GUS.“You need to get a life, Gus.” My mother mumbles to herself as she drops the bowl of fruits on the counter.I move around the kitchen island, waving my hand up in the air. “I do have a life, mother.” Yet, I know how easily the lie rolls out of my tongue, my mother turns towards me sharply, her gaze intent on me.“You have to be happy and content.” She stares at me with so much hope and I want to blurt out, ‘I am happy!’ but still, it will feel so fake if I do.She sighs, before moving over to me gently, she is doing it again, trying to make me look at life differently, the lecture is going to begin.My mother cups my cheek with affection, “It’s not like that, stop spending too much time with Madam Yv and I, get a woman, find love, have children. I am not that old, I can look after myself.” She blows out a breath and I sigh. “We are worried about you.”Hell, everyone’s worried about me and I just hate it, ever since the stabbing incident, everyone just looks at me with that kinda
ASTRID.“I am really worried, Diva. What if something bad happens to my kids? What am I going to do? I don’t know a thing about dragons; I am really scared right now.” I lament my present predicament to Diva who’s applying make-up on her face. Fortunately, she’s going cake tasting with Preston today. The wedding is drawing faster than expected and still those horrible nightmares and vision don’t stop. “Right, yes.” Cleo nods, as I sink into her bed.“Are you even listening?” I ask, my shoulders slumped with fatigue.She stands up from her vanity table and checks out her clothes in the mirror. “Astrid, I just feel like you worry too much, nothing is going to happen. You have Zeke by your side; trust me when I say that guy is going to protect you for life.”I feel my cheeks heat at Diva’s words. Somehow, I want to believe that she’s right. Will Zeke protect me with his all? Still, I am worried, hell frantic because I just want my kids to be safe and I don’t know how to do that.Zeke h
ZEKE.The best way to catch your enemies is to dine with your enemies and that’s exactly what I am going to do tonight. I already texted Orion, Logan told me that was a really bad idea and Ferris seemed to agree with him, but you need to make the enemy buckle and not the other way around.I am supposed to pick Astrid from the pack-house and then we are going to meet up at Orion’s manor, though I have to play smart when I am in his presence, I know exactly the words to say to him.I lean against my black Ferrari as I swipe across my phone. Astrid’s pack-house stares right in front of me. I have been thinking about Astrid a lot these days, sometimes all I really want to see is that smile of hers, how genuine she can actually be.The gate of the pack-house automatically creaks open and Astrid walks out in an off-shoulder blue dress that has a cut around the knee edge, the moment I see her, air whooshes out of my lungs that instant, because all I can think of is that dress she’s wearing a
ASTRID.What just happened?Everything replays in my mind and the only thing I am aware of is Zeke leading me out of Orion’s manor. My mind is blank and my face is pale. I couldn’t even process what he was saying inside, I only heard the fact that Orion killed Jay, that doesn’t interest me, but Zeke’s words.His words. He shouldn’t be saying stuff like that; else I will end up miserable. He opens the door of the car and I get in, still quiet and trying to wrap my head around what he said earlier.... Forget the damn crown; you are the kingdom, baby... Goddess, why did he just go ahead and say those words? I replay the way he said it in that deep baritone voice of his, darkened blue eyes gazing at me intently.It all feels so strange to me and for the first time, I feel wanted, I feel adored, even if those words mean nothing to him, it means so much more to me.The car makes a stop in front of the pack-house, and as I stare ahead blankly. None of us has said a word to each other; I get
ZEKE.“So, you are skipping breakfast to go riding?” Logan asks- not judgemental, because if this dude is scolding me, I will not fail to punch him in the face, but I do guess he has a point.I mean, I have been avoiding Madam Yv and Gus’ mother for a while, because I know they will ask about Astrid, and I wouldn’t know what to say, besides with the commotion going on in Katherine, Ferris and Zia’s love life, for the past three days, I have caught Ferris and Zia making out.Not that I care, I don’t give a shit about anybody’s love life, but trust me. Katherine has been miserable, she wouldn’t even do her favorite thing anymore, oh and Gus hasn’t even stepped out of his room.Shitty, right? Especially when you have enemies lurking around in every corner.I turn towards my brother, wiping away the sweat that clings on my forehead. The weather looks sunny today, quite breathtaking and making me tired.Logan shakes his head. “You haven’t gone riding in a while, oh and I know what you have
CLEO:“I am going to fucking kill him.” Orion describes his anger by pulling out a bread from the basket and squeezing the life out of it, apparently that’s his version of squeezing the life out of Zeke.Pretty comical, because I am sure Zeke would kill him first but Orion likes to pretend that he’s stronger and wiser than Zeke. He’s pretty much fuming because Zeke found out he killed Jay.We are in Freya’s meeting room, she said something about discussing some strategy ideas, and honestly I don’t really care, I still can’t forget about Gus and the way he hugged me, the way he seemed sincere with his words.I sigh when the door opens and Queen Freya walks in, she likes to carry herself in this way as though she worked her way up to the fame she has.“Queen Freya.” Orion stands up immediately, stretching his arm for a handshake but she ignores it and sits down. I almost bark out a laugh at his stupidity. “Thank you for coming.” Her gaze is directed mainly at me and I can feel Orion
ASTRID. Is it day, is it night? The room is dark, so dark. I can barely make out the shape of the room. There's a tiny window above the room. It’s shielded with curtains, cuffs by cuffs. I have been here for long enough. I don’t even know how many years have passed, I don’t even count the days. I think five years have passed since I have last been here. My life hasn’t always been like this. My father, the Alpha, and my mother, the Luna ruled our pack with much valor. I was seventeen then, almost a year to my eighteenth birthday when I would be handed the position, my father had started training me, my mother had been showing me the guideline for finding my true mate. Then. It started. The war that destroyed my life, I could never forget that night, the fire, the wailing, we were running, my mother and I. My father had stayed behind for the war, he instructed us to keep running. My mother had fainted on the cold grass while we were running, I crouched to my knees, my eyes welling
ASTRID. I stand there, shock still washing over me. He hisses under his breath and jostled me outside of the cell. "Follow me." He says, his hands tightening around the edge of my arm. I can’t even remember the last time I had walked on my legs. We climbed a few ancient stairs, the light propping through my face. My eyes shut due to the light, because it's been a really long time. As we passed the ancient stairs, I saw the portraits that lined up the wall. The portraits are the only thing my father cherished. It consists of every bloodline in the Alpha family, each family picture taken according to each generation. At least. That’s one thing Alpha Lucien didn’t take away from us. I stare at my great-grandmother, the previous Alpha. My grand-father. My father, and then me. The picture was taken on my seventeenth birthday, I had worn my finest gowns, my mother had even dabbled my face with powder. I stare at my seventeen year old self. The light long blonde hair that had always rule