Melinda, who had been bristling with anger, now looked genuinely intrigued, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What!" she exclaimed, her voice softening. "Damn! that's fucking terrible…" Asides from Melinda, we all listened to Ekun's story in rapt attention, Melinda's initial bristliness replaced with empathy, and Meghan's eyes filled with compassion. There was a somber silence, the weight of his words was sinking in."But this time, I refused to back down… I tried to fight back, but they, in turn, tried to tame me, but I had reached my breaking point, and I got fed up. I got fed up with the tirade, and I moved to prove them all wrong. I was tired of being looked down on, and treated as if I were nothing. It was time to prove my true worth, to show them the fire that burned within me. So, I charged into the fray, unleashing a torrent of fury upon the pack. My movements were a blur as I tore through them with unmatched speed and strength. My teeth snapped and my claws slashed, drawing bloo
"Dammit..." Calista muttered, heaving a heavy sigh. "So, what do we do now..." She quipped, her voice laced with urgency.They were being hunted by Ubuntu, and the angry horde of Ridgewood pack warriors, who were beyond frustrated that they couldn't grant the wish of their Alpha and that they have been forced to stay for more than ten years, outside of their pack, in the woods, searching for the werelion, that broke the Alpha's heart.Calista was particularly tense and unsettled because she reckoned that the warriors who were poised to attack them now, were led by the same warrior, who led a deadly attack on her and her pups ten years ago, when the pups were only a day old.Malik stepped forward with a determined expression on his face. He shot a reassuring glance at Calista and everyone present. Then, he spoke in a deep whisper, "Chill, just chill. And take a deep breath. We'd face them head-on, just like we always do. So, Calista, take Meghan to a safe place, while the rest of us ho
Meghan's desperate calls to Calista fell on deaf ears as Calista refused to yield. Meghan's eyes scanned the battlefield, where her people were engaged in a brutal fight. She knew she had to alert them to the recent development, but her voice seemed to dissipate into the chaos around her. They were fiercely focused on the task at hand, oblivious to her calls.Frustrated, Meghan mindlinked Melinda. "Melinda, your Mama left me!" she yelled telepathically, the urgency evident in her voice. Melinda received the message and she came running towards Meghan, her face a mix of shock and concern."What!!" Melinda exclaimed, unable to contain her disbelief. "She left you??" Her heart clenched against her chest, bulging against the walls that held it bound."Yeah," Meghan replied, her voice strained with emotion. "She just left, without telling me anything… she only said, she'll be right back," Meghan mumbled, her breaths coming in rasped gasps, and her heart heavy.As they spoke, a loud howl ec
A FEW SECONDS EARLIER"Ubuntu! Ubuntu!" Calista's voice echoed through the clearing, her tone filled with urgency and determination. She pushed her way through the dense undergrowth, her eyes fixed on Ubuntu and his shadow warriors who stood at the edge of the forest, observing the raging battle.As she approached, the shadow warriors moved to intercept her, their weapons raised menacingly in the air, ready to attack. But Calista refused to back down. She stood tall, her chest heaving with adrenaline, and yelled from the distance, her voice ringing out with defiance."It's me, Calista. Remember me, huh? It's me, Calista of the Maximoff's dynasty…" Her words carried across the clearing, reaching Ubuntu's ears.Ubuntu leaned closer, and upon seeing that he was seeing a familiar face, he issued a swift order to his warriors, halting their advance. "Stop! Stop!" Ubuntu's voice boomed through the air. "Bring her to me."The shadow warriors obeyed, escorting Calista to their leader. She loo
Ubuntu and Calista were now settled, and they were chit chatting under a tent. The atmosphere was now friendly, and all the tension in Calista's body, had now dissipated into thin air, the knots of anxiety slowly unwinding as Ubuntu's presence seemed less intimidating to her."You've added weight," Ubuntu said with a smirk, his sly grin taunting her.Calista raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Yeah, and you've become..." She paused, searching for the right words. "What can I even say, huh?" She chuckled, her laughter tinged with amusement. "But nah, this ain't the Ubuntu I knew way back at Ridgewood. I thought you were a female..."Ubuntu's eyes twinkled as he leaned in, his expression mysterious. "Well, let's say, you never knew who I was," he responded cryptically. "I was neither a male nor a female — I was both of them and then finally I chose to be a male..."Calista's jaw dropped in astonishment, her eyes widening in surprise. "Wow...oh seriously," she exclaimed,
****Calista's POV****‡NB: This Chapter Will be Written from Calista's Point of View.‡As I sat beneath the protective shelter of the tent, my eyes scanned the campsite that the warriors had set up for themselves. to probably catch some rest for the night before continuing their hunt, and I was still wondering why my family hadn't already approached the camp yet, and a sense of unease gnawed at my spine.My mind raced with thoughts of my family, and I couldn't shake off the growing sense of urgency to find them. I was on the verge of going back to the woods to go call them because I reasoned that they might be probably taking their time to premeditate an attack on the Ridgewood's warrior's camp to extract me. So, I was contemplating going all out to stop them in their tracks, to make sure that things do not get any bloodier than it already is, and to assure them that everything is now peaceful.But as I was still lost deep in thought, unsure of what to do, a sudden commotion caught my
"I don't need your…" I was about to finish my sentence, my frustration palpable in the air. But before I could finish the sentence, sudden sounds of commotion from the outside shattered the tense silence like a thunderbolt."What the heck is going on?!" I quipped rhetorically, my voice ringing out, as I swiftly ran to the outside of the tent, with also Ekun hot on my heels, running behind me.To be honest, my first thought was that my mate and pups had finally arrived, but as I scanned the camp, I realized that was not the case… I was greeted by a totally different sight. I couldn't pinpoint where the sounds of the sudden commotion originated from. I only saw the warriors scattered all over the makeshift camp, their weapons drawn, and their expressions fierce. From the look of things the whole camp was unsettled, and I was bent on finding Ubuntu, to be certain that everything is alright.As I scanned the campsite, my eyes darted from one tent to another, searching for Ubuntu. Finally
AUTHOR'S POV.‡NB: This Chapter will be written from the Author's point of view. Yeah, the author is back to steering the wheel..‡Meghan, Kieran, and Melinda trudged behind Malik, their eyes glued to his sturdy back as he navigated the labyrinthine tunnels. The air was thick with a musty, earthy scent, and dust clung to their skin and clothes, caking them in a fine layer of grime. The damp, chilly atmosphere sent shivers down their spines, and they wrapped their arms around themselves for warmth.Hours dragged by as they followed Malik deeper and deeper into the winding tunnels. Their thoughts were consumed by Calista, their mother, mate, and friend, who they assumed had been taken away from them too soon. And as they all finally came out of the tunnel, Kieran was the first to break the silence, his voice sharp with anger."We have to go back," Kieran spat, his hands clenched into fists. "We can't just let them get away with this. Our mother, she would want us to fight," he reiterated
"Malik!!! Malik!!!" I yelled, trying to dissuade him from attacking the Lakewood warriors all by himself, but he wouldn't listen. I didn't want him to get hit again, but it seemed like he was utterly enraged, and nothing would stop him, from releasing all rage he had bottled up inside of him."Everyone, get into the pack, and burn it to the ground…" I could hear Menelik's voice faintly, from the distance, even amidst the heavy battle cries. "And Hammy. Finish her now!!!" He growled.Explosions ripped through the air at once, reverberating with a bone-shaking intensity, sending shockwaves through the pack. The deafening blasts echoed off the surrounding trees, creating an atmosphere of chaos and danger.The battle raged on, explosions continuing to rock the surroundings, I could still see arrows flying all over the place. And as I was still surveilling my surroundings, breathing haphazardly, an explosive was thrown, at where I stood, and I instinctively picked it up, and threw it back,
Malik and Melinda chose to be put in chains and cuffs, ready to be taken back to Alpha Menelik, against my wish, and I had no choice but to lead them out of the pack, to the battlefront. I walked behind them, as we neared Lakewood's pack camp outside our pack.There were several tents in their camp, but there was one big tent at the center, and I automatically assumed that that would be their Alpha tent. So we sauntered in that direction.And as we got closer to the tent, the Lakewood pack warriors trooped out of their tents, and the gazes of some, who were parading the pack, stretching as far as the eyes could see, shifted to us as we sauntered forwards. Some of them were jeering and making mocking gestures towards us, as we walked, but that didn't faze me one bit, I was only focused on the task at hand.A number of the Lakewood pack warriors formed a wall outside the big tent, with each of them wielding heavy metal weapons, pointing them in our direction."Stop there!!!" A gruffy
Ramsey and I were joined by the other Alphas in the bunker.The other Alphas made us know, that the Lakewood warriors had surrounded the pack, and they didn't give chase, nor did they pursue our own warriors into the pack as we retreated. The Lakewood warriors were only standing round, successfully putting the pack under siege.And that made me question their motive — because if the Lakewood warriors are truly here for battle, why can't they just waltz in, and finish the battle? Because it was crystal-clear that we were losing the war to the Lakewood pack, and it was glaring, even to the blind, that we were on the back foot, even in our own backyard.I was fed up and frustrated, and it scared me to the bone, to learn that the face of battle, that the face of warfare had evolved, beyond fists, claws, and fangs, to now explosives, and speedily moving silver bullets.The warriors reported, that with these new innovations, the Lakewood pack outmatched and outwitted them, annihilating and
"Ok. The pack is all clear now!" Melinda breathed, her heart pounding in her chest.Melinda, Ramsey, and I stood in the middle of the pack, gazing round at the empty structures, save for the scanty warriors who were holding their grounds inside of the pack. Melinda, Ramsey, and I had escorted the young ones, and the women, who couldn't volunteer in the battle to safety. "Ok I'm going to join the warriors in battle…" Melinda let out a low growl, her eyes booming with intensity. "I have to go, even the scores…""No…" I boomed with authority, holding her by her hand. "You ain't going, nowhere, Mel. I don't want them to capture you again, or even turn you against us, as they did to Kieran…""I gotta go, Mom." Melinda retorted, her face entwined with worry. "I know Kieran would surely be out there. And um, I don't know, I have to…""But you said, he was all out of control, and he doesn't recognize us anymore…" I said in a curious tone, my voice laced with sorrow, as I gazed intently at Me
The shadow warriors sprung up to action at the nick of time, and they caught Cassandra in the air, just before she could attack Ubuntu. They knocked her to the ground, they cuffed her hands, and they made her sit back in her seat.The hall was booming with silent tension, and the rest of the congress watched in silence, as their Alpha was being disgraced by her own warriors."Y'all see, she's a nuisance…" Ubuntu smirked. "But this is a serious allegation, Ubuntu." Adonis Graham chimed in. He was the Alpha of Woodbury Pack."He's lying…" Cassandra yelled, her face crumpled and distorted with rage. "Tell them, he's lying, Calista.""His words are true…" I muttered. "I can confirm that it's true. Alpha Cassandra herself, narrated the true version of the cause of the destruction of Ridgewood to both Ubuntu and I before she tried to murder Ubuntu...""What!" Cassandra bellowed. "You're taking sides with this traitor!!!" "No, I ain't. I'm just done playing this delicate game with you." I
******CALISTA'S POV*****"So, was that all that happened???" I quipped, sighing deeply, a great sense of weariness sweeping over me."Yeah, Mom," Melinda responded, her voice laced with subtle fury, as she laid her head on my shoulder.We were both seating on the bench outside the room, where Malik was being treated in the pack's clinic.Melinda just narrated the gruesome, heart-wrenching, and calamitous chain of events that happened, after we were separated from each other, and I just couldn't help but feel a great wrench of sadness. My spirit was heavy, and my heart ached with unspoken agony.I was close to tears, but I tried to hold myself together. I tried to picture the sleepless nights, the grueling events, the pain, the agony — that my family had to go through, all because of me, but I just couldn't. It was so hard for me to process.I thought about it, back and forth, and the fact that I brought Kieran and Melinda into the world, only for them to go through tribulations upon t
Malik tried to defend himself, but the energy remaining in his frail muscles was only a tiny fraction of Hammy's, and there was nothing he could do, other than to lie there, and humbly receive death blows from the boy he raised from birth.Melinda was shell-shocked, and for a second, she found it hard to believe, that her own twin brother, would viciously go up against her, and their Papa — Malik. For a second, she wondered why he won't even answer to Kieran anymore, but Hammy. Melinda was so shocked, that she couldn't even retaliate to Hammy's brutal blows.The Lakewood warriors aimed guns at Melinda but they couldn't shoot, because of the crowd, at the square. The scene was chaotic, and the warriors were trying to take control of the situation. The junior officers tried to disband the crowd, but they wouldn't leave.The whole of the Lakewood pack was stunned and thrilled, by the recent turn of events. and they wanted to stay at the square, to watch the showdown. It was as though th
*****AUTHOR'S POV*****The whole of Lakewood Pack stood at the pack square, all gloating and murmuring amongst themselves, as they stared down at the helpless Malik, with some pups even throwing stones and specks of dirt, at Malik who was kept in a silver cage fitted to the center of the stage for all to see.Malik was weak and almost powerless. He had withstood vicious attacks and beatdown, from Menelik's puppets, all week long since he arrived at Lakewood pack. They didn't stop the assault for a minute, save for the occasional moments, they'd stop to force some food and water down Malik's throat. Malik often rejected the food, and sometimes he'd try to summon his fangs to stop the warriors, but the warriors had to find a way to boycott Malik's defense. They had to use any means possible to see to it that Malik was fed, that he ate something, for it was all on Menelik's order.Menelik also made sure Malik was bruised, battered, tortured, and manhandled at Lebron Dave's abandoned c
"I won't harm you, kid," I resounded, placing my left hand on his shoulder. "...but that's only if you'll answer my question. You're a guard, and I know you hear rumors that even the whole pack does not get to hear about. So, you ought to know Malik's whereabouts; the fellow question is the Alpha's brother, and I wanna know, whether he's still…""Ooh, that's even who you're talking about…" He chuckled, and sat up slightly, looking me dead in the eyes. I was amazed at how his once fearful guise suddenly turned to a confident one, in a couple of seconds. "Well, he is on the stage at the square right now, and he's about to be executed… just like you are…" he groaned. And the next thing I saw was the bruised guard suddenly raising a gun at me. And before I knew it, he pulled the trigger, and a bullet came running at my head, but I dodged it, at the nick of time."Waoh," I exclaimed. My face turned red, a solar-red-hot fury streaming from me, and I unleashed all my anger upon him. Befor