MAYAI watched the two boys as they exchanged nervous gazes, I prayed I heard wrong, They kept exchanging gazes as though they were wondering what to say."What do you mean by mate bond?" I asked again trying to clear the confusion I felt."Oh that, It's a bracelet that we made for us." Dane began turning to Kane who nodded."Yes, every one of us has it, Zane, Dane, and I." Kane opined."So we thought it wise that Sierra too should have one," Dane said and I nodded.It made perfect sense, they had bonded with Sierra in their way and at their own pace. Giving her something precious to them must have made her feel welcome. If the situation wasn't so dire, I would have appreciated them for taking good care of Sierra and making her feel at home."We are thinking about searching for her, we are hoping the bond might help," Kane explained."Alright, if you say so," I said nodding, I was too stressed to think of any other thing.I could only imagine how my child was feeling, she was sufferin
KANEPure shock was written over Maya's face and My Dad's, they couldn't believe their eyes. Maya's scream pierced through my ears."That's not my child, this was edited." She was panting as she spoke. She turned towards my father holding his face in her palms, "Videos like this can be edited, isn't that right Thane?" She asked with tears pooling her eyes.My Dad nodded, "There's no way Sierra would do such a vile act." He agreed.Alpha Erin laughed, "I know you're in shock that's why you're denying the evidence right before your eyes.""There's no way the video is fake, you can verify its authenticity if you like," Claire said with a grin on her face. I could tell that she was enjoying this as much as her father."This is not true.." Maya shaking her head in denial, "Sierra would never hurt Zane.""Something is wrong somewhere." My Dad agreed nodding his head. My dad's wrinkles deepened as he frowned, the past hour had been so stressful on him that he appeared to have aged more than
SIERRA"Get me the hot coals!" Alpha Elvis shouted he was fuming in anger.I trembled at the mention of coals, I knew he would do anything to hurt me, his eyes screamed anger. I knew he wasn't going to hesitate to hurt me with anything he wanted.My eyes flickered to the surroundings, it was empty save from Beta Orion who stood with a large grin on his face, I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me that he was enjoying the scene before him."Now look at that," Alpha Elvis turned to Beta Orion with a smile on his face, "She's scared of me." He looked excited as he pointed to me with his index finger.I shook, I wanted nothing more than to enter into the ground and die but Alpha was taking his time, he was careful enough to know that he didn't hit any vital part that would take my life while he was sure enough to hit me so hard that I wanted to die.We were in a room with no door and window safe for a few boxes that lay on the other end of the room. After taking me away from my so-called f
KANEI closed my eyes as a sharp pain ran up from my thigh and reverberated all through my body making me want to pull my hair out and cry. The pain I felt was not mine, I could tell that it was Sierra's, she was going through a series of pains that it was probably too much for her to handle."Sierra, She's in trouble." I was panting as I managed to walk, and my legs shook as I hurried away from where I stood, we were on our way back home, but I couldn't walk properly because of the pain I was feeling.I turned to Dane, "Can you track her?" I asked groaning. If I was in this much pain, I could only imagine what Sierra could be going through."N… no." He stammered holding his head, "There's this sharp pain in my head." He groaned. "I can't concentrate."I tried to breathe it out, I tried to close my eyes and concentrate on the mate bond trying to locate her but it was impossible, all I could think of was trying to ease the pain that I was feeling.My legs gave way, I flopped down on th
THANE"King Erin! King Erin!! King Erin!!!" The chants were getting louder as the army drew closer.Maya turned to me with wide eyes, "Isn't this treason? What are we going to do?" She was glancing over her shoulders in fear."Relax Maya." That was the only words I could say. This was purely treason, they had already crowned another person as their king and they were chanting his name.For the look of things, Erin had taken time to carefully plan this. He had reached out to numerous people and had successfully poisoned their minds against me."I will take care of it," I said walking towards the inner rooms with Maya in my arms. "First, we need to get you to somewhere safe.""What about Zane?" She asked."That's where we are going, you'll stay with him while I try to reason with them, hopefully, they will calm down." As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted saying it, a loud crashing sound filled my ears, and one of the rebels had driven straight into my mansion creating a crack
KANE"Calm down Kane, let's trust Dad," Dane said trying to calm me down, I couldn't stop pacing about the room."Calm down?" I scoffed in disbelief, "how can you be calm when everything is in chaos?" I asked staring at him."But what can we do other than trust Dad and let him do what he thinks is best," Dane said trying to act reasonably."Yes, there's nothing we can do, but we could have prevented this from happening." I snapped, I knew this wasn't his fault but I couldn't contain my anger, our decision had caused this."How?" He asked, "Just pack up let's leave.""We could have rejected Sierra and none of this could have happened!" I shouted."Look Kane, we decided to accept her and bear the consequences in case you have forgotten." Dane's words stung but I was past caring."I wouldn't have done so if I knew that the consequences were this dire." I covered my face with my hands.I felt Dane's hand on my shoulder, "Relax Kane, everything will be fine.""No," I shook my head, "Everyt
KANEI stepped into the way, blocking off Erin's attack. Our weapons clashed hard. My eyes landed on Dane running out of the mansion with an unconscious Zane on his back and Maya by his side. Before Erin could notice what was happening, I immediately averted my gaze.Erin needed to be distracted so they could leave and that was my assignment."This fight isn't for little boys." Erin huffed angrily, he moved his foot so discreetly but I was quick to notice, Using one hand to hold his weapon, I blocked his leg with the other hand. In one swift movement, using his leg, I threw him off me.He flew a few metres away from me but his legs were strong so he landed on his feet.My eyes quickly flickered around the mansion, Dane and the others were no longer in sight, they had managed to escape, I heaved a sigh of relief as I turned back to Alpha Erin."Not a move you expected from a little boy huh?" I sent him a mocking smile. For once, I was grateful for the numerous battle classes that Dad h
ERINI watched as the dagger meant for arrogant Kane sank deep into Thane's chest, and he fell to the ground in pain. The young man knelt by his side as though checking if he was alive. He threw a glance at my way before picking his father up and running into the forest."Thane," I said softly to myself, "you left just as I imagined," I laughed watching as the young man tried to balance the weight of his father as he ran."That stupid child thinks he could stand before me?" I laughed recalling the look on his face when he saw his father was wounded.I called after them, "Keep running, slow down and my dogs would have your legs for breakfast."He could hear me, the wind carried my voice down into the woods. "Thane never considered his weight, he was proud of those muscles, now see him weighing you down." I mocked as I watched Kane slow a little trying to adjust his wounded father in his arms."Should we go after them?" My guard who led the reinforcements asked.I turned to him, and beh
SIERRAI could feel my whole body burning with anger as Ariel’s voice cut through the garden like a sharp knife. She just stood there, smirking at us like she hadn’t just interrupted something important, something real.I turned to her, fists clenching at my sides. "Don’t you have anything better to do than irritate me?" I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. Dane shifted uncomfortably behind me, but I didn’t care. I was tired of her games.Ariel just giggled like I had told her a joke. "Nope," she said with a sweet shrug. "Turns out, irritating you is way more fun than I ever thought it would be."I wanted to slap that smug smile off her face. I really did. But I held myself back because that's exactly what she wanted, to push me until I broke.Then she turned her full attention to Dane, her smile softening in a way that made my stomach twist in disgust. "I miss Dane," she said in a whiny voice. "I want him to stay with me for a while."I stepped protectively in front of Dane w
DANEI woke up to the sound of soft giggles.My head felt heavy, like I’d slept for days, and for a second, I didn’t even know where I was. But then I blinked and saw her, Ariel, sitting at the edge of the bed, grinning at me like I was some kind of adorable pet.“You look so cute when you’re sleeping,” she said in a sing-song voice.My whole body tensed up instantly. Memories rushed back….the food, the plan, everything. I shot up, heart pounding.“What happened?” I croaked, throat dry.Ariel gave a playful shrug, almost like she was proud of herself. “You tried to drug me, silly. But I’m smarter than that.” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. “I swapped the plates. You ate the laced one instead.”I cursed under my breath and swung my legs off the bed. I couldn’t even look at her as I stood up."Aw, don't be mad," Ariel called after me as I stormed toward the door. "You needed the rest anyway!"I didn’t answer. I just left.When I finally made it do
SIERRAI didn’t move. None of us did. We just stood there and took it as Ariel laughed like we were the biggest fools she had ever seen. Her voice echoed off the walls, high and sharp, like a knife digging into my already shredded nerves.“Oh, my sweet, sweet Sierra,” she said between giggles, wiping a fake tear from the corner of her eye. “You actually think a few little weeds are going to save your precious sister from me?”I kept my face blank, even though my heart was hammering against my ribs. If I gave her any more reason to doubt me, she would tear us all apart.Ariel circled slowly around me, hands clasped behind her back, her boots clicking softly against the floor. I could feel the others tense up, ready to move if she tried anything.She leaned in close, so close I could smell the sickly sweet scent of her perfume. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” she whispered. “No idea how deep this bond goes.”I clenched my teeth to keep from flinching. I would not give her t
SIERRAI stared at Ariel, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. Her arms were folded, her chin lifted stubbornly, and her accusing eyes bore into mine like she could see right through me. I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of everything come crashing down.“Fine,” I muttered, raising my hands slowly in surrender. “You want the truth? I’ll tell you.”“Sierra, don’t,” Kane hissed beside me. His hand brushed my arm like he was trying to pull me back. Alpha Thane shook his head sharply, his eyes pleading. “We can still fix this without telling her anything.”Zane stepped closer too, his voice low and urgent. “Don’t give her any more power over us.”I glanced at them, feeling their concern wrapping around me like a blanket. But the damage was done. Ariel had already caught us. Lying now would only make things worse.“It’s too late,” I said quietly. “She’s already suspicious. Might as well just come clean.”Ariel smirked a little, clearly enjoying every second of this.“But,” I added,
SIERRAThe moment I heard Dane’s voice calling out to Ariel in the hallway, my heart stopped. I knew that tone, forced, nervous, fake. And Ariel… she wasn’t dumb. She could read people far too well, especially when it came to Dane.I barely had time to brace myself before the door creaked open.“There you all are,” Ariel said, stepping inside with a sweet smile that made my stomach turn. Her eyes flicked from face to face, sharp and calculating. “Funny thing… I had a feeling you were up to something.”I stepped forward quickly, swallowing the fear in my throat. “We’re not,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “We’re just… tired. Talking. Trying to figure out how to live with all of this.”Ariel’s gaze settled on me. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You always did lie poorly, Sierra.”“We’re not lying,” I said quickly. I tried to keep my face blank, even though my pulse was racing. “You think if we were plotting something, we’d all be in the same room with the door unlocked?”Zane
SIERRA“What do you mean you figured it out?” I asked Alpha Thane, stepping closer to him, my voice a little louder than I meant it to be. My heart was still pounding from everything that had just happened, and the last thing I needed was another mystery.Alpha Thane held up a hand calmly. “I mean, I know how to break the bond. Not on my own,” he added quickly, seeing the hopeful spark in my eyes. “But I know someone who can help us.”“Who?” Kane asked beside me, his jaw tight with tension.“An old warlock,” Alpha Thane answered. “Powerful. Wise. He helped my father during the old wars. If anyone can teach Sierra how to activate the bind properly and destroy it, it’s him.”I blinked, trying to process that. “You mean… I have the power to break the bond, but I don’t know how to use it.”“Exactly,” Alpha Thane nodded. “You’ve barely scratched the surface of what you’re capable of. That’s why Ariel’s getting away with this. She’s counting on you not knowing.”I swallowed, my throat dry.
SIERRAI stood stiffly, my jaw clenched so tight I could feel my teeth grinding. The room was filled with tension so thick it felt like we could slice it with a knife; ironically, that’s exactly what Ariel had just done.She was humming. Humming like everything was normal. Like we weren’t in the middle of a hostage situation. Then, without a word of warning, she picked up the knife from earlier and dragged the blade across her palm with a careless flick.The sound was soft, almost nothing, but the moment that tiny line of blood welled up on her hand, the baby let out a loud, distressed wail from the next room.My heart dropped.“What did you do?” I asked, my voice trembling. My eyes went wide as I took a step forward, fear creeping into every part of me.Ariel just smirked and looked down at her bleeding hand. “Oops.”Dane, Kane, and Zane were already moving, their faces pale, eyes locked on Ariel’s hand like it were made of fire.“You’re linked,” Zane whispered in horror.“Now you’re
SIERRAI stood frozen, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. Ariel's smug grin burned into my vision, and the memory of her lips pressed against Dane's was a brand searing into my mind. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the fury building inside me."You think this is a game?" I spat, my voice trembling with barely contained rage.Ariel's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, Sierra, always so dramatic. It's just a kiss."I took a step forward, the air around me crackling with energy. "Stay away from him."She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Or what? You'll hurt me? Go ahead. But remember, hurting me means hurting your sister."I froze, the weight of her words crashing down on me. The bond between us meant any pain I inflicted on Ariel would be mirrored in my sister. I couldn't risk that.Dane stepped between us, his tall frame blocking me from Ariel's view. His jaw was tight, eyes locked on mine, full of worry and restraint. "Sierra, don't," he
SIERRAI stood rooted to the spot, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. Every nerve in my body was on fire, screaming at me to do something—anything. But I couldn’t. Not with the way she was holding us hostage.Ariel sat on the edge of the bed like it was her throne, her long legs crossed, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she slowly reached for the knife resting beside her. My stomach twisted.She lifted the blade with the ease of someone holding a spoon, turning it slightly so the metal caught the light. Her lips curled into a smug, knowing smile. I hated that smile. I hated that she looked so calm, like she was in complete control—because right now, she was.Then she began to trace the knife around her finger. Slowly. Precisely. Not enough to cut, but just enough to make her point clear. I could hear the faint scrape of metal on skin, and I wanted to scream.“You know,” she said sweetly, her voice light and mocking, “this could get messy. But it doesn’t have t