LOGINTeresa The idea that grief did strange things to time echoed in my head as I walked down the corridor towards the council chamber. When grieving, some hours felt as if they were dragging you on the floor embedded in broken glass. When my mother lay in her room, trapped in limbo, attending the council meeting felt crazy. Sometimes, I attended, but my concentration was still with my mother in that room. But now, she was gone, and life must go on. And I have to take up responsibility. Because responsibility waits for no one. The click of my heels against the marble echoed as I approached the entrance of the council chamber. The coronation was in a week’s time, and Keller would soon take up the weight of the pack on his shoulder, legally, with his brother by his side. That only meant one thing. I had to stop hiding in grief and acting like the council member I was appointed to be. Which included attending council meetings. “Get your shits together,” I murmured under my breat
Lynch A few days had passed since Milinda’s funeral. The pack was still quiet, that aura of heaviness that funerals leave behind still in the air. Movements were slower, plans stalled, and conversations stayed soft. Even the air in the courtyard pretended to be careful. For the Alpha house, however, it was a different story. It was as if we were back at the battlefield with the Nulan pack. Only that this time, we were not fighting against a rival pack. We were fighting amongst ourselves. Not with words, swords and knives, but with actions. I’d lie if I claimed I wasn’t watching them. I was. I saw the whole scenario. Not like a stalker in the showshadows, even though some days felt close to that. Keller lied. And Bennett was growing clingy. For some reason, it appeared that I was the only one who noticed. I was leaning against the wall in the hall, a few feet away from Teresa’s bedroom. My arms were crossed, and I stared at that door like it owed me answers. That door.
Bennett I fumed. No. Fumed was too small. It wasn’t enough to qualify the weight of the anger raging within me. I felt like breaking things. I felt like screaming. The feeling chewed at me since Keller acted like all he did was normal grocery shopping on a saturday evening. He made a fool out of me, and he did it in front of Teresa. Mere remembrance of the memory made my jaw tighten. I leaned against one of the wooden pillars in the open hallway that faced the courtyard, watching pack members scrambling back and forth. Everyone spoke in low tones, and black clothes rippled from balcony rails in the soft breeze of the morning. Milinda’s body was being prepared for the funeral, and the event would begin in a few hours. “Perfect timing for family drama,” I dragged a hand through my hair in a mutter. That was when I heard footsteps. Boots echoing on the cobblestone floor, growing closer before going silent, the scent that followed strikingly familiar. “You look like you co
Teresa The cold water I bathed myself with this morning didn’t do much to reassure me, but I knew I had to move on. My mother’s time was up, and it was about time I accepted it. I pulled the closet open, my eyes trailing over the clothes there. For a moment, my mind went blank. If my mother didn’t pass the way she did, would anything have gone wrong? I convinced myself that she did her best. Most people’s souls wouldn’t be able to hold on for that much longer. Settling for a flowery dress, I pulled it out of the wardrobe and laid it on the bed. Then a scent filled the room. For some reason, I couldn’t recognize it. Was that a maid or a guard? Who could it be? The door opened with a silent swish. I didn’t turn. Whoever it was can announce themselves and why they came. “Teresa,” a male voice echoed. Strikingly familiar. Bennett. I turned around, failing to keep the smile off my face. “You’re back,” I beamed, walking towards him and wrapping him in a hug. He didn’t re
Keller The air from outside rippled the curtains, and they swayed slightly, occasionally giving me a peek of the moon outside. I was sure my brothers were still waiting for Teresa outside her mother’s room. Either way, I was sure they would move on when they didn't see anyone come through the door. They might busy themselves with whatever kept them occupied while I was taking care of pack matters. A small nagging feeling came to my chest, but I ignored it. One night looking after Teresa is something they can survive. And it’s not like there’s anything going… “Keller?” Teresa’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I met her eyes looking at me in the dark, illuminated by the small ray of the moon outside. I reached for the lamp on the bedside table and flipped the switch. Warm, yellow light illuminated the room, bouncing off on side of Teresa’s face. “Teresa,” I muttered. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?” For a moment, she hesitated. I wondered what she must be go
Keller “I’m sure there are better ways to make this work, Elder Malone,” I said to the elder. When a maid came to whisk Teresa off, I thought I’d be able to join her, but Elder Malone, one of Brock’s council advisors stopped me. Because I knew how important his position was and how invaluable he’d become once I take over as Alpha, I knew I had to pay attention to him. “It’s the way it has always been done since the foundation of the seven packs, Keller,” the elder continued. “We’ll need to shift your coronation to the time of the constellation, and until the constellation council releases a date, we’ll have to exercise some patience.” “Does that mean we don’t get to plan?” “Of course not,” he croaked. “I’m just saying that it will do us a lot more good if we don’t make any plans set in stone just yet. Because the constellations might determine your coronation to happen in the next nine months.” “Or might say it’s tomorrow,” I quickly added. “That would make us sitting duck
LynchI may have told my brothers that I’ve got this taken care of, but the truth of the matter was that I didn’t know where to start.This world didn’t come with directions or a map. There was no sun either.No way to
KellerThe last time I felt the bond we shared was three days ago. It wasn’t gone. It was severed. It just felt muted. Snuffed.Like a fire burning that went out abruptly.You could describe it as a heartbeat heard through water. It was distant enough to be painful, yet steady enough to keep hope a
TeresaI couldn’t get my mind off the last visit. I was back to my usual self, thanks to the herbs, and I was fine now.But I still couldn’t get my mind off the motivations behind the Luna’s visit. If she visited me, something must be moti
TeresaI was still panting and relishing in my victory when the guards returned, but their hands weren’t bare as before.This time, they held whips. I blinked as four of them advanced. Two grabbed me, adjusting the chains and forcing me to kne







