LUCY After I had written that letter to Chris, my heart weighed heavily for days. Tears had been my companion for days, the uncertainty of my father's actions, and the consequences of my emotions consuming me. The conflict within my soul echoed in the solitude of my hut, each moment feeling like a battle. Days went by, determination took hold of me. I couldn't bear the weight if my doubts any longer, I needed answers even if it would shatter the bond I had with Chris. I set out early one morning to Cade's chambers ..As I sought Cade, I heart welled up in determination as I approached him with a sense of resolve. "Cade," I called out, my voice steady and my gaze unflinching. "I need to know about my father and his involvement is Alpha Chris' father's death.""Lucy, it's not a simple matter," he said, his gaze meeting mine, his eyes held something that I couldn't decipher. My jaw tightened in anxiousness, but my resolve unwavering. "Cade, tell me what I need to know. I need to know
CHRIS Restless days turned into anxious nights as Lucy's absence continued to gnaw at my mind. My thoughts were filled with worry and I found it difficult to focus on anything else than the haunting question of where she could be. The weight of uncertainty pressed upon me with each passing moment. And I knew I had to take action. Determined to find her, I sought out my Beta, Glen, to help me. He was the only one who could help me without creating any suspicion within the pack. My voice was firm as I issued the command. "Glen, I need your help. I need you to find Lucy, she's been absent for too long and I'm worried about her safety." Glen's expression mirrored my concerns. "When was the last time you saw her?""A few days now. It's unlike her to be absent for this long, I'm worried that something must have happened to her," I said, my voice laced with emotions. "You have nothing to worry about, I'll do everything I can to find her," he said with a reassuring smile. Hours turned i
CHRIS The days had stretched into an agonizing expanse of time, each day marked with the absence of Lucy. I had followed Kayla’s advice on letting her seek the truth she desired while I channeled my worries into my responsibilities as the pack’s leader. Yet, the anxious feeling of concern for Lucy’s safety remained a constant presence in my mind.I went on with my daily training to get her off my mind, I took up major responsibilities around the pack but they weren’t helpful. No matter what I did, she remained in my mind.One sunny afternoon, as the sun bathed the pack in a warm glow, I found myself wandering the pack’s territory. The rustle of leaves and distant sounds of nature offered a momentary peace from my thoughts. But my solitude was interrupted by the voice of my Beta, Glen, breaking through the stillness.“Alpha,” Glen called out to me, his voice held a note of urgency. “Lucy is outside the pack’s territory. She’s been waiting for you.”“Did you say, Lucy?” I said, my hear
LUCY The days without Chris had stretched into a relentless battle of emotions for me. My heart ached with longing, and the weight of uncertainty pressed upon me. I knew I couldn't stay away from him forever but my search for the truth had consumed my thoughts and my every waking moment.Each day, I would find myself at the edge of the path leading to Chris’ treehouse, the magnetic pull of his presence almost too much to resist. But something held me back, a relentless determination to uncover the truth before I could face him again.Then came the pivotal conversation with Cade. His revelation of the secrets that had haunted me, the truth about my father’s innocence, and the suspicions that had shrouded Chris’ father’s death over the years. My heart raced with anger and determination as I rushed to find Chris, to share the revelations that had shaken my world.I knew those were just mere words until we found proof, but I could tell that Cade meant every word he said. My urgency was p
LUCY My nights were filled with sorrow whenever I remembered Lothar's words. My heart crushed at the thought of what my father must have gone through. "Lucy, darling. You've been quiet for a few days now which is unlike you. What is going on?" my mother asked one night as she noticed my quietness."It's nothing, mother. I'm good, I just need some time alone," I lied. I couldn't bring myself to tell my mother what I had come to realize, the truth about my father's death. It would only break her and I couldn't bear to see her in so much pain as she was when she first realized that he was dead. My quietness gave my mother a reason to be concerned so I decided to stop sulking and carry on with my duties. As I stepped out of my hut, my eyes landed on Cade. A torrent of anger and grief surged within me, the memories of my father's death, the pain of betrayal, and the weight of the truth about Cade being involved in his death came crushing in. All I wanted to do at that moment was to cru
CHRISThose words Lothar said got me confused. How could Cade be this cruel to everyone? First, he killed my father out of greed then he killed his close friend, Lucy's father too. All for what? The throne. A throne that was never his, to begin with, a throne he will never covet.There was more to this story about Cade and Lucy's father that I needed to know. How did Lothar happen to know all of this and keep it a secret from us? I approached his with a weighty concern gnawing at my heart. "Lother, I need to know the truth, the whole truth about Cade and Lucy's father," I said. "You mentioned his involvement, but there's more, isn't there?"Lothar lifted his gaze, his eyes met mine. His gaze was somber. "Yes, Chris. There's more to it. I didn't want to say anything considering Lucy's reaction. But Cade's actions that night were not just about your father; it was part of a larger, darker scenario. Lucy's father stumbled upon something that posed a threat to some individuals within our
LUCYThe knowledge that Cade, a man I once trusted and called an ally, would be responsible for my father’s death haunted me, casting a long shadow over my heart. It was a heavy secret that I had to bear alone, a truth that was too painful to share with anyone else, especially my mother.Over time, I had found an unexpected ally in Maverick, who was, my supposed enemy, and as our new friendship grew, it became evident to everyone around us. The bond between us was undeniable, and it didn’t go unnoticed in our rogue pack.One cold evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the forest in a deep, dusky shade, my mother sensing my distance and the growing intimacy with Maverick decided to confront me and address the matter.“Lucy,” my mother began. “I’ve noticed you and Maverick have become quite close lately. Is there something you’re not telling me?” she asked.My heart skipped a beat as I struggled with how to respond. I couldn’t bear the thought of revealing the truth about
CHRISThe tormenting dream that had plagued my nights still continued but I had learnt to bear its weight without letting it consume me. It was a constant reminder of the danger that loomed over me.The alpha summit was at hand and I had been summoned by the council of elders through my guard. It was time for me to be briefed on the preparations they had made on behalf of our pack towards the summit. As much as I hated to be summoned by those vile men, I understood that it was a crucial meeting to attend and to gather support for the actions I was planning.In the council chamber, the elders sat in solemn deliberation. Their eyes fixed on me as I took my place at the table. From their expression, I could tell that their attention was focused on the impending summit and the role I was expected to play.“Chris, the alpha summit is by the corner and it is important that you attend as our new alpha. As you know, we need the support of other packs to ensure that our main objectives are met
LUCYFew days had passed since Lothar was killed. Normalcy returned in the pack and everything seemed to be going peacefully. With Lothar's tyranny finally vanquished, the pack could begin to heal from the wounds of betrayal and deceit. My mother had returned to the pack after much persuasion from I and Chris. Though she preferred to be away from the pack considering how they had treated her and my father in the past. Her eyes filled up with tears as she recalled the past events. "You did it, Lucy. You brought us back home," my mother said, her tears flowing freely down her cheek."No, mother. We did. Without you, I wouldn't have had the courage to fight back," I said, my voice shaky as I fought the tears. Chris' mother approached us, her expression pained as she apologised for the sins of her family. "I'm greatly sorry, Lucy, for all that my family put you through. We should have done better in finding the truth.""None of this is your fault, anyone would do the same if they wer
CHRISI, Chris Parker, the vibrant leader and alpha of the hallowed manes pack was now subjected to a life of misery. My guards who were once my loyal subordinates were now against me, torturing the hell out of me.I endured the torment of the dungeon with only one motive in mind, vengeance. The pain of the wolfsbane coursing my veins only served as fuel to my determination. I gritted my teeth in agony as the wolfsbane began to take its toll on me. But I refused to give my captors the satisfaction of seeing my falter.After much torture, Lothar decided to pay me a visit. The scorn on his face infuriated me, causing me to curse under my breath. "You look a mess, Chris. I didn't reckon that my boys would be this harsh to their Alpha," he mocked."You bloody traitor. I should give it to you. You played your game so well, betraying both father and son," I said."Oh please don't flatter me. I was just one step ahead of you folks in everything. You know, I wasn't originally from here. Yo
CHRISAs I got close to Lothar's quarters, I had my doubts about telling him what Cade had told me. It was top secret and should remain the same until I was sure of who to trust. Not that I didn't trust Lothar in any way, as a matter of fact, I did. I trusted Lothar not because he had stood by me but because he was my father's beta and best friend. But things at the pack were getting overboard and I didn't know what to do.Since Lucy had suggested that I told him, why shouldn't I? I arrived at his door and found it unusually open. So unlike Lothar, I must say, he kept to himself most times and kept his door shut at all times. I peeped into the dark room and found a shirtless figure standing in the room, his chest was bare and his muscles were taut in tension. At first, I couldn't tell if it was Lothar or someone else."Lothar," I said, my voice filled with uncertainty.The shirtless man turned and it turned out to be Lothar as I expected. "You're finally here," he said. I didn't u
LUCY"Cade," I muttered. My body was covered in his blood as I tried to stop the bleeding. Cade whimpered and pleaded for forgiveness, but it was too late for that. All I needed was the name of whoever did this. Cade tried to speak but I couldn't figure out what he was saying. "He's here," that was all I heard. His bloodied hand pointed to something ahead of us. I raised my head to see who it was but his face wasn't clear enough. "Looking for me?" the man sneered. Before I could say anything or do anything, he struck me with his sword.My eyes fluttered open, the remnant of the nightmare still clinging in my head like a cobweb. I glanced around the dimly lit chamber, my heart pounding heavily against my ribs as I tried to shake off the fear. "Chris," I called out after I realized that he wasn't beside me. There was no answer and my unease deepened. Where could he be? I recalled that he had gone to see Lothar to further discuss ways of catching the murderer, but I didn't realize
CHRISFrom the moment Cade's lifeless body was found in the dungeon, I had a deep suspicion that one of the elders was involved in this mischief. "Get me Orvyn," I demanded.I sat in the courtroom, grappling with the weight of the recent events, my mind churned with suspicion and great uncertainty. "Are you sure of what you're doing?" Lucy asked. "Are you sure Orvyn is the killer?""I'm certain he's responsible for all that has happened so far," I said.I recalled the night, the pack had been attacked under Cade's lead, how the guards at the gate had been rendered unconscious. One of the guards had informed me that Orvyn had offered them drinks before they had succumbed to unconsciousness. It was a revelation that had fueled my suspicions.The guards securing the dungeon had also been poisoned which made me believe that he had a hand in Cade's death. He probably was hiding something and feared that Cade would reveal the truth.Orvyn was led to the courtroom, bound with hands and fee
CADEMy stay in the dungeon had taught me a lot of lessons I wished I had known long ago. My envy and greed had made me lose the people I valued most, friends and family. "I know you hate me because of the throne, but I need you to know that I wouldn't be taking your place if it hadn't been assigned to me to do so," my younger brother said.I scoffed. "Save me the details, I know you are more than glad to be stealing my position as alpha of this pack. I knew Father had always chosen you over me but that will never happen. The throne is mine and there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it."On the day of his coronation, I watched in envy as my brother took my place as alpha. I wished I could strangle him where he stood with the rest of the elders. I hated my father and brother so much that I rarely spent time in the palace. Rather, I built another pack of my own far from the pack, a rogue pack in my name where I could be alpha. I recruited many rogues and formed an army of my
CHRIS "Your father's killer is somewhere in this palace, waiting for the right time to strike."Who was the killer? I spent most of my time convincing Cade to spill the truth to me but he kept beating around the bush. I was beginning to doubt that he knew anything about my father's death. Maybe he could be the killer like Lucy said and was trying to trick me into believing him." I know you have your doubts, Chris, but I'm telling the truth. I didn't kill your father," Cade had said."If you didn't then why did you elope from the palace after his death?" I asked."I had to else I would be blamed for his death. As for Lucy's father, he was set up by the killer. He walked into your father's chambers right in time to be caught by the guards. He was framed by the killer who was close to both your father and Lucy's father," Cade explained."Why should I believe you? You tried to kill me before," "You don't have to believe me and yes, I did try to kill you. The throne had always been my p
LUCYThe thought that Chris could be in danger bothered me for days. After my encounter with the old lady in the woods, I couldn't keep her warnings off my head. How could I return to a place where I wasn’t welcomed? I could be in danger if I returned to the hallowed manes pack and Chris too could lose his position as alpha if I showed up again at the pack. But his life was in danger and going back was the only option I had. “What seems to bother you, Lucy? You’ve been lost in thought for a while now,” my mother said in a worried tone.I didn’t want to bother her with my issues. I had promised her that I would stay away from the hallowed manes until it was right for me to return there. “Nothing is wrong, mother. I just miss the good old days at the rogue pack,” I lied.My mother sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I miss those days too, I miss those happy days. But it’s good we are here, we get to forget all of the sad memories and create happy memories for ourselves.”I nodded.
CHRISI couldn’t get Cade’s words out of my head, the more I thought of it, the more it sent hot chills down my spine. Could what he had said be the truth? Could it be that Cade, the man I had always seen as my enemy, actually be innocent of my father’s murder?I stood before Cade in the dungeon not knowing what to do, my heart pounding heavily on my chest as I sought answers from him. “What do you know about the man that killed my father?” I demanded.“I already told you all that you need to know,” Cade said, his words leaving me in a state of confusion. “You haven’t said anything to salvage the situation. Who is responsible for my father’s death?” I asked. “That’s for you to find out, Chris. I have done my part,” Cade insisted. I pondered on his words. Why was he keeping the truth from me? Was it one of the elders?Cade sighed. “I know you suspect the elders 'cause they are in league with me. Yes, they have always supported my course from the get-go but they are not smart enough