"Meeting dismissed." The announcer called and all the council members began to leave the council room one after the other. Miram stayed back talking with her father. They were both whispering in very low voices. The other members couldn't hear because they were all too preoccupied with what had gone down at the meeting.Aaron was seething with anger after the meeting was dismissed and his eyes were fixed on Miram and her father."What were they talking about?" He thought.He was too angry to concentrate on what they were saying. He got down from the high seat and walked up to both Miram and her father. "I would like to discuss some things with your daughter in private." He said with a perfect and stable poise.One cannot notice that he was brewing on the inside because of how composed he was looking on the outside.Her father turned around and grinned slyly. "How is the preparation for your mating ceremony with my daughter?" He asked Aaron inhaled slightly with his eyes closed bef
Mia had a very bright smile on her face as she stared at the parchment. She had actually made progress and it was all thanks to Aaron. He had visited about three nights ago.She jumped when she heard the door to the workshop open, "Aaron, you startled me." He didn't say anything. He just walked up to her."You still haven't done anything." He said in a low rumble.She sighed, "I am sorry but maybe in the end the war will happen." She said, feeling very downhearted.He held her face in his palm, "don't say that. They have given me more than enough reason to make sure that this works out." "Who's they?" She asked him as her eyes searched his face."This week is almost over Mia. I need you to think hard. What's the most beautiful thing that you've ever had or that you've ever imagined having?" He asked."Is that going to help me create something?" She asked.He placed his hands on her shoulder and he tightly rubbed it, "look, once you're able to design something on this parchment then
"Are you serious? Is that why you came here? Because they summoned me?" She asked, shocked.She didn't want to show that she already knew that she would be summoned. Aaron was very clear when he said that she must keep everything discreet. That was why she thought to act very shocked when the news would get to her about the summoning."Unfortunately, we have to leave now. That way you'll be there even before they are seated. It'll help you prepare to have them." He said."Why are they summoning me?" She asked."They want to know how much you've progressed. It will help them to make a decision for you to either quit now that there's still some time or for you to go on, seeing that you haven't really gone far, " he pursed his lips together."Let's just go." He said.She picked up the parchments and put it in a bag she had seen hanging by the wall. Justice eyes didn't leave the bag. She looked up at him, "We can get going now." He tilted his head a little to the side with a questioning
Mia was very scared as she had said all what she did. She heaved a sigh of relief when they all started to applaud her. She smiled as her eyes landed on Aaron. Her smile turned to a frown when she saw Justice leave the room. She also saw that Miram's coy smile had morphed to become a very ugly frown. Mia could not understand exactly why Miram was so angry with her. She just discovered something that will change the power trajectory of the Nyx pack."We are certainly impressed with what you have just shown us." The oldest council member stated."Indeed we are. Truly, Alpha Aaron , you made the right choice to side with this little, what's your name again?" Another asked."Mia." Mia replied."Well Mia, for as long as you're able to keep coming up with this idea of yours, your stay won't be very bad here at the Nyx pack." Miram's father remarked.Mia could tell that they were related because of their striking resemblance. He had a soft smile on his face but Mia wasn't so convinced that
Aaron held her hand and walked back to the craftsman workshop. He closed the door behind him once they were in.She freed her hand from his grip once they were inside and then walked over to her table where she worked in the alchemist's workshop.Mia sighed, picked up a wooden cup that was filled with water that was sitting on the table close to where she was standing, drank the content in the cup and then used her hand to run down her hair, causing loose strands to fall over her face, as she tried to reduce the stress she was feeling on the inside,"Mia." Aaron said and tried the move close to her but she stepped away and raised her index finger up at him,"Don't." She said and inhaled deeply, Aaron knew that when she became like this, it was because she was creating a barrier around herself, an invisible one, to try to shield and protect herself because she was soon going to cry a river of tears.She was fighting very hard to hold it in."Mia." He tried to say something again,"Jus
Aaron walked angrily towards Miram's room. The force of his heels as it collided with the hard ground, reverberating through the hall as he marched towards Miram with a deep scowl on his face."Miram," he barked as he barged through her door and walked into her room.She had been staring at her reflection in the huge standing mirror which sat on her dresser and then turned with a shock-ridden expression to look at him.He marched up to her and wrapped up his palm around her slender neck.Her eyes grew wide with shock and dread as soon as that happened. He picked her up and then moved her away from behind the huge mirror which sat on her dresser and hit her back against the wall of her room.Her hands flew to his as she struggled to get his hands off. He was just so strong."What is the meaning of this?" She asked, anger, laced in her tone."I should be asking you that question. What did you do to Mia?" He asked her through gritted teeth, his own anger too was very evident on his face.
Aaron sighed, "is there no hope that she would wake up." There was a fire lit torch which sat on a wooden table beside where she lay. It's soft light reflected on her face giving her a sort of calm look that seemed to look as though she was alive and healthy, and asleep. But in actual fact, her skin had turned very white and pale. Her lips had become very chapped and the skin on her lips had become broken, in all a matter of a few minutes. It felt like with each passing second, her life was slowly slipping away. She looked like she was almost dead.Numerous sweat beads had formed on her face as she lay there, her body unmoving and her breath, uneven. Aaron just stood there looking at the only hope he had now to retain the throne."Was I stupid, Almac?" Aaron asked the alchemist, absentmindedly.Aaron felt his piercing gaze on the side of my cheek and it lingered for a few seconds.He walked over to where she may holding a bowl in his hand as he did,"What do you mean, Alpha?" He aske
Mia found herself walking endlessly in a forest with no end in sight. She was getting very weak and tired. Her knees had already become wobbly and there seemed to be friction against her joints and her legs suddenly felt very heavy. It was getting hard to walk anymore. She lowered her back and placed her hands on her knees to try to steady her breathing. She let out a very heavy breath and then stood up to scan the area."Where am I?" She asked no one in particular, as she was the only one there anyway, "there's no fu*king end to this damn forest and how did I get here in the first place?" She asked herself as confusion washed over her.She turned back to see if there was a path that led back to the pack and that's when she realized, "when did I leave the pack in the first place?"Her brows furrowed and a crease appeared on the top of her head as she suddenly felt like the strength in her body was sapped from her entire system.Her hands flew to her head as she tried to keep herself
She slammed into her table with such a force that it shook harshly, the contents rattling along with the shaky table.Just then the door to her room opened up and Justice walked in."What's the matter with you Miram?" He asked her.She screamed violently—wailed and moved to throw more items off her table but then he held her hand, stopping her movements."Let me go." She protested as she tried to yank her hand free from his firm grip."Calm down, Miram. All these won't help." He yelled at her."Don't you see? She's trying to take my pack, my territory and even my position from me." She said, a cynical tone lacing her voice."That's not the case. I think it's Aaron who's making her stay here. I have seen that she wishes to leave." He said to her, trying to placate her.She scoffed, a pained expression crossing her face, "do you really believe that?" He shrugged, "as a matter of fact I do and do you know why?" He quickly interjected, "because I know Aaron and I know that there's someth
The door to the study flung open and Miram barged in,"What did you say?" She asked with an edgy tone to her voice.She turned to Aaron and slammed her fist into the table. Mia jumped in her skin with fright.Miram scoffed and closed her eyes as she tried to understand and process what she had just heard, "Aaron, you're lying right?" She asked him."Yes Aaron, tell her that you're lying." Mia chipped in, her voice and entire disposition racked with desperation.She wanted Aaron to admit it openly to Miram and to her that he was only lying and making things up. It wasn't true that he wanted to make her his Luna, he was only lying about it and trying to pull her legs, or perhaps, all he wanted to do was frustrate her. Those were the words Mia hoped to hear at that moment, slip from Aaron's sexy mouth.Where did that come from, Mia? She chided herself and willed her mind to focus on the matter at hand and not on Aaron's enticing lips."Miram, I'm sorry but you shouldn't have heard this
"Alright, is there anything else that I need to know pertaining to the settlements beyond the grasslands?" He asked one of his enforcers posted to that part of the pack land."Well, for now there's nothing, Alpha." He answered and lowered his head in reverence."Then that would be all for now. As for the rest of you, make sure you keep a close watch on the territory. We will be going out to the Silver Claw pack very soon and I don't want any surprises. It will first be them and then the Shadow pack will be next." Then he relaxed back into his seat and stretched his legs."We will see just how well the Nyx coin works in all this." He added, "You are all dismissed." He announced.All the troupes start to file out of his office one after the other, leaving Justice behind.Aaron sighed, "and why aren't you leaving?" He asked Justice who remained seated at the office with his hands folded against his chest in the mist lackadaisical manner."Well, I didn't think you'd buy her act back at t
Mia sighed as she stepped out of the council room. Justice was the first to receive her in the hallway."I can't believe you actually pulled it off with that little act." He said with a small smile plastered on his face.Mia was beginning to really start seeing Justice as a friend at this point."Well, I can't believe it myself."She really couldn't and it was evident in the subtle shock that sat in her voice.Justice chuckled lightly beside her. "I can see how shaken you are about the entire event." He said, "why don't I take you out for a bit. Get your mind off all that had happened." He suggested.A smile tugged at her lips but she lowered her head so he wouldn't see it. By the time she looked back at him, her face was straight."Alright, where to?" She asked him with an excited eagerness."Right this way." He said and they both laughed at the way he gestured like a gentleman.The moon was already raised high up in the sky, in its rightful place. The sound of old wooden instrument
Mia swallowed hard as she thought deeply about what to do to save herself from this dire situation. Her eyes darted to Aaron but he didn't seem to care anymore and that made pain slice through her chest but she knew something else other than pain, something sharp and more painful than any pain she felt right now was going to definitely slice through her chest."You're taking so much time. Are you going to prove yourself or not?" Miram asked with a slyness in her tone as she spoke.Mia's brows drew together in a frown as Miram's voice cut through her chain of thoughts. "Your time is ticking, darling. Come up with something now or else." Miram shouted."Please, I'm thinking." Mia said, not intending to be rude.After thinking for a few more minutes, "Ugh, fu*k this." Mia heard Miram say and in that moment, a thought came to her head."The prisoner." Mia yelled.The sound of the elders whispering among themselves filled the air around Mia. It was clear to her that they didn't understa
Mia swiped her dirty forehead with her dirty and sweaty palms. It had become black from working with fire for the last few days without any stops. She was exhausted at this point but she continued with hopes that it would all soon be over."Well, don't be lazy. Get the steel and start shaping it." Donald yelled from where he sat, a couple feets away from the fire.She sighed exhaustively and moved to do as he asked. The Pan was very hot. It was hard enough that she had to carry the pan over to where she needed to work and then moulding it to shape was an even harder process for Mia.Not once in all that process did Aaron come by. That thought left a hollow feeling in Mia's already battered heart. He was the one who claimed that he was going to help her through it all and now, he was missing in action.She shook the thought out of her head and she continued to work. "Come on now, the last day is tomorrow. We don't want to be laid back." He complained.Mia's ears twitched with anger. H
Mia's eyes slowly fluttered open once more and this time she was met with Aaron's very stern face. His facial features were so hard that if looks could kill in that moment, then she'd be dead.His brows were very furrowed and stress lines had appeared around his face and under his eyes.She groaned as her entire body ached with every single movement she made. She felt so weightless, as though she could be swept away by even the slightest torrent of an ocean.Her head felt very heavy, weighed by the thought of everything negative that had defined her life in recent times."What— what am I—""You're in the alchemist's room. You fainted." He wanted to say more but held himself back. Mia turned around where she lay on the bed, ignoring the ache that shot up to her head and threatened to split her skull open."But how?" She asked with a low voice that was empty and completely weak.Her stomach grumbled loudly and she instinctively wrapped her hands around it, as embarrassment crawled up he
"Miram, what is the meaning of this?" Aaron roared with so much anger laced in his voice.Even his eyes were red with fury."What is what?" Miram asked him, feigning ignorance.She was sitting in front of her huge dressing mirror testing out the jewels that were delivered to her."Why did you lock Mia up?" He thundered."Is that a problem and why should that be of any concern to you?" She fired back, finally done with play in ignorance and a bit fed up with the way Aaron raised his voice at her over an insolent and cursed brat.He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, "you can't do that. Not right now." Aaron pointed out."Why can't I? She disrespected me and I have all the right in the world to do as I please with anyone who disrespects me." She spat back at him with matched anger.Aaron knew that if he continued to argue with Miram that way then he would get nowhere with the argument. He had to try a different approach.He closed his eyes and took in a very deep breath to try to calm t
Mia's eyes became teary as soon as she saw that everything was gone. She felt a lump grow in her throat at the sight. Just then, a sage raised her head and looked to the side, her eyes caught Julia's eyes but she just walked past her.Mia ran up to her and held her by her arm. Julia turned back to Mia with a shocked expression on her face, like she didn't just see her."Julie, are you busy?" Mia asked her."Why? Did something happen?" She asked.Mia bit her lips in shame and embarrassment at what she was about to ask her,"Well, I think I'll need your help today." She said sheepishly."With?" Julie asked."The gems..." Mia hesitated while Julia looked at her with anticipation, and her arms crossed over her chest, "...they were stolen." Mia completed."So I'll need your help with digging." Mia added.Julia looked about her, her hands, dropping to her side,"I don't think I'll be able to help you out today. I've got more sections to work on." She said and then turned around, "take care."