The way Archer walked up and down the room felt more threatening than anything, he had a weapon in his hands which could kill anyone in a matter of minutes and here I was chained to a chair not being able to fight him off. I knew he told me he’d never use such a device on me but how do I know that? Each time I keep turning down his requests to mark me, I see him grow even more angrier than before. “Now Fern, I believe we’ve had enough back and forth on this matter and little Harriet over here does not have the strength to endure another zap from this especially, now I have increased the power.” He smiled in such a dark tone playing with the device in his hand whilst turning it on, lighting bolt type flashes begin to erupt from the device lighting up the room. “This is the last time I’m going to ask, my little Fern, can I mark you?” He asked taking backward steps to stand beside Harriet, who didn’t even have the strength in her body to hold her head up. In this moment I should ha
Moments continue to go by as I remained in my delirious state, I didn’t know much about marking as my mother never had the chance to explain things such as a mother should, but I knew you can remain in a high like state for hours after marking. This is due to your mate pouring your body with his toxins and many other substances which only allow your wolves to begin to make some deeper connections with each other. As your body didn’t have any warning that such things were happening, it sends you into a dream like state as it attempts to regulate your levels once again. Archer seemed to enjoy that I was now unable to open my mouth and deliver him some snarky comment or even stop his attempts to draw closer to me and was taking full advantage of that. Laying beside me on the bed, he caresses my cheek with his thumb, a few soft kisses getting placed on my cheek and neck while I lay there with the world spinning around me. But I hated to admit it, him being this close whilst I was in a s
As I stood in my place with the rippling feeling of sickness, I wondered if this was the mark continuing to do havoc on my body once again, but the feelings weren’t the same. In that moment, I felt as though I was going to pass out but also, throw my guts up at any moment. Having to place my hand to rest on the wall behind me to keep me up, I begin to panic a little unknowing of what was happening and if I was sick in some capacity. I didn’t even take the time to look at what Archer would be doing, my eyes tightly shut as I hoped I would slowly begin to feel better. “This is happening due to you refusing to eat or drink a single thing since arriving here! The mark which mate has placed on your neck has taken the last of the nutrients from your body, you need to eat!” My wolf demands in my head but at least was giving me the explanation as to why I felt this way, but the way she said would make me feel better, I didn’t want. “No! If I finally, accept the food and drink from Arche
Jolting awake from my sleep, I discovered I was no longer in the room that Archer had set up for me, but to my utter surprise, I was somewhere else I knew very well, my own bedroom back home. Feeling utter shock rippling through me, I get to my feet and jump up from bed, the destination clear in my mind, I needed to find my family. Running out of my door and down the stairs of the pack house, I rush into my father's office finding him and Hadwin having some kind of conversation over his desk. “Great for you to finally, join us Fern, it took you long enough.” My father grumbled before looking back down at the papers in his hands, Hadwin sending me one of his smiles before turning back to our father, but neither of their reactions to me made any sense. “Aren’t you guys happy or even surprised to see me, it’s been days?” I ask looking at both of them with shocked expressions, whilst Hadwin just turns to look at me with such confusion on his face. “What are you talking about Fern,
When I awoke in the morning, I had never felt so drained in my life even though I had been asleep for so many hours. The more I thought on the matter, the more I realised I wasn’t physical drained but mentally. These past few days had been a lot, my mind having to consume so much information whilst my heart hurt so much due to missing my family, this sending my emotions on a downward spiral. Pushing myself over to sit by the huge window in the room, I bring my knees up to my chest and watch as the many pack members get on with their days. What I couldn’t wrap my head around was how normal they all looked, none of them seemed to be the way I thought they would be. Growing up and hearing from my father what this pack was like and what they had done to my mother, I had always pictured this pack being a dark, decrepit, evil looking place where each person is as merciful as the next. None of them seeming to care about anyone else but themselves and this pack, a dark cloud hanging over
Archer stood in his office with his arms crossed over his chest, the information that he learnt about his mate but also, the complete unknown of what his mate was hiding had been swirling around his head all night. But that was not the only pressing matter at hand, he and Emmett had just returned from an important meeting regarding his mate and the oncoming attacks from her old pack his spies have found out, each official advising him of what they believe should be done. Some say invade whilst others suggest using Fern as a piece treaty, neither side agreeing and only shouting abuse from one side of the table to the other. Emmett sat on one of the chairs looking through even more records to see if there was any way he could look more into Fern, but he kept coming back with nothing. Archer was more than determined to learn the truth, no matter how many bricks walls they hit. “I don’t understand why you simply don’t ask Fern why there is so much secrecy regarding her and her life?”
Harriet returned a half an hour later telling me I needed to get ready, at first, I kept protesting as I thought if I’m simply staying in this room all day and only her and Archer will get to see me, what’s the point of putting any effort in? But she insisted and pulled me into the bathroom to help with my hair, telling me she had the perfect idea for my hairstyle. I could see in her eyes that she knew something but each time that I would ask, she would simply play dumb and not tell me a thing. This only leading me to question what Archer may have wanted to see her about, is this why she arrived and was so keen for me to get ready? After doing my hair and handing me some fresh clothes, she excuses herself and leaves me alone in the room with my own thoughts again. The main one which was swirling around my head was what could be happening, why was Harriet acting so shady after her meeting with Archer? Was she told of what was about to happen but not allowed to tell me for some reas
Leaving the stuffy bedroom I have been forced to call home for a few days felt so refreshing, the halls that I had ran down when I first escaped Archer’s grip had never looked more beautiful in this moment. But one thing which didn’t stay behind in that room was the deep sexual tension between Archer and I, in some ways, it grew even more intense due to how close we had to stand due to the stupid handcuffs. I won’t deny that the more interactions that Archer and I share, the stronger the pull between us seemed to be turned up, sometimes, I’m forced to look away from him before my body does something that my brain didn’t have time to ignore. Yes, I knew he was my mate, and most would have fully mated by now, but I can’t, each time that I think about what life may be like if I fully embraced us, my mind drifts to my family and the awful acts this pack bestowed upon my mother that awful night. As we reach the top of the elegant staircase which looked down into the lobby of the pack h
The silence of the area took hold of each person that stood to witness it, not one of us knowing what was about to happen next with the notorious angry Alpha which stood right beside me with his arm around my waist. This was something I know Archer had always wanted to happen, to have his father finally, take the blame for what had happened and make everyone see that he’d been telling the truth from the start. But due to everything, it was something he thought would never happen. But now to have his father fully clear his name, I don’t know if he understood what to do next. After a long pause of tense silence, Archer takes a step forward standing in his Alpha stance looking over as our pack members who looked back at little worried and some even sympathetic, now they knew what I’d been trying to tell them since I arrived here was true, they felt bad. “Pack members, I also want to thank you at how swift you all listened to your Luna’s order and gathered here without a second tho
After explaining to the two men with me what my plan was, both seemed more than doubtful that it was going to work but when I looked into Alexander’s eyes as the guards returned and I’d given them my new instruction, I could see the hope but also such gratitude as he looked back at me. “Why are you helping me, it would be much easier for you to walk out of here and pretend we never spoke?” He asked as the guards stood him up and wrapped the suitable chains around his arms and legs. “As I said, this is not only going to help you but will also help Archer and with all he’s done for me, it’s only right I repay the favour.” I say with a smile placing my hands behind my back before a chuckle escape my lips. “And my father used to always say, taking the easy way out may seem simple but it only brings you more trouble down the line.” I joked thinking back to all the times my father had me take the difficult path on jobs he’d send me, at the time I thought he was doing it to pick on me bu
Alexander looked down at the table with a look of sorrow as the King, knowing I wasn’t planning on going anywhere until I heard what Alexander had to say, took his seat beside me and got comfortable to hear what else we needed to know. “I know many will refuse to believe me when I say, I truly did not have any other choice but to kill my family. That is such an outlandish claim, but it is the truth.” Alexander said looking up at me with tears in his eyes, where the vulnerability of this former heartless Alpha broke my heart in a such profound way. “As like you did when we spoke about the flesh eaters and how you helped my mother, start from the beginning.” I say hoping to guide him through telling us the truth, I know this is something he’d been forced to keep to himself for so many years, so actually saying the words is probably so incredibly hard for him. “It all started with your mother's death, as like most of all the awful things that have transpired. I know you may find me
As his words marinated in my mind, the more hurt and confused I became, how could Aidan do such a thing? When Hadwin and I were growing up after our mother died, he was our only source of happiness and peace, he was the brightest beacon of light when our lives were anything but happy. He truly was like a father figure to us, which why even thinking that he could have told those creatures to do that to my own father, it hurt deeply. “H-how do you know that for sure?” I ask after a moment silence to better my thoughts, I know he had already explained why he thought it was Aidan, but he had to be certain. “It can’t be anybody but Aidan, each time one of those flesh eaters attacked, it suspiciously benefited Aidan in some way. The first attack for instance, Aidan’s pack and another called The Full Moon Pack were having a dispute of some sort, Aidan was claiming the Alpha at the time had stolen some of his land, but the Alpha was insistent that no such incident had occurred.” Alexander
When that sentence left Alexander’s lips, I sat silently for a moment not really having an understanding of what he meant. I had always been under the impression that these flesh eaters were like any other wild animal, just a whole lot eviler. Once I turned my head to look at the King who still sat beside me, I spotted the confusion on his face too. “You are under the impression that there is a person who controls the flesh eaters?” The King asked seeming to have the same questions as me, where Alexander only nods his head. “I have been dealing with these creatures for many years and have had the most trained investigators looking into this and never once did we suspect these creatures were being controlled.” The King said explaining what he believed to be true, where Alexander shakes his head with a sigh. “That is the assumption that Beatrice and I made when we first looked into this, I mean who in their right mind would want to control such evil creatures and do such heinous act
Once Alexander had agreed to speak to me, he sat back in his seat silently, by the look on his face, I could see he was attempting to organise his thoughts before he spoke to us, so I watched patiently. “I’m not quite sure how much you know about this situation, so to help us all get a better understanding and for myself to remember correctly, I will start from the beginning.” Alexander said with a sigh sitting forward in his chair after taking a moment to himself. “You were only a small baby when your mother approached me, I had visited your pack to offer my congratulations to your family for your birth as how many Alphas do when an ally gains another family member.” Alexander began to explain looking down at the table to remember, but what he said shocked me for a moment. “The Dark Warrior Pack and The Blood Moon Pack used to be allies?” I ask in a shocked manner, I had no idea before the death of my mother, my father and Alexander got along, I always assumed The Dark Warrior
Once Alexander was chained up, we’re led off into one of the back rooms of the 7th floor, a place I assumed was for the guards when they needed a break whilst working down here. It was in much better condition than the cells outside, even a heater sat on the side which had been turned off due to Alexander being brought in, there wasn’t a single puddle in sight on the floor whereas back in the main section, puddles of old water are all you can see. Alexander was placed down on one of the tables, his chains wrapped around the table leg so he could sit with them on the table in front of him but not enough to moved. The King had to step out to speak with one of the guards which left Alexander and I alone with the guard which had been following us around in case anything was to happen. As I took my seat at the other side of the table, I watch Alexander looking down at the floor under him, his entire body shaking uncontrollably from the shivers of how cold he was. I know he’d done such
My breath hitched in my throat as the darkness of the 7th floor truly showcased itself to me, I am not only referring the little light which could be seen dangling from the ceiling, but the sick feeling which clung to each wall. The smell alone from me simply standing in the elevator made me want to vomit, the stories regarding the flooding of the cells I was seeing first hand may not have been stories after all, the portent smell of stagnant water mixed with the unmissable smell of death and faeces even had the King screw his face up a little placing his hand to his nose as though that would offer some kind of blockade. “This way.” The guard leading us through this hell hole said, now also grasping a flashlight in his hand and switching it on, this light seeming to ignite slight chaos down in the cells before us. Loud screams, shouts and clanking of metal from the cells echoed through the tunnel like system, one I was about to walk right in the centre of. Following behind the g
Once we arrived back at our pack, Hadwin, Emmett and Archer all stood waiting in his office, the same word of warning that we only had an hour and I was to give Archer many updates as to what was happening, was given to me before I left. Whilst the King and I set off for the dungeon, neither of us going to speak as I guided him out of the pack house and towards the dungeons. This was the first time he and I have been alone at all, even when I was a child my parents hid me away from him and ensured he never seen me even once. I mean he was the man who had sent men over to kill my mother, even though he relentlessly tells me how it’s something he wished he never did all of these years later. He was the one who put not only my family, but the entire pack into such a dark and sinister place, once my mother left, the pack we all used to know, and love was gone. While he could live it up in the palace, we were forced to live in nothing but sadness, grief and resentment. “Have you decide