"Here you go, darling." My hands wrapped around the cup like object Diana gave me. " Drink up."Whatever was in it was steaming and the aroma wasn't exactly pleasant. It reeked of so many vile things mixed together I felt like throwing up. Diana must have sensed my hesitation to down what could very much end my entire existence or maybe she caught a whiff of the way I scrunched up my face at the smell."It's okay, darling. You can drink it." She called out to me. Like she was giving some kind of reassurance, she raised her cup and emptied its content in one gulp. She looked fine, even though she was as good as a spiritual being so no harm could come to her.She nodded kindly, quietly urging me. I made a quick prayer to the moon goddess before bringing the cup-like object close to my lips. Giving it a gentle push, I tilted my head backwards to allow the liquid to pass through. It was a bit slimy and I almost gagged, until a citrusy flavour danced on my tongue. It was sweet, a little bi
Diana's voice rang over and over in my ears, filling my head with her parting words. It was too surreal, It felt like an imagination. Maybe I'd heard wrong. Maybe I was so disappointed she didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, I started making things up in my head .It was so low I almost missed it. "You know the rumours that say he's dead?" She continued without getting an answer and I never expected the next string of words that escaped her white lips. " They're lies. He's not dead. Oliver Wulfric Sage, is still very much alive.""He's alive." I cried, like some mad inventor like had just stumbled on some plans he'd been coveting for a while. Or like a mad scientist that had just discovered something that would make him greater than Einstein. Whatever it was, I was glad because I was in the comfort of my own room to analyze the events and highlight of the day.Noah's room was a no go area for now. I definitely wouldn't be able to keep my excitement in, even if he tried to annoy the
I thought getting the already written letter out would be a problem. It was, but it wasn't so much a hassle as actually awaiting a response. I knew it would actually take a while before he wrote back, but I wasn't expecting it to take this long. It'd been three days and yet no word from him. I hadn't traveled past the spheres of the kingdom before but I didn't think Montessouri was too far. To be honest, I didn't think it was far at all. If it was far, Ethan wouldn't have had the pleasure to leave as late as he did the last time. Or was it something else?Maybe he didn't receive it. A thought struck me. Maybe Noah had found out about my letter and ambushed it on the way. Had he somehow sabotaged my attempt at finding out the truth? Here I was being paranoid about Ethan not replying when there was a high possibility Ethan never even got the letter. I began to feel worried, nervousness raking through me. Suddenly, I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't wrap my head around anything else asid
I didn't know which was worse; the run from the graveyard or what I'd seen when I pushed the slab to the side in the graveyard. Like I'd committee an offense, the sky began to warp, gray clouds suddenly appearing out of thin air. A brutal wind picked up and it wasn't just restricted to outside the graveyard now, I could feel it all around me, my cloak billowing in it's wake . I was no longer safe, I needed to get out of here fast. As I made my way out of the graveyard, I felt strange, one foot tripping over the other. I staggered forward and the wind picked up its speed. It was roaring now, pushing me back towards the tombstone from where I came.Instinctively, my hand gripped one of the stone slabs protruding upwards, probably holding one or two endearments for another of Noah's ancestors I wasn't familiar with. The wind pushed harder and I felt my fingers slipping, each one being forcefully pried off the possibly angered ancestor."Zoe? Moon goddess?" I called wearily. " Help me, pl
"Are you sure that's what the letter said?" Zoe asked me again, like asking the same question over and over again would change anything. " Maybe you misread him or misquoted him even."" I did not." As opposed to how I normally would be, I was calm, my own reflection starring back at me from my vanity's mirror. My skin was a bright pink and my face, well, it was only a few shades from being as red as a tomato and I wasn't exaggerating. After reading the letter in the bathroom, I immersed myself in the soapy water again, this time pushing even my head underneath the foaming liquid. I only came up for air at intervals and I'd made sure to increase the waters temperature. What I'd planned to achieve with that, I actually had no idea.I guess the long dip had some sort of benefit, most of my wounds were no longer bleeding and my face had been scrubbed clean of the muddy lines those withered branches slapped against my cheeks. My hair was soaking wet, but free from twigs and every other ev
I watched in shock as Noah slid into bed, after discarding every other piece of clothing he didn't need that is, like he didn't just give me an earth shattering revelation about his father and everything I was trying to find out about him. A minute passed, two minutes, three minutes and all the way to fifteen but I didn't move. I just kept staring at the unconscious figure that laid out on the bed, his chest rising and falling at intervals. It was a good thing he was asleep. If he wasn't, he would have scolded me for staring at him for so long and without saying anything too.This was good. I needed the peace and quiet to think and analyze everything her just said. Did he even realize what he'd just said? I doubt it. He had no idea whatsoever"So what are we going to do now?" Zoe broke into my thoughts. " This is something right?""Definitely." I nodded, trying to get a hold of the cogs turning in my mind. " At least we know where we might find something about his father. His father'
EIGHTY NINE"This is hopeless." I murmured against my palm that was resting on my face, causing me to sound incoherent. "Utterly and foolishly hopeless.""It's not .." Zoe paused, thinking of something to say to cheer me up but it didn't work. There was nothing she could say, except she'd found out the location of Noah's father's study, which I was very sure she was still in the dark as much as I was. " I don't know. Can't we ask Ethan?""Ethan can't help us. He can't…..""He must know something." Zoe cut in. " I'm sure he can help us. What did he say in his letter?"" Ethan can't help us." I repeated the phrase, hoping it would sink into her head this time. "He knows nothing….""But they grew up together…." She cut in again…"Yes and he moved when he was little." I finished up for her incase she had forgotten. " They moved to Montessouri.""What did he say in his letter?""He thinks Noah's father is still alive. I doubt he'd know anything about the study though, so what could he poss
I had no idea what Madame Alexis was hiding or any idea as to what I would find in there, but the short man that stepped out of the decrepit looking hut wasn't on the top three things on my list of expectations. In fact, it wasn't on my list at all. From my hiding spot behind the bushes, I'd caught a glimpse of his height but seeing him up close was a totally different story. To say he was short was a very big understatement. He was nowhere near Lisa's height and she was just six years old.I truly didn't know which trait put me off; his obvious struggle with mother nature for height or his misshapen body. Looking at him, it felt like everything was wrong with him but not in a bad way. Something spoke to me that he'd always been like this short and misshapen."Is there something you want, miss?" There was something about his voice too. He had an accent, a high pitched one that still managed to sound deep enough to threaten you and send shivers down your spine. " How can I help you?"I
"Attention everyone." I smiled giddily as Noah knocked on a champagne glass continuously with a spoon. " I would like to make a toast."Amidst the chatter of people that had died down, my hand found Noah's and the reassuring squeeze he gave made me smile all the more. " After the defeat of the rogues and my cousin that tried to invade the kingdom, my wife and I have good news to share with you, we're expecting a baby."The cheer that erupted from the crowd was massive. From the corner of my eyes at the buffet table, I watched dad wipe off a tear from his eyes. Mum on the other hand couldn't stop mouthing I'm going to be a grandma soon. "On this note, eat, drink and make merry. " Another round of applause followed Noah as he settled back down into his seat next to me. An upbeat tune filled the air as the musicians just at the corner of the stage began to play. What was a wedding with some music, right?"I know I'm not the only one who's been dying to ask this." Mother chipped in. "Wh
I was stunned, stuck in between anger and frustration at his tone. How could he even mutter that, like he didn't just snap my cousin's neck into half."You bastard!" I couldn't stop the tears from falling at this point. " How dare you ..""I told you. " His smile was smug. "She's nothing to me, nothing but a pawn that has served its purpose and she had to go. You're the one I'm doing this for. Join me, be my rogue queen and let's rule this kingdom together."" I…" whatever insults I was about to rain on Eric were cut short by the sound of a horn blaring loudly. It was ear deafening and for a moment after it had passed I could still hear my ears ring. I glanced at Eric and the fury on his face could only mean two things, either he was still mad at me or the horn signified the start of something else. Something neither Eric and I were ready to face. Before I could get any more words out,the sound of stomping feet reached my ears. It didn't take any more time for the owner to come; a rog
The last thing I wanted was to listen to this fool ramble on, but at this point I liked to think the urge to satisfy my curiosity was way more important than anything else."It was a fine cold night." He started in something I only assumed to be his imitation of a poetic voice. To be honest, he actually sounded like a croaking frog on a broken record. " I was pondering on ….""Would you get to the point?" I cut him off. "The faster we talk, the quicker I don't get to hear your annoying voice anymore.""Well someone's in a bad mood." Eric smiled, his huge grin giving him a creepy look. " I wouldn't say I blame you though, Given the pathetic position you're in …""Just get to it!" I snapped, cutting him off. His smile melted into a look of annoyance qnf it was my turn to smile now. " We don't have all day.""Fine." He was less enthusiastic than in the beginning. " I've always had one goal in my life, for a long time and that has been to bring dear Noah down. But you see, my plan had alw
The plink plink sound of water leaking out from somewhere was the first sound I registered when I regained consciousness. Slowly, I peeled my eyes open and it was weird; I felt not an ounce of pain as I wearily stared at my surroundings. Usually, the mere thought of even opening my eyes came with an intense amount of pain. So why then didn't I……"Arghhhhh." I had no idea about how long I was passed out for, but the fact that I could yell so loudly was strange, given that I was supposed to be weak and we'll honestly, dead or halfway dead. " What the hell? What's going on?"It was no surprise that no one else could answer the many questions I had so I decided to take matters into my own hands by taking a quick survey of my surroundings, not like I had so much of a choice anyway. High grey walls stared back at me. From the corner of my eyes I could make out a tiny hole in the ceiling, that's where the leak was coming from. Green moss lined the floors and a pungent smell hit my nose. I wa
I wasn't quite sure what exactly had triggered the excruciating pain in my head, if it was seeing Noah struggling and all tangled up in a net trap or perhaps Eric walking in like he owned the forest alongside the kingdom. I never liked Eric and always thought he was up to some kind of shady business and now he'd proved it. Or perhaps it was even Nita who had shockingly appeared beside this monster or maybe I was just hallucinating after being tortured and unconscious for a good amount of time in this forest. Either way the pain in my head wasn't relieving for one bit and the way the new pair of people droned on, seemed to amplify the hurt in my head."That's Queen Nita to you now." She smirked. " Right Alpha Eric?"I hadn't heard right. There was no way I'd just heard what Nita had just said, or maybe the pain in my head was jugging up my ability to understand sentences now. Yeah, that had to be it."Yes, my Queen." I fought the urge to barf at Eric's words. Underneath that will to vo
NOAH'S POV The atmosphere was tense, the air in the room stuffy. The temperature was humid too and the feel of the damp slimy liquid snaking down my back only worsened my mood. I spun to the large window in the room and realized it was open. It was, so why was I feeling like I'd been dropped right in the middle of a volcano that was just about to erupt. I tore my gaze away from the window and onto the men that stood with me in the throne room, each one a good difference from the others. They were all at alert, each one ready and avoiding my gaze but I couldn't see a trace of the humidity I was feeling. "Was I the only one suffering this predicament?"Any news yet?" The question slid past my lips immediately but I didn't regret it. "Have you found anything else?""Asides the reports that were brought in earlier." The guard who spoke up paused after that. If it was for suspense or he was simply reading the room, I wasn't quite sure. There was one thing I was sure about though, if h
I stood rooted to my spot, the height of the doors towering over me. I'd been here lots of times but somehow, and strangely today and at this moment, I didn't want to go in. I didn't even want to be anywhere near here in the first place. But was it necessary? Yes, highly important even. Did I have another alternative? Obviously yes. Did I really have to inform Noah this time? Not really, but I wasn't too keen on doing this all wrong. I shook my head of the many thoughts and questions that were trying to creep in. It wouldn't take long before they would all swarm me and keep me disoriented for the rest of the day. It was a surprise why Noah hadn't called me out for loitering about his front door for a while now because I was very sure he could feel and hear me, thanks to his heightened werewolf senses. Why he was quiet about it though, I had no idea."I thought you didn't want to come in." He let out immediately the door creaked open. His back was turned to me but I couldn't help but f
I didn't see that coming. I knew yelling and pushing all of his buttons would definitely get a reaction out of him but I wasn't expecting what he just did in a million years. And you know what was worse, I actually let him go further with it. The moment his lips brushed with mine, I should have kicked against it. I should have hit him square in the jaw and given him a kick in the groin. Even biting down hard on his lips wouldn't have been bad. Instead I let him in, and shamelessly let my eyelids flutter shut while I was at it too. He definitely wasn't expecting it, the soft gasp he let out was proof enough. I knew that I knew so little about Noah, but never in a million universes did my mind going to him being a good kisser. Scratch that, an excellent one.The way his lips seemed to move over mine definitely needed to be studied. It was smooth and silky and I found myself aching for even more pleasure his tongue seemed to be giving. With each time our lips collided, something shifted
NOAH'S POV "I have done all you've asked of me, my King." I was barely listening to the man in front of me. I knew he was speaking, hell, I could see his lips work up and down but for the life of me, I just couldn't register one word he was saying. " The borders have been checked and are all under twenty four hours surveillance.""I don't need to listen to you. Any of this." Bailey. Her words buzzed in my ear. It'd been ringing for so long that if I wasn't careful, I was sure I wouldn't be able to recognize my own voice or my wolf's either."Are you listening to me, Sire?" He caught my attention for a while. I nodded and gave a wave of my hand, an obvious gesture that he should go on with whatever it was he was rambling about." There's no way anyone would be able to sneak in. An army of rogues invading, is highly unlikely at this point. Impossible, even."That amount of security and still Bailey escaped, to only the goddess knows where. Where the hell was she? She had been gone f