Lin knew that it was better to get something than nothing. She had way more than she could have ever had if she had not met Jenny, so she was of course grateful. She sighed and flashed a small smile at the girl. “Look, Jenny, I am so grateful for what you have done for me. You really helped and I would have still been oblivious about a lot concerning the quest if not for you,” She explained. “But I’m also going to say that you should stay away from magic or witchcraft. It’s perilous. If you get caught, you and your entire family could be burned alive. You know the tradition of our people,” She continued, advising the young girl. Jenny swallowed and nodded. “I see your point, Lin, but I’m sorry to say, I am not going to stop. It’s the same witchcraft that helped you, wasn’t it?” Lin opened her mouth to speak but realized it was not worth it. “Okay,” She replied in a breathy way. “Do what you want to do. But please, please, please be very careful. Okay?” Jenny was about to speak bu
Lin’s heart doubled when she heard what the short-haired lady had said about the smell of magic. Jenny was right, magic certainly had a smell!Hunter cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the two ladies who were the guests from another pack. “I do not appreciate both of you speaking to Lin that way,” He said, making himself clear. The short-haired one scoffed before peeling her eyes off Lin and landing them on Hunter. “And who do you think you are? Your father only left you in charge out of pity, don’t act like you’re all high and mighty here now, boy.” She chuckled to herself as she reached for the half-full wine glass. “Right? Little Hunter Blackwood finally wants to grow some balls?” The other lady mocked, joining her friend in laughter. Lin could tell that Hunter was annoyed if not pissed. She knew that he was going to do something impulsive if she didn’t step in and that would ruin it all for him since his father trusted him to be in charge. Yes, she was still mad at
Hunter was lying in bed with half of his face burning and a bruise forming on it. He had other marks over his body due to his father abusing him. Yes, he wanted to fight back. But doing that would have ruined his and his mother’s lives. If he would have dared to hit the councilman back, who knows? They would have been shipped right back to their life of poverty and shame. And that would make all that he had been working on to be in vain. Hunter did not want that, he had a plan in his mind. And for his plan to be able to come true or manifest, he needed to be patient and endure all the pain and torture that it would take. Because in the end, it would all be worth it when he wins the quest and becomes the alpha of the pack. That way, he would be able to properly punish his father.And Hunter cared for Lin, so maybe when he won the quest, he would make her his Luna. It was night and the next day was going to be the day that would kickstart it all; the day the pruning process would s
Maybe she was a coward. Maybe she was just too weak to the point that she could not even stand the decision that she had made within herself to leave Robert. Because she ended up telling the guy, “Okay…okay, I will think about it but that does not guarantee anything. It does not mean that I will be coming back home or anything like that.”Robert could not believe his ears. He dropped the bottle of liquor and it spilled on the tiles as he stood up. “Oh my god, thank you so much. I swear I will never make you feel this way again. I swear to you.” Lin scoffed lowly. She felt a bit good that she was giving him a chance but a part of her was disappointed in herself for not doing what she really wanted to do. “Let’s take some time apart and see how I feel about it all afterward.” Her tone was monotonous despite how she was feeling. “Thank you so much, babe. I love you, I love you, I love you!” He sounded like the happiest man alive. There was now hope. And that was all he needed: hope.
It was a one-hour drive and more into a rural part of the pack. The cars finally came to a stop and when the engines died, the beta stepped out of the car and proceeded to open the door for Lin to step out. She was wearing something casual but the moment she stepped out, she was met by a stunning woman who looked fast on her feet. “Hiya, I’m Dakota, and I was assigned as your personal stylist and assistant for the day,” The woman introduced herself as she led Lin away from the parking area and towards a jaw-dropping building. There were a lot of trees surrounding the property and everything just looked so nature-themed. “Was everyone assigned a personal assistant or stylist?” Lin wanted to know if it was because of what she was wearing. She was a bit insecure, to be honest. Was what she was wearing not good enough for the ceremony?Besides, they were going to be drinking the venom of a deadly snake, so she did not think that they had to wear anything special or formal. “Yes, all
Hunter felt his eyes burning as he was trying very hard not to release tears. He was really hurt because the man was his father. His actual father, so why was the guy treating him that way?He tried every time to be the son the councilman wanted or at least said that he wanted, but it was never enough. “He’s stressed, he doesn’t mean it,” Sarah told her son when she noticed the look of brokenness on his face. “You got this, my son. I love you, and your dad does too.” She reached for him and pulled him into a hug.Hunter hugged his mom back and sniffled dryly. His dad was already gone and was now sitting next to the other council members. He knew that his mom was just trying to make him not look too deeply into what his dad had just said. But the truth was that the man meant every word. That was just the way Councilman Roger was. “Thank you, mom. I understand,” Hunter said to his mom when they broke the hug. He flashed her a small smile and then watched her leave to go sit on the ot
Birds. The sound of birds echoed in the air and Lin’s eyes fluttered open. Her vision was blurred a bit, and then it cleared. She coughed lightly and then sat up from the ground. That was when she noticed that she was lying on some grass. She swallowed, her throat feeling a bit sore. She looked around and saw that she was somewhere entirely different. It looked like a huge jungle but it was very beautiful. She could also hear a few wild animals like monkeys and elephants. And there was a lightness that filled her that she could not explain. Her memory was fuzzy but all she knew at the moment was that where she was was not ordinary. It felt divine.“Hello, Lin,” A voice flowed smoothly. Lin turned around and her eyes landed on her mom. Her eyes widened and she could not believe what was happening. What in the world was happening? “Mom?” Her voice shook a bit. “My beautiful baby,” The woman pulled her daughter in for a warm hug. Lin could not even speak properly after that. Tear
Lin was finally getting better as each second passed. She breathed out a long sigh before looking at the others who had survived the venom. There were four people that survived, her making them five. Among the four was Hunter, looking pale like a ghost. He felt like throwing up and his body was still aching him yet he tried his best to look strong, especially due to the fact that his dad was watching him. When he glanced at his mom, he noticed that her face was wet with tears. She had probably thought that he was going to die. But she was now smiling proudly, while his dad looked disbelief and annoyed. He peeled his eyes away from his parents and then he saw the amount of people who had failed the pruning process. And all those who had failed were dead, lying on the floor, lifeless.It was not a pretty scene but what gave Hunter hope and strength was the fact that he had survived also when he looked to see the people who had survived, he saw Lin. His face lit up and he could not h