And like that, the fight began. Kenneth charged Garrett and they began trading blows. Garrett was faster, able to dodge most of Kenneth's punches; however, the ones that connected weren't anything to shrug at. Garrett delivered punches faster than Kenneth, taking advantage of Kenneth's slower reaction time. The other wolves and felines watched with interest at who would be victorious. If Kenneth lost, his pack would belong to Garrett if he wanted. If Garrett lost, his life would be forfeit if Kenneth chose that route as it was his right to do. "I need to stop this. This is not what I wanted," Lily said. She was excited by the brutality of the display before her and did feel that her father deserved every punch, but she was anxious as she didn't know who would win. 'You need to have more faith in him, little she-wolf,' the mysterious voice spoke to her again. His tone was light as if he found the situation amusing. "You can not interfere with an Alpha challenge. We have to let the
"No!" Kenneth and Garrett both exclaim in unison but for different reasons. The scent of an unmated she-wolf in heat began to drift through the air, capturing the attention of unmated males from multiple packs. It was a primal call that none of them could resist, drawing them like moths to a flame. From various corners of the clearing, wolves started to shift their attention, their instincts kicking into high gear. They followed the intoxicating aroma, their senses attuned to the alluring scent that promised the promise of a potential mate. Lily covered her ears as multiple wolves began speaking to her at once, all trying to lure her to them. It took everything in her to make her stand where she was, trembling from the pain of breaking the pack bond. Her decisions had sent shockwaves through the Blue Creek pack, and now she had to face the consequences of her actions. "Lily!" Tiffany exclaimed. "Are you insane? Why would you do this?" She rushed to her seeing her dropping to
The pain that surged through Lily dulled over time, but it was still a persistent ache in the back of her mind. Yet, amidst the throbbing, she became aware of something strange happening. More voices started to echo in her mind, and she realized that the number of males trying to seduce her seemed to have doubled. "Dammit," Tiffany exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice. "Now, our males want you too." She didn't expect nor know that this would happen. "You're going to have to fight Lily. I know you don't have experience, but you're going to have to because…my mate needs me." Determined to reach Adam, Tiffany threw herself back into the fray, forcefully knocking wolves out of her way. She couldn't ignore the pull of the mate bond now that she understood what it was. Though she had felt it the first time she met Adam, she had brushed it aside, thinking it was just lust for a handsome man. Meanwhile, Lily readied herself to fight when she heard Berric's voice, "I am coming L
As the challenge was accepted, the forest erupted in commotion. The sheer audacity of Lily was mind boggling. She had not hesitated to accept the challenge. 'Oh, little she-wolf, you must have a trick up your sleeve,' the mysterious voice evaded Lily's mind again. His tone irritated her as she didn't find this situation funny at all; however, Lily could not back down from Brandy. 'I didn't mean to offend you, little…' 'My name is Lily and yes, you did offend. Please stop invading my mind while I prepare,' Lily snapped. The mysterious voice chuckled before leaving her be. 'Lily, I…' Garrett started. 'Have faith in me like I have faith in you or did you lie about that too?' Lily snapped at Garrett. 'I deserved that. I only wanted to say is remember what we practiced. Watch your breathing and watch her movements. She is going to rely on the fact that you are weaker than her. Use that against her. You can do this,' Garrett responded. 'Then when she tires herself out, go for
Hearing Lycan King Ethan's proclamation, Kenneth's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to absorb the weight of the situation. Not only had he been embarrassed the entire night, but he had also been humiliated in front of the powerful Lycan King. Sensing his distress, Ethan sneered and said, "I saw everything. Don't dare try to lie to me about your actions." "I apologize, my king. I..." Kenneth started, but Ethan's intimidating snarl silenced him immediately. Ethan, with eyes that seemed to pierce through one's soul, addressed the gathered werewolves and werefelines once more. "Lily has proven herself and demonstrated unwavering dignity under such extreme circumstances. Her courage and cunning have earned her the title of victor tonight. She possesses qualities that make her worthy of being the future Luna to one of our kings." Mandy finally managed to pull herself to her feet. She managed to shift back into her human form. Mandy exchanged a bewildered glance with Kenneth, bo
'It's so soft,' Lily thought as she lay in a field of flowers. Vines wrapped around her, holding her close, enveloping her like a cocoon. She felt herself sinking lower and lower, but she didn't care. Then, Lily heard a soft, soothing voice echoing in her mind. It wasn't Dina. It was a voice she had never heard before, but its presence oddly brought her comfort as if she heard it before. "Wake up. It's time to wake up Lily." Lily ignored the voice at first, closing her eyes again. The voice became more urgent with its plea. "Wake up! You need to wake up, Lily." Lily didn't want to leave the comfort, but she also didn't want to disobey. Lily's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light in the room. As she blinked away the remnants of her sleep, the voice faded away. "Oh my god! You're awake!" To Lily's bewilderment, she found herself in a lavish bed in a room she did not recognize with a woman that she did not know. She bared her teeth at the woman and the woman brought her
"Pathetic," Ethan sat on his couch, reviewing the latest status reports of the packs. He sneered at them, his irritation with their failings evident. They weren't doing nearly as well as he had hoped. So much internal fighting and death. It was a wonder to him how they were related to Lycans. "Alpha King, the she-wolf is awake," Janet's voice flooded Ethan's mind. He rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Finally." Clearing his throat, he responded, "Bring her to me as long as she is able to move." "As you wish, Alpha King." Ethan put down his reports and got up, pacing the room for a moment. He went to his desk and pulled out the file he had on Lily. Ethan researched her on his own as he wanted to ensure that nothing was omitted. He found that the young woman lived a harsh life, and her mother's death was suspicious. Ethan intended to reveal the truth of the matter immediately, but the Elder Council asked him to wait until the trial. He didn't like waiting, but he
Lily's mind was in turmoil as she left the office, her conversation with Ethan, the Lycan King, replaying in her head. The revelation about her lycanthropic heritage and the prospect of the Elder Council pushing her to have pups weighed heavily on her. As she aimlessly walked the halls, Janet approached her with a troubled expression. "Is everything alright, Lily?" Janet asked, concern evident in her voice. Lily sighed, glancing at Janet. "I'm just trying to process everything Ethan told me. It's a lot to take in, and I'm worried about what the Elder Council might want from me." Janet nodded understandingly. "I can only imagine how overwhelming this must be for you. But remember, Ethan can be rough around the edges, but he means well. Don't take his words too personally." "I'll keep that in mind," Lily replied, appreciating Janet's reassurance. "Let's get you to your room," Janet said. As they reached Lily's room, she found that her room was something out of a 5 – star
"No, I know who you are," Amdis said firmly. "You are my mate. I would recognize you anywhere." The sincerity in his words made her heart skip a beat. Kasia's heart thundered in her chest, its pulse thudding through her veins as if attempting to escape her very being. The room itself seemed to press in on her from all sides, suffocating her. "What are you talking about?" she asked. The crackle of thunder from outside caused her to jump in surprise. Her mind reeled as she struggled to process his claim. How could this be? Alpha King Ethan was her mate; there was no doubt in her mind about that. Panic bubbled up inside her, and she fought to maintain control over her emotions. "I keep telling you that you're wrong. You have me confused with someone else. I don't know how many times I must tell you this," she said firmly, trying to mask the fear in her voice. "My mate is Alpha King Ethan, not you." The mere mention of Ethan's name caused Amdis' features to contort into a frown
Kasia awoke with a start, her heart pounding. Her body felt cocooned in silk, the fabric clinging to her like an unwelcome lover. As she tried to make sense of her surroundings, memories of Amdis, the vampire who had taken her away, flooded back. She glanced down at herself, noticing for the first time that she wore nothing but a sheer camisole. Anger flared within her, and she clenched her fists, cursing silently. "Who does he think he is?" Kasia muttered under her breath as she threw off the silk sheets and slid out of bed. For a moment, she considered tearing the offensive garment from her body, but practicality won out. She needed to find a way out of this place, and she couldn't do that naked. The room was bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the ornate furnishings. Kasia's instincts kicked in, and she moved cautiously towards the window, scanning the room for any potential threats. As her eyes adjusted to the fading light, she realized tha
'Go back there and rip her throat out!' Deva snarled. 'No, he made his decision. We will not fight over him,' Kasia responded as she continued walking away. How could he have done this to her? She should've known better. This was all just part of the plan. He just wanted her close because she is a blessed blood. That's all it was. "Kasia, stop!" Lily said, grabbing her wrist. "Calm down. It's not what you think it is." "I saw what I saw. He was with that b****! I know what I saw," Kasia growled. "That's not what I saw," Lily responded, causing Kasia to squint at her. "What do you mean that's not what you saw? He was humping Aimee," Kasia retorted. "Yes, but when I first saw them, she looked a lot like you," Lily explained. "That…that doesn't make any sense," Kasia said. "How could Aimee have gotten to him so fast? We had just seen her. I don't know. I think something else is going on," Lily argued. "It doesn't matter," Kasia replied, her voice strained. She tried to
'You didn't have to be so mean,' Kasia scolded Deva. 'And he didn't have to have females all over him like he doesn't have a mate for WEEKS,' Deva growled back. Kasia watched as Ethan walked away and sighed. She regretted being coy with him. Perhaps he would have been able to tell her what he needed to say before he got pulled away. The mood was ruined, and Kasia didn't feel like dancing anymore. She moved away from the stage where the live music was playing. "This is only temporary," Lily said, surprising Kasia as she looped arms with her. "Let's get something to eat. Have you ever had fairy pastries before?" "That's a thing?!" Kasia asked, causing Lily to laugh. Lily and Kasia sampled mouthwatering dishes at one of the many food stalls. The scent of spiced meats and vegetables filled the air, mingling with laughter and chatter from the crowd. Kasia's hazel eyes twinkled with delight as she savored a bite of grilled meat skewer, not caring what she was eating because it was
The sun blazed high in the sky, casting a golden hue over the city as the Summer Solstice festival commenced. Colorful banners and streamers adorned the buildings, while stalls lined the bustling streets, offering food, games, and trinkets to the celebrating crowd. Laughter and lively music filled the air, setting a jovial atmosphere that reached every corner of the city. At the heart of it all, Ethan scanned the festive scene before him. "Relax, Ethan," Garrett encouraged with a knowing smile. "This isn't something you haven't hosted before." Ethan let out a strained chuckle, doing his best to maintain a calm facade. "Easier said than done," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Kasia, who had been avoiding him for days. The uncertainty gnawed at him. "You're still worrying about Kasia, aren't you? Lily says she has been super busy with Kasia to get her prepared for today. She's not avoiding you on purpose," Garrett stated. "She
"Are you sure about telling him now before finding out anything else?" As they neared the door, Lana asked nervously. "We haven't even done any research on the paperwork." "Positive," Janet replied, her voice steady. "We need to tell Alpha Ethan what we found immediately, so we can figure out our next moves." Deanna nodded in agreement as they stopped in front of the heavy wooden door. With a deep breath, Lana knocked firmly, and after a moment, the door creaked open, revealing Ethan seated behind his desk and the pack doctor, Brian, with him. "Come in," Ethan said calmly. "I am happy to see that we didn't have casualties." "Thanks to Lana. She was right about those traps," Deanna said as she entered the room, followed by Janet and Lana. "We have a report on the base we found." "Go on," Ethan prompted. "What did you find out?" "Not much. The base was pretty much destroyed," Deanna answered. "What do you mean?" Ethan asked. "It's not just us that have a problem with th
The moon cast an eerie glow on the ground as Deanna, Janet, Lana, and a few warriors made their way through the dense forest. The air was thick with tension, and Lana led them with quiet determination. Sweat beaded on her brow, but she focused on the task at hand. "Remember," she whispered to the others, "the closer we get to the hunters' base, the more traps there'll be. Stay alert." An impatient warrior, his face contorted in frustration, grumbled under his breath. He'd grown tired of following Lana's slow pace, and he decided to speed forward. Lana's hazel eyes flashed a warning, and she called out to him. "Don't! You don't know where the traps are." But her words fell on deaf ears. Just as the warrior was about to step into a well-hidden pit filled with sharp spikes, Lana lunged at him, pushing him aside. In doing so, her arm grazed one of the silver-tipped spikes, and she winced, silver oozing from the wound. "Idiot!" Lana hissed as she clutched her injured arm. "You could
Milo frowned, confusion etched on his features. "How is that possible? You don't smell like a human anymore." "Long story," Kasia replied, glancing away from him and out the window at the blurred city lights. She felt exposed and vulnerable under his scrutiny. "Hey, I've got time," Milo said, leaning back in his seat with a casual air. He studied Kasia intently for a moment before asking, "Where are you headed?" Lily chimed in, her voice soft and hesitant. "We were going to grab dinner. You're welcome to join us if you'd like." Kasia shook her head, dismissing the suggestion. "That would compromise your cover, Milo. We can't risk it." "About that," Milo began with a smirk. He reached up and removed his contacts, revealing striking gold eyes that burned with intensity. Next, he pulled off his blond wig, displaying his true hair color—black, cropped short, and messy. Kasia blinked in surprise at the transformation. Finally, Milo took a cloth and wiped his face clean of make
"Come on, let's try this store," Lily suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she pulled Kasia into a boutique overflowing with colorful garments. Kasia couldn't help but smile as she browsed the racks, selecting pieces she'd never dreamed of wearing before. The normalcy of the moment brought a sense of comfort, something that had been sorely lacking in her life since her parents' deaths. "I've never really had the chance to do normal things like this, you know?" Kasia confided in Lily as they sat down on a plush bench, laden with clothes to try on. "Ever since my parents died, it's just been... surviving, and then I joined them, but I still felt like I was struggling. I don't know why I am talking about this now." Lily's face softened, her gaze full of understanding. "I'm so sorry, Kasia. What happened to your parents?" Kasia took a deep breath, feeling the familiar ache in her chest. "We were foragers, living off the land. One day, Lana and I went out to gather sup