TASHA He pulled off his car somewhere in the midst of the woods. I looked around and there was nothing else to see but numerous humongous trees. I opened the car's window to let the fresh air in and the earthy breeze annihilated my sense of smell. The canopies offered a tantalizing look into the cloudy sky which turned the shades of greenery even darker and it was a sight to behold. Crickets were chirping and birds are humming—as if they were creating their own symphonies. "Where are we?" I asked. He threw me a glance but didn't bother to answer me. He went out of his car first and I did the same thing. "I said, where are—" a loud growl from afar cut me off. A deep sense of uneasiness held me rigid on my place. I could hear the slow, dragging beat of my heart thinking of what could happen next. I looked across to Rendall, but he didn't appear to be concerned by anything. All of a sudden, remnants of what I remembered from Raiah's story filled my head. Rendall was attacked by their
TASHA Rendall's grandfather called his presence and he left me with Ava, Griego's sister. We had a conversation and she told me that even with her family's status, she chose to be one of the skilled hunters of their pack. Her tenacity astounded me. At a young age, she's determined to ensure the safety of their pack. I also learned that Griego was Raiah's mate. "I hope you won't mind me asking but how does it feel to not be able to shift in your wolf form? You piqued my interest because aside from being wolfless, you're the first half-breed Luna I have ever known," she asked. "Ever since I was a kid, our father taught us how to shift to a wolf and back to our human form. Shifting used a lot of our body's energy and I couldn't count the times that it depleted me to my core." "Everything felt normal at first because my mom kept the truth from me but no truths can be hidden forever," I started. "Everything happened in a squint of an eye. I was a mere mortal who's trying to survive a
RENDALL"You brought the half-breed in our pack. You're jeopardizing our safety just to be with her," my grandfather said. His attention shifted to the scenery that could be seen from the outside. "You refuse to listen to me and keep your ears shut regardless of how many times I try to warn you about her. What is it about her that you want to fight for that nonsense emotion? If only I had known that you would grow up like this, I wouldn't have agreed to place you as an Alpha of this pack." He turned around to face me, and his eyes were two angry black points fixed on my direction. My heart was flooded with sadness after learning of his dissatisfaction. "I love her, grandpa," I stated despite the building of an unwanted emotion inside me. I knelt in front of him. "Let me prove to you that I can serve my responsibilities on our pack while being with her. You don't have to force me to make a decision between loving her more or being more responsible because I can do both of those things
TASHA Rendall told me that I would spend the night on his quarter when I finished cleaning myself. I dissented, but he guaranteed me that he wouldn't stay there and would sleep in the guest room instead. Since the warriors of the pack guard the Alpha's quarter, it would be much safer for me to stay there. I don't have the foggiest idea why he's being extra protective when I made it clear that I won't be able to forgive him after what he did. He opened the door for me, and when I entered his space, one can undoubtedly say that this room was planned particularly for somebody with a lot higher status than everybody else. Most parts of it were made of wood aside from the stone fireplace which stood at the center of his room. I could smell the wood burning from it. From the tremendous glass window, I could see the Betas of their pack having a great time while they were around the bonfire that they made and the Omegas minding their own life as well. I could see the dim, moonlit trees of
TASHA I woke up to the sound of clanking metals. When I opened my eyes, Rendall was the first person that I saw. He was in the act of placing a tray on the bedside table. I laid my back on the bed's headboard and saw that he had brought me breakfast. "Good morning. Did you rest well?" he asked. I simply nodded my head as a response. "I'm going to the warrior's camp to inspect their training. We conduct this event annually to see who qualifies to become the new members of our combatant. This is also the third type of opportunity for an Omega to raise their status in our pack. The first one is if a majority of a family shares a blood relationship with a Beta and the other one is if they are bounded to the pack by bite." "Why do I feel like you're telling me those things for a reason?" I asked. He glanced at me and handed me the plate he was holding, which I accepted. "Because whether you like it or not, a werewolf's blood is running in your veins. Even if you're only a half-breed,
TASHA We had our lunch inside the camp. Ava burst out laughing after seeing the reaction I had when the warriors inside the camp killed a wild boar. That was exactly what she had in mind when she told me that it was bloody inside the warrior's camp. She stated that as part of the competition, the head trainer would let a wild boar loose, and the warriors' task was to capture it and then kill it. This is their way of showing gratitude for everything they learned from the camp. "Here." Ava sat next me after she offered me a slice of dragon fruit. After expressing my gratitude to her, I turned my attention back to Rendall. He was spending his time with some baby pups of the pack. "Majority of those pups belong to an Omega family, some from Beta, but our Alpha does not care about their position within the pack. He strives to be as fair as possible to all of us, which distinguishes him from the Alphas that came before him in his family." "If he could hear your countless compliments ab
TASHAAva extended an invitation to us to attend the evening ceremony held at the Beta's packhouse in honor of the newly inducted members of their combatant. Rendall inquired as to whether or not I was interested in attending the celebration, and I responded yes. Earlier, Ava beamed after seeing that Rendall and I were trying to patch things up. Even though I was pleased to give myself and Rendall another chance at love, I doubted that I would be able to risk all my trust in him just like before. When I told Rendall my concerns, he assured me that he would make every effort to regain my trust in him."I'm glad you made it, my Luna," Ava was the first person to welcome me when we spotted each other at their packhouse. I was in awe after seeing her in her unusual outfit—a dress. "Father insisted that I should wear this instead of my warrior's suit, so I'm just doing him a favor," she explained."You look great with it, Ava, so don't worry about your look for tonight," I assured her."Co
TASHA Ava took me to Mount Antinia after everything that transpired. She kept trying to make amends for the fact that she had offered me a drink the night before, stating that it was a grave offense she had committed to me as her Luna. I reassured her multiple times that everything was good with me and that she shouldn't worry about what she heard from Raiah since none of it was new to me. “Raiah has her ways of making things happen the way she wants them to. . I think you should tell our Alpha about it,” Ava insisted. The fact that she had known Raiah ever since she was a child prompted her to voice her concerns earlier. She knew what Raiah was capable of, and I also made it clear that I did not harbor any doubt regarding Raiah’s capabilities because of the things that Griego sacrificed just for her. “I appreciate your concern for me, Ava, but it was impossible for me to comply with your request,” I responded. “Rendall’s relationship with his sister has been tainted ever since I e
SAGE I found Phoenix on our grandfather’s library just like the usual. He’s my cousin who’s five years ahead of my age. He loved this place more than anywhere else inside the packhouse, and I am not sure why. When I used to ask him about it, he would give me an answer once he finished reading a book, and I got tired of waiting for him to converse with me. I’m an outgoing person while he’s the reserved one. That is why when my mother used to tell me stories about Phoenix’s childhood, I couldn’t believe her. They were telling me that this man used to be jolly when he was a kid, but I doubt that. I don’t even understand why a lot of girls in our pack liked him. “They were looking for you,” I said before sitting on the swivel chair in front of him. He didn’t even bother to move an inch, say anything, or even throw a quick glance on my direction. “Phoenix, we’re about to have a visitor and you’re here, isolating yourself, trying to read the same book over and over again. I would surely t
TASHA One year later… Everyone’s busy inside the pack because today is a very special day for me, Rendall, and for Sage, our daughter. Two months ago, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl, and Rendall and I decided to name her “Sage”, a name that signifies being wise and being healthy. Today, the new members of the council will baptize her. It would be a big celebration since Rendall invited his allies from outside the Kumori woods. “Tasha!” Raiah squealed after seeing me. Griego and Phoenix followed her. She gave me a warm hug before handing her gift for Sage. “Phoenix chose it himself for his cousin. Since this morning, he’s eager to meet her again. I’m glad that Phoenix isn’t the only child in the family.” I looked past at her and when my eyes met those of Phoenix, he held on to Griego’s hand. “Thank you for your gift, Phoenix. I am sure that Sage will love it,” I said. He hid behind his father’s back, and we shared a peal of laughter because of him. After a while, he looked at m
TASHA Rendall was quiet the whole time ever since Raiah, Griego, and Phoenix left. He didn’t say another word when we got back inside the main packhouse, which made me doubt if this will be the perfect time to break out the news to him or should I wait again for another day. “Did Ava talk to you?” he asked while he’s busy preparing something on the kitchen counter. I nodded my head in response even though he couldn’t see it before sitting at the edge of the dining table. “She told me that she’s leaving the pack,” I said. “I couldn’t imagine the amount of pain she had been feeling after her father passed away. She had to live her life without her mother, her brother has his own life with Raiah—she basically lost everyone.” He handed me a plate of salad as he snaked his arms around my waist. I wrapped mine on his neck in return. I looked him straight on his eyes and he became vulnerable in that exact moment. When I had to deal with the problem on my chest, Rendall did his very best
RENDALL The war is over, but the remnants of its memories would never leave our mind. They used to say that the truth will set you free, but in our case, the truth made us lost a huge part of ourselves—including those people who are important for us. I placed the flowers I brought beside the tombs of three important persons in my life. I’m still not used in not seeing the three of them around the packhouse—I guess, I could never get used to it. “Hey,” a voice from behind me said. I turned around to see who it was, and I was astounded when I saw Ava holding two baskets of flower which she placed right beside mine. After the war has ended, I can say that between all of us, Ava was the one who changed a lot. She isolated herself—and didn’t talk to any of us. It seemed as though that the war has become a traumatic event for her, and I couldn’t blame her for that. She grew up with a memory of losing a loved one, now she had to endure the same predicament all over again. “I didn’t expec
TASHA "Sandalio," my mom's voice broke the lingering silence around us. "We meet again. I waited for this opportunity to come, where we would have another chance to see each other so I could destroy your life just like how you destroyed mine.” “You knew that it was never my intention to hurt you because if that’s the case, I would’ve given up on searching for you,” Sandalio said. “You were the one who wasn’t happy with what we had. You let those hearsays about me clouded your judgment! You were afraid to stand against the council no matter how hard I try to assure you that I will fight for you!” “Because they imposed a threat on my life, Sandalio! You were too busy with your responsibilities and obligations that you didn’t have the time to notice that I was carrying a huge weight on my shoulders! You were too busy that you didn’t notice that they’re doing everything in their power to make me drift away from you!” she exclaimed. “When I finally got the courage to tell you about every
TASHA I was left in complete shock after hearing the words uttered by Rhio. Before I could say anything about it, I was pushed to the ground when Rendall dashed to attack Rhio. Both of their faces darkened as they exchanged punches after punches. They shifted in their wolf form and I was left with no choice but to help myself stood back on my feet because I couldn't do anything to help Rendall. Somebody grabbed me by my arm and dragged me away from that spot. When that person removed the piece of clothing that was covering her face, I took two-folds step away from her. Her presence took me by suprise. "M-Mom?" She greeted me with my smile but my lips remained pursed as my brows furrowed thinking as to why she was here. Then a flash of memory filled my head. I couldn't believe that Raiah was right about her being a member of the Shadows. She doesn't share the same principles with the members of their pack but there's only one reason why she chose to be a part of it—to avenge my fa
TASHAAva pulled me to the chamber where the warriors of the pack were hiding their weapons. She gave me a bow and a quiver loaded with arrows and I accepted it despite my hesitation. From inside, I could hear squeals and cries. Nobody expected that a war will happen on broad daylight. "Don't think, just take the shot," she reminded me before pulling me away from that place. We were running on our feet but a lot of the members of the pack shifted on their wolf form to hurriedly escape the place. Upon seeing how fast they fleed the area, I realized that I am being a burden to Ava. "Tasha!" Rendall's voice called me. I looked around and I saw him walking his way through the commotion and when he reached my place, Ava handed me to him. "I have to check on my brother and my father," Ava said. "Once I find them, I'll make sure to meet you outside the woods," she added before running away from us. "Ride on my back," Rendall stated as he gradually shifted on his wolf form. I was caught i
TASHAWhen I opened my eyes later that afternoon, I could still feel the numbing of my heart. Even after the confrontation I had with Raiah, I still feel the emptiness inside me. My eyes went to the door when it swung open and Rendall walked inside the room. "I thought you were still asleep," he said. I kept my lips pursed. "I told the council the truth about what Raiah did, how her action caused Emily's life and your own torment. They wanted me to carry on with the proper punishment for her but..." "But?" "Raiah descended from the Alpha's bloodline, she's still my sister and the daughter of the previous Alpha of our pack, which means that I had to punish her myself because that is how the hierarchy dictates it," he added, almost whispering. "Is that why you came here? To tell me that you can't punish your sister?" I blurted out with bitterness evident in my voice. He shook his head. "I just wanted to tell you that this won't be easy for me, too. I don't want you looking at me di
TASHAAfter we buried Emily's body, the only thing governing my emotion was pure hatred toward Raiah. She used her status in the pack get what she wanted, and because of that, someone ended up losing her life. The more I think about what Emily had gone through after she realized that her actions led to the death of the warriors of the pack, it will only fuel the rage building up inside me. I couldn't even feel the pain that's killing me because witnessing the death of an innocent person is much more painful than that. "Tasha!" Rendall called me when I walked away from him but I didn't bother to look back. All I know is I had to confront his sister about why she put Emily's life in great danger. I want her to pay for what she did. I barged into her room but she was not there. I walked my way to the room of Rendall's grandfather but Rendall stopped me when I was about to open the door. The guards also blocked my way. "Let me go!" I exclaimed. "I need to talk to your sister, Rendall!