"Alright, I agree to a ceasefire. You will stay off my land, and I will keep from yours as well; you can have the Gold Moon Pack territory. Based on Maya's proposition, Sylvia will act as a middleman and handle any business we might have with you. However, as compensation for the loss of lives you have caused me, we will deal with you at a much lesser rate than the others." I exhaled a breath of relief, and Travis dropped his words of concession quietly, taking a step back by agreeing to my suggestion once again.
It gave the illusion that I was the only one present capable of making him change his mind.Julian grunted, and Alex leaned closer to mumble something to him quietly and instantly; his expression eased. As for him as well, this was the first time I had seen him have any expression that resembled calm.Both he and Travis had gotten really angry earlier and had a violent faceoff. The broken table in between us and Julian's bruised face was evidence"It's Comet night, summon your excitement." I tugged boisterously on Sam's arm, my eyes lit up with a smile just like the starry night sky few feets from my view."I really don't get why you're so excited, you could get your hopes dashed just like mine." Sam pointed out, a blank expression on her face."Sam! Don't say that." I pouted, my smile widening even further.To werewolves of other pack, it was just a regularly seen night when the moon was at its peak and werewolves at their strongest but it was a special night for me and every other werewolf of the Raging Flame pack that was as excited as I was.My dream of getting married to Shawn and being the Luna once he succeeded the Alpha was finally happening."You should not be so pessimistic, I just know things will go well." A smile crossed my lips and I patted my chest confidently.Sam glanced at my reflection through the mirror then kept on brushing my hair, "I hope it does to
"That's enough!" Alpha Blake's voice thundered loudly and a hush fell over the crowd.His face was stern and I shivered when his gaze passed over me.My Father on the other hand looked worried but he still smiled comfortingly at me, "It'll be fine." He mouthed softly and I felt myself relax.Right, I may have turned out different and disrupted the Pack's special traits but it didn't matter.Dad was here and so was Shawn, they would keep me safe."We may have just witnessed a never before seen occurrence but I believe there is no reason to fret. The rituals will proceed as planned..." Alpha Blake stopped speaking when someone interjected him and glanced disapprovingly at Shawn who had interrupted him."Will Maya still partake in the mating ritual?" Shawn asked, making me glance hopefully at him.Sure enough, he was still thinking of me in this situation.Alpha Blake went silent, seemingly deep in thought before n
My steps were brisk and soon I found myself before a cottage."Rhea, Get out here!" I yelled loudly, my hands wrapped tightly around the doorknob, it was locked.I felt a pull from the inside and let go, my lips pursed in anger."Maya!" Mrs Landon seemed pleasantly surprised to see me and she let me in quickly."How did the mating ritual go?" She asked curiously, gesturing for me to sit, I didn't."Where's Rhea?" I ignored her question and asked, I couldn't be nice to her, not after what her daughter had just done to me."Rhea? I thought the both of you would be out together, she hasn't returned. Is something wrong?" It seemed she finally noticed something unusual about my look."I will take my leave now." I stood up to continue my search for the two wolves who had betrayed me.That was a fancy way of describing the awful pain I was feeling right now.I checked everywhere, everywhere I thought Rhea and
"Have her thrown into the dungeons," Alpha Blake's tone was icy and aggressive, daring anyone to raise a voice in protest.All of the present Pack wolves cowered in submission at the sound of his voice and those standing close to me took quick, subtle steps backwards so they would not be dragged down with me."Get this out of my sight too!" He barked orders, kicking my Father's lifeless body to the side.His face held no remorse or pity and was unyielding with his determination to mete out appropriate punishment to whoever he deemed a threat to his authority."No, please, don't," I lurched forward and covered my Father's body with mine. "At least let me bury him. He spent a lifetime serving you, please consider that and allow me to perform the necessary rites." I begged, my voice choking with the grief that was shattering my heart into a thousand pieces.Alpha Blake was never affectionate, he was far from it but I viewed him as an uncle b
Light seeped in through the small window of the cell, its rays falling upon my face and providing a little bit of warmth that did nothing to thaw my frozen heart.I gathered my dress around me, trying to cover myself up even more with the tattered and torn fabric.Stretching my arms out in front of me to shield my face from the light, my thoughts began to wander."Why can't I feel you?" I exhaled loudly, It had been days since my first turning but I still had not felt a connection to my wolf.According to what I had been schooled on, we were one entity but currently, I was as lonely as a fish on land and I hated the unease that accompanied it."Hey, get up!" A voice barked suddenly and I turned my head slightly to the side.It was the guard manning the dungeons, the one who loathed my presence and never ceased to remind me of that."Are you deaf? Stop lying there like a pile of bones and get the hell up."Slowly
I didn't believe I could be degraded further than I already was but tonight showed me that was a possible feat.Forced to watch the affectionate display of love Shawn and Rhea were putting on as well as the disgusted and contempt-filled gazes on me, I was at my wit's end and I was only a minute away from breaking under the pressure of it all."Maya, I didn't think you would make it," Rhea said, all smiles like the despicable white lotus that she was.Why didn't I notice it earlier? All the signs were there but I was too blind to see it.Alpha Blake finally noticed me as well, his gaze on me scrutinizing, "I see you are doing well?" He mumbled casually as if he had not subjected me to a lifetime of pain and humiliation."Yes Alpha," I forced back the lump rising in my throat and tried to force myself to remain composed but my shivering hands betrayed my emotions."It's evident Maltida has done a great job teaching you," Lucia, Alp
I had no idea where I was headed but North seemed like the right place to go, so North I went.Far away from the Southlands of the raging Flame Pack where I would never have to lay sight of the people who had caused me pain again.Why was I fleeing? I wondered that, I should be seeking revenge, trying to find out the truth behind my Father's death but I did nothing of the sort, not because I had no desire to but because I knew exactly what lay behind it. I could not possibly walk up to Alpha Blake and demand the truth from him right?He would kill me and my Father's effort to preserve my life would have been in vain.During the length of my journey, I rode in a horse-drawn carriage, the only mode of transportation available to the lower class in the advent of time when automobiles were starting to gain prominence.It was available only to the upper echelons of society, one I once belonged to."Where's the largest Pack u
"Do you know me?" I blinked in confusion at her."You should leave before the guards get to you," She completely disregarded my question and left me with those words before going back to whatever she was doing behind the counter."What guard?" I asked, still confused. "I'm here to get a room, how much for a month's stay?" I asked, beginning to take out my pouch.A month was enough time for me to get a footing here until the money Sam gave me ran out."I told you to leave," The woman responded harshly instead, shooting me a cold look that left me baffled.What was wrong with her? This was our first interaction, right?Silently, I exhaled and then bent over to pick up my bag.It was fine if she was not willing to rent out a room to me, but why be so harsh about it?I looked over my shoulders at her again as I made my way out, biting my lips grievously.It all happened so fast, I had barely made my way out
"Alright, I agree to a ceasefire. You will stay off my land, and I will keep from yours as well; you can have the Gold Moon Pack territory. Based on Maya's proposition, Sylvia will act as a middleman and handle any business we might have with you. However, as compensation for the loss of lives you have caused me, we will deal with you at a much lesser rate than the others." I exhaled a breath of relief, and Travis dropped his words of concession quietly, taking a step back by agreeing to my suggestion once again.It gave the illusion that I was the only one present capable of making him change his mind.Julian grunted, and Alex leaned closer to mumble something to him quietly and instantly; his expression eased. As for him as well, this was the first time I had seen him have any expression that resembled calm.Both he and Travis had gotten really angry earlier and had a violent faceoff. The broken table in between us and Julian's bruised face was evidence
"Alpha Travis," the blond-haired man seated on the other end of the large table, directly facing Travis said, his voice dripping with distasteThis was Julian, Sylvia's half-brother, and true to her description of him, he was a man consumed by rage and hatred and had a permanent scowl on his face as if anger was his default state of being. Travis, on the other hand, seemed more at ease, as if he were a mere observer and not an active participant in the tension that filled the room."Julian," Sylvia called, her anxiety written all over her face as she switched glances between both men."I was told you had plans to eradicate not only myself but my people. I did not think you could be so cruel, Alpha Travis," Alex inputted, his frame of mind much calmer than Julian's and for a minute; I was grateful for his presence.At least he was guaranteed to keep Julian in check before an explosion of anger occurred between him and Travis.Tra
Hard to believe that this was happening but it was.The jolting movement of the carriage as the horses moved confirmed it, and so did the overwhelming scent of the man next to me and the faint smells of the wolves following behind us I could pick up on.Cameron and Sylvia were in the carriage behind us, accompanied by some of Travis' trusted guards, and I could very well imagine the situation within. It was surely no different from ours.I was seated with my hands clasped between my thighs, regretting my decision to throw a regular tank top over a brown bootcut trouser and as the name implied, I was on a pair of boots.Travis was dressed in warmer clothes, cosy even with a thick outer jacket casually draped over his lap.Oh, how I so wish I could snatch it right off and put it on.In actuality, knowing Travis, he would have handed it right over to me but I guess he was still angry. Still unable to accept all that I had done despi
The air in the room seemed to freeze, going several degrees lower as Travis's presence filled the room overbearingly.His eyes were cold and sharp, like the edge of a blade, and his muscles were filled with tension as his eyes scanned both of me and Sylvia with demanding scrutiny.Sylvia's breath caught in her throat, all the colour draining from her face as she swallowed, her wide eyes flicking from me to him.I was sure my expression mirrored hers; my throat felt constricted and dry, and I could not formulate a quick response, gaping instead at him as his face hardened even further, "I asked you a question.""Travis," I pushed past the lump in my throat to say, my growing fear a chasm that passed between us.How should I begin to explain that Sylvia had come to seek my help to disrupt or at least stall his plans, and I, on the other hand, had made an instant decision not to tell him in favour of her? I had even hidden the fact that I ha
"What do you mean by that? What problem?" I asked, my brows knotting into a frown as I stared at her face searchingly.We had parted just a few minutes ago, so I wasn't expecting to see her so soon or that she would suddenly grab me.Her face was lined with worry, fear reflected in her wide-open stare, "Alpha Travis, he's planning a hunt.""A hunt? Why is that a problem? Isn't a hunt normal?" I questioned in bewilderment. Most werewolf Packs I knew frequently organised hunts to hone their skills and survival instincts so I could not understand why she was so anxious about that."No, no, you don't understand," She shook her head vehemently, "He's planning to hunt down the hybrids, he's going to kill them all."The realization of what she meant finally dawned on me and my eyes widened in shock, "Kill them all? How?"."Their trip to Chantel Ridge wasn't so simple; their true intention was to purchase Nightshade.""Nightshad
"Please do not mention a word of this to anyone," Sylvia paused by the threshold to say to me, her eyes pleading for secrecy. "Of course, my lips are sealed," I made a motion with my finger then smiled softly. "You don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone unless you ask me to." She nodded appreciatively, turning to head in when I called out to her, "Sylvia," Stopping her in her tracks once again. "Thank you for sharing this part of your life with me," I mumbled softly. It was a hefty decision she had made when she wasn't even sure about my intention and if I would rat her out to Travis but, she had still done so because she trusted me and, I was thankful to be made out as someone reliable, even if it was just for a few minutes. "I did that majorly because I wanted your help, thank you for not judging like the others." After that, we came to a tacit agreement to stop discussing our trip to the h
"Please do not mention a word of this to anyone," Sylvia paused by the threshold to say to me, her eyes pleading for secrecy."Of course, my lips are sealed," I made a motion with my finger then smiled softly. "You don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone unless you ask me to."She nodded appreciatively, turning to head in when I called out to her, "Sylvia," Stopping her in her tracks once again."Thank you for sharing this part of your life with me," I mumbled softly.It was a hefty decision she had made when she wasn't even sure about my intention and if I would rat her out to Travis but, she had still done so because she trusted me and, I was thankful to be made out as someone reliable, even if it was just for a few minutes."I did that majorly because I wanted your help, thank you for not judging like the others."After that, we came to a tacit agreement to stop discussing our trip to the hybrid Pack, lest the others caught o
"That's Alex, right there," Sylvia pointed towards a young man with dark brown hair in the distance who was heaving a squealing child above his head while the other children gathered around him tried to douse him with the water from the pond their feet up to their abdomen were submerged in.They were all hybrids; I could tell even though we were still some distance away from them."Alex, look who is here," Ava shouted, waving her hands towards the man who slowly turned and set the child in his arms down.The children all gave squeals of excitement, rushing out of the water to run towards Sylvia the minute they recognized her.They surrounded her, their cheery voices filling the air while giving me curious glances just like Ava had done earlier."She's just like Sylvia and those other big wolves we've seen," Ava chattered to them excitedly, looking back at me with the belief that I was oblivious to what she was saying because of how low he
I took in a deep breath, mulling over her words. You know what, maybe she was right; maybe we had never given the hybrids a chance to show that we could live harmoniously together."I know, I shouldn't have brought you here; I just wanted to show you a world different from what we know. To show you that the hybrids our kind detest are not so bad after all." She said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder with the knowledge that I was already giving in to her words.I grabbed her hands and let out a long sigh then smiled softly, "Alright, I guess I should get to know them. You are a kind and sweet person, Sylvia, and if these people are really what you say they are, then I trust you." I nodded firmly.It was about time to stop letting my past cloud my decisions; not all people would betray me, and I needed to understand that.Sylvia had been nothing but kind to me since I arrived and this was a time for me to reciprocate her goodwill towards me.