Wayne stood at the edge of the cliff.Sabine's portal had taken him straight to the area where the immortal realm trans- versed on the earth's plane. His walk from where he had crossed over to this spot, was a moderate walk of about two kilometers. On his way up here, he had passed through eucalypt groves, plenty of dead trees, and hollow logs strewn around. Red and grey gums grew along subsidence cracks and stringy bark, and narrow-leaved trees dotted the landscape. All these reminded him of the exact state of the hinterlands, strengthening his resolve.Hades' lair as the amortals referred to it, was located in Sydney, Australia. The humans had named it 'Burning Mountain', because of a mysterious, never-quenching fire which burned from thirty meters underground up to the surface and expelled a continuous cloud of smoke through the vent, consuming the elevated plateau and leaving it bare and barren. Humans believed that the fire had been raging for over five thousand years. Well, they
Candice raised her glass to Sabine "Cheers."Sabine clinked glasses with her "Cheers girl."They were sprawled out, side by side, on two separate mats on the seashore. It was an evening beach party; the place was packed full of people or rather beings in different bathing suits.While most of the ladies wore sexy, colorful bathing suits, the males wore nice briefs or boxers. A beach fire had been set up and they were together in a group, dancing around the fire. The style of dance was the La Bamba dance of Mexico.Sabine and her didn't join in on the dance, they were more focused on the mocktails that were being served around. And were both on their third glasses since arrival with a large bowl of potato crackers and avocado dipping.She didn't expect that she would be enjoying the party so much. Unlike the Wolfen plane of Woede where everybody acted very strict, and courteous. Adhered to a rank system, and practiced monarchy. Much like old Britain.However, this place was different.
At that moment, a male walked up to them out of the dance group.He was beckoning on them to join in the dance.They both politely declined, but he would not budge. He held onto Candice's hand, pleading with her to join him. When his persuasion was getting too dramatic, Sabine urged her to join him for a short dance.Immediately they got to the dance floor, the music on the stereo changed from a rowdy La Bamba to a slow salsa.Males and Females broke up from the circle into a pair of twos."Can you dance the salsa?" The bare-chested, hot-looking guy asked."I don't know how to dance any dance," she said shyly.Honey-colored eyes winked at her "Anyone can dance. Especially someone so beautiful as you," he said taking her hands "just follow my lead, beautiful."Unsure of what to do, she let him hold her hands and lead her. They began to move with slow steps.The male was well built with an athlete's body, he was five feet nine inches. A good height compared to her small frame, his hair
"Why did you do that?" Candice asked him."I should be the one asking you what the hell you think you were doing," Wayne growled.They had just come out from the portal at the seashore, she had been bristling with unspoken anger all through their way back. Now that they were back home on plane Weode, she could finally confront him about his rash behavior at the party.She stepped out of the water, dripping from her knees to her toes. He had insisted she wore her Kimono; he even took off his black jacket and secured it around her waist firmly. Ensuring the Kimono was tucked tightly around her chest and waist, covering up her exposed skin.She began to walk towards the house in the distance."We were just dancing, it was harmless," she said.Wayne stepped out of the water after her, his face still as hard as a rock "Tell that to the sparrows. Just a dance you say, when his hands was all over your naked body and he was kissing you.""I was not naked, it was a beach party," she explained.
Candice ran up the steps of the porch.Jordan sent her a salute her way, but she ran past him and pushed the double doors open into the living room of the mansion.There she skidded to a halt as her eyes fell on a familiar face.Seated on one of the plush leather chairs was the one person she had longed for, missed so dearly, and craved to see for weeks now.It was her dearest friend, Bernice.She was wearing a beige halter neck top with brown khaki shorts, matching white sneakers adorned her feet. Her black mass of hair was pulled into a firm knot behind her head. She looked the same, yet at the same time she seemed different."Candice…" Bernice got up from her seat.Like a magnetic force field, they ran into each other's embrace. The room seemed to fade away, leaving the two to exist in their own spotlight. Tears welled and streamed down their faces, arms crisscrossed along shoulder and waist, their body shook in the throes of their joy."I'm so sorry," they both said simultaneously
The sound of cutleries echoed through the dining hall.Four of them were gathered around a table.Well, the upper end of the table.The length of the table could host twenty-four people at one meal. They had to seat clustered at one end to have a semblance of a gathering. Wayne sat at the head of the table, Rojan flanked him on the right side. She and Bernice occupied the chairs on his left.The chef had cooked up a feast, half of the table was spread heavy with varieties. Her eyes roamed over this bountiful provision and her chest felt heavy, they had more than enough while those over the border, at the outskirts were ravaged with hunger."Why have you stopped eating?" Wayne asked as he shoveled a spoonful of seasoned rice into his mouth, his eyes watching her intently.Candice looked down at her hands, surprised to see that she had dropped her cutlery set."Nothing," she said and picked them up.She tried to eat the vegetable salad on her plate, but her appetite seemed to have varni
The room had grown quiet behind her.Maybe the room wouldn't feel the same without her and he would tell her to stay with them just a bit more.Still nothing.She arrived at the living room, crossed the vast room to the staircase. Her shoulders were stiff and alert, hoping for a call. For his call."Candice."Her head snapped back immediately; someone had called her "Yes," she responded."Rojan and I will be heading into the city, he wants to show me around. Want to join us?"It was Bernice, the one person in the world that actually cared how she felt. It would have been great to hang with them, but she really wanted to rest."I am tired Bernie bear, I prefer to stay in. Have fun," she said and continued up the stairs, all the way to her room.She pushed open the door and shut it behind her as she leaned on it. The walls around her room briefly blurred as her eyes stung with unshed tears. She felt was feeling miserable and she had no idea why.She felt… disappointed.What was going on
Wayne reclined on his side on the bed in his room.He was knackered to a great extent and wanted to fall asleep after the heavy dinner. However, he could not seem to catch a wink of sleep.The past few days had been grueling on his part. The search for her, the pursuit after her captor, the Jubokko tree assault, the battle with the Lamia shapeshifter, the visit to the council of elders, the excruciatingly painful journey into the Hade's lair, the altercation at the mating festival on the misty plane. Lastly and the best part of it all, the return of his beta and second in command, his most trusted associate, his one and only best friend.He should feel at peace that he had overcome all obstacles, retrieved his mate from her captor unharmed. Also, he accomplished the near impossible feat of accessing the tree of life, now the hinterlands would be healed and his plane would be whole again.He should be feeling a sense of satisfaction, yet something gnawed at his conscience. Like there w
"I am busy, what is it?" Wayne drawled, going to take a sit in the corner of the room."I have been trying to talk to you for over a week now, but you keep rebuffing me with the same response "I am busy, let's talk later," she mimicked.He let out an exasperated sigh "Okay, I do not have a lot of time right now. I am here, you may speak."You may speak.How annoying, like she needed his permission to speak or express herself. She was not here to beg his permission; she was here to cut a deal. A smooth negotiation at best, and a rough haggle at worst."I wanted to speak to you about something," she began.When he saw her pause, he waved her on impatiently."You actually owe me a wish and I am here to collect on it," she stated.She saw his eyes narrow in a suspicious appraisal, then he linked his fingers on his lap and cocked his head to the side "Go on."Unsure of what his body gesture signified, she went on "I want you to allow Everette to go into fabrics and designs, to go to fashio
Two days later.5:30 pm.The Great Arena, Central City.Plane Woede.Candice peeped through the crack of the door.She had opened it just a tiny fraction, so she could see into the vast corridor. This place was the size of a standard Olympic stadium. It could seat a total of a hundred thousand people.She was the item for the great gathering, yet she was confined to a tiny change room, in the enclave of the small outpost that marked the stadium's back office. A small provision of rooms was where all the operations were carried out backstage, before showing it to the public.Where was Wayne?She gritted her teeth in anxiety as she felt the pressure settle in. It was nerve-wracking, pulse palpitating, and teeth clattering.Her stomach was knotted tight while her heart was racing. She was about to make a big entrance into the world of the werewolves and it was taking a toll on her self-confidence.She wondered why Wayne had been aloft, all through the number of days that led to this very
Candice felt awash with satisfaction.It felt good to put smiles on the face of someone.She wished she could gift her more, but the Head of staff would not let it slide. He was in charge of the domestic funds and ran the house on a strict budget, only making adjustments if and when directly instructed by his Lord Alpha. She would definitely gift Everette, Jason, Jordan, and Sally a little token before she said goodbye to them forever."What are you intently thinking about?" Bernice asked."Nothing interesting," Candice murmured as she walked over to join her on the couch. She had donned a simple green dress, dotted with white polka dots."You have been frequently spacing out these days, tell me what's on your mind?""I-I just wish that my life wasn't so complicated. Like this was some sort of dream, I was not in a parallel universe. I would just wake up and everything would be back to normal," her voice was strained, with all the pent-up emotions raging within her."Why would you wan
"I heard a voice," Candice said as she stared at herself in the mirror."You did?" Bernice asked from her position on a couch."What kind of voice?" Everette mused as she put some pins around the dress Candice was wearing.They were having a casual conversation as Candice tried on different dresses. Early that morning, Everette had arrived at her bedroom with over a dozen dresses from the seamstress.Two weeks had already passed by since Bernice and Rojan had returned from the earth plane.The head of staff, at the house had casually informed her that a date for a banquet had been scheduled, and on that day, she would be introduced to society.Yes, you heard that right.She had been informed, notified, and made aware without any consultation from her, that her very own debut to society had been set up.The only prior information she had gotten was when Wayne had taken her to the red chamber in the city center, where she had eavesdropped on their conversation. He had not bothered to di
Zipporah smirked to herself as she descended the stone steps.The assembly had come to a close and they were all free to go. As she walked down the steps that wound around the walls and led to the lower part of the fortress, to the base level of the dungeons. Her lips curved into a wry smile.For a moment there, she thought she had been caught.Thanks to her quick response, she had shifted the blame to the nymphs. Removing herself from close scrutiny. It would have been a catastrophe if he found out she was the supposed thief.A blow to her ego.Howls echoed through this level from different creatures she had captured with the help of Waylon's men and locked up in these dungeons, to use their blood for her dark magic."Silence!" she snapped at them, her voice dripping with malice.The cries immediately ceased.She began to walk from one cell to another, the creatures scurried into the depth of the cell when they saw her glower at them. One cell held a griffin, another held a chimera, a
Sited upon his stone throne was Waylon.Standing before him were his subjects; Zipporah, Drac, and Smeden."You assured me," Waylon murmured as his eyes moved from one body frame to another.He was dressed in royal blue apparel with a red cape attached at the shoulders. Upon his head sat a golden crown embellished with rubies, emerald green and blue sapphire stones. In his hand was a long staff made of bronze with glyph carvings, each knuckle of his finger was adorned with gold rings. He was lounging in his seat with an air of royalty while addressing the trio gathered before his mini-assembly."The sorceress was the one who recommended her," Drac said casting a side glance at Zipporah.Waylon's gaze shifted to Zipporah "Yes, it was you who brought her. You assured me of her outstanding abilities and skill set."Zipporah shrugged "She was indeed a clever, slippery, and resourceful hireling. It's a shame she could not complete her mission.""But Lamias are said to be formidable and fea
"My heart?" he let out a bitter laugh "Far from it, I would not let myself get carried away. I have an end goal; nothing can thwart my plans.""As your beta, I would agree with you to do what's best for your plane and pack. As a friend, I would tell you not to make a mistake you may regret later on," Rojan advised."Regret? What's there to regret about?" he harrumphed."You're clearly falling for her, why do you fight it?" Rojan pointed out."I am not," he countered, then scoffed "What is there to fall for? She acts with no dignity whatsoever. Is it dancing half-naked with a total stranger and allowing him the pleasure of kissing her or striking my face with her fist?""Wait, what?" Rojan did a double take, "She slapped you?"Wayne paused, that had come out involuntarily.Rojan threw his head back and laughed, his booming laughter bouncing off the walls.Wayne put a hand to his temple, why had he let that slip off his tongue? It only showed that he was still clearly pissed at the kiss
Busted!"Rojan you're back," Wayne acknowledged.Rojan was standing a few meters away from him, carrying Bernice on his back. The once vibrant young lady looked passed out and was sleeping soundly on his shoulders."Yes, I am," Rojan replied casting him a mug stare."I was not expecting you guys so soon," he said, feeling a little embarrassed. This was the second time in one evening that Rojan had caught him in compromising positions. Luckily for him, he had donned a robe despite his haste to come to her. What logical explanation could he give if he was caught naked in front of Candice's door? It would have been worse if Bernice was awake, gratefully she was fast asleep."I actually came to talk to her, but changed my mind," he explained as his left ear twitched.Rojan looked at him, his eyes roaming over his physique. Then he nodded, his eyes disbelieving "Okay, if you say so.""What happened, why are you back so soon?" He inquired."This one is wild, immediately we got to a pub. She
Wayne reclined on his side on the bed in his room.He was knackered to a great extent and wanted to fall asleep after the heavy dinner. However, he could not seem to catch a wink of sleep.The past few days had been grueling on his part. The search for her, the pursuit after her captor, the Jubokko tree assault, the battle with the Lamia shapeshifter, the visit to the council of elders, the excruciatingly painful journey into the Hade's lair, the altercation at the mating festival on the misty plane. Lastly and the best part of it all, the return of his beta and second in command, his most trusted associate, his one and only best friend.He should feel at peace that he had overcome all obstacles, retrieved his mate from her captor unharmed. Also, he accomplished the near impossible feat of accessing the tree of life, now the hinterlands would be healed and his plane would be whole again.He should be feeling a sense of satisfaction, yet something gnawed at his conscience. Like there w