The fight soon ended with Sage pomping his right hand up in the air in celebration. He had received rousing applause from the pack. Just like them, he was visibly relieved that he had finally recorded his first victory over the hard-to-beat Aurora, who managed a wry smile while still being laid on the floor. To Sage, nothing was sweeter than beating her right in front of the rest, especially before the foul-mouthed Derrick, who had talked down on his chances of being a swordsman. At least, he had proven to them that he could fight with swords made by mortals. Before he could say, Jack Robinson, he was already on the floor, writhing in pain. Everything had happened so fast, such that it looked more like a supernatural sucker punch. The applause had given way to chucklings from the pack. "Rule number three," Aurora began, picking up their sword, "Never celebrate a victory too soon while your enemy still breathes. "You're still their alpha," she whispered to him, referring to the pack,
While Sage patiently waited for Aurora to finish cooking, he suddenly sensed someone jabbing into his thoughts and instantly, he opened his mind link for the person. "You should check on Alpha Cowell, right now, Alpha," Beta Rae conceded to him and Sage knew something might have gone wrong. He sprang up hurriedly and was about to tell Aurora that he needed to see the Alpha but since he knew she was tired and might get worried, he decided to leave and return later. He carefully left the chamber and made his way to the Alpha's chamber. He couldn't tell why his heart was racing but he decided to be calm with it. He got to Alpha Cowell's chamber and stood unnoticed by the door as he helplessly heard him cough long and hard. His mind drifted to the research he had carried out about the Alpha's illness. He did not need to be a doctor to know that every passing day of his hardheartedness brought him closer to death. His heart hurt remembering that. Every senior wolf of the Lock Heart
After speaking harshly to Alpha Cowell, Sage angrily stormed out of his chamber, even unconsciously hitting his dazzled father on his way out. He now understood better why his father had spoken to him in such anger. Just like his supernatural powers, the Alpha's heart was a no-go zone. When he had his mind made up on a matter of interest, he seemed to lock his heart and have the key thrown away, far from where any mortal could find it. "What is so beautiful about death that has appealed to the Alpha's heart?" he thought to himself as he walked down to his chamber. Rae had returned with the pack from their hunting expedition. "Have you seen Aurora?" he hastily asked him, still reeling. "Oh, yes, she should be in your chamber. She was looking for you everywhere. Where have you been, Sage?" he asked, surprised by his countenance. It didn't look like he had a smile on him. "I'll see you later," he just walked away, leaving Rae rotting on the spot, concerned. He got in and met Aurora
He just couldn't sleep, his eyes as open as daylight. The more he tried to close them, the more they refused to. "I feel lonely, even when you are around. That's because you have been acting strange to me lately. Sage, do you love me?" Her voice had played in his head for the umpteenth time. The more he tried to downplay what she had said, the more worried and restless he was. He was worried that his refusal to tell her what he was keeping away from her was beginning to affect their relationship and that there was nothing he could do about it. "Damn it!" he cursed. Just then, Aurora walked in, looking a lot calmer than she was a few minutes ago. She sat by the edge of the bed, looking directly at him. He looked away. …and then she began… "I know you think I'm stubborn and that I am probably too naive to understand what…" "Oh, no, Aurora, you are not naive and I will never think of you as one," he cut in. "Then what is it?!" "You won't understand, at least, not now. My love_"
"I have no idea. I feel the same thing you feel. Fuck!" Sage replied, as confused as she was. He was more concerned that he had no explanation for what was happening to them. That didn't bode well for him as the heir Alpha of the Lock Heart Pack. Luckily, only Aurora was there. "Could it be that_" "Wait!" he cut in, moving closer to her. He placed his right hand on the area where he had his heartbeat and paid attention to whatever only he heard and understood. Aurora, meanwhile, looked on in silence, hoping that he came up with an explanation for what was happening to them. He felt uneasy as he listened. Not that he was a stranger to mind links, but this one seemed a tad unfamiliar to that of the Lock Heart Pack. He hoped it wasn't another pack trying to manipulate and pit them against each other. "I think I know who it is," he said, heaving a sigh of relief. "Who?" she asked, curious. "It's Rae," he replied, searching his locker for something. He knew that the story didn't make
"Focus, Sage, focus!" Aurora shouted at Sage who kept leaping at the rogues. "Just follow my lead and you all will be fine," she told other shifters that seemed to be retreating. "Their leader is mine," Sage's mind linked them as he broke the line and attacked anyone who crossed his path with such fury. He only had his eyes on one prize. "Attack!" Aurora barked, going after the rogues. Even as she attacked them, she had her eyes on Sage, watching out for him to ensure he was not in some sort of danger. The fight soon ended, and most of the rogues were taken down, while those who managed to escape did so with varying degrees of injury. "I told you he's mine; let him be," Sage mind linked Derrick, interrupting him as he made to shift. "What do you need him alive for?" he asked, surprised. "As a bait Derrick." "Are you fine?" Aurora requested when she got beside Sage. Not saying a word to her, Sage turned his attention to the rogues that stayed lying on the ground, writhing in p
He was amazed at how fast she killed up to seven rogues up in a blink of an eye. He shrugged, after all, Aurora was the leader of the pack fighters. Watching her chest rise and fall as she tried to catch her breath, he decided it was time for them to head to the cottage. “Clean this up. We are about to head out,” he mind linked his beta. With a small nod he directed at Rae, he took Aurora hand, leading her to where they had packed the vehicle. She sat quietly in the car, pondering over what had happened in the last hours. “My love, is something the matter?” Sage questioned, glancing briefly at her before focusing on the road. “Not at all. Just wondering why the rogues have being attacking frequently these day,” she muttered but that was far from the truth and he knew better than to believe her. He knew how bad their relationship has been unstable and he wished he could explain it to her. It was for her own benefit but he knew Aurora too well by now she would oppose the idea. He cou
"Get the cottage decorated, and dinner ready," Sage mind linked Rae. He has decided to pave his way into her heart with dinner since she didn’t want to forgive him after countless apologies and little compliments whenever she had given him a chance to move close to her without moving away. He opted to do little things even though it was just dinner at the cottage.He knew it was best if they didn’t head back there. He had confirmed from Rea through the mind link that they weren’t through and he didn’t want anything to ruin his surprise which would have been an obstacle to her forgiveness. Going for a run was the best way he could stall her so he offered the overture to her, "Why don’t we go for a run?" he smiled nervously, afraid she wasn’t going to agree to the idea and end up deciding they head back.Looking at him skeptically, she tried to figure out what he was up to. She made it clear she hadn’t forgiven him. Didn’t he get the message? Or the silent treatment didn’t work their tr
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