-Aria- I took in the fresh breath of cool breeze as it blew gently on my face, my hair flying over my shoulders with the wind. It was great to have some peace and quiet, away from the reality of the life I had found myself in. Not like the one I was living before now was any better anyway. In a way, it was worse. I was a nobody. I was timid and weak and had no say. At least, I had some recognition here and a family. And at Moonbeam I had a terrible and horrifying end. Now that I think about it, the people I have here around me which I call family were not what they seemed to be. Take, for instance, Dante and Ariel, my supposed sister. Those two were enough to send me to my end if I was not careful. Then it returned to my memory that Jasmine was said to have taken her own life. But I had seen it in a flash that it might not have been what happened. That red stoned ring… was a pointer to something. Great, now I had to figure out another person’s life while I planned out mine. Arie
-Aria-As I walked back to my room, hand in hand with Prisca, I wondered if this was how clingy she was with Jasmine and how she had coped.I was not used to this, having someone all over me. I was always by myself. No one wanted to have anything to do with me anyway, and I got used to it.“So tell me,” Pisca turned to me with a big smile on her face. “I saw you staring at the alpha while he was on the training ground. Why were you looking at him like that?”She asked me, and I wondered for how long she had been following behind and watching me. And why had she not called or said anything till I had gotten to the end of the building? That was cringe, I thought but remembered she had been friends with Jasmine all this while, and this was just how she had always been.I swallowed the urge to ask her why she had been following me. Jasmine should have expected this from her right?“You don’t want to tell me?” She spoke into my thoughts, bringing me back to the conversation.“I just caught
-Aria-I would have scrambled up to my feet and scurried out of the room at Ariel's orders as if she were addressing me, but I had to remind myself that she was my sister, not a lord. However, I was not able to speak for Prisca, and she had to leave. She stood up slowly from the bed and walked out of the room, looking at me one more time before closing the door behind her. Prisca was a very expressive person, and her emotions were always reflected in her eyes, which I never failed to notice.I felt guilty when our eyes met before the door closed behind her. She was hurt that I did not say anything to stop her from leaving, but I did not know what to say.I jolted out of my thoughts when I felt a pair of eyes boring into my skin, and I remembered I was left alone in the room with someone—my sister, Ariel. My eyes quickly darted in her direction, and the glare in her eyes softened a bit. She had not wanted me to see the glare, but I had felt it when I was looking away from her. More lik
-Ariel-I struggled to keep the detest I felt for Jasmine off my face. If what I felt towards her should be displayed on my face, it would sure be nothing less than pure hatred. Why had she not died the last time?“Why did you do it?” I asked with as much concern as I could.“Do what?” She asked, shaking her head and I sighed. I hate having to repeat myself, and most especially this…I had to hold myself from scowling at her with my eyes, this being I was so unfortunate to have as my sister.“Trying to take your own life,” I said. “Why did you do it?”She looked at me as if I had just asked a ridiculous question or more like an obvious question I should have an answer to already.“Did you not think what it would cost us, myself and mother?” I continued when it did not seem she was going to an answer to the previous question. “Especially Mother, it would break her completely to lose you. Have you forgotten so soon all she had done for us?”“I did not mean to hurt anyone,” Jasmine said w
-Aria-I released the breath I had not realized I was holding. I had thought Ariel was here to speak about Dante, perhaps to throw accusations. But I was wrong.She was here acting all sweet and calm. Could it be she does not know about Jasmine and Dante? That she had missed their secret suggestive signs? No, it did not seem like it. Ariel definitely knew.Why, it was just but a few minutes she had been here and talked to me that I was considering she was really what she appeared to be. I had better not let myself be fooled by her acts. Ariel was as cunning and she definitely knew what she was doing.I can never miss those knowing eyes, they speak depths and volumes which I cannot ignore. She was up to something, I knew that.I did not need anyone to tell me Jasmine and her sister were not close, that was decided. So Ariel speaking about trying to build a relationship? No, absolutely no.I mean, it would not be bad if I had a sister I could share moments with. But someone like this an
-Dante-I strolled into Adonai’s room casually without minding knocking on the door and found him in his study with a stern countenance. Whenever he was at that table, he acted as if he was handling the matters of the entire universe and did not want any disturbance. I scoffed inwardly as I approached him.“What’s up?” I asked, standing before the table. He looked up at me briefly before returning to the sheet spread on the table.“What do you want?” he said directly and I shook my head.“Good morning to you too, Adonai,” I told him with a sigh. “At least you should greet me before asking what I want.”“As you can see I am swamped Dante,” he said without looking at me. “I do not have time for pleasantries and I do not like this interruption.”“You are always busy Adonai,” I smiled at him. “You should have a moment's rest. And talking to me would not disturb your work.”“What do you want?” he asked me again.“What are you working on this time around?” I asked back, peeping into the she
-Aria-I woke up with a yawn and stretched on the bed. I did not know when I fell asleep yesterday and I wondered how I had slept for that long throughout the night.Well, it was a beautiful morning to be Jasmine yet again. I stood up from the bed feeling tired. It was just like the feeling you get, getting tired from sleeping for too long. It was a scam, I shook my head as I walked straight to the bedroom to freshen up.I washed my face and dragged a towel from the hanger on the wall. I walked back to the room cleaning my face when I noticed a shadow on the wall. Was there a ghost in my room or something? I cleaned my eyes again to be sure I was seeing well. There was no ghost, but someone was standing in the middle of my room like a ghost.“What the…” I exclaimed, jumping a bit. “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my room?”“I am sorry my lady,” the lady bowed a little. “I am a maid here and I have come to call you out for breakfast with the alpha.”I looked her up and d
-Adonai-After Dante left my room I resumed my focus on the spread. His presence had been an unwelcome distraction. I had ordered the guards not to let anyone in whenever I was at my study but the law was limited to Dante of course and only because he was my brother.And he had come here to speak to me about, I paused trying to recollect my thoughts. He spoke about the alliance with Laban’s pack and then Jasmine.All those were matters that did not concern him. With matters concerning our pack and others, he could offer his suggestions, but with my personal affairs, I would not take ideas from anyone. I had tried Jasmine and contrary to what Dante said, she had not done much as a mistress, how much more she would be able to do as my wife.What business does he have with what I do with her anyway? I shook my head and tried to return my concentration to the work before me but no, the distraction had affected my focus and now I could not get it back.I was trying to draft out a plan on h
- Aria -Madin had escaped, successfully slipping out of our hands. I was worried about that because I did not know who he was working for as a spy while he was here and why."So what do we do now?" Zafa asked."We have to be on the lookout so we won't be taken off guard. There is another pack or group of werewolves who are interested in us, and for whatever reason, we are not sure."We had kept him in custody intending to get information from him after we were done with Moondream."What's next is returning to Moonwalker. We need to put things in order. You will talk to your people. They are moving with us."Zafa's brows creased in thought."I don't know what the people will think about this," he said. "We have been here all our lives. I don't think the people will feel safe about leaving for another place. You know we are different from others and that was the reason that pioneered the other werewolves against us.""You are with me," I told him confidently. "You don't have to worry a
-Aria-It was cold and dark outside. I don't know for how long I have been sitting here, but I was all alone and thinking.I had left Adonai in bed and sneaked to the verandah. I relished the thoughts of that young and naive girl, an ordinary girl who had been attracted to the alpha of her pack. She was so foolish enough to think she would have a place in such a man's heart.I remembered how I secretly had an affair with him and got laid all because I wanted to break his curse and that I did also because I loved him. He kept me hidden from the pack for long. That was the spoiler from the beginning, I should have known.But he told me he was waiting for the right time to announce me as his wife and that time never came. The heartless man watched me and the infant, which was his seed, burn to death.My thoughts were not for self-pity of what had happened to me but, amazingly, of how I wished I could be that girl again but had stayed away from the alpha and the troubles of the throne.I
- Aria -It was a fierce battle but we fought with everything in us. I kept the thought of protecting my people and the image of Adonai close to heart and it kept me focused and going. I could see that we had taken more of Moondream's warriors down, and we were winning.I paused to take a breath."Aria watch out!" I heard someone shout and turned around swiftly. There was a blade flying towards me. I wouldn't have been able to avoid it even if I had moved at twice the speed it came with.I closed my eyes, already expecting the blade to pierce through me and in that split second, remembered my baby. I held my hands around my stomach protectively."No!" There was a scream and that was Adonai.Then everywhere went silent. I waited for a moment to feel the pain but felt nothing except the pressure of my hands on my belly. I brought my palms to my face to see if there was blood. There was none.Adonai was upon the warrior who had thrown the blade at me and killed him.I heard a movement an
- Dante -I paused to rest a bit, feeling very exhausted and my skin burned from the scorching of the Sun. I was in the open field, alongside some people from my pack who had been fetched to work here. In a few days, I am already looking like a shadow of myself, thin and worn out in shabby clothes.This was where all my hard work had landed me. I have lost everything. Just as I was about to move, men from my pack cornered me. The looks on their faces were not friendly at all."What do you want?" I had to ask when they stood around me without a word."You are the reason why we are here," one of them said. "You brought this upon us, and they made us slaves."And it was only then I noticed the weapon in his hand."So what now?" You are going to kill me?" I had to put on a bold font even though I was scared."Yes we will," another answered menacingly."And what is that going to change or solve?" I wanted to keep them in the conversation so I could buy time before a guard came around. Ther
- Adonai -Someone cleared his throat and we both looked up to see Zafa standing by the door."I am so sorry to have interrupted this moment, but there is something on ground," he announced before closing the door and walking in. "News just reaching us that Zico has taken over your pack and made your people, slaves."I stood up from the bed."What about Dante?" Was the only thing I could think of and say. The looks on their faces were that of disapproval. Because I still cared about my brother despite everything he had done to me.I knew Dante intended to become alpha and there was no way he would have agreed to Zico enslaving the pack under his reign. So I wanted to know what had happened to my brother. I waited for an answer, hoping that the worst had not happened."Your brother is not dead," Zafa said as if he could read my fear. "Yet," he added. "Zico has made him slave, including all the elders that had stood with him, and appointed a new council that will oversee the pack while
- Aria -It broke my heart to pieces seeing Adonai like this, but I did not understand what he was saying about eloping with another man."You did not write any letter to me saying you have gone to be with Zafa?" He further asked and I narrowed my eyes in thoughts."Never did I write such," I told him, and he cocked his head in a direction, finding it difficult to believe what I had said."Then where were you on the day of the wedding," he crossed his arms over his chest. I sighed deeply and walked slowly to the bed. I sat on the edge with his eyes following my every move, waiting for an answer."I was kidnapped by Prisca," I told him, my voice low.The expression on his face turned to shock."Yes," I continued. "Prisca kidnapped me. She had been a traitor all these while but I never knew until that day. I found out she had been making attempts to kill me before now. She stood in the facade of a friend, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."Adonai went mute for a while, processin
- Zafa -I walked into the room I had reserved for Adonai after he had freshened up and rested from the fight.He was standing by the window, looking out. He did not turn round when I walked in. I stood in the middle of the room with my hands behind my back."Greetings, alpha," I called out to get his attention."Why did you bring me here?" He asked instead, and I was puzzled by his choice of words."What?"He turned round to look at me."Why did you come for me and then bring me here?" He repeated and in the brief moment of silence that followed, I wondered why he would be asking that."Your brother wanted to kill you," I said. "If we had not been there you would have been...""Better off death," he cut me mid-sentence. "What, you think you have done me a favour by saving me from Dante and then bringing me here?"I took in a deep breath, willing myself to remain calm despite the odds. There was no point exchanging words with Adonai. I should understand what he is going through. He mi
- Adonai- I closed my eyes tightly and expected to be in the afterlife by the time I opened them again, but my body seemed to remain on the previous, nothing had changed.I opened my eyes to see Dante being thrown roughly aside by a big werewolf and another fight had issued. Werewolves from another pack had attacked. They did not look like the ones in Moon Dream.I cracked my wounded brain to see if I could recall who they were but nothing was coming to mind. They looked entirely different and large.At some point, I began to wonder whose side they were on, confused. There was something about one of them, who looked bigger than every other werewolf.I was surprised to find out it was a female. She was so strong. But there was something even more fascinating. I felt a connection to her, but I could not tell who she was until..."Aria...!" Someone called and I turned round sharply. I recognize the voice as Zafa's. He was trying to get her attention, but Aria was in her world, uncontrol
-Adonai-I was very surprised when almost all the warriors and elders went to Dante's side. That was when I realised he had been plotting this for long and now, has everyone supporting him.Dante smiled when he noticed the look on my face. He charged at me and the fight began. I fought hard and with everything in me. I was more on the defensive because even though I did not want to fight Dante or do any harm to him, he swayed with every blow intended to kill me.I felt weak after fighting for a long while, and more when I saw how outnumbered we were. Dante and his people had killed every other person on my side.I looked around to see the dead bodies around. I fell to the ground, unable to move having sustained an injury on my leg.I was dragged out to the open. I could tell because I was still conscious but on the verge of passing out.The noise was that of a thousand people murmuring, and I guessed Dante had gathered the entire pack to disgrace me before them.I heard someone whimpe