BRODYMy father burst into the living room, his eyes burning with rage.What the hell had happened again?“I thought I was raising wolves that will lead this pack, someday. I had no idea that you three are nothing but tiny chickens!”My father's voice rang through my ears, causing goosebumps to sprout on my skin. I hated how he talked down to us.“What have we done this time?” Axel asked him.“You thought that reporting me to the council of elders would change anything? Oh, you should be ashamed of yourself because you have no idea who your father is!”“We can no longer bear the atrocious things you have done, Alpha!”I grabbed Axel's arm. He was overstepping and my father could kill him at any moment. We had lost too much to him already. I couldn't stand another loss.My father's eyes filled with a cold gleam. He did not say a word. And that caused me to be worried and confused.“You will no longer enter this castle from henceforth,” my father declared, his voice causing a chill to t
CARSONI woke up panting heavily.I sat up on the couch where I managed to get some sleep. I looked around, listening if I would hear Ashley’s voice. I wondered if, by any chance, she had called onto me.The dream was too clear, too real!I saw Ashley, she was being dragged by a strange force. She called out to me, many times.“Carson, save me!” That was all she said.I tried to reach her. I did my best, but I just couldn't. After I had battled many obstacles, the road was finally clear. I flung myself in her direction and stretched my hand to her. But it was too late. The force dragged her into a dark place where my hand could not reach.My heart was heavy with despair. I could not sleep a wink after that dream. I got up and tiptoed out of the small castle we were staying in.I did not care what happened, I just had to get as close to the main castle as possible. I had to confirm that Ashley was not calling out to me for real.I flattened my body on the wall and went close to the sid
ASHLEYI didn't know what day it was or what time of the day. I was being drawn away from the real world with each passing minute.I was being haunted in my sleep, again. And like the other times, I could hear Alpha Hendrix's voice. I always heard it in my sleep, faint at first, then louder. But I'm always unable to understand the words. It felt like he was speaking a strange language. I was tossing again. I felt restless. It was as if his claws were scratching my chest, digging for my heart. No! No! No! I sat up quickly. My chest rose and fell as I tried to catch my breath. The air crackled with an unnatural energy as Alpha Hendrix began his chant. His voice was a low rumble. It carried a creepy tone that made me cringe. His words echoed through the room, resounding in my ears. But something was different this time. I could hear the chants. “Oh dark powers of my ancestors in before me, hear my plea. Grant unto me her power. Let me have all of her strength and her will. Break her
CARSONWe set out to find Circe. Our journey took us through treacherous domains, across raging rivers, and through thick forests.How was Circe able to show up at the palace with so much energy if she had to go through such stress? Then it occurred to me that she was not an ordinary she-wolf. She probably had some hidden routes that she took.The journey to her place was not an easy one but we were driven by our sole goal, the determination to save Ashley.I almost puked when Circe's cabin came into sight.My nose wrinkled in distaste as we pushed through the thick bush to a clearing where the cabin stood. We were faced with a rickety structure. There was no trace of what it looked like years before because it had lost whatever vibrance it might have had in the past. The structure stood shakily, supported by two ancient trees.It looked like a risky mission.As we drew closer, the stench became overpowering. It was a suffocating mix of rot, stale incense, and some other unsettling st
CARSON“I hope this turns out well for us and Ashley,” I heard Brody say.I turned to look at him. A shiver ran down my spine as we got to the entrance of the elders’ cave. The air was thick with tension, fear and unease hung heavy in the air.“I just wish we did not need the elders with us on this one! If only it was something we could do on our own,” Axel whispered, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.“We have no other choice,” I replied, my voice firm, trying to hide the anxiety I was feeling.“Yeah, Ashley's life is at stake,” Brody added.I stepped into the cave, my eyes adjusting slowly to the dim light. The elders were gathered around a fire, their faces edged with worry.What was it this time?“How is your mission coming along?” one of the elders asked, his brows drawn.“We can say we have made progress. We heard about a family that possesses the power we seek. The ones who told us said you would know if we told you about them. They mentioned something about them s
CARSONThe path ahead was filled with dangers at every turn. As we ventured deeper into the forest, the trees grew taller and thicker. The light from the sun managed to filter through the canopy of trees. Aside from that, it was already getting dark. But we couldn't return to the palace without a solution. The air was filled with the sound of the rustling of leaves beneath our feet and our heavy breaths as we rushed through the forest.My senses were on high alert, scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. I noticed my brothers were doing the same. We made sure to check for anything that might be lurking in the dark.There were strange sounds at intervals. Howling of wolves in the distance. But we persevered, our determination was fueled by our love for Ashley.After long hours of traveling, we finally reached the village. As we approached, we were greeted by a group of villagers, their faces frowned with curiosity and suspicion. We explained that we were seeking the help of
AXELMy heart pounded like a drum in my chest as I watched Jasmine step out to the living room. Her eyes were dark with anger. She whispered something to her mum while looking in our direction. Her mum nodded, rubbed her back gently, and left us alone in the living room.A deep frown carved her face as she gave us an acidic stare, one after the other.“What do you want!” she asked in a very bitter tone.I couldn't believe it. Jasmine, of all people, was the one who held the key to Ashley's salvation. It seemed like the universe just wanted to mock our predicament.The memory of our last encounter still stung.It had been a bitter breakup, filled with accusations and hurt. The way our love turned sour and became a toxic broth of resentment and anger was not something I wanted to dwell on. I had been the one to break it off, a decision I never regretted.I had never imagined that we would cross paths again, let alone find myself under such dire circumstances. But now, faced with the pos
JASMINEI sat outside with my mum, listening to the instructions she gave. The moon hung high in the sky, casting shadows over the earth. My eyes danced from the shadows of the ancient oak trees that surrounded our home to my mum's face.A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about what I was about to do.I listened carefully as my mum rolled out the various activities that were involved in the ritual I was about to perform. She explained the demands of the ritual in detail, causing a chill to wash over me.“It would require you to sacrifice a part of yourself, Jasmine. You would have to push aside your desires and feelings. You would be face to face with the gods.”Her words made the ritual seem scary and I wondered if I was really ready.I asked her questions about the dos and don’ts of the ritual. She rolled out another long list, including that I could not carry out the ritual in anger or any form of grudge.After she had explained. She took me to the sacred room and asked me to