Alesha Stokes — Back to the BattlefieldThe night had barely brushed against me.I drifted in and out of sleep, just a few minutes here and there, between sighs and scattered thoughts—each one pulling me awake with a new fear, a fresh memory. My eyes burned with exhaustion, but the weariness of the mind has always been crueler than that of the body.Before the sun had even risen, I was already on my feet.I got dressed quietly, trying not to wake anyone. Marilyn was in a deep sleep, her face peaceful for the first time in days. Her friends were scattered around the floor on makeshift mattresses, all fast asleep. I stood there for a moment, watching them, my heart tight in my chest. I wanted to hug them, to thank them for everything… but I knew if I woke Marilyn, she’d try to make me stay. And this time, I couldn’t afford to waver.I slung my bundle over my shoulder, pulled the thickest cloak I had over my head, and walked to the door.Just before stepping out, I looked back at the hou
Alesha Stokes — Preparing the Prey"Megan?!" My voice came out as a loud whisper—almost a muffled scream.She stopped but didn’t turn around. I took a deep breath and rushed toward her, crossing the kitchen with my heart racing.What the hell was going on here? What was happening to everyone?First the village… Marilyn… and now Megan?Was this some kind of divine test? A punishment? A curse?I didn’t know what to think. But my heart—my wolf—was restless, uneasy. Tired of all the pain. Tired of this damned life filled with nothing but suffering."What happened to you?" I asked, hurrying closer, trying to keep my voice low. "What’s that on your face? Why is everyone acting so strange?"Megan looked at me. Her eyes were still the same—but dimmed. Like something had been ripped out of them. She gently grabbed my arm and whispered through clenched teeth:"Keep your voice down. Not here.""Megan, what’s going on?" I pressed, my voice catching, my chest tightening with every word. "Where’s
Matthew Dawolf — Prophecy or Curse?I'd been locked in this damn temple for days, surrounded by candles, chants, and people dressed in white who spoke like the world could end at any second.They said I needed to be “purified”.Purified?I was the Supreme Alpha.I didn’t need any of that bullshit.“A healing herb immersion in the sacred waters will help soothe your spirit, Your Majesty,” they said, sprinkling more of that sparkling powder into the water.“And soothing my spirit is supposed to stop my wolf from trying to take over my body?” I asked, staring down the priest with those pale eyes of his, like I could force the answer out of him.He just smiled.They *always* smiled—that same cursed, empty smile.These temple fanatics had no clue what it was like to live with a wolf caged inside your chest, ready to tear apart anything that moved.I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Trying to focus.But here I was—half-submerged in water up to my chest, surrounded by flower petals,
Michelle Morripin – The Lone Wolf Snow piled in my hair as I wandered through the black forest, each step sinking into the soaked ground. The cold was a constant reminder of everything I had lost. Everything that had been taken from me. My name was no longer spoken in Neveryth. I was nothing more than a shadow, a wolf without a pack, a mistake meant to be forgotten. When I was exiled years ago, I was too young to fight against the decrees of Glen J. Baker, the Alpha who ruled the region. I was only six years old, but he didn’t care. No one did. He accused me of my father’s sins, proclaiming his betrayal in front of everyone. The man who raised me, who taught me to hunt and fight, was branded a traitor and executed without the right to defend himself—right before my eyes, just like the rest of my family. I watched his lifeless eyes staring into the snow before I was dragged out of the village. Banishment wasn’t enough for them—they wanted me to suffer. Maybe Glen felt pity,
Michelle Morripin – The Lone WolfThe wind howled through the trees, cold and biting. I was used to the chill of the forest, but at that moment, something inside me truly froze. “I’ll do it.” The words slipped out before I could reconsider. Not that I had a choice. I had nothing left to lose. The man standing before me remained impassive, simply watching with those amber eyes—too deep, too knowing to belong to an ordinary wolf. Then, he tilted his head slightly, as if satisfied. “Then run.” My brows furrowed. “What?” “You’re not the only one,” he said, his voice carrying an odd tone, almost like a warning. “There are others. Many others. Every pack wants an heir from the Supreme Alpha. The one who succeeds first will become the most powerful of all.” My stomach twisted. The Supreme Alpha. A distant, untouchable man. The king of kings among wolves. And I was supposed to take a child from him. Ridiculous. She-wolves from every pack were after the same thing. Wo
Michelle Morripin – The Lone WolfThe impact sent me crashing to the ground before I could react. Air burst from my lungs as pain shot through my back.A voice, low and laced with disdain, clicked its tongue. "Tsk. What do we have here?"The scent hit me before I could lift my head— He was a wolf.My pulse raced. My muscles locked in response.That presence, that coat of arms... he was no ordinary wolf, he was the local alpha's subordinate.I was in trouble.Shit. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I couldn’t. Not without blowing my cover.I curled up on the ground, pulling my hood lower to hide my face, trying to make myself smaller, less threatening.But he had already caught my scent."You don’t belong here," he growled, his voice laced with authority.My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears.A strange murmur rose around us.I needed to think. Fast. But my thoughts were a tangled mess of panic and instinct. Could I turn and disappear into the crowd? No—too man
Michelle Morripin – The Lone WolfThe reflection in the mirror didn’t look like mine.My golden eyes gleamed under the dim candlelight, as intense as the full moon. My hair, dirty and tangled, revealed its true color—a rare, almost celestial silver.I placed a hand over my chest, feeling my heart pounding.For so long, I had lived like an animal, wild and forgotten in the forest, that my own identity had dissolved. I no longer remembered who I was. I didn’t remember where I came from.But now, I knew.I was the daughter of Richard Morripin.The daughter of a powerful and righteous man—who had been killed by lies.And yet…I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, reminding myself that none of it had ever made a difference in my life. Being a pureblood wolf hadn’t saved me from the cruelty and injustice of the world.“This doesn’t change anything,” I murmured.The old woman, still watching me, furrowed her brow.“What do you mean?”I turned to face her“My blood may be pure, but I’m a r
Michelle Morripin (or should it be Alesha Stokes?) Step 01 - Hunter or Prey?The carriage swayed gently as we moved along the frozen road. I watched the path through a small opening on the side of the vehicle, seeing the wooden and stone houses fade into the distance as we passed through the villages. The carriage came to an abrupt stop, pulling me out of my thoughts. “We’ve arrived,” Marilyn said, adjusting her robes before opening the door. The palace loomed before me, like a monster waiting to be conquered. Its black iron gates seemed both inviting and forbidding at the same time. Guards stood watch at the entrance, but the commotion inside confirmed that the recruitment of servants was indeed taking place. Women, most of them humbly dressed, waited in line for evaluation. Some looked nervous, while others stood firm, radiating confidence. The old woman grabbed my arm, guiding me toward the entrance. “Stand tall. Speak only when necessary.” I nodded, pulling my
Matthew Dawolf — Prophecy or Curse?I'd been locked in this damn temple for days, surrounded by candles, chants, and people dressed in white who spoke like the world could end at any second.They said I needed to be “purified”.Purified?I was the Supreme Alpha.I didn’t need any of that bullshit.“A healing herb immersion in the sacred waters will help soothe your spirit, Your Majesty,” they said, sprinkling more of that sparkling powder into the water.“And soothing my spirit is supposed to stop my wolf from trying to take over my body?” I asked, staring down the priest with those pale eyes of his, like I could force the answer out of him.He just smiled.They *always* smiled—that same cursed, empty smile.These temple fanatics had no clue what it was like to live with a wolf caged inside your chest, ready to tear apart anything that moved.I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Trying to focus.But here I was—half-submerged in water up to my chest, surrounded by flower petals,
Alesha Stokes — Preparing the Prey"Megan?!" My voice came out as a loud whisper—almost a muffled scream.She stopped but didn’t turn around. I took a deep breath and rushed toward her, crossing the kitchen with my heart racing.What the hell was going on here? What was happening to everyone?First the village… Marilyn… and now Megan?Was this some kind of divine test? A punishment? A curse?I didn’t know what to think. But my heart—my wolf—was restless, uneasy. Tired of all the pain. Tired of this damned life filled with nothing but suffering."What happened to you?" I asked, hurrying closer, trying to keep my voice low. "What’s that on your face? Why is everyone acting so strange?"Megan looked at me. Her eyes were still the same—but dimmed. Like something had been ripped out of them. She gently grabbed my arm and whispered through clenched teeth:"Keep your voice down. Not here.""Megan, what’s going on?" I pressed, my voice catching, my chest tightening with every word. "Where’s
Alesha Stokes — Back to the BattlefieldThe night had barely brushed against me.I drifted in and out of sleep, just a few minutes here and there, between sighs and scattered thoughts—each one pulling me awake with a new fear, a fresh memory. My eyes burned with exhaustion, but the weariness of the mind has always been crueler than that of the body.Before the sun had even risen, I was already on my feet.I got dressed quietly, trying not to wake anyone. Marilyn was in a deep sleep, her face peaceful for the first time in days. Her friends were scattered around the floor on makeshift mattresses, all fast asleep. I stood there for a moment, watching them, my heart tight in my chest. I wanted to hug them, to thank them for everything… but I knew if I woke Marilyn, she’d try to make me stay. And this time, I couldn’t afford to waver.I slung my bundle over my shoulder, pulled the thickest cloak I had over my head, and walked to the door.Just before stepping out, I looked back at the hou
Alesha Stokes — Protective InstinctThe night dragged on, painfully slow, as if time itself wanted to remind me that the next day was getting closer with every breath.I couldn’t sleep.I stayed seated in the wooden chair beside Marilyn’s bed, my eyes fixed on the window, fogged by the cold. Moonlight slipped through the gaps in the worn curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. My fingers were laced together, stiff from the chill, and my body was too exhausted to relax.Every time a shadow moved outside, every gust of wind that howled stronger, my chest tightened.Were they still out there?Those guards... that man.Had they figured anything out?Had they seen enough to report back to the royal guard? To the Supreme Alpha?My heart ached.And it ached even more as I looked at Marilyn, lying on that old, worn-out bed, her bandaged arm just a stump now, her face pale. I kept asking myself how I could leave her like this, how I could find the strength to walk away again.But... I had
Alesha Stokes — Gods, are you listening?Snow had already begun to pile up along the edges of the path, crunching beneath my feet as I hurried forward with Marilyn’s arm draped over my shoulders. Her other arm—or what was left of it—was wrapped in bandages, but the fabric was already damp and turning red. Every step she took made my heart clench. She could barely stand, yet she insisted on leaving the house. Her stubbornness was still stronger than the pain.“Alesha…” her voice came out weak and weary. “What did those guards want? Do you... do you think they found out?”“Shhh... take it easy,” I whispered, adjusting her body more securely against mine. “Don’t worry about that now, Grandma. You need to rest. You’re still bleeding.”She muttered something under her breath, as if refusing to accept her own condition. As if weakness itself was an insult.“What if...something happens to the girl from Loures? That child… Alex promised—”“He won’t lay a finger on her,” I said, picking up the
Edward Wood — The Scent of SecretsI stopped my horse right in the center of the village. Dismounted with firm steps, the sound of my boots echoing against the packed dirt road. The night’s cold was sharp enough to freeze bones, but I barely felt it anymore. What did bother me was the silence—that heavy, unnatural kind—the kind that only settles when something is very, very wrong.“Where is the Alpha in charge of this village?” I called out, my voice cutting through the narrow streets, bouncing off the weathered houses and half-open doors.No answer.People started to emerge slowly, like shadows afraid of their own light. The elderly, women, even children—all wearing the same hollow look in their eyes.Fear. It was fear I saw in every face. Not the kind you feel in front of an ordinary enemy... but the kind you feel toward someone who’s supposed to protect you.I stepped toward a group, keeping my posture steady. One of the men, probably the oldest among them, lowered his head the mo
Edward Wood — Dirt Swept Under the Rug?It had been a few days since Matthew looked at me with that expression—one I’d only seen once before, during the war. A mix of confusion, instinct, and silent desperation. For the first time, he didn’t know what to do about a woman. And that worried me more than any threat or war dispatch ever had.Matthew had never faltered. Never doubted himself. But all it took was the arrival of that new servant at the palace for him to lose his grip. He called me in and gave me a simple mission: “Find out who she is. Everything.” That was enough for me to temporarily abandon my duties with the elite guard and focus on watching… Alesha Stokes.At first, I thought he was overreacting. Sure, she was beautiful, different, yes. But still, just an omega. But the moment I saw her... something in me recognized what he’d felt. She had...something. Those eyes... they weren’t ordinary. It wasn’t just beauty—it was something wild, restrained. Like a wolf on a l
Alesha Stokes — Taking the ReinsIt had been four days since I arrived in the village. And even after all the hell they’d been through, I could see it with my own eyes—they were trying to rebuild.I wasn’t an expert. Not a doctor. Not an experienced farmer. But I did everything I could to help—and then some. I tended to Marilyn’s wounds, even if my hands trembled with fear of doing something wrong. I tried to bring flavor to the meals with the few ingredients left in the pantry and shared them with anyone in need. I worked in the gardens, even with the frozen ground and snow covering everything.And most importantly—I was there.Somehow, I felt useful.Needed.People started looking at me differently. The way the neighbors greeted me in the alleys—with shy nods and genuine smiles—showed me they saw who I really was. Someone who cared. Someone who stayed.Someone who tried.The kids played with me like they trusted me. The elders came to me for comfort, for help.I had b
Alesha Stokes — A New Target Marked… Alex MadsonShe closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath before answering.“Alex Madson came to the village. In person.”Those words made my jaw clench.That bastard.“He… came to collect the overdue taxes. He was furious. Said we were taking advantage of the winter to avoid paying. But... two families stood up to him. They said they couldn’t take it anymore. That they were starving. That they had nothing left to give… And Alex…”She choked up, and I gripped her hand tighter.“He took the youngest daughter from the Loures family. A little girl… barely old enough to hold a spoon on her own. Said he’d skin her alive in the village square. Said he’d make an example out of her.”I felt my throat tighten.“I… couldn’t let that happen,” she continued, her voice breaking, eyes brimming with tears. “I went to him. I begged. I pleaded with him to stop… to let her go. I told him… he could do it to me instead, if he needed an example.”“Marilyn…” I w