Sage was feeling better now but anyone within the room could tell how everywhere was filled with unhappiness at what Sage had just thrown out to them. He wants to look for the witch? It was unexpected because it was something they couldn't believe. How could he suggest something like that just when he just went through a mess? The Seer's face was twisted in anger as he leaned in close to Sage, his eyes burning with quiet rage. “You're still weak,” the Seer growled, pointing a gnarled finger at Sage. “Still, your body is a mess, and your consciousness is solidly incommunicable from fact. And yet, you speak of finding Ursula? Do you understand what you're saying, boy? Ursula isn’t some rogue witch hiding in the woods, she’s an ancient force, bound by wrath and vengeance.”Sage clenched his teeth as he tried to resist the Seer's word. Sweat beaded on his forehead while he burned inside, yet his gaze held firm. “I understand more than you think,” he rasped. “I saw her. I saw everything.
At the Lock Hearts pack, Aurora woke up, staring around aimlessly. She was quite exhausted and could barely comprehend the situation she was in. A sharp sensation jolted through her head, resulting in a heavy headache. She held her head tightly, letting out a scream. The pain flowed through her head, causing her to scream more. Gwen, realizing things had taken a dark turn, rushed to her and tried to relieve the pain. “Aurora, are you okay? Calm down and take a deep breath first. You'll be fine in no time.” Gwen blurted. His aim was to help her ease out the pain but Instead, it intensified. Aurora could barely feel her head anymore and was wriggling with pain.Gwen was in a state of panic. He rushed around, trying to figure out what to do in this situation. Her screams weren't helping, as they only made him more uneasy. Soon after, he grabbed a cup of water and urged her to drink it. Reluctantly, Aurora took the cup of water and drank it all. “Try resting your head back, you wil
Ursula spoke to Aurora roaming all around her, placing fear in her heart. From Aurora's view, Ursula was just taunting her and waiting to attack her whenever she wishes. She was prepared for whatever would happen. Even though she stands almost no chance against Ursula. Her plan was to put up a fight at least, she would not go down that easily. But Ursula's intentions were still unexplainable. She walked around her and only gazed aimlessly. This confused Aurora the most and she wondered if she was already stuck in a meaningless loop. “I am Ursula, in case you're wondering what my name is.” The witch suddenly said. Aurora paused and thought about it for a while. Now that she said this, I can remember my grandmother telling me about a witch named Ursula. Is this supposed to be the same person I was told about?The Witch was quick to notice Aurora's confused state. She continued gazing, with a mischievous smile on her face. Reluctantly, Aurora mustered all the courage in her to speak u
Lying on the cold, hard earth of the mystic world, her skin still burning from Ursula's vicious slap, Aurora found herself in the grip of humiliation. Her skull ached as if each beat of her heart bore the sorcery of the witch. Carefully, she sat up, her eyes burning with determination, though confusion filled her thoughts."Why are you doing this?!" Aurora barked, her voice reverberating in the huge, misty emptiness. "I’ve done nothing to you, so stop playing these twisted games with me!"Ursula's gaze burned an icy blue, and her smile tightened into something violent. Her contours were hard and inhuman, her complexion was an abnormal pale silver, as if all life had vanished from her. Her untamed, wayward hair swirled and moved as if it had a life and a mind of its own outside her control. Clad in a flowing, tattered robe made of what seemed like raven feathers, she moved with a ghostly grace, each step causing the ground beneath her to crack like thin ice."Playing games, little wolf
Aurora stood in the endless, foggy expanse of the strange realm, her heart pounding like thunder in her chest. Her breaths came short and quick, her mind racing to keep up with Ursula’s revelation. Sage is my mate? No. That can’t be true. It doesn’t make any sense. Shaking her head violently, she twisted her hands and pulled at her hair, as if she could free the tangle from her brain.“You’re lying,” Aurora hissed, her voice sharp with defiance. Her gaze locked with the bright eyes of Ursula, her mind becoming stone. “Sage is not my mate. He can't,” she said, pointing a finger at the witch, her fangs barely visible. “I would have felt it! I would have known!”Ursula cackled grimly, and her silver teeth curved into a wicked grin. A spooky light around her grew brighter and brighter, accompanied by long twisting shadows behind her. “Foolish little wolf,” she sneered, tilting her head mockingly. “Do you think the bond between mates is unbreakable? That it can’t be hidden?” She giggled wr
Aurora stood frozen in place, her eyes still locked on the spot where Ursula had vanished. Her heart beat like a tempest of feelings, anger, bewilderment, mistrust, and above all, fear. Her breath made its slow, sharp inroads as her wolf ran through her, equally vengeful and frantic. Never let Sage claim you… or you will die.The sentences rang in her ear like a spell she couldn't dispel. Her nails penetrated her palms, her gasps coming between two short, violent intakes of breath. How could this be happening? How could Sage keep something so important from me? Her eyes changed from wet sadness to a stare showing resoluteness.As she attempted to regain her footing, the very importance of the information toppled over her like a torrent. She thought of all the moments she'd shared with Sage, the subtle glances, the warmth she felt when he was close, the ache she felt in his absence. It wasn’t just friendship, was it? It had been something more all along.Her wolf knew it. It always had
Alpha Dylan, with his broad shoulders strained by a sense of despair, propped up against the doorway, his facial expression was blank as he thought back over the interaction with Ursula.. Step aside, or fall beside them? She must be joking. He looked up and saw Sage lying on the bed, still pale and weak after the ordeal in the mystic dimension. Although the Seer's healing medicines had already weakened his own frame, the injuries caused by that fight with the extra terrestrials remained. But his spirit, his will, remained unbroken."Sage," Alpha Dylan finally spoke, his voice low and steady, "I spoke with her. Ursula."With a sudden snap, Sage's eyes flew open and a focused analytical look fixed upon the Alpha. "And?" he creaked, his sound becoming muffled by the time it would be."She's as scary as they say," Alpha Dylan said, stepping toward the room again, fists tight in his stomach. “She warned me to stay clear, or I’d end up joining you and Aurora in the grave." He let out a sli
Aurora settled on the edge of the bed as different thoughts and emotions filled her head. The rumble of Ursula's words lingered within her, a curse that would not go away. “Sage is a soulmate, it just remains elusive to you. Masking his scent. Deceiving you.” Her hands gripped the sheets beneath her, twisting them as if the fabric could somehow bear the brunt of her pain. Her breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling with the effort to contain her sobs, but it was no use. Tears streamed down her face, hot and unrelenting.How could he? She wondered, her mind filled with the pain of betrayal. She thought back to every moment they shared the late-night conversations, the gentle way he always looked at her, the subtle distance he kept whenever she asked him to claim her.“Was everything fabricated?” she murmured softly, her voice filled with anguish. “Did he ever care for me?”Her head hit against the table, her cries muffled against her hands. She was being made to feel more t
The room fell silent with disbelief. Each of them were frozen in shock. Fennick, Aurora’s best and lovely friend like a brother whose Grandmother was found in the forest years back, was the heir to the Autumn Pack, the very pack that had once threatened their peace? It was an impossible truth, yet the room could not deny the tension that suddenly grew between Fennick and his own identity.Sage was the first to break the silence, his voice low but firm. "We need to go," he said, his gaze never leaving Fennick’s face. "To the Autumn Pack. We have to find out what this means."The others were still in confusion, most especially Aurora. Fennick has always been like a brother to her even when she doesn’t know about his identity for long but his revelations cut deeply into her. She had thought he was with them, maybe he lost his scent but now that he was saying it made her think that she has never even known him. It was a difficult truth to accept. Fennick was their friend, their brother,
The Pack dining room was filled with the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and the warmth of togetherness. After the heartache of the last few weeks, that night was a chance to heal, celebrate survival, and find peace in the company of one another. The scent of roast meat and freshly baked bread filled the entire place. Sage stood near the far end of the room, his hand resting gently on the back of Aurora’s chair. She had her chin tilted slightly down, her fingers playing with the glass in front of her, lost in thought. For a moment, Sage’s gaze softened, taking in the quiet beauty of the woman who had been at his side and his mate.He had been wanting to talk to her for days now, no, for weeks, but every time he saw her, the words escaped him. How could he put everything into words when everything had changed so much?Aurora felt his eyes on her, and slowly, she looked up. There was something in his gaze that made her heart skip a beat.Sage moved to her side, pulling out the cha
Beta Craig's tears and loud wailing alerted the whole pack that another tragic death had occurred. They could feel the sudden disconnection from their Alpha. The mournful howls echoed through the Pack as each of them expressed their own grief in their own ways. For a pack that had already endured so much, this final blow was just so unbearable. It was a big loss for everyone in the Pack.Gwen gently took Alpha Cowell’s lifeless body from Beta Craig’s trembling hands. He resisted at first, clutching his friend’s cold form until his strength gave out. His knees buckled, and a heart-wrenching sob escaped him as they pried Cowell’s body away. With solemn reverence, they carried Cowell’s body away. The same honor was given to Sora, whose ultimate sacrifice had saved Aurora. Their bravery was admired, for they had given their lives to protect another.Aurora sat beside Sage, her eyes fixed on his peaceful face. She had been waiting for what felt like an eternity for him to wake up, and she
Aurora slowly opened her eyes, coughing as the acrid smoke filled her lungs. Her thoughts were heavy, unsure of where she was or what had happened. As she struggled to sit up, memories flashed through her mind and as she remembered her fight with the witch, she assessed her body for injuries, expecting to find scars or stab wounds. But to her surprise, she found none.Confusion etched on her face, Aurora turned her head to take in her surroundings. The room was in shambles, furniture overturned, and debris scattered everywhere. But it was the body slumped on the ground that caught her attention.Aurora's heart skipped a beat as she scrambled to her feet, rushing towards the lifeless form. "Sora!" she cried out, her voice trembling with fear as she recognised the face.She reached her grandmother's side and soon her eyes welled up with tears. Sora lay limp, her eyes closed, and her face pale. Aurora gently shook her, calling out her name, but there was no response.Aurora's mind reeled
Ursula's cave was surrounded in darkness and the only sound that filled the place was a soft humming from her. Just in a flash, she sprang up from where she sat, seething her teeth in anger as she started to feel her powers draining out. She suddenly let out a horrible scream, throwing her head backwards as she shook vehemently. She paced back and forth in front of her mirror, her long, black hair swirling around her like a dark cloud. Her eyes, once bright with malevolence, now seemed dull and lifeless."How could this be?!" she spat, her voice venomous. "I used Octavia and Aurora to gain the upper hand. I manipulated them, used their innocence against them."Ursula's mind flashed back to the day she met the two of them. She has lied about giving her powers to Sora at birth Octavia. But in reality, she had been using them to further her own powers. She has indeed given Sora a child but it was with the aim to build her powers and the child was connected to those powers that she used
“We do not have any interest in that. We work for Alpha Dylan and now you are saying we should go against him? I’m sorry, we can’t do that,” the leader proclaimed. “Moreover, we have other important things to handle.” Then, he turned to one of his men, “Take her away and dump her back in the pack,” he commanded. His men immediately obliged, grabbing Rose and attempting to carry her away yet, Rose wasn't going to give up that easily.She had swore to leave with them, or die trying to do so. As soon as the men grabbed her and left an opening for their weapon, Rose reached for one of their swords. The sword was drawn from its scabbard and she swung it at the men but they were quick to move out of the way to avoid getting hit. Turning to their leader, Rose aimed the sword at his neck. “You will help my people, or I'll kill you and die afterwards.” She emitted with so much audacity. The fierce look in her eyes was quite scary, and the leader wondered if it was the same person that came in
|Flashback|His heart was saddened and he wished he could go back in time but it was impossible. What has happened has happened and the only thing he could do was think of a way forward but how was that going to be possible? He was locked up in the dungeon for the first time in his life like a gnashing lion, how could he think of breaking loose? How would he be able to gain back his position when he couldn’t even access his people. When all he could do was drool himself in pity.He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he jerked when he heard the sound of rumbling keys. His initial thought was that a guard had come in to attend to him but was suddenly taken aback by the presence. “Rose?” his eyes widened in shock as he stared at her in disbelief. “What the fucking hell are you doing here?!” he snarled, shocked and confused but she was quick to place a finger on her lips to shut him up. “I did not really sneak in,” she whispered. “They know I'm here and I have limited time to talk wit
The Pack’s square was filled with noise growls, shouts, and the murmurs of the betrayed. The Pack members of Lock Hearts Pack were now passive spectators to Sage's deterioration. Their eyes, once filled with respect and admiration, now brimmed with anger, frustration, and pain."He's a whimpering jackanape!," shrieked a high-pitched old she-wolf, voice like a razor sharp scream of agony. “How dare you call yourself an Alpha?”“You left us!” another voice yelled from the crowd. “Left us to fend for ourselves while you went chasing spirits and shadows!”“You’re nothing but a failure, Sage!" shouted a young warrior, his voice full of venom. “You brought shame to this Pack!”They riled up from all angles, each one a knife to Sage´s chest. However, each word weighed down more than the one before, and yet he held his gaze steady, forcing himself to bear it. His fingers twitched at his sides, his claws threatening to emerge, but he didn't move. They don't understand... They don’t know the tr
Sage leaned against the cold, damp wall of his cell, his head down. The metallic smell of blood and iron invaded his olfactory system and, with each breath, it became more difficult to breathe. His physical condition was poor, his body was weak and his muscles ached, but nothing was worse than the pain in his chest.Alpha Dylan.The name echoed in his mind like a curse. It burned hotter than any of his wounds. “How could I have been so blind?” he thought, his jaw clenching with frustration. Alpha Dylan had been a friend, or at least he had thought he had been. Sage had shared his concerns with him, confided in him, had talked to Dylan of his anxieties as a newly constituted Alpha, and Dylan answered with the patience of the wise mentor.But it was all a lie.His hands clenched into little fists and his nails bit into his palms until his flesh just about fell apart. He leaned back, gaze closed, focusing on the effort of remembering every single word Dylan had ever spoken. Each word, ea