The air outside the healer's hut felt fresher as Brad and I stepped out, the calming scent of the healer's herbs still lingering on my skin. The fresh air was a nice contrast to all the mists and scents and aromas that were in the healer's hut, but my relief did not last long.Her warning about potential danger from someone close to me weighed heavily on my mind, and as we started walking towards the pack farm, I couldn't shake off the unease that had settled inside my chest. Now I felt like instead of solving the problem, she had just amplified it, made things a lot worse by making me more paranoid about all of my friendship."Who do you think Healer Ruby meant by 'beware of friends,' Layla?" Brad asked, his brow furrowing in concern. I remembered just then that he had come to the healer with me, and I felt a lot of relief that he had. "I can't imagine anyone in our pack wishing harm upon you. We've all been through so much together. And the people you call your friends are people yo
The tension between Brad and me hung heavy the air, casting a heavy shadow over every single interaction that we had. It had been two days, and every word he had spoken to me in the past few days hd been a grunt, or a barked out response.One evening, as the sun dipped, I had finally hsd enough, and I decided that there was no harm in seeking advice from my closest confidantes,Kimora, Lee, and Margot.I had sent them all ominous notes to meet me, telling them that er would be gathering in a quiet corner of the pack. As expected, I was the first person there, and when the rest got there, they say down quietly and watched me, waiting for me to speak. I hesitated before pouring out the turmoil in my heart. "There's been a misunderstanding between Brad and me," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to bridge fix things. He's ignoring me and he's angry at me, and it's confusing, but I think I'm angry at him too. It's affecting me very much, and I am afraid it mi
As we walked towards it, the bonfire flickered warmly in the center of the pack's gathering spot, casting dancing shadows on the faces of the pack members who had come together for a night of laughter and each other's company. As Brad and I arrived hand in hand, the sight of familiar faces brought a sense of relaxation to my body, and I unclenched, unaware that I had even been clenching on the first place.Near the bonfire, asides from the usual Kimora, Lee and David, I spotted Erin, Eric, and Remy, the siblings of the outcast pack before we disbanded, their smiles wide and infectious. It had been a while since I had seen them all together, and their presence added to the joyous energy that the bonfire had going on. We approached them, the crackling fire coloring our faces with its golden glow.Erin, the most outspoken of the trio, wasted no time. "Well, well, look who decided to grace us with their presence. It's been ages since you two were out and about together. Are you finally do
Erin's eyes widened with surprise at my casual remark about having a baby, and I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "Oh, no, not yet," I clarified, chuckling. "I was just teasing. Brad and I haven't really talked about it seriously. We're still figuring things out, you know?"She let out a relieved sigh, playfully swatting my arm. "You scared me for a moment there! But seriously, you and Brad would make amazing parents one day. I can already imagine your little ones running around the pack grounds, causing mischief. You could be running around too, trying to catch them, and Brad would be the most involved dad ever!"I smiled at her words, touched by the genuine excitement to hear in her voice. "Thank you, Erin. That means a lot. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right now, we're just enjoying being together and working on our relationship. There's still so much to do in the pack getting married is the least of our worries right now. "With a shared laugh, we bid each other g
The three of us gathered around the breakfast table, the aroma of the food tickling our senses. We had spent enough time looking at each other and the food, and now it was time to eat. The atmosphere in the room was light and filled with the promise of light and easy conversation. As we dug into the meal, conversation flowed naturally, taking away the initial unease of the night.Erin shared stories from her side of the the oavm, her voice animated as she recounted the antics of some of the younger pack members. Her laughter was infectious, and soon enough, we were all laughing together, the drama of the last few days now behind us. The younger pack members were apparently taking well to Margot and Wally's ideas to keep them occupied, and were teasing both of them by calling them boyfriend and girlfriend and sniggering at their back.Brad, ever the peacemaker, kept the mood at the table consistently light with his sharp remarks, making Erin and I laugh until our sides hurt. It felt
Later that night, we found ourselves at the pack grounds, the familiar smells of soil and freshly crushed leaves filling the air. It was time for our scheduled shift, and the pack members were already gathering, the smells of their prepared meals and the noise from their excited chatger charged the air with something I couldn't place. As we stood together, our hands tangled in each other's, I looked over at Brad, his eyes meeting mine with a faint smile. He had not forgotten that this was my first shift after missing two, being stuck in the dungeon at Alpha Dan's pack, and he could sense how tentative I was. Faced with that dilemma, the events of the past days seemed distant now, and I felt a shudder run through my body. I had been so self assured when I had told everyone that I was going g to show up at the shift tonight, but now that I was here, something felt off. With a nod, Brad gave me the go ahead to start the shift, and as though they could sense that it was about to begin,
After Erin settled in, the atmosphere at our home became heavy with an unspoken tension. Brad, usually very talkative and chatty, seemed to struggle with making conversation with Erin. I suspected that it was because he was used to it just being both of us in the house, and now that someone else was in the house with us, he was not used to it. Awkward silences hung in the air, and I could sense that Erin was just as unsure as I was about how to navigate the situation. Throughout that day, the three of us skirted around each other in an awkward silent till the time that my cheeks were too full and I didn't know what to do with myself. I decided to take Erin aside the next afternoon, hoping to clear the air. I wanted to know if she was just as uncomfortable as I was with the silence, and figure out maybe what we could do to fix things. As we stepped into the garden right in front of the pack house, I turned to her with a warm smile, trying to make her less uncomfortable. Her body la
Brad's brows furrowed in concern as he glanced from the broken mug to the plate with the stale bread. "Did either of you leave this here?" he asked, his voice edged with concern. I stood there mute for a minute and kept on staring at him, and in response he snapped a finger in front of me.“Well, did you? ” he asked, annoyed. Erin and I exchanged bewildered glances. "No, I didn't," Erin said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked between Brad and I, confused. “Is there something-”"I didn't either," I replied, my heart pounding in my chest. The meaning of seeing the familiar metal plate in our home sent chills down my spine, and I began to shake uncontrollably. “Oh god, oh god, oh god.”Brad's expression hardened, his protective instincts kicking in. "Layla, I want you to go to Kimora's cabin for the night. I need to make sure the pack house is secure. Something doesn't feel right. If neither of you put it there, and I didn't put it there either, then someone else has been in
P.S: Dear readers, we've come a long way. Please don't forget to leave your comment in the comments section and your vote counts as well. See you in my next book' Winks'. Love Ya. Last Chapter. ***** The crisp autumn air rustled the leaves overhead as I stood with Brad by the edge of the clearing, my hand instinctively cradling the small swell of my belly. The pack had settled into a comfortable routine after the wedding, our days filled with moments of joy, laughter, and the expectation of new beginnings. Feeling the gentle kicks from our unborn child, I marveled at the miracle of life growing within me. Brad's hand rested on my stomach, his eyes filled with awe and love as he felt our baby move. The bond we shared seemed to have even deepened by the knowledge that soon, we would be welcoming a new member into our pack, and it would be a baby: a symbol of our love and the unity of our community. As I stood there, lost in the wonder of impending motherhood, Wally and Margot appro
P.s: Dear readers, we're coming to the end of this book. Please try to leave a review in the comments section. I really appreciate all your efforts thanks. ***** The sun set on the victorious battlefield, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. Amidst the jubilant pack members and the warriors from the Black Creek pack, Brad and I found a moment of quiet to discuss our future. Erin had joined the celebrations, her eyes reflecting the relief of a battle won and the joy of newfound family bonds. We walked together along the edge of the clearing, the sounds of laughter and celebration fading behind us. Brad looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of love and determination. "Layla," he said, his voice soft yet steady, "we've been through so much together. I can't imagine my life without you. I want to spend the rest of my days by your side, facing whatever challenges come our way, just like we did today." I smiled, my heart swelling with affection for the man beside me. "Brad,
Amidst the chaos of battle, Erin stood her ground, her eyes locked onto Rame with a mixture of anger and disgust. Brad and I, observing Erin's fierce resolve, exchanged a quick, worried glance. We knew Erin's history with Rame, how he had manipulated her in the past. We couldn't let her face him alone, but we also understood the need for Erin to confront her father. A lot of the battle had been for the pack, but a lot of it had been for Erin's sake too."Brad," I said, my voice low but urgent, "we can't just leave her alone with him. She needs our help, our support. We can't risk her getting manipulated again."I nodded, my eyes never leaving Erin. "I know, Brad. But we can't just rush in without a plan. We need to be strategic about this. If we charge in recklessly, we might inadvertently make things worse for her. We have to trust Erin, trust that she's strong enough to handle him."Brad clenched his fists, frustration evident in his eyes. "I trust Erin, but I don't trust him. He's
The air in the pack meeting hall buzzed with excitement as I stood at the front, my eyes scanning the faces of the pack members. The news of the imminent threat from Rame had spread like wildfire, and now, the entire pack was gathered to discuss our plans for the upcoming battle. Among the crowd, there was a palpable sense of fear, mixed with a touch of anxiety. The arrival of reinforcements from the Black Creek pack was eagerly awaited, not just by my pack members, but by me too. I would never admit it to anyone else, but I was terrified of what was going on. As the pack settled, Brad stood by my side, his presence a source of strength. In the last few days, I had found that I needed it a lot more, because the horror of lur wntkre situationnovertook me at the most random times. I couldn't afford for that to happen right now. Right now, I needed to convey a sense of calm and confidence to inspire our pack members. I took a deep breath, my voice projecting across the room."Thank you
The journey back to our pack was a quiet one. Brad and I walked side by side, lost in our thoughts. The encounter with Rame had shaken us to our cores. As we trudged through the dense forest, I couldn't help but glance at Brad, trying to decipher the storm of emotions that must be raging within him. Finally, unable to contain my curiosity, I broke the silence."Brad, how are you feeling?" I asked, my voice gentle. "Seeing Rame, the one who took your father away from you... it must have been incredibly difficult. I know you never speak about your father. In fact, no one in the pack does. They all act like he is some taboo topic, and hearing Rame just-”He sighed, his shoulders tense. "It's... complicated, Layla," he replied, his voice heavy with the weight of his emotions. "I never thought I'd see him again after that night. I had buried the memories deep inside, trying to move on. But now, facing him, it's like reopening an old wound. Anger, sadness, confusion... it's all mixed up ins
"You can call me someone who's not afraid of delusional villains," I retorted, my voice firm, refusing to back down in the face of Rame's anger. "Your reign of darkness ends here, Rame. We won't let you destroy our pack."Rame's eyes blazed with fury, his lips curling into a snarl. "You think your bravado will save you? I've faced stronger opponents than you, and they all fell before my power. There are many things that I can do that your small brains cannot even begin to fathom. Do you really feed into the belief that your confidence will help you?"I exchanged a shared glance with Brad, our shared annoyance fueling our speech. "Rame, your power may be formidable, but it's nothing compared to the strength of all the love that there is in this pack. Erin may be an exception, but in this pack, we protect our own," Brad said, his voice steady. "Our pack stands together, and that makes us stronger than you can ever comprehend. Get it through your little head that you are not getting your
"Layla," Brad's voice trembled with emotion as he continued, his eyes fixed on mine, "Rame was once one of the most respected wizards in our pack. His fall from grace was a tragedy that was caused by his own ambition. He was a friend to my father, a mentor even. But power corrupted him, turned him into a monster."I took a hold of Brad's hand, offering him silent support as he gathered the strength to continue. "Rame's desire for power took over him," he said, his jaw set in determination. "He killed my father, believing it would grant him the Alpha position. But our pack members, out of loyalty, stood against him. We banished him, hoping he'd never return."A chilling laughter echoed through the ruins, and Rame emerged from the shadows, his eyes glowing with malevolence. "Oh, what a touching tale," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "But you see, I've embraced the darkness. I've become more powerful than you can imagine. Your loyalty and love won't save you this time."I ti
The pack house welcomed us with its bright colors, and I felt a warmth inside that I hadn't felt before. Brad and I settled into our favorite spot in the living room, a comfortable couch where we often discussed pack matters and important decisions, long before he had lost his memory. In the distance, the fire in the fireplace burning bright. Seated close to each other, we held on to each other for long minutes at end, looking at each other like it was the first time we had seen each other in a long time. We were locked in lazy conversation and trying to figure out who could have done this in the first place, and we had tried out many different names, but one kept on coming back, over and over:Erin"I know she has a crush on me," Brad said, his brow furrowed in contemplation. "But could it be possible that her feelings took a dark turn? Maybe she couldn't handle the fact that I didn't reciprocate her feelings. Though, that would have been very counterintuitive."I nodded, understandi
The memory came rushing back to me, vivid and clear, as though it had happened just yesterday. I closed my eyes, allowing the past to wash over me, taking me back to that fateful day in the heart of the forest.Many years ago, when I was still young and finding my way as a leader, I used to roam the woods surrounding our pack territory with the forest, with its ancient trees and whispered secrets, was a place where I found solace, and the place where I enjoyed training the most. On that particular day, the sun had gone down early.I was lost in thought, my mind occupied with the responsibilities of being an Alpha. As I walked, I heard laughter, the innocent, carefree sound of a. Hold coughing. Intrigued, I followed the sound until I stumbled upon a clearing. There, surrounded by wildflowers and bathed in moonlight, were three children.The eldest, a boy with tousled brown hair and curious eyes, looked to be around ten years old. He had an air of confidence about him, his posture sugg