The day after Lucian’s birth celebration was a different ball game in the pack house. There was a noise of warriors warming up for training, and with it came great expectation. Nobody was oblivious to the current rogue threat, and the enjoyment experienced from the earlier party wore off and solemnity reigned.“Ruby! Are you ready for training?” Timothy shouted as I walked into the common area still drowsy, trying to shake off sleep.“Ready as I’ll ever be, Tim,” I said, smiling at him. “Let’s see if I can catch up with you today.”Timothy smiled widely, showing how he was feeling. “You will! Just don’t forget what I said last time – we have to work on your footwork!”“Footwork, check. I shall do my best to keep moving my feet,” I said, playfully bouncing on my feet. “You are not going to allow me to lag behind, are you?” “Never! I will make sure you are the best fighter in the pack!” he declared, proudly puffing his chest.I chuckled and appreciated the bond that had formed between
The following days flew by like the sands in an hourglass as the Blood Moon pack prepared for the upcoming strategy meeting. There was a strong sense of vigilance in the atmosphere; everyone understood the menace posed by rogues who encircled us and it became rather obvious that a pack welfare strategy had to be put in place.“Hey Ruby! I’m sure you’re all geared up for the meeting?” Sierra yelled out while I was entering the common room with a heap of paper files chewing on my lip.“Almost! Just one more go through my notes,” I said shaking my head and paging through the notes nervously. “I just want to make sure that I cover all the bases.”“You are going to be okay! Everyone thinks highly of you,” she said a lot more encouragingly as her smile broke on her face, more light spilled on her figure.“Thanks, Sierra. I hope so. I am just so…” I began and retraced my steps again, not pressed to finish that thought. Excited? Caesar was Brutus billing himself as a saint.“Just keep in mind
“I believe in you! Just keep on training and you will reach that level,” I said feeling proud of him.But not so long after, Lucian walked over to us and watched for a while. “You’re both progressing quite well. Ruby, your footwork is much better than it was before.”“Thanks! I have been trying to improve it,” I said with a blush on my face.“Timothy, you’re nailing down the techniques. That’s good,” Lucian appreciated this and Timothy adored the praise.Anyway, as it went on, I sensed a bond between us strengthening as well. We were a pack, and we aided each other in meeting the challenges that lay before us.Later that evening, when I was already in bed, I felt apprehensive, like we were about to enter into something. The rogue threat was still very fresh in my mind, and I wanted to be ready for it.***The following day, there was a strange sort of tension in the pack house. The warriors were getting ready for an evening patrol along the borders, and I could feel the pressure in th
I told them. I told them that Jonathan would be the doom of this pack but no one listened to me. Everyone in the pack always used to sing praises of their future Alpha and how he would bring prosperity to the Blue Sky pack.Whenever I tried to get them to see that the fool could never amount to anything successful in this life, they would gang up against me and chastise me for being jealous of my adoptive brother.Now, everyone was going to reap the seed that Jonathan sowed.“They’re in the building! Everyone, run! They’re killing everyone in their path!”Someone was shouting loudly, warning people who already knew they were doomed to die today. My heartbeat raced as I opened the first door to my right and ran in. I ran straight toward the grand closet and hid myself inside. My breathing was so heavy and loud that I had to use my hand to cover my mouth. The Black Moon pack were the ones attacking us. They were the strongest pack in the Werewolf Realm. They only raided and usurped pac
I was cold. And hungry. And angry.Some people would think that being captured and made a prisoner would be better than death, but I was not some people. I had thought death would be the worst case scenario for me, but this… This was the worst case scenario. Being in this cold dungeon cell with only one small source of light to serve as a window, having nothing to eat and do for two days, but swallow my spit and think till I pass out. Oh no, cancel out that part about me having nothing to do. I glanced at the small window to see that it was sundown.Anytime from now, Alpha Lucian would come in here to mentally torture me by asking me the same questions over and over again, then going ahead to tease and annoy me till he was satisfied. I have reason to believe that torturing me was his new favourite pastime.I doubt he was treating the other hostages from the Blue Sky pack the same way he was treating me. No, I was his only special prisoner.Gaun!I heard the main door of the dungeon o
I had come up with a plan. And it didn’t involve me letting go of my pride or doing anything that would cause me to regret my actions one day. I was not going to beg Alpha Lucian for my freedom. Instead, I was going to offer him a deal.It was almost time for him to come visit me for his daily interrogation. I would bring the matter up then. Right on cue, I heard the main dungeon cell door open. I scurried over to the front of my cell, not-so patiently.“Eager today?” His voice boomed. “Having a bit of strength because of the food that was sent to you?” I didn’t answer his useless questions.“I thought about what you said the last time… about me getting out of this place.”He hummed in response after I said those words, then drew out his chair and sat down.“I take that you’re ready to grovel for my mercy. This will be interesting.” He didn’t even bother hiding the amusement in his tone. It pissed me off but I pretended not to be fazed by his actions.“I will not be grovelling today.
I was done for. Alpha Lucian would soon arrive and I still had no answer to his riddle. I bet he made up a fake riddle just to throw me off. In any case, I had a plan. I would show him just how valuable I was even without providing an answer to his useless riddle.Alpha Lucian arrived a couple minutes late today. I could tell since it seemed like he was in a hurry when he entered through the dungeon’s main door.“Who’s chasing you?” I attempted a joke.“You seem quite relaxed today. Could it be you have an answer to my riddle?” He walked steadily and drew out his chair to sit down.“I can’t say I have.”I could feel his confusion even without him saying anything.“Ruby of the Blue Sky, do you or do you not have an answer to my riddle?” he asked straightforwardly.I exhaled sharply. “I want you to repeat the riddle, so I can refresh my memory and hope to find a solution.”I was testing his patience, but either way, he wasn’t letting it slip that he knew I didn’t have an answer to his
It was his sister-in-law; Gina Pierce. I knew this just from the way she stood and the aura she was exuding. No one else, other than the ‘Mother of the Blood Moon pack’ could carry themselves in such an uplifted and dignified manner.I wiped my hands with a cloth and summoned a very fake bright smile on my face as I said, “Greetings. If it wasn’t already obvious, I am washing the dirty dishes of your household as instructed by the head maid.”It was only after saying those words that I realised how rude and disrespectful they sounded out loud. I gave myself an internal facepalm. This was Alpha Lucian’s late brother’s wife and someone who everyone knew he cherished dearly.The angry expression that was Gina’s face could give Jonathan’s expression whenever someone praised me for something a run for his money.“How dare you speak like that to me? Do you have any idea who I am? And who gave you the permission to roam about and do as you please in this house? Just who exactly do you think