It was a beautiful morning, even though the events of the past night made one question this writer. The sun had come out for work earlier than usual, shining so brightly, as if it was a typical Christmas morning. The birds, not left out, kept on chirping, as if they had a glimpse of what was to come. The sky was a clear blue, the color more overwhelming than that worn by the blues of London. The air, as always had been, was crisp and fresh. Everything seemed to point to a day whose story would be told with care and time.
Damon had woken up to the sound of birds singing and the gentle breeze blowing through his hair. Those songs reminded him of Grace."Sometimes I wonder if we really do have the same blood flowing through our veins," he had sarcastically said to her, laughing. "I don't understand why you sing like the angels, yet I don't, not even if I had to save my life by singing.""Come on, Damon, we all have got our strength. Like you, I would love to play the keyboard so effortlessly, but even if I try learning, I can never beat you to it," she responded to him, managing a grim smile.Like the birds, Grace was one hell of a singer. She made music look so underrated. "Even Tatiana would pay over the odds just to watch and hear you sing," he said to her. "You're damn good!""One day, I would love to sing on the biggest stage. Nothing is going to beat that," she had shared her dream with him, sounding really confident."You will, and I will be there cheering you on, making sure everyone knows we're blood!," he said to her, sounding very, just like her, confident."Damn it!," he quietly let out his frustration, still struggling to come to terms with the reality that she was no more. Death had dealt him a cruel blow!He tried to stretch his arms and legs, but quickly realized that he could not extend them. Curious, he thoroughly looked around the place, surprised at what his eyes beheld. He had been locked up in a cell, one that barely held a human being less his size. Confused, he tried to look through the cell, but there was only little his eyes could behold. There were other cells there, but he could not find anyone in them."Hello! Anyone here?," he asked, more in hope than in expectation.He got no response.He tried to figure out how he had gotten in there, but nothing was forthcoming. The only thing he remembered was that he had frustratedly tried to get the attention of the pack that had rescued him, but no one seemed interested in saying a word to him…well, that was someone gave out the order…"Put him to rest," he had said.He remembered one of the men coming across to him and hitting him on the head with something, even though he had no idea what it was. Quickly, he reached for his forehead, trying to see if he felt any pain."Ouch!," he said, writhing in pain."Hello! Anyone here!?," he said again, desperate, but no one seemed to have heard him. Determined to get out, he started banging on the ironing door, hitting it so hard, but it wouldn't budge. He was trapped."Fuck!," he let out, as his hands hit a nail that was adjoined to the iron. He sat back, confused, not sure what else to do. He lay back down, taking out his frustration on nature.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"Father, you sent for me," Fidelis began, curious. It was unlike Lord Cage to reach out to him, especially that early. The alpha would never see anyone until the sun had gone to work. Nothing was more important to him than an early morning yoga session, one he had tried to convince Fidelis and his sister, Alicia, into becoming specialists in."Nothing is more fragile than an untrained mind," he would begin his long speech on how the mind worked. "If you let it wander, you would have lost it before you even realized," he would add.But no matter what he said, Fidelis and Alicia always had a different view about the mind. "We'll try," they would jointly say to him in reply, but they never tried. "Everyone has their path; yoga is not mine," Alicia would say to Fidelis."What happened last night?," he just said to him, concentrating on his yoga session."I have no idea what you speak of, father," Fidelis said, surprised."Where did you take your friends and some of the pack to last night?," he continued probing, still maintaining calm."Oh, that?," he said, heaving a sigh of relief. "We had to go haunting; you know we haven't done that in a while."Who did you return with?," he asked."My friends and the others," he said, wearing a worried look. He had no idea why he had asked the question. Certainly, he was up to something."Don't lie to me, son," he said, finally turning around to look at him. Even though he looked fiery, Lord Cage was everything but. Sometimes, Fidelis was left wondering how he had never lost a battle despite displaying the character of a child. He always ensured to carry a joke with him, even when there was nothing to laugh about."Life is not as damning as we make it look," he would say in response. "A smile is a more deadly weapon of war than a wolf's bite, for it helps you defeat your enemy while leaving them thinking they still got a fight in them."Lesson learned!"Father, I don't…""Don't lie to me!," he cut him short. "Who is he?," he said, looking more sternly at him.He had seen them when they returned last night. He watched on as they carried Damon, looking like one with no life, away to the prison block.Lord Cage has always been very worried about Fidelis. He felt that he was always a decision away from messing things up."He always seems to make the wrong choices," he confided in his old mate, Duffy."Give him time, the boy will come good. Remember, you were not always like this," Duffy would say.Time was one luxury Lord Cage believed he didn't have in his treasury. He could feel an attack coming, one that was going to be fatal, and he felt his son wasn't even ready for it. Privately, he wished Alicia was a man. She was to him everything Fidelis was not; everything he had hoped he would be. That was why he always confided in her whenever he had a very tough decision to make."I see myself in her," he told Duffy."Be careful what you wish for, my friend," said Duffy, who was a firm believer in Fidelis. "Remember the prophecy.""Okay, father, you win," he said, tired of trying to cover his tracks. "We captured him as we hunted. He looked so lost and couldn't even walk, so we had to bring him with us. I know you're upset, father, but I could not leave him there. He was going to die," he tried to explain to him.Lord Cage stayed quiet for a while, just staring at nothing before him. Somehow, he liked the fact that he had helped a stranger, but then, it felt like a risky adventure."He could be an enemy!," he said, turning the heat on him."I don't think he is, father. But even if I'm wrong about him, he can't escape. He's in the cell, and will only get out when you give the command.""Where is Alicia?," he asked."With the swordsmen," he said."Go get her. And don't return," he added behind him.******************************************************He found her still training with the swordsmen."Hey, don't hit him that way; you, defend against the attack, your back's against the wall. Attack!!!," she rolled out orders to them.Alicia, like her father, was a huge fan of the combat skills. She, from an early age, had always trained with the swordsmen. She had even given herself to more intense sessions. Sometimes, she needed Lord Cage to remind her that she was just a woman, not like one of those swordsmen, "who had balls and huge fists," as he always put it.But none of that seemed to deter her. Instead, she worked harder to prove him wrong. She always made sure to remind him that strength was not in appearance, but about the sacrifices one was willing to put in to reach a goal. Everyday, she kept on training, increasing her intensity until she had become, not just a lord of the sword, but the leader of the swordsmen. Determined to ensure she was not the only lady who knew the art of the sword, she had begun to recruit other female wolves, making sure they, too, could fight with the sword. He knew it wasn't her fault; their father, the alpha, seemed to prefer her combat skills to his hunting expeditions with his friends."Hey," Fidelis said to her, finally walking up to her. He had watched her bark oyut orders to those she trained, smiling as she did. He loved his little sister, even though she seemed to have their father's wear more than he did."Hey, brother," she said to him, surprised to find him there. "Surely, you must have lost your way," she said to him, chuckling. He briefly joined her."You know I wouldn't even come here if it wasn't important. Father demands your presence," he said to her."Now?," she asked, surprised."Yes," he said."That's hard to believe!," she continued. "The alpha doesn't trade his yoga sessions for nobody.""Well, he just broke his rule.""Then I must hurry," she said. She quickly passed on a few instructions to the ladies before she walked away, leaving Fidelis behind."Father," she began, as she took a couple of steps closer to him."I need you to do something for me," he just said to her."What?."******************************************************It was already past two hours, yet no one had showed up. Damon grew increasingly weak, hungry and thirsty as he contemplated his next action. His wound from trying to break free from the cell was starting to hurt really bad. He could barely move that hand freely. Hey, that didn't stop him from banging on the cell door again, shouting as he did."Fuck!," he let out, frustrated that he had the same outcome.Just when he thought no one was going to show up, a lady appeared with food and medicine for him, accompanied by one of the men that had accompanied Fidelis for the hunting. It was he who had helped him on his feet that night."I recognize you!," he quickly said to him.He said nothing to him."Why am I locked up here!?," he asked, looking angry."Hey," she said, passing him the food, through a tiny hole, "you need this; eat for strength.""What the fuck am I doing locked up here!?," he asked, still angry."You're bleeding," she said, calling his attention to his bloody hands. Her eyes glowed as she looked at them, but she quickly subdued her emotion. "Open it," she said, looking at the fella that came with her."You're sure about this?," he whispered to her, unconvinced."Open it, I've got this," she said again."You're lucky it's not too deep," she said to him, as she attended to him."Who are you?," she asked, looking subdued."You should eat now; you need every strength you can get," she said to him. She watched on as he ate. "I'll be back later," she said to him, as she locked the cell.Damon was grateful for her help, but he couldn't help but wonder who she was and why she had dealt with him so kindly."Who are you?," he asked again, but she wouldn't answer. She just smiled at him and left.Damon was left alone again, but at least, he wasn't hungry or in pain anymore. In his loneliness, he couldn't help but think about her.She had done something to him, one that left him lost for words….Time will tell…Maybe…Just maybe….The atmosphere at the safe house was heavy with emotions as Thomas and Ariana returned, their arrival bringing a sense of both relief and trepidation. The trio of Frederick, Catherine, and Thomas reunited, their embrace exuding a mixture of love, relief, and determination. Their shared warmth and affection for one another formed a protective shield against the impending danger that lurked in their world.As they held each other tightly, Thomas whispered words of courage and determination to his companions, reminding them of their unwavering bond and the strength they possessed as a united force. Their eyes, shimmering with a combination of tears and resolve, reflected the unwavering determination to fight for what they held dear.“I feared the worst,” Frederick said, as he held on to Ariana. Turning to Thomas, he said, “You have proven yourself worthy of my trust. Thank you. I owe you one”“You owe me nothing,” he just said. “Everything I have done is nothing compared to the evil my h
Tom tossed and turned in his sleep, his face contorted with fear and pain. He was trapped in a nightmare that haunted him that night; a nightmare that he wished he could forget, but could never escape.He saw his sister, Ariana, hanging on a wooden stake, her hands and feet bound with iron chains. She was pale and weak, blood dripping from her wounds. She looked at him with pleading eyes, begging him to save her. But he was powerless, unable to move or speak.And then, he saw Lord Zack standing in front of her, holding a silver dagger. He wore a dark cloak that covered his body, hiding his wolf form. He smiled wickedly, showing his sharp fangs."Hello, Philip," he said as soon as he saw him, his voice cold and mocking. "Did you miss me? You should come join the party,” he beckoned on him.Tom felt a surge of anger and hatred, but also fear and guilt. He was scared that he would hurt Ariana if he did nothing about it. He had to react, and react swiftly."Let her go, you monster!" he sh
It was a rainy morning, and the guards of Lord Zack's camp were on high alert. They had been on the lookout for Thomas and ‘his gang of rebels,’ as Lord Zack referred to them. Worried that they would attack them anytime, he had stationed his guards at the outskirt of the pack's camp.“Bring them to me, dead or alive. I don't fucking care how you do it,” he had instructed them.That morning, as they had become accustomed to since he escaped, the guards scanned the horizon, looking for any signs of movement. They were armed with silver bullets and crossbows, ready to shoot at anything that moved. Suddenly, they saw a figure emerging from the mist, walking slowly towards them. They raised their weapons, and their leader shouted, "Who are you? Identify yourself!"The figure came closer, and they recognized him. It was Thomas, the ‘rebel’ leader. He was alone, and unarmed. He looked tired and wounded, his clothes torn and bloody. He had a bandage around his head, covering one of his eyes.
Fidelis was furious as he stormed the alpha's chamber that morning. He wasn't going to just lie low because Alicia had reminded him how brutal Lord Loc was. He had messed with his sister, and he was going to make him pay for it."Get them!," he yelled, as he demanded that Lord Loc's men be arrested and brought before him.Hunter, who had woken up to the sound of his command, tried to put up a resistance, but he was overwhelmed by Fidelis' men. They outnumbered him and his companions, and they fought with savage ferocity. Hunter felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as one of them hit him with a sharp object, drawing blood. He swung his claws at another, but missed. He was tackled to the ground by two more, who pinned him down and snarled at him."Kneel!," Fidelis commanded him, as he stood over him with a triumphant smirk. He wanted to humiliate him and make him submit to his authority. He wanted to show him he was not one to be scared of Lord Loc."You will pay for this, I swear," Hunter
The moon hung high in the star-studded sky, casting its ethereal glow upon the silent forest. The night air was still, devoid of any sounds except for the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation, as if the very stillness of the night foretold the forthcoming events that would unfold.Hunter's words echoed in Alicia's mind as she walked away from him, his awkward smile etched in her memory.“Remember, no one must know of the great sufferings you have endured in his hands,” he had reminded her, smiling awkwardly. “You must know that I've got my eyes on you,” he added.“You do not need to remind me of how evil your lord is,” she said to him. Alicia felt a surge of adrenaline as she walked away from Hunter, who had just reminded her of Lord Loc’s threatHis uncompromising reminder only fueled her determination to seek justice for the immense sufferings she had endured under his cruel hands. She couldn't bear to let anyone el
The early morning sun cast a golden glow over the forest, as Alicia returned to Lord Cage's camp. She felt a surge of relief as she saw the familiar tents and banners of her father's pack. She had been away for four weeks, visiting Lord Loc's camp as his mate. It was supposed to be a diplomatic gesture, a way to strengthen the alliance between the two powerful alphas, but Alicia knew the truth. She was nothing but a pawn, a means to an end, a solution to a prophecy she had not spoken of.She was greeted by a royal entry, as the guards who had accompanied her saluted and cheered. They had been loyal and respectful to her, but they had no idea what she had endured. They only saw the lavish gifts and clothes that Lord Loc had bestowed upon her, not the bruises and scars that he had inflicted on her. They only heard the sweet words and promises that he had whispered to her, not the insults and threats that he had spat at her.Even from close range, they still could not see beyond the make