Rune. I woke to the gentle warmth of sunlight filtering through the small window of the cabin. Blinking away sleep, I stretched and sat up, realizing I was still in Black's cabin. The events of last night came rushing back to me—the unexpected reunion with Black, the cozy cabin, the little talk we had. However, when I noticed the sun shining brightly, I realized I had slept in and Black did not bother to wake me.Frowning, I slipped out of bed and padded to the door, intending to find Black and ask him to let me leave. To my surprise, he was nowhere to be found. A sense of unease settled in my chest as I searched the cabin, finding only silence and emptiness.Resigned, I located a pen and paper on a nearby table and hastily scribbled a note:Black,I appreciate your hospitality, if you’re reading this it means I’ve gone. I’ll see you some other time.Rune.I folded the note and placed it on the kitchen counter, intending to leave immediately. But as I approached the door, I realized
Rune. Black had suggested we visit my father, claiming that it would help me make a better decision; the decision to go to him. I was so confused, and numb that I couldn’t even cry or scream, instead, I sat stiffly on Black’s back, laying out my thoughts and thinking about what my next course of action would be. It was then I recalled my dream. My dream had some truths to it, like how I’d seen my father with Black, and some Elders, while the entire Shadow Moon pack was wiped away. “I know you’ve missed your father, so I knew this would warm your heart,” I heard Black say, but I was not bothered by him. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew I couldn’t do anything until I heard all the sides of the story, the most important side being my father’s.Black ran for a while and stopped at the border of territory nearly thirty minutes later. My brows knitted in confusion as I recalled that the nearest pack to Shadow Moon pack was Pearl Crest, and if I was right then that meant Bla
Rune. Black had arrived shortly after to show me to my room, claiming I’d have more time to talk with my father at dinner because he wanted me to rest since I was pregnant.I didn’t want to leave my father, but I was grateful for the solitude the room provided because I could finally think. I replayed everything my father said to me, picking out the most. My father was innocent, and he knew where my mother and sister were kept, which meant we had to be careful if we didn’t want to be caught. When my father said Black planned to kill him and force me to stay with him, I believed him instantly, because a person who could conceal his real identity to carry out various plans was dangerous and was capable of doing plenty of damage. Before we parted, my father had told me to find a way to contact Kane because he was the only one who could save us, but I doubted I had such skill. I had never initiated a mind link with Kane when we were in the same territory, talk more of doing so while
Rune. I stilled as I watched Kane fall to his knees, covered in his blood and others, and more flashes of my dream engulfed me.But things were supposed to be different. We changed our fate, he was supposed to save me and take me back with him to our territory, so why?I looked up to the sky, and the full moon stared back at me, but the more I stared at it, the more I felt as though it was coming to me. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain all over my body, and cracks as though my bones were breaking. “Zarah! What is happening?” I yelled out, but Zarah remained silent. I didn’t know what was happening until my claws began to lengthen, and white fur emerged from my skin, coating my entire body. “We are shifting,” Zarah finally said, “and I will end this!” She added and I watched as she lunged at Black, growling dangerously at him. “Rune!” He called out, but Zarah wasted no time in biting off one of his limbs, giving him no choice but to shift. We ran around the pack in search of my fathe
Rune.“Hmph, look at her, so dirty,” I knew that high-pitched voice anywhere. In my kneeling position, I froze, clutching the chipped wooden handle of the cleaning brush tighter.“It suits her so well,” I heard the second voice that affirmed I wasn’t hearing things, and I was, in fact, right that Rachael and Jummy, my ex-friends, were behind me.A bile rose in my throat as I shut my eyes and hoped they wouldn’t approach me. I looked down at my shabby grey dress, eyes locked on the streaks of dirt and dirt lines on it, all from the work I’d been subjected to just that morning.“She’s so pathetic. I can’t even believe we were once friends with her,” Jummy huffed.I imagined Rachael with a smirk so wicked only she could pull off as she said, “She was never my friend; I only let her hang around because you wouldn’t shut up about her,” I forced the bile down, willing myself not to cry, not to waste a single tear on them.I didn’t cry when the declaration of my family’s involvement in treas
Rune. A devilish smile marred Rachael’s face as she stared at me while the other wolves gasped, clearly immersed in the drama.“What would I want with you, a servant?” she pursed her lips with a slight tint of amusement. The tears did not stop spilling from my eyes, so I wiped my face with the back of my hands.“You don’t have to do this,” my voice was shaky, with fear dripping from every word I spoke. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?” Rachael smiled sweetly and let her hand land on Kimi’s face the second time, sending the poor wolf to the floor. I winced. The side of Kimi’s face was a bright red, and for a few seconds, Kimi looked around us like she didn’t know where she was or what she was doing. More tears spilled from my eyes.“She’s just a child,” I wanted to yell, but the words came out like a whisper. I hated how weak I sounded and felt. Rachael had let Kimi go, but that only meant her attention was now on me, and there would be no way out.“She’s just a
Rune.The crowd went silent and parted at the sound of the voice, and chills ran up and down my spine. Everyone knew who it was; we knew his voice by heart because he was our Alpha. I, along with everyone present, turned our heads to the parted space as Alpha Kane appeared. Tall and mighty, with his thick dark brows knotted as his eyes roamed around us, taking in the scene. Beads of sweat marred his golden tan skin, and I watched, mesmerized, as a streak of sweat ran from his neck to his collarbone, where it disappeared into the grey shirt he had on, which looked damp from the sweat, I suppose.The muscles rippling under his damp grey shirt quickened my pulse, and I sucked in a breath. I knew, just like everyone in the pack, that Alpha Kane had a ripped body, but seeing him up close was a rarity because he was almost always away for meetings and wars. It must’ve been the reason I kept my eyes on him, taking him in despite the pain I felt in every fiber of my being. Deep down, I knew i
“Thank you,” I licked my lower lips while I rubbed my left arm. Chris smiled and nodded. He parted his lips and took in a breath as though he wanted to say something and thought twice about it. I grabbed my dirty gown from the brown chair in the treatment room and headed to the small restroom to change. When I returned, Chris had cleared out the bloody cotton wool and apparatus he used to treat me and was sitting on the brown chair with worry lines evident on his forehead. “Don’t you think you should wait up for him?” He licked his lips. I blinked twice.“I’m not sure I should,” my hand flew to the back of my neck.“Alpha didn’t say I should,” I gulped. He had only ordered Chris to take care of me, and Chris did meticulously. I had no business lounging around in the medical house or the pack house when I had work to do. Chris had stitched my wounds and given me painkillers, to which he ordered that I get something to eat if I didn’t want to faint while walking. I quickly remembere