CallistaDays pass, but the tensions don't cease.Valencia is nowhere to be found. It's truly like she vanished into thin air. No other werewolf community reports any sightings of her. There are some alerts about red-haired women, but none of them are Valencia. They're just random women who don't even know what's happening half the time. The renovation of the western tower comes to an end. The overall construction of the damaged property in the town is complete, and the Rexellen pack looks the same way it had looked before the earthquake hit. Regarding the earthquake, no one has found the reason for it so far. Just like the massacre, it remains a mystery. As winter finally takes hold, snow starts to fall, covering the Rexellen pack with a sheet of white. Surrounded by the towering trees, the Rexellen pack towns start to look like a winter wonderland because although the wolves don't celebrate Christmas, we do celebrate the winter solstice.Evergreen yule wreathes and multicolored fa
Theon"Alpha, Alpha!" Alan's voice comes from the security room, seconds before the man himself runs towards us. There's a sign of panic in his eyes. "What is it?" I question, turning away from the construction.We were talking about the construction of the roof. Originally, the roof had been made from wood, but the construction crew wants to use some modern roofing materials for durability. It was the most logical solution, so we were wondering if we could do the same thing for all the conical roofs of the rest of the towers as well. But Alan’s disturbance brings all of that to a halt."Rogues!" Alan screeches. "There are rogues attacking the town for some reason.""What the hell? Why would the rogues come to the town?" Panicking at this new crisis, I run after him to the main security room where on a screen, it shows a bunch of rogues growling at a group of sane wolves. It actually looks like the rogues are trying to get into town, and the others, presumably guards are defending t
CallistaI march to the armory and request the sword that I normally use for sword practice.It's well-balanced and pretty sharp. As a wolf-less werewolf, it's my best bet against an opponent, no matter what species they are. As much as I want to go after Theon, I know that without my ability to turn into my wolf form, I would only be a liability. Even more so if the bears are actually present.So, I do as he says and head to Gemini and Kellin's quarters. This isn't the first time the Rexellen pack has ever faced an attack, so the castle and the town are always ready to counter any insurgence that threatens it.The people of the town rush inside the castle to take cover from any attack, and the castle is big enough to shelter all of them. The staff and guards drive them into all kinds of halls and sitting rooms within the castle, making sure to keep them away from Elias's room. As I rush to the Beta's rooms, I see the castle staff close all sorts of entrances and side entrances and
CallistaI cannot believe my ears. How did Valencia get inside the castle? Every inch of this place is guarded by armed werewolves! We are in an emergency, for Goddess's sake! My mind runs a thousand miles a minute in panic. I can't get my thoughts straight.The last time I saw Valencia, she tried to kill me. This time she is threatening the lives of Gemini and her children. I don't care what happens to me, I can't let anything happen to them because of me."Last warning, Callista!" She raps on the door again, hurriedly this time. Gemini gapes at me with fear. Sawyer takes the sleeping Simon in his arms and clings to his mom's side.There is only one thing I can do."I'm coming out!" I yell from the top of my voice, unsheathing my sword. The sphere of the ring on my finger glows. I would die before I let her harm Gemini and the kids."No, Callista, you can't go out!" Gemini snatches my wrist with her free hand, her grip strong. Her panicked eyes lock with mine, and I can see the vu
TheonThe light snow transforms into a blizzard as we continue running toward the forest, hiding the sun altogether.It's as dark as the twilight, and tall, leafless trees that make up the forest loom gloomily. We travel through the south of the forest to the west where the rogues are supposed to be.Much to my astonishment, the rogues don't even pay any attention to us. In fact, they downright ignore us unlike they were doing in the town. After the howl came, it seemed like their only goal was to get back to their portion of the forest. Who howled for them? That's the question. Rogue wolves were capable of calling others, but not like this. Rogues were much similar to normal non-shifter wolves, but without the calmness they had. They were totally animals but constantly suffering from bloodlust.Sometimes I wonder why the Goddess created the wolves to be like this. We're creatures were not perfect but sometimes it felt like going rogue is the punishment for loving too hard and failin
CallistaOur swords clash in a hair-raising clank, with no mercy in our strikes. For this isn't sparring where you're only meant to win over the other.This is a battle until the first kill.I feel like a puppet yet again, the enchantment on my amulet ring maneuvering my body to strike away Valencia's deadly blows. Valencia comes at me with a ferocity that is almost tinged with desperation, yelling as our swords contact. She aims for my heart, my abdomen, my legs...anywhere on my body that she could harm, and my sword finds hers every time. The panic I feel is shunned by the magic of the ring. One particular strike shoves Valencia against the wall, and she hits the stones with a thud."Give it up, Valencia!" I yell, trying to catch my breath.My blood races through my veins, and every warning bell in my head keeps ringing. My instincts alternate between fight and flight. You never know how to feel in a situation where your life is on the line, except to feel anything and everything a
HadenI run through the forest, trying to get away from the hunters.My conscience screams at me in guilt, demanding how dare I leave my Alpha behind like that to fend for his own, especially after being shot by the hunters.But there is nothing I can do but flee because his order takes hold of my being. My body moves against my will. The power of the Alpha King could be a terrifying asset, but it could only be exercised on the members of an Alpha's pack.I never thought that Theon would ever use it on me. He didn't even do that when I protested him outright when he told me to bring the rogues back when he and Callista hated each other's guts.Although I distrusted Theon then, I knew that he would never use that power for something like that. But in order to save my hide, he had no qualms about using it. As soon as they take down Theon, the hunters concentrate all their attention on him. They don't come after me or the two guards who managed not to get hit. "Gamma, we should go bac
Callista"Farris?!" I exclaim, unable to believe my eyes.How is this possible? For a second, I almost believe that I'm dreaming, because no way in hell is that Farris Leighwen standing inside the Rexellen pack castle, right in front of me. He is supposed to be in the Leighwen pack, far away from me, buried in my past. What is he doing here? Why is he here?How the hell did he get in?Seeing his face brings back tons of unwelcome memories and feelings. He was my first lover, and he was my first betrayal. He was my first lesson in how cruel life could be. He was my first hope, as was he my first heartbreak. And aside from my family and Valencia, he is the only person I cannot forgive for anything he did. Farris sneers with a cruel smile. I remember it far too clearly from my last moments in the Leighwen pack, and it hasn’t changed a bit. If anything, it’s gotten worse."One and only. It's nice to see you again, Callista. I didn't think it was possible, but man, you look amazing. Pret
Haden"Oh wow," as we stumble into a large hall at the tunnel's end, I utter."Are all of these...tombs?" Terrel whispers, his eyes flitting from one to another."These are indeed the tombs of the Rexellen family. Every member of our bloodline since founding this castle, except for our parents and my mate, are buried here," Elias says, passing in between us. He steps near one of the cubicles which are closed by a thick, stone slab. "If my memory is correct, this belongs to the first Alpha King of our bloodline."It’s easy to forget at times that Elias is a prince, a member of the Rexellen family who once refused the great power that came with it. He is so humble, and so down to earth that Elias never seemed to be apart from us, even when we were children. Theon always kept the air of royalty around him, even when he insisted that we treat him as an equal. But Elias? When he abdicated, he completely gave up trying to be royal in any way.But then he would speak of his bloodline, and we
CallistaTheon and I are locked in the same cell this time, which is somewhat of a relief. A very small comfort in reality, but a big deal because after what Farris did, at least I can take care of him when he’s close.It’s infinitely better than being away from him and worrying about his fate.My hands have already healed, and only a strip of pink was remaining on both my palms. Soon they will disappear as well, rendering my skin porcelain once again.But I don't think the scar in my heart will ever heal. After Farris lapped at the blood that sprouted out from Theon's neck, he'd stopped moving. I felt the pain of his power leaving him, it was like a knife to my heart. As soon as the blood touched Farris's tongue, his eyes had gleamed amber, signifying that now he had the power of the Alpha King.I had screamed for my mate until my throat bled from the effort. They threw us both in the cell afterward, and I'd lunged at Theon before his head hit the stone floor, catching his body. It
Haden"This way," Elias leads us down the stairs that slope into the basement of the castle in the west wing. This particular basement exists under the common bathrooms relegated to the castle staff, and it smells of mold, dampness, and various other odors related to a secluded, dark, underground place. We are careful not to slip on the mold and fungi that dominate the staircase. One flashlight brightens our way, and I have to spend some effort to keep myself from gagging because of the stench."Oh, Goddess," Terrel groans. "I think I just saw something move!" "Probably a rat," Alan replies. "I stepped on something gelatinous before. I don't even want to know what it is.""We really need to get the staff to clean these places," Kellin says. "And we should check them once in a while as well.""You should," Elias chimes in. "I don't think anyone has been down here since Grandpa closed the entrances to the catacombs.""Why did he do that anyway? Why did he close them?" I ask him, wanti
CallistaI wanted to kill Farris. I had no qualms about it. He was going to take Theon's power. The only way to stop him from sinking his fangs into my mate's neck was to end him once and for all.But in my haste to do it, I forgot that there was someone else in the room other than the guards, Farris, Theon, and I.For a second, I am sure that I'm going to make it. I'm sure that I'm going to triumph.But then, out of nowhere, someone throws a chair at me.The force of the object throws me off balance. I stumble out of my trajectory. The back of the chair connects with my ribcage, and I feel such an immense pain that makes me yelp. The knife falls from my grip clattering onto the floor, right after I do.My head connects with the stone floor of the room in the tower, and I see stars from the impact.Without wasting a second, Valencia lunges on top of me with her wicked sword unsheathed and holds it at my neck."I don't think so, Callista," She hissed through gritted teeth. "You think i
HadenAll three guards fall into a pile of werewolves, with multicolored darts piercing their necks. The Wolfsbane in them works fast, and in no time, they are knocked off. Terrel and Kellin appear from behind them. They'd hidden on the other side of the hallway, and while I acted as the distraction, they'd taken the first shots to bring down two guards. I finished the other one by myself"Holy crap," the adrenaline flowing inside of me makes my speech sound breathy. "I can't believe that worked.""Good job!" Alan crows in my ear. "But you don't have enough time. Hide them quickly.""Yes, sir," we mutter, and each takes one unconscious guard by the shoulders. We drag them to the intersection and dump their bodies in a place that isn't seen by CCTV cameras. Alan calls it a blind spot. "Done," I tell Alan as we rush back to Elias’ room. "How long do we have?" "Roughly ten minutes before someone comes to see what's up with those guards, so hurry," Alan nags. Kellin produces a key fro
Callista"I will murder you, you asshole!" I screech at Farris as two guards try to control me, grabbing at my shoulders. It pains me like I'm caught in a vice. But the anger and hurt I feel triumph over the painTheon squirms as the cuffs burn into his skin. The sizzling scent of meat cooking brings bile to my throat. He's sweating all over, and his teeth are gritted so hard that I am afraid they might break.My Theon is in so much pain, all because of that bitch Valencia who stands next to him, and Farris Leighwen who I am starting to hate with all of my being."Oh, it's not so bad," Farris brushes me off, sparing a lazy glance at Theon. "He'll live to see another day. Don't worry.""Do you even hear yourself? You overdosed him with the drug. How much Wolfsbane was in that dart?" I pull against the guards restraining me. "Are you fucking insane?" "Apathetic would be more apt to describe me. Some might even say ambitious." Farris says, sitting down on a chair facing me."Callista..
Haden"There are three guards patrolling the hallway that contain Elias's room in the western wing," Alan says as we crouch in a small broom closet. There is a tablet on his lap, and he's connected to the camera feed in his security room via it. As of now, the hostiles have taken over the entire eastern wing. Before they could continue to the western wing, our own guards closed off the entire section using the large metal gates that have been installed in the castle since its inception for this exact reason. Our forefathers had the foresight to anticipate traitors in the unlikeliest of positions and them knowing the structure of the castle. So, they'd installed the gates.There were two main entryways that connected the east and west wings, and as soon as this happened, we managed to close the gates. There were some people trapped on the other side, but so far, they have been safe. We don't think the hostiles will hurt them in any way, because they got Theon and Callista already. To
TheonHave you ever been in one of those dreams where you think you're looking at something, but your eyelids are too heavy to keep open? Those dreams where you know the limitations and powers that you processed, but you couldn't command your body to use them? Those dreams where you feel like there's something dreadful watching you and you have to escape, but you can't. You're tethered to something, something dark and heavy that you simply cannot break out from...That's how it feels to be drugged by Wolfsbane. My body is slightly different from the other wolves due to my being the Alpha King. The public knows that once you’re born into the royal bloodline, there would be physiological differences, but it’s not public knowledge how much I’m different from them. I have powers that no one possesses, such as the ability to smell other wolves who were not my mate, the ability to run faster than anyone and call my wolf strength when I am in human form, and many more.One of those powers i
Haden"Haden!" Bailey hisses as soon as she sees me. She scuttles out of the crowd of people she's sitting with and runs towards me.When we collide, it feels like everything is at least mildly right in the world. Half of the worry and weight on my shoulders vanish as I breathe in her scent. There was a time when I thought that I would never have something like this for myself. That I was meant to be alone, that my mate was somewhere far away from me or already dead. But then Bailey came into my life.The past few days in my life were the happiest ever thanks to her. We'd been planning to be mated soon, as soon as Theon and Callista finished theirs because we just couldn't wait anymore. We'd been waiting for each other for the longest time, and we wanted the bliss of matehood now.But with whatever the hell is going on now, it won't be possible. As soon as we saw that the hostiles had Theon with them, drugged to his gills and weak, we'd laid down weapons. Kellin and I had gone under