Chapter: 39.******Kael stood at the Gates of the Manor, overlooking the vast expanse of land stretching as far as he could see, beautiful gardens and fields with rolling green hills in the distance, all perfectly landscaped and cultivated to perfection. A small river winds its way through the valley to disappear into a hidden pool. A few large ponds are scattered amongst the land. A magnificent view that should have been breathtaking but all Kael saw was an endless stretch of dull grey. The only colors were the white stone buildings and the green grass. Today was not a day for the beautiful scenery. Today is the day he introduces father and son. His eyes wandered to the little figure clenching onto his pinky, standing side by side with him and staring ahead into the Gates. A small smile stretched across his lips as he watched his son. For all his outward appearances he was the most stoic little man anyone had ever seen. His face was impassive, his mouth set in a frown, dark hair ti
Chapter: 40.******Leonardo spotted six Betas charging toward him and he shifted, watching intently as they drew nearer, and upon closer inspection, he recognized them, then immediately shifted back and stood on guard as they approached him slowly, deliberately, without aggression at all. He didn't know why they were here and how they knew where this was, and what they wanted, but he was certain that it wasn't anything good. He kept one ear perked to their conversations, but they seem to have noticed him and stopped conversing altogether.One stepped forward, she was a female with dark hair and spoke up in a gentle voice. "It's alright, Alpha Leonardo, we just want to talk to you for a moment, please don't be alarmed," The female said and Leonardo could hear the tremor in her voice despite how well her voice was controlled. The five other males surrounding her shifted, and bowed before the Alpha."Alpha," They all chorused simultaneously, and Leonardo shifts his eyes over to each of
Chapter: 41.******Leon gasped and sat bolt upright in bed. His heart hammered so hard that he could barely breathe through it, but after a few seconds of staring at the ceiling and listening to his racing pulse, it began to slow down. He took deep breaths into the cool darkness of the night, which helped steady him, too. When he could trust himself to do that again, Leon looked around, trying to focus on anything except how badly he had just panicked. This wasn't exactly uncommon. He always finds himself going into a shock-like state whenever the Lycan is unwell or injured. Leon glanced around the room once more but found it empty. He was going to return to sleep when the door creaked and he snapped his eyes toward the door.Dare walked hurriedly into the room dragging a doctor with him, looking harried as if he had been running. Once the doctor stepped inside and shut the door behind him, he turned to the bed and their gaze met. "I thought you said he fainted?" The doctor asked, tur
Chapter: 42.*****Rafa opened his eyes and looked around the room. He was alone, having sent his Betas away, he needed a moment to himself and to speak with Leon. Although, the call left him with a feeling of dread that won't leave even as he stared at the bookshelf holding the keys to the Book of Neer. Though he needed to be rushing over to check and be certain the Book lies safe, he couldn't find himself to get up from the bed. There is this feeling swirling around inside of him, the feeling of Fear and longing. It's not an emotion he can explain but it keeps him rooted on the bed in place as he stares at the bookshelf. He was afraid. Afraid of confirming the lingering truth already visible in his mind. The one he hasn't admitted out loud yet.And in truth, he does not want to admit it as truth.It's a feeling we can attest to at some point in our lives.That feeling you get when you know something is true but a part of you still clings to the useless false hope that maybe it isn't
Chapter: 43.******Rafa and Leon arrived at the valley of shadows just as dawn was breaking over it. The ground was soft, covered in a thin layer of snow. They hadn't been there for long before the first rays of sunlight lit up the dark horizon, bathing their path in bright light. They climbed the first hill to survey the situation before they continued with their search. It wasn't hard to spot the little cabin, perched high on the mountain. Their target. The cabin had clearly seen better days, as the structure was leaning badly to one side. Its front left wall hung open to the sky. The door was hanging by only one hinge. No window. It seemed like it had either been abandoned or blown out during a tornado. Even in the low light, the walls were blackened from fire damage.A thick layer of frost clung to the outside of the walls, leaving them almost translucent to the touch. It didn't look like anyone else had lived there in some time, but the cabin itself stood on its own like an old m
Chapter: 44.******Caleb growled and flung him aside, Rafa flew backward and crashed into the side of the cabin, hitting the floor hard, the sound echoing loudly through the area, and leaving a large gaping hole in the wall behind them. Rafa sat up, his vision swimming. He coughed hard several times before pushing himself onto his knees, trying to regain control over his body. He gasped painfully and staggered, falling to his hands and knees as his legs failed to support him any longer. He whimpered weakly, his limbs trembling uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of dizziness passed. His breathing grew harsh, the pain becoming unbearable, his throat burned as if he swallowed a firewhisky, the scent of copper and iron filled his nostrils, and his mouth tasted bitter. He opened his eyes once again and looked up at the sky, the clouds were thick, dark, and heavy, threatening to pour down more rain, lightning flashed across the darkened horizon making everything look
Chapter: 45.******Dr. Creiff jolted awake when he heard the loud bang at his front door. Knowing there's only one person in the whole of River Bay who would make such a mindless entrance, the Doctor sighed, sat upright, and pulled his night robe from the hanger by his bed. He threw the robe on, wrapping it around himself, and sighed again when he heard Rafa roaring his name downstairs. Creiff slipped his foot into his plush slippers, and threw the door open, dashing down the stairs this time. Upon arrival to his living room, he met emptiness, but there were blood splatters across the floor and on his favorite rug. He frowned and peered over the armrest of the sofa near the fireplace, where he saw Rafa sprawled out, face first, with blood dripping from his hands. The Doctor knelt beside him as gently as he could, and put a hand against Rafa's forehead. "Rafa?" He asked, his frown deepening further.Rafa exhaled and snapped his eyes open as if awakened from a deep sleep. He was unsta
Chapter: 46.******Little feet pattered along the ground in a flurry of activity, running through the forest with excitement, and in his hands was a little white bunny. It was his first hunt and he could not wait to show it first to his father and then his mother. Dressed in only a black short, his chest was covered in mud from his journey into the woods, his hair sticking up in all directions from all the running and tumbling he had done in the bushes. Little ears peeked out of his dirty blonde locks and his brown eyes were alight with excitement as he ran through the trees and over the roots that hung from them in the forest floor like vines of a vineyard. He had been in this part of the forest almost every day for weeks now, just exploring and playing and getting a bit lost.But he did not have the time to get lost today. Today, he was going to be on top of the world when he showed the bunny off to his father, and the people at school tomorrow. He had a smile stretched on his face