ã€ŠSold To My Alpha Mateã€‹


 Chapter One

    I never should havee here. If I had stayed at home, heck, if I had gone to dinner with my brothers then mine eyes never would have befell her.

    Then I never would have felt my heart beat.

    Then I never would have fallen in love.

    Then I never would have found myself in this position. Watching mine own mate fight for her freedom, fight for her life.

    Hell¡¯s Pit.

    The greatest sporting arena in all of the wolf territory close to my packnd and kingdom. I used to revel in its savagery. Bathe in the brutality of it all. But now I despise it. All of it. It looks so primitive at this moment. Like we were cannibals of old. Killing for sport. Watching while men and women fight for their freedom. Their very lives and cheered on when they fell.

    It is only now that I see the ugliness of it all. No longer holding the thrill of violence for me. My heart skipped a beat at every thud of flesh against flesh. Fists to face. Knees to body.

    Stop! I wanted to shout.

    I wanted to kill everyone here. Every living creature that supported this. Those who look upon my mate with hatred, with lust, with their thirst for blood. My Wolf howled inside my head so loud that it was bing hard to keep him on his leash.

    I watched, with bated breath as my mate fought like a wild animal. Cheers all around whether she received a blow or dished one out to her opponent who was easily three times her size. I honed my senses. Listening to her steady butbored breaths and the thumping of her heart was almost as wild as she looked. Her scent was hard to pick apart from the mass of over perfumed females and males alike, the pungent smell of sweat and blood, puke and shit and piss. She was airborne, body flying in front of me.

    Then her scent hit me, like an entire being thrown at me. Fresh rainfall and earth that I picked apart from the sweat and blood.

    My Wolf moaned, almost purring. Our mate smirked at her opponent as shended gracefully in a crouch. She is trying to get herself smashed by Hulk. Because that smirk only set off the big Wolf.

    My mate was all over the ce. Her lithe body dancing to the war drums. It was then I figured out her strategy. She was tiring out the big guy before going in for the kill. The Wolf heaved hard as he started stumbling around. My mate shed down the wolf¡¯s chest, blood sshing onto the sand and my mate tossed away the broken sword.

    Fuck! What the zing fires is she doing? A beta wolf was hard to kill bare handed.

    The roar of the patrons was deafening as my mate¡¯s right hand sunk into the sh on the Wolf¡¯s chest and violently pulled out his heart. The entire arena went silent for a few seconds and then it was pandemonium as cheers went up.

    My mate didn¡¯t make a move to indicate her victory, instead held the organ in her hand, almost cradling it. The wolf fell to his knees then onto his back.

    My mate then fell upon her knees next to the beast and cried? Yes. Tears silently streamed down her cheeks as she leaned over close to the beast¡¯s ear, lips moving as she shuddered. Cheers went around the arena.

    Everyone screaming at each other forgetting the loss of life that just urred mere moments ago.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! There you have it! This ve has sessfully won her freedom¡­ For this month. Ha ha!¡± the announcer shouted, his voice quieting the arena.

    ¡°Now that the semifinals arepleted this ve along with the other three are going to the grand finale!¡± cheers erupted.

    ¡°You all know what this means, don¡¯t you?¡± the bastard smirked. ¡°You, our supporters can purchase a ve, providing their owners are willing to sell and prepare them for the finals. Should your ve win then they earn their freedom and you earn three chests of gold and bragging rights until the next Hell¡¯s Pitpetition!¡± more cheers as the other three contestants lined up beside my mate.

    The arena emptied and only a handful of people remained to speak with the ve owners. I watched on while they bartered. Only two ves were bought over. My mate wasn¡¯t one of them. As the satisfied customers left with their purchases I made my way towards the owner of my mate.

    ¡°Greetings unto you¡± I said to the ver as he bowed slightly in reply.

    ¡°I would like to purchase your charge¡± My beast shrieked in excitement as we were surrounded by her scent.

    ¡°What is your offer Alpha ?¡± the ver asked.

    ¡°What is your asking price?¡± I countered.

    ¡°To be honest I wouldn¡¯t know what to sell her for¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± curiosity is a cat thing.

    ¡°I only partake in the games so at least one ve can have a chance of freedom.¡± I quirked a questioning brow.

    ¡°You see in our pack the omegas automatically be ves. Most of them are satisfied with that life. But then there are those who want the chance at freedom. I sponsor them at the games¡± he exined quickly.

    ¡°That is very kind of you¡± I murmured.

    ¡°I would pay you back every cent you¡¯ve spent on all your charges so far and an interest of thirty percent of the costs if you give me this one¡±.

    The ver¡¯s eyes widened ¡°m-my Alpha ! That is too much!¡±

    ¡°No. Please ept it. I will take possession immediately unless there are people whom she¡¯d like to reunite with¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Non. There is no one¡± my dick stirred and my wolf wed reveling in the soft baritone of our mate¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Then it is settled¡± I transferred the funds into the ver¡¯s ount all the while holding my will to im my mate back. I was quickly losing that battle.

    ¡°I am not familiar with your pack traditions but please take care of her . She may fight well because she has to; it¡¯s the only way she knows. But inside, she¡¯s fragile¡± Johnson, as I¡¯ve learned is the name of the ver, says softly ncing behind us at my mate.

    His eyes softened in a way that I know in my heart is worry but my brain and my instincts wanted to gouge his eyes out for looking at my mate. Business concluded I fought within myself to reign in my inner battles with my wolf.

    I approached her slowly as one would a deer.

    Finally able to look my fill. Apart from the filth that covered her, she was a little thing. Big doe eyes swirling with all the colors I could think of. She barely reached my pecs. Little hands, but big feet and if the old saying that you could tell the size of a female¡¯s breast by the size of her feet then my mate is well endowed.

    Slender hips with nice curves. Slender shoulders too, almost delicate. Her skin was brown, like honey. Pink lips, longshes and small ears: they were cute. Her ck hair reaching her waist . A nice sized butt and the curve of her calves were oddly arousing.

    After my inspection I realized that she was shaking.

    Her nostrils ring, heart rate spiking and she threw off a heat that lured me in. Closer and closer. Her scent filling my lungs until all I could smell was her. My wolf suddenly surged up and my eyes shifted for a moment. I reined it in when my mate whimpered.

    I did not want to scare her , I wanted to love her .

 Chapter Two

    Maya¡¯s pov

    Scared was an understatement as the wolf that bought me circled me. I know what he saw.

    An omega.

    The weakest link..

    Too small; too thin. Wild hair and big feet. Weird eyes that looked like a rainbow threw up on them. A pup.

    I felt it the moment I caught his scent. Mate.

    My heart skipped beats, I¡¯m sure of it. But who would want something so weak to be their equal.

    The other half of their soul. I felt the pull so strong.

    The need to be imed. The need to mark. To protect and be protected. I could run to him and hold onto him for dear life.

    But I don¡¯t know where I got the strength from to hold back. My body shook with the force of keeping my feet nted beneath me and my hands firmly at my sides.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± his voice, traveling through me I could shudder.

    ¡°W-What e-ever y-you want to c-call me Master¡± I thought I had gotten rid of my stutter but here and now I was absolutely nothing.

    ¡°What would you like to be called? It is your choice.

    Who are you?¡± identity. Was he offering me my own identity?

    I raised my eyes to his and was immediately caught in them.

    Who am I?

    I pondered this. I furrowed my brows deep in thought. Who am I?

    ¡°Maya. I am Maya¡± I picked this name based on a character in a novel I once read.

    ¡°Maya. I like it. I am Venom¡± my Master says with a bow, which he totally should not be doing.

    ¡°Why are you bowing to me? I am but a ve¡± I askedpletely confused.

    ¡°Trust me when I say I want to do more than bow to you¡± I blushed at that. Why the heck am I blushing?

    ¡°Come, I will take us to my home. You can clean up and getfortable. Hopefully it will be home to you also¡± my Master says leaving me confused. Turning he directed me out of the arena to car parked outside. We drove for a while before arriving at a pce.

    A freaking pce. Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!

    Venom! Oh crap! As in Alpha Venom, one of the notorious Alphas in the wolf territory.

    ¡°I¡¯ll um show you to a room where you can clean up. Ill lend you something of mine to wear until we get you your own things tomorrow¡± Master Venom says and he sounded quite excited mentioning that I wear some of his clothes.

    ¡°Yes master Venom¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that¡± I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s the Master thing.

    The Alpha leads me to a room. A really nice room and showed me where everything was. I stripped down and entered the shower. Groaning loudly as the warm water bathed me. My tense muscles slowly rxed. Guess this was what all the frenzy is about hot showers.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    I stepped out when I had thoroughly washed all the blood and dirt from my hair and body. Where did Master say the towels were? I was turning in circles like a headless chicken. See? Who would even want somebody who can¡¯t even remember the simplest things?

    For Hades sake, I¡¯ve never even bathed in a shower before. Twenty-one years old and I was as clueless about the workings of a house and its items like a babe.

    I opened all the upper cab thing-ys, nope no towels there. I bent over and opened the things below, sticking my head inside and twisting and turning to see well. Ah ha! Found it!

    ¡°Oh my Gods!¡± I banged my head on the board of the thing as the loud groan behind me sounded.

    I rubbed at the throb on my head and turned around to see a very shirtless, wet Alpha tenting his shorts in front of me. And what an impressive tent it was. He could house an entire family of squirrels there. What the feck am I thinking?

    Master¡¯s nostrils red as he looked upon my body.

    I stood still. Casting my eyes down as I was taught.

    I know that look. The look of lust before they took a

    ve.

    ¡°y-you can have m-my b-body Master. I am yours¡± the damned stutter again. I turned and braced my hands on top the table thing in front of the mirror, bending slightly and offering my body to my Master.

    I was trembling so badly that my teeth chattered.

    I¡¯ve seen and heard how a ve is taken. I¡¯ve never experienced it myself but brutal didn¡¯t begin to describe it. ves have been broken so badly that theye to enjoy such violence. Such force. I just hope my Master would be gentle.

    ¡°Maya? Maya what are you doing?¡± I squeezed my eyes shut as his handes down on my shoulder.

    ¡°Offering you my b-body¡± I whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it¡± my eyes snapped up to his in the mirror. Yea, I guess a guy wouldn¡¯t even want to rape me.

    My mate. Ha! Mate my ass.

    ¡°Listen Maya, I.. ¡± he paused as if searching for words.

    ¡°I like you. A lot. And I find you very, very attractive.. Um¡­ You know what? Fuck it¡± fuck what? Master sounds resigned to whatever he wanted to fuck.

    ¡°Maya you are my mate. My true mate and I¡¯m sure you know that I¡¯m yours¡± damn! I gasped when he spun me around and took my face in his hands.

    ¡°I already love you. I find you extremely sexy, my body burns for you but I won¡¯t take you like this,¡± he looks into my eyes begging me with them to understand.

    ¡°I want you to want this. I want you to choose for yourself if you¡¯re willing to mate me.¡± I held myself back from nodding like a maniac and throwing myself at him. Golly! He says he loves me! Master loves me?! But I¡¯m not fit to be the mate of an Alpha and prince. Oh my! Oh my!

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic Maya. We have time. I want to get to know you and for you to know me. You have a choice here. You can not want me as your mate. I would still sponsor you in the Pit games. So when you make your choice make sure it¡¯s for you.¡± Mention of the games was like one of those cold river baths I was used to. Master looks as though he was sincere. I didn¡¯t get any negative vibes from him.

    I guess I do have a decision to make. But first I have to win my freedom. Master wants me but I don¡¯t want him to be broken hearted if I lose thepetition. He is my mate after all and I love him too already. I can¡¯t and won¡¯t make this kind ofmitment to him only to die.

 Chapter Three

    Venom¡¯s Pov

    I watched Maya as she contemted my words. I hope she chose me.

    ¡°I ¨C I. I can¡¯t make such a decision with thepetition over my head. I can¡¯t mate you because I may die in that arena next month¡± Maya says, looking away from me.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that¡± I whispered brushing my fingers over her lips.

    ¡°Listen Master. I ept you as my mate if you¡¯ll have me¡± Maya turns those colorful eyes to me.

    ¡°But only after the games if I win. I¡¯m still a ve bound to thews. There¡¯s no way that I could escape my fate. If we are meant to be then I will walk victorious out of that arena¡± I swear my eyes watered a bit just thinking of Maya dying while I hugged her tightly.

    ¡°We have to prepare for everything Maya¡± I say after a few moments of me holding onto my mate,

    ¡°My brothers will help with your training. We need to get you some things for your stay here¡± I sighed.

    Yes, we do have a lot to do. But neither of us moved.

    ¡°Are you hungry? Why don¡¯t we have dinner and get some rest till tomorrow morrow¡± I suggested on a whisper as Maya nodded.

    Maya dressed in the pants and shirt I gave her .

    They were much bigger than her but the pants had

    a string that could adjust the waist and the shirt hung off one shoulder but who cares? Maya was going to bed anyway.

    I watched as she braided her hair , until it was one French it down the center of her back.

    ¡°How did you get your hair like that?¡± I asked touching the end of it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never got the chance to untangle it and my friend Tate always burst them into little locks like these and then he¡¯d roll them with bees wax for a day¡± Maya mutters.

    ¡°Oh? It looks great¡± I say dumbly.

    ¡°What about you know¡­ being an omega?¡± I can tell you I¡¯m old as heck but the social structure of other packs did not interest me unless it was of significance to me at some point.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ in our pack, we are a diverse n consisting of many different ranks. It¡¯s not like a normal wolf pack, when you¡¯re born the leader of our pack uses his powers upon you to find out your future position in the pack¡± Maya exins sitting on the spot I indicated.

    ¡°A cub is either dominant, submissive or omega.

    Omegas are the lowest rank in our realm and we are usually used as ves be it manualbor or pleasure, sometimes just for the hell of it we¡¯re tortured brutally because in the dominants¡¯ eyes we¡¯re nothing¡± Maya continued.

    ¡°Have¡­ did they do things like that to you?¡± I asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve never been raped because most of the Dominants already have sex ves that they¡¯ve trained to their liking and since they don¡¯t like to do anything the stronger looking of the male omegas are put to do physical work like tending to crops and live stocks¡± Maya mumbled and I breathed a sigh of relief.

    To be honest I was afraid of her answer because of the way she offered her body to me earlier, my beast and I were ready to kill something at how scared she was.

    ¡°Why are your eyes multi-colored?¡± I could p myself, was this twenty-one questions or something?

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. Myst master said it was because I¡¯m a mongrel. Too many different bloodlines running through my veins, makes it hard to decide what I am. Omegas rarely shift and if they do it¡¯s a prey, never a predator and we only ever shift into a prey , I have never seen a dominant omega.¡± Maya twists her fingers together like a child about to be scolded.

    ¡°Can you shift?¡± I asked and she shook her head no and bit down on her lip turning those eyes away from me.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s enough of that for now. How about that food and a good night¡¯s rest?¡± I said standing and taking hold of Maya¡¯s hand.

    I took her to my kitchens and made us soup. I didn¡¯t want to give her anything too heavy as she looks to be malnourished a bit. I¡¯d gradually introduce more solids in her dietter on when her body can handle it.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that. Call me venom or Ven¡± I said a bit sharply but I hate that title.

    ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ ok. I just wanted to say thank you¡­ for everything¡± Maya says looking at herp.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for speaking like that to you. I just hate that word. We are mates and you get to call me by my given name¡± I say softly.

    Maya blushed slightly and began eating her soup again.

    ¡°Come, you can sleep with me¡­ uh if you want¡­ um I mean yea¡­ it¡¯s totally up to you¡­ hehe¡­ but I¡¯d like it if you did¡­ ah, sleep with me¡­ yea¡± I rambled and added an awkward ¡°no pressure¡± to the end.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that too¡± Maya whispered while she blushed and I took her up to my bedroom. I am so happy I¡¯ve never brought another into my bedroom, my mate being the first lover I¡¯ll ever have in this intimate space.

    ¡°Sleep. Tomorrow we¡¯ll go to the shops for clothing and other things that you¡¯d need¡± I mumbled as wey awkwardly side by side. Ever heard the saying you could cut the tension with a knife? Yea, that was us until Maya sat up on the bed.

    I watched as she had an inner struggle and then she looked at me, cheeks rosy red and she crawled close to me, her head on my chest and her arms went around my waist.

    I sighed into her embrace and cuddled us closer, breathing her in and my wolf purred in delight.

    ¡°Bonne nuit M-¡± I jostled her a bit knowing full well she was going to call me master but she smiled slightly and whispered my name.

    ¡°Good night mate¡± I whispered pressing my lips to the top of her head.

    Maya soon fell asleep while Iid awake contemting different ways I could make her my mate once and for all and other ways to get her out of Hell¡¯s Pit.

 Chapter Four

    Maya

    I hate my mate, period.

    Who in their right mind takes six hours to shop? I would have been perfectly fine with a couple of pants and shirts but noooo.. Ven wants me to have pants in every style, same with the shirts and vests and t-shirts, tank tops, belts, shoes, slippers, sandals, underwear and essories to go with it.

    And to top it off I had to model every outfit for him.

    I was seriously contemting strangling him with the piece of string he was calling underwear earlier.

    I gave in and let him buy two of those after he whined about it for two hours straight. They called them g strings. They got the string right, not so sure about the g.

    My feet were killing me. My head hurt, my back hurt, I was tired as heck and his huge clothes were the onlyfort as he dashed around the stores.

    I¡¯m never ever wishing I could shop carefree again.

    Ever.

    ¡°Venom I want to go home¡± I hissed when he stopped at yet another store, pointing at some kind of strappy contraption on a fake man. I¡¯m sure they had a name for the thing. The outfit was crotch less save for two thick straps over the hip area leaving nothing to the imagination. No way is he buying that. We probably spent thousands of dors on the freaking clothes and things and we have yet to buy training clothes.

    ¡°You¡¯l look exquisite in it Maya, you have the same body type as the mannequin¡± Venom hissed back. Fuck that.

    ¡°No¡± I snapped not giving a flying fuck about whether I was ve or not and forced down my blush.

    Alpha wolfs like to bargain right?

    ¡°If you leave those straps right where you see it and take me home I¡¯ll give you a kiss¡± his eyes lit up like a bulb.

    ¡°You promise?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes! Now take us home. Retail therapy doesn¡¯t do me any good¡± I snapped yet again. I like to think I was a friendly person but right now I wanted to shove all these things down his throat.

    Venom asked me to act casual and as much myself as possible around him so he gets the grump right about now.

    ¡°Ok. But I still think you would¡¯ve looked uber hot in that outfit¡± . He said, as he drove us back home .

    ¡°Do you want that kiss now?¡± I asked impatiently.

    ¡°Heck no! You look like you¡¯d bite my face off at the moment¡± I resent that but eh¡­ I just might. All I wanted right now is a cold bath and a soft surface.

    ¡°You look really tired babe¡± I red at him and he held up his hands in surrender. I stomped into our room and stripped.. Well more like ripped the clothes off me and stepped under the spray of the shower.

    When my body cooled and my headache subside a bit I stepped out. Pulling on a shirt of Venom¡¯s again and a pair of his briefs, mind you I had to roll down the waistband a bit andid face down on the bed. One would think that after buying a shit ton of clothes I¡¯d have something to wear but nooo¡­

    Venom had all our things delivered tomorrow. I just want to sleep.

    I batted away whatever was touching my face.

    Unh.. Not enough sleep! I opened my eyes slowly.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Ven was lying on his side watching me.

    ¡°How about that kiss now?¡± he askedzily.

    Oh crap!

    My eyes widened a bit. I don¡¯t know how to kiss!

    Venom leaned in slowly and I leaned back. I was t on my back as Ven lies on me. His hips wedged between my legs and both arms braced over my head. I stared up at him. He¡¯s so handsome.

    Straight nose, beautiful green eyes, full pink lips.

    He was so much bigger than me but he felt right lying on me. He fit.

    Those lips came closer and closer, my eyes caught on them. He brushed them softly over mine. I gasped softly when they molded to mine. Slowly moving and tasting. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I hope my inexperience didn¡¯t fuck this up.

    I felt a stirring deep within me. Like something was moving inside me. Pacing. I gasped again when Ven nipped my bottom lip and his tongue slid inside my mouth tangling with my own. I didn¡¯t know if to rub my own against his or just lie still and wait. He coaxed me to do the first. It was a slow kiss. Slow and gentle. My hands came up to his back as the stirring inside me became more urgent. I grabbed onto his shirt tightly.

    I don¡¯t know where the bravery came from but I started kissing him back. Moving my lips with my mate¡¯s. My legs came up and around his waist as we rubbed our pelvises together stimting the lengths of flesh between us.

    Venom moaned at that and I got even braver grinding harder against him. Kissing harder and tightening my arms and legs around him. Venom trembled under my hands, it felt powerful. Being the one to make his body shake like this. I¡¯m not sure how long we kissed for but it ended all too soon and a little growl came from my throat as Venom abruptly stopped our kiss.

    He smirked at me. Trembling fingers brushed my cheek when I opened my eyes. He leaned in and kissed me on the lips again. Not as much as I would have liked but eh? Something was better than nothing.

    ¡°We better stop now because I might just take you right here and now if we don¡¯t¡± Venom murmured, his voice thick with lust taking on that low pitch you only read about. I blushed at the way he was looking at me.

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± he murmured again.

    I nodded because if I opened my mouth nothing mighte out.

    ¡°Howe you don¡¯t have any bruises? You¡¯re supposed to be littered with them after your fight with that wolf¡± he looks at me confused.

    I frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never got any before. I guess I¡¯m a fast healer¡±, I shrugged. Bute to think of it I really never got any bruises. In fact all my cuts healed pretty fast before.

    ¡°Oh?.. Um well you gotta get dressed we¡¯re going to my father¡¯s for dinner. You¡¯ll get to meet my brothers and their mates and we¡¯ll make arrangements for your training while we¡¯re there¡± Venom didn¡¯t move and his erection still pressed against my hip. He kissed my lips again then my forehead and got up while I started freaking out.

    Hello!!. I¡¯m going to dinner with his father, the king and former Alpha of the ck Moon Pack.

 Chapter Five

    Venom¡¯s Pov

    I knew Maya was nervous about meeting my family. Heck I don¡¯t me her. We do have the worst reputations out there.

    Maya was currently showering to get ready to go to my dad¡¯s for dinner. I had already gotten dressed and driven quickly to one of the stores we went to earlier.

    I picked up a pair of skinny jeans, ripped in all the right ces and a white long-sleeved shirt. The white would look so good against her tan skin and the jeans molded against her hips and legs and ass perfectly when she tried it on.

    I picked up some lingerie and a coat for her . When we get back home she could put on my clothes again. I snickered at that thinking of her lying on the bed asleep, my jersey had ridden up to her waist and my briefs on her.

    That kiss. Oh mama! Our first kiss was whew!

    Mind blowing. She was inexperienced in kissing and that turned me on more. So many things I get to teach her . And her little hands gripping me hard just did me in. Oh! My pants were getting tight just thinking of it.

    Iid the clothes on our bed and waited for her to finish her shower. I groaned again when she came out, a billow of steam following her as she closed the bathroom door. Wrapped in only a towel. All those long hair hanging behind her . I really love her hair.

    ¡°um.. I got you something to wear to dinner,¡¯ ¡± I said

    awkwardly because damn she looks good.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she blushed. I guess my eyes betrayed me. I seriously wanted to go on my knees before her and give her the best head she¡¯ll ever get.

    Maya dressed and she looked hot. I knew that shirt would look great against her skin and those jeans. Mmh! She rolled up the sleeves to her elbows and left it open. Her cor bones were driving me nuts.

    ¡°Um can you help me with my hair?¡± Maya asked snapping me from my thoughts.

    ¡°Would you leave it down? I like it like that,¡± I said running my fingers through it.

    ¡°Yea.. Sure,¡± Maya blushed again as I kissed her cheek.

    ¡°Ready,¡± I asked.

    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be for dinner with the devil,¡± she muttered. I snickered at that and hugged her, before driving off to my dads ce.

    We arrived on the doorstep and were greeted by Jianne. I love this chick. She was so gah! Out there¡­ The best lesbian friend a wolf could ask for.

    ¡°Venny! Baby how ya doing? And who¡¯s this piece of candy you got in your arms?¡± Jianne was flitting around Maya and she looked freaked out with the way Jianne was groping her arms and chest.

    ¡°This is Maya, Jianne. My mate. Maya this is

    Jianne,¡± I introduced them.

    ¡°n-nice to meet you,¡± Maya stuttered out.

    ¡°You too sugar plum,¡± Jianne kissed her cheek and

    Maya blushed hard.

    ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t she adorable?¡± Jianne squealed. I could almost forget she¡¯s one of the best soldiers we have.

    ¡°Oh! Your family¡¯s waiting,¡± Jianne added pushing us inside.

    ¡°Bye Jianne,¡± I said.

    ¡°Bye Venny and you adorable thang you,¡± Jianne shouted taking back her post.

    ¡°Rx baby. My family will love you,¡± I murmured in her ear before pushing open the doors to the dining room. She let out a big breath and followed me.

    ¡°Hey everyone! Ven is here and he¡¯s gotpany!¡± Caleb all but shouted when he saw us. Eyes turned to us and Maya tensed up again. I took her hand in mine and gave it a little squeeze. She gave me a smile in return.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted my father and Alexios and Caleb.

    ¡°Oh my gosh! Look at all that hair!¡± Caleb who is Alexios; my eldest brother¡¯s mate screamed running over to us. That boy is so unpredictable.

    But I loved him. Maya blushed again and Caleb awed.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this Venom?¡± he askeding over with that big smile he always seem to have.

    ¡°Brothers, father this is Maya, my mate,¡± I said to them and big grins took over their their faces. My dad came over first and hugged Maya weing her to the family then my eldest brother and his mate did the same. My mate stammered out nice to meet yous to them.

    Maya looked shell shocked, ¡°Told you they¡¯l love you,¡± I murmured in her ear. She gave me a shy smile as I helped her into her seat and taking a ce next to her .

    We had a nice dinner, loud and filled withughter as usual. Maya only smiled and timidly answered questions directed at her . That is until Caleb asked her what rank she was and she froze stammering out that she was an omega. The entire room went quiet as Caleb looked around clueless.

    ¡°What, is being an omega a bad thing?¡± Caleb asked in disbelief.

    ¡°No. No Caleb it¡¯s just not something you would understand right now,¡± father said with a tight smile. I sighed. Guess this was as good a time as any.

    ¡°There¡¯s more actually,¡± every eye looked on me expectedly and Maya gripped my hand hard under the table.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    ¡°Maya is also a finalist at Hell¡¯s Pit,¡± you could literally hear a cricket chirp.

    ¡°erm.. Wow,¡± leave it to Alexios to sum it up nicely.

    Maya¡¯s hand shook slightly in mine.

    ¡°The finals are one month away. We need to start preparing right away,¡± Alexios, my dear, dear brother said firmly. I breathed a sigh of relief as Maya¡¯s head whipped to him. Father has yet to say anything and my palms started to sweat.

    ¡°Alexios is right. We need to start Maya¡¯s training and preparation for the games. Venom my boy, I would personally see to Maya¡¯s training. She is part of the family now,¡± I smiled. Thank you to whoever was on my side.

    ¡°I¡¯m lost. What is an omega? What is Hell¡¯s Pit and what games are you people talking about?¡± Caleb all but yelled looking around the room.

    ¡°Love. Maya is an omega meaning she¡¯s a ve to her pack, and Hell¡¯s Pit is an arena kinda like diators where ves fight to the death for a chance to earn their freedom,¡± Alexios summed it up nicely for Caleb.

    ¡°What kind of barbaric shit is that? Are you fucking kidding me! That¡¯s not fucking right!¡± Caleb

    shouted in anger and I couldn¡¯t agree more .

    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± my mate whispered shutting Caleb up.

    ¡°I will win,¡± Maya continues looking at me in such a way that my heart raced and my throat closed, ¡°I have to,¡± her eyes were soft and a little half smiley upon her lips as she rests her head on my shoulder.

 Chapter Six

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I watched in awe as the people deliberated on how they would be assisting me in oveing the hell¡¯s pit. That was probably the first time in my life someone rooted for me and wanted my freedom. The discussion was so nice to hear and I almost broke a tear.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    ¡°Is everyone going well with you?¡± I heard Venom whisper in my ears.

    ¡°Hmm hmm,¡± I hummed in response.

    Venom¡¯s dad and brothers were having a back and forth on how they would train me. They took me as a daughter and sister.

    ¡°What still amazes me is the fact that people would really relegate a race of werewolves to that kind of lifestyle. It¡¯s totally disheartening.¡± Caleb interjected.

    ¡°I understand you, brother. Traditions are just extremely different in different locations. It¡¯s disappointing.¡±  Venom empathised.

    ¡± So, my dear, will you be appearingter so you can train with the boys? I¡¯m very sure everyone would love bonding with you.¡± My master¡¯s mom suggested it to me.

    I blushed and looked at Venom for a reply, but therge smile on his face showed that he was definitely on board.

    ¡± Yes, ma. If my master will ept it, I¡¯ll do it.¡± I told her.

    There was a sudden change of expression which I feared was displeasure from her.  ¡°Have you been making her call you master, Venom?¡± The woman spoke to her son sternly.

    ¡°No, mom. I haven¡¯t, she just hasn¡¯t adjustedpletely yet.¡± He protested.

    I felt awkward causing drama between them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma. I¡¯ll change my habits from now on.¡± I apologised to her with a sorry look.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine my dear, we all love and ept you here and you¡¯ll definitely be sessful at the hell¡¯s pit you wanna go through.¡± She stretched her hand to touch mine as she assured me.

    I smiled in response.

    The meal concluded and Venom took me back to his own ce. The car ride was silent and I wanted him to talk, I didn¡¯t know how I would start the conversation.

    He would drift his eyes from the road to me once in a while and smile. It was the leastforting and made me blush while I felt tingles in my belly.

    If that was how other master and ve rtionships existed, it was the most exciting thing ever.

    ¡°So, how did you take to my people?¡± He asked me.

    ¡°I liked them.  They were lovely and I can¡¯t wait to train with your brothers too. They offered and it was so nice.¡± I told him, I was most enthusiastic about the training. Earning my escape out of the hell¡¯s pit would be a dreame through.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you loved them. For a moment there, I wasn¡¯t sure how things would turn out between you and them, but that was wonderful.¡± Heplimented me.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I told him.

    ¡°And one more thing.¡± He mentioned.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I smiled at him, mildly confused.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t address me as your master again. Remember, Venom or Venn.¡± If he didn¡¯t keep the cute expression he always had on while he talked, I would have assumed I had finally made my first offence to my master.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll definitely change. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°If only you didn¡¯t have to train so much, I¡¯d love to show you different ces and things. ¡± He said in a sympathetic manner.

    ¡°If I train well enough, I think we can do all of that without any hindrances once I win.¡± I reminded him, I didn¡¯t want topromise with the training, but it sounded appealing at the same time.

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± He eximed. ¡°We¡¯ll be starting training with the boys tomorrow. Since they¡¯re royalty and they got some of the best training out there, I doubt there¡¯s anything you won¡¯t know.¡± He said to me,

    I felt rxed and was grateful for the fact that the gods had sent him to me.

    He swerved the car into hispound and we got out. I stretched my body, I heard the sound of bubbles popping in my muscles, the usual breaking sound you would hear whenever you stretched yourself out.

    I tried a few positions to get myself stretched out, but the dress felt ufortable for that kind of exercise. Just then, I remembered that I didn¡¯t have any clothes that I could use to train.

    He was standing by the car and had been smiling while he watched me. I could barely maintain eye contact.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have any clothes to train, we didn¡¯t get one when we went shopping.¡± I told him.

    He looked taken aback for some time, before he replied. ¡°There¡¯s no problem, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a problem. We can just go shopping.¡± He replied to me.

    Another shopping? He would have me wear weird things again. Maybe it would be different this time around since we would be going for things to train in.

    He led me inside where he had people who had prepared our meal. I smiled marvellously at the amount of power he had and how he had things in ce for us.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He asked me to stare into my eyes. They were gorgeous, I almost burst into smiles.

    It took more than mind fortitude to keep myself together around him.

    ¡°We just ate at your parent¡¯s, but I wouldn¡¯t mind again. I think I need to gather as much as I can so I can be very fit for the fight.¡± I exined to him.

    We both went to the table and we grabbed a little to eat. He seemed to have been watching me the whole time while I ate.

    It felt ufortable to continue with my normal habits and I was constantly ncing at him, but he would only smile at me which wasforting and a bit unusual.

    Thinking about the hell¡¯s pit, he was the one I wanted the most after it. After we had both grown with each other and spent a few days together, it would sound weird that I wanted to be with him, but it was true.

    I liked him and I was getting endeared towards his personality. He was the only one I desired.

 Chapter Seven

    Venom¡¯s POV

    My family epted Maya and that was the highlight of the day for me. After we finished eating, I left her to explore the house while I went to sort out issues regarding the pack.

    Who would think that a group of werewolves would actually require a lot of paperwork to run.

    I sat somewherefortable where I could do things without disturbance, but disturbance was never an issue. The issue that was actually bothering me was the thought of Maya.

    I remembered the kiss and touching her, I wanted the warmth from her again. I wanted her touching me, I wanted that love and eptance again that our bodies experienced.

    I dropped the papers in my hands on the desk andughed at myself. I had barely been able to do anything in minutes.

    There was no possible excuse I could use to get away with her again that would even justify my conscience and the reason.

    ¡°What can I say, what can I say?¡± I was having a monologue with myself.

    An idea popped in my head, she had suggested getting the clothes for training earlier. I thought about it again, it would be unwise to stress her.

    I struggled through the little I could do and finished up.   The first thing I went out to do afterwards was to go find her.

    She didn¡¯t seem to be in her room, neither was she out in the living room.

    ¡°Heyy, have you seen the newdy in?¡± I asked one of the workers in the home.

    ¡°She went towards the garden, sir.¡± He informed me.

    I went straight there and imagined what she could have possibly gone to do there, but I was surprised when I got there.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    The first thing that hit my ears as I walked towards the garden was the grunt of a female and I could immediately tell she was the one.

    My sight finally reached her and I saw her training all by herself. She was trying out a few exercises on her own. I was more than impressed.

    I stood staring for some minutes until she finished up and I began to p for her. She jumped and turned to her back. She was startled.

    ¡°Heyy, don¡¯t be shocked. I watched everything you did.¡± I told her, smiling at her.

    I could see her clearly blush and it was funny that I could get her to be like that.

    ¡± Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that again.¡± She protested.

    ¡± I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t do that again. I just came to check up on you and it seems you¡¯ve been doing well enough.¡± Iplimented her.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± She was appreciative and I really liked that about her.

    ¡°You can continue training. There¡¯s no issue. I won¡¯t be a bother, don¡¯t worry.¡± I suggested.

    She seemed reluctant, but she gave in. Her moves were stuff at first, but she finally got into the mood and she was flexible and flying all over the ce. I was impressed and got into the mood to spar with her.

    ¡°Wait, wait.¡± I spoke and she halted. She turned towards where I stood expecting something.

    ¡°Can you let me join you? And I like what you did with your dress. That¡¯s a lot of innovation.¡±

    She smiled, ¡± thank you.¡±

    I rolled up my sleeves and the two of us began sparring. It was a weaponless one and while I replied solely on my strength, her speed and flexibility was matchless. She was quick as the wind and floated through the air like a butterfly.

    I got to pin her at one point and she turned things over,  having me below her while she was on top. She hesitated to do anything. I looked into her eyes and I could feel the synergy was matching already.

    Somehow, my hands found their way to her head and I pulled her closer, going for a kiss again. Every time I thrusted my head upwards, my lips caressed every inch of her mouth.

    It was a sensual experience, one of the best I ever had. We continued tongue kissing with reckless abandon without minding anybody that might have been watching including the workers.

    Her hair was constantly falling on my face and when I would pull to her back, her face would always look brand new to me like I had never set my eyes on her before.

    Just before things would escte between us, I slowed down and we both separated. She had her head onh arms while we bothid on the grass.

    ¡°What if things don¡¯t work out?¡± She popped the question out of the blue. I wasn¡¯t expecting that kind of question from someone who was so determined toplete the fight and win.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Why don¡¯t we spend less time thinking about the bad and we can stay positive.¡± I told her, anything that would bring her mood down would be the most defective thing in the process of her training.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I¡¯ll do just that, she nodded with her head still on my arm. We stayed in that position for some time and I didn¡¯t want it to end. I spected she had felt the same way and that was why she had brought up the question.

    I held her closer and we stayed there for some time, but the passion between us was slowly rising again and we began to kiss each other, but slowly this time around.

    We would go top to bottom lip, slowly, savouring every taste that entered our mouth. I loved it, I loved how she smelled. I loved the taste of her lips. How she moaned gently while I touched her body and rubbed every part I could get my hands on.

    I climbed on top and I was already moving my hands away from her face where they were before. I went to other parts of her body and just then, there was an interruption.

    We had actually hit a couple of woods that were by a corner. The two of usughed at how clumsy we had been with the whole thing.

    We lifted ourselves up and went into the house where we would finally rest for the day. The next day was promising.

 Chapter Eight

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I woke the next morning and began my training as early as I could. My body had not ustomed to the luxury lifestyle I met at my master¡¯s house which I feared would be affect my routine.

    The gardener was the best ce to go to and I began with a few stretch exercises and other preliminary before getting on track to run.

    I was just on my second rep when Venom appeared.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted him, I was able to see him approaching this time around unlike the night before when he had snuck up on me.

    ¡°Good morning, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be awake so early.¡± He said. ¡± You know you¡¯re still going to train with my brotherster, right? ¡±

    I looked at him without being able to correctly express myself. Training and fighting was my daily routine and it was literally everything I did everyday back in hell¡¯s pit.

    ¡± I¡¯m just used to it,¡± I muttered.

    ¡± Alright, just do a little and get dressed.  We¡¯ll be going to shop then to go join my brothers so they can train you. I¡¯ll be off too.¡± He instructed me.

    ¡± Yes, sir.¡± I responded.

    He gave me a look and then I remembered the rtionship between us. ¡± Yes.¡± I corrected myself, he smiled and left.

    I continued for a bit and when I was sure that I had done enough, I went inside to get dressed and take a bath so I wouldn¡¯t bete. He never really stated a time when we would be leaving too, I was in a panicky state whenever i did something.

    I roomeome of the clothes he had handed to me the day we went shopping for normal wares and threw it on, tied my hair in a ponytail and I was ready to go.

    Venom was still not around and I thought about looking for him, that was when I realized I had not even seen most of the ces in the house. It was big, but to a moderation.

    I went around and admired the paintings on the wall. It had different artworks of werewolves. Most of the paintings were battles and it was reminiscent of the lifestyle I lived in hell¡¯s pit.

    He finally arrived while I stood transfixed admiring a sculpture I had seen.

    ¡°Hey there.¡± He came towards me, patting my back.

    I smiled at him.

    ¡°You like one of these?¡± He gestured at the sculpture I was staring at which was one out of three.

    ¡°I never really realized the beauty of your house. It is quite beautiful, I must say.¡± Many things had caught my fancy and I thought about the chances of finally getting the chance to live there and experience more of the beautiful environment.

    ¡°Thank you and soon, they¡¯ll be for both of us and you can add whatever you¡¯d like to it too.¡± He told me. ¡°Now, I think it¡¯s time to go.¡±

    We went to the car and he drove out of thepound. The first ce we went to looked like a shop for weapons. It was different from the one we went to when we wanted to get the other clothes.

    It wasforting, I wanted to be sure that he was taking everything seriously he wasn¡¯t undermining thepetition that would be holding.

    He left me to look around while he spoke to the attendant.

    I wasn¡¯t so sure I wanted to be left alone, but I moved a few meters away from him and tried to see if anything caught my fancy.

    The armor there and the weapons were more refined and way different from what we would use back when we were in hell¡¯s pit. Usually, we would have to refine things and sharpen them to suit whatever we wanted to suit our taste.

    ¡°Maya, please,e over.¡± I heard Venom call out.

    I hurried back to where he stood and he led me into a different section of the store which had attires and armory I could wear on. They were even more sophisticated than I imagined they would be.

    ¡°Wow,¡± I eximed as I went in.

    ¡°You can pick whatever you want and let me know afterwards, I¡¯ll let you choose.¡±

    I stared at him and smiled, there was something that felt different the way he did things. It was like he romanticized evey word and gesture. I felt free and I wanted to be owned again, but owned and treated like Venom would.

    I walked around and I couldn¡¯t even make a decision. Everything seemed appealing and like a little child, I liked them all.

    I picked three set of flexible clothing that were more of make enhanced and I picked some armors that were beautifully designed. I knew they would eventually get thrashed when I go to battle, but the beauty in it was owning it and I liked that.

    ¡°Can I try them on?¡± I went to where Venom was seated.

    ¡°Yes, you can. Let me take you there. ¡± He stretched out my hand and led the way for the both of us.  I happily took it and walked alongside him.

    I got to a room and he told me he would be staying outside and I coulde show him whatever I had donned on when I was through.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Getting everything on was a bit of an hassle but I was finally sessful with one and I went outside to show myself to him. He gave an approving smile and nod which made me feel satisfied, but there was two more to go out of what I had selected.

    Everytime I went to him to show myself, he has the same reaction and I wanted to keep them all. As if he had been reading my mind,  while I was on my back in to go change the clothing, he made a statement.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you want to keep them all, we could buy the whole store if you wanted too.¡± He offered.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if he was serious about the store thing, but I went in for a hug and thanked him happily.

 Chapter Nine

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I carried everything in my hands and was about walking out when I was stopped by Venom. ¡°Where are you going with all of that?¡± He asked me.

    I looked at him confused, ¡± I thought they were paid for already.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. Not that.¡± He corrected. ¡°They¡¯ll need to pack it up for you and other things. Juste back.¡± He said, while he was in a fit ofughter.

    I was a bit embarrassed at how I behaved, but I knew little of the modern world when I spent all my days fighting as much as I could. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll return it, I told him.¡±

    We were some with the formalities he wanted to and then, I could finally leave the store, with him.

    He helped with the things I couldn¡¯t carry and we returned back to the car where we drove off to his family¡¯s ce. I was a big nervous to see them again, I feared they might be different or things wouldn¡¯t be the same. It was just a lot of panicking for me that had be a usual thing while trying to adjust to this new life for the main time.

    He would nce at me at intervals like he did thest time we were in the car together.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He finally said something.

    ¡°Yes, just a little bit nervous,¡± I exined to him.

    He smiled at me, ¡°my parents?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I answered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, all will go well and they will even take a liking to you, don¡¯t worry about it. They liked you thest time.¡± He assured me. He added a gesture of patting my head to it.

    It was amon thing for him to pat me now and I liked it. I wanted it sometimes, but I just couldn¡¯t say. That train of thought got interrupted when I saw that we had arrived at their ce.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He announced.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I mumbled.

    I got out and he helped carry out the things we had bought. Inside the gates, his brothers had already prepared for our arrival and they were smiling. It was heartwarming to see.

    ¡°Wee back, are you ready to get treated like a warrior?¡± Caleb pronounced.

    That was what I had been all my life anyway, they were so hyped up and pumped up, it was a friendly environment. I had not seen their father and mother yet and I looked around to see if they would appear yet.

    Venom took things in and I followed him so I could change ande out tobat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be pressured.¡± He told me when we got in and we were alone.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be,¡± I tried to be positive.

    I got everything on and when I got outside and saw that they had note with anything on to prepare for the sparring, I was confused.

    ¡°No armour or anything?¡± I asked them as I pointed my spear at their bodies.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll give you an experience, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    They seemed pretty convinced that they were strong enough so we started.

    I swung at them a few times and they performed impressive acrobatics. I was beginning to get skeptical about my choice to fight them both at the same time.  I could hear Venom¡¯s voice from behind, ¡°you¡¯ve got this, Maya¡±.

    I went at them directly and used my spear as a pole before jumping at them and lunging with my fist. They separated and I lost my concentration, thereby hitting the floor.

    ¡°Maybe your concentration isn¡¯t so sound.¡± Caleb said.

    I got irritated and went after him and hit him with a power packed punch. I was pretty sure I did some damage when I saw him cough.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± I got in my zone and I was fighting them effortlessly.

    Every time I would sessfullynd punches and attacks, I found myself looking back at Venom for approval or confirmation and he would smile which led me on.

    We stopped at one point for a break. They had dealt much damage, but I was still strong enough to continue which was good, it felt good.

    ¡°You¡¯re really badass,¡± one of the brothersplimented me.

    I only smiled in reply.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why she¡¯s my mate.¡± Venom asserted.

    ¡°Calm down, bro. No one¡¯s taking her from you.¡± The brothers bantered themselves and I sat down to reflect on what the future of things would be for me after the fight at hell¡¯s pit. I very much wanted to win.

    ¡°Maya, get yourself cleaned up so we can get something to eat. Don¡¯t worry, training should continue soon.¡±

    He directed me to the bathroom where I entered by myself. I wasn¡¯t a child but I wished he would have led me in since I encountered an issue where I couldn¡¯t drain water out of the big tub before me.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    I had stood in the tub and washed myself, but the water wouldn¡¯t go out. At hell¡¯s pit, we barely had ess to any amenities and I was so new to the amenities that were strangelyid out for me to use in Venom¡¯s parent bathroom.

    I got out with the towel and found out that he had been waiting for me behind the door all along.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Iined.

    ¡°I just wanted to be sure you were alright and I don¡¯t think you were, you spent quite a lot of time and I hearf some of your murmurs.¡± He teased.

    I had spent majority of my time fidgeting on how to do things.

    ¡± Don¡¯t worry about the bath tub, that would be sorted out, let¡¯s get you to a room.¡±

    I was grateful that I had not done something severely damaging to his parent¡¯s home, then my eptance would be ruined.

    I thought about the training and how much I wanted it, the light sparring didn¡¯t feel enough and I wanted them transforming and at their full form, they were still strong regardless of that. I guess they were still giving me preliminary lessons and more was toe.

    That was what I prayed for.

 Chapter Ten

    Venom¡¯s POV

    Maya had performed really well with wolves  of royalty, my brothers which convinced me she would do amazingly at the hell¡¯s pit. I couldn¡¯t have doubted her capabilities anyway, she had managed on her own for quite a while.

    ¡°We¡¯re staying here tonight.¡± I announced to her, she was in the living room with the boys, training had concluded and everybody was resting for some time.

    ¡°Ohh, alright, but I didn¡¯te along with plenty clothes.¡± She replied to me.

    ¡°Come with me.¡± I stretched out my hand for her to grab on to, then I led her into one of the doors of the house.

    Entering into the room that had female clothings and everything she would probably ever need had been provided, I saw her lips widen in an attempt for a smile.

    ¡°Thank you so much. When did you do this?¡± She asked me in amazement.

    ¡± Since my parents were aware you would being here for training, they decided they¡¯d just make everything suit your taste and you would be able to stay here for the main time you train.¡±

    I looked at her as she smiled and walked around the room, everything amazed her.

    ¡°Does it suit your taste?¡± I asked her, knowing she probably loved it but she was still tongue-tied.

    She walked towards me and gave me a hug. Our body mashed up together and she held on to me tight.

    ¡°Thank you so much for all of these, I¡¯ve never been loved like this before.¡± She whispered in my ears.

    I brought her face closer to mine and went for a kiss, her hot breath poured on my face in multiple flows and everything at that moment was sensually pleasing.

    ¡°I love you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I replied to her.

    I took her to the bed where we bothid on it and held each other together. Nothing was said and the satisfaction was in the fact that we were both together. Everything else was perfect.

    I thought about hell¡¯s pit and her soon to be fate after the month¡¯s break. I was curious to know what was going on in her mind too, sheid there still and all I felt was her heartbeat as my hand was on her chest.

    Hours had passed with us being on the bed together before we fell asleep.  The two of us were woken up by someone who hade to knock on the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s Caleb, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± He announced.

    I sighed and rubbed my face, I was deep in sleep and could barely remember what went on before the two of us lost consciousness.

    ¡°How are you?¡± I inquired as she lifted her body off of the bed for a few stretches.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she replied. I stood up to go join her, but instead, I found myself holding her closer to me and we I was trying to kiss her from behind.

    ¡°If we continue this way, we might end up missing dinner, master.¡± She said.

    Iughed at myself and disengaged while we both walked out of the room to go get something to eat.

    Mom and dad were around and the meal had been presented already. My brothers were at the table too.

    ¡°I see the couple have been taking their time together.¡± My dad teased.

    Iughed and took a sit for myself, Maya blushed which was something that I noticed wasmon in her. She was extremely shy, regardless of therge amount of sheer strength she possessed.

    It was beautiful to witness the vulnerability of a strong person.

    She sat beside me and even at that, she brought her chair very close.  It would take a lot of time to get her to adjust to being one with the family without feeling awkward or shy with them.

    ¡± How has training been going, dear?¡± My mother asked her.

    ¡°It went well today, today was our first day.¡± She replied quietly.

    ¡°She¡¯s quite powerful,¡± my younger brother chipped in.

    ¡°A perfect mate for an alpha like Venom, don¡¯t you think?¡± My dad nudged my mom.

    I guess it was my turn to feel shy since I ended up smiling sheepishly at them.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Everyone began their meal and reduced their to talking, I looked at Maya, she gave a sigh of rxation after noticing she wasn¡¯t the center of the conversation anymore.

    There was something about the connection between us and the fact that I could read her reactions. I was getting to know her even if it was just days we spent together already.

    The meal ended and while the tes were getting packed, I spoke to Maya. ¡°I think you¡¯ll have to tell me about how some of your battles went back then. You seem really strong.¡± I whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Ohh, it isn¡¯t really so much of a big deal.¡± She replied modestly.

    ¡°How about we go to the room so we can talk better.¡± I suggest and stood up from the chair, she did the same.

    ¡°Mom and dad, we¡¯ll be leaving now. Everyone, take care.¡±

    They all gave themselves knowing smiles, the mischievous one that could tell that they knew what was going on. I could only smile and shake my head, they were my family.

    We got out of the dining room and were on our way to the room that had been gifted to Maya when something went wrong.

    She staggered and at first, I thought she had tripped on something.

    ¡°Are you alright, Maya?¡± She gave no reply.

    I looked into her eyes and they had turned white, before changing back to normal like she had just returned from a chance.

    ¡°Master,¡± she said, ¡°Venom,¡± she quickly corrected herself.

    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± I tried holding her steady.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Nothing happened, I¡¯m fine.¡± She stated like what happened minutes ago had not happened.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked again to confirm.

    Just as Inded thest words, she copsed to the floor and lost consciousness of her environment.

 Chapter Eleven

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I woke up and I saw different people staring over me. I could make our some of them be Venom¡¯s rtion, but there was someone strange there and it got me defensive.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Everyone turned their attention towards me as soon as I made that statement.

    Venom rushed towards me and hugged me on the bed, it still felt weird, the gestures and all. Soon, memories began to kick in and while I felt dizzy, I remembered what had happened to me.

    I had copsed.

    ¡°You copsed!¡± Venom proimed just at the same moment I figured it out.

    ¡°Yeahh, I don¡¯t know what happened too. I¡¯m surprised.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we got someone here to take care of you. We have a spiritual healer here.¡±

    Venom pointed at a strange looking man with a lot of white beard, he was dressed in a cream robe that had probably turned that color because he didn¡¯t take care of it at it¡¯s original color, white.

    I looked around again, Venom¡¯s Mom and Dad¡¯s mood had lifted and everyone stared directly at me.

    ¡°Are you fine, now? How are you feeling?¡± Venom asked me.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing okay, I think. I feel better and not as dizzy as I felt earlier.¡± I exined to him and tried to shake my body to see if I would feel any external pain, but nothing came forth.

    I felt hot, I realized it when I tried to touch my neck and I felt that it was moist.

    ¡°Is it possible for you to turn on the fan for me?¡± I pleaded.

    He looked at me amused, ¡°there¡¯s an air conditioning in this ce.¡±

    ¡°Take her for a bath,¡± the strange man finally uttered a sentence.

    Venom was quick and true to lift me up after the man had made his statement, I pushed my body up and thought I would feel weaker or would he unable to rise, but I felt energetic, then what could have been wrong?

    Even Venom was surprised when I got on my feet without any hassle and he had to let go. He had been trying to lift me up by himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what was wrong with me?¡± I stared into his eyes as I questioned him.

    ¡°The healer said there¡¯s a strange spirit in you and you¡¯re metamorphosing.¡± He exined to me.

    ¡°In simple terms, please.¡± I asked him, chuckling at my ignorance to the words he spoke.

    ¡°There¡¯s a spirit in you and your body is growing into something else, you¡¯re changing and that¡¯s not supposed to be so for an omega wolf.¡± He spelled it out.

    I was surprised, that was truly not supposed to be so. Maybe I had gotten enchanted in one of the battles that I encountered with my counterparts, I wasn¡¯t exactly sure of what was going on with my body.

    We took more steps and went into the bathroom where he paused, ¡°is it okay if I strip you down and bath for you?¡± He politely asked.

    There couldn¡¯t be any refusal from me, he was my master and mate.

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m strong enough if you¡¯d like to know.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Alright then, I guess, I¡¯ll leave you to that. Let me know in case you feel weirdly, knock and bang on the door or something. Make sure you alert me.¡± He added a few more sentence and words as he kept on walking away from the bathroom.

    Iughed as he did it, I found it cute, he was truly afraid of losing me.

    After he was gone, I was left alone with myself and thoughts in the bathroom. I tried to think of what had been exined to me. I didn¡¯t understand what they meant by the changes that was going on with me.

    When I was wolfing as a younger child, that was the only time something that weird had happened to me and I couldn¡¯t have been wolfing again. That was definitely weird.

    I was lost in thoughts for a bit before turning on the shower to take a bath. The water felt warm and it there wasn¡¯t any difference with the sweat that had coated my body already.

    Maybe it was part of the changes that the spiritual healer had talked about, I wasn¡¯t sure, my body was definitely different and I was feeling a bit scared for my life and the things going on with me.

    I remembered that there were people waiting outside the door for me including Venom and I didn¡¯t want to get him too worried for me.  I quickly finished my bath and got out with the towel that was hung just beside the door.

    Outside the bathroom, it was only Venom who was there and he had been sitting on the bed.

    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°They left, the healer said he was done and I I asked everyone to excuse you since you may not be feelingfortable with thembeing around you.¡±

    ¡± Ohh, thank you very much.¡±

    I went to the bed and I was feeling a bit relieved, the temperature was different and I was feeling better in my body already.

    ¡°Are you feeling well, now?¡± He asked me, there was an obvious look of concern on his face.

    ¡± Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not dying.¡± I tried to assure him.

    ¡± We¡¯ll find a possible means to revive you if that were too happen too.¡± He smiled as he said it, romance was definitely his strong suit.

    I climbed the bed and positioned myself next to him, I could now feel the coldness of the room. The fan got louder in my ears and even the air conditioning sounded loud to, it felt like my senses were sharpening.

    That was strange.

    I looked at Venom, he probably didn¡¯t notice what was going on and I didn¡¯t want to say anything to him, not to get him scared and apprehensive, but something was changing in me and I could sense it evidently.

    I closed my eyes for a bit and tried to sleep everything off. Maybe it would be different tomorrow.

 12

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°She has gotten considerably stronger.¡± Alex said to me while he observed her fight with our younger brother, Caleb.

    ¡°Yes, I thought the copsing from earlier was a signature of something that would limit her, but look at her now.¡±

    Maya had truly improved and was far more different than what how we knew her to be just some days earlier. Caleb had transformed and she still managed to hold her own against him.

    ¡± I think that¡¯s enough, you guys have tried immensely.¡±I instructed them, the fight was reaching its peak as they continued to throw more punches against each other.

    She had been fighting as hard as possible, we all felt the impact.

    Caleb ran towards her she walked to me, ¡°heyy, you did amazingly well out there.¡± I was d he saw things that way, I felt the fight would have had an adverse effect on him.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be around for a while to spar with you.¡± She replied to him. We allughed at the taunt and went back inside. If she wanted to match the powers that would be against her, she would have to be able to bnce her own and fight back.

    We were getting to that point, but her powers seemed more intricate with every interaction she had. There was somethingplex about her and from the vague exnation the spiritual healer had given us, she was practically changing bodies. We all didn¡¯t worry too much about it though, it didn¡¯t pose any threat.

    ¡°How did I do out there? ¡± She asked me. I saw the way she stared, bowing and  her head, she wanted my confirmation and approval, she was my mate and I could read through her emotions.

    ¡°And what if I say you didn¡¯t do well enough?¡± ¡°I tried to tease her, her facial expression immediately changed.

    ¡± Then, I¡¯d be worried that the hell¡¯s pit match might actually be doomed for me.¡± She retorted.

    ¡± Well, be rest assured that you¡¯re doing amazing and you¡¯ll be getting even better than this with time, ¡°I patted her on the back as I spoke the words in her ears.

    I pulled her closer and went for a hug.

    ¡°Maya, how about you dress up? We¡¯ll be on our way out for dinner very soon.¡± I told her.

    She looked at me with a smile on her face, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure you meant that? I thought that was to motivate me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d do everything within my power for you, you know that.¡± I replied to her. Her face turned bright red quickly.

    I left to go change while I tried to do things or my own, I was prepared already and I spent the free time sorting out paperworks for my father.  He was still archaic when it came to that, but one couldn¡¯t possibly me a werewolf who was living for hundreds of years already.

    I finished up before Maya appeared and I was getting worried that something might have gone wrong, it was weird. Usually, it would be because she fainted or she fell ill and that was why she wouldn¡¯t be able to show up on time.

    I went to the room where she was dressing and was surprised by what I saw. Perhaps, she might have been someone that wasn¡¯t exposed to civilization for a long time and a ve for too long, but tonight, she was the most stunning woman ever.

    When I got in, she was fiddling with her zip and she had somehow managed to style her hair so weil, including the colorbination of the dress she wore, she was truly amazing.

    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± I got closer and whispered the words in her ear, she smiled. The smile alone gave birth to multiple butterflies in my belly and sent tingles to my brain.

    I stretched my hand to her back and helped pull the zip up so she could dressfortably.

    ¡°Are you ready now?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°One more thing ,¡± she said. She stretched her legs and matched her lips with mine before entangling me in herself.

    That brief moment of romance in the room was the only thing my head paid attention too all through the time we drove. I stared at her, I marvelled, I thought about that moment, I wanted it again. It was like a movie and I was enjoying what I experienced.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    We had gotten to our destination and I quickly went to her door side so I could help her open hers.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± She protested. ¡°I could have done it by myself.¡±

    ¡°I know you could have, I just wanted to be the one to do it.¡± I exined with a wide smile, it was infectious and I knew it, because she reciprocated.

    ¡°So, can we move, now, mydy?¡± I stretched out my hand for her and she took it in with the two of us leading our way into the exotic restaurant that I had reserved for us.

    We got in and Maya would constantly stare around at the designs and whole environment. I saw that she would look then take her eyes off of things, briefly

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you spend your time looking at them? No one will stop you.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything but blush.

    I brought out something that I had been keeping in my pocket for a while

    ¡± What¡¯s that?¡± She inquired.

    ¡± It¡¯s a portable camera. I got it so you could take pictures of memorable moments, but I think I¡¯ll be doing that for you.¡± I told her.

    She stared at it for a bit and I handed it to her for her to take a look at it. ¡± It¡¯s fascinating isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡± Yeahh.¡± She replied to me.

    ¡± Now, I want you to smile whenever I¡¯m about to take a shot? We could start from here and go to ces that you want. I could sense that she felt shy at first.

    I began to take random shots and I asked her to pose whenever I was about to take a picture, the snap sound would indicate the picture was taken.

    The night was the best one.

 13

    Maya¡¯s POV

    After taking multiple photographs of me, I was convinced Venom had brought me to the restaurant to juste watch me live life and experience it.

    We had ordered food which I failed serially at, but he came to my rescue with the menu and rmending what I should get or not and after every little movement or action, he would take pictures on his little camera thingy.

    ¡°Are you going to finally eat your food and stop watching me eat my own meal?¡± He only looked at me and smiled after I said that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m interested in my meal the way I am in you, don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s ignore it.¡± Every word that came out of his mouth felt like the most romantic thing ever and it was so mesmerising to know that he loved me.

    I had finished eating and he had only gotten half way, I got an idea and figured I¡¯d reciprocate the romance with him.

    I picked up his fork and attempted to feed him the pasta before him.

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Heined and tried to push my hands away.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m trying to feed you, just open your mouth,¡± I told him.

    After so muchints and protests, he finally opened his mouth for me to feed him and it was his turn to feel shy.

    Every time the fork went to his mouth, he would chew for a while andugh hard at what was going on before him.

    ¡± You¡¯re something else, youngdy!¡± He eximed.

    ¡± Nope, I¡¯m just doing what you would have done too. You had me blushing throughout, it¡¯s my turn to put you through the same thing you did to me.¡±

    He didn¡¯tin anymore and would let me feed him the food until I was sure he had finally eaten to his heart¡¯s content and the te was empty.

    ¡± Where shall we go next from here?¡± He asked me, feigning a strange ent that sounded weird.

    ¡± I don¡¯t know, you brought us out and I thought you had ns.¡± I retorted.

    ¡± I just want to know if you¡¯d like to be somewhere too. I wanna hear from you too.¡±

    ¡± I can¡¯t say, you know I¡¯ve barely had the chance to experience the world, how about you just show me the good things here and that would be it. I could appreciate that.¡± I told him.

    He smiled mischievously and said ¡± wait a minute.¡±

    I watched him walk to the counter where he brought out some notes and paid for the food we had eaten, he returned back briskly and was at the table again.

    ¡± Carry your bag, I wanna take you somewhere.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    I did just as he told me and we left the restaurant. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked out of curiosity.

    ¡± Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find our once we get there.¡±

    For the journey this time around, we didn¡¯t use any vehicles, we were trekking the whole thing, but slowly, he didn¡¯t rush and I didn¡¯t do the same , it was like we were savoring the moment.

    ¡°Do you know what these are?¡± He picked from pebbles off of the floor and showed it to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if¡± I couldn¡¯tplete my sentence, we were interrupted. By who? By some people that wore masks on their faces.

    Venom and I disengaged and we both stood behind each other, he faced the front while i faced the back. Perhaps, it was vice versa, all the same.

    The men aimed at us with their machetes and we swiftly fought back, disarming the men. They were weaklings and I felt proud of my prowess.

    Venom knocked all three of the men out and theyid there lifeless. He went close to their body to check their faces. ¡°Bandits!¡± He spat out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± He apologized.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that it happened and we were safe, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    The interruption from the men had totally changed the mood of our walk and how everything was going on between us.

    ¡°Are we still going to where you want to?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Yes, yes, we are.¡± He replied to me and held me closer.

    We finally reached somewhere covered by some leaves and trees but he managed to make a pathway out of the plenty of trees and then he held my hand so I could climb up.

    I wasn¡¯t sure of where we were going, but I had to trust him and warely climb up where he was leading us to.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there soon. I¡¯d have covered your eyes if I could, but it would be unsafe and you understand other factors.¡±

    I chuckled at what he said and I just followed suit whatever he did.

    We got to where he wanted us to and I figured we had actually been on top of a mountain all through the time. ¡°Howe?¡± I asked, I was bewildered by what I saw.

    ¡°It¡¯s just illusions and geography, baby.¡±

    I looked around and I could see the whole pack¡¯s territory from up above. I then realized why he had wanted us to go up there. He positioned himself somewhere at the edge and asked that Ie join him.

    I went there and immediately, it felt like my heart would fall out. It was high, extremely high.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid.¡± I told him warily.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Heughed. ¡°You¡¯re a warrior and you fight at hell¡¯s pit, what¡¯s more brave than that?¡±

    ¡°You know those are different scenarios and I have to fight for my survival.¡± I retorted.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I give up. Just pick where you want to sit so we can watch from this top for the night, we have the whole time to ourselves.¡±

    I sat where I had been standing throughout, I looked at my dress for a bit, unsure of whether it was the right thing to try sitting on the mountain top with it. When he didn¡¯tin about anything, I sat and waited for him to join me.

 14

    Maya¡¯s POV

    After being a ve for the longest time and being exonerated from that post by a master who cared for me, I wasn¡¯t going to be bothered about the oue of the hell¡¯s pit anymore. It felt like I had the perfect life already and there was nothing more fulfilling than that.

    I picked up my gear and after some thoughts to myself and got out of the bed, it was going to be a long morning.

    It was a Saturday, usually, on Saturdays, I dedicated all of my time to training continuously. It would be train to failure for me then afterwards rest till Sunday evening. Two weeks was gone out of my time, but apart from feeling like I was enjoying the world, I felt like I was receiving the best training from my master¡¯s brothers.

    I was on my fifth kilometer and I had not gotten enough yet, being a werewolf helped with thete fatigue, but also did more in the satisfactory work load for me.

    I would think while on the road for sometime, considering possible strategies I could use against the enemies I would face. Everyone in the hell¡¯s pit wanted their freedom, but it didn¡¯t help that we wanted the same thing and that they had different mutations in there.

    I thought about the few slip ups I had faced in one of thest battles and how I would have lost if my weapon had not been enchanted to destroy the person.

    The sword Ibined with my transformation whenever I would fight was gift I had been given when I came of age. I was a ve all my life, including my parents who somewhat beget me a ve too. The sword was handed to me as a child and my first battle took off from there.

    The battle had begun and the person in the cage was powerful, too powerful. Now, don¡¯t limit your imagination of the cage, the cage was just something a bit smallpared to the ce that was separated from us which housed thousands of people viewing the match.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Having the omegas as ve was one good thing for power hungry people, but also revenue for the pack which subjected us to survival by the death of one of us.

    I was getting pressed by the opposition in the cage while we fought and I could barely hold my own, I was only getting a few open spots, but whenever I did, I would make sure to make injuries in the body to weaken them. My sword had that kind of enchantment that would kill the injured slowly and that was all I replied on.

    I got exhausted at a point and was being battered, all hope was lost on whether I would survive or not. Thest and final blow that dealt the damage was when my oppositionnded his body on mine. I thought it was an act and closed my eyes to finally rest, but it was strange.

    The arena was quiet and no one said anything about the move my opponent had made, I came to my senses too and tried to shake the person off, but no movements were made, that was when I realized it.

    I changed back to my human form and pushed the being off of me while running around and jubting for I had won the battle.

    Energy that wasn¡¯t in me immediately showcased itself and it was like I wasn¡¯t exhausted a few minutes ago.

    I stopped my running for a bit to drink the water I had in my backpack. Recounting that battle, it was the most epic one I had, especially since I thought that I had lost and I was going to be killed by the ending of the whole thing.

    I packed up and continued running, I thought about more battles that I had and how they had all been. I wasn¡¯t totally winning everything. There were times when I had gotten beaten to a pulp and I detested my life the most.

    I wanted to end myself on many asions, but even how we were treated poorly, we were still heavily guarded not to end ourselves otherwise, it would be bad for the people that had us in.

    I felt bitter that I had to go back to the hell¡¯s pit again and every memory would make me feel teary about my life, but it was inevitable, I would have to go back.

    The kilometers I had set for myself through the device Venom had given me had counted up to the set limit, but I wasn¡¯t feeling so tired and I decided I would continue further, it was only good that I pushed myself to my limit.

    I kept running further and the more I ran, it seemed like I was going further from the territory, there were less buildings and signs that indicated where I was. They were just subtle thoughts and I wasn¡¯t too worried.

    At first, before I had met my master, Venom, I wasn¡¯t sure what I would do with my freedom, but I knew I wanted it very much and it was all I fought for. For the amount of time I had spent growing as a ve, even the talks of freedom at the end of hell¡¯s pit was too much of a doubting thing because it didn¡¯t seem like we would be let go.

    The joy of everything was a backup thought that I would get the chance to leave or maybe get betrothed to a different master who would be nicer than how I was being treated in hell¡¯s pit and finally, I could escape from that one into a world still unknown to me.

    The hell¡¯s pit and the past experiences that I had were all that kept mepany while I was running, but things were changing and I wasing back to reality. The moe I ran, the more I realised I was truly far from home and it was possible that I would be in danger.

    I looked around and when I saw a forest just ahead , I decided I would turn my back, but things took a different turn.

 15

    Maya¡¯s POV

    It was back again, the feeling from before, from back when  they had gotten a spiritual healer to check on me and they told me I was reforming into a different wolf. I was panicking, but I couldn¡¯t move my body.

    Iid on the ground there, with the dust from the floor clustered in my head and the birds in the trees ttering loudly as if they were calling for help for the body lying there on the ground.

    I felt immense pain and truly, it felt like a transformation, but nothing different was happening with me and I was just there on the ground. My knuckles were folded like I would throw a blow I observed it and expected something toe out of it.

    Lo and behold, something did, but they came out of my body, they were ws, the ws were different and shiny. They looked heavily like bronze and they were long. The fascination of what my body was producing did not reduce the pain I still felt in me from what was happening.

    I tried to raise my hands up but I was there, still paralysed. My eyes were closed  and when they opened, it felt like they had been sharpened, including my hearing ability. I became afraid of me, but just then, everything shut down.

    I woke upter and felt different, I wasn¡¯t tired and didn¡¯t feel pain, I felt energized. I different kind of energized. I looked around me and checked my body for the ws I had seen earlier, but it was nowhere to be found.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if was disappointed or relieved. I dusted the sand off of my body and there was no possible way to tell the time, my next course of action was to return back home.

    I looked ahead and remembered I had been running in a straight direction, but there were paths I had made turns and I wasn¡¯t sure if I could remember them correctly.

    ¡°Ohhh, why have the gods subjected me to this!¡± I screamed out loud at the skies.

    I was almost done with my statement when I covered my mouth. My voice when I shouted her gotten louder. At that point, I believed my body had truly undergone changes and they were changes I never even believed were possible.

    When I was wolfing as a young child, it was painful and maybe not as painful as the current change I was experiencing. I assumed that would be its finale in my life, but fate was showing me different results and they were not the best ones.

    I began running again and trying my best to find my way back to my master¡¯s house. I could still remember a few things and I tried to rely on that for the time being. I had been running for some time and when I looked at the sky, the sun was setting already.

    ¡°How could I have spent the whole day on the road?¡± I was livid with myself.

    I simply kept a focus look and continued my running, I wasn¡¯t tired. In fact, the energy boost I had gotten was immense, the problem would be getting to reach home on time which didn¡¯t seem likely.

    I thought about how worried they might have gotten and the chances of Venom getting angry and wanting to return me back to the hell¡¯s out before my time was done out in the world already.

    Those thoughts alone made me hasten myself and I increased thece by every stride. I was back to the territory and I finally gave a sigh of relief, there was still a ¡®but¡¯ in the whole thing. The way to Venom¡¯s ce.

    I continued running, but slowly and I tried to view everything around maybe I would be able to recognize their house amongst the numerous ones I saw. It wasn¡¯t an easy task and I had to give you.

    ¡°Sorry, good evening, where I can I find the way to the Alpha¡¯s house?¡± An idea had popped in my head and it was to ask bystanders. I was unsure at first, but it was the only option at that point.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need a cab, it¡¯s quite far from here.¡± The man replied to me.

    I looked at him, there was no way anyone would take me anywhere for free and I had empty pockets.

    ¡°Just direct me, I can make it there by foot.¡±

    I recalled the man calling a fewnes and asking me to make different turns, but that was all I remembered from the conversation we had and I thought I had made a bit of progress.

    Everytime I got somewhere and I felt lost, I would ask someone nearby so they could direct me again. I wasn¡¯t forgetful, I was just losing my way more consistently.

    Thanks to the gods, everytime I would reach a destination ready to ask for directions, I would ask if I was any closer and they all had ¡®yes¡¯ to say.

    I got somewhere and the fact that I had not reached where I was going was bothering me and it made me feel tired and bored with the running.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    I took a rest for a bit, i had reached that point where I would question someone again for directions, but I was taking my time to catch my breath.

    I walked to where a man was standing speaking to someone else and I tapped him to ask him a question, but I was taken aback by who I saw. It was my master, Venom.

    ¡°Maya!¡± He eximed and I went threw myself on him. ¡°Where have you been,¡± he asked while holding me as tight as possible.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m very sorry, I got lost.¡± I began to apologise profusely. I felt remorse for not doing as he had told me , he had set my destination through the device he gave me, but I went past what he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was out here¡¯s searching for you and you appeared. I¡¯m so d.¡±

 16

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°I found her.¡± I announced to the whole family as j entered the house.

    Maya had been gone for far too long and at first, I had only chosen to go search for her by myself and then I nned to get more people involved the next day.

    Luckily, she was found and she fell into my hands at the right time.

    My mom was the first person to throw herself at her. ¡°My daughter, where have you been?¡± It was a rhetoric and a question at the same time.

    Maya had narrated how she had gotten lost which sounded like the wildest thing I had ever heard, I was only grateful I didn¡¯t lose her and nothing went wrong.

    The night had ended for everyone and I and Maya were getting into the bed and pulling the duvet on each other.

    Sleeping together had be a verymon thing.

    ¡°Are you sure you feel well? I think your situation needs external interference. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    She looked at me after what I said and I could tell she was skeptical about the whole thing.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s something from hell¡¯s pit and they¡¯re trying to prevent me from escaping or anything. I don¡¯t want to worry.¡±

    The day had a taken a toll on her and it was obvious.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    The matter died down and we both slept for the night. I held her closely and hoped that nothing would take her away anymore.

    I had gotten extremely attracted to her and feared losing her every time. The first time, it had been sympathy, butter on, I was feeling more and more endeared to her.

    ¡°Sleep well, I love you.¡± I whispered in her ear, but she was fast asleep already and her mind was long gone.

    I slept off too.

    The next morning, I woke up to see her still sleeping beside me. I was surprised, it was unlike her. I thought about the possibility of her not desiring training early in the morning anymore after what happened.

    I got out of bed and went to the living room where I met my parents. It was already their routine since we were younger and it was expected.

    ¡°Good morning dad, good morning girl.¡± I greeted them both.

    ¡°Come have a sit after washing your face, we would like to hold a discussion with you.¡± They both said in unison.

    There was nothing I was more convinced of in life than the fact that they had probably nned the discussion and it was an important one.

    Something was in my mind, but I doubted it. Even at that, there wasn¡¯t really any usible thing they would have said to me that would seem new, so j doubted myself too.

    I got my face washed and drank some water, a morning routine on my part.  My heart began palpitating a bit and I tried to y the drama off.

    ¡°Take a seat, darling.¡± My mother urged me.

    I sat down and felt like a child once again. It was something then would do whenever I was younger if I hadmitted an offense. They called it the ¡®big people talk¡¯.

    ¡°We would like to speak about the girl you¡¯ve brought over.¡± My dad started the discussion with me. Ig was just liked I had in mind and like I had predicted earlier on.

    ¡°I know we haven¡¯t had a discussion on this before so I¡¯ll wait on you guys stand before saying a thing.¡± I told them.

    They looked pleased and began.

    ¡°Your father and I will always support you for whatever you desire, but you know this is an extreme scenario.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, mom?¡± I asked her, confused at her statement.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the girl you¡¯ve brought over and things going on between you two. You don¡¯t think you¡¯ve taken things to far regarding the kind of person she is?¡±

    ¡°I thought you guys epted her?¡± That was the illusion I always had in my mind from their behavior towards her until the statements they were currently making.

    ¡°Yes, we do.¡±

    ¡°But what can I do? I can¡¯t do anything, she¡¯s my mate and I have to ept her regardless of anything and I appreciate your care for me, but she¡¯s my mate. ¡±

    I saw the defeated look in my father¡¯s face, but there was nothing I could do about it.

    It wasn¡¯t like I would sacrifice being with my mate and after the situation I found her in, I didn¡¯t think I wanted to leave her for any reason.

    ¡°Alright, we will support you regardless of what you do. We just wanted to have the discussion with you for a bit since we never talked over it and I¡¯m d we did.¡±

    My dad ended with the statement and we all parted ways to do things we did in the morning.

    The rest of the day would turn out awkward after I found out that Maya had been peeping on us all along.

    She saw me and went back into her room.  ¡°F**k!¡± I immediately eximed.

    I went to the room and expected to be locked out, but it was opened and all I saw in there was a sunken woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what you heard.¡± I began with apologizing.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re my master and they¡¯re your parents.¡± Sh told me.

    ¡°I thought I told you to stop calling me your master. Please, stop that and I want you to know that there¡¯s no one trying to get you out of here.¡± I tried to assure her.

    The apologies and statements were doing little to pacify her from what I saw.

    I gave up on it and decided I would just let time do the magic.

    The training she had with my brothers was quiteckluster and I was sure they all figured that something was wrong with her mood since she was hardly out of her element.

    They ended the training quicker than earlier and that was it for the day. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything different and I felt entirely guilty for bringing her.

 17

    Maya¡¯s POV

    After hearing everything my master and his parents had discussed, I felt down that they would be that way towards me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was justified to feel the way I did, I was just torn down emotionally.

    My master had defended me which was good, it felt nice.

    ¡°Maya, is there something you would like to have?¡± I

    He walked in and peeped from the side of the door.

    ¡°No, or we could have dinner with everyone like we always do. That¡¯s fine.¡± His reaction made it seem like I was offending him.

    I owed him obedience, so I changed mind. ¡°I¡¯ll have whatever is avable.¡± I told him.

    It felt ironic that he would serve me. After what went down in the morning, I felt like my spirit had been drained out and I barely wanted to do anything or desires anything.

    Perhaps, my desire to have nothing was something thati actually resonated with and it didn¡¯t even rte with being offended with what happened.

    I was called minutester by my master who had told me the table was prepared for everyone toe have their meals.

    I got up from the bed where I had been rxing on for a while so I could follow him out.

    When I got there, everyone had been prepared and were already there. Even the boys who I thought were alwayste to meals, showed up on time.

    I grabbed a sit by my master and I could feel his parent¡¯s eyes on me or maybe I was projecting. The meal ended up being really quiet with little talks here and there.

    ¡°Honey? You don¡¯t seem as jovial as usual,¡± my master¡¯s mom spoke up.

    I nced at her to see if she was truly serious after what had happened earlier.

    ¡°Nothing, ma.¡± I replied to her.

    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t trained, I¡¯d have suggested brightening up your day with some challenge, since that¡¯s all we know you like.¡± I spared Caleb a smile after he had said what he said.

    ¡± Anyway, what do you like?¡± He continued.

    ¡± I don¡¯t know.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡± Come on, there should be something. All of us like one unique thing or the other.¡±

    I thought deeply and I was getting tired of the way I was getting harassed with the questions, but then I remembered my status and didn¡¯t react.

    On the good side, my master was there to feature to him to leave me alone in my mood and he finally gave up.

    The meal continued in silence and we finished up at a time with some workersing to clear up the ce while we all parted ways and I was the first to leave to my room.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what happened with the meals and everyer on. The bed was myfort zone and that was where I went to afterwards. I threw myself on it and covered myself up.

    I imagined how much I would miss thefort after going back to hell¡¯s pit. Then, everything made me begin to rethink everything I had in mind about getting out of the hell¡¯s pit and who I would be with afterwards.

    I remembered Venom calling me his mage and every other to hing that happened within the little drama that urred with his parents.

    ¡°Am I giving him a hard time?¡± I asked myself.

    My body was calming and all the anger and dislike from earlier calming itself in my body.

    I curled up in the bed missing how he would hold me again night.

    I thought about where he could be. After dinner, he had not returned into the room and he was probably helping with something else or working, he had managed to keep it steady even when we came back to his parent¡¯s for training.

    I got out of the bed and went in search of him in the living room, there, I found him sitting all by himself on the couch.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    I had assumed the whole family would be out there.

    I walked slowly past his back to find a spot on the chair, but when I thought I had escaped his ears, he said, ¡°hey.¡±

    ¡°Dammit!¡± I eximed and joined him on the chair.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s not so hard to sense you. I¡¯m your mate.¡± He said, I looked at him and curled under his arms.

    He stretched them out widely for me to rest well.

    ¡°Are you back to your normal self?¡± He asked me.

    I nodded on his chest and justid there listening to his heart beat and thinking of how much I would miss him after returning back to hell¡¯s pit.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened. It shouldn¡¯t have happened that way. They were only trying to take caution for their child.¡± He tried exining things to me.

    It was pitiful and loving at the same time and held me closer to him.

    For the moment there, we were still and together without making any movements. I thought about the family and chances that they might walk in on us.

    ¡°Can we go to the room, master?¡± I asked politely.

    He only looked at me and smile and he did the unexpected afterwards.

    He stood up from the chair and lifted me from underneath and carried me into the room.

    I giggled slightly as he did that. ¡°Stay quiet my princess, we don¡¯t want to alert everyone.¡±

    I covered my face in his chest and we kept on moving. When we entered the room, he dropped me on the bed and joined me on it.

    He undressed himself and suggested that he had a bath beforeing to bed with me. I waited patiently on the bed and kept myselfpany with the imagination of him.

    I could hear the sound of the water pouring on the floor and I decided I would take off my clothes too and go join him inside there.

    The wolf wanted in me wanted him and I think I felt him or maybe it was perception. Either way, I went in.

 18

    Venom¡¯s POV

    There was progress in the training and Maya only had a week and some days to get back, but she was getting worse in health.

    Somehow, the same thing that haunted her a few days since when she got back has happened again and we¡¯re all worried. The spiritual healer has stated with her throughout and even at that, it just seemed bad.

    Maya was paralyzed in her room, the only people there was me and the healer. She could manage to utter a few words but she couldn¡¯t move.

    I moved closer to her and tried to touch and stroke her body. She would be powerless under these conditions and her pack would still be interested in getting her to fight as an omega.

    Nothing infuriated me more, but causing war over a woman would be affecting too many lives and even cause greater damages.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving, I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. If there¡¯s any improvement, let me know.¡± The spiritual healer had packed up and was ready to leave.

    Everyone had kept their hopes up and I initially thought that it would even be a minor issue readyto be solved.

    ¡°Alright, sir. Thank you for all you¡¯ve done, we appreciate.¡± I shook hands with him and he left.

    After what had happened that day, I wasn¡¯t convinced I still wanted to spend more days sitting in the dark about her.

    I thought about going out to find answers, maybe someone else who would exin what¡¯s going on with her.

    My first options was where she resided, her pack.

    The next morning, I was dressed already. I went to the separate room where she stayed and spoke to her. Someone had gone before me and I was told she was still the same.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± I sat beside her.

    She grumbled some words which I couldn¡¯t make out, it was saddening.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re currently in plenty hurt and I just want you to know that I will be out to check for healings for you. I won¡¯te back until I find a solution for you.¡± I ced my palms on her head as I spoke to her.

    She nodded in the positive which assured me she understood me.

    I hugged her body for a bit andid on her gently, she shifted a bit and I could sense her. Minutester, I felt something wet dripping around my neck, she was crying.

    I checked her face and she had a solemn expression. I held her tight and left.

    ¡°Are you sure this is going to work?¡± My mom was standing outside the door.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m just trying anything.¡± She   grieved Maya too, if only Maya had understood that evening that everyone was in eptance of her.

    ¡°May the gods be with you son,¡± she hugged me briefly and I left.

    Maya¡¯s pack wasn¡¯t so far so I had taken a car which I drove to my destination. Every time I moved, the only thoughts in my head were the fears of losing her beforeing back.

    I was sure she would live, I had faith, but I was scared for her.

    ¡°She¡¯ll survive.¡± I assured myself.

    I kept driving and by noon, I had gotten to her pack.  It was just linked by another one between us, we were almost neighbors if not for distance andnd areas which were quite grand.

    I was in an unfamiliar area that didn¡¯t seem quite popted and I wasn¡¯t sure of my first step anymore. I could either ask around for advises from people or go directly to their alpha, being one myself.

    I sat in the car for a bit and nned my approach to things.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go to the alpha.¡± I told myself and I drove away.

    Getting to the pack house, I clearly saw where the revenue from the hell¡¯s pit was going and it was sure a splurge of wealth.

    Getting to the gates, I had to Identify myself and they allowed me in quickly after a conversation with the alpha¡¯s chief of security.

    The ce fascinated me but I was more worried about what I came to do.

    ¡°Good afternoon sir, it¡¯s nice to have you hear.¡± The man shook hands with me when I entered and he met me.

    ¡°I came to see the alpha.  I need to speak with him, is he in?¡± I question the security man who j had been les to.

    ¡°Most definitely, but you might have to wait in his courtyard for a bit. He wasn¡¯t aware of any visitors today and he wouldn¡¯t just want you going without meeting him.¡±

    The man was quite friendly, I was impressed with how they treated me. I was quite intrigued at how they managed to treat a race of their people how they did, but they seemed nice.

    I sat in the courtyard nervous and waiting for the man to meet me. I heavily hoped that I would leave with answers since they were all my bid for a solution.

    Someone came, but it wasn¡¯t him. It was a servant who had been ordered toe serve me. There was a meal of meat and juice.

    I hesitated and didn¡¯t devour it. Things turned out well for me and I didn¡¯t have to wait and stare at the food too long before the Alpha appeared.

    I stood up in respect and the man went for an hug instead of a handshake, ¡°good day Alpha Maximum.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s everything with you, Alpha Venom.¡± He greeted.

    I sat down and was a bit relieved.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I came here on behalf of a someone from a race of your people, an omega.¡±

    The man¡¯s countenance immediately changed.  I was sure he had been informed that I purchased one of his people.

    ¡°What can I do?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s ill and it¡¯s not normal and I wanted answers to that. ¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    He held a strong frown and stood up to leave, but before then, he called for his guards against me.

 19

    Venom¡¯s POV

    I immediately kept myself in a stance to fight.

    ¡°What the heck is happening, man?¡± I was irritated.

    ¡°Exactly what you see. I don¡¯t take lightly to other alphasing to my pack to find out about my people.¡±

    The men had arrived and only waited for the monologue between us to end before attacking. They were a piece of cake, but what defied my understanding was Alpha Maximum¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°I need to f**cking save my mate and you say this?¡±

    ¡°Please, leave in peace otherwise, this wouldn¡¯t be a friendly conversation any more.¡±

    I walked out of the ce in anger and couldn¡¯t believe what I had just witnessed and experienced. The man was behaving disgracefully.

    I got out and went to my car, I sat there fuming. Everything pointed to going to war with the man. At least, to feed the omegas who were led by him and suffered dearly for being who they were.

    I drove off and followed the path through which I hade. There was no solution in the pack house. I thought about the locals and asking them questions.

    It was almost evening and I had not gotten somewhere yet, time wasn¡¯t at my disposal.

    I looked for the nearest market where I could park and meet with the people.

    The ce seemed quite crowded for the evening, but if was still at my benefit. I searched for somewhere safe to park and set out my journey on foot.

    All I could see as I stepped into the market were people who sold livestocks and food. I had still not seen someone selling herbs and medicines. They were the people I wanted to go to.

    After going back and forth for a bit, I resorted to questioning the butcher who I had passed by twice.

    ¡°Hey, good evening.¡± I greeted him.

    ¡°Are you going to buy meat?¡± There was a scattered  queue and people were inspecting what they would get.

    ¡°Do you know where I could get strong herbs or maybe meat and healer? I have an omega who is sick and from hell¡¯s pit.¡±

    His reaction was different and I guessed it was due to what we all shared the same knowledge of.

    ¡°Yes, I do. My mother is one, an hybrid at that, you don¡¯t find many healers of such cases around and I suggest you don¡¯t just go around asking.¡±

    At that point, I was just wary of everything and everyone in the pack.

    ¡°It¡¯s urgent. When can I get to see her? That would be until after work, sir, but I can help.¡± He exined to me.

    ¡°Close up your shop and I would be more than willing to pay in twenty folds or what you would have made tonight.¡±

    His face changed, ¡°who are you?¡±

    ¡°Just do as I say and you will be highly rewarded.¡± I told him. I thought about it and decided I would just keep my status as alpha hidden from the people for now, it didn¡¯t exactly seem safe in the area.

    The man did as I said with a smile on his face and I only stood there waiting for him. After him, I would simply go back to my pack and maybe go to the dark witches.

    They were forbidden and that was why I had not gone to them yet, but maybe bending the rules for Maya wouldn¡¯t be too great of a big deal.

    I was desperate.

    He finally finished and I sighed, he had to send the people that had been waiting for him away and they grumbled as they left. They were by the least my worries.

    ¡± So, let¡¯s go.¡±

    We got into my car and following his directions, I was navigating my ce to his house. It felt funny that I had somehow managed to reach someone who exactly had a solution.

    I only prayed the gods would be nice enough to let things work in my favor.

    ¡°Then turn to the left and we would be right there.¡± He instructed.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    I navigated just as he had spoken and I was surprised to see that he lived in his own home. It had an old school design which made me assume inheritance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in, sir and please, be ready to meet your end of the bargain.¡± It was clear that he was beginning to doubt already.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be settled ordingly, u won¡¯t fail you.¡±

    He nodded and we went in.

    I thought I would meet an age old woman in the house but I was surprised she was only a but a youngdy.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve got a visitor. He needs help.¡± The man told his mother.

    ¡°Please, take your sit.¡± The woman addressed me.

    I sat down and I was in awe and surprise at what I was experiencing.

    ¡°Would you like to have anything to eat, sir?¡± She said calmly. Her voice was gentle and I was convinced there was witchcraft begin what I was seeing, but witchcraft was only banned in our side.

    Maybe it wasn¡¯t in the Mountain pack, here.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be satisfied with water, nothing more, please.¡± I told her politely.

    She went in with her son and I waited patiently for them to arrive. I tried listening in on them, but I couldn¡¯t make out the words they spoke.

    It was abstruse to me.

    They took a while, but they came out.

    ¡°So, my son, what has brought you here?¡± She asked me.

    Seeing a youngdy like that hold that kind of conversation with me was unsettling, but that was the least of things.

    I began to narrate the things that happened in regards to Maya thest few days, I hoped there would be a chance for her to be able to do something to help.

    ¡°I think I know what¡¯s going on, but I would have to see her.¡± She told me.

    ¡± When do we set out?¡± I asked her.

    She looked surprised at what I had said, ¡°we can¡¯t.¡±

 20

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°It¡¯s prettyte to make any movement anywhere, besides, where are you from? ¡±

    The woman looked at me even more curious about my case.

    ¡°I¡¯m Venom, from ck Moon¡¯s pack.¡± I exined to her.

    She didn¡¯t seem like she got any form of recognition from what I had told her. I felt that would be in my favor if I still hid my Identity.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure we can do anything tonight, but how about tomorrow?¡± She tried getting me to give up on the idea of leaving for the night.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite urgent, my mate¡¯s not feeling well and I could really use the help as soon as possible.¡± There was still urgency in my tone which I hoped she would favor ande along.

    Her son was seated on a couch watching the conversation take ce. I exchanged eye contact with him hoping he would persuade his mom for me.

    ¡°What exactly is the problem? How about we start from there and as we continue progress will surelye forth. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She sounded soothing, it was just hard to be calm with what was going on back at home.

    ¡°She¡¯s an omega from hell¡¯s pit scheduled to fight in a final battle soon and she¡¯s been momentarily ill. It goes from copsing sometimes to falling ill.¡±

    ¡± And you¡¯ve tried the normal ways of treating these things?¡± She asked me.

    ¡± Yes, we have.¡±

    She nodded and calmed for a bit. I sat there in suspense hoping she would be able toe up with something.

    ¡± There are chances of different things happening to her.¡± She started. ¡± It¡¯s possible she could be transforming or she has been infected. I¡¯m not sure of which, but seeing her is important.¡± She ended her statement.

    It didn¡¯t seem like I would be getting her to buy the idea of leaving the house that evening anytime soon, I had to give up. ¡°When do we live in the morning?¡±

    ¡°As early as we can,¡± she said.

    ¡± It¡¯ste already and I¡¯ll suggest you sleep till when we can leave for your pack.¡± She advised, she had a caring expression on her face.

    Perhaps, I was getting to see the age old part in the young face she had donned for herself.

    ¡± Alright, thank you everyone. It¡¯s time for me to have my own private concern with the visitor.¡± Her son came forth and instantly understood what he wanted.

    ¡± Well, I¡¯ll leave you boys to yourself. I have some catching up to do with my kitchen. Be on your best behavior, Larry.¡± She said as she left the room for both of us.

    Larry came to the couch where I was seated and made his move, ¡°how do I get paid now?¡±

    ¡°A cheque?¡± I wrote one and handed it to me.

    When he saw the numbers on his paper, the assumed shock I supposed he would have was even greater than I expected.

    ¡°Is everything alright there?¡± His mom called out from the kitchen.

    The man had managed to let out a shout of celebration that shook the house. I smiled and silently prayed to the gods that Maya would get relieved of the things that were hindering her health.

    The man thanked me profusely and went to join his mother.

    I watched as he danced joyfully.  I was tired after all I had gone through, throughout the day andid myself straight on the couch that I sat on.

    I imagined what was going on with Maya, I had not called home yet, but it was intentional. I didn¡¯t want to make anymunication unless I was sure that I would being back with a solution.

    ¡°There¡¯s a guest house for you. You can sleep there,¡± the woman came in and quickly suggest when she saw where Iid.

    ¡± It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m more worried than ready to rest, I¡¯ll be okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I told her.

    Even her son had entered the living room and suggested the same thing, but I didn¡¯t give in to the persuasion.

    Everyone disbanded, life and movements ended in the house and it was still. They had all gone to their respective rooms.

    It was hard for me to shut my eyes, thoughts would haunt me and I would constantly roll around the couch where Iid on.

    At one point, I stood up and moved around for a little bit. Admiring the portraits in the room and the old looking painting of the war. It wasn¡¯t faded, it just didn¡¯t look recent.

    ¡°Maya!¡± I muttered to myself. I only had hope left for her existence and I prayed things wouldn¡¯t have turned worse by the time I got back to the pack house.

    I went back to my couch to sleep again, I would have to leave very early in the morning and after all my restlessness, the ticking clock was at 1 A. M already.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Dammit,¡± I shut my eyes and tried to sleep, but something disturbed my ears. I could hear chants, but it sounded distant.

    At first, I yed it off, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was just something ordinary.

    I went to the window to check if I could see where the chant wasing from, but I only saw distant lights, they were numerous. I yed it off as burial ceremony and went back to the couch.

    Only a few minutester and everything got louder and the ground shook underneath my feet. The witch had women up and she hade to see what was going on too including her son.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening outside?¡± She spoke, asking no one in particr but searching about.

    I could hear the chants clearly and the few words I could make our was, ¡°kill them all!¡±

    It was repeated until they reached the front porch and I now realized who they hade for.

    Their first role of attack was to throw a tiki torch that lit up the curtains. Soon after, hundreds morended on the house and everything was in mes.

    ¡°Run everyone!¡± I cried out.

 21

    Venom¡¯s POV

    More tiki fire torches rained in the house and we all scampered away from the building.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve got some things to pack up before leaving.¡± Larry said, breathing heavily as he ran back to the house.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    His mom looked at him with fear in her eyes as he ran, I couldn¡¯t stop him. He was running in there to get himself something that seemed important than his life that was at stake.

    ¡°Larry!¡± She screamed aloud as he kept running, but he was already far from us already.

    The fire torches were even raining heavily and the house threatened to explode with the pounds of gas cylinders began to fling at the doors.

    We witnessed it from the backyard which was spacious and what was left was for us to go to a car but we were still waiting for Larry who had gone in to fetch something.

    ¡°I need to go get my son,¡± she said urgently and began running too.

    ¡°Wait, no, you can¡¯t. They¡¯re throwing too many things there, you may not survive and it¡¯s unsafe.¡± I tried to get her out of the idea.

    ¡°But my son, I need to get to him.¡±

    I tried holding her down in a hug, ¡°he¡¯ll be out soon, don¡¯t worry.¡± I tried to pet her.

    Fate had other ns, when I finished the statement, everything blew to pieces shattering in the air.

    ¡°Larryyy!¡± She screamed.

    I looked around and saw that the people had not managed to still sight us in the chaos that was going on.  Going to the house would be a bad idea.

    ¡°Please, calm yourself and let¡¯s move. It¡¯s really unsafe out here.¡± I tried pleading with her.

    She sobbed and sobbed in my chest and I couldn¡¯t help it, I broke a tear to the sad incident that had just happened.

    ¡°Please, let¡¯s go.¡± I held her closer and led her to my car which was parked some miles away from the home.

    The people were still at the house acting like ravaging monsters. It would be no surprise if had been tracked and traced to the poor woman¡¯s house.

    I hated how fate was taking ce and even hated myself more for being the cause of the woman¡¯s problem.

    She still cried while I led her on and at longst, we got to the car in which I quickly drove off away from the area.

    She was at the back seat and I would constantly check on her through my mirror if she was okay. On her part, she was looking back at what she was leaving behind.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, ma.¡± I tried to apologize and cheer her up.

    She didn¡¯t seem like she heard me, but there was nothing I could do to help and I only left her to grieve her son. There was no chance Larry could have survived.

    I imagined losing Maya that way, that was scary to witness and imagine.

    It was midnight and it wasn¡¯t possible that we could stop somewhere in the pack without the people getting alerted and theming to attack again.

    I checked my back and saw that thedy had slept off already. That was a relief. It was too saddening to have seen what happened.

    I decided I would just drive back to my pack, there was nothing more I could do than that.

    My mind was going through series of thoughts, it was most likely that the Alpha of the pack ordered the attack and I was definitely going to get my own back on him.

    I was irritated at the kind of barbaric actions that they exhibited in the pack. It was by far the lowest character.

    As I drove through the night, there was barely anyone on the road and we don¡¯te across any cars. That was probably a better thing than getting spotted and immediately attacked by the people.

    The woman at the back would grunt a few times in her sleep and I assumed she was having nightmares. Nothing else was left to see or do, I was alone with mya thoughts and driving.

    For some time, the mood was the same until she woke up. I watched her from the mirror for a while, she was still on her chair at the back and barely made any movements.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked her, it probably wasn¡¯t Beth best question at the time but I had to figure out if all was well.

    She adjusted herself and began to climb through the space between us so she could sit at the front. I helped bend the chair so there would be more space for her.

    She eventually settled in and was seated beside me.

    ¡°My name is Elora.¡± She stated.

    I looked at her surprise, surprised that she had said so and surprised that since I met her, I never even asked for her name and she even took me in.

    ¡°Venom, Venom ck.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Alpha of ck Moon pack?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ¡± I asserted, my face directed at the road.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± She asked, her voice solemn and I could hear the sadness in her voice.

    ¡°I wanted the help and wanted to be safe.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that worked out well for any of us.¡± I immediately regretted evening to the pack. I had derailed somebody¡¯s life.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I apologized to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, there¡¯s barely anything we can do at this point. I¡¯ve lost my son.¡± She didn¡¯t say thest statement with any weakness in the tone. It¡¯s as if she had epted fate.

    I kept quiet and kept driving, the ce was tense and emotions were at a high. I feared I would cause more hurt if I said more things to her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what could have been so important to him that he actually returned back to the house.¡± I nced at her, it was as if she spoke to herself alone.

    ¡°He had not wolfed out, he knew he would die!¡± Something shook us and the car went in a spin.

 22

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°What was that?¡± Elora asked, her body shaking in her seat.

    ¡°I think that was just a minor pothole. We¡¯ll just keep moving.¡±

    She would constantly look behind her to see if we were being followed and I would do the same through the mirror too.

    We were getting closer to the border so there would be lesser issues once we got out of their territory.

    I wasn¡¯t going to take the actions of Alpha Maximum lightly, but I would have to go back home to settle thingspletely first.

    ¡°So, have you been married before?¡± The woman asked me.

    ¡°No, this is just my first and only mate. I pray she remains the only one if I don¡¯t lose her.¡± I replied to her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been married once. I was married to Larry¡¯s father as a youngerdy.¡± My brain didn¡¯t catch on to what she had said for a bit, until when I remembered that she was only adorning a young face on.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been killing to ask about why I look so young and I¡¯ll answer you.¡± She added.

    I was d she would exin and for the fact that she wasn¡¯t a grieving woman anymore and she had gotten better with her emotions.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to listen.¡± I encouraged the conversation she was trying to start up between us.

    ¡°When I was younger, I was only a young wolf and I had only gotten to be like this after an enchantment.¡±

    She opened her chest and exposed just enough for me to see a little below her corbone. There was a tattoo on it.

    ¡°Is that from the enchantment?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, it is. It was from a battle and I was brought here captive a long while ago. I married here and mostly lived here.¡± She cut the conversation short and didn¡¯t say anything anymore.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m willing to speak more about myself.¡± She was almost breaking in a sob and that was when I knew the conversation had broken the camel¡¯s back.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I stretched out my hand for her to grab onto. She didn¡¯t reject it and held it firm. I tried my possible best to pay attention with the one arm I used to drive.

    I felt a sense of rxation as she stroked it gently for me too. She had a smile on her face when she was me  sighing.

    ¡°Did it help with your tension?¡± She asked smiling.

    ¡°Yes it did and did I also help with yours?¡±

    ¡°Most definitely.¡± She asserted.

    I guess I was satisfied with that oue.

    It was past midnight and we had only entered the neighbouring pack. There was still a little more journey to go through before getting to our destination.

    I wanted to park and rest, but I was reluctant to do so because of the woman I had in my car and what has happened with her child.

    I felt owed her some rest in somewhere convenient without the attacks.

    The car went dead silent and there was no conversation between us anymore. I thought about Maya and the initial reason I had asked Elora toe with me.

    It didn¡¯t seem like she would still be on board with the initial idea after what happened with her son. It was barelyforting to ask her for such help after what I caused her.

    An hour passed and she had dozed off. I brought the car to a stop in thepound of the pack house and had to wake her up.

    ¡°Hey, Elora. We¡¯re here now.¡± I tapped her body gently.

    She jolted from her sleep. She had been sleeping deeply before I went to wake her up. .

    ¡°We¡¯re at my pack house. Wake up so we can go in and you can restfortably.¡± I said to her calmly.

    The door was spread open and she brought herself out, I had to gently steady her since she was still a bit sleepy.

    I held her hand guided her through the entrance. No one was awake and I was thankful they were not. Everything was still overwhelming and it would have been a bit extra if they came out to all that was happening.

    I led her to a guest room where sheid on the bed and dozed off almost a minuteter. I had watched her fall asleep before going out of the room.

    I went to the room where Maya had been kept next to find her, but she wasn¡¯t there. I was surprised and went to my normal room where she wasn¡¯t in too.

    I got a bit worried, but I trusted nothing unsafe would have happened to her without any information for me.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    I fell asleep on the bed without undressing, I looked just the way I came in and the fatigued had overpowered me.

    My dreams were disturbing and I was constantly having nightmares about what had happened hours ago at Alpha Maximum¡¯s pack. I was only stirred and didn¡¯t wake up for a while.

    By the time my eyes were opened, it was morning or maybe afternoon. The light was just quite bright in the room and rays of the sun reflected off of a ss table that I had in the room.

    I got up and undressed so I could get a bath before starting up for the day.

    I still felt tired, but it was no longer physical fatigue. It was mental stress and my wolf could sense it well, it had retracted. My body pretty much felt lifeless.

    I got a brief bath and changed into different clothes so I could go out to the living room to find everyone.

    After dressing and finishing up the routine, I went to the guest house where I had left Elora, she was still asleep.

    I went to the living room to search for the family, but no one was there, I heard voicesing from the dining and when I got there, I was bewildered.

    ¡°Maya?¡±

 23

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I stared at Venom who stood transfixed at me. ¡°Maya!¡± He eximed.

    I was immensely d to see him. ¡°Heyy, Venom.¡± I jumped out of the chair I was seated on and went to hug him.

    ¡°Are you real?¡± He spoke in my ears when I reached him.

    ¡°Of course I am,¡± I responded.

    He was still surprised and I understood why. I pulled him to the table where everyone were having their meals at.

    He sat beside me and everyone greeted him.¡±Why did no one tell me she was well?¡±

    ¡°We tried multiple times but you were unreachable and when we reached out to Alpha Maximum, we were told you had left.¡± His mother tried exining things to him.

    I couldn¡¯t tell which one his emotions were leaning on to more. Was he more happy or more surprised?

    He looked at me one more time and threw me in his arms, j got my answer at that moment.

    ¡°I came back early this morning and she wasn¡¯t around? What happened? ¡±  He spoke again, more rxed this time around and he mindlessly chewed his food.

    ¡± I now work with the pack¡¯s army.¡± I announced to him.

    ¡°Howe?¡± He asked.

    ¡± We thought her facing morebatants like them would be useful to her and her training.¡± Alexi exined.  ¡± She could stop if you don¡¯t want that.¡±  He quickly added.

    I had women up from the terrible illness that befell me days before and I was more than stronger. Every time the illness would befall me, I noticed k was stronger.

    Maybe the illness was a form of training. I wasn¡¯t sure for myself.

    Everyone ate their meals with less questions since the one who had been asking had gotten engulfed in consuming. I imagined how famished he must have been, it was totally unusual of him to be that way.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡± Let¡¯s go to the room.¡± He told me once we were done. I took his hand and followed him away from the dining table.

    ¡°Goodbye, lovebirds.¡± I  heard Caleb teasing. I wouldn¡¯t deny I was happy to have gotten Venom back. Life had it¡¯s own on me when I was the next in line to worry when we couldn¡¯t reach Venom for a while.

    We both were about to enter the room when we encountered ady. ¡°Elora,¡± I heard him say. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked the woman.

    ¡°There was no one who came throughout and I thought I would just show myself. How are you, Venom?¡±

    Just then, he remembered he was with his spouse.

    ¡°Maya, this is Elora. Elora, this is Maya.¡± He introduced the two of us to each other.  I shook hands with the youngdy that stood before me.

    ¡°She¡¯s the hybrid witch I met when to get help.¡± He buttressed.

    ¡°If you need anything, Elora, please, ask the maids and servants. Anybody who questions you, tell them about our journey, I¡¯ll be out soon. ¡± He told her and left with me.

    ¡± How are you doing?¡± He asked me once I entered.

    ¡± I¡¯m better than before. The illness didn¡¯t do as much damage as I thought it would.¡± I exined to him.

    I stared at me from head to toe for maybe a second and the next thing was a kiss on my lips. Oh, how much I missed him!

    I got closer to him and even kissed him harder than he was doing to me. He definitely was impressed because I could hear the sound he made while we were both entangled and we ended up falling on the bed.

    Steamy tales, but that¡¯s forter.

    Later in the evening, i was brought out and every other family member came out so we could meet the youngdy I saw earlier, officially.

    Everyone had gotten to the table finally and it was finally time for her and Venom to address us.

    ¡°Hello everyone, this is Elora, a witch, a hybrid actual and I brought her in toe check on Maya when necessary.¡± He stated.

    The woman was all smiles standing next to him as he spoke about her.

    ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯m surprised.¡± His mother said.

    ¡°And yes!¡± Venom eximed. ¡°She¡¯s older than she looks, I mean she¡¯s the mother of a son as old as me.¡±

    There was a change of countenance on the two of them faces.

    ¡°She¡¯s older than she looks, that¡¯s all.¡± He concluded. I wondered what information they shared between themselves that caused them to react that way after the statement had been made.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s so much we can say, but wee to the family. It¡¯s nice to have you here to watch over Maya. She¡¯s been really having issues.¡± Venom¡¯s father addressed her.

    The woman walked out of the room and left. I looked at Venom¡¯s face for a reaction, but he didn¡¯t try to stop. He let her go and everyone was in awe at what her just happened.

    ¡± What¡¯s that about?¡± Venom¡¯s father spoke defensively.

    ¡± She lost her son because of me, dad. Justst night and she¡¯s still grieving him.¡± Venom spoke calmly.

    Immediately, I was taken aback and felt more pity for the woman that I had watched walk away. There was no way I would have understood her pain. It was saddening to see.

    ¡± How did it happen, Venom?¡± Alex asked, shifting his chair closer.

    ¡± Ohh, Alpha Maximum had sent a mob against us. He was against me and still is, we need to send a reply for what he did. One of war. There was an attack on my life and I was at the woman¡¯s ce. The rest of what I  said is what took ce.¡±

    Everyone had a pitiful reaction on their faces.

    Growing out without any parents and seeing someone lose her child , I decided I would go speak to Elora, maybe to console her or anything, but I felt drawn to her and my spirit was willing to try to help her , just as she wanted to do with me.

 24

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I knocked on the guest room where I had seen here out from earlier.

    I knocked twice, but no one answered. I was about turning my back to leave when she opened the door.

    ¡°Heyy,¡± she greeted me.

    ¡°Hi, can Ie in? I wanted to speak to you.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Sure thing,e in.¡± She said.

    I enter the room, I was expecting to see more things there, but it was just empty.

    ¡°You didn¡¯te along with anything from your pack?¡± I asked her.

    ¡± No, Venom didn¡¯t tell you what happened?¡± She looked surprised.

    ¡± He only exined a little.¡± I replied to her.

    ¡± Well, I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s more to it. We were attacked and that was really it. There was no time to pick anything we would be leaving with.¡± She narrated to me.

    I imagined how much stress Venom went through just to make sure I was finally okay, I felt indebted to him greatly.

    ¡± I¡¯m so sorry about that.¡± I sympathized with her.

    ¡± Thank you. I appreciate.¡± She told me.

    ¡± I just wanted to speak to you about your soon since I grew up without parents too and it¡¯s a sad, ¡± I had barely finished my sentence before she cut me off with her hands gesture.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t want us to speak about it anymore. I¡¯m managing myself, you people shouldn¡¯t push it.¡±

    ¡± Oh, okay.¡± I retracted.  ¡± Your son was how old?¡± I asked her.

    ¡± Thirty two, why?¡± Immediately I heard her, I was shocked.

    ¡± Howe?¡±

    ¡± I¡¯m enchanted. Everyone gets that reaction. You know I¡¯m a witch.¡±

    A part of me was quite convinced after what she said that my life would be in good hands after that much power she possessed to do that to herself.

    I guess I had not nned speaking to our very well because at one point, I was scrambling toe up with topics that I could discuss with her. I stared at her for a bit and  she was all smiles.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just take my leave now. Take care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright dear,¡± she said. ¡°Maybeter, we can check on your situation and see to the things that have been bothering you.¡± She added.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied to her and left the room.

    I went out to join the boys who had been waiting for me in regards to our training.

    ¡°Took you a while to get here.¡± I heard Calebin.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had to see the newdy in the house, Elora.¡± They both had curious expressions on their faces.

    ¡°So, what went on with her?¡± Alex asked me.

    ¡°Oh, she didn¡¯t want to talk much and she hasn¡¯t spoken about the things wrong with me yet so for now, we¡¯re still in the dark and stuff.¡± I tried to shrug the topic off so we could go to training.

    The conversation with the woman earlier had been quite awkward and I didn¡¯t want to live it again through thoughts.

    The boys got to their stance for battle and I entered my own position too. We were about to start when I got called up by Venom.

    ¡°Maya!¡± I heard him yell from behind.

    I turned to look at him, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±

    He ran to where I stood under the sun. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving, I need to go see the council of the wolf pack and attend to other people too.¡±

    ¡± Alright, take care of yourself.¡± I told him.

    I thought he would just leave with the words he had spoken but he grabbed my face and he kissed me deeply right in front of his brothers.

    ¡± Don¡¯t do that, you know they¡¯re watching.¡± I protested.

    ¡± Let them watch, they¡¯re grown ups already. There¡¯s nothing bad.¡± He replied to me and ran off.

    The boys stared at me andughed sheepishly. The way children would. ¡± Please, you guys should get yourselves together so I can beat your asses after you¡¯re done. ¡±

    ¡± Bring it on.¡± I heard Caleb say.

    They were finally back in their spirits and the training began with all of us.

    I had improved gerwter than I was when I had just gotten to the pack house and it was unbelievable. I could handle the two of them without so much issues.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Fast forward to the nighttime, I had taken a bath, freshened up and I was busy with Venom¡¯s mom in the kitchen. She wanted to specially cook for her son after his arrival.

    It was on her request that I wouldn¡¯t be going back to the pack¡¯s army to continue my training with them. They had been pretty impressive with the fighting and there were a lot of young people who were redy to learn from me.

    I never thought for once in my life that I would get to a position like that in which I would be teaching people about the things I had learned from hell¡¯s pit.

    I finished cooking with her and went to the room where I rested till it was time for us to consume our meals.  I had been stuck in the room for days and everything felt boring in it.

    I remembered Elora again, I wanted to create a rtionship with her but there was no way I could have conveniently done it. She didn¡¯t seem receptive to me.

    I considered and wentt to her again. This time around, I didn¡¯t have to knock. She had beening out of her door by the time I got to her.

    ¡°Hey there. I wanted to speak to you, where are you off too.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, I wanted to step out of the house. I¡¯ve been cooked in that room for a while, I think I¡¯m tired of it already.¡± Shemented.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice. Maybe we can take a stroll together.¡± I offered.

    She was nice enough to let me walk with her, I also realized I had not really toured the house.

    I got to the door and my usual illness came again, I fell face down to the floor.

 25

    Maya¡¯s POV

    By the time I work up, it was the usual experience. Everyone ran helter skelter as they tried to revive me. It felt like I was watching a movie of my life y out.

    ¡°Everyone!¡± I shouted, but it was like they couldn¡¯t hear me. That was when I noticed something illuminating where I was. It was a bright white light.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± My voice echoed greatly.

    Then I realized that I was in a dream, but nothing was making sense. Everywhere I as in chaos and I was trying to grasp something, but nothing worked and I felt unalive. Perhaps, I was.

    I ran around and tried to touch everyone, tapping them so they would see me, but it didn¡¯t work out. I gave up and I finally had hope that someone was seeing and hearing me.

    I heard my name, ¡°Maya, Maya!¡± Somebody was shaking me.

    Just then I revived and came back to life. It was crazy.

    Elora was standing above me, but I could barely move my body. ¡°Wake up wake up,¡± she said again.

    I opened my eyes fully and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m awake, I¡¯m awake.¡±

    I tried to sit on my back, but it wasn¡¯t working out. ¡°Oh sh*t, I cant move again.¡± Imented.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, let me take you to your room.¡± She pulled me up and lifted me on her chest. It was insane, I was surprised she managed to.

    She had a young face, but she had exined she was older earlier and I wasn¡¯t expecting that much power.

    She took me to my room and dropped me on the bed.

    ¡°Thank you very much. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± I was in tears already. It¡¯s as frustrating how much I caused everyone to worry whenever I would get like this.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll prepare something for you, just stay calm.¡± She held my hand and talked to me calmly. It was soothing to an extent.

    Elora¡¯s POV

    I left the poor littledy on her bed and walked out of the room. I didn¡¯t know where I would start from, but maybe I could pick some herbs in their garden, I told myself.

    Outside the room, I was met with someone who I assumed was Venom¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Hey there.¡± She called it to me.

    ¡°Hi, good evening.¡± I greeted the woman.

    ¡°Do you need anything? Maybe I could help with it,¡± the woman suggested.

    ¡°No, I think I¡¯m fine. I just need to pick a few herbs for Maya.¡± I exined to her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± She asked.

    ¡± She¡¯s unwell and I need to pick some things that I could maybe use in treating her.¡±

    She called dro a guard toe so that the person would guide me, I didn¡¯t see the value in that but I epted and we both left the house.

    I went to their garden which was mostly filled with ornamental flowers and there was barely anything useful in it.

    ¡°Is there a forest anywhere here? I need to pick up a few things.¡± I told the guard.

    He looked at me surprised and asked for the specific leaves that I wanted. I had to exin them to him since he didn¡¯t understand.

    Picking of the herbs I needed was usually done by myself even when I had my son over. I liked it that way. The thoughts of losing Larry bothered me and I was almost teary.

    The guard had led us out of the gates where we were supposed to go find a forest that had the herbs I needed.

    Venom¡¯s mate wasn¡¯t sickly, it didn¡¯t seem like it. Her body was undergoing a transformation, but I wasn¡¯t sure I understood everything going on yet.

    The herbs would be to get her to act normal for a bit before she got any other extra things to get her to feel well.

    After couple of searches that I had made with the guard, I couldn¡¯t find anything tangible that I would use.

    I almost gave up when I saw something familiar. It was a blood flower.  It was something that was usually used on werewolves that were undergoing their respective transformations as children.

    I would help to calm their growing pains and I suspected that was what affecting Maya, but I couldn¡¯t decide it.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve found what I want. Let¡¯s return.¡± I assessed the guard.

    He had a tired expression on his face. I understood him, iwe had been in the bushes for nearly an hours without finding anything tangible at all.

    He led the way out and we returned back home.

    Understanding that Maya had gotten well before Venom returned the day he hade to find me , I assumed the same would be happening, but when we got in, she was still in the same situation.

    ¡°Thanks be to the gods that you¡¯re back.¡± Venom approached me once I got in.

    ¡± She¡¯s not well yet?¡± I asked.

    ¡± No, she¡¯s just likest time.¡±

    I got out the block flower that I had picked with the guard and prepared it in a kettle which I assumed would be enough to get her in her normal state before we would determine if she was transforming or mostly unwell.

    As werewolves, there was little normal medicines and doctors would do in helping us since we didn¡¯t take the same dosages as humans and didn¡¯t need the same things.

    Our races even had to be in hiding in fear of the battle that would happen if otherwise.

    I got to their kitchen and a young man had followed behind me so he could help out.

    The people were quite loving, that¡¯s for sure. I got in and began to prepare what I could do with the little herbs that they had in the kitchen.

    ¡°I thought you were a witch.¡± The man said. Sorry, the young boy

    ¡°Of course, I am. Doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t use physical things to heal people. We¡¯re more than the title.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

 26

    Venom¡¯s POV

    I was back from work when I heard that Maya was unwell again, the constant issue was driving me crazy already.

    Elora came through and she was preparing something in the kitchen already. I was at the bed in which Mayaid. ¡°How are you doing?¡± I asked her. She looked quite pale and weak.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just can¡¯t move. That¡¯s all.¡± She tried to y it off but I knew something was far worse going on with her. At least, so it seemed.

    We waited a bit for Elora toe through and when she didn¡¯t, I went to go meet her in the kitchen.

    ¡°How are things going?¡±

    She nced at me, ¡°I¡¯ll be done with very soon.¡± She knew what I needed already.

    ¡°What can I help you with? I¡¯ll be d to be of help. ¡± I offered.

    ¡± Just be patient. That¡¯s all, I guess.¡± She was pretty calm and indifferent to my problem of worrying.

    I took a break from things and went outside to get fresh air. It was the only thing I could think of at the time that would calm me down.

    The garden was empty, everyone had gone in, including the workers. The gods had been lenient with everything I engaged myself in ever since I was little, but the constant issues I had over Maya was tiring me out.

    ¡°Please help.¡± I looked to the sky and prayed that help woulde.

    I went back in and Elora was administering what she had made already to Maya.

    I got closer to check on what was going on and she was being fed of the drink.

    ¡°Are you feeling any different?¡± I inquired.

    She nodded while Elora continued to feed her something out of a bowl. I wish out again and asked everyone to excuse them. I didn¡¯t want the ce congested.

    I went to my office and stayed in there for a bit waiting to be called up that something had changed with the body of Maya, but no one came.

    I went in to check again and she was finally healing. Like magic, she had full control of her arms.

    ¡°Wow!¡± I eximed. The two women did the same. Apparently, they didn¡¯t realize I was the room and I had startled them.

    Iughed at the incident that had just urred. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Don¡¯t be offended.¡± I apologized to them.

    ¡°You¡¯re really stealthy, young man?¡± Eloraughed. It was probably the first time that she had done that since we left her pack.

    I was still on the business of getting revenge for her after what had happened with her son. I spoke with the council and it was acknowledged already, we were going to besiege them.

    That would be after Maya¡¯s hell¡¯s pit so they wouldn¡¯t have any maniption over her anymore.

    ¡°How are you doing, Maya?¡± I went to the bed and rubbed on her head.

    She shifted slightly and I was able to hold her better, ¡°I¡¯m getting well. I¡¯m just really frustrated at how much I worry you every time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t worry me, I just want you to bepletely well and that would be everyone¡¯s happiness.¡± I told her.

    Elora finished up and stood to leave, ¡°she should be fine by morning.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much. I really appreciate you.¡± I thanked her.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no problem.¡±

    I looked at her and realized that she was still wearing the same thing from when we ran out of her house to escape the ambush.

    ¡°Would you like to go out to get more clothes? I¡¯ll be more than happy to help.¡± I offered her.

    ¡°Yes, no problem. Let me know when it¡¯s time to leave.¡± She said before leaving the room.

    ¡°She¡¯s godsent.¡± I heard Maya say.

    ¡°She¡¯s really amazing and I hope she can do her best to cure you permanently. That¡¯s the prayer, ¡± I said.

    ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± She told me.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    She gestured at her bed and I immediately understood her. I took off the clothes I still had on from when I went out to work till when I got back.

    As soon as I was done, I climbed onto the bed andid beside her. It wasn¡¯t so easy to get her to shift and adjust due to her current position, but I managed and weid there in each other¡¯s arms.

    ¡± I love you.¡± I whispered in her ear.

    She smiled, ¡°I love you too.¡±

    We slept in that position till it was morning, by the time we woke up, she was back to normal and her body was agile.

    Someone knocked on our door and I had to go there. It was my father that was by the door.

    ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± I bowed my head in respect.

    ¡°How¡¯s your mate?¡± He inquired.

    ¡°She¡¯s doing well, she¡¯s back to normal.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, that¡¯s good. Hope she will be well enough to get in her battle to fight fit.¡±

    ¡°I hope so too, dad.¡± I told him.

    I was unsure of how she felt and I had been thinking of ways we could get her out of fighting in hell¡¯s pit.

    But for the fact that Alpha Maximum was now against me, it didn¡¯t feel like there was so much I could do again with both influence amd power.

    I went back in and Maya was on her feet already. She was agile and preparing for early morning exercises.

    ¡°How do you feel, Maya?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing okay. See me, I¡¯m feet.¡± She gestured by jumping on her feet and performing a split which I always found impressive of her whenever she did it.

    Apart from being powerful, she had acrobatic prowess. It was no surprise that she had managed to survive well enough to the point she was going to engage in herst battle for freedom.

    I went to her and hugged her. ¡°I pray I never lose you, it kills me to even imagine it. Stay forever.¡±

 27

    Maya¡¯s POV

    One more week and I would going bach to hell¡¯s pit. It would be time to go join the battle again. I wasn¡¯t panicking, I was oddly rxed but there was a lot I would need to conquer if I would be getting my freedom.

    I checked on Venom who lying on the bed. He was fast asleep. I was the only one who was awake. I had woken up from sleep, I was getting sleepless night from how much I thought about the future.

    I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but nothing came forth.

    I was there, restless but not moving. I held on to him and tried to savor the moment for the little moment I had to be around him.

    After some time with my thoughts, I was getting the urge to go outside. It was quite strange. It wasn¡¯t even a full moon, my body was drawn to going outside.

    I left the bed quietly and walked gently outside. Something felt different when I got outside, I felt refreshed and excited.

    It was a strangebination for me. Something wasing through me and I remembered that feeling all too well. I copsed.

    I was on the ground, I could hear my heartbeat and it was louder than it had ever been. I was scared.

    My body began to grow bigger, I was transforming. My ws got longer and I could feel more fur on my body than I ever felt before.

    I stood up and howled to the moon loudly. There was no how that bowl didn¡¯t wake everyone up. I felt immensely powerful and my body fully transformed into a big wolf.

    Almost like the alphas that I had seen in hell¡¯s pit.  They had found their way there after getting captured in battle.

    I felt extremely powerful and almost at the same second, I was getting exhausted and tired already. Soon after, my body shut down and that was all I could remember from that incident.

    In the next morning, I found arge duvet over my body in my room.  I tried to move and I still felt weak from the transformation that had happened.

    Master, Venom, Master.¡± I called out, hoping someone would show themselves. I was afraid I had died.

    He appeared out of a corner and he sat beside me. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°You fainted yesterday. Your body brought forth another wolf.¡±

    ¡°Howe?¡± My head aches heavily and I didn¡¯t feel like I was in my own body.

    ¡°You¡¯re different, girl. You¡¯re more than an omega and your body has been fighting it. That was what happened to you.¡± A female voice answered, it was Elora.

    I arched my back and tried to bend so I could see, but I was just there in that one position.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stress too much, you¡¯ll be well soon. I¡¯ve rubbed your body with something that¡¯s supposed to heal you soon.¡±

    I gave up and didn¡¯t as she had rmended. She was the expert, anyway.

    ¡°What else happened? Did I hurt anyonest night?¡± I asked the two of them and is anyone else here since I can¡¯t see you guys? ¡±

    I heard Venom chuckle,¡± oh, there¡¯s no one else here and you¡¯ll be fine, you didn¡¯t hurt anyone. You were just really strong that everyone had toe check you out.¡± He replied to me.

    I remembered when I had howled loudly and I could swear I remembered the ground shaking from that volume.

    ¡°Ohh, I did that!¡± I eximed.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing so great. I doubt there will be anyone that can stop you when you go out to battle in hell¡¯s pit. You¡¯ll do amazing, Maya.¡± Venom encouraged me.

    It was always nice to have someone that encouraged me always around.

    I stretched my hands to find his which I held.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see when you¡¯re finally well. We need to dispell your initial wolf spirit which won¡¯t let your transformationplete or take ce. ¡± Elora told me, then she left.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    It was definitely a new thing to my ears. So many bizarre things were happening with my body, the incidents felt like curses from hell for me to not to be able topete and win.

    ¡°So, how was the experience? I was told the wolf you transformed was a very special one in the n from your pack.¡± Venom inquired.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I knew how to answer the question since the whole transformation thing had felt both tortuous and tiring just before I had enough power to even feel overpowered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess I felt pretty normal. Just bigger and more strength.¡± I told him,  ¡± I felt like beast¡±.

    ¡± Oh wow, I guess the beasts in hell don¡¯t have a chance against you then. You¡¯re gonna be unstoppable.¡± He seemed really enthusiastic about the new powers. I think I liked them too, they were just really draining.

    ¡± I don¡¯t know how to turn off or turn on the beast. I don¡¯t want a situation where I end up copsing in the middle of a battle and I get decimated by an enemy. ¡±

    ¡± Oh, we don¡¯t want that.¡± He said. That initial mischievous smile was wiped off.

    ¡± I¡¯ll still do my best to make you proud. I promise you.¡± I squeezed his hand.

    ¡± I¡¯ll go get you something to eat. I¡¯ll be back,¡± he said, before leaving through the door.

    I was the only one in the room with my thoughts and memories from the night. This was maybe the worst and best break that I had since all my life.

    Getting a master that wasn¡¯t abusive and that was my mate and also getting new powers. It felt like a blessing and curse.

    I closed my eyes and images from thest night resurface. ¡± It¡¯s just safe to keep them open,¡± I muttered.

    Venom came in minutester, with my food on a tray and snacks.

    ¡± We¡¯re going to try to get you out of the hell¡¯s pit by negotiating with Alpha Maximum,¡± he told me.

 28

    Venom¡¯s POV

    Maya was different and days for her to leave was near already. Elora was getting better and there wasn¡¯t as much worry as before a about her mourning and how she felt about things. I guess things were stable for a bit until a turn came.

    I got out of home as early as I could which had be a constant routine due to how busy I was. I had left Maya at home and gone to work. Readying the papers that would be submitted to get Maya exonerated from her next battle.

    Her wolf was getting better with adjusting to the new one through Elora and we couldn¡¯t thank her enough for all the help that she was rendering.

    I got to work and I received a call from themander of the pack¡¯s army. We were under siege and we would be attacked very soon, that was what he exined.

    There was chaos in the pack as major ces had been robbed.

    ¡°ce a curfew for everyone and make sure the army is constantly raiding the ce.¡± That was what I said on the call of panic that I had received.

    Every action from Maximum made me questioning whether letting Maya return to the hell¡¯s pit would be the best idea or making her stay and waiting for the worst to happen.

    We were already told that she would die if she didn¡¯t return, but I was angry at the Mountain wolf¡¯s pack.

    Work was shut down that day and everyone were allowed to return back home, but they were under protection.

    I also did the same.

    ¡°You¡¯re back home early, Venom. What happened?¡± Maya had been the first person to see me arrive in the house.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s going to be war soon and that¡¯s what¡¯s going on.¡± I exined to her.

    She visibly looked worried and I was too.

    ¡°Do you want me to return back to help them with their battles?¡± Maya proposed.

    She was now more powerful but it was also a thing of worry that Maximum had started the battle over her in the first ce.

    ¡± I¡¯m not so sure about that. I don¡¯t think we¡¯d want to have you doing that. You¡¯re an asset,¡± I told her.

    She smiled but it was a serious thing for me. I immensely appreciate her and I didn¡¯t want to go through the thoughts of putting her in harms way.

    ¡°We¡¯lle up with something better. I have to. I don¡¯t want to risk not having you since it¡¯s already yourst days before the battle.¡±

    My dad came in and I assumed he had already heard what was going on in the pack already.

    ¡± Son, we need to discuss.¡±

    He acknowledged Maya with a pat on her back when she came in before he asked the two of us to leave so we could go to his office to hold a discussion over the state of affairs in thend.

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I didn¡¯t like the fact that Venom wouldn¡¯t let me go help out with the army who were under attack. I had spent a couple of my time with them and I waspatible with their fighting ways and how they attacked.

    I went to my room thinking about it. It would be an amazing idea if I could prove to him that I was powerful enough to handle myself. I doubted if he saw me as independent anymore and I had managed myself throughout my earlier days in hell¡¯s pit.

    I paced around the room for a bit. I still had the armor he had gotten for me which I would constantly wear whenever I needed to go fight or train with his brothers.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    I began to pack everything up and decided that I would leave to at least see how things were going at camp.

    It would be a sin and a grievous offense to disobey my master. I thought about it for a while, the idea impulsively stayed in my head and I unrelentlessly craved to go to camp to join their battle.

    I went to the living room where there was barely anyone. Everyone were doing other things and managed their own life, there would be no one to see me if I left and the guards wouldn¡¯t question anything.

    Waiting and waiting, I hoped that Venom woulde out from the meeting with his father, but he didn¡¯t. They were both still inside, discussing.

    I got out of the house with the bag where I had my things in and I got out of the house through a driver who I had ordered to take me away.

    By the time I was getting to the pack, I was informed that a fight was going on in a zone of the territory and the mountain wolf army were overpowering ours. That felt like a perfect opportunity to showcase myself.

    I got out of the car and followed the rest of the troops that were riding to the battlefield. It was invigorating to join them and I only wanted to prove myself through the battle before leaving for my battle at hell¡¯s pit.

    At that moment, I had forgotten about everything byt the war that was in front. I got our and began to fight alongside the army. The back up wererge and we were managing to do some damages.

    I had taken up my armor earlier, but ir refused to wear it when I got in, I was overpowering everyone there and somehow, I had managed to be the force fo attraction for the battle.

    The wolfs were beginning to transform one by one and I realized it would be time for me to show off soon. I still managed to fight some that were in their wolf transformation, but were weaker due to how long the battle hadsted.

    Everyone began flying over me and they all formed a pile that buried me in the ground. I began to feel a sensation in my back and head, I realized it was time to let out the new wolf.

 29

    Venom¡¯s POV

    I went out to search for Maya and I couldn¡¯t find her anywhere. I asked Elora and I asked the guards for where she could be and they imed they had not seen her too.

    I was beginning to get frustrated with the frequency of problems I faced regarding her constantly. I was leaving the house to get into a car and search for her when I received a call from the armymander.

    I stretched my hand to pick the phone and whim I turned on the car to begin driving.

    ¡°Alpha Venom.¡±

    ¡°How may I help you Atkinson?¡± I spoke to him.

    ¡°We havedy here who has been training with us through your brothers but she¡¯s currently fighting a battle, did you send her in?¡±

    My brain immediately picked up who it was. ¡°Please, get her out of that battle. I¡¯ll be on my way. I¡¯ming, I¡¯ll be back.¡± I yelled on the phone and began to drive.

    I was driving as fast as I could on the road, not bothered about anything but Maya. She could probably copse randomly and need medical help or worse could happen. I was totally panicky.

    Long minutes that felt like hours passed and I got to the battleground where I saw Maya tearing the enemy apart. She was getting covered by the numbers of wolves that jumped on her.

    I was on my way to help her when she transformed to something I had never seen her be before. She was immenselyrge and strong, her ws were longer and were clean bronze. She was majestic in the shape.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s the wolf.¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°That¡¯s what has been stressing her body all along.¡± She was more than impressed.

    She fought the smaller wolvespared to her with immense ease. It was a battle I had never witnessed before.

    She finished everything up in minutes and she stood amidst all the bodies, growling and waiting for the next candidate.

    I noticed something as she stood there, the body of her wolf was calming and it seemed like she would go back to her human form any time soon.

    ¡°Get a nket,¡± I yelled at the wolves around me notbating at the time.

    I went towards her body and she slowly transformed back to human, but I was able to catch her on time. I covered her body and I patted her to see if she was still awake but there was no response from her.

    ¡°Maya! Maya!¡± I called out, but there was movement.

    Something popped in my head and I remembered to check her chest. When Iid my head down on it, she was still breathing maybe heaving.

    I sighed in relief and the nket was brought to me right on time. I carried her in the car and drove away, just after droppingmandments for the men.

    In the car, I phoned Elora and made sure she was awre of Maya¡¯s situation before I would bring her in so a solution would have been prepared already.

    ¡°Yes, she copsed after she transformed and fought.¡± I exined to her on the call.

    ¡°What else? She didn¡¯t bleed, did she? ¡± Elora asked on the line.

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. Her body is spotless.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Alright, something will be done when she is brought back.¡± I was assured and tried to remain positive about what she had told me.

    Just as the call ended, somebody was coughing in my back seat and I never felt happier.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake and alive. Finally!¡± I eximed.

    I constantly looked back at her, ¡°yes, where am I and what happened?¡±

    ¡°You fought valiantly and you have been brought in, Maya.¡± I told her.

    ¡°I did? I don¡¯t remember what ended the right.¡± She told me.

    Maybe she had lost memories of things she did after she transformed back to normal. It was normal of other wolves whenever they had not mastered their powerspletely.

    ¡°Come sit in the front.¡± I told her, ¡°or stay in the back if you would still like to rest.¡±

    She tied up the shirt she had around her waist and moved to the front where I was.

    I slowed the car down so we would go slowly and she would settle in well.

    ¡°How are you feeling? How¡¯s your body?¡± I realized I had been asking too much questions and calmed down.  ¡°Just tell me how you are doing,¡± I told her while I chuckled at how much I was worrying about her.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She smiled. ¡°I feel very weak. The transformation drained all my energy and I¡¯m hungry too.¡± She narrated.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°No problem, we¡¯ll get you something to eat once we¡¯ve gotten back home. I have Elora preparing something for you. Do not worry.¡± I rubbed her thighs as I spoke to her.

    Memories of how well she fought and how things had gone down at the battle field reyed and I was more than impressed of her prowess. What k had seen again the hell¡¯s pit was less than the power she disyed.

    ¡°You were really strong out there.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she smiled and brought her head on my shoulder.

    I patted her and slowed down, we had reached the gate of the pack house and were entering already.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally here,¡± I announced.

    ¡°Finally, I¡¯m famished.¡±

    She took up the nket from the back that she had been wrapped with  from the time lifted.

    ¡°Imagine what they would think when they see me like this.¡± She joked as she tied herself with it.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯ll be more than impressed when they find out what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡± I think you¡¯re overreacting at this point.¡± She said modestly or maybe it was my perception of her that made it modest, because that was what it was.

    She was a beast out there and I was impressed.

    ¡± Well, let¡¯s go in. Everyone¡¯s waiting for you, including Elora who has prepared some medications for you.¡±

    I grabbed her hand and led her in.

 30

    Maya¡¯s POV

    It was big, it was grand, it was everything I didn¡¯t think it would be like. After moving recklessly the way I did, I was expecting my master to react angrily, but he didn¡¯t. He was even the most generous when he exined how I had performed to his people.

    He talked about the small battle like it had been a great war. Every time he spoke greatly, I would just try to wave it off to them that it was just something simple.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind him.¡± I probably can¡¯t recall the amount of times I said that to all of them.

    I closed my eyes after thinking about what had happened in the day and slept for the night. It was a good night.

    The next morning I woke up, Elora¡¯s medicine has worked on me. The herbal treatment was doing wonders to my body. After so much time spent being ill or unconscious, it was nice that I had someone to take care of me most of the times.

    I got out of the bed and went out. I would try to schedule more training with the brotherster on.

    My master had left for camp and wouldn¡¯t be around for too long. I felt lonely that morning, but I felt motivated too.

    I went to one of their doors to knock, it was Caleb¡¯s.

    ¡°Good morning, sister-inw.¡± He said as he rubbed his eyelids tiredly.

    ¡°Heyy, ready to train for the day? I¡¯m ready. ¡± I approached him.

    ¡°You¡¯re immensely strong already. I doubt we would do you any good.¡± He said, he was still sleepy and I tried to shake him maybe the sleep woulde off him.

    I left the door and went to Alex¡¯s and the both of them were reluctant to do anything with me. I got out and began practicing small moves j had mastered and could remember well.

    It wasn¡¯t the most interesting thing, but it cured the boredom I was feeling and I wanted something hyper.

    Venom had suggested that I don¡¯t go to the war again so I can save my energy for the hell¡¯s pit and after everything that went down out there.

    I totally understood what he meant. My bones still had post stress disorder from the time I transformed and when I copsed too and how I couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    I foughtbat with a tree and when I got tired, I sat down on a log and tried wiping the sweat off of my face.

    Someone came out of the house into where I had been training. The person had a female body and j couldn¡¯t make it out at first until she approached closer and I saw who it was.

    It was Elora.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± I greeted her, she was walking towards me.

    ¡°Good morning, you¡¯re awake really early. Training?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s been no one to join me. Would you like to join me?¡± I suggested to her.

    She hesitated for a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I guess I can try toe alive again. Maybe wake my powers a bit.¡¯ She said.

    I liked at her and it seemed she was boasting. She would be the perfect candidate if she had tricks.

    ¡± You¡¯re fighting  in human? ¡± She asked as she made her stance.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    I was bewildered, ¡°yes, I¡¯ll be fighting in human for now. Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡±

    Right as we began, she flew into the air and began to fling her legs at my face with kicks. I could barely dodge her, she was fast.

    With every force of attack she made, I felt weaker till my body dropped to the floor and my internal organs were the only thing  I could hear.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I screamed from the floor.

    ¡°Just ancient technique ofbat mixed with a little witchcraft. You¡¯ll be fine, no one is gonna do that in the pit otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be there.¡±

    Fighting Elora made me realize there was too much I just didn¡¯t know yet.

    ¡°Can we spar again? I want to fight and learn more from you.¡± I told her pleadingly.

    ¡°Get something to eat and drink some of the herbs, then we can go again.¡± She suggested.

    I had gain some power back and I was quick to move to the house where I began consuming food like it would be myst supper. I was too eager to want to join her.

    Perhaps, she was the training mate I wanted all along. She was perfect for everything.

    I ate for a bit and went to her again.

    She smiled once she saw me, ¡°have you digested your food. Please, rest a little.¡± She told me.

    ¡°When can Ie back again?¡± I was sure she was definitely amazed by my enthusiasm to fight and learn.

    ¡°An hour.¡± She mentioned and I left.

    I counted the hands of the clock painstakingly till when it was time to go meet her. I calmed myself for a bit and prepared myself to get rejected by her since that was what she had done all morning.

    The zeal has left me and I even reconsidered going back to meet her.

    I sluggishly got up and went to her door.

    I knocked on it and instead of asking who was there, she simply opened it up for me.

    ¡°Come in, Maya.¡± She said.

    I entered into the room that had been allocated to her and smiled. Maybe she would finally ept me and allow to fight her.

    ¡°Can we train now,¡± I inquired.

    ¡°Yes, we can. I¡¯ll just make preparations for our training ground.¡± She mentioned and went to the wall which seemed weird.

    She began to draw strange lines and all of a sudden, the shower an opening to somewhere else like a portal.

    I had gotten up from where I sat and went to where she was.

    ¡°Where is this?¡± I was surprised.

    ¡°It¡¯s where we will be training.¡± She said, and before I knew it, I was knocked in by her.

 31

    Chapter Thirty Two

    Maya¡¯s POV

    When I got knocked in by Elora, I barely knew what was going on around me. I guess I must have been unconscious for seconds causeter on, I saw her ready and she screamed, ¡°b*tch, get ready to fight.¡±

    It was weird for her to speak that way. I simply yed it off in my head as she getting a high off of the fact that she would be fighting with me.

    ¡°Where¡¯s this ce?¡± I asked her first, still a little bit curious.

    ¡°Just fight me and stop asking questions. ¡± she shouted back. I was sure it was either she wasn¡¯t in her right senses or something strange about the environment we were in was changing who she was totally.

    I got to my stance and prepared to fight her again. This time around, I fought defensively so I wouldn¡¯t be at the receiving end of her body numbing punches.

    They had been too lethal thest time. I still remembered how I had almost lost all consciousness.

    She would fight and I would either dodge or block. It was more easier to block her attacks instead of dodge, thinking of how fast she was.

    She knocked me over and I got to my feet almost immediately. ¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! ¡± She yelled.

    She was definitely getting a high off of the sparring.

    I suddenly began to feel the same sensation I felt thest time I was in battle and this time, it was stronger. I already knew what would happen and moved backward, away from her so I wouldn¡¯t hurt her, but she didn¡¯t seem to be swayed by what was happening before her.

    She had a maniacal smile on her face and I was worried I¡¯d things were the way they should be. I transformed and lunged for her body almost immediately. The new wolf in me was longing to decapitate her.

    She dodged me swiftly and I was convinced I had met my match. Her witchcraft and body movement and physical power was beyond impressive. It was astonishing.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    ¡°Come at me. Come harder this time.¡± She shouted.

    I began to growl and growl, spittle dripped down my fangs and I feared the rage would kill someone eventually, but when I expected her to try to kill things off, she even fueled it what she  said.

    I howled one more time and flew at her but it seemed that would best time I get that kind of opportunity in the sparring.

    She came at me as I ran towards her and punched my throat and every limb picking a particr point in the joint. I could feel myself freeze midair and fall to the ground after the impact I had taken from her.

    I didn¡¯t lose my consciousness after she did what she had done, I was still alive. Just stuck in one position and unable to move.

    Everything began to finally clear and we returned back home.

    I saw the living room again, but I was transported to the room where I usually stayed. I yawned a bit and soon after, I was snoring loudly. At least, that was what my master told me when I woke up about how I had slept.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I slept so long!¡± I eximed.

    By the time I woke up and was speaking to Venom, it was night time already and Elora was sitting right across the dining table. Smiling after she did a good job of whooping my new and improved wolf.

    I realized there were too many numbers of things I had notpletely mastered and I would be losing in many fights if I continued the way I did.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to teach me a lot in very little time, Elora.¡± I told her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can. I can¡¯t guarantee that you¡¯ll learn all of it.¡± She replied calmly. One would be surprised she was the one from earlier.

    ¡°First, you¡¯re an elderly person in a young person body, secondly, you¡¯re amazing at fights. How did you manage to achieve all of that.¡± Caleb blurted.

    It wasn¡¯t only me that was fascinated by the hybrid wut h in our home.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for thousands of years, I think years have granted a suitable experience. I¡¯m just good, I might need to learn more too. We never can tell.¡± She responded to him.

    The night was an enjoyable one and everyone feasted and atefortably. We would be leaving very soon or I would be leaving very soon and they tried their very best to make every day memorable for me. I couldn¡¯t evenin about anything if I wanted to.

    I got up and decided I would help some of the helpers in clearing up the tes. I was in high spirits and felt it was a befitting thing to do, just as I thought about it, my master hade in search of me to ask why I was doing what I did.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just like it. Reminds me of where I came from and things that happened.¡± I told him.

    He didn¡¯t look like he bought what I said, but he definitely left me alone and went back in to do whatever he usually did.

    There was a lot he was engaged in, being an alpha, but I knew very less about it and I had not been curious too.

    Maybe I would be doing that once the hell¡¯s pit is over and I have gained my freedom, I thought about those things as I carried tes to get them washed.

    ¡°I guess that will beter then.¡± I mumbled and dropped the tes for the worker before me.

    I was still in the kitchen watching how everything was going on when the environment shook.

    I yed it off as a mild thunder at first, but then, it shook again and suddenly, men dressed in ck began to fly in from every direction of the windows.

    We were under attack, the kingdom battle wasn¡¯t over yet.

 32

    Venom¡¯s POV

    I was just in my office when strange men armed with knives flew in. I was shocked, but ready at the same time and began to fight them one after the other.

    They were multiple and I could barely cover them all at once. One of them had shed me on the wrist and when I checked it back, my wolf healing powers had make it heal already.

    The knives were not enchanted and maybe they were ordinary thieves.

    I lunches one of them and he flew threw the door. I took them two by two, while I let the rest still try to fight me. Breaking them down was easy. I ran to other rooms, but it seemed like they had gone through the same things and managed to secure themselves.

    I remembered Maya and went to check on her. I met a pile of the men at her doorstep. She was strong, anyway.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She questioned as soon as she saw me. From the way she was breathing, she had probably ended her fight seconds ago.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know and understand. They just broke in and this is what we have of them.¡± I pointed at the bundle she had made.

    I left the room and the guards gar been on their way in already.

    ¡°Please, pack them up and take them to the conscious. Bury the dead ones and that should be all.¡± I instructed him and he left.

    I was surprised at what had happened and even normally, it was weird that they had managed to bypass and flew in.

    None of the guards mentioned that they had seen anyone pass their entrance or hide somewhere during their usual patrols.

    I took off one of their masks and it didn¡¯t even seem like the person had an identity we could trace him too. He looked pretty normal and there was no resemnce or mark from somewhere.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty randomly,¡± Alex mentioned. I nced at him and nodded. He was right and I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on and the reason why w had been attacked.

    I went back in and asked everyone to be on guard. I went to fetch Maya and together, we returned back to our room. I wanted her to be safe with me even if I knew she was extremely strong.

    ¡°Who could have possibly sent those people?¡± She started the topic while we were both in bed.

    ¡°I totally have no idea and the alphas I know would have sent stronger people. Maybe they came on their own agenda, I have no idea.¡± I told her.

    We ended the conversation about the attacks and most of the time she slept, I thought about the things that I would have to do in regards to alpha Maximum and his pack.

    I wanted them to ept Maya and free her for thest time, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was the right option at the time since they had chosen war against me and had done way crazier things.

    Maya had to be saved and that was what I thought till I fell asleep. By the time I woke up, she was gone. As usual.

    I got out of bed and prepared for my day. I would have to attend to both business and the pack and neither was just a happy day of work. Mostly frustration since the council consisted of age old people that would barely do anything in furthering the pack

    We had issues of leaders and many others. I tired out and just got something onzily. I had to leave and I would be reviewing the prisoners I had sent to the dungeon to stay.

    They were the first on the list.

    I bade Maya goodbye and left for the dungeon. When I got there, only half of them was still living and I was convinced they were totally humans. Maybe a gang of assassinations that were nned out.

    Not well enough though.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    ¡°We¡¯ve tortured some of them and interrogated them multiple times but we got nothing out of them.¡± The prison guard told me.

    ¡°What else should we do, should we go the extra mile in getting information from them?¡±

    ¡°No, just starve them for some time and I¡¯d they don¡¯t answer by third day, then something can be decided to be done to them.¡± I instructed him.

    That was done with and it was only thest line of action that remained. To go out to watch over the business and attend multiple appointments.

    I drove away from the dungeons. What happened thest night was something really silly and I wanted to y it off as ordinary, but it was troubling to some extents and I had to be bothered about it since family and everyone¡¯s life was in danger.

    I remembered the fact that I wanted to speak to Maximum on Maya¡¯s behalf. I considered as I drove through the roads. It was something I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to do.

    That would require me giving in to him even after the attacks that he had orchestrated against me which was even worse than just attacking alone.

    shbacks of the night yed in my memory and I remembered how Elora had lost her son. Maybe I owed her vengeance and fighting back. Including other omegas who had been tortured by the regime that imed to subject omegas to silly tortures for their races.

    I got to work and I had probably exhausted all my anger on my thoughts already.

    ¡°I need to do something.¡± I sighed.

    I was tired of everything before even getting into any action.

    ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± My secretary greeted me as I walked in.

    I waved at her, I wasn¡¯t even in the mood to respond. I got to the office and realized that everywhere had been ravaged and ransacked. Someone came in.

    I remembered the battle from the night and thought about how everything might be linked to each other. There was no way it was ordinary coincidence.

 33

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°Does anyone know who could have done this?¡± I assembled everyone who had ess to the office so they could see what had happened.

    They all looked dumbfounded and even what had happened seemed to strange in my head. I couldn¡¯t understand the link the two yed. Being attacked and being ransacked at work.

    Someone was definitely after me. Maybe not an alpha, but I was being sought after.

    I tried to perceive the air to see if there would be anything I would be able to do trace so I could identify orpare scents, but it didn¡¯t work out and I couldn¡¯te up with anything.

    I excused everyone and allowed them back to their jobs after it seemed like I was wasting everyone¡¯s time and nobody would just let the car out of the bag.

    I put a call through to Alex, he picked on the first ring.

    ¡°Hello, bro.¡± He spoke on the line.

    ¡°Somehow, someone got into my office and ransacked the ce.¡± I announced to him.

    ¡°Just after we were attacked at home!¡± He eximed.

    ¡°It¡¯s wild that the two of them aren¡¯t from the same ce. I don¡¯t trust this one bit. I¡¯ll need your help.¡± I told him.

    ¡°What do you need?¡± He asked.

    ¡°The faces of those people. The ones that were captured yesternight, I want them to get traced. Whatever that could be found out will be nice. We just need to get to the bottom of all of these. ¡±

    ¡°Aye aye captain. I¡¯ll drop reports by night. ¡± He replied and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as soon as he ended the call.

    Work was short and I was on more appointments. I was on my way to one before putting the call through to get help.

    I got to my destination and prepared to discuss with the business men I would be meeting. I dusted my body and tried to straighten myself out so I wouldn¡¯t just be looking too rowdy.

    I had spent most of time getting angry at everyone on who had ess and trying to find out who the culprit could be. That had been really futile.

    I took a deep breath and got out of the car. They would be waiting for me inside.

    We began talking as soon as we were inside and everything was going smooth, until there was panic again. Someone was attacking. No, something was attacking. It was arge giant.

    It was terrorizing the ce and it was filled with most humans who were aware of the existence of supernaturals but managed to be calm about the whole idea and made the pack their home.

    The series of attacks and terrorizing couldn¡¯t have been ordinary. I was convinced we were on our way to be brought down by someone. Maybe as powerful as I was.

    I got out to check if I could do anything and when I sized up the giant that ran around terrorizing, I prepared myself to begin to fight.

    I drew in from all my anger and I transformed into my wolf form, growling as loud as I could and shaking the ground. I wasn¡¯t expecting that in my wildest dreams, I would even be fighting a weird giant on a work day.

    I jumped and dug my ws through the flesh of the giant. It was soft and I could prate, but at the same time, the monster had a quick regeneration ability and it seemed like I had my work cut out for me.

    I went all over it and kept on fighting as hard as I could. Chunks of flesh were sttering on the floor and I was bringing it down. It was as if I was demolishing it.

    I realized we would need something to destroy all the parts or its body all at once if we wanted to stop it. That was why once the back up arrived, I changed back to my human form and asked that fire be lit on the monster.

    It was arge work, but with effort and due to the fact that the monster was really slow, we had been able to burn it up to its half body part and we were making our way down already, destroying every possible part on it.

    ¡°Continue!¡± I shouted out aloud for them to hear so they could continue burning it up.

    By the time were done, I fell to the ground from tiredness and tried to catch my breath. It had been draining.

    I got to the car and the meeting was postponed, that was id there would even be a chance for the business to hold since it was literally about investing in the territory.

    I got to the car with my ruiner clothes and started my drive back home.

    I got home and had them bring new clothes for me to wear since the initial one has been ruined. Everything was tiring and after getting something to wear, my next stop was the room.

    I reflected so much on the day and how much I needed to do. It wasn¡¯t the most convenient thing after fighting a monster and all.

    Maya came in with a tray of food soon after I settled in.

    ¡°All hail the gods, the person I wanted around. She has arrived.¡± I teased.

    I could see her blush lightly. ¡°Well, I am here and here¡¯s your food for you to consume too.¡± She brought it to my front and I realized that I was famished.

    For so long, I probably didn¡¯t realize anything that was going on with my body apart from the things I worried about.

    She was right there and I admired her, I got lost in thoughts again and wished that she wouldn¡¯t leave at all and I would have her for the longest time.

    ¡± What are you thinking about? You need to eat.¡± She reprimanded me gently.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡± I was thinking about you. That¡¯s all.¡± I replied to her, smiling. She was dreamy.

 34

    Maya¡¯s POV

    Things were getting hotter in the pack and more issues were arising for Venom and at one point, I pitied him for it. I walked into Caleb¡¯s room after knocking to check on him.

    He had only arrived home a few minutes ago and was back from the battle which had taken everyone¡¯s time.

    ¡°Is there anything that Venom needs? Maybe for me to see him?¡± I asked him politely, hoping I would be wanted by Venom toe help.

    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t want you to be in danger but he wants you to be safe and prepare for youring battle.¡± He told me.

    No matter how they romanticized the exnations, I knew that I could help but Venom wouldn¡¯t just let me help and that was saddening.

    I left him alone to himself and went outside to  if there was anything I could do in killing my boredom. Even Elora had left to go help and I was basically the only gifted person in the pack house who wasn¡¯t using her powers.

    I sat down on the ground in a bid to meditate, I could barely focus on anything. My mind was ravaging and I couldn¡¯t put my thoughts in one ce. I was disturbed.

    ¡°My master needs me,¡± I muttered. I walked about a bit, thinking of what I would do.

    I was sure that I knew the location of the army and I could get them to take me to the battleground, I just had to escape the watchful eyes of the guards that had been implemented in the house.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    They had been suggested by Venom who wanted to camp me inside and prevent me from doing anything he felt would be risky and affect me. I didn¡¯t care about that thought.

    I got inside and began to pack my things, I would end up leavingter at night.

    Mom and dad were in, but would rarelye out because they couldn¡¯t do anything about the battle and just like me, Venom had their duties covered and mentioned that they wouldn¡¯t have to do so much.

    I guess I was the only who was tired of it all as I packed my bags and went out again and I survey the ce and I figured that they were in the dining room eating peacefully.

    ¡°How are you doing there?¡± Venom¡¯s mom was the first person who saw me.

    ¡°Ohh, I¡¯m fine, ma. Just strolling about and trying to do different things.¡± I tried to exin everything in vague ways to her.

    ¡°Come join us and the maids can bring a portion for you. Have you eaten? You could eat with us.¡± Dad suggested.

    There was no way I could have rejected them and I had to go join in with them. The time for my escape would be elongated tillter when I could finally get out of the house where I was being camped.

    I felt caged by everyone already.

    They felt really calm, whereas I was worried by everything that was going on. A direct contrast between us. Maybe it was because I felt that I could help them and that was why I was feeling the way I felt.

    The meal ended and they returned back to their rooms while I waited out for them and packed the tes we had used. I befriended the kitchen staffs through that means and they were the nicest set of people which was the most impressive thing. They were loving.

    I handed them thest tes and went back inside. It was literally empty and everything that made the ce lively was gone in ce for war that was silently deafening.

    War would l age the most happy ce, a quiet deste environment.

    I walked back to the room, where I had everything prepared already. I sat by the bag and waited patiently for the time when I would be able to make my move.

    I doubted they would have tried to stop me even if I went out though, but I just simply wanted to be careful with the whole thing.

    The n was simple, appear at the camp, go to the battle and join the army so I could help them win the war. That was simple. It felt like the best training possible and since it seemed like they were being overpowered, I felt like I would be a big help for them.

    Time came and I got my bags out. If I only had little time to stay, I would be using the time to help and fight and that was what I did.

    The guards woulde inte at night so they could guard the doors, but I stayed behind in the garden and when everywhere was practically dested, I jumped the fence after scaling it up to a certain height. I was finally free.

    There would be no vehicles out to get me, but I could use my foot and chase the destination since I had memorized it from thest time. That was what I began to do.

    I started the journey on foot and was running as fast as I could. I felt positive about the whole thing when I was running and it felt like I was reaching top speed which I had never reached before.

    I passed by everything close to me very easily and it wasn¡¯t so hard.  It was easier on my lungs and I didn¡¯t have to catch my breath.

    Something had definitely improved in me and I was d about it. The other wolf was taking over my body easily and the strength was being transferred into my DNA already. That was what Elora exined and that was what was in my head.

    I kept running through the different paths I had memorized and I finally got to somewhere familiar. I had memorized the area and I knew exactly where I was, but something was wrong. It was unexpectedly different.

    It was empty too, ¡°where¡¯s everyone?¡± I mumbled.

 35

    Venom¡¯s POVContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    The battle was on the high as different wolves had managed to ambush the location where we had set to be in the lookout. Men were getting ughtered by some sort of witchcraft coated weapon and everyone had to fight to theirst breath.

    It wasn¡¯t like we knew the solution to which we could stop them, they had caught us by surprise. Elora did the most at the times when she would assist by sending the enemy through other portals and then, they reduced by the numbers but it apparently drained her.

    She was almost getting attacked from behind when I swooped and knocked the coward away.

    I couldn¡¯t speak to her, I was already in my wolf form and she was almost losing consciousness already. She had warned about that kind of thing and imed that it would just be energy issues and we shouldn¡¯t be worried.

    I kept her safe and returned to the battleground where more bloodshed was happening and I just had to join to stop the havoc everyone was wreaking on each other.

    We had been to engulfed in the attacks when I realized that they had note from the person who I was assuming the most. A wolf dropped dead by my side due to team effort when I noticed what I saw.

    Everyone we fought had some kind of logo on their wrists which they identified with. They were mercenaries or not form somewhere familiar and it was all to worrisome forfort.

    I continued fighting and couldn¡¯t wait to transform and try to interrogate. The gods were on our side as we had managed to reduce the enemy by arge number and we were winning already, but the remaining of the people never relented and they still fought us continuously.

    I decapitated one of them¡¯s head and shouted to everyone, ¡°we have one.¡±

    They all chewed and the people who had transformed, became normal and others just calmed themselves and their weapons. We had been at the whole drama throughout the evening and it was nice to finally get a break from fighting the enemies.

    ¡°Pack up, we¡¯re leaving as soon as possible. Men will be sent by morning toe pack the dead bodies and those who didn¡¯t deserve anything would be thrown in the river.

    That was what I had them doing and the rest of us returned back to camp where would still stay and gather more men until the main battle wouldmence and we would have to unleash everyone.

    We returned by foot and we had finished prettyte already. The time we were already on the way home, the morning light seemed to have starteding out. Perhaps, I was hallucinating and wasn¡¯t seeing correctly.

    We continued moving and when we got there, we were surprised by what was going on.

    A battle had broken out there too, but there was arge wolf terrorizing the intruders while the others stood in to back the wolf up.

    Everyone had to draw out thest energy in them to go attack the people who were attacking. It was on getting there I realized the person who happened to be the beasts. It was Maya all along.

    I wanted to call out to her but distraction might have been fatal. Instead, we all joined in to help and they were lightweight for us. We tore through them like they were butter and we were dismembering as we continued.

    They fell to pieces in minutes and that night, the whole army shared another victory because that night, we had managed to destroy something that would have kill me and wim thing that would have destroyed everyone in the pack.

    The wolf transformed back to normal and I saw that it was Maya all qlong. Everything I had kept in ce to stop her from interfering with the battle didn¡¯t deter her and she had willinglye again.

    I went to her aid with a nket since she would usually transform back to normal naked after ripping her clothes while she fought.

    ¡°Maya, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I can exin, Venom.¡± She said calmly and bowed her head like she had not been the same person roaring a few minutes ago.

    I chuckled at her expression and spoke to her calmly as well. It was best sorted that way.

    ¡°But I thought I told you that I didn¡¯t want you fighting the war?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°I just want wanted to help since I¡¯m powerful and since it would be a good training.

    ¡± I¡¯m just trying to avoid the chances of you getting attacked or killed. I just wanted you to be safe.¡± I exined to her.

    ¡± I¡¯ll be, but I can fight too and it wouldn¡¯t be nice if my powers were wasted. ¡±

    She had a fair point and there was no chance I would be sending her back home after all that went down. I got her on her feet and we went to settle in an already prepared tent at the camp.

    Everything was regted for the chef¡¯s ti cook better in the night since the men had won two battles and I could only smile when I saw everyone enjoying anf smiling after what went down on the battleground.

    I doubted if the people who Maya had led had any casualties to their names. For all we knew, the didn¡¯t show any signs of sadness or anything and the dead bodies that were found on the ground were of that of the enemy. The answer seemed to be right.

    I went to go join Maya with her meal so we could eat together. I had left the territory long ago and we had not shared any intimate moments after that.

    She looked fine when I entered into the tent. It was a good thing and worrisome at the same time.

    ¡°The powers no longer drain you out or anything? Just the clothing?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°It seems so. Maybe I have mastered my powers.¡±

 36

    Venom¡¯s POV

    Everytime I ever tried to keep Maya at bay and not at one particr war, fighting it in it or contributing only ended up futile. She was stubborn to the core, but her spirit was in the right ce.

    My phone had been ringing and someone was sent to bring it in for me.

    ¡°Sir,¡± he stretched his hand out and picked the phone from it and afterwards, dismissed him.

    ¡°Hello, Caleb.¡± I spoke on the phone.

    ¡°I can¡¯t find Maya here, I wanted to confirm if she was with you.¡± He said.

    ¡°Yeah, you guessed right.  She¡¯s currently here, she helped with the battle. ¡± I exined to him.

    Maya had been right there sitting and listening in on us. I could hear her gently chuckle as we spoke about her.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡± Is everything fine back there?¡± I asked him.

    ¡± Yeahh, it¡¯s pretty peaceful. I should be returning soon.¡± He informed me.

    ¡± Ohh, no problem. You can wait tillter too, I think we¡¯ve ran them down on battle ns already till tomorrow, thanks to Maya and the one we fought too.¡± I told him.

    ¡± Ohh, is that so? Congrattions.¡± He rejoiced.

    ¡± Yeahh, we can talkter.¡±, I told him before I ended the call. My attention waster directed at Maya who had been resting on the bed all along.

    Her body was managing to adapt to the new wolf form, but it still drained a lot from her or maybe it was just the fight she had been in.

    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked her? I untied my robe and climbed onto the bed toy beside her.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, just tired.¡± She said from where sheid.

    I had gotten on the bed already and adjusted myself to sleep beside her, she made more room and I kept my arm underneath her head so she could rest on it.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she mentioned silently.

    I smiled and we both rested.

    The next day, she was better and I was feeling good as well.

    There was no possibility sign of any iing army or warriors, that was calming for the day even if everyone had kept themselves in their respective positions incase things didn¡¯t turn out the way we nned for them to.

    Maya was reluctant to go back to the pack house and I made sure I wouldn¡¯t push it so as not to offend her. She wanted to stay and it was her desire to fight.

    ¡°Why are you so interested in fighting and joining the battle against these people?¡± I asked her as we both sat side by side while watching nature act on its own will.

    ¡°Growing up in somewhere like hell¡¯s pit, I think that¡¯s the natural desire unless there¡¯s a different hobby. Besides, you¡¯re here for me. I want to be around you.¡± It was beautiful to hear her admit that she wanted to be close to me.

    Even if we had been a bit emotionally intertwined with each other for a bit since her holiday started, it was still nice to hear the words from her.

    I adjusted myself to sit close to her so there would be less space between us.

    ¡°Maybe soon, we¡¯ll be able to observe all of these without remembering the past.¡± I said to her.

    ¡°Maybe, I think I still need to train for a bit and prepare to go join them at the pit for the nextpetition.¡± She mentioned.

    ¡°Yes, about that. But wait a minute, even after everything you¡¯ve been through, you don¡¯t feel you¡¯ve gone throughout enough?¡±

    I was surprised she was still interested in training at all. There was so much interest in doing it, it amazed me.

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, ¡± I whispered in her.

    I asked for the army¡¯smander, Atkinson, to bring a few number of cadets who would be willing to join in battling the alpha¡¯s mate. I doubted anyone would pass on the offer.

    He came back and brought one person, I was amused.  ¡°She can probably handle ten of him, maybe someone else.¡± I said in a chuckle.

    I nced at Maya, but she was blushing in her seat as I said what I did about her to themander. The man himself seemed amazed and hurriedly went back to get someone else and more people.

    It was going to be a show which I was interested in watching. Maya would be sparring on different wolves and I could see how much progress she had gotten so far.

    ¡± Sir, there¡¯s an issue with someone.¡± A guard came by.

    ¡± What¡¯s happening?¡± His state of urgency startled me.

    ¡± It¡¯s the witch, Elora. She¡¯s still unwell.¡±

    I had totally forgotten about thedy and I left the front of my tent to go to where she had been staying in since the beginning of the war.

    Maya came along and themander has to wait with the soldiers he had brought over.

    When we got in, Elora was on the bedying sickly. She looked pale and it was as if life had drained twenty years off of her life source.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I heard you sent for me?¡± I went to her side to speak to her.

    ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯ve been poisoned. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s wrong, but you could go to the pack house or send someone there to get things for me. That¡¯s should help in me treating myself.¡±

    She struggled toe out with her words but I was able to make everything out eventually.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine? You seem to be dying. What you want will be brought soon and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± I assured her.

    I probably spoke every single word that entered my mind in that moment so she would feel better about everything.

    It was scary that she would be unwell just at that moment. I couldn¡¯t even afford to lose her after I had not gotten to favor her for what happened back at her pack and her son that was killed.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to go get her things for her,¡± I heard Maya offer herself.

 37

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I got into a vehicle in which I was driven by someone who Venom had assigned. I was returning back to the pack house to get something for Elora who was dying. It was so sad to see her in the state that she was before I had to leave to get her whatever she needed.

    I was then realizing that she had only asked for her bag and nothing specific. Maybe she had medicines in it, I wasn¡¯t so sure I wanted to worry about that. I only wanted to get the bag for her so I could get her to heal herself as soon as possible.

    After some minutes of driving, the driver got to the house and I ran inside. ¡°Mom, Dad!¡± I called out, in an attempt to greet them but it  seemed the house was empty and no one had heard me. Maybe they were asleep, I wasn¡¯t sure.

    I ignored that train of thought and went to Elora s room to get her things. The ace had been a guest house in which I had stayed once or twice before, but going inside, it was a different view.

    It was eery and I couldn¡¯t exin why. There wasa s orange aura in the room that bothered me and made me want to go outside and note back in.

    I looked around for the bag she had talked about and it seemed when I saw it, I recognized it even if it was amongst many other that probably had clothes in it.

    The bag was the darkest of them all, small and I could have sworn that the bag glowed a little.

    It felt like I was hallucinating in the room, but I tapped myself once or twice and it all felt real. Like I was experiencing every bit of what I saw going on.

    I slowed down and picked up the bag. Something in me was curious to know what was in it and when I truly did, I was transported somewhere and copsed.

    It was just like what had happened the night she opened up a portal. I wasn¡¯t myself anymore and I doubted if I was in real life since everything I saw was really different from back at home.

    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s going on?¡± I shouted to see if anyone would hear and answer me, but no one did and I could hear myself echo.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I shouted again and it was still dead silent. I had been on the floor the whole time I did the shouting and adrenaline so I sat upright and analysed my environment.

    It was dark and almost impossible for me to navigate my way out. I was scared of what could happen at that point.

    Elora was powerful and I knew that. I couldn¡¯t understand why something like that would happen to me, maybe it was just a coincidence of my curiosity getting the best of me.

    I stood up and stared ahead, trudging gently as I moved ahead in the darkness trying to make my way out.

    I heard a sinisterughe from the darkness and I was immediately startled. I immediately paused and waited for the person to surface, but nothing was heard.

    I walked gently again and the voice resurfaced. Theugh even became louder and I very clearly heard other voices too. It was as if they were celebrating that  I had fallen in the strange ce I was in.

    I kept myself in a stance, ready to fight whoever would appear out of the darkness.

    I waited a bit for them to show themselves but no one came again and theirughs took a pause.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out of there if you aren¡¯t cowards.¡± I bellowed to the void before me.

    Suddenly, beings began to make their way out, one after the other and I could finally make out who they were. They wore strange masks, but something stood out amongst them.

    It was the tattoo!

    Venom had mentioned a tattoo being consistent on the fallen warriors body, they had the same thing roo and it was even more pronounced.

    Maybe these ones were higher in the hierarchy, I got prepared for them. My wolf didn¡¯t feel likeing out and my heartbeat hit higher at the thought of being subdued.

    ¡°We¡¯re not here to fight. We¡¯re here to take you away. Who do you think these stances are for?¡±

    They mocked the way I stood.

    I ran towards one of them, but once Inded a stride, I fell to the ground. I felt dizzy and couldn¡¯t identity where I was. There was some sort of maniption going on in the ce and it was affecting me.

    Someone else crept out of the darkness and when they noticed the personing, they all kept quiet and wouldn¡¯t say anything again.

    I saw what looked like Elora and at first, I wanted to convince myself that it was just her twin or something else, but the person¡¯s full face came into view and I saw her.

    The body stature and everything I knew of her couldn¡¯t have deceived me that she was someone else.

    ¡°Elora?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°No, Jezebel you idiot.¡± She replied sharply.

    I was taken aback, the Elora that we had knew was actually much more respectful and nicer but this one was a direct contrast.

    Then, I remembered that through the bag that I had entered into the strange portal and it could have been a setup.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you send me to go get the bag? What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked defiantly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Yes, and the n went as proposed. You would be tempted to look into it and when you do, you would be brought here where I¡¯ll he taking you to the King of the Niles.

    I couldn¡¯t hear the things they were saying correctly and I was having an insane amount of headaches from what was affecting my thoughts.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± I screened loudly, but my senses faded out afterwards.

 38

    Maya¡¯s POV

    When I woke up, I found myself bundled up in different chains and lying on the ground in front of a man in a throne.

    I had lost my senses some time ago and I couldn¡¯t even remember where I was or what was going on. I could hear a few things from the conversation that was happening between Elora and the man.

    I concluded that I would be getting traded at that moment. I still struggled to put my senses together and while I was at the point of getting myself, I was carried away by someone.

    I tried screaming but there was a muffler on my mouth that prevented from doing so and all I could do was struggle to set myself free but nothing happened.

    They dropped me in a dungeon and left. My body was now fully awake and I could tell my left from my right and also see well.

    Venom would probably be searching for me at the pack house and the driver would have been worried about where I was too.

    ¡°Help! Help!¡± I screamed through the muffler, but it only restrained my mouth harder and I was there crying and hopeless.

    There was nothing I could do again to rescue myself from the pathetic situation that I was in. No one seemed to be in sight and it wasn¡¯t like the guards would miraculouslye back and release me out of the ce.

    I sat down for a bit and drifted off to sleep after a while of hopeless looking beyond and hoping someone woulde for me.

    Waking up a some timeter, it was to the sound of someone who was banging the irons of the door. I jolted awake but who I saw didn¡¯t delight me in any bit.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve adjusted to your new home.¡± The person spoke.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Elora, what did I do to you? What¡¯s going on with you? Let me go!¡± Iined bitterly to her. She paid deaf ears and didn¡¯t react like she was the one I had been talking to all along.

    ¡°Come on! What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Iined bitterly, but she stood there staring at me and didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be sold for your blood and the wolf in you very soon. Keep yourself calm and all of your troubles will be ending at anytime soon.¡± She spoke formally and left without any exnations.

    Later on, I realized that the muffler had fell apart and that was how I had been able to talk to Elora. I had totally forgotten about my troubles with it before I fell asleep.

    I felt hopeful again, maybe the other chains that bounded me would fall apart too.

    I just wanted something to happen. I struggled with myself continuously but it was all just tight at that point and no progress was being made.

    At one point, the chains were grinding on my flesh and I started to bleed from the injury I received, but soon afterward, the injury began to heal on its own. It was my powers.

    Desperation set in and I thought about the possibility of struggling till the iron would meet my bones and maybe one would end up shattering the other. I hoped for the chances that it would the iron.

    I started and ced the iron on my leg, scratching them against each other. The sound was tortuous and even the motion was painful. I wailed loudly as I continued but nothing would have made me stop.

    Maybe I was there for hours or minutes, I continued until I couldn¡¯t do it anymore.

    I stopped andyed there, the bleeding continued for sometime and it stopped again. I checked my leg and thought about the chances of continuing and cutting the chains on my body finally.

    The guards came, interrupting my thoughts impromptu.

    They opened the gates of the dungeon recklessly, almost like they came in with all the anger in the world.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked them.

    They paid no attention to me and continued to do as they pleased.

    ¡°I asked what the heck is going on here.¡± I shouted at them. The effect of getting kidnapped and even held hostage was messing with my head and I was going crazy already with every motion I took.

    I was lifted by the men and totally camped up. They took me out and I appeared at the throne of the man from earlier again.

    ¡± Who are you? ¡± I screamed at him.

    ¡± Did no one teach this girl some manners? Please, lock her mouth up, someone.¡± He bellowed at his guards.

    They came to aid as soon as he opened his mouth and they were there to cover my mouth up.

    The will to even push further was waning and I let them do as they pleased to me. There wasn¡¯t anything I could do to escape them.

    ¡± So, she will be transported tomorrow. Her mate can kill men, but we can break alpha¡¯s. Clean her up and lock her in the van and make sure she is well fed. Her wolf is no ordinary one.¡± He ordered.

    I felt dirty and the men dragged me away from the man¡¯s front. To where they were going to be performing a silly fattening ritual on me.

    If only Venom was around to see what was going on with me.

    I wished he would appear with his men and do something, but I doubted if he would be able to trace me to where I was.

    Even if he tried using the connection between mates, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything since I was probably far far away.

    Then I remembered the hell¡¯s pit, I would be transported back there unless they had also directly partaken in my trade.

    I wasn¡¯t sure and I felt betrayed by everyone I trusted to have kept me safe.

    The men began the process on me and the first thing that they did was strip me bare. It would soon be time for me to get sold.

 39

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s gone?¡± I bellowed at the driver who had brought Maya back to the pack house.

    She was supposed to only get the bag for Elora and she went missing afterwards.

    ¡°Call everyone out here.¡± I ordered him.

    Maya had been missing overnight and I had assumed it was a minor issue until I found out she had disappeared.

    The guard hurriedly ran off to get every other person that wasn¡¯t present. I looked at him in disdain. I was embarrassed by howckadaisical they treated work and how unreliable they were.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, sir.¡± He had returned a few minutester.

    ¡°Who saw Mayast night or yesterday?¡± I asked them.

    The air was tense and nobody said a thing, no reply was given.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys hear me? Who saw Maya?¡± I shouted again.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t, sir.¡± They all said one by one.

    I left the ce and went inside the house to check where Maya had been. The driver had spoken about her entering into the house and afterwards, he didn¡¯t see her anymore.

    I went to our room first and it was well arranged and didn¡¯t look like anyone had entered it for days.

    I went to Elora¡¯s room and the door was ajar. That was when my intuition kicked in and I felt things didn¡¯t seem to be in ce.

    Entering into the room, there was a bag on the floor. Probably the bag Elora had described, nothing else could be seen. Not even a trace of hair.

    I got out of the ce frustrated, no one knew where she was and even my parents had not been at home when I sent her in. Something worried me about Elora¡¯s room she had entered. ¡± Perhaps, she was kidnapped.¡± I muttered to myself as I walked back to the room.

    I entered and picked up the bag for Elora so I would deliver it to her while I search for Maya.

    I grabbed the bag and I felt a weird aura emanate from it. It was weird, it was almost making me nauseous and it felt weird. I remembered Elora was a witch and tried to y it off as one of the things she did on it.

    Got the bag out, went to the car and drove away from home. I would definitely have to do something to stop the constant situation of searching for Maya every freaking time.

    On my way there, I still found something strange about the bag. ¡°Did something happen to Maya, through this?¡± I examined it. The situation felt silly but it didn¡¯t feel like it was something worth overlooking.

    The camp was in disarray when I got there. A small part, something was going there. I alighted and went towards where everyone had gathered.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? And it better be something worth the ruckus going on.¡± I was irritated already by the actions of the guards at home and couldn¡¯t even stand the one that was going on in front of me.

    ¡°We can no longer find the witchdy.¡± They all said in chorus.

    ¡°What the hell!¡± I eximed, something was defining not in ce and it was too ring.

    ¡°Did something happen or what?¡± I feared it might have been the sickness or injury she had sustained while fighting.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that. She evenughed as she miraculously disappeared away from here.¡± They exined to me.

    Well, I finally had two and two to ce together. Something had happened and i was more than convinced that it was linked to Maya¡¯s disappearance.

    ¡°Everyone, go around. Scout for my mate, Maya and the witch, Elora. Don¡¯t relent until you find something.¡± Just the way I gave orders for a search party to go out, I did the same thing and went around in search too.

    There¡¯s nothing I could have done, I couldn¡¯t have my hands folded while everything was in chaos around.

    We kept on searching and searched until it was early in the morning, but we couldn¡¯t trace anything. Nobody could sniff out any scent and it wasn¡¯t like they had left any clothings we could trace them with.

    ¡°Call everyone back.¡± I ordered themander who had been with me the whole time the search took ce.

    ¡°Alright, sir.¡± He said, then he left to go meet the rest who were close by and had been actively searching.

    I went back with a sunken reaction and bad mood. Things were going crazy too quickly and it didn¡¯t seem like I could do something about it. I didn¡¯t want to be losing my mate or a close person every weekend or the other.

    ¡°We¡¯ll rest for the morning and go in search against. Just incase the enemy kidnapped her or something else rting to them happened. We need to find her at all cost.¡± I told them.

    They asserted all I said in unison and they were dispersed, no one waited and they all went to rest. After the battles and calling them to search for my mate, I had probably pushed the to their limits already or maybe not.

    I went by myself too, I had to take a rest from everything I had been doing. Worry was clouding my head, but it wasn¡¯t like I had any power over it. I just had to ensure and try to figure things out, that was what I told myself that morning.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    I went to the tent where I had been staying with Maya before she happened to disappear without any trace so I could rest.

    Remembering what happened and try to put pieces together wasn¡¯t working out and I couldn¡¯t do anything. It was all as simple as sending her home to pick up something and that was when everything went wrong or something else manifested.

    Maybe Alpha Maximum had a hand in it, he was my next choice to interrogate and I was already prepared to choose and wage war on him regarding the risks.

 40

    Maya¡¯s POV

    My powers were weakened and I was treated like a mere ve. Maybe that was what I was before I was found by Venom, but it was disgraceful being treated that way.

    I detested every moment that I was fed forcefully and n couldn¡¯t channel my energy to teat the people apart. Something was going and I had all my powers taken out of me. I felt helplessly hungry even making me morepelled to take what they offered.

    After thest encounter with Elora, I had not seen her again. Even the king who had said something about selling me to a particr person or something.

    I feared when the judgement day woulde for me and the fact that maybe I wouldn¡¯t see Venom by then.

    There was no way I could have connected with him tomunicate. Hell, I didn¡¯t even feel my wolf in my body and I was almost just lifeless and already deste. No rtionship with anyone.

    I dangled from iron chains, and my body had been marked already from the strain the iron was putting on me. It wasn¡¯t helping with the fact that I was naked and I wondered why they did that.

    They never showed any arousal or interest seeing me that way. They only had me that easy for the sake of it.

    I was there for a while, no consciousness of time or my environment and wouldn¡¯t only expect the guards to appear and if they didn¡¯t, I was my ownpany. Sometimes, I would go crazy and begin to scream like I had gone mad.

    It got to me and I wouldugh sometimes, but that was just the tip of what they did to me in raring for whatever they had in mind.

    Today was usually different. Some men dressed in totally different armors appeared through the hallway and they walked towards the dungeon where I was kept in.

    ¡°You guys are back again. So what¡¯s with the new armors?¡± The insanity of being alone had given me some sense of humor.

    It seemed these ones were different, they gave in to my taunt.

    ¡°Please, keep shut up or we will make you.¡± They ordered.

    I was amused by the audacity.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Make me,¡± I taunted again.

    I felt a hard strike on my face, my hair scattered across my face and I could feel something wet on the spot where my hair touched.

    I felt it and checked, it was red, I was bleeding.

    As they lifted me off of the chains and onto themselves to take me out,  I began screaming and scratching at them. Giving them the full mad woman behavior.

    They all adjusted away from me, just enough for me not to get to their vulnerable spot. They kept me on their shoulders and took me out. That was the second time they were going through that routine with me.

    I assumed they would be taking me to their leader¡¯s ce again, but if was different. They took through a different route we had never passed through.

    ¡°Where are we gonna?¡± I asked them. I was calmly and I had lost all the energy in me to do anything.

    ¡°Just calm down and let us lead you to where you are supposed to be.¡± One of them said.

    I kept quiet and watched them go. We finally reached somewhere where there seemed to be a chariot waiting for us. I was kept in it gently, unlike the way I had been treated throughout the time I stayed in the dungeon.

    Something was definitely different about the way they treated me. Inside, there was a man sitting by my side. He was adorned just like the king or leader who had spoken to me earlier.

    The shackles had been taken off of my hands and I had the opportunity to run, but I reconsidered. I wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to go to and they probably had men on standby, I calmed down and watched everything unfold before me.

    The chariot started and the man didn¡¯t say anything while I sat there. I was expecting something to be said, maybe a briefing of what would happen.

    The journey had begun, the men that carried me were marching with the chariot. I was surprised they had not decided to use something more advanced since it was at their disposal.

    I was trying to use my eyes to mark the environment maybe I would be able to trace everything back. Knowing how to get back to the pack house would be the bigger issue.

    I slept off soon after the drive started. While having the short nap, I dreamt of back home, seeing Venom and him searching for me made me wake up with a jolt and I got worried too about what would be going on back at home.

    I panicked in the chariot, looking around and vibrating violently. The man who had been in it throughout didn¡¯t even react. It was almost like I was invisible in the chariot.

    ¡°Stop the chariot, stop this thing!¡± I began to scream, but no one seemed to care. I was almost jumping out when he finally reacted to me.

    He grabbed my hand and uttered some words, ¡°don¡¯t make any silly move.¡± It was low, but stern and intimidating. He didn¡¯t even bothered to spare me a look.

    I sat back andposed myself, the chariot reached a hill and everything slowed down. We had to alight from it and only the horses would move, everyone else continued on foot.

    The shackles on my body nked on each other  as I  moved. It felt like hell¡¯s pit when we would be transported from location to location to fight battles or watch the others get in.

    ¡°What has Elora done to me!¡± I murmured. I was in tears already from all the tortures that I had gone through at the hands of the strange people I was with.

    ¡°Stop!¡± The man shouted and we all halted.

    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded.

 41

    Maya¡¯s POV

    The man had been observant enough to figure out that something was going on and for that moment, I was thankful that he did. Few seconds after he had proimed that we were surrounded, some men jumped out of the hills, armed with machetes and other weapons.

    They were probably roadside robbers and immediately entered intobat with the guards that were there. The man who was holding me captive was also being attacked and while that happened, I had been left unattended to.

    I remember that something had been submerging my powers earlier at the dungeons, I assumed it would be different since we were outside and I tried channelling my powers again.

    The tingle I would usually feel before I go into full rage wasn¡¯t forting and I kept trying, screaming my lungs out and hoping I would be done  before the fight between my captions and the roadside robbers would end.

    My new wolf finally yielded to me and I began to transform. I was gaining more and more sensation of the powers and soon afterwards, I was a full fledged wolf.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    I yelled around, smashing everything in sight and attacking the men who had been fighting themselves all along. Without spending much time to wait for them to fight back, I flew off of the cliff into the water that was miles below us.

    My reaction had been really rapid and random and when I woke up after being washed ashore, remembering what had happened, i was both amused and impressed with the fact that I pulled that off.

    By the riverbank, there didn¡¯t seem to be any form of life and thankfully, my wolf had no ripped off all the piece of clothing on my body at the time that I made a transformation. I still had something to cover up.

    I was grateful that I had escaped, but then I realized I would be sought for and it would be another stress if they found me. I rested for a bit before picking myself up and moving ahead so I wouldn¡¯t get caught by my assants.

    I had walked how many miles and I was feeling hungry already. I would constantly curse and murmur under my breath for the fact that there wasn¡¯t anything edible in sight.

    The trees were mostly dry or didn¡¯t bear any fruits, there were no animals running around and I couldn¡¯t have possibly killed one to roast as food. I took a break and sat on the ground.

    ¡°What the heck is going on!¡± I eximed. I could no longer bear the frustration the past days had brought upon me. Maybe they were not days. Either way, I was at my worst.

    I stayed there for some time and stood up once more to see if I could try to get myself something to eat. Maybe a tree would miraculously turn up from which I would be able to consume its fruits. Even I had tried a dozen times already, there was nothing I could do again apart from hope.

    I ran into the bushes and kept looking around for the trees if they had anything on it.

    Walking through and thoroughly looking to the best of my sight didn¡¯t help, I was still starving as much as I did when I entered into the ce.

    I turned my back when it didn¡¯t seem like there was an exit there. It felt more safer to walk on the opennd where there wasn¡¯t so many things that could serve as camouge.

    The people who had kidnapped me never really expressed what they would do. They only made known of it that I would get sold and that was it. Elora was an enemy all along, an unexpected surprise. Venom wasn¡¯t seeing me and I was not able to reach him, that was bothersome.

    At one point, I broke down and began to sob gently. The tears walked up my eyes immensely and the emotions were overpowering me. It didn¡¯t look like any solutions were forting.

    Iid in the sand, I had not made it out of the bushes where I went to get food. My body itches and I felt strange insects climb my body, but it didn¡¯t beat he reality that help was noting anytime soon.

    I woke up in the night after what was maybe a third sleep of the day. It was all dark and cricket noises filled the ce. I was jealous of the insects, they had food to eat and I couldn¡¯t¡¯t even survive on my own.

    In my defense, the ce was obsolete and even my assants never appeared. I thought they would search for me and I would be able to fight them one more time but fate didn¡¯t seem like it wanted to work that way.

    Getting up, I started my journey again. Hoping that something would happen. A miracle from the gods, maybe something from the moon goddess, just anything.

    Lo and behold, something happened. Light at the end of the tunnel.

    There was a tree with coconuts. If was surprising, I probably passed the ce a million times in search of something and I never really found a tree close by or where I would eat something from.

    I ran as quick to the coconut tree. There were both ripe and unripe coconuts on it and I didn¡¯t mind. Saving the best forst, I started with tearing up the unripe coconuts so I could drink the nectar from it.

    We had been exposed to those kind of food back in hell¡¯s pit when we would be servers and anything that was rejected would be on the menu for all of the ves.

    I could control my fangs and ws with my new powers and I was able to tear it to a desirable shape. I had probably consumed 5 coconuts before I was even able to take notice of my environment.

    I could see eyes in the night, they had arrived. I had been ambushed.

 42

    Venom¡¯s POV

    The battles and ambushed had reduced but everyone¡¯s attention was directed towards the fact that their future Luna was missing. I had gotten different search parties out there to go in search of Maya and even while we were supposed to rest, it was a constant worry for everyone.

    Dinner had been served and I had just returned in the morning to meet everyone at the table having a meal.

    ¡°Good morning, son.¡± My dad was the first to speak.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. Even if Theresa nothing so good about the morning.¡± I shrugged and went to the table where everyone¡¯s attention had turned to me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Venom. You¡¯ll surely find her.¡± I could hear Alex while he spoke with a mouthful.

    ¡°Yeahh, that¡¯s really easy to say. We¡¯ve seen Elora we just have an issue in getting Maya to re-appear.¡± I exined to them as I sat on the chair so I could position myself with every other person at the table.

    ¡°Where was Elora all along. We thought she was missing too.¡± My mom spoke out.

    ¡°She had missed her way or something. I never really paid attention to the story that was told since it wasn¡¯t Maya. I still need to find Maya. That¡¯s the priority.¡±

    ¡°And you said Maya came home the time she got kidnapped? It¡¯s still quite hard to believe. Not because you said so, but the scenarios. There wasn¡¯t even any trace that someone broke into the ce.¡± Caleb dropped his two cents.

    ¡°Yeahh, maybe.¡± I called my hands and one of the workers appeared with a tray of food for me to consume at the table.¡±

    ¡± I thought we would have to beg you to eat too.¡± Caleb teased.

    I was irritated with everything, but not irritated enough to consider giving him a reply regarding anything.

    I continued eating at the table and discussions about the wars and pack began with my father.

    ¡± I heard you¡¯re going to war with Alpha Maximum, what¡¯s going on?¡± He inquired.

    ¡± He has made attempts on my life, he has refused to let Maya off of her omega status and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a reason that kingdom should still stand ground unless it thrown to shambles.¡±

    There was no more contribution from him or anyone else. I would only need the elders of the council to drop their opinions on the issue before the army would set out on a siege. Turning a neighboring territory to ours would even be to our advantage if it was aplished.

    Everyone finished their meal and I was the only one at the table.

    ¡°Would you have us stay so you wouldpany?¡± Caleb asked.

    I probably gave him a stare that he would definitely remember for a long time, since he dropped the topic soon after and left.

    I ate in peace for a bit and when I got tired, I got out of the chair and went to the office I had in the pack house. The issues at work had not been attended to and I began to remember so much when I entered there, it was all too much and disorganized.

    ¡°I think I need a nap,¡± I said to myself as I walked away from the door back to the room I was sharing with Maya throughout the stay before she was kidnapped or whatever happened to her.

    Entering into the room, I fell on the bed and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would drain the problems away and I would remember less issues that were bothersome.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    I feel asleep shortly after and maybe it was a reflection of my thoughts and the things that worried me but the person I saw once I closed my eyes was Maya.

    She seemed to be in trouble and she was looking around for help, I even heard calling my name and that was when I decided I would stand up to figure out what more to do in order to find her without giving up.

    I picked up my phone and made a phone call. It rang for a bit and the person picked up.

    ¡°Atkinson, tell the men with me that we would be searching other territories starting from tomorrow. I wanted everyone prepared, we¡¯ll fed and energized.¡± I ordered him and ended the call.

    I would have requested that the people be ready at night, but it would have been a stretch on their bodies and after how much they had been through, I would only be a wicked alpha to them that way.

    Standing up from the bed after the nap that probablysted a few minutes, I was pacing around thinking of what to do and how we would get through to Maya who was still missing.

    My head aches after a while of going around the same options in my head and I have up. Her people would have her dead if she didn¡¯t return to fight in the hell¡¯s pit and it wasn¡¯t like she would be able to go back there toplete anything she started for her freedom.

    I went outside and entered into one of the cars. I would going out for the night to see where I could search so I¡¯d find Maya. Maybe my wolf would finally link to hers and I would be able to sense her from miles away.

    I only needed any teeny bit of clue to end up finding her. The bag she hade back home to pick still bothered my mind but I couldn¡¯t pin anything on it. I went across different thoughts as I considered all the options in my head.

    It wasn¡¯t like she would miraculously disappear by carrying the bag and Elora would still be around. Nothing happened when I touched the bag.

    Even when I had given Elora the bag, she hadfortably picked out what she wanted and she was hale and hearty already without issues.

    What happened to Maya when she came home for the bag?

 43

    Venom¡¯s POV

    Elora was kept under investigation and was restrained from every other person in the pack. Time was going and we still hadn¡¯t found Maya. I was running out of options already and the least I could do is examine all the reasonable clues I had.

    ¡°Has she spoken about anything yet?¡± I asked Atkinson who had been in charge of keeping her in check all through the time she was held down.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go to her after all I knew, but I still didn¡¯t trust her enough to let her go and I had to have people do it.

    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t even reacted. She seems pretty calm like she isn¡¯t even in prison or anything. Too strange, I¡¯d say.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t able to do anything further and left with the search party again. We were already travelling far and wise and the case of the missing mate was bing a big story.

    We had made it up until different points we could go to, but there wasn¡¯t anything to lead us further. Maybe a clothing, something she left behind or even connections between the two of us. Nothing wasing forth and it was frustrating.

    ¡°Let¡¯s return, everyone. We¡¯ve done enough for the day, we shall resume other duties soon and give up on this.¡± I told them as the search was monotonous already and it was like Maya had disappeared from the surface of the earth.

    I was already making preparations for her things to be kept elsewhere, away from the house but treasured for me because she was important to me.

    Fighting Maximum felt like it would bring me all the revenge I desired and deserved after everything I went through. Elora had been sought to help with the search, but even she couldn¡¯t do anything and the bag was still being analysed.

    I arrived at home where it was silent as usual since everyone was gone and I was the onlymon member of the family that stayed.

    The rooms had been locked up sort from mine and Maya¡¯s, Elora¡¯s too was open.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    I took a few steps and hesitated, I sighed for a bit, everything felt like I had been running around a circle and going to the room again felt just as disappointing.

    I walked close to the door and was about to open, but just at thest minute, I changed route and went elsewhere. I went to the bathroom where I wouldter have a bath. Washing my head and  trying to calm myself down from all the stress.

    I returned back to the room soon after and I prepared toy down, the workers were still around and had done their job well in making the ce neat.

    Something was odd when I stepped into my room, I could hear distance soundsing from the room beside me which was Elora¡¯s. I was surprised, no one was inside the house.

    I tiptoed out and tried to hear for any speeches, but there was nothing apart from ruffling of things which I couldn¡¯t even make out at the time.

    At the door, I peeped through the door hole and it was like I was seeing a ghost. It was Elora, right in the flesh. She looked different from what I had seen earlier at the prison or were there two people?

    Before I could make a move to confront her, she disappeared, but with the bag. I was finally getting the pieces of my puzzle together. I got infuriated that she had escaped, but there was still chance to catch her since she wasn¡¯t aware that I was on to her.

    The house went back to being quiet after that incident and I made the extra effort to check all the rooms quietly incase anything was uring just like I had seen.

    There would be a next step and it would be to install cameras that were not visible. I picked up my phone when I entered my room and rang a number, it was Alex.

    ¡°Hey there, bro.¡±

    ¡°I need help, extra security for the pack house.¡± I told him.

    I could already sense the question before he would reply on the call, ¡°strange things have been going on, that¡¯s why. Can I get it done right away? Maybe before night time.¡± I added in the narration.

    ¡± If it¡¯s that urgent, I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡± He replied to me.

    I ended the call and waited for the arrival of the servicepany that would be putting the cameras in ce. I wanted everything done as quickly as possible so as not to throw Elora off her boots if she came back.

    Her finding out would cost us. I went to the room and slept for a bit,ter in the evening, I got notified that the people were around already.

    I got everyone to look through the environment thoroughly incase there was a chance that Elora came back, but the whole ce was empty and operation began.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, brother?¡± Alex came to me.

    ¡°I found out something strange and I just want to know how long that has been happening for.¡± I answered him.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Elora was here, picking up things and ruffling her room in urgency.¡±

    I saw the expression of shock on his face as his pupils dted and his mother changed form. ¡°Really? I thought she was kept in prison.¡±

    ¡± Yes, she was but she seems to be able to get in and out through disappearing and I can vouch that who I saw this afternoon wasn¡¯t the same person we locked up.¡±

    ¡± I guess we should have seen that all along since she¡¯s a witch.¡±

    I had to leave the conversation to show specific areas where the cameras would be ced. They were quite tiny and could easy be ignored if seen.

    If there was a chance that Elora had a hand in getting Maya to be missing. The cameras were the sure bet and more tracing of the witch¡¯s doings.

 44

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I was on my own surviving in the wild environment I found myself in conveniently. The men that hade to kidnap me had their bones rotting on stakes where I hung them.

    Maybe being starved contributed to how I felt mentally, there wasn¡¯t any iota of pity for them in me and even when I spent my time skinning them alive, their cries held no emotion in my head.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Venom had not reached me, I gave up on expecting him. I didn¡¯t even know where I was all along and I couldn¡¯t even rescue myself.

    Time from time, I would sob quietly, wondering why life was so hateful and painful towards me, other times, I was invigorated and felt like I could take on the world.

    This was one of those times when I felt like I could do everything all by myself and as I paced around in the woods, picking one thing or the other, I waa getting myself prepared.

    I managed to make arge umbre out of palm fronds and I still had a couple of coconuts I could survive on incase of anything.

    I lifted as much as I could carry on my limb and I began to move away from the beach and forest, Imade up my mind that I would just walk until I find somewhere I could rest.

    Few hourster or maybe it was long minutes, I wasn¡¯t sure, I found a small vige after walking long miles. I could only see huts on thend,, there didn¡¯t seem to be any living creatures around there.

    I climbed arge boulder that led as an opening into the ce and I jumped right into thepound.

    ¡°Hello, hello!¡± I shouted to check if anyone woulde out, but no one did.

    ¡°Is anyone in there?¡± I called out again, still, no one acknowledged me. Seeing the ce was empty, I went into each huts check-in if I would find anything edible I could consume.

    Inside the huts, there were molden pots and tes, the people were probably old fashioned from what I deduced. I opened everything but they were empty, until I found a gourd that had some water in it, many like that.

    I happily gulped down to my satisfaction, I had not gotten any clean water in days and if I wasn¡¯t a supernatural, my body would have disrupted from the amount of saltwater I was consuming and coconut water too.

    Finishing all the water in the hut I was in, I fell to the ground and slept off. My body was weak already from plenty days of work.

    By the time I woke up, I was surrounded by people with different paintings on their faces. They looked bizarre and they were barely covered from head to toe, they had battle stances.

    I quickly stood up and raised my hand in the hair to protest that I wasn¡¯t trying to fight. Their spears were aimed at me and theymunicated with hums. Well, that was what it seemed like.

    I stood up and went outside, constantly looking over my shoulder if they wouldn¡¯t attack me. I packed up the things I came with and began to move in the direction I came earlier, they didn¡¯t make any move or say a word and it waster I came back to my senses to ask them for help.

    ¡°Please, do you know how I can reach wolves territory? Any wolves at all?¡± I asked them.

    They still hummed violently and it was threatening already.

    ¡°Please, I¡¯d really appreciate you people¡¯s help. I¡¯ve lost my way and I need to get back to the normal peoplends.¡± I described to them with hand gestures.

    They stills Disney budge and their spears were still aimed at me. I gave up on things get them to understand me and packed my things to leave the environment.

    I got out onto the beach side and the journey started again for me, I reconsidered and stayed on the floor to rest. There wasn¡¯t anymore I wanted to do.

    Suddenly, I heard sound of airnes surrounding me or maybe they were just extraordinarily loud.

    The sound was getting closer and closer and when I looked up, I saw the nesing down to my exact location. ¡°Is that Venom?¡± I asked myself.

    I went to hiding so if they were out to get me, they wouldn¡¯t see me at once. The boulder was the best ce to to stay while they alighted. For a few minutes, they continued with alighting andnding the small nes. I watched from afar and everything eventually came to a halt.

    Men dressed in different high protection clothes with weapon came out and they began to raid the ce.

    ¡°Whatever you do, find the wolf!¡± Their leader shouted.

    I was scared for my life and ran back to the small vige I had escaped. I wasn¡¯t sure if they would allow me in or attack me, but that was myst option. I ran in there and began to call for help. ¡± Help! Help! ¡± I screamed at the different huts, but no one answered me.

    They came out one by one and it was as if when they saw I was the one, they instantly lost interest and couldn¡¯t care less.

    Soon, gunshots were heard and everyone became panicky too. They move out to go check what was going on, but something in my initiative told me they wouldn¡¯t be returning back alive.

    There was a nearby bush and I began to run into it and I went as fast as I could with all the energy in me. Every second, I would constantly look over my shoulder, it seemed like I was losing them and I tried to run a little more until my body gave up and I couldn¡¯t go any further.

    My breaths were heavy and I was on the floor. The water I drank earlier felt like it dried up already.

    ¡°We¡¯ve finally found you

 45

    Chapter Forty five

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°Okay, we know what to do. We¡¯ll just keep moving.¡± I ordered the men with whom I was together on the road with. We had gotten lost on our way trying to find Maya and we couldn¡¯t trace our way back.

    It felt old with how it happened. Almost like a maniption.

    Elora never returned after that time I had gotten cameras to watch the house and it waster more than obvious that the one in the jail cell was a zombie. I dered her a fugitive and finding her would be her death anytime she re-appears.

    We walked further for a little bit and it wasn¡¯t like there was any form of civilization around us. Thend was dead and empty and it was just us.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we camp here, sir? It¡¯ste already.¡± A junior officer suggested.

    I looked ahead to see if we could make any more progress by walking that morning, but it seemed too much.  ¡°Alright, call the me to order, we¡¯re here till morning.¡± I told him.

    There was a small jubtion and everyone decided they would start scouting the environment for what to eat and a tent to build.

    I also did the same, but I was just really hopeful that if find Maya in the woods and that was why I continued to move after they had all chosen to rest.

    Not so long after we had chosen our ce of abode, thunder began to rumble in the sky. It was evident that there would be showers of rain at anytime soon.

    I quickly gave up on the mini search I was conducting and called the attention of everyone. ¡°Prepare yourselves! It¡¯ll rain soon!¡± Imanded.

    Survival skills was something we had all gotten a chance to learn and wasn¡¯t a big deal for us. Everyone got to preparation and it seemed we would escape the whole rain by the time they finish. The only thing was that, the chances of our clothes getting wet was imminent.

    The men who had been building the tents and shelter all along were done and had done somethingrge and simple to trap everyone in. I also decided to stop moving around so I could stay back with them and rest as the rain would began to slowly pour on everyone.

    From a slow pour to a rush on everyone¡¯s body from all angle, the rain wasn¡¯t going to stop anytime soon.

    A division was created for them to start constructing another tent to size a number of people so everyone wouldn¡¯t be congested in the same ce.

    I observed from where I was and I was impressed. At one point, I joined in so I wouldn¡¯t continue to wallow in worrisome thoughts about Maya and bringing her back.

    Late in the night and the rain had calmed, the water that poured earlier flooded around us and flowed down a particr spot. It was an ¡®okay¡¯ situation, we couldn¡¯tin.

    I finally decided I would give myself a rest so I shut my eyes eye and slept.

    I was the first to wake up in the morning, simply because I had been woken up by a nightmare of Maya being in trouble. After I woke upter, some guys began to wake up individually.

    Soon after, we were all ready to continue our journeys and we did. It was a different problem afterwards, finding our way back and finding Maya.

    Although, finding Maya was what we prioritized when we decided that we wouldn¡¯t stop but continue on our path.

    I heavily hoped to the gods that we would reach somewhere we could find Maya even if everything seemed gleam at the time and I wasn¡¯t so sure of that happening.

    We walked continuously for hours and just when it didn¡¯t seem like we would be meeting with any living beings soon, we were at a market.

    It was a really noisy one. ¡°Perhaps, there¡¯s a celebration going on here.¡±I muttered to myself.

    ¡± Everyone, keep your armors and weapons so they don¡¯t see us as a threat. The remaining men should have the stick tents and provisions guarded back outside where they won¡¯t be seen. We¡¯ll progress inside to find out about these people.¡±

    So, we continued and we tried greeting people to familiarize with them, but they barely payed attention to us or anything we said to them. Not until one of the warriors of the pack decided that he would just try to patronize them.

    Fortunately for us, they spoke English. The market ce and everything going on had me remembering what had happened with Elora and her son after he had chosen to help me, but even that story didn¡¯t seem truthful anymore.

    It was almost like it was just a front for something that I couldn¡¯t pin my mind on and I was losing the main point. That would be a topic for another day, because I saw something that caught my eyesight in a weird way.

    ¡°ves?¡± The assistant whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just as surprised with what¡¯s going on here. Let¡¯s follow them.¡±

    Together, the two of carefully traced the ves and the armed men that were taking them out of the market. It was either that sales had ended or it was just starting.

    We consistently followed the until we reached somewhere in the market. A little bit far from where the main business was, but the building was a mansion.

    ¡°That should be the house of their king or Alpha,¡± my assistant mentioned.

    ¡°It seems so.¡± I asserted.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Are we following them in?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No, not yet. Let¡¯s just wait till the manes outside then we can try finding out things another way. He got my drift and we camped somewhere away from the mansion. Not so close to it and not to far, so we would be able to see whoever was going in anding out of it.

    My intuition gave me the feeling that we would be finding Maya at that spot, soon.

 46

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I was still running in the forest where something got caught around my legs and I fell to the grab hard. They had set traps incase I would try to escape. I was able to grow my ws up to a reasonable length to cut myself out of the ropes, but when I started to run again, they had reached me.

    The time I had been struggling with the rope they had used had given them advantage.

    ¡°We have you covered, don¡¯t run or do anything drastic.¡± They were all masked up and I could only hear a muffled sound of their voices.

    I decided I would fight back and began to try to transform. At first, I couldn¡¯t feel my inner wolf, I feared they were using magic on me, but soon after, I was growling and swing at trees like a beast.

    I had transformed and I was fighting back against them, they kept shooting multiple bullets at me from every angle, but I felt nothing and I was able to decimate arge number of them.

    Not until someone miraculously shot me from somewhere and that was how I lost my consciousness that evening.

    I woke up to a pce where I was shackled up amongst other people. It was safe to assume that they were also powerful people they were trying to sell.

    I never considered myself as powerful, it was funny when I was getting attacked multiple times for my power and now, I was subdued by my assants.

    The men in the courtesy were we were kept, just like the others who hade to kidnap me, they were on masks. I felt angry and wanted to break every of them, but nothing was running in my body.

    The blood and the famous hormone for turning wolves on to fight, didn¡¯t showcase itself and I was useless as I got caged again.

    We were in there for a bit or since when I woke up and I found some more ves being brought in.

    They were also chained at their necks and feet. It was a reminder of hell¡¯s pit and how they would constantly treat everyone there. It was a dehumanized way of treatment. I broke a tear as I saw what was going on.

    The ones had been brought in were separated from us and aligned somewhere else while the ve masters walked into a door I had not noticed all along.

    The ce was quite big and luxurious anyway. It would have been hard to notice the heavy coating of gold paint everywhere and mboyant decorations that either made noise or made your eyes feel dizzy.

    I definitely tried to see if I could hear what was going on in the second room, but it was futile. I didn¡¯t get anything, but I was convinced our fate was going to get sealed inside that room. Myst resort was to try to speak to the other ves around me.

    ¡°Psss,¡± I tried to wave at one of them. It seemed he didn¡¯t hear or tried to ignore me.

    ¡°Heyy, psss.¡± I did it again and I was shushed by someone else. They were not ready to engage anyone, I gave up and rested in the position I had been allocated. I couldn¡¯t do anymore and I only waited for the people to get out, tension was  building in me.

    Few minutester, earlier than I expected, they all came out and gathered everyone together. Everyone was asked to stand up as they led us out of the building and outside, there was a vehicle where everyone got in, we sat on the ground, there wasn¡¯t space to have a sit.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    I sobbed gently as I took my sit on the bare floor, after getting to escape and I was caught again and now, I would be taken to somewhere I had no idea.

    The big car moved out of the house and was driven away. I sat there silently after some time and prayed that a miracle out of somewhere would save us since it didn¡¯t seem like there was something I could do about our situation anymore.

    The people in the car didn¡¯t have any enthusiasm to them which bothered me. I would continuously try to get information out of them, but it wasn¡¯t working out and they wouldn¡¯t acknowledge anything I said which even annoyed me in there.

    It was a sad hell hole for everyone and it made me sad and mad at everyone at the same time. The journey continued withstanding my emotions and I fell asleep soon after all the fit I had pulled with myself.

    My naps were apanied with visions of Venom and for a moment there, I felt he was really close to me, but it was unlikely and it didn¡¯t seem like we would ever even see each other in all our lives again.

    When I woke up, something was going on. The long car that was driving us around came to a halt and we were there for some minutes. It seemed they were trying to fix something.

    I could hear a loud sound of something being hit somewhere and I felt we had gotten an opening to escape, but no one seemed interested in doing anything. While I tried to get myself out, everything I ended up being futile. I couldn¡¯t push beyond the iron or punch my way through to the ground.

    After rethinking everything I was doing, I realized the other people had been right to give up, it wasn¡¯t like I could have miraculously broke through the iron and still fight everyone outside sessfully to escape to where?

    I had been starved throughout the time I escaped.

    After some time, I couldn¡¯t hear the banging anymore. Instead, it was loud screams and thuds on the floor. Something was going on outside, maybe a battle. I was scared everyone would be killed, including me.

    Suddenly, someone opened the door that enclosed us in the car and began to shout, ¡°go! Go! Go!¡±

 47

    Venom¡¯s POV

    We watched from our position and waited patiently until the men that were leading ves earlier finally appeared out of the gates. They had evene with more poption than earlier, but they were all in a bus.

    I had the men with me following them in the direction they were going.

    ¡°Just keep up with them until they leave here, then we can attack.¡± I ordered. They didn¡¯t move at a pace too fast and we were able to keep up with our supernatural capabilities.

    By the time we got close, I ordered one of the men to go sh their tyres so we could slow them down.

    The n worked out well for us and the bus came to a halt which the driver or whoever the person was, came out to check on the issue.

    As soon as he was out of the driver seat, everyone attacked the bus and the men were at every angle fighting the men who were guarding the bus and trying to free the ves.

    I personally decided I would be at the forefront of the battle. After what I had seen happen with Maya, I used all the frustration in me to fight against them.

    We were winning and the men didn¡¯t seem like too much of an hassle until they transformed into their wolf forms and we had to do the same and we were much stronger than they were. For a moment there, I wondered what kind of breed they were because of how they seemed to be fighting.

    Their attacks did less damage than we inflicted on them and after a few punches and scratches from us, we had knocked all the men out cold.

    ¡°Get the ves!¡± I ordered the man as we transformed back.

    Everyone was quick to go to the back where the people had been stored. They were already getting released and the men struggled with getting the shackles off of them, but when we intervened, the work was evenly distributed.

    I was helping someone with the chains on their hands when I heard a familiar voice. At first, I didn¡¯t recognize it, but when she spoke again, I realized she was the one.

    ¡± Maya?¡± I asked from where I stood.

    ¡± Master! ¡±

    ¡± Maya!¡± I turned to my back and saw a pale looking Maya standing and being helped out by one of the men. I went towards her and all the adrenaline in me helped cut of the chains on her to hug her.

    ¡± Maya! ¡± i eximed one more time as we stayed together for a while, it was a heartfelt moment and it was like everything was still at that moment for the two of us.

    ¡°We have been searching for you for the longest time!¡± I told her.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve been trying to find my way out of the hell hole I got into. It¡¯s been crazy. Thanks be to the gods!¡± She replied to me.

    It was unbelievable and I stared at her like I wasn¡¯t witnessing reality. It waster that I realized that we had to evacuate the area because of the men we had knocked out and the bus we had hijacked from its original course.

    The men were tied up in the bus, the chain was just enough to bundle everyone of them together. The people who had been kidnapped and we¡¯re almost getting traded joined in the party to help gather all the men.

    It was a field day of revenge for them. As soon as we were done with that, I led everyone away from there and we went on to search for the other men we had separated from. Getting out of the pack would be easy, finding our way back to ours was the issue.

    The men at the market had not crossed the boundaries they had to move around and everyone was immediately called to order and we were all gathered at the border of the territory we had infiltrated minutes ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry everyone, but we will have to camp here for a bit until rescue reaches us tonight or tomorrow morning. You will be well guarded and I can guarantee that nothing will happen to anyone here.¡± I announced to them.

    No oneined or murmured, they seemed satisfied with the result of being resuced. Maya was all over me the whole time and I wouldn¡¯t let her go either, I still couldn¡¯t believe I finally had her with me.

    Everyone positioned themselves strategically and we waited incase we were pursued, but from the looks of how we took out the operation, they wouldn¡¯t be finding anything until dayster unless people at their destination we¡¯re to be worried. That was the least of the worry.

    I was happy and held Maya close as we sat down at the position where we could overlook over environment incase they came for us.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should rest, Alpha?¡± One of the men came to meet me where I sat.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine here.¡± I replied sharply.

    ¡°But you¡¯ve been searching for days and doing so much, I¡¯ll take over from you. Please, rest.¡± He insisted.

    ¡°You should, you don¡¯t look like how I knew a few days ago or has it been weeks?¡± Maya contributed.

    I finally gave in and moved away from where I was to let the other man take charge of where I had been manning all along.

    ¡°We can have the full time to ourselves now.¡± Maya giggled as we moved away from the spot.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to find you. Where have you been and what happened that evening?¡± I asked her.

    There were different questions racing in my mind for her. I couldn¡¯t even drop everything all at once.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe this,¡± she started. ¡°I fell into Elora¡¯s bag.¡± She ended.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    I was surprised, but since I was considering that option all along since I was investigating, it was an Eureka moment for me.

    ¡°Somehow, I guessed that, but I couldn¡¯t have had my mind trust that kind of witchcraft.¡±

 48

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I was back with Venom. The gods had heard my prayer, it was incredible that fate had brought two of us together again they kind of time. I made sure I stayed with him all through, I feared being separated again.

    The next morning when we woke up, different cars had arrived and they were ready to pick us all. Everyone moved in and these times, even the people who had been kidnapped earlier choice the option to follow up back to our pack.

    They were grateful and I was too. ¡°Thank you for rescuing me.¡± I told Venom as we rode in a car that only had the two of us.

    They had  made sure of it that everything wouldn¡¯t be mboyant and we would just move out at intervals of each other so we wouldn¡¯t get noticed by anyone. We were the first to get out.

    I couldn¡¯t wait to return back to a cozy bed and a warm bath and food, plenty of food. So many thoughts entered my head and I couldn¡¯t hold myself together when I thought about it.

    ¡°Everyone has been so worried about you. It would be so amazing when they finally see you.¡± Venom told me, he was just as excited as I was.

    ¡°How long have you been out on the road trying to find me?¡± Curiosity was peeking in my head.

    ¡± I don¡¯t know for how long but we¡¯ve been doing multiple things at once and they all lead back to searching for you and now that we¡¯ve done it, cases can rest now.¡± He exined.

    I marvelled at the person that I had with me, it was almost impossible for anyone to be lucky enough to have someone on their side who would treat them that way.

    Most people that left hell¡¯s pit only came back to work for the pay and they had be connected to the ce so much they didn¡¯t want to leave anymore, while some managed to stay detached.

    I would definitely be getting detached if I were to get my freedom and escape the environment.

    Later on, I fell asleep in the car that we were returning in. While I slept, there were no distressful sleep visions that would have me suffering or Venom getting in danger while trying to find me.

    When I woke up, he was still driving and we had not gotten back yet. ¡°How close are we?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°We¡¯re really close and we should be there in a few hours and or less than that, I¡¯m not so sure.¡¯ He answered.

    I felt a little bit restless, but I would just have to endure till we get back.

    Venom looked way different from how I remembered him to be. The stress had gotten to him a lot and it was obvious in the way he looked. I wondered how much had changed since I left the pack and all that Venom had been through.

    I rubbed his arm as we both sat side by side in the front part of the car.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave again, Maya.¡± He told me as he patted me on my back.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do that anymore. I¡¯ll try to be safe for you, master.¡± I replied to him. He smiled broadly when he heard me. He had stopped me from using the name on him, but I would usually sneak it in once in a while.

    He owned me and I felt that way about him too, but in a good way and he was more humane than many others that I had experiences with.

    We drove for some more time and before it waste at night, we had reached home already. He got the car parked and I unlocked the car to get out. Everything still looked like a dream as I stepped out and my leg reached the floor.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you, Maya?¡± Venom asked as heughed at the gestures I made to confirm where I was.

    ¡°It¡¯s just not realistic yet. I¡¯m not sure I can get over all the things that happened.¡± I told him.

    ¡± Well, do enough of that and let us get into the ce so we can rest and enjoy a good meal. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired of what happened today and what has happened in the past.¡± He told me and simply began to walk to the entrance.

    Of course, I ran towards him and followed him in. I wouldn¡¯t have him just leave me alone like that. I wasn¡¯t ready to miss him anymore.

    ¡± You¡¯re that attracted to me?¡± He teased.

    ¡± Maybe or maybe I don¡¯t want to have you searching for me anymore. It¡¯s nicer when I¡¯m with you.¡± I replied and swayed as I walked in front of him. Silently, I hoped I had created an arousal in him.

    When we entered, the ce seemed to be empty unlike usual. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Venom? Where¡¯s everyone?¡± I was dumbfounded.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t been really staying here because of the multiple battles going on and they aren¡¯t here or maybe they¡¯re inside.¡± He exined.

    A lot had definitely changed. I walked to the room we usually shared while Venom went a different way. From the direction I saw, he was headed for the kitchen.

    On my way to the room, I saw Elora¡¯s room, the door was ajar and I remembered how things had happened that evening. Maybe if I had talked about what happened during the sparring, I would have been saved from the teleportation in some mysteriousnd.

    I instantly ran back to search for Venom wherever he was in the house. I found him in the kitchen, truly.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± He was surprising when he saw me.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to be near Elora¡¯s room, that¡¯s all. I wonder what else can happen, the woman is still loose and atrge.¡± I warned him.

    He seemed to have taken what I said seriously and acknowledged me. ¡°We¡¯ll find somewhere else.¡± He replied to me.

 49

    Venom¡¯s POV

    The family was back and so did my brothers return back home too after the issues we had and after we finally rescheduled Maya. S new home was gotten for the royal family to stay in and Elora wasn¡¯t discovered yet, her whereabouts or who she truly was.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t all of these beautiful? With the fact that the match at the hell¡¯s pit got postponed too, we are better now.¡± I heard her say as we bothid by the pool side.

    I smiled where I was, I was just as d as she was and enjoying thatfort of peace was everything at that point.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t wait for it toe and go so we can figure things out even if I still feel we need to attack Maximum and his heinous people.¡±

    I mentioned the idea to her again, we had not gone to battle with the pack simply because Maya had not been released from her lifeline and she could just die if they wished. It was an ominous fear to lose her, but the kingdom didn¡¯t know so much about our fears and we were safe.

    The two of us stayed there calmly, enjoying the air and the water swaying gently. We had swam in it and surprisingly, Maya was a novice at swimming.

    After teased and multiple pleas, I was only able to get her into the water for a bit before she gave up and we ended the session of training for her.

    For a while, we discussed how she had survived in the wild and how things went for her. The stories she told were quite chilling and nerve-racking.

    Maybe that was the reason why my hate for Elora was fueled more and more and there was a search already dered for her. Hee pictures were all over the ce and it would only take a matter of time before she would get caught or never show up again.

    ¡°Was there a reason why she was trying to sell you?¡± I asked Maya while we discussed.

    ¡°Not that I know of. She was pretty quiet even when she saw me and it was like she wasn¡¯t the same witch that had me in chains and shackles.¡± She exined. It was one of those few times I saw her irritation and anger at its purest.

    ¡°Can you recognize the ce? Maybe we make a searchter for the people that did what they did. It would definitely be important to get hold of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can, but we can do that as part of ou escapades once I get my freedom. I would definitely like to punish those who punished me.¡± She dered.

    I thought about the couple of attacks we had and how they had been from different angles and people we didn¡¯t even recognize. A lot of people seemed to be out for us. At least, to a strong extent and they were making strong moves against us.

    ¡°At first, we never really suspected Elora.¡± I mentioned, remembering how trusting we had been not to realize she was the one behind the case all along.

    ¡°I was surprised with what happened with the bag. I don¡¯t think I could have believed such thing too. I wonder what breed she is because that was powerful and,¡± Maya hesitated to continue.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just a random memory of something that happened. Let¡¯s not just worry and enjoy the environment.¡± She said.

    The calm environment was soon disrupted by Caleb who rushed towards where we were. ¡°Brother, I think you¡¯ll definitely need to see this!¡± He announced as soon as he reached where we were by the pool.

    I wasn¡¯t sold, but I had to go with the urgency he showcased. I stood up and followed the trail he led, but he stopped, ¡°she has toe too,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wow, alright.¡±

    She stood up and we both left to wherever he was taking us in the room. I assumed it would be in regards to something mischievous.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Caleb? And what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°It¡¯s just something important and I want you to see it.¡±

    We finally got inside and he les us to the home library. There were a couple of books lying on the ground and we had to carefully step at some point so as not to step on them. The ce was pretty unruly.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    ¡°You better have something important to show us, Caleb, for having us go through all of these.¡± I warned him.

    ¡°Trust me, you¡¯d want to see this,¡± he said again.

    At longst, we got to a point where we stopped and he decided he would show us the mysterious thing.

    He sat us down in front of a desk and pushed an open book to us. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Maya asked him.

    ¡°Just read it, two of you.¡± He gestured and we did.

    The page was headed by ¡°Anecestrality and archaic traditions,¡± he then pointed to a particr part of the book where he wanted us to read.

    ¡°Usually, the dominant omega would be free from any battles involved in the dome and everyone would forfeit any matches they have with them once they attain that level of transformation.¡± I read it out loud as I skimmed through the words.

    There was something there that caught my eyesight, it was an image of a wolf in its pure form, just wild and maybe growling.

    ¡°See this!¡± Caleb pointed to the page enthusiastically and I nced at Maya to check if she could see what I was seeing too.

    ¡°That¡¯s Maya¡¯s kind of wolf!¡± I eximed.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Caleb affirmed, ¡°we don¡¯t even have to go to battle or so many hassles, byw and tradition, she is supposed to be exempted and that¡¯s even her default form already.¡± He added.

    ¡± Call a meeting with the council, we will be having discussions on the grounds of this issue by the next full moon.¡± I instructed Caleb.

 50

    Maya¡¯s POV

    The next full moon was there dayster, after which multiple meetings had been held and different letters were getting sent in my regards.

    I felt important and honored for the fact that everything that went on was because of me and my master, Venom, had taken it upon himself to get me out of hell¡¯s pit.

    ¡°Maya, please get dressed quickly. We will be leaving very soon.¡± Venom hurried me as he stepped out of the bathroom and I was still in front of the mirror.

    ¡°I was just lost in thoughts, that¡¯s all.¡± I teased him as I finally began to do the things I had to do.

    I would be dressing up in excessive adornment and fitting myself up for the asion we had to attend.

    What asion? I would have to be showing myself as the Luna of the pack at a special function, it was Venom¡¯s desire for me and I couldn¡¯t have refused it since I felt important anyway.

    I finished up as quickly as I could and went to his mom¡¯s room where she would be dressing for me and putting nes that were generational from Luna to Luna.

    After what happened earlier, I was d she was epting me. The time I had overheard her considering how well I would do for her son even if it was a logical discussion, I had felt bad about it.

    That was in our past already and I would be her son¡¯s mate and Luna anytime soon.

    ¡°You¡¯re all smiles the morning. I hope the smilesst on your face for a while, my darling and the gods prolong every other thing in your life.¡± She prayed and I smiled back at her.

    I sat there quietly as she began and kept everything on me from head to toe. By the time she was done, I was feeling heavier than I would be if a beast hasnded on my body in the middle of fight.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Thank you very much, mom.¡± Venom came in and kissed her on the cheek. ¡°We should be leaving now.¡± He told as he grabbed me by the arm and led me away.

    ¡°You should be patient you know. You¡¯re the alpha, would anythingmence without the alpha.¡± I teased him for his quest to be on time.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe but it wouldn¡¯t be nice to keep them waiting and we¡¯re trying to make an impression and get the to ept us. Drama or a little bit of politics in wolf business.¡± He exined.

    I wasn¡¯t interested in understanding and didn¡¯t pay any bit of attention to the things he was saying and I only followed behind him till we got to the car where I had the chance to sit and we continued.

    ¡°When we get there, I hope everything gets settled and we don¡¯t face so much issues with everything we have to settle with the people.¡± He was pretty nervous and I could tell from the way he was reacting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all will be fine. We¡¯ll both be fine and no one will challenge your authority at all.¡± I assured him.

    The wired barely did anything, but I had done up to the most I could do in supporting and Iported myself for the time when we were supposed to arrive and I would be in front of many other people.

    The drive was faster than normal, but safe, it was safe for wolves anyway. I¡¯ve heard me humans being injured and facing idents at even slower speed limits.

    We got to the venue and everyone entered as we entered too. Alpha Maximum had sent in his delegates toe speak with Venom who would be exining the whole scenario to them before I would be meeting with the alpha. ¡°It is protocol,¡± that was what Venom exined it as.

    I sat in the chair that was ced right next to Venom and the meeting began with him addressing everyone there.

    ¡°Good evening to you all, this is Maya, my mate, a new dominant omega who has exceeded hell¡¯s pit and would have to mate with me to even achieve  her final form.¡± He started.

    There were different gestures made among the people there. Perhaps, I was being analysed or maybe they disapproved. I watched them continuously for a while as they exined, discussed and made multiple ns.

    Even if it was at the expense of my freedom, I had little interest in how much they said since I wasn¡¯t totally understanding them, but they came to a finality. By then, I had paid attention to the most things they said and it seemed my redemption would being sooner than I anticipated.

    When we all finished and I was at the car with Venom, I hugged him as tight as I could.

    ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± He protested as he smiled while I squeezed him.

    I didn¡¯t leave him and went on for some seconds, savoring every moment of what was going on between us.

    ¡°Thank you so much. I appreciate what you did out there for me. Thank you.¡± I squeezed him hard.

    ¡°It was just a simple conversation. It wasn¡¯t something serious, you¡¯ll just be getting free from your duties in hell¡¯s pit soon, that¡¯s all.¡±

    He made the statements like he wasn¡¯t saying the biggest and best thing I heard in a while.

    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s not ordinary. It¡¯s definitely big and I appreciate you, a lot, a whole lot.¡± I repeated the statements in his ears.

    He finally decided he would return the hug and lifted me onto himself while he sat on the chair in the car. The ce was little but we managed to squeeze ourselves in the small ce.

    ¡°Maybe we can wait for the remaining sensual experience when we get inside the houses. How about that?¡± He suggested.

    I calmed myself and held myself together to not let so much of my emotions out.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be in for a treat when we get home. You can be sure of that.¡±

 51

    Venom¡¯s POV

    Somehow, we managed to get the worry of hell¡¯s pit out of the way. We had gotten the news from the Alpha of the mountain wolves and we were told that Maya would be exempted and returned back to a normal life.

    I assumed we would have to go through so much so as to get them to check her out, but nothing of that sort went on and we were fine already.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± I asked her while we both sat side by side, spending time together had be a really frequent thing between us and it was just like we had nned it and imagined it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, it¡¯s still the first day and I¡¯m not sure I canprehend my emotions fully yet.¡±

    The news hade to us by surprise and when we found out, everyone was all smiles and celebratory.

    ¡°This calls for celebration, doesn¡¯t it?¡± My father had suggested since we were all in the same ce when the news was delivered to us.

    ¡°I would advise against that because it would show our vulnerability but it¡¯s still a good idea. Maybe we can do it without stating reasons after a while, how about that?¡±

    He took the counter suggestion well and I celebrated with everyone there. The most emotional person that evening was Maya. She ran away as soon as the news was delivered to her.

    ¡°Go after her son,¡± my mom had pushed me.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just leave her to herself. She¡¯ll be fine. She just needs to process what has happened. I think that¡¯s the issue.¡± I told them, but I left and went to the door where she had locked herself in.

    I could hear sobs being suppressed and I was sure she was crying. After I stayed for a bit and I felt I couldn¡¯t take in what was going on with her, I opened the door into the room so I could console her.

    ¡°Heyy, baby girl. What are you crying for? Everything has been won,¡± I tried to say something uplifting.

    ¡°It¡¯s just so much to process. I wasn¡¯t expecting it at this time. Not even after the times I was getting moved from ce to ce to beg sold.¡± She said amidst her tears.

    Her eyes looked a little swollen from the crying she had done earlier, but she still looked cute.

    I moved closer to where she was and rubbed her head before pulling her to face my chest. She held me tight for some seconds, maybe minutes. That short time was one of our most intimate times and I loved it. I loved every time with her and how we worked out well.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now. See, you¡¯ve gotten what you¡¯ve always wanted. Your freedom, you can mow live like a normal being. You can be my mate peacefully without fearing about so much.¡±

    Even as I spoke about the prospects of everything in her ear, I realized how much we had achieved with getting her freedom back for her. I was amazed.

    She calmed herself down and when we went back outside, everyone was there to congratte her and share her joy with her.

    Maybe something felt iplete for her, I could sense it, but I knew how much she had gone through and she could be easily justified. I watched her as she went from one person to the other, hugging them.

    I was sure every person she left, she dropped some tears on their body. It was finally my turn and everyone began to hail us. It was the most typical drama out there.

    ¡°Thank you so much for standing by me.¡± She said as she hugged me tightly one more time. That night, we left everyone and went out for a breath of fresh air and a different environment.

    We took a ride to a nearby beach which had exclusive ess to the royal family and we stayed there, not being interrupted by anyone and their talks. Passerbys and their shenanigans or any other thing.

    It was just us there, discussing her speaking to each other.

    ¡°Why did you pick this ce for us? I¡¯m surprised you did.¡± I just wanted the quiescence for you and I didn¡¯t want something that would disturb your mind or try to invoke too much interest. Just something simple.¡± I exined like I hade up with a science form already.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Maybe I came up with one because she was smiling throughout the time we spent with each other or the fact that she wouldn¡¯t let my body go but just keep holding on to me like I would be leaving any time soon.

    ¡°Would you like to enter the water?¡± I asked her, it didn¡¯te off as much of a question since I was already grabbing her hand to lift her on her feet already.

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure I can swim.¡± She protested yfully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine, you just have to feel the waves and you¡¯ll survive every other thing, I promise you.¡± I tried to assure her. ¡°And don¡¯t struggle.¡± I quickly added.

    She squinted her face in a type of way that gave off the idea that she didn¡¯t understand what I was saying, but I led her in anyways and we started from the shallow part. I held on to her through out.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± I asked her while her body was immersed in the water.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she replied. ¡°But it feels good and I like it.¡± She finally gave in.

    We continued for a bit and we were making progress at getting her to swim well. She adjusted and left me alone to move by herself. Trying to turn differently and swim inside the water.

    Every time I feared she would drown, she would magically pop up to the surface and my paranoia would quicklye down again, even if i made sure yo keep my eyes on her.

    ¡°Thank you very much for today, master.¡± She said.

 52

    Maya¡¯s POV

    We were still basically honeymooners as Venom had termed us at one point. We were spending so much time together and were barely separated.  Work had been suspended and he was free to be at home and I didn¡¯t have to worry about being trained by someone or anything of that sort.

    ¡°What do you want to do today?¡± He asked after we had slept with each other the night before.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, maybe rey some ofst night.¡± I teased.

    He looked away and I could tell he was smiling from the silly thing I hef said to him.

    I stood up, I was leaving for the kitchen, ¡°I¡¯ll be going to get food. Do you want some?¡± He didn¡¯t answer me but I was sure he wanted some too and I left him by himself so I could give the food for both of us.

    I walked out of the room and went outside, ¡°it seems you two have neglected the family after bing serious lovebirds.¡± I heard Alex say. He miraculously appeared behind me, I wasn¡¯t even sure where he was following me from.

    ¡± You startled me and yes, it¡¯s just for the little time. Don¡¯t worry, your brother is still safe.¡± I replied him.

    I walked away from the hallway and went to the kitchen. The workers in theck house had prepared food already for us.

    ¡± Can I get the meal for the Alpha and me too.¡± The immediately hurriedly got everything onto a te.

    It was impressive how fast they had sorted the request. I goty te and a worker brought Venom¡¯s for me. It would have been ufortable to carry both.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    We got to the room and I took the two in. ¡± Thank you very much,¡±I told thedy and excused her.

    ¡± Oh, so you brought some for me? I thought you wouldn¡¯t, we would have eaten yours tonight.¡±  He said.

    Iughed at how yful he had be after we rted with each other. It wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t a boiling pot ofva to people who infuriated him or annoyed him. Maybe I just got lucky to be on his good side.

    ¡± Well, there¡¯s yours.¡± I¡¯d like to eat in peace. ¡± Can I do that now? ¡± I asked him and I adjusted so I could sit on the bedfortably. He had upied everywhere already.

    ¡°He stood up and I could feel him behind me. How about we consume yours and mine too¡±, he whispered. I smiled, the moments we were sharing was what I always wanted for a while and what kept me pushing through a lot of tough situations.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind the two of us eating anything together.¡± And with that, he brought his lips on mine to kiss me. Adding a little nibble on my lip to the pleasure he was giving to me.

    He stopped and took the food in his mouth, I wished he had stayed longer, but I didn¡¯t protest.

    We continued the romance for a while until we both separated and decided we would do things differently for the day after almost spending all of it in bed.

    ¡°What do you want to do for the remaining day?¡± I asked Venom who was on the bed and resting. Just as he was hours ago.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, I think I¡¯m fine here.¡± He replied.

    ¡°I expected that, but I would be suggesting we do other things. You know, just for the variety of life and events.¡± I told him , I was beginning to sound like him just like when he would exin things to me.

    He smiled once he heard and I was sure he had managed to pin the simrities in our statements and we were almost bing one person that way.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, what would you like to do too?¡± He asked me.

    I definitely knew I wanted to get out of the bed, making a conscious decision on what I would be doing after leaving the bed was not something I had reached yet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out soon,¡± I told him and got out of the bed so I could take a shower.

    By the time I came out, shower was through with and I went back to the room , but Venom had slept already. He was even snoring, it seemed he was tired out after all and was only struggling to pull through. I wasn¡¯t sure of which.

    I got myself dressed, kissed him on the forehead and decided it was time to leave already. I would be going out to train and jog, I remembered thest incident, but since then, I was given a tracker which seemed pretty helpful.

    I prayed to the gods for safety and hoped that nothing bad would happen on my way back or out. No one had seen me when I was going out and by the time, they were inside their individual rooms.

    I thought about going to meet them and changed my mind again. Perhaps, things would go smoothly well and we wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much.

    The gates got opened up for me and I began to jog through the roads. It would just be something short. That was what I had nned in my mind for the trip.

    Everything was going well and I didn¡¯t have to worry so much about anything. At one point, I had forgotten the weird things that would consistently go on, until something shook my heart again.

    I was on a trail and it linked both the roads that led to the main city and theck house together. My mind wasn¡¯t focused on anything and I had been oblivious until I felt something moist underneath my feet.

    I checked and it looked red, it certainly wasn¡¯t from me. I checked behind me and I saw a trail of the red liquid that I had stepped oning from a particr car.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± I muttered as I walked back to the car to check it. Bending back to check what was underneath, I found a lifeless body there.

 53

    Maya¡¯s POV

    Another incident happened again after thest time I witnessed that bizarre sight.

    I gulped down on the bottle of water which I held tightly in my hand, and looked up to the sky, seeking for fresh breath. My heart throbbed against my chest faster than what I could describe, and my entire skin soaked and dripping with sweat drops

    It was the first in the longest time since I ever decided to exercise my body, and give myself some peace of mind away from the duties that centered around being the Luna to a powerful alpha. It was a bittersweet feeling, but for the goal of a great physique and more vitality, I pressed on with this jogging.

    I had a target to reach, a few blocks away from where I stood. As I ced my hands over my forehead to shield the sun¡¯s rays from piercing my eyes, and straining my eyes towards where my jogging would cease, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the silence that filled the environment, and the absence of people in the streets.

    I looked around, and it was more than surprising to realize that the entire ce was just too calm for a pack as busy and well modernized like ours.

    It was a usual thing to see the little ones express their joy and ecstasy within themselves, but today was quite different, and surprisingly, I didn¡¯t consider what could have been the cause of what happened.

    I kept on running, maintaining calm breath and inwardly counting my steps to take my mind off any forms of worry, until I had reached the spot where my jogging would end.

    As soon as I arrived, I bent down, had my hands ced on my knees and I heaved a heavy sigh, breathing inward and outward heavily, and grinning inaudibly over the tightening sensation around my chest and my head region.

    But something caught my attention, something I couldn¡¯t resist anymore. I noticed the ground, and how seemingly rough it looked. It seemed as though there was a rough drive, like car tyres which had its already screeching marks on the ground, alongside some tiny brown things sticking to the ground. .

    I followed the markings on the ground, and walked patiently to where the traces led, until I sighted blood which rolled down towards where my feet were. I looked upwards and realized a pool of blood underneath a car, and a little hand which was under the car, a sight tjat caused me to shriek in fear, and yell unconsciously before I ced my hands on my mouth.

    ¡°Oh goodness!¡± I whispered to myself and immediately doubled my steps towards the car. I lowered myself to the ground, to see if there could still be life in the body underneath the car. But my heart skipped a beat at the further sight of who it was.

    It was a child, a young boy of whom I suspected would not be above ten years of age,ying on the ground with his eyes wide open, and his belly opened to spill out his bowels. I recognized the face, at least to some extent, as though I had seen this particr one before.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    What could have happened? I questioned myself. My heart beat increased faster, and I closed my eyes away from what I could regard as the most grotesque and gruesome event in the pack.

    My eyes were directed towards his wrist, and when I stared at his hands which were reddish in color, my only suspicion could be that the younger one had struggled with whosoever it was that must have killed him.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± I asked myself again. I was short of words to utter, and my eyelids were already dripping tears which I wiped off immediately. This seemed to have been the only exnation to the question that stirred up inside of me, and what must have caused the silence in the pack, and the absence of children in the streets.

    Something was happening. I couldn¡¯ty my hands on what really caused this. I had hoped that this event was nothing but an ident, but from the wrist of the young boy who was ughtered, I could tell it was an intentional act, and I had the greatest fear that it could ur again.

    I needed to inform Venom. My brain was empty of ideas, of what I could have done, perhaps due to the thoughts I conceived about having to gain some peace away from the troubles that came with being a Luna.

    Yet, as evident as it was, my chest my first thoughts were only directed towards him. It was the first I had seen, and perhaps the first that happened in the pack, and it was best he knew just so it could be prevented from happening again.

    I turned my back to leave, but halted and looked back at the young boy whose eyes remained open and glued on me. I walked towards him the second time, and crouched down to the level where heid.

    I had my fingers press down his upper eyelids, and closing them before I turned back, took to my heels and arrived home.

    As usual, it was a busy sight. But when I searched through the crowd for venom, I sighted him far away with some of the guards, having some serious form of conversation which I had to interrupt.

    ¡°Venom!¡± I called out to him, and ran towards him. I arrived at where he stood, and watched as he dismissed the guards before he turned towards me.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where do you look tense?¡± He asked me. I looked at him, and looked around. I need no other war to eavesdrop on what I had to tell him. I broke the distance between us, leaning forward to him before I whispered to him, ¡°I think there¡¯s an assant in the pack¡±

    ¡°What do you mean,¡±an assant¡±?¡± He asked me with his eyes widened, and his hands holding me tight around my shoulders.

 54

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°Venom¡± a voice called out to me from afar, one which was familiar to my ears. I turned around, and searched through the crowds, but could not find who had called me.

    But when I strained my edges through the crowd, I sighted a hand raised, and a figure leaping from the ground for her face to be visible, and it looked just like Maya, a troubled Maya.

    ¡°Could we talk about thister.?¡± I said to the guard whom I spoke with. He bowed, turned around and left while I turned towards thedy who approached me with hasty feet, And her chest moving in and out.

    She was sweaty, dressed not in the manner the people knew, and within her eyesid a form of fear which I couldn¡¯t pinpoint.

    ¡°Venom! Venom!!¡± Her hasty breath muttered my name with so much exhaustion, and her eyes had the same fear I had noticed, with tears rolling down which she wiped off and tried to control.

    ¡°Be calm¡± I said to her, holding her by the shoulders, trying to make her catch her breath before I could question her on what could have caused her to rush towards me with so much haste.

    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s happening. Why are you tense?¡± I asked her. I ced my hands underneath her chin, and pushed it upwards, causing her to stare into my eyes before I asked her, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s an assant in the pack¡± she said to me.

    ¡°What do you mean by there¡¯s an assant in the pack.?¡± I questioned her

    This was the first I had heard, something which had never seemed to exist, except it was I who was unaware of the pack which I led. But whatever she meant by having an assant in the pack, I considered her words as true, having the evidence in her eyes and the way her hands shook as I held her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t describe what I saw. It¡¯s a terrible sight.¡± She stuttered with more tears rolling down her eyes, salivating hard as though she gathered the boldness to utter what she had seen.

    ¡°I was having a morning run, when I stumbled upon the sight of a little boy murdered on the road. It looks like he had a struggle with this certain person, and his belly burst open¡± she said to me.

    I looked at her, stunned at the description of what she said. I tried to process all of her descriptions in mind, and it was as she had said, one of the most gruesome things ever witnessed.

    ¡°Has anyone else seen this?¡± I asked her.

    She shook her head in negation. She sniffled her nostrils, wiping off her tears. I pulled her closer to myself, and wrapped my hands around her tightly in a bid tofort her over what she had seen.

    What was happening? I was dumbstruck by what she had said, but at the same time, trying to exude a firm of confidence and bravery before her, meanwhile having my heart throbbing and racing in fear.

    ¡°Look at me¡­¡± I said to her again, and this time, it was a willing effort which she made to look into my eyes.

    ¡°Do not tell anyone what you have seen. Come show me where you saw that body!¡± I said to her.

    She led the way, taking me straight to where she had seen the body. It was a lengthy distance, but for the sake of the safety of the entire pack, I needed to take those steps so I could know just what we were up against.

    And there we arrived. She pointed her fingers towards the car where the bodyid underneath, and I witnessed that it was a little child.

    ¡°Who would want to kill a little child?¡± I questioned myself audibly, though with a low tone.

    She overheard, and she shrugged her shoulders as she responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know. And now, there isn¡¯t any child on the road, no one around. It¡¯s a silent ce, and I fear that this is only the beginning.¡±

    Was this supposed to be a kind of call for attention? Whoever it was, it was certain that they had gotten my attention. But I never knew where to start from, what to do, and how to protect my people.

    I looked around, and just as Maya has said, it was a silent path, no one stepping out or even seen.

    ¡°We need to get his body out of here!¡± I walked towards her and whispered to her.

    I held her by the hand and turned around to head home. I was going to get some of my most trusted men to aid clean up the entire ce. Perhaps, after that, what is next to be done would be to summon a meeting with the council of elders.

    There needed to be something to be done urgently, and a brainstorm of the most intelligent men in the pack would go a long way to aid me in ending this type of scenario.

    As soon as we arrived home, I asked for Maya to be taken care of, and well fed. All of these to ensure that her mind was never taunted by the devastating sight of the body under the car.

    I took some of my most trusted men to the site, and together we took the body off the road, and cleaned off the blood stains.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Call for a meeting with the elders. Tell them how urgent it is, but do not tell them what you have seen. In fact, do not tell anyone anything you have seen here. I¡¯ll tell them myself¡± I said to one of my guards.

    He rushed out of my presence, running off to carry out what I had ordered. For me and the other men, we headed home. But while we rode, I couldn¡¯t get my mind off what was happening in the pack, but I was certain that it would end as sudden as it started.

 55

    Venom¡¯s POV

    I was still uneasy after what I had found out and it bothered me too much because awareness were being raised already and people were getting worried.

    Jabs were being thrown at those in power and the people murmurs were being passed around.

    The elders already had the discussion with me and we hade to something inconclusive. We couldn¡¯t guess and understand what was happening yet. I feared it was Elora but there was no sighting of her anywhere.

    I walked into the parlor and found everywhere there ready.

    ¡°You¡¯rete today, son.¡± My mom spoke as I walked to the dining table where everyone was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be here shortly, I still need to leave forter. There¡¯s a couple of things to do.¡±

    I saw the facial reaction on everybody¡¯s face but I was sure that they understood what was gonna on in the pack and nobody couldin. Not with the chaos.

    I left home and drove away to see the armymander. The consistent issues had been a top secret only hum and some of his men knew about.

    ¡°What¡¯s going with the bodies?¡± I asked as I entered into his office at the camp.

    ¡°We¡¯ve buried many and it seems like it¡¯s a case of missing people and dead too. We¡¯ve still not been able to understand anything going on.¡± He told me.

    There was dissatisfaction in the way I looked at him, it was intentional. I wanted him to do better even if I didn¡¯t know how he could do that with the little information that we have at hand and how everything had just taken us by surprise.

    ¡°You guys should still be on the lookout and I¡¯ll try to do the same. Maybe we will be able to find something. Spread your men around.¡± I told him and left.

    My next stop would be at the different spots where bodies had been found. I was convinced I would be able to find out something even when it didn¡¯t seem like the people could be traced.

    Everything they did, they did it neat and they were untraceable. No clues had been found.

    That was one of the reasons why we couldn¡¯t establish it to the public that something was going on because we were not sure if the cause.  I thought I¡¯d the chances of cannibalism in the pack¡¯s territory, but it didn¡¯t sound too write to conceive a thought like that.

    After surveying the area to the best that I could, I have up and went to rest by the car. I sat in there watching as everyone passed to go do one thing at the door. There was nothing suspicious going on and the ce seemed peaceful.

    I remember the sight Maya had shown me and the chances that I might get to witness something like that¡¯s again, but I waited till evening and when I could no longer do it, I gave up, went to the car and drove away.

    Surprisingly, on my way back home, I saw something that caught my attention. It was something red that was oozing out of arge trashcan.

    For a moment there, I prayed to the gods that it wouldn¡¯t be what I thought it was, but it ended up being that.

    I approached the can of dirt and opened it up to see what was causing the red liquid to keak out and I saw something that made me jump.

    It was a dead body, it looked like the young person had just been killed recently.

    ¡°F*ck!¡± I shouted in exasperation. ¡°Dammit!¡± Iined again.

    I couldn¡¯t believe u had just seen something like that.

    ¡°What the heck is going on in this pack!¡±

    Just standing there and asking myself different questions about the issues going on with the pack and chances of what could be wrong, I remembered that j could set up a curfew and hopefully assume that things would be better.

    I went back home to rest and waited for the next day to announce it to everyone. It was most likely that if I had announced it the night before, it would have affected a couple of people schedules.

    ¡°So, the curfew should end at 6, just till the end of this week so we can determine whatever has been goin on with the people.¡± I discussed with the elders so then would pass the information to every other member of the packter.

    The time was agreed and it was agreed that it would be a medium for us to find out more about the weird killings going on in the pack.

    The meeting was disbanded and everyone went about their lives. I went to the office that day for the sake of it, coupling being a business man and an alpha wasn¡¯t the mostfortable thing and I was delegating duties to other people already.

    I was sitting in my chair in my office when I got another idea that felt like it would be a full proof n if I took it up.

    ¡°Hello, please, can you go out to get me pair of shirts and trousers? The worst that you¡¯ll find at a thrift store, don¡¯t make any adjustments to whatever you get.¡± I instructed my secretary and ended the call.

    I would just have to trust my instinct with what I was cooking up in my head.

    She was back not so long after I had sent her and I was ready to get into the disguise for the n that I had in mind. I would be trying to go out as a normal person. Maybe poor, if I would be a target, then we would know who to protect and help directly.

    I got away from workter in the day and went to a popted area and waited a bit till the curfew time. Just thirty minutes till it was time for the curfew, I dressed up and left the car that I brought.

    ¡°It¡¯s show time.¡± I said in my breaths.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

 56

    Venom¡¯s POV

    I got dressed and randomly walked about watching as people packed up and everyone tried to rush home as fast as they could so they wouldn¡¯t be caught outside before the curfew was up.

    There was a random kid I took interest in and I walked closely with him , just hoping that the assants would appear so I could catch them right in the act.

    It was almost an hour after curfew time and since everyone was in already, apart from a few cars that passed once in a while and the few people who did the same, everything seemed well.

    We walked for a bit and I never could understand where the boy wanted to go too. We finally reached a point and something bizarre happen, a number of men in ck appeared out of nowhere and we were surrounded already.

    I was d about the incident because I realized I was close to my goal already if I could be able to catch the men. They pulled the boy who was about to scream but his mouth was muffled with something.

    I swooped into action and scattered the group who held weapons and were going to do something to the kid. They fought back, but I was stronger and was practically mming their heads on each other while I fought others.

    Secondster or maybe a minute, the men were on the ground and I called for a couple of dungeon guards to appear so they would take away the deadly people from the ground where they were lying on.

    I waited with the men and just then, I remembered the kid who had been the reason for meing to fight apart from the fact that I wanted to find the deadly people.

    I looked around and searched for a bit until I finally found him. He was on the floor, in a corner, shaking and shivering. I pitied what he had just seen.

    ¡°How are you doing son?e closer.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Are they gone?¡± The boy muttered from his shaky lips.

    ¡°Yes, they are gone already. Please, stand up so you can go to your parents.¡± I urged the boy with my hand but it didn¡¯t seem like heas going to make any effort to stand up and move with me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have parents. I¡¯m just here by myself.¡± He replied to me.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    I was dejected as soon as I heard that. Perhaps, they had been picking on the homeless kids all along. I thought about it for a bit, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to get a kid in the pack house.

    ¡°Alright, stand up. You¡¯ll be going with me. Please, don¡¯t be afraid of me.¡± I urged him.

    I could still see that he was unsure but he made the effort to get himself off of the ground and I went closer to help him up. He seemed rather light.

    We  walked  to the car that was parked some distance away from where the fight with the strange men had urred. Luckily for us, the men who I had called to appear finally arrived and the lifeless men on the ground were gathered.

    Themander hade himself so he could assist.

    ¡°How did you make this find, sir?¡± He asked me, there was a small look of admiration and I noticed it.

    ¡°I tried disguising and going out. Your me. Should do the same too, maybe it will help them with their findings since we are at a state where intervention is urgent.¡±

    The men were packed up and taken to  the dungeon while I had the chance to drive the little kid home. There was no chance that we could have spoken since so much was engrossed in my head and I barely paid attention to my surroundings.

    We drove for a while and when we arrived, that was when someone actually spoke in the car.

    ¡°Is this your home?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where I live as the alpha of the pack. It¡¯s pretty impressive, right?¡± I asked him, hoping to get a few words of of him after the awkward drive.

    ¡°Yes, it looks very big. Thank you for bringing me here.¡± He told me.

    I looked at him and was even more surprising that he didn¡¯t have any parents. He definitely achieved a lot with trying to survive up until the stage he was in. That was the end of the thought I gave to the situation and I left for the door, he followed suit too.

    We walked to the door and I got in to meet mo one outside.  It was always funny that I would find the when I didn¡¯t expect them and when I would expect to meet a crowd in the parlor, the whole ce would be empty.

    ¡°Please, take him to one of the servants so they can give him a change of clothes and grant him a room. I¡¯lle see him soon.¡± I told the guard who had been standing by the door.

    I was expecting restriction from the boy but he didn¡¯t hesitate, but followed the guard to where he would be leading him too.

    Something felt wrong about the child, but I wouldn¡¯t acknowledge it because I wasn¡¯t sure my conscience would appreciate me being a bad person at the time, I was conflicted already with everything going.

    ¡°Maya!¡± I called out yfully as I knocked on our door. In a swift moment, the door was swung open and she came out to hug me. It was his she was after she gained her freedom, she was a happier person without anything holding her back.

    ¡°Wee back, how was today? Do you need any help.¡± She threw multiple questions and I had to go sit down before I decided if I would do one thing or the other.

    ¡°Today was hectic and tiring,¡± I exined to her.

    She came right behind to help with a massage.

    ¡°And yes, I think we¡¯ve found the culprits from that day.¡±

 57

    Third  Person¡¯s POV

    He was seated at the table, his fingers slowly striking the round table with his eyes scheming through the faces of the elders who were seated around him.

    There was silence in the room, as though there were contemtions made within each man¡¯s thoughts, and from the faces of the people who surrounded him, it was evident that even the ones he regarded as being the most intelligent were also as confused as he was.

    ¡°Nothing?¡± He spoke out, breaking the silence in the room, followed by a smack of his lips in slight frustration.

    He heaved a heavy sigh, pushed himself backwards as he leaned on the backrest of the chair while he puzzled harder than before.

    ¡°There has to be something we can do to end this manughter. There¡¯s probably someone out there, somewhere, nning out another strike with a smarter mind than ours. How then do we outsmart a person we never know? I need ideas, and not silence!¡± He said to them again.

    He yelled hisst words with so much fury, and inhaled heavily as though he had finally regained his mind.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°I suggest we ce watchdogs around the sensitive parts of the pack.¡± One of the elderly men uttered. His words were stuttered, and he struggled to push himself forward in a bid to gather the attention of the people.

    ¡°To the best of our knowledge, this person has attacked the region where he thought we had abandoned. Perhaps, if we have attention to these ces, and ce some of our most trusted men as decoys and watchdogs there, it would be easy to fend off attack on the innocent citizens.¡± He continued.

    Venom had his eyes glued on the elderly one, but had his mind running through the words he had uttered. He looked upwards and downwards, rolling his eyes from left to right as though he tried to envision the reality of his words.

    But before he could utter any words, a young agile man rushed into the room, and fell on his knees. He was dressed in a guard¡¯s armour, and breathed heavily as he tried uttering the information he had.

    ¡°Alpha Venom? We just received words from our troops in the West region. There¡¯s an attack there, and our men are not enough to fight back¡± he said as he looked at Venom.

    He looked at the elderly ones. He had the conviction that it could be the same person who had caused the previous manughter. But even if he was wrong with what he suspected, he had determined never to let the chances catch up with him again.

    ¡°Gather every man who¡¯s avable. We¡¯re heading to the west region immediately¡± he said to the younger one.

    He leaped off his chair, and grabbed a sword as he headed towards the west. As soon as he arrived, he sighted the men at the other end, one of which had alerted the others that he was present.

    One of the men rushed towards Venom, yelling with so much energy and his sword raised high to attack. The other blocked his strike, defending every move which he made, and running him through with his sword before he headed for another.

    Another stood before him, ring straight into venom¡¯s eyes. He wrapped his fingers around the grip of the sword tightly. But his face changed as soon as he turned around to realize that Venom¡¯s men were already ying his, running most of them through, and slicing them with their swords.

    ¡°It¡¯s best you give up. You¡¯re already getting outnumbered¡± Venom said to him. The other looked around, and his eyes widened at the pool of blood which ran through the floor, staring at his men whoid lifeless, and some with parts of their bodies separated.

    ¡°No..!¡± He said. He shook his head viciously and stubbornly, breathing in and out so heavy as though he was rekindling his fury towards Venom.

    He ran towards Venom, swung his sword from the left and the right, trying to let his de tear through Venom¡¯s skin. But the other was faster, blocking every strike.

    Venom kicked him around his left knee, causing the other to fall to his knee. He struck the sword from the other¡¯s hand, leaving the other defenseless, and pointed his sword at the other.

    ¡°First it was a voluntary surrender I asked of you. Now you kneel before me.¡± Venom said with a certain joy inside of him.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re going to answer every one of my questions.¡± Venom said to him again.

    ¡°Who are you? Who sent you? Why are you attacking my people?¡± Venom asked him again.

    The other was unmoved, not flinching by the sight of the sword, or by the feel of the sword¡¯s de being ced on his neck. He wore a smile on his face, chuckling slightly before he continued, ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to answer those questions, do you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to answer it with all willingness. I know your type of person. Only force and hardening would cause you to spill out all you know. And when I thought I wasn¡¯t going down thatne, you¡¯ve forced me to do so. So, I¡¯ll give you the best time and ce to rethink your answers, and trust me, it could be yourst thought on this world¡± venom said to him.

    Venom wore a smile on his face as he uttered the words, and with the pommel of the sword in his hand, he smashed it against the temple of his head. The other was knocked outpletely, falling unconsciously to the ground with his head hitting hard against the ground.

    Venom put his sword in its scabbard before he turned around to his men and said to them, ¡°Take him back to the pack house. Tie him up in the dungeon. I¡¯ll drive out the answers from his mouth myself.¡±.

    He looked away as his men dragged the other from the ground, and within him, he felt the confidence that he had an edge in ending the troubles of the pack.

 58

    Venom¡¯s POVBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Speak!¡± I could hear a harsh tone from the outside. Alongside the harsh tone was also the sound of a whip being shed against a skin, and a loud cry which gave me the impression that my men were doing the best job.

    There was a smile seated on my face as I walked towards the room, a feeling inside of me that I couldn¡¯t describe. It was as though I had ovee the greatest obstacle which faced the pack, one which gave me so much worry and excessive thoughts

    I just needed to know who had sent this man, and what they sought to gain from the attack on the pack. When I stepped into the room, I stared at the gruesome sight of the man who was bound in chains, and whose entire skin was peeled off with blood dripping from his body.

    ¡°Has he said a word?¡± I asked the guard who had paved a way for me to stand and stare at this man.

    ¡°No!¡± The guard replied to me.

    That was unusual. At first I had thought of draining the answers from him myself. Yet, when I had to think of the other responsibilitiesid on my table, I gave the job to one who was as deadly as I was, and who knew just what I would do to get the answers.

    I looked around and sighted things ced everywhere, weapons scattered round the room which had traces of blood on them, and it was certain that this guard had done the worst of the worst to get the answers from him.

    ¡°And he hasn¡¯t spoken a word after all these?¡± I asked again as I pointed my fingers towards the weaponsid on the ground.

    ¡°Not a single word, sire¡± he answered me.

    ¡°His loyalty is impressive¡± I said as I walked towards the man who had his face lowered to the ground, and his mouth dripping out enough blood that flowed on the ground.

    ¡°But for whoever he works for, I have the greatest feeling that he doesn¡¯t possess up to half of the strength of my best warrior¡± I said as I crouched down to the level of this man.

    I ced my finger underneath his bleeding face, and I raised it upwards to let him stare into my eyes.

    ¡°Tell me who sent you! Tell me what you want from my pack! Tell me what your master wants!¡± I said to him.

    Yet, he never uttered a word. He wore a smile on his face, showing off his dentition which was coated in blood. He spat a few drops on my face, andughed in the sweetness of what he had done.

    I pushed backwards, and I looked away from him. I wiped off the blood stains from my face, and I stood up to where the torturing weapons were ced.

    But when I gazed at the weapons whichid before me, I realized that they didn¡¯t fit into what I wanted, and so I grabbed the whip from the hand of the guard.

    ¡°Push him backwards¡­¡± I said to my men, and I watched as my men pulled the chains backwards, causing him to stand with his chest pushed forward, and his eyes lifted towards the ceiling.

    ¡°Some actions are truly regrettable¡± I said.

    I flung the whip against his bare chest, striking with all anger fueling my hands, with the adrenaline rushing through my body as i flogged the answers out of him.

    ¡°Sire..! There¡¯s more in the eastern region¡± a guard rushed into the room with heavy breath, uttering those words that even caused me to flog harder.

    I threw the whop out of my hands angrily, and I drew out the sword from the scabbard of the man closest to me before I angrily walked out of the door.

    I never uttered a word, but kept my heart on the hopes that all of the ambushes would end as sudden as it started. If I continued to inflict fear in the hearts of the people who sent all of these men to attack my pack, perhaps I would be kwd straight to whoever is the mastermind behind all of these operations.

    All of these thoughts I harboured in the car as we journeyed towards the eastern region of the pack, and just as the guard had told me, they were there, present, raiding and trying to destroy the properties of the people who lived there.

    I rushed out of the car and ran towards one of the men who held an aged woman by the hand. I wrapped my hand around his neck, and bent him backwards, driving my sword through his chest and pushing him away from the woman

    ¡°Get back to hiding. We¡¯ll take it from here¡± I bent downwards and said to the woman who had fear written all over her face

    ¡°Kill anyone who struggles, capture those who try to escape¡± I said to my men. I needed more people who were willing to utter who had sent them and why they were sent.

    At the end of the day, a few were caught, five to be precise. They were all lined up on their knees, and with their hands tied behind their backs while their faces had blood rolling down.

    ¡°These ones would tell us what we need. Take them back to the pack house¡± I said to my men again, and they did.

    And again, what I imagined was not what I received. They were all the same. Stubborn, headstrong, and hesitant to speak out who has sent them. They remained on the knees, and also went through all pain rather than uttering a word.

    It was as though they all had the unison to remain silent, and protect the image of whoever it was that sent them.

    ¡°They¡¯re not speaking sir. What do we do?¡± One of my men asked me.

    What do we do? That was one of the major questions which stormed my heart at the moment I heard of their hesitation to speak.

 59

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°Keep them bound! Don¡¯t let them get out! I¡¯ll think of something¡± I said that with no hopes of the best ideaing through.

    I walked out of them, and strolled through the pack. The only thought that came to mind was to take a survey of the pack, and see just what damages had been caused by these men. I needed to ensure that my people were all safe, and that all of their destroyed properties were restored for theirfort.

    But as I walked through, and viewed the pack, I arrived at a point which seemed like a region not under my control. I was at the border separating my pack from another pack, an uncertain pack.

    I sighted people, dressed in a manner which was different from others. They seemed happy, but at the same time strict and well protected. Their guards were all around, standing with their swords and having their eyes scout round their territory.

    I hid behind a veryrge tree, trying to make myself unseen from their sight. I had the weirdest feeling that these men knew what was happening to my pack, and they were responsible for the destruction of my pack.

    Then it dawned on me, an idea which popped in my mind. I was going to infiltrate their pack, and act like one of them. Perhaps if I resided with them and acted like one of them, then I would know what had caused them to ce my pack as a subject for attack.

    The idea resided in my head for a while but I reconsidered after giving time and thoughts to the issue. It might just be easy for them to spot me and I would get spotted too quickly.

    Exasperation from what was going on with the people filled my head and I returned back home. May was waiting, she was always waiting on me whenever I would appearte. I couldn¡¯t appreciate her less for the efforts she was putting in with how much I had been doing.

    ¡°Good evening, wee back, Venom.¡±

    Maya¡¯s POV

    After all the drama the pack was going throughout, it was as if a reign of darkness had befallen us. Maybe this was the usual pack affairs that Venom would usually go through, but it was something unusual to me.

    I had witnessed executions, suspects and murders all around. I was riding to the courthouse as I thought about these things. I had taken up the duty of the Luna thanks to Venom.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay back there?¡± The driver asked me.

    For a moment there I had been carried away already, he probably didn¡¯t see me make any movements and that was why he asked.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m doing okay.¡± I replied to him and adjusted my dress where I sat down.

    We got to the courthouse soon and a case was on  ground already. Venom had gone ahead and only invited me to appearter. I got in and the proceedings had begun already.

    Venom was seated on a high throne and he overlooked everyone from that point. The elders of the council and the guards who were situated at different corners.

    ¡°May we begin.¡± He ordered and the process began for the case to be embarked on.

    The case ended with orders for the culprits that they had caught to be put in prison alongside the others they still had. It was more than obvious that Venom had nothing nned and I thought I would talk to him as soon as the whole thing was done.

    Everyone in the courthouse looked tired or exhausted, the weight was weighing everyone¡¯s emotion in the pack down, I could tell because Venom had changed and he seemed really different from how he used to be.

    He was jovial and enthusiastic, but he was more of a stern and dry person with emotions. It was getting me too worried.

    As soon as we were done and I could go speak to him after he was done with the council of elders, I rushed to approach him.

    ¡°Venom!¡± I called him when I reached his side. He was discussing with the prison guards when I got to him.

    ¡°Please, give me some time.¡± He told them and brought me to his side so we could talk.

    ¡°How are you doing, my Luna?¡± He smiled, but I saw through it.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I was more worried about you. How are you doing? You¡¯re not yourself anymore.¡±

    He sighed and he found somewhere to sit so we could discuss more.

    ¡°The pack issues are overwhelming. I wasn¡¯t even expecting this after the time we had random people pulling different attacks on us.¡± He exined.

    I gently ced my hands on his back and rubbed, maybe it would calm him or maybe that was what I wanted to do to him at the time, I simply did it, unbothered.

    ¡°Would you like to take time off after all of these today? You remember how you treated me when I had the hell¡¯s pit fighting. I think it¡¯s time to return the favor.¡± I bent to check his face for a reaction since he bowed his head and I could clearly see arge smile from him.

    ¡°I did it!¡± I muttered to myself.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied mischievously and left his side. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you, be quick.¡± I told him.

    He stood up soon after I left him and I watched him from a distance while he continued with his duties. I admired him a lot, I owed my freedom to him.

    After a while or maybe it felt like that to me because I had done the waiting, he was through and we were ready to depart.

    ¡°One thing before we leave,¡± he told me and I looked puzzled at his statement, but in split seconds, he french-kissed me. I smiled and looked awkwardly around, but everyone just carried on with what they were doing.

    ¡°Now, we can go anywhere you would like.¡±

 60

    Maya¡¯s POV

    ¡°So, what are we doing here?¡± Venom asked curiously, ¡°it was one thing that you drove us beyond my own will, but what¡¯s this?¡± He asked me.

    I looked at him and smiled. It was funny that he could try to reign anger at me even when I could exactly read through him.

    ¡± It¡¯s a museum filled with your predecessors, silly.¡± I chided him.

    I had found the museum days before when I was exploring the pack and when I entered, I found out that it was rich in Venom¡¯s family history alongside other people that had been alphas too.

    He left me alone for a bit and strolled around. I watched him as he took everything he saw in.

    ¡°Did you nevere here before now? I¡¯m surprised with the way you¡¯re reacting to this even if it¡¯s what I wanted.¡± I inquired from him.

    He looked really surprised and dumbfounded.

    ¡°I used to be here when I was younger. My grandfather would bring me but that was all of it and when he died, the memories ofing here sort of died with him even if it shouldn¡¯t have been that way.¡± He exined.

    That was a part I never knew about Venom, his childhood. Maybe our conversation just never really strayed that way.

    ¡°What was his name?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Donald, he was an alpha before my father and me. We shared more memories together back then than my father because he had be a retired Alpha when I was born and my father was the one who tried to secure the pack. Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    I could sense a heavy tone in his voice as he exined the things he said to me. It was nice to see him vulnerable and verypelling to wish I had seen him in his younger days.

    ¡°He must have really loved you for you to remember him this way and talk about him the way you do.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he did and he was my best friend too.¡± Venom replied to me.

    He held one of my hands, ¡°what is it?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Come with me.¡± He told me and I followed him.

    He led me around the museum showing different arts that he had learnt from his grandfather. I never really knew he would have taken up arts if he wasn¡¯t royalty.

    ¡°The things I saw here really inspired me at one point in my life.¡± He said.

    The night was one I would never forget. One was the fact that I had resurrected old memories for Venom and the other being that he waspletely vulnerable with me. It was something I saw many times, but it was totally different that night.

    We finished touring the ce and by the time we were done, it was midnight already. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re done now. It¡¯s toote already.¡± He mentioned.

    I was tired out of all the activities and didn¡¯t even protest when he offered to drive us back home. I only gave in to him and went to sleep in the passenger seat.

    A few minutester or maybe it was hours, my brain was still foggy when I woke up, but the car had stopped and we were not at home. The location didn¡¯t seem too familiar.

    ¡°Where is this, Venom?¡± I called out but he wasn¡¯t in the car.

    I couldn¡¯t find him anywhere and I sat upright so I could get out of  the car to go find him.

    By the time I did that,  I could see him from the window speaking to someone before they began to assault him. I panicked and wanted to break through the sses to go help when someone patted me.

    I checked behind me and saw Venom¡¯s hand, my body shifted in a jolt but then I realized what was going on and what I had seen. I was dreaming and having a nightmare.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He looked really worried and I couldn¡¯t me him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I was just having a bad dream and that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I had to stop the car when I noticed you were pushing violently. Would you like to sit in front, now?¡±

    I nodded in approval and moved out of where I sat to go to the front. The sleep was clearing off of my mind and I felt a bit sane.

    We entered the front seat together and the drive began again.

    ¡°What were you dreaming about, again?¡± I nced at him, I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to even talk about that.

    ¡°It was just a minor dream.¡± I told him and true to get him toe off the topic, but he seemed adamant.

    ¡°What happened in the dream?¡± He asked me again.

    ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± I gave in to him, ¡°I had this dream where someone was attacking you and I wanted to help but I was locked in their car. That¡¯s all.¡± I told him.

    He looked at me and chuckled a bit, ¡°is that why you had been banging on the ss with your feet?¡± He seemed really calm but I couldn¡¯t me him because he wasn¡¯t the one who had experienced it.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t even use your full strength.¡± He added to the statement that got himughing already.

    I assumed he was only teasing me and I waited calmly for the journey to end so we could finally go into the house. We had a long day already and I couldn¡¯t even wait to get in.

    For the first time in a long time, I was feeling exhausted and tired. I didn¡¯t even have to fight any battles to feel the way I did.

    ¡°I think I need to train more with your brothers. I might be getting weak.¡± I suggested it to him.

    ¡± There¡¯s no problem if you both can find time. Or all three depending on how you¡¯d like to train. It would be really nice to have the old Maya again.¡±

 61

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°Nothing has been decided yet. Measures are supposed to be taken up but we have not been able toe up with something to directlybat them.¡±

    Everyone sat in the dining room as we all discussed the issue of the people who were attacking the pack consistently and stayed untraceable.

    Even thinking of the idea that we were such a weak link bothered me.

    ¡°And the elders? What are they saying about these things?¡± My father asked, he was a more experienced man and even at that, we were caught up with fighting off the predators.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t said anything critical. It¡¯s just been different deliberations upon deliberations.¡±

    I saw him sigh. It wasn¡¯t just my pack that was at stake but our lineage overall and things were not looking up with how they were turning for us.

    ¡± I¡¯ll be leaving now. We¡¯ve got a few things to do and I should go early.¡±I announced to everyone and left the table. They all had glum looks, from Alex to Caleb to my parents to Maya, but there was nothing i could do about it. They were helping and that was nice.

    I left the pack house and went outside where I got into my car and ignited the engine to leave.

    ¡± I can¡¯t even think of something. It¡¯s all just too weird.¡± Imented.

    It was getting to me already. The weight of the pack and responsibility of everyone was affecting me , but it felt like I was in a gridlocked position.

    I received a call from Atkinson, themander. The army was still active in the case and things were being done for solutions to be found.

    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s the update?¡± I asked as soon as I raised the phone to my ear.

    ¡± We¡¯ve found more men, but they have refused to talk and since that is the case with them, I have joined them with the rest we found the other day. Hopefully, we can decide soon since we don¡¯t know their capabilities.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡± Thank you,¡± I said to him and the call ended.

    Much thought had been given to the prisoners who were held captive and we had tortured multiple times but they just didn¡¯t give in or exin themselves. None of them snitched.

    ¡± There¡¯s something strong tying them down.¡± I said to myself. It was obvious that they could have been held under some sort of strange oath or maybe they were just too strong-willed.

    I finally got to the headquarters where I overlooked a few things, meetings and appointments and every other thing I could get my hands on before leaving.

    Someone was already handling things in my absence and I would usually juste once in a while. It was a routine I tried not tog on due to how much I wasn¡¯t doing at the office already.

    The papers seemed in ce and every other thing was in ce. Nothingplex to do and the job was being done well back at the office.

    I picked up my telephone and phoned my secretary.

    ¡°Kelly, can I see you? Come to the office now.¡± I told her and ended the call.

    Minutester she was at the office door knocking.

    ¡± Come in, please.¡± I told her and she came in.

    ¡± I can see that everything is going well here and things are fine. I just want to iterate something I told you long before now, if anything fishy goes on, make sure you call me right ahead.¡± I instructed her.

    ¡± Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡± I don¡¯t want you to fear and respect anyone else but me and I want you to monitor from what you can.¡± The talk ended briefly and when I got the feeling that there wasn¡¯t any need to stay any longer, I left the office.

    I drove out of thepound feeling relieved. At least, that was under control and I didn¡¯t have to worry so much about anything that could be going on.

    There was ny so much to do again. I consider holding a meeting with the elders, but we had held so many and discussed a lot already. Perhaps, it would be time wasting if we held another meeting again.

    Just then, an idea popped into my mind. We had not addressed the people of the pack yet and it was a good idea to do so. Nothing from the horses mouth had gotten to them yet, maybe it would calm the uprising that seemed to be growing in the pack.

    A meeting would have to be held again.

    Evening came and everyone had arrived on a short notice. I was impressed by how soon they listened.

    After thest elder entered, we began.

    ¡°What are we here for, Alpha Venom?¡± One of them asked me.

    ¡°An idea came to my mind and I thought I would share it with everyone before delivering it to the people.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all ears,¡± they chorused.

    ¡± They people haven¡¯t been addressed by their alpha, me, yet. It would be a perfect idea to reduce the agitation of the people by speaking to them which we will do.¡± I told everyone.

    ¡± When is this to hold? We¡¯re definitely going to do that since it also ured to me too.¡± That was Reynolds, a respected elder or a n who never missed our meetings.

    ¡± It should be happening in three days. I don¡¯t think we need any postponing or dy. We get everything in ce and that should be arranged as quickly as we can for effectivemunication.¡±

    The conversation steered away from the n we were making ti address the people and then we discussed the criminals that were captured. Everything was touched I was surprised I had not called for the meeting earlier.

    Everything was adjournedter and we all began to part ways so we could return back home.

    For the first time in a bit, I was returning back home feeling a bit fulfilled about how things were turning for me.

    Maybe they weren¡¯t so good, much was being worked on.

 62

    Maya¡¯s POV

    I paced around my room thinking of how I could help Venom with what was going on in the pack. Everything seemed to be in chaos; but I wished I could do something about it, to help and recover the peace of mind back.

    The pacing continued for a bit again before I threw myself on the bed. The ceiling was all that was in view afterwards and it looked nice. It was coated with a paint that looked like cream and had glitter on it.

    I noticed there was an opening in a specific space of the ceiling.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be there.¡± I murmured to myself while looking around the other spaces to see if there were any more damages.

    An idea came up and I realized what  I could do to help. What was a search for mistakes in the ceiling  became an idea for camouge on my part.

    The idea was to have the prisoners released, but to also follow them and try to figure out where they came from. After I repeated the idea to myself, it seemed too simple and I didn¡¯t feel like it would work out.

    ¡°If it was as easy as that to make a breakthrough, the army would have tried that already.¡± I told myself.

    I rolled around on the bed and grunted heavily. It was annoying to think that I was helpless. I was going to be a Luna but I couldn¡¯t impact the people.

    ¡°Or maybe I can go along with the idea.¡±

    The dialogue I was having with myself was having a back and forth, more like there was a saner part of my head that didn¡¯t want me to do what i was nning on. Venom wouldn¡¯t agree to letting me try to infiltrate a group of murderous people.

    Or maybe he wouldn¡¯t know or I would just leave without his knowledge. Every time that passed, I was buying the idea of going out with camouge to infiltrate those people.

    I left the room and went out to search for Alex. He was the one who was working on the cases with Venom consistently and he probably had all the information I needed to carry out what I wanted.

    I got to his door and knocked on it several times. No one answered. It was weird, he was never an early sleeper or someone who took naps. He would say so himself many times when we trained.

    I pushed the door and to my surprise, it opened up, but what i saw inside was more shocking and disheartening.

    I found Alex on the floor, crawling and bleeding from his stomach.

    ¡°Alex!¡± I eximed and ran towards him.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked him and lifted him off of the floor where he was. His blood had formed a puddle beneath him. It was more shocking that his powers weren¡¯t healing him too.

    ¡°Just take me to the hospital. They will know what to do.¡± He talked with strain, but I could make out the words and I quickly lifted him and took him out.

    He wasn¡¯t as heavy as I assumed he would be. As I went outside, I found Calebing out of his room.

    ¡°Get a car key ande along,¡± I shouted. He looked at me for a second trying to grasp what he was seeing and soon after, he rushed away to get a key and I was heading outside already, where I waited for him toe back.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get in!¡± He came back and hurriedly opened  the door for us to get in.

    Alex who was on my arm was making gentle movements already and I could tell his powers had been drained.

    ¡°What happened to you, Lex?¡± Caleb asked him while he tried to fix his eyes on the road and drive out of the pack house.

    I could see him try to make out words from his mouth, but nothing wasing forth.

    ¡°Save your strength forter.¡± I told him and tried to calm him. Caleb couldn¡¯t see or tell his brother¡¯s situation, we were at the back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will be able to exin anything well, Caleb. Let¡¯s just wait till we get to the hospital.¡± I told him.

    Caleb drove us as fast as he could and it seemed like that was the fastest I had ever been driven even if Venom was obnoxious for doing that kind of thing with me.

    We got to the hospital soon enough and luckily, Alex was still breathing and was not still yet. His body felt warm, those were the things I checked for as we alighted.

    While I lifted him and rushed to enter the hospital with him, Caleb ran to get some nurses so they coulde help us with his bleeding brother.

    We entered the hospital and the doctor¡¯s attention was called to us immediately.

    The doctor took him away with other nurses who came to help.

    ¡°Please, stay back, don¡¯te forward.¡± One of the nurses told us.

    Caleb was agitated, but I was surprised he managed toport himself to return back to where other people were waiting for the patients who had been admitted.

    When we took our seat, he finally regained himself and began to converse a bit better with me, than the rush that was going through him earlier.

    ¡°What happened to him? Why was he that way?¡± He asked me.

    ¡± I don¡¯t know, I nned to go to his room so I could seek his help and on getting there, his door was opened and I found him in it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even believe it by myself that something like that had happened. I was only lucky to have found him on time.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± I tried to calm Caleb with my talk. He didn¡¯t seem to have been listening to me and at one point, he stood and left. I wanted to go after him but a nurse wasing towards me and I had to stay back.

 63

    Venom¡¯s POV

    I arrived hometer in ethe evening and as usual, everywhere was empty without anyone around. I thought I would see Maya, but she was also nowhere to be found.

    I went to the dining table so I could get something to eat since I was famished the whole day. Everything had been spent nning on different things s I would do and for the future of the pack.

    When the food came to the table, I was super impressed with what I saw or maybe it was because of the hunger in me.

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± I told the maid who brought the food for me. Seconds only passed before I began to consume what had been brought for me.

    I had only gotten to half of the te when I realized that I didn¡¯t actually bother to check on Maya and nobody had set their foot outside at all.

    An ominous feeling began to cloud my head but I made sure I was done with the meal before I stood up to leave.

    The te was wiped clean with my hands and the utensils which I used to consume what I ate and then I left to say hello to Maya. When I got to the door, it was opened and when I looked in, I didn¡¯t see anyone in it.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± I muttered.

    I walked away and went to check the bathroom, but she wasn¡¯t there either. Then it urred to me to go check the other rooms if anyone was even at home.

    ¡°Caleb, Alex, Maya.¡± I called out names but no one showed up and the whole ce was empty.

    I went to the guards outside to ask them questions incase they had seen them leave.

    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone in the house? The ce is empty.¡± I inquired from the guard.

    ¡± They had to leave those evening, someone was rushed to the hospital and that¡¯s all I can remember seeing, sir.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat as soon as I heard what he said. I checked my pocket for my phone to check if I had received any call or messages and that was when I saw them, I had been receiving them since noon, but the phone was on silent.

    ¡± Dammit! ¡± I eximed.

    I opened the text messages one after the other and they were all from Maya.

    The text messages read, ¡°where are you?¡± ¡°Your brother is at the hospital.¡± ¡°Something is wrong.¡±

    I kept staring at the phone, messages there and multiple missed calls and for some time there, it didn¡¯t feel like I existed at that point.

    ¡°What the heck!¡± I eximed.

    My body kicked back in and I rushed to the car where I would start it so I could drive to the hospital.

    It was ridiculous that they had taken Alex to the hospital. We never used the hospital unless the illness was above our healing factor or we didn¡¯t know what was happening, that was the only times we werewolves ever went there.

    I arrived there in a rush and I found everybody waiting somewhere. The whole family was there. The first person that approached me was Maya.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Maya?¡± I asked her, confused as to what was going on.

    ¡°It¡¯s your brother, we don¡¯t know. I saw him with an injury  this evening, he was rushed here and that¡¯s all.¡± I stared at her, she was almost at the verge of the crying.

    It still surprised me that something could have been that lethal to Alex,  he wasn¡¯t an ordinary werewolf. He was a royalty from an Alpha bloodline.

    I went to the counter where a receptionist attended to everyone. Once she saw me, she immediately acknowledged me.

    ¡°Can I see my brother, he is in here somewhere.¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Oh!¡± She said in shock and began to scroll through theputer system that was on her desk.

    ¡°There¡¯s a record but he is currently being treated. You can go in if you want though, your highness.¡± She told me.

    I looked behind me to see everyone and they were all in a pensive mood. My dad was petting my mom and it was too sad to witness.

    ¡± What the hell happened! ¡± i said to myself.

    I ignored the warning of a treatment going on and went into the line of treatment room that divided the people waiting and the people being treated.

    It waster that I realized I had not even asked where he was and the ward he was in. I couldn¡¯t just possibly find him in the first room I open, but that was what happened.

    I opened a door and I saw him being operated on. The wounded part had been opened up. The doctors in there barely realized that I was inside. They were all engrossed in treating him to be well.

    When one of them sighted me, he wanted to signal me to leave but I took the cue and left on my own. There was nothing it would benefit me to just stay there and watch.

    I went back to join everyone and simply say beside Maya. I was frustrated and tired from everything that was happening. It didn¡¯t feel like there was anything I would do and the gods would approve of without bringing more cmities.

    I held Maya¡¯s hand and we both just sat side by side while my mom, dad and Caleb did the same. Caleb had fallen asleep already and didn¡¯t even see mee in.

    We were encountering too many problems, more than I could manage on my own.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on in there?¡± May gently asked.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied to her.

    We all just sat there looking ahead and waiting for an update from the doctors to let us know the state of Alex. I tried to think of what could have happened, but nothing came forth.

    Just as we are there expectant, the doctor from earlier appeared.

    He didn¡¯t have to speak, his look said it all.

 64

    Chapter Sixty Four

    Maya¡¯s POV

    It was day three of Venom trying to heal from his brother¡¯s death. There was a decline that was apparent that he was going through. I wished I could do more than I was doing for him to cheer him up, but I could only get as near as he wanted.

    He spent most of the time going out anding backter to brood over work in the newly built office he got himself.

    The idea to help still lingered in my head but after I saw what happened to Alex, I was sure that Venom would be too paranoid if he found out that I left the pack house to go undercover to uncover something I hardly knew about.

    I was walking around the house thinking of how I could do things without him worrying too much. I eventually gave up the idea when I saw something unusual. I walked forwards and saw something that had definitely decayed.

    It looked ck and weird. Unusual and I could tell it wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. I picked it up to check it and I saw some clumped up liquid in it.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I murmured as I stared at it. It was just at Alex¡¯s window. Something even increased my curiosity to find out after realizing that connection.

    I took it away and thought about keeping it till Venom would arrive. It wasn¡¯t like I had any special equipment to figure out what it was.

    I went in to get a bag so I could keep it in it and I came to pick it up. Something was odd and it felt like I should have been able to tell that I was holding, but it was almost impossible. It only looked familiar.

    Getting inside, I ced it on top of a shelf in the room and tried to get my mind on other things. There was barely anything I was doing and it was driving me crazy already that I wasn¡¯t engrossed with working.

    The other times, I had spent them training for hell¡¯s pit, but that was out of the way already and it didn¡¯t seem like I would be going back there anytime soon. I didn¡¯t even want to return.

    I went to the couch in the living room and tried to observe the environment. There was barely anything I could do other than that. I also waited for Venom while at it.

    Minutester or was it hours? I wasn¡¯t sure, ¡°wake up, Maya.¡± I heard a voice address me after tapping me. It took some seconds for me to grasp what was going on in my environment.

    ¡°Venom, you¡¯re back!¡± I eximed when I saw him, I then hugged him. Something about how boring the house had gotten made me appreciate his presence even more than usual.

    ¡± Is everything alright?¡± He asked me.

    ¡± Yeah, I missed you , that¡¯s all.¡± I told him shyly.

    I could see him smile after I said that, he could read me and he found me cute when he did, it gave me butterflies as well.

    At the end of that talk, I went with him to go get meals which we would both consume. This time around, I didn¡¯t even have to wait for him to get back to eat. I had slept for a very long time before he arrived.

    ¡°How was your day, Venom?¡± I was trying to start up small conversations with him while we ate.

    He obliged and the discussion went on for a bit, I was d that I was making progress with it. We finished up and the next ce as usual was the room.

    ¡°Oh,¡± the memory came to my head and I remembered what I had picked earlier in the day. ¡°I found something and I think you should see it.¡± I told him.

    ¡± Okay, where is it?¡± He questioned.

    ¡± It¡¯s in the room, let¡¯s just continue going. I mentioned it earlier than when we reached there because I suddenly remembered.¡± I exined to him and he smiled at me.

    We continued walking to the room and when we entered, I showed him what I kept on a shelf.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He asked me while he looked at what he was holding in his hands.

    ¡°I have no idea, I saw it and thought you¡¯d have a look at it.¡± I told him.

    He liked at what he was holding for a bit and tried to analyse it or whatever he was trying to do when he turned it upside down and every other gesture he made.

    He took it out of the bag and looked at it again, then the clumped up liquid from earlier fell ro the ground and sttered. At that point, I could tell what it was already.

    It looked burgundy and I had an idea but I didn¡¯t want toe to conclusions yet. It seemed he had the same thinking.

    ¡°Where did you find this, Maya?¡±

    ¡°I was outside walking when I saw it right underneath Alex¡¯s window.¡± I exined to him.

    His eyes widened as soon as I made the statement and I knew I had mentioned something relevant.

    ¡± There¡¯s a problem isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked him.

    He paid no attention and even now, he was checking through every pore he could get his hand through without getting irritated by whatever he may find.

    He walked away and went to bjs office for some seconds. I waited outside nervously, there was no reply from him earlier and he didn¡¯t even want to say anything about what was going on with him.

    After some time, he came out and I was relieved, but at heidame time, curious to what could have happened with him.

    ¡°This looks like Alex¡¯s organ!¡± He eximed to me. I was shocked, but not too much, a part of me suspected that already.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    That was even drawing more mystery to Alex¡¯s death since we thought he had been stabbed and we had not even figured who did it too.

 65

    Venom¡¯s POV

    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s all we can do for now. We have to leave so we can  see everyone and not keep them waiting.¡± I urged Maya who was still dressing up to leave.

    We were on our way to Alex¡¯s funeral. Ig had all happened suddenly for anyone to process. Even me, it felt unreal but it was too real, the body they gave us couldn¡¯t have been anyone¡¯s but him.

    We drove to the grave where the funeral was being held. He had only died five days before and they had us burying him already. Ig was traditional to bury Royalty as soon as possible regardless of what the case may be.

    Most times , it would be till the full moon and this time around, it came earlier than anyone expected.

    Different people came to show their respect and Maya and I spent most of our time shaking hands and holding small talks to entertain the people who had deemed us for to engage us.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll survive from that,¡± Maya said, pointing at my mom.

    I only gave her a look before we continued, everyone was helpless and I wasn¡¯t sure if anything was still even in my power. Everything was going out of controller. Too much was being lost.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go join them,¡± I gestured at Maya to love forward. It was the final duty already, we would burn him to ashes and that was what we would bury.

    Again, that was how the rites for the dead body of a royalty took ce in our side. The duty of lighting him up was giving to me and for a moment when I stood before his body, I couldn¡¯t do it. It felt like heas still alive to me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Be strong,¡± Maya came to whisper in my ear and stopped back to her former position.

    I was about closing my eyes and doing it when something caught my attention. The wound had never healed, his body only dried out from it.

    ¡°How could we have missed that?¡± I murmured to myself.

    Then I realized he was bloated and dead, something was wrong. He was executed with something too lethal. Too lethal that it was destroying his body after death.

    I closed my eyes eventually and performed what I had to before stepping back so I could stay away from the fire and watch everything take ce.

    Silence overtook everywhere and all that could be heard was the ashes burning and the sound the dried wood made from being burnt up. I could hear tears, but I never looked bank and only focused on what I saw beside me.

    ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± I heard Maya say.

    ¡°I pray so.¡± I replied to her.

    If I¡¯d didn¡¯t have her to watch over me and help cheer me up while everything was going on, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would have held through.

    After some hours, everything came to an end and we were thest people at the graveyard. Me and Maya.

    ¡°What do you think could have killed him?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, but someone definitely stabbed him. At least, that was what I noticed from the injury.¡±

    There was no indication of anything otherwise, it was obvious that someone had put something through him to kill him.

    ¡°And that¡¯s the problem I¡¯m having. How did the person kill him so easily and how was the weapon that lethal. I found something on his body.¡± I told her.

    She looked at me surprised, ¡°what did you find on his body?¡±

    ¡°His body was still disintegrating even after death and that is no ordinary thing.¡±

    She didn¡¯t look too surprised anymore and I doubted myself a bit for picking up something as little as that and taking it up as a big clue.

    ¡°Well, we can only try to tighten security more and be prepared for whatever the people will bring against us. Our enemies.¡± She said.

    I understood and once everywhere was getting too dark, I realized we had to leave already. We had spent plenty time already after everyone.

    ¡°Are we ready to go now or you still want to wait a bit?¡± She asked me, it was as if she had been reading my thoughts all along.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good now. There¡¯s nothing I can do again, I definitely cannot bring him back.¡± I said to her.

    She came close and spread her hands for me to hold on to. I held her and we both walked away from the site to the cat where it was parked.

    ¡°Everything will be fine soon. I¡¯m sure things cannot continue like this for too long.¡± She told me.

    I tried to be upbeat about things, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I was strong to that extent. There was too much going on that I was overwhelmed already.

    I kept mute as as continued our journey away from the site. When we go to the car, she took up her position and I did the same. We left for the oa k house.

    By the time we got home, mom and dad were having dinner, it looked like she wasing around and wasn¡¯t bearing the burden of the pain again.

    I looked at them and my dad waved at me. I waved back and went to the room with Maya. We took a big of our time undressing and changing to other wears. She took more time taking off her adornment.

    I was in bed already, waiting for her to arrive so we could lie together.

    ¡°Waiting for me?¡± She Asked after she was done and she came towards me on the bed.

    ¡°Not really,¡± I teased. I was regaining a bit of enthusiasm in myself.

    ¡°That¡¯s bad, I¡¯ll be going to the bathroom for a bit. Shout-out to anyone who didn¡¯t miss me.¡± She said.

    At that point, I was tired of waiting and went into the bathroom to get a bath with her.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯re doing this together.¡±

 66

    Venom¡¯s POV

    What Maya had brought to me was an eye opener to what might have happened to Caleb even if I couldn¡¯t totally deduce what that was and what might have happened.

    I was in the room analyzing and doing little research before phoning a forensic investigator and a doctor to help with what I had found. I went back out to find Maya, she was still waiting for me even after I had left.

    My brain hadpletely zoned out when I saw what she handed to me.

    We sat there still looking at the bag when the people arrived. They were let in, it was amand I made already before they arrived.

    ¡°Who are these?¡± Maya asked me as she looked at the people who were standing before us.

    ¡°They¡¯re friends from work, we can talk about thatter. ¡± I told her politely and invited the man and woman to my office.

    I had brought the bag alongside and it was the first thing I handed to them once they settled in.

    ¡°I found this at home, right under my brother¡¯s  window and I¡¯d like to know what it is and if anything can be found. Like, some sort of DNA, I don¡¯t know, just get me anything.¡± I instructed them.

    They both passed it to each other and looked at what I had given them.

    ¡± I¡¯m also sorry for calling you on such short notice.¡± I told them.

    ¡± Alright, no problem. We¡¯ll check it out and make sure to send whatever we can find to you.¡±

    There was nothing more I could ask for and they were dispersed. As soon as they left, I went to join Maya who was in the room.

    ¡± I know I have a lot to say.¡± I spoke first, before she did. She was probably annoyed at the way I had left her out of everything.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be listening to you to hear what you have to say then.¡± Sh replied to me and I chuckled.

    ¡°They were here to help check what you gave to me. One of them is a forensic investigator and the other, a doctor from the hospital. Is that okay with you?¡± She still feigned anger, but I knew she didn¡¯t mean anything.

    I went closer to her and held her closer, ¡± I¡¯m sorry. I just wasn¡¯t myself and I really need something to be found regarding this situation.¡± I told her.

    ¡± There¡¯s no problem,¡± she said calmly and rested her head on my chest.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied to her.

    We were there on the bed for a while before she fell asleep.  My mind wouldn¡¯t even let me do that it just rambled thinking different thoughts.

    What bothered me the most was Alex¡¯s death, but I couldn¡¯t evene up with a reasonable exnation to myself for his death. He was never someone who had enemies or issues, he was introverted and who could have killed him so easily?

    I gently moved away from where she was sleeping on the bed and went around trying to observe his room. I walked inside and everything seemed to be just as he left it the day he was attacked.

    I restricted the cleansers from doing anything so that we coulde investigate itter. As I walked in and checked out the environment, I tried to see if I could decipher anything that might have been out of ce, but I didn¡¯t get anything.

    My head was nk and I felt stressed even staying inside. The tears that I had been holding back all through the funeral and everything that happened in the hospital, they broke out.

    There was nothing I could do to hold them back, I stayed by the window where I could see the skies from.

    Somehow, I was praying to gods that they would answer and help me. Maybe send a sign about how he died or something, anything.

    The clock was ticking and it was loud and clear. The midnight amplified every sound. I imagined what he might have been doing during hisst minutes before something happened to him.

    There was too much that was affecting my head and I feared it would be lethal if I didn¡¯t leave eventually.

    I got out of the room and went outside. I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, if I stayed any longer, I would finally break down.

    I left there and went to the room, Maya had changed positions already too. Everything seemed to be passing by apart from the emotions I was feeling about the things that happened.

    The room felt congested and I wasn¡¯t outside to sleep in the parlor. It helped my mind that was running on different thoughts and wouldn¡¯t just calm itself. It helped the pain I felt for losing my brother and the heartbreak.

    When I woke up the next morning, everyone was awake already and it was Caleb who came to tap me.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Why didn¡¯t you sleep in the room?¡± He questioned me.

    I rubbed my eye and stood up from the bed, ¡°oh, I fell asleep.¡± I replied to him and tried to move away from the couch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself.¡± He told me.

    I smiled at him, he was young but he was holding himself better than I probably was. I felt too weak.

    ¡°Thank you, Caleb and keep it up. You¡¯ve done well.¡± I apuded him.

    He was doing an impressive job at staying sane with everything going on.

    I went to the room and met Maya still sleeping. I imagined how exhausted she must have been. I never really got to connect with her to know what was going on with her and her emotions.

    I was probably too emotionally disconnected from her. I felt guilty about it, but there was too much to handle already. I nced at her onest time and thought to myself, ¡± I¡¯ll make it to her.¡±

    It was the least I could try to do.

 67

    Maya¡¯s POV

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Venom came into the room and tapped me. I had no idea he was even around.

    I jumped a bit and finally rxed.

    ¡°Oh, everything¡¯s fine.¡± I replied to him.

    Deep down, I was contemting ways I could help with the ongoing issues in the pack that he wouldn¡¯t allow me to intervene in.

    He sat beside me and we both watched the television in front of us.  Somehow, he was making efforts to stay back at home more frequently, it was new and unexpected.

    To be truthful, it was unwanted too because I didn¡¯t want him monitoring me constantly. I sat beside him for a while and we both said nothing to each other. It was very ufortable.

    ¡°Hey, baby. I¡¯ll go grab some snacks.¡± I told him and left. The major reason for me feeling ufortable was what I wanted to n behind his back.

    We left his parents¡¯house and there was a new pack house. He got a different ce built up for us while the other ce was still under investigation due to his brother¡¯s death.

    The servants were surprised to see me when I entered the kitchen.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay here, ma¡¯am. What do you need?¡± They asked me.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡± I told them and went to grab the things I wanted. I grabbed a couple of edibles so we could munch on. Mostly, they were for me because I was stress eating mightily due to how things were turning out for me and what I wanted to embark on.

    I left the kitchen with the things in my arm and the people insisted that they helped me, but I had to refuse. I got to the main room and met Venom in the position I had left him.

    ¡°Heyy,¡± I greeted him while showing him what I brought. He spared me a smile and came to help me with the things in my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you brought this much. Since when did you start eating so much?¡± He teased me. I knew it was a tease, but I felt awfully awkward about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just trying to evade other thoughts and doing this.¡± I politely replied while sitting back down. He smiled and didn¡¯t say anything more. I was d he didn¡¯t even push the topic.

    ¡°So, I was thinking. Do you want to go out?¡± I heard him say.

    I looked at him surprised, it was weird hearing those wordse from him.

    ¡°What do you mean, Venom?¡± I asked to be clear.

    ¡°Oh, I was just thinking of going out with you to ces and other things. Just like a short break for the two of us, nothingplex.¡± He said.

    He didn¡¯t seem like the person who had just lost his brother and the same person whose life had taken a totally different trajectory after so many things.

    ¡°Are you sure you want that at this point?¡± I wanted to confirm again.

    ¡± Yes,¡± he confirmed. ¡± I¡¯ve decided to leave things to someone. We can just live life away from all of these just for a bit.¡± He said.

    I realized he was serious about it. That would be lethal to all the things I had nned out.

    ¡± How about we wait a little bit for all of that? Don¡¯t you think the people would be thrown off if they don¡¯t have their Alpha around?¡± I suggested it to him.¡±

    He seemed to have taken in what I said.

    ¡°Maybe, just maybe. I guess we¡¯ll consider thatter.¡± He said as he picked up a mango from the bowl of fruits that I brought to him.

    He seemed absentminded for the remaining whike and I fell asleep on the couch until it waster in the evening. When I woke up, he wasn¡¯t around me or where he had been earlier.

    ¡°Venom!¡± I cKled out, maybe it was effects from how I had woken up, a small panic arose in me, but it waster calmed down when I saw him.

    For some moment, I had to gos watching in the rooms for where he could have gone. I knocked on the couple of unupied rooms we weren¡¯t using and he wasn¡¯t there.

    Something eventually urred to me to go check his office and that was where I found him. He was there, just engrossed in a couple of papers. I wanted to call out to him, but I didn¡¯t want to distract him.

    I left and went back to the room where I would be nning on what I would do next. It didn¡¯t seem like my n would work out, but I just had to do something.

    The day ended quickly and I was sure it didn¡¯t turn out like Venom assumed it would be. Taking the day off to only experience a boring day was the best I could offer him. For a bit, I felt guilty about how everything was turning out, but I only had little power to sort out his problem.

    In the midst of my thoughts, he appeared through the door. He began to undress himself slowly, I guessed he was done with work or maybe ruminating through whatever he was doing earlier.

    ¡°Are you here now?¡± I asked him, using a tone that meant I intended something else.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here now. Nowhere else.¡± He replied.

    I got off the bed and went to hug him from behind. It was calming to just hold him at that point. My body was fully squeezed in om his.

    ¡°Did you miss me?¡± I teased him.

    ¡°I missed you more than you can imagine. Just more than you can even think of. Everything has been to make things safer for the two of us and the pack.¡±

    He pulled me from his back and I faced him, he then kissed me on the forehead and hugged me towards himself.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    His huge body covered my small one and I was lost in his scent as our body collided.

 68

    Chapter Sixty Eight

    Venom¡¯s POV

    Maybe it was abination of moods or the umtion of everything that was happening with me, I waspletely mindless as I sat in the midst of the elders as they deliberated on different measures to take in helping the pack.

    I was losing control of the problems that were affecting us, I felt lesser than an Alpha, things weren¡¯t looking too well for me.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Alpha Venom?¡± One of them asked me once he noticed my mood.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m doing okay. I just have a couple other things to do. That¡¯s all.¡± I told him.

    He looked at me again, I was sure he didn¡¯t want to believe, but there was nothing else he could do about the whole situation. The meeting ended and once again, everyone had to leave without a tangible solution in mind.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    That was one of the biggest problems we had, the fact that we never really came to something that made progress. We had not been making any progress from any angle.

    I returned back home and went in. I couldn¡¯t find Maya in her room and I assumed that she was in the bathroom or some other ce. I waited for a few minutes and when she didn¡¯t show up after I arrived, I went in search for her.

    I shouted her name all around as I walked in the house, but no one answered.

    ¡°Hey, call the remaining people for me.¡± I instructed one of the guards. He instantly understood that I meant his colleagues. I was surprised that I couldn¡¯t find Maya. It wasn¡¯t a usual urrence.

    They all came forward and I began to ask them after the other, ¡°did anyone see Maya and where is she?¡± At first, I felt I was taking the issue too lightly, but I really couldn¡¯t find her anywhere and it disturbed my mind.

    I picked up a so. I could call her and reach out to her, but that didn¡¯t go through too and that was when I realized something must have happened.

    The thoughts of Alex body came to my mind and I panicked that she might have gotten killed and taken away. I ran helter skelter in the house trying to find her wherever she would be, but it was futile.

    When I came out, I disbanded everyone and went to the room, I had given. Up on doing anything again, the frustration was beginning to be more than what I could hear all my life.

    After a brief moment of praying to the gods in the room, I went outside and searched for a second time, but still, nothing changed and I was rejecting so much of my life choices.

    I got out of the house and called for the attention of everyone so that they would search for her. I also decided to do the same thing, because there was no way I wouldn¡¯t.

    I was just totally mad that all the problems wereing one after the other.

    Time passed and she still wasn¡¯t found anywhere which surprised me even more. As I walked out of my office trying to go to the door so I could go out to search for her, I found a piece of paper on the floor.

    It was a letter she had written. Well, that was what it looked like. I read intensely and when I finished, there was no other reaction in me than to throw the piece of paper to the ground and put my palms on my face.

    ¡°Why?¡± I murmured. ¡°Why!¡±

    She wrote something about leaving to help investigate in the letters and how she would be untraceable until she returns by herself. I probably didn¡¯t digest all of the words she kept in it, I was mad at her already for what she did.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in searching for her, now.¡± I told myself.

    Disappointment and nervousnesss clouded my head. It surprised that she would just leave like that without any fore n or maybe she had it all nned.

    I paced around the house, made phone calls, nothing brought the high of the angerd down. I just couldn¡¯t get myself to understand her decision.

    Eventually, I went to my room and tried to bury myself in some work. Just paperwork from thepany and any other thing I could find. I wasn¡¯t so sessful at doing something that blocked the thoughts of her off of my mind, but I did find something suspicious going on with thepany.

    I made a mental note to visit there and find outter.

    ¡± What¡¯s going on!¡± I eximed again as I rxed back in the chair. The only reason why Maya would go out to help was because she felt I wasn¡¯t doing enough or I just wasn¡¯t productive.

    The problems were bing too much for me to bear. I thought about finding and searching for her, but I couldn¡¯t really trace where she could have gone to, maybe she had  suspects in mind that she was trailing, I wasn¡¯t sure.

    I went to our room to scavenge for any information I might find about her recent escapade. I left the office and walked to where our room was, I realized that I had not even been in it since she left.

    Inside, everything looked normal. Nothing was odd, even corners and nooks had nothing in them. Maybe I was expecting multiple posters or papers filled with written ideas, but nothing was there.

    After turning everywhere upside down, I decided I would give up and stop stressing. I wasn¡¯t making any progress towards finding anything. The room was in chaos and most of all, life was in chaos for me.

    It was still a big mystery to me that she managed to do something like that and I was unaware.

    ¡°What the heck is going on!¡± Iined.

    I left the room and went outside, there was no sense of direction for me anymore, I would just pace around, maybe worry a bit and then,in.

 69

    Maya¡¯s POVContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°What am I doing?¡± ¡°What are we doing?¡± After the first night, I was panicking already from leaving the pack house toing outside to do something I wasn¡¯t even sure would turn out well.

    For better information and understanding, I left the pack house in the evening a day before with one of the female guards allocated to the pack house.

    After promises made topensate her, sheined and decided she would go with me and that was what motivated her. For me, I just wanted to see a better pack and issues more resolved.

    Suspicions had been flying and the first ce I decided I would go to was the neighbouring pack. Instincts led me there and I was convinced I would find something that linked them to us.

    The girl had been really supportive until I burst out panicking because it didn¡¯t seem like we were making so much progress with what we were doing.

    We both sat there in the open. We had settled on an abandoned field, it didn¡¯t look like someone was still in charge of it or maybe the person travelled. We stayed there through the night and that was having me riot in my head about the decisions.

    I feared what was going on back at the pack, if Venom was worrying about me and if he had gotten a search party set up to find me again just like it  happened thest time. Although, in the letter I wrote, I had said so many things and one of them being he shouldn¡¯t worry.

    I tried putting myself in his shoes and I realized he would probably be more dibobted than I could imagine.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± Iined.

    Thedy only looked at me from afar without interacting with me and my dilemma.

    I gave up onining andmenting, it wasn¡¯t taking me anywhere.   I rested my head on the couple of sacks we had assembled so we couldy on them. That would be our bed throughout our time there.

    Crossing the territory was the main issue and after that, we would be able to face alpha Maximum and his pack even if we had little information on things going on there.

    Thedy took up our position and we didn¡¯t say anything throughout the night. We were both quietying side by side, but we didn¡¯t face each other as we did that.

    The next morning, it was cold when we woke up and we had to quickly pack up things so we could move.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked her, trying to steer up a conversation with her.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling okay. A little bit cold, but nothing our wolf bodies can¡¯t handle.¡± She replied to me seeming positive.

    ¡± I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t talk to you for the past days, I just had a lot of thoughts bothering me and everything going on has been affecting my thoughts.¡± I exined myself to her, hoping she would be able to sympathise with me.

    And she did. Luckily, we were able to keep on talking about things and she didn¡¯t take anything to heart.

    ¡± So, what¡¯s your name?¡± I asked her.

    ¡± Tianna, ma¡¯am.¡± She replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the formality is so necessary, you don¡¯t really have to add that.¡± I told her. That took me down memoryne of how I would call Venom Master and he would refuse me doing that.

    A lot of things were driving my thoughts back to him and it was obvious that I missed him. Before my thoughts would drive me away from being conscious of my surroundings, I shut those things and we began preparations to leave.

    The sacks were returned to where we found them and we didn¡¯t take anything else apart from the bag we both came with.

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason for this?¡± Tianna mentioned.

    That propelled a pause from me before I could say anything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I just feel I should help as the future Luna of the pack. It¡¯s only my duty after all.¡± I told her.

    ¡°How has it been being the Luna?¡±

    I never felt conscious of being the Luna, I only ever saw myself as Venom¡¯s mate and alpha. I took another thought and the words came out, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    She looked at me amused and I could tell she was ouzzledd by what I had just told her, but it was really the truth, I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°But you¡¯re on this journey, aren¡¯t you?¡± She protested my reply.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m just doing this to help and because I¡¯ve been idle for too long.¡±

    In aposed synergy, we both took a rest by arge boulder which we found on the road. We had not eaten breakfast or drank anything since we started out in the morning.

    ¡°It feels great to be with the Alpha then, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She asked me.

    ¡°Yeah, it does.¡± I took a break and thought about how things had changed for me. It was all due to Venom¡¯s help and intervention.

    ¡°You know, he actually helped me a lot and I am indebted to him. It feels more than great to be with him.¡±

    I spoke about him in admiration and I could sense the same respect as she watched me speak. We managed to exchange eye to eye contact a few times.

    ¡°In what way did he help? We never really knew or do I say the people never really knew.¡± I could sense she was trying to be polite without seeming like she was poke-nosing.

    She had been quite calm with the questions and pulled back.

    ¡°Well, it never really got published by anyone but yeah, he helped me away from the hell¡¯s pit in my original pack and that was how everything started. She was staring the whole time and picked up everything I spilled out. ¡°I was bought by him.¡±

    She was quite attentive. I was d I had someone to talk to on the journey, maybe I¡¯d have lost my mind if I didn¡¯t have one.

 70

    Maya¡¯s POV

    We walked for a couple more miles after our first break and we took another. The journey was barely wearing us off, but we had to do the breaks so we wouldn¡¯t cover less with more fatigue. The more we broke it down, the more we could do.

    That¡¯s just some nonsense I was taught somewhere.

    Back to real life, we were nearing the border and it was almost time to pull a stunt, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be able to go get through.

    I was known already by many of the warriors and soldiers that I was Venom¡¯s mate. It was even most likely that he informed them already in case they saw me so they would inform him.

    I wasn¡¯t sure of what to do. It was just a constant worry and only my intrusive thoughts had helped me get out of the house the other day, not adequate nning.

    ¡°Do you have any ideas about what we can do when we are near the territory?¡± I asked Tianna.

    She looked lost for a bit and we both just couldn¡¯te up with something.

    ¡± How about we cut our hair?¡± She suggested.

    I looked at her for a bit, I was bewildered that she would suggest that, but somehow, I was getting sold.

    ¡± Maybe if we look unkempt enough and without our hair, we would be less recognizable.¡± She said.

    I thought about it for a while. It seemed like a good idea, I just wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready to change my looks. I wasn¡¯t sure how Venom would take that decision from me or even if I would like myself.

    I nced at her and she seemed really ready to do anything it would take. ¡± After all, she has an incentive.¡± I murmured.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡± You also have one too.¡± I told myself.

    It was practically two parts of my thoughts arguing with each other.

    ¡± Are you sure you¡¯re going to do that?¡± I asked her once again to be sure.

    ¡± Yes, if that¡¯s what it¡¯ll take.¡± She replied nonchntly, it was almost like it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem at all even if it were any other situation.

    ¡°Can I go first? I¡¯m kind of nervous.¡± I finally came out to her.

    She smiled softly and I felt shy, ¡°there¡¯s no problem. I can use scissors on you and then you¡¯ll use it on meter on.¡±

    We got to working things out and I was positioned between herps already so she could cut my hair.

    I tried to bring up topics and conversations so I could get my mind off of the idea that I was cutting my hair, but the more the strands fell, the more I wanted to just run off and escape due to how I felt.

    ¡± Just be calm.¡± She told me.

    I also had to draw inspiration from deep down. I was through worse things already at the hands of my masters during my younger days.

    The thought and nervousness finally cleared off and I was done. I didn¡¯t even bother to check it anymore. I was disappointed in myself for being so bothered about sacrificing something as miniscule as my hair.

    ¡°Would you like to check it out?¡± She had asked me.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s cut yours now and then we can roughen our clothes and do something else.¡± I told her.

    She got into the same position and I cut hers down to an almost same length with what she cut for me.

    Once we were done, we changed clothes into something more simple than what we were even wearing earlier. Provisions have been made for any type of situation already.

    After what I went through thest time, I made sure I was backed up in case of anything. At least, I didn¡¯tg in that part.

    Everything was ready and we were prepared to walk more miles so we could get out of the pack¡¯s territory finally.

    ¡°Are you prepared for this? Maybe if things go south, we can just use the fact that I¡¯m the Luna. That should work or maybe not.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure of anything and Iid it out straight to her. She only looked at me and smiled in return. I was mightily surprised that I found someone who was so determined to join me in what I was doing.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I told her. She looked taken aback, but she deserved it.

    ¡°For what?¡± She asked humbly.

    ¡°For your bravery and how much you¡¯re helping. I just need to figure these things out and we should be done with these hardships.¡± I told her.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± she replied to me.

    My mind was no longer worried about Venom as I was before we had set out. Something calmed me more after remembering my background and how things were for me before they transformed.

    ¡°All will be well soon.¡± I told myself.

    We walked longer and we were nearing the environment. I felt a bit nervous about things but my mind was more clouded with determination to get things done.

    I couldn¡¯t just let myself fail that way. ¡°I suggest we rest a bit before we go to them. I just want to have more time to think and to be prepared.¡± I exined.

    She didn¡¯t haggle and we both sat down calmly. I took out a bottle of water so I could consume it. It was refreshing, but that was the least of my worries.

    I silently prayed to the gods so I wouldn¡¯t be easily recognized. I did all I had to do already in an attempt to not get identified easily, Tianna wouldn¡¯t be recognized too. While I prayed, an idea popped in my head.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± I called Tianna¡¯s attention to myself.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go as travellers or poor people, but the main theme would be you being the elder sister and I¡¯ll be the younger one. I¡¯d be covered up just as a guise of nervousness.¡±

    ¡°Anything you¡¯d like to add? I¡¯m stilling up with things to use.¡± I stopped midway.

 71

    MAYA.

    ¡°Yes, I suggest we cut our hair and apply soot or charcoal to make us look like we¡¯ve been travelling a very long distance. Guards fall for it.¡± She said without a hint of doubt in her voice.

    She sounded so sure of herself and that alone told me that it would work. That was the only cue I needed. I had heard about it before but this was just a confirmation to get things set.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± I said, ncing out of the underbrush where we were hiding. There were no scissors I had brought along so I guessed I was going to use my dagger as a makeshift knife.

    ¡°When are we going to do that though?¡± She asked. ¡°Are we leaving already?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I said, as I rummaged through my bag.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. We have to get through that boundary and get things going. We have wasted enough time on this mission already.¡± I said, wondering if she didn¡¯t want to leave yet. She replied with a passive OK. I handed her my dagger before untying my hair which soon came crashing down on my shoulder.

    ¡°You have nice hair. It¡¯s a shame you¡¯ll lose it.¡± She said, admiring my raven-ck hair.

    ¡°This is not the time, Tianna. Compliments and niceties cer.¡± I said to her, before letting her do her thing.

    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± She asked with a soft and gentle voice. I nodded, feeling my heart race with excitement. I knew this was surely going to affect my look but I would do anything for this mission I had embarked on. I wasn¡¯t going to the Pack without some sort of answer.

    I thought about Venom and what he must be thinking, especially now that he must have seen the little letter I wrote before escaping to go on this crazy journey. I was pulled out of my thoughts when the knife shed off a good amount of my hair. She held it out and showed it to me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± I eximed, feeling my heart skip a beat. She dropped the dagger and began to tie it.

    ¡°Will that do?¡± I asked, wondering if she still needed to cut more of my hair.

    ¡°Not her. It¡¯s not enough already.¡± She replied, before she began to dress it again.

    When she was done with mine she picked up the de and started again. The de slipped away the strands of hair from my head. She didn¡¯t stop until it started to feel boyish to me. When she was done with it, she dressed it to the side to give it a good look. When she was done with my hair, she did the same to hers.

    After that, I took out a small container of dark charcoal and applied it under our eyes, making it look like we had encountered a lot of soot on our way. There was a very long path leading to the Pack which had a lot of soothe around it. It was rumoured to have been a coal mine. We also tore at some parts of our clothes, to make it look like we were poor and struggling. There wasn¡¯t a better way to vet this done. When we finished, I was more than confident that we were undoubtedly going to get to the boundary without any form of disturbance from the guards whatsoever.

    Just as we were done, we gathered our bags and were just about to set out when we heard the sound of a carriage in the distance. I nced nervously as the sound continued to get closer. ¡°What is that?¡± I asked, as I continued to move towards the sound.

    ¡°They must be travellers.¡± Tianna whispered before we got out of the ce and started to walk towards it. We hurried outside, and soon caught up to it.

    Thankfully, Tianna was right. We hurried outside with our eyes fixed on the carriage. Two men and a woman sat inside, and the looks on their faces were weary and worn.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± One of the men asked, pointing his sword at us. We stopped immediately, holding up our hands in surrender.

    ¡°We have no evil intentions. Please allow us to join your journey. We have nowhere else to go.¡± The men exchanged a sceptical look while the woman stopped the carriage and got out.

    ¡°What makes you think we can take you in?¡± One of the men asked gruffly.

    ¡°We are trying to get past the border.¡± Tianna begged, even though I wanted to be tough with them. I didn¡¯t want them to know our main intent. The woman spoke up.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just take in anyone. It¡¯s not safe.¡± I pleaded with my eyes, trying to convey our desperation.

    ¡°We just need a chance please.¡± The men looked at each other again, then back at us. Finally, she nodded.

    ¡°You can join us.  But you¡¯ll be behind on the carriage. We can¡¯t afford to let you both in. And you¡¯ll work for us when we get to the Pack.¡± The whole bargaining seemed so easy and I thought it would be dangerous to join them. What if they were evil people looking for people to hand over to the guards.

    ¡°Are you sure we can trust them?¡± I asked Tianna who nodded.

    ¡°Trust me, we need to join them. But we are going to watch out in case they try toe up with anything sketchy.¡± We got up on the carriage and the carriage started again. I still felt very apprehensive and made sure to watch out for any kind of silly trick. After what felt like hours, the woman pointed ahead.

    ¡°We are close.¡± My heart skipped as I stood up from where I was sitting and looked up to see the imposing structure in front of us. There were a lot of guards standing in front of the border. I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of unease. Something didn¡¯t feel right, and I couldn¡¯t help but think about what it might be.

 72

    MAYA.

    As we got closer to the body, the apprehensive feeling continued to get more and more nagging. We had finally made it, and thankfully, the travellers hadn¡¯t done anything sneaky. I was happy that Tianna had been right all along.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Halt!¡± A very loud and clear voicemanded.

    The carriage came to a full stop immediately and the men immediately climbed down from the carriage. Tianna and I stayed back with the woman. My anxiousness seemed to increase tenfold as the two guards approached us, sizing the men up like two boxers about to face off.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± One of them asked gruffly, before he started to search the men who looked so calm and collected. It was clear that they had been through this search many times. I still found it hard to believe they had agreed to let us go with them. It was very risky to trust anybody around here. The man who had helped us join them spoke up.

    ¡°We are just travellers, sir. We mean no harm.¡± The guard nodded and began to search us.

    I held my breath as they rummaged through our belongings, momentarily pausing to look at us and sneer. I couldn¡¯t understand why they were being so hostile, but I didn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t want to do anything that would anger them or we would be spending a lot of time outside the boundary.

    After they were done searching and were satisfied that we had nothing of value except the things they were going to trade once they got into the Pack and settled, he asked the men to get onto their carriage and move on.

    The nervousness that had gripped me suddenly dissipated and I felt calm again. I was already sweating and I made sure to keep my dagger at arms reach should they attack us.

    If that had happened, I would have killed them all before choosing to go into the Pack or go back. I was happy that we didn¡¯t have to resort to violence before getting through. Just as they got back to the carriage and were about to move on, one of the guards stopped us again.

    ¡°These girls look sketchy. What are you both hiding?¡± He asked, walking towards us with a sly smile on his lips. None of us said anything.

    ¡°Have you gone deaf, or dumb?¡± He asked, angrily.

    ¡°What do you have beneath your dresses?¡± He asked again. Tinna retorted sharply.

    ¡°My cunt, and my breasts.¡± There was a collectiveugh from the guards who were standing around the border.

    ¡°Clever girl.¡± He said, getting closer towards us.

    ¡°I¡¯m ady, not a girl.¡± I snickered. ¡°This one doesn¡¯t seem fun.¡± The guard replied, before hemanded.

    ¡°Come down, let¡¯s do some searching. I don¡¯t trust you.¡± He said. I groaned inwardly as my heart started to pound heavily again.

    ¡°Do you have anything with you? Something I might be interested in?¡± He asked. I shook my head.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± He asked again. I made up a quick name.

    ¡°Rose.¡± I replied. He rasped an eyebrow as he continued to eye me suspiciously.

    ¡°There is nothing rosy about you. All I see is a grumpy, troubleddy who hates men.¡±

    ¡°What does this have to do with the search? We have nothing with us, just let us go.¡± I said but my plea seemed to make him even more happy. He was happy that I was begging.

    ¡°Not yet, Rose.¡± He said before asking me to get closer. I hesitated not wanting to be searched by a man.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable being touched by a man.¡±  I retorted.

    The man snorted. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re one of those. I¡¯ll search you myself and if you refuse I am not letting you into my Pack.¡±

    He threatened. I felt a wave of disgust wash over me as he got closer towards me and started to pat his hands all over me like I was a criminal. I could feel the way his hands lingered on my waist. Meanwhile, Tianna was trying to speak up, but the guard shunned her.

    ¡°Shut up, and don¡¯t make this hard for yourself. If I decide you¡¯re not going in there is nothing you can do to appease me.¡± He cautioned again. As if to make this threat clearer, he asked the men to leave us and move on with their journey.

    I clenched my teeth in pure anger wondering why he was doing everything to frustrate us. I knew it was intentional, but once again. I willed myself to keep my mouth shut and not say anything that would jeopardise our mission. He kept on searching and soon felt something strapped on my waist.

    ¡°Ah, what do we have here?¡± He sneered as s mile lit up his face. He took out my dagger with a swift motion and gazed at it with a child-like admiration.

    ¡°Give it back.¡± I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady despite the rage that was swirling inside me. Heughed.

    ¡°I¡¯d be damned if I give this back, girl. This is mine now.¡± He said. He asked one of his subordinates to stop the carriage that was already trotting into the Pack.

    ¡°That was my mother¡¯sst gift before she died. Give it back please.¡± I lied, hoping it would get to his heart but he sneered at me again.

    ¡°I think I missed the part where that is my problem. If you don¡¯t join your people, I won¡¯t let you in.¡± He said, sounding so authoritative. I growled at him before turning and ambling to the carriage. I was settling with rage and all I could hope for was that we woulde in contact one way or the other before the end of my stay in this Pack. I was going to get my knife back, and I would kill him.

    ¡°Put up a cheerful look.¡± Tiana advised. ¡°Squeezing your face won¡¯t do us any good.¡±

 73

    MAYA.

    It wasn¡¯t long before we entered the heart of the Pack. I was shocked by the sheer size and ustrophobic atmosphere. There were so many tall buildings and structures that had me feeling dizzy whenever I stared up at them.

    The air was thick with the smell of sweat and smoke, which added to the uneasy feeling I was experiencing right now. It wasn¡¯t helping matters at all. There were a lot of people and I couldn¡¯t help but hold on tightly to my bag, for fear of it being snatched. I felt uneasy as I stared into the sea of faces, wondering if we would ever find what we were looking for considering how big this ce was.

    It would be very hard getting to know anyone who could have any idea about what we wanted in case our spection to find something worthwhile in the Packhouse failed. I pushed off my thoughts and willed myself to focus in the moment and take notice of everything that was happening around me.

    ¡°This ce is overwhelming.¡± Tianna said, confirming my thoughts. Her voice was barely audible over the din of the crowd.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many people in one ce.¡± She said as her head constantly swung from right to left and left to right.

    I nodded in approbation as I continued to scan the crowded street. We could pick up a hint from anything, so anything could be crucial. It was really a hub of activity, mostly trade. People from all walks of life were milling about, either selling or buying something.

    Perhaps that was the reason the guards at the boundary had allowed us to go through. For all I knew, I suspected our helpers weren¡¯t here to trade also, I suspected they were here for something else, something we hadn¡¯t figured out yet. They seemed so bold and dangerous to be just traders. The carriage continued to move deeper and deeper into the Pack and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where they were going.

    I noticed the start contrast between the poor, rundown buildings and the majestic appearance of the Packhouse. It was as if the Alpha of the Pack lived in a different world while allowing his subjects to suffer without a single care in the world. I turned to Tianna and spoke to her.

    ¡°We need to find a ce to stay for the night.¡± I kept scanning the crowded streets, but this time it was for a different reason- an inn or a boarding house. She replied, providing better insights.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we have to look for a ce we can stay for the week and it has to be somewhere close to the Packhouse. If that¡¯s possible, we will be good to go.¡± After a while, I nodded at her and told her it was time to get down.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get down from the carriage.¡± I said to her, She nodded and we immediately jumped down from the carriage. Just immediately, the two men who had asked us to join them looked at us expectantly.

    ¡°Where are you headed?¡± One of them asked, ring at us. I shot him a nonchnt look and replied.

    ¡°We will alight here,¡± I said, thanking them for their service. Just as I had half-expected him to behave, his face immediately turned red with rage. What I had said didn¡¯t seem to sit well with him. He was more than angry.

    ¡°There is no way you can just leave. We had a deal and I¡¯m not letting you both leave until¡­¡± Tianna interrupted with a cocky smile.

    ¡°Stop us if you can.¡± She said,ughing derisively as the man¡¯s anger exploded. I stood my ground as my heart continued racing.

    ¡°We had no deal. We paid you and that¡¯s all.¡± He snarled as his hands reached for his sword in the sh of an eye.

    But we quickly reacted and quickly turned before running into the crowd that was all around us. It wasn¡¯t long before we merged with the sea of faces. But shockingly, they soon picked us out.

    ¡°Stop them!¡± He yelled pointing his sword at us. The people around us barely reacted and we took the advantage. We co tinged running and this time we didn¡¯t stop running until we were sure we had left the men behind.

    Finally, we stopped in front of a small house. We weren¡¯t far from the Packhouse. The sign above the door read ¡°Room for rent,¡± A sigh of relief went through me.

    We immediately met the owner who was a kind-faced woman named ra, and paid for our stay. She was very kind and epted us like friends. As soon as we were settled, I began to feel tired from my very long journey. But I had other things to take care of before considering sleep. I took my bag and rummaged through our supplies and found some food, eating quickly to satisfy my growling stomach.

    The next morning, I took out my map and started to n out my next move. We needed to slip into the Packhouse and find out who was behind the problems in our Pack. Now I was thinking about who could help us know what was going on inside the Packhouse. It could be very dangerous considering that we knew nobody here and they could be against us. Anybody could be a threat. As if she knew what I was thinking, she said.

    ¡°If we are going to get this done, we need to get into the Packhouse first. We must go around and get a view of the whole ce. Without being familiar, it will be very hard for us to get it done.¡± She said. I nodded and thought about it.

    This was where the real mission began, and any mistake could be fatal. But I wasn¡¯t leaving until I uncovered the truth in one way or the other.

    ¡°But the thing is, how are we going to do it? I have a few ideas.¡±

    Tianna¡¯s face immediately brightened.

 74

    MAYA.

    ¡°But there is surely going to be a catch. We are going to keep our identity hidden. Yes it¡¯s going to be very hard, but that will be very crucial. This ce is a very big ce and you don¡¯t know who is who. There could be someone from our Pack who could be here, and they won¡¯t be hesitant to report us to the authorities in a heartbeat. I¡¯m sure nobody wants that to happen.¡± I cautioned, not liking the fact that I would be hiding my true self for a whole week.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    It would be really hard bing a new person in such a short space of time. But I was ready for all of it. She raised an eyebrow at me and folded her arms across her chest.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very good idea but there is another catch.¡± She said with a hopeless tone in her voice. ¡°You should know that maids are handpicked. They don¡¯t don¡¯t select maids. Just like guards, they do a thorough background check. And I¡¯m sure we will be questioned.¡± She said, already seeming to feel a foreboding from the onset.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a risk, but we are going to do something about it. We are not just going to sit back and watch. We have a mission here and we aren¡¯t leaving until we are done with it.¡± I said, hoping she would put off the act and agree with me.

    ¡°Besides, we can¡¯t just walk into the Packhouse and demand answers. We need to blend in with everyone else before we can gather the information that we need.¡± I finished. She nodded.

    ¡°But if that¡¯s going to happen, then we are also going to be spending some time here. Blending in won¡¯t just take some hours or days. At least, it¡¯s going to take weeks. And that¡¯s not the scheduled time we agreed on. It has to be fast.¡± She said.

    ¡°Fast? I¡¯d rather have it slow and not die, Tianna. Perhaps if we take it slowly, we will be able to know a lot of things. I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯m not being pessimistic. I¡¯m just talking about what could possibly go wrong. The odds are stacked against us, and if we must go to this mission with the assurance that we will get out of it, then we need to answer every question about every odd we could possibly face. If that is done, we will be prepared for different scenarios that we might face.¡± She said. She had a very valid point, but at the same time we had to look at the bright side of things which she wasn¡¯t doing.

    ¡°We are going to be really careful, Tianna. We will create new identities if that¡¯s the case and new stories also. We will be no one important, just two ordinary maids trying to make a living.¡± I finished. She shook her head and I noticed her eyes were still filled with worry.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The Packhouse is full of secrets and we¡¯re probably not the only ones looking for answers. I won¡¯t be surprised if we run into someone who recognises us.¡± I took a deep breath. The things she said even fueled my determination the more.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t want to continue this mission. I can do this on my own.¡± I said, already getting pissed off by the things she was saying. ¡°No.¡± Sheughed, for the first time in many days.

    ¡°I¡¯d be damned if I aborted the mission. I¡¯m going to see this till the end.¡± She said with a smile.

    ¡°We are going to face that when it happens. But for now, we are going to focus on getting inside first and getting used to the people. We can do this, Tianna. And we have to do it.¡± She nodded slowly with a resolute expression.

    ¡°Okay, Maya. But we are going to be very careful. I¡¯m just saying this because of my experiences as a guard. I know a lot of things I might need to tell you.¡± She smiled and I smiled for the first time since we started to talk about this mission.

    ¡°Well, we are going to start by finding out who¡¯s in charge of hiring maids. We will apply for the job and see how it goes. And before you say anything, I know it won¡¯t be easy, so I expect anything from it.¡± She nodded with a smile before walking out.

    That night, we went around and soon enough we were directed to people who could do the job perfectly. We got it sorted out and returned at midnight. The next morning, we got ready. I put on my finest gown. It was a soft blue silk with delicatece trim.

    Tianna put on a green velvet skirt. Our dresses were very elegant but it wasn¡¯t revealing. We didn¡¯t want anything that would draw too much attention or spark jealousy, especially with the housekeeper who could be interviewing us. We curled our hair and applied subtle makeup. Our goal was to appear refined and respectable.

    As soon as we finished our preparations, we headed straight to the Packhouse. It was only a few minutes walk before we arrived. It was a veryrge construction and it already had me feeling dizzy when I stepped onto the staircase. One of the guards approached us.

    ¡°Hey lovelydies.¡± He said with a smile. I was d our dresses had been able to attract a pair of curious eyes as soon as we arrived. ¡°What brings you here?¡± He asked. I smiled, making a good first impression.

    ¡°Won¡¯t the Alpha kill you if he finds you ignoring your job and hitting ondies?¡± Heughed, and I did too. I blushed, feigning to be shy despite my annoyance inside.

    ¡°We are here to see the housekeeper please. We are here to be maids.¡± I said. The guard turned round and exchanged amused nces.

    ¡°Ah, new recruits, eh? Well, we will make sure you get the grand tour.¡± He winked at us. ¡°Follow me.¡±

 75

    CHAPTER 75.

    MAYA.

    I was giddy with excitement as Tianna and I dutifully followed the guard but what made me even happier was the fact that it hadn¡¯t taken any time at all. Everything had just happened quickly, as if it was too easy. He led us through a series of corridors and hallways until we arrived at the office.

    There were movements inside and someone was scolding another person on top of their voice. Tianna and I were silent as we stood there, our arms crossed behind our backs. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going on inside. The guard listened in and after a few seconds, he stepped back with a smile on his face.

    ¡°She¡¯s with one of the maids. You¡¯ll wait a little bit more.¡± He said, before crossing his arms in front of him. I shed him a smile which died as soon as it came.

    ¡°OK, thank you. There is no problem with that. We will wait.¡± I replied before taking a deep breath. The scolding continued, until suddenly, the door opened and a maid walked out of the room furiously. Her face was squeezed and she didn¡¯t look so happy. She walked past us and the woman who was inside suddenly sprang to her feet.

    ¡°Come back here!¡± Shemanded, but the maid hastened up and began to jog down the hallway. Her head was bent and she seemed to be crying now.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± The guard asked, as he finally took his eyes from the maid who had run down through the hallway. The woman shook her head.

    ¡°She wants to go on leave. But she can¡¯t.¡± Sheughed, before her eyes left the guard and fell upon us. A curious look immediately took hold of her features.

    ¡°Who are thesedies?¡± She asked, running her eyes up and down our frame. I stood at attention and smiled.

    ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am.¡± Tianna said the same, but it wasn¡¯t enough to answer the question. The guard who had brought us signalled us to go on and introduce ourselves.

    ¡°My name is Mary, and this is my sister, Emily.¡± I said, as Tianna bowed curtly. The woman who now looked stern raised an eyebrow as she asked another question.

    ¡°OK, how can I help you? You haven¡¯t answered the questiondies. I would like to know why you are here because I can¡¯t remember seeing any of you. You work here in the Packhouse, no?¡± She asked, as her eyes continued to trail from Tianna to me, before exchanging a meaningful quick nce with the guard.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Tianna chuckled. ¡°Please, ma¡¯am, we are here to apply for maid positions. We are willing to work hard and learn quickly.¡± She said, saving me from the mental stress of thinking about what to say next.

    She had spoken with a plea, and it seemed to touch the woman¡¯s heart, but soon the look vanished from her face and the stern look returned. It chilled me to the bone. She looked so strict, and so authoritative, no wonder why she was the housekeeper of such arge and prosperous Packhouse. Her bearing was a very confident one. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

    ¡°Oh, wordy but I¡¯m not currently seeing maids. Come back another time.¡± She said, making my heart skip a beat.

    ¡°Another time?¡± I didn¡¯t like how that sounded. Another time could be toote, and I didn¡¯t want any of that to happen. If we left here today, there was a very little chance that we would get this ever again, considering what she had just said to me.

    I didn¡¯t back down easily, I persisted, making sure I¡¯d be very tough and try my best before conceding to her words.

    ¡°Please, ma¡¯am, just a chance to prove ourselves. We will do our best to impress you.¡± She said. She sighed heavily again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,dies. The time for that hasn¡¯te yet.¡± She said. I was about to reply when the deep voice behind me chimed.

    ¡°Some of your maids are on leave. And I doubt the maid you sent out will be staying here for long. Why don¡¯t you just take them in and let them work until the rest return. It was the guard who spoke, and I couldn¡¯t have been happier. She sighed again, before nting her balled fist on her hips. There was a hint of a smile on her lips.

    ¡°Well, OK. Come in. I¡¯m Urs, by the way. And please, don¡¯t call me ma¡¯am. I¡¯m not that old yet.¡± She chuckled, but it didn¡¯t reach her tired eyes. She didn¡¯t look like she had much strength left. As she walked back into the room and Tianna followed suit, I turned back to the guard and shed him a dazzling smile.

    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± I whispered. His eyes raked over me hungrily, but I didn¡¯t care. The most important thing was getting what I wanted using him.

    He took my hand and kissed it, ¡°My pleasure, good luck on your interview.¡± He finished before signalling me to go inside. I quickly walked inside, wondering if there could be a way to get him to do what I wanted as soon as we became maids.

    He looked strong, and he was muscr, so I could use some of his help. I suppressed the thought, knowing that this wasn¡¯t the time yet. There was still a lot of time to get things done. And one of the most important steps was very close.

    ¡°She gestured for me to sit and replied. ¡°Well, tell me, what makes you think you¡¯re suitable for this position?¡± She asked. It was Tianna who broke the silence. She sounded so confident for someone who had been pessimistic about the whole idea of going on this mission.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am we are hardworking, diligent and also quick learners. We¡¯ll do our best to serve¡­¡± She was interrupted when the woman raised a finger. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let me see some ID.¡± She replied. We handed her our cards and she went through them.

    I was very happy when she ran her eyes over them and put it in her drawer.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be needing them if anything happens. Come back tomorrow, you both will be working at theundry. Then I¡¯ll see how you are faring. And make sure toe with your parents.¡±

    The smile instantly died out of our faces.

 76

    MAYA.

    ¡°Parents?¡± Tianna asked, as if she hadn¡¯t heard what the woman said. Urs paused and looked at her, before nodding her head in agreement. Tianna gave her a sad look before she lied.

    ¡°We both are orphans. She is the only family I have and me also. We don¡¯t have parents.¡± She said, repeating that we were orphans for good measure. Her mouth opened in shock immediately. She wasn¡¯t happy with what she had just heard, it was visible. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that? I lost my parents at a tender age and I understand how it feels, especially when reminded about them.¡± She said to us,

    My breath was still caught in my throat as I wondered if she was going to blow up our opportunity because we didn¡¯t have parents. I waited patiently to know what the oue would be. Tianna nodded and took my hand. ¡°It¡¯s such a very painful thing.¡± She said, looking at me. I cast a sad frown and nodded in agreement. Urs shook her head and replied.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a problem. The only guarantee here is that you must impress me. You must do a very good job, you must be diligent and early to work. And you must also work very hard. Because any defaults are always my fault. I go through some of the punishments resulting from stupid mistakes some servants here make, and I don¡¯t want that from you too. Bringing your parents is an important aspect of the interview but I¡¯ll just leave it out. Who¡¯s the oldest among you.¡± She asked, her eyes roving from Tianna to me.

    ¡°Me,¡± Tianna replied, indicating that she was the one, just as we had nned it. The woman nodded and replied.

    ¡°Alright then. In that case, you are the parent.¡± She said, before closing therge book in front of her. She had just written our names on it. We thanked her and stood up to leave but she stopped us again.

    ¡°Make sure youe very early tomorrow so you can be shown around. Ande with your things. You¡¯ll be barely allowed to leave because of the amount of work you¡¯ll be doing here each day. Make sure you¡¯re prepared. Do you understand me?¡±

    We both nodded.

    ¡°Yes¡± we replied simultaneously.

    ¡°Good.¡± She said before waving us to go on. For the first time that evening, my pounding hearts calmed. I was so happy that things were going just the way we wanted. Now the real challenge was going to begin. I couldn¡¯t wait to get into the Packhouse very soon and judging from the way Tianna was smiling, it looked like she was equally expectant.

    When we got home that night, we made sure to do as the woman had advised us. We didn¡¯t carry a lot with us whileing for the journey, just a bag of supplies and a few clothes to sustain us. But with the change in events, we went for a small shopping trip and got essential clothes.

    There was no need for anything shy but I got a few clothes that would catch the eye. But it was only going to be used on strict asions when it was needed. Other times I had to just be a regr maid and blend in with the others while causing havoc and getting the information we sought. That was the n and thankfully, Tianna listened.

    We slept like babies that night and the next morning, we arrived at the Packhouse very early just as Urs had advised. The guard led us to someone else, who introduced herself as Emily. Despite her impassive look, I could bet she was happy to see us.

    ¡°Wee, girls. I¡¯m here to show you around theundry quarters. Urs told me to make sure you get settled in.¡± She said. We followed Emily through the winding corridors as our eyes took in the beautiful Packhouse.

    The whole ce was just stunning and I was almost mesmerised by the size and sheer beauty of the ce. It even increased the contrast of how the rest of the Pack looked horrible while the Packhouse looked like something of a fictional world.

    ¡°This is theundry quarters.¡± She exined as she turned towards us.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be working here, washing and ironing clothes for the Alpha and the royals.¡± The room was cozy and there were a few maids already doing their job there.

    They looked up as soon as they saw us. Their gazes lingered, but I couldn¡¯t tell if they were happy or jealous. Next, she led us to a smaller room that was filled with shelves that were stacked high with clothes and cleaning supplies.

    ¡°This is the storage room. You¡¯ll need toe here to fetch whatever you need for your tasks. The other maids will tell you about the correct mixture for these.¡± She added. We nodded, taking mental notes as Emily continued the tour.

    She led us to the ironing room after that, cautioning us about the hot irons. We thanked her for showing her around. Our minds were already racing with the tasks ahead. After she was done showing us around, she said something that knocked the air out of me.

    ¡°Remember,¡± she said, sounding so serious this time. ¡°Your job is tied to theundry quarters alone. You¡¯re not permitted to enter other parts of the Packhouse apart from theundry quarters. It¡¯s for your own safety, so please don¡¯t try to explore under any circumstances. Unless the Alpha or anybody of authority asks you to, but that won¡¯t happen.¡± We nodded and after the tour she led us to the servants quarters where we were supposed to stay the whole time. It was a cozy wing of the Packhouse with small butfortable-looking rooms.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°This will be your room.¡± She said. ¡°And because of the small vacancy, you both will share it, of course.¡± After she was done, we thanked her but our problems hadn¡¯t ended yet. It had just started. When she was gone and we settled. Tianna spoke first.

    ¡°How are we going to prate if we aren¡¯t allowed to enter other parts of the Packhouse?¡±

    I was confused, not knowing what to tell her. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tianna. I¡¯m still thinking. But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find a way.¡±

    I was about to do something when a knock sounded on the door. It was Emily.

    She reminded us. ¡°Your work has already started. If you¡¯re done with arranging your things, move to theundry section immediately. The Alpha might being around.¡±

 77

    MAYA.

    I could feel my heart pounding as soon as she walked out of the room.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°The Alpha? Coming around?¡± The questions kept swirling in my mind and I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. I could only imagine what it was going to feel like meeting the Alpha. I turned to Tianna who didn¡¯t look a bit bothered by it.

    ¡°Do you know their Alpha?¡± I asked, but she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about him. They say he¡¯s cruel, really cruel.¡± She replied, scoffing. I shook my head as I thought about the discrepancy I¡¯d seen earlier.

    ¡°That exins a lot.¡± I replied, knowing she was right. As soon as we were done, I took a deep breath and walked out of the room. The morning breeze hit my face and caused a shiver to work its way through my body but it did nothing to quell my nerves.

    What if he saw me? What if he knew me from somewhere? What if¡­? There were many questions to answer but I guessed I had to hold them off for the right time. Now was not the time to think about anything. I had to get my head clear from my work.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Maya. We just need to keep our heads down and do our job. No attraction needed, as you said. No matter what.¡± She repeated, and I nodded. I ruined my hands together for some warmth. It was so chilly outside. Since Emily wasn¡¯t here to guide us to theundry, the ce suddenly began to feel strange again.

    There were a lot of ces here and it took quite some time trying to remember the road we had taken whileing out of theundry quarters. Well, we failed and it only took the help of some maids before we were able to get there. Each step felt heavier than thest, as the reality of our situation started to sink in.

    When we arrived, we were met with curious looks from the other maids. None of them seemed to recognise us, and some who had hoped to talk to us because we were servants here only mumbled when they saw our unfamiliar faces. Some were hesitant about us while the others were nice and smiled politely.

    I could only hope for the best. From the foregoing, nothing would be going wrong here anytime soon. I approached one of them, a friendly-looking woman with kind eyes.

    ¡°Excuse me, could you please show us how things work around here?¡± I asked. My voice trembled slightly. She hesitated for a moment before nodding.

    ¡°Why not. Sure, I will help you out. Follow me.¡± She said, as if she had been expecting us toe to her. She led us to a row of ironing stations and started to demonstrate the process of getting the clothes ironed. Despite my anxiety, I was happy for the guidance of the maid. She showed us the ropes and taught us how to operate and handle it with care. We were presented with a whole lot of clothes after that.

    That was the moment I understood why the maid we¡¯d met at the Housekeeper¡¯s office wanted to take a leave so badly. We didn¡¯tin but got into work soon enough. Hours passed in a blur as we started. The whole time, Emily came to check if we were doing our job right, and I could tell that she was satisfied with what she saw. It wasn¡¯t long before the fatigue started to set in.

    I¡¯d never worked this hard in my life and it was beginning to weigh down on me like a heavy nket. My eyelids dropped with exhaustion and I was looking forward to some respite. As soon as we were done ironing, I dropped the iron on the board and unplugged it before making for the door. Tianna was also tired, but it looked like she was trying so hard not to show it. I decided to go to the other section and see what was going on there.

    That¡¯s when another maid walked past with a basket of fresh clothes. I groaned inwardly, but continued my journey. My back was already aching. After walking around for a few minutes, I decided to go back to the ironing room. I walked towards the doorway, not noticing anything at first. I had only seen what wasing, but it was toote to react then.

    I crashed into a wall, and lost my footing. In a trice, I was already falling towards the floor, but the wall caught me. My eyes fluttered open to see someone staring at me. And from the way we were close to each other, I guessed he was the one who had caught me. He was the wall. Damn, he felt so strong! I tore my eyes away from him, and muttered a quick ¡°sorry¡± before getting up and dusting myself.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± His deep voice inquired. I looked up to see his tall figure standing before me. He was so handsome, and looked so masculine with his thick brows and chiselled jaw, which had me guessing he was the Alpha.

    The Alpha? A bolt of panic seized me instantly, but I remembered Tianna saying that the Alpha was a cruel person. I knew he had Alpha genes in his veins and he was royalty but I couldn¡¯t ce his position here even though the Alpha position was the closest guess. I guessed it was better to be safe than sorry.

    ¡°-I I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± I stammered, before turning away. The goosebumps had already filled my body now. He smiled as his lips curved into a charming grin that tripled my fear.

    ¡°You seemed a bit unsteady there. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± He asked. I nodded with my head bowed.

    ¡°Yes, thank you. I just needed some fresh air but I¡¯m going back to work now.¡± I said, wanting to get out as soon as possible.

    ¡°Your Grace, is everything okay?¡± I heard Emily¡¯s voice behind me. She sounded so worried. He answered without sparing her a nce. I could tell his eyes were on me the whole time..

    ¡°Yes, everything is OK.¡±

    ¡°Can I go now?¡± I asked, not wanting Emily or Urs to get in trouble.

    ¡°I¡¯m Prince Lucas, what about you?¡± He ignored my question.

    I scratched my nape. I was all nerves.

    ¡°Rose.¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Perhaps we could meet some other time, Rose.¡±

    My fear tripled.

 78

    MAYA.

    ¡°M-maybe.¡± I replied, trying very hard to mimic what a lowly maid would feel bumping into the Prince on her first day at work. It wasn¡¯t that hard because I¡¯d been this way at a point in my life. I didn¡¯t want to remember those times.

    ¡°But I¡¯m just a maid and you¡¯re a Prince.¡± I said. He smiled as he stared down at me.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck. Is this your first day here?¡± He asked, breaking the silence that was already taking over.

    Emily stood there, watching the whole thing. She looked like she was in some sort of trouble. I nodded, ¡°Yes. My friend and I just started today. I¡¯m sorry for bumping into you. I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I bowed curtly, making sure I looked so pitiful.

    The Prince chuckled again. His deep-voice chuckled sounded like music to my ears. He was the definition of Alpha genes. Everything about him just seemed dominating. And he had a very deep aura that anyone could feel.

    ¡°I can imagine. The Packhouse can be quite intimidating at first, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll both do great.¡± He reassured me, yet I was anything but reassured. I just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to apologise for bumping into me. I guess we both didn¡¯t see iting, but watch where you¡¯re going next time.¡± He said with a hint of warning in his voice. I nodded and thanked him with a smile before walking back into theundry room, reeling from the unexpected interaction.

    The warmth of his presence lingered in my mind, but it was quickly overshadowed by the shift in hisst tone. I was happy but I hoped that I hadn¡¯t gotten any sort of attraction from him because if that was the case, then this was going to be a very hard time for me. I couldn¡¯t imagine the Prince breathing down on my neck every now and then.

    I was supposed to be here for a week, or a bit more, depending on when I got to finish the mission. I thought about him knowing my scent and catching me with it when I sneaked into the Packhouse. I was just so worried about every single possibility. Now I understood why Tianna had been worried the whole day before the interview.

    I was beginning to see her own side of the story and honestly, I didn¡¯t me her for it at all. She was right to be worried about what we could face. Now, I had just gotten a taste of it, and my nerves were on fire. She was already ironing clothes when I walked in. Her eyes sparkled when she saw me.

    ¡°How did it go? Did you meet new people?¡± She asked, her eyes still focused on the clothes she was ironing. I sat down on the counter beside her.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe what happened Tianna. I bumped into the Prince!¡± I announced. Her head served sharply towards me and her eyes instantly widened. She was in shock as I calmed and told her the rest of the story.

    ¡°He spoke to you?¡± She asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper. I nodded, and felt a k of form in the pit of my jelly-feeling belly.

    ¡°Yes, he asked if I was a new maid, and then he told me to watch my way.  But before that, he asked if we could see some other time.¡± I replied, feeling genuinely worried now.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it too early to flirt. He might be pulling your legs, you know? Maybe he wants to find out what kind of maid you are. But that¡¯s not totally what I suspect. It could be¡­ genuine.¡± She said. ¡°You¡¯re stunning, Maya. And he could be interested in you which is not a good thing if we are going to get this done.¡± She said, shaking her head. I nodded,. mirroring the worry that was going inside my mind now.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I thought when he said that. I knew he must be pulling my legs. I have no idea if he was being genuine, but I have to make sure he never sees me again.¡± I said with a voice full of worries. She nodded and replied.

    ¡°So, you broke the first rule. You got noticed, not even by the maids but the Prince himself. Wow.¡± She eximed, and that¡¯s when I thought about it. Alpha werewolf had supernatural hearing abilities. The thought sent another bolt of shock running through me. K hoped that wasn¡¯t true because if it was the case then we had a lot to worry about.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked her and she nodded before going back to work. I crossed my hands in front of my chest then got off the counter before walking to the fresh clothes that had been brought in.

    The end of our shift was getting close and I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of this ce very soon. With what had happened, it seemed I would be avoiding the main Packhouse for a while else I was going to hide my scent and that would waste more time.

    I knew I had to write another letter for Venom to let him know I was safe because he might be truly worried about me right now. I could only imagine what must be going through his head. As soon as I started ironing, the door opened and Emily walked in.

    ¡°Rose. Cam i have moment with you?¡± She asked. Her voice was so stern and I felt apprehensive immediately. Tianna looked concerned as I followed Emily out of the room into the hallway. She led me to a secluded corner where we could speak in private.

    ¡°Rose, I need to warn you to be very careful.¡± She began heatedly.

    ¡°I won¡¯t have you punished because this is your first time. But I hope you learned your lesson today.¡± She said.

    ¡°It was unprecedented.¡± I replied tersely but she retorted.

    ¡°You are a maid here. You should not be seen under any circumstances speaking with anybody of royalty. Do you understand me?¡±

 79

    MAYA.

    I nodded, not wanting to argue with her any more. Arguing with her was only going to end up making things worse and I didn¡¯t want any of that. I just wanted a normal life here, and nothing was going to change that, not even the Prince.

    All I had to do after now was to go back to the background and blend with everyone else. I wondered if it would be possible considering what had just happened between the Prince and I. I replied with a very cool voice.

    ¡°I understand. This will not happen again. And I¡¯ll do my best to avoid the Prince or any of the royalties.¡± I said with a solemn promise. She studied me for a moment, looking as if she was sympathising with me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean I hate you or anything like that. I want to make sure that you don¡¯t get in any trouble with the Packhouse. It could be fatal, especially with the Alpha. Some little offences that could be left unattended to could make him very angry and I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that.¡± I nodded in response before repeating myself. She studied me for a few seconds again and replied when it probably seemed to her that I was going to have a change of heart.

    ¡°Good, just remember to keep your distance and focus on your duties. We cannot afford any sort of distractions, especially now that you are new here. It¡¯s just your first day here and it doesn¡¯t look good. You¡¯ve given me a bad impression and I understand that it might not have been your fault, but just watch out for the next time. You must be very cordial and try not to be friendly with them, not even the guards. Do you understand me?¡± She asked for the thousandth time since we started talking.

    I didn¡¯t know why she was drumming it inside my ears every now and then. I just had to listen to her long and agonising sermon. Her tone was a very firm one and I guessed she wanted the best for me but she sounded like she was a bit angry and hurt because she saw me with the Prince.

    Was that jealousy? Or was there really something that had affected one of the maids who might have found herself in the same position as I was now. I pushed off the thought before I put my hands together and started to walk towards the doorway.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    I could feel her gaze on me as I walked past the door and into theundry room. I couldn¡¯t shake off the uneasy feeling that was slowly starting to gather in the pit of my stomach. It was getting too much for me not to notice now. My worst fear would being to discover that I might have sparked something in the prince.

    It wouldn¡¯t be very good for me because I would be exposed to more danger and when he realised that I was here to find out something about his Pack and leave, it would be very bad for Tianna and me. I wasn¡¯t going to let him distract me from my mission, I said to myself again and again. I would make sure I put him off until I hadpleted my mission and left the Pack.

    Besides, I had someone far away, someone who actually cared for me. When I returned to my own board, Tianna had a very curious look on her face. She nced at the door and immediately started for the door. Getting there, she locked the door and started walking towards me, her brows were still folded in a frown.

    ¡°Why are you closing the door?¡± I asked. She shrugged.

    ¡°Letting the others know that we are closed. I won¡¯t be able to work any longer here after taking care of those.¡± She said, pointing to the neatly arranged clothes she had packed.  I nodded and sagged my shoulders again. She slowly walked towards me, then nced around again as if trying to make sure we weren¡¯t watched.

    ¡°What was that? Why did she call you? She sounded so angry.¡± She said, referring to Emily. I wasn¡¯t surprised when she said the woman had sounded harsh. From the way she was speaking to me, I knew that I had touched the chord with her, and I wasn¡¯t wrong when I thought she had been hurt or something. I shook my head and looked away.

    I felt so angry and disappointed now because I had caught her attention, not for the good thing but for the bad thing. It would be very hard to impress her again, I thought to myself. I was still thinking about what just happened when I felt her hand slide across my shoulders. I looked up at her with a pitiful look on my face.

    She seemed to feel my pain as we stared at each other. It was crazy to think that Tianna and I had behaved so strictly towards each other when we had met, but just a week of working together had made us best friends. I knew that was happening because I¡¯d decided to treat her like one, rather than a servant or a maid.

    ¡°Talk to me. What¡¯s wrong, Maya.¡± She asked, the concern was still on her face. I sighed again.

    ¡°You know, I just made a very bad first impression on my first day! I can only imagine what she must be thinking to herself now. She might think I¡¯m a bad person or I¡¯m here for something and her eyes are going to be on us. I won¡¯t be surprised if she asks the other maids to look at us closely and see if they can find anything.¡± I ryed my worries to her before another loud sigh escaped me again.

    It was very disturbing to think that things would only get worse from here and I would have to face it while looking for solutions to what killed Venom¡¯s brother. Would that even be possible? I thought, mentally trying to estimate the number of maids in the Packhouse. There were a whole lot. For the first time, I felt genuinely scared.

 80

    MAYA.

    I recounted the encounter with Emily to her and how she had scolded me for speaking to Prince Lucas. She was shocked and her eyes widened in surprise with her lips forming a small ¡®o¡¯ of understanding.  I told her exactly what Emily had said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Maya. I didn¡¯t realise it would have caused such trouble. But it¡¯s not your fault.¡± She said, I shook my head, pushing aside my feelings of self-doubt.

    ¡°It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault. I guess it was just supposed to happen. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Let¡¯s focus on the most important thing and see to it that we get it done. But most importantly , we have to stay out of trouble, no matter what.¡± I finished. We both quickly went back to our work when we heard a knock on the door. We finished the rest and put aside our worries. After that, we returned to our room feeling so tired.

    It had been a very long day and we had spent arge part of it standing and working; and the only moment I¡¯d chosen to take some break ruined the day. All I wanted to do at this point was sleep and forget what had happened. After my bath, I changed not not clothes and fell asleep soon enough despite the rotten day I just had. However, the both of us woke up to somebody pounding at our door.

    I jumped up from bed only to see Tianna full awake. She was sitting on her bed, but she was staring at the door, wide-eyed, with her dagger in her hand. I reached for mine and slowly approached the door. There were screams everywhere and footsteps thudded up and down the passageway.

    The people seemed to be running, and I had no idea why they were running but whatever it was, it didn¡¯t seem to be a good thing at all. We opened the door and opened it quickly. But there was no longer any person there. I walked out of the room and watched the chaos unfold. Fear gripped my heart as I watched the maids running up the stairs.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°We are under attack! The Packhouse has been attacked!¡± The male voice was loud, clear and full of panic as well.

    ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± I said to her, grabbing her hands. ¡°Where are they going?¡± She asked, not so panicked. She had faced even worse situations in her time as a guard so it wasn¡¯t a new thing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I replied, ¡°Let¡¯s just follow them.¡± I said, before we both slipped into the crowd and ran up the stairs. I could hear growls, guttural growlsing from just outside the main entrance. I guessed those were the intruders that had attacked us. Following the other maids, we both ran towards the designated quarters where we would be safe. Some guards were there to see us through.

    But before we could reach safety, the pandemonium got worse. The intruders had entered the Packhouse and had attacked some guards. From the way their growls sounded so close, I knew they were very close to us. It wasn¡¯t long before they caught up to us.

    They tore down anyone in their way but attacked the guards to fight them since the women weren¡¯t a problem. The guards immediately blocked off the line and stood to fight the beasts. The rogues looked way prepared and ready to fight and the guards seemed like they were scared.

    The rogues lunged at the guards and it wasn¡¯t long before one of the guards struck one of the rogues on the side of his face with his ws and ripped off a good amount of his face. His blood and brain sttered on the floor, followed by some muscles. It was a disgusting sight, and I couldn¡¯t leave. It seemed as if my instincts to protect had suddenly awoken. I turned to Tianna as soon as two rogues approached. I knew the guards would be overpowered in no time.

    ¡°Go up, and do what you can. We should take advantage of the chaos and see if we can find anything.¡± I said to her, patting her on the chest and urging her to leave. She gave me a very concerned look and asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. Those are ferocious rogues and¡­¡± I stopped her immediately, before she would worry herself to death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I will take care of them myself.¡± I said. ¡°Now, go. We don¡¯t have much time. Try to see if you can do anything. When this has ended, we can talk about it.¡± I finished before signalling her to move. She reluctantly nodded and hugged me before bolting up the stairs.

    The two rogues descended on the guard who had just killed one of them and started to fight him. The guard was doing his best but the rogues were fast, and they were already outnumbered.

    I had barely hurried down when one of them hit the guard who fell on the floor and crashed with a thud. He let out a yell of pain as the rogues circled him like a prey. They were about to strike theirst blow when I jumped into the fray with a growl and pushed the both of them off.

    The first one came charging at me, and I swiftly dodged his attack before setting out my leg. He tripped and fell on the floor before I got on his back and took out my dagger. I plunged it on his neck and carved off his neck before he knew what was happening.

    He died on the spot.

    The second rogue threw himself at me but I struck him in the heart. It was a sad calction that had been made out of anger but I was happy at least that I got to kill him. As soon as he dropped dead, I helped the other guard finish off the rogue he was fighting before rushing off to the wounded guard.

    ¡°Go protect the main entrance. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± Imanded, even though I wasn¡¯t one. I was just an ordinary maid here.

 81

    MAYA

    The guard ran off after muttering a quick ¡®thank you.¡¯ And that was the moment that I thought about what I was doing.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Wasn¡¯t I just making myself known to more people with what was happening? I pushed off the thought when I reminded myself that his life was in danger and he needed to get medical attention as soon as possible.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked the man on the floor. He responded with a groan. He was tightening his cheek, trying so  hard to endure the pain. I noticed that his side was oozing with blood and I grabbed his cloth and ripped it before tying it around the spot to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, it stopped immediately but it was very clear that he was still in pain.

    By now, the chaos had already subsided and the guttural growls I heard outside were almost gone. I guessed the guards had taken care of it all. I didn¡¯t know how I was going to lift the guard so I just had to wait until help came. I hoped that help would arrive very soon. I kept looking out, but nobody passed.

    The maids were still trapped in the quarters where they were being protected, and the guards were busy fighting. I had to do it in one way or the other, and I had to make sure I didn¡¯t end up hurting him. That was the moment I heard heavy footstepsing up.

    ¡°Help!¡± I yelled, ncing down. I was shocked when the familiar aura gripped my senses right there and then. The Prince! I knew it was him before I even saw him. He appeared a few secondster, followed by another man whose aura radiated danger. I guessed he must be his father, the Alpha. They were nked by four guards as well.

    His eyes followed me and it was sharp with concern as he took in what was going on. He looked around me and found the four dead rogues, then he looked at my hands. I quickly hid the bloodied dagger before I bowed curtly and opened my mouth to speak but he was the one who interrupted me and spoke first.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± He asked. His voice was deep but it had a tinged of worry in it. I feigned sadness and wiped off the tear that had rolled down my cheeks.

    ¡°He was attacked, my Prince. Luckily, I found him and bandaged his wound. He needs immediate medical attention because he has blood.¡± I announced, hoping they would throw themselves into it and help but they were still hesitant, or shocked that I had killed three rogues. I couldn¡¯t tell which was which. The prince nodded, then he turned to one of his men.

    ¡°Take him to the hospital, immediately. The doctors should take care of him.¡± With the wounded guard taken care of, he turned towards me.

    ¡°Where are the other maids? You were asked to move to the emergency quarters, right?¡± He asked. I nodded,

    ¡°Yes, but he was dying and I couldn¡¯t leave him to die.¡± I said, exining myself.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to exin yourself. Be very careful because you might have lost your own life in the process. What you did was very dangerous and make sure you don¡¯t try it again. Do you understand me?¡± He asked. Trying to be as intimidated as possible, I went on my knees and replied immediately with my hands sped as if in prayer.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your Grace. This will never repeat itself again.¡± I said to him, wondering if I had done a bad thing by saving a guard from death.

    ¡°Son, let¡¯s go.¡± The Alpha confirmed his status by what he just said. I wasn¡¯t surprised because the kind of aura he has was overpowering. It made me want to bow down before him, if possible, kowtow as well.

    ¡°Go join the other maids right now. Stay with them until the threat is over.¡± He said. I nodded and quickly ran up the stairs.

    Thankfully, I was able to find some guards who directed me to the ce. I ran as fast as I could until I got there. They opened the door and I slipped in, before releasing the breath I had been holding for a very long time.

    As I entered the room, however, everyone gasped when they saw me. That¡¯s when I looked down and saw the stains of blood on my clothes.

    One of them approached and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Do you need help?¡± She looked genuinely worried about me but I thanked her and told her that I was perfectly fine.

    She smiled and moved out of the way but I could tell she was still notfortable with the answer. I was still searching for Tianna in the white room when she started to walk towards me.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Tianna asked the same question. I exined everything to her immediately and she sighed with relief. We both walked to a corner, with me ignoring the gazes I was getting from every angle.

    ¡°How about what I asked you to do? Did you find anything?¡± I asked her but she shook her head immediately. She looked around one more time before she said.

    ¡°I tried to leave the room but the guards wouldn¡¯t let me. And I must warn you of something else. This ce is heavily guarded. There are guards almost everywhere, and they have sharp vision. Considering how big the Packhouse is, it will surely take us a lot of time before we get to every single room in this Packhouse. We haven¡¯t even started this mission, Maya. We are still fucking around if you ask me.¡± The tone of her voice wasn¡¯t encouraging, but I liked the fact that she was being in honest and didn¡¯t make things sound good when it was in fact very bad. I was disappointed that she hadn¡¯t found anything, but that didn¡¯t mean we didn¡¯t have any other chance.

    There were still a lot of chances and we had to take them when the time came. As the dust finally settled and a sense of normalcy started to return, Tianna and I made our way back to the room after the guard asked us to. Getting back inside, I went straight to the bathroom and sank into the bathtub.

    The warm water did a lot to provide the respite that I needed as I pondered on what had happened this eventful morning. Despite our best efforts, we hade up empty-handed. Was it yet time to abandon this mission and go back home? I thought to myself.  I couldn¡¯t shake off the bad feeling that this was going to end with us failing.

    We were asked to stay in our rooms for the rest of the day because of what happened. That evening, as Tianna and I were still sitting in our rooms, lost in conversation, a knock sounded at the door. She answered the door, and it was a guard.

    ¡°Are you Rose?¡± The guard asked. My ear cocked up straight instantly, metaphorically though.

    ¡°No, but she¡¯s here.¡± Tianna replied. The guard replied briskly.

    ¡°The Prince would like to see her immediately.¡± The guard said with a cold tone. I felt my heart skip a beat instantly. What did he want this time?

 82

    MAYA.

    I exchanged a meaningful nce with Tianna before walking out of the room. And at this point my heart was already hammering in my chest as I thought about what I was going to face. I wondered what he had in store for me. I couldn¡¯t help but as the guard.

    ¡°You said the Prince wants to see me?¡± I asked him, making sure I didn¡¯t sound scared. He didn¡¯t spare me a nce as he replied.

    ¡°Yes, he wants to see you.¡± He replied curtly.

    ¡°Do you know why he wants to see me?¡± I asked, but he replied coldly.

    ¡°Such matters aren¡¯t discussed. Be careful not to mention that again.¡± It was more of a warning than admonishment and that made my fear rise even higher.

    It looked like things were good at all. I wondered what he was going to do to me. Was he going to harm me, or question me about what had happened back there. I had no idea but I guessed I just had to hear him out first.

    As he led me through the winding corridors, I kept thinking while also trying to shake off the nervousness that had gripped me hard by now. My feet seemed to be getting heavier with each single step I took as the bad feeling continued to make my guy churn again and again.

    We finally arrived at the front of the Packhouse, and the guard turned to me. He still carried a serious look on his face which made it Impossible for me to read his expression and ultimately know what he probably had in mind.

    ¡°Move on. You will see him right at the entrance of the Packhouse.¡± After that, he turned and walked away. I sucked in a deep breath and started to make my way towards the bright light in the distance.

    The light bulbs outside the Packhouse were dim but the one in the entrance which wasn¡¯t far from where I stood shone brightly. There wasn¡¯t a single soul outside except for the guards who stood sentinel at their different posts. I could feel their eyes on me as I walked past them towards the post.

    I still found it hard to believe that the Prince had summoned me. He was probably waiting for me and I knew that every single word and action would be scrutinised, especially if he found anything about me disturbing or sketchy. I had to make sure that Iposed myself pretty well. As soon as i rounded the corner and got closer to the bright light,

    I caught sight of him standing there, staring into the dark void but his head swerved in my direction as soon as he noticed a moment. I sped my hands behind my back, hoping that this wasn¡¯t going to be a bad time. My palms were called with nervousness as I got closer to him.

    ¡°Your Grace, you summoned me.¡± I said, bowing curtly before moving a bit away from him. I guessed I had gotten a bit too close to him.

    ¡°Rose, right?¡± He asked, sounding a bit curious.

    ¡°Yes, your Grace, Rose.¡± I replied, saying my name again for good measure. He nodded as if in approbation before he continued.

    ¡°I called you because I wanted to know what happened back there at the staircase.¡± He said, pausing for a while. My heart skipped as I tried toe up with a lie. I knew he was going to ask questions, and I had toe to apromise so that it wouldn¡¯t sound like a lie even if he went to speak to the two guards that were there with me.

    Was I going to tell him the truth? Was I going to reveal the true extent of my powers and give him more reason to prove into my character and wonder what kind of woman I was? I didn¡¯t know, I hoped that it one way or the other, I would get out of this sticky situation without having to expose myself in any way. I was very worried this wouldn¡¯t be good.

    ¡°OK? I hope the guard has been recuperating?¡± I asked, to ward off the point of discussion so I could buy myself more time to find a suitable lie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You can go see him at the Pack hospital if you want to.¡± He replied, there was still no hint of emotion in his face, just like the guard who had led me here. I wondered if they were taught to carry long faces while growing up. I groaned at his answer.

    ¡°You don¡¯t check up on your guards?¡± I heard myself say, knowing it could be a risky one. ¡°I thought Alphas do that.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I do. But I¡¯m just tired. And I do hope you understand why.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Of course your grace.¡± A ghost of a smile shed across his face and he continued.

    ¡°I want to know if you were the one who killed the rogues.¡± He said. The pounding in my heart skyrocketed again.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I did it. It was more of a collective effort. While the guardstched onto the rogues, I took the opportunity to stab them.¡± His eyes turned icy as he devoured me with his gaze.

    ¡°Rogues don¡¯t die easily.¡± He said.

    ¡°I noticed that your Grace. It took a lot of struggling, but I guess I was in hysteria at that moment. I had no idea what was going on and I knew I wouldn¡¯t have felt any pain if they attacked me. I just did it.¡± I said.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°But, four rogues, Rose. Four rogues. You want to tell me four rogues fell for the same trick?¡± He asked.

    I shrugged it off. ¡°I guess so.¡± He nodded and replied.

    ¡°Are you good at treating people¡¯s wounds?¡± He asked. ¡°I must say the way you bandaged his wound was very neat.¡± Heplimented.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a survival skill I learnt growing up.¡± I said yet another big lie.

    ¡°Why are you working at theundry? The Pack hospital would be the perfect ce for you. At least, you could learn.¡±

    Even though the proposition tried to scare me, I held it down. If this was going to happen then I would be open to a lot of opportunities, including going into the Packhouse and attending to anybody who was wounded with the paramedics. I¡¯d seen it before, but I had no idea if it was the same here.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I stuttered, not knowing what to say.

    He smiled and cut me off abruptly. ¡°Meet me tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to the Pack hospital.¡±

 83

    MAYA.

    I felt the happiness bubbling inside me after I was done meeting with the prince. It was just the best news I had heard in a very long time. At least there was some hope that things would get better very soon. I couldn¡¯t wait for those moments toe. It warmed me from the inside out. I knew that this encounter with him meant more opportunities to see what I had always wanted- to unravel the secrets that had caused the death of Venom¡¯s brother.

    This was just the beginning of the whole thing and I wasn¡¯t going to back down until this was finished. I walked back to our quarters straight away and saw Tianna who was waiting eagerly for me. I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement any longer. She had an expectant look on her eyes when she saw me walk into the room.

    I walked to the edge of the bed and sat down before taking a deep breath. But just for good measure, I went to check the door to make sure that there was nobody there, eavesdropping on us. When I was done, I walked back into the room to meet Tianna who already had a wading look on her face. She desperately wanted to hear what had happened between the Prince and I.

    ¡°What happened? You don¡¯t want to tell me anything?¡± She asked with a worried look on her face.

    ¡°Calm down, of course I¡¯ll I¡¯ll you what happened.¡± I sighed, taking a deep sigh again. Sitting back on the bed, the joy bubbling inside me seemed to spring up again.

    ¡°Tianna, to be honest you won¡¯t believe what happened back there. It was just amazing.¡± I said, making her brows rise immediately. The expectancy she was feeling now seemed to get worse with what I had just said and I knew she couldn¡¯t wait to hear the rest of the news.

    She smiled at me and asked with so much enthusiasm in her voice. Her excitement was more than palpable, almost tangible.

    ¡°What happened, Maya? Tell me everything.¡± She urged.

    ¡°You¡¯re behaving like I fell in love with him. Is that what you are thinking?¡± I asked, teasing her the more.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, but if that¡¯s the case, no problem.¡± She replied, making me roll my eyes andugh at her assumptions. I was pretty sure Emily would be very angry if she heard what had just happened, that I was seen with the Princest night, talking to himte in the evening.

    She would even proceed to have me grounded, or sacked if that was possible. Considering the way she had talked to me the day before, I knew she could do anything. I just hoped that she hadn¡¯t seen anything and that she wouldn¡¯t be told that anything happened.

    ¡°Are you going to keep me waiting? Why not tell me what I need to hear?¡± She asked again. ¡°OK.¡± I rolled my eyes a second time before delving into the story. I told her everything that had happened exactly while meeting with the Prince and she couldn¡¯t stop smiling the whole time. I still remembered every single word he had said to me, probably because of how overjoyed I was.

    ¡°I met with the Prince and we talked about the guard I saved. He asked if I was the one who killed the rogues also.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± She questioned, looking anxious now. ¡°I said yes, but I told him that the guards helped me do it. I just made sure i said to him in a believable way. He was surely impressed with what I had done.¡± I told her, smiling through the whole thing.

    ¡°And he also asked about me bandaging the guard¡¯s wounds which is what led to the most important news you¡¯ll ever hear today. He asked me to meet him tomorrow. He wants to transfer me to the health department and help the doctors, undergo training and be one of the nurses.¡± I said excitedly.

    She crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded while biting her lips disapprovingly.

    ¡°With the way you¡¯re smiling, it looks like you¡¯re in love with him. Sincerely, I hope that¡¯s not the case.¡± She said to me, not sparing aughter even after I did. It looked like she had been threatened or something of that sort.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in him and I will never be interested in him. You seem to think I¡¯m one of those who will forget the mission they were sent to because of a cute boy.¡± I asked, chuckling and watching her shrug.

    From the look on her face it was clear that that was what she thought of me, but I didn¡¯t me her though. Even though I had met with the Prince twice, our conversations always made it seem like there was a spark between us and I suspected he must be feeling something for me. I must have caught his attention and he might like me, but that wasn¡¯t what I was here for, just like I had made it clear to her.  She still looked a bit confused as she asked.

    ¡°Now the question is, how is this going to impact our mission, because I don¡¯t fully get the point.¡± She said.

    I nodded eagerly as a surge of adrenaline ran through me. The beautiful prospect that this offered was better than anything else and I couldn¡¯t wait for the whole thing to get underway.

    ¡°Well, as a nurse or someone who works in the medical department, I¡¯ll get more chances to work at the Packhouse than those who work elsewhere.¡± I told her and that was her aha moment. Her mouth slowly parted to reveal a small  ¡®o¡¯.

    I smiled andid back on the bed, happy that she was finally seeing reasons why this was going to work. ¡°I never thought that was what you had been thinking about all along. It¡¯s a pretty good n, however, do you know if you¡¯re going to get the chance to go to the Packhouse every single day because that¡¯s the most important thing. You won¡¯t be going to see sick people in the Packhouse, but at the hospital.¡± She said.

    I shrugged and answered, ¡°True, but ites down to the same thing. Making sure that I take full advantage whenever I¡¯m going there. If the worsees to the worst, I¡¯ll have to use violence.¡±

 84

    MAYA

    A smile tugged at her lips after I had suggested violence. It seemed like that was what she wanted, like that was what she had been wanting me to say all this while. I didn¡¯t me her though, I guessed she was already getting frustrated by the fact that we had to work our fingers to the death every single day without finding out anything.

    ¡°That sounds good.¡± She started, but that means that we will have to resort to violence soon enough, that is after you start working at the hospital. We can¡¯t afford to waste more time. Time is not on our side right now and I suggest we hurry things up.¡± She added.

    ¡°Yes, we just have to wait and see what we are going to uncover as soon as that happens. Let¡¯s just keep being who we are right now. Remember not to make yourself noticed by anybody. I¡¯ll do my best to keep on to that, unless inevitable circumstances like the Prince calling mees up. If that doesn¡¯t happen, I assure you I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I promised and she nodded satisfactorily.

    ¡°So when are you going to start working, tomorrow?¡± She asked me. I nodded.

    ¡°Hopefully, I get to start tomorrow but you have to understand that I¡¯ll have to learn first. I¡¯ll go to treat them in the meantime, until maybe I learn to do it. But we both know I won¡¯t be here for a long time. So, until we are done with the mission, I¡¯ll keep going there. To be honest, these jobs suck!¡± I said, pping my forehead with my palms before shaking my head disapprovingly.

    This wasn¡¯t good at all, because we suffered every single day. I wondered what it was going to be tomorrow. Emily would surely be watching me now, waiting for me to make the smallest mistake so she could attack me and remind me that I wasn¡¯t supposed to talk to anything or anybody that looked like royalty.

    I still remembered the way she spoke to me back then, only if she knew who I was.

    ¡°Well, then. But will you be attending work first, or you¡¯re going straight to the Prince very early?¡± She asked again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go see the Princeter on. I doubt he¡¯ll be awake at that time of the morning, and it will be a very and unusual time to see someone.¡± I said to her.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    My body was already iming from the happiness that had engulfed me all day and I felt a lot better now. I couldn¡¯t wait for everything to get into ce and begin as soon as possible. We continued to talkte into the night after we both couldn¡¯t sleep and our excitement continued to grow.

    I was happy that she was getting more and morefortable around me, and that she was giving me a glimpse of who she really was. It was no secret that she was still trying to be guarded because of who I was at our Pack, but right now none of that mattered.

    I was still grateful for the respect, no doubt. After she went to sleep, I kept thinking. I tried to sleep but it didn¡¯te. It only took the intervention of counting sheep before I finally found some peace and the thoughts disappeared before my eyelids closed in sleep.

    The next day at work was one of the most annoying days I spent at the Pack. I still didn¡¯t know why, but it felt like meeting with the prince had been a very grievous mistake and Emily was doing her best to make sure that I regretted every second of that meeting.

    Despite her telling me that she wasn¡¯t angry and was only admonishing me, her behaviour proved her wrong. I knew she was just lying to me. First off, she greeted me with a scowl after I spoke to her as soon as I came into work. I pushed it off, thinking she might just be tired and sleepy from the short night sleep we all used to have.

    I thought that was it, but it turned out I was very wrong. After my chores, she walked into the room with a coy smile on her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing a good job, but it looks like you both have a lot of work to do.¡± She said, making my heart skip a beat.

    Lots of work to do? I asked myself, feeling my fingers hurt so much. I was in a world of hurt and here she was, telling me that we had a lot of work to do. There were just the two of us fulfilling the whole work and the maids who brought them in here didn¡¯t care if we were tired or not.

    All they cared about was dropping the clothes and waiting for them to get ironed so they would be taken back to the owners. It wasn¡¯t a surprise why many maids wanted to leave the Pack. It was just so appalling, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how hectic it was going to be for Tianna if I finally left and joined the medical personnel instead.

    She would see go through a lot of hell, I thought before snapping back to the moment.

    ¡°OK.¡± I nodded, swallowing my frustration as I prepared to tackle whatever it was she was going to do this time. Whatever she was going to do didn¡¯t surprise me, she could do her worst and I still wouldn¡¯t care at all. As long as I was sure I would get what I came here for, I didn¡¯t mind doing what jealous people like her did. She was loathing because the Alpha found me attractive and talked to me that way.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind having a busy schedule as long as everything is fully taken care of.¡± I said, just to make her happy, despite knowing that she might take advantage of my words to give me more work. I just hoped not. She shed me one ghost of a smile before walking out of the room. She seemed to be a kind person at first, but she was a terrible one.

 85

    MAYA

    Not long after, the maids started to troop into the room. There were around fifteen of them, and each had no less than ten clothes with them. I knew she was just doing this on purpose to get back at me. She was slowly bing an annoying threat, and I would permanently put her to sleep to get my mission done if that was what it would take.

    I didn¡¯t like it when people thought they could be evil to others. If she didn¡¯t take her time, she would be dead before she knew it. For the rest of the day, she kept sending me on errands.  I didn¡¯tin and just did my job respectfully, not wanting any kind of problems.

    After a very long day at work, I was filled with anticipation as I thought about going to see the Prince finally. He was the only one who could get me out of this mess before Emily destroyed me.

    I had to act quickly, there were better things and ces to direct my energy to, not just things as useless and as trifle as her attitude towards me. After my very long day at work, I got back and had a nice bath before having some pain reliever and going to the spot where I had met the Prince yesterday. There were three guards atoning at the spot, staring straight on.

    They looked soposed and ready to indict danger if it was needed. I walked up to them, but before I could state my reason foring, one of them blocked my although and looked down at me with a disgust-filled face. He looked so annoyed seeing me, and I wasn¡¯t surprised.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, woman?!¡± He demanded with a gruff and the most authoritative voice I¡¯d ever heard. Itcked an atom of emotion. I squared my shoulders, summoning up all the confidence I could muster so it wouldn¡¯t look like I was nervous or something. Showing that I was nervous would have me kicked out immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see the Prince. He asked me toe see him.¡± I said to them, hoping they would just take me to him already but the guards exchanged sceptical nces before the man who had spoken first to me retorted.

    ¡°And how are we sure he asked you toe?¡± He asked me, making me groan inwardly. I was tired of all the bullshit questions and just wanted to go through and know why I was wanted. Why did they have to make everything hard? As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he added.

    ¡°Please leave, or we will be forced to throw you out. You dare not approach the Pack grounds without any reasons. The Prince didn¡¯t notify us that anybody would being to see him. Besides, there is no appointment with him or the Alpha. You¡¯re in the wrong ce, young woman.¡± The guard said, making every single speck of hope inside me dampen.

    What was the meaning of this? It was just getting harder than I thought it would. The amount of work I had done was making myself dizzy and was this how my day was going to end, by being chased away by these guards. They clearly thought I was crazy but I had to remind them.

    ¡°I know what happens when youe here without any appointment. I am not crazy and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. If I was crazy and if I was lying, you¡¯d know about it. Just take me to him and you¡¯ll see for yourself.¡± I said to him, feeling the worries about the nearest prospect loom. They were really chasing me out.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t isn¡¯t for discussion any longer. Leave as you have been asked to, and stop causing trouble for us here.¡± The guard retorted sharply, as if he hadn¡¯t heard what I just told me. I nodded listlessly. ¡°Have fun with it!¡± I said, turning back to leave. That¡¯s when I heard someone.

    ¡°Wait, please wait.¡± I turned to see another guard emerge behind the door and walk towards me.

    ¡°Are you here to see the Alpha?¡± He asked me. I nodded and looked away from the rest of the guards who looked like the guard¡¯s question had hurt them.

    ¡°Yes, he asked me toe see him today for an important discussion.¡± I replied.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The man who had asked me to leave asked the guard.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°She was with the Prince yesterday. The Prince asked me to go call her from her room so they could meet. Let her go, but you must go with her to keep an eye on her and make sure that nothing bad goes wrong. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to meddle with the Prince.¡± The guard who had asked what he was doing shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s not getting past because she saw the Alpha yesterday.¡± He said.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯lle with me.¡± The other guard said, grabbing my head suddenly. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the man agreed and they asked me to go first while they stayed behind me. I felt apprehensive of their movement and hoped that they wouldn¡¯t spring up on me. On our way into the Packhouse, I caught sight of the Alpha with someone in the garden.

    The person he was with looked a whole lot familiar even though I had seen them from afar. I knew right there and then I had seen the man before but I couldn¡¯t tell where or when. I pushed off the thought, knowing that that was not important. I just had to meet the Prince and remind him of what he had told me the day before.

    As I followed the guard through the corridors of the Packhouse, I remembered the things that Tianna had said to me on the night the rogues attacked. She had talked about how heavily guarded the Packhouse and how there were many people around. It would be extremely hard to get this done, I said to myself as we finally got to the Alpha¡¯s Chambers.

 86

    MAYAContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    I couldn¡¯t stop imagining how I was going to take them down and attack until I had everything figured out. The guard motioned for me to wait before he grabbed something on the door and pushed it downwards. A bong sounded as the doorbell rang. It was just done once.

    I still continued to stand there, wondering what the Prince was going to tell me this time. Was it still going to happen, and should I forget about it. The anticipation was something I¡¯d never experienced. That was the moment the Prince walked out of his room.

    He had a fearsome look on his face the moment he walked out but as soon as his eyes fell on me, the long face he was carrying immediately disappeared and it was reced by a smile. He signalled the guard to leave before walking out of the room.

    ¡°How are you Rose?¡± He asked. He sounded warm and weing. I was happy about that and smiled in return, feeling relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing well, thank you.¡± I bowed curtly. ¡°I asked you toe see me in the morning. It¡¯s evening already.¡± He replied, giving me a piercing look that made my stomach churn ufortably. When he spoke like that, he usually sounded so different from the way he did sound when he was happy. He sounded so disappointed now and it made me feel sad and guilty.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I couldn¡¯te very early because I figured you were still asleep and the guards wouldn¡¯t even let me. And I was more than busy today. There was a lot of work to do.¡± I said. He smiled.

    ¡°Are you ready? I¡¯ve been waiting for you all day.¡± He said again. I nodded, still sping my hands.

    ¡°Alright then, follow me.¡± He said, before taking the lead. I followed him closely, feeling so worried about what was going to happen. The nerves I felt right now were more than anything.

    The worst thing that could happen was anyone recognising me and telling him that he was with a foreigner. As soon as we got outside, I noticed how everyone stared in our direction. The way they stared at the Prince was in the way of admiration but it was a totally different case with me.

    As soon as they set their eyes on me, it was reced by instant disgust that spoke volumes. I just prayed that someone there in the crowd had no idea I was the one. But the fact that nobody had recognised me ever since I came here meant that my disguise had been working.

    That was enough to make the anxiety disappear instantly. As soon as we entered, he led me to an office. From the post outside the door, it was the office office of the head nurse. She was inside when we entered and as soon as she saw the prince, she stood up and smiled. After the greetings, he introduced me.

    ¡°This is Rose. I want you to take her under your wing and see to it that she bes one of the nurses. She saved a life and thinks she will be able to do the job. So make sure you see to it that she is well trained.¡± He instructed. The woman bobbed her head in understanding. The look on her face was professional, yet weing.

    She replied. ¡°Of course, Your Grace. Wee to the hospital, Rose. I¡¯ll have you enlisted immediately and you¡¯ll begin whenever the Prince wants you to. If you¡¯re currently under another department, I¡¯ll meet the person in charge to discuss your withdrawal and have you registered here.¡± She said, smiling at me the whole time. I smiled back at her and continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice of you. If possible, I would like to start tomorrow. I can¡¯t wait to get started honestly.¡± I said to her. She smiled again and had my name registered immediately. I thanked the Prince who walked out soon enough. The woman¡¯s smile died instantly. I turned to see her staring at me. She looked shocked and I had no idea why.

    ¡°Is everything OK?¡± I asked her, disturbed by the look on her face right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this might look like I¡¯m disturbing but I have a question for you, Rose.¡± She said. I nodded and asked her to go on.

    ¡°Is there anything going on between you and the Prince?¡± She asked, sounding curious. I shook my head, wondering what she meant by that question. That was the same look on Emily¡¯s face when she had told me to make sure I wasn¡¯t seen with the Prince anymore.

    It wasn¡¯t jealousy, I reckoned. It was something else entirely, something akin to fear, pure fear. It had me wondering if there was something else that I needed to know about the Prince, something that I hadn¡¯t been told about.

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. There is nothing going on between us.¡± I replied, but she gave me a damned look before she handed me a card.

    ¡°Show this to the guard at the front door when you report to work. It will enable your ess.¡± She said.

    ¡°We are done for today. Come back tomorrow and we¡¯ll start from there.¡± I thanked her after that and left. But my mind was still not at rest. I still thought about what I had just noticed.

    Was there something more to the Prince than met the eye. It could be something dangerous and terrifying, I wondered, something that nobody wanted to admit or talk about. I had no idea what it was, but I had to make sure that I didn¡¯t awaken that thing that these people seemed to fear.

    It was really disturbing, because nobody wanted to talk about it.

    When I returned to our quarters that evening, Tianna wasn¡¯t home. So I just sat there and thought about the events of the day and how I would structure the next day based on the time for my training.

 87

    ALPHA VENOM.

    As the weeks continued to stretch and Maya didn¡¯t return to the Pack, I got more and more worried. There was this gnawing sense of worry that gnawed at my insides like a relentless, prowling predator.

    Sometimes I would be busy thinking to myself about the things I needed to aplish in the Pack when the thought of her would return and I would feel a very terrible feeling in my gut as if I had been stabbed with an invisible de. It was too much for me to bear because I needed her back, if possible, right now.

    I feared for the worst because she hadn¡¯t said anything to me since she left. She hadn¡¯t hadn¡¯t sent a letter, neither did she send a courier or a messenger to let me know that she was safe and sound which made me even more worried about what the problem could be. I didn¡¯t want to imagine things but it was getting very hard for me to not think about the bad possibilities.

    There was no single sign of her and each passing day only served to deepen the shadow of uncertainty that hung over me like a dark cloud and also intensify the fear that had gripped me now. I kept asking myself, what I¡¯d the worst had happened? What if the one thing I had feared had happened to her? I had no idea how I was going to feel if anything bad happened to her.

    There was no way I was going to lose my brother and lose the one person that gave me a semnce of hope almost at the same time. I knew the goddess would never let that happen, but I also knew that I had to be very realistic about the state of things.

    It was very possible that something terrible must have happened and she could be out there hurting, in pain, or even dead if the worst came to the worst. I prayed it wasn¡¯t thetter, and knew I had to go out and find her as soon as possible. The mere thought of Maya dying sent a chill down my spine. I kept reminding myself that she was an Omega despite her strength and it could  be very deadly for her if she met an Alpha.

    It was very dangerous outside the Pack borders and I didn¡¯t know why she insisted on leaving when she could have just stayed and tried to find out the cause of the several things we were facing from within the Pack even though it was unlikely that our problem was from within. I knew our problem was from the outside, but I couldn¡¯t leave the Pack.

    There was no way I was going to leave my people to the dangers that the outside world carried. If I did that, I was pretty sure I wouldn¡¯t be the Alpha by the time I was back. The Pack had many enemies that would stop at nothing until they had torn the Pack down and watched it burn, which was why I had to be very vignt at all times and make sure that everyone was safe from the perils and harms that might be here at any moment.

    I had also sworn to protect them and never leave them so there was no way I would abandon them on a wild goose chase. I¡¯d rather die than leave them alone. If anyone told me that things would be like this some day, I would have had them sent straight to the gallows. It was indeed shocking.

    I was worried, the Pack was in disarray and filled with fear while anticipating the unknown, my brother was gone after some of our enemies attacked, and now the worst had happened- Maya also seemed to be missing. I wondered if I was ever going to find her. Something had to be done immediately.

    I swore that if I managed to find her very soon, I would make sure that she was brought back to the Pack as soon as possible and I wasn¡¯t going to let her leave again. We were going to stay here and fight our battles. I would protect her because she was the only person I had left, the only person that brought the smile to my lips.

    I thought about her being hurt again and felt the fear creep its way up my spine before shattering at my back. It was really ufortable thinking that way and that alone told me why i had to take care of the situation in the Pack. I had sent out some trackersst week a long time after she left the Pack for her mission but they all returned a few dayster to tell me that they had found nothing.

    There was no single trail and she was gone, she had disappeared into thin air. I remembered how I had been heavily conflicted for the next few days, thinking about what I was going to do if she had been kidnapped together with the guard that had gone with her. What if she had been taken by rogues? I thought to myself, feeling my heartbeat so fast.

    Well, I sent more trackers after that but they all came back with the same old story that did nothing rather than intensify the fear and anger that was already burning in my heart. I tried my best to dispel my efforts and tell myself not to worry but I soon found myself having countless sleepless nights because of her. This was going to be myst attempt at finding her and I was going to take a risk. I was going to send out a lot of my trackers after her to find her.

    But the cons of the mission was that I would be exposing the Pack to some dangers. If the enemy Packs heard that I had sent out some of my best warriors to find a girl, I would be damned. I was pretty sure they would take advantage of the situation before I knew what was happening and would try their best to reim the Pack.

    I couldn¡¯t go on the mosjson alone because of how dangerous it would be, both to me and the Pack, so I was sending out the trackers alone. I muttered a prayer to the moon goddess, hoping that it worked this time and that they found her and brought her home.

    They were the best trackers and ai hadn¡¯t sent any of them on any mission concerning Maya. This was myst attempt andst shot at finding her. I hoped that it was going to work this time. Also, I made sure that I didn¡¯t tell anyone about it because I¡¯d been having this feeling that there was someone inside who was giving out news to our enemies.

    In some way, our enemies seemed to be one step ahead of us. It seemed as if everything we had nned to use to counter their attacks was quickly thwarted and that was why we had been dealt with after theirst  attack left a lot of people dead. I couldn¡¯t wait to avenge them because of the evil that had happened to them.

    But it was surely going to take a lot of doing. The first thing I had to do was bringing Maya back and then gathering more forces to guard the boundaries. That night, after my trackers were assembled and waiting for me to give out the mission, I walked into the room with a map in hand. I had a guess where she might be, or rather guesses.

    There were rumours flying around about who might be the Alpha that was attacking my Pack, and knowing that she was smart, I knew she must have figured it out herself and might have gone there to see if it was true. Because of the rumours, I decided that that would be the ces I would sent my trackers to go. They would go there and look for her to see if they could find anything, or if we should call off the search and pronounce her ¡®missing.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t tell, not until they were back. After they had greeted me, I went on with it.

    ¡°We need to find her. We all know how she hasn¡¯t sent us any hint or signal that she is still alive. And I¡¯ve been worried. So I¡¯m thinking something bad happened. She might be in trouble or maybe even worse. But no matter what it is that I¡¯d holding her back, we need to find her and bring her back to the Pack no matter what. She has toe back here because there are a lot of things we need from her.¡± I said to them, and with the way they nodded , it was clear that they all understood where I was going. Their leader stood up and gave me a wry smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can count on us. Is there anything you would like to tell us about finding her. Any hint?¡± He asked, before sitting back.

    I quickly walked to the shelf and took out the map and the scroll that I had kept there earlier. I was d the man had reminded me about it because I¡¯d have been damned if I forgot to tell them about one of the most important things that they were going to need.

    How could I have forgotten this? I asked myself, shocked. I took it out immediately and spread it on the table before mustering a smile. I told them about the rumours going around and why she might be in one of those packs, searching for answers.

    There were three circled Packs and they were close to each other, so it wouldn¡¯t be much of a hassle going from one to the next in search of her. They were all happy after I was done giving them my own insights on how this could be done. I also gave them a strict instruction to bring her back to the pack once they found her, no matter what it took.

    ¡°She¡¯s one of us, and we are not going to rest until she¡¯s been safely brought back here.¡± Imanded, leaving no room for any sort of discussion or doubt.

    The next morning, just after dawn when the rest of the Pack was still in their beds, the men set out on their mission with the supplies I had asked them to gatherst night so there wouldn¡¯t be any form of time wasting once the time to leave for their mission came. I was d they had listened to me and had done as I asked them to. Now all i had to do was take care of the Pack, cross my fingers and hope that they woulde back with her.

    As I watched my trackers leave the Pack, I felt a bit helpless because what if they also got into trouble and never came back. They were on a very long journey and could meet all sorts of enemies on the way- rogues, bounty hunters and all sorts of terrible people who wanted nothing else other than to see the world burn.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    I just hoped that in one way or the other, things would turn out fine. If that wasn¡¯t the case at the end of the day, then it would be best to just give up and protect the Pack which would be the only thing I was going to have left.

    I thought about her again and wished I hadn¡¯t allowed her to leave the Pack, that I had been more insistent that she stayed by my side where she belonged. But it was toote for any sort of regrets now. All I could do was wait and hope that she came back, which wasn¡¯t assured yet. She could be long dead, who knows.

 88

    3RD PERSON.

    For three long days, the seven trackers journeyed their way through the wilderness with almost no time for rest. They had been trained for these kinds of missions over the years so it wasn¡¯t so exacting. That didn¡¯t mean that they found it exciting and very enjoyable. In fact, some of them were already very tired but they knew they had to keep going if they wanted to find Maya and bring her back. That was the only motivation they had and it was the driving force that kept pushing them forward. Besides, they were trying to aplish a week¡¯s journey in a few days, so it was supposed to be hard and terrible. The best part of the mission was that they could pick traces of her scent as they moved through the woods. Sometimes the trail disappeared and the team would be forced to split and search. Until one of them found something, they didn¡¯t move because it would be disastrous to go all that way without finding any single thing. That was why they were the best of the best, the reason Venom had chosen them to carry out the mission.

    Also, it was very clear that they had done a good guess and a good research because ording to the trail they were getting, it pointed towards one of the circled Packs. There wasn¡¯t any better news than that. Even though they were tempted to move straight without caring about her aura and scent, they didn¡¯t fall for it. It was the most important hint, and they wouldn¡¯t ignore it.

    On the fourth day of their journey, they finally arrived outside the Pack. Her scent had led them there and they were very sure she was inside the Pack. Trackers had very high sensing abilities and could smell a person¡¯s aura and know who it was from a mile away. They were incredibly gifted and it was a natural talent which was improved by training. Many werewolves had excellent smelling abilities but it was nowhere near the ones these trackers possessed, but the only bad side was the fact that these trackers were only a very small amount of the poption. They were rare but incredibly helpful, especially when trained in martial arts or on the art of being a spies.

    They pitched a tent a long way away from the Pack so they wouldn¡¯t arouse any form of suspicion from the boundary guards.

    That night, they started to get everything ready, everything that would be beneficial for their mission. They discussed how they would slip into the Pack unnoticed by distraction. From their little spying on the boundary guards, they knew the guards were alert, which was both their strength and weakness.

    The next day before dawn, they began moving towards the boundary with incredible stealth and precision. The n was to cause pandemonium and attack some guards, kill them and change into their uniforms. It worked pretty well, because at the end of the whole disarray, none of the guards were able to discern what had happened and who had been attacked. They had no idea what hit them and decided to y it off as a wolf-call by one of the warriors. It had been a long time since they had some fun out here in the treacherous ins of the boundary, so why not? As long as they got back to their jobs, there was no harm in it.

    The trackers were long gone by then and had already entered the Pack. It was early in the morning when they arrived and it was the time that the nurses and the maids got up and went to work. They found her and while two of them approached her, the rest stayed back and made sure to hide to avoid being detected.

    She was startled when the familiar scent of her Pack members drove her wolf wild. She looked up, rmed. When she saw them approaching her calmly, she did the same.

    ¡°What are you people doing here?!¡± She growled in a hushed whisper as she stared at them, wide-eyed and in shock. She never expected that Venom would go as far as risking the lives of his finest warriors just for her safety.

    ¡°We were sent by the Alpha toe rescue you. You have toe with us immediately. You have toe back to the Pack!¡± The man said, looking down at her.

    She shook her head as she tried to wrap her head around what might have possibly caused Venom to take this action, but she soon found out that if there was anybody to me, it was probably her.

    She hadn¡¯t sent a single letter to him to let him know that she was safe and nothing had happened. Well, since the trackers were here, she had to do it herself. At least, the message would be delivered right to Venom without her fearing that she was going to be exposed.

    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t the time to go yet. There are a lot of things I¡¯m taking care of and I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m closer to the answer than ever. I¡¯ve been working incredibly hard to make this work and he¡¯s not going to fuck this up when I¡¯m so close to getting it. Tell him that I¡¯m sorry for not sending him a letter. You see, the security here is very tight and everything is heavily scrutinised, everything that leaves andes in. So I couldn¡¯t run the risk of sending a letter no matter what. Let him know that I am not in any sort of danger and I am safe as theye.¡±

    She finished, ncing back to make sure she hadn¡¯t attracted a pair of curious eyes. Thankfully, the maids were minding their business and went about to their daily jobs. She looked back at the man who had a very confused and conflicted expression, as if he was being torn apart by two decisions.

    ¡°You see¡­¡± He stuttered with a start, ¡°The Alphamanded that we should bring you back to the Pack under any circumstances. And I have to obey him, but from a personal point of view, I would have loved to let you stay. I am very confused because I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± He said, calmly. She was happy that the man at least used his senses. He wasn¡¯t one of those annoying guards who wouldn¡¯t listen to reasons and insist on doing what the Alpha said without checking if there would be downsides to it.

    ¡°Tell him to trust me. I know he is worried, but there is nothing I can do. I will finish this and I wille back to him like I promised him. There is no way I¡¯ming back without getting what I want.¡± She said. Just then, the other guard who was with the man replied.

    ¡°We have to do what the Alpha said. You have toe back. The instructions were clear.¡± Her face went red immediately, even though it was still dark and the world was still asleep.

    ¡°Then you¡¯d have to fight me if you want me toe back now. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me to alert the guards there are aliens in their Pack. You won¡¯t like it, I promise you.¡± She threatened, giving the man something to worry about.

    He scoffed and turned away, earning a suppressed chuckle from his superior who was rather unimpressed with his inconsiderate words. The tracker asked her. ¡°Do you need help? Is there anything bothering you that needs to be taken care of. It looks like something isn¡¯t right.¡± He asked her but she shook her head.

    ¡°Everything is fine. There is no problem I¡¯m facing other than the fact that we had to pick some jobs so we could blend in and get closer to the Packhouse. We are all going to work now and I¡¯m sure you want to leave, because the guards will be out soon and they won¡¯t be happy seeing you here.¡± She warned. The man nodded and turned back with a weary sigh.

    ¡°We will tell him what you have said. But if he insists that wee back, we wille back for you. Is that an agreement?¡± He asked her. She shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back this week or next week. I promise.¡± She said to them, hoping that they wouldn¡¯t probe any further.

    The trackers nodded and walked turned back to the others who were waiting. They were rather unimpressed and unhappy when they heard what she had said. They were unhappy because of the amount of work it took them to get here only for her to tell them that they should go back and give her message to their Alpha.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    They left the Pack with disappointed looks on their faces. Maya was very happy when the trackers left. She was happy that she had been able to talk with them and knew that Venom would get a response. However, she thought it would have been better if she had written a letter to him so he wouldn¡¯t think it was made up.

    But at the same time, she knew he believed his men and wouldn¡¯t perceive it to be a lie. She wanted to tell Tianna about it, but Tianna had already left for work and time wasn¡¯t on her side any longer. She just walked into the hospital to join the rest of the nurses and the doctors who had reported for work.

    The impable working culture in the Pack was one of the only few things she liked about it, everything else was mediocre or horrible. However, as soon as the trackers arrived at the Pack, they sought out Alpha Venom. He didn¡¯t address them until they had converged at the secret chamber where they had had theirst meeting before their departure.

    ¡°We found Maya, but she refused toe back with us.¡± Their general spoke first, sounding sad. Venom was very happy when he heard the man say they found her, but why wouldn¡¯t shee back with them. He wasn¡¯t fully convinced and knew there could be more to the story than what he had just heard.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He asked, feeling his heart beat fast. The fact that she was alive was enough to calm his raging heart. The tracker told him everything she had said and how she had said it, including her threat to expose them if they didn¡¯t leave. Heughed, but it was a sad, wry smile. He missed her deeply and couldn¡¯t wait to see her again.

    What made him even more happy was the deadline she had given before she woulde back. As soon as the meeting had ended and the trackers were gone, he went back to his room and picked up the letter she had written him before she left. He read it again, smiling at it. He could imagine her in her work garb, and all he could do was smile andugh and chuckle depending on how he felt at the moment.

    His fears had been ayed, and there was no better feeling than that. Knowing that there was nothing else to fear about her safety, he knew it was time to focus on the Pack and get the work done. He had his trackers rest and recover from the long journey they had just been to but before then, he made sure that the security at the boundary was doubled, thus, making it heavily guarded. More and more of the Pack members were also deployed to learn how to fight in case everything got out of hand. With everything set, he decided to get back to his office. He had gotten a request from Alpha Orion, the leader of the council of elders, to visit an old friend who was a powerful Alpha so they could form an alliance. He was happy when everyone was working for the good of the whole Pack.

 89

    MAYA.

    When I reported to work the next day, it seemed just like every normal day the Pack was going on like it always would and everyone was about, going to work or doing something else. I would have never guessed that things would go horribly wrong. We worked until it was almost noon and during that time, I took a lot of lessons from one of the nurses that had been assigned to teach me and make sure that I practised often. The head nurse didn¡¯t want to disappoint the Alpha who had put me under her care so she was doing her best to make sure that this worked. However, I decided to take a break at a patio bench outside the Pack hospital.

    I sat there alone since I needed the silence. I didn¡¯t join the others who would be talking about one thing or the other. While sitting there, I started to notice a shift in the air. The tension seemed to be getting stronger and the usual bustle and hustle of the Pack seemed muted, it felt as if something bad wasing, something really bad. I got up from the bench and decided to take a walk around and see things for myself but that was the moment I saw a troop of guards walking towards the road to the gates of the Pack which was a long way away from the boundary.

    I guessed something important was about to happen, but in a bad way though. I stood there and kept watching as the guards matched by and kept walking till they got there. They stood and began to wait. The sun was shining mercilessly and the blistering heat was starting to rise but they all stood there like it was nothing. That was the moment I saw it.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    Alphas started to walk into the Pack. There were a lot of them and they seemed to be in a straight line. They didn¡¯te alone but came with their guards and some of their warriors. It was easy to differentiate between a guard and a warrior because of their garb. The ranks were clearly disyed in the breast pocket, but none of that mattered during wars. Everyone fought to their best.

    The Alphas were screened and afterwards, taken to the Packhouse by some of the guards who had matched to the gates. I stood there, and soon the Pack members who had noticed what was happening began to gather to see what was going on. The looks on the faces of the Alphas as they tricked in was very grave and it was clear that something significant was happening, something that demanded their full attention.

    I didn¡¯t know if I should feel good or bad or scared or worried. It was hard to determine. But for the moment, I just stood there and stared on, determined to find out what was going on. Depending on the long stretch, there could have been thirty of them at least, not counting the guards and their warriors. I stood and kept watching every single one for a while, but then suddenly, my wolf began to whine. I whipped her head towards the Alphas behind the line and began to look at them.

    I had smelt something familiar, and it scared me. It felt as though there was someone from the ck Moon Pack here and that seemed legal because these people were our enemies and there wasn¡¯t supposed to be anyone here. I was still thinking when the Alpha aura attacked my senses again and I looked towards them again, determined to know why my wolf was very troubled.

    That was the moment that I saw him. That was the moment I caught sight of the person who had been troubling my wolf. I was shocked and was rooted to the spot for some time before I got myself back. I wondered if it was him or if it was just someone who bore a striking resemnce to Alpha Orion, the leader of the council at my former Pack.

    The leader of the Alpha¡¯s Council, about to get in a meeting with his Pack¡¯s sworn enemies? Was this a dream or a joke? I tried to tell myself that it wasn¡¯t him, that it could be someone else but I knew that his scent was the only proof and cue that I needed. It was indeed Alpha Orion, and if he hadn¡¯t been sent here by Alpha Venom, then this was a very serious case. It meant that he was a traitor, which could be interpreted in many ways.

    He could be the one who had been sending out information to our enemy Packs and that could be the reason why they had dominated us and done everything to harm us. That could be the reason why they always seemed one step ahead of us even when we tried our best to defeat them. I didn¡¯t want to think about that but it looked like that was the case here. I shook my head in pure grief again, not knowing what to do.

    I watched as he got checked by the guards and walked through right away. He didn¡¯t bring any guards with him, which increased my spection that he was truly an enemy. I knew that I was right, he was the one. I guessed that was my aha moment since I came into this Pack. My reason for being here was half-solved.

    If I could get back and tell Venom that he was the one, the Venom would have him arrested immediately, tortured so he could spill the truth about what they were nning here. But what if I could find out myself, I asked myself, musing. But I was still confused about this. Could it be him? Or was he here for another reason I had no idea about. Well, it wouldn¡¯t help if I started specting now.

    What mattered was finding out why he was here. I blended into the crowd that had gathered to watch the incredible scene and waited until he entered the Packhouse. I pushed my curiosity aside and walked back into the hospital to know what to do. I had to find out.

 90

    MAYA

    I was pleasantly surprised when I saw my coworkers standing there in the doorway, admiring the whole thing. I had not introduced myself to some of them so I decided it was time to talk to them about it so I could get more information concerning what was going on.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Rose and I recently started working here. Although I¡¯m an apprentice. I¡¯m still learning.¡± I said. One of them gave me a curious look.

    ¡°Are you the new girl?¡± She asked. I nodded happily.

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± She beamed again.

    ¡°Wee, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    I introduced myself and they all shook their heads and weed me. They sounded so hospitable that I nearly forgot why I had stopped to talk to them but once I remembered, I delved back into it.

    But before I could ask a question, they were already talking about it. I just stood there and listened to the girl who I¡¯d introduced myself to chatter about the arrival of the Alphas. They were so freaking excited. My curiosity kept getting higher and higher.

    ¡°It¡¯s rumoured that Alpha Ryker is nning on dealing the final blow with the ck Moon Pack.¡± She said. ¡°From reports, the previous attacks worked and the Alpha¡¯s brother was killed during one of the attacks. They say he has fallen into depression and this would be the best chance to kill him off. So he will beunching an attack on their territory anytime soon and he will im it as his as soon as that is done. I can¡¯t wait to be transferred there as soon as the conquest is over. They say it¡¯s a lot better than here. But it¡¯s very far.¡± She added. I knew, there and then, that she was talking about my Pack.

    Oh My God. This was very bad! The worst part of it was the fact that they all sounded so excited. My blood ran cold at the news and my mind was reeling so much shock and disbelief. Someone had to do something, someone had to stop these mad bastards before they did more harm.

    And I knew that person was me. If I couldn¡¯t do anything  about this, then we were surely going to suffer more damage in the nearest future. I wondered what Venom was doing about this. I vet he had no idea about Alpha Orion sneaking out. He could even have no idea and that was very bad. I had to let him know about it, as soon as possible.

    It seemed unthinkable because the whole thing felt like a dream but I knew that it was unthinkable and it was in fact, real. I had to stop them here. But the depressing thing about it was that there was a only two of us, against the hundreds of thousands of people inside this Pack. I couldn¡¯t stop the question that slipped out of my mouth.

    ¡°That sounds good.¡± I said and asked.

    ¡°What about the Pack members? I¡¯m not sure we will be able to fit in with all of them once the Pack is overtaken.¡± She turned towards me with a sombre look on her face before she replied.

    ¡°Many of them would be killed by Alpha Ryker¡¯s assassins. More are still being killed. I heard he has deployed some assassins to go in and kill their men. If their workforce gets low, they won¡¯t have no other option than to surrender before they even know what hit them. I don¡¯t care if you like him or not, but we all should appreciate Alpha Ryker¡¯s genius. He¡¯s a very intelligent Alpha and he will take us to great heights if he continues this way. I can¡¯t wait for that to happen.¡± She finished before staring taught ahead. It was clear that none of them even felt a thing for the Pack members.

    They saved lives here but didn¡¯t care if the members of my Pack were all exterminated, the only thing that mattered to them was getting to the Pack, anything else was thrown out the window. I felt a surge of anger and frustration rise because of the callousness with which they spoke of the impending disaster.

    How could they be so indifferent to the suffering of others? I wasn¡¯t wrong when I termed them a horrible Pack.

    I replied to make them think I was also on the same page with them.

    ¡°Wow. That will be wonderful. But I¡¯d like to stay here though.¡± They all turned to me andughed, making remarks about my naivety and why they would choose the Blue Moon Pack over here.

    My anger was getting worse and I knew I had to get out of the circle immediately before I hurt someone, especially the bitch who was still talking about my Pack. She was very good at running her mouth and couldn¡¯t wait to see a lot of people killed.

    Walking out of there, I returned to therge room where I was having my lessons. I sat there on the stool and started to think again. The air felt oppressive inside her but I didn¡¯t care. I needed a solution to this whole thing but the more I thought about it and wanted a brainwave, the more frustrated I got.

    There was no single brainwave I got and it seemed as if I wouldn¡¯t get any. But I knew that dwelling on my anger wouldn¡¯t help me aplish a single thing. Instead, I decided to focus on my work, determined to do whatever I could to help my Pack in this terrible time. As I went out of the room again, I headed straight to the doorway. I met the bitch there again. By this time the Alphas were gone and were probably inside the Packhouse. I approached her with a warm smile.

    ¡°Uum¡­ I was wondering if you knew when the meeting would start?¡± I asked but she shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t. But I hope you know you can¡¯t be allowed anywhere near the Packhouse considering what just happened.¡±

    I felt an urge to try the riskiest thing I¡¯d ever done, to slip into the Pack unnoticed.

 91

    MAYAPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    I knew it was going to be extremely hard to pull off but I had to do it in one way or the other. It was freaking important to me. Also, I had to tell Tianna about it. For now, she was going to keep staying around and doing almost nothing.

    Her job was going to be giving me a news or two that could help me but I didn¡¯t want her to stress herself by fighting because she might get hurt or arrested, which was very bad. As soon as my second lesson was over, I decided to wait until after work to break the news to her.

    The thought of Alpha Orion possibly being involved was still nagging at me. It made me feel sick beyond words. I decided to join the other nurses who were now on their second break, thankfully they were talking about it again. But just as I settled down to talk with them, one of the paramedics ran into the room breathing heavily.

    ¡°Two guards have fainted, our attention is needed at the Packhouse immediately!¡± He yelled and everyone got up before running off to the door. I was very astute and made sure to take advantage of this situation as well. I ran outside while grabbing therge first aid box with me so it would look like I was going to contribute.

    This was a big opportunity to help uncover this mystery and I wasn¡¯t going to miss it no matter what. When we arrived, the nurses immediately set down their tools and started to work to revive the both of them. I looked at the other guard who was standing behind therge door.

    The door read ¡°THE BIG TABLE.¡±

    I had no idea how but it rang a bell. Words like this were always used to connote something bigger and I immediately guessed it was the ce where the Alphas were having their meeting.

    Oh dear! I was so lucky. I looked back at the nurses quickly to see what they were doing but I was absolutely absent minded. I focused all my thoughts and psychic energy on the little voices I hearding out of the room. Very soon, the voices started to get louder and soon I could hear what they were saying perfectly.

    But I had no idea what I was staring at. All I could see was a blur as the nurses took care of the guards and they soon sprang back to life. There was a collective cry of joy as soon as that happened. I knew we would be leaving here anytime soon and with only one guard manning this area, I knew I could pull off something cheeky.

    The guard was wheeled out of the Packhouse after that and carried back to the hospital. Their garb was changed to the sky blue Johnny gowns while their guard clothes were kept aside. As soon as the other nurses stepped away, I seized the opportunity to take the clothes and put them in a bag I¡¯d found.

    After I had packaged them, I put them in the bag and slipped away unnoticed. My heart was beating very fast now because even though I didn¡¯t see anybody look at me there was still a very big possibility that someone might have seen me and they could call me back anytime soon.

    With a quick nce to ensure no one was watching, I hurried to a public restroom and changed into the clothes. I was happy that the difference wasn¡¯t so noticeable. The guard was average and a bit slender so it didn¡¯t look like something I¡¯d gotten from a giant. The helmet hid my real identity.

    After that, I made my way to the Packhouse. I was so scared as I walked through the entrance and got inside. I made sure to walk like one and alsopose myself so they wouldn¡¯t notice a thing and thank God it worked. I made my way up the stairs and followed the exact path I¡¯d taken when I wasing up here with the paramedic and nurses.

    I was happy that I had taken note of it. Getting to the ce where the guards had passed out, I walked straight to the guard who had been standing there. It was time to pull off the slickest of moves. I walked straight towards him and gestured to him with my head to step to the side.

    I also noticed that they rotated once in a while, so I used it to my advantage. Without a word, the guard nodded and walked to the centre of the passageway. I would have spoken to him but that would have got me arrested. I remembered there were no female guards around here.

    Women were made to do soft jobs while the men did the hard ones which was a bit different back at the ck Moon Pack. Everyone was allowed to do what they wanted, no matter what it was. Standing there, I focused my hearing back and slightly pressed my ear to the door.

    I heard everything clearly now and just as I had been told by the nurses, Alpha Ryker was nning on trulyunching a blitzkrieg on my Pack, something that they wouldn¡¯t be able to defend themselves against. It was more than shocking but I knew I had to y my path if I ever wanted to save them.

    He spoke of his ns to conquer the able Moon Pack and add them to the list of the Pack¡¯s he had taken during his reign. His voice was so deep with evil. When he was done speaking, they all began cheering in agreement as he asked them toe in with their suggestions about the war. I had no idea if I was going to stand there and listen to the whole thing. I had confirmed the most important thing and I knew I had to leave, as soon as possible.

 92

    MAYA.

    I was still trying to grapple with the gravity of what I had heard when the guard who had been standing there suddenly turned towards me. He cocked his head to the side and put his hand on the handle of his knife beforeing towards me. My heart started beating very fast.

    I knew he must have discovered that something was horribly wrong. He stopped in front of me and kept looking at me.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked me in a very deep but threatening voice. That was all I needed to know that he had discovered what was going on. I didn¡¯t say anything for a while and then made an attempt to deepen my voice.

    ¡°I was assigned to the meeting,¡± I said, sounding like a frog. I nearly burst outughing because of the way I sounded and that¡¯s when he realised he had been filled. He pulled out his sword to fight me but I kicked it off his hands and made an attempt to escape.

    But he was very fast. He grabbed me and pushed me back before trying to wrap his hands around my body. I kicked him on the shin immediately and he let out a howl of pain before falling to the floor. With another surge of adrenaline, I managed to knock him unconscious with a cruel kick to the temple.

    As soon as that happened, I hissed a curse under my breath and started walking quickly towards the entrance of the Packhouse. Miraculously, he hadn¡¯t notified any of the other guards when he noticed something was wrong. And none of them had noticed that something was off in the first ce.

    That was a price to pay for thinking that he could defeat an Omega girl, the weakest of the weak. I walked through the entrance in the same fashion that I¡¯d done and made my way back to the restroom where I changed a second time and walked back to the Pack hospital.

    My heart was racing very fast because I¡¯d just taken the riskiest mission in my entire life. It could have been the end for me if any of them discovered I was there and had me reported. First of all, the doors would have been blocked and guards would have surrounded the Packhouse to make sure there was no escape.

    I returned the clothes to the room where the guard was still sleeping making sure that no one would suspect my involvement in the events that had transpired. As I caught my breath, I couldn¡¯t help but think if this was the right time to leave and go back but I had to wait till the evening because Tianna was surely busy with her work at theundry.

    The most important thing was that I had been able to pull this off without getting caught. Now I just had to get my things ready and escape before word got around that there was an enemy lurking. Once it was evening and my work had ended, I started walking back to the quarters.

    My mind was still reeling from what had happened during the day. What I had just learned felt so heavy on my shoulders, I couldn¡¯t believe I was going to get all the information I needed in just one single day. The meeting of the Alphas had already finished by now, so there was nothing to fear about.

    However, while walking across the Packhouse, I noticed that the Alphas were outside in the garden, discussing with others. They were still around. I started to look around for Alpha Orion and it wasn¡¯t long before I found him. He was in deep conversation with no other person than Alpha Ryker.

    I looked up to see the Prince on the balcony, overlooking all that was happening. I focused back my attention on Orion who seemed to be in a pleasant discussion with the evil Alpha. I could feel my heart beating again at the sight of him, he was the embodiment of treachery. I was still looking at him when he suddenly turned in my direction as if he felt I¡¯d been looking.

    ¡°Shit¡± I hissed and turned away before hurrying. I had made a very stupid mistake, I thought. If he told the Alpha who I was, then that was surely going to be the end of me. But I hoped he didn¡¯t recognise me. I hurried back to the quarters and slid into my room with a smile on my face.

    At least I¡¯d been able to finish everything that I¡¯d set out to achieve today even though some of them came when I least expected. Tianna was fast asleep when I entered. I shook her awake. She was putting on her work clothes and was sleeping! I could only wonder what had made her so tired. Perhaps Emily had shown her what hell looked like.

    She looked so exhausted andined as I made her sit. ¡°I need to sleep.¡± She groaned before trying to go back to bed.

    I exined what was going on to her immediately. ¡°We need to leave the Pack as soon as possible. I found what we¡¯ve been looking for.¡± I announced, and her eyelids fluttered open instantly. Her eyes were red. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.

    She must have been through hell and back today. ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± She said in a sleepy voice while staring dreamily at me.

    ¡°I found the traitor who has been causing this. I found him today and we need to go back and inform Venom before it¡¯s toote. Ryker is about tounch an attack on our Pack anytime soon. And he ns to mobilise the warriors of more than thirty Packs against us. Tianna we have to pack our things and get ready to leave. Tomorrow night isn¡¯t bad, or in the morning before dawn.¡± I added. Her eyes widened in shock as I exined everything that had happened.

    When she finally fell asleep, I was happy that she had at least gotten an earful and was ready to leave. That was the moment a heavy knock sounded on the door.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 93

    MAYA.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted, mustering a smile as I looked at the guard who returned my smile with a cold face. If he wasn¡¯t doing his duty, I would have assumed someone might have troubled him but that¡¯s wasn¡¯t the way with most of the guards here.

    They were so unfriendly and talked only when it was necessary to talk. I remembered the one who had threatened me when I asked him why the prince was calling me. There were a lot of strict rules that were surrounding their duties and it seemed they took it so seriously because maybe it had punishments that they didn¡¯t want to go through.

    I wondered what it was but this was not the time to think about trivial matters like that. I felt something was very wrong and that was the most important thing that needed to be addressed right now. I was still confused as to why I was being called. The guard, after a heavy brief silence, replied.

    ¡°Emily is looking for you.¡± He replied cryptically. As usual there was no reason why I was being looked for. It was always the same word that didn¡¯t give you an answer. I wondered why she was asking for me. Was it to ask why I hadn¡¯t been to work today.

    Hadn¡¯t she been told that I had switched departments yesterday? I wondered, confused. Tight now I just wanted to be alone nning for the future but I had to go find out why first. I somehow expected all this to be about Alpha Orion but I shut out the thought and reminded myself that he didn¡¯t know I was here but I had discovered that he was the traitor.

    So I was on the safe side and he wasn¡¯t. He was the one who should be worried because he would be sent to the gallows as soon as he was back. I couldn¡¯t wait to get back and have him exposed. I pushed off my thoughts again before replying the guard.

    ¡°OK, right now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Right now.¡± He replied before walking out of the room.

    I looked back to see if Tianna was watching but she was fast asleep. The confusion got even worse as I wondered what Emily could possibly want from me at this time of the day. I had remembered the head nurse telling me that she would have it all sorted out before the end of the day, but it was clear that that wasn¡¯t the case here.

    It might be because of her or maybe the jealous woman who was jealous whenever she saw me with the Alpha was just trying to stake her im and tell me that I had no business talking to royalty. Whatever it was, I was prepared for it and she could do her worst trying to tell me about it.

    I didn¡¯t give a hoot about her envy. I wondered when the Alphas would leave also. I wasn¡¯t going to be calm and secure that something wasn¡¯t wrong until they were gone, precisely Alpha Orion. There was still a chance that he might have seen me while I was returning, but I knew he would have yelled at the guards to have me arrested straight away if he saw me but maybe he didn¡¯t. Maybe he thought I was someone else and that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t say or do anything. I guess he just remained calm after that.

    ORION.

    I was more than shocked when I saw her. What the hell was she doing here? How had she been able to figure out that these people were the ones who had killed the Alpha¡¯s brother? I had no idea how they had been able to decipher it because our tracks were perfectly hidden, but I guess they were given a hint and they had used it perfectly.

    That wasn¡¯t the problem now. The problem was that my life was in danger and if I didn¡¯t act immediately, that was going to be the end of me. Something had to be done as soon as possible, or I would have my head chopped off if she got back to the Pack before me. I knew it was her, and it answered my question to why I haven¡¯t seen her around at the ck Moon Pack for some time now.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    I heard she had travelled, but never had I ever thought this was the ce she hade to. I had just spoken with Alpha Ryker about my n to have Venom deceived with Ryker¡¯s men as allies so they could start the war from within. If they could get their hands on Venom and kill him, the rest of the Pack will have no other option than to surrender to us and do nothing.

    They wouldn¡¯t fight because there was nobody to lead them. It was a pretty good n which had been discussed during the meeting. We were discussing the perfect number of guards that would be enough to carry the mission and he was very generous with the numbers, but it wasn¡¯t surprising because he really knew what he wanted. He wanted total downfall and destruction of the ck Moon Pack.

    I caught her quickly rounding therge Packhouse before she started walking down a very long straight path which seemed to lead to the back of the Packhouse which was basically a massive chateau. Even though I¡¯d seen her before, I was still startled to see her again.- she was just so odd and out of the picture and I kept wondering if she had found what she wanted.

    She was here, probably pretending to be someone else and stealing information. ¡°Goddammit!¡± I muttered to myself as I clenched my fist and thought about what I would do to her when I finally caught her. That was the moment she nced back. I was very fast and quickly dodged to a wall stylishly so nobody would notice what I was following her.

    I peeked when I saw she had started moving again. There were a lot of people moving down the path so it wasn¡¯t hard for me to blend in and catch up despite my bad leg. She disappeared into a veryrge door and I tried to follow but a guard quickly blocked my way.

 94

    ORION.

    He gestured to me with the side of his head to look up and read what was written up there. That¡¯s when I saw it. I couldn¡¯t go in because I wasn¡¯t one of them even though I was an Alpha from another Pack.

    ¡°I know¡­¡± I replied, ¡°but she¡¯s very dangerous, the woman that just walked through this door. You must allow me to catch her and report her to the Alpha or she will carry out what she¡¯s here to achieve. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that to happen. A lot of people will die, and I doubt your Alpha will be safe. You have to believe me.¡± I pleaded.

    The guard¡¯s brows clenched as he looked at me with something that looked like amusement. Well, I wanted to let him know that I wasn¡¯t here to amuse anybody. I was here to tell them the truth or the Pack would fall. He replied me.

    ¡°Can you clearly state your reason?¡± He said, and I wondered if what I just said wasn¡¯t clear enough. Why did it seem as if he was trying so hard to make me annoyed at a very crucial moment. I peered into the little space between the doors and saw her turn into a corner.

    If I insisted on following, they would stop me and ask me to get out. I had to be very careful with this and also make sure I employed diplomacy. These guards would be hard, considering the instruction that would have been given to them.

    ¡°OK,¡± I said, wondering how my exnation wasn¡¯t clear enough. ¡°I need to stop someone and she¡¯s one of the maids.¡± I said, admiring her genius for choosing a shitty job like that.

    She wouldn¡¯t be suspected by the Alpha because she was just a maid and it would give her the time to get closer and closer to the Packhouse before they found out what was happening. She wasn¡¯t a fool and had done a very good job at hiding her identity but this wasn¡¯t the end. The second guard who still looked grave seemed to have listened to what I said.

    His eyes widened with concern as he replied. ¡°In that case, you need to speak with the head maid. Her name is Emily and any issues concerning the maids are first taken to her. She gives the go-ahead in every situation. If she won¡¯t let you in, then there is no way you¡¯re getting getting this door.¡± The man replied with no atom of kindness in his voice.

    I just shook my head.

    ¡°But it¡¯ste. She might not be awake.¡±

    ¡°What else do you want me to do?¡± I asked, hoping he woulde with a better answer and save me the stress but he replied.

    ¡°If it¡¯s toote and you¡¯re afraid she won¡¯t be able to tell you anything, then you wait till tomorrow. Her office opens at nine but she will be around at eight to make sure every maides to work.¡± The guard replied again, making my hope dampen again every now and then. I was shocked and confused and hurt at the same time.

    Why was everything just annoying and why were the guards refusing to help me at all. Was it because of how I was dressed, I Iooked down and knew I was dressed just fine.

    ¡°You know what I can do if you don¡¯t let me in right now? I¡¯ll have you both sacked!¡± I threatened the both of them but they didn¡¯t seem to have felt anything. In fact, one of them scoffed.

    ¡°We know that you¡¯re an Alpha, but we insist. Things must be done the right way. Why were they so brave? I asked before replying.

    ¡°Then take me to her.¡± Imanded. One of them took the road and I followed, gritting my teeth in pure anger. We didn¡¯t stop until we had gotten to her office. She was already done with the days work and was just about to leave but my presence made her stop immediately. I didn¡¯t want to put more fear on her by releasing my Alpha aura.

    As long as she was going going help me, then we were not going to have any problems, u like the guards who wanted me to go through heaven and hell before they allowed me in. She cocked her head to the side as soon as she saw me.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve seen you somewh-¡± I cut her off immediately.

    ¡°Yes, you might. Are you Emily?¡± She nodded, looking so rmed.

    ¡°Well, I need your help right now.¡± I spoke with haste. She nodded and replied.

    ¡°What kind of help?¡± ¡°I know this might sound crazy but you must trust me. You have a sworn enemy in your Pack and she seems to be one of the maids. I saw her this evening while I was speaking with the Alpha but I didn¡¯t say anything because I wanted to confirm that she was the one I saw.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Something must be done about it or she will bring this Pack to ruins. She¡¯s on a mission to figure out what the Alpha is nning for the war against the ck Moon Pack and I think she already has the answer.¡± I replied. She looked so confused like I was saying something out of a dream.

    ¡°Uum¡­ and how did you know her?¡± She asked. ¡°She is my Pack member. I recognised her instantly.¡± I replied. A nervous look came down on her face instantly and she replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to agree to this, because there are guards in every inch of the Pack and they do their jobs perfectly. There is no way anyone would have done anything like that.¡± She said. I was about to reply when the guard spoke up.

    ¡°Mrs. Emily, sorry for interrupting, but three guards have passed out today.¡± ¡°And today was the day of the meeting.¡± I added, making it clearer to her that there was a sinister force at y here.

    She bit her lip as if it was very hard for her to just ept the fact that something was wrong. She shook her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. You¡¯re not a Pack member here, so-¡± I facepalmed. ¡°Then get ready to have your Alpha killed!¡±

 95

    ALPHA ORION

    There was a look of pure horror that came down on her face when I said that. It felt as if I had sphemed against their Alpha who was seen as indestructible and inevitable. He had won every war he had fought in, and saying something like that struck a nerve or two. I apologised immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for saying that but I wouldn¡¯t be reacting this way if I had no idea who she was. She¡¯s one of the most dangerous fighters around, and she¡¯s full of cunning. That¡¯s why she was able to get into the Pack in the first ce.¡± I said to the woman who shrugged.

    ¡°Well, there have been no reported attacks at the boundary. It has been all safe.¡± She said. ¡°But people keep getting in and out every single day, no?¡± Why was she so protective of her Pack and dumb as well.

    She held the Pack in such a high regard that she doubted they could falter at all. That was doom ringing. They would be shocked if Alpha Venom and Maya got their ns right and prepared for Ryker. It would be something they¡¯ve never seen before. She nodded as she considered my words again.

    Every answer she had made to discredit my suspicion had been answered, leaving her with no other option than to do as I said.

    ¡°In that case, we will then call the Alpha.¡± She suggested. ¡°There is no time for all this. You want to meet the Alpha who¡¯s currently busy with other Alphas?¡± She was infuriating beyond words.

    ¡°OK, OK. What is her name? And what do you n on doing?¡± She asked me.

    ¡°I want him to go to her room and let her know that you are looking for her. And when she gets here, I¡¯ll be outside. As soon as she sits, I¡¯lle in and have her apprehended. Her name is Maya.¡± I said. She gave me a very worried look.

    ¡°Are you sure you saw the right person, because there is no maid currently answering that name. Thest person who had that name retired a couple of years ago.¡±

    ¡°Then she must have changed her name.¡± I said to her, ¡°I don¡¯t know but she must have been employed recently. Maybe a week or two weeks ago. That¡¯s the time she disappeared from our Pack without any hint. Nobody knew she left on an undercover mission and if I knew, your Alpha would have been told about it. If she gets back to the Pack before me, I¡¯ll be dead meat.¡± I said again. She nodded frantically before asking a second time.

    ¡°OK, then you have to describe what she looks like because we¡¯ve been hiring a lot since three weeks ago.¡± Desperate to make her understand, I described her appearance in detail, hoping to jog her memory. To my surprise, her eyes widened and that was the moment I knew it had clicked. She had recognised her immediately. I couldn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°You mean, Rose.¡± She asked.

    ¡°Is that the name she goes by here?¡± I scoffed ufortably, wanting her to give the order so she could be brought here and arrested.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always suspected something was off about her. The Prince seems to have been crazy about her since he first saw her. First they met at theundry, and then in front of the Packhouse, alone. Yesterday, he switched her to the medical department.¡± She informed me, making the shock get worse.

    She continued. ¡°I can only wonder what the Prince has told her. She is very clever and might have him under her control. Why would a prince go for an average-looking Omega with a cut.¡± She sounded so jealous right now but this was not the time for any of that.

    ¡°OK, what then are we going to do about it because it¡¯s very urgent. She has to be brought here as soon as possible.¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    The woman nodded before she gave the guard a heads up. As soon as he disappeared through the door, I walked out and hid outside, while also making sure to mask my aura so she would not suspect that something was wrong and make a run immediately.

    I waited patiently, and soon I saw the guard walk out of the building again with her following him closely behind. I was going to hand her over to Alpha Ryker as soon as she was caught. She had to be killed immediately so that the threat to the Pack would immediately cease to exist. Her being alive was going to be a real pain in the ass and Ryker was in danger as long as she breathed.

    I watched the duo walk towards the office. As soon as she entered, the guard walked out and gave me a sign. I got out of my hiding ce immediately and stalked my way towards the building. She was sitting there, discussing with Emily. Her hair had been cut quite alright and I knew I wouldn¡¯t have recognised her if I hadn¡¯t been observant enough and also if I didn¡¯t know what her scent was.

    This was the time to nip it in the bud, once and for all. I couldn¡¯t wait to see the look of anguish and horror on Venom¡¯s face when he would be told that she was dead. She was everything he had now, I¡¯d seen the way he¡¯d been all around her after his brother died. She was the one there, consoling him the whole time and trying to make things better for him.

    This would be a very good chance atpletely destroying his emotions. He would be devastated after this and wouldn¡¯t even know where to start. And that was going to be the perfect time for Alpha Ryker to attack and take over the ck Moon Pack. I was already dreaming of the rewards I would receive as soon as Alpha Ryker had achieved everything he wanted. It was time to end this and stop the threat.

 96

    MAYA.

    I knew, when I entered the room, that Emily was livid. The look on her face was more than enough to prove that. She looked like someone who had just been stung by an angry bee. I greeted but she didn¡¯t say anything in response. That¡¯s when I nced behind me. I saw the guard walking out of the room.

    ¡°Look at me.¡± Emilymanded and I swerved my head back to face her. Something wasn¡¯t right and my wolf was very restless.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily.¡± I apologised before focusing back to face her.

    ¡°Why were you using a fake name and fake ID?¡± She demanded with a voice that was very shattered with frustration.

    My heart jumped so high I felt it was going toe out of my throat. How was that possible? How did she know? Was it Alpha Orion? No, it couldn¡¯t be! The confusion got worse and all I did was stare at her to understand what was happening.

    ¡°Excuse me? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She shed me a disgusted look before a smirk reced the disgust. Her eyes narrowed at me.

    ¡°Really? You think I don¡¯t know you used a fake identity to try and get in here. I knew you were not a member of this Pack and something was off about you from the very first day. Now, you¡¯re going to tell me the truth, Maya!¡± I felt my pulse rage erratically now. How the fuck did she know my real name.

    This wasn¡¯t happening! How was that even possible? My mind was filled with unanswered questions. She smirked again when she saw the confused look on my face. It seemed as if she enjoyed every bit of my reaction.

    ¡°This is the end for you. Your cover has been blown, and you¡¯re going to pay for it, Omega Bitch!¡± She sneered. I staggered a few steps back, and that¡¯s when I knew that it was surely Alpha Orion. There was nobody who could have told her about it apart from him.

    He knew about me now and had gone about talking about it. But why would he do that and not want to have me apprehended. My thoughts were interrupted when I sensed a wavering but strong aura seep into my nostrils. I turned around immediately and that was the moment the door opened to reveal Alpha Orion¡¯s figure standing in the doorway.

    A very evil smile crept up his lips as he waved at me.

    ¡°Hi, Maya,¡± he greeted me so casually and walked towards me. His voice sent a jolt of shiver careening its way down my spine. What was happening? How did he know? I¡¯d been tricked. I recoiled in shock at the sight of him and my instincts were now screaming at me ro run for my life.

    ¡°I knew it was you.¡± I growled at him. ¡°It has always been you. You¡¯re nothing but a traitor and I¡¯m sure Venom will be d to have you executed once I tell him what¡¯s happening.¡± I growled again.

    ¡°Well, that is if you will even get out of this room.¡± Heughed before he turned to the guard and issued amand with a cold voice.

    ¡°Arrest her immediately and if she tries to do anything stupid, kick her until she keeps quiet.¡± He stepped to the side while Emily smiled from where she was watching.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make this hard for yourself.¡± The guard warned as he got closer to me. He looked so menacing as he took out his knife. I slowly walked back towards, feeling the fear and anger rise.

    ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to hurt you if you try anything silly.¡± The guard warned again but I knew that wasn¡¯t for me. I wasn¡¯t going to listen to any of that. He made a move but before he could grab me, I dodged to the side and crashed on the table.

    He began to brandish the sword and kept getting closer towards me. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him. I just wanted to escape but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t going to kill him if things got out of hand. There was no problem adding him to the number of people that I had dealt with in the past.

    Alpha Orion wouldn¡¯t be a problem because he was almost old now and wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a fight. In fact, his upation at the Pack as a member of the Council forbade that he fought, so it was ages since he tried any of that. The guard ran towards me in full tilt now and I had no other option than to retaliate.

    I got on my knees and stuck out my foot. He lost his footing instantly and staggered before crashing with his face on the wall. He let out a groan before trying to get up but I swung my foot over his head and put him to sleep immediately.

    ¡°Call the guards!¡± Emily yelled in a high-pitched call. However, I was surprised when Alpha Orion made for me and grabbed me. His hands were so strong and despite trying to get away, I couldn¡¯t. I growled and kicked him on the nose.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    He let out a groan and left me instantly. Getting to the door, I locked it up and began running back to the quarters. Tianna had to know or we both would die. I was trying to contact her through the mindlink but it was closed.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed to myself and I ran faster and faster. Getting to the entrance, I slowed down and slowly walked past the guard to avoid making him suspect there was anything going on. I ran into our room andnded a heavy p on her back. She jerked up instantly.

    ¡°Tianna, we are in danger. Emily found out and the guards have been alerted. We have to get out right now.¡± I yelled at her. She got up instantly as the sleep cleared out of her eyes. I grabbed my bag of supplies and my dagger before bolting out of the door.

    She followed instantly and we ran down the hallway. But getting to the entrance, I got the shock of my life. It had been locked.

    We were trapped!

 97

    ALPHA ORION.

    How the fuck was that even possible?! I thought to myself as an rmed feeling ran through me. Something had to be done about this right now! Or I was going to die. I knew she was strong but I¡¯d never expected her to get away like this, so easily. She had beaten up the guard like he was still a learner and had slipped through my fingers in the moment that mattered the most.

    I walked outside while feeling the stinging pain in my face from the hit I had gotten from her. The pain was still there and it was a scathing one. I wanted wanted revenge for it but she was gone, and it could only get worse from here. What if she ran away from the Pack? I asked myself, but I trusted the boundary guards to do a very good job of bringing her back.

    Yes, she was strong, but there was no way she was going to be able to face a lot of guards who were as strong as she was or even stronger. She had to be brought back as soon as possible! The question continued to linger in mind as I asked myself how she had just slipped through like this whole setup was nothing. Emily was still behind the table, looking so scared.

    ¡°What just happened?!¡± She asked with widened eyes. Her voice was grating on my nerves and I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold my peace because rather than shouting and asking questions when she fully knew what had just happened, it would be better to calm down and look for solutions now that we still had time to do so.

    The money she would escape that boundary would be the end of my stay in the ck Moon Pack and that was going to be the end of my life as well. I had to trick Venom into more and more pitfalls before the war. But with what was happening right now, the prospect was bleak.

    The guard who she had knocked down was wounded and was slowly getting up to his feet now. He was bleeding in the temple and his face was reddened with her powerful kick. He rubbed his jaw where she had struck him.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even catch a fucking woman?¡± I barked out in anger while resisting the urge to move towards him, grab his face and hit it on the floor. I couldn¡¯t believe that this was the kind of half-baked guards that were being used around here. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she was the one who had attacked the guards yesterday.

    There were rumours about guards that fainted during the meeting. With the way the rumours had spread so fast, I knew it would surely be true. I felt so bitter as I walked around the room like a caged beast, wondering what my next mission was going to be. I wondered if I should go meet the Alpha and ask for his men or mobilise the guards, not minding if they were half-baked or not and go after her. The thought had me very confused because if I decided to go and meet the alpha, she was going to have a rough time to escape before I exined to the Alpha what had happened and what we needed to do if he wanted to save my life.

    I was seething with confusion and rage now. I looked back at Emily who was shaken visibly, probably because I had yelled at her. I began to wish immediately that I hadn¡¯t done that.

    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± I asked her, knowing she could have an insight or two now that she was calm and less worried. Her voice was very calm as she suggested we report the matter to the Alpha.

    ¡°We need to inform the Alpha or one of his generals as soon as possible. They are the only people who can give guards the order to follow your course and find her immediately. When that is done, he¡¯ll give you stronger and faster men who can track her down as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s going to waste time and give Maya some time to escape.¡± I thundered back. She shook her head as she thought about it.

    ¡°She won¡¯t be able to get past the boundary and even if she does, they are going to slow her down and make sure nothing happens for a while. So while that happens, the guards sent by the Alpha can meet with her and do the needful. By the way, we are already wasting time by talking about it and not swinging into action immediately.¡± She said, sounding a lot calmer than she did some minutes ago.

    I nodded immediately and stood aside while she got up from her chair and walked towards the door. I gave the guard a very angry look before I brushed past him. He had everything set to catch her, but I guess he chose not to or rather he wasn¡¯t strong enough. She was just an Omega and the guard looked like a Beta or Alpha, I couldn¡¯t ce it but he has very good genes.

    That was enough reason to avoid being disgraced by a woman but not for not for I guess. With a very heavy heart, I followed Emily out of the door and hurried towards the Packhouse. As soon as we got in, we immediately started going towards the Alphas chambers so we could report that hadn¡¯t happened before the situation would escte any further.

    That¡¯s when I remembered that there was a second guard at the maids quarters. He could be instructed to do something should she have gone back there to pick some things up. If the entrance could be blocked, there was no way she was going to get out. But there was no going back now. Emily and I weren¡¯t going to stop until we had gotten to the Alpha.

    Once we reached there, we would tell him about it and he would join us in the hunt immediately. And if the guard she had beaten had some sense, he would report it immediately. I just hoped he did, to save us a lot of time.

 98

    ALPHA ORION

    We met him on the balcony of his chambers, talking with the Prince. They seemed to be in a heated conversation when Emily and I arrived. She bowed as soon as we got there while I went on with the information immediately. There was no time to waste anymore.

    ¡°Alpha. An enemy has escaped.¡± I exined in a rush. I could even hear the urgency in my voice. ¡°And it looks like she has some information about me and the pack already.¡± I finished before clenching my fists while talking my leg on the ground.

    This wasn¡¯t good at all. He looked so confused as I said the words to him.

    ¡°What do you mean by that, Orion?¡± He asked.

    There wasn¡¯t time for questions. I knew this was going to happen.

    ¡°Apparently, a spy sneaked into the Pack and began working as a nurse. Alpha Orion ims he knows her because they are from the same Pack. We had her brought to my office to have her apprehended by one of the guards but she was everything none of us expected her to be. She knocked the guard out and escaped immediately.¡± Emily exined in a more vivid way, which had my hope rising a bit. At least he was going to understand what was happening.

    There was an rmed look on his face immediately. The Prince was also worried about the news and asked.

    ¡°Which one?¡± A low growl started across his chest. Emily replied.

    ¡°You should know her. She calls herself Rose but she is Maya, Prince Venom¡¯s supposed lover.¡± I replied, shaking my head.

    That was the moment the Alpha understood the magnitude of the moment. Someone who was that close to Venom had sneaked in. The Prince was appalled at the news. He couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°How? B-but she doesn¡¯t doesn¡¯t like someone who-¡± he was interrupted as his father asked.

    ¡°You know her?¡± He nodded. ¡°Of course father. She recently joined the nurses at the Pack hospital.¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to see them talking about someone who was going to expose me soon. My life was at risk here, but I knew I couldn¡¯t force them to do what they were supposed to do, so I just stopped thinking about it and calmed down.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t sound good. No wonder why the guard who also passed out told us he was attacked by a female guard. There are no female guards around here, and I think she might have been the one. She might have put on the dress of the guards and nobody had noticed a thing. She sounds like a lot of trouble, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Alpha Ryker questioned and his son replied with a shake of head. She was really a lot of trouble that had to be caught and killed immediately or she was going to destroy us all, single-handedly.

    This also meant that if Venom heard about our tactics, he was going to get ready which meant that we were going to spend a lot of time trying toe up with new ones and that would dy what we were supposed to do as soon as possible.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep waiting around any longer, father, she has to be caught and killed as soon as possible.¡± The Prince said, mirroring my exact worries.

    ¡°She was the one who killed the rogues on the night of the attack but she lied to me that it was a collective effort.¡±

    ¡°You mean the girl who bandaged the guards?¡± He asked. The Prince replied.

    ¡°Yes, father. Crazy how we were that close to our enemy. She even made us trust her because of that act and that was why I had her moved to the health department for her bravery and sacrifice. I had no idea she was an enemy.¡± There was a lot of regret in his voice.

    Emily¡¯s tiny voice came up again. ¡°What do we do now? Alpha Orion is scared that she might escape the boundary guards.¡±

    Ryker looked at me with something that looked like annoyance.

    ¡°Do you doubt the prowess of my men? We are talking about a woman right?¡± He asked, it was clear he had no idea who she was.

    ¡°No, your Grace. She is a woman, but she¡¯s not just any kind of woman. To make matters worse, she is an Omega. But I¡¯ve seen her fight, your Grace. I¡¯ve seen her take down Alpha like they were nothing and that should be enough warning. Do you wonder how she was able to take down multiple rogues here? She is fearless and it would be a headache because she is full of cunning as well. I don¡¯t doubt what your guards can do, I just want to be on the safe side by making sure everyone goes after her and that she¡¯s apprehended. If that can happen, then there will be no problems whatsoever. She won¡¯t be able to deliver what she just heard to Alpha Venom and we canunch the attack once she¡¯sdead because her death will weaken Venom. He loves her so much, your Grace. I¡¯ve seen it in his eyes, so I am very positive.¡±

    The look on the Alpha¡¯s face darkened with concern as he absorbed what I had just said. I knew it would give him something to think about.

    ¡°Alright then. Release the guards immediately and Surround the boundary.  Nobody goes in, nobody goes out. Anybody who tries to force their way in or out should be killed with immediate effect unless they are the guards who would be going on the mission.¡± He was speaking to his son who nodded immediately and zoomed past me towards the door.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    ¡°Follow me, Orion.¡± He said.

    Emily followed as well and while we were hurrying down the passageway, she stopped us in our tracks.

    ¡°Wait, I just remembered something! She did note alone.¡±

    The Prince turned back and asked.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°She came with another person.¡± She said,

 99

    ALPHA ORION

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The Prince asked, cocking his head.

    ¡°There is no time to waste.¡± Emily struggled with her words but soon exined what she meant immediately.

    ¡°She came with another girl during the registration. They both had cut hair and from their dresses, it looked like they were both trying to hide their identity.¡± She announced. The Prince shrugged.

    ¡°Then, what does the other girl have to do with this?¡± He asked. ¡°I think she¡¯s still in the maid¡¯s quarters right now. I made her work so much so I think she would he asleep right now.¡± There was a hint of hope in her voice.

    ¡°And what if they don¡¯t have anything to do with each other.¡± The Prince asked.

    ¡°I strongly suspect they do.¡± I said, while Emily continued. ¡°She said the girl was her elder sister. And that they were orphans. That was the info I got from Urs.¡± She said,

    ¡°Urs employed maids without a background check?!¡± The Prince growled. ¡°She¡¯ll learn to do her job well when I teach her a lesson.¡±

    That was the moment I caught a brainwave about what they were saying right now.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t actually have a sister when she came to our Pack. But I think she took another strong, female guard with her whileing here. Recently, I haven¡¯t seen one of the female guards often, and she seemed to disappear at the time Maya disappeared also. Her name¡­ is Tianna.¡± I added a question.

    ¡°Is that what she told you her name is?¡± Emily shook her head defeatedly. ¡°Of course not. We don¡¯t have such name.¡± The Prince shook his head again.

    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t be standing here doing nothing. Let¡¯s get to the root of this immediately.¡± He said before he turned towards the hallway again and began to hurry. It took a lot of doing to catch up with him, because it felt like running after him. His long strides told us a lot about the kind of power and energy that was brimming inside him. I wondered how he was going to break her back when he caught Maya. Maya wouldn¡¯t have a dog¡¯s chance in hell if she ever came to face off the Prince.

    We hurried to the quarters and the first thing we saw shocked us. The door had been brought down, and there was a guard lying down there. Other maids were out of their rooms now, trying to get therge door away so the guard could be taken to the Pack hospital.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± The Prince questioned, as his eyes ran over the ce.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    One of them answered immediately.  ¡°Nobody knows. We just heard a loud bang and when we came outside. This was what we saw.¡± She said,

    He nodded. ¡°And when did this happen?¡± Her brows folded as she thought about it. I hoped it hadn¡¯t been too long.

    ¡°Five minutes ago at least.¡± She said.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I hissed.

    He turned towards me. ¡°She hasn¡¯t gotten too far if that¡¯s it.¡± He pulled the door off the guard immediately and asked Emily to show him their room.

    We walked towards the room silently but hastily. Getting there, he pushed the door open with a sudden force that broke off one of the hinges. All we met there was a pile of mess. Clothes were strewn about and the whole room had been turned upside down. It was toote now- Tianna was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Looks like she came back and took her friend with her. That would be a double kill whenever we find the both of them.¡± He smiled. I was surprised that despite how grave the situation was, he still had some hope that they were going to catch someone who had escaped five minutes ago. She was not a snail, she was a very fast runner, so it would be sensible to say that they had gone very far by now.

    ¡°What about your men, you haven¡¯t summoned them.¡± I asked in panic.

    ¡°Of course I have.¡± He said before walking into the room. He grabbed some clothes and wrapped them with each other.

    Then he continued. ¡°I summoned all of them through the mindlink. They¡¯ve already started the hunt for her.¡± He said before getting out of the room.

    ¡°And what are those clothes for?¡± Emily asked.

    ¡°Do you care?¡± He asked her.

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious,¡± she said, ¡± because I suspected there was actually something going on between you and her after you had her transferred. I thought my Prince was in love with a lowly maid.¡±

    He scoffed and turned around. There was a smile on his lips. ¡°You know, you might be right, actually. But I wasn¡¯t. She was just interesting and beautiful. So why not. And she caught my impression after the war with the rogues.¡± The seriousness returned again as he finished off his speech. ¡°There was nothing between the both of us and this is meant for the trackers. It will be enough to have them detect their scent from far away. Trust me when I tell you that they will be apprehended very soon. They can run all they want, but they won¡¯t be running for too long. I have people hiding in the shadows, people who will thwart their n before they even realise what¡¯s happening.¡±

    With the way he spoke now, the hope was slowly seeping back. I actually felt a lot better and something told me that this was actually happening. They were going to be caught, and my name was going to be cleared before the news got back. I smiled as I nodded.

    ¡°Thank you so much. I can¡¯t wait to have her head as soon as she has been caught.¡± He shook his head.

    ¡°We don¡¯t do things like that here. When she gets back. First we are going to have her tortured so much that we will finally get her to turn against Venom. When that has happened, we will have her fight against the Pack during the war. I¡¯m sure, from your description, that she will be a good fighter.¡±

    I nodded, liking his suggestion.

    ¡°That¡¯s an intelligent idea. But be aware that she¡¯s a snake.¡±

    Heughed, but suddenly theugh stopped, as if he had been stung. He had recurred a message from the mind link. I knew it.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. He gave me a very worried look.

    ¡°You were right, she¡¯s a snake. She just escaped the boundary with the other girl.¡±

 100

    MAYA.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    When we came upon the locked door, I knew that there was only one thing to do. And that was summoning all my strength to bring it down even though it seemed impossible. The adrenaline rushing through me now was enough to lead me against a battle of hundred men.

    Tianna and Iughed ourselves into and kicked the door at the same time, with a powerful effort. The hinges broke off immediately and the heavy door broke down, crashing on the guard who was standing outside. The bang was deafening.

    To our surprise, it wasn¡¯t locked in the first ce. It had just been pushed close. That was what made the door fall in the first ce. The guard groaned in pain as he tried to get off. Tianna hurried towards him and swept her feet under the space between the door and the floor. It got him on the temples, at the sweet spot which rendered him powerless immediately. He passed out right there and then.

    After that she ran towards me and I grabbed her hand before we bolted towards the woods without a moment¡¯s hesitation. The maids had screamed when they heard the bang and I knew they would be out of their rooms to investigate what had just happened. Thest thing I wanted was for them to see the direction we had taken or they would notify anybody who would arrive at the scene shortly.

    So we made sure not to stop for anything until we had gotten very deep into the woods. I didn¡¯t know where exactly we were headed but I was sure that a four minute run would get us to the boundary which was a bit far from the Pack. The woods blurred past us in a frenzy of motion as we sprinted  through the trees. All I could hear was the pounding of our feet on the forest floor and the beating of our hearts which wasn¡¯t just frantic from the run, but from the fear of being caught.

    The night was very silent and I feared any guards nearby would detect what was happening immediately but this wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on my fears and wonder about what was going to happen and what wasn¡¯t. The gear gnawed at my insides as I nced over my shoulder, half-expecting to see Alpha Orion and his guards hot on our trail.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Tianna yelled at me, just before I turned back to see a guard in front of me. I had nearly crashed into him when I felt Tianna ram into me from the side. We both fell on the floor as the guard¡¯s hands swing just above my head. I moaned in fear as I thought  about what would have just happened to me if she hadn¡¯t pushed me away immediately.

    I would have been dead and my head would have been rolling on the floor right now. I pushed her off as soon as the guard started to approach us immediately. With no time to spare, i acted on instinct. There was no time to think, not time to waste or y games here. He was going to die and that had to happen as soon as possible. Ished out with a knife I had concealed in my pocket and sank it into his neck with deadly uracy. He didn¡¯t even realise what was happening until he began to choke on his own blood. His eyes widened in fear as he started to fall on the floor.

    I pulled out the dagger immediately and watched as he started to die.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Tianna said before dragging my hand again. I turned and started to run with her again. We met guards again, but we were able to get past them in the blink of an eye because we were able to organise immediately and do what we had to do. We cut through all of them and saved ourselves when it was desperately needed.

    Desperation lent me strength as I fought to evade being captured. There were a lot of them and they were utterly relentless in their pursuit to capture us. But that was not enough to bring any of us done. We continued to fight and when we crossed the boundary, we set off into a very long run immediately.

    They were hot on our heels but now that we had escaped the boundary, a lot of them would be forced to drop back and guard the Pack I¡¯m case this was an attempt aimed at forcing them out so that their Pack would be attacked. It wasn¡¯t long before they all started to filter out and soon, only two of them were now after us. It wasn¡¯t a relief because I knew Alpha Ryker wasn¡¯t going to back down yet. I knew he was going to send more of his men after us and they wouldn¡¯t stop until they got us.

    It was even more fearful because the guards who had returned now would be able to tell them where we had followed while running. The guards soon started to get closer, and I knew we had to keep running, faster. We refused to give up and soon there was only one guard against us. He was very fast, and soon caught up with us. He came for me first and started by nudging me from behind. I lost my bnce but soon got back on it. He growled when he saw that I didn¡¯t fall.

    He got closer and set out his foot in front of me, causing me to tumble and fall. I crashed on the floor on my stomach and thighs which roughly bursted against the ground . I cried out as the pain sent waves of agony shooting through my body. I tried not to give up but my body was utterly battered. I couldn¡¯t move a single part of my body anymore.

    As I cried in pain, I looked to my side only to see that Tianna was gone, leaving me alone. The guard closed in on me with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Looks like your best friend has abandoned you.¡± He said, before taking out his knife and two broad, strong ropes.

 101

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed as he continued to get closer and closer. Despite the hell of pain I was in, I tried so hard and continued to push myself back, hoping that I would find a way to bring him down before he even knew what was happening. I braced myself for the inevitable as he reached out to grab me. I didn¡¯t let him. I raised my hand and tried to punch him on the face.

    ¡°Not so fast, puny!¡± He growled and grabbed my hand before he gave me a blinding p that dazed me for some time. ¡°There is no need for you to be so troublesome. Maybe I¡¯ll fuck you as a reward before taking you back to the Pack. They say Omegas mewl while getting fucked.¡± A very derisiveughter tore out of his throat as he looked down at me.

    There was a look of pure evil in his eyes and I knew he meant what he just said. I had to do something before he had mepletely chained up.

    ¡°Just leave me alone! It won¡¯t won¡¯t you any good.¡± I growled. He grabbed my jaw as if that wasn¡¯t enough and tied a very strong piece of cloth over it to serve as a makeshift gag.

    ¡°You talk too much. I won¡¯t need you talking when I have you undressed.¡± I tried to speak but nothing came out of my mouth. After that, he grabbed my hands and turned me over. My screaming got more frantic but it was muffled and only a fraction of my voice could be heard. He then started to tie my hands with the rope he had brought earlier. I could feel his ws digging into my hands as it happened.

    ¡°We are all set.¡± He said again before lowering himself towards me to probably grab my behind. That¡¯s when a sh ran across us. Just when thendespair had hit me and I thought every single hope was lost, Tianna leapt into action from nowhere andunched herself at the guard with a ferocity that I had never seen her use before. Before the guard could react, He was already on him.

    She grabbed his neck and twisted it again and again. It gave out a sickening crack before the man crumpled to the ground lifeless. She was breathing heavily when she was done with the man. It seemed she had been going through a lot of work.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked through the gag but it seemed she didn¡¯t understand what I was saying.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you OK?¡± She asked before she went down and began to untie my hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, one of them was after me. I had to lure him into the woods and kill him. Are you hurt?¡± She asked, just when she ripped off the makeshift gag on my mouth. I felt the biting pain on the corners of my mouth.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± I said, before turning over and breathing a huge sigh of relief. She threw the rope on the floor just before she came closer and inspected me. The first ce her eyes went to were my legs because there was blood there.

    ¡°Maya, it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re fine at all.¡± She said, ¡°you are wounded.¡± Her voice was filled with worry.

    ¡°At least, I¡¯m not dead.¡± My breath still came out in fast gasps as I tried to lighten up the mood. I was in pain but I¡¯d been able to endure them with years of training.

    ¡°We need to get out of here before more of theme.¡±

    ¡°Do you think there are still any of them around here? I don¡¯t sense any.¡±

    I said. ¡°Well, you can never be too sure. They could hide their scents. We never know.¡±

    She leaned in and grabbed my hands before she lifted me to my feet. ¡°Aargh!¡± I cried out as I let my weight fall on my legs. I didn¡¯t expect the pain to get much worse in such a short amount of time. There wasn¡¯t a lot of blood but it seemed like it was a deep cut and maybe a bone had also been affected.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She apologised before putting my hand over her shoulder to help me. I gritted my teeth as the pulsating sensation on the lower base of my legs continued to throb frantically. This didn¡¯t look good. That meant that we wouldn¡¯t be able to reach our Pack if there was any other group following us.

    It would take us a lot of time if we went at this pace.

    ¡°We should get as far as possible and find a ce to rest. But we must get where they won¡¯t be able to reach us.¡± I suggested, and she nodded.

    ¡°Yes, you need to recover if we must continue. How fast are you self-healing abilities?¡± She asked. My face tightened as another pain erupted through my legs.

    ¡°Not good¡­. That¡¯s what you get for being Omega¡­ Might take three days depending on how bad it is.¡± I said every sentence in a breath because speaking seemed to increase the pain.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this. Just hang on, I¡¯m sure we will find somewhere suitable soon enough.¡± She said before she continued to lead me through the woods. It was pitch dark now, and the injury had made me feel so hazy, I couldn¡¯t see a lot. She was the one doing the whole work, leading me through the forest while also looking for safe paths that would keep leading us deeper and deeper into the woods.

    The n was to get out of here as soon as I was done recovering and it might take a lot of time while also putting the both of us at risk of being caught by the guards or rogues. I didn¡¯t want to get her involved in this but I needed her right now or I would die. The incident with the guard just showed how powerless I was right now.

    We continued to move until our lungs burned, driven by the urgency of our escape. Finally, when the exhaustion took over us, we arrived at a suitable, secluded grove deep within the woods.

    ¡°This ce should do.¡± She announced,

    I looked up, quickly running my eyes over the ce before nodding. ¡°Not bad.¡±

 102

    MAYA

    She took me  inside right after that and settled me on the floor right after that. I nced down at my leg after she pulled up my dress. There was a deep, leaving gash that marred the skin. It was an angry wound and it wouldn¡¯t stop throbbing relentlessly. Every single movement was met with so much pain. I could only wonder when this was going to end.

    And that time didn¡¯t look like it would be soon. I was in deep shit. With gentle hands and a determined look on her face, she set to work immediately.  She grabbed two sticks from the outside and ced it around my leg to keep it in ce. The pain couldn¡¯t be described. After my legs were firmly set in ce, she started to dress my wound. She tore a strip of fabric from her own shirt and carefully wrapped it around my leg. She tried so hard to be gentle with it but it still hurt immensely. Finally she was able to staunch the bleeding but I knew I was a very long way away from recovering and getting better very soon.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmured as she gently pushed me down to the floor. I stayed down there and breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she had been able to do something about it. I had no idea what I would have done if I was there in the woods alone. Perhaps the guard would have had his way with me and done other things before taking me back. It could have been easily worse than I expected. She nodded just as she began to undress.

    ¡°You need to rest a lot. We¡¯ve escaped the guards for now, but they might stille after us. The Alpha must be doing everything to find you right now. His main intention would be to stop you before you reach the Pack with the news and he doesn¡¯t give up. He chases relentlessly until he gets what he wants.¡± The words had a pang of fear taking over me but I dispelled it immediately, telling myself that we could still get out of this shitty situation in one way or the other.

    After she was done, she changed into fresh clothes and retrieved our belongings from the bag I¡¯d grabbed while running.

    ¡°Did you take anything out of the bag?¡± She asked, looking at me with a worried look on her face.

    ¡°N-no,¡± I stuttered, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her and her eyes widened in fear.

    ¡°I think we are in big trouble. Some of the contents of the bag seemed to have spilled along the way. And they could track us with it.¡± I was horrified when she brought the bag closer so I could see it. She was right, something must have fallen out.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I hissed as I reached for the bag immediately. She handed it over and I began to scour to know if I could find a thing or two. If there was anything that had fallen out, it was going to make it very easy for them to find us and that was something none of us wanted, especially me , considering the situation I had found myself in. I couldn¡¯t run, I couldn¡¯t even crawl.

    When she handed me the bag, I began to rummage through it immediately. Going through everything, I was a bit satisfied that it was full but it felt like something was missing, something important. I could feel the nervous churning feeling in my gut as I thought about it again and again. That was the exact moment I caught a brainwave.

    The map! The fucking map!!

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± The rest of my words trailed off as I continued to search for it. I rummaged frantically now, taking everything out before putting them back again slowly to make sure that I wasn¡¯t seeing things but the moment I was done putting thest object back into the bag, I knew that we were in for a lot of trouble. Tianna was kneeling beside me, looking so worried.

    ¡°We lost the map?¡± She asked as she slowly came to the horrifying realisation. I nodded as I continued to stare at my bag.

    ¡°We lost it, Tianna. We did.¡± I said, nodding as the pang of shock continued to eat me up from inside out.

    ¡°Then what are we going to do? We need to get it back before anyone gets their hand on it.¡± She said, making me remember the contents. It was a very detailed outline of the ck Moon Pack and its fortresses.

    If Alpha Ryker ever got his hands on it, that would be the end of it all. He would use it to his advantage and manipte the war to his advantage. Yes, war could have been a matter of strength and determination, but tactics were one of the most important aspects of it.

    There wouldn¡¯t be much time to redress our fortress and make monumental changes that would help us win the war. What was happening? I looked over to Tianna who looked equally worried. There was no atom of hope in her eyes. It was dead, just like mine.

    ¡°You know what?¡± She said, getting up and looking around. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for it.¡± I shook my head immediately.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t. Don¡¯t even think about it, Tianna.¡±

    ¡°I must do it.¡± She said, already taking her gears with her.

    ¡°This is not a good idea, you¡¯re putting yourself in danger!¡± I warned desperately.

    ¡°You can never be too sure. There might be no guards after us, you know.¡± She said,

    ¡°But there could be rogues. There are many things out here in the woods. Pleasee back.¡±

    ¡°If i don¡¯t do this, a lot of lives would be in danger. I have to do it for the Pack.¡± Before I could utter another word of plea, she disappeared through the space that served as the door. I looked up at the dark ceiling above me, as a spine-chilling breeze swept across the dark void. ¡°Shit!¡±

 103

    3RD PERSON .

    When Tianna went into the night to look for the map, she was already feeling dizzy from doing a lot of work during the day and doing a lot of running that night. It was more than a crazy day with a crazy chain of events that was ruining it for her. However, she knew for a fact that wasn¡¯t going to stop until she had achieved everything she was set out to achieve.

    That was the most important thing and there was no stopping until she got it or maybe, until she reached her limits. She followed the dark path they hade through and kept looking at the ground for any sign of the map. It was a very dark night, so her werewolf abilities were what helped her see through the darkness. She travelled for a long time, but to her disappointment, she found nothing. The map, she thought, might have been blown off the road into the woods, and that could have been the case. Because of the assumption, she decided to return to Chloe and sleep. When she came back, Chloe was fast asleep. Shey beside her and closed her eyes.

    ***

    The next morning, however, one of the boundary guards who had lost track of Maya and Tianna was still wandering through the woods. He was whistling to himself, feeling carefree. Last night he thought he was going to die. Everything that had happened was in a blur. The way Maya had killed their guards, together with her aplice was frightening.

    They were so fast, and evil as well. When he woke up this morning, he knew nothing else could kill him. They were probably far gone now and he had to return to the Pack to give in his reports. That was the moment a very sharp smell attacked his senses. He jammed his nose with his hands immediately and started walking in the direction. He knew what that smell was, so it didn¡¯t surprise him so much, considering that a lot of people had died the night before. He rounded the corner before slowly walking to the creeping nts on the base of arge oak tree overhead.

    That¡¯s when he saw the deceased guard on the floor. He was already rotting away. He peered close and noticed he had died a violent death like the others, probably a broken neck. It was no longer a rare thing for him. He had seen a lot of wars and had fought in them. But what instantly seized his interest was a piece of brown paper beside him. He hurried off and grabbed it before moving away to a safe distance, but not without ncing around him.

    This could have been a trap to lure him in and kill him as well. He looked over the map and reasoned that it must belong to the spy who had fled their Pack, alongside herpanion. To his surprise, it contained a lot about the Blue Moon Pack. He wondered if it was going to be any sort of help to their Alpha. He wanted to drop it but he reasoned that he had to take a report home and give it to the Alpha.

    Gently putting the map in his dress, he started to hurry back to his Pack. He couldn¡¯t wait to have the news scattered around that one of them had survived and he brought a very important stuff home. Upon his return to his Pack, he wasted no time seeking out Alpha Ryker to deliver the crucial information.

    ¡°Alpha, I have found something that may be of importance.¡± He announced while standing on the foot of the stairs that led to the throne where Ryker had been sitting and seething all day. Ryker¡¯s brow came together in concern as he listened to the guard¡¯s report. It sounded good.

    ¡°How did you get that?¡± Alpha¡¯s Ryker¡¯s deep voice echoed through therge room.

    ¡°I wrestled it off the spy while running after herst night. The rest were killed. I was the only person that survived.¡± He lied. The Alpha gave him a cursory look before he gestured to one of the guards beside him to get the map.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    The guard walked down and took it from him before returning it to the Alpha who had looked at it and smiled. It was clearly what he didn¡¯t expect. It seemed to be a pretty good map that would give him a lot of information concerning the ck Moon Pack and he was going to take full advantage of it no matter what. His eyes narrowed as he looked back at the guard again.

    ¡°This could be the key to finding the fugitives.¡± He mused, as he thought about the lot of possibilities that this could offer.

    Without hesitation, Ryker had the guards summoned Orion immediately. ¡°A guard just returned from the boundary and he said that every single man we sent out there to get her was killed.¡± Orion felt a bad feeling creep up his spine. He hid his fears and replied.

    ¡°What does this mean for me? I wished there was another we could do this.¡± He asked, biting back the fear that had already gripped him. Alpha Ryker nodded.

    ¡°Yes, for you¡­¡± He seemed to consider the words. ¡°But in exchange for the lives we lost, I think we got an even better tool now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He handed the map to Orion; he quickly went through it and smiled, but the smile was short-lived when Alpha Ryker spoke to him again.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we are going to abandon this mission. We will still go after her. I¡¯ll have the Prince assemble some of our best trackers. Go after them immediately. I believe they haven¡¯t gotten too far. I think we both have quests now. We have to make sure your Alpha doesn¡¯t get the news that the map is with us, and he doesn¡¯t also need to know about what you¡¯ve done. What do you say to that?¡± He asked.

    Orion nodded satisfactorily.

    ¡°Thank you, Ryker. Consider it done.¡± The trackers were mobilised soon enough and they immediately set off into the woods.

 104

    ORION.

    I had lost every hope before Ryker called me into the Packhouse that morning. I thought she was going to escape after all my attempts to get her. It wasn¡¯t a pleasing thought, considering the number of people who were reportedly dead from trying to catch her. I felt like I needed a more powerful force that would help me catch her without sweating too much, and that was exactly what the Alpha did. He gave me the best of his men. As I led them into the woods, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of our feet as we moved. I barked outmands to the men every now and then just to make sure that they were focused on getting the work done. There was no way we were going to let those two escape us. The pursuit was relentless.

    ¡°Where do we go next?¡± I asked them. This time they didn¡¯t say anything in response. One of the trackers walked up to me. He was a seasoned warrior and there was a glint of defiance in his eyes. He stepped forward and interrupted my orders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s handle this, I think it would be better if you gave usmands about how to fight rather than teaching us how we should do our jobs.¡± He said and before I could react, he reached for the map in my hands and snatched it. It was one that contained the tracks here in the woods. I had made so many assumptions about where they could be hiding somewhere in this vast in of nothing but trees and creepers, and it wasn¡¯t going well at all. Sometimes I suggested that we went east while they told me they sensed that Maya had gone left. It was a very awkward and painful thing to do, but I knew that I had to also listen to them. There were only a few times that my assumptions matched what they were thinking. But I didn¡¯t think it was going to get to the point where I would be forced to give up the map. I bristled at his audacity as my patience started to wear thin.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do? Watch you?!¡± I growled, refusing to relinquish my control to some bitter tracker who couldn¡¯t be patient enough.

    ¡°I am not going to stand by while you take the lead.¡± I added.

    He merely shrugged off my anger as he gestured to the others to follow him. I felt like hurting him when I saw him treat me like I was some inexperienced person.

    ¡°It¡¯s for the best.¡± He mentioned. ¡°With the way we¡¯ve been disagreeing over things here, I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t get anywhere if we continue like this. Trust me, Orion. We know what we are doing, and we will find her. It won¡¯t take us a lot of time.¡± He said, trying to sound as respectful as possible but that didn¡¯t deter me from thinking he wasn¡¯t a spoiled brat.

    Reluctantly, I realised there was nothing I could do about this so it would just be better if I epted what he just said and moved with them, rather than causing problems and arguments. Besides, they wouldn¡¯t even let me take it back. Instead, I just followed, a bit relieved because he had promised they would find her. I hoped that he could keep to those words. If that was possible, then I wouldn¡¯t want anything else.

    I wouldn¡¯t care if he was a spoiled brat or not. We walked for several hours and decided to rest just before dusk. The next morning, we continued our journey. I wished I hadn¡¯te along, but I reminded myself that this was very important. My life depended on it, and Venom wouldn¡¯t think twice about slitting my throat and branding me a traitor before the whole Pack. He deserved everything he was getting now and I would be very pleased the moment Alpha Ryker would get into the Pack and destroy every single soul before making it his. It was still a dream, but I also knew it would happen very soon. I couldn¡¯t wait for it. The promises he had made to me and to my family- they would soon start toe into y.

    I was still swimming in my ocean of thoughts when the tracker who was in front of us raised his hand in a silent signal. Every single person took notice and our relentless march came to a halt. He turned back and whispered.

    ¡°I think we are very close.¡± He sniffed the air again and a smile spread across his lips. There was nothing better than this. Alpha Ryker wasn¡¯t wrong when he spected they haven¡¯t gotten too far yet.

    He seemed a bit nonchnt about it. And that had me wondering if he had only requested to help me out because he didn¡¯t want the news to reach Venom. My thoughts were broken off again when the guard added.

    ¡°I can smell her. Be on your guards.¡± He said to his men who began to get their knives and wolfsbane ready. Trackers were excellent fighters also, so I was expecting this whole thing to be done very soon. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her and Tianna getting tied up and carried back. The thought was heavenly. However, the guard walked towards me.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t join us. You might be hurt. I suggest you wait until we take care of them, then you can walks with us back to the Pack.¡± I felt his brusque words hit me again but I knew there was no need to bring anything up until we were done with this problem.

    The man needed someone to put him in his ce and I would be more than happy to do that. Without another word, I just nodded and slowly walked back. As soon as I hid myself behind one of the trees, he nodded to his men and they began walking towards the narrow path.

    It wasn¡¯t long before they disappeared down the path. I got out and began to follow them again.

 105

    MAYA.

    The moment I was jared from sleep for no reason, I knew that something was very wrong. There was a sense of rm that wouldn¡¯t leave me as Iy there.

    Something was wrong, something wasing for us and despite not knowing what it was, I knew it was a very bad thing. I scanned our surroundings but there was nothing in sight. I even tried to know if I could smell anything, any foreign or dangerous aura but I got none.

    The apprehension was still there and to add to the very bad feeling that I was going through right now, my wolf confirmed my bad feelings as it stirred within me. She was restless and uneasy, and my instincts warned me of imminent danger that wasing.

    As if she knew what was going on, Tianna stirred up from sleep and looked towards me. She immediately brushed her face with the back of her hands as she groaned.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, while staring at me.  I nced around again before telling her about the way I felt.

    ¡°I think something isn¡¯t right. Something is out there in the woods.¡± I said, knowing that there was no way I couldn¡¯t trust myself now. This wasn¡¯t some random suspicious feeling. It was real and I knew it.

    ¡°Can you smell anything?¡± She asked me. I shook my head before trying to move, forgetting that I was wounded. I groaned as the pain returned but I made sure to choke it back by gritting my teeth.

    I couldn¡¯t risk making any noise or shouting because it would be fatal. She got up immediately and looked around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and check it out.¡± Just when she said that, I began to discern a faint scent in the air. They were here. My heart was beating very fast as Iy there, thinking about who wasing. We were in danger and it was at that moment that it struck me that we were actually running away from people.

    ¡°The guards!¡± She walked to the entrance and stood there for a second or two, as if she had noticed the exact same thing. She nced back at me before slowly creeping out. You could barely hear a sound. I remembered her saying something about Alpha Ryker not giving up.

    Perhaps this was the moment that was going to happen. I looked down at my leg and noticed that it was healing very fast, faster than I had imagined but the pain had barely gotten better. It was almost as bad as it was yesterday. I pushed back until my back hit the jagged surface of therge cave, before straddling myself up slowly.

    ¡°Ugggh!¡± I groaned, while biting back the pain. I stood up slowly and began to hop on one foot towards the door. The wound was still pulsating and I knew that it would have been worse if there was nothing she had used to hold both legs together.

    It would have been horribly painful but thankfully, she knew a bit about treatment. Getting to the entrance, Iid back my head on the wall and took several sharp breaths, closing my eyes while hoping that the pain would ebb soon enough.

    Just as I tried moving again, Tianna rushed through the entrance. She looked so worried. I knew at that moment that I had been right all along.

    ¡°Trackers!¡± He gasped with a barely audible voice. Speaking in a whisper wouldn¡¯t be helpful any longer because they were surely going toe in here whether we tried to hide it or not.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I growled. ¡°Where are they?¡± She made for the bags on the floor and slung them over her shoulders.

    ¡°They areing this way. I¡¯m not sure we can go far before theye here. I wish this didn¡¯t happen to you.¡± She said, This is over for me, I just knew it. She had to go and leave me alone, or we both would die.

    ¡°You know what, Tianna.¡± I said to her, shaking my head. ¡°I think you should go. Leave me alone here! I will take care of this, and I promise ill-¡±

    She interrupted immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t evene up with those. Don¡¯t try to be the hero because those bastards won¡¯t think about it before killing you. We need to get out of here, and I don¡¯t care if they catch up or-¡± I cut her short.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start that emotional thing here, okay? If they meet us here, they are going to kill the both of us. You can run and escape but I can¡¯t. In one way or the other, the information must reach Venom. You must tell him what happened here and who¡¯s against us. If you stay with me, and try to save me, I¡¯ll end up dragging the both of us down and I don¡¯t fucking want you to die. Just leave.¡±  I said again, but she didn¡¯t listen to me.

    Instead she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if I leave you here. I can¡¯t let them catch you. I¡¯ll fight if that¡¯s what needs to be done.¡± She added. With the way she was talking, I knew that it was going to be a very hard task trying to convince her to leave. Yeah, she had to leave but she wasn¡¯t having any of it.

    ¡°Why are you doing this, Tianna. This is not the right thing. We don¡¯t have to be emotional over this. Use your fucking head. Do you wanna die?!¡± I growled at her again.

    ¡°These people only want me, they don¡¯t want you. And when they catch us, they¡¯re going to first kill you. And when you¡¯re dead, they¡¯ll take me back to their Pack. You see, that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen if we don¡¯t act immediately. Just leave right now. We have already spent a lot of time arguing. Just get out, Tianna, and don¡¯t stop running until-¡± I was cut off when I heard a loudmand outside the cave.

    ¡°Halt!¡± The booming voice ran out loud and clear. ¡°Take your positions.¡± The manly voice said again, ¡°and make sure nobody inside this cave escapes.¡±

    I felt a very bad feeling course its way down my spine. I turned towards her and asked.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    ¡°How many are they?¡±

    ¡°Four trackers.¡± She said in a breath.

 106

    MAYA.

    Four wasn¡¯t bad to be honest, but trackers were incredible fighters. I reminded myself myself no matter how incredible a warrior was, it would only take a knife to the heart to end their life. There was no mercy we would have on them. We were going to fight and they would die. I grabbed Tianna¡¯s head with both hands and gently lowered my forehead towards hers.

    ¡°Whatever happens out there, make sure you survive. Please!¡± I begged. She nodded. Her eyes were already filling up with tears. After that, we started walking outside. My dagger was carefully concealed in my dress at a very good position.

    While my injury would serve as a distraction to make them think that I was harmless, I would spring up on them and tear anyone in my way to pieces before they knew what was happening. And I also knew that I was going to be in a world of hurt because of my pain. I just had to go through it and endure. We had barely taken a few steps when  I saw a silhouette slowly walk down the entrance of the cave.

    It was a big silhouette, which told me just how big the person we were going to face was. He was burly, and that was a very bad beginning to a fight like this. The man stopped when he noticed the two of us standing there. Even though his face was hidden in the darkness, I would have sworn he smiled when he saw us. We must have looked like two helpless people with no hope of escape.

    Yeah, we were surrounded, but it would take a lot from them before they could do anything. The man slowly crouched and started to approach us menacingly. My hands tightened around my de as I red at him.

    ¡°There is no need for this. We can just not fight. You can take me back to your Pack but you¡¯re going to leave her alone. We don¡¯t need to shed blood.¡± I said, trying to get to apromise even though that would be unreasonable for them. I knew that no matter what I tried to tell them, they would still try to fight. The man stood straight and replied.

    ¡°The instructions were clear. You both areing back with me to the Pack, dead or alive. It is your decision to make me know if you want to die or leave. You¡¯ll end up getting killed either way, but if you want that to happen right now, I will be d to help you with it.¡± I nodded, knowing I was right the whole time.

    ¡°Then fighting it is. Trust me when I tell you you¡¯ll die if you go on with this.¡± I said, but he simply scoffed and replied.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out. You think I came alone.¡±

    ¡°I knew you came with three other trackers.¡± He didn¡¯t look so pleased when I told him that.

    He snarled at me. ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to fight with that on your leg? You have a chance to cut the crap and surrender. ¡± He asked, pointing at my bloodied ankle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± That was the moment the other trackers started to walk down the elevated tform that led to where we were standing right now, about to face off each other. I felt the adrenaline run through me as the man yelled at them to attack.

    While Tianna charged forward and attacked the first man, I stayed back. The two other guys ran towards me from both sides and swung their ss towards me in an attempt to have my head off immediately but I ducked and avoided the blows, making them cut through the air.

    Being on the advantage now, I stuck out my de at the man on my right and punched into his left chest, making sure it went in enough to get him in the heart. He cried out and fell on the floor right away, before falling down, dead. The second man slowly backed off but he wasn¡¯t giving up. I could see the resilience in his eyes. I smiled while looking him in the eye.

    ¡°I could do that to you too. Minding closer?¡± He yelled at my attempts to mock him and approached angrily. I did as I had warned him but this time I¡¯d driven the knife in his cheek, knowing him out for a while before I went for the chest. While trying to finish him off, he began to struggle and seeing my vulnerability, he kicked my leg and I crashed to the floor immediately.

    My dagger ttered across the floor as Iy down there , screaming. It was too much and I couldn¡¯t handle any of it. That¡¯s when I heard Tianna let out a muffled cry.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± The terrifying, burly man yelled before I heard a resounding p. He has caught her. This was the end! The man, after he was done, knowing her down, started to approach me.

    ¡°I told you I was going to get you.¡± He said before his eyes went over the two of his men who I had killed. He was shocked by the sight for some seconds but he did well to hide it. After that he came close enough.

    I was still screaming due to the pain which had reduced now. He leaned close to grab me but I suddenly jutted my hand straight at him and grabbed his shirt. I held him so tight that he couldn¡¯t escape, and when the shirt tried to tear off, I grabbed his wrist.

    ¡°Tianna, run now! Don¡¯t wait for me!¡± I yelled at her. Thankfully she didn¡¯t wait to hear me talk to her again. She grabbed the bag and ran out of the n. The man was livid as he stared down at me.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°What are you doing, leave me the fuck alone!¡± He yelled but that was a great moment for me. Seeing him struggle was a very satisfying moment. I couldn¡¯t help the small smile that crossed my lips.

    ¡°I¡¯d be damned if i did.¡± I chuckled through the pain as I grabbed him even tighter.  With a surge of anger, he gave me a deafening blow on the face and that knocked me out for a few seconds. Seeing that I was helpless, he turned me over, without minding that it hurt so much.

    ¡°I will make sure you suffer for this. And just to inform you, I have another guard out there. I¡¯m sure he must have her by now. You think you¡¯re smart but I have already nned out everything beforeing here. You¡¯re fucked!¡±

    That was thest thing I heard before another strong blow descended upon me.

    And then, there was darkness.

 107

    ALPHA ORION.

    The leader of the trackers wasn¡¯t happy when I told him what had happened. He was so angry and I could swear that if his fellow was here, he would have ripped the man into pieces for letting that bitch slip through. But on another thought, I knew that it wasn¡¯t totally the man¡¯s fault. Tianna was too fast for him. Even though he had been there, waiting patiently patiently to grab whoever that would run out of the cave, she burst through and nearly knocked him down.

    He had lost his footing but grabbed her. She used her ws to slice at his hands, making him scream in pain before leaving her alone. She took the advantage and ran for her life. He stood up almost immediately, enraged, and ran after her.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡± The man asked me before looking at the direction they had followed. I shrugged and shook my head, not knowing what to tell him.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t been too long. Four minutes, five, somewhere there.¡± He shook his head as he heard me say that.

    ¡°Well, there is no way I¡¯m going to wait for him toe back. I lost two men to Maya down there and I need to take her back as soon as possible so the Alpha can do whatever he wants with her. And I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll get her. If he has been chasing her down for the past five minutes, then he isn¡¯t really going to catch her anymore. Who knows, he might be dead.¡± He said, shaking his head mournfully. There was a mncholic tone to his voice now, as if it had already happened.

    There was nothing we could do about this now. Without another word, he grabbed Maya who was on the floor, tied. She seemed to have fainted but was stirring now.

    ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡± I informed him. He looked down at Maya and then back at me.

    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough reason why we can¡¯t stay here any longer. If the other girles back, I might be having a hard time taking care of both.¡± He said before he leaned and grabbed Maya before tanking her over his shoulders. She screamed in pain as he started to walk back to the path we had followed whileing here. I felt so aplished with Maya being caught, and I couldn¡¯t wait for the other tracker toe back with Tianna, dead or alive, I wouldn¡¯t care. I nodded.

    ¡°In that case, let us leave immediately and go back to the Pack. In sure the Alpha must be waiting for us right now.¡± I said, already feeling hopeful of the whole thing. At least, we weren¡¯t going to have our tactics revealed to Alpha Venom, unless Maya had told Tianna everything before now. My thoughts were inherited when she started to scream again. I looked to see her struggling feebly against the tracker who threatened he would hurt her again if she didn¡¯t get quiet. She calmed down immediately and we continued our journey in peace.

    Upon our return to the Pack, Alpha Ryker was waiting for us. He looked so stern, yet expectant.

    ¡°Orion,¡± he greeted, as soon as she was dropped on the floor with a resounding thud. She moaned in pain. ¡°Is this Maya?¡± He asked me. I nodded as I stared down at her inplete disgust.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha Ryker. We caught her a long way away from the boundary. One of the trackers has gone after the other woman. I suppose she should be brought back there very soon, depending on when she gets caught. He nodded and considered what I had just said.

    ¡°What about the others, the other trackers?¡± He asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°She killed them.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    He looked down at her and stroked his jaw thoughtfully. I knew he wasn¡¯t bothered a bit about the death of his men, but instead by her power, the kind of power she had used to defeat the trackers, two of his finests.

    ¡°Take her to prison immediately and make sure there is nothing that will make her escape. In fact, chain her up and have the nurses treat her wounds. We must make sure she recovers fully before the battle. She will be of very good use. I will model her into what I want before the day.¡± He promised and that¡¯s when she began to make a scene, shouting.

    ¡°I will never join you!¡± She yelled, tightening her jaw. Ryker didn¡¯t respond, instead he stared down at her. One of his guards approached and pped her on the face.

    ¡°You dare not talk to the Alpha like that.¡± He yelled at her, before he grabbed her hands and began to drag her towards the entrance of the Packhouse. Other guards joined in to avoid worsening her injury. They carried her and left immediately. After that, Ryker turned towards me with a not-so-pleased look on his face.

    ¡°I must admit, Orion, that I am disappointed in this mission. This wasn¡¯t what I expected when I gave you my best men to bring back the girl and her friend. I wanted both of them back, but you just brought one back and let the other slip through your fingers, and now two of my most important warriors are dead.¡± I countered back.

    ¡°I gave the orders. It was their job to apprehend both women. Maybe you could have sent more of your men while we were going. In that way, nothing would have happened.¡± A very angry look shed across his face immediately.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare give reasons! Do you know what¡¯s going to happen when the other girl gets back to her Pack and tells her Alpha everything? In case you¡¯re not aware. This is not funny at all. If the other tracker doesn¡¯te back between today and tomorrow with that girl, whether dead or alive¡­¡± The rest of his words trailed off. I knew the rest of the words even though he hadn¡¯t said it. I was in big trouble. And it could be toote to make a difference.

 108

    TIANNA.

    I moved stealthily through the woods, looking out in front of me to make sure that the bastard wasn¡¯t around. There was even a chance he could be sneaking up on me, waiting to kill me if I gave him the slightest chance. I couldn¡¯t let that happen, not now, never! Maya and I had been on the brink of a breakthrough but I had fucked it up.

    I¡¯d allowed the man to capture her, and she had sacrificed her safety andfort so I could run for dear life. I didn¡¯t need a seer to ask me to run at that moment. The guilt and worry filled my head. That¡¯s when  I heard something stir in the distance. I bent down immediately and got on my knees.

    I looked around me, scanning to see if it was the tracker or if it was a scared animal that had escaped at the sound of me approaching. Something told me it was the tracker. I didn¡¯t want to take chances so I stayed there and watched. I was still watching when I heard a quick movement behind me.

    I threw myself and rolled over in two, quick sessive motions as that would buy me enough time to face him. His aura attacked my nostrils again. I turned back and found him lurching to grab me. I tried to move out of the way but it was already toote. He grabbed my arm and wrapped his hands around me, lulling me into a right grip.

    Instinct took over as I growled out defiance, before Ished out at his groin with the heel of my foot, aiming his most vulnerable spot. As soon as my legs connected with that area, a pained yell tore off his throat as he released his grip on me immediately before doubling over in agony.

    I took the opportunity immediately, and wasted no time before giving him the final blow. I took out my de from its sheath at my side before bringing it down across his throat. The blood speared and painted the air in its wake. He tried to move but I held him down and started to stab and cut and slice everywhere I could.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Face, eyes, cheeks, nose, I didn¡¯t stop until he was lying there in the pool of his blood.

    Very soon he began to gurgle, and more blood spilled out of his throat. I watched with satisfaction as he crumpled to the floor and his breathing ceased. He died at the spit. But there was no time to celebrate the victory now. I had to go back and get Maya a soon as possible.

    They could be waiting for the tracker who had gone after me, I reckoned, and I could use it to my advantage. Alpha Orion wouldn¡¯t be trouble, so it was going to be Maya and I against the tracker who had proved to be the toughest. I took off immediately, partly happy that I hadn¡¯t gone a very long way. I started to run and didn¡¯t didn¡¯t until I began getting closer to the underbrush right in front of the cave. I crept silently while making sure to look out in front of me in case there was any danger lurking. I was shocked when I finally got back there. Maya was nowhere to be seen. I ran back into the cave after that and found nothing else, just the bodies of the two men she had killed. Panic surged through me as my worst fears became reality.

    They had taken her, I was very sure of it. I knew it was going to be a very bad idea trying to follow her from here onwards, so I had to go back to the Pack and deliver what she had begged me to deliver, the news. She had wanted me to tell Venom about what happened here and who the traitor really was. Also, I had to make sure that I survived. I was grateful that I had the whole of the day to journey back home to the ck Moon Pack if I was fast enough.

    That was enough motivation to keep me going. I turned away from the scene with a heavy heart before I began running. I had to press on as soon as possible and make my actions count in all of this.

    I took little bouts of rest as I made my way back to the Pack. I didn¡¯t stop until it was night, then I napped in a tree branch for a couple of hours before waking up with bleary eyes and continuing my journey.

    I finally got back to the Pack the next day, feeling so terrible. My whole body was aching and I remembered that if Maya and I had rested in that cave till this day, she would have recovered and we would have continued our journey but I guess fate had other ns. Now, we had to make sure that she was rescued.

    ¡°Tianna!¡± One of them approached me, looking at my bloodied dress. He helped relieve the stress by taking off the bag from my shoulders. The dizzy feeling returned but I pushed it away immediately. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The deep baritone asked.

    I blinked furiously before replying. ¡°Take me to the Alpha, right now!¡± I growled, hoping they¡¯d stop asking questions and do as they were told. I had to ry the information as soon as possible.

    The guard nodded before he slung my arm over his shoulder and helped me walk. The balls of my feet were hurting like hell. I just wanted to get in immediately and have some moment of respite from the horrible conditions I¡¯d been put through.

    He led me into the pack, taking me straight to Alpha Venom who was in his office when I walked in. He looked so rmed when he saw me walk in with the guards. I understood how he must have felt, because Maya wasn¡¯t with me.

    ¡°Are you OK?¡± He asked, before looking over at the guards. ¡°You should have taken her to the Packhouse before bringing her here. She looks so hurt!¡± He yelled out but they gave him their reasons.

    ¡°Alpha, she insisted we brought her to you. She has something to tell you.¡± They said, just before he waved them off.

    ¡°Wait outside the door. She needs immediate medical attention.¡± After that he turned towards me and asked me to talk.

    ¡°What happened? What brought you back so soon?¡±

    ¡°We escaped the Pack two days ago at night. And she was captured by the guards yesterday. We killed a lot but she was injured. They have her in their Pack now and something has to be done!¡± I added. The shock continued to spread across his face as he heard the news.

    ¡°I tried to help her, but there were too many of them. She asked me toe back and ry the information. And we found the traitor, it¡¯s Alpha Orion! He realised we knew he was the one and came after us with trackers as soon as we escaped and-¡±

    I felt my vision growing dizzy as the rest of the words stuck in my throat. Soon I found myself falling to the floor. I had no single control over myself now. I was so weak and full of pain. I fell into his arms.

    ¡°Tianna!¡± He yelled, as he tried to rouse me back to consciousness.

    I tried to speak but the words remained there as if they didn¡¯t want toe out. I had no other option but to allow the darkness to take over me.

 109

    ALPHA VENOM.

    As soon as Tianna was hospitalised, our mission started immediately. We were not going to wait for anybody Joe since we had some of the information that we needed. She had been put through a lot of stress and I wondered what Maya could also be going through right now.

    I spent the next few days having rigorous Pack training and making sure that the guards were in the best possible condition. If we were going to stand a chance against Hell¡¯s Pit then we needed it desperately. As soon as they were done with the strict conditioning exercises, I then implemented more and more rigorous exercises into their rooting, including how we were going to attack Hell¡¯s Pit and how we would surround them as soon as we got there.

    We already got information that they were trying to make the first move instead ande to us but I didn¡¯t have the time to wait for them. I was going for them instead and I was going to pour out my soul and heart into the fight to make sure that we won. My men would also do the same, and I hoped the goddess would guide us straight to victory.

    The rigorous exercisessted for the rest of the week and once a full week had passed without Mayaing back, I knew they already had her. There was nothing we could do now other than to move immediately and fight the war that had been brewing between both Packs for a very long time now. That was the only confirmation that I needed to get this started. I immediately called my generals together and we went into a very extensive meeting so we could get our ns for the event together. I didn¡¯t call the council because of Alpha Orion¡¯s actions.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    He hadn¡¯te back to the Pack for over two weeks now. I guess he was stuck back there at Hell¡¯s Pit when he realised that Tianna had escaped him and she had gone back to my Pack. He must have been damned, but I didn¡¯t choose to think about him so much. I was going to give him the worst possible disgrace before killing, as soon as we defeated the Hell¡¯s Pit Pack. There was no messing around with anybody now.

    I had alsounched an investigation for some people to watch the rest of the members of the council to make sure none of them were involved in any rtionship with Hell¡¯s Pit and were secrets feeding them information. Thankfully, none of them had been discovered, which was a good thing. After that, I continued with my speech to my Generals.

    ¡°We cannot wait any longer. We must prepare for war, especially now that Alpha Ryker won¡¯t being anytime soon. He has Maya so there are rumours he has shifted the date so he could tame her and use her against us.¡± There was a collective gasp of horror after I had said that.

    I was d they understood how bad the situation was. I nodded and continued. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to act very fast. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to her, and also, we want to take over Hell¡¯s Pit now that their allies have not yet gathered to join forces with them. They just have their warriors with them. During the battle we are going to need a lot of wolfsbane as that has been proven to be their weakness. So, get ready.¡±

    After the meeting, we began to discuss our encroaching tactics again. My generals offered a lot of insights but in the end, we decided to agree on something. We would take out their men slowly, working our way inside in a cancerous manner and they wouldn¡¯t know what hit them until it finally happened.

    The next day, I had everything rounded off and we began our march down to Hell¡¯s Pit. I made sure to keep a lot of guards and warriors back at the Pack because we needed them. Now that I was gone, some daring Packs, especially the Rogue ones, would try their chances at taking over my Pack and I didn¡¯t want that. It took us a day before we arrived at the borders of the Hell¡¯s Pit. It was at night, so we made sure to stay several miles away from the boundary while some of our warriors went forward to get information concerning the formation of the boundary guards.

    As soon as the guard was back, we made ns on how to sniff them out without anybody noticing. We had to be very silent with all this. After we were done making our ns, we immediately continued our journey. We arrived in a matter of hours and the fight began.

    We did our best to make everything silent but some people had already noticed. As soon as the boundary guards were dead, we continued our journey inside the Pack. It was clear from the way they fought that they didn¡¯t expect what was happening to them. I was very happy that we had been very quiet about it and they never expected our reply.

    The generals and the Alpha were trying to gather his men but we had already infiltrated every part of his Pack, killing every single guard we couldy our eyes on. With the cunning and stealth that we had been able to gather through months of training, I executed what seemed to be the most perfect assault in my most daring mission yet. It was very clear that the goddess was with us.

    As soon as we were done clearing the guards and warriors, we surrounded the Packhouse and began to walk in slowly. In the end, about a hundred of us had went in while the remaining thousands stayed outside, patiently waiting. We were giving the Alpha any chance to escape, and his son as well. It wasn¡¯t long before we found them. Alpha Ryker was very enraged and tried to fight.

    He was able to kill many of my guards but when I intervened and fought him together with my men, we finally got him. I stabbed him in the chest and slit his throat right after that. It was a warning for everyone who thought they could mess with me and get away with it. As soon as he was dead, we took his son who had already surrendered and had him chained up and thrown into the dungeon right after, before rescuing Maya from the prison.

    She was battered when I saw her. I could barely hold the tears as she was taken to the Pack hospital to be treated. Getting outside, we searched the Pack again for any other guards but found none. I decided that was the end, with a smile.

 110

    ALPHA VENOM.

    I was very worried the whole night, because I thought some other Pack would join them and fight against us, even though it was already toote for Hell¡¯s Pit to recover from the assault we hadunched against them. There was nothing they could do toe back now.

    Most of their warriors, guards and trackers, if not all, were dead and gone. I quickly had my men protect the boundary since the ce was now ours. Every single post was guarded as well. The next morning, I was very happy that nothing indeed had happened. I gathered my men and congratted them for what they had done before having them clear the Pack of the dead bodies that were strewn and scattered around the Pack. It was a gory sight but I knew what we had done, and I didn¡¯t regret any of it.

    Hell¡¯s Pit would have never surrendered to avoid spige of blood. The problem with them was the fact that they were a very big Pack, so they thought they could do whatever they wanted and get away with it. Well, that wasn¡¯t for me. I hunted down my enemies and made sure they had a taste of Hell. The victory was more satisfying than anything else because of how quick and silent we had been able to pull it off.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    The guards who were gathered were thrown into a mass grave that had been dug the night before. We paid them theirst respects by saying prayers before burning and closing the grave. It was a very busy day for my men because we spent almost all of it cleaning the dirt that they had here. The blood, and body parts that had been lost during the battle, everything was taken out. I made sure to enforce the rule that Pack members stayed inside.

    Nobody was toe out, or else they would be branded as traitors and killed. I was happy with the way not even a single soul, except my guards, were outside. As soon as that was done, I went to the Pack hospital to get thest thing sorted out. But that didn¡¯t mean Maya was thest thing in my mind. She was the first, but cleansing the Pack and making sure we didn¡¯t have any threats was the most important thing to do.

    If we allowed any Pack toe here and attack, we could be fucked before we knew what was happening. I¡¯d sent a letter home already to have more guards sent here since there was a lot of work to do. The duat soon settled and the chaos of the battle subsided. When I walked through the doorway, I could see the way the nurses and doctor looked at me.

    Yes, they were still angry about what had happened. But I didn¡¯t care at all. That was why I had handed her over to one of my Pack doctors to make sure she wasn¡¯t given any wrong injection that might be very harmful for her. They could easily kill her without thinking twice about it, so I made sure to avoid anything like that.

    I also had some guards watch over Maya and her doctor. I soon found her ward and walked in. She was still prowled on the bed, looking so tired and pretty worn out. I didn¡¯t know what to say as I looked at her there. It was very clear that she had gone through a lot. I took a seat and sat beside her bed before brushing my hands through her hair. I was d that they hadn¡¯t killed her at least.

    That was the most important thing to be grateful for. I leaned in and nted a kiss on her lips and that was the moment her eyes fluttered open. The doctor had said she had been asleep ever since they rescued her. So I guessed she was denied sleep as well. It was just sickening how the people of this Pack, especially their Alpha who gave out the orders, could treat people.

    It was horrifying and that was why I made sure not to spare them when I got the chance to defeat them. I made sure to wipe out every single person I couldy my eyes on. It was the most satisfying thing to do because, now, they were getting a taste of their own medicine. I couldn¡¯t wait to get everything sorted out. I leaned down towards her and kissed her again. I watched as her eyes blinked, as if in confusion.

    She looked at me for some time before swerving her head to the and looking around the room. Then she looked back at me ¡°V-venom?¡± She asked. The tears were already gathering in her eyes. ¡°Tell me this isn¡¯t a dream.¡± A smile spread across my face as I grabbed both sides of her head gently and kissed her passionately without any care in the world. She might have been through a lot but she had withstood their evil treatments and came out strong.

    There was nothing better than that aside from winning the war. When we pulled out, we were breathing heavily already. Her chest rose and fell as she stared at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming, Maya¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡± I said, trying to kiss her again but she held out a hand and sat up on her bed.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening.¡± She said, looking around to ascertain if this was real or if she was in a dream. I knew how she felt, and it wasn¡¯t surprising for someone who had been tortured beyond words. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.

    ¡°Yes, it is. We attacked Hell¡¯s Pitst night. And you were rescued immediately. Alpha Ryker is dead and his son has been imprisoned. You¡¯re safe now.¡± I said to her, before taking her hands. She was still looking around the room, lost.

    She had no idea what was happening, but she was fine. And even though I wanted to look serious, I couldn¡¯t deny howical this looked.

 111

    ALPHA VENOM.

    After some time she looked towards me and a small smile began to creep up her face. She was slowly beginning to believe what I had just told her, and there was nothing better than that.

    ¡°It¡¯s real.¡± She whispered, while still looking. I squeezed her hands and replied.

    ¡°Yes, it is real. We will have nothing to worry about anymore.¡± I said before I got closer and wrapped my hands around her in a warm hug. Pulling out, she put her hands around my face and kissed me deeply. I responded, and it took a lot of restating myself not to go further than that.

    Those nights we made love to each other came crashing back in my mind. I missed her feel, her touch, her lust-filled words as I entered her and fucked the braincells out of her. And I wanted her so much right now, but I knew I had to wait. The most important thing was to see her recover and nothing else.

    Our kiss was interrupted when the door swung open. I looked back to see the doctor at the door. His face lit up the moment he saw the little proximity between us.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m interrupting a good moment.¡± He asked jokingly but I shook my head with a smile and waved him on.

    ¡°No,e in.¡± He ambled towards me and greeted the both of us.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± He said, ¡°I hope you feel better because you needed the long rest you had.¡± Then he turned towards me and shook his head sadly.

    ¡°She has been through a lot. But she¡¯s strong.¡± He said, before giving an insight of what her body had been through during the weeks she had spent in prison. I turned to her and asked if it was really that bad. She nodded her head with a very sad smile on her lips.

    I shook my head and clenched my jaw, wishing I could resurrect those guards and kill them a second time. They had the guts to treat my woman like that. That was why they deserved nothing but death and suffering. But I wasn¡¯t that kind of person though.

    Even though their Aloha had been a very terrible person, I wasn¡¯t going to shift that to the Pack members. They were going to live their normal lives without being attacked by anyone, unless they tried to revolt against me. That would he the worst decision they could ever make because I wasn¡¯t scared of genocide.

    They could bring it on if they wanted but they should be ready to face the consequences that came with it. I was jarred out of my angry thoughts when I felt her hands on my neck again. I swerved my head around immediately, before kissing her, not minding that the doctor was there.

    ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± She asked. ¡°Is everything OK?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Just thinking about how to make those bastards pay for it again, but they¡¯re dead now.¡± I told her.

    A smile crept up her lips before she stroked my chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. The most important thing is that you defeated Hell¡¯s Pit, even though I don¡¯t know how you did it. For some reason, this still feels like a dream.¡± She added.

    Iughed and replied. ¡°A dream, yes, because not most alphas can boast of achieving something like this. You have to understand that I put my blood and sweat into this. I thought about you, and you were more than any other form of motivation for me. I love you, Maya.¡± We kissed again, passionately until the doctor cleared his voice. We slowly pulled out again.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait for some time, Alpha. What she needs now is recovery and I¡¯ll take care of that. However, there is another I¡¯d like to bring to your notice.¡± He was beaming from ear to ear. I didn¡¯t know why but I guessed he had some very important news.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Maya asked, before we both exchanged very meaningful nces. The doctor took out a brown envelope and handed it over to me.

    ¡°I wanted to bring it to the Packhouse but you insisted that I stayed here.¡± I took the envelope and looked up at him.

    ¡°What is in here?¡± Another smiled crossed his face as he shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d want you to see it yourself. It¡¯s a very big surprise but if you insist-¡±

    ¡°I insist.¡± I shot back immediately but Maya held out her hand towards him.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t say it.¡± Then nudging me, she continued.

    ¡°Why are you trying to ruin the mood?¡± She took it from me and opened it immediately. She took out a white paper from it and scanned it. Then her eyes widened in shock before she suddenlyunched towards me and grabbed my sides. I hugged her back before ncing back at the doctor. He shrugged.

    ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± I questioned, reaching for the white paper. I took it up and read through it. Chloe was pregnant!

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± I eximed as my hands flew to my mouth to stop me from screaming. Chloe was shedding tears of joy now and I couldn¡¯t help but wipe the tears with kisses. I couldn¡¯t believe we¡¯d survived all this, and her baby was just as fine. I turned to the doctor.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Is the baby OK?¡± I asked, worried that the baby might have been affected because of the things she¡¯d gone through in the hands of those bastards.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. There are noplications whatsoever. And that¡¯s why I suggest you let her rest. But be here everyday to give her the emotional support she needs.¡± I thanked him after some time, and decided to leave and attend to other things.

    But as soon as I stepped outside, I was approached by one of the guards who greeted me. And from the way he smiled, it looked like he had good news.

    ¡°Alpha, we¡¯ve found the traitor, Orion.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t wrong.

 112

    ALPHA VENOM.

    ¡°Leave me alone. Get your dirty hands off me right now or you won¡¯t like what I will do to you!¡± Orion was screaming in pure, unbridled fury as the guards did their best to restrain him. He must have been very hysterical because he knew what wasing for him after this. I knew he couldn¡¯t believe what just happened, that the Pack had fallen. I approached the scene, feeling so happy and satisfied with how my guards were handling the situation.

    They kicked him from all sides, calling him a disgusting pig.

    He kept on making threats. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop that right now, I will-¡± ¡°You will do what?¡± I asked, interrupting him immediately. He looked up in fear and bowed his face in shame as soon as he saw me.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Are you shy?¡± I taunted, getting closer to him. ¡°I can exin, Alpha Venom.¡± He cried as my guards began tough. He¡¯d been full of himself some seconds ago and now he was on his knees begging to be heard.

    ¡°What do you want to say, Orion. Don¡¯t tell me you are trying to beg me to release you.¡± I said, wondering what he wanted to and remembering he deserved a very painful death for the pains he had caused me and my pack.

    ¡°Just kill me, Alpha. Please!¡± He pleaded, but I shook my head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t grant you that. You¡¯ll die in a very horrifying way, maybe not the most horrifying. But I¡¯ll do my best and give it a shot.¡± I turned to my guards and asked.

    ¡°Where did you find him?¡± Theyughed as they replied. ¡°He was hiding in the maid¡¯s quarters. In a closet. His aura was quickly detected.¡± I nodded.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Good job. Chain him up. I can¡¯t wait to start.¡± I walked to the Pack¡¯s armoury and took out a very sharp dagger that would be very instrumental right now. I had him stripped naked and after that, decapitated his fingers and toes one after the other.

    He screamed through the whole thing, and that was what I wanted to see. After all twenty fingers and toes were out, I had my men tie him to a horse after which he was dragged around the Pack. He could have died but he was an Alpha, so it would take a lot of time, because he wasn¡¯t stabbed to the heart or beheaded.

    When the horse was stopped, he could barely stand but he was still very aware of what was going on around him. I took him to the execution field as soon as that had ended and handed him a sword. I wanted to spice things up a little bit before killing him.

    ¡°If you want me to spare your life, you have to fight me.¡± He stretched his hand to take it but lost his bnce and fell. Then he screamed in pain as his stumps of fingers connected with the ground.

    ¡°Kill me! I don¡¯t have any other life to live.¡± He begged. But I shook my head again.

    ¡°No, I can spare your life if you pick up the sword and fight.¡± I said and watched as he stood up in excruciating pain, one that was well deserved. After he got back on his feet, he stretched his hands to take the sword despite the pain. I shed his hands and cut off his wrist, causing him to fall to the floor, telling yet again.

    ¡°What were you even thinking?¡± I taunted and watched him scream and scream until his voice had gone hoarse. Looking at him now, anybody would hardly recognise that he was the same man I¡¯d caught this morning.

    I went on with the other wrist, and then both legs, before cutting his tongue off. He was almost dead after I was done with him, so I guessed it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to finish him off. My men had him tied to a post in the centre of the field. Not longer after, vultures began to arrive to feast on him.

    It was more satisfying than seeing Alpha Ryker die after I had plunged the sword into his chest. The next day, his body was burned and his ashes scattered into the river. I prayed to the goddess not to get anyone like him ever again whole thanking her for the protection I¡¯d received this whole time. If not because Maya had told Tianna about it, nobody would have known and he might have been back to the Pack to finish the whole setup before Alpha Ryker attacked. But I had gotten there before him, and now was my time to relish the victory.

    After that was finished, I knew I no longer had any enemies, except their Prince who was still in prison. I waited the whole week until Maya fully recovered. We began making ns about how we would rule the Pack. In the end, after her begging me not to kill the Prince because of how he had helped her, I decided to exile him and swear him to an oath that he would die if he dared step back into Hell¡¯s Pit or the ck Moon Pack. Nobody messed with oaths, and he took some time before he swore to it.

    When he was gone, Maya decided I handed the Pack to whoever I wanted because we both were meant to rule the ck Moon Pack.

    But before that, we got information that the missing children had been found. They were taken care of immediately and prepared to be taken back to our Pack to meet their families. I decided to hand the Pack over to one of my generals, Edward, who had proved to be the most trustworthy person I¡¯d ever worked with. He had been there for me through thick and thin and has proffered several battle techniques, including the one that won us the war.

    I knew he would be able to rule, while still answering to me. Maya said it was a good idea and I had him installed as the Alpha the next day. The day after, we returned to the ck Moon Pack. Tianna was already healed and she was installed as one of the new Pack generals. It was a dreame true, but we went through a lot to get here.

    I was happy that the people I¡¯d lost during the course of this long fight weren¡¯t in vain. I knew I had avenged their deaths and brought back bnce and peace to the world. With our baby on its way, I knew there was no other story that was perfect like ours.

    EPILOGUE.

    Ed was doing a very good job at the Pack, rebuilding a lot of structures and improving the lives of the people. But it didn¡¯t happen without some problems. The people had been rebellious at first, but he managed to control the situation and ask them to give him some time.

    Well, he changed the Pack into a better ce. The boundary was now protected with a veryrge and strong wall that surrounded the Pack, refusing the influx of strangers who could be dangerous. Everything was under control and there was no better news than that.

    Eight monthster, Maya gave birth to twins without any form ofplications, just as the doctor had promised. This added the joy that they were reeling from. It was a moment of pure bliss and for the first time in a very long time, Venom found himself on the verge of tears.

    Life was just perfect right now, it was just pure bliss. He didn¡¯t know how to thank the goddess enough for the protection and the way they had been able to crush their enemies and rescue Maya, together with others that had been taken during the course of the heated times between them and Hell¡¯s Pit which was now called ¡°Crimson Moon Pack.¡±

    Alpha Venom hosted a week of non stop celebration after her delivery, which just mirrored his happiness.

    Their babies were named Aiden and Athena. And they couldn¡¯t wait to bring them up in the order that they were going to set for the future generations toe.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!