ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI WAS ALMOST done packing my bags when I heard Mitch come into the bedroom chambers. He leaned against the doorframe and I felt his stare. I turned and saw him looking at me. "What?" I asked.He sighed and came to sit down beside me. "I do not want to impose on you, but I would very much like it if you don't leave the kingdom." He said. I touched his hand."I know you are smart enough to make your own decisions, but..." He sighed again."I know how you feel," I said. "But I have to be there for Reine. She has been there for me countless times."He nodded. "I know that." He reached into the closet and helped me fold some clothes to put into my traveling bag. "I have arranged a chopper that would take you from the kingdom to the pack.""Thank you," I told him. Using a helicopter for the journey might seem extravagant, but it reduces the risk of running into danger significantly. "Your vampire was not bad," I said. Vorenus seemed to me like a very stoic man guided by
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERA QUICK HOUR later, I could begin to form out the structures that made the Red Moon pack. "We will be landing in a minute," the pilot said. I gave him a thumbs-up to signify that I heard. I looked out the window. I could make out the packhouse. The house where I had grown up, fallen in love, and also got discarded like thrash. But now, I was returning as a well respected guest. I chuckled slightly."It seems like your arrival is long-awaited, Luna," Alphonso said.I nodded. I could see the number of people waiting on the ground and waving as we flew by. The pilot hovered for a few seconds in the yard in front of the pack house before slowly, we descended and he shut the engine. The blades were still spinning as Alphonso pushed the door and jumped out with agility. He extended his hand to help me down carefully.I tucked a strand of my hair as I stepped down at the land of my birth. Alphonso reached into the helicopter again and extracted our bags. I looked around
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER"HAVE YOU HAD breakfast?" Reine asked as she got up from the bed.I vaguely remembered that I had left the kingdom this morning; I had not had a bite to eat. I shook my head and Reine grinned. "Allow me to serve you." She said. We both walked to the dining room and I took my seat. I looked around for Alphonso, who was nowhere in sight, but Reine said, "Don't worry about your guard," she brought in a small tray and placed it on the table. "I'm sure he is fine. Maybe just outside the packhouse, keeping watch."I smiled at her without saying anything, but I mindlinked, "Alphonso. Tell me you are alive."His chuckle came through immediately and he said. "I am still alive, Luna. Do you need help with anything?" I considered asking him to come inside, but I shook my head. "No. You can stay there if you're not hungry. I am having breakfast.""I have eaten already, ma'am." He said. "I will stay out here."Reine sat down opposite me and nibbled on the food on her plate. "
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI CREEPED OUT the window and made a quick walk away from the pack house. I didn't know why I was moving in secret, but maybe I wanted some time alone with my sister without Alphonso or Beth listening in. The only problem now was that I didn't know where her cabin was located. And I did not want to ask any of the pack members for the location. I don't think they were enthusiastic towards my sister who was their former Luna and who almost drove the pack to the ground.I turned around to make sure I was not being followed as I walked into a small cluster of houses. Some children were tossing a ball in the middle of a clearing. I looked at my watch; it was the middle of the day, and these children should be in school. I made a mental note to talk to Rick about the education system in the pack.I kept my head down to avoid being noticed by anyone as I walked by. I swiveled my head from side to side, looking for anything in the houses that might be a giveaway to Beth’s li
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERAS I HEADED back to the pack, I walked by the woods again, and this time, I let the urge of my wolf take over, and I shifted, ripping my clothes to shreds as my bones changed shape and fused. A few moments later, I was in my full wolf form. I shook out my furs gently and looked around. All my senses were heightened; I could see and hear clearer than before, even to as little as the small chirping of some birds a distance away.I ran along the woods enjoying the feeling of the wind as it rushed over my face. I was feeling exhilarated; the encounter with my sister was almost forgotten now as I leaped over fallen trees with childish abandon.That was the thing with most wolf spirits. Most of them still possessed the type of joy that was mostly found in human children. After running to my fill, I slowed to a stop. The woods were still as I remembered them from my childhood. I laid down to cool off underneath a large oak tree. Laying there and basking in the warm sun.
VORENUS WAS HAVING a not-so-bad time in the bar. He had been feeling especially happy since he met Anna, it was like she was a ray of happiness in his long mundane life. She gave him something to live for, something away from the constant drinking, fucking, and drinking of blood. He met her only once and for a brief moment but he already felt a deep sense of loyalty towards her.“One more glass of whatever that was, please,“ he said to the cute bartender. He chuckled at himself. He was saying “please“ like a gentleman. It was like Anna had further increased his level of humanity.What would be next? He asked himself sarcastically. Helping children cross the road and helping old people climb the bus? He chuffed, although the first one did not sound so bad. He might even enjoy it, as he had always had a soft spot for children. He smiled at the thought of even asking Mitch if he could see Paige on his next visit. Would she remember him? Or would he be another lost memory to her?He nodde
VORENUS KEPT HIS eyes on the newcomers. They looked very different physically; one of them was huge, almost 7 feet of pure muscle. The second man was much smaller; he had the stature of a midsized woman. They both looked at Vorenus, who took a cautious step back. His eyes flickered to Vladimir, who was watching with a smile on his face. The two new men circled Vorenus like they were preparing to attack. Following his instinct, Vorenus kept his gaze on the smaller man; even though the large man looked to be like the bigger threat, there was something in the small man's eyes that warned Vorenus. Suddenly, the man lunged at Vorenus, fangs bared. Vorenus was expecting the attack, so he swerved out of the way easily and grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck. He slammed the man to the ground and jumped on him, but he was jacked and flung bodily through the air. He crashed into the wall, splintering the stone bricks. He looked at Vladimir, who was watching what was going on with a smi
MITCH CHESTERA FULL 24 hours was not even gone, and Mitch was already feeling incomplete and missing Anna. He tried not to think too much about her absence by making himself busy. He was poring over the numbers on a ledger when the door to his office opened and Draco came in. "What are you doing?" He asked. He squinted and saw the thick book on Mitch's table. "Are you going through the accounts? I thought you hated doing that."Mitch scoffed without looking up. Draco went to the drink shelf, his eyes ran over all the bottles, and then he picked a bottle of mild whiskey and retrieved two cups along with it. He placed a cup in front of Mitch and poured him a drink. Mitch looked up. "What happened to staying away from alcohol?" He asked.Draco took a small sip and grimaced. "I'm sure Hilda would understand." He sat down opposite Mitch and added, "Besides, I do not plan to drink myself out." He leaned forward and looked at the book Mitch had been looking at. He chuckled and said, "You
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERTHE DINNER PROGRESSED silently between me and Janet after Vladimir left. I was not inclined to say anything to her, so I ignored all the stares she sent my way. I was focused on the meal, because I do not know the next time I would eat again. It might not be until the ritual, and if I had any hopes of escaping, then I need all the energy I can get.When I had eaten to my fill, I sat back, watching Janet's thin hands pick at her food tastelessly.“You are vegan,“ I said, noting that there was no meat nor fish on her plate.She scoffed, “Unlike you savages, I care about the lives of animals.“ She stuffed a strip of carrot into her mouth. “I heard that you dogs even eat raw meat. That is just disgusting.““And yet you sleep with a man - a creature that drinks raw blood… you don’t think that is disgusting?“ I retorted, knowing that she was right about us eating raw meat. Sometimes when in our wolf skin, he could go hunting and eat whatever we catch, which could range fr
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERHOLDING ON TO Vorenus softly as he led me out, We walked up a flight of stairs and down a hallway till we stopped in front of a thick, mahogany wood. I took a deep breath as Vorenus pushed the door open and stood aside to let me through. Taking careful steps, I walked into the room. It was like a large hall, lit up beautifully with gold chandeliers. There was a small round table in the middle of the room, and Vorenus was seated at the head of the table.He looked at me as I walked in; his eyes widened slightly, but that was the only reaction he gave. His human mistress sat beside me; the look she gave was a nasty, dirty stare, but she kept her mouth shut. Vladimir's eyes followed me all the way to the table. I nodded at him curtly and took a seat. The table was filled with many delicacies, and even a full roast pig sat in the center.“Thank you for coming,“ Vladimir said.It was not like I had any option; I scoffed under my breath. I turned and looked behind me, exp
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI DO NOT know how long I remained in the cage — listening to the dripping of water in the far dark distance. But I knew when the sun went down, because the mansion became more active, and the sound of night bugs joined in the sound of water droplets.I felt like I was going to run mad, but the door opened and the butler came in. He was human, I was sure of it, but still, there was something off about him. But I could not place my hand on it. He stood a few feet away from my cell and looked at me in a spiteful manner. “My name is Bartholomew the Fourteenth,“ he said.The fourteenth? I asked myself. Does that mean that fourteen generations of this man's family had lived with and worked for Vladimir?“What you are thinking is exactly correct,“ the butler said. “And no, I cannot read minds, but I could clearly see the confusion written on your face.”“What do you want?“ I asked. If he was going to be anything like the other human in the mansion - Janet, I wanted to prep
320LORNA DID NOT know her next move, or why she washed the mind of this vampire, but she knew she had to do something, and this seemed like the first step.“Rise,“ she commanded.The vampire stood up robotically and looked at her with his soulless eyes.“What are you doing here?“ she asked him.“Keeping watch on the borders of this kingdom,“ he replied.“Why?““I was just following orders,“ he said.“Whose orders?“ Lorna asked, even though she already knew the answer, but she wanted to be sure.“The king,“ the vampire replied.Lorna scoffed under her breath. Vladimir. She turned and looked at the way she had come from, considering her options. Should she take this vampire back to the kingdom where he could be interviewed by Mitch for information, or should she take the more riskier option and tell the vampire to take her to where Anna was being kept prisoner?She looked back and forth a couple of times, then she made her decision. She was not going back to the kingdom. She and they w
LORNA LOOKED OUT the window and watched as Mitch addressed the guest from the Red Moon pack; she saw the way they looked at him with awe and adoration. They were here out of respect for him and love for Anna.She turned away from the window and went to the bed where Aiden was sleeping, brushing her hand across his forehead. He mumbled something inaudible and shuffled slightly, but he did not wake up. She sighed sadly, wondering what the medical personnel were going to make of this. Aiden was not entirely in a coma. He responded to touch, and she had seen his flicker in his eyelids when Mitch had whispered something in his ear a few hours ago. It was just like he was in a deep slumber without being able to wake up. She imagined it to be like he was trapped in his own body.“If only your mother were here,“ she muttered in a small voice. “She would know what to do to bring you back.“ Lorna spoke gently to herself. She sighed and leaned in to kiss Aiden's forehead. She felt very connected
MITCH CHESTERMITCH COULD FEEL the animosity in the tense air as soon as they walked in. Draco was behind him, and Delta Adam walked beside him as they walked to the front of the hall. All heads followed their movement. Mitch stopped and overlooked the senate; he cleared his throat to stop all side talks and make sure all the attention was on him before he said, “We have some guests in our midst,“ he said in a strong voice. “And I expect us to be hospitable and treat them well.““They are from the inland pack,“ a small, stubby man muttered.“From the lunas former pack,“ Mitch nodded. “And they are here to help us in rescuing her. I hope we will be able to put aside your differences and work together.“The hall was silent for the next few seconds, so Mitch continued, “And they brought some weapons to give us an added advantage,“ he said.“We will be fighting with weapons now?“ Sil asked, astonished, “Like the humans?“Mitch cocked his head and nodded. “I'm afraid so,“ he said. “We need
MITCH CHESTERMITCH SAT DOWN heavily and examined the faces of the members of the Senate before him. They knew something was off in the balance of the kingdom. He cleared his throat and said, “What called for this meeting?““I think the meeting is long over due, Your Highness,“ Lane said in a small voice. Mitch looked around at the nods of agreement around the table.Mitch snorted.“We got the news that we had guests.“ a fat man muttered. “Guest. Warriors from another pack. As if the military in this kingdom is not enough.““So it means there is a heavy war coming,“ Sil said. She paused and continued, “A war that would mean we are accepting help from other inland packs.“A ripple of murmuring went round the pack again.“It is not just any inland pack,“ Mitch said. “They are from the red moon pack. Luna Anna's former pack.““Talking of Luna Anna,“ Sil cut in. “Where is she?“Mitch sighed. Truly, there are so many things that they need to address. Where would he even start? He asked him
MITCH CHESTERMITCH HAD BEEN waiting for the past 20 hours. All the pent up and nervous energy was making him agitated. He hated waiting, but that was what he had been forced to do for the past 20 hours. When he could not take it anymore, he went upstairs to Aiden's room, Lorna was still there. But up in Aiden's room was another waiting session as they waited for him to wake up.Lorna sat up when Mitch walked in. He looked around and noted that Elijah and Oliver were absent. “What of the boys?“ he asked.“They left an hour ago," she replied. “They had to eat and wash up, but I think they will be back here anytime soon.“Mitch nodded and sat down heavily with a sigh. He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palms.“How did the meeting go?“ Lorna asked after a few seconds of silence.“As fine as it can get,“ he said.“You and Enrique did not clash heads?“ she asked. Everyone knew about the both of them.He shrugged, “We did. But we came to an agreement.“She smiled softly. “That is good
315ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI HAD NO idea how long I had been locked in the cell when the door opened. I sat up expecting it to be Vorenus; instead, it was the skinny, sick looking mistress of Vladimir. Her name was Janet or something like that.She stalked to the front of my cell and pouted at me. “So you are a woman… and pretty too.“ If that was meant to be a compliment, it did not sound so, as it was laced with venom.Gathering some energy, I stood up. I was taller than her and was pleased when she tilted her head to look up at me. She took an involuntary step backward. I smirked at her.“You are never going to take Vladimir from me,“ she blurted.“What?“ I gagged. Who was this dumb lady? “If you are thinking I am here of my own free will to snatch your undead boyfriend, you have the brain of a 15 year old high schooler.“She placed her hand on her hip and frowned. “And what? You have the brain of a mature woman…“ She frowned and leaned closer to me. “Wait a minute, don't I know you?”I