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
AlastairI stepped out of the backseat of the large unmarked SUV, contemplating what was about to happen. My right hand and beta stood at the rear passenger door, waiting for me to step out of the vehicle. He closed the door behind me whilst I took that moment to take in the large establishment standing before us both.Suddenly, my stomach churned, a large blow to my pride as I considered the reason why I was standing there-why I had wound up at this place.“You alright, Alpha?” I heard my long-time friend ask as he settled himself by my side. I could sense his concerned verdant eyes staring unwaveringly at the side of my face. He would not stop until I answered. “Why do you ask?” Naturally, I knew good and well why my beta had asked me this question. He thought that I was having doubts because he most certainly was having them. When Toran didn’t respond right away, I glanced at him, my brow raised, awaiting his answer.“May I speak candidly, Alpha?” Toran requested. I rolled my eye
AlastairThe pack dashed through the forest floor near the Blue Ridge Highlands, running down prey. With Aziz at the helm, we’d taken down our second hide for the day, the first-a bobcat would not fill this large form, and so we went in search of a Black Bear next.Twice every week, the Shadow Veil Pack was required to go on hunts into the mountains by my command, some lasting no less than a day and sometimes as long as three. It was a great release for our wolves, not to mention it kept both our beasts and us on our toes. No better way to keep ourselves, as well as our counterparts, in peak shape than running the wild for the hunt.I enjoyed these outings with the pack, often needing a welcomed distraction from the heavy weight of life as not only an Alpha but a widower and single father. It’d been over seven years since the death of my beloved Caris. I could not figure out whether it was a good or bad thing that I could not find the time to mourn the anniversary of her death, with
Valene When the school day ended, I was glad that Harlyn had decided to go home for the day. It was a school night after all, though it was Thursday-a day everyone seemed to consider synonymous with Friday. Especially Harly. To me, the days blended into one another like an artist would their paints to create the perfect color that would perfectly mesh with the thoughts they were trying to convey on canvas. Perhaps that was the wrong example to compare me to. Artists were free to release whatever imaginative creativity they saw fit. I was no artist, and I was nowhere near as free. There wasn’t very much freedom for a vassal, and while I was not to be considered the same as the rest, my role was essentially the same as the others. There were one or two freedoms allowed to me that no other knew about outside of Master Wade and Harlyn. Master Wade made it a point to try and make me feel as…free as he possibly could without anyone else noticing it. The need for no one to figure it ou
ValeneWhen he spoke, I left it up to Harlyn to speak first. Had she not, Master Wade surely would have known that something was the matter. Although, due to the long pause and silent stare, he no doubt knew something was up anyway.“Hello, Daddy,” Harlyn said in a spritely manner, her eyes still on me and her expression stoic.“How was our day?” Master Wade asked. His expression seemed normal, but his tone was subtly apprehensive.Harlyn took her time answering him. By the time she finally did, the Alpha was visibly well past the line of suspicion concerning whatever it was that we were talking about. “It was great!” Harlyn finally answered, her eyes steadily on me before finally standing up and walking toward her father to embrace him. “Had to put Penny in her place for disrespecting Vali, but otherwise, things were fine.” She glanced back at me. “Right, Vali?”Without hesitation, I simply nodded. Reluctantly answering would only cause more drama, as far as I was concerned. I had a
Valene A family meeting…a sit down…and there I was…at the table…with the Wade family. I was reluctant to take a seat, but Master Wade practically pushed me into the chair with his beckoning. This wasn’t by far the first family meeting; usually, they did consist of Harlyn and Master Wade however. Sure, I was on standby but not a part of them-never apart; not for seven years. I sat there nervous, under my cool exterior, waiting for Harlyn to arrive. It had been years since a ‘family meeting’. We both were kids at the time-Harlyn, and I and our minds were completely different. Neither of us saw the divide between ourselves as a species. So, when we sat down with one another at the table, Master Wade at the head making decisions, it wasn’t as…uncomfortable as it was at the moment. Seven years it had been since the last meeting with all of us sitting at the table, and it was when Mistress Caris Wade died. Sitting at that table brought back old thoughts, memories, and emotions about
ALASTAIRThe family meeting was a success! Harlyn seemed to receive Valene far better than I thought, volunteering for a shared special day. Admittedly, I was quite proud of my little girl for not being so selfish.After Valene insisted against my word to make a nice meal for the family, we parted ways. It was nice speaking to my girls on the same level. It was daunting for me to address Valene as if I did not count her as my own, and I could only imagine how much more difficult and confusing this arrangement was for her. Yes, this had been the way of things for the greater part of seven years. Nevertheless, it made it no less difficult. Of course, she made it a point of displaying her frustrations far less than I could. “If this situation is too confusing for you, why not turn the child?” Aziz countered in my mind. Sooner or later, I should have known that he’d return to the subject of turning Valene. He never left the matter alone for too long “I assure you things would be far less
bValeneThe fall moon was full, and the night’s breeze was just lively enough to sing through the night air, my favorite type of weather, next to the rain. Pinching the collar of my jacket to cover my neck, I approached my place of work in the cab I caught to reach my destination once securely out of Shadow Veil City.“Thank you!” I tipped the driver and headed toward the bar when suddenly that feeling gripped me again-that same feeling that I’d had in my room a night ago; someone was watching me. Again.I paused when I reached the sidewalk staring ahead of me. In the distance-about, thirty feet away, there was a small forest area, and I…could…have sworn I saw some luminescent eyes peering through them. Needless to say, I did not enjoy the idea of someone
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,