Five months had passed, and the pack was thriving. Everything was going so well—great victories and a sense of camaraderie. Though there had been occasional rogue reports and a few tense discussions over business alliances, the pack had managed to keep peace, and the Leader of Reykholt had accepted Bryan and Aiden's proposal. So far, businesses were doing great as well.Day-to-day life was vibrant; markets bustled with activity, warriors and their families laughing, and exchanging cheerful banter. Training grounds filled with sounds of sparring, laughter, talks, and encouragement. The members of the pack seemed happier than ever.Kira often found herself smiling at the sight of pups running through the fields, carefree and safe. She also thought of what it would be like if she were to have a pup of her own. She would smile at the idea and had even had the conversation with Bryan and Aiden, who also loved and enjoyed talking about it. They never pressured her about giving them a child
As the night settled in, warriors moved swiftly to prepare the arena for the final event of the day. They already knew what was to come, and long wooden poles were carried into the makeshift battlefield, each topped with a torch soaked in oil.Though these were modern days, tradition was never forgotten. They secured the poles into the ground, spacing them evenly around the circular arena. Sparks flew as one of the warriors lit the first torch, and soon, the entire circle was ablaze.With the preparations complete, the warriors went back to where each of them stood or sat earlier, leaving the stage set for the battle everyone had been waiting for. It was not news that Kira was going to be fighting today, the rumors had somehow spread so fast within the pack. Nothing to hide anymore. Kira herself was already dressed for a fight from the beginning, knowing fully well how it would go, so she doesn't have to change. Plus, she was quite comfortable in what she was putting on.Once the to
Kira lay on the ground, her chest pressed against the dirt. She tried taking deep breaths, and each breath she took was a struggle that sent sharp pain through her ribs."F*ck," she said to herself but inwardly. She was even surprised she was able to still think. Blood dripped slowly from her split lip, pooling at the corner of her mouth and staining the ground beneath her. She remained on the ground, arms sprawled out beside her and unmoving, except for her chest rising. This was definitely not what she had envisioned. Kira squeezed her eyes shut, and tightened her lips as if trying to hold back from crying out in pain. She already felt embarrassed and defeated, that would just make her feel much worse.She let out a soft groan, her voice low and filled with hurt. Her fingers twitched slightly as she tried to see if she could get up on her hand at least, but she didn't have much strength to push herself up. She didn't have any strength at all, and she hated how weak she felt.Wo
Elara, seated near her sons, was already worried about Kira, her concern showing all over her face. She shifted in her seat, leaning in slightly as her gaze moved from the battlefield to her sons.Leaning closer to Bryan, she lowered her voice to a whisper, not wanting others to overhear. "Will you intervene and call off the fight? It is not looking good for Kira," she said, her tone filled with worry.She looked back at the field, seeing how Kira was held like a rag doll by that hair and her hands tightened slightly in her lap, "It really is not looking good, Bryan."Without turning his head, Bryan answered in a low voice, that was very much calm. "It is not supposed to look good. It is a fair fight, Mother. No one leaves until one has submitted or been knocked out. And from the looks of things, neither has happened yet.""But Kira is down," Elara pressed, her voice dropping even lower and sounding more urgent. "This would save her from much more embarrassment or pain," she added, he
Kira's cold gaze locked onto Tahila's, her lips parted slowly as if she was savoring the power in her words. Her eyes bore into Tahila's and the crowd held its breath, every eye on the two women.Before Tahila could react, Kira tightened her grip on Tahila's fist, her fingers locking firmly around it and as Tahila tried to pull away, Kira held her fist tighter, her grip stronger than ever.Unexpectedly, Kira then pushed Tahila off her with so much force that Tahila was sent flying to the other side of the field. Tahila's body slammed into the ground, dirt kicked up around her as she skidded to a halt.Kira got up slowly, placing one hand firmly on the ground before pushing herself up to her knees. Her other hand followed, steadying herself as she rose. Soon, her posture was straightened, her shoulders back and her chin lifted."Go, Luna!" Kira heard someone yell, their voice breaking through the noise of pack members talking, gasping, murmuring and so on.Another gasped, "This has got
The field, which was once silent, now roared with cheers as everyone clapped and cheered for Kira. The battle had indeed taken an unexpected turn.Kira slowly rose to her feet, brushed her hands together to clear the dirt before tilting her head to the side. Though she had won as Tahila had ended up unconscious, it was not over yet.She walked forward calmly toward Tahila, who lay unmoving on the ground. She stopped a few feet away from Tahila, looking at Tahila as so many thoughts crossed her mind. She then turned her head slightly toward a group of warriors who were standing nearby."Bring me a bucket of water," she ordered, her voice cutting through the cheers.The cheers started to falter as confusion swept through the crowd. The warrior who Kira had ordered didn't hesitate for a split second before he rushed to fulfill her command."What is happening?" Orion asked his sons, his curiosity at its peak.Bryan and Aiden exchanged knowing glances before turning to their father with id
Tahila knelt straight on the ground, her head lowered as she steadied herself, ready to face whatever punishment she would get for her actions.Without hesitation, Kira closed the distance between them. She stopped in front of Tahila, reached down and gripped Tahila's chin tightly, forcing Tahila's head up.Tahila flinched slightly, but did not resist. She may have had so much pride earlier, but at that moment, she was more worried about her life. She continued to stare into Kira's cold, angry eyes, not averting her gaze."You don't fight back now, do you?" Kira asked, her tone icy as she tightened her grip on Tahila's chin, making it clear who held the power."I am not the same Kira Valen you know or have heard of whatsoever," Kira declared, her voice low and filled with authority as her fingers pressed harder into Tahila's jaw. She was going to make sure every word sunk in. "You will respect me and keep my family's name out of your mouth. I demand respect, and I will get it."Then s
Kira bit down on her bottom lip, stifling the laugh that threatened to spill out. "Of course, he was," she thought sarcastically. Her eyes remained closed, and her face didn't betray how she felt inside although, the corners of her mouth almost did as it kept twitching upward."I swear, you enjoy this way too much," Bryan muttered, letting out an exaggerated sigh while shaking his head as he worked on her foot.Without opening her eyes, her lips curled into a soft smile. "Of course I do," she said, feeling victorious and her voice lilting with an amusement that was barely concealed. "I have got two strong Alphas as my personal masseurs. Who wouldn't enjoy this? I could get used to this."Bryan groaned, running a hand down his face dramatically. "You make us sound like servants," he muttered, though there was a smile on his face."Yeah," Aiden agreed with Bryan, grumbling from behind her as his thumbs pressed a little more firmly into her shoulders in playful revenge. "Servants get pa
Bringing her hands down with her palms open, Kira released the blazing light, expanding it outward toward them.The vampires closest to her didn't have the time or opportunity to run, as the moment the light touched them, they caught fire.They had thought their rings would protect them, but the rings did nothing, their screams filling the air as their bodies burned to ash within seconds.The ones further back tried to escape, but both Kira and the magic she channeled were quick, the light spreading like a wave as it covered the battlefield and set every vampire on fire.Kira was careful not to let it harm any of her people, allowing the light to go only for the vampires, and soon, all that remained was ash.The battlefield itself had become silent except for the crackling of burning vampires, but it wasn't completely silent, and all the vampires that were rushing in from the border as reinforcement were all wiped out.Behind Kira, the elven and werewolf warriors continued fighting wi
Hearing the words that had come out of the warrior's mouth, Bryan and Aiden froze immediately, shock taking over as their minds struggled to process what they had just heard.Every shout and every fight around them faded as their eyes found her. Their breath hitched as they watched her atop a black warhorse, cutting through vampires with deadly and precise strikes—the woman they had never thought they would see again…here.Bryan and Aiden watched her and her every move like they were seeing a ghost. It was too hard to believe that she was here, their Kira, and as the fighting continued, neither of them could move nor blink.They thought that if they did, she might disappear, but when they finally blinked, they noticed…She was real.She…she was real.Aiden, too focused on Kira, had not noticed that a vampire was creeping up behind him.The vampire had seen how distracted he was and raised his sharp, curved dagger, ready to stab Aiden from behind, but unknown to the vampire, Kira, de
Fire erupted from the vampire's skin, consuming him in a blaze. He had no time to reach for his ring, a scream rippling from his throat as the fire engulfed him alive.He tried to stop himself from burning by turning around and around, thrashing as if that would help him in any way, but all it did was nothing, his screams faltering and suddenly being replaced by the crackle of his burning flesh.In an instant, the vampire's body fell to the ground, but the fire didn't stop. It went on, burning and burning until what was left was a pile of ash and charred bone, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.Feeling satisfied with the outcome, the warrior moved on to the next vampire in sight, going for the hand with a ring on it.Soon, the battlefield was littered with more bodies and blood, the werewolves using all they could, in whatever form, to cut through the hands of the vampires where they had their rings on or to pull it off using their tactics, turning the vampires into burning
Blood sprayed across the newfound battlefield in the Crescent Pack as the pack warriors and vampires fought, the wind carrying the scent of death.The vampires had promised a full fight years ago when they had an encounter with Bryan and Aiden, and now they were here, although it wasn't going to be an easy fight.Growling, a werewolf warrior charged forward as he locked onto a vampire; his muscles tightened before he leaped, ready to tear the vampire apart.The vampire, on the other hand, moved with his unnatural speed and avoided the attack that came directly at him, and as the warrior missed his target, the vampire took it as an opportunity to retaliate.He grabbed the warrior's arm, twisted it, and wrenched it backward with a gruesome snap.A howl of pain tore from the warrior's throat, but before the vampire could add more pain to that particular arm, the werewolf used his other good arm to elbow the vampire in the ribs, forcing the vampire back and his damaged arm to be released.
Kira and Lythari had decided on matching dresses for tonight. Kira's dress was a soft rose color, flowing and elegant with sheer sleeves that draped gracefully, while Lythari's dress was the same design but in a soft green shade that complemented Kira's perfectly. Both dresses were beautifully made, and now they were fully dressed and stood before the large mirror in Kira's room, admiring themselves.Kira smoothed her dress and turned slightly, checking how it flared when she moved, Lythari beside her, doing the same."We look absolutely stunning tonight," Lythari declared with a satisfied nod."Of course we do," Kira grinned, and suddenly, Lythari grabbed her hand and instructed, "Twirl for me."Laughing as Lythari took a step back to get a better view, Kira obliged and spun lightly on her toes, her dress flaring out. She stopped with a soft giggle and said to Lythari, "Your turn.""Gladly," Lythari curtsied dramatically before twirling for Kira, her hair moving with her."Gorgeous
It was almost dark.The training ground was quiet except for the steady rhythm of her breath. She stood poised, her hair pulled into a tight bun with just a few loose strands sticking to her sweat-slicked skin as she focused on the row of targets ahead.She lifted her bow, fingers steady as she nocked an arrow.Deep breath. Sharp exhale.Release.The arrow whistled through the air, piercing straight into the center of the wooden target with a solid thud.Without missing a second, she rolled into a low tumble, reaching for a dagger at her waist.The instant her feet met the ground, she snapped her wrist, sending the blade flying at her other target, which it met, buried right at the heart of the target.Already in motion, another dagger and another throw, a spin, and a perfect shot, her body deadly and fluid.The last blade left her fingertips, slicing through the air and embedded itself into the final target's throat.The moment it hit, she heard a slow clap.Kira didn't need to tur
Hendrick sat slumped in the chair, barely able to hold himself up. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his mind was still trying to process what had just happened, even though he knew very well what he had just faced. He coughed violently, his throat sore and his eyes closing. He felt like he was either about to faint or go meet his maker when a sharp, brutal slap landed across his face, snapping his head to the side from the force.That opened his eyes instantly, bringing him back to the reality of things, and before he could react, Aiden gripped his jaw tightly, forcing him to look up as he purposely dug his thumb into Hendrick's cheek to inflict more pain on him."You know damn well not to piss us off," Aiden said lowly and deadly, his eyes turning darker than they already were. "I could kill you right now," he muttered and increased the pressure of his grip as Hendrick just sat still, whimpering and knowing better than to resist, his eyes wide and bloodshot."Aiden," Bryan calle
Hendrick was still kneeling, his whole body shaking and trembling from fear, as his hands remained clasped together in a plea to be forgiven.His face was sweaty, the sweat mixing up with the blood that stained his nose. He tried to form some words, to beg some more, but his lips quivered so much that he couldn't get anything out.Aiden, on the other hand, watched him for a moment, enjoying how frightened he was, but then he exhaled through his nose, finding the entire display boring.Without warning, not that he needed to, he reached down and gripped the front of Hendrick's shirt in one hand, making Hendrick gasp from shock that nearly gave him a heart attack.Aiden yanked him up like he weighed nothing, his fingers tightening every second as he pulled Hendrick close, their faces only an inch apart."Alpha, please. N-no, p-please," Hendrick stammered and shook his head, trying to breathe properly. "I'm s-sorry.""I know," Aiden said with no life in his voice, making Hendrick's stomac
*Five Years Later*The sound of polished shoes resounded against the floor as Bryan and Aiden walked side by side, their clothes perfectly ironed and neat."Any updates?" Aiden asked Ryker, who was just a step behind, without looking back."There is something you need to see," Ryker told him and stepped forward, now walking side by side with them as he handed a file to each of them. Bryan and Aiden took the files as they walked, flipping through the pages as they carefully went through what they were seeing.The deeper they read, the slower their pace became. Something was obviously wrong, and the numbers weren't adding up. Bank transfers that shouldn't exist, and the discrepancies were hidden well, and it was hidden all too well.Bryan and Aiden both came to a stop at the same time, Ryker stopping beside them as they turned to face each other."Who is it?" Aiden asked, his voice sharp and his tone unfriendly."Someone in our pack," Ryker said, flipping open another file and handing