Alpha Cowell summoned the shifters that have gone to the neighbourhood pack to question them about the assassin since he already suspected that Autumn pack might have something to do with it, but why would they make such an attack?"They hide their scent and they were trained assassins. None of them dared to shift." Rae delivered as they all bowed to their King who was sitting on a couch in his chamber, Beta Craig standing beside him. "How many were they?" Alpha Cowell asked with outrage. He just couldn't believe an assault would happen when they went to cultivate peace. It was unruly."About thirty of them," Rae conveyed and Alpha Cowell hit his fist against the couch, furiously. Beta Craig inquired, "Describe their dressing, fight skills and how they talked.""None of them said a word apart from their groans. Their skills were unmatched by ours, making them flee. I noticed all the ones left didn't even breathe and I suspect they killed themselves so we wouldn't have anyone to ques
Sitting down on the couch in his room, he used his hands to ruffle his hair. The fact that he couldn't have Aurora out of his head was driving him crazy. What more could he ask for? Aurora was his real mate, why was he being punished? Is it the same way it felt to everyone who found their mate? Why was he different from others? Why would Aurora punish him that way? At that moment, he was fed up. He had tried discussing it with her yet she turned down all his questions. She wouldn't even give him a clue about why she was refusing to see her mate. Maybe if he knew a little of it, he would know how to adjust himself. It looked like he was a bad person who would mate with her.Slowly and steadily he finally stood up from the armchair he sat on for close to an hour and made his way downstairs. He smelled his mother's scent in the kitchen, then he headed there. He stood at the kitchen door and rested his body against the door watching his mom as she went about preparing their dinner. Zara
"Where are you going?" Sora asked Aurora immediately she spotted her running down the stairs that led to their garage. Aurora mind-linked Sora, "I'm going for a run." She lied."Again? How many times do you have to run in a day?" Sora asked again through a mind link since Aurora wasn't in sight."I need to do something, Mrs Horatio," she proclaimed, already inside the garage. "I'll be back soon.""Be careful," Sora warned worriedly. Her granddaughter had been staying out late for the past few days which she never did. Before dusk, Aurora was already in her room locked up unless she needed to do something as a leader to the pack fighters but it seems her time to return home had changed. Aurora on her own had been called out by Sage and she had merrily jumped out of her bed even when she had returned from a run a few hours before he called. She took the garage to convince Sora that she was truly going for a run. She got to the garage and hurried out down to her cottage gate. There she
Beta Craig watched as his best friend returned to the bed gloomily, his face sore. His skin was pale, his mouth dropping, eyelids hanging and red stealing its way to the corner of his eyes. He looked terrible. "I should call Gwen, you are unwell, Cowell," Beta Craig suggested as he moved to sit beside him. King Cowell shook his head disapprovingly and signalled Craig with his hands to come nearer. Beta Craig did and sat down close to him, "There's nothing Gwen can do only to keep filling me up with his concoctions." King Cowell laughed but Beta Craig was serious. "We can get you one of the powerful healers, you'll be well," Beta Craig uttered painfully. He wasn't ready to lose his precious friend.King Cowell took his hands and squeezed them under his own, he mumbled, "Have you forgotten I can't be cured? You don't have to worry Craig as long as you're here beside me, I'm sure I'll stay healthy."Beta Craig unlocked his hands from the King's grip and wrapped his hands around the ki
"Why did he stop?" Aurora kept wondering why Sage had stopped when he was just a little bit to claim her. She groaned and rolled on her bed. It was morning but she felt herself drawing closer to her bed. She felt weak and tired thinking of Sage. He wouldn't claim her. Was he having fun with her conscience? She had agreed to be his boyfriend which was an arduous decision she'd made and yet, he wouldn't show his love to her as he'd promised. Was he lying all along? Or he remembered she wasn't his mate. His mother has appeared, does it mean, she didn't want Sage to claim her all because she wasn't his mate? A drop of water fell from the core of her eyes. Why was her's different? She couldn't have a mate, yet, she wouldn't be mated to anyone. Was that all she had gotten from denying her mate who would kill her the minute he claimed her? With a heavy heart, she stood up and went to her dresser, looking into the mirror at her reflector. Her eyes had protruded since she'd cried over the n
Aurora smelled Sage from where she stood listening to the King's message to those present in the Academy. She tried hard not to track the scent but she when she couldn't take it for too long, she leapt up from her seat and traced the scent. Sage saw her looking all over for him but he wasn't ready to meet with her. After his discussion with his mother about her meeting the seer, he tried his best to avoid her. But it was hard for him too. Just then he heard her mind link him, "Sage please show yourself," she conveyed, still trying to trace his scent. He fists his hands into a ball. He wasn't ready to face her but staying away from her could be the worst for him. He groaned, turned back and made his way back through the entrance. He stopped at an abrupt end when he smelled her closer. He raised his head a little bit only to see her standing some meters away, folding her hands over her bosom. With the look in her eyes, he knew she was already angry. "Why are you here?" She inquired
The pack's herald bowed before his King who sat on his throne, gracefully ready to listen to the announcement his messenger had brought in for the pack. The message of the pup choosing another mate has been sent to the Autumn pack and the herald has come to deliver the King's reply."Go on." "Message from King Huston, Alpha from the Autumn pack," the herald started and opened up the scribe that King Huston had signed on. He continued, reading through the scribe. "Hello, Alpha King. It seems you aren't ready to adhere to my decision but there's not much of an issue since the pup had agreed to choose his mate from your pack," The herald announced and the King smiled at the response. "I guess we are good to go," King Cowell said to Beta Craig and Rae who were present and the two nodded in agreement. "Send a message to the King and tell him the pups should be here by tomorrow to pick a mate," he said to the Herald and turned to Rae, "Announce this to all the ladies who are interested i
Caren left with their pack fighters after refusing to choose another mate if it wouldn't be Aurora. King Cowell disagreed immediately stating Aurora and Sage are mated to each other. Caren complained that Sage hasn't marked Aurora and he wouldn't believe they are mates until Sage claimed her. Sage got angry but cooled off when the King pleaded with him to stay calm, that no one was going to take Aurora from him. He left the hall furiously. How could Caren talk about mating with Aurora?After they left, the King then told Aurora to call Sage back in because he had something he needed to deliver to his associates. Aurora bowed to the King and went out to look for Sage. She mind-linked him to tell her where he was and answered back saying he was on the terrace of his house. As her legs could carry her, Aurora ran her way to his house. She needed to meet with him before informing him that the King needed his attention. She wanted to thank him for not unleashing his temper on Caren whic
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