[HOLLY’s Point of View]A forest wildfire.The fire consumed everything that was on its way. All I heard were the shrieking and yelling of the dying as the fire licked their bodies. Trees crackled as embers flew up the sky where the violent wind blew it, making the fire spread all over the mountains. It was a sight of terror. A nightmare that I thought I would only have during my sleep. Petrified, I watched, and until my heart felt like it was going to burst and tears streamed down my face knowing that my husband and my friends were on that part of the mountain. Knowing that all of them had left to go to that place for a mission, all I could do was watch from the balcony of the Blackwood Manor, with Sheiyan and Kian on either side of me—their faces were pictures of pure horror.I waited for Kian to say that I shouldn’t worry about them. That Evander must have found a way to survive it. That he and the others were alright. But Beta Kian stood there with me; his mouth opened slightly in
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]I panted. Sweat dripped down my chin, and the clanking of the metal chains rang in my ear. I didn’t know how long I was imprisoned in this wretched camp, but I saw Alec and Melinda chained against the brick wall just like I was.Only Alec’s face was so brutally injured. There were huge bruises and cracked skin on his cheekbones that was still dripping blood down his shirt. His upper lip had cut, and his right eye was swollen and black.“W-What happened to him? What did they do to us?” I rasped. My throat was so dry it hurts when I speak.Melinda’s eyes were puffy red as she lifted her face to look at me and then at Alec, who was still unconscious. “They tranquilized you when you lunged to attack Irina.” Melinda answered weakly. She groaned and winced when she made an attempt to stretch her feet. That’s when I saw that her right leg was in a twisted position.I cleared my throat only to feel that soreness and sharpness that made me grimace. “Who did tha
I told Sheiyan everything that my husband told me, and we didn’t waste any second.We didn’t even bother packing things and went straight to the convoy that Beta Kian arranged for the both of us. My heart was pounding every second that Kian yelled instructions to his men to guard us with their lives, and Sheiyan made sure I was comfortable as she and Kian talked for fifteen minutes as the Beta gave Evander’s sister instructions. I watched how Kian’s face hardened as Sheiyan’s tears rolled down her face, and he dried it with his fingers before he pulled her into a tight embrace.That was how serious the situation was. If we didn’t leave immediately, we would all die in the hands of Irina’s men, and the bloodline of the Wakeham would end. Randalf would succeed in all his plans of kicking my father from his throne.I averted my eyes when Shei finally pulled away from Kian and went running straight inside the car. She slammed the door shut as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand,
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]“Hey! Where are you taking him!”Melinda’s voice echoed all over the prison pit where the enemies held us. Alec was too weak to even yell and glared at the prison guards as they put a collar on my neck and chained my hands together to drag me somewhere.I had a huge feeling Randalf had sent them to get me.“Shut up, hybrid! You disgust me!” One of the rogues spat in front of Melinda. Alec lunged himself on the beast but was held back by the chains that bound them to the brick wall. Melinda was so fear-stricken that her face went moon white. Her eyes widened after the rogue yanked me, and my weary body fell to the ground with a loud thud.My vision blackened for seconds as every inch of me ached. I could end that rogue in a blink of an eye, but it won’t help the three of us. I looked at Melinda and Alec and nodded slightly, telling them I would be okay. Melinda cried, but Alec understood that he had to stay alert to protect Mel if the situation escalate
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]The whole prison pit was filled with the noise of the chains as the prison guard brought me back from Irina’s tent after Irina decided I was too boring to accompany her the whole night.I was so lightheaded that I didn’t even bother looking at Melinda and Alec’s faces. Beads of sweat trailed down my face and body as the filthy smell of the pit overwhelmed my noise, making my other senses dull and numb. Every inch of me screamed pain and my throat and tongue felt like sandpaper in my mouth.Water was all my body pleading while I was chained back against the cold, bricked wall.How many days had we been staying in this cursed place? Three? Five? I already lost track of time. All I knew was we had to think of a plan for how to get away from here before their forces reached Blackwood and other parts of the realm. I miss Holly. Despite my body slowly deteriorating without food and water, my mind fought back as I thought about my wife and my child waiting fo
[HOLLY’s Point of View]Sweat rolled from my temple and trickled down my chin.I opened my eyes slowly, and I found myself in the middle of a burning forest. So scorching hot that I smelled my hair singed from the flames. Embers flew above like fireflies dancing in the wind, and I couldn’t scream; I couldn’t even let out a single sound from my parched throat while watching with horror everything that was being licked by the raging fire. I saw figures squirming, wriggling, and screaming in agony amid the blazing inferno, and I sobbed. I sobbed and screamed, wanting this horrible vision to go away. To stop playing in my head as everything dies and turns into ashes.I closed my eyes, and the crackling noises of burning trees stopped. The shrieks and the terrifying uproar of death disappeared just as much as the scorching heat. The first thing I did was check for any burns on my skin, and I found nothing. Then I realized I was in a different place. A place where it smelled so rancid and d
[HOLLY’s Point of View]Kian did just as he promised. The other morning, while we were having breakfast, he told me the convoy was already waiting for Shei and me to transport us straight to the Snakewood Palace.I smiled at him and pretended everything was normal—that nothing despicable was playing in my head as I ate my normal breakfast and drank a glass of milk. My baby moved in my belly as if delighted by the delicious meal and I smiled sweetly, knowing that the pup and I would be going to have a little adventure together later.To complete my plan, I packed some things, telling Kian and Sheiyan that I wanted to stay in the palace for a few days. I packed a suitcase and a small string bag, which had large shirts and stretchable leggings for my growing belly. Kian eyed the bag, curious why it was separated from my things but I told him I separated my underwear and packed it there and he didn’t ask any more about it.Shei looked hesitant to leave. I could see in her eyes how she wan
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]I felt like I was going to collapse at any moment.The silver chain that they used to bind me was not an ordinary one that could only burn the skin. This one had the effect of draining power and strength from anyone that has contact with it. I didn’t know such a weapon existed, but knowing that it was from Randalf, I shouldn’t feel surprised at all. He had been smuggling and breaking so many rules that I would even think he was also possessing guns with silver bullets that had been banned inside the realm for almost a century.It was drizzling, and the cold rain felt soothing on the skin. Goddess help me, the foul smell from the prison pit that was stuck on my skin dulled my nose—it confused me to a distinct smell as the prison guard dragged me again outside to a tent. It was larger than Irina’s tent, though, and was surrounded by guards wearing brown linen, all barefooted.The rogues—it was as if modernization from other societies never reached them—or
[HOLLY’s Point of View]Evander held my hand and squeezed it tight as we watched Alec jump his way down the mountain with Misha, who was still unconscious, on his back.“Are you ready?” Evander asked. There was sadness and fear in his green eyes, but he was smiling at me. He was smiling with a promise that he would do everything to keep me safe and alive no matter what.And that scared me.When it was just me and him and the war that was waiting for us both, that’s when I felt the terror and I knew he saw it in my eyes. But instead of telling me that things were going to be alright, instead of telling me that we would survive this, he kissed my forehead and pulled me to him in a tight embrace. We stayed like that for a minute as we listened to the rustling of the leaves in the forest. The sound of the birds in the sky and the water of the stream as it splashes softly against the small rocks. We felt each other’s warmth and the gentle brush of the cold breeze on our bare skin. His lips
[HOLLY’s Point of View]I stood and gave my dad a determined look. I would never hide again. I would never just watch and wait. “I can fight, and I will fight for my friends and family.”Dad’s exhausted face beamed with pride and love as he patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me. “Let’s go kick someone’s *ss.”I laughed softly at the unusual words Dad used, and then we nodded at each other, preparing to lunge midair to shift into our wolves. My eyes were on Alec and my husband. Evadner was still on top of Randalf’s reaching for the old man’s head, but Randalf, despite his age, was still physically strong for his human form.On Dad’s cue, we jumped high from the ground, so high that all the eyes in the camp got distracted from us. Two glittering silver wolves, so ancient and beautiful, everyone stopped from what they were doing. Even Evander’s eyes widened with both awe and shock as he saw us, and Randalf took advantage of it and immediately ran away from my husband like a terrifie
[HOLLY’s Point of View]There was no way I would let him go again. No way I would let him dive back into Randalf’s camp now that the old man knew he wasn’t on their side.I heard Dad’s scream even when I got out of the main hall and straight to the courtyard, where I shifted back to my wolf form and fought three more rogues before I had to hide behind the tall walls of the garden labyrinth to breathe. My strength was slowly depleting and the wounds on my back hadn’t completely healed yet. I had to go after my husband and make sure he could go out there alive with or without the witch who helped him.Randalf will kill him on sight once they see him.[Evander!] I screamed, trying to reach out to him through our bond. [Evander! Where are you!?]But it seemed he was too far away or something interfered with the mind-link connection, so I decided to stand on my four paws again and used my ability to sneak around without being detected. The mountainside wasn’t too far from the Snakewood Pal
[Holly’s Point of View]“Dad!!!”I was about to lunge myself towards them, but strong arms pulled me back. I was baffled when I saw Alec pulling me away from Irina, who was still holding the short sword to my father’s neck.Every part of me ached, but nothing could compare to how my heart felt as I saw the despair in my father’s eyes. He mouthed the word “No.” but I shook my head as tears rolled down my face. There was no way I would leave him in the hands of the man who wanted him dead! There was no way I would let him die!“Tell me what you want, Randalf! Just don’t—” I swallowed hard as a sob emerged from my swelling throat. “Just don’t kill my father!”“We already have what we want, Holly! We don’t need you! Now that we have the Alpha King, the whole palace and the realm will kneel to my father, and nothing can stop us now!” Irina yelled at me with detest in her voice. “Kill both of them!”“Stay behind me, Holly!” Alec yelled as he shifted back to his wolf form and kicked and cla
[HOLLY’s Point of View]“Evander disappeared from the frontline.”My focus on my baby Evlon was distracted by Kian’s murmur as he noticed Evander’s disappearance from Randalf’s side. It suddenly made me nervous. What happened to him? Where did he go?Mel took baby Evlon from me when I pushed myself to sit on the sofa. The room was still filled with the scent of my blood, but my family didn’t mind. They were more concerned with my healing and Evander’s situation, while all our eyes were now focused on the news.“I have to go there,” I said, still wincing from the pain, but I had to do something. For my father and for my husband. “I have to be there for my dad and Evander.”“You just gave birth, Holly! Your body is still healing, and your wounds are still fresh! There is no way I will let you go there in this condition! My brother will kill me!” Sheiyan hysterically uttered, knowing that when I said things, I would do anything to do it.But this time, Shei was right. I assessed my body,
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]My whole body tensed as I stood slowly with both my hands on the level of my head.Charlie’s eyes told me that I would be dead once I made a wrong move, and I had to be careful. He was already thinking that I sided with Randalf, and without him knowing the truth—about what really happened in the mountains—Holly’s father would never understand why I had to do all of this.“Listen to me, Charlie—”Charlie sighed, and the dark look on his face turned into disappointment. I felt my whole being finally relaxed as he stepped away from me and onto the chair of his desk. He clasped his hands, and I finally saw that exhaustion that deepened his set of honey-brown eyes.“Holly told me everything, Evander. I was really furious that you put your family’s life in danger, but I understand when Holly told me that all of you were after that pearl. And she told me everything about that pearl. About how Randalf stole parts of her memories and stored them in that thing. U
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]“What is wrong with you, Evander? You look like you had seen a ghost.”I barely heard Randalf’s voice as I kept my breathing in control while having this excruciating pain I felt in every inch of my body. My head felt like being pierced by thousand spears, and it took me a lot of strength not to fall down on my knees and scream from the pain.Misha looked at me as she put her fingers on my pulse and felt my forehead with the back of my hand. My jaw tightened as she gave me a warning look not to make the pain look too obvious. “I think he is having a fever. It must be the infection he got from the pit.”Randalf scowled at Misha. “Go and give him something, Misha! We can’t display any weakness while we are being broadcast all over the continent. Go and do something about that infection or whatever the hell is that!”“Yes, Alpha Randalf.” She bowed her head to the old man. I gave Randalf one piercing look from the corner of my eyes and then averted immedia
[HOLLY’s Point of View]“What is the commotion about, Kian?”Everyone was in the sitting area with all their eyes focused on the sixty-inch-wide television screen. Shei increased the volume, and I saw so many rogues standing on the northern borders of the Snakewood Territory. I didn’t feel good this whole morning, and all I had were eggs. Other than those, I threw them up, and that’s why I had been dizzy the whole day.All the Snakewood soldiers lined up in defense positions outside and inside the gates and the wall; all were armed with razor-sharp metal claws, all strapped around their legs and paws. Some were armed with crossbows with silver arrows for it was forbidden to use guns inside the continent and within the realm.“Randalf isn’t bluffing at all. He really has thousands of Rogues with him,” Alec murmured in horror. His mouth was slightly open and his face was pale as paper when the excruciating memories of their stay in the rogue camp returned to him.Everything was shot liv
[HOLLY’s Point of View]The banging on the door suddenly sounded unreal. Then for once, I thought the noise was just from the thumping of my own heartbeat reverberating through my deafened ears. The violent winds from the mountains threw the windows of my room open. The hinges creaked threateningly as the white sheer curtains whipped against the glass panes.Mel’s small hands were painfully tight against my wrists and she was incredibly strong; it terrified me. Something was happening to her. It was as if the darkness stored inside that pearl necklace had influenced her mind when it should be her who was supposed to command the ‘thing’ to obey her bidding.The power that was stored in the pearl was too much for Melinda to control and I saw it on her face. She was asking me for help.“Mel! Just tell me what’s happening!” I asked through gritted teeth. I tried my hardest not to panic as the black completely covered her eyeball and my neck and shoulders started to feel so heavy it felt