~Amara~He couldn’t seriously be asking me that. Not after I just told him that Alpha Adrik had gotten me stuff for the Hollow ball. Was he seriously trying to pick a fight with his alpha? I hoped for both our sakes that he knew what he was going up against because I wasn’t ready for any sort of punishment and the like. The pregnancy had me feeling weaker than the average werewolf and I’ve been trying my best to stay away from any sort of trouble.Chad gently drew me away from him and held me at arm’s length, his eyes boring into mine so earnestly that I wanted to pet his hair and give him a nuzzle on his nose. He was so cute…almost like a puppy. But he hated me doing that because it made him feel like a lesser wolf.He was waiting for me to give him my answer and I was waiting for him to realize that his request was out of the equation. When he realized that I wasn’t about to reply him, his face fell and his hands dropped from my body.“You’re rejecting my proposal?”I sighed and sho
~Amara~At first, I was confused about what to do about what I’d just seen. I didn’t know if I should quietly close the door on them or if I should announce my presence. Either way, my feet didn’t want to leave its spot so I guess I couldn’t go with either option.Watching the two of them tore my heart apart. The fact that they were oblivious to my presence made me even more heartbroken. How long has it been since he left the kitchen after our misunderstanding? It hadn’t even been up to thirty minutes and he was here already pushing his tongue down Katherine’s throat. I pushed down the sob that came up to my throat and inhaled deeply. I was conflicted because I knew that whatever it was that I had with Chad wasn’t defined. I shouldn’t be so concerned that he had someone else’s tongue in his mouth or that his hands were roaming some other woman’s body.I’d turned to walk back as I couldn’t bear to watch them anymore. I’d reached the threshold and was about to shut the door when his vo
~Amara~For the next few days that passed, I did all I could to avoid Chad and avoid even running into him. Sometimes I’d be in the Kitchen with Lydia and when she noticed his scent getting closer, she told me that he was close to the kitchen and I’d just find a place to hide. Lydia would tell him that she hadn’t seen me in a long while but I knew that Chad was no fool. He would have smelled my scent around the kitchen. But thankfully, he never argues whenever Lydia tells him that. Thankfully, Alpha Adrik had relieved most of the domestic chores that I had in the pack, maybe because he saw that I was getting heavy. I guess he really wanted the baby to be safe after he was born. The reason is what I was yet to find out but knowing Adrik, whatever he wanted to do with my baby wouldn’t be a nice thing.“You know, you have refused to talk about what happened between you and Chad for some days now. Why are you avoiding the beta?”, Lydia suddenly asked out of the blue.I sighed and busied
~Amara~I looked at Lydia in a questionable manner and she shook her head, letting me know that she had no hand in him knowing that I was here. Without another word, I stood and walked out of the kitchen with Chad following hotly on my heels. I wanted to think rationally and having him here wasn’t helping matters at all. I’d underestimated my attachment to him. I knew that because, despite my rage towards him, I could swear that if I turned at this instant to look into those eyes of his again, there wasn’t any guarantee that I couldn’t throw everything that had happened to the wind and crawl back into his arms.Yep. I know it’s crazy.So I just kept on walking down the hall leading to the outside, grateful that he hadn’t thought to say a word while following me.“Baby, how long will you hold off talking to me? I’m sorry that I hurt you. it wasn’t intentional, trust me. I never wanted to do that. I was manipulated by Katherine’s witchy stuff at my most vulnerable time.”Well, so much
~Amara~We stood before Alpha Adrik, waiting for him to tell us why he had summoned us. We’d been here for close to thirty minutes, and the most thing he had said was a grunt when he saw Chad. Other than that, we’ve just been kept standing without a reason; or so I thought.While there, I shifted from one foot to the other nervously, and my palms got slick with sweat. My mind went to different reasons why he could have called us in, and left us standing without any comment. Chad on the other hand, looked so calm and collected that I wondered how he was able to do that, especially with the fact that the omega almost caught us kissing if she didn’t see it before we even noticed her presence.What if she had told Alpha Adrik about it?I couldn’t hold it in anymore so I decided to go in for it. I took a deep breath and looked at Alpha Adrik. “Alpha, do you need anything from me?”I intentionally omitted Chad because there was no way that I could refer to us as “we” without sounding suspic
~Lucian~“Elsie said that you wanted to see me?”The curly head standing before me nodded, her curls bobbing in tune with the speed of her nod. I dropped the document that I was perusing and faced her, lifting my eyebrows when she kept mute.“Well? If you have nothing to say then get out. I have important matters of the Pack to attend to”Fear was evident in her eyes and I wondered why she was afraid. I know that I have a reputation for being heartless most of the time, but recently, that reputation has left me. I hadn’t even found myself torturing people for fun just the way I used to like. She should be grateful that she met me in my redemptive stage. Maybe if she had met me when I was the ruthless Alpha King, then she would have run away; just like Amara did.Amara. Just the thought of her name sent me spiraling again. At this point, I’d already resigned to the fact that she would always have that effect on me, whether I liked it or not. Shortly after my last conversation with Mar
~Lucian~“You’re really going to the Hollow Ball?”I could understand why Marcus was finding it hard to believe that I wanted to attend the Ball, especially with what happened the last time that I was in Adrik’s pack. He was worried that I would lose my temper again and kill someone because of my infuriation.“Yes, Marcus. For the millionth time, I will go to the Hollow Ball. Do you have any other questions apart from that?”“Yes. Knowing you, I can tell that you do not really have a reason to go to that Ball. You can decide not to go and no one will question your authority. Unless it’s because of her. ”I gave him a side glance, showing indifference to what he said but Marcus was no fool. He had fully interpreted my actions and knew why I wanted to do what I was about to do.“It’s fine, Lucian. I will do even more than that for Lyra if worse comes to worst. I’m glad that you’ve finally accepted that she’s your one true love and also the mother of your pup. But isn’t this going to cau
~Amara~As the day of the Ball drew near, preparations in the pack became more intense. For some days, both Chad, Katherine, and Adrik had not bugged me. I was fine with the others, but I was starting to miss Chad. Sometimes I tell myself that I could have just forgiven him and moved on with our lives since it was crystal clear that he didn’t do what he did willingly. For some time now, the kitchen has been my best friend, because Lydia was always there to talk to me when I needed her. and it also saved me from Katherine’s impromptu visits to my room. Now I sat there again, craving some fresh-from-the-oven pancakes that night and musing over how much I missed Chad.“I told you to forgive him then but your stubbornness didn’t let you. Now he doesn’t want to come back to you and you won’t let me rest. Don’t you know where to find him?” Lydia scolded me after I cried that I wanted Chad back for the millionth time.Honestly, I’ve become worse over the past weeks; always being overly dram
~Amara~It was the signal, the one I’d been waiting for. The Hollow Ball that Adrik held wavered and then vanished, along with the shimmering lights and strange haze of power that had filled the room. He rose to his feet, his gaze dark as he turned to me.“Omega, stay here. Guards!” he barked, calling them to his side. “I’ll deal with whatever this is.”I nodded, forcing myself to look as calm as possible even though my pulse was racing. As soon as Adrik left the room, my instincts took over, and I darted for the door, every nerve on fire with anticipation. Chad would be waiting for me. I could hardly believe that soon we’d be free of this place, but I knew every second counted.Apart from that fact, I didn’t want Lucian blocking me or even trying to talk about what happened in the past. I wasn’t up for that at all. All I wanted was to get to where Chad was in one piece.I was halfway down the hall when a figure appeared, blocking my path. I gasped, thinking that it was one of Adrik’s
~Chad~“Fire! Fire!!”The second I heard the alarm, I knew it was time for me to act fast. I couldn’t waste any more time because I can’t tell how long it would be before Adrik finds out that this was a fake alarm. My body reacted faster than my mind could, every nerve alive despite the gnawing pain that felt like fire under my skin. It didn't matter. Pain had become the background music of my life in this place, and I’d learned to ignore it. What mattered now was getting out.With a shaky breath, I forced myself to my feet and patted around the corner of the floor for the small key Lydia had smuggled in. She’d risked everything to get it to me, and I wasn’t about to waste her efforts. My hands trembled as I slotted it into the lock, the heavy, rusted door clicking open with a sound that was somehow both too loud and too soft. I slowly pushed the heavy iron door open, waiting a moment to see if anyone would notice by any chance that a prisoner’s door has been opened.The corridor o
~Amara~As I stepped into the grand ballroom, my heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. The room was filled with elegantly dressed guests, laughter, and music that floated through the air. Every flicker of a candle seemed too bright, every footstep around me too loud. I kept reminding myself to breathe, to appear composed, but with the weight of what I was supposed to do, it was a bit hard to pretend.Adrik had told me that he wouldn’t have any need for me until the dinner starts, so that mean that I have enough time to plan my movements carefully. I just hoped that I wouldn’t need to make it to that dinner before I get my cue to escape with Chad. My freedom was so close and I could smell it. Soon enough, I would be able to know how it felt to have my freedom. And it wouldn’t be just about me. It would also be about my child.I smiled, my hand going to my belly instinctively. This baby wouldn’t live the kind of life that I’ve led. He won’t have a mother who will sell hi
~Amara~I stood in front of the mirror in my room, the dress that Adrik had picked out for me clutched in my hands.Tonight is the night.This is the night that will either make or mar me.This is the night that I get my freedom, and together with the man that I love.This is the night of the Hollow Ball.I was excited at the thought of finally leaving this hellhole and going somewhere far away from this kingdom. Chad and I have sometimes talked about the possibility of settling in the human world, and it had sounded like a good plan. All we needed to do was make sure that no one suspects our identity. We’ll just blend in and make sure to avoid staying outside on full moons.But then again, I still couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. It felt as if I was about to embark on a suicide mission. As if this was the most foolish thing to do. A part of me screamed at me to abandon this plan and live as peacefully as possible with alpha Adrik instead of putting my
~Amara~“You want to break the Beta out of the dungeon? Are you crazy? That stunt can cost you your life!” Lydia whispered harshly, looking towards the door as if there was someone listening to her.“I have to, Lydia. They’re gonna kill him if I don’t”She paused for a moment as if digesting what she just heard. “What do you mean they’re going to kill him? Who are ‘they’?”“Alpha Adrik and Katherine. They want to kill him because he supposedly raped me”I could tell by the confusion on her face that she still wasn’t getting what I was trying to say. She knew that Chad and I were an item so saying that he raped me would be a little confusing for her. but if she was going to help me get Chad out of the dungeon by distracting the guards there and laying false alarms over a fire or something else worthy of attention, then I needed to explain everything to her in detail.“Did he really do that to you? He’s always come across to me as a fine gentleman. How did he suddenly change into a perv
~Amara~“Why would you do something like that? The alpha is so mad. And is in pain. Even though he healed really quickly. What were you thinking?”I plopped myself on the chair in the kitchen while Lydia peeled some potatoes for dinner. I’d come to her because I needed to talk to someone and she was the only other person that I could talk to, apart from Chad.Yes, I knew that I was supposed to still act like I do not have my memories back, but I just wanted to talk to someone familiar and friendly. A person whom I trusted. And Lydia was the only other person who filled in that role.After the incident with Alpha Adrik, he had quickly growled at me to leave his presence at once and I didn’t need any other prompting to scramble away from his room. The fact that nobody came to arrest me or put me in the dungeon for attempting to hurt the alpha is one thing that I’m still puzzled about, stemming from the fact that Alpha Adrik almost never forgives.What if he had something deadly planned
~Lucian~“No. get that out of my face”The servant bowed and backed away, while another came up again with yet some other kind of ridiculous-looking cloth. I glared at him, holding in the urge to grip his neck and snap it so that I could save him the stress of living in this world forever. Because sooner or later, I was going to snap his neck if he wasn’t careful.“Are you this dumb usually? How would you bring me this as an option to wear to the Hollow Ball? You think this is enough to woo my mate back?” I snapped at him.“But my king; these clothes are nice. They’re one of the best clothes that you have” Elsie said from her perched position.If I wouldn’t be damned.She should just thank the moon goddess that she’s like a mother to me. If not, it would have been a different story. And the fact that she knew this was what gave her the effrontery to challenge my words.I whipped my gaze to her and smiled. “Why, Elsie? Would you like to wear them instead? Maybe you’d help wear it in my
~Amara~He crashed his lips against mine unexpectedly, warranting a grunt of disgust from me. Of all the things that I thought he would do, this wasn’t one of them. or so I thought when he expressed displeasure at my bulging stomach.I tried to wiggle out of his grasp but his grip at the back of my neck was too tight and I couldn’t really move.This wasn’t part of the plan. Please, all I want is for him to stop.As if my prayers worked, he stopped at that instant and stepped back. The thought of puking settled in my mind but if I even tried to do that, I would only aggravate his anger. I took a step back, forcing myself to swallow the spittle that was mostly his.“Strip”My eyes jerked to him immediately. What was that? I put my hands into my ear to clean it because I didn’t think I heard him correctly.“I’m sorry? I didn’t hear you the first time, alpha” I said, trying to hold my fingers steady from shaking.“You said you wanted to be close to me, right? How else do you think you can
~Amara~I quickly swung into action after I visited Chad. And surprisingly, I found out that the guard at the dungeon did have a thing for me. Weird; and I just hoped he wasn’t a creep who loves to be with pregnant werewolves specifically. A copy of the keys of the gate to the dungeon and Chad’s cells were made by someone whom he had directed to me for help and someone whom we could trust. After that, I quickly went back and stylishly returned the key to the guard. I was able to breathe well after going over the first plan.For the second plan, I didn’t need to be so gummed to the waist to Katherine because I knew that somehow, something in her had shifted. And that shift was for good. But that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t try to sweet-talk her once in a while.Which leaves me with Alpha Adrik. Trying to make me believe that I was a hundred percent with him wasn’t my problem. My problem was the thing that might come after it. Alpha Adrik could be compared to a horny dog and just wants