The air around me was like the chandelier that dangled below the ceiling; hanging still. It seemed like the room even though fixed in the ground, now moved and vibrated, following the footsteps of my anxious heartbeat.The Alpha was across the room, sitting in a bamboo chair that creaked everytime he moved his body. He sat in it solemn, with his hands folded in front of his mouth, thinking.I could see his eyebrows furrow and his forehead crease, as he faced the carpet on the floor, staring like a guilty alcoholic still considering another bottle. But it seemed he noticed I was watching him, and his eyes now suddenly raised to me, apologies in his gaze.“I'm really sorry about all this…” he said, his gray eyes dark. “I didn't know she'd come in here and---” he paused midway, biting his tongue. “Attack you…”I sniffled; staying silent and looking at him with sore eyes. I needed sleep, badly, as I'd slept poorly since I'd been released from the dungeons. I had already forgiven him; but
The sun was slowly sinking beyond the horizon, leaving an orange-red light in its trail. A lone man was driving his wagon along a dirt road, vegetables trembling with the wagon's motion. The wind blew across the dark yet lit horizon; swaying wild but tamed, and the man's dark hair danced across his forehead, playing with the wind.The road he was on led to the main town, so he had no choice but to brave the elements to sell his goods. As he walked past a lone log cabin by the dirt road, a pebble suddenly flew out from nowhere and hit his cheek, hard."Ow!" He yelped, raising a hand to touch the injured cheek. He pulled back the reins and the horses neighed to a stop; themselves not wanting to move one more hoof.“Hello!” the vegetable seller yelled, glancing around. He couldn't see anything for miles around, except for the silent log cabin."Whoever you are, it isn't funny!" He called out to no one in particular. His voice echoed around the trees, sending eerie chills down his spine.
Noah's PovThe day had been a long one, and its hardships even longer, both standing bearing unbearable; as they had placed me in a mental rollercoaster, emotional and rational.And now I stood as a victim of turmoil and blatant confusion; feeling myself being crushed in their wicked hands, as I considered my seemingly vain war for some vague prize.That I now thought wasn't as valuable as promised. Or was actually a curse disguised as a blessing.Because maybe the Omega wasn't really my mate?Maybe the goddess was averse to my reign, or has grown tired of it, and now seeks to end it in shame, by making me dote foolishly on a young girl?Maybe she hid lies about her being my mate and only told me she was, so I would fool myself around and make irrational choices; weaken my public image, and ruin my legacy.Then tell myself it was to protect the one I loved.And playing lust dressed as love, she planned to use my own hands to destroy everything I worked so hard to build?Maybe this was
Noah's POVMy heart raced with fear and worry as I burst out of Myra's room, Colin's footsteps echoing in pursuit."Slow down, Noah!" Colin's voice rang in my ears, a mix of concern and urgency. But I couldn't heed his plea. In that moment, all that mattered was Myra, out there in the darkness, vulnerable and alone.Ignoring Colin's concerned voice, I dashed to the front door and out of the pack house, towards the dark forest that surrounded the pack house. Mid-run, I morphed—spine elongating, fur jutting out—until I was all wolf. The world transformed around me, scents and sounds intensifying to an almost overwhelming degree. "Noah!" Colin called out in frustration, and I halted at the edge of the forest.What? I snapped through our mind link.Colin was panting from exertion, but his gaze and his voice was steady. "Noah, you can't handle this alone. Let me back you up," he insisted. No, I growled. You stay behind at the pack house and handle things there. I'm going alone."Goddess,
The world around the vegetable seller had disappeared, but it was coming back now.Slowly, steadily.His eyes had been closed for almost an hour, seeing only black and grey in a darkness that pressed against his eyes. His head was hit hard, and it still ached in several places; making his brain now sit inside a cracked skull.His body felt like a bag full of pain.His shoulders were stiff and out of place, his wrists broken and disjointed, and his legs like dried logs. Heavy and riddled with bumps. His right knee was dusty and bleeding from a sizable gash.The world was still a hazy image as he tried to open his eyes. He stopped, flinching, as a sharp pain shot through the back of his head and down to his feet. Then up again, making him fold his shaky eyelids shut.The effort to even open his eyes was painful, and suprising, as they now seemed to be connected to the rest of his body in an unusual way. Like the rest of him didn't want him to see the pain, but actually feel it with his
The question was unexpected, and the sound of the man's voice sent goosebumps of fear down the vegetable seller's numb hands.The tied-up man was surprised, and his face didn't hide it. Suddenly he froze, frowning in confusion at the chiseled jaw and brimmed nose of the monster of a man sitting on the creaky stool ahead of him. Why hadn't the strange man killed him yet? Why hadn't he drawn hills and valleys across his face with those claws that looked like the tip of sharpened sickles? Why hadn't this monster of a man bitten his neck yet, drained out the blood with those teeth that looked like trimmed knives? Wasn't the man a vampire?But the vegetable seller didn't dare ask the questions that ran through his mind. His mouth stayed shut, too afraid to answer the one question he had been asked.“Did I knock your ears off?” The strange man asked again, with a raised brow. The fierceness on his face was already blurring into drunkenness. He grinned for a fraction of a second, then cont
Alpha Noah's povThe room felt smaller now, almost like it was closing in. In truth, everything was closing in on me.The air hung heavy, almost like it wasn't there. I just couldn't breathe, no matter how hard I tried. My head rang dizzy, my thoughts spun, my heart ached.My thoughts closed in too.And they hit hard at my conscience, digging into my heart as a shovel dug into dirt. Hurting me more than pure silver ever could. As they yelled back and forth, screaming at me how I had a hand in someone's death by being too strict. Too unemotional. Too cold. Too self-absorbed. With no concern for anyone else. Only concerned if they followed the rules or not.I had felt only my title was important. Only doing my job was significant. And only ruling with an iron fist was democracy.And it stung me more because it caused the death of a loved one.And a loved one of someone I loved.I had murdered the same woman I would have introduced myself to. The same one I would have gone to later on; t
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE The bones on the floor made the ones in his body rattle. Kirn turned back to Flanagan, with fear now sealed in his heart like gold in a treasure chest.Flanagan's next question rang in his ears like a pesky bell. “Is the pack house still heavily guarded?”Kirn wondered why Flanagan had asked that question.Why did some crazy drunk with the looks of a Greek god want to know if a castle, a place where he himself hadn't really seen the sights, was heavily guarded?If the pack house was guarded or not, what did it matter to him?Kirn inadvertently thought back to his last cabbage sale. He vaguely remembered the old woman who had asked if the cabbages were fresh from the farm, or wholesale from the barn.And when he answered wholesale; the woman had haggled the price to the ground, saying wholesale was meant to be cheaper. She'd added that it wasn't fresh because of too many hands touching it.And now Kirn also felt like there were too many hands on him. Hands on his