Visha immediately stood up from where she sat beside Reyana's bed. She was taken aback by the turn of events.She had tried to pry into Reyana's mind, but there were huge walls surrounding her. It was a very hard one, which got Visha even more curious.She had only been able to take a sneak peek at Reyana's dream and even that was still all guarded and blurry. The only thing she saw was Reyana crying and asking ‘her mother’ not to leave.Perhaps, she missed her dead mother that much."Reyana. I was just passing by and came to say hi," Visha put on a fake smile, still trying to regain her composure. She hadn't expected Reyana to wake up the way she did. It was almost as if she felt her presence there. But she was meant to be in a very deep sleep, Visha pondered."I do not need your sympathy, Visha. Leave," Reyana said in the calmest tone she could but her tone held rage and resentment and Visha noticed it."Oh, Reyana. Why? What happened to us? We used to be friends. How did we get here
Regret, cold and sharp, dug into Reyana's stomach. Maybe she should have drawn things out a touch longer, let him lose himself a little further in the haze of pleasure, before bringing her request before him.Silence stretched, thick and suffocating. She stole a glance at Alpha Randall, but his gaze remained fixed on her, almost as if a storm was brewing behind his granite mask. Panic gnawed at her as a shiver danced down her spine.She waited for him to say something but he just kept staring blankly at her.Shame burned in her cheeks as she met his icy green eyes. She averted her gaze when she couldn't look at him any further."Look at me," his voice, a low rumble, counted his words, "now!"She quickly turned her gaze to meet his. She was tempted to apologize instantly, but she held herself back. She wanted to see where this all ended."And how do you know she is innocent?" He asked, regretting the words he said earlier. As an Alpha, he couldn't go back on his words. He had told her
A cold sweat clung to Reyana's skin as she found herself in the familiar environment of the Blood Crescent pack. The only difference was the fact that it looked a bit old, like in old times. A cold dread seeped into her bones.Disoriented, she blinked, finding herself in a grand chamber that had clearly seen better days.The large chamber felt like it belonged to very influential people. Perhaps an Alpha and a Luna.The acrid smell of blood greeted her nose, making her dart her gaze around. At the far end of the large room, she saw a young boy kneeling before two bodies in a pool of crimson - A man and a woman.His ragged sobs echoed in the empty space, each one a fresh stab of pain as he held onto the two figures that lay sprawled before himSilver stakes were sticking out from their hearts as more blood pumped out of the spot. It looked as if the bodies were freshly murdered.She walked closer to the scene, fear and panic gnawed at her, but she summoned up courage.Reyana's breath c
"No, Alpha," Reyana choked out, her voice raw with a mixture of disappointment and a strange vulnerability she couldn't explain. "You can't do this to me."Not after she had endured all his torture last night, even though it was pleasurable, she still felt the impact of his insane drive.He walked back further into the room, his footsteps leading to where she stood, "Why, Reyana?" His voice sent a chill down her spine. "Was that your intention? To seduce me?" His dark eyes searched her face.She shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. "No… No, Alpha."He took a slow step towards her, his every movement calculated, predatory. Reyana instinctively took a step back, the worn flagstones cold beneath her bare feet.He was too close. The heat radiating from his body, a potent mixture of cedar and smokey vetiver, threatened to consume her.He sensed all her emotions. The hatred. The suppressed longing. The silent desire. All in one.The pad of his finger tilted her chin to look him in th
The pack was busy with everyone going about their usual activities. They nodded curtly when they came across Reyana. Some did it out of respect while others did it out of obligation. They still looked at the Luna as one who practices dark magic, and it didn't speak well of her.Reyana paid no attention to them as she continued walking. She had experienced worse.She decided to stop by the garden to get some herbs as she was going to see Klara. She needed to prepare some healing herbs. The scar she had woken up with the other day was giving her a sensation she didn't like.She had also been able to recall an old memory that was also lost due to her trauma. The memory came back to her when she had gone back to sleep after Randall's nightmare.She recalled some herbs her mother used to make back then for her father. The Mandrake seeds and the Woodruff leaves.They have very good calming properties used in solving insomnia and anxiety. Just what the Alpha needed. She can add them just lik
After searching the entire garden, Reagan couldn't find anyone around. He took it that Reyana was just being paranoid. Perhaps, she was stressed.Reyana had gone to see Klara, but Klara wasn't in her chamber. She decided to wait for her for a few more minutes before leaving.As she waited, she busied herself with the herbs she had gotten for her scar. The pains seemed to have aggravated that morning when she was in the garden. She couldn't tell why.Thoughts of her late father came flooding in as she squeezed the herbs. That was her father's favorite recipe for pains.She wished her father was there to see how grown up she was. She could even make his favorite potion.She quickly brushed off a lone tear that ran down her cheek.At her wish to see her father again, the scar on her back stung her a bit. She winced in pain. It was time to take the potion and make it stop. She thought.She gulped down the potion, and it immediately gave her a soothing relief.She closed her eyes and heave
The dungeon was as cold as it was meant to be. Cold and deathly. The smell of acrid blood filled the premises.A single flickering torch danced manically, casting ugly shadows that writhed across the uneven floor.Curled on the damp flagstones, Ria looked like a lost child. She looked pale and weak.She sat helplessly on the floor before Alpha Randall with her head bowed.The dungeon was huge. It was the Blood Crescent pack dungeon. No one ever prayed to find themselves there. It also had a small section for torture. That's where Ria found herself.The Alpha sat on his semi-throne as his gaze narrowed down on her.Kellan stood beside the Alpha like a statue. Guilt gnawed at him, while shame clouded his sight. He felt utterly ashamed of himself that the woman he loved was in such a situation and he couldn't even put in a good word to save her.Enforcers surrounded her with long silver whips that gleamed wickedly in the flickering light.The whips had signs of torn flesh and fresh blood
Alpha Randall barged into Reyana's chamber, the wooden door slamming shut with a bang behind him. Fury pulsed through his veins at the way she has spoken to him. He came to confront her about it.He was the Alpha, the leader of the Blood Crescent pack, and to be questioned in such a manner, especially by a woman, was an insult that demanded a reckoning.Just as he stepped in, the sight that greeted him stole the breath from his lungs, a certain wave of calmness washed over him and he felt a little bit of remorse for the first time in a long time.She was curled in her bed, her unbound hair spilled across her shoulders. She was crying uncontrollably. Her sobs were muffled by the thick furs covering the bed.A wave of unexpected remorse washed over Randall, momentarily extinguishing the flames of his anger. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He knew he'd broken his promise, at least in her eyes.True, the interrogation of Ria had been brutal, perhaps more so than necessary. But that was the w
Alpha Randall was proud of his warriors. At the same time, he was thankful for Alpha Parthe's warriors. But at this point, he saw a very difficult situation facing them. The war seemed impossible to win.His warriors were totally outnumbered, and Alpha Parthe's warriors, despite their skills, were acting based on their Alpha's order: 'Leave the battle the moment one hundred of his men are down.' Alpha Parthe likes his warriors the same way he likes his women. He doesn't tolerate losses. And if it isn't his own battle, he doesn't see why his men should risk their lives saving another pack, no matter what the deal was.A cold dread washed over Randall as he watched Alpha Parthe's warriors begin their retreat. The signal was clear: one hundred of their men had fallen, and as per their agreement, they were withdrawing.Randall's heart raced, and his mind scrambled for a solution. He couldn't blame Parthe for protecting his forces under his stringent rules of engagement, yet the sting of
Randall's vision blurred with pain and anger. He could barely process Rashka's words, his mind struggling to reconcile the reality before him. "Reyana," he called out, his voice strained. "What has he done to you?"Reyana's eyes glinted with mischief and darkness, "This is who I am, Randall," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion. "Rashka has shown me the truth. Our destiny is to rule, not to serve."Randall's heart shattered at her words, but he knew he couldn't afford to lose himself in grief. He gritted his teeth against the pain and forced himself to stand. The wound in his side burned, but he refused to let it weaken him further.Randall tightened his grip on his sword, his resolve hardening. "I won't let you destroy everything we've built," he declared. "I will fight until my last breath.""Your last breath is all I desire, brother," Rashka said with a cruel smile and walked back to the warriors he had come with.Reyana followed him behind.Randall's vision blurred with a mix
The war was a maelstrom of steel and blood, tearing through the heart of the Blood Crescent pack.The war had begun in full force. The chaos was heart-wrenching. It seemed Rashka's army had one assignment - destroy everything that made up the Blood Crescent pack.They were not soldiers fighting for honor or glory; they were instruments of destruction, their eyes burning with a cold, inhuman light. They tore down buildings with savage glee, their laughter echoing through the chaos.Women and children screamed, fear consuming them.The Ashkais barely had the time to fight. It was almost like they weren't scared to die.Of course, they weren't. Not that they were actual wolves. They were just Rashka's twisted creations."Protect whatever you can! We can't lose all our homes!" Randall yelled into the air as he lounged at one of the Ashkais who was headed toward the homes for the elderly.Alpha Parthe had sent about a thousand warriors. His armies could never be killed by mere blades, which
"Make sure every able-bodied warrior is armed and ready. We can't let them breach our borders." He ordered Xular, the new Head of his warriors, as he dished out orders to his men."Alpha! Xular!" Two men ran breathlessly toward the warriors who were warming up for the war ahead. They looked troubled."What happened?" Xular stepped forward."The armory! The armory is on fire! It's been set ablaze!" One of the men said almost breathlessly."What?" Randall asked, "Armory ablaze?" he repeated, disbelief and a growing sense of dread washing over him. The armory was their lifeline, their teeth against the world. Without it, they were defenseless pups facing a hungry wolf pack. His eyes widened in shock as his legs propelled him towards the armory without a second thought.As they hurried toward the armory, they saw the women and children coming from the direction of the Shelter."Where are you all going? You should be at the Shelter..." Randall began, but his voice was drowned out by the ch
"What?" Randall said, holding her by both arms, "How did you know?""He told me. Last night." She replied, getting Randall even more confused."How? Did he come here? How did no one see him?" Randall almost panicked, but he had to be calm."No, Randall. The Sigil. With the Sigil of possession, I am never far from Rashka. Prepare for what's to come, Randall." Reyana said, walking away into her chamber.Since she woke up that morning, she had been feeling strange. The feeling of hatred and pain she felt while at the Oasis seemed to intensify after her encounter with Rashka last night.As Reyana moved through the dimly lit corridors of the fortress, a wave of nausea washed over her. The Sigil on her back throbbed with a dull, insistent pain, its faint glow pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.She stumbled into her chambers, closing the door behind her with trembling hands. The room seemed to close in around her, the shadows elongating and shifting as if they were alive.She felt utmost
Visha was dragged from the dungeon, her wrists bound in iron shackles that rattled with every step. Her heart raced. She knew this was the end for her.Memories of how she had lived her life and how she was meant to live came flooding her. Regrets had become her best companion throughout her stay in the dungeon, but there was nothing she could do to save herself.Her sister had warned her. But she was blinded by stupid feelings. Feelings that they had been taught never to let get in their way.No one is coming to her aid. Not Novak. Not the Master. Not even her sister. Because she had gone against everyone just to be with Randall. The same Randall who was going to be her executioner today.Reyana stood beside Randall in the middle of the crowd, her gaze fixed on Visha. A cold satisfaction crept into her heart as she watched her former tormentor face her ultimate fate. The woman who had caused her so much pain was finally going to pay the price.A cruel smirk played on her lips.Randal
"So, what's your condition?" Alpha Randall asked Reyana as soon as they were inside his chamber."Tell me, Randall. Visha is guilty of all the crimes she confessed to, right?" Reyana asked, sitting at the edge of the bed."Yes. She is. She confessed to it all, including being responsible for the death of Valerie." Randall admitted, wondering where this was all headed."Why haven't you executed her yet?" Reyana asked, searching his face for any expressions. "Are you still in love with her?""The Goddess forbid! I have nothing to do with that wicked, cunning witch anymore!" Randall said in fury. The thought or mention of Visha made him enraged."Then what's taking so long? Were you waiting for me to grace the occasion?" Reyana asked.Randall gave it a thought. He realized that he couldn't tell why he hadn't executed her yet."I don't know... I've been very occupied with bringing you back. She was not a priority. You were." He replied, leaning on his study table."Okay, then. Now that I'
"Reyana. Please. Don't go. You can go another time. Please," Randall had to bring down his ego and plead. He couldn't afford to lose her. He felt like if she ever left with Novak, he'd lose her forever.Seeing the look on Randall's face touched a part of her heart she never knew was still alive. Reyana thought all that was left in her heart for Randall was pure hate. But now she was wrong."I want to spend some time with my family. At least, you owe me that," Reyana said calmly."You will. But not just yet. I need you around, Reyana. The pack needs you. Please, don't go." Randall pleaded.She was conflicted. Randall was speaking to her heart."Novak. I'd send her over in a few days. But for now, I really do need her around," he said in a calmer tone, surprising everyone around, including Novak."Maya won't be happy with this. Besides, you brought us to this point. I've tried to see her for days, but you prevented it." Alpha Novak protested, but his anger was subsiding."You wouldn't b
Reyana drawled, her voice echoing in the confined space. "The Alpha's most precious jewel, reduced to this."'Visha quickly sat up; her eyes, which were once filled with arrogance and malice, went wide with shock. "Reyana? How?" She had expected that since Aldric hadn't had the audacity to kill her, then the master would have laid hands on her and killed her already."Funny question, I must say, Visha."Visha's lips curved into a bitter smile. "You look well, Reyana. Almost radiant."Reyana laughed, "Thank you. Being a prisoner of my mate has its perks." She said, her eyes slowly raking over the pathetic state of the woman who had made her life a living hell.Visha's face contorted into a mask of rage. "You dare mock me?""Why not? What would you do? Run to the Alpha and cry to him?" Reyana scoffed, "Only this time, the Alpha is slightly out of your reach.""What do you want? I had my peace before you showed up," Visha said, looking away in shame."Is there any peace for the wicked? R