Chapter 20

beep...beep...beep...beep...beep...beepI could feel that I was laying on a bed and that I was slightly nauseous. Not a great start. I opened my eyes and blinked as I adjusted to the light. Immediately I met that dark stare of the man lounging on the bed across the room from me. I would have jumped but the air felt heavy and my body was dazed as if my blood had turned to warm soup. Instead I just looked back. My neck and shoulder was too heavily bandaged for me to turn my head in any other direction. It was Victor on the bad across from me but he didn't seem to be wounded at all, just relaxing and patiently studying me. Like he was waiting for something from me. I dropped my gaze to my arms where tubes of various liquids fed into my arms. That might explain the hazy feeling over my body and brain. My mouth was dry and I cleared my throat."Been waiting long?" I asked. He shrugged as of if he couldn't be quite sure of the difference between a long period of time and a short one."The

Last Updated : 2026-03-20

Chapter 21

The kitchens were a little bit quieter now that most of our number had been sent home, but there were still pack members and servants bustling around. I collapsed into a seat and lay my head into my hands and breathe. "She lives!" Jules exclaims taking a seat right next to me, "I'll go grab you some food, sit tight." I mumble a thanks. The cool wood of the table feels solid and refreshing against my cheek. She's right, I should celebrate being alive, but something was holding me back. What do you call it when you have survivors guilt except you were the one who killed the person who didn't survive? Regular guilt? Jules slammed a bowl of stew in front of me."Eat up!" "yum." I reply, not matching her enthusiasm. "I can't believe the three of us all made to the last seven." I thought for a moment of poor Dani, but she wanted to go home since day one. We were all getting what we wanted, I guess.I took a bite of meat and potatoes and chewed. I was hungry, but my stomach hadn't quite

Last Updated : 2026-03-21

Chapter 22

She lead me up to my room and promised that someone would come a long with my things later. My new room was a lot more private than the first. It was on the second story and I had a big window that overlooked the wall and where the forest met the grass. The window was framed by sheer lacey curtains. I also had a small emerald couch and a coffee table where a vase of maroon roses set. Hanging above the mantel over the fireplace was my favorite room improvement, a portrait of the Alpha. His intense eyes seemed to pierce me and draw me in to the painting as easily as they could in real life. I gently touched one finger to his painted cheek, but it had none of his warmth I crave so much.A scream wrung out through the air and I ran back to my window. Out on the lawn I saw Dani struggling to break free of the grip of the greasy vampire I saw running the front gate on my first day. She kicked and punched futilely at his face but it didn't stop his fangs from sinking into the skin of her sto

Last Updated : 2026-03-22

Chapter 23

I spent the next two days resting in bed. It was necessary for me to recover and to stop having such vivid halucinations and delusions as I seemed to have regarding the manner of Dandilions departure. I'm sure I would get a letter from her any day now. Still Rayven would show up at my door everyday and convince me to take a walk through the gardens with her to get some much needed sunlight. I found her constant chatter about the weather and what the next challenge might be comforting and when the day came for my bangages to be removed, I know longer felt shakey and paranoid. I sat stiffly on the crinkley paper of the med room bed as a gentle nurse unwrapped my shoulder and collarbone. The sterile soapy smell of the room brought back uncomfortable feelings that must be memories from when I was unconscious. "It's not so bad" the nurse said softly.I looked down at my prevoiusly mauled shoulder. She was right, my werewolf healing factor had done it's work. Some jagged lines of puckered

Last Updated : 2026-04-05

Chapter 24

The next day every wolf was absolutely buzzing with excitement. The emissary from the elves had finally arrived. I watched in awe from an upper window as the small group entered the through the stone wall. Autumn had abandoned me and now the air had a bitter cold bite that seemed to not touch the elves as they made their arrival. Snow flurries clouded the air and landed in the fur of the guards standing watch but melted on the thin garments worn by our visitors. A servant noticed me as they rushed down the hall,"C'mon everyone must go down to greet our guests. Hurry!"he called as he turned down the stairs. As much as I hated facing the cold I desperately wanted a good look at an elf. I pulled on my brown wool coat and followed the others outside into the cold. My breath steamed in the morning air and the frosty grass crunched beneath my boots. I tried not to push to the front of the crowd as five elves slowly processed up the stone path towards the huge wooden doors. The Alpha stoo

Last Updated : 2026-04-07

Chapter 25

I kept quiet at dinner and tried not even to meet the elf's eyes, just in case. That combined with the how looking at the vampire across from me made my stomach turn, I barely looked up from my food when I didn't have to. It was a pasta with more vegtables than I was used to. We must be catering this meal to the elves taste. I risked a quick glance at the plate across from mine. The Vampire king hadn't touched his food at all, but he didn't seem to mind whatever he was drinking from his glass. No, it couldn't be. My appetite vanished at the thought of him drinking blood at the table. Surely that isn't allowed and he's just fond of wine. Nevertheless I soon found reason to excuse myself to get some fresh air. Even in the winter, I prefered the outdoors to the indoors and the night air on the patio settled my nerves. A winter hush lay over the grounds where most living things were hibranating, but the silence was a comfort. Only the whispers of pasing servants and the crunch of their f

Last Updated : 2026-04-14