Nora’s POV“Dylan!” I yelled as I came across some glue in my make-up kit. He walked into my room, and his eyes went straight to my hands, and immediately he leapt off.“Come here, you naughty boy.” I ran after him."Mum, I’m sorry!” He laughed as he ran.We had gone outside to the garden as I chased him around a huge fountain.“Don’t let me get you!” I laughed. As weird as this sound, I was losing my breath.Was I getting old? I stopped and held my knee. "Okay, you’ve won,” I said, panting.“Come over here,” I beckoned to him. He stared at me for a while as he tried to catch his breath.“I don’t believe you,” he replied.Hey, how did he know that? I was planning to grab him and kiss his cheeks. He hated it because he said he was now a grown man and not a child."Come on, honey, I have some banana pudding for you,” I said."No, mom, you didn’t make any,” he said, laughing.Immediately, I ran after him, but he got away. Oh, the stairs. I saw a seat by the side and sat. I had sweat drip
Michael’s POVWe walked for like 20 minutes before we got to the foot of the mountain. I sat."Agnar, what are we going to do? The hunting season will soon be here”“I know Herc; let me think,” I said, breaking a twig that was in my path. Hunting seasons in the werewolf kingdom were brutal. Bloody.After that talk with Nora, my mood was in the gutters. I went about my day, snapping at everyone. It was when I got into my room that Hercules suggested that we go out to hang out. This is something we did when we were younger. I managed to get a clear head after sitting here. The wind was cold, and just like a natural balm, it massaged my heart. As I stared at him, memories I thought I might have forgotten surfaced.***********************Hercules and I shared a secret that bound us in a way only brothers could understand. We were werewolves, creatures of the night, and tonight, under the silvered moonlight, we decided to engage in a playful duel.“The night is young, and so are we!” Herc
Malia’s POV (Zen’s mate)As I walked to his house, I had sweat dripping down my armpits and hands. I had never been this nervous. I thought of what would become of me if this strange man vented his anger at me. I knew it wasn’t in my place to interfere, but I just couldn’t sit back and watch her be killed. I just couldn’t. It wasn’t her fault. She was a child who knew nothing about the laws and rules of the land.When I got to the door and was about to knock, I heard a voice, and I froze.“Come in,” a voice growled from the inside. I stood for a while before recognizing that it was none other than this strange man’s voice. How he knew that I was at the door has me surprised. I took in a deep breath and walked in. His chamber was as beautiful as the last time I saw it. I have only been to his room two times since we got here. And those two times, it didn’t end well, at least from my end. I walked in and saw him leaning on a wall, drinking liquor. This strange man, as I have come to kno
Malia’s POVI sat watching the maids run around for chores, and then I spotted Dexter. He gave me a wink, and I felt this urgent need to run. I knew the longer I stayed in this pack, the more dangerous it was for me. I knew I had to leave. So I plotted my escape.The pack guards always went on a shift by 11 p.m.They had dinner together. That would be a perfect plan to run off, but then again, I needed the approval of the matron to stay outside past my bedtime. I decided to put the plan away for a while."Wake up everybody!!!!!!” I heard the cook scream as she threatened to pour us water. We, the maids of the Blood Moon Pack, slept in the smallest rooms in the mansion. The rooms were just like match boxes. In fact, the fish in a sardine can get a lot more space than us in that room. We slept like sticks. No one moved for fear of stepping on someone else.As I still tried to keep sleeping, I felt something wet and extremely cold on me.“Oh my God! Cook, do you have to do that?” I whined
Michael’s POVI woke to the sound of birds chirping. The sun was directly in my face as I tried to get up. This in turn made me squint like someone who was sensitive to light."Morning, brother,” Hercules said. He was in a sitting position.“Don’t tell me that you were watching me sleep,” I said as I stretched.Hercules scoffed. “You wish.” I gave him a small kick, and he chuckled. I sat beside him on the rock. “So what happened?” I asked.“You don’t know?” Hercules stared into my face with wide eyes. I chuckled.“Stop doing that; you are making me feel like I was drunk," I stopped midway as everything began to dawn on me. Last night I was in the woods with Hercules. We were making jokes, and suddenly he announced that we would go home, but I told him that it would be nice if we stayed back. Then, as we roamed the woods, we came across the soured fruit, stern. I hated it. It always made me drunk, and I didn’t know why. Back then, in high school, when I first tasted it, it made me drun
Michael’s POVI walked up to them.“What the hell are you doing here, Jake?" I glared at him.“He is here to see me," Nora said without a trace of a smile on her face. I looked from Jake to Nora. There was something going on. Their body language was one. Anger. It felt like Jake had done the usual. I didn’t even have the time to realize that Nora had spoken to me in a raised voice. She had never done that.“What did you do?” I growled at Jake. He looked away and tapped Nora.“You see what I was talking about,” he said in mock fear.“What were you telling her, you traitor?” I walked closer to him, but Nora was in the way."Michael, did you or did you not visit Jake at his pack?” Nora said. My eyes widened at that statement. I knew at once that the question was a trap.“Answer me!” she shrieked.In the depths of the sea, I recalled a moment Jake set me up when we were younger. It was when he was in my clique. It was when I moved to the human world and was adopted by a rich family. Jake
Chapter 65Nora’s POVI watched as Michael stood still. Like candle wax, stuck to a spot. At that point, I hoped that all Jake had told me was wrong. His gaze was fixed on Jake at first. He glowered. I could see the invisible anger exuding from his eyes. At that time, I wondered if Michael’s eyes were a gun. Was he going to kill me? Then he turned his gaze to me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. I saw a ghost of sadness flash through his face. But when I looked to be sure, it wasn’t there. Michael didn’t say a word. His face was expressionless. At some point, I began to regret asking him that question. Maybe I should have spoken to him personally.Then he walked out on us.“Michael!” I yelled, but he didn’t turn around. It was like he had no ears.“You see what I was talking about?” Jake tapped me, and I nodded. “It was as if we had caught him in all his wrongdoing, Jake said.“I guess so,” I said sadly. "Come, let me see you at the gate,” I said. As we walked, I began to wonder
Nora’s POVThere was no work for me today. That I knew was a certainty the moment my eyes fluttered open. A weird part of me wanted to lay in bed, sit still, and not breathe. Maybe if I did just that, all the heartache would go away. I would not have to think about Michael and his sinister plans. It was stupid of me to think that Hercules would side with me. I was outnumbered, too. I don’t think Mia or Zen would be on my side either. That was why I needed to talk to Claire. But then, when I began to lose my breath, my eyes watered. I had no other option but to snap out of it. Obviously, it wasn’t working.I sat up. Running my hands through my hair and wincing at the pain. I should not have slept with it yet, but the memories of how I went to bed yesterday remind me of a zombie doing her nighttime routine. I flipped around and grabbed my phone. Claire had left me three missed calls. I snorted. I mean, she had practically been blowing up her phone all night. I might as well have given h
Nora’s POV5 years later“Nora! Come on, we will be late,” Michael yelled from downstairs.“Coming!” I ran downstairs. But at a slow pace, “please hold her,” I handed Danielle to her father.Today was a game day for Dylan. He had begged us all to come. And when I mean all, I mean me, Michael, Hercules, Mia, Malia, and Zen.Michael cleared his schedule, and for the others, they didn’t have much to do in the park. I was also lucky that my 1-year-old daughter was not fussy today.A lot has happened since I got married to Michael. After I was made Luna, my previous pack came to apologize for some of the things they had done to me. I forgave them. Michael had pity on them; instead of taking ownership of the pack, he made one of them an Alpha, and the moon goddess did the choosing. Hercules and Mia had their child, Arla. Four years ago, she was the most beautiful child I had ever had. She keeps Hercules on his toes, just like her mother. As for Zen, Malia is 5 months old. We also cannot wai
Nora’s POV6 days later.I was woken up by a pesky mosquito that wouldn’t stop screaming in my ear, no matter how I tried to swat it away sleepily. It was on my third attempt that I mistakenly smacked myself across the face. I felt an excruciating pain in my head.“Aargh!!!” I cried. It was then that I took in my environment. I recognized the room. I tried to move more, but I couldn’t. I realized there was an IV drip connected to my wrist."Guys, she’s up,” I heard someone say from outside of the room. Then they all come in. Malia, Zen, Hercules, and Mia. They had a huge grin on their faces.“Hi guys,” I smiled back. “Where is Michael?’’ I blurted. They all turned their gazes to the side, and there he was. Sleeping on a small cushion. He was a giant in that chair."Aww,” my heart melted. The girls chuckled as the guys laughed. I think that was what woke him up. He stirred around and was about to fall off the chair, but he caught himself. He peaked an eye open as he stared at everyone’
Michael’s POVAll through the night, I felt like someone was calling out to me. My wolf was awakened. I had to do something to calm him down. I had to go towards where I heard that voice. I stood up and began to walk.“Where are you going?” Hercules turned to me. Someone was going into the underground house. The one we saw Zen go into last night.“I need to go in,” I said as I began pacing.“If you do, we would get caught. We still have no plans yet,” Hercules said. I nodded. He had a point, but the longer I stayed without going towards where my wolf was leading me, the more agitated I was. I kept pacing till I had it up to here."Okay, fuck this shit! I need to go inside. Now this is the plan. Once I go in and make sure the coast is clear, I howl out to you guys,” and with that, I left.The moment I walked into the house and found someone kicking Nora to the ground and trying to claw Dylan on the throat, anger rose to my head, and I lost it. I jumped in the air and immediately transi
Nora’s POVThe first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a cat. It was staring intently at me, or rather, at me and Dylan. My heart began to race as I thought of what next to do. I wanted to scream, but then I remembered. I was not at home. I had been kidnapped. I stared at my lap, and there he was. Dylan. The son I thought I had lost. I fixed him properly on the carton we lay on and stretched my leg. When I turned back, the cat was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t too sure of what the time was, but I think it was 4 a.m.ish. I was up, and I couldn’t sleep any more. So I stayed up, watching the sun rise from the little reflection of the sun in the small room.Sitting there, yesterday’s event rang fresh in my mind. I was this close to getting killed. I feared for my life and that of Dylan. Zen looked hell-bent on exacting his revenge on Michael. My eyes went to the door. What if he still tries to kill me again? What am I going to do? I sighed and began to bite my nails. Wha
Mia’s POVThe next thing I know, I am being dragged out of the car, and the car zooms off. I turn my head around. No one was in sight. All I could see were trees and grasses. Tears began to well up in my eyes. Where am I? I stood up and limped to a corner. It was an abandoned building. I took shelter under it. Not wanting to go in, danger might be lurking, or you might stand outside the building for fear of being attacked. My legs were swollen. Partly because of my pregnancy and also because they made me walk half the way. I squinted. I saw no one. Just then, a car sped past me.Wait, was that Nora? Yes, that was Nora. Immediately, I began to jump.“Nora!” I ran after the car, and just before I rounded the corner, I bumped into someone.“Watch where—“wait a minute. I knew that smell came from somewhere. Hercules? I looked up, and it was him. I jumped on him, screaming and crying. Hercules kept wiping my tears. I tried to speak, but he put his hand on my lips.“It’s you. It’s really you
Nora’s POVMy heart raced at the thought of what had just happened. I had been forcibly dragged into the backseat of a car, my screams muffled by a hand over my mouth. Panic surged through my veins, and my mind was a whirlwind of fear and confusion. I struggled against my captors, but their grip on me was firm."Let me go! Help! Someone, please!" I cried out, and my voice choked with terror. Oh no. This was all shades of wrong. And so go all our plans and what-ifs. Nothing matters now."Shut up, you little brat!" one of the kidnappers growled, his voice harsh and menacing. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not."My eyes darted around the dimly lit interior of the car, searching desperately for a way to escape. But the windows were locked, and the doors were sealed shut. I felt trapped, helpless, and utterly alone. I wanted to cry, but I blinked back my tears. It was as if I had left all my courage and determination on the ground while being shoved into the car.As the car
Nora’s POVImmediately, sleep vanished from my eyes. I blinked a couple of times before it all seemed so real.A letter for me.That could be the answer to my questions. My closure. Was my Dylan dead? Is this a torture letter? Maybe they have a picture of my dead son. Oh, Zen’s brother, you must hate Michael so much. So much that he had to hurt a child to drive home a point. My heart stomped in my chest. Maybe it would not be a good idea to open it yet.The letter trembled in my hands as I stared at it. I stared so long at it that it began to look like another object. I put the letter in my other hand as I rubbed the clammy, shaky one on my dress. Suddenly, everything had changed. The memories of the previous night with Michael.I looked from Michael to the letter. It might look like some piece of paper, but to me, it was as heavy as a rock. Was it blank like the last time, or does it mean my son is still alive? My Dylan.“I... I think I should open it." I looked at Michael. He nodded
Michael’s POVHercules rose up and charged towards Eleanor. The guards were fast, as they grabbed him before his hands could touch her.“Where is she?" Hercules demanded. I grabbed him.“Herc, be calm, please,” I said.“ What? Did you just hear her? She said she knows where Mia is!”“Please be calm, Herc. We will find Mia, I promise you,” and did my brother sit still? He glared at the Eleanor girl. She ducked. I told her to stand aside.“Tell me what you know," I said. She looked scared.“Some days ago, I saw Nyla leave the pack.”“Nyla?” I asked, and she nodded.I always knew that girl had something to hide. “Go on!"“She was headed towards the side of the white oak forest. I told Luna... I mean Miss Nora. Then, later, after the attack, when we were saved, she was angry. I decided to follow her. It was there I saw Zen.” My eyes widened.“You did?” she nodded.“Are you sure? Did you take pictures?” She shook her head, and all my hopes fell.“Then, your highness, I had told Miss Mia abo
Michael’s POV“What do you mean you can’t find her?” I walked in on Hercules, grabbing the neck of one of the search guards.“Herc!” I called out to him.“Where have you looked?” Hercules released him as he glared down on him.I walked to him and pushed him aside. “Don’t touch me,” he snapped as he shoved me away. My blood began to boil.“Everybody out!” I barked. All the guards scramble, like little children, out of the house. Hercules stood with his hands on his hips, and he sighed deeply. Then he ran his hand over his hair.One word. Frustration.“hey Hercules” I tried to touch him, but he slapped my hands away. “I mean it, Michael. Don't touch me!” He pushed me aside.Oh hell, naw.I grabbed him by his hands and landed a blow on him. He fell to the floor. He struggled to stand, and when he did, he checked his nose. There’sblood running.“Has it kicked in yet?” I asked. I am not prepared for what Hercules does next. He grabbed a chair and broke it on my back. The broken chair falls