~ Rayel’s POVI paced around my room, thinking hard about what Beta Boris had told me. His words rang in my hair over and over again until they were all I could hear at that point. He had been so brutal and straight forward with his words but I knew that, he had said nothing but the truth at even at his own risk. He must have gotten tired of seeing me mope around the palace, grieving and aimless. I was still not certain of whether he truly knew what Elara had been to me. I wondered if he knew Elara had been my mate or if he had only suspected that I had feelings for her. Beta Boris was not a fool, he had always been very astute and discerning especially when it came to me and matters regarding the pack. Feelings I had not been able to and did not acknowledge until my poor Elara was dead. The council was pressuring me to produce an heir as soon as possible, and the only way to do so was to find a new breeder. I'm very sorry, Elara. I need to let you go and find a new breeder for the
~ Hazel’s POV I was in the garden, admiring the beautiful flowers and appreciating the beauty of nature. The sun shone through the leaves, creating light patches on the colorful flowers below. I walked deeper, my feet sinking into the soft grass. Red and pink roses opened wide and smelled sweet in the warm air. A fuzzy bee, covered in yellow dust, flew between them and buzzed gently. Around a bend, I discovered a hidden spot full of tall lilies. White ones, like clean snow, smelled fresh. Orange ones were bright like the sunset and smelled delicious like oranges. All of the smells were incredible, like a perfume garden coming to life. Then there was a flash of blue! A butterfly landed on a purple flower, its color similar to that of the summer sky. It opened its wings, revealing a variety of colors, including dark purple, bright blue, and a hint of yellow. It resembled a genuine jewel, a tiny bit of magic! I sat mesmerized on an old wooden bench beneath a drooping willow tree. The
Elara’s POVAs I was about to stand up to help Rufus, I felt a bit strange, it was a sharp pain in my belly. The pain started subtly, a viper coiling in my lower abdomen, but then I ignored it and went to prepare lunch together with Rufus. He told me to take a seat and watched him as he prepared the best delicacies ever and promised to call on me when he needed my help. I smiled at him and took a seat far away from him to avoid inhaling some smoke. I brought out my phone and continued my video games to kill time but then the pain in my tummy didn’t allowed me enjoyed the game. “We are having roasted chicken with grit waffles for lunch, Elara,” Rufus said to me as he scrambled around to get the necessary ingredients ready but then the pain in my belly intensified and I was unable to reply to him.“Elara,” he called out my name when he didn’t hear me responding to him.“I guess you are on your phone again, right?” He asked without turning back to look at me.A groan escaped my lips as
~ Elara’s POVI was extremely dehydrated, but Rufus refused to allow me to drink anything. He insisted that I finish the drip, and once he was sure that I was fine, he promised to let me drink water and eat until I was full. I watched him make me a potion and then give it to me to drink.The scent assaulted my senses first. It was a thick, cloying aroma that irritated the back of my throat. Imagine the stench of burnt sugar mixed with something rotten, like a forgotten fruit left under the bed. My stomach lurched, churning with nausea. Every instinct in me screamed to reject the bitter concoction, but I had to take it.Grimacing, I pinched my nose shut and brought the vial to my lips. The bitter taste was even worse than the smell. It was a metallic tang that lingered on my tongue, like licking a rusty spoon that had been soaking in dirt. The bitterness seemed to seep down my throat, spreading a foul sensation throughout my body. Each swallow was a battle, but I forced it down, the ur
Elara's POVHe raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Oh, are you on? Don't underestimate the culinary prowess of a seasoned traveller, Elara."We spent the next few minutes in a lighthearted debate about our respective cooking skills, the tension from earlier dissipating with each playful jab. Finally, with a comfortable silence settling around us, I felt the question burning a hole in my tongue."So," I began cautiously, "tell me about your travels. Where have you been, what have you seen?"Rufus hesitated for a moment, then leaned back against the wall. "It's been a long journey," he said, his voice thoughtful. "I've travelled across mountains, through scorching deserts, and even spent some time exploring the frozen north."My eyes widened. "The frozen north? That sounds... harsh.""It is," he admitted, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips. "But it's also home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes you'll ever see. The aurora borealis, shimmering across the night sky, is a sight
Rayel's POV"Good morning Alpha," the young maid standing outside my room blushed prettily as she curtsied when I opened the door that morning after hearing a knock. It was barely five am in the morning and I had stumbled to the door, straight out of bed and still half asleep. Thinking it was Hazel, I opened the door and the sight that I beheld immediately caused the drowsiness I felt at that moment to disappear and my stomach to curdle. “"And you are?" I asked her, slightly irritated because she was the one who woke me up. I wondered where the guards who were supposed to stand by my door were, but they were nowhere to be found. “I’m Rose Damien,” the young maid said.The name rang a bell, but I could not recall where I had heard it before. I stared at her before asking what she wanted. I watched as her eyes dipped to my bare stomach and she licked her lips. "The Luna sent me to check up on you, Your Majesty," she said seductively, and that's when I realized she was the one Hazel m
Rayel's POVAfter putting on my clothes, I turned to the wolves with me. "Who the hell was supposed to be on patrol this morning?" I growled out. They all looked at each other, no one saying a word. I growled threateningly and they spoke up."It was supposed to be Ryan and Dante. But they are nowhere to be found."I nodded, still thinking about the wolf I had seen. Was it dead? Or simply wounded enough to retreat? The uncertainty gnawed at me."Split up!" I barked, urgency lacing my voice. "Thorne, take half the patrol east. Kai, you head west. Boris, stay with me. We'll check the north side."Despite the chaos swirling within me, years of training kicked in. Locating the source of the threat, understanding its nature, was paramount. My gaze swept over the assembled wolves, their faces etched with concern mirroring my own."Be vigilant," I commanded, my voice resonating with a leader's authority. "Check every nook and cranny. We don't know what we're dealing with."With a flurry of
~ Rayel’s POVI was still in daze as I stared at Hazel. I was jolted back to the present when everyone including Boris applauded Hazel for taking down the intruder by herself. That was when I realized that her clothes had been torn during the fight and were revealing some parts of her body. The state of her clothes were worse as the crisp white blouse she had worn that morning was now a tattered mess, ripped across one shoulder and exposing a sliver of creamy skin. Her jeans, too, were worse for wear, a tear snagged just above the knee.I quickly took off my shirt and draped it over her. My shirt felt impossibly thin against her bare skin, but it was the only barrier I could offer against the chill and the curious eyes in the room and as I was about to lead her back to her room, she looked back and then ordered her maids to take Rose to the pack clinic for proper treatment.“Take the intruder away and lock him up!” I ordered Boris before walking away with Hazel. I carefully lifted her