Sheera was pouring wine into a goblet when, compelled by some ill-fated urge, she glanced at Keegan. It turned out to be the biggest mistake she made that day.The moment she found his silver eyes locked on hers, a sharp current jolted through uer, electrifying the air between them. Her hands quivered, and the wine spilled over, staining the tablecloth crimson."What in Hades!? Are you blind!?" The offended council member barked, pushing his chair back in anger.Sheera gasped, immediately scrambling to wipe the spill."I am so sorry. Please, pardon me." She pleaded, her voice edged with panic.The man continued to curse until Sheera was done wiping it.Her heart drumming in her chest, she turned to leave with the others."Get me the head maid," Keegan's voice cut through the room like a whip, freezing everyone.He spoke to the servants, but none in particular.With their heads lowered, the servants whirled around to him.His tone devoid of warmth, he continued. "One of you isn't suppo
It was well past midnight. Sheera had an extremely busy day and was deep asleep when a continuous rap on her door awoken her. She grumbled, wondering if the head maid had another errand for her at such your. Pulling herself together, she forced herself to the door and found another maid when she opened it."Prince Ulric demands to see you. He's waiting at the entrance of the quarters," the lady announced before swiftly leaving. Sheera rubbed her knuckles against her eyes, wiping off the remnant of sleep. As she made her way to the entrance of the quarters, her mind hovered over the reasons Ulric would want to see her at that hour. It was strange.She found him pacing restlessly. He seemed desperate. Scared. Worried. He rushed over to meet her."Ulric, is there---""I'm scared, Sheera. Something bad is about to happen," the words came out in a rush. Ulric had not been able to sleep at all. Each passing minute reminded him of the fact that Keegan was getting closer to his death. I
Sheera concealed herself behind the tree, her heart racing painfully, with a deep soul-wrenching hurt. Tears flooded her cheeks as she watched Keegan being carried onto the horse. Even the air was heavy with a foul sense of foreboding, and it seemed to choke her. She wanted to scream, to cry out, but she bit down on her lip, tasting blood, forcing herself into silence. She didn't make it in time. She wasn't fast enough to save him. By the time she arrived, Keegan was already down on the ground. He was... dead? She resolved to hiding behind the tree as she didn't want the others to see her and think she had something to do with the attack. They'd have to question her to know why she was there at that time. So, despite how difficult it was, she had to stay back and watch. ****While they rode on their horses, Sheera ran in her wolf form. They didn't stop for even a second to eat or catch any rest. They reached the Fortress in a day. "Summon Elke, Seraphine, Wulf... Every healer
Elke ran back to the room. "How is...""It didn't work," she cut Sheera off, rushing to prepare another remedy. It was as if time had frozen, and Sheree's heart had paused it's steady beat for a few seconds. "It didn't... Why? Why won't it?" Her words tumbled out in hurried, ragged breaths. Elke ignored her as she got her items ready. "Cheek for the shadowbind spell," she instructed. That day, they tried several spells for hours, but none of them worked on Keegan. By nightfall, Elke had given up hope."What do we do!? We can't just give up, he's dying!" Sheera cried. For the first time, she saw Elke shed tears. "Our hands are tied at this point, Sheera. We are going to lose him."****†Malkar could barely contain his joy. He never thought a day would come when fate would smile so generously on him. He felt fulfilled. That night, he shared a drink with his mother. She was the only one aside Ulric that knew of the plan, and unlike his pesky brother, his mother didn't criticize h
Each ticking hour was a torment for Sheera, reminding her of how close she was to losing Keegan. That is, if he wasn't dead already.She hadn't reported to her duties that morning, nor did she care about the consequences that might follow.The Fortress remained in disarray. More people still gathered outside, offering their prayers for the Alpha's recovery. It felt as though, the entire Howling Ridge was in mourning.l, and that realization gripped Sheera with fear. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to bear the loss of Keegan.She had visited Elke that morning, and together, they repeated the same spells from the day before. But nothing worked."I fear he might not see another dawn," Elke told her.Sheera had cried until her eyes were raw, but even her tears offered no solace.Later in the day, a Keeper arrived with a summo
Sheera had her hands wrapped tightly around herself as she walked the path leading to Elke's quarters. It was still far off, and perhaps, the walk would clear her head - if only a little. She'd just finished from Malkar's chambers where the cursed scoundrel had violated her. He had her undress, then forced her to take him into her mouth. Thankfully, that was all he made her do. But it was still the most degrading, vile experience she had ever endured. Recalling how he'd throat-fucked her, then forced her to swallow his cum made her want to throw up. She wanted to cry.He insisted on keeping Naya locked up to ensure Sheera continued to do his bidding.She was lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized someone had been calling her from behind. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she snapped back to the present and turned around.It was Ulric. He looked pale, concerned, terrified. "Hey. Are you... are you okay?" He asked, even if he knew it was a foolish question.
Elke was jerked with so much force that her head throbbed as she woke up. It took her a few moments to comprehend where she was and why Sheera was before her, practically vibrating with excitement. "Sheera...""I found something, Elke! A spell that can work!" Sheera's eyes gleamed with hope for the first time in three days.Elke's brows knitted in confusion. "R... Really? What is it?" She looked into the book, although she couldn't read it. "It's called pèplo tis Lítis, translating to The Veil Of Oblivion."Elke's reaction was instant. She gasped and recoiled in horror, her hand flying to her mouth. Every remnant of sleep she felt eluded her immediately as her heart began racing faster than normal. "What did... What did you just say, Sheera?"Sheera's brows pinched in uncertainty. "It's called the Veil Of...""No, don't repeat it. Don't!" Elke shook her head vehemently, her voice coming out in a husky whisper.Her eyes scanned round the room before settling in the book. "I had no
It took Sheera hours to prepare the ingredients. Sheera was in so much fear, hoping it wouldn't be too late by the time she's done. The scent of herbs filled the air, thick and bitter. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but she barely noticed. By the time the mixture was finally ready, dusk had began to settle, the pale light of the setting sun casting a faint glow through the small window. She happily went to Elke and told her to take her to the Alpha's room, only to be struck down by the woman's refusal."I'm sorry, Sheera, but I can't be involved in this. The spell is too dangerous, too much could go wrong," the woman said, her weathered hands clutching the edge of the table. Sheera stood still, disbelief clouding her face. Her voice broke as she spoke. "B--But you know I can't make it to the Alpha's quarters myself. Please, Elke, you must help me."Elke shook her head. "Do you not understand?Your secret could even be discovered in the process, do you realize that? The spell will r
"Is it hot enough?""Yes, thank you."Malkar took a long swig, enjoying the taste of the steaming spicy soup. He exhaled, running his eyes around the vast space before him. It was nothing like where he came from, but it was beautiful. "You said you've been traveling for long now," the man seated beside him asked. "More than a week," Malkar answered, taking another taste from his bowl of soup. "Where are you coming from?"He hesitated, blinked and took another sip from the bowl. "I'd rather not say."It's been a rough journey for Malkar. He'd managed to get to the south. He was ambushed on the way and all his valuables taken from him. For two days, he'd gone hungry. He stopped by a market, hoping to steal something without being caught. But they did, and he was beaten by a mob. It was the old man beside him that had helped him, brought him to his tavern and served him a hot bowl of soup.Malkar hated that his life had been reduced to something so insignificant. Being banished and
"How have you been?" Thessaly asked, her voice soft. When Sheera tried to speak, she realized how heavy her throat was. She swallowed against the dryness. "What are you doing here?" Thessaly shrugged. "What does it look like? I'm visiting." She pointed at the food. "Not hungry?"Sheera was starving. They had brought her food only once since her imprisonment."You don't have to worry, Sheera. I didn't poison it." Thessaly's lips curled up. She plucked a piece of steak from the plate, taking a deliberate bite. "See? It's safe."With a hunger sharpened by days of deprivation, Sheera devoured the food, her fingers trembling as she ate, barely tasting the meal as she tore through it. For the moment, all else faded."You know, me and you are alike in many ways," Thessaly began. "I was looked down upon where I come from and really did suffer. I didn't grow up with my family. The people I grew up with, they hated me and treated me like a slave." She looked down, a shadow of old pain crossi
Keegan looked at her with shock, and something akin to disappointment. Betrayal. Only then did the weight to Sheera's actions settle in on her. Her breath lodged in her throat, her mind reeling with images of the Luna being stabbed by her. The people, the places she'd set on fire.The Luna!Her hands trembled, the blade clattering to the ground.The look in Keegan's eyes - it wasn't of anger or hatred, but of pain. Hurt. He looked at her as though, she had wounded him.Two keepers approached, carrying the Luna. Sheera dropped to her knees when she saw that it wasn't just the Luna but her corpse. She had killed her!"No..." A sob rose in her throat, her entire body wracked with guilt. The world seemed to blur around her.Keegan's mother. She killed her! She killed her!She buried her face in her palms, crying profusely. She was a monster.
Sheera regained consciousness, not knowing how long had passed. At first glance, she discovered she was in a dim, cramped room that smelled of stale air and dust. Rough stone walls surrounded her, and cold, uneven floors pressed against her palms.Her head throbbed with the ache of fresh wounds. She felt... different."You!" Someone growled behind her. Sheera turned swiftly to find Luna Valkyrie on the floor, mere steps away. Her eyes flared in shock, her mind reeling. The Luna was hurt, her neck bleeding. "Explain this! What are we doing here?"Valkyrie barked. Sheera was as confused as the Luna, but she was more terrified of the blood running from her neck. Ohgods. Ohgods. Ohgods. She couldn't be here. She couldn't be here. She scrambled to her feet, running to the door, but it wouldn't open. And without her wolf strength, she couldn't break it open. She turned to the Luna, breathing heavily. "You... We need to break the door. You need to get out of here."Valkyrie rose slowly,
It's been three days since the war. The air at Howling Ridge was still thick with grief, but the bodies had already been cleared and burnt—although it had taken a lot of effort. Keegan's Ravagers had long been returned to their cave. Ulric had managed to get out of the Pack without being caught. Malkar, serving his banishment, had left already. Things should be back to normal, but they weren't. Their loss still lingered in the air. In addition, Sheera missed her best friend, Ulric. She wished things had turned out differently. The Fortress didn't seem the same anymore. As she left her chambers, her head was lowered as if weighed down by her thoughts. She froze when she felt a familiar chilling presence loom before her. Lifting her gaze, her heart seemed to shift from its original position when she discovered it was Zandov. She stopped walking. The man was dressed heavily, like someone ready for a battle. He had his gaze pinned on Sheera as he took slow steps. Sheera was unset
Zandov narrated what had happened with Ulric to Keegan. He told him how the Prince had reacted when he killed the witch. He was certain they knew each other.Keegan was shocked that Ulric had a relationship with a witch. Since the witch was in the pack, he figured she had been with the enemies and meant no good. So, he gave Zandov the go-ahead to search for Ulric. Retiring to his chambers, he met Sheera who tearfully explained what had happened during the fight—the urge that had consumed her when blood touched her. She was so scared, telling him she had tried sticking to his a mental picture of his face, but it didn't work. Keegan pulled her in an embrace, comforting her. That was all he could do as himself couldn't understand why that had happened. Their moment was interrupted by Thessaly who made her way into the room. "Oh, Alpha! You're well!" She breathed in relief, running over to meet him. She put a hand on his, her expression softening. "You cannot begin to imagine how ver
"Please..." he begged, his voice hoarse and fading. "Please."Keegan cocked his head, as if evaluating Malkar's crumpled form. "Now, who's fault is it that this became a fight to the death?" His voice was low and mocking.Morshella finally forced her way in. She dropped to her knees, shielding Malkar with her body."Please, stop this!" Tears streamed down her face. "Please, you can't do this! You can't..."Keegan looked amused. "If you think shielding him will stop me from killing him, you probably don't know how long I've been waiting to kill you."Morshella's gaze shot up, wide with fear. "I beg of you, Keegan. He is your brother! I... I understand you never go back on your word, but this once, this once," she sobbed, holding Malkar's hand tight. "You share the same blood. How can you possibly take the life of your own blood? What to you think your father would thin
Her vision clouded with red as she ran, climbing down from the rooftop. Once she was on the ground, she mixed into the crowd, killing everyone that stood in her way. And that was the problem—she didn't even know who was in her way. Was it a friend? Or a foe?She didn't stop running until she was far away from the battlefield, far away from the people she desperately wanted to kill. .........The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity. At some point, the tide shifted completely. Soldiers on the opposing side began to retreat, fear overtaking them. The Alphas had tried to fight but soon discovered they'd lost the battle. Their forces were being decimated, and their numbers dwindled rapidly. Realizing the battle was beyond saving, the Alphas attempted to flee. But when they reached the gates, they found them locked. Trapped. Panic set in as their soldiers crowded around them, also seeking escape.Merilyn, who was with them, tried desperately to use her powers to unlock the g
By the time Keegan, Kalaril and the Ravagers reached the Fortress, the war had already been brought in.His people had been fighting, doing their best, although he saw some lying lifeless among the chaos."Kalaril, make sure the gates remain shut," he ordered coldly, his anger simmering to a boil.The Ravagers growled hungrily behind him, awaiting his command. When the enemies saw him with the wolves, they knew instantly they were no ordinary wolves.The Ravagers looked different from normal wolves. Their furs were a mix of black and silver, and their eyes always glowed gold."After them!" Keegan's voice was like a whip crack.They set out, lunging at the men without the red ribbons.The men almost showed fear and tried to retreat, but they held onto the promises of the Alphas that the Ravagers would be