Noah's Pov Morning came early. And maybe too early. Because my head still hurt, and my back still felt stiff. With my entire frame feeling like dried planks, and my mind not knowing where to start. But the sun was already up in the sky; glowing orange and heat, as dove-tailed eagles flapped with wide wings out of their nests and squawked along through the clouds. I could tell; even in my pain, it was a picture perfect morning. Like those in historic paintings. Yet still. In my state of mind. It was less of a masterpiece than anything else. As I sat upright on my bed. And surrounded by trays upon trays; that were filled to the brim with tea cups. And tea cups that were filled with leaves soaked in filtered swamp water. My mind was still unnerved trying to comprehend all that had happened yesterday. The deaths. The cries. The screams. The shouts. And the general emotional turmoil. I was sure even the goddess hadn't seen it all coming. I was sure she herself hadn't half-exp
Noah's POV I couldn't see the birds anymore. I couldn't even see the sun. I could only see blurry faces, bearing down on me with condescending expressions. The lightness in my head made it feel like my brain had turned into clouds. My eyes tried to make sense of the images before me, but they all looked blurry and unfocused. I blinked hard, confused and lost, trying to make the image of heads that poked out from all sides and above me become less vague. I had to know whether I was in a healers house or in Heaven. Where these people, or angels? Then I heard a human voice, yelling my name. I was surprised that my ears didn't have any troubles, as I could hear the sound clearly. And I could hear it better than before, as it was the same voice I heard just before everything went dark. It was Colin again. My eyes shot open like I had been zapped back into consciousness, with my body jerking up in a gasp. I rose up suddenly, and all the heads I saw move out of the way quickly. “No
Noah's POV Time seemed to stop, and the world around me turned in slow-motion as Reyna grew stiff in my hands. Her eyes net mine, and what I saw in them terrified me to my roots. That look would haunt me for days to come. "Noah...." She whispered in a choking voice. Then she fell from my hands in a slump, her body hitting the floor with a thud, like a rock striking another boulder. And in a flash it was over. It had happened too fast. Too unexpected. The anger had flowed from my body in one blazing wave, obliterating all rational thought from my head. My wolf had threatened to jump out, try as I could to hold it back. And I had ended up killing Reyna. I didn't know what had come over me. I fell on my knees with Reyna’s lifeless body beside me, too stiff and numb with disbelief to do more. Myra, Colin and a few other people had gathered around me, and they were yelling a host of words, though I didn't catch a single syllable of what they said to me. All I could do was stare at
Noah's POV I stayed there until Colin returned. He placed a warm hand on my shoulder as he spoke. "I have done all you asked," he murmured. "I have sent a guard to the house of Reyna's parents, and they should be getting the news now." I nodded, then stayed silent for long seconds. "You should back away from the body, Alpha." He suggested. "No," I murmured like a deranged man. "No, I can't." I felt Colin brush past me as he walked over to the bed I'd formerly occupied. He sat on its edge and placed his head in his hands as I hugged Reyna's still body. "Colin?" I called, suddenly. And my beta was surprised that I did. His hands came down from his face and he looked at me confused. I could see the disapproval in his face, like he felt I had no right to say anything after what I had just done. And he was right. But I wasn't concerned about that, at least not now, As I grew a strange and sudden nonchalance. "Are the horses still outside?" I asked. His eyebrows furrowed and he no
Noah's POVMy ears were covered with the drumming of hooves, and my eyes were fixed on the pack house that now doubled in size as I got closer.It looked vastly different from the outside, and the view was even more strange, because I had never gone beyond the pack house walls since I was born.I had hardly ever even moved beyond the courtyard, as my father had always taught that outside was too dangerous. Too disorderly and chaotic. And that only deranged savages lived out there in the wild.I had listened and lived in fear every day of my childhood. Sometimes I was even too afraid to leave my room, for fear the savages might be just outside my window.But now I had gone beyond the safety of my father's words, and beyond the safety of the only place I had known my whole life. Even though it was against my own will, and I was half-conscious all through. I had gone beyond the gold, brick and limestone walls and pillars that lined up all the way to the top palisades, almost reaching the
Noah's POVI pushed past the butler and burst into the room before I could even think of moving my feet. It was as though I was pushed by my emotions rather than thoughts.The butler behind me was startled and his hands went to his face like he was waiting for a bomb to explode."You haven't seen her since?!" I yelled loud, with my eyes darting everywhere.The butler followed me into the room as I looked around. His eyes weren't calm anymore and his face quivered. I knew he was surprised, as he had never seen me angry."N-n-no sir..." he stammered. "We assumed she was still sleeping when she hadn't come up..." he explained. "Same way we thought you were still recuperating from yesterday's events when you yourself hadn't appeared for breakfast..."My eyes shot around the room wildly. The room was more or less the same way I'd found it when I'd walked in and she was missing. My mate's clothes were still littered everywhere, though I saw that the butler had made an effort to tidy up a li
I jumped down from the windowsill, watching as the ground rose up to meet me. I landed at a weird angle, almost falling flat on my face, but I quickly picked myself up.I sniffed. My nose had caught a weird smell. The smell tugged at my senses, familiar but unknown.It was getting stronger, and I could sense it moving. Almost like it was walking towards me.I turned back to the window to see the butler looking down at me with a raised brow. “Did you find anything of interest sir?” he said, with his hands cupped around his mouth.I nodded with a grim expression, then turned back to the around me. I looked straight ahead to the forest, in the direction of the blood stains. And I frowned, feeling guilty, because I understood why she had gone there.My eyes were still facing the bushes, when I became curious. “What is your name my friend?” I asked, without turning back to the butler.And I could hear him clear his throat as he prepared the answer. “I am Richard sire…” he answered. Swiftl
The world went up in a white and clear blue splash, and I went down in a dark haze. As I plummeted into the water, I could only see a long strip of vines that rose from the bottom of the waterfall. The vines were tangled and interconnected and I had tried to reach for them, but they were just a fingertip too far away. And as I lost the chance, I landed in the river. The bright clear body of water held salmon and sea shells, moving across pebbles and against the current, over my head and through my legs. I could hear my heart beat beneath the ripples of motion that flowed past my ears as I floated like a raft on the water. My body was stiff and inert, but my fingers were twitching slightly. Even with my body submerged in the water, I could still hear the sound of the wild animals in the forest arpund. Their sounds came dangerously close but then drowned out in the distance ahead of me. I felt my entire body possess a strange and sudden warmth, almost boiling inside me, as a dist
Noah's PovThe last moments were glorious. The flash of white and the deafening sound of a strange ringing that pierced through my ears was divine.As a huge monster, and one bigger than anything I had ever laid my eyes on stood just ahead of me. Towering over seemingly all existence like a god in the flesh. It's height was closer to the sun than the clouds themselves; and if it made the effort, it's head alone in the right position could cause an eclipse. The sound of it's footsteps were like bombs dropping intermittently. And the claws that grew out of it's hands and body were the size of spears; the tips specifically sharpened for killing dragons. With it's skin white as chalk and scaly as a fish's hide.I laid flat on my back as Flanagan's blade had stopped halfway at the sound of the creature's roar. I was saved. And I stayed motionless; reeling in pain from the excess gratitude.The monster roared again, and the leader of the Rogues stood with his mouth agape as he dropped his
Noah's PovEverything else that happened after my claws tore through his flesh felt like a passing scenery. As I lost full control of myself, and my wolf instincts took full control of my entire being.Colin's loud yelling had attracted surprisingly hundreds of guards. But sadly they all ended in a similar fate. As I tore through and out of the dungeons with rage being my fuel and motivation. I chopped off heads and dismembered arms and legs, leaving corpses in my wake as I burst out into the sunlight. Only dimmed by smoke from burning houses and soldiers trampling stalls with maces.I roared loud and everyone's attention turned to me frantically. They all drew their swords with fear in their eyes as they looked up at me towering over them. I laid waste to more than I could count. As they kept coming in waves after wavesand kept dying in the same succession. My anger had reached a point never before seen, and now I was thirsty for blood.And blood did flow...As I tore through entire
Noah's Pov"Colin?" I asked, frowning."In the flesh..." he answered, gesturing. "And my oh my, isn't that such a dilemma..." he smiled."Your very own handyman turned against you?...""How could you do this?" I asked, groaning."It's simple really..." he shrugged. "Personal interest, isn't it obvious?..." "What did they promise you?" And now he laughed loudly. His voice booming as it reverberated across the hollow and cold walls of the dungeon. He chuckled and held himself with both hands clasped together, smiling. "They didn't promise me anything, Noah..." he replied. "Well they did. But that was simply a superficial desire. Because I'm not here for anything they can offer..." he answered. "They don't even possess anything of my interest to give. Because as it stands... everything is already mine." My hands were hurting and now my soul was burning. I was confused as to why Colin could be working with the enemy? I was losing blood flow in my arms as I wondered why my own frien
Noah's PovI regained my consciousness in pure darkness. The only light being the torches that spread out amongst gray walls, giving vision as little as bird seed.The side of my head hurt with a sharp pain as blood flowed down my face, trickling to the floor. I felt dizzy and every part of my body hurt. I couldn't see, so I tried to move my hands. But the only sound I heard was the creaking of bones and the jingling of metal. I frowned as I slowly craned my neck upwards. And found myself being held captive by a set of chains connected to the damp wall behind me. I shook my head in pain and frustration, realizing I wasn't just in this place, wherever it was. But I was stuck here too.My mind went through its own pain as I suddenly thought of what had happened? Where am I now? And if we had lost?The fight was something I vaguely remembered. And the only thing that stood out was the impact I made before everything went black. I looked down at myself now with the slightest glance and w
Noah's Pov I released a yell as I lunged forward; swinging my sword with all my weight behind it. I didn't aim. I didn't plan. I just moved to strike. And learnt too late that that was ignorant.As I saw him dodge the blow and myself become open for one. When I felt the full force of the steel fist he sent to my ribs. That cracked them in pieces like twigs.I fell to the floor, coughing blood. And air left my lungs as if it was being pumped out of my body. The pain was immense and it shot through my entire frame, making me keel over on the sand. Shellshocked. The horseman walked up to me till he got close enough to stand over me. I could see him smile down as I groaned in pain and his mouth revealed a row of jagged teeth. He held his sword by his side, then slowly sheathed it back. Now folding his arms and squinting at me.“Your time has come Alpha…” his baritone voice boomed. “I suggest you give up now while you still can, and maybe you'll be spared.” he said.”You are not winning
Noah's Pov I grinned as I stood up slowly. Then got up to my feet and smiled wide, nodding to the boy in respect. As he had just saved me the vain effort of chasing down a phoenix.He nodded back and as the man wanted to get up the second time; Danny instantaneously turned, aimed and fired again. Taking him to the ground in a louder groan.I was surprised at his speed. As I didn't see anything happen until the arrow had already hit its target. The boy folded his hand in a fist and gestured in victory. As the man on the floor now fell flat on his face.“I did it Alpha!” Danny yelled now. “I took him out!” he jumped, celebrating.“I did it!”He jumped and threw fists in the air, and even dropped his bow and did a dance in between. But I frowned as I would have loved to believe that too...Because the two arrows had landed closely together, and now looked like antennas sticking out of the man's back. And my brows raised in confusion and doubt. As I didn't believe he could be taken out t
Noah's PovTWO CYCLES LATERThe day the war began was one I would never soon forget. The day the morning sun became a gloomy circle in the sky. And the wind blew strong and rough; almost changing its form to the waves of a raging storm.I was out on the field with a regiment of men at the forefront, while reinforcements laid hiding in plain sight. I held my sword and shield, but they felt burdensome. As I hadn't held even a stick in a good year.Yet I stood at the gates of the pack house. Directly in front. Holding the fort as the leader. And desirous to land the first kill. My blood was pumping, adrenaline raging and annoyance building. I was here to fight alongside my men, and to the death if it meant it.We had spread out in units; some on the ground, some in the trees, and some underground. The plan had been relayed, reiterated, and understood. And the day to implement had come. It was finally time. The moment of truth.The day of Reckoning…I felt strange yet confident. As inside
Moon Goddess's PovEverything was finally unfolding. The foretold destiny was being unveiled. And soon death would rain like fire. Yet new life would be born and watered from its ashes.The birth of a new generation was already at its wake. The drums of fate and the inevitable hands of time have brought into the present the catalyst for a future never expected. The world would see new light and a new peace. But only if it can survive the old darkness.Great things come after arduous hardship. Great men are forged through the cold of trials and in the furnace of tribulations. And the stars of men can only shine under the cover of darkness.The Alpha had done well to heed my voice.He had done well to not people please, and was wise to not have chosen to do what would make others clap, over what his heart felt was right. A true man with a true heart. And with as many allies as enemies.Yet the deaths of the people he killed which have come and gone still linger in his mind… As he still
Flanagan's PovI rode back to the training field and boiled. With my anger reaching the clouds in the sky, yet its power originating from hell. I was angry, and wielding my sword with enough force to crack the hilt in two. And I gathered speed as I climbed up and came down the hill that led to the training area.I powered down the dusty path, seeing the hoof prints of the men who came before to inform me of my daughter's health. And it hurt me to see her sick and forlorn. Because she was important and I needed her. I could sense she had a versatile power in her. And one that would be important to our victory.Yet now she has been sidelined and put aside by illness...And Colin was to pay.My anger doubled as I powered down and reached the men. Who now looked at me with their eyes wide as I doubled in size in their vision. I rode even though close, and at full speed; only stopping after ramming into a soldier and sending him flying into a tree, landing with his back first. And from th