The road was covered in long shadows as the sun had sunk behind the hills. After the market that day, Fea and Daemon sat at the back of their cart and blended in with a group of farmers and traders heading out of the Whitefur Pack. With her cloak covered in dust from the road, Fea covered her hair with a brown scarf. With his eyes darting from guard to guard, Daemon had lowered his hood. As the horses dragged them forward with slow resolve, their hooves clopping against the stone-paved path, their cart creaked softly.The closer they got to the gate the faster Fea's heart beat. The guards hardly gave them a look. To keep moving, one waved lazily at the traders.With a slight moan, the heavy wooden gates opened. The gate was rolled open.Freedom.Fea, however, couldn't resist looking behind her. She froze. Her gaze fell on a swarm of warriors leaving the guesthouse where she and Daemon had been staying. One of them appeared enraged, his voice resonating through the walls as th
As the masked man and the wolves surrounded them, Fea's heart pounded frantically in her chest echoing louder with each beat.Although the air was cool, fear burned through her skin. Daemon stood erect before Fea, his shoulders squared. With a steady yet steely tone, he said, “ You have the wrong information. The antidote is not in our possession.”As though amused, the man in the mask cocked his head slightly. Then he suddenly sprang forward, snatched Fea, and pulled her in close. A cold, sharp, and gleaming dagger was pressed against her throat. Her breath caught as she froze in fear and gasped. Daemon's eyes widened. “Release her!”The man snarled. “ Then don't test me. If you lie to me again, I will cut her throat open. “Give me the antidote now!”Fea's body shook under his hold. She began to sob as she squirmed under his hold. “Spare us, please. Do not harm us.”Her fingers were fumbling as she slowly moved her hand to the folds of her cloak. She then took a tiny glass vial
A pale glow was cast over the forest where shadows whispered among the trees by the moon which hung low like a silent sentinel.In his black warrior uniform with the Ridgewood crest faintly glinting on his chest, Jarred stood motionless in the center of a small clearing.As though attempting to calm the storm building inside of him. His hands were clasped behind his back with his fingers interlocked. Despite the cool night air, tension hung over. In the distance, a lone owl called out as leaves rustled in the wind. Jarred remained motionless. His eyes were narrowed and fixed on the horizon and his jaw was clenched. Waiting impatiently, he wondered how long it would take him to arrive.Time is a luxury he doesn't have.And then, something hit his nostrils. A much familiar scent. And his tense shoulders relaxed a bit.Footsteps echoed. Moving slowly and methodically coming up behind him. He did not turn. A low, respectful voice called, “ Master. As directed, I have the antidote.”
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
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
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
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
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
Fea blinked. “This is unbelievable,” she said, her voice barely audible over the abrupt quiet of the room.Without a doubt, Ravena was the one in the crystal ball that she could still clearly see. Her facial features, including every line and curve, perfectly complemented each other. A mixture of shock and disbelief tightened her throat as she swallowed hard. As she tried to rush forward, her foot caught on the edge of her cloak. Which she had dropped earlier.She lost her balance and staggered, falling heavily and landing awkwardly on her rear. Her back began to ache sharply and she flinched and let out a little uncontrollable cry. She lay there momentarily dazed and confused.Her breathing was hard and laborious. A surge of anger overtook her and she picked up her cloak. And then flung it on the bed and then stood up.Then she returned her attention to the crystal ball, staring at its smooth, opaque surface. While her heart continued to race in her chest. Filled with confusi
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