LOGINShare
13
Last Updated:
2022-10-20 07:32:40Related chapters
Jaded Wolf 14
Run, Sofia. I kept telling myself to go on, to flee. I figured that at some point, I’d reach something – anything to give me a clue on how I could escape the Blood Shade. And so I continued, stumbling through the darkness of the forest.I knew I had no escape plan and the likelihood of actually leaving the island was practically non-existent. But I had to take my chance the moment I saw it. I couldn’t afford to hang around while Derek decided exactly what he wanted to keep me for.I thought of Ben and what he would do given my situation. Knowing how impulsive my best friend was, I figured to escape while he could was probably what he would’ve done.That really was all the encouragement that I needed. So when I woke up that morning – and found the sky to be as dark as it was the night before – I realized that waiting for daylight to escape was pointless.I got off the bed as quietly as I could – I had no idea where Derek was, but if he was in the chambers closest to mine, I figured he’
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Jaded Wolf 15
Suddenly, I heard a twig snap behind me. “Well, what do we have here?” Spoke a voice that was a tad too high-pitched for a man. “Looks like dinner to me,” a deeper, huskier voice replied. My fists clenched. I was suddenly so aware of how many scratches I had and how blood was oozing through those scrapes. I’d practically turned myself into bait for these creatures. “What are you doing way out here by the fortress during a night so dark?” Pitchy, with the high-pitched voice, asked. “Taking a walk. My master said I could,” I bluffed. I could feel my face turning red. “Really now?” This time, it was Husky speaking. “Did he also ask you to get yourself all bloody and ready to become his breakfast while you’re at it?” I could feel them drawing closer from behind me. I slowly turned so I could face them. Based on the clothes they were wearing – black garb with red crests worn by the guards escorting us the night before - I assumed both of them were guards, assigned to keep watch of th
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Jaded Wolf 16
Pitchy lost no time in shutting his mouth and sparing us the annoying sound of his voice.“Never touch what’s mine. Sofia Claremont is mine. Whoever harms her answers to me. Understood?” Derek growled.Pitchy nodded. “Of course, y-your M-Majesty.”Derek let go of Pitchy’s throat and the guard lost no time in scampering away from the prince. Derek tossed the then very much dead heart he was holding with his right hand and threw it to the ground. He then wiped Husky’s blood off his hands using the dead guard’s shirt. He rose to his full height and turned, his eyes settling on me. I thought of backing away from him, but saw its futility. He was glaring at me and I found myself fearing his anger.“Get up, Sofia.”I lost no time in rising to my feet. I was fully expecting to experience some form of pain. Instead, I found him looking at the length of my legs, concerned by the scratches he saw there. He brought out a dagger he had hidden up his sleeve. I stared at it, wondering if he was goi
Last Updated : 2022-10-24Jaded Wolf 17
Despite my efforts not to, I kept staring. I was seated over the edge of what Sofia called a counter, watching her as she made her way around the kitchen in a light yellow dress clinging to her curves at just the right places. She was making her breakfast – two pieces of bread that she stuck in a contraption she called a toaster. She retrieved a bottle of strawberry jam and a slab of butter from the “two-door refrigerator,” which was apparently a cooling closet for food.As she began dabbing butter over one piece of toast, her emerald green eyes rose to meet mine. She stopped what she was doing and stared for a couple of secondsI found it rather unsettling to have her look at me that way. I couldn’t even understand why. She’s just a girl, Novak. When have you ever been so riled up over one girl“What?” I asked her“Thank you… for rescuing me this morning. I was pretty sure nothing would stop the guards from turning me into their breakfast.I didn’t answer. She was my responsibility.
Last Updated : 2022-10-24Jaded Wolf 18
“It’s a cellphone. You use it to call people, text them. A communication device.” He once again laid his eyes on Sofia. “I’m sure your teenage lovely here is perfectly capable of teaching you how to use it.”He brushed the back of his hand against Sofia’s jawline and she instinctively moved away from his touch. Of course, that only amused Lucas. The moment I saw this, an unmistakable fury boiled up within me. I tried to control my temper.“I’d appreciate that you not touch her. As I’ve already made clear this morning, I do not like it when others mess with what is mine.” There was an edge to my voice – one that I knew my brother was very familiar with.The amused expression on Lucas’ face disappeared and the atmosphere immediatelytensed.“And if I continue to take liberties with her, what exactly will you do, Derek? Would you really go against your own brother for her sake?”I knew what he was playing at, testing my loyalties, but I knew how to play this game. I wanted to believe that
Last Updated : 2022-10-24Jaded Wolf 19
Samuel grinned at me. “Looks like we have a new princess.” He then pushed the door open to reveal the other girls.“Sam, dude,” the other guard said, “I don’t think making friends with the prince’s muse is good for your health.”“Relax, Kyle. She’s alright.”I raised my eyebrows and gave them a funny look. I was going to like those two. I stepped inside the girls’ quarters, not quite knowing what to expect. Four pairs of eyes fell on me as I entered. I was surprised to find that they all looked relieved to see me.I realized I didn’t even know their names and they didn’t know mine, but it was almost as if we were long lost friends, because all four girls began throwing their arms around me.“Are you alright?”“What did he do to you?!”“He didn’t… force you, did he?”“Do you know what they’re going to do to us?”“Will we ever get home?”“Have you seen what’s outside? Is there any way we can escape?!”Question after question came at me before I could even come up with a single answer. I
Last Updated : 2022-10-24Jaded Wolf 20
“The prophecy was that your reign alone can provide our kind true sanctuary. The Blood Shade has been a sanctuary for a limited number of our kind, but it isn’t yet a true sanctuary until we either find all vampires a safe haven and manage a way to survive without the need of humans or…”“Or what?” I asked, casting a stern look at my sister.She said the blood-curdling words I knew she would say. “We have to end the shadow hunters once and for all.”“You’re talking about war and bloodshed that we can’t even imagine. How long has it even been since the Shade’s guards have been in actual battle?”All I got from both my brother and sister was silence.We continued our trek through the island, leaving the issue hanging in the air. It weighed heavily on me for the rest of the time I spent with them. To say that I wasn’t burdened by what I was told was a lie. I didn’t understand why I had to stand as the leader. I was younger than a lot of the men there. That they would look to me for guida
Last Updated : 2022-10-24Jaded Wolf 21
There was no hesitation on my part. The darkness in me took over. I was beside the woman, pulling her against me with my arms and sinking my teeth into her neck.The taste of fresh blood, pumping through her veins by a living beating heart, was invigorating. I drank, determined to bleed her dry.I kept on telling myself through all those years that I hated being a vampire, but it was who I was and as I drank from this woman, there was no escaping it.I sucked the blood out of my young victim and just as I was about to drink the last drop – the one that would cause her heart to stop beating, a moment of clarity came to me.For reasons I could not understand or even comprehend – and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to – I realized that the whole time I was holding this beautiful stranger in my arms, feeding on her, it felt like I was betraying Sofia.***SOFIAIt was impossible not to know that Derek had already arrived at the penthouse. I and the girls – Gwen, Ashley, Paige, and Rosa – were
Last Updated : 2022-10-25
Latest chapter
Jaded Wolf 28
SOFIAThe moment our eyes met, he looked away, almost as if he were embarrassed over something. It was actually… cute – a word I never thought I’d use to describe Derek Novak.As we walked back to the Pavilion, he remained silent, deep in thought, never even looking my way.“You said that you wanted to teach me how to defend myself…” I eventually said, breaking the silence, detesting the wall that seemed to be building up between us.“Yes,” he nodded. He then paused as if to catch himself. “But if you don’t want to…”I frowned. Since when does he care what I want? I decided not to make a fuss over it.“I want to.”The heaviness in our conversation was weighing on me. I wanted to go back to how comfortable and light and casual our interactions were before things took a turn for the worse. Before Lucas happened. I was still shaken, still afraid of what Lucas was capable of, but dwelling on woes really wasn’t one of my strong suits. It was one of Ben’s major influences on me. He never
Jaded Wolf 27
DEREKI rose to my feet the moment the door swung open. I breathed out a sigh of relief when Sofia’s lovely form stepped out of the room, a tentative smile forming on her face at the sight of me. If only out of sheer relief, I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her right then and there, but I fought the urge to do it in fear of scaring her. So I held back and allowed her to set the pace. I doubt she was aware of the effect she had on me when she walked toward me, grabbed my hand, her thin, dainty fingers intertwining with mine before she lifted my hand and placed a soft kiss over the back of it.I didn’t fully understand why she did it, but I took it as assurance that she still felt safe around me, that she was choosing to trust me.I was both humbled and pressured by the gesture. I stared at her for a moment, taking in the sight of the splash of freckles on her cheeks and the natural red blush on her cheekbones.I let my eyes feast on the delicateness of her facial features, ad
Jaded Wolf 26
“If you need me, I’ll be at the Pavilion seeing to the investigations. We’ll find out who did this, Derek.”I crossed my arms over my chest. I felt the guilt and shame come over me as Vivienne left me there to brood alone. I couldn’t think of anyone who could be capable of doing this to Sofia other than Lucas. But I had no proof and even if I did, I wasn’t sure that I could do anything about it. Lucas was my brother and no matter how important Sofia had become to me, blood runs thicker than water. SOFIACorrine took her time with me. She tried to make me comfortable, giving me a drink of water, which I truly appreciated, considering how the taste of Derek’s blood was still fresh on my mouth.She took great care in making sure that I wanted to do what she was asking me to do – never pushing or ordering or commanding, which I was certain was exactly what Derek would’ve done had I been left under his care.She gave me a fresh set of clothes to wear. I was so relieved to see that she ha
Jaded Wolf 25
“What’s going on? What did you do to her?” Corrine eyed me suspiciously, making it rather clear that she didn’t trust me the way her ancestor, Cora, did.“I didn’t do anything to her,” I replied indignantly, saying the words through gritted teeth. “I found her this way when I checked on her this morning.”“One of the other girls in his harem was found murdered – bled dry – inside her bathroom,” Vivienne added.Corrine kept up her suspicious perusal of me. “And you didn’t do this?”I glared at her, trying to maintain my patience. “Did you not hear me the first time, witch?”“Can you blame me for thinking that you had something to do with this? You took one look at her when you woke up and threw her up a pillar, more than ready to devour her. Who knows what sick things you have in mind to do to her?”“Corrine, he didn’t do this,” Vivienne spoke up knowing that if she didn’t, I might not be able to keep myself from maiming the witch for her insolence.“Well then, who did?” Corrine raised
Jaded Wolf 24
SOFIAEverything happened in a blur. I was aware of it all, and yet, I wasn’t. It was almost like everything was happening to another person, and yet it was me. I felt Derek’s strong arms beneath me, carrying me.I heard his conversation with Vivienne before they both decided to take me to see Corrine the witch at the Sanctuary. I saw the agitation on Derek’s face, the intoxicating scent of his natural musk filling my nostrils as I snuggled against him.I was conscious of it all, and yet at the same time, I was stuck in a memory, still reliving every sickening sensation it induced.I was lured to sleep by an enchanting melody and awakened from it by a horrific nightmare.His hand was clamped over my mouth and his full weight was rested on top of me, constricting my breathing. I felt his free hand hike up my thigh and when I flinched, he chuckled vehemently, amused by my weakness.“I will have you someday, Sofia,” he whispered against my ear. “You will bring me so much pleasure and onc
Jaded Wolf 23
DEREKShe looked so peaceful, so serene, so innocent as I carried her to her bedroom and laid her on her bed. No other woman – and believe me when I say that I’d been with many – had the same effect that Sofia Claremont had on me. She was fragile and vulnerable, and yet strong and resilient at the same time. She’d only recently entered my life, yet it felt like I’d known her for ages.It was strange the way I felt about how she listened to me and tried to ease my mind after my tempestuous outburst. I was grateful, but at the same time, I was mad at her. Inside the music room, she listened to me give in to my passion for music. She listened until exhaustion and sleep stole her attention away from me. Lying on the cushioned wooden bench inside the music room, she was a feast to behold, with her dress hiking up those long, milky white legs of hers, her locks of red hair cascading down the edge of the bench and her pink lips slightly parting as she breathed. My stomach clenched just looki
Jaded Wolf 22
To that, I didn’t know how to respond. I missed Ben so much. There wasn’t a waking moment since I got there that he wasn’t at the back of my mind, that I wasn’t wondering what he was thinking about or how he was dealing with my disappearance. I wondered how many of the humans they took here were separated from loved ones. To my relief, Derek didn’t seem to be interested in a response.“My father was a farmer,” he began. “That’s what we did before we became this. We farmed wheat and grew vegetables. It was a humble existence, but we were happy. Then one night, my father and Lucas were out in the city to trade our goods. Vivienne and I went out for wood. When we returned, our mother was dead, her blood sucked dry.”I swallowed hard as I listened and imagined how that would’ve felt.“Vivienne swore it was a wild beast. They ridiculed me but I knew it was a vampire. I was just thirteen at the time, but I was so sure that a vampire murdered my mother, so I found a way to join the shadow hu
Jaded Wolf 21
There was no hesitation on my part. The darkness in me took over. I was beside the woman, pulling her against me with my arms and sinking my teeth into her neck.The taste of fresh blood, pumping through her veins by a living beating heart, was invigorating. I drank, determined to bleed her dry.I kept on telling myself through all those years that I hated being a vampire, but it was who I was and as I drank from this woman, there was no escaping it.I sucked the blood out of my young victim and just as I was about to drink the last drop – the one that would cause her heart to stop beating, a moment of clarity came to me.For reasons I could not understand or even comprehend – and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to – I realized that the whole time I was holding this beautiful stranger in my arms, feeding on her, it felt like I was betraying Sofia.***SOFIAIt was impossible not to know that Derek had already arrived at the penthouse. I and the girls – Gwen, Ashley, Paige, and Rosa – were
Jaded Wolf 20
“The prophecy was that your reign alone can provide our kind true sanctuary. The Blood Shade has been a sanctuary for a limited number of our kind, but it isn’t yet a true sanctuary until we either find all vampires a safe haven and manage a way to survive without the need of humans or…”“Or what?” I asked, casting a stern look at my sister.She said the blood-curdling words I knew she would say. “We have to end the shadow hunters once and for all.”“You’re talking about war and bloodshed that we can’t even imagine. How long has it even been since the Shade’s guards have been in actual battle?”All I got from both my brother and sister was silence.We continued our trek through the island, leaving the issue hanging in the air. It weighed heavily on me for the rest of the time I spent with them. To say that I wasn’t burdened by what I was told was a lie. I didn’t understand why I had to stand as the leader. I was younger than a lot of the men there. That they would look to me for guida
