“I know I need to let you do whatever it is you need to do”. Gram’s sad dolefully as she put her soft hand on my cheek. “I guess I was just so happy to be in your life again, that I became afraid that I lose you”. “I know. I don’t want to lose you either”. I sighed as I realised why she had been so protective. “But the more you try to keep me locked away here, the more it’s just going to push me away”. “Yes, I can see that now. Just be safe my darling, and whatever happens, we’ll deal with it together, that is a promise”. “Really, you mean it?” “Of course, I do. You were right, we should always want to do want to do what’s right for the ones we love so, from now on, I won’t hold you back”. “Thanks grams”. I replied as I leaned in to hug her. “Now then…”. She continued as she sniffed back a tear of worry and unwrapped her arms from around me. “I’ve asked Zach to go with you, Dante and Izzy today, just for precaution. The more of our trained members you have with you, the more
My mind was on overdrive as I roughly bonded two long planks of wood together for the new cabin. I was tired, furious and I kept picturing Violet on the night of the fire. That girl has got some damn good acting skills, I really believed her that night, she just looked so genuinely scared for me, and I felt like the biggest fool to have ever listened to her and trusted she wanted to help me. Everything about that night just wouldn’t stop flashing though my mind no matter what I did to try and distract myself. The mood I was in was certainly clear, it must be so evident on my face, as everyone kept their distance and gave me some space. Even when we walked back to camp yesterday, Neither Izzy, Dante or Zach said anything as I stomped along in silence. The urge to tear her apart was bubbling inside of me, and I’d even fantasize about doing it. What she had said was true though, and that’s what worried me even more. My father had been at Caleb’s side for so many years now, his best guard
For two nights we had been doing this, two long exhausting nights, and my enthusiasm for doing this was beginning to fade. Grams kept reminding me to be patient, but that was easy for her to say, she wasn’t the one who’s mind was beginning to feel warped, and her body wasn’t flashing hot and cold. I’d have moments of feeling like I was physically in front of Violet, I could feel the rage, and my body would burn, always leaving me with a thumping migraine. The visions were so clear, I could see the colour of her eyes, smell the earth around me, and feel her neck squeezing in my hands, the way her heart would quicken as she tried to gasp for air. But as soon as I’d come out of those visions, I’d feel as if I was about to keel over from exhaustion. Both nights she had me focusing on Violet and the night of the fire, all the bullying and snide comments she had made throughout the years, and her success in managing to turn the entire pack against me, including Caleb, who no doubt wished he
“That felt easier!”. I said to Dante as I quickly covered myself with a blanket. “You can turn around now”. I told him as he had his back to me, so that he wouldn’t see me naked. “You’re shifting a lot quicker now”. He acknowledged, turning round to face me. “How is your body feeling?” “Umm… I definitely don’t feel as tired, and my legs feel fine”. “That’s great, Raven. Considering how many times you’ve had to shift, you don’t seem fed up yet”. “I’ll take this over the training grams was giving me”. I chuckled as Dante handed me some food he had bought with him. “It might have been exhausting but it’s gotten you to this far”. He pointed out as we both sat next to each other on the grass. “True! Honestly Dante, I really thought it was all a waste of time. I still can’t believe it worked, and I have a wolf now!.... I.have.a.wolf!”. I smiled widely. “And a strong one at that!. Seriously, Raven, your wolf is remarkable”. “Thank you!”. I chirped. “The emotions and the strength I
We crept closely to the border, Dante on my right and Izzy to my left. We had barely left the camp before Izzy came bounding over demanding to know where we were going without her. As soon as I told her, she was insistent on coming, in fact, it wasn’t even up for debate, she was coming, whether we said yes or not. But I liked having her with us, she knew everything there was to know, and she already hated Violet almost as much as I did, and I knew she was doing this for me, and it would pull at my heart strings to feel like I had actually found someone I could call a friend. “It’s quieter today”. Dante observed as we peeped through the trees and looked along the border. “Look…”. I said to them as I pointed toward the palace. “Most of the guards are over there. Why are so many posted at the palace? Have they learned nothing? There’s not near enough guards watching the border!”. I scoffed in disbelief. “Well, we haven’t been here for a few days, perhaps we missed something”. Izzy poin
The following morning as we sat around the camp together eating our breakfast, everyone was mulling over the events of last night. Talking about how the ruckus woke them and how concerned they were with having yet more rogues coming into our camp. It seemed as though, we had to start treating our small piece of safety as an actual piece of pack land. When Dante, Izzy and I had finished our guarding duty early this morning, grams had woken up early and began assigning a rota for several camp members to take in turns with guarding the camp area. She informed us all, that we were to patrol near the treeline in our wolf form, hoping that would be enough to warn any rogues not to approach. Dante had told me that they’ve never had to do anything like this before, and he felt that savage rogues were on the rise. Just as the rest of us were cleaning away the leftovers from breakfast, Zach suddenly let out a growl, loud enough to warn us that strangers were coming. We all gathered closely in
One week later. No one came that night for Violet’s note. But since we had been spying every day, what we did know was that someone did eventually come, we had just frustratingly missed them. Since then, we had decided that each watch would be for four hours, with another group of three coming to the border to take over whilst the others headed back to camp, meaning that any move Violet and her mystery friend made would not be missed again. “What’s with the sudden fascination with that Whitlock pack then Estelle?” Oscar asked curiously as me and grams poured the fresh water we had collected into the shallow well. “We think the men that came here are linked to the attacks that have happened to the Whitlock pack”. She told him. “Ok..”. He shrugged looking confused. “But who cares, what’s that got anything to do with us?” “I came from Whitlock”. I chimed in. “I have people there I care about”. “It also happens to be where I came from too”. Grams admitted. “Sooo, are you saying we
After a night’s rest we continued our journey to the Lundberg pack to see alpha Wayne. We had to travel another thirteen miles before we finally reached a noticeably well-guarded pack. I looked on in awe at the high stone wall that wrapped all around their land with two thick steel gates at the centre. “This is….. something else!”. I said to grams in astonishment. “Why have Whitlock never done this?” “You’d be surprised at how many packs don’t protect their territory as well as this”. “Well then they’re definitely falling short”. “Are you ready to go in?” Grams asked as we walked over to the ten foot high gates, and closing her hand into a fist, she hit it hard enough there times to cause a loud banging that echoed around us. “WHO’S OUT THERE? AND WHY HAVE YOU COME TO LUNDBERG?”. A deep mans voice called out through the gates. “I AM ESTELLE GRAYSON, I AM HERE WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER, RAVEN HANSLEY. I HAVE COME TO SPEAK TO YOUR ALPHA, HE KNOWS WHO I AM”. She shouted back. “ONE
“I have something for you all”. I grinned mysteriously at the women. We had just finished another training session, which I had kept up with for the last six weeks of becoming Luna to reassure them that my dedication to them wouldn’t change.“You have something… what?” Abigail asked curiously as they all grouped together in front of me.I walked over to my bag that I always stuffed a towel and change of shirt into, but today I had something else… something I knew they had been wanting since we first started our sessions.I took out the document and held it out for them to see. Their eyes all wandered along it, but I could see the puzzlement in their faces.“What is it?” Clarissa questioned as they all looked at me.“Its what you all wanted”. I smiled. “As Luna, I gave the proposal to your new alpha, and…. “ I paused to build up their anticipation. “And your alpha, was more than happy to sign it off. So, from now on, any female of Whitlock that does the appropriate training can become
“Wow look at our little girl”. Mother cooed as she and my father beamed at me in my wedding dress. “Soon to be a Luna”. She sniffled as father subtly wiped a tear that was about to escape his eye.“She’s not so little now, is she?” Father commented as he let out a heavy bittersweet exhale. “Our little girl… going to be the Luna”. He said as he shook his head trying to accept how much had changed. “You have come so far, my girl, all on your own strength”. “She really has, hasn’t she”. Mother agreed with a watery smile as I grinned bashfully at them, swaying my dress side to side, listening to the sound of the material swooshing.On the surface I looked confident and excited, but in reality my hands were sweating and so were my legs. I couldn’t wait to marry Leo, but every member of our pack were going to be at the ceremony today and to celebrate with us afterward. Having all of that kind of attention and eyes on me was something I still wasn’t used to, and in a way, I kind of missed t
I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel secured around my chest as I dried my hair with another. I inwardly smiled as through the balcony glass doors, I could see the sun was beginning to set, so I walked out to the edge and rested my arms on the balcony wall looking out at Whitlock. Apart from a few children running and laughing on their way home from the lake, it all felt so warm, peaceful and safe. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, savouring the cool spring air and my heart thumped cheerfully at how happy I was to finally be back home.I had arrived back late last night, and the first thing I did as rush to Leo’s room and woke him up with a kiss on his cheek, and the moment he opened his eyes, he wrapped his arms around me, pulled me onto the bed and frantically tore each other’s clothes off from the yearning arousal we had the moment we were back in each other’s arms. The next morning, I surprised my parents for breakfast and told them all about how Clemonte was comin
Nine weeks had come and gone… Nine weeks I had once again been away from home, and I was missing it more and more each day. Me and Leo had been able to speak twice a week on the phone, and I knew by his voice he was feeling the same as I was about us being apart for so long. But with his own duties, his training and taking over my classes with the she-wolves, there was just no time for him to visit.I had many conversations with Caleb and Wayne, and it was decided that Jonah would come to Clemonte with Wayne’s sister, Diana and her mate Corbin in just another weeks time. According to Wayne, most of Corbin’s family had since moved on to other packs and they had already been contemplating a new chapter in their lives, so it didn’t take as much persuasion as Wayne had thought. Jonah would help them for six months to settle in and learn their new roles as alpha and Luna to Clemonte, and with a son and daughter of their own, if they chose to mate with one of Clemonte’s members, that would
For the following week, me and my night wolves had taken over the rule of Clemonte. When Robert had killed James and we locked up his people, I spoke to both Caleb and Wayne about what had happened, and I was surprised by how relieved they sounded of his demise. But with no heirs, they had both asked that we begin to lead Clemonte back into shape until they could find someone to be its next ruler.We had no intentions of being cruel to them, neglect them or bully them whilst we were here, but from the way James and his pack house lived, there were clearly no strict rules, authority or structure. James always lived behind his wall that surrounded the pack house with his guards, their wives and whatever women they had become fond of and made the cut to living within his home.It baffled us at how little the rest of his people ever saw him or had protection from him or his guards. Every day, we let his people come out three times a day for fresh air, food and water, but we always kept th
We stormed all the way through the forest, until our tongues were hanging out of our mouths, and we were panting for breath. Luckily for our breed, the desire to protect and hunt down anyone targeting our own was stronger than the ache in our legs and the hunger in our stomach’s.As soon as we had Clemonte in sight, it gave us even more of a push to run faster. We sped along, growling deep in our chests as we stormed through his broken fence and across the field. Foolish James thought his mere wall would stop any intrusions but together as a pack we all rushed to it as a unit and smashed our bodies into it, smashing it to the floor, causing everyone outside of the pack house to scream and shout in alarm. We quickly rolled back onto our feet and began chasing all the men and women as they tried to flee or shift into their wolves. We’d grab them in our mouths, piercing their skin with our teeth, enough to cause them pain and submission but not to kill, and knocking them off their feet a
One month later:“Another successful session everyone!” I chimed to all the women as they wiped the sweat from their foreheads and walked toward me, panting with breaths.“Are we always going to be able to train? Because I don’t think I can go back to how things were before”. Clarissa asked as the other women nodded in agreement.“Of course. We’ll continue our sessions for as long as you all want to”. I responded, noticing the hopefulness in their eyes.“Oh, good, cause I haven’t had this much fun in a long time, and now I feel like I’m… I’m”. “Powerful?” Laura finished her sentence as Clarissa tried to find the right word.“Yes! Yes, that’s it”. She exclaimed. “I feel like I don’t have to be so scared now if any threat comes to our border again”. “Yea, me too”. All the other women agreed in unison“That’s amazing! That’s exactly why we’re doing these classes, it’s what I want you all to feel”. I smiled, seeing the passion in their eagerness to train.“But is there more?” Jodie quiz
You really think they could handle training alongside men?” Caleb asked with a doubtful frown as I filled out the progress of each she-wolf on their training forms.“Yes, I do”. I answered adamantly as I glanced up from the paperwork, but his frown didn’t shift.“But they’ve only been training for three weeks”. “Yes, but you should see them! They’re so determined to improve. They bring their A – game to every session. They’re honestly so skilled already”. “I don’t know”. Caleb sighed as he signed off the schedule sheets for the patrol shifts.I slumped my shoulders in annoyance that he wouldn’t even attend one session to see just how incredible the women of our pack were. For once they were given the opportunity to show their capability, and I was the first to say how impressed I was. “Could you at least consider it? Just think of all the new opportunities it would open up for them. They could help patrol the borders or become palace guards! They’d be so good at it, and I can see ho
I dragged him through the dirt, along the sharp stones, branches and thorns as he winged as my teeth still dug into his flesh and begged for me to let him go, but I knew a man like James and his pack needed a strong enough warning so that me and the other night wolves could be free to roam.The rest of the men all whimpered and didn’t try to retaliate as we led them all back to their land. We finally reached the border at first light as the ground beneath us now lay frosty and the grass was damp but the forest around us smelt fresh and earthly rich.We stopped at their dilapidated fence, and I glanced back at the night wolves to make some noise and they all howled together to alert Clemonte of our arrival. Moments later, James and a gathering of his men came out from his pack house walls and stopped at the top of the field, looking at us with apprehension. I dropped the man from my mouth and growled and he didn’t hesitate to try and scramble to his feet as he clutched his shoulder. He