VALERIE My heart froze when I heard Adriana's voice behind me. I slowly slipped my clammy hands off the bars and turned around to face her. Her face held a scowl, which I had come to be quite familiar with, and her thin lips pursed out, making her look uglier than she already was. “My lady," I forced myself to bow down before her. “And what are you doing here?" she said in a voice dripping in venom and hostility. My throat knotted as I began to search desperately for answers to her question. I never thought about it while she scanned my body with her glaring eyes. I was trapped and needed a way out as soon as possible. I knew what she would do if she found out my plots and the reason I was there. She had always wanted to get rid of me and this was the perfect way to. “Are you deaf?" Her snap shot me back to reality. I batted my lashes severally and shook my head, stammering and longing for an escape route. An idea suddenly popped into my mind and I said it withou
VALERIE “You have things to explain to me, don't you?" She asked, folding her hands as she stared at me for an explanation.I stammered, avoiding her eyes as I thought of an answer that I would give her without sounding ridiculous.“I went to visit the prisoners. Princess Adriana would have had me reported to the Luna Queen or your brothers," I replied and her brows curved up in curiosity.“With no intentions?" Her question made me snap my head up in surprise.“Huh?" I mumbled, unsure if what I was thinking was what she meant.She smiled wryly and squatted down before me then cupped my chin.“You are… planning something, aren't you?" She asked and my jaws dropped in shock.“Huh?" I gasped, batting my lashes.I was shocked at her outburst and I was confused as to how I was able to leave clues on my trail.“I… I… don't know what you're talking about," I stammered, avoiding her sharp gaze.“You don't want to tell me?" She asked and I tilted my head, feigning innocence.She smiled and p
VALERIE We glanced at each other, stunned at her words. I couldn't believe her, none of us believed her words. Every single word sounded unbelievable. She couldn't betray her brothers, it was impossible. Princess Arlene tilted her head, her eyes focused on us. “Why won't you say anything? Don't you believe me?" She asked, understanding what was going on in our minds through our horror-stricken expression. “I… I don't get what you're saying, my lady," I muttered and she sighed out, shaking her head as she pursed out her lips in amusement. “You do not understand or you think that I am lying, which of them?" She asked. The three of us looked at each other, searching for answers to her question in our eyes but somehow, we got the same answer that was running around our heads. “Both of them, my lady," Bianca replied. My heart twitched when I saw pain flash across her beautiful eyes. “You all think that I am lying?" She huffed. My throat knotted and from the corner
VALERIE When those words slipped out of her lips, my heart constricted and I froze in fear. Soldiers ran into the passageway through the entrance of the dungeon. We were trapped and doomed, surrounded with no way out. “Going against the Lycan kings? It seems like you despise your lives too." The voice was unmistakable, even without looking back, we knew who it was."Do you really think that I will fall for that trick you played with my sister? I am smarter than you think, and I will make sure you don't live to taunt me anymore," she chuckled in a voice dripping with venom.My heart constricted and I clenched my fist, trying to subdue the pain and anger that bubbled within me. I realized that Adriana was destined to be a stumbling block and my enemy forever. “Turn around!" She snapped and my throat knotted. I glanced at Arlene and watched helplessly as her hands shook and her skin paled. I was the first to turn around and somehow, I was afraid and confident at the same tim
VALERIE She scoffed loudly, shaking her head in disbelief, her eyes bulging out in horror.“That is a lie! That isn't the seal of the Lycan kings, that is… that is…" she stuttered, swerving her head left and right.Arlene shoved past the guards and grabbed my hand, staring intently at the seal in my hand.She gasped out in shock and her brows raised.“How did you…" she trailed off and scoffed in disbelief, darting her abashed gaze from the seal to my smiling face.“Arrest them!" Adriana growled, shaking her finger at us. The guards stepped back, staring at the seal with fear in their eyes.“My lady, that is the Lycan kings' original seal," the man standing next to her muttered, and her jaws dropped open in shock.She glared at me and scowled then marched towards me in fury.Before I could bat an eyelash, she grabbed my collar and pushed me to the wall. My back brushed against the rough wall and my skin tore. I groaned in agony and bit my lips, slamming my eyes as my back throbbed in
VALERIE The ride was quiet, aside from the excited whimpering of children. And yes, I still wondered if I would be happy outside the wolf kingdom. It wasn't so easy to get the seal from the Lycan kings, but I knew I had to do it, and somehow, they didn't seem to know that I stole from them before leaving. I had returned the seal to Princess Arlene before leaving. Though I knew that they might end up in trouble, there was nothing I could do to save them, or was I just being selfish? “Where are we going, ma'am?" The man behind the wheels asked, dragging me out of my thoughts. I raised my head and stared at the darkness overhead, my hand clenching onto the paper Arlene had given me with an address scribbled on it. “Drive to the seaport in Silver-line Pack. There is a ship waiting for you all. It has been arranged to take you all to a place in Romania where the Lycan kings will never be able to find any of you," I said, and his lips stretched into a smile. Sighs of relief
VALERIE My heart constricted and memories came rushing in as I stared at the house from the truck. A house that had brought me nothing but sorrow and misery.I took a deep breath and pulled the door of the truck open.“I will be right back," I said and shuffled up to the front porch then placed a soft knock on the door.My heart thumped loudly as I waited for a response from within. I felt my heart tighten as my mother's voice rang within the house.I took a step back then another one. My hands shook as I tried to control my emotions.I didn't know why but I felt like I was doing the wrong thing by returning back to the Pack and back to my mother. What if that old man is home? How will I get my mom out with him around?“I don't think he is home. Remember, he always spends the night at a bar," Jade reminded me, and I nodded, relief washed over me.My pulse raced as the door clicked open. Right before me was my mother, horror etched against her face and eyes as wide as saucers.“What
VALERIE I stepped back as I stared at the shadow at the front of the door. My pulse raced as I took a step backward. I hoped that it wouldn't turn out to be what I thought.The shadow got closer and to my horror, his huge body stood gallantly by the door, a smirk of triumph on his face.My stepfather looked baffled at first when his eyes fell on me. He strained his neck and batted his lashes severally, then threw his head back and roared in a fit of laughter.He finally grew quiet again and looked at me with frightening eyes, which were red and teary from the alcohol he must have consumed before heading home.“Val? Is that really you, Val?" He questioned in an irritating tone.He chuckled and shook his head, widening his eyes to take a better look at me.“Hey, woman, is that your daughter, huh?" He growled, waving his hand from my mother to me.My mother glanced at me with horror in her eyes, unable to respond to his absurd question.“Thank heavens that you are still alive. I thought
VALERIE She waved her hand over my face, and I blinked, getting back to reality."Are you a maidservant? I never asked for one," she muttered.I flashed a nervous smile, hoping she wouldn't report me to the Luna."I… I thought that was my room," I blurted out before I could stop myself. "What?" Her eyes dimmed in confusion and she huffed, making my heart drop. "I have lived in this room for months," she muttered and my brows raised."For months?" I murmured, my throat knotting. She folded her hands under her breasts and tilted her head to the side, staring at me keenly. "I haven't seen you before, who are you?" She asked. I bit my lips and narrowed my eyes, thinking of an answer to give her. "I… I am Valerie Garrett," I replied. She hummed, nodding her head slowly. "I just arrived at the Pack," I added and her eyes lit up. Her hands dropped and she advanced towards me, grabbing my hand. Shivers rushed down my spine when her hands touched mine. "Then… you don't mind if I ta
VALERIE His eyes dimmed and he walked closer. Each step he took towards me made my heart skip and caused my breath to hitch. "You are from Blue Moon Pack?" He asked. His voice was deeper, deeper than Lucian's voice, and his blue eyes were sharper than Killian's eyes. He looked exactly like my mates! "Uhm… uhm…" I stammered, suddenly losing the right words.He tilted his head to the side, staring at me with amusement dancing in his sharp blue eyes."Who sent you?" He asked.My throat knotted and I struggled to find the right words.I still couldn't believe that I was staring at someone who looked so much like Lucian and Killian, someone who might turn out to be their father if my calculations didn't turn out to be wrong."I was sent by my alpha," I quickly rasped out without thinking."Alpha Carlos?" He asked, and I nodded my head, even though I didn't know who bore that name.The Alpha that ruled my Pack before the current Alpha didn't go by the name Carlos. Perhaps, he was mistake
VALERIE I jerked up when the liquid slipped into my nose, choking me. I gasped and sat up, staring at the faces that looked down at me. They all looked my age. Aside from that, they looked and dressed differently.The events of what happened earlier replayed in my mind and I burst into tears, shamelessly crying before them.After all that I had gone through for the sake of the antidote, I ended up losing it.At that moment, I realized that the greatest enemy I had was myself.Everything had all been ruined and I felt like I was trapped in that world forever.I didn't save Killian and I wouldn't be able to return to my world either. I had lost to the witch, to Michelle, and myself. I was a loser, I had always been a loser.I stopped crying and decided to acknowledge the environment that I was in and the people who observed me.They exchanged frightened glances and stepped back. I guessed they must have assumed that I was some alien that fell from the sky."Who is she?" A little girl
VALERIE I grinned widely in pride as I picked up the blade and headed towards the door. I pulled the door open and stepped in but ended up falling. Darkness hit me and I found myself moving through a vacuum.Darkness hit me again and I groaned loudly as pain shot through my body.I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the sky above, realizing that I was lying on the ground. I jerked up and darted my eyes around the strange surroundings. I staggered up to my feet and stared at the woods that I was in. It didn't look any different from the woods in my world, but it smelled different. I sighed and began to trudge cluelessly around the woods, cursing loudly for the stress that was being inflicted on me. "Couldn't they just drop me at the bank of the river? Who in the world is doing this to me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when I realized that I had been moving in circles for hours. I clenched my fist when an idea of who the person was sneaked into my mind. Perhaps, this was her
VALERIE My jaws dropped in dismay as I stared at the huge creature before me, held back by large chains. It growled, revealing its long and dangerous fangs, the fiery eyes piercing into mine. We were in another room, perhaps, the beast's prison. "What am I doing here?" I asked, my eyes as wide as saucers. She looked at me, smiling sinisterly. "Behind that beast is the portal to the ancient world. If you want to get there, you will have to get through the beast," she said, and I scoffed in disbelief. Mere staring at the beast made my stomach churn in fear. "Do you still want to do it?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. I gulped hard, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. "Unless… you will bow down and worship me. I might consider taming the creature," she muttered and anger rippled through my bones. That was it. She wanted me to worship her or die. I thought of giving up but that sounded like the dumbest idea I've ever had. After going through demons, self-doubt, and
VALERIE I could hear the clattering of plates and a thick layer of incense hung above my head. I coughed and wheezed, tilting my head to avoid the scent in the air before opening my eyes.I looked at the dimly lit room that I was lying in and my eyes widened when I spotted a needle in my arm.My trembling hand reached for the needle and I pulled it out cautiously, sighing loudly.My heart dropped into my belly when I looked around the room and discovered that it looked more like a shrine than a room.Blades of different sizes bearing different symbols were stuck to the wall. Two pans hung from the ceiling, and thick incense from an incense burner stood at two corners of the room.I looked around, filled with fear and curiosity, wondering how I ended up there.I slammed my eyes shut, trying to remember, but a wave of events that took place came rushing into my mind and my eyes flew open, filled with fear and indignation.I sat up slowly, intentionally making noises that would gather
VALERIE I trailed after the witch into the house and stared at the interior designs in admiration. Even though it wasn't much, its little designs were worth gushing over. "You must have thought of a shrine as my abode," she muttered as she pulled off the scarf wrapped around her head and walked into a room that seemed to be the kitchen. "Would you like to drink something?" She asked from the kitchen. My lips parted and slammed shut as I thought of an answer to give her. My stomach rumbled loudly, already voicing out my answer before I could talk. "Yes, perhaps coffee," I muttered and she hummed in approval. I leaned into the comfy couch, sighing loudly in pleasure as I slammed my eyes shut, almost drifting off to sleep. My eyes flew open when that nightmare replayed in my mind. I sat up and looked around the living room, groaning loudly in disappointment. That was the perfect time to have a sweet, relieved sleep, but the thought haunting me in my dream stopped that comforti
VALERIE I was staring at myself and I couldn't help but scoff in disbelief. Her nose, eyes, ears, face, and even her body were all mine. The only difference between us was the darkness lurking in her chestnut eyes. "Who are you?" I asked and she chuckled lightly. "You are me, and I am you. What more is there to say," she muttered, and my heart constricted. "What are you? Why… why do you look like me?" I asked. She took a step forward and I staggered back, filled with fear and shock."You want to know?" She asked and stretched forth her hand.My hand began to tremble in curiosity and I stretched out my hand to touch her hand, curious to know what her skin felt like. I doubted if she was real. Perhaps, she was a figment of my imagination, an illusion used to deceive me.My hands were about to touch her palm when those words echoed in my mind.I stopped and stared into her eyes, watching the dark haze that floated in her eyes. In her eyes, she looked different. She looked like ano
VALERIE I was dead sure that it was the witch's voice. She had deceived me into sleeping so she could get into my dream. I shook my head to the side, getting filled with energy and anger to fight whatever was making life unbearable for me.I groaned silently and began to kick my legs desperately.Just as I was kicking my legs in the air-filled water, I felt something fall off my hands. I stopped kicking my legs around and moved my arms. My arms moved freely and a grin of satisfaction managed to break into my face.I continued to kick my feet despite how sore they had become.Whatever was binding my feet finally fell loose, and I shook it off, then began to swim to the surface.My shoulders began to ache at some point but I couldn't stop swimming, and the annoying whisper didn't relent either.Everything felt so real. I was trapped in another world and not in a dream. If the witch was the one behind this haunt, then she would try to stop me from waking up. My throat knotted in anger