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Chapter 34
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2024-10-29 19:42:56The hallways are quiet. After bidding Umber good night, I inch down to my room quietly. I close the door behind me, leaning against it by degrees. When I push off the hard surface, I freeze on seeing someone in the middle of the room.
Heidi. I mouth the word, unable to speak it. I clear my throat. "I thought you'd be asleep."
Those shuttered eyes hold mine. "Where were you?"
"I was... I was a bit thirsty so I went down to the kitchens."
Wordlessly she gazes in the direction of my bed. On the table beside it sits a glass of water.
My stomach knots.
Her eyes come back to mine. A silent scoff. "Watch your back."
The hairs on my nape rise. Her words follow me to the training camp early next morning. And when the sun rises high and we're all in the library, the words are still stuck to my mind like a terrible song.
Umber looks at me from the side of her eyes. "Relax," she whispers. Because for some reason, the Herras' have dec
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MALCOLM____"I want to see my mum."The little voice has me dragging my near frantic attention away from the papers sprawled all over my desk. I look at the boy a few feet away and wonder, not for the first time, what to tell him. Noticing something else, I ask, "Where is your omega?"He continues to look at me, the set of his jaw so painfully familiar I find myself looking away."I don't want an omega," he says. "All she does is sleep. And the other children think I smell funny."A surge of protectiveness has me scowling. "Did they say something to you?""No. Just that I don't smell like a wolf."I relax. Just then the door comes open and a portly woman rushes in, frantic. "Alpha, I don't know w--oh, goodness! There you are."She bows, face apologetic. "I'm sorry. I closed my eyes for a bit and then he was nowhere."Rylan turns a shocked gaze up at her. "She's lying. She didn't close your eyes for a
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Next week approaches too soon. Flakes of snow drift down languidly, swirling in the frigid air. King Orion's weathered face beams as we shake hands. "Malcolm. Thank you for extending the invitation."I nod. "My pleasure." I gaze past him, seeing no one else. "And your daughters?""They will be coming at a later time. I just wanted us to have a little man to man."For all his boisterous tone, his blue eyes reveal nothing. "Alright," I say. "Come, then. Let's head to my office."His bodyguards trail behind him as we near the sprawling front steps wrapping around the building. They are dressed in the official colours of the Eld, white and blue. Till today, no one could glean any substantial information about their dimension. No one even knows how they fight, or the powers they weild. Their combat skills, however, are legendary.My own guards stand sentinel behind the columns riding down the walls of the castle. Soon the double doors are opened to us a
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"Do you have any leads?"Yunam, the castle's tech guy, smiles, his teeth white against a dark face. "You will be excited to know I have, Your Highness. You said the explosions took place at Catamount, so I had some men sent out to collect samples around the grounds: snow, grass, figs. They brought them all in a few weeks back and I had a bunch of tests run on them. The results came out this morning. One thing the samples have in common are the presence of a rare oxidizer, capable of increasing the combustible potential of--"I raise a hand, growing impatient. "Get to the point, Yunam.""This advanced technique has only been reportedly used in three countries. Moscow, Belarus and Serbia. I learnt these places are common spots for Hunter activists as well. W--""Alpha."My attention snaps to the werewolf that'd just barged into my office. Elias. "A word, pl--""Out."His eyes grow insistent. "Your Highness, this is serious. I fear
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I welcome the Lunas to the castle the next day.After introductions are done, we head to the dinning hall. The women are dressed impeccably, covered in expensive jewelries and even more outrageously expensive clothes. I don't miss the underlaying tint of competitiveness in the air.Most of the women don't come alone. As I'd hoped, they brought their courts and retinue as well: equally lavishly dressed female wolves who hung on their Luna's every word.When I take my seat at the table, a hush falls over the hall. A riot of scents flay the air, but beneath the cloying layers I pick up on ill-concealed interest."Welcome," I say. "I am glad you all managed to make it here on such short notice. I know you're saddled as it is with running your packs, but I ask that you extend the warm qualities particular to your stations as Lunas to the daughters of the Eld king." I motion to Elodie and her sister. Imatra's missing.The women turn their att
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Rylan thrashes on his bed, screaming. And he is unrecognizable.Scales dot his skin, glowing translucent in the harsh glare of the lights. His eyes are slitted, serpentine, and black claws curl out from his fingers, shredding the sheets.Behind me, the omega whispers in fear, "I thought they'd gone extinct.""Apparently they haven't," I answer absently. He's a dragon.I walk over to his bed. "Rylan," I call gently. Close enough now, I take him in my arms and hold tight, subduing his frantic attacks. He soon calms.What feels like an eternity passes before I ease him back. "Did you dream about your mother again?""No." Frightened eyes meet mine. "I dreamt about you."My breath stops for a moment. "What did you dream about, buddy?""You died. Y-your throat was open and it-it bled.""It's just a dream, okay?" I say, hugging him back to me even as my heart races in my chest. If he's a dr
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GWEN___"That's her."Heidi's words bring a chill sweeping through the air. The crowd parts automatically, distancing from I and Umber like we're ticking bombs about to go off. Herra Eunice's face flushes red with anger and she starts to speak. I don't think, I just let my instincts take over. The pulse on her neck beats faster and her words cut off abruptly. A perplexed expression dawns on her face before a spurt of blood gushes out of her mouth and into the air.People scream, lurching back, and it's all the distraction I need. I grab Umber's hand and in seconds we're running down the sand, toward the vast sea.Above the wind, she screams, "What are you doing!?""I don't know!""We don't have a boat, Gwen! How are we going to sail through?"When we're just a foot away, I let go of her hand. Mid-run, I slice an arm through the air in a series of practiced movements, praying to god the
The Alpha King's Captive Chapter 41
I feel ice beneath me. The rhythmic splashing of water causes a groan to slip past my lips. I peer through blurry slits, making out the vast, blue sky. I reach up to shield my eyes from the sun, turning over to fold into myself. The action causes me roll into freezing cold water."Gwen!"I feel hands grabbing at me.When my head breaks surface, I suck in a loud breath, clawing my hair out of my face as Umber drags me onto the ice sled, pounding my back. When my spine threatens to break under her administrations, I burst, "Stop. I'm fine--I'm fine, that's enough."She relents, seating back. "Goodness. Thought I'd lost you." A nervous, high-pitched chuckle. "Imagine that, me alone out here. I know we're going to die at some point, but it's relief to not do it alone."My stomach bottoms out when I take a look around. Vast, unending blue sea. "Don't talk like that," I tell her with a stroke of determination. "We're going to pull through and t
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We'd swum all the way to the tank. I come up for a breather, eyeing the hull. Sailors line the deck, tall and frightening. These are the Eld, I think, disbelieving that I could be seeing them--and still have breath in my lungs. On my lead, we swim over to the aft. The rear is empty.I brace myself. The waves ripple silently, lifting me onto the deck. Warmth immediately engulfs my feet once they make contact with the floorboards. I line up against the metal edifice, daring a peek around the hulking structure. My blood runs cold.A few feet away are Eld warriors. Some lean along the rails, chatting. While a few remain watchful, menacing expressions on stoic faces. When one of them starts to look in my direction, I draw away instantly, not daring to breathe.I remain there for God knows how long before I'm hit with a stroke of inspiration. My arms lift and I shut my eyes. I draw on some last reserve of strength I have and soon the ship rocks. The men quiet. M
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RYLANShe takes wild jabs at me, stabbing the air each time I leap away. Now I land behind her and she spins around, face red from exertion and just the littlest bit of irritation. Falling into stance again, we start a slow dance around each other. My lips twitch."You won't be laughing for much longer," she says. She lunges, focused ruthlessly on my shoulder. Last minute, I block, knocking her wrist with the heel of my palm. The dagger falls to the ground and when she makes a dash for it, I grab her, pinning her to me with just the slightest pressure on her neck.I lean down. "Always," I say against her ear, breathing hard, "have your full attention on your opponent, not on only where you aim to attack."Her elbows come down on my arms and she wrenches out of my grasp. I grin. "Impressive."She picks her blade off the ground, coming at me again. This time I attack, feinting a right just to place the tip of my dagger against the smooth line of her throat.Time suspends.When my eyes s
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RYLANWhen the sound of crushed leaves sound, I look down from my high vantage point. Emmaline.Through the darkness, I watch her advance forward. Her head snaps around, looking for sign of me. Unnoticed, I use the time to look at her. She's dressed in all black, but had forgotten to hide the most important thing. Her blonde beacon of a hair. I stifle an eye roll. She really did choose the right colour.When I jump down. I hear her gasp. But she turns around and releases a loaded breath on realizing it's just me."You sacred me," she breathes."I'm sorry."I notice there are bags under her eyes and there's an air of sadness around her that I can't explain. "Are you okay?" I find myself asking."Yes. Of course."I shrug. Fine then."Come on."We walk for what seems like an eternity. The pen is located at a really remote part of the school. The gatekeeper really took his privacy serious.We walk by moss covered plants, the scent of fresh water and evergreens strong in the air. I look ba
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Once I enter the dinning hall the next morning, I wish I didn't.Sophie is sitting with a group of girls. Among them is Sharlene.I grip the strap of my bag on reflex and start to walk past them, hoping I looked indifferent. But soon that is all I become consumed with. How do I make them realize that I don't give a f*ck? Do I wave at her? Act like I don't see her?Am I waking too straight?My anxiety vanishes. It's replaced with something acidic, and painful. I see Rylan.He's with Sabrina.The wall I'd erected around myself threatens to crack. When I slide into an empty table, I feel irritation at myself well. Why did I think anything between us had changed?He's only helping me out of some misguided responsibility and not because, heaven forbid, he likes me. A hysterical laugh bubbles to the surface but it morphs into a lump and lodges at the back of my throat when Sophie's table breaks out in laughter.What are they talking about?Is it me?My stomach clenches. Did she tell them wh
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Without wasting any more time, I turn on my heels and rush in. The empty room stops me short. Reaching up, I absently start to untangle my hair, drawing out stubborn leaves. My hand freezes mid air when the murmur of a crowd down below becomes audible.I rake my fingers through my hair frantically, desperately hoping I've managed to remove any evidence of being in the woods. Throwing the door open, I rush down the cold halls. The stairwell is suddenly too long, every step I take sending a rush of dread snaking through me.Finally I get to the common room. Following the voices, I make my way to the dinning hall.Up to a hundred pairs of eyes turn to laser on me. I fight the urge to shrink away.The girls wear varying looks of irritation, still in their night wear. Veloria's matron is the last to notice me. The dread in her eyes gives way to shock and then concern before her eyes turn cold. I notice someone shoot up. "Emmaline!"Sophie.She pushes away from her crowded table, heading in
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EMMAShit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.Shit!We leap across another tree, legs pounding down on hard gravel. Rylan still hasn't left my hand, his strong grip steering me relentlessly."Don't let them get away!" A guard yells.When I stumble over the uneven ground, Rylan catches me, wrapping a large hand around my bicep. He hauls me to my feet easily, pushing me in front of him. My breaths tear out of me and the wind whips my face punishingly, sending hair and the scent of evergreens into my nose. Gnarled branches lie low, preventing our desperate escape."Wha--" My gasp is torn when Rylan nudges me in a different direction. The sound of water slapping against boulders become evident.When we get to the raging stream, he shrugs off his bag, throwing it into the river. The practice dummy follows soon after. He spins on me, motioning for my bag. My eyes widen. "My pho--"His voice is unyielding. "Emma. Now."A stab of frustration. When figs crack in the distance, I thrust the bag into his w
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RYLANUsing my boot, I kick off excess gravel and sit. "Our professor says the first step to welding is getting pretty f*cking pissed."She blinks. "Pissed, as in drunk? Or, like, angry?""Furious. Foaming at the mouth."She lifts a brow. "Well, since I don't have rabies, do I still qualify?""Tough, but we'll see."I cross my legs, putting my palms face down on either of my knee in what is known as a thinking pose. Trees sway to the chilly night air, the sound of crickets and crinkling leaves breaking the silence from time to time. Emma mirrors my actions. "So what now?""Take a deep breath."Wrong idea. When she inhales, her breasts jut forward and I feel my mouth dry. "I didn't say suck in all the air," I snap.She trains a glare on me. "I was just following your instructions.""Well, follow them without trying to be a vacuum. Watch."She watches snidely as I inhale. "There," I say quietly. "One small breath in, another one out."She copies my actions for a few minutes then just sto
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RYLAN_"Quiet," I say when Emma starts to speak behind me.Absently, my brows rise in surprise when she does. I fit a key into the lock, opening the door to my room.We both walk in and I catch my gaze flitting around, wondering what she'll think about my space. I hear the quiet thud of her bag hitting the floor. She is dressed in black, her blonde hair standing out like a beacon. Her heavily-lined eyes look around and her footfalls sound as she goes to my bookcase. A finger trails along the spines of my books.When she chuckles, I scowl, feeling an odd emotion slither through me. What's so funny?She starts, "You know, I'd kind of thought that you were some kind of control freak. But seeing this..."An unfamiliar feeling whips through me. I discover it's self consciousness."Seeing what?" I ask, my skin knotting.She starts to point. "Your skate boards have the same amount of space between them, so do the trophies on your desk. I can't find even a speck of dust on your shelf, your bo
The Alpha King's Captive Chapter 88
RYLANThe mock tournaments mark the wrap of another semester. It's a series of playoffs done by opposing Houses in preparation for the main sports competitions. In mock tournaments or 'mocks', each team gets to weigh the skills of the counter House by undergoing challenges--in the hopes of mapping out a way to use it to their advantage. So it goes without saying that no one goes all out during mocks.Which is why Malkar's coach wanted to rip my head off when I went at Ezra with everything I had, giving him a black eye in the process.I don't want to look into what it is about the amber-eyed fiend that gets my blood boiling. But I know that with each moment I see him and Emma engaged in unending discussions, or laughing together at something either of them said: it f*cking grew. Each time he spoke to her, I wanted to tear his tongue from his skull."Rylan, are you listening?"I bring my attention back to Cal. "What?"He laughs. "You have a thing for Elmloch boys now?"I lift an unimpr
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"Okay, I can't keep quiet anymore," Soph says.She sits cross-legged on the plush cream rug, burning candles on either side of her. Sunlight spills in through the wide windows, adding a gleam to her jet-black hair. "What happened to the 'I Eat Dick For Breakfast' type gal I saw on the first day."I blow out a long-suffering breath, pulling on a pair of tailored slacks. I slip a checkered vest over my head. "The 'type gal' is right here." I cringe into the mirror once the words leave my mouth."I liked that Emma better," she says. "Now you're like some domesticated poodle."I whirl around. "You did not just call me a dog."She laughs. "Technically, you are. You're an animal shifter."A nervous laugh. "Yeah. Got me there." I go back to arranging my hair. I'd dyed it platinum blonde. I'm just in the process of sleeking the pale strands into a bun when she lets out a frustrated noise."Stupid f*cking wind!"I turn, seeing the drapes billowing. My eyes shift to her. Her candles are snuffed
