JoashI wasn't prepared for this but I had to do it. It's time to level up with my brother. After a few minutes of walking, I got to my secret spot where I had my horses and a few men. I changed into casual clothes and ordered some of my men to follow me.It was a day's journey to the palace. The palace of the Alpha king, my birthplace. When I arrived, I stashed my horse outside and made my way into the palace. Only a single guard followed me; others had spread out to scout the palace and give needed support.I had just walked into the lion's den. I was the black sheep of the family and no one liked me. They wanted me dead, even my father. It wouldn't be surprising if a poisoned arrow got stuck in my heart right nowI didn't waste my time to greet my father. I made my way straight to my brother's chambers. I knew now he must have been informed that I was around.With my special guard behind me, I made my way cautiously towards my brother's chambers. As I rounded the last corner, I saw
VeraIt has been two days now, I have been going in and out of consciousness and sleeping and waking non-stop. I felt terrible and sick. Fred and Killan would be worried sick about my disappearance by now.I was in a seemingly familiar room which turned out to be Alpha Joash's Bedroom. I was alarmed when I realised that I was in his bed. I wanted to pull myself up but I couldn't. So, I remained there, too afraid to let anyone know that I had regained consciousness.While I lay there, the scene where I drank the poisoned tea kept popping up in my head. It haunted every bit of my consciousness and I wondered why I did such a foolish and unnecessary thing. I didn't know what happened but I knew that Alpha Joash hadn't come to see me. I knew I was in his bedroom and Beta Derrick with a few other guards was keeping watch over me… but where is Alpha Joash? Why hasn't he come to see me? How will he react when he comes? Is he still angry with me? I had to brace myself to face him.Just then t
JoashI entered the Pack through a secret entrance and in a guard's uniform, so I believed no one noticed my entry. Hastily, I made my way into my chambers and went straight to my bedroom. Derrick as well as the other guards greeted and I patted Derrick's tensed shoulders. He looked concerned about my trip home and I nodded, implying that all went well."Have you seen Pete around?" I asked. I was still puzzled about the similar appearance I saw at the palace."Yes. She left not quite long.""Really? Good… And… How is she doing? I got your letter." I finally asked, pointing at Vera's bed. It took everything in me to resist the urge to rush towards her."She hasn't regained consciousness but she is alive.""Why is it taking so long for her to come around? I think we should call the physician," I responded and without knowing it, I began to walk towards her bed.Her eyes were closed and she looked pale. Slowly, I proceeded to feel her pulse, but as my fingers touched her neck, her eyes
Joash"I thought you wouldn't come to me this morning. You came, but you are still angry," I teased Pete as she dressed me up for the new day."Did I do something wrong here? I should have waited for the maid that you saved to come fix you up," she pouted."I know, but…""No, no, no… I want her gone. She is messing with you. She will get you killed. She is changing you… can't you see it?""Enough!" I thundered and she quaked. She continued her work angrily and I knew I had to speak to calm her down. After all, she was my Pet."I can see it all and I know your concern. Trust me, I've got this. Okay?" I said cupping her face in my hands."Yes… My alpha," she responded grumpingly and continued to dress me up. I almost asked her if she visited the palace the previous day, but I stopped. It was a lame question as she was not expected to go near the palace.In about an hour, she was done. It wasn't just an ordinary day, I was meeting Alpha Woods so I was specially dressed to fit the occasio
VeraI wasn't sure that Alpha Joash believed me when I told him I didn't know the identity of those who were using me. "If it were you, would you believe it? I asked myself as I lay on the hard floor in my room. I missed the comfort of his room and the bed but it was better here. I was all alone and not under Beta Derrick and Pete's watchful eyes. Knowing that they all wanted me dead made me uncomfortable in their presence."The workload will be hectic. I heard Alpha Joash is hosting a visitor tomorrow." "Yes you are right, it's Alpha Woods… I heard he has arrived already." "The Alpha's kitchen wi be quite busy tomorrow." "I can't wait to get it over with." I overheard some maids discussing as they passed by my room. Although I hadn't fully recovered, I wanted to impress Alpha Joash by serving him. I was sorry for my attempts on his life but it was the best I could offer and who knows, some people might be out there waiting for a meeting like this to make an attempt on his life agai
Joash"This is an impromptu visit, Blake. What brought you this way?" I began. I had had enough of their drama."I am here to seek your help, Your Highness," Blake responded and rose to his feet."How may I help you?" I asked."My father's death was covered up to look natural but I am afraid it was all a lie. He was poisoned. We thought we had fished out the traitors after Beta Clams was executed but it turned out that his men had infiltrated the pack more than we realised. They killed my father!" Blake lamented, shooting a killer glare at Vera who was sitting quietly at the back."I am sorry about your loss. Your father's death saddened my heart as well. But let's make something clear. Vera Clams is now a member of my Pack, You shouldn't direct your hate at her. She is a maid of my presence and I wouldn't tolerate any irrational act against her.""I am sorry, your Highness.""Fine. So apart from Vera Clams and her parents, have you fished out other remnants within the pack?"No, but
VeraCan you imagine the enormous pain ripping through my heart? My chosen mate and my second chance mate were sitting in the same hall with me and they gave no damn about me. Rather, they were hurting me. One was oblivious of our bond while the other dished out hatred.I remained there, serving Blake as instructed. As I bent over, I felt the heat of his breath. I never thought I could feel such again, but here it was. It was real but jinxed, mixed with hatred. Not only his breath but his eyes too. They shot daggers at me, crushing my heart. Nervously and hastily, I finished serving and I bowed a little. I wanted to escape his presence, it was killing me. As I began to rise, I felt a tap on the table and it was as if time stopped."You wretch! Your father started all this! Even after death, we couldn't stop him. His men killed my father!" Blake gritted and the plate of soup on his table flew into the air and emptied on my face.Laura shrieked irritatedly. "Pathetic bitch! I thought y
VeraI lay sprawled on the floor of my room in pain. I had washed my face and gotten rid of the mess, but my eyes were still sore. They hurt so bad that I could hardly keep them open or close. Apart from my eyes, my body ached badly and my heart bled. Seeing Blake and Laura together broke my heart into a million pieces. The memory of my rejection and scorn replayed in my head, it hurt like it was just happening. Tears flowed freely down my eyes, and I regretted my decision to appear at the hall. I wanted to impress someone but I got battered instead, I should have remained in my room. If I had stayed in my room, I would have avoided the heartbreak.As I dozed into oblivion I overheard the maids' gossip. It seemed that the meeting didn't end well and I wondered what could have gone wrong.I was already asleep when my door flung open. Before I could open my eyes, two strong arms grabbed my shoulders. They jerked me off the floor and began to drag me out.My sleepiness vanished and I b
JoashAt first, when I perceived Vera's scent in my subconscious, I was happy. I had been hanging on, wondering why she hadn't shown up since I ended up in thus state. I thought she had left me again. But all my fears melted away when she suddenly showed up, crying her eyes out.Her regrets, confessions and profession of love were sweet. They transcended into my subconscious mind and kept me going. All I wanted was to return to her, hold her in my arms, tell her that I had forgiven her naughtiness, clean up her tears and make her know that all that matters was that she wanted me now.In my unconscious state, I couldn't keep a record of time and my subconscious floated in space.At some point something changed, affecting my subconscious existence. I began to fade away. All that I thought that I was holding onto, thinned out and I was all alone in a dark abyss. At that point, I had given up. I couldn't hold on anymore and I knew death was around the corner. I couldn't see nor feel my
It was a long day and the sun was almost setting. I hadn't gone to check on Alpha Joash since I left his room in the morning.After speaking with Fred, a glimpse of my past flicked through my eyes and I was taken down memory lane. I was just a maid until the mating ceremony between I and His Highness. I guess that was why I was treated like a Queen when I returned. What if the mating ceremony didn't take place? I would have returned to continue my life as a maid.Power and luxury is intoxicating. Despite the aftermath of the ruins, I enjoyed the privileges of a queen. Everyone treated me with respect, my words had effects and they were prioritized.My emotions were high and I just kept a low profile all day. Now that it was evening, I was planning to go see His Highness when I heard a soft knock."Your Highness! Targon seeks to be in your presence," a guard announced."Oh! Targon, let him come in," I responded and signalled to the maids to leave.The door opened and Targon walked in
Vera"Where the heck is this place? Am I a prisoner here?" I charged at the guard who now stood rigidly against Blake's door. The guard remained unfazed and ignored me. Seeing that my ranting wouldn't yield any result, I let him be and retired to my bed. I should conserve my strength."Think, Vera," I muttered to myself. I needed to escape from this hell hole, but how? I didn't even know where we were and how to navigate.I remembered the dangerous steep wall and the tunnel. How do I get to safety? I tried to mind-link my mate but all I felt was blankness. I must be far away from him.Blake then came to my mind again. Hatred surged up within me immediately. But I had to convince myself, I needed him now. If we escaped together, he might know how to navigate…But as sweet as the idea was it was still dangerous! Escaping with Blake with his level of injury was almost impossible. Moreover, who knows where he would lead me after getting him out of here?"Argh! Where are those bastards w
JoashSwords clanked, arrows danced and gunshots rocked the air as the combat peaked. The few soldiers who escaped the explosion battled hard with my men, but they couldn't beat us.Either way, they were going to die. They either die at my hands or die at my father's hands for losing me. Their fate was decided since they were assigned to this battle.Derrick and I pounced out of our hiding places alongside our subordinates. We charged along the open space making us visible to the enemies.Seeing me, they went mad! Yes, I was their target and it was their chance. Their strength doubled and they attacked without mercy.While they battled with my men to get through to me, I dodged every shot, dart, dagger, and arrow that came my way. Simultaneously, I fired my muskets, taking some of them down while Derrick and the two men who were with us covered me on every side. Speed was an essential tool, our enemies were well-trained but we outshone them with our incredible speed.In a brief moment
SilasMy heart bled as I peeked at the ex-lovers. Having them together was more intense and heated than I had thought. I felt sorry for them, they were caught in a web of conspiracies and were victims of circumstances.What if the adults did their job? What if they weren't greedy? Those two might have been together and their love would have blossomed.When Vera accepted Blake's rejection, I saw him quake and my heart bled. The tiny bit of humanity that bound them together was shed off. In that instance, the anger in Vera's eyes turned murderous. Blake became nothing but one of the bastards that she wanted to kill to avenge her parents' death. But with a brave restraint, she stopped herself and walked out on him."Vera!!!" He yelled her name but she was done.Love has always been complicated. As for me, I had seared my emotions and love was out of the picture. No love, no fated mate, just the throne!Heaving a sigh, I lifted the lid to the dungeon to return to my bedroom. I wanted to d
JoashMy assertion was right. My father's men hadn't shown up and it was almost sunset.It was our gain and his loss this time. It afforded my men and me enough time to bond. Apart from the bond, Derrick and I discovered each man's expertise.We paired them into groups. We also formed our rules and different combat strategies and hacks that we needed to win the battle.Normally, I would have expected that my father would send just a few of his men since he knew that I was a small fry and had lost everything. But I didn't want to take chances. Since it was about me, Father wouldn't hesitate to empty his entire army to come after me.One of our strategies was to maintain different positions. We also had potent leaves stuck to our bodies as camouflage and also to conceal our scents. By Twilight, we were already set. We had assumed strategic locations. Each man with the weapons he knew how to use best.I and Derrick were stationed at the entrance, but he wasn't with me. We were stationed
SilasI knew when Vera and my men arrived. I was well informed about the journey from the beginning till they entered my underground chambers through the tunnel. The path through the tunnel was an alternative route known to me and a few of my men.After I left the palace in the morning, I tried the link up with Joash all through the day but he wasn't responsive. The bastard was ignoring me whilst I wanted to know what the hell was going on in his head.I was up till past midnight and I heard Vera when she entered the room where Blake was locked up. I had not seen him since I visited him and broke his nose.I was sentimental at first and I wanted to stop my plan of making the ex-lovers meet but I changed my mind. Their meeting could be pivotal to my backup plan.I wanted to watch what was about to go down to pick my cues. So softly and gently, without alarming anyone I climbed down through the stairs and stood at the vantage position from where I watched.As I looked at Vera, all I saw
SilasI sat on the ground in father's yard with Kepler all night until the rising of the sun. It was about time that my father resumed his office. I thought Kepler would go in to fix his duty but he didn't leave. He stayed with me until I heard my father walking out and fully ready to resume the day's assignment."Long live, oh King! Long live,Your Highness!" The palace workers greeted and I turned around. Father was fully dressed in his kingly regalia and was strolling out of his chambers. The first set of assignment everyday was his morning patrol."Your Highness," I greeted with my forehead kissing the floor."Take him to the courtroom," he ordered without looking my way.Kepler left with my father while two other guards carried out my father's instructions. They dragged me down to the court room like I were a criminal.They threw me in but I landed on my feet. Father's seat was empty as he hadn't returned from his patrol. Why is father doing this to me? What has he found out abou
VeraI was led into a clean room where an array of maids were waiting for me. My guards had disappeared and there were a new set of guards waiting for me.I threw myself towards the bed, but before I hit the bed two maids rushed towards me. Skillfully, they dragged me away from the bed and began to unclad me.My clothes were full of filth and grime, they were stinking. I wondered why I didn't notice this earlier, but now that I noticed, I was too tired to clean up. "Get your hands off me!" I yelled at them and threw one of them on the floor."Enough!" One of the guards commanded as the other maids rushed at me. He walked towards me, lifted me up and helped me back to the bed. "She is tired. Let her get a first round of sleep before working on her," the guard commanded.Some of the maids were dispersed and I flung my tired body on the bed.I shut my eyes and sleep carried me into the dream land.When I woke up I felt a little disappointed, the sleep didn't last as long as I had expe