“I would be glad if she isn’t,” Tatum replies nonchalantly with no sort of hostility much to Leila’s surprise. The way she cocks her head and looks at Tatum with wide eyes shows ample evidence of her shock and Tatum cups her face and plugs a soft wet kiss on her lips. “Don’t look so surprised. I love you baby girl and I hate that I have to divide my attention between you and her. I know you hate it but she’s a stick up my throat, I can’t get rid of her but there’s no way her mark is fake or anything like that, Alina confirmed it years ago. “Carmi is my mate but my wolf doesn’t feel anything for her right now, so you don’t have to worry, I’m all yours,” Tatum replies, playfully pinching her nose at the end of his sentence. A tight smile forms on Leila’s lips and her heart becomes weary, remembering the mutilated corpse of Alina. “What about the recording? You heard it, she—” “Leila….my sweet pea, listen to me. You and I are all that matters. Just know, no matter what, I will alway
“You stand accused of the murder of Alina Whitehart, Leila. How do you plead?”The head of the elder council asks Leila curtly in the pack house chamber.The twelve elders of the pack are present including Trent, Carmela’s father.The chamber is a building built adjoining but separated from the main pack house with an open roof. Despite the modern times, the elders have kept to the old ways and sat on the bare floor with their legs crossed.They sit in a huge circle with Leila sitting in the middle earning glares from all of them and Tatum sits behind the circle, indicating his position as the Alpha.“Innocent,” Leila replies in a calm tone, her eyes fixed on no else but Trent, Carmela’s father who is also the current head of the elders council.It was he who rushed the summon against her and Leila knows it is not random, she feels weary about it but she keeps a straight face, determined to prove her innocence.Normally, a murder case like this should be charged to court under the new
“Luna?” Trent’s voice brings Leila’s mind back to the room.Perhaps as her child grows older, he revitalises her body faster but does it have any negative effect on him?She hopes not.“I was going to say when I visited her earlier, she held my arm too tight and her fingers dug in but the wounds are completely healed,” Leila stretches her arm forward and she sees the shock in Trent’s eyes that he tries to hide but fails.Why is he so surprised? Was it all part of their plan? Did they also kill the witch to frame her?The wound was of a violent nature and they know she has no wolf, if it had remained on her, it would have been hard to defend herself that it wasn’t from a struggle.Leila’s heart thuds gently as realisation slowly begins to dawn on her.“Forgive me Luna but that sounds like a lie, we have all visited the witch at one point or another, she doesn’t have physical contact with anyone so why would she hold you and so firm as to inflict injuries?”“I don’t know!” Leila replies
Tatum sighs defeatedly, looking at Leila with disappointment and disbelief as the words leave her mouth. He was hoping she would be shrewd and not say it, at least not so directly. Doesn’t she understand? Even if she speaks the truth, saying such a thing without concrete proof will be considered blasphemous as the people will turn on her. There is a limit to which he can defend her before they turn on him too and it could lead to an all out riot from the pack members. “That is a serious allegation Leila, do you have any proof?” Trent asks Leila coldly, his eyes narrowed dangerously at her. “I think she only cut from your cloth,” Tatum cuts in sharply before Leila can reply. “You accuse her of murder without proof as well. This case is ludicrous, I will have the warriors do a thorough investigation and get back to me. We are dismissed. Tatum stands to his feet and so does everyone else. He walks over to Leila and turns her away from the men as they also begin to huddle in group
Leila watches from the corner as Carmela steps in with another woman and she frowns. The woman has sharp green eyes and her long white hair cascades down, all the way to her back, dressed in a black leather gown and red shawl on her neck. “Alpha this is Lithoha, the great witch of the silver moon pack,” Trent announces, “she is a direct descendant of the witch who helped Selene create the first werewolf and she is the solution to our common problem.” “Alpha,” Lithoha bows, her green eyes peering deep into Tatum’s eyes before she suddenly turns her head and looks at Leila sharply. Their eyes meet and Leila feels a creepy odd sensation coming over her, she tries to look away but finds she cannot, it is like an invisible force from Lithoha rendered all the muscles of her neck useless. She suddenly feels a sharp pain on her wrist and she winces, pulling her hand up to see the beads of the amulet her mother gave her vibrating at an incredible speed. She may not be versed in such thin
“This blood ritual, how does it work?” Tatum glances at Leila as he asks the question.Leila’s heart thud with worry, her feet getting restless, a sick feeling in her stomach.Tatum seems to be hanging on to every word that leaves Lithoha’s lips, eager to know more.Does he not even suspect this a little bit? She just accused Trent of being the only one that knew about the mark before his daughter mysteriously got it, the witch who could have proven that as truth is dead and Carmela just shows up with a random witch to perform a random ritual that no one has ever heard about.It is quite clear to see it is no coincidence. She immediately wants to point it out but she clenched her fist against her dress, pursing her lips together.Tatum will only probably scold her or ask her to leave. He is so grounded in his sense of duty and logic that basic instincts fail him.How can she get him to see the truth? Whatever these people have planned will do more harm than good.“It is better if I s
Leila makes her way home without Tatum, Clayton offers to escort her but she declines, saying she needs to be alone. Clayton on the other hand is unable to shake the feeling in his heart, something about the ritual was awkward, it all seems fishy. He waits by the door as the elders congratulate Carmela and Tatum and leave one after the other. Trent is the last one to leave and as Tatum and Carmela approach him, hand in hand, he steps up to them. “With your permission Alpha, I need to have a word with Carmela, it is regarding the assassination attempt,” he says, bowing slightly to Tatum. Tatum’s brows furrow and his eyes narrow at Clayton. “You really need to work on your timing,” Tatum replies, annoyance clear in his tone and he pulls Carmela away from Clayton. “Alpha, the Luna’s life and honour is at stake and I am under sworn oath to protect her. This is an emergency and I will only take a short while,” Clayton replies firmly. A deep rumbling growl sounds from Tatum’s throat
“Luna welcome, the—”“Not now,” Leila cuts the omega off, runs up the stairs and slams the door to her room shut before she yells in frustration, slapping her palm against her face.How did this happen?This wasn’t the plan.She was supposed to expose Carmela, Carmela was supposed to leave.What does she do now?It was one thing to try and prove that Carmela is evil and not Tatum’s mate when Tatum wasn’t sure of it but now that this ritual or whatever sorcery they did has confirmed it, will Tatum even listen to her?He kissed Carmela outrightly in front of her, he didn’t even bat an eye when she left, he didn’t even look at her.She doesn’t blame him, she’s not mad at him, he has been deceived to believe Carmela is his mate and she always knew it would be hard for him to fight.She stares at herself at the mirror, glancing down at her baby bump.What will become of her child if Tatum decides to go back on his word?Will it grow up without a father, or perhaps without its mother?Can
“Again!” Trent yells at the warriors training with Tatum who Tatum had just put to the ground.Tatum is on his knees, one knee on the floor, the other bent with his elbows resting on it as he pants exhaustedly.His shirtless body is dripping with sweat, mixed with his blood oozing out of the whip marks on his back and the side of his torso.“What are you waiting for?!” Trent yells, trashing the whip and landing it on Tatum’s back. “So you think that rebel, Alpha Leo will give you time? Pathetic,” he spits out with venom.As the silver tip of the whip cuts into Tatum’s back and tears his skin on the way out, it sears him with pain but he barely reacts to it, only looking at Trent with a deadly look in his eyes, his teeth clenched.No matter how much pain he has to endure, he will never break before this ceremonial Alpha.He folds his fists together and smiles maniacally at Trent, blood covering his entire dentition. “You need to hit harder, old man. You’re an Alpha now but you seem to
Leila stares at her phone for the umpteenth time, feeling very worried. She has a lot on her mind but chief of them is that Tatum hasn’t replied to her messages in days and she cannot reach him via phone call.They’ve been at the Northstar pack for over a week now and it was only the first two days that she was able to communicate with him.Tatum mentioned that Trent had given her three days to return or she will be banished and she has been here for days more than that. After the incident at the training for the competition, she couldn’t just leave the next day, Amara needed her but now, she’s worried something might have happened to Tatum because of her absence to show up during the stipulated time window.She sighs and decides to go see Jenny to talk about it. Jenny can look after Amara and also keep her out of trouble. She needs to go and help Tatum no matter what.His position is their only true security.She steps out of the room given to them in the pack house to go to Jenny’
“My daughter!” The sound of the head warrior’s yell as he rushes towards the scene jolts Leila to the harsh reality of what Amara just did. It’s not just that she used her powers in public, breaking a rule that had been given to her but she also used it to hurt someone. Athena flew yards into the air, if anything happens to her, Amara could be in real trouble because of it. “She’s not breathing! Help, somebody do something!” The head warrior yells, clutching Athena to his chest, blood oozing from the corner of the limp girl’s head. Leila rushes towards them as fear of the worst grips her. She ignores Amara who stands there with a blank expression, her face staring at Athena and her father and she tries to hold Athena but the head warrior shoves her away. “Don’t touch my daughter, your child did this, she is evil,” the man spits out with venom, casting a cold look at Amara. “Why?” Leila immediately turns to Amara, holding back the bitter words she wanted to reply to the man with
Leila looks at Amara who is fast asleep beside her in the middle of the night unable to sleep herself. Aside from the fact that she naturally finds it hard to sleep in a new environment for a few days, her heart is heavy. Tatum didn’t argue with her concerning returning to the pack in a few days but her daughter and her have never been separated for more than a day and she will have to leave her, perhaps for weeks or even months, depending on how long it takes for them to get Tatum back his position of Alpha. She runs her hand slowly through Amara’s hair, her eyes welling in tears as she kisses her daughter’s hair, taking a good whiff, a strong sense of anguish filling her for the decision she has to make, even though deep down in her heart she doesn’t want to leave Amara but it’s the only way to keep her safe. Aside from the anonymous letter that they got asking them to protect Amara, she also cannot shake a feeling deep in her heart that Antonio is doing all of this because he wan
“Welcome to the North Star Pack Leila, I am Alpha Caden,” Alpha Caden says to Leila before opening his arms and squeezing her in a hug. “And you must be Amara,” he smiles, breaking the hug and bends to pick Amara up in his arms, tugging her chin as he chuckles. “Thank you for having us,” Leila replies to Caden, hiding her surprise in her tone. Caden is not like anything she imagined or like most Alphas she knew who were either lean with muscle or bulky with the same. He looked very different, tall and robust with a stomach that could pass for a pregnant woman’s bulge but he has a warm aura to him and his sandy blonde hair has been twisted into short locks. “Thank you?” Caden suddenly frowns at Leila, making her wonder if she said something wrong. “Family does not thank one another. I find that offensive, Leila, you must apologize,” his tone softens and his frown morphs into a smirk. Leila smiles back to him, amused by his character. “I’m sorry Alpha Caden.” “Apology not accepted b
“I, Alpha Tatum Cromwell, under the all seeing eye of Selene, witnessed by the elders of the Council, renounce my position as the Alpha of the Blood Oak Pack.” He feels the rage of his wolf blending with his as he locks eyes with Trent who has a smug look on his face. Trent steps forward, joining Tatum in the middle of the circle. “Representing the elders, we witness your renouncement. Who do you name as your successor,” Trent’s face is flushed with a look of mockery that makes Zane boil even further. He should have had Trent sentenced to death instead but then he thought it would be quick mercy, he wanted him to suffer imprisonment for the rest of his life as a lesson for all his evil deeds but it seems that decision has come back to bite him in the ass. Zane frowns. “Not as my successor but as an interim ruler, I name—” he extends the claws of his left hand and slashes the wrist of his right hand. He looks slowly from the thick red liquid dripping from his wrist, making patter
“Alpha Tatum,” a tall bulky man dressed in a grey suit bows slightly to Tatum with two much smaller men dressed in similar styled suits walking behind him. They are at the annual werewolf trade fair. An event organized amongst allied packs to foster unity and commerce. Attending the event is the perfect cover for Leila to get away with Amara just in case Antonio still has any men watching them. Tatum gives his hand a firm handshake. “It’s been ages, Curtis. The years have been kind to you.” “As they have been with you. Our Alpha sends his greetings. The North Star pack will forever be grateful to you for saving our Alpha’s life.” “He would have done the same for me,” Tatum pats the side of Curtis’ arm with a small grin that barely lasts a second before he pulls the big man to the side. Curtis is the Beta of Alpha Caden Miles, the Alpha of the North Star pack. Many years ago, during his Alpha training, that was when he met Caden and saved him from being lynched by a pack of rogues
“That bastard!” Tatum yells, punching a hole through the wall of his office, his heart beating fast, his entire aura swirling in visible rage. “Calm down,” Leila says, not feeling any sort of calmness herself and Tatum can sense it, which only pisses him off more. It’s like they can’t get a fucking break, things just keep going from one crisis to the next and it’s all because of one man who wields too much power, it’s beginning to get to his head. It is completely unheard of for an Alpha to name another person as an acting Alpha when he is still alive and more so, even if that was to happen, Theo, his beta would have been in a better position to receive that honor, not fucking Trent. He hisses, tapping frantically on his table, staring at the warning message they had received concerning Amara. This whole thing has Carmela written all over it and Antonio in his vileness would be more than willing to oblige her. Whoever sent them this warning must have found out something. He nee
“Leila! I can’t find the vegetables, are you sure we got everything down from the car?” Liana says from inside the pantry as she puts stuff they bought from the market away. “I’ll check,” Leila replies, ruffling Amara’s hair. “Nice Drawing baby,” she smiles at the drawing of a face that is half completed which makes it hard for her to know exactly who the child is drawing. With Antonio no longer in the pack, Selina has returned back to her coven with the promise to come back periodically for Amara’s training and with the uncertainty of unforeseen events, they also decided it was best to suspend the active training for now. It’s almost been a full month since Tatiana went missing and no one has heard a word from her. Tatum even risked a bold step, sending word to Antonio of her disappearance before he found out and has an excuse to do something sinister but he never got any response, as if Antonio is completely done with them and the pack for good. Sometimes it feels like a relief t