-Adonai-The curse.It was a glaring myth I always preferred to tug in so I did not have to worry about it. It lingered in the air and I was conscious of it. But I would rather think of other things than dwell on it and give it a form in my thoughts.It was the same thing Jasmine’s mother brought up, thinking she would get me caged with it. Yes, it worried me. It was a reality I could not do any with, but I refused to have it as a weakness. When a man is laced with a situation like this, it becomes a burden and what people would term it as a weakness.It would be what his enemies would use against him to get him so I refuse to let anyone see that I cared, less they use it against me.“What are you trying to say, Ellen,” I frowned at her. “Go straight to the point. I do not have any time to waste.”“Of course Adonai,” she adjusted on the seat. “What I am trying to say is not farfetched from the reason I had offered you my daughter to be your wife. Because just like I have said earlier,
-Prisca-Something is not right somewhere. Jasmine is acting weird and I must get to the bottom of it. There was just something off about her and the way she acted since she had recovered from the last incident that almost claimed her life and she did not want to open up to me.I arranged my clothes carefully into the dresser. This was my favorite thing about the dry season. My clothes would always dry when I air them. I had better enjoy it now before the rain comes because it always does in great torrents and the sun barely has the chance to shine.I did not like the way Jasmine had withdrawn. We were not like this. How did our relationship go down in a space of less than two weeks? If it continues this way I might lose grip on our friendship. There was nothing wrong with her except she had been acting off.Was she suspecting anything? And why would she not tell me then? Well, since she kept insisting she was fine I had better let her be for now.My thoughts were interrupted by a sud
-Aria-I did not know for how long but I had slept off while laying lazily on my bed. I yawned and stretched on the bed. Hell no, is this how my life is going to be? Sleeping every day and doing nothing productive? I was not used to it.Back there in Moonbeam, I was a maid and I worked my hands out from childhood and it became a part of me. Here I woke up to being served, my clothes washed and meals prepared by the maids. It was a boring life to live especially not that I had decided to slow down my relationship with the only person that had kept me company all this while.No, Prisca had done nothing but it was the sudden awareness that I was not safe even with her that gnawed me. I would not be spared if Prisca should have a hint that I might not be her friend. Just like I had thought it would be easy for Ms. Ellen to find out, perhaps it would be easier for Prisca to since she spends more time with Jasmine than anyone else.How would I have been able to explain how I did not know m
-Aria-I swallowed hard and began to think of a way I could quickly cover up the mistake I had made. How could I have forgotten and told them my real name? Now the two were looking at me questioningly wondering who Aria was. Why had I even offered to introduce myself in the first place? I almost hit myself. I am sure they knew who I was without any introductions.“Oh, can you just imagine myself?” I laughed nervously. “Did I say I was Aria? Please disregard that. That is a name I had given myself which my friends call me with. I am Jasmine.”That was lame but I smiled and hoped they would buy it. They seemed to and the tense atmosphere became light again.“Yes I know my lady,” Maria said and I wanted to hit myself again. Of course, she knew.“Well what do you want to make?” she asked me while the other lady I had walked in with left to join the others as Maria led me to a space I could use.“Mmm,” I hummed thoughtfully. “I had not thought what I wanted to make though.”“Are you cookin
-Ariel-Jasmine cooked? Do miracles happen overnight? Jasmine does not even know how to light a fire to boil water.We were not allowed to do any of those while growing up. Though Jasmine had always been the rebellious child who would sneak out to join local children in their chores of fetching water and firewood, I was still better than her when it came to work.“I did, with the help of the maids,” she said and I nodded. Thought as much.“Well, you don’t have to cook, do you? You have maids who do everything for you,” I stated.“Well yeah, I just wanted to,” she said. A question popped into my mind and I did not think it was necessary to ask but curiosity got the best of me.“Who did you make it for?” I asked.“Uhm, actually I…,” she stuttered and coughed. “It’s not like I made it, especially for someone you see, but I just thought to share it with Adonai.”I cocked my head in a direction with an amused smile on my face.“Wow tell me about it,” I said and she shook her head, waving h
-Aria-While the guard was explaining to him I could not get my eyes off him. They had said he was meditating but he looked like someone who had just come out of the bathroom with a towel around his neck and water dripping from his hair.“What is this Jasmine?” he asked me and I had to struggle to maintain my composure so I could reply to him.“My lord, good morning,” I greeted warmly. “I am so sorry to have disturbed your morning but the guards would not let me see my Lord. I tried explaining to them it was important I see you but they would not let me.”He held my eyes for some seconds with no expression in them and I fidgeted a little. It was all I could do not to look away and be intimidated. His eyes moved to the tray the maids were holding and it lingered there. I hoped he would not do something crazy like ask me to leave or even go back to the room and close the door in my face.“Let them in,” he finally said and I silently let out a breath I had not realized I was holding, bar
-Prisca-I paced around the room restlessly thinking about what Dante had told me and trying to figure out what he had meant by all those things he had said. Was he trying to blackmail me? And on what grounds? It seems he does not know who I am and he thinks he can threaten me because I am a scarred cat.Well, he must be mistaken and making a very big mistake because he was messing with the wrong person. Of course, I had no intentions of doing what he wanted me to because I would not be forced to do anything with force.And I know he does not love Jasmine as much as she loves him. Whatever his intentions are, he is not going to get it from me. I must not let him think he has a hold on me.I sat on my bed. Just who the hell does he think he is anyway? Coming to my house to tell me all that rubbish.I had stayed away from the empire for some days now because I wanted to give her some space but I had hoped she would come looking for me just the last time and as always. This was the thir
-Aria-The red stoned ring! She was wearing the ring on her finger. What is going on?I blinked my eyes rapidly and swallowed a lump in my throat. Or was I mistaken? I recognized the ring because how could I ever forget the memory that flashed in my mind about Jasmine’s death? It looked just like it.Prisca did not notice the look on my face as she unpacked the food she had brought from the basket while I just kept staring at her in what felt like fear and shock all in one. But I did not have the time to think further when a sudden nauseated feeling hit me and salty saliva gathered in my mouth.I held my stomach and ran to the bathroom to throw up.“Jasmine,” Prisca called out, running after me. I threw up and leaned on the wall, gasping for air.“Jasmine, what is it?” Prisca asked with concern on her face, placing her hand on my shoulder. I recoiled unconsciously, moving away from her touch.“Jasmine…” she looked worried.“Did you put garlic in the food?” I finally found the strength
- 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