VALERIE
“Have you heard of the Lycan kings?” His voice came out hoarse yet pleasing to my ears. “Huh?” I stuttered and the beat of my heart accelerated. He glanced over at the other man and twitched his lips, leaning closer till our lips were just a hair's breadth away. My body began heating up slowly and my pulse raced. I wanted to move back but the other man was right behind me, compelling me to remain stuck at that spot. I was trapped between these two devilishly handsome and dangerous-looking men. “Who are you two?” My voice quivered as I spoke with a heart gripped with fear. “We just told you, sweetheart,” the one behind me said in a soft singsong voice which strangely sounded appealing to my hearing. “You are his Luna, aren't you, honey?” He muttered in a sultry tone that made my belly knot. Luna? Whose Luna? Alpha Jonas's Luna? No, they're wrong, I'm not his Luna. I shook my head and parted my lips to spill out the truth but a loud thud behind me made my heart shrink and my lips slam together. The grey-eyed man squatting before me raised his eyes, and I saw a flash of golden color dart across those mesmerizing grey orbs. I felt an emptiness behind me and turned around. The blue-eyed man was standing some distance away, and Jonas was staggering up to his feet. My heart leaped as I watched him approach the blue-eyed man with a sword. He isn't thinking of starting a fight against these two men, is he? A gasp escaped my lips as he lurched towards the man with his sword stretched forward. I glanced over alarmingly at the other man, expecting him to help him but he didn't budge from the spot or act concerned. As the edge of the sword was about to find its way into his belly, he moved away like lightning, and Alpha Jonas staggered and fell to the ground, face flat. I saw an evil grin dart across his face as he watched Alpha Jonas groan in pain. “You shouldn't have stressed yourself that much, Jonas,” the grey-eyed devil muttered as he stood up. Jonas? Not Alpha Jonas! “Please, forgive me. I… I couldn't pay the tribute when due. I couldn't get up to that amount from my Pack members,” Jonas stammered, spitting out thick dark blood that made me cringe in disgust. “I heard you've been buying girls for your unsatisfiable sexual exploitation,” the blue-eyed man said, and my heart leaped with joy. Finally, I've found saviors that'll save me from this devil. Jonas remained silent as guilt brushed against his face. “Forgive me, Alpha, I'll do anything you want, anything,” he cried out, hiccupping loudly. My brows furrowed in surprise and my lips stretched into a smile as I watched him beg shamelessly for his life. The same life he claimed he could take away from me with a snap of his finger. “You, of all Alphas, should be aware that we don't give second chances,” the grey-eyed man said in a hoarse voice. The blood on Alpha Jonas's face drained in dismay, and his lips, which were swollen from the kisses he forced on me, paled. “No, forgive me,” he cried out and gripped the leg of the green-eyed man. “What do you think, Killian?” He raised his eyes towards the other man. Killian grinned and shrugged his shoulder. “What we always do,” he replied and a sinister smile crept into the face of the other one. Alpha Jonas swerved his head from Killian to the grey-eyed man, horror-stricken. He seemed to understand what Killian meant and he didn't look to be in support of whatever silent plan was floating around them. “Let go, Jonas,” he muttered, glancing down at his leg. Alpha Jonas quickly obeyed and let go of his legs then crawled up to his knees. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. “I will give you the names of the Alphas that plan to start a rebellion against your reign,” he said and their brows shot up. Their smile stretched further and the evil twinkling in their orbs intensified. “So… you are part of them,” Killian muttered and Jonas's jaws dropped. He must have blurted out those words without thinking. “No, I… I… we…I…” he stammered and cursed silently as tears clouded his eyes. The grey-eyed man placed his hands on his waist and moved around Jonas in circles. “This makes it easier for us, don't you think, Lucian?” Killian grinned. “Hmm,” the grey-eyed man, whose name seemed to be Lucian, hummed, his eyes fixed intently on Alpha Jonas's ghostly face. “We made you powerful above all other Alphas in the wolf kingdom. We gave you power; we gave you the packs of your enemies, and what did you give back in return, a rebellion?” Lucian said and Jonas shook his head. “I will get a paper and pen,” Killian said and vanished. I blinked severally, trying to understand what was happening before me. “You are going to write down the names of all the Alphas. Your Pack and theirs will go down to the abyss,” Lucian spat venomously and I shivered at his words. If I can be feeling this way, how will poor Alpha Jonas be feeling? “No, please, don't destroy my Pack. I will give you two all of my wealth and women, but leave my Pack out of it, I beg you, in the name of the Moon goddess.” I couldn't see Alpha Jonas's face but from the way his voice quivered, even a dumb werewolf could tell how frightened he was. “The Moon goddess?” He chuckled and squatted before Alpha Jonas, killing him slowly with his eyes. “Even that weak goddess won't be able to save you from our wrath!” He spat and my eyes widened in dismay. How dare he call the goddess weak? Who does he think he is? A cold air hit my bare skin, and I shuddered, hugging my body, which was almost freezing up. I shivered slightly and coughed to get their attention. He switched his cold eyes at me and a knot formed in my throat. “What?” He snapped and I shuddered. “I… I…” I couldn't find my voice to tell him of my ordeal with the Alpha. “Do it quickly, Jonas!” The assiduous voice of Killian echoed in the room before he trudged in. He threw a piece of paper and a pen toward Alpha Jonas, and he quickly took it. Lucian swerved his attention back to Alpha Jonas and they watched him scribble some words down to the paper. “I will remain loyal to you forever; I will sell my wealth and triple my tribute; please let me live, and do not destroy my Pack,” Alpha Jonas chattered as he scribbled. “Your loyalty isn't enough to satisfy our anger and purge your sins,” Killian muttered in a low voice. Purge sins? Only the moon goddess has the right to purge sins. I scoffed silently at their words and narrowed my eyes. Jonas stopped writing and looked at them fearfully then darted his eyes towards me. I saw mischief dance around his eyes as he stared at me. He looked back at them and pointed at me. “I will give you my Luna. You can do anything you want with her.” My heart froze and my eyes widened in shock. Luna? Who? Me? Fear gripped my heart as the two men swerved their heads in my direction. “She is my Luna; take her and let me live,” Alpha Jonas repeated, and my head swirled around in circles.VALERIE My lips parted yet no words came forth. I was short of words, I was confused. I wanted to speak up for my defense, but I couldn't; it felt like Alpha Jonas's words had paralyzed me. “So, you are his Luna, after all,” Killian said, a mischievous smirk dancing at the corner of his little plump lips. Lucian remained unmoved as he glared coldly at me. “Why did you say you weren't?” He muttered in the iciest voice that I've ever heard. The hoarseness was somehow gone, its absence added fear instead of relief to my soul. “I… I,…” I stammered and glared at Alpha Jonas, hoping he would have a change of heart and tell them who his real Luna was. But the useless devil did nothing of such, instead he pursed his lips in anger and shook his finger accusingly at me. “You lied to them? You told them you weren't the Luna. How shameless can you be, Valerie?” He snapped, calling me by my name.My eyes batted in shock, I was petrified in wonder that I was dumbstruck.The two men stared
VALERIE I stumbled for the fourth time as I ran far off into the woods. I couldn't tell where I was or how I would get out; only one thing stuck to my mind: this was the perfect escape plan, and I had to stick to it no matter what. As I ran, my mind drifted back to those Lycan kings and I felt my heart skip a beat. They must have noticed my absence by now. The thought of them coming after me made me quicken my pace. The cold air grazed my parched skin, stinging me without mercy as my body shuddered from the cold. I sneezed and clenched my belly as it rumbled yet I couldn't stop to catch a breath. My heart froze when I heard a twig snap behind me. I stopped running and listened cautiously for any rattle of leaves but heard nothing. I wanted to continue running, but my wolf, Jade, urged me to stop and listen longer. My heart thumped loudly and my hands shook as I stood in the dark forest. What if it's a wolf hunter? Or worse, the Lycan kings? ‘Jade, I can't wait anymore, I ha
VALERIE “I am not the Luna."A lump formed in my throat as I tried to sink in her words.“You… you are not the Luna?" I found myself sputtering.She smiled and took a step closer. My heart sank when she fell on her knees and bowed her head to the ground.“Forgive me, Luna; I know you've always hated me because the Alpha claimed me too, but it wasn't my fault. I begged him to have mercy, but he wouldn't listen,” she blabbered, and my eyes widened in shock.I turned around, searching for the person she was talking to.But when I saw no one behind me or close by, it dawned on me that she was referring to me.“What… what are you saying? I am not the Luna!" I snapped.I glanced over at Killian and Lucian. I found their amused eyes staring at me.“I…" I trailed off and glared at her.I understood that she wanted to escape Killian and Lucian's wrath. She wanted to put me in her place and make me suffer in her stead.It finally dawned on me that she didn't love her mate, perhaps, that explai
VALERIE I felt a chilly sensation on my arm when I tilted my head. I tried to snap my eyes open but couldn't; I felt like something was holding me down. Two different scents slipped into my nostrils and I gasped out, enjoying the scents of dark musk and rich sandalwood that intermingled and played with my senses. The chilly sensation came again, but this time, it was on my waist. I felt something slide up my thighs, heading in between them. My heart skipped a beat and I forced my eyes open. The first thing that hit me was the grey and blue eyes that flickered blackness the moment they met mine. My mind reeled, my pulse raced and my mind shot back to the previous tragic events that took place before I fainted. I wasn't dead, I was still alive and trapped with the devils that threatened to ruin my life. “You?" I gasped and shifted uncomfortably. I tried getting away but found that impossible as they were both hovering over me, caging me down to the soft mattress. “Stop, let
VALERIE The door creaked open, and I raised my head, expecting to see Lucian and Killian, but to my disappointment or perhaps to my relief, it turned out to be a girl who seemed to be my age mate. My eyes trailed after her as she walked over to a table and set down the tray she was holding. She turned in my direction, walked up to the bed, dropped some clothes on the edge, and turned around to walk away without saying a word. My heart constricted at her cold attitude. “Hello," I whispered and her feet stopped shuffling to the door. She cranked her neck and stared at me with blank brown eyes which seemed to have a layer of pain and sadness behind them. "Hello," she replied and bowed her head then quickly averted her gaze. I needed to get out here, but firstly, I had to know where I was. “Where is this place?" I asked, still clenching the duvet. She switched her gaze towards me and I saw a flash of disgust dart across her eyes as she looked at the duvet covering my nude body.
VALERIE “Hello, who is this?" Her voice sounded more like a ghostly whisper. My heart tightened and I regretted calling her at that moment. I would only be a burden to her again. But then again, I couldn't stop myself from yearning for her lost warmth. “Mom," I muttered in a weepy voice. The silence that loomed from the other end of the line made me think that she had hung up on me. I was about to put the phone down in despair when her voice came up again; this time, it was filled with surprise and fear. “Valerie, is that you?" She said in a hushed tone that got me wondering if my stepfather was at home. Mom, it's me," I replied and heard her release a breath of relief. “I heard about what happened to the Pack, you aren't hurt, are you?" She said in the same tone. “No, mom, I'm fine." Silence trailed after my reply and after a couple of minutes, she spoke up again. "Are you still in that Pack? I heard that lots of people were killed and… and Thomas isn't doi
VALERIE I peeked into the dark tunnel Bianca led me to and sighed out loud in relief. “Go through the tunnel; you will find your way out to the Pack’s boundary, but be mindful of rogues; lots of them lurk around the boundary of Dark Moon Pack,” she advised, waving her hands towards the entrance of the frightening tunnel. I sucked in a deep breath and muttered a word of appreciation before taking the flashlight she extended toward me. “You won't get into trouble, right?" I asked for the third time and she smiled, shaking her head. “No, I won't." I nodded at her words and began to shuffle into the tunnel. “Valerie," her voice made me pause and crank my head backward. “Be careful. Survive." My throat knotted at her last words. I nodded when I couldn't find my voice and bade her goodbye before walking into the tunnel, with my heart in my hand. I jumped in fear when I saw a skeleton leaning on the old dark walls of the tunnel. I shuddered and cautiously walked past i
VALERIE My heart shrank and the pieces dropped into the pit of my belly as I stared at the red eyes that glared at me from the dark. I clasped my hand against my mouth as my heartbeat thumped loudly to my hearing. It was so loud that I was afraid that the beastly tiger standing before me would hear the sound. I stepped back, making sure that my feet didn't make any noise. The growl came again, loud, fierce, and horrific. Sweat broke out on my skin and shivers rushed through my body. I kept stepping back until my feet stepped on a dry bone on the ground. I tripped and unintentionally released a howl before dropping down to the ground. The tiger roared upon hearing my yell and bounded towards me. I was filled with fear and struck with horror. An ear-piercing scream escaped my lips. I reached for my flashlight which I had picked up earlier, and turned it on. The rays of light fell on orange and black stripes on a large body. The tiger, which was facing the wall opposite w
VALERIE I shuddered at the sight of them and shifted away from Damion, snatching my hand from his hold. Killian's face held a frown while Lucian's eyes blazed in fury. "What the fuck is going on here?" He growled and I shuddered again. "Nothing, he was just saying something—" Killian's march towards us froze and cut my words short. My eyes widened in dismay as he grabbed Damion by the collar and flung him off the bed. Damion's back slammed on the wall with a heavy thud, causing him to groan in pain. "You're trying to get back at us, aren't you?" Killian growled and before Damion could recover from the hit, he grabbed him by the neck and raised him, making him dangle in the air. Killian clenched his fist and slammed it into his jaw. I screamed in horror as blood splashed out of Damion's mouth. "Stop!" I screamed. Unbearable pain shot through my body and my head dropped, my eyes slamming shut as pain rocked my entire body. I gripped my dress and stared weakly as Killian punc
VALERIE I released a low groan as my throat burned in pain. My dad, who was smiling down at me and muttering comforting words to me, slowly dissolved away, disappearing like vapor. My jaws dropped and I stretched out my hand, calling desperately for him. It was like he had just died before me after coming back for the second time. As I called out to him, I heard my name from afar but refused to answer it. I tried to move from where I was, but I discovered that I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. It felt like I was stuck in the spot. I sensed a hand shaking my shoulders and a sharp ray of light pierced my eyes. I groaned again, but this time, I found myself in a different room with Michelle frowning down at me. I narrowed my eyes and mourned at the sharp banging in my head. "Do you feel alive?" She asked in a hostile voice. I scoffed and glared hatefully at her. "I guess you want to hear the opposite," I snarled, and she scoffed. She shifted away from the bed and picked
KILLIAN We stood side by side, watching the large dark horn emerge slowly from the dark pool. So, this was it. This was the mystery hidden in the pool. Excitement slowly replaced the shock in me, and I tilted my head forward, waiting for it to showcase its body. The shrill ringing of Lucian forced me to snap back to reality, and the horn stopped moving upward. As fast as lightning, it sank into the dark pool, and the water became still again like nothing was inside. "What the heck!" Lucian snapped, growling loudly as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. He stared at the screen and hissed loudly before swiping the answer button and placing it to his ear. "What do you want, Neil?" He asked, filled with anger and disappointment. He sighed and ruffled his hair, nodding with his eyes fixed on the pool for any movement. "We will be out soon," he said and ended the call, dropping the phone into his pocket. I raised my brows in question, tilting my head to the side."We have to
KILLIAN Lucian played with the lighter as he stared out of the window, watching the trainees on the field. The door opened and Neil walked in, a bright smile on his face. "Welcome back, Alpha," he muttered, bowing lowly to the ground. Lucian slipped out a pack of cigarettes and pulled out a stick, lightening it as he walked towards Neil. "Herod sends boys to our military camp every year, right?" Lucian asked and Neil nodded his head in agreement. "I want you to bring out everyone from Herod, starting from the soldiers to the trainees. I want everyone out," Lucian said and Neil's smile slowly faded away. He darted his eyes from Lucian's cold face to mine, perhaps wondering what was going on. "Alpha, did something happen?" He asked and I scoffed. "I wonder if you're trustworthy, Neil," I muttered and his brows shot up in surprise. "Alpha! I can never betray you two!" He exclaimed. Lucian picked up the blade on the table and Neil shifted back, shock etched against his face. L
DAMION I smiled sinisterly as I watched Michelle struggle to remain conscious as she shared her energy with Valerie. I pushed the door open and walked in, my head tilted to the side."Your beloved Lycan kings made you sacrifice your energy for the woman they cast away," I muttered and she glared at me before slamming he eyes shut to continue the transfer of energy."I wonder why they are not back yet," I sighed and she scoffed, ignoring me.I looked at her again and smirked before glancing at Valerie.I reached out and touched her burning forehead. Worry began to slip in but I brushed it back, assuring myself that she would be fine."I wonder if they will return alive," I muttered and Michelle's eyes flew open again.She let go of Valerie's hand and sprang up, glaring at me."What did you do, Damion?" She groused and I dimmed my eyes."What have I done? Nothing!" I shrugged, grinning widely.She grabbed my collar and pushed me to the wall, fuming in fury as her burning eyes burned i
LUCIAN I snapped my arms out of their grip and leaped for the bottle, sliding across the floor. I stretched out my hand and it fell into my palm instead of on the ground. A deafening silence followed and a horrified gasp slipped from Herod's parched lips. Killian grabbed his collar before he could think of escaping and punched him hard in the face. He staggered back, almost falling over the railing. I growled and my fangs sprouted out. My bones began to break as a mild transformation of my body began to take place. My muscles rippled and grew larger and my eyes darkened. The thirst for blood surged through my body, and anger filled my heart. The soldiers backed away on seeing me and began to run towards the door to save themselves from my wrath. But before they could get to the door, it slammed shut, leaving them trapped in the hall with me. Two of them who couldn't handle the fear of dying collapsed and lost consciousness while the one who seemed brave pointed their guns at m
LUCIAN "Lucian, we've messed up," Killian muttered and my throat knotted.He was right. We let the dishonest fool deceive us again using his foolishness."You underestimated me, my lords," he, laughed mockingly, and I looked at him.My gaze shifted to the black bottle in his hand which looked exactly like the one we were holding.I didn't need anyone to tell me that he gave us the wrong antidote."You gave us a fake antidote, didn't you?" Killian asked.He threw his head back and looked at the bottle in his hand and then at the one we were holding. "I wonder why you are so desperate to get the antidote…" he tilted his head back and pursed his lips. "Did someone you care about get stabbed?" Killian growled and advanced towards him but I held him back, glaring murderously at Herod. "I've never seen you care for anyone before. She must be special," he grinned. "Give us the antidote now we're being merciful," I snapped and he scoffed, waving it in the air. "Let me kill him, Lucian!
KILLIAN I exchanged glances with Lucian and nodded my head in approval. I took a step closer to him and he staggered back, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Will you give us the antidote?" I asked and he tilted his head to the side, analyzing our expression. "Did anyone get stabbed with the sword?" He asked and my chest tightened in anger.Lucian growled and flipped the blade in his direction.His eyes widened and he screamed in horror, paralyzed to the wall and unable to move.The blade sank into the wall, its edges kissing his face.His chest rose in fear and relief as he cautiously moved away from that spot."That is the way we will sink the blade into your eyes if you don't tell us where the antidote is…" Lucian paused and began to take steps towards him again. He cringed and covered his face with his palms. "Please, don't hurt me, please. I will give you whatever you want. Anything!" he cried, shaking violently in fear. "Where is it?" I asked and he gulped hard, slowly relaxin
LUCIAN Silence reigned in the car as Killian drove roughly through the highway. Though we were silent, we all had one thing in mind, and that was to find the cure and save Valerie. I hated myself at some point for blaming her without a proper investigation. I had tried severally to convince myself that she was capable of doing it but couldn't. Every time I imagined what could have taken place on that hill, the scene of Michelle pushing Valerie down was what always appeared in my mind. It didn't make sense to me as she had been the one hating and getting jealous. I was sure Michelle wouldn't hurt her after defending her against me. "Everything doesn't seem to make sense," I spoke up, breaking the hostile silence floating around us. Killian remained silent, too furious to respond. I sighed loudly and looked out of the window, letting the silence endure longer. "Are you going to keep driving without telling me where we are heading!" I snapped, getting infuriated by his