Chapter 1
FIVE YEARS OLD EARL MALORY“Wait for me too!” He yelled in a small voice, but the other boy was racing through the forest without looking back.“I’ve told you,” he yelled back, “You are the Alpha’s son and you need to behave like one! There’s no room for weakness in our bloodline. Mother says you must emulate our father if you want to become an Alpha someday.”They came to a halt and a five-year-old Earl Malory gave up on catching up with them. He leaned against a tree and watched his older brother, Lambert, play with the Erik’s wolf.Lambert, a robust boy with tousled brown hair and a mischievous grin, chased after the wolf as it performed different chases for him, his laughter echoing through the tranquil woods.But Earl felt anything but tranquil. He stood in the shadows, seething with jealousy as he watched Lambert bask in their parents' attention. It seemed like Lambert was always the center of their world, leaving Earl feeling forgotten and invisible.With a furrowed brow, Earl's small hand clenched around a rough stone, his anger bubbling to the surface like a simmering cauldron. Without a second thought, he hurled the stone with all his might, watching as it sailed through the air and landed with a thud near a lone healer who happened to be passing by.Earl’s eyes widened and he shook in fright, everyone knew better than to cross the man, some even rumored him to be a witch because of his different weird visions and his addiction to the woods.The healer, a weathered man with piercing eyes, startled at the sudden disturbance. But as his gaze fell upon Earl and Lambert, a look of profound realization dawned on his face, as if a veil had been lifted to reveal a hidden truth."You are the Alpha’s son," the healer murmured, his voice tinged with an otherworldly solemnity.“I am Earl Malory.” Earl confirmed with sudden boldness, he had to act like a prince, he reminded himself."What mischief have you committed to attract such fate?" The man suddenly asked, making the boy shift in fright.Earl took a step back, his heart pounding in his small chest as the healer’s words hung in the air like an ominous prophecy.Lambert, oblivious to the gravity of the moment, strolled over to join Earl, his face alight with excitement."What's going on, Earl?" Lambert asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.But before Earl could respond, the healer's gaze fixed on them both with an intensity that sent shivers down their spines. He looked from Earl to Lambert and then back, then he shook his head slowly and turned away. But almost like there was a magnetic force pulling him back, he turned and came back to stand closer to them. "Listen well, young ones," he intoned, his voice carrying the weight of ages. "For I have been granted a vision—a revelation of your fate."Earl exchanged a nervous glance with Lambert, his unease growing with each passing moment. What could this stranger possibly know about them?"The prophecy foretells of two brothers," the preacher continued, his eyes shimmering with an otherworldly light. "Bound by blood yet torn apart by destiny. A woman shall come, bearing both destruction and salvation in her wake. One of you shall find redemption in her embrace, while the other shall meet his end."Lambert's brow furrowed in confusion, but Earl felt a chill run down his spine as the weight of the prophecy settled over him like a suffocating blanket. Was this some kind of cruel joke, or could there be truth in the healer's words?"Who is this woman?" Lambert asked dismissively , his voice trembling with fear and uncertainty. “I’ll have my father kill him. Or my mother can cast a spell and make her go mute and ugly so we don’t meet her at all.”But the healer merely shook his head, a solemn expression crossing his weathered features. "Her identity remains veiled in shadow," he replied cryptically. "But mark my words, young ones—for the prophecy is immutable. There is no escaping fate."“Then you are only spinning tales because you need my father to favour you. Or perhaps you just have a death wish, old witch, because I can order my wolf to eat you raw.” Fearlessly, Lambert stepped closer to the old man, “Or could just tell my father that you were caught practicing magic, he’ll have your head if I say the word!”The old man shook his head again, “Your father shall not always be there, boy. You especially should beware of your fate.”With those haunting words echoing in their ears, Earl and Lambert watched in silence as the preacher vanished into the depths of the forest, leaving them alone with the weight of the prophecy hanging heavy in the air.As they stood in the clearing, a sense of foreboding settled over them like a shroud, casting a pall over the once-idyllic scene. Earl's mind raced with questions, but deep down, he knew that the answers lay beyond his grasp, woven into the fabric of fate itself.And as the shadows lengthened and the forest grew silent around them, Earl couldn't shake the feeling that their lives would never be the same again. For the prophecy had been spoken, and its echoes would reverberate through their lives with a force that could not be denied.With a heavy heart, Earl turned to Lambert, his eyes filled with an unspoken fear. What lay ahead, neither of them could say.But that didn’t matter much to Lambert at the time, because with a shrug of his shoulders, he whistled for his wolf and the big hound came running to him.“Disregard the nonsense he just said and stop looking like you’ve seen a ghost.” He said with a note of disgust in his tone, “Mother says we are too young to think about women.”Although why their mama had said that was not certain, one thing was certain though—their journey had only just begun, and the path they walked was filled with danger, destiny, and the ever-looming specter of the woman who would shape their fates for eternity.Chapter 2 When Kristen Kris returned to the castle the next week, it was to the news of her parent's death. Her elder sister, Laurel Kris had sent word for her to return to the castle the next week, not informing her of their parent's passing. Somehow, on the journey home, Kristen knew that something was amiss, what she did not expect however, was the news of the death of her both parents. She had hoped at least that one of them would be alive for a while longer. Even though her mother's condition had been worse than her father's, she learnt that her father had died first. Sitting beside her sister now, Laurel could only sigh in exasperation. She had no time to mourn because there was a lot to do in the castle in preparation for their parent's burial. The ceremony had been delayed due to her absence, but now that she was back, everything was kick-started. "I am not ready for this." Laurel muttered for the umpteenth time. "Neither am I." Kristen replied curtly."You don't understa
Chapter 3 Now Alpha and at twenty five, Laurel Kris was not new to the ups and downs of ruling over her pack, to the pain of losing in battle, the smell of victory, the stab of losing a trusted warrior to an enemy pack or even the fear of attack. She had trained herself for this, every day over the past six years since her parents' death. Standing at the balcony of her home now, Laurel wondered what it would have felt like if her parents were still here, and even more, she wondered what difference it would have made. She would probably have been married off to a wealthy Beta or even an Alpha somewhere, or perhaps she would have married one of the court lord's sons, who would in turn have taken over the ruling of the pack after her father's demise, which would not have happened sooner. "My Lady" The greeting from the maid brought her back to reality. "Is all well?" "All is well, Alpha. It’s just that you have a visitor, Lord Charles is in the hall, he wishes to speak with you." "
Chapter 4Earl stared at Gregg, eyes widened. "How could you suggest that?""Sometimes I can't help but wonder if you are the same person I know. Why do you look like you have seen a ghost? I mean, what's so wrong with what I just said?" Gregg folded his arms."Since we have the cure at our disposal, enough of it at that, don't you think the best thing we could do is to give it to her first before talking about what we want? I'm sure she would be glad to help." Earl said.Gregg laughed and placed one hand on his friend's shoulders, "You think so?" He asked again."It's what anyone would do, one good turn deserves another." Earl replied, folding his hands across his chest in a more relaxed posture now.Gregg laughed again, "You think she would willingly leave her own pack and bring her army of soldiers to fight Lambert and his Rogues for your little favor? Think again, Earl." Now, Earl was not very convinced he was right, "Well, if she has a good heart…" "By God, Earl! She's a woman,
Chapter 5After waiting anxiously for Earl without any sight of him, Kristen, who had been pacing the length of the large parlor where she and Laurel were ushered in by the maids turned to her sister. Throwing caution to the wind, she had known that coming here was a waste of time and she had not failed to point it out, but according to Laurel, everything was worth trying so here they were, waiting for hours for the Alpha of the New Knight Pack, who they had not seen or met before. The possibility of them getting any help from these people was very slim and she knew it, but she had been trying not to shatter her sister's hope."What if he doesn't come?" Kristen finally voiced her fear.Laurel sighed weakly, "We have to be optimistic, and it has not even been up to three hours since we have been here." She said despite herself, she was equally afraid that they might not get the help they came for, but someone had to be strong."How sure are we that the cure is even here, Laurel? Where
Chapter 6Back in the garden, Kristen paced up and down waiting anxiously for Laurel, she hoped it went well. As much as she hated to admit it, having thought it through, her own way might have led them to destruction. Alpha Earl was not stupid and neither was his Beta, the lives of those men she had proposed they take as hostage might well have meant nothing to the Alpha. What if after going through the trouble, the men ended up showing them the wrong leaves and they went home and realized they had wasted their time? She sighed for the umpteenth time only to hear the annoying voice from behind her,"Are you not going to have your seat?" Gregg asked for the tenth time."Are you deaf? Or maybe you don't hear well in the afternoon? I said to keep quiet. If you have nothing better to say, I will prefer that you stop talking!" Kristen snapped at him."I am just concerned. If it's any consolation, you don't have to worry about your sister. Earl doesn't bite." Gregg offered."I would sugges
Chapter 7Earl was anxiously pacing in the library as he waited for Gregg to come in. It had been a while since Lady Laurel Kris left, and he was not back. He was either calculating, hoping that the lady would change her mind and come back or Gregg would come in to tell him she had realized her mistake, but none of that happened. When Gregg finally came in, it was to shatter Earl's hope with the first question he asked."How did it go?" Gregg asked again, guessing correctly that everything had not gone as planned, especially with the way he had seen Laurel storm out of the place, fuming with anger. Earl eyed his friend angrily, "You know this is all your fault, right? I hate that innocent look on your face." Gregg gave a light chuckle. "I don't understand why you are angry. Relax, man. You did not just expect her to give in, did you?" "This is not a time for games, Gregg. We are under threat from Lambert and his Rogues, life and death to be precise. And the only shot we have at get
Chapter 8The next few days were very difficult ones for Laurel. It had been five days since she went to Earl for help, now the plague was spreading really fast. The other Packs around them were not ready to help, although they did not even have the cure. Even if they had the cure, they didn't show any sympathy. They only got a nod from them and some words of encouragement, which did nothing to change the deaths that plague the Sacred Moon pack."It is getting worse, Laurel. I am afraid there is nothing more we can do now." Kristen said ruefully. She had been going from Pack to Pack soliciting for help while Laurel was tasked with handling things in the pack."I guess there is nothing else we can do," Laurel said painfully."The Alpha Pack at the North instructed their gate to be locked to keep us out for fears of us coming in there and infecting them with it. Looks like most people know it is transmittable now.""That is not surprising, words spread really fast." Laurel said, the sad
Chapter 9There was nothing to prepare for the decision that Laurel Kris, the Alpha of the Sacred Moon pack had made to marry Earl Malory, Alpha of the New Knight Pack. She barely picked a shawl from her room and hurried out as soon as she entered, shouting orders at the guards by the door to prepare for a journey. Her mood was sour, but she knew that there were worse days ahead, at least for her. Laurel prayed silently, she doubted that she was doing the right thing, wished she could ask her Papa for directions one last time, but this was a child's dream and she knew that now. Kristen had told her she was now a ruler countless times and that she had to act like one but it was only dawning on her now. Laurel made for the horses which had already been prepared for the journey. She did not take anything with her, didn't even know if there was anything she had to take. Kristen followed closely behind her, one hand clutching tightly to her sword which was installed and strapped firmly t