-Dante-I dragged her arms and pulled her close.“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked fiercely.“Let go of me Dante,” she said with a hard look on her face too. “I said let go, you would have to explain to anyone watching us right now, why you are holding me like this, and believe me I would not hesitate to say what I know.”I let go of her, but not because of the threat. I would never allow a woman like her to think she could scare me with her threats.“You do not know anything Jasmine,” I said. “So you had better get that off your little brain.”“Oh really?” she replied sarcastically. “If you are so sure, why are you looking scared?”I took a deep breath to steady myself.“Listen,” I pointed a finger to her face. “It is bad already that you have decided to put everything we had together in the trash. I am trying to move on and live my life, I do not want you all over me.”“Oh please,” she was not shaken. “Do not try to change the topic. I have always known you to have a d
-Aria-I glanced at Dante and saw that he was looking at me and I wanted to believe that I had mistaken the look on his face to be a grin filled with mockery.He shouldn’t be looking that way in this situation right? But there was something about his confidence that worried me. He had responded to the elders as if he did not have any idea what they were talking about and he had not done anything wrong.“I cannot believe this council had called me to query me about how I walked out of a building that belonged to me,” he shook his head. “Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds? You all are gathered here. You want to question me on why I had left the empire because someone said she saw me leave suspiciously. Shouldn’t you have asked the young lady further questions before calling for this meeting because I don’t want to believe this is all you are based on?”There was silence for a while and it seemed the elders were pondering on the point Dante just made. I did not want to think it, b
-Aria-At that point, I knew had gotten myself into some serious mess but I was more worried and concerned about what Adonai would think of me now. The disappointment on his face was enough punishment to break me.“We all make mistakes and assumptions,” his first statement was surprisingly calm and I could I was not the only one it had taken aback. The entire room was looking in his direction with surprise. “And that is why we all must always be certain of whatever information we bring to the council.”He paused, and the silence was such that a pin could be heard if dropped. Maybe they heard my chest thumping because I could hear it playing loudly like a drum. Adonai adjusted on the chair and continued.“I would sadly agree that I was hasty with the decision of allowing her in the council which you all can testify that she did a great job before I had that consideration, but Jasmine,” he turned to address me and my heart stopped beating for a second or two. “I do not appreciate that y
-Aria- I walked into my room and Prisca was there waiting for me. She could not follow me to the council meeting because she was a commoner. “What happened?” she asked with concern on her face. I walked to the bed and sat down heavily. “Why are you looking this way? What happened at the meeting?” I had not told her about my suspicions about Dante and that I was going to report him to the council. She knew that I had gone to the council, but did not know the reason why. Since I had been allowed to sit with them, she must have thought it was just a normal meeting. I looked at her face which was a mixture of worry and concern and wondered if I should tell her what had happened or not. I decided to tell her, there was no point keeping it from her anyway, rumors flew more than witches here and she would eventually find out and be mad at me for not telling her. So I narrated all that happened and by the time I was done there was a look of horror on her face which I was very sure wa
-Crystal-I sneaked out of the palace when it was dark, covered my face with a black veil so I would not be noticed and walked to Derick’s house. He was up when I got there, I could tell because his house was still lightened and I could hear movements within the room.I knocked on the door quietly, looking around. He opened almost immediately as if he had been expecting me.“What are you doing here by this time of the night?” he asked with a grimace and I frowned at him.“Don’t ask me that as if you were not expecting me,” I scowled, pushing him out of the way. I walked into the room while he closed it and I took off the veil.“I do not expect you would come here by this time of the night,” he said and I rolled my eyes.“You expect that I come here in the day when everyone can see me and wonder what the Luna is doing at your house?”“Easy, you don’t have to be so impatient with me,” he shook his head at me.“Why are you acting so calm?” I looked at him and folded my hands across my ch
-Dante-Now that Jasmine had done what she did, she had made me see reasons to get rid of her for good. She did not hesitate to report me to the council even when she was not certain of what she suspected me of and without any evidence. That fascinated me a lot and made me wonder why she desperately wanted to bring me down.It might be because of the way her relationship with Adonai was going. She must have thought she was better than everyone and wanted to please him more. It was true that he thought highly of her after she had exposed Asher.She did not know that she would have to pass my approval before Adonai had anything to do with her. When her mother had brought the proposal for the first time for Adonai to marry her, I had been the one who convinced him to go ahead with it.By that time, I was already engaged to Ariel and was secretly seeing Jasmine. I had all my plans drafted out and the next phase was getting her to marry him. It was easy for me to agree with the proposal. B
-Adonai-I took a deep breath when Dante closed the door behind him and dropped the ink I was holding. This is the very reason why I do not want anyone coming in when I am trying to work because I would not concentrate anymore after they are done.Especially when the person speaks about something as sensitive as what Dante just spoke about. I could not believe I was having sleepless nights because of Jasmine. I would always go to bed thinking about her and when I am trying to work on something the thoughts of her never leave my head.And that was why I found it difficult to let her go through any punishment after what she had done at the council. Dante was here ranting about it and I wondered what he would have thought of me if he knew that I believed her when she had spoken about it the first time.It was something even I could not understand, how easily I had believed her. What was this girl doing to me? I think I have to take a break away from her. Maybe if I give some distance it
-Lara-I knew it! I just knew it! I danced around in my room happily. I knew that one day, the pompous princess who thought herself better than anyone else would be put to shame sooner or later and she had not disappointed me.When a man has pride, or a woman in this case now, she would not be able to see beyond her nose and that is what just happened to Jasmine now. She was not able to see that there was no way she would get the alpha on her side if she spoke against his only brother. She should have known better than that but no, the pride would not let her see that.Not only had she told Adonai in the privacy of her room, but she had gone ahead to gather the esteemed council of elders because of how highly she thought of herself and disgraced her entire livelihood before them.I am sure her mother must be rolling on the ground with her hands on her head, after hearing the grave thing her daughter had done. The woman had tried everything she could so that the ungrateful girl would h
-Adonai- I took in a deep breath to steady myself when Maria approached me, her face strained with worry and told me Aria was nowhere to be found.I had asked her to go get her since the ceremony was about to start."What do you mean by she is nowhere to be found," I asked, my voice in a low whisper so the people at my table would not hear."Even I don't understand myself," Maria said. "But she is not in her room and no one seems to have seen her."No, this cannot be happening now. I braced myself and tried to remain calm."Uhm, gentlemen, I will be right back," I addressed the men at my table."Is everything fine?" Dominick asked as I excused myself and I told him all was well. All was not well at all. A few minutes to the start of my wedding the bride is nowhere to be found.I walked with long strides towards Aria's room with Maria following steadily behind me."I was wondering if she had to quickly do something outside the palace because it doesn't seem like she..." Maria trailed
-Aria- I groaned in pain as I opened my eyes. I tried to move but discovered I couldn't, I was tied firmly to something I could not see, a pole or something.What's going on? I tried to think. The last thing I remembered was being prepared for my wedding and then strange faces appeared in my room.I looked up sharply when I realised what had happened. I was in an empty room that was void of anything normal in a location I could not fathom.I recognised the faces in the room as the ones who had walked in on me."Who are you and why did you kidnap me?" My throat was dry, as well as my voice. None of them bothered to give me an answer."Hey, say something. Who sent you?" I pushed."Keep it down Aria," a very familiar voice said. "This is not the palace where you speak anyhow you like and everyone is answerable to you.""Prisca?" I muttered under my breath but she heard."Tis me, yes," she stretched her hands out in a show of dignity. "Flesh and blood."I looked on in shock. Is this a dr
-Aria- I was being dressed by the maids for the wedding when Adonai walked in, and they all trooped out to give us a moment."Is anything the matter?" I asked, searching his face."Not really," he replied with a small smile on his face. "I just wanted to see you."I rolled my eyes at him."You see me every day," I pointed out."Yeah," he replied with a sigh as he walked to a stool and sat in front of me, his eyes watched me tenderly."What?" I shook my head with a chuckle."You know, there is this old story we heard while growing up," he said."Okay?""That you become too excited and overwhelmed about someone or something because you are about to lose it.""Hmm." I breathed out. "Never heard about that before. But why are you talking about that? Are you thinking I might leave you?""No. I am relating it to how excited I am about getting married to you," he said and took my hand in his. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Adonai and Luna of this pack?""You think I am ready?" I threw back a
-Adonai- Today is the day I officially get married to Aria. I was sure my face radiated the joy I felt within. I could not hide it.I walked around the building, watching as the maids and guards ran around to put things in order. It is going to be a very big ceremony. Invites have been sent far and near, and all the provinces and clans, big and small packs, would be gathered for the wedding.Werewolves coming from far distances had arrived the night before. Dante approached me with a grimace on his face."So you are finally getting married to Aria," he commented."So am I," I said with the same energy."Well, how does that make you feel?" He wanted to know and I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to discern his reason for asking."Complete, I guess. A man with a family.""Mmm," Dante hummed and nodded. "True.""And after this, you also have to settle down as well. You have a fiancé already, so that wouldn't be hard, I guess?"He chuckled."Well then, after you."While we spoke, alpha Do
-Aria- My heart skipped a beat when I lifted my eyes to the door and saw Adonai. He walked in with a blank expression on his face, approaching us slowly."Adonai, Zafa here was just telling me that he was leaving the pack. It was what we were discussing before you walked in," I jumped in to explain hurriedly when he had not asked me anything.Adonai did not respond. I tried to read his expression, but he hid it well. He stood beside me and faced Zafa, who looked back boldly as if Adonai had not walked in on us almost about to kiss."Is that so?" Adonai finally spoke, addressing Zafa."It is indeed so," Zafa confirmed, unshaken."But you did not tell me," Adonai said dryly. "You came to my wife to tell her but I am not aware of what is going on.""She was the one that sent for me first," Zafa replied. "And I did plan to tell you, though, she is the reason why I came to this pack. Either way, you would have known anyway."I was worried about the way the two were going. I wouldn't want
-Aria-I moved away from the view of the window and sucked in a deep breath. I was getting better already, but health came with its problems. I was not on good terms with both Zafa and Adonai, and the two avoided me.I had thought Zafa was acting up because of his feelings for me, but when I found out what happened, it was already too late.I confronted Adonai, too, and now he was upset with me even though he had taken off the sentence on Zafa and he was a free man again. That did not solve anything.And it is funny to think that the wedding ceremony was just in two days and the couple were not talking to each other. Adonai might as well as just call off the wedding for now, or postpone it. I loved him and can not wait to get married to him but at least, not like this."Never have I seen a bride looking like this a few days before her wedding, except, of course, she doesn't love the groom, which is not the case for you," Prisca commented."A lot of things are going on in my head," I t
-Adonai- I couldn't help the joy that radiated all over me, happy because both Aria and my baby were safe and in good condition. I quickly took my bath so I would return to Aria and spend some time with her. She was all that mattered to me and not this ungrateful pack I led.I would take a break from everything and create a special date for me and her. I have put plans for all the wedding preparations to kick start with immediate effect. I am wasting no time in making her my wife, whether the pack likes it or not.I walked into the room to meet her talking with Prisca, who excused us immediately after I walked in."Hey love," I greeted Aria brightly as I dragged a stool and sat close to her."Hi," her voice was less enthusiastic than before but I decided not to dwell on it."So how are my babies doing," I asked as I rubbed my hands against each other."Good," she answered shortly."Okay..." At this point, I was sure something was wrong. "Is everything alright? Why are you sounding th
-Adonai- I paused and turned round to behold Aria's questioningly eyes on me and Zafa."Aria?" I called under my breath, unable to believe my eyes even though it was a thing I wanted so badly. I let go of Zafa and he staggered, hitting a table. I care less about him as I hurried to Aria and held her hands. "Aria you are alive.""What happened?" She asked as she tried to sit up."Please don't stress it," I held her back gently. "You have been in a coma for days now.""Coma?" Her eyes widened a bit."Yes," I replied as I explained. "You were poisoned." I turned towards Zafa's direction as I spoke and she followed my eyes."What?...what about my baby?" She suddenly panicked."Hey calm down...""My baby, did....did something happen to it?""Calm down now," I said slowly as I sat beside her on the bed. "Look at me. That is something we don't know for now but the most important thing is you are alive.""No," she shook her head vigorously. "Nothing must happen to my baby.""Come on, we can
-Dante- If only I had known that killing Dan would make Adonai think of the option of using Zafa, I would have thought of something better. But Dan was a fool and the reason for my hasty decision. I was livid. He dared go behind my back to seek Zafa's help.He must have told him I forced him into it and I cannot have such foolishness go free. My only consolation was that the poison would have done severe damage to Aria by now that there would be no help for her.Let Zafa try all he can, and Adonai try to get all the medicine men he can far and wide, there's nothing that can be done.I have made all my strategies and they are ready now. I have strong support within and outside the pack. This is only but a distraction before I pounce on Adonai finally. He wouldn't be able to fight back because his hold on the pack is weak.Almost all the elders and men in the pack are by my side. I have penetrated them and talked them into believing Adonai was no good anymore. Aria made it even easier