Accalia-After lunch, I had to meet with a client regarding one of the tasks I was given, but I took a detour before returning to the office. The building I stopped in front of was two stories tall and had underground parking. It was the new Renegade base for this region.On the opposite side of the city from Z.H Tech, the Renegade base sat in the center of a massive forest. It used to be an abandoned warehouse, but it was perfect for our needs. I purchased it online and then had Eclipse and a few other members start the renovation process.This was my first time seeing the base in person, but I was already impressed. The yard had been cleaned up and turned into an outdoor training area. It was equipped with an outdoor boxing arena and fighting dummies, all surrounded by a track.A few members were on the track doing laps while others were doing other things. Most of them were senior members of the Sector, but they were still trying to improve themselves. Smiling, I parked the bike by
Zydan-I haven’t seen Lia at home for a week other than in the office. I had to go on a business trip for a couple of days, but when I returned home, it didn’t appear she had been home. I felt that something was happening, not just that she was trying to learn more about the company.Instead of staying home anxiously waiting, I went to the bar with Jaxon. I didn’t understand why I cared if Lia went home or not, but it was an undeniable fact that I was drawn to her. I knew it the first moment I approached her.“Maybe you should slow down.” Jaxon said for the third time since we started drinking.The alcohol I was drinking was more potent than his. With the exposure of werewolves, many people have taken advantage of our high metabolism. The best part was that almost all werewolves were now immune to wolfsbane to an extent.When werewolves became part of society, many humans and hunters opposed them. They put wolfsbane in everything: the water, the food, and even the air. Many werewolves
Accalia-All through the night, I couldn’t fall asleep. No matter how much I tried to block out the memory of Zy kissing me, I couldn’t. It wasn’t because I enjoyed it. If anything, I was pissed. Husband or not, he took my first kiss.I didn’t care that he was the one who did it because I will be the first to admit I have thought about kissing him a time or two. I was upset because he did it in a drunken stupor. More than that, I ran into him coming out of the bedroom when it was time to get ready for work.“Good morning.” Zy greeted me.I said nothing while studying him to see if he recalled what happened. I didn’t need an apology, but something would have been better than the blank look in his eyes. Narrowing my eyes, I stood by the door frame of my room.“Is something wrong?” Zy asked with furrowed brows.“Do you not remember what happened last night?” I asked.“Not really. The last thing I remember was meeting Jaxon at the bar.” Zy diverted his gaze as if he was trying to remember
Zydan-Sitting in my office Friday morning, I struggled to understand why Lia was upset. What happened after I returned home the night before last? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall anything. I have been absent-minded all morning and unable to work on anything.“What the hell did I do?” I asked myself, knowing no one would answer as I was alone in the office.“I don’t know. You know that although Wolfsbane doesn’t harm you, it makes me weak. The moment you started drinking, I was forced into your subconscious.” My wolf, Nyko, responded.It was for that reason that I usually didn’t drink, but it was the only way to numb myself to everything going on around me, especially thinking about my wife. I don’t know how much I drank, but it must have been a lot because I woke up with a splitting migraine, and I was missing nearly twelve hours of my time.When I arrived at work yesterday, I asked Jaxon, but he told me he didn’t know anything. He told me what happened at the bar and o
Accalia-After returning to my desk, I couldn’t stop thinking about Zy. The way he tried standing up for me, although I didn’t need it, made him even more handsome than he already was. I have been upset with him over the kiss, but maybe I could let it go.I can’t fault him for kissing me because he was drunk. I mean, we are legally married, after all. Besides, he didn’t remember, so it was probably for the best. Deciding I would let it slide, I pulled out my phone and texted Zy to ask if he planned to be home after work.Barely two seconds after I hit send, he responded that he would. Putting my phone on my desk, I focused on completing my work for the day. Since I turned in the tasks Jason gave me, he let me work on projects that weren’t typically assigned to interns.When it was time to leave work, I was the first to power down my station, grab my phone and bag, and leave the office. As I left, I waved to Jason to let him know I was leaving.“I don’t want to see you at work this wee
Accalia-The awkwardness stretched out, with me standing just inside the apartment and Zy in the hall. I wasn’t sure if I should speak first or let him talk. I knew I needed to explain why I had another man in the apartment since I didn’t even believe the excuse I used.“I am sorry.” I broke the silence and almost missed the fact he spoke at the same time that I did.“Wait, what are you sorry about?”“For kissing you without permission. What are you sorry for?”“I t-thought…” I stuttered slightly before trying again. “I thought you might be upset because I had another man in the apartment without talking to you first.”“You don’t need to apologize for asking for someone to help fix a linking sink,” Zy chuckled, which relieved some of the tension between us.I had planned to tell him the half-truth and the real reason I asked Jon to the apartment, but since he believed me, it was better if I didn’t expose the fact that I lied. Of course, I wouldn’t have told him everything—just that Jo
Accalia- Over the next week, my entire life changed. Well, not entirely, but for the first time in, I don’t know how long, I was able to let go of my identities and be myself. As I spent time with Zy, I discovered more about myself. It was like I was able to find the girl I had been growing up before I was forced to grow up overnight. Not once did I worry about my status as the Princess being exposed or my identity as the leader of the Renegades. I was simply a girl, going to work, returning home to cook for her husband, and making friends. Even when I hid my identity, I could never just be me. With Zy, I could laugh freely and even embarrass myself without fear of consequences. Even if I had only been able to spend a few evenings with Zy this last week, every time had been better than the previous. If it weren’t for my responsibility to take over the throne for my father, I would willingly walk away and become an ordinary girl. It wasn’t just Zy who helped me be myself but also
Accalia-"Why am I just learning that you are married?" Azure stopped beside Zy, momentarily glancing at me before glaring at Zy. "Mom!" Zy jumped up, half yelling, half whispering, as he covered her mouth. "Can we discuss this later?" I ate my previous words. Who would have thought that my own warning would bite me in the ass? I was probably the biggest fool of them all. "You are Alpha Zydan Hynes?" My voice shook, but I kept my composure as I slowly stood. "I can explain." The panic in Zy... I mean, Zydan's eyes mirrored the panic in my heart.Azure pushed Zydan’s hand away from her mouth. “I hope you can explain yourself. Do you know how embarrassed I was when your cousin told me you were married to an intern?” Azura fixated her eyes on Zydan without blinking.“Your cousin?” I asked, although that was the least of my concerns.“The girl that was playing on her phone when we arrived.” Zydan answered as he reached for my hand, but I stepped out of his reach.“Listen, I don’t care
Accalia-“I already told you that whenever you are ready, I was willing. All you need to do is say the word. I know you wanted to wait to become Alpha Queen, so there is no rush. I will wait until you are ready.”My smile widened. “I am ready now.”Zydan’s face paled, and I wondered if he had second thoughts about marrying me. “Wait. Are you serious?”“I have never been more serious.” I nodded. “I realized that while I was going through all my memories again, I have always focused on what mattered to me and what I wanted. I thought I was making the right decision by waiting until my project was complete and becoming Alpha Queen before marrying you again. I now understand that when I get married was never important. Even if I am married, I can still abolish the marriage law for the future generations.”“Then when do you want to get married?” Zydan smiled, and excitement sparkled in his eyes.“Now.” I stated bluntly.“What about the wedding?” My father asked when Zydan threw my covers o
Accalia-Ow, my head, I thought as I started to wake up. Opening my eyes, I took in my surroundings but didn’t recognize where I was. I was lying on a large bed with a dark purple comforter and black sheets. I also wasn’t alone in the room.The person sitting on the edge of the bed was looking at his phone and not me, so I tried not to move. I didn’t recognize the man, so I didn’t want to make sudden movements until I knew the situation. I was oddly familiar with the man and the room but couldn’t remember anything.“Good, you are awake.” A voice I didn’t recognize spoke as someone I didn’t recognize walked to the side of the bed where the man was sitting.“How are you feeling?” The man, who had been preoccupied with his phone, quickly turned on the bed to look at me.Without a word, I slowly sat up and flinched when the man tried to help me. He took his hand back, but the look in his eyes was filled with pain. Sitting on the bed, I rested my back on the headboard and continued looking
Zydan-Rolling to my side, I avoid Shaw’s attack, but it takes a moment for me to get onto my feet. My ears rang from the hit he delivered when I put myself between him and Lia. Once I was on my feet, I prepared myself for another attack.A sudden burst of energy erupted around me, and it took me a moment to understand that it was Lia’s wolf. Since I was between her and Shaw, I witnessed the moment Shaw was hit with a small lightning bolt. It zapped him but didn’t seem to do any harm.When Shaw’s attention moved past me, I realized she had only used enough of a shock to get his attention. Turning my attention to Lia, I witnessed her transformation into a black wolf with the most captivating violet eyes I have ever seen. It wasn’t until now that I realized this was the first time I had seen her wolf.More than that, Lia’s wolf, Akira, had purple streaks of lightning swarming her as if caressing the fur on her body. The power that rolled off her was nearly ten times more intense than in
Accalia-Staring at the computer in a trance, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It has been two weeks since I sent Arielle and the other test subjects out. I thought it would take more time to determine the results from the final phase, but the indicators on the screen didn’t lie.The full moon was three days ago, and every test subject had maintained excellent results. I could have ended the final testing a week ago, but I put it off until after the full moon. I wanted to be sure there weren’t any issues. For the first time since I began the project, I felt as if a lot of pressure lifted from my shoulders.“Is something wrong?” Emily’s voice pulled me from my trance.“We did it.” I mumbled without taking my eyes off the computer screen.“Seriously?” Emily asked and then shoved me to the side so she could look at the computer. “I don’t understand this stuff, but the indicators are the best I have seen.”“We did it.” I repeated as if I needed more confirmation.Suddenly, I jumped out of my ch
Zydan-Upon returning to the lab, I watched helplessly as Lia became busy again. It wasn’t like before. This time, it was as if she needed to keep herself busy in order to survive. Every time I tried to approach her, she would move on to her next task.When the volunteers Darnell sent to us arrived, it took away more of her freedom. I tried to help her, but there wasn’t much for me to do. Everyone was working hard to speed up the research results. Over the course of three weeks, we went from only having Arielle as a volunteer to having twenty more.We tried to see if the results from Arielle’s implant would be the same without the full moon. After the second volunteer was implanted and was able to shift and have the same results as Arielle, they continued implanting more volunteers. I couldn’t begin to understand what was going on with Lia or why she was pushing herself too hard, but I knew I couldn’t do much to help.I had a feeling it had much to do with the pressure she was under a
Accalia-“Forgive me! I didn’t know.” The man who had greeted us when we arrived said.Shaking my head, I smiled and turned to face him. “It has been a while since I have been here, and although my identity is no longer a secret, not everyone knows who I am.”“I still should have sensed you.” The man kept his attention on his feet, with his head bowed.“I was severely injured recently, so my wolf is resting.” I stepped forward and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Seriously, it is no big deal.” I dropped my hand when he lifted his head.“Well, now that you are here, I will report the most recent developments. I assume you were at the Kenyon residence?” He asked, and I nodded in response.“The members who went after the attackers just reported back.” The man continued as I turned to open the office door so that we could discuss things in private.He stopped talking long enough to sit on a chair across from my desk. Instead of sitting, I leaned against the desk, resting my hip on the edg
Zydan-When the fire finally started disappearing, I was overjoyed. No longer feeling the need to keep spraying the house, I rushed forward to help Lia. The fire wasn’t completely out, but the majority of it was, other than a few small areas. The biggest issue now is the smoke.As I ran toward the house, I saw a group of people gathered, anxiously looking at the house. It looked like they were all inside the fire, meaning Lia had helped them escape. Looking around, I hoped to see Lia, but she wasn’t in the crowd.“Where is Lia?” I asked the couple huddled together, leaning on each other for support.“She went inside to save my son!” The man said, who I recognized as Darrion Kenyon’s father.“She is still inside?” My eyes quickly moved to the house, and fear plunged into me, nearly suffocating me.Even if the fire wasn’t as bad, it was still dangerous. With how many she had already saved, I assumed her wolf was reaching its limits. I tried to sense her, but the signal was weak. Without
Accalia-“What is going on?” I asked as I glanced at Zydan.“I don’t have time to explain, but we need your help. We are under attack!” Darrion yelled, and not even a second later, I heard a crash, followed by the call being disconnected.I rushed into the lab and quickly informed Emily that I needed to leave. “What is wrong?” She asked.“I don’t know, but I believe the Kenyon family is under attack. Darrion called me, and it sounds urgent. Due to their distance, I have no choice but to go myself. Can you handle things until I return?”“Don’t worry about things here. I will take care of them. We have more than enough staff.”“Thank you!” I turned away from her to talk to the tech team and saw Jason.Although he wasn’t always in the lab, he was the one person I knew who could handle things on a technical level until I returned. I barely took two steps before he yelled out to me.“Don’t worry, I got it from here. You take care of whatever you need to.”Nodding my head, I turned to leave
Accalia-“Arielle told me what happened with everyone after I fell asleep.” I twisted in my seat to look at Zydan.“I admit that I have let my thoughts run wild. There are times I feel as if I am not worthy of you. I feel I haven’t contributed enough when I see how hard you work. If I had done more, you wouldn’t be working yourself so hard.” His focus remained on the road as he spoke.“You know, I couldn’t do half of the things I can do if it weren’t for you and everyone around me.” I smiled as I took his free hand in mine.“You are the future Queen, the leader of the Renegades, and in charge of a project that can change the world.”“My identity doesn’t define me. I might be the future Queen, but that has much to do with who my parents are. It isn’t like I came from nothing and worked my way up to that point. As far as being the leader of the Renegades, you have a huge part to play in that.”“What do you mean?” Zydan glanced in my direction briefly before focusing on the road.“When I