THIS CHAPTER WILL BE FROM MALIK’S POINT OF VIEWMenelik sent out warriors to fetch the members of the Lakewood pack governing council, and in about thirty minutes, the members of the Lakewood pack governing council were all converged at the meeting hall, for a council meeting. The hall is located on the third floor of the gigantic pack house. The governing council is made up of the Alpha, the Beta, the Gamma of the pack, and some select ranked elders in the pack. Menelik and I were honorary additions to the governing council, courtesy of our father, the Alpha.“Welcome, everyone.” Alpha Barak greeted. “Sorry for setting up this emergency meeting. There’s a matter of high importance on ground, and we have to address this issue with urgency. So, with no further ado, I hereby declare this meeting in session.”“Ok, Gamma Mangol, can you give us a short brief about your recent crusade.” Alpha Barak ordered.“Thank you, Alpha.” Mangol stood up and bowed his head, showing reverence for the A
I was about to troop down the stairs, when I heard a voice call me from afar, “Malik! Malik!” I wasn’t so sure if that was Calista that called out at me.“Calista?” I retorted in a curious tone. She ran towards me and wrapped her hands around my body. I pulled her close and scanned her face with my hands to confirm if she was the one. Lo and behold, she was.“Where were you Calista?” I queried.“I was just downstairs,” She responded. “What’s going on Malik, you seem so troubled.”“Look, it’s high time, we get away from this pack.” I blurted out with a sad grimace.“What? We should get away from this pack. What’s going on??” she questioned. “The pack is going through a turbulent period, and I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to protect you anymore. So, we have to move fast, away from all these, before the brunt of the impending doom gets to us.” I said with a gloomy sigh. “Seriously?” she quipped.“Yeah, do you think, I’m joking? I’m sacrificing everything I have here, every mundane
“You don’t have to be always sorry, but no. I still cannot see when I shift into my wolf, but my wolf, always steadily guides my step.” He responded swiftly, and he tried to change the topic of our conversation. “Ok, are you ready, now?” Malik questioned, “Yeah, I am.” I beamed.“Do you still trust me to lead you, now?” Malik queried.“Why not?” I mumbled in response, “I’ll always trust you, mate.”I stomped through the valley of death, with Malik, and with our wolves pawing through the very forest. It was an adventure, that I never thought I would have to embark on. I never knew a day, would come when I’ll have to stomp on skulls and bones, to secure my freedom. But as I stood at the entrance of the forest with Malik riling me up, I knew that there was no turning back; I had to see this journey through to the end.Although Malik was right before me, all through the journey, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of uneasiness surging inside of me. The path ahead was broad and unending
THREE MONTHS LATERAlthough it took a while, Malik later subtly admitted, that he was out of line to smack the hell outta me like that, but his actions only made his message sink in, and I’ll probably not mention anything related to sight to his face anymore.After leaving the Lakewood pack, as the months went by, I couldn’t help but look back to see how far I’d come with Malik.Malik and I walked through the shadow of the valley of death. We walked through the stench of the rotten, we stomped the skulls and skeletons of the dead, buried probably centuries ago, and thankfully no one in the Lakewood pack noticed that we escaped.We sprinted a long way, away from the evil and cruel Lakewood pack. we overcame all the innumerable challenges, that life threw at us; we fought against the vicious werewolves and vampires, that wanted to have us for lunch; we used our trickery to fend off slavers, who are roaming through the woods, looking for wolves to enslave. And finally, following the le
It was already night, and at the Mountain dew pack, we usually gather together to eat, at the dining hall, in the night.Malik had bottled up, since the morning, and he had been frowning, displaying hints of unhappiness, and I was bothered. I couldn’t figure out, the reason why he wound up all sad, but I was afraid to ask him directly.I sauntered over to the table where Malik was seated. His table was set against the edge of the room, on an elevated area—an area that was seemingly made with the Alpha in mind. I climbed the little stairs that led to the Alpha’s table, and I could see everyone in the room at a glance. I drew out a chair for myself, and I sat down. Malik was seated on my adjacent side at the side of the table, which symbolized that he was the head of the table. There was no other person seated at the table, apart from, Malik, and I.I looked straight into Malik’s stern grey eyes, with a puzzled expression boldly written all over my face, tangled with a tinge of annoyanc
“Calm down, Calista. Breath in, Breath out.” Melinda, the pack’s midwife, echoed. "Oh no, the agony is becoming worse. Is the pup out?" I groaned in pain. “Just keep breathing, Luna. Everything will be alright.” Lucca, a pack member who was in the birth room, made effort to reassure me. We all anticipated an easy delivery, like that of the first sets of pups that were born in the pack, but now, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and afraid as, the labor stretched out for the greater part of the day, and the pains grew more intense."Yes, my dear, not much longer. Simply make an effort to breathe through the pain. I'll be here to help you through it." Melinda mumbled with conviction. I duffed my hat to her, she has really done an amazing job, so far. I watched on and observed as she went on with her work. As I was giving birth, I was also intentionally learning from her; watching her every move, and in the near future, when I have gained the mastery, I will be able to take delivery
MALIk's POVI was sad, all day long. I was just sad for no reason in particular. It was a feeling I couldn’t seem to comprehend; it seems my wolf was trying to tell me something with this loud silence. I always kept a straight face, so I’m guessing, no one would notice my sad countenance except for Calista. She has the key to my heart, and she seems to understand me, even more than myself.Often times, when I get sad for no apparent reason like this, it means that danger is lurking in the darkness, or a bad occurrence is about to happen. I guess this was the way, the moon goddess reveals the evil, unforeseen things to come.Although Calista was in labor, giving birth to my pup, I retreated to a silent area, in the woods, behind our pack. I wasn't myself, and I wanted to have a deep soul reflection. I meditated in the silence, and I tried to see and feel the whole surrounding through the lenses of my mind. It was all dark, blurry, and murky, and the aura of darkness started to get mor
The pack bell rang, and whenever the pack bell rings, everyone in the pack is alerted of a probable danger.Osifo, the watchman for the day, yelled, "There is fire on the mountain! There is fire on the Mountain."There is fire on the mountain is the codename, for an impending attack. and as the Alpha of the pack, I’ll make sure, I put the fire out.Everyone on the Mountain Dew pack was alerted, and they trooped out of their respective houses."What's going on?" I asked with a hint of urgency."I saw a large army of wolves racing out of the woods from afar, and they are approaching our pack with great speed," Osifo responded.I walked towards the edge of the hill upon which our pack was built to Confirm Osifo's claim, and I could hear the sounds of the paws of a large number of wolves striking firmly against the ground, sauntering in our direction.The warriors had gathered in their numbers; I could feel the heat that was resonating from them. I faced the warriors, and I howled with a t
"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