Sage leaned on his throne to think. How could other packs have a specialised badge for those training for combat fight while their pack haven't heard of anything like that before? The former King Alpha didn't testify that he had seen such so why was it in existence? Was it newly introduced to the packs that their pack was lacking behind? But if it was eventually introduced then the Lock Hearts pack should be the first pack to know of it. "That means there is something we don't know about happening around us," Sage told everyone seated. "Or maybe we're the ones not getting the latest information," he added, still trying to find the real root of everything. "We couldn't question anyone to avoid suspicion since they could smell that we're from the Lock Hearts pack," Rae uttered and Sage nodded his head. "For now we've only got to know about the badge and we can't simply give up searching if we have to stop those assassins," Sage conveyed and they nodded. He turned to his Beta, "Did you
Aurora stood transfixed gazing largely at Sage. She hadn't expected he would ever tell her he would be leaving her alone to go on a journey out of the pack. She couldn't believe her ears as well as she couldn't believe that he would ever wish to leave her all alone. "Tell me you are telling lies. You can't be serious," Aurora divulged, feeling devastated. "I'll be back in some days, promised," Sage vowed as he strode after Aurora who had stomped her feet away. "You know I have to do this," he told her. "Rae is there. Other shifters are there and you, the Alpha of all people want to leave his pack? Why exactly?" She inquired, still walking away. Sage suddenly grabbed her arms and pulled her to face him. "I'll miss you," he conveyed and placed a peck on her lips. Aurora frowned at him and pushed his hands off her and walked away. Sage heaved a truce sigh and watched her leave. He had no idea she would decline his decision. He just prayed she forgives him. He continued into the pack
It was around 8 am and all the preparation to leave the pack had been made. All the shifters leaving with Sage stood outside the pack waiting for him to come out. After about an hour of waiting, they saw him striding out with Aurora looking gloomy by his side. She was still not able to think that Sage would ever leave her alone. It was all surprising that she wished she could do all she could to stop him but she couldn't. He was the Alpha anyway and he had to do whatever he could to stop the pack from being hunted. At that point, she regretted him being crowned Alpha. What if he was just a random member of the pack, would she have missed him a lot? She continued to question herself until they both moved out to meet the fighters waiting for him.They all bowed in greetings to their Alpha and Luna. Sage addressed them and they all took to his speech. Just then he turned to Aurora and pulled her into a long kiss earning an exclamation from everyone present. "I'll be back soon," he whisp
Sage walked back to his associates and when he got to them he revealed to them what he got. He told them about Fortune skills and the three types of skills. "We must keep a record of these things in order not to miss our road," he told them and mind-linked his Beta. "Where are you?" He inquired."Still watching their training. It took long before they started," Rae told him. "Gotten any information?""Not yet but Fortune fighters don't seem skilled enough to be assassins," Rae answered. "Okay, we're heading back to where the cars are, we should leave in an hour, it's almost dusk. I'll tell others too," he ascertained and cut off his mind to reach others. He mind-linked them that they should meet him within an hour. They agreed and when he ended the chat, he turned to those with him, "Let's leave," he said and they obeyed. As their Alpha had commanded, they all returned within an hour. Sage noticed how tired they were so he asked them to eat at a restaurant and rest a little bit be
Aurora finished training and sharpened her blade like she always does. She finished and tugged the blade inside the belt on her waist. Her acquaintances bowed to her as she made her way out of the field. She hurried into the pack building but when she remembered she needed to greet her grandmother, she veered around and strolled out of the pack building to the parking lot. Even when her cottage was a few meters away from the pack building, she decided to take her car with her. She pulled the door of her Porsche open and went in. She ignited her car key and turned her car on. Then she screeched backwards to reverse and when she had made a complete three-sixty-degree turn, she drove out of the pack building. On her way, she decided to get something for Sora and she had to turn back to visit the market. On getting to the market, she got lots of fruit, chocolate and many more things that her grandmother liked. She loaded them all into her car and drove home. When she got to the front o
Sage and his men swung around to face the guard that had called them to stop. When they saw the guards had started to call his colleagues they turned back and took to their heels, running their way through Moon pack building while the guards continued to tame them. They split ways to carry on a good fierce run so they wouldn't be caught.Sage continued to mind-link them to tell them when to stop. It was when he lost track of the guards that he headed to a nook around the packed building. He immediately mind-linked others to meet him where he was. Knowing fully well some of them might still be chased by the guards, he waited patiently for their arrival. Thankfully, they all ran to him together with about ten guards chasing them. They got to Sage and they all turned to face the guards. The three looked up at Sage and he nodded his head as he told them to begin something. With a swift, they all leapt towards the guards. They began to revolt against them using their combat skills. The gu
Sage succeeded in reaching the terrace, indicating his men to stay far behind them. While on the terrace, he made sure no one could see him where he stood. The Beta kept looking up towards them but he was able to hide his face and listened carefully to the meeting that had been going on. The Alpha was talking about something he wasn't able to grasp but he tried his best to pay attention to it since the ladies he had gone up with were paying rapt attention to the meeting. After all the explanations from the Gamma, Sage knew what they were talking about. He quickly pushed through his men's minds to link what he had heard. "Moon packs also have been raided by the assassins. They explained how they looked in full detail. It was the same way they had also appeared to us. I think they are planning to get their hands on the assassins," he told them and locked his mind back to focus. Sage then looked up at the ladies and saw how serious they were so he decided to ask the royal lady a questio
Sage succeeded in reaching the terrace, indicating his men to stay far behind them. While on the terrace, he made sure no one could see him where he stood. The Beta kept looking up towards them but he was able to hide his face and listened carefully to the meeting that had been going on. The Alpha was talking about something he wasn't able to grasp but he tried his best to pay attention to it since the ladies he had gone up with were paying rapt attention to the meeting. After all the explanations from the Gamma, Sage knew what they were talking about. He quickly pushed through his men's minds to link what he had heard. "Moon packs also have been raided by the assassins. They explained how they looked in full detail. It was the same way they had also appeared to us. I think they are planning to get their hands on the assassins," he told them and locked his mind back to focus. Sage then looked up at the ladies and saw how serious they were so he decided to ask the royal lady a questio
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