KNOX Initially, I was uninterested in what he had to say. For all that I knew, I no longer had a business with him until there was an issue regarding his daughter. “What is it about?” Again, I asked when silence ruled our dialogue. Didn't he say he had something to say, or did I not hear him correctly? “Alpha Arden. Are you there?” “Y—yes, Knox. I am here. I wanted us to talk but as you know, meetings like this cannot be held over the phone. We need to sit down and talk about it.”A sigh ran out of my mouth. A meeting like this was something I was avoiding. How could he want us to see him again? And there was no way I would let him come to my pack without organizing the wolves so he didn't suspect the curse. What was I supposed to do? “Are you there—?”“Yes, Alpha Arden,” I let out. “You should come over, then. I am currently unwell and cannot drive all day to come over to your Pack. I believe you should make it to this pack if it's that urgent or don't you think so?” “I kno
SAGE It was another night. Another night to share the room with my husband. A man who lay next to me on the large bed. My eyes were opened and sleep was far from me, hence my reason for sitting up. Aegon shifted a little, facing the other side of the bed. It was what I wanted. A moment to myself, but this wasn't enough. Standing on my feet, I snatched the towel from the closet and rushed to the bathroom for a shower. It was late at night and at the same time, I didn't mind. Not when I needed this to calm my nerves in the first instance. Soon enough, I relaxed in the tub, changing my mind as I chose to use the shower instead. After a long while in the bathroom, I felt better. But not in the way I wanted to feel. For some time, I moped at my husband who didn't move but lay like a log of wood on the bed. Now that I thought about it, I couldn't help but wonder what the issue with him could be. And why he doesn't seem to notice when I made a move on the bed. For all that I knew a
SAGESuch an attentive man. Now that he talked to me in a way I wished to be spoken to, I felt more relaxed, smiling also while I thought about what was there that I needed answers to. Was I really thinking when there was a million and one question I had to ask? Especially when they were very obvious. Once more, I adjusted on the couch. “I wanted to know what my family members are coming here to do,” I let out. “I know I have no rights, but I am just worried and would love to know. Nothing more, my lord.” He heaved a sigh. It looked like a sigh of relief. Why was that? Did I ask the wrong question? Looking up to meet his gaze, I could see him smiling this time. “Is everything okay, my lord?” “Yes, Sage. You have nothing at all to worry about.” He assured me with a nod. “I just thought—nevermind. I have no idea what your Father is coming here to do. I must be honest with you. At some point, I believed you communicated with them about an issue or two you may be going through ov
ELEANOR I was taking a nap this afternoon when a hand knocked on the door of my room. “Eleanor!” One of my brothers shouted, startling me as I forced myself to sit up. “What are you doing at this time of the day?” He knocked again and I sat up, looking around the room before meeting my own gaze. At this point and against my wish, I was forced to stand on my feet and head towards the door. “What is it?”He walked in. As usual, Alistair didn't know what it meant to leave me to my privacy but I didn't mind. Not today. Not when it looked like he had a reason to be in my chamber. “What is it, Alistair? Do I owe you?” I asked again, settling into the comfy chair somewhere in the room not so far from the bed. “Of course, you don't,” he mouthed, relaxing on my bed. “I came to let you know that Father wants to see you. But you can't see him like this so you must take a bath or maybe wash your face before leaving this room.” My brow raised. What was he talking about? And what did he me
SAGEIt was the weekend in The Darkfangs Pack. Aella had come to wake me up this morning. Something unusual of her to do. “What?” Holding back my anger, I jumped out of bed. “Is everything okay with you this morning? And where is Aegon?” I turned back to look at the bed to see he was gone. Nowhere to be found. How much longer was I supposed to live with this? Then, it dawned on me. I moved into my room just last night. No one asked me to, but I chose to on my own. Maybe because I wanted some time to myself and nothing more. “Now that you recall, shall we bathe you?” Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked at the maid. “Yes, but why? Isn't it too early for this?” “No,” she shook her head. “It's Saturday morning, Lady Sage. This is the day when many of us would gather in the compound and engage in activities. On most occasions, the Alpha will be there to work with us. So you need to bathe.” The sound of the Alpha brought chills to my body. A smile even came alive on my coun
KNOX“My lord. They're here.” Who are they? “I have no idea what you speak about, Wolf. Who is here?” The man bowed again. “The family of Prince Aegon's wife. The Alpha came along with another lady. Alongside some men from his Pack. I believe them to be guards.” Then it hit me. How could I forget?!And to think that the Wolves were out of their rooms, doing tasks as usual. How did I forget? A sigh ran out of my mouth while I looked up to meet the guard's gaze. “Where are they?”“In the Pack's meeting hall,” he bowed. “They were led there by a maid since it's the usual place you meet with strangers. Especially because of—”“Shut up. I know.”I was still in my thoughts when a hand knocked on the door. Looking up, I didn't need to be told that it was Aegon. No one else knocked like him in the whole of the Pack. “Alpha Knox,” I could now hear him call. “I need to speak with you and this is pretty urgent.” “You may leave—” I said to the guard. “Come on in, Aegon. I'm available for
KNOXI could not believe my ears.Not for a moment. All I could do was gaze at Alpha Arden. What he said sounded like nonsense to me, and I was more than ready to refuse his offer. “Did you hear me, Alpha Knox?” He called, smiling as he continued to eat. “We have come to take our daughter and hand Eleanor to you instead. What do you think of that?” At least he asked. I looked up, smiling. “Well, I think that's an impossible request you have there, Alpha Arden. It's very impossible to give back a woman we have already taken. I'm sure you know that but still came ahead to try your luck. And at the same time, I'm more than sorry to disappoint you.” “I'm afraid this is for your good, Alpha Knox,” I could now see the disappointment on his countenance. Not just his, but that of his daughter as well. “We have come for a good cause and not the wrong one.” What did he mean? Was there something about Sage I needed to know? I looked at his other daughter who was waiting for me to speak
KNOXWe sat there, waiting for his arrival. At this point, I had run out of patience but I had to wait. Just wait for him to get here. And it seemed like it. When the hall gate opened, I sat up on my chair, more than ready to address the matter and dismiss these people. “My lord!” From a distance, he hailed. “Forgive me if I am late for this meeting.”“I was taking a bath when the guard came to call me. Good day, my lord.” Stopping in his tracks, he looked at our guests and then myself again. “I—”“Come on, Aegon,” I called. “You should take a seat. We might have something to talk about. Our guests asked for this and that is why you have been called.” He started walking once again, catching up with a seat not so far from me. I heaved a sigh, knowing fully well what was about to happen. I didn't need to ask before knowing he would reject the offer, especially when he'd said to me so many times that he loved the woman he was with. Why would he change his mind suddenly? How possibl
SAGEI had woken up a while ago but was relaxing some more when a hand tapped me. At first, I was startled by his touch. It was none other reason than the fact that during my relaxation, I was thinking about a lot. A lot I should not think about in the first place, but rather let go because I have had enough. This was something my brain found hard to process. Turning around for a moment, there was Aegon who moped at me from behind. “Good morning, my Lady.” He flashed me a smile I considered beautiful.“Did you have a good night's rest?” He sat up on the bed while I looked away, trying to make up my mind before I sat up on the bed just like he'd done. “Good morning, my Lord—” I greeted also. “Good morning, Prince Aegon—” again, I mouthed, not attempting to sit up. There was a surprised look on my countenance and I asked him. “Shouldn't you be resting, Aegon? I reckon that you should be sleeping and not awake. Did you sleep last night?” “I should, but I don't feel sleepy Sage,”
SAGEThe shocking look on the countenance of the Alpha told me everything I needed to know. I also was more than shocked by all that was happening, but what choice did they leave me with? Aegon had been on bedrest since the last time and there was no way I would watch him die. He was my husband the last time I checked. I could not watch him die, no matter what. These past few days, I have tried to have the heart I thought I had but there was no way it worked. No matter how hard I tried to have the wicked heart I wished I had so that it could be used against him, it was impossible to stand my ground. A sigh ran out of my mouth. I became deep in thoughts, forgetting what I said to the Alpha who sure was moping at me. I caught up with the couch and took a seat, holding back tears from falling from my face. What else was I supposed to do if I did not give blood to Aegon? He was going to die and I would be hurt for the rest of my life. Yet, another sigh ran out of my mouth. Or do
KNOXI waited at the gate of the pack mornings after that evening, waiting for Logan to make it. He had called to announce his coming a while ago, and I looked forward to having him around. There was not much time to waste, and I didn't have all day. Maybe I did, but I didn't have the patience he thought I had. Just about that time, a car was seen driving towards the gate—it was Logan's. “Guards! One of you should do the needful—” I commanded and moved from the gate. “Doctor Logan should not be kept waiting. I'm sure by now that you know the issue at hand.” The man who took over the order did as told. There was no need to run around but rather, I asked that a maid bring two chairs to the small veranda close to the garden. There, I was seated and waiting for Logan who was taking forever to make it to the spot. In a short while, he arrived. “My lord—” with a bow, he greeted, leading his way further. “Long live the Alpha. Forgive me for spending so much time, but you should underst
SAGE Why should I keep sulking? What good was it going to do for me? I wiped my face with both hands, reached for the bowl of fruit, and took out another, ready to bite into it when it struck me. The Alpha was in the chamber. What for?Why should it even bother me? The man must have come to check on his nephew who lay on the bed like a log of wood. There was no way he had come to see a woman who needed more than enough time to take in all the news. So much went about in my head. What was I going to do? What was there to do? The only thing I could do was take in this news and see it as my fate. Maybe I was also cursed, but not in that way. My curse was my fate—being married and bonded to other cursed people. What more could it be? Right from the beginning of my life, there had seldom been peace for me. Starting from being thrown away by my mother, according to what Eleanor said to me. Down to being brought back to the Pack but was treated like a stranger like I didn't matter in
KNOX“What have you done, Aegon?” When he kept mute for too long, I asked again. At this point, I no longer paced the space. My legs had become too weak and I needed to take a seat. “Uncle—” he cried. “I didn't have a choice. Didn't you say she would find out about it one way or the other? I just couldn't keep it from her any longer.” “Oh, no, Aegon!” I adjusted on the bed and opened my mouth to speak again, but there was nothing I had to say. My throat had dried up once again, and I lost my words. “I don't know what to say to you. Why and how did she find out? Did she point a gun to your head in the name of threats? How could you fall for such a thing?” “I didn't fall for anything—” he cried. “My wife wasn't going to give blood to me if I didn't tell her what exactly the issue was. Alpha Knox, this is the condition she gave me when I met her for some blood a while ago. I needed to take some because of how weak I felt, and she wasn't willing to give some to me.” I let out an
KNOXI had taken my bath and changed my clothes, ready to sleep when a hand knocked on the door of my chamber. Earlier today, I gave an order to Brian, asking him to not let anyone into my chamber because of how tired I was. This wasn't the usual isolation but I needed some time to myself and nothing more. This way, I could regain some strengths that were lost. But why did the young man knock at the door of my chamber after being told what to do? Perhaps. Just perhaps, it was something serious. “Come on in, Brian,” I snapped my fingers and the door opened. “What did I tell you earlier today? Or did I not pass a message to you before now? Do well to remind me, for I think I am losing my mind. Maybe I didn't tell you and I think I did. Did I tell you anything?” The young man bowed. “Forgive me, my lord.” “That doesn't answer my question, Brian. Did I pass a message across to you earlier this afternoon or not?” “You did, Alpha Knox,” again, he bowed. “You asked me to not disturb y
SAGEFor a moment, I thought I didn't hear him correctly. “What did you say, Aegon?” He moved farther from me. How did he know that at this point, I would be willing to drive a knife into his heart? “What did you say just now, Aegon?” “I—” the man stuttered. “I am a cursed man, Sage.” There was no way I would sit and take in this news. My legs, on their own and without a lead, pushed me to my feet. The next moment, I found myself pacing the space with a confused look that was plastered on my countenance. “I don't understand.” How could I understand? How could I understand what that statement had to do with sipping my blood now and then, and even on days that weren't the full moon? “What are you saying?!” I shouted at the top of my voice. The urge to hit the man was more than overwhelming, and I didn't know how I was supposed to deal with such a piece of news. “Talk to me, Aegon. I am listening to you. Can you get words out of your mouth?” “I'm sorry.” “What are you sorry f
SAGEThe fruit I was feasting on, fell to the ground. Or was it me who didn't hear him correctly? I wondered, a confused look on my countenance as I looked up to see the face of Aegon who moped at me as though he had seen a ghost. “I'm afraid I did not hear you correctly, my Prince. Would you like to repeat what you have just asked me?” The man coed. He nodded but shifted farther. How did he know I wouldn't mind driving a knife through his heart? No, that was extreme but with the anger boiling inside of me, I could do any and everything. “What did you ask me?” “Blood—” the man mouthed, shamelessly. “I'll need a cup of your blood, baby. That's what I said.” Of course, my ears were working perfectly. There was no way I heard the wrong thing because my ears did not have any fault. “Why?” I then asked, controlling my anger. Perhaps—just perhaps, there was a reason why he needed blood from me after taking so much from me just yesterday that was the full moon night. “Why should I g
SAGE*One Month LaterAbout a few days ago, I went to drop a sample of my blood for Doctor Logan, the man in charge of the Pack's medical activities. There was a need to check if I was pregnant because I felt sick, somehow these days. Perhaps it was me who thought about it a lot, and nothing was wrong with me. But how could I be so sure? My legs led me out of the chamber. Aella had bathed me a while ago, and I was ready to leave on my own—without her just as it should be. Maybe it shouldn't be so, but I wanted this meeting to be between myself and the man who took my blood sample a few days ago. “Shall I come with you, my lady?” I stopped walking and turned to look at the guard who stood at the door. “No, there'll be no need for that. My intention is to take a walk around the Pack's compound and I shall be back before you know it—” lies. Lies upon lies, but should I care? I didn't want to be followed and would do anything at all to have it that way. Again, I moved, humming a son