LOGINMy gaze shifted restlessly. He was the last person I had expected to see at the dinner. The dining hall was alive with soft murmurs and clinking of cutlery. His warm blue eyes also stared at me. It seemed like the world around both of us faded, leaving us alone in the room.
My father, the alpha of the pack, cleared his throat and gestured towards the man who caught my attention. “This is Brian. The man who would wed Maria.” My breath was caught in my throat as the revelation startled me. “Brian.” I whispered, shocked that the man who had saved me was the one I would marry. “It's nice to meet you.” Brian smiled at me from across the table. As the dinner progressed, I noticed that his eyes were fixed on me the whole while. Sasha sat by his side while I sat opposite him, but I noticed something which caused me to feel unease. He had torn his gaze from me and was looking at Sasha. She slipped her hand underneath the table and placed it on top of Brian's. The gesture felt uncomfortable, but I kept looking without saying anything. Brian brushed his fingers over her hand, causing my unease to increase. I swallowed my food and shook the thought off. It's nothing. I'm just overthinking. When the plates were cleared, I excused myself and moved to the side, knowing that I'll finally have the chance to talk to Brian. My fingers fidgeted with the folds of my dress as Brian followed, stopping behind me. “I never knew you were the one,” He admitted, causing me to turn to face him. “I didn't know either.” I confessed. “Thank you for saving me.” I said with a broad smile on my face. He scratched his neck nervously before responding. “I'm glad I saved my future wife.” I still had other things I wanted to tell him about. The man who captured me had said something of the females of Veilwood being special. I wanted to know more about why he decided to capture me. Before we could say more, my father's voice rang through the hall, announcing, “The bride to be would now entertain us.” I inhaled deeply and moved away from Brian. The harp was positioned in the corner of the room. I sat gracefully and my fingers brushed against the strings of the harp as I played each note. The melody from the harp filled the room and I closed my eyes, allowing myself to flow with the music. I finished and the crowd clapped. I stood up and curtsied while returning the harp in its place. The evening drew to a close. I was even happier when I heard that Brian and his family would be spending the night at the packhouse. I would use that chance to get to know him better. “You play very well.” He complimented as he walked towards where I was. His blue eyes were lit up like a man who was really impressed. “Thank you.” I responded, my cheeks slightly reddening from his compliment. He smiled faintly, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. I felt comfortable with him. Perhaps, if I had known that he was the one I was meant to marry, I wouldn't have run away. “I have a gift for you.” I said and watched as his lips curved into a softer smile. “I appreciate that…” A man walked towards Brian, causing his attention to be diverted from me. He whispered something into Brian's ears before leaving. “I'll talk to you later. I've got something important to do.” Without waiting for my response, he waved and rushed in the same direction that the man who came to talk to him had gone. His departure didn't bother me as I knew I'd have enough time to spend with him since he was spending the night in Veilwood. I found my way to my room, in search of the gift I planned to give Brian. My father was an alpha and if I told him about Brian saving me, he would reward him. But I dared not mention my escape to anyone, it would only cause trouble for me. I brought out a box from my drawer. It contained trinkets and pearls. I needed to make something special for him—a bracelet. I took out some of the pearls that had a masculine touch and connected them with the string. The emerald pearls glinted in the faint evening light. I admired it in my palms. It was only left to connect the ends with a hook. I searched the box and was left with disappointment after discovering I had run out of hooks. I headed to Sasha's room to borrow some of hers. As I passed through the corridors, I noticed that the visitor's quarters room was slightly opened. People hardly visited this area, and I doubted if Brian had settled in his room already. I moved closer to shut the door and my eyes couldn't believe what they saw. I gasped, dropping the bracelet on the floor, making it scatter. “Sasha, Brian…” I whispered, but they were too engrossed in their act to even hear the sound of the pearls shattering. I blinked my eyes a couple of times, trying to wake up from this nightmare, but it was real. Their naked bodies moved on the bed, making out passionately. I moved away from the door and leaned my back against the wall in desperation. I slid down and sat helplessly on the floor. How long had they known themselves? Is this the reason that Sasha encouraged me to run away? My fingers raked through my hair with tears falling from my eyes as I sobbed silently. The man who had saved me. Someone who I had started to love, was making out with my sister. Something urged me to enter the room and let them know I'd caught them in the act, but something else held me back. I left the scene and headed to my room, abandoning the shattered gift on the ground. The evening turned into night. I tried to comfort myself as I climbed into my bed to sleep, but I couldn't stop the tears from gushing out. Tomorrow would be my birthday and the day scheduled for my marriage. I would end up getting married to a cheat who slept with my sister. I had to think of how to end this marriage before it became late.Trevor's fingers brushed her hair back. Her mind kept dwelling on what Freye said.“You're safe,” Trevor muttered as he brushed her hair back. She felt the mate bond, the sacred pull. Maria wanted to believe him. “Maybe Freye could be a prisoner who is lying to get released. I should ask him about her, should I?” she contemplated in her mind.She drew back slightly to meet his eyes.“Do you still feel afraid?” Trevor asked as he brushed his palm against her cheek.She shook her head. “I feel safer with you.”She saw something like a smile appear on his face. A cock crowed in the distance. “Morning already,” she whispered to herself.She raised her head slightly to look at the window. The atmosphere was still dark. Her eyes fluttered, and sleep pulled at her. She wasn't even aware when she drifted into sleep in his arms.When she woke up, the morning rays slipped into the room, illuminating it and casting a light shadow on the floor.She turned to see Trevor standing by her side. The
ROGUE LANDS“The rogue wants to kill me.” The frail woman said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. “You have to run away. He'd imprison you too.”Maria felt a sense of dread overwhelm her. Trevor was the king here, could she be speaking about him?“Which rogue wants to kill you?”The woman hesitated, her tone was even lower than before. “Trevor.”Maria felt the pressure in her blood rise and she swallowed hard, trying to keep her cool. “You mean Trevor locked you down here.”The woman nodded weakly. “You have to escape”Maria's lips quivered as the reply refused to escape her mouth. Was this woman talking about the same Trevor that sat at her bed to feed her medicine, the same man who saved her life and who even gave her a tool to protect herself.“You're lying,” Maria retorted after much thought. “Trevor is my mate. He wouldn't lock anyone without reason.”A faint chuckle escaped the woman's lips. “He isn't what he seems. Run away, but promise me you will help me escape too.”
VEILWOOD“What do you mean we should prepare for a burial?” Laura snapped at the witch. “We have another problem, you haven't even attempted finding her, and now you're speaking of burials. If you refuse to help us, I'd chase you and your fellow witches out of these lands.”Mozart let out a dry laugh at the Luna's statement. “You speak like you're doing us a favour.”Reynolds clasped his hand behind him. The guards stood by Mozart's side. He had ordered them to bring her to the packhouse forcefully, since she refused to come when her presence was requested.They asked for help from her in finding Maria, but she rudely told them to prepare a burial.“You wouldn't mess with us!” Reynolds gritted his teeth. “Can you find her?”“I can't.” Mozart retorted. The Luna folded her arms, not believing the witch. “Prepare a burial.”“I don't believe you,” Laura snapped at her. Laura knew that the witches could do all sorts of magic. They had been cast out earlier for being too powerful and using
“Please don't hurt me.” She whispered, blocking her face with her hand as she leaned against the wall. He felt broken as she stumbled backwards from him. Wasn't she aware of werewolves?“You don't need to be afraid.” He said softly. “I won't hurt you.”Her heart still raced. “What are you? You just turned into a monster.”“I'm not a monster, Blossom. I'm a werewolf. Have you also forgotten about werewolves?”She didn't respond. Her chest continued rising and falling from the fear she felt. Her silence confirmed his question. She had forgotten that too.“We are all werewolves here. We transform into wolves. We live in packs, but…” He paused, knowing the last detail wasn't easy to be revealed. “I'm a rogue. We are all rogues here, cast out of our packs and struggling to survive on cursed lands.”She frowned slightly, trying to put the pieces together. “And that thing you fought?”“It's still a rogue, but not one of us. It chose to roam about and attack people instead of surviving.”He c
The night had barely let him rest. Trevor tossed and turned, his mind returning again to the woman. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face.By dawn, he gave up on sleep entirely. The castle was quiet and cold that morning. He walked down the cold corridor towards the room where Maria lay. The air inside there was warmer. Alice was already there, sitting by the bedside with a cup of steaming tonic.He watched his mate, Maria who sat propped against the pillow, her arms folded across her chest.“Drink this.” Alice said softly, holding the cup to her lips. “It would help your memory and strengthen your body.”Maria shook her head in defiance, her eyes drifting to Trevor as he entered. “I'm not drinking that.”Alice tried again. “You need this dear.”“I said no.”Alice looked helplessly at Trevor. He requested that she give him the cup, then dismissed her.Alice obeyed and headed for the door. When the door closed behind her, he walked towards his mate. He sat at the edge of the b
The castle walls were colder than usual that morning. Even with the hearth burning in the fireplace, a chill clung to the air. Part of the reason for the chilly weather was because of the last day’s storm. The rogue king, Trevor, had sent out his men to see how much damage the storm had caused. The soil was already cursed and barely yielded food, and he was sure it was going to be worse after the storm.Trevor paced around his corridors restlessly. His boots tapped faintly on the stone, his hands were locked behind his back. Something urged him to go outside, something he had not felt before and wasn't supposed to feel. That morning, he had woken before sunrise, his chest was heavy with a pressure he couldn't name, and right now, it had gotten more intense.“No, it can't be.” He muttered to himself, trying to shake off this feeling, blaming it on the endless worry that came from ruling a dying land.He was about to step out of the castle to follow this pull when he heard a shout at th
THE ROGUE KING'S TERRITORYThe storm had ended days ago, but the land still bore its scars. The lands were waterlogged, the soil eroded, and half of the few crops drowned in mud.Even before the rain, the fields were dull with withered plants. The land was cursed. Every season, the inhabitants aske
Triton sat at his desk. The contents of Maria's letter was still heavy in his heart. He leaned back, dragging a hand over his hair. He should write to her, or ride to see her himself. He couldn't keep sitting at one spot, paralyzed by indecision.She had never appeared to him as one to lie. Still d
Triton's POVThe sealed letter laid among my clothes, wedged between my armour and training gear. It had been sitting there for over a week. The messenger who brought it said it was from Maria.I pushed it further out of sight. I didn't want anything to make me think of her. I didn't want whatever
“Help!” Maria screamed as she struggled to keep her head afloat.The water splashed as a guard jumped into the river. Relief washed over her as he moved towards her. He swam through the waves with strong strokes, his eyes fixed on hers.Maria kicked beneath the water, trying hard not to sink. Her a







