Fea let out a gasp and jerked as though she had been struck by lightning. Her eyes popped open, crazed and bewildered. In an attempt to control her breathing, she gripped her chest.Daemon held her closely.“Can you hear me, Fea. Fea?” he said, his voice shaking. “Are you doing okay?”She was shivering. “I…. I believe so,” she muttered in a tremulous voice. “That thing you said,” Ashton inquired in a cautious low voice. “She’s alive. What was the meaning?”Fea blinked once more, seemingly reliving the scene in her brain. At her sides, her fingers were shaking. Slowly she answered. “ I wish I knew. However, something odd is happening.” Her eyes were filled with unanswered questions as she turned to Daemon. “Is it possible that Ravena is still alive? The wolf I saw in my vision appeared to be hers. I was unwilling to say it. I figured you all would think I was going crazy.” Unable to conceal the disbelief on his face Ashton scoffed. “That is not possible.”Frank whispered, “ Is Rav
Like a shattered drum, the sky split open.The night was split in two by lightning which left veins of burning white in the dark heavens.Following that, thunder rolled loudly, wildly, and furiously as though the heavens were in mourning or rage. The ground was still wet from the storm and grief even though the rain had stopped. A big black wolf lay still in the center of Silverwood Forest where nobody ventured after dark. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes were closed and she was barely breathing. Cursed and abandoned, Ravena laid on the wet wildflowers.At one time she had been ferocious and fiery. She was merely a shadow of her former self now.Like lost spirits, the wind grew stronger once more. Trees bowed out of reverence rather than the wind. Something old awoke. The forest had not experienced this in centuries. The moon shone abnormally bright above. Silver not white. It was a deep luminous silver that seemed to see and know everything. Its light initially touched
The trees whispered secrets by the night Selene wandered alone in the forest under the moon's silvery light.She was naked and the cold was making her body tremble.She moved slowly while attempting to stay warm by putting one arm across her waist and the other around her chest. She continued despite her numb feet stepping on jagged rocks and twisted roots.Around her,, the trees towered like silent giants, their branches extending like claws. Occasionally, the wind would howl and touch her skin like cold fingers. Her long hair was led by the wind and leaves stuck to her back and wet shoulders.Hours had passed while she was walking. The path was nonexistent. Not a trace of life. Just trees, darkness,, and the moon's dim light. Her arm was scraped by a sharp branch. “Ouch!” she gasped, reflexively stepping back. Blood briefly surfaced before disappearing. Her eyes became wide. In front of her eyes,, the wound healed and disappeared. “What?” she muttered, her heart racing. Gazing a
Selene followed the young huntress down a narrow dirt path, her bare feet pressing into the cool earth finally leaving the darkness of Silverwood Forest behind.The wind rustled, the leaves overhead like whispering voices as it moved through the tall trees. As they walked, a thin layer of mist wound around their legs and hugged the ground. Their path was guided by the moon which was still high in the sky and softly lit everything in their immediate vicinity. Appreciative of the warmth the coarse brown cloak provided, Selene pulled it tighter around herself. Although the Moonfire mark that had previously appeared on her wrist had vanished, her skin was no longer cold.In the hopes of catching a glimpse of it, she glanced down at her wrist once more, but nothing was there. Did she dream of it? No. She saw it, felt the burn, and was marked by it.She had sensed its odd energy. It seemed as though it had never been there. Her mind was racing as she swallowed hard. She caught the att
Outside the little cottage, Ashton and Frank stood with their cloaks pulled tight around their shoulders as the morning sun slowly made its way across the sky. While mist clung to their boots and drifted across the grass their attention was fixed on the wooden door in front of them. Frank shifted on his feet and muttered. “ I don't like this. Now that Ravena is gone a power struggle is inevitable.”With a slow nod, Ashton massaged the back of his neck. “You’re considering Jarred?”“ Exactly. If people learn that she is actually dead, Jarred will want to fill up that position. For years he has yearned to be called Alpha.”Ashton stated in a firm voice “Well, most of the warriors won't follow him. They witnessed what Ravena did. Jarred is not the kind of leader they want.”The cottage door suddenly flew open and slammed into the wall with a loud creak. Both men gave a whistle.Frank was surprised to see Daemon dressed differently He was wearing faded brown pants, a patched elbow shir
The guard moved closer and Daemon felt his heart pounding in his chest.The air became tense and brittle like glass that had been cracked. Any mistake or suspicion would cause everything they had planned to fall apart like dried leaves on fire.The young man, breathing heavily and with bloodied lips, huddled next to Daemon. His eyes were wide with fear as he stared at Daemon holding on to hope like a man who is drowning.Others in the line moved uncomfortably around them, glancing between Daemon and the guard. Their expressions were sharp and silent with fear.Daemon drew his fingers closer to the dagger hilt, which was concealed beneath his tunic. The thought of pulling steel and cutting through the guard was alluring for a split second.Rather his hand slipped into the folds of his clothes away from the weapon. He pulled out a little leather pouch that was heavy but a little worn. He threw it at the guard with a well-practiced flick. Daemon's voice was smooth and calm as he said,
With cautious steps, Fea navigated the smooth corridors of the White Fur Packhouse.Her eyes were downcast, and her shoulders were slightly hunched to give the impression that she was smaller.Blend in, move like one of them, and avoid drawing attention to yourself. That was the aim.The basic outfit of the maid's uniform consisted of a brown dress, an apron, and a cloth cap to conceal her hair. Although, she had the same appearance as the others. Her mind was more active than anyone else's. She committed to memorizing every door, stairway, and corridor she went past.Each moment was significant. The Packhouse was a soaring estate with polished wooden beams and thick stone.Outside, most of the servants held mop sticks and buckets. Hurting off to complete their chores.It was the perfect setting to slip in without being noticed by anyone.The pack house was silent and vigilant, clinging to the walls like dust. After passing two guards, Fea went into a more peaceful hallway close to
She could see the dim, quiet hallway in front of her, with the flickering light creating thin streaks of shadow on the walls. Fea took deliberate, slow steps, looking at doors and walls to find the route she had committed to memory from the building plan.Like any other servant, she placed the laundry basket on her hip. Yet her heartbeat thundered beneath her ribs and her mind was clear and focused. Every turn she made and each step she took, took her one step closer to the Alpha's room. Nearer to the antidote. Ethan's poisonous condition was getting worse. Three maids brushed past her.One of them gave her a quick indifferent glance. She shuffled past them with her head down pretending to be a maid on a long shift exhausted.Her breath caught in her throat as she turned left and the guards were no longer visible.Standing tall and proud at the end of the hallway, was the Alpha's chamber door. Which was carved from thick dark wood and featured an intricate silver crest of the Wh
Voices and arguments filled Ridgewood's vault room beneath the pack house that night. Secret meetings were conducted here out of prying eyes and ears. Around a round wooden table sat the leaders of Ridgewood's six clans. Which together made up the council. Tension was high and there was a noticeable unease in the air. The council had called Daemon and Ethan to the meeting, and in fact, they had demanded their presence. For almost an hour Daemon and Ethan sat and watched the council members quarrel. Accusations, demands, and threats filled the back-and-forth debate. Insults were hauled at each other.In all of this, Ethan and Daemon maintained silence. Observing the gathering under keen eyes.Ethan was getting tired of their pointless arguments and becoming more and more bored. Instead of the serious conversation he had anticipated about the pack's future and Jarred's increasing threat, they were acting like kids. At last, Ridgewood council leader Bethar slammed his hand on the t
Ethan hurried to the balcony of the pack house for safety. He was closely followed by Fea and Daemon. The pack members were still gathered outside chanting while hurling their fists into the air. “Get us Ravena!”“Ravena or nothing!”The foundation of the pack house shook as their chants reverberated through the atmosphere. Ethan was exposed to the sun's harsh rays while standing on the balcony. There was total chaos in the scene. At the entrance to the pack house, the guards were having difficulty rebuffing angry pack members who were attempting to break in. The guards yelled. “ Stand back! Stand back!” in a voice that could hardly be heard over the noise. Ethan's anger reached a boiling point, and he balled his fists. “Enough!” He spoke loudly into the air after taking a deep breath. Immediately, the angry yelling of the crowd started to fade, their voices dying downFea was shocked when the people became calm. The impact of Ethan's voice suddenly commanded attention. As they
As Ethan approached Daemon, his eyes were filled with worry. His tone was urgent and sharp. “ What are you talking about?” he asked. “As we speak there's unrest in the pack,” Daemon replied in a tight tone. “I noticed a group of people making their way to the pack house on the way here. They are requesting explanations for Ravana's whereabouts.”Fea took a step forward, her face solemn. “From what I understood,” she continued in a low voice. “ They're saying you killed her in order to become the Alpha of Ridgewood pack.” With the accusations bearing down on him, Ethan let out a long sigh. He tried to comprehend the chaos by closing his eyes for a while. This was not what he expected. As he opened his eyes he looked at Fea and Daemon. “Who else knows of Ravena's death?” he asked in a whisper. Feeling dread snake up on his spine.“It's just you, Ashton, Fea, Frank, and me,” Daemon said. Suddenly a flash of realization hit him. Daemon snapped his fingers as though he had just found a
Ethan strode with a newfound strength in his step. The carefully planned out appearance of his warrior’s uniform conveyed a sense of readiness and a man who had been freed from the grip of harm. He had a commanding presence and rough lines on his face which were possibly deepened by recent hardship. A few women whose eyes lingered a bit too long showed a glimmer of admiration for him as he made his way through the busy center of the pack. But he was oblivious to all that as his mind was restless and empty, caused by deep sorrows.He should be happy for surviving the poison but Ravena's demise left him in anguish.Children ran past him, giggling and shrieking in delight as they ran to hide in different corners.It brought a familiar memory of his childhood which suddenly made a smile tug at the corners of his lips.He waved casually but warmly at an elderly farmer who was hard at work in his gardenHe was a man named Frederick whose grizzled hands drew life out of the ground itself
Aside from the gentle crackle of the fire in the hearth, the room was silent. The room had an odd almost eerie atmosphere as shadows moved along the stone walls. Frank, Ashton, and Fea remained by Ethan's side after the healer had left. Fea was seated closest to him, her hand resting softly on his arm as though she was worried he would become unconscious again. “You should get some sleep,” Fea said in a worried-sounding voice.Ethan gave a resolute shake of his head. There was a fire in his eyes. Now a strong desire to understand even though he still appeared weak and pale. “No,” he said unpleasantly. “Tell me, What happened?”None of them was keen to speak first and they exchanged tentative glances.Finally, the silence was broken by Daemon who moved forward into the firelight. “We tried to rescue Selene,” he said with a regretful tone. “We discovered the location of her detention. But we were attacked.”Ethan just looked at him expressionless for a moment. Then, wincing from the
Before he could even catch his breath, Rylan's eyes snapped open, and a blast of icy water struck his face. Coughing and blinking against the unexpected wetness he let out a sharp gasp. “Thanks to the goddess.” A familiar voice said. “I was starting to worry that you had passed away while you were asleep.” Rylan looked up to see his best friend and Beta, Tristan grinning. Rylan's chest flared with irritation. He snatched up his glass of wine, which was the closest object, and hurled it at Tristan without thinking. After missing, the glass shattered into a hundred tiny pieces as it crashed against the wall. Using the back of his hand to wipe his face Rylan muttered, “ You bastard. What did you do that for?” Tristan let out a loud obviously unconcerned laugh. “Dude, what's up with you? I entered your chamber. I called you but you didn’t answer. I was alarmed to see you lying there like a corpse in the bathroom. I doused you in water as a result.” Rylan let out a long sigh. He h
As he pushed the door open, Alpha Rylan paused. Hesitating to go in. The familiar scent of Selene's perfume hit his nostrils.Sending jolts of pain that rippled through him.But this was his room. Yea, he shared it with Selene. And now she's gone, never to return.Running away won't mend his bleeding heart. He felt as though the walls themselves recalled the love that once called this place home. It felt colder and smaller now. This was the room that he had previously shared with his ex-wife and former Luna Selene, and he had avoided it for days. Pretending that the room didn't exist and immersing himself in the never-ending responsibilities of pack leadership, border combat, and quelling the escalating unrest among his people.The memories that lurked inside these four walls were easier to avoid than to face them. Something inside him, however, broke tonight, his heart.Selene's tear-stained face flashed through his mind. She kept insisting she was innocent. Was she telling the t
Then something changed.Ethan’s breaths began to even out but it was ragged and shallow. The frightful gasps were replaced by a slow steady rhythm.Fea's heart leaped for joy. “I think he is alive! He is breathing!”Just a moment ago, he had stopped breathing, but now, it seemed he fought to stay alive.The erratic flickering of his eyelids ceased and they opened slowly and feebly. Despite being blurry and unfocused his eyes wandered the tiny space. As he observed the hazy forms surrounding him, a tiny glimmer of recognition moved through his eyes. The healer leaned over him with gentle eyes.Then he could see Fea more clearly, her face glistening with tears but glimmering with a newfound happiness. Daemon was standing close by smiling at him. Frank and Ashton were also present, their faces displaying a mix of amazement and relief. A dry parched feeling tightened around Ethan's throat. His voice couldn't come out when he tried to ask what had happened. A silent plea came out of h
Ridgewood their pack and home in the woods was hidden by a large waterfall. They eventually arrived after a short walk. Daemon exhaled deeply. That the difficult times might be coming to an end made him happy. Fea moved forward. She pushed a spot on the stone wall as usual. They entered their pack after the wall opened. “You have to give Ashton and Frank the antidote,”Daemon said to Fea as the wall closed once more. “I will have to call the healer.”Fea nodded. Before departing she gave Daemon a hug. She was beginning to like him. Ever since they embarked on the journey to get the antidote, she had grown attached to him. As Daemon approached the healer's home she watched him. Some children screamed with joy as they ran past her. Even though it was nighttime a few members of their pack remained awake. Fea moved at a fast pace. Wondering if Ethan was still alive made her heart race. The antidote was securely stored in her clothing. It was gently pressed up against her skin. S