VALERIE'S POV★I sat on the bench of the training arena as I took deep breaths and relaxed from the hectic and tired training I had undergone. Sweat dripped down my face and my heart raced so fast. I was literally trembling as my hands shook.I couldn't even stand up or balance myself as my head was bent and sweat dropped on the tiles of the arena.Thank the Moon Goddess I was alone. I wouldn't appreciate anyone seeing me that way looking like a dead fish.And yes, I agree that my thoughts diverted to Kaden and that beautiful woman every now and then which made it hard to concentrate and then caused me to mess up what I learned.I groaned and tilted my head back as I looked around the arena. I soaked in the silent and chilly breeze.It was stupid of me to take up the duel. I knew Grey’s plan was to publicly humiliate me and I just fell right into his trap.How stupid could I be? He beat Bruno with one hand and I could only imagine how he would mercilessly humiliate me. I just needed
VALERIE'S POV★It dawns as bright and fresh as any perfect early spring day, the remaining dried leaves on the ground glittering like diamonds in the bright morning sun. The air crackled with my nervous energy as I follow the road to the Village Square, where the duel will take place. Every single year I’ve come to watch others fight and train, it was unbelievable that I got to have a duel with Greg. I felt the lingering gaze even when I was not participating. This day is something I’ve dreaded for along time. Everyone in the pack is out and on their way to watch, buzzing with excitement as they chatter amongst themselves. They are excited, and a small part of me that still has hope should be too, but I’ve got more chance of a thousand flying unicorns filling the sky than this day turning out good for me. The girls from all over the pack steal nervous glances at the males, as if we’re on our way to a school dance instead of arguably the most important event in our lives. I met Gre
VALERIE'S POV★It was the day of the coronation, Skylar was finally getting crowned as the Alpha of her pack whilst her beta was too.I lay in my room to keep myself busy with my phone when Skylar walked in, “Are you not planning to join us? It's my coronation day today." She said, frowning as she sat beside me. I turned to her, then sighed, “I would have loved to come but your cousins would be there.” I added with an eye roll, "They are all avoiding me if that's the word to use."“Really?" She snorted, "do you think they'll let you be here all by yourself then?” She asked while I burst into a small pearl of laughter.“I wouldn't want their trouble so it's best if I don't go at all. I'm sorry."I added and Skylar sighed.She knew the rift I had with her cousins. I stood up from the bed to admire her outfit.“You look ready and sweet."“I do?” She twirled around as the beautiful robe beautifully swayed the ground with a smile.Kaden walked in, seeing me looking so casual: no sign that
16VALERIE'S POV★For the tenth time, I tossed around the bed, turning to the length and breadth of the large bed but no sleep was coming.As I turned, I tangled myself with my covers. I shit my eyes one last time, waiting for sleep to hover over me but it was delayed. I lay there sprawled like a chicken on the bed as I glanced at the ceiling.My mind was swirling through my head like a breeze. “So now to sleep now it's a problem?” I worried about something if not a lot of things, and Greg was one of my issues.As the sleep failed to come, I slowly got up, heading to the window to have a perfect view of Skylar's pack.It was a Serene environment, with the moonlight buzzing in the skin after the sun had successfully gone down. Just as I was about to walk back to my bed, I heard a knock on the door,“ Who could that be?” I asked myself but I opened it before I knew it, right?I walked lazily to the door, dragging my feet with me, I looked through the door to see nobody.“That's stran
ANSEL'S POV★I laid a cloth on my face to shroud my sight with darkness and force sleep upon myself, but my mind was not at rest and my eyes knew not to sleep a bit. I pressed the cloth to my face, stubbornly hoping to effect some miracles, but I only looked stupid even to my imagination. I took the cloth off my face, stretched it, and made a blindfold that stretched from my face to my occiput, held together by a knot.That’s one of the quick sleep therapies I knew so far, but once again, I failed. We've always been known for just one thing, strict!We had never found ourselves in the odd situation of being stroked by such emotion as we had all suffered in secret, though we try as much as we can to hide it, it remains visible, if not to everyone at least, it had been quite obvious I could tell both Kaden and Grey had fallen.And what about me, I’ve fallen much deeper than they did. I sighed, my plans were not something one would deem too easy as it has to do with so much emotion an
18VALERIE'S POV★I stretched and opened my eyes and I took in the scent of Ansel. I widened my eyes and sat up. What is he doing here? Did I have my nightmares again? Did I burden him?I stared long and hard and took in his features. He was very handsome. His light skin looked like it had never seen the light of the day. His muscles are so big and his arms always felt so safe, it felt like home. And his lips, damn. My lips would fit perfectly in his and the exchange of tongues and- mmmhhh. I looked away and took deep breaths before I let my hand walk around his body. I tilted my neck to him and shut my left eyes and I see he is turned towards me still fast asleep. His heavy hands dropped on my stomach. He pulled me to him, I fell on him and my breathing seized. I am so close to him. My lips were so close to him and I didn't need to move much before my lips touched. I brushed my hand on his cheeks and a smile erupted on my lips. I pecked his cheeks and he pulled me closer and my li
The moon was a silver coin tossed onto the black velvet sky, and I couldn't sleep. Being crowned Alpha in a month felt… heavy. Like wearing a crown made of iron instead of gold.The coronation loomed like a thunderstorm, heavy and dark. I couldn't bear the thought of another minute stuck in that stuffy pack house, surrounded by all the pomp and ceremony. So, I grabbed my swimsuit, threw it on like a shield against the coming chaos, and slipped into the pool.To escape the endless buzzing in my head. So, I did what I always did when things got rough: I grabbed my swimsuit and slipped into the cool embrace of the pool.I couldn't imagine how heavy Skylar's responsibilities and duties would be as a female Alpha.Her coronation was still hours away, and the air crackled with anticipation. But not for me. My heart was a lead weight in my chest, dragging me down deeper with each passing second. I just couldn't deal with it, not even when I had my problems too.The rejection, still fresh and
VALERIE'S POV★In the hallway, Greg pulled me inside the bathroom stall and shut the door. Privacy. He needed to have all the space he could get to complete what he started. But he needed me. He’d grown to love the rejected, poor wolf, that is me, and trusted my judgment. But I didn't trust myself. Everything was happening too fast. “Careful,” he said.“I’m always careful around you,” I murmured.Standing beneath the gentle spray of the faucet in the shower, I watched him breathe. His brow furrowed in concentration, he gently moved strands of hair away from my face, his finger slightly touching my skin. I shuddered with pleasure as his fingers rested on my shoulder and slowly traced the lines of my neck, sat down t and then slid his fingers down my chest to the curve of one breast, and then cupped my thatch. His palm was strong, yet his grip gentle as Greg led her into the main stall. I had read about this for many months and had mentally prepared myself for the eventuality of th