I was fourteen when I saw what the real world was.
Waking up with the sound of screams and pleas, I remembered scrambling towards my door to see what was happening. But before I could even touch the knob, the door slammed open, revealing a man so tall and big that I immediately trembled in intimidation and fear.
“You’re coming with us, girl,” he said.
I could never forget the huge scar across his face. It started on his left brow towards the right side of his neck. I wondered what kind of creature could still live through what seemed like a deep wound in his body. Then I realized he wasn’t just any other man. He was some sort of a creature that could withstand what a weak person like me couldn’t.
Seeing that I was staring at his scar, the man growled at me that had me whimpering. His large hand grasped my arm. “Get inside that truck and do not make a sound.”
Scared, I swallowed whatever screams I was about to get out of my throat. He pushed me, and with shaking legs, I walked out of our house.
And that’s when I saw my Dad, on the patio. Bloody. Dead.
The trembling in my legs reverberated towards my stomach, towards my chest, travelling all around my body.
I knew I was screaming, but I couldn’t hear myself. I knew I was crying, but I couldn’t feel my tears. I knew I was in pain, but I ironically couldn’t feel anything at that time.
I was frozen in memory. My mind stayed at the exact moment where I saw the only family I’ve ever had and loved my entire life.
My Dad. I was everything I am because of him. And now… he’s gone.
I didn’t know how I got inside the truck. All I remembered was I was already surrounded by some other girls. They were from our village, some I knew, some I didn’t. But almost nothing registered in me at the shock of what was happening. Maybe I spaced out so bad, or just went unconscious.
All I knew was I woke up in a place where my life changed forever.
As a kid, I’ve heard so many terrifying stories about these creatures that would take werewolves forcibly; kidnap them and use them in any way they want. Offer them to their kind like some sort of objects. How powerful and strong they were that none could go against them. And of how powerful their Alpha was that not even once had he lost to any fights and had taken over territories he wanted.
His wolf was said to be twice as big as any other werewolf. His eyes are as bright and golden as the purest gold. His fur is as dark as the darkest midnight. Many respected him, but most feared him.
He was the Lycan King, the man who filled everyone’s nightmares.
Tears fell down my cheeks as I trembled on my spot. “P-please… no! help!” One of the girls with me screamed as she struggled in front of the pole where she was tied alone. I could only watch her, my knees trembling as the cold metal of the pole behind me seeped into my skin. Like her, I was tied tightly, ready to be offered. The entire place was lit with orange-yellow lights from the torches that surrounded us. In the middle was the huge statue of the very first Lycan King that ruled over Vamos. Its stony eyes looked down on us, condescending our weak existence. I could still feel the blood trickling down the side of my face from the slap I got. I struggled from the guard that took me earlier, and he slapped me so hard that my head turned and slammed on the wall; the side of my head getting sliced by its rough texture. Despite feeling dizzy and my vision blurring, I couldn’t stop feeling the swirling in my stomach. The magnetic pull I had started feeling since they delivered us
Growing up, stories about the Lycans were all I heard when parents wanted to scare their children to obedience.They said they were horrible, huge creatures that resemble wolves. That one could see the evilness from their bright eyes that could assault anyone that would stare at them. Some even claimed they could manipulate people.They were bigger, faster and quicker than anyone. And they used that power to dominate lands and conquer territories that weren’t theirs. People called them savages, some even proclaimed them as the devils in wolf form. That they were just another form of Rogues that found their own organization and leader. So when I woke up in a room that was dimly lit, I immediately thought of the worst.I gasped and sat up on the bed, realizing I was not wearing the same clothes I had worn the last time. I was in a silky white night gown that went down to my knees and elbows. I also had patches from the wounds I knew I had from the last beating I got from the House. I
I was tagged as the ‘Remain’ of the girls from the Offering. “As the Remain, you will be assigned anywhere assistance is necessary.” Miranda Grey, the Head Matron of the services in the Vamos pack, told me as I stood alone inside her office inside one of the few mansions I’ve seen in the territory. Hearing so many terrifying stories about the lycans, I thought there was nothing as savage and as disorganized as their territory was. But I don’t know whether I just had prejudices, or I was dumb down by my hatred to their kind—when I should have taken into account how they are the reigning pack, and someone who reigns an entire community should have an organized and wealthy land—when I saw how civilized, huge and wealthy their pack territory was. It looked like an entire rich city. “But for now, since all the Offered have taken on tasks of their own, and we have sufficient servers, I will assign you to the Office Building.” Just like her surname, Miranda had these gray almost whit
People looked at me as I walked inside the Office Building where I was assigned.Two days had passed since the Offering and people in the Vamos pack were still adjusting to our presence. Well, MY presence. The Remain.Apparently, it was true that for years since the tradition of the Offering was made, this was the first time in a couple of decades that someone was not picked to be taken.So, those girls may have been right to say that, but still wrong at the same time. I wasn’t the very first one! I was just the first one after many years of not having a Remain.Insecure brats. They didn’t even realize it was more pitiful to be taken by someone like an object like that than to be left alone like me.‘We found our mate. That’s why we weren’t taken.’ Lia, my wolf, suddenly intruded my train of thoughts.I frowned, hating how she has the power to do that. Also hating the fact that I was also somehow considering the reason she was saying to be the cause of this—not that I wanted to be pic
“You b*tch!”I groaned before landing on the floor. I held my cheek, the sting and pain from the punch echoing around my skull.“I almost died!” The Warrior bastard screamed at my face, his brown eyes so bright with anger. I could almost even see his wolf surfacing.“N-not my fault… you’re stupid…” I said, satisfaction in my voice despite the electrifying pain in my bones from his punches.Still on the floor, he kicked me on the stomach. I groaned and clenched my fists on the ground. I couldn’t fight physically against him. Not when I knew I was going to lose. So I just stayed curled up there, trying to protect vital parts of my body, and fighting him with words.They had training with firearms this afternoon, and since I was the one who assembled his weapon, his gun ricocheted towards him, almost hitting him on the side of his stomach. To be fair, it was a silver bullet, and one wound from that could be critical. But still, it was his fault for letting me assemble his weapon wh
“Rina?” I slowly opened my eyes, squinting immediately when bright light assaulted my vision. “Hey, what happened?” I focused on the person sitting beside my lying form, and realized it was Maddie. “I got smacked,” I said, my voice hoarse. Maddie didn’t appreciate my nonchalance when she frowned. “You have two broken ribs and a sprain in your ankle. How could you be so casual about this?” “I’ve had worse days. You know that,” I just said and looked towards the side, curious where I was. “You’re in the pack’s clinic,” she said, as if reading my mind. I sighed and lied properly on the bed, remembering only half of the happenings before I got here. I remember getting so dizzy as Sebastian continued trying to make small talks with me. Then I just lost balance and blacked out. I looked at Maddie and saw she was looking outside the window, looking like she was in a deep thought. “What time is it?” Maddie turned to me. “It’s 11 AM already.” I immediately started standing up.
“The king is in the lounge area, maybe we can see him.”I looked at the two werewolf females that were with me in the kitchen. They were both trying to fix their clothes and hair as they watched themselves in the mirror. “I heard Beta Sebastian is also there with him. I think I’m gonna like general meetings because of this.” One of them giggled after saying that.“What’s happening?” I silently asked Maddie who was washing dishes with me. She came here to help me, even when I told her she didn’t need to.She glanced at the two who were still gushing over the king and his beta. “There will be a general meeting in the pack. Everyone has to gather for some important announcement. They say it’s one of the only occasions they get to see the king upclose since he didn’t like meddling with others.”Maddie closed the faucet as I took a towel to dry the clean plates. “Why?” She shrugged. “Him and the Beta didn’t really talk much with others excluding the High Council and other people they
I stared at the full moon in the night sky, feeling all jittery for the event that was coming.“Start lining up.”I turned around, hearing the Head Matron’s voice behind me.Miranda looked at me with those gray strict eyes of her, eyeing the rose pink dress she made me wear. She also told me to tie my brunette hair in a chignon.She surveyed how I looked. A glint of satisfaction crossed her eyes.I sighed in relief. “The king does not allow people to be late in such events. Go.”I nodded at her and immediately walked out of the place.I’ve never seen a Unification before, but I’ve surely heard of it.Some say it's easy, some say it’s painful, but all of them say it feels relieving to be part of a pack. That it would feel amazing feeling your Alpha and your packmates’ presence with your wolf.I’m just not so sure I would find that same relief with my situation. “Rina!”I walked towards the vast ground of the pack territory, seeing Maddie already waving her hand at me. She wore a whi