ITHRA
“After Zadok became the Alpha, the first thing he did was to throw us out of the packlands.” Shilhi, or rather, Sarai continued her story. “Of course, I saw that coming, so I made provision for the Ancient Witch’s clan to camp around the outskirts of the pack until I found somewhere safe enough to call home.”
“After one year, I was finally able to find a place, far away from the BloodHound pack and everything it represents. I even raised a wall to protect us from external attacks and changed our name.” My eyes widened at her words,
“You changed the name of the ancient witch’s clan?” I asked, scared of her answer.
“Yes and no.” She giggled. “I divided the ancient clan and set some of my trusted aides over it while I remained in the outskirts of the pack with my trusted aides.” She gasped, “You wouldn’t believe what happened the night after I divided
ZADOKWeak. Too weak.I felt my wolf try to support me with strength but that was all it was. Staying inside this circle was cruel. I couldn’t heal myself and I could feel life zap out of me as the minutes passed by.Shilhi stood in front of me with a smile that made my blood boil. “How does it feel being at the receiving end of the torment you once dished out to me?” She asked, having a field day by her expressions. “I’m sure you regret ever laying your hands on all those clans you brutally murdered with the hope of exterminating the ancient witches.”I spat out blood. “Never. That remains the best decision I’d ever taken since I walked this earth.”“I love your consistency.” She tightened her fist and I felt my heart squeeze so painfully I nearly passed out. “You know, your father used to be like you. Consistent and steadfast in his words. Until that bitch c
ITHRAShilhi saw to her words.I felt the twist of a knife in my back, and I shouted at the pain that followed it.“How does that feel?” She asked from behind me. “Terrible isn’t it?” She dragged my hair from behind and whispered in my ears. “That’s exactly how the clan felt when you switched sides in the dark forest.”“I never betrayed anyone...” I managed to say, and she pushed the knife further into my back.I felt the sharp edge scratch my heart.“Stop... don’t kill her, please..” Watching Zadok beg brought a bitter taste to my mouth.I felt my wolf whimper at the sight of him struggling to get out of that darned enchanted circle.Shilhi did a perfect work. After successfully capturing us, the first thing she did was to place a spell that hindered us from transforming into our wolves.My wolf,
ZADOK“Don’t do it,” I muttered under my breath, very close to the circle.Ithra seemed determined to kill herself. I felt our mate bond shrink as she poured out her life essence.“Stop her!” Kir said in a frantic voice. “She is going to kill herself!”I struggled to cross the line, pushing through the invisible barrier that weakened me, all to no avail. If only I could disrupt the circle, maybe I would be able to get through.“No more..” Shilhi said, falling to her knees. But Ithra didn’t relent.Whatever Ithra was doing, it was working. When the rogues saw that Shilhi was falling, they attacked Ithra.Their attempts were useless because Ithra sensed them a few seconds away and directed her wrath on them, leaving Shilhi some breathing space.The rogues were reduced to a pile of dust, and before Ithra could focus on Shilhi, she
ZADOKIt’s been three years since I saw her.And three years since I heard from my wolf.Three years of searching the dark forest with my warriors for any sign of Ithra.Everyone thought I was crazy, Some believed I had lost my senses in the dark forest - including my beta.“The men returned not too long ago,” Azriel informed me in my office. “We lost a large number of wolves in the Cold Valley.” He said with gritted teeth.“Did they find her?” I asked the question I’ve asked for the past three years. “Did they find any trace of my mate?”“No sir.” Azriel answered, “There were no reports of seeing or spotting anything out of the ordinary.”“Prepare another batch,” I ordered in a dismissive tone. “By tomorrow, let them return to the dark forest.”“Alpha,” Azriel
AZRIEL’S POVI headed back to the training ground sporting a bruised lip.Odd looks were thrown my way as I passed members of the pack, but no one was bold enough to ask what went wrong.These days, everyone was a shadow of themselves - trying to hide from my sight with hopes that they wouldn’t be the next to die.I missed the days when I was looked upon with love and reverence as a protector and beta of the pack.Now, I was seen as an angel of death - Picking up wolves from their families and sending them to their deaths - just like I was about to do with the next batch of wolves I’d been asked to send.I arrived at the training ground and didn’t miss that we had reduced drastically. I’ve lost count of the warriors we have lost to this cause.The number of people returned a shadow of themselves after being lucky enough to cross the darned portal and return alive.
ZADOKI stood in front of the wall where the portal was supposed to be. The dark wall that led to the dark forest was gone.The blocks returned to sight like there was never a portal there. I turned around with eyes that reflected the storm in my heart.“What happened?” I asked no one in particular, but I was expecting an answer.I needed an answer or hell would break loose.“Alpha!” Azriel burst into the building and rushed to my side.I didn’t acknowledge him. My eyes remained focused on the wall. The door to recovering her. My mate.“What went wrong? Who was the last person that entered this facility?” He asked one of the guard wolves that stood in our presence.“It was Aaron.” He answered, “He was the last one to return yesterday.”“How many people returned yesterday?” I asked the question tha
AZRIEL'S POVIt’s been one week of intense sorrow and pain.Since the portal of the dark forest disappeared and the message from the luna was sent to the Alpha, I had not set my eyes on him.The atmosphere of the pack seemed like we were in mourning. Everyone moved about conspicuously, bearing the pain of our Alpha.I couldn’t believe it myself. Over the years, despite trying to bring Zadok out of his slum by insinuating his mate was dead, a part of me felt she was still alive.Call it a beta’s instinct, but I just had this silent resolve that the Luna couldn’t be dead.Unlike Shilhi, whom I watched explode into a million pieces, she didn’t explode. Ithra disappeared - Just like they had disappeared from the packlands and entered the dark forest.Hearing Aaron repeat what he said to me, everything in me kicked against it. I couldn’t believe that my half-sister and Luna
ZADOKI wore my dress shirt as I prepared to address my people.It’s been three years since I returned. I never reached out to my people or attempted to associate with them.Today was the end. The end of my string of wickedness to my people and the start of a new dawn in the Blood Hound pack.For seven days, I let myself mourn like I should have been for the past three years. I let out all the pains locked in my heart and sought for myself like a pin in a haystack.Hearing the message from Ithra was the wake-up call I didn’t think I needed. I didn’t realise how much I had disappointed myself, my people, and Ithra with my actions over the past few years.I was selfish. Blinded by my pain, I ignored the suffering of everyone else. I had lost my mate and instead of taking it like the strong wolf I was supposed to be, I sent others to their death with a ridiculous mission to find someone who was dead.