VALERIE I swerved my head around, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. I could feel my breath leaving my body as I stood in that dimly lit hallway. "Is someone there?" I asked, going against the warning that echoed in my mind to keep silent.Silence followed my question and lasted for over three minutes. I shot my head back, slowly realizing that I must have been hallucinating. My mind was probably making voices up in my head out of fear.I sighed in relief and turned around, continuing my walk to wherever the antidote might be. My heart skipped when I heard footsteps echo in the hallway. I stopped walking, my hands trembling violently beside me. I leaned on the cold wall and gripped the hem of my shirt as I tried to control my fast and ragged breathing. The footsteps stopped and I heard a grunt. My eyes widened, and my jaws dropped in dismay. My mind snapped back to the boatman and chills rushed down my spine.What if the whole story about demons eating up people in the Isle
VALERIE It seemed impossible to believe but there it was, standing gallantly on the stand in the middle of the hall. I felt like all the troubles and fights had finally come to an end. Right before me was the sole reason I was on that forbidden island. With a heart thumping in excitement and joy, I took a step forward and swiftly covered the distance between the stand and me. I paused and stared at the bottle of elixir like it was a priceless trophy. With trembling hands, I reached for it, and the moment my hand grasped it, a feeling that I had never felt before enveloped me. My lips shook and tears gathered in my eyes. Tears of accomplishment and happiness filled my eyes and rolled down my reddened cheeks.I raised it from the stand and stared keenly at it in admiration, picturing Killian sitting up on the bed, alive and well. "I promised to survive. I promise you'll survive," I muttered, a smile spread out across my face. "Are you sure about that?" A familiar voice muttered b
VALERIE My skin tingled as I waited for the pain to spread across my body, but nothing came. I slowly turned away from the engraved words to look at her. To my astonishment, she was staring right at what I was staring at, bearing the same expression that I had when I saw it. I looked at the words and then back at her, a sinister idea slipping into my mind. I jerked away from the wall and rushed towards the sword, sweeping it up from the floor. She snapped out of the trance she was in and spun around, but before she could restore her stance, my sword was already drawn and aiming for her belly. Before she could parry the attack, I had sunk the blade into her belly. A gasp echoed in the hall and silence fell between us. We stood rooted at a spot, only separated by a sword that was stuck in her belly. She looked up, her eyes dark and rheumy. Blood dripped from her mouth, and her lips shook. Her eyes slowly grew lifeless, and her skin turned pale. "You are the one who
VALERIE I rose and stared at her pale body which had already gone limp under the chandelier.I felt no remorse for her or guilt for what I had done. She deserved every bit of the attack and every pain she felt when those glasses sank into her body.I turned around and began to walk away, clutching the pouch, which was the priceless item that I risked my life for.On getting to the door, my heart tightened and fear flashed through me.With shaking hands, I gripped the handles weakly and pushed the door.It pulled open at the slight nudge and my heart skipped in joy.I didn't waste a second more in that hall as I swiftly walked out.The moment my feet stepped out of the tower, I felt a wave coarse through me. A large smile appeared on my face and my feet shook in excitement. I didn't bother taking a look at the tower but proceeded with moving towards the dark waters. I took a deep breath, silently reciting the words that I had seen on the wall. Chills surged through my spine when my
VALERIE I narrowed my eyes at her question and scoffed. I was certain that she wasn't happy that I was back. "Shouldn't I be asking you that instead?" I asked, glaring at her. "You didn't seem to get punished for your sassy behavior over there," she muttered."Why? Are you disappointed to find out that none of the traumas I faced there broke me down?" I blurted out, making sure that the mockery was evident in my voice.She scoffed and sat up, flipping her long lustrous hair to the side as she admired her manicure. My lips turned up as I watched her, slowly burning out my patience. "Why am I not in the Blood Moon Pack?" I snapped. "Hush!" She snapped, placing her hand over my heavily glossed lips. "You are in a sacred place. Do not make too much noise," she whispered. I twitched up my lips in disgust but unwillingly obeyed her. I looked around the room and realized that it was a living room. "How is a living room your sacred place?" I asked sassily. She darted her eyes in my
VALERIE "My lady!" Beta Neil exclaimed and rushed towards the car I was in as we drove in. He pulled the door open and stood aside for me with his head bowed. I felt an unexplainable happiness and satisfaction rock my body the moment the car drove into the manor of the Blood Moon Pack. I stepped out of the car, my face radiating with a smile over my accomplishment. The Beta smiled when he saw me, excited that I came back alive with the antidote as well. "Alpha Killian is still alive, right?" I asked the moment I faced him. "Yes. We all have been waiting for your arrival," he replied and bowed again. I smiled and turned to face Theo and Liam. "Thank you for protecting me," I muttered. "No, my lady, we should be thanking you for saving our lives," Liam responded. I chuckled and rubbed their broad shoulders, earning shocked gasps from them before walking away with the beta. Everywhere looked quite different even though I had lived there for months. Perhaps, it was the effect
VALERIE My heart stopped beating the moment his lips pressed against mine. A warm feeling washed over my body and my legs stopped shaking. He pulled away and blinked repeatedly before grasping my hand. His eyes held emotions that I couldn't interpret even though the meaning was clear to me and everyone surrounding us.His lips trembled, and his chest rose and fell, causing a knot to form in my throat."Go on," he whispered tenderly to me, brushing my hair back with his hand before letting go of my hand. He glanced over at Michelle and nodded towards her. "Come on, take her in and prepare the antidote for Killian," he said in a completely different tone. Happiness rippled through me, and I tried hard not to burst into laughter or mockery before everyone. Michelle, who was almost numb from shock nodded slowly and began to climb the stairs with heavy steps. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I trailed after Michelle. We didn't say a word to one another as we walked acros
VALERIE Lucian parted his lips, ready to pass out his judgment on me. "Why should she be treated that way after what she went through to find the antidote?" Lucian questioned me, snapping a glare at Michelle. "Do you even have a conscience?" He snapped at Michelle and her jaws dropped. "How sure are you that she went to the Isle of the Blessed? It's possible that she stayed at a place and returned with a drug prepared by a witch!" She groused, still trying to turn Lucian against me. "Why don't you focus on helping him recover instead of laying blame!" Lucian growled at her and she jumped, embarrassment smeared against her face. "But…" Lucian grabbed me and raised my shirt, pointing at the wound on my belly. "Is that enough to prove that she went there? Will she hurt herself so bad to lie?" He snapped. He sighed and dug his hand into his hair, groaning in anger as he glared at her in annoyance. "She did her part by going to the cursed Isle and getting the antidote, why don't
VALERIE My heart tightened and I gasped in surprise. "What?" I snapped. Bianca nodded and moved closer to me as if I was attempting to do something stupid to myself."Yes, she was killed by rogues while trying to protect master Damion. Even up to today, no one has dared talk about her death for Damion's sake," she muttered Rachel's laughing face flashed before my eyes and a sickening feeling filled the pit of my belly. I staggered back and lost my balance. Bianca caught my wrist before I could touch the ground and pulled me up to my feet, wrapping her hand around me."Calm down, just calm down," she whispered, patting my hair slowly.I broke into tears, sobbing loudly.I couldn't believe that she died that terrible way despite her kindness and good heart."She never deserved that kind of death, Bianca!" I blurted out, unable to subdue the pain within me anymore."I know, but what can one do? It's all in the hands of fate and destiny—""Fuck fate and destiny!" I screamed, pushing
VALERIE My trembling hands slowly slipped away from the edges of the stone, fear bubbling in me. His cold hand was still wrapped around my wrist as he waited for me to get up and explain the act I was caught in. I couldn't dare imagine the disgusted look that would be on Lucian's face, worse, Killian's. I gulped hard and slowly turned, but the fear tightening in my chest eased up as my terrified eyes fell on the person clenching my wrist. "Damion!" I sighed in relief. His lips turned up in suspicion and his eyes darted to the fake flagstone on the ground before he released my wrist."What are you doing here?" He asked, nodding towards the spot he found me squatting down. "Uhm…" I trailed, fixing my eyes on the flagstones on the ground with the true intention of avoiding his prying eyes. "Are you scared of saying the truth to me?" He questioned. I remained silent, my eyes still fixed on the ground. I shivered slightly as he wrapped his hand around my chin, turning my head to
VALERIE Bianca scoffed and narrowed her eyes, glaring haughtily at her. I sighed, aware of what she was talking about. Michelle smirked and didn't wait for my reply before striding fully into the room. I stood up, my heart clenched in fear. Even though I needed to know the cause of my father's death, I knew deep down that I wasn't ready to bear the heartbreak that would come with the truth. "I don't think I want to talk about it yet," I muttered, glancing at everything in the room aside from Bianca and Michelle's faces. "Why?" Michelle's voice bore shock and disappointment. "I have a lot to deal with at the moment. I'm not ready to hear it," I muttered. She huffed and stepped back. I finally looked at her, forcing a smile into my face. She huffed, fuming in anger as she glared at me. "Are you scared of the truth?" She asked, her lips turning up in a mocking smirk. I sighed and tilted my head to the side, staring confidently into her eyes. "Yes, I am scared of the truth."
VALERIE My jaws were still dropped in shock as I stood rooted at the spot. "Valerie? Are you okay?" Bianca's words shot into my mind, causing me to raise my head. Her head tilted to the side as she watched me, confusion scribbled across her face. "Why were you acting that way when I mentioned the name of Luna Queen's sister?" She questioned, her eyes filled with suspicion. I released a false laugh and shook my head. "It's nothing. I… I thought I had heard the name somewhere." She narrowed her eyes in disbelief but said nothing concerning my attitude. "Well… mother said that she died some months before her wedding to an alpha prince," she said. My fist clenched and I bit my lips at the discovery. "Was she getting married to Lycan prince Alexander?" I bobbed my head and asked. She threw her head back and narrowed her eyes, letting the silence haunt my curiosityI hoped silently that I was wrong with my guess. "No, it was rumored that the Lycan king Alexander never had any lo
VALERIE "I am disappointed in you, Valerie!" He groused with a glare before turning to help his mother up from the seat. I gulped hard and slowly stood up, dropping my head. "Forgive me—" "Don't say a word!" I shifted back at the harsh tone of Lucian's voice. "Hey, don't yell at her!" The Luna Queen snapped, hitting him on the chest. Lucian sighed in disappointment and threw me a glare before leading his mother to the bed. The maidservant turned and stared at me coldly then moved closer to where I stood. "You should have stopped her, my lady," she muttered. My heart clenched and I gripped the edge of the table, getting overwhelmed with guilt. "I'm sorry. I never meant to let her drink so much," I whispered, avoiding her accusing eyes. She huffed in annoyance and trudged off to attend to the Luna Queen. I sighed in disappointment, muttering curses under my breath. If Lucian hadn't intervened, she would have told me how she killed Renee. I needed to fix the dot
VALERIE My throat knotted and my hand shook at her sudden words. "You want to talk about your life? I… I don't think…" She waved her hand and my lips slammed shut. "Don't worry about trust. We seem to share the same fate…" She paused and gulped down another glass of wine. I had the chance to stop her but the curiosity that bubbled in me and the selfishness that resided in my heart wouldn't let me take that step. I simply sat still, turning a blind eye as she consumed bottles of wine alone. "Alright then. I will listen to your life story," I said, smiling lightly. I could feel the eyes of the maidservant standing some inches away from me. I knew she felt disappointed that I let her mistress drink. She leaned into the chair, her fingers wrapped around her chin as she fixed her eyes steadily on the dark wardrobe. "I don't want to talk about my sister," she muttered, throwing her head to the side with an eye roll."Then… what do you want to talk about?" I asked.oyI felt like I
VALERIE "Your sister?" I gasped in surprise.She nodded her head in response and smiled sadly."She must mean a lot to you," I stuttered, cautious of the words that I blurt out."Yes, she does," she whispered and sighed, slamming her eyes shut.I watched her, silently hoping that she would open the wardrobe.She turned around and moved towards the table, my hopes dashing."I store my memories in there…" she spoke as she raised the glass of wine to her lips. She paused and dimmed her eyes, twirling the glass in her hand."Everyone of them." If not that I paid keen attention to her, I wouldn't have grabbed the words she whispered with sadness."Getting mated to the heir of the Nox family must come with lots of memories," I chuckled nervously."Yes, I had the most chaotic memory here in the Blood Moon Pack, especially with Renee around," she muttered and gulped down some of the wine in the glass.My throat knotted when she mentioned Renee.She dropped the glass on the table and waved m
VALERIE I followed Lucian to Killian's room, my heart thumping loudly in my chest in excitement. He didn't bother knocking before pushing the door open. Killian raised his head when we entered the room. He dropped the cup he was holding and leaned back into the bed, his eyes piercing into ours in a suspicious gaze. "Don't tell me you two have been fucking while I'm struggling with my life," he huffed, turning up his lips as he narrowed his eyes at us. "Why should I bother myself when I'm certain that you're going to live," Lucian muttered nonchalantly. I trotted towards Killian and took his hand, rubbing it gently. "I heard you got the antidote," he muttered. I raised my head and our eyes locked. I blushed lightly, my heart skipping beats as those blue eyes that I had always yearned to stare into consumed me. "Did you get hurt on the way?" He asked. I shook my head, too stunned to speak. His hand moved to my hair, and he brushed it back, a smile flickering across his enchan
VALERIE I almost choked when he whispered those words to me. "What… what?" I gasped, feeling the rush of blood in my face.""Don't you want to be sure you haven't lost your voice yet?" He teased, causing a smile to break out on my face. "Then I should see a doctor for my voice," I replied. Despite the desire I had for him, I still couldn't stop my stubbornness from showing up again.His hand moved to my hair, and he patted it gently before combing it down with his fingers."We don't need a doctor here, little Val, not when I'm right here," he whispered, teasing me with his hot breath against my neck. I shivered and giggled slightly.His hand traced up to my breast and he squeezed my hardened nipples, earning a gasp from me.He leaned forward and kissed my neck, placing love bites on my neck.I groaned out in pleasure, biting my lips as my eyes slammed shut in pleasure.My pussy was dripping wet, begging for an insertion of his fingers.He moved away and pushed his wavy hair back,