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CHAPTER 9
Last Updated:
2025-02-12 17:55:40
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The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 10
The day had finally come. Ophelia would turn eighteen today and would finally be able to shift.She heard that the transformation was harrowing and that every bone in the body would break and the jaws would elongate.She shuddered at the thought of the gruesome pain she would experience. Thankfully, she was no longer alone in the woods She finally met her uncle, Nick.** flashback**Ophelia had finally reached a small human settlement on the outskirts of town. She was treating herself to a good meal, relieved she could finally sleep on a soft bed after her long, arduous journey.During her meal, a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties approached her.“You look horrible,” he said.Without glancing up, she retorted. “How about you mind your business?”“That is no way to speak to an elder little girl,” he replied.“Be quiet!” She snarled.With an amused smile, he grabbed a seat from behind and placed it beside her. He sat and ordered his meal.“I heard misery likes company. Would y
Last Updated : 2025-02-13The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 11
After having a meal, Nick went up to clean up, leaving Ophelia to pick up the extra clothes she would need after her transformation.Since she did not specifically know when she would shift, she had to remain in her clothes. However, they would rip off when she morphed.It would be a very long night as newly turned wolves took a very long time before they could shift, and there was no specific timing for it, only that it happened when the moon was out in the sky.The full moon hung in the sky tonight, and the stars shone brightly over the horizon. It was an astounding sight as they walked through the narrow road of the clearing.They were headed to the forest so she could have her first shift there. Shifting at home in the human district would be troublesome, and it was best to avoid it.They leisurely strolled through the woods in silence, each lost in their thoughts.“I wonder what your wolf would look like,” Nick said, breaking the silence. “I bet it would be a huge wolf.”“You thi
Last Updated : 2025-02-13The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 12
Standing on the balcony with a glass of wine, Nick was drinking away his frustrations; he was indubitably in a conundrum. The saying was true. “The people you love will change you, and the things you have learned will guide you.”He was on a path and did not know where it led. He was between a rock and a hard place."How did things ever get this way? He was about to take his brother's child to the North. The North!!!" He ran his hands through his hair as he groaned in frustration.Firstly, she was too weak to be in the North. But now, the situation was even more peculiar. She could not shift.How would they react to this? He wondered. He was unsure what would happen, but he was ready to lay down his life to protect her.How he grew so fond of her after knowing her for less than a week was a mystery that eluded him. Blood, they say, is thicker than water.***Ophelia finally regained consciousness. Her muscles were stiff, and her entire body was hurting terribly. She groaned in pain as
Last Updated : 2025-02-14The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 13
It was time for them to begin their journey to the North. She was grateful to have Nick by her side the previous night when she had an outburst. He embraced her as she sobbed uncontrollably in his chest.He quoted the words of a wise man, “the passage of time will heal all wounds, but the greater the loss, the deeper the cut, and the more difficult the process to become whole again.” He also told her that if she wanted to experience real change, she had to rise above her emotional exhaustion. The pain may fade, but it leaves scars that serve as reminders of her sufferings.Lifting her from the couch, he carried her to her room, and before leaving, he said, “Cry all you need to tonight because tomorrow and every other day, you have to be brave.”“We will be on our way to the north tomorrow, and where you are going is not a place to show weakness, or there shall be no place for you.”And she did cry. She sobbed till the early hours of the morning before she slept off. She had woken up
Last Updated : 2025-02-14The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 14
“Mine!” He growled as he marked her. •••He was returning from the oracle when he felt restless and decided to let his wolf out for a run.The seer was more than useless as far as he was concerned. He wasted his time going to meet her. All she said to him was to reign in on his wolf and speak in riddles as usual. She did not explain further.He wondered what the use of such vagueness was. Sadly, he had to wait until after the summit to return. Having to stay an extra day at the temple and journey another day back was infuriating.He was running in wolf form when he smelt the sweet scent of berries. His wolf purred in satisfaction and began following the scent's trail. There, she was seated on a boulder by the riverside. The wind blowing her hair softly, and the moonlight cascading her skin gave her an ethereal glow. She was breathtaking, and he got lost in her presence.Looking closer, he noticed her stifle a sob and whimper. The thought of someone making her cry filled him with ra
Last Updated : 2025-02-15The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 15Richard was about to continue his outburst when Marcus arrived, disrupting their conversation. Aaron gave Richard a look that swore they would continue that conversation.“I heard you have returned. I was expecting you back at the palace,” he said. “How did you end up here? Or have you changed your mind and want to mingle with the common populace,” he added.Aaron snuck a peek at Richard, who growled in response to Marcus’ teasing.Not interested in the bickering Richard and Marcus were about to engage in, Aaron stirred the conversation to a different angle. “How was the summit?”He did not miss the tense expressions that flashed on their faces briefly. If he had not been paying attention, he would have missed it.They shared nervous glances before Marcus responded.“It went well.”It was a lie, and he was not about to back down. He needed a distraction from thoughts of his mate, and what was better than knowing what his people were up to in his absence?He pressed on fur
Last Updated : 2025-02-16The Lone Wolf Chapter 16
A wave of relief washed over Marcus as Richard stepped in and remedied the situation. He knew it was a temporary solution, but he needed the time it got him. After that, Marcus rose to his feet and announced the end of the summit. Some were displeased by the outcome, and he knew the next summit would be catastrophic. The seed had already been sown, and they would sprout again the next time they met, and it would be even stronger than the last. Leon and the other cardinals did not stick around after the summit. They all left for their various destinations in haste. This was unusual as they usually waited behind for a banquet to conclude each summit. After they left, only the council members were left behind for the banquet that night. *** After recounting this incident to the monarch, Richard asked a question that gnawed at him all night. “Where have you been?” He asked Aaron. “I never left,” was his curt response. “So you have been on these lands all these years?” Ric
Last Updated : 2025-02-17The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 17
Aaron and Marcus were like deer in headlights. None of them could muster the courage to look Richard in the eyes. “Excuse me,” he said after some time. He was disappointed, and it was evident. He stood from the couch and was about to leave when Olivia dashed in. “She is burning up,” Olivia said in a panic. They all rushed out of the study in panic and went over to Ophelia’s room to encounter Ophelia burning up with beads of sweat on her forehead. She was having a high fever and muttering incoherent words. Nick's fists connected with Aaron’s jaw as soon as he entered the room. “This is all your fault,” he snarled. “What kind of a beast sees a defenseless girl in the woods and decides that is the best time to lay claim on her? Agreed, we are more beasts than humans, but the first thing we learned is how to control our beast, and here you are, hurting people. Look at what you have done,” Nick roared. The men in the room were stunned and impressed. They were stunned by Aaron, w
Last Updated : 2025-02-18
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The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 63
CHAPTER 63The mist was sudden. One moment, Cayla was with the warriors and the next, everything just vanished. There was a mist that came, and it swallowed everything in its path. It was so silent and pale, blending into the floor and the walls around them as though a spectral fog swallowed sounds, light, and sensations and obscured their senses.Now, she was all alone in unfamiliar territory. Dealing with everything the cave had thrown at them as a group was hard, now she had to do it alone. Could she cope? Where was she?Cayla felt a sharp sting in her chest when she coughed. It was as though her innards were being rattled by something. There was a sharp metallic scent that stung her nose assaulting her senses and making her tongue bitter as though she had tasted something foul, bitter.Her limbs felt heavy as her heartbeat slowed. It was like poison was infiltrating her bloodstream and corroding her organs.“General Cade,” she called, spinning, “Raven? Theo?!” She was searching fo
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 62
CHAPTER 62The warriors stood panting, silence wrapped around them like a shroud. The corridor twisted again, the walls closer, and the ceilings lower. If anything were to fall from above this time, they would be unable to dodge in time.The stones beneath their feet felt different. It was like the rough floors in the cave's entrance, not the chambers they were walking in, as stalagmites protruded from underfoot. The floors dipped and buckled beneath them.They reached a new chamber and this time, nobody was willing to move first. They stared at it from a distance with furrowed brows. Unlike the other chambers which had only one direction, this moved in two directions, and they could choose which chamber to enter, Cayla stared contemplatively and suggested, “Maybe we should split up. One half should go to the left and the other to the right.”Emperor Wudivra stared at her with a scowl, “There will be no splitting up. We’re not here to explore, we're here to find something, so we stic
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 61
CHAPTER 61The ground had caved inwards, taking them with it as shrieks of horror filled the air, and the only other sound was the grinding of distant gears.They fell for an unknown period before they finally landed on hard ground. Their figures were caked in dust as they coughed and heaved. Their eyes soon adjusted to their new environment. The lights lit up in this chamber, and they did not need to carry torches.The corridors were wide, and beyond them were bronze statues. Dozens of them, knight figures carved, each holding a weapon. At first, they looked decorative, but Cayla knew better. “Trap statues,” she whispered, “Probably motion triggered.” “That’s not possible. We just left the chamber of physical traps. We have never faced the same thing twice,” a warrior scoffed.“We did not leave the chamber of traps. We fell below the chamber we were in, so it is safe to assume that Cayla may be right,” General Cade interjected. Another warrior scoffed and moved forward, “They are
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 60
CHAPTER 60The stone door closed behind them and echoed loudly through the cavern and down their bones. A dull thud reverberated through the cave walls, throwing a dull vibration under their feet. The dust settled like an ancient breath as the torchlight flickered against the stone. Emperor Wudivra stood at the forefront of the group with his torch held high, his silhouette outlined by the golden flames of the fire that blazed in the darkness. The chamber stretched out before them, vast, looming, and silent. This space felt empty without logic, structure, or pattern. It was not like the previous chamber where the warriors had solved puzzles.This room was without markings or engravement on the walls or stone statues. There was a massive boulder ahead that seemed to hold a mechanical tool. It looked like a lever. If they pulled it, they would cross over or at least have a direction in this vast space of nothingness. With that thought in mind, Emperor Wudivra took a step forward, an
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 59Cave of the Gods: Cryptic Symbols.The heavy air inside the cave seemed to press down on Cayla and her group as they ventured deeper into the cavern. They had just finished with the riddles, and a path opened for them. They were curious about what the cave had in store for them. They had only survived the first round.Their footsteps echoed in the silent hallway as they avoided the stalagmites protruding from below the cave. Their steps were the only sound from the water dripping in soft puddles from the stalactites above. Their torches flickered against the cold stone walls, casting long shadows around them that seemed to stretch and move with life. The cave was vast, its chambers filled with various wonders and dangers. It was clear to Cayla that this place had been untouched for millennia, and they wondered how it looked when the gods were in this plane. The statues seemed ancient, each crack and crevice on the stone walls telling a story from a time past. But it wasn’
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 58They stepped forward together, and as they did, the stone plaque illuminated, revealing the first riddle carved into its surface."I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"The emperor’s mind raced. The answer was just beyond his reach, like a word on the tip of his tongue, but it wasn’t coming to him. He glanced at the general, whose gaze was fixed on the inscription, as his fingers tapped against his chin.“I know this one,” he said, his voice steady. “It’s an *echo*. It speaks without a mouth and hears without ears because it reflects sound. And it comes alive when the wind carries the sound to bounce off surfaces. Just like the waterfall echoes around this cave.”The emperor nodded, impressed by his swift deduction. The general recalled the words that eluded. “Echo. That’s the answer.”The general stepped forward, placing his hand on the plaque. The stone sh
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 57THE CAVE OF GODS: RIDDLE OF PASSAGE The entrance to the Cave of the Gods loomed before the emperor and his group. The air had grown heavy with the scent of damp earth and ancient stone. Ahead was a distant echo of dripping water, a waterfall maybe, that was reverberating through the dark cavern. That should be the location of the herb they came searching for.The cave’s jagged mouth appeared like the gaping mouth of an ancient creature or extinct beast. It was too big to be a creature they knew. But that was to be expected. It was the cave of the gods. The cave entrance did not look like it had been a natural formation etched into the mountainside. However, it seemed like it had been molded and half-hidden by thick vines and moss. But over time, it molded perfectly with the scenery.They would call it beautiful if it did not threateningly loom over them. There was an edgy feeling. Beyond the mouth of the cave lay something eerie and dangerous. No one knew what awaited them
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 56The moon gently bathed the warriors in its ethereal glow as they emerged from the desert and appeared above the foot of the mountain. It’s gentle light cascading down the canopy of trees.The warriors released ragged breaths they did not realize they were holding. The last few days had been tough, but now, they were tired and weary. They looked around them to confirm if they made it across that treacherous desert. Their armor was battered and worn. They were gaunt and weary from the horrors they had endured, their faces marked by the scars of the horrendous battle they had fought. Their numb arms felt the weight of their weapons. They had endured so much, and yet somehow, they survived.Was this real? Or was this the desert playing tricks on them? Were they really out of the woods, or was this another torture conjured by the gods?They looked around and panicked. There was a hint of fear and trepidation in their expressions. It was safe to say they had been mortified, and
The Lone Wolf CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 55 They had finally made it to the caves. The rest of the warriors, whose flesh was turning to sand, gradually became normal. Being on the sand was turning them into sandmen. The weight of the revelation was heavy and unsettling. How could they escape? It was no wonder the leader of the sandman said they would not leave without a toll. Now that their numbers had further reduced, they did not know what would happen next. The apprehension weighed deeply in their chest. Did they want to know what lay further out there? Cayla had expended a lot of energy and needed the reprieve. She found a corner at the corner of the cave and lay down to rest. The silence was hanging in the air as the remaining survivors replayed the day's happenings. Cayla curled up against the cold, damp stone wall of the cave. Trying to quiet her breath for an unknown period. The echoes of the desert battle still rang in her ears, the roar of the sandstorms, the shrill cries of the dying warriors, the
