Time passed in agonizing silence. When they were finally finished, the tavern owner insisted the meal was on the house, claiming Keegan's presence alone in his tavern would bring him more customers than he could ever dream of. And indeed, there was a growing crowd outside, watching like they'd just gotten visited by a demi god. Sheera could imagine how many of them would scramble to eat from that tavern by the time they left. Yet, despite the master’s insistence, Keegan paid him with a small pouch of gold. The old man rolled on the ground, thanking him tremendously. It truly was his lucky day, expect for Sheera, it wasn't. She envied him - wishing she could be that happy and problem-free. They rode back to the Fortress in silence. And to Sheera's dismay, Keegan didn't utter a word as he went, leaving her to go to her chambers. She was so scared and confused, she wanted to cry. Why didn't he say a word about her secret? He just discovered she was a witch. There was no way she was g
He edged nearer with two fierce steps. Sheera was too frightened to move, her pulse pounding in her ears as his nearness swallowed her. "Yes, I know you're a witch," his eyes held contempt. "I have hated and executed your kind for just existing. You shouldn't even be here in my Pack. Your unworthy lungs should've never breathed the air of my land." A crinkle formed across his nose, conveying his mounting annoyance.His hand shot forward, clutching the neckline of her dress in a vice-like grip. The fabric strained as he yanked her closer to him, their faces mere inches apart. "You should be dead already." She could feel the heat of his breath, the rage rolling off him in waves. "You should have died, right there in the woods. Then, I would have gone after your family for hiding you this whole time, for sheltering the filth of a witch. That is how I deal with your kind, Sheera, like dirt beneath my feet."His grip on her gown tightened, fabric bunching painfully around her throat, cut
It was Sheera's first time getting to sleep in Keegan's bed. They'd laid next to each other, Keegan cuddling her.She woke up in the early hours of the morning and found him still asleep, lying upward.She felt a thrill recollecting all that had happened the previous night. He had made love to her in the hungriest way for the longest time.She sat up quietly, leaning toward him, her gaze resting on his sleeping form.They were both bare beneath the sheets, though the cover draped over them, concealing parts of their nakedness. Her breasts were exposed, while the blanket covered her from the waist down. Keegan's broad, muscled chest remained uncovered, and the sight made her throat run dry.Alpha Keegan, the feared and formidable Alpha of the North, in bed with her. The very thought sent her heart into a wild rhythm.A small smile touched her lips
They walked down the path leading to the courtroom, two Keepers trialing them. Kalaril dismissed the Keepers, but Keegan remained silent, his face impassive as they walked."You're keeping her around." It wasn't a question. "What do you intend to do with her?""You may wish to clarify your words, Kal," Keegan's expression did not falter. There was a slight hesitation before Kalaril spoke again. "She's a witch. She can't be here, Keegan."Keegan remained mute, but the tautness in his jaw betrayed the impact of the words on him. "Trust me, I understand how you feel," Kalaril pressed on. "Sheera is a lovable woman, and I owe her for saving your life. But it's best if she's away. If the people were to find out, it would be disastrous.""So, what?" Keegan's control shattered like glass, whirling around to face him. "I should just toss her aside? Like she means nothing?"He took a step closer. "You think I don't realize what's at stake? You think it doesn't bother me that things might tur
Loud gasps rippled through the room, followed by heads turning and eyes stretching."A witch?""What is he saying?""Has the Prince lost his mind?"The room buzzed with speculation, eyes darting to one another in disbelief.Keegan felt a jolt in his heart, quickly replaced by a surge of anger. His gaze grew even more frigid, locking onto Malkar's as if to freeze him in place."What witch do you speak of? Or have you finally lost your mind?" His lips curled as he asked.Malkar felt intimidated by how unwavering he looked. However, he smiled. "The same witch who aided in your recovery."Kalaril stepped forward. "You'll have me to contend with if you utter one more word on this absurdity."Malkar's eyes shifted to him."We were all present when several healers attended to the Alp
Ulric, dismounting his horse, looked around before whistling the pattern. She wasted no time in running out to meet him."Ulric!" She called breathlessly.He spread his arms wide enough and received her. If it wasn't for his strength, he might have stumbled under the force of her embrace. She held him tight, drawing deep breaths from the hollows of his neck. Ulric let her, his body responding to the longing he felt after their tine apart. "I've missed you, so terribly," she pulled back to into his eyes. "You... You kept me waiting for so long."Ulric ran his fingers through her raven hair. "How have you been?""Oh! I've not been good at all, but I feel much better now that I see you."She touched him everywhere—his face, his hands, his chest. "I have missed you, Ulric, I am sorry for what happened the last time. I was blinded by rage and vengeance, I wasn't thinking. It wasn't until you started ignoring my letters that I realize just how much I've missed you." Her voice trembled as
She couldn't believe the spineless coward would dare to launch another attack on Keegan after his last failed one which had nearly claimed his life. How dare he? How could he be so desperate to take out the Alpha? Her Alpha?Her gaze snapped back to Keegan. "I can kill him. I can get rid of him for you, Alpha."Sheera didn't know where the guts to utter those words had come from. It wasn't unusual for wolves to be feisty, but she wasn't like that—never been aggressive. Yet, the thought of someone hurting Keegan filled her with so much rage, she wanted them to get hurt instead. Keegan's expression was unreadable for a while, his dark eyes studying her closely. For a moment, Sheera feared she had overstepped. Then, slowly, a smile found his lips. Sheera's heart stopped beating for two seconds, her lips parting. Her blue eyes rounded in shock. Holy moon! That was the first time Keegan was ever smiling! Not his deceptive smirk, but a real smile. When her heart resumed beating, it poun
"Why are you here?" Keegan's voice was strained as he spoke, forcing the words past the heaviness that had settled in his throat.His eyes were cast down to one of the many parchments strewn across the table before him, though he wasn’t truly reading. Lady Mortha's words seemed to haunt him. When she had finished speaking on Sheera, he acted neutral, claiming he'd look into her. But it troubled him—troubled him to know something bad might be happening with Sheera. "The prophecy, Alpha," Mortha replied with a worried expression. "I have yet to gather more information on it, but I can feel it drawing close. Also, we'll be having the Eclipse moon in a short time from now."The Eclipse moon was a rare time when the sun usually met with the moon, causing darkness during the day or daylight during the night. It was very rare and only happened once in centuries. And indeed, it was close. "What bothers you about the Eclipse moon?" Keegan asked. "The Eclipse moon is the most powerful moon
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