☽☽☽ MIKAEL'S POV ☾☾☾ With a shake of my head, I make for the little gathering. I've been generous, permitting them to host the many conversations they want without disturbance. I need Saskia with the most resourceful person I associate with my utmost trust in the pack: Maggie. Margaret has served me for years. When no one was by me, she'd patiently stood by and believed I would come together in the end despite my spiralling down into a void. Never did she doubt my capability. As so, she's my right-hand woman. Always has been. Always will be unless she or her loyalty changes. Remarking that night is fast falling, I halt in my tracks. With a hand-flick, I beckon on Serenge, a floater guard stationed about the stage. "You called, Alpha?" She bows, and I wave her to ease. Her right hand cradles her side, and I acknowledge the presence of her arms. Though she poses no threat to me, pointing out one's weapon or somehow placing it in sight is respectful when speaking to an Alpha. It com
☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ His kisses startled me. I'd not expected that the Alpha had it in him to be that sweet. Automatically, the whole of my body warmed up at the sugary gestures, and butterflies enjoyed a field day in my stomach. Weirdly, I am not confident that if he'd kissed me on my lips, I would have had as strong a reaction as I did. It was too much of an intimate act. Maggie seems to agree as she has the biggest, most teasing smile on when she reaches me and offers to take the shawl Crystal brought not long before. My face heats up at realising that he'd done that out in the open, not caring that anyone was around. Not even my father. "May I?" "Thank you very much, Maggie." With my stained cheeks in the opposite direction of her inspection, I relinquish my cloak to her. It's good timing, as if she'd noticed the cloth being close to falling off my shoulders. I peek at the man still sitting at the table behind Maggie. A gasp catches in my windpipe as he glares at me. What wa
☾☾☾ SASKIA'S POV ☽☽☽ "Let's go, Maggie." I beckon on the woman who has been waiting with a grim look eclipsing her beauty. She heard everything, no ambiguity there. I simply do not care. It's not like anything wrong was said about Mikael or his pack. I'd likely get chewed out for volunteering to leave without his input or knowledge. Aside from that, I'm inclined to trust her. Mikael spoke of her fondly and even went as far as to mention that she was trustworthy after the wedding. She'd decidedly demonstrated herself to be dependable in the past. I hope to be closer to her and maybe cultivate a meaningful relationship, as it's plausible that I'll be alone without anyone to confide in for a while. "It might not be my place to tell this, Luna," she starts abruptly, alarming me in the process. "I am sorry. I did not mean to startle you." I shake my head in the negative. "It's not your fault. I was lost in my own world. Go on. Speak freely with me." Distract me from this ongoing hell
☽☽☽MIKAEL'S POV☾☾☾ The sun held up its place in the battle for long, but darkness has finally won, and night is befallen. Road lights leap on as I cast by. Rounding the mountain range, more glows dot the horizon as the city's dark side awakens. Twenty minutes have flown by since I started the journey. But with the speed I'm travelling, the den will soon be in sight. I'm the sole driver on course for as far as I see in the shadows, even with my acute vision, a trait werewolves possess. If it were plausible that I saw further, the result would be the same. I'm certain I'd be alone. Not many souls wander down the road leading to the lairs of vampires at this odd hour. Even a child knows it's when the dead have their feasts. This wait to get where it's essential that I be, bores me. I can't in any fashion delay to meet the men who'd been so audacious to ambush the Alpha of Guttenbrieg. It will be a grand reunion tonight. Anticipation sends my fingers into dull drumming against the s
☽☽☽MIKAEL'S POV☾☾☾ In the cold silence of the car, I hunt for my phone. When I unearth it, I out a curse at the blinding light. The screen is so radiant I nearly toss the gadget aside. The only thing that keeps me back is I have people on standby, doing assignments for me that might require them to make contact. The Delta, for one, is a messenger that must supply a report before sunrise. I have reason to anticipate his message, whether it results to bad or good news. It's only expected when magic is involved. Or rather, to be precise, a problematic magician. Toning down the strength of the display, I sift through the voicemails dropped by. Some I cannot listen to in the present. They are those that demand I pay my utmost heed. Without attentiveness, it is feasible, though not guaranteed, that I miss crucial details that otherwise would have been scrutinised and faced sedulous analysis. Reaching a relevant mail, I tap on it. Serenge's voice plays out, but not loud or audible as I
☾☾☾SASKIA'S POV☽☽☽ "You do not have to behold me with such profound wonder, Luna." I blink out of my trance. "You're right, Maggie. I apologise. But I'm still so surprised." It's been moments since she published their siblinghood, yet, I still have a hard time believing it. They did not look much alike. In fact, there were very few qualities they shared. I'm not sure what Maggie's original hair colour was, as her hair is mostly grey. It does seem that she was darker-haired when compared to Mikael. She might have had locks of brown colouring or dark blonde. In that respect, they bear no striking identifying trait. However, now that I think of it, their blue eyes are a shared characteristic though hers is more vibrant against Mikael's icy ones. "I imagine you are," she states ruminantly. "But I believe there should be no much shock. We are half-siblings, connected by a line of descent through our father." "Oh, now I see." That makes a lot more sense to me. It explains the huge di
☾☾☾SASKIA'S POV☽☽☽I cut around Maggie's figure, lowered to place a tray holding a cup of tea and a bowl of sugar cubes, and totter to the door.Anxiously, I retrace my steps around the spots I've been with her. But there are no white envelopes to be found. "Oh no!" I cry, flustered. Essential letters were delivered to me through the Alpha; I can't afford to lose them. Not when I haven't read any. "I'll have to go back to the pavilion." I feel the stress on the soles of my feet as I hurtle out of the house, my destination being the last place I remember holding them.The last time I can vividly recollect my fingers curled around them was when Mikael had spoken to me before his leave. His kiss afterwards disconcerted me, wiping my brain clean of my rationales. I'm not sure where I last dropped the bunch at. I could well have lost them.
☽☽☽MIKAEL'S POV☾☾☾ From my scouting point, concealed by the billowing darkness, I sniff out their positions. Way before I see them. Vampires. They both stand imposingly, shoulders squared, legs wide apart, and hands clasped, looking every part the bouncers they are. I'm aware that only those with tickets are allowed through and that previously mentioned tickets are sold only to a select group of people: prey and predators. I have not a pass, nor am I a parcel of either group of customers. All I have is business. The stroll through the woods cleared out my head. Crisp air saturated with the smells of pine and magnolia cleansed my thoughts, emptying out my excess anger vials. Now, my rage is concise. I see my goal precisely and how I'm to execute it. Erring witch and wizard—Imelda and her brother, Absalon—will have to wait till a later time when I have less on my plate to deal with. Then I will pay them mind. Though vampires do not have significantly