AnselIts been two days since i last saw Valerie, but everytime i closed my eyes, i saw her. It made no sense. Was this Sorcery? I just met this woman ans she was all i could think of! My wolf didnt even majke it easier for me as he wanted her more than anything. It made no sense to me.But i couldnt stop. I wnated her. I needed her. But i couldnt have her so i decided to distract myself.And what better way than doing the one thing i knew i was good at?I could hear the screams of the rogues as i approached the dungeons. The criminals and monsters in the cages shivered as they saw me walk in, terrified to their limbs at what i was capable of. The king of death, they called me.Which was beffiting, because everytime i walked in here, people died. Most times they deserved to.The man responsible for the dungeons and the criminals, Dean, bowed as i entered the dungeons, noting the whole place.“Your highness.” He gruffly greeted, his huge form bigger and taller than mine, but i was stil
Ansel groaned into my mouth as he deepened the kiss, hungry, like his life depended on it. I opened my mouth a bit more, giving him all the access he needed. My palms pressed against his chest, feeling his heart pounding wildly under them.My hands slid from his chest into his hair, gripping the long, dirty blonde strands and tugging, pulling him closer. I could barely breathe. How I missed him—his taste, his touch, his scent. My head felt light as he moaned into my mouth, his hands roaming my body, his fingers leaving sparks in their wake. Heat pooled in my core as he bit my lip before pulling back, brushing my hair behind my neck. His warm mouth and hot breath on my skin sent a moan tumbling from my lips.“Fuck, Valerie. You make me lose control,” he groaned against my neck, his hands reaching the hem of my top.My hands mirrored his, pulling his shirt off. I didn’t want to rip it like he always liked.I took a moment to admire his beautiful chest, my fingers teasing one of his nipp
Scott and Skylar were back from their weekend away, and I was happy to see them. They were the only good part of waking up this morning, given that I had cried myself to sleep the night before. But my pretense didn’t take me far, as Skylar immediately figured out something was wrong the minute she saw me.“What did my stupid cousins do now?” she groaned, pulling me into a tight hug. Scott shot me a sympathetic look as he brought their things out of the car, handing them to a maid who then took them to their suite.I let out a sigh, reveling in the embrace I had with Skylar. “Nothing I can't handle. I'll be fine.”Skylar pulled away, her caring eyes studying my face. “You are too good for those assholes. What unhealed part of you is attached to them?”“All of me, unfortunately. Now, off to resume being assistants to them. I have to join Grey on the training grounds, and I'm already five minutes late.” I didn’t want to give Grey the satisfaction of making me seem incompetent, especially
GreyAs i watched Valerie storm away, i fought the urge to call her back. She didn't deserve to be punished for just being few minutes late. Hating her was just petty at this point, and my wolf was beating me up for being so mean to her.So i decided to call her back, but as i stepped forward, Ramona stopped me in my steps.“Grey, i can finally do the spell to see if i can your memories back.” I turned to face her, shocked to the extent that Valerie was a distant topic resided at the back of my mind.“Really?” I asked feeling hopeful. Ramona has been around but was unable to do any spells because she needed to make a sacrifice. She being able to do the spell meant that she successfully was able to do the sacrifice, and today, i may be able to remember everything.I didnt know if i was meant to be happy or not. I couldnt remember what the memories were, and even if they were cleared to protect us in the first place, but i had this gaping hole that reminded me that i was incomplete wit
ValerieOutside the border, the path that wasnt protected by guards like the one i entered through when i returned, had this chilling cold that wrapped its claws around my bones. The cold gnawed at my skin, sharper than Grey’s words and Ramona’s smirks. My wolf whimpered, uneasy in this forsaken place. She knew, just as I did, that this was no ordinary punishment. It was a warning, a reminder of my place—a cruel test disguised as discipline.I stepped forward, the crunch of frost under my boots echoing louder than it should have. The shadows of the trees stretched long and menacing, their skeletal limbs swaying slightly as if reaching for me. Each step felt heavier, my breath visible in the icy air.Forcing my focus on the seconds passing, I counted each heartbeat in my head, willing myself to hold on. “Five minute,” I whispered to myself, though it felt like a lifetime. The air was suffocating, not because of the cold but the weight of everything I carried: the memories, the betraya
GreyI didn’t understand the fear that coursed through my veins as th soldiers turned to their wolves to fight off the rogues at the border, but that wasn’t the reason I was as scared.“Where the fuck did you send her, Grey? What if she gets torn apart?” Ansel growled angrily as he switched to his wolf.He was pissed, and I didn’t understand why. We just met her and we were supposed to not like her, right?Then why was I scared to death about her being injured or dead? Why were we willing to endanger ourselves to save her?Why were we all, endangering ourselves?“I’m turning, Grey. You better hope she doesn’t get hurt. She has a baby, you should have thought about that.” Kaden growled as he tore apart his suit, changing mid air.I decided to change too, and we sprinted out of the border, just our minds leading us.The whole border was dark, darker than normal and i instantly felt the drop of the temperature as we left the pack. The rogues already left the pack edge, and I could hear t
ValerieSeeing Ansel, Kaden and Grey’s wolves here, in front of me, covered with blood and grime, i coukldnt describe the joy i felt. The happiness that my ates put themselves in danger to come save me.They had no idea what theyhad done. They had helped me in one challenge in my bid rto break the curse. They risked themselves to save me. Deep down, they were still the men that loved me.A tear slid from my eye. They were still worth saving.And now i had only two challenges before getting them back completely.Grey’s wolf changed back to his human form, and he grabbed a pair of clothes from the back of the tree, a tradition that the pack had incase anyonechanged unplanned. Clothes in parts of the woods.I smiled at him as he ran towards me, while his brothers changed too, but a sharp pain shotthrough my side and i remembered my injury. I winced as i started to fall.But Grey caught me just before i could. “Valerie. Whats wrong?” he asked as he checked my body for injuries before seei
Valerie Days after the rogue incident, I had a fast recovery. I couldn’t explaijn why I had such fast healing, although I knew that Kaden was suspicious because I wasn’t an alpha. On the other hand, he became nice. He helped me so much with Elara who has become so attached to him.Ansel didn’t leave my side, taking care of all my needs, we haven’t gotten close to talking about what happened the night before but I feel that the thought of losing me scared him to his senses.A win is a win, right?And Grey, he and I have been getting along more than before. Ramona hardly showed her face lately after the embarrassment but I had a feeling she was going to get back at me for what happened.This wasn’t my first mean girl. But I could handle it.If I could handle the possibility of losing my family, a mean girl was nothing.And by the time I was healed, I was ready to start working again, especially since the Alphas didn’t hate me anymore.“Kaden, come on, let me go with you for the meeting
Ramona Tonight was the night.My night.Nothing would go wrong. I would make sure of that. I had spent years working toward this moment alongside Coral, bending fate itself to ensure that Grey would be mine. He belonged to me and no one else. Not his brothers, not Valerie, not even his own past. I had erased them all from his heart, from his soul.And now, I was finally getting what I deserved.Grey had proven his loyalty to me in the best way possible- he had chosen me over his own blood. He had suggested- no, ordered that Ansel and Kaden be executed tonight, sealing his bond to me in the most permanent way.I couldn’t contain the excitement bubbling inside me.The sheer joy.I turned to him, standing beside me in his usual fitted suit, looking every bit the king he was meant to be. My king.I reached up, brushing a hand over his cheek. “Everything is more than perfect, my love.”His blank eyes that burned with nothing but submission and love for me met with mine, and for a moment,
GreyI had forgotten who I truly was. No matter how much Kaden and Ansel tried to get me to come back, tried to make me remember who I truly was, I couldn’t remember. All that was in my head was love and loyalty to Ramona, I wanted to make her happy no matter the cost and if doing that was getting rid of everyone that stood in the way of our love then so be it. Ramona had ordered the guards to prepare my bloodied and wounded brothers for execution so we could get ready for our wedding. She had even told me to go get ready separately because that way, we would avoid any bad eyes and the wedding would go well. She had placed a soft kiss on my cheek before she sent me off. Now, I was standing in front of the mirror after getting into the tuxedo she had specifically picked out for me. I started adjusting the collar, admiring the perfect embroidery on the left side of the suit jacket as it shone under the light. This was the attire of a man that was about to be bound to Ramona for lif
Ramona“Come,” I purred, trailing my fingers down his arm. “Let’s go remind them why we’re the ones in power.”I walked out of the room, Grey behind me as we walked down the dimly lit hallway of the castle, my heels loudly clicking against the floor with each step that I took as we headed down to the grand hall. They still hadn’t been taken away from there, plus it was easier for me to go to the grand hall than down to the stinky and dirty dungeon where they once kept. Tonight was supposed to be perfect. Tonight, Grey and I were meant to stand before our people and solidify our rule and we were so close to doing that. The wedding was meant to mark the beginning of a new reign- ours.And yet, everything had slipped through my fingers in the quick blink of an eye.Skylar had disappeared.That wretched oracle girl we had been searching tirelessly for had interfered.And now, Coral was becoming more unpredictable by the second, getting mad at me and even arguing with me in front of ev
ValerieCoral had a deadly look in her eyes as she moved to me, after she had walked away from Ramona, she pulled me up and I followed her back to her room. I tried to see what she was thinking but it was hard and after a few more trials, I gave up.I silently looked at her as she ordered me to sit, I felt nothing as I watched her. She was shallow enough to believe that Ramona had it out for her after the little effort I had put into planting doubts into her mind. But, that was the thing about power hungry people- they would believe any lie told to them and try to take out everyone who they saw as a threat. I looked away from her and tried to form another connection, seeing that she was calmer. I didn’t want her to push the doubt aside but I knew her and I knew that she was planning something already, I only needed to make it happen earlier. I was forced to endure as Coral stripped me layer by layer- my power, my emotions, my very essence. Recently, Coral had been feeding on me.
SkylarWe were still in the cave- the air damp and smelling of the residual magic from the time the girl had been glowing and speaking of words straight from whatever she got her magic from. She still refused to tell me her name or how powerful she was, she was now sitting across me on the cold stone floor and her little fingers were flipping through the ancient, falling apart pages of the oracle’s book. I wanted to ask her how she was with it when I saw the book burn in front of me but I knew that wasn’t important and when we were done with all of this, I could ask about it. I watched her silently as I wrapped my arms around myself, I had safely kept the vial and gave it to me in my pocket as my head swirled, trying to wrap my mind around what was happening and what had happened. I had nearly died- had been seconds away from execution- only to be pulled into this place by a girl who, by all accounts, shouldn’t have had the power to do so.But she had.And now, here we were.“You’re
ScottFor a second, I almost let it happen but I suddenly got a grip of myself and pushed her away. She moved away from me and the expression on her face was enough to tell me that she was hurt by my rejection She masked it well, her expression was unreadable and her lips were set in a thin line. But from the way her eye was twitching to the way she balled her fingers into fists tightly, her nails digging into her palm, almost drawing blood. Normally, I would have tried to say something to ease the thick tension that clouded up in the air but I didn’t and neither did she say anything relating to it. “You and the children can stay here for the next few days,” she finally spoke up, her voice clipped and void of any emotion. “You need to rest and the children need food. You’ll be safe here.”Safe.The word felt foreign, like someone that was impossible. Because I had never for once felt safe since the take over, and since the moment I ran away with the kids. I nodded, taking in her
ScottMy head was still spinning. Skylar was alive. Relief washed over me in waves and it battled against the confusion that I felt, the one eating at the edges of mind. A part of me wanted to believe it without having questions, to accept that Skylar truly had sent someone to help me, to lessen the burden I had to carry. But, the other part that had been betrayed, captured, hurt and nearly killed refused to let its guard down and I stared at the woman suspiciously. “What’s your name?” I asked her, my voice cold and void of any emotions. “And why would Skyler even send you to me?”“My name is Tori,” she replied, her smile unwavering. “And like I said earlier, Skylar sent me to come help you.”I studied her carefully and when she moved closer to me, I recoiled. She asked me to calm down and then she gave me a potion. She said it would cure me. I didn’t want to believe her but she had convinced me and I had taken it. It had taken the burning pain I was feeling away but I still didn
ScottI ran and ran until my legs begged me to stop and rest, but I didn’t listen. I couldn’t listen. Only one thing was on my mind and that was getting to a safe place far from where anyone could reach us. Out of nowhere, it started raining and I grew weary. That was the last thing that I wanted, it poured down heavily, my clothes clinging to me and making my wounds. My vision was blurry as the rain lashed against my face, entering into my eyes. I ran through the woods, muddy floor and I had no idea where I was going. Normally, I would have been healed, my wounds closed up and my body stronger no matter how much I had been running. But, every time I tried to focus and heal myself, I would feel nothing but excruciating pain. Vervain. When they had captured me and taken me back to their camp, they had injected me with it. The stupid poison was coursing through my veins and eating away at my essence like fire would burn up a paper. It was even worse because it wasn’t just little
SkylarI felt dizzy and the world spun around me. I barely had time to figure out what was going on or what had happened when I felt myself shift and my knees hit a cold and hard ground. I was supposed to be dead. I was this close to getting my head chopped off. The last thing I remembered was the guard with empty eyes raising a machete while Ramona and Coral watched me with amusement as I was about to be killed. I had accepted my fate because not only was I helpless, it was Grey who had asked for me to be killed but-Light. A light erupted, bright and blinding as it shone through the room, affecting me even more because it appeared so close to me. And now, I was here. A cave. The air was thick with the smell of moss and something I couldn’t quite place my hand on, the air was also moist and shadows were cast on the stone walls by the moonlight that shone into the tiny opening of the cave. A lantern was on but it was not bright and I blinked rapidly as I tried to figure out wh