~ E V E R E T T ~Too many people were shuffling about in the manor, in such a rush that it almost made me feel dizzy. My body was in the centre of the chaos of maids and guards rushing around to fulfil their duties, but my mind was wandering off elsewhere. I could wish and hope to be elsewhere all I wanted, but there was nothing I could do to avoid this any further. My destiny was no longer mine to control. ‘How is the fit, Alpha-son?’ One of the maids, who specialised in tailoring, asked as she fixed the seams of my trousers before coming to a stand and brushing a loose thread off my shoulder. ‘Is it comfortable, or do I need to make further adjustments for you?’I shook my head, ‘No, it’s perfect, thank you. That should be all.’She bowed to me before picking up her things and leaving. Ever since I turned twenty-one, I have received more formal treatment from the staff and people of the pack. Considering it was the average age for heirs to take their place as Alpha back when more
~ E V E R E T T ~The party didn’t last all day, which I was incredibly thankful for. I wasn’t too interested in being the centre of attention, and based on the impression I got, Suki wasn’t interested either. Swinging the bedroom door open, I froze when I locked eyes with one of the maids going through my drawers. My brows rose when my eyes rounded before furrowing into anger, ‘What the hell are you doing in my room?’The maid stumbled back, away from the drawer and stuttered as she spoke, ‘I-I’m so sorry Alpha-son!’ She bowed and kept her head low. Snarling, I stepped towards her, ‘Answer my question.’Standing upright, her eyes looked full of fear as they welled up with tears, ‘I… I can’t.’ ‘Why not?’ I said through gritted teeth, ‘What are you searching for?’‘I…’ her eyes shifted from side to side, struggling to find the words, like they were lost to her or taken away from her. As I took another step forward to her, like clockwork, my mother walked into the room, ‘Oh, there y
~ A M E L I A ~Tiredness and hunger bloomed in me. However, as it was most days, the pain of my torture was too unbearable, for I couldn’t even think about eating. It wasn’t like they fed me anyway. I was lucky if I was given a bite of stale bread at times. One day, when my body wasn’t healing at all, the guards that kept an eye on me when Alpha Draven was away fed me a single spoonful of honey and two spoonfuls of water to wash it down. The sweet and sticky liquid soothed my dry and hoarse throat, yet the minute it disappeared, the dryness and pain returned. It had been a short while since my last visit from the Alpha, which meant he was due any minute. I had lost count of how many days I was trapped, it was hard to count when you were constantly in and out of consciousness, and with no window or cracks in the walls to indicate when the sun rose and fell. How I missed feeling the warmth of the sun on my cheeks and the cool breeze of the night sky. The worst part of it all was, I
~ E V E R E T T ~Ten days.Amelia had been missing for ten days. I was ready to tear anyone apart who got in my way of trying to find her, but there were no leads to where she was or where she went. There was no proof that she was even missing. Her birthday was six days away, she could have gone home to her parents…No. That doesn’t explain why she’s not responding to calls or texts. Something is wrong.My gut instincts had never been wrong before, and I knew they weren’t failing me now. Returning to Amelia’s home, I wanted to do a thorough search to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. The problem was, when I discovered her front door unlocked and I ran around her home, everything looked entirely normal. No mess or signs of a break in or ambush. Nothing at all to indicate that someone broke in and took her away. Not even a lingering scent of anyone to lead me anywhere.After searching the entire house, I was losing hope. I sat on her bed and cracked my neck before catch
~ E V E R E T T ~Not far behind me, my father followed me, with a lantern in hand, but my eyes had already adjusted to the dark. As we went underground, we walked down a hallway for a short while. He stepped in front of me and stopped by a door, opening it to show many weapons from times gone by. Old swords and shields and bows, and arrows. ‘Wow…’ ‘There is much more to be seen, however, perhaps another day I will show you all these rooms,’ he shut the door and continued down the hallway. I followed, ‘What exactly did you want to show me now?’ Dad stayed silent for a while before answering dryly, ‘The dungeon.’Coming to an immediate halt, my eyes widened, ‘There’s a dungeon here?’‘Yes, son,’ he stopped and turned to me, ‘You’re surprised?’Shaking my head, ‘No,’ I breathed, ‘I just didn’t expect it to still he here or for it to at least be utilised for other purposes, or something…’ I trailed off. Placing a hand on my shoulder, my father exhaled, ‘It does have a purpose, and
~ E V E R E T T ~My father was so happy after I agreed to his malicious plan that he ushered me out of the dungeon and back into the castle for a celebratory drink. I barely even got to glimpse back at Amelia’s frail body as he took me away. I hoped I was making the right choice, but I had to follow my gut. I didn’t care about the alleged information my father was saying to me, and something deep within me didn’t believe it either. There was no time to waste. Amelia looked like her body couldn’t handle it any longer, and who knew how much wolfsbane was already in her system? Another day or two of the torture my father was inflicting on her, and she may not make it. She may not make it now. I had to get her out of there. Deception. Fraud. Treason. Whatever the words my pack will use against me will likely go down in history. I would be known as the werewolf that went against the wishes of the Alpha, who lied about joining his cause to protect and save the pack from the dreaded ei
~ E V E R E T T ~A roaring scream was brewing within me, but I bit my tongue to hold it back. I couldn’t risk us getting caught, I had no idea whether the guards had realised she was missing or not. They could be looking for us. They could be hunting for Amelia. I had no time to think or grieve. Before moving, I steadied my breath and focused, pressing my fingers on her neck to feel her pulse. Nothing. I tried to remain calm, pressing my ear to her chest and listening carefully. Tut tum… tut… tum… Her heartbeat was faint and withering away, but it was there. It was there. It was there.Scooping her back up, ‘Stay with me, Amelia,’ I said before speeding through the forest as quickly and carefully as I could, my mind howling at me to save her. She had to live, I couldn’t let her die. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if she died. Almost tripped over the air as I abruptly came to a stop. I had made it to the edge of the pack’s borders. My mind was spiralling, and I was so flu
~ A M E L I A ~It was so cold and dark…Where am I? What is going on?My eyes slowly peeled open, feeling the weight of my drowsiness, meeting the night sky above me. There was not a star to be seen, which was unusual for the Silver Moon pack. No matter where you are, you’d always be able to see stars at night. It was one of my favourite things about the pack. Scanning my surroundings briefly without moving my head, there were trees all around me. How did I end up in the forest? Where was I last? Pushing myself to sit up slowly, my head felt heavy as I tried to recall what happened. Everett had told me to come see him… The Alpha ambushed me… pain… so much pain…My lip quivered as I examined and patted down my entire body, but there wasn’t a cut to be seen.Am I dreaming? What the hell is going on?A rustle behind me caught my attention. Twirling onto all fours and pushing myself to stand, I felt too alert and concerned for what was out there. ‘Who’s there?’ I said sharply. No re
~ E V E R E T T ~‘What the hell is going on?’ I asked in a panic as the candle flame began to burn more aggressively, melting the wax representing Amelia’s life force that much faster.Sybil watched the candle in amazement. ‘Her journey through the spirit world has been far too impactful on her body. She’s too weak.’‘No,’ I cooed as I looked back at the small amount of wax that remained of the candle. Squeezing Amelia’s hand, I looked at her and hoped she could hear me in her state of unconsciousness, ‘Listen to me. You are not dying, do you hear me? It’s not your time. It’s not your—‘The room became eerily chilled as the candle flame was snuffed out. I refused to turn around to confirm, hearing Sybil’s saddened sigh was confirmation enough. ‘No… Amelia,’ I cupped a hand on her cheek, ‘wake up. Wake up!’‘Alpha-son, she’s gone.’ Sybil stood and lowered her head, staring at the ground. She also looked heartbroken by this loss. Stepping away from Amelia and towards Sybil, I snapped,
~ A M E L I A ~Panic surged through me. My father’s demise… it was at the hands of his best friend? The Moon Goddess brought us to the time of the battle. As she did, all the magic it took to travel through time was taking a huge toll on my spiritual body. I collapsed to the ground and whimpered, ‘What’s happening to me?’Kneeling beside me, the Moon Goddess helped me up, ‘You don’t have much time, we need to send you back very soon.’I groaned, feeling myself lose the connection and hold I had still back in the land of the living, I couldn’t feel warmth… I couldn’t feel anything. ‘How much longer do I have?’‘Enough time to see this last glimpse into the past.’Holding myself up with all my remaining strength, I watched as the events played out. My father and his best friend were standing head to head under the starry night sky. Many members of the pack, especially the council members, were bearing witness to the fight, awaiting to see who would triumph. ‘Are you sure you want to
~ A M E L I A ~‘What happened after that? How did Draven become Alpha?’The Moon Goddess had brought me back to her moonflower garden, her hand on my back rubbing back and forth soothing me, ‘My dear, you’ve witnessed a lot, are you sure you don’t want to take a break?’I shook my head, ‘I don’t have time for a break! You said yourself that I’ve got a limited amount of time left back in the human world, I can’t waste it.’She nodded, ‘I know, but I can sense your pain and suffering, and things only get darker from here…’Swallowing thickly, I stood tall, ‘Show me.’‘Very well.’~ ~ ~ Following the events of the hospital fire, the next day was sombre. It wasn’t just the families who were directly involved in the fire who were grieving, it was the entire pack. They were all traumatised and scared for what was to come. The funerals for the newborns were held all together, the Alpha and Luna ensured that they were all treated with equal respect and care during the entire process, as we
~ A M E L I A ~It began to rain. First a trickle, then a complete downpour. The Alpha and Luna looked out to the rain, a perfect resemblance of their sorrow, and knew that they had no more time to waste. They had to say their final goodbyes to their daughter and commence with their plan before people became aware. When they had finally said their goodbyes, Kali had come to terms that she would not be the one to venture out to take their daughter to the person they’d hope would be the one and only person they could entrust to take her outside of the pack and to her new human family. In her state of only recently giving birth, her werewolf healing was depleting her energy, plus her sudden disappearance from the fire would raise suspicions. They had to take their next steps carefully and mindfully.Enzo sent Kali back to the hospital, where she would have to act as though she had lost her baby in that fire, along with all the other mothers who lost their babies. Such a foul and disgus
~ A M E L I A ~They arrived back at Rieka Manor, successfully unseen by anyone else. Enzo placed Kali gently on their bed and began to pace up and down the room, muttering to himself. ‘Enzo,’ she was almost hyperventilating, ‘my love, please talk to me! What is going on?’ Kali spoke quietly, trying not to awaken their baby, who had finally fallen asleep soundly, but concern was laced throughout her voice.Yet he didn’t stop pacing, deep in his thoughts, ‘It can’t be them… They wouldn’t… They couldn’t betray us like that!’‘Who?’He shook his head, ’No, no, no!’ He slammed his fist against the wall, shaking the entire room, ‘These bastards,’ he muttered through gritted teeth before sitting next to his mate and wrapping his arms around her, embracing the love of his life and their newborn daughter.‘My love, my Alpha,’ Kali continued to cry silently, ‘Please. Talk to me.’Enzo looked at his mate, holding her face softly as he wiped away her tears with his thumb, ‘My radiant Luna…’ he
~ A M E L I A ~Devastated was an understatement for how I felt, but I was not surprised at all. Those men had been stuck in traditions for so long they were blind to the facts that were right in front of them. That women wanted to show their strength and power, to prove that they are equally as powerful as they are. Yet these men just have to prove themselves to be the best. The Moon Goddess took me later in the day. The sun was slowly going down, dimming the light sky and introducing us to the upcoming night. We walked down the long hallways of the hospital, and the sterile aroma of my surroundings was hard to ignore. We finally made it to the private room that was dedicated to my birth mother, Kali. She was in her hospital bed, sitting up while holding her baby girl, me. With one finger, she bounced my small hand up and down until I clasped my tiny fist around her finger. ‘I can already sense that you’re a strong one, aren’t you, little wolf?’ Kali smiled. Even after giving bir
~ A M E L I A ~My expression faded. That was not going to be easy to get used to, but I nodded and followed her towards my birth parents’ manor. ‘Most of the pack is slumbering away, nursing their hangovers or resting in whichever ways they seem fit,’ the Moon Goddess informed me as we walked through the manor grounds and phased through the door to enter the home. ‘However, Alpha Enzo knew the importance of caring for the pack, and always prioritised his duties before anything else. So, as his mate rested in the hospital and was learning to nurse you, he was back to his duties. They were still recovering from a recent conflict they encountered with another enemy pack. I believe you’re already aware of some people of the Shadow pack?’I nodded as we phased through another set of doors. Inside the room was a grand table. Sitting around it were men, mostly middle-aged but some older and some younger, but a handful of them I recognised from the present day in the Silver Moon pack. It wa
~ A M E L I A ~A wave of dizziness hit me as I reopened my eyes and took in my surroundings. The Moon Goddess and I were no longer in her garden of moon flowers, but deep within a forest. It was so familiar, yet different all at once. In the distance was a gentle glow emitting from lanterns.‘Where are we?’ I asked.The Moon Goddess linked her arm with mine, holding me close to her, ‘We’re in the village of the Silver Moon pack…’ she began walking me towards the lights, where noise and music began to tickle my ears, ‘…18 years ago.’I froze in place and looked at her, ‘Before I was born?’She nodded, ‘In fact, the day I brought you back to is your birthday.’Drawing my gaze back towards where the noise grew, it sounded like there was a huge celebration going on. This was it, this was finally the time I was going to learn everything. I was going to learn the truth and finally be able to understand who I am. But, for some reason, I could not move.‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ T
~ A M E L I A ~It was so cold and dark…Where am I? What is going on?My eyes slowly peeled open, feeling the weight of my drowsiness, meeting the night sky above me. There was not a star to be seen, which was unusual for the Silver Moon pack. No matter where you are, you’d always be able to see stars at night. It was one of my favourite things about the pack. Scanning my surroundings briefly without moving my head, there were trees all around me. How did I end up in the forest? Where was I last? Pushing myself to sit up slowly, my head felt heavy as I tried to recall what happened. Everett had told me to come see him… The Alpha ambushed me… pain… so much pain…My lip quivered as I examined and patted down my entire body, but there wasn’t a cut to be seen.Am I dreaming? What the hell is going on?A rustle behind me caught my attention. Twirling onto all fours and pushing myself to stand, I felt too alert and concerned for what was out there. ‘Who’s there?’ I said sharply. No re