Lily’s POV “I fear you might be with a child, Lily,” Clara announced. I stared at her in disbelief. Did she know what the hell she was saying? I scoffed. “Stop joking around Clara,” I replied. I suddenly felt cold, so I rubbed my shoulders. “I wish I was Lily. For your sake, I wish I was.” Lily said, looking at me pitifully. My mind began to swirl with so many thoughts. I tried to recall when was the last time, and I realized it was indeed three weeks before we got attacked and I was captured. That same night, Marcus had forced himself on me. I should have seen Aunt Flo two weeks later. But I have been in Mistwood Creek for almost a month. “I still do not believe it.” I sniffed in a tear that was about to drop. “Lily, I know this may be hard to take in, but you need to make terms with it. ” For the first time, I felt Clara was only making noise or talking senselessly at that moment. Did she understand what that meant? That I would be stuck here forever with Marcus?
Lily’s POV“What did you say?” I asked after a few minutes of not being able to react or say anything.“I'm sorry Lily. You are with two children in your womb.” Grayson replied.I felt numb for a few more minutes, I could not say anything or do anything about it. This was real, I was with a child.No, I was with children.“Please, let no one find out about this,” I said, looking back at Grayson's sullen face and at Clara's tear-stricken face.“I promise I won't tell anyone,” Clara replied through tears.I turned back to Grayson and he nodded in the affirmative. I stood up and made for the door. I staggered and almost fell back, but Grayson held me.“Stay strong child, rest a little and get some strength.” He said as he held me up.“I have to see Marcus,” I mumbled.“But you just said not to tell anyone!” Clara yelled.“Hush now Clara, she might want to inform the father.” Grayson rebuked her.“No,” I shook my head and held their hands. “I don't want to tell him,” I said weakly.“Then
Marcus’s POV Arriving at my chambers from the council hall, I found Leila sitting casually on my bed.My eyes darkened. “Leave us,” I said to Winston who was trailing behind me.“Yes, Master Marcus.” He replied and scurried away.“What are you doing here?” I asked, eyeing her menacingly.“Can I not also visit my husband to be in his chambers?” She asked back.“Stop answering my question with another question!” I barked. “Why did you come here?” I asked her again.She rolled her eyes. “Well, since we are engaged to be married now, and I do not care how long that will take, but now that we are, I would like us to clarify some issues.” She replied.This lady was getting on my nerves with each passing second. Her aura smelt like filthy evil and she possessed and displayed such evil.“What clarification are you talking about?” I asked feigning ignorance at where she was headed. They all had one target which was Crimson Valley and their target had a key.Lily. “We need to discuss the issu
Marcus's POV I arrived in my chambers in one piece, but my mood had turned sour. Did Lily just reject me? On what basis did she reject me? Why would she even do that?I got angry and overturned the mini table in my room. Was she trying to stay away from me? She was my slave and there was nothing she could do about it.I growled slowly and immediately went out the window for a run. I did not want to be around people. I needed to calm my nerves.I ran till I found a tree in the Forest, within the borders of Mistwood Creek. I climbed the tree and rested there till morning.At the break of day, my eyes opened slowly and I realized I was still on the tree but there was someone else there. “What are you doing here?” I asked the old lady.“I see you have been rejected by your mate, Master Marcus, but that should not deter you or make you give up.” She replied.I scoffed. “I am yet to know who the hell you are?” I asked angrily.My sleeve was long and it was bright, so how was she able to
Leila's POV“What the hell was wrong with Marcus?!” I screamed at the ugly-faced Amelia who was following me back to the Queen's chambers.“I'm sorry Leila, soon he will have no choice but to stick with you no matter what,” Amelia replied.I did not like keeping ugly faces beside me, but Amelia had proven herself useful time and time again. So for now I'll ensure her useless ramblings.“What time was that little whore supposed to meet the queen?” I asked her.“About this time Leila.” She replied.“Good. She would not know what hit her till it did.I laughed sinisterly and took a turn till we arrived at the southern wing which belonged to Queen Laurent.As we arrived at the queen's chambers, I took a very short pause and sighed not knowing I had spent longer than two minutes glaring at the queen.That seat will be mine soon.“Aren't we supposed to be going inside now?” Amelia asked, interrupting my thoughts.“We?” I asked with a sneer plastered at the corner of my lips then returned a
Lily's POV I tried to act like I was in control of myself with his sudden change of attitude. It was good anyway because it made it easier to pass my message across without guilt. “Please let me go,” I said solemnly. I watched as his face instantly went pale and all his facial muscles tensed up. His black eyes constricted and the room became extremely cold. “What do you mean by let you go?” He asked, his tone very icy. I could not bring myself to say the words the way I had earlier intended, but I would say them nonetheless. “You will be getting married soon and I am very useless and fragile. I feel there is no need to keep me around any longer.” I urged. He was no longer wearing his usual warm smile that made him more handsome, at least to me. All that was left was a cold and contemptuous smirk on His face. “I will never let you go, Lily.” He said calmly. “Why?” I asked. “Please Master Marcus, I am not needed here and more so, I do not have anything going on here.”
Lily's POV“I mean, he is getting married to Leila, so it could only mean he loves her right?” I asked.I knew there was something wrong going on with Marcus and Leila, but why would he agree to marry her if he did not feel something for her?It is only these babies in my womb that I feel sorry for. They don't know what they will face when they are born. I thought “And that is a good thing right?” She asked, her stares were suffocating.“Yes, it is,” I said quickly.My response felt more like a consolation for me than it was an admission for her.“Good. Now I hope you are well familiar with jasmine tea.” She asked.“No, I have only read about it,” I replied truthfully.“I thought as much. This was specially imported from overseas.” She said as Amelia brought two cups and poured in the tea. She lifted one cup for the Queen and left the other one for me.“Consider this, a gift for hurting you back then.” The queen said and raising her cup, she passed me a toast and took a sip of it.I
Lily's POV“Lily, no matter what happens, I need you to know that I will always watch your back and I will always be there for you anytime, anywhere,” Clara said.I hugged her again and cried a little more before it was time for her to leave.“When do you intend on doing what you have proposed to do?” She asked, concern had long plastered across her face.“Tomorrow morning,” I replied as determination replaced the fear and tears that had gripped my heart. “Oh Lily, I will see how best to help you with this.” She said and rubbed my shoulders gently. “Thank you so much, Clara,” I replied and we hugged again before she stepped out and left me alone.I stood up and placed a few clothing and fabrics into a small bag, then assembled the food items into another bag in preparation for what lay ahead.Once I was done, I went straight into bed and slept soundly. No black wolf, no voices. Just a long and dreamless sleep.At the first flicker of light, I stirred awake and hurried out of bed.I
Shawn's POVThe grand hall of the beautiful mansion was bathed in the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the stained glass windows.I sat in a chair close to where Sean and Clara sat. Marcus was about to be crowned King of the Wolves.“If you need anything tell me okay,” Clara said as she checked where I was wounded."Hmm, thank you, Clara,” I replied.Thanks to Lucas, I got more preferential treatment from Clara.The hall was filled with members from the four packs. The Twilight Ridge werewolves, led by Marcus, and Luna Crest led by a little girl who I barely knew. The Silvershade pack is led by me and the Bloodmoon pack is led by Shadowvale.Finally, all the pain, struggles, and fighting have been put behind us. As I scanned the room, my eyes landed on Marcus, standing tall in front of the hall.Beside him stood Lily, his marked bride, her eyes bright with happiness. Their children stood with them, looking around with wide-eyed wonder.The ceremony began with the eldest seat, s
Marcus’s POVTime passed in a blur and we have been having a happy season and time together. Every morning was beautiful to behold and every night was as peaceful and pleasurable as I had imagined it.Finding Lily was like I finally found my missing rib.My official coronation was the next day and I had lots of preparations to make, as well as make a courtesy visit to the villages and each pack.“What are you thinking so much about, my love?"I rolled my eyes. “Don't ever say that again Winston else I'll cut off your tongue,"“What? I was only trying to bridge the gap since she's out with Clara," He replied.“You should do that as your chubby self, rather than mimic your queen," I replied, faking anger.“Fine, I'll shut the door after me and send word to have her come back,” He replied, also feigning vexation.“Silly man," I said and we both laughed.By noon, we were all complete for lunch. It was beautiful to have the mansion this lively.“Mother, Aunt Clara taught me how to create w
Lily's POVDamn! I have been such a fool.I ran without considering where I was going. The pain was just too much to bear. I had pushed Marcus away despite my growing attraction to him because I also blamed him for everyone's death.But he was the one only trying to clean up his father's mess. “Arrggh!" I yelled into the sky.I don't know how or why, but it started to rain. The rain started as a drizzle, but it quickly turned into a downpour. I stayed in the rain and cried.Each step I took splashed through the forming puddles, and the cold rain soaked me to the bone. I barely noticed.“Lily, wait!” Marcus’s voice called out behind me. I didn’t stop. I couldn’t face him, not after everything I’d done.The memories of our past and the hurt I must have caused him played in my mind. I kept walking, but Marcus caught up to me, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face him.“Lily, please, talk to me,” he said, his voice filled with concern and desperation.I yanked my arm free, the a
Marcus’s POVI stared around the room and noticed Lord Darkwood's absence and instantly knew that Leila was a distraction from where the real harm was occurring.I turned to Shawn, our eyes meeting for a moment. “We have to find a way through,” I said, my voice low and urgent.He nodded, his expression determined. “I will use my powers, while you support me.”We turned back to the barrier, our combined strength hammering against it. The air crackled with energy, the barrier shimmering under our powers. But it held firm, refusing to yield.Leila watched us, her smile never faltering. “You can’t win, Marcus. This is my game now.”But I refused to accept that. I dug deep, summoning every ounce of strength and determination I had. I thought of Lily, of Raymond and Fiona. I couldn’t fail them.With a final, desperate effort, we pushed against the barrier. There was a blinding flash of light, and suddenly, the barrier shattered, sending us tumbling forward.I scrambled to my feet, my eyes l
Marcus’s POVMy journey back to Mistwood Creek felt longer than I expected it. As I arrived at the villages, the clamor of battle was deafening.I noticed the full moon's glow on my skin and despite it being dark, I could spot all my runes. My fangs were out and so were my claws.I felt energy surge through me and my senses heightened. The tangy smell of blood and dust filled the air and I could make out the faint smell of cedarwood and flowers.I took out the vial and gulped everything down in one go, before proceeding in the direction of the mansion.I was going to find Lily and my kids no matter what.Arriving at the first gate to the mansion, I noticed Shadowvale and his men transformed back to their human form and whatever was left of my knights hurried behind me.“I told you Marcus, I would be back," Shadowvale said with a cold sneer."And I think you should be on your way out right about now,” I replied coldly.Shadowvale laughed and his men joined him. "Do I look like Shawn to
Shawn's POVMartin and I finally made our way out of the village just as the sun was about to set. The sky was colored with hues of orange and purple, and I could see the moon beginning to emerge, just as I was feeling my wolf gradually taking over me.As we passed through some parts of the village, I noticed some doors hung off their hinges, and debris littered the ground. Villagers with fearful expressions hurried past us, whispering frantically among themselves.“What happened here?” Martin asked, his voice hushed as we took in the scene.“Shadowvale,” I muttered, my jaw clenched. “He must have been here.”Martin's eyes widened. “We need to move quickly, Shawn. He was not supposed to attack the villagers.”“It's the full moon’s effect," I replied blankly. “Let's hurry up to him nonetheless,"The further we went, the more signs of destruction we saw. It was clear that Shadowvale had left his mark, and the villagers had suffered for it.“Damn him,” I cursed under my breath, fury boil
Leila’s POVWalking out of the throne room, I made my way back to the townhouse with haste. Lucas had proven to be so much of a headache.He was supposed to be an easy nut to crack, but he proved himself to be smarter than I made him to be.I had gotten Lily back and left instructions with the dark sorcerers of Luna Crest to make sure that Lucas didn't see the light of day.As I approached the townhouse, I saw Maureen waiting for me at the entrance, her face was pale and lacked any form of the usual excitement."Sister," she called out, in a flat and emotionless voice. “We need to hurry,” She said with a tone of indifference.I knew that who would still be feeling offended about Smithson's death, but there was nothing I was going to do about it.“Why is that?" I asked as we made our way inside the house.“There have been some little disruptions in the lower parts of the village and it was only a matter of time before the full attack began,” She replied coldly.I knew what that implied
Lucas's POV Looking at Leila's retreating back left me writhing in anger at her audacity in turning back on her words. I should have known better anyway, once an evil witch, always a wicked witch. I looked away from Leila and her flowing black veil and rested my eyes on the helpless Lily being carried away by the men who were with Leila. "Make sure she is not conscious," Leila instructed them. "The kids?" One asked. "Leave them as they are. Lucas already did that," She replied and turned to face me. Her dark men who surrounded me seemed to be there to restrict me from doing anything reckless, rather than execute me from the plan. "What happened to your integrity, Leila Darkwood," I asked her angrily. "I don't have one, Lucas Hawthorne," She replied with a sinister smile. "I actually don't have all day to spend here chit-chatting with you, so I will go ahead with my question," She knows who the hell I am. I searched her as she spoke and gauged the strength of the men
Marcus’s POVI was still doubtful of her innocence in all this, but for Lily's sake and Grayson's sake, I would give her the benefit of the doubt."Start speaking," I demanded, my voice echoing off the walls.She looked up at me, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "How is my father?"Really?"Stop playing games with me," I snapped, taking a step closer. "You’ll meet your father if you tell me what I need to hear."Clara seemed to hesitate, her gaze dropping to the floor. After a long moment, she sighed and looked back up at me. "Shadowvale is planning an attack on Mistwood Creek."I felt a surge of anger and concern. "Fair enough," I said. “But that's not all I want to hear and you know it,"“I'm sorry King Marcus, but I don't know who that whirlwind belonged to," She shook her head and I could feel her genuine flow of emotions.“Is there anyone you suspect might be after them?" I asked.“Apart from you, that would be Lucas. He wants the kids, Raymond and Fiona, dead and…” She paused.The