Sheera whimpered. She knew whatever he had in mind couldn't be good.
But she had no choice.
She forced her gaze to meet his. They weren't so charming now; they were deadly.
"I want you to look me in the eye while I ruin you."
Those were the last words she heard before he indeed, 'ruined' her.
He thrusted in and out of her with such ferocity, she feared he'd break her in half.
Her cries were loud enough to take down the room, but they did nothing to faze Keegan who continued slamming in and out of her.
He wasn't being gentle. He intentionally wanted her to feel pain.
Sheera couldn't keep up with his command. Her eyes closed as her head fell on his shoulder.
"Look at me!" He rumbled with anger.
Sheera screamed as she felt his sharp claws dig into her back. By the moon, he was go
Keegan was disturbed.He couldn't explain it. But every fiber of his being didn't feel good. His wolf stirred restlessly, an unease that neither reason nor will could quell.He was in the midst of an ongoing meeting in the courtroom but had to dismiss everyone when he couldn't bear the distraction any longer."What is wrong?" Kalaril asked as they exited the courtroom after the others left."I cannot say. I just know there is something wrong," he answered impatiently.They reached his chambers where he tried to distract himself with some books, but if wasn't working. Something was not right within him.It was as tho, a part of him was empty. Hollow. It was the same emptiness he had felt when he journeyed to the Hamlet weeks ago and had to be far from her. He'd felt empty the whole time. And now, he was feeling it agai
The night was dark.Sheera stopped by an inn and went in today request a room."Traveling somewhere, eh?" The inn keeper chuckled as he counted the coins she placed before him.Sheera offered no reply, her head heavy with exhaustion.He pulled out a key and slid it across the counter. "Fifth room on your right, second floor.""Thank you," she murmured, taking the key and turning away.She was on the staircase when a young man joined her."Now tell me, what's a pretty lady like you doing all alone, eh? Need some company?" He slurred, his breath reeking of ale.Sheera glanced at him. And in that moment, all she could think about was the Alpha delivering him a slow but painful death for daring to look her way.She rolled her eyes and continued up the st
The inferno within Keegan raged hotter, threatening to erupt in a violent display. Finally, he could see her. But how could she keep running from him? How dare she!?'Mine' the word snarled through his thoughts. She was his to own. His to possess. Only he could decide when to let her go. She couldn't make that choice herself. Still on his horse, he reached for his bow and arrow, nocking the weapon. He aimed at her. Pulling back the string, Keegan let the arrow fly. It sliced through the air, striking the leg of Sheera's horse. The horse let out a pained whinny and stumbled, its legs collapsing beneath it. Sheera was thrown violently to the ground, landing with a painful groan. "No," she whimpered. Looking around, she found Keegan and his companions fast approaching. But her horse was useless now. As she struggled to her feet, she saw Keegan and his men approaching at a rapid pace. Her horse was down, useless now. She turned and sprinted deeper into the woods, her breath coming
The words scraped raw against Sheera's throat, each syllable a fresh wound from the pain of revealing one of her most burdensome secrets. Now, she felt empty. Vulnerable. Weak.Keegan's grip loosened in her hair. The flames of anger in his eyes dwindled to embers, replaced by a mask of surprise.For what felt like an eternity, the only sounds were her whimpers and the ragged breaths she took between sobs. His gaze remained fixed on her, even as fresh tears coursed down her cheeks."What did you just say to me, Sheera?" His voice, now softer, sent a shiver down her spine."I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I know it is wrong, but I was defenseless against my heart, Alpha. I found myself wanting you, liking you, even when I know you can never be mine and I can never be yours. I am simply a hunter's daughter paying for her father's crime and would be dumped as soon as you've had your fi
Odessa was seething with rage.She stormed towards the Alpha's quarters but was halted by the Keepers guarding the entrance."The Alpha is not in his bedchamber, Mistress," one of them informed."But Sheera is there, is she not? I desire to see her," Odessa snapped, her hands clutching the overflowing fabric of her dress."I am afraid you can't. The Alpha has instructed us not to let anyone in. His prisoner is not to receive visitors."Odessa's cheeks flushed a serious red. By the sky, this had to be a joke!"Prisoners are kept in the dungeon, not in his quarters!" She couldn't stop herself from yelling our the words. "How could he... How could he punish her by letting her stay in his chambers!?"The Keepers remained silent, unmoved by her anger.Her chest heaved as she struggled to control her emotions. Her beast was almost coming to the surface. The contemptible swine couldn't even execute out a proper escape! And as if the Alpha going after himself wasn't enough, he decided to puni
Her throat went dry instantly. She opened her lips to speak but feared the only sound that would come out would be choked gasp. By Hestia, she could hardly breath! Her skin suddenly felt like it was scorching."You're supposed to remove every piece of ornament before a bath," Keegan added, his eyes scrutinizing the necklace as his finger idly rolled it between his fingers."I... uh..." She paused, coughing to clear the lump in her throat. "It's um... I have just become accustomed to wearing it always, Alpha. It was gifted to me by my grandmother before she passed away, and I keep it on to feel her presence with me."She feared Keegan could hear the frantic beeping of her heart. She had no control over the fear that gripped her. "Hm," he mumbled, still focused on the necklace. "It doesn't get damaged by water. And I worry it might weaken if I keep removing it and putting it back on. I wouldn't want to lose it, Alpha," she added quickly.Slowly, Keegan's finger drifted from the neckl
The courtroom erupted into chaos. Kalaril and the Keepers charged at the lady, but with a simple gesture, she sent a powerful wind that sent them crashing into walls and pillars. All the while, her gaze remained locked on Keegan, who stayed seated, watching her with an unnerving calm. There was confusion etched in her face. She'd been casting the spell long enough for it to take effect, yet nothing had happened to Keegan. He seemed untouched by her powers. Keegan didn't know what was happening, and neither did she. He rose to his feet and the lady lowered her hands. Panic flickered across her face. She looked around, searching for any weapon she could control to hurt him since she couldn't directly. Her eyes settled on a blade strapped to one of the Keepers. With a wave of her hand, she ripped it free and sent it flying toward Keegan - but it missed. Keegan stepped away from the table, his eyes burning with fury. The lady summoned another blade and directed it at him, but Kalaril
His question made Tabitha feel stupid. She felt a flush of heat rise to her cheeks, her gaze dropping to the cold stone floor beneath her feet.Kalaril took a step closer. "I am a man who can care for himself, Tabitha. I have no need for your concern."His words were harsh and biting. Tabitha's heart ached as he brushed pass her."Why do you hate me so much?" She whipped in his direction, her question bringing him to a stop."What did I ever do wrong, Kalaril?"She wasn't supposed to call him by his name, but in that moment, she wanted him to know she spoke to the man who had once been her closest friend, not the Beta who now treated her with such disdain."I... I understand that you've been raised to a high position and I am but a servant," she pressed on, her voice breaking slightly. "But is that reason enough to treat me
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
The Pack Members who had survived the attack from the outskirts found their way into the Fortress, making the Fortress crowded and chaotic. The Keepers didn't try to stop them. One of the people that had made their way in was Zytha. She had been at her usual spot when she spotted the soldiers marching. She knew it was war, and the only person she could think of was Ulric. So, she ran there, determined to find him and keep him safe.Locating him would take considerable effort, considering the crowd, but she didn't stop looking........Outside the Fortress, the five Alphas and the witch stood together, behind the men. They were at the very last row and hadn't taken part in the war yet. But now, they were about to. "I knew this would be a success," Alpha Laycoan sneered. "I knew with our combined strength, it'd be inevitable!""This is the final phase," Zarek said. "We've pushed them to the Fortress as planned. The fight ends here.""This is where we win," Sebastian chipped in. "We m
Keegan and Kalaril returned outside where the horses and warrior Hounds were already waiting. The Hounds were above two hundred in number, but those were the numbers he liked to take for the first time. The horses couldn't be enough. So, him, Kalaril and a few other Keepers mounted the horses while the others followed on foot.The people around stopped and watched, whispering amongst themselves. They knew something was wrong. Keegan led the way, riding out of the gates. They others followed in their numbers. ....They hadn't yet reached the mountains when the sounds of battle carried on the wind. It came from the outskirts of the Fortress. The moment Keegan saw the smoke rising, his heart twisted in fury.They rushed toward the commotion, only to find their people already engaged in a brutal skirmish. The attackers were not as much as the Keepers had warned, which meant these were only the vanguard. The rest were coming.Keegan's rage boiled over. His people had done a good job def