Hazel's POV Who would have thought that the latter would be so naive to think I wouldn't notice the half baked plans he made. Although he almost made it past me, it appears all his efforts were futile. As I looked at him with the knapsack over his shoulder, I knew I had toavoid a fight at all cost. I couldn't afford wearing torn clothes for the ceremony, not after the taunts from other alpha kings. But thankfully, it just happened that I totally caught him off guard. Looking at his body that laid there on the bare floor, I could almost feel his pain, his body was riddled with scars and his clothes soaked in his own blood. Even now he was grunting in pain, thanks to me. I seriously would've loved to avoid such a situation but as the case appears I can't really let my heart decide for me as the Alpha king. I must be prepared to make decisions as a true alpha, else my Dad would lose trust in me.His trusted me this much to pass on his position in the first place. I looked at Xavier wit
Elena's POV I watched as Hazel came back, revealing the ear he'd cut off from Xavier. I didn't need anyone to tell me who it was. Of course I knew it was Xavier. I could tell from his smell alone and I was the one who had helped him escaped. But apart from even all these, I was familiar with every inch of his body from all the time I spied on him, wishing from afar that he could be mine.That's why my heart raced rapidly upon Hazel's arrival and worse as he revealed what he had with him. I felt like throwing curses. But who would I throw curses to if not myself for actually loving someone who had no eye for me. Now I have might put myself as well my whole family in trouble if they were to find out that it was me who had released the prisoner. 'I have to leave this place as soon as possible. If I stay any longer, I might get caught'While still thinking of what to do next I could hear Hazel's voice as he ordered for the guard who was meant to guard the prison to be brought to him. S
Hazel's POVI walked through the large hallway heading to my father's study room to know what he had to tell me. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of praise he'd throw at me. To my surprise, he wasn't in his study room which left me asking where he could be? As I was still wondering, I heard a voice call my name albeit with a low tone as though whispering. Turning to the end of the hallway I could see my Dad gesturing me to come, I didn't know if it was only me though, but most of my father's behavior these days I was beginning to find them quite weird. Maybe I had been too carried away with the whole ceremony and with the recent happenings that I had failed to notice my Dad's strange behavior thesedays. Like, he seemed to be turning into a devil. I never knew how ruthless he was, but his instructions these past few days showed me he was more ruthless than I had thought.I didn't really mind at first and even now I doubt if I do, but I just want to be sure that everything is ok
Mia's POVThere was so much pain in my heart I thought I might faint from it. I couldn't stop the tears from falling. My parents had never shown me much love, but the rejection still hurt. I wasn't expecting them to welcome me with open hands, especially since the only value I ever held for them was my prospective mating with the alpha prince. But I wasn't expecting them to reject me so cruelly either. I wasn't expecting them to throw me out of the house to fend for myself. I had spent the last two days in the shed, having nowhere else to go. But my father found me out this morning and almost throttled me. I had no choice but to leave.Where would I start? I don't expect I can ever feed myself just from working on people's gardens. And even if I could, they had banished me from the pack, warning me severely never to come back. My feet was already sore from running. The capital city was far behind me now, and the forest that bordered it loomed in front. The area in between was barre
Mia's POVIt was night. I had already gotten tired from walking and running alternately the whole of the evening, and now, I was not so much walking as stumbling forward.The moon was already out. It wasn't a full moon, so I need not worry. Not that it mattered as I am not even sure I have a wolf. The forest was still far off, which didn't do much to help my hope. At this time, I had totally succumbed to the idea of the spending the night out in the open. There was no other choice. I was out in the middle.of nowhere, no shelter, no nothing. Perhaps, the one good thing I could think of was that I was still in my dress for Luna Declaration. It was thick, and might ward off cold a little. But even that comforting thought was driven out when my stomach rumbled. That was when I remembered that I had lot eaten for more than a day now. The first day I slept in the shed, I had managed to sneak out some food from the kitchen while no one was home. But my luck wasn't so good the day after th
Mia's POVGradually, I calmed down and the hand left me. I realized it wouldn't do for them to realize I was aware of their plans. If they realize it, then escaping may be too hard. Just then, I thought of something and fear rose in me again. If they were in my head, does that mean they could hear my thoughts? If so, that means they already knew of my plan to escape. 'Think!' I thought to myself. 'You have a fever, the girl said so. You're probably hallucinating,' But the girl, she was a rogue, wasn't she? What if she was lying? I had heard of rogues and their evil practices, trying to use people's wolves to get unnatural powers. So, talking in my head wouldn't be far-fetched.My thoughts swirled in a chaotic mess. I attempted to convince myself that it was all a fever-induced delusion, but the fragments of coherent thought eluded me."They can't be real. It's just a fever dream," I mumbled to myself, but the words lacked conviction.As I lay on the bed, the room seemed to spin, an
Chapter 25Mia's POVThe bear growled as it prowled towards me, totally ignoring the girl that lay bleeding some distance away. There was a deep gash on her shoulder blade from which blood flowed out, dripping into the small stream beside which she lay. The scream stuck in my throat as the bear prowled towards me. Fear surged through every fiber of my being as the bear advanced, its massive form casting a shadow over the forest floor. When it was a few yards from me, the scream finally tore out of my throat. With a speed and balance that surprised even myself, I turned on the point of my toes and fled. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, propelling me forward, crashing through the dense undergrowth in a desperate attempt to escape the impending danger. The forest blurred as I ran, my heart pounding in my ears. All I could think of was escaping, and perhaps, if I ran through thick parts of the forests, the trees might slow it down. Branches snagged at my dress, leaving scratches o
Mia's POVI woke to moonlight streaming in through a wide open door. I sat up groggily and looked around. The room was unfamiliar, and didn't look at all like a temple. Unconsciously, I heaved a sigh of relief.Now that the danger was last, I realised I wasn't quite as prepared to come under the knife as I had thought. Looking at the situation from eyes clear of danger, death under claws and death under a knife seemed awfully similar. As the tension I woke with seeped out of my bones, I realized I had the mother of migraines. Holding my head in both hands, I fell back on the sinfully soft bed. Normally, I would have wondered which kind of bed was it that was so soft, but my head threatened to split at even the slightest thoughts. Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths and tried to lessen the pain as far as I could. When a shadow fell across me, I opened my eyes. The woman that had saved me from the bear walked in. She was carrying a tray full of dishes. She set the tray on a small st
Mia's POVA stone struck true, pulverizing the creature's eye with a sickening crunch. With a howl of agony, the wolf collapsed to the ground, its lifeblood staining the earth beneath it. As the last vestiges of life faded from its eyes, I breathed evenly and transformed back. Running up quickly, I jumped and kissed my mate. The flames on his hair were hot but they were not unbearable and they died down as he held me and kissed me back. It took all my willpower to break free from him and let us breath. Strands of sticky saliva trailed our lips as we parted and I was flushed up to my ears, breathless."Mia?" He breathed, looking at me in surprise.I would have grinned at him if I were not too busy being stunned."Xavier?!" I exclaimed. "What in the world?! How? I thought...""You never did see me without my turban," he teased. And he was right come to think of it."So the memory loss...""I did lose my memory," he said, shaking his head. "But I guess could say that an eyeball helped me
Mia's POVHe was no corrupted - he was much worse.In a desperate bid to end the chaos, I shifted into my wolf form, my white fur shimmering in the dim light of the throne room. With a newfound agility, I darted around the monstrous creature, my speed unmatched as I evaded its savage blows.But Hazel was relentless, his attacks coming fast and furious as he sought to overpower me with sheer brute force. With each passing moment, the battle grew more intense, the clash of claw and sinew echoing throughout the chamber.I ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding each blow as I fought to keep the creature at bay. But despite my best efforts, I could feel my strength waning, the relentless pace of our battle taking its toll on my weary body..The battle raged on, each blow striking home with deadly precision as I fought to bring Hazel to his knees. With a primal snarl, I launched myself at the creature once more, my claws tearing through its flesh with savage ferocity.With one final, decisiv
Mia's POV"Yeah," I grinned at her. "Now please someone tell me what is going on? How did everyone get here?""There is little time for that," Amelia said, a scary amount of hope alight in her eyes. "Alpha King Hazel has gone mad and he is turning people left and right corrupted." I could see that everyone was surprised to hear this. But the forest itself whispered to me that she spoke the truth. "But he also has a way to cure the corruption. It is a wand in beneath his throne."I smiled at her and gazed out at the Sulfur Hands gathered. I did not see Lycidas but that was not a problem. I was certain he was alright."Well guys, it is the night of the blood moon. I have to tell you that I've got a castle to storm so come on out all of you and get away already. You've all done your part for me. Let me do mine for you."I saw them off and turned to face the vague direction of the palace.The eyeball (I could not get its name) had told me; Blood Moon prophecy Layer 5: The Inheritor shall
Mia's POVWith a surge of adrenaline, I plunged the knife into the creature's main body, my hands steady despite the trembling of my limbs. The blade sank deep into its flesh, eliciting a guttural roar of pain as the creature thrashed and writhed beneath me. Each movement was a dance of desperation, a desperate bid for survival against an opponent that seemed unstoppable.But even as I fought with all the strength and skill I could muster, I could feel the tendrils of exhaustion creeping into my limbs, sapping my strength and clouding my thoughts. How many times had I faced this creature? How many times had I died, only to wake and face it once again?The creature's death throes were violent and chaotic, its massive form convulsing with the last vestiges of life as it fought against the inevitable. But I was relentless, my resolve unshakeable as I drove the knife deeper and deeper into its flesh, refusing to let up until the creature lay still and silent beneath me.With a final, ragg
Hazel's POVAs I stand in the dimly lit chamber, the vial of corrupted blood held delicately between my fingers, I can feel the weight of expectation bearing down upon me. Zion's eyes bore into me with a pensive gaze, his expression unreadable as he observes my every move. The air is heavy with anticipation, charged with the possibility of what is to come.With a steady hand, I bring the vial to my lips and drink deeply, allowing the thick, viscous liquid to slide down my throat. The taste is metallic, tinged with a hint of something dark and otherworldly. But as the last drop passes my lips, I feel no surge of power, no sudden transformation. I am not surprised.I never expected the corrupted blood to grant me any sort of supernatural abilities. My purpose in drinking it was not to gain power, but to align myself with the prophecy, to force my way into its narrative. And in that regard, I believe I have succeeded.As I lower the vial, I meet Zion's gaze with a sense of calm resolve.
???'s POV Amidst the vast expanse of the celestial realm, I found myself floating among the stars, my consciousness adrift in a sea of cosmic wonders. Suddenly, a commanding voice reverberated through the void, pulling me from my reverie with its otherworldly resonance."Little thing," the voice called out, its words echoing through the cosmos like the distant rumble of thunder. Startled, I responded tentatively, my voice barely a whisper in the vastness of space. "Who... who's there?"I was ignored as the voice continued to speak. I listened intently as the voice spoke of the troubles that plagued mortals, of the ebb and flow of life, and of the chaos that reigned in the mortal realm. The voice seemed to ramble on for a while, its words swirling around me like a whirlwind of cosmic energy. It spoke of mortals and their endless troubles, of how they always seemed to find new ways to bring chaos and destruction upon themselves. It seemed rather easy to notice that it was the 'eyeball'
???'s POVI opened my mouth to protest, to demand answers to the questions that burned within me, but she cut me off with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I don't want to hear it," she said coldly, her gaze hardening as she turned away from me. "Just go. Leave me alone. Go do whatever you want to. I don't care. My Lycidas is not here. Please, just... Stop. You truly are not Lycidas. I do not know who you are, but you are not my beloved."I stood there in stunned silence, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air between us. Part of me wanted to press her for answers, to demand to know what she meant by all of this. But another part of me knew that it was futile – that she would not deign to repeat herself. And even though I could not claim to know much else, I knew somehow that she was hundred percent certain that I was not Lycidas. And not in a character or behavioural kind of way. As in, I was fundamentally not Lycidas.With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away, the sound o
Lycidas' POVThe soft glow of moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle illumination over Mia's room as I sat by her bedside, my fingers intertwined with hers as if holding onto a lifeline. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was the only indication of life, her face serene in slumber as she lay unconscious before me.I never realized how much I would miss her until now – the absence of her laughter, her vibrant energy, leaving a gaping hole in my heart that seemed impossible to fill. And yet, here she lay, so close yet so far, trapped in the grasp of an unknown darkness that threatened to consume her whole.I squeezed her hand gently, willing her to wake up, to return to me so that I could see the light in her eyes once more. But no matter how fervently I wished for her recovery, she remained still, her breathing steady but shallow, a silent reminder of the fragility of life.My mind drifted back to that fateful night when the ritual had gone awry, the memory of t
Amelia's POVI sat in the room with Alpha Gonzales and the injured Alpha Fenrir, my mind consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts and worries. The conversation between the two Alphas drifted in and out of my consciousness, the words fading into the background as I struggled to focus on the present moment.My thoughts kept returning to the letter I had received just before setting off with Alpha Gonzales—a missive that had filled me with a sense of foreboding unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The words were etched into my mind, haunting me with their ominous implications.In my mind's eye, I saw the image of the small mouse, my faithful messenger, as it hurried into my room with urgent purpose. Its tiny paws had trembled as it presented me with the letter, a sense of urgency emanating from its very being. With trembling hands, I had broken the seal and unfolded the parchment, my heart sinking as I read the words inscribed upon it.The once cryptic message had become alarmingly