My legs began to ache as I walked through a thick, dark and spooky forest, each turning looked to be headed into even more unforgivable darkness. I didn’t quite know where I was or where it was, I was heading, but my legs simply carried me the way they knew. The feeling of ominous eyes watching my each and every move were hard to ignore, I couldn’t see anyone or anything for that matter watching me, this only adding to how terrified I felt in this moment. “Hello!” I call out into the darkness hoping to either get a reply from someone I knew letting me know I’d be okay or even a chance to hear someone I didn’t and start my plan of escape before anything could happen. But my little call was met with even more deafening silence, not even one bird seemed to be sitting in its nest deep in the trees, as though all the creatures had seen something they didn’t like and made a run for it. But apparently, I didn’t get the message. Right on the horizon ahead of me, what seemed to be some
It was as though my brain couldn’t quite comprehend what was happening, I knew what that device had the power to do and saw first hand what it felt like to be on the other end. There were many times I would need to beg my father to stop causing his prisoners so much harm and if he was simply going to kill them, put them out of their misery and not drag it on for them to feel even more pain. Most times my father wouldn’t listen and Hadwin was forced to drag me out of the room worried that I would vex my father so much he’d turn around and use it on me! But there were a small handful of times he actually, listened to me. I didn’t know if he was just feeling nicer those days or actually listened to me, but he’d let the person go, well in his way anyway. My breathing was fast and panicked as I watched Archer pace the little room with the weapon in his hand, as though he was mocking me in a sense. With a smirk, I knew he could see I was very much aware of what was in his hand and what th
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?”
~Four months later~ I always love driving through beautiful countrysides, the way the landscapes whizz past you showcasing a glimpse of the beauty they hold, it can be so magical. My hands placed in my lap, the beautiful diamond ring my mate had gifted to me two months ago sat proudly on my finger. I had never given marriage much thought growing up, when living with my father, it was more about survival, making sure we were always two steps ahead of another outburst. So, marriage and mates weren’t frequent visitors of my thoughts, I couldn’t sit in dreamland. But that was all before I met Archer. It took some time for me to warm up to him, but the moment I told him how much I loved him, the schoolgirls bubbly feelings of marriage and what it would look like was all I could think about, well aside from the war of course. So, when he got down on one knee surrounded by all our friends and family, my heart could have burst from joy. As you can probably guess, I said yes. But sitti
The sounds of the battle still roared behind me as I rush towards the edges hoping to get a glimpse of Aidan, I knew he had to be around here somewhere to control his creatures, but I couldn’t see him. Catching my breath, I begin to look around the landscape, as the sun slowly began to rise above a hill, I see him, stood at the very top watching the battle happen below. With a smirk, I decide to take the denser part of the woods in hopes of blending in and catching him in surprise. As I climbed the steep hill, using the fallen trees and debris to help me climb up, I begin to ask myself why he did this, he was my father's best friend and allowed him to die without a second thought. He could have called the flesh eaters off that day and none of us would have known, but he didn’t, he allowed my father to die because of his selfish desire. The higher I climbed, the angrier my anger began to boil and the image of finally, making this man pay for all he had done forced me to climb even
The sounds of nature around us were all we could hear, each of us knelling down and waiting in our last moments of peace before the blood hungry battle begun. If I’d allowed myself to go into my head, I would begin to panic from the fear of losing so many, but as like I had learnt, when walking into battle, nothing else had space in your mind apart from the battle in front of you. I crouched down behind a broken tree staring at the clearing before us, Archer beside me with his bright sword in his hand and our men scattering the land waiting for my signal. Each agonising moment which ticked by, the more I repeated to myself that I was born to do this, it was set in the stars from my first breath that in this battle, I would reign victorious. It was time to fully round up the book I was written into, the final chapters were before us. “If you’re here mum and dad, I could use some help.” I whispered looking up at the changing sky above us, this is what mother had meant in her card, s
It’s been a few days since I spoke with Alexander down in the cell, he and Archer spent hours talking in his office about everything, I excused myself to speak with the King and the guys to give them privacy. The King had explained all we learnt from Alexander regarding Alpha Aidan, so imagine how tense the air felt in that office when I entered. Emmett was of course angry, we had been led down the river by Aidan, someone posing as a friend who wanted to offer his assistance, was really the man who was posing us the danger! Whilst I could see Hadwin felt the same as I did, we had grown up with this man thinking he was one of the purest around. He took us in when our father was too much to bear, we even addressed him as Uncle Aidan on so many occasions. But now to know he was the opposite of all we thought he could be and if we boiled it down, was one of the main factors which led to our mother's death, it was a hard pill to swallow. After having a chat surrounding Aidan, we began
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