Early the next morning, just as I was done dressing up for work, two of Derek's guards showed up at my door to take me to the Pack's hospital on Derek's order. I began protesting as they made their way toward me. Before I could go deeper in my protest, I was bundled, carried out of my room, and shoved into a car. "Let me go! I'm going nowhere with you guys!" I continued protesting, kicking and punching and struggling with the hefty men to get to the door. I was easily slammed back to the seat, and glares were thrown at me by both men. "We don't want to hurt you, please be calm." "Did you not hear me? I don't want to go anywhere with you! Let me out!" Again, I was thrown back to my seat. I was breathless by the time the fourth slam came and this time I was held down to the chair, my mouth gagged and my hands pinned behind me. I was not going to save the people who showed no mercy to me. The same people who took pleasure in my pain. Why should I save any of them when neither of
I arrived outside the ward and started to find a way to safety when one of Derek's guards accosted me. "Come with me," he said, leading the way while I followed amidst the pandemonium. "What happened?" "The pack is under attack by rogues, we need to leave the hospital immediately." The fire outside the hospital was worse than I imagined and the chaos even greater. The hospital building was burning down and people got out of it in any way possible to avoid getting burnt. Outside, everyone scampered to safety, some already caught in the flame of the fire. I remained behind the guard, trying to not lose track of him as I mixed into the panicking crowd. "Where are we going?" I asked the guard. "To find a vehicle. The Alpha ordered I bring you to the packhouse," he responded. My throat felt dry as fear sank in the pit of my stomach. I didn't know why Ace suddenly came to my mind, and the words he whispered to me before he left resounded in my ears. Was he responsible for this? Did
...The ride ended quietly in an airport and I was led into a private jet. The flight lasted for three hours and despite not eating any of the refreshments the rogue master offered; I felt energetic.The shadow pack airport occupied a large area of land, it was quarter the size of the Crimson Pack territory. As the jet slowly descended, I caught sight of Ace. Henry was behind him and two guards that I couldn't identify. A wave of fury rushed through me as the door went open and I was led out towards him. Just the sight of him caused a twinge of hatred in my stomach and standing in front of him further infuriated me. "How was the journey?" He asked with a blank stare. I said nothing, bringing my gaze elsewhere. The nerves of him to talk to me like we're cool. "Everything went well, Alpha Ace," the rogue master replied in my place. I noticed Ace's gaze move to me and stayed for a moment but he said nothing further. "I want to go back home. Tell your guards to take me back," I said
My eyes went shut as I awaited a thud and then a casualty but none of that came. It took a moment for me to realize I was hanging in the air and a strong grip was holding my arms. My eyes flipped open and I looked up to see Ace pulling me, I immediately reached for his support and assisted him the little way I could. My thumping heartbeat decelerated as he pulled me back into his room and drew me to his chest, hugging me. Much to my surprise, I stayed in his embrace to catch my breath, I had expected him to scold or yell at me but instead, he was hugging me and stroking my hair. His lips whispered comforting words to my ears but I was carried away by the heat radiating from his body, rubbing off on my core. Seeing how quickly I was starting to react again, I began pulling away from him but his grip was unbreakable. "Ace.." I moaned, resorting to hitting him as I felt my body starting to dissolve in his warmth. When he released me, his hands snaked around my waist as he stared int
I woke up to a delicious ache in my core and to my body slightly numb, I looked beside me to find Ace still fast asleep. I wasn't sure for how long I slept, but I felt like I didn't sleep enough. I turned to give Ace a full look, his abs carried a scar that ran all the way to his side, but he looked so drop-dead gorgeous. I felt the urge to run my fingers down his skin but I slapped against it the moment the urge came.If he mated me, it means he was willing to mark me, and marking me means I would be stuck with him for the rest of my life. The thought wasn't as exciting as the first time I thought of it. It gave me mixed feelings and a pang of fear. It made me uneasy just imagining a life like that with Ace. I didn't want to be stuck again with anyone, I didn't want anyone to own me. I wanted to be free to make decisions all by myself. If I became Luna, I wondered if I would have such freedom. Obviously, being the healer didn't grant me such like I had thought. I was still an Ome
...I was right, Ace did mark me. Henceforth, I couldn't leave him or my wolf would die. The mate bond was fully sealed and it sent a wave of pleasure spiraling through me as I pressed against his bite mark. I could feel Amy and Trevor's wolf, whose name I discovered to be Dylan, bonding and snuggling together. Confessing their longing for each other. Amy was super excited and wouldn't stop speaking of her emotions while I was a bit indifferent. Ace and I were now mates, and he had imprinted on me claiming me as his. Even if I should escape from him, he would easily find me as he would be able to scent me from a certain distance. I was now the Alpha's mate, and the feeling was exhilarating. It enveloped me and created tons of happy butterflies in my belly. Even though I still felt uneasy, the mate bond was enough to wipe off my bad energy. Ace came to me, smiling as he took my other hand while staring deep into my eyes. I wanted to move away, I tried to but he was suddenly so addi
...We were seated in a glass house in the garden that produced only lilies, the walls were made of glass and the view of the garden from that angle was marvelous. Georgia turned to me, adjusting in the bench. "You see, I worked here for Luna Kyra, Ace's mother, even before Ace's birth. I served as her personal mistress and also as Ace's nanny after his birth. Right from infancy, he was a very lively child, he loved everyone and hated injustice. As a child, he was exceptionally kind and everyone who came across him loved him," she started and my brows knitted at the revelation. As though reading my thoughts, she added, "He didn't turn cold and cruel overnight, his experience caused it.""What experience?" "When Ace turned twelve, his father's pack was attacked by Elias Spark, Alpha of the Lamia Pack. It was an unexpected invasion as the two packs had just agreed on a pact only a week before and become aligned. The Lamia Pack invaded the Ocean Howls Pack unaware and slaughtered most
...Running up the stairs, I was confused as to how Derek could reach me through the Alpha's mind-link even though I was so far away from him. I understood he could connect with me considering I haven't been officially stated as Luna and a member of the Ocean Howls Pack, but we were literally thousands of miles away from each other. How was he still reaching me? I had thought Ace marking me would be enough to break the link but it turns out it's not. Because Derek was still speaking to me! I threw open Ace's room door and was running in when I bumped into him. Seeing my disturbed expression, he grabbed me at once, but in a gentle manner, asking me what was wrong, with utmost concern etched on his face. "Derek.." I muttered in a breath, shaking my head as I continuously tried to get rid of his whispers. "he's reaching me. He's speaking to me, he's connecting with me.." I rasped an explanation as much as I could, feeling a headache from the forced connection. Ace's face hardened, as
-My fingers ran through the gemstones, a grin resting on my face. "This is forever beautiful," I cried, letting him twirl me around gently until I was facing him. "You sure you don't want this one instead?" He asked, referring to the expensive gold necklace on his palm, seated in a jewelry box. "That one is a bit old.""I'm sure," I beamed. "It was through this necklace that I was able to know that you were alive. I was ready to give up to Ryker. I had prepared to die after he killed the warriors, but this gave me a reason to live."As I spoke, I remembered the Rogue maid who had lost her life for revealing Ace's situation to me. Bless her soul. I was alive because of her too. "To me, this is the most beautiful jewelry in the world, and it is important to me because it is important to you, too."Ace nodded, his eyes lighting up. I could sense that he had briefly recalled a part of his past. It was the day of the coronation for Ace's new position and we were in our room after get
-My thumping heartbeat decelerated as I stared at Derek's lifeless body, my eyes filling up with tears of relief and gratefulness. Ace dug his claws into Derek's chest, uprooting his heart and signifying the end of the war. Like a whiff, all the memories and history I had with Derek raced through my mind. "It's finally over," I heard Acantha sigh, and the tears dropped from my eyes. It was really over. Derek was dead! It was over for good. My nose crinkled in disbelief, my eyes furrowing as the reality settled within me. My gaze shifted to Ace and despite the loud chants and celebration, I could hear the beating of my heart clearly. Despite the amount of people around, my eyes could somehow only see Ace. Amongst the crowd hovering around him, his gaze found me, too, and before I could burst, I swooped into his arms. He caught me easily and I buried my face into his chest, releasing my emotions shamelessly. Two of our greatest enemies were now gone for good!Ace nuzzled his face
-Ace held my hand, stopping me from getting any closer to Derek. "This is not over, I promise you," he gritted, his eyes sending daggers at me.We watched quietly as he contested with the pain, trying to subdue it. He attempted to get up several times, cussing violently every time he failed; his eyes were filled with rage and determination as he continuously tried to move. After a final hectic attempt, he crashed to the ground and burst into laughter. "It's funny how easily fooled you can be, Ace," he cackled, blood dripping slightly from the side of his lip.I figured he was trying to buy time and gather his strength again so he could take us unaware but before I could act, Ace charged at him. "No, it's funny how you think you can stall me while you buy some fuckin time," Ace grabbed him up roughly. "Why?" Derek scoffed, feigning strength even though he was limping. "You're scared I'd beat your ass up if I wasn't in this situation?""We both know what the truth is-"Then why d
-Ace glared at Derek, making sure his body obstructed mine."You will have to go through me first to have her!"Derek's steps faltered, and he seemed even more angry. "If that is what you want then I shall do as you please and get rid of you.""You seem to use your mouth a lot, don't you?" Ace scoffed. "I use it better, too; you can ask your little mate to tell you what I mean."I put my palm in Ace's, ensuring he held me, and preventing him from rashly going at Derek. Derek was trying hard to provoke him and it made me wonder what he was up to. "We had a little fun while you were out there in the wilderness, struggling to survive."I opened my mouth to speak and vehemently curse at Derek for lying but Ace beat me to it. "She must not have liked it as much as you think seeing how she still tricked and escaped from you. She came back to me, that should tell you a lot of things.""Still she betrayed you!""Oh Derek," Ace breathed out, "you don't get it, do you? What matters is whos
-We stood in the open, ensuring that the passage to our secret safehouse was out of sight. Everyone took their position, mine was beside Ace, as we heard the enemy's footsteps approaching. I held my breath, trying not to squirm under Ace's hold. I knew he would at once detect my discomfort and send me back in. I didn't want that; I wanted to face Derek; I burned to see him fall with my own eyes. Derek showed up first, leading the warriors of his pack; he growled and roared as they approached us, arrogantly announcing his presence. Ace moved me to stand behind him and I stayed without arguing. I took the chance to fix my discomfort, ensuring that I showed no weakness in front of Derek. "What a surprise, it is indeed true that you survived. Fuckin luck," Derek mocked, scoffing at Ace. "Well, it's too bad because this time, you're going to the land of the dead, and there is no escaping it.""If I were you, I'd do more fighting and less talking. Did you forget you're in my territory?"
-With Henry's suggestion, we swiftly gathered around. He had already drawn out a quick plan on how we were going to face Derek and his goons, and he discussed it with Ace. Inputting Acantha's suggestion, we came to a conclusion on how to face our attackers. Ace stepped out and dished the instructions and everyone immediately set to work. Leaving out the pups, younger and ailing wolves aside, the rest of us came together to be grouped in smaller forms. There were many hidden parts of the Ocean Howls pack that the Crimson pack or any other pack was not aware of. Ace had reconstructed the country after his father's defeat in a way that we would mostly have the upper hand against the enemy. That was a big advantage for us. Ace regrouped the warriors into ten smaller groups and individually gave them a goal, coordinating each group separately. Some groups were focused on studying maps of the Ocean Howls Pack territory and securing strategic locations for refuge in case our attackers
Ellen-"Our only way in now is through the emergency back gate; hopefully, through it, we can arrive at the pack house in time before Derek's men reach it," Ace revealed. He was a lot calmer now. "Who else is aware of this entrance?" Acantha asked, being cautious. "Only Henry and I know about it. Out of safety, we didn't reveal it to the pack members yet. I constructed it as an emergency exit for situations like this, there is also a safe house behind it. I believe Henry must have evacuated the members to the safe house," Ace spoke. From the tensity of his breathing, one could tell how furious he was. The situation had gotten chronic. If Acantha hadn't stopped him at the time she did, from running after the warriors, things could have taken a drastic twist. I didn't want to imagine what could have happened. Ace led us to the emergency exit, and we walked as quickly as we could. If we could arrive before Derek's men, we would be able to prepare ourselves beforehand.
"Your bravery reminds me of your father," Acantha voiced after being quiet for a while. "No matter how hard I try to overlook it, I see his face when I look at you. How did he die?"I lowered my gaze, talking about my parents had always been a sensitive topic for me. It was something I didn't fancy discussing with anyone. It was the only topic that could break an Alpha like me. Georgia was the only one who had successfully managed to get a word out of me concerning it, and it was probably because she experienced the torture with me. "I'm sorry for bringing that up, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it," Acantha apologized. "No, it's okay," I bit my lower lip, making my expression stoic. I needed to get over it, and also build my relationship with Acantha. For Ellen's sake, I wanted to do this. "I was twelve when he was murdered, he died trying to protect me after we were attacked unaware. My mother was killed on the same day, she was raped to death, and I was made to watc
-"Ace, I-I can't. My powers are gone," Ellen vibrated, her hands shaking out of fear, her eyes teary. I glanced at the beasts who had already reached us and I pushed Ellen to my side so my body was facing them.She started to shake her head, trying to stop me from my thoughtless decision but I was hell-bent on protecting her. With her powers gone, it was even more dangerous for her to be close to these beasts. I would rather die than watch her face that fate. In despair, I prepared for whatever was coming, determined to fight even to death. Just as they growled, attempting to jump at us, I felt a familiar presence and her voice echoed through the cave when she spoke. "Acantha!" I heard Ellen exclaim in excitement. I turned to find Acantha emerging towards us, holding a staff in her hand that radiated a great amount of power. The strength that exuded out of her alone was enough to cease the beasts' steps. Calmly analyzing the situation, she stepped in front of me, facing the bea