AURELIA~~I would recognize that betrayer anywhere. Although she looked a lot less like her pretty self and she had cut her hair, I recognized her immediately. Although she masked her scent, I perceived her fakeness from miles away. “How dare you show your face in my Pack!” I seethed, seeing nothing but red and that bitch’s face. This was the first time I would publicly call Dark Moon Pack ‘My pack’ but I couldn’t celebrate that milestone because I was seeing the face of a woman who I once trusted with everything, including my kids. “I knew you wouldn’t die like that. I knew you were alive.” Her voice which used to make me feel loved once, irritated me as I closed the distance between us both. I could see her fake tears brimming in the hazel eyes that I used to love as she asked, “Please tell me Katie and Kyle are fine as well. News has it that you all died in an accident and–” I reached the bitch before she could finish her fake ass sympathetic statement. My balled fist sma
LARISA’S POV ~~“Why are we still not attacking Dark Moon Pack?” I asked as I sat down on my throne. The pack elders were standing on one side and the most influential warriors were also in the hall, all looking at their toes. “Will someone please answer my question?” I asked firmly after about two minutes of silence from people I knew had been meeting every day for the past week. They have been meeting in secret.Most likely plotting against me.Louis stepped up to speak, “We haven’t been able to penetrate their border, Luna. We tried to send spies into the pack but they never made it past the borders even though Alpha Raiden has been allowing people from other packs into his pack.”I didn’t care about spies or cheap information that Louis believed we needed before we attacked Raiden’s pack. We were wasting precious time and the baby in my womb wouldn’t last forever before it wither away like a dead plant.I was at my peak, for goddess’s sake. Slowly, I muttered, “Didn’t you se
AURELIA~~My hands shake visibly over the small white fabric I had laid on the floor of the purifying hut where I have been since Jeremy and I stopped training earlier this morning. Jeremy believed that training with him in the morning and on the training ground while other warriors were training would be better and while he had shown me what he could do, I haven’t been able to empower any warrior… not even one. And usually, when I’m done with Jeremy, I come straight to the purifying hut to train with Lori but for some reason, she wasn’t here when I got here over an hour ago. I was alone. And that gave me the chance to try out my experiment. I found a fly outside the hut and decided to use it for my experiment. With one finger, I killed it carefully so as not to make the process of restoring its life harder than it already was.I placed the fly on a white fabric and sat with it, my hands over it as I connected with the energy from the lake. But after minutes of nothing, I kne
AURELIA~~Phoebe just happened to be the healer I found in Hazel’s cell.“I’m sorry you got dragged into her mess.” I apologized to Phoebe who still knelt beside Hazel, her hand over her chest. Rather than wave me off as I expected, Phobe exclaimed, “Thank Goddess you are here. I need your help.”The urgency in Phoebe’s voice had me rushing into Hazel’s cell and kneeling beside her. “What do you need?” I asked Phoebe. “She stabbed herself in the chest with her cutlery. She punctured her lungs and I have been trying to keep blood out of it but I also need to fix her lungs which I can’t do here. We need to get her to the hospital.” Phoebe announced professionally. “Does that mean she needs surgery?” I asked, understanding the concept.“Yes,” Phoebe answered. “I can’t do that here and not alone.” “What do you need me to do?” I asked Phoebe, avoiding Hazel’s gaze even though they were fixed on me. Phoebe looked away from me as she said, “You can’t help. We need a car to transport
ALPHA RAIDEN~~“I have to give her a befitting burial,” Aurelia uttered to everyone in the living room.She sounded unsure yet stubborn. And as much as I considered bursting the sad bubble Aurelia had built around herself since Hazel dropped dead before her yesterday, I let her live in the moment. However, Susanna who had been with Aurelia since yesterday, trying to console her because she claimed she had just lost a friend, scolded, “What’s befitting if not throwing her out of the pack? I–” “Susanna!” Aurelia scolded loudly. But Susanna shrugged, “I’m done babying you, Aurelia. Yes, she died but she’s the same person who stabbed you in the back. You have been–” “She was my friend–” Otis took over from Susanna when he countered, “From what I know, she wasn’t your friend. She was spying on you.”Aurelia’s face turned red. She was livid, “Why are you so…” She couldn’t come up with the right words so she gritted with balled fists, “Argh!”To be honest, I would have told her the
AURELIA~~The reality was sinking in. The truth was sinking in real fast and with Hazel’s death, I now know for a fact that I was a failure. I have failed and I would still fail. I knew that now.No matter how hard I try, I will never live up to my mother’s legacy or uphold my father’s. I would be a disgrace… a complete failure–“Will you please snap out of it? This isn’t helping us in any way.” Inara scolded me just like Susanna and everyone else. They all expect me to be okay with the fact that I failed to save Hazel yesterday. How could I be okay? “No one is expecting you to be okay, Relia. I hate Hazel but I also don’t wish her death but she got what she deserved. The bitch stabbed herself in the chest so why are you beating yourself for a death she brought upon herself?” Inara screamed at me as I entered the bedroom. I shook my head, wiping the stream of tears on my face, “That’s not it, Ina. I’m not mad about Hazel’s death. I’m mad at myself because I failed to save her
AURELIA~~“Before we begin, I’d like to apologize to everyone. I was a bitch yesterday.”Just like yesterday, my friends were gathered in my living room. While Seth and Benji weren’t exactly my friends, they were still a part of the group. Susanna was sitting between Andrew’s legs and Otis had his hand on Benji’s lap while Benji’s hand was lazily draped over Otis’s shoulder. The view was pleasing and I was grateful for the gift of friends like family. Scratch that, they were family to me. Raiden squeezed my shoulder from behind, smiling down at me. Since we had that talk yesterday, I could feel us getting closer and my heart felt lighter even though it still ached.I expected Susanna to speak first but to my surprise, Benji beat her to it. He said, “Bitch is one word that can’t be used to describe your kindhearted and emotional self, Luna Aurelia.”Benji’s sweet words made everyone coo cutely, “Awn…” “Seems like you bagged a sweet Alpha Male, Luna Otis.” Susanna chuckled, her ey
ALPHA RAIDEN ~~ I shook my head, breaking the silence, “Nobody is going to Black Fur Pack as a spy.” Otis was about to argue but I raised my hand, “This isn’t up for discussion.” “Thank you, Alpha Raiden.”Susanna sighed, relieved. Benji muttered, “Thank goodness. I wasn’t about to lose the love of my life. However, we still have to help those people, Alpha Raiden.” I acknowledged Benji’s words, “We will do that when the time comes, but we won’t risk anyone’s life just to spy on Larisa, who is going to make a mistake soon enough.” We spoke about training for a few minutes before the rest of the group left the apartment. I repeated before they left, “Nobody is going to Black Fur Pack as a spy. Do I make myself clear?” Benji was an Alpha but in my pack, he knew I was in charge so he nodded together with the rest of the crew. Aurelia looked at me as she muttered after the door closed behind our guests, “What do we do now?” My eyes cut to hers and I stared at her intensely,
Princess Katie Anne~~“You are a healer, Katie. Please help Cole before you go.”Alpha Jarrett’s voice stopped me from following Davien, whose mixed feelings surged within me. All of this was a show, but Davien’s tense emotions weren’t, and I was genuinely worried about him.He needed me. I could lift his spirits if we celebrated this successful ruse together—without his family. But I had to stay back and maintain the facade. I rushed over to Cole, who couldn’t stand up straight due to a few broken ribs.But the pain from his broken ribs and swollen face wasn’t enough to keep Cole silent. Sadly.I resisted the urge to punch him when he began to speak. “You see what he did to me? He’s an insecure brat, Katie. You don’t deserve to be his ego booster every time he’s feeling down.”“Shut up, or I’ll walk away without healing you,” I seethed, holding his gaze so he’d see my seriousness reflected in my eyes.I hadn’t healed anyone before, but I could use the practice—especially on Cole—an
DAVIEN~~Disrespect from my family members was one thing, but getting the same from Cole, a man who was after my mate, was a whole different game, and my ego just wouldn’t have that. It was more than raging to think about Cole in the same space as Katie alone.Hell, it was a miracle that I didn’t go after Cole the second Katie told me about his visit. By miracle, I mean Katie’s reassuring words and magic touch. She calmed me down.But unfortunately for Cole, Katie wasn’t around to save him now, and the group of ladies around us just weren’t strong enough to get me off him—if they even cared.“My mate is off-limits!” I seethed, raising my tightly balled fist and forcing it down with a force that burst Cole’s lip on impact.Cole tried to fight back, but my second hand was holding him against the wet patio, and with Dolf’s strength pumping through my veins, he was no match for me.Cole proved to be the sneaky bastard we all knew him to be when he chose another method to fight me. He c
DAVIEN~~Having that talk with Katie made me realize that the path I was supposed to walk was already in front of me. Or maybe I knew it was there, and I was just doubting whether I wanted to walk that path.But with Katie’s words and the fire I saw in her eyes when she told me she was willing to become the Luna of my birth pack, give up staying with her family, and stay here with me, I knew what I wanted for myself. For us.Not only did I get a clearer vision, but the path before me also became clearer.“We have to become the Alpha of Black Fur Pack and Katie the Luna,” Dolf said within me as I walked through the corridors the very next morning after planning how to beat my family in their selfish games, with the smart-ass woman that the goddess decided to bless me with.My wolf’s words were meant to be a reminder, even though he knew I didn’t forget that I had made up my mind to stand against my family for the first time in my life.I would become Alpha, and the plan to achieve t
Princess Katie Anne~~Davien stared back at me like I had lost my mind, but soon, realization began to glint in his eyes. He went from angry to conflicted, and that broke my heart because I could tell that his family had once again gotten to him.“Oh,” he muttered, his shoulders falling.I stretched my hands to him, and he took them, joining me on the bed. I opened my mind to Dolf, asking him to create a mental link between Davien and me, even though a part of me wanted to keep the realization I had after Cole left to myself so I could protect my mate.“No, we have to tell him,” Zuri encouraged me.Zoe did the same when she said, “Yes. If we have been dancing to their tunes, it’s high time we changed the tune to ours and made them dance. We can’t do that without Davien.”I could feel Dolf agreeing with my wolves as he created the link between Davien and me. I then smiled at my mate, cupping his face as I sent words through the link: “He was glad we hadn’t marked each other. If only
DAVIEN~~A waste of time.That’s what I would call this meeting with my dad. For goddess’ sake, we have been here for what? Almost an hour, yet all he has done is look down on me and try to intimidate me. He was beating around the bush.Even a blind man could see that.I could feel regret in my bones because staying with Katie, who needed me, would have been a better and more efficient way to spend the hour than sitting here listening to my dad.“That’s it. I am leaving,” I blurted, cutting my dad’s statement short.He grumbled, “But I am not done. Sit down.”“Done what exactly?” I seethed, seeing shock flash through his eyes for the millionth time. I would be stupid not to realize that he suspected I had a wolf now. “Reminding me that I am your unloved son isn’t doing it for me. If you don’t want me here or need my help, just let me know, and I will be out of your hair.”Damn! I just needed him to let me in on the plan. I needed something tangible to tell those who had trusted me…
Princess Katie Anne~~“Why won’t anyone answer their damn phones?” I gritted, resisting the urge to throw my cellphone against the wall.Before I left home, we agreed that my family members would be accessible and that they would call me at least once every day, but even though this was my second morning in Black Fur, that agreement seemed to mean nothing.“There’s no special occasion. No ceremony or ritual that could have kept them busy since yesterday. I am beginning to worry,” Zuri said to me.However, I was too angry to be worried. I felt like my mom was screwing me because she already knew I would discover the truths she had tried hard to hide from me during my stay in Black Fur. Hell, I am certain she knew why I was trying to reach her.“Are they ignoring the calls intentionally?” Zoe queried, her confusion mixing with Zuri’s. “That’s far-fetched, Katie. We might have to be patient and—”A sharp knock on the door disrupted Zoe’s statement.I made the mistake of assuming that t
DAVIEN~~Seeing Cole last night at the welcome party confirmed that my parents were trying their best to rile me up. The party wasn’t enjoyable for either Katie or me, but we didn’t leave until it ended. While I spent the entire night thinking about when my dad would tell me why he asked me to come home, Katie spent it wondering why no one from Dark Moon was answering the countless calls she put through.I could feel her troubled mind as if it were mine, and it pained me that all I could do was hold her.“You should talk to Jade. Perhaps she might be able to shed more light—” Dolf started, but he cut himself off and sighed. “Never mind. What she needed was to speak to her parents. She needs answers that Jade or anyone else can’t provide.“I still have to have a word with Jade. She shouldn’t have accused Katie like she did yesterday,” I said to Dolf, even though I agreed with his conclusion.Looking down at Katie’s restless face, I made up my mind to keep her far away from Cole, who
Princess Katie Anne~~“I won’t let them treat you like this.”I seethed as the tension around us thickened, even though the crowd was still cheering. Davien’s hold around my waist became tighter, and I knew he didn’t want me to lash out, but I had had enough of this.How could they treat him like he didn’t exist, even in a ceremony? Amber had a seat to herself, and so did Damien, who wouldn’t stop staring at me like the creep he was. His parents also dared to flash those false smiles my way, walking over to clearly show me to my seat.“Thank you for joining us, Princess Katie,” Alpha Jarrett uttered with a light voice, and cheers echoed through the hall as members of the Black Fur Pack jubilated.However, I wasn’t merry like the rest of them, and with every second that passed, it became harder to pretend.“Please sit, Princess.” As expected, Luna Cynthia pointed at the only empty seat on the higher platform in the hall.Zoe barked within me, “The audacity!”My wolf’s anger only fuel
DAVIEN~~“That can’t be,” Katie whispered as she staggered into the bedroom, her face pale and hands trembling.I picked up the bag Jade had dropped, followed Katie into our bedroom, and locked the door behind me.“She really is dead?” She asked me, horror etched into her stormy blue eyes.I nodded, shocked that Katie didn’t know that Aunt Jessica had died thirteen years ago. My mate collapsed on the bed, and I knelt before her, holding her hand and telling her to breathe.“To protect Katie and Kyle, Aurelia hid the news of Jessica’s death from them. I also don’t know the full story, but I am at fault because of the part I played. Larisa might have pulled the trigger that killed Jessica, but I put her in the position to get killed for my selfish desires,” Dolf said to me, taking on the blame even though we all knew he had nothing to do with everything that went down thirteen years ago.“You mean it’s all Tristan’s fault. You can’t take the blame, Dolf, and it wasn’t right for Jade