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
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
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
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
"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
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
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
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