When Andrew and Larry arrived at Packhouse, pack members crowded them offering love and support to Andrew, asking him questions, and introducing themselves. Most of them had been relieved to see him because they were alarmed by the way he fled the hall. Andrew's flight tendencies made them suspect that it had been an expensive joke. Andrew's heart warmed as he responded to each of them with gratitude. He'd never been showered with such a large amount of public attention before. He scanned the crowd, seeing faces he'd never seen before blended with familiar faces. He narrowed his eyes suddenly, Laura was nowhere to be seen. Neither was his father who was supposed to be bouncing which joy. Mendez and Caleb's absence was understandable, but Laura and his father?He nudged Larry who was standing by him beaming like the sun.Where's Laura? He asked.For a moment a brief frown displayed across his face, then he shrugged.She's probably with the old alpha. He responded.It didn't sit well w
"Laura's clean. We've been watching her and she has not shown any suspicious behavior. Her loyalty to you and the pack is still as firm as rock." A muscular tan-skinned man, in a black suit, said, twirling his cup of whiskey and sitting before Douglas in his study.Douglas hummed, then took a sip of his drink."As expected." He voiced, carefully dropping his glass.Laura's loyalty stretched as far as Andrew's well-being. When he was threatened she was and when he was at rest, she relaxed too. Her attachment to Andrew was perplexing, the way she, who'd been on with him for years even before Andrew was discovered, more like rescued by her, and returned to the pack, was ever ready to bark, attack or switch loyalties because for him, was what disturbed him."I'll need you to break into her house. Secrets are lying in there.""Noted." The man said taking a swig."It's Elias Mendez you should be worried about." The man said after minutes of silence.Douglas cocked a brow,"Oh really? Let m
"What we should be worried about is how to get everyone back to normal," Laura spoke up after they'd all sat in silence for some minutes."We should…" she started to say when she suddenly stiffened and straightened. Her eyes glazed over. The voice of the Compliant came out of her mouth."Douglas. The voice said, "my investigation revealed that because the witch spell wasn't completed, it would begin to wear off, so about now you should be receiving news on improvement in your pack. That doesn't mean that your troubles are over. Only a handful will feel their wolves again. Nonetheless, Brighton needs a cure ASAP, unless it will lose more than half of its pack members. You should also keep in mind that the witches are gearing up for another attack."Andrew growled at the sound of the Compliant's Voice. He clenched his fists as he ground his teeth. Although he wasn't close to them, its dominance still affected him.Laura gasped as she was released from her trance."How the hell did he do
The sounds of punching, groans of pain, and crunching boots resounded around Andrew. His assailant huffed, pulling him up and tossing him into another tree trunk."In werewolf hierarchy, the oldest or most powerful wolf shifts more swiftly than the others. He always howls first, before others can follow." A cold guttural voice remarked above the noise. "It's a sign of respect. Keep these things in mind when hunting wolves." He said."Yes, master," his assailant and others chorused, panting heavily.His assailant dragged a big log and whipped Andrew with it. Unlike himself, Andrew offered no resistance, he just laid there listening to his bones and rib crack. Pain filtered through his veins, keeping his body from healing itself. Hefting him up, his assailant pushed him into a tree and smacked his battered face."Enough! We've captured the Alpha wolf. Let them go." The cold guttural voice commanded.His assailant hesitated for some seconds before tossing him to the side. Bodies fell to
"Wa..wha..whaa…what do you mean?" Emily stuttered, goosebumps decorated her skin as she tried and failed to clutch her chest. Her hands had become too heavy for her body, her legs immobile, and her vision blurred.Her mind became woozy. Yet, one thought flashed like a bright beacon through it.How did Shirley find and gain access to her?Like if reading her mind, Shirley smirked.With a flick of her finger, Emily found herself levitating towards her. "I got your address from your mother. I've been following you for days now. Did you think you could get away? The moment you accepted the coven's help you became part of the coven. So even if you use the best protection spell in the world. I, your coven chief, will find you."Emily swallowed,Shirley's long nails trailed Emily's face delicately, then she grabbed it and sneered."Now let's see what untapped powers you have lying in there. You haven't picked a sacrifice yet, should I do it for you?" Emily's eyes widened as a small gasp es
Location: Brighton's Pack Hall."Well well well, who do we have here?" Shirley sneered."Brighton, welcome to your doom." She said, laughing maniacally. The female werewolf flailed in the air with a promise of retribution shining in her eyes. It only made her laugh harder.Shirley's chest puffed with pride at the possibility of successfully pulling her attack off. The only thing holding her back was Emily. She could feel Emily resisting the hoax she'd cast on her. If only the bitch would just pick a sacrifice, they'd be able to complete the spell that would wipe out more than half, if not all of the werewolves gathered in the hall.Her laughter was cut short as a gust of power hit her, making her apparition flicker. A sense of foreboding swept through her being. The hold she had on the pack stretched thin, threatening to snap into pieces.The lady she'd suspended in the air fell to the floor with a loud thud. Growls echoed around her as most of the wolves regained their energy. Cha
"Found them! Larry and a few others are down this ditch." A warrior screamed."Andrew?" Laura screamed, abandoning the crying female and sprinting towards the ditch. "Is Andrew there?" She panted, then looked into the deep opening in the ground where bodies of werewolves were piled up. "There's no telling, I can only make out Larry." She sighed.Douglas arrived shortly, she could feel the anxiety seeping out of his pores. "Is he there?" He asked, then looked into the ditch."Fuck." He snarled, "get them out of there."In a few minutes, they retrieved the wolves in the ditch. Most of them were severely wounded or dead. Luckily Larry was unscathed but was still unconscious. A head count of all the rescued werewolves revealed that it was just Andrew and Derek that were still missing.Laura clenched her fist, then ran her hands through her hair. Douglas growled. His power rushed through the air like a dust haze. Birds and other animals around them scampered for safety."They cast a spe
"I have decided to be fair. And so while we launch a series of attacks. I'm throwing open the Alpha position to any of my sons that can provide a permanent solution to our feud with the witches. It mustn't be an attack that'll wipe them out, it should be something that would make them fear us. "Henceforth anyone that figures out what is going to stop the witches will become Alpha."Gasps rang through the room, shock did not begin to define what the pack members felt. Sighs of disapproval and murmurs arose. "The prophecy?" Some murmured, "did something happen?" Others said.Caleb who had been keeping a low profile had to keep himself from jumping in jubilation. He couldn't believe his luck. After the recent attack, he considered giving up, but this new revelation awoke his determination. His wolf purred in appreciation. This was it. He could feel it within his nerves, the opportunity he'd waited for all those years had finally fallen in his lap and he'd be stupid not to grab it. He b
"Did he agree?" Emily asked as soon as her mother reappeared. "Yeah, after a lot of persuasion."Emily released a shaky breath. Her body was burning like she'd been bathed with acid. "Let's get into position then." She said, lifting herself up. The pain was too much had she found herself unable to stand. She staggered backward and fell to the bed. "Emily! What's wrong?" "It's like my body is on fire." Emily hissed,Vanessa came to her and inspected her body."It's the mark from hell. He's suffering from the mark from hell. Are you sure you can do this? I can tell Andrew the plan, I'm sure he'd be happy to do it in your place.""No." Emily said forcefully. The truth was that no one could execute the plan effectively apart from her. Even if they collected the totem from Caleb, she was the only one powerful enough to destroy it. Andrew's strength couldn't break it, and neither could her mother's magic. But her body burned and she wanted to crawl into bed and cry. She'd have to make
Emily purposely ignored Andrew.She also purposely ignored the nudges her mother was giving her, as she narrated her experience to everyone. She also tried to ignore the sparks that were ignited in her body when he pecked her and whispered that he had to go but he'll be back.But when her mother, who'd been attentively listening to her, rose up, dragged him by the side, and hugged him. Envy, heavily laced with anger as she'd never felt before, coursed through her body. It felt as if her mother was betraying her. Jacqueline was the first to notice the change in her countenance.She smirked,"Girl, that's what you get for ignoring your man. Now he's in the arms of another woman." Emily growled and Jacqueline burst into laughter."When did you start behaving like a she-wolf? Hold your horses Em, it's only your mother. It makes me wonder what you'd have done if it was another female."Amelia laughed,"She would have probably hexed her entire generation." She said,"Nah, Em's feeling m
Emily had given up on trying to escape her imprisonment before she realized that it wasn't real. It had been days, yet she'd not felt hungry and she woke up the exact way every time. The sun didn't set, her clothes didn't change, she didn't want to use the bathroom and everything was still and lifeless.The only thing that changed each time she awoke was her strength. It was as if something was sucking out her energy. On the second day of her entrapment, she remembered wandering around the sheet/film that locked her in search of a weak spot or way out until she got bored and forced herself to sleep.Now she could hardly move a limb. Anger at Andrew and his Kingdom burned within her chest. She allowed it to blind her reasoning and she began to blame him for everything that happened.She promised herself that she would hunt Andrew if she died there.She'd been making such plans when she noticed the potted gardenia again.With a lot of effort, she stood up, walked to it, and lifted it of
Andrew and the Compliant narrowed their eyes at Vanessa."Do you understand it? Can you see how clear the prophecy has become?" Vanessa asked,The Compliant and Andrew glanced at themselves and then back at Vanessa."You," She pointed at Andrew, "became the enemy, you were the destroyer. He used your body to commit all these atrocities. Right now your people do not trust you. You'll need to do a lot to regain their trust. The second prophecy has come to pass. Can't you see it? You aligned with the enemies, you brought harm to your people and if I didn't save you, you would have perished.""Oh." Andrew agreed, nodding. "Now I'm very curious about the 3rd and 4th ones. I wasn't one to believe in those prophecies. My husband did and I often mocked it for it. I didn't think the prophecy concerned us witches and hoped you didn't find the key. I even hexed you."Andrew shrugged, he didn't understand where she was going or what she was trying to say.Vanessa chuckled mirthlessly, "And afte
"Where am I?" Andrew growled. His eyes were still shut and he wasn't fully awake.Vanessa, who had been standing behind her kitchen counter from the moment she dropped him, shivered. He's not going to rip you apart. You saved him, remember? She repeated in her head."Where am I?" Andrew asked again, propping his eyes open, then shielding his face with his arms.His wolf prowled around restlessly in his head. It wanted blood and it wanted it now.Vanessa steadied herself by gripping her kitchen counter. Her knuckles turned white and the bones in her fingers threatened to snap.Andrew jolted up."Where the fuck am I?"A shudder ran through her body and she swallowed involuntarily."My home." She said, her voice sounding more confident than she'd expected.Andrew's head snapped in her direction and he growled. Vanessa could see the malice in his eyes and feel the anger rolling out from his pores. Gathering as much courage as could muster she stepped forward. "I've been waiting for
The first thing Shirley did when the bodies exchanged was to try to get hold of Caleb before he fell to the ground.Later on, she would regret it deeply and ask herself why she didn't disappear like she normally did. Maybe it had something to do with the mark from hell that she'd seen reappearing on Caleb's body.Shirley's illusion flickered and she could feel her powers waning out as she bent to check on Caleb and wondered why. After confirming that he hadn't been knocked dead, she vented out her frustration on him and tried to wake him up. After trying several spells that didn't work she shook him roughly and punched and kicked him but he remained unresponsive. She'd also said another couple of spells that were supposed to be potent and yet the effect remained the same."Coma!" She yelled, "You're in an induced Coma you son of a bitch! Motherfucker, you get to sleep while I think of a way to save us!"If she had stopped screaming then and paused to do the actual thinking, she would
The next morning Vanessa snuck into Brighton and stood amidst the crowd of werewolves standing before the platform in the form of a man. She had to dig up her husband's old spell books and read and practice them throughout the night before she was able to perfect the spell. She stood within wolves knowing that any mistake she made meant death. She trembled, her hands were balmy and her forehead was clouded with sweat. Although she was terrified about being exposed, she was more terrified about failing. It seemed like the fate of the whole world weighed on her shoulders and that was enough to make her shake. Before leaving Andrew, she'd given him a sleeping potion and was glad that it was still in effect when they dragged him out of the dungeon that morning."Who are you and what have you done with Vanessa?" She muttered under her breath. Never in a million years could she imagine that she, Vanessa, would dare to do what she'd been doing in the past few hours. It was very out of char
It was the time of reckoning. Caleb thought, trying as much as he could to keep a grim expression on his face when he was bouncing with excitement inside him. The platform had once again been set and the pack members gathered beneath it chatting away as they awaited the death of Brighton's number one enemy. The gates of the dungeon creaked open, shushing the crowd of onlookers. The advisors and some stakeholders, followed by a barrage of guards and warriors who dragged Caleb's unconscious body processed solemnly to the platform and ascended it. Caleb had never felt so powerful in his entire life and he loved it. Thrills of victory ran down his spine and he clasped his eyes shut and struggled to keep at bay, the smile that had been threatening to break out from his lips. "I still don't understand why we are hurrying his death." Someone murmured dispassionately.Caleb scowled as his head snapped toward the direction of the sound. It had come from one of the stakeholders.He sneered
A thrum of energy buzzed in Shirley's brain signifying that some of her spells had been activated. And she knew the exact ones, it was those she'd said to trap the moon witch.A slow smirk spread across her face and she ignored Vanessa's righteous rant. She'd come on her own with the idea of threatening her into submission. But the once pale woman had suddenly developed a backbone of her own and was now shooting back and matching Shirley word to word.Of course, Shirley was irritated and had started thinking that maybe it was time to slice her throat. Shirley's threats were like water on a rock to Vanessa and it amazed Shirley to see her fired up like that.Unexpectedly, the new members of the circle swooped in, grabbed her, and secured her. They'd been hunting for a few days now. Yet, instead of Vanessa cowering like she normally would, she screamed some more and accused Shirley of doing everything under the sun. It had started grating Shirley's nerves when her spells suddenly activa