HUNTER’s POV
HOURS BEFORE CLYDE’S DEATH
I awake from a dark dream only to find myself lying on a comfy soft bed. Dizzy with a headache that threatens to split my head into two, I roll to my side and crack my eyelids open.
“Alpha.” A voice calls out from the edge of the bed. It is Liam.
I am confused. Isn’t he supposed to be manning Ezekiel’s old pack? What is he doing here?
I struggle to sit up and Liam immediately tends to me, pulling me upright. A look around the room tells me that this isn't my bed. In fact, it’s a hospital bed.
Liam notes my confusion. “Alpha, you were caught in a blast at Light Paw Village.”
And just like that, a backlash of memories from that night washes over me.
“Clyde….” I hiss. “He got away?”
“Yes, but Helios and two omegas have gone after him.”
I palm my head and apply
HUNTER’s POVClyde is dead. And with him, his vision of tyranny and insanity for domination of another world, a world that does not belong to us, a world that should and will forever be left unharmed.It is over for him now.We had burned him at the stake and all that is left of Clyde is his charred body. I do not care what he said, there will NOT be another Clyde.At present, Elena and I stand hand in hand in the cabin before the Sorceress. Behind her, Helios and Conner stand warily, their eyes never leaving the hypnotic movements of her dark green scaly tail.“Congratulations,” she says as she looks at us with those snake-like eyes of hers. She grins and licks her lips in a curiously unpleasant manner. Her tongue is dark red.“We kept our promise, it’s your turn to keep yours,” Elena speaks up and I tug at her hand, motioning for her to stop. We know little of the Sorceress, but th
ELENA’s POV I sit on the ledge of the packhouse’s balcony, staring at the blueish hues of the morning skyline. A flock of birds fly across the sky, all ready for the dawn of a new day. I look at the bandages on my arms and thighs that cover my battle scars and exhale. Strange, but I do not how to feel right now. The Storm Riders pack stand victorious. We have won, there is nothing left to fear. I should be happy, exhilarated even, but I am not. It is odd but I feel like I have lost my direction in life. Back then, I was so caught up with vengeance that I never planned for anything after. And now with Clyde finally dead, I have to ask myself this question. Where do I go from here? “Careful or you might just fall off the balcony.” It is Kane and his voice pulls me out of my thoughts. He steps out to the balcony and stands next to where I sit. “You should be resting,” he says, drumming his fingers a
ELENA’s POV“Hello, Elena.”It is Freya. She stands at the doorway to the packhouse. Her hair which is usually never out of place is a mess and muddied locks cover one side of her eye. Her face is soiled and her once beautiful blue dress, torn and tattered.Nevertheless, she smiles when she sees me. I suck in a deep breath and fist my fingers so hard my nails create indents in my palms.“Freya.”The conversation with Hunter is still very fresh in my mind. My sister tried to kill him. And now she is back.“I thought I asked for you to leave and never come back,” Hunter’s voice calls out from the foyer. He strides over to where I stand and links his hand with mine, intertwining our fingers together.Freya gulps and tugs at her dress. Lowering her head, she whispers, “Please, forgive me for my insolence Alpha. I – I do not know what came over me to have done what
ELENA’s POVI find Hunter later that night, strolling along the fields where we once practised our shooting for the trial. It was here that he trained me to become the marksman that I am today.Here, I am reminded of how he held me in his arms on this very field, steadying my then trembling hands and teaching me to look past the pain and to just focus on the target at hand. I look at him and my lips curve up into a smile, I would not be who I am today if it were not for Hunter.I owe this man my life. He is the light of my life, the reason I live and breathe.But tonight, his scent is grave and thoughtful and I walk by his side without speaking as he strolls with both hands clasped behind his back. It is a clear night and the stars shine bright above our heads without twinkling.“How’s Freya?” he finally asks after what feels like an eternity of silence.I kneel by the side of a little pond next to the field
ELENA’s POVThe day has finally come. Starting today, Hunter will no longer be just an Alpha of the Storm Riders pack, from today onwards, he will be king above all packs and rule throughout the lands of the northern region.It feels all so surreal and I have to pinch myself just to make sure that I am not dreaming. I remember being so excited that I could not sleep at all last night, tossing and turning in bed until the crack of dawn. And because of the lack of sleep, I feel like a zombie right now. A thrilled one nonetheless.This morning, the packhouse is abuzz with excitement. Everyone is busy preparing for Hunter's coronation. Helios is especially proud and he oversees the preparations like a nervous father awaiting his son’s graduation.I see him now as I descend the spiral staircase. He is barking orders to Conner and a few other pack members. Even Happy John has come over to help out.“Careful with t
FREYA’s POVElena steps into her airy and spacious bedroom and I follow suit, quietly closing the door behind me and locking it. She turns around at the sound of the lock clicking and blinks her doe-like eyes at me. I hate it when she looks at me like that, she’s making me feel she is the innocent princess in a fairy tale and I, the evil witch or something.My lips pull into a smile and I walk over to her, taking her hands in mine.“We don’t want any interruptions when we doll you up, do we?”Elena giggles and shakes her head. So gullible, so dumb.I lead her to the bed like a lamb going for slaughter and make her sit on it. Then I walk over to her wardrobe and pull open its doors to reveal a limited selection of t-shirts, blouses or jeans.Her choice of clothing is appalling; my sister does not dress up, nor does she primp herself. It’s hard to imagine how Hunter fell for her in the
ELENA’s POV“Freya, it’s time to end this insanity, once and for all.”I stand up and turn to face Freya with my hand still clamping onto her wrist. She goes completely still, just like how she used to whenever she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar as a child. For a moment, uncertainty and fear crack her face.“You knew?” she asks, her voice wavering.I take no pride in this moment. And when I speak next, there is pain in my voice; pain that mirrors how my heart feels right now.“You don’t have to do this Freya. You can still have your old life back. You have mother, Dylan and me. We love you. I love you.”She blinks and I sense a remnant of the old Freya existing deep inside the woman who stands before me. I look at the needle in her hand and she notes my gaze.“It’s poisoned,” she says flatly.I shake my head. “Freya,
FREYA’s POVThe transformation is complete. I stare at my reflection in the mirror of the dressing table only to see Elena’s face looking right back at me.I blink, so does the girl in the mirror. Then I smile, and she follows suit. The glowing liquid worked, I look exactly like my sister. And by wearing her clothes and carrying her scent, I might just be able to trick Hunter into thinking that I truly am Elena.I cannot wait to see the look on his face when his ‘dearly beloved’ stabs him in the heart. The thought of plunging a knife deep into his chest sends me into a peal of laughter.Wait.I quickly cover my mouth even as the real Elena stares at me through her bloodshot eyes. I may look like Elena, but I certainly do not sound anything like her.Hmm, interesting. The liquid only works on physical features.But it doesn’t matter. I take Elena's comb and run it through my hair bef
ELENA’s POVI creep silently to the door. Freya has back facing me and my blade over her head. The situation is desperate. Fear seeps into me as I stare at the dire situation in front of me. Hunter has fallen on the ground and he stares at Freya in confusion. It is still my face he sees.Time is not on my side. With just one stab, Freya can kill Hunter. I curse myself for having fallen for Freya’s trick earlier, if only I can shift right now!“Remember this moment Alpha Hunter.” I hear Freya say and she moves to bring down her blade.It is time to rise to the challenge. I lunge forward, effectively catching Freya by the waist and we both tumble to the side.“Freya, no!” I yell, holding tightly onto her. She screams in anger, turns around and we come face to face.I gasp.Her face is melting, her skin is peeling off and blood drips from the raw skin underneath. I am staring into a nightmare.
HUNTER’s POVElena does not talk as she stays in my arms and I have to wonder why.She pulls back from our embrace with a smile still etched on her face and I palm her cheeks, looking into her eyes, searching for an answer. But when I stare into the windows of her soul, I see nothing. I see only coldness in her sea-blue eyes. There is a tinge of fear too.Something is not right.“Is something the matter?” I ask her. I am concerned about her, she has had a lot on her mind of late. Especially now that Freya is back.Her blue eyes do not blink and her smile does not change. She merely shakes her head and pulls my hands away, motioning towards the bow tie that lays innocently on the bed.I notice that her nails are long. That’s odd, I don’t recall ever seeing Elena having long nails like these before. She usually keeps her nails trimmed and neat.“Are you going to choke me with th
HUNTER’s POVMOMENTS BEFORE FREYA ENTERSI stand in front of my mirror and adjust my bow tie for the umpteenth time only to flood the whole of the guestroom with a chorus of foul four-letter words.I tug violently at my tie and throw it on the bed, wondering why anyone has to dress up for the coronation. We’re werewolves for goodness sakes, not some high strung politicians who prance around in suits and do nothing but talk and play golf all day long.Conner gingerly picks up my tie and passes it back to me. I grunt and grab it from his hand, trying and failing at fixing the bow tie yet again. It sucks that I suck. And I never suck. “Maybe you should get Elena to help,” Conner suggests.It is a brilliant idea. The boy is a genius.“Go get her.”Conner smiles cheekily at me. “Should I ask everyone else to stay away from the guest room u
FREYA’s POVThe transformation is complete. I stare at my reflection in the mirror of the dressing table only to see Elena’s face looking right back at me.I blink, so does the girl in the mirror. Then I smile, and she follows suit. The glowing liquid worked, I look exactly like my sister. And by wearing her clothes and carrying her scent, I might just be able to trick Hunter into thinking that I truly am Elena.I cannot wait to see the look on his face when his ‘dearly beloved’ stabs him in the heart. The thought of plunging a knife deep into his chest sends me into a peal of laughter.Wait.I quickly cover my mouth even as the real Elena stares at me through her bloodshot eyes. I may look like Elena, but I certainly do not sound anything like her.Hmm, interesting. The liquid only works on physical features.But it doesn’t matter. I take Elena's comb and run it through my hair bef
ELENA’s POV“Freya, it’s time to end this insanity, once and for all.”I stand up and turn to face Freya with my hand still clamping onto her wrist. She goes completely still, just like how she used to whenever she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar as a child. For a moment, uncertainty and fear crack her face.“You knew?” she asks, her voice wavering.I take no pride in this moment. And when I speak next, there is pain in my voice; pain that mirrors how my heart feels right now.“You don’t have to do this Freya. You can still have your old life back. You have mother, Dylan and me. We love you. I love you.”She blinks and I sense a remnant of the old Freya existing deep inside the woman who stands before me. I look at the needle in her hand and she notes my gaze.“It’s poisoned,” she says flatly.I shake my head. “Freya,
FREYA’s POVElena steps into her airy and spacious bedroom and I follow suit, quietly closing the door behind me and locking it. She turns around at the sound of the lock clicking and blinks her doe-like eyes at me. I hate it when she looks at me like that, she’s making me feel she is the innocent princess in a fairy tale and I, the evil witch or something.My lips pull into a smile and I walk over to her, taking her hands in mine.“We don’t want any interruptions when we doll you up, do we?”Elena giggles and shakes her head. So gullible, so dumb.I lead her to the bed like a lamb going for slaughter and make her sit on it. Then I walk over to her wardrobe and pull open its doors to reveal a limited selection of t-shirts, blouses or jeans.Her choice of clothing is appalling; my sister does not dress up, nor does she primp herself. It’s hard to imagine how Hunter fell for her in the
ELENA’s POVThe day has finally come. Starting today, Hunter will no longer be just an Alpha of the Storm Riders pack, from today onwards, he will be king above all packs and rule throughout the lands of the northern region.It feels all so surreal and I have to pinch myself just to make sure that I am not dreaming. I remember being so excited that I could not sleep at all last night, tossing and turning in bed until the crack of dawn. And because of the lack of sleep, I feel like a zombie right now. A thrilled one nonetheless.This morning, the packhouse is abuzz with excitement. Everyone is busy preparing for Hunter's coronation. Helios is especially proud and he oversees the preparations like a nervous father awaiting his son’s graduation.I see him now as I descend the spiral staircase. He is barking orders to Conner and a few other pack members. Even Happy John has come over to help out.“Careful with t
ELENA’s POVI find Hunter later that night, strolling along the fields where we once practised our shooting for the trial. It was here that he trained me to become the marksman that I am today.Here, I am reminded of how he held me in his arms on this very field, steadying my then trembling hands and teaching me to look past the pain and to just focus on the target at hand. I look at him and my lips curve up into a smile, I would not be who I am today if it were not for Hunter.I owe this man my life. He is the light of my life, the reason I live and breathe.But tonight, his scent is grave and thoughtful and I walk by his side without speaking as he strolls with both hands clasped behind his back. It is a clear night and the stars shine bright above our heads without twinkling.“How’s Freya?” he finally asks after what feels like an eternity of silence.I kneel by the side of a little pond next to the field
ELENA’s POV“Hello, Elena.”It is Freya. She stands at the doorway to the packhouse. Her hair which is usually never out of place is a mess and muddied locks cover one side of her eye. Her face is soiled and her once beautiful blue dress, torn and tattered.Nevertheless, she smiles when she sees me. I suck in a deep breath and fist my fingers so hard my nails create indents in my palms.“Freya.”The conversation with Hunter is still very fresh in my mind. My sister tried to kill him. And now she is back.“I thought I asked for you to leave and never come back,” Hunter’s voice calls out from the foyer. He strides over to where I stand and links his hand with mine, intertwining our fingers together.Freya gulps and tugs at her dress. Lowering her head, she whispers, “Please, forgive me for my insolence Alpha. I – I do not know what came over me to have done what