing hundreds of Rogues, which was probably triple what my average warrior managed to do.And all that without much collateral on her part.My eyes wandered on h
Elena’s POVAfter Prince Deacon said he wanted to tell me something, I immediately gulped down the entire bottle of water and stood up to follow him back to his barracks.A jolt of excitement surged through me, making my stomach flutter as Prince Deacon's intoxicating scent filled the air. He slowed his pace to match mine after noticing I was walking behind him to show respect for his rank.I pierced my lips, and my breathing hitched as we walked in synced back to his tent; though we were filled with silence, my excited heartbeat seemingly became our background music.I didn’t know as well why he had this effect on me; probably because he treated me well or because it was just his dominating, aloof, and unpredictable behavior.When we arrived, he placed a cup of refreshing drink in front of me before he sat down opposite my seat.See, he’s a prince, and he’s doing all these. Whose woman wouldn’t have her heart fast-beating?“I’ve investigated how Glenda and Bryson’s winning on the Dea
Elena’s POVAs soon as the word came out of my mouth, I instantly regretted it.“Is there a problem?” Prince Deacon asked, completely confused, which wasn’t surprising as he wasn’t aware of my divorce from Bryson.It’s only natural for him to think that I’d be happy to see my so-called ‘husband’. Unbeknownst to him, I feel nothing but discomfort and anger at the possibility of seeing my ex-husband with his general, whom he replaced me with as his wife and Luna of his pack.Shaking my head, I stood up and gave him a forced smile while secretly feeling the scorching pain surging through my veins and into my heart. “No, I was just surprised, is all.”“If there’s nothing more, then I’ll…” I pointed outside. “I’ll have my rest first.”Bryson’s coming here, for sure Glenda would be with him…Those were my thoughts before I splashed my face with cold water from a basin to clean the dried blood around my face that Prince Deacon didn’t completely wipe off.Through the small mirror, I observed
Elena’s POVWe all turned around to meet Prince Deacon’s humorous eyes despite the sternness we had heard in his voice seconds earlier.Seeing as he was merely teasing, I smiled and raised the bottle. “Come on, Prince Deacon, it’s only a little drink.”“A little?” He raised his brows as he approached our table and grabbed the drink from my hand. He lifted it to his nose and took a quick sniff. “A little drink but of a whisky… Really?”I shrugged my shoulders and kept silent.“It’s only for a celebration, Prince Deacon. Don’t be a party pooper!” Maise uttered, once again, with a mouth out of control.Saige and I looked at her with wide eyes before we cautiously looked back at Prince Deacon, expecting him to be angry.Unexpectedly, he only shook his head and grinned. “Enough with the excuses, ladies. We can’t have you all tipsy or drunk while in a war, could we?”“But…”“No more words. Rules are rules, This…” He gestured to the bottle he was holding and put it on his back. “I’ll be keep
Elena’s POVMy heart momentarily stopped beating as his deep brown eyes lingered in me, seemingly reading my mind and soul through my eyes and searching for the truth. His stare was so deep I feared he could read through the pain I was trying so hard to hide deep inside me. But for some reason, I couldn’t look away.Swallowing, I slowly shook my head and forced a smile. “No, of course not. He wouldn’t dare.”A smile lingered on my lips, but I knew that I couldn’t force the sadness in my eyes as I felt the hollow pain in my chest that was getting heavier as Bryson’s name hung in the air.Deep down in me, I wanted to lessen the burden that was causing the clench in my chest, but I couldn’t utter a single word. Every time I parted my lips, I’d see the smiles on the faces of the warriors as they thought I had a happy marriage.I couldn’t do it. It’s not the proper time nor the proper place.“When you’re ready to speak, remember that I’d be here to listen,” he uttered as he grabbed a jag
Elena’s POVI couldn’t deny how my heart stuttered at his words of praise, but what really froze me and took my breath away was his hands lingering longer than necessary on my cheek.It started as a pinch, but it feels more like a caress right now.“I’m looking forward to you and Bryson’s chemistry in battleship. I’m sure you guys would fight side-by-side so well as husband and wife,” he suddenly uttered, making all the butterflies in my stomach die down and my frozen body rushedly thawed.What’s he doing to me? It’s like he’s bringing me on a rollercoaster ride with his words and unpredictable actions.His hands finally fell on his side while he waited for my reply, but I could only look away. Suddenly, my lap became very interesting as thousands of thoughts ran through my head.I knew he was clueless about my relationship status just as much as every warrior in here. But when I heard them congratulating me and Bryson’s name left Prince’s Deacon’s lips, I couldn’t help but debate wit
Elena’s POVThe cold breeze of the night wing brushed through my skin, but the one that brought a chill to my spine was the deep stare of the man in front of me, which immediately changed to worry and caution as soon as he observed my face.“Prince, I…” I hastily looked away as if his stare burned me before I discreetly brushed the tears from the corner of my eyes and cleared my throat.But then I felt his warm hand gently grasping my wrist. “Don’t hide your face. I already saw it. Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”I looked back at him and was instantly taken aback by the faint shadow of tenderness visible in his eyes under the glow of the moonlight.“Do you want to talk?” he asked in a voice laced with concern that made me feel comforted and even… a bit exposed, as if my inner thoughts were vulnerable in his presence.His stare was so mysterious yet full of emotions, something I never saw in anyone’s eyes before. At least, not while looking at me.When I realized that he was still waitin
Elena’s POVPatrolling the borders of the newly reclaimed lands with Saige, Maise, other Warriors, and some Omegas, we analyzed what must be done to rebuild and restore the land.The sound of hammers and saws filled the air as Warriors, Omegas, and newly arrived laborers worked to rebuild the border posts that were destroyed during the war. Despite the end of war, Rogues still exist and it’s better to be prepared that sorry later.Soem of the posts were already rebuilt but despite the progress, it was still far from finish, making me still head on work.“Make sure the eastern tower is reinforced before the rains come. We can’t risk another collapse. And send supplies to the other barracks in the south side, those men haven’t had a proper meal in days,” I indicated at one of the warriors besides me whose keeping tabs of my orders.Maise stared at me with admiration, making me take a step back and asked with a narrowed eyes, “What?”She shook her head and proudly pointed out, “You soun
Third Person’s POVThe news of the victorious war in the northern zone spread across the kingdom like wildfire, reaching every corner of the kingdom. Every newspaper, article, poster, broadcast, and post was related to the successful fight against the Northern Rogues and the reclamation of the kingdom’s lands.Together with the king’s overjoyed and proud declaration of the historic moment for the kingdom, every media outline of every form buzzed with reports of the heroic deeds of a female general who had fought alongside Prince Deacon in reclaiming the lost territories along with great warriors.Names of warriors who made significant contributions were being whispered from pack to pack, member to member, but all were speculation as no names had been released yet.However, being the only known female general in the kingdom, everyone assumed the female general was Glenda.Meanwhile, in the Swiftridge Pack, the Bryson family’s main residence was bustling with preparation for a grand ban
Elena’s POVUpon hearing my question, Prince Deacon nodded his head slowly, replying, “They will. They have to consider their pack’s survival, after all.”He looked outside and meaningfully said, “The northern war might have ended today, but the war between the Rogues and the kingdom isn’t over… not entirely. For now, they’ve avenged their Alpha’s son without exposing the truth behind his death. If that ever comes out, they’ll have a stronger claim to loyalty—they’ve already paid the price for their betrayal.”I tilted my head, watching his expression carefully. His eyes looked distant, his brows furrowed, and his lips formed a frown.A small smile formed on my lips, seeing how he felt compassion even for those who committed treason. “And you’re frowning because you’re still worried.”He blinked out of a trance, looked back at me, and let out a soft laugh. Looking at me with admiration, he commented, “You know me too well.”Leaning closer to his seat, I reached out and briefly squeeze
Elena’s POV“What, you don’t like it?” I felt Prince Deacon’s warm hands landing on top of my shoulder, giving it a little squeeze as he leaned his face down near my cheek, asking.I swallowed with difficulty as I palpated from how close he was to me.Blinking a couple of times in disbelief, I stared at what was in front of me once again, making sure that what I was seeing was really what it was.In the middle of the back lawn of the camp, there was a newly set up medium-sized tent. He opened the door for me, and the amazing aroma of meat greeted me. A meat!After months of being here with only dry foods and ready-to-eat meals, I never thought I’d be able to eat meat again. At least not while we were here.I salivated with desir,e and my stomach crumbled at the sight of well-presented medium-rare steak in front of us.“Are you kidding me? Is that even a question?” I asked with excitement as I gestured to the food inside.Prince Deacon laughed wholeheartedly as he stepped forward and
Elena’s POVI kept my cool and stared at Bryson as what I imagined would be Gelnda’s reaction unfolded before me.“I…” In panic, Bryson immediately shook his head and defensively replied, “I didn’t bring her. She... she followed me.”I let out a scoff as I looked at him dumbfoundedly. What a coward!Hearing that, Glenda snarled despite her weakness and clawed Bryson on his arm, but it didn’t go deep and immediately healed. “Don’t lie to me! You let her in... and make me face humiliation!”She looked at me and growled. “What now? Are you letting the other in and humiliating me even more? Because I’m sure that’s what you want. Isn’t –”Tired of this ridiculousness, I cut her off, “This isn’t about you, Glenda. This is about the truth. We already had a meeting with James Stewart, Alpha heir of the Moonblake pack and current leader of the Rogues. Peace had been made. It’s time to come clean, Glenda.”Glenda froze as her hand turned into a fist.Bryson, on the other hand, stared at Glenda’
Elena’s POVI stared at Bryson as images of the dead bodies of my family and pack members flashed before my mind countless times.Socffing, I thought, “How could I know?”Because both James and I lost the people we love due to injustice…He knew as I do that death wasn’t a real punishment for those people who sinned so gravely like Glenda. And unlike me, who goes by the rules and respects the rules, someone like James, I’d assume, goes by “A tooth for a tooth, and an eye for an eye.”Just like what happened to Kurt, he probably wanted to break Glenda. He wanted to strip her of her dignity and reputation and force her to the edge until she decided to commit suicide,e just as how she pushed Kurt to his own death.Instead of explaining it to him, I’ve chosen to reply. He wants her broken. That’s worse than death for someone like Glenda."Bryson’s eyes widened, and that’s when I realized that I had failed to hide the venom in my voice.He stared at me for a long time as if reading me thro
Elena’s POVBryson looked back at James. His eyes fluttered for a while before he narrowed his eyes and made his eyes more stern, replying, “Keep on telling lies. I’ll only believe my mate.”What a fool!If I could just slap him so hard, crack his head open, and reboot him to sanity, I would have done it long ago. How could someone like him, who easily threw me at the side when he found another woman, be so foolishly devoted?In the end, I just shook my head as James, Prince Deacon, and I looked at each other in disbelief.Since the private conversations were already done, Prince Deacon already called the warriors, and they followed us, lining up properly behind us.As they arrived, Bryson was already walking up the mountain. Seeing that, one of the warriors took a cautious step forward and whispered to me, “General, should we follow?”He gestured to Bryson, who was going alone.Seeing his back and weighing what they might witness, I immediately shook my head and raised my hand to tel
Elena’s POVJames’ right… It could never be forgotten. The pain and the wounds that those deaths brought to us will always be engraved in our hearts. It would be like a thorn in our hearts that would make us bleed every now and then.But all we could do was live with it.A bitter smirk formed on my lips as my eyes glistened with suppressed tears. “I guess we aren’t so different, are we?”Shrugging my shoulders, I shook my head slowly as I bit the inside of my cheek and clenched my fist. “You lost your brother, and I… I lost everyone. The pain may never fade, but it has shaped us both.”Seeing the pain and sorrow building up in his eyes, his body tensed, and his shoulders slouched, I opened my lips with hesitation and softened my tone as I spoke with empathy, “I know that I am not qualified to apologize for what happened to Kurt. But know this, the agony you and I feel today is something we will always carry. As much as it broke us, it molded us to be stronger.”Those words seemed to h
Elena’s POVBryson trembled in anger as he took a step forward, looking at me with blazing eyes as if he wanted to send a laser right through my head and kill me. With a shaking voice filled with rage, he spoke, “You’re cold, Elena. You always have been since everything happened. Is this the revenge you plotted for what happened between us? For Glenda taking—”Every word he said, he would take a small threatening step toward me. Just as he was about to reach me, I was planning to teach him a lesson. However, Prince Deacon already took action.Without warning, he stepped in front of me, blocking me from Bryson, and pushed him on the chest, commanding, “Enough, Bryson. If you can’t control your mouth, leave this discussion to those who can.”Prince Deacon’s jaws were clenched together, and his hands were balled into fists. Peaking from behind him, I could see his menacing eyes and dimmed expression.Seeing that he might lose control and attack Bryon if he made another remark, my hands v