IT HAD BEEN a cold night when he felt his consciousness return. His hearing senses returned first and the first thing that welcomed him back to the land of the living was the distant howling of wind. Slowly, the feeling or touch returned and he felt his fingers and toes, they had stiffened during the centuries of his sleep. They cracked painfully as he flexed them. He opened his eyes and saw nothing. His eyes were not awake yet. They were the last to return.He sat up, each movement came with the cracking of joints that had stiffened. Using only his ears and touch, he had made his way down the mountain, following the faint smell of blood that the wind had carried to him. When he had got to the foot of the mountain, just before he stepped out of the storm, he felt another person ahead of him standing a few feet away. By the smell, he knew that this person was a dog. A shaggy werewolf. With no strength for any confrontation now, he turned away and melted into the darkness."What can I
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER I PRESSED A button and the glass chamber opened. I made a dramatic "whoosh" sound as I picked up one of the vaccines. They were finally ready. I held it up against the fluorescent light and swirled it around. I had only made a small dose for this first batch to see the results. Feeling accomplished I leaned back in my chair and swiveled around, looking at the product of the past 3 months."We did it," Ava said, feeling as proud as me. "We did."I skittered away from the machines and brought out my phone. I went through the call logs and dialed a number. The call was answered after a few rings."Doctor Anna?" Doctor Phil's voice came through.I sighed. "Hello, Doctor.""Hi. Hi," he said. "Wow. I was not expecting you to call me. I didn't even know that you had my number saved."I chuckled. Well, I didn't have the number saved, but he didn't need to know that. I only picked his number because it was the only number apart from Mitch's on my phone. "That is such a sad
MITCH CHESTER"IS THEIR LUNCH packed?" Mitch asked Patty as she placed a tray on the dining table. She nodded and hurried into the kitchen to get the bags."Come on, kids," he said, standing up from the table. They went to thegarahr where his mother was already reusing her sedan out. She had insisted on taking the children to school throughout the week, and Mitch had obliged with her.He placed the bags in the backseat of the car and the children trooped in."Will you come and pick us up from school today, Dad?" Addison asked.Mitch nodded. "I will.""Pinky swear?" She leaned out of the window and held up her last finger."Pinky swear," Mitch hooked his last finger with hers, making her grin."And then we will go get pizza after school," she added as an afterthought."We will." He grinned. "Be good to grandma, okay?" Their heads bobbed up and down enthusiastically. Mitch leaned into the driver's seat and said, "Drive safe,"Emily scoffed. "When have I ever not?" She asked. "And I don'
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER THERE WAS SOMETHING ominous about the man from the council, Charles. He was watching me and keeping track of me everywhere I went since he arrived the day before.Being a guest of the pack, he should have been housed with the alpha in the pack house, but he insisted on staying in the inn where I was staying too. And he was in the suite next to mine.I had to talk to Rick, to have him explain what Charles had meant by "I am going to be much help to them." It was a very crazy statement. Even Reine was feeling skittish when the man moved in beside us.I woke up the next morning, feeling very hopeful and bright, but that feeling dampened as soon as I stepped out of my suite."Morning... Doctor," I heard Charles call out to me. It sounded like he was not accustomed to calling women by their respectable title.What century was he still in? I rolled my eyes. I turned to look at him, plastering a fake smile on my face. "Hello... Charles." I glared at him. It felt like he h
RICK FORSONRICK DID NOT want any part of the council's plans for Anna. His heart was torn. He had to do his part for the success of his race and prove his loyalty to the council, but he did not want Anna to be hurt in the process.He frowned as he leaned into his leather chair. He swiveled around as his mind worked on what to do. His office opened and Jones came in."You look troubled," Jones said."While I don't have a problem hosting a representative of the council, I have a problem when he comes here and starts throwing weight around," Rick muttered."You are the alpha, let him know how you feel." Jones shrugged.Rick scoffed. "That egotistical bastard? He might see it the wrong way and blacklist our pack. That is the last thing we need right now."Jones nodded. "You are right. We don't need to be at war with any other packs. We are currently struggling."Rick sighed. "What's going on out there?"Jones smiled and sat down. "As it turns out... Anna has cured the illness. One of the
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER MY BLOOD WAS boiling with anger as I stormed out of Rick's office. I wanted nothing more than to burst my fist into Charles's face and slap that smug look from his face.It was no wonder Mitch was in dispute with the council if they went about feeling above everyone else. And Rick just sat back and allowed himself to be trodden upon.I scoffed as I swiped my keycard through the door and entered my office. Even if the council held a lot of power, they did not have any right to impose and override the alpha of a pack."But what do I know?" I asked myself as I powered on the desktop. "After all, I am just a discarded member of the pack. I didn't even side with the werewolves anymore." I sighed and rubbed my face to concentrate on the work I had to do.We had the patients' vital machines connected to my computer, so I could monitor them from the comforts of my office. I checked on each of them, they were doing well. Their heart rate and pulse were steady and strong.I
MITCH CHESTER"SO YOU SEE? She is not hurt," Draco said, trying to pacify Mitch's raging beast. "She sent you a text as proof of life.""Not yet," Mitch snarled. "With the way Dramien sounded, I don't have any doubts that they would harm her to get to me.""I don't think they will, Mitch," Draco said. "You can't go mad now and go on a killing spree.""You know me so well," Mitch muttered because that was exactly what he wanted to do. "Now, you need to be level-headed and think of your next line of action," "Oh, I know my next line of action," Mitch smiled grimly. He uncorked a bottle of whiskey and drank from the bottle. He brought out his phone and stared at the message Anna had sent him 2 hours ago. "Council is on to you. Keeping me prisoner but don't worry. I will sort it out. Don't call." He scoffed. "Council has been on to me and my family for generations. Their efforts have been futile.""Maybe not this time," Draco muttered.Mitch scoffed. "Do you have anything new on the vam
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERTHE SECURITY I felt in Mitch's arms was something I had not gotten in a long time. Inhaling his woody scent and feeling his warm, strong arms around me made me safe, and made me forget all his shortcomings, I just wanted to remain there.We parked the car and two guards immediately popped out of nowhere. "Any trouble so far?" Mitch asked.They shook their heads. Mitch nodded at them and they dispersed."What are they for?" I asked as we got out of the car."Safety precaution," He muttered. "Don't think about it."As we walked into the school, the receptionist's face immediately brightened when she saw Mitch. "Hello, sir," she said. "What brings you here today?" Mitch reached behind and took my hand."- Oh and you brought your wife with you," her smile flustered as she looked at me. "Good day, ma'am." I nodded at her in response."We want to take the children," Mitch said, leaning forward."But school isn't out for another 2 hours," she replied in a sultry drawl. I
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
MITCH PACED OUT of the mountain with Draco and Alphonso closely behind him. He paused outside the mountain. Darco came to stand beside him. He could feel his beta brewing with questions, but he ignored it.“That is a high profile prisoner,“ Mitch said to the guards outside. They all nodded with slight frowns on their faces. They could already sense that something was wrong.“Good,“ Mitch muttered and went to a buggy parked by the side.Draco gestured with his head to Alphonso, who immediately jumped into the driver's seat and started the car.“Take us to the palace,“ Mitch said.Alphonso pursed his lips and eased the car out of the snow. Mitch could feel Draco throw him some subtle glances as they made their way to the palace, but he chose not to say anything as he prepared his mind on how he was going to tell them everything.Half an hour later, they pulled into the front gates, and Mitch got out. Draco followed and Alphonso started to drive away but Mitch said, “Come with us, Alphon
MITCH CHESTERDRACO WALKED BEHIND Mitch as he stalked to the dungeons. He could see the path where Charles had been dragged through on the snow. Draco looked at Mitch and saw the tautness of his shoulders and anger in his step, and he knew that Mitch was about to do something drastic.They got to the foot of the mountain from where the dungeons were dug out from. There were two guards standing outside the entrance. They saluted and bowed as Mitch approached.“The traitor?“ Mitch asked in a gruff tone without answering their greetings.“Alphonso took him in, sir,“ one of the guards replied.Mitch grunted and went into the dark hallway. His eyes adjusted quickly, glowing red faintly as he picked his way through the rough terrain, stones and rocks that lined the floor. Draco caught up with him and said, “I can’t remember the last time I was in here.“Mitch chuffed. “I do,“ he replied. “The time Anna threw up on my shoes.“ A slight chuckle bubbled up in his mind, but it dampened when he r
MITCH CHESTERMITCH'S MIND WAS divided. He stood up from his chair, where he had just called Rick and was assured that they were going to receive some more help from the Red Moon Pack. He walked out of his office and saw Draco standing there, alongside Alphonso. His eyes took in the ragged and sweaty look on Alphonso, and then he said, “Are you not going to rest?“ he asked. “I would not want my mate's bodyguard to collapse due to fatigue.“Alphonso chuffed and shook his head. “No. Sir,“ he bowed. “I wanted to ask for permission before I head back to the red moon pack to be with the Luna.“Mitch sighed. The poor man did not know that she was taken, and Mitch was still having trouble breaking the news to them.“Your Highness?“ Draco said, calling Mitch from the trance. Mitch shook his head slightly and looked at Draco, who said, “Alphonso is about to leave; is there anything else?“Mitch frowned and nodded. “One more thing,“ he said, “Where is Charles?““We have had him on watch since A