Theon"Theon, are you crazy?!" Kellin shouts as we run down a staircase that leads to the ground floor of the keep. "You can't challenge him to a duel like you are, he's the Alpha King!""I have to try, Kellin," I throw over my shoulder without breaking my stride. "That fucker used the voice about ten times for just shits and giggles. He’s got no thought of consequence at all! I can't have someone like him, a sociopath, running around holding that much power.""I agree with everything you said about Leighwen but is this the time?" Kellin grabs me by the shoulder, finally halting me. He turns me so he can look at me, wearing a very worried expression. “You’re an average wolf now, and you’re weak enough from the wolfsbane. Please, think this through. Screw honor, let’s attack him together. Let’s take him down without a duel. This is madness and you know it, Alpha!”"No, Kellin. I’m afraid this is how we have to do it,” I say. "I’ve never fought with dishonor in my life, and I can’t star
CallistaOphelia and I collide in a bone-crushing embrace as soon as she pulls me out of the metal cage.My relief is tremendous, making me tear up. Around us, people are still running around. But now, instead of running away, with the help of the two witches and the griffin, the guards and people of the Rexellen pack are fighting against the hostiles. Kiran cast a spell that made the guns clog so they couldn't shoot, so they had no choice but to fight physically as humans or as turned wolves. "Oh, my Goddess!" I wheeze. "I don't know what to say. How?""We got a call!" Ophelia says as we break apart. "They called the Headmistress and said you're in trouble and the Headmistress notified us. We can't act on an official level because this is technically a pack war, so she told us to go discretely.""Won't you get in trouble for that?" I ask, concerned. Ophelia shrugs. "Not if we were just visiting you as friends, but then caught you in the middle of trouble. I mean, we have every righ
TheonFarris Leighwen laughs out loud."You? Duel me?! Do you think you can win against me now, Rexellen? I’m the Alpha King here, and my strength surpasses your puny average-wolf abilities by miles. I can crush you under my palm like a bug even in my human form.""Well, then accept it," I tell him, feeling my anger rise with each second that passes. "If you're so fucking sure that you're going to win, accept my challenge and duel me!""No!" Valencia screams, interjecting. Her eyes are wide, and she looks afraid. "No, you can't do that Theon. He will kill you.""So what?" I ask. “Better yet, tell me what makes you think that you still have a say in what I can or cannot do?”"You can't die, you're mine!" she says, and I see red. "I'm not yours! I will never be yours, how many times do I have to say that before it gets through your head?!""We've known each other since we were children, and I know you inside out. We were meant to be each other’s love forever! And finally, I have the ch
TheonOnly a few minutes pass but that is enough for us to draw enough blood from each other to make the floor wet and slippery.My body hurts from all the tears and bites on it. I don't have instant healing as Callista does, so my wounds stay open for a long time with my normal werewolf healing. Farris is no better. He limps because of a rather powerful bite I delivered on his front leg. His teeth drip blood, and so does mine.I don't think I will ever forget the taste of blood in my mouth again. I get up from the floor, swallowing the copper taste in my mouth. My body protests, especially my legs. But I can't quit. He is so strong though. The strength of the Alpha King is no joke. But I have got to endure. I must defeat him. I must win. I need to get my pack back. With a growl, I collect all my strength yet again and pounce on him. As we grabble to bite and claw each other, distantly I wonder how Callista is doing. She hadn't made her way into the great hall yet, only Kellin is
TheonSomeone moves in front of me, blocking the incoming wolf. It's a man who is taller than I am, but also very skinny. My eyesight is too blurry to register properly.Farris’ jaws clamp around his human neck, hard. A scream, a guttural, painful scream echoes through the great hall, and I…I recognize that scream. Suddenly, my vision clears as panic runs through my entire being. I know that voice. That voice belongs to Elias!Elias falls in front of me with Farris still attached to his neck, hitting the ground with a thump. Blood spurts out from his neck, splattering all around us. Seeing that the target he attacked wasn't his intended one, Farris walks away, confusion marring his features. Elias writhes on the floor, trying to breathe. Half of his throat is gone. I don't know what takes over me as I witness the sight of my brother on the floor, fighting for his life as his blood bled out of him at a catastrophic rate. All the pain I feel is overcome by my rage, and I turn to Fa
TheonI scream until I feel the taste of blood in the back of my throat. There’s blood already on my tongue, the blood of the enemy that felled my brother, but this blood is my own.I scream until the foundations of the very castle vibrate beneath my feet, as if we’re in yet another accursed earthquake that started this all, but no, that’s just my body vibrating with the maelstrom of emotions rushing through it.I scream, cradling my brother's dead body to my chest, shaking him, asking him to wake up just one more time, dammit, to open his eyes and look at me because he can't leave, not after everything, not after us winning back our pack. How is this possible?How can he die like this?He was just alive a minute ago. He was breathing minutes ago!I ask- beg people for help. Anyone to come and revive him. But it's useless because there isn't anything anyone can do. There’s no magic in this world that can bring back a dead werewolf, not without turning him into a zombie or a thrall. Th
TheonAs soon as I tell Haden the news of Elias's death after I find him in the hallways of the castle looking for us, his face pales and his eyes widen. Then, without a word, he runs in the direction of the hospital. "He's going to be devastated," Kellin shakes his head, voice guttural and low from sorrow. Then, he glances at me. "Listen, Theon. I know that Dr. Haeger said that you need to step up as the Alpha now, but your brother just died, and you're only a wolf. If you need some minutes alone-""No, Kellin," I reply. "Thank you. But I need to sort this out. After that, I can mourn."I lower my voice. "Elias is finally at peace now. You were right before. He's released now. As much as I can't imagine waking up tomorrow without him, I know that he is in a better place."Kellin stares at me and nods. "He definitely is. We have to hold the funeral as soon as possible to ensure that.""Yeah. So, let's get to work. Round up the hostiles, throw them in the dungeons, secure the perimete
CallistaMy heart beats fast in my chest as I pursue Valencia through the snow-laden forest. The tall trees loom around me, stripped off their leaves unless they are evergreens. I'd lost sight of Valencia's distinguishable red hair for a while, but the prints of her footsteps are still clearly visible on the snow. I don't know if I should be following her right now. Maybe I should've stayed with the wolves and taken them to Theon before going after Valencia. I had to tell him about what happened and see if he was okay after being dragged into the castle with Ophelia’s vines.But if I let Valencia escape the Rexellen pack lands, Goddess only knows if we would be able to find her again. She'd been suspiciously elusive before. She would definitely use the same tactics to hide again. As I run through the forest, I wonder if I had done the right thing leaving without even a weapon in my hand. Valencia had her sword and her wolf with her. What do I have?Nothing!Okay, I may have done som
CallistaAs soon as I exit the room, I stumble upon a girl who screams upon seeing me.I arm myself with my chain, not caring about her age. She looks old enough to have found her bear. The chain is bundled up with the piece of the bed post and the padlock, giving it a good heft, and I for a fact know that it would knock her out with one strike. “No, please don't hit me, I'm innocent!” She raises her hands in her defense as she stumbles back against the wall.“Who are you?” I snarl, not believing her entirely.“I just work in the pack house, please, I got nothing to do with what's going on!” The girl pleads, her expression filled with panic and fear. “I'm the one who brought you the food so Master Xaveraq could take them to you!”A quick thought passes through my mind.“You know Xaveraq?” I demand and she nods. “I was the one tending to all his needs. My Alpha assigned me to him,” she answers, and I hold the chain and point to it.“In that case, you got any idea where the key to thi
CallistaI can't believe it, Theon is here!Theon is finally here!The sheer relief I feel as soon as I see him nearly brings me to my knees, and I can't help but cry out his name. He's battling two bears at once, expertly dodging their lumbering attacks and hitting them with some of his own.He's fast and he's precise, and in a few minutes, he manages to draw out blood. Next to him, Haden fights, targeting the bears who come toward Theon. They act as a team to take the bears down. Haden has a scratch on his back already, but it doesn't seem to bother him.I find myself screaming at them whenever a bear turns towards them, and every time Theon glances at me, I feel better than I did in the last few days.It's kind of pathetic in hindsight, I guess, but I don't care.This is the first time I'm seeing my mate after four days, and dammit, I'm going to be as sappy as I want. I have so many questions. How is the Rexellen pack? What happened to Farris and Elias? Is Elias really dead? How
TheonAs soon as the Headmistress gives us the signal, Ophelia lifts herself off the ground using her vines and shoots out of the trees.We follow her out, Haden and I shifted to our wolf forms, Master Tsertinand wielding his magical disc, Kiran holding two daggers that look lethal along with a multitude of amulets, and Leita with her vast knowledge of spells and ability to call any animal within the range. As soon as we burst through the tree line, I notice the house and the army of werebears. There might be three or four dozen of them surrounding the hunting lodge-style house that stands in the middle of a grassy field. Some of them are turned while many of them are still in their human forms.I noticed the Gamma who I fought against, Edwin Teller, in the front, standing with his claws out, ready to attack in any given movement. The Headmistress is standing facing a man who is not visible through the trees. The bears get ready to face the witches, and as soon as we appear, they st
CallistaI rush to the window of my room, thankful that the chain is long enough to allow me the movement, and throw open the windows. There is an army of werebears, both turned and in human form, surrounding the house, facing the forest from the east.Near the tree line stands a woman dressed in the white garb of the witches, flowing pants tucked into her boots, a white tunic over a long-sleeved bodice with a sash tied around her waist, and a scarf wound around her neck. Her snow-white hair is tied back from her face, and her pale eyes glisten with an ethereal light.She stands in a posture that radiates power, her head held high, her spine straight, standing tall against an army of bears.I can't help my astonishment. The Headmistress is here!Her eyes flick upwards to the window and focus on my face. They widen slightly, and I can't help but wave like a lunatic and scream, “I'm here! I'm here!”The Headmistress gives me the smallest nod, visible relief in her eyes.“You are the He
CallistaI can't sleep. I anticipated this before. Although the unrest outside had dwindled, I was still alert and wide awake, listening to every little sound. I'm pretty sure it's past midnight at the moment.I'm not a stranger to insomnia, but after having some good nights of sleeping blissfully before this whole fiasco started with Farris taking over the Rexellen pack, my old sleeping habits were making an appearance. The information the devil revealed today doesn't help me either. I still can't wrap my head around all of it.Of all the things to happen to me, I never expected that I'd end up a prisoner to an ancient being who killed thousands just because he wanted to ‘unify all races to save the world’. I mean, come on, that sounds like the plot of an action-packed Hollywood movie. And certainly not one with the supernatural in it. But that is the reality I'm living in. Both the earthquake and the Geraldine pack were his doing. How could he be so callous? So emotionless abou
Theon“Now, the deviless, who'd been raised apart from her parents because she was blessed as a deity, didn't know what love even was,” the Headmistress continues. “It was a different time than ours, and back then, even language was at its infancy. Books were not invented yet. When she asked her servants about the strange emotion she felt whenever she saw the devil they wouldn't give her a straight answer. The servants were certain that the deviless couldn't feel love the way the normal folk did. The poor deviless was confused about herself and decided to ask the young devil warrior for answers herself.”The Headmistress pauses to glance at the barrier, and then turns back to us. It's nearly midnight now, and fortunately, we haven't had any animals wander into the campsite so far. We heard some chirping and rustling here and there, but it was nothing big.My bet was that they were rabbits or squirrels, or some other critters that size. Haden and I were alert, nevertheless, just in cas
Theon“Where's Aldar?” Master Tsertinand asks, making way for the Headmistress to approach the camp.She's dressed unlike I've ever seen her before. The Headmistress usually opts for long dresses and cloaks that look gothic and ancient.But now she's dressed in a costume similar to what the protectors like Kiran wore while they were in the Guild, although it is pure white in color. The protector outfit suits her significantly, making it easier for her to blend with the surroundings and accentuate her strong frame.Her hair is tied back from her face in a severe style, highlighting her angular features. She wears rings studded with stones on all of her fingers, and a stone pendant around her neck. “She had to stay behind to take care of the Guild in my absence,” the Headmistress replies, smiling at all of us in greeting. “The Academy is very busy at this time of the year with the first years getting ready for the Annual festival. Matron Aldar and I can't afford to leave together at su
Theon“We saw a dirt path,” I reply as soon as I transform back to the human form from behind a boulder, using it to hide my nudity. “It's just a moment away from here. There are rocks all around so we can have a cover.”“A dirt path?” Master Tsertinand questions and send the ring a dirty look. “Couldn't have shown me that, could you, you little shit? We're trying to save your damned owner!”The ring, of course, does not answer. “We nearly ran into the barrier when we saw it,” Haden chimes in next to me, having transformed back himself. “Your bird was a great help.”As we say that, the bird itself arrives, chirping. It spirals around us, nearly touching us, and then flies straight towards Master Tsertinand. As soon as it collides with the weapon smith's body, it vanishes. “Did you call the Headmistress?” I question, pulling on my clothes.They're at the same spot I left them. Master Tsertinand was right when he said that the perimeter was smaller than that of the Rexellen pack. It o
Callista“Holy shit, you're the one behind the earthquake too?!” I yell out, unable to believe what I'm hearing.I expected him to reveal a lot of things, but this was not one of them.“I did not mean to. I was never a fan of causing an unnecessary ruckus, and the earthquake did exactly that. It even sapped up some of my own powers in doing so, that I had to absorb more souls to compensate,” Xaveraq says. “Anyway, after that-”“Woah, Woah, Woah,” I stand up from my bed, my heart beating fast in my chest.I'm trying to piece together this puzzle in my head with all the information I'm being given. That part of absorbing souls, whatever that may be, rings a bell in my mind.A very disturbing bell.“So, where did you get your souls?” I demand.“Is that really important at the moment, Callista?” Xaveraq questions in a bored tone. “I thought you wanted to know how I found you.”“Tell me where you got the souls from,” I insist, feeling dread mount within me.I desperately hope he would not