“Well, we’re here”. I said to dad as I took his hand and led him along the dirt path where Izzy was stood waiting. “Where are we?”. He asked, looking around to only see trees, as he then looked from me to Izzy curiously. “Well, Dante, the man I told you about, when he fought off the rogues, he brought me here, and there’s someone I’m dying for you to see”. “Ok..”. He replied, looking a bit hesitant. I led him through the small parting of the trees and Izzy took the lead as we walked into camp. I looked up at father, who’s eyes widened in amazement, when he gazed over all the cabins, the many people that were bustling around camp, training, cooking food, talking and laughing. He looked up at the two patrol platforms to see two intimidating guards at each one staring down at him. “What is all this?” He asked in wonder. “Dad, this is camp, it’s where I’ve been living.” “And you know all of these people?” “Yes. Although some of them aren’t from the camp, we have a lot of alpha Way
I woke up the next morning, and it took my brain a minute to remember everything that had happened the day before. As soon as it all flooded back to me I quickly jumped up from my bed of makeshift blankets and wool and darted out of my room. Father was sat on the wooden bench in the main room, slumped forward, resting his arms on his thighs and his head hanging low staring at the floor. “Dad are you ok?”. I asked softly in concern as I stepped closer. “Hm? Oh yes, yes, I’m ok!”. He replied as he jolted his head up to look at me, but I could see past his pretence to notice the angst on his face. “Don’t lie to me, dad. What’s wrong?”. “Just…”. He exhaled heavily as he clasped his hands together as his eyes wandered around the room, looking at everything but me. “The thought of going back and having to tell Caleb what’s going on”. “You don’t think he’ll believe you?”. I questioned. “No, I’m not worried about that, I know he’ll believe me. But no matter what he does with Violet, we
“What?” I replied quietly in an astonished tone. I quickly took hold of his hand and dragged him away to behind one of the nearest cabins, then I pulled him in closer to me and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, rubbing his back in support as he leaned in with hushed cries. “Oh, Zack”. I said in sympathy. “Are you sure? Are you really sure it’s your brother?”. Hoping for his sake there was a chance he could be wrong, and I didn’t really know what else to say. “It’s too much of a coincidence not to be”. He spoke through his choked sobs. “My brother is Luke, and he was so angry when he left Clemonte pack. Before he ran out of our house he shouted that he would get back at everyone”. “Oh, Zach”. I spoke softly, continuing to hold him with as much comfort as I could. “When I tried to chase after him, I really thought he just needed time to cook off, but the longer I went without being able to find him I thought something had happened to him. I never thought he’d resort to this”. “
Luke was standing in front of all his men at the edge of the forest situated at the bottom of the field, with Caleb and his fighters stomping along the deserted and murky ground to meet them. I exhaled a sigh of relief I caught sight of my father marching next to him. “He made it back”. I whispered to grams as she watched on by my side. Then I looked up toward the palace to see Dante slowly edging along the wall enough to peep around and take a good look at what was happening. I raised my hand he nodded to let me know that he could see me and wait for my signal for them to move forward. With everyone now in place just like we had planned, I averted my gaze back to Caleb and the pack fighters, that’s when I caught a glimpse of a heavily bearded Leo standing at the right side of his father, and my heart thumped slightly harder at the sight of him. They stopped in their tracks just yards before Luke and his men and began shouting for him to leave. His voice was deep and angry, once agai
My father gently closed uncle’s eyelids and tried to comfort grams, who was whimpering next to his body before she stormed off and scampered across the field, stifling her sobs. “We’ll have to leave his body here until I tell your mum, we can’t bury him without her”. He spoke quietly, trying to hold back his tears. I didn’t look at father to let him know I agreed, my gaze was fixated on uncle as my heart clenched and I could feel myself screaming on the inside. I suddenly pulled myself away and trotted quickly to the forest where I had left my change of clothes. As soon as I was hidden by the trees, I shifted back into my human form. My body uncontrollably shook, from my legs to my fingers as I fumbled with my jeans and shirt, frustratingly trying to calm myself so that I could fasten the buttons. “Raven…”. Grams’s voice was horse and raspy with her tear stricken face. She stood a few yards from me already fully dressed, but she looked so lost and afraid. I ran over to her and envel
I left Caleb, my father and the rest of them mumbling together about how to ‘handle’ me. But what grated me the most., is that not one of them said to me… ‘I get it… I understand’. Not one of them seemed to see what I could see! But that won’t be the case for much longer I thought as I stewed on my own thoughts. I pulled Violet along no matter how much she tried to resist, I dragged her past my uncle’s body that fuelled my rage and hurt like someone had ripped apart my insides. Then as we reached the opening of the forest, I purposefully dragged her past Luke’s lifeless wolf and all the other bodies that were littered all over the place. She stumbled and fell over most of them, and I could hear her wincing and cringing when their blood stained her clothes. She retched repeatedly from the strong stench of blood and the sight of open wounds and body parts that had been slashed apart. But I kept drudging on through forcing her to see everything that I saw the moment the battle had fin
I ran and slept in the forest for two days after I had found Zach and told him and Mavis to take the rogue to Whitlock to be questioned and whatever Caleb decided to do with him. I had told Zach of Luke’s death and the pain on his face was just another reminder of all the hurt and destruction Luke and Violet had caused to everyone around them. Being alone for two days was what I had to do, in fact I’d have made it longer if it wasn’t for the guilt of my family grieving too that pulled me back to Whitlock. The anger still hadn’t gone, I had merely pushed it down as much as I could, but it festered and was constantly eager to be let loose. The thought of just being on the same land as that treacherous bitch and the way she tried to cry her way out of her consequences… the fake remorse, passing the blame and her wicked heart resorting to keeping Addison on her side. Addison may strut and flounce around like she’s so much better and above everyone else, but the hilarity of it was that sh
I sat quietly at the table the next morning, mulling over breakfast as mother and grams reminisced over stories of Uncle Filton when he was a boy. They chuckled through their sad expressions and sniffled each time the room fell quiet after cooing over one of their many memories. I tried to not pay attention to any of their stories, I wanted them to have their moment to remember him and grieve their own way, so I sat silently, just staring and picking at my food trying to ignore how silly, funny and adorable he was as a child. I had to ignore it, I couldn’t bare to keep going over and over the same regret that he was one innocent that I couldn’t save and the reality that he wasn’t the only one that day. Just as grams had said last night…. We can’t save them all, only this innocent… haunted my heart! A sudden knock at the door abruptly stopped mother and grams during their chatter. All of us looking at each other in wonder of who would possibly be calling so early in the morning. “Oh,
“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