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
Valene:“Your father’s been looking for you, love. He’s worried.”Of course he was. I would have been worried if my father wasn’t worried. I appreciated that, but I just could not see him at the present time. Not after what I had found out after coming out of my slumber of truth.“You know that I cannot talk to him right now, Ares. Not right now.” Ares’s footsteps approached me from behind. “I cannot keep speaking for you, Mimar. My word only goes so far with the man. And I will not stand between him trying to see you and make sure that you’re alright.”I turned around to face him. “Why not? I thought you had my back.”“I did, and I do, but if a wolf or lycan or any creature tried to stop me from seeing my daughter when they are not even officially committed to one another, I’d kill him.”His blunt truth was amusing to me. I chuckled and shook my head. “Point taken.” But I still couldn’t bring myself to face my father. Not yet. Not just yet.The tip of his large forefinger playfully
Harlyn’s POV:When she told me that she remembered her death…that she remembered every waking moment of her demise…to the very last breath…I didn’t know what to say.“You were right outside the car,” she said to me. “Talking to…to her.”I could see it in her face…her eyes; that veiled rage that was simmering beneath the surface of her story, “I…I’m s-I didn’t-” she lifted her hand in a polite gesture to silence me. I kept quiet.“I know, Harly,” she said and then continued. “They…had me sedated, then they dragged me out to the forest. They fed…” her eye flashed a rageful color before she snapped out of it. “Gorged themselves…” Then cut me open,” Valene made a swift, fluid movement across her neck and it was only then at that moment that I had noticed something that I never had before. Something that…had I been a truly good sister, I would have. . There was a slightly jagged line that ran the length of her neck. It was a scar.“Then they left me to die.” Her eyes went distant. “Sca
Harlyn:It was a beach. Not the one where I was attacked, where Penelope abandoned me to be ravaged by hungry, mindless beasts of the night; where my sister…where Vale saved my life. No, it wasn’t that beach, but it was one like it. Alpha Ares had gone ahead to ensure that all weak spots of Shadow Vale were secure. Turned out that the great Alpha was not in the mood to party. But then, who was?Certainly not me.After what I had been told by Vali, part of me-that annoying, and naively arrogant part of me found it hard to believe that someone like Penelope had the bloody stones to do what had been done. Vali knew this. I assume that was the reason why she had said that she was giving me a heads up. She wanted me to know that one way or another, Penny would be held accountable. She knew that, despite Penny’s betrayal that night at the beach, despite how positively aggravating she could be, she was still-is still my best friend. She had been for years. I usually didn’t befriend people
AlastairI stepped out of the backseat of the large unmarked SUV, contemplating what was about to happen. My right hand and beta stood at the rear passenger door, waiting for me to step out of the vehicle. He closed the door behind me whilst I took that moment to take in the large establishment standing before us both.Suddenly, my stomach churned, a large blow to my pride as I considered the reason why I was standing there-why I had wound up at this place.“You alright, Alpha?” I heard my long-time friend ask as he settled himself by my side. I could sense his concerned verdant eyes staring unwaveringly at the side of my face. He would not stop until I answered. “Why do you ask?” Naturally, I knew good and well why my beta had asked me this question. He thought that I was having doubts because he most certainly was having them. When Toran didn’t respond right away, I glanced at him, my brow raised, awaiting his answer.“May I speak candidly, Alpha?” Toran requested. I rolled my eye
AlastairThe pack dashed through the forest floor near the Blue Ridge Highlands, running down prey. With Aziz at the helm, we’d taken down our second hide for the day, the first-a bobcat would not fill this large form, and so we went in search of a Black Bear next.Twice every week, the Shadow Veil Pack was required to go on hunts into the mountains by my command, some lasting no less than a day and sometimes as long as three. It was a great release for our wolves, not to mention it kept both our beasts and us on our toes. No better way to keep ourselves, as well as our counterparts, in peak shape than running the wild for the hunt.I enjoyed these outings with the pack, often needing a welcomed distraction from the heavy weight of life as not only an Alpha but a widower and single father. It’d been over seven years since the death of my beloved Caris. I could not figure out whether it was a good or bad thing that I could not find the time to mourn the anniversary of her death, with