SOMEWHERE IN THE WESTThe five Alphas stood shoulder to shoulder on the mountain, watching the incredible sight before them—a difficult sight they'd been able to pull together.Before them were very large numbers of their soldiers combined, all ready and set for the big war ahead of them. Other Alphas that didn't want to directly partake in the war had lent their soldiers, after Laycoan convinced them.Combined, it was larger than any soldiers Keegan would be able to come up with."This feels like a dream," Alpha Laycoan breathed, pride swelling in his chest."Well, you'd better wake up, dear friend, for this is as real as day and night," Otis chuckled beside him.Zarek and Sebastian's faces were marred by frowns, for it was they who had the biggest loss."You know what to do, don't you?" Sebastian
Sheera's eyes burned with fury, her gaze flicking between Malkar and Thessaly whoose faces had soured at the sight of her. "What're you doing here?" Malkar spat."Let her be," Thessaly cut in. "I'll handle her."Malkar glowered at Sheera, his scowl lingering for a long, hateful moment before he stormed past her and out of the room. Sheera barely spared him a glance as he passed, her focus entirely on Thessaly.She had been unable to focus in her room. Hearing about Thessaly's pregnancy had taken her sense of reasoning, causing her to cry. She couldn't stop herself when she stood up from the floor and began stomping towards the room."Let's cut to the chase," Thessaly rolled her eyes as she strode toward a nearby table. "You heard everything I told him, didn't you? I still stand by my word. This child belongs to the Alpha."She reached for a goblet, pouring herself a drink.Sheera's chest felt heavy and cramped. "Are you certain? Because Malkar is kind of right. I find it strange that
"Are you alright?" His voice was calm, quieter than she had ever heard it. 'Yes,' she wanted to lie. Of course, that was what everyone did when they were faced with such question. They always lied. Because no one was truly ever fine.She shook her head, same time a small tear came rolling down. Keegan's hand shot out, pulling her to himself. Her breaths were shallow as she took in the scent of him, her head resting on his broad shoulder. She couldn't even fathom what exactly was wrong with her. Was she feeling this way because Thessaly was pregnant? Or was it because she was slowly losing herself?But Keegan knew. He understood her pain, and for the first time, they sliced through him. His hand slid to the neckline of her dress, fingers lingering there for a heartbeat, and then, in a swift motion, he tore the fabric apart.Sheera gasped, instinctively pulling back from his shoulder. Her dress was ruined with her undergarments now exposed. Keegan's gaze never wavered. His finger t
Sheera was in the Alpha's chambers, reading a book. He had summoned her when he had his little break during the day, and when he finished with her amd was leaving, he told her she could stay back if she wanted. He claimed he'd be back soon and would end up needing her. The Alpha's room was always very comfortable, so Sheera had no reason to leave—not when everything in the chamber reminded her of him. She was sitting on his study table with her legs crossed when the Grand Luna walked in. The Luna froze, seeming too shocked to believe the sight before her. Sheera rose to her feet, closing the book she had been reading and keeping it behind her. "Greetings, Grand Luna," she bowed her head. Valkyrie scoffed, batting her lashes. "What madness is this? How can a filthy thing like you be on my son's seat? How dare you touch his things?"Sheera stepped away from the table, not daring to meet the Luna's furious eyes. Valkyrie was not ignorant to the development between Keegan and the gi
Tabitha dropped to the floor, blood pouring from her chest, her eyes blazed with pain and disbelief. Yet, Sheera wanted more. She craved more.She went towards Tabitha,to finish what she started, and that was when it snapped back in—her senses.Her brows furrowed in confusion, followed by her eyes widening and a scream leaving her throat when she saw the bloodied knife in her hands."Tabitha... Maya... What had she done?"She stepped away from the bodies, memories of how she had stabbed them flashing right at her. Then, she paused, realizing it was herself she needed to go away from. She was the monster here.She looked at her hands, covered in the blood of her best friend and an innocent. How could she... How could she have done this!?Her body trembled, she was too scared to even cry. Turning around, she fled the room.
After what felt like an eternity, she pulled away from his shoulders."Please, I have to go." Her wet eyes were dropped to the floor, unable to meet his gaze anymore.Her hands had left bloody stains on his clothes, and seeing it made her want to slam he head against the wall."I can't... I can't be here anymore."Keegan felt enraged. He recalled her trying to flee. Had the keepers not stopped her..."What did I tell you about leaving!?" His voice was sharp, even as it was laced with pain. "I thought I made myself clear, Sheera? I told you never to try to leave again!""I can't," her voice sounded choked with grief. "I k—killed them. I—I killed Tabitha. Masha.... I couldn't stop."The words were extremely difficult letting out. She was a monster. That was all she could think about."I didn't know what came over me," she sniffled. "I just saw them and couldn't think of anything other than having them killed. I wanted to hurt them. I don't know..."She broke down again, the sobs wrackin
A while later, Tabitha awoke. Kalaril was the happiest and tended to her needs. It was late at night when he laid next to her, cuddling her in his arms. She could hear his heart beating, and she loved it. He was still so worried, even after she told him she felt a lot better. "I want you to move in with me," he said, to her surprise. Her brows arched. "H—How?""I want you to be fully mine, Tabitha. I need you... by my side. Always."Tabitha exhaled shakily, her heart starting to race. Kalaril wouldn't deny it, he'd been a little unfair. He loved her, but there was a part of him that had not been ready to fully accept her. This was the reason their relationship remained a secret to a lot of people.But now, seeing her almost die made him rethink. He realized how very special she was to him."I chose you to be my mate," he revealed. "You'll no longer be a maid or need to work. You'll just be here, as mine."Heat rose to her cheeks. Gods, his words... they were all she's ever dreame
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
ONE YEAR LATER"I therefore, crown you, Sheera Ashbourne Cipher, Luna of Howling Ridge, to rule beside our Alpha, Keegan Cipher for as long as you live." The Elder proclaimed, resting the Luna crown on her head just before the crowd exploded into a madness of applause and revelry.Sheera's heart pumped faster. Her stomach was filled with too many butterflies, she felt she wouldn't need to feed for some months. Her cheeks were pink as she looked at the Alpha who stood in front of her, wearing a proud look. Her Keegan. Tears stung her eyes at the realization that they were finally going to be together forever. She had always hoped for a day like this, and now it was finally happening.The Elder turned to the throng. "People of Howling Ridge, I present to you—your new Luna!"The applause and jubilation grew louder. Sheera turned to face them, a smile on her face. She didn't know if it was the baby hormones again, but she was so close to shedding a tear. Not a Luna-ish thing to do, She
Sheera thought her happiness was complete, not until she got some visitors at the Fortress.She was beyond shocked when she saw her mother—Dasha—and Naya come over to visit her. They spent a long time embracing and asking each other questions. Apparently, Dasha and Naya had been hiding in a friend's barn since six months ago, when Sheera's secret was revealed. They'd been scared when it happened and contemplated fleeing, but knowing Zandov and a lot of Keepers would be searching for them, they figured it would be impossible leaving the Pack without being seen. Thankfully, the one friend Dasha had and trusted took them in and hid them in her barn. They'd been there since then, still afraid of fleeing and getting caught. Sheera was beyond relieved to know they've been alive and safe. For the past six months, she'd been hoping they managed to escape to a better Pack.She took Dasha to Morginna who was glad to be able to meet the woman that had helped her. She thanked Dasha once more
Keegan suggested they used a locator spell on Odessa to know where she was. With what Thessaly had done, he wouldn't be surprised if she had something to do with Odessa's disappearance. When Morginna did the spell, using one of Odessa's belongings, she was able to trace her and it led them to a tomb, deep in the woods. Odessa was found unconscious with a rotten corpse beside her. It took them a while to realize the corpse was Nailah. They took Odessa to the Fortress where she was immediately attended to by a healer. .........Zandov requested audience with Keegan in his room where he expressed his displeasure over the new law he'd implemented. "This is a mistake. We cannot have witches living amongst us all in the name of protection. Every problem we have encountered that you believe this witch of yours have saved us from were all caused by this same witches. If it wasn't for her kind, she wouldn't need to save us from anything." Zandov grumbled. Keegan had been writing in a par
There was a crowd outside. The people of Howling Ridge gathered around the raised platform, most of them having sore eyes from long torturous hours of crying. The loss of their loved ones ran deep. Keegan walked up to the platform, his eyes scanning them. He'd called for the gathering as soon as he returned to the Fortress. He granted access to every one of his Pack members, wanting them to bear witness to what was about to happen.The people had been looking forward to him, wanting to hear what he had to say. It was as though, his words could provide any form of closure for them. "To the strong esteemed people of Howling Ridge," Keegan began, his icy voice cutting through the crowd that had turned very silent. "I want to thank every one of you for making it here today. I know you all are grieving. So, thank you for coming as requested."As you all already know, something strange happened to us during the Eclipse Moon. It is the first time in history that something this powerful ha
The Eclipse Moon was over. The sun rose brighter and earlier than usual, as it always did after such nights.The wolves had shifted back to human form, but a lot of them were dead.Keegan—though unable to do anything about it—had watched as some of the wolves around him died slowly and painfully, bleeding through the nose and eyes. He didn't need to do a deep thinking to know it had to do with Thessaly. But strangely, it hadn't affected him. The only pain he felt had come from the Eclipse Moon.Keegan feared it was the end for the wolves as prophesied, and there would be no stopping it.But fortunately and surprisingly, it stopped.When the Eclipse passed and they'd regained control of themselves, he looked for Kalaril, hoping nothing bad had happened to him.Fortunately, he found him, not far from where he was.
Their hearts were racing in their chests. For a moment there, they were too weak to run. Too hopeless to do anything. "Is this it?" Ravyn stepped forward. "Are we just giving up?""There is nothing that can be done anymore!" Sheera's voice rose in anguish, trembling with frustration. "She's started it already. We didn't get there in time. The wolves...they are all going to die!"Sheera fell to her knees, her head spinning. It felt like air was being drained from her lungs. Keegan. Keegan. Keegan.That was all she could hear. All she could think about. "No." Morginna shook her head. "We must find her.""To what end, mother?" Sheera shouted, her tears running down. Morginna paled. Turning to Sheera, she felt anguish for what she was about to say.****They followed the blood trail, faster this time. Finally, it ended. They looked ahead at the temple where the trail had ended. "You sure she's still there?" Ravyn asked. "She can't leave until the Eclipse is complete. She's the one
Sheera thought deeper. Fought harder.The sun was setting. The Eclipse moon was only moments away.It was obvious they might never find Thessaly before it's too late. She was good with covering her tracks, and she'd also created a barricade around herself, blocking any witch from tracing her with a spell.This method was clearly not working. They needed to devise another solution.Sheera froze when something replayed in her mind. 'Thessaly had created a barricade around herself, blocking any witch from tracing her with a spell.'Hold on...Her mind raced as she called out and ran after Morginna. She was panting when she found her with Ravyn."Sheera, are you...""You mentioned once that the reason you couldn't seek refuge with the witches after you gave me away was because they might want to find and
Sheera's eyes stretched so wide they felt as though they might escape their sockets. Despite how terrified she was, there was a ball of heat forming low in her abdomen. The Alpha had a hundred reasons to kill her, and he could do it so easily now. "I do not care about the silly excuse you gave." His voice was a low growl, his hand still pressed over her mouth. "What you did was an act of betrayal. You played me for a fool, and that goes to show that you are a horrible person."His silver eyes burned with fury, their intensity a flame threatening to consume her whole. His face, shadowed and taut with rage, seemed carved from stone, every line of it etched in hatred.Sheera didn't dare to utter a word, knowing none could satisfy him.Slowly, he released his hand from her mouth. His gaze raked over her, dark and menacing.He brushed his fingers around her neck, causing the ball of heat to spread wider in her abdomen. She closed her eyes, awaiting the moment he'd strangle her. "You 'hu
Hours passed.Sheera awoken on the ground, amidst a jumble of overturned carts and crates.She was bleeding from too many parts of her body. That was because she had crashed into some weapons from the cart.She grunted in pains, sitting up. She couldn't get to her feet. The pain was too much, and she was losing too much blood.Looking around, she noticed her horse was gone, which could only mean one thing—so was Thessaly.She remained there on the ground, waiting and hoping for help.After several hours, Morginna came just like she had hoped for.Before leaving Elke's place, she had gotten her necklace back—which Elke had been in possession of. Ravyn had been waiting outside the Fortress. She met with him, gave him the necklace and described where Thessaly was.Good thing Ravyn was smart and knew how to fo