Fiona As I stood there frozen under Orion’s piercing gaze, not knowing the next words to say, the sound of a running footfall could be heard coming towards us. Both our heads snapped to the direction where the sound was coming from, and I wasn’t surprised to see Rhena running towards us. She halted a few feets from us, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes darted from Orion’s face then back to mine repeatedly. “Alpha,” she gave a small bow, acknowledging his presence before turning to me. “Fiona, why did you stand up from your wheelchair? You’re not yet strong enough to walk around like this,” she said and then stopped to take in a better view of the place she was in. “And what are you doing here?” She asked, her eyes wide with worry. Orion cleared his throat loudly, “thank you, Rhena, but I think I’ll take it from here now. Her treatment will now continue inside my wing in the packhouse.”Rhena’s lips split slightly open in surprise, she turned her gaz
FionaAt that moment, I also wanted to press him for more, to demand answers and know what he was up to, but then he turned his heels and strode out, leaving me with more questions than before. I let out a sigh of relief as soon as the door was slammed shut. I had barely processed his words when the door burst open again. This time, it was Orion who stormed in like a hurricane, his tall powerful frame radiating nothing but anger. His eyes, identical to mine, settled on my face as they burned with rage. His jaw clamped shut and set into a from line. “What the hell were you thinking, Fiona?” His voice thundered across the room. If I was doubting earlier that I was in trouble with him. Then maybe it would have been clear now as he had called me by my name, which he rarely ever does. I swallowed hard. “Orion, I—”“You went to speak to that bastard?” He snarled, cutting me off. “Darmacus, the same man who nearly took you life, do you even have the slightest idea of what you’ve done? D
Two days laterLucian“Alpha, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go back out there on your own. Besides we have reduced the attacks to almost nothing on our last march into the woods,” Gareth tried to convince. Even though his words may be true, and the rogue's attacks had reduced significantly I still couldn’t back down. At least not now when I feel like I’m getting closer to finding Fiona. Moreover, those rogues were dead before we even got to them which means there’s another power at play. I need to find the person behind this mysterious force. And that’s if I’m wrong about the sacred pack betraying the rogues just like they’ve betrayed me. “I can’t wait to meet that skinny elder again,” Dexter snarled, his veins pumping with adrenaline. On our last invasion into the woods, the rogue Gareth caught had spilled something valuable in exchange for his release at that moment, and I also did release him, knowing that Maddox might torture the truth of of him. I can’t risk letting him g
Lucian“I’m heading back now,” I pulled the horse into a u-turn, and rode back towards the pack, Dexter flashing in my eyes as I galloped. Maddox has been giving off some kind of weird energy ever since I let that rogue escape. He has done so many other punishable offenses, but I had no choice than to overlook them as he was also an alpha and he is here to help my pack. However, I won’t overlook this. I won’t let him turn my pack members against me. I’m going to do whatever it takes to stop him from doing that, even if it means cutting off his alliance. “Lucian, I can tell that you’re furious right now, I am also. But I think we should exercise patience when dealing with Maddox. He is cunning like a fox, he pulling something like this off means he has something up his sleeves. He only wants you to react and make mistakes,” Dexter explained as he paced the space of my mind. “No! I have been patient for long enough. I have pretended for long enough. This ends now,” I yelled, not t
LucianHow had it even gotten to this?My entire pack doesn’t even recognize me anymore. My eyes darted around, looking at all these faces that I have known for years, only for me to discover now that I hadn’t known them at all. They all looked like strangers to me. Just a few weeks ago, these people looked up to me like I was their god. But now, ever since this cursed alpha Maddox and his daughter arrived here, I have lost it all. First, it was the love of my life, and now I’m about to lose my reason for being an alpha. My pack members. Even though it was Dexter’s idea to seek an alliance from a neighboring pack, I still feel like it is mainly my fault. I have been so gullible to listen to just my wolf’s advice, and not my own instincts. Inner wolves are supernatural creatures with incredible powers, but they cannot be right all the time. I should have listened to my instincts. “We are all waiting for your response, Lucian,” Maddox’s voice pulled me back into reality. And once a
LucianI couldn’t believe my ears. A wave of nausea washed over me. What in the goddess name was she talking about? How could I have killed Asher’s father? I’m just getting to know the boy for the first time. It is impossible for me to have a hand in his father’s death. For a moment, my mind was a cluster of confusion, until I reflected on the moment when I was staring at a man in the pool of his own blood. The man’s eyes were green just like Asher’s, lifeless and wife open as they had stared back at me. Could it be?I swallowed hard, summoning the courage to ask her just one question, “who was Asher’s father?” The woman stared back at me, shocked, like she couldn’t believe what I was asking her. “You….you don’t even remember him, you don’t even know his name,” the woman started to wail again. I stood up and looked away, ashamed of myself. I let out a long exaggerated breath. One of my warriors came closer to me, whispering in my ear; “her husband was one of the warriors who died o
LucianAs I struggled against my attacker, he plunged the knife deeper, his eyes glinting in piss yellow under the cover of the dark. At that moment, his scent hit my nostrils. It was like every other scent I perceived everyday, the scent of my warriors. I managed to rip the cloak off from his body and that was when I saw that this man was wearing the same type of uniform my warriors wear. Forcefully, I crashed my forehead on his nose, causing him to stagger backwards while holding his bleeding nose. That gave me enough time to pull out the dagger from my torso. I hissed at the pain and blood poured out profusely as I pulled out the blade. The warrior, who seemed to have regained his composure, growled, barring his canines at me. He was about to shift. Even though this man had just tried to take my life, I still didn’t want to kill him. I’ve had enough blood on my hands already. The warrior fell deliberately to the ground on all fours, growling loudly with drool dripping from his
LucianFor a second, the wolf looked at me, confused. But then, his rage took over, not even eating to care if I was trying to fight him or not. While I was on my knees, he sent another heavy blow across my face, which sent me tumbling and rolling to the other side of the room. I got up to my feet almost immediately, “ come on, is that all you’ve got?” I asked, trying as much as possible to provoke him even more. The wolf growled angrily, jumping at me with another powerful slash. Every fabric on my upper body became shredded under the contact of his claws. Blood gushed out of my chest, drops of it splattering on the floor and walls as the wolf kept on slashing. Frustrated that I didn’t fight back, the wolf shoved me against the wall, “why won’t you fight me?” He yelled. I spit out a mouthful of blood to my side, the metallic taste which have taken over my taste buds, “I want you to get the revenge that you truely deserve,” I said. The wolf looked me in the eyes for a few seconds
FionaThe loud roar that followed the lone wolf’s movement was deafening, ripping through the gentle air of the woods. He moved with a deadly intent towards the warrior, but he was also prepared. The warrior responded with a roar as well, and before the lone wolf could get to him, he had shifted into his wolf. The promising whisper of death loomed in the forest. This was going to be a long fight if the warrior could actually match the lone wolf’s strength. And I was hoping to the goddess that he wouldn’t be able to last with him. Not just because Damir was on my side, but because I was slowly slipping into the hands of death myself. The sand at this point has swallowed me up to my hips—the unknown force underneath relentlessly pulling me inwards. The sound of roars and growls as the two wolves slashed each other filled the space with the trees. But their fight has become the least of my worries now. I needed to find a way out of here myself in case Damir can’t defeat the warrior in
Fiona My gown was beginning to feel heavy. My feet were wet, and probably bruised from my several minutes of running. My head snapped backward for the hundredth time. He wasn’t in sight, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. I’m not stopping until I get somewhere safe. Maybe. I shouldn’t have been scared since he wasn’t near, but the clanging noises of the shackles in my hands gave my location away as it echoed through the trees. My heart kept leaping into my throat. My eyes constantly darted around, watching carefully if he was going to pop out of nowhere. The weight of what happened a while ago was heavy in my stomach. The memory of him cutting down his comrades refused to leave the back of my eyes. I blinked hard, trying to shut off the memory—the bloody scene I had just witnessed, but it seemed to have become stuck in my head. Even though the unnamed warrior was the one who slaughtered his fellow warrior in cold blood, I couldn’t even bring myself to think of him as a mons
LucianDexter stirred uneasily inside me. A growl escaped my lungs and vibrated through my chest. Asher. The little boy whose father I had allowed to be killed in that sacred pack. Why is this happening? Why is my pack crumbling to pieces? I am failing so much as an alpha and I hate it. The reins of control and orderliness that I once held felt misplaced. Nothing feels right anymore. Each moment I try to fix something or face a challenge, another complex one surfaces and threatens to break me. This has started happening ever since Maddox and his daughter arrived, and after that moment I rejected Fiona. My rejected mate wants to destroy me, and so does the man whom I have trusted for an alliance. My eyes darted around the commotion, but Maddox wasn’t anywhere in sight. “Alpha, there’s been a problem,” Gareth rushed to my presence. “A pup has gone missing…”“Obviously,” I interrupted, “how in a thousand blood moons did that happen?” I growled, but my eyes were still focused on find
LucianI took another swig of the horrid whiskey. I wasn’t a drinker—I never was, but the burning sensation in my throat is exactly what I needed for now. I need to make myself forget about her—about her betrayal. I was going to talk to my elders about why the secret of our mission to the sacred pack was exposed to the pack members, but as soon as I received that letter on my warrior’s dead body, the topic had to change. Dexter stirred uneasily inside me, and I was mirroring every pain, anger and frustration he was going through in the space of my mind. How can our mate, who was so meek and gentle, be capable of something so cruel?I fiddled the letter in-between my fingers. I didn’t want to believe that she could be behind this, but there it was. Her scent. Lingering faintly in the air, and clinging into my senses like the talons of a falcon to its prey. I flipped the letter open again for the hundredth time this morning. My eyes carefully scan each word like they could suddenly h
FionaThe woods fell silent, the tension hanging thick in the air. Pius stared at his subordinates dead in their eyes. And I knew it. My plan worked. He doesn’t want to be the only loose end. Deep down he also wanted to involve them in his mess. The moment stretched on for eternity as Pius weighed his options. He looked down at me briefly before looking back at his angry men. And just when it felt like he wouldn't give in, he pointed his finger out. “That one is xais,” he said, pointing to the person on the right. Xais growled, “you bastard,” he yelled, unsheathing his sword. Pius didn't seem to be bothered or even slightly moved by his outburst. He simply just pointed to the person on the right, “and this is Damiel,” he revealed. Damiel expected it. He didn’t growl or fidget uncomfortably. He stood calm, but yet his expression spoke of anger at their superior, who had just ratted them out. “I have kids, Pius, if you say my name, the alpha won’t spare my family once he finds ou
Fiona“What’s so funny?” Pius growled, tightening the chain around my wrist, and I winced at the pain. Even with the pain, my smile didn't waver. I couldn’t help it. The joy that was starting to grow inside me. If mera was still inside me, then I can still prevent this war between Orion and Lucian from happening. Pius growled at me for my continuous smiling but later, he ignored me. His subordinates were done unbuckling the horse. Pius shoved me forward once more, and at that moment, it hit me. An idea that can help me keep these men distracted while I find a means of escape. “Hey, pius,” I called, looking over my shoulder. He let out another growl, this time it caught the attention of the other men. His hand found my neck, and in the twinkle of an eye, I was gasping for breath. “Don’t you dare say my name ever again, do you hear me?” He yelled, holding my neck for a moment longer, waiting for an answer. And I nodded quickly. He slightly pushed me back as he released his grip fr
FionaMy eyelids felt heavy as I peeled them open. I blinked hard, trying to figure out where I was. The scent of old wood filled my nostrils, my eyes darted around to see that I was in a confined space—a four-cornered wooden space. My head felt bigger than usual as I motioned to sit up. I winced at the banging headache that welcomed me back to life. The space I was in was so small that all I could do was sit up. Even as I sat up, my head was almost touching the roof. As my senses slowly came back together, I began to hear muffled voices outside the space I was in. There were men talking and laughing, the sound of a horse snorting, and the creaking sound of a rolling wheel. I was moving. I was in a carriage—on a horse. A regular carriage would maybe be nicer, unlike this one. It had no windows, and the only Just as the realization hit me, the carriage went into a gallop, harsh enough to make me fall back on my side. The carriage came to a sudden stop, jerking violently before slig
FionaMy breath caught and I felt my chest tighten at the sight in front of me. I wouldn’t have had a problem with the beta making out with the pack doctor, but it was what Rhena had just said that made my stomach churned. My mind reeled back to the not-too-long moment when she had brought the pills. Without thinking much of it, I peeled myself off from the wall, slow enough to not make a sound, but fast enough to get myself back to my room. I needed to vomit those pills before they fully dissolved inside my system. Even though I had no idea what kind of pill she had given me, the way she spoke and laughed with Beta Nox, made me think—it was definitely something not good. My legs moved fast but quiet on the cold marble floor. I shuffled back into my room, my chest tightening as a wave of panic washed over me. My mind spirals with a series of thoughts and questions. Why in the goddess name would Rhena want to take me out?I stumbled into the bathroom, and I could feel my limbs slowl
Fiona“Are you threatening me now?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. My stomach twisted disgustingly at where this conversation was heading. “No,” he answered, his tone sharp as he began slowly pacing the room, “if anything, I’m trying to help you, Fiona.”“Don’t say my name like it belongs on your tongue,” I snapped, but my voice was controlled in order not to draw any attention from outside. “What’s coming is far more important than your name—far more deadly,” he said while still pacing the room without bothering to take a single glance at me. He moved more confidently than the last time before I had stupidly spilled my secret to him. That was the weapon he was trying to use against me now. I hated the feeling that was beginning to crawl up inside me—a feeling of being under control. I could end it all—his control or whatever idea he was offering. My brother might not be in a good mood with me but I could still put an end to his scrutiny, and maybe his life cost him along the line.