As soon as Waverly entered her room, she threw her bag on the ground and sat at the couch cross-legged; the box of jewels still on the coffee table. She leaned forward and reached for the box, holding it in her lap. Even after having it in her room for almost a week, she still couldn't grasp the delicate detailing of the carvings on the exterior. Becoming more entrenched in the history of Trinity Mountains and the Crimson Shadow's, Waverly began to wonder about the story behind the box and how many hands it had passed through before reaching her own. She glided her hands across the surface, appreciating both the artistry and memories that must've been attached to it, and then she opened the lid. Still inside were the jewels and gold that Sawyer had left for her. Although the box had remained in Waverly's room all of this time, she had not opened nor seen the contents since the day they were brought to her. She picked up the ruby necklace that was on the top of the pile, placing the
The shadowed man appeared. His figure the same shade of grey as before. He called to Waverly, but she remained unable to move; her feet stuck to the ground below. Then it began to rain and as the droplets hit the ground, green smoke formed around him, encapsulating him. When it dissipated, he was gone. Waverly awoke the next morning in her new bedroom, seeing the fairy-like canopy over her head, cascading down the bed frame. She stretched and rolled out of bed, heading first towards the dresser. Literally overnight, Sawyer had her items brought up from the basement and now added to the décor were her paint set, furniture, her sketchpad and the box full of jewels, which sat on the vanity. Freedom. The word kept ringing through her mind and she couldn't believe it. She felt that as soon as she placed her hand on the doorknob, it would be locked once again and that the room would fade, and she'd be back in the basement. But when she turned the door handle, it clicked open. Waverly s
"Get. Out.""Sawyer, I—" Sawyer's eyes narrowed and his body was tense. "Freedom does not mean you can enter any room you please." "I didn't mean—""I don't care what you meant!" he yelled; his voice booming off of the walls. "Do you think just because I let you out of the basement, you can just go wherever?!"Sawyer's eyes were staring directly at her, their colours protruding more than they ever had. His body was tight, the veins popping out from his arms. Waverly's body shrunk inwards, and she lost all ability to move. "I—" His fists let go and his face relaxed once he witnessed the terror in Waverly's eyes. He placed his head into his hand. "Look...just go." Waverly's mind reverted into itself and she felt as if she was having an out of body experience. She had never experienced anger like this. What was he hiding that could cause him to become this way? She felt so close to the real truth, it was almost tangible, and as usual she was being pulled back into oblivion. I
As they sat still, for the first time in a while, Waverly felt at utter peace. Her body was undisturbed and her mind was completely clear of any questions or thoughts. She could hear her own heartbeat moving through her ears as Sawyer remained quiet. Every so often, she thought she heard him sniffle. Just then, a commotion could be heard from downstairs. Waverly and Sawyer both lifted their heads while footsteps made their way up quickly up the staircase, becoming louder the closer they got to the landing. Once they stopped, Christopher appeared and he made his way to them. "Sawyer, we need you downstairs," Christopher said. Sawyer looked at him, his grief-ridden expression now full of concern. "What's wrong?" Christopher ran a hand through his hair. "They've sent more sacrifices." Waverly froze. More sacrifices? The Sacrifice was annual and every pack understood those conditions. Why would they send Sawyer more when she had only been sent two weeks prior? She turned to
Rather than returning to her room, Waverly made her way down the basement staircase through the familiar hallways. She passed each room before landing on the final room, which consisted of a wooden door frame and a stained-glass middle. She turned the doorknob, which opened immediately, and walked inside. As soon as she entered, she saw the window where she used to spend her days in isolation. When she looked down, she noticed four circular indents in the carpet where the chair used to sit. All of the additional furniture that once filled the room was gone and the only items remaining were the old wardrobe and the table. Waverly sat on the bed and took off her shoes using her heels. She tucked herself under the covers, her conversation with Sawyer still playing in her head. She couldn't process how disdainful he was being. As a sacrifice herself, Waverly understood the fear and horror that comes along with being chosen to meet the Crimson Wolf and although she knew the truth behind t
After her conversation with Sawyer, Waverly left the grand room and made her way to up the entry staircase to her bedroom. Once she reached the landing, she heard a door downstairs shut and then jumbled voices, one of which sounded like Christopher. She paused and listened closely, unable to fully make out what was being said. As she started to make her way back down the steps, she could hear the voices coming closer to her through the kitchen. Waverly quickly climbed back up the stairs and hid around the corner of the hallway near the banisters."You can't be serious," Christopher's voice echoed through the halls. "Giving up the sacrifices is giving up your chance to break the curse!" Sawyer must have broken the news to him once he returned. "It's either me, or the lives of those women," she heard Sawyer reply. Their voices were coming closer. "Then it's the lives of the women! Sawyer, you have to break this," Christopher pleaded as they entered the entryway from the dining r
As the next day began, Waverly hopped out of bed and changed her outfit, making her way out of the room to the entry. She grabbed her coat, which now hung proudly in the closet beside all of the other resident's outerwear and tossed on her runners. While she was tying up the last lace, Sawyer walked out from the living room looking at the tablet in his hand. He caught Waverly's figure out of the corner of his eye, bent down fixing her shoes. "Where are you headed?" Waverly jolted up, startled at the sudden voice coming from in front of her. She threw a hand to her heart and saw Sawyer chuckling. "Oh God," she mumbled. "Make some noise next time."Sawyer coughed. "There." Waverly stood up and grabbed her bag off the hook. "Gee, thanks." "So, where are you going?"Waverly slung her bag over her shoulder, stopping short of the door. "I was thinking about heading into town to sight see." "Hmmm," Sawyer said while he swiped once on the tablet. "Well, have fun." He started
"Holy cr*p," Darren cried. "What the heck are you doin' here?" he said as him and Sawyer met halfway around the bar and embraced. Sawyer patted him on the back during their hug and pulled back, keeping his hands on Darren's forearms. "Well, someone convinced me to get out of the house for once." He gestured towards Waverly, who gave Darren a small wave. "I knew I'd be seein' you again," Darren said, wagging his finger in the air at her. "How'd you do it?" Waverly snickered. "It took a lot of convincing, but I told him how much the Crimson Shadows need him and thought a trip into town might drive the point home." Sawyer assessed her. "You tricked me." Waverly smirked and shrugged her shoulders. Darren turned back to Sawyer, his face thoughtful. "She's right though, Sawyer. Things haven't been the same without ya. We're together, united by our loyalty to you, but we need our Alpha. A pack—" "Is only as strong as their Alpha, I know," Sawyer said, completing his sentence for
Waverly stared down at Christopher's motionless body. It was over—all of it. She turned to Sawyer, who was now in human form, and was standing over Christopher. He was breathing heavily and held his chest wound with his hand, but with his other free hand, closed Christopher's eyes and whispered: "Until we meet again." He then backed away from the body and turned to his pack, who were watching the moment unfold. "Alright. Everyone who is able, let's get the injured inside to entry and cared for. Then, we can go from there."The pack all bowed their heads at the same time and began helping one another up, one at a time, carrying any wounded individuals indoors. Waverly put her arm underneath Sawyer's and used her body to support his weight, aiding him in walking back to the house. Once inside, she set him down on a chair and grabbed the first aid kit out of the living room before beginning to address his wound. Sawyer flinched at the touch of the alcohol against the cut on his chest
Waverly watched as the pack stepped out onto the gravel. To say the atmosphere was tense would've been an understatement: it was downright hostile. She stared as one by one, they transformed and launched themselves forward, starting the battle for Sawyer's life. Faintly in the background, she could hear Christopher screaming for his pack to ready themselves and not long after, the sound of snarling and bodies being thrown against the house began. She looked to her right to see Katia come up beside her, flash her a smirk, and then leapt out of the door, shifting in an instant. Waverly shrunk back into the house. What was she going to do? She couldn't fight as a human—she'd die. But she couldn't stay here either. Sawyer needed her; what kind of Luna would she be if she didn't defend her Alpha and her pack when they needed her the most? She took a deep breath and focused her energy on shifting, trying to feel herself transforming…And nothing. She shook it off and tried again, but on
Waverly felt as though the world had been ripped out from under her. He was there, in the flesh; his gap teeth exposing themselves as he grinned. "Waverly?" Sawyer said questioningly. "What are you doing here?" His gaze flickered up to the cuts on her cheek and the dried blood trail on her face, prompting him to rush over to her and examine her. "What happened? Are you okay?" Instinctively, he reached for her stomach, but Waverly stopped him. "I'm alright," she replied. She then corrected herself. "We're alright." Sawyer's eyes widened and then he looked at her, intensely. "You—" Waverly nodded, and Sawyer hugged her tightly, beaming. "I'm so sorry I missed it—but your cuts…how?"Waverly looked to Christopher, who sat still, grinning mockingly. Her face hardened. "I ran into his friend." "What friend?" Christopher chuckled to himself, causing Sawyer to spring at him, taking a strong hold of his ripped and bloodied shirt. "What friend?!" he yelled in a deep, husk voice. "The
Waverly closed her eyes the second she saw Felicity open her mouth, but because of her sharp senses, she could hear every single sound as Felicity finished the job. When she opened them again, Felicity had transformed back into her human formation, and was standing over the body of the siren. Not even a second later, Mia's frame changed back as well and in front of them, instead of a siren, laid a woman, who's blue eyes were glazed completely over. Felicity was still and her hands shook while she stared at the body; her eyes were wide and blood dripped from her mouth. "I—I didn't know what do to…I just…acted on instinct." "Well, your instinct was obviously correct. How did you know?""I—I didn't. I just thought…she was really annoying me." Waverly chuckled. She wasn't wrong; the siren did talk a lot.Felicity turned her gaze to Waverly and she looked at her, amazed. "Miss, your face…"Waverly wiped where her nosed was bleeding prior. "I know. I can feel it," she said, half-j
It all happened so fast—everything was a blur as Waverly raced forward, attacking Mia with all the pent-up anger and aggression she had felt not only for herself, but Sawyer, Pietro, and Darren. They were behind it all: the burning of Tillbury's, Pietro's death…Darren. Her arms swung in front of her while she moved to deliver a blow. She knew it wouldn't kill her, but it might just be enough to wound her so she could buy more time. Except when she was inches from her target, Mia stepped to the side, causing Waverly to almost fall forward."Now come on, let's be a little realistic here. You just gave birth. Do you really think you can really take me on right now?" Waverly looked at her, breathlessly. She knew she had a very slim chance of succeeding, but she still had to try. If not for herself, for Sawyer and her son. She built up her strength and then, once again, leapt towards the siren, hoping to catch her off guard.But it was like she knew it was coming. Once again, Mia dodg
Waverly held her baby tight to her chest while he continued to snore the night away. "You," she said in utter shock. "You're—" Mia laughed. "You still think you're hallucinating, huh? Well, let me ruin the suspense for you. Surprise, love. I'm here, flesh and bone." "H-how…? This place is remote…Sawyer said…""Sawyer said, Sawyer said. Listen here," Mia said as she walked towards Waverly; her heels clicking against the flooring. "We need to have a small girl-to-girl chat. This reliance on Sawyer is tiresome. You need to be independent and stand up for yourself." "Is that why you kill the men you enchant?" Waverly asked, forcing the strength to rise from the pit of her stomach to show some sort of dominance. "Precisely," Mia stated enthusiastically, pointing a finger in Waverly's direction. "I'm glad you've finally heard about me." "I've heard more than enough," Waverly retorted, cradling her son closer as Mia approached. "Is that the baby—?" she asked, narrowing her eyes
"What?!" Waverly shouted. Having her baby—now?! No, no way this was happening. This had to be a dream. Only when a long-lasting pain pushed through, she knew it wasn't. "But how—" she said between broken breaths. "It's not time! I'm too early!" Felicity took a deep breath and centered herself. She knew Waverly wasn't wrong. "Unfortunately, it is time, miss. But thank goodness you're a wolf and the baby's large enough to survive." Somehow, this didn't bring Waverly any comfort. A severe pang ripped at her insides, feeling as if it was tearing her apart. "Sawyer!" she suddenly shouted. "He's not—he's not here. I can't do this without him here!" "I'm sorry, miss, but you might have to if he isn't here within the next few minutes." "I—" Waverly's speech was instantly cut off by her shrieks. "I have to help you move," Felicity stated. "We need to get you to a flat surface and the bed is too high." She left the common area and emerged from the bedroom carrying two pillows. Felicity
While the day trickled into night, Waverly became increasingly nervous. She sat folded up on the couch with a hot drink, checking out of the window every few seconds to see if she could get a glimpse of Sawyer as he returned home. The cup clinked against her nails as she moved for the third time, but when she didn't see his silhouette, she slunk back down. "He'll be here soon, miss," Felicity stated as she continued washing the dishes from their late-night dinner. "I'm sure he just got tied up helping Katia with some things. It's her first time running the institute, you know." Waverly looked to her. "Really? I thought with her experience, she would've taken over when Sawyer was…cursed." The longer she waited, the more distasteful the word was in her mouth. "With her personality, it comes off that way, doesn't it? But no. Mr. Sawyer put in a lot of the work while she delivered messages. Speaking of, have you tried calling him?""Twice. It's just going to voicemail," Waverly repl
"Welcome home, brother," Christopher said manically. Sawyer treaded forward and Christopher instantly moved the knife by Katia's throat. "Don't," he said sternly, changing from friendly to cold in an instant. Sawyer halted and looked to Katia. Her makeup was running from the tears that she had shed, but she showed no fear. He glanced around the house for any sign of help, but no one was coming."Don't bother looking for anyone—they're all…a little unconscious.""What are you doing here?" Sawyer sneered, baring his teeth. It was taking everything within him to not attack. "Can't a man come visit his long-lost best friend? It's been what—a year now? Wow, time does fly, doesn't it?" Christopher grinned and his gap teeth revealed themselves. A chill went through Sawyer. This wasn't the same Christopher he had known his entire life, or the same Christopher that he had banished last year. This man was entirely different and more sinister. His usually neat curls were more wild an