They launched their ship to meet up with the ones sailing from Foth.Edward, with his vision, could tell the number of ships that approached. It was six, each carrying not less than three hundred and fifty slave soldiers. One hundred and two carried out the first attack on the four regions, and those hundred wreaked much havoc on the entire kingdom. A few days ago, they had a taste of what the slave soldiers could do. A thousand would ruin the kingdom, and no one would be left to fight this battle.“You think this is the place?” Xavier asked Edward as their ship stopped after a two-day journey.“According to my calculations, yes, this is the place.” He replied, “I know if my calculations are wrong, this is all in vain, and we will lose our lives, but my calculations are correct. The slave ship will be here tomorrow at dawn, and we must get to work tonight.” He answered.Xavier nodded. “Then give the order.” He said.Edward nodded and headed out. The orders went out, and all the soldie
Edward felt satisfaction watching the ship burn, and he knew the next best thing to this would be to see Kailani and wrap his arms around her. Their return took two days, and Edward kept a close eye on Koz and Xavier. Koz because he believed the alpha was still mentally unstable, and Xavier because he knew his brother was so far from fine. It was his duty to get them back safely. Xavier will return to his mate, Mia, his son Lyon, and his unborn child, while Koz will return to his daughter, Cara.Their victory at sea would give them an advantage. There was no telling if they would win this war, but they could hope for the best.They returned to shore excitedly, and searching through the happy faces gathering around to welcome them, he found Kailani's. She stood farther back, and unlike the rest of those gathering to receive them, she didn't look thrilled. This sight made his heart sting weirdly. Usually, Kailani would have been the happiest to see him, yet now she wasn't.He walked thr
Xavier stayed quiet, watching Mia rock Kim to sleep. She didn’t have to do this; maids and nannies were on standby to take care of everything the baby needed, but just like she did with Lyon, she had decided to do it with Kim. He didn’t mind; watching her rock the baby to sleep had been a part of their evening ritual since he was born.She stepped towards the cradle, placed him inside, and began rocking the cradle slowly to keep the motion going until the baby was deeply asleep. She achieved that after a few minutes and turned to Xavier, who had stood watching her work her magic with a smile.“I am sorry I kept you standing for so long.” She said it with an apologetic look on her face.He frowned at her. “The only way you get to apologise for that is if you tell me Kim isn’t my son, but you can’t because he is. I share in the responsibility, too. This is the least I can do.”She smiled at him and said, “You must be tired.”“I am not tired, but my legs aren’t so strong, plus I haven’t
Edward walked into the healing room, where the healers and physicians treated Xavier. They told him to wait outside, and he didn’t argue with them; they knew better.It was their routine to examine him and administer the necessary treatment. In the last few days of their voyage on the sea, he didn’t have any of that treatment. Being able to stand after that was still a miracle.After half an hour of waiting, the door opened, and the three physicians and healers walked out of the healing room and toward him.“How is he?” he asked.“I think you should ask me that, don’t you think?” Xavier’s voice came from inside, and the healers bowed their heads and took their leave.Edward stepped into the healing room and saw Xavier dressing himself up. “I didn’t know you had to strip for the treatment."“The shadow sickness attacks all parts of my body, brother; it is only proper that every part of me be treated for sustenance,” Xavier answered.Edward nodded. “My bad, I didn’t know.”He shrugged.
Kailani knelt in the temple, praying, when she picked up Edward's scent, which wasn't far away. She paused in her prayer, and her eyes fluttered to find Edward standing beside her. He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes, and they both faced the altar without saying a word.She didn't know what to make of his appearance, and the question lingered. Still, he looked genuine with his prayers, so she said nothing in the first few minutes."What are you doing?" she finally spoke up when he became silent after a while."Praying.""Why are you doing it now when I'm here?""Because I want to be beside you, always." He replied.His lashes fluttered, and his blue eyes settled on hers.She turned from him to face the altar. "I spoke to the midwife." She began in a small voice. "They said we would have to wait a few months if we hoped to rid my body of it."He became silent, and his silence was the last thing she wanted right now. She turned to him with a frown and said, "You are going to sta
Foth“I brought you along because you promised nothing but pleasure,” Damien told the two female pleasers he had brought along on his voyage. “If you fail to do your duties, I will have no choice but to throw you into the dungeons.” He told them with no trace of humour in his voice.Panic flashed in the eyes of the two maidens, and they stayed quiet. “I have conquered five of the nine kingdoms, and in no time, the rest three will be mine. I know what I want, and if you do not do what I want, I have no use for you. Do you understand?” He raised a brow at them.They nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”He smiled and said, “Good.” He approached the maiden with red hair, kissed her lips, and pulled the other with blonde hair closer to himself.“Now, what are your names?” he asked.“I am Seyran,” the maiden with blonde hair told him.“I am Monique.” The red-haired maiden answered.He kissed Seyran’s lips before smiling. “Such lovely names for lovely ladies.” His hand moved up to cup Monique’s bre
While everyone returned home to be with their families and loved ones, Koz visited the tavern; he had never done it before. He was told drinking didn’t take away the problem, but it made one forget about it for a while. So, he wanted to give it a try. After the first cup, he knew this wasn’t what he needed, so he rose to his feet and returned home, which was now a shell of its former self.The light shone in the hallway, but Alpha Koz only saw darkness as he walked through. He had gotten so much satisfaction from watching the ship burn, but just like the king said, revenge would not bring back what he had lost. Going on the mission and being a part of the team that burnt the ship didn’t make him feel any better.It also didn’t take away his pain and sorrow. The hole in his heart remained, and there was no filling it, no matter how long he tried. The joy at his revenge only lasted for a while, but left even before they reached shore.He felt the same. Elena would never come back, and i
Mia returned home from the journey to the institute. Xavier and she should have made the journey, but in his condition, it was best she did it alone. The progress made in the last week was more than they expected. The warrior institute had increased as Shelled; the eastern region had taken a stand with them and sent their men and maiden.Xavier told her that the carer gave him three weeks at most. He also told her it was because of his mission; he knew of the risk but wanted to take the chance since he might not see the war.She felt angry for a while, but she understood that this sickness was going to kill him in the end; the least he could do was live. That meant he couldn’t do anything reckless again. The carers visited almost every day to check up on him while she took on the role of seeing through everything. They also constructed a roller (a rolling chair) for Xavier, which he now sat on and moved around in. This way, he didn’t depend solely on his legs. He used it in the past w
The alpha king's last wish when he thought his time had come was to grant his queen all her desires. It took many months for him to do that, but he finally did. With the full moon shift out of the way, they had at least three weeks with no need to lead a shift.He placed Alpha Koz and Luna Ursla in charge in their absence. And the boys, he handed to Edward and Kailani to take care of. Kim was now two, and Lyon was four, and they could look after them in their absence. They also assigned care to the boys so they wouldn't wear the prince and princess out.They headed for the Savanna River. It was the largest river south of the kingdom, and it connected Wahala to Jade and was the most luxurious spot to visit. Three months ago, Xavier took charge of creating a resort around the river, as he hoped to bring Mia with him. It took two months and one week, but it happened.The plan was to spend at most three weeks on the Savanna River alone with each other. Yes, they had decided Kim would be t
Xavier stood at the door, leaning against the frame and watching Mia remove her jewellery without saying a word. They had returned inside after she was done speaking, and though they held onto each other's hands, they uttered no word. There was so much he wanted to say but didn't know how to begin, so he remained silent.She finished with her necklace and then turned to him. "What?"She knew what, but he was ready to play along. "You were amazing with your speech; I hope you know that."After her speech, the entire mob that had gathered outside the palace gates for the last three days disappeared to their various houses, probably to do what the queen had told them to do. The joy and pride he felt watching her take matters into her own hands. This gave him a glimpse of who she was whenever he wasn't home. It was a turn-on."Thank you, then?"He pulled himself off the door frame and stepped towards her. "No, thank you. I just wanted to say you were amazing." Her speech today told him ju
With the awakening of the alpha king came many reforms around the kingdom. The kingdom needed to build back and regain what they had lost. He assured them they would recover it all.Many rumours flew around about his mysterious healing, and though many speculated he had made a deal, that was far from the truth.Xavier visited Shelled, and just like he promised, he made Lord Crow not only the alpha of the region but also an elder of the king's council. The lord was more than pleased to receive this title and vowed to do his best to ensure that the region remained loyal to the king's cause. Mia stuck beside him through it all. Her place was right beside him.With the war over, Xavier spoke to Edward about the next steps for the kingdom of Foth. Since the takeover, Kailani has ruled and done a perfect job at it. He also knew his brother's stance on being king and ruling. That wasn't his place. The throne came with many responsibilities that Edward knew he could never fulfil.As he specul
They gave it their best shot, was all he could tell himself.His eyes grew glassy. "We have to go, Lyon," he said, touching Lyon, but the little boy was now as cold as his father.Fear gripped Edward's heart, and his mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened. Was Lyon trapped in the realm of the close-to-dead, or did he enter Hades with his father?Nothing could trap Lyon, not with the level of power he possessed, but then he was just a little over three, and that left him in a vulnerable state.The shadow sickness would not think twice before harming him if she dimmed him as a threat. Perhaps she had.Edward didn't know what to think.Did his quest to save his brother leave him blinded to the vulnerability of his nephew?Mia would never forgive him, and he would never forgive himself for losing Lyon."Lyon!" He gripped the little boy's face and shook him out of fear. He found himself in Hades, the realm of the dead, immediately.Confusion and surprise took over Edward as h
Edward opened the door and stepped into the royal chambers, even without knocking. Judging by Mia's observation of the king's condition, he could tell they were barely on time now. They needed to get to doing what needed to be done.Mia turned to him as soon as they stepped in, and she sat up in bed, her eyes filled with panic."Mother!" Lyon squealed, and the little boy stretched his hand out to her.She ran off the bed and over to her son, taking him into her arms when she got to Edward and hugging him tightly.She stared at him and shook her head, telling him Xavier was dead and there was nothing they could do. She was breaking down yet, doing her best to stay strong through it, probably because her son was watching this all unfold.Edward didn't let her emotions and the truth, which she wanted to confirm, deter him from his mission."How long?" he asked, stepping towards the bed."A few seconds ago." She replied.Good. He thought. That gave them much room for hope.He nodded and m
Mia opened the door to their chamber and stepped inside, and she found Xavier on the bed the same way she left him. It wasn't like he could move anywhere without her help, though.For the first time since finding out about his shadow sickness, she had hoped, and it was the most powerful thing she ever experienced. She would hold on to it, telling herself it wasn't time to give up."Where did you go?" Xavier asked as she stepped onto the bed.She turned to him and found that his lashes were still shut; he must have picked up her scent. Despite the shadow sickness, his abilities were not completely gone."I was with Edward." She answered. There was no reason to lie to him."What did you discuss? Funeral arrangement?""You said you would not give in until the end.""And you said you would stay by my side until the end." He replied, and his weak emerald eyes settled on hers as his lashes fluttered.Her teeth gritted. "I am beside you, and this isn't the end." She reached out and took his
“How was it?” Xavier asked, as Mia stepped into their chambers and silently made her way to the wardrobe to change out of her robe.She had worn a two-piece black, easy-to-remove robe for the funeral rite at the black cove. She had now taken off the first piece.She turned to him and said, “It went well, but the kingdom took a massive loss. So many sons and daughters would never get a shot at life because they laid it down for the kingdom’s cause.”“It was a great price, and they knew this before joining the warrior’s institute.” He answered.“I do not know how I would feel if those were my boys.” She mumbled under her breath, and he heard.“War is the last thing anyone ever wants. But if the inevitable occurs, we must do whatever it takes to preserve the land. You know this.”She nodded. “Yes. I do, and I understand. I wish there were another way.” She turned to him.He mumbled his agreement under his breath.“How do you feel?” she asked, stepping towards the bed.“I feel like I have
Three hours after they returned from the black cove, Mia sat beside Xavier in bed with his hand in hers. She sat, thinking about all the years they had spent together as mates. It was the best she ever had; he was the best mate the moon goddess could have given.Watching him now broke her heart, and there was no way of consoling it. This was where they would give up.There was no game plan, and there was no escape.This was the end.She wiped the tear that rolled down her face and sniffed the rest.“Thank you for the happiest years of my life.” She began to speak. I can still remember how it used to be, and I remember how it is now. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, but I am happy I spent the time I did with you.”She felt warmth in her hand, and she glanced at it before looking up at Xavier and seeing his lashes lifting. His amazing emerald eyes settled on hers, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. He was the definition of perfection on foot. He has always been her
Xavier could hear his heart pacing as he ran towards where Damien, the king of Foth, stood with about three dozen of his guards as protection.Such a coward.He wanted to wreak havoc on Damien and see the fear in his eyes before he snuffed the light away.Yes, they were just seven warriors, but these seven warriors were stronger than average. Aeon had the strength of six mighty soldiers combined, and Xavier could still take on the same number at once, despite his weakness. The queen also wielded strength beyond most imaginations, as did Alpha Zayn, who had just lost his best friend, Alpha Chado, in the war. They were all men scorned by the king of Jade, wanting a fair share of the price."Since you have almost lost this battle, you are here to see if you can take me down instead." King Damien said from where he stood on higher ground, shielded by his soldiers."That is exactly what I am doing, so why don't you come out and face me one-on-one?""That will not be a fair fight then, beca