The hair at the back of my neck stood as I got up to have a clearer view of my surroundings, the air was damp and the water dripping quietly from the ceiling at a corner was all the evidence I needed to confirm that this was underground; an underground prison. There was no furniture in sight except the iron table smelted into the ground that held different sizes of what I could assume were torture tools. Most of the ground was covered in dried blood, my face scrunched in disgust from the mere thought of how I laid on the ground before. I looked at Mr. Prisoner, he sat comfortable on the dirty floor like it was home and didn’t care about the rat in the corner eating from his food; stale food. “You led me here on purpose?” I didn’t want to stay here any longer. My eyes kept looking at the back of the cell where his make-shift toilet was. “I should have done it earlier but it looks like you have been busy,” he still had a smile on his face despite his embarrassing situation. “No
I can’t believe I swooned over a man I didn’t know. Remembering how the one I swooned over and called mate turned out differently, I kept my enthusiasm to myself.Dave’s face changed upon seeing him, “I guess my story ends here for now, Emily.” His gawp on me intensified, “Do stop bye again… unfailingly.”“You shouldn’t have led her to this place,” the exotic man who just walked in spoke.Dave shook his head, “Then you should have made a better circle of enchantment,” his hands gestured to the ground and that’s when I noticed the washed off drawing on it. “You could do better than this, Ray.”“You still haven’t answered my question,” I watched as he redrew into the darkest corner of the room after dropping his piece to Ray and didn’t bother answering my question.At this point, I was already on my feet out of annoyance for ignoring me, “Hey, don’t act like you can’t hear me, you kept hovering over me relentlessly, so why are you quiet now?!”I reached for his cell gate when I felt a h
I sat on my bed and stared at the wooden floor as sunlight gleamed through the open curtain. I was preoccupied with the thoughts of the missing necklace and who could have entered the room without my permission. Although I was just a guest here, this room was mine for the meantime.While I was preoccupied with the thoughts of who could come in here whenever they liked, someone walked into the room without knocking and I raised my eyebrows as Ari walked into the room with a smile on her face.Someone who could come in here whenever they liked? I shook my head to avoid sowing seeds of distrust in my head. I returned her smile with an even brighter one.“So you were here,” her voice was energetic, as if she wasn’t the one with me the previous night. “I didn’t see you when I woke up.”“I decided not to disturb your sleep and came back alone.” It was half the truth. I suppose.“How did you find your way back?” Ari’s eyes fixated on mine. I averted her gaze. Do I tell her that Ray sent a pa
Asher finally got to where I was and my heart was beating rapidly as he stood in front of me with his hands in his pocket, he began to talk in an uninterested tone, “ I found someone who could help us out of this situation. We’ll be going to visit a shaman who will know what to do about it.”“What do you mean?” I was absolutely confused at what he was saying.“Alpha,” he corrected me with wrinkled brows, “You refer to me properly.”He went on, “The thing between us shouldn’t have happened, I believe I told you before.”Oh. My heart tingled, I had completely forgotten the words he said to me for the first time in his study without even a smile on his cold face. “I see.”To be honest, I was completely disinterested in what he had to say as all my attention was talking to Ray at the moment.“We are leaving at sunset. It’s hard to meet the shaman, so we shouldn’t miss this opportunity. Be ready when I send for you.” The command slid off his tongue like he was accustomed to it. I wanted to
“This is delicious’” I said between muffled bites as I wolfed down the food Ari kept aside for me. Ari smiled and watched me eat like a starved man.“I know, I have had it for years now and I still don’t get tired of it.” Ari stood aside and didn’t leave, even though I was nowhere near finishing my food.I watched her through my peripheral view and her motionless figure didn’t flow with the setting of a hungry man, she wasn’t pacing but her just standing there was distracting me from enjoying my meal the way I intended.“What is it?” I let out a sigh as I placed my sandwich down and pushed it aside. “I can see you have something to say, so just carry on with it.”She kept looking at me without saying anything. I couldn’t help but say, “You are ruining my first meal of the day with your placate expression, say it.”“Well,” Ari looked at me with a hesitant look on her face before carrying on. “Well…”“Well, well, well what?” I was getting impatient and my eyes kept going to the sandwich
The car air was cold and I could feel it through the sweater I had on. I looked at Asher who had on a sleeveless vest and I could see the goose bumps on his arm. I leaned forward to adjust the regulator close to his side.A few seconds were yet to pass when he adjusted it back, and he glanced at me briefly before looking forward again. I quickly drew to a conclusion that maybe he likes being hit with extreme cold. I decided to mind my business, and take a nap.I was unable to fall asleep but I left my eyes shut and Asher never said a thing for the rest of the ride until the car came to a stop, “Wake up, we are here.”I faked a stretch and let out a quiet yawn like I was actually asleep. I looked through the tinted window to survey my current surroundings and all I saw was a neon sign and a half-empty car park. I glanced at Asher, “Is the shaman at this motel?”“No matter how desperate I am to get rid of this, I still need to take a rest, especially when it’s already past one in the mo
We returned to the motel after searching through the bushes for any sign of where the shaman might have headed to. We spent another hour or two ravaging through the shack, more like Asher did it and all I did was watch him.I watched as he trashed someone else's personal space, with each piece of furniture he smashed his rage could be seen. Not all could it be seen in his actions but it could also be seen in his eyes, when a piece of wood flew towards me and I scurried to the side; he seemed to remember I was there.He stared me down, his eyes wore his thoughts; I wish the Shaman was here so he could severe this thing from me. That was what his eyes said, he hated me and it was sad because I hated him too.Two mates who detest each other, one unwilling to get over his dead mate and the other too tired to try getting close to the former again. If Asher had a chance he would have left me in the forest but because he needed me, he took me with him back to the motel.Chivalry seem to have
"You must have met my brother," his brother? Ray?? "I should probably introduce myself. Although I go by many names, you can call me Richard." He spoke with a smile I looked at him with doubt, he was seven points similar to Ray and the likelihood of having a similar personality was also high."You're his younger brother?" His bottle was now empty and he sat there in a daze, I was unsure if he was listening to me until he shook his head."Not his younger brother, his older brother. Older twin brother." Oh, that explained the similarities although his hair was longer."You said you were waiting for me? Did Ray ask you to meet me?" He reached for the bottle of water and took a sip."Yeah. You wanted to meet me so I waited," I didn't get what he was saying and he noticed too. "You went to my shack in the middle of nowhere just to meet me."My body stiffened, "You are the Shaman?" He nodded lightly, "The one who's going to severe my bond with Asher?""No, no." He shook his head in denial
My confusion must have been evident on my face because Diva chuckled softly. "I understand your surprise, child. It's quite a sight, isn't it?""Quite a sight," I stammered, "and a little… unexpected. I never even knew this pack existed."Diva's smile widened. "That's not surprising, dear. Our existence has been a closely guarded secret for millennia. Only the Alphas and Betas of other packs are privy to this knowledge."A spark of amusement ignited within me. "So you're telling me, there's a whole secret pack of super werewolves hiding in the shadows, stronger, faster, better than everyone else?"Diva's smile faltered slightly, replaced by a hint of sadness. "Not exactly, Emily. It's not about being better. We are the first pack, the original ones. We predate the existence of Silverclaws, Darkcreeds, all of them."The absurdity of it all threatened to overwhelm me. Secret werewolves older than anything I had ever known? It sounded like something out of a fantastical bedtime story."I
Emily's POVThe Moon Shadow pack was everything the Silver pack wasn't. Here, amidst the towering pines, a sense of peace pervaded. No tense greetings, no sneering glances, just a quiet acceptance that felt impossibly foreign.Yet, despite the change in scenery, a part of me remained firmly rooted in fear. The memory of bitter warriors and icy stares still lingered, making it hard to fully relax. I accepted their food, their clothes, their shelter – all offered with an unusual gentleness. Elara, the silver-haired warrior who seemed to hold a position of authority, had shown me to a comfortable shed nestled within the mountainside. The soft fur lining the floor offered a welcome haven, a stark contrast to the cold stone cave I had shared with my father.But even here, in this feeling of calm, I couldn't escape the feeling of loss. My father, my brother– all memories now etched in the halls of my past. The life I knew, the one where laughter mingled with the howl of wolves echoed throu
The air hung heavy in the Alpha's office as George and Arizona, the leader of the Silverclaw's elite warriors, stood before Asher. The tension was heavy, a storm brewing beneath the surface."Speak," Asher growled, his voice laced with a barely concealed fury. Report had come in earlier but no prisoner in sight.Ari, her gaze unflinching, met his with clear defiance. "We haven't found Emily Skywalker," she began, her voice clear. "There were signs of a struggle in the forest near the East border but no traces of her."Asher slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "No trace? What use are you if you can't even find a rogue pup?" His eyes blazed with anger, his frustration evident.Ari's jaw clenched, but she held her ground. "We did encounter unexpected interference in our course of capturing her," she stated, her voice unwavering.Before she could elaborate, George stepped forward, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the rising tension. "Let's hear the full
Three days. Three agonizing days I've spent with my father holed up in the cramped cave, our once vibrant lives reduced to a desperate struggle for survival. The forest, once a source of peace and tranquility, now felt like a prison, every rustle and chirping of birds amplified the fear in me.I had long lost hope but Dad felt like something was going to happen, the hope he had clung to, was starting to flicker and fade. The weight of our predicament pressed heavily on me. I missed the warmth of a bed, I missed being in a pack, the camaraderie, the feeling of belonging. Now, we were rogues, hunted fugitives living in fear and uncertainty.But everything has worsened in the past few days, something had taken a toll on Dad, more so than I had initially realized. The lines on his face seemed deeper, his once vibrant eyes dull with fatigue. Most alarmingly, streaks of silver were rapidly replacing the dark brown of his hair, an unsettling sign of accelerated aging.I woke up this morning
Emily's POVThe branches crunched beneath Dad's paws as he ran farther away from Silver Pack's warriors. Exhaustion weighed heavy on his body, but he wouldn't let me get down, I could feel through his fur how tense his muscles were. I would have normally insisted on getting off but fear struck deep in my bones, and left my mouth shut. I had become a rogue and for Dad, something tells me he had become one too.The memory of Jasper's lifeless body, crumpled against the wall, sent a fresh wave of nausea crashing over me, it was the only thing I could think of. He had taken care of me since day one, always had my back regardless of the situation, if I was at fault or not, and now it finally got to him. His death felt like a personal betrayal, adding to the weight of grief and confusion that weighed heavily on me. I tightly held onto Dad, I was scared that if I let loose a little bit then he'll be gone too.There was a secluded cave, its entrance hidden behind a curtain of thick vines.
Asher's POVFor the past four years, I've dreamt of doing this.For the past four years, I've dreamt of killing the warlock that killed my mate. I have envisaged it uncountable times of how his head will roll.I've waited long enough, and finally. I've been waiting silently but to think I wouldn't be as happy as I imagined meeting him would be.I finally met her killer but it wasn't a warlock, just another werewolf that can't even be considered to be on par with me. They fooled me, they used me to eradicate a race. I wouldn't forgive them."Who did you say you killed?" I would love to convince myself I didn't hear properly.Lukas, Emily's father stepped forward, his voice strained. "Asher, listen to me. We didn't…"But before he could finish, I lunged. My vision was clearly blinded by anger, a grey wolf jumped in front of me in a pathetic attempt to stop me. I didn't have time for this.A horrifying scream ripped through the air as my wolf slammed the tiny wolf against the wall. The s
EMILY’S POVI waited for as long as I could, for as far as I thought could be considered a lengthy time, and still no one came to find me. It was quiet outside or rather I couldn’t tell because I was still in the dungeon. I at least expected Ray to show up but no one did, so I just sat it out until I thought it was safe enough.Dave who had gone off to a corner of his cell a while ago and napped, was up and annoying. “what are you still doing here?”“what does it look like I am doing? Surveying my future residence?” I was agitated, my father was here to set me free.“you might as well be doing that because you’ve been here for over four hours and that is enough for whoever you are running away from to cool off.”I cast him a side glance and he wasn’t even looking at me, “Yeah, you are right. I should get up and there and face him.”Dave didn’t respond, I threw on a little smile although I knew fully well that he wasn’t looking at me. I’m not too sure about facing him but I did know th
Asher's P.O.V3 months ago...It was winter and the trail I left behind was filled with blood, my head was fuzzy and it kept warning me to take a break but I didn't care to listen.One of the heads I was holding fell out of my grip and rolled off in front of me, the eyes looked alive and stared at me in horror. Perhaps it was because I just ripped it off its body a few minutes ago but I don't care.I continued walking down the path I chose with no idea of where it led to, I just wanted to get out of this bloody sin I had created.The road was endless, I wanted to get home and sleep. I wanted to let my woman know I had eradicated almost all of her enemies, I wanted her to not know fear any longer because of them.Because of the warlocks who killed her child, the warlocks who defiled her even at the moment of death. My woman needs not to know fear, my mate needs not worry about anyone or anything desecrating her any further.They had taken her away from me and made me feel weak and inc
My mind churned as I ran back into the pack house, I ran to the one place I knew no one would expect me to hide; the hidden dungeon.A few minutes ago I was in a scuffle with Ari when Asher came to play his role, his role of hurting me even though he was meant to protect me.I was hurt, insulted, and angry as he defended his sister. I didn't have any expectations as he had tried strangling me to my death because of her.I remember how his face contorted in anger when I called him a fake alpha and mate, his face didn't simply change from annoyance to anger, he shifted. Ready to pounce on me?His words were as clear as the sound of my footsteps on the floor, 'I can't help but wonder what I did to annoy the moon goddess that she gave me a second chance mate like you.'And I remember saying these words that made him snap and shift, 'Anyone but you would have been a perfect mate even a rogue.' and with that, he shifted. Out of nowhere, several large wolves surrounded him, each growling in