I sighed. This guy just won't let me go. "What exactly do you want?" I asked tired of playing games."I want the truth."he replied curtly."I'm just a maid trying to get a roof over her head but you keep making it difficult for me." I replied with the same old answer I had prepared for situations like this."You don't fool me. Now speak"I thought carefully, if I speak the complete truth, would he rat me out? Then it occured to me at that very moment, that I'd sound crazy if I did. So I asked unfazed"What exactly do you want to know?""What's the relationship between you and the Beta?" His gaze was fierce and the glow of his eyes showed he wasn't backing down so easily."Nothing, he tried to touch me inappropriately and I warned him not to do so." At least, if I told him this, he would think I was the victim and spare me the skepticism. But oh, how wrong I was. My response only led him to question who I really was."You warned him? Which useless maid would try to warn the Beta of her
I thought long and hard. I didn't come in contact with chestnuts today. Then I remembered something, that sneaky fogwart. I cursed inwardly, I should've given her a dirty slap but I was still confused, why chestnuts? I tied them all in a nylon, making sure to empty my pockets completely. I even put two small tangerines I saw on the table in my pockets to eradite the smell of chestnuts.I was going to show her what it meant crossing the path of someone who had faced death twice. As I got to the dining hall, I spotted her and rushed over pretending not to see her "Sorry, I was just in a hurry to find out what was happening."She sneered and rushed to Gina's side.Apparently, Gina couldn't breath. She looked bloated like a pufferfish but her face was covered with large red spots. The make up on her face made it less scary but I could still see them. Everyone was in a frenzy but soon the doctor had arrived, administering an injection that instinctively calmed her.It didn't take ten minut
I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as I watched Lucinda being dragged away. She had been a thorn in my side since the moment I met her today. But little did I know, my troubles were far from over.I walked back to my quarters, feeling like someone was watching me. I quickened my pace, my heart racing in anticipation. Then I heard footsteps behind me. I spun around, ready to defend myself, but it was just one of the pack's guards."Aurora, the Alpha requests your presence," he said, his voice firm but polite.I nodded, and curiosity overtook me: what could the Alpha want with me now? I followed the guard to the Alpha's chambers, my mind going through many possibilities.When we arrived, the Alpha was behind his desk, a stern look upon his face. "Aurora, I have been made aware of the incident with Lucinda and the Luna," he said in firm tones but then his expression softened. "I must say, I am impressed. You have proven yourself to be quick and clever."I bowed my head in a
The smile fell from the Alpha's face, replaced by a gaze of steel. "Then you will find yourself in a very unfortunate position. I don't like loose ends, Aurora."I swallowed hard. There was no way out of this, not right now. If I refused him outright, I wouldn't make it out of this room alive. But if I agreed, I would be walking a tightrope with no safety net. But what happened to the Cida that looked like he recognized me? I was so lost right now."I will need time to think over it," I finally said confidently, though fear was gnawing at my insides.The Alpha nodded with a tinge of satisfaction in his eyes. "Fair enough. But don't take too long. Time is a luxury you can't afford."He waved his hand, dismissing me, and I wasted no time leaving his chambers. Out of sight, I leaned against the wall and took some deep breaths, willing my heart rate to settle. My mind struggled for any way out of the mess that had just got worse.I couldn't trust Cida outright, nor refuse him outright eit
My window tinted a pale shade with morning dawn creeping in. Sleep evaded me, my brain tangling over the ambiguity in both the seer and Mateo's words and surprising movements. Something about what took place last night realigned the balance, and answers I had to obtain.By the time I was dressed and outside, the pack house stirred. The air felt charged, like the universe knew pieces on the board had moved. I kept my head down, avoiding the lingering eyes, and made my way toward the training grounds. If anyone knew more about Mateo, it would be Jaxon, a senior warrior and someone who had a knack for observing everything.Jaxon was sparring with one of the younger pack members when I arrived. His strong strikes and fluid motion made it obvious why he was in his position. When he finished, he spotted me and strode toward me, wiping sweat from his brow."Surprised to see you here, Aurora," he said gruffly. "What brings you to my domain?""I need information," I responded bluntly. "About M
As I stared into her eyes, I felt some form of familiarity. Not because I had met her once but because I had seen her many times. The- the woman in my dreams!"You're the woman in the garden.. you-""The truth is within you," she said suddenly cutting me off. "But first, you must face the lies you have been fed. The Alpha's plans, the Luna's constant criticism-they are but pieces of a puzzle. To see the whole picture, you must step outside the frame."I knew she was right, even as her words spun my head. I couldn't continue to react to the moves others made; I had to make my own.As I left the chamber, a sense of resolve fell into place. Tomorrow, I would begin to amass information-real information. I needed to know who was playing what game and how I might be able to tilt the odds in my favor.But as I reached my quarters, a chilling thought struck me: the only way to find out the truth could very well be to become the thing I feared the most.A spy.The moment I closed my door, ther
Dorian's POVI took a deep breath and followed Kali into the trees. A few minutes of walking in silence were only broken by the sound of leaves crunching underfoot.As we walked, I couldn't help but notice that the forest seemed to grow denser, the trees taller and the underbrush thicker. I could feel a strange energy emanating from the forest, an energy that seemed to be watching me.Then Kali came to a stop in front of a huge stone door. It was covered in ancient carvings of wolves and moons, and it looked like it hadn't been opened in centuries.Kali turned to me, a mischievous glint in her eye. "This is the entrance to the underworld," she said. "And this is where you'll find what I'm looking for."I looked at her skeptically, was this a trap? The underworld? Stories of the underworld, of the ancient gods and goddesses that reigned over the land of the dead, had reached me."What is it that you're looking for?" I asked, my voice gruffy but barely above a whisper.Kali smiled, a gl
Arachne's admittance into our low-key group was a function of kindness but once she learnt the ropes and became very powerful, she seemed to think she was the boss. I left her to do as she pleased until I found out that she had taken an ancient book.That book was closed off for a reason, for the safety of everyone but Arachne didn't know that. I could easily guess what she wanted to do with the book so I had to find a solution immediately. Arachne had been very discrete so I could hardly get information but with tooth, I could attain a lot of power and use it to defeat the army she was unknowingly trying to raise.In Dorian, there was a certain spark. A spark that I believed could be worked into a flame- a flame that would shine brightly enough to illuminate even the darkest place. His defiance and determination were sure to get him through the task.Although Amelia was gone now, she wasn't lost to the shadows. And I knew I could easily find her, and bring her back to me. Because wit
Of course we were going to sleep with an eye open, afterall a were wolf cannot be fully trusted.Ryder sighed "How long do you think it will take before you find her?""I don't know. I just know I need to find her." I replied."I understand. Let's get some sleep."I nodded and fell asleep only to wake up not too long after. There was a creature chasing Bolton. At first it was funny until, it started to kill the pack members in masses. It even killed Martha. I lunged towards it but then it looked at me and laughed.A sarcastic laugh."You call yourself Alpha? You and I know you aren't capable."I got confused for a moment, it could talk? What was this?I didn't have time to think carefully before it attacked me. If it killed me then I'd have died a useless Alpha.I attacked it with equal strength but it's hand morphed into a sword and was plunged directly into my heart.I gasped for breath. Only for me to realize it was just a dream. It was already dawn so I woke Ryder up "Let's move"
"Then you have to make sure no one figures it out," I said firmly. "Do it."Arachne shook her head. "You're playing with fire. If this goes wrong—""It won't," I interrupted. "Just do it. Now."She sighed again, obviously unhappy, but started gathering her things. She took me in a little house in the middle of a forest. I watched as she pulled out vials of strange liquids, powders, and crystals, mumbling incantations under her breath. The air around us grew heavy, charged with almost electric energy.Whatever he had in mind, she added, her voice tight with focus, he'd better be prepared to deal with its fallout afterward. When this gets moving, there's no pulling back until the course is run.She just had to make it convincing.When she was done, she told me that it remained one last thing."We need to find a way to get the information to him."" No one knows where he is" I reminded her."I could find a way to get the information to him. I only need something of his -clothes, nail, ha
"What do you want to know?" She asked stuffing the money in the pockets of her gown.I smirked and asked "Where's your Alpha?"She looked around before whispering "Everything I say is from hearsay. I heard he left with his friend to find a lady in his dreams."I wanted to laugh and send her off because Derek could get any lady he wants. Why would one whom he couldn't get approach appear in his dreams?"Okay, did any weird thing happen before that?" I asked. I needed to gather as much information as possible."I heard that some witch visited him but no one really talks about who or why. Then he came back some days later and was asking weird questions to the guards. Like if they saw someone come into his room. Then he held a meeting telling us he's trying to solve a problem that could probably bring danger to us all."I looked at her "Bring danger?""Yes. He even handed over power to the Beta and went on his search.""Nothing else happened?"She thought for a while before shaking her he
I stared at Mateo like he had gone crazy. My next move?... as if this were some kind of game I was supposed to be winning. I wanted to argue, to demand that Mateo take me to Chris immediately, but deep down, I knew he was right: Gina was dangerous, and if she suspected I knew more than I was letting on, things would get worse-fast.I looked away, my eyes straying to the garden as I struggled to steady my mind. The flowers seemed lined up in a neat parody of the storm raging inside my skull. "Fine," I said finally. "But I want your word that Chris won't be harmed.""Do you think I'm a monster?" He asked me.I glared at him."You have my word, ma'am" he replied curtly.We stood for a moment in silence, everything weighing down on us as if it were a physical force. Finally, I turned back to him. "What's the next step, then? What do we do about Gina?"Mateo's eyes darkened. "We watch. We wait. And when the time comes, we strike."His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I nodded. The fu
A knot of dread began to twist in my chest. I could no longer turn a blind eye to this; there was something darker at work here. I thought of Cida, who was probably poring over documents long buried, trying to find out where he went wrong. And I thought of Elder Kato, if he was so wise, why wasn't he able to identify that she was not right for the pack?The pieces were not falling into place.Lucinda's voice cut through my reflections. "Be careful, Amelia. Digging too deep has consequences.""I know," I whispered. "But we need the truth."And truth, I knew, would change everything. Was this what the seer was talking about?Lucinda's voice brought me back to earth "Earth to Aurora!""Yeahh??""Don't you want to know what happened to Chris?"I opened my eyes wildly "you know what happened to him?"She shook her head "ofcourse not! I just thought you could find a way to find out. After all, he doesn't deserve to suffer, he's just a pawn."I sighed agreeing with her, but even though he's
I frowned. "And what do you think I should do?"Investigate in silence. Gina is to be kept bound, but alive. Her use is not at an end just yet. And Lucinda." He paused in search of exactly the right words. "She is to be watched carefully. It is often behind the mask of loyalty that the sharpest daggers are hidden."His words sent a run of ice through my veins, but I nodded. A man didn't reject the experience of the Elder Kato.Lucinda's POVI watched him go, Elder Kato taking his leave from Cida's chambers, a flutter of unease dancing across my chest. The old man was perceptively astute, far too much so for my taste, and the minute he started digging deeper, he might find threads leading back to me.I couldn't allow that to happen but if things comes to the worst, I'd tell them the truth. I had made up my mind.Chris' POVThe dusty floor of the cabin was my seat, in an excruciating pain in my wrists-the ropes were too tightly laced-but at least my kidnapper had given me a little water
I started pacing, taking slow, measured steps, rubbing my temples. How did this blow up so badly? The cut from Gina runs deep -at least, I gave her a chance and I allowed my title to ride on her, only to see her standing here entangled in deceptions and schemes that sink every piece of what I'm trying to build.Lucinda's POVIt was almost too sweet to mask this satisfaction as she was being dragged away. She had played and lost. I didn't know how exactly this all worked out. I wasn't the one who arranged for her study to be open. I knew she was a terrible person but I never had evidence.But something inside me knew this was a short-lived victory only. Gina was a rabid dog, dangerous even when cornered, and unless I finished what I had started, she might still claw her way out of it and expose me.I said nothing, but my mind raced with every step of my plan: Chris, already out of the picture-the loyal guard she had tried to use as a scapegoat-his absence had served its purpose well, a
As Gina mouthed those words to me, I didn't react but I think Cida noticed cause he squinted his eyes before starting to walk away.As the surprised guards dragged Gina, she suddenly screamed and said out loud "I'm innocent. Ask Chris. It's definitely him. He's the person put in charge of that study."Everyone stared at her but the Gamma spoke first "Chris? The guard?"Her eyes widened "Yes, it's him. I hardly use the study. He's the only one who opens it and locks it when the maids need to clean it."I couldn't believe this witch, she was playing the blame game!Boris looked at Cida who looked at her skeptically before ordering someone to find Chris.As a guard went to find Chris, Gina shook the hands of the guards off her body but they didn't let go until Cida gave them permission to.The atmosphere was somewhat tense. I looked at Lucinda from the corner of my eye, she seemed to be seething with anger. This wasn't good.We all waited for Chris to come, I bet he'd have peed his pants
Who could be knocking at this hour? I held a little knife in my hand and walked slowly towards the door. I mean, many people don't like me, what if someone decided to attack me? "Who's there?" I asked."It's Lucinda, open up please." Her voice sounded croaked. I quickly dropped the knife and opened the door."What happened to you? You don't look well" I said looking at her face.It was not until she raised her head that I saw the hand prints and marks on her neck. It was a very terrible looking bruise. "Who did this to you?!"Shee looked at me with anger in her eyes "Who else?"That witch! "What in the actual hell?! What exactly happened?"***After the banquet, in Gina's room."Get me Lucinda! Now!"The maid scurried away to call Lucinda who was packing away some plates."The Luna requests your presence."Lucinda smirked and walked to Gina's chambers "Luna, you wanted to see me"Gina was so furious she rose her hand to slap Lucinda but to her surprise Lucinda slipped down with ease.