XenraAs I dwelled on what I had just heard, I felt my blood begin to boil, even as my heart began to pulsate faster with a restrained fury, but then I knew I had to keep my anger in check not to give myself away."So tell me, what are the evil things you heard about her?" I asked as calmly as I could, forcing a smile to my face."Her?" She snorted, "Don't tell me you haven't heard about her," she said, her words dripping with disbelief.At that moment, I began to ponder what would make Zara respond that way, but since I wanted to get as much as I could, I shook my head in response, feigning a complete innocence.As soon as she saw my response, she took quick, short steps towards me, her eyes glinting with a sudden urgency that got me both confused and surprised.As if she were being careful not to be heard, she began, "I heard she's evil." Her words slammed into me, stirring something within me—anger. The anger I had managed to suppress earlier,I wanted to tell her to shut the hole
Xenra I was led by the head guard to Akira's palace. As soon as I got into her palace, I couldn't stop admiring the beautiful scenery, the large garden with a lot of lighting and poles, the spring in the middle of the compound, and the luxurious building. I was wowed by such high-level development. It was clear that Asher was taking good care of her. I had witnessed his care and love for her after the death of their parents, and I could tell that it didn't reduce a bit. Even though Asher was cold-blooded, I needed no one to tell me that he had a soft spot for his sister. The guard led me into a hall that was both large and beautiful. The walls were decorated with different portraits of her and her lovely brother, along with the portraits of their late parents. There were other artistic pictures of different scenery hanging up on the other side of the wall. A large chandelier hung down the high ceiling, with a fireplace at the other end of the wall. As I withdrew m
Xenra"What did you just say?" The chief maiden asked, her brows furrowing with shock and surprise written all over her face. The sternness in her voice was undeniable; she had totally put aside the gentleness I had earlier seen in her.Oh no! Did I just land myself into another trouble? Not again; I shouldn't have involved Asher."Oh, sorry," My response came almost immediately, but then I still needed to ascertain the extent of the trouble I had dived into.I turned instantly to the next maid standing beside me, "Was I loud?" I asked, and as I did, my gaze shifted to the next maid, who nodded her head in response along with the other one.Fuck!Inasmuch as I wanted to know how much they had heard, I didn't know how to ask them about it. I was so engrossed with my thoughts of how arrogant Asher was that I had forgotten to keep my lips sealed and gave myself away.I turned towards the chief maiden and lowered my gaze apologetically, "I'm so sorry, mistress; I didn't mean it that way.
Xenra"You," the chief maiden pointed at Zara. "You'll be working in the kitchen department," she said. But that was what I begged for; why didn't she just give it to me instead, since she knew she was sending someone to the kitchen?She turned and rang a small bronze bell in her hand, and immediately the maid that had gathered together dispatchedAs I stared at their retreating figures, I couldn't stop wondering what was going on. Why were they suddenly walking towards different exit doors?I was still in my thoughts when someone's voice broke into my head. "That's a dismissal bell and also an assembly bell. For now, it means we should resume our duties," Zara said."I have to go now; let me go begin my duties," she said again. Well, fuck off! Is she riding on the fact that she was working in the kitchen?I wasn't in the right frame of mind; the chief had totally set the pace for a bad day already, and the last thing I needed was someone butting in.As soon as she left, I turned tow
XenraHow dare you, Asher? After all these years, you're still arrogant, rude, and selfish!Well, that was supposed to be to his hearing, but I couldn't get myself to say it to him. I felt my muscles clenching tightly as the weight of his insults settled in my heart, causing my breath to grow heavy, and as I stared at him, I felt like punching him in the face.Well, in reality, I was doing all I could to not show any emotions. But what was he really feeling like? Does he think he was someone so mighty and strong? If not for his guards, I'd have dealt with him already and left a mark he'd never forget in his urgly face.'Did I just say ugly? Come on, he's not ugly, though. That part of him being ugly is definitely a lie.' I felt my anger residing as my attention shifted to his face.Well, that face of his was something I could kill for. How could he be that handsome and cold-blooded? If only he was a little warmer and caring, I'd have been his Luna already."How dare you? Are you sure
Xenra "Xenra," I answered, my lips curling inwards as I silently waited for the shock that would give them away. I wanted to see Asher's reaction when he hears my name, so I secretly stole a glance at him. Two seconds passed and there was no reaction from them, although I was more concerned about that of Asher's. 'Wait! What is going on? Maybe they didn't hear me or they're pretending not to,' I reasoned within me. This time around, I was going to make sure they wouldn't be able to conceal how they feel about me and the impact my name had on them. "I said my name is Xenra," I repeated, a little firmer this time around. Although I wasn't directly looking at Asher, I could see him with my side eyes, and I could see the mask of indifference that had coated his features. Akira herself didn't seem concerned or affected by my name. Oh, wow! Was I that insignificant to them? I couldn't deny the hurt I had felt at their indifference towards me. Everything seemed to happen
Xenra"She's my past, and my past remains my past," Asher's voice rang with pride. His words stung, piercing deeply into my heart. As I stood there, I felt my heart begin to pulsate faster, bearing the weight of the hurt his words had inflicted on me, but then I knew I couldn't afford to show any emotions, so I tried my best to control whatever pain and anger were boiling within me. "Oh, I see," Akira's words dropped to a low in defeat. "That's why you chose that witch as a mate," she said. 'A witch as a mate?' That's interesting. I quickly shoved aside every other thought since I didn't want to miss out on any information concerning his private life. My ears perked up with attention as I determined to learn as much as I could from their conversation. Asher, at Akira's words, let out a short chuckle, a dry, throaty chuckle that rang with emptiness. "At least she's better than a vampire queen that feels so important," he said after his chuckle had boiled down. Oh,
Xenra With that determination in mind, I navigated through the hallway until I found my way to Akira's chambers. As soon as I opened the door, my eyes fell on the walls, which were painted pink, causing me to mentally roll my eyes. "Too girly," I thought. I had just taken four steps inside when I heard a voice from behind me, "And who's this?" The lady's voice dripped with a hint of contempt. I spun around, and to my surprise, I found six ladies standing behind me. A very beautiful lady with long dark hair stood in front of them, with her hands held together like a fake princess. From her pose and gesture, one could almost mistake her for royalty, but I needed no one to tell me that she was an Omega like the rest of them, maybe not too lowly, just a little favoured. Her clothing spoke of it; although she was still wearing a maid's attire, it looked a little different from what the rest of them were wearing, and I could tell she was a little higher than them—maybe th
AsherAt my words, the physician heaved a sigh, and then he took two steps closer to me."Alpha!" His voice came gently. "For the past three years you've had this crisis; it has always taken a toll on you," he said, his voice tinged with concern."I'm sorry to say this, but I'm sure you can remember we even had to lock you up in an empty room so that you wouldn't hurt yourself or those around you." As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, as though he was saying, 'You know I'm right!'Although the physician spoke calmly, his words stirred something else within me. Gradually, I began to succumb to the feelings that accompanied them and the memories of the years past that they brought along.At that moment, my gaze turned inward as memories from those painful years began to stroll past me. Every single one of them left trails of sadness in their wake. Three years ago was the beginning of one of the most lonely and painful years of my life. Even after my breakup with the vampire queen
/-ASHER-/"Brother, you know he's telling the truth." Akira's voice was tense and urgent as she spoke, panic flickering across her face.At her words, I chuckled, the sound of which rang with emptiness."What truth are you talking about?" I asked, my question dripping with incredulity as my eyes darted from Akira's face to the physician's, in anticipation of the response that would prove me wrong.No matter how hard I thought about it, I just couldn't fathom why they were overreacting. As far as I knew, it was nothing to be so frantic about.As soon as the words left my lips, Akira responded, "Brother, you know so well how dangerous and severe it gets in that season of your life and how careful you need to be." She said, her tone laced with disbelief as if she was trying to say, 'You're supposed to know that!'As if that wasn't enough, she pressed on, "If truly the season is upon you again, then you really have to reconsider your plans of leaving the pack." She strongly advised, her
ASHER.My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Elder Ambrose, who cleared his throat to seek my attention.As soon as I turned to face him, he began to speak, "Umm, Alpha," he said as calmly as he could, with an awkward smile on his face."What Elder Bernard is trying to say is this: for someone as merciless as the vampire queen, we're afraid she wouldn't hesitate to wage war against us if..." He was still speaking when I swiftly interrupted him."So, are you asking me to relinquish our authority to her?" I questioned in a stern voice.At my words, the both of them quickly lowered their heads. "We dare not, Alpha." They responded in unison, and after about five more seconds, Elder Ambrose's voice came again, "We are not asking that you give up our pack to a stranger; we're only asking you to put every possibility into consideration." He pressed on while Elder Bernard nodded his head.Despite his effort to keep his voice steady, the fear underlying it was unmistakable. As for the pac
Asher.The news of the vampire queen's visit had spread like wildfire throughout the pack, stirring rumours and unease among my pack members.It was due to the growing uneasiness that I had summoned my two most trusted elders and the pack's physician. I knew I had to alleviate the pack's anxiety, and since I was determined to safeguard my territory, I decided to share my thoughts with them."I'm sure you've all heard about the vampire queen's outrageous request." I stated as soon as they settled into their seats."Yes, Alpha!" The three of them chorused. Their voices tinged with scepticism."Alpha, I must confess that my heart has never been at peace ever since she came to our pack. I'm glad you've called for this meeting." It was Elder Ambrose who spoke, and from the tone of his voice, I needed no one to tell me he was being careful with his words."Good!" I said with a steady voice. "Now, that's why I've called the three of you here today, to inform you of what I've planned to do."
ISABELLAAs soon as they left, I felt my anger simmering within me, causing my fists to clench tightly beside me."I've been working in the palace for a long time now, and the Alpha had never noticed me, but this Xenra that came in a few months ago has been favoured by both the princess and the Alpha." I reasoned.As my thoughts stretched on, my lips twisted in fury, and my gaze drifted into space.As I stood there brooding over my wrath, I felt a rising determination within me, and a great sense of urgency surged within me. My mind began to race with calculations."If this continues, the Alpha might as well make her the chief maiden someday." The words dropped into my heart, and my eyes bulged.Right there, I knew I had to do something, as I couldn't afford to let that happen. My fists clenched tighter, and I nibbled on my lip as I sought what to do."There's no way I'd sit still and watch Xenra steal my place right under my nose." I resolved within me.I needed no one to tell me tha
ISABELLAAs I stepped into the kitchen, my attention was immediately drawn to the two maids on the other side, who were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice my presence.I had wanted to sanction them for neglecting their chores and indulging in gossip until one of them said something that halted me in my tracks."No, Christy, she's lucky and privileged." Her words made my brows draw together, and I began to wonder who they were talking about.I carefully trailed my steps and took cover behind the shelves in an attempt to keep my presence hidden, and since I was still close to them, I heard the first one speak again."How can you say she isn't fortunate when, within a short time of her arrival, she started working for the Alpha as his personal maid?" She asked, her voice tight and certain."She hasn't even spent up to three months in the pack, and she's already been promoted to work closely with the Alpha." Her words dripped with hatred as she complained, and I s
RoyceI was still trying to get myself to say something to my mother when her voice came again."Why would you even think of such a thing? Have you forgotten that Xenra and the Alpha are ex-lovers?" The disbelief she had felt echoed in her tone as she spoke."I know, mother, how could I forget a thing like that?" I responded, even though I wasn't expecting an answer from her.Seeing the worry on her face etching deeper, I quickly continued."Mother, I know what you're concerned about, but you have to trust me; I won't act recklessly." I urged, my words dripping calmly as I stared at her."This looks reckless already, Royce!" She quickly answered."Why would you even consider a thing like that? How could you think the vampire queen would agree to work with us to take down the alpha?" She questioned, her strained voice ringing with anxiety.From the look on her face, it was clear she was frightened already, and I knew I had to assure her and put her mind at ease."The thing is, I'm not
Royce"My son!" My mother's voice rang with excitement as I returned back to my home after five days of being away.I could see a great sense of relief dawning on her as she stared at me, and I needed no one to tell me she had never been at peace ever since I left."Mother, I'm back." I responded with a smile on my face to assure her that she had nothing to worry about."Yes, my son," she answered, nodding her head fervently, and fell into my embrace as I drew her in. "It's so nice to have you back." Her voice came again in a soft whisper."You don't know how worried I've been." She stated, her words breathy, wrapped in the relief she had felt from my presence.I broke the embrace, and my smile broadened as I stared into her eyes."You worry too much, Mother," I said with a broad smile on my face."See," I gestured with my other hand for her to take a good look at me. "I'm fine." My words were wrapped with a chuckle as I assured her, while she nodded her head again as her smile broade
VAMPIRE QUEEN"Have you heard?" One of the guards standing by the entrance door asked his neighbor. His small voice caught my attention, and I turned towards them."What?" The other one responded, his voice tinged with curiosity as he turned towards the one who had just spoken.At that instant I began to walk towards them, gently trailing my steps not to attract their attention.As I got closer, I heard the first one say, "It has happened again. Last night." His words tumbled out in a hushed rush.The other one's mouth flew open at his words, and since I was already close by, I could see how wide his eyes were.Their words stung, and my lips twisted in a simmering rage. I had made up my mind never to tolerate any form of gossip, as I didn't want anyone to say any sort of rubbish about me.I needed no one to tell me whatever they were talking about had something to do with me, especially since they said it happened the previous night, and I wasn't going to spare them.'I would teach th