Darius stormed out of the dining room and back to the guard who Adolf still had pinned to the ground, “wherein god's name is the king?” Darius demanded and from the look on his face, everyone could tell that he wanted an answer to his question immediately.
The guard struggled to speak but he was unable to because Adolf’s foot was pinned on his face.
“Take off your leg, he can’t get away from us,” Darius commanded Adolf and Adolf pulled his leg away from Darius’s face.“I do not know where the king is,” the guard spat on the floor, just before Darius’s right foot.
And that was all Darius needed to charge at him. His temper was already exhausted and he was not having it anymore.In one swift move, Darius was standing directly in front of the guard and his hand was delivering the most intense punches on the guard.The guard fought back but he was no match for the Alpha of the Lakewood moon p
Adolf’s expression of unbelieve was more intense than Darius’s own. Adolf didn't know everything that was going on but Darius had already told him a part of it.And one thing that Adolf could identify with currently was that he didn't trust the weird king at all, not even for a second.And Darius was beginning to feel the same way. Darius was struggling to admit it but something was telling him that the weird king had played on his intelligence and that there had always been a secret agenda the whole time.“Why do you want Gedoni and Tobias?” Darius demanded. The request was insane and Darius hadn't ever guessed that the weird king would have anything to do with his treacherous uncle or with Tobias.“That is for me alone, I do not have to tell you why I want them. But that is the request, I will hand over the cure the minute you deliver Tobias and Gedoni to me,” The weird king said as he tucked the cure into his pocket.
Back at Lakewood kingdom, Cyrus, Sule, and the chief priest who had been waiting for Darius to arrive had gotten tired of waiting and they had discharged the meeting. Sule had sent someone out to search for Darius and word had gotten back to them that Darius and his Beta, Adolf, had left for Silver Lake kingdom.Twenty-four hours after the meeting in Cyrus’s bedroom had been dismissed, the men who were on watch had returned to Sule to inform him that Darius and Adolf had been spotted on their way back to Lakewood.Sule, acting under the command of Cyrus, sent word to the gates. The guards were to make sure that Darius came directly to his father’s bedroom. He and his Beta, Adolf were not allowed to go anywhere else until they had seen Cyrus.The guards understood the assignment and they acted accordingly.By the time Darius and Adolf got back to the palace, there were already four guards waiting for them at the entrance to the palace gates.
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Lucius charged at his brother, “how can you say you did it for us? Emelda’s life is hanging by a thread because of your actions,” Lucius sprawled as he pushed his twin brother with both hands.Darius staggered backward and then he bounced back in anger as if he was ready to fight his twin brother.“ENOUGH,” Cyrus managed to scream and his voice vibrated around his bedroom. It was surprising but no one said anything at the time because Cyrus, whose voice was already lost, had somehow managed to scream loud enough that he got everyone’s attention.“You two will comport yourselves while in my presence we have a serious matter at hand, an enemy has infiltrated our kingdom and I will not stand by to see you two bickering like idiots,” Cyrus spat.Lucius took two steps back but his eyes didn't leave Darius as he walked away.Silence followed and it was at that t
Emelda’s grandmother, Yemanja, had been locked up in her house for the last two days. She had heard the news of her granddaughter's predicament from the lips of a little village girl that came her way and her heart had almost collapsed.Yemanja had not spoken to Emelda, ever since the last time she had come over and that had also been the day that Yemanja had disowned her. This was not something that Yemanja was proud of and she had been hoping that Emelda was going to come back.But day after day, Yemanaj peeped and waited for Emelda to come to her but it never happened.And then, the news came. The one that told her about the battle of the throne and how Emelda had flung herself between the brothers.At first, Yemanja had struggled to understand what the girl was saying, she was finding it hard to comprehend because the girl was around six years old. Yemanja heard the words, “EMELDA, DEAD,” but Yemanja wasn't sure if that was what the chil
Lucius pushed open Yemanja’s door with as much caution as possible. He wasn't sure about what was going on inside because he had been knocking and she hadn't answered.A part of him had wanted to wait outside till she opened up but he decided against it. He was here for an emergency, Emelda’s life was hanging by a thread and every extra minute meant that Emelda was facing possible danger.And so imagine his shock when he peeped from outside and saw that Yemanja’s body was on the floor. Lucius didn't think twice before rushing to her side. His adrenaline had kicked in and all he wanted to do was to help her. His thoughts had quickly shifted from Emelda to Yemanja.He wasn't helping her because of the possibility of saving Emelda; he was helping her because she was an old lady who looked like she had fallen.“Are you okay?” Lucius asked her. He had gotten on his knees and his eyes were looking directly into hers. She di
Yemanja slept for another hour and while she slept, Lucius dismissed the medics while he and his groom waited for her to wake up. A part of Lucius told him to go back to the palace instead of waiting but he fought the idea as it popped up in his head.Yemanja was his only hope at finding a true cure for Emelda and Lucius was not going to stop till he found it.There were times when his thoughts strayed towards his twin brother Darius, and each time he thought about it, Lucius’s heart broke. Darius had wanted to kill him with a poisonous sword because the weird king had told him that it was the best way to cure Yemanja’s curse.And Lucius was hurt because like every one of them, he was a victim of that curse as well. He was the one who had been most affected because, for eight years of his life, he had not truly lived to his potential.His wolf had not manifested and he had lived with that stigma for so long.So why did Darius think it was okay
“They are here,” Sir Sule informed Cyrus about Lucius and Yemanja’s entrance into the palace.“Okay. I hope she is able to revive Emelda,” Lucius stated and Sir Sule nodded.“Do you think I should go to them? Or would you like me to wait here with you?” Sir Sule asked. He knew that Cyrus would want an accurate report of what was going on and he was the only one who Cyrus could trust to do that well.And so even before Cyrus brought it up, Sir Sule already suggested it.But Cyrus did not respond. Instead, he went to the window and looked outside, and just like his Beta had informed him, Lucius and Yemanja were already alighting from the carriage.Cyrus’s chest tightened and a fresh wave of pain shot through him. It was difficult for him to see Yemanja, the woman who had placed such a deadly curse on him.Bitterness started to crop up on him and he had to remind himself that Yemanja in her
Lucius brought Yemanja straight to Emelda’s bedroom and Yemanaj immediately rushed to her granddaughter's side.Emelda looked like she was sleeping but Yemanja could tell that her granddaughter was already slipping away. She could still sense Emelda’s spirit but it was getting fainter by the minute.Yemanja took Emelda’s hands in hers and tears instantly flowed out of her eyes, smearing her face and dropping on her hands.As Yemanja looked at Emelda, so many other memories flooded into her heart and they were not favorable memories. They were memories about how she had held on to her daughter for dear life but how she had eventually lost her daughter.And now, she was watching her granddaughter going through it again.Yemanja knew that Emelda was a strong witch and if Emelda was awake, she could overpower those witches. But the problem was that the dagger had gone into Emelda and she was in a coma and in that coma, she couldn't take on
After the death of her mother, Yemanja had been the sole guardian for Emelda and the two had bonded in deep ways over the past years. If there was anyone who knew what Yemanja was up to and what she was capable of- that person would be Emelda. But there was one thing that Emelda still struggled to get used to even after all the years she spent with her grandma and that was the ability to have her grandma cutting right to the chase.Yemanja wasn't the person who would beat around the bush or who struggled with words. She always went right to the point and even after all these years, that attitude from Yemanja still surprised Emelda.And it was the same surprise that took over Emelda the minute her grandmother asked her the direct question.But instead of answering the question, Emelda tried to avoid it. And the only way she knew how to avoid the question was to tell a lie.“Yes, grandma. That was why I left the palace. I couldn't stomach what w
Emelda sat on a little stool in her grandma’s kitchen as Yemanja put on a pot of soup on the stove. There was an awkward silence growing between them and soon, Emelda found herself drawing little imaginary circles with her index finger all over her grandmother’s kitchen table.Yemanja had her back turned to Emelda but she could almost tell what was going on. The energy from Emelda was consuming and Yemanja didn't need to be an all-powerful witch to notice it.“What troubles you, my child?” Yemanja asked as she stirred her soup slowly with the wooden spatula in her hands.“Nothing!” Emelda shrugged and sighed at the same time.Slowly, Yemanja placed the spatula aside and turned to Emelda. She stared at her granddaughter keenly as she wiped her hands with the kitchen napkin.“Don't lie to me, child. You know we have been through a lot these past few months. I do not want there to be any secrets between us. Yo
Yemanja was at the back of her house, tending to her garden when she heard a noise that resembled the sound of a carriage. Slowly, Yemanja placed her garden fork on the ground as she closed her eyes and listened closely. At first, she had thought the carriage was passing through her house but she soon realized she was wrong when the noise from the carriage stopped in front of her house.Gently, Yemanja pulled herself from the ground and dusted her dry hands on the front of her apron. She straightened her back and walked to the front of her small house, using the sidewalk.“Grandma.” Yemanja heard the excited voice before seeing who it was but she didn't need to see who the person was to realize that it was her granddaughter, Emelda.“Emelda,” Yemanja called her granddaughter’s name in the same excited tone as Emelda had called hers.Emelda came down from the carriage and ran to her grandmother’s side, throwing her s
All the guests started to exit as well, starting from the royalties that were seated on the front rows, and soon, the hall which had been filled to the brim was suddenly empty.The crowd marched to the battle filled and Cyrus took a seat on the podium.There were five seats on the podium and Lucius helped Emelda to one of the seats as he and Darius took the next two seats beside her. There was only one seat left on the podium and Sir Sule joined them on the stage, seated close to his King and Alpha, Cyrus.“Bring in the traitors,” Cyrus commanded and the gates of the battlefield opened up.Six hefty men dragged in the traitors- Gedoni, Tobias, and Barroc. Holding each of them by their arms and aggressively they flung them on the floor, right there in front of the podium.Cyrus got up from his seat and took a few steps till he reached the edge of the podium.With utmost disgust, his eyes turned from one man to the other as the men loo
Minutes after Darius, Lucius, and Emelda entered the hall, the ceremony began with a short cleansing session performed by the chief priest.The hall was filled with royalties from all the nearby kingdoms who paid their allegiances to the Lakewood Kingdom. The presence of the kings, queens, princes, and princesses could not go unnoticed. Everyone felt the presence of the distinguished guests as they all took their seats ceremoniously.But more than the royalty, another group that stood out, even more, were the different werewolf packs that had turned up for the event. The hall was equally loaded with different Alphas to Betas and down to Omegas. Anyone who was considered as an important personality, werewolf, human, or witch, was present for the greatest ceremony of all time.It wasn't every time that king and Alpha got to take the throne a second time, it was a historic event. One that had never occurred before and anyone who had the privilege of getting an invite
Darius noticed Emelda and Lucius walking towards the door to the hall even before they saw him. It was a mere thirty seconds of watching them-her to be precise but that was enough time for Darius to take in every inch of Emelda’s beauty. She was beautiful and even more graceful as she walked towards the door to the hall where the ceremony was being held and Darius could very well see that the Palace life suited her perfectly. It seemed like she had been born for royalty and he couldn't help but appreciate her gratefulness.But then, he was reminded of the awkward position he was in with her by how his chest tightened and his breath almost seized. In an instant, Darius had gone from admiring her to feeling like his very essence was being choked out of him. It all happened so quickly and even though Darius hadn’t meant for it to happen, he found his eyes wandering towards her, and the next thing, their eyes were locked!Emelda on the other hand, locked eyes w
“How did he try to fix it?” Emelda asked Lucius. patiently, Lucius explained how Darius had gone to the Silverlake kingdom in an attempt to get the antidote for her. Emelda listened patiently as he explained everything to her but still, the pain in her heart wouldn't go away. She wanted to let it go but was finding it difficult to do so. Her heart was heavy and by the time Lucius was done with an explanation of what occurred between Darius and the weird king, she had to tell him how she still felt. “I hear everything you're saying Lucius but it hasn't helped in easing the pain I feel,” she admitted. Lucius squeezed her hand in his, “time will tell Emelda. Time will heal your wounds. I don't want you to go around with a grudge in your heart, you can see how that affected your grandmother,” he cautioned. Emelda nodded because what Lucius said to her made absolute sense. Nursing a grudge could lead to dangerous emotions that could lead to drastic
The council of chiefs headed by sir Theo had now put together a ceremony that was supposed to reinstate Cyrus as the king and Alpha of the Lakewood kingdom and the Lakewood moon pack and the morning of the ceremony had arrived. Before then, the crew that had been sent to the Silver lake kingdom had successfully recovered the weird king and he was locked up in a cell in the basement alongside Gedoni and Tobias.The royal advisers had agreed to their execution and that was the hallmark of the ceremony.The three traitors were going to be executed by Cyrus after he got crowned as king again. But before the ceremony started, Emelda and Lucius were tucked away in Lucius’s bedroom.“what are you going to do after this?” Emelda asked him with hope in her eyes. A Lot had changed for Lucius ever since he became a wolf, he was a different person of some sort. He seemed more in control of himself and his mood had gotten better a hundred percent. Lucius was already a ha
“What do you intend to do about it?” Adolf continued his conversation with Darius. Adolf could still remember the last time that Darius had admitted to having feelings for Emelda and it had been on their way to Silver lake kingdom while they had been searching for a cure. Adolf could still remember how Darius had been embarrassed by admitting to having feelings for his brother’s feelings and looking at Darius now, Adolf could not see any trace of embarrassment. Darius was serious about his feelings and Adolf could almost tell that Darius was going to do something about it. “I don’t know what I am going to do, Adolf. But the truth is that Emelda hates me. We had a fight the last time we spoke, that was before the battle for the throne. She had come to me with the hopes of convincing me to step away from the battle and I had turned her down.” “Hate is a strong word you know, I doubt if Emelda could hate anyone. Not even you,” Adolf encouraged. Darius sh