Callista"Anybody here?" I call out, unable to bear the silence of the dungeons any longer. "Hello? Nobody? Not even another prisoner? I thought they kept prisoners here or something ..."It's been hours since I woke up, and so far, no one had come down to the dungeons to see if I'm even alive. Obviously, I can't escape them because of the silver bars of the cells, but still ...Goddess, this is just like the first time I became the stealer all over again. Locked in the dungeons by Farris Leighwen.Powerless. Except it isn't like the first time, no. This time, he'd done more than just imprisoned me. He'd drugged my mate, allied with one of my enemies, and had taken over the castle. I know the last one is true because neither Kellin nor Haden made an appearance, and neither did any Rexellen pack guards. Also, the dungeon master was suspiciously absent.Something must be going on up there. Haden and Kellin. Gemini and her children. Bailey. What had happened to them? Are they under Fa
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
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"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
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..
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
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
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
CallistaTen years later.I stand in front of Lily Lane Pup Daycare after ending my workday at Rexellen University, holding a stack of books in my arms trying to shove them into the backpack I’ve taken with me.It’s three in the evening, and the kids should be out in a few minutes.It’s summer again, the weather is pleasantly warm, and everything brims with life. There are bees flying everywhere, suckling nectar out of the numerous fully blossomed Leanderrs.The Rexellen pack town is as busy as ever, with people bustling around after clocking off from work, going on their errands, and their outings.Everyone seems happy, and they’re open and very friendly.Upon noticing me, everyone who passes greets me with a simple.“Good evening, Luna!”“Good evening to you too!” I always greet back.Some parents stop by near the daycare to collect their children, and we start pleasantly conversing with each other.I’ve been the Luna Queen of the Rexellen pack for ten years now, and honestly, those
CallistaFour weeks later.I walk down the shoveled path with a single lily flower in my hand, a smile on my lips, and my heart overflowing with joy.I’m dressed in an ankle-length, heavy-set gown that accentuates my form as if it had been sewn with me in my mind.It’s a silverish white in color in accordance with tradition, and a million tiny rhinestones create spiraling patterns all over the skirt. The long sleeves and the woolen cloak that accompany them give me warmth on the cold winter night.On my neck, there is a white gold necklace with a diamond as the pendant, the only piece of jewelry I wear, which is a gift from the witches who'd arrived a day before to celebrate the ceremony.The mating ceremony for Theon and me.In the background, a string quartet, comprised of two maids of the Rexellen pack castle and two guards, plays a tune that I can't quite name but can’t help but think is so apt for the situation.On either side of me, my closest friends whom I consider my family s
CallistaA week later.Valencia Everhart was sentenced to life in prison by the Supernatural Council for assisting the devil in his criminal endeavors such as kidnapping and harboring a werewolf, orchestrating a pack takeover on the orders of the devil, attempted killing of two pack members of the Rexellen pack and the biggest crime of them all, assisting the devil in massacring the entire Galdine pack.I thought the last one was a bit harsh because Valencia never really did know about that charge, but as Valencia had confessed in the court, she’d given the devil the location and information regarding her pack.She had been under the impression the devil was going to protect the Galdine pack from Theon’s retaliation against the pack takeover, but she’d been lied to.We attended the court on the same day as Valencia did, and I’m sure that the cries that ravaged her as she learned the horrible fate that befell her pack would never stop haunting my nightmares.I felt sorry for her, and a
CallistaQaetanya and Xaveraq reached the afterlife together.One was willing, the other was not. One sacrificed herself, while the other, well, I had to kill the other.Xaveraq’s soulless body lays in the circular chamber, and I don’t look at it again as we exit the room, both of us still in wolf forms.I feel numb as we stumble out of the temple as soon as possible after I release the devil’s and the deviless’s souls into the gateway.None of us speak, although I could feel everyone except Theon patiently waiting for the right moment. They look stunned as we walk through the doorway. For a moment I’d been afraid the doorway wouldn’t be present because of it being only shown with the blessing of a devil and all, but fortunately, it stands.As soon as we all exit the temple doorway, it starts to shudder. And then the most bizarre thing happens.Numerous high-pitched screams ring through the air, and greyish white mist starts to shoot from all directions towards the doorway, getting su
TheonI can’t process half the things that are happening as I stand outside the little circular room, trying and failing to get in.One moment, Callista is being choked by the devil, and the next moment, in the place of Callista, stands a majestic white wolf! The wolf shimmers as if she were the Moon Goddess herself in wolf form, stepping down from the moon to aid us in our time of need.But when the wolf looks at me for the briefest moment and howls in ecstasy, I realize that this wolf is no Goddess.That’s my mate!After months, no, years, of agonizing, Callista has finally found her wolf.But then she turns towards Xaveraq and leaps towards him with no hesitation.My scream deafens my own ears, wondering what the hell she was doing. I witness the whole scene as if it’s unfolding in slow motion.As Callista nears the devil, whose shadows are closing in on her to consume her, a flash of blinding white light erupts from her, filling the room with a glow akin to the sun.I shield my e
QaetanyaHer wolf is beautiful, reminiscent of the first wolfwoman I met in the forests of Gaul all those years ago.She is larger than most wolves, were-creature or otherwise, and when she stands, she cuts a majestic figure, even in the confines of the squat, circular room. Her coat is a silverish white, and it glistens as if it was created by moonlight, as if the Goddess molded the wolf herself.Her emerald eyes shine as she stares at Xaveraq in confusion, and amazement, stunned to her very core.She can’t still process that after years of hope and dream, she’d finally transformed into her secondary form.I had watched her wolf grow from a pup to an adult within her as I was trapped in her mind ever since she was born. Throughout the three thousand years I’ve been with Callista’s bloodline, I’ve witnessed hundreds of pups being born within the babies, but never have I seen a wolf as beautiful as this one.Even I was in awe when she first appeared, sleeping soundly, growing along wit
CallistaThe very first time I witnessed a werewolf’s first shift I was just five years old.It was at a birthday party, and of course, it was for Ruelle.Naturally, almost everyone from my adoptive parents’ families was invited. I liked my relatives because they didn’t favor Ruelle over me to the extent my parents did. At this time, all I had were Ruelle’s hand-me-downs. Her clothes, her toys, her books…The only thing I had for myself was a pair of shoes because Ruelle’s feet had always been smaller than mine, and there was no way my feet could fit in her shoes.I loved those shoes so much.That didn’t mean I never got gifts. My parents’ relatives would always give me presents of my own when they came to visit. It didn’t matter if it was Ruelle’s birthday or mine.It didn’t matter if it was a special day, a holiday, or even a plain, random visit to see how we were doing: clothes, shoes, toys, and new books; everything a little girl could want.Granted these things would be taken awa
Callista“My, my, Qaetanya, you’re actually stronger than I thought. Here I thought that you wasted it all by giving that werewolf a special scent,” the devil taunts the deviless as he circles us, his eyes set on us as if he’s a predator.“I was blessed by the Goddess,” arrogantly, Qaetanya declares, flexing her digits so the electric sparks flicker around them. “Such a power cannot be hindered by anything, least of all you!”“All except the summer solstice,” Xaveraq grins before hurtling another wave of shadows towards her.Qaetanya ducks them swiftly, and the shadows hit the wall behind us, getting absorbed into the stone. Using her momentum, Qaetanya attacks Xaveraq with a light wave of her own, which Xaveraq detracts by a shield of shadows.“I told you that information because I trusted you,” Qaetanya replies to the jab. “Because I believed the man I loved wouldn’t even think of hurting me with that information. But you did exactly that. You might preach about me manipulating you
TheonA pillar monster falls right in front of me, nearly crushing me, but I jump away just in time. The sheer force of the fall breaks its stone arm in two, and the eerie silverish glow in its eyes subsides. The pillar monster stops moving.“I think he died,” I tell Haden, who is panting on the other side of the fallen monster.This is the only one that we managed to fall, and by the looks of it, kill.“Holy shit, did that actually work?” Kiran screeches.He was the propellent of bringing the monster down. Now, he jumps back to the ground from the shield he’s been standing on and jogs closer to the pillar monster.Tentatively, he reaches out and touches its cracked shoulder, where some of the previously seen symbols are visible. I remember them running all around the pillars before the monsters came into being, glowing.I look at him and nod, trying to confer my thoughts via body movements.Yes, I think it actually worked.“Guys, we managed to bring a monster down!” Kiran yells back