SIERRAMy eyes were fixed on the ground as I kept moving, I had no idea where I was headed yet I kept moving. I was in the middle of a thick forest with no one outside singing birds and croaking frogs for company.Every object looked hazy as I walked, even the trees looked as though they were mocking me, they stood majestically in their huge statue, laughing at me perhaps wondering if I was going crazy."Keep moving!" The voice in my head echoed."Stop please stop." I groaned holding my head in my hands as I slumped to the ground in desperation but it wasn't helping, my head was filled with different voices, the chirpings of the birds, the croaking of the frogs, the mocking laughter of the trees and even the whistle of the bushes caused by the wind all seemed to echo in my head."Sierra, you need to move now, if you wish to make your mother happy, you must keep moving!" The voice sounded so clear amidst the numerous voices in my head.I closed my eyes in a bid to calm myself down, "Do
SIERRA“Sierra!" The voices were loud enough to burst my eardrums but my gaze was fixed on something else, for some strange reason, I found a particular tree fascinating. The tree appeared to have been struck by lightning, it had visible veins all over its body, it was weird but I was pulled to it. The leaves looked weird too, it was so brown. They seemed to pull me into their bosom."Sierra!"My vision blurred as a painful pang hit me hard on the head causing me to cry out in pain. I fell on my knees holding my head with my hands.The sounds of approaching steps filled my ears as my feet hurried towards me."What's wrong with you Sierra?" Strong arms grabbed me by the shoulders turning me away from the lightning tree.I stared at the feet that surrounded me, "One..two.. three!" Three feet surrounded me. A fourth foot suddenly appeared, it looked slimmer than the first one.The hold on my shoulders tightened and I felt myself being pulled up to my feet."Sierra." The face of a young m
ZANEI couldn't believe that everything was alright with Sierra. She was weirdly quiet, her face was paler than usual. Her eyes kept darting around wildly as though she was scared that something might spring up on her suddenly. When they weren't darting around, she was staring into space as though there was something she was gazing at.Dane dropped her in her bed when we got to the room, then he left with Kane since night was near.I stared at Sierra as she closed her eyes calmly on the bed. This was the only normal expression on her face ever since she woke up.Maya sat by the side of the bed watching Sierra's sleeping face. "Won't you go to bed?" I asked her calmly.She sniffled."Zane, I'm very exhausted." She had a sad smile on her face. I knew she wasn't referring to her being physically exhausted, but I said nothing in response."She is so pretty." She muttered brushing her hands over Sierra's face."It's all thanks to you," I said and she smiled."Thank you so much, Zane." She
SIERRA"Sierra.." Zane's strangled cry woke me up from my daze, My eyes opened and landed in his face. His eyes were wide with shock with his mouth opened agape."What am I doing here?" Glancing around. I was not in my bed, it was late at night and the frog croaks filled the night air. My eyes fluttered back to Zane, it landed on a spot between his neck and shoulders, blood was gushing out nonstop.I couldn't understand the scene before me, Zane was placing a hand over his shoulder, and blood was gushing out despite the pressure he made by his palms pressing hard against the wound."I.. I.." I was stuttering not knowing what to say."Hush! You will alert everyone." He whispered placing his free hand on his mouth signaling me to remain silent. He was losing too much blood, and his eyes were beginning to dim but he was still trying not to make a sound, perhaps he didn't want to alert his brothers.Heavy footsteps sounded down the stairs but I was unmoved, I kept staring from my bloody h
KANE"Don't you dare close your eyes on me?" I muttered as Zane coughed for the third time.He attempted to release a chuckle but he was interrupted by the sudden pain that ran through his body, I knew how it felt, we could feel it too all thanks to our bond but Zane was feeling the pain even more."Si.. Sierra's leaving." Zane muttered as tried to get up but I pinned him down. "At least go with her." He pleaded."I'm not leaving your side," I replied not batting an eyelid."The blood isn't stopping," Dane said looking very panicked."Apply more pressure," I ordered looking at Zane, I would do anything to save my brother, but I couldn't let him go, not under my watch. My eyes were fixed on him monitoring his expressions."I did, but it isn't stopping," Dane said. I moved over to observe the wound, it was opened, but I could tell that it was quite deep. Blood seeped out of the wound not bothered about how much pressure we had applied."Move over," I ordered and Dane moved out of the wa
KANEDane and I exchanged a look as we took to our heels in search of Sierra. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad must have happened to her. We sniffed the surroundings, but there was no sign of her neither could we perceive her scent. We got to a T-junction."Do you think they must have gotten far?" Dane asked."I don't think so, it hasn't been long since she ran off," I replied."Yes, calculating the time frame, she should still be very close," Dane said wiping off a sweat that trickled down his face."You go that way, I'll take here," I said. Dane nodded then we took off.The trail was empty, there was no single soul in sight neither were there footprints or lingering scents of any kind. I got to the end of the trail, and there was a thick layer of bushes, that humans and werewolves couldn't pass through without making a dent where they passed. I checked around carefully before turning back.I met Dane in the spot where we first separated. He was panting."Did you f
SIERRASlowly, my eyes opened to the noises in the surroundings, My head felt foggy and I wanted nothing but to sink into the comfort of my bed in Thane's mansion. My whole body felt exhausted from running too much. I tried to stretch my legs only to end up with a stinging pain that reverberated through my brain cells.I took in my surroundings slowly, I was in a cage so small that I couldn't risk standing up, I could only sit and I had to do so by bending my neck."You have to pay me better, I can't take a dog share for capturing someone your man took years to capture." The hair on my skin stood tall.I knew that voice, I could recognize it even in my sleep. What was he doing here? My heart sped up in panic, I didn't want to see him, I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide."You should be happy that I'm paying you." Alpha Elvis said in his calm yet chilling voice."She's worth a few more bucks, just give me then I'll be on my way." He replied.I knew they were talking about me, what k
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
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