We both remained silent until the food arrived.
"Have you tried it in here?" I asked."Not yet," Reule said plainly."So, how do you know it will be good?""I don't really care. I just don't want Lila to follow. Now, eat."I tried the pepperoni, and it was not bad. I was surprised as to why it did not have any customers."It tastes good, right?" I asked."No," Reule replied with a cold voice."It was not good, but he ate a lot.""I am hungry, and there is no choice. Hurry up, finish your food. We are not done yet. We still need to buy something.""What else you wanted to buy?""Just eat and stop talking."I rolled up my eyes and finished my food. After Reule made the payment, he stood, and I followed him. He went inside an Apple Store and bought two iPhones and a sim card. But I did not bother asking to whom he would give it.It was almost evening when we arrived at Reule's house. While we were heading to the main doo"My number, Adriana's and Nana's number are already saved there. We have yours, too," Reule said."Why are you giving me this?" I asked."So you and I can contact each other.""But Conri will take me one day, so why the need for this?""You can have it. Even if Conri appears on my doorstep one of these days, you can still keep it. Use it to communicate to any of us.""Okay, thank you!""Come down now. I just received a message from Adriana that the food is ready. By the way, you can check later; I have saved something there that you might like.""What?""It's for you to find out later."We reached the dining room, and I saw Adriana looking so beautiful tonight. She had curled her hair, applied a little makeup, and wore a spaghetti strap, floral dress."Adriana, you look so beautiful, and congratulations. I did not know that you write," I said."Thank you, senorita, Wren. I write for fun, I did not even want to join the contest,
Everyone went back to their respective houses. No one can say no to Reule not even Lila. Lila tried talking to Reule, but he only ignored her. She left so annoyed that it made me feel that she would make me go through hell starting tomorrow."That's what happens when children grow up without parents. They become aggressive and rebellious," Nana Lolita suddenly said."Lila doesn't have parents anymore?" I whispered to Adriana."Yes, they are both dead. Lila's mother died, giving birth to her and her twin brother. His father got killed by a werewolf from another pack," Adriana whispered back."Lila has a twin?""Yes, his name is Landon.""But I don't think I have seen him here?""Landon is the beta of the pack. He left for a business trip before you came. He is the only one Reule trusts when managing the international branch of Reule's business. But he will be back next week.""I see. I wonder how he is.""Opposite of her." "Really?"
"Did you find her?" Conri asked."Sorry, Conri. I haven't found her yet," Casper replied without looking at Conri."What have you been doing, Casper? A she-wolf who can only partly transform, and you cannot find her!""Conri, as I said, there was a wolf who saved her. And I think he took her with him. But I have not seen his face. He was strong and fast.""But they were only two! And there are how many are you looking for her!""I am really sorry, Conri. But I have not stopped searching for her.""Make sure that you would find her, Casper. I need her as soon as possible.""Conri..""Alpha Conri!""Sorry, Alpha. But if I may ask, why do you need Wren that much? You already killed Killian. She is not your mate. And if you need a mistress, I can go and find another one for you.""I need her. Only her!""For what?""I have to give her to the Black Pack.""The Black Pack? Why?""Stop asking so many questions, Casper! Instead, go and look for her!
The ringing of my phone awakened me. It's just 09:00 AM, and Reule is already calling me. I ignored his call. But I couldn't go back to sleep, so I sat and noticed I had four messages."Morning, habibi! Come down for breakfast.""Are you still sleeping, habibi?""Sleeping beauty, come down here! Nana Lolita, Adriana, and Landon will be joining us for breakfast.""Get your tiny ass in here!"Reule's last message is already screaming, but I don't care. It's the name Landon that caught my attention, Lila's twin. I thought he would be arriving next week. He came back early.I rushed to the toilet. I didn't want to miss breakfast, not because I was afraid of Reule. But I am curious about Landon. I wanted to know how different is he from his twin.When I arrived at the dining room, Reule was looking at me sharply. He was about to say something but Nana Lolita, Adriana, and a tall blonde guy like a handsome angel appeared."Good morning, senorita Wren! It's good of
Reule immediately told Landon that he would like to speak to him in private right after breakfast. He looked sharply at him as soon as Landon entered his study room. "What the fuck, Reule? What did I do to you?" Landon frowned."Why do you have to flirt with Wren like that?" Reule asked."Why are you mad about it?""Because I did not like it!" "Don't raise your voice at me if you don't want the people in this house to come running and barge in here.""I mean it when I said that she is off-limits. Flirt with another she-wolf except her.""Now I understood why Lila doesn't like her. What's with this girl? Is she your mate?""She is. But..""But what?""She seemed to doesn't feel that I am her mate.""What do you mean? How is that possible?""I mean, she doesn't feel all the signs of finding a mate. When I touched her the day I saved her, I immediately felt that tingling sensation and knew right away that she was my mate. Bu
"Reule seemed to trust Landon when it comes to business," I commented."Yes! Landon likes doing business, even Reule, too. But Reule hates being stuck in an office and working like regular employees who have a 9 to 5 job. So, Landon is one of those who helped him manage his business," Adriana said."So, Reule doesn't know anything about his business?""Oh, no! Reule just hates to be around a lot of people and to be stuck in one place. He wants to control his time and where he wants to be. That's why you see him here most of the time. He works here remotely. But he knows almost everything that is going on in his business. No one can fool him. He is intelligent, and he studies diligently.""He is into hotels, and what else?""My god! He has a lot. Reule is a risk-taker and opens a business that he thinks he will make big. He owns a share in an airline company where he is planning to open his own. He has a winery and vineyard, courier service, a yacht rental, s
"Alpha Conri, Alpha Conri," cried Edison, one of the warriors of the White Pack.Conri, who was sitting, reading a paper and about to have breakfast got irritated. "What is it?" Conri yelled."The beta of the Black Pack is here with ten warriors. Shall I let them in?"Conri's eyes widened, and his right hand started to shake. He did not expect Acwulf to pay him a surprise visit. It's not even a month since they had an agreement."Let them in."Acwulf Nube, a tall man who looked like a Roman gladiator because of his toned and muscular body, entered the kitchen together with his warriors oozing with confidence. His dark brown eyes became darker when he saw Conri, who stood from his seat. It was enough for Conri to tremble inside in fear. The sight of Conri's surprised face made Acwulf's lips curve into a smirked."Acwulf, my friend! What a pleasant surprise!" Conri said with a smile."Conri! I am glad my goal of surprising you were a success," Acwulf replied.
When Adriana left, I decided to go out of the house. I was feeling a pang of pain in my chest remembering the people I lost, I needed some air. I walked to the forest, and when I went inside, I saw a big rock. I smiled and sat there. "Killian," I whispered. Back in our pack territory, we used to talk on the rocky part, just a few meters outside our house. We are close in that we share secrets and gossips. My brother is said to be one of the weakest male wolves in our pack. He did not have many friends; that's why he was close to me. Our life has constantly been ridiculed because we are deemed different from others. Male wolves must be strong and not easily scared, but my brother was the opposite. The day we went running, and he was fighting the other pack members, I was proud. It was the first time Killian had proved to the others that he was not a loser. He can be strong, too. I got teary-eyed remembering my loving brother risking his life for me.
The cold was sharper than before. It settled into my bones like a second skin, wrapping around every bruise, every burn, every wound that hadn’t yet stopped bleeding. I lay on the stone slab, barely able to breathe, eyes focused on the sliver of metal the witch had slipped me.I waited, counting seconds by the beat of my heart, which still pulsed weak, but mine. The magic circle had faded. Whatever Acwulf had done to drain me wasn’t complete. I was still here. I was still me.It took everything I had just to close my fingers around the blade’s hilt. My fingers were slick with blood. The cuffs were tight, the metal biting. But I kept working. Little by little, I wedged the blade between the chain links. I didn’t know if it would snap them. I didn’t care.The sound of steel scraping stone filled the room. If they were listening, I was already dead.My right wrist came loose first. The pain of the release was blinding. I nearly cried out, but I bit down on my tongue until I tasted copper
The woods beyond the barrier felt like a different world. Every tree seemed older, every breeze sharper. I didn’t stop running, even though my legs felt like they were filled with molten lead and my lungs were shredded ribbons inside my chest. I needed distance from the chains; from the ritual; and from the feeling of Acwulf's control that even now I could still feel. Freedom shouldn’t hurt like this, but it did. Still, I pushed forward. The stars overhead flickered like warnings, not comforts. I wasn’t sure if I was still in his territory, if this was even his pack territory I wasn't sure. Mira’s directions had blurred in my head - right at the river and left at the old tree split by lightning. I couldn’t tell which direction was which anymore.I stumbled into a narrow ravine and fell hard, hands scraping against jagged rock. The impact jarred my shoulder, and I cried out before clamping my mouth shut. Silence was survival. The pain was nothing new, just another reminder that I was
My knees slammed into the stone with a crack that rattled up my spine, but the pain was nothing new. Mira gripped me under the arms, her breath sharp and fast.“You’ve got maybe twenty minutes,” she whispered, scanning the door.“Before what?”“Before the next patrol checks this wing. I bribed one of them to stall. But I can’t hold him forever.”My muscles burned from hanging for so long. My shoulders screamed, but I was standing, breathing, free. Almost.“Where are my things?”“Gone. Locked up in the vault on the upper floor. Acwulf guards it personally. I cannot get it for you.”“Of course he does,” I hissed.I pressed my back to the wall, fighting the dizziness. The potion Mira had given me had worked, but the wolfsbane hadn’t fully burned out. I could feel it clinging to the corners of my strength, like oil on water.“Do you have anything sharp?”Mira hesitated, then pulled a small bone-handled scalpel from her satchel. “This is all I have.”I gripped it.She turned away as I dra
The burning in my veins spread like wildfire. Every nerve, every limb screamed as the wolfsbane clashed against Mira’s potion. My body trembled under the weight of the battle raging inside me. It was not just physical, but something deeper and darker.I didn’t know how long I hung there, sweating, twitching, whispering half-prayers to the moon I couldn’t see. My wrists had blistered under the cuffs. My legs were numb. But I wouldn’t cry. The door groaned open. I braced myself, but it wasn’t Acwulf. Not Mira either. It was someone new.He moved with military precision, his armor scratched and bloodstained. The wolf insignia on his shoulder had been clawed. He must be a rebel or a dead man walking.“Name’s Therin,” he said, voice low and clipped. “Don’t scream.”“I don’t scream,” I rasped.He arched a brow. “Good. Let’s talk.”He pulled a stool from the shadows, spun it backward, and straddled it like we were catching up over drinks and not me chained to the ceiling like some cursed
The cold was sharp enough to sting. My eyes opened, and the sting wasn’t just from the air but from the tight, metal cuffs bruising my wrists. My shoulders strained above me as I dangled from the iron chains. My toes barely brushed the damp stone floor. My mouth tasted like rust and my head pounded.I could smell the scent of wolfsbane clinging to my skin. I was weak and disoriented but not alone. Boots echoed across the floor. I looked to see him - the one they called Acwulf.He stood tall in the arched doorway, cloaked in shadows. His dark eyes watched me with the eerie stillness of someone too calm and too calculated.“Wren,” he said as though greeting an old friend. “You’re finally awake.”I didn’t respond but just glared.“I thought you’d be stronger than this,” he continued, stepping forward, slow and deliberate. “But then again, wolfsbane does wonders, doesn’t it?”“I don't owe you anything. Why are you treating me like a captive? What exactly do you want from me?” My voice
A few hours ago...Reule’s heart hammered with worry as to where Wren was. She had been missing for almost a day, and his patience was running out. He didn’t like the silence in Yannis’s quarters, nor the way his warlock friend seemed torn, as though holding something back. Reule could sense the tension that radiated from Yannis.Reule went to Yannis to gather some information. “Yannis,” he demanded, his voice taut. “If there’s anything you know, anything at all that could lead us to Wren, I need to hear it now. Her life could depend on it.”Yannis’s gaze flickered, hesitating. Then, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was a deep regret reflected in his expression. “Reule… I do know something. Two hours ago I had a premonition,” he said, barely a whisper.Reule took a step forward, his fists clenched, every muscle in his body tense. “Then why didn’t you come to me sooner?”Yannis looked away, his face shadowed by a mixture of guilt and reluctance. “Because… it
Lila returned to the Gray Pack, and her face was full of concern and worry. Her heart raced, but her demeanor remained calm. As she was nearing the house she and her brother shared, she could feel some of the pack member's eyes on her. Some were wary, while others were hopeful. The news of Wren’s disappearance had spread like wildfire, and the entire pack was on edge.“Lila!” a voice called from behind.Lila turned and found Reule striding toward her. He had that hard expression, sharp eyes, and oozing with the Alpha power and authority.“Did you hear about Wren?”Lila forced her brow to furrow and her voice to speak in surprise.“No, what happened?”“She’s gone. Disappeared without a trace," Reule said with a tight voice filled with worry and anger.Lila gasped, and her hand covered her mouth.“That’s terrible! How could this happen?”Reule didn't answer. He studied her, his gaze penetrating, making Lila feel almost exposed. But she quickly masked her unease by stepping closer to hi
After being yanked out of the river, Wren felt her world was a chaotic blur of cold water and darkness. She gasped for air while coughing up water, and her body shuddered. The water was cold as ice.Suddenly, her arm was gripped by a rough hand, pulling her out into the muddy bank. But her vision seemed unclear. She couldn't tell whether what she was seeing was real.Acwulf stood over her and blocked the little light filtered through the trees. Her eyes gleamed, and his face marked triumph and a predator's satisfaction. He finally caught his prey and was now ready to be devoured.“You’ll regret this,” Wren rasped. Her throat was raw from inhaling water, but Acwulf only smirked. She was like a ragdoll, almost lifeless and barely able to stand. Wren knew she couldn't fight him but tried so hard to hide the fear.Acwulf crouched down with his face inches from Wren. His mouth smelled a mixture of smoke and alcohol, a scent that made her stomach twist.“Regret?” he chuckled. “Darling, I
There was no point in hiding, so Lila came out. She smiled at Wren and said, "Hello! I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you were some boys. I was about to take a swim."Wren's confusion slowly disappeared. She was somehow satisfied with Lila's explanation. Only a few knew about this river and could scare you with a little bit of sound or rattle of the leaves behind the bushes. But she didn't smile at Lila and just turned around."Bitch!" Lila whispered.The soft trickle of water filled the air as Wren knelt by the riverbank. Her hands skimmed the cool surface. Her reflection wavered in the ripples, but she barely noticed it. She closed her eyes, focusing on the rhythm of the stream, hoping it might help chase away the lingering fatigue that clung to her. The fever had left her weakened. Lila remarked that a walk to the river would help her recovery, but Wren wasn't sure.“You’re looking better already,” Lila said from behind her, her voice faking to be cheerful.Wren opened her