Alastair: We all sat at the table in the meeting room, me and my pack members across from Merari and as well as a few of her own constituents. It was blatantly clear as we all sat there at the table staring at one another that neither side trusted the other, and for good bloody reason. At least on our part that is. “I’m assuming that we came here to do just more than stare in one another’s bloody faces all night.” I finally broke the tension-filled silence between us. Merari stood across the table from me with a cold glare. She wasn’t happy with my impatience. And I didn’t care. Not one. Bloody. Bit. “I can…explain what’s going on, Alastair. You jus-” “Good!” I cut her off. “Because you bloody well need to!” I snapped. I didn’t want to hear any more vague explanations and excuses as to why she wasn’t being forthcoming. “You should calm down, Alastair-” “I am as calm as I am going to get, Merari!” I felt my anger rising uncontrollably. “You have been keeping secrets since the
Merari smirked as her gaze averted from mine again, but not in shame. I suddenly became even more uneasy about this Dronnigan bastard. Of all of those sitting before me now.“Is it me or have we just obtained a new potential threat?” asked John through the telepathic link.“We’ll keep an eye on them.” I replied.“You’re damn bloody straight we will!” hissed John before speaking out loud. “So, you’ve been going around feeding on inhumans, is what you’re saying.”Merari watched him, her lip twitching as if trying to fight off a grimace before she finally spoke again. “Could you imagine the looks on their faces when they saw that they could die just as humans could?” There was something triumphant she sighed and then shrugged. “We went from state to state, country to country…everywhere…living off of the blood of inhumans,” she said. I was so…shocked by Merari’s confession of her past. What was even more disturbing was the fact that I had to almost wonder if she missed those days.“I w
Ares:There was a hint of desperation in her voice as she asked me to stay. How could I refuse her?“As you wish.” I responded with understanding and an obligation to soothe her troubled mind as my goal and nothing else. I knew that Vale was not ready for anything outside of that, and I would not force her to make any decision contrary to those feelings.She smiled a soft smile and said, “Thank you.” “You do not owe me thanks, mimar,” I replied.I was not sure that this was what she wanted to hear as a snide smirk fell across her alluring lips before she turned her back to me and sat down on the side of her bed. “Oh? And why is that?” she asked, though I detected a hint of sarcasm with that question. “And don’t give me the bloody bull about you feeling an obligation because you’re stuck with me.” “Is it so wrong that that is the truth?” I asked.“Yes,” she murmured under her breath.For a second I wondered whether I was supposed to hear her answer or not as she had spoken so low a
“Valene!” I rushed to her and took her hand into mine.She did not budge but the tears freely streamed like mini waterfalls down the link of her flushed cheeks.“Vale, mimar…listen to me, snap out of it. You…are not alone. I’m here. Come back to me…I am here.”Her panicked breathing began to come in slower paces and her shaking frame became more steadied. Then slowly her eyes began to return to their beautiful flaming brown-yellow hue.“Are you alright?”She couldn’t seem to answer but the continuous onslaught of tears was a clear indication that she was not.Without another word Vale jumped into my arms and wept, arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I embraced her with no hesitation and I must confess that it felt right. “I’m here, love,” I cooed softly in her ear.We were settled there for what felt like eternity and still that was not long enough for me. There was something..complete about having this young woman in my arms; being her source of comfort was worth something without
Tobias:There was always a curfew. Always an allotted amount of time before he’d send his mindless dogs to come after me. Sure, I was his most powerful tool, but that didn’t mean that the bastard trusted me. He knew that I wanted out of this. He knew that I wanted no parts of it. I wanted to get back to my own normalcy. Or at least what the nearest line to normalcy that I could get to for a man in my predicament. I wanted to get back home. To my family. I knew that would be impossible, however. For as long as I was under his control, there would be no family for me. There would be no life, and most certainly no semblance of normalcy. I continuously dashed through the forest and up the mountains until I reached a ridge that segued into a triangular gap. I was finally back. Looking at my watch, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Just in time.” When I finally got into the lair of my tormentor, I slowed my pace. This happened frequently when I was forced to come back. A cloud of questions
Valene: Days of restlessness and worry had taken its toll. So, when I finally fell into hours of a peaceful sleep, I knew that it was because of my mate. Ares. I hadn’t even noticed that I what one would call ‘dead to the world’ until I began to stir to semi-consciousness and even then it was peaceful. Then I finally opened my eyes. There was darkness all about and suddenly I felt a foreboding feeling in the pit of my stomach. “A-Ares?” At first my voice was low, hardly audible. “Ares?!” I exclaimed a bit louder than before. Still no answer. I hesitated at first when the thought to explore my situation came to me. On the other hand, I knew that I could not bloody well stand there forever. So, with reluctance, I took a step forward, hoping that some sort of shape would eventually come into view. Then maybe it would inadvertently lead me to a way out of this place. Ha, if only I was so lucky. As I continued to look around in hopes of some semblance of an explanation to my circums
VALENE:“Our sister.” Fierya didn’t have to say her name. We only had one.Harlyn; I didn’t have to say who I was talking about for Fierya to realize that I was referring to her. I could never shake the hint of mistrust when I was around her. Sure, I’d have loved to have thought that I could trust my little sister implicitly. Unfortunately, the reality of it was that I wasn’t entirely sure. My gut told me that she didn’t do it but even my instincts had been called into question of late. By me, of course, and no one else. Surprisingly so.“Our instincts are in sync on the premise that she has had nothing to do with our demise at all. Yet, you insist on assuming so,” she said. Tilting her head in curiosity, Fierya asked, “Why?” Distressed, I turned away from my counterpart, recollecting all that had transpired between the both of us, how could I not?“I know that you are apart of me, Fier,” I said. “In fact, I know that you always have been. Even in my human state, I could feel a pa
Alastair:I hadn’t known a day of peace for weeks, so it was surprising and admittedly discomfiting to say the least. I had almost forgotten how it felt to know a moment of normalcy in Shadow Veil. I should have been happy about it. I should have been. But I wasn’t.I was far too worried about Valene.Days had come and gone, and still I had yet to lay eyes on or even hear from my daughter. My concern for her increased by the day even in spite of receiving regular updates about her wellbeing by both Ares and his Beta whenever he wasn’t available. I could only assume that it was during these times that Valene was being particularly difficult. Nevertheless, the news was the same. She was fine.It was for that reason alone that I needed to see my little girl for myself. I knew that when Ares sent news that Valene was doing was okay, it didn’t necessarily mean that she was. It just simply meant that whatever she was going through, he was there to be what she needed him to be in that moment