RICK FORSON HE COULD TELL that she was getting impatient, he could recognize the signs all too well. She had not really changed too much so he said, “Before we talk, let me show you the training.“. He saw the frown on her face, but she nodded without saying anything, following him to where the special forces of his warriors were preparing themselves for the harsh weather terrains of the mountain Alps. The training ground was mostly a clearing in the fringe of the pack residential area. It bordered on the end of the woods. There was a medium sized building at one end of the clearing. “This did not use to be here,“ Anna said, looking around. He nodded. “We had it built after you healed the pack from the plague,“ he replied. Many things changed and healed after that. “The building contains our armory.“ “Armoury?“ Anna frowned even deeper. “Are you expecting a war of your own?“ He chuckled and shook his head. “The war against you and your kingdom is automatically ours. And we w
RICK FORSONHE HAD GOTTEN her full attention now. The anger was completely gone from her face and she was now confused. “Explain yourself,“ she said in a strong voice.He opened his mouth many times to talk but closed it without saying anything because he still did not know how to say it. After some failed trials, he sighed and finally said, “Come.“ He walked past her. He gave a small nod to Delta Adam as they walked out. He saw Anna raise her face to the warm sun; her shawl was no longer wrapped around her neck. She held it loosely by her side. “Let me show you the soldiers and the intense training they undergo.“Without saying a word, Anna followed him round to the back side of the building, where about two dozen men were lounging in the sun.“After the training, the best 20 men will be sent to your kingdom to help the fight against the vampires,“ Rick said. He cleared his throat, and the warriors looked. As soon as they saw who it was, they immediately jumped to their feet and salu
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERMY MIND WAS troubled as I got into my room and closed the door behind me. But as I remembered the desperation in Rick’s eyes, I brought my phone and dialed Mitch’s number. I was surprised when the call died. It did not even go to voicemail. It just… died.I tried again and got the same result. Subduing the sudden panic that reared up in my mind, I went to the other window, like my change in position was going to help in the connection of the call. But it did not.“What is going on, Mitch?“ I muttered to myself as I tried to call the kingdom landline. It was also a dead end. I sat on my bed heavily and buried my head in my hand. This was a strange thing. I know that the guys from the kingdom had fixed the lines after the storm. I saw them do it, so what could be the problem now?I scrolled through my contacts again. Over the years, my subtle fame made me have the contacts of some people I never thought I would need. But I chuckled in irony as I saw the number of a wo
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERA VEIN THROBBED in Jones’s forehead like it was going to burst. I had a wry smile on my face as I tried to remember the medical term for a burst vein and how to treat it. An emergency surgery perhaps. His face was twisted, changing through different emotions at the same time. This was the most emotion I have seen in his face since all the time that I have known him. After struggling to find his voice for the next few minutes, he stood up abruptly and said, “I better go call Rick.“ He hurried out of the office and closed the door firmly behind him. He could have mind linked and called Rick to the office, but I knew he wanted some space away from me. I chuckled at the thought. “Was it that easy to become someone who is immediately hated and feared?“ I wondered. I raised my hand up to my face and examined it, looking for any changes. They were still the same - bright yellow, smooth, and fine-skinned - like how a doctor’s should be. Why should it be any different?
MITCH CHESTER IT HAD BEEN almost a week, and Mitch was still not in contact with Anna. All his calls were being bounced, and he was getting more worried by the minutes, but he did not want to show it, especially not to the kids. "We are done, Dad," Addison said, drawing his attention. He looked up from his cold cup of coffee. Aiden and Addison were completely dressed for school with schoolbags and wrapped in multiple layers of thick cardigans. As they had not gotten their wolf spirit yet, the cold could affect them easier. He smiled warmly. "What of Hailie? And Elijah," he asked. Addison turned around sharply and said, "I'll go get them." She dumped her bag on the floor and raced up the stairs before Mitch could object. Aiden picked up his sister's bag and trudged to the dining table, where he dropped it. "How are you, son?" Mitch asked. Aiden climbed on a chair and sat down. He picked a sausage from the pot and chewed on it. "Haven't you had breakfast?" Mitch ask
MITCH CHESTERAS HE LEFT the howl gathering and headed to the packhouse, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest as his mind raced and tried to think of what was wrong. He pushed the heavy doors open to see the nannies surrounding Aiden. All the children were quiet, white with fear, and were watching with wise eyes. "What is wrong with him?" Mitch asked, pushing aside the women in front of him. Hilda held Mitch and said, "He started running a temperature a few minutes after we locked in." She led the way to the corner of the room where Aiden was lying on a blanket, he was shivering and his teeth were chattering loudly. "We have been trying to bring his temperature down since we noticed, but we don't know..." He barged his way through and crouched beside the blanket. He touched Aiden's forehead and almost drew his hand back. "He's burning up." He gasped. "I called for another bowl of cold water," one of the nannies said, wringing a napkin dry and using it to pat Aiden'
MITCH CHESTER“YOU SHIFTED,“ Mitch muttered under his breath. He crouched and picked up his son, who was unconscious but his fever had broken and his skin was no longer hot. He looked around, there were pieces of Aiden's clothes littered around the floor. “Just how long did you shift?“ Mitch asked softly. He carried Aiden back to the palace, which was empty because most of the pack members were still basking in the happy aftereffects of the moon howl, and he was pleased at the solitude and desertedness of the palace as he leapt up to the children's chambers in one strong jump. He dragged pajama pants on Aiden before he laid him to bed. Then he brushed his hair, taking care not to scratch him with his claws. He sighed, wondering what could cause this sort of reaction at getting your wolf spirit and shifting for the first time. When he was about to leave the room, he noted the thick brush of hair on Aiden's arms. Frowning, he took a closer look and saw that they were leftover furs
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI WAS WAITING for any sort of feedback from Alphonso. He had been very pleased to do exactly as I said without any argument. Disregarding my better judgment of having protection with me, I had told Alphonso to make his way back to the mountain Alps on his own and warn Mitch, leaving me alone with all the unknown danger in the pack. Knowing him, he was going to run all the way to the mountain Alps without stopping unless he was close to passing out of fatigue. I made sure to emphasize on how urgent it was that he got to Mitch.I remained in my room, fiddling with a straw as I went through my mail and watched the news. There was no new thing in the news. People were still disappearing; I noted that this time, the influential son of a mogul from Italy was among the missing persons. Were these the works of Vladimir again? I wondered. What was he planning? Had Mitch gotten in touch with Vorenus since that day? Does he know more about the vampire king's plan?These thou
FIVE MONTHS LATER,I RUB my belly fondly. It has become a subconscious habit of mine since the belly bump sprouted. On some nights, I wake up from the nightmares and horrors of being locked up in the prison underground. It has been 5 months already, but the remnants of what we lost were still vivid. Every fallen warrior was given a befitting burial. After the death of the vampires, Paige started having recurring dreams of her lost memories. I had Lorna suppress it again. i also had Lorna wipe out the memory of Janet the mistress, now she was a servant in the palace... "Are we almost there yet?" Addison asked from the back seat. Mitch grunted. "Almost." I turn and look at him. The scar he had gotten from the battle that ran across his eyes was now white, it was healing well. The cut missed his eyes by less than an inch, but the scar added to his dangerous look. I reach out and touch his hand. He turns and looks at me, but I can not decipher what is going on in his head as his eyes
MITCH CHESTERAS HE TORE through the vampires, his eyes wavered back, and he looked at Anna. He could not believe she was nearby again, even as all the odds were against him all this while. Arranging the warriors for battle on such short notice was not an easy feat as most of his warriors were not familiar with guns, but he had made them ready and prepped for battle under a few hoursHe grunted as a vampire sank his fang into his arm. He growled grabbed the vampire by its head and slammed it into the ground."Keep your head in the fight, Mitch," Draco snapped. "Don't die when she is just a few feet away."Mitch chuckled. He turned and looked at his mate again. She was holding her own well against the vampires surrounding her and Alphonso."Do these things ever finish?" Mitch asked, looking around at the vampires still swarming over the field."We have to take out the elder vampires, or Vladimir himself," Draco said, stabbing a vampire dead on the floor. He shook his spear loose and lo
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI WATCHED THE moon rise to its peak and anticipated when the witch Agatha walked up to Vladimir and said, “It is time.“Vladimir nodded and came to stand beside me.I closed my eyes, resigning myself to my fate as Agatha came closer, muttering a long string of spells under her breath. “I will offer the blood of the current grand witch…” She grabbed Lorna's hand and slit it at the wrist. I saw Lorna clench her jaws in pain as Agatha squeezed her blood into a cup, which she mixed with some herbs and gave to Vladimir. He drank it all in one gulp. Dark red veins streaked up his neck, and his eyes went bloodshot.She walked to me and added, “I will offer the life of the reincarnated grand witch, Annika, and use it to bind the soul of the vampire king, giving him immense power and immunity to the mountain ash wood…““I heard her raise her hand. The air stretched with tension, and time seemed to slow down. I opened my eyes, expecting to see my life flash before my eyes, bu
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER“COME HERE!“ THE grating of the cell on its hinges made me look up. One of the vampires was on the other side. She reached in and pulled me out harshly. My knees scraped the rough floor; I bit my lips to keep the pain in. Another one reached in and tried to grab Lorna but gasped in pain, pulling back immediately. “I will come out myself,“ Lorna said coolly. “But try to touch me again, and it will be the last thing you ever do.“ The vampire stared daggers at her but did not move to grab her again. She cradled her hand, rubbing it fondly. Lorna must have secured herself with some sort of spell. “And you will unhand the Luna immediately too.“ Lorna said in a cold voice to the vampire who had her fingers wrapped tightly on my upper arm. The vampire looked uncertain, but she saw the cold and threatening look on Lorna's face. I was also shocked, but it did the trick. The vampire released me. “Where are we going?“ Lorna asked, but I could guess already. “It is time for
THE FIGHT WAS OVER almost as quickly as it started. We did not stand a chance against Vladimir and he was already getting empowered by the forthcoming blood moon. Lorna was sprawled on the floor, blood seeped from her mouth and her back was twisted in an unnatural angle. I was on my feet, but it was threatening to give way any second.And Vladimir?He did look like he had done anything. No sweat. No hair out of place. He had his sinister smile plastered on his face as he walked towards me. He stopped a few feet away and brushed my cheek with his icy-cold fingers. “Your last few hours should have been enjoyable, Annika.“ he said softly. “But instead, you let that witch,“ he turned and looked at Lorna before he continued, “...to spoil it. Tch.“ she chuffed and walked away. “It is back to square one now.“The woods around were suddenly alive, and things moved in the shadows. I thought I was hallucinating; maybe I had hit my head harder than I thought, and I was concussed as we were surro
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI SAT UP in my bed, my heart was racing, and adrenaline surged as my wolf leaped to the surface, enhancing my vision, but I could not still make out the shape of the person in my room. I was about to jump through the door, not minding that I would alert the whole mansion, but I felt a pair of fingers wrap around my upper arm. Gasping in shock, I turned sharply, trying to wrestle my arm away from the stranger's grip, but to no avail. I am being attacked by two people, I thought anxiously to myself. I started to yell, but the person holding me stepped out of the shadows and my scream died in my throat."Lorna?!" I gaped.She put a finger to her lip to keep me silent. Then she cocked her head. I swung my legs out of the bed. My mind was spinning with imagination. I still felt like I was in a dream. I reached out and touched her. She was real."Quickly," she said to me. She muttered some words under her breath and the lock in the door snapped apart. The door opened
MITCH CHESTER “HAVE GUARDS PATROL the area,“ Mitch said, trying hard to rein in the panic he was feeling. “Quickly.“ Draco nodded and gave out his commands to every available guards to be on the search for Lorna. “No one knows how long she has been gone for. She might be out of the kingdom now.“ Mitch growled. “Just tell them to search.“ “We should probably get back,“ Draco said, turning to look around. Mitch nodded. He looked at Vorenus. Draco could see the hesitation in Mitch's body language. He knew what mitch was about to do. He dipped his hand into his pocket and tossed a small object at Vorenus who caught it easily, confused at what it was. Suddenly there was a sizzling sound and vorenus dropped the object quickly. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air and Drcao nodded in satisfaction. “What was that?“ Vorenus growled. “Silver, “Draco said. “Silver bullets. It is going to be our trump card.“ Vorenus shook his palm gingerly as the wound healed back immediately. “I can i
MITCH CHESTER“YOU ARE GOING to crash the car,“ Draco said, holding on to the side of his seat as Mitch drove like a blind bat.Mitch scoffed without slowing down. He pressed down on the pedal, and the car shot even faster. “This fucking snow,“ he growled as he screeched to a stop. The tires of the car were stuck in the thick layer of snow. He got out of the car; his legs sank almost to his knees.Draco came out too, cursing under his breath. “I wonder whose idea it was to get electric cars to drive over snow,“ he looked at Mitch and added sarcastically. “Oh wait, it was your brilliant idea.“Mitch rubbed his chin and said, “Maybe I should have gone with your idea and bought electric sleds instead.“Draco scoffed, kicking at the snow.Mitch looked around. His breath vaporized from his mouth as he breathed out. “Come, we are not far,“ he said to Draco.“Sometimes I wonder why I follow you,“ Draco said as they walked away from the stuck car. “This is crazy. You can't just stand up and w
MITCH CHESTERMITCH KNEW HIS mind should be at rest now that he had reinforcements, but his mind was still worried. He had no doubts that it was because his mate was still out there in danger, his son was lying in bed, unconscious and blind, and his kingdom was on the brink of civil war.He paced the length of the room anxiously, his eyes drifting into the dancing fireplace as he walked past. A small knock came at the door. “Come in,“ he called.The door opened, and Draco came in. He took a look around the small, almost empty room and shook his head, saying, “You are still sleeping here.“Mitch chuffed and nodded, “I can't stay in the master chambers alone. Anna should be with me.“Draco nodded and said, “I understand that, but…“ He looked around again. “I am sure you can do better than a tiny room. There is even no air conditon -““No one uses air conditioning here, Draco,“ Mitch said. He sat on the bed heavily; it creaked under his weight.“There is no ventilation,“ Draco continued,