[Xavier’s POV]There was a wolf in the woods. Its fur was a mixture of a flame-like blue colour, matching the colour of its icy blue eyes which seemed all too familiar, and a sparkling white colour which shone like stars in the night sky. Upon meeting my gaze, the wolf turned around and began to run further deep into the woods.I ran after it hoping to bring it to a stop, but each time I was so close to reaching where it was, it ran even faster and kept on being out of my reach. I stopped chasing after it as I stood to catch my breath, panting heavily, but just as I stopped, a masked man appeared from nowhere with a gun in his hands and pulled the trigger.My mouth let out a gasp as I hurried over to the wounded wolf who was bleeding profusely. It shifted into its human form, and behold, it was no other person but Layla.Tears began to fall from my eyes as I held her hands in mine, even as I felt her body growing cold as the bleeding wouldn’t stop.“Stay with me, please,” I said to he
[Layla’s POV]I stirred in my sleep, mumbling some words I couldn’t remember later on. The bed was so comfy, and I thought as I laid with my eyes closed still feeling a little faint that I was probably imagining things. I should be lying on the cold hard floor of the prison cell and not a soft mattress like this one.“Poor child. Having to lose a child at such a tender age could not have been easy,” I heard the shaky voice of an old lady say in pity.“She should be awake anytime from now,” a thick voice belonging to a man said.Those voices were unfamiliar, and that was when it struck me that I was also in an unfamiliar environment. I couldn’t catch any scent of a single familiar soul and the environment smelled differently from the one I was used to. Could it be that I was dreaming? Well, there was only one way to find out.With fluttering lashes, I opened my eyes slowly and weakly, then shut it close immediately as the harsh rays of the sun nearly blinded me.“Oh, poor dear. Close t
[Layla’s POV]The Palace was made of brick stones and had a dull colour to it, like it was the den of chaos. As I walked with Dexter leading the way in front and two other guards behind, I averted the curious glances that were being thrown in my way by maids and servants alike.Some guards were mercilessly beating a slender young girl, and I stopped for a while, looking at her with pity as tears began to slowly form in my eyes.The penetrative look Dexter shot me brought me back to reality and I hurried immediately after him, careful not to fall. I still remembered everything that had happened like it was only yesterday. People said that time healed all wounds, but what if mine never got healed?We arrived at the throne room – a large building, but not as big as the one in the Shadow Pack, with great pillars and strong walls which were painted in deep grey colour; making the Palace appear even more dimmer and dark.“You may go in,” Dexter said to me.“You’re not coming with me?” I inq
[Xavier’s POV]I sat on Layla’s bed in her bedroom, not saying anything. Forty-eight long hours had passed since I had opened my eyes, and all that had been on my mind was her. I missed everything about her so much, but what could I do when doubts wouldn’t stop lingering on in my mind?Roman walked in. Whether he knocked or not, I didn’t know. All I knew was that he stopped in front of me and began to shake his head, expressing his distaste.“Are you going to keep on acting this way? You’re not a child, you know. Your people are out there and you’ve not even addressed them since the war. Rather, you’re here looking all gloomy because of a good-for-nothing who betrayed you,” he said.I heaved a deep sigh, deciding against speaking to him. My guilt hadn’t erased since I had let my emotions control me and made me treat Layla unfairly because of her so-called betrayal, and I was afraid of making the same mistake again. What if she hadn’t run away and was on the brink of death? What if she
[Xavier’s POV]“The candles were made from hydrangea,” the Pack’s doctor said, pushing away the tray.“I don’t understand. Is that supposed to mean something?” I inquired, eyeing the tray.“Yes. Hydrangea is a deadly plant, and it gets worse when it has been powdered and is burning. It can cause dizziness, choking and an increase in the heart rate of a person,” he explained.“I was right, then,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head.“What did you say?” he asked.“Forget it. Tell me something, how long does it take for the effects to begin if it is formed into a candle of this sort?” I asked.“Well, I can’t say. Hydrangea is harmful even for those who just touch it. It’s the first time I’m seeing anyone make it into scented candles. The person must have a death wish or something,” he said.“What if the people who inhaled it didn’t die but just slept off?” I inquired.He thought about my question for a while. “Then, it means the fire was put out after they had slept off, don’t you thin
[Layla’s POV]I weaved my way through the silk fabric with a needle skilfully, making an embroidery design for Alpha Raven. Two days had already passed, and when I had told him I was good at knitting and embroidery, he had asked me to make an embroidery design of a tiger on a robe of his.I was already done, and was just affixing his initials at the end of the embroidery which stopped just at the top of the space meant for his belt.“You’re really gifted,” Samantha said, admiring my work.A small smile appeared on my face. “Thank you very much,” I said to her.Samantha had revealed to me that she was originally from the Shadow Pack, but had been captured when she had missed her way in the woods about two decades ago, and had been made a slave. She had nursed Alpha Raven since he was a child, and had lived as though the Dark Moon Pack was her home, but she never once forgot her roots. That’s exactly why she was being so sweet and helpful to me.“Dear, what is that?” she inquired, point
[Xavier’s POV]“Do you think it was wise for us to come alone?” Kyle asked, pulling the reins of his horse.“If we had come with more people, they’ll believe we came here to make trouble. I just wanted them to know that I am not here for any kind of trouble. All I want is just to take Layla and leave,” I said.He heaved a sigh. “I understand. I just have a bad feeling. No one has stopped us, and we were given the directions to the Palace without hesitation. I’ve heard that the members of the Dark Moon Pack aren’t hospitable towards strangers, and always look for a way to cause trouble,” Kyle said.“It does seem suspicious, but not everything we hear is always the truth,” I told him.It was quiet for a while as we continued on our journey to the Palace of the Dark Moon Pack. Our territories weren’t all that far off from each other, so even while riding our horses, we had gotten to the territory in less than a day after beginning our journey last evening.Everyone we had come across was
[Xavier’s POV]I blinked my eyes severally, wondering if what I was seeing was a figment of my imagination. It looked like something that came out of a novel, and I couldn’t imagine that Layla was actually there, standing with a smirk fixed firmly on her face. Had she truly betrayed me, or was I mistaken?“L... Layla,” I called, finally able to bring myself to say something.She left the Alpha’s side and sauntered towards me, arms crossed with a maid following her closely behind.She stopped once she had gotten to where I was... bound in chains and forced to kneel, and crouched before me.“Yes, Xavier, you called my name,” she said, with a voice that sent shivers down my spine.“You’re truly her,” I said, and a smile suddenly crept up to my face.She appeared taken aback. “Why are you smiling? Do I seem funny to you? Are you trying to make fun of me?” she snapped.I shook my head immediately. “Of course, not. I’m just so happy to see you, and I’m also glad that you look very good. I w