~Lucas~ I waited, watching Gemma, and time passed a little. Eventually Gemma woke up looking tired and i riushed to her side. "What happened?" she managed, her voice trembling, and I gently touched her cheek. "You fainted; I had to carry you in here," I explained, and she fell silent, appearing to understand the reason behind her fainting spell, though I didn't press her for an explanation. Lady Claudia returned to read her charts, and she was shocked when she saw her test results. I hoped it wasn't anything alarming, but she looked at me and then looked at Gemma, unable to speak. Gemma looked at her with tear-filled eyes; it seemed she knew what her mother had just found out. "How? When were you going to tell us?" she asked, and Gemma sat up, tears in her eyes. "I didn't know what to do, Mom; Dad was.. I was... I didn't… I just didn't know what to do?" she said, tears streaming down her cheeks, and I wondered what the issue was. Was she facing a terminal illness? Was that
~Leo~ I could not believe what had hit me. Everything happened so fast. I trusted Kappa Daniel so much that I didn't pay attention to the route. I didn't even ask any questions until the vehicle came to a halt, and people jumped out of nowhere and began to attack us. I wouldn't say I was confident, but I tried not to show fear. I hated seeing Amelia fight. It made me feel incapable sometimes, but in this scenario, it was required, and there was no way of avoiding it. We shifted, and the battle seemed like we were winning until I felt a dart on my hind leg, and everything went dark. I sunk into the abyss so deep that I knew crawling out of the mess we were in would be close to impossible. All I prayed for in those seconds was that fate would favour my mate and me, and we would survive it. As I regained consciousness, I found myself in a dim cell with only a small window offering no glimpse of the outside world. The window seemed almost insignificant, leading nowhere and se
~Leo~ It was either Gavin was sick in the head or did not really know what happened, but if he was alive all through, then he should know what happened and that Amanda was the cause of her father and his sister's death. Something wasn't right, but I was aware of the danger he represented. "It was justice," was all I could manage. He nodded. "It is okay. My son and I will get the justice too. Take pack our region ," He said and I laughed. "If you want the head alpha position, you can have it," I said, wanting my son's safety by all means. He laughed and shook his head. "No, Leo. Head alpha won't suffice anymore. You are the cause of this colossal mess we call a kingdom. You and your fucked confused friends. All regions were independent before, and the council only attended to certain matters. I am taking us back to those days. Once your household falls, I will go for the north, too. The west and South will fall in line. No formidable foe there, really. I will keep you alive until
~Liam~ After my call to Adrian, I felt a bit restless. Time was going by pretty fast, and I was nervous. Asking me to remain in Lucland was unfair. It would have been nice to be in the Mountains, where all the action was. Just like old times. I was a bit frustrated. Josephine entered the bedroom with a knowing smile on her face. "Why don't you just go to Mountain. You know I can take charge here," she teased, chuckling. I got off the bed and pulled her into my arms, tickling her in the process, and she laughed. "Li, Li, stop, stop," she said, her laughter loud and genuine, warming my heart and easing my mind. Josephine had always been playful, and she hadn't changed, and I doubted she would. I pinned her against the wall, ready to kiss her. She slid down. Between my arms, dodging the kiss. "I have to go back to the garden. Jason is there with his cousins, and we are having a picnic," she said. I pulled her up and gently caressed her bump, feeling our baby growing in her. Joseph
~Liam~ I finally arrived at the Mountain, and I was shocked to see the airport sparsely populated. I could sense something was coming, and I hoped we had the power for it. Taking a cab, I headed to the settlement. I didn't want to trouble Noah and Sebastien by sending a vehicle because I knew they had a lot to do and might be tied up at the moment. The cab took me straight to the Alphas office, where I met Anthony, Luis, Ethan, Noah and Sebastian. They looked demoralised, and I could tell they might have hit a wall. "They were surprised to see me, and I could understand why. After all, I had told them I wasn't coming. "What are you doing here?" Luis asked me, and I made myself comfortable. The alpha meeting was my seven tonight so I best be on my way but I had to explain certain things to them. "The alphas have written a petition and requested the temporary removal of power from your family pending the investigation. They say Lord Andrew can take over for the time being, and t
~Liam~ Alpha Gabriel introduced himself officially and welcomed me to the meeting, then decided to speak about their request. "The majority of the Eastern alphas have petitioned his majesty to permit the appointment of Lord Andrew Stepanov, either his heir or representative, to serve as interim head of the East until this matter is resolved. While I may not personally align with this prevailing sentiment, the majority of my colleagues present here today advocate for the arrest and interrogation of the Albert brothers. Given the disappearance of our lord and lady, coupled with the mounting evidence against them, we seek clarity from the royal family. We wish to know their stance on this issue and whether any action has been taken," stated Alpha Gabriel, and I stood up to thank them for having me. "The King extends his gratitude for your communication, and rest assured, we are actively addressing the situation. Given the absence of Lord Andrew and his son, we have opted to refrain fr
~Anthony~ Everything had gone to shit in a blink of an eye, and none of us were the wiser. The moment that footage was on the screen in the council hall, I knew something was up. Sitting down and waiting around wasn't going to cut it, but we had hit a dead end with Kelcy, and right now, only a miracle could help us. One thing was certain: I was sure that Mosess was shady, but with the eastern alphas against my cousins, it would be hard for us to investigate properly. Regardless of the situation, we hoped we would prevail. "You seem restless," Luis asked me, and I turned to look at him. Noah and Sebastien were going through documents and making calls. It was a lot of work: searching for their folks and trying to find the culprits simultaneously. I had ordered warriors from Greenville to start coming to the East, I was also hopeful that some Alphas would lend a hand, but it seemed no one wanted to be near this out of fear of being implicated. As things were we might not have the
~Anthony~ The medical team sprang into action swiftly, and I silently thanked my lucky stars for Luis and Noah's insistence on visiting the Zherdevs. Without their promptness, Aspen might not have survived. As I pondered the situation, it dawned on me what kind of life Aspen must have been enduring in that household. Her earlier demeanour towards me, her urgency to leave the East, suddenly made sense. I couldn't help but feel utterly disappointed in myself for not helping out. Though Luis opted to depart, I resolved to stay a while longer, awaiting Aspen's recovery. It wasn't until two hours later, following her treatment, that she finally regained consciousness. Tears welled in her eyes as she beheld me, though she managed to sit up. The sorrow evident in her gaze pierced me deeply, extinguishing any remnants of brightness. "I specifically told you not to disclose anything, Alpha, but you did," she accused, her voice tinged with betrayal. "What do you mean?" I inquired, puzzl
I want to start by saying I'm truly sorry for the short chapters. It seems there are now "ideal word count limits" to adhere to. I deeply regret the prolonged silence, but I've been grappling with severe health issues lately, and I'm still in the throes of recovery. I couldn't bear to leave this book neglected for too long, so I pushed through to the end so you all could move on. I do hope to return with a new story soon, and hope you will all be there, but for now, I must concede and focus on recuperating. The silence weighs heavy on me, and I truly hope you enjoyed the story and its conclusion. This marks the final instalment in the DSOF series. Perhaps one day, I'll pen Eleanor's tale, but I'm hesitant to make any promises I may not be able to fulfil. Please bear with me, dear readers and co-writers, and know that I cherish each and every one of you dearly. I will miss you all immensely. I love you all.❤️❤️❤️🙏🏾🙏🏾🤗🤗
~Winter~ A year passed, and all the struggles were a distant memory. Now, we were hosting the gathering in the East, and Summer, Chelsea and I had gone over time. Chelsea was a new mother now. She and Ethan had wasted no time. They claimed each other and got married the next month. Normally, we all thought they would wait, but two months later, she was pregnant, and a lovely girl named Evangeline was the product. Evangeline was a beautiful blonde baby, and we all loved her. We were new moms ourselves, and Summer and I couldn't carry Evangeline as much as we would like. I had twins, and they were adorable. Both of them looked like Stepanovs, and I wondered if my genes ever stood a chance. My daughter's name was Michelle, and My son's name was Frederick. They were adorable, and I loved them so much. Summer had a son, and she and Sebastien named Him Leonardo after Sebasteins's father. He was cute and looked a lot like his grandfather, but he had green eyes like Summer. She w
Ethan I was nervous about seeing Chelsea. Although we said it wouldn't matter if we weren't fated, I didn't know why I was suddenly nervous. I had never cared for anyone the way I cared for her, and I knew it was the same for her. So I wondered why I was unwilling to see her tonight. Her eighteenth birthday was in a few hours, and I had promised to be the first person to see her, but my heart was beating fast. I had stayed away from the house all evening, avoiding her. She said she would spend the time with me, and Noah had confirmed that she was in our home. Though not showing, we found out after the wedding that Summer and Winter were pregnant, and they were very peckish, so Chelsea always brought them snacks. Although Summer and Winter had planned a party for her, it wasn't going to take place until the evening of her birthday. It had been torture waiting these months, and now it was finally time for me to make her mine. I never planned to be with anyone except for her, so
~Gemma~ It had finally come to this, and after the crowd and everyone had left, Lucas and I drove home from the estate. Although our wedding took place at the estate, I was now at Rivers, and my man was taking me home. How could I have tried to make it difficult for him? He was genuinely in love with me. Our union was embraced by both families, and Katalina was a thing of the past. The fact that nothing had ever transpired between her and Lucas made me relax. I didn't feel guilty one bit. Lucas had had some girlfriends, but he was mine now. He pulled me to his body in the back seat of the limo that was taking us home. Lucas crashed his lips on mine, drinking me in. Our wolves had claimed each other in the eyes of all and the moon. He was mine through and through. The moment the bond formed, I knew I had found my forever love. I kissed him. Every fibre of my being was burning with desire. I wanted him. My body craved him. He had made love to me severally since we returne
~Winter~ The day of the blue moon had finally arrived, and I was consumed with nerves like never before. I'd been down this road once, and it hadn't ended well. As I veiled my face, my eyes met Summer's, resplendent in her wedding attire. Her touch on my hand offered reassurance. "It won't be like last time, Winter. This is real," she whispered, her words calming my racing heart. I nodded, believing this time would be different. Noah's love was steadfast. Lady Amelia entered the tent, her eyes alight with happiness. In her hands were two ornate jewellery boxes, undoubtedly meant for us. "You both look stunning tonight," she beamed, her words touching my soul. Lady Amelia loved us as a mother would her child; she cherished us as much as her own sons, a rare bond that set her apart. Approaching me, she unveiled the contents of the box meant for my adornment. A breathtaking gold necklace adorned with sapphire stones and dazzling diamonds lay nestled within. It was a masterpiece. "I
~Noah~ Three weeks passed, and the dust finally settled when the fugitives were apprehended by an angry mob of people eager to prove to their monarch that they were sorry for allowing themselves to be used and deceived into hindering progress. They had killed Kane and Ramos, leaving Gavin and Moses. I could bet that the only reason why they left Gavin and Moses, judging by the state they were in when they brought them, was because they wanted to deliver them to the authorities. They were battered, and silver was clamped on their wrist. I wished I had witnessed the mog action. Some parts of it were in the news. With the way the people surrounded them. They had no choice. It was a battle lost before it started. They had sprayed them silver dust to incapacitate them and then beat Kane and Ramos to death while they chained Gavin and Moses for judgment. I guess the King's words, coupled with my father's words and show of disappointment, got to them. Indeed, they had unknowingly helped
~Anthony~ My wolf was urging me to bridge the gap and assert our claim, but I remained dumbfounded. Frankly, I never imagined it would happen, especially not with Aspen. Here I was, enamoured with Chelsea, even competing with Ethan for her attention, when all along, it was Aspen who held my heart. Was Aspen the catalyst for my feelings for Chelsea? I realised I often encountered her before seeing Chelsea, yet I was too preoccupied with Chelsea to consider Aspen. I remember my first time at the orphanage; she was the one at the door greeting us, and she was particularly nice to me. On the second occasion, I went there, I ended up spending time with her. She opened up to me, telling me what she wouldn't dare tell anyone. The bond had been rearing its head, and I was too stubborn to realise it. She was the one who came to celebrate the victory with me when I was feeling lonely. It was her all along. Fate threw me her way severally and put her in my face, but my desires did not allo
~Anthony~ I waited for Aspen to pack her belongings in the evening so we could leave. I was going to leave the next day, as I had told Ethan, but my father had urged me to leave immediately. Everyone had gone back home, so waiting was pointless. Luis was around, though, and he planned to leave the next day. I was the only one still in Mountain, so I could understand when my parents asked me to go home. I escorted Aspen to her father's house so she could pack her belongings, and I went there with warriors just in case the man was being funny. I knew this was the right thing for her. If she stayed there any longer, she would end up dead. One day, he would take it too far and leave the silver on her a little too long for her body to recover. I had no obligations towards her, but I could not ignore her cry for help. Kirill was outside, and he looked at me, angry and powerless. He knew it was over. I was a lord so there was nothing he could do but just stew in his anger. "You c
~Leo~ As we made our way there, Ethan and Sebastian, accompanied by Summer and another girl who seemed to share the same origins as Summer and Winter, clung to Ethan. The girl wore a t-shirt with the words "Victory: because Adulthood is overrated" printed on it. Seeing how the girl and Ethan clung to each other, I knew they were together. They walked to me quickly, and Summer let go of Sebastian and hugged Amelia tightly. "We missed you; we were worried and scared," She confessed, and Amelia rubbed her back lovingly as a mother would hug her child. "I heard you fought well, Luna," she teased Summer, and Summer broke the hug with tears in her eyes. She was overjoyed to see us. She hugged me, too, but she didn't say anything. I looked at Ethan, and he had a straight face, but I could tell he was hiding his emotions. Amelia pulled him to a hug. "I am so proud of you, son," She said, and he held on to her; his hands shook, and I could tell he had feared the worst. Breaking the hug,