-While Acantha prepared the map with full concentration, I stockpiled a small bag with some nonperishable food that would last us for a while. I selected foods like canned beef and vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, granola, and a few others. Finishing up with enough water and some blankets, I breathed out in accomplishment. I checked on Acantha and her complete focus was on the map she was creating through a spell. I watched her for a while, a smile tugging at my lip. It was still hard to believe that she was my grandmother, that I had a family that cared this much about me. "Mom, are you happy for me?" I mumbled, "Can you finally forgive me now?"Sinking in my emotions as the night drew darker, I curled myself into a corner and decided to rest a bit. At dawn, I woke up to find Acantha staring at a glowing piece of paper with a smile on her face. "I did it!" She cried, her lips spread into a wide grin. I quickly got up and moved to her side to stare at the paper. The blue ink was
-Eventually, The footsteps stopped, and I could feel the person now standing in front of us; we were separated by the huge leaves and coverings. With a conventional swift, the leaves were parted and he hovered above us.Frantically, I looked up; my defensive posture froze in an instant, and the color drained from my face as I traced his body up to his thinly scarred face."Ace.." my lips shook, my eyes instantly watering up, and my insides suddenly felt stuffy. He stepped back, an impulsive movement that I was certain came as a result of shock. The next second, he was on his knees, crouched to my level. I was too stunned, and it left me glued to the seat. I blinked, expecting the vague image in front of me to vanish into thin air so I could drift back to reality, but my vision only cleared, and I realized that I wasn't daydreaming. Ace was here. At once my hands moved to touch him, to feel his skin and confirm that my senses weren't playing tricks on me. His hand immediately he
-Ace sat beside me, my head resting on his chest while he caressed my hair. Was he angry at me or not? I couldn't tell, but I knew that he wanted me at that moment as much as I wanted him. Perhaps afterward, we would face that reality. Just like Derek's obsession, was the severed mate bond having an effect on him too? I wouldn't mind if that was the case, because I craved to be close to him too. Our fingers stayed intertwined as the full moon shimmered in the sky. With Amy's sudden activeness, I felt alive for the first time in a while. Although her wolf couldn't reach Dylan or rebound with him, I knew she was happy to be near him at least. We both knew what we wanted despite our wrong choices, and I was certain the moon goddess knew this too. This wasn't how it was supposed to be but with Ace and I, it was different. It was rare for mates to desire each other after a break-up but that wasn't our case. Even though it might be temporary, I wanted to experience it too for as long a
-The next morning we continued our journey towards the flower of destiny. Acantha led the way, using the map, while Ace and I trailed behind.As we progressed, the paths got even more difficult to pass through but thanks to Ace, it was a lot easier. "We can't go through that path, Derek has some Rogues combing the area. I encountered them on the way yesterday," Ace said. I flashed him a worried look and he shook his head with a smile, whispering some words to tell me he was okay. After our brief make-out session yesterday, we spent the rest of the night healing Ace's wound and then cuddling. I had missed sleeping in that position a lot and it was exciting to know that I would be spending my nights that way henceforth. Acantha hesitated before nodding in agreement, "I know a safer route." So we headed through it. The journey became more vigorous and challenging as the paths got even rougher, Ace held my hand and helped me get through. Surprisingly, Acantha made her way through wit
-As our blood merged with the Flower of Destiny, a powerful surge of energy enveloped us, instantly surrounding us. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and the wild winds tested our determination.Ace and I held each other's hands despite the turbulence, bracing ourselves against the storm's fury. The Flower of Destiny emitted an aura of tranquility and hope but also danger, its petals slowly unfurled, radiating unparalleled beauty.On Acantha's warning, we closed our eyes, took deep breaths, and focused on our inner strength.Suddenly, a brilliant light burst forth from the palms of our hands, illuminating the entire forest. A mysterious energy began to swirl around us, and we could feel the bonds of the curse gradually loosening.Suddenly, we heard a scream. It was Acantha, and when I opened my eyes; she was on the floor writhing in pain. "Acantha!" I yelled and tried to move so I could help her but I was suddenly stuck. Ace attempted to, but he got caught in the same fate as me. O
Ace's POV-"You're not coming with us?" Ellen asked her grandmother. Seeing how happy she was to finally have a family that cared about her made me smile. It always gladdens my heart to see her in a good mood. Acantha had taken us to her cave, which was just underneath a cliff, and she had revealed that she wasn't coming with us to the pack house. Acantha shook her head no, "it's too risky. I was banished from ever returning there.""Ace can lift it, right?" She threw me a look, her doe eyes holding a plea. "Of course, as long as it's what you want," I readily agreed. "We will be glad to receive you again, you have helped us a lot.""It's not just about him, his people might not accept me. The elders would recognize me, and it could create chaos in the pack; I don't want to cause any trouble.""But Acantha-"I will be fine, child. I have lived here for decades and survived. Trust me, it is much more peaceful here for me than anywhere else," she encouraged her, but Ellen was
-"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
"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
-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