Felicity POV Ava and i walked into the market and immediately felt the tension in the air. The villagers were talking in hushed tones, looking over their shoulders as they whispered to one another. Ava tugged at my sleeve, making me stop in her tracks. "Do you feel that?" she asked, her eyes darting around the market. I shook my head, unsure what Ava was getting at. "Feel what?" "The atmosphere," Ava whispered, her eyes scanning the crowd. "It's different. Everyone seemed on edge." "Something's not right," Ava said, grasping my arm. I looked around, and Ava was right. The usual chattering and laughter had been replaced by hushed whispers and furtive glances. Something was definitely up. I nodded, feeling my heart race. "I know. Everyone seemed suspicious. It's making me nervous." As we made our way towards our favorite vegetable stall, we overheard two women talking in low voices. "Did you hear?" one of them said, her tone anxious. "The men of the alpha from the
We took advantage of this to run away. My heart was pounding in my chest. Ava put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You did the right thing," she said." You also ! " I congratulated her on her bravery.Despite my fear, I felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that we had stood up for ourselves. As we walked, I couldn't help but think about what the alpha's men were planning. What could they want from this small, peaceful village? Just a "Breeder"?"I don't like this," Ava said, echoing my thoughts."I agree. We need to be careful," I replied. "We need to figure out what's going on and how we can protect ourselves and the villagers."Suddenly, a hand grabbed my shoulder, making me jump."Sorry to startle you, ladies," said a man, "but I overheard what you were talking about. I might be able to help."He introduced himself as Elias, a local farmer who had some information about the alpha's plans. He had overheard some of the men talking at the tavern the night before."The alpha has bi
The next day, a meeting was taking place to which Elias had invited us.Ava and I walked into the meeting with Elias, scanning the room nervously for the mysterious man from the protest. "Do you see him anywhere?" Ava whispered, her eyes darting around the room."No, I don't," I replied, feeling relieved yet still tense. We took our seats and greeted Elias' associates, but there was a strange energy in the room that we couldn't ignore.As the meeting began, Elias started talking but he seemed to be skirting around the real topic of discussion. "So, we have some updates on the project," he said hesitantly.Ava and I exchanged confused glances, wondering why Elias was acting so differently than usual. "Is everything okay, Elias?" I asked, trying to break the tension.Elias forced a smile and nodded. "Yes, yes, everything is fine. Let me just continue with the updates." He continued to talk, but it was clear that he was avoiding certain details and topics.Finally, towards the end of the
My mind raced as I tried to process the situation. We had to act fast, and we had to act smart. The fear in my gut turned into full-fledged panic as I turned to Ava, my eyes locking with hers."Ava," I whispered urgently. "We have to go, now. They're going to break down the door any second."Ava's face paled as she assessed the situation. "We can't stay here," she said, her voice shaking. "We have to find another way out."My mind raced as I tried to come up with a plan. "There's the underground kitchen hatch," I suggested. "It may be our only chance."Ava nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Okay, let's go."As we hurried towards the hatch, the sound of the door banging against the door frame grew louder. With each passing second, my heart threatened to burst out of my chest."We have to hurry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper."I'll slow them down," Ava said resolutely. "Go, get out of here."I shook my head. "No, Ava. I can't let you face them alone. We'll go toget
20But then a rat emerged from the bushes, I let out a relieved laugh. "Just a rat," I muttered to myself before continuing on my path. But the feeling of being watched didn't leave me.I continued on my path, constantly looking over my shoulder and scanning the area for any signs of danger.But my fear soon turned into panic when I heard footsteps behind me."Who's there?" I called out, but no response.I slowly began to pick up the pace, feeling my heart hammering in my chest at the sound of the footsteps closing in on me. "I said, who's there?" I called out again, my voice shaking with fear."Oh, just a couple of friends looking for a little fun," the stranger replied with a low chuckle.The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I broke into a run, my mind racing with thoughts of how to get away from the strangers. "She couldn't have gone far, look everywhere, she is there," one of them shouted, only increasing my panic.I heard the sound of footsteps pounding mud behind me
21My heart pounded as Alpha Grimmjaw leaned in closer, his eyes shining with amusement."First things first," he said, his grip on my chin tightening. "You need to prove that you're worth keeping alive. So, let's see how well you can obey."He gestured to one of his minions, who handed him a knife. My eyes widened in horror as he pressed the blade against my throat."Tell me," he said, his lips inches from my ear. "Are you really willing to do anything?"I swallowed hard, nodding frantically."Good," he murmured. "Then prove it. Prove that you're worthy of my protection."My mind raced as he moved the knife away from my throat, but I knew there was no escaping him. I had to comply if I wanted to survive."Okay," I said, my voice trembling. "What do you want me to do?"Alpha Grimmjaw's smile widened. "Simple. You're going to kill one of my enemies."My heart lurched at his words. Kill? Me? I couldn't even imagine such a thing, but he didn't give me a chance to object. He grabbed my ar
22Maximus POV."Where is she?" I demanded, my voice laced with anger. "It's been months, and Felicity is still missing. Why have we not found her yet?""We're doing everything we can, Your Highness," one of my advisors responded in a calm tone. "We've deployed all our resources and sent scouts to every corner of the kingdom.""But it's not enough," I growled, feeling the frustration boiling inside me. "How could she have disappeared without a trace? This is unacceptable.""Perhaps she's hiding in a nearby village or town," suggested another advisor."That's impossible!" I snapped back. "She wouldn't be able to hide for this long without being discovered. Someone must be helping her.""Your Majesty, we need to consider the possibility that she's left the kingdom altogether," said a guard who had been silent until now. "We should start looking beyond our borders.""Absolutely not," I declared, my eyes narrowing. "We cannot let her escape without facing the consequences of her actions.
23"I'll do it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "But on one condition."Alpha Grimmjaw raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?""I want to be treated with respect," I said, my voice steady. "I want to be treated like a human being, not a prisoner or a slave."Alpha Grimmjaw chuckled. "You're in no position to make demands, Sarah," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "But I'll humor you. You want respect? Fine. You'll get it. But don't think that means you're free to do as you please. You're still mine, and you'll do what I say, when I say it."I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. At least I have some kind of leverage now.As the days went by, I tried my best to hold up my end of the bargain. I cooked and cleaned for Alpha Grimmjaw and his guards, bearing the insults and abuse they hurled at me with as much dignity as I could manage.But it was never enough. Alpha Grimmjaw always found something to be unhappy about, always found a reason to punish me.One day,
Epilogue:Eight years later, The room erupted in applause as Maximus announced the newly voted members of League of Justice. I couldn't help but feel proud of him as he confidently named each member.After the ceremony, Ava and Kim approached me, their cheeks were flushed with excitement and their smiles wide."Ava, tell me, how did Maximus do?" I asked, eager to hear their thoughts."He did an amazing job!" Ava answered, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I'm so proud of him.""I agree," added Kim. "He really isn't a dictator like some people thought he would be. He's smart, he chose to only have 50% of the power as king and left the other 50% to the League of Justice."Maximus really had outdone himself, building a new center for LOJ and bringing all the territories of the other alphas and his own together in one, calling it Bloodwood MaFe. As Ava left to attend to her fiancé Kyle, whom she had been through a lot with but still remained by his side, two years engaged and five ye
109Maximus POV.I stood there, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I stared at Melezo and Felicity lying on the bed. Melezo, the man who had almost killed me, and Felicity, the woman he had taken from me by force.Indeed I was not dead, have you ever seen the main actor die in his own film? No isn't it? So why was I dead? Marcus had the idea that I lie about my death, that I fake it , after the explosion, I had been seriously injured and Marcus had treated me alone , all this , so that i'll be able to kill Melezo, the real one and not a copy as usual. We had stubbornly left the coffin empty, Marcus had taken care of everything, no one had to know for the plan to work well, not even Felicity .I approached closer to the bed and I watched as Felicity's eyes widened in shock at the sight of me, clearly thinking I was dead. I gestured for her to be quiet, not wanting to alert Melezo to my presence just yet.As I moved closer, I could see the fear in Melezo's eyes when he finally rea
108Felicity POV.One week later,We were staying at the Melezo's apartment. He had me called by his guards." What do you want?" I asked my voice frozen like an iceberg. " It's all thanks to you that I spared your friends."I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?""Don't play ignorant with me," he said.I pretended not to know what he was talking about. "What are you saying?""Don't play ignorant with me," he said, his voice low. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Remember when I asked you to be my wife?"I shrugged, pretending not to understand. "I'm sorry, I don't recall. Could you remind me?"He let out a frustrated sigh. "Stop playing games with me. You said no. And despite the death of Maximus," he paused, glancing away for a moment before meeting my eyes once again. "Give me your answer now!."I felt a lump form in my throat and my heart raced in my chest. "Maximus is dead because of you," I said, my voice shaking. "And no matter what you say, my answer is still no."He
107Felicity POV."I can't see anything clearly, everything is blurry," I said in a muffled voice."Can you hear me?" a distant voice asked.I strained to listen, but it was too faint.Suddenly, my mother appeared in front of me. "Mom!" I cried out with relief.She turned around, and as I laid eyes on her, I was overwhelmed by her beauty. She was dressed in a light flowery dress, barefoot, and her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders. "M-mom?" I called out, my voice shaky."You're doing great, just hang in there," a distant voice said.I started running towards my mother.But as I got closer, she said, "Stop walking, don't follow me."My mom whispered.But I couldn't help myself. I wanted to touch her, to feel her presence.Tears streamed down my face as I desperately pleaded, "But I want to touch you, I've missed you so much!"As I ran towards her again, the distant voices became louder and more urgent and my mother faded away."Can you hear us?" They called out.I blinked, and su
106Felicity POV.One week later,As I sat in front of the mirror, Ava carefully applied my make-up, and we chatted about her relationship with my brother Kyle. "I just don't know what to do," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. "I love him so much, but I don't know where I stand with him."I reached out to take her hand. "Ava, Kyle loves you. I'm sure of it. And I'm going to talk to him tonight and make sure he knows he needs to step up."Ava wiped her tears and gave me a small smile. "Thank you, Feli. I don't know how you always manage to make things better."I winked at her. "It's what friends are for."As Ava finished up my make-up, I surveyed myself in the mirror. It was a stunning transformation - she had somehow managed to make me look even more beautiful. My hair was carefully styled, and my dress was magnificent.It was a flowing, white gown, with intricate lace detailing and a stunning train. It made me feel like a queen. As Ava helped me into the dress, I couldn't help
105Maximus POV.As we walked back to our camp in silence, all dismayed by this death, felicity was the most affected, and I had to be there for her. Despite our past differences and our rivalry, Adrian was my comrade.When we arrived at the camp, the others rushed towards us. "What happened?" one of them asked, looking at Adrian's lifeless body."He's gone," Kyle said, his voice heavy. "We need to bury him."There was a moment of stunned silence before everyone sprang into action, gathering supplies and digging a grave. As we lowered Adrian into the ground, I felt a sense of closure, but also a deep sorrow for the loss of someone so young and full of promise. "Rest in peace, Adrian," I whispered, as we said our final goodbyes. I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt wash over me. Adrian had been my enemy, but he had also been a fighter, a warrior just like me. And in that moment, I realized that perhaps if things had been different, he could have been a true ally, a friend maybe.
104Felicity POV.I sat there, feeling helpless and hopeless. I feared that Adrian would never let me go, that I was doomed to be trapped in this forsaken place forever. My heart ached for Maximus, and I could only pray that he was searching for me.Time seemed to drag on endlessly until suddenly, the door burst open with a loud crash. In the doorway stood Maximus wolf, my hero, my love, he quickly detransformed and resumed his human form. My heart leaped with joy at the sight of him, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me.Maximus quickly freed me from the ropes that bound me and removed the gag from my mouth. I threw my arms around him, feeling the weight of everything that had happened to me lift from my shoulders.As we held each other tightly, our lips met in a kiss that was filled with emotion. Desperation, relief, and love all mingled together, and I felt that nothing could come between us.Breaking the kiss, we remained entwined, not wanting to let go of each other. "I love
103Maximus POV.As I opened my eyes little by little, I felt a throbbing headache and realized it was already nighttime. Ava was standing over me, holding my baby and Felicity's in her arms. "What happened?" I asked groggily, feeling confused and disoriented.It all came flooding back to me - Adrian had given me the tainted meat, causing me to feel weak and drowsy.I shot up, suddenly remembering what had happened. "Where's Felicity?" I demanded."That's actually why I woke you up," Ava said hesitantly. "Adrian took her to talk and she hasn't come back yet."I jumped up, feeling the pain in my head intensify."If that bastard had even laid a finger on Felicity, I was going to make him pay." I shouted.My sudden outburst woke everyone up from their sleep. Kyle shot me a murderous look, "I can't believe you woke me up," Kyle glared at me."I had to," I replied, "Something happened with Felicity.""What happened?" Kyle's tone softened as he turned to Ava.As Ava explained the situation
102Felicity POV.Once we were a safe distance away, Adrian started speaking in a hushed tone. "So, I wanted to talk to you about Maximus."I furrowed my brow, not sure where he was going with this. "Okay, what about him?"Adrian's voice dropped even lower, "He's not a good man for you."I stopped walking and turned to face him, "What do you mean?""He's dangerous, he's made enemies, and he's not the right fit for you," Adrian explained.I furrowed my brow, "I appreciate your concern, but I'm capable of making my own choices."Adrian hesitated for a moment before saying, "I understand. I just worry about you.""Thank you, but I've got this," I reassured him.As we continued our walk, Adrian spoke up again, " Feli, I still love , I tried to forget you but I can't!" I stopped walking and turned to face him. "Look, we've already talked about this. I don't share the same feelings for you. I just love him you a big brother, like I love my brother Kyle. You need to understand this once and