ValerieThe dense canopy of the ancient forest protected me from the harshness of the afternoon sun. The air was thick with the earthy scent of the trees and moss.I had no idea when I had gotten to the forest. My legs just took me here as I wanted to create enough distance between Greg and myself. He was really messing with my head.I heard the sounds of flowing water ahead of me. I felt a bit excited to try it out.I didn't know why but I just loved water.I approached the babbling cool stream and I felt my race as I stepped closer to the water's edge feeling its coolness in the air. The stream was not that wide and its surface reflected the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. Without hesitation, I plunged into the cool embrace of the stream.I swam against the gentle current and soon, I reached the edge of the water. I pulled my hair off my face as I rested on the rock. I could not understand what was the problem with Kaden and Grey.Kaden and Grey. Most especially, Grey
Valerie's POV★"How dare you talk to me that way? You worthless being!" Fiona spat angrily. She was about to slap me but I grabbed her arm just in time and retaliated with a punch to her cheek.She stumbled backward in shock. I'm sure that she was not expecting that. Usually, I would stand there as she and her goons taunted and slapped me. But today that would end. Fiona held her stinging reddening cheek and groaned in pain."Oh my goddess, Valerie!" Skylar exclaimed."How dare you lay your hands on me? You will pay for this." Fiona rushed back to me, her hand rising in the air.I swiftly dodged the attack and landed a punch on Fiona's face. She screamed out loud in pain as she fell to the ground. Blood pooled out of her nostrils.I felt some kind of dominant power overtake me. I wanted to see more blood. I wanted Fiona to suffer how I had for the past years I had suffered in her hands. This was too little for her. She needed to bleed even more.At that moment, I wished I was good at
Valerie's POV★I could not believe this. Only Ansel's mother was able to read the inscription on the dagger? How was that possible? Was there some kind of connection between this dagger and me?I looked at Ansel as if I heard him saying some jargon.But after a moment of contemplation, he offered a rare smile, "Perhaps, it was meant to be." He declared, his eyes reflecting a profound sense of trust. "You were chosen to understand its meaning. Carry it with you, let its strength be yours."What was he saying? It seemed like he was talking in parables."I doubt I'm the chosen one for this dagger." I made an airy laugh, "I can't even deliver a punch well." I stated nervously.Now, that was getting a little bit weird.Ansel and I shared a burst of heartfelt laughter. Kind of, Hilarious."But that does not change the fact that it belongs to you," He smiled as he walked towards the wardrobe. He opened it and rummaged inside of it like he was searching for something."Oh, I found it." I hea
VALERIE'S POV★I sat on the bench of the training arena as I took deep breaths and relaxed from the hectic and tired training I had undergone. Sweat dripped down my face and my heart raced so fast. I was literally trembling as my hands shook.I couldn't even stand up or balance myself as my head was bent and sweat dropped on the tiles of the arena.Thank the Moon Goddess I was alone. I wouldn't appreciate anyone seeing me that way looking like a dead fish.And yes, I agree that my thoughts diverted to Kaden and that beautiful woman every now and then which made it hard to concentrate and then caused me to mess up what I learned.I groaned and tilted my head back as I looked around the arena. I soaked in the silent and chilly breeze.It was stupid of me to take up the duel. I knew Grey’s plan was to publicly humiliate me and I just fell right into his trap.How stupid could I be? He beat Bruno with one hand and I could only imagine how he would mercilessly humiliate me. I just needed
VALERIE'S POV★It dawns as bright and fresh as any perfect early spring day, the remaining dried leaves on the ground glittering like diamonds in the bright morning sun. The air crackled with my nervous energy as I follow the road to the Village Square, where the duel will take place. Every single year I’ve come to watch others fight and train, it was unbelievable that I got to have a duel with Greg. I felt the lingering gaze even when I was not participating. This day is something I’ve dreaded for along time. Everyone in the pack is out and on their way to watch, buzzing with excitement as they chatter amongst themselves. They are excited, and a small part of me that still has hope should be too, but I’ve got more chance of a thousand flying unicorns filling the sky than this day turning out good for me. The girls from all over the pack steal nervous glances at the males, as if we’re on our way to a school dance instead of arguably the most important event in our lives. I met Gre
VALERIE'S POV★It was the day of the coronation, Skylar was finally getting crowned as the Alpha of her pack whilst her beta was too.I lay in my room to keep myself busy with my phone when Skylar walked in, “Are you not planning to join us? It's my coronation day today." She said, frowning as she sat beside me. I turned to her, then sighed, “I would have loved to come but your cousins would be there.” I added with an eye roll, "They are all avoiding me if that's the word to use."“Really?" She snorted, "do you think they'll let you be here all by yourself then?” She asked while I burst into a small pearl of laughter.“I wouldn't want their trouble so it's best if I don't go at all. I'm sorry."I added and Skylar sighed.She knew the rift I had with her cousins. I stood up from the bed to admire her outfit.“You look ready and sweet."“I do?” She twirled around as the beautiful robe beautifully swayed the ground with a smile.Kaden walked in, seeing me looking so casual: no sign that
16VALERIE'S POV★For the tenth time, I tossed around the bed, turning to the length and breadth of the large bed but no sleep was coming.As I turned, I tangled myself with my covers. I shit my eyes one last time, waiting for sleep to hover over me but it was delayed. I lay there sprawled like a chicken on the bed as I glanced at the ceiling.My mind was swirling through my head like a breeze. “So now to sleep now it's a problem?” I worried about something if not a lot of things, and Greg was one of my issues.As the sleep failed to come, I slowly got up, heading to the window to have a perfect view of Skylar's pack.It was a Serene environment, with the moonlight buzzing in the skin after the sun had successfully gone down. Just as I was about to walk back to my bed, I heard a knock on the door,“ Who could that be?” I asked myself but I opened it before I knew it, right?I walked lazily to the door, dragging my feet with me, I looked through the door to see nobody.“That's stran
ANSEL'S POV★I laid a cloth on my face to shroud my sight with darkness and force sleep upon myself, but my mind was not at rest and my eyes knew not to sleep a bit. I pressed the cloth to my face, stubbornly hoping to effect some miracles, but I only looked stupid even to my imagination. I took the cloth off my face, stretched it, and made a blindfold that stretched from my face to my occiput, held together by a knot.That’s one of the quick sleep therapies I knew so far, but once again, I failed. We've always been known for just one thing, strict!We had never found ourselves in the odd situation of being stroked by such emotion as we had all suffered in secret, though we try as much as we can to hide it, it remains visible, if not to everyone at least, it had been quite obvious I could tell both Kaden and Grey had fallen.And what about me, I’ve fallen much deeper than they did. I sighed, my plans were not something one would deem too easy as it has to do with so much emotion an
Valerie's POVThe first thing I saw when I stepped through the pack’s border was chaos. Blood stained the earth, and the metallic tang of it filled the air. Wolves fought viciously, claws tearing into flesh as the sounds of snarls and cries filled the forest. I froze for a moment, the intensity of it all overwhelming me. This was not the kind of welcome I’d anticipated.Then I saw her—Skylar—her usually vibrant energy now subdued as she cradled her son in her arms. My heart clenched at the sight of her cowering near a fallen tree, a rogue looming over her with deadly intent. Before I could move to help, a flash of fur blurred past me, and I saw Grey—his wolf form tearing into the rogues with feral determination..When Grey reached Skylar, she was already bleeding, her abdomen slashed open by the rogue’s claws. My stomach churned as I watched the strange woman step in, her magic weaving a protective barrier and then healing Skylar with her spellIt wasn’t long before the battle subsid
GreyAfter we left the office, Ramona let out a loud sigh. “Gosh i dont think ive ever felt that intimidated before. You alphas are sexy but damn.”I let out a chuckle, knowing that she was right, but they werent always bad. But now was a time where we had to be cautious. We were alreadfy under a lot of pressure. This wasnt the time to trust foolishly like Kaden may think i currently am doing. Yes i attracted to her but that dudnt mean i trusted her with my life. I already made up my mind to put her under survelliance. “Butr you arent like that are you? Yes sexy, but not that intimidating? Or you are more of a sneaky type?”Flirty little Ramona batted her eyelashes at me, and i rolled my eyes in response, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “Sneaky isn’t my style. I’d rather people know exactly where they stand with me,” I said, my tone even. “And right now, you’re somewhere between mildly useful and highly suspicious.”Ramona feigned a gasp, pressing a hand to her chest drama
KadenI sat at the desk in the pack's office, flipping through reports with little interest. The usual mess of figures and documents had all but blurred together, but my mind wasn’t on the pack's business. It wasn’t on anything at all, really, except the pit in my stomach that hadn’t left since Patricia had slipped through our fingers and since i saw that cloaked Sky’s friend."Another dead end?" Ansel's voice broke through the silence, making me glance up. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his expression a mirror of my own frustration."Yeah," I muttered, tossing the report aside. "Nothing. No one’s seen her for days, and the trail’s gone cold."He gave a sharp nod. "I don’t like it. Feels like we’re being played."I rubbed my eyes, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. I wasn’t used to feeling like this—helpless, like I was chasing shadows. It hadn’t even crossed my mind until now, but the way Ansel had said it… we’re being played."Any luck wit
GreyPatricia has been unavailable for a few days since we went on that date, and we lost the only lead we had. Kaden refused to let me live that down, blaming me for letting her slip away and also blaming Ansel for treating her badly in the past. How were we supposed to know she was going to slip away? I did feel a good vibe from her that day, and although I felt bad for trying to use her, I believed we had reached a head way in our plan.This just confirmed she was hiding something and I was on edge trying to figure it out.The young soldiers trained hard as the assistant general, Hans, trained them while I texted Patricia for the tenth time, and still got no reply.“Fucking hell.” I grunted as I refrained from slamming my phone against the training dummy at the opposite side of the field. “At ease, Soldiers. You have ten minutes to rest. Regroup immediately after the break is over.” Hans commanded and the young soldiers bolted away, wanting to use their break well.Hans walked tow
alerie“How could you give up your powers just like that? You are the strongest being under the Moon Goddess, and you would just give that up for some witch with a vendetta? What the hell were you thinking?”Coral screeched at me the minute I got up from the spell circle, and I sighed in anger.I could feel a migraine coming on, and I knew Coral wouldn’t let this go. She was the right hand. If I lost my powers, there wouldn’t be a shrine for them.But that's nothing compared to letting that prophecy come to pass. And I do not regret my sacrifice. But one month? My spell was supposed to be strong because of their will to find me, but now I realized that was going to be a big problem. I had to trigger their memories.I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the pounding in my head as Coral’s words cut through the air, her worry mingling with her anger. She had every right to be upset, and yet I couldn’t afford to dwell on my regret or second-guess my choice.“Coral,” I said, my voice resolut
Valerie My heart thundered against my ribcage as i hurriedly left the presence of Ansel, Kaden and Grey, who stared me down as i left Skylar’s room. I could swear i saw Kaden glaring at me, which made it harder for me to make my decision. There was a way i could get us all out of this, and it may even ruin everything. But i wasn't going to give up without trying my best to have my mates back, our life back. So i left the pack with Elara, and headed back to my cottage where Coral was livid as she kept calling my line. Patricia was busy with a spell and I peeled my eyes off her, clearing my throat so that they could know i was in front of them. “Hey guys.” Coral’s eyes widened as she took me in, and she let out a sigh, which instantly turned to anger as she stormed towards me. “What the hell were you thinking, Val? Why would you leave without letting me know? I was worried sick something happened to you and Elara and Patricia couldn't locate you with a locator spell..” She took a
Ansel Grey rumbled on as Kaden chirped in reply but i couldnt concentrate as i stared at them. Only ne thing was in my mind. The cloaked stranger, Skylar’s weird friend. She was the most beautiful woman i had ever seen in reality, and ve seen, been and been inside millions of women. No one was as beautiful as she was. Maybe the baby in her hands. For some reason, i couldnt just get her out of mind, despite not being able to see her face well, but the little i saw seems to have a lasting effect. I just couldnt concentrate on anything except her soft lips, her violet eyes… I couldnt concentrate on the plan to ffind out the memory wiper when this woman plagued my mind. “Hey asshole.” Grey threw a squeezed sheet of paper at me, pulling me out of my trance. Kaden rose a brow at me, and i could see him calculate what i was thinking behind his cocky stupid brain. A smirk appeared on his face and i knew he figured it out. “The cloaked woman, wasnt truly a skank was she now? If she was, yo
Valerie Skylar pulled away, her nose red from her sniffling, and I was sure that I looked the exact same way. A giggle escaped my lips, and she rolled her eyes as I called her a crybaby, teasing her despite being one myself. She slapped my arm playfully, and at that moment, I felt like everything was the way it used to be, but it wasn’t, so I was back to reality. Skylar noticed the change in my demeanor, and she sat upright, clearing her throat. “You mentioned a solution earlier at the door. I thought the Moon Goddess wasn’t replying to you any longer? How did you get a solution?” I ran my hand through my hair. “I found a seer. Well, Coral found one. She helped me with the vision.” Skylar raised a brow. “Coral? Really? The same Coral who I don’t trust and absolutely hate found you a seer, and you’re just going to go with it?” Skylar hated Coral the minute I built a temple for the Moon Goddess and she was assigned to me. I always felt it was a rivalry thing, and till now, I haven't
Valerie“Ansel, leave us.” Were the first words Syklar uttered as her gaze pierced through mine, and i gave her a shaky smile, clutching Elara closer to my chest as if she could protect me from Skylar’s wrath the minute Ansel left. He glanced between Skylar and i before shooting Skylar an irritated gaze.“No thank you for helping your friend in? I get that you hate us right now, but thats a bit harsh.”Skylar folded her hands across her chest as she glared at Ansel. “The only magic word you will get if you dont leave now would be sorry.”Ansel scoffed, and glanced at me one last time, before turning, walking down the hall and away from me, causing my ache and emptiness to return as he walked farther and farther away.But that was rerplaced by fear as Skylar yanked my hand and dragged me into her room in anger.She shut the door loudly, and glared at me so hard i feared i may ignite under the heat of her glare. “Start talking.” She commanded and i sighed.“I missed you so much Skylar.”