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
The night of the annual Sacrifice. As the Alpha's daughter, Waverly Scott understood the procedure and the importance of the Sacrifice: to appease the Crimson Wolf in the hopes that their chosen member would become his Luna. However, it didn't stop her emotions from running high each time it came close to the day, fearing that her pack may be next. As her father said, it was their obligation to participate in the Sacrifice, but he never gave a clear reason as to why. The day came and passed every year, with the members of the elected pack wondering if the woman they choose would return or not. So far, no one has. "I think that it's because the Crimson Wolf kills the pack for not sending him his mate!" shouted a boy excitedly while balancing on top of a rock. His hair was tousled from the light evening breeze that moved through the large open area of their small farming town. "I heard he's a Wild – y'know, the kind that can't tell who's who when they're in wolf form!" said a s
By the time Waverly, Reina and Finn reached the eastern hill, the rest of the pack had already assembled in front of the wooden bench outside of Waverly's farmhouse. The moon had replaced the sun and it now lit up her father's face as he stood facing the pack. His hair was slightly disheveled and he pushed it back with his hand, showcasing the small pieces of grey that were starting to display. Waverly, Finn and Reina took their places within the group and watched as her father began his speech."Most of you by now know the reason I have brought you here tonight." Waverly observed as her mother, Aviana, stood at her husband's side. She had her hands clasped together in front of her, a trait she only exposed when she had to seem strong for her fellow members during times of distress. However, Waverly could notice them shaking ever so slightly. "As everyone is aware, tonight is the annual Sacrifice and as per tradition, it is uncommon for the chosen pack to be aware of their posit
"Are you insane?!" Finn shouted. The static sensation that clouded Waverly's brain moments ago subsided and once the weight of what she had just done set in, she was left with the overwhelming sense of immobilizing fear. Everyone was staring at her, utterly shocked. Her father stepped forward and the pack made room as he approached his daughter. He placed his hands on her shoulders and Waverly saw her own facial features staring back at her, almost an exact copy. "Are you sure?" he asked, calmly. Waverly looked at Finn, who gaped at her with a mixture of anger and distress, and her mother, who's strong demeanour remained, despite her terror-stricken gaze. It felt like Waverly had no control over herself. She gulped and slowly nodded her head, disregarding the horror that screamed inside of her."So it is." Her father gave her a reassuring smile, mixed with both pride and worry. He turned towards the crowd once more and spoke in a louder voice. "Waverly will take the place of
The walk towards the mountains was eerily silent; the only sound that could be heard were the rocks under their shoes that crunched with each step. Night had passed and transformed into dawn, with the sky changing colours rapidly, from deep blue, to red, then pink and orange. The sun peeked over the eastern horizon, bringing with it a new day. From the minute Waverly realized who this man was, she was absorbed in her own thoughts. What was he thinking? He was… composed…so familiar with the procedure. I suppose after a decade, you would be. However, one question remained prominent in her mind: would he be the one to kill her? A shiver passed through her body as they reached the vast, open field. At the bottom of the path sat an old-style 1960s car, coated in a dark grey paint. "We're driving?" Waverly asked, trying to mask her surprise. "You thought we were walking to Trinity Mountains?" he rebuked, with a hint of annoyance. "I mean, no…I assumed we'd run." The Crimson Wol
Waverly sat on the floor of the empty bedroom and stared out into the lively town below her. Wolves and humans alike moved ahead with their day; a short, yet well-kept man sat on his lawn mower and began trimming his slightly overgrown lawn while a woman a few houses down called to her children, who were racing down the street in wolf formation. Two days had passed since her arrival to Trinity Mountains and she hadn't seen a single person besides the people that came in every so often to clean her room and bring her meals. Questions turned over in her head: how did he expect to discover if they were mates if he never let her out? Maybe that was the point; maybe he didn't want to test their bond. She remained motionless, glancing out the window, as the sound of the door clicked open for the first time that day. As Waverly watched the village below, a person dressed in all black with an apron, who Waverly had come to know was a servant, entered. A whoosh from behind her created a n
The following morning, Waverly awoke to the sunlight blaring into her eyes while Felicity opened the large purple curtains that were covering the window. "Good morning," Felicity softly spoke as she bent over and opened the bottom glass pane. The birds that rested on the ledge below the window whistled back and forth, indicating another beautiful sunrise. Waverly sat up in her bed, squinting at the bright haze shining through. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. Felicity peered out at the sky above. "The clouds are still moving pretty fast out there." Waverly's eyes began to gradually come into focus and she noticed her morning breakfast sitting on the single table: eggs and bacon. The smell filled the room, causing Waverly's stomach to growl. Felicity perceived Waverly's stare and brought the tray to her. "Our Alpha thought it would be nice for you to have a morning meal that isn't toast and oatmeal." She chuckled and set the platter down on Waverly's lap. Waverly eyed the
Waverly immediately sat up in her bed, unsure of what she had just heard. Free? There was no way. The Crimson Wolf kept his watch on her, his distinct blue and black eyes examining her as if he was trying to read her thoughts. Waverly hesitated before stretching her arm out to touch the box. She ran her fingers along the carved indentations, admiring the beautiful lined artwork that decorated its exterior. What could he possibly mean by 'free'? Why would he bring her here, lock her in a room and then bring her a stunning pile of jewels, to just let her go? Did he feel guilty? Apologetic? No, he was the Crimson Wolf, he didn't feel any of those things. This had to be some sort of test. But yet, when she looked at him, she saw the disposition of a child while he continued to view the box. Waverly shut the lid and pushed the container back towards him. "Thank you," she stated intently. "But I can't accept it." The Crimson Wolf's eyes widened as he stared at her. "What do you mean
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