As soon as Harlyn brought her fist down, this time, she was surprised by the swiftness of Valene’s counter.
Without struggle, she caught Harlyn’s hand into hers. “That’s enough of that.” Her gnarl was guttural and inhuman. She twisted Harlyn’s arm back.
Harlyn let out a howl of pain. Valene hadn’t snapped her arm yet, but I knew that it was coming.
“You-you think I’m afraid of you! You think that….that you’re better than me?!” Harlyn struggled to bark through her pain. “Just because you’re no longer a weak, and tormented little human that nobody ever wanted! Not even your own mother!”
With her arm still in her grasp, Valene stepped forward and so did I. This time, neither Tor
Vale:“Disperse! Everyone disperse!” I could hear my father saying this but it was like an echo in a distant world. I knew that he was saying this on account of me, and my mother. I knew that our power colliding like it did, was damaging to everything around us, but I just couldn’t stop. We just couldn’t stop. Rage had completely taken over.Not only me, but my mother as well. Fierya felt my rage and she tried to keep us grounded but there was something even stronger than her. She was muted by both of our life’s trauma and the emotions that came along with it. There was an unstoppable fury that seemed to engulf us both, and there was no stopping it. Not without intense physical intervention. And who on earth had such strength? Part of me hoped that someone would stop it, but another part of me...the feral part of me wanted to release it all. We fought. We fought hard and anyone who got into our way was only collateral to us both. I wanted it to stop! I wanted it to stop. Or at lea
I just wasn't ready for this conversation just yet. Not yet, so I grabbed some clothes, that I’d lounge in, and then I went into the bathroom and took a shower. Surely washing the blood and dirt off of me would calm me down. After an hour under the rain of well-pressured hot water, I left the shower, oiled down and put on my lounging gear. Fully expecting to just…play my frustrations away.I opened the door, and walked out, and sensed that he was still there. “What are you still doing here?” I asked, though part of me felt like I shouldn’t have been surprised. “I told you that I wasn’t going anywhere.” He shrugged haphazardly as his he took a look around my room, fiddling around with the odd knick knack that was lying around. I grabbed a beer from the mini fridge, and popped it open, I then took a drink of it. “I don’t want to talk to you.” “Yes, you do,” he said without hesitation. It was clear that he was not going to back down. “Now, tell me what it is that you think I wouldn’t
Ares:Alastair decided to wait a few days before reconvening. It seemed that his one-on-one with Merari ended far better than mine did with Valene. The alpha she-wolf or whatever she was, seemed to be in higher and far more sensible spirits than she was that evening. Though it was evident that she was wracked with some semblance of guilt over what happened. As much could be seen when everyone crowded into the meeting room that afternoon. An apology was itching to leave her lips with every single member of the meeting she approached. In a lot of ways-though I hadn’t known Ms. Van Doren for long, in many ways she reminded me of Valene. There was no wonder that the two could not get along. “Young alpha.” I turned to her when I heard her voice. I knew that she wasn’t talking to Alastair. She’d never call him young, and while I was significantly older than she, I could see why she’d consider me young. I certainly looked the part. “Ms. Van Doren,” I greeted. “Alpha Barbosa will do.”
Alastair:“He was the first known Gold Blood created by the Goddess Moon.” she said, and immediately everyone’s attention was captivated everyone in the room. Including me.No one had ever heard of ‘the first Gold Blood in history’ but everyone had always been curious about it. How could one not be?“He was human, of course, as normal as you’d imagine a young boy to be,” Merari smiled.And as she smiled, I wondered why. It bothered me that someone else’s memory…another man’s memory was something that she found some sort of solace in. What was worse was that, according to the path in which this story was headed, I knew that this bloody bastard was connected to the situations that had been going on in Shadow Veil of late. “Well, obviously he didn’t stay that way,” I retorted with a bit more aggression than intended. Merari noticed this and with her brow now raised with irritation, she continued. “Yes, alpha Wade, you're right. He did change. And that change started just like any other
“They’re right,” Merari seemned to agree with Harlyn and young Talon. Fortunately. “Knowing my story will not help you understand his. All you need to know is that he was there when I needed him the most. He saved my life and in doing so, he saved my daughter’s life.”There was something hurtful about what Merari had just said. The fact that another man was there for her. For our daughter…when I should have been the one to save her from the horror of Caris’s feral rage. It was almost too much for me to listen to, but I knew that it was a just punishment-this knowledge. In fact, I deserved far worse as an absentee, bum father.“Unfortunately,” Merari started again. “I thought he was good,” she said. “Until he wasn’t. I fled, and now he is looking for me,&rdqu
Alastair:Merari was hysterical as she informed me of this potential reality and she was almost certain that she was not imagining her suspicions of Agnes. While the assumption caught me off guard, I would not have put it past her to do so. Nevertheless, I knew that with the complexity of the suspect in question and her relation to my delta, this would not be an easy problem with an easy resolution. I had convinced her of as much that night during our conversation. She wasn’t happy about it-not by a long shot. However, I was at least able to calm her down enough to persuade her to allow us to reconvene at a later time. That allotted me a few days to consider how to go about pursuing the situation further. Unfortunately, Valene’s recent mental instability was another concern that kept her at bay for a few days as we both tried keeping her close on our radar. Fortunately, Ares made it no secret of his concerns and devotion to Valene’s well being. He assertively volunteered and it was
Ares:She had been playing erratically all throughout the day and night. Nothing had changed since last I’d seen her and we did not part on the greatest of terms then. My little pet was not the happiest of campers when I intervened in her last meal. Though part of her, I’m sure, was relieved when I did interrupt her last kill as this one, unlike the others, was simply an innocent man trying to get home to his wife and children. I stood at her door for a moment, not saying anything. There was no point, to be honest. We both knew that she was not in a talking mood. I just needed her to know that whether she was in the mood to talk to me or not, I was there nonetheless. And with a present for her, no less.“I could only imagine how incomplete you must be feeling about not having your bow.”It was then that I relinquished the bag in my hand and gingerly laid it against her door. "These are specially made. Just for you,” I said. I was under no assumption that she would open the door fo
Alastair:“Where is it you last saw them?!” I asked through the pack link as I brushed through the forest to go after the pack of rogues that we had spotted along the city line. They weren’t like the others. They were uniform and in sync with their movements as they fled. These beasts moved with far more intelligence than the ones that we’d been tracking and killing of late. Had they smartened up as well as strengthened?Somehow, my gut told me that this was not the case. There was something different about these rogues. Either way, they needed to be put down. If they were strangers to Shadow Veil then they were enemies to Shadow Veil. “We lost them around the bend, alpha!” Toran finally retorted through the link. “They’re faster than I remember them being.” “I am beginning to think that these are not rogues at all.” John Minken chimed in. I was glad that he had as he was the mitigator of this thing. With John’s strategic prowess, this thing could be far less messy than it had to b
VALE:The first rays of dawn painted the sky in hues of orange and pink as Valene and Harlyn stood on the outskirts of Shadow Veil, their backs turned to the familiar pack. The weight of exile hung heavy in the air, a bittersweet reminder of the decisions they had made.“This is a big step to make, Vale,” said Tobias as we stood at the city line of Shadow Veil. “It is,” I said. I couldn’t bloody well deny his truth. Harlyn and I’s relationship was still on the mend. There were definitely some kinks that needed to be worked out, but I felt an obligation to her. Not only to her but to Shadow Veil as well. I refused to make it easier for Dronnigan to find me. “But you remember what my mother said, Tobi. Even if Harly wasn’t leaving, I’m not sure that I’d have a choice. Not until I find a way to get rid of him for good.” I said. “Yeah, that’s true. I’ll be shoving off soon too.”“Your dad can’t be happy about that.” Tobias glanced back at the beta and his son. “Not really, but both he
VALE:“Harlyn Caris Wade. You almost took the life of your best friend. Your actions of attempted murder have cast an even bigger shadow on the pack. It’s not just because of what you did, Harlyn but who you are to the people surrounding you.”Harlyn’s gaze fell to the ground. There was visible shame in her eyes as these words were said. She knew that all of it was true, and so she kept silent.“You were acting in a rash state of anger and a thirst for revenge, and because of this, you’ve committed crimes of a reprehensible nature.” She looked up at him, and took a deep breath, but still, she did not say a word. It was clear that she was anxious though.“What do you have to say for yourself?” Silence enveloped the great hall, everyone silently and apprehensively waiting for her to speak. Until she finally did. “I…I’ve never been a really good friend…a good master…and especially a good sister. Her eyes wandered the room, but not for long as she finally found the gaze that she was
Alastair:The tension was palpable as the pack and clan leaders stood in the great hall for the judgment that would have to be carried out.As I sat in the Alpha’s chair, looking over the crowd, I could see that every face was etched with tension and sorrow. I couldn’t blame them; this was a big night, and one that I was not looking forward to.My stomach turned constant flips, a clear reaction to my anxiety as this day approached. I was dreading every second up until this very moment, and I could sense that I was not the only one.Agnes and Penny stood there, hands and feet bound as they waited for the room to gather its awaiting crowd for my judgment. They stood before me, Toran on my right and John…struggling internally, but nevertheless on my left. Both Agnes and Penny’s heads were bowed before me as they waited for me to proceed with the grave charges pinned against them. When the sound of the meeting hall’s large double doors could be heard closing, I knew that it was time to
The room was dimly lit. It was clear that she was in a cell of some sort. “Hello, my love.” Her voice was calm and soothing, and yet filled with sorrow. Though she wasn’t facing me in real time, I could sense the shame in her demeanor as she could not even look into Tobias’s eyes while relaying her message.“You know that before you were born…your father and I had an affair.” she chuckled bitterly. “Of course…I didn’t know that he was married or mated or whatever the hell they call it!” She snapped and then took a deep breath to seemingly calm down. “But that is neither here nor there. I did end it, baby, I truly did…once I found out that-what…kind of situation I was placed in. That…that wasn’t good enough for her though…so…that’s basically how my life ended that night.”There was so much pain in her voice as she said this. I couldn’t imagine how much it pained her to relive that evening. But she had to. She needed to confess her truth.“When I was brought back…all of my emotions we
VALEAfter Damian plied me with a few more drinks, I stumbled home to the inn and got me a room to stay at. Since everything that went on with Harlyn, I had been saying with dad, knowing that while he wouldn’t express it aloud, he needed the support. On this night, however, and maybe even the days to come, I’d probably be staying put here. There was far too much on my mind to be placed in the same vicinity of someone who was going through as much as I was.I knew that dad was hurting, and I also knew that if I saw that, if I had to witness it, I’d try and do everything within my power to heal him of that hurt instead of focusing on not going insane due to my own. I stumbled into the bathroom, and started the shower. Then I sat there on the side of the tub, leaned my head against the cold ceramic. It felt good against my flushed drunken skin.Suddenly, I didn’t think that I had the energy to take a shower. Maybe I should just stay here and close my eyes.“I see you have had an…intoxi
VALE:There was a look on his face, one that spoke so many volumes to me and still I could not accept it. I recalled watching as Ares pulled away from Tobias’s thoughts and memories. He was slow facing me, very reluctant.“Is it true?” I had asked him. Somehow, some part of me knew that answer but I needed Ares to confirm.It wasn’t like I thought the worst of Tobias-even in spite of his new lifestyle; not like he necessarily chose the lifestyle that was thrust upon him. I could never say that Tobias was a dishonest person. That’s why…I already knew. Still, there was something about my connection with Ares that would solidify this for me. “Tell me, Ares!” I approached him, desperate for him to answer. “Is it?”When he nodded sullenly, I backed away from him, and sorrow immediately enveloped me. My heart ached.“So…it was a lie?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing even though I knew that it was true. My dad tried to approach me. I could tell that he was as distraught as I was abo
Vale“That…no…no, that’s…impossible.”Tobias shook his head. “No, Vale. It’s not.”I couldn’t absorb what he was saying to me. It was surreal. “Who on earth would the goddess deem worthy enough to procreate with?”“The old man was never clear on that,” said Tobias. “But he’s certain that you are. Apparently he has proof of it.” “And you didn’t think to bring it here?”Dad clearly was as flustered as I was, finding out this incredulous bit of news. Tobias looked at the alpha with a sarcastic expression. “All due respect, alpha…you’ve not met my father if you think that it would be so easy to get away, let alone gather information on him-”“Wait, what?!” Talon exclaimed. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who caught that. I just…I wasn’t sure that I heard correctly. Tobias paused, his eyes falling to the floor with clear indignation. He wasn’t happy about this bit of news either, but it was clear that there was merit to it. “What did you say?” With a resigned exhale, Tobias nodded.
Vale:I stood there, bewildered as our eyes met. Part of me, a less…conflicted part of me was elated to see him standing there. With my father…his father, and his brother.Tobias.I cared about Tobias. Far more than I ever realized. It took him dying and then coming back to see that. But regardless, of how I came to this realization, those feelings were there. And that would never change. I was so glad to seem him alive and relatively well considering the circumstances surrounding…well…us and our current lifestyles.Despite that less conflicted side of me, there was bigger part of me…a blaringly alarmed and untrusting, and even angry…part of me that could only think about one thing; where was my mother?The fact that she was nowhere to be found-even now. It didn’t make sense maybe, but…in my potentially irrational mind, I couldn’t think of a reality where Tobias would even be here and mum not. I just couldn’t shake that feeling….that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, as I wat
VALEThe meeting hall wasn’t too far away from where I was, so I didn’t use a quick means of transportation. “Vale,” I heard someone call after me. When I turned around, Talon was on approach. “Good evening, Talon,” I greeted.I guess any other sister would have given the Beta a cold shoulder because of what he had done to Harlyn.To be honest, as far as I was concerned, Harlyn got what Harlyn deserved. She never treated the guy with the proper respect.Still, I could tell that he was nervous about approaching me. Oh, Talon. I am on your side on this one.“How are you, this evening?” he asked me.“I’m…fine,” I shrugged. “I guess.”“Fine?” His steps slowed when he got closer. “Yeah, just fine. Could be better. Then again, I could be worse.” “Ah,” he shiftily looked around before his eyes landed on me again. He had question that he wanted to ask and I already knew who the question was concerning.“Just…ask the question, Talon,” I rolled my eyes.He took a deep breath, and then said,