"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
Meanwhile, Malik on the other hand was calm, and even though he too had been enraged when he first heard Meghan's cry. He took a deep breath, willing himself to remain calm and focused so that he could focus, read, and detect any potential threats lurking nearby before they surface again.Although Malik couldn't see, his heightened senses allowed him to smell the iron tang of blood and the overwhelming sense of danger in the air, and he could tell what Meghan was going through. Slowly and carefully, Malik bent down, his voice soft and soothing as he addressed Kieran and Meghan. "Hey, y'all keep calm and don't move any inch further," he said, his words measured and deliberate. "We need to be cautious. This place might just be infested with more traps that we don't know about.""Wha…" Kieran bristled, his breaths coming out in puffs as he prepared to deliver his retort to Malik's earlier statement, but the words died on his lips as Malik shushed him, his ears perking up like a wild anim