*Blood Moon Pack*"Can we talk alone? I came here to see just you.""And what nonsense did you just spew out?" Alpha Velvet finally spoke, announcing her presence to the shocked woman."Who do you think you are to make orders about what you would do or not? A quick reminder, Jared is no longer in power. Don't think this is your brother's pack or any other bullshit. We decide what goes on here and not the other way." Alpha Velvet managed not to yell but rather, kept her voice low and calm. However, the warning in her voice was evident. She was warning Adelia not to overstep her boundary but Adelia didn't seem to get that warning.Rather, she stared at Alpha Velvet distastefully, her hazel eyes slowly looking at Alpha Velvet from her head to her toe and back up, just as one would do to a maid. Alpha Velvet felt insulted but not as insulted as she felt when Adelia finally spoke."And who is this?" She asked Aiden, a jeer in her voice and a sneer on her face. Alpha Velvet lost it at tha
*Blood Moon pack*Aiden watched Alpha Velvet leave and his heart squeezed in pain as he stared at her retreating figure. He knew he had hurt her. He had seen her eyes shimmer with tears for a second before she blinked. Perhaps, he shouldn't have spoken that harshly to her but he had just been frustrated by her behaviour. He had tried all he could to show her that she was the one he desired, the one his heart yearned for and not Adelia, but it was obvious she didn't believe him. If she did, she would have no reason to disapprove of his talking with Adelia alone. Couldn't she trust him just a little bit?He was already upset about his friends and now, he had to deal with Alpha Velvet's jealousy too. Aiden was exhausted; he wanted nothing but to be alone, all by himself."Shall we?" Adelia's voice brought him out of his reverie and he finally tore his eyes from the door he had been looking at. "Yes." He replied, glancing at Kunata who had been very quiet, just standing by the side lik
*Blood Moon pack*Adelia, on the other hand, was feeling tormented by Aiden's silence. She could see the torture on his face even when he was trying not to show it. If only there was another way to go about this thing, she wouldn't have let him feel this pain. But he needed to know. It was high time he did. She had kept this secret for so long and it was time she let it out."I never wanted to reject you. I didn't mean any of the things I said to you. I just said all that so you would accept the rejection." She continued."Why are you telling me this now?" Aiden asked, his eyes clouded with pain — pain he didn't think he would ever feel. He thought he was done with everything Adelia but standing with her and listening to her say all these to him, his emotion was indescribable. He could not explain what he was feeling. He was just so confused and that was very frustrating."Because you deserve to know the truth." Adelia looked taken aback. "I can't have you thinking I rejected you bec
*Blood Moon pack*It had been a while since Adelia left, yet Aiden could not get himself to leave. He could not believe all that she had told him and as he stood by the Pine tree, he tried to process all she had just said to him. After standing in the same spot for a while, Aiden finally came to his senses and he rushed back to the packhouse, only to discover that Adelia had left with her guards. He sighed heavily, face-palming himself as he leaned on the pillar at the verandah of the pack building. What was he going to do now? Rather than get useful tips about Jared, he got something even worse. Nicole!What had Adelia done to her? Was she alright? How had Adelia gotten to know about her? How did she know that Nicole had housed him? Many questions were running through his head, but he had no answers to them and the more he thought about them, the more frustrated, exhausted, and angry, he became. It felt like nothing good was happening after this war. In fact, he was starting to
*Blood Moon pack* "I just wanted to do what was right for the pack. I tried to do what would be right for us. I thought she had information that would aid our search for Jared. Unfortunately, I was wrong." "You were?" Alpha Velvet raised a brow, "she didn't say anything about Jared?" "No." Aiden shook his head. "Then why was she here then if she didn't have any news about Jared? Why will she lie to have one? Wasn't that the reason she wanted to talk to you alone?" Alpha Velvet pulled herself from his embrace so she could face him. This time, Aiden didn't stop her. He let her leave his embrace. "If she had any such news about her brother, I know not. But she didn't tell me." He shook his head again. "Then what were you two talking about for close to an hour?" Alpha Velvet folded her arms, her brows furrowing as she stared at Aiden, trying to gauge the expression on his face. But Aiden was not looking at her. Rather, he was staring behind her shoulder, probably at the wall or the
Calix kept running, looking behind his shoulder from time to time to ensure that no one was following him. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest and his subconscious was warning him to return, but how could he turn back now? He had come too far to give up now.He could sight the clearing Jared had told him about and a sigh of relief escaped his lips as he got closer to it. He was now out of breath and the moment he reached the clearing, he slumped and fell to the ground. He had deliberately chosen not to shift so he could hide his scent. The plan was to leave the Blood Moon pack without a trace and now that he had gotten to his destination, he was exhausted. "Why are you panting like a street dog?" A voice said to him but Calix only hissed, shutting his eyes tightly as he tried to catch his breath. Of course, he knew who it was and that was all the more reason he was refusing to speak. Jared had always been annoying and he would not stop now."One would think you've run a marat
Calix gasped, looking taken aback. Jared would never cease to surprise him. How had they gone from talking about Aiden to talking about him and how he felt? Now that Jared was asking, Calix realised that he had never really thought about how he was feeling about Aiden's return if he was happy that his friend was back, healthy and stronger or if he was angry at that. What exactly was he feeling?The only thing Calix realised was that he had been scared at first: scared that Aiden would think him to be a betrayal for agreeing to be Jared's beta just as Andrew and Jamal had accused him, but Aiden had not been that way, rather he had been very understanding and supportive — even when most of the things he had said to him was a lie. Also, Aiden had not treated him any less than he treated Andrew and Jamal. If anything, it felt as though Aiden was much more comfortable with him than he was with Andrew and Jamal who were so loyal to him. Aiden preferred to stay with him than with Andrew a
Aiden was nervous and Alpha Velvet could sense this. They had been standing in front of a castle-like building for the past thirty minutes yet Aiden didn't look like he was going to make any move soon. His eyes were fixated on the huge black gate and he would not go in. Alpha Velvet wondered why he was being so hesitant. Could it be because he didn't know what to expect when he was inside, seeing how his leaving had ended on a bad note? Of course, Aiden had told her how he had attacked Nicole and five other maids who had tried to help Nicole. Was Aiden being hesitant because of them? Well, there was only one way to find out. "Aiden." Alpha Velvet called out, her dark eyes on him as she watched him intently. He didn't respond, just as she had expected. But she went on regardless. "How long are we gonna stand here? We are attracting some attention." Truly, people threw them furtive looks as they walked past. Many a time, they whispered words to one another, pointing fingers a
They were lying on their backs in each other's arms gazing at the dark sky which was decorated with beautiful stars and a half-moon. They had spread a mat on the grass and were lying quietly with a plate of fruit beside them. It had been Aiden's idea to do this. He had told Velvet that he wanted a quiet moment with her without anyone interfering and Velvet had suggested this. The Riverside was quiet; not a single soul could be seen except them. Aiden wanted it this way so he was not bothered. The quietness brought a soothing calmness to the couple and as they gazed at the sky, a smile settled on Aiden's face. Though Velvet could not see his face for she was lying sideways with her head on his chest, she felt him smile. "Why are you smiling?" She asked, amused. "I don't know," Aiden answered, now giggling. "Maybe I'm happy?" That brought a smile to Velvet's face and she turned to the side so she could look at his face. He was still smiling, his dimples appearing on both cheeks
Aiden froze, shock rushing down his spine like gushing water. For a moment, he was still, feeling nothing but numbness. But the numb feeling soon dissipated and an avalanche of emotion flooded in: Anger, pain, grief, pity and many more emotions he could not explain. He was angry at Alpha Lundamous for doing that to his father. He was pained that his father had to die that way; grieved because he didn't have a chance to grow up with his father; pity because he felt sorry for himself, his father, and his mother who were prey to Lundamous and his son.But he didn't express these emotions, rather he sat rigidly on the chair, looking at the wall,"Why are you just telling me this now?""What would you have done if I told you earlier?"That lone question broke the barricade that had besieged his emotion. He sparked."What sort of stupid question is that? I would have killed that motherfucking idiotic piece of shit with my bare hands. I wouldn't have allowed him die that way. I would have
They were sitting opposite each other, staring into each other's eyes as one waited for the other to speak. They were seated in the throne room, Elder Theodore sitting on one of the seats for the elders at the right-hand side while Aiden sat on the left, abandoning the throne. With this old man, he was not an alpha but a servant. This old man was the reason he was alive and every achievement of his was because this old man had saved him. So Aiden didn't want to sit on the throne and act as an alpha before him.Elder Theodore had changed so much. His hair was grey, not even a black strand could be seen. His face was wrinkled with folds crumpling and sagging his cheeks. His once fearful eyes were dull but piercing still, and his skin was pale, so pale and weak. His beard was whiter, fuller, and longer as though he belonged to the tribe of ancient India. The once slight stoop of his back was now more pronounced, making him look so short when he had been a tall man of 6'4. He had aged
And there he was, struggling to walk with the flowing white robe that seemed to drag as he walked. They finally arrived at the Great throne room and the guards that had escorted them began hitting the drum attached to the door to inform the council that the royalty was around.The council which consisted of the elder and the high-ranking deltas were already seated on their decorated stools made from silver with foams covered with silk. While the elders sat on the right side of the room, the deltas were seated on the left side.Following the beating of the drums, the council rose to their feet, their eyes on the door as they watched Aiden walk in with Alpha Velvet and the rest strolling behind.Despite his sour mood, Aiden could not help himself from marvelling at the beauty of the throne room as they walked slowly.The great throne room had been decorated with garlands of flowers and other decorations Aiden could not describe. He turned to Alpha Velvet and asked, "How did this all ha
Aiden didn't sleep well. He kept tossing about the bed, rolling from one side to the other and waking up Alpha Velvet in the process. He was restless and the dreams he was having were not helping issues too. They were all about Calix and all the dreams reminded him of all the happy times he enjoyed with this man while growing up. In one of the dreams, he had been sitting with Calix playing a board game while Jamal and Andrew argued about who would win. This had happened about ten years ago when they were only teenagers and Calix had ended up winning. Another dream was about them all sharing a plate of food prepared by his mother and they all talked happily, laughing and playing with one another.These dreams were torturous and they made Aiden very restless. Finally, he jumped out of the bed to stand by the window, and there he remained till daybreak, just staring into space from their big window which enabled them to see ongoing events around the pack house. It had been a day since
Alpha Velvet followed, her facial expression still stoic as she walked away without a glance back. Kunata followed finally, making sure to scoff aloud and jeer at them before leaving.Calix remained on the floor, watching them leave and walk away from his life forever. A lump had settled in his throat, such that it was difficult to swallow or even speak. All he could do was gape at them, his heart shattering with every step they took. Was this how it felt to be abandoned? Was this how it felt for people you loved to walk away from your life? So many questions were filling up his mind but before he could come up with answers, he felt himself being pulled to his feet and being dragged out, cold pair of hands holding onto him from both sides.Jared was being dragged too and his growls and threats resounded in the room. He was making empty threats, refusing to accept defeat when defeat was staring at him right in his face. Their downfall was so glaring.As they walked out of the dungeon
Kunata's frown deepened. It was clear he had been looking for an avenue to hit Calix and he took this as a cue."Are you calling me a liar, you piece of shit?" He advanced but Alpha Velvet held him back. She was looking at Aiden with a frown on her face. Andrew was watching Aiden too, but not with a frown but with an understanding. He understood why Aiden was being silent. He was speechless too.Never in his wildest thought did he think he would feel sorry for Calix but watching him cower in fear did something to his heart. As much as Andrew didn't want to admit this, he knew he couldn't deny it. He had been so sure he wanted Calix dead but now, he didn't know what he wanted anymore. He was suddenly in a dilemma. So yes, he understood Aiden's silence. He knew why Aiden was silent."Aiden! You're not talking to me!" Calix shouted, and then stood to his feet."I can't stay here anymore." Jamal dropped his hands in reckless abandon, as one would do when one was tired and frustrated. "
Jamal's heart was now slamming hard in his ribcage as they entered the dark dusty cell. The torch flames the deltas were holding lightened the room up a bit and Jamal watched as Calix shut his eyes tightly at the sudden light that was now shining in the room. Why he was looking at him, Jamal had no idea, but he could not stop looking at Calix who was still squeezing his eyes shut. Definitely, the light must have hurt his eyes. Jared, on other hand, was not that quiet. He left the bars he had been holding and lurched at Aiden immediately after Aiden entered the cell, grabbing a fistful of Aiden's overcoat and snarling into his face. "You!" He growled.Aiden shut his eyes for a moment before opening them."Get off me!" He pushed Jared violently. "You smell like shit."That comment didn't go down well with Jared and in a bid to retaliate, Jared tried to hit Aiden but the deltas interfered, holding Jared in place while Jared struggled to break free from their hold."Let me go. Have you
They were done with the interrogation and were heading to the prison where Jared and Calix had been locked in for days. Behind them were Cider and Calix's mate, Harper, being dragged along by some deltas and their cries echoed as they walked down the grassy path. Davina had gone back to her room, saying she could not bear to watch anyone die and Jamal wished he could do the same without being accused of being weak. It was not as if he was scared to watch them get killed — he had fought quite several wars so he knew what blood was and had seen the sporadic movement of a body before its death many times, so he was not scared.However, he felt sick. Calix was once his friend — that was a truth Aiden and Andrew were trying to deny. There was no way he was going to watch Calix's death without being haunted. They had grown up together, laughed and fought together. Those memories were forever stamped in his head and no matter how he tried to erase them, they would forever remain.And then