Damon observed it, too. He has a lot of questions on his head on what could’ve happened. He was just declared as the winner of the combat, the worthy one to be a Redmayne’s mate, the one and only Lycan king who has proven himself in front of his people. Harper stood beside him and pulled out a towel. Speechless, she wiped the beads of sweat from his neck. “I’d like to say congratulations but I already saw this coming. You only gave half of the work.” – Harper said With that, Damon caught her hand. What do they say about fishes and being caught in the mouth? What Harper just said was alarming. Did she have something to do with this match and Brayden’s jelly legs?“What did you say?” – his eyes were looking straight at her, hoping for an honest admission“Yes, I did it.”She was looking straight at his eyes when she said that. She didn’t even blink. Damon’s hand loosened on hers. His eyes flickered with questions. “Why did you do that?” – Damon asked, his voice hushed so that the o
Brayden woke up with a sore all over his body. Everywhere hurts when slightly touched. His arm, legs, chest, shoulders and shins were aching at the very sign of every press. Alora was beside him as he woke up, holding his hand. When he realized this, he snatched his hand away, making the woman jump. “Alpha, you’re awake!” – Alora said, blushing. She was caught in the act.“I am… what do you think you’re doing?” – Brayden frowned. By the looks of Alora’s dress, the day hasn’t ended it. It was still the same day as the combat games. “Making sure you’re okay. That combat didn’t look good on you.”Alora reached for Brayden’s hand. She knows what she’s doing here. Right after the combat, Harper was no longer his. She now belongs to the Lycan king. Because of that information, that meant the alpha has no mate once again. A door that just opened for Alora to sneak in. Who else would he choose anyway? Harper’s now out of the picture. After all, surely she’s the next person in rank to be
“What’s your plan?” – Alora asked, crossing her arms on her chest.She knows she won’t like the next words Shahila was about to say. But then, she remembered the look on Brayden’s face before she walked out of the room. It was something she hasn’t seen in him before. It may be a little too ideal to think of the combat as his mind changer, but it’s seemed like that. Because of the combat, he has started to consider her as his mate. Eliminating Harper from his mind was the only way. No matter how rigged was that combat, it served its purpose… that’s why he shouldn’t know the truth behind it. That’s why. Shahila.“I don’t have a concrete one just yet. I’ll ring you when it’s done.” – she said with a smirk“You got me.” “I know… you have no other choice. If you wish to continue that one-sided love story you believe to be real, you know you have to help me. You know better than not to.”Shahila ended her statement with a wink. The cursed wink, if Alora would like to call it. The wink wa
“What did you say?”Harper heard it, with all its might. Every word, every inflection, every shaking of Damon’s voice. She heard it. VERILY.“I said I love you, my queen. You’re the only mate that matters. You and Hector are my life.” – Damon said, finally letting loose of the words he kept within himself for too long. It’s like a gushing waterfall. Once it’s out, it keeps pouring. He can’t stop himself now. Harper saw his Adam’s apple move when he swallowed and looked down at her lips. Was he waiting for her to say something? An equivalent of what he just said? Is that why there’s silence between them now?“I… I don’t know what to say.” – Harper said, placing her hands down from his shoulders to her either side.“Do you love me?”The question hung in mid-air. Harper felt like she was stoned in her exact position. Like she was nailed so she couldn’t move. “What do you wish to hear, Damon?”“The truth. I can feel it… but I want to hear it from your own lips.”He can feel what? Does
Harper has mixed emotions about what just happened. After that awkward moment, what she did was to tell him to go out of the room. She, now alone in the bed’s mattress, looked at the ceiling with unblinking eyes. They kissed. Not just once, but two times. She cannot deny what she has said and the way she kissed him. She wanted it, too. She enjoyed the kissed. She missed the embrace. What have I done?, she was asking herself. A palm holding her forehead.She loves him. There’s no reason to deny that now. She has been in love and caught up in his whims. Hector, her body, her throne and her heart now belong to him. A knock interrupted her train of thoughts. “Who is it?” “It’s me, my queen. The little prince’s looking for you.”She got up and sighed. It was the nurse-maid, perhaps returning from the tour with the small baby. Harper got the kicking baby from the nurse-maid. It was too glad to see its mother. Harper planted a kiss on the baby’s forehead and it laughed. Day and day goe
Brayden nodded, knowing once it will be declared, it would be applicable forever. Yet, he knows there’s no one else available in store. Aside from Alora, the only person closest to being a mate would be Shahila Ruben. Even the thought of it was sickening. To him. To Shahila. Neither has ever talked nor considered that between them. He also knows Shahila has only one wolf in mind to be her mate. And that’ll never change. “Speaking of the- Hey, miss Alora!” – Alpha Draco said and waved to someone behind BraydenHe looked back instantly and saw Alora coming to their direction with an umbrella. It was drizzling. As Brayden looked at her, he imagined what would it be like to actually take her as a mate. Together, they would be fine… Not as invincible as having a Redmayne at his side but the option isn’t that bad. Alora’s a royal… her bloodline would be a good alliance. “Great Alpha… alpha Brayden.” – she greeted with a little bow and curtsy“Please sit down.” – Alpha Draco saidShe did.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” – Damon said with clenched teeth.“Really? and you think you’re better than me?” – Brayden answered, now standing upThere was a hint of tension as when the black alpha stood up, his chair was knocked over and a loud thud made everyone in the room jump. The two looked at each other with deadly stares and quietened hate. They were squaring each other up, checking who’s the first one to back down. To Damon, this is impossible. This couldn’t be him. An eerie silence reigned between the parties. Either is not willing to back down. The two of them were both unwilling to fold. The Great Alpha frowned, sighing and shaking his head. What else can he do with these two children of his? They’re like polar opposites and one small comment would offend the other.“Who are we kidding here, Brayden? Everyone knows who was the loser on the combat!” – Damon said. By opening the topic, Harper’s eyes widened.Don’t go there, she was thinking. Shahila also caught her eyes an
Harper felt like her heart was getting out of her chest. With every move and breath she takes in, the tension inside the room grows like an unwelcome vine. “Don’t test me, Damon. Don’t test me.” – The Great Alpha said with clenched teeth“I’m not scared of you.” – answered DamonHarper held her king’s left forearm, trying to make him stop talking. She was fearing for the two of them, if she were to be honest. The look on Alpha Draco’s face was not a joke. It was a look to be feared, none he has ever seen him wear before. “Damon, please… let this go.” – she quietly said, just loud enough for Damon to hear. He only gave her one glance and then back to the Great Alpha. “I want you out of my camp. I need you and your son to vacate my territory and bring your wolves with you. Do that before the sun sets. Or else. You won’t know what’s coming for you.”A minute of silence…Two. Then the eerie silence was perturbed with heavy footsteps of the Great Alpha. He wasn’t looking at him this t
“Alpha Draco requests your presence, sir.”The messenger talked in a slow fashion, careful that the Virgo Alpha would hear it properly. Marion just finished settling on an old room inside the common room. It looked like it belonged to a royal she-wolf, based on the expensive paintings on the wall and the hand-sewn dresses inside the closet. “Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”“He said it’s urgent, sir.”Marion nodded. There’s no excuses with the Great Alpha. Besides, he’s not in his territory. He’s at the Red Blood’s, the first time he got out of the roundhouse and housed in a different setting actually. The messenger left the door open. Marion put down the third pillow case he packed with him and followed the former to the main room of the common room. Inside, Alpha Draco was waiting. He’s sipping jasmine tea from a small teacup. A lady in waiting was at his side, holding the kettle by its handle. With a plain breakable plate placed under it.“You called for me, Great Alpha?”He lo
“I… I don’t understand. What do you mean, officer?”Harper was biting the edges of her nails in anxious anticipation. Surely, there’s nothing good that will come out from the end of this conversation. To mention the word “victim” mid-sentence doesn’t constitute good news. “You have no idea, do you?”Harper shook her head… then realized that the person she’s talking to is on the other end of the line. So, her nodding of head is not counted as a response.“I have no idea of what this is about. Please, just-“Harper couldn’t finish her sentence. She’s not even sure if she wants to. what has been unfolded before her eyes the entire day are facts - quickly given facts that either surprise her or catch her in the moment. And these facts aren’t even good news at all. “I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t think you are clueless about what happened in this house. It’s all over the news this past week.”What is?, she thought. But then, it’s Mrs. Keevah’s house. There’s no one else in the house that cou
In front of them were the men, the woman and the little baby that they all hated: the ones they denominated as “rebels”. They were on the front of Marion and Alpha Draco.“We meet again…” – said Damon.Harper and the rest of the group stood behind their alpha. The men were carrying their own choice of weapons, their own poison against the enemy. They stood gleaming at the site of fresh dead bodies on the floor. Proudly. The look on Alpha Draco’s face says it all. He wanted the war to be over. He wanted the war to begin as soon as it can. Right in this moment. Right in this spot. “Finally… I’m tired of chasing after your tail, Damon. You and Brayden can come here and let’s finish this once and for all. I’m tired of chasing and of canceling this to another schedule.”Damon licked his chapped lips. He has the same ideas. He didn’t come here to visit his father. He didn’t come here for peace. None of them believes in peace anymore. “I cannot agree more. Later, then. Once and for all.
Just when the silence stretched between Harper and Brayden, Damon got up from his sleep and pulled Harper closer from the waist.Brayden’s eyes followed where Damon’s hands were and gulped. In a moment, he turned to the other side and tried to forget what he has seen. He managed to turn and keep his eyes and body that way.“You’re up early…” – muttered Damon with a raspy voice.“Yeah… my body clock’s messed up these days.” – replied HarperThat was a lie. Her body clock has nothing to do with it. It’s always her thoughts that keep on saying something to her. It feeds her negative ones instead of empowering her to think of solutions. And of course, the place and the ambience did help with the thoughts. It even made the way for it. It even made her feel worse.“Is that because of the war?”“No, something else.”Harper looked at the ring that’s still on her finger. If Anthony didn’t cause a distraction, would that scary man really cut off her finger? For the sake of proving a point?Are
“Elias! You wouldn’t believe it!”Elias was cleaning the Great Alpha’s office when one of the guards from the office went to approach him. The guard was panting, his sweat rolling down his temples down to his neck and chest area. These droplets of sweat blurs his vision as they get past his eyes. “Do you have some news?” – Elias already has some expectations in his head. Hopefully, this is going to be good news. And hopefully, this is about the Great Alpha too. “Yes. you should go outside to see what’s up.”Elias nodded and then he got up to check if there’s really someone inside waiting for him. As it turned out, there’s a small crowd gathered outside over something. The question is, what’s the cause? Who is there that everyone seemed to be alarmed?“Is that…”The rest of the sentence got drowned in the air. the guard who brought Elias the news did not even let him finish. Whether it was excitement or worry, none of them can tell. However, it’s clear from the circumstances that the
“…and here we are!”Everyone of them looked around, expecting a tavern or a cabin in the woods. None of those things were present. They were only surrounded by different trees and the dark moon above them. “Here?” – Anthony repeated, confused“Yes. Over there.”Brayden pointed on the cavern behind him. The boys walked closer to see what he’s pointing to. Then, Harper followed. She already knows what it is, she only got closer so the others won’t speculate. They cannot know she’s been here before. “This is where your safe place is?” – Asher asked with a huge question mark on his face.“Yes. This is what I meant by that.”They all didn’t look impressed. But then again, they’re hiding from Marion and their men. Anything safe that they can use will do. Just not to be caught. Anything. Just not that. They cannot be captured. Not this time. With Brayden leading them, they approached the mouth of the cave and got inside one by one. Among them, only Hector seemed to be enjoying the show.“H
“Goddamn it, you have a knife! I don’t care if you cut her finger!”Harper’s eyes widened when the huge man on her right got a knife from his back pockets. It’s a new one and surely sharpened just before they went to the roundhouse. The slight shin of the knife reflected the fear in her eyes. Damon’s hip still hurt with the hitting. He was held by four men, struggling as he throws all sort of cure words upon Marion.The man with the knife neared Harper and she stepped back, pulling the two men with her. They can’t be serious. They surely cannot just cut off her finger when Marion tells them to. Or she could be wrong. It’s also possible that these men are Marion’s puppets and would do anything he tells them to. No matter howbrutal or illogical that can be. “Damon, just go… “ – Harper’s vision blurred as the tears welled on the corner of her eyesDamon shook his head. No, he’s never going to leave her. Not this time. Not ever. The man pulled her hand as one man from the side brought
Damon kept on looking behind him. He hasn’t seen Harper yet, the entire time that they were inside. The last time he did was when they were sitting on the benches. Back when nothing seemed strange yet.Aside from that, he hasn’t seen her yet. The thickness of the crowd barred him from doing so. However, he’s sure she’s still inside. The slight gap on the door cannot hold a person going out yet. Whoever attempts may be squeezed. “Harper? Harper, where are you?!” – the question roared in the air. They were stuck in the main room with lots of the Virgo aiming at them. Not to mention that the great number of its members were clawing their throats to make their way out. Aside from that, there are two Virgo men who’s at his back as he shouted. They were trying to catch him and bind him with a thick rope. The rope was too thick and Damon noticed that if that will be used against him, he cannot break it with his fists. He cannot set himself free from those.“Harper!”And then, like a mira
Hearts flutter in a negative manner. This isn’t good. It couldn’t be good.Harper sensed Damon’s tenseness. She looked at his brother and it’s clear that he’s also in his fight-or-flight mode. Any minute now, something is about to happen. She’s positive about that.“I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling there’s something odd here, right?” – Asher voiced out and Damon shushed himAsher nodded slowly. He has confirmed his statement. “… and it is the duty of the alpha to put his pack’s safety first. Even at the middle of the war, the safety of the pack shall not be compromised nor put aside. The safety of the pack has to be the paramount consideration. It is because of that that any threat, no matter how small or insignificant, needs to be gotten rid of.”- Marion ended his speech with a dangerous stare at the Red Blood pack’s direction. “This is not good. Come on. We have to get going.”“What’s going on?” – Norton saidHarper and Damon looked at each other’s eyes. They already understo