Valene:
When I returned to the Wade estate, Harlyn’s car was already outside. With only two hours before everyone had to head to Bone’s, I was honestly surprised that she didn’t call me. During this time, she was usually frantic about getting ready. I was always tasked to be her calm and support. Maybe Penelope was that source tonight.
I went into the house and quickly rushed up the stairs and to her door. “Mistress?” I started to knock when her door swung open.
“Where the bloody hell have you been?” Harlyn’s eyes were bewildered and frantic. I tipped my head to the side and looked past her, and sure as I was standing there, Penelope was sitting on the bed looking entirely defeated.
“Apologies, Mistress,” I quickl
Yet another space of silence resulted in the response that I gave Master Wade before he finally spoke again. “I…can’t say that I am necessarily glad to hear that, Valene. But if you are okay then so am I.” We shared a smile before he headed toward the door. “Oh! Before I forget,” He picked up the significantly sized bag that he dropped on my bed earlier. I didn’t even realize what it was until that moment. “I had a request.”“What is it, Master Wade?” I asked, glancing at the bag before regarding him again.“I was wondering if you’d perform tonight…at the bar?” This was certainly a surprise. “I-sir, are you sure that I should-”“Yes,” answered Master Wade without hesitation. “Harlyn hasn’t heard you play in years. I want everyone to hear your talent.” “Well in that case I…I’d be honored, sir.” “Good.” he smiled. “I asked the woman at the boutique to pick something out befitting a mystery-clad cellist.” he joked. “I hope you like it,” he smiled and departed.After he closed the door
Ares:The sun gave way to the beautiful moon rather quickly as I spent the remainder of my time before Senhorita Harlyn’s celebration patrolling the borders of Shadow Veil. To be honest, the last thing that I wanted to do was attend some kid’s coming-of-age gathering, but it was the courteous thing to do.I hardly put any effort into my outfit as it was not something that was of enough importance to do so. Still, I at least bothered to put on a suit and jacket…well, technically, Zevi guilted me into putting on a jacket. Sometimes, I had forgotten that he was older than I. It was at moments such as this that he reminded me that while I was his Alpha, he still was my big brother.No, we weren’t related by blood but we might as well have been. We were brought up, raised, and trained together as childre
I had forgotten how well this Alpha knew me as we stood there conversing, and admittedly it was amusing. “You should have known that you could not get anything past the old Alpha.” Bain cackled in the back of my mind while we thought about how he practically read us like a book.“You are right, senhor. In truth, if not for my beta I probably would not have been here.”“Somehow, I sense that there are other motives that served as an incentive for your presence, young Alpha.” Again, the Alpha read me like a book and I would not even bother insulting his intelligence by lying to him.“I did hear that there would be…a performance of sorts.”“Of course you did.” He muttered with a small frown upon his brow.I chuckled at his subtle change in demeanor. “I am intrigued to know what this performance will entail.” “Of course you are.” He answered shortly once again. I could tell that he was impatiently bothered by my confessed interest. I wasn’t upset by his visible frustration as I would ha
Valene: “You were…amazing out there, Val!” Herry exclaimed as he touched my shoulder. I placed my Cello down on the table and took a deep breath. “You think so?” I asked. I always carried doubt about a performance. “Oh, you know that you were amazing! Did you see that applause?” “I did,” I replied, though I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the applause may have been out of respect for my Master and his daughter instead of my talent. “You did good, kid.” he smiled and started to leave. “Hey, Herry?” I stopped him. “Yeah?” “You have nothing to worry about...ya know…
Tobias along with Harold was standing at the front entrance along with their Keepers. I knew then that play time was over. Immediately guilt took over as I realized that my Keeper must have been waiting for me while I was in the back entertaining another Keeper.Quickly, I shook the thought away but not the guilt as I followed behind them. “Where have you been?” Tobias asked as we emerged through the doors and outside.I started to part my lips and answer when I thought better of it. Not like our conversation would be just between the two of us anyway. “I was in the back…inspecting the damage,” I said instead.“Damage?”“My bow,&rd
Valene: With all that had gone on during the party two hours ago, my mind found very little solace in anything that was happening. In truth, I should have been happy-maybe even proud of what was happening on that night. For the first time in…ever, vassals were given the night to relax. They were separated from their Keepers, of course, but the fact that they did not have to wait on their Master or Mistress’s every whim was something to be proud of. So, part of me was glad to see them dancing around their own separate wood fire, smiling and laughing, but a bigger part of me-the vassal in me was concerned about everyone’s safety. Staring blankly ahead, I felt the heat of one’s gaze lingering on me and immediately knew that it was the lycan alpha. Our disagreement earlier was no doubt a heated one, and I still felt the residual tension between us even hours after. When I finally faced his gaze, an almost mischievous grin fell across his lips, and immediately I looked away. “So you’re
Again, I found amusement as he and I both knew that he did not believe this. Most things were not the fault of a vassal, but everything was always blamed on one. “Tobias, you and I both know that’s not true.” “Maybe not, but…if something does happen, your keepers will not hold it against you, and well, to be honest, I’m not sure whether mine will or not, but…to dance with you tonight and risk all of those things…it’s worth it to me,” Wow, this one was definitely a smooth talker. It was easy to see why Tobias would get away with almost anything. I was starting to find that he was very easy to like. With a resigned sigh, I looked around, making sure that everything was fine. Mistress Harlyn and her friends were further up a ways from their vassals, near their own little fire
I had nothing else to say to the lycan king but I certainly wasn’t in the mood to listen either, and once again, I tried to pull away but he didn’t let me go. And I immediately lost it so completely that I swung on him.My attempt to hit him was sloppy as he caught my hand and quickly twisted me around holding both my hands behind my back. He snatched me into him, my back facing him as he brought his lips down to my ear.“Use your mind, little human,” he hissed. “Those beasts killed a human…and nothing else.”“We were the closest to the forest. Of course, they did.”“You are so blinded by bitter rage that you cannot even acknowledge the truth of what happened tonight,”
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,