Inside her room, warm and golden under a worn-out chandelier, Emma sat with her friend, their quiet laughter defying the atmosphere.“I’m so excited for you, Emma,” Teena said suddenly, her cheeks flushing brighter.“Why?” Emma asked, surprised by the sudden declaration.Teena turned to her, face glowing with excitement. Clutching the hem of her silk gown, she waltzed around the room in an exaggerated circle. “You’re going to the ball!” she exclaimed. “There’ll be so many nobles there. Maybe you’ll even find your mate!” Grabbing Emma’s hands, she gasped in excitement. “This could be it!”Emma’s expression didn’t mirror her friend’s enthusiasm. Slowly, she pulled her hands away, the spark of excitement slowly leaving Teena’s eyes.“Emma?” Teena called with a soft and uncertain voice.“I don’t think I want to go,” Emma admitted, her voice sharp. “Look at me. I’m nowhere near attractive. No one even likes me, so what’s the point of it all?”“That’s not true! I like you,” Teena interrupte
The heavy doors groaned as they slowly creaked open, flooding the dark, oppressive room with a stream of light. Emma, crumpled against the cold stone wall, shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness. Her hands, bruised and trembling, rested limply on her lap. For hours, she had banged against the huge doors, the relentless effort peeling the skin from her palms.The bright light spilled over her face, revealing delicate features smeared with dust and streaked with tears. Her once-luminous hair clung dimly to her skin, yet even in her exhausted state, an undeniable beauty lingered in her fragile frame.As Emma’s blurred vision adjusted, a familiar silhouette stood in the doorway, and her heart sank. Ever.Clad in an ornate gown that gleamed in the light, mocking Emma’s despair, Ever smirked as she stepped inside. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.“Well, well,” Ever drawled, tilting her head in mock pity. “Look at you, Emma. Such a mess.”Emma, too weak to stand, clenched her fists
Inside her room, Emma paced like a caged animal, her heart pounding with fury. Today was the day of Ever’s mating ceremony with the Sutherland Alpha.She clenched her fists. Ever had won every other battle, but Emma wouldn’t let her win this one.The lock clicked sharply, and Emma realized she was trapped again. They had locked her in, just as they always did. For a moment, despair threatened to overwhelm her, but something deep within her stirred.Her wolf.A growl rumbled in her chest as a sudden pull of strength coursed through her veins. With a furious cry, she slammed her body against the door. And soon it came open, there was a storm and it greeted her like icy needles as she ran into the night, her feet pounding against the ground. Her breath came in sharp gasps, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t.The forest was dark but she didn’t care. She continued to run toward the clearing where the ceremony was taking place. Different scents filled her nose but her focus was solely on th
Chapter 4Emma lay crumpled in the dirt, the cold ground pressing against her cheek. Everywhere was silent, only the sound of the bird and footsteps could be heard Her body trembled as sharp pain spread through her ribs where someone had kicked her. She blinked slowly, trying to open up her eyes completely but the view she met made her shut her eyes down almost immediately. “What do we do with her?” a rough voice said cutting through the silence of the environment. It came from one of the men standing over her, fear crept in and she wiggled praying inwardly for the ground to open up and swallow her.“We should finish her off. She’s already half-dead,” Another voice answered, lighter but no less cruel. Emma’s chest tightened. She wanted to speak, to plead, but her mouth felt dry, and every breath burned. She shifted slightly, and the pain shot through her like fire.“No,” a third voice cut in sharp and desperate. “Why waste her? We could… you know, have a little fun first,” he title
Emma opened her eyes with a start, feeling a sharp headache hitting her. Her eyes caught the environment she was in. Everything seemed blurred, but one thing didn’t fail her ears; the constant beeping of a machine. She tried to open her eyes fully, but they felt heavy.With a deep breath, she finally opened them. The white ceiling and the white walls were the first things that caught her sight. She breathed repeatedly, unable to comprehend what was happening or where she was.She tried to remember how she got there, but everything seemed blank. Whenever she tried to recall, everything seemed to collapse, and she suddenly felt a huge headache.She relaxed her body, closing her eyes in an attempt to calm herself.She could smell the scent of the room, it smelled of antiseptic.Confusion clouded her mind. How had she gotten here?She groaned softly, attempting to push herself upright, but the dull ache in her head made her falter.The door suddenly creaked open and a nurse walked inside,
The moment the man mentioned his name, Emma’s body shook. She didn’t know why a stranger would go out of their way to save her. She didn’t understand exactly why. The man looked genuinely helpful and genuinely happy for her.“Can you tell me the reason why you saved me, if I may ask?” she questioned, maintaining eye contact with the man.“Of course, I have no reason,” he replied. “I saw you stranded on the road, and that is why I decided to save you. I don’t have bad intentions toward you. You don’t have to stress yourself. All you have to do is keep your mind at peace. Recover quickly so we can leave the hospital. Or do you like staying at the hospital, sleeping like this?”The man asked, and Emma wiggled her head in response. Even though the man was a stranger, the way he communicated with her, the way he conversed with her, made her feel at ease.The doctor opened the door and stepped inside, his eyes smiling at Emma.“Are you two having a private conversation, or should I excuse m
Immediately after she set foot in the man’s house, Emma marveled at it. The house was beautiful, a big mansion with various types of decorations. Everything in the house seemed special and specific. The walls were painted white and decorated with gold accents. She stared at it as if she were in heaven.The man noticed her reaction and cleared his throat, gaining her attention. Emma quickly wiggled her head and shifted her focus to him.“You are welcome to my home. I hope you recover quickly,” the man said.“Yes, I hope so,” she replied.The man led her to an empty room and told her to rest properly while he went to the kitchen to prepare food for her.Emma was shocked and asked, “Can you cook?”The man smiled. “I’m not going to brag. I’ll prepare the food, and you can judge for yourself if I can cook or not.”Emma smiled back and said, “Okay, no problem.”The man gestured toward the bed before stepping out and closing the door. Emma stared at the door and muttered, “I hope this isn’t
A grand bouquet has been arranged in the pack. In order to maintain and talk about the pack territory, they invite different alphas from nearby packs to discuss the critical issues going on. Particularly, the rising threat of outside impacts from crossing the alphas’ bother. They arrange the hall greatly, everywhere boozed with energy, as packs leaders dressed in their finest attire. They fill the long wooden table that was set across the room. Their conversation was obvious in the air. Their laughter evident in the eyes. Some conversations were friendly. They talked and joked about parties that they attended, while some were tense with teasing. At the top of the table, Jayden and Kale stood at the head of the room. Their presence was commanding, and it was impossible to ignore. Jayden leaned against the table. His sharp eyes were scanning the crowd as if looking for any signs of trouble. Kale was beside him. His arms were crossed on his chest. His eyes sat in a straight, focused
Jayden and Kale ignored her and pretended they didn't hear say something. Lily looked at her brother and turned their faces to ours , they looked surprised she would do that but didn't reprimand her. “I asked a question, So? You didn’t answer me.”Jayden replied fast. “No. We are not fascinated by her of course. Do we need to reply to that question where as you know the answer to it. She’s not our mate.”Kale said at the same time, “Not even close to it.”Lily raised her eyebrows. “You sure? Are you sure you are not fascinated by my friend?”Jayden nodded. “Very sure. There's no second thought about it, we don't like her. You don't expect us to, she's not our marer, lilly.”Kale added, “We don’t feel anything for her, as simple as that.”Lily smirked. “Not even a little? Not even a tiny heart beat at the sight of her?”Jayden frowned. “Lily, don’t push it.”Kale said, “We’re not cheaters, we can and won't chest on our rightful mate with someone else.”Lily crossed her arms. “But your
Jayden and Kale stared at each other and let out a sigh. Kale gave Jayden a nod meaning he was the one to put Lilly and not him. Jayden narrowed his eyes at him before taking a step towards Lilly.“Hey Lilly, this is nothing to be pissed off about, we are just going to Emma's house and nothing more." Jayden said, trying to pacify her but she still had her hands crossed over her breast and her face looking out of the window.Kale decided to chip in. “Okay, lilly tell us what you want and we will have it done immediately." Lily turned her gaze to them and released her hand's. “You want me to tell you what I want? How about you start by telling me again the reason you are going to Emma's house. What are you even looking for at Emma’s house? You won't see her, she was banished and it is not like she's going to sneak into the pack and go hiding in her parents house. They won't go against the pack rules, you both know that.”Jayden sighed. “We already told you. We’re not going back to Emm
Jayden sat on the couch, arms crossed. Kale stood near the window, staring outside. They both seem to be in deep thought, the expression on their face showed they have been contemplating about a threatening matter for long.Jayden spoke first “Weird, right?” Jayden said. “Why don’t I feel anything toward Emma anymore?”Kale nodded. He stood up, paced the floor.“Same here,” Kale said. “It’s like my heart just stopped liking her.”Jayden said. “I don’t get it. She keeps showing in my mind. It’s not normal. Maybe… maybe she’s the real one.”"Ever is everything right? She’s smart, strong, calm, gentle and nice, she's everything in a woman right? But why don’t I feel... drawn to her?”Kale turned. “You mean, like how we felt about Emma?”Jayden nodded. “Yeah. It’s like something’s missing. I don't understand what it is but it feels like a part of me is missing.”Kale scratched his head. “You know what you said got me thinking about something. What if Ever is not the problem here? What if
Emma sat on the bed. She looked at the walls, she felt she was confined just like she was in the dungeon except the room was warm, and there was a bed and other things. She rubbed her arms slowly while taking in the room."Stop talking," she had said earlier to the man. She had shouted it. She had told the man to stop it, to stop explaining everything he was saying.The man bowed again and said, "As you wish, my queen."Then he left and others followed. They gave her a room, the room she was in. It was a large one, soft bed, tall windows, nice curtains.Emma sat there now and her mind ran in circles."Why? Why is all this happening? Did I offend someone? Can't I have peace without something strange happening to me? What kind of life is this?" she whispered.She touched her forehead. Her thoughts were heavy and her eyes looked tired. Her head rang like it had been hit by a metal."First I left the pack, I was banished from the pack for a crime I didn't commit and that was all because o
Ever stood outside the house, holding her breath. She looked around, making sure no one followed her. She fixed her hair, fixed her dress, then knocked softly. The guards, knowing who she was, had let her into the house.So she knocked again on the door to the room of the twins but there was no answer. She knocked again, and louder this time.“Go away!” one of the twins shouted from inside.“It’s me! Ever!” she called back. “Please let me come in." “We know! We know it's you Ever! Go away!” Kale said. “We don't want you anywhere around us, just leave and go about your life." “I came to talk! Please, just open the door!” Ever shouted.“No! We don’t want to see you!” Jayden replied. “Are you deaf that you can understand something simple as leave, we don't want to talk to you or have you anywhere around us." “I just want to talk about Emma! Please! I’m not here to fight!” Ever begged the more.The door stayed closed but they kept quiet and they didn't say anything. “I want to say sor
Tyler sat on the cold floor of the dungeon they were thrown in, he was holding his knees whilst trying hard not to make his teeth's chatter since it was so cold. He looked at Emma, who had her face in her hands. She had not spoken for some time. The dungeon was dark and the air was choking making it a worse plight for them. There was no light except a small crack from the top.“I told you,” Tyler said, his voice quiet but firm.Emma looked up. “Told me what?”Tyler looked at Emma as if she had suddenly grown two heads. His face turned serious or rather it was serious from the start. "I told you not to trust him. I warned you not to trust Damien but you didn't listen to me."Emma held her head as she slowly rubbed her eyes. "I thought he was helping. I thought he really cared for us and wanted to lend his help. I didn’t know."“He never cared,” Tyler replied. “He used you. He tricked you and now, thanks to you we’re in a dungeon because of you," Tyler said.Emma looked at the walls. It
Later that evening, the faint sound of music drew Emma and Tyler out of their rooms as they gazed at each other in confusion.“Where's that sound coming from?” Emma asked curiously as she peered down the hallway.“Let's go find out” Tyler urged as he made his way down the hallway.“Wait a moment!” Emma hissed as she rushed forward and stopped him. “How could you just go, we don't know what could be the cause for the sound. That's why we were given rooms, to keep us safe”“Then are we just going to stay here and and keep wondering? We’re never going to know if we don't look” Tyler said with a smirk.“What if we are invading on someone's privacy?” Emma asked worriedly. “Then you can stay here” Tyler said as he walked off.“But I'm too scared to stay alone” Emma muttered as she looked around the dark hallway. Willow wasn't even in sight. She ran after Tyler.She caught him turning the corner and hurried up to meet him. “You shouldn't have left me alone” she said, panting heavily.“I knew
Emma's eyebrows were pinched tightly together in deep thought. She chewed absentmindedly on her finger as she paced up and down the room.After they had left the Alpha's office and were escorted back to their rooms, Emma couldn't stop thinking about what the Alpha had said.What exactly did he mean when he said she'd be of great use in the future? He had a calculating look in his eyes that was hard to miss.What use could she possibly be to them that they were willing to keep her protected within the pack? At least for now they weren't holding her against her will.‘Yet, why did she feel leaving wasn't going to be easy either?’ Something was definitely amiss. She thought. She could feel it.Emma wrapped a protective hand around her belly. In a few months, her baby bump would begin to show. ‘Could she stay here till that time?’The Alpha hadn't mentioned anything about her pregnancy but she would be foolish to think he wasn't aware given that was the reason for her banishment in the fi
“Of course, I did” Damien confirmed. Emma exchanged shocked looks with Tyler before a broad smile crept up her face and she pulled him into a big hug. “Thanks a lot, Damien” she said sincerely.Damien chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “It’s the least I could do” Emma glanced at Tyler and nudged him in the ribs when he stayed silent. Tyler gave her a pointed look before turning to Damien. “Thanks” he said begrudgingly. Tyler was grateful that Damien had come to their rescue but he still wasn’t entirely happy that he was at the mercy of their pack.But Emma on the other hand seemed pleased about the whole situation which only increased his irritation. ‘It seems only I have to work on the escape plan’ Tyler thought inwardly.“So, what happens now?” Tyler bit out seriously unable to handle the fast- growing friendship between Damien and Emma. Damien cleared his throat and peeled his eyes from Emma, the playful glint in his eyes immediately replaced by seriousness.Now