《Rejected His Miracle Luna (Dorothy and Ignatius)》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    €57%


    There are nightwalkers of all shapes and sizes that roam the earth when the moon is full. Bats and


    jackals, bears and cats. Vampires, so unnatural in their beauty and strength. But none are more


    powerful than the wolf shifters. With both instinct and human intelligence, so intertwined with nature


    and humankind itself, we are more of this earth than you are.


    I don¡¯t remember much of my mother or pack, but I remember her stories of our kinds¡¯ abilities and the


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    enemies that gue us. Not wholly evil, and not entirely good, those tales haunted my nightmares and


    dreams alike for years after I was too old for bedtime stories and forgot my mother¡¯s face entirely.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    -Dorothy-


    I awoke that morning with a twisting knot of anxiety in my stomach. I rolled onto my side under the


    covers and clung to my pillow tightly before heaving in a deep breath and getting up. Today was my


    eighteenth birthday. Today, I would find my mate.


    Standing up I examined myself in the mirror, frowning at the spindly pale girl gazing back at me. I


    wondered if a mate would reject their match based on looks alone. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail


    before exhaling through my nose and letting it fall loose around my shoulders again.


    The bright red locks only made me look paler. I could sense my mate, it seemed they were nearby.


    If they didn¡¯te looking for me there was a good chance I would find them first their scent almost


    ptable on my tongu Already my inner-wolf seemed to crave. them, rearing to seek them out.


    Whoever it was.


    I could sense something odd about my new mate. While all the desire and enthrallment were present


    on my side, something about their energy felt off. Things were off to a great start, I thought, tensely


    pulling at a strand of hair.


    Despite my nervousness, I couldn¡¯t help the excitement bubbling up inside. my chest. I had waited for


    this day since I had been old enough to understand the mating call. I had wanted this day since I was


    old enough to want for anything. To be wanted¡­


    I was snapped out of my pondering by a quiet knock on my bedroom door. Anita, my current caretaker


    poked her head in and gave me a small smile.


    ¡°Today¡¯s the day,¡± Anita didn¡¯t step into the room ¨C the rtionship too short and unfamiliar for


    affections of any kind, ¡°Are you excited?¡±


    I turned back to the mirror and glowered at my reflection.


    ¡°More like sick to my stomach. What if they don¡¯t like me?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Anita tutted, brushing the air, ¡°Whoever it is, they¡¯re your mate. And besides, you¡¯re a


    beautiful girl on top of all that spu nk of yours.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. Passed around from foster home to foster home, I had only known


    Anita for a little over a month at that point, but her kind words eased my quivering nerves slightly.


    Anita promised to whip up an extra special breakfast ¨C ¡°waffles and hashbrowns!¡± ¨C before leaving me


    to get ready for college.


    1/6


    11:41 Thu 25 an


    Alone and overwhelmed again, I was torn between putting on my best outfits and attempting some kind


    of make-up endeavor, or treating today like any other day and donning my regr jeans and turtleneck.


    In the end, I went for my standard attire with some added rings and nes to convey some sort of


    actual effort.


    Lastly, I swept my fiery hair into a rough braid and pinned the loose wisps back with a collection of


    different colored clips. After forcing down a bite or two of steaming waffle I assured Anita I would have


    the rest when I returned and headed out to campus.


    The local college was a ten-minute walk from my current home and I spent the entire trip going over


    introductions in my head.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Dorothy. I¡¯m your mate.¡±


    Sounded way too formal.


    By the time I had made it to campus, I was a quaking bundle of nerves. I wasn¡¯t even entirely sure that


    my mate went to this college. Although considering it was the only college attended by every young


    wolf-shifter of the nearby packs, it was highly likely.


    On top of that, my inner-wolf grew even more agitated the second I stepped inside. My mate was close,


    I could smell the hint of pine and englewood in their scent.


    Before I had half a chance to look, it was time to head to ss. I spent the first hour relentlessly


    gnawing on the end of my pen and meticulously fiddling with my braid until the whole thing looked like a


    fra zz led mess. All the while running through various introductions to no avail.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Dorothy. I think I¡¯m your mate?¡±


    Too timid. I groaned loud enough to startle the dozing boy sitting next to me and plopped my head


    down onto the desk in defeat.


    After two more hours of barely containing my growing excitement, I was finally free to stalk the campus,


    following theforting scent of my soon-to-be mate.


    I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with the other students who jostled around me in the


    corridors. I wasn¡¯t particrly popr at this school and people passed me by like I was invisible.


    The scent was stronger now, I knew my mate was close. Turning a corner I shivered in anticipation. My


    legs felt like jelly and my small bites of breakfast were threatening to crawl back up my throat. Then,


    suddenly, there he was. I knew he was my mate the second Iy eyes on him.


    2/6


    He was leaning against the wall in front of me, flipping through a stack of notes like he didn¡¯t know what


    else to do with himself. Johan, a gentle Beta of the Kall Pack ¨C it was very likely that he didn¡¯t know of


    me at all. But I knew him. I was also ufortably aware that his girlfriend was the prettiest she-wolf in


    their pack.


    I was stunned. I stood there for a moment, mouth agape, staring at the boy in front of me. He hadn¡¯t


    noticed me yet ¨C but surely he could sense me?


    ¨C


    Johan ran a hand through his hair short wavy locks the color of wheat and continued flipping through


    pages with a furrowed brow. My courage failing me, I took a small step back.


    My inner-wolf raged in response but my mind was suddenly flooded with doubt. Why couldn¡¯t he sense


    my presence? Maybe he could, but didn¡¯t want to acknowledge me. Surely he would leave his girlfriend


    now that it was clear that I was his true mate? I took another step back into the shadows of the hallway,


    preparing to leave.


    Suddenly, Johan raised his head and looked straight at me. Gentle brown eyes locked with mine and


    he gave a half-smile that entuated the dimple in his cheek. Overwhelmed and caught off guard, I


    turned tail and sprinted back down the way I¡¯d


    It was all too much. I couldn¡¯t think straight. A million thoughts shot through my mind as I ran, my


    sneakers squeaking on theminated floors.


    Johan was perfect. He was soft and kind and absolutely gorgeous. But he wasn¡¯t mine. Fighting back


    tears as I made my way to the bathrooms, rushing into a cubicle and mming the door shut behind


    me.


    I pressed my forehead to the cool concrete of the stall and tried to organize my thoughts. Johan was


    my mate ¨C Johan knew that I was his. He had to. But Johan also had a girlfriend ¨C Mavis someone who


    was miles ahead of me in terms of looks, status, and charisma. Mavis who, along with her posse of


    beautiful airheads, had bullied me since I had joined their pack as a kid.


    I slid to the floor and put my head on my knees. I thought I would be ready for this day. Today was


    supposed to be perfect. Today I was supposed to finally belong somewhere.


    A few treacherous tears escaped and slid down my cheeks. I wiped them away roughly and sniffed. A


    sudden knock on the cubicle door had me jumping in my skin.


    ¡°Um, Dorothy?¡±


    A quiet voice from the other side, a voice like milk and honey, ¡°Hey, um, Dorothy could youe out


    here? I promise I won¡¯t bite.¡±


    I could hear the grin in Johan¡¯s voice at thatst part. His scent, so close and


    14:44 Thu, 25 Jan G


    the door slightly. I peaked out at the boy standing at the door, and he chuckled at my dramatic pouting.


    ¡°Geez, you run away and frown at me before we¡¯ve even been properly introduced?¡±


    His words were chiding but his tone was light and there was a humorous glimmer in his eye. I swung


    the door fully open and came to stand in front of him. I stared down at my shoes, hoping he wouldn¡¯t


    notice my reddened eyes.


    ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    I still didn¡¯t, really. Standing before this beautiful boy, my true mate, all of my confidence went out the


    window along with my ability to form sentences.


    ¡°Well, we can start slow,¡± Johan offered me his hand, ¡°Would you mind if we talk somewhere else? As


    much as I¡¯d love to hang around the girl¡¯s bathroom I don¡¯t think thedies will be particrly happy


    with my being here.¡±


    Dumbfounded, I took Johan¡¯s hand and let him guide me out of the bathroom and through the throngs


    of students towards the small indoor garden.


    He sat down on the creaking wooden bench and gestured for me to join him. I plonked down next to


    him and immediately berated myself men tally for not even trying to be graceful. Johan didn¡¯t seem to


    mind though and he leaned back on the bench, folding his arms and coc king his chin to gaze at me.


    ¡°So¡­ my name is Johan-¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help a shortugh, cutting him off, and waved my hand to dismiss his introduction.


    ¡°I know who you are. Everyone here knows who you are. You¡¯re the pack¡¯s golden boy with the


    bombshell girlfriend and a father on the council. I would have been living under a rock all this time if I


    didn¡¯t know your name.¡±


    Johan smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Okay, my reputation precedes me, it


    would seem.¡±


    I breathed a quiet sigh of relief that my interruption didn¡¯t seem to offend him.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Johan continued, ¡°You¡¯re Dorothy right? I¡¯ve seen you around campus a few times,¡± He


    I blushed brighter than my locks at thatment and twisted my braid between my fingers. We spoke


    for a while, I exined that I had been moving between foster homes. since I¡¯d been left with the pack


    as a small child.


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    Johan told me about his father¡¯s strict parenting thatnded him with his ¡°golden boy¡± persona in the


    first ce.


    As we talked, I felt myself begin to rx,fortable in Johan¡¯s calm presence. The excitement I had


    felt earlier that morning was back and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. openly while speaking with my true


    mate.


    Johan spoke with aid-back, boyish attitude and waved his hands around while describing how he


    and an old friend had once been chased around the woods by a jackal they¡¯d mistaken for a wolf-shifter


    when they were children.


    I in turn gave him a dramatic retelling of the story about a pet frog I¡¯d once had and how it had gotten


    into one of my caretaker¡¯s handbags on their big, fancy date night.


    After a while, Johan¡¯s tone grew more serious and he took my hand in his. I felt pric kles of electricity


    where his skin touched mine and I looked into his chocte brown eyes in carnest. This was it. He was


    going to ept me as his mate.


    I could barely contain my excitement and I could feel my inner-wolf singing in my chest. Johan¡¯s


    expression, however, was puzzling ¨C almost sympathetic.


    ¡°Dorothy, you¡¯re beautiful. You¡¯re ¡®perfect¡¯. I can feel the connection we have and I know now that you


    are my true mate. You always have been. But¡­¡± he hesitated. wincing like the words hurt to force out,


    ¡°But I already love someone else ¨C Mavis, her and I¡­ we promised we¡¯d stay together.¡±


    It felt as if a carpet had been pulled from beneath my feet but instead of the ground, there was only


    open space. I pulled my hand away from Johan even though it pained me to do it.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    My voice cracked slightly, and my eyes pr icked with tears once more.


    Johan¡¯s face contorted as he fought to keep his voice steady, ¡°Dorothy¡­¡±


    I leaned away from him, shaking my head and covering my face with my hands. I didn¡¯t want to hear it.


    I couldn¡¯t. Johan took my face in his hands, using a thumb to wipe a tear that was trailing down my


    cheek.


    ¡°Dorothy, I can¡¯t ept you as my mate. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Johan held onto me as I burst into tears, burying my face in his chest and soaking in his scent while I


    still could.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    -Dorothy-


    It was a long while before my wailing petered out into quiet s obs. I leaned into Johan who had his arms


    around me, stroking my hair and cradling my shaking frame. I inhaled against his neck and clutched the


    fabric of his shirt with trembling hands.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t reject me yet. Not today.¡±


    My voice was h oa rse, a little more than a whisper as I clung to him, ¡°Let me at least have today, even


    if it¡¯s fake.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t fathom a rejection so monumental. Not here, alone on campus where everyone could witness


    the aftermath. And not today it was too much to bear.


    Johan was silent for a moment, rocking me gently as he thought it over.


    ¡°Alright. Not today.¡±


    He squeezed my shoulders tightly before releasing me and standing up, going. Again, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°I should get


    He reached out as if to touch my hair, but drew his hand away abruptly, shoving it into his pocket


    instead. Turning with jerky movements, Johan left the garden and disappeared into the bustling corridor


    without another word.


    I stared after him, motionless and empty. My inner-wolf cried in anguish deep inside of my chest. I felt


    numb, my tears used up, and what little hope I had left was shattered entirely.


    A part of me wanted to scream and cry for Johan toe back. To beg him to stay. But I was


    exhausted, and the small voice in the back of my mind was whispering that I shouldn¡¯t have expected


    anything else. That I would never be wanted. That I would never belong.


    Heaving myself off the bench, I left the garden on legs that felt like lead. The thought of more sses


    after what had just happened was unbearable. I slipped out of the college instead and headed towards


    the woods just outside of campus. Going home wasn¡¯t an option either.


    Although Anita would be understanding, her sympathetic smile would only make me feel worse. In that


    moment, I just wanted to be alone. I scuffed my sneaker on the tarmac and inhaled the fresh scent of


    the woods before me. Pine and Engelwood, just like him. I pushed the thought from my mind.


    Before I could make it to the woods, however, I heard multiple sets of footsteps.


    1/6


    14:45


    catching up behind me and turned to see five of Mavis¡¯s crew heading my way. Why


    now?


    I contemted running, but among the group, I¡¯d spotted Lana, who, with her long. slender limbs and


    athletic abilities had always managed to run me down before.


    I didn¡¯t see this time going any differently. Instead, I slowed my pace and let them catch up with me,


    forming a half-circle between their prey and the forest. I folded my arms. and prepared to defend


    myself.


    ¡°Hello, gingersnap, what has you running out here with your tail between your legs?¡± udia, the


    speaker in question, donned a malicious fake smile while she blinked at


    me.


    ¡°Well hello udia, why don¡¯t you mind your own business for once?¡± I sneered back, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Mavis


    need her guard dogs today?¡±


    I hoped they couldn¡¯t hear the tremble in my voice. Hoped they wouldn¡¯t notice my puffy eyes and tear-


    streaked face.


    Hatred shed in udia¡¯s eyes and she prodded my chest with one perfectly


    manicured nail, ¡°I heard someb*dy found her mate today,¡± she said in a sing-song voice and poked me


    again, harder this time.


    I smacked her hand away. ¡°That¡¯s got nothing to do with any of you.¡±


    dia retracted her wed hand and coked her head to the side. ¡°Oh, but it does. I heard you were


    getting quite


    Ozy with Johan over in the gardens earlier. And Alissa said she even saw the two of you leave the


    bathroom together. Didn¡¯t


    you Alissa?¡±


    She looked over at the bottle blonde to her left who shrugged and nodded vaguely like the entire


    conversation disinterested her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, he doesn¡¯t even want -¡± My words came out jumbled and I cut myself off,


    unable to voice the painful truth.


    udia made no effort to conceal the joy this torment brought her. A cold grin settled across her face.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want you.¡±


    With that, I decided I had had enough. I pushed past the tall girl and made for the canopy of the forest.


    udia clearly wasn¡¯t letting me go that easily though and she gripped my shirt at the shoulder,


    yanking me backward and sending me to the ground before I could steady myself.


    udia was strong. Inhumanly strong. She was using the strength of her inner-wolf and she was all the


    more dangerous for it.


    257%


    Inded on my back and immediately tried to scramble to my feet only for udia to deliver a sharp


    kick to my stomach with her pointed boot. I buckled, winded, and copsed to my knees. I had no time


    to gasp for air before Lana delivered another kick. to my side, and sent me sprawling on the tarmac


    again.


    udia reached down, grabbing my hair, and yanked my head up to face the girls. ¡°We couldn¡¯t care


    less about you or who you decide to pine over. But you got a little too close to Mavis¡¯s man and we


    can¡¯t allow that.¡±


    With that, she mmed my head against the ground causing stars to explode across my vision and


    blood to pour from both my nose and a nasty new g ash in


    my brow. The girls continued their assault, taunting and jeering while I curled up on my side in an


    attempt to protect myself.


    I could barely think straight, my mind was foggy and I cried out at every jab and kick that hit its mark. It


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    felt like they were aiming to kill. I had endured their torment time and time again but this time they


    weren¡¯t holding back.


    The attack went on for what felt like forever when suddenly, through the fog I heard a new voice speak


    up.


    ¡°What the f uck is going on here?¡±


    A voice so low and dangerous. A voice like ice.


    The girls halted their attack and a new scent washed over me overpowering and intoxicating, it was a


    musky rose with the echo of a sea breeze. I couldn¡¯t see this new stranger from my fetal position on the


    ground but I could sense him with every fiber of my being.


    The hair on my neck rose and my heart slowed into deep rhythmic beats that reverberated through my


    entire b*dy.


    ¡°Who are you supposed to b-¡°I heard Lana start before she was abruptly cut off by udia.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Now.¡±


    There was genuine fear in her voice.


    my


    I could hear them hurry away, and unfolded myself to catch a glimpse of the stranger who¡¯d saved me.


    The blood from the wound to my head had dripped down into eyes and made it difficult to see. I


    squinted in the direction of the dominating scent and feebly rubbed at my eyes.


    Standing over me was a boy whose appearance matched the tone of his voice. Cold, and unsettling.


    His hair was snow white and ruffled like it was caught in a perpetual gust of


    3/6


    145 TTH, Ba Lan


    wind. Dark brows furrowed over piercing blue eyes that were gazing down intently at


    me.


    ¡°Who argh!¡± I tried to get to my feet but a sharp fiery pain in my side kept me down.


    ¡°Try not to move too much.¡± The stranger knelt down and slid a hand between my head. and the rough


    ground, ¡°Looks like they did a number on your ribs.¡±


    I winced as he tilted my head slightly to examine the bleeding cut, ¡°Didn¡¯t go easy on your face either,¡±


    he remarked dryly.


    I groaned as another sharp pain shot through my side. The bleeding from my nose had slowed but


    there was no doubt that I looked like a go d-awful mess.


    ¡°Someone should see to that. Do you think you can stand?¡±


    The stranger frowned as I tried to get to my knees and failed miserably, clutching my side and moaning


    in frustration.


    ¡°Guess not. Why did those girls have it out for you anyway?¡± he asked while slinging my arm over his


    shoulder and lifting me to my feet. He went a step further and swung an arm under my knees, lifting me


    off the ground and cradling me in his arms.


    He took care to be gentle around my aching ribs and headed back towards the college. campus. Too


    tired and injured to be embarrassed, I rested my head against his chest ¨C a chest like warm marble.


    ¡°They¡¯ve never really needed a reason to do what they do.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel like exining the truth. I had had enough humiliation for one day without. exining my


    mate¡¯s rejection to an odd stranger. The answer seemed satisfying enough to him though as he shook


    his head in disgust.


    ¡°Typical. Anyway, we need to get you to a doctor. Make sure nothing is broken.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    I was only half-listening, fatigue catching up with me after the events of the day. On top of that, I found I


    was quite enjoying this boy¡¯s strange scent.


    Another wave of pain snapped me out of my trance and I swiveled my head to gaze up at the guy¡¯s


    face. From this angle, his jawline looked like the edge of a cliff. Everything about him seemed sharp


    enough to cut.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± I asked tentatively. I¡¯d never seen him around before. I was sure I would have


    remembered a face like that.


    ¡°Ignatius. I¡¯m from the Allied Pack further North but my father is down here for an


    1445 Thu, 2 an B


    Elders meeting. Thought I¡¯d tag along and visit some old friends.¡±


    He nced down, raising one dark eyebrow at me, ¡°And who are you, little Miss five-


    on-one?¡±


    His gaze


    had my stomach twisting in knots and my inner-wolf was stirring in response. to this new anomaly. I


    forced my suddenly gaping mouth closed and looked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m nob*dy special.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange name.¡±


    His tone was somehow t and slightly amused simultaneously. I glowered at his small smirk, wiping


    my nose where fresh blood was drizzling out.


    ¡°My name is Dorothy. I¡¯m a part of this area¡¯s pack but not really. And this morning I had waffles and


    syrup for breakfast.¡±


    I turned my nose up and faced away from him again, determined to not share any more of my


    incredibly mundane current life.


    After a few more minutes of silent walking and being carried around like a sack of delicate potatoes, I


    asked, ¡°Do you, like, have a car, or do you n to walk us to the hospital?¡±


    Without answering, Ignatious rounded the corner with me and fished a set of car keys. out of his


    pocket. Striding up to a shy, old-school Imp, he unlocked the passenger door and stooped to put


    me down.


    Before he could manage that, however, we were interrupted. Aforting scent, the slightest hint of


    pine in the air.


    ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    Ignatius turned with me in his arms to face Johan, standing a few feet away.


    ¡°Dorothy, what happened to you?¡±


    Genuine concern in his voice, he seemed as gentle as ever but there was tension in his shoulders and


    his lips twitched slightly as he eyed Ignatius and his pale arms firmly handling me.


    ¡°Johan,¡± Ignatius said nonchntly, while my head snapped up to look at him so fast I da mn near gave


    myself whish, ¡°Long time no see, old friend.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°You know each other?¡± I squeaked, clinging tighter to Ignatius now that Johan¡¯s scent was present and


    toying with my emotions once again.


    Neither responded to my question but instead, Johan stepped closer, reaching for me, stiltedly like he


    couldn¡¯t control his movements. My internal heartbreak still fresh, I cowered away from him into


    Ignatious¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. Really it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I was fighting to keep my tone even but my voice shook slightly.


    ¡°Um, Ignatious is just helping me out.¡±


    Ignatius himself seemed confused by the odd interaction between Johan and me, but thankfully he


    caught on to the fact that the situation was more than ufortable. He proceeded to ce me gently


    in the passenger seat and straightened up to face Johan again.


    ¡°She was attacked by some students. Gonna take her down to the healer to fix her up.¡± Ignatius tried to


    close the passenger door behind him but Johan put a hand out to stop him. He seemed to be wrestling


    with himself internally, his shoulders shaking and his hands curling to fists.


    ¡°I should¡­e with you.¡±


    He spoke with uncertainty, most likely his inner-wolf was fighting for its true mate. He stared down at


    me huddled on the passenger seat, a possessive glint in his previously soft eyes. I shook my head,


    silently.


    The instinctual part of me wanted him to stay close and I didn¡¯t have the strength to tell him no. I


    nced at Ignatious ¨C pleading with my eyes for him to handle the situation swiftly. He gave me a small


    nod and put a warning hand on Johan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, you can visit herter if you need to.¡±


    For a second it looked like Johan would get violent, ncing angrily at the cool hand on


    his shoulder. removed his hand and folded his arms, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mavis going to be


    wondering where you are?¡±


    This seemed to shake Johan out of his vtile state. He stepped away and allowed Ignatius to close


    the passenger door. With one final nce in my direction he turned and left, heading back into the


    college and rubbing an arm over his eyes.


    56


    hapter 4


    gnatius stared after him for a while before rounding the car and climbing into the Iriver¡¯s seat.


    Put your seatbelt on.¡±


    t took me a moment or two to realize he was obviously talking to me. I turned my gaze rom the window


    and Johan¡¯s retreating figure to face my new acquaintance.


    ¡°Uh, potentially fractured rib cage?¡±


    I didn¡¯t mean for it to sound quite so condescending but the interaction with Johan and my still aching


    b*dy had left me in a sour mood. Ignatius started the car and pulled out of the parking bay.


    ¡°Fair point. Here, for your face.¡±


    He handed me a towel from the back seat and I pressed it to my dripping nose. The rest of the car ride


    was a silent one, albeit not wholly unpleasant. Ignatius¡¯s scent was asforting as it was intoxicating.


    The salty tint of a sea breeze was detectable even through a nose clogged with blood. He flicked on


    the radio at some point and I closed my eyes, leaning back in the seat and allowing myself to drift


    pleasantly into unconsciousness.


    -Johan-


    Tearing myself from Dorothy had been more difficult than I expected. Walking back into college I made


    straight for an empty lecture room and mmed the door behind me, harder than I had intended to the


    wood splintered slightly and it creaked on its hinges in protest.


    nting my palms on an empty desk I ran through the events of today in my head. I had been able to


    sense her from the moment I awoke that morning. As much as I had believed I was ready for the


    mating call, her floral scent was overpowering.


    Waiting in the hallway earlier while she hesitated to approach me, I felt as if I was standing in an open


    field. She smelled of fresh air and sprawling pastures,vender, and light rain. My inner-wolf craved her


    as I fought to keep my head down, scanning the notes gripped in my fists without actually reading


    anything.


    I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes from her for long but I was scrambling desperately for the right. words to say. I


    hadn¡¯t expected her to run away, although I couldn¡¯t really me her.


    Standing there and pretending that every cell in my b*dy wasn¡¯t singing for her, I couldn¡¯t have given


    the best first impression.


    Dorothy was perfect though. Talking to her up close ¨C holding her I could have


    16 Thu, 25 Lan In E J


    15


    pter 4


    G


    rayed Mavis then and there. But we had promised; if Mavis was not my true mate d she wasn¡¯t mine,


    we would reject our mates and stay together.


    luo for years, we had spoken about this day, even as children. When I was nine I ifted her a ring made


    of twigs and dandelions and swore that one day I would marry r. I loved Mavis, I always would. I


    couldn¡¯t abandon her for a mate I had only known r half a day.


    id then there was Ignatius. I knew he¡¯d being to visit, our fathers had been fast iends for years and


    Ignatius and I were essentially brothers. Why then would he be inging around Dorothy? Why would he


    be holding her? Why was she so eager to go ith him?


    urthermore, she¡¯d been bleeding. Did he hurt her? How dare hey a finger on myte. Friend or no


    friend I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to tear him apart if he so much as


    rubbed my eyes with my index finger and thumb. I had let my inner-wolf dictate my motions. I felt


    possessive and infuriated at another man near my true m?te. But Jorothy wasn¡¯t mine to possess I had


    told her so myself.


    Obviously, Ignatius didn¡¯t know about the mating bond, he was just helping out a girl ie¡¯d met. And


    Dorothy had every right to be wary of me, I¡¯d given her nothing but nixed signals and a terrible birthday.


    I felt torn, tormented. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be his difficult.


    ¡®So this is where you¡¯ve been hiding.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t heard anyone enter, but Mavis was standing behind me with folded arms.


    She wore a flowing green sundress and a frown on her face. She waltzed up beside me and hoisted


    herself onto the desk, swinging her legs beneath her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    I came to stand in front of her and she opened her legs to wee me. Leaning forwards, I buried my


    face in her neck and inhaled the scent of her skin and brilliant blonde locks. She smelled of conditioner


    and expensive fragrance.


    I didn¡¯t mind the fake floral odor though. I needed reassurance. I needed to remind myself that this was


    the right decision.


    Mavis ran her fingers through my hair.


    ¡°So you found her.¡±


    Her plump lips brushed my car.


    ¡°Your true mate?¡±


    25 Jan


    I wrapped my arms around her. I wanted to melt into her, assimte into one being that had no true


    mate and no mating call to deny. ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡±


    56


    She blew a raspberry on my neck. I knew she was rolling her eyes without needing to see them.


    ¡°Allisa obviously, Said she saw you two in the bathroom. And the garden. She said you were holding


    her.¡±


    She was silent for a moment, waiting for me to deny it. I tightened my embrace and squeezed my eyes


    shut.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. I was honest and she was hurt, I was just trying to be nice.¡±


    Mavis pulled away and looked me in the eye.


    ¡°Did you reject her?¡±


    It was hard to keep eye contact. I had never been able to lie to her and this time was no different. I


    cupped her delicate face in my hand, ¡°Not exactly¡­¡±


    Mavis pulled away again and moved to stand up.


    ¡°Not entirely,¡± I continued, ¡°But I told her I couldn¡¯t be with her. I love you, Mavis -¡± I gripped her waist,


    holding her in ce, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Her green-gray eyes were piercing and angry, her lips twisted into a sneer, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you reject


    her?¡± she hissed.


    I straightened up and pressed my palms to my eyes in frustration.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She asked me not to do it today. She was crying, Mavis. What difference does it make if I do it


    tomorrow instead?¡±


    Mavis slid off of the desk and stood before me. She pounded a fist on my chest.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to reject her, do you? You selfish pri ck, you can¡¯t ignore the mating call. All of your


    promises were a bunch of lies.¡±


    She was shorter than me but it felt like she was towering above me, her words like daggers.


    ¡°Just admit it. You don¡¯t want to ignore it because you¡¯re weak!¡±


    1 gripped both her wrists in my hand and pressed her fingers to my lips. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, okay? I¡¯ll reject her.


    You just need to give me some time.¡±


    Mavis narrowed her eyes and regarded me coldly. She jutted her chin out and yanked


    her hands away, ¡°I¡¯m the only one who understands you. Not your dad, not your friends, not her. I¡¯m all


    you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    I lowered my head, I just wanted it all to be over. This day, this argument, my feelings towards Dorothy.


    All of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only person who truly cares about you,¡± Mavis continued, ¡°Who stood by you all these years?


    Mc, I did. I charmed your father, I got along with your useless friends. I got you the status you have


    today.¡± She brought her face up to mine and gripped my chin, forcing me to look her in the eye,


    ¡°Without me you¡¯re nothing.¡±


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t let her talk to me like that, but she was right about everything. We needed each


    other. We had always taken care of each other.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± Mavis moved her hand to caress my cheek, her eyes softening slightly, ¡°She could never


    love you like I can.¡±


    She pressed her lips to mine andssoed her arms around my neck. I leaned into her k*ss, convincing


    myself that if I could just stay close to her, everything would be alright. Mavis pulled me towards her as


    she backed up against the desk.


    Lost in the moment and determined to push Dorothy out of my mindpletely, I hoisted Mavis up


    onto the desk and she wrapped her slender legs around me. She knotted her fists in my hair and


    k*ssed me passionately.


    I let my hands wander and gripped her thighs under her dress, relishing in the taste of her tongue


    pushing into my mouth. She pulled at my jeans and moaned for more.


    When I finally pushed into her she sighed into my ear, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me. Promise me you won¡¯t leave


    me.¡±


    I threw my head back in pleasure as she slid her tongue along my neck before k*ssing her again.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise.¡±


    5/5

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    -Dorothy-


    I was in the woods, standing in a clearing under the silver light of a full moon. I felt safe there at first,


    bathed in that brilliant glow. I heard something stirring in the darkness of the trees in front of me.


    Something dangerous.


    The slightest hint of a scent was carried to me by the breeze that hushed through the dark and silent


    forest. The scent of Engelwood and pine. The creature in the dark was


    approaching. I heard the underbrush rustling as it slowly stalked closer.


    All of my senses screamed for me to run, but I was rooted to the spot. I peered into the shadows, trying


    to catch a glimpse of the unknown being.


    I nced down at a sudden sharp movement in my stomach. Something in there wanted to get out.


    Distracted momentarily by my own b*dy, I looked up again just in time to see the creature with open


    jaws lurching for my throat.


    I jerked my b*dy upright as I awoke, inhaling loudly, and looked around wildly for the creature from my


    dream. Instead, I felt a cool hand on my shoulder and wheeled around, fists swinging, to see Ignatius in


    the driver¡¯s seat with a look of concern on his face.


    ¡°You okay? Don¡¯t move so much, you¡¯re still hurt.¡±


    Ignatius ced both hands on my shoulders as I continued to shiver, eyes darting all over the ce to


    make sure the creature wasn¡¯t present, ¡°Dorothy? You were dreaming, okay? You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    I clung to his forearm, I had to make sure he was real. Ignatius allowed this as I collected my thoughts.


    After calming down some, I looked around again, ¡°We¡¯re here? How long was I out?¡±:


    Ignatius removed his hands and sat back in his seat again with an odd look on his face.


    ¡°Actually we¡¯re just up the road from the clinic. You started thrashing around a little there so I thought I


    should stop and wake you. Must have been a pretty bad dream?¡±


    He got the car going again and we sped down the street towards the clinic.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± I mumbled, then grimaced as all the pain of my b*dy came rushing back to


    me at once. Ignatius took my hand and gave it a little squeeze, keeping one steady hand on the wheel.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. This should be a quick fix. And, on top of that, your own healing abilities should be


    activated by now anyway.¡±


    1/6


    14:46


    He had a point. Every wolf-shifter gains enhanced healing abilities around their teenage years, it was


    the reason no one ever saw the bruises and grazes dealt to me over time ¨C courtesy of Mavis¡¯s posse


    and Lana¡¯s particrly potent left h ook.


    Why then was it not working now? The ga sh in my forehead should have been sealing itself up already


    but upon close inspection in the rearview mirror, it still remained open and raw,


    Ignatius seemed to notice as well. He leaned closer, examining my forehead as we drove.


    ¡°Well. That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not good?¡± My voice betrayed the rm I was feeling, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    Ignatius shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I have no idea, but we¡¯re about to find out.¡±


    I looked forward and noticed we¡¯d arrived at the clinic. Because wolf-shifters have different healing


    abilitiespared to the average human, each pack has its own clinic with skilled healers to deal with


    whatever ailments our bodies can¡¯t fix on their own.


    Ailments like an apparently faulty healing ability. I closed my eyes. Today hadn¡¯t turned out at all like I


    had expected it to. I should have just stayed in bed.


    Ignatius refused to let me attempt walking by myself. He carried me through the revolving doors and


    spoke with the receptionist while I sat mute in his arms, scowling at the wall behind us. If he hadn¡¯t


    been so helpful today I would have berated him for babying me in that moment.


    A nurse led us to an empty bed and hurried away again to fetch a healer.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay,¡± I said, as Ignatius ced me gently on the crisp sheets and settled into a chair


    next to me, ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done but I think I can handle things from here.¡±


    ¡°I have time to spare,¡± Ignatius sped his hands together and leaned his forearms on his knees, ¡°And


    thinking about it now, we haven¡¯t even been properly acquainted. You¡¯re a friend of Johan¡¯s?¡±


    I shook my head, a part of me was relieved to havepany. And something about this boy was


    incrediblypelling to me.


    ¡°No. Well, not exactly. How do you know Johan?¡±


    Uttering his name had my stomach twisting painfully and my inner-wolf shied from the mncholy.


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    14:16 Thu, 25 Jan ¨C E J


    Before Ignatius could answer me, the healer stepped in a short wrinkled woman with tanned skin and


    dozens of red beads braided into her hair. She adjusted her sses and frowned when she saw


    Ignatius in the chair.


    ¡°You¡¯re not from here boy. You smell of the sea to the North. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re responsible for her


    injuries?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± I interrupted before Ignatius could answer, ¡°He¡¯s been helping me. He¡¯s a a friend.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really know what Ignatius was to me but the fact that he was sticking around meant a lot,


    although I would never admit it to myself.


    The healer narrowed her eyes at Ignatious who raised both his hands in a mock. surrender.


    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s take a look at you then.¡±


    She tilted my head back to examine the gas h, frowning as she did so. ¡°Odd, this should be healing up


    already. And I¡¯m told your ribs are hurt too¡­¡±


    I sat quietly while she poked and prodded and tutted around me, raising my eyebrow at Ignatius who


    mouthed back; ¡°Weird old bat.¡±


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I stifled a giggle which in turn had me wincing at the pain it caused me.


    ¡°You.¡±


    The healer pointed a bony finger at Ignatius without turning around.


    ¡°I will not hesitate to kick you out of here.¡±


    Ignatius leaned back in his chair with a smirk.


    After a few more minutes of inspecting me and berating Ignatius, the healer came to the conclusion


    that two of my ribs were fractured and I had suffered a mild concussion.


    ¡°As for yourck of healing abilities,¡± she nced over at Ignatious and back to me, ¡°I can think of a


    few reasons why that could be. We need to have a talk in private.¡±


    She shooed Ignatius out while he promised me he would be waiting right outside. After she finally got


    him to leave and shut the door in his face, she turned to me, were serious and her mouth pressed into


    a thin line.


    her eyes


    ¡°Dorothy.¡±


    She came to stand before me.


    ¡°Have you found your mate yet?¡±


    Her question caught me by surprise, there was no way she could have known about today. I


    stammered out a feeble lie in response, asking what she meant by that. She shook her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. This is about your healing powers. Did be weakened by a rejection from your true


    mate?¡±


    know your powers could


    you know


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t rejected me!¡± I protested, louder than I had intended to.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t. Not yet¡­¡±


    The lump in my throat returned and I was on the brink of tears once again. The healer¡¯s eyes softened


    slightly and she sat down next to me on the bed.


    ¡°There¡¯s your problem dear. To go on with or without your mate, if the bond between the two of you is


    not broken or sealedpletely, your abilities will nevere back.¡±


    I sniffed back a so b, rubbing my eyes, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    She handed me a tissue and waited a moment while I blew into it ¨C angry at myself for being so fragile.


    ¡°This mate, whoever he is, you have to break the bond officially. If you don¡¯t, things are only going to


    get worse for the both of you.¡±


    I dropped my head into my hands. Whatever ¡°worse¡± meant I doubted it could top what I was already


    feeling.


    ¡°Your stunted healing is only the beginning,¡± she continued, gently patting my back. ¡°You have to put an


    end to this now before


    vou go into heat.¡±


    Heat? I didn¡¯t bother asking, too caught up in my own sadness to care about what it meant for my


    future.


    After patching up my forehead somewhat, the healer left me on my own for a while to cry. She told me


    they had something to help with the pain, but it would only be a temporary fix. Iy curled up on the bed


    and let the tears fall.


    I had to break the bond between Johan and me. I had no choice, asking him not to reject me yet was


    only temporarily avoiding the inevitable. He didn¡¯t want me. There was no avoiding the bitter truth.


    I heard someone enter the room and peeked out from under my arm. I was expecting the healer but it


    was Ignatius kneeling at my bedside.


    ¡°Christ. What did the old bat say to make you cry like this.¡±


    4/6


    14:47 Thu, 25 Jan


    B


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    His eyes were sympathetic but I was appalled to be seen in this state. I buried my face. in the pillow


    and gulped back the tears.


    Ignatius wasn¡¯t having it though and touched my arm gently.


    ¡°Hey, Dorothy. What did she say?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell him. Couldn¡¯t find the words to exin the pain that I was feeling.


    Ignatius hesitated for a moment and then asked, ¡°Does any of this have something to do with Johan? I


    know it was his girlfriend¡¯s group who attacked you.¡±


    I lifted my arm to look at him again. It felt like his blue eyes were boring into my soul. The ceiling fan


    above us creaked softly as it spunzily on its axel. I rolled onto my back and stared up at it.


    ¡°Johan is my mate.¡±


    Ignatius was silent for a moment. I kept my eyes on the slowly spinning fan. The rusted. wings were


    caked with dust from years of propelling airced with debris from the forest outside.


    When he finally spoke, he was perplexed.


    my


    ¡°Johan¡­ is your mate? Well, I guess that exins his aggression when I


    aggression when I put you in car but why were things so stiff between you two? Does he know you¡¯re


    his mate?¡± I squeezed my eyes shut, balling my hands into fists as I relived the moment. ¡°Then why


    were you attacked,¡± Ignatius continued, ¡°and¡­ What about Mavis? Did he end things with her?¡±


    I turned my face to look at him and it seemed that my somber expression was enough to put a stop to


    his questioning. I felt a tear roll from my eye and wrestled to keep my voice steady. It was no use


    though, It came out like a quiet sigh of defeat.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t end things


    his mate. He made with Mavis. And he¡¯s not going to. Because he doesn¡¯t want me as


    that very clear.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯s concerned expression was frozen on his face as I continued, ¡°Mavis¡¯s friends attacked me


    because they saw us together. They knew I was his mate and that Mavis wouldn¡¯t be happy about it.¡±


    I touched the gauze on my forehead.


    ¡°I asked him not to reject me today. But if we don¡¯t break the bondpletely, my abilities will never


    14:47 Thu, 25 Jan B


    B


    I quoted the healer¡¯s words, my tone t and lifeless.


    Ignatius was quiet beside me, his face inches from mine where he knelt by the bed. I gave him a small,


    empty smile and turned my gaze back up to the fan on the ceiling. It spun around and around above


    me, creaking softly in the otherwise silent room.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    -Ignatius-


    My brief visit to Johan¡¯s neighborhood hadn¡¯t ended up very brief at all. I had only meant to stop by the


    college for a few minutes to catch up with my old friend..


    However, the moment I noticed the small crew of girls heading towards a solitary figure on the outskirts


    of the college campus, I knew something bad was about to go down.


    Spotting udia, Mavis¡¯s top watchdog, amongst them only confirmed my suspicions. udia was


    ruthless and whoever she was after now was not in for a good time.


    I had already started towards the group when they began their beatdown. Breaking into a run, I could


    just make out a small figure curled on the ground and a shock of fiery red hair. Dorothy, I woulde


    to learn, was her name.


    Carrying her in my arms, I found myself enveloped in her scent. The smell of fresh air and gentle rain


    floral and enticing. I wasn¡¯t sure why udia and her gang had chosen this particr slip of a girl as


    their newest victim but I was enraged at their brutality all the same.


    If I hadn¡¯t had Dorothy in my arms I would have tracked them down and broken more than just a few of


    their manicured nails. Then again, considering the fragile allyship between their pack and ours, It


    wouldn¡¯t look very good for the son of the Northern pack leader tounch an attack on a few


    Southerner girls.


    Gaging from Dorothy¡¯s nonchnt reaction to the ordeal, it was clear that she bore the brunt of their


    bullying quite often. Often enough to get used to it. And then there was Johan, I had never seen him


    act so strange as he had, standing there in the parking lot.


    We had been fast friends for years. But around this girl, he had been on edge and angry ¨C prepared to


    fight. We had fought often as children, even as young teens. But this Johan was different, territorial,


    and on edge.


    It wasn¡¯t long after that when I learned why. Dorothy was his true mate. Thinking about it afterward, his


    possessive, primal attitude should have been a clear sign of that fact. He clearly wanted her. And his


    inner-wolf must have been seething at another man handling his mate. An Alpha at that.


    I had felt a pang of guilt at my own actions after Dorothy revealed the truth to me. I hadn¡¯t intended to


    upset my friend or take what his inner-wolf demanded was his.


    ¨C


    But with that being said, Dorothy was hurt and in need of assistance, and in that vtile state ¨C Johan


    would have been no help in the situation at best and a danger to Dorothy at worst.


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    14:47 Thu, 25 Jan B


    Furthermore, I was astonished at his rejection of Dorothy, albeit not an official one. I had met Mavis on


    multiple asions and while I could admit she was pretty, the venom in her eyes was clear as day to


    me.


    I couldn¡¯t fathom rejecting one¡¯s true mate for a woman so potently cruel. My heart ached for Dorothy. I


    had only known her for a few hours at most but I had been rocked by the urge to protect her from the


    moment Iid eyes on her brilliant red hair and caught her faint scent on the breeze..


    To lose a mate was an indescribable pain. I had felt it myself once. Unlike Dorothy, I hadn¡¯t been


    rejected, but a stormy night and a fatal car ident had snat ched them


    from me. There is no pain quite like that of losing what you love the most.


    away


    The memory of that affliction was locked away in the furthermost corners of my mind.


    only to be carefully opened and examined over and over again in the quiet confines of my own


    bedroom in the dead of night.


    While I couldn¡¯t entirely understand Dorothy¡¯s pain, I could empathize. Watching her tears fall freely as


    shey on the bed in that clinic, I fought the overwhelming urge to take her in my arms again.


    It hurt to see her so clearly suffering. I wanted nothing more than to fix what was broken and witness a


    smile a real smile as I was sure it would be a beautiful one. Dorothy, however, was not mine to


    embrace. I was little more than a stranger to her.


    All the same, it was difficult to keep my distance and I reached for her small, slender hand. Dorothy


    refused to look at me for a moment, keeping her eyes trained to the fan on the ceiling and denying my


    sympathies with a tight-lipped frown. Her fingers, however, closed around mine and she gripped my


    hand tightly.


    We stayed like that for a good long while,forted by quietpany, before the healer returned with


    a handful of what looked like powdery sticks and a vile of inky ck liquid. Dorothy tried to get up and I


    propped a hand on her back, easing her into a sitting position.


    She gave me a small smile in response and blinked away the tears that had been building on her long,


    lightshes.


    ¡°Now then,¡± the old bat huffed.


    ¡°Take this three times a day!


    She held the vile to Dorothy¡¯s face.


    Dorothy grimaced at the ck liquid sloshing inside the ss, ¡°No more than one teaspoon, or you¡¯ll


    knock yourself out for hours. And this-¡± She held up the powdery sticks and snapped them in half under


    Dorothy¡¯s nose.


    A shimmer of gray and brown powder burst from


    spluttered as she inhaled it, ¡°What ¨C what was that!¡± she gasped h o ar sely,


    hand to her chest.


    ¡°Sugersnap Thyme. Helps with pain.¡±


    ing


    The healer waved the sticks around a little more before tucking them away again, ¡°It you a little drowsy


    and disorientated so I suggest you have your young, might make seaweed-smelling friend take you


    home.¡±


    She looked pointedly at me over her sses and I nodded in response, ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Uh-Uh,¡±


    Dorothy piped up in protest, ¡°not home. I don¡¯t wanna go home.¡±


    Her words slurred a little at the end as the old bat¡¯s magic sticks seemed to be taking effect. She lolled


    forwards and I rushed to catch her, scooping her up and holding her against my chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna go home,¡± she mumbled into my neck and I could hear the stubborn pout in her voice as


    she said it.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, you can stay at my ce for a little if you want.¡±


    I could see the old bat eyeing me suspiciously, ¡°I¡¯m staying at a vi for the weekend. Right up the


    road,¡± I continued as she narrowed her eyes at me. She thought it over for


    a moment.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she eventually relented, handing me the bottle of putrid-looking medicine. ¡°But be sure to let her


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    parents know. Their number should be in the books at the front desk. Everyone in the pack is.¡±


    I took the bottle and thanked her for all of her help.


    ¡°And you be good to that girl,¡± she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll be checking inter,¡± I promised to be on my best


    behavior. Dorothy grumbled out a half-as sed thank you and something about a monster in the forest.


    After finding her name scribbled next to multiple home addresses and five different numbers in the big


    book at the front desk, I carried a very disorientated Dorothy to my car and somehow managed to get


    her into the passenger seat without bumping her rolling head on the way in.


    Climbing into the driver¡¯s seat, I heard her say something about a creature in the dark. ¡°What was


    that?¡±


    I leaned over to hear her better, buckling her seatbelt at the same time she wouldn¡¯t feel her ribs aching


    right now and I didn¡¯t trust her to not topple off the seat entirely on


    3/5


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    the drive. Instead of answering, she scoffed at me and leaned her head against the window with


    drooping lids.


    ¡°Alrighty then.¡±


    I spent the drive home calling all five numbers I¡¯d saved on my phone, one at a time. The first three


    didn¡¯t answer but on the second tost number a gruff-sounding woman told me to try thest number,


    exining that she had been Dorothy¡¯s foster mom for


    a while.


    She also mysteriously griped about a pet frog and an expensive cheese tter before hanging up. The


    final number rang for half a second before someone picked up and I heard a frantic woman¡¯s voice crac


    kle through the phone, ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°Not quite. This is Ignatius Aamodt. Dorothy¡¯s okay, she¡¯s just had a bit of a rough day.¡±


    ¡°Ignatius¡­ Elliot¡¯s son?¡±


    It seemed the Southern Pack was well informed about their new allies.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one. Are you Dorothy¡¯s foster mother?¡±


    ¡°Anita, yes. Where is Dorothy? She was supposed to be back by now. Are you her mate


    She stopped herself, possibly concerned that she¡¯d said too much.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. It would seem¡­ Things didn¡¯t really go to n for Dorothy.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I had hoped¡­ Nevermind. Where is she now?¡± There was genuine morosity in her


    voi


    She seemed to truly care for Dorothy and I found myself wondering if Dorothy herself was aware of


    that. I looked over at Dorothy, who was currently snoozing in her seat. She swatted the air with one


    feeble hand and then settled back into her dozing.


    ¡°Currently snoring in my car. We¡¯re heading to the Blue Vi Hotel on Fort Grayvill, I¡¯ll let Dorothy know


    to call you when she wakes up.¡±


    After exchanging addresses with Anita and promising to be in contact I hung up and nced over at


    Dorothy again. She looked so tiny and fragile curled up there on the seat. Her hair was making a solid


    attempt to escape the braid it was caught in, cascading down her shoulder and sticking out in little


    curling wisps of red and gold.


    Her skin had a pale, almost translucent glow to it and she had the tiniest smattering of freckles over her


    nose. The tiny opal knotted on a thin string around her neck was the color of her eyes. Eyes that were


    now scrunched closed like she was fighting monsters in her dreams.


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    My thoughts wandered back to the nightmare I¡¯d woken her from earlier. The creature in the woods


    she¡¯d said, or something to that extent. Something about this girl had sparked my interest and I found


    myself wanting to know more about her.


    To get to know her. I wanted to know if she preferred strawberries or orange slices, winter or spring. I


    wanted to get to know Dorothy, although I wasn¡¯t entirely sure why.


    I found myself so deep in my musings I almost missed the turnoff to the vi I¡¯d rented out for the


    duration of my stay. I could have stayed with my father in the fancier hotel further on. But the thought of


    waking up to Elliot¡¯s cold demeanor every morning was daunting and I was weak in that regard.


    I pulled the car into the parking area and tried to wake Dorothy up. Her eyelids fluttered and I caught a


    glimpse of those striking opal irises before she was out once more. Getting out and rounding the car, I


    unbuckled her and lifted her to my chest again.


    Dorothy wrapped both arms around my neck and sighed into my car, still half asleep and much less


    indignant about me carrying her than she would have been if she was awake. Her breath on my neck


    sent shivers down my spine and her scent was stronger than ever.


    The afternoon sun was sending  nted rays of light through the trees nearby and made her hair look


    even brighter, radiating in the golden glow. Turning to head into the vi I noticed another car parked in


    the empty bay beside mine. A familiar car. My gaze shot to the entrance of the vi where Johan was


    leaning against the door with folded arms.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    -Johan-


    I hadn¡¯t been waiting at the vi for very long before Ignatius showed up. I watched his car pull into the


    bay and folded my arms. I hadn¡¯t expected him to lift Dorothy from


    passenger seat and I clenched my jaw at the sight of the two of them.


    the


    I had onlye to confide in a friend, but my anger came rushing back almost immediately upon


    seeing that Dorothy was still in his care. I tried to keep my cool, leaning back against the door of the


    vi and waiting for Ignatius to approach.


    I had hung around the college campus for a while after Mavis rushed to her next ss, leaving me to


    clean off the red lipstick stains that had smudged across my neck like she¡¯d shed my throat.


    Despite all of my efforts, I couldn¡¯t keep the image of Dorothy in my old friend¡¯s arms. out of my head. I


    didn¡¯t like the contrasting thoughts waging war inside my head, and eventually decided it was time to


    pay Ignatius a visit to talk it out.


    Mavis wouldn¡¯t be thrilled that I was here, considering it had to do with my feelings towards Dorothy,


    and furthermore, she had never really taken a liking to Ignatius but the situation couldn¡¯t be helped. I


    needed to see my friend, in order to remind myself why I shouldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t want to tear out his


    throat.


    Seeing the gentle way in which he carried Dorothy had my inner-wolf fighting to throw all thoughts of


    peace and understanding out of the window. I was unintentionally fuming by the time he made it to the


    porch.


    ¡°Johan, hey.¡±


    my blood


    Ignatius greeted me nonchntly. His calm and cool demeanor only boiled further. I was enraged by


    him, frustrated with myself and fighting to stay neutral.


    ¡°Why is Dorothy here. Why is she still with you?¡±


    ¨C


    I ski pped past a greeting, my inner-wolf demanding immediate aggression. Ignatius looked down at


    Dorothy ¨C at my mate whoy against his chest with her face buried in his neck. My jaw twitched. The


    way he looked at her had me feeling all the more possessive.


    ¡°The healer gave her some magic stick s hit that made her drowsy. She said she didn¡¯t want to go


    home so I offered to let her stay here.¡±


    ¡°She cane home with me.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t meant for it to sound like a growl but there was no controlling my infuriated


    50%


    tone now.


    Ignatius eyes me warily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said it slowly, standing his ground and keeping his


    tone even.


    In that moment I both hated and envied him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not her mate.¡±


    ¡°No. But after you break the bond, you won¡¯t be either.¡±


    His words caught me by surprise. He¡¯d learned the truth of the mating call between me and Dorothy.


    He knew the primal turmoil I was feeling. This calmed me down slightly and I released the balled fists


    I¡¯d been clenching since he had approached. My inner- wolf, on the other hand, remained restless and


    vtile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Ignatius said, striding past me and unlocking the front door. ¡°We have a lot to talk


    about.¡±


    I followed him into the vi and nced around. It was small and mostly empty with his single suitcase


    propped up in a corner. Ignatius headed for the tiny bedroom with Dorothy and I followed close behind.


    I could smell her glorious scent, only this time it was mingled with that of Ignatius¡¯s and I wished I


    hadn¡¯t noticed it at all.


    I watched as he gently ced Dorothy down on the unmade bed and carefully unsped her pale


    noodles arms that were wound tightly around his neck. Dorothy mumbled as he did so and from where


    I stood in the doorway I could see her bright green eyes gazing up at him in a daze.


    I wanted to storm in and scoop her up. Carry her away from this ce and erase any hint of Ignatius¡¯s


    scent from her being, but I restrained myself, just barely. Ignatius left Dorothy in the bed and strode


    back to me.


    I watched her stretch out on the mattress before curling up and falling asleep again.. Ignatius came to


    stand before me, barring me from entering the room and folding his


    arms.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably going to be out for a while. If you¡¯re going to reject her you¡¯re going to have to do it


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to reject her,¡± I answered without thinking, and backtracked just as quickly, saying: ¡°I


    mean, I am. Just¡­ I can¡¯t do it yet.¡±


    There was sympathy in Ignatius¡¯s fine features but this clearly irked him a little as he


    Thu, 25 LE


    BJ


    56%


    said sharply, ¡°You have to! You can¡¯t leave her like this just because you¡¯re having a hard time making


    up your mind.¡±


    ¡°I have made up my mind!¡± I winced as my cry stirred Dorothy. She grumbled something before rolling


    over andying still again. I lowered my voice, ¡°I have made. up my mind. I chose Mavis, it was always


    going to be her. It¡¯s just¡­ hard to let her go.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice. Things will only get worse for the both of you if you don¡¯t put an end to this


    soon,¡± His harsh tone softened for a moment and he lowered his head, ¡°It¡¯s cruel Johan. She¡¯s


    suffering.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. I felt guilty, I knew what I was doing was unfair. But I couldn¡¯t shake


    the thought that I was making a mistake. It was painful to think of never looking into those green eyes


    again and knowing that she wanted me too. I folded. own arms tightly, holding myself together.


    ¡°Just give me some time.¡±


    Before Ignatius could answer, Dorothy, stirred again, turned onto her side, and mumbled a name.


    His name.


    ¡°Ignatius.¡±


    my


    Ignatius looked just as bewildered as I was and we both peered over at Dorothy. She didn¡¯t say


    anything more andy peacefully on her side with her chest gently rising and falling.


    Ignatius recovered from the shock first and, stepping back into the room, he made to close the door,


    ¡°You can hang around until she wakes up. But then you have to put an end to this.¡±


    His tone was sympathetic and he spoke quietly, refusing to look at me from behind the door, ¡°I¡¯m sorry


    about all of this.¡±


    ¨C


    Before the door shutpletely I caught onest glimpse at Dorothy. My Dorothy. She was peacefully


    curled up on the bed and her red hairy about her in waves. My inner- wolf cried out in mourning and


    my heart felt throttled in my chest. I drank in the brief sight of her before the door closed in my face.


    -Ignatius-


    It hurt to shut the door on Johan. Even though I was frustrated at his actions, I knew he was suffering


    too. To battle ones natural instincts is difficult enough. To fight the mating call is another matter entirely.


    I could only imagine the internal torment he was enduring. However, Dorothy was in no state to handle


    a true rejection currently and Johan was too undecided to be trusted. near her. I was aware my part in


    the matter wasn¡¯t helping his possessive instinct but that couldn¡¯t be helped. I only hoped he wouldn¡¯t


    hold it against me.


    I was still baffled at his decision to stay with Mavis but I respected him enough to not argue on that


    particr point. Regardless of my skepticism when it came to Mavis, hel clearly did love her deeply.


    Deeply enough to defy his natural instincts and true destiny in order to stay by her side. An act I hoped


    she was grateful for. It was an admirable trait ¨C his loyalty andpassion ¨C but I wondered how long


    he would be able to keep it up.


    Already his aggression was getting out of hand and it had only been one day. Johan had to sever the


    bond between him and Dorothy sooner rather thanter, or things would only get ugly.


    I sighed, I could hear his retreating footsteps on the other side of the door. Turning, I made my way


    over to Dorothy and moved a few books to sit down on the nightstand. next to the bed. I sat gazing at


    her for a while in silence.


    I pondered on the creepiness of that and eventually chose to stare out of the window. instead. Dorothy


    grumbled in her sleep about shadows and¡­ pine cones? I couldn¡¯t quite catch her words and I


    wondered what made her dreams frightening enough to toss and turn while unconscious.


    The all-epassing urge to protect her had not faded in the slightest. I knew I didn¡¯t have to be


    sitting there, waiting for her to wake but Tor- my inner-wolf- was determined to stay by her side and I


    was happy toply with that decision.


    She had said my name in her sleep earlier. It had caught me by surprise, and, thinking about it now, it


    was the first time I had heard her say my name. I liked the sound of it in her mouth, even when spoken


    whilst half asleep. It felt right.


    I wondered if she might think the same someday. Although considering how much she had frowned,


    pouted, and groaned at me in the short time we had been acquainted I couldn¡¯t know for sure.


    I smiled at the thought of her stubborn attitude towards being carried and gently ced a hand on her


    resting head. Her hair was soft and smooth.


    Dorothy swatted at my hand and mumbled again and I quickly pulled away and stood up to leave ¨C I


    wasn¡¯t making for a very good host if I was going to be bothering my grouchy guest.


    But I felt a hand grabbing onto mine as I was leaving and looked down to see Dorothy staring at me


    with those bright eyes and clutching my hand tightly.


    4/5


    ¨C


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± she muttered indignantly, frowning at me soically upset at my departure that I had to


    stifle augh.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± I said, sitting down again. She refused to let go of my hand and rolled onto her back,


    swaying our sped hands back and forth like there was music only she could hear.


    She was silent for a moment and I thought she¡¯d drifted back to sleep before I heard, ¡°Ig-nayyytius?¡±


    she cooed with her eyes still closed.


    ¡°Yes, Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for¡­ being nice to me.¡±


    She seemed to struggle with finding the words, and her brow furrowed as she concentrated.


    ¡°Some people aren¡¯t very nice to me. But you¡¯re nice.¡±


    I squeezed her hand tightly. ¡°You¡¯re very wee Dorothy. I think you deserve a little kindness in my


    opinion.¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. ¡°Dunno about that. But thank you anyway.¡±


    I wondered just how clouded her head was for her to say something so vulnerable in the first ce. I


    thought I too could do with some magic stick powder if it could make this rxed and content.


    you


    I wanted to tell Dorothy that I would always be ¡°nice¡± to her. That I would always protect her and


    shower her with kindness because regardless of what she thought, she deserved the world. This


    seemed to please Tor as much as it pleased me. I felt the draw to her like an invisible string tying us


    together.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got me now,¡± I whispered to her as her eyes fluttered closed again. ¡°You¡¯ve got me now


    Dorothy. And, in fact, I think you¡¯re stuck with me.¡±


    ¡°Mkay,¡± she whispered back, already the tendrils of sleep were enveloping her once again, and she


    was only half-listening at that point, ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sounds good.¡±


    5/5

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    COMMENT


    -Dorothy-


    I woke up to the sound of voices arguing. Lifting myself up I looked around for the source of all the


    nightstand.


    I was beyond confused, the voices were clear as day to me. It took a moment for me to realize that I


    was hearing them inside my head. More specifically, I was hearing Johan inside my head.


    I had forgotten the eventual mind-link that true mates can develop after the mating call. I hadn¡¯t


    expected it toe so soon. From the sounds of it, he and Ignatius were caught in a heated argument


    about¡­ me?


    I closed my eyes and listened intently. A part of me felt guilty for essentially eavesdropping on the


    conversation but I was curious to know what all themotion was about. Johan seemed agitated, I


    felt his energy like a swarming cloud of animosity and frustration.


    He was insisting that Ignatius was too involved in the situation, berating him for overstepping in a


    matter that didn¡¯t involve him. Ignatius himself sounded like he was trying his best to stay calm, but


    there was a dangerous edge to his words that had me fearing slightly for Johan¡¯s safety.


    I wondered for a moment how it was that I was able to hear Ignatius as well as my mate, but quickly


    forgot about this when I heard Johan¡¯s territorial growl. It seemed he was not fully able to fight the


    mating call ¨C regardless of his feelings towards Mavis. Did he want me after all?


    I squashed the tiny glimmer of hope that this thought brought me. I knew it was selfish and ultimately


    pointless to wonder if maybe there was a chance he wouldn¡¯t reject me after everything that had


    happened. Johan had made up his mind. It was getting through the actual act of rejection that he was


    having trouble with.


    Iy back down on the bed, with a sigh of frustration. I just wanted it all to be over already. I knew that I


    was partially to me for Johan¡¯s out-of-character aggression. I should have just let him reject me from


    the start. It was my own fragile ego that led to the current predicament.


    There was no helping it now. I would have to sever the bond between us before he lost himself


    was assaulted with an overpowering scent of sickly sweet perfume and other beauty products. I knew


    that scent.


    1/5


    Snapping my gaze up to the door I saw Mavis peeking into the room. As our eyes met, she smirked


    and strode into the room, standing in front of the bed with her hands on her hips.


    Her sundress swished around her long tanned legs and her blonde hair fell perfectly over her


    shoulders. Who knew someone so beautiful could be such a menacing force.


    ¡°Gingersnap. You look like sh it,¡± she quipped Gingersnap seemed to be a personal favorite amongst


    the many intentionally mocking nicknames her and her crew had for


    me.


    ¡°Mavis. What are you doing in my room in this room¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t my room, I knew that obviously, but it was rife with the scent of Ignatius, and my inner- wolf


    seemed to have staked something of a im on him. I filed that thought away in my head to be


    pondered overter when my antagonizing acquaintance was gone.


    Mavis pushed her lip out in mock sympathy, ¡°I just wanted to pay a visit to my poor, dear, darling sick


    friend.¡±


    ¡°F uck off, Mavis. You and I both know we¡¯re the far thest thing from friends. And I¡¯m not sick.¡±


    Mavis nted herself on the edge of the bed and fiddled with the sheets. ¡°I know Johan is your mate,¡±


    she said softly.


    There was a barely-restrained, menacing edge in her voice and when she lifted her gaze to me again


    there was fire in her eyes.


    ¡°Unfortunately for you, you¡¯re not his mate. And you never will be if I have anything to do with it.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, fully aware that I was prodding the beast but too exhausted by the drama at that point


    to care. ¡°You¡¯re a littlete to the party, Mavis. Johan is out there right now waiting to reject me.¡±


    I curled my knees to my chin and wrapped my arms around my legs. ¡°You won, okay? It wasn¡¯t even a


    I narrowed my eyes at her, the ache in my ribs slowly making a reappearance. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to send


    your dogs after me either.¡±


    Mavis flicked some lint off the bedsheets and examined her nails. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking


    about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I remarked dryly,ying on the sarcasm. ¡°Now can you please do me the


    2/5


    55%A


    honor of getting as far away from me as possible. You¡¯re really ruining my day.¡±


    There had once been a time when I thought I could befriend Mavis. I took the bullying and the insults


    delivered by her crowd as something that happened to all neers of the Southern Pack. I thought if


    I could just be nice that they would all eventually ept. me as their friend.


    But Mavis had never been interested in friendship. Mavis had never been interested in anything but


    dragging her boyfriend around like living arm-candy and beating me to a pulp on asion. Eventually, I


    learned that just being nice would never be enough.


    I had to be tough too. And my patience for Mavis and her evil antics had run dry long ago. She didn¡¯t


    deserve the benefit of the doubt, and to give her that would only lead to further suffering on my part. I


    wondered what Johan saw in her. I wondered what that said about how he saw me.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Mavis continued, ignoring my re and picking at her nails ¨C each long w was neatly filled


    to a point and painted a venomous bright green.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware that Johan is here to reject you. That¡¯s why I showed up. I thought he needed a little bit


    of a healthy push. The thing is though¡­¡±


    She leaned forwards, pushing her face ufortably close to mine.


    I could smell the expensive rancid floral fragrance she used to cover her own scent and wrinkled my


    nose.


    ¡°He seems to be having a bit of a hard time letting you go.¡±


    Leaning away from her unsettling re, I risked a co cky reply, ¡°Maybe you just don¡¯t have as much of


    a hold on him as you thought you did.¡±


    Mavis¡¯s face was cold as she blinked at me. She looked at me like a predator taunting its prey.


    ¡°Well then Gingersnap, just when did you manage to scrape together a shred of confidence?¡±


    She reached forwards and pushed a tendril of hair back behind my ear. ¡°I¡¯d be careful if I were you. I


    might just have udia f uck up your face for good next time.¡±


    I jerked myself away from her. ¡°Get out, Mavis. Now.¡±


    I wondered if the mind-link went two ways and if Johan could hear the true nature of his beloved


    girlfriend through it. Although, considering how livid his energy still felt I doubted he was able to notice


    anything beyond his own rage.


    Mavis acted like she hadn¡¯t heard me and got up to inspect the bedroom. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t


    55%


    14:47 Thu, 25 Jan B


    even be a good fit for Johan. He¡¯s got charm and charisma and talent. He¡¯s a great guy and you¡¯re


    just¡­ well, you.¡±


    I contemted throwing a book at her head but I didn¡¯t think Ignatius would appreciate me hurling his


    belongings around. Even if they were justified and directed at


    a snake in human skin.


    ¡°You know, Gingersnap,¡± Mavis continued, ¡°Looking at your track record, it seems like you were


    doomed to be rejected by everyone,¡± I glowered at her as she counted on her fingers and listed things


    off one by one. ¡°Your mate doesn¡¯t want you, our pack doesn¡¯t want you,¡± shezily pointed the third


    finger at me. ¡°Your parents didn¡¯t even want you.¡¯


    Thatment was thest straw for me. I was not usually prone to acting on impulse but if I didn¡¯t


    leave immediately I would have attacked Mavis then and there. I hauled myself up off the bed and


    stormed towards her.


    She squared her chest as I approached like she was ready to brawl. Instead of swinging my fists,


    however, I strode straight past her and forced open the window on the far side of the room.


    ¡°Uh, what the hell are you doing?¡±


    I ignored her question and, swinging my leg up over the windowsill, I hoisted myself up and out of the


    open window. My sneakersnded on soft grass with a small thud. I faintly heard Johan calling out for


    Mavis ¨C through the mind link or from behind the door, I wasn¡¯t quite sure ¨C but I seemed to have all of


    her attention on me.


    ¡°Dorothy, what the f uck?¡± I heard Mavis squ awk through the window and smiled to myself. I¡¯d shocked


    her enough that she¡¯d slipped up her jeering and used my actual name. It may have been a small win


    but it was a win nheless.


    I had no idea where I was or where I intended to go now that I had made my grand escape but I walked


    away from the vi and out onto the forest-lined road. The sky was dark now and a few stars were twin


    kling in the inky ck sky.


    I had no idea what time it was but I assumed it was prettyte. I felt bad leaving Ignatius behind to deal


    with an angry Beta and a mega bi tch but I had to get away from it all for a moment. Mavis¡¯s words had


    stung. She knew exactly how to hit me where it hurt and it was infuriating.


    She hadn¡¯t needed to approach me at all. She knew Johan was already going to reject me. It looked to


    me like she had just felt threatened and needed someone to take it out on. That someone being me.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Why had she always had it out for me in the first ce anyway? She had taken one look at me as a


    child and decided to make me a lifelong victim to her schemes.


    B


    11:47 Thu, 25 Lan : E T


    I shoved my hands into my pockets and haunched my shoulders, sinking deeper into. my thoughts as I


    walked the empty street. She probably didn¡¯t even care about Johan. It seemed like she just wanted a


    pet that only she could control. Johan himself was out of control.


    I hoped Ignatius wouldn¡¯t take my departure too harshly. I couldn¡¯t recall if I¡¯d thanked him for taking


    care of me in my roughed-up state. I remembered Johan¡¯s furious anger that had touched me through


    our mind-link. I could feel it still and wondered if I should turn back.


    I hadn¡¯t considered their argument morphing into a full-fledged fight but the possibility of it suddenly


    urred to me. These were two wolf-shifters after all and, with Johan blinded by the mating call, it


    didn¡¯t matter how many years of friendship they had under their belts. I hadn¡¯t known Ignatius for that


    long but it pained me to think of him getting hurt because of me.


    My step faltered and I made a half-turn in the middle of the road. I had worked myself up so much that


    at first, I didn¡¯t notice the little ck spots clouding my vision.


    I shook my head, trying to clear my vision, but the world had gone blurry and suddenly the auburn trees


    lining the road were leaning to one side.


    I felt myself swaying and struggled to put one foot in front of the other. The white lines dotted along the


    road swam in and out of focus. Everything went ck as my head hit the floor.


    0

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    -Dorothy-


    I woke up to excruciating pain that shot through my b*dy like pulses of electricity. I couldn¡¯t remember


    what I¡¯d been doing or where I was but my limbs ached like I¡¯d taken a beating.


    Moaning at the agony I opened my eyes to see the rusty fan of the clinic from earlier, still turning slowly,


    above my head. I jolted upright and cringed at the pain it brought


    ¦°¦¥


    ¡°Don¡¯t move so much, you¡¯ll only feel worse.¡±


    I looked to my left and saw Ignatius sitting next to me, sping my hand with a look of concern in his


    eyes. I snat ched my hand away on impulse and immediately regretted it when I looked past him and


    saw Johan and Mavis.standing in the doorway.


    I could do with thefort of that cold hand while Mavis¡¯s eyes were staring daggers at me from


    across the room. Johan on the other hand had seemed to have calmed down. some and gazed at me


    solemnly.


    ¡°What happened, why am I here? Why are they here?¡± I murmured to Ignatius whilst keeping my eyes


    on Mavis and her scowl. If looks could kill¡­


    ¡°You um, you climbed out the window?¡± Ignatius answered, ¡°I found you down the road, passed out in


    the middle of the street. Dorothy, where were you trying to go?¡±


    I closed my eyes and flopped onto my back again. ¡°I don¡¯t remember leaving, It¡¯s all a bit of a blur. I


    remember you though.¡± I pointed vaguely in the direction of Mavis and then dropped my arm to my


    side. ¡°We were¡­ talking.¡±


    While I didn¡¯t think Johan was aware of just how controlling his girlfriend was, it didn¡¯t seem like a good


    time to be calling anyone out on being a bi tch.


    ¡°Dorothy, you¡¯re not doing too good right now. The healer was in here earlier, she said. there¡¯s nothing


    more she can do right now.¡±


    It pained me to hear the concern in Ignatius¡¯s voice as he spoke, ¡°You can¡¯t go jumping out of windows


    and running away on your own. You need to break this bond -¡± He stopped and nced back at Johan


    who tightly folded his arms. ¡°You need to sort this


    out now.¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake,¡± Johan spoke up, approaching the bedside opposite Ignatius, ¡°I think we need


    to talk in private.¡±


    Ignatius opened his mouth to protest but I motioned for him to wait. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be


    1/4


    fine. Just give us a minute.¡±


    He looked at me intently like he wanted to say something but instead, he gave a small nod and stood


    up to leave, ¡°I¡¯ll be right outside if you need me.¡±


    ¡°Mavis, I need you to go too,¡± Johan said quietly.


    Mavis stared him down for a moment before turning on her heel and leaving too. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to your


    ce. Don¡¯t leave me waiting too long.¡± She waved a hand over her shoulder. ¡°Later Gingersnap. Hope


    the rejection isn¡¯t too painful,¡± shemented over her shoulder as she left.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Johan said gently as he sat down next to me, ¡°she¡¯s just a little hurt by the whole


    thing between us. It¡¯s me she should be directing her anger at, not you.¡±


    I shrugged hisment aside, unsure of how to act around Johan now that I knew where we stood,


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    He frowned as he contemted the implications of myment and then sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m sorry about yesterday. Couldn¡¯t have been the greatest birthday all things considered.¡±


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yesterday?¡± I turned to look out the window and saw the pale gray haze of the early morning outside.


    The sun had yet to make a proper appearance and there was a slight drizzle of rain spattering against


    the ss. ¡°Just how long have I been out for exactly?¡±


    Johan ran his hands over his face, he looked exhausted. ¡°Quite a few hours. We were waiting for you


    to wake up so that I could so that we could¡­¡± he hesitated, unable to say the words we both knew had


    to be spoken eventually.


    ¡°Anyway, we were waiting for you to wake up, only when I went looking for Mavis she told me you¡¯d left


    the vi. She said you climbed out the window when you heard us arguing. Ignatius found you


    copsed in the street and then we rushed you here.¡±


    I was frustrated with myself and my weak b*dy. The amount of time I¡¯d spent passed out or asleep for


    the past few hours was ridiculous. I was still in pain and it seemed to be getting worse, there was a


    burn that was building in my b*dy like a fever that wouldn¡¯t break..


    I sat up


    and wrapped my arms around myself. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at Johan, I was afraid of what I¡¯d


    see in those deep hazel eyes.


    ¡°So, now what?¡± I asked softly, fixing my eyes on the creases in the sheets before me. ¡°What do we


    do?¡± I didn¡¯t want him to say it. Despite all of the pain and fatigue, I wasn¡¯t ready to let him go.


    Johan was silent. He seemed just as worn out as I was.


    ¡°I guess we have to put an end to this break the bond.¡±


    I nodded slowly, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¨C


    Johan took my hand and I forced myself to look him in the eye. The wolves within us both mine and his


    yearned to be closer. The burning mes in my veins ran hotter and goosebumps broke out on my skin.


    ¡°Dorothy.¡±


    Johan hesitated before wrenching his hands away and jumping to his feet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t do it! I¡¯m sorry.¡± He haunched over himself like a man in agony as I reached for him. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry,¡± he whispered before running for the door.


    He was stopped in his tracks, however, by Ignatius who suddenly appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Johan.¡±


    His voice was cold now and he blocked Johan¡¯s path with a stiff arm across the doorframe. ¡°You have


    to make a decision. Now.¡±


    His grip on the frame was so tight I could see his knuckles turning white and the veins in his arms


    pulsating.


    Johan tried to push past him but Ignatius pushed back, softly enough to seem passive but hi


    jaw was tight. ¡°Don¡¯t be a coward! You can¡¯t leave her like this.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you,¡± Johan snapped, ¡°don¡¯t make this your problem.¡± Ignatius let his cool


    slip and rm bells went off in my head, I could sense an all-out fight iing if someone didn¡¯te


    between them.


    ¡°You made this my problem when you showed up on my doorstep in a rage.¡±


    Johan flinched at the force of his words. ¡°You have to put an end to this. Look at what it¡¯s doing to


    Dorothy. Look at what it¡¯s done to you!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand how it feels.¡± Johan raised his voice and I watched as his hands clenched into


    fists. ¡°You¡¯ve never had to reject a mate.¡±


    Something dark shed in Ignatius¡¯s eyes. Something dangerous and cold. ¡°I¡¯ve lost my mate. You


    know that. You think I don¡¯t know how this feels?¡±


    Johan hesitated but refused to stand down as Ignatius continued, ¡°I know exactly how it feels to lose a


    mate. But Dorothy isn¡¯t something for you to possess. She¡¯s a person. You¡¯re letting someone else


    suffer for your indecision. You¡¯re letting yourself be weak.¡±


    Those final words seemed to send Johan over the edge and he rolled his shoulders like he was ready


    to throw punches. Ignatius seemed to wee the challenge and stood. ready.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight,¡± I tried to interject, but my voice was quiet and lost on the two boys and their heightened


    frustration, ¡°Please don¡¯t fight.¡±


    It was like I hadn¡¯t spoken. Johan and Ignatius kept at their arguing, both looking more beast than boy


    at every passing moment.


    I tried to get up tenfold and


    o stand between them, but the pain in my b*dy had grow I gripped my forearms in agony. I didn¡¯t know


    what was happening to me but it very clearly wasn¡¯t anything good.


    I grit my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut. It felt like my b*dy was being enveloped in mes. Sweat


    broke out on my brow and my breathing grew heavy as I drew in long shaky breaths. What was more


    worrying still was the growing heat between my legs.


    I squeezed them together and dug my nails into my skin. My back started arching on the bed and I


    writhed, desperate to escape my b*dy. I wondered if this was the Heat the healer had warned me


    about.


    If it was, I finally understood what she meant about things getting a lot worse. It couldn¡¯t havee at


    a worse possible time. I nced at the two boys arguing. The scent of them was overpowering and that


    along with their loud arguing was driving me into a frenzy.


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    -Dorothy-


    I looked back and forth between the two boys, breathing so intensely that my heart felt like it would


    pound right out of my chest. The heat between my legs became a burning ache and I knew I couldn¡¯t


    take it much longer.


    Johan and Ignatius had been pushing at each other. I watched as Johan swung a fist at Ignatius who


    dodged it swiftly andunched himself forwards, pinning Johan to the wall with an arm pressing into his


    throat.


    ¡°H-help,¡± I choked out, trying to get their attention, ¡°Johan. Ignatius. Please help.¡±


    Neither of them heard me. Johan snarled at Ignatius and fought to get away from him. Ignatius


    however, wasn¡¯t having any of it and pulled Johan forwards only to m his back into the wall again.


    ¡°Hey, Ignatius.¡±


    It came out sounding like a whine. I pressed a fist to my burning core, bunching the sheets in my


    clenched hands and arching my back. ¡°Help¡­¡±


    It was no use, they were too caught up in their violence to hear me. Cold shivers ran across my b*dy


    but I felt lik


    I was on fire, twisting and contorting into any possible position to alleviate the pain and desire.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I pounded a fist on the bed, unable to take any more of it in silence, ¡°Ignatius!¡± I yelled it in desperation,


    too overwhelmed to care about the repercussions. I realized I couldn¡¯t turn to Johan for this breaking


    the bond would be impossible if he were to engage with me now. And there was no way I could trust


    him to not take things further in the frenzied state he was in.


    Ignatius snapped his head up, mid-snarl, with his fist still gripping the neck of Johan¡¯s shirt. His


    expression turned from rage to confusion to sudden realization when he caught onto my scent and


    noticed my squirming.


    I felt another wave of heat roll through me and whined out loud, my b*dy close to convulsing in its


    intense urges. ¡°Help. Me.¡±


    Ignatius stood frozen on the spot for a moment, open-mouthed and in a stupor before looking back at


    Johan and uttering, ¡°Oh, f uck.¡±


    -Ignatius-


    Johan had pushed me to my limit. I hadn¡¯t wanted to fight but his continuous avoidance of the issue at


    hand had me irritated. His finalment had left me furious. I had


    1/4


    expected a fight from the moment he clenched his fists. I had expected things to get violent.


    What I hadn¡¯t expected, however, was for Dorothy to go into heat at that very moment. Her cry had


    snapped me out of my rage. One look at her contorting figure and it dawned on me that her first cycle


    was urring.


    I was frozen in ce, unsure of what she expected from me and oblivious to Johan who had ceased


    his struggling under my grasp. A low, throaty growl from him snapped me out of my bewilderment


    though and I turned my gaze back to him.


    He was staring at Dorothy with hungry eyes, pure-primal, and dangerous. His pupils dted and his


    teeth looked a little sharper. He could sense Dorothy¡¯s heat. And his wolf was determined to take what


    was his.


    ¡°Oh, f uck.¡±


    Johan pounced for Dorothy, and I was barely able to throw an arm around his neck and drag him back


    before he could reach her. Johan roared and fought against me, thrashing and biting to get to his mate.


    ¡°Johan, you can¡¯t. You know you can¡¯t. What about Mavis?¡±


    My words fell on deaf ears, Johan was ovee by instinct and that instinct had only one goal.


    I had no choice but to drag him from the room. The healer finally made an appearance to see what all


    themotion was about and stopped in her tracks upon seeing Johan fighting against my hold.


    Dorothy let out another whine from inside the room and Johan howled in response.


    Assessing the situation immediately, the healer nodded to me and pulled the same powdered sticks


    she¡¯d used on Dorothy the day before from inside her pocket. Getting as close to Johan as possible,


    she snapped the sticks under his nose and jumped away again as he kicked and scratched.


    After a minute or two of getting my ribs elbowed painfully by the Beta in my grasp, Johan¡¯s movements


    slowed and he sank to the floor in a daze. I let him down gently and left him to the healer, rushing back


    into the room to check on Dorothy.


    She was jerking from side to side on the bed, whining and crying out as she kicked at the mattress. I


    pressed my hands on her shoulders, pinning her to the bed and keeping her b*dy still. ¡°Dorothy, you¡¯ve


    got to fight it. Okay? What do


    you need?¡±


    I was surprised at her strength as she fought beneath me, wiggling her shoulder free. and flinging her


    arms around my neck. ¡°You,¡± she breathed, her scent swirling around me and drawing me closer, ¡°I


    need you. Please, Ignatius.¡±


    14:48


    25 Jar


    There was desperation in her voice. Tor was rearing inside my chest, but I hesitated.


    ¡°Dorothy¡­ I-¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± She hauled herself up to my face, arching her b*dy against me and spreading her fire over


    my own skin.


    At that moment I didn¡¯t care whether or not it was the right thing to do. I climbed onto the bed and


    pushed my weight on top of her, pressing her b*dy to mine and fist ing a hand in her hair.


    Dorothy¡¯s dainty hands gripped the fabric of my shirt, threatening to tear it off with how tightly she held


    on. I felt her grinding her core against my knee and her b*dy tensed as I leaned into her, iming her


    mouth with a brutal k*ss.


    -Dorothy-


    It felt as if sparks of electricity erupted across my skin as Ignatius pressed his lips to mine. I pulled him


    closer, I wanted him all to myself. His scent was exhrating and I moaned into his mouth as his tongue


    parted my lips. The painful burning sensation was reced with overwhelming waves of pleasure.


    For that brief moment, I forgot about Johan. I forgot everything. Ignatius was an all- epassing


    presence and our bodies meshed into one. His movements were intense and primal and his lips trailed


    down my neck hungrily.


    I threw my head back to give him full ess to the vulnerable skin of my throat. I felt his teeth graze


    my flesh and a shiver ran through me. I wanted him to take me to im me and leave his mark on me


    for the world to see.


    All too soon, though, It was over and Ignatius pulled away. My inner-wolf howled in disappointment as I


    dropped my arms to my sides.


    Ignatius let


    go of


    of my hair and sat up. Iy panting underneath him as he regained his senses, realizing he was sitting


    on top of me and climbing off immediately. He sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed and cleared his


    throat.


    ¡°Was that um. Was that okay?¡±


    All I could do was nod. I had ridden out the worst of my first heat and, while the slick sensation between


    my legs was still very much apparent, the agonizing burn had


    subsided.


    Ignatius looked relieved. He ran a hand through his tousled snowy hair and stood up. ¡°I guess I should


    go ¨C


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± I interrupted him, sitting up and tentatively touching his hand, ¡°I¡¯d like it if


    14:48 Thu, 25 Jan B


    you stayed.¡±


    :55%


    Ignatius stared down at my hand on top of his for a moment before intertwining his fingers with mine.


    His skin was cold to the touch andforting.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯d like that too.¡±


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    -Johan-


    I awoke on a bed in some other part of the clinic. My mind raced to recall what had just happened. I sat


    bolt upright and was confronted with a healer wearing red beads in her hair andrge tortoiseshell


    spectacles.


    ¡°Take it easy, everything¡¯s alright,¡± she crooned, cing a hand on my shoulder, ¡°We had to knock you


    out there for a little. You were out of control.¡±


    I allowed her to guide me back down onto the bed as I tried to organize my thoughts. ¡°Dorothy went


    into heat?¡± I asked, recalling her scent filling my nostrils and driving my inner-wolf into a frenzy.


    The healer nodded. ¡°Yes. Your pale friend had to pull you out of the room before could¡­ well, you


    remember don¡¯t you?¡±


    you


    my eyes. ¡°Godd ammit. Mavis is


    It was alling back to me and I flung my arms over my eyes. going to hate me. Dorothy is going to


    hate me.¡±


    I hate no idea how I was going to exin any of it to Mavis. I hadn¡¯t answered any of her calls since


    she¡¯d left and I hadn¡¯t gone home to her like I¡¯d promised. I hadn¡¯t rejected Dorothy like I had promised.


    Ignatius¡¯s words churned in my head; Weak. I was weak.


    I turned to the healer. ¡°I need to see Dorothy.¡±


    The healer stood up, smoothing out her skirt before turning to leave. ¡°That won¡¯t be possible right now,


    boy. Best go home, for now. You cane backter when she¡¯s over this tough period.¡±


    I wanted to protest but I knew she was right. Trying to break the bond whilst Dorothy was riding out her


    heat would only end with me getting forced out of the room again. I wanted to hate Ignatius, for his part


    in all of this, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do that.


    I sat up and dropped my head into my hands. I would have to leave, I had to confront Mavis. I was


    furious with myself at the pang of fear that shot through me upon thinking of approaching Mavis with


    my failure.


    Ignatius was right. I was weak.


    I left the clinic after saying a short goodbye to Dorothy and began the long walk home. I had left my car


    at Ignatius¡¯s vi but instead of heading that way, I strode off into the woods. I needed peace and quiet.


    On top of that, I wanted to procrastinate as long as possible before facing Mavis.


    17


    551


    14:48 Thu, 25 Jan B


    I felt like a coward, but I shambled along anyway. The forest was cool and shaded. The sunlight that


    made it through the canopy left dappled spots of light on the wet ground and turned the leaves a


    brighter shade of red and orange.


    The color of Dorothy¡¯s hair. I scowled. She was everywhere. The green of her eyes in the moss of the


    trees, the fresh sweet musk of her scent was in the air. There was not escaping her.


    I finally made it home and headed up the winding path to my father¡¯s upper-ss estate. My heart sank


    when I noticed Mavis¡¯s silver Porche parked behind the neatly trimmed hedges inside the front gate..


    She was waiting for me. And she definitely wasn¡¯t happy, I could feel her animosity like a dark cloud


    looming over my head as I approached the front door. Stepping inside, I saw Mavis sprawled on the


    couch, her long legs dangling over the armrest and her blonde hair cascading down the other. She


    regarded me coldly.


    ¡°Hello, Johan. I tried calling. What took you so long?¡±


    I scratched my neck, looking anywhere other than directly at her. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m sorry, my phone was dead.¡±


    Mavis stood up and folded her arms. ¡°Is it done?¡±


    I stared at her in silence, the ticking of the grandfather clock down the hall was deafening at that


    moment. I wasn¡¯t able to look her in the eye. ¡°No. Mavis I tried, I swear to g od I tried.¡±


    Mavis didn¡¯t say a word, fixing me with a gaze full of disappointment and resentment.


    I fumbled over my words as I rushed to exin myself. ¡°Dorothy, she went into heat. I had to get out of


    there. We¡¯ve got to wait until it¡¯s over before we end things.¡±


    Still, Mavis said nothing, watching me work myself up into an unraveled mess before her. ¡°Look, I¡¯m


    going to go backter, okay? I promise. I had to leave, I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    I walked up to her and tried to put my hands on her waist. Mavis stepped away from me and delivered


    a stinging p to my face. I paused in shock, my cheek aching where she¡¯d hit me.


    ¡°You¡¯re a coward, Johan,¡± she hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re weak and you know


    it.¡±


    She lifted her hand to strike me again and I grabbed her wrist, stepping closer to her so that our bodies


    were touching, ¡°I am not weak,¡± I growled at her, Mavis flinched at my tone but her eyes remained cold


    and unforgiving.


    promised me.¡±


    I let go of her wrist and dropped my hand to her waist. ¡°And I will, okay? I will.¡±


    Mavis shook her head, her upper lip curling in disgust, ¡°If you really loved me you would have done it


    by now. You would have done it the moment Dorothy approached you yesterday. But you didn¡¯t. You


    want her. You¡¯re just too weak to decide.¡±


    Her words stung. There was some truth to them and I couldn¡¯t deny that. She could see right through


    me. Mavis saw my expression andughed callously. ¡°So you do want. her? What a f ucking joke.¡± She


    pushed me away from her and I stepped back, guilt weighing down on me.


    ¡°What about all the promises we made each other? What about all of our ns? We swore we would


    stay together. Since we were children we swore it would be us against the world. What happened to


    that Johan?¡±


    ¨C


    I expected to see tears in her eyes but there were none only a vast burning hatred as she spat her


    words at me.


    ¡°That hasn¡¯t changed!¡± I cried, her expression making my stomach twist and turn in a bundle of knots,


    ¡°none of that has changed! Mavis, I love you, I swear I do. And I will reject her. Now just wasn¡¯t a good


    time¡­¡±


    I trailed off. I was desperate to say anything ¨C do anything to make her stop looking at me like I was


    nothing but a worm on the ground.


    Mavis wasn¡¯t done with her chastising and continued to fling insults at me. Every word felt like a dagger


    driving into my chest. Every insult made me feel smaller and smaller.


    We continued our arguing all over the manor until I couldn¡¯t even remember why we were fighting in the


    first ce, only that I desperately wanted it to end. Mavis threw a nt at me that I dodged just in time.


    The vase shattered against the wall behind me and I roared at her in response.


    Eventually, I had had enough. I caved, getting to my knees and running my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m done, Mavis, I¡¯m sorry. Okay? You¡¯re right. I¡¯m weak and cowardly and I¡¯m a bad person for doing


    this to you and I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Mavis paused her shouting and stared down at me as I continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for all of this. I¡¯ll go to the


    clinic right now and reject Dorothy if that¡¯s what you want. I don¡¯t know what else you want me to say.¡±


    Mavis looked around at the mess we had caused in our arguing and scoffed. She stepped over to me


    with her hands on her hips. I looked up at her, praying for it to be


    over.


    317


    When she spoke, her voice was jeering and infantilizing. ¡°You¡¯d be nothing without me. You know that.


    You can¡¯t throw all of this away for one useless girl that you¡¯ve only known for a day. You¡¯re not stup id


    enough to do that. Prove to me that you¡¯re not, Johan.¡±


    Mavis knelt down in front of me and gripped my chin in her talons. I felt broken and weak as I looked


    into her pale eyes. Mavis¡¯s face was carved in stone, unfeeling and uncaring. ¡°You reject Dorothy.


    Today. You leave this house immediately and you head back there and you reject her. Or you¡¯ll never


    see me again.¡±


    With that, Mavis let go of


    my face. I could feel small beads of blood welling up where her nails had pierced my skin.


    Mavis stood up and walked out of the front door without another word. I stared after her as she left,


    mming the front door behind her and leaving me on my knees in the wreckage of her fury.


    I stared down at my rough palms as I listened to her car start up and speed away down the avenue.


    The manor was quiet, aside from the loud ticking of the ancient grandfather clock down the hall.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Counting down the hours and the minutes and the seconds to the end of my sacred bond with Dorothy.


    I sniffed and warily got to my feet. Taking onest look around the destroyed living room, I opened the


    front door and left closing it gently behind me as the clock tolled out its midday announcement.


    ¨C Mavis-


    ¨C


    I drove from Johan¡¯s house, furious. After everything we¡¯d been through together after all the promises,


    we¡¯d made. A part of him still wanted to choose her over me. It was unthinkable. I wouldn¡¯t allow it. She


    must have nned this out all along. She swayed. him with her fake kindness and pretty words.


    Johan was weak-willed and too easily swayed. After all, I myself had heard the mating call on my


    eighteenth birthday. I sensed my mate, far away from our small town. I knew he was somewhere out


    there, but I had never bothered to find him.


    The pull had never been a strong one. Maybe it was the distance but I remained convinced that it was


    truly a sign that Johan and I were meant to be together. Even nature willed it to be so.


    I shricked out loud. My frustration and fury bubbled over. Johan had been so determined only days


    before that nothing and no one would shake his faithfulness to me. He had promised me when we were


    children on the yground that he wanted me and only me.


    That he always would. And yet here he was, my boyfriend ¨C my so-called soulmate ¨C


    4/7


    groveling for a girl he barely knew. An outsider. A nob*dy. Why did it have to be her of all people?


    I couldn¡¯t let her get away with it. I wouldn¡¯t allow it. Dorothy would have no peace now that she¡¯d tried


    to take what was mine.


    I was seething by the time I had made it to udia¡¯s ce. She had heard me pull up. my car leaving


    tire tracks in the short green grass of her family¡¯s frontwn. She trotted outside to meet me, wearing a


    pastel pink two-piece and a look of confusion on her face


    ¡°Mavis? What are you doing here what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Dorothy,¡± I snarled, ¡°she¡¯s gone too far this time.¡±


    udia still looked lost but she leaned on the windowsill and co cked her head, twirling a swirl of


    nutmeg hair around her fingers, ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Call Lana and the others. Head for Dorothy¡¯s house and jump her when she gets home. If she doesn¡¯t


    turn up there in the next hour, find her at the clinic.¡± I locked eyes with her, gripping the wheel until my


    knuckles turned white. ¡°She dies today, udia.¡±


    udia blinked at me for a moment. ¡°You want us to¡­ kill her? Mavis, that¡¯s crazy, they¡¯d trace it back


    to us immediately we¡¯d be kicked out of the pack!¡±


    ¡°Make it look like an ident, get her lost in the forest or something, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    I was aware of how crazed I sounded but Dorothy had iting.


    ¡°Do you really think anyone in this pack will give a s hit about her being gone? She¡¯s not one of us.


    They¡¯ll forget about her before the end of the season. Nob*dy cares about Dorothy.¡±


    Nob*dy except my very own boyfriend, and his relentless best friend. I growled at the thought.


    udia thought it over for a moment, tugging on her curls and pouting with cherry- glossed lips.


    ¡°Mavis, I don¡¯t know¡­ we¡¯d be down for giving her a bad beating but that might be taking it too far. I


    don¡¯t wanna risk not getting a good job someday because of some stu pid loser.¡±


    I kicked my car into gear again. ¡°Just. Do it.¡± I hissed at her before driving away at breakneck speeds.


    In my rearview mirror, udia stood for a while and watched me go, before turning and slipping back


    into her home.


    She would follow my orders, I knew she would. She knew better than to disobey me. All


    5/7


    55%


    of her current poprity was thanks to me. All of her designer clothes were my hand- me-downs


    although she made me swear not to tell a soul. udia had too much to lose by disobeying me.


    She was hesitant but she would finish the job and she¡¯d convince the rest of the girls too. I knew Lana


    wouldn¡¯t need telling twice, She¡¯d had it out for Dorothy from the moment she had joined us on the


    yground as kids. Lana liked to hunt and Dorothy was the perfect prey.


    I sped out of town, leaving the auburn forest in my wake as I headed towards the


    nearby city. I needed to clear my head. I needed to get as far away from Johan as 67


    possible for at least the next hour so that he could get on with doing what I¡¯d told him to. He would


    reject her. He had to.


    As I drove my rage subsided gradually and I let the cool breeze blowing in from the window ruffle my


    hair pleasantly. I headed towards a coffee shop that I and the girls had visited a few times afterte


    nights out in the city.


    I shed my fangs at a driver attempting to steal my parking and he revved away real fast. After fixing


    my hair and make-up I strode inside and ordered an Irish coffee ¨C I deserved to spoil myself, all things


    considered.


    The young waiter at the bar stammered and fussed before me like a little scared pup, smoothing his


    hair down and trying to act cool. I paid him no mind and made for a table by the window, reclining in the


    While I sat, waiting for my order, a sudden strange feeling came over me. It was a familiar phenomenon


    ¨C I had felt it before. Although I couldn¡¯t quite ce where. Momentster, the doors to the coffee shop


    burst open and I sat bolt upright in my chair.


    Along with the person stepping through the doors came a scent so intoxicatingly pleasant that it left me


    trembling and weak at the knees. The smell of peppermint and dark chocte, so rich I could almost


    taste it on my tongue.


    I stared open-mouthed at the man who had just burst in and was now staring straight at me. Blue-green


    eyes under a heavy brow and a jawline that could cut like a knife through butter. Curling brown hair fell


    around his shoulders and over his eyes.


    ¨C


    The man approached me slowly, warily a stark contrast to his frenzied arrival. I could do nothing but


    gaze at him with wide eyes as he sat before me and smiled.


    ¡°Hi there. Forgive my intrusion. But I think you¡¯re my mate.¡±


    6/7

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    -Dorothy-


    Ignatius stayed with me for the duration of my heat until the feelings eventually subsided. Hey behind


    me with his arm slung over my b*dy, hugging me to his chest and asionally burying his face in my


    hair and deeply inhaling.


    I¡¯dughed at him the first few times to which he¡¯d responded that he just couldn¡¯t get enough of my


    scent. I knew what he meant, the haze of musk and sea salt that he exuded settled over me and


    calmed my senses. If I was a cat instead of a person I would have been purring in contentedness.


    The sun had risen in the time we¡¯d beenying there and slits of golden rays shone through the


    window, illuminating the tiny dust particles in the air. I felt the slow steady. rhythm of Ignatius¡¯s


    heartbeat against my back as wey still each lost in our own respective thoughts.


    ¨C


    Johan had woken up not long after the initial force of my heat had passed. He hadn¡¯t said much to


    either me or Ignatius but promised he¡¯d be backter. I was sad to see him go,


    but the situation couldn¡¯t be helped.


    I only hoped that Mavis would go easy on him once she learned that he hadn¡¯t managed to reject me


    yet. I wondered if Mavis would be plotting her own form of revenge against me once she found out.


    Ignatius stretched beside me and sat up. I rolled azily to gaze at him as he smiled down at me. ¡°I¡¯ve


    just realized, wepletely forgot to call Anita back.¡±


    I groaned and put a pillow over my head. ¡°She¡¯s probably been so worried. Da mmit.¡±


    Ignatius lifted the pillow and pecked at me. ¡°Well, considering you¡¯re going to have to stay here for a


    little longer, I was thinking I could go fetch you a change of clothes and update her on the situation at


    the same time.¡±


    I cringed inwardly when thinking about the disheveled state I had left my room in the day before.


    Ignatius was right, however, about me needing some new clothes. Spending the night in stiff jeans and


    a dirty sweater had not been ideal.


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Thank you. But /do not¡¯ snoop around my room.¡±


    Ignatius smirked, ¡°I¡¯m an Alpha, not an as shole. I won¡¯t judge your messy bedroom.¡±


    I whacked him with the pillow and he left the room chuckling.


    -Ignatius-


    1/5


    1:47 Thu, 25 Jan


    The image of Dorothy¡¯s grinning face stayed with me as I made my way to the car that had sat parked


    on the curb outside the clinic all night long. Some kids must have been hanging around earlier because


    there was a crude drawing of a sharp-toothed wolf drawn in the dust on the back window.


    I considered wiping it away but instead drew a smaller, kinder-looking wolf next to it with my index


    finger. I could feel Tor scoffing at my childishness but I was still high on the scent of Dorothy and the


    events of that morning.


    Telling Tor to can it, I climbed in my car and headed to Dorothy¡¯s foster home. Anita swung the door


    open after just one knock and I paused with a fist still in the air as she yelled at me.


    ¡°Ignatius, I presume? So much for getting back to me. I got a call from the clinic this morning to hear


    that Dorothy is back there again. What happened?¡±


    I propped my elbow up on the doorframe and leaned on it awkwardly. ¡°Anita. Hi. It¡¯s nice to finally meet


    you in person.¡±


    Anita regarded me coldly before walking back inside, leaving the door open for me to follow her in. She


    led me into a small kitchen and I noticed a small drawing of a rabbit stuck to the fridge with mas.


    Dorothy¡¯s name was neatly signed along the bottom. Anita crossed her arms and eyed me warily.


    ¡°They said you¡¯ve been taking good care of her. Why is that?¡±


    I shrugged, unsure of how to exin the strong bond I felt with Dorothy, even though we hadn¡¯t known


    one another for very long. ¡°It just seems like she¡¯s had a bit of a hard time. Thought she might


    appreciate the help.¡±


    Anita remained skeptical but she said nothing more on it. Although she came off cold and domineering,


    I could tell she was afraid of me. I couldn¡¯t me her.


    The tensions between our two packs had been high for years. It was only recently that we hade to


    a kind of peaceful stalemate.


    That did nothing, however, to fix the unease they must be feeling with outsiders in their territory. Anita


    was clearly protective over Dorothy, and she was nervous at the fact that the son of the Northern Pack


    leader seemed to be taking an interest in her.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have any bad intentions with Dorothy. I just¡­ care about her. I came here today to let you


    know that she¡¯s okay and to fetch her some clothes.¡±


    I tried to look as non-threatening as possible as I said it and Anita seemed to rx a little.


    She looked me up and down before nodding and turning around. ¡°Dorothy¡¯s room is


    this way.¡±


    She led me to a small bedroom on the farther side of the house. Anita probably expected me to wait at


    the door but I strode right in, curious to see the dwelling of the girl who so intrigued me. Dorothy¡¯s scent


    was noticeably strong in the tiny bedroom.


    Her small bed was unmade and the sheets draped down to the floor like she¡¯d rolled out of bed in a


    hurry. The walls were covered in pages of illustrations all hung up with scotch tape. Rabbits and cats,


    flowers, and a number of different kinds of colorful birds. As well as detailed drawings of wolves.


    A stack of well-worn booksy on the table beside her bed with leaves and dried flowers sticking out


    from between the dog-eared pages.


    Pencils and oil crayons were strewn about the floor along with an impressive collection of daintyce


    underwear. I wrenched my eyes away before Anita caught me gawking.


    She opened up the rickety wooden cupboard in the corner and pulled out a backpack along with a


    number of clothing items that she began cramming into the bag.


    ¡°Did Dorothy draw all of these?¡± I asked, gesturing to the wall full of artworks, ¡°They¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anita answered without looking, concentrating on fitting as many sweaters and vests into the bag


    as she could manage. ¡°I noticed she had a talent for it so I got her some materials not too long ago.¡±


    She paused and sat down on the unmade bed. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been here for very long. I offered to let her


    stay after herst foster family had had enough of her.¡±


    I stepped closer to inspect the drawings. ¡°She gave them problems?¡±


    ¡°No, not Dorothy. She¡¯s a good kid. She¡¯s quiet as a mouse most of the time, you¡¯d never even guess


    she was there.¡±


    Anita looked down at the sweater in her hands, twisting the fabric. ¡°Every pack takes care of their


    orphans without question. But Dorothy is not of our pack. All of her previous foster parents grew


    restless at raising a child who didn¡¯t belong.¡±


    I turned to look at her. ¡°If Dorothy isn¡¯t from the Southern Pack ¨C the Kall Pack,¡± I corrected myself


    quickly, It was only fair to refer to her pack by their actual name considering how weing she was


    being. ¡°Then where is she from?¡±


    Anita¡¯s eyes were looking far away. ¡°We don¡¯t really know. The elders wouldn¡¯t borate on where she


    came from, only that her pack had been wiped out. Dorothy is the sole survivor of her people.¡±


    3/5


    55%


    I meditated on her response. While it was rare for a pack to be wiped out entirely during whatever


    squirmish it was caught in, I hadn¡¯t heard of any major wars that ended in genocide happening in


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    decades.


    It must have been a subtle attack, kept tightly under wraps by the grand elders. I made a ment al note


    to ask my father about it when I saw him again.


    ¡°What about you? How do ¡®you¡¯ feel about having Dorothy in your care?¡±


    Anita shrugged, standing up and handing me the now overflowing backpack, ¡°I had never wanted


    children. My mate died before I¡¯d even experienced the mating call and I¡¯ve been content with being on


    my own ever since.


    ¡°When they asked me to take care of Dorothy I was hesitant at first, But she¡¯s a sweet girl, and she¡¯s


    been goodpany to me. I don¡¯t see why her being an outsider is such a major issue for some. She


    doesn¡¯t even remember her pack. Unlike your people.¡±


    She looked at me pointedly but there was no anger in her eyes. ¡°Dorothy means no harm.¡±


    I took the backpack from her and slung it over my shoulder. ¡°You cane and see her if you¡¯d like. At


    the clinic. I can give you a lift.¡±


    Anita shook her head. ¡°No, it sounds like she¡¯s in good hands for now. Tell her I send my regards.¡±


    Anita escorted me back to the front door and I paused to bid her goodbye and thank her for allowing


    me into her home..


    She waved my words away. ¡°It was nothing. You be good to her Ignatius,¡± she said. sternly, ¡°Dorothy


    may not be my daughter but she is a dear friend and I will not hesitate to hunt you all the way back to


    your home by the sea if you so much as harm one hair on her head.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. And there¡¯s no need to worry. I¡¯ll take care of her.¡± Always.


    I was halfway down the street from Dorothy¡¯s house when I noticed a small group of girls spilling into


    the street in front of me. I slowed down and then immediately wished I hadn¡¯t when I noticed udia


    among them.


    My foot itched to m on the ignition and run her over as she deserved. udia and her little crusade


    of cruel beauties waltzed up to my car.


    She leaned down into the open window, smiling at me sultrily. ¡°Hey Ignatius, darling. We were just on


    our way to pay our dear friend Dorothy a visit. Fancy giving us a lift?¡±


    4/5


    I gripped the steering wheel tightly but managed to keep my tone light. ¡°Now udia why would you


    think I¡¯d be stu pid enough to assume you¡¯ve had a change of heart towards Dorothy?¡±


    udia pouted. ¡°We just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday. It was a misunderstanding,


    we were only looking out for Mavis.¡±


    ¡°You were only looking out for blood.¡±


    udia dropped the sickly sweet expression when she heard the malice in my tone.


    She stepped back from the window. ¡°Dorothy, and what we do here is no business of yours Ignatius.


    This isn¡¯t your turf. You can¡¯t protect her forever.¡±


    She jumped backward when I threw my door open and stepped out of the car. I grabbed the front of her


    shirt and yanked her face towards me.


    I knew I was crossing a line but these people were pushing too far.


    ¡°You stay away from Dorothy,¡± I hissed as udia scratched at me, ¡°You and your little


    posse.


    ¡°This may not be my turf but Dorothy is under my protection now. And if you cross me or her again I


    won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡±


    ¡°In fact,¡± I pushed my face closer to hers, baring my teeth, ¡°I¡¯d probably enjoy it.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    -Dorothy-


    I spent the rest of the day after Ignatius left wallowing around in the clinic bed. The healer asionally


    popped her head in to check on me and delivered a number of snacks and treats that I wolfed down at


    a rate that left my stomach aching.


    I decided I¡¯d had enough of my stiff denim jeans and chose instead to sit around in my underwear and


    shirt until Ignatius got back. I listened to the bustle of nurses and patients outside of my room and sank


    into my thoughts.


    It had been only yesterday that I¡¯d crawled out of my bed expecting my life to change forever. In a way,


    it had, but not how I¡¯d expected it to. My thoughts drifted to Johan and how he was struggling.


    I could still feel his tense, emotional energy but he had closed his mind off to me shutting me out of his


    thoughts and whatever he was going through. I had tried to speak to him, to apologize for everything,


    but my words echoed back to me, unheard and unanswered.


    I thought about Ignatius and his piercing cold eyes. For someone so intimidating and aloof, he seemed


    to have quite a soft spot when it came to me. I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand why. What did I have


    that was so special. What could he see that my own true mate couldn¡¯t.


    I didn¡¯t understand him at all, but both I and my wolf wanted to be around him all the same. I found I


    had begun to rely on his scent and its calming capabilities. He was so starkly different from my true


    mate, in both his looks and demeanor.


    Where Johan was warm and gentle, Ignatius was cold to the touch and his alone seemed to make


    people ufortable. I remembered the fear in udia¡¯s voice


    presence when he¡¯d first showed up.


    And the healer too, she was wary of him when we first arrived at the hospital. She had called him a


    Northerner. I didn¡¯t know much about the Northern Pack but I recalled a few stories that solidified them


    as a terrifying threat.


    The Bielke Pack was their true name. They were the strongest pack in North America, dominating in


    both numbers and abilities. Until recently, they had been a threat to the Kall Pack until the elders of


    both formed a strained truce.


    Ignatius was one of them. People clearly knew who he was so he must be pretty high in the rank. I


    would have to ask him about it when he got back. All of a sudden, my musing was interrupted by a pric


    kling sensation in my fingertips that slowly ebbed across my entire b*dy.


    My eyes widened in horror when the pri ck ling grew more intense and a hot me ignited between my


    legs. My second heat was kicking in, so soon after the first that I had been leftpletely unprepared


    for it..


    I gripped the bed sheets and grated my teeth against each other, grinding my jaw so as not to make a


    sound. It was no use though, the fire had spread across my skin and my b*dy grew slick with sweat.


    Ignatius still wasn¡¯t back and the healer had left me to tend to another patient.


    I curled up on my side, trying to fight the urges that surged up inside of me without warning. I needed


    Ignatius, I couldn¡¯t ride this out on my own. I cried out as another wave swept over me it was both a


    wail and a throaty growl that I¡¯d never made before.


    I called for Ignatius, knowing full well he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear me, but I was desperate. I kicked and


    writhed until the healer came rushing in when nurses outside heard themotion.


    I begged her to give me the same powdery substance she¡¯d used on me before, to knock me out cold


    before the pain got any worse. But she refused, shaking her head slowly and looking down at my


    convulsing form with sympathy.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that love, any more than one dose in such a short space of time could be fatal.¡±


    I screamed in frustration. I knew she was only trying to protect me but I was too far gone to care. I


    pounded my fists against the mattress and shed at her with a wed hand when she tried to restrain


    me. She dodged my ws and stepped back, rubbing her hand on her temple.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more I can do. You¡¯ll have to wait for your Northern boy to return.¡±


    Ignatius, my Northern boy. Mine. These weren¡¯t my thoughts, these belonged to my wolf who sent my


    stomach churning in her yearning for his sweet musky scent. Ignatius. Mine.


    -Ignatius-


    I still had udia by the scruff of the shirt when the one called Lana growled at me. udia stood on


    her toes, her nails digging into my forearm as she tried to lean away from me.


    I could smell the fear on her. I let go of her shirt and she dropped to her knees at my feet. Lana and the


    other girls ran up tofort her.


    Ispat at me from the ground as her crew crow around her, ¡°Does ginger pet know what kind of monster


    you really are?¡±


    your little


    I ignored her and climbed back into my car, mming the door with a force that shook the entire


    vehicle. One of the other girls sauntered up to the window before I could turn the ignition.


    She dipped her head in through the window and ran a finger down my chest. ¡°You know, if you ever get


    bored of banging the loner.¡± Her hand moved lower.¡± I¡¯ve always been interested in you Ignatius.¡±


    I grabbed her wrist before her hand reached my belt and squeezed tightly, causing her to yelp.


    She tried to pull her arm from my grasp, and shrieked, ¡°Let go! I was just teasing!¡±


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I recognized her. I had watched her deliver a particrly forceful kick to Dorothy¡¯s ribs that had her


    skidding across the tarmac the day before.


    I let


    go of her wrist and she tottered backward, ring at me and rubbing the skin where my nails had left


    red crescent moons in her flesh. I kicked the car into gear and sped off without a backward nce.


    I was furing as I drove, using every bit of my self-control not to turn back and show them the true terror


    of a Northerner¡¯s fury. In their boldness, they had forgotten the years of my pack¡¯s domination over the


    other tribes of North America.


    We had taken their territory once, and we could do it again. No g od dam n peace treaty would ever


    guarantee their safety if they crossed me again.


    I was shaken from my morbid thoughts when I suddenly felt sharp pric kles of electricity blossoming on


    my skin. The hair on my neck rose and I gripped the wheel tightly. I could feel something someone,


    calling for me. Someone needed me. Someone was in pain.


    The pri ckling turned to a raging burn and I turned a corner so sharply I almost flipped the car. It was


    Dorothy, I could hear Dorothy inside my head. I didn¡¯t have time to wonder at how that could be,


    however.


    I was focused on getting back to the clinic as soon as possible. I could feel her agony as she began her


    second heat. It hade so quickly after the first that I hadn¡¯t expected it. I wasn¡¯t at her side for it and


    that was a problem.


    Upon arriving at the clinic, I burst through the front doors and headed straight for Dorothy¡¯s ward. I


    could smell her scent the moment I entered, only this time it was sweeter than before, alluring and


    enticing.


    Tor growled in my chest, hungry and aroused. I rounded a corner and barely avoided colliding with a


    nurse who dropped her clipboard and with a frightened squeal. I ignored her and made straight for


    Dorothy¡¯s room, stumbling through the door and


    narrowly dodging another collision with the healer who was on her way out.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡±


    Behind her, Dorothy whined as she caught a glimpse of me and reached out her arms.


    The healer pushed past me. ¡°You keep her heat under control and that is all,¡± she said sternly, turning


    to peer at me over her sses before leaving. ¡°Behave.¡±


    Her words barely registered as I headed to Dorothy¡¯s bedside, kneeling on the mattress and grabbing


    her arm.


    I yanked her upright and pressed my lips to hers, cutting her whines short.


    Dorothy melted against me, her arms sliding under my shirt and guiding me on top of her as shey


    down on her back again.


    Her nails grazed my back and sent sparks up my spine. She was still arching her back, bucking


    underneath me as I moved my mouth to her neck, nipping and licking down her pale throat. I slid my


    hands under her shirt, and then, impatient and overtaken by desire, ripped it off of herpletely.


    Dorothy didn¡¯t seem to mind though and her hands knotted in my hair as I caught one of her pebbled


    nipples in my mouth, tongue flicking over the hard nub before moving on to the other one.


    She moaned my name out loud and I lifted my head to catch her bottom lip between my teeth before


    iming her mouth again.


    My hand trailed down to


    was wet with lust. Despite Underwear, running a finger over the fabric I could tell she


    ¨C


    all of my previous resolutions with Dorothy¡¯s scent singing to all of my senses like a siren call ¨C I had no


    intention of holding back.


    0

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    -Dorothy-


    I was ovee with desire, animalistic in my movements. Ignatius was all that I could see, all that I


    could taste. At that moment, I wanted him to consume me entirely, mark me and make me his own.


    His hands running over my exposed skin left trails of fire behind them. I moaned. loudly as he ran a


    finger over the increasing wetness of my underwear. My hips rolled. upwards to meet him, my b*dy


    begged for him to take things further, begged for more.


    Ignatius obliged, sliding two fingers deep inside of me as I cried out, catching my exmation with a


    deep k*ss and gliding his tongue along my own. He moved slowly at first as my jaw pushed out and my


    lips parted in pleasure.


    I moved my hips to his rhythm, clinging to his shirt and relishing his tonguepping at my neck and


    chest. I murmured his name, toes curling and heart pounding in my chest. like it wished to escape.


    Ignatius pumped his digits faster, building me to a climax. I felt my walls clench around him as an org


    asm approached. I was intoxicated with his scent, lost in the pleasure of the


    present.


    ¡°I take it this is a bad time?¡±


    Both Ignatius and I were snapped from our delirium at a voice in the doorway. Ignatius heaved himself


    off of me and I sat up, taking a moment before realizing my chest was bare and quickly pulling the


    sheets up to cover myself.


    Johan stood at the door. His face was contorted into a strange expression like he was in agony but


    determined not to show it.


    ¡°Johan,¡± I stuttered, looking from him to Ignatius and back again, ¡°I was ¨C we were just¡­.¡±


    Johan shook his head with fatigue. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand. Do you think we could talk?¡± He looked


    over at Ignatius who had shoved his hands now covered in my juices ¨C into his pockets. ¡°In private,¡±


    Johan added.


    As I emerged from my dizzying haze, it dawned on me. He hade to break the bond. I hushed


    Ignatius who began to protest and beckoned for Johan to enter. There was no better time than the


    present.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said before looking down at my exposed chest. ¡°Um, Ignatius, did you manage to fetch


    me some new clothes?¡±


    Ignatius headed to his car to fetch the backpack Anita had packed for me, leaving me to


    face Johan alone, after much convincing on my part.


    We gazed at each other in silence from across the room until Ignatius returned and I slipped on an


    oversized t-shirt from my bag. With onest worrying nce at me and a warning re at Johan,


    Ignatius left us to talk.


    Johan walked closer and sat down on the fa rt hest corner of the bed, he looked away from me, his jaw


    ck and his eyes vacant. I wanted to reach for him, but this broken. boy before me my true mate ¨C felt


    like a stranger.


    ¨C


    ¡°I think I¡¯m ready now,¡± he said softly, still looking away from me, ¡°I think we have to


    I looked down at my hands, my gray nail polish was cracked and chipping, my fingers. shaking ever so


    slightly, ¡°Yeah. Yeah, we do.¡±


    Johan nodded like he was reassuring himself and then turned to look at me. I


    tentatively took his hand in mine, holding his gaze. My eyes pri cked with tears as I prepared myself.


    Johan took a deep breath. ¡°Dorothy, you know, if your wolf isn¡¯t strong enough¡­ this. could kill you.¡±


    I held his gaze. It hadn¡¯t urred to me until now that my wolf may not be strong enough to bear the


    burden of a rejection.


    He was right, of course, but there was no turning back now, ¡°It could kill you too. But we need to do it.¡±


    I moved closer to him as he tried to look away and ced a gentle hand on his warm, soft cheek.


    He really did have the most beautiful eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a brave thing you¡¯re doing Johan, I can respect your


    dedication to your partner. No matter what happens afterward, I¡¯ll never hold this against you.¡±


    His eyes watered and we embraced, clinging to each other like we would never let go.


    Looking over my shoulder, still clutching me tightly, Johan began the severance; ¡°I Johan,¡± his lips were


    right by my ear, his hot breath sweeping over my neck, ¡°reject you, Dorothy, as my mate.¡±


    His shoulders shook as he said it and an unbearable mncholy rocked through my b*dy. My tears ran


    freely as I clung to him, I inhaled deeply before saying the words, ¡°I Dorothy, ept your rejection.¡±


    It was like something inside of me snapped. I knew Johan felt it too. Something in our


    14:49 Thu, 25 Jan B


    chests shattered simultaneously and I clung to him so intently that my nails drew beads. of blood in his


    skin.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wail out loud, my inner-wolf howling in despair. It was a sta ggering. powerful cry of


    remorse, and Johan haunched over me, his shoulders still shaking as he pressed me to his chest. We


    stayed that way for a long time, crying and sobbing until all of our tears had run dry.


    Eventually, Johan slumped against me, his weight almost crushing me. I ran my fingers. through his


    silky golden hair and ced a soft k*ss on his forehead. I was exhausted by it all, drained of my energy


    and my own life force.


    I slowly guided Johan down onto the bed. He allowed me to handle him with no resistance, his head on


    my chest as my heart pounded like it would burst. Wey there on the bed in quiet mncholy with our


    bodies tangled together, bent and twisted like puzzle pieces that just couldn¡¯t fit..


    -Ignatius-


    I felt the severance as it happened, Dorothy¡¯s pain so ufortably present in my head. The intensity


    of it all rocked me to my core and I gasped in pain, leaning against the vending machine by the clinic¡¯s


    front desk.


    I had felt it before, this overwhelming grief, only this time it wasn¡¯t mine. It was hers. I wanted to run


    back to Dorothy immediately. I wanted to take her in my arms and ease the burden of her pain.


    But I knew there was nothing I could do to ease this sadness, it was a pain she would eventually learn


    to bear on her own. My heart ached for the both of them ¨C Dorothy and Johan, my closest friend.


    I pressed my forehead against the cool ss of the vending machine, ignoring the odd stares from


    nurses and patients passing by. At least it would be over now, and Dorothy would be okay.


    She had to be. I puzzled over my own feelings for what felt like an eternity. I wondered at the apparent


    mind-link between Dorothy and me. I had felt her in my head earlier, calling to me. I had no idea


    whether or not it went both ways ¨C


    ¡°It does.¡±


    I was startled to hear Dorothy¡¯s voice in my head and froze on the spot.


    My eyes remained fixed on the cheap chocte bars inside the vending machine in front of me.


    ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    14:49 Thu, 25 l?n


    ¡°Yeah, sorry for listening without permission.¡±


    55%


    I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger, ¡°Are you


    alright?¡± I asked her men tally, ¡°How long have you been able to hear


    me?¡±


    ¡®Since right after Johan and I severed the bond,¡± she responded numbly, ¡°It¡¯s done


    now.¡±


    She sounded so tired. I could feel her fatigue like my own shoulders were heavy.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    It was quiet for a moment before I heard her voice say, ¡°Tea would be nice.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    ¡°That can be arranged.¡±


    It was onlyter, as I stood brewing tea in the clinic kitchen along with the help of a nurse that I realized


    something. Something I hadn¡¯t managed to quite pin down until just then. I had closed my mind off from


    Dorothy for a moment to organize my thoughts.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    I didn¡¯t want her to hear the mess I was struggling to make sense of. It was only while I was staring


    down at the swirling tea leaves, turning the scalding water a deep red, that I finally understood it.


    It was Dorothy herself. In a matter of days, both I and my wolf had fallenpletely, truly, and


    irrevocably in love with her.


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    -Ignatius-


    Johan had gone by the time I brought Dorothy her tea. Apparently, he had slipped out not long after


    they¡¯dpleted the rejection saying he needed to go and find Mavis. My heart hurt for my friend but I


    hoped he would find some relief now that it was all


    over.


    hoped this meant Mavis would finally leave Dorothy alone too. Johan had proved himself loyal and


    Dorothy was no longer a threat. He and Mavis could stay together and Dorothy would be allowed to


    finally move on.


    I wondered what she would decide to do now that that avenue of her life had been closed off for good. I


    wondered ¨C keeping my mind tightly shut from her probing into my thoughts ¨C if she saw me in her


    future at all. I brushed this thought aside just as quickly as it arose.


    Dorothy had just experienced multiple traumatic events in the span of two days, ideas. of the future


    would be thest thing on her mind. She would be able to heal herself once mor


    and her heat cycles would be more manageable.


    Dorothy smiled weakly as I entered, carrying two cups of tea and a chocte bar I had shaken from the


    vending machine when no one was looking.


    I would have to remind myself to fetch my wallet and pay for itter. I ced the cups on the stand next


    to her and awkwardly ced myself on the edge of the bed,


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked tentatively. I wanted nothing more than to take her hands in mine but


    instead, I meshed my fingers together and ced them in myp.


    Dorothy shrugged, feigning indifference, but her eyes were wet with tears and her shoulders slumped


    forwards. ¡°I guess I¡¯m okay. I mean, on the bright side at least I¡¯m not dead,¡± sheughed but her smile


    didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    I followed her act and raised my brow, ¡°No surprise there. I¡¯vee to learn that you¡¯re a lot tougher


    than you look.¡±


    That seemed to put a genuine smile on her face and she giggled. ¡°Well, Ignatius, I¡¯vee to realize


    that you¡¯re alot ¡®softer than


    you look.¡±


    ¡°Hey now,¡± I said in mock sternness, wagging a finger at her, ¡°you keep that knowledge a secret.


    Where would we be if my pack were to find out their future Alpha was a big softie?¡±


    Dorothy snickered wickedly then paused, ¡°Alpha? You¡¯re Elliot Armondt¡¯s son?¡±


    1/7


    55%%%


    1. THU. 25 Lan


    I hesitated. It hadn¡¯t urred to me that Dorothy might see me differently if she knew I was a


    prominent member of the imposing Northern Pack.


    Being the son of the infamous Elliot Armondt was either very good or very bad for your reputation


    depending on whether you wanted to frighten orfort your acquaintance.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said slowly, studying her face and analyzing her reaction to my words, ¡°my father is the leader


    of the Bielke Pack. I¡¯m next in line to take over as the Alpha after him.¡±


    Dorothy seemed to think this over, biting her lip before saying, ¡°I think make a great Alpha.¡±


    you would


    ¡°You¡¯re not bothered by the big scary Northerner? Who apparently smells like seaweed.¡±


    I threw a pointed look at the doorway where the healer had walked past. I heard the old bat chuckle at


    my words and rolled my eyes.


    Dorothy shook her head and took my hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been kind to me when you had no reason to be.


    You¡¯ve treated me better than most individuals of this pack. Why would I judge you because of your


    lineage?¡±


    Her words were gentle and epting and everything that I didn¡¯t know I needed to hear. I felt relief


    wash over me and gripped her hand tighter. We sat and talked for a good long while. Dorothy


    reassured me that her injuries had begun to heal, albeit slowly.


    We avoided the topic of Johanpletely, neither of us wanting to think about the sadder side of


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Dorothy¡¯s reemerged healing abilities. Dorothy was almost done sipping her tea when a nurse popped


    her head in,


    ¡°Dorothy? Some girls are here to see you. They say they¡¯re friends of yours.¡±


    Dorothy frowned and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Who?¡±


    I was already getting to my feet, scrambling to stand like a shield before Dorothy when udia strode


    in. She pushed past the nurse, followed by four others, and stopped abruptly when she saw me.


    ¨C


    My presence had clearly disrupted whatever she and her crew had nned and she red at me


    keeping her distance, however, and most definitely recalling my menacing warning from earlier.


    ¡°Ignatius, what a surprise,¡± her words dripped with sarcasm. She looked past me, her pupils shrinking


    when she locked eyes with her prey. ¡°And Dorothy! How are the ribs. feeling, Gingersnap?¡±


    2/7


    34 55%


    nu, 25


    Dorothy had stiffened in ce, her wide eyes shifting from me to udia and the four girls blocking the


    exit. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke, ¡°What are you doing here udia? It¡¯s already


    been done. Mavis has no reason to still be after me.¡±


    udia tossed her toffee-colored curls over her shoulder. ¡°We just came to talk. You can tell your


    guard dog to heel.¡± She turned her gaze to me at thatst part and I uttered a deep, low growl in


    response, flexing my fingers and preparing to fight.


    udia took a step back at my ferocious re. ¡°You can¡¯t fight us on our territory, Ignatius. How would


    that make your father look?¡± I twitched at the mention of Elliot and snarled.


    ¡°Enough, udia,¡± Dorothy interrupted her, ¡°leave Ignatius out of this. Besides, this is between me and


    Mavis.¡±


    She pushed herself out of bed and stood up. She was much shorter than udia and not very scary-


    looking, standing there in a shirt much too big for her, but her face was fierce and she scowled at the


    other girl, ¡°You need to leave.¡±


    udia looked like she was prepared to fight but the sudden appearance of the healer had us all


    caught off guard. ¡°I believe your presence is not wanted here Mis. Montgomery,¡± I had never been so


    grateful to see the old bat before just then. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to kindly ask you girls to leave.¡±


    Jumping like a child caught in the act of misbehavior, udia¡¯s expression morphed into one of pure


    innocence. ¡°We just wanted to see how Dorothy was doing ma¡¯am. Nothing more.¡±


    The healer ignored this statement and turned her gaze to the athletic-looking girl called Lana.


    ¡°And you, Miss Vander, I expected better from you. Harassing the poor girl like this, I¡¯ll have to have a


    word with your mother.¡±


    Lana looked stoic as always but she marched past the healer and left, mumbling an apology as she


    went. The other girls followed suit until it was just udia left in the


    room.


    She shifted her stance, unsure whether she should fight or obey. The healer adjusted her sses.


    ¡°Miss Montgomery. Scram.¡±


    With a final re at Dorothy, udia turned sharply on her heel and headed for the door. ¡°This isn¡¯t


    over.¡±


    She hissed at the both of us before disappearing in a flurry of bouncing curls and pinkce. I was sure


    that it wasn¡¯t.


    55%


    I made a promise to myself to pay a friendly visit to Mavis that afternoon. As well as make sure there


    were friendly faces keeping an eye on Dorothy at all times during her stay at the clinic.


    This was far from over.


    -Mavis-


    I arrived homete that evening. My mind was spinning with what had just urred. to, my true


    mate, was everything a girl could want in a man and more. His scent was still fresh on my skin where


    his lips had brushed my neck ever so gently as we parted.


    Copsing into one of the cream-colored leather armchairs in the main hall I ran over the events of the


    day in my head; to had rushed into the coffee shop the moment he caught my scent, he told me.


    After the flurried introduction we had spoken for hours. He had originally lived a fair distance away and


    only recently moved to the city to study. to said he had felt our connection too, but seeing as it


    wasn¡¯t an intense and nob*dy had evere looking for him, he assumed that his mate had other


    ns


    pull


    in life.


    It was only hours before that fateful moment at the coffee shop when he first felt the full force of the


    mating call. It shook him to his core and he set out to find me immediately. He saw me in the window as


    he passed by and rushed in immediately. And the rest was history.


    I had felt his presence too, only I¡¯d been so distracted by my own angry thoughts towards Johan that I


    paid no attention to them. Speaking of Johan, I had found myself in a bit of a predicament.


    On one hand, Johan was loyal and gentle and I had molded him perfectly to be the ideal mate for me.


    Thanks to me he was on his way to the top. He was reliable, and we had been together for so long.


    On the other hand, however, there was to. He was fresh and exciting and clearly motivated


    considering his dedication to studying in the city.


    Furthermore, he seemedpletely infatuated with me. My heart turned tumble wheels when I thought


    of how he had stared at me like I was the finest creature to walk the earth. Like I was a goddess in his


    eyes.


    Johan hadn¡¯t even managed to reject someone for me. Johan had insulted me and all the work I had


    put into our rtionship. If I hadn¡¯t threatened to leave him for good, who knows if he would have even


    rejected Dorothy at all.


    Dorothy. I would have to call udia and ask how that went. If luck was in my favor Dorothy would be


    somewhere dead in a ditch by now. I gazed out of the french


    14:49


    hu, 25


    windows.


    It was getting dark outside, the streemps were flickering on one by one and the moths were drawn to


    the bright orange glow. I watched as the fragile winged creatures danced around the glowing bulbs


    before flying straight into them and falling to the ground.


    to or Johan? Who to choose? to had asked me out on an official date for the following night. I


    took down his number and told him I¡¯d have to get back to him. I had to give myself time to think things


    over.


    I contemted calling Johan to ask if he¡¯d done what he was supposed to but decided. against it. Let


    him stew in his own shame and guilt for a while longer. It was what he deserved for treating me so


    unfairly.


    The chiming of the doorbell wrenched me out of 1


    internal monologuing. I wondered who would be calling sote in the evening. Probably Johaning


    to apologize with his tail between his legs like the lovesick puppy that he was.


    I knew my mother was out for the night going home with whatever well-off gentleman she had


    managed to scoop up this time.


    Funny thing was, no matter how hard she tried, none of them ever stuck around for more than a day or


    two. It would seem that while money may buy you happiness, it won¡¯t buy you a man who won¡¯t cheat.


    I slid off the couch and glided to the front door. Peering through the eyehole I had expected to see


    Johan or udia. I growled in irritation at what I saw and swung the door open to reveal Ignatius


    instead, standing on the porch with a stormy expression. ¡°What brings the infamous Ignatius to my


    doorstep sote this winter night?¡± I drawled sarcastically, folding my arms so that my breasts looked


    plumper than they already were. Let him drool over what he can¡¯t have.


    Ignatius ignored both my question and my subtle seduction and strode past me into the


    hall.


    ¡°Nice ce you¡¯ve got here Mavis. I thought snakes lived under rocks.¡±


    I scowled at him, marching after him as he made himselffortable on my couch. ¡°What do you want


    Ignatius? Got a taste for blondes now that your redhead doesn¡¯t need you anymore?¡±


    Ignatiusughed. ¡°Never really been into blondes funnily enough,¡± his voice trailed off as he stroked the


    lining of the couch with his finger. ¡°Tell me, Mavis, you didn¡¯t happen to have a chat with udia today


    did you?¡±


    5/7


    I remained standing, growing nervous at the odd calmness in his tone as he continued, ¡°Because she


    pulled up to the clinic today with a few of her friends and seemed ¡®very¡¯ determined to ¡®talk¡¯ to Dorothy.¡±


    He looked at me under heavy, angry brows. ¡°You didn¡¯t send them after her, surely not? You¡¯re above


    that kind of petty behavior.¡±


    I kept my tone nonchnt, ¡°Whatever happens to Dorothy on her own time is not my problem. And


    whatever my friends get up to isn¡¯t my problem either. Now if you just came here to fling usations at


    me, I¡¯d prefer it if you¡¯d leave.¡±


    Ignatius looked away from me and out of the window. More moths were circling the orange streetlight,


    obstructing the bulb with powdery brown wings.


    ¡°I know it was you who sent them after Dorothy, Mavis. I also know it was you who had them attack her


    outside of your college. Just couldn¡¯t bear the thought that maybe Johan would choose someone better


    than you, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Dorothy is ¡®not¡¯ better than me!¡± I snapped with more passion than intended, ¡°and you don¡¯t know what


    you¡¯re talking about. You¡¯re only involved in all of this because you think you¡¯ve found yourself a new


    pet to y with.¡± I lifted my head and looked down on him. ¡°You gonna kill this one too?¡±


    I could see I had clearly struck a nerve. Ignatius¡¯s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed at. me. ¡°So,


    Johan told you about the ident?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± I spouted a humorlessugh that echoed around the hall, ¡°You call that an ident? Your mate


    died because of your own reckless behavior. That was no ident. That was you.¡± I tilted my head and


    regarded him with mock sympathy.


    ¡°Ignatius, darling. That¡¯s just what you do. You¡¯re a danger to the people around you. A true wolf in


    sheep¡¯s clothing.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Ignatius growled, ¡°I didn¡¯te here today to discuss my shorings. I came here to tell


    you to back off of Dorothy, for good.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t protect her. You can¡¯t protect anyone,¡± I growled back, ¡°now get out of my house. Before I tell


    the elders that the Bielke warrior attacked me in my home.¡±


    up slowly


    Ignatius stood put casually walked himself to the front door. ¡°Be careful


    Mavis, I¡¯ve tried to put an end to this civilly. Next time, I won¡¯t be so considerate.¡±


    He left the door wide open and walked out into the night. It felt as if he had left the hall colder than it


    had been before he came in.


    I realized then, that he must genuinely care for Dorothy. Which was dangerous for us.


    6/7


    He had tantly admitted that the only reason he hadn¡¯t taken things further was because of the Bielke


    pack¡¯s reputation being on the line. If he were to find us outside of Kall territory, nothing could protect


    us from the wrath of Ignatius Armoundt.


    I picked up my phone and dialed a number,


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    -Johan-


    1 arrived at Mavis¡¯s front doorte that night.


    After Dorothy and I had finallypleted the severing of our bond I had gone out into the woods. I


    couldn¡¯t bear going home to that big empty house and that clock in the hall. For all I knew it had


    stopped ticking the moment Those final words left my lips ¨C ¡°I reject you¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bear facing my girlfriend just yet either. Mavis and her wrath loomed over me like a dark


    cloud. I saw her in the corner of my eyes.


    When I turned there was nothing behind me but trees. Stoic and silent. I wished I could nt my feet in


    the earth and join them. Do nothing but stand in the stillness of the forest and drop leaves as the cold


    of winter set in..


    I wanted to disintegrate and seep into the earth itself. To be soaked up into the roots of the surrounding


    foliage and live on in everything around me. the surrounding foliage and


    The air was growing colder with every passing day. I stood there in the quiet of the woods for hours. I


    examined the bark of the trees and every interesting leaf thaty sc att ered around me.


    I watched caterpirs crawl along branches and jumped at a bird that I hadn¡¯t noticed suddenly taking


    flight startling me as much as I had it.


    I had thought breaking the bond between me and Dorothy would bring me peace. I had expected relief


    to wash over me from the moment I said the words, heard her answer. I felt no such relief, only a vast


    and sprawling emptiness that hollowed out my chest and clotted my throat.


    Despite all the movement that was going on around me ¨C the birds, the caterpirs, the


    my


    swishing of the tallest branches of the trees the world looked dull and lifeless to


    empty eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t only hours after the sun had sunk below the tree line that I had made out of thefort of the


    forest¡¯s shadows and headed to my girlfriend¡¯s house.


    y way


    my


    At first, Mavis didn¡¯t answer the door. I tried calling her cell but it merely rang and rang until I assumed


    that she must be asleep.


    I was staring at a growing pile of dead moths under a nearby streetmp and contemting leaving


    when Mavis finally opened the door. I was relieved.


    I had expected to see her cold stare and set jaw, I had prepared myself for eyes full of


    55%


    14:50 Thu, 25 Jan


    disgust. Instead, Mavis looked at me and smiled. It was a faint smile but it was there all the same and


    this made me feel the slightest bit better.


    If nothing else, I would always have her.


    -Dorothy-


    The day following my official rejection by Johan, my injuries were already feeling much better and I was


    released from the clinic that afternoon. The healer had given me a strict warning not to push myself and


    told me to contact her if Mavis and her girls ever gave me trouble again..


    Ignatius had left the night before, stating that he had some business to attend to before. showing up


    early the next morning and hovering around my bedside all day long.


    I had begun to thoroughly enjoy hispany and we kept ourselves upied with countless debates


    and conversations on whatever we found interesting. Ignatius told me that he liked my art and I blushed


    shyly at the ttery.


    When it was finally time for me to leave, Ignatius asked if I¡¯d like to spend the evening. at his current


    ce of residence.


    I teased him for the formality in which he asked and he told me he was merely trying to present himself


    as a gentleman so that the healer would be obliged to release me into


    his care.


    The healer herselfughed at this but warned Ignatius to behave himself. It seemed she had warmed


    up to him considering her initial cold reactionpared to her light chiding now. We had both grown


    quite fond of the old bat.


    After a call with Anita and reassuring her that I was doing as well as possible considering the situation,


    Ignatius walked me to his car. I was curious to see the image of two wolves drawn into the dust on the


    back window but Ignatius brushed it aside when I asked him about it.


    We drove infortable silence back to the blue vi. I had yet to bring up the topic of our unusual


    mind-link with Ignatius but, despite our easy conversations, I had no idea our unusual mind-link with


    Ignatius but, de how to go about mentioning it.


    Ignatius too seemed like he had questions. I hugged my overflowing backpack on myp and decided it


    was a matter forter.


    ¡°Later¡± turned out to be sooner than I had expected, however, as Ignatius pulled the car up to the vi


    and turned to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    He rounded the car and opened my door for me, offering me his hand and guiding me to a path leading


    into the gardens behind the vi. It had begun to snow lightly-


    2/6


    55%


    powdery white flecks clung to our clothes as we walked.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I squinted as the evening sun shone through the trees. We walked in silence at first and I listened to


    the dead leaves crunching under our boots. Ignatius had not let go of my hand and I was perfectly fine


    with that. Even with the frosty air biting at us, his cool fingers were afort.


    ¡°So,¡± Ignatius broke the silence first as we trudged along the winding footpath. ¡°What are you going to


    do now?¡±


    I kicked at the fallen leaves at my feet, keeping my eyes to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Technically, I was


    supposed to find my mate and eventually live with them. I¡¯m eighteen now too old for foster care.¡±


    I snapped a twig off a branch as we passed and crushed it in my palm, examining the broken ck


    splinters before letting them drift to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that Anita would be happy to let me


    continue living with her for as long as I like, though. But I don¡¯t want to be more of a burden than I


    already have been.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a burden, Dorothy.¡±


    I half-smiled back at him when he said that. But I knew deep down that it wasn¡¯t true. Everywhere I


    went, trouble seemed to follow. I had been a burden to Johan. I had been a burden to every family that


    had taken me in.


    Aside from their hesitations about fostering an outsider, my endless nightmares and screaming fits had


    made their job all the more difficult. Anita had tried her best to be understanding. But I knew that even


    she had felt the strain of associating with me.


    ¡°What about you?¡± I looked up at Ignatius. ¡°How long before you head back to your pack?¡±


    He was so much taller than me, the top of my head barely reached his narrow shoulders. He gazed


    ahead as we walked, the evening sun turning his white hair silvery.


    ¡°My father will be heading back two days from now. I had onlye down to pay a visit to Johan,¡± he


    smiled sadly. ¡°Although, I doubt I¡¯ll be seeing him for a while after everything that¡¯s happened. I¡¯m free


    to leave here whenever I want really.¡±


    My stomach turned at the mention of Johan. The memory of our broken bond still fresh in my mind. My


    physical wounds were already on the mend, but the internal pain of that rejection was far from


    dispersing anytime soon.


    Furthermore, I felt deeply guilty for all the pain that I myself had caused. I had caused so much


    needless suffering for Johan by not allowing him to reject me right away.


    I had caused tensions between him and Mavis and, despite how much I disliked her, it


    3/6


    14:50 Thu 2 an


    was a rtionship that I should not have meddled in.


    I had caused tension between Johan and Ignatius as well. Because of me, the bond between these two


    old friends would never be the same. I only hoped that with time it could be mended.


    ¡°Ignatius, I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s my fault that the two of you fought ¨C ¡±


    Ignatius shook his head and clenched my hand tightly. He dislodged a rock from the earth in front of


    him and kicked it along the ground. ¡°That was far from your fault. Don¡¯t feel guilty for what happened


    between me and Johan.¡±


    He smiled at me, a real smile. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve fought. And I don¡¯t doubt it will be


    thest time either.¡±


    you think


    I didn¡¯t feel any better about it, but decided to let it go for now. ¡°So, when do you¡¯ll be leaving then?


    There¡¯s not really anything left for you here now that Johan¡¯s out of the picture.¡±


    I wanted to beg him to stay. I wanted to tell him that he meant something to me, that It felt like someone


    could finally see me as I was and ept all of it. My throat was dry. I kept my head down.


    I could feel Ignatius¡¯s eyes on me. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look up afraid that he¡¯d see the truth of how


    I felt about him in my eyes.


    ¡°There is something for me here, Dorothy.¡±


    He stopped abruptly and I was halted by his hand still gripping mine tightly. Ignatius stood there until I


    raised my eyes to meet his gaze. His eyes were oceans. I felt I could fall straight into them and sink if I


    stared for too long.


    ¡°There¡¯s you,¡± Ignatius said quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand how or why, but you¡¯ve got me h ooked,


    Dorothy. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    I stood there, mouth agape, gazing into those ocean eyes for what felt like an eternity. When Ignatius


    looked away and broke the hold he had on me, I scrambled to recollect my thoughts.


    ¡°Oh ¨C okay,¡± I stammered, unsure of what to say. I couldn¡¯tprehend his fascination with me. This


    icy creature who smelled of the sea seemed too far out of reach for a person as insignificant as me. ¡°I¡¯d


    like that. If you stayed for a while,¡± I said.


    Ignatius began walking again and I hurried to catch up. For each step he took, I had to take two, even


    when he was slowing his pace for me. Ignatius cut off of the garden pathway all of a sudden and led


    me through the drooping nts and into the forest.


    4/0


    14:50


    25 Jan


    The snow was falling harder now and a thinyer of white frost coated the ground. It fell among the


    trees and glistened in the dying evening light like twin kling fireflies. I could feel the frosty flecks on my


    eyshes and in my hair.


    I looked around me in amazement as Ignatius led us to a small clearing in the trees. The air was cold


    and biting. The trees around us were still and silent. The final golden. rays of the sun were vanishing


    one by one behind them. I had never seen the forest looking as beautiful as it had at that very moment.


    It felt as if the whole world was standing still. The only movement was the soft snowing down


    around us there in the clearing like a life-sized snow globe.


    Ignatius seemed pleased with my reaction as I gazed in awe at the peaceful scene. He took my other


    hand in his and stood before me, ¡°To make up for your less than ideal birthday. I thought maybe you¡¯d


    like it here.¡±


    I nodded silently, lost in his eyes once more. Somewhere in the distance, someone was ying the


    piano. Or maybe it was a radio. Either way, the whimsical tune drifted to us through the trees like a


    ghostly orchestra was serenading us there in our little ethereal part of the woods.


    Ignatius ced a hand on my waist and lifted my right hand like a dance partner preparing to begin a


    performance. I put a hand on his shoulder and we waltzed quietly there in the clearing to the wispy


    warbling of that distant music.


    Our feet padded softly on the ground as we twirled and the snow fell around us, coating the both of us


    in frosty droplets. Iughed as Ignatius dipped me gracefully, my hair brushing the fallen snow on the


    ground, and pulled me back up to his chest.


    I stared up into his dark eyes. I could feel the rhythmic beating of his heart and my own fluttered in my


    chest like a caged bird.


    I had never felt so calm, so at peace, as I did right then, gazing into the eyes of a boy I barely knew. I


    boy I felt I had known all my life. A boy who felt so distant and yet so intertwined with me at the same


    time.


    ¡°Ignatius¡­¡± I whispered, as the final ray of daylight left us and the woods were awash in tranquil


    darkness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get overhearing you say my name,¡± he said, as I ced my head against his


    marble chest and swayed there with him in the dark.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Dorothy. I¡¯m beyond grateful to have met you.¡±


    We spun slowly around that clearing like two music box dancers. The dark washed over us and hid our


    features but I felt Ignatius¡¯s cold b*dy against mine. His lips on my neck like a promise.


    5/6


    14:50 Thu, 25 Jan in E:


    SEND GIFT


    0


    COMMEN

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    -Dorothy-


    It was dark and chilly by the time the distant piano music faded away and Ignatius and I paused our


    ethereal dancing. The inky ck of the forest was broken only by the faint shimmer of moonlight


    glinting off the fallen snow. Ignatius held me close, wrapping his arms around my suddenly-shivering


    frame.


    ¡°We should get back,¡± he said into my hair as he buried his face in my locks. I felt his warm breath and


    inhaled his intoxicating scent. I didn¡¯t want to leave.


    I wanted to stay forever in the dark, peaceful piece of magic that we had created. But even as we stood


    there I felt the cold crawling under my skin and settling in my bones- making me shiver and quake


    despite Ignatius¡¯s stony arms around me.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. My voice was mu fled by his chest.


    It took a little longer to find the path back to the garden than it would have if it had been light. While


    Ignatius¡¯s eyes were just as good in the dark as they were during the day, my eyes were yet to adjust


    themselves to the nocturnal behaviors of my inner-wolf.


    Speaking of my inner-wolf, a small seed of concern was ni g g ling in the back of my mind. Shifters


    were eventually able to speak with their wolves after their eighteenth birthday, after finding their mate.


    I was yet to hear my wolf¡¯s voice as opposed to merely feeling her emotions in my chest. as I had all


    my life. It bothered me that we were still unable tomunicate. I didn¡¯t even know her name.


    I wondered if it was because of Johan¡¯s rejection of me. Could a wolf die and the human counterpart


    live on? Would I never hear my wolf¡¯s voice? I wondered if I would ever be able to take on her form


    now that the bond with my mate had been severed.


    I voiced these concerns to Ignatius as we struggled along. He caught me time and time. again as I


    tripped over fallen branches and gnarled roots hidden under the thick snow. Despite the slow progress,


    I was still having a good time.


    I felt light and airy after our spinning in the woods and the nket of darkness offered thefort of


    anonymity when talking about my deepest thoughts. I was aware that Ignatius could still see perfectly


    fine in the darkness, but my ownck of vision was afort all the same.


    Ignatius listened intently as I talked about my fears concerning my inner-wolf. He heard the hitch in my


    voice when I told him I was afraid she would nevere back at all.


    14:52 Thu, 25 Jan Br


    In the dark, he reached for my hand and guided me back onto the garden path that we had finally


    reached. I saw the distant glow of lights from the windows of the vi as I clung to Ignatius in the snow.


    I could barely see his face but I heard his voice at my shoulder as he guided met forwards, ¡°I don¡¯t think


    you need to worry about your wolf, Dorothy.¡± He rushed to grab my elbow and steady me when I


    slipped on the sleet that had gathered on the muddy ground.


    Stopping me for a moment, Ignatius came to stand in front of me and crouched. He guided my hands


    around his shoulders and I climbed onto his back. He stood up and gripped the underside of my legs to


    hold my weight after I squeezed my arms around his throat tight enough to make him choke.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    We trudged on like that for a while, with me on his back, before he spoke again, ¡°I felt your wolf, you


    know. Back when you were going through heat. I felt her howling. I felt her when you k*ssed me too.¡±


    I opened my mouth to interject but Ignatius continued, ¡°She¡¯s strong Dorothy. You both are. No


    rejection is enough to take her down. You¡¯ll speak with her eventually.¡±


    Reminded of our passionate moments during my initial first heat, I couldn¡¯t help it ¨C I ran my lips. along


    his cool neck. Tasting his soft skin. I felt his hair stand on end when I did so and leaned my chin on his


    shoulder, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± I whispered.


    After Ignatius recovered from my antics he spoke again. His voice was calm but his words wereden


    with a kind of wistful mncholy like he was gazing far back into the past, ¡°I remember the moment I


    first heard my wolf, Tor. I had turned eighteen about a week before. At first, I didn¡¯t really like the guy


    much.¡±


    I could hear him smile as he said this, and I wondered if Tor had had something to say about that.


    ¡°But eventually he grew on me and we understand each other better now. The first time he spoke to me


    was the first time I saw my mate. Afterward, Tor and I didn¡¯t seem to agree on much, but at that


    moment we both had the same thought; There goes the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. It was Tor


    who gave me enough courage to approach her and introduce myself.¡±


    I cast my mind back to the argument between Ignatius and Johan. Specifically Ignatius¡¯s words; ¡°I¡¯ve


    ¡®lost¡¯ my mate.¡± I leaned my head against his and squeezed my arms tighter,


    ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    Ignatius was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn¡¯t answer me at all. Only the crunch-


    14:52 Thu, 25 Jan B


    of snow under his feet could be heard as we approached the lonely vi.


    254%2


    The snow had stopped falling now and the pathway was covered in a white nket that shimmered


    and glinted in the moonlight. Ignatius¡¯s sudden response caught me by surprise and I jumped slightly in


    my perch on his back.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. I had no idea what words could possibly be the right. ones. What do


    you say to a loss that is so impactful? A loss so final and unthinkable. It wanted to ask more but kept


    my mouth shut for fear of being intrusive.


    I was surprised that Ignatius had disclosed this information to me at all. It would seem I was not the


    only one who felt morefortable expressing myself under the cloak of darkness.


    stled i


    I face in his neck and nted light k*sses leading up to his jaw. This collup of information felt intense


    and personal. A fragile revtion he had entrusted to only me and the frost thaty around us.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered into his skin. ¡°That¡¯s terrible. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    I knew my words did nothing to soothe the pain that was rolling off of him in waves as I clung to his


    back. I knew they would do nothing to fill the crevice that this had clearly cracked open in his heart.


    Ignatius kept his eyes forward as he walked.


    ¡°We had been together for only two years by then.¡±


    He spoke like he was narrating a story. Like this was someone else¡¯s life and he was merely giving a


    rundown of events that urred around this other, younger Ignatius and his mate.


    ¡°We were inseparable. I was reckless back then, braver. I thought I was invincible and the power


    behind my family name had gone to my head long before I turned eighteen. I thought I could solve


    everything with brute force alone.


    ¡°I was unraveled and vicious. But ire¡­ she was kind. No matter the situation she would put me in


    my ce with a few gentle words. I never wanted to see her it hurt to know that I had put the sadness


    in her eyes with my antics.¡±


    upset,


    and


    I kept quiet as he spoke. Something in me understood that he needed this. That these were words he


    hadn¡¯t dared to speak out loud before now. We were almost at the vi and the yellow light at the front


    porch shone like a beacon beckoning us home.


    Ignatius¡¯s voice was rougher as he continued,


    ¡°One night it was raining. Storming. We had been watching the lighting from our bed.


    54%


    It waste and I got a phone call from a friend of mine. He said they¡¯d seen members of a rival pack


    traipsing around on our territory.


    ¡°ire told me it was probably a bunch of teens mucking around in the rain. There were always overly


    co cky pups from packs nearby who would trail onto our turf on a dare or to prove themselves in the


    eyes of some girl they were trying to impress. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. But my pride was too inted back


    then.


    ¡°My ego told me that this was my future pack, that I was going to be the leader one day. And to be the


    leader I thought I needed to prove my status. Even if it was just to a few foolhardy teens.¡±


    I shut my eyes. I could see the scene ying out in my head and it made my stomach churn like I was


    going to be sick. ¡°So you went out.¡±


    Ignatius nodded tensely. ¡°Yeah. ire didn¡¯t want me to go. I got angry. I told her to stay behind then if


    sh


    was so against it. But when she realized she couldn¡¯t change my mind she insisted oning with me.


    She climbed into the car next to me despite me. telling her no. I was so worked up by then I didn¡¯t fight


    it for long. I just got in the car and started driving.¡±


    Ignatius stopped walking and I could feel his shoulders shaking against me.


    ¡°I was yelling at her while we drove. Yelling to be heard over the rain and the wind but also because I


    was angry. I knew she just wanted to protect me but I was furious anyway. She wasn¡¯t wearing a


    seatbelt. And I wasn¡¯t looking at the road. I was looking at her. I didn¡¯t see the tree in the road ¨C they


    told meter that it had been struck down by lightning.¡±


    I touched my hand to his cheek and it came back wet. He was crying, looking down at the untouched


    snow in front of him. His fingers dug into my legs as he fought to keep his voice from breaking,


    wrestling with demons that I couldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°She went straight through the front ss. Died on impact. I can still see her face right. before it


    happened. She had been so calm, so gentle. Even while I was yelling at her she was still looking at me


    with love.¡±


    I gripped Ignatius in shock as he dropped to his knees with me still clinging to his back. I scrambled off


    of him and ran around to face him. I got to my knees in front of him. and felt the snow melt into my


    jeans leaving me soaking wet.


    I held his face in my hands and the pale light of the moon twin kled as it caught his tears. Ignatius


    wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my chest without a


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    word.


    I caressed his head and ced a small k*ss on the top of his head. His hair was wet with melted snow.


    5/5


    11:52 Thu, 25 Jan ¨C


    54%


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± I whispered to him, but I knew my words were meaningless. This was a guilt he


    had carried with him for a long time now. Nothing I could say would make it magically melt away like


    the snow beneath us.


    I held him there in the dark as he shook and choked back traitor tears. He finally lifted his head when


    the cold had gotten to me so badly that my teeth were chattering and my fingers were ice against his


    skin.


    It was too dark to see much but I was sure they were turning blue. Ignatius noticed this. immediately


    and scooped me in his arms as he stood up carrying me just like he had when we first met.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said h oar s ely. ¡°You must be freezing.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I fought to keep my teeth from chattering but it was futile, the cold was setting into my


    bones and I was an icicle in his arms. ¡°Ignatius?¡±


    He looked down at me, his eyes were ck caves in the darkness. ¡°Thank you for telling me. For


    trusting me.¡±


    He said nothing and I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but he held me closer and that was enough.


    We finally arrived at the front steps of the vi. The orange circle of light cast down from themp at the


    entrance was a weing sight.


    My relief was quelled however when a figure stepped out of the shadows into that orange glow. Johan


    stood before us, grief etched into his features. I knew immediately that this night was far from over.


    ¡°Johan?¡±


    Even Ignatius was caught off guard and his voice sounded small in the dark.


    Johan stared at the both of us, but it felt like he was looking straight through us,


    in a daze.


    his cyes


    ¡°Mavis¡­¡± he murmured ¨C almost inaudible even on that silent winter night. ¡°Mavis, she found h


    mate.¡±


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    -Dorothy-


    After a tap on the shoulder to snap him out of his confusion, Ignatius put me down and let me approach


    Johan slowly. He continued to stare at me nkly as I took his hand. and led him up the porch steps


    and into the vi.


    Ignatius followed after us and busied himself with getting a me started in the firece tobat the


    cold that was creeping in under the door. I led Johan to a chair and let him sit down. Casting a worrying


    nce over at Ignatius and him shrugging sadly in return, I announced that I was going to make us all


    tea, and then we could talk.


    Johan gazed at me as Ignatius strode over in between grabbing firewood, and ced his heavy


    weatherbeaten jacket over my shoulder, checking my fingers to ensure they hadn¡¯t been taken by the


    cold. I could tell that this small act of affection wasn¡¯t lost on Johan and I watched sudden


    understanding bloom in his eyes as he stared at us.


    I headed to the kitchen to make tea while Ignatius ced himself on a stool in front of Johan.


    There was nothing but care and sympathy for his friend in his eyes. But in Johan¡¯s, I saw a sudden


    burning resentment. Something that I was beginning to realize had been building for years long before I


    had stepped into the picture.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    In the kitchen, I set the kettle to boil. I danced a little jive around the tiny space as I tried to warm up


    and inject some life back into my frozen limbs. Ignatius¡¯s stiff blue jacket was rife with his scent and I


    pulled it tightly around me, huffing into my hands to warm them up.


    My mind raced at Johan¡¯s words. Mavis had found her mate. After everything she had done to hurt me,


    to push Johan to do the unthinkable, she had found someone else. My heart broke for Johan.


    I was furious with Mavis. As much as I understood the pull of one¡¯s true mate, I hated her for this. As


    much as I wanted to believe that deep down Mavis was a good person, I was disgusted by her actions.


    And Johan¡­ What now?


    The kettle was almost ready and I had just managed to move my fingers properly again when a


    The stool falling over I assumed was what I had heard from the kitchen. In the living room, I found it


    toppled to the floor and Ignatius pinning Johan to the wall by the throat.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?¡± I squeaked in rm. ¡°Ignatius let him go!¡±


    1/5


    54%


    Ignatius looked like he was going to ignore me and bared his sharpened teeth at Johan. But just as


    quickly he let go of him and stepped back. Johan didn¡¯t seem like he wanted. to fight this time and


    merely stood there, looking from me to Ignatius and back again.


    There was a coldness in his expression that I had never seen before. Not icy like Ignatius, but rather


    nk, like this figure before me was nothing but a hollow shell that had arrived without its owner.


    ¡°He¡¯s not here forfort,¡± Ignatius growled, his dark eyes boring into Johan so intensely that I


    imagined he would burst into mes. ¡°He wants you back.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand him at first. It took a second for his words to sink in and I slowly turned to look at


    Johan. ¡°What?¡±


    The kettle in the kitchen began to whistle. The sound built into a high-pitched scream. that pierced my


    ears and mirrored the sudden tension in the room. It was a warning siren, a bad omen, It made my skin


    crawl.


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± I said, keeping my voice low and t. ¡°Could you take care of that? Johan and I need to have


    a talk.¡±


    I was afraid to be left alone in the room with this phantom version of my once true mate. I had never


    once thought I would be wary of Johan. I had never before seen those gentle eyes so empty and cold.


    But this was a situation that only I could defuse and so, I swallowed my fear.


    I could tell Ignatius was hesitant to leave my side. He too could see the strange change. that had


    ovee his friend. This was not the Johan we knew and loved. This was someone else entirely. A


    broken man. A clockwork toy run to the ground.


    I touched Ignatius¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Please. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    He looked down at me in concern. His voice was suddenly in my head, clear as day although his lips


    didn¡¯t move. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there in the other room. Don¡¯t let him near


    you.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t hurt me,¡± I answered through our mind-link. Although I wasn¡¯t so sure of my own words. ¡°I


    think he¡¯s in shock. He¡¯s probably just really lost right now.¡±


    ¡°People are capable of terrible things when ovee with grief. Be careful. I¡¯ll be listening.¡±


    That was all Ignatius said men tally as he walked past me and into the kitchen, brushing his hand on


    my shoulder as he did so.


    I inhaled quietly and looked at Johan. His eyes were fixed on Ignatius¡¯s back as he left, shooting


    daggers that made me want to throw myself at Ignatius to protect him from


    14:52 Thu, 25 Jan G


    the evil thoughts hurled at him from behind.


    9.54%


    ¡°Johan,¡± I said gently and took an instinctual step backward as his gaze shot to me. ¡°Johan, what did


    Ignatius mean?¡±


    In the kitchen, Ignatius had taken the kettle off of the stove and the pots wailing died. down. Johan


    didn¡¯t answer me, but I watched countless emotions run through his mind as he looked at me.


    ¡°Do you want to sit down?¡± I asked, and picked up the stool that had fallen to the floor. I sat down in the


    hope that Johan would do the same do anything but stand there like a zombie. An empty vessel with


    the lethal strength of a wolf. Thankfully, he followed suit. and sat down across from me.


    Being closer to me seemed to do him some good and I watched a hint of life return to his eyes as he


    inhaled my scent. I didn¡¯t know how to act around him. After everything. the ecstatic joy of speaking to


    him on the morning of my birthday. The crushing weight of his rejection. The tears and torment in


    between.


    Now that the bond was broken, Johan felt like a stranger to me, and theforting scent of pine was


    being slowly reced by an unmistakable hint of sea air. Finally, Johan spoke, and his voice was as


    hollow as his eyes had looked a moment ago.


    ¡°After I after we severed the bond, I went out into the woods for a while. Then I went to find Mavis. I


    promised her that I would do it ¨C and I did.¡±


    I watched in relief as his face softened, breaking the cold mask that he had ced there as his face


    contorted in grief. ¡°Mavis was at home but she wasn¡¯t alone. I hadn¡¯t noticed his car in the driveway but


    he was there. He stepped out when Mavis let me in.¡±


    I ced a hand on Johan¡¯s knee when I saw it begin to shake. The action was awkward and felt odd to


    me now but it clearly soothed Johan slightly.


    ¡°Who was there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Him,¡± Johan said through gritted teeth. ¡°to. Her mate. She told me he had stopped by to talk. She


    told me not to make a fuss. That she needed time to think things over.¡±


    Johan had balled his hands into quaking fists as he spoke. ¡°But I saw it, the way she touched him. I


    smelled their scent all over each other. She had already made her choice.¡±


    ¡°Johan¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have the words tofort him. It seemed I was continuously useless. atbating


    the sadness and trauma that gued those around me.


    ¡°I gave her everything.¡± Johan hissed, ¡°I did everything she asked. I gave up on you.¡±


    3/5


    14:52 Thu, 25 Jan ? G


    He looked straight at me as he said this like it was a new revtion that had just dawned on him.


    ¡°I rejected my true mate for her. For a girl who has controlled me my whole life. For a girl who has


    never known how to love me back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± I tried to say. ¡°Mavis does love you.¡± My lie was a feeble one and fell on deaf ears.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Johan grabbed both my hands in carnest.


    ¡°Dorothy. I should never have rejected you. I knew it was wrong. I thought it would get casier but it¡¯s


    not. It never will be I need you. Please, Dorothy.¡±


    Tears pric ked my eyes at his next words words that hade just a little toote. ¡°Please take me


    back. Dorothy. I want you. I always have.¡±


    I heard Ignatius stir from his ce in the kitchen.


    ¡°No,¡± I told him through the mind-link. ¡°I can handle this. If you interject now he¡¯ll only take it out on


    you.¡±


    Ignatius growled in response but stayed where he was. I gently pulled my hand from Johan and wiped


    my eyes. I stared up at the ceiling, banishing my tears back inside my skull. I had done enough crying


    the past two days. I owed none of them any more of my tears.


    ¡°Johan,¡± I said as I brought my gaze to his with newly dried eyes. ¡°You know I can¡¯t do


    that.¡±


    His earnest, hopeful expression remained frozen on his face as I continued, ¡°I love you, Johan. I think I


    always will. But I don¡¯t want to be your mate.¡±


    My words were the truth. I still felt shattered at the broken bond. I still felt the pull towards him. But


    looking at Johan with clear eyes, eyes that were not clouded by my own need for love and validation, I


    understood that I did not want to be with Johan.


    I looked him in the eyes as I spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t want you, Johan. I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯ve been dealt this hand.


    You have my love forever. But you don¡¯t have my heart.¡±


    He had the loveliest eyes I had ever seen, but my heart had fallen for an icy blue pair that could stare


    into my soul like no one else could.


    After a moment, as my words made it to Johan¡¯s ears, his expression twisted. I watched his childlike


    face cra ck and crumble as his final thread of hope was dashed to pieces. I realized that just like me,


    Johan craved something that almost no one could give him To be wanted. To be loved entirely as he


    was. To be understood.


    The edge in his voice sent the hair on my neck up and goosebumps broke out on my


    14:52 Thu, 25 Jan B


    skin even though the fire had done a good job of warming me up by then.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of him, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s because of Ignatius.¡±


    54%1


    There was a stone in my throat. I stared at him mutely. He was wrong. It was so much more than that.


    It was my own self-worth, my dignity, and an understanding of myself that I had only found after losing


    him. But then again, he wasn¡¯t ¡®entirely¡¯ wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± I said cautiously, suddenly fearing for Ignatius¡¯s safety and ming myself for guiding


    this person through the front door. ¡°Johan, I think you need to leave.¡±


    Johan ignored me, holding me in ce with the intensity of his gaze barreling down on me. ¡°You love


    him, don¡¯t you? We parted only a day ago and you¡¯re already falling for someone else.¡±


    ¡°No, I-¡°He wouldn¡¯t let me speak. ¡°Not just anyone else. My best friend.¡± His voice rose as he spoke


    over me and I felt Ignatius rearing to go..


    ¡°Wait,¡± I pleaded silently with Ignatius. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Johan stood up abruptly, knocking his chair down and towering over me. ¡°You¡¯re just like her. You¡¯re all


    the same!¡±


    He was shouting by then and his teeth were looking a little sharper than before..


    ¡°Just listen to me, please Johan.¡± I stood slowly, raising my hands to show I meant peace. ¡°Just calm


    down.¡±


    Johan looked anything but calm as he extended his ws.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I thought you were different. I thought you were the one. How did I let myself fall for yet


    another average sl ut?¡±


    That was the final straw for Ignatius. He kicked open the door to the kitchen at exactly the same time


    that Mavis burst in through the front door with whom I assumed was to in tow.


    5/5


    SEND GIFT


    0

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Ignatius-


    When I ha


    first set out on that frosty garden path with Dorothy, I had no intention of pilling my deepest burdens in


    the dark. I had merely an inkling of an idea. I recalled a mall clearing in the forest nearby that I had


    discovered on one of many quiet walks hrough the slow mornings.


    thought it would be perfect for someone who had undergone so much tragedy and haos over just two


    days. The cool air and stillness of the clearing had always calmed ne. I hoped it would do the same for


    her.


    The sudden music was a perfect touch that I, unfortunately, could take no credit for. That was all thanks


    to Mrs. Weatherdowne, the owner of the blue vi itself. She lived just down the road and had chosen


    that specific moment to crank up the old record. yer and bless us with Tchaikovsky.


    Waltzing in the woods with Dorothy in my arms, I felt something inside of me ¨C something that hady


    dead for a long time suddenly spark back to life. It was a small me and it was a weak one. But it was


    there.


    Tor sensed the magnitude of the situation, the importance of the scene ying out, and graced me with


    his respectful silence as we danced.


    I don¡¯t know why I broke down in the dark afterward, with Dorothy still perched on my back. It felt as if,


    along with the new life that was blooming inside my chest, came a tidal wave of emotions that I had


    never fully put to rest. Carrying her then, shivering in my arms, I realized that I wanted to.


    I wanted to be better, to do better. Both for her and my entire future pack. I would never truly forgive


    myself for what I did to ire. Her death would weigh heavy on my chest for the rest of my life.


    But the least I could do was use that grief to fuel me. To push me to be a better leader, better lover, and


    better friend. No amount of atonement would ever bring her back. But Dorothy was here. She was alive


    and breathing. I vowed to never again sacrifice another life for the sake of my own personal growth. I


    would not make the same mistake twice.


    It was this vow, this promise to myself that allowed me to keep my cool when waiting in the kitchen.


    Dorothy had opened her mind to me and I could hear the conversation between her and Johan with


    perfect rity.


    I wanted to rage, to lurch at him with all of my strength, and knock him to the floor. A part of me thought


    him weak, the kind of weak that begged for sympathy. But I didn¡¯t feel sympathetic. Johan had chosen


    his fate when he rejected Dorothy. To go back on


    54%


    151 Thu Jun


    his word now, after causing so much pain, was pathetic.


    Then again, I thought to myself as I cleared my head and breathed deeply, how could we have


    expected anything else? Mavis had a hold over Johan before the two of us had even be friends.


    When you have spent so much of your short life living around someone else, are you even your own


    person anymore? Are you anyone at all without the partner you¡¯ve molded yourself around?


    I had seen the hollow space in his eyes, the empty cavity in his chest that Mavis used to upy.


    Without her. Johan was lost, listless. And I couldn¡¯t me him for that. Mavis had possessed him, b*dy,


    mind, and soul.


    And now she had abandoned her husk of a partner for someone else. Someone who wanted her


    because of the intense pull of the mating call. Johan had wanted her even without that instinctual drive.


    With this understanding in mind, I continued to listen to them speak, still fearing slightly for Dorothy¡¯s


    safety in the presence of a man who had lost everything. The kettle sat, long since abandoned on the


    kitchen counter. The water was slowly turning cold once more.


    I had settled myself.


    the breakfast nook in the corner when I heard Johan¡¯s tone change. He was pleading with Dorothy,


    begging like a madman. He was all over the ce,ing undone before her eyes and I could feel it. I


    stood up and put my hand on the doorknob, pausing when Dorothy asked me to wait.


    I wanted to trust that she could handle this. I ¡®did¡¯ trust her. It was Johan I was skeptical of at that


    moment. People are capable of anything when they think they have nothing left to lose. It was only


    when his voice rose that I probed Dorothy¡¯s mind again, insisting that I intervene. Johan was shouting


    at her, at the world.


    His finalment had pushed too far. I men tally apologized to Dorothy for not being able to take it any


    longer and kicked open the door, fully ready to knock Johan off his feet. I wasn¡¯t prepared, however, for


    the sudden appearance of Mavis at exactly the same time.


    I saw her eyes scan the room, switching from Johan, to me, to Dorothy in the blink of an eye. Her


    expression soured when her eyes fell on Dorothy and I thought that maybe I¡¯d have tw


    rogue werewolves on my hands by the time this was over.


    Mavis was the first to speak, breaking the sudden silence that had descended upon our little


    unintentional gathering.


    ¡°You ba st ard.¡±


    20


    1:25 TH¨´, L¨¤ l¨¤n


    Her scathing words were directed at Johan, who stared at her like a deer caught in headlights. ¡°You


    came running straight back to her. I knew you wanted her. You disgust


    me.¡±


    She swiveled her head to look at Dorothy, poised like a cobra waiting to strike. ¡°And you. You just can¡¯t


    help yourself. Picking at my scraps because you can¡¯t get anyone else.¡±


    Dorothy stepped away from Johan and towards me. ¡°What are you doing here, Mavis? And who¡¯s your


    friend?¡±


    I cast my eyes to the tall man who had entered behind Mavis. His hair was wilder than mine and


    Johan¡¯sbined, and he was looking around the room in bewilderment.


    ¡°to,¡± he said, unsure of what exactly the situation was that he¡¯d found himself in. ¡°I¡¯m Mavis¡¯s ma-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my mate,¡± Mavis interrupted him. I could see that she took pleasure in how the words made


    Johan wince. ¡°As I was so kindly exining to Johan before he bolted off my porch like a wounded


    animal.¡±


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She red at Johan. ¡°I knew you¡¯de here. Even after Ignatius has stolen your darling little Dorothy,


    you stille running for your friend.¡±


    Johan seemed frozen on the spot, his ws still sharped and ready to tear.


    ¡°Mavis,¡± Dorothy warned her, edging away from Johan and slipping her hand in mine. ¡°Leave him


    alone.¡±


    Mavis continued like she hadn¡¯t heard Dorothy, approaching Johan like a parent scolding a child, ¡°I was


    going to choose you. But you just had to run away, didn¡¯t you? Back to Dorothy. Because all this time


    you wanted her instead of me. You blew chance, Johan. This is all your fault.¡±


    I knew she was lying. I could smell her scent all over


    your


    said; Mavis had already made her choice. This was her revenge, her coverup. She was


    her b*dy. It was like Johan has


    pinning it on Johan to case her own guilt..


    bod behind her. I could smell his scent ravaged all ward-looking stranger who


    Dorothy caught this too. ¡°Get out Mavis, If you¡¯re done with Johan you have no reason to stay any


    longer.¡±


    The stranger ced a tentative hand on Mavis¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maybe we should leave¡­¡±


    I could see this only riled Johan up more. It was one thing knowing that your partner had chosen


    another, it was another thing to see the exchange in person.


    9% 54%


    The stranger ¨C to ¨C could sense the tension in the air. He wasn¡¯t oblivious to Johan¡¯s eyes fixed on


    him the source, Johan seemed to think, of all his problems.


    Mavis wrenched herself away from the gentle hand and stepped close to Johan, grabbing his shirt.


    ¡°Say something. Say something, you pathetic waste of potential.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Mavis!¡± My voice boomed around the tiny living room. Dorothy started beside me and moved


    her hand to grip my arm. I bared my teeth at Mavis. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you two to leave.¡±


    to seemed like he didn¡¯t want any trouble. He threw an apologetic nce in my direction as he


    tugged at Mavis, coaxing her away from Johan. ¡°Mavis, love. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    But Mavis would not go. She was angry and determined to squeeze every ounce of life out of Johan


    before she left. She didn¡¯t want him. But she wanted himpletely incapacitated without her.


    Johan was a statue, a stone wall. He wasn¡¯t defending himself. This was an opportunity Mavis could


    not allow herself to miss.


    Suddenly, Mavis¡¯s earlier remarks seemed to register in to¡¯s mind. He kept his grip on her arm. ¡°You


    were going to choose him?¡±


    0 22


    Mavis paused and turned to look at him and then swept her gaze back to Johan. ¡°What? No, I just ¨C ¡±


    She knew she¡¯d been caught out. To admit that she¡¯d been lying would be to let Johan off the h ook, to


    deny it would mean she¡¯d lied to her so-called true mate. For the first time ever, I watched Mavis with


    her sharp tongue and quick wit, falter.


    to stepped back, looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. ¡°Back there, you told me


    that you wanted me. That you¡¯d been waiting for me. You said you and Johan were over for good.¡±


    ¡°I ¨C to, I just-¡±


    ¡°You lied.¡±


    to rubbed his eyes like he was struggling to make sense of it. ¡°You lied. Why? To get me to sleep


    with you? You said you¡¯d ended things with this guy.¡±


    He gestured to Johan before taking a few more steps back towards the door.


    I knew I should intervene. Dorothy was pric king at my mind, urging me to step in before another


    altercation broke out. But I was watching the downfall of Mavis. The fall from grace that had been a


    long timeing.


    54%


    I knew Dorothy, despite her need to put a stop to things, was just as curious to watch the implosion


    going down before our eyes. I peeped into her mind. She was enjoying it.


    Mavis was looking back and forth between her lovers like a caged animal. She needed a vice,


    someone toy the me on. Anyone but herself. Her eyes settled on Dorothy.


    ¡°Everything was fine until you stepped into the picture,¡± she seethed, her shoulders. hunched forwards


    like she was going to shift. ¡°You ruined everything.¡±


    Dorothy shook her head. ¡°No, Mavis I don¡¯t think I did. I shouldn¡¯t have stopped Johan from rejecting


    me. That was wrong and for that I am sorry.¡±


    She directed thosest words at Johan before continuing. ¡°But Johan did what you asked him to Mavis.


    He rejected me for you. You are the one who failed him. You were unfaithful. This is on you.¡±


    I watched the hackles rise on Mavis¡¯s shoulders as her face contorted into a vicious snarl. ¡°Lana was


    right. Right from the beginning. I should have just let them kill you when they had the chance.¡±


    Without realizing it, Mavis had revealed her true nature to her mate, and to, who had been so


    passive until then, was appalled.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked her, but from the tone of his voice, he already had his answer. He saw the


    snare trap he had begun to enter and chose to escape before it was toote. Before he ended up just


    like Johan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want this, Mavis.¡±


    She turned to him, still in the limbo between forms ¨C neither wolf nor girl.


    ¡°What did


    you say?¡±


    I put my arms around Dorothy at the deep, ferocious tone of Mavis¡¯s scratchy voice. to took another


    step back. He seemed nervous and out of his depth but his voice was firm. ¡°I don¡¯t want this, Mavis. I


    don¡¯t want you.¡±


    He looked me dead in the eye and a glimmer of understanding and mutual respect passed between us.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said directly to me and then looked at Johan. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    He understood Johan¡¯s pain, his anger. His apology ran deeper than just making up for what he¡¯d done


    with Mavis. He was apologizing for the wreckage that his true mate had


    left in her wake.


    With that, he cast onest look of remorse at Mavis and left.


    54


    Mavis followed after him without another word to any of us. She was clearly shaken at to¡¯s sudden


    change of heart. I don¡¯t think it had ever urred to her that she could find herself at the receiving end


    of a devastating rejection.


    She left the door wide open behind her and the cold winter air chilled us all. Johan seemed to awake


    from his hypnosis and took one lumbering step forward and then another.


    ¡°Mavis¡­¡± I had never heard his voice so small, so broken. ¡°Mavis,e back.¡±


    I left Dorothy¡¯s side and put a hand to his chest. ¡°She¡¯s gone, Johan. You have to let her go. I think


    ¡°The sigh that escaped me was one of remorse and sympathy for my old friend. ¡°I think this is for the


    best.¡±


    Johan looked past me, towards Dorothy.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left. I have nothing.¡±


    He pushed past me and walked out of the door. His final words, spoken over his shoulder made me


    understand that this may be thest time I would ever see my dear friend. It made me realize that


    Johan was no longer my friend at all.


    ¡°You won.¡±


    SEND GIFT


    0


    COMMENT


    -Ignatius-


    Both Dorothy and I stood motionless, r

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    -Ignatius-


    Both Dorothy and I stood motionless, rooted to the spot and gazing at Johan¡¯s back as he disappeared


    into the shadows beyond the glow of the porch light. The icy air blew in through the open door and set


    the fire crac kling loudly..


    I snapped out of my shock and moved to shut the door. Dorothy was shivering again and I put my arms


    around her, guiding her to sit before the fire to warm up. Neither of


    spoke. What was there to say after all of that?


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    us


    Johan¡¯s words were a mystery to me; ¡°You won¡±.


    Won what?


    I turned the phrase over and over in my head as I sat down behind Dorothy and rubbed her hands to


    bring some life back into her cold fingers. She leaned back against my chest. My jacket around her


    shoulders was much too big on her. She looked like she was drowning in it- her redhead poking out of


    the cor like a buoy floating in the ocean.


    It was Dorothy who finally broke the tense silence. ¡°Do you think Mavis was right? Do you think this


    was all my fault?¡±


    I cupped her fingers in my hands and blew hot breath onto them.


    ¡°No, of course not. That rtionship was set to implode long before you got involved.¡±


    Dorothy turned her head to stare into the mes. The logs popped and cracked as the fire licked along


    the bark. The glow reflected and danced in her eyes like her mind. inside was ame too.


    ¡°But Johan¡­ What¡¯s going to happen to him?¡±


    I watched the firece with her. I had never been a fan of mes. Something about fire seemed too


    vicious to me. Too wildly unpredictable. I had always been morefortable in the bone-chilling cold


    waters of the Northern sea.


    ¡°Johan will be okay.¡±


    I was lying and she knew it. I¡¯didn¡¯t know what would be of Johan after losing both his mate and


    his partner in such a short space of time. In my heart, I hoped for the best. Hoped that he would find


    someone else. Or learn that he liked being alone and move


    on.


    The alternative was unthinkable.


    1/6


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I was reassuring myself more than her at that point. His parting words turned in my head once more.


    ¡°He¡¯s jealous of you, you know.¡± Dorothy¡¯s voice was small and reserved, her mind. rolling around in


    dark ces. ¡°That¡¯s what he meant when he told you that you¡¯ve won. He¡¯s jealous of you. I think he


    always has been.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was-¡±


    ¡°Mind-link.¡±


    Of course. I was no longer used to closing my thoughts around someone who could read them. It had


    been so long since I¡¯d had someone else in my head besides me and my wolf.


    ¨C


    I didn¡¯t understand what she meant though. If Johan had ever garnered any jealousy or resentment


    towards me, he hadn¡¯t shown it. But It made sense. In his eyes and his father¡¯s ¨C I was probably the


    Alpha he knew he could never be. The one holding his initial true mate in that very moment.


    I saw the situation from Johan¡¯s eyes and it left a bitter taste on my tongue. It would seem that, even


    when doing what is good for one person, you might still be unintentionally hurting another.


    ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think we have it? This link between us. It shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    She took her time responding. I could almost see the cogs and gears turning in her head as she gazed


    at the mes. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But It doesn¡¯t feel like a bad thing to me. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing either,¡± I smiled wryly. ¡°I mean, it helps with handling dramatic situations


    like that one.¡±


    Sheughed at the dark humor, at the absurdity of it all.


    ¡°I spend my whole life with nothing out of the ordinary ever urring and suddenly Ind myself in


    three days of absolute chaos.¡±


    ¡°Surely you got something good out of all of it?¡±


    ¡°I got you, Ignatius. For that, it was worth it.¡±


    2/6


    1153 Thu Tran


    I had no words for that.


    ¡°Dorothy¡­¡±


    53%


    She turned to face me, leaning against my chest as I cradled her in my arms, cupping her face with one


    gentle hand. Our lips were almost touching as she stared into my eyes, probing my soul and making


    herself at home in there.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°Hot,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well yeah, we are right next to a fire.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she pulled away from me, ¡°It¡¯s hot, down there. My heat. It¡¯s not over.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, not hearing her at first as Tor pushed for me to pull her back into my arms. Then I


    understood. ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡±


    I half wished she would throw her arms around me as she had before. To tell me that it was me that


    she needed. But Dorothy seemed more in control this time. She wasn¡¯t a frantic mess this time but she


    scratched her nails against her jeans and pressed her legs. together.


    said.


    ¡°Maybe a bath?¡± she he healer said that it helps. I wanted medicine but she wouldn¡¯t give me anything.


    She said that taking it in my first heat could make me infertile.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    I got up


    up and hustled to the bathroom. I set the water running and rushed back to Dorothy as shey t on


    her back next to the firece. She had pulled my jacket tightly around her and was inhaling my scent


    that perpetually clung to it from years of taking it with me everywhere.


    Iy down next to her and she rolled herself against my chest. There was something I needed to ask


    her, but I wasn¡¯t quite sure if it was the best time to be bringing it up.


    ¡°You can ask,¡± she murmured, pushing her hips against me like she couldn¡¯t help it.


    Go dda mn mind-link.


    ¡°It would be easier to just let you climb into my head at this point,¡± I joked.


    Dorothy kept quiet, waiting for my question. The fire was burning low now, casting dim orange light


    around us. The shadows in the corners pressed the room smaller. We were cocooned in our own little


    cozy nest.


    14:53 Thu, 25 Jan GT


    ¡°Dorothy. Do you still want how do you feel towards Johan now?¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Sad,¡± she answered immediately, curling my shirt in her fingers. ¡°I feel sad for Johan. But I feel no pull


    towards him anymore.¡±


    Taking care to close my mind, I wondered how she felt towards me. What was I to Dorothy? If anything


    at all.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve fallen for someone else,¡± she whispered it ever so quietly.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    No more words needed to be spoken. We turned our faces towards one another and sparks ignited as


    our lips touched.


    The fire had sunk to a smoldering red haze and the snow began to fall gently outside once again.


    -Dorothy-


    From the moment Johan had walked out the door I had taken care to close my mind off from Ignatius.


    door into


    I ran everything over in my head at a lightning speed. Gazing out of the open the ck night thaty


    just outside of the porch light. The dark itself felt like a beast, waiting outside the door to swallow whole


    anyone who dared step out there.


    My heart ached for Johan and I knew that I was partially to me for his loss. No matter how


    unintentional it had been, the guilt of my involvement weighed heavy on my heart.


    As much as I liked to believe I was above petty vengeance, seeing Mavis caught in the spotlight of her


    own disgraceful behavior had made my soul soar. I had always told myself, through all of the bullying


    and harassment, that Mavis¡¯s reckoning wasing.


    I had never thought I would be there to witness it. Even so, I felt bad for her true mate ¨C he seemed like


    a nice enough guy. And I was sure that even Mavis, in her own twisted way, had her reasons for doing


    what she did.


    And Ignatius. Somewhere, somehow, in the chaos of it all, we had found each other. And now that I


    had him with me. Now that I had his hand in mine, I was not prepared to let him go.


    Laying there in the dim light as the fire sent shadows bouncing on the walls around us and my heat


    bloomed hot and heavy between my legs, I couldn¡¯t hide it from him any longer. I had to believe that he


    felt it too.


    14:54


    Thu, 21n


    Ignatius¡¯s lips were cold and soft against mine. Our mouths met like it was the very first. time they did


    so. I felt the electricity sparking through my b*dy and heat pooling at my core. But this was more than


    lust, more than the effects of my heat. This was love. It had always been there, I just hadn¡¯t found him


    yet,


    As much as I wanted to mount him, mark him and beg him to im me, I wanted to stay very still ¨C


    enveloped in his arms and pressed to his chest like two stone statues in a forgotten garden.


    ¨C


    Ignatius k*ssed his way down my neck, tilting me onto my back as hey beside me. His hands began


    their exploring slowly, gently. In our small little infinity, we had all the time in the world. I slid my cold


    fingers under his shirt and trailed my hands over his abdomen. Ignatius wasn¡¯t brawny, but his muscles


    were starkly defined under his cool. pale skin.


    He brushed loose tendrils of hair from my face as he nted soft k*sses and gentle nips over every


    area of bare skin. White wavy locks of his hair hung in his eyes and he gazed. at me intently through


    the wispy tendrils.


    I murmured his name as he moved his mouth lower, trailing down my chest and lifting my shirt to run


    his tongue down the length of my stomach, drawing a line of fire straight to my burning core as he did


    so.


    I kicked my boots off and wiggled my feet out of my socks. Ignatius tugged at the top of my jeans and


    they slid down easily over my narrow hips ¨C I had never properly fit into any of


    my clothes.


    He was taking his time, not animalistic like our previous idental session. He trailed a finger up my


    thigh that shone paler than ever in the dim light of the dying embers.


    A shiver ran through my b*dy and I was well aware that I was already wet. Ignatius could sense it too


    and it seemed to spur him on.


    The hand trailing my thigh suddenly moved higher to cup my dripping slit through my thin panties. I


    inhaled sharply at the sudden arousal this brought on. A need so intense. It was almost an ache. Albeit


    not an unpleasant one.


    Ignatius lowered himself between my legs, his teeth grazing my thighs as he blew hot breath against


    my core. I gasped, arching my back and rolling my hips to meet his mouth, desperate for more.


    He was slow, teasing, nipping at my inner thighs as I squirmed in his grasp.


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± I was moaning, whining. ¡°Please.¡±


    This made him smile at me in the dark, the dim light glinting off of his fangs as he took pleasure in


    hearing me beg.


    4.34


    He drew my dripping underwear to the side and ran a finger along my wet folds. I pounded a fist on the


    ground, begging him for more, whining at him for tormenting me like this.


    Finally, he lifted my hips and removed my underwear entirely, tossing them to the side before gripping


    my thighs and pushing his face between my legs. I buckled against his mouth and he held my hips still


    with a grip like iron. Ignatius licked slowly at my burning core, building me up to my climax as he teased


    at my overly sensitive cli t.


    I knotted a hand in his hair and a deep, growl of pleasure from him reverberated through my entire


    being. His tongue probed deeper, ravaging my core as I writhed in his grasp. My sighs and moans


    seemed to drive him wild, I felt his suddenly sharp nails. digging into my skin..


    The rhythmic motion of his tongue at my core had meing undone in his hands. My whines built into


    a loud cry as I reached my climax and thrust my hips against his lips, riding out my org asm against his


    mouth while Ignatiuspped at my juices like it was ambrosia to him.


    When I was finally done, unraveled entirely, my arched back rxed and I copsed. onto the floor. My


    legs twitched slightly and my heart was fluttering in my chest as I came back to my senses. Ignatius


    licked his lips andy down with his head on my stomach, his arms still gripping around my soft thighs


    that looked so tiny in his hands.


    Iy, panting on my back while Ignatius¡¯s head rose and fell against my stomach with mybored


    breathing. He hadn¡¯t imed me yet. But we rested assured in mutual understanding that we had time.


    Eventually, Ignatius lifted his head to gaze at me. ¡°So, how about that bath?¡±


    6/6

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    -Johan-


    I had nothing. I had nob*dy. I had lost my mate, my partner, and my best friend in one fell swoop.


    Walking out into the snow I had intended to go after Mavis. To apologize, to somehow make things right


    again. But I knew there was no going back to the way things. used to be.


    or


    Even if Mavis did take me back. It was only because she had lost her true mate ¨C to whatever his


    name was. Even if she did take me back. I would forever live with the knowledge that I was ast


    resort. The only option she had left. I refused to be someb*dy else¡¯s leftovers.


    Bitterly enough, I had an inkling of how Dorothy must have felt when I¡¯d shown up asking for her back. I


    really was pathetic. I was weak just like Ignatius had said. No. wonder Dorothy had chosen him.


    Julianna, my inner-wolf, growled at these thoughts. It was their fury that had boiled inside of me when I


    saw the spark between Dorothy and Ignatius. The same fury that had drained from me just as quickly


    when Mavis walked out of the door. I had failed her.


    ¡®You have failed no one, Julianna growled. ¡°They have failed you. Failed us. Mavis most


    of all.


    Too many half-formed thoughts were racing around my brain, clouding my head in a haze of guilt and


    fury and reckless abandon. I wanted nothing more than to escape my mind, to hand the reins to


    someone else and give in to primal instinct.


    Julianna pounced on these thoughts, coaxing me to let go. To let them take over and handle the


    enemies we had made. I wanted to submit. To allow myself to be guided as I had been all my life by the


    woman I thought I loved. I still loved her, even after everything. And for that, I hated her all the more.


    ¡®She betrayed us. She drove us from our true mate and now we¡¯ve lost Dorothy for good. She tore you


    away from her, Johan. She tore me from my beloved Renee.


    Renee?


    I realized quickly that that must be the name of Dorothy¡¯s inner-wolf. I doubted if even she was aware


    of that fact yet. She was so young, so gentle. I wanted nothing more than to feel her arms around me


    again.


    ¡®She doesn¡¯t want you. She¡¯s turned her eyes to Ignatius now. To the Alpha who was supposed to be


    your trusted friend. No true friend ims another man¡¯s mate.¡±


    53%


    Julianna was seething, their anger and confusion merging with mine and turning my mind into a


    personal hellscape for the both of us.


    ¡®And she followed him. Willingly. Dorothy is just as evil as the rest of them. Just as weak. Renee would


    never reject me. Dorothy must have shut her away entirely.¡±


    I had never heard Julianna as vocal as they were at that moment. Wolves conversed with their human


    vessels, but rarely choosing rather to mingle their emotions with that of their human counterpart and


    governing only the instinctual side of our beings.


    ¨C


    They felt overpowering in their fury that raged in my chest like a hot poker burning away into my flesh.


    Julianna wanted to escape, wanted vengeance, and instant gratification. As much as I knew I should


    fight it, I wanted these things too.


    I wanted to make Mavis pay for the years of abuse she had thrown at me. The abuse I had taken with a


    smile and a heartfelt apology. I wasn¡¯t the poison that killed our rtionship. ¡®She¡¯ was.


    She would answer for what she had done. They all would.


    Julianna urged me off the path towards my car and into the dark woods beyond instead. Our true


    home. Our sanctuaryy where no mortal human dared to step.


    I pressed on into the dark. I pushed all thoughts of Dorothy aside as I barreled through the trees,


    shifting painfully as I ran. I felt my joints pop and click as my b*dy changed, as I passed the reins over


    to Julianna to guide me where they saw fit.


    Julianna burst forth with a howl that shook the snow from the surrounding trees. It was a howl of pain


    and mncholy. It was a death knell.


    We charged through the forest, heading straight for that big barren manor with the unbearable clock in


    the hall. Tearing through the trees towards our first target. The biggest thorn in my side and boot on my


    back. My father.


    I caught one final glimpse of the moon casting her light down through the trees and illuminating me.


    I wondered for a moment if I was making the right decision. But just as suddenly as those gentle


    moonbeams had touched me, we were back under the cover of the trees and the moon and her beauty


    was lost to me.


    We continued on, swallowed up by the dark tha


    -Dorothy-


    stretched around us in all directions.


    Ignatius carried me, still half-n*ked, to the steaming bath that stood full to the brim with hot water. Some


    of it had spilled over the edges as we had neglected it in our


    ???


    53%


    S**ual advances.


    I was suddenly exhausted, thest of my first heat period finallying to an end. I leaned my head


    against Ignatius as he tested the water before gently lowering me into the bath. I cried out in rm


    when water sloshed over the edges and soaked both Ignatius and the floor but Ignatius brushed it


    aside, shushing me with a k*ss that left me breathless.


    Ignatius lifted my sogging shirt up over my head and I lifted my arms to help him. I was fully n*ked in


    front of him there in the bathtub but I didn¡¯t mind at all.


    He got to work washing my hair, surprisingly gentle for a man. I realized with a pang of sadness that he


    had probably done this before. As Ignatiusy me down and sshed water over my head I made a


    silent oath to ire wherever she was; ¡®He¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take care of him. I promise.


    ¨C


    I exhaled my promise in the form of air bubbles as I dipped my head back under the water like a


    ceremonial baptism ¨C A passing of a mantle. The cradling of a heart that once belonged to another.


    ¡®I promise¡¯.


    Ignatius continued to clean me from head to toe and I was too exhausted to protest and tell him that I


    could do it myself. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself anyway, gliding his hands over my


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    skin under the water as the warmth slowly turned me into a content, human-shaped cherry tomato.


    I curled my knees to my chin as he scrubbed my back and closed my eyes. Of all the directions I had


    imagined my life going, I had never expected this. I couldn¡¯t believe I had ever wanted anything else.


    ¡°Ignatius.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    B

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    -Ignatius-


    Dorothy¡¯s words pierced straight through my chest and rocked me where I knelt next to the bath. How


    long it had been since I had heard those words from anyone. Since I had felt the honesty and truth


    behind them.


    I cupped Dorothy¡¯s face in my hand. Water sloshed over the lip of the bath as I leaned over to k*ss her


    and she wrapped her wet arms around my neck.


    ¡°And I love you,¡± I spoke breathlessly like Dorothy had managed to suck all the air from my lungs with


    one gentle k*ss.


    She kept her arms fastened around me, unbelievably strong when she wanted to be. She pulled me


    into another deep k*ss, our tongues dancing around one another. Dorothy bit down gently on my lip


    and her fingers knotted and pulled at my hair. I was half-convinced to climb into the water with her,


    clothes, boots and all. Eventually, Dorothy pulled back and smiled at me. Her cheeks were rosy and


    wet tendrils of hair were pasted to her forehead and neck. To me, she was a rosebud, unfurling slowly


    the further we pushed down this new pathway.


    I stood up to fetch a towel, picking the softest one I could find and me ntally thanking Mrs.


    Weatherdowne for stocking the vi with things I had never thought to pack.


    I held it open as Dorothy gingerly stepped out of the bath and winced when her bony feet touched the


    cold tiled floor.


    She stood shivering in the cold air as I wrapped the towel around her small, willowy frame. I scooped


    her up in my arms and carried her through to the bedroom. She giggled when her eyes came upon the


    window she had jumped out of only two days.


    before.


    I left the lights off, the glow from the passageway cast enough illumination from the door.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I plopped her down on the double bed and used a smaller towel to ruffle her hair dry. Dorothy purred to


    herself, content and cozy in a sea of plush towels and soft bed sheets.


    Even with her stubborn, independent side, I could tell she was enjoying the pampering. even if she


    wouldn¡¯t admit it.


    I removed my own wet clothes, smirking when I caught Dorothy gawking at my bare chest. I changed


    into a loose pair of sweatpants and left my shirt off, feeling my b*dy


    53%


    temperature regte with the cool air.


    Wey together on the bed, Dorothy curled in my arms in quiet, content bliss.


    ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to leave eventually go back home. In the next few years, I¡¯m going to be expected to


    step in as the Alpha. I have to be there to prepare for that.¡±


    Dorothy nuzzled her face in my neck and ran her t palm down my chest, sending pric kles of


    electricity across my skin,


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¨C Eventually. Soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    I stopped her hand right before it reached the top of my sweatpants and ced it over my heart.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Dorothy lifted her head and propped herself on her elbow to look me in the eye. I saw caution in her


    expression, hesitancy to leave the only home she¡¯d ever known. Her time here hadn¡¯t been the best but


    I could understand her attachment regardless.


    ¡°Do you mean it?¡±


    I pulled her closer and onto my chest, her ti ts escaped her towel and pressed against my skin. I felt her


    nipples harden at the sudden contact. I let my hands glide down her waist and settle on the dips just


    above her a ss.


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    Dorothy was struck by a sudden thought and a shadow passed over her features,


    ¡°You know the stigma around a shifter rejected by their mate. You¡¯re going to be the future Alpha. I


    don¡¯t see your people being happy about having a defection for a Luna.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a defection. What Johan did was not your fault and it says nothing about who you really


    are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see myself making a very impressive Luna either,¡± Dorothy mumbled, nting her face down on


    my chest and running her tongue over the bare skin.


    2/6


    14:54 Thu, 25 Jan


    BJ


    I took her face in both hands and forced her to look at me. ¡°Dorothy, I want you by my side. I want you


    as my Luna. Forget about all of that. My people will love you.¡±


    She stared into my eyes, skeptical but wanting desperately to trust that I was right. I brushed a tendril


    of damp hair out of her eyes and ced my forehead against hers, blurring both of our visions with the


    proximity.


    ¡°I love you. I want you. Everyone else is just going to have to ept that.¡±


    That seemed to make her smile and she pushed forwards to lock her lips with mine. Her scent took on


    the subtly sweet tint that it had had during her previous heat and I wanted to lose myself in it entirely.


    I wanted to taste her again. To mark her. Everyone must know that we are one now. No one dares


    challenge an Alpha and his marked mate.


    This thought, as soon as it appeared, grew overpowering and without warning, I flipped Dorothy onto


    her back.


    I pulled the towel from herpletely and relished the sight of her bare b*dy syed out before me.


    Every dip and curve cast shadows across her skin in the dim light that glowed from the doorway.


    Her skin was a cr eamy white, almost translucent. I could see thin blue veins under the surface like


    spiders threads. I wanted to im every part of her. Cover her in evidence of my presence and


    envelope her in my scent.


    Dorothy looked at me under heavy lids and parted her legs slightly weing me. I hovered over her


    for a moment, aware of the fragile, invisible barrier between us. A barrier that, once broken through,


    there would be no going back to the way things were before.


    We paused for a moment, frozen in time and staring at one another ¨C our bodies almost touching


    before I descended upon her like she was the sweetest of fruits and I was a man who¡¯d been starving


    all my life.


    -Dorothy-


    The rush of sensual pleasure that washed over me was stag gering. Ignatius mashed his lips to mine,


    devouring my mouth and my heart along with it. His cold chest pressed against mine and sent the


    burning in my core to new levels of ecstasy. The skin-on-skin contact was more potent than I could


    ever have imagined. His scent rolled over me in waves, swirling around me and drawing me further in.


    I dug my nails into his back when he ground his groin against me and I was ovee by a need so


    great I felt I would implode right then and there. I wanted him, all of him. I begged with my b*dy that


    arched and twisted underneath him. I begged with my


    £¤53%


    tongue rolling over his in a frantic twisted dance.


    Ignatius responded with the same fierce intent. He knotted a fist in my loose hair and grazed his teeth


    over my throat. I gasped at the excitement this brought me. I wanted him to mark me. To promise with


    his fangs that he wanted me and only me.


    What little excuse for breasts I had swelled and hardened, my nipples pebbling as they grazed


    Ignatius¡¯s icy skin. I h ooked both legs around his lower back, demanding more, and rolled my hips


    against his. I could feel Ignatius¡¯s pulsing member through the thin fabric of his sweatpants and it drove


    me into a frenzy.


    Forcing my legs back down for a moment, Ignatius ran a hand over my dripping core.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, Dorothy.¡± He growled, curling two fingers deep inside of me as I whined into his chest.


    After watching me ride his fingers like It was all I knew how to do, Ignatius lowered the seam of his


    sweatpants and pulled out his erection. I clung to him, trying to draw him closer with my legs, my toes


    curling in anticipation. It looked big enough to tear me apart but in the moment it was all that I wanted.


    ¡°Please,¡± I keened into his ear, my b*dy wracked with sensual desperation, ¡°I¡¯m yours, Ignatius.¡±


    Ignatius gripped my chin in his hands and ran a thumb over my bottom lip. He kept my face locked in


    his grasp as he positioned himself between my legs, determined to take things slowly despite the


    agonizing animalistic need that was quickly oveing the both of us.


    He rubbed the tip of his member against my wet slit and another aching bout of need filled my womb.


    He pushed into me slowly as pressed my lips to his throat. He had barely gotten halfway in when I


    moaned long and hard into his ear. My stilted breath was hot against his throat as I sighed. This was


    too much for Ignatius and all ns to take things slow were thrown out of the window along with every


    other care in the


    world.


    He rammed himself into me and I screamed, my nails drawing long red swirls in his back. Ignatius


    pulled himself almost all the way out before mming back into me again, and again.


    I reached up to grip the bedsheets above my head as Ignatius kept up this intense, rhythmic thrusting


    that felt as though he would break mepletely. Ignatius gripped the headboard above us with one


    hand, the other stayed fisted in my hair as I jutted out my jaw and whined in both pain and pleasure.


    I locked my legs around him as our hips moved together. Ignatius¡¯s thrusts grew more and more


    sporadic. His teeth were looking more wolf than human and the hunger in his eyes was as terrifying as


    it was enticing. He rushed his tongue into my mouth again as his movements grew more animalistic


    and I responded in kind, my b*dy jerking


    4/6


    1151 Thu, 25 n


    underneath him every time he hit my cervix with his length.


    Just when I had gotten used to the erratic thrusts and molded my b*dy to his, Ignatius pulled out and


    sat back on his knees. I jerked my head up with a cry of frustration at his sudden departure, I arched


    my back and lifted my hips skyward, begging for him back, but Ignatius had his own ideas.


    He gripped the ankle of one of my jerking legs and pulled it to the side, flipping me over onto my


    stomach and pressing a hand down on my back. I gasped in surprise before Ignatius lifted my hips,


    forcing me to curve my back as he pushed down on my shoulder.


    He took barely a second to position himself at my entrance before mming back into me. I gripped the


    sheets and groaned into the mattress. Ignatius dug his ws into my hips and rammed his own against


    me, hitting every wall and making my eyes p rick with tears at the searing burn of being stretched out.


    After bucking against my entrance and leaving more than a fair share of bruises over my as s and hips,


    Ignatius pushed down on the small of my back, driving me t against the mattress and continuing his


    quick, deep pummeling. My thighs were slick with my own juices and I felt my org asm building as my


    walls clenched tighter around his member.


    I could hear his own moans against my ear and he pressed himself to me, pushing in so deeply I was


    almost crawling across the bed. Ignatius brushed the hair from the side of my neck as his strokes


    quickened and he approached his own release.


    My moans grew louder and stuttered with every deep thrust. I felt Ignatius pulse inside of me at the


    same time that my own or gasm rushed through my b*dy in an electric bolt of ecstasy. Ignatius spewed


    profanities in a guttural growl as he released himself inside of me and I cried out in depraved


    gratification.


    Before I was done riding out my own release, Ignatius gripped both my hip and shoulder and brought


    his fangs down onto my neck in an agonizing bite. I shrieked as his teeth broke skin and his jaw


    mped tightly on the side of my throat where my neck sloped down into my shoulder.


    The sudden wave of endorphins that poured into me after a few moments was another shattering org


    asm on its own.


    Ignatius had marked me as his mate. There was no going back now.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    -Dorothy-


    I was walking through the woods. It was dark and cold as I stumbled. through the brush. I glimpsed the


    moon zing in the night sky through the jagged ck branches of the trees above me. I followed the


    beams that shone through the foliage and speckled across the ground in silvers blots.


    Breaking free of the forest I came to arge house that I had never seen before. It was sprawling in


    size and stature and I followed the gravel path as it wound its way up an incline to the entrance of the


    grand manor.


    The door hung open, almost wrenched off of its hinges. Something about the great building felt off.


    Something evil lurked in the shadows beyond that door.


    From somewhere inside I heard the loud, echoing ¡®tick¡­ ¡®tick¡­ tick¡­ of what sounded like a giant


    clock. The thrum of that rhythmic sound sent shivers down my spine and the hairs on my neck stood


    erect, raised in silent rm.


    I stepped inside the gaping maw of the dark building, even as every one of my senses screamed at me


    to turn back. There was another faint sound. barely audible over the loud ticking of the invisible clock.


    It was a low growling and grunting. It was the sound of ws clicking on hardwood floors and the


    lumbering breaths of an unseen beast.


    My eyes slowly adjusted to the dim moonlight that shone through the clouds and into the windows of


    the house. Forms slowly took shape in the darkness. Chairs, a table in the corner, frames on the wall. I


    saw a couch, a bookshelf, and a dark figure on the floor..


    The creature looked up as a cloud passed and the full force of the moon shed light onto the scene


    before me. Two pairs of empty eyes. One belonging to the beast that was hunched over, ck liquid


    dripping from its jaws. The second belonged to the shredded b*dy of the man whoy beneath it.


    I woke up gasping, my b*dy shooting upright as the final tendrils of sleep


    10:38 Fri, Jan 26 G


    released their hold on me. I looked around me, anchoring myself in


    reality once more as I took in the sunlight streaming through the window of the blue vi.


    Ignatiusy next to me, still fast asleep. Recovering from my nightmare, Iy back down and examined


    his face as he slept.


    When Ignatius was awake, his brows sat in a furrowed line over his piercing eyes. Asleep, however, his


    face looked rxed ¨C it made him look.


    younger.


    Dozing on his back with his lips slightly parted and his face freed from his perpetual frown, Ignatius


    looked like a boy who hadn¡¯t experienced the harsh realities of life on earth yet.


    I watched as his chest lightly rose and fell. He had one arm dangling off the edge of the bed and the


    othery under my head. I lifted my hand to shade his eyes from the brilliant light spilling in from the


    window as he


    stirred.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He opened his eyes slowly and blinked at me. I watched as he swam himself back to consciousness


    and gave me a dozy smile.


    ¡°Watching me sleep? Creep.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to deny that you¡¯ve done it too.¡±


    He grinned at me before popping his jaw open with a yawn and stretching out on the mattress. We


    were both still n*ked under the nkets and I rolled into his arms, curling my legs around his and


    snuggling against hist chest.


    I felt his member pulse slightly as I brushed against it and I encouraged this idea with a slight rolling of


    my hips..


    ¡°Someone¡¯s needy. Geez, Dorothy. You get one taste of it and now you. can¡¯t get enough.¡±


    I sat up and straddled him, whacking a pillow down on his face for his teasing.


    Ignatiusughed under the pillow and pulled it aside, gripping the back of my neck and pulling me down


    to nt a k*ss on my pouting lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh at me,¡± I grumbled against his mouth. He moved his hands. down to my waist, guiding my


    hips to rock back and forth on his growing


    erection.


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t be embarrassed,¡± he nipped along my neck, pausing to admire his handiwork from the night


    before.


    His mark was clear as day on the pale flesh of my throat red indents in my skin surrounded by light


    purple bruising. I was branded forever by his


    teeth.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cute.¡±


    I threw my head back and dragged my nails across his chest when he finally pushed into me, relying on


    his firm hands to guide the movement. of my hips as I rocked on top of him.


    The crisp morning air was just beginning to fade by the time we were done and I dropped my b*dy to


    Ignatius¡¯s chest. He brought his arms up to hold me to his chest and ran his nails up and down my


    back. Iy there, inhaling his scent and listening to his heart pounding under my head.


    ¡°We should probably get up now,¡± I said unwillingly. ¡°I need to tell Anita


    the news.¡±


    Ignatius seemed just as determined to stay right there but he sighed and


    nodded his head.


    ¡°Probably should. We can grab breakfast on the way to Anita¡¯s.¡±


    He used a finger to tilt my chin up to look at him. ¡°You sure this is what you want? I¡¯m not stealing you


    away from home?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I want this. I want you.¡± And closed my mouth around his finger, sucking gently and


    staring into his eyes.


    I pulled away and stood up, just as quickly leaving Ignatius to deal with at new semi-erection in my


    wake.


    10:38 Fri, Jan 26 G =


    ¡°Geez, doesn¡¯t take much to get you going again does it?¡± I quipped, and cackled as a flying pillow hit


    the wall behind my head.


    -Johan-


    Blood. There was blood everywhere. The metallic, sulphuric smell of it filled my nostrils and clouded my


    mind.


    It was caked under my nails now retracted back to their human length. It was streaked across my bare


    b*dy and I could taste the acrid tint of it in. my mouth.


    I sat back on my knees, panting and heaving to catch my breath. All around me I saw red. The dark


    crimson of fresh blood before it would. turn sticky and ck in the cold air. I ran a red hand through my


    dampened hair. Sweat pasted short curls to my forehead.


    I exhaled loudly as I drew my fangs back in. Something had changed ¨C I could feel it. Something inside


    of me had broken free. I felt the cathartic rush of relief as I sat there, crouched in the center of my


    home, surrounded by a sea of red.


    There was no longer the ticking of a clock. Ity smashed and splintered outside the front door. There


    were no rhythmic small hands tracking every increment of my life.


    There was nothing. No one.


    Julianna had retreated to the center of my chest, Content, for now, in the carnage we had unleashed.


    I looked down at the mangled b*dy thaty in front of me, into the ssy dead eyes of my father.


    It had been dark when I stalked the manor in wolf form. The house was silent and still. No light shone in


    any of the windows. I had thought for a moment that my father might not be home.


    But his scent was present in the air. A scent I had despised since I was old enough to understand that I


    would never be good enough for my father.


    4/7


    10:38 Fri, Jan 26


    He had been sitting motionless in the back garden, gazing out over the lights of the town that dotted the


    dark nket of night. He hadn¡¯t heard me approach. But I knew he could sense me.


    A few more steps and I would hear, just like every time before, those cutting words he liked to use so


    often; ¡°You¡¯re homete, pup. Pathetic.¡±


    He got no such chance this time. He had barely opened his mouth when Itched my jaw on his


    shoulder and dragged him into the house. He was already partially through shifting by the time I threw


    him to the floor.


    My father was no doubt stronger than me. But the cost of his strength was his speed and agility. I


    dodged his attacks, sidestepped the snapping shut. of his jaws. I nipped, tore, and shredded


    meticulously as the old man weakened before my eyes.


    We brawled throughout the bottom floor of the manor, shifting from wolf to man and back again. I


    managed to dodge that flying


    his thrunk of wood. It crashed to the ground outside as I leaped for


    My father said nothing as he died. He had no final words or passing sentiment for me, only a look of


    disgust and disappointment in the son he could never bring himself to care for. I felt no remorse in


    snapping his


    neck.


    I felt nothing at all.


    It was onlyter, as the sun rose. As I was standing in the shower watching the water at my feet run red


    with my father¡¯s blood that the weight of my actions crashed down on my shoulders. I had killed my


    father. And I wasn¡¯t anywhere done with my vengeance yet.


    Ignatius would be the next one to fall. It was he who stood in the way. It was him who had turned


    Dorothy against me. Without him, surely she woulde back. She would have no choice.


    I would cut down anyone and everyone until she had no one left to turn to but me. I would take back


    the destiny that was owed to me.


    57


    10:38 Fri, Jan 26 Ge


    I took my time in leaving. I went about my,


    routine like the


    downstairs living room wasn¡¯t a nightmarish bloodbath of a scene. Like my father had left for work early


    as he did every morning before I slouched down the stairs- not stiff and lifeless and growing cold on the


    Persian carpet.


    I stood before the mirror and fixed ny unruly hair. I put on fresh clothes. and removed every hint of my


    father¡¯s demise from my b*dy. I left the manor as it was and headed back into the forest. I was faster


    than my own car, satiated by my own father¡¯s blood.


    I passed the wreckage of the grandfather clock on the gravel outside. The clock face was cracked and


    broken, but the twisted metal of the hands was intact and pointed to exactly twelve o¡¯clock frozen


    forever in the exact moment my new life began.


    ¨C


    I could feel the hollow, lifeless eyes of my father still following me, even in death, as I left.


    It didn¡¯t take long to arrive at the blue vi. Only Ignatius¡¯s car wasn¡¯t parked in the driveway. I tasted


    the air. His scent and Dorothy¡¯s were detectable, but faint and fading fast. I refused to believe it.


    I stormed up to the vi, my heavy steps making the porch creak and groan in protest. I rapped my


    knuckles aggressively on the door. Nothing. Not a sound could be heard but for the birds chirping in the


    barren trees and the faint sound of music carried to me by the wind.


    I tried the handle. The door was locked. Roaring in frustration, I kicked open the door and it sent


    splinters flying as it exploded open. Rushing. inside I turned in circles, howling my rage at the empty


    building. They were gone. Ignatius had left and he took Dorothy with him.


    I was furious. Julianna raged in my chest along with me, howling for their


    true mate.


    The house shook as I mmed my fist into the wall, cracking the paint and causing flecks of drywall to


    crumble and drift to the floor. Striding out of the empty vi I set off towards town, determined to know


    exactly where. they had gone. I would find them. I vowed to both myself and Julianna. I


    6/7


    will take our mate back.


    Soon.


    There was someone else I had to pay a visit to


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    -Dorothy-


    Saying goodbye to Anita had been much harder than I had expected. For all of our unfamiliarity, I


    realized that I would miss the early mornings spent together sipping coffee and eating dinner over the


    kitchen sink while Anita winged about her co-workers.


    We pulled up to my foster mother¡¯s home after Ignatius bought us breakfast.


    I had insisted on settling for a coffee but Ignatius was determined to splurge on his new mate. We sat


    at the tiny breakfast cafe while the bewildered waitress brought te after te of pancakes and bacon


    rolls and a whole jug of orange juice.


    Her eyes grew to the size of saucers as we left and Ignatius ced a tip in her hands big enough to


    pay for three meals over.


    I had never before seen my cold new lover smile as much as he had that morning. The creased


    dimples in his cheeks had me grinning back at him. To anyone watching us, we probably looked


    ridiculous..


    I could tell he enjoyed seeing me sitting there with his mark on my neck for the world to see. I found


    that I quite liked it too.


    Anita had opened the door for us before we even made it up the steps of the porch, having heard us


    purr to a halt in Ignatius¡¯s car. She looked back and forth between the two of us, noting the mark on my


    neck, before pulling me into a tight embrace.


    The contact was unfamiliar and the affection unpracticed but I appreciated it all the same and hugged


    her back. Of all the caretakers I had been passed to, Anita was the closest thing I had to a mother.


    She beckoned us inside and insisted that we sit in the tiny living room that very rarely saw guests. I sat


    down opposite Anita, next to Ignatius. My legs were jittery and Iced my fingers with his long ones as I


    exined to Anita that I intended on leaving.


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26 G


    It took a lot of exining to catch Anita up on the events of the past few days. I glossed over steamier


    topics like the matter of my heat and Ignatius¡¯s assistance in the matter, as well as sadder aspects like


    the sheer magnitude of Johan¡¯s betrayal.


    Anita¡¯s eyes glinted with anger when I told her of Mavis and her friend¡¯s actions. She shook her head


    and sighed, ¡°Never did like those girls. They always smelled like trouble. And expensive cologne.¡±


    Anita was sad to see me go, but she told me that she was happy for me. She had looked sternly at


    Ignatius and told him to remember her warning from thest time they had spoken. Ignatius solemnly


    promised that he would.


    Anita had spoken harshly but the corner of her mouth was curling into a smile. I looked back and forth


    between the two to gain some


    understanding as to what she meant but neither seemed willing to include


    me.


    Ignatius followed behind me as I made bedroom.


    y way to what had been my


    Together, we worked to pack up what little personal belongings I had. Passing from one home to


    another, It had been difficult to hold on too much. Nothing had ever felt truly mine.


    This hadn¡¯t stopped me, however, from h oarding copious amounts of various sticks and rocks and


    leaves that I had picked up because I thought they looked pretty.


    I folded small piles of clothes into Ignatius¡¯s own suitcase ¨C which had been mostly empty considering


    the man was terrible at packing essentials. while Ignatius carefully peeled all of the scotch tape and


    paper from the walls. He stacked each detailed drawing in a neat pile on the dresser, taking care not to


    rip the paper.


    He removed a particrly detailed drawing of a seaside town I had seen in a magazine once. The


    scene was colored in shades of grey and blue, the ocean in the background rose up like a watery wall


    of crashing waves and. spitting foam. Ignatius had stared at it for some time before asking if he


    could keep it. I told him, of course, he could and he folded it tight and slipped it into his chest pocket


    with a satisfied grin.


    I shoved my books and other misceneous items into a small box and scooped my stick collection up


    to tie together with a piece of twine. Ignatius didn¡¯t question why I was determined to lug a pile of twigs


    halfway across the country with me and it made me love him all the for it.


    e more


    My collections were useless items, but they were pretty and they were mine.I had salvaged them over


    eighteen years of being alone and lonely and desperate to build something of my own. Ignatius eyed


    me as I stacked interesting rocks and broken chunks of porcin into another bag,


    ¡°Something tells me you¡¯re going to love living by the ocean. Our home is. going to be overrun with


    seashells in no time.¡±


    ¡®Our¡¯ home.


    His words put a joyful ache in my chest like someone was squeezing my heart tight enough to burst.


    When we were done packing up the rest of the room, Ignatius helped me pack the rest of my clothes,


    smirking at me as he dumped a fistful of skimpyce underwear into the suitcase.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you were waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I bought those so I could sit in my room by myself and look pretty.¡±


    This cracked him up. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll still be put to good use in the future.¡±


    And just like that, the short chapter of my life in this room was over.


    After a tearful goodbye with Anita and her promising to call asionally, we sped off again ¨C heading


    out of town towards the open road.


    I gazed out the window as we drove, bidding goodbye to the forest and the


    streets I had known all my life. I would miss Anita, and the woods that I had so often taken refuge in,


    but other than that, I had no love for this town this territory.


    As we zoomed down the busiest street in the area, I caught sight of a distinctly blonde figure sitting at


    the outside bar on the corner. She was surrounded by a group of girls who seemed to be consoling her


    in between taking sips ofrge neon green c ocktails.


    My eyes locked with Mavis as we passed and I was grateful for the distance between us. Her eyes


    spoke of pure hatred and resentment.


    I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. I had never fit in here.


    anyway.


    Maybe, introduced into this new pack by Ignatius, maybe now things would be different.


    -Johan-


    Her scent had been easy to track. After all, I knew it so well by then.


    I had stopped at her house first. She wasn¡¯t home by the time I had arrived but that didn¡¯t matter. I


    inhaled deeply, filling my lungs and taking in her


    scent.


    I followed after it, a trail so faint that anyone unfamiliar with her distinct smell would lose track of it


    amongst the throng of other jostling scents in town central. Finally, I found her. I watched her from


    across the street. She was surrounded by her armada of beautifulpanions.


    ¡®Her ser vants, Julianna hissed.


    I hushed them, concentrating on Mavis as she sipped her sickly-green. drink. The street was busy that


    day, the buzz of traffic made my skin crawl and I yearned to return to the stillness of the woods.


    After a short while, Mavis stood up and excused herself from the group. I watched her head inside and


    order another drink. I stared at my old partner as she ran her hand up the arm of the man at the bar,


    4/5


    10:42/ Fri, Jan 26 G


    Even so, a part of me wished I could cross the street and bury my face in her locks once more. A part


    of me wanted to go back to before I had felt the mating call.


    ¡°Do you think she ever really loved me?¡± I asked Julianna.


    I was a stone figure on the side of the road. I was out of ce in this bustling, chaotic world that moved


    too quickly for me. This world with its rules and morality, status, and hierarchy was not my world


    anymore.


    ¡®No, Julianna said coldly. ¡®No, she did not.¡±


    I stepped away from the sidewalk and slipped across the street. My ws were already elongated and


    sharp by the time I entered the bar.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    5/5


    B


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    -Dorothy-


    The drive was a long one. A good way to determine whether or not you and your partner willst in the


    long run is to partake on a long-as-hell road trip together, in my humble opinion. Luckily for us, it turned


    out to be a rather pleasant experience.


    Ignatius was determined to make a stop at every wacky little diner we came across and I used up an


    entire roll of film in a little disposable camera he bought me as a gift. Ignatius didn¡¯t see the point in


    photographing every sunset as the days rolled by but I was insistent.


    Finally, on the third day of driving, I felt a change in the air. It was cooler and crisp with the faintest


    smell of the sea. We had made it to Bielke territory and Ignatius was hailed by a few drivers as we


    passed.


    I didn¡¯t know what to expect when arriving at Ignatius¡¯s home but the sprawling dark mansion nestled in


    the woods by the cliffs was more grandiose than I could ever have guessed. I stared out of the window


    with my jaw hanging ck as we drove up the winding path towards the towering building.


    The entire house wasprised of dark wood and bay windows, two stories high and equipped with


    four chimneys. It looked like the coziest of cottages but blown up to magnificent proportions. Ignatius


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not Anita¡¯s pad but I hope it will do.¡±


    I nodded as I gawked at the estate, still in a stupor.


    The interior of the house was even more impressive than the outside if that was even possible.


    The ceiling stretched high above our heads and a rustic chandelier made of gnarled ck iron hung in


    the front hall. I marveled at the twisting staircase that sn*ked in circles up towards the second floor.


    Ignatius¡¯s home was the closest thing to a fairytale I felt I had ever experienced.


    We had barely finished dumping my boxes and bags at the front door when someone came calling. It


    was a young shifter, gawky and awkward in his adolescence. He stood on the porch scratching at his


    arms and looking all over the ce like he was afraid to be standing there.


    ¡°Um, Ignatius? Your father wants to see you.¡±


    Ignatius put down the final box and stood up, frowning at the young boy who lowered his gaze and


    shifted nervously on his feet.


    ¡°He¡¯s back already?¡±


    The fledgling bobbed his head up and down.


    ¡°Flew back yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Brilliant.¡±


    Ignatius rolled his eyes and cast a nce over at me. I raised my eyes at him, silently questioning the


    implications of his father wanting to speak.


    The young shifter was also gawking at me, fidgeting on the spot. He had the slightest hint of a stubble


    forming on his top lip but it did nothing to prevent him from looking like a child.


    ¡°Is this the new Luna?¡± His curiosity overcame his fear and the intrigue in


    his tone was clear.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Yes, now go away Samuel,¡± Ignatius muttered before closing the heavy wooden doors in the young


    boy¡¯s freckled face.


    The boy¡¯s tentative voice was m uffled from behind the doors. ¡°Should I tell him you¡¯ll be down to see


    him in a moment then?¡±


    Ignatius gave a low growl, closing his eyes and slumping his forehead against the door.


    Samuel¡¯s voice from outside was wary. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± he stuttered before adding, ¡°Sorry to


    bother you, Sir.¡±


    We heard his galloping footsteps leaping away from the front entrance as I smirked at Ignatius.


    2/9


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    62


    ¡®Shut up.¡± There was no malice in his voice though and he gave me a wry smile. But he seemed a little


    on edge at the thought of facing his father.


    ¡°Why does Elliot want to see you?¡±


    Ignatius ignored my question and rubbed the stubble on his jaw. ¡°I need to


    s have.¡±


    ¡°Ignatius.¡±


    He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking at me. He looked less sure of himself here, in


    a way I had never seen before. I was beginning to understand that Elliot and his son were not on the


    best of


    terms.


    ¡°He wants to talk about you, probably. Word travels fast it would seem.¡±


    I sat down on the wood-paneled floors in between my dismal collection of boxes and bags. I felt tiny in


    new pack.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to be stoked, I¡¯m assuming? Because I¡¯ve been rejected?¡±


    Ignatius sat down beside me and yed with a piece of my hair.


    ¨C


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not going to be stoked. But that¡¯s on him and his prejudice not you. Besides, he can¡¯t stop


    me, stop us. It¡¯s an unforgivable thing, to tear someone from their mate.¡±


    My thoughts drifted to Johan and I felt a small, sharp stab at my heart.


    ¡°I guess we should go see him then?¡±


    Ignatius stared arduously at the floor like he was summoning the courage.


    to stand from somewhere deep inside of him. Even he exhaled and


    got to his feet, pulling me up with him and pressing his lips to the mark he¡¯d left on my neck.


    ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    621


    Ignatius said his father would be down the road at the Elder council¡¯s head office. After dancing through


    the decadent shower in the main bedroom and throwing on a change of clothes, we sped down the


    winding forest road towards the elder council.


    Ignatius drove in stony silence and I fiddled with the neckline of the only fancy dress that I owned.


    Ignatius nced over at me when he noticed my fidgeting.


    ¡°You look gorgeous, Dorothy.¡±


    ¡°I look like a scared pup who is way out of her depths,¡± I mumbled and then regretted it when I saw the


    genuine anxiety in Ignatius¡¯s eyes,


    ¡°What happens if Elliot doesn¡¯t agree to let me stay?¡±


    Ignatius was trying his best to keep aposed impression, but his kitted.


    brows said otherwise.


    ¡°I¡¯m his son, the next Alpha. He doesn¡¯t have a choice. That doesn¡¯t mean. he¡¯s going to let any of this


    be easy though.¡±


    I clutched the seatbelt as we turned a corner and Ignatius was suddenly made aware of just how hard


    his foot was pressed down on the gas pedal. The car fishtailed on the corner but Ignatius managed to


    get it back under


    control.


    Stricken at the incident, Ignatius nced over at me with genuine horror on his face.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I put a hand on my leg to calm him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¨C


    Upon arriving at the council office arge building with vines of ivy climbing around the walls and a


    giant clock centered above the entrance- I was rmed to see a number of other cars parked outside.


    Ignatius too seemed suspicious at the numbers and his brow furrowed


    intently as he pulled the breaks. He helped me out of the car and together we walked therge stone


    stairs to the door.


    4/9


    10:42 Fr. Jan 26


    Chapter 25.


    Before Ignatius could reach for the handle, the door was swung wide open and a mousy-looking


    woman in spectacles greeted us with wide eyes and an even wider smile.


    ¡°Ignatius. Wee back, your father is waiting for you in his office.¡±¡±


    Her overly forced smile made me ufortable and I cringed into Ignatius who put his arm around my


    waist in reassurance. We stepped inside and the woman shuffled back a few steps.


    ¡°Hello, Margaret. It¡¯s good to be back.¡±


    His thumb was massaging small circles on my back to ease the building tension he could clearly sense


    in me.


    Margaret looked me up and down, her smile growing even wider than I thought was possible. It made


    her look like a puppet- a caricature of a human being.


    ¡°The outsider will have to wait here, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Margaret said in an overly sweet tone. Her watery eyes


    focussed on me. She kept her distance from us, eyeing me warily like rejection was contagious. I tried


    for a feeble smile but my instant dislike of the woman turned it into something of a sneer.


    Ignatius scowled at her. ¡°Dorothy is my mate,¡± he spoke sternly, propelling. me forward with his arm at


    my back. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to leave her sitting around outside just because he can¡¯t ept that fact.¡±


    We walked past Margaret who gave me a wide girth ¨C Ignatius taking long determined strides and me


    stumbling along next to him in an attempt to keep up. He led me down the long hall towards therge


    oak door at the


    end.


    Pushing it open without knocking, Ignatius burst into the room with me in tow. The man sitting at the


    desk looked up from a mess of paperwork. spread before him. He had his head propped up on his


    knuckles and looked broadly at Ignatius like his presence was underwhelming.


    ¡°Ignatius.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was a greeting or a condemnation. The man had the


    5/9


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26


    same slim build as Ignatius, but his muscles were bulkier and made the material of his shirt sit tightly


    around his forearms.


    His stubble was well kept and his dark brown hair had the same ruffled look as his sons¡¯ did. His gaze


    movedzily from Ignatius to me. Green eyes looked me up and down as I stood hesitantly next to


    Ignatius and forced myself not to fidget.


    ¡°So this is the girl then?¡± he remarked nonchntly and I felt Ignatius. bristle at my side. I slipped my


    hand into his clenched fist.


    ¡°This is Dorothy,¡± Ignatius said with a tight jaw, trying to maintain hisposure. ¡°My mate.¡±


    ¡°Your mate?¡± Elliot Armoundt¡¯s tone was condescending, infantilizing. ¡°ir has been gone only two


    years and you¡¯re already turning your attention to fresh meat?¡±


    I was taken aback at his bluntness and flushed hotly at the disrespect he had for his own son.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think ¡®fresh meat¡¯ was what he set out looking for,¡± I spoke before Ignatius could, ¡°your son has


    been nothing but good to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he has,¡± Elliot said sarcastically, his voice trailing off before locking eyes with Ignatius.


    ¡°I can¡¯t allow this. She¡¯s been rejected by her mate. It¡¯s a bad image to wee into the family name.¡±


    ¡°And besides, Ignatius,¡± Elliot continued when Ignatius opened his mouth to speak. ¡°I expect better


    from you than to salvage someone else¡¯s scraps.¡±


    I was speechless at that. I had heard stories about this man. I knew Elliot Armoundt was a vicious


    warrior and a terrifying rival. I didn¡¯t know he was an as shole too. I was about to state as much but


    Ignatius spoke before


    me,


    ¡°You¡¯d do well to be respectful. I¡¯m the future Alpha of this pack and Dorothy is to be my Luna. Your


    word isn¡¯tw around here.¡±


    6/9


    10:42/ Fri, Jan 26


    Elliot pressed his fingers to his temple. ¡°You are endlessly infuriating Ignatius. First, you fall apart and


    turn soft after one mishap, and now this? You¡¯re letting down the Armoundt name more and more every


    day.¡±


    The guttural growl that had been growing in Ignatius¡¯s throat became a road and he crossed the room


    to his father¡¯s desk before I had time to


    blink.


    Elliot seemed a little too calm about his son grabbing his hair and ramming his face into the desk. He


    wiped at the blood that burst from his. nose and frowned. ¡°That was uncalled for.¡±


    Ignatius yanked his head back like he was about to do it again and Elliot relented. ¡°Alright, alright. At


    least you¡¯ve still got some sp nk left in you.¡±


    He leaned back in his chair and scrutinized Ignatius with one eye. ¡°Tell you what, why don¡¯t you take


    this up with the rest of the elders? They¡¯re all currently in the room over, discussing this very matter.¡±


    He was mocking us. We were sure to get more of the same from the other members. I wondered how


    he had even known about my rejection from Johan in the first ce. Someone had to have told him.


    Word did indeed


    travel fast.


    Ignatius turned without another word and stormed out of the room. He gripped my arm to drag me


    along with him and then chose instead to take my hand in his and lead me rather than drag me.


    It was t


    the considerate part of his nature that made me love him as much as I did the gentle kindness thaty


    underneath the sheer strength. It was


    the trait of a true leader.


    Elliot did not seem to see it that way and scoffed at his son¡¯s actions before. Ignatius mmed the door


    behind us.


    Kicking open the next door, Ignatius faced the elder council and I sidled. in behind him. I wanted to be


    strong for him. I wanted to prove to them that I was fit for the role.


    But my courage was slowly failing me and I was gripped with a growing sense of grim familiarity with


    the situation. This was nothing new. This


    7/0


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26 G


    was what I had expected all along. Ignatius may ept me as I am but this pack would be no different


    from my previous.


    The ten members at the table in the center of the room all turned to look. at us simultaneously. Ignatius


    regarded them coldly.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather unprofessional to hold a council meeting regarding a certain. person, without having that


    person present to defend themselves, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    A short, balding man closest to us stood up. ¡°Now, Ignatius. This is a potential new member, of course,


    we had to discuss-¡±


    ¡°This is Dorothy,¡± Ignatius interrupted him, cing both hands on my shoulders and standing me in


    front of him. ¡°She is my mate and your future Luna. Anyone who takes issue with that will have to


    answer to me personally.¡±¡±


    This statement was met with silence. Looking around the room at the ten members of the council and


    their widened eyes I came to realize something. They were afraid of him. It would seem that only I got


    to witness the kinder, younger Ignatius.


    To these people, with the way they were looking at him, Ignatius was a terrifying force with a powerful


    hereditary name. I wondered at just how much Ignatius had changed before I met him, to have


    garnered himself such a reputation.


    With nob*dy daring to question his statement, Ignatius took onest look around the room and


    propelled me out of the room once more. We headed to the exit, leaving the elder members stunned in


    their cu shioned.


    sc ats.


    We passed Margaret on the way, who shrank back against the wall as we passed. I looked over my


    shoulder at her and shot her the most sickly sweet smile I could muster before clinging to Ignatius¡¯s


    hand and ski pping along next to him and out of the front door.


    My mate was the future Alpha, there was no denying his true power. At


    that moment, it didn¡¯t matter that his pack didn¡¯t want me. Ignatius did. And that would always be


    enough.


    1879


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26 G


    * 62

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    -Ignatius-


    I was furious. At my father, at the elders, all of them. I swore to myself that the day Elliot stepped down


    would be the day that I released them all from their duty. They were caught up in their old ways and


    times were changing.


    Dorothy was silent next to me, gazing out of the window with an expression I couldn¡¯t quite ce.


    I wanted to apologize to her on behalf of my father, but I was still seething at his actions myself. We got


    back to the house faster than I expected and I leaned back in the seat, huffing in the salty air and trying


    to rx. Dorothy unclipped her seatbelt and leaned into me, pecking tiny k*sses along my shoulder.


    ¡°You okay?¡± she murmured in my ear and I tilted my head to the side to let her continue her trickle of


    k*sses.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I was aware I was acting moody but I was still a little too pis sed off to manage anything else.


    They had disrespected my Luna and for that, I had murder on my mind.


    Dorothy paid no mind to my crankiness and trailed her fingers down my chest to fiddle with my belt.


    She kept her lips on my neck as she did so and I felt my bulge stiffening as she got the belt undone


    and delved her hand into my pants.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± She purred, stroking her hand along my growing erection, ¡°Don¡¯t let them get to


    you.¡± She pulled my suit pants a little lower and freed my stiff member.


    ¡°What are you do-¡± I cut myself short and inhaled sharply as Dorothy ced her lips over the tip.


    -Dorothy-


    All along the drive home I felt a new arousal churning in my loins. Seeing Ignatius being possessive


    and dominating had awoken a bout of


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26


    confidence in me. I was proud to be his mate, honored to be his Luna, and heavily turned on by my


    partner.


    I had never even attempted a bl ow j ob before even if I had been interested in any of the many young


    shifters at my old college, none of them would ever have been interested in the outcast. It was easier


    than I thought it would be and I reveled in my own little power trip as Ignatius. came undone above me.


    I glided my lips over just the tip at first, licking my tongue gently on the sensitive skin there. Ignatius


    leaned back in his seat and lolled his head back,


    ¡°F uck.¡±


    His runningmentary of moans grew louder as I took in more of his shaft with each downward bob


    of my head. Ignatius put a hand in my hair and raised his hips slightly.


    ¡°Careful,¡± he growled as I continued, swirling my tongue around his thick phallus.


    I ignored him and upped the antics, enjoying myself a little too much. Ignatius groaned and ced both


    hands on my head, pushing it down and thrusting his hips up simultaneously until I gagged as his tip


    grazed the back of my throat.


    Saliva trickled from the side of my mouth as Ignatius used the hands in my hair to guide my head up


    and down, seeming to enjoy my choking and spluttering. I was surprised to find I was loving it too.


    Ignatius pumped faster then, holding my head in ce as he ground his member down my throat. I


    struggled to breathe through my nose and eventually gave up entirely, sumbing with pleasure to the


    aggressive needs of an angry werewolf.


    When he felt his


    sat up, gasping gasm threatening to release, Ignatius pulled out and I


    sat up, gasping for air and whipping saliva from my mouth. I had no time. to catch my breath before


    Ignatius pulled me onto hisp. He lifted the flowing material of my dress all the way up to my waist and


    pulled my underwear to the side.


    24


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26


    I leaned into him as he angled himself at my entrance and gripped both my wrists, pulling me down


    onto hisp and ramming his straining erection deep inside of me. I cried out as he crashed against my


    cervix and moaned my arousal as Ignatius mercilessly pounded into me.


    The car rocked on its wheels as we continued our relentless sacrament, lightly steaming the windows


    and knocking limbs in the small confined space. Ignatius pulled at the neckline of my dress to disy


    my hardened nipples and take one of them in his mouth, nipping viciously as I bucked on hisp.


    It was me who came first this time, screaming my org asm into his neck as my b*dy shook and


    clenched around him. Ignatius kept up his thrusting while Lcopsed forwards and leaned limply on his


    chest, moaning quietly at the overstimtion.


    Ignatius finished with one final thrust into me that had me arching my. head back and gasping in


    euphoria. My b*dy zed hot as he emptied himself inside of me, twitching in tion at the abilities of


    my mate.


    I leaned against Ignatius again, ovee with fatigue and a roaring influx of endorphins. He wrapped


    his arms around me, panting heavily. My


    b*dy moved along with his chest that rose and fell as he heaved in shaky breaths. His member twitched


    inside of me and I felt hot semen trickling


    out from my core.


    Sweat had broken out on my forehead as we steamed up the car and my hair was a fra zzled, damp


    mess. Ignatius lifted my face in his hands to nt a gentle k*ss on my cheek,


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to put ourselves in a better mood.¡± He smiled smugl


    I grinned back at him, fighting the overwhelming fatigue that was overtaking me.


    Suddenly, a sharp rap on the window so hard it d amn near broke the ss startled us both.


    We both looked up, passed the steam that clouded the ss into the eyes. of an angry-looking woman


    ¨C livid, in fact. She was ring in at us and at me in particr, her fangs contorting her face into a


    terrifying scowl.


    3/4


    10:42 Fri, Jan 26 G


    ¡°Um, Ignatius,¡± I murmured, not taking my eyes off the woman outside,


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    COMMENT


    Jan 26


    62


    -Dorothy-


    I came to learn her name soon enough- after Ignatius snapped back to his.


    senses.


    ¡°F ucking, Angie,¡± he muttered, scowling back at her through the window before gently easing me off of


    him and tucking his rod back in his pants.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me. Redoing his belt buckle and opening the door, Ignatius stepped out of the car and


    faced the woman. She stood with her arms folded, her eyes burned into Ignatius like she wanted to tear


    out his throat.


    I scrambled out of the opposite door, attempting to readjust my ruined. underwear and pressing my


    legs together when I felt Ignatius¡¯s earlier. release dripping down my thigh.


    I blushed bright red and swished the length of my dress back down in the hopes of hiding it. I rounded


    the car and stood behind Ignatius, eyeing out the woman ¨C Angie ¨C warily.


    Angie was pretty, or at least she would have been if her face wasn¡¯t


    contorted into a vicious sneer. Her chocte brown hair tumbled down over her shoulders and her legs


    were longer than even that of Lana¡¯s.


    Her dark blue eyes focussed on me as I slipped my hand into Ignatius¡¯s and jutted out my chin in an


    attempt to look intimidating.


    Considering my hair looked like a bird¡¯s nest and Ignatius¡¯s scent wastvished all over my b*dy, I don¡¯t


    think anything I did would make me look anything more than a haphazard mess.


    ¡°So this is the runt?¡±


    Angie leered at me, cing her hands on her slender hips. Although everything about her was long and


    graceful, I noticed the muscr build of her shoulders and pretty impressive biceps for a girl who


    looked so


    1/8


    10:42/ Fri, Jan 26 G-


    dainty.


    Just like Lana, her athletic frame and sl anted features made her a walking, talking goddess whom I


    paled inparison against.


    Ignatius¡¯s eyes were stormy as he faced off with Angie. I heard the rumbling grow of warning


    reverberating from his throat.


    ¡°It seems the whole pack is insistent on getting involved in my personal affairs.¡± Ignatius was calm, but


    I felt the ripples of irateness under the surface. ¡°What do you want, Angie?¡±


    Angie shook her head. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be bound totch onto someone new someday, bute on


    Ignatius. Her? Really?¡±


    She spoke over my head like I was a child or an inanimate object. I bristled next to Ignatius and


    delivered a low growl from my own vocal cords at her attitude.


    She shot another nce at me. ¡°So very intimidating.¡± Her voice wasden. with sarcasm. ¡°I¡¯m


    quaking.¡±


    Angie looked back at Ignatius as if dismissing my presence entirely. ¡°Anyway. Think about what you¡¯re


    doing. Think about how this will look to the other packs. The Bielke tribe gives no handouts and takes


    no leftovers.¡±


    I scowled at her remarks. I was beginning to grow tired of constantly being. referred to as someone¡¯s


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    leftovers.


    ¡°It makes us look bad,¡± Angie continued, ignoring the daggers I was shooting her way. ¡°We can¡¯t have a


    rejected pup for a Luna. It¡¯s questionable for an Alpha to even find himself a new mate in ce. What


    about ire?¡±


    I expected Ignatius to snap at thatst quip but he brought his ce his ear and raised his hand at Angie.


    ¡°Enough, Angie. You can go ne


    Angie tossed her hair over her shoulder, rolling her eyes at hisma ¡°So now you have no problem


    with using your Alpha privileges tomand me. What happened to equalrades, Ignatius?¡±


    2/8

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    I was stillprching what she meant by equalrades when Ignatius¡¯s. phone cra ckled to life and


    he ced it to his ear. ¡°Hello? Hey Geranium. We¡¯ve got an unwanted visitor on the property. Front car


    park. Yeah. Do you think you could escort her out?¡±


    Ignatius hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket, he looked at Angie with barely


    restrained irritation. ¡°You gave me no choice after you insulted my mate, Angie.¡±


    A man dressed in all ck, Geranium I presumed, approached us from around the cottage. Angie


    looked from the beef security guard to Ignatius in disapproval. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious? You won¡¯t even


    fight your own battles now, Ignatius?¡±


    Ignatius shrugged and nodded to Geranium.


    ¡°Frankly Angie, I¡¯ve had a sh it few hours, I¡¯ve been driving all morning, I just got my rocks off -¡± he


    smirked at me as he said that and I blushed redder than before. ¡°And all I really want to do right now is


    carry my mate through the front door of our new home and go for round two and maybe a nap.¡±


    Angie raised her eyebrow, folding her arms tightly.


    Ignatius gave her a condescending smile and took my hand. ¡°Geranium, please escort Ms. Rockbell off


    of the property, thank you.¡±


    He led me towards the cottage as Angie shoved the security guard away.


    ¡°I can escort myself!¡± she hissed before locking eyes with me, ¡°See you around, runt.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes before turning my back on her and following Ignatius into the cottage.


    After Ignatius had mmed the door closed behind us, he stomped up the stairs to the bedroom and I


    followed along after him,


    ¡°Who exactly is she? Angie?¡± I asked as I rushed up the stairs after him, taking two steps at a time to


    keep up.¡±


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°She¡¯s the head of arms and security. She trains the young shifters forbat.¡± Ignatius said over his


    shoulder.


    ¡°That exins the muscles,¡± I mumbled.


    He flung open the doors of the wardrobe and pulled out towels and flip- flops.


    ¡°She¡¯s also the granddaughter of one of the elders so she¡¯s got some status behind her name. She has


    always been a good friend to me,¡±


    Ignatius shoved the items into my arms and turned back to the wardrobe, curling arge leather jacket


    around his b*dy, ¡°Although, it would seem Elliot has turned even her against you already.¡±


    I looked down, dumbfounded, at the towel, ¡°What is this for?¡±


    Ignatius beckoned for me to follow him back down the stairs, ¡°Hot


    springs. Follow the path to the right of the garden and you should find them pretty easily. Geranium will


    make sure no one bothers you. I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Go where?¡± I asked, irked at the way he was rushing around me, ¡°Ignatius?¡±


    He paused and turned to me, cing his hands on my shoulders a little. too tightly, his smile was


    strained.


    ¡°Angie has always been a good friend to me. But I do believe she had been holding onto the hope that


    one day I would choose her for a second mate, I think Elliot was nning this too. He¡¯s used her


    jealousy to turn her against you already. He¡¯s medaling more than I had expected.¡±


    Ignatius pulled me to his chest, ¡°My father will be heading home soon. I¡¯m going to confront him there


    where we can brawl it out without anyone bothering us.¡±


    I pulled away from him, ¡°Do you often get into fistfights with your father?¡± I asked skeptically.


    Ignatius shrugged, ¡°Only when no one is around to stop us. I need to clear


    478


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G


    this up now.¡±


    He cupped my cheek in his hand and trailed his fingers down my ¡°And as much as I¡¯d love to join you


    and clean you up myself,¡±


    waist,


    My knees pressed together as he said this and I was aware of the c um still licking down my legs, ¡°I


    have to take care of this first.¡±


    He nted a k*ss on my forehead as I struggled to understand the situation, before heading out the


    door. I stood there for a moment staring after him as his car sped down the driveway.


    Looking down at the towel in my arms and the state of my dress, I sighed. and went to seek out the hot


    springs.


    -Ignatius-


    Driving to my father¡¯s house I contemted Angie¡¯s reaction to Dorothy. I had always been aware of


    Angie¡¯s interest in me, but I had never expected her to let her jealousy be so outwardly apparent.


    Above all else, Angie wast dedicated to the safety of the pack. So Elliot must have seeded in


    convincing her that Dorothy was a threat to that safety.


    I arrived at my father¡¯s house and let myself in with the spare key he kept. under the doormat. It was


    probably foolish to be so careless with the security of his own home, but I was of the belief that Elliot


    thought it to be. a sign of his true power. He was practically weing enemies to dare try and take


    him on.


    My father and I had gotten along before the car ident. The way Elliot saw it, since ire¡¯s death, I


    had gone soft. I didn¡¯t see it that way. I chose to abandon my reckless, brutal behavior and instead


    chose to focus on being a good leader ¨C a good Alpha. I saw it as strength. We hadn¡¯t seen eye to eye


    since.


    I knew there would be minor issues with my bringing Dorothy home. But the reaction from both the


    elder council and Elliot himself seemed a little


    too overboard.


    ¡°Way too overboard,¡± Tor growled, reminding me again of the insults they dared fling at my mate.


    5/8


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    I leaned against the sofa inside, folded my arms, and proceeded to wait for my father toe home.


    Many a brutal battle had taken ce within. these walls since I had gone ¡°soft.¡±


    Even with all of my strength and agility, I hadn¡¯t won any of them. Yet.


    Elliot didn¡¯t seem at all surprised to see me upon arriving to an unlocked door. He strode inside without


    casting me so much as a nce and made straight for the fridge to cr ack open a beer.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    I resisted the urge to kick the can straight out of his hands.


    ¡°Angie just paid a visit to the cottage. She wasn¡¯t looking too happy. What have you said to her?¡±


    Elliot took a while to answer me, shuffling through the contents of the fridge to pull out an old tray of


    leftoversagne. For all of his authority and dominating image, Elliot was still just a lonely, single man


    who could barely take care of himself.


    He peeled back theyer of tinfoil on the top and sat down at the kitchen ind, digging into the


    contents with a dirty fork.


    ¡°I merely gave her a rundown of the recent events,¡± he said between mouthfuls of coldsagne.


    ¡°Bu ll s hit. It takes a lot to make Angie that aggressive. She wouldn¡¯t dare confront me like that unless


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    she thought it was serious. I will ask a What did you say to her?¡±


    Elliot sighed, poking at the mince in the tray. ¡°You¡¯ve really thrown wrench into things, taking that runt in


    like this.¡±


    I had no patience for his vitriolic nder. I marched to the opposite en of the ind in a few steps and


    swiped thesagne to the side before Ellio could stab another forkful.


    It ttered to the floor, spilling the barely defrosted contents all over the


    6/8


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26


    ce. Elliot paused with his fork still poised and frowned sadly at the spige.


    ¡°Go dam mit, Ignatius.¡±


    ¡°What do you all have against Dorothy?¡± My voice was booming and my knuckles pressed into the


    granite. ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. She¡¯s going to make a great Luna if you would just give her


    a chance.¡±


    Elliot finally lifted his gaze to look at me, his eyes were dismissive ¨C disappointed. ¡°Frankly, my son, I


    don¡¯t care about your new little pet. Despite the bad image she brings to our name, who you choose to


    bed isn¡¯t of any particr interest to me.¡±


    He raised a hand when I growled at him ¨C threatening to dash more than just thesagna into the floor.


    ¡°But her true mate was your old Beta acquaintance. Johan of the Khall Pack ¨C our tense new allies.


    And you¡¯ve taken her from him. Which is going to prove very bad for us.¡±


    His words confused me and I stared at him for a moment, my fury forgotten.


    ¡°What does Johan have to do with this? What does this have to do with any of the Khall Pack? They


    didn¡¯t give a da mn about Dorothy. Why would my taking of her suddenly be an issue now?¡±


    Elliot rubbed at his temples, still stealing mournful nces at the ruined.sagne on the floor. I could


    tell there was something drastically wrong though. He was trying to y it cool, but there was a tension


    in his jaw and his bushy brows were furrowed.


    ¡°The Khall are ming us for the new rogue shifter on their hands.¡±.


    ¡°What?¡±


    I was not able to connect the dots. The answer seemed so far from my known reality that it did not


    even ur to me that he could be referring to Johan.


    7/8


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26


    6267


    Elliot locked his eyes with mine, and I felt the urgency in his stare. ¡°Johan has killed his father. His


    previous partner, Mavis, has also been reported missing as of three days ago.¡±


    I was speechless, motionless. His wordsy jumbled in my mind like they didn¡¯t fit together quite right.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Elliot¡¯s face was grim, the lines in his forehead more prominent than ever. All of a sudden, my father


    looked tired my father looked old.


    ¡°Johan has gone rogue. He is likely going toe looking for his mate, and there¡¯s a very good chance


    he will kill again.¡±


    8/8


    SEND G IT

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    -Dorothy-


    I trudged out into the garden and took a look around for Geranium. I spotted him a little distance away,


    leaving on one of the pirs at the front. gate. He raised a hand to me in greeting and I sheepishly


    waved back before going on the hunt for this so-called garden path.


    I had rounded the entire cottage twice and pondered the fact that the big, beefy security guard of this


    estate was named after a sweet-smelling little. flower and I still hadn¡¯t found the pathway.


    I was contemting just giving up and going back inside when the wind turned and I caught the sudden


    whiff of a strange scent. I whirled around to face Angie who had been following directly behind me.


    She stood ufortably close and her wide blue eyes were fixated on unblinking. Her stillness was


    disconcerting. I hadn¡¯t heard so much as a twig cr ack and yet she had to have been following me all


    along.


    ¡°What the f u ck!¡±


    My voice was a high-pitched mewling as I scrambled a few steps away from her.


    Angie blinked a few times in quick session like she wasing out of a trance. Most likely she had


    shifted to a predatorial mode as she followed behind me. She had been stalking me like prey.


    I regarded her with caution, wishing that Ignatius hadn¡¯t left so qui He seemed to trust this long-limbed


    goddess more or less, but with t she had been looking at me, I had my reservations.


    I had dealt with more than my fair share of beautiful heathens back my old pack, I had prepared myself


    for many more toe.


    ¡°Why are you back?¡± I asked her and attempted to quell the shaking in my knees. ¡°Ignatius isn¡¯t going


    to like this.¡±


    Angie curled her lip and sighed like she was exasperated at conversing


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    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G ¡¤


    with a child. ¡°I came to talk to you. Ignatius, it would seem, has lost his mind. He¡¯s thrown all reason


    and responsibility out the window, bringing you here.¡±


    ¡°What did I ever do to any of you?¡± I spat, my anger overtaking my


    wariness. ¡°Is it because I¡¯ve been rejected? Who cares that my mate doesn¡¯t


    want me.


    ¡°Your mate does want you,¡± Angie said nkly.


    I had been balling my fists and preparing for a brutal beatdown but her words halted me,


    ¡°What did you say? How would you even know that? Actually, on second thought, how does everyone


    know that Johan rejected me in the first ce?¡±


    Angie retained a stony silence, ring at me. When she finally spoke, she chose her words carefully.


    ¡°There are things that have been set in motion by your arrival here. Bad things. If you really loved


    Ignatius, you¡¯d do what was best and go back to your own pack!¡±


    I refused to back down. I had not gone through everything that I had only to be denied by yet another


    pack ¨C another potential family before they even knew me.


    I would make them love me..


    I lifted my chin. ¡°This is my pack now. I¡¯m not leaving Ignatius¡¯s side. I¡¯m going to be his Luna. And I will


    prove to all of the Bielke people that I am worthy of that title.¡±


    Angie looked like she wanted to cut me down right then and there but she restrained herself and


    allowed an unfriendly but polite mask to slip back. down over her wless features.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see about that, won¡¯t we? Good luck, runt. I won¡¯t make this. easy for you.¡±


    She paused while slinking away. ¡°If Ignatius had any loyalty to his people. he¡¯d kick you to the curb in a


    heartbeat. He¡¯s with his father as we speak


    10:43 FR, Jan 26


    He still might.


    With that, she melted into the forest at the edge of the garden. Both her scent and the sound of her


    steps disappeared like she was never there to begin with.


    I was beginning to fear that Angie would make for a far more insidious foe than Mavis and her dogs


    had ever been. Her words, try as I might to dismiss them, ricocheted around my head long after she


    had left.


    Groaning in sheer frustration at the hostility of my new home, I kicked at the grass. I was about to get to


    work pounding my fists into an unsuspecting tree when I finally noticed the garden path Ignatius had


    spoken of. Carved onto arge stone embedded in the dirt was the symbol.


    of a wolf.


    After a few minutes of traipsing through the overgrown pathway and stumbling over more concealed


    bs of stone along the way, I finally made it to the hot springs. My stormy mood which had soured.


    exponentially since Angie¡¯s first appearance was suddenly forgotten entirely.


    The scene before me was so ethereally gorgeous I gasped out loud and dropped the towel I¡¯d been


    twisting in my hands.


    The hot springs were not just the mere holes of hot water in the dirt I had been imagining. They were


    dozens of jewel-encrusted rockpools clustered beneath a rushing waterfall that sent a steaming spray


    of mist over the small clearing.


    Some pools were shallow and tiny and others were the size of small swimming pools. Steam rose from


    the crystal clear water and the air itself was moist and warm. Lush green foliage encapsted the


    tranquil haven.


    Upon closer inspection, someone had stacked massive seashells along the lining of some of the pools


    ¨C Swirls and cornucopias, conches and sand. dors, all lined neatly around the hot bodies of water.


    I approached the closest pool and turned slowly in a circle, scoping out the surrounding forest and


    sniffing for any unfamiliar scents. When I was sure I was alone, I peeled off my clothes and gingerly


    stepped into the pool.


    3/10


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    62%


    The water felt like bathwater, and pri ckles of warmth set off goosebumps up my legs as I lowered


    myself into the silky pool. I dipped my head underwater and shook my hair out while holding my breath.


    Red wispy locks floated around me as I kept my head under, stilling my mind.


    I wondered how far the mind-link with Ignatius could reach. Holding my breath and emptying my head


    of all thoughts, I focussed on seeking out Ignatius, probing with my mind to detect his energy. Like


    wading through water, I gradually came to feel Ignatius. He was tense, angry, and¡­ a little afraid?


    I struggled to keep my mind clear, I didn¡¯t want to drop the link now that I¡¯d managed it. I wondered if he


    could hear me.


    ¡°I found the hot springs,¡± I whispered with my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful here.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯s voice, so clear in my mind he could have been right there next to me, responded, ¡°I¡¯m d


    you like it¡± His light tone shifted as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m almost done here. I¡¯ll be back soon. Do you think


    you¡¯ll be okay until then?¡±


    I blew bubbles out under the water, letting myself sink until my knees hit the sand below.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    And just like that, Ignatius pulled a curtain across his mind and I was unable to hear any more from


    him.


    Only when my chest began to burn and my lungs were screaming f did I break the surface once again.


    Around me the forest was silent. the continuous gushing flow of the waterfall could be heard. I floate


    my back, allowing my muscles to rx one by one in the tepid water.


    There were countless unanswered questions and even more concerns th I had to consider. But I


    allowed myself one small moment of self- indulgence as I floated there. I closed my eyes without


    intending to and before long I was drifting.


    A small sound in the woods had me bolting upright, making a ssh as I


    Fri, Jan 26 ?


    The water felt like bathwater, and pr ickles of warmth set off goosebumps. up my legs as I lowered


    myself into the silky pool. I dipped my head underwater and shook my hair out while holding my breath.


    Red wispy locks floated around me as I kept my head under, stilling my mind.


    I wondered how far the mind-link with Ignatius could reach. Holding my breath and emptying my head


    of all thoughts, I focussed on seeking out Ignatius, probing with my mind to detect his energy. Like


    wading through water, I gradually came to feel Ignatius. He was tense, angry, and¡­ a little afraid?


    I struggled to keep my mind clear, I didn¡¯t want to drop the link now that I¡¯d managed it. I wondered if he


    could hear me.


    ¡°I found the hot springs,¡± I whispered with my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. here.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯s voice, so clear in my mind he could have been right there next to me, responded, ¡°I¡¯m d


    you like it.¡± His light tone shifted as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m almost done here. I¡¯ll be back soon. Do you think


    you¡¯ll be okay until then?¡±


    I blew bubbles out under the water, letting myself sink until my knees hit the sand below.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    And just like that, Ignatius pulled a curtain across his mind and I was unable to hear any more from


    him.


    Only


    Only when my chest began to burn and my lungs were screaming for air did I break the surface once


    again. Around me the forest wa the continuous gushing flow of the waterfall could be hear my back,


    allowing my muscles to rx one by one in the te


    There were countless unanswered questions and even more ce I had to consider. But I allowed myself


    one small moment of sel indulgence as I floated there. I closed my eyes without intending t before long


    I was drifting.


    A small sound in the woods had me bolting upright, making a ssh as I


    4/10


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G ¡¤


    did so that sent water cascading out of the pool in ripples. I wrapped my arms around myself under the


    water ¨C suddenly freezing despite the hot steaming off the pool.


    I looked around me in all directions like a frightened rabbit. At the sound. of more shuffling, of sticks


    cracking and breaking underfoot, I squinted into the shadows of the forest. Something was moving out


    there something big.


    I cowered into a crevice in the pool, praying to both the moon go d and every other deity I had ever


    conjured up as a child, to please let it pass by without seeing me. I waited there, with my nose barely


    peeking out of the water, for what felt like forever.


    I thought maybe the creature had gone. Nothing could be heard but the shush¡­shush¡­ of the


    waterfall and the slow drip of water falling rhythmically. After a little more waiting, I realized that it was


    not the dripping of water that I was hearing It was the slow and steady ticking of a clock.


    Just then I felt something hot and sticky drip onto my head, it ran down my face and turned the water


    around me red. I looked up just in time to see the creature standing above me, bloodied jaws open


    wide enough to swallow me whole.


    With a jolt I opened my eyes, thrashing in the water as I awoke from an idental slumber.


    Water poured into my nose and burned my sinuses as I fought a monster that wasn¡¯t there. After I


    finally surfaced and coughed up water from my lungs, I looked around me again. There was nothing out


    there, I was al


    I forced myself to calm down, huffing deep breaths and grounding mys in reality. I hurried out of the


    pool and wrapped the discarded towel around me, securing it in ce under my arm and gathering up


    the rest of my clothes.


    I tried my best to keep up a natural pace as I headed back for the cottage,


    but my fear got the better of me my night terrors leaking into my waking


    ¨C


    hours and I hurried back home as fast as I possibly could manage


    5/10


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26


    without tripping on hidden shrubs and stones.


    I would have to tell Ignatius about the dreams. I didn¡¯t know what to make of them but I also knew I


    could no longer face them alone.


    -Angie-


    I was more than a little confused to see the runt thrashing around in the hot springs like she was being


    attacked, I thought maybe she might be drowning ¨C It would sure as hell make my job easier if she did.


    e was


    I had bid farewell to Ignatius only a week before when he told me he headed to Khall territory to see an


    old friend. Little did I know he would be bringing home an unwanted guest.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what he saw in that minuscule slip of a girl. She was pretty enough sure but she


    was about as intimidating as a daisy and not to mention the product of a rejected mate.


    I had thought little of the stigma around rejected shifters before Ignatius had showed up with his new


    toy.


    But seeing Dorothy in person I couldn¡¯t help but feel like there was something inherently wrong with


    her. Surely, certain people were rejected. for a reason. What could possibly cause a soulmate to break


    that sacred bond and choose another?


    While it¡¯s pretty umon for shifters to never feel the mating call at all, it can happen. Most people


    tend to find their mates within their own pack ¨C it would seem soulmates stay close together, even after


    death.


    But sometimes one¡¯s true mate could be miles away. Sometimes they could already be dead.


    I was pretty sure that that was the case for me. I had felt the call once, after my own eighteenth


    birthday. But it wasn¡¯t very strong, and, by the next. day, those feelings of longing had disappeared


    entirely.


    I wasn¡¯t too bothered by this. After all, I had greater matters to concern myself with than that of finding


    myself a lover. I had made it that far without one after all. With that being said though, there had always


    been


    Fri, Jan 20


    that n ig gling thought that one day Ignatius would be an option.


    62


    I had forced myself to banish this idea from my head. My friend had been grieving after the loss of his


    own mate. He had needed a friend, not a recement partner.


    I thought I had reserved myself to the understanding that we were loyal friends and that was all we


    would ever be. But upon hearing of Dorothy, and how quickly he had fallen for her, a seed of jealousy


    sprouted in my chest.


    And try as I might, I was unable to contain it. By the time Ignatius arrived back home, it had bloomed


    inside of me, taking root and spreading like a disease.


    I didn¡¯t want to fight Ignatius, I didn¡¯t even want to be as crude and antagonizing as I had been when I


    approached him on his own property. But this new love he had found felt like a betrayal.


    Aside from my own feelings towards the unbelievably odd union between the two, Dorothy¡¯s presence


    with the Bielke people ¨C my people ¨C posed a greater threat than neither she nor Ignatius understood.


    I had respect for Elliot as the leader of our pack ¨C much less respect for him as a father ¨C but when he


    had called upon me that morning to tell me of the news I had no choice but to take his side in the


    matter.


    Dorothy¡¯s previous mate had gone rogue, maddened by his own rejection. of his mate as well as losing


    his partner, and even killed his own father.


    The Khall, upon discovering that it was Ignatius who had imed Dorothy and taken her away, med


    the Bielke for conspiring against them and attempting to take them down from the inside.


    Furthermore, a few Khall girls hade forward saying that Ignatius had threatened them when they


    tried to plead for him to leave Dorothy alone.


    Thatst bit of intel I was inclined to take with a grain of salt, considering Ignatius would only resort to


    threats when absolutely necessary. Then again, after the stunt he pulled, I wondered if I truly knew


    Ignatius at all.


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to admit it, it was clear that he did truly care for this redheaded girl, no matter


    how far-fetched the concept seemed.


    Why else would he have thrown the entire peace treaty between their packs into jeopardy by taking her


    from them? By taking her from her true mate his own former best friend.


    It didn¡¯t make any sense to me.


    I was shaken from my musings when Dorothy stopped her thrashing and climbed out of the hot springs.


    I shifted my positioning behind a thick cluster of foliage and swallowed a sigh.


    Unfortunately, the runt didn¡¯t drown. No matter though, I had my own ns for getting rid of the


    problem at hand. I pulled out my phone, making sure it was set to silent, and snapped picture after


    picture of the slim, pale figure as she reached for her towel.


    Dorothy was convinced she would make a good first impression on our people. I was determined to foil


    those ns.


    I doubted she would be able to speak to anyone, let alone show her face in public when her n*ked b*dy


    andughably small rack ¨C was passed from one young shifter to the next throughout the pack.


    She would be unable to gain the respect she wanted, and Ignatius would have no choice but to deny


    association with her. It was a childish n, yes ¨C and fueled by my own jealousy and resentment ¨C but


    it would be an effective one nheless.


    I stared at Dorothy for a moment longer as she scanned the area. I kne she wouldn¡¯t detect me. Of all


    the shifters of our n, I had always be the best at tracking at hiding, at concealing my presence


    entirely.


    Her face rxed slightly when she concluded that she was alone and I watched as she quickly headed


    back through the overgrown pathway to the cottage.


    I waited for a few minutes, listening to her shuffling footsteps fading into obscurity, before heading back


    myself. I made sure to mask my scent again, rubbing Physalis leaves all over my b*dy.


    XVID


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26


    Every Bielke soldier was required to carry them for tracking and spying purposes. Once covered in the


    thin film given off by the leaves, a shifter¡¯s scent would be masked entirely, and no trace of them would


    be found. afterward no matter how strong your nose was.


    It was how we managed to keep track of the neighboring packs so effectively. None of them were


    aware of our spies invading theirnds every so often. It was better that way, we would always be one


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    step ahead of our enemics.


    I glided back


    up i


    pathway, stewing in my own tumultuous thoughts. Only when I had made it back to the garden and


    began slinking my way around the house to leave, did I pick up on an odd scent. Turning sharply to


    look behind me I scanned the forest. Nothing.


    It was not often that I felt like prey myself. Although the scent had disappeared as quickly as it had


    arrived, and not a sound could be heard. other than the asional chirping of birds, I couldn¡¯t shake


    the feeling of


    eyes on me.


    I was distracted from my growing rm by a new scent.


    ¡°Ang.¡± I whirled around to face the woman who stood before me in the garden. ¡°What are you doing


    here?¡±


    I exhaled loudly and calmed my sudden nerves at the sight of Rita. ¡°Your sp ooked me.¡±


    Rita raised a dark eyebrow and eyed me suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re not one to be easily sp ooked. Why are


    you skulking around the property while Master Armoundt is out?¡±


    S hit. Rita was the caretaker of the cottage when Ignatius was away. While she was mostly passive and


    pleasant, she was also too sharply aware of liars. than I wasfortable with.


    I shrugged. ¡°Just making sure everything¡¯s safe for the new Luna. Who knows who might want to get to


    her, you know?¡±


    Rita narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing more. She turned and strode back towards the cottage


    and I hurriedly slipped down to the front


    9/10


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26


    gate, hightailing it out of there in a hurry.


    Ignatius might be angry at me for what I was about to do of course he would be, this was the apparent


    new love of his life after all. But surely he would thank meter for helping him avoid such an obvious


    miss-step?


    I told myself that this was for the good of the pack. Sending Dorothy back to them would not fix


    everything ¨C Johan would still be on the loose after all, but surely it would help. It had to.


    10/10


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    -Dorothy-


    It was a good few hours before Ignatius came back. I busied myself getting dressed and dedicating


    more than a few minutes to brushing the string of unruly knots from my hair. After I was sure I had


    removed every tousled clump. I found myself with nothing better to do than start unpacking.


    I had no idea where my things were supposed to go so I began by hauling all the boxes and bags up


    the winding staircase over multiple trips. By the time I had managed to drag everything upstairs I was a


    sweaty, grumbling mess all avail


    I pulled my clothes from the suitcase and started hanging things up and packing them away into


    drawers next to Ignatius¡¯s own things.


    For someone living in such avish house, he didn¡¯t have a lot of personal belongings. I found a few


    piles of in shirts and two crips suits hanging. in the closet.


    Aside from that, there wasn¡¯t much in terms of clothing. Ignatius had arge stack of books collecting


    dust next to the massive four-poster bed and other than that the room was essentially bare.


    I went on the hunt around therge cottage in search of a bookshelf to house my own books and was


    pleasantly surprised to find a sunny little study in the furthest corners of the house.


    I contemted moving my art supplies in there but hesitated when I noticed the little handwritten notes


    taped to the wall above the de couldn¡¯t decipher exactly what they said but it didn¡¯t look like Ig


    handwriting. I assumed it must be ire¡¯s and exited the study q making sure not to disturb anything


    as I left.


    I was afraid to unpack anything else. Despite Ignatius¡¯s warmth, this p didn¡¯t feel like home just yet. On


    top of that, considering the hostile. reception I had experienced upon my arrival, I didn¡¯t feel weed


    here yet either.


    I drifted around the cottage aimlessly, notingrgendscape paintings on


    1/7


    10-43 Fri, Jan 26 All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    the walls and the luxuriously thick carpets. A knock on the door had met racing to the entrance and I


    swung it open, expecting to see Ignatius.


    My face fell immediately when I instead came face to face with a woman not much taller than I was.


    Although she didn¡¯t look older thante- forties, her hair was a long streaming waterfall of grey and


    silver.


    Her face bore hints of age in the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. But her eyes themselves were


    alert and strangely birdlike in their dark.


    attentiveness.


    The woman smiled at me and extended a wizened hand. ¡°Hi there. You must be Dorothy?¡±


    Hesitantly I reached out to shake her hand and m entally prepped myself for more discrimination.


    ¡°Yeah. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, who are you?¡± I was hesitant to move away from the entrance to let


    her in. ¡°Ignatius isn¡¯t here right now. But he¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I added.


    The woman¡¯s eyes studied my face intently like she was mapping my features and confining them to


    memory. ¡°I¡¯m Rita, I¡¯m the caretaker of this house when Ignatius is away.¡±


    She reached out like she wanted to touch my face but paused when I winced away from her, her eyes


    full of a kind of remorse. ¡°You look just like her,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Just like who?¡±


    I was wary of this stranger without Ignatius around. I wondered how ofte he got callers at his front door


    like this


    The woman, Rita, blinked and turned her eyes away like she¡¯d forgotten herself for a moment.


    ¡°Nevermind that. May Ie in? I¡¯ve seen Ang on the property and I suspect she was up to no


    good.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, Angie.¡±


    2/7


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G


    I didn¡¯t want to let her in until I knew I could trust her, but I didn¡¯t want to be rude either. She was, after


    all, a part of my new pack, and I was trying to make a good impression.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Come in.¡±


    I stepped aside so she could pass me and took a look around the front. garden before closing the door.


    Rita made for the plush couches beyond. the staircase and I followed her, lowering myself into one of


    thefy chairs while she perched on the other.


    ¡°I saw Ang slinking around the garden near the hot springs a few minutes ago,¡± Rita stated, still


    gazing at me like I was something from a dream. ¡°I think it would be wise to tell Ignatius. I¡¯m not sure


    what she¡¯s nning but seeing as she doesn¡¯t like you very much it can¡¯t be good.¡±


    I dropped my head into my hands, exasperated. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyb*dy here likes me very much. Except


    maybe Geranium but all he does is wave at me from a distance. What kind of name is Geranium


    anyway?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the topic at hand before we discuss the irony in naming Wes after little pink flowers.¡±


    Rita¡¯s voice was kind but there was a stern


    strain in her tone when she spoke. ¡°Were you down at the hot springs.


    earlier?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Maybe Geranium just has a really sweet personality.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was at the hot springs,¡± I continued when Rita pursed her lips. together. ¡°What would Angie be


    doing there?¡±


    She thought it over for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. She¡¯s a natural when ites to tracking so I


    doubt you would have even noticed her


    presence.


    I leaned back in the chair and probed my surroundings me ntally until I felt Ignatius. The curtain over


    his mind was still drawn but I tugged at it. forcing him to hear me.


    ¡°Ignatius.¡±


    Nothing.


    37


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26


    I pushed with a little more force. I felt guilty interrupting whatever it was that he was up to but I didn¡¯t


    know what else to do,


    ¡°Ignatius!¡±


    After a few moments of silence.


    ¡°Dorothy? What¡¯s the matter? Are you alright?¡±


    I winced at the urgency in his voice. I felt guilty for scaring him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sorry. It¡¯s just that, someone


    named Rita is here? She said she saw Angie. near the hot springs. I also ran into her in the gardens


    earlier.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯s voice was cutting, insidious. ¡°Did she hurt you? I swear to g od if she-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I cut him off. ¡°Rita just said I should let you know. She thinks. she¡¯s up to something.


    Ignatius fell silent for a while and I waited impatiently. Rita was staring at me again and I avoided eye


    contact with her.


    After waiting for a little longer I thought maybe I¡¯d lost the connection. when suddenly Ignatius¡¯s voice


    boomed in my head and I twitched in my


    seat,


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill her! She¡¯s dead. She¡¯s f ucking dead.¡±


    Small trickles of dread pri cked at my spine when I asked him, ¡°Why? What did she do?¡±


    Ignatius was still raging, his anger per vading all of my cells even wit distance between us. ¡°At the hot


    springs. Everyone will have seen it now. This is low even for her.¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t sure what he was talking about but I was beginning to sus I excused myself from Rita for a


    moment and headed to Ignatius¡¯spte that he¡¯d left open in the kitchen when we had arrived earlier


    that day.


    I typed in the password he had disclosed to me while we were on the road and opened up all of his


    socials. There, stered across all of them, was


    me.


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    Photos of a n*ked me from earlier at the hot springs. The caption under the pictures read; ¡°Your new


    Luna.¡±


    I felt sick to my stomach.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said bitterly to Ignatius. ¡°I see it. You think she sent these to everyone?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Ignatius hissed. ¡°She¡¯s going to pay.¡±


    I looked up at the ceiling and blinked, banishing tears that were threatening to make an appearance.


    ¡°Ignatius, what are they all going to think of me now?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he repeated, his voice softening when he felt my anguish. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what


    they think. I love you okay? It¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold them back any longer and a few tears trickled down my cheeks. ¡°Come home now,¡± I


    pleaded with him. ¡°We can handle Angieter. Juste home.¡±


    I hated myself for sounding so pitiful, for being so weak. But I wanted his arms around me, I needed


    reassurance that at least one person was happy to have me around.


    Ignatius hesitated, torn between his anger at Angie and his dedication to


    me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said eventually. ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡±


    I rubbed at my reddened eyes before making my way back to Rita who was still poised on the couch


    like a bird about to fly away.


    ¡°Well, I know what she did now,¡± I said dismally and plopped myself down. on the sofa. ¡°Everyone


    does.¡±


    Rita frowned, ¡°You have to be strong to be one of them, Dorothy.¡±


    I peaked out at her from under my arm.


    Rita continued, her sharp eyes boring into mine. ¡°The Bielke people are a


    5/7


    10.43 Fri, Jan 26 D


    rough bunch, they don¡¯t ept weakness. You can¡¯t be weak if you are to gain their loyalty.¡±


    I sat upright, irritated. ¡°I¡¯m not weak!¡± I didn¡¯t mean to yell at her but my nerves were worn down. ¡°I¡¯ve


    taken nothing but insults from everyone since I got here. I didn¡¯t live through everything that I have to


    be called


    weak.¡±


    Rita stayed calm and gave me a small, sad smile. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯ve been through a lot. More than


    you can probably even remember. All I¡¯m saying is that you need to prove to them that you¡¯re worthy of


    being their Luna, even if that means grinding some of them under your heal. In a pack like this, they¡¯d


    respect you more for it.¡±


    I frowned at her words but she continued anyway, ¡°I¡¯m not saying ceaseless violence and brute force is


    the way to go, Dorothy. I¡¯m saying if you are pushed, push back harder. That is how you survive here.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure I agreed with her but she did make a kind of sick sense. In order to be a part of the


    Bielke people, I would have to learn to understand them first. I would have to fight like they did.


    I looked at Rita with new eyes then. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re just a caretaker?¡± I


    asked.


    Rita chuckled and stood up to leave. She ced a hand on my shoulder as she passed me. ¡°You¡¯re a


    strong one, Dorothy. You¡¯ve got a lot of untapped. potential in you, and more power than you could ever


    imagine. Don¡¯t let them break you.¡±


    I followed her to the door, her words still spinning around my head as I tried to make sense of them.


    When we got to the entrance, Rita stopped and turned to face me. ¡°I have something for you,¡± she said


    quietly and drew something small and elongated, wrapped in material from inside the bag on her


    shoulder.


    She handed it to me and continued speaking while I slowly unwrapped it. ¡°You can¡¯t yet shift into your


    wolf form, I presume? Keep this with you. until then, and possibly even afterward.¡±


    6/7


    7/7


    43 FM, Jan 26


    My eyes widened in wonder as I removed the finalyer of cloth to reveal a small, potent-looking de.


    The handle was twisted and carved with intricate detailing. The de itself curved into a sharp point


    like the stinger of a wasp.


    I stared at the small craft in my hands and Ritaughed at my bewilderment. ¡°It¡¯s a faerie de. Made


    of Iron, not silver so don¡¯t go jabbing any shifters with it ¨C it won¡¯t do you much good then. But it¡¯s said


    to be lucky, and it will protect you from other insideous threats.¡±


    I was stunned, my heart twisting painfully at the small act of kindness. I looked up to thank Rita but the


    old woman was already at the bottom of the steps and walking away. She raised a hand in farewell


    without turning around and nodded to Geranium who tipped his cap to her as she left.


    The sun was going down over the hills. It turned the sky purple in the fading twilight. I looked down


    again at the dainty de in my palm and stepped back inside.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    The sky outside was dark by the time I heard Ignatius¡¯s car pull up in the driveway. I was lolling around


    on the couch when he stopped up the porch. and swung the door open. He noticed me immediately


    and bolted over to sweep me up in his arms.


    ¡°Hi,¡± he mumbled into my neck and I fluttered my fingers over his cheek. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m sote.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± I pulled him in for a k*ss and all of the problems that arose that day. suddenly felt a little easier to


    handle.


    He put me down gently and pulled off his shirt. I would never get used to the sight of his unblemished


    bare chest. I stared for a moment before. blushing slightly. ¡°Well, today has been¡­ eventful.¡±


    Ignatius puffed up his cheeks and exhaled loudly as he sank down onto the sofa himself. ¡°That¡¯s one


    way to put it,¡± he smiled mirthlessly. ¡°Wee to the Bielke Pack. You¡¯re gonna love it here.¡±


    I waved away his sarcasm and climbed onto hisp. ¡°Angie said something strange earlier. She said


    that Johan stills wants me. How does everyone know about what happened anyway?¡±


    Ignatius stared at me for a moment, biting his lip like he was


    contemting whether or not to tell me something. I presumed it was important and was determined to


    press him for it. ¡°What did your father say to you?¡±


    I co cked my head to the side when he kept quiet and frowned. ¡°Ignatius, you need to tell me what¡¯s


    going on. How else am I supposed to get your people to like me?¡±


    ¡°Johan has gone rogue.¡±


    He blurted it out so fast I needed a moment to register what he¡¯d just


    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s gone rogue? He abandoned the pack?¡±


    ¡°More than that.¡±


    Said.


    1/7


    10:43 Fri, Jan 26 Ge


    Ignatius closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Staring at his bare neck the primal part of me


    wanted to leave my own mark there too.


    I pushed these thoughts from my mind and focussed on what he had said. ¡°What happened? What has


    Johan done?¡±


    His answer was so faint I had to lean in closer to hear him. I was suddenly aware of his trembling


    hands gripping my thighs. ¡°Johan¡­ They think he killed his father ¨C They know he did. It looks like he¡¯s


    gone after Mavis.


    too.¡±


    I felt the blood rush from my face and my head felt light like I was going to topple over.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have. Johan would never¡­


    I trailed off. It was entirely possible. Both rejecting his mate and losing his partner couldn¡¯t have been


    easy for a Beta like Johan. Beta¡¯s needed.panionship, partners. Johan had also lost his closest


    friend in the mix.


    A rejection can kill you if your wolf isn¡¯t strong enough. A rejection can drive you to kill too it would


    seem.


    Ignatius opened one eye to look at me. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    He already knew where my mind was heading that guilt was crashing down on my shoulders like a


    heavy weight. His words were appreciated. but they did nothing to quell the voice in my head that cried


    out once. again that I brought suffering to everyone I interacted with.


    Ignatius took my face in his hands and pressed his forehead to mine. ¡°It¡¯s not. Your. Fault.¡±


    My eyes blurred with tears and I bit my lip to keep it from contorting in grief. ¡°Is that why everyone here


    hates me?¡±


    Ignatius wrapped his arms around me. ¡°They don¡¯t hate you. If anything this is my fault. The Khall are


    ming the Bielke for turning one of their own into a monster. I suspect udia and friends have been


    spinning


    rumors too.¡±


    2/7


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jan 20


    I clung to him tightly. ¡°Does this mean I have to go back?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not, Dorothy.¡±


    Ignatius stroked my back, talking in a low voice at my ear, ¡°You¡¯re my mate. I¡¯m not sending you back


    there. It wouldn¡¯t help anyway, Johan is already on the loose.¡±


    He yed with my hair while I sniffed back so bs. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. Right now though, all you need to


    worry about is getting familiar with your new home. Aside from Angie¡¯s escapades-¡°I heard the scowl in


    his voice as he said that. ¡°Aside from Angie, did you like the hot springs?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. I like it down there.¡±


    ¡°Well, how about we go there together?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Let me make up for my people¡¯s terrible introduction.¡±


    Ignatius carried me on his back down the forest pathway. I in turn held the swingingntern in front of


    us as we traveled.


    Ignatius didn¡¯t need it to see but he insisted we bring it anyway. The forest was quiet as I clung to his


    shoulders and watched the yellow circles of light bounce and warble as thentern swung


    We made it down to the hot springs a lot faster than we would have if I had been traveling on foot


    beside Ignatius. It was somehow even more beautiful at night. Moonlight reflected off the hazy pools


    and the light of thentern glinted in the seashells that lined the area.


    Ignatius heard my small gasp of amazement and chuckled. ¡°Maybe tomorrow we can go down to the


    sea. The Bielke may be a rowdy, stuck- up bunch but we do have some beautiful little spots around


    here.¡±


    He let me down off his back and I dipped my fingers into the water. It was still warm as ever. I sniffed


    the air. ¡°What exactly are you going to do about Angie?¡±


    Ignatius pulled his jeans off and stepped closer to lift my shirt over my


    8/7


    10:44 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    head. ¡°Pull out her fingernails one by one, maybe. Boil her alive. Feed her to the sharks at Howler¡¯s


    Point.¡±


    I frowned at him with my arms in the air as he removed my shirt.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    The cold air hardened my nipples and I shivered on the spot.


    ¡°So am I.¡±


    He untied the strings on my skirt to pull it down along with my underwear and smirked when my frown


    deepened. ¡°Maybe not boil her alive then. I don¡¯t know yet, I¡¯ll have to go pay her a visit tomorrow.¡±


    I was n*ked in front of him and stepped closer to steal what little warmth he could offer. ¡°You won¡¯t hurt


    her though, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    With that, he scooped me up and chucked me into the closest pool before I could even yelp out my


    rm. Inded with a ssh and the warm water closed in around me like a nket. When I surfaced,


    Ignatius jumped right in next to me, sending a wall of water crashing over my head.


    I coughed and spluttered as his head broke the surface next to me. I wed my way to him and


    wrapped my legs around his waist, touching, my nose to his.


    ¡°A ss hole.¡±


    His smile was broad and full of mischief. He dunked me under the water and when I came up


    but my own legs were too short and stayed firmly curled around his hips.


    I melted in his arms. I flushed hotter than the water around us when I felt the tip of his member against


    my already oversensitive core.


    Ignatius nipped my bottom lip as I ground against him. My small breasts dipped in and out of the water


    as I kept up the motion the looping transition from cold air to warm water only heightened my sensitivity


    10:44 Fri, Jan 26 G


    further.


    My wet hair trailed behind me in the pool. Ignatius teased himself at my entrance and my movements


    grew more sporadic. I bit down on his shoulder when he gripped my hips and pushed into me. Steamed


    wisped around the both of us as we kept up a slow, deep motion that set my nerve endings on fire.


    My moans were loud and rippled around the springs along with the water that we got churning. This


    was slower than our earlier session ¨C more sensual. Ignatius pushed his aching member deep inside of


    me, rolling his hips to build me to the precipice of an org asm.


    I felt my b*dy shudder in enthrallment as Ignatius trailed his tongue up my neck, over his mark, and


    along my jawline. Tasting and delighting in the effect it was having on me. The water could have begun


    to boil around. us for all I knew, my b*dy was on fire and I was desperate for release.


    Ignatius too seemed to be getting close himself. Rather than his usual method of prolonging my release


    drawing it out for as long as he could before I begged for it ¨C Ignatius himself wasing undone.


    He picked up the pace and I whined my neediness out loud when he pulled my head back with a fist in


    my wet hair.


    Our breathless moans echoed around the clearing and moonlight glinted. off of Ignatius¡¯s smooth damp


    skin. I gave one final cry as he drove his member into me onest time ¨C deep and intensely and I


    forced my hips. down harder.


    My pushing became a slow grinding and I squeezed my legs around Ignatius as I felt him release


    inside of me, milking everyst drop.


    When we had both recovered from the tingling pri ckles of electricity that swept over us, Ignatius


    pressed his lips to my damp forehead. Water dripped from his hair andshes as he looked down at


    me. I had never seen anyone look at me the way Ignatius did. Like he loved me like I alone was


    enough.


    I stared back at him, my chest still heaving after the experience. I twined. my fingers in his hair and let


    my legs float down from his hips, swirling


    5/7


    the sand beneath us. The small waterfall behind us threw jets of steam over our heads. |


    Ignatius was the first to speak. ¡°I love you. No matter what happens, I want you to know that I regret


    none of this. No matter what anyone says, and no matter what happens to me. You have to know that I


    have never


    doubted you not for the smallest instant.¡±


    ¨C


    I did not understand the true magnitude of his words at that moment. But I trusted him all the same.


    ¡°I love you too. I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±


    After a little more time sshing around in the hot springs, Ignatius helped me step out and wrapped a


    towel around me. He somehow managed to carry both me, thentern, and all of our discarded clothes


    in his arms all the way back up to the cottage.


    I went to bed that night in my new home. My matey behind me with his arms curled around me like


    he would never let go. I listened to the slow rhythm of his breathing and the peaceful silence of the


    Our hair was still damp and our skin cool to the touch. But my heart wast warm and fuller unlike ever


    before. I closed my eyes that night, fully prepared to face whatever tomorrow could possibly throw at


    me.


    I was back in the woods. It was just as dark as before, only this time no moonlight was present to guide


    me. I could see her up in the dark sky, thin and curved like a silver de about to slice a hole in the


    night.


    The woods ahead of me were an inky ck, a monster all of its own, waiting to swallow me whole.


    There was a pungent stench of decay in the air. It clogged up my senses and choked me like a physical


    fist around my throat. I don¡¯t know why I pressed on ahead but I did, I had to.


    As I walked, I heard the pestilent buzzing of flies and the scuttling of other small creatures roaming


    around in the dirt. Even more disconcerting was the low breathy rasping of an unknown creature.


    I looked all around me as I walked but aside from the vague outlines of gnarled trees, I could see


    nothing at all. The being was nearby though, I


    6/7


    ZD


    heard a grating growl and the crunch of something breaking betweenrge jaws.


    After what felt like cons of walking alone through the dark I tripped over something wet on the ground at


    my feet. I scrambled for anything to catch myself on but my fingers brushed empty air and I tumbled


    into the dirt, scraping my skin on rocks and jagged branches that littered the ground.


    Unable to see a thing and crawling to my knees, I was disorientated and trying to swallow the rising


    panic in my chest. I could feel a scream building but I knew the creature was nearby and my shriek


    would be a siren call to a being lusting for blood.


    In my groveling on the ground, I sought to feel out the thing I had tripped over in the first ce.


    Eventually, my blind fingers touched something cold and soft. My hand came away sticky and I sniffed


    at the substance. coating my fingers. Rust and ammonia ¨C blood.


    I tentatively glided my hands along the mound in front of me. I felt a hip, an arm, a shoulder. My fingers


    brushed hair and released the undeniable. scent of expensive conditioner and a familiar fragrance. The


    image of Mavis shed in my mind..


    Suddenly, a cold, stiff hand gripped my arm. The b*dy in front of me wheezed and chuffed, nails digging


    into my skin, as I fought to get away.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself then. My fear and panic bubbled over. I opened my mouth and screamed.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    -Ignatius ¨C


    Aside from the frequent night terrors that had Dorothy thrashing around at night, her integration into the


    Bielke Pack was going better than I had expected over the next few weeks.


    Dorothy never spoke much on the nature of her nightmares. She described a creature stalking her in


    the woods but the dreams faded from memory almost as soon as she anvoke and she could only recall


    the vaguest of details.


    Sometimes she would sh and twist in her sleep, other times I would awake to her screaming in terror


    and struggle to wake her up. She always apologized but I wasn¡¯t too bothered at the unrest ¨C I had


    endured enough of my own vivid nightmares. to be understanding. I was worried about her though.


    Dorothy herself seemed pleasantly content during her waking hours. After asking me about a dozen


    times ¡°just to make extra extra sure¡± that I was okay with her decorating the house, she got to work


    sticking up her drawings and stacking her own worn books on therge bookcase in the living room.


    She was at a loss on where to store her collection of sticks and stones and eventually decided to line


    them along the window salls of every rooms in the house.


    It made me more than happy to watch her finally rx. 1 wanted her to feel at home in this ce. I


    wanted it to be hers as much as it was mine.


    While she gradually gotfortable enough to take over the house, Dorothy never once mentioned or


    set foot near the small study in the back. I knew why, I was ire¡¯s room.


    1 had been her little haven when life got too much. She would hide away in there and even lock me


    out-humorously apologizing through the door that she would be getting lost in her books for a few hours


    and I¡¯d have to entertain myself


    I had never been able to bring myself to enter the space after her death. Dorothy seemed to believe


    that it should stay as it was- A time capsule of a previous life and a memorial of sorts for a person she


    never got to meet


    In between exploring the cottage and surrounding garden ¨C as well as befriending Geranium who


    seemed to have quite fond of her-Dorothy insisted on exploring more of Bielke territory.


    grown


    ¡°I want to meet your friends,¡± she had pouted ¡°How am I supposed to convince everyone that I¡¯m not a


    monster-ora nudist for that matter if I never get to see any of them¡±


    She was disappointed to discover that, aside from Johan ¨C whom we rarely spoke of ¨C and Angie, 1


    had none.


    ¡°And I thought I was the loner.


    I used to have friends, quite a lot of them in fact. I had since grown apart from them when I had decided


    that I wanted to change. It wasn¡¯t that I had cut them offpletely, but I rarely spoke to any of them


    outside of formal pack meetings and


    the likes


    ant too bothered by any of it. Before Dorothy, I had enjoyed any solitary life. Angie was the only other


    person I confided on asion and even then, our congregations were bef.


    Although we didn¡¯t speak much on the topic of Johan, I could tell Dorothy was still hurting I knew she


    med herself for what he had be Despite my best efforts, she was still of the firm belief that she


    had somehow tailed him.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Temats between Angie and Dorothy remained high, despite Dorothy¡¯s initial efforts to look past Angie¡¯s


    antics. Angie remained convinced that Durthy was the root of the issues between the Belke and Khall


    packs and she refused the olive Brand that Dorothy had attempted to extend


    She had dature of herself from me as well, disgusted that I word put a guloses the safety of any pack.


    She was tou stoked. about nur mal¨¡ ang tape at her house in wolt form and attacking her cather


    sandy to startte Anga


    Ebetter to an outright brawd than through sitting


    down and having a conversation.


    on. With my teeth and ws, the message was clear- stay away from my mate.


    62%


    Although she was yet to charm Angie as well as my stoic father, Dorothy had already befriended a


    number of other individuals of the pack. While we had been out and about she had struck up


    conversations with the local librarian as well as a few council members we ran into once on the beach.


    Dorothy had been cestatic the first time I had taken her to the beach. I was used to my mate being


    hesitant and reserved, thest thing I had expected was to see her barrel across the sand and throw


    herself into the waves ¨C clothes and all-with the biggest grin on her face.


    I had no choice but to run in after her of course. She got dunked under the waves a few times and


    swallowed a healthy dose of saltwater and sand but I had never seen her quite so happy.


    Her favorite part though had been exploring the rock pools, Just as I suspected, she came home with


    armfuls of seashells and pretty stones that she had swiped from the rocky crevices and proceeded to


    ce them all over the house.


    Our home wasing alive again. Dorothy had breathed new life into the building from the moment


    she walked through the front doors.


    Pack tensions were growing between us and Dorothy¡¯s former pack, but we had time enough to enjoy


    ourselves before Serious measures were to be taken.


    No more news had been heard from Johan but I was expected to attend a hearing bark on Khall


    territory in the next few days to exin my side of the story. Dorothy insisted that she wanted toe


    with me and I had hesitantly agreed.


    The Khall agreed to hold off on further action until my hearing and a few skilled trackers from both


    packs had been sent to seek out Johan. Aside from that, life was peaceful,


    That particr day, I kicked open the front door with bags and bags of new clothes lining my arms.


    Dorothy peaked down at me from the top of the staircase, tilting her head to question the packages.


    ¡°Your new wardrobe,¡± I proimed, dumping the bags at my feet in a grandiose fashion. Expensive


    fabrics of all colors and textures spilled out


    Dorothy frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my wardrobe right now!


    ¡°Dorothy, you own like ten items of clothing and most of it is lingerie


    She narrowed her eyes at me before gliding down the stairs to inspect my haul. ¡°You make a fair point.


    I suppose.¡±


    Her eyes widened when she pulled the first garment from one of the bags. It was a sweeping ck


    dress made of the lightest wispy fabric. ¡°You chose all of this?¡±


    ¡°G od no. Rita helped me. If it was left up to me I would have just bought you more lingerie.¡±


    Sheughed at this and began delving through more bags. It made me happy, seeing her settling in


    and the joy on her face in lieu of all the gifts. She was trying to tone down her excitement but her eyes


    sparkled as she pulled out item after expensive item. ¡°Rita¡¯s got taste, I¡¯ve got to admit.¡±


    Dorothy and Rita spent a lot of time together. When they weren¡¯t pottering around in the garden talking


    about healing herbs, Kita was schooling Dorothy on Bielke traditions. I was grateful to the caretaker for


    being so kind to my mate


    She had been with our pack for years although she never disclosed exactly where she hade from


    previously. Rita herself had apparently lost her ability to shift as well as all of the other shifter


    capabilities.


    In all except wisdom-Rita was human. I had asked her alsout it when I was much younger, a child


    sitting on her knee to which she responded that love and sacrifice went hund in hand. hadn¡¯t


    understood it then and I still didn¡¯t now.


    When she was done crawling through her new collection of garments, Dorothy picked up as many bags


    as she could and mashed upstairs to the bedroom I picked up the rest of her stuff and followed on after


    her.


    We spent the next hour or so with


    clined on the bed and Dorothy trying on every single ouths and strutting up and


    10:44 Fn, Jan 26


    down the bedroom like she was a model on a runway,


    I wanted nothing more than to live in our little sanctuary together no exterior threats, no pack tensions.


    Just me and my mate in thefort of our own home. Tor thought this was selfish of me and I had to


    agree with him. But I didn¡¯t mind. being a little bit selfish for once.


    I had a duty to my pack and I cared deeply for all of them even the more vivacious ones but a part of


    me would always long to just be here with Dorothy and nothing else.


    Some people saw having real love for ones mate as a weakness in an Alplsa, Over time, ideas had


    been skewed to convince people like my father that they were better off without their mate at their side.


    Elliot had a love once, my mother. I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to her. No one was. She had


    vanished when I was very


    young


    Thest thing I could remember of Morticia was her streaming white hair, her bare feet, and the sight of


    her back as she ran from us, further and further away through a field I couldn¡¯t recall while my father


    stood at my side.


    I could still hear Elliot¡¯s words, ¡°Good riddance.¡±


    I didn¡¯t see love as a weakness. I saw it as a strength. Possession is one thing- and I had felt the


    strength of possession ¨C but love was another feeling entirely,


    It was finding someone who was willing to grow with you. Not no halves of the same whole but rather


    two wholes that built something even greater.


    I could feel Tor rolling his eyes at my sappy musings. ¡°So it¡¯s love that drives you to pull her hair in


    bed? Amongst other derogatory things


    ¡°Shut up. She likes it.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    My head snapped up to look at Dorothy who had perched herself at the foot of the bed.


    ¡°Get out of my head, you pe rvert.¡±


    Sheughed and crawled towards me, straddling my torso and burying her face in my neck


    I yed with a strand of her fiery hair and ran my nails along her back


    The thing about soulmates, the mating call ¨C all of it, is that it¡¯s transcendent. A shifier finds their


    soulmate when their inner wolf locks eyes with their past lover.


    Our wolves are reincarnated souls, living lifetimes over and over again as they are born into and die


    with their human vessels, only to be born again in the b*dy of someone new,


    But shifters themselves are more than just vessels, we are able to choose our own paths, choose our


    lovers and reject our mutes. Our wolves govern only our primal instincts for the most part


    We exist in unison ¨C our souls tied to that of our wolves, who in turn are connected to the earth itself.


    Nob*dy knows which nactly came first.


    For a shifter to fall for someone new, after losing their mate be a through rejection or a fatal ident, is


    rare. It is a s hit that or curs not only in a single lifetime but alters the path of the wolf for many more


    lifetimes toe. Tor may never again serk out Yelena ire¡¯s woll


    While we had both mourned ire to the point of near-fatal measures. Tor seemed alright with this tact


    Dorothy and her wolf were an anomaly, but we couldn¡¯t help but love her all the same


    the name of Dorothy¡¯s wolf, it was something she would have to discover for herself when they were


    hmally able tomunicates


    Fri, Jan 26


    0231


    I wanted desperately to help her get to that point, but I was also aware that it was something that took


    time. It was a personal experience that I could only witness from a distance.


    Dorothy broke me from my trance when she spoke, ¡°Your hearing ising up soon. Her voice was


    suddenly solemn and she kept her face against my chest,


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to tell them?¡±


    I wrapped my arms around her tightly. I wanted to press her into my chest, fold her up and ce her in


    my heart where she¡¯d be safe forever.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell them the truth.


    B


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    -Ignatius-


    I appeared, a little too overconfident, at the main hall back on Khall territory with Dorothy at my side.


    She had said she felt nothing about being back but the tension in her shoulders and her iron grip on my


    sleeve said otherwise.


    We had paid a visit to Anita a few hours earlier and Dorothy had updated her old foster mother on her


    new life by the sea. Anita was happy to see Dorothy and also seemed slightly relieved to see that she


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    was unharmed and well.


    News of Johan¡¯s vicious attack on his father had spread quickly. I was sure that, in Anita¡¯s eyes,


    Dorothy had dodged a bullet when she chose me over Johan. It didn¡¯t seem like a fair assumption but it


    was an understandable one, all things considered


    Johan, like me, had barely known his mother. Now that his father was gone ¨C suffering a brutal death at


    the hand of his own offspring ¨C there was no one left to defend Johan, nor to mourn his absence..


    Nob*dy understood his actions, their understanding of the situation had been skewed all the more by


    udia who seemed determined to pin everything on Dorothy


    It was udia who had spread the word of Dorothy¡¯s rejection as well as her lies that had the Khall


    suspicious of me.


    It seemed that, in Mavis¡¯s absence, udia had taken over as the new queen bee. While she was


    cutthroat enough, she was nowhere near as intimidating and demanding of reverence as Mavis had


    been.


    Both Dorothy and I were unsure of how to feel about Mavis¡¯s disappearance. While neither of us was


    the biggest fans of the girl she didn¡¯t deserve to die. Mavis¡¯s mother was present at the meeting


    I spotted the tall woman hanging onto the arm of a grey-haired man who seemed ufortable with


    her attachment to


    him


    Looking at her it was clear where Mavis got her good looks from and, watching the way she talked


    circles around everyone in the vicinity it was clear that she¡¯d gotten her maniptive tactics from her


    mother as well I respected the tactics. If Mavis had been less of a vicious snake, we probably would


    have been friends


    None of that mattered now though. Dorothy tugged at my hand when the Khall leader made an


    appearance. Emanual was a wry middle-aged man in a grey suit. The silver linings in his hair alluded to


    his age and the weight of responsibility as pack leader but he still carried himself like an Alpha


    He strode into the hall and scanned the crowd of people jostling around. His gaze finallynded on me


    and Dorothy.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to spot us, the crowd gathering in the hall kept a wide distance between the two of us,


    asionally shooting nervous nces our way. Well, nervous nces at me, and resentful res at


    Dorothy. She shrank behind me, hiding from the hundred condoning eyes.


    Emmanual nodded a hello to me and beckoned for us toe forwards.


    ¡°Just so everything is clear,¡± he spoke when we approached. ¡°This is not a condonement of you or the


    Bielke people. This is only to gain a better understanding of the situation at hand. There is a rogue


    among us and my people are scared, they have a right to know the truth.¡±


    I grit my knees. Was it his people¡¯s right to know the ins and outs of Dorothy¡¯s predicament? I


    understood he was doing what he felt best for his people, but I didn¡¯t appreciate just how much


    information I would have to disclose about Dorothy


    Emanuel turned to the crowd and people began to quiet down. He raised a hand to stop thest of the


    chatter and beckoned for me to step forwards. Iplied. Dorothy stayed behind me determined not to


    let go of my hand but fearful of the crowd


    It hurt to see that. Back home her coutudence had grown tenfold and she presented herself with her


    chin up high. But here,


    it was like she reverted back to the Dorothy I had first met the one who believed she was worthless.


    I wanted to shame them all for their treatment of her, but I held my tongue


    1/4


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Emanuel addressed the crowd, ¡°This is Ignatius Armound of the Bielke Pack. As well as his mate,


    Dorothy ¨C Hmm, Dorothy. a former member of our r own pack.¡±


    They didn¡¯t even know herst name, How could they? Dorothy had nost name, only one that she


    had given to herself. Sanitatum. She told me that she had chosen it as a child, unaware of where she


    had first heard the word, only that it felt right.


    I nodded to the crowd as a murmuring spread. Emamial quieted them down and turned to face me.


    ¡°Can you answer a few questions for us? Before we run through your side of the story?¡±


    1 shrugged ¡°Sure¡±


    Had this been the Bicike Pack, there would be no council meeting. There would be swift and harsh


    punishment dealt to whoever was involved. It was a method I had been trying to change for a while by


    then. Elliot was a barrier to my efforts though. While I didn¡¯t agree with this particr method either. I


    did respect it a lot more.


    ¡°Thank you for co-operating, Emanual began, and I realized just how desperate he was to keep the


    peace between our packs. He knew the Khall would not survive going to war with the Bielke and he


    was determined to protect his people by keeping that precarious peace


    ¡°You and Johan, the rogue, are friends? Is that correct?


    We were friends. Things changed after after everything that happened.¡±


    Emanuel had to hush the crowd once more when my answer stirred a small outcry.


    ¡°And Dorothy was Johan¡¯s initial true mate?¡±


    I clenched my jaw. ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°Am I to understand that Johan chose to reject Dorothy, and thenter changed his mind?¡±


    ¡°That is correct¡±


    There was a snicker in the crowd and I narrowed my eyes at the culprit. udia winked back at me


    and fluttered her fingers in a snide greeting.


    ¡°But by then Dorothy had already chosen you.¡±


    I squeezed Dorothy¡¯s hand in reassurance. Despite the context, it still felt good to hear those words.


    ¡°Yes, she did.¡±


    Someone else in the crowd, a woman¡¯s voice chimed in at that moment. ¡°So it¡¯s her fault. The little sk


    ank started all of this¡±


    Mavis¡¯s mother. I swallowed a low growl that reverberated in my gullet. ¡°Johan¡¯s breakdown was set


    into motion by his own actions. As well as the questionable actions of your own daughter I hadn¡¯t


    meant it to sound like an usation but it could not be taken back.


    The crowd exploded in an uproar as usations boomed around the hall. Emanuel struggled to quiet


    them and I racked my brain for how to save the situation.


    Just then, the hand in mine removed itself and Dorothy stepped forwards. She stared nkly at the


    crowd before her who tumed their bellowing towards her. When there was a moment of rtive silence,


    Dorothy spoke.


    ¡°Joban was any true mate. When I approached him on my eighteenth birthday he told me that he


    couldn¡¯t be with me. He was dedicated to your daughter, wholly and truly¡± She directed thetter half to


    Mavis¡¯s mother who pursed her bright red hips in skepticm,


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until almost two dayster when we hnallypletes the severing of our bond. I¡¯m sure that


    alone was already. hand on pnd she continued, giving a fullyout of everything that had happened


    down to Mavis¡¯s own true mate showing up and leaving just as quickly¡¯


    Fri, Jan 25


    The Khall people had fallen silent by the time she was nearing the end. ¡°What happened may very well


    have been my fault I don¡¯t know where Johan is now, and neither does Igiutius. I don¡¯t know where


    Mavas is either but I hope that she will make


    home safely.


    ¡°What you need to keep in mind is that I am neither Khall not Birlke. This is not a matter of betrayal


    from either pack. Thus is not a cause for fighting. The Bielke people have already sent their own


    trackers to search for Johan and rectify this mutter The Bielke is not your enemy, nor you theirs,


    apologize for the trouble I¡¯ve caused¡±


    With that, the stepped back and slipped her hand into mine. Ettimiel stood quiet for a moment,


    pondering her word.


    ¡°Thank you, Dorothy. This has been very helpful. You and your mate may go


    This was followed by a cry of outrage by Mavis¡¯s mother, but the majority of the crowd seemed satisfied


    with the response.


    Dorothy gripped my hand and walked us both out of the hall, Ignoring the eyes boring into her back. In


    that moment, av 1. looked down at her small frame, striding in front of me, she looked powerful and


    sure of herself. She looked like a Luna.


    -Dorothy-


    The second we were out of the door and heading to Ignatius¡¯s car, my legs grew shaky and threatened


    to give way beneath me. Igratius put a hand on my shoulder to steady me and guided me toward the


    car.


    ¡°You did great, Dorothy. In fact, you did my job better than me


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, I said alisently, focussing on making it to the dir without falling t on my face.


    Thad suspected the meeting would go something like that. They needed someone to me, and if it


    wasn¡¯t the Bielke Pack, it would have to be me. I didn¡¯t mind that


    They hadn¡¯t liked me very much anyway So long as it kept the peace and I was left free to be with


    Ignatius, I didn¡¯t care what any of them thought of me.


    That didn¡¯t stop the jitters that were wreaking have through my b*dy though. Ignatius opened the


    passenger door and I flopped down into the seat, breathing a sigh of relict and brushing back my hair


    with shaking hands.


    I allowed myself to breathe, slowly working on calming my nerves and pulling Ignatius closer so that I


    could inhale his scent like I needed my fix. He smoothed a hand over my hair, spouting a string of


    reassuring jabber while I teared up and hutted and pouted and smiled all at once


    I had been terrified to face my former pack, the people who didn¡¯t want me. But with that confrontation


    came a huge se of relief that shook me to my runs. Even with udia and her crowd present. I had felt


    fearless in front of them. It was a good thing they couldn¡¯t see me then though, sniveling into my


    boyfriend¡¯s shoulder like a baby,


    I was interrupted from my serendipitous catharsis by a frantic-looking shifter dashing towards the doors


    of the hall we had. just left.


    1 recognized him as one of the Khall¡¯s best trackers, Ezra. The look on his face told me there was bad


    news toe. I watched as he rushed through the doors, alreadly stepping back out of the car to


    follow him.


    ¡°Ignatius, I think something¡¯s happened¡±


    We hurried after him and stood at the door just in time to hear Ezra announce to Emanuel and the


    crowd.


    ¡°Mavis has been found. Dead. Dead for a good long while. Furthermore, Johan has gained allyship with


    the Tally Pack and is now rallying troops toe for both the Khall and Bielke people¡±


    My eyes were fixed to Ignatius¡¯s face-gaging his expression. I didn¡¯t know the Tally Pack, but whatever


    they were, things didn¡¯t sound good. Ignatius¡¯s face was one of horror and disbelief, I swallowed the


    knot of fear that clotted my throat.


    Things were indeed not good.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    -Dorothy-


    New Year¡¯s Eve rolled around faster than I could have anticipated. It felt like only days earlier that I had


    first set eyes on Ignatius. Time had passed in the blink of an eye and now we were seeing the new


    year in together.


    No more news had been heard about Johan¡¯s whereabouts, nor the elusive Tally Pack. Despite our


    best efforts, no one could gather any more information on their supposed ns. The Tally, I learned,


    was a small, sly group who lived on the outskirts of the forests to the South..


    What theycked in numbers, Ignatius told me, they made up for being cu nning and were not


    adversaries you wanted to be the target of ever.


    For the most part, they kept to themselves, buttely, they had been expanding their reach, conquering


    smaller and weaker packs until Ignatius¡¯s father had chased them back to their own turf.


    They had every reason to target the Bielke Pack. But Ignatius suspected they did not yet have the


    numbers,


    Aside from the shadow of that threat, life with Ignatius had been sunny as ever. I was growing


    ustomed to my new pack and I was registered to start at my new college in the new year.


    I was beyond nervous to be back in the halls of some overcrowded establishment, especially now that


    everyone had seen my


    but I decided that was a problem to bother over in the new year only.


    Ignatius decided it was time to officially announce our union to the pack. News of my presence had


    already been passed around thanks to both Angie¡¯s dishonorable actions as well as my own


    interactions with members of the Bielke Pack


    Some people, like Geranium. Rita, and a few others seemed to like me quite a lot. Others, like Elliot


    and some of the elders. were still apprehensive of my presence among them.


    People were already aware of my living with Ignatius but he was insistent on making a formal


    announcement of the fact. He wanted everyone to know his soon-to-be Luna. He mentioned this to me


    while I had been sshing around in the freestanding bath one night.


    I had taken a liking to luxurious bubble baths on nights when Ignatius workedte at the councilors


    office with the other elders of the pack. He woulde home to find me half-dozing in soapy water and


    bubbles spilling all over the floor.


    Sometimes I took things a step further and lit up some candles to add to the rxed atmosphere.


    Ignatius couldn¡¯t understand my bathtub addiction when we had hot springs right next door but I liked


    my quiet evenings in the morous bathroom.


    ¡°They have to know that this, what we have, is serious,¡± he said, frothing at the mouth while he brushed


    his teeth. ¡°I want them to love you like I do.


    I scooped handfuls of foam and ced them on my head, shaping them to look like devil¡¯s horns. ¡°You


    can¡¯t force people to love me. Especially now that my name is so controversial¡±


    The Khall Pack had indeed taken to ming me for the incident with Johan. News of my evil


    seductress antics had spread like wildfire and suddenly I was heralded as a kind of femme fatale who


    drove my mates insane. Everyone expected Ignatius to be the next one to spa nk


    I didn¡¯t mind my new hot-button reputation. Rather to be feared as a kind of viin than perceived as


    weak. Ignatius himself was amused at the idea of me turning him into some kind of mad man someday.


    All the same though, he wasn¡¯t too happy with people spreading rumors. He didn¡¯t believe I should


    have taken any of the me at all-even if it was for the good of the pack.


    Ignatius spat into the pale blue ceramic of the bathroom sink and ambled over to join me in the frothy


    water.


    The waterline nove when he lowered hunsell in and sshed over the edges when I moved to lean


    back against him. ¡°Don¡¯t


    1/4


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26.


    say that. Those rumors are idiotic and they¡¯lle to understand that soon enough. Besides, a new


    years party could be a good way to do someworking.¡±


    ¡°Networking?¡±


    ¡°We need allies from other packs. If the Tally do eventually decide to strike, we need people on our


    side.¡±


    ¡°Ah, makes sense.¡±


    I fell silent, neither of us wanted to think of, let alone mention Johan¡¯s name.


    News of Mavis¡¯s b*dy being found had also spread quickly. Apparently, Ezra, the Khall tracker had


    her with him like he couldn¡¯t ept that she was gone.


    It made me sick to my stomach thinking about it. It was hard to believe the gentle Beta I had once


    believed that I loved could be capable of such gruesome actions.


    1 banished the morbid imagery from my mind and leaned my head back on Ignatius¡¯s shoulder.


    So this anno


    announcement. How do you n on doing it?


    Ignatius nibbled at my car and rolled the hardened bud of my nipple between his fingers.


    Well, the new year is approaching. I was thinking we could do something here ¨C set up downstairs and


    let people mingle. The best way to gain allies is to give them alcohol and entertain their ramblings


    So, like a new years party!¡±


    ¡°Yes. So you¡¯ll finally have a chance to wear one of your new evening dresses,¡±


    I tilted my head to give him full ess to my neck, shivering when his teeth grazed along my skin. ¡°Are


    you going to invite Angie¡±


    Ignatius paused his sensual exploring. ¡°Her grandfather is part of the council. We don¡¯t really have a


    choice ¨C it would also look suspicious to have the leader of our forces absent. We can¡¯t appear divided¡±


    I slid further down in hisp, blowing bubbles in the water before looking up at him. ¡°I guess so. Il try to


    be civil then.


    ¡°Things still not going well on that front?¡±


    I snorted, rolling my eyes at the thought of Angie and I ever managing actual friendship. I had tried,


    time and time again, to prove to Ang that I meant no harm.


    More so than just for Ignatius¡¯s sake, I wanted to seed with Angie where I had failed with Mavis. I


    wanted to be seen as an equal.


    Angie, however, was having none of it and when she wasn¡¯t threatening my demise outright, she was


    looking over the top of my head like I didn¡¯t even exist. It was frustrating to say the least


    Unlike Mavis or udia and the other girls from my previous pack, Angie had a few redeeming


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    qualities. If she wasn¡¯t so set in her conviction that I was a threat to her people and her friend, she


    might make for an avidpanion. A girl could


    Another individual who seemed set on driving me from the pack was Ignatius¡¯s own father, Elliot. Elliot


    was never outright rude to me, but he wasn¡¯t weing either. He too, treated me like my voice was


    nothing more than the annoying buzzing of a mosquito not to ruin his day.


    This never faded to enrage Ignatis, and we had already brokerine bedpost and the leg of a sofa in the


    passionately fierce S** that always followed his outbursts when we got home


    Along with has vicious side though, Ignatiiv¡¯s soft side became ujore and more apparent the longer I


    lived with him


    FM, Jan 26


    The same man who bared-his fangs at anyone who so much as looked at me wrong, also dedicated


    hours u patiently tending to the falcon he¡¯d taken into his care.


    upon hours of


    I had been more than a little surprised toe home one day after a visit to Rita¡¯s home, to find my


    mate sitting on the floor surrounded by feathers and stroking an angry-looking bird that was perched on


    his wrist.


    Both Ignatius and his new friend had looked up at my arrival and we spent the rest of the day fawning


    over the falcon that had chosen our home as his new nest. Apparently, he had been injured and upon


    learning that we weren¡¯t out to hurt him, decided that he liked us quite a lot.


    Ignatius signed off his approval on my suggestion of the name Anemis and thus our small family grew.


    While I was never particrly pleased to find the remains of various rats and smaller birds strewn


    across the carpets from time to time, I was fond of the fierce linle bird all the same.


    Ignatius turned me around to face him in therge bathtub. He pulled me onto hisp and secured me


    with a k*ss. More bathwater was spilled in the events that followed.


    A few dayster I was gasping in awe at the sight before me. The downstairs area of ourrge house


    had been converted into the perfect setting for a high-ss party. The furniture had been moved and a


    table full of wine sses stood in the corner.


    Each ss was delicately stacked atop one another to form a pyramid and I was afraid to breathe near


    it in case I caused it to copse. tters and boards of expensive-looking food lined one long table and


    a punch bowl the size our own bathtub stood atop another


    I looked down at the fruity pink liquid and back at Ignatius who stood at the top of the stairs. He was


    grinning down at me.. fiddling with a tie at his throat. I had never seen him in a suit before and it took


    my breath away. I stood gawking at him for


    while before hurrying back up the stairs.


    ¡°You look..


    I cast a nce down at the waitrons who had volunteered for the event. They were darting around the


    floor, straightening table cloths and shining sses.


    Ignatius raised an eyebrow. ¡°I look..? Ufortable in this suit? Yes. I am.¡±


    ¡°You look hot


    I walked over to him and tightened the the around his neck, folding it inside his suit jacket and letting


    my hands linger on his


    chest


    ¡°I suppose I should get ready too.¡±


    He pressed his lips to my forehead and headed down the stairs. Might be a good idea. People will be


    arriving soon.¡± He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and called back up to me as I made my way back


    to our bedroom. ¡°Wear the red one! It


    entuates your as s.¡±


    I rolled my eyes so far back I almost caught a glimpse of the inside of my skull in the process.


    I was nervous for that evening. Not only would I he socializing with dozens of unfamiliar faces, but I


    would also have eyes on me the whole time. People were waiting for me to slip up and 1 couldn¡¯t allow


    myself to do that.


    I threw open my newly stocked wardrobe and flipped through dresses one at a time. I wasn¡¯t sure I was


    bold enough to don the red dress that Ignatius loved so much. But then again, if there was ever a time


    to make a striking impression ¨C this was it.


    I slipped the silky fabric over my head and let my hair down as well. It cascaded over my shoulders in


    waves. With both the color of my hair and the fabric of the dressbined, I looked like I was on fire.


    I may as well have been, my nerves had my knees shaking and an incessant ringing was sounding in


    my ears.


    I forced myself to concentrate on the task at hand ¨C that being getting ready and scratched around my


    drawers in search of the single stick of red lipstick that owned.


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26 G


    After carefully applying that and flicking some mascara on myshes I studied my reflection in the


    mirror. I felt like a child ying dress up, not an adult ready to charm her guests.


    It would have to do though. I heard amotion at the door and someone¡¯s booming voice greeting


    Ignatius warmly. I took onest nce at my reflection. ¡°Don¡¯t f uck this up.¡±


    I leaned forwards, feeling ridiculous and frantic as I pointed a finger at my reflection,


    ¡°Do. Not, F uck this up


    With that. I turned on my heel and rushed out of the room towards the stairs.


    Don¡¯t f uck this up?


    A girl can dream.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    -Ignati


    Dorothy¡¯s appearance at the top of the stairs had me captivated, frozen mid-hand shake with the first


    guest who had just arrived. I gazed in awe as she descended the staircase, slowly, watching her step


    and fixing her eyes on me like I was the only person in the room.


    She looked gorgeous. My guest was forgotten as I gazed at my mute, pride swelling in my chest.


    Finally, Dorothy reached the bottom of the stairs and glided over.


    She smiled at the elder member who I hadpletely forgotten about for a moment. ¡°Hello, Michael,


    d you could make


    It.¡±


    Michael was one of the younger members of the council and this made him way more epting of


    current events,


    ¡°Dorothy! Happy to be here,¡± he boomed, taking her hand and shaking it with genuine enthusiasm.


    ¡°You look ravishing. Your mate is a lucky man.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong there. Dorothy blushed redder than her outfit and thanked him. Almost immediately,


    more guests began to arrive and the party was underway in no time. The mansion was teeming with


    people ¨C all dressed to the nines for the


    asion.


    Both Dorothy and myself were swept from one group of people to the next, all interested in


    Socialising has never been my strongest suit. I knew how to be witty and I knew how to be charming.


    But talking to so m people at once was something I had never been able to enjoy whatsoever.


    Dorothy, too, seemed to be struggling although she rarely showed it. I was impressed with my mate¡¯s


    ability to feign interest, dazzle, and draw in everyone that she spoke with, swirling her champagne


    ss like it was the most natural thing in the world


    If it was not for her constant stream of dialogue in my head. I wouldn¡¯t have thought she was struggling


    at all.


    ¡°Why does everyone insist on calling me little one? ¨C Hello there, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Dorothy ¨C What


    kind of name is Delorous? Nob*dy under eighty is named Delorous Oh, that¡¯s very interesting ¨C I need


    another drink¡­¡±


    And so on and so forth while I fought to keep a straight face and my focus on the conversation taking


    ce before me.


    So far the night was going well, which was both a relief and a little surprising. Although, neither Angie


    nor my father had shown up yet so there was still time to change that.


    I noticed Angie¡¯s grandfather in the crowd and frowned. Angie was supposed to be there with him, and


    yet I couldn¡¯t pick up her scent at all


    Either she was masking it in an attempt to hide from me among the bustling guests or she hadn¡¯t


    arrived yet. I wasn¡¯t sure which possibility irked me more.


    I noticed Emanual¡¯s wife arriving, dressed in a brilliant blue evening gown that cascaded to the floor. I


    kept my eye on her and waited for her to pick up a drink before approaching


    ¡°Mirriane, d you could make it. Although I don¡¯t see your husband here with you?¡±


    The woman looked startled at my sudden appearance and turned her gaze away, staring down into her


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ss with a slight pout ¡°He has business to attend to.


    ¡°On New Year¡¯s Eve?¡±


    1 had been suspicious when the Khall Pack had suddenly fallen silent on us and now my suspicions


    were all but confirmed.


    10:45 FM, Jan 26


    If Emanual was not here it meant he was cohorting with another pack. He had sent his wife to cover his


    tracks. It seemed the Khall had ns of their own.


    Mirriane didn¡¯t answer me but she lifted her gaze to focus on Dorothy, who slipped around individuals


    before getting caught up in yet another conversation with someone named Delprous.


    Mirane kept her eyes on Dorothy when she spoke, ¡°Did you know she came from a supposedly wiped-


    out pack?¡±


    I stood next to her with my arms folded, my eyes following Dorothy, waiting for the moment it would be


    just the two of us once again. ¡°¡±Supposedly!


    Mirriane frowned openly, her disdain for Dorothy was made wholly apparent just then. ¡°She didn¡¯t


    deliver herself to our doorstep. Someone brought her to us ¨C a woman- said she needed somewhere to


    hide. Our people had just suffered a heavy loss at the hands of your jack.¡±


    She paused, pointedly at that, to let her words sink in before continuing, ¡°We couldn¡¯t afford to take in


    strangers. The risk was too great. But Emanuel had a soft heart ¨C he always has. He told the woman


    he couldn¡¯t allow her to stay, but he would take in the child and hide her among our people. The woman


    agreed. That is how your mate came to be with usi


    She narrowed her eyes at Dorothy who wasughing at something we couldn¡¯t hear ¡°Fifteen yearster


    and she¡¯s still causing trouble for us


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly me her for everything that¡¯s happened¡±


    Mirriane gritted her teeth. ¡°Not everything, no. But there¡¯s no denying the trouble she brings to


    everyone around her.


    She stormed off and struck up a conversation with another pack elder before I could say another word.


    I was left wondering what exactly Eanamal was up to and why it had his wife angry enough to put the


    me on a single young girl.


    -Dorothy-


    From the moment guests started arriving I had been swept off my feet, swallowed up in a flurry of


    conversation and clinking sses.


    Ignatius had disappeared among the throngs of people to scoop up every elder of nearby packs who


    could make it in an attempt to get them on our side. Convincing people that the Bielke were not


    murderous tyrants, was a lot easier when they had two or three sses of champagne in their system.


    After a while. I decided I needed a well-deserved break from the gathering and made my way outside


    to walk the quiet gardens alone. I breathed in the crisp night air and cleared my mind of all the


    overwhelming mingling scents inside the


    The garden was empty, only illuminated by the light streaming out of the front door and spilling over the


    relieved for it.


    I crooned shrilly and heard the famr pping of wings as Artemis swooped down to perch on my


    forearm


    It was usually necessary to wear gloves when letting a sharp-wed wild falcon cling to you, but now


    that my healing abilities had sped up exponentially, I didnt quiet mind the talons in my arm


    Ignatius had called me a masochist for my indifference to the pain but it had just never bothered me all


    that much


    I trailed off further into the wild gardens, until the sounds of the party were barely audible and stared up


    at the moon. Artemis co cked hals head to the side and regarded me with his heady ck eyes


    I was just about really to go back inside when I caught a securt that was unlike the others I had picked


    up on that evening I looked around me, peering into the dark and cursing my underdeveloped night


    vision


    Tcouldnt see anything out of the ordinary, nor could I hear anything but the chaping of crickets and the


    fami voices of


    Hirlke territory


    was about to jjun around when a vonce behind me made me pump in my


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26


    skin.


    ¡°Hey there ru-, Hey Dorothy


    I whirled around to face Angie, the odd scent forgotten as I took in the gorgeous shifter standing before


    me. Artemis. sq uawked at my sudden movements but stayed put.


    Angie wore a cream dress that swished around her knees and a low neckline that swooped just above


    her breasts. She was holding two sses of sparkling red wine in her hands. She was also attempting


    a weak smile and I mimicked her.


    ¡°Hey, Ignatius was wondering when you¡¯d be arriving


    Angieughed, a bell-like tinkling in the quiet of the garden. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while, actually. Just


    wasn¡¯t sure if he even wanted to see me.


    Lraised my shoulders and dropped them again. ¡°Well, yeah. You¡¯re not too popr in his books right


    now, all things


    considered.


    Angleughed again and ground her heel into the grass. ¡°That¡¯s fair. I havent been very nicetely.¡±


    She was confusing me. One minute Angie hated my guts and now suddenly she¡¯s talking to me like


    we¡¯re friends. I had my guard up immediately. I trusted Angie about as far as I could throw her, and


    considering my twig arms andck of upper b*dy strength, that wasn¡¯t very far at all.


    I kept up the politeness though, ready to y along with her faux friendship charade for as long as she


    would. Maybe she really did have a change of heart? Or maybe she was just trying alternative tactics


    seeing as her threats had done nothing to


    scare me JOY.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Angie continued, eyeing Artemis warily and holding out one of the sses towards me. ¡°I


    thought maybe we could put the past behind us. For Ignatius¡¯s sake. Maybe we can try to get along


    I narrowed my eyes at her, her face was difficult to read in the dim light and I was distrusting of this


    sudden shift in her approach towards me. But then again, this could be an opportunity to finally get


    Angie onboard with everything


    Like Ignatius said, we can¡¯t appear divided. Thest thing I needed was for Angie to make a scene if I


    didn¡¯t go along with her new proposal for friendship.


    I took the ss from her and stared down at the dark liquid. Angie lifted her ss. ¡°To a better future.¡±


    Before she could take a sip however, a new voice called over to us,


    ¡°Angie Darling, there you are!¡± A somewhat intoxicated young shifter straggled over to where we stood


    and threw his arm over Angie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I saw Fae inside and I knew you¡¯d be hanging around too.¡±


    The young man noticed me then and looked up at me with a shed face and a dopey smile. ¡°Is this


    the new Luna¡¯ She¡¯s shorter than she looked in the pictures.¡±


    The pictures, I assumed, being the ones Angie had spread around the pack when I first arrived.


    Angie lifted her eyes to the sky in exasperation and shoved the shifter¡¯s drooping b*dy off of her.


    ¡°Enough, Gideon Why the f uck are you drunk? You¡¯re supposed to be keeping guard with the others.¡±


    Gideon waved his hand around, brushing off her statement. ¡°Angiiice. It¡¯s not often we get to enjoy a


    real party. And besides, You¡¯re here. Nob*dy is going to dare try anything when the head of security is


    prowling around in a pretty dress. Nowe. you need to try the punch, it¡¯s fantastic-oh my, look at


    that bird¡±


    Angie was unwillingly dragged away with her intoxicated subordinate and I was left standing alone with


    the untouched wine in my hand


    I swirled the liquid around and prepared to take a swig when Artemis cawed loudly in my eye and dove


    for the ss. His entire head ended up in the red liquid and the ss was knocked from my hand as I


    stumbled back in shock.


    62


    The wine ss hit the ground andy sparkling in the dim moonlight while Artemis sq uawked and


    thrashed at my feet.


    I was unsure of what had just happened and had no idea how to console a distressed falcon. I watched


    as Artemis pped and hopped about on the ground, twitching and spasming before suddenly going


    limp.


    Horrified. I knelt down next to the bird and picked him up. His little heart had stopped almost


    immediately. I picked up the fallen wine ss and sniffed at the leftover drops of liquid. Something


    potent, harely detectable over the strong scent of wine. Something like poison.


    I dropped the ss, mortified at the implications. This time it hit a small rock jutting from the grass and


    shattered at feet. I still held the dead bird in my arms, at a loss for what to do next. Crying was not an


    option. Not yet.


    My mind raced as I tried toprehend what had just happened Angie. Angie had tried to poison me.


    So much for friendship. This was a hold move. I had never expected her hatred for me to cross over


    into murder.


    my


    I fought to keep my knees from giving out beneath me and gentlyid Artemis down on the grass, I


    focussed my attention on seeking out Ignatius through the cluster of noises in my head


    ¡°Ignatius.¡±


    After a moment of waiting his voice in my mind. ¡°Dorothy? Whats wrong. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Outside.¡± I wrapped my arms around myself, closing my eyes to escape the image of the dead bird in


    front of me. ¡°Artemis is dead. And Angie.. I think Angie tried to pois¨®n me


    For a moment, he said nothing and all I could hear was the intensity of my own breathing. Suddenly,


    peace was shattered when I heard a crash and a scream erupting from back insde the cottage.


    Hiking my dress up to my knees I ran back to the entrance, bolting pass startled smokers and bursting


    through the front door.


    I arrived in time to see Ignatius with pure unbridled rage on his face, holding Angie in a chokehold in


    front of all the guests.


    ¡°Ignatius, stop!¡± I darted over to the two of them.


    Angie was wing at Ignatius¡¯s arm which was constricted around her throat like he intended to break


    her neck.


    Ignatius was a seething mass of fury, his shoulders popping and cracking as he threatened to shift and


    bite off her head. His fangs were protruding from his mouth and his jaw was looking more wolf than


    human.


    I shed a glimpse at the guests surrounding them. Some of their looked horrified and frozen in shock.


    Others looked bored, like this was something they were used to. It was easy to spot the cutthroat packs


    from the more timid ones this way.


    ¡°You dare try to murder my mate.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯s voice was deep and hollow, an ufortable emptiness that set me on edge. He was


    uncontroble in this state and Angie looked like she knew it,


    I had never seen real fear on her beautiful face before. She was kicking her long legs and hissing as


    she tried to w at his face with her arms raised above her head


    Two other shifters, one of them being Gideon who I had met earlier, as well as a small, dainty looking


    girl with dark skin and shock of curly hair were looking on in agitation. They wanted to intervene, but


    were held back by both their rank and their fear of Ignatius.


    ¡°I was only doing what¡¯s best for our people, I was doing what needed to be done.¡± Angie¡¯s voice was


    choked and straining as Ignatius tightened his arm around her throat. Blood vessels had burst in her


    eyes and turned them red. Her gutteral wheezing made my skin crowd.


    1 reached for Ignatius, gripping his shoulder and trying to force him to let go of the writhing woman.


    Nob*dy else dared move to jutervene, all of our guests stood observing the scene before then. At the


    murder about to take ce.


    4/6


    10:45 Fn, Jan 26


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± 1 growled at him, digging my nails into his shoulder. ¡°Ignatius let her go. Now,


    :


    He ignored thepletely, his eyes as hollow as his voice had sounded and Angie¡¯s b*dy began to


    spasm as she entered her death rattle.


    Ignatius My voice rang out loudly in the otherwise silent room. ¡°Enough. Let her go!¡±


    I scratched at his face and he swiped at me with one half-turned fist. All the air left my lungs as his arm


    collided with my stomach and both my feet left the floor as he sent me flying backwards.


    My back hit the floor with a dull thud and my head throbbed where my skull had crashed against the


    hard marble. I gasped at the impact and looked back at him.


    This seemed to snap Ignatius out of his raging and his face went dealthy pale as he looked at me,


    stricken at what he had just


    donc


    ¡°Dorothy.¡±


    He let go of Angie and she copsed to the floor, heaving in long wheezing breaths. Gideon and the


    smaller shifter ¨C Fae, I presumed ¨C ran over to her, ced her arms around their shoulders and helped


    her to her feet.


    Dark bruises were already forming around Angie¡¯s throat like a gruesome purple choker and she


    coughed loudly ¨C a hacking sound that grated my already fr azzled nerves.


    ¡°Dorothy, Ignatius was kneeling next to me in an instant, cupping my head in his hand. ¡°Dorothy I¡¯m so


    sorry. Are you okay?¡±


    I pushed his hands away abrupty and stood up by myself, my eyes fixed on Angie who was leaning


    against the other smaller


    shifter.


    ¡°You¡¯re better than tant murder,¡± I said quietly to Ignatius, still keeping my gaze fixed on Angie who


    stared back at me with real fear in her bloodhsot eyes.


    ¡°There are other ways to deliver punishment.¡±


    Angie was afraid, I could see the quaking of her hands as she attempted to stand on her own.


    Nevertheless, she raised her chin and faced me head on, epting whatever punishment I saw fit. I


    weed the challenge and my own ws made an appearance for the first time. I barely had time to


    shifting abilities though


    ¡°Wait please,¡± I snapped my gaze away from Angie to the elderly man approaching my side. I


    recognized him as one of the elder council members as well as Angie¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt my granddaughter. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t intend to hurt the Luna,¡± he directed these


    words at Ignatius who looked like he wanted to tear him in half, before facing me. ¡°Allow me to take the


    punishment in her ce. The Rockbells will do anything you ask of us, just please don¡¯t hurt my


    granddaughter.¡±


    I looked at him ndly. It was a kind gesture to offer himself in her ce, but Angie deserved what was


    n from the start, and his offering of himself was something they had prepared for.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± I said to him, coldly.


    ¡°Geranium?¡± I called and the beefy security guard appeared at my side. ¡°Escort Ang down to the


    council¡¯s office. I will be dealing with her myself.¡±


    Angie¡¯s grandfather began to protest but I ignored him and turned away from them all. I strode out of


    the door while Geranium took a hold of Angies forearm.


    ¡°Apologies for the interruption, please carry on as normal.¡± I said to our guests who were standing


    around at a loss for what to do next. I shed them my best sanile before leaving


    5/6


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26 GH


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± I growled at him, digging my nails into his shoulder. ¡°Ignatius let her go. Now.¡±


    He ignored mepletely, his eyes as hollow as his voice had sounded and Angie¡¯s b*dy began to


    spasm as she entered her


    death rattle.


    ¡°Ignatius My voice rang out loudly in the otherwise silent room ¡°Enough. Let her go!¡±


    I scratched at his face and he swiped at me with one half-turned Est. All the air left my lungs as his arm


    collided with my stomach and both my feet left the floor as he sent me flying backwards,


    My back hit the floor with a dull thud and my head throbbed where my skull had crashed against the


    hard marble. I gasped. at the impact and looked back at him.


    This seemed to snap Ignatius out of his raging and his face went dealthy pale as he looked at me,


    stricken at what he had just


    ¡°Dorothy.¡±


    He let go of Angie and she copsed to the floor, heaving in long wheezing breaths Gideon and the


    smaller shifter ¨C Fae, I presumed ¨C ran over to her, ced her arms around their shoulders and helped


    her to her feet.


    Dark bruises were already forming around Angie¡¯s throat like a gruesome purple choker and she


    coughed loudly a hacking sound that grated my already fra zzled nerves.


    ¡°Dorothy Ignatius was kneeling next to ine in an instant, cupping my head in his hand. ¡°Dorothy I¡¯m


    okay?¡±


    O sorry. Are you


    1 pushed his hands away abrupty and stood up by myself, my eyes fixed on Angie who was leaning


    against the other smaller


    You¡¯re better than tant murder.¡± I said quietly to Ignatius, stil keeping my gaze fixed on Angie who


    stared back at me with real fear in her bloodhsot eyes


    ¡°There are other ways to deliver punishment.¡±


    Angie was afraid, I could see the quaking of her hands as she attempted to stand on her own.


    Nevertheless, she raised her chin and faced me head on, epting whatever punishment I saw fit. I


    weed the challenge and my own ws made an appearance for the first time. I barely had time to


    ¡°Wait please,¡± I snapped my gaze away from Angie to the elderly man approaching my side. I


    recognized him as one of the elder council members as well as Angie¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt my granddaughter. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t intend to hurt the Luna,¡± he directed these


    words at Ignatius who looked like he wanted to tear him in half, before facing me. ¡°Allow me to take the


    punishment in her ce. The Rockbells will do anything you ask of us, just please don¡¯t hurt my


    granddaughter¡±


    I looked at him ndly. It was a kind gesture to offer himself in her ce, but Angie deserved what was


    n from the start, and his offering of himself was something they had prepared for


    That won¡¯t be necessary, I said to him, coldly.


    ¡°Geramum¡± I called and the beely security guard appeared at my side. ¡°Escort Ang down to the


    council¡¯s office. I will be dealing with her mysell


    Angie¡¯s grandfather began to protest but I ignored him and turned away from them all. I strode out of


    the door while Geranium took a bold of Angies forearm,


    THE


    ¡°Apologies for the interruption, please carry on as normal.¡± I said to our guests who were standing


    around at a loss for what to do next. I ed them my best smile before leaving


    6/6


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°Enjoy the party everyone


    Ignatius followed after me, as the guests slowly began to congregate once more.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± his voice in my head was a tense growl.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing things my way.¡±


    Rita¡¯s words resurfaced in my mind: ¡°When pushed, push back harder.¡±


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26 G H


    -Dorothy-


    When we were outside and away from the party, I stopped Geranium from forcing Angie into the sleek


    ck car that all the security guards owned.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. We can talk here.¡±


    Angie looked both confused and fearful and Ignatius frowned at my side. ¡°She needs to be detained¡±


    ¡°We can talk here. All of our guests had their eyes on us, we needed to appear both calm and orderly.


    But we don¡¯t really need to take a trip down to the main office, I can deal with Angie right here.¡±


    Geranium had already locked cuffs on Angie¡¯s wrists- silver cuts to dull a shifter¡¯s abilities ¨C but Angie


    was still a powerful force to be reckoned with, in spite of her shackles. Ignatius seemed to be thinking


    this too when he immediately protested my request for them to give Angle and me a moment alone.


    ¡°Absolutely not! Dorothy, she just tried to kill you. What makes you think she won¡¯t try it again the


    moment we¡¯re out of sight


    1 gazed at Angie coldly. ¡°She can try.¡±


    Angie¡¯s lip twitched at thisment. I turned to Ignatius ¡°I can handle this, okay? I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    After much convincing and a threatening nce at Angie, Ignatits strode away with Geranium and left


    the two of us standing in the dark of the parking area. Angie rxed when Ignatius left and rubbed her


    cuffed hands on her bruised throat


    ¡°So what now, runt? Are you here to kill me yourself?¡±


    Her eyes widened when I pulled out the thin faerie de that Rita had given me from a thigh strap


    under my dress. 1 examined the cruel curve and twirled it in my fingers.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± I said without taking my eyes off of the de.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you either,¡± I said when she stepped away from me. ¡°As shifters, we¡¯re more than


    both our human and animal counterparts. We should be capable of more than just senseless violence. I


    just want to talk.¡±


    My words did nothing to make Angie rx and she stood poised on the balls of her feet, ready to bolt


    the second I approached her. I slipped the de back into it¡¯s sheath at my thigh and looked at her.


    ¡°How many people were aware of this n of yours?¡±


    Angie refused to answer me so I pressed on. ¡°Because it seems to me like there are a few people on


    the council who would appreciate my sudden departure. I don¡¯t think you were put up to this on your


    own.


    Still, Angie said nothing, but her tightened jaw told me I was right


    ¡°You know you¡¯re just a pawn to them right? They used your own feelings against you. It¡¯s no small


    feat, taking out your best friend¡¯s lover.¡±


    Istepped closer to her and she turned her eyes away.


    ¡°You¡¯re jealous of me aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Angie seemed a little taken aback by the sudden change in topic but then she scoffed, ¡°G od, are you


    that full of yourself?¡±


    Hodded my arms. ¡°It¡¯s true though, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re jealous that Ignatius brought me home one day when


    you¡¯d been under the impression that he would eventually end up with you¡±


    Angie seemed irritated by this remark and tried to defend herself. ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t care who


    Ignatius decides to f u

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    ¡°Do you love him?¡± Taskesi.


    She fell silent, staring at me with a mix of resentment and confusion in her eyes. ¡°More than anything


    she whispered. ¡°He¡¯s like a brother to me.¡±


    1 nodded gently, holding her gaze with the intensity of my own.


    ¡°So you thought joining ties with him would be the best way forward for your pack. You¡¯re both from


    powerful families and you both care for one another as well as your people. It only makes sense that


    you would join forces. You¡¯re jealous of my position, not of his love for me¡±


    I seemed to be spotting revtions to Angie that even she herself had not entirely understood until


    now. She was at a for words, all malice drained from her b*dy as she stood listlessly staring at me.


    loss


    ¡°You thought getting rid of me would eventually drive Ignatius back to you. Did you honestly believe


    that he wouldn¡¯t find out it was you? That he wouldn¡¯t suspert you! You¡¯re the one who has damaged


    the rtionship between the two of you. Not


    me.¡±


    Angie sighed and awkwardly angled herself to sit down on the gravel. ¡°I try to kill you and youe to


    me with counseling. Your mate almost murders me and you stop him just to talk. It¡¯s a kind of mercy we


    don¡¯t do here in this pack. It¡¯s humiliating


    I sat down next to her, and the two of us stared at the white gravel at our feet. ¡°The only thing


    humiliating about it is the fact that you thought killing me would do anything more than satiate your own


    feelings of jealousy¡±


    Angie tossed a pebble along the ground, her cuffs clinking together as she did so. ¡°It was worth a shot,¡±


    she mumbled sardonically


    It was an odd sight to behold I was sure, two shifters in fancy dresses ¨C one in handcuffs and the other


    with a knife at her hip


    sitting together in the dust.


    I inspected my nails absently. Angie¡¯s scent was bing more apparent now that the masking leaves


    were wearing off. It had the same him of the S** as Ignatius¡¯s did, only hers was lighter the smell of lc


    and a summer breeze


    ¡°Do you think maybe you could stop trying to kill me now?¡±


    Angieughed h o a rsely, her throat still scratched and aching 1 can try


    That¡¯s good enough. And maybe no more death threats¡±


    That I can manage.¡±


    Thumped my knee against hers, shushing Ignatius who was trying to pry into my mind that very


    moment. I reassured him that things were going fine.


    ¡°How about a truce?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that could work.


    I turned my head slightly to look at her. She seemed a lot softer, kinder when she wasn¡¯t wearing her


    usual abrasive expression. ¡°And hove about friends?¡±


    ¡°Careful runt, now you¡¯re pushing it.¡± But I had caught the ghost of a smile that yed on her lips.


    I chuckled quietly to myself, ¡°I suppose that was too much to ask


    Angie propped her chin on her knees. ¡°Give it some time. You¡¯re not what I expected you to be


    Dorothy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re not so bad yourself.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it


    it was a good thing¡±


    2/4


    Fri, Jan 26


    I shrugged. ¡°Unfortunately I¡¯m not going to be able to let you back into the party- our guests need to


    think you¡¯re being tortured in a cell somewhere currently, but I think we can get those cuffs off of you.


    Angie feigned disappointment, ¡°Ah well, it was a sh it party anyway.¡±


    I was in the process of helping Angie to her feet when Ignatius broke through into my mind. ¡°Dorothy.


    Geranium has picked up a strange scent nearby. We are investigating it now. Are you okay there?¡±


    I recalled the odd scent from earlier and immediately went on high alert. Angle sensed my sudden


    unease and she too scanned the grounds around us.


    I answered Ignatius, ¡°We¡¯re fine here. I thought I sensed something earlier. Where are you now?¡±


    A low growl from Angie had me losing Igantius¡¯s answer. I looked up to see the target of her throaty


    growl in time to see a fully formed wolf stalking out of the shadows towards us.


    The creature was massive, thick dark fur over rippling muscles. It bared its fangs at us, yellow eyes


    glowing like spotlights in


    the dark


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± I said memally. ¡°It¡¯s a shifter. The scent, it¡¯s a shifter. And he¡¯s right here.¡±


    1 had barely managed to open my mouth to speak when the wolfunched himself directly at Angie,


    jaws ripping into her chest as he descended upon her. The scream that erupted from me was guttural.


    I was useless, a small girl with no shifting abilities watching a massive wolf shifter tear into the


    handcuffed girl beneath him. Angie howled, frightened and enraged as she tried to shift into her own


    wolf form


    The silver of the cuffs prevented a full transformation, however, and the best she could do was


    elongate her fangs to snarl and snap at the attacker.


    I had no other choice, I drew the small faerie de from its sheath andunched myself onto the


    shifters back. I remembered Rita¡¯s warning. The de would do no real harm to a shifter ¨C it was iron,


    not silver, But I could at least irritat¨¦ him enough to slow him down


    The wolf barely noticed me clinging to its fur. I held on tightly, trying desperately not to be thrown off the


    bucking ravenous creature as I edged my way closer to its head. Angie was weakening, and the sound


    of her whimpered cries blended with the sickening crunch of breaking bones and tearing skin.


    With every ounce of strength I could muster and a cry loud enough to scare away every bird in the


    nearby trees, I drove the tiny de directly into the creature¡¯s eye.


    The shifter bowled in agony and I was tossed from its back as it raised itself up onto two massive hind


    legs. I kept my grip


    the knife and it was yanked from the creature¡¯s socket as I was thrown through the air.


    I crashed a few feet away onto gravel and rocks andy there wheezing once again. I felt fresh blood


    congealing in my hair and knew I must have been injured in the fall


    The untethered wolf was still howling in pain and the whines turned to that of fear when two morerge


    wolves made an appearance. One ck as night and the other a sleek gray.


    Geranium and Ignatius. I had never seen Ignatius¡¯s full wolf form firsthand before. I barely had time to


    take in his regal gray coat before he and Geranium were bolting after the now retreating shifter down


    into the forest and out of sight.


    Forcing myself upright, I scrambled over to Angie whose breathing was unnatural and strained.


    Her b*dy was covered in blood and her shoulder and ribcage were severely broken. Blood was pouring


    from a bit on her neck and her eyes were wide and terrified when she clutched at me.


    She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t speak..


    1 held her hand tightly, willing for her to be okay. Demanding it. She had to be.


    -Ignatius-


    Geranium and I chased down the imposter and he barreled through the forest. With only one eye


    thanks to Dorothy¡¯s knife. he stumbled into trees and faltered enough for us to catch up with him easily


    enough.


    Thad been on high alert from the moment Dorothy told me of his presence. I had run faster than ever


    before when I heard her scream. I knew she¡¯d be alright, I had seen her crumpled on the gravel but she


    had been moving


    She was alive. Geraniums had already alerted Gideon and Fae to go check on her and Angie alter we


    had left.


    The wounded shifter stumbled onest time before transforming back into his human proportions. He


    probably thought he would be able to hide from us better that way


    He was wrong. I sought him out soon enough and clenched my jaws on his shoulder, throwing him to


    the ground while Geranium pinned him dowis


    I shifted back to my own human form and inspected the imposter. He was a young man, probably mid-


    twenties like me. 1 didn¡¯t recognize him, nor his strange scent. It was putrid and acrid like something


    toxic was boiling in his blood and seeping from his pores


    His eyes well one eye, the other was a bleeding ga shi now were wild and his oily ck hair was long


    and mutte/


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I growled at the stranger. ¡°What are you doing attacking Hielke territory?¡±


    Instead of answering my question the man spot at pressed into his chest, preventing him from


    escaping.


    blood and valiva, and snarled vicioudy. Geranium kept his front ws


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Taimed a kick at the side of the shifters, mom savout of frustration than anything else. ¡°Who are you!¡±


    The man hissed his difort and red at


    lus injured eye seeped blood down his face and over his bare chest.


    Tally,¡± he spat ¡°And I know who you are. Ignatius Armount


    Ibareil my teeth. ¡°If you know anything about me then you know you¡¯re not making it out of here alive


    The manughed, yellowing teeth dripping blood-Angie¡¯s blood-I barely refrained from kicking him


    again. ¡°Threats like that have no effect on a dead man, I won¡¯t tell you anything¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant by dead man. Was he already dying? Is that why he had been so bold with


    his attack?


    ¡°Are there more of you here?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t respond and I was losing my patience. I knelt down next to him, driving a thumb into his


    ruined eye socket. The man screamed in agony, his b*dy shifting from half-wolf to half-human and back


    again in a gruesome disy of b*dy horror in his attempt to get away.


    ¡°Answer me.¡±


    ¡°No! No, there¡¯s no one else! I swear!¡± he shrieked, more blood spewing from his mouth.


    It was dark and sticky. More ck than red. There was something very wrong with this shifter. His b*dy


    smelled of decay and poison and his remaining eye was a sickening yellow-his pupil small as a


    pinprick.


    I sn atched my hand away and he howled in agony. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I asked disparagingly.


    ¡°Why does your scent reek like a man who¡¯s already dead?¡±


    With this, the shifter began tough, haunting, spine-chillingughter like he hadpletely lost his


    mind. The sight of that gruesome engorged face, the man with one eye who smelled of death,ughing


    maniacally was burned into retina


    ???


    forever.


    1/3

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    A momentter, he diedughing. His face was still skewed into an open-mouthed, howlingughter,


    but his voice was gargled and rough as he choked on his own blood. Then there was no more sound at


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    all, his single eye turned ssy and his ck pupil expanded as he died.


    I was speechless, aghast at the wretched creature before me. Geranium stepped away from him and I


    stood up, wiping the blood from my hands onto what was left of the material of my pants.


    ¡°Geranium.¡±


    The ck wolf looked at me, waiting for amand. ¡°Let the others know. The Tally are beginning their


    attack. There will he more where he came f


    Geranium nodded his giant sh aggy head and disappeared through the trees, melting into the ck of


    the forest


    I stared down at the man at my feet. Somehow, without us noticing it, darkness had slunk back into our


    home. Looking down I wondered, maybe it had never really left


    -Dorothy-


    Gideon and Fae came to find us along with Rita who had just arrived too. Fac cried out in rm at the


    state of Angie and Cadeon¡¯s face was drawn and pale. Nothing like the mangled b*dy of your superior


    to shock you into sobriety.


    They rushed to my side and Gideon lifted Angie gently from the ground while she rasped and


    spluttered,


    ¡°Angie Hey? You¡¯re going to be okay¡±


    He didn¡¯t sound very sure of himself


    Fae turned to me, her expression somber and tease. ¡°Gideon has a van, we need to get her to the


    healers. It seemed like she was talking past me, reassuring herself more than informing me.¡±She¡¯s


    going to be fine. They can fix her.¡±


    I could do nothing but nod quietly. We had all seen the extent of Angie¡¯s injuries. There was no fixing


    that


    Fae worked to unlock the handcuffs that had just cost Angie her life. I felt a stab of guilt, like the point of


    a knife as they ttered to the floor, glinting silver in the moonlight and dripping blood:


    There was blood everywhere. The smell of it, rusty and metallic made my stomach turn and I stayed


    frozen in ce on my knees staring at the pool of red slowly soaking into the gravel


    My own knifey a few feet away from where I had fallen. Dark blood, almost ck had gone sticky on


    the de. The shifter¡¯s blood. I was afraid to pick it up.


    Kita did the honors for me and wiped it clean on her own skirt, sliding it back into the sheath on my


    thigh now that it was visible. Somewhere in all themotion, my dress had been torn. I hadn¡¯t noticed


    it


    Blood trickled down my forehead from whatever wound I had acquired when I hit the gravel.


    Compared to the shove from Ignatius earlier, my second fall was a bad one. Rita kneeled down next to


    me and touched my head, I winced at the pain that shot through my skull ¡°Dorothy, you¡¯re hurt. Come


    on, get up¡±


    She helped me to my feet and we followed along behind Fae and Gideon who were carrying Angie to


    Gideon¡¯s beaten-up yan. Gideon was swearing under his breath as he ced Angie across the


    passenger seat.


    Fae bnced Angie¡¯s head on herp and took a hold of her hand, keeping up a constant spring of


    soothing words. Gideon climbed into the front and kicked the car into gear as Rita and 1 dimbed in


    behind them.


    Angie¡¯s eyes were closed now and Fac was trying to wake her up, her pleading growing more and


    more distraught when she got no response: My head was spinning. I was aware that everyone around


    me was moving very fast ¨C frantically- but it felt like they were going in slow motion


    There was a ringing in my head growing louder and louder by the second and I struggled to keep my


    eyes focussed. I was aware of Rita speaking to me but I couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying.


    20


    Far was crying, clinging to Angie as her life slowly slipped away from her and her blood pooled on the


    floor of the shuddering van


    I wondered where Ignatius was. The noise in my head drowned out any attempts at reaching him. I


    hoped with all my heart | that he was safe.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was doing, or precisely way I was doing it, but I maneuvered myself next to Angie


    where shey across the seats and ced a hand over the cavity in her chest where, somewhere


    inside, her heart was ceasing to beat.


    The ringing grew louder, blocking out every oder somad around us. I felt like I was in a trance, floating


    over the macabre scene and my own b*dy instead of down there with everyone ele


    I could feel the slow feeble beating of Angie¡¯s heart av at pumped fresh blood from her wounds, I would


    not let her die.


    It felt like my own blood was being pumped from my b*dy, lifchlood draining from my own figure,


    through my fingertips. and into Angir, Pri ckles like pins and neeilles traveled over my skin and my own


    heartbeat slowed in my chest.


    My eyes were wide open but I could see nothing, pupils rolling back in my head. A stream from Fac


    managed to break. through the ringing and I felt Rita¡¯s hands on me, shaking me, trying to tear me


    away from Angie.


    1 ignored them boths, focusing all of my attention and pouring life back into the b*dy before me, on


    saving the still barely beating heart under my palm. I felt movement beneath my finges and looked


    down


    Visible energy white and blinding was pouring in waves from my extended arm, gliding down over my


    skin and through my fingertips, png through Angie¡¯s veins and illuminating her b*dy from the inside,


    I watched in azed as the skin began to regrow and knit back together, bones cracking back into ce


    without so much as the seam of a fracture line left behind. Tendons reconnected and veins like blue


    threats realigned.


    It was like time itself was moving backward, but I knew that was the case. Angie was healing before my


    eyes, her b*dy pulling itself back together while I myself was dying.


    I recognized the white glow for what it was life, my life. My energy was pouring into Angie, reviving hers


    like a sacred


    Transaction


    1 felt myself weakening, my eyelids felt heavy and my shoulders drooped. I held on though, pressing


    my hand to her chest until everyst tear had been sealed up.


    The glow began to dull and so did my senses. Fae was still holding Angie¡¯s hand, her mouth hanging


    open in disbelief. Rita was yelling something. The van swung and rattled with Gideon¡¯s reckless driving.


    Something off was happening in my own head. Spots and colors exploded before my eyes and I saw


    half-images that 1 couldn¡¯t quite understand. A deer with antlers that sat just wrong on its uncanny


    head.


    A headless wolf, a raging battle. A woman whose face I just couldn¡¯t make out. She reached her arms


    out to me, her features blurred and shadowed.


    When Angie opened her eyes, wide and terrified, I felt my vision fade and I copsed forwards onto her


    healed chest before the world around me faded to ck.


    B

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    -Ignatius-


    Dorothy was nowhere to be found by the time I made it back to the cottage. People were beginning to


    leave, drizzling out of the door and gingerly stepping over the dark patch of blood that stained the


    gravel.


    No person could survive losing that much blood. Most of them assumed this was Angie¡¯s punishment


    for trying to poison my mate. I was inclined to let them believe that


    News of an imposter attacking one of our own could not get out. I already had people working to


    dispose of the dead shifter¡¯s b*dy that I had left in the woods.


    Looking at the blo ody gravel I knew Angie hadn¡¯t made it. I would have to grieveter though An Alpha


    couldn¡¯t break down in front of all these people. We couldn¡¯t show weakness, especially not now.


    I tried to reach Dorothy m entally but I couldn¡¯t find her. I quieted the rm bells that went off when I


    couldn¡¯t find her voice. She was fine, Rita would be taking care of her. I assumed they would have


    made it to the healers, Gideon¡¯s van was


    cone.


    After seeing off a few of the guests and shaking hands with some of the elders. I got in my car and


    sped off towards the hospital. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind at once. The Tally had


    It was possible that the rogue shifter who attacked could have been sent for Dorothy instead. He hadn¡¯t


    been in his right mind. There was something off about him.


    Something other than I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. It was possible he could have gotten the two


    mixed up. This only worsened my already bad mood.


    If they were targeting Dorothy there would be hell to pay. None of them wouldy so much as a finger


    on her without dying by my hand. I had to concentrate on slowing down the car. In my anger and


    unease, I was speeding dangerously fast on the


    dark road.


    By the time I made it to the hospital, I had prepared for the worst. I still couldn¡¯t hear Dorothy and my


    mind went to terrible ces in thinking of all the bad things that could have happened to her. And


    Angie. Angie was dead. I couldn¡¯t fathom it


    I burst through the doors and grabbed the shoulders of a nurse hanging around the entrance. ¡°Dorothy


    ¨C a girl with red hair, is the here?!


    The woman was startled and stammered something about room B2. I rushed past her down the


    corridor, my anxiety churning in my stomach. I found room 32 and threw the door open.


    ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    Rita looked up from where she was sitting next to the bed. Dorothy was lying very still. Her hair flowed


    out on the pillow around her head like a fiery halo. She was h ooked up to a heart monitor that beeped


    rhymatically and she breathed with the help of a tube in her nose.


    I was beside her in a sh, taking her hand in mine.


    ¡°What happened to her? She was fine when I ran past her earlier


    Idirected my question at Rita who sat with her head in her hand. The old caretaker looked tired and


    weary. She looked at me with her head bent low. ¡°Dorothy has unlocked her powers.¡±


    I looked back at my mate. Her Lace was pale and sickly, the skin on her cheekbones drawn tight like


    she¡¯d had the life sucked out of her. It scared me to see her like this. She was breathing, but barely.


    And when would she wake up?


    ¡°What powers, Kata? Her wolf?¡±


    1/3


    Fri, Jan 20


    Rita shook her head gravely ¡°No, this is. Something else. She¡¯s going to be fine, Ignatius. She just


    needs rest,¡±


    She was avoiding the truth, I could sense it. It enraged me, but I trusted Rita and I knew that she must


    have her reasons. I brushed a hand over Dorothy¡¯s pale cheek. I wanted to climb onto the bed beside


    her and hold her until she woke up.


    ¡°So what is it then this power?¡±


    Rita stood up slowly, stretching her back as she gazed down at Dorothy with the deepest grief in her


    eyes. ¡°Let me show you,¡±


    Curious, I followed her out of the room. I was hesitant to leave Dorothy¡¯s side but Rita assured me she


    was going to be fine. I scasn¡¯t sure I believed her, but I needed answers.


    She led me down the hall to another room. Inside, I saw Gideon and Fae, Angie¡¯s subordinates,


    hovering over someone. sitting up in bed,


    Gideon moved out of the way when I stepped inside and my breath hitched in my throat.


    ¡°Angie¡±


    The girl on the bed looked straight at me. Her face was wless as ever and she didn¡¯t have a single


    injury from what I could see. Angie smiled at me and reached out her arms.


    I grappled her in a bear hug, relief washing over me despite the confusion. ¡°You¡¯re alive! But how? All


    that blood-


    ¡°Dorothy,¡± Angie said quietly, still clinging to me. ¡°Dorothy saved my life.


    I pulled back, and looked from Angie to Rita, questioning with my eyes.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± Rita said apprehensively. ¡°We have a lot to talk about


    -Dorothy-


    I didn¡¯t know where I was. I could hear people moving around me ¨C or sense them more so. But I


    couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t speak, couldn¡¯t open my eyes. I wanted to thrash and scream but my b*dy was


    heavy and inescapable


    I knew I was panicking, I couldn¡¯t recall how I had got here, or where ¡°here¡± even was. I wanted to call


    out for Ignatius but 1. was trapped within my own mind. I worked myself up into a frenzy, me ntally


    raging against the walls of my own head.


    ¡°You need to calm down, Dorothy


    A voice I had never heard before, a voice I felt I had known all my life. It was soothing, lilting and


    beautiful. It echoed around my mind and stilled my rising panic.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, don¡¯t you know? I¡¯ve been here all along¡±


    My inner-wolf. Finally


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to me? Why can¡¯t I move? Why haven¡¯t you spoken until now?¡±


    Your mind had been closed off from me until now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand how any of this worked. All I had ever been told was that one day my wolf would


    speak to me. I was relieved that my earlier concernsckd no merit. My wolf was very much alive. And


    now I could hear her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your


    ¡°My name is Ience. This is my eight hundredth life on earth¡±


    10:45 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Renee. It was a beautiful narge. I had suspected that Ignatius¡¯s own wolf was aware of her long before


    I was, but neither my mute nor his wolf were willing to disclose any information on the matter.


    ¡°Tor knows me well, yes. There was love in her voice. ¡°A reckless pair, those two


    ¡°Renee, what¡¯s happened to me? Why can¡¯t I move?¡±


    ¡°You were dying, Dorothy. You unlocked your true powers when you managed to finally let me in. It


    seems the seal wast broken by the strength of your will alone.¡±


    ¡°What seal What did I unlock?¡±


    I could vaguely recall an injured Angie. We were in a moving vehicle. Angie was hurt. A white glow, and


    then nothing


    Renee¡¯s voice was cautious, hesitant to exin. Tim d I am now able to reach you, Dorothy. There


    is much we have to discuss,¡± her voire moved towards the mncholic. ¡°There is so much you don¡¯t


    know about your own birthright


    ¡°Like what?


    Be patient. I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    -Ignatius¨C


    I leaned back against the creaky hospital bed. Angie sat reproachfully with her hands in herp. I ran a


    hand through my hair, trying toprehend everything Rita had just told me.


    So, Dorothy is a healer? But not like the others. What is it magic or something? Rita had her arms


    folded, perched on the hospital chair, and looking away from me, her eyes fixed on something I couldn¡¯t


    see. ¡°And how do you even know about this


    Rita kept her gaze away from me, her shoulders tensed up around her neck like she was taking strain.


    ¡°Not magic. A blessing¡± -or a curse depending on how you look at it. And as for why I know¡­ That I


    can¡¯t tell you


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep secrets from me, Rita. How do I know I can trust you?¡± I stepped towards her only to be


    halted by Gideon and Fae stepping in my way and pressing their shoulders together. A lot of people


    loved Rita, and for good reason, she had been like a mother to all of us


    Rita looked back at me, her bird eyes were sorrowful and tired. ¡°can¡¯t tell you, Ignatius.


    I could make her confess if I really wanted her to. But I trusted Rita and decided, for now, to let her be.


    I sat back down on the edge of Angie¡¯s bed becking for Fae and Gideon to rx. Rita sighed.


    ¡°Dorothy has the ability to heal people by her hand. People like Ang,¡± Angie sniffed at the mention of


    her name and touched a hand to her throat. ¡°Ang was as good as dead, and Dorothy brought her


    back from that. But ites at a great cost to her own life.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like what I was hearing. I didn¡¯t like that there was so much I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Meaning


    Kita tipped her shoulder. ¡°Dorothy is a life-giver. To give life to someone means she loses years off of


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    her own. If she isn¡¯t. careful, it could kill her..


    Her words made me flinch. Dorothy¡¯s death was an iprehensible thought. I had survived the loss


    of my mate once. I knew in my heart I would not be able to do it again.


    ¡°This has to be kept a secret, Rita continued. ¡°If people were to find out about Dorothy, what she can


    do, she¡¯ll never be safe. No inatter where she goes.


    I wondered if this could have been the catalyst for the vanishing of Dorothy¡¯s former pack.


    B2%


    10:46: Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°So what do we do about it you said her powers had been sealed up before? Why can¡¯t we do it


    again?¡±


    The wizened caretaker shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s toote now. There¡¯s no separating


    her from it again ¨C it¡¯s a part of who she is.¡±


    I wanted to kick, scream, pound my lists into something solid. Instead, I strode past them all and


    rushed back to Dorothy¡¯s side. She was still there, a stone statue on the bed


    I looked down at her, willing her to open her eyes. Begging her to wake up. I needed to see that brilliant


    green gazing back at ime I needed to know she was going to be okay.


    I climbed onto the bed next to her, fitting my head on her shoulder and taking her hand as the monitor


    beeped and her chest rose and tell with each small breath.


    ¡°Wake up. I whispered, looking up at her as my eyes watered. I hadn¡¯t cried since that night in the


    snow, but it was all too overwhelming. ¡°Please wake up


    My mind was empty without her presence there. I waited for her to flick her eyes open. smile at me,


    and tell me it was all a joke. Then we could go back home-back to our home, and spend the night


    together, tangled in each other¡¯s embrace.


    1 need you.


    -Dorothy-


    It was all too much. Too much information, pouring into my mind all at once. I was bombarded with


    memories I didn¡¯t even know that I had. I watched Renee¡¯s lifetimes sh past me in the blink of an


    eye. Every birth, death, love, and loss. I wanted to cry and scream andugh all at once as a million


    emotions rolled over me.


    Over it all. Renee¡¯s voice could be heard, ¡°It was the Luna Goddess herself who bestowed these


    powers upon your bloodline. It is neither good nor wholly evil. That all depends on how you wield it


    We were born into your pack ¨C the Seilvanne ¨C a small assemge of shifters with a few powerful


    healers. Those who learned of our abilities wanted it for themselves.


    We had endured targetted attacks before and always prevailed. The same power that can give life can


    also take it away after all. But for one such attack, we were not prepared¡±


    I walled internally at the flood of new memories that mmed into me. There was fire all around me.


    mes licked up the sides of crumbling buildings as people scatt ered. Running past me, knocking me


    down.


    Through the smoke someone appeared, a woman I felt I knew. She scooped me up in her arms,


    cradling me to her chest as she ran, coughing in the grey ash that billowed around us.


    People wereing after us, wolves chasing us down. I was crying, clutching the woman as I looked


    over her shoulder at the wolf that was gaining on us, snapping jaws streaming with the blood of my


    people. Others around us were falling one by one. Both wolves and people, cut down by the enemies


    that hunted us.


    The snapping wolf was almost upon us, I could see its yellow eyes locked onto me. It looked hungry,


    predatorial, and vicious Choking on smog and staring into those ravenous wild eyes, I understood then


    that I was the hunted. That I was


    prey.


    The thering creature made a jump for me and the woman when a howl came from the right and


    anotherrge wolf crashed into the first ¨C knocking him to the side and saving me from those shing


    jaws that were about to mp down IL my head


    I had felt the hot breath of the creature blowing into my Lace before it was snat ched away, rammed off


    of its feet by the nar? woll.


    My father. A shafter covered in shimmering auburn fur. I watched as he tore out the throat of the


    thrashing wolf. He looked


    ¨C gazing at him over the shoulder of the retreating woman who camed me


    Denied out pangand when tre muar wolves descended upon m. I reached out my small dirty hands,


    crying while his


    10:46 Fri, Jan 26


    howls faded away as he was lost to me in the suffocating smoke.


    This was what happened to my family. This is what became of my park, ash, and blood-wiped out by


    the greed of our enemies. I was furious, vengeful. Frried in anguish while Reure tried to console me


    I had barely managed to recover when I was washed with a final memory. The billowing mes and ash


    were gone. I was smaller still, caressed in the arms of a woman whose face couldn¡¯t make out.


    Her long red hair swept down her shoulders and tendrils of it brushed softly over my face as I gazed up


    at her. She was smiling at me. I knew she was speaking but I couldn¡¯t make out her words. They were


    as fuzzy and blurred as her face was.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked Renee. But my wolf was silent, waiting for me to run through the memory myself.


    The woman leaned down to press her lips to my forehead and I reached up to grab a strand of her hair,


    She took my tiny hand in hers and k*ssed my lingers.


    ¡°Be good.¡±


    1 brand her whispered words before her hand dropped to her side and I felt myself wrenched away


    from her by strong armis, 1 didn¡¯t want to leave her, I wanted to stay in her embrace. I shricked Bonelly,


    a shrill cry as I was ripped away from my mother


    I could see her slim frame, bundled up on a small bed. Her head fell to the side and her long hair hid


    her face from me. She


    wasn¡¯t moving


    I


    Shadowy figures that couldn¡¯t properly identify rushed to her side, panicked voices begging her to stay


    All the while I was screaming for my mother, reaching for her and struggling in the firm hands that held


    me.


    ¡°Shh, Dorothy, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s going to be okay¡± My father¡¯s voice was in my car as he held my squirming


    b*dy. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay¡± The tears in his eyes and the cr ack in his voice said otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t


    stop thrashing, wing, and screaming for my mother.


    Finally, it was over and I was once again floating in the dense, dark emptiness of my mind.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard life, Dorothy, Renee¡¯s voice surrounded me, soothing me as I recovered from the


    grief that was swirling in my chest. ¡°There will be more hardships toe.¡±


    ¡°I want to wake up now,¡± I told her, ¡°I want to see Ignatius.¡±


    ¡°In time,¡± Rence answered, lulling me into a kind of quiet slumber. ¡°Your b*dy needs to heal. You did a


    number on yourself. giving so much of your energy to Angie. You¡¯ve taken years off of your life.¡±


    ¡°Am I dying?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. Not anymore. But you need to be careful. This ability of yours, it¡¯s a dangerous power to


    wield¡±


    I still didn¡¯t entirely understand what she meant. But I let myself slip into a deeper state of


    unconsciousness all the same.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    -Ignatius-


    I shifted ufortably in the bony chair next to Dorothy¡¯s bedside.


    It had been almost two weeks with Dorothy still unconscious. I had been whittled down to a shell of a


    person in my waiting.


    1 had developed a daily ritual that involved waking up and immediately heading to the hospital to sit at


    Dorothy¡¯s bed. I would spend all day, every day, waiting at her bedside and asionally working on my


    More Tally attacks had been urring, each one more brutal than thest. It seemed they were


    sending deranged, dying shifters after us at random. The shifters themselves seemed to be infected by


    some kind of sickness we couldn¡¯t understand.


    Everyb*dy that we managed to take down had to be burned, the ashes thrown around the edges of our


    territory as a warning


    Word of the attacks was beginning to spread and Elliot feared we would lose some of our allies in the


    process.


    The Tally was an untrustworthy and evil bunch but there were many a pack that would kill for the


    chance to finally take down the Bielke. Joining with the Tally was their means of getting that wish.


    I had attended a few meetings on what exactly we were going to do about the problem at hand. Some


    of the elders were ready for war and wanted to stage an outright attack on the Tally Despite how that


    method would obviously fail us in the long run. It was what I wanted to.


    The Tally was too bold, 100 arrogant. Attacking the Bielke people on their own territory was intentional.


    They wanted to send a message. That message was that the Tally did not fear death or consequences,


    and no Bielke member would ever be safe from them.


    An outright attack would not be possible though. The Tally moved from ce to ce, they had no


    single domain ¨C only the outskirts of the South was theirmon turf. To attack them would require


    spies and intel on where they were headed next


    We would have to be ready to ept the loss of many a good tracker in order to gather that intel. The


    trackers themselves would have to ept the possibility of a long and painful death


    We were at a loss when it came to dealing with the issues, And while we among the council bickered


    and argued and debated, more Bielke people were lost.


    I rubbed my temple, groaning internally at theplex situation we had found ourselves in. It seemed


    impossible to bot protect our people and take down the Tally at the same time. Any force we threw into


    either direction ¨C defense or attac would leave one sile vulnerable.


    The heart monitor h ooked up to Dorothy kept up its slow continuous beeping. I looked over at her still


    frame. I just wan my mate back. Everything would be easier, more manageable, and less daunting with


    her at my side.


    ¡°Still here I see.¡±¡±


    I turned to see Angie leaning against the doorframe.


    ¡°Wallowing around her all day isn¡¯t going to make her wake up¡±


    ¡°Riching from you.


    Angie too had stopped by every day since Dorothy had saved her life.


    We had made up in the days following the attack. It seemed being on her deathbed was all it took to


    shock both Angie and me to sing our rtionship


    She had apologized for all the trouble she had caused and Lapologized for bursting a blood vessel in


    her eye after she¡¯d tried to poison my mate


    I hadn¡¯t quite forgiven her for that, but she had been honest enough about how all of that came about.


    As it turns out, it was Mavis who had sent word to the Bielke about Dorothy¡¯s rejection, the same day


    that we had up and left the town.


    Angie¡¯s family her grandfather and mother who were prominent members of the council, had first


    mentioned the idea, pressuring her into acting on her anger and jealousy.


    It wasn¡¯t a justifiable excuse, but then again she had already paid for her crimes with her life only for


    Dorothy to bring her right back again..


    I knew Angie was harboring her own guilt about Dorothy¡¯satose state. I could see her running


    through everything in her head like a hamster on a wheel


    Wondering if maybe, somewhere, if she had just done something different, things would have turned


    out this way. I understood what she was feeling I was feeling it myself. But it was useless, looking to


    the past to rectify the present. It was futile looking back.


    ¡°How are your subordinates holding up?¡±


    Both Fae and Gideon had been severely shaken up by the incident. Not only did they witness their


    superior dying before their eyes, they watched her b*dy stitch itself back together like a lizard growing


    new limbs.


    Fae had stayed close to Angie¡¯s side ever since and I couldn¡¯t me her. It was hard to believe that


    she was really here at all. walking around like nothing had happened.


    Angie smiled and her cheeks flushed slightly. She cared for her shifters as much as they did her.


    ¡°They¡¯re doing okay. Finally managed to get Fae off my back for a minute or two so I could slip away.


    She¡¯s probably on her way here right now to protect my back. Gideon keeps calling like he needs to


    hear my voice to make sure I¡¯m real.¡±


    She swallowed and nced over at Dorothy before sitting down in the empty seat next to me. We both


    sat in silence for a while, me picking at my jeans and Angie fiddling with her hands:


    Angie¡¯s voice was small and hesitant when she spoke. ¡°Do you.. Do you think she¡¯s going to wake up?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t look up. I refused to lift my eyes from the tear in my jeans. I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold it


    together if I did


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She has to. She just..


    I pressed my thumb and forefingers to my eyes, willing myself to keep it together. ¡°She has to¡±


    Angie was quiet beside me. She looked down at her hands. ¡°Ignatius. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    I kept my fingers to my face, squeezing my eyes shut. The beeping of the heart monitor was deafening


    ¨C a lifeline that was slowly killing me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°She was saving me. I¡¯m the reason she¡¯s in this state.¡±


    1 couldn¡¯t argue with that. But I didn¡¯t me Angie. This was something that, ording to Rita, was


    bound to happen eventually.


    Angie sat with me for a while. We didn¡¯t speak much but we both foundfort in the unified silence.


    Dorothy was a motionless entity tying us together.


    Eventually, Angie heaved herself to her feet. ¡°I should get going Before Fae tears the town apart trying


    to find me


    I nodded ¡°Thanks for stopping by. And Angie?¡±


    She paused in the doorway, her eyes couldn¡¯t meet mine.


    T


    10:46 Fri, Jan 26 GG ¡¤


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she regress is-saving you. Don¡¯t me yourself for this. All she ever wanted was to be


    your friend.¡±


    Angie left without another word ¨C before her tears could spill over and betray her unraveling emotions.


    I got up and stood over my mate. Ever so often a nurse would have toe in and move her limbs


    around. If she woke up ¨C when she woke up, she would be all stiff and sore otherwise.


    more and more


    1 took her hand in mine and pressed a small k*ss to her wrist. I just wanted her to open her eyes. I


    grew mo hollow each day.


    Tor would barely speak with me anymore. He, too, was mourning. Everyone was grieving like she was


    already gone like she was already dead. I hated that. She would wake up. She wouldn¡¯t leave me


    without saying goodbye.


    She had promised me that, long ago when we¡¯d firstid in bed together after I moved inside of her for


    the first time. She made me promise that, should I decide that I was done with whatever it was that we


    had, I would at least say goodbye. I made her promise to do the same. She wouldn¡¯t leave me. She


    hadn¡¯t yet said goodbye.


    I turned to go before my tears wet her face as well as my own. I was halted, however, by the hand, I


    had been holding. I was stopped in my tracks by the tiniest twitch of a finger. I looked back at Dorothy.


    She was still so still, I thought I¡¯d imagined the whole thing in my desperation for it to be true. But then,


    small fingers twitched and slowly started curling around my


    OWTL


    I stared in disbelief at the hand slowlying to grip mine and knelt down next to the bed.


    ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    Her soft breathing grew more rapid. Dorothy opened her eyes.


    -Dorothy-


    The first thing I saw was my mate. Ignatius was leaning over me, his hand copsed around mine, I


    was disorientated, my mind cloudy and slow. I reached up to touch the tube in my nose and the wires


    taped to my chest.


    ¡°Ignatius? What happened?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me at first. His face was a cr ack collision of tears and a grin so wide I wondered if it


    hurt.


    ¡°Wee back¡±


    I reached up to stroke his face, my fingersing away wet when they brushed over his cheek. All at


    once, the memories, came rushing back to me and I bolted upright ¨C groaning at the pain that shot


    through my b*dy at the sudden movem


    ¡°Be careful. Ignatius steadied me andid me back down with a band under my head. You shouldn¡¯t be


    moving arou


    yet.¡±


    ¡°Angie¡± I gripped his shirt, panicking in my attempts to recall the order of events. ¡°What happened to


    Angie? There w wolf, blood. There was this white light and then 1 ¨C


    ¡°Angie is perfectly fine, he hushed me, parting a gentle cold hand to my foreheul ¡°She¡¯s beening to


    visit you every day Everyone¡¯s been waiting for you to wake up


    His voice cracked slightly when he continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting I¡¯ve missed you so much. Dorothy¡±


    A vase of sined-out flowers caught my eye. They were standing on the table behind him, dropping


    petals as theyy dying. My mind was still racing, thoughts shing in my head like scebergs at the


    bottom of the worldi


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Are these for me?¡±


    Igranus looked puzzled for a momem and then linked behind him. ¡°Oh thone Yeah. We thought your


    mould only be out for a few hour. Not two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Twowerks¡± My voice was bourse and it hurt my threat to shout. I swallowed the pain and held tightly to


    Ignatiue¡¯s arm.


    Chapore


    ¡°What do yosa


    1x that how long I¡¯ve been o


    added, gently prying my fingers from his


    were going to wake up


    In his waiting Thought Id lost you¡±


    I pulled him down to my ches


    whispered against his skin. Tm always going to be right here¡±


    metored. He pulled hai


    deraming


    Trying into my tyeck


    mate ¡°Trnight


    searching my bave like he needed to make sure that


    Then his shoulders buckled and be opiod onto my i end 12 the love in the world insa hierar


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Tetanus suived by my ande


    hovered around the bed w


    conspected by the be


    iode of the


    weld just wet ¨C I felt like bot garbage was hover excita get back home I wanted to spech and spread


    myself out


    Ignatius seemed happs enough with tiles and red we uld have a very long lie down and catch up when


    we gui


    abell the mos


    served that the riders seemed dividel


    Au bonds was weak and traple when we let the best I needed teams¡¯s help to stand up and be ally


    ended up


    bed and helped me change out of the bow hospital gown that tatas still wearing We both lined on the


    cool cleam bedding and 1 closed eyes I tell good to be home


    Im Izolid igmans everything that I had seen and hattvalls happened to my pack and my parents. He


    clutched


    1 described the fire.


    ¡°Who was the woman. The sale ansking in h¨¹ n; down at me like he couldn¡¯s ent used to the fact


    realy there. ¡°The woman who carried yes and he wouldn¡¯t have been your mecher if she had already


    idie.¡± He stopped


    before timushing her sentence but I shock


    Asid vote miglice, it couldn¡¯t have been niiy isother


    But her went w


    ogether as he thought it over ¡°Maybe


    imme vou¡¯ll remember more I do re


    telling the that you were brought to the puck by a wertian escaping an attack. They book you in but


    kraved so mach


    (me eventual


    are still so many things that we don¡¯t understand¡±


    1 nodded. ¡°she¡¯s been with me all alone but finally being able to weak with her has been amazung


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Besare bererit max pleased with thisment 1 had been surpringh can to get wood ta not being


    sottie way we had


    Ignatius rei?taid omatis his back and braved me sinta dus chest like Eweighed nothing. After two whole


    weeks in the hospital. I was thier than before but that was alright. My grumbling stomach alluded is a lot


    of toastingter on,


    ¡°kosa know.¡± Ignatias said: ¡°now that you and Kence are properly acquainted a might be vaimse to start


    your TERMINA


    ¡°Tracting past foody to shift at will. Taking on ysser molt f?rnu vahes practice, and in carbe a prenos


    patibil juscess without


    feel my b*dy gr


    10:46 Fri, Jan 26


    human form could manage. To run through the forest in my wolf form


    ¡°Td like to start as soon as possible, I think. Who would train me though You?¡±


    Ignatius squished my cheeks in his hands and perked linle k*sses all over my face. This was my mate


    at his most vulnerable and soft. This was the side of Ignatius that only I had the privilege of seeing.


    ¡°Nervous that I¡¯ll see you Humble?¡± he teased, as Friedl to free my face from his g grang


    ¡°Shush. No, I¡¯m not. Maybe you¡¯re the one who should be nervous. Rita told me it took you weeks to


    finally manage a full shift. What If I do it better than you?¡±


    I pouted to emphasize the mockcritedness but Ignatius onlyughed. ¡°Tor and I didn¡¯t get along at


    the best of times, I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯ll manage it a lot faster than I did


    ¡°And besides, Ignatius continued in between small soft k*sses. Im going to be busy figuring out this


    Tally business. I¡¯ll obviously he there to help when I can but you¡¯re going to need some proper training,


    From the samedy who taught me.¡± he grinned.


    I tilted my head to the side. ¡°Rita?¡±


    Ignatius nodded. ¡°She already agreed, long before you mmaged to talk to Renee. She always believed


    you¡¯d manage it eventually. Oh, and we might be able to rope Angie into helping as well. She does owe


    you her life after all.¡±


    mutted chest was still burned into my vision. I could still smell the scent of fresh blond in.


    ¡°How is Angie doing? You said she came to visit me a few times,¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s alright. She feels really guilty for everything that happened. I think she wants to make


    amends?


    ¡°She tried to kill me and then almost died herself. I think she¡¯s paid for her mistakes.¡±


    Ignatius shrugged. ¡°Hmm. Try telling her that though. Angie¡¯s almost as stubborn as you are,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stubborn!¡±


    He smirked at me. ¡°Sure you aren¡¯t¡±


    I was about to deliver a scathingeback when a knock on the door downstairs distracted me. I


    tested the air and picked up a newly familiar scent. ¡°Angie¡±:


    I rolled off of Ignatius and we both headed down the stairs. Angie stood at the door, wringing her wrists


    and looking everywhere except at my own face.


    ¡°Hey, runt-Dorothy. d to see you¡¯re alive.¡±


    I smiled, leaning back against Ignatius who wrapped his arms around ine. ¡°I should say the same for


    you. Wee back to thend of the living¡±


    -Angor-


    It had taken more than a few minutes to muster up the courage to get out of my car and knock on the


    front door of the seaside mansion. All of that courage vanished almost immediately though when


    Dorothy herself opened the door.


    I had heard of her awakening through Kita who had called me to let me know immediately. I had


    wanted to leave it for a few days and let her settle in agam before paying Dorothy a visit, but Ritad


    insisted I get my apologies out now before my paultmed me entirely.


    That is why I found myself standing sheepishly before the small redheaded girl I had tried to poison


    only a few weeks before The same girl who had followed up my treason with not only saving my life but


    endangering her own in the process.


    10:46 Fri, Jan 26


    Dorothy herself seemed happy to see me through. It seemed she also needed the visual confirmation


    that I was indeed alive and well. I felt her relief just as I was sure she could sense mine.


    ¡°Can Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Dorothy said, stepping out of the way and shoving patius aside with her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve been


    craving a cup of tea since I left the hospital if you¡¯d like to join us?*


    ¡°Tea sounds great.¡±


    Ignatius followed close behind us into the kitchen before his phone began to vibrate. Both Dorothy and


    I looked at him questioningly as he flipped it open and answered, his face growing darker at whatever


    information was being delivered,


    ¡°Il be right there.¡± He put his arms around Dorothy ¡°That was Geranium. There¡¯s been another attack¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s concern was apparent on her face. Our future Luna cared deeply for her people. I wish I had


    let myself notice that before now. ¡°Who? Where? Was anyone hurt?¡±


    ¡°In the fields outside the junior high Ignatius¡¯s face was grim. Some kids ditching ss. They were


    picked off one by one.¡±


    I was shaken. Up until now, the Tally had onlye for the adults, attacking from the forest and


    disappearing just as quickly,


    The ones we had caught hadn¡¯t lived long enough to give us any information. There was a sickness


    within them, and it seemed they were more than happy to murder children.


    ¡°I need to get down there. Ignatius murmured, k*ssing the top of Dorothy¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a little


    bit. And Angie He Turned to look at me as he headed to the door. ¡°Keep an eye out for anything


    suspicious. I¡¯m trusting you to watch over my mate while I¡¯m gone


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Dorothy whispered. She looked like she wanted to run after him and demand that he stay.


    She had witnessed the terrifying strength of the Tally first hand. I didn¡¯t me her concern for Ignatius.


    I nodded to Ignatius, grateful for the chance to prove myself as a trustworthy ally. ¡°I¡¯ll keep her safe.¡±


    His newfound trust wasn¡¯t lost on me. He was leaving his partner alone with someone who had tried to


    get rid of her. I wouldn¡¯t hurt a hair on her head now though. Dorothy had more than proven herself to


    be a worthy leader and partner to my friend


    After Ignatius had left, Dorothy bussed herself with making tea, floating around the kitchen, and


    struggling to reach the cups on the top shelf. I stood behind her and reached for the items she couldn¡¯t,


    and she shed me a grateful smile.


    We didn¡¯t speak much at first. Dorothy was concerned for Ignatius and I didn¡¯t know what to say. I had


    to try.


    ¡°Hey, um. Dorothy? I came here today to apologize. For everything¡±


    Dorothy paused in the process of pouring hot water into the two tea cups in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she


    said quietly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. I don¡¯t hold anything against you.¡±


    ¡°I just. I want you to know that I was wrong. You¡¯re twice the person I¡¯ll ever be. You had no good


    reason to save my life¡±


    Dorothy handed me a steaming cup of tea and hoisted herself up onto the countertop to sit.


    ¡°There was no question about it. You were dying, and I couldn¡¯t let that happen. These powers that I


    have I couldn¡¯t call myself a header if I didn¡¯t at least try to save those around me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing,¡± she continued, swinging her short legs. ¡°It just felt like the right


    thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Well, 1 appreciate it,¡± I said, sipping slowly on the scalding liquid ¡°And you forever have my allegiance


    for your kindness.¡±


    1 don¡¯t need d you to dedicate your life to me, Angie, I just want us to get along. Your friendship means


    a lot to Ignatius. I


    10:46 Fr, Jan


    want to love the people that he loves. I want to be friends.¡±


    She p


    She paused and raised her eyebrows at me.


    ¡°Actually.¡±


    Swinging herself off of the counter and stood before me.


    ¡°Tim going to be starting my training soon. To develop my abilities and try out my wolf form. I could use


    some help if you¡¯d be willing.¡±


    want me to train you?¡±


    ¡°You want me


    She put her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, Rita is going to be training me. But I also need to improve my


    could help with that.¡±


    I looked down at the cup in my hands. ¡°It won¡¯t be all sunshine and rainbows. I won¡¯t go easy on you


    just because you¡¯re Ignatius¡¯s darling


    Dorothy grinned at me and I felt something in my chest flutter: I can handle it. Go d knows I¡¯ve already


    almost died twice. Compared to that, this is nothing


    I felt my cheeks flush at the intensity with which she was looking at me. Her excitement was readily


    apparent,


    Then sure, I guess I could train you.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!


    Dorothy grabbed my hand and I stiffened at the bolts of electricity it sent up my arm. ¡°Then consider


    your debt paid. Truce, stalemate, or whatever. And no more calling me runt


    Iughed nervously. ¡°You have yourself a deal¡±


    After an hour or two of talking and trying to still the sudden butterflies that Dorothy had awoken in my


    stomach. Ignatius came back with good news. The children who had been attacked were going to be


    alright.


    They had managed to escape with minor injuries when the rabid Tally attacker was chased away by


    some local shifters.


    Dorothy was insistent that she go down there herself and help with the injuries but both Ignatius and I


    warned her that, until we had a better understanding of her powers and how to prevent her own injury


    during healing, she had to refrain from using her ability.


    I excused myself after that and left the mansion after promising Dorothy that I would be seeing her


    soon to begin her training. Once I had sat down in my car, I plopped my head against the steering


    wheel and tried to clear my head.


    I was relieved that Dorothy held no grudge against me. More than that though, I was bing more


    and more aware of the growing affection I felt towards the small, stubborn redhead. I tried to brush the


    thoughts to the side. But the feeling was still there, spilling out of my heart when Dorothy took my hand.


    There was no stuffing it back in now.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    -Dorothy-


    Training began bright and early nearly three weeks after I had woken up from myatose state. I was


    rearing to begin but Ignatius and Rita both decided that I would need time to recover first before putting


    my b*dy through the strain of training to shift.


    Every time I tried to argue this point. Ignatius would sp ook me with stories of shifters who got caught


    halfway through shifting and couldn¡¯t change back


    ¡°While I would still love you even if you were trapped in a half-fury form, Ignatius teased, ¡°I don¡¯t think


    you want to spend the rest of your life looking like a wolf that walks on two legs.¡±


    This shut me up for a while, but eventually, I grew bored and restless again and hounded Ignatius


    about it until he finally gave in.


    Rita agreed to meet me at the mansion and Angie was going toe by a littleter with Fae to begin


    teaching me basicbat techniques, Ignatius insisted that he would always be around to protect me


    so I didn¡¯t need to throw myself intobat training. But I was insistent.


    Unfortunately, Ignatius had to leave for a few days before my training began. Both him and Elliot would


    be setting out on diplomatic business negotiations to rally more packs to our side when the time came


    to face the Tally head-on.


    The attacks had been going on for long enough, and people were afraid to step outside after dark for


    fear of a Tally attacker Jurking in the woods.


    Ignatius had k*ssed me hungrily before he had left. promising to be back before I could blink. Geranium


    was appointed to hang around the property to keep watch and Angie had appointed both Gideon and


    Fae to stop by in rotation for extra protection.


    I wasn¡¯t too happy about other people my own age putting their lives on the line to protect me, but both


    Gideon and Far were quick to quiet me about it, saying it was an honor to be guarding the future Luna


    of the Bielke.


    I felt vulnerable without Ignatius at my side, despite all the added protection I missed him at night when


    I reached across the cold sheets expecting to touch his skin only to find nothing there. I had never been


    one for cuddle throughout the night but I missed it once he was gone.


    I chose to distract myself from my pining, however, by focusing on the grueling training ahead of me. I


    awoke on the first day before the sun rose and threw on the only pair of sweatpants Ignatius owned


    that actually fit me.


    They were still a little too long and I had my own but I preferred wearing a piece of him while I trained.


    To me, it was a source offort


    Rita was waiting outside when I threw open the door. She smiled at my enthusiasm and beckoned for


    me to follow her. We traipsed through the garden and into the forest lining-


    Rita walked for a few minutes before checking over her shoulder We kept going until the mansion was


    just out of view, hidden by the trees.


    Rita stopped abruptly in front of me and folded her arms.


    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± I asked, swatting at a fly that was droning around my ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s one thing, being in tune with your inner wolf,¡± she said, ¡°but in order to shift effectively you need to


    be in tune with your natural surroundings as well¡±


    I scuffed the ground with my shoe. ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked. ¡°Do I need to hug a tree or


    something?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Rita said. ¡°Now close your eyes. It¡¯s important to still not only your b*dy but also your mind.¡±


    I did as she said and closedapy eyes. I wasn¡¯t sure how to go about stilling my mind but I started with


    breathing deeply in and out. Renee was quiet inside my head, focussed only on the task at hand


    ¡°Listen to the forest around you.¡± Rita¡¯s voice made me jump slightly


    I calmed myself down again and got to listening Slowly, sounds began to drift into focus in the still


    forest, I could hear the quiet chirping of birds in the trees and the swish of wings. I heard the slight


    breeze rustling the leaves and the snap and c rack of small creatures mowing in the underbrush.


    Flies buzzed and somewhere in the distance, water was flowing. It was peaceful in that shaded area. I


    could smell the damp scent ofst night¡¯s rain wating up from the ground and the fresh earthy scent of


    the trees


    I could pick up the scent of other animals that had passed by this spot before us, I could almost see the


    exact pathway they walked. I felt my heart slow and my lungs expand andpress with every deep


    breath.


    It felt as if my feet were growing roots into the earth and my b*dy was stretching taller than the trees.I


    didn¡¯t know how long I had been standing there by then, but I felt as if I would be able to stand there for


    hours, decades even


    My concentration was broken, however, when Rita¡¯s voice cur through the tranquility, ¡°That¡¯s all we¡¯ll be


    doing for today.¡±


    ¡°What my eyes flew open. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d been standing there for very long but the sun was already


    at a different position in the sky. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± Rita said calmly, turning to walk back towards the house. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do this every day until we


    move on to the next


    step


    ¡°But what¡¯s the next step?¡± I asked as I stumbled after her, walking on wooden legs after standing still


    for you long ¡°Why


    Rita spoke over her shoulder as she trudged along. ¡°Your b*dy is still weak, Dorothy. You can¡¯t rush this


    kind of thing. especially in your case.¡±


    I groaned in exasperation, ¡°Why does everyone insist on treating me like I¡¯m some fragile little trinket?¡±


    I whined. I knew 1 was being childish but I was desperate to learn more


    I wanted to push myself to perfection. With the Tally on our tails, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of taking my


    time. I needed to be strong from the start. I needed to be ready for anything


    ¡°Because you are fragile. Rita¡¯s voice was stern. ¡°Pushing yourself too hard will only make you weaker


    in the long run. Dorothy. You don¡¯t want to render yourself useless by overdoing it too early


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled, dodging a gnarled tree root that looked like it had been ced there specifically to


    trip me up. ¡°I just want to be able to help. When the timees to fight. I don¡¯t want to just be sitting


    around on the sidelines¡±


    ¡°And you won¡¯t be,¡± Rita answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself too much over that. Your training with Angie is


    still toe. You¡¯ll be ready. And what¡¯s more, this is the Bielke Pack we have a plethora of powerful


    shifters ready for war.¡±


    We walked through the garden back towards the house. I could sell the sea air wafting up from the


    cliffs. The sound of waves could be heard not too far away. It was such a peaceful ce my home in


    the middle of nowhere. Now that I had it a real home, I would do anything to protect it.


    Angie was waiting for us when we rounded the cottage, along with Fae who stood at her side. Fae


    wasn¡¯t much taller than me. but beneath that slender frame were sinewy muscles that I could only


    dream of having-


    I didn¡¯t know her all that well but I happened to like Fae quite a lot. She was reserved and distant most


    of the tune, but there was warmth in her eyes, and she when she looked at Angie in particr, she


    lookes with more than just general affection. I wondered if Ange was aware of this.


    Angie raned a hand as we approached. ¡°Hello, carrot tops. Are you ready to begin your training?


    ¡°hit going


    g to involve more standing very still in the woods?¡±


    10:46 Fri, Jan 26


    62


    Angieughed. ¡°I see Rita¡¯s got you taking it slow with the shifting powers. Probably for the best. After


    all, you¡¯re going to need your energy for your time with us. This training will be a little more intense.¡±


    I rolled my shoulders and lifted my chin. ¡°I¡¯m ready¡±


    I wasn¡¯t ready. Angie wasn¡¯t lying when she said she wouldn¡¯t be going easy on me. Between her and


    Fae, they had me runningps, practicing my punches, and Angie seemed to take great pleasure in


    throwing me over her shoulder again and again and again.


    Each time I would get up, position my feet and go for a jab only to have my arm grabbed or my leg lified


    and I would then find myself nted t on my back all over again.


    ¡°F ucking hell, I wheezed after I lost my bnce and face-nted so hard I was sure I got grass on my


    tonsils. ¡°This is what you call training This is just a one-sided war.¡±


    ¡°Oh please. Angie extended a hand and heaved me to my feet. This is nothing. A hundred more falls


    on your as s and you¡¯ll be improving in no time,¡±


    *Speaking of falling¡± she continued. ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing falling wrong? 1 grumbled, dusting grass off of my knees. ¡°Is there a special way I¡¯m


    supposed to be falling?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Angie said, swiping a leg out and knocking my own legs out from under me. I tumbled to the


    ground again, swearing bitterly at the scrapes and bruises that were forming


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to learn to roll into your falls,¡± Angie said, sitting down next to me when I refused to get up


    again. ¡°Hitting the ground t is going to cause you more injury. And you¡¯ll take longer getting back up,¡±


    And so I practiced falling for a while. It still hurt every time I crashed to the floor, but I could feel myself


    gradually getting the hang of rolling with my fall and back to my feet in one almost smooth motion.


    We also practiced basicbat at which I was dismallycking in skill. Angie danced around me,


    throwing punches and kicks that I could neither block nor dodge effectively.


    Eventually, Angie decided to withhold her jabs and to let me do the attacking while she dodged. My


    punches were weak and caused me more damage than they did to her if they even connected at all.


    The only time I managed to actually wind Angie was when I saw an opening and went for it, punching


    her directly in the left ti t like a dirty cheater. Angie had caved and Fae lost her headughing from


    where she was watching


    ¡°Coddamn carrot top that was cruel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Iran over to her where she was haunched on the ground. ¡°I saw a chance, I thought I might


    as well take it¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize,¡± Angie strained, scrunching her eyes shut while Fae was stillughing maniacally


    behind us. ¡°You¡¯re at a disadvantage. You have every right to fight dirty during a real fight.¡±


    1 hit my lip, but I was proud that I had finally managed some kind of small victory, even if I was fighting


    dirty. Angie stood up, still cupping her chest like she was in agony. But she was smiling.


    ¡°Not bad for a nut, I must admit.¡±


    We kept up the sparring. I wasn¡¯t ever going to be great at it by the first day but I did feel the slightest


    improvement and I was getting better and dodging and sidestepping Angie¡¯s oing attacks,


    came to realize that my size was something of an advantage after all. I was quick, nimble, easy to miss


    when I moved quickly enough. Angie was strong, but her long limbs were easier to dodge when I knew


    how to maneuver around her.


    I kept any heels up and darted around on the balls of my feet. Slowly but surely, I was getting the hang


    of this whole fighting thing. I was still useless at dealing out damage, but at least I was able to more or


    less avoid it myself.


    ¡°I think I need a break.¡± I huffed after a while, lying on my back and closing my eyes. My lungs were


    burning and every joint


    10:46 Fri, Jan 26


    in my b*dy ached like Fdjust run a marathon. Sweat had broken out on my forehead and I was


    desperate for an icy ss of


    ¡°Yeah, alright.¡± Angie said. ¡°You look like you need it. Your face is almost the same color as your hair


    currently.¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡± I whined, patting my reddened face and hot cheeks. ¡°And carrot top is not allowed. Pick


    another nickname thank you very much.


    ¡°Fireball. Cherry bomb. Tomato soup. They just don¡¯t hit the same as carrot top


    though


    I attempted a swipe at her but my arms were leaden and dropped back to my side almost immediately.


    ¡°Pick another one.¡±


    Far strolled over to join us and rolled down into the grass alongside me. ¡°It gets easier. I promise. You


    should have seen Gideon on his first day of training. He whined like a baby the whole way through.


    Angiended him on his a ss so many times he ended up sitting on an ice pack for days?


    Angie chuckled. ¡°Poor guy. He was ready to quit from day one. The only reason he stayed was


    because he had a crush on one of the other trainees. Too bad Justin never took any interest in him.¡±


    We were all quiet for a little. I knew Angie and Fae were letting me have a breather. I wished I could be


    stronger. bat b*dy was still werk. My muscles ached and my throat burned, I wondered what Ignatius


    was up to, and if he was okay.


    I hadst spoken to him through our link that morning. He and Elliot had been on their way to meet with


    another nearby pack to negotiate an allegiance should the Tally decide to attack!


    Unfortunately for us, there were a lot of packs who would love to see the powerful Bielke fall. To them,


    simply letting the Tally attack would mean watching the elimination of onerge threat.


    However, what people didn¡¯t seem to understand was that after taking us down, it was very unlikely that


    the Tally would just stop there. Taking down the Bielke would be no small feat. That power would turn


    their attention to others after us. No one was safe from the Tally


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    It was still unclear as to what exactly their intentions were, although considering the rumors of Johan¡¯s


    involvement with them, it was possible that they were using his strength and status as a catalyst to


    push their own agenda. To Johan, attacking the Bielke would be revenge. To the Tilly, it would be


    domination


    And then there was the sickness. The yellowy eyes and foaming mouths of the Tally attackers.


    Ignatius had his suspicions as to what exactly was causing the horrific transformations. But he wouldn¡¯t


    tell me exactly what his theories were until he had more evidence to prove it. I didn¡¯t understand any of


    it. But I wanted to be stronger I wanted


    to be ready.


    I rolled myself to my feet and stretched. I lifted my arms high above my shoulders until I heard my spine


    creak, and I rolled my neck to ease the aching muscles.


    Tm ready now. Let¡¯s get started again.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    -Dowthy


    new college. I was nervous to attend a new school, even more A week after training began, it was time


    for me to start at sa suwe Iguranus sill wasn¡¯t back. It had been lonely without linij and I needed his


    reassurance on that day more than ever,


    Angie was at the door to escort me that morning. She attended the same college that I would be


    starting at


    Most of the Belke youngsters stayed close to home when it canse to colleges so it was likely that I


    would be meeting more of ms peye these. The rumors susunding me were more extravagant than ever.


    I was a femme fatale, a Tally spy, a nudist,


    nd a nob*dy all at ove


    Angie shouted for me to hurry up but I was its loved to tal


    ne in getting ready, I was in no rush to be thrust back into


    the nighmate that is being an outsider in a budding full of people my own age


    Soner Ignatius and Rita had upgraded my wardrobe I had more than my fair share of options when it


    came to what I would be wearing on my first day. I seeded to make a good impression, but the shelves


    and shelves worth of new clothing only made getting ready even harder


    After a few minutes had passed and I was still standing in my underwear staring into the closet, Angie


    stormed up the stairs to hurry me along She kicked open the bedroom door and strode to my side,


    pulling out clothing and chucking them onto


    the bed


    ¡°S hart that hides your buy t its, jeans that entuate your as s, Ighjatus¡¯s jacket because knowing


    you, you¡¯re bound to get


    51. and lysts for kis king the shuns of anyone who gives you loll today


    She dumped it all on the bed and sat down next to the pile, folding her arms and crossing her legs. ¡°Go


    d, Dorothy. How did you ever tattage to get ready bste this?


    ¡°I had tower options back then I protested, pulling on the shirt and hopping to hoist the jeans over my


    hips ¡°And this isn¡¯t any monal day. I¡¯m about to meet all the people you sent my udsles to!¡±


    Angie sled grimly ¡°Yeah, sorry about that Bat you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about, your bare as s is old


    news already Everyone¡¯s too invested in the recent Tally attacks to be concerned about some old


    photos.¡±:


    ¡°Some of those people are ming me for i as well. I grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough they¡¯ve all seen me


    n*ked. But thanks to the Khall hearing all of my dirtyundry has been ained for the world to see too


    ¡°Rx. Dorothy. It¡¯s going to be fine. If you¡¯re lucky, people won¡¯t even recogitize you at all. And


    besides. I¡¯ll be there, I won¡¯t let anyone f uck with you I promise.¡±


    I pulled on the chunkybat boots and struggled with theces My shaking fingers weren¡¯t helping


    anything. I don¡¯t need a bubysitter¡±


    Angie stad off of the lied and knelt down to tie my shoes when my fingers fumbled over and over again.


    ¡°Ten not babysitting you. Think of it more like a personal b*dyguard. And, unlike you, most people like


    me? She grinned at my glowering rxpressam ¡°Meaning they I have no choice but to like you tou


    She stood up and put her hands on her hups ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to worry about. Now, will you please


    hurry up or do you


    ant to bete on your first day


    ¡°I want to prk to bed¡±


    Tough Angie said as she dragged me down the stairs by the elbow. ¡°You¡¯re the future Luna of this pack.


    You¡¯ve faced a


    usee back from the bank of death. You¡¯ve even handled a rejection from your mate. You can


    handle this.¡±


    I moaned out loud and stomped along behind her to where Gideon¡¯s van was waiting in the driveway.


    Fae leaned her head out of the window and waved at me whale Gadeon was struggling to get the car


    started


    ¡°S tupid bag of bolts,¡± he mu ntered when we clunbed in the back


    The van had been cleaned since we had driven Angie to the heal, but the floor at our feet still held a t


    ang of rust in its scent and the seats were dotted with bloodstains. My insides teised at the memory of


    the esperience, but I was lists acted from my morbid reminiscing by Angie sneezing my hand.


    Fae turned around in her seat to face me. ¡°Are you excited for your first day


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to throw ups,¡± I mu ntered ndly.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not nerves, Fae giggled ¡°It¡¯s probably just Gideon¡¯s driving that¡¯s making you car sick¡±


    Tin an excellent driver Gideon protested, before swerving to lodge the curb in front of us. The old van


    screeched in protest and Fac looked at Gideon with a smig


    I stared out of the window as Ear and Gideon began to bicker and Angie chimed in with her two cents.


    At least I wouldn¡¯t bepletely alone at this new college.


    I would be going in with something I had never had helse. I would be arriving with friends. That thought


    was mildly contenting and I rxed just a litle bit. I fidgeted in my seat while Cadeon was grumbling:


    ¡°What is it, pack on Gideon day or something


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gids,¡± Angie chimed. ¡°We¡¯re all Iul at something our weakness just happens to be straight


    roudly¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, Ang, it was my driving, that got you to the hospital not too long ago. I didn¡¯t hear


    anyoneining


    then


    They carried


    on with their bickering all the way to therge brick building that way to be my new school. There was a


    lump in my throat by the time we pulled up to the entrance. Gideon turned off the van and it rattled to a


    halt like the effort of driving had been too much of a strait


    ¡°Well.¡± Angiezily waved hernd. ¡°Wee to your new school,¡± she drawled unceremoniously and I


    grimaced.


    I drew in a deep breath and climbed out of the van


    -Ignatius-


    Traveling with my father was just as ufortable and dreary I had expected Elhot, like me, was not


    much of a talker, but when he did talk it was usually to go on and on about how rich I¡¯d changed for the


    worst since I had decided to grow a conscience as he liked to put it.


    We had driven to meet with the elders of several nearing packs by then and I was on the brink of


    throwing myself from the moving car and running all the way back home in wolf for..


    I missed my home, I missed my mate. Dorothy and I spoke continuously through the mind-link but she


    had training daily with both Rita and Angie and Thad meetings to attend.


    So far, we had managed to secure three packs as solid allies, should we need tounch an attack on


    the Tally. Unlike the other packs that would prefer to see us fall to the Tally people, these packs had


    been burned by Tally attackers before.


    They would much rather take the side of the Bielke than stand by and let a trusted powerful force be


    wiped out by an untrustworthy one.


    Even so, I was afraid it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Too many people were happy to watch the Bielke burn. We


    had garnered a horrifying reputation over the years that we were only in the beginning stages of fixing.


    Ellot didn¡¯t mind the fear people seemed to have for him. In fact, he enjoyed it. Elliot was a man who


    wanted to be feared.


    The way I saw it, fear doesn¡¯t make someone a good Alpha. A true Alpha needs the devotion ofs


    people. When you lead by causing fear alone, you can¡¯t be surprised when no one steps up to defend


    you when you¡¯re in danger.


    We were on our way to the veryst pack on the list and Elliot was droning on about how all of these


    people had grown weak and soft. He looked down on them all, even those who pledged allegian to us.


    Heaned back in the seat and closed my eyes,


    2/4


    10:48 Fri, Jan 26


    letting my thoughts drift to Dorothy


    I missed my mate I regretted that I couldn¡¯t be there for her firsty of college. I knew how daunting that


    would be for her There was another reason I was eager to get back though. Tor hail sensed a


    I wasn¡¯t sure who or bow but I sensed then presence and affect towards her Dorothy herself seemed


    confused when t mentioned and said that she had been anmand many people while I had been gone,


    let alone approached by anyone


    1 who would be interested in taking my ce


    in


    Trusted Doroid, and I knew that she was telling me the truth Which meant that whoever it was, they


    weren¡¯t open about Their antaumon. But they were


    I fought the anger and jealousy that came with thinking of someone who threatened our bond, but I


    wanted to get hack all


    would be hell to pri


    Ignats Are you ringo¡¯s voice cut through my internal struggle


    ¡°What No sorry was distracted¡±


    Elbot rolled his eyes and 1 get my teeth nyway as yellow and they were foaming at the mouth, yes!


    as saying the Tally attackers. Their


    We¡¯ve been onto th


    I tried to keep the tentation and


    Bilbot madded: ¡° And they smelled of decay. It could be possible the Tally are purposefully altering the


    bodies of their solders. As in giving them something to push them to that state, Not only are they


    stronger than regr wolves but they sretni less sensitive ter pan as well.¡±


    I don¡¯t know about that ¡°1 said. ¡°That one guy seemed to be in agony when I was tickling his brain


    through his eye socket.¡±


    Elliot frowned ¡°Ooously theres a limit to how much they can take, but there¡¯s no denying that they can


    take a hit better


    Thou have a point there¡±


    suspected some kind of rabies Elhot contuurd Candering they die almost as quickly as they show up.


    But I¡¯m not sure This feels like something cbe entirely


    We¡¯ve seen something like this before.¡± I said quietly


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    out of the window, watching the trees full by and wishing I could run next to them instead of being


    trapped in a car sar who would never respect nie


    To the woudi when I was younger. With mom¡±


    Est fell silent and has fists tightened on the steering wheel. We never spoke about my mother,


    adien atje lett. Elliot had put a stop to my constant question with a p to the face and a loud


    deration: ¡°She¡¯s gone! Cet


    Can We don¡¯t need her We have never needed her. She served her purpose: She is useles to lix how


    4 alugged crying pertry quickly after that And I never mentioned my mother agam. But in my bad. I


    would watch her departure and like a bad move hoping one day the ending might change. Her bare


    feet. Her streaming hau Her


    ¨C sine


    ¡°Do you contembre?¡± Tasked my father. ¡°That day in the woods. That creature¡±


    Elliot¡¯s face was stay and he koja tus eyes forward I kept my eyes the nail as I spoke Tran into the


    forest to y Awhile I


    and Murture


    dat gone very far.


    62%


    and mom picked me up as soon as she saw me. That¡¯s when the creature came. The Not Deer.¡±


    Still, Elliot said nothing. I felt like I was talking to a stone wall. ¡°I had the same yellowy eyes like pus.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    And the same foaming maw. You wanted to fight it. But mom. She just stood there while it opened its


    jaws. She held me to her chest and closed her eyes like she had been waiting for that moment for a


    long time.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand it before but I do now. What did you do to her to turn her into the person


    that she was? That quiet, broken being. Why was she so ready to die?¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Elliot hissed. ¡°Mort- she is none of your concern. She gone. There¡¯s no good in looking back


    into the past now.¡±


    I stared ahead of me. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter all that much now. But the fact still stands. That deer or


    whatever it was. showed the same symptoms as the Tally anackers. There could be a connection. Can


    you remember what we were told of the Not Deer?¡±


    Elliot didn¡¯t answer me, and it was clear from his expression that the conversation was over. I shrugged


    my shoulders. 1 would have to discuss it with Rita when I got back. She knew more of the strange and


    mysterious than I did.


    I let my mind wander back to Dorothy and more pleasant thoughts. Tor growled at the noticeable


    presence of thepetitor around my mate and I bristled in anger, I would have to get back soon.


    Dorothy was mine just as I was hers. 1 wouldn¡¯t let anyb*dye between is.


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    0

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    -Dorothy.


    My new college was bigger than my old one back on Khall territory. Stepping through therge front


    doors my breath caught in my throat as I gazed in horror and the number of bustling students moving


    about the hallways.


    Fae put a hand on my elbow and guided me along through the crowd. So far, nob*dy seemed to notice


    or recognize me which was a plus.


    They knew Angie though. A few people approached us to greet her and the others. It was only after we


    moved along that they looked over their shoulders at me like they¡¯re just realized who I was. I hoped


    that word didn¡¯t spread fast here.


    I managed to get through most of the day without any hups. Either Angie, Fae, or Gideon were in at


    least one of my sses so I was never truly alone. The problem arose, however, when it came to my


    final period for the day.


    Up until that point. I hadn¡¯t been called up to the front nor introduced to the ss by any of my lecturers


    which had been a relief. But in my final lecture period, the professor, a wizened old man took roll call


    and belted my name out loudly in front


    of the ss.


    ¡°Dorothy-ch, there¡¯s no surname here. Do we have a Dorothy in this ss?¡±


    All eyes turned to gaze at me and I sheepishly raised my hand. Im Dorothy¡± I squeaked, wishing the


    floor would open up and swallow me whole. ¡°Tm here


    The old man adjusted his spectacles to peer over at me. I shrank in my seat, mortified at all of the


    attention.


    ¡°Ah.¡± he said finally. ¡°You¡¯re new here. From the Khall Pack. I hear: Wee. Dorothy. It¡¯s good to


    have you here.¡±


    I nodded my thanks and stared at the desk in front of me when a chorus of whispers arose from around


    the lecture hall.


    If they didn¡¯t recognize me before, they knew who I was now. None of my new friends were in this ss


    either. I was alone and I had the entire room gawking at me like I was a specimen in a 200


    Finally, the lecture continued and people eventually went back to focusing on the professor drone on


    about something could barely understand.


    As soon as the ss ended, I gathered my things and booked it to the exit before anyone could stop


    me and talk. I made it out of the room but I was stopped by someone tapping on my shoulder as I was


    hurrying away.


    I turned to face a girl 1 had never seen before. But looking at her, I got the same feeling I had when I


    She crossed her arms and looked me up and down while I stood with my shoulders haunched and my


    books to my chest.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Dorothy!¡± she said. Her voice dripped with disgust and 1 wished any one of my friends


    would turn up and diffuse the situation. Two more girls came to stand at her side and I took a step back


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m Dorothy. I¡¯ve got to go though..¡± I turned around to leave but she gripped my forearm tightly,


    her sharp nails dug deep into my skin.


    ¡°You¡¯re the reason the Tally are attacking us now,¡± she hissed. ¡°My brother was one of their victims.


    What kind of future Luna endangers her people?¡±


    I was mute. I stared at her in shock. ¡°I didn¡¯t I didn¡¯t know that this would happen. I didn¡¯t mean for any


    of it to happen.¡±


    This only seemed to infuriate her more and she leered at me, her teeth sharpening as she pushed her


    face close to mine. ¡°Your thering doesn¡¯t help anything. And your useless apologies won¡¯t bring him


    back.


    She pushed me and I stumbled backward, barely managing to maintain my bnce at the force of it.


    ¡°Go back to where you came from mutt. We don¡¯t need s cu m like you around here.¡±


    1/3


    10:48 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Students were starting to gather around as the girl and her friends stepped forwards again. I was


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    trapped by the crowd, people circled me and others looked on with nk faces. It seemed a lot of


    people med me for the recent attacks. And they weren¡¯t entirely wrong about it.


    I lifted my hands, palms up in surrender. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disrupt your lives. I


    can¡¯t change what has happened and I can¡¯t bring back what you¡¯ve lost but I can help, I can-¡±


    The p girl didn¡¯t let me finish and I was pushed again, this time, someone behind me pushed back, and


    then more people joined in.


    I struggled to stay on my feet, trying to remember everything Angie had taught m over the past week.


    We had only ever practiced one on onebat and I was facing dozens of people I also didn¡¯t want to


    hurt anyone, they were my people after all. I was supposed to be one of them, even though it seemed


    they clearly didn¡¯t want me there.


    The noise volume rose as people grew more excited, egged on by others as the crowd grew, and more


    people gathered to watch. A few were yelling, shouting insults to be heard over the growing outcry.


    ¡°Khall sc um,¡±


    ¡°Ginger b itch


    Panic rose in my chest and threatened to burst forth in a scream as I was pushed and pulled and


    mocked. I wanted them to stop, I was overwhelmed and terrified all over again.


    ¡°Stop, I whispered. Please stop.¡± But my voice was lost to the masses.


    Without thinking. I reached my hand forwards, to the girl in front of me who had started it all. Her eyes


    were angry and her fangs protruded from her mouth. I pressed my palm directly against her chest.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I said, my voice suddenly even and calm.


    I felt a strange peace settle over me. Renee was growling in my chest, I knew she was trying to speak


    to me but I felt far away from my own b*dy-separated from myself and my wolf. The same white glow


    grew at my palm but this time it wasn¡¯ting from me.


    It was flowing from the girl in front of me into the hand I had ced on her chest. Her expression was a


    puzzling one. She was staring at me with wide eyes, her open mouth frozen in a scream but no sound


    came out. The crowd around me had stopped their harassment and drew back. Someone cried out in


    rm.


    I didn¡¯t understand what was happening but I felt like I was in a trance. I gazed at her in a daze. I felt


    energy racing up my arm and into my own b*dy, filling me with a strength I had never felt before. I didn¡¯t


    realize where it wasing from or why. I didn¡¯t realize that I was killing her draining the life from her


    b*dy through the palm of my hand.


    Suddenly, my arm was wrenched away from the girl by someone much taller than me. ¡°Stop it. Dorothy!


    She¡¯ll diet¡±


    Angie¡¯s voice made me blink and the world came back into focus. I looked around me. Students were


    staring at me in horror. The girl had fallen to the floor at my feet and Fae was checking her pulse.


    Angie had her arms around my shoulders, holding me back. But I didn¡¯t fight her. I hung limp in front of


    her, mortified at what I had just done. I felt the newly stolen energy coursing through my b*dy. I felt


    stronger than ever. I felt like a monster.


    Far looked up in relief. ¡°She¡¯s alive. But she needs to get to the hospital¡±


    Everything was still for a moment before one student whispered, ¡°Witch¡±


    A newbel to add to my reputation. Angie noticed the crowd threatening to close in once again and


    growled at the people surrounding us. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. I¡¯ll kill everyst one of you.¡±


    Whether it was their newfound lear of me or Angie¡¯s dominating presence I¡¯ll never know, but the


    crowds of students slowly parted to let us through Angie walked me past all of them and I couldn¡¯t bring


    my eyes to meet the gazes of the scared people around me. Far carried the girl behind us and Gideon


    showed up to lead us to the van.


    We drove to the hospital in stony silence for a while.


    I looked over at the unconscious girl in Far¡¯s arms. ¡°I can give it back. The life I took,¡± I said quietly, ¡°I


    can feel it inside of me. I can give it back.¡±


    Angie shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t know for sure if you¡¯ll be able to stop from draining yourself in the


    process. She¡¯s going to be okay. And thest thing we need is younding up in the hospital all over


    again.¡±


    I leaned against the window, tears pric king at my eyes. ¡°They hate me. They already hated me and


    now they¡¯re going to hate


    me even thore


    ¡°Theye around, Fae reassured me. ¡°If anything, this move will probably have gained you some


    respect among them. At the end of the day, you were defending yourself. And you did it in the Bielke


    way. When pushed, push back harder.


    ¡°That¡¯s a wed way of life,¡± I said nkly: ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone. I¡¯m supposed to be protecting


    these people, not sapping the life out of them.


    I looked down at the girl. ¡°She was angry because her brother had died in a Tally attack. She has every


    right to hate me. I brought this invasion down on everyone.¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, shut up.¡± Angie said sharply. ¡°This is not your fault. The Tally have been waiting to take us


    down long before you showed up. This isn¡¯t on you


    Her face softened slightly and she took my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself okay. They shouldn¡¯t have


    cornered you Im sorry we left you alone for a while. Next time, I promise to have your back no matter


    what¡±


    like that.


    Her gentleness came as a surprise to me. I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. I leaned back against the seat and


    closed my eyes. I longed for my mate who suddenly felt so far away.


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 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    -Ignatius-


    Meeting with the final pack went well enough. I was relieved to finally be on the home stretch. I was


    rearing to get back to Dorothy and my own home. Elliot and I hadn¡¯t spoken much since the one-sided


    conversation in the car.


    He clearly still hadn¡¯t forgiven me for bringing up my mother considering we drove the rest of the way in


    stony silence until we reached the final pack on our list.


    The Drakkon Pack was small, smaller than even that of the Khall, But they held their own kind of


    power. The Drakkon was known to stay out of neighboring pack business for the most part. But we had


    stepped in to help them before and now they owed us a favor.


    Luckily for us, the Drakkon always kept their word and were happy to offer us their support should it be


    absolutely


    necessary.


    Unlike the Bielke, the Drakkon was not interested in resorting to violence unless there was no other


    option. But they held at particrly strong grudge against the Tally since they had almost been wiped


    out by them once before,


    Their eldercouncil was small, consisting of only three members When we were done with our


    discussions, the Alpha and Luna invited us to stay as long as we liked. While my father went off to


    meet with an old friend of his ¨C I had no idea my father even had any friends-I went to see the single


    healer of the Drakkon Pack.


    I had had no choice but to disclose information about Dorothy¡¯s strange healing abilities during our


    conversation with the elders. For a pack who keeps to themselves, the Drakkon have a way of picking


    up information about the going ons of the entire country.


    Nob*dy knows how they do it but they do it well. They had asked about Dorothy and whether or not she


    would pose as a


    threat to them.


    I reassured them that was not the case and exined that we weren¡¯t even entirely sure of how her


    ability worked or how she got it. The elders had suggested I consult their healer, who hade from a


    distant pack long ago and who held a lot of knowledge on the topic of healing.


    I didn¡¯t think there was anything this strall town healer could tell me that I didn¡¯t already know, but I had


    time to kill and nothing to lose from speaking with her.


    The woman lived in a small cabin on the outskirts of the Drakkon territory. She wasn¡¯t difficult to find. I


    followed the scent of herbs and potions that surrounded the small home.


    Charms and bottles hung from the trees around the cabin and nts had been left to grow wild all


    around the area. Curling green vines chang to the wooden frame of the building like the small log cabin


    was a part of the woods and had grown from the ground along with the rest of the foliage.


    There was dust on the ss of the windows and I couldn¡¯t see through the grime, but aside from the


    clinking of wind chimes, light musicing from inside let me know that someone was home.


    I walked up to the small door and knocked twice before it creaked open. An old woman stood before


    me, although old isn¡¯t an urate enough description. She looked ancient. She was short and stooped,


    leaning on a wooden cane with the head of


    wolf carved into its handle.


    The two beady jeweled eyes of the wooden wolf stared at me along with the woman¡¯s own lidded white


    pupils. She could have been blind, but she was looking straight at me.


    ¡°Um, hi¡± I said. ¡°Are you the healer of this pack? I¡¯m Ignatius Armound of the Bielke Pack. I was


    wondering if I could ask you some questions?¡±


    She nodded slowly. ¡°Of course. Pleasee in


    I had to duck to step through the small doorway. Inside, when standing up straight, my head almost


    brushed the ceiling.


    1/3


    10:46 Fri, Jan 26


    More trinkets and other wind chimes dangled from the roof above us and I had to be careful to not


    knock my head against


    of them.


    any


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The old woman motioned for me to sit on one of the weathered pillows on the floor. Dozens are carpets


    were crossed over each other, making the entire floor look like a giant patchwork quilt.


    She lowered herself down onto another cu shion and began to pour tea from a small porcin mug that


    stood on a small


    table in front of her.


    ¡°So she said with a voice like gravel. ¡°What is it you wanted to know?¡±


    I nodded when she lifted the small canister of sugar and thought over my question. ¡°My mate, Dorothy,


    she¡¯s got some kind. of healing ability. She can heal herself like a regr shifter but this is something


    different. This is way more powerful¡±


    The old woman kept quiet, stirring sugar into our tea and waiting for me to continue. ¡°A few weeks ago,


    we were attacked by a Tally shifter. He injured a friend of mine, Badly. I thought she was going to die.


    But Dorothy somehow managed to heal her and now she¡¯s perfectly fine.


    The woman¡¯s head jerked up when I said this and she listened attentively as I spoke. ¡°Only, Dorothy


    herself ended upatose for two weeks. It seems like she passed some of her own life on to the girl


    she saved. Have you heard of anything like that happening before?¡°


    The old healer looked down again and handed me a steaming cup of tea


    Your mate. Dorothy, she is from the Bielke Pack?¡±


    Not born into it, no. She was from the Khall Pack before I met her. But she wasn¡¯t originally from there


    either.¡±


    I frowned down at my tea. ¡°Dorothy said she saw visions while she had been unconscious. She said


    she remembered her pack being attacked. ording to the Khall elders, she was delivered to them as


    a baby by a woman who imed to be escaping this attack.¡±


    The old woman leaned back, stroking her wrinkled chin with fingers covered in gold rings. ¡°It¡¯s possible


    she could be a descendant of the Sanitatum people.¡±


    The name rang a bell. ¡°That was a name D


    The woman nodded


    Dorothy gave to herself She said she didn¡¯t know where she had heard it.¡±


    Probably because she never did. The Sanitatum disappeared long ago, barely anyone remembers


    them at all. If her pack was attacked it¡¯s very likely someone discovered that the bloodline was still well


    and alive and sought to gain the power for themselves Or eradicate it entirely


    ¡°What do you know of this power?¡± I asked earnestly, leaning forwards on my haunches. ¡°Is Dorothy


    going to be okay?¡±


    The woman shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The Sanitatum bloodline was thought to have died out because of


    the effects of their own powers. They used it to heal others, and in turn, they wiped themselves out.¡±


    So if Dorothy just refrains from using her powers, she won¡¯t be hurt by them?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that. Ites naturally, this healing power, it¡¯s an urge she


    will not be able to fightt when it ovees her. There are only two ways a Sanitatum wohld live its life.


    Give up years of your own and live a short life but save countless others. Or take life from the people


    aroural you and prolong your own.¡±


    ¡°Why not both?¡±


    ¡°You can try. But with that amount of energy surging through your b*dy, eventually, something has to


    give. This is the curse of the Saratatum¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be it!¡± I mmed my cup down onto the table. ¡°So we just have to ept that she¡¯s


    eventually going to die because of this? That¡¯s b ulls hit. I won¡¯t ept that


    10:48 Fri, Jan 26


    The healer seemed unphased by my outburst. She put her hands around my own shaking ones and


    spoke gently. ¡°I don¡¯t have all of the answers for you. This is just what I havee to learn of it.


    Perhaps you will find others like Dorothy who might be able to help you.¡±


    She let go and stood up slowly, a hand on her back and leaning heavily on her cane. ¡°After all, if one


    Sanitatum is still alive,


    there is sure to be more out there.


    I got to my feet wearily. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. And thank you for your time. I¡¯m sorry I lost my temper


    there, I didn¡¯t mean to disrespect you


    ¡°Think nothing of it, the woman said, waving her jewelry dded hand. I understand the desperation of


    young love. You


    do love her don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°With all my heart.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    -Ignatius-


    I was ecstatic to finally be homeward bound. I had spoken to Dorothy the moment she had woken up to


    let her know the good news. I wanted to tell her what I had learned from the healer hat I decided that


    would be a conversation best had in


    person.


    Dorothy herself was overjoyed to hear that I wasing home could feel her excitement from where I


    sat in the car with my father, driving back home. I was at the wheel this time, and Elliot was dozing in


    the passenger seat.


    I nced over at my father. Elliot sat with his arms folded and his head nodding forwards. Even asleep,


    there was a frown on his face and his forehead wrinkled in displeasure. I wondered if he ever dreamed


    of his wife. Looking at his expression- whatever he was dreaming of, it wasn¡¯t pleasant¡­


    While we drove let my mind wander where it may. I contemted the healer¡¯s words and her advice. If


    there were other people like Dorothy out there, we would have to find them.


    Surely someone had to know how to put an end to this curse. Rita had called it a blessing but I wasn¡¯t


    so sure. Anything that slowly killed you from the inside out, didn¡¯t sound like a blessing to me.


    It was clear what the healer said was true. Dorothy herself had exined what had happened at her


    college that first day. She had drained that girl¡¯s life and replenished her own. But if that was the path


    she took, she would eventually be dependent on others lifeforce to keep her going.


    And all of that energy passing through her b*dy would eventually kill her anyway. More than that,


    Dorothy sounded. mortified at what she had done. I couldn¡¯t imagine my gentle, stubborn mate


    resorting to draining others for her own personal gain. She would never allow herself to live like that.


    I loved my mate for that. I was ready to do anything to keep her live but I knew Dorothy would not want


    her own life causing harm to others.


    We were nearing Bielke territory when a strange feeling overcame use. It started out as subtle anxiety,


    growing in my chest and I ignored it at first. By the time we had crossed the border, however, it had


    grown exponentially and I was sweating my seat


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Something somewhere had gone very wrong. Someone had betrayed us and Tor was growing


    infuriated. I didn¡¯t know exactly what had happened but I recognized what I was feeling.


    Something was triggering a dangerous heat period. I had felt it once before when members of our pack


    had torn away from us and betrayed us by spilling pack secrets with an enemy force.


    1 hadn¡¯t handled it very well then and Tor had gone wild in his drive to im what has his. Apparently,


    staking one¡¯s territory was important in calming down the heat that sparked from a betrayal of one of


    your own.


    An Alpha heat was not the same as a regr shifter. Ours was dangerous and sometimes it could


    ovee a person entirely. By the time I arrived at my father¡¯s house 1 was gripping the steering


    wheel tight enough to bend it. My lips were curled into a sneer. I wanted my mate. I wanted to mark her


    I mmed on the breaks in front of my father¡¯s house and Elliot started forwards in his seat, waking up


    with a gasp at the jolt of my breaking.


    ¡°What the f uck kind of driving is that?¡± he eximed, turning to look at me with irritation.


    ¡°Get out,¡± I snarled at hun. ¡°Now¡±


    Elliot didn¡¯t really respect me much but it was clear by my expression and jerky movements that I was


    serious. He shrugged and stepped out of the car


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill her. She¡¯s too pretty for that,¡± hemented before mming the door. I had already


    mmed my foot on the gas and sped away at breakneck speeds


    1/4


    Chase i


    I drove up the washing walgo no home and the car screeched at every corner. I was struggling


    internally to control my urges but. Tot was cynsble and had only one thing on his mind. I had no


    choice but to obey and allows myself to get lost mthe animalisis nature of my beat


    1 tl my shan stang mins teams as t barreled the cat towards the house, swerving to the parking area


    and mming on


    breaks. I rolled my head back in my seat trying my best to breathe and stay calm but it was no use.


    I didn¡¯t want to han Donits. But the moment she rossed my mund I drove myself wild all over again,


    rearing to get to her. I wanted her all to myself to devous, mark and im her entirely Dorothy was the


    one person who was truly mine 1


    oded to remind bot of that tact Incoded everyone to know.


    I stepped out of the car, her scent already filling my nostrils and driving me wild.


    ¡°Ignatius


    I snapped my head up and there she was 1 teli ms pupilste and electricity pulsed over my skin at the


    sight of her.


    ¡ª


    Argic, Fac, and Galeon had tried them best in cheer nie ijs after the incident at the college. The girl who


    had bulled me. ended up being okay ater all which had helped case my nerves somewhat but I still


    found my sell deeply disturbed by what I had debe


    All I had wanted was for them to stop tormenting me. It was like reliving an old nightmare. But Thadn¡¯t


    meant to hurt her.


    that badly


    Thankfully, her parents seemed pretry understanding and didn¡¯t ask too many questions about what


    exactly it was that I did thatnded then daughter incapacitated for a day. Although I think their


    forgiveness came from fear of repercussion from iny. Alpha itate rather than any actual sincere


    understanding


    Either way. I was still happy to hear that she was okay, I wanted to go to the hospital to apologize in


    person Int Angie told 111 was worth it she had been put in her ce in the harshest of ways and no


    one would dare bully me again.


    Angie was right on thatst point at least. After a day to recover and regain my courage. I went back to


    college with the others. Aicir and Eie staved close at my side the whole time but the presence wasn¡¯t


    necessary


    Nob*dy came near me or tried to bother me at all People acknowledged me in the hallways now with


    small nods or awkward smiles. I wondered if they were afraid of me. Angie told me that was a good


    thing but I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    One good thing to look forward to at least was Ignatius¡¯s homing. He had told me through the


    mind-link that he was already on his way and that he would be arriving by thete afternoon. I was


    relieved to hear this, I couldn¡¯t go a day longer without my mate Not after everything that happened.


    Twas excited to see Ignatius and I was rearing to show him how far I hade with my training. Rita


    had met in the forest. imvery morning, focusing on breathing and all that hun stuff. But we had also


    moved on to small shifting


    I was now able to fully grow my nails mio sharp talous and my eyes were finally improving in the dark.


    My senses were better and I could hear a rabbit moving in the forest from a mile away.


    I learned to identify different scents and how to differentiate them when they crossed and ovepped


    one another. One day, Rara had led me into the woods blindfolded and then left me there to find my


    own way home using only my scent and hearing abilities


    It had taken a few hours and I tripped and tell me times than Ed like to admit. But I had stumbled oat of


    the woods and ripped the blindfold off as the sun was setting low on the h orizon. I was met with


    apuse from both Rita and Angie.


    Mybat training was going pretty well too I fell on my a ss less and managed tond more hits on


    Angic that weren¡¯t just cheap t it shots. My speed and stamina had moreased exponentially too


    10:48 Fr,


    62


    Even Fae was impressed with how far I hade in such a short span of time and she teased Gideon


    about this fact every morning on the way to college


    He would get angry and their conversations would devolve into more bickering, but even he would turn


    around in his seat to congratte me on my progress.


    All that was missing was Ignatius. I yearned for him at night and I spoke to him through our link every


    morning as soon as I woke up. Thest time we had spoken, that same morning, he told me that he


    had discovered some important information about my strange abilities


    He had been concerned to hear about the incident at college and got angry when I described the


    crowds of students and their raised voices as they pushed me around.


    I was curious as to what he had discovered but he told me that we would have to discuss it in person.


    He was trying to sound hopeful and lighthearted but there was an edge to his voice that told me it


    wasn¡¯t all good news. My heart sank right down to my toes when I thought about it.


    I tried to stay positive though, and I busied myself with cleaning the cottage for when he arrived home. I


    roped Angie into helping me as I had managed to make quite a mess in his absence


    Together, we swept the floors and washed the dozens of empty coffee and tea mugs that were sc


    attered around the house in every single one of my reading spots,


    Angie was surprised to find ire¡¯s study preserved exactly as it has always been and I exined to


    her that neither Ignatius nor 1 were very keen to talk about what to do with it. I was happy to just let it


    be and it seemed that he was too


    Angie thought it was odd but she didn¡¯t say anything more on the subject and we continued on with our


    frantic cleaning,


    ¡°Geez, Dorothy.¡±


    She was red-faced and exhausted by the time we made it to the final room and began folding clothes


    that I had neglected to throw back into my cupboard


    ¡°Why is this ce such a mess? I thought you were an organized person


    ¡°I am. I huffed, moving therge armchair away from the cupboard and back to its rightful corner. I had


    been using it to reach the top shelf that Ignatius usually attended to for me.


    Tve just been super busytely. There¡¯s training every morning and I have to catch up on everything


    I¡¯ve missed out on in college. I haven¡¯t had time to clean!¡±


    ¡°Fair point, I suppose. Angie mumbled. ¡°And why do you have a pile of sticks in this drawer!¡±


    ¡°Those are sentimental.


    I¡¯m beginning to think you¡¯re sentimental,¡± Angie said dryly. ¡°And why is this draw filled with rocks?¡±


    I managed to shoo her away from my precious collections when we heard a car pull up in the driveway.


    I could smell his scent before the ignition had even cut and I raced to the door and leaped down the


    stairs three at a time.


    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± My ecstatic shout echoed around the house.


    Angie followed me down the stairs, rolling her eyes as she did sa Dorothy he¡¯s been gone for a week.


    You¡¯re acting like he¡¯s been gone for years¡±


    ¡°It felt like years!¡± I yelled back at her as I threw open the door. Ignatius was getting out of his car. He


    mined the door shut and my


    heart leaped in excitement at the sight of his s haggy white hair and sloping, slender frame.


    He must have noticed my scent too because his head snapped up to look directly at me


    ¡°Um. Dorothy Hang on a second.¡±


    62


    There was cautions in Angie¡¯y voice when she saw Ignatius staring at me but I ignored her and


    bounded down the porch steps To greet my mate


    1 hurtled towards Ignatius and threw my arms around him, yelling my excitement at the top of my


    lungs. His arms closed around me tightly, his grip like to


    ¡°Doreths¡± he said


    Ammended old. He smunded hongos ravenous. This seem:


    was tweeter, more enticing


    Dangerously enthralling. I felt heat pool at my core at the same time that rm bells unded off in my


    head I looked up at


    The was staring down at me like a predator would regard their prey is pupils were pinpricks and h os


    fangs were elongated.


    ¡°Itu I whispered and tried to pull myself away. His grip on my hips was impossible to escape as he


    leerest or me. I Belt conflicted I was bothpletely intonated by his scent and filled with a dden


    urgent need, but at the same time his


    expression hail me feeling the slightest pang of real terr


    Ignaties Angie yelled from somewhere behind me and I heard the scrape of her shoes hitting the gravel


    Ignatius stop!


    I was confused to by my contacting emotions but an understanding suddenly dawned on me


    The seem bie wax expelling was a fam¨ªfur one. It waxa sornt I myself had donned back in the clinic on


    Khall territory when we had first met. My traite sink int eat Only this wasn¡¯t a slir-wolf use with the need


    to be dominated. This was an Alphan looking to mark what was hits,


    Te


    Ignatius gripped my arm and forced me to the ground, spinning me tond on my hands and knees in


    front of him. I trie? to scramble away, even though a part of me was rearing instead to arch my back


    and let tum have his way with me.


    I didn¡¯t get very far before Itelt h os hand grip my hair and pull me hack to lick his tongue along my


    neck, I couldn¡¯t hold back the moan that escaped my lips, even while my heart was beiting faster and


    my knees were shaking in fear


    11 fenatus¡¯s teeth breaking my skin in a potent bite, just as Angie  nted into him with full force and


    knocked Ignatias


    COMMENT

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    -Dorothy-


    I hastily mbered to my feet and jumped out of the way as both Angie and Ignatius fell to the floor.


    Ignatius snarled at the shifter who pinned him down. He threw Angie off of him and she rolled to her


    feet with a grace I could only dream of possessing


    Ignatius himself stood up and extended his ws. His eyes focused on me where I was frozen to the


    spot and he stalked towards me, swiping at Angie who tried to stop him.


    ¡°Get out of the way,¡± he growled at her. ¡°Come between me and my mate and I won¡¯t hesitate to kill


    you.¡±


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± I squeaked, stumbling backward as I tried to back away from him. ¡°Please, just calm down a


    little. You¡¯re not thinking straight.¡±


    Blood was trickling from where his tear had torn at my throat and pooled in the small dip in my


    corbone. I held my Is out in front of me in defense and he walked until his chest was against my


    palms before grabbing my wrists.


    hands


    He pulled my arms up above my head and pulled me into a rough k*ss. My toes barely touched the


    ground as I dangled in front of him, my shoulders popping at the strain. I moaned into his mouth as his


    tongue parted my lips and Ignatius hungrily k*ssed me.


    I


    His grip on my wrists was painful and his extended ws broke the skin, blood trickled down my arms


    as I squirmed against him. Every time I brushed his pulsing member that was straining against his


    jeans I grew a little more excited and a more afraid


    I couldn¡¯t help but push my hips against his, my soaking core only pushed him further into his S**ual


    frenzy and I could tell he was just about ready to rip my clothes off right then and there. I was ready for


    it so close toing untethered myself.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Angie once again tried to restrain my lustful mate and Ignatius growled in irritation. He let go of my


    wrists and I dropped to the floor, rubbing at my shoulders and trying to calm the fire that was highting


    between my legs.


    I pressed a fist to my aching entrance and arched my back on the floor. A part of me, the primal part of


    me, wanted him to force me to my knees right there in the open and rail me until I couldn¡¯t walk.


    I knew that¡¯s what Ignatius wanted too. But I was also aware that in this state, without my fully-fledged


    shifting abilities to help me, he might very well identally kill me in the process.


    I me ntally chastised myself for the little pang of excitement that thought brought to me. It wasn¡¯t so


    much that I was particrly stoked on dying that day, but rather I waspletely captivated by the


    sheer dominating strength of my mate and the thought of being in his control entirely.


    I wanted to let go of my burdens and my responsibilities and get lost in the animalistic and primal act of


    mating. I knocked these thoughts from my head and reminded myself that it was his scent that was


    driving me to these needy, aroused thoughts.


    Evey shifter releases a particrly pleasant and enticing scent when in heat. Ignatius had been lured


    by mine back when we were in the clinic together just as I was now being whipped into a S**ual frenzy


    by his own delicious blend.


    Ignatius managed to throw Angie off of his back and came for me onest time. He crouched over my


    arching form and 1 reached for him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He growled his pleasure into


    my ear as he pressed his throbbing erection against me.


    1whined in response. My whine turned into a loud wail when Ignatius bit down on my shoulder with


    teeth sharper than they should have been.


    Angie wrenched Ignatius off of me, his teeth tearing through my flesh as I cried out and reached for my


    mate. My own skin pri ckled with electricity and my b*dy was wrecked with a lustful need.


    Ignatius and Angie were brawling it out, looking more wolf than human as they wrestled. Eventually,


    Angie shifted to her


    1/4


    wolf form entirely and Ignatius followed suit.


    This battle was even more terrifying as I watched fur sprout from their bodies and their bones


    rearranged themselves as they fought. I hadn¡¯t even managed to shift into my wolf form yer and these


    two were making it happen in a split second in the middle of an all out brawl.


    Igaped at them in awe for a moment before getting up again. I wasn¡¯t sure if there was much I could do


    toe between two angry wolves in the middle of snapping at each other but I didn¡¯t want to see


    either of them get hurt.


    The sound of their vicious banter was shrill and sickening, whines and growls, howls and snarls. I stood


    on the sideline, looking around for Geranium or anyone else really toe and put a stop to their


    fighting. But there was no one in sight.


    I screamed for them to stop but all that did was attract Ignatius¡¯s attention to me once again and Angie


    quickly snipped at his neck when he looked like he was going to bolt for me. In his wolf form, I wouldn¡¯t


    stand a chance against Ignatius.


    I had only seen Tor, Ignatius¡¯s inner wolf¡¯s true form once and it had been briefly. I watched a silvery


    gray wolf dart past me where Iy crumpled on the ground while Ignatius and Geranium gave chase to


    the first Tally attacker.


    Now I was able to witness him in all of his true glory and in the dear evening light rather than at night


    with my eyes clouded with blood. He was gorgeous. His sleek gray fur was tipped with silver and white,


    an echo of the shade of his hair.


    He stood much taller than me, a giant wolf with rippling muscles and a potent looking jaw that was


    currently snapping aggressively at Angie¡¯s brown wolf. I wanted to gaze for longer, I wanted to stand


    there and admire the glorious form of my


    But there would have to be time for thatter. At the rate they were going, someone was going to be


    terribly injured if I didn¡¯t step in somehow and stop them. I had no choice. I ran across the gravel and


    threw myself at the writhing mass of Eur


    and muscle.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I growled


    Surprising even myself at the ferociousness with which I said it. I felt my nails grow longer and my teeth


    protrude from my mouth. Fur broke through the skin in ces and I wrapped my now wed hand


    around Ignatius and heaved him away from Angie.


    I didn¡¯t manage to do more than irritate him a little but my sudden semi-transformation was enough to


    startle the both of them into pausing for a moment


    ¡°Dorothy!¡± Ignatius eximed as he shifted back to his human form. ¡°You¡¯re shifting!


    I fell away from hian and looked down at my own b*dy. My injuries were healing but the transformation


    had already begun


    to subside. The small hairs folded back into my skin and my nails and teeth returned to normal.


    I hadn¡¯t felt it happening, nor had 1 willed it to. But the evidence was right there in front of me and I was


    suddenly overjoyed at what I had just achieved.


    Ignatius grabbed my shoulder, his heat not entirely worn off yet and pressed his now n*ked b*dy to


    mine. ¡°That was amazing!¡±


    ¡°I just wanted you guys to stop fighting,¡± I mumbled against his skin and rolled my hips to meet his


    when his scent zed over me like the sweetest honey


    ¡°Well, mission aplished,¡± Angie said as she too shifted back to human form. She didn¡¯t bother


    covering her b*dy but instead walked to Ignatius¡¯s car and pulled out one of his jackets from the back


    seat to cover herself with. ¡°Tll be borrowing this. I think that should be okay considering all the trouble.¡±


    ¡°F uck, Dorothy I¡¯m so sorry. The heat, that sensation, it just came on so suddenly¡±


    Ignatius held me close to him and buried his face in my neck, his tongue still licking like he wasn¡¯t quite


    done. He at least seemed more in control of himself though which was a relief. Although I¡¯d be lying if I


    said I hadn¡¯t sort of enjoyed his primal antics.


    10:48 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was just worried you might go too far. You bit me again.¡±


    Ignatius inspected my shoulder and the w marks he had left in my wrists. He frowned as he checked


    my whole b*dy. making sure he hadn¡¯t caused any serious injury.


    ¡°Go dda mn. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean toe onto you so strong there, Dorothy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I insisted, standing on tiptoe to k*ss him and his downturned lips. ¡°Really it¡¯s okay. And


    besides, it¡¯s Angie you should be apologizing to. You did almost kill her again.¡±


    ¡°Bu ll sh it!¡± Angie protested, walking over to us with Ignatius¡¯s jacket just long enough to cover her


    bare groin. ¡°I had him and he knew it. It¡¯ll take more than that to take me down.¡±


    ¡°Angie,¡± Ignatius said quietly, turning to face her. ¡°Thank you. Thank you for protecting my mate. I didn¡¯t


    think you¡¯d ever have to protect her from me but I appreciate it all the same. You¡¯ve proven yourself as


    a true ally,¡±


    Angie shrugged under the weather-beaten jacket. ¡°Anytime. Dorothy is an important person to all of us.


    It¡¯s an honor to offer her my protection when I can,¡±


    I had never before heard Ignatius give anyone a sincere thank you like that. Thest person I expected


    it to be aimed at was Angie but it was fitting and she did deserve it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, clinging to Ignatius now that he was over trying to mate with me like a wild animal. My


    prior excitement was returning and I was so happy to be with my mate again, even if he had just tried to


    nail me in the dirt.


    ¡°Thank you, Angie, for saving my butt twice now,¡± Iughed. ¡°I appreciate the effort¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee, carrot top. It¡¯s only a pleasu-Angie stopped mid-sentence and stared off vacantly


    as if she was listening to something that only she could hear. Her eyes widened in disbelief and Angie


    took a few steps back.


    1. I have to go. Something¡¯s happened.¡± She turned on her heel and took off running down the pathway


    at full speed. ¡°T catch up with youter! Don¡¯t tear the house down!¡± she shouted over her shoulder as


    she ran.


    I wondered what she could have possibly heard that had her changing her attitude that quickly. She


    looked genuinely shocked at whatever it was. 1 looked at Ignatius, questioning with my eyes.


    Ignatius stared after her in confusion. ¡°That was odd.¡±


    Does Angie have a mind-link with anyone in particr! By the looks of it, she seemed to have heard


    some kind of information via a mind-link. She got the same faraway look in her eyes that I got when


    Ignatius spoke to me from afar.


    Ignatius scratched at his head, still standing next to mepletely n*ked. The cuts and tears he got


    from his skirmish with Angie were already beginning to heal, blending with the other thousands of small


    white scars that littered his b*dy.


    ¡°She has a mind-link with most of her family members. It¡¯s notmon but they¡¯ve always been a tight


    bunch and their bloodline has some powerful quirks to it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know it was possible for some shifters to link their mind with their families. Of course it made


    sense though, and was probably pretty useful. I was made aware all over again of just how lonely I had


    been before Ignatius stepped into my life.


    ¡°What do you think she heard?¡± I asked. Although I wasn¡¯t watching Angie¡¯s retreating figure anymore. I


    was gazing at my mate and his semi-erect member. Ignatius noticed my ogling and smirked at me.


    ¡°And what is it that you¡¯re looking at over there, Dorothy dearest?¡±


    I blushed, locking my arms around his waist and smiling up at him sheepishly. ¡°Shush. I¡¯ve missed you.


    That¡¯s all.¡±


    Ignatius grinned and scooped me up, rubbing the tip of his head against my pants as I wrapped my


    legs around him. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± he said, before carrying me into the house and kicking the door


    shut behind him.


    He made a big deal of proving just how much he had missed me then and after a particrly


    passionate reunion, we had to use books to prop up the leg of the bed that got broken in the process.


    1 had gotten so used to my nightmares that I knew exactly what was toe as soon as I found myself


    in the dark forest once. I would hear cr ackling and snapping of dead leaves and dry brush in the


    darkness around me.


    I would try and fail to peer through the inky ck, only for the creature tounch at me from a direction


    I couldn¡¯t predict, And then I would wake up screaming and thrashing while Ignatis struggled to calm


    me


    Daly this time, the forest was silent. The scent of decay and unrest was gone. I thought maybe this time


    I could be safe. The moonlight shone through the trees above my head as I walked aimlessly through


    the night.


    Time was inconceivable in these dreams. I could have been walling for hours or minutes and never


    known the difference. I couldn¡¯t see any stars in the sky, only the bright t winkling of the almost full


    moon.


    Out of the corner of my eye I noticed movement. I whirled around to face the threat, expecting to see


    the creature lunging towards me with wide jaws waiting to stap hut. Instead I saw nothing


    The trees stared back at me in silence. I walked the rest of my way through the woods unharmed and


    unbothered. Everything was peaceful and quiet but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was being


    followed.


    I woke up in silence. My eyes tickel open but I wasn¡¯t screaming or failing this time around. I listened to


    Ignatius¡¯s deep breathing as he slept beside me in the dark. I looked over at my luate.


    Our limbs were entwined and tangled together. We had fallen arep in a n*ked heap. Somewhere along


    the line, Ignatius. had kicked off the nkets and the cool air blew in though the window and coaxed


    goosebumps from my skin.


    It should have been a relict, waking up calm rather than in a deranged panic. But the unsettling feeling


    of foreboding was heavy in my chest. Something had wasing. I didn¡¯t know what it was but I knew


    I would have to be ready for it.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    After Ignatius anil 1 had finally worn ourselves out and spent the night holed up in our house in the


    Ruta had been excited to hear that I had managed a hall shift so quickly although she warned me to be


    careful with it. She also rained holy hellfire down on Ignatius¡¯s head when she found out about how he


    had almost injured me in his heat.


    Ignatius offered to help me attempt my first ever full shift and was eager to take him up on that offer.


    We left the house and instead of beashing into the forest, Ignatius guided me towards the c lits that


    looked down over the sea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be easter out in the open,¡± he exined. ¡°Fewer trees to crash into. Just don¡¯t go falling off the


    cliffs¡±


    ¡°Not funny,¡± I mumbled, looming down over the edge at the crashing waves and pointed rocks below. ¡°I


    don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m going to be able to do it again. Last time had adrenaline and fear on my side.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Iguatus insisted and he took both my hands in his and squeezed. ¡°This is so exciting. I


    can¡¯t wait to see what your wall looks like. Fini sure she¡¯s beautiful¡±


    ¡°What if I get stuck hallway?¡± Now that


    Ignatius stepped back to give me room. Dorothy that can¡¯t really happen. I just told you that so you


    would stop hounding me about it before you were ready.¡±


    was finally going to attempt a full shift, I was suddenly a nervous wreck


    I gave him my best resting b tch face and my drawn-out silence hade my irritation apparent.


    Ignatiusughed and then held his hands up. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry about that one. But it¡¯s time.


    Remember what Rita taught you.¡± He seemed more excited about the process than I was. I wondered


    how long he had been waiting to run through the woods with my wolf form by his side,


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± I whined, wringing my wrists and dancing on my toes. ¡°What if I can¡¯t do it again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like riding a bike, Ignatius brushed my worries aside. It takes a leap of courage and suddenly


    you¡¯re a natural at it.¡±


    I closed my eyes, focusing on slowing down my breath.


    ¡°Fine. But you¡¯re not allowed tough at me if I get it wrong.


    I stripped down to my underwear and shivered when the breeze whispered across my bare skin.


    Ignatius told me that most shifters ended up tearing their clothes if they didn¡¯t change out of them first


    and I wasn¡¯t ready to lose any of my new expensive outfits.


    ¡°Noughing. I promise.¡±


    Ignatius crossed his finger over his chest in an X and smiled at me.


    ¡°This is going to be great.¡±


    I peaked at him through one eye and then tried my best to focus. I heaved in a deep breath and


    listened to the world around


    I could hear the waves throwing themselves against the jagged rocks at the foot of the cliffs we stood


    on. I heard the wind swish through the tall grass and felt tendrils of it brush my ankles as the green


    des swayed in the breeze.


    I could smell Ignatius¡¯s scent, blending so well with that of the sea air that was carried up the cliffs with


    the spray of seafoam Fresh air, sunshine, and the smell of salt in the breeze. It was as peaceful as it


    could possibly get


    I focused on all of these things I could sense around me, allowing myself to sink into my own mind


    while Renee rose to the


    for front.


    10:49 Fri, Jan 25


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Dorothy her soice was soothing and singsongas I stepped back to allow her to take


    the helm ¡°You¡¯re ready


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel ready.¡±


    Nob*dy does on their first time. You¡¯re going to be fine¡±


    I let myself float in the calming energy that flooded my mind. After a few moments. I heard Ignatius¡¯s


    breath hitch and I felt my b*dy beginning to change.


    Fur broke through my skin once again, only this time I was more conscious of the ufortable


    sensation of it rippling across my skin.


    I felt my ws lengthening and sharpening and my canine teeth began to poke through between my


    lips. I kept my eyes scrunched tightly shut, concentrating on keeping it together.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great. Dorothy Renee assured me. I couldn¡¯t answer her. There was a sharp pain


    growing in my limbs as every appendage began to stretch and reshape.


    It started with my fingers, an achingpression that send pain shooting up my arm. It spread across


    my b*dy. It felt like the growing pains I got in my short legs as a child when I had finally hit my very tiny


    growth spurt


    Suddenly I was sweating, I felt it drip down my forehead as I fought to stay on my feet. I was told the


    first shift was going to be painful. I hadn¡¯t anticipated just how much it was going to hurt though


    Some shifters began practicing this kind of thing from the age of twelve, prepping their b*dy and their


    mind early so that by the time their full shin came they would be ready for it


    I didn¡¯t have the luxury of practicing from a young age. I didn¡¯t have anyone to exin it to me, let alone


    teach me up until I met Ignatius


    There were a reason packs were so tightly knit. They encouraged each other and prepared each other


    for the tumultuous life of a shifter from a young age.


    I finally understood the necessity of a pack. Of a family. I cried out in agony when a bolt of pain cut like


    a knife through my b*dy and my knees buckled underneath me.


    Ignatius rushed to my side, concern in his voice. ¡°Dorothy! You¡¯re going to be fine. It¡¯s okay. Just try to


    breathe through the pain. You¡¯re almost there.


    ¡°I¡¯m shifting, not giving birth,¡± I whined, not meaning for it to sound as harsh as it did. Ignatius didn¡¯t


    seem to mind though and heughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Ignore me. I just want to help you get through this¡±


    ¡°Then tell me I¡¯m not allowed to die and that I¡¯m going to get the best reward if I manage this process


    without screaming¡±


    I groaned again when another wave of pain shot through me. I felt my bones stretching, some of them


    pressing together. They crunched and popped and grated over one another as my b*dy rearranged


    itself from the inside out.


    This was why shifters prepared for this earlier. This was why I needed the training. My b*dy wasn¡¯t


    young and malleable. anymore. My bones were breaking and regrowing for the first time ¨C not counting


    the fractured ribs udia and Lana had delivered to me the year before.


    Ignatius¡¯s voice was stern


    ¡°You are not allowed to die. And if you get through this without being too loud I promise I will run you a


    bath and treat you like a proper princess for the rest of the night. Is that what you wanted to hear?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I moaned. ¡°That¡¯s better. Less concerned mate and more demanding Alpha.¡±


    I could hear the smug smile in his voice without having to open my eyes. ¡°Well good. Also, you¡¯re


    almost there. Your fur is


    white.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I opened my eyes and fell forwards, crying out as my broken bones reset themselves.


    Suddenly my cry was a howl and I lifted my now fully formed head to the sky.


    ¡°Well done, Dorothy Renee¡¯s voice in my head was excited and I could hear the pride in her words.


    ¡°You did wonderfully.¡±


    ¡°Oh my go d. Ignatius¡¯s voice held a tint of awe. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful


    With that. Ignatius shifted alongside me ¨C much quicker and obviously less painfully than I had. Ignatius


    howled his excitement and I couldn¡¯t help but join in. Our wolves¡¯ voices merged together and echoed


    over the cliffs, scaring the gulls that were circling above us.


    I looked down at my own front paws in the tall grass. Clean white fur. I was ecstatic. My b*dy was


    ovee with the innate desire to run full speed along the cliffs. Ignatius was bristling with excitement


    next to me and his voice in my head was loud. and reckless.


    ¡°Time to test out your new form. Have you ever raced anyone Dorothy?¡±


    Tve been outrunning my bullies all my life. You¡¯re on.¡± Before I could even finish, Ignatius had taken off


    running ahead of me and 1 hurried to catch up ¡°Cheater. That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    We took off across the edge of the cliff, I chased down my mate in the form I had longed for for so long.


    Rence was singing in my chest, ted as our legs stretched and bent as we ran faster and faster.


    Helt more powerful than ever before, so sure of my b*dy and every step that I took. We picked up


    speed and managed to keep pace right behind Ignatius who looked back with his tongue lolling out of


    his mouth.


    1ughed internally at the sight of him but I felt the exact same reckless joy that I knew he was feeling


    in his chest. I felt free and unstoppable. I felt alive.


    -Johan-


    They didn¡¯t know what wasing for them. How could they? They were so caught up in their own st


    upid little world they weren¡¯t even aware of the danger lurking right beside them in the trees.


    I had masked my scent well. I kept to the shadows. They didn¡¯t suspect a thing as they strode past me


    towards the cliffs. Even Ignatius, with his Alpha abilities, was unable to detect me now. I had gone


    beyond the limitations of a mere Beta. I was something greater. Something entirely new. And I was


    patient.


    I could have stepped out


    right then and there, snapped Dorothy¡¯s pretty little neck, and knocked my old friend off the cliffs how I


    yearend to see his b*dy dashed on the rocks below, painting the cove red.


    I wanted to tear them apart. But that wouldn¡¯t be enough. They didn¡¯t deserve a quick death. They


    deserved to endure the same suffering that they had put me through. It wasn¡¯t enough to tear them


    limb from limb.


    I wanted to take everything that they loved. I would take their pack and their people. I would take their


    home and their way of life. I would take them from each other. And only then, when they had nothing


    left-only then would I allow them the relief of death. This was my design. This was my revenge.


    I watched in silent disgust from my position in the forest. I saw Dorothy, my old nate. My true mate. I


    watched her shift into her wolf form for the first time. She was a stark shock of pure white fur and blue


    eyes that I could see even from a distance.


    She was a beauty to behold. I wanted to see her clean white coat stained with blood. I crossed the


    damp forest floor. I wanted to be closer I wanted to taste her went. I wanted to indulge.


    They took off running across the cliffs, Dorothy was faster than had expected. My weak, frail mate was


    full of surprises. So was I They could never expect what was toe. It had already begun. My n


    was already in motion.


    I had more people on my side than they were aware of. I had plenty of tricks up my sleeve, and now I


    had spies on the


    375


    10:49 Fri, Jan 26


    inside and a new power that would tear them down before they could blink.


    My b*dy was powerful, my senses refined. My skin was cold to the touch ¨C it spoke of death and decay.


    But I had never felt more alive. It was a worthy sacrifice in exchange for all of this power. For the


    chance of revenge.


    I could not have been happier to have stumbled onto Tally territory all those weeks ago. I had been lost,


    murderous. I had carried my dead lover around like a gruesome puppet, talking to Mavis like she was


    still alive.


    All she could do was stare back at me with hollow, empty eyes. Her mouth was frozen in a perpetual


    soundless scream. I told her how beautiful she was. How she shouldn¡¯t have done what she did to me.


    I had to make her understand that she had wronged me. I would never get an apology though. Corpses


    can¡¯t talk. That was the first thing the Tally leader had said to me when she found me in the woods,


    whispering to Mavis


    I had been broken and deranged, without a purpose. She had been unafraid, even when I loomed over


    her, ready to maul


    her on sight.


    ¡°Corpses can¡¯t talk. What are you doing on my turf, mutt?¡±


    A thin, spindly woman with long hair. An innocent victim lost in the woods was what I thought when I


    firstid eyes on her But she was more than that. She showed me the great power that she possessed


    and I had been captivated immediately


    I had felt her own rage and saw the pain in her eyes that reflected my own. She had been wronged by


    the world, da mned her pack and tormented by those she had loved. I saw her insatiable lust for


    vengeance and it inspired me. She led me to her soldiers.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    She had offered me a way out, a solution to all of my problems. She gave me a purpose and great


    powers. And then she gave


    mean army.


    Our ns were set in motion soon after that, and I was stronger than ever. The voices of Mavis and my


    father were harder to hear now.


    That da mned ticking clock was background noise to me, nothing more than the irritating buzz of a fly-


    easily ignored except in the short moments before I slipped off to sleep. I barely needed sleep thanks


    to the Tally leader. She had gifted me with a b*dy that could thrive on fury and resolve alone.


    I didn¡¯t need to eat either, but my jaw itched totch on to warm flesh. I ached to taste fresh blood on


    my tongue. Dorothy¡¯s Joyous howl had me snapping my eyes up. My traitor mate and her dog were


    heading back my way


    I watched them roll about in the tall grass and yfully snap at each other like they weren¡¯t inches


    away from death. I reveled in the power I had over them. A power they weren¡¯t even aware of


    Julianna growled in my chest, their lust for blood pushing me to take an unintentional step forwards. I


    was almost in sight of the two foolish lovers.


    ¡°Fools, the both of them,¡± Julianna hissed.


    ¡°Enough. We can¡¯t be seen yet.¡±


    ¡°We should just cut them down now.¡±


    ¡°No, I hissed, although the idea was so tempting. I took another step forward. Something about


    watching my mate from the shadows was invigorating. Something about the churning anger in my


    chest made my c ock twitch.


    it a fool


    ¡°They aren¡¯t worthy to be called fools. Does one pass an ant and take the time to call it a fool?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help myself, gliding my hand up and down my own member, watching my mate carry on


    gleefully. Completely oblivious to my pe rv ersion


    It was my grudge to hold, my fury to fetishize. I fought to keep the moans from escaping me as I felt my


    throbbing appendage gearing to release,


    1/5


    Fri, Jan 26


    D2%


    Another step forwards and atwig snapped under my weight. Dorothy sat bolt upright in the grass and


    turned her head to scan the forest. Her senses were better than I had anticipated,


    I froze on the spot, stiff c ock in hand, confident that I was hidden, After a few more minutes of waiting.


    Dorothy turned away and continued her grooming of the wolf at her side.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I said to Julianna, stepping back into the shadows and hastening away through the trees.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    5/5


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    -Dorothy-


    Thad never seen a wolf frolic before but that was exactly what Tor and Ignatius were doing when we


    yed around in the grass. Tor seemed to grow embarrassed when he noticed me stopping to watch


    but 1 tossed my head and rolled around in the grass with him, nipping at his ears and y fighting.


    I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had had this much fun. I wanted to run around for hours just


    enjoying the strength of my b*dy and knocking Tor down in the process. He pretended to be injured


    only to get up and chase me back down the cliffs at breakneck speeds.


    We carried on for ages, enjoying the fresh salty breeze that blew through our fur. We werepletely


    content in each other¡¯spany. At one point I thought I could hear something in the woods, but upon


    scanning the treeline, I didn¡¯t see any nor hear anything more and brushed it aside.


    After hours of running around the cliffs like a bunch of vagabonds, Tor lunged at me, pinning me to the


    ground underneath him right on the edge of the cliffs. I was panting hard by then, most of my energy


    already spent.


    I felt myself slowly shifting back to human form and watched as Ignatius began to do the same. After a


    lot of back arching and whining at the pain, the crunching joints and clicking bones eventually subsided.


    It hadn¡¯t been as painful as the initial shift but my n*ked b*dy was covered in a sheen of sweat and my


    chest heaved during the excursion. I was still in the process of shifting back when Ignatius ran his


    tongue up my chest,


    I whined at the sudden shock of pleasure and lifted my hips to buck against his. All of our clothes had


    been discarded long ago. My underwear had torn the moment 1 turned and Ignatius bad removed his


    before he shifted too.


    Now we were both n*ked and slowly returning to our usual form, Ignatius¡¯s face was inches from my


    own as he bnced himself above me. All of a sudden I was hungry, starved for affection and I wanted


    him all over me at once.


    My womb ached to be bred and I keened out my intense need when Ignatius ripped at my skin. He did


    it again and again, trailing down my chest and taking pleasure in the effect it had on me.


    I yelped when Ignatius pressed his head between my legs, his tonguepping at my wet slit. It felt like


    all the blood in my b*dy rushed to where he lingered and I lolled my head back in a primal kind of


    pleasure when his tongue flicked at my bud.


    In one motion Ignatius flipped me over, his sharp ws catching my skin as he did so and I whined,


    arching my back and lifting my a ss in the air like I was in heat. I was already wet and aroused. I could


    feel my own hot juices dripping down my thighs.


    The scent of it seemed to reawaken Ignatius¡¯s previous intensity and he gripped me roughly,


    positioning himself at my entrance and ramming in without warning


    I screamed as his pulsing, veiny member stretched me open, felt the suction of my pu ssy lips as he


    pulled out, and rammed back in again even deeper than before. My cries were swept away by the wind


    and I pulled grass from the ground at the edge of the clifftop.


    Ignatius haunched over me and gripped both my shoulders, pushing further than be knew I could take


    until even his thick knot was ebbed inside of me. I moaned in an ecstasy of both pain and pleasure at


    the sensation.


    Ignatius began bucking his hips wildly against me, his own howling almost overtaking mine as he


    rammed his entire length inside of me over and over again. My whole b*dy jerked along with his thrusts


    and I felt the thick tip of his head ramming right against my cervix with a force that made my toes curl


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    and my teeth grit as I moaned.


    Neither human nor wolf but somewhere in between, we were animalistic in our passion and Ignatius


    proved then and there that he was an Alpha like no other. His growls were threatening, terrifying, but oh


    so enticing all the same.


    I was a small toy in his grasp, something to be used however he pleases, as much as he wanted, and


    whenever he decided it was time. I was happy to subunit entirely, my whines punctuated by his harsh


    long thrusts


    13


    We were exposed out there in the open but I didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t care who was watching only that my


    mate was moving inside of me with a force that would soon enough tear me apart


    There was a sloshing, pping sound as my own juices drenched my legs and the grass around me,


    and I felt the hot liquid of Ignatius¡¯s pre-cu m escaping from my entrance whenever he pulled out.


    I was gushing from one end, drooling from the other. My mouth was open and my jaw jutted forward in


    sensual pleasure.


    Ignatius fisted one hand in my hair and tilted my head back to k*ss me. His maw grazed across my


    b*dy like he wanted to taste the shape of me, memorize it by heart before he devoured me whole.


    His hot breath on my skin sends shivers throughout my b*dy. My back ached at the strain of it but all I


    could do was moan helplessly as my eyes rolled hack in my head.


    ¡°You love this, don¡¯t you?¡± Ignatius growled as he looked down at the drool spilling over my chin.


    ¡°My mate likes being a sl ut for me.


    I knew he was taking sick pleasure in watching me be such an untethered mess and it only


    served to rile me up more.


    I whimpered in response, trying my best to focus my eyes while his d ick pressed right against my most


    sensitive spots. My legs began to shake beneath him as he impaled me, and my shoulder tensed in


    anticipation of an o rgasm that was sure to rock my b*dy


    Tell me you love it, Ignatius pulled out of me suddenly and I cried out in frustration, wiggling my a ss to


    coax him back in. I wanted it. I needed it.


    ¡°Tell me that you love it, Ignatius repeated, gripping my throat in a vice-like grip and licking a wet


    tongue along the side of my face that sent tingles all the way down my spine. ¡°Tell me you love being f


    ucked like a w h ore.


    He pped my a ss, hard, when I ignored him and tried to angle him back inside of me myself. I


    groaned in frustration and 1 felt the skin welt where his hand hadnded. He seemed to enjoy the look


    of it and did it again, once, twice more.


    ¡°I love it!¡± I shrieked, as he branded my a ss red. ¡°I love it when you f uck me like a w h ore. Please.


    Please Ignatius I need it¡±


    I was aching my arousal burning through my b*dy. I choked and spluttered on my own saliva that


    dribbled from my mouth and arched my back, begging for il


    Ignatius obliged. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± And rammed himself back into me. He pressed his b*dy tight against


    me, ttening me onto my stomach and pressing my face into the ground as he pounded into me


    relentlessly


    He pulled out a second time when my o rgasm screamed through my b*dy and had me clenching my


    walls around his pulsing wolf-co ck. My legs shook uncontrobly beneath him and I screamed into the


    dirt. Ignatius wasn¡¯t done though, not


    even close


    His weight on my back pinned me to the ground like it was nothing. My mate was more wolf than


    human now, his instincts overtaking him in the heat of the moment.


    I felt the broad crown of his erection pressing against my entrance once again. I felt wet beads of my


    own cu m dripping from my entrance and I shivered as he rubbed himself over my overly sensitive cl it.


    Tbraced myself for more, unsure of whether or not I could actually take it but hungry to be filled all the


    same.


    Ignatius sensed this need too and thrust into me once again, the broad head of his throbbing erection


    finding its mark immediately. My b*dy responded greedily, slowly rxing and tensing around him as he


    pounded mercilessly into my tight


    pus sy


    I clutched at the grass, pulling fistfuls of it from the earth as my ravaging mate rutted against me in no


    particr rhythmn nor with any care for how deeply he was prating me. Ignatius pounded into me


    as I released harsh guttural cries into the empty air of the cliff edge. Breeding me


    Molten heat exploded at my core for the second time. I responded with gut-wrenching whines and


    cries, more unhinged and depraved than the first org asm. Ignatius howled along with me and I felt his


    balls tighten, his co ck twitching as he


    10:49 Fn, Jan 26


    prepared to release himmell inside of me.


    Ignatius unloaded himself into my alused p hot seen shoot inside of me, a loud so big I felt it oozing


    from my entrance before he had even pulled out


    Ignatius rested his full weight down on top of me as he released veryst drop with a few final pumps.


    His hand was still in my hair, pressing my face into the grass. Helt his ws slowly retract and his arm


    dropped to the side as he sighed out his


    I was still notching around him, his member still stretching the ring of my entrance wide open. I dadn¡¯t


    expect to be able to sqt for ys. Or walk for that matter. I was well and truly spent, used like a


    personal c ock sleeve by my Alpha mate. I felt his semen dripping from my entrance between my


    syed legs


    Ignatius slowly pulled out of me and I winced at the pain of it. My pu ssy lips suctioned against his


    member as he slowly removed himself and he moaned at the sight of it.


    ¡°F uck¡±


    ¡°F uck?¡± I heaved, turning my fare and blowing out exhausted breaths into the grass des that tickled


    my nove


    ¡°F uck, you¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re so f ucking se xy and it drives me wild¡±


    Ignanus grappled myce into a rough k*ss andy down beside me


    The both of us struggled to breathe after that particrly long and intense session. Wey n*ked


    together in the tall, soft grass, Our bodies spentpletely


    Hove you Ignatius sighed as I closed my eyes and allowed the cool sea breeze to brush pleasantly


    over my sweat zed


    kin


    I reached for his hand. ¡°I love you too¡±


    Next time, Tm sticking it in your a ss


    ¡°Don¡¯t even f ucking think about it.¡±


    SEND GET

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    -Angie-


    It had been a full day and night since I had heard my mother summoning me home through the mind-


    link. Her words were enigmatic, but I already had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach when I ran


    from Dorothy and Ignatius.


    I had run all the way back to my family home as fast as my legs could carry me. I wiped at a bleeding


    cut on my forehead, courtesy of Ignatius, and swore when a car swerved around me as I turned a


    corner. The driver shook his fist out the window but I was already too far up the road to hear his yelling.


    I rounded anotherer and reached the house, Kicking open the door I was met with the determined


    faces of my small family. My mother and grandfather stood in the living room. My little brother sat on


    the sofa in the corner, looking back and forth between the two of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I raised my voice, mining the door shut behind me. ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re


    leaving?¡±


    ¡°The Bielke Pack is doomed, Angie, my grandfather said sternly ¡°We have been doing their dirty work


    for years. And now we¡¯re expected to go down with them when the Tally attack?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten that we ourselves are Bielke!¡± I made no effort to keep my voice down. What my


    grandfather said was treason at its ugliest. ¡°Have you forgotten how they took you in when your own


    pack abandoned you? How can you expect me to leave them? This is a time of crisis. We need to


    protect our people now more than ever!¡±


    They are not our people¡± my grandfather thundered. ¡°What happens when the Tallyes knocking,


    and the other packs stand aside and watch? I won¡¯t risk the lives of my family on a useless feud. The


    Bielke has no true allies, not anymore. There is no hope against the Tally.¡±


    ¡°So what then?¡± I folded my arms, squaring my chest and raising myself to his height. ¡°What exactly do


    you n on doing instead if you¡¯re not going to stay and fight? Where will you go?


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    My grandfather crossed his own arms, his bushy brows furrowed low over hus angry eyes. ¡°We have


    been offered impunity and citizenship in a different pack.¡±


    My mother tried to interrupt us but when my grandfather and I butted heads there was no getting in


    between us. I stared him down. ¡°And what pack would that be, exactly?¡±¡±


    My grandfather faltered for a second. For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of just how unsure of


    himself the man was. My heart sank


    This was ast-minute decision made out of fear and resentment. He wasn¡¯t thinking logically. My


    grandfather was afraid. His answer shocked me, sent me reeling for a moment myself.


    ¡°The Tally Pack. We¡¯ve been asked to join the Tally¡±


    1 had left pretty quickly after that. I knew I would have to tell Ignatius but I needed to investigate first. If


    he learned of my family¡¯s treason he would have no choice but to exile them, or worse. I needed to


    prove to them that this was the wrong idea


    I needed to find the person who had spoken with my grandfather. He told me he had been approached


    near the words by a strange man who bore the scent of the Tally, the strong smell of rot and decay.


    The man told him that he would protect us if we wished to leave with him the following day. He said he


    would be waiting at the border between Bielke turf and the nearby open road. I would get there first


    Besides the fact that it would be ludicrous to join forces with the Tally people, there was no guarantee


    this man was even trustworthy. Who¡¯s to say this wasn¡¯t a new way for the ¡°Tally to hire people to their


    doom?


    How many other desperate families had he tempted with the gift of safety and security when their pack


    was on the brink of a terrible war


    175


    10:49 FC, Jan 26


    I searched the area where the man said he would be waiting. I was a day early obviously and there


    was a good chance he wouldn¡¯t be there yet, but I had to make sure.


    1 walked the small, overgrown pathway from the woods down to the side of the road, testing the air for


    any sign of a strange scent and scanning the ground for footprints,


    1 could find nothing at all. If there had been a man here he was an untraceable shadow. That made my


    distrust grow exponentially


    I searched the forest all night long, tracing my steps back to where my grandfather had first been


    approached by the shadow man. Still, I could catch no scent.


    He must have masked it or covered his tracks somehow. I had heard that it was possible to vanish


    one¡¯s scent from an area but that kind of trick required witchcraft or the likes


    I wondered if I could be on to something there. It had never urred to me before that the Tally could


    be dabbling in old magic in order to convert their attackers into those thering, yellow-eyed monsters.


    That was another point I would have to mention to Ignatius. But if it was true, and the Tally had crossed


    the line between shifters and witches, we had an enormous problem on our hands. This was an area of


    expertise that nob*dy in our pack but Ignatius himself was skilled in


    He didn¡¯t use these skills anymore though. But I had memories from early childhood when Ignatius was


    shorter than mel and the world looked so much bigger when looking up at the adults around us. They


    were like towering trees in our own personal forest, legs for trunks and swishing clothing for highrise


    branches


    I remembered Ignatius¡¯s mother. Morticia. I recalled her long straight hair that cascaded down her back


    like a waterfall. had always wanted to touch it, braid it, and put flowers in it as a child, but Morticia


    frightened me.


    Her b*dy was skeletal in nature, the skin was drawn tightly over her high cheekbones and sunken eyes.


    She went about her daily housewife routine with a vacant look in her blue eyes, like she herself was


    somewhere far away while her b*dy carried on without her.


    Ignatius had loved her though. And she clearly adored him too. She carried him around even when his


    toddler b*dy grew too heavy for her frail one. She also did magic. Those were the moments when I


    watched life spark in Morticia¡¯s eyes.


    She would catch Ignatius and me peering into her small cluttered study and snap at us to go away. Her


    little room of potions was small, but it was clearly the woman¡¯s haven. Unlike the rest of the house


    which she kept clean and minimalistic, Morticia¡¯s study was a treasure trove of trinkets and odd things.


    There were precious stones and jewels lining the windows and dusty, moth-eaten books on the rickety


    bookshelf. There were so many stacked into there that the shelf seemed to sag in the middle, bursting


    with pages and pages of spells and runes and secrets.


    Books spilled out onto the floor along with a collection of jars and vials all containing strange-looking


    liquids, herbs, and nt bulbs. Ignatius had once stolen a jar to show me. It contained a whole finger


    belonging to some unknown person. floating in a yellow liquid inside the cloudy jar.


    Ignatius liked to believe that his mother chopped it off of her own father¡¯s hand. I was mortified by the


    discovery but also a little intrigued and 1 would always be excited to catch glimpses into Morticia¡¯s


    study when Ignatius and I barreled past during ytime.


    Sometimes, when Morticia was feeling generous, or excited by some discovery, she would beckon us


    in and bnce the both of us on her knees to peer down at whatever she was working on


    Her desk was always a mess of twigs, nt clippings, and dark stains where unknown liquids had


    spilled onto the table and seeped into the wood to stay there for good. It was during these times when I


    was most excited, Ignatius and I were always thrilled to be involved in whatever it was his mother was


    looking at


    Sometimes it was a healing potion, sometimes it was a single feather standing dead straight all by itself


    even when a breeze blew through the window. She showed us a clockwork mouse that seemed a little


    too lifelike in its movements and the turning key in its back had made me trfortable.


    10:49 Fri, Jan 26


    Once, it had been an injured bird. She had whispered for us to be quiet, as she stroked the tiny


    creature, taking care to avoid the broken wing. Then she had drizzled a dark liquid from a small vial into


    the bird¡¯s beak and we watched in awe as the bird¡¯s wings slowly began to reform.


    The creature chirped and cried as much as a bird could, struggling in Moritica¡¯s hand as the wing


    repaired itself. Its small, headlike eyes had turned white, and when it was finally still. Morticia released


    in..


    The wing was healed but the bird was dead. Morticia had brushed it aside as a failed experiment and


    chased us out of the study quickly after that.


    But I had peeked back in, curious about the magic potion that could heal a broken wing and haunted by


    my first confrontation with death, only to see Morticia staring down with a manic, cerily wide grin at the


    dead bird that was suddenly moving its wings


    She snapped her head up to look at me when I let out a small gasp and I hightailed it out of the house


    as fast as my little legs. could carry me. I was always a little afraid to be around Morticia after that.


    1 knew she had taught Ignatius some of her tricks, and for a while, he had been pretty chied up in the


    art of both ck and white magic. He eventually seemed to let it go though, as his heart grew colder


    and colder towards his mother after her early abandonment.


    Nob*dy had been prepared for her disappearance. Everyone knew Morticia didn¡¯t get along with her


    husband. There were Tumors of the terrible things Elliot did to her behind closed doors. Ignatius would


    never speak of it bu


    it was clear he too


    had his suspicions


    Everyone had expected Morticia to escape Elliot eventually. But nob*dy had thought she would


    abandon her son.tius grew to hate her for this and then when he grew up a little more, he was merely


    saddened by it all


    I tested the air onest time, before heading to my car. I sped down the empty roads towards the


    mansion by the sea just as the early morning rays began to break over the h orizon, lighting the sky


    scarlet and crimson like nature itself was giving us warning signs


    There was no doubt about it. There was danger ahead.


    -Dorothy-


    Ignatius and I took a long ssh around in the outside shower that was hidden to the side of the giant


    sea cottage. I had never seen it before, the small showerhead hidden by a still wall of stained ss that


    hugged around the little watery haven


    Ignatius turned the shower on and I felt cold water droplets trickling over my hot flushed skin. He took


    his time in cleaning me, insisting on taking care of it himself.


    Ignatius licked over the small beads of blood trickling from where his teeth had nipped at my neck. His


    hands slid between my legs, cleaning the hot mess of both my c um and his


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me going all over again, I whined into his mouth when he k*ssed me, his hand sliding along


    my entrance, teasing with his fingers.


    Ignatiusughed, pulling me to his chest. I can¡¯t help it. I could do this all day


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t,¡± I tried to sound stern but his thumbs rubbing over my cl it in the cool trickle of water


    turned it into a sigh. ¡°We have things to do. Responsibilities and sh it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so Ignatius seemed like he was going to carry on anyway but suddenly both of our heads


    turned to the front of the house at the sound of someone¡¯s voice.


    ¡°If you¡¯re finally done canoodling over there, we need to talk!¡±


    I c ocked my head to the side, frowning at Ignatius ¡°Angie¡±


    Ignatius turned the water off and reach for the towels we had distarded on the grass earlier.


    375 Chapter 48


    He wrapped one around his graist and proceeded to bundle the other one around my shivering b*dy,


    ruffling my hair in the process and k*ssing the tip of my nose. I followed behind him as he strode over


    to where Angie was leaning against her car.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Long enough to smell your rutting from a mile away. Angie rolled her eyes, but her face was grim and


    her mouth was set into a hard thin line. ¡°Ignatius I have to tell you something. We have a problem.¡±


    Ignatius shook his own wet hair, sending flecks of water spraying over both me and Angie.


    ¡°What kind of problem!¡±


    Angie looked nervous, she seemed afraid to speak. ¡°I need you to promise that nothing bad will happen


    to my family first. No matter what I tell you, I need to know they¡¯re going to be safe. They¡¯re scared,


    they¡¯re just thinking things through¡±


    ¡°Angie, what is it Ignatius interrupted her, sensing that she would go on defending her family for hours


    without actually disclosing what they had done. ¡°Your family will be safe. You have my word.¡±


    Angie scuffed her foot against the gravel, folding her arms. She looked like she was holding herself


    together more than appearing intimidating. ¡°My grandfather was approached by a man, I don¡¯t know


    who, he offered them safety and protection if my family joined his pack.¡±


    Ignatius was silent for a moment, his own mouth turning into a dry smile as he thought over the


    implications of Angie¡¯s words,


    ¡°What pack?¡±


    Angie kicked the ground again, keeping her eyes low.


    ¡°Angle. Ignatius¡¯s voice was stern. He didn¡¯t want to be harsh with her, but we were both feeling a


    growing rm at what this meant for the Bielke ¡°What pack? Who did your grandfather intend on


    joining?¡±


    ¡°The Tally, Angie whispered, digging her nails into her arm. ¡°He ns to join the Tally.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± My cry was a loud interruption. ¡°Why? That¡¯s suicide!¡±


    ¡°F uck,¡± Ignatius muttered. ¡°That¡¯s treason.¡± He pressed his palm to his forehead. ¡°If the Tally has


    tempted your family, who knows how many others they¡¯ve already approached.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about,¡± Angie said quietly. ¡°They know people are afraid. Nob*dy ising to


    help us. They¡¯re trying to tear us apart from the inside. They want to divide us before they strike.¡±


    ¡°Where did your grandfather meet with this man?¡± Ignatius asked Angie, but she shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already gone to inspect the area. I¡¯ve been up all night searching for even a hint of evidence but I


    found nothing¡±


    The dark rings around her eyes proved to us that she was telling the truth. Angle looked worn and


    exhausted, her usually stiff shoulders were dropping forwards and her hair was knotted and frayed in


    ces, escaping from her bum in messy wisps.


    ¡°What do we do about this, Ignatius?¡± She looked up at him with tired eyes. ¡°Where do we go from


    here?¡±


    ¡°Get some


    some rest for a start,¡± Ignatius said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You did well Angie. Thank you for


    round up some trackers and we¡¯ll sweep the area for this Tally shifter¡±


    ¡°And my family?¡± There was pain in Angie¡¯s voice. They had betrayed her just as much as they had


    betrayed their people, but she still clearly cared for them a great deal.


    ¡°I can ignore this for now. But you need to tell your grandfather that if any of them leave the house


    today to seek out this man, there will be hell to pay. I will never stop anyone from leaving this park if


    they so choose, but your grandfather could very well be walking right into a trap.


    45


    10:49 Fri, Jan 26


    Chapter in


    ¡°And we can¡¯t afford the Tally getting a hold of elder council secrets from him. Right now, your family


    needs to stay put. I¡¯ll have a guard watching your house. No attacker will make it inside either.¡±


    they¡¯ll be safe?¡± A long tendril of brown hair fell over Angie¡¯s eyes. It made her look younger, more


    vulnerable, and less put together like she usually presented herself.


    ¡°So long as they stick. the rules, they¡¯ll be safe. And I need to make some calls. We need to figure out


    how many others have been tempted by the same man. We can¡¯t afford to lose moir people to the


    Tally¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ignatius¡± Angie ?ncathed a long sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you. This means a lot. I¡¯ll make sure


    they follow the onders. T¡¯in sure I can bring my grandfather to his senses someli¨®w¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to,¡± Iputius said quietly. ¡°If word gets out that one of our very own elder councilors


    is a turncoat, things could get very had for us¡±


    Ange nodded a new look of revolve on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll fix this. And I¡¯ll send Fae and Gideon over right


    now to prepare for the


    Ignatius stared after her as Angie sped away. I slipped my hand into his, noting the dismal look on his


    face.


    ¡°This is hard,¡± was all he said. ¡°This is really bad.¡±


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    62%


    Ignatius


    more than


    The news of Angie¡¯s family betrayal rocked me. We were losing members. We couldn¡¯t afford to be


    whittled down more we already had. I was beginning to wonder if Elliot might have been right.


    Maybe we should haveunched a counterattack from the moment the first shifter attacked Angie that


    night. Maybe all of it was my fault, I had been too forgiving, too cautions. I wasn¡¯t ready to sacrifice


    lives for a promise of peace,


    This betrayal could also possibly exin my sudden heat that home the moment I got back to my own


    territory. Tor had sensed then benaval long before I had and it drove him to a frenzy.


    Dorothy tugged at my hand. ¡°Who do you think it could have ligen ¨C that man who approached Angie¡¯s


    grandfather?¡±


    I looked down at my mate. She looked scared. I hated the Tally for threatening our praceful existence


    together. I would keep Dorothy safe. I had vowed to protect her with my life and I intended to keep that


    promise.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± I said, trying to keep my tone from revealing just how concerned I really was


    ¡°Could have been the Tally leader. Then again it could also have been..¡± I trailed off I didn¡¯t want to


    bring back the memories Dorothy had been trying so hard to leave behind. But she already knew what I


    was going to say, she had been thinking it too


    ¡°Johan. It could be Johan, she whispered it like she was afraid that saying his name too loudly would


    summon him on the spot


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about that right now, I tried to reassure her. We don¡¯t know anything for sure yet. Wait until


    Fae and Gideon start their search.¡±


    I turned towards the house, realizing I was still standing in just my towel ¡°I need to pay a visit to some


    of the elders. We need to be sure who exactly is still on our side. We can¡¯t trust anyone.


    ¡°What about Rita?¡± Dorothy asked, hurrying along behind me. Her towel was still wrapped around her


    b*dy and over her head and 1 wanted to scoop her up in my arms. To carry her away from the mess we


    had found ourselves in


    I have to speak with Rita too. She¡¯s kept secrets from us before secrets about you and your powers.


    Who knows what else she¡¯s hiding.


    ¡°But she¡¯s been so helpful to us. Dorothy insisted. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t do as much as she has if she wasn¡¯t


    on our side.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not using her. Trust me, I don¡¯t want to suspect anyone either. But we have to be sure?


    I rushed up the stairs to get dressed while Dorothy stopped at the bottom and let go of my hand. ¡°What


    if Johan¡¯s after me?¡±


    I paused halfway up the staircase as she continued, ¡°What if this all my fault. Maybe if I just gave


    myself up he would Jeave the pack alone?


    ¡°No, I growled,unching downs the stairs and grabbing her face in my hands. ¡°Don¡¯t think like that.


    Even if that is what¡¯s happening and you¡¯re what he wants, he¡¯s sure as hell not going to get it. I¡¯m not


    going to let you throw your life away. Dorothy¡±


    Her eyes welled with tears. ¡°What it it¡¯s the only way,¡± she whispered. ¡°He¡¯s already rallying people, and


    he has the Tally army behind him. You said it yourself we don¡¯t have enough people on our side.


    I didn¡¯t have the answers forrr I didn¡¯t have a solution to stop her tears that trickled down her cheeks


    and wet my fingers. All I knew is that I would let nob*dy take her from me.


    No one would harm a hair on her head so long as I was breathing. What kind of mate what kind of


    Alpha ¨C would I be, if I let innocents surrender themselves in order to save the rest. There had to be


    another way, and I would never, ever give up Dorothy in the name of peace. They would take her over


    my own dead b*dy.


    Fri, Jan 26


    Dorothy looked like she was already set in her conviction that sacralicing herself was the only way.


    62%


    ¡°Look,¡± I k*ssed the top of head head gently, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this when I get back. Don¡¯t do anything s


    tupid while i¡¯m gone. though okay?¡±


    Why can¡¯t Ie with you?¡± she followed me up the stairs and into our bedroom while I pulled on the


    first items of clothing I could find.


    ¡°Because if the elders have been turned, it could be dangerous for you to be there. If they¡¯re capable of


    treason theyre capable of a lot more than that. I don¡¯t want you getting hurt if things get ugly¡±


    I was already dialing Geranium to ask him to keep an eye on the house. Of all the members of my


    pack- aside from Angie. Geranium was someone I trusted the most. His cell rang and raig and


    eventually I was directed to voicemail. I frowned. staring down at the dark screen. It wasnt like him to


    not answer is phone immediatly.


    I was torn. Bringing Dorothy with me would mean putting her in danger but leaving her behind without


    protection was not an option either.


    I pulled on my boots, ¡°You have your knife with you?¡±


    Dorothy looked at me quizically and then knelt under her side of the bed to remove the de from


    where it was wedged between the mattress and the bed base. It wasnt much but It would have to do.


    ¡°Good. Keep that with you. Lock the doors and don¡¯t answer for anyone, got that?¡±


    I knew my serious tone was scaring her, but I didnt have a choice. Things were looking grim and


    Geranium¡¯s silence only adding to my unease.


    I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly, tilting her head up for one more passionate k*ss


    before bounding down the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it, okay? Be safe


    Myst glimspe of her before I shut the door was my mate standing dismally at the top of the stairs. Her


    hair was bedraggled and she stood clutching the towel around her small fragile frame. She raised a


    hand to wave goodbye before the door shut between us. It hurt me to leave her like that. But this had to


    be dealt with as soon as possible.


    1 was dialing my father by the time I got to my car, ¡°Elliot. We have a problem. Are you at the elders


    hall?¡±


    ¡°You seemed to have calmed down since yesterday.¡± My father¡¯s voice was nd, cutting for no real


    reason other than to spite me for the sake of it.


    ¡°Someone is tempting members into joining the Tally. Angie is sending out a search for him now. We


    need to figure out how many have already betrayed us.¡±


    His grim silence was deafening as I started up the car and screeched down the road.


    -Angie-


    I didn¡¯t go home and rest as I had promised. Instead, I drove to far¡¯s house and h onked the car hom


    repeatedly until I saw her drowsy face in the window. Her eyes widened when she recognized me and


    she held up a finger to ask for a minute. While I waited, I dialed up my grandfather and growled into the


    phone. ¡°Ignatius knows about what you¡¯ve done. If you dont want to see anyone get hurt expect you to


    stay home today and don¡¯t leave for anything. There are already guards posted outside¡±


    My grandfather hang up without a word. I took that as an affirmation. He wouldnt risk the lives of my


    mother and brother by daring to cross the guards..


    Half a minuteter, Fae was at the front door and walking to the car, still in the process of slipping on


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    her shoes. ¡°Angie? What¡¯s up: What are you doing here so early!¡±


    ¡°You wanna help me track an imp?ster?¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to ask her twice, Far rounded the car without another word and climbed into the


    passenger seat next to me.


    273


    She took in my sunken eyes and wild hair with a raised eyebrow. Have you heard of the concept of a


    hairbrush?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit preupied, I mumbled, kicking the car into gear and speeding towards Gideon¡¯s


    house next. ¡°We have a problem. I need your help.¡±


    Fae wiped sleep sand from her eyes as she checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. ¡°Who is this


    imposter we¡¯re tracking? Has there been another Tally attack?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I exined the situation to her while we drove to Gideon¡¯s house. Faes¡¯ eyes grew wider


    and wider as I continued and her mouth was set in the shape of an O.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± she eximed as we pulled up right under Gideon¡¯s window. I reminded myself to


    apologize to his motherter for wrecking her tulips under the wheels of my car. ¡°How many others


    have turned too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said as I leaned out of the window and called upto Gideon who I knew would still be


    fast asleep at this time. of day. ¡°Wake up, a sshole! We have a job for you.¡±


    After a minute of waiting and Far tactically chucking a pebble through the open window, we heard a


    loud thump and a groaning from inside as the pebble hit its mark.


    Gideon¡¯s sleepy head peaked down at us. His hair was dishelleved and he blinked like he was only just


    emerging from thefort of his nkets


    ¡°Did you just throw a rock at me?¡±


    ¡°No time for apologies,e down. We need your help rapunzel


    ¡°Bit ches,¡± Gideon mumbled under his breath before heaving himself over the window sill.


    ¡°Um, stairs exist, Faemented as we watched Gideon slide down the drainpipe with more grace


    than was to be expected Trom a man who spent most of his off time ying video games and eating


    microwaved macaroni straight from the foil wrapping,


    -This is faster,¡± Gideon stated as he climbed into the back seat. ¡°And besides, if my mother follows me


    out she¡¯s going to be appalled at what you just did to her daffodils


    Those are tulips, Gids.¡±


    ¡°Fae darling, I have been awake for all of ten seconds and I am severelycking in the hot caffeine


    department. I don¡¯t give at hoot about exactly what kind of flowers you just crushed.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, Fae giggled. ¡°Anyway, Angie¡¯s family justmitted treason and now we¡¯re going to


    track down a Tally shifter who may or may not still be lurking around the area


    Gideon blinked at her slowly. The tendrils of sleep slowly leaving his eyes.


    ¡°F ucking brilliant,¡± he mumbled and leaned back in his seat. ¡°I love me a good heart attack in the


    morning¡±


    ¡°Gideon, if we actually manage to catch the guy and get out of this alive, I¡¯ll buy you all the coffee you


    could ever want


    BB

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    -Angie-


    I drove Fae and Gideon to where the imposter had met with my grandfather. I had already scoped the


    area the night before, but I hoped Fae or Gideon might be able to pick up on something that I hadn¡¯t.


    Fae sniffed the air with a look of serious concentration on her face and Gideon stooped low to the


    ground to examine the soil for footprints


    ¡°You sure he came this way?¡± Gideon asked, inspecting a ga sh in the ground. ¡°I can pick up your


    grandfather¡¯s scent but it seems like he was the only one who had been here. Are you sure the old


    man¡¯s not going s enile?¡±


    ¡°My grandfather is not losing his mind. I would know.¡±


    Gideon shrugged and knelt to the ground once again. After ten minutes of searching and me thering


    over the phone to every young shifter in the area-warning them to be on guard, Cidron stood up and


    stretched to click his hack


    ¡°Is this guy a ghost or something? Even with masking leaves, he should have left some kind of trail.


    There aren¡¯t even any footprints.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s obviously not a ghost. Be serious about this,¡± I snapped and then regretted it. I was growing more


    and more frustrated. I didn¡¯t mean to take it out on my friends they were doing their best to help. ¡°Sorry.


    I¡¯m sorry. This is just so frustrating, He was here. I know he was.


    Gideon waved my apology away as he pressed his face to the ground, examining every twig and root


    that might give us an inkling of the imposter¡¯s presence there.


    From the look on his face, the searching was futile. The imposter had vanished without a trace. Not


    even us ¨C skilled tracking shifters ¨C could turn up anything of importance.


    After some time I noticed that Fae was quiet and motionless beside us. She was staring up into the


    trees with her brows furrowed and a frown on her face.


    ¡°What is it? I asked her,ing to stand at her shoulder. She didn¡¯t answer, her eyes scanning the


    treeline like she was reading something important written in the sky.


    ¡°Earth to Fae?¡± I probed, looking up as well and trying to see what she was seeing.


    ¡°The trees,¡± Far said quietly. She was speaking more to herself than to any of us as she walked


    forwards and ced a hand. on the bark of a thick, sturdy tree in front of us. She ran her hand up the


    bark until her fingers brushed something out of ce. ¡°He climbed the trees.¡±


    I was skeptical about this at first. My grandfather had described the man asrge and bulky, towering


    over him when they spoke. There was no way that someone of that weight and stature was able to get


    around through the treeline without crashing down almost immediately..


    But Fae scuffed around at the base of the trees in the area, digging through fallen leaves, and


    eventually unveiled an indentation in the ground at the foot of another tall tree. Bits of tree barky


    littered around the area too.


    Looking up, it was clear that some smaller branches had been broken in ces and there were scuffs


    in the bark like someone had wed at it. As far-fetched as it was, it was the only exnation we had


    to go on.


    Holy s hit. You might just be right about that.¡±


    Gadeon¡¯s voice was loud in the quiet forest. ¡°Just what kind of shifter are we dealing with here


    exactly?¡± There was a rising parut in his tone. ¡°You¡¯re telling me he¡¯s been moving through the trrey?


    You¡¯d need woll-like strength for that but human. appendages. That means he¡¯s able to halt hus shift


    somewhere in between the two.¡±


    ¡°Looks that way,¡± Far mumbled under her breath as she continued to examine the trees, tracking the


    imposter¡¯s progress as he had moved through the branches.


    1/6


    Fri Jan 26


    We followed her through the forest, me at her back and Gideon firinging up the rear Usually, it was


    always me leading the way, but this is how we progressed during most of our tracking expeditions. I


    was the shield, Far was our eyes and ears, Gideon had our backs.


    Far tracked the scrapes and broken branches all the way around our territory. There were asional


    moments when we stopped to examine the ground in ces where the imposter had a tearly alumbed


    down for a moment ¨C probably to tempt more Belke members with the promise of safety with the Tally


    do


    ¨C


    I made a note of exactly where these dopower male and how close they were in certain houses where


    elder members and other powerful families lived. Things were not looking good. He had approached


    too many of our most powerful And none of them had said a wont about a We had more enemies


    among us than we could have predicted


    It was only after another Tour of trooping through the woods, as far picked up speed and began jogging


    with her neck craned and her eyes on the treeline, that I gasped at the horriberalization.


    ¡°He¡¯s been watching them. He¡¯s been watching her


    ¡°Who¡±¡± Gideon¡¯s voice belund me was serious


    ¡°This is the way to the mansion on the cliffs. He¡¯s been watching Dorothy.¡±


    We were alb¨¹lent at the implications of this realization. None of to said another word but we picked up


    the pace, hurrying along as my stomach began to turn in a sickening motion


    -Dorothy-


    1


    I felt usriess waming around at home while my mate and my friends were all out trying to fix the current


    problem. What was worse was that jt kaas a mess that had started because of me


    Somehow in my quest to follow my heart I had sparked an all-out war that was now rippling across the


    country m its


    I felt like a jinx. I was a person who brought misery and disorder everywhere I went. Maybe that was


    the real curse that had been bestowed upon me and the healing abilities that were slowly killing me


    were post the cherry on tops


    I knew it wouldn¡¯t do any good wallowing around in a puddle of my own misery but there wasn¡¯t much


    else to do at the time. I paced up and down the living room, checking and rechecking the bolts on the


    door and gazing out the window willing my mate to return


    ording to Ignatius. I waunt allowed to even set foot outside the house. I was bursting with anxiety, a


    bundled knot of quivering nerves


    I worried for the safety of Ignatius, facing all of our potential new enemies. It wasn¡¯t fair that this burden


    had been thrust upon him. I knew he would be unable to make a call it things really came down to


    giving me up in exchange for peace


    1 worried for Ange and Fac and Galeun, the first thurer fremds Thad ever had. Filidn¡¯t want to even


    consider what would happen if they were to run into Johan himself. Angar was strong and her


    subordinates would protect her with all their might


    But their was no telung what Johan had be in the mouths since he murdered his father. My old


    mute had be monster and I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I was to me for that fact.


    I grund nut loud and h onked my head against the wall. Never before had I telt more useless, more


    helpless. It was aguting to be expected to sit around and wait


    Desgate all of my training and how far I hade, I was still unable to help anyone I was still just


    another burden to the people around


    A sudden Ennek on the dose had me seg and all of my senses were suddenly alen. I felt shivers


    etching across my skin until thent of Angie¡¯s sent tratta appar


    door


    ¡°Dorothy she called from tile the from do and I heard her frantically trying the lock ¡°Dorothy are you in


    there?¡±


    10:49 Fri, Jan 26


    Ignatius had said not to open the door for anyone but I was pretty sure Angie didn¡¯t factor into that


    promise I unlocked The three bolts on the door and turned the key


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said to her, looking past her shoulder when I noticed Fac and Gideon standing behind her.


    ¡°What are you guys. doing here? Angie, aren¡¯t you supposed to be with your family?


    ¡°Stay inside. Angie hissed, pushing me back in when I tried to take a step out of the doorway. The


    sender brte as well as Fae and Gideon all crowded in at once and Angie shut the door behind


    them, rebolting the forks and hurriedly closing all ed the curtains m the room.


    ¡°Angic, what¡¯s going on! You re scaring me


    Angie was agitated, peaking through the curtains and looking around the house like she expected


    something evil to be hading around every corner.


    ¡°Have you noticed anything strange going ontely! Have you heard anything unpicious **


    ¡°The only thing suspicious is the way you¡¯re acting right now.¡±


    Fae and Gideon were searching the house too. They split up, with Fae checking the f arthest corners of


    the house and Gideon heading upstairs to do the same


    ¡°The way all of you are acting actually. Angie¡±


    1 upped her arm to stop her frenzied searching for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s going out¡±


    She yanked her arm away from me and gripped both my shoulders tightly. ¡°I need you to think real


    hard. Dorothy: Okay? Since yesterday, have you noticed anything strange Like you¡¯re being watched;¡±


    I began to shake my head and then paused. ¡°Earlier, on the cliffs with Ignatius. I thought I heard


    something in the woods¡±


    ¡°F uck¡±¡± Angie let go of my shoulders and pressed her wrists to her eyes. ¡°Where is Ignatius now?¡±


    I realized I wouldn¡¯t be getting any answers from her yet and the best thing to do would be to just


    answer her questions. ¡°Ignatius went to confront the other elder council members. He and he would be


    backter.¡±


    ¡°You can speak to him, right? Through the mind-link: Dorothy, you need to tell him that they¡¯ve all been


    approached. It¡¯s very likely that they have all already changed sides.¡±


    -1- what? Okay.¡±


    Everything was suddenly happening too quickly. My new life was crumbling before my eyes. Before I


    could even say one word to Ignatius, I heard his voice, shrill and furious in my mind.


    ¡°Traiton, all of them!¡°


    I closed my eyes and tried to soothe him from afar, sending calming energy tobat his distress.


    ¡°What happened¡±


    ¡°I met with all of them, they¡¯re all hiding their betrayal. Tor can sense it. I can see it in their eyes. They


    n to let the Tally attack. They think they¡¯ll be spared.¡±


    ¡°Angie can confirm that apparently¡±


    he raged, the intensity of it was a harsh prejure in my head. ¡°It must have been a great pitch if they are


    all willing to stake their lives on a Tally. A member of the same pack who has beenunching attacks on


    us for werks


    ¡°Caur home. I said quietly ¡°Angie is here. We can ligure something out


    ¡°Elliot wants to murder them all. He wants wat The only thing keeping has tesus attacking them right


    now is his bloodlust for the Tally imposter. He¡¯s out searching for ham as we speak. I don¡¯t know what


    he expects to find that Angie couldn¡¯t.¡±


    10:49 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he finally registered-my words, ¡°Angie is there?¡±


    ¡°Come home,¡± 1 repeated and let the veil between our minds drop down again.


    I turned my attention back to Angie who was pacing up and down and concentrating on her dirty


    sneakers.


    ¡°Ignatius already knows about the other council members. Now, will you please tell me what you¡¯re


    doing here?¡±


    Before she could speak. Far popped her head back into the room. ¡°The house is clear.¡±


    Her hair was just as wild as Angie¡¯s, but curlier and donning a few twigs and leaves. In fact, all three of


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    them looked like they had just rolled out of bed and taken a hike through the bushes.


    ¡°Clear up here too!¡± Gideon called from upstairs. He came bounding back down to meet us. He was


    wearing two starkly different patterned socks and hisces were untied and caked with mud.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t make it inside it would seem,¡± Angie mused, checking through the curtain again. ¡°He must


    have stuck to lurking outside. But why?¡±


    ¡°Will someone please tell me what the f u ck is going on!¡± My patience had run thin and the bustling


    panic of everyone around me was irritating me to no end.


    Angie stopped her pacing for a moment and looked at me with an odd expression that I couldn¡¯t quite


    ce. She looked. terrified, her face was strained and pale and herrge eyes were wild


    She moved like the wanted to put her arms around me but decided against it, choosing instead to cross


    them over She was grappling with herself internally. I could see it but I couldn¡¯t understand why.


    her


    chest


    ¡°The imposter who approached my grandfather and the other elders, we managed to track him. He¡¯s


    been hanging around this house by the looks of it. He could have been here very recently.¡±


    Her voice became a low whisper like someone could be listening in to our conversation. ¡°We think he¡¯s


    been watching you, Dorothy.


    My stomach dropped all at once and I swayed on my feet. If I hadn¡¯t been sure before, I was now.


    The imposter was Johan. And he wasing for me.


    Another knock on the door had everyone on high alert. Angie. Fise, and Gideon stood in a circle


    around me, ready to fight whoever was outside. The heckles on their necks rose and everyone¡¯s ws


    were out in a sh.


    ¡°Dorothy. It¡¯s Rita. Are you in there?¡±


    We all rxed slightly at Rita¡¯s crowing. 1 unbolted the door to let the old woman in. I was aware I was


    going against Ignatius¡¯s orders but I trusted Rita and we needed all the help we could get.


    She shuffled inside and closed the door behind her, taking in me and the others and our guarded


    expressions,


    ¡°Thank go d you¡¯re all safe. Ignatius stopped by, I heard what happened.¡±


    Angie stepped in front of me before I could say a word ¡°Were you followed?¡± she asked Rita, sizing her


    up like she was suspicious of the old birddy.


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± Rita sidestepped Angie and stood before me Where is Ignatius now? You need to


    round up as many shifters as you can people you can trust. Something needs to be done about the


    elder council¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on his way¡± Tassured Rita. ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Hang on!¡± Angie hollered, circling Rita. ¡°How do we know we can trust her?¡±


    ¡°Angie how can you even say that ¡°I started to protest but Rita hushed me.


    4/6


    10:49 Fri, Jan 26 G


    ¡°No, Ang is right to be distrusting. The Bielke has a lot of traitors it would seem.¡±


    She raised her hands, palms up. ¡°I can¡¯t prove anything to you. All I can give you is my word. I want


    Dorothy to be safe and I want no harm toe to the Bielke people. There is no safety in siding with


    the Tally¡±


    Angie narrowed her gaze at Rita, she wasn¡¯t convinced but she seemed to be willing to put aside her


    suspicions for the moment and let it go.


    We heard a car pull up and I peeked through the curtains to see Ignatius climbing out of the vehicle. I


    rushed to open the door and leaped into his arms the moment he got to the porch


    He seemed just as relieved to see me as I was him and he carried me inside with my legs swinging


    beneath me. He noted everyone in the room in confusion. ¡°Was there a party I didn¡¯t know about?


    Angie, what are you all doing here?¡±


    Angie filled him in on everything that she and the others had discovered. Ignatius¡¯s face grew dark


    when she told him of how close Johan had been to the house.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true then, Johan is out for revenge


    ¡°Wait,¡± Fae interrupted. ¡°Johan, Dorothy¡¯s former mate? Do you think he¡¯s behind this?¡±


    Both Ignatins and I locked eyes and he nodded gravely. ¡°Seems that way. There was word that he had


    joined the Tally. It looks like they¡¯re using his little vendetta to push their own agendas.


    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s hanging around the house?¡± Angie was livid. ¡°He¡¯s after Dorothy. I¡¯ll kill him. He can¡¯t


    be allowed to get near her


    Ignatius shot Angie an odd look at her spontaneous outburst Angie brushed it aside however and sat


    down on the sofa, interlocking her fingers and bringing them to her chin. ¡°We need a game n. What


    do we do?¡±


    ¡°First order of business is to protect the perimeter,¡± Gideon piped up, unusually serious as he spoke.


    This mansion is currently a safe house. The three of us will head out and keep guard. Also, has anyone


    heard from Geranium?¡±


    Ignatius shook his head. ¡°He isn¡¯t answering his cell. He was supposed to be on shift around about now


    but I haven¡¯t sensed him


    None of us wanted to acknowledge what that could mean. Geranium hadst been on shift the


    previous morning when Johan had been prowling the property.


    I had seen Geranium from a distance, he always gave me a little wave when he arrived. I had grown


    fond of the intimidating teddy bear. His presence had always been a source offort even though he


    never really said much.


    I go look for him,¡± Angie said ndly. ¡°If he¡¯s alive, we need him on our side.¡±


    Fae stood next to Angie, looking down at herpanion with concern. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. You can¡¯t risk


    running into this Johan guy on your own.¡±


    Ignatius was lost in thought, ring at the ground and tapping a finger against his leg. I touched my


    hand to his arm. ¡°Wha are you thinking?


    All four heads turned to look at him and Ignatius regarded us from behind his hand. ¡°If the elder council


    has betrayed their people, and they can¡¯t be trusted, it might be time for some new leadership.¡±


    Angie had already cottoned on to what he was implying before the rest of us. ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous


    move. How do you know the people will follow you?¡±


    Gideon and Far were next to understand the new idea sprouting in my mate¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s risky. But you


    would have the allyship of the younger generations. They respect you, and they have grown tired of the


    elder¡¯sck of leadership already


    My eyes widened. ¡°A takeover?¡±


    We were all silent, the idea hovering like a soap bubble in the air before us. I felt if I breathed too


    heavily it would burst.


    576


    10:49 Fri, Jan 26


    Ignatius nodded slowly:¡±Til handle Elliot. But it is possible. He turned to Angie. ¡°Make some calls.


    Summon all of your soldiers. This has to happen today


    Angie and Fae were already preparing to leave. Gideon whipped out his cell and starred dialing


    numbers too.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°What exactly are we doing here?


    62


    Ignatius put a hand on my waist, his eyes boring into my soul at that moment. ¡°We¡¯re taking over. I¡¯m


    going to step in as the new Alpha. And you, Dorothy, by the time the sun rises tomorrow, will be the


    new Luna of the Bielke PackTM


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    -Angie-


    Our little gathering quickly dispersed Ignatius took Dorothy aside to speak when her face had paled at


    his words.


    She looked terrified at the idea of the new responsibility that was to be thrust upon her. But I was


    convinced she would make a great Luna. And I was willing to follow her anywhere


    Gideon excused himself to make a few calls to his family to let them know of the ns Gideon¡¯s family


    was a loyal bunch. As the youngest of seven brothers. Gideon was the golden child and they would do


    anything that he asked of them


    Fae and I headed out onto the porch, prepping to search for Geranium before taking up watch in shins


    around the mansion. Rita stopped me at the front steps with a gentle hand on my shot der. ¡°Ang 1


    have to ask something of you.¡±


    I still didn¡¯t entirely trust Rita but Dorothy seemed to be convinced that she was on our side so I


    stopped and let her speak.


    ¡°If you do run into Johan Rita said quietly, keeping her voice l es so as not to be overheard by neither


    Dorothy nor Ignatius ¡°If he is out there and you are able to track him. Would you do what you can to


    take him down?¡±


    1 stared her down for a moment. ¡°Why is Dorothy so important to you?¡±


    Rita lowered her head ¡°She¡¯s like a daughter to me. It¡¯s difficult to exin and there isn¡¯t time for it now.


    I just need you to promise that you will do what you can. Johan is after Dorothy, there¡¯s no doubt about


    that. You have to promise toprotect


    her


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll protect her. She means a lot to me toel


    I pulled my shoulder away and followed Fae down the stairs. When I looked.


    -shoulder, Rita was still staring after


    I brushed the conversation aside for the time being. And directed my gaze to the woods.


    Geranium was out there somewhere, whether he was dead or alive was hand to say, I could¡¯t imagine


    someone taking down. that beast of a man but Johan was different. He was smarter than the other


    Tally attackers. Stronger too it would se


    Somewhere out there, Johan himself could still be lurking. If we were to run into him. I vowed to myself,


    he would never leave the woods alive.


    J followed Fae to thest ce we had found Johan¡¯s tracks ¨C the indentation in the ground by arge


    tree that looked out onto the cliffs where Dorothy and Ignatius had run that morning.


    ¡°This must have been when Dorothy heard something in the woods I said to Ear who was inspecting


    the ground around us. turning in small circles with her eyes on the upturned dirt.


    She nodded. ¡°Seems that way. There was movement here. There are two distinct heel marks on the


    ground. He took a tem steps around the area before climbing back into the trees.¡±


    She scanned the bark of the trees around us before picking up on a small abrasion on one of the sandy


    cherry birches


    ¡°Bingo


    I followed her through the woods as she tracked Johan¡¯s progress. Fae who was usually so


    lighthearted and cheerful with a kr ack for grinding Gadeons¡¯ gears, was apletely different person


    when she was on the hunt


    She took pride in her skills and rightly so. I didn¡¯t know what I would do without her. Ourtte team of


    three would be iplete


    Far led me deeper and deeper into the woods, moving along slowly whenever she picked up on the


    slightest irregrity an the trees. Eventually, as we walked a new strange odor hat out notes


    simultaneously


    It was difficult to decipher at first but as we moved along the stench became more and more apparent. I


    swallowed the nausea that was threatening to have me hurling as my mind raced I was bing less


    and less convinced that Geramum


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26


    might still be alive.


    62%


    After walking further and almost gagging as the scent filled my nostrils and choked my throat, my fears


    were confirmed.


    Fae gave out a small cry of rm, pausing suddenly in front of me and then turning to bury her face in


    my chest. She clung to my sweater as I looked over her shoulder at the sight before us


    I wanted to turn away too. I was grateful I hadn¡¯t eaten any breakfast that day because it would have


    been making at reappearance at that moment.


    On the ground before usy Geranium, or at least what was left of him. His chest looked like it had


    been opened up and unfolded. It was a scarlet-streaked flower blooming from his b*dy. His rils were


    exposed and pointed skywards.


    His insidesy in straggles around him. It looked like something had burst out of his chest rather than


    torn into it, but the w marks on his face said otherwise. Blood had soaked into the soil surrounding


    him and stained the ground a darker shade of brown. It was a horrific sight.


    Fae was crying quietly against my chest and I wrapped my arms around her, ncing around us as if


    the monster responsible would jump out at any moment,


    But from the scent of the corpse and the color of what little skin was visible, Geranium had been here


    for a while, cooling in the dark shade of the forest. He must have sensed Johan¡¯s presence early that


    morning and set out to inspect it. Needless to say, he never made it back.


    I was furious, we had all loved Geranium. He had been aforting presence in our lives since we


    were children, arge, muscr guardian angel who said little but felt a lot.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I told Fae. ¡°We wille back for him. We have to keep going, we have to know where


    Johan went from here.¡±


    She wiped tears from her eyes, avoiding looking at the macabre cene before her. ¡°Okay,¡± Her voice


    was small and h oa rse as she fought to hold back her tears.


    I felt guilty asking more of her when she had already done so much. But we had to find Johan, I needed


    to know where he was hiding. This attack had only happened this morning. He had to be close


    Fae studied the trees around her but could see none of the marks that we had followed thus far.


    Furrowing her brow she turned her attention to the ground instead and inspected the din, taking care


    not to step on the darkened soil soaked with blood.


    She walked a little way off and then looked up at me. ¡°He couldn¡¯t make it back into the trees. He was


    hurtTM


    I walked over to her, avoiding the grisly scene myself, and looked down to where she was pointing with


    one quivering finger. There was a thick spattering of dark crimson over the dead leaves on the ground.


    It formed a perfectly clear trail into the woods


    ¡°He¡¯s bleeding.¡± Fae said, her voice cracking slightly. ¡°Geranium must have hurt him pretty bad.¡±


    ¡°He did good,¡± I said in low tones. ¡°This helps us a lot. He weakened him slowed him down.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Fae said bitterly and we began to follow the trail, trending deeper into the darkening woods.


    It was already reachingte afternoon, but the final rays of the sun weren¡¯t enough to break through the


    thick treeline above our head. The forest was dark and full of rustling leaves and hastening small feet


    scurrying out of our way as we moved along


    Both of us were on guard. If Johan had managed to do what he had done to Geranium there was no


    telling just how powerful he had be. I considered turning back and returning with backup


    I didn¡¯t want to endanger Far just because of my own personal qualms with the monster we were


    following. But to turn back would mean more time passing and more chance for Johan to escape


    further than what we could track.


    And so we pressed on. I did, however, send a text to Gideon to let him know where we were and what


    we were doing. He


    2/1


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26


    wasn¡¯t stoked to hear that we were going after Johan alone but he agreed to not tell Ignatius until it was


    absolutely necessary.


    I vaguely exined our location and where we seemed to be headed. There was a quarry up ahead


    and by the looks of the tracks, that was where Johan was headed. The tracks were messier the further


    we walked.


    Johan had been losing a lot of blood and he seemed to have gotten s loppy. It was clear he wasn¡¯t


    even bothering to try and


    hide his tracks. Maybe he had banked on the assumption that no one would follow him after witnessing


    what he had done to Geranium. He clearly didn¡¯t understand the Bielke people at all,


    Eventually, we broke through the clustered treeline and into the open air. The cliff ahead of us looked


    down into the quarry below. The water was murky and the drop was a steep one. The ring rays of


    final daylight hit my face and Esquinted.


    ¡°We¡¯re 100 exposed here,¡± I whispered to Fae and the two of us shuffled back into the shadows of the


    forest, sticking close to the treeline as we followed the trail of blood along the edge of the quarry


    Fae guided us down a steep incline and our footsteps sent small pebbles rolling and bouncing down


    around us. If Johan was nearby, he would surely be aware of our presence. We wouldn¡¯t have the


    element of surprise.


    We rounded a sharp jagged corner and Fae drew back. ¡°I can sense him.¡±


    Her voice was stricken and after a split second, I understood why. It was a terrible scent. It smelled of


    blood and decay but something more than that. Something worse than death.


    It was as if we were hunting a walking corpse. It alluded to dark magic and a warped sensation. Like


    someone had dabbled with the flow of nature itself and skewed it into something ugly, evil, and vile.


    I stepped in front of Fae, putting a guarding arm out before her as I inched forwards around the edge of


    the jagged rock.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to track me as well as you did.¡±


    Gravely and disconcerting like iron grating iron, or the breaking of dense bones. The voice came from


    behind us and we whirled around in horror.


    Johan stood behind us. Only he did not look like the man I had heard so much about. He didn¡¯t look like


    a man at all. He looked like a monster. A nightmaree to life.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    A nightmare that currenity had us cornered.


    -Dorothy-


    One by one, younger members of the Bielke people began pouring into the house. People our age and


    younger, all waiting 10 hear about what exactly was about to go down. The influx started as a trickle of


    people turning up in their cars but eventually, the entire mansion was parked and we had to move


    outside in order to amodate everyone.


    The young Bielke people were nothing like the Khall who had grown up with. Theyre were skilled in


    I spotted quite a few people who had been a part of the crowd that had surrounded me at my new


    college and kept very close to Ignatius¡¯s side. They too, however, seemed wary of me and either


    looked at me with unease or a fearful kind of reverence. It would seem I had made a good impression


    for myself afterall. If not good then at least an impressive one. I had no issues with any more bullying


    and people had bigger issues on their minds.


    There were a few who werent too keen on the idea of taking down the elders-individuals who were


    connected through family blood Hot Ignatius prassured them that this would not be a bl oody battle He


    wanted no real harm toe to the elders only to squeeze them out of their seats of power.


    To go in with our axes swinging.¡± Ignatius said both to those hesitant to join as well as those lusting for


    blood, ¡°To murder for the sake of power, we would be making the same mistakes as our predicessors.


    ¡°We want this to be as peaceful as possible,¡± I piped up, standing beside Ignatius, ¡°The point of this


    takeover is to reform the Bielke pack and fix rtions with allies. We need to stand as one hunt against


    the Tally and ensure that this never happens again.¡±


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Some people were still skeptical but for the most part everyb*dy seemed to be onboard for the n.


    Rita was alos a useful source with her knowledge of the elders and exactly how we would manage


    kicking them out of their seats.


    The sun was already beginning to set and the first stars were alrely visible on the h orizon. The n


    was for Rita to summon the elders for an emergency meeting at the coucillers hall. Once everyone had


    arrived, h oards of our people would be waiting outside. Ignatius predicted that we wouldnt have much


    trouble with most of the council members. They had already nned to leave us anyway and turning


    them out would be easy enough. They would be given the night to pack up and clear out. Anyone who


    was still around by dawn would be dealt with swifty.


    Ignatius¡¯s only concern was his own father. Nob*dy was aware of where exactly Elliot was but when he


    caught wind of the operation he was sure to put up a fight. Elliot was the Alpha afterall. Neither I nor


    Ignatius wanted to see him dead, reguardless of how terrible he had been to the both of us, but we


    might have no other choice.


    Suddenly, Gideon approached us throuhg the crowd. His face was pale and it was immediatly clear


    something was wrong. I scanned the crowd. I couldnt find neither Angie nor Fae in the mass of


    determined faces. I couldnt pick up their scent either and they were supposed to be back already.


    Gideon approached ignatius, distraught, ¡°I wasn¡¯t supposed to tell you but they¡¯ve taken way too long


    now. Angle and Fae went after Johan. They found Geranium¡¯s b*dy in the woods. I think theyre in


    danger.¡±


    I slipped my hand into Ignatius¡¯s and he held it tightly. It was going to be a long night.


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    -Angic-


    I moved Fae behind me as Johan stalked around his. There was a sharp cliff drop behind us and Johan


    was blocking our only path of escape. We were cornered by the ghastly shell of a man that had once


    been a respectable Beta.


    Johan moved slowly, biding his time to strike. He knew we had nowhere to go. We had no choice but to


    defend ourselves when he attacked. The tense anticipation must have been clear on my face because


    he grinned. It was arge uncanny sneer of a smile. It was a little too wide on his face and sharp teeth


    protruded from under his lips..


    The monster before us was entirely n*ked, and frozen in a gruesome state between human and wolf. It


    was a form that not many shifters could hold for long, but it never looked as unnatural as his b*dy did.


    The talented shifters perferred that state, but Johan¡¯s b*dy seemed to have gotten it wrong. It was as if


    his bones were continuously bending and breaking, repairing and breaking again as he moved. The


    continuous sickening snaps and cr cks were audible as he loomed over us.


    I noted therge bleeding ga sh over his left eye-probably from his earlier fight with Geranium ¨C The


    skin of his brow down to his cheek was slit in a nasty gaping wound and the white of his eyeball had


    turned red. He had suffered more wounds from the ck wolf. He had a slight limp when he walked


    from a nasty bite on his call and there was bone visible through the tomt tendons. Dozens of other bites


    and w marks were listered across his bare chest and back.


    It didn¡¯t seem to bother him very much though, and already the blood around the wounds was


    evaporating Like steam on his b*dy and the g ashes were slowly stiching themsleves closed. It seemed


    as if he coulnt feel the pain of his b*dy at all. He was removed from himself, some severance had been


    sliced between b*dy and mind-b*dy and soul.


    What was worse than the visible monstrosity of the man was his scent. Dorothy had once described


    him smelling of cin namon and pine. Early scents that were soft andforting But this Johan reaked


    of death. If I wasnt rooted to the spot in preparation for an attack I would have gagged and covered my


    nose.


    Johan bent forwards on the ground, crouching on all fours. 1 braced myself. If he attacked I could


    tackling hin, Fae could. slip past and escape. I hoped that was what she would do. But I highly doubted


    that she would be willing to leave me behind with the beast no matter how terrified she was,


    Before I could whisper to her, Johanunched himself at me with a speed that was surprising for


    someone thatrge. I pushed Far out of the way as Johan¡¯s teeth sank into my thigh. Howling in anger I


    shifted on the spot, ripping my leg from his jaws as my b*dy turned. I would be able to fight better in


    woll form anyway. Johan snarled and attacked again. His jaws. snapped shut on empty air where my


    head had been only seconds before,


    I couldn¡¯tprehend his speed. It was inhuman and incredibly concerning. Not only did I have to


    protect myself from his thering jaws, 1 had to keep an eye on the edge of the cliff that waned


    beneath us. I dodged his snapping maw and attacked his torso, tearing into flesh that tasted like meat


    that had gone off in the sun.


    I heard pebbles trickle down the edge of the cliff when my weight forced some of the sandstone to


    crumble. I needed to get away from the edge. Far had shifted too, her small wolf was a speckled brown


    and grey. She lunged at Johan and managed to sink her teeth into the back of his neck.


    Both of us were thrown off of him at once as Johan rolled away from us. He got to his feet again like


    the wounds were nothing to him. That bite of Fae¡¯s should have been fatal bat Johan reacted like he


    had felt the stall sting of a mosquito bite and nothing more..


    We wrestled for a while but it was clear that Johan was gaining the upper hand. Even with the two of


    us, both giving it our all and aiming to kill, Johan was inpenatrable. We were growing tired and our


    attacks were slowing down, but Johan was not even panting with breathlessness, his b*dy was carrying


    him like it would never tire. We were in danger and he knew it. He was toying with us, allowing us to


    catch out breaths before attacking again. It was infuriating. He was taunting his prey, ying with us for


    the sake of it. I wondered how long before he grew bored of this fight. Before he decided to finish us up


    once and for all.


    I howled in agony as Johan shifted back to his half form and brought a knuckle down on my back leg,


    cracking the bone in one sickening snap. Fae yelled as he grabbed hold of her fur and threw her close


    to the edge of the cliff. She scrambled to regain her footing as sand and rocks began to copse


    behind her. I shifted back to my human form, allowing the shift to repair my broken bone faster than it


    would have on its own and dragged myself to reach her before she fell


    1/4


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26


    Once Fae was safe again she immediately blocked Johan was swiping a wed hand across my


    chest. The ws grazed her b*dy instead, tearing ribons of blood into her flesh. I leapt over the injured


    wolf, wing at Johan¡¯s eyes in ast ditch attempt to throw him off of us long enough to esca


    It seemed hopless. I wanted to tear him limb from limb. I wanted to end his life before he could get his


    hands on Dorothy. But we were no match against the misshapen man and Fae was badly injured after


    thatst swipe,


    Johan threw me off of him like he was merely swatting a fly. He pinned me to the ground by the throat,


    his ws digging into my neck as he crouched over me. Saliva from his long teeth dripped down onto


    my face and his hot breath spoke of decay and death. I tried to kick him off of me but it felt like my nees


    were connecting with a brick wall.


    Fae was crumpled in a head behind him and unable to pick herself up. Blood was turning her speckled


    coat red and she whined quietly, I howled and fought but it was no use. Johan took pleasure in


    watching me squirm, his ghoulish grin dripping with the blood of my friend.


    ¡°You have her scent on you,¡± His voice sent chills up my spine as he leaned down into my neck and


    inhaled deeply, ¡°You must be a friend of hers.¡±


    I knew he was talking about Dorothy but I refused to disclose any information about her, I spat into the


    monsters deformed face, hissing and thrashing as much as I could manage under the crushing weight.


    Johanughed at my efforts and clenched his fist a little tighter around my throat, his eyes narrowing


    like a predator going for the kill as I began to choke.


    ¡°You know, Dorothy was my mate first. She is still my mate. She just doesnt understand that yet. And i


    am here to cut down everyone who


    in the way of that.¡± He spoke casually. As casually as one can with a voice that sounds like a thousand


    nails dragging across a chalkboard.


    ¡°Maybe I should leave her a little gift? Let her find pieces of her friend sc attered around that big fancy


    mansion that she misguidedly calls home.¡±


    Johan¡¯s mouth opened wide, his jaw unhinging entirely in a horrific disy. The skin of the corners of


    his mouth began to tear as he unhooked his jaw and opened it wide enough to aodat my entire


    head. I shut my eyes as the inside of his gullet epassed my vision.


    Just when Johan was about to deal the final blow, and snap his jaws down around my head, he was


    ripped away from me, dragged backwards by a bleeding speckled wolf. Fae had her teeth in his neck


    once again and she was dragging his b*dy off of me with all of her strenght. She was trying to throw


    him off of the cliff. By the way she was limping and the determination in her dark eyes I realised she


    had resigned herself to going over the edge with him.


    Johan tried to wrench himself away but Fae was determined, the two of them were grappeling right on


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    the edge as I triedto get to my feet in a panic, ¡°No, Stop!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t let her die for me. I wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    Before I could climb to my feet somethingrge and brown leaped over me. A familiar wolf closed its


    jaws around Johan¡¯s leg and ripped him from Fae¡¯s jaws. Far leaped to the side and back from the


    edge of the cliff as the brown wolf backed off of Johan.


    ¡°Gideon.¡± I spoke to him through our minds. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Therge brown wolf came to stand next to me, coaxing Far behind the both of us with its snout.


    ¡°You took too long to get back. I thought something might have gone wrong.¡±


    te both looked at johan who was getting to his feet.


    ¡°It looks like I was right.¡±


    Another growl from behind us and I turned to see five more walves with their hackles raised, ring at


    Johan. I recognized


    all of them


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Each were strong young shifters who had trained beneath me, everyone one of them tercely loyal and


    his id with the creature who had tried to kill their teacher


    Johan flexed his knuckles and squared his rough shoulders but he made no move to attack. The tables


    had turned and he was outnumbered.


    My students closed in around him, forcing him closer to the cliff¡¯s edge. He nced down at the water


    around him and I realized seconds toote, just what he nned on doing.


    He took onest look around, his eyes locking on mine and boring into me with a fiery passion. I could


    read his expression. clearly. He wanted me dead, and someday soon he would finish the job,


    Jn stepped backward off the cliff and I raced forwards to see where he wouldnd. His b*dy dropped


    like a stone as he fell back down into the dark water below.


    He broke the surface with a massive ssh. The other wolves howled their frustration and it echoed


    around the quarry like


    an unorthodox symphony.


    I scanned the water waiting to see his head emerge. No average shifter could survive a fall that long,


    let alone a human, but Johan was neither of those things A fall like that might not have killed him. Even


    if he did hit the sharp rocks below, it was possible he would be able to heal himself.


    Gideon came to stand beside me after making sure Fan was okay. By the looks of her inntries, she


    would be alright in less. than a few hours. She shifted back and covered herself with what was left of


    the hoodie that had been ripped off of me in the fight


    I looked down at the dark water and the ripples that Joltan¡¯s legem had left behind. After a few minutes


    of waiting. Gidron spoke. ¡°He could be dead¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead. No way is that monster dead I said, leaning against the brown well for support


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back


    -Dorothy


    Ignatius and the others went about organizing their ns while I waited on the porch, scanning the


    forest for any sign of Angie and Fac¡¯s return. Gideon had taken live of their best fighters to search for


    them not too long ago. I only hoped they made it there in time.


    My mind was still ruminating on Johan. I wondered if it was still possible to reason with him. I kept my


    mind tightly closel from Ignatius as I contemted the possibility of shipping away and searching for


    the rogue myself


    I could be walking straight into my own death sentence but I could also make some kind of useful


    contribution. If I was what Johan really wanted and considering his lurking around the house, it was


    very likely then surely if I handed myself over to him, he would leave the rest of the Bielke alone.


    I leaned against the balcony railing. It was whitewashed wood and smelled of the sea, just like


    everything else around my beautiful new home. I didn¡¯t want to give it all up, I didn¡¯t want to give up my


    own life, And I dish want to break Ignatius¡° heart.


    I was brought back to the present when I heard w hoopinging from the crowd of sh itters around


    me. I looked out again towards the forest to see the others returning


    The reason for the cheering came from the two extra shifters, a small, curly-haired gul being carried on


    Gideon¡¯s back and the tall limber shifter next to him who, aside from her to clothing and messy hair,


    seemed perfectly te


    I pushed past the excited shifters and ran to meet Angie who copsed into my arms the moment I


    reached her.


    ¡°Hello, runt. I met your ex-boyfriend¡±


    ¡°You f ucking idiot, what gave you the idea to go after him alone


    10.50 Fri, Jan 26


    I put her arm over my shoulders and let her lean her long b*dy against me as we shuffled towards the


    house.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone, I had Fae with ine.¡±


    ¡°Always gonna have your back, Fae mumbled from on top of Caleon, and she and Angie exchanged an


    exhausted high five.


    Gideon rolled his eyes but his face was still pale and drawn. As much of a jokester as Gideon way- or


    the butt of every joke when Fae was involved ¨C he cared deeply about his friends and the experience


    had clearly scared him.


    Ignatius too was relieved to have them back and grilled both girls for their recklessness. After he was


    certain that both of them would be okay he took them aside to find out what exactly had happened.


    ¡°It was definitely Johan,¡± Angie confirmed. ¡°I could vaguely recognize him from your description. But


    he¡¯s changed. There¡¯s something very wrong with his b*dy just like the other Tally attackers. And he¡¯s


    strong very strong


    Ignatius leaned his elbows on his knees and studied the floor. ¡°So it¡¯s true then. He¡¯s after Dorothy. He


    wants revenge.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t get you.¡± Angie turned to face me. There was a dark bruise forming under her eye and her lip


    was bleeding from a nasty cut. ¡°I won¡¯t let him.¡±


    ¡°How do we know he isn¡¯t dead?¡± I asked. ¡°You said he jumped into the quarry


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t go down that easily. Not with that altered b*dy of bis. He¡¯s still out there, I can feel in¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to believe it but she was right. I could feel it 100, Johan loomed like an evil presence over


    all of us.


    The first thing we need to do is take back control. Ignatius sand solemnly. ¡°We need to reform this


    pack. Then we can focus our attention on the Tally. We won¡¯t get anywhere with Johan until then.¡±


    Angie nodded ¡°So it happens tonight?¡±


    ¡°It happens right now.¡±


    4/4


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°There is no way in hell I am staying behind for this!¡±


    I had said these words about a dozen times in the past few minutes with my voice rising slightly with


    every repetition.


    Ignatius paced up and down our bedroom, ruffling his hair in frustration. ¡°Dorothy, for thest time. It¡¯s


    too dangerous, okay? What if things go bad? What if it¡¯s not as peaceful as we¡¯re nning for it to be?


    What if you get hurt, or worse?¡±


    We had been arguing for the past few minutes after Ignatius had made it clear that he intended to leave


    me behind during their mission


    ¡°I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± I folded my arms stubbornly and red at him. ¡°I can fight too. I can help. Besides,


    leaving me behind is like opening the door for Johan and giving him a personal invitation toe after


    me


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m leaving guards behind!¡±


    ¡°So he can tear them apart as he did to Geranium?¡± My shrill voice echoed around the room. Ignatius


    winced at my words.


    I knew I went too far with that one. The news of Geranium¡¯s death was still fresh in all of our minds, it


    was a wound that we didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to heal yet. My heart had hurt for the kind, silent


    giant and I knew Ignatius¡¯ did too Geranium had been his friend.


    I¡¯m sorry, I backtracked quickly. Tm sorry that was harsh. I just don¡¯t want to risk more people getting


    hurt because of me. I feel guilty enough already.¡±


    Ignatius didn¡¯t answer me, sitting down on the end of the bed in defeat. I hated that I was contributing


    to his burdens. I wanted to prove that I could help and that I would be able to take care of myself.


    I approached him hesitantly, and Ignatius parted his knees to allow me to stand in front of him with our


    noses almost touching. With me standing up and him sitting down, we were finally the same height


    level and I could look straight into his eyes without craning my neck.


    I rxed my arms on his shoulders and tried to ignore the hear that this close proximity brought to my


    core. Thebination of excitement, anxiety, and our earlier arguing seemed to be a perfect recipe to


    get me going even at the worst possible moment.


    ¡°You said it yourself, I¡¯m going to be the new Luna. And a Laina can¡¯t stay behind while her people do


    all the dirty work. You want the Bielke to be a pack that stands together, fights together You can¡¯t have


    that unity without your Luna by your side.¡±


    Ignatius touched his nose to mine and then rested his forehead on my shoulder. ¡°I just don¡¯t want


    anything bad to happen to you, I can¡¯t do it again.¡±


    I stroked his soft hair and stared off aimlessly as I spoke, ¡°Nothing bad is going to happen to me. We


    have a whole army of strong young shifters on our side. The elders would be stu pid to put up a fight.


    They have to realize eventually that their


    time is over.¡±


    Ignatius sighed in defeat. ¡°Okay, you have a point. You cane with us. The new generation will love


    you for it¡±


    Before I could smile Ignatius grabbed my face in his hands and forced me to look deep into his eyes.


    ¡°But no dying, okay? And you stay behind me at


    ¡°Can do,¡± I said with squished cheeks. ¡°No dying, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good¡±


    Ignatius pulled me into a kas s and I climbed onto hisp. Hey down on his back and allowed me to


    straddle him as the k*ss deepened. Before things could get steamier though, Ignatius held my


    shoulders at arm¡¯s length and bit his lip, looking me up and down.


    1/4


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G


    ¡°Not now, Save that for after,we¡¯ve won.¡±


    I pouted for a moment before rolled off of him and the two of us headed back downstairs to address the


    us. It was a crisp clear night and the air was rife with tense anticipations.


    Angie, Fae, and Gideon greeted us from the bottom of the stairs. Far was meant to be resting but the


    stubborn subordinate had insisted that she be present for the overthrowing of the elders,


    ¡°You can¡¯t go off and make history without me,¡± had been her firm answer to Angie¡¯s exasperation


    1 could understand where she wasing from. This was a monumental night and regardless of the


    oue the Bielke Tack would never be the same again.


    Ignatius nodded to the three shifters before raising his voice to catch the attention of the h oards of


    young shiften fooding our house


    His voice boomed around the mansion and the excited chatter slowed down as everyone turned their


    gaze towards my


    mate.


    ¡°Will you stand with me tonight?¡±


    A roar of support rose from the crowd and Ignatius couldn¡¯t help but smile a little despite his attempts to


    maintain a cool exterior. He was excited and nervous just like the rest of us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take back our pack. Tonight we reim the Bielke name.


    The cheers that followed were deafening.


    Rita had called moments earlier to let us know that the elders had been summoned and were in ce


    at the council hill I was time to make an appearance.


    We drove down in Gideon¡¯s van and a swarm of other cars followed us. Some shifters chose instead to


    cut through the forest. in wolf form, the excitement of it all driving them to bound effortlessly through the


    trees.


    I caught glimpses of some of them from the window of the van and the otherwise quiet night was


    punctuated with dozens of wolves howling in unison.


    We reached the councilor hall in record time and congregated outside in preparation. Ignatius kept my


    hand firmly gripped around mine, keeping me close to his side as he shouldered his way through the


    crowd to the door of the great hall.


    The door was opened by Rita who must have heard themotion going on outside.


    ¡°Quickly,¡± she said, hurrying Ignatius through the door. ¡°They have already begun to suspect foul y¡±


    The rest of the shifters poured in after us and we stormed the hall, squeezing down the corridor to the


    elder council¡¯s meeting room. With one deep breath, Ignatius threw the door open.


    They must have heard using ¨C considering the w hoops and howls and shouting, it was pretty


    obvious that they had some of the council members were already standing up, their chairs have fallen


    back behind them as if they jumped to their feet in a hurry.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± Ignatius said over the roar of stampeding feet and chattering. ¡°I¡¯m d you could


    make it. There are a lot of things we would like to discuss.


    ¡°For starters, this is no longer your other and we no longer look to you for guidance. The elder council


    as a whole has been dismissed by us, the Bielke people. You have until sunrise to leave this territory.¡±


    Even the young and excited shifters fell silent at his words. Everyone waited with bated breath to see


    how the council would react to such a bold statement. I looked around the room. There were ten of


    them in total, all of them in their mid-thirties


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G


    or higher.


    They may have had hair streaked with silver and wrinkles carving sharp lines in their faces but they still


    looked powerful. They had earned their ce on the council board for a reason and by the looks on


    some of their faces, they were not ready to give it up that easily.


    One of the elder members, a short stocky man folded his arms and red at Ignatius. ¡°What is the


    meaning of this boy? Where is Ell?¡±


    ¡°Elliot will be dealt with in his own time, Ignatius answered calmly. ¡°As of now, I dere myself as the


    new Alpha of this pack. Anyone who disagrees with this can fight me himself.¡±


    They exchanged nces for a moment, noting the dozens of young shifters waiting behind Ignatius


    and me. One by one they all stepped back from the long oval table and nodded to Ignatius,


    The short angry man was thest to budge. His angry eyes bore into mine as if I was the source of all


    of his problems.


    Eventually, though, he stepped back, shaking his head, and mumbled gruffly, ¡°So be it. But be warned


    young Alpha, this will be the end of the Bielke Pack. Your enemies will see you as vulnerable without


    your elders to guide you.¡±


    Ignatius jutted out his chin and fixed the man with a steely gaze. ¡°Your guidance is what has led us to


    the problem we have now. It is because of your generation that we are low on allies and our enemies


    are in high supply.


    ¡°Your ways were wed and you sought for short term gain over long term peace. The Bielke is now


    free to thrive without you.¡±


    This seemed to infuriate the man but he held his tongue and pushed past Ignatius. The crowd parted


    quietly as the elders exited the room and walked down the hall


    Some like the angry man red at the young shifters around them with a fierce expression of defiance.


    Others hung their heads in defeat and some even seemed supportive of this new passing of the


    mantle.


    Things seemed to be going ording to n and the tense atmosphere lightened slightly when it


    seemed the elders would not be putting up much of a fight. Everything changed, however, when we got


    to the entrance of the great hall to see Ellior standing outside.


    His eyes zed with anger and he was growling with a deep voice full of malice. He looked directly at


    Ignatius who paused in the doorway behind the retreating council members.


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± it was both Elliot and his wolf speaking. The gruff voice sent my heart racing and I clutched


    tightly to Ignatius. ¡°Just what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Ignatius showed no fear though. He regarded his father calmly as everyone around us held their


    breath. Elliot¡¯s Alpha tendencies must have sensed the uprising. He was a force to be reckoned with in


    this state and Ignatius was challenging him. head-on


    Ignatius let go of my hand as he spoke, walking down the stairs slowly to stand before his father. ¡°This


    is my pack now These are my people. I am the new Alpha and it¡¯s time for you to leave.¡±


    He was inches away from Elliot when he finished speaking. Ignatius was almost a whole head taller


    than his father and, even though he was slimmer than Elliot and more finely built, it was clear who the


    stronger shifter was at that moment.


    Ignathis had told me that never before had he won a fight against his father ¨C and there had been many


    ¨C but tonight, it seemed that the new young Alpha was brimming with new power and sense of


    purpose.


    Elliot seemed to sense this too and he looked at his son as if he was seeing him for the first time. His


    incredulous expression. was quickly reced with burning rage as Elliot stared into the eyes of his son.


    Ignatius dodged just in time as his father dragged a long-wed hand through the air where his face


    had been.


    Cries of anger rose from the crowds but Ignatius hissed for everyone to stay back. This was a fight


    between father and son only, and neither wanted anyone getting in the way. This would determine the


    Alpha of the Bielke Pack.


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G e.


    The two shifters donned their wolf forms, Ignatius¡¯ gray coat contrasting starkly with Elliots¡¯s deep


    brown. They tore at one another, locked inbat, and the sounds of snarling and tearing flesh


    pierced the quiet night air.


    The crowds around me began shouting and howling, egging on their soon-to-be leader. Some of the


    elders had already shank away to begin their retreat. Others watched from the sidelines with cold eyes.


    The winner of this fight would determine their fate.


    I struggled to keep my footing as the crowds of shifters rushed around me. I couldn¡¯t see past the


    dozens of bustling shoulders and it took every bit of my strength to avoid getting tram pled. I could see


    neither Fae nor Angle anywhere nearby although I was certain they were somewhere in the crowd


    searching for me.


    I needed to see what was going on. I needed to see my mate. But pushing forwards was not an option,


    there was no way I would manage to squeeze through the excited crowd.


    Instead. I chose to push back towards the steps of the great hall. If I could get there I would be out of


    the crowd and hopefully able to view the fight from a higher vantage point


    After narrowly avoiding falling on my face and under the boots of vivacious shifters. I managed to reach


    the stairs. I leaper up to the doorway and looked down at the scene before me.


    The only light came from the dim orange glow of a nearby streetlight and the yellowmps on the outer


    walls of the hall. The moon was hidden behind powdery dark clouds,


    My heart leaped to my throat when I heard Tor howl in pain. I craned my neck over the crowd to see


    Elliot¡¯srge wolf closing its jaws down on the gray wolf¡¯s throat. I screamed for ray mate but my voice


    was lost over the howling crowd.


    Ignatius must have heard me though because I saw his eyes lift to look straight at me before rolling out


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    from under his father as the brown wolf¡¯s teeth tore his skin.


    I saw Angie as well on the edge of the crowd, she was looking around urgently-looking for me Our eyes


    met for a second and I saw her mouth open in shock, she was calling my name but I couldn¡¯t hear it


    I felt something cool and sharp press against the skin of my neck before an arm wrapped around me


    from behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll slice your throat if you try to fight¡±


    I froze instantly. I couldn¡¯t see the person behind me nor could I recognize his scent. There was


    however a scent that I was vaguely familiar with. A girl appeared out of nowhere and stood at my


    shoulder, the same girl who had cornered me at college weeks before. The girl I had almost killed.


    ¡°Hello again, little witch,¡± she hissed into my ear. I could see Angle fighting to get to me through the


    masses. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything st upid. Dameon over here won¡¯t hesitate to kill you if you try to use your


    powers on him¡±


    I was too shocked to speak. My fingers itched to reach for the iron de at my thigh but there was no


    way I would reach it in time before the man holding onto me sliced my throat


    With the de of the knife pressing into my neck. I had no chose but to let them drag me away into the


    shadows of the


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    -Dorothy-


    The girl from college and the man I assumed was Dameon backed me all the way down the hall and


    into an empty office. The girl locked the door behind her and spoke into the darkness ¡°We got her, darl.


    Now what?¡±


    She flicked the light on to reveal the council member from before, the short bulky man who had stood


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    up to Ignatius. His ryes still bore the same angry expression and he looked like he wanted to order


    Dameon to murder me on the spot.


    ¡°She¡¯s good leverage. Ignatius will do anything we ask so long as we have his precious little mate.¡±


    ¡°F uck you


    Ispat at his feet and Dameon pressed the de a linke tighter aguns my m I felt a small trickle of blood


    ooze down my neck. I was terrified, sure, but I was also infuriated that they ined to use me in order


    to control Ignatius.


    I refused to let them use me to manipte my mate. ¡°Ignatius will do what¡¯s right for the pack


    regardless of what you do to me. Your n is futile.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lying the girl spoke next to me. Tve seen the way he looks at her. He would put his mate over


    everything. And even if he wouldn¡¯t, she¡¯s too precious to them. With her little gift of hers, she¡¯s the


    perfect weapon for the Bielke people¡±


    I stared her down, rage boiling my blood, I had no time for any of them. It was infuriating to think that


    my mate was out there fighting for his life while I was trapped in some dark room listening to people


    specte on my worth


    If they wanted to believe I was some evil witch then that was alright with me. I would prove their fears


    right if I had to


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you back at the college. You shouldn¡¯t havee for me in the first ce. And


    you should know better than to f uck with me now,¡±


    The girl stepped closer and bared her teeth. The resentment in her eyes was familiar but I had no


    patience or empathy left to care about exactly why she hated me so much. She med me for the loss


    of her brother, that much was clear.


    I growled back at her, leaning into the knife that Dameon still held to my throat. It cut deeper into my


    skin but I was determined to show no fear. I wanted them to fear me. I morplied my face into an evil-


    looking sneer as I hissed at the girl and she leaned away from me.


    ¡°Enough Olivia,¡± the elder spoke, stepping between us and ring down at me himself. ¡°Don¡¯t get too


    close to her


    He pushed his daughter back and looked down at me. ¡°You have been a thom in our side from the


    moment you arrived here, little witch. Since before that actually. You are the cause for the Tally attacks


    as well as Ignatius ipetence. You will never be Luna of the Bielke Pack. I will see to that myself.


    Both you and your mate will be exiled for what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    I was ready to deliver a scathing remark when something at the window caught my eye. I blinked twice,


    wondering if I had been imagining it. A creak at the door confirmed my suspicions however and I


    grinned.


    ¡°It takes a lot of nerve to hijack the new Alpha¡¯s Luna in the middle of an uprising. You might find


    yourselves severely Outnumbered


    Before the man could respond, the window to our right shattered and the door to the small room flew


    open at the same time Three wolves entered at once, therge brown one came through the window


    while the other two barreled through the door


    Both the girl and the man were pied down before they could react and the third wolf bed its teeth at


    Dameon who loosened his grip on me at the sudden surprise


    I used this to my advantage and rammed my head back against the man who held me. I heard an awful


    crunch as his nose broke against the back of my skull and a seating pam shot through my head.


    Dameon howled and I let my legs buckle beneath me, dropping to my knees and rolling away before he


    could press the


    1/4


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 GU


    knife against me again. It mi cked my neck on the way down however and sliced into the skin of my


    jaw,


    Cupping my bleeding face with one hand I stood behind the three wolves- my friends, Angie, Far, and


    Gideon growled an the boy called Dameon who promptly dropped his knife and ran for the window. I


    leaped forward to stop him back Angie gripped the fabric of my shirt with her teeth.


    We watched The Inghtened boy go as he leaped over the window all only to be met with four other


    wolves waiting for him on the other side. Dameon whined as he was detained, clutching his streaming


    nose in the process.


    and her father fought to get to their feet under Fae and Glenn but were quickly contained by more


    shifters who poured in through the door. Angie shifted back to her human form and checked the slice


    on my face, concern written on


    ¡°Are you alright? 1 saw them take you, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get to you


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I reassured her, taking her hand from my face and presing it to my heart instead Thanks for


    showing up¡±


    My eyes widened when I remembered the tight going on outude Where¡¯s Ignan Ind he win what¡¯s


    happening!¡±


    My question was answered almost ammeshately by the man who burst through the door next. Ignates


    was bare-chested and evered in blood His forearm had been torn to ribbons and the en a deep gas


    shovel out H o heart like diening through snow


    He was breathing heavily and his one eye was almost swollen shut. Bruises littered his b*dy along with


    other nasty cuts rashes. But he was alive. His eyes fell on me and he rushed to my side, scooping me


    up in hi


    In blood stain


    nown a¡¯lothing almost murdudele.


    You¡¯re alive.¡± I whispered into his torn chest. Tean heal you! Let me help?¡±


    ¡°No¡± Igramas stopped me from pressing my hand to his chest, he held my wrist gently and put my arm


    buck down at my side. 11l be fine. It¡¯s not as bad as it looks.¡±


    He was shaking all over and he leaned on me more heavily than I had expected


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright I asked almost buckling under the weight of him ¡°Ignatius you don¡¯t seem


    okay!¡±


    Before he could stop me agam 1 mmed my palm down onto his back and concentrated. The


    urgency with which I called forth my ability, as well as my own berce determination veniet to be enough


    to trigger the glowing waves of emanate from my hand and down into Ignatius b*dy


    1 felt the same trancelike phenomenon from before oveing my mind and I found it to stay clear-


    beaded. I didn¡¯t want tond myself in anothers again. I needed to pupont exactly how much


    energy was too much energy


    I watched as has scars began to heal and the brunes on his b*dy went from a deep purple and blue to


    a yellowish tan ignatna stir against me his lips mashing my neck as he tried to speak


    Ha voice pulled me back from the light-headed space and I pulled my hand away from him. My palm


    feit a glowing lundprint on has spine before it faded away


    The studiers who hail contained the traitor elder and his daughter fell silent as they watchest me heal


    my mate. The S**tet wani saat now but at anught have been for the best. They bore witness to the


    strange power of thou sown new Luna


    Ignathus held ones in my knees buckled and we both copset to the floor in a heap,


    ¡°Dontlig? 1 mild you now ko mu you akalike?¡±


    He pulled back my eyelid when I chord my eyes make all


    fund


    I smiled up at han and weakly lifted my


    hand to h o fare. The swelling around his eye had lessened and he was bleeding any men


    Tudor healed humpletely, but I had managed to kickatan the healing process faster than his own


    shutter abdines would have managed


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G7


    ¡°I think I¡¯m getting the hang of this,¡± I said quietly as he breathed a sigh of relief when it was clear that I


    was alright. ¡°Did you


    win?


    Ignatius stood up and pulled me to my feet with him. He picked me up off the flour entirely and carried


    me in his arms. ¡°T did ¨C we did. It¡¯s over now.¡±


    ¡°What about Elliot¡±


    ¡°Elliot along with some of the elders who joined in the fight will be dealt with. I needed to make sure you


    were okay. And as for those three¡±


    Ignatius gleaned with anger as he red down at Olivia and her father. Her older brother was pinned


    down outside by the other shifters. I assumed it was the younger brother then, who hail been killed by


    the Tally


    Ignatius hissed at the man on the ground who writhed under Gideon¡¯s weight. ¡°You deserve a


    punishment worse than exile. You tried to use my mate as a bargaining tool. For that, you will pay.¡±


    He nodded to Angle who switched to business mode immediately. ¡°Take them away,¡± she said to


    Gideon and the others. ¡°See to it that they¡¯re locked up until we can decide what is to be done with


    them,¡±


    I wrapped my arms tightly around Ignatius¡¯ neck as he carried me from the room and out of the


    councilor hall. On the front steps, I was able to see Elliot along with a few other council members on


    their knees and in silver cuffs.


    Elliot¡¯s face was almost unrecognizable, long w marks had scratched so deeply I wondered if he was


    doomed to lose his eyesight entirely. He was still fighting his imprisonment and it took five shifters to


    hold him in ce.


    Ignatius stood before his father with me in his arms. The two of us looked down at Elliot me with pity


    and Ignatius with a quiet resentment..


    I am the true Alpha now, Ignatius addressed the traitors along with his father. ¡°For your betrayal, I


    banish all of you from this pack. Should you ever set foot on Bielke territory again, I will have no choice


    but to kill you.¡±


    ¡°And as for you,¡± he directed his words at Elliot who red at us with his mangled face. ¡°It has been a


    tradition for generations that the Bielke Alphas kill their predecessors. I know that¡¯s what you did to


    your father, and what your father did


    to his.


    ¡°But things are different now and we follow new rules. Therefore, you, Elliot Armoundt, are banished


    too. I know you love your pack deeply. But if you can¡¯t step down peacefully then I cannot let you stay.¡±


    Elliot spat on the ground at Ignatius¡¯ feet and sealed his fate Ignatius shrugged like he had expected


    this reaction but there was sadness in his eyes all the same


    ¡°Take them away,¡± he said to the shifters who stood at attention. Take them to the border and set them


    free. If they try to cross back over, kill them.¡±


    With that Ignatius turned to face the rest of the Bielke shifters. ¡°The Bielke is officially ours. I hope you


    can ept your new Alpha and Luna¡±


    He had barely finished his sentence before the people began cheering, howling under the moonlight as


    the shimmering orb broke through the clouds, Ignatius stole onest look at his father who was being


    dragged away to a nearby van.


    Elliot glowered at his son. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this,¡± he roared. There will be hell to pay, Ignatius! You¡¯re going


    to wish you had killed me. You¡¯re no son of mine.¡±


    Ignatius turned his head away and I ced a hand to his chest inquiet constion.


    3/1


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G


    62

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    -Ignatius-


    I had never before won a fight against my father. And, as I had told Dorothy, there had been many


    many fights. It was the only way Elliot would ever seem to be willing to hear me out. He expected me to


    fight to be heard.


    Looking away from my father and hearing his angry howls, I felt a plethora of conflicting emotions.


    There was no doubt Elliot did not see this fight as a victory for me. He was still alive and to him, that


    meant that I had not won the battle for Alpha


    ¡°You¡¯re a coward, Ignatius!¡±


    He was still fighting as he was forced into the van, an extra sheet of silver had to be ced around his


    neck to subdue his shifting abilities


    I chose to focus my attention on the young generation before me rather than the cold old man at my


    back. Elliot had done many great things for the Bielke people, but he had also done a lot of damage,


    and his time as Alpha was officially over.


    I could feel the change like a swelling in my chest. Tor was filled with a new wave of power and my


    b*dy felt stronger than it ever had. Whether that was thanks to Dorothy¡¯s sneaky healing or my own


    Alpha powersing into y, I had no idea but I was grateful all the same.


    Dorothy¡¯s small soft hand was on my chest, reassuring me. I looked down at my mate in my arms.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered low enough that she had to lean her head in to hear me. ¡°Thank you for being


    here. I couldn¡¯t have done this without you.


    She tapped her fingers on my chest, tracing the pale lines of scar tissue that had remained after she


    healed up the gas hes. ¡°You were always meant to be a great Alpha and the leader of these people, I


    had nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Not true,¡± I hushed her protests with a k*ss and pressed my forehead to hers. Her eyes blurred into


    one cyclops pupil as we looked at each other from such close proximity. ¡°An Alpha is nothing without


    his Luna¡±


    This made her smile even though Tor sensed that she still held onto rming amounts of self-hatred for


    being unable to be of more use. I filed that away to be dealt with another day.


    We had a lot to talk about it seemed, but I had just noticed therge slice on her jaw and neck that was


    staining her shirt red.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurt 1 eximed, kicking myself me ntally for not noticing it earlier.


    ¡°What, this?¡± Dorothy touched the sticky wound and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. That guy brushed me with


    his knife after 1


    broke his nose.


    I heard the pride in her voice when she said that and I would haveughed if I hadn¡¯t been so


    concerned. ¡°See? You did help out tonight after all. There would have been one less broken nose


    without you.¡±


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Go d?¡±


    Both Angie and Ignatius were fawning over me and my bleeding jawline. After Elliot and the others had


    been taken away to the Bielke Pack¡¯s cers, everyone had congregated outside


    Ignatius became aware of just how much blood I was losing from the slice up my neck and Angie had


    rushed over with gater and healing ointment. They had sat me down on the steps to bandage up the


    cut and proceeded to smother mepletely in their concern for my health


    I pushed Angie¡¯s hands away from me and smacked at Ignatius when he tried toy another Layer of


    gauze onto the wound. ¡°Ignatius Armoundt, 1 will not hesitate to hate your hand off if you don¡¯t stop


    right the f uck now!¡±


    ¡°Fiesty one isn¡¯t she, Angie said, ruffling my hair. The temper quatches the hair color perfectly


    1/3


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°Arrghh!¡± I stood up and stepped away from the both of them, holding my hands out in front of me in a


    warning. ¡°Go dda mmit. I¡¯m fine. It was just a scratch¡±


    ¡°You could have died, Dorothy. Ignatius said, trying to pull me back down onto hisp. ¡°And then you


    were still dumb enough to try and heal me.¡±


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I allowed him to guide me onto his knees but I maintained my grumpy attitude. ¡°You were passing out.


    And that¡¯s not a good look for the new Alpha of the pack.¡±


    Ignatius muzzled my head and I pushed his face away. ¡°Stop smothering me! I¡¯m your new Luna, I


    need to beposed in front of everyone


    Ignatius took both my wrists in one hand and kept up his muzzling, k*ssing along my cheek and my


    frowning face as 1 blushed. ¡°But you¡¯re also my girl,¡± he teased.


    After Ignatius was done faffing over me, his beloved, it was time to make some ns. Everyone


    gathered around as Ignatius dictated the new n of action now that the pack had been taken back by


    the younger generation


    He scheduled a meeting for the next day where a trial would also be held for the three shifters who


    attacked me. He would also spend tomorrow organizing a new councilors table.


    Ignatius appointed Angie as the new official leader of the Bielke army and Angie in turn named Fae and


    Gideon her trusted subordinates. Three other shifters who I hadn¡¯t met yet were appointed positions in


    power until a proper vote could be organized


    ¡°Tonight we rest, but be on guard, Ignatius warned the pack. ¡°There are still Tally imposters lurking


    about so stick together. To other rival packs, we may seem more vulnerable now that we have


    banished our previous leaders. It won¡¯t take long for the word to spread. We need to be ready. I¡¯ll see


    you all here tomorrow. And thank you for trusting me as your leader, it¡¯s an


    handr


    After much congratting and cheering from dozens of faces that passed me by in a blur. Ignatius


    guided me to Gideon¡¯s van which would be escorting us home. Angie and the other two had been


    offered a ce to stay inside the mansion but they were all eager to get back to their families


    Far¡¯s mother was a widower and Fae didn¡¯t want to leave her alone for too long. All of Gideon¡¯s


    brothers had been present for the attack and were heading back to their parents who had chosen to


    stay behind.


    Angie wanted to make sure her family had stayed put as was asked of them. Her grandfather would be


    dealt with the next morning.


    Gideon dropped us off at the mansion and bid us goodbye. Everyone was still high on the adrenaline


    rush that the night had sparked but there was still a hint of unease in the air at the thought of Johan


    being on the loose.


    Rita too had gone home after giving me a bear hug that was surprisingly crushing for someone so


    small and promised to see me at the councilors hall the next morning. She had brushed asile my


    concerns for her safety with a tw inkle in her eye.


    ¡°No shifter would daree after me,¡± she had said. ¡°Il fly away before they can cause any trouble¡±


    Ignatius had appointed a few of the best guards to take up camp around the mansion for the might I


    doubted Johan would be showing up so soon after he had been injured by Bielke members but Ignatius


    wasn¡¯t willing to take the risk.


    By the time we walked inside I came to realize just how exhausted I was by the long night we had had


    The moon was high in the day and I suspected it was long past midnight by the time we peeled off our


    clothes and crawled into bed


    It was only after Ignatius and I had gotten cozy, lying n*ked together in a tangled mess of limbs that I


    felt a sudden shift in my stomach and a fiery athe arose in my loins. I ignored it for some time thinking it


    was the leftover effects of nerves from earlier but it grew tou strong to push aside.


    ¡°Um. Ignatius?¡±


    ¡°Hmune¡± his rough voice already spoke of deep slumber.


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going into heat¡±,


    62


    Ignatius didn¡¯t seem to hear me at first but he snapped to full attention when my honey-sweet scent


    became apparent.


    ¡°Now?¡± he asked, suddenly on high alert and heated himself as my scent coaxed him closer. ¡°Does war


    and revolution get you off, Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I moaned and pulled him on top of me in a deep k*ss

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    -Dorothy-


    We didn¡¯t do it in bed this time, we rarely did. With my heat burning through my b*dy and Ignatius drunk


    on the new primal instincts of an Alpha, we did it outside in the moonlight,


    It had taken more than a few minutes and a lot of toppled furniture to get out into the garden in the first


    ce. Wreathed in burning desire, Ignatius was determined to touch me against every surface, to


    press me to the walls, the floors, the tables, and the chairs as he littered my b*dy with hi ckeys, k*sses,


    and bites.


    We stumbled through the house in the dark, barefoot and n*ked, every s loppy, exciting k*ss riling us


    up further. When we finally burst through the front door and tumbled out onto the grass I was already


    pleasantly wet, heat burning at my core as Ignatius pulled me on top of him under a ck sky full of


    stars,


    Moonlight reflected off of our pale bodies and cast a shimmery blue glow over the garden around us.


    Ignatius tousled hair glinted silver in the faint blue light and his dark eyes glinted with animalistic desire.


    My own scent vas as sweet as ever, enveloping him in tantalizing waves of allure and longing.


    Something was different about my mate¡¯s scent, it was stronger, more sensually potent than before.


    New primal energy radiated from his every pore and drove me to a frenzied S**ual crescendo. This was


    the true scent of the Alpha male at its finest. Something about him had changed. He was stronger,


    faster, and even more enticing than before.


    Ignatius put a hand on the back of my neck and pulled me down into a rough k*ss and a tight embrace.


    My legs straddled his hips and I felt his throbbing hard erection against my c lit.


    I squeezed my legs tighter and rocked my hips, sliding my wet pu ssy up and down the ridge of his


    member and sucking in short breaths when his head teased at my entrance,


    Ignatius cupped one of my small, tender breasts, pinching my hard nipple between his fingers and


    squeezing. I moaned into his mouth as his teeth caught my bottom lip and bit down, hard. My puss y


    ached with a need that belied our history like I had been touch starved until that very moment.


    My mate released my neck and breast to firmly grip both my hips and hold me in ce as I ground my


    groin against his stiff


    erection


    1 clutched at his shoulders and threw my head back as the desperate need built inside of me. My owen


    nectar flowing ti my hot core coated his throbbing co ck, leaving both of us slicked up and lubricated.


    When he finally pushed me into an upright position and lifted my hips to position himself beneath me I


    was a sighing. shaking mess, still bucking my hips as I waited to feel the burn of his forceful entrance


    into my pu ssy.


    He rubbed the head of his erection against my dripping slit and my eyes widened in shock when he


    moved further than th and prepared to push into the tight bud of my second hole.


    ¡°What are you-


    He stopped me with a firm hand over my mouth as he pulled me down against his chest.


    I squirmed against him, whining into his palin but his grip on me was steel and resistance was futile.


    Even as I writhed to escape, shaking my head and releasing high-pitched squeaks matfled by his hand,


    my back was arching to let him in. He rubbed himself against me, coating my tight second hole with my


    own c um, and my mouth salivated behind his palm


    I groaned as he slowly pushed inside of me. It was a sensation I had never experienced before,


    something that scared me. Not only because of the taboo nature of it but because of just how wild,


    intense, and uncontroble Ignatius could be.


    Especially while I was in heat. Something about my scent during these phases pushed him to an even


    stronger level of possessive dominance.


    1/4


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G


    I felt myself stiffen in fearful anticipation as his c ock pushed into me, tightening my walls when I would


    usually begin to rx. Ignatius ground his own hips ever so slightly, coaxing himself further in as the


    head of his erection slowly stretched.


    me open.


    My heavy breaths hitched as the full head of his member was buried inside of me. I let out a low, long


    moan as Ignatius rocked his hips against me, pushing into me inch by inch. I felt both pain and


    pleasure as he continued to fill me, tears. pr icking my eyes at the burn, and another wave of desire


    and need flushed through my b*dy,


    When Ignatius was fully inside of me, he held us there for a moment, releasing his hand from my mouth


    and running a wed hand down my back gently enough to cause tingles across my skin.


    I lifted my head to look at him, staring into his eyes as we were locked in ce in that intimate moment.


    And then he moved faster.


    I let out a loud cry as Ignatius began to pound into me, all-consuming in his size and length. I clung to


    him as I whined and moaned, as each thrust threatened to tear me apart. His arms around me gripped


    at my thighs, holding me in ce as he pummeled my tight virgin hole.


    His own groans joined mine and my hitched breathing gave way to punctuated breaths as his thrusts


    grew deep and intense. He pulled out of me almost all the way only to ram back in with force like a


    jackhammer as I cried out, struggling to manage his violent thrusting.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Gradually, as we continued, pain gave way to pleasure and I felt myself rx and loosen around him,


    weing him in as the vicious onught morphed into pure passion.


    We moved together and I pushed myself up against his chest to allow him deeper inside as I dropped


    my head back and moaned openly in the quiet midnight garden.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before I felt an or gasm building as my b*dy was pushed to the brink. I sat up straight,


    leaning back as Ignatius dug his nails into my hips and pounded into me from below


    A howl erupted from my throat under the moonlight as I was pushed further and further towards the


    precipice of my own o rgasm. Ignatius, too, was close tobustion, his co ck pulsating inside of me


    as he nearedpletion.


    The sound of our lovemaking echoed around us, loud and clear over the distant crashing of ocean


    waves and the chorus of chirping crickets.


    It was as if nature around us was determined to join in the symphony. Ignatius¡¯ eyes were dark and


    hungry in the pale moonlight and I gazed down at him, breathing deeply before biting my lip as my own


    eyes rolled back in my head.


    Ignatius quickened his pace and I moaned as my o rgasm reached its peak. I felt my b*dy spasm and


    tighten around his erection as Ignatius released himself into me, filling me with load after load of his


    thick, hot cu m.


    He thrust twice, hard and long strokes as he came inside of me, then rutted against me for a short


    while as he emptied himself entirely into my tight, abused as s.


    I copsed onto his chest, both of us covered in sweat. Ignatius breaths were even while mine was


    short andbored as 1 struggled to recover.


    My b*dy shuddered as the tingles of my or gasm waned and faded and I felt all of my muscles rx.


    Ignatius stroked my hair, k*ssing my damp forehead as I fought to keep my eyes from fluttering shut in


    exhausted pleasure.


    ¡°Your did great, baby. That was amazing.


    I smiled at him before plopping my head back down onto his chest, Ignatius slowly inched himself out


    of me, stroking my back as I moaned. I let my b*dy melt against his chest as I was ovee with


    fatigue, satisfied with my mate, and my every desire satiated,


    Ignatius held me in his arms as he drew himself forwards to sit up in the long grass. He cupped one


    arm under my knees and the other supported my back as he stood up and litted me to his chest. We


    both gazed up at the full moon over our heads,pletely still for a moment as we admired the quiet


    silver beauty.


    24


    10:50 Fri, Jan 26 G ¡¤


    62%


    Then Ignatius carried me back inside, shunning the door closed with his hips and narrowly avoiding the


    furniture that we had knocked down during our earlier rampage.


    ¡°Go d dam mit, did we do all of this?¡± he muttered, as he stepped over the upturned coffee table and


    carried me up the stairs.


    I nuzzled into his chest and closed my eyes. ¡°What, the mess? Yes And it was entirely worth it.¡±


    He nted a k*ss on my cheek, tickling me with his newly grown stubble. ¡°Definitely worth it.¡±


    After a long, intimate shower and a conjoined resolution to clean the house the next morning, we


    crawled back into bed. Both exhausted andpletely content, Ignatius curled himself around me as I


    huddled against his chest, the intoxicating nature of his scent lulling me into peaceful drowsiness.


    My mate was now a true Alphia, and I was the Luna at his side. I closed my heavy eyes and let myself


    drift off into a deep and undisturbed sleep in thefort of my mate¡¯s arms.


    -Johan-


    ¡°Ba stards.


    I plucked out another sharp rock that was lodged in my torso and threw it over my shoulder. It plopped


    into the water of the quarry behind me with a ssh and I continued removing shrapnel from my b*dy.


    The fall off of the cliff had been a long


    I had been aiming for the deeper water but the weight of my new b*dy had sent me plummeting straight


    down onto the rocks below. I had been split open and my bones cracked and shattered around me as I


    hit the shallow water.


    I had to pass the reinspletely over to Julianna in order for us to swim deeper and avoid being seen


    by the young female shifter who was sure to be scanning the water to see us surface.


    Julianna had dragged us along the muddy bottom of the quarry, using the dead weight of our massive


    b*dy to keep us from breaking the surface of the water.


    By the time we were some miles away, I stepped forwards again to drag myself to drynd. Water had


    poured from my broken jaw and I coughed up copious amounts of dark blood as my b*dy rushed to


    repair itself.


    1 had waited on the sand, baking in the setting sun, while my bones rearranged and my mangled limbs


    rejoined. By the time


    I had fully healed again, the night sky waned above me and I stared up at dozens of stars


    1 began picking thest of the broken rock shards from my b*dy as I ran over what had happened.


    That go dd amn shifter. She had Dorothy¡¯s scent all over her. She had been more of a nuisance than I


    had anticipated. I shouldn¡¯t have toyed with them for as long as I did, I should have killed both young


    wolves the moment they arrived at the


    quarry.


    There was no time to dwell on that now though. I could hear the sound of wolves, it carried to me


    through the cool night air Something was happening out there, something big. The howls were


    resounding, echoing through the forest until I couldn¡¯t decipher just how many wolves had taken up the


    chorus.


    I pulled myself to my feet and followed the symphony, keeping to the shadows and plucking leaves


    along the way to mask. my scent. There were wolves charging through the forest and I heard the


    rickety revving of multiple cars screaming down the road nearby.


    After following the raucous parade, I realized that they were heading to the councilor¡¯s hall. It wasn¡¯t


    long before I realized what was happening. This was their response to losing their members to the Tally


    Juliama purred in my chest and I grinned in the darkness.


    Ignatius was the Alpha now The Bielke Pack would be vulnerable in their time of reformation. They had


    no guidance from their elders and they had very few allies willing to back them up. It was time to strike.


    I soapped myself to attention when her scent drifted to my nostril. Dorothy was here. I could smell her


    blood.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    -Dorothy-


    Life went back to normal soon after the reformation. Ten young shifters had been appointed leadership


    roles on the council board and Ignatius was the spearhead of the new operation.


    We weren¡¯t able to rx just yet, however. The threat of the Tally still loomed over our heads and


    already, a mere four months since Ignatius stepped in as the new Alpha, Angie had gotten word that


    other packs hard their own schemes to attack


    The rival packs saw us as vulnerable and unstable. They were sorely mistaken. The Bielke was


    stronger than ever and working hard toe up with ns of our own in order to defeat our enemies.


    ¡°Dorothy, you¡¯re not paying attention


    I jumped on the spot as Rita¡¯s voice brought me back down to earth from where I was daydreaming up


    in the clouds ¡°Sorry. sorry. My mind is all over the ce today


    It wasn¡¯t a lie either. I had been restless and irritable all day long snappish enough to drive Ignatius out


    of the house.


    He said he was heading to a council meeting but I suspected he just wanted an excuse to get away


    from his murderous mate for the day. It was very likely he¡¯d be arriving home with chocte and ice


    cream in order tobat my unnecessary rage.


    I tugged at the cor of my shirt as Rita waited for me to perform a shift for her. We had begun training


    again soon after the reformation. Even though I had already managed a perfect shift from human to


    wolf, Rita was insistent that there was still much to be learned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not acting like your usual self today. Ritamented, as she eyed me from a few feet away.


    ¡°The look on Ignatius face when I ran into him earlier tells me you¡¯ve been a little nightmaretely


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be so upset all the time. I mumbled, lowering myself down onto my haunches and


    clutching my stomach at the sudden pangs of pain that had been tormenting me all day.


    I thought that maybe I was getting sick. ¡°I¡¯ve just been getting these weird stomach cramps and all of


    my clothes feel itchy


    and ufortable.


    ¡°Is that so


    Rita was looking at me with an odd expression in her birdlike eyes.


    She knelt down next to me and felt her hands along my stomach ¡°Interesting. How long have you been


    feeling like this!¡±


    ¡°It started a few days ago


    I swatted her hands away in iprehensible frustration. Im sorry I don¡¯t know why everything is


    passing me off¡±


    Rita stroked her chin deep in thought for a minute before asking ¡°Have you been having any cravings


    recently?¡±


    ¡°I have an overwhelming urge to eat dirt. Does that count?¡±


    The old woman lifted her finger to my face, suddenly excited. Onest question. When was thest


    time you got your penod


    1 gawked at her for a good long while my bram tried to catch on to what she implied with her questions.


    I tried to remember thest tour I had dealt with period cramps and all the achars and pains that came


    with my monthly cycle


    It was usually a canal at in which Iguanas would keep has distance from ine for a day or two so as


    not to have his head. bitten off and then wouldfort me with tea and cuddles while I cried over


    something inconsequential like the color of


    the curtains


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    I couldn¡¯t remember exactly when thest time was, nor could I recall exactly when my next period was


    due. All I knew that it had felt like it had been absent for a long time.


    ¡°Rita, what are you saying?¡±


    She felt my stomach again and took my hand to press my own palm against my belly. There was the


    tiniest bloat that I hadn¡¯t noticed before and Renee was reeling with excitement in my chest. My eyes


    widened in shock and I looked up at Rita in disbelief.


    ¡°Dorothy, I think-¡± Rita was smilling with tears in her eyes, tripping over her words in her excitement. ¡°I


    think you¡¯re pregnant.


    I didn¡¯t need a pregnancy test to know that it was true. From the moment Rita voiced it, all of the clues


    fell into ce and I cupped a hand over my stomach in disbelief.


    Rita was right, I could feel something nestled within me, something that I was determined to protect


    with all of my heart. From the way Renee was crooning in my chest I knew without a doubt that I was


    carrying Ignatius¡¯ child within me..


    With the same influx of euphoria, that burst forth within me came a desperate and primal fear. I felt


    more vulnerable than ever out there in the open and immediately all of my senses told me that I


    needed to get inside and start preparing my nest- whatever that meant


    I had a fierce drive to protect the infant inside of me and the threat of outsider attacks suddenly seemed


    to be looming directly over my head like there was danger around every corner.


    I fought the instinctual parts of me with reason and logic. I was in no immediate danger sitting in my


    own garden outside of our house. My child was not in danger for the time being. There was no reason


    to panic just yet.


    Once I had finally managed to calm my nerves, there was room for excitement to bloom. Rita hurred


    with me back inside where I stood in front of therge bathroom mirror to inspect my belly.


    It was small, but there was definitely a bump between my protruding hip bones that hadn¡¯t been there


    before.


    I was nervous to contact Ignatius, unsure of what he would think about the news, but Rita assured me


    that he would be ecstatic. I tentatively tested the curtain of his mind.


    ¡°Ignatius, are you there?¡±


    ¡°Dorothy,¡± his voice in my head was a soothing balm. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you need me toe


    home!¡±


    ¡°Well, um. Thave news


    He was silent, awaiting my reveal. I was shedding nervous beads of sweat.


    ¡°Ignatius, I¡¯m pregnant.


    No response. His silence went on long enough that every nerve in my b*dy was tingling with unease.


    Then, all of a sudden


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± has voice was small and astonished. ¡°We¡¯re having a baby?¡±


    My nerves were wrecked as I tried to read his energy. ¡°How do you feel about that?¡±


    ¡°This is the happiest day of my life¡±


    -Angie-


    ¡°What exactly is going on Lasked hesitantly, pressing the cell to my ear with my shoulder as I drove to


    the cottage on the cliffs. ¡°Has something happened? Is Johan back?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that,¡± Dorothy¡¯s voice cra ckled through the phone. ¡°Just get here already! It¡¯s urgent,¡±


    her voice buzzed with excitement and stirred the butterrs in my stomach that I had tried so hard to


    keep still.


    2/7


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26


    I had no clue what all the fuss was about but Dorothy had called me and insisted Ie over and so


    that was exactly what I was going to do.


    I turned up the winding driveway and hurried to park my car. Dorothy came running out of the front door


    in a blur of red hair and an oversized sweater and leaped into my arms.


    ¡°We have good news!¡±


    Ignatius followed Dorothy out along with Rita in tow. Both of them were smiling but Ignatius especially


    seemed aglow with excitement and childlike joy.


    ¡°Alright, tell me this good news then? What is so important that it was worth dragging me all the way


    over here on my off day?¡±


    Dorothy released her arms from my neck and both me and my wolf ached internally at the departure.


    She shuffled back and stood next to Ignatius who put his arm around her. Dorothy herself had her


    hands on her stomach like she was cupping something precious. Her grin was a mile wide.


    I looked between her and Ignatius in bewilderment. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡±


    It clicked a secondter and my eyes settled on Dorothy¡¯s small stomach. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s gleefulughter burst forth before she could contain it I¡¯m going to be a mother! A useless


    one probably-but


    Dorothy was pregnant. This new information hit me like a truck and I struggled to patch my face


    together into a smile. That¡¯s amazing.


    I was conflicted, wrestling internally with both my duties to protect the Luna and my own personal


    feelings towards Dorothy. I had already epted that we would never be together like my inner wolf


    wanted. My mind had epted it, but it seemed my heart had not.


    Dorothy noticed immediately that something was wrong and she tilted her head slightly in question. At


    that moment I hated that she knew me so well, I hated that we had grown so close in the first ce. It


    would have been easier to let her go.


    I forced a bigger smile and it felt like my face was cracking in ces, the mask slipping even as I tried


    to force myposure. ¡°You¡¯re going to make a great mother, Dorothy. I don¡¯t doubt that for a second.¡±


    She still seemed skeptical about my reaction but she gave me a small smile and a grateful nod.


    Ignatius picked Dorothy up and ced her on his shoulders while she protested in rm. The reason


    we called you here was to ask you an important question,¡± he said as Dorothy clung to his face in an


    attempt to find her bnce.


    ¡°Put me down! What about the baby?¡±


    ¡°I would never drop you or the little guy, Ignatius patted her leg


    ¡°How do you even know it¡¯s a boy?¡± Dorothy huffed. ¡°Up until an hour ago, you weren¡¯t even aware I


    was pregnant. Some mate you are.¡±


    Jenatios sampled at me and there was genuinepassion in those pale blue eve you if you would


    agree to be the godmother.¡±


    Iblinked at him. ¡°You can¡¯t be seriou


    ¡°The reason we called you here was to ask


    ¡°If anything happens to us, Ignatius cut me off. ¡°If anything happens to the both of us and let¡¯s hope it


    neveres to that you¡¯re the only person we trust to take care of our child.¡±


    I was speechless. Treacherous tears threatened to roll from my eyes and I wiped at them roughly.


    ¡°What about Kita?¡±


    The old woman shrugged myment aside. Tim getting old. And besides. I¡¯ve never been great with


    children. That was a


    10:51/ Fri, Jan 26 G.


    lie, she had basically raised post of the young generation as if we were her own.


    Dorothy and Ignatius had chosen me specifically. It was an honor. And a double-edged de. I had


    their trust, enough of it for them to confine their child to my care if they were to be taken down.


    It hurt to consider that I had been harboring my own feelings for the stubborn red-headed girl. It was


    wrong of me to want to tear apart such a beautiful budding family,


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± I struggled to keep my voice even, holding back hot tears all the while, ¡°I¡¯m honored, really I


    am. Both of you have been kind to me.¡±


    I directed my next words at Dorothy personally, ¡°You had every right to kill me on the spot after what I


    tried to do to you. But you showed me mercy, you even saved my life. The fact that you gave me room


    to prove myself even after all that is a gift I didn¡¯t deserve


    I hung my head, unable to look into her glimmering green eyes a moment longer. ¡°But I can¡¯t ept


    this. I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t do what you¡¯re asking of me. It isn¡¯t fair on either of you¡±


    Dorothy reached for my hand from on top of Ignatius shoulders. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry, I need to go.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand to be there a moment longer, not when she was looking at me with such gentle eyes.


    My heart was breaking and I feared they might just hear the cra cks if I allowed a moment of silence


    ¡°Don¡¯t go. Dorothy insisted. She climbed down from Ignatius shoulders and put a hand on my shoulder.


    I flinched at the electricity that p rickled on my skin wherever her fingersy. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, no. 1-¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± she spoke over me, dragging me away through the garden by the arm ¡°We talk


    Ignatius and Rita can entertain themselves by discussing baby names. Ignatius has the worst taste in


    baby-naming.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Ignatius, darling, I love you but we are not naming our child Thor¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stifle a giggle. ¡°Thor, because it rhymes with Tor?


    ¡°Listen, Ignatius yelled as I was dragged around the house and out of sight, ¡°Thor is a great name and I


    stand by that Tor


    agrees too.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say


    Dorothy waved a hand over her shoulder without looking back. Her yful demeanor was dropped


    however when we rounded the corner and she turned to face me with her arms folded


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Angie? You could have said that you didn¡¯t want to. But that wasn¡¯t the case. You


    specifically said that you couldn¡¯t. Why? Why do you stillen every time I touch you?¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, I seriously don¡¯t want to get into this right now, okay? I can¡¯t.¡± The tears I had been holding


    back finally broke loose and trailed down my face like a shameful branding


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡± Dorothy blocked my retreat. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you, Angie? Do you still secretly


    resent me or something? Because you¡¯ve been acting weird around me and I can¡¯t exin it. Don¡¯t


    think I haven¡¯t noticed¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I dropped to my knees and covered my face. It was all too overwhelming. I couldn¡¯t admit it. I


    couldn¡¯t lose her for good. ¡°It¡¯s not that¡±


    Dorothy stood over me. ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    4/7


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    ¡°I love you. Okay?¡± Thadn¡¯t peant to shout it but my voice rang out around the garden and sp ooked a


    few birds from the nearby trees. ¡°I love you.¡±


    Dorothy dropped her arms to her side, confused for a moment.Angie what are you talking about. I


    already know that. I love you too. Why would that be a problem?¡±


    Her jaw cked when I didn¡¯t respond. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look directly at her. I stared to the side


    as tears turned my vision watery and blurred.


    ¡°Oh, Dorothy said quietly. ¡°Oh I see?


    I expected her to yell. I expected her to condemn me and run back to Ignatius with news of my


    treachery. I did not expect her to sit herself down beside me as she had back when she had me in


    handcuffs.


    Dorothy plopped herself down at my side and fiddled with the long tendrils of grass at her feet. It was


    cool in the shade that the house provided for us


    The strong scent of earth and midnight showers filled my nose. I could hear the ocean waves crashing


    in the distance. I thought I could hear the cogs turning in Dorothy¡¯s mind as she turned over my words,


    ¡°How long?¡± she asked suddenly and I flinched.


    ¡°What


    ¡°How long have you felt this way? How long have you been holding these feelings about me?¡±


    H ooked down at my dirty, beaten sneakers. It was time for a new pair.


    ¡°Honestly? Since you sat down with me that night of the New Year¡¯s party- before I was attacked. That


    night you saw straight through me. I had never been seen like that before.¡±


    Dorothy looked deep in thought as she twisted the strains of grass around her fingertips. ¡°Okay¡±


    We were silent for a while and I waited with bated breath to see how she would react. Thest thing I


    wanted was to lose such a loyal friend. Both her and Ignatius meant the world to me.


    ¡°Angie, Dorothy finally spoke and I tilted my head to look at her sideways. ¡°You know that my heart


    belongs to Ignatius,¡±


    I do. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve kept my feelings quiet until now. I just wasn¡¯t expecting this. I wasn¡¯t expecting a


    baby. It¡¯s like sealing a deal, although I know your heart belonged to him long before this.¡±


    She nodded slowly. We watched a lizard scurry away along the will of the house. Somewhere nearby


    we could hear a bee droning


    ¡°I understand why you¡¯ve kept quiet,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°You didn¡¯t want to get in the way of what Ignatius


    and I have. I know you care deeply for him 100,¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡±


    Tm sorry I can¡¯t be what you want me to be. I can¡¯t be that person for you.¡± Dorothy turned to face me


    and I forced myself to hold her gaze. ¡°You mean the world to me Angie but I can¡¯t love you the way that


    you love me¡±


    ¡°I can understand that. I always have, really. The heart is just a tricky thing it doesn¡¯t care for logic and


    reason¡±


    Dorothy smiled wryly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth¡±


    I looked away from her. ¡°So what now? Are you going to tell Igutius¡± I broke a twig in my palm. ¡°Do you


    want me to leave? I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t want you to leave. And as for Ignatius, that¡¯s something we can discuss in our oven


    time. But I don¡¯t see it making a difference in how much he cares for you.


    577


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26 G


    ¡°He can be stubborn and possessive, yes. But he can also be deeply empathetic and he trusts you


    more than most. It was Ignatius who proposed that we name you the godmother of our child.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve that title¡±


    ¡°But you do, Angie. Dorothy was still looking at me, I could feel her eyes boring into the back of my


    skull. ¡°And I would appreciate it. There¡¯s no one I would trust more with this burden¡±


    ¡°Even now? Even after you know the truth?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re still the same Angie. I¡¯m sorry there isn¡¯t anything I can do to fix this.¡±


    I tossed the broken twigs at our feet. ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize. You¡¯ve done enough.¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to he going away soon.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. Tensions are building up to the east of us. Some pack has caught wind of our new


    leadership and thinks they can strike while we re vulnerable, Fae and I are going to lead a small group


    to shut down their attacks.¡±


    *Be careful,¡± Dorothy whispered, taking my hand in hers. ¡°Ande back in one piece. We need you


    now more than ever.¡±


    I closed my fingers around her hand. ¡°I can do that. I¡¯ll be here to protect you until the day I die. All


    three of you.¡±


    Dorothyughed and ced her free hand over her small belly. ¡°Don¡¯t go dying anytime soon. And


    thank you, Angie. I appreciate that?


    The birds I had scared away earlier returned to the nearby trees and picked up their chirping as I


    looked from Dorothy to the hand on her stomach. I could never be with her the way my heart longed to


    be. I could ept that


    I thought that maybe then. I could be satisfied in protecting her. I could watch over her growing family


    and stand at her side when she needed me most. That would be enough.


    1 steeled myself in my resolve. In my new decision, in my vow to protect the little redhead at my side.


    I had watched her grow from an outsider runt with no credit to her name, to a beloved and mighty Luna.


    I couldn¡¯t have been prouder to call her my friend. There was one thing I had to do first though


    I leaned forwards slightly and pressed my lips to hers. Dorothy didn¡¯t pull back. Our lips touched softly


    and the same electricity from her touch pr ickled over every pore on my skin,


    She tasted like apple juice and salty sea air. I wanted toce my fingers into her hair but I withheld my


    hands.


    I loved her. I would always love her. But she wasn¡¯t mine.


    I pulled away slowly and looked into her eyes. Dorothy looked back at me, her gaze steady. She had


    the most beautiful eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored to be the protector of your child. You can count on me.¡± I whispered, unwilling to leave


    this tiny piece of perfection she had given me. But reality was waiting, and this was a fantasy that could


    never be.


    I got to my feet shakily and turned to go without another nce at the red-headed-girl I loved so much.


    ¡°See you around. runt. Don¡¯t get yourself killed before I get back.¡±


    ¡°Later beanpole.¡±


    I left the mansion that day with a lighter heart. It had hurt, it still hurt. It was a wound that would take


    time to heal. But Dorothy had relieved me of the burden of loving her. For that, I was beyond thankful


    There were many battles ahead of us, and I was ready to fight them all at her side.


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26 G

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    -Ignatius


    I was puzzled by Angie¡¯s reaction to our proposal. I thought she would be ecstatic to hear the news, but


    instead, she had seemed hesitant and uneasy.


    It wasn¡¯t until after Dorothy opened her mind to me and asked for some time alone with Angie that I


    began to realize just why my close friend was so hesitant to ept my offer.


    I recalled the odd feeling Tor had detected from time to time. I was a sensation of a rival, someone


    nob*dy had evere forward or attempted to rival me for her attention.


    We had thought it to be someone from the local college who had epted loving her from a distance. It


    wasn¡¯t ideal but until someone came forward we realized there wasn¡¯t much we could do about it. It had


    never urred to me that I could have been sensing Angie


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel about any of it, but Dorothy¡¯s voice in toy head reassured me that she could


    handle it. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You trust Angie. We both do. If this is what I suspect it is then you need to let me


    handle this. This is between me and Angie and I know you don¡¯t doubt my love for you.¡±


    It was true. In all the time that we had been together, not once had I ever doubted Dorothy¡¯s loyalty to


    me. I had never doubted her love.


    I let her close the curtain over her mind as she and Angie spoke and instead turned my attention to Rita


    who eyed me with a tw inkle in her eye and a smile on her lips ¡°Thor, hmm? Interesting choice there


    Ignatius.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, old bird. It was just a suggestion. I didn¡¯t know everyone held such high standards when it


    We headed into the mansion and I got busy making the two of us some tea. The sun shone in through


    the window and lit up the kitchen in golden hues.


    Ritaughed. ¡°My apologies, I¡¯m sure the two of you wille up with a suitable name for such a


    unique child.¡±


    Her words rung through my head and something new urred to me. ¡°Do you think the baby will carry


    the same abilities as Dorothy?¡±


    If that was the case, there was even more reason to start searching for more shifters like her. There


    had to be a way to break. the curse of their powers


    Rita nodded gravely, all of her spark suddenly snuffed out. ¡°That is definitely a possibility.¡±


    ¡°Rita.¡± I dug the toe of my shoe into the ground. ¡°How do you know so much about Dorothy¡¯s abilities,


    honestly¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer me and I kicked at a stone on the ground. ¡°Back at the hospital when Dorothy fell


    into aa, you told me more about my mate than she knew about herself. You also told me that you


    couldn¡¯t exin to me why you knew the things you did. Are you still not able to tell me anything?¡±


    Rita closed her eyes and sighed deeply. ¡°Ignatius. You and Dorothy are having a child now. I suppose


    what the two of you have has proven to be pure and true.


    She turned to face me, ¨¤ deep frowns of concentration on her face. ¡°Can you promise me right here


    and now that you will stay by her sale and protect her and your child, until your final breath?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very formal way of putting it


    an you promise to love and honor your


    Tin serious, Ignatius. Think long and hard about this.


    is. This is the rest of your life. Can mate until death do you part?¡±


    1/4


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26 Ge


    They sounded like wedding yows which seemed odd to me but had made up my mind long ago and I


    was in no way determined to back down from my vow now. ¡°Of course I would I have loved Dorothy


    from the moment Iid ey I would never go back on my promise to protect her.


    Rita pulled a small, potent-looking knife from under her shawl and I raised my brow in confusion,


    ¡°Rita, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    .61%


    eyes on her.


    The old woman extended a hand out to me, beckoning for me to put my hand in hers. ¡°This wow, would


    you swear it by blood, Ignatius¡±


    I hesitantly gave her my hand and hissed when she swiped at the skin of my palm in the blink of an


    eye. A small red line had been sliced into my hand and beads of blood began to break through the cut


    skin.


    Rita caught these droplets in a small vial and plugged the top with a little piece of cork.


    I wrenched my hand away from her and held it to my chest, inspecting the cut in rm. ¡°What was that


    for? What are you up to


    She held the small vial of my blood up to the sun. ¡°This is a sacred-blood oath. The moment you say


    your vow you will be bound to this tiny vessel. The moment you break this vow the jar will c rack and so


    will every bone in your b*dy. For good. Are you still willing to honor your promise?¡±


    I rubbed the cut on my hand that healed up as fast as it had appeared. ¡°Those are some seriously


    extreme measures you¡¯re taking there olddy¡±


    Rita shook the tiny jar of blood. The liquid swished within it and my crimson liquid tw inkled in the sun.


    ¡°If you want to know the truth I need your oath right now. I need to know you will never turn your back


    on Dorothy. Not even in battle, not even in death.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need a second thought or a moment to consider. ¡°I already told you. Of course, I won¡¯t. I will


    love Dorothy for the rest of my life. I will protect her with my life. No harm wille to her as long as


    I¡¯m around.¡±


    I felt some kind of strange energy ripple through my b*dy as I said these words and Rita nodded her


    head before hiding the jar under her shawl once more. ¡°It¡¯s done then. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    I heard Angie¡¯s car start up outside and peeked out the window to see her speeding away without


    bidding us goodbye.


    I opened my mind to Dorothy for a moment while I set down two cups of tea on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°Everything alright¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s voice in my head was calm and collected. ¡°Yeah. It was what I thought it was. Angie has


    been hiding her true feelings


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t shee forward sooner?¡±


    ¡°Why would she? She knew there was no changing how things were. It¡¯s just needs time to heal.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense.¡±


    alright though. I think she¡¯s going to be okay. She


    Tor was surprisingly calm inside my chest considering we had just discovered that one of our close


    friends has been harboring an infatuation with our mate


    But we both understood where Angie wasing from and respected her resolve to keep her feelings


    to herself. If Dorothy hadn¡¯t confronted her, she probably would never have said anything at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay out here for a while, Dorothy said. ¡°I need some time to think.¡±


    ¡°Stay out there,¡± I answered her as Rita opened her mouth to speak. ¡°But keep your mind open. You¡¯re


    going to want to hear this


    Ritaced her fingers together as she seuled herself deep in thought.


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26 G


    When she spoke, she sounded far away as


    way as if she was recalling another life from some d


    distant memory


    ¡°You told me that you learned of the Sanitatum bloodline from the healer at an allied pack, correct?


    Well, what she told you was true. There was once a powerful bloodline of healers. Whether they were


    blessed with their abilities or cursed by it. that¡¯s entirely up to debate.


    ¡°Much like magic, their abilities were neither good nor bad but resided somewhere in between. It all


    depended on the wielder and how they chose to use it. But the oue was always the same. No


    Sanitatum healer lived longer than twenty years. All of the energy flowing in and out of their bodies was


    too much to hear.¡±


    Rna looked up at me, her eyes filled with mncholy.


    ¡°My sister was one such healer, gifted with the Sanitatum heritage. For some reason we could not


    understand, I was never able to use any such abilities. There are exceptions among every powerful


    bloodline and I was one of them


    ¡°I have no healing abilities and I have been able to live a fairly long lifepared to others of my


    bloodline. Our parent¡¯s died young as did their¡¯s before them. Many thought the Sanitatim had died out


    for good but they were wrong. We kept our family¡¯s abilities a secret and managed to live peacefully in


    a small, friendly pock¡±


    I leaned forwards against the ind countertop. ¡°What pack was this exactly!¡±


    The Seilvanne Pack. Perhaps you have heard of them. After all, they were the pack that was wiped out


    when Dorothy was a


    What are you saying. Rita! How do you know all of this? What exactly is your rtion to Dorothy?¡±


    Rata smiled sadly. ¡°My sister was Dorothy¡¯s mother. Tim her aunt


    This was news to me. I didn¡¯t know what I had expected to leam from the old bird but it wasn¡¯t this.


    ¡°Then how did you end up with the Bielke?¡±


    ¡°I was the woman who escaped with Dorothy from the massacre of the Seilvanne Pack. News of my


    family¡¯s abilities got out and people sought to take it for themselves by breeding with those gifted with


    healing


    ¡°My family however was already dead, as was Dorothy¡¯s mother Dorothy was thest healer in the


    Seilvanne Pack. They were looking for her. They murdered everyone else.


    ¡°You delivered Dorothy to the Khall Pack,¡± I said as the pieces began to fall into ce. ¡°They couldn¡¯t


    allow you to stay, they were recovering from a war with us. So you ended up joining the Bielke instead.¡±


    Rita nodded, taking small sips of her tea that she clutched in her hands like a lifeline. ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult.


    Back then, the Bielke was always eager to wee more soldiers. I have fought many needless wars


    for your people.¡±


    1 glowered down at my own cup at thatment. My father had been more than happy to allow new


    members into our pack so long as they were ready to throw away their lives for it too.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all bad,¡± Rita continued. ¡°I got to raise many children that were not my own. You included.


    And when things calmed down and the Bielke allied with the Khall, I was able to learn how Dorothy was


    doing.


    ¡°I never could have anticipated the union between the two of you. It was almost like fate had brought


    her back to me after all those years apart¡±


    ¡°Why did you never tell Dorothy your true identity?¡±


    Rita shrugged her bent shoulders


    ¡°How could I? She must have thought I lead abandoned her all those years before. And besides, she


    had no idea who I was for could she remember me. Why should I reopen that wound when she has


    done so well without me. It has been enough just taking care of her from a distance¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± I mmed my cup-down and spiled scalding water over the countertop. ¡°Dorothy has


    lived her whole life


    10:51 Fri, Jan 26 G =


    thinking that she was entirely alone. She needs to know that she has family.¡±


    ¡°But she does have family,¡± Rita argued. ¡°She has you and now she has a child on the way. What good


    does it do to look into the past when the future ahead is so much brighter?¡±


    ¡°Closure. Dorothy needs to know that she was loved, that she wasn¡¯t just cast aside as a casualty of


    war.


    Rita slumped her shoulders forwards even further.


    ¡°It scares me, telling her the truth, I have let her down time and time again. Her mother died by giving


    Dorothy what was left of her life.


    ¡°Her father died protecting her and me from the attacking packs. I wasn¡¯t even able to stay at her side


    while she grew up. In a


    I did abandon her. It¡¯s toote to change the past now.¡±


    way


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote. Dorothy will understand, I know she will. You did what you could to protect her.¡±


    Rita huddled over her teacup, her voice was h oar se as she spoke, ¡°In a way, I was her mother too.


    After her mother died, her father and 1 bonded as second chance mutes. I cared for Dorothy as if she


    were my own.


    ¡°Mirida, her mother, died young. She didn¡¯t have many years left to her because of her abilities, but


    when Dorothy fell ill as a young child she gave the rest of them to her daughter. I was never able to


    give her anything as precious as life itself.¡±


    ¡°You gave her something close enough though.¡±


    I put a hand out tofort Rita, stilling her quivering withered hand.


    ¡°You gave her a second chance at life. In a way, it was you who led Dorothy to me. And look at her


    now, she is the beloved Luna of a strong reformed pack. She would never have gotten that far without


    you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right about that.¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s voice startled both of us and we turned to see her standing in the doorway. She smiled with


    tears in her eyes. ¡°Sorry, Rita. Ignatius left the curtain to his mind wide open. I couldn¡¯t help but listen in


    Rita stepped back and wrapped her shawl around herself tightly like she was trying to hide from


    Dorothy¡¯s gaze. ¡°Dorothy. I¡¯m so sorry. I should have told you


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Dorothy said as she approached her. ¡°You did what you thought was right. And you did


    what you had to to survive, we both did.¡±


    As she rounded the kitchen ind Dorothy opened her arms wide and embraced Rita. ¡°I¡¯m honored to


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    call you family. Thank you for all of your guidance Rita. You don¡¯t have to hold any more guilt,¡±


    Kita stiffened for a moment before enveloping Dorothy in a hug, her shawl closed around the two of


    them like a mother henying a protective wing over her chicks.


    Tears rolled from Rita¡¯s tired eyes as she held her long-lost kin


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    -Johan-


    My Tally brethren were wanting for me when I returned My b*dy had begun to slow on the journey back


    to base camp and 1 popped my dislocated shoulder back into ce for the fifth time that day as I


    waited for her to make an appearance,


    I was held up by two other shifters and we all looked up at the stroll hideout built into the trees. My b*dy


    would notst for much longer without her. I waited with bated breath as she came to stand at the


    window of the tree line hideout and gazed


    down


    A momentter she was scaling down from the trees like she had been born in the branches. The


    small, slender woman who had given me new life


    ¡°Johan,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Wee back¡±


    I removed my arms from the shoulders of the other two shifters in order to get down on one knee. My


    joints popped and grated like an unoiled rusty machine. 1 needed my mechanic and a few new parts


    ¡°My Lady of Tally.¡± I said. ¡°I have good news. The Bielke has been in chaos the past two days


    Their uing Alpha letvatnus has staged an attack on their own elder court and taken power for


    himself. Elliot has been banished but he still roams the perimeter like he ns to attack This is the


    perfect time to strike.¡±


    She extended a hand towards me and gently touched my rotting jos. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Johan. I think


    it¡¯s time to replenish


    I closed my eyes at her tender sich. My b*dy was falling apart at the seams, beaten and broken from all


    the wear and tear af mix recent endeavors. Her gentle touch was all I needed to push on


    ¡°I would appreciate that


    The Lady Tally withdrew her hand and folded her arms ¡°You say Ignatius has taken control of the


    Bielke)¡±


    She was so much smaller than the other monstrous members of her pack. But something about her


    demanded reven and everyone within rage was more than happy to bow to their unusual leader. We all


    owed her our lives in one way or another. She had saved us all and her powerful magic had made us


    stranger


    1 nodded my head, irritated with my creaking spine as I did so. ¡°Yes. The Bielke has a new Alpha. And


    Dorothy is now their Lun. They caught on to my tre sp a ssing and foiled our n to manipte the


    elders. But it has all worked out in our favor regardless. We have caused enough disarray to be sure of


    our victory¡±


    She looked past me, lost in thought for a moment Ignatius has overtaken his father. How time thes


    I gazed at her quizzically but the ignored me and named away. ¡°Come along then let¡¯s his you up,¡±


    The other two shafters helped me to my feet and I limped after thedy towards a small canvas tent


    that served as our medical center for the time being. Our leader drew the curtain aide and guided me


    into the dark enclosure


    Inude the tent was a jumble of various tasks and beakers along with dozens and dozens of dried bones


    and twisted deer


    There were skulls too deer skulls, all of them corrupted and deformed in some way No normal deer


    should have teeth that sharp


    in


    I was lowered to the ground to the center of the feat as Lady Tally began mixing vials of di ck liquid. I


    watched as she added a drop of what looked like blood to the bubbling mas male of salear jar


    She sprinkled


    wh ite po wer in after the blood and tally stirred the nuse with a ck wig broken from a sacred tree in


    the water forest Tresgued that precanus litle beach had boken it from the ck hes tree myself upon


    my Lady¡¯s inqurst


    motioned for the other daters to


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    wax just the two of us to the tent before speaking ¡°Johan¡±


    Her voice was an ethereal chime, a tinkling of little bells in a pack so harsh and gravelly. ¡°Do you know


    how I came to discover this magnificent blend of magic?¡±


    I stared at the churning ck liquid in the jar in her hands. She held it up to my face, a look of pure


    pride and pleasure in


    her fine features.


    ¡°No, my Lady. But it was a stroke of genius, no doubt about it.¡±


    She smiled widely at myment and I was relieved to have sail the right thing. She was wonderful


    when in a good mood, she was terrifying when she was not.


    ¡°The secret,¡± she said almost euphorically as she gloated over her concoction, ¡°is witches¡¯ blood. It¡¯s


    difficult to get your hands on, but you¡¯ll find the woods are full of it if you know what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    I watched as she dipped one boney linger into the jar and brought a drop of the liquid to her lips. She


    had fed our entire army with her dark elixir but I had never before seen her touch the magic liquid


    herself


    She licked the drop from her finger and closed her eyes.


    ¡°It was forbidden magic,¡± she said, keeping her eyes closed as she spoke. There was a bitterness to


    her tone. ¡°In all my years. of dabbling in witchcraft, there were rules that were never to be broken.


    There was a strict order to things, to life itself.¡±


    She opened her eyes and gazed at the jar in her hand. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I decided to question those rules,


    to break those rules, that I was able to achieve such power. Breaking the rules cost me a great deal,


    but it also gave me my freedom. And freedom is worth any price


    Lady Tally cupped my head in her hands as she leaned over me. My jaw was ck and hanging ajar at


    that point and sher held the jug above my open mouth. ¡°Remember that Johan. Don¡¯t ever let yourself


    stray from your goal.¡± She tilted the jar and poured the oozing obsidian liquid into my mouth. ¡°Freedom


    is worth any price.¡±


    It went down bitter. It flowed like liquid down my corroding throat but it congealed It


    Jelly when it touched my si burned like it was going to dissolve me from the inside. I had undergone


    this process time and time again since I had first been coaxed out of the woods by the strange leader


    of the Tally, but I had still not grown numb to the pain.


    Lady Tally forced my jaw shut as my b*dy bucked and spasmed in a horrific seizure. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon,


    dear,¡± she crooned, stroking my forehead with one hand and digging her sharp ckened nails into my


    jaw with the other. ¡°Don¡¯t spill a single drop, this is a precious supply after all¡±


    My b*dy was set aze as the liquid burned through my veins. My knuckles cracked and my fingers


    syed out and moved like a pianist performing passionately in his sleep. I felt myself dying all over


    again, as I did every time I swallowed the magical potent liquid.


    After one final spasm that threatened to cra ck my spine in two, I felt my b*dy fall limp and the Lady let


    go of her grip on my chin. She cordially wiped a trickle of the dark potion from theer of my mouth


    and patted my forehead as Iy in the dirt beside her..


    My pupils expanded as my reformed b*dy epted its death and all of my newly healed muscles


    rxed. My heart did not pump and no breath escaped my lungs


    My b*dy was dead, but I was still there. So too was Julianna who growled in my cold chest with a new


    wave of bloodlust.


    I didn¡¯t panic as I had the first time when I found I was unable to get any kind of response from my


    b*dy. Instead, I waited patiently and the slender woman at my side waited too. Minutes ticked by slowly


    until finally, I heaved a small breath of fresh air into my empty lungs


    ¡°Wee back, Johan¡±


    I flexed my fingers hesitantly, testing out my new limbs and muscles. I felt stronger than ever. I felt


    reborn. My mouth. twisted into a grin as I gazed at the Lady Tally.


    Once again, I was a force to be reckoned with and it was all thanks to her. She made me stronger and I


    would always be indebted to her for that.


    Fri, Jan 26


    I pulled myself to my feet, stretching and flexing as I did so.


    ¡°Thank you, my Lady. It¡¯s good to be back.¡±


    There was a battle ahead. My vengeance was almost within r that passed in and out of my lungs


    reach. My heart did not heat and I had no need for the oxygen


    The Johan I had been was dead and yet I had never felt more alive.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    -to-


    ¡°Go danam it, why now!¡±


    They had picked up my scent almost as soon as I thought I had thrown them off and allowed myself to


    rx.


    Tally soldiers were creeping around on my brother¡¯s turf nce again and their rancid scent burned acrid


    in my nostrils. was toote to head for cover, they were alreadyratching onto my scent. I could hear


    their heavy footsteps in the n ig their low growls and unsettling, mhuman eye


    Thamed through the darkness of my brother¡¯s house, wearing all the while as I began shoving loose t-


    shirts and other random items into a backpack.


    I pulled on the only tramers I owned that wasn¡¯t falling apart at the seams and promptly fell t on my


    face before I could notice that theces of both shises happened to be tied together


    They were bound to have heard themotion. I knocked doen dozens of trinkets and other


    unidentified objects in the dark on my way down.


    I tried to peck through the windows but the night lurked outside like some kind of ck beast all of its


    own. There was no spotting the Tally shifters but my nose told me they were close


    1 had just quietly opened the back door when the Tally warriors kicked open the front. I bolted from the


    empty house and out into the open street, snapping my head left and right to find any sort of hiding


    ce.


    There wasn¡¯t much. The quiet street stared back at me like a gaping maw, the darkness making the


    road ahead taper off into


    ck vond.


    I would never understand the appeal of small towns. The Tally had been able to cut the lights by


    messing with a single electricity box in the center of town. My brother, Caleb, had an odd taste in cozy


    living. He dho had an odd taste in inmates


    11 was Caleb¡¯s ex-Tally mate who warned me of the witch hunt that had been set out for me. For some


    reason I couldn¡¯tprehend, the Tally wanted my head.


    My brother and his mate had cleared out of town the day before, apologizing for dipping and leaving


    me high and dry, before driving themselves acrins the country to avoid the uing war.


    I couldn¡¯t me them, at the way the Tally was taking over, as well as the spections and rumors


    floating around about the Bielke Pack, nothing was certain nor stable and everyone was waiting with


    bated breath for the other shoe to drop


    I didnt know why exactly I was involved in the scuffle between packs but simply being disbelieving


    would not shake the three Tally sliders off of my back.


    1 egged off into the dark and tried to regain my breath, rulling in the dirt to mask my worst a little as I


    went. I had been running from them for a while by then


    d stopped at my brother¡¯s house to grab thest of my stuff before I utficially became a rogue


    fugitive, on the run frosts the must cut-throat park in the world.


    When heard Bravy footsteps behind me once again I picked up the pace and sprinted as fast as I could


    in the my


    Eves with my shiher eyr sight, the night was still insiderably sim


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    18ything wasbored and I knew I cuddn¡¯t keep up this game of cat and mouse for much longer The


    Tally had been


    breathing tracking our for a few days by then Every thr I thought I had aument to catch my breath they


    were bak sy ny tail. My


    1 had been derailed because


    As I sprinted thanaugh thar da


    my


    kguarded root that I hadn¡¯t been able to


    10:58 Fri, Jan 20


    60%


    see. I yelped in surprise and? was suddenly thrust into the ground again, cursing my bad luck as I


    struggled to get to my


    feet.


    It was toote to run by then. The shifters quickly caught up with me and before I could blink I was


    surrounded by three nasty-looking individuals.


    I couldn¡¯t run and I doubted that I would be able to fight all three of them at once. The best option was


    to try and get some Information from them and figure out exactly why they were after me so adamantly.


    Maybe they just had the wrong guy and this was all a big mistake?


    I folded my arms and sneered at the closest shifter. ¡°I guess you caught me. What do you want then?


    Why have you been chasing me?¡±


    The shifter didn¡¯t respond, he merely stared at me with ssy eyes as if he were looking straight


    through me. Upon closer inspection, he looked like a shell of a man- a walking husk of what was once


    a human being.


    It made the hair on my neck stand at attention and my shoulders tensed at the unnatural scent the


    three shifters put out.


    ¡°What are you?¡± I spot, hoping my c ocky confidence would mask the nerves that were churning my


    stomach into knots. My legs told me to run, every fiber of my b*dy was screaming to get away from


    these cursed creatures but I knew if I were to run now I wouldn¡¯t get very far.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. What are you?¡± I shouted it into the darkness, spinle flying from my mouth and


    catching on the ck face of the unnatural shifter,


    I wished then that I hadn¡¯t asked at all. The three of thein spoke at once- in perfect unison.


    Their voices were rough and strained like broken violin strings like they had swallowed gallons of sand


    ¡°to Morray, Johan of the Tally has been looking for you. You are an important piece in his grand


    scheme.¡±


    ¡°Johan!¡± I had heard that name before although I couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly where. ¡°What grand


    scheme? And who is Johan? I don¡¯t want any part in this. You had better leave me alone because I can


    guarantee I will not go quietly.¡±


    I prepared myself to fight, extending my ws and waiting for either one of them to attack.


    Instead, the shifter in front of me opened its mouth and blew a disgustingly musty gust of hot air into my


    face. It was an acidic gas that immediately made my eyelids heavy and fogged up my mind


    What was I doing again? I was running away. But why was I running? What is the point in running?


    There was no reason to fight. No reason to do anything at all


    I felt my b*dy and mind give up on trying to defend themselves. The shifter brought a wed hand to


    grip my forearm and began to slowly guide me away.


    Despite Ren- my inner wall¡¯s-protests I felt any b*dy take one step and then another, walking alongside


    the zombie shifter


    [ my like an obedient dog.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she growled. ¡°Fight it, you idiot.¡±


    Fighting was difficult. Thinking was difficult. Everything felt like such a pain. There was no point in


    fighting: The shifters led me to a dodgy-looking van with the back doors thrown open and began to


    beckon me into the back. Walking was a pain, but halting and standing would be a pain too..


    ¡°to, you idiot, is this how you want to die- walking straight into the enemy¡¯s clutches Ren was


    howling in my chest, furious at mycency


    She stirred the fog of my mind and blew new air in with her roaring. ¡°We have note as far as we


    have just to give up now! We have to get to the Bielke Pack. Have you forgotten the goal?¡±


    The goal? Something about the Bielke Pack. There would be safety there, approaching the man with


    the stow-white hair. He would be able to help. I couldn¡¯t recall much more than that, but it was enough


    to give Ken the window of opportunity to empty my mind of the depressing fog


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26


    60%


    I blinked as I came to and gasped in horror as I looked into the shadows of the truck that the shifters


    were attempting to guide me into. Bodies stacked like firewood filled the interior, the smell of rust and


    decay hit my nose and it was all I could do to not gag at the stench.


    ¡°What the f uck?¡±


    Even Ren was caught off guard. Neither of us was prepared for the sheer unwarranted cruelty of the


    Tally. Up until recently, they had been a park more akin to the boogeyman than real shifters.


    Parents would tell stories to their children of the evil Tally shifters and how they were chased away by


    the elders like the morning sun chased away the dark.


    I wrenched my arm away from the zombie shifter who was surprisingly slow to react. I dropped to the


    ground swinging out a leg and knocking all three shifters off of their feet.


    Without a backward nce at the lifeless corpses in the van or the simr lifeless eyes of the Tally


    shifters, I took off into the dark, running with a new sense of drive and a new healthy dose of pure


    terror.


    I hurried off into the ck of the night, repeating the n to Ren over and over again so as to clear the


    final tendrils of that insidious fog from my head. ¡°Head to the Bielke Pack. The enemy of the Tally. Find


    the man with white hair.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t get killed, Ren whispered in my chest as we heard the familiar rhythmic pattern of heavy


    steps picking up behind us once again.


    ¡°And that,¡± 1 huffed, the halls of my feet digging into the dirt as leaped over a small fence and cut


    through some poor olddy¡¯s garden. Her yapping po odle startled me as I rushed to hop the second


    fence. ¡°Don¡¯t get killed.¡±


    Easier said than done.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    -Dorothy-


    After Rita had left, Ignatius and I took a walk through the woods. My head was still spinning from


    everything I had learned from the older woman. From my aunt. It was still odd to think about. I had a


    living rtive and she was right down the road, she had been by my side all along.


    The forest was quiet and cool. Sunlight shone through the branches and left dappled spots of light over


    the ground. I walked with Ignatius hand in mine, swinging our arms loosely as we trod the overgrown


    pathway.


    ¡°How do you feel about all of this? Ignathus asked after a while. I could sense his hesitation, his


    unease. He wasn¡¯t sure how to approach the topic but he wanted to be there to support me


    nheless.


    I tipped my shoulders. ¡°Confused. Relieved. There¡¯s quite a vast concoction of emotions running


    through my head right


    now


    Ignatius sucked in his bottom lip and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in I knew Rita hadn¡¯t always been a part


    of the Bielke Pack. But it had never urred to me to ask where she hade from before she joined


    us


    1 gingerly stepped over arge tree root that protruded from the dirt over the path. I had gotten


    substantially better at making my way through the woods now that my shifter abilities were finally


    I no longer tripped over every rough surface and I didn¡¯t bump into as many sharp corners when


    making my way to the bathroom at night. Training definitely helped, even with the little things.


    ¡°I can understand why she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to tell me the truth. I don¡¯t hold anything against her.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s got you so stuck inside your own head right now?


    I smiled slightly. My mate knew me too well. He could read the littlest details in my movements that


    alluded to my me ntal state like it was a secondnguage. From the slightest tension in my shoulders to


    the way tugged at my hair.


    It was something we had learned over time, being so intertwined as we were. We moved around each


    other effortlessly like the cogs of some delicately intricate machine. We could converse without opening


    our minds or our mouths. We were two entities that revolved around each other in our own personal


    sr system.


    ¡°It¡¯s what she said about my parents. About how my father died, how my mother gave me thest of


    her life,¡± I said softly. ¡°And the reason my pack was targetted.¡±


    ¡°Your mother did what she did to keep you alive. Don¡¯t tarnish that gift by feeling guilty for it.


    We entered a clearing in the forest. It was a spot that Ignatius and I visited often grass had sprung from


    the small circle of ground that was exposed to the sky. The trees bowed and swayed around as we sat


    down.


    ¡°It just feels like everywhere I go, disaster follows. My pack, my original pack, was wiped out entirely


    because of me and my supposed gift. How can I just forget that? My mother gave thest of her life to


    prolong mine. How many people have had to


    die for me?¡±


    Ignatius put a hand on my shoulder as Iy my head down on hisp. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you could have


    done to prevent any of that You were a kid.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t cause any of the carnage that happened around you by choice, your father fulfilled his duty


    to protect you and your mother dad what any mother would do. Don¡¯t tell me you wouldn¡¯t do the same


    for our kid if it came to that¡±


    My hand instinctively went to my stomach as he spoke. It was true. I knew that Our child was barely


    even formed yet and already I was determined to protect them with my life. All the same, I couldn¡¯t


    swallow the guilt I felt be my parent¡¯s sacrifice, for the hardships Itata had endured, and for the fate of


    my pack


    It killed ane to think that I was helpless na change the circumstatices of my own existence. Even by


    living a somewhat quiet life as an invisible usiividual, trouble seemed to fall on anyone who walked


    beside me.


    !


    J


    111


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26 Ga


    60%


    ¡°What do I do now! What do I do with everything that I¡¯ve learned? My pack is still gone, my parents are


    still dead. Why am I alone all over agguin?¡±


    Ignatius leaned down to k*ss me and I melted in his arms, letting his soft caress carry me away. ¡°You¡¯re


    not alone, Dorothy. Not even close.¡±


    Ignatius stroked my hair, his low voice in my ear as we huddled in the clearing. ¡°Don¡¯t let the guilt of


    your past stop you from forging your own future. Use the sacrifice of your parents and what happened


    to your pack to fuel you. Build a better life for your own family, and a better fate for your new pack. We


    aren¡¯t here to repeat history, we¡¯re going to rewrite it¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad way to look at it. I guess.¡±


    Ignatius muzzled my neck, nipping at my skin and I couldn¡¯t help butugh. He put both forefingers in


    each corner of my mouth and pulled it into a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a great way to look at it.¡±


    I groaned in exasperation and turned my head away, but his words hadforted me slightly. Iy in


    hisp and looked off into the woods, trying to suppress the giggles Ignatius had got bubbling up inside


    of me.


    Suddenly my b*dy stiffened and I gripped his hand. ¡°Ignatius What is that?¡±


    I had been so distracted by my mate I hadn¡¯t even picked up its scent until right then. A putrid odor of


    rot and decay. In the shadows of the trees in front of us, there were two ssy eyes gazing back at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s what?¡± Ignatius asked, still in the mood to be yful, but his tone changed to one of immediate


    alert as the scent made it to his nose too. His head snapped up to re into the woods and a low


    warning growl started to rumble from his throat, ¡°Dorothy, don¡¯t move.¡±


    The creature stepped closer, the shape of it was almost disconcerted in the dark of the forest beyond


    the small clearing. Aside from what looked to be antlers, only its eyes could be made out, ssy and


    ck where the dappled sunlight nced


    off of them


    The eyes dropped to a lower level and I heard the distinct thump of hooves hitting the dirt as if the


    creature had been walking on two legs and had then dropped down to four


    ¡°Ignatius.¡± I tried to keep my voice lower than a whisper but terror was strangling my throat and


    straining my vocals. ¡°Ignatius, what is that thing?¡±


    Every nerve in my b*dy screamed for me to get out of there, to run as fast as my legs could carry me.


    My hand went back to my belly and Ignatius hissed a warning when my b*dy itched to get up and flee.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, Dorothy!¡± It was a whisperedmand, the Alpha in him was talking and even he


    sounded mortified. ¡°They love a moving target.¡±


    Shivers wracked through my b*dy as the forest around the creature began to rustle. Thousands of


    crawling insects rushed into the clearing, fleeing from the eyes in the forest,


    ck beetles and roaches, centipedes, and other oddities I couldn¡¯t name all slithered and scuttled


    past us and dispersed into the foliage at our backs. The creature had stepped closer and then paused,


    unnaturally still as those nk eyes watched us from the shadows.


    Ignatius slowly edged me off of hisp, taking care to keep my head from hitting the ground. He began


    moving in tiny increments to get to his knees, keeping a hand on my shoulder to still me as I propped


    myself up on my elbow.


    ¡°Dorothy, he spoke through our mind-link, and the opened curtain allowed me to feel his overwhelming


    panic and fear. He had seen something like this before.


    He was fighting a nightmare that he had long since left behind. ¡°I¡¯m going to shift and meet it head-on.


    As soon as I do I want you to run back to the house as fast as you can. Can you do that?¡±


    Im not going to leave you behind!¡±


    My arguing was interrupted by a sound from the creature, goosebumps broke out on my skin and every


    hair on my b*dy.


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26 G


    stood at full attention. My heart thumped loudly in my chest and my throat ached to release the scream


    that began to build the second I heard that unnatural sound.


    ¡°Oroce.¡± A sound like nails on a chalkboard. Like a parrot copying a new word. A spine-chilling failure


    at imitation, ¡°D-d- orace Don-L. Mo-ove.¡±


    The sound of it clicked in my ears and my b*dy was shaking in anticipation, desperately waiting for the


    Ignatius¡¯ nails dug into my shoulder as he willed me to stay where I was. To be still. But I couldn¡¯t be


    still. This creature was mimicking my mate, and my deepest of natural instincts was urging me to run


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    for my life and the life of my child.


    ¡°Dorothy, Ignatius hissed again when he sensed what I was about to do. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°We have to let it get closer, Ignatius whispered in my mind. ¡°I can¡¯t afford for it to lock onto get its


    attentionpletely. You¡¯ll never outrun it if ites after you. You have to trust me.¡±


    I stared into those dark orbs that floated behind the tree line like ghostly globes. ¡°I trust you.¡±


    you


    first if you run. I have to


    I steeled my nerves and waited, forcing the grating sound out of my head when the creature once again


    attempted to lure me closer with its ghastly pantomime impersonations. ¡°D-d-corp-thee. Dor-ro-thee


    When the creature came to understand that it would not draw us any closer, it began to move towards


    us, Ignatius crouched over me. preparing his b*dy to shift and lurch forwards at the same time.


    I could hear the heavy padding of hooves as the monster approached. When its head cut through the


    shadows and into the sunlight I sucked in a sharp breath, all of my muscles tensing at once as my own


    b*dy prepared itself to shift


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT


    HII

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    -Dorothy-


    It was horrific. It was a deer, or at least it had been once. But everything about the creature was twisted


    and deformed like it had been sculpted out of dough and its shape changed over time. The antlers


    stood haphazardly on its misshaped head and protruded in odd angles, pointing in every direction


    Sharp, elongated teeth protruded from the creature¡¯s mouth in Eyers like evil-looking needles in a


    pincushion. Bits of raw meat from some poor unsuspecting forest dweller hung from the deer¡¯s jaws in


    blo ody tendrils like red floss.


    It didn¡¯t move like a deer either. The creature¡¯s gait was slow and stilted like its hones were never


    meant to bend that way. I stiffed a shrick as the creature stepped into the light of the clearing and I


    could see the monstrosity with full rity.


    It was only a few feet away from us when I felt Ignatius move over me, his skin rippled as he prepared


    to shift and gray fur grew on his b*dy.


    ¡°When I leap, you run. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you.¡±


    I was terrified and my b*dy was itching to scramble away from the gruesome creature but I would not


    leave my mate behind.


    ¡°Go ddam mit. Dorothy. You need to get out of here,¡±


    The creature paused and raised itsrge head, a head that looked too big to be supported by its bent


    neck. Bits of fur had rubbed off in ces and rough, rotting skin could be seen on the bald patches all


    over the deer¡¯s b*dy.


    I swallowed my fear, my dry throat burning as I did so. Im not leaving you.¡±


    It was clear to Ignatius that I wouldn¡¯t budge on the topic and his frustration could be felt through our


    mind-link ¡°Fine,¡± he said inside of my head, stifling his anger and fear. ¡°Fine, but the second I go for this


    monster, you get out of the way, okay? If it looks like I can¡¯t take it down then I want you to leave.¡±


    ¡°Win this fight,¡± I answered him. ¡°Because I¡¯m not leaving


    He let out an aggrieved growl. He didn¡¯t manage more than that before the deer moved. Way faster


    than I could have anticipated. It darted towards us with lightning speed, inhuman speeds, and its jaw


    unhinged as its teeth sought out a target


    Ignatius pushed me into the floor as he leaped over me, shifting in the air and meeting the creature¡¯s sh


    caggy jaws with teeth of his own. I watched, frozen on the ground as the gray wolf collided with the


    monstrous deer.


    It was bigger than Tor, much bigger, but he managed to snag the creature¡¯s throat and tear a chunk


    from its flesh before the being could snap its own teeth down on his head.


    I scrambled backward through the clearing as the two creatures grappled. Snarls and whines and the


    snapping of jaws filled the clearing and sp ooked every small creature for a mile around us. The deer


    keened, a disquieting, bone-chilling sound, as Tor went for its spindly legs..


    The gray wolf was taking great care to avoid the monster¡¯s teeth. And that seemed to take a great seal


    of effort as the being able to inuke its head unnaturally in every direction, following the wolf as he


    snapped and tore at the deer¡¯s deformed


    Eventually, for snapped his jaws shut on the creature¡¯s hind leg and in threw back its head to release


    an unearthly siren wail. Trovered my hands over myran as I tried to get to my feet and the trees around


    is swished as binds took flight to escape


    the awful d


    With a sharp twist of his head, for managed to snap the creatunes leg and the deer numbled to the side


    Its snaking head still fought to sink long needle darp teeth into the gray wall but for danced around the


    creature, biting and howling in furious. vehement


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26


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    After some time, the creatures thrashing and wailing banshee call began to subside. The b*dy of the


    deer was beginning to look more like a gnarled clump of meat than a living being and it moved its limbs


    weakly, kicking at the ground and dragging its heavy head along the dirt as it foamed at the mouth


    Its antlers dug up the soil as the creature bucked its head, releasing one final ear-piercing shriek before


    its head and neck Thumped to the ground and ity still.


    Tor howled in victory and I stared in horror at the remaining carnage.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± I was frozen to the spot while Ignatius reverted back to his human form. ¡°What


    was that thing?¡±


    Ignatius looked up at me with strained relief etched into his features. His clothes were torn and his bare


    chest was streaked with the creature¡¯s blood.


    Steam rose from the dark crimson liquid like the blood was boiling on his skin. He wiped at the liquid


    with what was left of his shirt but the crimson was stained on his skin like tiger stripes.


    ¡°Not Deer. Nob*dy really knows for sure where they came from!


    ¡°Not Deer? As in not a deer? What kind of name is that?¡± I was trying to be lighthearted, to prove that


    the encounter hadn¡¯t phased me. But my voice shook and I wrapped my arms around myself and my


    stomach in unease.


    Itentatively stepped closer to stand beside Ignatius and we both gazed down at the shredded b*dy of


    the creature that looked like a deer but most definitely was not


    Ignatius had not held back. The creature¡¯s neck was bent at an impossible angle and the bones of its


    legs had broken through


    Blood pooled around the corpse and matted with its short fur, seeping into the surrounding soil and


    turning the ground. around it ck like the earth had opened its mouth to swallow up the fallen


    creature,


    Its one visible eye remained wide open and empty, a ssy ck orb that absorbed the sunlight that


    shone down on it.


    Ignatius kept his eyes on the so-called Not Deer as he continued, Tve never heard of one in this area.


    At least not for a very long time. They roam the forests to the East most of the time.


    ¡°Barely anyone has seen one and those who do rarelye back alive. It¡¯s possible Johan is sending


    them this way t weaken us beforeunching a full-scale attack.


    A bite from a Not Deer is a fate worse than death.¡± he trailed off, sliding an arm around me and pulling


    me close to him like he needed to make sure that I was real and very much alive.


    His mouth set in a grim line as he stared down at the creature. ¡°I never thought I would see one again.¡±


    He ignored my questioning stare and continued.


    Some people think that they¡¯re witches who attempted to replicate our shifting abilities. Decades ago,


    they sought to wield the power of the shifters for themselves, but their spells went wrong and trapped


    them in this form. Their minds were mangled over the years until eventually, they were neither human


    nor animal anymore.¡±


    I shifted on my feet, feeling ufortably vulnerable in the open clearing, even with Ignatius¡± arms


    around me, ¡°If Johan is sending them, what do we do about it?¡±


    Before he could answer me, the ssy eye of the fallen creature rolled in its socket to gaze at us.


    Ignatius started beside me. sp ooked by the swiveling orb that rotated from me to him and back again. I


    felt sick to my stomach. Everything about this: creature felt wrong, unnatural.


    Without taking his eyes off of the creature, Ignatius reached around me and pulled the iron de from


    Rita that I always kept on my person, from where it was concealed in my back pocket.


    Kneeling, he drove the knife deep into the inky ck pool of the Not Deer¡¯s eye. A shiver ran over the


    creature¡¯s mangled b*dy and then ity motionless. A trickle of blood, so dark it was almost ck with


    the oozing texture of thick treacle.


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26 Ge


    trailed slowly out of the wound.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out


    of here. Ignatius gripped my forearm and turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll have some of the guards burn the b*dy¡±


    ¡°My knife..¡±I protested.


    ¡°Leave it. It¡¯s tainted now, It¡¯ll only bring you bad luck.¡±


    60%


    I pulled my arm away from him and reached down to grab the hilt. ¡°Rita can cleanse it, she¡¯s done it


    before after I used it on the Tally shifter. It¡¯s valuable to me.¡±


    I lifted the de from the creature¡¯s skull and it came out with a suctioning force and a sickening pop. I


    wiped it on the grass before sliding it back into its sheath in my pocket.


    Still gawking at the corpse I let Ignatius lead me out of the clearing and back through the woods


    towards the manor.


    Later, I watched several Bielke members set the b*dy aze on a pyre, the Not Deer wrapped in a


    tarp. The smoke was ck, and suffocating and I could have sworn I saw something move under the


    greasy tarp before the mes devoured the pyre entirely.


    Ignatius had been less than talkative since the encounter, but he hovered around me for the rest of the


    day andte into the evening, tonching me from time to time as if in a dream and relying on me to bring


    him back to reality.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    All through the night. I reassured him over and over again that was still there, that I wasn¡¯t going


    anywhere. That night it was my turn tofort my mate who awoke from nightmares he couldn¡¯t speak


    of


    All I could do when he reached for me in a cold sweat was wrap my arms around him as he buried his


    head in my chest and wept.


    That night I dreamed of the Not Deer. I was standing in a clearing under the light of the moon. I felt


    safe, at first, bathed in that silver glow. Through the dark of the woods before me, something was


    stirring.


    Awkward antlers on a mutted face, the Not Deer nirmed to look at me, an iron de in its left eye.


    COMMENT


    SEND GIFT


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26 G

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    *Time sk ip 4 Months¡±


    -Angie-


    ¡°Holy s hit.¡± I whispered it, and Fae who was crouched beside mejslowly shook her head in appalled


    disbelief.


    ¡°There are way more of them than we suspected, she kept her voice low as she gazed through the


    foliage we were hiding in ¡°But how? It doesn¡¯t make any sense. How have they grown their numbers so


    quickly?¡±


    We were huddled together in the tall grass of a hilltop, gazing down at the most recent dwelling


    grounds of the Tally Pack.


    Things were looking grim. The Tally had grown from an enigmatic pack with no more than a dozen


    oddball shifters to an army that was over a thousand strang. But how?


    Surely there couldn¡¯t have been that many shifters willing to turn their backs on their people to join the


    unpredictable Tally gathering.


    Gazing down into the valley where they had set up, I could spot dozens ofrge, bulky shifters


    lumbering about between the mismatched canvas tents that were set up all over the ce.


    They scurried around like ants, carrying variousrge pieces of wood and stone as well as what looked


    like the bodies of multiple deer. I could see the hundreds of broken antlers peeking from under arge


    tarp thaty near one of therger tents. The whole area reeked of rot and decay.


    ¡°Something¡¯s going on at that little tent.¡±


    I nodded towards an ominously lonely tent that stood close to the forest on the opposite side of the


    valley. A long line of shifters had formed some distance outside the dinky canvas enclosure and every


    one of them looked sickly and unusual.


    They were bedraggled and drawn, drooping in their formation as if merely standing was a chore. One


    by one, we watched each dismal-looking shifter enter the tent and then exit nearly ten minutester


    looking as good as new.


    ¡°A super-skilled healer?¡± Fae suggested, but I shook my head, staring intently at a shifter that had just


    exited the tent.


    He stalked across the ground with a reckless gait and flexed his bicep, staring at his b*dy as if


    inspecting new wares,


    ¡°It¡¯s something more than that.¡±


    We both fell silent for a while, watching the enemy go about daily life from our hidden perch. It was


    clear they were preparing for something, a move perhaps? Certain tents were being packed up and


    thrown onto an ancient-looking cart.


    Shifters loped about, gathering belongings and flinging them into giant tarp bundles. Some just sat


    around the small fires that were dotted all over the area, staring nkly into the mes with slouched


    shoulders like wooden puppets waiting for their master to appear and tug on their strings.


    There was something particrly odd about those individuals. While the other shifters that moved


    around them all seemed oundish and impossiblyrge, these shifters seemed downright unnatural.


    From theirpletely still forms to the way their eyes never blinked, looking at them made me


    ufortable and my wolf growled low in my chest. Something was very wrong there, although I


    couldn¡¯t put my finger on what it was exactly.


    ¡°What are they doing down there?¡± Fae wondered out loud and followed her gaze to where a single


    ominous white van was parked. Somerge shifter approached the back of the vehicle and threw the


    doors open.


    I was surprised to see a wolf spring from inside the van with a how that we could hear clearly from our


    perch on the hill. The wolf snapped at the beely Tally shifter and made a break for the tree line on the


    other side of the valley before being detained by an onught of Tally members.


    The wolf howled its frustration and I itched to rush down there to answer such a dismal cry with help.


    <


    158 Fri Jan 26


    60%


    Far sensed my call for action and ced a cautioning hand on my knee. ¡°Not a good idea. I know you


    want to help but there are two of us and hundreds of them. We don¡¯t even know if that guy is on our


    side.¡±¡°


    She had a point but the protector in me yearned to rescue the thrashing wolf that continued to fight its


    captors long after it


    had been shackled in silver.


    ¡°We have to do something¡± 1 hissed, lowering my voice as I noticed a single shifter turning to gaze up


    at the hillside where we were hiding. ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here.¡±


    ¡°This is a recon mission, not a rescue mission.¡±


    We lowered ourselves even closer to the ground when the same shifter turned again to scan the hilltop.


    We would have to get moving soOIL.


    ¡°When did you be so afraid of a fight?¡±


    ¡°When Johan almost bit your head off.¡±


    There was nothing I could say to that. I hadn¡¯t urred to me that the fight with Johan might have


    taken a toll on Fae


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said reproachfully, ncing at her from theer of my eye. ¡°I never properly thanked you


    for saving me that


    day.


    Fae bumped her shoulder against mine. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. And it was nothing, you¡¯d have


    done the same for


    Her trust in me was a precious thing. Every one of our sessful missions, tight squeezes, and close


    calls had involved Far and her unrelenting loyalty.


    The shifter who had been examining the hill began to move towards us and I nudged Fae. ¡°We should


    go. I think this guy suspects something.¡±


    We sidled away from our hideout and made a beeline for the forest shifting as we did so to move more


    carefully through the trees. A loud, anguished howl had me ncing back over my shoulder in the


    direction of the campout.


    The restrained wolf was begging for freedom, trapped in a pack filled with monsters. It went against


    everything I believed in, leaving the unidentified captive behind, but Fae was right. There was nothing


    the two of us could do to save him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered, hoping that somehow it would travel through the grass and reach the agitated


    shifter¡¯s ears. ¡°We¡¯ll be back for you. Just hold out for a little bit longer. We¡¯ll be back


    All of my efforts had not been enough. In the end, I had been overpowered by my attackers and


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    dumped into the back of the gruesome white van like a sack of potatoes. They didn¡¯t kill me like I had


    expected them to


    Instead, they cuffed arge salver cor around my neck, trapping me in wolf form before they closed


    the doors and left me in the dark with dozens of corpses to keep mepany.


    Ren, who was at the forefront of my mind in my animal form, had us howling in frustration as the van


    rattled to life and we were driven to some unknown location. The rank odor of rot and death filled the


    small clunky space and was made worse tenfold by the brightened senses of my wolf form.


    I turned my heavy head away from the many nk eyes that gazed at me from the deepest part of the


    van. Sticky blood coated the floor of the vehicle and made it difficult to stand in the slick muck as the


    van swerved and rattled along what I assumed was a very rocky road.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± I asked Iten, aiding her in suppressing the urge to throw up what little food we


    had eaten as the swaying of the van and the nasty smell made our stomachis turi


    ¡°F uck if I know,¡± Ren snapped and I felt hers nervousness at being trapped in such a confined space.


    Tin surprised they didri¡¯t just kill us on the spot. Why aren¡¯t we one of the


    the pile over there?


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26 G ) ¡¤


    Chapter ti


    ¡°They mentioned something about Johan. Apparently, he wants as alive for some reason.


    I used over the name as the van jolted and I fought to keep my bnce, sying all four legs out to


    keep from toppling. into the wall of corpses behind me..


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the name of her previous partner?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mavis I shuddered when the van turned a sharp corner and one of the lifeless bodies rolled across the


    blo ody floor. ¡°My mate. Ex-mate, I guess.


    Ren was silent, it had pained us both to reject the person who was supposed to be our one true love. It


    had hurt Ren especially as Mavis inner woll was a partner that she had fought to be with for countless


    lifetimes.


    They had been devoted to each otter for cons. It seemed that in this life, however, Mavis herself was


    stronger than her inner wolf and she had be someone that we couldn¡¯t possibly connect with.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of her now, Ren munered in my head. ¡°We need to focus on getting out of here.¡±


    1 was thrown against the wall of the van¡¯s interior as we jolted over another rocky bump in the road.


    ¡°Think, Ren. J


    Johan was the guy she was with, wasn¡¯t he? Maybe this has something to do with him.¡±


    Ren pulled us back onto our feet, irked by the silver cor around our neck. ¡°Revenge maybe. He had


    seemed pretty unhinged when he arrived at her doorstep¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s insane. I had nothing to do with any of the drama between the two of them. I just happened to


    find my mate and she serined perfectly normal at first,


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. The van came to an abrupt stop and I froze as the engine cut out ¡°Prepare to


    fight. The second they §à§â§Ö§ß those doors, we¡¯re out of here.


    1 could hear amotion outside. Dozens of gruff voices and heavy footsteps. The van rocked as


    whoever was driving climbed our and mmed the door shut. I braced myself for whatever was waiting


    outside, crouching low and preparing to


    pounce


    I should have known that we didn¡¯t stand a chance.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Twins!¡± I shrieked out loud and Ignatius winced and leaned away from me. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Pretty certain, the healer who had been examining me ran the transducer contraption over my


    abdomen and pointed at the grainy screen to my left. ¡°You can see them right there.¡±


    ¡°Twins!¡± I threw my head back onto the pillow with poignant force and Ignatius squeezed my hand


    tighter


    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s like a bonus deal,¡± he said tentatively, possibly afraid that I¡¯d do some more yelling if he said


    the wrong thing. ¡°Two for the price of one am I right?¡±


    I offered him a withering re and Ignatius, my intimidating, headstrong Alpha mate shrank in his seat.


    ¡°Nevermind then.¡±


    The healer gave me a reassuring smile as she got to clean the gel off of my belly. My stomach had a


    noticeable bulge to it by then and although I was only eight months in. I was already desperate for the


    entire rigmarole to be over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± I had whined to Ignatius from the floor of our kitchen two nights ago. ¡°Pregnancy is


    supposed to be this beautiful thing. Why am I cravingpost and crying about sn*ked?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to have weird cravings, I think. I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll ask Rita.¡± My darling mate was at a loss on


    how tofort me but he was trying nheless. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s so sad about snakes?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have any legs!¡± And thus I dissolved into a puddle of tears in just my underwear on the cool


    tiled floor because everything else was suddenly too hot to bear.


    At the clinic. Ignatius was trying his best to be supportive. His effort was appreciated even though my


    own burning irritation at the world wouldn¡¯t let me voice that.


    Seeing him hovering at the healer¡¯s shoulder while she checked my stomach had made me smile,


    however, and the look on his face when the ultrasound began was priceless.


    He poured over the screen as the nurse pointed out the two little bean-looking things that were to be


    our children. I could barely make out the tiny limbs she was pointing to past Ignatius who had his nose


    almost pressed to the ss in his


    excitement.


    At first, I thought I had misheard the healer when she eximed that there were two of them. It wasn¡¯t


    until Ignatius moved aside and she repeated herself slowly that it clicked. Twins.


    I was only justing to terms with the reality of having one child. The thought of two was even more


    daunting to me. 1 had been grappling with my emotions since the incident in the woods with the Not


    Deer


    It was a dangerous world to be bringing a child into, and I feared I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect my own. I


    could barely protect myself. On Top of that, it had made me realize that I could no longer afford to be


    reckless with my own safely.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I wasn¡¯t just living for myself anymore. Throwing myself headlong into danger was no longer an option.


    I now had on, well, two beings inside of me that I needed to consider.


    ¡°Are you going into shock?¡± Ignatius snapped me out of my ssy-eyes state.


    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just.. terrified.¡±


    The healer excused herself and left the two of us alone in the small sterile room. Ignatius climbed onto


    the bed next to me and I shuttled aside to give him room, resting my head on his chest. He trailed a


    finger down my arm and then moved his hand to my stomach.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? His voice was soft and gentle and it made me feel slightly more in control. The


    unpredictable way of the world was a little bit more manageable when he was around and he stilled the


    roaring doubts in my mind.


    III


    10:58 Fri, Jan 26 G


    ¡°Everything, Johan, the Tally, losing the people that I love. How am I supposed to keep everyone safe?¡±


    Ignatius nted a k*ss on my forehead. ¡°That¡¯s my job. I¡¯m not going to let anything bad happen to you


    or our children.¡±


    A big tear rolled from my cheek and plopped onto his shirt. ¡°And who¡¯s going to protect you?¡±


    Ignatius bundled me in his a nns and nuzzled his face in my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself about that now.


    We¡¯re a strong pack, and we both have people who¡¯ve got our backs We¡¯re all working together and


    we¡¯re going to get through this. I promise it¡¯s all going to be alright.¡±


    I wanted to believe him. I didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that Ignatius would fight tooth and nad to keep me


    safe. But there were so many threats looming over our heads, I was unsure of how we would tackle


    them all.


    Ignatius noticed my uncase and nipped at my car. ¡°Oh no, the signs are there already. You¡¯re going to


    be a helicopter aren¡¯t you?¡±


    If anything. Twas afraid that even my own children might not like me. Underneath all the concern for the


    safety of our offspring, there was the age-old fear that everything I touch suffers because of it.


    I was afraid to pass that curse onto my own kids. I couldn¡¯t promise them a perfect life, not with the


    trouble that followed mr. I hoped they could forgive me for that


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a great mom, Dorothy.¡± I looked up and Ignatius was gazing down at me. ¡°And


    they¡¯re going to adore you


    ¡°Get out of my head.¡± 1 mumbled and pulled myself up to k*ss him. I couldn¡¯t admit it, but his words


    were the reassurance that I needed. Perhaps, eventually, I would start to believe them


    -Angie


    ¡°Stay down as shole.¡±


    I delivered one final kick to the groin of the shifter at my feet and he curled up in agony as he groaned


    and clutched at his crown jewels.


    Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I turned to assess the scene. Our small group of soldiers including


    both Fae and Gideon had managed to take down the treacherous group of assants who had plotted


    to storm Bielke territory in the dead of night.


    The forest around us was dark, lit up only by the orange glow ofnterns that the attackers had been


    huddled around as they waited for their time to strike. Luckily for us, we had caught wind of the


    iing threat and had managed to rally them up with barely any violent retaliation.


    Things were looking grim for our pack. Not only did the Tally loom over our heads as a constant,


    insidious threat, but more and more packs had plotted against us and were attempting to take us down.


    The pack wars were spreading across the country as a whole as more and more packs were forced


    into offense and defense In the tumultuous times we were living in. The Tally attack on New Year had


    been a catapult that had sent the entire country


    Theres no point in fighting us. The shifter I had kicked had gotten to his knees, ring at me with a


    banged-up face. ¡°The Tally ising to wape you all out soon enough. We¡¯re only here to pave the


    way¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alentar you enjoy getting beaten to a pulp I hissed and delivered a fisted punch to has gut. He


    gagged at the impact and buckled over, wheezing and braving as I shook the tension from my fist


    ¡°Stop Pirat


    The cry came from another vormy shifter that one of my soddies had puned to the ground.


    10:58 FM, Jan 26


    Her arm was twisted behind her back as he pressed her into the dirt and she squirmed and squealed


    when he bent it further. ¡°We were only doing what we were told to do. They threatened us, our families.


    We had no choice,¡± she cried out again as the soldier threatened to snap her arm entirely.


    ¡°Enough, Lance,¡± Imanded as I approached them. ¡°Let her speak


    Lance released the young girl¡¯s arm and she got to her knees, rolling her shoulder and wincing at the


    pain it caused. I stood over her and crossed my ans


    The other enemy attackers we re be ing shackled in silver and corralled into one area until the vans


    coulde and pick them up.


    The Bielke of old would have u ghtered every survivor, but we were not our forefathers,


    ¡°What do you mean you were threatened: By the Tally?¡±


    The girl nodded feverishly. She couldn¡¯t have been older than fourteen, nothing more than a child. Their


    pack must have been desperate, terrified if they were willing to send a child onto the battlefield


    I wondered what the elders of her park must be like and what kind of person was able to cover and


    hide while they let a kid handle their dirty work for them.


    ¡°We fought back at first. But they came with soldiers and other monsters. Eventually, our elders agreed


    to join them. We¡¯re a small pack. We¡¯re cannon fodder to the Tally¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose in sheer exhaustion. ¡°What can you tell me of the Tally¡¯s ns? That


    guy over there said. you were sent in preparation for something else. How many packs have they got


    under their thumb?¡±


    I had to admit, it was ingenious on the Tally¡¯s part. They had started out as a small group. Somehow


    they had managed grow their numbers but they had also gone about targeting other small groups and


    using them as a shield.


    The girl wiped her bleeding nose with a dirty palm. ¡°I don¡¯t know much. They didn¡¯t tell us anything


    beyond forcing us to attack you. We were told to target the young and the elderly specifically. I can only


    imagine they have more vulnerable packs doing their bidding too.


    I kicked at the dirt. Why? What did the Tally have against us in the first ce! Before that point, their


    attacks had targeted smaller, outlying packs. Never before had they been so brazen, so dead set on


    wiping out one of the most formidable packs in the country. What changed?


    These were questions that none of us had answers to. Not even Fae and I¡¯s spying endeavors had


    given any evidence of the Tally¡¯s motive. It was infuriating. We had been making so much progress


    towards peace. Now all of it was dashed to pieces before our eyes and the Tally ravaged thend.


    ¡°Are you going to kill us?¡± the girl asked and her eyes were wet with tears. Her dirty blonde hair was


    knotted and tangled and sheunched over herself, hiding under her oversized khaki jacket.


    ¡°No.¡±


    I knelt down in front of her and gently ced my hand on her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re not monsters. We can¡¯t


    let you go. but I can promise you that no harm wille to you while you¡¯re with us


    The girl¡¯s face contorted into one of regret and shame.


    Tm sorry, the whispered before pulling arge knife from inside the folks of her jacket.


    I heard a cry from Far as the light glinted off the de that came straight for my heart.


    WIL


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    -Johan-


    The insignificant shifter groveled at my feet. He thought he could protect his small pack by giving


    himself up. I stood over him, scowling, disgusted by his feeble pleas for mercy.


    ¡°What kind of Alpha are you?¡± I growled down at him as my fellow Tally shifters stood behind him,


    ws ready to rip and tear onmand. ¡°You think that by giving yourself up I¡¯m going to spare your


    people?¡±


    1 crouched in front of him and sneered in his face. ¡°How arrogant of you. What makes you think that


    your single life is worth more to me than that of your people?


    His frightened cries were music to my ears: The wasn¡¯t the first of this kind of mission that I had


    embarked on. The Tally needed soldiers. Our numbers had grown rapidly as we continued to recruit


    restless rogues and pack turncoats who were sick of the Bielke and their past actions.


    Many of our members had turned agaisnt their old packs after being disgusted at the way their leaders


    groveled and submitted towards the Bielke¡¯s armys in the name of peace. My own old pack, the Khall


    had done exactly that and the move. had never sat well with me.


    I had been a friend of Ignatius back then, however, and I thought it was a good thing that tensions


    between our people would be eased somewhat. I had been a fool.


    The Khall were weak to give in to the Bielke so easily. The Tally would not allow them to continue their


    reign that had onlye about through violence and fearmongering.


    This man¡¯s pack was small and insignificant. It would be days before anyone even noticed that they


    were missing. His people would be easy to wipe out with only a small fraction of our forces, and he was


    aware of that.


    If they wouldn¡¯t join us we would force them to fight for us. I was skilled by then in the art of threatening


    and ckmail. I had twisted many arms in my favor. I had broken a few too.


    If his people were still nonpliant even after the threats held over their heads, well.. we had use for


    corpses too


    The man seemed baffled at my words. He had genuinely believed that by handing himself over we


    would pass by his pack without a backwards nce. He was wrong. I gripped his face between my


    ws and forced him to look at me.


    ¡°Tell me Isaac, was that your name? Are you going to join us or do we have to take some more


    extreme measures?¡±


    The man seemed at a loss for words, stumbling over his sentences as he tried to reason with me. ¡°You


    can¡¯t! We can¡¯t. None of us are soldiers, we¡¯re a small pack, we¡¯re not bothering anyone, you can¡¯t


    force us to fight in this war, we¡¯ll be u ghtered!¡±


    I sighed and blew my hot breath into his face. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the answer I was looking for Isaac,¡± I rutted


    and then looked up at the Tally soldier behind him. ¡°Round them up. We take them dead or alive.¡±


    This seemed to make Isaar less than happy and his voice raised as he continued to protest, fighting


    against my grasp as my men set out to capture every member of his sorry little pack. I sneered at his


    futile attempts of escape.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really let me down haar,¡± I said, feigning disappointment and snapping his neck with one twist


    of my arm. The man fell silent and I dropped his b*dy to the floor. I gestured towards the other Tally


    shifter. ¡°Take him too. Lady Tally is in need. of some new puppets¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before we hard rounded up the small pack. They were easily frightened,prised


    mostly of elderly members and small families. That didn¡¯t matter. We would do what we could with what


    we had. The Tally may have a bad rep but we were never wasteful. Larry handy was useful. Every drop


    of blood brought us closer to victory


    We set off with our new raptives, leaving a few soldiers bnd to sums up any remaining stragglers


    that were returning home that day


    I was in need of a replenishment, I could feel any joints beginning to grid and crunch as I walked, and


    my skin had begun.


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26


    to take on a papery, translucent look as my b*dy began to dpose once again.


    60%


    That didn¡¯t bother me very much though. It wouldn¡¯t be long before we were back at base camp. After


    some replenishing and a little bit of nning, we would be ready. The war wasing, the day of


    reckoning was upon the Bielke and they didn¡¯t even know it


    I had never felt more alive..


    -Angie


    Before I could register what was happening I was tackled by a borlying from the left. It mmed


    into me with a force that kisocked me aside and left me winded as 1 hit the dirt. I looked up in a daze to


    see Gideon¡¯s stricken face from where he had me pinned to the ground.


    He wretched his heavy b*dy off of me just as quickly as he had barreled into me and I pushed myself


    upright. I cringed at a sudden seating pain, putting a hand to my shoulder where all of Gideon¡¯s weight


    had been pinpointed.


    Gideon climbed to his feet and stepped back a few paces. The look on his face way one of devastation


    and bewilderment. I soon discovered why.


    My eyes widened in horror as I took in the scene before me.


    The young girl was gripping her throat with both hands, bright red blood spilling from between her


    fingers where Lance. had sliced at her neck.


    She huped and choked as she tried to stem the flow, struggling to breathe and staring at me, wide-


    eyed and fearful. The knife she had pulled from her jackety in the dirt beside her.


    Lance was standing behind her with his own expression of distraught terror. He had retracted the ws


    he had used to save me and was staring at his bl oody hands as if they had acted of their own ord


    with no consent from himself,


    Lance had killed before, dozens of times in fact. I had even watched him take pride in his skill in the art


    of violence. But never before had he ever faced off against children


    I stared at the young girl, at her dirty, tear-streaked face and her desperate gasping as she fought for


    air that would note. She let go of her throat with one hand to catch herself as the toppled forwards,


    wheezing and choking.


    Eventually, that arm gave out 100 and she rolled onto her back. Tcrawled forwards in the dirt to take


    her bloodied hand in my own. Her eyes were wild and wide as she stared at me.


    Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to speak but no words were possible, only a trickle of blood


    and saliva escaped her lips as she coughed.


    I heard Far calling for a healer but it was already toote. Lance, in his panic, had cut too deep and


    there was noing back from a wound like that. I gripped her hand tightly as a quake rocked through


    her b*dy.


    the never took her eyes off of me. And I could read her thoughts as clearly as if our minds were


    connected. She wanted to know how she ended up here, so far from home and so very alone. She


    wanted to know why this was happening to her. She wanted to know why it hurt so much.


    I had no answers for her. Had no one ever warned her that the world was unfair? That we were all


    doomed to find ourselves in the most impossible of circumstances, purely by chance, and that when it


    came to taking lives, death was never picky


    Her b*dy was rated by one final spasm and then she finallyy still, her eyes sull wide open as her


    pupils expanded and her hand in mine went ck. My soldiers around me were silent haunted by the


    sheer wrongness of it all


    Cadeon turned away, sinable to take in the small b*dy mader the overazed jacket and the blood


    seeping into the soil to be soaked upy thend around


    Lance fell to his knees, ballings hands into fists and pressing them to his eyes as he abandoned


    ¡°She was going to kill you¡± be gasga


    ariely ¡°I didn¡¯t think, I just acted, 1-I¡¯m sorry!¡± he wasn¡¯t apologizing to me. ¡°Ti


    I


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26


    so sorry!¡±


    I gently removed my hand from the girl¡¯s limp fingers and brushed her eyelids closed. Behind me,


    Gideon had sidled closer, still keeping his eyes away from the scene, and handed me his own jacket.


    We used that to cover the girl¡¯s face and only dirty tendrils of her bottle-blonde hair could be seen in the


    stained dirt.


    I heard the revving of an engine as the van arrived to escort the other prisoners to the Bielke cell. I


    nodded to Fae who began guiding the shackled assants into the opened doors of the back. None of


    them fought back, they just stared over at me and their fallen member.


    Some with hatred, some with tears in their eyes. But most of them just looked afraid and out of their


    depths. These weren¡¯t soldiers we had captured. There were civilians. Children and innocent victims of


    a war that had nothing to do with them. I felt sick to my stomach. Devastation and distress give way to


    a fierce burning fury.


    Once all the captives had been rallied up and carted away, Fae came to stand beside me where I was


    still crouched on the ground beside the girl. She didn¡¯t say a word, only ced her hand on my head


    and I leaned it against her leg as we both gazed at the figure hidden under Gideon¡¯s jacket.


    ¡°We should report back to Ignatius,¡± she said quietly. ¡°You can go. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was trying to be strong for me. But I could hear the tremor in her voice. I didn¡¯t need to look up to


    know that there were tears in her eyes, I shook my head slowly. What kind of leader would I be if I


    turned away from what one of my own has done!


    Lange had fallen silent, numb and empty as Gideon coaxed him to his feet and led him away. I hauled


    myself upright and stood beside Fae.


    Her fingers, ever so gently,ced with my own bloodied ones and I gripped her hand tightly. Tight


    enough, I hoped, that I would never be able to lose her too.


    War wasing and survival was not certain.


    I held on tightly to Fac¡¯s soft hand.


    It was a long while before I could bring myself to let it go.


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Idiot.¡± I muttered under my breath as red paint spilled across the floor at my feet.


    During all of my recent irritability. Kita had decided that it was time I got back into painting again. I had


    dabbled on and off over the past few months.


    But as ofte, she had insisted on locking me away in some sunny corner of the house and leaving me


    to scribble across Large sheets of paper instead of snapping at anyone who breatheil near my vicinity


    I reached down with a groan to pick up the empty jar from off of the floor. I put a hand to my lower back


    that hadn¡¯t quit aching since the previous morning and frowned down at the watery ssh of crimson


    paint that was inching in increments towards my feet like blood on a battlefield,


    ¡°I¡¯ll clean you upter¡± I snubbed at the mess on the floor and mined to examine the damp sheet 1 had


    been painting on with vigor for the past few hours.


    Unlike my usual detailed pieces, this one was abstract and unhinged. Most of the page was nk and


    bare, save for the harsh shes of red and ck and orange in the center of it. It looked like smoke


    and mes rising from the paper like a funeral pyre set aze.


    Itore the sheet in half and let the pieces wait to the floor to join the wet red mess.


    Not only were the physical effects of pregnancy getting the better of me, my mood recently was


    bing increasingly soured by the sheer amount of waiting around I was expected to do.


    All around us, packs were locking inbat. War was spreading across the country and the Bielke was


    one of the main Largeis.


    As much as I wanted to help as best I could, Ignatius was insistent on keeping me and our children


    safe and that involved. confining me to our house by the sea while the elders debated what to do next.


    When Ignatius had finally cottoned on to the fact that I was less than happy with my uselessness, he


    asked Rita toe over and keep me busy while he went about meeting with the few allies we did


    have in order to discuss strategies.


    I couldn¡¯t be too mad at him though. He was juggling multiple roles at once. Alpha, strategist, pacifist,


    warrior, lover, and father-to-be. He was trying his best and I couldn¡¯t fault him for that. My frustrations


    by with myself and my inability to assist in any way.


    A knock on the door had me scrambling to clean the mess on the floor. ¡°Dorothy?¡±


    Ignatius voice was tentative. ¡°Angie¡¯s back.¡±


    I paused my haphazard cleaning attempts and opened the door, Ignatius face was grim and my heart


    sank. Clearly, we had been delivered even more bad news, Reports had beening in from all over


    Bielke territory about attacks from other small packs.


    They were all quelled quickly enough but the Bielke was spread so thin in our attempts to protect our


    borders that we were left with no time or manpower to even consider fighting the Tally head-on.


    I wiped my hands on my paint-stained jeans and followed Ignations through the house to the living


    room where Angie was waiting. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat and her face was drawn and


    pale.


    ¡°Hey, Carrol Top Long time no see.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I hadn¡¯t seen her since she had k*ssed me in the garden but I decided that conversation would have to


    wait for another day. We had bigger problems to deal with at the moment.


    ¡°Hey, a


    7, any more news on the Tally¡¯s movement?¡±


    10:59 Fn, Jan 26


    Angie nodded gravely as Ignatius and I sat down opposite her. She exined what had happened just


    outside of our territory and Ignatius sucked in a sharp breath when she told us what Lance had done.


    My hand instinctively went to the bump of my stomach and 1 gripped my mate¡¯s arm with force.


    Nothing and no one was safe in this war. Ignatius was thinking this too and his arm around my waist


    tightened to something fierce. He shook his head as if to knock to the storm of his own dark thoughts


    from his mind.


    ¡°We need to act now,¡± he said with absolute resolve. ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this.¡±


    Angie¡¯s hands were balled into fists and her knuckles turned white in her fight to maintain her cool


    exterior. ¡°You want to fight the Tally head-on? We don¡¯t have the strength or the numbers.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯ voice rose with indignation, ¡°We can¡¯t just sit around and y defense while they throw


    innocent people at us to keep us busy. How many more small packs are they going to upheave in order


    to weaken us? We¡¯re ying right into their


    hands


    Angie put her head in her hands and groaned. She looked tired and worn down, drawn thin by all of the


    chaos going on around her.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see them. Ignatius. They have numbers on their side I¡¯m not even sure all of their members


    are even human anymore. They¡¯re stronger than us, bigger than us. And they know it.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to strike now. What do we do when they arrive on our doorstep? We can¡¯t afford


    them invading our territory. We have to take the fight to them.


    ¡°And leave the rest of our people vulnerable?¡± Angie countered his frustration with her own raised


    voice. ¡°What if you take your army to meet them and they send soldiers here instead? We can¡¯t afford


    to leave everyone vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°What about an undercover attack?¡± I suggested under my breath.


    Both Ignatius and Angie were vtile when frustrated and expected my idea to be brushed aside


    immediately.


    But Angie tilted her head in question and I continued. ¡°You said they¡¯re doing something to heal


    themselves quickly. Maybe they have a healer like me on their side.


    Or maybe it¡¯s something else. But they¡¯ve sent Johan to infiltrate our ranks and weaken us from the


    inside. Why not do the same to them?


    Angie bit her lip. ¡°They don¡¯t have a specific territory as we do. They move from ce to ce. Anyone


    who attempts to cut them down in secrecy would be going in blind.¡±


    Ignatius had been quiet up until now but he leaned forwards, deep in thought. ¡°It¡¯s possible. If I can


    take a small group of soldiers and we can get to their leader, we might stand a chance.


    ¡°Or at least learn a little more about how exactly they have managed to grow so quickly and put a stop


    to it. I already have my suspicions and if it¡¯s what I think it is then we might be able to stop them before


    they attack us directly


    Angie leaned forwards too and the three of us huddled together and spoke with hushed voices as if the


    house itself could be listening. ¡°Suspicions?¡±


    Ignatius chewed his bottom lip. The shifters who were attacking us since New Year, they all had the


    same crazy symptoms. Super-strong, inhumanly fast, and almost impossible to kill unless burned up


    He locked eyes with me as he continued, ¡°And then there¡¯s Johan, himself. Angie, you said he looked


    different. Bigger, more unhinged, and pretty much immune to pain. It¡¯s almost like they¡¯re corpses that


    are somehow still moving.


    ¡°And finally there¡¯s the case of the Not Deers turning up all over. They haven¡¯t been spotted in our


    woods for years and now more and more of them have been mauling our members who wander out


    into the forest. There could be a connection there. If the Tally is using magic from the deers


    themselves, then we have gained a small advantage¡±


    Angie raised her eyebrow and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t see any advantages, to be honest. They have


    superhuman soldiers powered by witchcraft and we have, what exactly?¡±


    60%


    ¡°Shifters are vulnerable to silver, we all know that. But witches, like the faeries, are vulnerable to iron.


    And we have plenty of the stuff to go around.¡±


    Angie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°We would have to test the theory, maybe capture one of their members. But if


    that¡¯s true then we at least have a better chance of defending ourselves.¡±


    I struggled to keep up with their scheming and turned my questioning gaze towards Ignatius. ¡°Armored


    wolves? How old school of you.


    Ignatius shrugged but his eyes were lit up with the faintest glimmer of hope. It flickered like the tiniest


    candle me in his sce-blur eyes, but it was there all the same. ¡°Hey, if it works, it works. Our great,


    great grandfathers would be proud.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Angie locked her fingers together, her own hope reignited by the new n. ¡°First order


    of business, capture a Tally shifter.¡±


    I reached out suddenly to cling to Igantius¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Dorothy?¡± concern in his voice. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong¡±


    ¡°The babies,¡± I whispered. Both cuphoric joy and paralyzing terror rushed through me at once. ¡°I felt a


    kick. I felt them.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    -Dorothy-


    Capturing a Tally soldier way much easier said than done. The first order of business was to track down


    exactly where the Tally pack was camping out this time,


    They had moved several times since Angie and Fae had spied on them and our only clue was news of


    another small pack that had suddenly disappeared off the map after a single night.


    Angie and a few others had set off the very same day we got the news. Ignatius and I meanwhile, took


    the time to rally together every member of the pack who was willing and able to light.


    There may have been less of us than was needed to face the Tally head-on, but every Bielke member


    was fiercely ready to defend their families to the bitter end.


    Two dayster, Angie and her crew screeched hack into town in Gideon¡¯s old van. Ignatius got a call


    from Angie to meet down at the Bielke cells to meet our newest guest.


    I had been practicing the art of not being a raging bit ch over the past two days and after calmly but


    firmly insisting that I wanted to be a part of things, Ignatius and I both headed down to meet Angie.


    Ignatius had been disgruntled about my involvement considering how dangerous the Tally member


    could be, even while restrained in silver and behind bars. He was even more possessive and pedantic


    now that our children were beginining to move in my stomach.


    Every night since I had felt that first kick, Ignatius would lie next to me with his hand on my belly and


    talk to my stomach like he expected a reply.


    ¡°You know they don¡¯t understand a word of what you¡¯re saying right? I had quipped when he asked our


    children-to-be whether either of them would be interested in being named Thor.


    I know that, but they know my voice. One of the little f u ckers starts kicking every time I talk real close


    like this.¡± He smooshed his face against my round tummy and I couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s trying to kick you in the nose.¡±


    ¡°Hemunicates his feelings through physical violence, Ignatius voice was mulled with his face


    pressed against my stomach. ¡°He must take after his grandfather¡±


    ¡°Elliot would be so proud,¡± I muttered sarcastically before another bout of frenzied kicking began in my


    belly.


    The same kicking had started up on the car ride down to the cells and Ignatius nced at me with


    concern when I groaned with a hand on my stomach. ¡°Maybe we should tum back. Let me take you


    home.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I insisted. ¡°I¡¯m fine. They¡¯re just having a little dance in there. I want to see this.¡±


    Ignatius held his tongue and kept driving while checking and then double-checking to make sure that


    my seatbelt was properly in ce. Aside from the smothering, it warmed my heart to see my mate so


    caring and concerned.


    I didn¡¯t know what to expect from the pregnancy but what I had got was a loving, supportive partner


    and two babies who seemed to be practicing for a future career in marathon running


    By the time Ignatius had rxed enough to stop checking on me from the corner of his eye, we got to


    the Bielke cells and found Angie waiting for us outside. The cells, I discovered were actually just a few


    rooms inside a sturdy-looking building on the far side of town.


    Each room was sectioned off with thick bars coated in silver. Behind the bars were the many shifters


    that our forces had rounded up after all of the recent small attacks.


    Most of them gazed at me, stoney-faced and sullen, while others stared off into the distance as if they


    were imagining better


    Fri, Jan 26


    days. It felt wrong to me, standing on one side of the glinting bars, while all of these people were


    trapped on the other.


    In one of the other cells sat the man who had tried to murder me on the night Ignatius became Alpha.


    Both him and his daughter as well as the boy who had put a knife to my throat had stood on trial for


    their antics.


    The girl and her brother were allowed to leave but their father had spat at my feet and insisted that he


    would stand by his beliefs. And so he was kept here because Ignatius refused to kill him.


    The man saw it as a weakness on Ignatius part. I saw it as a strength. My mate¡¯s extended ws and


    shing eyes hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by me. I had wondered if the man was even aware of just how


    close to death he had been.


    His eyes widened when he saw me enter, and they grew wider still when he saw the bulge of my


    stomach under my shirt. I ignored him and hurried on alongside Ignatius as we followed Angie through


    the building.


    In the furthest cell, Angie pointed out the Tally shifter that they had managed to capture.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t easy,¡± she said nonchntly. ¡°We managed to track a small group of them camping outside of


    Gon territory. Eventually, this one caught our scent and went to investigate. He put up quite a fight too.¡±


    The Con Pack were the most recent victims of the Tally it seemed. They had only been thirty-strong


    and kept out of the way for the most part.


    They had never been a threat, and now they had been taken by the Tally. Whether they were all dead


    or if they¡¯d show up at our doorstep like the others there was no telling.


    I peered at the shifter through the bars. His breathing wasbored and his b*dy looked wrong


    somehow. His shoulders sagged to the point of looking like his arms had popped out of his sockets


    I jumped in my skin when he rushed at the bags and Ignatius put out a protective arm between me and


    the monster in the cell. The shifter grinned at my unease, yellow teeth protruded from his lips, and


    flecks of foam had formed on the corners of his mouth.


    The silver shackles on his wrists nked and he breathed in short, sharp wheezes. He was surrounded


    by the stench of rot and decay and the silver mp locked around his neck had ground the skin there


    raw and b loody.


    ¡°Hello, little Luna¡±


    His voice was gravelly and strained like his vocal cords had been put under strain. I shrank away from


    him into Ignatius chest as his pin-p ick pupils locked onto me and followed my every movement.


    His grin was too wide for his face. It looked more like a sh than a real smile and his boney knucklesAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    gripped the bars tight enough to make his veins pop out in his arms.


    I berated myself for my cowardness. I was the one who had insisted on going with them to meet him, it


    was toote to show fear now. With this thought, I jutted out my chin and narrowed my gaze at hint,


    although I kept my fingers firmlyced with Ignatius¡¯ own slender ones.


    ¡°How do you know who I am?¡±


    The shifter licked the dirty white foam from his lips and his smile widened even further. He stared at me


    like he wanted to devour me whole like he was imagining how my blood would taste.


    Everyone knows who you are, red. You¡¯re something of a celebrity among my people.¡±


    I opened my mouth to question lum further but Ignatius halted me with a hand on my chest. He


    questioned the shifter himself, leaner closer towards the bars and shing his own sharp fangs


    ¡°Why are your people attacking us? What¡¯s the goal here? Is it all to get to her?¡±


    By ¡°her¡± he meat me and be tilted his head in my direction to get the point across w


    while the


    e shifter¡¯s crazed eyes crawled


    back towards me.


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26


    from your darling mate¡¯s


    The man licked his lips, salivating as if he was ravenous. ¡°There is a lot we Tally have to gain abilities.


    But our leader has bigger ns in mind than merely fulfilling someone else¡¯s revenge schemes.¡±


    He turned his gaze back to Ignatius, pressing his face through the bars. ¡°Your mate is a bonus prize. A


    trophy of our sess. I¡¯m sure my people will take good care of her, after all, her blood is precious.¡±


    Ignatius moved to block me from the shifter¡¯s hungry gaze. ¡°So what is the bigger n then? To wipe


    out the Bielke entirely. why?


    ¡°Your pack has terrorized the little guys for cons, the man hissed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be at all surprised that


    the reckoning is finally upon you.¡±


    ¡°Who is this leader of yours?¡±


    ¡°She goes by no name other than our Lady Tally There was dem ented reverence in his tone when he


    spoke of his leader. ¡°She is the reason we Tally are as powerful as we are today.¡±


    Ignatius regarded him coldly. ¡°One more question then. Every other shifter we have questioned has


    held his tongue until his own death. Why are you telling me anything at all.¡±


    The shifterughed and it was a hacking, spine-chilling sound. I leaned away from the foamy specks


    that flew from his mouth.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s already toote for you, Ignatius Armounds. All of the pieces are almost in ce. Your


    people don¡¯t stand a chance. That Luna of yours will be nothing but a resource to us, and I will


    take great pleasure in finally tasting her blood.


    That was around about where Ignatius lost his temper. He gripped the grimy fabric of the shifter¡¯s


    hoodie and yanked it towards him, mming the shifter¡¯s face into the bars with a dull thud.


    The man onlyughed, cruel and deranged. It echoed throughout the building like a death toll,


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    -Angie-


    ¡°So how are we going to test this theory again! I didn¡¯t really n much past, you know, catching the


    guy.¡±


    Ignatius, Dorothy, and I had congregated outside after they had conversed with the captured shifter.


    Ignatius looked like he had forgotten all about the iron theory and merely wanted to beat the guy


    senseless, Dorothy looked shaken but she was trying to remain strong and she kept her shaking hands


    tightly wrapped around her stomach


    Ignatius ground the toe of his boot into the ground as he thought. Much like me with my sneakers, he


    was prone to wearing the same pair of ckbat boots for absolutely every asion and they had


    endured their fair share of wear and tear over the years


    Dorothy was covered in paint and I was wearing the same clothes I had set out in two days ago.


    Between the three of us, we didn¡¯t look very intimidating and not at all close to the regal leaders of an


    entire pack and its army


    ¡°Dorothy Ignatius looked up and she snapped to attention. ¡°Do you still have that knife of yours?¡±


    Eager to please, she nodded and lifted the baggy leg of her jeans to reveal the de in its sheath that


    was strapped to her


    I raised my eyebrow, I recognized that de. It was the same one she had pulled out while I myself


    had been in handcuffs back when I tried to poison her at the party. It looked just as quietly menacing as


    it had back then. Tiny but curved to kill.


    ¡°Do you carry that with you everywhere!


    Dorothy slid the de out of its sheath and held it up to the light. ¡°Most ces, yes. Sometimes it even


    makes an appearance in the bedroom.¡±


    I shot an incredulous nce at Ignatius who merely shrugged as the ghost of a smile yed across his


    lips. It vanished just as quickly, however, when the crushing weight of the dire situation came down on


    our heads once more.


    Rather than open that particr can of worms I shook my head and turned my attention back to the


    task at hand. ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t actually want to know. Anyway, is that de made of iron?¡±


    Dorothy snickered at my suddenly reddened cheeks before nodding ¡°Rita called it a Faerie de. She


    said it would protect me from all kinds of strange creatures, whatever that means.¡±


    She lowered the de down to her nose and examined it intently. ¡°She said that it wouldn¡¯t do much


    good against a shifter. But if we¡¯re right and these guys are vulnerable to iron then a jab from this could


    be fatal.¡±


    Ignatius offered his hand and Dorothy handed him the knife. ¡°When Dorothy stabbed that first Tally


    attacker in the eye. I thought nothing of it.


    ¡°He was reacting how anyone would react if they suddenly got a de lodged into their socket. But he


    hadn¡¯t seemed to express pain from any other injuries dealt to him. The same goes for every attacker


    we managed to catch since. And that guy


    Tudn¡¯t died like the others either.¡±


    Icast my mind back to the ordeal of earlier that year. Every attacker that we managed to capture had


    fallen apart after a few days


    Quite literally, their bodies corroded until they could barely sit upright. All of our questionings,


    threatening and even Surture from Elliot¡¯s side was futile. They seemedpletely immune to pain


    They ceased to speak, although they refused to do much of that he tore either, and eventually, they


    faded away as their life


    drained snertinic. But the attacker that Dorothy had inpared died almost immediately after Ignatius and


    Geranium rahim down, foaming at the mouth and writhing in pan


    So are we just going to


    10:59 Fri, Jan 20


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ignatius pocketed the knife anil loped back towards the cells. His shoulders were tense and 1 worried


    that the stress of it all was finally taking a toll on him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to see how he reacts to having it near him first. Then we¡¯re going to stab him.¡±.


    ¡°Your boyfriend is in a foul mood today,¡± I muttered to Dorothy as we followed after the tall, slender man


    that my childhood


    friend had be.


    ¡°He was fine earlier, Dorothy feigned bewilderment. ¡°I think all of that changed when that guy


    mentioned drinking my blood


    Ignatius growled at our snickering. It seemedpletely inappropriate to be making jokes at such a


    time. But under the light humor, all three of us were doing our best tobat the growing dread that


    had taken root in our chests.


    Back inside, we traipsed past the rest of the cells and stood before the Tally captive once more. He


    lifted his head casually upon our arrival and raised a bushy eyebrow. ¡°Back so soon? Don¡¯t tell me you


    missed me already¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡± Ignatius folded his arms as he stood before the man. Tell me about what¡¯s going on with


    your b*dy. Why do all you Tally reck of death? And why the f uck are you so hard to kill¡±


    The man leaned back against the wall behind him andzily opened his legs. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe and


    inspect it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Funny,¡± Ignatius said dryly. ¡°If I were to stab you right now, would you die?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the man scoffed and rolled his head to the sale. My b*dy may not be looking its best


    right now but that can¡¯t be helped. You still won¡¯t be able to kill me though. We have surpassed the


    b*dy¡¯s natural state. We are something greater than all of you. We can¡¯t be killed.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ignatius lifted the knife from his pocket, keeping his eyes on the shifter through the bars. ¡°I


    need you to answer ¨C another question for me, seeing how you¡¯ve been so generous with your


    answers so far.¡±


    The man frowned in perplexion at the small de. ¡°Are you trying to threaten me with that dinky thing?


    You¡¯d have more luck just by drawing your ws our


    ¡°Come closer then if you¡¯re not afraid of it. Ignatius had cottoned on to what I had already suspected


    myself. This mAT WAS up for any challenge, he was too c ocky in his inhuman b*dy.


    The shifter heaved himself to his feet and sauntered up to the bars with a look of boredom on his face.


    It was only when he was within half a meter of the curved de that he paused and narrowed his eyes


    at Ignatius


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ignatius taunted. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t die. Why note a little closer?


    The man remained where he was, a burning fury and seething look of resentment suddenly contorting


    his pocky face. He glowered at Ignatius, standing just out of reach of the bars and his mouth was sullen


    and silent


    ¡°No? Alright, answer my question then.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯ eyes glinted maliciously. Dorothy¡¯s mate may have been a forgiving and kind leader, but he


    was a terrifying. opponent when that which he loved most was threatened.


    ¡°What are you vulnerable to?¡±


    The man kept his mouth tightly shut as Ignatius continued. A shadow passed over his eyes as he


    stared daggers at our Alpha through the hars


    So far, we know for a fact that every shifter is vulnerable to silver. Ignatius counted on his hands,


    tapping the de against his palm


    ¡°Pity it¡¯s so hard to re


    your hands on the stuff these days¡±


    Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°Then again,¡± he contimed patter-of-factly, pacing up and down the length of the cell entrance with long


    dragged steps.


    you


    ¡°There¡¯s also fire. We learned that from the few attackers that we didn¡¯t manage to detain. A lick of fire


    and pood, there yo go. Just like every human and shifter alike.¡±


    The man was slowly inching towards the bars, his rage at the mockery driving him to recklessness. I


    wanted to warn Ignatius of the approach.


    Even through bars, this guy was a danger to anyone who got too close. But before I could open my


    mouth, Dorothy shot me a pointed look and very slightly shook her head,


    ¡°There¡¯s a final method, I think, a sessful method to fight one of you Tally Ignatius seemed to not


    notice the furious. man¡¯s approach. He lolled his b*dy against the bars with his back to the guy who


    began reaching his shackled, wed hands towands Ignatius¡± throat.


    Just as the shifter was about to dig his ws deep into Ignatius windpipe, and I opened my mouth to


    scream, Ignatius turned on the spot and drew the de across the man¡¯s palm.


    The man¡¯s scream was guttural and he clutched at his sliced palm wailing and falling to his knees. It


    was an overreaction to what was only a small flesh wound and when the wound itself began to darken


    and the flesh surrounding it puckered and withered, our theory was confirmed.


    ¡°It¡¯s iron.¡±


    Ignatius stared nkly as the man¡¯s entire arm had begun to look more like the gnarled trunk of a dead


    tree rather than anything that remotely resembled Desh


    He threw himself onto his back and gripped the shriveling arm as he screamed in agony, rolling around


    on the floor like his b*dy had been set aze and he was desperate to put out the mes.


    Ignatius pulled another sharp knife from inside his jacket, one I hadn¡¯t been aware he was carrying.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die like this. If I¡¯m not mistaken, your blood is being poisoned as we speak. It must be


    painful.¡±


    There was no sympathy in his voice and 1 saw Dorothy¡¯s look of concern as Ignatius began to look


    more and more like his


    father.


    He twirled the glinting knife in his hand. ¡°So I¡¯ll give you some options then. We¡¯re generous here at the


    Bielke Pack after all


    He chucked the knife into the cell next to the iling man. ¡°You can writhe there like the worm that you


    are, and wait for the poison to kill you. Or you can cut your arm off and stop the decay before it gets the


    rest of you too,¡±


    Ignatius shrugged his shoulders at the man who stared up at him with real fear in his eyes. ¡°Or you can


    just take the knife and end your suffering quickly, but then again, regr des can¡¯t kill you can they?


    I don¡¯t particrly care what you choose. I¡¯m just happy to watch.¡±


    Dorothy v winced and closed her eyes as the shifter¡¯s cries rang throughout the building, riling up the


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    other prisoners who were terrified by the torture they could not sec.


    I watched as her hand slowly came to cling to Ignatius shirt and then eventually his arm. It was then


    that I bore witness to the true power of their bond.


    Ignatius¡¯ eyes were dark and angry, taking sick pleasure in the suffering of the man before him. He was


    an echo of the Ignatius I used to know. The Ignatius before ire, who had ruled under his father


    through fear and violence alone.


    This monstrous version of the man that I loved like a brother was brought back to his senses by the


    small, gentle hand that clung to his shirt.


    I watched fury and fully fade from lus eyes as his fingers sought to find hers. I watched her catch on to


    his ted const iousness and coax him back down to earth


    59 Fri Jan 26

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    -Ignatius-


    It was Dorothy¡¯s hand in mine that brought me back,


    It was her voice in my head that cleared my stormy thoughts. ¡°Ikisow you¡¯re angry and I know that


    you¡¯re scared. You have every right to want your enemies to suffer for what they¡¯ve done


    Her voice was a cold press to my hot forehead and her hand tightened around mine. ¡°But I don¡¯t want


    to know what kind of pack the Bielke will be if it¡¯s run by an Alpha governed by his own hatred.¡±


    That was all it took. I felt my own murderous expression soften and the dying shifter¡¯s howls pierced my


    ears and made me


    blink


    He had picked up the serrated knife that I had thrown to him, a de I had only brought with in case


    things got ugly. With one agonized screech he took the knife to his shoulder and attempted to sever his


    grotesque, shriveled arm.


    Angie turned away from the gruesome scene but both Dorothy and I watched as he struggled.


    H ook no pleasure in watching the d amned man suffer. All of the fury and sad ism had drained out of


    me the second Dorothy¡¯s mind touched mine. Dorothy herself donned a nk stare as she regarded


    the struggling man through the bars.


    When the shifter was only halfway through sawing and hacking when he threw himself down on his


    back, panting in a pool of dark blood that looked more akin to tar than liquid. The searing pain seemed


    to prove too much for him to hear.


    His semi-detached army beside him, ckened and stiff like it had been snapped from the branch of


    a dead tree in the middle of winter.


    ¡°Come here¡±


    Dorothy knelt and extended her arm out through the bars


    ¡°He¡¯s dangerous¡±.


    I gripped her shoulder to pull her away but she had already touched her fingers to the defeated man¡¯s


    shoulder as his contorting sent him rolling against the bars.


    A white glow burst from her fingertips and Dorothy¡¯s eyes rolled back in her head as she drove her


    ws into the man¡¯s skin.


    I had never before truly seen her gift in action and it left me stupefied for a moment. Her own pale skin


    was aglow with the same white light that shot through her hand and into the b*dy of the shifter.


    Snapping back to my senses I pulled at her shoulder, dead set on not allowing her to give away her


    own precious life for the man who wanted her blood. But Dorothy was immovable in her trance-like


    state and she sat like a stone statue as the shifter¡¯s b*dy began to repair itself.


    It didn¡¯t happen the same way that Angie¡¯s healing had been described to me. The man¡¯s arm could


    clearly not be saved. Instead, it dropped off of his shoulderpletely andy at my feet as the skin


    around his exposed socket began to knit back together. It was gruesome as it was hauntingly beautiful.


    After a moment longer, Dorothy slouched forwards and the glow from her b*dy resided. Her head hit


    the silver bars and she slumped against them andy motionless.


    I rushed to pick her up and sna tch her away from the shifter¡¯s reach, cradling her in my arms and


    desperately listening for a heartbeat. The shifter himself was gawking at my mate, his gaze snapping


    from her to the healed stump of his shoulder and down to his severed toxic arm.


    I glowered at the man and then nced down at Dorothy who stirred in my arms. ¡°I couldn¡¯t heal all of


    him,¡± she said quietly as she blinked her eyes back into focus. She motioned for me to put her down


    and I gently touched her feet to the floor, keeping a hand on her back to steady her


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26


    She looked at the Tally shifter with a kind of reserved sympathy. ¡°I could stop the spread of the iron¡¯s


    poison,¡± she directed her solemn words at the man who was still crouched on his knees, cupping his


    shoulder with his remaining hand.


    ¡°But there is another poison inside of you. It¡¯s a part of you, and there is no healing that.¡±


    Her lips set in a tight line and I felt her shoulders shake against my palm. ¡°You¡¯re already dead, aren¡¯t


    you?¡±


    -Dorothy-


    Healing the Tally shifter did not feel the same as my previous attempts. Nor did it feel like the time I


    sucked the life from a victim instead of the other way around. When my own pure energy touched that


    man, it was met with a nk wall, nothing more than dead cells.


    In a sense, even though he could clearly walk and talk, even though there was clearly a soul in there,


    with a wolf and purpose, he was little more than a walking corpse.


    There was only so much my powers could do to revive flesh that was long since dead and to kickstart


    the flow of blood that had long ago grown sluggish and stagnant. This man¡¯s b*dy was a vessel


    powered by magic and willpower alone


    ¡°You¡¯re already dead, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The man regarded me coldly, his yellowed eyes glinting in the artificial light of the cell¡¯s interior


    ¡°I have endured multiple deaths to get to where I am now. My b*dy was a small price to pay for the


    ultimate reward. For freedom and victory¡±


    I examined his rotting flesh, his skin that looked thinner and more papery the longer he sat in that cell.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem worth it to me, I murmured


    Unable to stand another moment inside the cramped building that suddenly felt ten times smaller and


    ufortably suffocating, I turned abruptly and walked back to the main doors.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to regret saving me one day, Luna,¡± the shifter called after me. ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing but


    throw away your own life. And that of your precious child too.¡±


    I kept my mouth tightly shut and ignored the man¡¯s taunting, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing


    me falter. I stayed true to my conviction that I had done the right thing.


    On my way out I passed the other cells where the prisoners regarded me with both awe and fear. I felt


    undeserving of both. and kept my eyes straight ahead until I was out of the door and drinking in fresh


    air and sunlight once again.


    Ignatius and Angie followed me out and sat me down on the gravel outside when my head began to


    spin. Concerned, Ignatius hurried over to my side. ¡°He didn¡¯t deserve your gift,¡± he muttered and pulled


    me tighter against his chest. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I leaned into him and closed my eyes as I allowed his scent to wash over me and lull me into a state of


    tranquility.


    ¡°There is something very wrong with his b*dy¡± I said quietly as Ignatius ran his hands over my stomach


    to check on our children. ¡°It¡¯s some kind of magic. You might be right about the Not Deer. About the


    witch¡¯s blood. If their entire army is just like that guy, then we¡¯re essentially going to be fighting the


    undead¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re like, zombies?¡±


    Angie pinched the bridge of her nose with her hand nted on her hip. ¡°I don¡¯t see them hunting


    anyone for their brains.¡±


    ¡°No¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I took my little iron de back from where Ignatius had pocketed it and held it up to the light. Sticky


    spots of blood had stained the tip, blood so dark that it was almost ck.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Their bodies run on magic, on witch blood. I think that¡¯s why all of the past attackers


    we managed to catch eventually fell apart. They went too long without their supply.¡±


    |||


    r


    10 59 F, Jan 20


    Angie¡¯s brows furrowed as she thought. ¡°That tent that Fae and I spotted. We thought there was some


    kind of powerful healer inside. But if even you couldn¡¯t fix his failing form then it couldn¡¯t have been


    that, Whoever was in there was performing magic¡±


    I wiped the de against a small sprout of weeds and slid it back into the sheath at my calf. ¡°It¡¯s


    possible, if we can take down whoever is supplying them with this magic, or at least limit the supply, we


    might stand a chance against their army


    Ignatius helped me to my feet and I cupped my aching stomach where one of our children had begun


    another torrent of kicking and twisting


    He frowned as I groaned, ¡°I think you¡¯ve had enough for today. But you may be right.¡± He nced at


    Angie. ¡°Schedule a council meeting tonight. We have the knowledge that we need, it¡¯s time to act.¡±


    Ignatius took one look at my grimacing face and guided me back towards the car. ¡°Time to go. Angie,


    can you handle things from here!¡±


    Angie ran a hand through her matted hair and nodded. ¡°I have some guards posted around the area to


    keep an eye on things. Then it¡¯s time to go home and take a shower, just being around that guy has left


    me feeling filthy.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s just because you¡¯ve been hiding in the bush for neo days. Angie.¡± I turted and then


    groaned when baby number two shifted in my belly to press right up against my already struggling


    dder. ¡°But yeah, we need to go before I pi ss myself¡±


    ¡°What a beautiful thing it is, to bring a child into this world.¡± Angie said in a sing-song sigh of sarcasm.


    ¡°Get going before you dirty Ignatius¡¯ car more than you already have¡±


    Her words alluded to my very first meeting with Angie, back when she had caught Ignatius and me


    humping uglies in the front seat of his car on my first day on Bielke territory.


    Those days seemed so long ago and I was surprised every time looked back and recalled how young


    and naive I had been. Back then, I could never have anticipated the life that was in store for me. I was


    just a girl from nowhere, desperate to feel


    wanted.


    I no longer yearned for love as I had before meeting Ignatius. I no longer bent over backward to please


    people, and I was slowly but surely learning that just existing did not warrant an apology to anyone.


    I allowed myself the tiniest moment of pride at just how far I hade. It stole my resolve even further


    to protect the life that I had built and the family that I had found.


    We waved goodbye to Angle and then sped off back towards the mansion. In between questioning me


    on whether or not I was still feeling lightheaded. Ignatius fell deep in thought and he leaned over the


    wheel as he drove.


    His shoulders looked a little broader than they had back then, and he had grown into hisnky frame


    somewhat. Everything about his features was just as sharp as when I firstid eyes on him, but I now


    knew the gentle soft heart that beat beneath


    the exterior.


    Ignatius nced over at me and caught me staring. The corner of his mouth turned up and revealed


    the little dimple in his check that hadn¡¯t made an appearance in a while. ¡°Enjoying the view?¡±


    ¡°Reminiscing mostly, But yes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, by the way. For earlier.¡±


    He followed up my questioning nce with a hand on my leg and the other on the wheel. ¡°I lost it a little


    there. He was threatening you and I saw red. But you pulled me back. And you were right in what you


    said.¡±


    I inteced my fingers with his. ¡°You said it yourself, we aren¡¯t here to relive the past. We¡¯re going to


    rewrite our future.¡±


    He leaned over to k*ss my forehead. ¡°I look forward to a long future with you.¡±


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    -Dorothy-


    Soon after the discovery of the Tally¡¯s vulnerability to iron, the entire Bielke Pack got to work preparing


    for war. Apparently back in ye olden days, the Bielke had been skilled cksmiths and one of the old


    forges was still standing around.


    It had be a dpidated relic of the past but it was now finding itself back in action and swarming


    with a new generation of Bielke members.


    I spent the next few days hanging around the forge with Far and Gideon to oversee the creation of


    what was to be our new


    Bielke shifters scurried around us, hammering and stamping down sheets of iron. I watched, captivated


    by the sparks that flew from the heavy hammers and the bustle of the entire operation.


    g to me over that short time.


    Most of the shifters from my new college had somehow taken a liking to


    Maybe it was my new status as Luna or the very apparent bulge in my stomach but they all greeted me


    kindly and weed me to help out with some of the smaller tasks. As much as I fought and raged,


    nob*dy would allow me to wield the giant hammer though


    Meanwhile, Ignatius and I had met with the elder council a few nights before to discuss the n of


    attack. It was decided that the best way forward was to prepare ourselves for defense should the Tally


    arrive at our doorstep as well as equip every shifter with an iron weapon of their own.


    It was then decided that Ignatius would take a small group of soldiers and attempt to infiltrate the Tally¡¯s


    main camp in order to capture or kill whoever it was that was utilizing magic to strengthen their armies.


    It was a risky n and they had no real strategy, only the goal of either taking out the magic-user or


    severing their supply to the witch blood they might be using to cast their spells.


    Rita, who was also present for the council meeting, agreed that the only way to prevent theing war


    was to weaken the Tally at the source.


    After we had exined our theories on the Tally¡¯s magic use, Rita herself had confirmed that she had


    had the same. suspicions since the first Not Deer attacked Ignatius and me in the woods.


    ¡°It¡¯s cruel,¡± she had said morosely. They were people once, even if they are mindless monsters now. To


    harvest their blood is a cruel act. Especially considering whoever is behind this is a magic-user


    themself.


    Aside from Rita and surprisingly enough. Ignatius, I had never met another magic-user. Apparently, the


    art of wielding magic was a dying tradition.


    And while Rita used her knowledge to make medicine and other herbal remedies, and Ignatius wouldn¡¯t


    touch the tradition at all anymore, they technically were not witches. They were mages..


    The real witches, I was told, were rare and reclusive these days. The only exception is Fae¡¯s own


    mother who, while not a witch herself, came from a long line of witches,


    Luckily for Far, neither of them was vulnerable to iron but rather broke out in the slightest rash when


    they came into


    That proved to be a problem, however, when it came to Far donning a te of armor while in wolf form


    only to mmediately shift back and throw it off of her in a hurry, cursing and groaning when the rash


    broke out on her skin.


    ¡°Of all the things to be allergic to,¡± she had muttered while Angie spread aloe vera balm over her itchy


    back.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just allergic to hard work,¡± Gideon had chipped in only to have a hetty chunk of an iron


    shoulder te thrown an has direction Oranaybe it¡¯s just miodytch syndrome¡±


    HI


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26


    The second piece of flying iron caught him square in the face.


    After the meeting, Ignatius and I had driven home and used what little energy we had left to crawl into


    bed.


    We assumed the standard position which involved me lying t on my back at first and then switching


    position every five minutes when the infants in my womb pressed on my dder.


    Ignatius in turn would position himself around me in a more asleep than awake state. Finally, we would


    drift off to sleep with me curled up on my side and Ignatius cocooning himself around me with a hand


    That night I blew on Ignatius closed eyelids to catch his attention and he opened his eyes to gaze at


    me through the dark,


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave.¡± I whispered. Even after all this time, it was still easier to be honest in the


    dark. ¡°I¡¯m scared you won¡¯te back.


    I knew that he had to be the one to lead the stealth mission. He would be seen as a weak Alpha if he


    wasn¡¯t the one to lead his people through the most dangerous of missions. He would lose their respect


    if he were to leave others to do the difficult


    work for him.


    All the same though, I couldn¡¯t shake the fear that struck me to my core. The fear of losing my mate, of


    my children losing their father before they had even met him. And the fear of, should they be caught


    and obliterated, what would happen next.


    Ignatius drummed his fingers lightly on my stomach, bidding our babies a tender goodnight. He shifted


    on his side and brought his face closer to mine, leaning his head down on his elbow. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go


    either. But I have to, you know that.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I was whispering but it felt like a necessity. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± It


    felt as though if I were to speak the words too loudly or too confidently, death itself would hear them


    and take them as a challenge.


    Ignatius reached over to tuck a loose tendril of hair behind my car as we gazed at each other.


    Moonlight shone in through the open window and the slightest breeze danced over our skin that was


    bathed in the same blue hue as the night we tumbled out into the garden.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to lose me, Dorothy. I promise I¡¯lle back to you.


    ¡°How can you be sure of that? You saw that shifter today. They have a whole army of people just like


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    him. And Angie¡¯s experience with the attack on the border proves that no one is safe.¡± I put a hand to


    my stomach. ¡°Not even children.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. Ignatius ced his cool hand over my own. ¡°We have a n, and we know their


    weaknesses. We¡¯re not as vulnerable as they might think.¡±


    He wiped a tear from my eye with his thumb. It had pooled on my eyshes without me even being


    aware that I was crying.


    ¡°And if something does happen to me, which it won¡¯t, there are people here who wouldy down their


    own lives to protect you. But let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯te to that


    ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, Dorothy. I¡¯m scared too. But we have to try, it¡¯s all we can do. I¡¯m sorry that you


    got caught up in all of this. If I could go back in time and do it all over again I wouldn¡¯t change a thing.


    As dire as our situation was, and as terrified as I felt, my words were true. Even if I were to die in the


    His k*ss was soft and gentle, a bittersweet moment of tenderness before the storm ahead.


    A few days after that and we were finally ready, Ignatius rallied ten shifters rmended by Angie to


    apany him on the mission to infiltrate the Tally Pack. He had prepared himself that morning while I


    watched from the bed, tearful and afraid for his safety.


    Downstairs, Angie was waiting for us outside. Ignatius had asked both her and Rita to stay close and


    keep an eye on his mate until he got back


    Angie looked just as tense and concerned as I felt and even Rita seemed anxious. Her feeble smile


    when I padded quietly down the stairs was all the proof I needed of just how dangerous this expedition


    really was.


    1.59 FM,


    Angie folded her arms and looked Ignatius up and down. He was wearing exactly what he always wore,


    ck jeans, old does, and a ck shirt with an additional backpack slung over his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re going like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a f u cking camping trip Ang.¡±


    Their banter was affectionate albeit strained. Neither wanted to acknowledge the uncharted territory we


    were all about to fling ourselves into headfirst.


    Angie sighed. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me toe with you! You need a good tracker on your


    team.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a decent enough tracker, Ignatius reassured her and put his arms around me. ¡°And besides, I need


    you to take care of this one. If you don¡¯t keep an eye on her she might just take it upon herself to follow


    me on her own. I don¡¯t want my mate hiking through the forest by herself.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± I mumbled, leaning into him and wishing he would never have to let go.


    ¡°I¡¯d take Gideon¡¯s


    ¡°See? Exactly why I need you to watch over her. Ignatius voice grew serious and he fixed Angie with a


    level stare. ¡°Take care of my mate. Please, Angie. You and Rita are the only ones I can trust with


    keeping Dorothy safe.¡±


    Angie stared down at the ground and rubbed one dirty sneaker against the calf of her other leg: ¡°You


    know that I will. She¡¯ll be safe with me, I¡¯ll protect her. I promise.¡±


    *Thank you.¡±


    They embraced and then Angie excused herself to go scope out the perimeter of the mansion. She


    insisted it was for safety purposes but I was pretty sure she just couldn¡¯t bear to see him go, knowing


    this might be thest time we ever see him


    alive.


    All too soon, it was time for my mate to leave. I felt him lift his arms from my shoulders and I heard my


    heart break at the same moment. I turned around and clung to him, burying my face in his shirt and


    inhaling hisforting scent,


    Don¡¯t go. That was what I wanted to say. I wanted to repeat it over and over again until he had no


    choice but to stay put so as to save me from a had case of lockjaw, but I knew that wasn¡¯t fair. It had to


    be done and Ignatius had to be the one to do it.


    ¡°Come back to me,¡± was what I said instead, whispering against his chest so that the words reached


    his heart, folded up tightly, and nestled there. So that he would hear them with every steady beat. So


    he would never forget them. ¡°You promised, remember that. Come back to me.¡±


    His arms closed around me and buried his face in my neck. ¡°Always, you know that. I¡¯ll alwayse


    back.¡±


    Ignatius had to pry my arms off of him. He pulled me into one final passionate k*ss, locking lips with my


    own that were wet and salted with my tears. He poured every emotion and every promise of return into


    that final goodbye.


    It was over all too soon and then I was left to watch as he walked out of the door, turning only when he


    reached his car. The beaten old Chevy Imp that had carried us through many a long night.


    He lifted his hand to wave and then before I knew it before I could map the shape of his outline against


    the morning sunlight, he was gone, a retreating cloud of dust on the dry gravel path,


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    -Johan-


    ¡°Wee back, Johan


    I was greeted by that sameforting voice that had be so familiar to me. It was the voice that


    weed me back into the waking world after every death. I had died countless times over by then. I


    had never thought to count in the first ce.


    I waited as my vision slowly returned and my eyes adjusted to the darkness around me. Inside the tent,


    candles flickered.


    The orange mes sent warbling circles of light bouncing all over the green canvas folds that encased


    the healing site in which Iy The light bounced off dozens of ss jars and burned inside the pale


    woman¡¯s dark eyes.


    I smiled at the figure leaning over me, cracking my jaw into ce. ¡°My Lady. It¡¯s a pleasure to be back.


    Her snow-white hair bung over me like a curtain. Her porcin lips had the faintest tint of blue to them


    like she herself was a corpse of sorts,


    She moved aside as I sat up, blinking in the darkened tent as my senses came back to me. The smell


    of smoke and fire, of burning wood, burning flesh. The rank aroma of dried blood and bubbling fat.


    Scents I had grown familiar with over my time with the Tally.


    They were hardened people. Forged by hardships and suffering Pain and resilience. My blood brothers


    and sisters, every one of them.


    each and


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± the Lady Tally spoke as I stretched and flexed my appendages, testing out my rejuvenated


    strength. ¡°Tomorrow you move out, before dawn.¡±


    I clicked my neck and rolled my shoulders, taking pleasure in the powerful muscles that rippled under


    my skin. ¡°You¡¯re noting with us¡±


    She got to her feet gracefully. She was always barefoot, no matter how harsh the terrain. Barefoot and


    clothed in the lightest of flowing garments, always draping down to the floor, always pure white.


    The fabric of her dress was stained time and time again by the blood of the monstrous deer that she


    sacrificed, as well as the blood of our own people. But time and tine again, she somehow managed to


    wash the material clean until it looked as pure and untouched as freshly fallen snow,


    ¡°No,¡± she said over her shoulder as she began organizing jars on the makeshift table that had been


    built for her potions. ¡°There¡¯s always the risk of failure, as small as that risk may be, and so I will remain


    here with some of our soldiers. Should anything happen to you, we will be able to start attew and try


    again¡±


    I got to my feet and looked down at the small, slender woman who had already begun mixing more of


    her potent serum for the next shifter soldier waiting outside.


    It was a monotonous job, in my opinion, spending most of her days brewing potions and hiding out


    inside the single ustrophobic tent. But it was a job she seemed to enjoy and take great pride in


    ¡°You think we will fail?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. The Tally is the most powerful they have ever been. The Bielke won¡¯t know what hit


    them. But there¡¯s always a chance, always a risk.¡±


    ¡°I vow to you my Lady, we won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    She paused her tin kering and turned to face me. ¡°I know you won¡¯t. You have been a faithful ally,


    Johan. I can¡¯t thank you enough I only hope this war will finally bring you some peace of your own.¡±


    Her eyes were soft, a rare sight to behold. Our Lady¡¯s eyes were usually so full of glinting


    determination, of cutting fury, coll and aloof. Her small acts of gentleness were reserved for those she


    empathized with.


    Rogues on the run from their former packs, each with their own story of heartbreak and betrayal. Other


    traveling shifters,


    10:59 Fn, Jan 26


    tired from the constant harassment of parks protecting their territory even from innocent passersby.


    1 had seen those eyes once when she had found me in the woods before she had bared her teeth and


    informed me of a corpse¡¯s inability to talk back


    I had no answer for her. My pain was a dull thud in the back of my mind. 1 had one goal and no future


    beyond that goal. I not longer pursued peace, I didn¡¯t see that as a possibility for someone like me,


    I would have my vengeance and then, whatever was toe after would just be extra time. A life I no


    longer cared to live, a b*dy that could carry me forever so long as I stayed at my Lady¡¯s side. I could


    see nothing beyond my desire for revenge. I didn¡¯t care for peace.


    I could only bow my head until she bid me goodnight.


    ¡°Oh and another thing,¡± she added with a lilting voice before I left. ¡°That shifter you were after? to, I


    believe his name was. We found him a while ago, he¡¯s been shackled to a post outside of Helena¡¯s


    tent. I was waiting for you to get back to tell


    you.


    to. Another cog in my quest for revenge. Our Lady had been kind enough to allow me a tracking


    team to hunt him down. I would deal with him after our victory


    ¡°Thank you my Lady, I appreciate all of your help in catching the ba stard.¡±


    She nodded to me and turned back to her table of magical artifacts and I took it as my leave to go.


    ¡°Tomorrow, Johan,¡± she said as I exited the canvas tent and strode out into the newest resting ce of


    my second-chance pack ¡°Rally the troops Tomorrow we strike down the Bielke once and for all. Leave


    no one alive


    Leave no one alive. I was ready. I was ted in fact, riding the high of my newly formed b*dy. My


    powerful b*dy. I was an unstoppable force and tomorrow I would carve a crest of blood across the


    Bielke territory


    And Dorothy. My dead heart could almost beat just thinking about her. The red of her hair. The red of


    her blood,


    Dorothy would finally be mine.


    -Dorothy-


    The windows blew open with a sudden force as a gust of wind screamed through the empty mansion. I


    fought the billowing curtains and heaved the window closed before sliding to the floor and cupping my


    arms around my swollen stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± I grumbled to myself as I fought the hot tears that were threatening to pour forth. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,


    you idiot.¡±


    The finicky window opened once again and mmed shut with a loud bang that had me jumping in my


    skin and clutching at my exposed stomach. That was enough for me and I dissolved into a puddle of


    tears between the blue curtains.


    ¡°Red? Are you okay in there?¡± Angie called through the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I yelled back, mortified at the thought of her seeing me so distressed. I wore one of Ignatius


    many ck t-shirts which I had refused to take off since he had left, and nothing else.


    A pregnant ginger crying on the floor was not a very majestic sight to behold. ¡°I¡¯m alright. Just give me


    a minute


    Angie wasn¡¯t convinced and I heard her waiting at the door to hear my sniveling for herself. I kept my


    mouth shut and forced myself to breathe deeply, quitting my racing nerves.


    When I finally heard Angie¡¯s receding footsteps I rxed back against the wall and stared up at the


    ceiling


    I wasing apart at the seams, a nervous wreck who could do nothing but cry when the window


    mmed and mope about the big empty house while my mate was off somewhere risking his life.


    It was the wasting that was getting to me The wanting and the not knowing Ignanus had kept his mind


    closed from me unless ablutely necessary so that he wouldn¡¯t lose focus The Last Ind from him he


    had found the Tally¡¯s campout.


    10:59 Fri, Jan 25


    ¡°There¡¯s so many of them he had said grimly and I shrank into the pillows.


    ¡°Come back to me,¡± I reminded him. ¡°You promised.¡±


    ¡°I know. And I intend to keep that promise. I love you.¡±


    That was a whole day before. I hadn¡¯t heard from him since.


    Angie and Rita had tried their best to reassure me but I was inconsble. I had busied myself helping


    out at the forge, only there wasn¡¯t much left for a pregnant woman to do there.


    I had paid a visit to multiple homes around Bielke territory, introducing myself andforting families


    who were afraid of theing war. There were even some elderly family members who had faced the


    Tally before. They had nothing good to say about those battles.


    I had even visited the prison. Multiple times in fact. I spoke with the prisoners that had been captured


    during the recent attacks on ournd. They didn¡¯t deserve to be there, they were unsuspecting civilians


    caught in the crossfire of a war they had nothing to do with.


    We couldn¡¯t afford to risk releasing them, however, until after the Tally had been dealt with effectively.


    Thest thing we wanted was to offer them more soldiers to throw at us again.


    As ironic as it sounded, the safest ce for those poor people was right there in the cells where the


    Tally couldn¡¯t reach them and they couldn¡¯t reach us.


    I tried my best to reassure them that we meant them no harm. Most of them looked scared, some of


    them angry. They all Jooked like they longed to simply go home.


    I had spoken with the member of the old elder council who sat in the shadows of his cell and refused to


    even acknowledge my presence at first. However, he eventually came around when I offered to tell him


    how his grandson was doing


    I had discovered during my house visits that the girl who attacked me had given birth to a baby boy


    recently.


    The elder man was yet to meet his grandchild, as no one was allowed to visit him in his cell. That was a


    rule that I promised to have changed as soon as possible. He still didn¡¯t like me by the end of our talk,


    but his face had brightened up a little all


    the same.


    Lastly, I paid a visit to the Tally shifter. He barely made an effort to raise his head at my approach and


    he watched me through slitted eyes as I sat down on the other side of the bars.


    He wasn¡¯t looking too good at all. His wiry hair was the color of copper and it would have been


    gorgeous if it wasn¡¯t falling out at an rming rate.


    His skin looked yellow and was pulled taut over his dwindling frame as his muscles broke apart and his


    b*dy rotted from the inside. Flies buzzed around this side of the cells and the stench had grown tenfold


    since I hadst been in there


    ¡°Back again are we? To what do I owe this pleasure?¡±


    I pulled my knees to my chest as best as I could considering the side of my stomach and inspected him


    through the bars.


    ¡°You¡¯re not looking very good.¡±


    You could say I¡¯m running low on my supply.¡±


    ¡°Do you still think it was worth it?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    I stared down at my feet, holding my breath for long periods of time just to avoid inhaling the stench


    that hung in the air around the man¡¯s cell. ¡°What¡¯s


    your name?¡±


    Silence for a moment as he stared at me from hooded eyes. ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    10:59 Fri, Jan 26


    men


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m here talking to you. It just urred to me that I don¡¯t even know


    your name¡±


    Jason


    ¡°Can I ask you something else then, Jason?¡± I had time to kill and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn a little more


    about why exactly the Tally was so hateful towards the Bielke. ¡°Why did you join them! The Tally. Or


    were you born into the pack?¡±


    The man, Jason, looked like he wasn¡¯t going to answer me. He closed his eyes and slumped even


    lower against the back wall of his cell. The stump of his shoulder glistened with sweat and the mere act


    of lifting a finger seemed too much for his b*dy


    to manage.


    I was preparing to get up and leave when he spoke, ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t born into the Tally Pack.¡±


    He kept his eyes closed as he talked and his voice was rough and gravelly as ever but there was a


    mncholic hint of softness. to it when he spoke about his past.


    ¡°My mother was a rogue shifter. She ran from her pack and her suitable mate and she took me with


    her. We got by for a while, just the two of us. But the world is a dangerous ce for a woman and a


    child. I came to learn pretty quickly that, in this world, those are the two worst things to be.


    ¡°We were harassed by other small packs whenever we happened to stumble upon their territory.


    We always kept moving my mother lived in fear that one day her husband would catch up with us.


    ¡°Evenally, we happened upon Bielke territory. I have in fact been around here before. I¡¯ve even spent a


    night in these cells with my mother once upon a time.


    1 had been sitting, suddenly captivated by his story as he went along. It urred to me that, while


    these people we fought may present as monsters, the world was never so ck and white as we would


    like to believe that it is.


    ¡°How old were you, thest time you were here?¡±


    ¡°Ten? Maybe twelve. I was never entirely sure of my age, we didn¡¯t keep track of things like that. All we


    knew was survival.. Anyway, the Bielke was obviously suspicious of us, but they were caught up in their


    own wars and conflict and they could always do with more soldiers.


    ¡°That was the double-edged knife of joining the Bielke. You gained protection whilst living on their


    territory, but you were also expected to fight on the frontlines of their needless battles¡±


    I knew immediately the agreement that he spoke of. It was how Rita had managed to join the Bielke


    soon after our original pack had been wiped out. She too had fought many wars for the people that I


    now ruled over.


    The shifter still had his eyes closed and aside from his dry, cracked lips, he didn¡¯t move a muscle as he


    continued.


    ¡°That was the situation my mother and I found ourselves in upon joining the Bielke. But my mother felt


    she had no other options.


    ¡°She wanted to protect me, and so she gave her life to the Bielke and she died soon after that. Struck


    down unceremoniously during a battle when the Bielke leaders used their own members as bait to lure


    in their enemies.


    ¡°I was distraught of course, but that mattered little to the Bielke elders. They bickered on whether or not


    I was old enough to join the battle myself.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t care for my safety though, they were more concerned about whether or not I would get in


    the way. In the end. I didn¡¯t stay to hear their final decision. I slipped away that same night and never


    went back. Until now, that is.¡±


    1 breathed out heavily ¡°That¡¯s when you found the Tally?¡±


    ¡°Yep stumbled into their campsite by arcident one day. I was starving, feral even. I had been living


    alone in the woods for a few years by then, more woll than boy at that point and still deadly afraid of my


    own shadow. I thought they were going to kill me, and maybe if I had been a year or two early they


    might have. But they had a new leader by then


    111


    159 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°Lady Tally¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. No one knew where she came from, or why she had such a vendetta against the world


    itself. But she was passionate, powerful, and fiercely driven. It¡¯s not hard to understand why the group


    of ouw shifters would choose to follow her.


    59


    ¡°She took me in and gave me a purpose, she helped me heal from the years of fear and hatred that


    had turned me into a cold, uncaring being. She promised me justice and revenge. I owe her my life ten


    times over.


    ¡°It seems you have already given her that, I said quietly, watching the man¡¯s b*dy deforms and morph


    before my eyes. It happened in increments, but it was happening. ¡°You don¡¯t have much longer. I don¡¯t


    think¡±


    ¡°No, Jason sighed and a trickle of ck blood traced down from the corner of his mouth and dripped off


    of his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. My b*dy can¡¯t hold itself together without our Lady¡¯s magic.¡±


    I swallowed the sudden ache in my throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to heal you, Jason. And, even if I let


    you go now, I doubt you¡¯ll make it back to your own pack in time.¡±


    Jason smiled slightly and his eyes flickered open to gaze at me. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, Luna. I epted my


    fate the moment I first touched a drop of those potions. I have been ready for this. It¡¯s like you said, I


    died a long time ago


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±


    Hisugh sounded like it hurt, it was a hacking cough of a chuckle, and specks of ck tar flew from


    his mouth and speckled


    the cell floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that I¡¯m speaking to the Luna of the Bielke Pack itself. Maybe there is room for


    change, maybe you can fix them. I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be around to see it?


    You know,¡± he continued, looking down at therge scar on his shoulder. ¡°Now that I¡¯m not riding the


    high of my magic supply, you¡¯re not so bad little Luna.


    ¡°I will always stand by my own people, my blood brothers and sisters, but I wish you well in theing


    war. Maybe, in a different life, we can meet again on the same side of the battlefield this time. Allies


    instead of enemies¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not my enemy,¡± I whispered but my words fell on deaf ears. Jason¡¯s eyes had stopped their


    shifting and the me behind them had gone out. The shifter had died for the final time


    I left the cells soon after that, headed straight back home, and locked myself away with my own stormy


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    thoughts.


    Even Angie knew to leave me to my own devices and she resigned herself to hanging around outside


    the property. asionally popping in to check that my scent was still present and sometimes offering


    tea


    1 curled myself into a cocoon, wrapping the curtains around me and hiding away. If I stayed in there


    long enough, maybe I would emerge stronger, maybe my mate woulde home.


    It was the waiting that was killing me. The waiting and not knowing.


    COMMENT

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    -Ignatius


    Finding the Tally¡¯s newest campout had been easy enough. They had grown in numbers drastically and


    they were much less inconspicuous because of it


    We traced their movements from where Angie had captured the infected shifter and eventually


    stumbled upon their new camp. They were ufortably close to Bielke territory, nestled deep in the


    forest they had set up camp just south of our borders.


    Staying unnoticed was where the first problem arose. My team and I had traveled with as many


    masking leaves as we could carry and had to repeatedly coat ourselves in the powdery substance so


    as to keep our scent hidden from the soldiers who


    moved about the forest


    We kept an eye on them from afar at first, scoping out their setup and trying to pinpoint exactly where


    they were performing the magic rituals.


    It was just like Angie had described. Shifters loped all over the area, big and bulky and inhumanly


    strong. The forest reeked of the scent of decay and a cloud of smoke hung low over the area from


    where constant fires were kept burning.


    A single white van was parked just past the tree line on an abandoned dirt road. We watched in disgust


    as shifters threw open the doors and dragged bodies from the interior, hauling them through the woods


    and dumping them inside of another dirty tent..


    If that wasn¡¯t rming enough, after a day of watching that specific tent, those same bodies walked


    themselves out of the canvas folds and sat down around the giant fire pits. They were most definitely


    not alive, no souls resided behind those ssy eyes


    But they were moving all the sune, all in perfect unison as if controlled by some unseen puppet master.


    Tor had kept up his suspicious growling throughout the mission, his animal instincts warning the both of


    us that whatever was going on in front of our eyes was in no way natural and most likely dangerous


    ¡°They¡¯re not like the other shifters, Carly, one of the soldiers who apanied us had whispered to me


    from our hiding ce among the trees. ¡°The others have a mind of their own, these are just dolls.


    Walking corpses¡±


    ¡°Nec romancy, most likely,¡± I had whispered back. I had seen this phenomenon once before. Although


    the memories of that moment were clouded in fog and suppressed by the most primal parts of my


    mind.


    It wasn¡¯t that the corpses, most likely victims from other small packs that had been disappearing all


    over the country, had been brought back to life. They were merely being puppetized by a single wielder


    of dark magic. Most likely the same magic wielder who was feeding witch blood to the other soldiers


    We were yet to discover this enigmatic leader of the Tally. Despite our constant watch, she hadn¡¯t made


    an appearance just


    jet


    ¡°To the left, Carly warned, keeping her voice low as a beefy shifter ambled into the woods nearby. He


    hadn¡¯t noticed us yet but it was a little too close forfort all the same.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go


    Carly followed me as we melted away into the shadows of the forest and met up with the rest of our


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    members. 1 had been wary of some of mypanions, all handpicked by Angie herself.


    still unsure of who exactly we could trust, but each of them had proven their loyalty and capability over


    the past few days. Specifically Carly and her mate, Will.


    The two of them had been able to get close enough to the camp to identify at least three authority


    figures of the group and had been the ones to track down the ominous white van thaty beyond the


    forest.


    Carly was a tall willowy woman v


    for stealthy missions and Will, with his dark skin and ck wardrobe that


    rivaled my own, was able to travel through the woods like a shadow, leaving no trace and making no


    sound.


    Many a tinte I had spun around at an ufortable sensation on the back of my neck only to fad Will


    traveling directly behind me,pletely unaware that I had no idea he was there Carly was the only


    one who seemed to be able to sense her mate no matter how steally he could be


    It was those two who reported to me that same night of the woll shifter that was shackled to a post


    some way off, near a tent of one of the authoritarian leaders.


    Curious as to why the Tally would keep one captive alive. I followed them to where they had spotted the


    wolf. I wondered if it could be the same captive that Angie and Far had seen being removed from the


    white van some werks before.


    We peered through the trees and I followed Carly¡¯s pointing uger to where a single lonesome scoll was


    straining against the Large silver shacklestcheil around his neck.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a regr woll! I suggested but Will shook his head.


    ¡°From the way it¡¯s been acting 1 highly douls it. There¡¯s emotional intelligence there. He wants to get


    away. And from the look of the fur around his neck. I would say he¡¯s been held captly here for a while.¡±


    I looked closely at the wolf and the band of raw skin around his neck where the cor had rubbed his


    far away. He looked underted too, his hip bones protruded a little too noticeably and hissts of energy


    were followed by moments of fatigue


    ami exluustiMEL


    We should tree ham. Carly whispered as we all examined the creature from afar. He could be a useful


    source of anfermation.


    ¡°We can¡¯t¡± as much as it pained me to say it. Leould see no way of going about rescuing the poor guy


    without alerting the Tally to an enemy presence in their camp. ¡°They would notice bis absence and


    immediately be on high alert,¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him there,¡± Carly protested, raising her voor in a whisper Poor f ucker is gonna


    starve to death.¡±


    I pondered the situation for a moment. ¡°Maylic if we can make a look like he got away on his own.


    Leave a scent fr. leading off somewhere and then mask him and bring him back to our base.


    Will and Carly exchanged nces and Will shrugged his broad shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot. How


    exactly do we free him


    though?


    Well, he¡¯s skinny, isn¡¯t he? We nick his skin, get some blood and fur on the silver cor and let them


    think that he got desperate and pulled himself free¡±


    ¡°And how exactly do you n to get the cor off of him? We need the key¡°


    ¡°Simple¡± 1 tipped my chin towards the rustling tent where arge muscled woman emerged from.


    Around her neck swung a single silver key suspended on a piece of string ¡°We just take it


    -to


    Thad no idea how long I held been held captive by the odd Tally Pack. All I knew was that after being


    captured they had transferred me to their campout at the foot of a hill, only to shove me back into that


    horrific van a few dayster to cart me out into the woods.


    Finally. Thad found myself cord and shackled to a post outside the tent of a particrly frightening-


    looking woman who had uprooted an entire tree with her bare hands in order to set up her test.


    1 assumed the must have been someone important considering how the others seemed to treat her


    with a bit of respect. Day after day at unde at my post. And me, the forest had untially been full of life


    and the sound of my creases rustling. an the brush was carried to my cars by the slightest breeze,


    The longer the Tally rendest there, however, the deader the forest became All of the creatures left the


    area as if sp ooked by the Tally¡¯s unnatural energy At night the losest was deathly sale


    The suffocating smoke of the constantly lit fires clouded the treetops and blocked out the moonlight


    entirely. That seemed to bother Ren the most. Ren hated confinement, small spaces. She hated being


    unable to see the sky.


    And so we sat, day in and day out, tugging and twisting at the cor around our necks until the skin


    was raw and tender.


    I


    And we were hungry. So, so hungry. The Tally themselves barely seemed to eat at all, I assumed it had


    something to do with their inhuman bodies..


    They seemed to eat only for pleasure and not for any real nutritional gain. I wished them horrible


    stomach aches and bad. indigestion every time I noticed one of them snacking nearby


    The other shifters, however, the ones who sat around the fires day in and day out, were very clearly


    corpses who had no need for food at all


    I was very close to bing a corpse myself if they refused to ferd me. Wolves canst longer without


    food than humans can, but even in my wolf form and even with Ren¡¯s strong spirit, I could feel our


    strength fading away day by day.


    I would do almost anything for a bite of something. I would do almost anything for freedom.


    I was shaken from my thoughts by the sound of therge woman stirring in her tent. She threw open


    the curtain and waltzed out without casting me so much as a nce before heading towards the main


    camp. I growled at her like I did every morning but still she paid me no mind.


    I had just turned my head away to go back to my useless tugging at my chains when I heard frantic


    shuffling and the woman¡¯s gruff remark. ¡°Who ar¡± Before a loud thump and then silence.


    Spinning around I came face to face with three shifters I had never seen before, all crouching over the


    buffdy who nowy fat on her face on the forest floor.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    -Ignatius-


    Knocking out therge Tally shifter went smoothly enough. The three of us crept through the tree line


    out of sight until the veryst minute. Carly then revealed herself only for Will and I to jump from the


    trees to restrain the woman and press Valha leaves against her nose..


    Angie had supplied me with every herb and nt in the book in preparation for any situation and those


    leaves did their job well. The shifter spasmed in my grasp and then fell forwards with a loud thump and


    a sickening crunch which I assumed was the sound of her nose breaking.


    She would be out for a few minutes and hopefully not remember a thing.


    I looked up


    from the fallen woman to the wolf who was staring at us with immediate distrust. ¡°Hi. We¡¯re here to


    help.¡±


    I pulled the key from its ce on the woman¡¯s ne and cautiously approached the distressed wolf.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to free you, okay? But I must ask that youe with us. We don¡¯t want to hurt you¡±


    The wolf backed away from me at first but eventually allowed me to turn the key in the lock that held


    the silver cor in ce and irfell away from around the wolf¡¯s thin neck.


    I half expected him to bolt the second he was freed but instead, he gazed down at the cor on the


    ground and then back at me as a sh of recognition zed in its eyes.


    We need to make it look like you escaped on your own. I need some of your furs¡±


    The wolf allowed me to slice a chunk of hair from its neck and then slowly, and by the looks of it,


    painfully began to shift. back to human form. As fur receded back into tanned skin and the wolfish maw


    melted into a handsome human face. I too felt a flicker of recognition.


    It was only after the shifter¡¯s curly brown hair tumbled around his shoulders and he stood up straight


    that I was able to ce his features in my memory.


    He was much thinner than the first time I saw him, and his eyes were heavy with fatigue but I


    recognized the man as to,


    Mavis true mate.


    to clearly recognized me too because he raised his eyebrows in surprise and attempted a wobbly


    smile. ¡°Hey man, long time no see. Ignatius right?¡±


    ¡°You know this guy?¡± Carly stood behind me, peering over my shoulder while Will kept an eye on the


    unconscious shifter.


    ¡°We should get out of here,¡± he mumbled quietly. ¡°She¡¯s going to wake up soon.¡±


    to, who was stark n*ked where he stood before us attempted to take a few steps but doubled up in


    pain almost immediately ¡°I¡¯ve been in wolf form for a while now, My b*dy isn¡¯t used to this old form just


    yet¡±


    Will and 1 each slung an arm over our shoulders and escorted the weary shifter back through the


    woods towards our base. but not before smothering him in Physalis leaves to mask his scent.


    Before we left, Carly resealed the silver cor and put the key back around the unconscious shifter¡¯s


    neck. Next, she sliced Hato¡¯s palm open to which he responded with a slew of m untered profanities


    and held his list out to drop blood along the lining of the cor.


    Finally, she added the tufts of fur that I had cut from his wolf form and dropped the cor to the ground.


    It wasn¡¯t the most convincing of faux escapes but it was all we could manage at the time


    We led te on a roundabout route through the woods, having him hold his hand out to allow blood to


    drip onto the dead Jeases of the forest Aher walking for about a male we decided it was far enough


    and bandaged up his hand to turn and head) bark in the duection of our campi


    11:00 Fri, Jan 26 G


    The other soldiers were surprised with our new member and some of them eyed him with suspicion as


    we sat him down in the small cleaning.


    ¡°Okay. to.¡± I crouched in front of him while Carly dug through our supplies to find him some food.


    ¡°Do you want to tell me how exactly younded yourself captive in the Tally camp!¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me at first, his eyes followed Carly as she hauled out the dried meat we had brought


    with us. When she handed him a few sticks he dug into it with feral ferocity, wolling it down fast enough


    to give me a stomach ache


    After that he gulped down water from a bottle I handed to him and finally rxed, wiping his mouth and


    sighing like he had feasted on a gourmet dinner instead of musty hunks of beef and warm bottled


    water.


    ¡°They had been hunting me for a while, he said eventually. ¡°Around New Year, I got a call from my


    brother warning me that there was a price on my head. His mate had been a Tally member until she


    met him, she joined his pack when the Tally became more militarized. Before she left she caught wind


    of a search going down for a shifter named to who met my description¡±


    He examined his thin wrists and cracked his knuckles. All of his joints could be heard clicking and


    tweaking as if his b*dy was settling back into the human form he had been denied for so long. By the


    look on his face, it wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience and I pushed another bottle of water towards him.


    ¡°Do you know why they were looking for you!¡±


    really me


    He shook his head and gulped down more water before continuing. ¡°Not at first. I didn¡¯t even believe


    that it was re they were after. I thought they must have gotten me mixed up with some other shifter


    But not soon after my brother¡¯s warning, three shifters came after me in my apartment in the city. I


    escaped but barely, and I went on the run. Everywhere I went they followed me. Eventually, I made a


    stop at my brother¡¯s house to get my hands on some food, they caught me pretty soon after that.¡±


    He rubbed at his eyes and ran a hand through tousled dirty locks Tve been held captive with them ever


    since. They locked, mein wolf form and transported me in some dingy van of theirs


    ¡°All I managed to gather of why they kept me alive was that I was valuable to someone named Johan. I


    think it could be the same Johan I met the same day I met you. Maybe you know something about


    that? About why he wants me!¡±


    I was about to speak but held my tongue for a moment. I had no idea how to would react to hearing


    about the death of his true mate. It was a topic that would have to be approached carefully.


    ¡°It is the same man. Johan lost himself after everything that happened that night. It¡¯s possible that he


    wanted to find you to exact some twisted revenge.¡±


    ¡°But why? I barely had anything to do with that drama. Mavis was stringing me along just as much as


    she was him, surely he understands that. And I rejected Mavis pretty soon after that anyway¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been aware that he had followed through with the rejection of Mavis. That made things a little


    bit easier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Johan is thinking very logically, I murmured. ¡°He fueled by hatred and a desire for


    revenge. He started by murdering his father. Then he took down Mavis too. Currently, he¡¯s trying to


    attack my pack and his ex-mate. It makes sense that he would also factor you into the equation.¡±


    to opened and closed his mouth a few times inplete battlement. He blew out a breath and


    buried his face in his hands. ¡°Great. That¡¯s just great. Dragged into a war because of someone else¡¯s


    vendetta. I should have never gone looking for my mate in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known it woulde to this¡± I put a hand on his shoulder. Tm sorry your life got


    uprooted in the process. But right now we need your help.¡±


    ¡°What kind of help could I possibly offer you?¡± Mato¡¯s tone was disheartened and weary. ¡°Look at me,


    I¡¯m not exactly functioning at peak performance?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that right now I brushed has words away. ¡°I need you to tell me everything you can


    about the Tally


    Chapter 73.


    shutters. You¡¯ve been with them this whole time. I need to know what you¡¯ve witnessed¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything you would find useful. I spent most of my time tied to that post?


    ¡°Look, we know the Bielke are uning witchcraft to strengthen their soldiers, we¡¯re trying to find out who


    exactly is behind that. And those animated corpS**, do you know anything about that?¡±


    A shadow passed over the man¡¯s features and he grimaced ¡°The dead guys I traveled with them in the


    back of that van I mentioned Before they were, you know, brought hark


    sade me sick to my stomach


    Tally were


    tallen enemies as popper soldiers. It was beyond twisted and it


    ¡°And The


    And what about the other shifters Do you know anything of who¡¯s behind the magic


    me to look up to her


    to scratched at his chin. They¡¯re always mentioning somerne alleel Larly Tally. It¡¯s possible that


    she¡¯s the one pulling the


    s some kind of g?l Shafters wille into the camp all bedraggled and sickly and then suddenly I


    would see them walking around looking better than ever


    ¡°Have you seentilus Lady Tally:


    ¡°Only fromridan. And I can only assume that it was her. There a woman here who doesn¡¯t look like the


    rest of the Tally She¡¯s small and kinda sir kly-looking but everyone gives her a wile berth and Ive seen a


    few sh ither, bow when she panes.


    always wears these long white dresses and I¡¯ve even seen herrlimbing around in the trees


    Something in his next wonds made my heart clench like a cold for had closed around the beating


    muscle


    ¡°Her most defining feature is her long white hair. She always leaves it down and flowing around her. I¡¯m


    surprised the dors trip on t


    Aballowing sundresa. Bate fert Long white fur streaming behind her as she ran further and further away


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    from me


    to was stall talking, but his words were mullied and inaudible like he was somewhere far away. I was


    alone in my foggy thoughts, enveloped in memories that I had stowed away a longtime ago¡­


    Tenatus¡±


    cas calling my name. Her voice was light and hilting but there was sadness underneath that facade.


    She was looking for me, following me through that big house that seemed evenrger in my child mind.


    She told me she had to go away. She wanted me to go with her. I thought it was a game. I crawled


    under the bed to hide, waiting for her to


    ¡°Ignatius


    Her voice got more desperate, pleading. I was confused. I thought it was supposed to be fun Then my


    father came home and it wain game anymore


    Trexall the parting sound of ss shattering more pleading, heavy furniture scratching across the floor.


    After hearing her scream I pulled myself out from where I was hiding I rushed out of the front door to


    my father¡¯s side. Just in time to see her


    Trave


    Running through that open field to the sun as at set beyond the valley. So baight that I had to squint If


    she had looked back I dali ser at Only the flowing, allowing material of her dress Her bare feet Her


    white hair streaming out behind her


    Ler and further away from me


    tett¡±


    man and silent for songe had picked up his maling all over again


    Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    -Ignatius-


    ¡°Ignatius.¡±


    I just wanted it to stop. The sudden influx of memories was too much to bear. They poured into my


    head at a rate I couldn¡¯t keep up with and filled my ears with the sound of her voice.


    ¡°Ignatius?¡±


    I covered my ears, forcing my eyes tightly shut and wishing it to be over.


    A hand on my shoulder wrenched me from my dream state and looked up to see Carly staring down at


    me with concern written across her face.


    ¡°Ignatius, are you okay?¡±


    1 gawked at her for a moment, looking around at our campsite in the woods and the worried faces of


    my tear. I sank back into the rity of reality and turned to look at to who was still in the same ce,


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    tapping his fingers together in distress. ¡°Was it something I said?¡±


    I pressed my palms against my eyes and fought to clear my head. ¡°No, yes, it¡¯splicated.¡±¡°


    Everyone was staring at me quizzically and I cleared my throat. We didn¡¯t have time for emotional


    breakdowns. I didn¡¯t have the luxury of being upses.


    ¡°You said she had long white hair!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± to co cked his head to the side. ¡°Why?¡±


    1 braved out arge sigh. ¡°There is a very good chance that I know who that woman is.¡±


    I looked around at all of their confused faces. Things had just be slightly moreplicated. The


    Lady Tally is my mother.¡±


    That news went down like a ton of f u cking bricks.


    -Dorothy¨C


    I felt Ignatius¡¯ sudden influx of emotional turmoil before I heard his voice in my head.


    Dorothy.¡±


    My heart leaped with joy, relieved to hear his voice and enthralled with the distraction from my own m


    ental unrest.¡±I¡¯m here. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Still hanging around the camp. We have a lead but.. It¡¯s not what we expected.¡±


    ¡°What do you


    He was silent, hesitant. I felt his unease like a weight on my own chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Tally leader. I think, no I know, that it¡¯s my mother.¡±


    I sat bolt upright in bed at his words, ¡°What? Are you sure? But how, I thought Moirah disappeared


    years ago.¡±


    ¡°Well, she did. It seems she¡¯s done well for herself since then, all things considered.¡±


    1 pinched the bridge of my nose in confusion, scrunching my eyes shut. ¡°Do you think Elliot knows?¡±


    |||


    ¡°Honestly, I doubt it. He would have gone to war with the Tally a lot sooner if that had been the case¡±


    I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could hold my mate in person. ¡°So what now? Are you still


    going to


    I didn¡¯t want to say what we were both thinking. If the mission was to go on as nned, Ignatius would


    have to take out the magic-wielder of the Tally Pack. That person being his own mother.


    I didn¡¯t doubt that he would do what was best for his people. But this was a showdown that none of us


    had seening


    His tone was grim.


    ¡°We stick to the n. Maybe I can reason with her, find out why she¡¯s doing all of this. Maybe she


    thinks she¡¯s taking revenge on my father. If I can convince her that we are no longer associated with


    Elliot, maybe I can get her to back down. If not, well. We stick to the n nheless.


    I realized he had no reason for telling me any of this, there was nothing I could do from my end.


    Ignatius wanted reassurance. He needed to be reminded of what exactly he was fighting for.


    1 swallowed my panic and spoke to him as gently as I could manage. ¡°I know you¡¯ll do the right thing.


    This is an impossible situation but you¡¯re right. Maybe there is a way out of this mess without even


    more bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°I love you, was all he said, and then his presence was gone from my mind and I was alone with my


    thoughts once again.


    I sat among the churned-up sheets. With the amount of tossing and turning I did every night, the bed


    looked like it was caught in a perpetual windstorm and most of the pillows ended up on the floor by the


    morning


    Isniffed and stood up, shuffling towards the door. Angie was already waiting on the other side with a


    steaming cup of tea and a forced smile. ¡°How are you doing today?¡±


    ¡°Oh you know, just dandy.¡± I muttered and immediately felt bad for my sarcasm when her face fell.


    Tin sorry, ignore me. It¡¯s just been a tough few days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Dorothy. I understand


    She turned to leave but I put out a hand to stop her. ¡°Um, Ang? Could I ask you something? It¡¯s about


    Ignatius¡¯ mother.¡±


    ¡°Moarah? Sure.¡±


    Angie followed me back into the room and we both perched on the unmade bed. Any other day I would


    have been embarrassed about the mess, but my mind was distracted by everything else going on.


    I folded my hands over my stomach. The kicking from inside had be something of afort to me


    as the days went on. I was neverpletely alone these days, I had thepany of my children,


    tapping away inside my belly, I wondered if they too missed their father¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Ignatius has never spoken much about his mother. All he ever told me was that she was beautiful but


    odd and she ran away when he was very young¡±


    Angie was twisting the sheets in her hands and her mouth was set in a grim line as I continued, ¡°You¡¯re


    a few years older than Ignatius right? And he said you guys have always been close. Do you remember


    anything of Moirah?¡±


    She looked uneasy when she answered me as if she expected the woman to jump out from behind the


    curtains at any


    ¡°Moirali was strange. She was moe enough, I guess. And she seemed to really care about Ignatius. But


    not enough to stay by his side it would seem. I don¡¯t think he ever truly forgave her for leaving¡±


    ¡°Why did she leave?¡±


    Angie hung her head. It was pretty clear that Elhot wasn¡¯t treating her very well. She never spoke about


    any of it but I can remember my family talking about it behind closed doors. Everyone knew bruises are


    difficult to hide. I think it eventually


    11:00 Fri, Jan 26


    <


    Fri Jan 26


    ch for her?


    She knit her brows together ¡°Why


    She took the newsammutally well. While tematis


    could


    I¡¯m corpsed te dn¡¯t lie that it be a powellity or she weng


    ( in queeren ber a little more but saddenh, Angie interned and her eyes nd


    And a hand to fresh me and an applek washed over her features After are often Ange Hoked at me.


    Tent shed in her eyes and she gripped my hand tightly ¡°Tally soldiers have been spoed the permetes


    My grander post warme me


    What Right now that we not ready mata sunt even back get he would have warmed us


    ?ngir was already standing up and rushur


    ethe door¡± ¡°Dorothy: T


    ¡°How can I belje¡± I can helge¡± I said beetsly) as die stene hest spenthe front ilser. ¡°Let me trip


    oth her and put her hands


    kerpoor 1.


    shoulders. ¡°I needy


    Str ted a insan my cheekand


    cot the door. ¡°11 vr you okay? Lack the doors?¡±


    after line as she speed.


    ach ¡°Boka whispered ¡°prot you


    dyes and feeds prongga damg my nishing thosights


    1 nik ini barat, Bandung my mustad thoughts and trying again. ¡°Ignatius. ¡°They at here¡¯


    den. I got nothing in response, ? ?ega irking for a good long wide, my identitetin shanty morphing on


    desperatan seduci 1 jam, je imajte ¡°Tpatia Whrer are you?

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    -to-


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. My bad,¡± I whispered after I had bumped into the back of the tall white-haired man for the


    third time since we had started our trek through the woods.


    ¡°Maybe you should have stayed behind,¡± he muttered and hunched his shoulders over as he continued


    to traipse through


    the trees


    ¡°You need me!¡± I insisted. ¡°Tan the only one who knows where the Lady Tally¡¯s tent is¡±


    ¡°You had better he right about this he spoke over his shoulder and I hurried to catch up when he


    quickened his pace. ¡°We¡¯re walking straight into enemy territory. If anything goes wrong, I¡¯m leaving


    you behind


    ¡°Harsh,¡± Luttered and tripped when my foot caught on a fallen branch. ¡°F uck! Anyway, this Moirali


    person, how do you know it¡¯s really her?¡±


    He sighed with deep exasperation as he trod onwards ¡°As I said, she¡¯s my mother. And while it¡¯s faint


    and warped, I can still sense her.¡±


    He stopped and stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting for me to give the directions


    ¡°Left after that tree over there. We walked on, taking care to kick leaves over our tracks as we went.


    ¡°Why would your mother he leading the Tally to war? Wasn¡¯t she of the Bielke herself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was once the Luna of the Bielke Pack. But her parents had been nomads. Maybe she just


    wanted to go back to her roots, he mumbled dryly and I took it as a sign to stop asking questions.


    I managed all of five minutes walking in silence before I was itching to know more about the pale


    abrasive man. ¡°So, what exactly happened with that Johan guy. Was he jealous of you and the


    redhead?¡±


    That redhead is named Dorothy and she¡¯s my mate,¡± be answered shortly. ¡°But yes, I guess you could


    say that.¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, right, I remember now. So, she was Johan¡¯s true mate?


    It was more of a growl than a verbal response.


    ¡°But she chose you instead? And then his girlfriend, Mavis dumped him too? That¡¯s brutal, da mn, no


    wonder he went f ucking loopy¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Ignatius hissed, turning to re at me with icy eyes. ¡°Johan


    made mistakes. He didn¡¯t deserve half the s hit that happened to him but that sure as hell doesn¡¯t


    justifying after my mate now.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me and I dragged my pinched fingers across my lips, promising to stop with


    the talking. I offered him a tentative grin and he exhaled loudly, curling his lip and turning away again to


    stomp onwards in a stormy mood


    We fell silent again until we reached the Tally campsite. The scent of it was apparent long before we


    heard the shuffling of heavy shifters moving about. Ignatius put a cautioning hand out to slow me down


    when one of them rambled right past us.


    Luckily for us, we were hidden amongst the thick clumped trees and the Tally shifter himself seemed


    more preupied


    ath his mission of carryingrge logs on his shoulders, presumably for the fires they kept buming


    constantly.


    1 praked over Ignatius shoulder and squinted to get a glimpse of the camp. We had rounded the area


    and approached from


    different angle, the way had been brought in when they dragged me from the van


    ¡°Where did you say you saw her?¡± Iguatus whispered and I pointed with my chin to a small rickety set


    up under arge dropping tree. Just outside there was a short line of dismal-looking shifters waiting to


    be healed by their tiny deity.


    ¡°Right there, I think that¡¯s where she does her magic


    11:00 Fri, Jan 26 G


    59%


    Standing between us and the tent, aside from a heavy collection of twisting trees was one of the great


    fires they had built Around it sat a circle of the eerie walking corpses who had captured me in the first


    ce.


    ¡°F uck those guys,¡± I whispered under my breath and Ren vehemently agreed with my sentiment.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead right? Ignatius whispered back to me. ¡°Those are the bodies from the van?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But they could talk. It was probably her though. It didn¡¯t sound like a regr way of speaking,


    they all chimed in at once like someone was using them as a mouthpiece. Like she was speaking


    through them¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s definitely expanded her craft since her time with the Bielke,¡± his voice was t and lifeless


    I stared at the zed eyes of the sitting corpses. The fire reflected in their empty orbs and flickered


    wickedly. I gulped. ¡°And you¡¯re certain thisdy is your mother? What she¡¯s doing, nec romancy,


    witches blood, it¡¯s pure evil.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as pure evil,¡± Ignatius stated before creeping along the tree line to get closer to


    the tent.


    ¡°Wait, where are you going?!¡± I yelled in a winsper, hurrying to follow him through the thick brush. ¡°You


    can¡¯t go in there alone. You need to call for backup.


    ¡°I have to see her.¡± he was speaking more to himself than to me at that point. ¡°I have to speak to her. I


    have to know why.¡±


    ¡°And you can do that,¡± 1 gripped his shoulder when he quickened his pace and almost exposed himself


    to the shifters standing in the line. ¡°After you call for backup.


    He paused and thought it over and I allowed myself to breathe a small sigh of relief. I realized though


    that I had celebrated 300 early when I felt the skin of his shoulder ripple and fur broke out under my


    fingertips.


    His teeth were already protruding from his mouth when he snarled. ¡°Distract them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Distract them, lead them away from the tent


    My eyes widened when he pulled off his vest and jeans, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ignatius rolled his eyes and crouched as his b*dy began to morph into that of arge gray wolf


    They won¡¯t kill you, they need you alive.¡±


    ¡°No way man, I¡¯m not going out there! I¡¯ve only just been freed, I¡¯m not going to let them catch me


    again!¡±


    ¡°Lead them back to the campsite. Will, Carly, and the others are already waiting in hiding. They¡¯ll kill


    then on site as soon as you get there¡±


    ¡°You ba stard, you nned this, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    honamus shed me a nonchnt smirk before his wolf form burs forth, ¡°Consider it payment for your


    rescue. I¡¯m counting on you. to¡±


    And just like that, he dared away from me, dipping and dodging around the trees towards the tent


    ot herfu cker, Ren mattered in my chest and I pulled at my hair in irritation ¡°What a pr ick. Fine, let¡¯s go


    be heroes I


    Had no idea how I was going to go about distracting anyone, let alone rile them up enough to get them


    to follow me inta the forest but hard to try After all the only reason I was free at all was thanks to


    Ignatius and his crew. Lowed them this


    Without much dught. I desed my hands into the pockets of the grams that same st Ignatus friends had


    gittest me and walted anno the x Traning to stand before the beaten up shulica


    opar puppets in all of un glory


    59%


    They didn¡¯t notice me at firs, probably because the bodies around the fire were nothing but empty


    husks and the shifters in the line were too preupied with their failing bodies to even bother looking


    up


    ¡°Ahem.¡± One or two of them raised their heads but no flicker of recognition passed over their eyes.


    ¡°Um, hi. It¡¯s me. to? The guy you had chained to a pole for a while?¡±


    One by one they began to take notice of me as I paraded up and down in front of them, waving my


    arms and attempting to look threatening. ¡°I escaped you once before and now I¡¯ve done again!


    I kept up the ridiculous antics as every shifter in the line slowly began the shamble towards me, baring


    their teeth. They fixed their yellow eyes on me like they were locking on to prey as I continued to shout,


    ¡°They¡¯ll tell stories of me one day! L to, the slippery!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible name.¡± Ren piped up from inside my head. ¡°Watch yourself, to, the slippery, they


    look like they want to


    take a bite¡±


    She was right about that one. A few of them were foaming at the mouth and they stalked towards me


    slowly. Their rotting bloated bodies began to morph as they shifted into monsterous wolf creatures


    ¡°Go d, some of you are ugly Were you like this before you started dabbling in magic? Because if so, I


    am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°to,¡± Regrowled. ¡°Run¡±


    Iturned and bolted into the woods a second before the closest shifter decided to pounce. His teeth


    snapped the air where my b*dy had been and I couldn¡¯t help but yelp at the shock. ¡°You need me alive


    bit ch!¡±


    They all came after me with rming speed for such frail bodies. I checked behind me to see one


    shifter she-wolf hot on my trails, pieces of her flesh caught on branches and tore away like she was


    made of paper but it didn¡¯t seem to bother her in the slightest


    Her teeth were long and ready to sink into me the moment she got the chance. Her eyes fixated on me


    like she wouldn¡¯t stop until she had run her b*dy down to the bone. Behind her, half a dozen more


    wolves were pursuing.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that they don¡¯t care whether I live or die I muttered to Ren as we took on our


    own wolf form and darted through the trees, making a beeline for Ignatius¡¯ camp,


    ¡°If we live through this, that white-haired weirdo owes me big time.¡±


    ¡°Think about debtster. Ren growled. ¡°Focus on living through this first.¡±


    -Ignatius-


    I felt the slightest twinge of guilt at essentially using to as bait, but the guy seemed strong enough to


    outrun the vicious shifters and my tearn would be waiting to help him out the second he made it to the


    campsite


    It had all been Carly¡¯s idea. Ten years older than me, she had known my mother, known the


    rtionship we used to have, and just how important it was that I be the one to confront her. After


    speaking with to, she had taken me aside and ryed her n.


    ¡°Technically the guy owes us for saving his life,¡± she had whispered to me just outside of the campsite.


    We shouldn¡¯t be saving people just to ensure that they owe us a favor for it


    ¡°Yeah but think about it, he knows where she could be hiding and if they wanted him dead they would


    have done it by now He¡¯s the only one who they won¡¯t kill


    She hadjent and we needed answers and so I had to traipse through the woods with me to potnt out


    the magic


    elders tent Adoer ditching him to handle thest minute diversion. I crept through the tires around the


    clearing and wasted just te at of sight


    Eventually. ta stepped into view and went about vying for the station of the hate of shutters outside


    of the tent. ¡°Ahem.


    4/4


    11.00 Fri Jan 26


    If I had a human palm would be pping it to my forehead in shame. ¡°What kind of distraction is that


    meant to be?¡±


    ¡°An effective one,¡± Tor rumbled, as one by one the shifters began to take notice of to who walked up


    and down in front of them like tantalizingly easy prey.


    ¡°A ridiculous one. For someone built like a Greek g od the guy is the least gracefull person on the


    the woods as the first shifter hanged at him. ¡°I suppose it did the job though.¡±


    It was a little rming that the shifter that had snapped at him had very clearly done it with the intent to


    kill, but I brushed it aside and continued with the n. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. Even in that state he still has the


    capacity to outrun them all.¡±


    I turned my attention back to the tent. The clearing was now empty aside from the puppet bodies that


    sat around the fire. Considering they hadn¡¯t been sent after to too, I was willing to assume that there


    was nob*dy puppeteering them at the moment and their ssy eyes would not witness my approach.


    I crept across the clearing, checking now and again to ensure the coast was still clear. The magic


    user¡¯s tent was set up a little way away from the main campsite and nob*dy but wounded shifters


    seemed to hang around the area.


    Getting up close to the grimy canvas, I tested the air. I was not prepared for the scent that hit my


    nostrils like a gust of wind. A familiar scent, something I had thought I had forgotten but realized at that


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    moment, I never would.


    The curtains of the entrance stirred, and I darted back behind the tree line. A newly healed shifter


    exited the tent and looked around him in bewilderment when he found all of his buddies missing.


    I waited with bated breath to see if he would go back inside and raise the rm but instead, he just


    shrugged and strode off again towards the main camp


    I shifted back to human form under the cover of the trees and pulled on the jeans I had discarded


    earlier. Barefoot, I padded back to the entrance of the tent and hesitated


    There was no point in reconsidering though A voice in my head, one I hadn¡¯t heard in years, began to


    speak. ¡°So you¡¯vee to see me yourself I see.¡±


    I ripped aside the curtain and stared into the gloomy shadows of the tear¡¯s interior. My eyes took a


    moment to adjust to the dark and suddenly there she was. The Lady Tally, Moirah. My mother.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT


    0

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Really, I¡¯ll be fine. Angie said she can handle this


    Rita had called me to let me know that she was on her way over. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her


    running into Tally members on the way and urged her to stay where she was.


    Angie had said that there had only been a few and they were on the far side of Bielke territory, nowhere


    near where I sat in the cliffside cottage,


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If anything happens. I¡¯ll call you immediately, I promised her before hanging up and burying my face in


    the crook of my


    I had been curled up on the sofa in the living room but, after a few minutes of anxious foot-tapping. I


    got up and began. pacing back and forth. The floor was cold to my bare feet but I paid no mind to the


    chill that ran through the house in its entirety. I was restless and on edge, worried about Angie, worried


    about my mate whose mind I had still been unable to reach.


    I groaned out loud in frustration and was about to stomp back up the stairs when a familiar scent


    wafted through the air. A presence that sent sharp pri ckles across my skin.


    -Ignatius-


    I stared in disbelief at the woman who stood before me. She looked exactly the same as she had been


    the day she left me. Her long white hair tumbled down over her shoulders and swished at her knees.


    Hair exactly the same snowy white as my own. Only her eyes were different. When I was a child she


    would look down at me with sad empty eyes Eyes that would only thicker with life when she was in her


    element, tink ering about her small study with potions and magic.


    Now my mother¡¯s eyes shed with fierce determination. There has a burning rage behind her eyelids


    and it both relieved and scared me. My mother was alive. She was standing right in front of me, even


    though I had long ago epted that I would never see her again


    She was, however, on a different side this time. She was an opposing force, so powerful and


    frightening that a part of me wished to go back to the days when we all thought Moirah was dead and


    gone.


    She smiled at me. There was no love in that smile, no affection for the son she had left behind.


    ¡°Hello, Ignatius¡±


    I was rooted to the spot, torn between the powerful urge to run into her arms and be carried in her arms


    the way she used to do. The other part of me wanted to turn on my heel and run. To forget the Tally and


    their leader. To take my mate and hide away somewhere no one would ever find us, least of all the


    ghostly woman who stood before me now,


    I couldn¡¯t speak, couldn¡¯t think straight. My mind found it too difficult toprehend that the woman


    before me was not an apparition, a spectral memory brought to life by my own imagination.


    It couldn¡¯t be possible, It shouldn¡¯t be. Even Tor was at a loss, quiet and reserved, he rumbled softly in


    my chest. Warning me to be on guard.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± my words were quiet at first, but the more I spoke the louder they became,


    ¡°Where have you been?!¡±


    The flood gates were opened and every emotion I had felt towards my controversial mother poured


    forth as I stared at her. ¡°Why did you leave us? Why did you leave me? You¡¯ve been here this whole


    time? Why didn¡¯t you take me with you?¡±


    Moirah remained silent, eyeing me from the shadows with the tiniest hint of an amused smile. That


    smile only infuriated me more. She disappeared. For years. And when we finally came face to face


    again she had the audacity to look bemused as if my response was uncalled for.


    Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°Ignatius,¡± her tone was light as if she wasn¡¯t discussing the first moment in my life that left a scar on


    my heart forever. *Don¡¯t you remember? I tried to take you with me, but things just didn¡¯t work out that


    way.¡±


    Ibed her fingers through her hair reclined against the rickety table beside her. It was full of jars and


    vials that tinkled together when jostled


    A dark liquid stained the wood and it creaked as she bnced her elbow against the tabletop. ¡°I had


    always meant toe back for you,¡± she said nonchntly. ¡°I just didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± my voice rose louder than 1 intended for it to. And, no matter how much I tried to still


    myself, my knees felt weak and my hands shook. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say? What kind of answer is


    that? What kind of mother are you!¡±


    She looked genuinely puzzled at my response. ¡°I thought you¡¯d get over it pretty easily. You were


    young, after all. And aside from his verbal assault, you were never in any danger around Elliot


    She shrugged before continuing. ¡°You needed a home, and I couldn¡¯t offer you that


    ¡°I needed a mother!¡± It was a roar. My voice cracked and my hands balled into fists as I lost myself in


    my anguish.


    Moirah frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t shout. That won¡¯t help anything. This is my turf after all and you¡¯re being very


    rude just barging in


    here like this.


    I was genuinely bewildered. I didn¡¯t know what I wanted from her, nor was I prepared for how she


    would react to seeing me at all. But thest thing I had expected was for her to treat me as if we had no


    history at all.


    As if I wasn¡¯t her son and she hadn¡¯t abandoned me. There was no relief for the aching knot in my


    throat, no payoff or moment of rity. Moirah was a stranger, and she seemed intent on keeping it that


    way. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Ignatius. I bristled at her words and she raised her eyebrow with an air of


    condescension. ¡°Now, are you going to tell me why you¡¯re here slinking around my campsite?¡±


    All of my rage and adrenaline left my b*dy as quickly as it hade. With just a short conversation,


    Moirah had whinled me down to thest child I used to be. I was numb as I stared at her, suddenly


    exhausted on my two weak legs.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even care. Did you ever really care?¡±


    Something like sorrow shed in her eyes but it was gone so quickly I thought I must have imagined it.


    She shook her head and set herw.


    1


    ¡°Of course I did. But there is no helping what happened. If I had stayed any longer. Elliot your father


    would have killed me. I was ready to leave and you were hiding. I had to make a choice, and I chose


    me. I do not regret my decision.


    My anguish drained from me as she spoke. I steeled my heart towards the cold woman who shared my


    blood. Maybe she had loved me once, but that person that I had known was gone for good. There was


    no point in begging for love from someone who had closed themselves off from that emotion years ago.


    ¡°Why are you attacking my people, Moirah?¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right,¡± she said casually. ¡°You¡¯re the leader of the Bielke now, Johan did mention that. I


    suppose Elliot is dead. then!¡± She seemed disappointed at that thought, although I doubt it was


    because she held any kind of affection or sentiment for my father.


    ¡°Elliot is alive. He was banished. Is all of this because of him? Are you trying to get to him? Because if


    that¡¯s all you want, will dly deliver him to you myself if it means you¡¯ll leave my jack alone.¡±


    ¡°You would give up your own father! Elliot must have rubbed off on you after all,¡± she mused. ¡°But why


    not kill him? It¡¯s Balke tradition.


    We have i


    new traditions¡±


    59%


    She stroked her chin and looked at me sideways as if investigating the stranger who had once been


    her son for any signs of


    his father.


    ¡°But no, this is not solely about Elliot. Although, I must admit I¡¯m sad to hear that he won¡¯t be there to


    witness the demise of his beloved pack. The Bielke has been a gue to thend for long enough. It¡¯s


    time they pay for their years of tyranny¡±


    ¡°How can you say that? You were once Bielke yourself. You can¡¯t wipe out an entire people because of


    the actions of a few¡±


    ¡°Not only actions,¡± she interrupted me with a slender finger in the air. ¡°But inactions as well. How many


    times did the Bielke stand by and watch their neighboring allies be u ghtered? Because they were


    believed to be ¡°weak: How many stood by and watched what Elliot did to his own mute and said


    nothing¡±


    She looked at me inocently. ¡°You don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re in charge now I¡¯m going to call off my


    troops, do you?¡±


    Tor growled in my chest and I felt my skin bristle as he tried to break through and take control. She was


    a threat to our people and she was right in front of us. It would be all too easy to take her out. But I held


    him down, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to harm her. There had to be a way to reason with bee


    ¡°Why Johan? Why would you take in that psychopath? You can¡¯t truly support his mad ns for


    revenge¡±


    She tapped her wed finger against her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t need to agree with it nor understand him. All I


    know is that there is a pain in his chest and it won¡¯t be relieved until he has righted the wrong that was


    done to him. It was merely a great coincidence that we had our eyes on the sume pack. Your park.


    Johan has been a very useful ally.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster, Moirah.¡±


    And I meant it. Despite my empathy and all of the reasoning I had tried to use to justify her actions,


    Moirah had so severely destroyed the bridge between us that there was no reaching her it all


    ¡°Harsh but fair, I suppose,¡± she rutted. ¡°The world is not that ck and white. I¡¯m merely doing what I


    have to. I chose this path and I¡¯m not going to betray myself by not walking it to the very end.¡±


    ¡°With that being said she sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t let you leave here alive?


    B

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Angie


    I sped along the winding road at an rming pace, pressing my foot harder and harder on the gas as


    my anxiety heightened. My grandfather had said they wereing from the far side of fielke territory so


    that was where I was headed.


    Fae knew to meet me there along with Gideon and a few other shifters. I would get there before them,


    considering she would have to round everyone ups first. We had to be ready, all of the iron armor was


    There was always the possibility that this was a decoy attack, and so until proven otherwise, our army


    would wait for the signal while Far and I scoped out the area


    I swung my car to the side and parked in the road, climbing out and testing the air. No unusual scents


    could be caught in the wind, but then again they could be masking their scent. I looked around for Far


    and the others but none of them seemed to have arrived yet.


    Plucking up the courage I took off jogging across the open field to my left. Any shifter hiding in the trees


    beyond would see theing from a mile away but my backup wasing and we didn¡¯t love time to


    dawdle around.


    I was almost at the tree line when I picked up my grandfather¡¯s scent. A momentter he stepped out


    from the woods to meet me. 1 jogged up to him confused. What are you doing here?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me and merely looked at me with a pained expression on his wizened face.


    It was only after I picked up another famr scent that it clicked in my head. A disgusting, putrid scent


    that sent goosebumps pr ickling over my skin. My eyes widened in shock and I stared at my


    grandfather in disbelief. ¡°How could


    your


    Before he could answer me, Johan stepped out behind him, his rippling form was massive and he


    towered over my grandfather who seemed to be battling with himself internally,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the old man said gravely. There was no other way, the Bielke is done for Ang.¡±


    I had thought he had changed his mind. He had been quiet and distant since Ignatius had taken over


    the Bielke, but I had thought that would be the end of it. It seemed my grandfather had chosen to be a


    traitor to the end.


    ¡°You¡¯re a coward,¡± I growled as Johan pushed him aside and shed me a malicious grin. ¡°You¡¯re a


    traitor to your people¡±


    Johan stalked towards me slowly, he knew I had nowhere to run. There was to cover in the open field


    and he was much much faster than me. I had no choice but to fight and hope that the others showed


    up before I got my neck snapped.


    I grimaced when I remembered the res that I had left in the car. Green for small threats, red for war. I


    wondered if I would be able to make it to the car in time to send the red re zing into the sky to war


    everyone. I soubted I would make it very far at all.


    My skin bristled as I prepared to fight, itching to shift and run in the other direction instead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight, Angie,¡± my grandfather eximed. ¡°If you juste quietly they¡¯ll let us all leave. Your


    mother and brother are waiting for us


    A pang of fierce pain shot through my chest when he mentioned the rest of my family. They were done


    for, we all were


    ¡°Do you really believe he¡¯s just going to let us go?¡± I growled at the old man, taking a few steps back as


    Johan continues his daw, menacing approach. ¡°They¡¯re going to kill us the second we¡¯re not useful to


    them anymore¡±


    ¡°Your right on the money there Johan answered me humself and, waliout warning used on the spot and


    lopped my grandfather I ad off with our swipe of his wed hand


    her¡¯s buddy doppel to the door this head rolled twice and then


    came to a halt, empty eyes staring up at the sky and a mouth still open on an unspoken word.


    ¡°§¡§á§å§Ø§Õ§å¡±


    Johan shook the blood from his nes and turned back to eye me


    ¡°I do believe thest time we met I promised to tear you apart.¡±


    I forced down my fear that bubbled up from my stomach and held back my tears. There was no time for


    anguish. I was face to face with a monster and Johan seemed eager to kill


    I squared my shoulders and braced myself for an attack, lengthening my ws and shing my teeth.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You can try.¡± I hissed as he toyed with me, sp ooking to the left and then the right in an attempt to


    scare me. ¡°But I¡¯m not going down without a fight¡±


    ¡°Well, someb*dy¡¯s brave, he taunted me and brought a bloodied w to his lips to taste. ¡°Not the best,


    I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m sure your blood tastes inuch sweeter.


    ¡°Why did you hire me out here in the first ce?¡± I growled at him and jumped away when he swiped


    his ws at me.


    Johanughed at my unease. ¡°Quick reaction time there, a secondter and I would have torn a hole in


    your stomach and strewn your insides all over the ce.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane, Johan¡±


    ¡°To you, maybe.¡± He feigned another anack andughed even harder when I flinched and took another


    cautious step back. But everything is going exactly ording to n. Do you think I don¡¯t know that


    Ignatius isn¡¯t here at the moment? Your pack is vulnerable. Dorothy is vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is the n then I took another cautious step back. If I could distract him for long enough,


    hold him off from attacking and keep him talking until Fae arrived, I might stand a chance.


    ¡°Simple,¡± he stated nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be prowling that big mansion on the cliffs. I¡¯m


    assuming that¡¯s where Dorothy is hiding yes? But now, you¡¯re all the way out here, and she¡¯s all alone.¡±


    Acry of horror escaped me when ten more Tally shifters emerged from the woods. I realized that Johan


    himself had no intention of fighting me. It was like he said, all he wanted was to draw me away. So that


    he could go for his real target. Dorothy, who was all alone in her home andpletely unaware of the


    approaching danger,


    -Ignatius-


    I had no choice but to prepare myself for a fight. Moirah was dead serious and she stood up straight


    with her ws at the realy.


    Looking at her I felt my heart breaking, shattering at my feet as I prepared to kill my own mother. It


    would be easy, it


    wouldn¡¯t take much.


    I had forgotten however about the circle of puppet shifters that sat around the fires just outside. Moirah


    let out a sharp inhale and her eyes zed over with a white sheen. She twitched a little as I stared,


    caught off guard and confused at what she was doing


    Only then did I feel the sharp ws dagging into my back as I was wrenched out of the tent and thrown


    to the crowd. immediately swarmed by the corpses that had sprung to life on Moirah¡¯smand.


    I failed and thrashed on my back as the puppets wed at me, sharp teethtching onto my limbs as


    they attempted to tear


    With a deafening roar, I shifted into wolf form and for howded as he rolled to his feet, locking jaws


    around one of the corpses and throwing them into the fur. The b*dy thrashed and writhed as ck


    smoke billowed up from the pyre beforeying still and tautdding in the mes.


    One by one, we opped and tore through the bodies that reached for in. Our attempted to pluck out our


    eyes


    eyes while another


    11.00 Fri, Jan 26


    locked its arms around nur grck with inhuman strength and attempted to squeeze the life out of us.


    Tor was blinded by rage, and I was overwhelmed by the thousands of emotions that coursed through


    me. My mother was trying to kill me. The thought stuck in my throat like a shard of ss that was


    impossible to swallow without tearing me to pes


    Why? How did things go so very wrong for us, for my family? How did my parents be the people


    they were. How did it all


    With another roar of fury, I tore myself away from the grasping hands and mowed down the assants


    with my teeth. One by one they went down, only to get right bark up again like my bites had no real


    effect on them.


    Which of course they didn¡¯t. These beings felt no pain, had no soul. They would keep going until they


    fell apart. With that in mind, I decided on a new n and let the herd follow me to the fire pit. Once I


    had positioned myself in front of the mes, 1er theme at me. Hatched my jaws on them as they


    clumped around me and threw as many as I could into the fire.


    A scream of frustration came from Mairah who stood at the entrance of the tent as she watched her


    puppets burn. After the final b*dy had been cast into the mes and iled about until ity still, I turned


    my attention back to my mother thered in the stale blood of the corpses and stuking with anger. I


    prepared tounch myself at her


    Her eyes cleared of their white haze and widened as she watched ane run straight at her with my teeth


    bared. Before I could reach her, however, another shifter burst from the trees and blocked my path. A


    as my father.


    Elliot growled for me to stand dower and turned to face Moral himself. His voice was in my head just


    like I assumed it rang in hers.¡±So this is where you¡¯ve been hiding all these years, dearly beloved¡±


    For a moment, Moirals booked stricken and a link of genuine fear crossed her face. She look so


    terrified at that moment that a part of me wanted to get between her and my father, to protect her from


    the life she had left behind so long ago


    But after a moment, her face hardened and the regarded Elliot coldly, standing her ground and baring


    her own fangs.


    ¡°You have a lot of nerve showing up here, Elliot, she hissed her words and they dripped with pure


    venom. ¡°But maybe it¡¯s for the best. Maybe it¡¯s fate. I have been granted the opportunity to take you


    down myself


    I watched with confliction as my mother and father circled one another. Moirah looked poised and


    elegant, Elliot looked ready to kill


    Ever so gracefully, my mother began to shift, her slender gray well form taking shape as she red at


    my father.


    ¡°You had a lot of nerve leaving the way you did.¡± Elliot¡¯s words were equally venomous. ¡°You betrayed


    me Moirah. You betrayed your people.


    As he spoke, anger shaking his b*dy, I came to realize something about my father. Elliot masked his


    feelings with fury. expressed himself through terrorizing and brute force. I realized, at his words, that


    Elliot had been hurt 100.


    Moriah¡¯s disappearance had haunted him for years. My father was wracked with guilt and shame that


    his pride would not let him: ept. He evaded responsibility for his own actions by fighting back.


    Despite his ramblings about how unnecessary a mate was to an Alpha, Elliot had needed Mairah, had


    loved her in his own twisted way, more than he would probably let himself admit.


    For the first time ever I saw my father for the broken, hopeless man that he was and it disgusted me. I


    saw my mother for who she was, too. And at that moment I understood why she was so cold towards


    me now, Why she always had been.


    It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t loved me at all. Resented me, maybe, but it was like she said; she chose to


    protect herself. She epted that she had failed as a mother and she eliminated the possibility of ever


    regretting her actions.


    My parents were broken people, who I feared at that point could not be saved. As they leaped at each


    other I held my breath, entranced by the generation that had failed me.


    For a moment there was silence, and then Elliot and Moirah crashed into one another and the clearing


    rang with the sounds


    Fri, Jan 20


    of a fierce battle.


    Elliot was so muchrger than Moirah¡¯s small gray woll, but she held her own and darted and snapped


    around therge lumbering figure of the man she had married years ago.


    ?

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    -Ignatius-


    It was my mother who told me the story of how she had found her mate. It was one of those days


    where, instead of locking herself away in her study. Misirah had scooped me up and carried me outside


    to show me a fallen bird¡¯s nest that she had


    found


    It was days like that I looked forward to the most, the days when my mother felt like a real mother, like


    she cared about me and wanted to include me in her private lonely life. I would watch Angie interacting


    with her mother, the pecks on the cheek, and the handwritten notes that were left for her when her


    mother had to workte on some days.


    I would watch the small acts of affection and, even from a young age. I learned that my mother was not


    like most. There was something that my friends around me had that I did not. Although I could never


    quite figure out what exactly it was that was


    missing.


    For the most part, Moirah seemed repelled by me. She would keep her distance. She went about her


    motherly duties of washing me, feeding me, making sure that I brushed my teeth. But when I tried to


    reach for her, tried to wrap my little arms around her or k*ss her cheek the way I had seen Angie do


    with her mother, Mourah would wrench herself away, sometimes pushing the to the floor.


    She would stare at me like I was a stranger. Like she couldn¡¯t remember where I came from or why I


    was in her house. Sometimes she would look around herself in a daze like she couldn¡¯t recall how she


    had gotten there at all.


    But on some days, as few and far between as they were, I truly felt like my mother loved me. On days


    like that day, when she called me with excitement toe and see what she had found. I would drop


    whatever it was I was doing and rush to her side, ecstatic that my mother, my real mother, was back.


    On that particr day. Moirah pulled me close to her side and tipped the fallen nest to show me three


    small speckled eggs


    nestled inside.


    I was curious and I peered into the tiny enclosure made of twigs and leaves as Moirah exined where


    the eggs hade from. ¡°Do you know what a Cu ckoo bird is?¡± she had asked me as she stroked my


    hair and I shook my head.


    ¡°Cu ckoo birds are evil little creatures. They¡¯re aggressive and cruel. They alsoy their eggs inside the


    nests of other kinds of birds. When the egg hatches, the unsuspecting bird takes care of it as if it were


    one of its own.


    ¡°Sometimes, when the baby Cu ckoo gets bigger it throws the other bird¡¯s eggs out of the nest


    nature, the poor bird feels like it doesn¡¯t have a choice but to stay and mother the thing.


    She sounded unusually angry at that, but her voice softened when she noticed my distress.


    ¡°Can you guess which egg belongs to the C uckoo bird?¡±


    I examined the three eggs in question. They all looked the same to me. All of them had a teal tinge to


    their shells and brown speckles spread across them. One of them, however, was slightly bigger than


    the others. I pointed it out and Moirah nodded, picking the egg up with the tips of her fingers. ¡°That¡¯s


    right. Well done, Ignatius.¡°


    ¡°What are you going to do with it?¡± I had asked tentatively when she ced the rest at the foot of the


    tree it had fallen from and kept the Cu ckoo egg in her palm.


    ¡°People are always saying it¡¯s best to not mess with nature,¡± she said it bitterly and I assumed that she


    was thinking of things that only grown-ups knew about. ¡°They say there are consequences to disrupting


    the flow


    She lifted her hand to her face, examining the egg through the cra cks in her fingers. ¡°But sometimes,


    those rules are meant to be broken. And surely such an imposter deserves to be punished?¡±


    I cried out in horror as she crushed the egg in her hand. Yellowy liquid and congealed blood ran down


    her arm and she


    stared at her denched list. I remembered the look on her face when she had done it. There was anger


    there, frightening Tury But there was also relief as if she was finally allowed to breathe again.


    1/3


    After that, she had taken me in her arms, her fingers still dripping with the gruesome fluid, and lulled


    me when I began to cry, ¡°It¡¯s alright baby, it was only an egg¡±


    Eventually, my sobbing receded and she had offered to push maron the swing that my father had built


    in a nearby tree nutsisle of our house. That cherred me up almost immediately and I rushed to the tire


    and rope contraption and waited for Moirah to make me fly.


    I remembered the rhythmic thump of her hands on my back that pushed me into the air. I giggled


    gleefully as I swung into the air with legs kicking and then fell back down to earth again.


    swang, squealing with excitement when the ground seemed so far away beneath me, Moorah began to


    speak. And all the while there was that thump of hands on my back, pushing me higher and catching


    me again.


    ¡°You know, I met your fatherpletely by ident,¡± she had said quietly and her voice trailed away


    like she was looking back into the past. I was too busy enjoying myself to truly listen to what she was


    saying but her words held weight all the


    ¡°My parents were travelers. Rogues. My mother had always wanted to senle down agam but my father


    would have none of it. He had been the Alpha of a small pack until he was kicked out. He never did let


    it go, and he refused to join another pack as anything less than an Alpha He dragged my mother and


    me along with him on histile search for conquest.¡±


    At the mention of her father, my interest was piqued. ¡°You said it was his finger in the jar, Was it his


    finger?¡± The thought of a severed finger in a jar enthralled me for some reason.


    ¡°No, she hadughed and I thought I must have said something right because my mother never


    ¡°No that wasn¡¯t his. But it should have been. My father went up against your father, Elbot, when we


    stumbled on territory one day. Elliot was the Alpha to be and he wasn¡¯t too happy to have lurkers on his


    turf. My father, hows tough to back down. Eventually, Ellot put hum in the dirt.¡±


    There was a wistful tone in her voice that I couldn¡¯t understand. My mother had cried but I was ecstatic,


    I was final The second Elliot¡¯s eyes caught mine, we were in love and married soon after that. My


    mother wouldn¡¯t ept it and disappeared the night Elliot killed my father. I never saw her agum.¡°


    Her voice turned bitter after that. And the thump on my back grew more aggressive, pushed me to new


    heights, and winded me with the force of it.


    ¡°I did love your father once, or at least I thought I did. Elliot was charming, he promised to protect me. It


    was only after he put a child in me that he let his true colors show. And now I¡¯m trapped again, fated to


    take care of a monster and his son.¡±


    I swung into the air once more, flying so high I thought I would swing aplete 180 around the tree


    branch. When I fell back down again the hands at my back were gone. I swung back and forth, waiting


    for the momentum to slow enough for me to climb off without falling while I watched my mother walk


    away from me. I never heard herugh again.


    Now, as I watched my parents collide with one another in a flurry of teeth and ws, I thought back to


    that day, Moirah had tried her best to love me. But she had never quite managed it. I was always going


    to be another bar in her prison cell. Years of pent-up anger and the greatest need to run away had


    twisted my mother into something else entirely.


    That tire swing didn¡¯t exist anymore. Neither did the house. My father had burned it down the day my


    mother left and after that, we built a new house.


    Only that house was situated as far away from the previous one as Elliot could manage. Even the field


    was gone, abandoned and mattended, it became nothing but a scar of dead earth and soil that


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    poisoned anything that tried to grow there.


    I wanted to intervene in my parent¡¯s battle but my legs refused to move. I no longer knew who I was


    supposed to be defending. My father was lighting the woman who had sworn revenge on my people.


    My mother was lighting the man who had sworn revenge on hier.


    I winced when my mother¡¯s woll yelped as Elliot caught her in his jaws at the scruff of her neck. It was a


    horrific battle. It was wrong and terrifying and I could do nothing to stop them. They were determined to


    tear each other to pieces.


    Unable to get to her feet from where Elliot had pinned her dow, Moirah shifted back to human form in


    the blink of an eye


    LID ONTS


    and slipped away from Elliot before he could snap his jaws down again.


    She darted across the clearing and threw open the canvas curtains of the tent. My father shifted too


    and bolted after her but not before Moirah, bleeding and breathing heavily, could bring a vial of dark


    liquid to her lips.


    She gulped down everyst drop and, as soon as Elliot was upon her she turned, shattering the ss


    against his head and shifting once more, While Elliot stumbled back, wiping blood from his eyes that


    poured from a nasty ga sh in his forehead Moirali dropped to the floor like her b*dy had suddenly given


    up. Elliot raised his fists and I finally began to move.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t


    I shifted on the spot and sprinted to my father, stopping his fist midair and wrenching him away from


    where my mothery, seemingly unconscious.


    ¡°Leave her alone! I kicked at my father who fell to his knees, growling. ¡°She¡¯s down. You¡¯ve done


    enough.¡±


    Eliot spat blood on the floor and looked up at me with angry eyes. ¡°Now you¡¯re defending her? She¡¯s


    the reason the Bielke is in trouble.¡±


    Elliot stood up and tried to push past me but I pushed back, ncing over my shoulder at my mother


    who didn¡¯t seem to be breathing. What was the stuff in the jar?


    Furious, Elliot barrelled towards me again, fur breaking out on his skin as he roared, ¡°Can¡¯t you see


    what she¡¯s doing?! That¡¯s how she¡¯s been turning these shifters! She¡¯s going to wake up stronger.


    The words had barely passed his lips when something thumped against my back, into my back.


    I gasped and sta ggered forwards a few steps. Sudden pain shot through my back, traveled up my


    spine, and made my head spin. Elliot¡¯s eyes were wide with shock. I had never before seen my father


    truly stunned.


    Whatever had buried itself in my back was suddenly removed and I felt hot blood beginning to flow. I


    turned slowly, hazily, and faced my mother, Moirah¡¯s face was a nk te, her eyes were cold and


    wide open. Her pupils were pinpricks. She looked taller, stronger. Her wed right hand was red with


    blood. My blood


    COMMENT

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    -Angie-


    Johan¡¯sugh was piercing and cruel. ¡°You thought you were distracting me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The other shifters approached with the same menacing slow gait that Johan used. All of them were


    inhumanlyrge. Their muscles rippled under their skin and their teeth glinted as they growled.


    ¡°As much as I would love to take you down myself,¡± Johan said gleefully. ¡°I have other business to


    attend to. A certain redhead is long overdue for a friendly visit


    I had to warn Dorothy. I had to do something. Fae and the others were still nowhere to be seen and


    nob*dy was the Tally¡¯s ns.


    syet aware of


    ¡°Where are the rest of your troops?¡± I didn¡¯t expect him to answer me but Johan seemed to have


    written me off as a dead girl and was more than happy to gloat


    ¡°Over on the South waiting for the go-ahead to strike,¡± he grinned evilly and his sunken eyes betrayed


    his pride. ¡°We outnumber your people ten to one.¡±


    Johan nodded to the other shifters who began to surround me. Their jaws were thering with foam


    and they paused their transformation between human and wolf.


    They towered over me, growling and bristling in anticipation, giant wolven creatures with a lust for


    blood. The stench overpowering and I swallowed my need to gag and splutter as it filled my nostrils.


    I had no other option. I turned on my heel and bolted in the direction of my car, praying to the moon


    goddess, and else watched over the wolves of the world, that I would make it there in time.


    -Ignatius-


    1 couldn¡¯t fathom it. My mind was unable to make the connection, to believe that my own mother would


    stab me in the back. My mouth moved but no words came out. I took a step towards her and Moirah


    lifted her red hand to strike again.


    Before she could swipe her ws across my chest, Elliot was upon her once again. Their wolves burst


    forth, only this time, the gray wolf was almost the same size as my father¡¯s,


    Their movements were rough and aggressive. Moirah fought like a wild animal, unhinged and insanely


    powerful. Elliot was faltering, as impossible as it was toprehend


    They tumbled closer to the mes of the fire pit and Moirali locked ragged teeth on Elliot¡¯s back leg,


    lifting him into the air and throwing him towards the mes. Instead ofnding directly into the fire,


    Elliot¡¯s wolf form tumbled into the dry wood. that stood beside it.


    The logs were rolled into the fire and the mes began to spread licking across the clearing with fiery


    fingers and setting the entire area oze.


    I dropped to my knees in a daze as the world around me turned red and orange. I clutched at my back


    where Moirah¡¯s ws had gouged into my skin.


    ¡°Dorothy¡±


    1 didn¡¯t need to think about it. I reached for her from that distance, calling to her for what felt like the


    final time as the mes inched ever closer.


    The heat caused sweat to break out on my skin and the billowing mes made it impossible to breathe


    I coughed and wheezed, unable to catch myself as I fell forward on the ground.


    ¡°Dorothy


    11:01¡ä Fri, Jan 26


    And suddenly she was there..


    ¡°Ignatius?¡± she sounded frantic, afraid. She didn¡¯t give a moment to think. ¡°Ignatius, they¡¯re here.¡±


    59%


    My vision was failing me, I drifted in and out of fuzzy consciousness as my mother and father fought. I


    stared at their blurry figures with my face pressed into the dirt. Two dark silhouettes against the


    billowing red mes.


    ¡°L. Who?¡±


    ¡°The Tally army.¡± Her fear was palpable on my tongue. ¡°Johan, They¡¯re here.¡±


    Suddenly her words became clear to me and my eyes flew open again ¡°How many of them? How?¡±


    I pushed myself up and onto my knees and stumbled backward as more trees around me began to


    catch fire. My mate was in danger. And I had made her a promise. I promised I woulde back alive.


    I promised I would protect her. I had to keep that promise. I would not let myself burn alongside my


    parents.


    ¡°Too many,¡± was all she said in response, until, ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like you¡¯re saying goodbye.¡± I got to my feet. ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet. Wait for me.¡±


    A guttural Ifowl had me ncing away from where I was stumbling through the mes. Just in time to


    watch Elliot force Mairah into the fire. She writhed, howling in furious agony. My father backed away as


    Moirah pulled herself from the fire. her f¨¹r still aze as she rolled about to tame the mes.


    Her wolf form failed her and Moirah shifted back, still scrambling towards my father with a scream of


    age. Her whi was ckened and burnt and her eyes were wild. My mother was fueled by a rage


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    unleashed as she wed and shed. father who had shifted back as well.


    With one final, agonizing wail, Moirah leaped at my father and Elliot lifted an iron de from where he


    must have discarded it before.


    hair


    Iny


    He didn¡¯t even need to thrust it. Moirah was impaled on the de¡¯s edge, unable to pause her attack


    before it was toote. She stared at the knife in her chest like she couldn¡¯tprehend what had


    happened.


    From where I stood, I could see her lips moving as she spoke to my father but her words were lost to


    the roar of the mes and the cra ckling of the underbrush as it burned.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer and I turned to hurry through the trees and outrun the fire, stumbling


    as I went.


    Moirah¡¯s voice in my head was faint as I disappeared through the smoke, ¡°I really did try to love you


    Pain shot through my back as I pulled my way through the trees leaning on the gnarled trunks for


    support as my b*dy struggled to heal the deep wound. A stronger pain cut through my heart like a knife.


    I closed my mind off from the world and made my way through the mes


    Right when I felt I would pass out from the smog that clogged my lungs and made me choke, I heard a


    rustling in the woods. Unable to put up much of a fight in my condition, I crouched down against the


    bark of a tree and hoped that I would be overlooked. However, a familiar voice called from the woods


    and I scrambled to my feet, looking around me in every direction.


    ¡°ro!¡±


    I tried to call back but the smoke in my lungs set off a painful coughing fit and I fought to stay on my


    feet, fully aware that I was being suffocated where I stood. All around me, the forest was flush with


    creatures rushing to escape the fire. I assumed. no more Tally shifters had shown up when the mes


    began because they too feared the power of fire in the forest.


    All of a sudden, to stood before me, a bundled-up t-shirt held over his mouth and nose. His face lit


    up when he saw me but turned to our of concern when he saw the state 1 was in. Behind him, the rest


    of my crew arrived except for two young trackers who had apanied us


    ¡°There you are!¡°


    24


    Fri, Jan 26


    591


    Carly shouldered to aside and handed me another rag to hold over my face. The two of them


    propped my arms over their shoulders and escorted me through the burning woods. The going was


    rough and we tripped a few times but finally, the edge of the forest could be seen in front of us and the


    blinding rays of the setting sun zed through the trees.


    +5.


    We broke free of the tree line and tumbled to the ground, gasping for air and staring up at the purple


    sky that bore the first spattering of twin kling stars.


    ¡°Wow¡± to huffed beside me. ¡°I thought we lost you there for a moment. What the f u ck happened in


    there?¡±


    ¡°Dorothy!¡± 1 eximed and attempted to roll to my feet. ¡°The Tally split in two! Their army is on Bielke


    territory right now! I doubled over as my sharp movements tore the freslily healed scar on my back


    open again.


    I got to my knees shakily. ¡°We have to get back there.¡±¡°


    ¡°I know.¡± Carly climbed to her feet and offered me a hand up. ¡°We fought the shifters that to led our


    way. One of them fessed up, said we¡¯d already lost. Apparently, Johan and his army set out in secret


    early this morning. Must have been right before we found the camp.


    ¡°We need to move!¡±


    The thought of Dorothy all alone as the Tally closed in, as Johan hunted her down, was terrifying. I had


    lost too much today, I would not lose the one good thing that came out of such terrible circumstances. I


    would not lose my mate. I promised I would protect her.


    Flickers of memories flitted through my head in quick session. A fallen tree, a storm. ire¡¯s empty


    eyes, blonde hair wet with blood, and the pouring rain. I would not break my promise again.


    SEND GET


    COMMENT

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Angie


    Ididn¡¯t get very far before the Tally shifters were on me. I was knocked to the ground and winded when


    one of them rammed into my back. Turning in the dirt I hissed and wed at the eyes of the shifter that


    had floored me.


    He howled in anger when my desperate ws dug into his eyes and I scrambled out from under him


    and back to my feet. The other shifters had surrounded me, forming a tight circle and closing in fast.


    Johan spoke to me as he passed the gathering of monsters. ¡°It was nice knowing you, little shifter. But


    I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be alde to see you off¡±


    ¡°Johant¡± I shrieked my fury at him as he gave me a small cheery wave and contorted into hisrge wolf


    form. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her¡± I was wailing, crying. Both fear and fury churned in my chest as I watched the


    brawny wolf disappear into the woods.


    Please don¡¯t hurt her


    L


    Itimol my attention back to the shifters around me and cried out in frustration as the yellowed eyes


    locked onto me and they all prepared in strike. Where was Fae! Where was my team? It couldn¡¯t end


    like this. I had promised Ignatius I would protect Dorothy. I promiseil Far I would stay alive.


    It seemed hopeless, and a part of me wanted to drop to my knees and give up right then and there. I


    felt my energy waning javi swayed on my feet. The surrounding shifters nipped and snarled as they


    swarmed around me like predators taunting their prey.


    They could alle at the at once and I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. But they didn¡¯t do that. They were


    enjoying watching me suffer, breaking down from the inside out at the direness of my situation.


    I let out an angry so b and then a scream when another row of sharp teeth brushed at my shoulder.


    The shifter responsible danced away from me again with manic glee. I turned in circles trying to keep


    my eye on as many of the moving bodies as I could at the same time, but my courage was failing me.


    They became a blur of movement and gnashing teeth as they danced around me like a game of ring-


    around-the-rose-tree


    gone wrong


    And all the while, Johan got closer and closer to Dorothy.


    ¡°You can¡¯t give up now,¡± my wolf growled in my chest. ¡°We¡¯vee too far to give up now.¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I didn¡¯t want to back down but I couldn¡¯t see a way out of this one


    ¡°You promised you would protect her. You have to get through this. For all of them.¡±


    I had no time to respond before the shifters pounced. I was caught in a mass of fur and writhing bodies


    that were trying to tear me apart.


    With a loud howl and one final scrap of determination, my wolf form burst forth and I snarled at the


    monstrous creatures.


    I wasn¡¯t going down without a fight. I bit and tore, wed, and swiped. I ignored the pain that shot


    through my b*dy when teethtched onto me and tore myself away over and over again


    I was tiring fast, but I would not relent. I would fight tooth and mail to the bitter end. I owed it to them. To


    Dorothy, Ignatius, Gideon, and my soldiers. And to Fae. She would never forgive me for leaving before


    her.


    I held my own for a while, but the shifters moved quickly, darting back and forth like a pack of wild dogs


    instead of wolves.


    I thought it was finally over, when my back legs were swiped out from under me and I tell, immediately


    swarmed by the shifters and their ws. I fought and howded as I tried to get to my feet, but the flurry


    of assault kept me down for good.


    With my b*dy weakening and my breathing elevated. I looked past the twisted legs of the shifters


    across the opened field. I could ser glimpses of sky, dirt, then sky again as I was pushed and pulled


    ansul by sharp-wed hands and fanged jaws.


    11:01/ Fri, Jan 26 G


    Somewhere in the distance, I could hear my name being called and I chalked it up to my imagination.


    Surely people hear the voices of those they love when they¡¯re on the brink of death?


    The voices grew louder and my eyes flew open when they became clearer. Suddenly, the shifters


    surrounding me were pulled away, one by one, and the sound of shing teeth and heavy bodies rang


    out across the field


    My vision was blurred and dark spots danced across my eyes like tv static. I struggled to pull myself up


    from where I had fallen to see my soldiers, my team, scraping it out with the ferocious Tally shifters.


    ¡°Angie¡± Far threw off the assant who was attempting to snap at her and ran to my side, dropping to


    her knees and inspecting the damage dealt to my weakened b*dy. ¡°F u ck. Angie im sorry we took so


    long! I¡¯m so sorry¡±


    The howling that began around us was deafening, as the Tally shifters were speared with the dozens of


    iron des we had made over the past few days. One by one they were taken down, screaming and


    wailing as they rolled in the dirt and the ckened skin around their wounds began to spread.


    It was like they had caught alight and were desperate to quell the mes but there was no fire to be


    seen.


    Fae tried to help me to my feet but I was in pretty bad shape by then. ¡°Come on. Angie, you¡¯ve got to


    get up!¡±


    She wrapped her arms around my furry neck and tried to lift me to no avail. Slowly and painfully, I


    shifted back and Fae was able to drag me to my feet and out of the way of the brutal battle going down


    in the open field.


    My limp b*dy left a trail of blood behind me as we went. One of my arms waspletely numb and the


    other was clearly broken. I couldn¡¯t recall exactly when it had happened amidst the skirmish.


    Dazed and fading fast. 1 looked around me at the shifters who collided with one another in battle.


    Despite our lesser numbers, the Bielke had the upper hand in this fight. The iron des that our


    members wielded were enough to take down every Tally shifter despite their size and strength,


    The trick, however, was getting close enough to take a stab at their flesh. I watched with hooded lids as


    one of our own was thrown across the dirt by a shifter they had been attempting to take down.


    ¡°The res,¡± Fae huffed as she dragged me along. ¡°Where are they


    ¡°In the car,¡± I muttered weakly. ¡°I brought them from Dorothy¡¯s ce ¨C oh g od. Dorothy!¡± 1 twisted in


    her arms.


    As the fog in my head cleared my initial panic returned. ¡°We have to get to D orothy! Johan¡¯s on his


    way there right now. She¡¯s all alone there!¡±


    ¡°Johan is here?¡± Fae sounded as panicked as I felt. We made it to the car and she wrenched the


    backseat door open, dumping me on the leather seats and reaching for the re gun.


    ¡°He¡¯s got an army waiting at the ready to the south of us¡± I said burriedly. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.


    We need to warn everyone to be ready¡±


    ¡°So red then,¡± Fae said as she snapped the gun into action and lifted it to the sky. She pressed her


    raised arm against one car and put her hand over the other as she fired the red re into the waning


    evening light.


    It shot into the sky with a bang and shed brightly, high enough for everyone within Bielke territory to


    see.


    The war had begun.


    -Jolun-


    I ran through the woods at an even pace at first I didn¡¯t want to burn through my newly replenished


    b*dy too quickly and I much preferred to conserve my energy for theing battle.


    I was ready for bloodshed after all. I wanted Ignatius toe home to hnd no one left. Not a single


    member of his precious park And not his mate. Not alive at least


    The mere thought of Dorothy had ine quickening my pace. I was so close to victory, so close to fully


    getting my say in the


    matter. Righting the wrong punishing those responsible for all of my suffering.


    Dorothy¡¯s blood sang to me. I could sense it even from afar. 1 beinded through the forest in an almost


    cuphoric state, the thought of my mate driving me to push myself further, faster.


    As I ran. I yed the scene out over and over again in my head. The revenge I had pictured so many


    times since my rebirth with the Tally. I would taunt her at first, of course, make her alert and on edge


    but never reveal myself.


    Let her sense my presence and smell my scent. Hear my ws scraping outside her front door. Rile


    her up until she was terrified, until she called out for Ignatius


    Ignatius who was at the moment far away, slinking around Tally territory like he thought he knew what


    he was doing. Like he thought he was some kind of hero. Some Alpha. I would take everything from


    him, just as he had done to me. I would rip him of his title as Alpha.


    There can be no Alpha without a pack to govern, only a lonely nemad as good as dead. I would take


    that which he loved dearly. I would let him bear witness to the lifeless b*dy of his mate and watch him


    break before my eyes. But not before I had drained her of her blood, ted off her fear, and forced an


    apology from those soft tender lips.


    It was a glorious thought and Julianna howled along with me as we sped through the trees in a sh.


    Every single moment of pain that had ever urred because of her ran through my head at once. I


    remembered the weak, feeble shifter I used to be.


    The boy who couldn¡¯t stand up to his own girlfriend. The boy who could never look his father in the eye.


    The ticking of that cursed clock grew louder in my head as it did every time I revisited these thonights:


    So loud that it was like a boom of thunder that rocked through my skull. Rather than fear the memories,


    however, this I let them fuel me as I continued my rampage through the trees.


    I slowed my pace only when I reached the familiar forest area that surrounded the mansion on the


    cliffs. Tense with enthralled anticipation. I stalked along the perimeter, testing the air and making sure


    the coast was clear. It was just as I h anticipated. The shifter named Angie was the only one lunging


    fround to protect Dorothy. And now Angie was gone.


    The only scent present in the air was that of Dorothy herself. I inhaled deeply and let her hush scent fill


    my head and envelope me even from some distance away from the house. I was almost giddy with


    excitement.


    I could not have asked for a more perfect opportunity. 1 skirted quietly all the way up to the front door of


    the house which hung slightly asar. moving slightly in the breeze and creaking as it did so.


    But something was wrong. Dorothy¡¯s scent was present, there was no doubt about that. It was a fresh


    scent as though she had only very recently passed through the door. I had to calm myself down before


    I was able to pinpoint exactly what was bothering me. It was her presence. I could no longer feel her


    presence.


    Enraged and unwilling to believe. I shifted on the spot and kicked open the door to the house with a


    roar. There was no one


    to be seen inside.


    ¡°No. It can¡¯t be


    I tore through the house, room by room, following the fresh scent of my mate. But the house was


    empty. Awarm cup of coffer still stood at the kitchen sink, tendrils of steam curledzily into the air from


    the hot, milky liquid. But my mate was nowhere to be found.


    was furious. I had been cheated of my moment. My perfect revenge. I raged and hollered loud enough


    to make the windows shake in their frames, knocking things to the floor and mming my beefy fists


    into the drywall. It broke through with a loud cr ack and I did it again and again. Pounding with both my


    fists until there was a decent-sized hole pummeled


    into the wall


    How dare she. How dare she deny me my moment I swiped the steaming cup of coffee to the floor and


    howled.


    ¡°She must be nearby,¡± Julianna insisted. ¡°She has to be. She couldn¡¯t have gotten far.¡±


    I stared down at the hot lead that trickled across the floor She was right. Her scent was still tresh. She


    had to be close.


    59%


    I followed her scent to the front door and out into the garden, tracking her sporadic movements in


    confusion. ¡°Where are you going little dine?¡±


    As I stalked the property, I envisioned all the ways I was going to torment her. It was less than what she


    deserved. It was mercy even, I could be worse.


    I contemted keeping her around until after the war so that she could see the aftermath. So that I


    could force her to take in the consequences of her actions. This was all her fault. She was the one who


    started it all. She was the one who was going to pay.


    All of a sudden I came to an abrupt halt and sniffed the air in confusion. Her scent cut off randomly at


    the edge of the forest.. I paused and circled the area once again but it was true. I couldn¡¯t track her


    scent any further. I tried to keep my cool but my eyebrow twitched and I couldn¡¯t help but keep up a low


    growl as 1 grew more and more frustrated.


    Then my eye caught the small nt that was growing nearby. I recognized the leaves, I had used them


    myself once.


    ¡°That sly little b itch¡±


    She had masked her scent with the leaves from the nt. My patience wilted and I snapped. With a


    loud howl of warning. I crashed into the forest, running blindly as I tried to locate my mate.


    ¡°Dorothy? Borothy! Where are you?¡± My tone went from chiding to angry to coaxing as my anger grew.


    She would not one- up me. She would not escape me. I wouldn¡¯t allow it,


    I turned in circles, scanning the foliage for a sh of red hair. The forest stared back at me, silent and


    undisclosing,


    I used to find sce in the forest. I used to feel at peace amongst the tall trees and the gnarled roots.


    Now, nature seemed hostile towards me. Small creatures ran from my scent and it was as if the trees


    themselves leaned away from me as I passed, repelled by what I had be.


    I brushed those thoughts aside. That was merely the cost of change. Violence is necessary for rebirth.


    Revenge would be sweeter than any trickling natural stream. I would stain the soil with blood and the


    forest would have no choice but to soak it up and herald me as the superior being


    ¡°Dorothy!¡± It was amand this time, but still, I heard no reply. Then, all of a sudden, through the


    trees I heard the distance revving of an engine. ¡°No!¡±


    I followed the sound, running myself ragged even with my powerful b*dy until I broke free of the tree


    line onto the road beyond. I was just in time to see a beaten up van speeding off. gunning it as fast as


    the engine could manage. Through the back window, I caught a glimpse of those brilliant red locks.


    Dorothy, my mate, turned to look at me. Her green eyes were cold and condoning. Her jaw was set and


    she held my gaze as the car disappeared in a cloud of dust.


    I screamed with rage and my voice echoed around the silent road and the woods beyond and bounced


    back at me.


    With no other choice, I turned my mind inward, reaching out m entally to awaken my second in


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Dorothy


    ¡°I could feel himing from a mile away. I knew immediately that something


    either Angie or Far after an hour of impatient waiting


    very wrong when I couldn¡¯t contact


    My fears were confirmed when his presence became apparent. Johan was close, and by the force of


    his energy radiating towards me like I was his target, he was getting closer.


    Thad been in the kitchen making my eighth cup of decal coffee when I felt him nearby. Even with our


    severed connection. I was still somehow able to sense his presence.


    1 had no idea whether it was because of how abysmal our rejection of each other had gone, or


    because of Johan¡¯s own burning fury towards me, but either way, we were still connected somehow.


    This was something I intended to use to my advantage achest as I could.


    I knew I had to art fast Johan would be nearing the cottage any minute and thest thing I wanted was


    toe face to face cith the monstrous shifter alone. I hightailed it out of the house as fast as my legs


    could carry me, groaning at the pains it seat through my stomach.


    My children twisted and kicked and I pressed a hand to my belly as I ran false trails all over the


    property. ¡°Don¡¯t worry little ones your mom?s got this. Nothing had is going to happen to you.¡±


    When I was satisfied with my criss-cross mess of scent trails, I made my way to the edge of the forest


    where I knew there gerwa Physalis nt. I hurriedly rubbed as many leaves as I could grab over my


    bare skin and began a frenzied sprint through the woods.


    My training with Rita and Angie had paid off and I was able to bound effortlessly through the forest


    even with the addition of two children nestled in my womb


    With all the concentration I could manage while still keeping an eye on the uneven terrain I ran through,


    I tried once again to reach Ignatius. Thest thing I want to do was rm him, but he needed to know


    that the Tally was on our turf. If he didn¡¯t already. If he was alive¡­


    I knocked those thoughts from my head and kept running, all the while reaching with my mind to find


    my mate. All of my concentration was unnecessary though, as Ignatius¡¯ own voice was carried to me.


    ¡°Dorothy


    He sounded odd like he was floating in a daze. I didn¡¯t have time to talk for long. I rejoiced that my


    mate was alive and then immediately conveyed the message, ¡°Ignatius, they¡¯re here


    Something was wrong. I wanted to ask, but there was a shifter hot on my heels and Ignatius needed to


    know about the army


    ¡°The Tally army¡± I was breathing heavily, begging my b*dy to deal with just a little more work, just hold


    out a little longer ¡°Johan They¡¯re here:


    He was silent for a moment before his voice grew louder in my head. ¡°How many of them? Flow?¡±


    I heard a bowl in the distance and presumed Johan must have arrived to fund the house empty. The


    rage in his guttural nicking was apparent and I swallowed the ache in my throat and picked up the


    pace


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Too many


    Trould sense John¡¯s army south of the border. Angie had and there were only a few on the far side of


    Bielke territory, but she was wrong. There were more. They were an eval pre that made my skin pric kle


    and every natural instinct screamed


    ar away from that side of Barlbe surd as possibile


    |||


    11:01 Fri, Jan 26


    I assumed this had been his n all along. He waited until our leader was gone and then he chose to


    strike. He must have Jured Angle away from the house too. Revtion after revtion urred to me


    as I darted along and I berated myself for not seeing his n sooner. We had yed right into their


    hands I swallowed and licked my tongue over dried lips.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    I meant it. I understood that there was a chance, a very good chance, that I may not make it out of this


    war alive. A chance that I would never see my mate again. I poured every possible emotion into those


    three words and hoped he could feel how much I truly meant them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like you¡¯re saying goodbye,¡± his voice was gentle in my head and I wanted to cry. I would


    have given anything to rum straight into his arms at that very moment. ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet.¡± His


    determination wasforting, his words kept my legs moving, carrying me ever closer to safety. ¡°This


    isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    And then the curtain between us fell closed again as Ignatius fought toe back and I fought to


    escape the shifter that pursued me through the trees.


    As I ran, I whipped out my phone and once again dialed Angie. It rang and rang until it switched to


    voicemail.


    ¡°F uck!¡±


    I tried again and this time dialed Fae who answered on the third ring ¡°Dorothy! Are you alright?¡±


    1 breathed a sigh of relief and skirted over a fallen tree that blocked my path. I¡¯m okay, but I need your


    help. Johan turned up at the cottage, it won¡¯t be long until he catches up with me.¡±


    He¡¯s there already?!¡± Fae¡¯s voice was a squeak m uffled by the sound of tires burning and an engine


    revving. Where are now? Angie warned us about Johan. Me and Gid¡¯s are on our way to your ce


    right now.¡±


    you


    ¡°Running for my life through the go d dam n trees, I m unt ered and a shiver pric kled over my skin


    when another howl from Johan traveled through the trees and frightened birds from the branches.


    I recalled the story of little red riding hood, about the girl in red who was chased through the woods by


    a wolf. It bothered me that I couldn¡¯t recall exactly how that story ended. Did she get a happily ever


    after? Or did the wolf gobble her up along with the rest of her family?


    ¡°Meet me on Delm Street, the road that cuts through the forest


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there in a second, hang tight. And don¡¯t let him catch you.¡± Fae¡¯s voice was strained, anxious


    at the severity of the


    situation


    ¡°Noted.¡± I was about to hang up but brought the phone back to my ear, panting as my b*dy began to


    take strain. ¡°Is Angie alright?


    Fae took a little too long to answer me and dread crept into my heart. ¡°She¡¯ll be okay. She has to be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying


    Fae was silent on the other side of the phone.


    ¡°See you in a minute,¡± I whispered and hung up. I was red in the face and a sheen of sweat broke out


    on my forehead as I struggled to breath.


    Just a little further. My calves were burning and so were my lungs as I pushed my b*dy onwards. My


    main source of motivation was the distant howls that rang out through the forest as somewhere behind


    me, Johan grew more and more frustrated when he was unable to find me.


    Finally, I saw the striking rays of sunlight through the trees ahead of me. The sun was going down


    rapidly, sinking below the h orizon. The woods behind me were already darkening and the approaching


    shadows goaded me onwards.


    I broke through the tree line and stumbled out onto the quiet forest road. It was a road Ignatius and I


    had taken many times. A shortcut that wasn¡¯t so short, in order to get it on away from home just for the


    thrill of it. Moments like those seemed so


    Fri, Jan 26


    far away now and I forced back the tears that threatened to pour forth at the thought of my mate.


    Momentster, Gideon¡¯s van came screaming around the dip in the road and screeched to a halt in


    front of me.


    Fae threw open the doors, an expression of relief on her face, and pulled me inside as Gideon grinned


    at me. ¡°Get in loser.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the save,¡± I said shakily. ¡°We need to get out of here, Johan¡¯s close.¡±


    Gideon revved the engine and made a sharp turn so precarious I thought the van might just topple


    over. But it rightened itself almost immediately and we sped away back down the road just as Johan


    burst from the trees behind us.


    I turned in my seat and peered at him through the grimy back window. I hadn¡¯t seen Johan since the


    night at the vi. It seemed so long ago that it could have been a previous life I was recalling


    1 had been a different person back then. We both were. But where I had been a timid, lonely individual


    who had grown to know her worth, Johan had been a charming, if a little passive,pelling person.


    Time and trauma had twisted him into a terrifying being hell bent on revenge.


    I took in his angry, wild eyes and nasty, pointed ws. He stared at me like he wanted to rip me apart.


    He was not the man! had once been fated to love. He was not a man at all. I hadn¡¯t truly believed it


    before, unable to picture it in my mind, but upon looking at him. I finally understood it to be true. Johan


    was a monster. A pale imitation of the man he used to be.


    I narrowed my eyes at him as he watched us drive away, a protective hand over my stomach. He would


    not get the revenge he sought. I wouldn¡¯t allow it. I hade to ept that the man I had once cared


    for no longer existed, too far gone on his quest for vengeance.


    would do what I had to protect iny new family, my home, as well as my people. He would not harm the


    ones that I loved. I


    wouldn¡¯t allow it


    Like Ignatius had said, it wasn¡¯t over yet. The Bielke were nowhere near surrender. We had hearts of


    steel and shields of iron on our side. And we intended to use it.


    I stared my old mate down as he became a distant blurry figure, hoping that thest shred of our


    connection would carry my words to him. A waming a promise.


    I would not let him win.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    -Ignatius-


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it there in time, Carly protested and 1 bashed my knuckle against my head.


    ¡°We have to try. We need to move now.¡±


    Everyone was ready to leave, but Carly was right.


    My team was worn down and exhausted from the fight in the woods. We had lost two young members


    to the Tally that to had led into the camp and their deaths would be on my conscience forever. There


    was no time for sentiment yet though. Johan was moving into Bielke territory as we spoke and we were


    running out of time.


    The forest behind us was still aze and the smoke curled up into the darkeing sky, blocking out the


    stars and looming over us like a bad omen. My b*dy was still healing from the wound my mother had


    gifted me before her death.


    Every rough movement I made tore it open again. I was in no shape to run the distance back to Bjelke


    territory. But by G d I was ready to try. Dorothy was alone out there and Johan was on the prowl. I had


    to get back to my mate, no question.


    ¡°There might be an easier way.¡±


    Imed to look at to who had his brow furrowed and he chewed on his knuckles in thought.


    He looked up at me with a spark in his eye. ¡°The van. The one they brought me here with. It might still


    be there¡±


    you dinner


    I grabbed his shoulders and bashed my forehead against his, ¡°If we survive this, I owe y


    I pushed him back again and pulled on the jacket that had been handed to me. I wore nothing but a


    tattered pair of jeans swiped from the mes and the cold air soothed my hot bare skin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I set off in the direction of where we hadst seen the van and my team followed along behind me,


    to blushing as we


    well


    At first I thought that it must have been taken already, swiped by some Tally shifters escaping the fires,


    but we jogged a little further and suddenly there it was to who oped in delight and we ran for the


    dingy rusted van that stood a little way from the smoking trees.


    The fire hadn¡¯t reached that part of the woods yet, but it was spreading fast and it would be directly


    upon us and the van both if we didn¡¯t act quickly. And it was hot, so very hot. Heat licked across my


    skin as it radiated from the forest, soothed only by the asional breeze that blew through and


    quickened the mes ent across the trees.


    I ripped open the drivers door and was surprised to find it unlocked. Peering inside I was even more


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    suprised to find that the keys were still in the ignition.


    ¡°Alright, everyb*dy get in


    Carly threw open the back doors and everyone gagged at the putrid stench of dried blood and other


    fluids that wafted from the bark. No one was happy with the gruesome ride hut at least there were no


    bodies in the back this time. The van was haunting, but it was also our one way ticket home.


    I turned to Will who was the only our who seemed to be coping with the rancid scent well enough. ¡°Will,


    you drive. I need to let my b*dy heal in time to fight¡±


    He nodded and climbed into the drivers seat, probably eager to avoid sitting amongst the muck that


    lined the back of the van. We were all paling into theck when a single figure stumbled out of the


    smokey woods. I pauses my helping of another team member into the back of the an and squinted at


    the figure


    11:01 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    He stumbled closer, shaking his head and coughing as he walked, until I could get a beter look at him.


    ¡°Of course, you made it out¡±


    4


    up at me


    me from where he stood. I stood my ground and folded my arms as


    I had said it under my breath but the man looked up Elliot approached.


    ¡°Ignatius!¡± he called and lifted a hand to wave. He glimpsed the blood, my mother¡¯s blood, that stained


    his fingers and immediately shoved his hands back into the pockets of his burned jeans.


    He sauntered all the way up to the van and I stepped out to meet him, blocking him from getting any


    closer. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Come now,¡± he growled at my hostility. ¡°We¡¯re both on the same side. We want to protect our people.


    Surely I¡¯ve just proven that to you?¡±


    ¡°All you have proven to me is your insatiable need for violence and bloodshed.¡± I spoke coldly. ¡°Moirah


    didn¡¯t need to die.¡±


    His expression darkened and he straightened his back. For most of my life, Elliot had been taller than


    me, towering over me like a cruel g od. Only 1 had grown some in the past year or two and now our


    eyes were aligned perfectly as I held my ground against my father.


    I kept my arms folded loosely at my chest while Elliot flexed his blo ody knuckles.


    ¡°Someone had to take care of her,¡± he said darkly, and I noticed the gray hairs in the overgrown stubble


    on his jaw for the first time. ¡°She was a loose end. She was a threat to my people, you can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    ¡°Your people?¡± I raised an eyebrow. I didn¡¯t have time to argue with my father. I had a pack to protect, I


    had a mate waiting for me. Elliot himself was the loose end who absolutely refused to stay tied. ¡°The


    Bielke are not your people anymore.¡±


    I turned to follow the others into the van, motioning for Will to get the engine running as the fire crept


    closer and closer. That turned out to be a mistake, however, as Elliot gripped my shoulder.


    Enraged, he threw me to the floor, inches away from where a burning log had fallen and peals of fire


    were creeping along the sta ggered patches of grass.


    ¡°You will never be Alpha so long as I am breathing!¡± he roared and I pulled myself to my feet. I didn¡¯t


    have time for a fight. and in my condition I wouldn¡¯t win one if I tried.


    ¡°Look at yourself,¡± I yelled to my father over the roar of the fire. People¡¯s lives are at stake. Johan is


    marching on our territory as we speak and you want to waste time with a needless brawl. You don¡¯t


    care about your people.¡± I stormed towards him and gripped his ckened shirt, leering into his face as


    I hissed, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be the Alpha.¡±


    Elliot¡¯s look of fury mirrored my own. ¡°You¡¯re nothing without me,¡± he spat


    ¡°There is nothing you can teach me about being a good leader, 1 spoke loudly, my voice building to a


    roar as I confronted my father. ¡°There is nothing you can teach me about being a good mate. And there


    is absolutly nothing you can teach me about being a good father.¡±


    Moirah¡¯s blood on his hands had me seeing red, but I would not stoop to his level,


    ¡°Because I


    I know what a good father is meant to be. And I know that that¡¯s not what you are. Fathers raise their


    children with kindness, not brute force. Fathers protect their families, not tear them apart from the


    inside. I was raised by my closest friends. I was saved by my mate. They are my family, the Bielke fire


    my people. And you are not wee there.¡±


    With all of my strength, I pushed him backward and Elliot sta ggered a few steps, staring at me with an


    incredulous look. My words were wasted on him. He would not hear what he didn¡¯t want to.


    I turned once again to leave and climb into the van which was now shuddering to a start. Behind me.


    Elliot released a loud cry of fury andunched himself at me. I had been ready for his attack


    I hadn¡¯t wanted it toe to this, but I had been ready all the same. I turned on the spot and lifted the


    III


    Fri, Jan 26


    of wood that I had spotted in the dirt earlier and drove it into Elliot¡¯s heart.


    59%


    My father¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief and he stood frozen in ce, choking slightly as he clutched at


    the long piece of timber that was buried in his chest. My grip on the end of the hunk of wood was tight


    and I was breathing heavily, staring my father in the eye as he regarded me in a new light.


    Elliot smiled, and a trickle of blood started from his hips as he caughed. Blood stained his teeth red and


    flecks of the crimson liquid spattered onto my face. I stood, unflinching as my fatherughed out loud.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re the Alpha, Ignatius, You¡¯ve killed me¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill you,¡± 1 hissed. ¡°You did that all on your own. I merely helped you along. I take no credit for


    bringing down the voracious Elliot Amount¡±


    His smile faded. Ellot looked at me as if he was finally seeing his son for who he really was


    His expression softened slightly as he gazed at me, blood trickling from his lips. He clutched at the


    spear that was buried in his chest. His hand came back blo ody and he looked at it incredulously like he


    couldn¡¯t understand where the red hade


    1 telt in useless to tell him that it had been there all his life. Elliot had chosen a path of violence.


    Countless individuals had yed a part in staining that hand red. Including my own mother. With that


    same hand, he gripped my shoulder, leaving a red brand of blood on my skin


    Elliot¡¯s eyes searched my face as it desperately seeking the son he used to know, Or, more urately,


    the son he didn¡¯t know at all until that very moment. A small thicker of understanding shed in Elliot¡¯s


    wide eyes. It hade far toote, however.


    sote, in fact, that I wished I hadn¡¯t seen it at all. I wished I hadn¡¯t seen the tiniest inkling of humanity,


    of love in my father¡¯s eyes, so that I could be able toy him to rest with absolutely no regrets. It was


    like a final punishment. Elliot¡¯s final weapon to wield against me was his own love. Withheld until there


    was no other option left. It made me sick to my stomach


    watched his pupils dte as my father died in my arms.


    Elliot breathed one final breath, hisst words were a question that would haunt me for the rest of my


    life.


    ¡°When did you grow up?¡± His hand slipped from my shoulder and drew a line of red across my chest.


    ¡°When did you grow up: 1 mussed it.T


    The life left his eyes and Elliot by cold and dead in the dirt beneath me.


    I stared down at Elliot for one final moment and then turned and took to¡¯s hand. He hoisted me up


    into the back of the van and rapped a knuckle on the metal framework to let Will know it was time to get


    moving.


    The van rattled away and 1 watched the dancing mes inch towards my father¡¯s b*dy, enveloping him


    in a fiery red cocoon One final glimpse as the smoke billowed up into the heavens, carrying Elliot to


    some ce where maybe he might finally be


    prace. And then the doors of the van swung closed and we were shrouded in darkness.


    I closed the lid on that final memory of my father, filed it away as the final chapter in that particr


    book.


    Carly tended to the burns across my shoulders as well as the wound left by my mother as the van


    jostled and bounced over the dirt road.


    I turned my mind to the thing that mattered most


    ¡°Dorothy. I¡¯m on my way Just hold on a little longer¡±

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Just hold on a little longer!¡± my voice was panicked as I gripped Angie¡¯s hand. ¡°You can¡¯t die yet, we


    need you!¡±


    Angie was fading fast. She had been badly wounded by the Tally shifters assault andy fighting for her


    life once again on a makeshift bed at the iron forge. I knew what I had to do, what I was able to do, but


    the others warned me to think about the


    twins.


    There was no telling how the process of healing someone would affect them. I understood the concern,


    but I had to try regardless, I would be able to protect my children inside of me. I was sure of it


    Rita was there too, consoling a distraught Fae who was ming herself for Angie¡¯s fate.


    After Fae had hit the re that warned everyone of the Tally¡¯s approach, all of the Bielke members who


    were able to fight gathered at the iron forge and prepared for war. I reported what had happened with


    Johan to the masses and we were able to pinpoint exactly where the Tally was approaching from in the


    south.


    While everyone prepped their iron gear andrge iron des were passed to a few selected members,


    I sat at Angie¡¯s side


    and concentrated.


    The sun had set over thend and stars spilled across the clear sky in a spectacr night show that


    nob*dy had the time to pause and neither witness nor marvel at. A fire had been lit around the forge to


    give everyone enough light to move about the area


    It was like a honing beacon for the Tally army but we were prepared for that. Every shifter that moved


    about us was lit up in an eerie orange glow. Everyone was on high alert, wide eyed and ready to bare


    fangs at any moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Fae whispered into Rita¡¯s shoulder as she clung to Angie¡¯s limp hand. ¡°If I had just


    gotten there earlier.¡±


    ¡°You did the best you could. Rita hushed her. There¡¯s no point in ming yourself for something out of


    your control¡±


    Angie herself was unconcious, breathing awkwardly and irregrly as her b*dy fought to repair injuries


    that were too great. I remembered the first time I had healed Angie. It hade so naturally, too easily.


    I had gone too far with it.


    I had given too much of myself and it had almost killed me in the process. It would not go that way this


    time. Unbeknownst to everyb*dy, except Ignatius, I had been examining the intricacies of my own


    unusual ability: Despite his protests, I had been practicing on honing my ability, perfecting it.


    We had fought about it first. We had screamed, and raged and thundered but we both understood that


    it came from a ce of love as well as a crippling fear of losing one another. Ignatius didn¡¯t want the


    stories toe true. He feared the ability that was so beautiful but could al so sn atch me away from


    him at any moment


    I feared for my own inability to protect the ones I love. I had a gift it was my duty to use it, regardless of


    the long term consequences it would have for me. Eventually, Ignatius and 1 both relented and came to


    a sort ofpromise.


    I wouldn¡¯t practice on anything too big, and 1 would always stop before it got dangerous. No healing


    broken bones or sewing skin back together. Only hairline fractures and headaches. Things that


    wouldn¡¯t require too much energy


    This time was going to be quite different. I hoped Ignatius would forgive me


    I stared into the nearby mes for a moment and allowed my mind to empty. I let the flow of my


    thoughts slow from at raging waterfall to a trickle as I closed my eyes and focused on what I was about


    to attempt.


    Before cing my hands on Angie, I instead held my hands out in front of me, willing the glowing white


    energy to dance in my raised palms. When I opened my eyes I was thrilled to see the twisting white


    glow rippling over my finger tips


    It was getting easier to control. I didn¡¯t allow myself to get too excited however and instead closed my


    eyes again. I ced both glowing palms on my own belly and winced as I felt that same energy pulse


    through me and into my stomach, causing my skin to glow and illuminate, revealing the silhouette of my


    two children thaty inside.


    11:01 Fri, Jan 26


    I gasped as I felt the energy surge through me and concentrated even harder, drifting once again into


    the trancelike state that came about when I attempted something more intense.


    I focused on enveloping my children in a kind of glowing cocoon, an addedyer of protection that


    would keep them from harmis way when I went about healing Angie. The trick was being able to keep


    that shield in ce.


    It took every scrap of men tal strength to not be swayed in my ritual, to not be distracted by the nking


    of iron on iron as the Bielke wolves loped by in their glinting armor. I phased out the sound of the


    cracking fire and the sharp inhale of Fae who was quickly hushed by Rita.


    When I was sure that the nket of light was wrapped tightly around my children and secure enough to


    hold, I lifted a glowing palm and ced it on Angie¡¯s chest like I had done so all those nights ago.


    Just like before, energy flowed from my hand and into her b*dy, only this time I was conscious of her


    b*dy repairing itself, I was aware of precisely how much of my life I would be required to give in order to


    heal Angie enough to pull her back from the brink of death and allow her to fight alongside us as the


    Tally closed in.


    I was aware of a small crowd gathering to watch as I went about healing one of my dearest friends for


    the second time. I wasn¡¯t sure if they were frightened or interested but I ignored them and turned my


    attention to the visions that were racing through my head as I entered the healing trance state.


    A monster in the woods. The moon blinking down at me from a gap in the trees. Jaws shing in the


    pale light as the creature leaped for my throat..


    I came to with a gasp and quickly removed my hand from Angie¡¯s chest. As the white glow resided, I


    leaned over her and listened for her heart. It thumped rhythmically in her chest as her hot breath on my


    ear told me that she was very much alive.


    ¡°What are you doing so close to my ti t s, red Enjoying the view!


    I snapped my eyes up to look at her. Angie was grinning down at me sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got myself


    banged up again.¡± She hoisted herself upright and Fae threw her arms around her. Thanks for bringing


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    me back.¡±


    I put a hand to my stomach and was relieved to feel the healthy kicking of my children still going on in


    my stomach. They were okay.


    I shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, we need you for the fight.¡±


    She grinned at me and then her mouth set in a grim line. ¡°Wait, how are you alive? I thought Johan-¡±


    ¡°Johan was no match for me and he never has been,¡± I stated matter of factly. ¡°Although he¡¯s out there


    right now leading an


    army onto our turl.


    I left Angie in the care of Rita and Fae who fawned over her as she swiped at their cradling hands in


    irritation. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jesus, it was only a little near-death experience.¡±


    I touched the iron de that sat at my hip and looked up at the nilky way that dashed across the dark


    sky like a ssh of silvery paint. My mind drifted back towards my mate


    ¡°Where are you? I need you here now.¡±


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT


    11:02 Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    -Dorothy-


    I was waiting with the remaining council members, plotting out our n of attack and defense. The


    situation looked dire but we weren¡¯tpletely out of options just yet, Surrender was out of the


    question, nob*dy doubted for a moment that the Tally would cut us down all the same even if we were


    to wave the white g.


    But we had armor on our side and we had the upper hand on them in one regard. They were fighting us


    on our own territory. We knew this terrain better than them and we intended to use that to our


    advantage.


    Instead of meeting the Tally head-on, we formed a different strategy. One that, with the help of the iron


    armor and they of thend, would give us a fighting chance against the insidious: Tally shifters.


    It wasn¡¯t long before three Bielke scouts came running back to us to report the whereabouts of Johan¡¯s


    army. ording to the scouts, Johan and his troops, all in well form, were currently making their way


    through the open fields to the south and that was exactly where we nned to meet them


    The fields were covered in tall grass and purple flowers that bloomed that time of year. Surrounding the


    open area was small hilltops and thick forests. The Tally would have to travel through the tangled trees


    to reach us.


    ¡°But what about Ignatius¡± one of the councilors had piped up. Our people are scared. How are we


    supposed to urge them. to run into battle when their leader isn¡¯t here to guide them. They need to know


    that their Alpha stands with them.¡±


    All eyes turned to me and I looked down at the map of thend that was rolled out in front of me on the


    table. ¡°Ignatius is on his way. We¡¯ll just have to hold our own until he can get here. Until then, we


    reassure everyone as best we can.¡±


    We finalized our ns and the others set out to inform our own troops.


    Angie had recovered almost immediately after my healing of her and was rushing about getting


    everyone organized before they were to move out. After speaking with the elders, I was caught up in


    the bustle, fighting the dizzy spell that came about after every healing ritual


    The ttering of armor and the shouts of dozens of Bielke shifters rang out into the night as I hurried


    along, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of Ignatius and his team returning.


    Rita set out to round up every member of the pack who was unable to fight. Children and the elderly


    would be protected on the far side of the pack until it was safe for them to retum to their homes.


    If this were to go south and we fell to the Tally, a re would be lit and Kita would escort all of them as


    far away as possible. Our few allies would not light alongside us, they had made that clear after


    Ignatius had taken over, but they would offer refuge to our members if it came to that..


    With so much going on, my head was filled with thoughts of strategy and war. I went about putting on


    my own armor in a distracted daze. The armor had been designed to amodate both human and


    wolf forms.


    The tes would slide and grind over each other as a shifter morphed from human to wolf, offering


    protection in both states without having to remove the iron in between. The whole getup made our


    members look like mechanical toys, iron wolves that could transform at will. It was an awe-inspiring fear


    to behold..


    The armor itself was thin and light as it wasn¡¯t there to protect the physical b*dy as much as to repel the


    Tally froming into contact with a wearer entirely. I knotted my fiery hair into two long tes and


    hoped they wouldn¡¯t get in the way.


    My hair had grown a sizeable amount since I had first met Ignatius and the long red locks now hung


    just below my waist.


    As much as Angie insisted that hair like that would prove dangerous in a fight, I couldn¡¯t bear to cut it


    off. I tucked it away a best I could but it wasn¡¯t long before my braids tumbled around my shoulders and


    small tendrils pulled themselves loose


    I slipped on the small shoulder tes and secured them in ce I had to ditch the breast te entirely


    as it wouldn¡¯t fit over my growing belly


    I instead opted for an iron sheet at my Isack and hefty iron gauntlets that Gideon had crafted for me


    personally. ¡°For a belting chance,¡± he had said and grinned as I slipped them on and swung at the air.


    ¡°They¡¯re perfect, Gids!¡± I had eximed and smashed my iron-did fist into the bark of a nearby tree,


    grinning gleefully when it let a dent in the bark.


    Now, yster, I slipped them on again and swung at the air, testing the weight of them and trying my


    best to remember everything Angie had taught me aboutbat.


    As if summoned by my thoughts alone and out of seemingly nowhere, Angie popped up and pulled me


    aside. She eyed my weaponry and then shook her head to clear her thoughts. ¡°We need to talk¡±


    I followed her out of the forge to a quieter. She seemed agitated, dancing on her toes and sliding


    her eyes left and right as she made sure we were out of carshot.


    ¡°Angie¡± I coaxed ¡°What¡¯s up? Shouldn¡¯t you be getting ready to rave?¡±


    Angie ran a hand through her loose hair. She was unable to meet my gaze. ¡°Look, Dorothy. I spoke to


    the scouts, I heard the verdict from the council meeting. They¡¯ve seen Johan¡¯s army and it¡¯s not looking


    good for us¡°


    ¡°Why are you telling me this? I know all of this already. We have to light them, we don¡¯t really have a


    choice.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± she mumbled. ¡°But the thing is, they outnumber us by quite a lot. And without Ignatius


    here to urge everyone on, there¡¯s a good chance we won¡¯t be winning this way. The odds are stacked


    against us this time around.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t ay that. How can you say that?¡± I stepped away from her when she reached


    for me. ¡°We have a n, we have the iron armor, We have a real chance!¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, listen to me Angie put her hands firmly on my shoulders and held me in ce. ¡°We¡¯re going


    to light okay? We¡¯re going to try our best. And I know you want to lielp, but I neeil you to stay behind. If


    it looks like things have taken a turn for the worst, I want you to get out of here. ¡°Do you understand?


    Drop everything and get as far away from Bielke territory as possible. Take my car, you might have a


    better chance of escaping that way.¡±


    ¡°Tis not doing that I protested, gripping her wrists and wrenching her hands away from me. I Ignatius


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    isn¡¯t here to lead them then I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t Dorothy! Think about your children-


    ¡°I can protect my children just fine. I snapped back and then sened my voice. ¡°I¡¯m the Luna of this pack,


    Angie. I have a duty to my people. I¡¯m not going to run away and abandon them,¡±


    Her face looked pained and she wrapped her anus around hersell. ¡°If Jn gets to you, there¡¯s no


    telling what he¡¯ll do. And I might not be able to keep an eye on you out there. I won¡¯t be able to protect


    you


    ¡°If I¡¯m on the battlefield, Johan will no doubt seek me out himself. That gives all of you a better chance


    to win this battle.¡± I folded my arms at my chest and lifted my chin.


    1 tried to sound stern in my words but Angie was adamant that was to go nowhere near the battlefield.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do this,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Ignatius would never forgive me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me either. And Ignatius will understand,¡± I answered tly. I didn¡¯t want to argue with


    her, not when the threat of demise loomed over our heads. Tensions were high and I tried my best to


    stay calm and collected. ¡°I have to do this, Angie, please try and understand that.¡±


    An odd idea urred to me and I raised a hand to pause Angie when she opened her mouth to


    respond. ¡°You said we¡¯recking in numbers. There¡¯s no denying that. But there is a way to fix that. Or


    at least, there might bel


    Angie closed her lips and co cked her head to the side. ¡°Oh? How


    I thought it over for a moment, tapping my foot on the ground did not want to repeat the heinous acts of


    the previous Bielke leaders. But there was a way about the situation where everyone would get what


    they want


    20


    The idea formed slowly in any head and I looked up at Angie with a new small glimmer of hope


    sparking in my chest.


    ¡°How fast do you think we can make it to the Bielke cells?¡±


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    -Dorothy-


    The cells were nearby, close enough that Angie and I arrived their in just a few minutes. The van


    squealed to a halt in front of the illuminated building and I climbed out of the passenger seat and stared


    at the glowing yellow light that shone from the entrance.


    Two shifters stood on guard around the area, waiting for the final call before joining the battle


    themselves.


    I nodded to them as we headed inside and Angie whispered at my shoulder, ¡°Are you sure you know


    what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any better ideas¡± I whispered back. ¡°And it¡¯s worth a try


    I came face to face with some of the recent prisoners in the first cell and spoke quietly to Angle, ¡°Just


    be on guard in case things go bad. If they decide to attack, we don¡¯t fight. We get in the van and leave.


    These people don¡¯t want war they just want freedom¡±


    ¡°And some of them are more than ready to cut down their Luna to get it. Angie muttered but she stayed


    at my side as I approached the first cell


    One by one, the attackers who had been imprisoned since the Tally had forced them onto ournd,


    began to take notice of my presence. Heavy heads lifted and weary eyes watched from behind bars.


    1 cleared my thoughts and spoke as evenly as I could manage although my hands shook and my


    knees felt weak beneath me. ¡°I am Dorothy. I¡¯m the Luna of the Bielke Pack.¡±


    They remained silent, staring at me like I was just a dream or apparition straight from their imagination.


    I swallowed: ¡°I¡¯m here to set you free.


    A murmur began as the shifters got to their feet and came to stand at the bars. Some eyed me


    suspiciously and others paid no head as if they took my words to be a lie.


    1 looked around me and continued. ¡°We can¡¯t guarantee your protection during this fight. Anyone who


    wishes to leave is wee to. Alternatively, anyone who wishes to join in the fight against the Tally is


    weed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force any of you to fight. You¡¯ve been caught up in a war that had nothing to do with you and for


    that I am sorry. You are free to leave if you wish. But keep in mind, if we fall to the Tally they won¡¯t stop


    at just the Bielke Pack


    ¡°They wille for the rest of you too. As they already have. Your packs have been dispersed. Even if


    you leave now, there¡¯s a good chance that they will be back. And so I give you the chance to join us


    and help us take down the Tally to end their reign entirely,¡±


    I held my breath and waited. There was no response from the shifters but they gradually began


    exchanging nces and talking amongst themselves. I turned to Angie and nodded. ¡°Open the gates¡±


    Angie hesitated and then pulled out the keys that one of the guards had handed to her. She went to


    each cell and unlocked the gates, stepping back and allowing the shifters to pass through.


    One by one they emerged from their cells. They looked cautious and mistrusting and I raised my


    hands. There is no trick You¡¯re free to go. All I ask is that you consider my offer. It¡¯s not really an offer


    actually. It¡¯s a request Help us put a stop to


    the wat


    I watched with bated breath as a few shifters approached me. Angie put her hand to the de at her


    side but halted her with nce. The doorst shifter, a young girl barely taller than I was walked up to me


    and looked me in the eye


    Theld her pase and fer expression changed from confusion to anger to exhaustion ¡°I won¡¯t fight in your


    war,¡± she said


    partly ¡°I am und of wars but you have my gratitude and I wish you the best. Perhaps the Bielke has


    some hope after all *


    me out of the door. As soon as she pibed out the rut and no


    tin came to her, others rxed


    KS59%


    enough to follow after.


    My shoulders slumped as 1 watched them leave. I was disappointed but I couldn¡¯t me them for their


    decision. They had gone up against the Tally once before and they had failed. Who was I to ask them


    to do it again? Furthermore, they had been imprisoned by the Bielke, I doubted they were very thrilled


    at the idea of defending our pack now.


    I epted that my n had failed and looked up at Angie. She shrugged as the final shifter left. ¡°It was


    worth a try,¡± she said quietly. ¡°We should get back.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more person I need to see,¡± I said and tread past her to stand in front of the cell that held


    the ex-elder council member who had tried to take me hostage.


    He looked up at me grimly. ¡°So it¡¯s that dire of a situation is it?¡± he muttered ¡°Asking our assants for


    help. And where is Ignatius? How can he send his pregnant wife to do such dangerous work for him¡±


    ¡°Ignatius is doing his best to protect his pack.¡± I said coldly. ¡°He¡¯s on his way back right now. And he


    didn¡¯t send me here, I chose toe here myself.


    I stared him down and took the keys from Angie¡¯s hand. ¡°Will you fight?¡±


    He looked me up and down and then examined his open palms pping them to his knees he stood


    up and clicked his back. ¡°Of course, I will. The Bielke are still my people after all.¡±


    I nodded and unlocked his cell. Angie kept a close eye on him and he stepped out from between the


    bars but I knew he wouldn¡¯t try to pull anything.


    His ideals were n ted and old-fashioned, but he did care about the Bielke. His family was a part of


    the battle after all we didn¡¯t have the luxury of excluding anyone. We needed fighters, and this man was


    willing to fight.


    It wasn¡¯t much but it was something, and I was reassured that our detour hadn¡¯t been aplete waste


    of time. My eyes widened however when we stepped out of the building and at least ten of the shifters


    who had been imprisoned stood waiting outside.


    Amongst them was the girl who had been the first to leave. I raised my eyebrows and Angie bared her


    teeth, but she lifted her hands in surrender.


    ¡°Look, we thought it over and maybe you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t like the Bielke and I sure as hell am not going


    toy down my life for you. But the Tally needs to be stopped before they can cause any more damage.


    She came to stand before me and lifted her chin. ¡°If we join you, if we fight for your people, can you


    promise me that no harm wille to us after the battle is over!¡±


    I met her gaze evenly. ¡°When the battle is done you will be free to go and the Bielke will never bother


    you again.¡±


    She stared me down for a moment, searching my eyes for any trace of a lie. When she was satisfied


    with what she found there, she nodded and gestured for the other shifters to follow as we led them over


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    to Gideon¡¯s van. They mbered into the back and pulled the doors shut, waiting to get going.


    1 climbed back into the passenger seat and looked at Angie. Hends were shaking and she seemed


    as nervous as ever but there was a hint of excitement in her voice. ¡°We might have a chance, she


    whispered. ¡°We might actually have a chance


    I leaned back in the seat and folded my hands over my stomach. ¡°We¡¯re the Bielke,¡± I said casually.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going down without a fight¡±


    -Ignatius


    ¡°Can¡¯t this thing go any faster? I pounded my fist against the interior of the van. ¡°My mate is alone out


    there, she needs


    ¡°Calm down. Ignatius.¡±


    Carly put a hand on my shoulder to calm me and to gave me ja half-smile that he must have thought


    wasforting.


    1:02 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon. There¡¯s no point in losing your mind over it now.


    I leaned back against the grimy floor and closed my eyes. I knew she was right but I was restless. Tor


    tossed and turned in my chest, desperate to reach my mate, to protect her. The thought of Johan


    inching ever closer was terrifying and it made my heart pound too quickly in my chest.


    ¡°We¡¯re going into this battle outnumbered and without support. I said quietly. I turned to look at my


    team. ¡°Are you read for that?


    They stared back at me. There was determination in their eyes despite their fatigue.


    I sighed. ¡°I know I¡¯ve already asked too much of you. But I have to ask a little more now,¡±


    Carly spoke first, wiping ash and blood from her face. ¡°It¡¯s alright Ignatius. We knew what we were


    getting into when we agreed to this mission. You have our support to the very end.¡±


    I smiled at her to show my appreciation and nodded at the others who confirmed her words.


    I turned to look at to who had fallen silent and sat with his knees curled up to his chin. ¡°As for you,


    you¡¯ve already helped us more than you needed to. You had no reason to trust us, let alone help us as


    much as you have.¡±


    He brushed my thank-yous aside like it embarrassed him to beplimented. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If it


    wasn¡¯t for you guys I would still be chained up to that pole or worse.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of that. I continued, offering him my hand to shaket thank you for everything that you¡¯ve


    done. And with that being said, this isn¡¯t your war and the Bielke are not your people. You¡¯re free to


    leave us whenever you wish.¡±


    to looked at my hand for a moment. When he took it, he didn¡¯t shake it but rather pulled me into a


    quick embrace. He pulled away just as quickly and patted my shoulder with a grin.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m short on friends right now and you all seem great. And besides, 1 kinda feel like I yed a


    small part in sending Johan loopy in the first ce, so I think it¡¯s only fair that I stick around for a little


    longer and help out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to do that¡±


    I tried to protest but to brushed my words aside. ¡°In fact, I think I might be able to help you a little


    more,¡± he said and looked around at the other shifters. ¡°Anyone here got a phone?¡±


    They exchanged confused nces and then one of them dug in the dirty duffle bag that we had


    brought with us and pulled out an old flip phone to hand to him


    to swiped it from the guy¡¯s fingers and flipped it open. ¡°Retro,¡± he said before dialing a number and


    putting the phone to


    his car


    He looked up at me with a smile on his ash-streaked face. ¡°Now let¡¯s get you guys some backup.¡±


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Angie¡¯s face was grim when she looked at me in the flickering firelight.


    ¡°No,¡± I said calmly as I secured my iron de at my hip. It slipped snuggly into the small leather sheath


    and I was confident in my ability to wield it like it was an extension of myself. ¡°But I don¡¯t have a choice.


    The Bielke need their Luna now more


    than ever.


    ¡°The twins¡­¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to finish her sentence. I knew the risk I was taking. Running head-on into battle was


    one thing, gearing to fight monsters while carrying two children inside of me raised the stakes


    exponentially.


    But as I said, I had no other choice. Ignatius was still some way away and we were out of time. If we


    withheld our forces any longer the Tally would be upon us. We needed to strike while they were still


    making their way out of the Southern woods. It was our only chance to gain the upper hand before the


    fight had even begun.


    We were almost ready to set out. Angie went off to find Gideon and Fae for onest group huddle


    before we departed. I wrapped my arms around Rita who was preparing to leave with the children and


    elderly to the far side of our turf.


    ¡°Be careful, Dorothy,¡± she had whispered to me as I buried my face in her soft shawl. ¡°It¡¯s not just your


    life on the line now.¡±


    ¡°I know I hugged her tightly, a small remnant of my true family that I hade to care for a great deal.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be okay. Once this is all over. I¡¯ll be seeing you again Rita. I promise.¡±


    Despite my determination, I was unable to fight the small ni ggling fear that I may never see the kind of


    caretaker again. I swallowed the ache in my throat and pulled away from the embrace. ¡°Thank you for


    everything. Rita. I couldn¡¯t have gotten this far without you. You gave me a second chance at life and


    for that, I can¡¯t thank you enough¡±


    Rita shook her head and dismissed my gratitude. ¡°I did what any mother would do. Just promise me


    you¡¯lle back alive. You and the two younglings inside of you¡±


    Unable to speak anymore for fear of revealing my turmoil, I could only nod and turn away, brushing


    away tears that pooled on myshes and threatened to trickle down my flushed cheeks.


    Rita stood quietly, watching me leave. I turned back for onest nce and she raised a wizened hand


    in solemn farewell. I hurried away to join the circle of elders at the spearhead of our young jostling


    army, Iron nked and wolves growled as the crowd grew restless in their need to act.


    Amongst the shifters I spotted the girl from the cells as well as the few others she had rallied to her


    side. Her eyestched with mine and she nodded to me. I dipped my head in return and continued


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    scanning the crowd.


    I didn¡¯t even know her name. She had been forced into a war, and then imprisoned for days, and yet


    she was still willing to fight to protect the ones she loved. I knew there were countless more just like her


    among the swarms of shifters that stood before me.


    I also spotted Angie. She was organizing members into different groups, keeping everyone in ce


    and organized. I noted Far watching her from where she stood at Gideon¡¯s side. Fae¡¯s eyes tracked


    Angie¡¯s every movement, mapped out her face like she wanted to devote it to memory


    I had my suspicions long ago that Fae saw Angle as more than just a close friend. I hoped she would


    be alive after the battle to finally speak those words to her in person.


    When Angie finally shouldered her way through the masses to stund with me at the front of the army, I


    turned to address the crowd. My voice sounded small and inconsequential over the roar of the fires and


    the stormy tension that hung over our heads like a tangible entity.


    ¡°Ignatius is on his way,¡± I struggled to make my voice boom the way I had seen others do. ¡°But we can¡¯t


    afford to wait any longer. You all know what it is you have to do, we have a n and we have our


    armor.


    |


    Eh, Jan 26


    ¡°We had your support during the takeover of the elder council. Task for your support now. Tonight we


    put an end to this feud once and for all The Bielke will not go down without a fight.¡±


    My voice was wary but my words were enough to spur them on. A roar of support erupted from the


    crowd and armor was ttered in solidarity. With that, I nodded to Angle and she raised her hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move out!¡±


    There was a passionate cry that filled the air that eventually evolved into howls as every shifter


    contorted and morphed into an army of heavily armored wolves. Wolves of every shade and color


    stood shaking their furry heads and snarling in preparation for the attack.


    Angie and I followed suit. Before I shifted, however, I performed the same stance that I had attempted


    earlier. Focusing all of my energy on my palms and cing them on my stomach, I formed a glowing


    cocoon around the children in my womb


    Keeping up this ritual would drain me of energy at a much faster rate, but it was the only way to ensure


    that my children. would be protected at all costs. No matter what happened to me, they would be safe


    in their shimmering nket woven from years of my own life. I didn¡¯t worry too much about that. Iwas


    protecting my own. I dad what any good mother would


    do


    When I was sure that the flow of energy around my belly would not be disrupted when I turned my


    attention away. I crouched down and shifted into the graceful form of my supple white wolf


    Rence was a stormy presence in my head. All of her previous lives had prepared her for this moment


    and she bestowed upan me the courage to be the level-headed, confident Luma that my people


    needed.


    She and I became one being, our minds aligned and our bodies moved with purpose and drive. With a


    howl that echoed around the area and rose up towards the moon, we set off, running through the dark


    to meet our enemies. The Bielke Pack. my people, followed close behind.


    After running for some time, we were finally able to see the hilltop that markets the Southern border.


    Just over that hill, the Tally would be approaching. I increased my galt, running full tilt to reach the top


    of the steep incline, and stood alert. staring down into the valley below.


    Thest of the clouds passed over the moon and then dispersed in the dark sky. Silver moonlight


    poured over the area and lit up the valley in an unearthly glow.


    I scanned the shadows of the forest beyond the valley and was just able to make out the enemy as


    they approach. They emerged from the trees like shadows themselves,rge hulking creatures that


    were neither man nor beast but something monstrous caught between the two.


    They slunk out of the darkness and approached the open in. Their movements were stilted and


    unnatural, their yellow eyes flickered like candle mes in the dark.


    All of my natural instincts were repelled by the sight of them. Every cell of my Luna blood screamed for


    me to eradicate them from my territory before they had a chance to embed themselves in the earth and


    grow like alien seeds and unwanted weeds that would choke the verynd we were there to protect.


    I discovered that I was able to do something that I hadn¡¯t managed before. Every Alpha was able to


    broadcast his thoughts and orders to every member of his pack, although Ignatius shied away from it


    until it was absolutely necessary.


    I was told that it was possible, but rare, for a Luna to manage this too. However, at that moment,


    without fully intending to my voice rang out inside the minds of every member that stood behind me.


    I would never be able to understand whether it was truly me speaking, or it Renee had spoken through


    me. Perhaps it was abination of the both of us. We had a goal so mutual that it allowed us to


    intertwine our minds in order to achieve it. And that goal was to keep the Tally away from our pack, to


    chase them back to the forests they crawled from.


    I understood by then, that not all of these people might be my enemy, but I did not have the luxury of


    giving any shatter on the battlefield the bench of the doubt.


    Regardless of what each individual¡¯s anotivation was, the witch¡¯s blood had turned these people into


    beings who could not be reasound with. We would not be able to let any of them seed in their attack


    and therefore, we had to ept that nighting was our only option.


    11:02 Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°We stand as one,¡± my voice speared through the minds of my people. ¡°We have one chance to win


    this battle. I believe in all of you


    With that, we began to move. Instead of spilling down over the hill in one unit and meeting the Tally on


    even ground, we had an alternative n. Two factions of shifters broke away and began running to the


    left and right of the hill.


    They dispersed into the forest on either side and began their approach in secrecy, I watched as a slew


    of shifters scurried through the trees on either side of me.


    The goal was to form two lines around the Tally, to slink through the woods they exited from, and to


    round up behind them. The rest of the shifters and I would attack from the front.


    Altogether, we would manage to circle the Tally army, trap them in the open area and use the iron


    armor to repel them into a tight formation. It would be easy pickings from there, assuming we could


    hold a tight circle around them for long enough to take them down


    While those shifters raced through the woods, the rest of us began our descent down the face of the hill


    I scanned the lines of approaching Tally shifters for Johan, but I could not decipher any recognizable


    features from any of the insidious beings.


    With a vicious howl, 1 led the rest of my any down the hill. A guttural cry of war rose from the Tally and


    they too began to charge full pelt ahead into the open clearing.


    It was as if time itself slowed down and I was able to watch the Tallys approach in great detail. I could


    hear every loud thump of my heart and every padded step as my paws met with the soft earth and


    propelled me forward,


    hellish


    Along with each resonating beat, I could hear the ominous loud echo of a ticking clock. I was reminded


    of the many nightmares that I had endured over time. I realized that, just as had suspected, Johan and


    I were still connected somehow, and the ticking in my head was no doubt ringing clear in his own mind


    too.


    It was a countdown of sorts, the final minutes before the Tally army would reach my own. The first set


    of teeth would sh and all hell would break loose.


    I kept my eyes straight ahead and I was finally able to see him. That hulking b*dy that moved faster


    than its weight should have allowed. Piercing yellow eyes that were once so soft and gentle. I knew


    that he had seen me too


    §ê§å


    He wasing straight at me like a true lethal predator. His eyes locked onto mine and promised


    death. I did not let step falter. All of my training had prepared me for this moment. Everything I had


    endured had steeled me to stare back into


    eyes of the man 1 had once been fated to love. The clock kept up its ceaseless slow ticking


    Counting down from three.


    Two.


    One.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    -Angie-


    Fae and I led a group of shifters to the right as our ranks began to split. We rushed through the trees,


    keeping low to the ground and moving swiftly through the dark. It was a n that, if executed well


    enough, would give us a fighting chance against the Tally.


    That knowledge did nothing however to calm the terror in my chest at the thought of Dorothy. She was


    out there, right the front of our ranks, taking the heinous shifters head-on.


    1 wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her from where I was. I could only hope that she would hold out long


    enough for me to be able to seek her out, cover her back when things turned ugly.


    Fae was running at my side. She must have sensed my unease because she nudged her head against


    my shoulder as we sped through the shadows. It was a slightfort, knowing that she was by my


    side. I knew I could trust Fae to have my back. always.


    Somewhere to the left of the hill, Gideon was leading the other group through the forest on that side.


    The n was to meet in the middle, on the other side of the Tally army after Dorothy and her group had


    coaxed them out of the woods and into the open. From there, we would close in. I listened intently for


    any sign of Gideon and his troops rounding the other side of


    the forest.


    Through the trees I was able to steal quick nces at the Tally shifters who strode forwards, unaware


    of our members closing in all around them. My heart clenched painfully when I glimpsed Dorothy at the


    top of the hill.


    Her white wolf was bathed in moonlight, almost ethereal as she stood there, looking down over the


    approaching enemy Silverlight glinted off of her armor and tinted her f¨¹r with a shimmering glow.


    At that moment she looked invincible, something more than just flesh and blood. But I knew that she


    was just as vulnerable as the rest of us, if not more. I wanted to abandon the mission and run to her


    side, to guard her against the oing attack. But that would do nothing to help us. All I could do was


    focus on the n and pray that she would be safe.


    Her howl echoed through the night and reached my pri cked cars. I wanted to howl with her, to warn the


    enemy that death woulde to anyone who touched her. But we had to move silently, one slip up and


    our fighting chance would be dashed.


    Up ahead I picked up Gideon¡¯s scent. He and his team were nearby and getting closer, which meant


    we were almost on the other side of the battle. I heard the roar of the Tally shifters and the thudding


    echos of wolves lumbering across thend.


    Perhaps one of the most unnatural, uncanny things about the Tally shifters, was how they were able to


    look like wolves. But they possessed none of the qualities of wolves despite their appearances.


    They had sacrificed grace for brute strength, speed for power, and natural instincts for insatiable rage.


    They had tarnished the very nature of their wolf spirits. So much so that I wondered how their inner


    wolves had allowed for things toe to this in the first ce.


    I recalled Moirah¡¯s words, her musings over the seemingly dead bird in her study so very long ago.


    Nature is meant to be tampered with


    1 didn¡¯t think that was true, but she had clearly stuck by her word all this time. Nature had indeed been


    tampered with, and the results were horrifying


    I was shaken from my thoughts by the sound of beings approaching through the trees in front of us.


    Gideon¡¯s scent filled my nose and I guided my team towards where he seemed to be heading


    We were supposed to have met up with them already, I was sure of it, but I was beginning to feel


    disorientated. Gideon¡¯s scent was nearby, but there was something odd about it, something that didn¡¯t


    feel right. The sound of wolves nearby was off too somehow. The steps were heavier, slower than that


    of an agile young Bielke shifter.


    I pressed on, with my team at my back, following the sound of bodies moving through the trees. I


    wondered if Gideon had strayed off course somehow but that should have been impossible. Gideon


    knew this part of the woods better than both Fae


    and I put together


    Even on a dark night with only his nose to guide him. Gideon never got lost. Why then was he so off


    course now? And where was the scent of the rest of his train? I could hear multiple sets of footsteps in


    the brush but only Gideon¡¯s scent was present in the aut


    By the time I realized what was happening, it was far toote. I dug my paws into the fresh earth


    beneath me, screeching to at hault and growling for my team to do the same. The other sets of


    lumbering footsteps slowed down and the trees just ahead


    of me rustled


    Through the dins light. I was able to make out Gideon. He was n*ked, in human form and he seemed to


    be hovering just above the ground. Far beside me began a deep suspicious growl and I watched as


    Gideon¡¯s head lolled to the side. His eyes were wide open and empty.


    Everything was silent for a moment, and then the Tally shifter that held Gideon¡¯s b*dy in the air tossed


    him to the side as Live giant shifters stepped into the dappled moonlight.


    -Dorothy-


    The battle erupted into chaos with the sound of shing bodies and gnashing teeth. Howls broke out


    into the clear night and echoed around the opennd. Wolves shed past me in a blur and every


    shifter found themselves caught in a whirlwind of violent thrashing


    Rather than going straight for me as I had expected him to, Johan instead leaped clean over me,


    choosing instead to sink his teeth to the Bielke shifter than ran behind me.


    I turned fast enough to lose my footing and rolled in the grass, climbing back to my feet effortlessly and


    changing my direction to throw myself, snarling, onto Jn¡¯s Large rippling back.


    My efforts were futile, however, as he broke the shifter¡¯s neck with one shake of his massive head and


    immediately rolled to the side in an attempt to throw me off, almost crushing me under the weight of


    hint.


    I barely had time to regain my bearings when he was gone again, inclted into the swarm of grappling


    wolves. He was. avosding me on purpose, he was leaving me forst. He wanted me to watch as they


    tore my people apart.


    I hoveled my frustrations as he slipped from view. Trying to go after him was difficult as more shifters


    fell to the floor in front of me, starling and tearing into each other, and blocked my path. Johan


    disappeared into the kirked-up dust that swirled around us. I saw hus yellow eyes linger on me for a


    moment before he was gone


    The battle around me was loud and overwhelming. It was difficult to determuse friend from foe. The


    only inkling of who was to be trusted was the from armor that our members donned Scents gelled


    together and the smell of sweat and blood filled my head and made it ditheult is breathe,


    I swung around in circles, evading shifters that barreled towards me and dodging the many grappling


    bodies that skirmished around me. It was clear that we were no match for the Tally¡¯s brute strength


    The Tally was quick to realize, however, that something was very wrong. The iron armor did its job well


    and agonizing howls broke out from the giant boasts as the iron came into contact with their fur and


    skin and singedrge wounds into their flesh. They were confused, animalistic as they thrashed and


    backed away from the armored wolves.


    A nearby roar had me turning quickly as another Tally shifterunched itself at me. His jaws were


    foaming and stretched. wide open and I narrowly missed a nasty bite to the neck. I darted out of the


    way and turned to face the rabid shifter.


    He tried to attack again but was repelled by the armor and sta ggered backward, shaking his head to


    clear the ringing that was no doubt going off like a siren inside of his skull. I used the opportunity to run


    circles around him, confusing him even more as the iron armor continued to mess with his


    He howled in frustration and tried tosh out at where he thought I would dart next but missed me by a


    hair¡¯s breadth. In his disorientated state he was unable to attack and I used the opportunity to shift


    momentarily.


    I had gotten much better at the transformation thanks to my training and I was finally able to do it


    effortlessly at a moment¡¯s notice without much pain in my limbs. In human form. I slipped the iron de


    from its health and swiped a crimson line


    vat a


    11:02 Fri, Jan 26


    across the shifter¡¯s chest


    He threw himself to the floor, rolling in agony as the iron took effect and traveled through his b*dy,


    poisoning every cell as it went. I didn¡¯t have time to mourn the stranger or revel in my sess before


    more Tally shifters approached. Morphing back to wolf was easy enough and I slid the de back into


    its sheath as I did so.


    Panic rose in my throat when I realized I was surrounded. Four Tally wolves stalked around me, giving


    me and my iront armor a wide berth but still refusing to let me escape. It was impossible to keep my


    eyes on all of them at once and I swung my head from side to side in a frantic jerky motion as they


    waited for the perfect moment to strike.


    One of them tried to hurch at me from behind and I dodged quickly. I felt their b*dy nce off of the


    armor on my back and they yelped as the iron burned a red hot brand on their skin. They rejoined the


    others and they continued their circling. low growls growing more and more threatening as they were


    riled up.


    Where were the other two teams? They should have reached the other side of the clearing by now.


    They were meant to have exited the forest behind the Tally in an attempt to corral them into a tight


    circle.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    The two teams were nowhere to be seen and we were in desperate need of backup. Looking around


    me, I realized that the iron armor would not be enough. Some of the Tally shifters were so manic with


    adrenaline and whatever other witchcraft flowed through their veins that they didn¡¯t seem to care about


    the devastating effects of the iron armor.¡ª


    They ravaged our members regardless of the fatal injuries they endured. They were sealing their own


    deaths which were good for us but they were taking down too many of our own with them.


    We couldn¡¯t hold out much longer on our own. Without the other two teams, we had no hope of winning


    this battle.


    The four wolves began closing in and I growled a clear warning. This didn¡¯t seem to bother them at all


    and all four of them chose to attack at once. I steeled myself to fight to the death but thankfully, those


    snapping bites that I braced myself for


    never c um me.


    Three of our own wolves darted out of the chaos and threw themselves at the attacking shifters. I


    repelled the fourth final Tally with the armor on my back.


    They crashed into me at full force and sent me flying across the dirt but they didn¡¯t manage to cause


    any injury asi knocking the air out of my lungs. I curled myself around my stomach as 1 fell, determined


    to protect my children at


    When I got to my feet, the three wolves that had saved me made light work of the remaining shifters.


    In human form, they drew des of their own and I was able to recognize the girl from the cells. Her


    eyes met mine as she brought her de to the exposed neck of a Tally shifter that had been caught


    mid-shift. Blood sprayed from the wound and she dropped him to the ground in a gory mess of fir and


    blood and singed skin.


    I had no time to thank her before more wolves were upon us. It was as if they were appearing out of


    nowhere.


    I snapped my teeth at a shifter that attempted to grapple me into a death grip and looked around once


    more.


    ¡°Angie,¡± I called out in my mind, hoping somehow to hear a response. ¡°Angie, where are you?¡±


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    -Angie-


    Fac¡¯s howl was loud at my shoulder as Gideon¡¯s lifeless b*dy fell to the floor. I stared down at him for a


    moment before shaking my head and growling at the Tally shifter standing before us.


    There was no time to mourn, no time to grasp the fact that one of my closest Inends was dead at my


    feet. Far was stunned, her cries were loud enough to drown out the sound of battle that echoed from


    beyond the treeline.


    Thest time I had seen Gideon he had waved to me from the other side of our army. His boyish grin


    had been afort even from afar. I couldn¡¯t recall what was said thest time we had spoken. I


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    couldn¡¯t remember if I had told him that cared. Had he known how much he meant to us?


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the Tally shifter¡¯s voice was a strained, gravelly sound. It scratched across my brain like nails


    on a chalkboard, ¡°But you¡¯re down ten members. It wasn¡¯t too difficult. They didn¡¯t even see using¡±


    His yellow teeth glinted in the moonlight and his face twisted into an eerie unsettling smile. We had


    been tricked. They were masking their scent and using Gideon¡¯s to lure us deeper into the forest, away


    from the battle. Away from Dorothy.


    I wanted tounch myself at his throat. My anguish tightened my chest and I pulled my lips back over


    sharpened fangs as I snarled at the evil being before me. We had to think quickly.


    There were ten of us and five of them. They may have taken Gideon¡¯s team by surprise but they got co


    cky. They had lured us away but chose to reveal themselves. That was a mistake on their part. We


    would not go down so easily.


    Fae¡¯s agonized cries told me that she was more than ready to fight. I knew she was hurting just as


    much as I was. We had gone into this battle knowing that we might lose people, but we weren¡¯t ready


    for it all the same.


    I growled for my team to stand at the ready. We were all rearing to fight, thering at the mase by the


    time the Tally shiftersunched themselves at us. We fought to avenge our fallen members. I fought for


    Gideon and as much as I would allow myself to ept it. I fought for Dorothy too.


    -Dorothy-


    I gained a nasty sh to the hind leg from the Tally shifter that rounded me. It was another she-wolf like


    me, only much bigger with fur the color of charcoal and ash She was faster than the others, more


    focused and streamlined with her attacks.


    While the other shifters I had faced were ready to throw themselves headfirst at their victim, this wolf


    was calcting and precise with her attacks. That coupled with her insane strength was a dangerous


    I tested my weight on the injured leg that had begun to bleed profusely, wincing as a sharp pain shot


    through my limbs when I stepped too heavily. Things weren¡¯t looking good for us. There were too many


    of them, and our backup teams were still nowhere in sight.


    I tried to stay focused, to figure out where we had gone wrong. Something must have happened to the


    teams in the woods. Could the Tally have predicted our attack? Or maybe they had backup soldiers


    stationed within the woods to ensure no one would be able to escape.


    Either way, we were outnumbered and our ranks were dwindling at an rming rate. It was only thanks


    to Rence that 1 remained unaffected by the carnage around me. I could not afford to be appalled by the


    sights of violence and bloodshed. All I could do was try desperately to stay alive and take down as


    many Tally as possible in the process.


    The charcoal she wolf tried another attack, this time her fangs sliced at my nk, aiming for the break in


    my armor and tearing my side to ribbons and staining my white fur a deep shade of crimson. I howled


    at the sharp sting of her teeth. The pain was made worse by my own salty sweat that caked my b*dy


    Afternding her attack, she darted away once again and I roared at her, limping on my three good legs


    as my b*dy tried to heal itself. All the while I knew I was slowly draining my energy away, all of my


    lifeforce pouring into the glowing nket that was wrapped around my children in my womb. No matter


    what happened, no harm woulde to my children. I


    |


    Fn, Jan 26


    wouldn¡¯t allow it


    The she wolf seemed to sense the twins too. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she examined my stomach


    which I tried to hide from her by shying my b*dy away.


    A new, primal instinct took over when I realized that she intended to go for my children. Both Rener and


    I fumed with anger and 1 bared my teeth ma herce snarl. She could try. She wouldn¡¯t get very far. I


    would make sure of it.


    And try she did. She propelled herself forwards at unnatural speeds. When she feigned to the left I


    anticipated her attack and met her head-on when she instead lunged to the right. I locked my jaws


    around her neck and hit down with every ounce


    of force Lamuld muster


    She backed up and struggled under my grasp as she tried to thitiw me off but I would have none of it.


    She was purposefully targeting my children, and that was as cruel as it was unforgivable


    It was a brutal fight, and the she wolf managed tond a few deep w marks into my skin before I


    finally took her down. pressed my iron armor close to her skin and held her in ce, my fury overtaking


    me as I grappled with therger woll


    She howled when the won burned into her skin and tried to pull away from me with no sess. I was


    seething with rage and my adrenaline granted me strength that I wasn¡¯t aware Thadd. After much


    grappling and tearing until the grass beneath us became shick with blood, the she-wolf began to falter


    as the iron took effect.


    She released one final earsplitting howl and then fell still. Inded on top of her as her b*dy copsed


    and the iron spread poison through her system. I kept my jaws tightly locked until her final twitching had


    subsided. After a few more shakes to ensure I had truly seeded, 1 stepped back, mortifed at what I


    had done.


    H ooked around me at the fighting that continued Howls punctuated the air and blended into onerge


    echo like the earth herself was mourning at the blood that soaked into the soil. Above the writhing


    bodies and shing teeth, I could see the moon, glinting down at me from her seat in the sky.


    It looked so peaceful up there. If I kept my eyes up, kept my head craned high enough, I was able to


    block out the chaos around me entirely and instead stared up at the tranquil night sky that seemed so


    far out of reach.


    Sull, the moon glinted back at me. I wondered what we looked like to her. A mess of bodies writhing on


    the surface of the earth blur of fur and teeth, ws and iron.


    My heart was beating so fast I could hear the blood rushing in my head, enveloping me in a haze that


    made it difficult to think. Frouldn¡¯t hear lenatius. I couldn¡¯t hear anyone.


    The scuffling around me became a muted drone as I swayed on my feet. The taste of poisoned blood


    in my mouth.


    1 knew my b*dy was Tailing: I couldn¡¯t keep up my protective flow of energy around my infants for


    much longer. We had to put an end to this quickly. With the help of Renee, I pulled myself from my


    dissociative stupor, flinching as I came back to the loud and overwhelming chaos of reality.


    I forced myself to remember what I was fighting for. Who I was fighting for. I cleared my head with the


    remainder of my goal of the one true enemy I had to face.


    Amidst the brutality of the battle that raged around me. I scanned the grounds for Johan. I knew he had


    to be close by and I was determined to face him myself. It was time to put an end to this feud that had


    kick-started the day Johan ran out of that vi mito the snow


    Even before that, at was an inevitable battle that began the day 1 awoke on my eighteenth birthday and


    set out to and my true mute. None of us could have foreseen the events that would follow. None of us


    could have prepared for the countless lives that would be lost for the sake of vengeance,


    How could I have known what Johan would be? There was no point in grieving over the way


    things turned out. It was matter of fate unfolding and we all had no choice but to go along with it and to


    respond to whatever consequences care of


    I finally spotted Johan some way off. He must have sensed me ton because he lifted his eyes from


    where he was in the process of taking down one of my members. Hissed as our eyes met and I took off


    towards him ignoring the searing pain


    Fri, Jan 26


    that shot through my hind leg.


    My fur was more red than white at that point, dirtied by both my blood and that of the Tally. I was a


    warning sign, a reckoning to therge shifter who I had once called my mate.


    Johan watched my approach with a nk expression on his dirt-streaked face. No inkling of the man I


    used to know was still present behind those putrid, yellow eyes. He was a shell of a shifter, a monster


    fueled by rage and a desire for unjustifiable


    revenge.


    He dropped the lifeless b*dy of the Bielke shifter that he had caught in his sh aggy jaws. The young s


    soldier dropped to the floor, wide empty eyes forever frozen in a look of pure terror. No doubt his final


    moments had not been pleasant ones.


    This only spurred me on, fury burning through my veins at what Johan had done to my people. To my


    new family. I finally understood his n. It wasn¡¯t enough to take me down alone. He didn¡¯t just want


    my life. He wanted to take everything from me, everything that I had fought for and aplished.


    He wanted to take everyone that I cared about. He was willing to go through anyone to do this. He had


    proven himself a heartless killer, and I would fight him to my veryst breath. I was fueled not by


    vengeance, but a deep desire to save my pack.


    My new Luna status hade with more than just credit to my name and a fancy house. I had been


    granted the strength of both b*dy and mind. It was only right that I used these gifts to protect the people


    who had epted me as their queen in the first ce.


    John watched my approach, rooted to the spot. Right before I could reach him, however, he turned and


    darted away again. This time I wouldn¡¯t let him get away. I howled a warning, a death toll as I followed


    him. Hisrge wolf form sped across the clearing in a blur, spinning and dodging the shing wolves


    around me, I followed close on his tail.


    I paused only when Johan disappeared into the woods and I finally understood his intentions. In the


    woods I was vulnerable. There was no one to protect me, no space to fight freely. It would just be me


    and Johan


    Two individuals who had once shared an intimate connection. That connection was forever tarnished. I


    understood then, that there would be no going back. Not now, not ever.


    I took a deep breath, nced back at my soldiers who fought valiantly against our enemy. I sent a final


    loving thought to Ignatius who was out there somewhere, fighting to get back to me. I was unsure if he


    would make it in time.


    I steeled my nerves and then followed the monstrous shifter into the darkness of the forest.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Try as Tmight, I was unable to reachi Dorothy through our mind link. Hud no way of knowing if she was


    safe or not.


    We were close to the battle by then. Will had the van streeching to a halt on the Southern border, just


    outside of the forest where the haule raged beyond. Lused the Alpha mind-link to reach out for Angie


    instead, hoping that she would be able to tell me exactly where Dorothy was and if she was alright.


    If the fighting was going down to the South of our territory, it cally made sense that her and the other


    members who could not fight would be somewhere to the North of the war. Why then, could I not hear


    her?


    ¡°Angie¡±


    Least my mind out and was able to hear the tumultuous thoughts of my pack as they fought against the


    Tally soldiers. Things dain¡¯t seem to be going very well. They neededackup immediately. Things it


    seemed, had not gone ording to n


    ¡°Angie¡± I tried again, more desperate this time as we climbed out of the back of the stinking van. ¡°Can


    you hear me?¡±


    to and the others had all healed well enough to light again. My wounds were still aching slightly but


    it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to keep me from joining the light. No injury would keep me away from


    protecting my people. I had been gone too long already. They needed me.


    Imally, I got response from Angie who sounded frantic and confused. She had never felt me in her mind


    before. It was something I was able to do as an Alpha but chose not on. Delving into someone¡¯s mind


    is a very pe rvonal affair that | reserved for only my mate


    But the situation was dire and I needed to know what was going on. Angie spoke through her mind and


    I felt her fear from af¨¹r. ¡°Ignatius? Ignatius, where are you? We need backup. They ambushed us, we


    can¡¯t hold out much longer. Gideon.¡±


    ¡°Slow down,¡± I tried to keep my toe calm, to not reveal to her the fear and panic that I felt in my own


    chest. ¡°Where exactly are you? What¡¯s going on over there?


    ¡°We had a n¡± her thoughts and words tumbled over one another as she spoke to me. I realized she


    was fighting as we spoke, somewhere out there in the trees she was wrestling with Tally shifter.


    They took down one of our teams and now they¡¯reing for us. The rest of the pack is out on the


    open field fighting them head-on. But we don¡¯t have the numbers. Without the element of surprise we¡¯re


    done for


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way. I swallowed hard ¡°Where¡¯s Durothy? Is she sale?¡±


    ¡°Safe?!¡± Angie¡¯s voice betrayed her guilt. ¡°No, she¡¯s not f ucking safe. Im so sorry Ignatius. She


    insisted, I couldn¡¯t exactly make her stay behind.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± My fingers shook as I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Angie, where is Dorothy!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the middle of it. She led the army down into battle herself, I haven¡¯t been able to find her


    since.


    I was already shifting as I answered her. Tor burst out of me with a vehement howl. Now everyone


    would know that the Alpha was back. Dorothy needed to know that I was back, that she was going to


    be okay. Wherever she was


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way, Angie, Just hold on, okay? We have a n.¡± I dared towards the trees and to, along


    with my new friends followed suit. ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    -Dorothy-


    The deeper 1 tread into the forest the quieter it became. Even the shimmering beams of the moonlight


    above my head wasn¡¯t able to pierce through the darkness of the forest. The trees clustered overhear


    and sealed off the sound of the raging


    Not a single breath of wind blew through the woods. The air was still and muggy, ufortably hot


    even in the depths of winter. I could hear my own padding footsteps, the crunch of dead leaves


    underfoot, and nothing else.


    No creature stirred in the shadows, it was as if they had all caught wind of the battle and chose to get


    as far away from the cursed area as possible. My natural instincts were telling me to do the same But


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    still, I pressed on through the dark.. following the faint scent of Johan¡¯s deceased flesh. No hint of that


    ci nnamon and treebark of his old fragrance remained.


    The man I stalked was a stranger to me, something so unfamiliar in everything but name. I stepped


    cautiously, straining to see in the inky ckness. It was as if some giant creature lurked in the forest


    and enveloped the trees in its dark folds.


    1 became aware of the odd sensation of deja vu. I had been here before, I had visited this dark hellhole


    countless times over in my dreams. I had been stalked through the woods by a creature I couldn¡¯t


    name, I remembered the gaping jaws, the needle-sharp teeth that awoke me from my nightmares over


    and over aggrin.


    Only this time, I wasn¡¯t dreaming. And the only thing awaiting me after those jaws supped shut was a


    painful death. I was on high alert, stepping slowly and carefully as I went along. All the while I was


    aware of Jn, somewhere beyond my line of vision, waiting for his moment to strike.


    We could sense cach other, more so than just with scent alone. It was like we were inside each others


    heads. I could feel him probing into my mind, feeding off of the stricken fear he found here.


    I in turn could feel his own evil thoughts. I glimpsed into the dark wold that was Johan¡¯s mind and it


    proved darker than the woods that I crept through. It was an infectious darkness, a numb, cold empty


    space.


    It seeped into my bones and made me falter in my step. I was afraid. I feared for my own life and that of


    my children. I was afraid for my pack and for my friends who were out there somewhere in the silent


    woods. I feared for my mate who would pot survive another brutal loss.


    Beneath that fear though, was a herce determination. An unshakable will to live. I recalled every


    traumatic memory and let it drive me onwards. I thought of my parents, of my mother whose face was


    still blurred in my memories.


    I remembered their sacrifice and Rita¡¯s attempts to protect me. I would not let any of those acts of


    kindness have been in vain. I owed it to all of them to see this through. To survive.


    I paused as I reached a small clearing Small beams of moonlight shone down on me and illuminated


    the area. It was a tiny piece of heaven in the darkest of ces. I felt safe there, bathed in that silver


    glow. I looked up at the clear night¡¯s sky and felt at peace


    But something was stirring in the woods ahead of me. Somethingrge and heavy, a creature straight


    out of my nightmares I could hear his heavy footsteps like his paws sunk into the ground as he


    approached. I could hear hisbored breathing, a grating wheeze as he sniffed at my scent. His


    hacking cough, his rumbling growl like the sound of distant thunder.


    A storm was approaching me in the form of a monstrous man. A wolf who had abandoned thews of


    nature. I could see his glowing eyes watching me from the shadows. They floated like two flickering


    candle mes beyond the dark shadows that draped the trees in an inky veil.


    Those two floating orbs grewrger as he stalked me. I was exposed in that small shimmering clearing.


    But I would not move. I had been here many times before, and this time, I would not turn away.


    I drew my power from the light of the moon itself, praying to whatever g od was up there to grant me


    the strength to do what needed to be done. I felt the silver light dancing over my skin the same way I


    had seen my own glowing energy radiate from the palm of my hands.


    I wondered how I hadn¡¯t realized it sooner. This ability was said to have been a gift from the moon


    goddess. Both a blessing and a curse to the people who were able to wield it Cur powers came from


    the moon itself.


    I could feel it pric kling along my skin as my b*dy grew stronger, as I weed it in. I felt my wounds


    beginning to heal. skin knitting back together under bloodied fur. I was safest there in that small


    clearing. I was strongest bathed in the light of the full moon.


    fed my heavy head that gradually grew lighter as my strength was restored. I felt my children twist in


    my belly, kicking and twitching as if they too sensed the creature that stalked us in the dark.


    Traised my eyes in face those two glowing orbs and stood my ground as Johan stepped into the light.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    -Angic-


    We were struggling out there in the forest. Even with ten of us and five of them, we were no match for


    the Tally shifters who confronted us. In half wolf states, they climbed the trees effortlessly and attacked


    from every direction.


    Even with the iron armor, we were losing. They didn¡¯t seem to care how much the metal burned their


    skin. It kept them from biting down on any of us but it didn¡¯t prevent them from harrelling straight into us


    and knocking us down.


    I heard an excruciatingly high-pitched howl as one of my soldiers was knocked clean into the air. He


    flew backward and his spine collided with a nearby tree with a sickening cr ck. He crumpled to the


    ground andy still, petrified in a state of paralysis. He would never make it out of here alive. He would


    never see daylight again.


    I looked around for Fae and finally managed to spot her. She was running through the treeline, followed


    by arge shifter who was attempting to bring both of his giant fists down on her to crush her like an


    ant.


    She darted through the trees and doubled back, turning on the spot and catching the shifter by


    surprise. He stumbled as he attempted to slow, unable to pull off the graceful change of direction that


    Fae had taken.


    She used that opportunity to snap her jaws closed over his furry heel and he went down with a loud


    yelp. Another Bielke soldier ran up to assist her and buried an iron knife deep into the shifter¡¯s chest


    They were down to four which was definitely something but it still wouldn¡¯t be enough. Even if we


    managed to take down the remaining attackers, we were still down ten soldiers and the Tally severely


    outnumbered us. I had no way of knowing what was happening out there in the open, but by the


    sounds of it, it wasn¡¯t good. We needed backup and we needed it fast


    I was distracted momentarily when Ignatius spoke to me, startled on the spot where I face off another


    Tally member with two more Bielke soldiers at my side. Ignatius reassured me that help was on the way


    I wasn¡¯t sure what four or five more members would do to help the battle but I was relieved to know that


    he was alright Ignatius was back and his howl was audible for miles as he announced his arrival. The


    howl distracted the Tally for a moment and we used that small window of opportunity to strike and take


    down the shifter.


    I was relieved to know that our Alpha was back. But his panicked question still rang in my head. ¡°Angie,


    where is Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I whispered as I sank my teeth into the neck of the downed Tally shifter and proceeded


    to tear and rip until his head waspletely severed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know.


    Suddenly, there were howls echoing all through the forest. Loud roars reached my ears as I tore at the


    throat of the Tally shifter. The thud of nimble paws speeding through the woods had me raising my


    head in n?n


    It couldn¡¯t have been Ignatius, there were too many of them and they were approaching quickly. I


    looked over at Fae in a panic and she stared back at me with fear in her eyes. If it was more Tally


    shifters, if it turned out their army was bigger than we had anticipated, then we were goners,


    We would not be able to hold our own against that many new shifters. We were already struggling as it


    was. It took at least three of us to down one of them and our numbers were dwindling drastically.


    1 growled to my remaining members to stand strong. We had no choice but to face these new arrivals


    head-on. I stared into the darkness beyond the trees as the bowls grew louder and louder.


    My heart stopped for a momem when they finally came into view. Dozens of wolf shifters broke through


    the trees andunched themselves at the remaining Tally shifters that we fought. They swarmed then


    ripping and tearing until the Tally waspletely overwhelmed and forced to the ground as the wolves


    is


    Even more wolves sped past uspletely ignoring my team members and heading straight for the


    open battlefield. Their howl were deafening in my ears and I could do nothing but stare in utter


    bewilderment at the phenomenon that urred before my eye.


    59%


    I realized after a moment of watching the creatures darting in and out of the treeline that these were not


    shifters at all These were wolves. No human soul resided inside their chests. They were primal,


    insatiable animals that were governed by their own spirit alone..


    And they were fighting for us. My incredulous expression deepened when Ignatius in his gray wolf form


    approached me from the shadows. He was followed by shifters that I recognized from the team he had


    left with days before. As well as a new woll who stuck close by his side as he shifted and greeted me.


    ¡°I told you we had backup¡±


    ¡°Ignatius¡± My relief made my knees weak and I shifted at a moment¡¯s notice to wrap my arms around


    him tightly. ¡°Finally


    Fae was at my side before I could blink, smiling at the others and squeezing my hand in hers. ¡°How did


    you even manage to pull that off?¡± she asked with wide eyes. ¡°Those are wolves! Like, real actual


    wolves!¡±


    Ignatius motioned to the wolf who stood beside him. ¡°As it turns out, to¡¯s original pack are a bunch


    of hippies. They spend most of their life in wolf form hanging out with the true wolf parks,¡±


    to, the wolf in question, shifted top and nodded at us. His curly locks hung over deep green eyes as


    he shrugged sheepishly. ¡°I left a while back and moved to the city. But I guess their loyalty runs deep:


    They called for the help of the true wolves and to the surprise of all of us, they obliged.¡±


    I shook my head in wonder and looked around me. My remaining soldiers were healing their injuries


    and examining those that had fallen. My new improved glimmer of hope was vanquished suddenly


    when I remembered how this battle had started.


    Far too seemed toe back down to earth with the heartbreaking realization and she looked at me


    with tears in her eyes, ¡°Gideon


    We found him where he had been dropped to the floor after the Tally had lured us close enough. His


    pale b*dy was cold to the touch and already his lips had ckened and taken on a wax look that made


    me sick to my stomach.


    His ssy eyes were wide open and his face was frozen in a state of shock as if death hade


    suddenly and without warning. He had no time to think of goodbye, regrets, ar cherished memories. His


    life was taken from him in the blink of an eye all for the sake of war.


    Fae was kneeling beside me and she leaned over toy her head on Gideon¡¯s cold, still chest.


    Just like she had when we discovered Geranium in the forest by the mansion, Fac lifted a tear-streaked


    face and put her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her as she sobbed.


    This time, I couldn¡¯t hold back the tears either. I couldn¡¯t be strong for her. We had lost one of our


    closest friends. It was like a part of me was missing, like they had taken a piece of my heart and the


    hole that it left was a painful one.


    Ignatius stood beside me and put aforting hand on my shoulder as I allowed hot tears to flow from


    my eyes and drip from my chin into Far¡¯s curly hair.


    ¡°We¡¯lle back for him, Ignatius murmured. ¡°I know I¡¯ve asked too much of you already. But right now


    I need you to fight.¡±


    1 looked up at him. My b*dy wanted to rest. I wanted to lie down for years and never get up again. But


    Ignatius was right. We had a war to win. We couldn¡¯t let Gideon¡¯s death be meaningless. He had died


    protecting his people, and we had no choice but to do the same


    Ignatius helped me up and I in turn lified Fae to her feet. With onest nce at the still b*dy of our


    dear friend, we followed the others through the trees towards the battle that raged beyond


    Dorothy


    I fought the urge to shrink away from the hulking figure as Johan stepped into the pale moonlight. I


    hadn¡¯tnd eyes on hum siner that right at the vi when he begged me to take him back


    11:02 Fri, Jan 26 G


    59%


    If it weren¡¯t for his presence in my head, both somewhat familiar and so very alien at the same time, I


    might not have even believed that it was the same man.


    His wolf was twice the size of any shifter I had ever seen. Even from a few steps away, he towered


    over me, a gargantuan form that reeked of death and decay. His fur was patchy in ces like his b*dy


    had grown too quickly for his hair to amodate and patches of raw skin were visille on his bulky


    shoulders.


    Through that bare skin, I was able to see dark veins pulsing. Something cker than blood ran through


    those veins. The same dark tendrils sn*ked around his neck, visible under the patchy fur.


    His eyes were a putrid yellow color and lus pupils were small like any light at all was too bright to hear,


    Johan¡¯s teeth were stained and jagged, protruding from under his lips in every direction. Rows and


    rows of needle-sharp teeth lined his jaw to the point where they snagged on the corners of his mouth.


    He was a heinous mutation, a deformed mass of muscle and ck magic


    When he was fully submerged in the glow of the full moon, Johan stood up on his hind legs. I could


    hear the snap and crunch of his joints as he shifted. His limbs stretched and contorted as he stood on


    two feet, pausing somewhere between man and wolf.


    He swapped paws for fingers bat his long ws curled cruelly where his fingernails would have been.


    Those ws alone could tear me to ribbons, reduce me to nothing but scraps of skin and chunks of


    flesh if I wasn¡¯t fast enough to avoid them.


    When he stood up I was able to see the remnant of w marks scraped into his furry chest, no doubt


    the work of Angie after she and Far had faced off against the beast back at the quarry. It was a


    terrifying thought, knowing that this creature had been watching me from afar, stalking thend that I


    called my home.


    This monster had entered my house, my sanctuary. He had tried to haunt me down once before and


    now I had offered myself up to him freely. Hisrge, malformed head almost brushed the taller


    branches of the trees behind his as he looked down at me. I felt minute inparison, as harmless as


    a flea against Johan¡¯s horrifying physique.


    Still, I held my ground. I felt the moon¡¯s energy coursing through my own b*dy. I may not have had


    Johan¡¯s strength or stature, but I would be able to heal myself repeatedly, no matter what he threw at


    me. If I could hold out for long enough, there was a slim chance of making it out alive.


    I braced myself for an attack, crouching low to the ground and growling as deeply as I could. This only


    seemed to amuse Johan and be narrowed his glowing eyes at me. His face twisted into some kind of


    terrible smirk, the corners of his mouth stretching too wide on his elongated nav


    ¡°You ran away from me when I was kind enough to pay a visit to your home.¡± He didn¡¯t speak the words


    out loud. But rather they crawled into my mind, skirted around the inside of my skull as if centipedes


    had somehow crept in through my ears.


    It made me shiver and shake my head to clear the uncase that he left behind. ¡°But now you hunt me


    down in the woods. It¡¯s been so long, don¡¯t you think? How the both of us have changed


    His voice took on a lilting air as he said that and I wondered just how far gone this de mented mutation


    of my former mate was. How separated from reality had Johan grown since I had seen him?


    He took on a condescending, chiding tone as he continued, ¡°But you can¡¯t just run away from me and


    then demand my attention. Make up your mind little one.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± My voice was as cool as ice, stabbing into his skull and shutting him up. ¡°This is


    the end for you, Johan. I won¡¯t let you hurt anyone else?


    He kept up his heinous surering as he circled me slowly. I kept my eyes on him and his sharpened


    ws, turning with him as he stalked on the edge of the treeline.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He was mocking me, trying to get into my head and make me doubt myself. ¡°I¡¯m not the


    reason for all of this bloodshed, my love. This is all on you.¡±


    HI


    11:02 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    I wouldn¡¯t let him distract me. The moment I faltered would be the moment I died. ¡°I didn¡¯t cause this


    war. I didn¡¯t even cause all of the trouble in your life. You chose this path, Johan. You can¡¯t me


    everything on me.¡±


    My words seemed to genuinely irk him slightly. His sneer contorted into a ghastly grimace and he


    red at me, flexing his wed hands and twitching slightly.


    ¡°You took everything from me,¡± he spoke out loud this time, his spitting voice was venomous and bitter,


    spittle flew from his mouth, and foam flecked on his lips. ¡°You were my mate, Dorothy. You were my


    destiny. And you betrayed me.¡±


    I fought to keep my voice calm. Perhaps if I could distract him for long enough I would be able to call


    for help. Ignatius had to be close by. Although the thought of Ignatius facing up against this monster


    was not something I wanted to imagine.


    If Johan garnered this much hatred towards me there was no telling just how deep his resentment of


    Ignatius ran. No, this was a fight that I had to handle myself. I already wamed Johan, I would not let


    him hurt anyone else.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t betray you, I whispered as I took on my own semi-shifted form. It was a difficult form to hold,


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    but I needed the strength of my wolf as well as the freedom to use my arms. I needed to know that I


    could reach for the iron de when the time was right.


    I stood on shaky legs and forced my b*dy to be still. ¡°You rejected me. I was ready to love you ¨C I did


    love you. You are the one who ruined what we had. Not me.¡±


    No, n


    Johan seemed more agitated now, grappling with his inner wolf as he struggled to contain himself. I got


    the feeling he wasn¡¯t used to having his glorious vengeance being called into question. Nob*dy had


    bothered to tell him that he might just be


    wrong


    It seemed some part of him was aware of how ludicrous his ns were, but he hade too far to


    question his actions now. ¡°No, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± he hissed at me and came to a stop, leering


    over me. I held my ground and faced him head- on, fully prepared to fight him at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± he continued, shaking his sha ggy head and knocking a fist against his sl


    anted temple. ¡°You chose him over me. You took my closest friend from me. You abandoned me when I


    needed you. You were supposed to be mine!¡±


    He was yelling now, a raging, hacking roar that pierced my eardrums and made me flinch. ¡°You were


    supposed to be my mate! You were supposed to wait for me. You were supposed to choose ine!¡±


    He mmed a wed fist into the tree behind him and it left a sizable dent in the damp bark. The tree


    shook and leaves. rained down over his head. He watched as they drified to the floor quietly,


    captivated, it seemed, by the stillness of it all.


    He turned to face me and I caught the smallest glimpse of the Johan that I used to know. Somewhere


    in those evil eyes, there was a young boy begging to be loved. It was only there for a moment though,


    and then it was gone again, reced by the same twisted sneer that made my stomach turn.


    I felt my children moving restlessly in my stomach. They could sense my fear and they felt it too. I put a


    hand to my stomach to ensure that they were still protected.


    Johan watched this motion, his eyes gliding over the round bulge of my belly. His state was unsettling


    and he watched me with his foaming maw hanging open slightly. A trickle of yellow spittle dripped from


    his bottom lip and plopped to the Lloor.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re carrying his children?¡± The quiet and collective tone in which he said it was even more


    unnerving than his yelling had been. It struck me then that Johan had not been aware of my pregnancy.


    How could he have been?


    Only then, when he paused long enough to properly take a look at me had he noticed the size of my


    stomach, the way I kept a protective hand over my belly at all times.


    He seemed taken aback at first, but his entire b*dy rxed as he looked me up and down. A cruel


    smile bent his lips and his voice was quiet and malicious when he spoke, ¡°A pregnant Luna lost in the


    forest without her mate.¡± He extended his ws and I took a small step back. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have made


    it any easier for me Dorothy


    11:02 Fri, Jan 26 G ¡¤


    My b*dy went cold as he began his slowly stalk towards me, flexing his knuckles and licking his


    mangled lips as he stared down at me with hungry, predatorial eyes.


    Just think of the look on Ignatius¡¯ face when he finds your b*dy strewn about the forest. When he finds


    his children ripped out of their mother before their time. Wouldn¡¯t that be perfect, Dorothy? You¡¯ve


    made things so much easier,¡± he chirped his words at me like he was trying to coax an injured bird


    closer.


    His tone was euphoric at the realization that he had just discovered a new and exciting way to torment


    Ignatius, his old friend


    ¡°Johan,¡± my voice stopped him in his tracks. It wasn¡¯t harsh or cold or angry. It was gentle. I addressed


    him as I had when we had first met when I was little more than a timid outsider and he was just a boy.


    ¡°Johan, I don¡¯t want to hurt you. I never meant to hurt you. And neither did Ignatius.¡±


    All the while I inched closer to him, reaching out to him with one hand. The other I reached down at my


    side, ever so slowly sping my fingers around the iron de in its leather sheath.


    Johan didn¡¯t seem to notice. He stared down at me with a look of pained confliction on his mutted


    face. I could sense his wolf raging against him, fighting the part of him that was desperate to just have


    me hack.


    Johan wanted to go back to the way things were, to before he had rejected me, before Ignatius had


    there was only the continuous, infinite ticking of the clock as more and more of our present became our


    past.


    I finally understood that ominous ticking that seemed to haunt Johan to that very moment. It was his


    true fear, the devastating reminder that there was no going back. There was no changing what was


    done, or what was done to you. Johan couldn¡¯t ept that. And so he had created his own monster in


    the form of time itself.


    I was inches away from him by then, the iron de firmly in my grip as I finally touched a gentle hand


    to his chest. 1 swallowed the bile that rose in my throat when my finger came to contact with his marred


    skin. He was hot to the touch. almost scalding and I bit my lip at the pain it caused me Johan gazed at


    me, his grotesque face softening slightly at my hesitant touch


    It was then that he noticed the knife in my hand. I watched his eyes slide to the side and widen at the


    sight of it gripped in my list. There was no time to hesitate. I lifted it to the air and brought the de


    down to be buried in his chest where his cold heart no longer beat.


    Johan was quicker than me though, much quicker. With one sweep of his wed hand, he knocked the


    knife from my gras It spun away into the trees as he roared in anger, the betrayal driving him to a


    sudden frenzy


    I looked up at him, just in time to see his heade down to meet mine, ramming into my forehead


    with such force that stars exploded across my vision, and the world swayed under my feet. Thest


    thing I saw before I hit the ground was Johan¡¯s wild yellow eyes and his sharpened ws aiming for my


    exposed stomach.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    -Ignatius-


    Something was very wrong. I felt it in the core of my being and I cried out at the sudden pain that


    stabbed through my heart. Angle rushed to my side and gripped my face between her hands as I


    struggled to think clearly through the ache.


    I had felt this ache before. It couldn¡¯t be, it had to be something else. I was babbling, speaking in


    tongues, and shaking my head as I tried to deny the inevitable.


    ¡°Ignatius, what is it?¡± Angie¡¯s voice was stricken as she clung to me and tried to pull me to my feet from


    where I had suddenly fallen to my knees. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Dorothy,¡± I gasped her name like it was the air that I needed to breathe. ¡°Something¡¯s happened to


    Dorothy¡±


    ¡°What? Where is she?!¡± Angie looked left and right amidst the surrounding chaos. to¡¯s backup was


    making light work of the remaining Tally soldiers and the odds had been significantly tipped in the


    Bielke¡¯s favor. However, Dorothy was nowhere To be seen.


    I had burst out of the forest with the rest of our newfound backup and immediately went on the hunt to


    find my mate. It was only after catching up with Angie to ask her to help that I became aware of the


    growing feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Tor was sensing something that I couldn¡¯t and it


    scared me to my core.


    1 looked around frantically, but I knew she wasn¡¯t out there in the scramble of shifters. She was


    somewhere else. Her presence was deep within the woods, her energy radiated from the darkness of


    the trees, louder than and more powerful than I had ever felt it before. But it was dwindling fast. I felt


    my mate¡¯s life force flickering and fading with every second that passed


    Something was very very wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s Johan,¡± I rasped, mbering to my feet and looking around me in an attempt to get my bearings.


    Johan is here. Dorothy is hurt. We need to find her,¡± I spoke in short bursts.


    It was all I could manage with the hump in my chest and the sickening knot in my stomach. Angie


    looked from me to the tangle of shifters colliding around us. Fae was among them, fighting tooth and


    nail to avenge the death of their friend.


    Angie looked torn, caught between her need to protect Dorothy and her urge to have Fae¡¯s back. It was


    a bond that I don¡¯t think even she was aware of at the time. I couldn¡¯t ask Angie to abandon her


    teammate. Not so soon after losing the other


    ¡°Go,¡± I said to lier, and Angie opened her mouth to protest. I cut her off and pulled her into a quick


    embrace. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said close to her ear. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. With Dorothy¡±


    I pulled away and Angie teared up, thanking me with her eyes. It seemned it was the thrill of battle that


    had finally awakened her to just how strong the depths of the rtionship between her and Fae really


    was.


    ¡°Go help her. I¡¯ll be back,¡± I said and then turned quickly, shifting to a half-wolf state and sprinting into


    the darkness of the forest beyond.


    I called out for Dorothy with my mind, searching for her amongst the chaos and noise that clouded my


    head. She had to be okay. I promised her I woulde back alive and I did. She had to hold up her


    end of the bargain.


    When I got no response to my desperate cries and Dorothy¡¯s mind stayed closed to my begging, I let


    out a loud howl that echoed through the trees and d amn near shook the tallest branches as I ran. I


    hoped with all of my heart that she was able to hear it. She had to know that I was on my way. That she


    wasn¡¯t alone. She just had to hold on a little bit longer.


    I felt my mate¡¯s energy waning as I followed her scent through the trees. Along with Dorothy¡¯s sweet


    summer scent, there was also the putrid odor that could only belong to Johan. The thought sickened


    me as I pressed on. Praying to the moon goddess, with every glimpse I could get of that shimmering or


    through the treetops, that my mate would be okay.


    ¡°Please,¡± I pleaded silently as the dappled moonlight waned with the thickening of the brush, leaving


    me to tread a dark


    11:02 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    59%


    world that those shimmering beams could not follow. ¡°Please. Protect my mate. Protect my children.


    I¡¯ve lost too much already.¡±


    -Dorothy-


    I let out a scream that burned my throat as Johan¡¯s ws shed across my stomach. My back hit the


    ground with a loud thud and the wind was knocked from my chest. My head spun and the world around


    me dipped and swayed like I was caught in a whirlpool that was threatening to pull me under.


    Pain exploded through my b*dy as sharp ws dug into my flesh I could only hope that the energy


    around my children. held fast and protected them from those ws that mowed into me.


    Blood poured from the sh in my stomach as I wailed like a banshee in the dark. Johan stood above


    me, victory contorting his features into a cruel look of pride. He raised his ws to strike again, ws


    that were tipped with red liquid.


    My blood dripped down his forearm and sprayed crimson droplets in the air as he swiped down at me


    again. I rolled away at thest second and scrambled away from him, attempting to get to my feel


    My efforts were futile, however, and I watched the soil turn red as blood poured from my new wound.


    Already, my b*dy was working to heal itself but the injury was a deep one and I was struggling to stay


    conscious. Johan¡¯s ws nced off the iron on my back and knocked me to the ground again.


    I tried again to stand up but Johan pulled at my back leg, sending my face into the dirt as I wailed and


    growled, turning to thrash at him with my own sharp ws. Without my de, there was no hope of


    taking him down


    All I could do was fight as best as I could to protect my stomach. Johan stepped back, toying with me


    when he realized that I was unable to get up. I curled up on my side as heughed maniacally,


    standing over me and casting a shadow that blocked out the moonlight.


    With myst remaining energy. I set my glowing palms to my stomach, healing the four w marks that


    had cut into my skin and feeling out desperately for any movement from my children. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Thankfully, I felt two strong kicks from under my skin and was relieved to find that the shield had


    worked its magic. They were alright, for now. But my situation was dire and help was nowhere to be


    seen.


    ¡°Did you really think you could fight me alone?¡± Johan¡¯s voice boomed as he stepped back, examining


    his cruel work. ¡°You¡¯re a fool. Dorothy. Or maybe you just have a death wish. Think of the life we could


    have had.


    ¡°You could have carried my children. We could have been a family. You¡¯ve brought ruin to these people


    with your selfish actions. You sealed your own fate the day you chose him over me


    I didn¡¯t respond. I wouldn¡¯t give him the gratification of sering me cry, hearing the shiver in my voice. I


    concentrated instead on locating exactly where the iron de had fallen when he knocked it out of my


    hand. If I could keep him gloating, 1 may be able to find it.


    I got to my knees and crawled in the direction where the knife had fallen. Johan wasn¡¯t having this


    though and he aimed at kick at my healing stomach


    1 curled up again just in time and his kicknded on the iron guards on my forearms and knees and


    send me skidding backward into the dirt. Dust and dead leaves swirled around me as I struggled to


    think my way out of the situation.


    The iron gauntlets were still attached to my hands. Useless as they may be,pared to the beefy


    shifter, it was a weapon nheless and better than nothing. I waited as Johan circled me again,


    spewing insults and irritations.


    He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than me, though. His speech be


    something of a sermon as he spouted lines about defying nature and putting an end to those that had


    wronged him.


    ¡°You were supposed to love me!¡± he shouted again and he leaned over to bring his ws down again.


    That was my moment to strike. I waited until the veryst second before his ws were upon me,


    spitting blood from my mouth and staring at


    him


    I summoned all the energy and power I could muster and brought my iron-d fist up like a


    jackhammer. It collides with


    |||


    the bottom of his paw and supped his teeth shut swer his lolling tongue, snapping it clean off.


    Jehan bowlest in Tory as blond poured from his mouth and the vered tongue dropped onto myp


    followed by a waterfall of ck, zing blood. I wasted no time in pushing myself to my feet and taking off


    into the trees towards where the knifey hikden somewher


    Johan was distracted momentarily by his severed tongue and he inability to speak. His voice was


    garbled and choked when he hondled and his growls sounded gurgled as his throat was flooded with


    blood.


    I struggled to pick up the pace and darted through the forest, scanning the ground desperately for the


    tiny ironlade that matched the color of the d


    Finally, as Johan began to follow me, I saw a small glint of something refra ting the single beam of


    moonlight hidden among the leaves on the ground and love for the kite just as Johan rampaged


    towards me, battering down smaller trees and roaring in hury.


    I gripped the knife and attempted to chili to my feet only to be knocked to the side by Johan¡¯s lumbering


    b*dy. I hissed and saarled as he put a wed haml around my that, squeezing tightly and cutting off my


    oxygen.


    His yellow eyes were deranged and frenzied as he squeezed his hand tighter. Hifted the de and


    sliced at his forearm. meking the skin and deawing a line of dark blood across his flesh).


    Johan screamed as he pulled his hand away, gripping his forearm as the poison began to spread. I


    dropped to the floor, gasping and gagging as my bangs fought for air.


    I looked up just in time to see Johan¡¯s knee swinging towards my head. It nced against the side of


    my face and I was thrown backward against the bark of the thick tree that stood behind me. Johan lifted


    his ws to go for the killing blow, aiming straight for my heart like he intended to rip it out..


    It was at that momen when our battle was interrupted by a furious bowl and arge gray wolftched


    angry fangs on Johan¡¯s shoulder. He was wrenched away from me, throw to the ground by Ignatius


    who stood over me like a guard angel, silhouetted in the silver moonlight.


    His eyes were wrathful as he took in my injuries and he turned to face Johan with a b*dy poised to


    strike. Johan his old friend immediately and his eyes widened. I noticed a sh of fear in his dark pupils


    before Johan¡¯s face co rage and he bowled a gargled warning at the gray woll


    Ignatius didn¡¯t even flinch and he attacked the shilier head-on,iting and tearing like a man gone mad,


    ovee wi at the inan who was attempting to take that which was most precious to him.


    I had seen Ignatius angry before but never to this extent. He was livid, powerful, his wolf lookedrger


    in size as if the powe of the Alpha was finallying into full effect. He tore at johan¡¯s b*dy.


    Johan in turn attempted to swipe and bite at the attacking wolf but he was beaten to the ground over


    and over again. Ignatiustched his teeth into Johan¡¯s arm and ripped with all of his might, tearing


    Jolian¡¯s hand clean from his b*dy. It fell away with a trail of bl oody tendrils and a spray of murky blood.


    Johan was weakening, the poison from the de taking effect and spreading through his veins as he


    continued to fight the vicious gray woll. I watched from the trees, willing my b*dy to heal and mustering


    all the strength I could find in an attempt to keep my children and myself alive.


    ¡°Please. I looked up at the silver moon that winked at me through the trees as the two shifters


    continued to revenge each other in a sh of teeth and nails. ¡°Take as many years off my life as


    necessary. Take it all if you have to. Please just keep


    them safe.


    I


    The glow in my belly was dulling as I quickly ran out of energy. had used everything up in my attempts


    to heal myself and the protectiveyer was faltering, exposing my children to the vicious wound that


    was still opened on my stomach.


    I could see no way out of the problem. By healing myself, I would drain myself of life and my children


    would die regardless. The energy would need toe from someone else. The only hope was to


    siphon the life of another person. The moon had given me everything she could but still, it was not


    enough to save DC HOW..


    59%%


    Whose life was I willing to risk for the sake of my children?


    Ignatius¡¯ howl of pain had me ncing back at the two fighting shifters. Johan had managed to deal a


    devastating injury to my mate. His vicious teeth had sunk into Ignatius¡¯ chest and Johan wrenched his


    head away, tearing arge chunk from the gray wolf¡¯s b*dy in the process.


    I screamed as I watched my mate fall to the floor and Johan descended upon him, ripping and tearing


    the already exposed chest of Ignatius. I had to do something. I had to act immediately. I looked down at


    the iron de in my hand and pulled myself to my feet, leaning against the tree for support.


    Johan was too distracted by the thrashing gray wolf to notice my approach. I st aggered towards them,


    my wounds streaming blood down my legs and my vision was clotted with ck spots as I fought to


    keep my eyes open, to keep myself from dropping to the floor next to my mate. I forced my legs to


    move faster, breaking out into a sprint and raising the knife in my right hand.


    It was only at the veryst second, when it was far toote, that Johan noticed my approach.


    With one final howl of defiance, I leaped at him, propelling myself into the air high enough to reach the


    empty cavern where his heart resided. Johan¡¯s jaws opened to meet me but that did not stop my


    attack.


    With a sickening thad and a final cry from the depths of my being, I plunged the de into Johan¡¯s


    undead heart. His teethtched onto the skin of my neck and bit down hard. He jerked his head to the


    side and sent me flying.


    I was thrown through the air and crumpled to the ground a few feet away, bleeding and barely


    conscious. But the de had found its mark and sat buried down to the hilt in Johan¡¯srge chest.


    He looked down at it for a moment in bewilderment as if he failed to understand what had just


    happened. He looked up at me and I stared back at him from where Iy on the stained soil.


    Then the iron spread through his b*dy, faster than fire and ten times hotter it burned Johan alive from


    the inside. He howled in agony as his b*dy revolted against him, thrashing and swiping at the air.


    He stumbled into trees and collided with the branches as he grew more and more disorientated. The


    pain in my own chest threatened to stop my heart. Despite the broken bond between us, Johan and I


    were still connected somehow and my wolf was in agony at the murder of my old true mate by my own


    hands.


    Eventually, Johan fell to his knees and then toppled over onto his back, clutching at the knife in his


    chest and wheezing in agony. I tried my best to crawl to my feet and Ignatius did the same, edging


    towards me across the dirt.


    We both resorted to our human forms as were reached for each other across the blood-soaked earth.


    His fingersced with mine and I stared into the piercing blue eyes of the man I thought I would never


    see again.


    His chest was ripped open and bleeding profusely. Anyone aside from the Alpha would be dead at an


    injury like that, Johan had torn a bl oody cavern into his chest, barely missing his still beating heart.


    I pulled myself towards Ignathus and he pulled me into his arms. We didn¡¯t speak a single word,


    everything we needed to say was said in that bloodied, n*ked embrace in the small moonlight clearing


    in the forest,


    We both looked down at Johan whoy twitching beside us. His b*dy had ckened and his eyes were


    wild and darting all over the ce as he entered his final moments. As I looked down at him, his eyes


    focused on me and I was once again able to glimpse the boy that I used to know.


    The gentle Beta who had once been my destined soul mate. Time had done a number on both of us


    and I was baffled at the way both of our short lives had unfolded


    Looking down at Johan, I felt the bittersweet twist of a knife in my own chest. We had managed to take


    down the monster that had threatened to tear us apart. But killing Jn was no victory. I watched as he


    fought to keep his eyes open, pain courting his features.


    His eyes revealed his fear of death. Of time itself Johan was dying for a final time and this time there


    would be noing bark. In a moment of mercy, Iy a hand on his check, looking down at him as his


    eyes focused on me and he struggled to speak with a missing tongue and a dying breath.


    59%


    No words made it out of his mouth, although his lips moved with words I could not hear, Finally, Johan


    <py still and I stared down at his yellow eyes as his dark pupils expanded and emptied of life.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    -Angie-


    Fighting at Fac¡¯s side I had begun to realize a few things. The way we had each other¡¯s back was like


    an art all on its own. We moved as one, dodging and slipping around each other as we took down the


    remaining Tally shifters.


    Around us, the wolves along with our remaining soldiers were making light work of the Tally shifters.


    Their lines were faltering and we were inching closer to victory.


    The Tally would never surrender, never relent, it was clear that they were determined to fight until the


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    bitter end. Unfortunately for then that end wasing sooner than they could have expected. Our new


    backup had attacked from behind with little warning.


    Wolves of all sizes and colors hade pouring out from the forest behind the Tally and ravaged the


    In a way I could respect them for the lengths they went to to get what they wanted. I was sure that, to


    the Tally, the war was justified. And it very well may have been. But all the same, we could not just sit


    back and allow them to wipe out our people.


    It was a bittersweer battle. A fight to the end. It struck me once again that there are no true winners in


    war. Even with ouring victory, we would all live with the knowledge that lives had been taken.


    The held would be forever stamed with the blood of an entire pack even after the soul had soaked it all


    up and a new began to grow on the scarred earth.


    life


    I looked at Fae who fought valiantly at my side. It urred to me then just how much she meant to me.


    How she had always been there. Through everything. We had fought together, cried together, and very


    nearly died together.


    I wondered how I had never truly seen her before. How was it that at that very moment, in the midst of


    battle, that I was finally able to see Fae for who she truly was? Something stirred in my heart and I


    fought beside her.


    Somehow, without me noticing, she had crept into my chest and burrowed into my heart and that was


    where she would stay. There were things I had to tell her when the battle was over. There were feelings


    she needed to know about,


    The end came quickly enough and the final Tally fell to a small but powerful Bielke shifter. Our


    remaining soldiers set out to scour the woods for any stragglers and others tended to the injured


    survivors.


    I looked over at Fae as we finally allowed ourselves to breathe. The battle was over and we had won.


    As unlikely as it had seemed, as impossible as the odds had been, the Bielke had seeded. The war


    was over and we had won.


    I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. That didn¡¯t seem to matter to Fae though. She


    stepped closer to me and in one quick motion pulled me down to her level, standing on the tips of her


    toes as she pressed her lips to mine.


    -Dorothy-


    It took a long time for the others to find us there in the woods. Iy, cradled in my lover¡¯s arms as he


    swayed and dropped over me. Both of us were too injured to move, to speak.


    All we could do was hold onto each other, breathing deeply and waiting for our bodies to heal


    themselves as best as they could until someone came to help.


    I had tried my best to heal Ignatius, despite his protests, but I was unable to give any more life without


    ending my own. His blood fod congealed and turned sticky as we sat, molded together in a gruesome


    amalgamation of limbs and matted hair


    All I could do was hold onto him, inhaling his scent and reveling in the feel of him. Despite my injuries,


    despite everything that had happened, I was grateful to just be in his arms once again.


    Ignatius dipped his head down towards me, pressing his lips to my skin and using the pressure of his


    embrace to stop the bleeding on my neck from Johan¡¯s potent bite. Luckily for me, he hadn¡¯t managed


    to pierce my windpipe, but I was still losing blonel at an rming pace.


    11:03 Fri, Jan 26


    KS.59%


    Eventually, Ignatius whispered to me, quietly k*ssing along my sweat-soaked forehead. ¡°You need to


    heal yourself, Dorothy.¡± His voice was strained and weak. He too was fading fast, breathing heavily as


    he leaned over me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m out of energy,¡± I whispered back. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do to fix this.¡±


    Ignatius was silent for a moment, his hot breath on my ear, and the only inkling I had that he was still


    alive was his steady beating heart that pounded against my own.


    ¡°Use mine.¡± he said quietly and I looked up at him incredulously ¡°Use mine,¡± he said again, stroking a


    tendril of damp hair from my forehead. ¡°You have to heal yourself. You have to live. He put a hand to


    my stomach. ¡°You all do¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± I protested, taking his fingers in my hand and forcing him to meet my eyes. ¡°It¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Ignatius eyes were fluttering as he swayed in and out of consciousness. He rested his forehead against


    mine. ¡°Please, Dorothy. Let me do this for you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered as tears pri cked my eyes and I clung to him tightly. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You can¡¯t ask me


    to do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dorothy Ignatius k*ssed away the hot tears that rolled down my checks and took my


    trembling hand in his. He pressed it to his chest and met my eyes. ¡°Dying at your side is not a bad way


    to go. Let me protect my family. Please, Dorothy


    I was shaking my head, destion contorting my face as I tried to pull my hand away. ¡°I cant! I won¡¯t!¡±


    But already my palm that was pressed to his skin began to pric kle as electricity sparked at his touch. It


    seemed my b*dy was. determined to heal itself and Ignatius had just given in the go-ahead to do what


    it needed to do to survive.


    ¡°No, No! I tried desperately to pull my hand away but Ignatius held it firm, enveloping me in a tight


    embrace and stroking my hair with his other hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Dorothy. I love you. Please just know that I love you. From the moment I first set eyes on


    you, before we had even met. You¡¯ve always had my heart


    Scuffling in the trees around us became audible and Angie as well as dozens more soldiers arrived in


    the clearing. Clearly, the battle was over, and by the looks on their faces, we had won!


    It meant nothing to me, however, if my mate was not there to celebrate the victory alongside me. I


    couldn¡¯t let him go. 1 wouldn¡¯t. But already his chest began to glow with that cursed white light as his


    life force pulsed through my fingertips.


    1 was crying, raging, desperate to make it stop but it was no use. Ignatius was already slumping over


    me as the life drained from his battered b*dy.


    Behind us. Angie¡¯s eyes widened as she realized what was going on. ¡°Ignatius, no you can¡¯t


    Angie rushed forwards along with a few others. She gripped Ignatius shoulder, frantic and panicked.


    Something odd urred when she touched him, however,


    I felt a spark of new energy shoot up into my palm at her touch. Angie seemed to feel it too and she


    pulled away, only for her face to change as an idea dawned on her.


    ¡°We can share it, she whispered.


    I didn¡¯t understand what she meant by that but I watched as Angie pressed her palm to Ignatius back


    once again and her own b*dy lit up with the same pale glow. Angie looked at me with a level stare. ¡°You


    can save the both of you,¡± she said quietly. ¡°We can share the burden¡±


    I could do nothing but stare back at her as arger influx of energy raced through my palm. Both mine


    and Ignatius¡¯ wounds began to knit back together in the process and I watched as his torn chest slowly


    began to fill out once again.


    I snapped my eyes bark up to Angie when Fae stepped up beside her and she too ced her hands on


    Ignamus back. One by one, more shufters stepped forwards to share their energy and the clearing hit


    up with a glow like nothing I had ever seen


    |


    ¡°can¡¯t take this from you,¡± had tried to protest as Ignatius twitched in my arms. I can¡¯t take life from all of


    you. I¡¯ve taken too much from you already. I¡¯m the reason this war started in the first ce.


    Angie was die first to deter me though. ¡°You¡¯re our Luna, Dorothy. You led us into battle and you fought


    at our side. You have proven yourself to this pack and we have all epted you as our queen. Let us


    save our leaders¡±


    The others nodded in agreement and the tears poured forth as looked from each and every one of


    them to Ignatius who leaned against me with flickering eyes. Never before had I truly felt epted


    anywhere.


    I had lost my pack and my family. Thad been alone for so long. Now, after the fiercest battle of the past


    century, I had finally found my people. I had finally found my home. I had a family and a park who were


    all willing to share the very essence of their brings with someone as insignificant as me


    After our wounds had stitched closed and nothing but a hairline scar remained, Ignatius opened his


    eyes. He seemed, confused and bewildered, looking around at the Bielke members who stood at his


    back. He examined his own clear chest and then my stomach, ¡°How I don¡¯t understand?¡±


    I cupped my hands around his face, smiling through the tears that stained my cheeks. ¡°The Bielke isn¡¯t


    so bad after all,¡± 1ughed and pulled him into a k*ss that I had been desperate for from the rooment


    he had left in the first ce.


    His lips were soft against mine and my heart was full as 1 embraced my mate in the beaming moonlight


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    -Dorothy-


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The battle had been herce and the Tally had taken many lives before their ultimate defeat. After the


    final Tally shifter had fallen, the wolves that had been summoned by to dispersed into the woods,


    followed by his pack who were indistinguishable amidst the true predators. They had done their part


    and fulfilled their favor, and so they left without another word.


    After Angie had found us in the woods and, along with the other Bielke members, had allowed me to


    heal both Ignatius and myself, we were escorted out of the forest. Ignatius carried me in his arms and


    all eyes turned to us as we stepped out from


    the trees.


    Angie told meter that rumors of the battle would be spreading far and wide before spring was upon


    us. She said that the story of the red-headed Luna, carrying her two children in the womb while leading


    her pack into battle would be told and retold for years toe.


    I didn¡¯t mind bing a fantastical legend. I had done what I had to protect my pack. I had fought


    alongside my people and, with the help of my mate. I had defeated the leader of the Tally army.


    The memory of Johan would always be a painful one to recall. Angie and the others had examined his


    b*dy after she found us in the forest. He had died with fear in his eyes, grappling with his own inner


    demons to the very end


    There was no way to neatly package those memories into right and wrong, good and bad. They would


    forever remain a source of pain in my heart. Ban it was a pain I was prepared to bear.


    Unlike the man I had once been destined to love, I was unafraid of the passage of time. I was prepared


    to ept my own actions and to face the future head-on. And that future was looking brighter and


    brighter.


    Alongside our victory, however, came a great mncholy too. The news of Gideon¡¯s death had shaken


    me and I looked to both Angie and Fae who stood with tears in their eyes as the news was delivered to


    me.


    We had lost so many in the war. Each and every one of our fallen members were given a proper send-


    off, cremated on a ceremonious fire and their ashes released into the Northern wind that blew over the


    cliffs towards the sea. Angie¡¯s grandfather was among those fallen soldiers, despite his treason, Angie


    was numb to the loss of her grandfather.


    In her own words, ¡°he chose his fate¡±


    It had been a sad day and a great silence had settled over our remaining members as they gathered to


    watch the ashes scatt ered in the wind.


    After the initial shock and chaos of the war were over, the Bielke was ready to recover. The members


    who had been unable to fight were allowed back into their homes that very morning after the first rays


    of sunlight broke over the bl oody battlefield


    We had all stood in solemn silence as we watched the golden rays of daylight peak over the tops of the


    trees and bathe the entire open area in sunshine. I had leaned my head against Ignatius¡¯ bare chest


    and closed my eyes, unable to bear witness to the carnage that our battle had left behind.


    Rita had hurried to find me the moment she heard the news and arrived back at the forge. She had run


    into my arms the second she caught sight of me and we held an embrace thatsted until I had no


    choice but to pull away gently and detached her arms from around my neck.


    Kita had smiled at me with tears in her eyes, cupping my cheek and biting her lip to keep from crying


    out loud.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± she had whispered to me, and Ignatius sidled up beside me and ced arge nket


    over my bare shoulders. ¡°Look how far you¡¯vee.¡±


    I wrapped the nket around me tightly as the cold air finally became noticeable to me. I was


    exhausted, leaning against Ignatius as he went about organizing our remaining members to see to the


    sick and injured.


    111


    11-09


    59%


    Every tally shifter was cremged too. Some members were bitter at the ceremony that was held for our


    fallen enemies, but I felt it was a necessity,


    I had not forgotten my conversation with Jason as hey dying in his prison cell. The Tally, despite their


    part in the grand battle, deserved a respectable send-off.


    It was only muchter, when the dust had finally settled, that Ignatius exined to me exactly what had


    happened with his


    parents.


    I had heard from the other soldiers that had been with him that something big had happened, that the


    forest had been set alight, and that Elliot was dead. I hadn¡¯t pushed Ignatius further on the subject,


    sensing that it was something he himself was still struggling to ovee on his own.


    When he finally told me the details, we had been lying in bed, our bed, in our quiet home by the sea.


    Life in the Bielke Pack had changed forever, but our peaceful little patch of heaven remained the same.


    I had never been happier to see those grandiose front doors swing open. Johan had wreaked havoc on


    the interior but it wasn¡¯t long before the house was as good as new


    That night wey together in our bed as we had done before the war. The room was exactly the same,


    the sheets had been left in a haphazard heap as they had been when I had rushed out of the house the


    day Johan turned up. The only thing that had changed was Ignatius and me


    We were stronger somehow, older too. I felt as if we have lived thousands of lifetimes together and not


    just a few brief moments of one. Ignatiusy beside me, talking to my stomach as he always did.


    Only this time there was a slight crease in the corners of his eyes that deepened when he smiled and


    even more so when he frowned. Amidst my red locks, there was a thin streak of white.


    Ignatius had first noticed it when he had carried me out of the forest and into the morning light. It was


    hidden from view for the most part, but noticeable in the mornings when my hair was a tousled mess.


    The battle had done a number on both of us. We had both walked the precipice of death and came


    back, thanks to the devotion and sacrifice of our pack


    When Ignatius finally spoke about his parents, it was out of the blue. I had begun to assume that my


    mate had fallen asleep where hey with his head next to my stomach and I had just resigned myself


    to do the same when he began to tell me the


    story.


    As he spoke, my heart broke for my mate all over again. I was never given the chance to truly know my


    parents. But I knew that they loved me, and they had done everything in their power to keep me safe.


    Ignatius didn¡¯t have that. But rather than letting it turn him bitter, he used it to motivate himself. He had


    seen a broken family. He had seen the destruction brought about by violence and mistrust and


    mimunication


    He was determined to not let that happen to our own budding life together. Our children would know


    love. They would have their parents by their side. They wouldn¡¯t be lonely, outcast, or unloved. That


    was a vow that the both of us made together.


    We fell asleep that night exhausted, overwhelmed, and forever changed. But the future had never


    looked brighter.


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    -Dorothy-


    Spring hade sooner than expected. It crept up on us slowly in first. The green leaves that poked


    from the forest trees were the first hint at its sly approach. Then all of a sudden, without warning or


    invitation, it burst forth along with the brightest of days in a flurry of newly blooming flowers and the


    loudest twittering, chirping, and chattering of nature that we had ever heard.


    It was that same day, that we were to be wed. I dded over the fresh green grass towards where my


    mate was reclined on arge pic nket. The orange of the fabric was a stark contrast to the green


    of thend and the brilliant blue sky above uspleted the picturesque scene,


    Flower buds nodded at us in the slight breeze and therge drooping tree on the edge of the forest cast


    a pleasant patch of dappled shade over where Ignatius sat with our children.


    His white tousled hair matched the clouds that floated aroundkily above our heads. The twins,


    however, had hair the same fierce shade of red as my own. Amelie was a quiet force of nature, her hair


    was straight and wispy like her mother¡¯s and tumbled over her shoulders in shining waves,


    She donned her father¡¯s piercing blue eyes and his cold aloof at ude. However, under the surface, she


    was just as loving and gentle as Ignathus himself.


    Ellias on the other hand was a firecracker. If there was a new insect to be found in the garden, he


    would barrel back to the house as fast as his short stubby legs would carry him and ce it before me


    with a grandiose air about him as if he had just discovered gold.


    A sturdy tire swing hung from the nearby branches, swinging and twisting slowly in the breeze. Ignatius


    had insisted on building and installing it himself.


    He had almost fallen out of the tree in doing so and we had all watched from the ground, copsing into


    peals ofughter when a particrly strong breeze wafted through the branches and threatened to


    throw him down like an overly ripe fruit.


    He would spend hours out there by the swing, letting our children take turns as he propelled them high


    into the air and back down again, always there to catch them when they spun back down to earth


    again.


    Their enthralled squeals and bouts ofughter filled every corner of our house on the cliffhops. Their


    stamping feet echo across the floorboards as their father chased them through the house to deliver a


    flurry of tickles and k*sses on their fiery red heads


    Looking down over my family. I had never known peace like that. My heart had never before felt lighter,


    while at the same time being so full.


    1 could remember the day they had finally emerged into the world. A whole week early like the


    impatient little runts that they were. That was one thing they seemed to have inmon. It had been a


    sunny day just like this one.


    Ignatius had shooed me out of the house for two days straight, sending me on luxurious shopping


    sprees with Rita and Twisting Angie¡¯s arm to force her into taking me out for the day to keep me


    entertained


    At night when I got home, exhausted and decked out with more baby clothes than I could carry in both


    hands, Ignatius forbade me from exploring the back of the house. He said he had a surprise for me.


    Two dayster, after another daytime excursion. I got home to lind my mate brimming with excitement


    and doing a smile wider than his face could beat


    He had dragged me through the front doors, ovee with gleeful joy as I waited in suspicious


    anticipation to see what exactly he had been up to for the past few days. Before leading me to the back


    of the house, he first handed me arge box wrapped in green crepe paper that matched the color of


    my eyes.


    Iraned my eyebrows at him as he nudged therge box across the floor towards me. Ignatius snickered


    at my suspicion and motioned for me to open the box. Behind me, Rita and Angie were unable to


    contain their excitement.


    Clearly, they had been in on the surprise to although they had refused to answer any of my questions


    on the subject.


    11:03 Fri, Jan 26 G


    59%


    I knelt down in front of therge present. Getting up and down had be increasingly harder as the


    babies grew in my belly and they were now perpetually pressing on my dder in the most


    ufortable of ways.


    1 carefully unwrapped the delicate packaging and opened the lid of the box. My eyes widened in


    surprise as I removed the contents. Inside were threerge sketchbooks, bound in leather and boasting


    the most pristine white paper I had ever run between my fingers.


    On top of that were tubes and boxes and jars of hand-made pain, coupled with delicately carved


    paintbrushes and pencils. Oil pastels and charcoal stickers were bound in more delicate paper and


    string and there was even a silver calligraphy pen with my initials engraved on the side DSA- Dorothy


    Scilvanne Armoundt.


    Ignatius and I were yet to marry but he insisted it was in preparation for that day.


    It was an artist¡¯s dreame true. A box of treasures more valuable than gold. I threw my arms around


    Ignatius and pecked k*sses all over his face as heughed. ¡°What¡¯s all this for?¡± I asked. ¡°I love it. I


    love it so much.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more Ignatius detangled himself from my arms and took my hand. He led me through the


    house to the very end of theidor and stood before the door to ire¡¯s old study.


    I


    Neither of us had touched in in all the time I had been there and I was confused as to why he had me


    standing in front of


    that door no


    Before 1 could ask, however, Ignatius lifted a finger to shush me and beckoned for me to open the


    door. I looked at him quizzically and then turned the handle, peeking into the room at first and then


    throwing the door open in wonder.


    The tiny study had been transformed. Not only was the furniture and decor different, but the entire back


    wall had been knocked down and reced with ss sliding doors and a breathtaking view of the cliffs


    beyond the house.


    I could see a glimmer of the sea on the h orizon and the setting sun shone through the open doors and


    lit up the room in a brilliant yellow glow. The room itself had been converted into a studio. There were


    easels and canvases stacked along one wall and arge desk waited to be of use


    The shelves were lined with books and the many shells and rocks and other trinkets that I had never


    been able to find a ce for in the rest of the house


    I was speechless. gawking at the gorgeous studio that had been two days in the making. So that was


    what all of the art supplies were for. At a loss for words, I threw my arms around my mate and held on


    tightly, fighting tears of joy that were suddenly welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°Do you like ¡°Ignatius murmured into my ears and I nodded, nting a k*ss on his soft lips and looking


    around again at my new art studio.


    I love it I really do.¡±


    Rita and Angle entered the room and Angie took a look around with her hands on her hips. ¡°Not bad.


    Ignatius. I never took you for the handyman type of guy¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, Ignatius muttered, wrapping his arms around my waist and littering my neck with k*sses as I


    examined my new studio. ¡°I hammered my own finger more times than I can count and at one point


    that wall almostnded directly on top of


    to


    Iughed at the image that yed through my head at his words to had decided to stay with the


    Bielke Pack


    After getting Ignatius consent, he had settled down in Bielke territory fairly quickly and it wasn¡¯t long


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    before almost every young, single suber in the pack, both man and wonsan, were pining after him and


    his chiseled good looks


    Eventually, his brother and mate joined us too. At first, Ignatius was skeptical about having an ex-Tally


    living on our turf, but we were over the park discrimination and she was warmly weed to the family,


    to and Ignatius had also be fast friends in the time since that battle. When he wasn¡¯t fawning


    over me in my grumpy pergnant state. Ignatius was out running the Bicike Pack and ending allyships


    that had fallen by the wayside since the Tally trouble began


    11:03 Fri, Jan 26 G


    to was useless at polities-hut he hung around regardless as Ignatius¡¯ assistant and flirted with the


    dazzling local secretary every chance he got.


    She ignored him for the most part but Ignatius told me that he had seen her scribble her number on a


    piece of paper and slip it to to one day when he walked past. The two of us found endless


    entertainment in the affairs of our peers.


    Angie and Fae had also be an official couple at that time and they were baffled to find that


    absolutely no one was surprised at that pairing.


    ¡°But how could all of you have known before we did!¡± Angie had yelled when the news of her and Fae


    getting together was met withments like ¡°finally¡± and ¡°It¡¯s about go ddam n time?


    I was happy for both of them. Angie was a reckless adrenaline j unkie with a sensitive side and Fae


    was a quippy, sarcastic girl with a heart of gold, I had never seen two people more perfect for each


    other.


    I leaned into Ignatius¡¯ embrace and grinned at Angie as she walked around testing the sturdiness of the


    shelves andmenting on to¡¯s terrible paint job.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her.¡± I giggled. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    Ignatius pulled away from me for a moment and looked at me sideways, suddenly unable to maintain


    eye contact. I noticed the slightest tremor in his hands when he said, ¡°There¡¯s one more surprise. Well


    more of a question I guess.¡±


    My eyes widened and Ignatius scratched at the back of his head, Before he could say another word,


    however, saddenly my loose-fitting jeans feh wet around my legs and I looked down in confusion.


    A momentter, the first contraction rocked through my b*dy and my face twisted in pain, ¡°Um, not to


    rm anyb*dy. But the babies areing.¡±


    Ignatius froze on the spot and stared at me with a dopey serene expression on his face as if he hadn¡¯t


    heard what I said. Then the weight of my words came crashing down on his beautiful empty head and


    his eyes widened as he nced at my sopping jeans and my pained expression. ¡°Oh. Oh my go d.


    Now


    ¡°Yes now!¡± I yelled back and suddenly everyone sprang into action at once.


    Rita hurried forwards and began guiding me towards the front of the house. Angie ran up the stairs to


    grab my hospital bag that had already been packed weeks in advance. I had packed it in a hurry as if


    the babies would pop put at any moment.


    Rita had sp ooked me with her tales of my mother being stranded at the hospital during my birth with


    no underwear for days thanks toplications with my arrival into the world and because my father


    had forgotten to bring her a change of


    clothes


    Apparently, every time they sent him home after visiting hours he woulde back again without any


    bag in sight.pletely forgotten in his excitement to see his wife and child again.


    Ignatius ran ahead of us and got the car started and then hurried back to scoop me up into his amus


    and rush to plonk met down in the passenger seat


    I groaned as another wave of pain rolled through my b*dy and whined for the others to hurry the f uck


    up. Angie and Rita mbered into the back and Ignatius sped off before Angie had even managed to


    properly close the door.


    I had insisted on having the birth at home but to my dismay, that idea had been shot down almost


    immediately by everyone in the vicinity.


    Every argument 1 made in favor of my decision was met with ¡°Dorothy, you¡¯re tiny. And there are two of


    them in there¡± to which I couldn¡¯t really argue against.


    And so, I had to suck it up and ept that I would be having my children at the local Bielke clinic where


    there would be healers on hand in case anything went wrong.


    As the pain made me groan and wince, I was suddenly grateful for that decision. Pregnancy had been


    harder than I had. anticipated. I could only imagine how hellish the actual birthing process would be.


    Chapter H


    In the end, though, it was meforting Ignatius who had turned white as a sheet and drove with


    trembling hands the whole way there


    It would have been endearing if I wasn¡¯t in so much pain myself Every cry from me looked like it would


    bring him to tears 100 and it only served to further solidify the love that I had for the secretive sensitive


    man that I called my mate.


    We made it to the clinic in record time and then it was the long haul of breathing and waiting and


    contractions and pushing and whining. At some point, Ignatius got woozy and I thought he would fall


    t on his face beside my bed as he watched me strain and groan


    1 clutched his hand so tightly that I heard his knuckles crunch and all my poor mate could do was stand


    there and stroke my hair and try his best not to pass out himself.


    But finally, it was over and Iy with my two beautiful twins cradled in my arms, sweating and breathing


    heavily. Ignatius crooned over his children and he looked up at me with a wildly joyful expression when


    Amelie curled her fat little fingers around his pinkie.


    It was then, in those quiet moments in the clinic after the bustle of friends and family came and went


    and it was just the two of us gazing lovingly down at the two little humans we had created, that Ignatius


    finally decided to reveal the final part of the surprise


    1 was looking down at the twins with heavy lids as I felt myself slipping into a much-needed doze.


    Amelie was curled up Fightly in a swaddle of nkets and her brothery beside her, wrapped so


    tightly that his chunky little cheeks were


    ckered and puffed up around his tiny face and scrunched beady eyes.


    ¡°You know¡± I saidzily to Ignatius who was leaning on the edge of my bed and touching his finger to


    the nose of one quiet children. ¡°Newborn babies are kinda ugly. Like I love them so so much. But they


    look like little n*ked mole rats.


    of the


    Ignatius hadughed at that and Ellias opened his eyes at the sound to gaze up at his father. It wasn¡¯t


    hard to see who the little kicker in my stomach had been every time Ignatius got to talking to my belly.


    Ellias clearly knew his father¡¯s voice and that made Ignatius beam with pride.


    I pressed a tired, gende k*ss to each of their tiny soft heads. When I looked up. Ignatius was holding a


    small golden pinched between his thumb and forefinger.


    Embedded in the center of the delicate gold band was a twi nkling green Peridot, the color of my eyes. I


    snapped my up to look into the eyes of my mate who was smiling sheepishly. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the best


    timing. But the little terrors there threw a wrench in my ns, and I¡¯m impatient.¡±


    I could only stare at him with my mouth slightly open, tears welling in the corner of my eyes as Ignatius


    continued in an awkward, bashful tone that I didn¡¯t hear from him very often.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not the fanciest of rings. But you always said this stone was your favorite and it even


    matches your eyes! I don¡¯t know, Rita said it was perfect, but I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d like it or


    I didn¡¯t give him time to finish. I pressed my lips to his in a deep k*ss. My sudden movement awoke


    both the sleeping babies and they blinked up at us as I pressed my forehead to his


    ¡°Just get on with it, you scaredy-cat


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been through a lot today. Give me a break, I¡¯m getting there Ignatius matched my mocking


    tone, and his smile was infectious.


    ¡°Excuse me, you¡¯ve been through a lot? I have just punted two babies out of my vagina and you¡¯re


    telling me you¡¯ve been through a lot today? All you did was stand there and try not to hurl.¡±


    We got to the proposal eventually, but there was no need to ask even if we hadn¡¯t. The answer was


    always going to be yes. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with Ignatius from the first night we


    spent together dancing in the snowy woods


    And that day had finallye


    Fri Jan 26

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    Chapter 95¡ú¡ú


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Excuse me, what are you doing out here? You¡¯re supposed to be getting ready!¡±


    1 was interrupted from my daydreaming by the sudden approach of Angie and Far who were both


    dressed to the nines in gorgeous green dresses that swished around their ankles like tall grass in the


    breeze.


    1 had been sitting alongside Ignatius who was reclining on the bright orange pic nket that had


    promptly been stained with cranberry juice after Ellias had decided to throw his paper cup across the


    garden as most toddlers are prone to do from


    time to time.


    Ignatius and I both looked upzily at the flustered couple. Angie¡¯s hair was pinned up in a cluster of


    toffee-colored waves on the top of her head and Fae¡¯s was dotted with tiny golden beads and flowers.


    They looked gorgeous and they both looked frantic as f uck


    ¡°I have time.¡± I smiled up at them and dangled a tuft of grass over Amelie¡¯s nose. She giggled and


    swatted it away as Angie rolled her eyes.


    ¡°What kind of Luna iste to her own wedding? Ignatius, you¡¯re supposed to be putting your suit on.


    Where¡¯s to hiding?¡±


    Ignatius and I exchanged raised eyebrows and m uffled snickering as Angie stormed off to hunt down


    the missing best man. Far sighed and sat down beside me, catching Ellias as he barreled past her on


    two stumpy legs and blew a raspberry on his tuminy while he giggled and squealed.


    ¡°For someone who isn¡¯t into the whole fancy dress thing, she sure can be pedantic about weddings.


    Fae giggled as we spotted Angie with a stormy expression on her dolled-up face pulling a terrified-


    looking to along behind her.


    ¡°No kidding ¡°I pecked onest k*ss on Ellias cheek and stood up slowly. ¡°I suppose she¡¯s right though. I


    should be getting ready.¡±


    I blew a k*ss to my mate and tickled Ellias on his chubby tummy that poked out from under his shirt. He


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you from your mother¡¯s ws.¡±


    ¡°The only thing you¡¯re going to do right now is go and put your go d da mn sun on.¡± Angie had made it


    back with to who was struggling to loosen his tie after Angie had pulled it tightly around his neck.


    to will watch the kids.¡±


    1. I will?¡±


    to seemed to have no knowledge of this new role. He didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter though as


    he was suddenly swarmed by the two tiny redheads who had just noticed his presence.


    The twins were big fans of the handsome young man, or ¡°¡± as they liked to call him. They pulled at


    his suit pants and demanded to be picked up immediately, stamping their feet and reaching with little


    grabby hands.


    to had no other option but to oblige to the wishes of the two pouting brats and their faces lit up as he


    lifted them into the air. Ellias immediately used the opportunity to tug on the man¡¯s curls and Amelie


    proceeded to pull his tie too tightly all over again.


    ¡°Have fun.¡± I left to with a pained expression on his baffled face and fluttered my fingers at Ignatius.


    ¡°See you at the finish


    line.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a wedding, not a race! he called back to me as I allowed Angie to drag me to the small dressing


    room where she and the other women of both of their families were getting ready. Rita was there too


    and she smiled at me warmly. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Excited though.¡±


    They pulled the crisp white dress over my head and immediately got to work touching up my hair and


    trying to dash lipstick across my face. I hattered away the many hands that swarmed me. I think I¡¯ve


    got this.¡±


    Fri, Jan 26


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    I let my hair flow down loosely over my shoulders and allowed the to add the slightest hint of blush to


    my pale skin. After the tiniest dash of mascara. I turned down the lipstick that was offered to me. As


    lovely as it looked, I couldn¡¯t stand the taste of it, being someone who bit my bottom lip any time I got


    the slightest bit nervous.


    Standing before the mirror I saw a girl that I could hardly recognize. She was a far cry from the girl I


    had been on my eighteenth birthday, sneering into the mirror and wondering if thy mate was going to


    like me at all.


    This girl was a far cry from that shy lonely creature. This girl looked stronger, wiser, and a little more


    weathered by the storms of life. The silvery-gray streak in my hair was apparent as my locks swished


    around my shoulders, but I didn¡¯t mind. it. It was a soft reminder of everything that I had been through,


    everything I had endured.


    The dress itself was gorgeous. Rita had helped me pick it out a few weeks before. It was long and


    dainty, swirling around me in soft silky waves and encrusted with the tiniest of pearly beads that


    sparkled in the sunlight.


    Simple but elegant was one way to put it and it suited me just fine. To Angie¡¯s utter dismay I insisted on


    remaining barefoot sticking to my roots and wearing only a tiny silver ankle bracelet gifted to me by


    Anita who had traveled all the way from Khall territory for the wedding


    She had been a mother to me for the shortest period after all. More than a caretaker, she had been a


    kind friend.


    Rits poked her head through the door of the dressing room and smiled at me. ¡°They¡¯re all waiting for


    you.¡±


    I had been ready to marry Ignatius long before he had presented me with the Peridot ring in the


    hospital. Even butterflies fluttered in my stomach at Rita¡¯s words and I bit my lip nervously. Excitement


    bubbled in my chest and my heart beat so hard and so fast I thought it might burst right then and there.


    I heaved in a deep breath and shot one final nce at my reflection. The girl in the mirror stared back


    at me, a powerful Luna with soft eyes and a hard-set jaw. I turned towards Rita and took her hand. ¡°I


    think I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Rita guided me our of the dressing room and we made out way towards the aisle. The wedding was


    held on Bielke territory.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    short distance from our own home


    Up on the cliffs with the ocean roaring beneath us, Angie and the others had gone overboard with the


    decorating and the whole area had been decked out with gands of tiny white flowers that Ignatius


    called Snow-drops. The foresty beyond and by the sound of it, every bird and bee had stopped by to


    watch the ceremony.


    By the time we stepped into view, my heart was in my mouth. I could feel it thumping alongside the


    lump in my throat that formed when I caught sight of my mate waiting patiently on the other side


    silhouetted by the blue sky and the shimmering cobalt cent


    He smiled at me and I wanted to ditch the flowers, forget the audience and run full uht into his arms. I


    held my breath as Rita linked her arm with mine and we began the slow walk towards the rest of my


    life.


    I was beaming, ovee with emotions that were too deep to one. Ellias and Amelie were standing up


    at the front next to co who looked like he had lived through another war in the short time that he had


    been taking care of them.


    Angie and Fae were seated in the front row along with Anita anda few others who hade to hold a


    special ce in my


    heart


    Impatient and overly excited at the sight of their mother, the twins broke from their ranks and charged


    down the aisle towards me. This earned augh from the crowd and Ignatias nted a palm to his


    face.


    I plucked two flowers from the bouquet that I carried and handed them to the two children. Then,


    promising to behave they marched along beside me down the aisle towards the pew where Ignatius


    stood with the most serious look of concentration on his face


    Before I knew it. I was standing before my soon-to-be husband. Rita k*ssed me on the cheek and let go


    of my arm, sitting down alongside Anita as the ceremony began. The twins stood at my side, grinning


    up at Ignatius and me who both fought to keep the tears from welling in our eyes.


    Rather than have someone read us our vows we had decided to write them ourselves. Ignatius was


    scribbled delicately across a piece of paper that he had stolen from my sketchbook and his hands


    trembled as he read them out loud.


    1103 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Mine had been jotted down on another scrap of paper to from one of his notebooks. It all passed by in


    an excited nervous blur and before I knew it the man in the suit dered us married,


    Ignatius pulled into a k*ss thatsted way longer than was probably decent, considering our audience,


    but I didn¡¯t mind at all. A cheer erupted from the crowd and when we finally broke apart Ignatius was


    smiling down at me like the happiest man on earth. Ellias pulled at my dress and asked if we were


    going to be having cake now and that was that.


    The ring on my finger matched the golden engraved band that Ignatius wore on his own. Even the


    twins were gifted with their own custom little rings which Ignatius had stood down to slide onto their


    little fingers himself. Amelie stood quietly examining hers while Ellias marched around and presented it


    to anyone who would listen and dered himself ¡°usarried¡±.


    His insistence was frequently met with someone ruffling his hair andments like. ¡°Not just yet, little


    man.¡± To which he would have been irritated by, but the fact that he was referred to as a man, made


    him beam with pride.


    After the ceremony, everyone made their way to the sprawling gardens on the grandiose property,


    Chairs and tables had been decorated with tiny pearls and the same delicate white flowers along with


    bright dashes of green and gold ribbon


    The cake was much bigger than I had expected it to be and Ished Angle an open-mouthed stare


    when it was revealed. She only shrugged andughed and handed me the knife to get to cutting slices


    for everyone including my son who was very determined to shove his hand straight into the frosting


    After heartfelt speeches from everyone that we loved, the celebration was almost over. to had


    spouted a speech about how he hade to meet Ignatios and ¡°single-handedly won the wall war to


    which he was met with eye rolls and affectionateughter. Angie gave a spred for both of us that


    brought a tear to my eye


    ¡°Dorothy,¡± she had looked straight at me after reminiscing about growing up alongside Ignatius, ¡°I¡¯m not


    gonna lie hated you at first. In fact,¡± she had addressed the crowd. ¡°I tried to kill her once. The


    ufortable shuttling from the audience was broken by my own loud peals ofughter.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Angie continued. ¡°She stuck with the despite that, and then she even had to take it a step


    further and go on to save my life. All of this is to say that, Dorothy, you¡¯ve be a very important


    person in my life and I¡¯m so grateful to have met you.


    The speeches went on and then it was time for dancing, Swaying in the garden under the tw inkling


    as he swept me around in slow circles, and closed my eyes


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    -Dorothy-


    The party was still going on when Ignatius and I slipped away to take a walk along the beach in the


    dark. Ignatius had carried me on his back down a small, narrow pathway in the cliffs and then two of us


    stepped onto the cold sand in our wedding


    allire.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    My dress billowed in the breeze and Ignatius had pulled his the loose, ditching his jacket on the sand


    and taking my hand in


    his


    The sounds of the party atop the cliffs echoed down to us as we walked along the pale sand and stared


    at the dark roaring waters of the sea. Salty spray rained over us with cach crashing wave and the moon


    beamed down over us, bathing the entire stretch of sand in a silver glow,


    Ignatius and I were quiet at first, enjoying thefortable silence and exhausted by all the socializing


    we had done in the past few hours. The children had slozed off ages ago and had been carried away to


    be tucked into bed in the small cottage on the property..


    Ellias had tried his best to keep his eyes open but his head lolled to the side as I had carried him away


    from the dance floor. Amelie hadHaken initiative and she was found curled up on top of her father¡¯s


    jacket, already dozing amidst the ruckus of the party.


    When Ignatius finally spoke it caught me by surprise. His whispered words were almost swept away by


    the wind. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be together forever?¡±


    I pulled a tendril of hair from where it had been swept into my face and k*ssed him. ¡°I¡¯m not going


    anywhere without you, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°I mean like, in a different life. Our souls. Do you think we¡¯ll find each other again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that for a second. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it has happened already. His cool hand in


    mine squeezed tighter at my words. ¡°I think we¡¯ve known each other for a very long time.¡±


    Music andughter trickled down the cliffs like rain over our heads Ignatius ran his hands over my


    shoulders and k*ssed me in the dark. ¡°You look beautiful by the way. When I saw youing down the


    aisle I thought I was going to die on the spot¡±


    ¡°Oh shush, you¡¯ve just had too much champagne.¡±


    ¡°I mean it, Dorothy. I love you. I¡¯ve never loved anything or anyone the way I love you.¡±


    I was quiet for a moment before I answered him, ¡°I think I loved you from the day we met. I think we¡¯ll


    be together forever. I know we already gave our vows but I promise that to you now!


    Ignatius pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around my waist. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be happier with our


    growing little family.¡±


    And growing it was. After the wedding, Rita had pulled me aside to tell me that she had discovered


    something important. I followed her away from the dancing and celebrating and we sat down on a


    bench in a quiet spot in the garden.


    Rita had been teary-eyed through the entire ceremony and her eyes were brimming with tears once


    again. She had taken. my hands in her rough one and whispered her words to me, I¡¯ve been following


    up on some leads, Ignatius told me that he once met a healer who seemed to know a lot about our old


    pack and your healing abilities:


    I tilted my head in question, not following where she was going with this information. ¡°What kind of


    leads? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Kita looked down at my hands in her and ran a finger over the Peridot ring that twin kled in the yellow


    glow of the candles. that had been lit around the garden. Fairy lights twi nkled in the trees and the


    golden ribbons dazzled in the dark


    ¡°Not all of the Silvanne Pack was wiped out, Dorothy. I found some survivors. They managed to escape


    the attacks and lett


    the country entirely afterward.¡±


    I could only stare at her with my mouth o open. To know that there were members of my original pack


    somewhere out there was aforting thought, to know that not everyone had fallen because of our


    enemy¡¯s attempts to get to me..


    ¡°There¡¯s more though,¡± Rita murmured. ¡°I got in contact with them. And they know a lot about the


    healers. Healers like you and your mother. The bloodline is notpletely gone. Aside from you, there


    are others living overseas in ces as far as Asia. But they¡¯re alive. And they might know how to


    prolong your own life and that of your children,¡±


    It had been a sore topic up until that point, the fear that my unique abilities would be passed down to


    my children, dooming them to a short life like mine.


    While I had tried to ignore the fate that awaited me and chose instead to preserve my powers for as


    long as possible thus prolonging my life, Ignatius and Rita refused to give up on their searching for


    answers. And now, it had apparently paid off.


    I touched a hand to the silver strand in my hair. ¡°What now? How do we find them I can¡¯t exactly drop


    everything and backpack around Asia looking for answers.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Rita winked at me as she spoke. ¡°But I¡¯ve always wanted to go traveling.


    ¡°Really! Rita, I can¡¯t ask you to do that for me!¡± My eyes were wide and I held her hands in myp, ¡°You


    don¡¯t even have the same abilities, it¡¯s not your burden to bear.¡±


    But the olddy wouldn¡¯t listen to me. She folded me in a tight embrace and promised to be back by the


    time our third child came along. I had no idea what she was talking about then because Ignatius and I


    had both decided it would be a very long wait if we ever were to have any more children,


    She told me to be strong and brave as I always had been and then she sent me back to enjoy the


    celebrations without another word on the subject. Rita had set off a few days after the wedding and we


    were all sad to see her go.


    Standing there on the sand, I told Ignatius everything and he listened with a furrowed brow. A smile


    broke out the thought of there possibly being a way to break the curse or blessing that I had inherited.


    In his excitement he lifted me into the air and swirled me around on the windswept beach, my dress


    billowin like a flower unfurling


    After Ignatius had finally calmed down, he let my feet touch the door again and held me close to him.


    We stood t Jong time in that embrace and the wind howled around us and the sea hushed and trickled


    across the shores.


    ¡°Do you still get nightmares?¡± Ignatius lips were close to my ears, whispering into my hair so the wind


    could not steal his words ¡°You don¡¯t wake up panicking like you used to. I just realized that¡±


    I tightened my arms that wrapped around him like a vice. I never wanted to let him go. His scent was


    still apparent even with the salty sea air surrounding us and the ocean itself rained seafoam over our


    heads


    My dress was getting wet as the rushing tide closed in but I didnt mind in the slightest. The cold clear


    water rushed over our bare feet and the sand sunk a little beneath us, sealing us in ce like we were


    always meant to stay.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t get those had dreams anymore,¡± I answered him and then looked up to touch my nose to


    his. ¡°I still dream though. All the time. But these are good dreams, pleasant dreams. I¡¯m still running


    through the woods. Only this time there is no creature stalking me and no snapping jaws leaping out of


    the dark.


    ¡°This time the moonlight shines down through the trees as I run, And my family is running by my side.


    You and Tor, the children and their future wolves who I can¡¯t wait to meet. Nothing is chasing us, we¡¯re


    running for the fun of it. It¡¯s a beautiful dream. And I don¡¯t doubt that it will be a reality one day.¡±¡±


    There was no time for me to continue, Ignatius¡¯ hips met mine and they tasted of the sea. I curled my


    fingers in his hair as the wind howled around us in the night like its own kind of dark wolf. It swept my


    hair into a frenzy of bright red locks and my dress whipped and flowed in the wind.


    It urred to me then, as hey me down on the soli sand and preled my damp dress from my b*dy,


    that we had lived on the cliffs for some time by then, and yet we had never bothered to explore each


    other on the wide empty stretch of sand and

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    sea that we hard at our disposal. Ignatius seemed to be thinking the same thing, and he was


    determined to rectify that immediately.


    We moved as one, pale bodies on the even paler sand, asionally washed with seafoam and cool


    water. The wind swept my sensual cries away into the dark night sky that was flecked with thousands


    of stars.


    -Epilogue-


    Three years have gone by in the blink of an eye. Ignatius and I weed a third child into the world, a


    small blue-eyed boy named Dorien. He has the same dark brown sh aggy hair as his grandfather and


    his own father¡¯s deep blue eyes.


    He came into the world in the spring of that year, screaming his arrival for all the world to hear. The


    twins had been ecstatic to meet their new baby brother and they crowded the bed to catch a peek


    when they had finally been allowed hack into the


    I had gotten the home birth that I wanted after all. Dorien had chosen the most unexpected of times to


    make his appearance. and there was no rush to reach the clinic diat time around, only Angie and Fac,


    and of course, Ignatius who was a little less pale and woozy the second time.


    Angie and Fae had been married not long before Dorien¡¯s birth. It had been a grandiose wedding out in


    the forest and the satin ribbons in orange and pink had entertained the twins for hours as they insisted


    on pulling at every single one that hung from the branches of the trees.


    By the time Ignatius finally noticed their antics, they had seeded in tying up a sleeping to, who


    had dozed during the after-party, to the chair he had been sitting on.


    He was more than a little confused to awake and find that his movements were restricted by bright pink


    ribbons and he was only rescued by the secretary he had eventually ended up dating, but only after we


    had all enjoyed a goodugh first. Angieplimented Ellias on his impable knot skills which she


    imed to have taught him herself.


    Aside from the terrible two, as we had alle to refer to the twins by, it had been a magical sight and


    Angie and Fae seemed happier than ever. Neither of them had a best man nor woman but instead


    chose for the newest younger bro Gideon¡¯s family to represent their missing sibling. It had been a tear-


    jerking moment and we all missed the unruly! shifter deeply.


    As promised, Rita returned on Dorien¡¯s hundredth day. She looked just the same as ever, only there


    was something ligh about her. In her travels, she had seemed to shed some of the baggage of her past


    that had weighed her down for years.


    With her came two shifters who donned the same bright red hair that I did. As it turned out, the healer¡¯s


    bloodline was far from dead and there was arge family across the sea that was eager to meet me.


    The two shifters told me that the family had split apart years ago and they had no idea where my half of


    the family had disappeared to. They were ecstatic to find more people like themselves and even more


    excited to meet the twins as well as Dorien who could only smile and babble and wave his tiny fists in


    the air.


    They had not yet discovered a way to break the cursepletely. But they had found a way to prolong


    their own lives. They were happy to share that information with me. The possibility of a longer life with


    my family ignited new hope in me


    We would never stop searching for answers. Now that we knew it was possible, we would never stop


    searching for a way to end the generational curse before our children would bear the weight of it as


    well. It wouldn¡¯t be easy and it would take a long time, but we had a headstart and a family across the


    sea to Belp us along.


    Looking over at my growing family. I had never been happier. I had gotten everything that I wanted,


    everything that I didn¡¯t know I had needed. I had a loving mate, the Alpha of a pack that was slowly


    mending their reputation and giving back to the people they had wronged in the past.


    I had three gorgeous children who had seemed to have made it their life¡¯s goal to be as much of a


    handful as possible, but I loved them for it all the more. I had friends that I cared deeply for, friends I


    had run into battle with all those years ago.


    The scars of our past would forever haunt us. While my nightmares were over, Ignatius was yet to


    ept the grim fate of his own previous family. But he was trying his best and I was there to help himT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    every step of the way.


    11:03 Fri, Jan 26 G


    59%%%


    Johan and his death would forever remain an ache in our hearts, one that would never truly go away.


    But we had epted that a long time ago and every day it got a little bit easier to bear,


    It wasn¡¯t a perfect life that I had led, far from it in fact, but I wouldn¡¯t have changed a thing, I stood fast


    in my decisions that led me to this moment, looking down over my small family in the blooming garden


    surrounded by the people that I loved It was worth all of it.


    Even with all of the ups and downs, heartaches, and pain thate alongside this thing called living, I


    would be lying if I said that I didn¡¯t crave it all.


    I¡¯ve had quite a beautiful life after all.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT


    11:03 Fri, Jan 26 G


    -Dorothy-


    I crouched on my haunches with my hands outstretched, waiting for the giggling toddler in front of me


    to take a step forward ording to Rita, Eltas, with his green eyes and shock of red hair, was the


    spitting image of me as a child.


    Unlike me, though, he was rather against walking upright. While his sister had been waddling around at


    twelve months, Elias had taken much longer to get the hang of it. He could walk now, and he did when


    it was absolutely necessary.


    But he refused to put one foot in front of the other unless there was a treat offered or a particrly


    interesting bug to be caught. Although he had a knack for crawling at almost inhuman speeds,


    I chuckled as my son clung to his father, trying his best to nt his butt on the floor with an indignant


    frown.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve got this. Ignatius patted our kid gently on the top of his head, ttening his unruly


    curls.


    1 looked up at Ignatius, my husband. My mate, I gazed into the blue eyes that weed me back into


    the world every morning and sent me to sleep every night. His white hair tumbled down over his eyes,


    tousled and untamed as always..


    A thinyer of grey ck stubble crept along his jawline, hiding a scar thatshed up towards his ear


    like a lopsided smile.


    My mate sported many scars across his pale skin, more than he¡¯d care to admit. They trailed across


    hus once-smooth chest and curled into a brutal brand of battle on his back. The scar on his back was


    the worst one, born of a betrayal almost too painful to bear. I bore a few vicious scars too.


    But those days were behind us now.


    Ignatius shed me an easy grin as Elias stamped his little foot on the ground. ¡°I think you¡¯ll just have


    to ept it, my love. Elias var born to run on all fours


    ¡°Elias needs to learn that he¡¯s just as much a person as he is a wolf¡± I rolled my eyes as the toddler


    dropped to his knees and crawled towards me with a triumphant smile,


    A small tug on my sweater had me looking over my shoulder,ing face to face with another set of


    cool blue eyes. Amelie, our calm and collected child, held up a small purple flower under my nose


    ¡°What¡¯s this one?¡±


    I held out my hand and she dropped the dainty treasure into my palm. While I had a preference for


    collecting sticks and shells. Amelie was building a sizable collection of dried flowers and shimmering


    pearls. The flowers were easy enough to find, but the pearls were gifts from Ignatius whenever he


    ventured out into the chilly Northern waters.


    I was mortified at the prospect of giving a three-year-old such a tiny object that could he swallowed in


    an instant. But Amelie was oddly mature enough to never put them up her nose let alone in her mouth.


    Elias, however, could not be trusted to do the same. So his gifis consisted of wooden swords and


    driftwood sticks that he wielded with far too much enthusiasm.


    Atwinge of mncholy tainted my smile for a moment as I examined the flower. ¡°It¡¯s a geranium¡±


    Amelia withdrew with her flower, cupping it in her little hands. Long wispy tendrils of red hair fell over


    her shoulders. framing her inquisitive elfish face as she studied the petals ¡°Good flower?¡±


    It was Ignatius who answered her somewhat solemnly, ¡°One of the best.¡±


    Amelia beamed and hurried off to stow the flower away with the rest of her collection, and I reached


    over to take my mate¡¯s hand Ignatius leaned into nie, pressing his nose to my neck as watched s


    zoom around the living room on his hands


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    and knees


    ¡°Peaceful was a word that often crossed my mind during those slow, sunny days in our cottage by the


    sea. The war with the Tally army had been a long one, and tensions had been high for a long while


    after Johan and lus soldiers had fallen But almost everyone had just wanted peace


    Fn. Jan 26 Chapter 98


    59%


    With the reformation of the Bielke pack and some mended bonds with our former allies, we eventually


    managed to achieve just that. Peace,


    But that peace was slowlying undone.


    I wrapped my arms around Ignatius, pulling him to my chest while our children yed beside us. I


    wanted nothing more than to preserve these moments together. I wanted to give our children the happy


    childhood that was robbed of us. I wanted to give my mate a secure, stable life after the chaos he had


    endured.


    I was pulled from my spiraling thoughts by the feeling of Ignatius¡¯s hand on my cheek. He tilted my face


    towards him. touching his nose to mine. ¡°Don¡¯t let the past taint these moments. The battle is over,


    you¡¯re allowed to rx¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but cr ack a smile, grinning against his lips as I k*ssed him. ¡°You¡¯d think after all this time


    I would get the hang of keeping you out of my head¡±


    Ignatius shrugged, k*ssing me back with a hand on the back of my neck. ¡°I don¡¯t even need to get into


    your head. When you start worrying you project your thoughts like an airhorn¡±


    ¡°When you start worrying, you pace up and down the hallways all night long.¡± I mumbled into his ear.


    ¡°We both have our shorings.


    The stress of war had done a number on both of us. Even nearing our three-year anniversary, after


    three years of rtive peace. Ignatius and I were both unable topletely rx. We had in


    monsters and vicious beasts, Burned them and put them to rest. But the ghosts of those enemies still


    haunted us.


    ¡°Ouch! Bas tar d! I hollered when Ignatius flicked his finger at my forehead.


    Ignatiusughed, pressing a gentle k*ss over the stinging welt. ¡°Sorry, but you were spiraling again. I


    had to shock you out of


    it.¡±


    A voice from somewhere behind us had me mbering to my feet with Ignatius following suit.


    ¡°Ignatius Armoundt, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit childish to be flicking your wife like a pup on the


    yground?¡±


    The she-wolf in the doorway shed me a grin and glided over to envelope me in her arms. ¡°Hello


    carrottop. I¡¯vee to ask your assistance in a very important matter.¡±


    I looked up at the much taller woman, echoing her broad, friendly smile while smothered in her arms.


    ¡°Hello Angie, you¡¯re suffocating me.


    Ignatius stepped between us in an attempt to save me from Angie¡¯s iron grip and wrapped his arms


    around my shoulders, smiling at his oldest friend. ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Fae supposed to be packing right


    now?¡±


    Angic shrugged, walking over to lift little Elias in her arms. ¡°I snuck out for a moment. Fae is so busy


    picking the perfect holiday wardrobe, I doubt she even noticed my departure.¡±


    Elias was ecstatic to see his godmother and he kicked his legs about, waving his little fists in the air


    and almost socking Angie right in the jaw


    ¡°Go d, Angie chuckled in between blowing raspberries on his pulled cherry cheeks, he¡¯s got more spu


    nk than ever. He¡¯s way more active than you ever were Ignatius.¡±


    ¡°Elias takes after his mother Ignatius smirked at me and then raised his voice for Amelie to hear.


    ¡°Amelie on the other hand. was blessed with her father¡¯s graces.¡±


    Amelie peaked her head out from behind the doorway, grinning at her dad before hightailing it back into


    her room with a


    ¡°What did you want our help with, Angie?¡± I followed the she wolf around the living room while she lifted


    s above her


    head like a little Peter Pan.


    ¡°I was hoping you and Ignatius might be able to help me n a surprise party for Fae, Angie sand


    sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s our


    Fri, Jan 26


    anniversarying up and I wanted to celebrate it with all of you before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll help with that, Ignatius nibbled on my car before a new thought struck him, ¡°Wait, our


    anniversary ising up pretty soon too, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    In a few weeks,¡± I reminded him, swatting at his nose while he licked his tongue over my ear. ¡°It¡¯ll be


    officially three years since I agreed to marry your du mba s.¡±


    Rather than remove his tongue, Ignatius licked down my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. ¡°I


    know you don¡¯t regret it at all.


    Three years since Ignatius and I were officially united. Three years since the war hade to an end.


    Three years since Rita promised toe back to us with news of the remaining Seilvanne park.


    I missed the old bird more than I could say. A part of me hoped she would return with good news, but


    mostly, I just wanted to see her again. Raising children was hard enough without your mother around to


    guide you. Rita was all I had for a parent, but she was away searching for information that would help


    to prolong my life.


    That was one issue we had never managed to resolve. The war had ended and the Bielke pack was


    finally able to enjoy a time of peace. The children were born happy and healthy, and Ignatius was well


    on his way to being remembered as the greatest alpha the Bielke had ever known.


    The only problem, so monumental we didn¡¯t even dare speak on it most of the time, was the matter of


    my own life. Fated with the healing powers of the Seilvanne bloodline, we weren¡¯t sure how much time I


    had left. Nor did we understand the full scope of the powers our children had inherited.


    I was Ignatius who pulled me from my morbid musing once more with a gentle hand on my cheek. He


    didn¡¯t need to s anything this time, his light touch was enough to bring me back I leaned into him,


    closing my eyes and breathing in his familiar scent. The overpowering smell of the sea,


    Everything was going to be okay. Whatever the path ahead had in store for us, we would face it


    together. I tried to force the terrifying thoughts from my mind and focus on nning Angie¡¯s intended


    surprise party instead.


    I tried to focus on happy memories, all the good times we¡¯d had since we¡¯d firstid eyes on each other.


    All the good moments that were toe. Friends akin to family and an entire park at peace.


    But there was always a looming shadow cast over these happy moments, nightmares wreaking havoc


    on my mind while 1 slept. Those nightmares came in the form of Johan I would see him in my sleep,


    staring at me with soulless eyes, a ck jaw betraying sharp, white teeth.


    As I sat beside my mate, his hand in mine, I had no idea of the chaos that was toe.


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Chapter 99¡ú¡ú¡ú


    -Dorothy-


    It waste one night, while the kids dozed in their room and lipatius and I were curled together in bed,


    that my mate asked me about vampires.


    ¡°Vampires?¡± 1 propped myself up on my elbow, eyeing him quizzically. ¡°What¡¯s got you thinking about


    fairy tales all of a sudden?¡±


    Ignatius was quiet for a moment, trailing his fingers down my leg. ¡°They¡¯re not just fairy tales¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Nob*dy has heard anything about vampires in years. Most people don¡¯t believe


    they ever existed at


    Ignatius was stoic beside me, eyeing the curve of my hips rather than meeting my gaze. ¡°Would you


    have believed in the Not Deer if you hadn¡¯t seen one for yourself?¡±


    I stopped his hand before it reached my hip: ¡°What¡¯s got you thinking about vampires?¡±


    Ignatius removed his hand and rolled onto his back, bncing his arms over his eyes, ¡°People all over


    have been reporting vampire sightings. There¡¯s never any concrete evidence, but rumors have been


    cropping up for a few weeks now. 1 thought was just talk at first, but with so many people saying the


    same thing. I¡¯m wondering if there might be some truth to it¡¯


    I stared at him in silence until he peaked at me from under his arm. ¡°The stories do sound exaggerated,


    it¡¯s probably nothing to worry about. I just think it wouldn¡¯t hurt to do some investigating.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this sooner? It wasn¡¯t like Ignatius to hide things from me. But the fact that I


    hadn¡¯t even caught an inkling of this news in his mind meant that he¡¯d been purposely withholding it.


    Ignatius sighed and rolled over to press himself against me. ¡°You¡¯ve been so anxioustely, I didn¡¯t


    want to worry you more! Especially since there¡¯s no real evidence that any of this is true.¡±¡±


    I was willing to ept that and let it go. For now,


    I touched my nose to his tentatively. ¡°But you think they might be? You wouldn¡¯t be investigating it


    otherwise.¡±


    Ignatius closed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think.¡±


    I rolled on top of him, k*ssing my way along his neck. ¡°How would you even begin to look into


    vampires? There are no records of them anywhere from what I understand


    Ignatius was stiff beneath me. ¡°It¡¯s rumored that Elliot had dealings with vampires in the past,¡±


    1 sat upright with raised brows. ¡°Your father? I can¡¯t imagine Elliot making an effort to get along with the


    likes of vampires.¡±


    Ignatius shrugged. ¡°I find it pretty hard to believe, myself. But the point is, there¡¯s bound to be some


    kind of hint about it left among Elliots things. I just need to find it.


    Ignatius took in my tense expression and pulled me down into a k*ss. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry


    about any of that now. I don¡¯t want to add any more monsters to your nightmares.¡±


    ¡°I can handle it,¡± I murmured against his lips, ¡°I think it¡¯s just stress that¡¯s getting to me.¡±


    I could feel Ignatius¡¯s smirk without having to see his face. ¡°I think I know a good way to solve that.¡±


    Before I could react, my mate had me flipped off of him and onto my stomach, parting my legs and


    pressing his tongue to my most sensitive area. A groan escaped my lips, and I arched my hips up to


    meet his mouth, unaware of just how starved for release I had beentely


    His hot breath through my thin panty was enough to get me going almost immediately. Ignatius pulled


    away for a moment,


    11:03 Fri, Jan 26


    smoothing a hand over my as s before abruptly pulling my underwear down to my knees.


    I heard him suck in a sharp breath as he examined me, the vulnerability of it all getting both of us


    excited. I loved to surrender to him, and he loved the submission. The bedroom was the one ce I


    was able to cast all my responsibilities aside and let myself be caressed without fear of judgment.


    1 arched my back again, eager for his touch and wiggled towards him impatiently. A stinging hand


    pped across my as s, followed by a tongue trailing up my back. Ignatius sent shivers up my spine as


    he mounted me, licking along my throat and up towards my ear, whispering all the dirty things he¡¯d like


    to with me.


    All of a sudden his hot breath vanished from my neck, and I felt him press his lips to the crease


    between my a ss and thigh. He pulled my panties lower, pushing my legs open with his other hand and


    settling there. His tongue flicked against my inner thight, making me twitch involuntarily. He circled his


    tongue closer to my now dripping mound, teasing his way around my entrance while I whined into the


    mattress.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    A moan escaped my lips when his tongue finally slid over my cli. I felt him smirk, pleased with the effect


    he had on me. He had always been skilled when it came to anything S**ual, but our time together had


    helped him learn my b*dy better than ever. He knew exactly where to k*ss, lick, coax, and caress to


    transform me into a wet, quivering mess,


    Ignatius took his time. Slow and teasing he warmed me up until my cli t was swollen and aching with


    need. I hit my lip as another smarting p was delivered across my as s, a reprimand for my squirming


    1 buned my face in the nkets, concentrating on not forcing my pu sy lips against his warm, soft


    mouth. That effort went out the window a momentter when he plunged his tongue into me, and he


    lifted a hand to thumb circles over my c lit


    My breathing sped up and I groaned, stretching and arching on the mattress with the flexibility of a cat,


    offering him rasier ess with my raised hips


    Right before his tongue could coas me over the edge. Ignatius paused and I gave a small cry of


    frustration at the denial


    ¡°Not yet, baby.¡± Ignatius ran his palm up my back, pressing my shoulders into the mattress as he


    lowered his sweatpants. He leaned his full weight into my shoulders, propping himself up with one


    elbow as he positioned himself at my entrance. My b*dy ached with need, my core glistening wetly with


    the evidence of my arousal


    Ignatius entered me slowly, and I groaned as I felt the full lenght of him slip inside of me, stretching me


    fully on the way in


    Usually our escapades were rougher, far wilder, and tinted with erotic ravenous desire. But Ignatius


    was aiming for pure pleasure this time, treating me with a slow, sensual pace and allowing me time to


    get used to the length of him inside of me Even still, with our slow pace and steamy seduction, it wasn¡¯t


    long before both of us were covered in a sheen of sweat.


    Ignatius increased his pace gradually, fis ting a hand in my hair and trailing his mouth along my neck


    while I moaned. My hands twisted in the bedsheets and I relished the feel of him, the weight of his b*dy


    on mine, the defi, sure movements of his hands gliding over my skin.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I was back at that precipice, aching to spill over into ecstasy. Ignatius¡¯s hot breath


    on my neck, his scent enveloping me, pheromones singing to all of my senses, I was possessed by


    him. Completely ovee with burning desire.


    Ignatius lifted my head with his hand still fisted in my hair, palmed the other hand over my mouth when


    my moans grew increasingly loud and sporadic. His groans were almost as lourd as my own.


    Soon both of us were peeking with pleasure, spasming against one another while an org a sm rocked


    through our bodies simultaneously. My legs twitched and shook while Ignatious released his load into


    me. It would seem my kick to the groin. ldn¡¯t robbed him of his abilities after all.


    Ignatius dropped his damp forehead to my shoulder, breathing heavily with his co ck still twitching


    inside of me. I turned my face to the side, eyeing him through damp tendrils of bright red hair.


    Ignatius caught my eye. Smiling, he leaned over to k*ss me and the two of us curled into a tangled


    mess of limbs and bare.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    -Dorothy-


    Fac¡¯s surprise party was just as morous and decadent as I expected it to be All of her and Angie¡¯s


    closest friends, most of them young soldiers who fought alongside us in the battle with the Tally,


    gathered outside our cottage as the sun began to


    set,


    Angie had twisted Ignatius¡¯s arm into letting her hold the party in our garden. ording to Angie, ours


    was the best ce for proper partying, and we couldn¡¯t exactly disagree.


    And so, Ignatius and to got to work decking out the ce in preparation. I had tried my best to get


    involved in the nning, it was an exciting event after all. But I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of dread that


    Ignatius had sparked with his talk of


    vampires.


    The forests, which had always felt so protective and weing outside our windows, now seemed to


    team with enemies only I could see


    Ignatius did his best to distract me, and for the most part, he seeded. But no matter how many


    candles I lit and streamers I hung. I couldn¡¯t quite manage to enjoy myself.


    1 scooped up both Elias and Amelie into my arms and stepped out onto the porch to stand beside


    Ignatius. He gave my elbow a small squeeze and junted out his chin towards an approaching to.


    I couldn¡¯t keep my hold on the twins for long after they caught a glimpse of their favorite ymate.


    to was almost krocked to the ground from the force of two tiny redheads barrelling into him at


    breakneck speeds.


    Everyb*dy hushed when Igantius gave the signal, and we all waited in silence for Angie and Fae to


    make their appearance, to did his best to quiet the twins, but they were far too invested in using his


    arms like jungle bars, swinging back and forth in their matching party attire.


    Angie had taken Fae down to the hotspring earlier that evening, and Go d only knows what the two of


    them got up to down there. When they finally made an appearance, and were greeted by all their


    friends, both Angie and Fae were flushed and fr a zled


    It¡¯s safe to say they did more than just take a dip in the warm pools.


    Fac gave a cry of surprise when we all popped up to shout our congrattions. The small woman


    pressed both hands over her mouth, tears pric king at her eyes as she turned to Angie Angie beamed


    down at her mate, pure love and affection evident in her expression.


    The night was off to a wonderful start, and one of Gideons brothers popped the first bottle of


    champagne in honor of the star-crossed lovers. A few more bottles were popped soon after, and a


    bittersweet toast was made, as an ode to Angie and Fac¡¯s fallen third party.


    As I stood on the balcony, watching over the celebrations, I couldn¡¯t stop the mncholic pang in my


    chest. Even the most beautiful of celebrations, a union between two unlikely trackers, was tainted by


    grief and loss,


    Sensing my sadness, Ignatius came to stand behind me, curling his arms around my waist and


    propping his chin on my shoulder.


    ¡°Gideon loved this kind of thing he murmured as we watched Angie and Fae sway to the music that


    red from the speakers Ignatius had set up earlier. ¡°In fact, he would always be wasted before the


    party had even begun.¡±


    ¡°He would have loved it,¡± Lagreed, leaning into him. ¡°Tim so d they at least still have each other.¡±


    I looked up at Ignatius. His dark eyes darted from side to side, tracing the movements of the two


    dancing women. I would never get tired of looking at him. Everyday I spent with him I found something


    new to love. Something new to lose,


    I turned in his arms and rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. I


    had memonized that sound so well, I could recognize it anywhere.


    03 Fri, Jan 26.


    59%


    ¡°You know, Ignatius murmured into my hair as I wrapped my arms around him, ¡°my life changed


    forever, that day that T found you out on khall territory. I think a part of me always knew we were meant


    to be together.¡±


    My face twisted into a mork grimace as I lifted my head. ¡°You mean you saw me on the floor, all beaten


    and blo ody, and decided ¡®man, what a pretty mate she¡¯d make?¡±


    Ignatiusughed out loud and I couldn¡¯t help but cr ack a smile at the sound of it. He tilted my chin to


    meet his gaze, his lips. brushing against mine so delicately. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    When my smile didn¡¯t quite reach my eyes, his own expression softened. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be


    okay, Dorothy. You know that. Whatever bu llsh it is going on with these vampire rumors, we can


    handle it. You¡¯ve wanted this family, this life, for so long I¡¯ll be da mned if I don¡¯t do my best to ensure


    you keep it.¡±


    I opened my mouth to answer, but I was interrupted by a cry from to, Both Ignatius and 1 turned to


    ser Elias triumphantly holding up a long lock of to¡¯s hair. to was rubbing his skull with an


    aggrieved frown and Amelie was standing beside the two,ughing uncontrobly.


    Angie and Far rushed to to¡¯s aid, early scooping up a reil-headed tyrant and whisking them away for


    a dance.


    ¡°Poor to,¡± I chuckled, those two will be the death of him.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do when he gets kids of his own. Ignatiusmented at my shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s the


    best babysitter in the pack


    ¡°to has yet tond himself a single date. The kids will be grown up by the time he wees his own


    children into the


    world


    ¡°You have a point. His dark brows knit together, and a smirk yed across his lips as we watched our


    friends attempt to Lame our rowdy children. Considering we took care of them day and night, it only


    seemed fair that our friends get a taste, even if it was just for a few hours.


    The warm evening air was a luxury after the chill that seemed to set in my bones when I let myself


    spiral. The first stars were. making their appearance overhead and the warm glow of the fairy lights we


    strung up earlier enveloped our small crowd like a golden halo.


    ¡°I want everything to stay exactly like this, I said quietly while Ignatius stroked my wispy hair. ¡°I don¡¯t


    want this to change. I don¡¯t want to lose anyone else.¡±


    Ignatius squeezed me tightly, twisting me in his arms to k*ss the ¡°And you won¡¯t. Things are only going


    to get better from here


    In that moment, with his lips pressed to mine, I believed him. Hei myself rx, felt my tigludy coiled


    muscles unfurling. I allowed myself to truly feel the fatigue that all of my anxieties had caused me. Het


    him hold me, close to his heart and felt


    safe there.


    And then that moment ended.


    ¡°Ignatius, sir¡± A breathless subordinate interrupted our embrace. ¡°Sir, we have a situation¡±


    Ignatius broke away from me with a frown. ¡°Vampires?¡±


    :


    ¡°The young


    man shook his head. The whites of his eyes were ufortably apparent, bulging from his head like


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    he¡¯d just seen a ghost. And as it turns out, he had,


    ¡°Not vampires. This¡­ It doesn¡¯t make any sense. But it¡¯s true, I know it is, the stories are too specific to


    be false,¡±


    Ignatius tightened his hand around mine and we both listened to the shaking shifter¡¯s tale. A west wind


    suddenly cut through the warm evening air, plunging me into icy rity.


    As the subordinate spoke, Ignatius¡¯s expression morphed into one of disbelief, then concern, then


    horror. My face remained a stoney mask, calms and serene, as I listened to the frantic rambling. But in


    my chest, Renee had started howling, and my stomach was twisting into knots.


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    My nightmares had crept into my waking hours. ording to the rumors, glimpses in passing, and


    stories shared between packs, Johan was back.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°How could he possibly be back?¡± Angie muttered more to herself than to any of us as she paced up


    and down Ignatius¡¯s study, pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any


    sense, Johan was burned. I saw to that myself.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain it was his b*dy you burned?¡± Ignatius sat with his forearms propped on his knees, a


    deep frown cutting into his fine features as he stared at the floor.


    Angie stopped in her tracks, swiveling on her heel to re at him. ¡°You think I¡¯d get something like that


    confused?¡±


    Ignatius raised both hands in surrender. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your abilities. We just have to consider


    every possibility, cover all our bases. There¡¯s too much we don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, love.¡± Far touched a hand to Angie¡¯s forearm, calming her bristing mate with gentle fingers.


    ¡°Ignatius is right. We have to consider everything.¡±


    Everyone was on edge. Images of the brutal battle between the Bielke and the Tally were fresh in our


    minds once again. Johan¡¯s monstrous form towered over us in our collective memories. Gideon¡¯s


    lifeless b*dy, Geranium,


    I sat beside Ignatius on the sofa, wringing my hands and bouncing my leg up and down. It felt like ants


    were crawling over my skin my b*dy pr ickled with nervousness and I couldn¡¯t seem to keep still. The


    party had been cut short after the subordinate had shown up. Nob*dy was too keen on dancing after


    hearing that Johan might be back.


    I felt a pang of guilt for Angie and Fae, who now sat with us discussing strategies when they were


    supposed to be celebrating to stood at the door, distracting the twins with a picture book he¡¯d pulled


    from the bookshelf. I had made that picture h ook myself, from the detailed drawings to the very paper.


    I¡¯d wanted to give my children a piece of myself.


    ¡°How do we know this isn¡¯t an imposter?¡± I asked quietly


    Ignatius raised an eyebrow at me, leaning his head on his knuckles, ¡°It¡¯s possible. Some of the lesser


    packs have begun to specte that the Tally were in the right. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if one of them


    decided to keep the memory of him alive. Hell, they could be trying to turn him into a martyr¡±


    ¡°Or a terrifying legend.¡± Angie plonked herself down beside me and Fae came to perch on her knee,


    leaning her head on Angie¡¯s shoulder. It never ceased to amaze me how such a flighty, light-hearted


    woman was able to ground Angie the way Fae did.


    ¡°It could all be baseless rumors,¡± Faemented, flicking a tendril of curly hair out of her eyes with a


    sigh. ¡°Our enemies could be spreading them to cause panic. To sow doubt against Ignatius and the


    Bielke pack¡¯s victory.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the case of the vampire sightings. Ignatius sped his fingers, staring into the distance.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just ignore those. They have to be connected somehow.¡±


    I frowned at my feet. ¡°You think the vampires have something to do with Johan¡¯s reappearance? Why?¡±


    Ignatius got to his feet then, stretching his arms above his head. It¡¯s no coincidence that the vampires


    are reappearing at the same time as Johan¡¯s apparent resurrection. There has to be a link between the


    two. Someb*dy¡¯s ying games with us¡±


    I leaned back on the sofa, dropping my head back to stare up at the ceiling. ¡°So what do we do about


    it? How are we supposed to y along when we don¡¯t even know what this game is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ignatius ran a hand through his hair. ¡°We don¡¯t know enough about vampires to know


    whether these rumors: Juve any truth to them. Dorothy, you and I are going to need to look into this.


    Elliot apparently had some interactions with vamps in the past. There has to be some record of them


    somewhere.¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I tilted my head to stare at him, ¡°What about Johan it was barely more


    Ignatius turned his gaze to Angie. ¡°That¡¯s where your twoe in


    than a whisper


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Chapter 101.


    176


    He hesitated for a moment, scratching the back of his neck, ¡°Angie, I hate to ask. But it only makes


    sense that you two look into this rumor. You¡¯re the best trackers we have-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself,¡± Fae cut him off gently. ¡°Like you said, we¡¯re the best ones for the


    job.¡±


    She looked over at Angie who seemed just as resigned to handling the mission. ¡°We can go on holiday


    after these rumors are cleared up. The Westside waterfalls aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡±


    They were both putting on brave faces, but we all knew them well enough to understand that they were


    crushed. My guilt tripled and it was clear Ignatius didn¡¯t feel too good about it either.


    ¡°No.¡± It was to who spoke up from behind us. ¡°Don¡¯t cancel your lovely little lesbian trip just because


    of some stu pid mutt who won¡¯t stay dead. Sorry Dorothy, I know he¡¯s your ex


    ¡°No offense taken.¡± I muttered nkly. I had long sinceid my conflicted feelings about Johan to rest. I


    only hoped they stayed dead and buried along with the man himself.


    ¡°But I¡¯m serious¡± to faced Angie and Fac, a hand on his chest. ¡°Let me handle this investigation. I¡¯m


    a decent tracker and I¡¯ve been involved with the Tally before. My brother might know something about


    this as well, his mate was ex-Tally after


    ¡°to, if I remember correctly, you were captured by the Tally: Ignatus sounded skeptical as he


    rounded on his friend. ¡°What makes you think that won¡¯t happen again?¡±


    to waved a dismissive hand at Ignatius. ¡°The Tally are dead. That much is certain. Whoever this


    imposter is, he isn¡¯t Johan. And besides, nothing¡¯s even happened yet. We¡¯re getting ourselves worked


    up over a few rumors.¡±


    When Ignatius still didn¡¯t look convinced, to gestured towards Angie and Fae, ¡°They need a break


    Ignatius They¡¯ve been chasing down loose ends ever since the war ended. I¡¯ve been a deadweight to


    your pack for too long now, let me finally do some good.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right¡± I volunteered. ¡°They need some time off. to can handle this.¡±


    Eventually. Ignatius relented, rubbing his tired eyes. ¡°Alright, alright. to, look into the Johan situation.


    Report back to me with whatever you find¡±


    After bidding everyone goodnight, Ignatius and I took the kids upstairs and tucked them into bed. Angie


    and Fae left with to, and Angie could be heard giving to the rundown of every kind of tracking


    strategy as they went.


    separate


    Elias and Amelie were so exhausted from the party, they dozed off almost inmediately. The twins had


    their own se beds, but ever since my nightmares had begun, I allowed them to sleep in our bed


    instead. I wanted them close by. I needed to know they were safe. They slept soundly between Ignatius


    and I, and we curled around them like a protective barrier.


    ¡°Ignatius?¡± I whispered his name in the dim light of our bedroom, peaking at him over the tousled heads


    of the twins. ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡±


    I reached my hand out above the twins and Ignatius reached back. Our fingers intertwined and I let out


    a deep sigh. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s Johan out there¡±


    There was a long pause and 1 squeezed my eyes shut. When Ignatius finally answered, there was


    hesitation in his tone, ¡°Whoever it is, we¡¯re going to put a stop to their antics.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to be okay?¡± It was a useless question, I knew that. How could he possibly know, how


    could he foresee what was toe. I knew his answer would be based only on his own determination


    to keep his family alive.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be just fine¡±


    That was all I needed to hear. Even if I didn¡¯t believe it tomorrow morning, and the day after that, has


    words were Comforting aw 1 looked over our sleeping ldien and tightened my grip on Ignatius¡¯s


    hand

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    -Dorothy-


    The


    past


    hade back to haunt me once again. I walked through the dim house, a small dwelling that seemed


    muchrger to the child¡¯s b*dy 1 found myself in. Night had fallen and the house was dark. My father


    had told us to hide. Me and aunt Rita, We were supposed to be quiet.


    The house was deadly silent as I padded down the corridor, barefoot and trailing a teddy bear behind


    me. Thest gift from my mother, before she gave me what was left of her life. I tiptoed to the window,


    climbed onto the dusty sofa in the corner and peaked out through the ss.


    It was dark outside, but down the street there was an orange light, glowing brighter by the minute. I


    thought it might be the sun making an early appearance. It wasn¡¯t. As the mes are through the


    houses on our street, the cries of battle grew louder.


    r


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26


    58%


    Agonized, panicked screams of shifters being ripped from their homes, torn apart in the streets by


    terrifying invaders.


    Wolves, big ones,


    Their howls cut through the night, so loud I swore I felt the house shake


    There were other monsters out there too. Pale, slender creatures with bright red eyes. I watched thern


    sink their teeth into the neighbors 1 had once knowIL


    One of the creatures saw me and drew nearer, pressed its slined rose up against the ss, inches


    away from where I stood frozen in suddenters, I smiled, and crimson blood dripped from its sharp,


    white fangs.


    ¡°Dorothy! Get away from that thing! A shrill cry in my car, hunds lifting me into the air before the


    creature broke through the ss Aunt Kita held me tight against her chest and bolted through the


    house with the monster close behind us. I screamed in terror as the creature climbed the walls.


    Elongated ws us spindly arms stashed through the air as it wailed


    and shrieked


    Rita kicked the back door open and darted into the alleyway beynd. A cloud of smoke swirled around


    us, an orange haze obscuring the path. We evaded the blood-sucking creature, but more monsters


    came after us. Wolves.


    1 watched the memory y out all over again from over my aunt¡¯s shoulder as she ran. I watched my


    father mowed down by vicious snarling shifters. I watched my home disappear in the smoke.


    Right before Rita hurled us into the woods, I caught a glimpse of someone familiar. An impossible


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    anomaly that led me to realize that I was dreaming Johan stood silhouetted in the orange glow of the


    burning vige. Watching me with empty eyes. his rotting b*dy was propped up like a puppet with


    invisible strings


    I awoke to Ignatius shaking my shoulder, my mate crouching over me on the bed.


    As soon as my eyes flew open. Ignatius pressed his forehead to mine, breathing heavily as if trying to


    calm down. ¡°Are you hack: You were thrashing. I couldn¡¯t wake you up


    ¡°I¡¯m back. I croaked weakly, and my mate let the full weight of his b*dy crush me to the bed as he


    copsed on my chest in


    relief.


    I looked over at the empty bed as I stroked his damp hair. ¡°Where are the twins?¡±


    ¡°Outside.¡± Ignatius murmured against my neck, his hot breath on my ear. ¡°Angle and Fae came over to


    say goodbye. to¡¯s


    Ignatius rolled to the side and rested his head on my chest, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake you, I thought you


    needed the rest¡±


    ¡°What rest?¡± I muttered dryly. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve just run a marathon¡±


    ¡°With the way you were kicking your legs just now, you¡¯d make a star athlete,¡± Ignatius adjusted his


    legs and winced. ¡°You got me in the groin earlier, you almost ruined our chances of ever having any


    more kid¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that¡± 1 pecked a k*ss to his forehead and sat up Tm sure your balls will be fine.¡±


    Anger. Far and to were waiting for us on the Iront porch. The twins were clinging to to,


    determined to make him stay Angle shed me a warm smile when I emerged from the cottage, my


    tousled hair a dead giveaway of my tumultuous sleep


    ¡°Hey, sleepyhead. Long night? Angie rattled my already matted hair and I swatted her hand away with


    a grunt


    Are you to supposed to be on the road already?¡±


    ut to say goodbye¡± Far enfolded sur in a tight


    i embrace, her Bural scent inunediatchy putting tur at case


    his arms around


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26 G


    58%


    to was the first to go,masking his nervousness under false bravado and ayer of thysalis leaves to


    cover his scent. He wasn¡¯t a very inconspicuous person, seeing as everyone in the Bielke pack and all


    of our allies knew his face.


    But he had gone out of his way to change his appearance as best he could. His long dark locks were


    reced with a surprisinglyplimentary buzzcut, and he topped it off with a hoodie and sunsses


    that were far too big for his face.


    The twins were sad to see him go, but he crouched down beside Ignatious and promised them he¡¯d be


    back in a sh, Ignatius lifted Amelie onto his shoulder, and Elias clung to his fathers legs as they


    waved to off. The lone shifter. disappeared down the driveway, his confident stride giving way to a


    far more hesitant step the further away from us he walked


    Then it was time for Angie and Far to leave, too. While Far went to get the car started, Angie pulled me


    aside to talk,


    ¡°Look,¡± she put both hands on my shoulder, talking under her heath while Ignatius nced over at us


    with raised brows, ¡°I can¡¯t ry knowing that something is amiss around here. I won¡¯t deny Far her


    vacation, go d knows she needs it


    Angie, you need a break- I tried to lult her once I realized what she was getting at, but the she-wolf


    covered my mouth with her palm.


    ¡°Shush, shut up. You know I love you guys and I love this pack. Tan¡¯t just take a break when something


    bad is going down. So Fae and 1 are going to gather intel on the road. I¡¯ll let you know if we happen to


    find any useful information.¡±


    I rolled my eyes until she removed her hand, wiping my sleeve across my lips, ¡°Why do you taste like


    french fries?¡±


    ¡°Bnced breakfast, Angie shrugged before forcing me to meet her gaze. ¡°And Dorothy? Be careful,


    okay? These rumors could just be rumors. But you need to be on guard. Stay alive until we get back


    alright?¡±


    1 gave her a little salute. Til do my best.¡±


    te wasn¡¯t the only one putting on a brave face. Angie¡¯s smile was a tense one.


    Once her and Fae had sped off down the driveway, an air of foreboding settled over Ignatius and me.


    He came to stand beside me, holding the twins to his chest as we watched the beaten up van


    disappear behind the treeline


    For the first time in a while, we were truly on our own. It was a daunting thought. Evil was on the rise


    again and we had no idea how to handle it. No clue as to who our mysterious new for was, nor how to


    find them. All we could do was be on guard. and prepare for the worst..


    ¡°It feels like the past is back to haunt us,¡± I stated solemnly


    Elias leaned over Ignatius¡¯s shoulder, reaching for me with an all too innocent grin. That smile terrified


    me. My children were vulnerable, and I could do nothing to protect them, nothing to secure their safety


    I took the twins in my arms and Ignatious put a hand on my waist. Amelic leaned her head on her


    fathers shoulder and the four of us huddled together. Four parts of a greater whole.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening,¡± he answered. Although he didn¡¯t sound like he believed it himself.


    Later that evening, we decaded to take a stroll through the seaside streets. We dropped the twins off


    with Fae¡¯s mother, who was more than happy to keep an eye on them for a while. The widower rarely


    left her house, and she was always thrilled to love young


    blood running amok on the property like Fac, Angie, and Gideon had done when they were children.


    Amelie had taken a liking to the olddy and was particrly interested in her collection of witchy


    trinkers Ignatius had been rmed to hear that his daughter might be taking after his own mother, but


    Amelse was a far cry from the person.


    The Halbe pack was doing better than ever. Without the threat of constant warfare, and without the


    tyrannical Elliot for an Alphas, people of the Birlke pack were finally free to thrive Small stores and


    businesses had popped upt all over the ce, and the Burke wade had be a popr vacation


    spot for ind packs.


    Ipnativead done night by his people, and day loved lum for it. We were greeted by passersby as we


    walked the xanly


    ved Fruin shape window it should have been a pehid evening, we should have


    Jan 26


    been proud of themunity we had built.


    But Ignatius had anxieties of his own. He was silent during our walk, only disclosing his feelings to me


    when we stood alone on the quiet beach.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Dorothy


    I looked up at my mate, and he suddenly looked far too old and far too young all at once.


    ¡°Afraid of what might happen?¡±


    Ignatius nodded as we both sat down on the sand. Not too long ago, Ignatius had peeled off my


    wedding dress on this beach. and we¡¯d mated under the moonlight without a care in the world.


    Now the horrors of the past were wing at our heels once again. All we could do was hold onto each


    other and hope for the


    best


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid for the future, for our family..¡± Ignatious paused, like it pained him to admit to his emotions.


    ¡°And I¡¯m afraid of looking into Elliots dealings.¡±


    I shifted closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder as the wind whipped our hair around. ¡°You¡¯re


    worried about what miglu be buried in Elliots closet?¡±


    Ignatius nodded gravely, propping his head on top of mind. ¡°Tim afraid of the skeletons I might find.¡±


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°This feels pointless.¡± I dropped my head down on the dusty table in front of me. ¡°Maybe we should be


    looking in the fantasy section instead.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be something here Ignatius insisted, bus nose buried in a fraying book beside me. ¡°This


    is the oldest library on Bielke territory, there has to be mention of vampires somewhere.¡±


    Ignatius and I hade to scour the library in search of vampires. Any information we had found so far


    was outdated and barely believable. It all sounded like half-truths and tables, bedtime stories and


    crazed ravings. It had been over a century since anyone had interacted with the cold skins.


    The Belke library was housed in an old, dingy building set on the rocks beside the tumultuous gray sea.


    The foundations creaked asionally, as the walls were pummeled by brutal winds sweeping in from


    over the ocean I couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would put a library so close to the raging ocean


    waves, but Ignatius told me that back when the library had been built, the sea was much further away.


    It was a very old building, carved into the ckened rock and holding fast against the waters that drew


    ever closer.


    The interior consisted of dust, and cobwebs, yellowing pages, and ancient booksing apart at the


    seams. The library had a briny smell to it, mingled with the musk of mothballs and old books. We


    browsed through pages and pages, pouring over scrolls, books and records of all kinds. But despite our


    searching covering books from every darker, we couldn¡¯t find anything about vampires.


    I groaned, turning my head to the side to look at Igratists. ¡°Your pack spent a lot of time waging war, not


    turning pages. It¡¯s no surprise this library is sp ars e when ites to vampire knowledge.¡±


    Igmaius ignored my quip, dropping the book on the table and walking away to pull another one off the


    shelf. When he didn¡¯t find anything of interest in that one either, he sighed and came to sit beside me.


    This is your pack too. We may not have had much use for books back in the day, but we always made


    sure our history was well preserved. If Elliot did have any dealings with bloodsuckers, the evidence


    would be here.¡±


    1 straightened up, folding my hands in myp. ¡°Do you really think Elliot confronted vampires?¡±


    Ignatius ran a hand through his hair, ruffling his white locks until they looked like the foamy waves


    outside. ¡°There were rumors about Elliots interactions with ¡®cold ones. Whispers around Bielke territory


    and beyond. But I always thought they were just that- rumors. It seemed like the type of story that


    would spring from my fathers reputation.¡±


    I propped my chin on my knuckles, examining the grainy wooden table in front of me. ¡°What if we send


    a scout Covenstone Rise Let them report back on what they find.¡±


    over


    The towering mountain range was where the vampires had allegedly retreated to all those years ago.


    Reports from various ancient packs stated that the vampires, both ethereally beautiful and dangerously


    c unning, used to reign in prosperous houses. They once had interacted with shifters, before retreating


    back to their own territories, shaded by the eternal night that hung over Covenstone Rise.


    It was Ignatius¡¯s turn to groan. Tve already considered that. But you and I both know the story. It¡¯s the


    one piece of information that everyb*dy seems to agree o t


    I nodded in defeat. Despite all the varying ounts of vampire sightings we had uncovered, one truth


    rang clear among them no one who crossed The Covenstone kise mountains range ever came back,


    Vampires had been so secretive, it was impossible to find any more information on the matter.


    Allegedly, centuries ago, there had been a great war between the ruling council and one of the


    prominent houses. But the details of the story had been blurred by years of word-of-mouth storytelling.


    Nob*dy knew for certain what had happened to the vampires. We had noddea where they went, nor


    why they had decided toe back.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Maybe we should take onest look around?¡± I suggested ndly. As much as I wanted to know more


    about the vampires that may or may not be plotting against us, seeing Ignatius in such a state was


    disheartening.


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26


    G


    586


    My mate, who was usually-in stoic and strong, was an anxious wreck now that nob*dy was looking.


    Ignatius looked paler than usual, the stress of war weighing on his shoulders, both the war of the past


    and theing chaos. We could both feel something stirring, a storm on the h orizon. Ignatius was


    afraid for his family, for me and the children. But he was also afraid of his family, of Elliot and the part


    he might have yed in all of this.


    As if he had been listening in on my thoughts, Ignathus stiffened, and a cool, controlled mask slipped


    over his features again. He wore that mask often these days.


    ¡°Onest look won¡¯t hurt,¡± he stated curtley, before standing up and pulling files from the shelves once


    again. ¡°But 171 need to have a talk with the old librarian. It seems there are a few things missing from


    the Bielke archives,¡±


    ¡°Missing?¡± I got up and went to stand beside him, snaking my arms around his waist. ¡°How can you


    tell?¡±


    The contact was just as much for my own reassurance as it was for his. Ignatius felt distant from me


    trying to carry everything alone.


    The embrace softened him slightly, and Ignatius gripped my hip like an anchor pulling him back to


    earth. He shook his head, gesturing with a file still open in his hands. There are pages missing,


    important pieces of my father¡¯s history have been torn out. Some of them from when he was still with


    Moira, but there is arger chunk missing from the few years after her.¡±


    Ignatius fabered for a moment, old wounds still aching. ¡°After she left.¡±


    I squeezed my arms around him a little tighter, and we both moved on from that stumble like it hadn¡¯t


    happened. Ignatius lowered the file for me to look at, pointirig to page numbers out of order and cut-off


    sentences amid the records.


    ¡°Elliot was trying to hide something. I murmured, scanning the files intently. There is something here


    that someone was trying to cover up. But what?¡±


    A sudden gust of wind shook the library, punched through the small sea-facing window and flung open


    the door at the other end nearly tearing it off its rusting hinges. Pages and files went flying and candles


    were snuffed out. I clutched Ignatius. tighter and we both huddled against the chill air, my hair whipping


    around us like scarlett snakes. One of the booksh teetered precariously. A few of the books it housed


    were shaked free and fell to the floor in a chorus of dull thuds


    When the wind finally subsided, we both turned to look at the crumbling pages and weathered books


    that now were sca ttered across the floor. I walked over to the shelf they had fallen from, feeling a deep


    and suddenpulsion to ha closer look. I scanned the shelves, not knowing what I was looking for.


    But the same deep feelingpelled me to kee looking, I crouched down to check the lower shelves,


    while Ignatius retrieved some of the books on the floor.


    Through the gaps that some of the fallen books had left on the shelf, something glinted on the wall


    behind it, catching my eye. ¡°There¡¯s something here.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ignatius raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Help me with this.¡±


    Together, we dragged the shelf away from the wall, dislodging a few more books in the process. Behind


    it, there was a small metal door, built into the stone wall. Without the weight of the shelf to keep it


    closed, it swung open heavily on its hinges with a grating creak.


    I stared in bewilderment, hesitantly stepping closer to examine the rusted metal and the entrance to the


    void beyond. ¡°Do the Bielke have any records of secret library hiding ces?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of, Ignatius answered me quietly.


    We knelt in front of the dark opening, gazing into its depths. The space behind the door was barely


    was a ckened, half-burned journal.


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    589


    ¡°You¡¯ll never get in there without being spotted, Ren, my wolf, growled in my chest, itching to move


    from our hiding ce beneath the brush. ¡°Those guards are on high alert. They¡¯ll stop us immediately.¡±


    *Well, what do you suggest we do then?¡± I grumbled irritably. My knees were aching from crouching for


    so long, and my stomach grumbled about the few days it had been empty


    I had spent the past few weeks searching high and low for signs of Johan. But while the rumors of his


    return were rife throughout the packs, I hadn¡¯t found any clear evidence of Johan himself, only an


    rmingly vast collection of dedicated


    supporters.


    After trying again and again to infiltrate the inner circle of followers, I decided to turn my attention


    elsewhere. There had been no reports of Johan in the Khall park whatsoever, and I didn¡¯t have any real


    reason to go there other than a hunch and a gut feeling. Ken was in agreement with this decision, and


    so we made our way over to Johan¡¯s former pack.


    Only, I came to realize upon arrival, that getting into the Khall pack would be harder than we could have


    anticipated.


    -What¡¯s with the tight security anyway? I muttered, squatting even lower in the dirt when a shifter


    turned his gaze towards our hiding ce. ¡°And why are they all so skittish?¡±


    ¡°Because they have something to hide,¡± Ren retorted matter-of-factly. ¡°See how they jump at every little


    sound? They¡¯re afraid of something, or someone.¡±


    Another guard looked over at where we were concealed. I was entirely sure of my ability to conceal


    myself, and I wasn¡¯t too worried about making a quick escape should they decide to investigate the


    area. Afterall, Ren and I had outrun our Tally attackers for a good while before they finally caught up


    with us.


    But these guards made me uneasy. There was a crazed look in their eyes that made the hairs on the


    back of my neck stand up. Unlike the wild yellow eyes of the infected Tally shifters, these men weren¡¯t


    bloodthirsty or deranged. They were merely fanatics, frightened beyond reason by what they had


    witnessed and driven to worship whatever had inspired such fear.


    ¡°We should go Ren stated when a third shifter looked towards us. ¡°We¡¯ll have to find another way to


    enter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed and shuffled back into the woods, shifting in the shadows and allowing Ren to carry us


    back to safety. I had no idea what the Khall were hiding on their territory, but I was certain I hade


    to the right ce.


    -Dorothy-


    Ignatius carefully lifted the notebook out from its tomb. The pages were flimsy, and corners of the


    journal crumbled and fell away where he touched them. The journal was bound with openblood leather,


    red and weathered. Ignatius sank to his haunches and I stood at his shoulder. We both poured over the


    ckened pages, Ignatius sifting through them as delicately as he could manage. I scanned the inky


    lines, a barely legible scrawl that must have been written in a hurry.


    ¡°That¡¯s Elliot¡¯s handwriting, Ingatius breathed, barely more than a whisper. ¡°These are his notes,


    My stomach dropped at that and I clutched Ignatius¡¯s shoulder, digging my nails in A small part of me


    had hoped that we would turn up nothing in our searches. If there was nothing to find, there would be


    nothing to worry about. Then the alleged threat would have to be a farce. But Elliots hurried scraw was


    clear evidence of a problem. There was a mystery i be solved, one I wasn¡¯t sure Ignatius was ready to


    tackle alone.


    to


    ¡°What does it say?¡± I tilted my head, trying to read the spindly handwriting, Elliot had pressed so hard


    against the paper it had turn in ces. Whatever he had been writing it had clearly caused him


    distress.


    Ignatius¡¯s eyes darted across the page, skimming Elliots notes with an unreadable expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s very cryptic, Ignatius sand finally, fully immersed in whatever tale his father had spun with this


    journal. ¡°Something about a woman, he was trying to resist her control¡±


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26


    1 frowned. ¡°Moirah?¡±


    %m


    ¡°No.¡± Ignatius said ndly, ¡°he mentions dark hair, ck as night. Moirah¡¯s hair was white, and she


    was long gone by then. This is about someone else, someone who was toying with his mind, trying to


    control him. But he¡¯s feeling guilty. Whoever it is, Elliot seems to have willingly opened the Bielke doors


    to her


    I swallowed the stone in my throat. ¡°A vampire? Some legends say they had strange powers. This isn¡¯t


    the first time we¡¯ve heard of cold-skins wielding mind-control abilities,¡±


    Ignatius frowned, holding the journal close to his nose and squinting. ¡°Elliot wrote this in an attempt to


    regain control of his mind. He was keeping records to help himself remember. There¡¯s also a crazy rant


    about some kind of prophecy¡±


    I was growing more and more confused by the minute. My brow furrowed and I peered over Ignatius¡¯s


    shoulder, crouched behind him as I scanned the pages. ¡°What kind of prophecy?¡±


    Ignatius thumbed past a severely burned page, the writingpletely illegible, the ckened paper


    withholding the whole truth. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But here, he says he was able to get free from her, to gain


    some rity after-¡±


    Ignatius froze and I felt his shoulders tense like he was about to shift then and there. But he didn¡¯t shift.


    He merely stood up, so abruptly he nearly knocked me over in the process. He dropped the journal on


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    the ground, ity open on the page he¡¯d been reading


    ¡°Ignanus, what is it?¡± I tried to grab his hand, but he pulled away Without a word, he strode out of the


    library, pulling on his coat and mming the door shut behind him. The entire structure rocked with the


    force of the door mming, and I stared after my mate in shocked silence.


    When it was clear Ignatius wasn¡¯ting back. I looked over my shoulder at the open journal. I walked


    over and, reaching out a hand to touch the burnt pages, I picked it up, afraid that the book would burn


    me even though the mes that had licked its pages were long gone.


    I scanned over the page that Ignatius had been reading, my mind racing through all the possibilities


    that could have driven my mate to leave so suddenly.


    ¡°I finally broke free-Elliot wrote. I squinted at the scribbled mess. ¡°I finally broke free from her control,


    and I was furious. She had a hold on me on my mind¡­¡±


    1 sucked in a sharp breath, the pages quivering as my hands shook


    -She had a hold on me, on my mind,¡± Elliot had written with vehemence, ¡°until the child was born.¡±


    COMMENT


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    -Dorothy-


    I found Ignatius further down the beach, walking along the rock pools with his hands shoved in the


    pockets of his coat. It was the same navy bhie coat he had worn on the day we met. It was the same


    coat he draped over my shoulders every time I shivered. Angie once joked that we should have two


    extra arms attached to it, so that both Ignatius and I could wear it at the same time. A raincoat with four


    sleeves, a single entity.


    But Ignaties felt like a stranger in that moment. He stood out against the gray sea and charcoal


    smudged sky, like a piece of driftwood lost on the shore. I wasn¡¯t sure how to reach him anymore.


    I swallowed my unease and called to him, the wind doing its best to whip my words away. ¡°Ignatius?¡±


    He swiveled his head and I almost stepped back in real fear. My mate looked the same as he always


    did, if a little paler and much more tense. But his eyes were what unnerved me. Pinprick pupils lost in


    startling blue. An unbreachable wall of ice. It was lonely in my head without his familiar presence there.


    Not only had he locked me out of his, but he refused to enter mine either, drawing away entirely.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to help him. But that would have to wait for the time being. We needed to get to the


    bottom of Elliot¡¯s story. We had to find the person who had preserved the journal. Their scent was


    heavy in the small cavern where it had been hidden. Whoever had rescued the journal from mes had


    intended toe back for it some day. We had to find out who it


    I pulled the journal out from under my own coat and lifted it for Ignatius to see. My mate, a creature of


    the rocks and the rearing ocean stared back at me, unmoving.


    ¡°We can¡¯t ignore this, Ignatius, I said forcefully. ¡°We have to find out the whole truth.¡±


    I thought he might just ignore me and go on wandering around the rocks. But he started forward to


    meet me, until our chests were almost touching. He folded his arms around me, lowering over me as


    he breathed in my scent. I slipped my arms into his coat, our coat, and closed my eyes.


    ¡°I caught a scent. I murmured against his neck. ¡°I think I can track down whoever hid the journal.¡±


    Ignatius was quiet for a while and the wind whipped around us like it was determined to swipe us from


    the sandy shore.


    ¡°Alright, Ignatius whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s go find this guy¡±


    I tracked the scent to an unassuming house on the edge of Bielke territory. Igantius grew more and


    more uneasy the further we went. Seeing as his initial family home was nearby, one he hadn¡¯t returned


    to since his father had set it alight, I couldn¡¯t really me him for feeling skittish


    ¡°I think this is it?¡± I wasn¡¯t quite sure of myself as we stood in front of the disheveled house. The yard


    was filled with various rusting car parts, tossed among the overgrown grass. The windows were shut


    and bedraggled curtains hid the interior from view. The ce could have been abandoned, if not for the


    sounds of a ring televisioning from somewhere inside.


    I considered turning back and retracing my steps, but Ignatius had other ideas. He strode forward onto


    the property, all the way up to the peeling front door and rapped his knuckles sharply on the wood.


    1 hurned after ham, taking care not to trip over the junk in the yard. ¡°Ignatius, wait!¡±:


    By the time reached his side, the door had swung open, and a grouchy bearded shufter stood frowning


    at Ignatius.


    The man looked us up and down, brows rising when he noted Ignatius¡¯s stark white hair. ¡°Elliot¡¯s boy,


    hmm What brings you here, site?


    Ignatius reached into my coat and pulled out the journal, holding at inches from the man¡¯s sub nose.


    ¡°What do you know


    nave Trand] to toust it, by the looks of in The man looked bored, and he brushed Ignatius¡¯s hand and


    the journal


    11:04 Fri, Jan 26 G


    out of his face. ¡°You haven¡¯t exined yourself Mr Armoundt. What are you doing here?¡±


    58%


    Ignatius waved the journal, scowling at the man so fiercely I wanted to warn him to run. ¡°Your scent is


    all over this thing. I need you to tell me what you know about it. I don¡¯t need to exin myself.¡±


    ¡°What


    mate is trying to say, I interrupted suddenly, putting calming hand on Ingatius¡¯s arm, ¡°is that we¡¯d like


    your help in this matter. We¡¯re just trying to find out where this journal came from and why it was saved.


    We tracked the scent and it led us here. So please, if you know anything at all, we would really


    appreciate it¡±


    The man looked from me to Ignatius and back again. Eventually he sighed and scratched at his neck,


    gesturing for Ignatious to hand over the journal. At a stern nce from me. Ignatius handed it over and


    we watched while he sniffed at the pages, wrinkling his nose in disgust,


    ¡°You thought this was my scent? G od, do 1 smell that bad?¡±


    ¡°We traced it here. Ignatious growled. ¡°It has to be yours.¡±


    ¡°Not mine,¡± the man sighed and handed the journal over to me. That¡¯s my father¡¯s scent. Thete


    Jacob Yung.¡±


    ¡°Jacob Ignatius¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t recognize his scent.¡±


    ¡°Whos Jacob


    ¡°My fathers old assistant, a real nastly piece of work, Ignatius replied and then nced at the man


    guitlilly. ¡°My apologies.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t seem too bothered about the insult. He shrugged and stepped aside to let us in. ¡°No


    problem. You¡¯re right. My father was a right as sh ole.¡±


    Inside, we sat on a stained sofa while the man, Enoc, exined the details of his father¡¯s passing.


    Apparently, Jacob had served under Elliot for years. He had been an unsavory character, cruel to his


    children and strangers alike, but he had been fiercely loyal to Elliot until his untimely death back when


    Ignatius was twelve.


    Why would Jacob have Elliot¡¯s notebook?


    Enoc sighed and reached across the cluttered coffee table to retrieve one of the many open beer


    bottles. ¡°I don¡¯t kn But I have an idea of what that journal might contain. Is there any mention of a dark-


    haired woman?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, Ignatious said guardedly. ¡°What of it?¡±


    Enoc ch ugged the beer, mming it down on the table before reaching for another. ¡°Jacob once


    mentioned a woman in Elliot¡¯s life, a woman who came after your mother,¡± he paused at that and


    looked at Ignatius with genuine sorrow in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened to Moirah. I knew


    what was going on, hell, everyone did. I was young, but I should have done something to help her.¡±


    Ignatius only nodded in response, eager to move away from the topic that still caused him pain.


    Enor shrugged and leaned back in his seat.


    prophecy


    ¡°Jacob was angry with the woman, raved about how she was corrupting Elliot, filling his mind with


    fantasies of a Elliot offered the woman asylum on Bielke territory, he insisted on keeping it a secret


    from everyone. Until one day he suddenly banished her, and left that journal to burn with his secrets,


    Jacob saved the journal, he must have. I remember himing home one day with badly burned


    hands. He wouldn¡¯t tell us what happened, only that something deeply disturbing had urred on


    Bielke territory and we were to guard ourselves against beautiful women¡±


    ¡°My brother and I didn¡¯t need the warning¡± Enoc chuckled. ¡°No beautiful woman ever bothered to


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    approach us.¡±


    Ignatius stroked his chin. ¡°Why would Jacob have kept the journal? Did he intend to ckmail my


    father?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Enot responded, staring down at his beer. ¡°Jacoli was dedicated to Elliot to the very end. My


    guess is that he was spo oked by whatever happened between those two. He probably wanted to keep


    some kind of recond in case we¡¯d need it someday?


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26 G


    ¡°She was a vampire, that woman. Ignatius whispered. ¡°She had to be. Nob*dy else would be able to


    convince Elliot to grant them asylum out of nowhere. Vampires prey on people¡¯s weaknesses, and Elliot


    had many.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true,¡± I started hesitantly, ¡°then it¡¯s very likely that Elliot spawned a hybrid child. Both vampire


    and wolf.¡±


    I looked over at Ignatius. ¡°Your half sibling¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance that child is already dead,¡± Ignatius said stiltedly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past Elliot to go


    that far to cover up his mistakes. But if he didn¡¯t, and the woman left with the baby


    He straightened up and held out his hand to me. his expression jense. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dorothy. I should be


    keeping my emotions in check. For you and for the entire Bielke pack. I should be a better leader¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already a great leader.¡± I touched my hand to his cheek and he flinched slightly, like the


    tenderness was too much. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to do this alone¡±


    ¡°Look.¡± Enoc interrupted us, ¡°This looks like a tender moment, but do you mind taking your affections


    elsewhere? There¡¯s a


    ¡°My apologies, Ignatius turned to the rough older man, his expression warmer than it had been when


    we arrived. ¡°Thank you, Enoc. You¡¯ve helped us a lot. We¡¯re more than happy topensate you for


    your troubles


    Enoc snorted and waved a hand in dismissal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I have no need for riches. You


    sort out this vampire problem and we can call it even


    We stood to leave and Enoc lifted his beer in farewell,


    -to-


    ¡°G od this is hopeless,¡± I growled, crouched once again outside the guarded Khall territory. ¡°What are


    they hiding that¡¯s so g ddam n important?¡±


    1 had been crouched there for hours, waising and watching for any break in the Khall¡¯s line of defense,


    to no av


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re not hiding anything at all, Ren, who had been oddly silent over the past hour,


    suddenly spoke guards are terrified of something in the forest. Maybe they¡¯re not trying to hide


    something, maybe they¡¯re trying something out.¡±


    What are you saying?¡± I began, but Ren hushed me. There was something happening, the guards were


    running towa Someb*dy had set one of the guard tents alight, and a few of the guards had abandoned


    their post to help douse the fire


    ¡°How convenient.¡± I muttered, seeing an opening to get in. ¡°Let¡¯s go, while they¡¯re distracted¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ren halted me, hissing sharply. ¡°Look, to the left of the guard tent, in the shadows.¡±


    I peered through Ren¡¯s eyes, into the darkness beyond the zing fire. Two figures were creeping out


    of Khall territory, slinking away into the night


    ¡°The Khall aren¡¯t hiding anything in there,¡± I whispered as it finally dawned on me. ¡°They¡¯re trying to


    prevent their own people from leaving. There¡¯s something out there in the woods, and those two are


    probably heading right for it.¡±


    Ren and I moved swiftly through the woods, trailing the two Khall shifters at a safe distance. After a


    while of slinking through the shadows, voices could be heard in the distance. After a few more minutes,


    we spotted lights blinking through the trees. Not lights,rge pirs of fire burning in a clearing under


    the starless sky.


    Dozens of shifters crowded around the lures, chanting and murmuring among themselves, I stepped


    closer, blending into the crowd without a second thought


    The two shifters we had been trailing were also present, weed by their allies. Everyone had a


    zed look in their eyes and I had a faint memory of the Tally shifters that had once chased me


    through the streets under the cloak of night.


    Up ahead asked figure stepped up onto a makeshift tform. The man removed his hood, looking out


    into the crowd.


    |


    <


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26


    58%


    My gasp was audible, and pet with a few suspicious nces from shifters around me. Dread settled


    heavy in my belly, and bile crept up my throat.


    I was rooted to the spot, reeling, when a man in front of me looked over his shoulder with crazed eyes,


    flecks of saliva flying as he spoke, ¡°Amazing isn¡¯t it? Wait until you hear what he has to say!¡±


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    -Dorothy-


    The morning after we discovered the journal, Ignatius and I stood before the remains of what had once


    been a secret cottage in the woods. We tracked down what was supposed to have been Elliot¡¯s old


    cabin, only to find that the entire building had been burned to the ground some time ago. Barely any


    evidence of the building remained, except for a few charred bits of wood and what was left of the


    floorboards. The forest had long since reimed the small piece ofnd. Moss grew over the


    ckened ground, burying the truth beneathyers of green.


    Ignatius suspected that this was where Elliot had been hiding the vampire woman. After closer


    inspection of the journal, we were able to piece together a few facts about her. Her name was


    Morgana, and ording to Elliot, she was gorgeous and intelligent, and powerful. Ignatius had rolled


    his eyes at this


    ¡°Clearly¡± 1 muttered, turning on the spot to look around the dense foliage, ¡°Elliot really didn¡¯t want


    anyone to know about Morgana. Nob*dy would have found this ce if they didn¡¯t know to look for it.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    I turned to study my mate. Ignatius was staring intently at the wrecked cabin with a furrowed brow, his


    arms folded tightly against his chest. A vein in his forehead pulsed like he was straining to hold back a


    roar.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, walking over and attempting to uncross his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the cabin.


    I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more information out there, even if we can¡¯t find anything here.¡±


    Nothing good could havee from that kind of union,¡± he grewded, stiff as a stone against my


    attempted affection.


    ¡°Morgana had a hold on Elliot¡¯s mind, I ventured gently. ¡°Whatever happened, it seems like he


    regretted it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pity him!¡± Rather than wrap his arms around me, Ignatius turned away, striding back the way we


    hade with his shoulders hunched. ¡°Whether she was toying with him or not, Elliot wasn¡¯t a victim.


    They were in a struggle for power, clearly Morgan was stronger¡±


    It was a dark thought. I had only known Elliot briefly, and he had disliked me from the start. I hadn¡¯t


    been too fond of the old alpha either. But he never struck me as weak, at least not wak enough to be


    led on by a woman in the woods.


    Whoever this Morganady had been, she was c nning enough to slip past Elliots defenses, smart


    enough to scramble his mind. And bold enough to birth his child.


    ¡°Ignatious,¡± I struggled to keep up with my mate, traipsing through the woods behind him. ¡°What if the


    child did survive? What if they¡¯re out there somewhere!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them.¡± was the growled response, with enough venom to send chills down my spine.


    I sucked in a breath, practically running behind Ignatius to stay within earshot. ¡°You can¡¯t-


    ¡°If they pose a threat to the shifters, to our people, they¡¯re dead, Morganna had that child for a reason.


    And whatever that reason was, it can¡¯t have been good.¡±


    We burst from the treeline then, Ignatius angry and ashen-faced and me, breathless and sweating.


    Ignatius climbed into his car, flinging the passenger door open for me to join him. Rather than drive off,


    he gripped the steering wheel, resting his head on his outstretched arms. He didn¡¯t speak, but he didn¡¯t


    need to. I knew my mate well enough by then. I knew that this mystery was eating away at him.


    I leaned over, wrapping my arms around him and sighing deeply. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Remember


    what you said to me? Whatever happens, we¡¯ll fare it together¡±


    Ignatious remained tense for a moment, but then his shoulders slumped and he sighed. I couldn¡¯t see


    his face, buried in the crook of his elbows So 1y on my back and wormed my way onto hisp,


    looking up at him. That was enough to score me a small suule, and Ignatious leaned down to nt a


    k*ss on my nose. ¡°What did I do to deserve someone so sweet?¡±


    I reached up to caress his check. He leaned to my touch, closing his eyes and letting me sooth him for


    once


    ¡°You¡¯re the best leader the Bielke have ever seen, Ignatius,¡± I murmured softly, running my thumb over


    his lips. ¡°And the best mate could ever have asked for. Don¡¯t cut off the people who care about you.


    We¡¯re all on your side here¡±


    He opened his eyes, his piercing gaze just as striking as the very first time we met. Ignatius didn¡¯t


    speak, staring at me intently like he desperately wanted to believe me. My words were a lifeline to him.


    ¡°Elliot¡¯s gone,¡± I whispered. ¡°He can¡¯t hurt you anymore. And whatever he did here, with that woman,


    I¡¯m certain we¡¯ve already faced the worst of it.¡±


    Ignatius nodded slowly, fatigue lining his features as he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know I¡¯ve been on edge


    whatever my father had done. But this, I could never have prepared for this.¡±


    We were interrupted by Ignatius¡¯s phone chiming and both of us started upright at the sound. Igantius


    pressed his cell to his car, immediately on high alert. I watched the icey mask slip back into ce, and


    my gentle mate was lost to me once more


    After a minute, Ignatius put down the phone, kicked the car into gear and reversed out of the cul de sac


    we had parked in ¡°Angie¡¯s back early, this spells bad news¡±


    Angie and Pae were waiting for us outside the town hall. Their expressions were strained, and their


    smiles didn¡¯t reach their


    They stood beside the beat-up white van, still packed with all of their traveling essentials. They must


    havee straight here. Whatever news they had brought, it was urgent. I felt a sinking feeling in my


    stomach the second I stepped out of the


    ¡°Angie¡± I hurried over to the two she-wolves, and flung my arms around Angie. ¡°Why are you back


    already! What happened to taking a break?¡±


    ¡°We had toe back.¡± It was Fae who spoke, wringing her hands and dancing from foot to foot in not


    right.¡±


    Angie exined what she and Fae had witnessed during their travels. Unease was spreading throug


    small alike. More vampire sightings had been reported, and shifters were mysteriously disappearing


    were never found, but trackers had stumbled across mutted animals; bears and deer, foxes and rabb


    blood and ditched in the wilderness. And always covered in the lingering stench of metal and rust.


    ¡°It gets worse, Angie stated gravely. She eyed me warily, like she was afraid of my reaction. ¡°It¡¯s just


    like we are talking about Johan. He¡¯s idolized by many shifters, they think of him as a martyr or some


    kind of under


    ¡°But they¡¯re not just rumors, Fae whispered. She looked to Angie, who nodded slightly before


    exining. ¡°We we camping near the Khall pack recently and.¡± She took a steadying breath.


    ¡°Something happened.¡±


    ethings


    I slipped my fingers into Ignatius¡¯s hand, urging him to unclench his fist. His fingers relented, sping


    my hand tightly we listened to what Fae had to say.


    ¡°The Khall were on edge. They refused to let us onto their territory. And it seems they¡¯re not letting


    anyone out either. They¡¯re guarding themselves against something¡±


    I frowned at that. I had been trying in vain for the past few weeks to get in contact with Anita. My old


    caretaker resided in the Khall pack. She usually called every few weeks to check in on the children and


    me. But recently. Anita had been silent and none of my calls to her cell ever connected,


    Fae noticed my expression and nodded. ¡°It would seem the Khall have cut off the outside world. So we


    camped a little way oll to keep an eye on things. Two nights ago there was some kind of disturbance in


    the forest. We heard wolves howling, and something bad all the animals in the area tearing past our


    tent. And then there was a fire


    ¡°Forest fires happen all the time,¡± Ignatius offered through a clenched jaw


    This fire was started by a burning shifter. Fir and I were trailing the noise when we watched a ming


    man barrel through


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26


    the trees, burning everything as he went. We got out of there pretty quickly after that.¡±


    ¡°How do we know this has anything to do with Johan But my fears were already all but confirmed.


    Angie hung her head, passing a hand over her eyes. ¡°The gatherers in the forest, They were chanting


    his name.¡°¡°


    Before either of us could process this, a new member joined our party. to came roaring down the


    road on a motorcycle he¡¯d gotten from go d knows where. He brought the bike to a half right in front of


    us, churning up clouds of dust around our


    fect.


    We all stepped out of the way while to scrambled to attention 1 hail never seen him look so


    disheveled. His clothes were torn and dirty, his face streaked with mud and dried blood.


    ¡°Thank go d you¡¯re here?¡± He scrambled over to grip my mate¡¯s shoulders, and heaving in deep


    breaths. He was struggling to stand. ¡°I came as fast as I could¡±


    Ignatius h ooked to¡¯s arm over his shoulder, holding him upright, ¡°What happened?¡±


    -1 followed a couple of shifters into the forest, near Khall territory, I saw him! I saw him with my own


    eyes!¡±


    I swallowed, hard. But the stone lodged in my throat would not budge. ¡°Saw who?¡±


    ¡°Johan. to wheezed, and nearly toppled over in exhaustion. ¡°Johan is alive¡±


    B


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    -Dorothy-


    to¡¯s words had me rooted to the spot, my mouth gaping open in shock. It couldn¡¯t be true. It


    shouldn¡¯t be. Johan was dead. Ignatius and I had seen to that ourselves. I had watched the life fade


    from my almost-lover¡¯s eyes. I had wept for him despite the atrocities he hadmitted. Johan couldn¡¯t


    be alive. And yet, as to sat down on the steps of the hall, he insisted that he was.


    Ignatius looked just as stricken as I felt. All of us were horribed at the idea. We stood inplete


    silence, as if uttering a single word would shatter the peace the Bielke had worked so hard for


    It was Angie who finally broke the silence. She pulled a bottle of water out of the van and handed it to


    to. He gulped it down eagerly like he hadn¡¯t had a drop in days


    ¡°I know you¡¯re tired, to, Angie said slowly, her mouth set in agrim line, ¡°but we need to hear the full


    story. Now.¡±


    to nodded, sighing in between gulps of water. It shoshed down his chin, carving clear lines in the dirt


    down his neck. ¡°I know. There¡¯s no time. We have to act soon.¡±


    We all stood by while to recounted the events in the forest


    ¡°I followed those guys to a huge clearing. There were dozens of shifters, from all over, not just the Khall


    pack. And they were chanting. There were huge fires, and everyone was dressed in dark cloaks. It was


    some real cult s hit I swear. And then there was this tform. And that¡¯s where he stood.¡±


    ¡°Johan?¡± Fae asked quietly


    I nced at the young she-wolf. Both Angie and Far had almost died at the hands of Johan, hack when


    he had stalked Bielke territory looking for me. Fue almost went over the edge of a cliff, and Angie¡¯s


    head was almost bitten clean off. If it wasn¡¯t for Gideon and the other soldiers showing up, neither of


    them would be alive right now, I couldn¡¯t imagine Fae was very pleased to hear that Johan had been so


    close to where they were camping. He had left a scar on everyone, physically and m entally. None of


    us had truly recovered from the impact of what he had done.


    to nodded. ¡°It was him. I swear it. Only he didn¡¯t look as monstrous as he did when he attacked the


    Bielke. He looked like a regr person. He was dressed in long robes. I was watching from the back of


    the crowd. But it was him. I¡¯d recognize that man anywhere.¡±


    to 100 had suffered at the hands of Johan Johan had killed Mavis, to¡¯s true mate, and then he¡¯d


    sent Tally attackers after to, intending to finish the job. to¡¯s entire life had been uprooted because


    of Johan. I had no doubt that if to said it was him, he was speaking the truth. There was venom in


    his voice, mixed with the horror thates with seeing a dead man walking


    ¡°He was speaking to the crowd?¡± I shot my mate a fearful nce. With all of the stress Ignatius had


    been under, he couldn¡¯t be taking the news very well.


    Johan had once been Ignatius¡¯s oldest friend. The two had been inseparable before I came into the


    picture. Ignatius never med me for what had happened between the two of them, but I knew he still


    hurt for his old friend. He still carried his own guilt about the part he yed in driving Johan to do what


    he did.


    ¡°He was preaching to the crowd. He went on and on about how the Bielke fooled everyone. He called


    us a traitorous gang of thieves and criminals. And the crowd ate up every word. It seems like the Bielke


    still have a few enemies. The hate was ptable. But that¡¯s not all he spoke about.¡±


    to poured the rest of the water over his head, closing his eyes and wiping away the dirt on his face,


    ¡°He spoke about a prophecy, some kind of confrontation between wolves and vampires.


    ¡°A prophecy¡± I eyed Ignatius who gazed back at me with a nk expression. ¡°We know something of a


    prophecy 100,¡±


    It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence that Elliot¡¯s vampire consort had pushed some kind of prophecy


    onto him. And now again, someone was spewing stories about a prophecy. Something to do with both


    vampires and werewolves. Something big.


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    to wiped at his eyes before blinking up at us. ¡°He said that from the conflict, a leader would emerge.


    Someone to liberate all wolves. He said that shifters can¡¯t go on living under the Bielker¡¯s thumb, that


    we needed to stand united against the vampire threat. And against you, Ignatius


    1instinctively gripped Ignatius¡¯s arm. Every fiber of my being was screaming to protect my own against


    any threat, any for that daredy a linger on my family.


    ¡°He said you would y a part in this prophecy. That you and the Bielke would bring about the downfall


    of unloyal shifters. He said that after you fell, the loyal would prosper, under the ruling of the new king.


    He wanted your head on a silver tter


    Over my dead b*dy, Nob*dy would being near my mate if I had anything to say about it. Vampire,


    shifter, or even the tooth fairy herself. I¡¯d cut them all down if it meant keeping my family from harm


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened after that. to scratched at his head. There was a vacant look in his


    eyes as he tried to remember. ¡°It gets a little blurry from here. It was like some kind of spell had been


    cast over the crowd. Everyone was in agreement with him, all riled up and ready toy down their lives.


    Even I could feel something strange stirring in my chest. But it was like we were in a trance, it was


    almost impossible to think straight¡±


    We all took step back from to, but the bedraggled shifterughed and beckoned us back. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, I was snapped. out of it pretty quickly after that. Johan told them that there was an imposter in


    the crowd. My head was still full of cotton balls it was only when everyone looked at me that I realized I


    was in danger. I hightailed it out of there as fast as I could, and Johan sent them after me.¡±


    to med to keep a smile stered across his face, but his hands shook as he recalled the escape. ¡°It


    wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve been chased through the woods, but these guys were wild. They came after


    me in wolf form, some only partially shifted and frozen that way in their excitement.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what they would have done if they¡¯d caught me. On my way out I knocked over one of the


    fire pirs. The logs set the forest alight, along with a few of my pursuers. I¡¯m not sure what happened


    to them, but the mes bought enough time to escape. I¡¯ve been hurrying to get back here ever since.


    A fock of birds rising from the nearby trees made us all jump out of our skins. Needle


    to say, everyone was on e hearing that harrowing tale. Looking from the exhausted face of to, to the


    tense expressions on Angie and Fae, n seemed in the best shape to be battling an old enemy, let alone


    bloodsucking vampires.


    We were all barely recovered from thest battle. And now, Johan was back, threatening our people all


    over again.


    I stepped closer to Ignatius, and tried again to take his hand. This time my mate was immovable. His


    clenched fist wouldn¡¯t budge an inch to let me in. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    -Dorothy-


    Angie and I sat together on the swing chair outside her family home. The old chair creaked and


    groaned as we swung back and forth, spurred by Angie¡¯s heel pushing into the ground, I sat with my


    legs folded, picking at a dandelion to distract myself from the morbid thoughts swirling in my mind.


    Angie stared out into the distance, absentmindedly tugging at a loose strand of hair that had escaped


    from her ponytail.


    Once to had finished his story, Ignatious had taken him home. to had been nearly delirious with


    fatigue, insisting that it was Johan that he had seen that night. Ignatius instructed him to get some rest.


    The shifter had seemed disgruntled, but he evennally relented and let Ignatius drive him home.


    1 apanied Angie in the van. We dropped Fae off at her mother¡¯s ce. She wanted to warn the


    old woman of what was inevitablying, and to reassure her that she was alright. Angie and I had


    sought out her own mother to do the same.


    Angie¡¯s grandfather had died before the battle with the Tally. Jolian had lobbed his head off when the


    old man made a y for asylum. Angie rarely spoke about the incident, but her eyes filed with a quiet


    mncholy everytime she revisited her family home.


    All that was left of the Rockbells were her mother and younger brother, and Angie herself. Angie was


    their protector, their provider, and that responsibility weighed heavy on her shoulders, even though


    Ignatius had tried time and time again to offer assistance.


    Angie felt responsible for her grandfather¡¯s actions. Both guilt and disgust tainted her memory of him,


    so much so that she refused to acknowledge all the good he had done for the Bielke before he died.


    She refused to acknowledge him at all. Ignatius had long since forgiven her grandfather¡¯s treason. But


    Angie had not. She had vowed to protect the Bielke, and an act of treason by her family was a stain on


    her own code of honor


    I didn¡¯t understand it, but I respected it. And my heart ached for my friend.


    ¡°Do you think it really was Johan that to saw out there?¡± I asked her, keeping my eyes on the


    dandelion stalk.


    Angie picked lint off of her sweater and flicked it away vacantly. The weather had been growing colder,


    which was odd considering we were in the dead of summer. It was like the cold skins had brought the


    icy winds with them and thrown nature out of bnce all over again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think,¡± she mused, refusing to meet my eye ¡°From what to said, it doesn¡¯t


    sound like fearmongering. It sounds like Johan, or whoever this guy is, is trying to start a new war


    Angie sighed deeply and leaned back in the swing chair, kickstarting the back and forth motion again.


    ¡°This guy has to be a fake. He might be taking on Johan¡¯s name to try and gather people to his cause. I


    just don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s trying to pose himself as the savior of the people. The shifters don¡¯t


    need a savior, and we as a pack have done all we can to atone for the sins of our predecessors.¡±


    She was silent for a moment before continuing ¡°I know it will never be enough, but this guy doesn¡¯t care


    about justice. He cares about taking us down. Why else would he be inciting an outright attack on the


    Bielke?


    I leaned my head on her shoulder, utterly exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you and Fae had to cut your vacation


    short because of all.


    this


    Angie shrugged and nudged me with her elbow, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, red. Fae and I were ready to


    we¡¯ll be able to handle investigations a bir better than to did¡±


    ¡°He did alrighat I tried in vain to defend to¡¯s honor. But the man had managed to set someone on


    fire during a ¡°stealth¡± massion. He wasn¡¯t the most inconspicuous of trackers to say the least.


    Angie chuckled quietly, before her face settled back into a gloomy grimace. ¡°We have to stop this guy.


    I¡¯ve lived through one war. I don¡¯t think da


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Angie didn¡¯t need to borage. The message


    clear. She had lost too much already.


    Later that evening. Angie dropped me off at home. The first star were tw inkling overhead and the


    house was dark and silent, save for a flickering glow in the kitchen window. Angie perped over the


    steering wheel skeptically. ¡°Looks like nob*dy¡¯s home¡±


    ¡°Ignatius is here. I could sense him. And his animosity. Earlier that day, we had organized for the


    children to stay with Zanelle for the wight. Angie and Fae would he there as well, posing as both


    protectors and practicing parents.


    Thad been hesitant to pass my children over to someone else for a whole night, but Fae had taken one


    look at the state of Ignatius and Tasd insisted we give in.


    You both look like you haven¡¯t slept in days,¡± she had chided. ¡°Tike the night off, Dorothy.¡±


    I waved to Angie as she speid away before quietly slipping inside.


    As I suspected. Ignatius was in the kitchen. Sewing in the dark like he frequently did these days. Any


    other day 1 would have poked fun at his disy of angst. But tonight, it felt justified, I too wanted to curl


    up in the dark and brood.


    Ignatius sat on the floor with his back to the stove, forearms resting on his knees, his head hanging low.


    He wore nothing but his standard ck jeans, barefoot and shirtless despite the cold weather


    1 eyed the half-empty bottle on the floor beside him and leaned in the doorway, folding my arms. ¡°It¡¯s


    not like you to get wasted on a Tuesday night¡±


    He nced up at me, a smirk ying on his lips. ¡°Fae said to take the night off. That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing¡±


    ¡°Hm. Just don¡¯t me me when you wake up hungover.¡± I replied and strode over to him.


    1 sat myself down beside my mate and gestured for him to pass the bottle. Ignatius raised a brow in


    bemusement. ¡°Are you sure! This stuff is stronger than most,¡±


    ¡°Just hand over the bottle.¡±


    I rarely ever drank. I¡¯ve never had a taste for liquor of any kind, much to Angie¡¯s disappointment. I had


    apparen her of a drinking buddy when I was born with an inability to handle what was in my cup


    Tonight however, I ch ug ged straight from the bottle, the liquid bitter on my tongue and burning all the


    way down. I coughed and spluttered and Ignatiu sughed, nicking the bottle back from me and taking


    another swig himself.


    Now that we were parents, Ignatius and I barely got to do things like this anymore. Granted it was a


    gloomy, unceremoniou gathering on the kitchen floor.


    But I hadn¡¯t seen Ignatiusugh in a while, his features softened by the liquid that burned through his


    blood. It only pained me to know that this is what it took to get him to rx now,


    Weughed together, leaning on each other while the alcohol did its work. I had to admit, it did wonders


    to release the tension that had been building in my shoulders ever since the first vampire rumor had


    sparked up.


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    Sitting together, illuminated only by the flickering candlelight, it felt like the earlier days, back when


    Ignatius had firstid me down beside the fire during my very first heat. I had my mate back and his


    hand on my knee was warming and soothing


    But it wasn¡¯t long before our troubles came back to gue us and ourughter gave way to gloomy


    silence. Ignatius leaned his head on my shoulder. I stared out into the dark and lifted the bottle to my


    lips.


    ¡°What are we going to do, Ignatius?¡± I murmured low are we going to survive this one?¡±


    Ignatius heaved himself upright and closed a hand over my own ¡°We can¡¯t afford to fall apart now. We


    have to stay strong, for the kids and for the entire pack.¡±


    He tilted my face towards his with a delicate finger under my chin. ¡°I¡¯m going to protect you. I¡¯m going


    to protect you, and our family, and our people¡±


    11:05 Fri, Jan 20


    I fought in vain to hold back tears that suddenly p ricked at my eyes. Ignatius wiped them away, littering


    my damp checks with small k*sses.


    That small act of affection was all I needed, what I wanted most in the world. I wanted my mate back. I


    wanted my loving. caring husband, not the icy shell he presented these days.


    I gripped his face between my hands, pulling him into a forceful k*ss and demanding he let down his


    walls for me. I didn¡¯t wantforting words, I wanted touch and affection, his warm b*dy molding into


    one.


    The moment Ignatius¡¯s lips touched mine, he took over, as if to fulfill my unspoken request. I had let


    something loose inside of him, the part of him I hadn¡¯t seen for a while.


    Ignatius fisted a hand in my hair, and pulled me onto hisp without breaking the passionate k*ss. I


    straddled him, moaning quietly against his mouth.


    I dug my nails into his shoulders, arching my back when he slid a hand down my throat, fingers


    tightening there for a moment while he k*ssed me hard enough to leave me breathless


    I came up gasping for air, clinging to him in desperation, in relief. He was here. He was warm, and


    solid, and all mine.


    His hands slid under my shirt, fingers sying across my back and pressing me to his chest. I snagged


    his bottom lip between my teeth, iming him all over again while he ground his growing erection


    against my throbbing core.


    I tangled my fingers in his hair, tugging softly, gasping when his tongue probed my mouth.


    11


    a blitzed, frantic entanglement that took ce on the floor that night. Every shing k*ss was a im to


    our own, a


    ion of undying love and unyielding devotion despite the odds.


    He was mine, and I was his. And I would hold on to what we had with every bit of strength I could


    muster.


    I lifted my arms in the air while Ignatius pulled my shirt off over my head, Fiercely crushing my lips


    against his, I curled my arms around him. Pressing our chests together, skin on skin, heart beats


    aligning to the same rhythmic pulse,


    Ignatius grazed a thumb over my pebbled nipple, his mouth sliding down my throat to fasten at the


    juncture of my neck and shoulder. My hands reached down his back, brushing over stars while I


    moaned in pleasure


    I slid my hand down his chest, tracing muscles down to the seam of his jeans. Ignatius groaned against


    my neck thrusting his hips upwards in eager arousal.


    When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my chest heaving as Ignatius pressed his forehead to


    mine.


    ¡°I love you¡± He said it with force, gripping my face in his hands. He k*ssed me again, hungrily,


    desperate, like he was determined to assimte into one entity with force of will alone. When he pulled


    back again, I was reeling. A trail of spittle bridged our lips.


    My hair was pasted to my forehead with sweat, my cheeks streaked with tears. We were a mess,


    unraveled by our anxieties and flush with the effects of alcohol.


    I gripped his shoulders, a so b shaking through my b*dy while fresh tears began to flow


    ¡°I love you,¡± I replied, ka ssing him again and again. One more would never be enough. My voice came


    out rasping and low with both arousal and relief. ¡°Don¡¯t ever shut me out again.¡±


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    -Dorothy-


    A few weekster, all hell had broken loose among the shifters. Vampires were finally mounting small-


    scale attacks, and the Truth of their existence could no longer be disputed


    Tugatius dealt with report after repon from packs under attack. The vampires in these reports were


    always beautiful, always deadly, and they were said to transform into monstrous creatures in their own


    right when prompted.


    Almost all shifters had some battle experience, even the most reclusive of packs had seen their fair


    share of violence from time to time. But they were not prepared for vampire attacks.


    There was too little information out there about our mysterious new adversaries. All we knew for certain


    was that they had to be stopped, and soon


    More and more packs were turning to the Bielke for protection, Our people had managed to take down


    the Tally, and with years of battle experience under every Bielke¡¯s belt, we were the only pack prepared


    to hold out against the vampire attacks


    But this war wasn¡¯t taking ce in an open field. There were no wolves in iron armor, no terrifying


    undead soldiers to fight. The vampires were careful with their attacks, picking on smaller packs and


    then suddenly striking at the heart ofrger ones.


    Only yesterday Ignatius had got word that the alpha of one of our strongest allied packs had been


    taken out. Michael had sent his best fighters to aid one of the smaller packs, only for the vampires to


    attack his home directly in the dead of night


    Nob*dy was sure exactly when he had died, but they found his drained corpse the next morning, eyes


    wide open and face skewed in terror.


    Everyone was on edge, even the Bielke, who had surprisingly been spared from any attacks so far.


    That alone was suspicious, and I had watched Ignatius run himself ragged in his attempts to unravel


    the vampires ns.


    My mate had left early that morning, disappearing down the stairs before I had fully opened my eyes


    Ignatius spent most of his days away from home. When he was musing over Elliot¡¯s journal, he was


    disc and battle tactics should the cold skins decide to invade.


    Many of our own had set out to aid the other packs and many more stragglers had arrived seeking


    refuge. Any protection was weed by the Bielke. We had be a living breathing shield for


    shifters from far and wide


    I only wondered how long we could hold out like this.


    And that¡¯s why I found myself heading down to the pack hall alone, in search of the journal that might


    hold the answers we so desperately needed.


    Ignatius had set out with a few soldiers to patrol our borders a few hours earlier. Even though no


    vampire had set foot near Bielke territory yet, Ignatius was dead set on making sure that they never got


    the chance.


    A year ago, Ignatius had bought me my own car, a beat up little ck box that I had fawned over during


    one of our trips Ignatius had wrinkled his nose at the ¡°bucket of bolts, but I had been smitten the


    moment I spotted it.


    It was this car that I drove down the worn roads, freewheeling my way down a sloping hill towards the


    grand hall.


    I screeched to a halt outside the front doors, hitting the curb and wincing to myself, thanking the go ds


    that no one was around to see it. Despite all of Angie¡¯s best efforts to teach me, I was still a terrible


    driver.


    I slipped into the hall and quietly padded down the corridors towards Ignatius¡¯s office. It had once been


    Elliot¡¯s office, until the old alpha had been demoted in the dirt right outside.


    The hall was empty today. Everyb*dy was out patrolling Bielke perimeters, or away in search of any of


    our allies still left alive. Nob*dy saw me sneak into the office, gently shutting the door behind me


    Fri, Jan 26


    I made straight for therge desk at the far end of the room, swallowing my guilt and pulling open the


    bottom drawer where Ignatius had stashed the burnt journal.


    to was put in charge of watching over the children now that Angie and Fae were back on the job.


    They had set out a few days ago to track Johan¡¯s trail. If it was him


    We hadn¡¯t heard any news from them unce. Every day without news, the knot in my chest twisted a


    little tighter.


    Ignatius was taking dram too,


    I carefully lifted the journal from its hiding ce and sat down at the desk, gingerly turning the charred


    pages.


    Everything that hnd transpired weighed heavy on my mate¡¯s mind. He had insisted that he was doing


    alright, that he could handle it, but it was only a matter of time before those boy walls woulde up


    again.


    From the brief glimpses I had into his mind,te at night before he slipped into sleep, it was clear that


    the mysterious vampire child was all he could think about


    From Elliot¡¯s rapid scrawl, we had deduced that the child was a boy. Elliot had cast both Morgana and


    the baby out without granting him a name.


    Ignatius had a brother out there, potentially a new enemy. Vampires were at our doorstep, real-life


    monsters from my mother¡¯s bedtime stories Johan had made a suspicious reappearance and


    everything was falling apart.


    I skimmed over the passages that Ignatious and 1 had already read. We had poured over the journal


    together after our talk with Enoc. But eventually, Ignatius had hidden the book, insisting he read


    through it on his own.


    I wanted to respect my mate¡¯s decisions, but it was clear to me that he was acting irrationally. Ignatius


    was obsessed with unraveling the truth of what his father had done. And it was getting in the way of


    him doing his duties. I wanted to help. I wanted to ease the burden.


    ¡°What are you doing in here!¡±


    I jerked upright in my seat, wrenching myself away from the journal like I¡¯d been burned.


    Ignatius stood glowering in the doorway, his hands fisted at his sides. I opened my mouth and then


    close up slowly and rounding the desk to face him


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of my mate. But his fluctuating mood swings as ofte had me uneasy. It wasn¡¯t a good


    feeling


    fwe


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I fought back the guilt and lifted my chin ¡°Tm helping you, we¡¯ll get to the bottom of this a lot faster if we


    work


    Ignatius stalked toward me so quickly I took a cautious step backward. My thighs hit the edge of the


    desk and I fought keep my head up.


    I had gotten used to his unsettling way of moving, shifting fromplete stillness to swift motion in the


    blink of an eye. But there was a fury in his expression that had never before been directed at me. It was


    rming, and my b*dy shivered against my will.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I expected him to do, but Ignatius brushed right past me and picked up the journal,


    shoving it back in the drawer and mming it shut. He scowled at me, pressing his kanckles into the


    desk. ¡°You think I can¡¯t handle this!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªwhat, no! I just wanted to help you, Ignatius. You can¡¯t protect your pack if you¡¯re obsessing over


    your fathers mistakes¡± My voice rose to a shriek and I quickly backtracked.


    Im sorry. But this is too much for one person to manage. We¡¯re supposed to be a team, but you bar me


    from helping you al


    very ham


    Ignatius mmed a fat against the desk, white hair falling over angry eyes. Tm protecting you I¡¯m


    protecting our people Lake I posed Do you not think I¡¯m capable of thr


    de los muny enemies!¡± 11


    rant to shout back, but Ignatius was beginning to sound more and more like his


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26


    father. I wondered if Elliot¡¯s spirit still haunted this study, influencing his son even in death.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the two of us in danger anymore. Ignatius! We have children, are you going to cut them off


    too? When was thest time you even spoke to either of them!¡±


    I stepped towards hint, gesturing wildly as I lost my temper. ¡°They¡¯re scared. We¡¯re all scared. And yet


    you spend all of your time obsessing over that damned book!¡±


    ¡°Remember who you¡¯re talking to,¡± Ignatious growled. But I ignored him, now that the words were our I


    couldn¡¯t reel them


    back in.


    I knew I was pushing him, but he needed to hear the truth. He couldn¡¯t protect anyone if he was


    swallowed up by the past,


    T¡¯m scared for you. Ignatius. Elliot has a hold on you, just like he always wanted. I don¡¯t want to see


    you give in to what your father had nned for you¡±


    At that. Ignanous reached for me, gripping my forearm and yanking me towards him. I was nearly


    jerked right off my feet. my neck aching from the sudden sharp movement.


    I pressed my free hand against his chest, fingers sying out as he brought his face close to mine and


    hissed, ¡°I am nothing. like my father¡±


    I tried my best to breathe evenly, tried to think rationally, but his fingernails digging into my skin hurt,


    His rough handling had caught me by surprise and suddenly my legs were unable to hold me upright. A


    hysterical cry burst from my lips and I


    lenatius wasn¡¯t the only one cracking under pressure.


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    -Dorothy-


    My sudden meltdown seemed to shock Ignatius ent of his anger. He loosened his grip on my arm while


    I curled up at his. feet, half-sobbing, half-wailing and struggling to take a breath.


    Ignatius flexed his fingers, eyeing the red crescents his nails had left in my skin. Ele nched, his


    expression both disbelieving and horrified.


    ¡°F***-¡°his words failed him and he pressed his lips together, dragging a hand through his hair,


    He knelt down beside me, trying to dislodge my arms that I had wrapped tightly around my knees.


    ¡°Dorothy, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have yelled like that. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    I curled myself tighter, gulping in breaths between shaky sols, hadn¡¯t realized just how much I had been


    holding in, how strenuous it had been to try and hold myself together. I huped and continued to cry


    while Iguatus sat down beside me, casing te onto hisp


    ¡°Lalon¡¯t want to fight,¡± I warbled while he stroked my forehead. Internally, I berated myself for behaving


    so childishly. Now


    (so was not the time to be bursting into tears. But I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    It was all too much. Arguing with my mate, someone who was supposed to be on my side no matter


    what, was


    thest strave,


    ¡°I know¡± Ignatius murmured. He rocked us both slowly, leaning his head down on mine. ¡°Tin sorry.


    You¡¯re right, Elliot is getting the best of me.¡±


    He cradled my face in his hands, and 1 blinked up at him through teary eyes. I was half-crying when I


    k*ssed him, clinging tightly to the man that I loved. I traced my fingers along his jawline, over rough


    stubble and ridge scars. Igantins k*ssed me bark, his hand closing gently around my throat,


    After a moment I pulled away, and leaned my head on his chest, breathing deeply. My heart was racing


    the way it always did when he k*ssed me, but my hands were shaking violently,


    I closed my eyes and inhaled, taking in his scent and letting itfort me, and shakily got to my feet.


    ¡°I should go. We don¡¯t have time for this,¡±


    Thest thing I wanted to do was leave thefort of my mate embrace, but I was ashamed at my


    sudden moment of weakness, and frustrated with both myself and Ignatius.


    Ignatius didn¡¯t respond, but he reached for me as I stepped away before catching himself and


    withdrawing his hand. ¡°Dorothy, I don¡¯t want to end things like this,¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want Ignatius?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t meant to sound so defensive, standing before him with my arms folded tightly over my chest.


    But Ignatius didn¡¯t take the bait, he had no fight left in him. Instead, he dropped his head to my


    stomach, wrapping his arms around me from where he knelt on the floor.


    My mate, who didn¡¯t kneel for anyb*dy. Ignatius pressed the side of his face to my abdomen, and I


    struggled to hold back


    my tears.


    I stood stuff for a moment, before slowly running my fingers through his hair. ¡°You don¡¯t need to push


    me away to protect me, Ignatius. You don¡¯t have to be alone in this.¡±


    He looked up to respond, but I swallowed his objections, holding his Lace and pressing any lips to his


    with enough force to send the both of us tumbling backwards. I straddled him then and there. Only this


    time I wasn¡¯t spurred on by the burning drive of alcohol.


    I k*ssed him like I might never get to k*ss him again. I k*ssed him like this might be the end. And with


    our enemies closing in


    |||


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    on all sides, it could have been. There was no way of knowing if an insignificant day might be thest


    day we had together. How was I to know? What if this was all we got?


    I slowed my pace then, and Ignatius responded in kind, k*ssing me gently while I wrapped my arms


    around his neck, lips molding against mine.


    ¡°This is how it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the sob that shook my b*dy. My emotions were


    catapulted from angry, to distraught to sudden arousal. It was too quick for me to keep up with.


    ¡°This right here.¡± I pressed my hand to his chest, my lips inches from his while he wiped tears from my


    eyes ¡°This is what I wanted, to be together. We¡¯re supposed to face this together,¡±


    Ignatius stilled and he gripped me tighter. His voice wasced with anguish when he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.


    I¡¯m sorry it hasn¡¯t been like this.


    His thumb grazed my cheekbone, catching tears that fell freely there. When he k*ssed me again it was


    slow and full of intent, like he was determined now to give me what I had so long been denied. He


    hugged my shirt off over my head, fingers tracing up my spine, making me shiver.


    He was so cold and distant most of the time, but when we were pressed together, when we shed


    after an argument and tensions were high, the heat that radiated off of him was hot enough to bum.


    Heced his fingers into my hair, arching my back and pressing his lips to the base of my throat. He


    trailed his lips down my sternum, until my head dropped backward and 1 gasped. 1 slid my hands


    under his button up, running my palins over bare skin. He was thinner than before, and every muscr


    curve was apparent under my touch. Stress had done a number on both of us, and I was keenly aware


    of my own protruding cor bone when he brushed his lips over it.


    His gentle touch kindled something inside of me, setting me alight. I moaned softly when he ground his


    hips against me, and all the while he watched me unwaveringly, fully focused on me for the first time in


    a while. He seemed determined tomit my every movement to memory, and he knew exactly where


    to touch to render me desperate with need.


    Ignatius¡¯s hands swept lower, tugging at the seam of my jeans. But I pulled back, breaking the k*ss and


    closing my hand over his fingers. ¡°Not here, 1 pleaded.


    The study was suffocating, and I wanted to see my mate under the moonlight. ¡°Out there¡±¡±¡±


    The sun had set no too long ago, and Ignatius followed my gaze out of the open window, at the forest


    bathed in silvery light and the stars that blinked in the clear, inky ck sky.


    A ghost of a smile yed on his lips and Ignatius cupped my face in his palm. ¡°Alright. Out there. Let¡¯s


    go.¡±


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    -Dorothy-


    Ignatius practically dragged me outside, tugging me along with a hand closed around my wrist. We had


    barely burst through the front doors, spilling into the moonlight outside before he had me pressed


    against the wall of the building.


    I waspletely captivated by the hot ze of S**ual intent in his eyes, my worries forgotten in the


    moment.


    For now, we were merely loving mates, hungry for each other and pulsing with desperate need.


    Nothing more, nothing less. I was willing to set aside my frustrations for the time being, better yet, to


    unleash them upon him in a furious disy of charged erotic energe


    1 quivered under his touch, gripping his back and moaning at the tantalizing brush of his sensual lips


    over my throat. Ignanus k*ssed along the juncture of my neck. My arousal skyrocketed when his hard


    b*dy ttened me to the wall, pinning. my hips with the slightest pressure from his own.


    1 barely managed to undo one button before my hunger got the best of me, and I tore off his shirt, the


    fabric giving way to expose his arms and chest, his skin luminous in the moonlight. The scars that


    jeans:


    Ignatius zed with dark S**ual desire, his jaw shadowed by stubble and his brows furrowing over


    stormy blue eyes. My mate, my counterpart. Irrevocably and unapologetically male. I stoodpletely


    transfixed by him as I watched the ice melt behind his eyes.


    He imed my mouth in a hot, demanding k*ss and I moaned, the sliding of his tongue robbing my


    knees of theirst bit of strength. It was all I could do to stand upright, ovee by the Just that


    coursed in my veins.


    His hands fisted in my hair, his grip almost painful in its intensity as he held me in ce. I k*ssed him


    back with equal force. my explosive response every bit as fierce as his


    I put my hands against his chest, my fingers grazing hard muscle while he pressed his thigh between


    my legs. When he broke the k*ss I leaned my head back against the wall, trying to regain focus, only to


    feel the warmth of his breath at my neck


    I could feel his skin against my bare chest, pale in the moonlight, And his hand slid confidently down


    my back to the base of my spine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have it in me to take things slow.¡± his voice was rough in my ear, hot with arousal and a primal


    burning desire. ¡°I don¡¯t think you do either.¡±


    I responded by grinding against his knee, breathless and panting while I worked to unzip my jeans.


    Ignatius did the honors for me, pulling the rough fabric down to my knees with ruthless efficiency while


    his mouth imed mine again. His k*ss was urgent, and frantic, demanding all of me in a single bite.


    I wove my arms around his neck, pulling him closer while my back arched against the wall behind me. I


    didn¡¯t care that we were out in the open, and that Ignatius had me wet and vulnerable under his touch. I


    wanted this wild, delirious ride tost


    forever


    I wanted to believe there was nothing beyond this point, only pleasure and yfulness. Only love and


    desire and burning


    arousal


    I could hear the ocean roaring in the distance, the soundpeting with the blood rushing in my ears. I


    could hear Ignatius¡¯s heartbeat, thudding against my palin as he k*ssed me desperately, granting me


    no time to reason or falter.


    It was a bombardment of the senses, his knee pressed to my most sensitive point, my bottom lip


    snagged between his teeth. When his hand covered the swell of my breast I gasped, and the sound


    morphed into a gratified moarwhen his fingers gently teased its hardened peak


    When he dragged his lips from mine and took the firm bud in his mouth, it was as if someone had


    plunged a ming de through my neck down to any pelvis Governed by my senses alone, my hips


    moved in a stato rhythm, my b*dy dead set


    III


    1:05 Fri, Jan 26


    Chapter III


    on relieving the ache that had begun to build in my lower abdomen.


    58%


    But Ignatius wasn¡¯t ready to release me just yet. Before I could grind myself to an earth-shattering


    climax, he pulled away. and I let out a moan of betrayal


    Ignatius brushed a thumb over my lips, the sa distic glint in his eye telling me he was taking great


    pleasure in watching me


    My mate who was so cold on the outside, and so tender towards his family, also wielded a sharper,


    yfully dangerous side. I caught a glimpse of it then, when he sank to his knees before me, a satisfied


    smirk ying on his lips.


    Se desperate in my need for release, when his firm hands spread my legs apart again, I could do


    nothing butply. I gasped when he ran a finger over the damp fabric of my underwhar, his hot


    breath fanning the mes that roared at my


    And then in one smooth motion, he pulled the fabric aside and could think of nothing but the skilled


    strokes of his tongue the unerring uracy as he circled my c lit, licking and sucking and sending me


    spiraling into new depths of debauchery.


    1 struggled to stand, leaning back against the wall while I shifted my weight from one foot to the other,


    fis ting a hand in his tousled snowy hair. I tried to move my hips, to back against his mouth in search of


    a quick climax.


    But Ignatius gripped my thighs tightly, securing me in ce while he continued his sensual feasting. I


    was practically. sobbing at the intensity of it all and I groaned his name in a desperate plea


    Ignatius¡¯s voter was a huskymand, an order that prated the fog in my head. ¡°Look at me.¡±


    And my eyes met huis. I knew without having to see it that my cheeks were flushed warm and red. My


    hair tumbled around my face, my chest heaving while I struggled to catch my breath,


    Tenatius¡¯s gaze was sensual, tinted with a touch of sadi stic satisfaction. His lips curved up into a smirk


    as he pulled away. taking pride in his ability to unravel me so effortlessly.


    Before I coulde to my senses, his fingers closed around my wrist, pulling me down to his level. He


    was gentle then, closing a hand behind the base of my neck and lowering me onto my back with a slow


    k*ss. He removed my jeanspletely, along with my drenched underwear sying me out beneath


    him.


    Ignatius kept his eyes locked on mine, while he positioned himself at my center. I felt the silken heat of


    him scorch me to my very core as he buried himself inside of me with a single, hard thrust


    I cried out at the sudden entrance, my voice ringing out into the night. I sank my nails into the rippling


    muscles of his back. My forehead knocked against his shoulder when I tihed my head forwand,


    overwhelmed by the sudden blend of pleasure and pain


    Ignatius¡¯s breaths were ragged as he thrust deeper still, exuding raw power and obsessive dominance


    that only I was allowed. to witness. This was a primordial pleasure reserved only for me, for the two of


    us together.


    Just as much as I foundfort and relief in the vulnerability of surrender, so did my mate find


    satisfaction in these moments of pure possession.


    My heart hammered in my chest when Ignatius cupped my face, gripping tightly and guiding my gaze


    so I could see nothing at him. His gaze waspelling, and the synergy between its was apparent


    before he surged into me again, a fast, Jan pace that left me gasping beneath him, dragging red lines


    cross his back Each poignant thrust drove me closer and closer to that release that had been withheld


    from me, and I reveled in the unadulterated pleasure.


    When I began to spasin beneath him Ignanus slowed his pace, prolonging the release for the both of


    us, throwing the back the agong edge he had me on from the beginning But I had waited long enough


    to get my fix, and I refused in wat a moment longer


    I leaned forward and upped at has button lip, dragging my tongue along his jawline and down his neck;


    aking hand emogli to drave faunes My guttural moan an has war was the tual stra ss and Ignatius


    thrust with a surge of awe found. feruary


    Fri, Jan 26


    Chapter III Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I felt myself tighten around him, and I h o oked my legs around his waist, driving him in deeper as a


    back-breaking orgasm wracked through my b*dy. The scorching intensity of it left me breathless and


    twitching Ignatius came undone a momentter, swearing under his breath while I felt the hot liquid


    force of his own release


    We bothy there for a while, with Ignatius still buried inside of me, pulsing as he rode out thest of


    his load. Iy on my back, gasping for air and waiting for the mes that enveloped me to cease.


    Eventually, Ignatius muttered something indecipherable against my neck before rolling over onto his


    back, and taking me with him.


    I leaned my damp forehead against his chest, tracing his corbone with my finger, listening to the


    ted beating of his heart


    ¡°Do you think anyb*dy heard that?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the giggle that escaped my lips. ¡°Probably just a few birds, some deer and maybe a bat


    or two.¡±


    Ignatius chuckled quietly before pressing a ragged k*ss to my forehead ¡°Thank you, Dorothy.¡±


    I lifted my head to gaze at him, falling endlessly into those cool blue eyes. His skin was damp and his


    white hair was pasted to his forehead in sha ggy straggles


    I was certain my own hair looked like a bird has taken up residence there. We seemed to have a


    natural talent for unraveling each otherpletely.


    I stroked his cheek, relieved to see him looking so human under my touch. ¡°For what?¡±


    For bringing me back.¡±


    COMMENT


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    -Fae-


    ¡°This is insane.¡± I whispered to my mate, staring her down until she twitched under my gaze.


    ¡°This is nothing we haven¡¯t seen before, Angie muttered under her breath, but she kept her gaze


    straight ahead, hiding her unease. She needn¡¯t have bothered. The tension in her shoulders betrayed


    her emotions all too clearly,


    I lifted my head slightly to peer through the leaves, eyeing the hooded figures that lurked around the


    firepits. The Tally were a pack before they were an army. This gathering is twice as Large, and these


    people are from all over the ce.¡±


    Angie shifted closer to my side, craning her neck as she tried to see through the dense folliage we


    were hiding in ¡°Can you see Johan anywhere


    I let my silence speak for me, fully aware of the sinking feeling in my stomach Angie and I had been


    tracking Johan¡¯s followers through the forest for days on end. The gathering that to had discovered


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    had dispersed.


    All the attendants that hadn¡¯t been set on fire had scattered through the forest, most likely heading


    back to their own packs, Angie and I had traced them all, and our discoveries did nothing to help the


    uncase that had been building since the first vampire attack.


    Some of the shifters who had been present at the gathering were part of the Bielke¡¯s allied packs


    Johan¡¯s influence had spread far and wide, infecting thend and nestling there. There was no telling


    just how many shifters were on his side. If there were turncoats among our allied packs, who knows


    what that meant for the Bielke.


    It had taken weeks to discover the location of the next gathering, We had to keep a close eye on the


    shifters we tracked, checking in regrly for any signs of suspicious behavior. Finally, after another


    brutal vampire attack against a nearby pack. Angle caught a trace of three shifters moving through the


    woods after dark


    We had followed them here, a gathering just like thest one. Angie was determined to see Johan


    herself. She refused to believe that the man could possibly be alive. Her pride would not allow it


    She was in for a nasty shock.


    ¡°Do you smell that!¡± 1 sniffed the air, wrinkling my nose at the putrid scent that wafted towards us.


    ¡°Smell what¡± Angie tested the air, frowning. ¡°Your nose is better than mine. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Rot I nearly gagged, closing a hand over my mouth and pinching my nose closed. ¡°Rot and decay, but


    hidden by something else. Something weaker?


    It was like someone had sprayed a sickly sweet fragrance over a corpse in the hopes of somehow


    masking the stench. But there was no covering up the smell of death.


    Angie closed her eyes, concentrating on her sense of smell while swallowed the bile that had crept up


    my


    ¡°All I can smell is a faint hint of metal Rust Something like that


    It was then that we noticed the vampires. Among the hooded shifters that huddled in the dark clearing,


    there were others. They looked just like regr people, but regr people touched by angels. Beautiful


    with dazzling white teeth, and silky- smooth hair that glistened in the glow of the fires.


    There was an eerie stillness to them. Shifters massed and moved around them, but these beings stood


    as it they existed on another ne of existence all togetherpletely unbothered by themotion.


    ¡°Has Johan sided with the vampires¡± I didn¡¯t dare speak out loud after that I catapulted my thoughts


    directly into Angie¡¯s


    ine n to get revenge against the Bielke!


    ¡°It¡¯s not Juhan¡± Ange growled luck. Whoever thus mmposter is he¡¯s got bigger ns than just taking


    down the Bielke


    FM, Jan 26


    58%


    A sudden bout of cheering erupted from the gathering, and both Angie and I snapped our gaze to the


    the putrid stench. A dead man walking.


    Instinctively, I closed my fingers around Angie¡¯s forearm, gripping her tightly. In that moment, I was


    paralyzed with fear. I wanted to hightail it as fast as I could in the opposite direction, dragging my mate


    along with me whether she liked it or not


    Johan was a man who had taken too much from me. He had taken Gideon, my brother in all but blood.


    He had nearly taken Angie too.


    Every bone in my b*dy screamed for me to flee. Nothing good coulde from ghosts d in flesh.


    Instead, I steeled myself, leaning closer to Angie until my lips were pressed almost to her ear. ¡°Tim


    going to take a closer look.¡±


    Thad barely untered the words before Angie gripped my knee, her voice a tense whisper. ¡°Absolutely


    not!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Keep watch from here. I had already shimmied out of my loose-fitting clothes, catching her


    with a quick k*ss before shifting quietly and slipping out into the underbrush.


    We were too far away to make any solid deductions. I needed to see his face. I needed to know for


    sure that this man was a fake, that my demons were dead and buried.


    I circled the gathering from a safe distance, taking care to avoid the watchful gaze of the vampires.


    When I was just meters away from the podium, hidden in the shadows of the forest and heavily d


    with thysalis leaves, I waited, watching.


    The main on the stage removed his hood and my b*dy seized up with fear. It was Johan¡¯s face. There


    was no doubt about it. He was here in the flesh, walking upright and addressing the crowd with a


    charismatic smile.


    Only there was something off about him, something strangely wrong that I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger


    on. The smell of decay was almost overpowering, only from what little skin I could see, Johan looked


    fine.


    His b*dy was d in a ck cloak, and long robes concealed his limbs. Only his face was visible, and


    his hands that he raised in greeting to the excited crowd.


    I peered over the heads in the crowd to where I knew Angie was hiding. She waspletely hidden


    from view the dense brush that it was impossible to know she was there. And yet, someone seemed to


    have noticed her


    rm bells sounded in my head when one of the strange, ethereal vampires turned his head. The man


    was tall, over the shifters that stood beside him, and his pale skin shone wless in the flickering light


    of the fires jet ck like a waterfall down his back.


    His brown eyes, so dark they were almost ck, were fixed on the forest where Angie was hiding.


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°What am I missing?¡± I stormed back and forth, pulling strands of hair from my ponytail in frustration.


    ¡°There¡¯s something important in those notes, I know there ist


    I narrowly avoided trampling Elias, who crawled under my feet, gurgling happily. Picking up the excited


    toddler I turned to glower over the journal again


    ¡°Maybe Elliot had another journal?¡± to offered. He had been appointed to watch over me and the


    twins now that Angie and Fae were back on the job. Surprisingly, to didn¡¯t mind ying babysitter. I


    suspected he much preferred it to crawling around the forest on a ghost hunt.


    to had spent a lot of time in wolf form back when the Tally had been hunting him down. These days


    he seemed determined to stand on two legs whenever he could help it. And if that meant ying nanny


    to two unruly children then so be it


    ¡°I doubt it.¡± I muttered, bouncing Elias on my hip while he pulled at my hair. ¡°Elliot mentioned something


    about a wolf pack, some group that Morgana was interested in¡±


    ¡°The Bielker ro asked absently. I knew he wasn¡¯t listening to a thing I said. He was too wrapped up


    in the puzzle that he and Amelie were constructing on the floor.


    |||


    11.05 Fri Jan 26


    ¡°No, not the Belke 1 snapped, and rescued a clump of my hair before Elias could stick it in his mouth.


    ¡°This pack was smaller. Something about them was unique ¨C and they seemed to have been a thorn in


    Elliot¡¯s side.¡±


    -Elliot had a problem with most packs back then,¡± to nced hip from where he and Amelie were


    sitting. ¡°The Hirlke were at war with almost every b*dy at one point or another. What makes this one so


    special?¡±


    ¡°Good question.¡± I marmured scanning the burned pages of the journal over and over again, turning up


    nothing new. It was infursating. All of the information we needed had been kept in that journal. But


    some of the pages were too charred to decipher much. Some pages were missing entirely. It was like


    trying to build a puzzle without all of the pieces.


    My phone chimed then and I nced at the illummated screen, Ignatius hail sent me the damage


    report from the most recem vampire attack. Seeking asdistraction, no matter how gory I sat down and


    scrolled through the report, bncing Elias


    The vampire attacks had taken on a kind of pattern. Their strategies seemed to be well thought out.


    They would strike at might and work their way through residential areas. There was always a fire lit at


    one enst, driving scared shifters in the opposite direction, straight into the line of cold skins that waited


    on the other side.


    I paused, jolting upright, and read through the report again. A flicker of an idea had just urred to me.


    ¡°Hold s¡± I handed my giggling toddler over to to, and swiped the journal from the table. ¡°I¡¯ll be


    right back.¡±

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113


    Far


    I kept my eyes on the strange man, hoping with all my heart that he was simply looking off into the


    distance. But when he started moving, panic set in, and I watched in horror as the vampire made


    directly for where Angie was hiding.


    ¡°F***. Angie, someone¡¯s spotted you¡± I willed my thoughts through the crowd, mming into Angie¡¯s


    mind like a sledgehammer. ¡°Get out of there, he¡¯sing¡±


    ¡°What?¡± her voice whispered in my head a momentter. ¡°Where? I don¡¯t see anyone.¡±


    rm bells were sounding in my head as I watched the vampire glide past the hooded shifters. There


    was an evil look in his almond eyes, and his mouth curled into a sneer.


    ¡°Tall guy, ck hair, Angie move!¡± My desperation was clear in my tone. From the way the man red


    into the shadows it was obvious that he was aware of Angie¡¯s presence. How he knew she was there, I


    had no idea. Both Angie and I had taken great cure in masking our scents¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t! Angie¡¯s voice was tinted with panic. ¡°There¡¯s another guy to my right. If I move now, he¡¯ll be on


    me in a second.¡±


    Just then, someone in the crowd called out to Johan, begging him for a demonstration of his new


    abilities. I snapped my gaze back to the stage, to Johan, who nodded in agreement and lifted his arms


    skyward.


    Whur abilities?


    Another shifter was calling for Johan to present his wolf. The excited crowd murmured in agreement,


    wanting to see their leader¡¯s wolf form in all its glory. But Johan shook his head slowly, smiling serenely


    like he was addressing a crowd of children.


    I shook my head, banishing the questions from my mind. I had to get to Angie, to cause some kind of


    distraction out of there. The vampire man was moving faster now, weaving through the crowd towards


    her. I took a tentati graring to bolt through the forest to my mate¡¯s side.


    Cries of amazement erupted from the crowd and halted me. I nced back at Johan and felt my


    stomach drop like Johan stood on the podium, holding arge, glistening knife in his right hand. The left


    hand, raised to the sky mom before, nowy at his feet ¨C severed from his armpletely.


    ¡°Did he just. Fae, did he just cut off his hand Angie¡¯s voice sounded in my head, real fear in her words.


    ¡°I¡¯m too far away see clearly. Did he cut off his hand?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± I whispered back, dread brewing in my gut, ¡°but he¡¯s not bleeding,¡±


    Johan¡¯s left handy at his feet, and he raised his stump into the hir victoriously. Only no blood seeped


    from the wood, and the tform beneath him remained unstained.


    I watched in horror as Johan stooped down to pick up the severed hand. He held it in the air for a


    moment, coaxing gasps


    ps of awe from the crowd beneath him. Then, before my very eyes, Johan moved his fingers. The


    fingers of his left, severed hand.


    They curled and pointed of their own volition as if still attached to his b*dy. Johan¡¯s hand was moving


    on its own. How?


    Before I could fully process what I was seeing, Johan took his demonstration a step further. He handed


    the knife to a shifter at his side, smiling dreamily at the crowd. And then, In front of all of his followers,


    Johan stoodpletely still and let the shifter lob his head clean off his shoulders.


    Someone screamed, and the rest of the crowd erupted into loud cries of disbelief. I resisted the urge to


    run off into the woods, far away from whatever ck magic was at y here. The shifters surged


    forward in outrage, calling for the guilty. man¡¯s death.


    But before anyone could storm the stage, the impossible happened. The headless b*dy of Johan


    stepped forward, leaned over, and picked up his severed head. His dismembered b*dy cradled the


    head against its chest. The head that was still very


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26 G


    much alive on its ow


    His eyes moved back and forth, scanning the crowd and his lips curled into a wide grin. The severed


    head of Johan beamed


    at his follower.


    ¡°Angie, he.. Something is very wrong here.¡±


    I watched in disbelief as Johan secured his own head back onto his shoulders, and smiled down at the


    mesmerized crowd. I couldn¡¯tprehend what I was seeing, how this was happening.


    But Johan was turning his head left and right as if he hadn¡¯t been butchered only a moment ago. Not a


    drop of blood was spilled from his b*dy. No evidence of the wound was visible at all


    I quieted my wolf who howled in my chest, forcing myself to stay grounded in this reality, even though


    this reality had just been thrown mercilessly out of order.


    There was no time to stew on this impossible ability. The vampire man was almost on top of Angie, and


    I had to act now. I sped off into the dark, making straight for my mate without a backward nce.


    I had no idea what to make of Johan¡¯s demonstration, no answer to the thousands of questions this


    had brought forth. But something urred to me, something that might prove useful in our fight against


    this undead enemy,


    -Dorothy-


    When Ignatius came looking for me at the pack hall, he arrived just in time to find me rummaging


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    through his study like a mad man. I barely nced at him before continuing my frantic search, pulling


    file after file from the disorganized cabs that lined the far wall ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here. I need your help


    with something¡±


    Ignatius leaned against the doorframe with folded arms, watching me with a confused smirk. ¡°Would


    you like to exin to me why exactly you ditched to at the cottage without a word of warning?¡±


    I stood on my tiptoes, reaching for a box full of paperwork that sat just out of my reach. ¡°I said I¡¯d be


    right ba you appointed him to protect the twins, I expected him to do his job


    Ignatius strode to my side and nonchntly lifted the box from its ce on the shelf, holding it above


    my he appointed him to protect my family. That includes you. How is he supposed to do his job if you


    go running of warning


    1 jumped for the box, but Ignatius lifted it out of my reach, looking down at me pointedly. ¡°Dorothy,


    what¡¯s going o


    ¡°Elliot¡¯s notes.¡± I walked over to lift the journal from the desk, now cluttered with pages and pages of


    damage reports. ¡°In notes, he mentions that Morgana was threatened by a specific pack. She wanted


    to wipe them out so they couldn¡¯t pose a threat to her ns,¡±


    Ignatius¡¯s brow furrowed. I¡¯m not following. What does that have to do with anything! One woman


    wouldn¡¯t be able to take down a pack, even if that woman is a vampire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going through these reports.¡± I flipped through the journal, finding the page I was


    looking for and holding it up to Ignatius¡¯s nose. ¡°Elliot was into the idea. He told her everything he knew


    about the pack, he even sent his own soldiers to help with the attack¡±


    Ignatius lowered the journal, eyeing me in confusion. ¡°So you think this pack is important?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it,¡± 1 scurried back over to the desk and scavenged for the most recent report on vampire


    attacks. ¡°Morganna. wanted to kill these shifters because they stood in the way of her ns. So they


    must be important right? If we can find out who they were, we might gain the upper hand in this war!¡±


    A dark cloud passed behind Ignatius¡¯s eyes. ¡°Elliot sent his soldiers after a lot of parks back then. My


    father was hungry for power. You¡¯re never going to find this specific pack¡¯s records by going through


    those reports.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too, but there is a way!¡± I found what I was looking for, and pulled the file out


    from under arge


    stack of papers ¡°Elliot sent his soldiers after this pack, but Morgana had the help of vampires too. If we


    11:05 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    reports of vampire attacks gith the old Bielke records, we might be able to figure out which pack Elliot


    and Morgana attacked. There would be simrities, right?¡±


    Ignatius scratched at his neck, clearly ufortable at the thought of rifling through records of his


    fathers past war crimes. But he wanted to know the truth just as much as I did, and with vampires


    closing in on all sides, we were getting desperate.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot. I¡¯ll have someonepile all damage reports from the past two decades. Maybe


    we¡¯ll find something.¡±


    ¡°We have to know who these wolves were, Ignatius. I dropped the reports and let them flutter to the


    floor, taking my mate¡¯s hand and pressing it to my chest. ¡°I can¡¯t exin it, but it feels important. This


    is how we fight back. This is the answer. It has


    to be.¡±


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    -Fae-


    ¡°Get ready to move,¡± I whispered to Angie in my head as I bolted in her direction my agile wolf form


    slipping unseen through the dark. ¡°He¡¯s almost on you


    I was still reeling from what I had seen, but there was no time to think about that now. I spotted the


    shifter that Angie had warned me about, a guard standing a little too close forfort. To my left the


    vampire was making his way towards Ange a disconcertingly hungry look in his eyes.


    ¡°We can¡¯t make a scene!¡± Angie¡¯s voice in my head was shrill with rm. ¡°That crowd will be on us


    immediately What are you going to do2TM


    She needn¡¯t have asked. A momentter I barreled into the unsuspecting shifter, closing my teeth on


    his shoulder and knocking him to the ground. Shifting on the spot, I brought my elbow down on the


    back of his head, knocking him unconscious before he could make a sound.


    I felt a pang of guilt at the sudden violence. For all I knew, the man could have been under some kind


    of spell or simply looking for a way out. I paused to make sure he was breathing and then turned to


    where Angle was hiding. ¡°Alright, lets go-


    My words caught on my lips when I made eye contact with Angie, who was struggling in the grasp of


    the formidable vampire.


    He had moved faster than I thought possible, closing the distance between him and Angie, and


    wrapping long taon-like fingers around her throat in the seconds it had taken me to take down the


    shifter


    His face broke out into a wide grin when he looked at me, pointed teeth glistening ufortably close


    to Angie¡¯s neck


    ¡°What a lovely gift I¡¯ve been given, he crooned closing his eyes and inhaling deeply


    Angie kicked at the man, but did no damage. He was clearly sturdier than he looked. Stronger too.


    Angie¡¯s feet barely touched the ground while the vampire held her by the throat.


    ¡°Let her go¡± With no other option. I ran straight at the man ramming into him with my shoulder in an


    attempt to knock him off his feet. The vampire stag gered slightly, hissing at me while I shifted. I caught


    a glimpse of his angry eyes up close.


    The irises I thought were brown in the firelight were actually a deep red. If our vague knowledge of


    vampires was anything to go off of this one was hungry, and possibly hadn¡¯t fed in days.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I bared my teeth, growling before leaping at him again. My wolf form was small, but nimble. The


    vampire couldn¡¯t keep his hold on Angie and fend me off at the same time. He loosened his grip on her


    throat and Angie used the opportunity to wriggle free, shifting as she hit the ground.


    The two of us attacked at once, with Angie closing her snapping jaws on his arm, and me tearing into


    his calf. We brought him to his knees, but even in that position, he was far from defeated. The vampire


    swiped a wed hand at Angie, tearing blo ody ribbons into her nk.


    I bit at the swiping hand, hard enough to hear bones crunching between my jaws. The man shrieked,


    an unearthly high- pitched siren that rang through the forest around us. If the gathering wasn¡¯t already


    aware of our presence, they were now.


    But more cries of rm were surging through the crowd and I caught a glimpse of the podium through


    the treeline


    Moments after I had turned the vampire¡¯s hand into minced beef Johan¡¯s b*dy had copsed. His left


    handy disjointed from his forearm again and his severed head rolled right off of the stage.


    The vampire¡¯s eyes widened in horror when he heard the screames erupting from the crowd. ¡°You filth


    matt, what have you


    done


    He wrenched his bloodied hand from my jaws, tearing tendons and muscle tissue with a shrill shriek. I


    wasn¡¯t sure how this vampire and Johan were connected, but I wasn¡¯t about to wait around to hand out


    1105 Fri Jan 26 G.


    Before the man could get to his feet, I nudged the wounded Angle with my snout, pushing her away


    into the forest. ¡°Let¡¯s go.


    Now!


    As we ran, the vampire¡¯s voice rang out behind us. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again, pretty things! I swear on the


    vampires of old. You will be mine!¡±


    Angie¡¯s voice in my head was manic, spurred on by adrenaline and rage, ¡°Go to hell, bloodsucker.¡±


    -Unknown-


    The womany in a decadent four poster bed. Her drawn, pale face was rendered almost skeletal in


    the flickering candlelight. From her sour expression, it was clear she would have preferred no light at


    all.


    1 approached cautiously, my robes stirring up the thickyer of dust that covered the marbled floors. I


    had to withhold my disgust at the state of the once-grandiose bedroom.


    Every ancient piece of finely crafted furniture was covered in cobwebs, and moths had eaten through


    the expensive silks. It was a symbol of her failings once grand andvish, now tarnished with age and


    neglect.


    ¡°How are you fairing, mother?¡± I kept my tone cordial, but I couldn¡¯t help the sneer that curled my lips.


    The woman coughed, a grating, hair-raising sound like nails on a chalkboard. ¡°Let¡¯s not bother with


    formalities.¡± She tried to lift her head but failed and sank back under the heavy sheets with a


    disgruntled groan Tell me, have we seeded¡±


    I paused at her bedside, sping my hands behind my back and twisting the sigil ring on my index


    finger. ¡°Everything is going ording to n. The Bielke are losing allies by the day, and many are


    beginning to question their ability to protect


    the shifters.


    The woman¡¯s expression curled into a sneer, her sunken eyes fixing on me. ¡°And what of that idiot,


    Hardin? How can we be sure he won¡¯t turn against us when the dust has settled?¡±


    ¡°Haedin is loyal to House Tenebre. House Leshia would fall in an instant should he try and turn his back


    on Although, his most recent misstep at one of the gatherings almost cost us the element of surprise.¡±


    It irked me, having to confess my failings to this frail shell of a woman. Haedin was my head executio


    extension of myself. Any mistake made by my subjects was a failure on my part, as she so loved to re


    Much as I had suspected, my mother snarled at thatment and reached out a wed hand to grip


    my misstep would that bel


    1 swallowed my revulsion, and closed my fingers over her gnarled hand. ¡°Haedin lost himself for a


    moment, n? himself to some Bielke spies. He is prone to unusual fixations, and those two seem to


    have sparked his interest.


    My mother seethed, sinking deeper into the mattress, swallowed up by theyers of bedding that did


    nothing to warm cold, unbeating heart, ¡°We should never have executed this convoluted n! There


    are too many risks. We should kill the Beilke Alpha now. And that despicable Luna of his.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I snapped, nearly crushing her boney hand in my own. ¡°The Luna is mine! Before long, everything


    that wretched man holds dear will belong to me.


    She watched me from under heavy-lidded eyes. Her pupils were a clouded white, her vision failing as


    the nights wore on. I could barely recall the woman she had been before her injuries got the best of her.


    The once-righteous House Lethia had been thorough in their efforts to cr ipple the Aventine bloodline.


    My mother had lived a long time after the initial war, before the Lethia poison began to take its toll.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool,¡± She rasped, glowering under thin wisps of ck hair that segmented her face into


    gruesome, translucent patches.


    ¡°We are not working to satiate you and your jealousy. This is about fulfilling the prophecy ¨C your


    birthright is within your reach. Don¡¯t squander at over a filthy mutt that could foil our ns.¡±


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26 G


    I stepped back abruptly: Fury burning through my veins. ¡°Be careful Morgana. Your time is over, I have


    no use for you anymore. It would do you good to remember who the Lord of Tuchre is now.¡±


    Rather thais argue further, Morgana sealed her lips, eyeing me with animosity from her vulnerable


    position on the bed.


    I turned my back on the dying woman, striding out of the gloomy room before my anger boiled over.


    ¡°I have a better grip on Haedin now. He won¡¯t fail me again.¡± I sat over my shoulder. ¡°You know nothing


    of my grander scheme. House Tenebre will reach further than even you and your sick ambition could


    care to imagine.¡±


    I mmed the heavy doors behind me, bristling with rage.


    The Bielke would be mine. I would rule over both vampires and shifters before the new moon. And I


    would have Ignatius Armoundt dead at my feet.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    -Ignatius-


    I had been rifling through Bielke archives for hours and still hadn¡¯t turned up anything that matched up


    with the recent vampire attacks. Dorothy had been insistent that the records of Elliot and Morgana¡¯s


    attack was somewhere in the archives, but nothing I had seen so far came close to the damage the


    vampires had caused:


    Ellot had never been particrly good with his paperwork. And even though the hall secretary had


    done her best to organize the piles of reports, the entire collection was still a nightmare to sift through


    One thing that I had noticed, however, were twelve Bielke deaths that werepletly unounted for.


    They were there in the records, around the time when Elliot and Morgana would have been together,


    but there was no mention of how they died, or why.


    Back then, the Bielke saw a lot of deaths. We took on new members almost as quickly as we lost them.


    They were cannon fodder before the real Bielke soldiers stepped in to fight, It was no surprise that


    twelve shifters had died at the same time with no mention of what battle they had fought in.


    I squinted at the report in my hand, scanning the descriptions for any mention of a battle. A single line


    caught my eye, words that had been scratched out roughly in ck ink.


    Whoever Ellot and Morgana had attacked, he hadn¡¯t wanted anyone to know about it. If he had tried to


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    get rid of the journal, he would have discarded any records of the attack as well.


    I threw down the papers in defeat and slumped back in my chair, throwing an arm over my eyes with an


    exasperated groan.


    It was hopeless. Elliot had done his best to cover his tracks, and the atrocities he hadmitted under


    the sway of Morgana seemed to be buried forever. Or burned, knowing my father.


    All of my pent up anger had dissipated after Dorothy and 1 argued in this very room. Now, all I felt was


    a beaut fatigue, and it was all I could do to keep from falling into a state ofplete despair. I was tired


    of fighting, for my fathers mistakes.


    I closed my eyes and probed my mate¡¯s mind. Dorothy was back at home, fast asleep after two full


    days of se answers and turning up nothing.


    It had taken a lot of convincing to get her to go home and rest. Only after I summoned to to


    personally escort h did she finally relent to a few hours of shut-eye


    I wanted to give up then and there, I wanted to lock up my father¡¯s study and never set foot in the room


    again. But Dorot would be awake soon, and she¡¯d be determined to keep searching. I owed it to my


    mate to keep going.


    I hauled myself upright and rubbed my eyes, racking my brain for any new ideas. All I had to go on was


    twelve mysterious deaths, and a scratched out sentence. Twelve dead shifters..


    I stood abruptly, nearly tipping over my chair, and hurried over to a dusty cab in theer.


    The bottom drawer was filled with letters, all addressed to my father. The Bielke received a lot of letters


    back then, calls for aid, suggested allyship, and inquiries into lost loved ones. There were a lot of those.


    I memorized the names of the twelve shifters, and then got to searching.


    After almost an hour of sifting through page after page of unanswered mail, I found what I was looking


    for. Someone named Aiden Siliven had wanted to know what had happened to his son Thonus.


    Thomas Siliven was one of the recorded twelve whose death was never borated on.


    ording to Aiden¡¯s letter, Thomas had been a ferocious Bielke soldier. One of the best. Thest time


    Aiden had heard from Thomas was August 28th, the year of Elliot¡¯s encounter with Morgan¡­


    Thomas had informed his father that he was setting out with a group of specialized fighters, on a


    discrete mission under the orders of Elliot


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26 G.


    Thomas had given no other information, aside from the odd fan that the twelve soldiers were to be


    joining forces with another intimidating group. ¡°They¡¯re not shifters, Thomas had said. ¡°There¡¯s


    something off about them.¡±


    Ichewed my bottom lip, taking in every word with growing unease. He must have meant vampires.


    These were the soldiers Elliot had appointed to take out this special pack.


    The letter ended with Aiden Siliven begging Elliot to exin how his son had died. All he had received


    in response was a letter of condolence and nothing more. Not even a b*dy to bury


    Auden¡¯s letter told me what I had already begun to suspect Eliot had done everything he could to cover


    up the evidence. Including killing twelve of his own before they could talk. But the letter also shed some


    light on another useful piece of information. The exact date of the attack, 27 August 1990.


    I stiffened suddenly, a cold fist closing around my heart. Why did that date mean something? Why had I


    heard it before!


    ¡°No¡± Thunched over myself, crumpling the letter in my hands. F***. Please, no,¡±


    The answer was so obvious I was astounded that we hadn¡¯t realized sooner. But how could we have? It


    was too unbearable to even consider.


    I had always known my father to be ruthless and power hungry. But even I could not have foreseen


    this. I could never have imagined just how far he¡¯d go on his quest for power.


    It felt like a punch in the gut, a blow that left me gasping for air, my mind reeling.


    The dates matched up exactly to Dorothy¡¯s arrival at the Khall pack all those years ago. On the 27th of


    August, that same year. Rita had carried her young ne to Khall territory, begging them to take care of


    the child. The exact day that Dorothy¡¯s park had been wiped out.


    The room was spinning. I was falling like the ground had given way beneath me. The room nted


    sideways as I sank to my knees, pressing my knuckles to my head in utter disbelief. I wanted to


    scream, a loud, long wail.


    ¡°F*** I pounded my fist into the ground, guilt crashing down on my shoulders like a tidal wave. ¡°F***.


    F***.


    It was Elliot, my father, who had allowed it to happen, who made it possible in the first ce. Elliot had


    sentenc Selveinne pack to their deaths, and nearly took Dorothy out with them.


    I was supposed to be her protector. I was supposed to be her loving mate, not kin to the monster that


    wiped out the her family.


    My knuckles were bloody, and dashes of crimson streaked across the floor. I felt empty, shell-shocked.


    I felt unworthy of he love.


    I looked up sharply when someone entered, baring my fangs at the sudden intrusion. to stood in the


    doorway, raising his palms in surrender when he noticed my furious re.


    ¡°Rx, Friend, not foe.¡±


    I exhaled slowly and sat down on the ground, crossing my legs and examining my bruising knuckles,


    ¡°What do you want, to? You¡¯re supposed to be back at the cottage protecting my mate.¡±


    to let out a disgruntled sigh, folding his arms, ¡°Dorothy sent me toe get you. Angie and Fae are


    back with news¡±


    His expression softened when he noticed the streaks of blood on the floor, and he took a cautious step


    toward me, ¡°Hey, you alright? What happened in here?¡±


    The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, delivered with clinical iness. ¡°Elliot killed


    the Selveinne pack. My father is the reason Dorothy¡¯s people were murdered¡±


    to blinked and started to say something, I ignored him, sinking deeper into my own dark thoughts. It


    would seem that the fated connection between Dorothy and me ran deeper than either of us had


    thought.


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Her fate was tied to the fate of every pack. Her


    58


    stence alone was the reason we had a fighting chance against the vampires


    I couldn¡¯t understand how it all fit together, but I knew it in my soul.


    to¡¯sment snapped me out of my musing, ¡°We have to tell Dorothy.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I scrambled to my feet, gripping his arm. ¡°Not now. Not yet


    ¡°You have to!¡± to said incredulously. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t hold this against you. We both know Dorothy, she


    would understand.¡±


    ¡°Right now, you and I are the only people who know what happened to the Seilvanne pack. We need to


    keep it that way until these attacks blow over¡±


    I pulled him closer, fully aware of how desperate I looked in that moment, ¡°Please, to. Don¡¯t say a


    word of this to Dorothy. I¡¯ll tell her myself when the time is right.¡±


    to looked unconvinced, but he shook his head with a deep sigh, ¡°Alright, fine. I won¡¯t tell her. But


    you can¡¯t hide this from her forever, Ignatius.¡±


    On the drive back to the cottage. to tried to turn the conversation to lighter topics. But I was barely


    listening. The only thing on my mind was my mate, and how I had failed her,


    I would not fail again.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    -Dorothy-


    Angie and Fae had arrived without warning, bursting into the coge with stricken faces. I had sent


    to off a momentter to summon Ignatius. For some reason, try as I might, I couldn¡¯t get into his


    mind myself. But I had felt an aura of deep turmoil exuding from my mates mind, and I wanted him


    back at my side immediately.


    Angie had tried to breathlessly ry what they had seen, but I imasted she hold off until Ignatius


    arrived. When he finally turned up, with to in tow, at was very clear that something was wrong


    Ignatius¡¯s face was pale and drawn, and he seemned almost afraid to approach me,


    ¡°What happened to your hands I grabbed ahold of his wrist, turning his palms downward to examine his


    knuckles. Deep welts red on his skin and dried blood had crusted on each budry joint.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Igantius jerked his hand away from me and shoved his clenched fists into his packets, ¡°I was


    just blowing off some


    steam


    I was skeptical to say the least, but there were important matters to deal with, and whatever was


    bothering my partner would have to wait until we were alone. I eyed Ignatius warily, making it clear with


    my expression that we would being back to thister.


    Ignatius avoided my gaze, lowering his head until his white locks hung over his eyes. I wanted to pull


    him aside and demand to know what was bothering him, to understand why he looked at me with so


    much mncholy in his expression. Instead i let my arms hang at my side, nodding for Angie to start


    from the beginning,


    Angie too seemed to notice something off about Ignatius, she c ocked her head to the side and


    narrowed her eyes in his direction before continuing. ¡°Fae and I managed to track down the location of


    the next gathering. We were there, we saw Johan with our own eyes and, well.. Fae can exin it


    better than I can.¡±


    Fae cleared her throat. I noticed that neither she nor Angie seemed willing to let go of the other¡¯s hand.


    It was only th I noticed that Angie was nursing a gradually healing wound on her upper thigh, and I


    caught a glimpse of deep brui around her throat like someone had tried to cor her.


    ¡°Johan has. Abilities,¡± Fae started hesitantly. She looked like she was struggling to find the right words


    to describe what had seen. When she delved into her story, I felt my b*dy tense up in fear. It was a fear


    I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, the kin horror that sinks deep into your bones and grows there


    The things Fae was describing sounded impossible. But the terror in her eyes told me that what she


    had seen was all too real.


    |


    We all stood in stunned silence after Fae finished and I looked over to Ignatius who seemed at his wits


    end. I tried to curl my arm around his, to offer him some semnce offort, but he leaned away


    from me, retreating into himself like he wanted to disappear entirely.


    ¡°You said Johan¡¯s b*dy copsed when you injured the vampire? I directed my question to Fae. ¡°Do


    you think there¡¯s some kind of connection between them?


    ¡°I do, her eyes shed with hot anger when she recalled the vampire that had injured Angie. ¡°And I


    noticed something else that might be important. Johan couldn¡¯t shift, or at least he didn¡¯t want to. He


    was willing to cut off his own head in demonstration but when the crowd called to see his wolf he


    refused


    If he was purposefully avoiding it, if he really can¡¯t shift, then it¡¯s possible that he¡¯s not a werewolf at all,


    I spected invigorated with this small piece of information. ¡°And if this guy isn¡¯t a wolf, then it might


    not actually be johan! You said there were vampires in the crowd right? What if this is a vampire


    masquerading as Johan?¡±


    ¡°Why would they bother?¡± Angie¡¯s nose crinkled while she thought it through. ¡°What would they gain


    from any of that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a distraction to mused, stroking his stubble. ¡°They could be trying to sow doubt amongst the


    shifters. If they¡¯re trying to turn people against the Bielke, resurrecting Johan would be a good way to


    do it. An enemy that refused to stay dead.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Angie asked suddenly, fixing her gaze on Ignatius who had remained oddly quiet


    throughout the


    CONVETSILLOIL


    Ignatius was staring at the ground like he hadn¡¯t heard her,pletely wrapped up in whatever was


    guing his thoughts


    ¡°Ignatius?¡± I prompted gently and he jerked upright, a dazed look in his eye like he was awaking from a


    dream.


    ¡°What?¡± he huped when he noticed everyone¡¯s eyes on him. Oh, ah. Yeah, it¡¯s possible.¡±


    Sensing his distress I decided to dismiss our gathering for the time being. I stepped forward and rested


    a cal his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯ste, Angie and Fae you two have done more than enough. I think it¡¯s time you


    get some


    I turned to to who was staring at Ignathus with a strange intensity, his lips slightly parted like he had


    somet the words wouldn¡¯t make it out of his mouth


    ¡°Um. to, you can go too. Thanks for your help with the twins today, I don¡¯t know what we would have


    done with


    to seemed hesitant to leave, but he ran a hand over his shaved head and shot me a watery smile


    that didn¡¯t reach his ¡°Anytime. I love hanging out with the little hellspawn.¡±


    He gave Ignatius a pointed, level stare before he departed and I was left wondering at what the two of


    them had spoken about before they arrived here earlier.


    ¡°I think we can let ourselves rx for one night.¡± Angie pped ker knees as she stood up, wincing


    when her hand came down on her wound, ¡°At least we have a vague idea of what to do from here. If


    Fae and 1 can expose this alternative Johan for the fake he is, then the vampires¡± ns backfire and


    the Bielke pack is safe.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to be as easy as all that- regardless of whether this man was Johan or not,


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    he had thousands of shifters on his side. They had turned against the Bielke for a reason. But I was


    willing to let it rest for the night. We all needed a break, and I needed to speak to Ignatis.


    -Ignatius-


    After Angie and Fae had departed, Dorothy and I went upstairs to put the twins to bed. Both Amelie


    and Elias had been restless recently, refusing to sleep when they were supposed to and waking up


    from terrible nightmares when they did.


    I followed behind Dorothy while she scooped up Elias and carried him to our bedroom. Ameliay with


    her head on my chest and her little arms wrapped tightly around my neck. She was far more docile


    than her brother duringte hours like these, but she fought her exhaustion with all her might, blinking


    up at me with tired, doe eyes


    50%


    Dorothy¡¯s usations during our argument filtered to the surface when I looked over my drowsy


    children. She was right, I hadn¡¯t been spending any time with them recently, I was so wrapped up in


    protecting my family that I had neglected my family in the process,


    We tucked them into our bed and Dorothy pulled the covers up all the way to their noses, nting a


    gentle k*ss on each of their foreheads. I flicked off the light and came to sit beside them, leaning over


    to ruffle Elia s¡¯s wild shock of hair.


    Amelic chose her moment wisely, when I stood up to leave she rugged on my shirt and in looking


    down, I was caught like at deer in headlights under the full force of her puppy dog eyes, ¡°Can we have


    a story tonight?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fall asleep before your mother gets to the good part,¡± I twinged her nose, ¡°You can


    barely keep your eyes.


    §à§â§Ö§á


    ¡°I¡¯m awake¡± our daughter huffed indignantly, but her argument was punctuated with a wide yawn, ¡°I


    want a story¡±


    Dorothy climbed up onto the bed beside me, midging me with her shoulder, ¡°One story wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    What do you say?¡±


    And so Iy with my mate, curled around our twin children while Dorothy spun tales of mermaids and


    fairies, witches and trolls, all the legends her own mother had once passed on to her, Dorothy had a


    knack for story-telling and I loved watching her do it. She would get a faraway look in her eyes and her


    hands would move on their own, painting pictures in the air while she immersed herself in the tale,


    Both Elias and Amelie would interrupt her frequently, either with their own opinions on where the story


    was going or to ask inconsequential questions regarding a character¡¯s favorite color. Dorothy answered


    every question diligently, and the three of them would weave a brand new tale every night.


    Looking over my small family I felt another wave of crushing guilt. My pack, my people, had robbed


    Dorothy of a childhood like this. What had I done to deserve this family? And how long would it be until


    I lost them too?


    Ever since my terrible discovery I had taken care to keep my mind closed from my mate. But Dorothy


    seemed to sense my turmoil regardless, and her eyes met mine in the dark.


    Eventually, both our children were sleeping soundly, and Dorothy¡¯s voice softened and then fell silent. I


    already knew what she was going to ask me, and I still hadn¡¯t managed to think of an answer


    The bedroom was silent except for the twins even breathing. Elias was snoring slightly, having inherited


    one of his father¡¯s worst traits. Dorothyy with her back to me, my right arm slung over her waist and


    her head nestled in the crook of my left. I hoped that maybe she would simply fall asleep, and I would


    be saved from the conversation until the following


    moming


    But Dorothy weaved her fingers with mine, lifting my hand to press my bruised knuckles to her lips,


    ¡°Ignatius?¡±


    ¡°What did you find in the reports?¡±


    The drawn out silence was almost deafening. The answer sat at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn¡¯t


    bring myself to break the news to her. Not here, not yet.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found anything of use yer


    Dorothy turned in my arms, meeting me eye to eye with an unreadable expression, ¡°Then what


    happened today? Ever since to summoned you, you¡¯ve been distracted.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let that bother you,¡± I nted a k*ss on her forehead, lusting myself internally for lying to her so


    tantly, ¡°Tin just a hole stressed right now, you know that.¡±


    Dorothy held my gaze, suspicion in her eyes, but I could see her willingness to trust me. She didn¡¯t


    want to believe that 1 would withhold anything from her. When she spoke, it was a quiet murmur. ¡°I


    trust you. Ignatius. And if It¡¯s Elhot that¡¯s bothering you. I want to help.¡±


    She pushed her forehead against mine, closing her eyes as I wrapped my arms around her, ¡°You¡¯re not


    your father. You


    |


    Fri, Jan 26


    .58%


    never have been. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    I watched over my mate until she was fast asleep in my arms. I examined her closed eyes, longshes,


    soft lips slightly parted while she dreamt. I marveled at how beautiful she was inside and out.


    It was a long while before I managed to sleep too, and when I did, it wasn¡¯t pleasant,


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°How much time do we have before the attack?¡± 1 bounced a grumpy Elias on my knee while Ignatius


    paced back and forth in front of me.


    It had been a few weeks since Angie and Fae had tracked down Johan, and the vampires had since


    grown far more brutal


    with their attacks


    They were still targeting smaller, weak packs, attacking only the most vulnerable of prey, but Igantius


    suspected that they would be turning their attention torger enemies in theing days


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± my mate muttered, pressing his fingers in his temples in frustration. ¡°But a bigger attack


    ising, they¡¯re moving on to the next stage of their ns.¡±


    ¡°What about the imitation Johan I asked, grimacing at the mention of the fake savior. ¡°His resurrection


    is still just a rumor to most, but we need to get him out of the picture before it bes public


    knowledge that he¡¯s ¡°alive¡±¡±


    If word were to get out that Johan had seemingly survived the battle with the Bielke, we would lose


    what was left of our allies, and people might start viewing us as weak. If Johan warped the public


    perception of our battle with the Tally, the Belke would be a prime target for our enemies.


    Elias chewed on my finger like a dog with a bone, dribbling saliva all over himself in the process. I was


    inclined to ignore this, however, considering he had spent thetter half of the day trying inconsbly.


    Both of the twins were uneasy, and even little Amehe had thrown a tantrumn this morning for no


    apparent reason, wailing Imudly when Ignatius had tried to leave the room. Now, she followed after her


    father, her little legs moving rapidly while she tried to keep up with his long striding steps.


    ¡°Angie and Fae have yet to report back, Ignatius said warily. Thest I heard they were working on a


    n to expose the Take. But that vampire who attacked Angie is making life difficult for them¡±


    I grimaced at that. Angie and Fae had described the ck-haired vampire as some kind of obsessed


    monster. He could have killed Angle on the spot, but he didn¡¯t. He regarded her as a kind of trophy. I


    didn¡¯t want to imagine what would happen if he got ahold of her again.


    Ignatius pulled his cell from his pocket, skimming through hundreds of emails and texts about the


    recent vampire attacks. As more folk turned to the Bielke for protection, Ignatius wound tighter and


    tighter, his sanity sitting on a knife-edge because of all the pressure.


    ¡°Have you heard anything from Rita yet?¡± he asked suddenly and I shook my head. Ever since he had


    He wouldn¡¯t disclose why, but he wanted to know that she was safe wherever she was. He wanted me


    to warn her to be on guard


    But my godmother had gone silent some time ago, and I had no way of contacting her at all. More than


    anything I wanted her by my side now. I needed guidance and I longed for the wise words of the old


    bird who always brought mefort.


    ¡°Kita could be anywhere. She doesn¡¯t have a phone and herst letter came from a private address


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ignatius groaned loudly, startling Elias who immediately stiffened and began crying all over again. I


    rocked the distraught toddler in my arms, meeting Ignatius¡¯s concerned gaze.


    Considering the immense pressure he was under, I was hesitant to push him for information. But I


    couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that my mate was hiding something from me, and it left a bitter taste on my


    tongue.


    I knew it had something to do with what he had found in Elliot¡¯s study that evening, but I had gone


    through these records. myself and turned up nothing that could have Ignatius acting so oddly


    11:06 Fr. Jan 26


    58 60


    Unless he had gone out of his way to hide the evidence, a thought which only served to deepen my


    suspicion and unease.


    Igantius checked his phone again, and whatever he read spurred him to action. ¡°I have to go. Angie is


    on Belile territory. They have reason to believe that¡¯s where the vampires intend to strike next.¡±


    ¡°So close?¡± I leapt to my feet with Elias in my arms. ¡°Belile is just beyond the forest!¡±


    The Belile pack was arge, mostly neutral group located near the edge of Bielke territory. They had


    pledged their allegiance to us after the Tally war and Ignatius had promised them protection in return. If


    the Belile shifters were to fall, it would be a clear sign of the Bielke¡¯s failure. That could not be allowed


    to happen..


    ¡°Stay here¡± Ignatius had already pulled on his coat, pulling me, Elias and Amelie into a tight embrace


    before hurrying down. the stairs. ¡°to will be over in a minute, don¡¯t answer the door for anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here!¡± 1 called after him, but Ignatius was already out the front door, mming it shut


    behind him.


    I sat down in a huff and both Elias and Amche crowded onto myp with tears and snivels. For some


    reason. Ignatius insisted on having to y security guard full time. It would seem my mate had


    forgotten that I had once entered battle at his side.


    Granted, the war with the Tally had nearly cost both of us our lives, along with the lives of our children


    in my belly, but we hade out of it victorious.


    It was cruel to ask me to sit on the sidelines this time around. Now more than ever we needed to prove


    to everyone that the Bielke stood united against our enemies. As the Bielke Luna, it was my duty to


    protect my people.


    By the time to arrived. I had worked myself up into a furious rage, and I snarled when he stepped


    into the yroom


    to was unphased by my fury, and merely rolled his eyes. ¡°Between you and Ignatius. I¡¯m beginning


    to wonder if my very presence is a pesterance.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I swallowed my anger, giving the poor shifter a sheepish grin. ¡°We¡¯re both a little on edge


    right now


    ¡°No kidding.¡± to huffed while he got down on his haunches beside me and ruffled Elias¡¯s hair.


    r. ¡°What¡¯s got these two s0


    ipset?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted, handing Elias over to to so Amelie could have more space on myp.


    They¡¯ve been like this for the past few d


    days, nightmares and all. It¡¯s like they can sense something is wrong around here.


    ¡°They¡¯re not the only ones having nightmares¡± to muttered sardonically, and I raised a brow in


    question.


    He looked embarrassed for a second and kept his eyes fixed on the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really, I guess this vampire ordeal is getting the best of me. Every night I hear these voices,


    calling to me. speaking over me. I try to shut them out but they¡¯re overwhelming. Every morning I wake


    up on the floor in a cold sweat.¡±


    1 eyed him warily, recalling how he had described the vacant, dreamy eyes of the shifters at Johan¡¯s


    gathering. ¡°What do the voices tell you?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t taken the time to truly examine the shifter since he got back from his mission.


    eyes. His mouth was to, who was usually so jovial and rxed, now had deep worry lines that


    creased the corners of his set in a hard line, and he no longer carried himself with a carefree


    disposition. He looked worn and ragged, with dark circles under his eyes,


    There was a dead, empty ze to his eyes when he answered. ¡°They promise the downfall of the


    Bielke.¡±


    My skin prickled, goosebumps breaking out on the back of my neck. to¡¯s dreams could be written off


    as simply that, dreams. But what if it was a sign of something more? Were there already vampires on


    Bielke territory?


    I barely had time to process any of that before my cell began to ring, startling both me and to. I


    flipped it open, pressing the phone to my car. ¡°Angie¡±


    56%


    ¡°Get your ass down here, Red!¡± The she-wolf was breathless and yelling over the sounds of battle.


    ¡°Ignatius doesn¡¯t want you involved but we need a healer, How quickly can you get to Belile turf?¡±


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    -Dorothy-


    The sun had just set by the time I made it to the edge of Bielke territory. I nced up at the murky skies


    with a growing sense of dread. It was a moonless, misty night. Every star was swallowed up by the


    thick fog that hung over our heads.


    Without the aid of moonlight, the shifters were at a disadvantage


    I climbed out of my car and went the rest of the way on foot. Thest thing I wanted was to alert any


    prowling vampires to


    my presence,


    Angie had briefly exined over the phone what was happening on Belile turf. The vampires had


    attacked just like Ignatius had suspected, but in numbers far greater than any of us could have


    anticipated.


    They weren¡¯t just picking off stragglers this time, they were mowing down anyone in their path- and


    shifters were being bitten.


    Neither Angie nor Ignatius wanted me present at the battle, but with the amount of Bielke soldiers being


    wounded, Angie felt they had no choice


    I had powers that would prove useful in this instance. I could heal people with my abilities, and I had


    enough control over them to not leave myself incapacitated in the process,


    I made my way towards the creek that Angie had described to me. The forest was deathly still, silent


    aside from the asional breeze that rustled through the trees,


    If there was a battle going on nearby, I couldn¡¯t hear it. But over the hill where Belile territory began, I


    could see a faint. orange glow and a billowing plume of smoke that rose from what must have been a


    roaring fire in the distance.


    When I reached the gurgling waters of the Belile creek 1 turned in slow circles, sweeping the area for


    any nearby enemies.


    The forest was silent, and the thick smog wafted through the trees around me, stifling and suffocating


    as it settled over the area. The surrounding trees were ancient behemoths that stretched toward the


    sky,


    Angie had said she would meet nie here, and so I waited impatiently, startled by the slightest of sounds


    from creatures in the foliage. After a few minutes of standing alone in nervous anticipation, I whipped


    around at a suddenmotion behind


    ¦°¦±


    Angle stumbled out of the forest, bleeding from a deep g ash on her forehead and swearing like a


    sailor.


    ¡°Dorothy! Thank Goddess, I was afraid you¡¯d been mowed down by a stray vamp.¡± She tumbled into


    my arms and I frowned, concerned.


    ¡°Veryforting, Angie, thank you.¡± I checked the wound on her forehead, running my thumb under


    the g ash and summoning the tiniest hint of my healing abilities to close it up. ¡°Where¡¯s Ignatius? Is he


    alright?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your power on me!¡± Angie pulled away, rubbing at her forehead where the gut was slowly


    stitching itself up, her blood running backwards like time itself was warping to undo the damage.


    There are shifters who need it alot more than I do.¡±


    I shrugged, staring down at my hand that glowed with a pale white light, like electricity in my palm. ¡°Is


    the battle that bad?¡±


    ¡°Worse¡± Angle gripped my forearm, dragging me into the shadowy forest with sudden urgency,


    ¡°Ignatius doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re here. He told me not to summon you, but we¡¯re losing bailly. We need to


    get our people back into the fight.¡±


    As we pushed further into the forest, the sounds of battle became apparent. I heard wolves howling,


    and the bone-chilling wails of the vampire attackers. The smog overhead grew thicker and through the


    treeline I could see the orange glow of a roaring fire more clearly now.


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Something about the scene catapulted me back into the past, and I stumbled beside Angie as forgotten


    memories swelled to


    the surface.


    Dorothy! Are you alright?¡± Angie¡¯s cry of rm sounded distant, and I pressed my hands to my head,


    sinking to my knees. beside her.


    Alongside Angie¡¯s 1 heard another voice calling to me, urging me to keep moving, to run. I


    remembered pressing on through a smokey forest, escaping the wailing enemies at my back. Rita


    running alongside me, her nails dipping into my forearm as she dragged me along,


    ¡°Tin fine.¡± I whispered wearily, shaking the memories from my head. ¡°This just feels.. familiar,¡±


    cony


    Angie helped me to my feet and I blinked rapidly, the distant memory dissipating before my eyes until I


    was once again grounded in the present. ¡°Where are the injured soldiers?


    Not far from here. Fac and 1 carted them into a clearing away from the battle.¡± Angie was eyeing me


    with a look of concern.


    She opened her mouth to question me further but I shook my brad, walking ahead of her. ¡°I¡¯m line,


    really. Let¡¯s keep going¡±


    We found the injined shifters huddling in the nearby clearing and 1 had to swallow my rm upon


    seeing the state of them. Some of them Itecognized, soldiers who I had fought alongside during the


    Tally war, Others were members of the Belile pack Somedidn¡¯t look a day over eiglueci


    Many of the shifters sat upright, nursing broken limbs and deep ga shes. But so many others were


    like the vampires had cut them to the core


    The worst were the shifters who spasmed and gasped, flopping about on the ground like fish out of


    water. I rushed over to the nearest convulsing shifter, taking the young boy¡¯s hand in mine: ¡°What


    happened to them?¡± I asked Angie, who stood behind me a grave look on her face.


    ¡°They were bitten. She whispered it, tense unease etched into her features. ¡°By the vampires. We have


    no idea if they¡¯re going to turn or die


    The young boy gripped my hand tightly, nearly breaking my bones under his clenched fingers. His eyes


    were rolling in his head, his teeth chattering uncontrobly. I worried he might just bite off his tongue.


    Through his tom shirt I could see two small puncture wounds on his shoulder. Dark trickles of blood


    were seeping from the incision, and the boy seemed unable to heal himself.


    I lifted my eyes to the other injured shifters, analyzing their varying conditions, I had to be careful when


    wielding my healing powers. If I pushed myself too far. I could end up unconscious again. Thest time


    that had happened. I¡¯d been out cold for weeks


    ¡°Get back to the battle, 1 told Angie, setting my jaw. ¡°I¡¯ll handle these people. Just make sure no


    vampires wander this way


    Angie seemed hesitant to leave me. She wrung together, shifting skittishly from one foot to the other.


    ¡°The needs you,¡± I spoke over my shoulder, already focusing my attention on the injured shifter before


    me. ¡°Go to her. I¡¯ll be alright


    Ange lifted her fist, then sighed and dropped it again


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything st upid,¡± she muttered before darting into the woods without a hackward nce.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I did what I could for the injured shifters, hovering over one and then another, cing thy glowing


    palmis on damp, sizzling


    Some of them I couldn¡¯t healpletely, their wounds were far too serious and I would have killed


    myself in the process Instead, I gave them just enough of a push to kickstart the healuig process. They


    were in pain, and they would be for a while But at least they would live


    about. I tried my best to stop their seizures, but any abilities sensed to do nothing to halt


    111


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26 G


    whatever they were undergoing


    Everytime I tried to draw from my own energy, to pour that glowing white light into their bodies through


    my palms, I seemed to hit a wall. It was just like back then, when I had tried to heal the Tally shifter we


    had captured.


    The Tally mutants were vulnerable to iron, and a single slice from my faerie de had left the man¡¯s


    entire arm withering and rotten. My powers could do nothing to remove the poison from his


    bloodstream. The best I could do was remove his arm entirely


    I couldn¡¯t do that with these shifters. The vampire¡¯s venom had already spread too far.


    I managed to get a few of the wounded soldiers healed and back on their feet. They thanked me and


    melted into the forest with hollow eyes. I had no idea what atrocities they had seen, but I understood


    that it took a lot of courage to willingly step back into the fight.


    I had just finished setting the bones of another young shafter, the shattered particles in her knee


    knitting back together under my touch. I was exhausted, swaying on my feet.


    Whether it was merely exhaustion or something more, I became aware of strange sounds around me.


    A part of me was aware that I was delirious, having pushed myself further than my b*dy could handle


    despite my better judgment.


    I was seeing double, triple. Past, present and future ying out before my eyes in a trinocr


    kaleidoscope of sound and


    color.


    I saw wolves streaking through smokey streets. I saw long-limbed creatures, snarling maws and blood-


    red eyes. Only when I reached out to touch them, my fingers brushed empty air.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± The girl whose leg had been put back together touched my shoulder in concern.


    ¡°Maybe you should rest for a bit.¡±


    But my attention was elsewhere, and I jerked upright, staring into the forest at the sound of a child


    keening. ¡°Do you hear char¡±


    The girl responded, but I couldn¡¯t hear her anymore. Her words were drowned out by the ringing in my


    ears. I got feet, taking a few wary steps towards the edge of the clearing. ¡°I have to help them


    A few of the healed shifters tried to stop me, but I was gone, ruming blindly into the forest before


    anyone could get a h


    of nie..


    Someone was in danger, Someone needed help. I followed the terrible wailing through the forest,


    leaping over gnarled roots and ducking under twisted branches that wrenched at my clothes like boney


    grasping hands.


    I burst through the treeline, running beadfirst into a bl oody battle between shifters and vampires.


    Sound erupted around. me, gnashing teeth and vicious snarls. Agonized howls of fallen shifters as they


    were in in the streets,


    Through the chaos I spotted Angie and Fae, fighting back to back against a wall of hideous vampiric


    beings. Nearby I could see Ignatius, stabbing and shing at another slender, deadly vamp. He caught


    sight of me as I darted through the scrabbling bodies, real fear shing in his eyes.


    ¡°Dorothy? Get out of here!¡±


    I wanted to run to him, to fight side by side as we had so many times before. But still that voice rang in


    my head, the desperate screams of a child who needed me


    I met my mate¡¯s wide-eyed stare for a moment, voicing my apologies with my eyes, before turning


    down an alleyway and disappearing out of sight.


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    -Dorothy-


    I ran until I was breathless, colliding with retreating shifters as I followed the shrill cries. Through the


    roaring mes, inside a house that had been set alight, I saw them


    A woman and a child, fighting off a monster. I wasn¡¯t sure if the sound hade from them at all or if it


    had existed only in my head, but it led me to these people and these people needed my help, so it


    didn¡¯t matter either way.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    With the mes licking up the walls of the home and the chaos going on outside, nob*dy had noticed


    the struggling family. Nob*dy hade to their aid.


    Thauled myself through the smashed window of the dwelling, following the vampire¡¯s route, and slicing


    my hand open in the process. At the sound of my feet thumping onto the floor, and the spattering of my


    blood on the window sill, the monster noticed me immediately.


    The man- if you could call him a man- turned his head slowly craning his fleshy neck until red, nted


    eyes bore into mine. But his sinewy b*dy still faced the young family, ready to pounce


    This was a vampire in full transformation. I knew it from the unnaturally long limbs, the pale papery


    flesh, and the grotesque mutated features of his face. Pointed teeth glinted at me, protruding from


    under reddened lips, curled into an ufortablyrge smile.


    This was my first time witnessing such a monstrosity, but something in my subconscious told me


    otherwise. My wolf, Rence. was in agreement. We had seen this hellish creature before.


    The woman, not much older than me, looked terrified. But she shielded the small child behind her, fear


    giving way to the kind of fierce protection thates from a mothers love.


    I knew that look, I had worn it often myself. The child clung to her calf, not much older than Elias and


    Amelic.


    In the instant before the vampire attacked, I was reminded of another vige, another small family, and


    the monsters that almost ended them. I would not let this family suffer the same fate,


    I attacked the vampire head on, drawing my ferie de and driving it deep into the creature¡¯s shoulder.


    I had been aiming for the neck, but the monster moved faster than I expected, swiping at me with long


    talons


    I stumbled backwards when those nails raked across my chest and a bone-chilling shriek exploded


    from the creature¡¯s


    throat.


    Blood pooled around me as I struggled to get to my feet, cing both palms on my chest and forcing


    that glowing light to speed up the healing process. Everytime I overused these powers, I shaved off


    years of my life. But if I didn¡¯t heal myself now, I¡¯d be done for anyway.


    The woman moved to help me, but I shook my head, gesturing to the back door as I scrambled to my


    feet. ¡°No, get out of here. Both of you!¡±


    This time I managed to dodge the vampire¡¯s ws, rolling under those sweeping limbs and climbing to


    my feet again. ¡°T be fine, just go!¡±


    It had been a long time since I trained with Angie, and she would be disappointed to see my bad form


    now. But my b*dy remembered thosebat exercises, and they kept me alive now


    A book of understanding passed between the woman and me, and she nodded quietly. I kept the


    vampire¡¯s attention on me while she picked up the child and ran for the back door


    The mes had grown since I arrived. Theypped up the walls, spewing ck smoke that filled my


    lungs and made me


    Sweat had broken out on my skin, mingling with blood from a gush over my brow, The vampire seemed


    unbothered by the


    J


    Fri Jan 26


    smog, but he snapped and snarled when I danced away from his lunge again


    My vision blurred as the toxic fumes of the fire did its work, filling my head with a hazy fog until my


    movements werebored and sluggish. Even in my disorientated state, I refused to let this vampire


    leave the room.


    If he were to go after the retreating family. I would never be able to catch up. I had to bide my time,


    shing with my tiny de whenever I saw an opening, driven by some primal instinct to protect these


    people I¡¯d never met.


    Finally, I got the chance I was waiting for. I dropped to my knees, shing my de across the


    vampire¡¯s calf, straight through the tendon. The vampire wailed and roared, but that small wound was


    all I needed to gain the upper hand.


    1 bent low, kicking upwards at the same time and knocking the monster to the floor. Before he could


    rise again, I threw myself onto him, jamming my de deep into the side of his neck and twisting


    There was a time when this kind of violence would have sickened me. But I was not the person I had


    been three years ago.


    And in that moment I was ovee with an insatiable need for vengeance, a primal fury that bubbled


    in my chest when I attacked the creature, bringing my de down on his chest over and over again.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I kept up my violent outburst, long enough at least to stter myself in the


    vampire¡¯s blood. I wasn¡¯t even sure that they did bleed. But after I had turned the creature into a


    macabre pin cushion, blood poured from the creature¡¯s jaws


    And still he kept up that haunting, eeric grin.


    I hadn¡¯t expected the vampire to speak, and when he did, it was a rasping, chilling sound, like his throat


    was filled with gravel. ¡°I recognize your scent little runt. Have you cone looking for revenge!¡±


    In my mind¡¯s


    I¡¯s eye, I saw shes of a distant life, memories long buried beneath the trauma of my youth. A


    monstrous creature with its nose pressed to the ss, watching me. A terrifying smile and pointed


    teeth.


    I shook my head feverishly, the de shipping from my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    The vampire cackled, blood pouring from his maw, staining his ragged teeth a bright scarlet. ¡°Yes you d


    hatred in your eyes. And the smell of your blood¡­ he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply like one would


    ov never forget my prey.


    I don¡¯t know what came over me, but the vampire didn¡¯t live to speak another word.


    With a


    a scream ufortably simr to the creature¡¯s own piercing wails, I drove the de into his heart,


    pushin hill until I had sliced the unbeating organ in two. The creature continued to convulse beneath me


    while I sawed his from his shoulders.


    My frenzied rage ended almost as suddenly as it had begun, when the vampire¡¯s head rolled across


    the floorboards that were now catching alight around me. I tried to inhale, but there was no oxygen left,


    only the billowing ck smoke of the mes.


    Seilvanne. He was there that night. This was one of the creatures that butchered my people, my pack


    I tried to stand but my head was spinning, and ck spots clouded my vision. Thick ck smoke


    crawled down my throat, stinging my eyes and suffocating me where I swayerl. Through the haze, I


    saw a figure moving towards me.


    Gentle, cold hands caught me as I fell spiraling out of consciousness and into a deep ck void


    -Ignatius-


    Dorothy, wake up.¡± I held my mate¡¯s limp b*dy in my arms, hunching over her and shaking her


    shoulders, ¡°Dorothy! Open your eyes!¡±


    Her pale face was streaked with dirt, ash, and blood, mingling to form a gruesome mask. Luckily, she


    hadn¡¯t been burned.


    But when I had pulled her from that smoldering house, staggering over the mutted b*dy of a dead


    vampire, she had already been breathing pure monoxide for too long.


    11:06 Fri, Jan 26 G


    I clung to her, desperately-listening for the sound of a heartbeat. It was then, with my ear to her chest


    and my heart in my throat, that Dorothy stirred and lifted her hand groggily to run her fingers through


    my hair. ¡°Ignatius? Where did youe from?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind that!¡± I raised my head to meet her eyes, gripping her small face in my hand. ¡°I told you to


    leave! You could have died!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand the horror that turned my stomach to nots. The chilling fear that fate had finally


    caught up with my mate, that destiny hade to im the life it had been owed all those years ago.


    Dorothy cupped my face in her palm, licking her tongue over a welt on her bottom lip. ¡°But I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m


    here. I¡¯m not going


    anywhere.¡±


    1 didn¡¯t have it in me to argue, to tell her how stupid it was to run off on her own. Instead I held her


    tight, burying my face in her neck and biting back the tears of relief that blurred my vision.


    ¡°Ignatius! Dorothy!¡± Angie¡¯s voice had us both pulling away from each other, and the thin veil that


    divided us dropped back into ce.


    ¡°I just got word from the next pack over. Angie was breathless and heaving her hair flying loose and


    sticking out in ces like she¡¯d taken a tumble through the trees. ¡°There¡¯s been another attack


    Stonespoke is calling for aid.¡±


    I looked down at Dorothy in my arms. Her hollow eyes stared back, unblinking


    ¡°We have to help them,¡± she whispered, barely strong enough to lift her head. ¡°If it¡¯s anything like this,


    they don¡¯t stand at


    chance.


    The battle was far from over. It was going to be a long night.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    -Dorothy-


    The vampire¡¯s next attack was directed at the Stonespoke pack, a smallmunity of shifters just


    north of Befile territory. If the attack on Belile had simply been a diversion, then I didn¡¯t want to consider


    just how many vampires were waiting for us at Stonespoke


    The shifters I had healed turned the battle for Belile back in our favor, and Ignatius and the others had


    cleared out every vampire before morning I hadn¡¯t been aware of it at the time, but the vampire 1 had


    murdered was one of thest to fall.


    After Ignatius had pulled me out of the burning house, he made preparations to send me back home.


    But I had been adamant on not leaving the battle. It was Angie who eventually got him to relent,


    pointing out that our victory wouldn¡¯t have been possible were it not for my healing abilities.


    Ignatius looked shell-shocked at the prospect of nearly losing me to a maring fire and a ravenous


    vampire. He made me promise to stay close, and to run for the forest if the battle took a turn for the


    worst


    ¡°I promise¡± had tried to smile, but couldn¡¯t quite manage it.


    There were too many thoughts swirling in my mind, too many questions. Had Ignatius discovered the


    truth before I did? Did he know it was vampires that murdered my pack? Did the Bielke have something


    to do with it!


    I stared at the back of his head as we trekked through the forest, willing myself to give him the benefit


    of the doubt. I wanted to believe that he wouldn¡¯t hide this from me, not after everything we¡¯d been


    through. But still there was that gut-wrenching: ache in my chest


    I dropped my eyes to the ground and kept walking


    -Fae-


    By the time we made it to Stonespoke we were already exhausted. The Belile battle had taken a toll on


    the Bielke soldie and yet we had to keep fighting. There would be no giving up until every vampire was


    chased from ournd or buried beneath in


    I took one look at the scene before me, at the roaring fires and monsters emerging from the forest and


    paused. Daybreak was still a few hours away, and I found myself longing for an escape from this stifling


    battlefield.


    Angie stopped beside me,cing her fingers with mine. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve always got your back.¡±


    The battle was brutal and we lost track of nearly everyone in the choos, But through it all, Angie stayed


    by my side. Together we saved dozens of fleeing shifters, all Stonespoke members who had been


    caught usware by the vampire attack


    As we fought, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure among the writhing bodies, and my heart froze in


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    my chest.


    The vampire, the same one that had grappled with Angie and 1 during the secret gathering, was staring


    straight at us, I stared into deep ck eyes, and followed his gaze. His attention was fixed on Angie,


    and he wore the same hungry snarl that he had the first time we confronted him.


    Shoving a bleeding vampire off of me, I reach over to grip Angie¡¯s arm. That vamp, over there. He¡¯s the


    same one from


    before


    ANgie looked up at where I was pointing, her expression turning a grimace when he began to make his


    way towards us cutting down everyone in his path.


    I gripped Angie tighter, digging my ws into her skin. ¡°You need to go. Now, I don¡¯t know why, but he


    wants you.¡±


    No Angie resisted my tugging, kx king eyes with the approaching vampire. ¡°We¡¯ll take him down this


    time. We have to


    ¡°Now is not the time to be stubborn!¡± I yelled, but I knew my words would do no good. When Angie set


    her mind to


    something, she couldn¡¯t be convinced to sway H why I wanted to throttle her on asion


    58


    her decision. It was one of the reasons I loved her as much as I did. It was abo


    Angie smashed her gauntlets together, remnants of the iron armor we had used to battle the Tally, Most


    of our soldiers these days chose to stick with their standard gear, knives and des that wouldn¡¯t get


    lost whether in wolf form or walking upright.


    But Angie had taken a liking to the bulky, spiked gloves, and she wielded them with all the ferocity of a


    caged tiger. I gripped. my twin des and bared my fangs, following my headstrong mate as she


    moved to meet the approaching vampire.


    The man came at us with full force, mming his b*dy into Angie and pinning her to the ground. Those


    razor sharp teeth. shed as he tried to bite down on her neck, eyes shing with a wild hunger that


    shook me to the core.


    1 brought my des down on his hack, harpooning the man through the shoulders while Angie


    punched upwards, smashing her wrecking-ball of a fist into his face.


    The vampire roared and rolled away, on his feet again before either of us could blink. Unlike some of


    the other vampires,. this one hasn¡¯t felt the need to transform. He looked like a regr human being,


    save for the evil insanity that glinted in his


    eyes.


    ¡°Fight all you want little pets¡± His voice sounded unnatural on a battlefield, far too sophisticated toe


    from the mouth of a man covered in his victims blood, ¡°Soon Ill add both of you to my collection. How


    would you like to be concubities of house Letha


    ¡°Not on my bucket list. I spot and poused mid-shin, halting the process halfway and snapping down on


    the same hand that I Had bitten during ourst encounter.


    The vampire roared in anger as the bones his hand broke a second time and Angie delivered another


    nahless punch to his abdomen. With my work done. I stepped back to watch my mate rain blows down


    on the vampire like a hailstorm


    Angie punctuated every sicker punch with a curse word while she turnedl the man to a bloody pulp. If


    the situation ha been so dire. I might have been waving pom poms, cheering on my mate like a


    freshman at a football game.


    But there was a moment of hesitation between blow then the vampin nan took his chaner, and kicked


    out at Angie, sending her flying backwards into an old buggy. The windscreen shattered and the rm


    went off, adding to the disjointe orchestra of batting bodies


    In the blink of an eye, he was on me, jaws wide open to sink ho teeth into my flesh. I heard Angie¡¯s


    howl of rm, and 1 lifted my des to defend myself but the monster seemed to have sullenly lost


    interest in me.


    His eyes zed over and he stood still, head cocked like he was listening for something. In a


    stepped away, arms hanging at his sides, and disappeared into the billowing smoke


    Angie was at my side in an instant, shands of broken ss twinkling in her hair. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She looked me over, examining my neck for any teeth marks until I took her hands in my own and


    folded them away, didn¡¯t bite me. He just left.¡±


    Angie squinted into the hazy fog, but the vampire was gone. She wiped sweat and blood from her


    cheek, blowing out a breath as she puzzled over the vampire¡¯s sudden exit


    She leaned over, bncing her dirty palms on her knees and gave me a wry smile. ¡°House Lethia,


    huh?¡±


    ¡°He

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    ongside Dorothy. I was on high alert. When I found her in that burning home, I thought I had arrived too


    Ange had wasted my am forcing me to choose between the victory of my soldiers and the safety of my


    mate. From the ok in Dorothy seves the moment she was back on her feet. I knew the decision had


    already been made for


    Wat my mase as my back, the battle before me was even more brutal. I knew that she was capable of


    fending for herself, God knows she had proved it after cutting off that vampire¡¯s head.


    Buldn¡¯t help keeping an eve on her, my fears heightened at how vulnerable she looked.


    That no when what had spurred her to butcher that vampire the way she had. From the state of the


    corpse and the blood that cammed Dengthy¡¯s clothes 1 could engine the kind of rage she had


    unleashed


    Bushy ¡°What happened back at the Belle pack? And why was ber mind so closed to me now?


    alk about it. There was no moment to catch our breath, let alone discuss the widening chasm between


    us. Dorothy tought valiantly, going out of her way to protect me despite my exasperated protests.


    edn¡¯t have bothered. I had taken it as coincidence at first, but it was quickly bing apparent that


    these


    ¡¤ bratant to hurt me.


    While they had no qualms attacking the Stonespoke shutters and our own Bielke soldiers, they did their


    best to avoid They only fought back when their life was on the line, when I got in the way of the


    vuldnt exi


    couldnt understand it. But for sonte stratige reason, the vampires wanted me alive.


    deep in the chest of a menstivus vampire, hacking off its shrieking head a momentter when Dorothy


    gripped my hissing urgently


    on top of the hill


    locked up in contusion squinting to see the silhouetted figure that stood on the incline overlooking the


    battle. The first glow of dawn was apparent on the horizon. It turned the sky a murkyvender as the


    cloak of night retreated, taking the


    ¡°What fresh fucking hell is this?¡± I was rooted to the spot, stricken at the sight of my old friend. The


    dead man walking.


    Johan stood atop the hill, a legion of cloaked shifters at his back


    -Dorothy-


    The moment johan appeared on that hilltop, I thought we were done for. We had barely survived the


    death.


    man on the hillside, something felt wrong. I expected to feel real terror at seeing Johan again in the


    flesh, and the tear was there alright


    But this was not the man I had grappled with in the woods that terrible night. Nor was this the charming,


    sweet boy I had


    He wore Joban tave donned the same shaggy golden hair. But something was missing


    arped


    form, Johan had had a presence that overpowered me. His scent that had once been so sweet and


    putreted and turned toul as nature itself rejected what he had be.


    Fr. Jan 26


    But this figure had none of that. This was a puppet, a prop. This was not Johan. It couldn¡¯t be.


    The cloaked shifters poured down the hillside toward us and I ching to Ignatius, preparing my b*dy for a


    final fight and praying that to would keep my children safe. When I had k*ssed them goodbye before


    leaving. I knew that I might never


    But the reality of that thought was only just setting in, and I steeled myself against the iing


    onught. I would be fighting for more than just myself.


    But instead of attacking our people like we expected, the cloaked shifters seemed to be targeting the


    vampires instead. They careered onto the scene, some human, some wolf, and surrounded the


    vampires,


    In an impossible sequence of events, I watched with my mouth agape as the cloak shifters corralled the


    vampires back. towards the woods, until one by one, they began to retreat.


    I tugged at Ignatius¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Something¡¯s not right. Why are they suddenly running away? They still


    outnumber us three tot


    My mate was an immovable rock, watching the unbelievable victory with narrowed eyes, a handid in


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    front of me as if to protect me from our new apparent allies.


    ¡°Stay close, he murmured, following the fake Johan with his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. This feels too easy.¡±


    ¡°Johan¡± loped past us, only meters away, and I sucked in a sharp breath. His gaze brushed over me for


    a moment, but there was no recognition in his eyes. That was all the confirmation I needed


    Johan had been a man desperate to take revenge on the world that had shaped him. In his own


    destructive way, he had


    finally taken control of his life when he decided to drink Moirah¡¯s potent poison.


    But he had always, always been driven to hunt me down. He had carried that vendetta to his grave.


    ¡°It¡¯s not him,¡± I said to Ignatius, stating it with a confidence that came from my very soul. The


    resemnce is uncariny. But it has to be a vampire using some kind of illusion.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the man who had died in front of me. Johan was gone.


    That though brought the slightest bit offort. At least we had a better idea of what we were dealing


    with. Although that didn¡¯t answer the question of why he and his board of dedicated shifters had


    decided to help us with this tight.


    Nor did it exin why that fight had ended so abruptly, with no bloodshed whatsoever. Were the Bielke


    trily too brutal? Or was there something else at y?


    Just as quickly as the new army had appeared, they dispersed into the woods, leaving behind a silent


    town in their wake.


    The sudden silence was deafening and the Bielke soldiers stood aimless and confused. One by one, all


    eyes turned to Ignatius, searching for an exnation for what had just urred.


    I too looked up at my mate, at the tightness around his eyes and his set jaw. There would be no


    exnation from Ignatius. he didn¡¯t have the answers we were looking for, One thing was clear though.


    This battle had taken a startling new turn.


    Daybreak had brought with it an insidious new threat. A threat in the form of an unexpected savior.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    -Dorothy-


    After the fake Johan and his shifters dispersed, the Bielke gathered to count casualties and tend the


    wounded. I went about healing as many soldiers and civilians as I could, but there were some who


    were already too far gone.


    Looking at the injured shifters, and the way they had been so thoroughly brutalized by the vampire


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    onught, I became even more convinced that the fake Johan¡¯s ¡®rescue had been a farce.


    The vampires were setting a trap for us, and it was only a matter of time before the Bielke would be


    snared.


    I ced my palms over yet another wounded shifter, a shivering young girl from Stonespoke who had


    simply been in the wrong ce at the wrong time. But even while I went about healing people, my mind


    was somewhere else.


    I thought back to the vampire I had killed, his words repeating over and over in my head.


    He had to have been talking about the Seilvanne pack. I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but I had recognized his


    scent too. That overwhelming scent of blood and rust,


    I remembered his face pressed to the window, smiling at me. The younger version of myself crying into


    Rita¡¯s shoulder when he broke through the ss pane and chased us through the house.


    Were my people the pack Elliot had referred to in his journal? Was it my bloodline that Morgana had


    been hellbent on destroying?


    Had Ignatius known all along?


    I nced over my shoulder at Ignatius. My mare stood a few feet away, head bent low as he conversed


    in hushed whispers with Angie and Fae.


    Johan¡¯s appearance had caught us all by surprise. But worse than that, his rescue had overshadowed


    all the work the Bielke had done to protect the vulnerable packs.


    Already, Belile and Stonespoke shifters were talking under their breaths, swapping stories of the


    legendary savior who brought their salvation. In the eyes of many, the Bielke had failed. And something


    told me that was exactly what the vampires had wanted


    ¡°Dorothy¡± Another voice caught my attention, a baby-faced boy I recognised from Angie¡¯s training


    squad. He was far too young to be on this battlefield.


    ¡°I mean, Luna¡± The boy delivered a clumsy bow, scratching theck of his head sheepishly. ¡°They¡¯re


    asking


    there


    g for Now


    you over


    He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, towards the hastily erected tent where the bitten shifters


    There was nothing I could do for them.


    There was nothing any of us could do but wait and watch over them as best we could. I looked at the


    boy nkly and he shifted ufortably. ¡°They want to know if you have any advice on what to do.


    Some of the shifters are worsening-


    I barely noticed Iganaus until he was sitting down beside me, crossing his legs with a sigh of fatigue.


    ¡°Seram Julian, She¡¯ll be there in a minute


    The terrified young boy bobbed his head up and down, and raced away without another word.


    ¡°Thank you¡± I said numbly, focusing my attention back on the wounded young shifter. She had been


    knocked out with some of the strongest medicine we had on hand, enough to keep her unconscious


    until her b*dy was able to fully heal.


    When Ignatius didn¡¯t speak for several minutes, I sat hack, wiping my glowing palins on my grimy


    jeans. My shirt was still stained with the vampire¡¯s blood, and the acrid stens of it filled my nose and


    made my stomach turns unpleasantly.


    Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°I¡¯m worried, Ignatius, faced my mate, unable to breach the barrier that had gone up between us. ¡°The


    vampires are nning something. Something big¡±


    58


    Ignatius pinched the bridge of his nose between his bandaged fingers. At some point during the battle


    he had dropped his de, and ended up fighting with his fists instead. His hands were bruised and


    bloody. Both of our palms were stained a dirty red.


    ¡°Angie and Fae discovered something that might help us piece things together,¡± he murmured, but the


    news didn¡¯t seem to excite him. He sounded even more morbid than before. ¡°They ran into the vampire


    that tried to take Angie. He mentioned the vampiric House Lethia.¡±


    ¡°Lethia?¡± My nose wrinkled as I struggled to recall where I¡¯d heard that name before. ¡°From the old


    vampire stories? But House Lethia was always said to be a friend of the werewolves. Why would they


    be attacking us now?¡±


    Ignatius shrugged. ¡°That was centuries ago, if the stories are even true. I guess some allyships can¡¯t


    years.¡±


    1 curled my knees to my chin, watching the first golden rays of sunlight break over the horizon.


    Ignatius fell silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, there was a lighter, more hopeful note to


    his tone. ¡°Do you know where the Stonespoke pack got its name!¡±


    Their Alpha likes to talk to boulders?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, Ignatius chuckled, easing me onto hisp and propping his chin on my shoulder. He lifted


    a hand to point at something in the distance, guiding my eyes with a bloody bandaged finger. ¡°See that


    giant rock down there?¡±


    ¡°The one that looks like a beached whale?¡± The rock was massive a dark monument on the otherwise


    sunny hilltop


    ¡°There¡¯s a grave under there, Ignatius murmured in my ear, mimicking the mysterious tone I took on


    when rying bedtime stories to our children.


    ¡°You¡¯re making that up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Ignatius insisted. ¡°Every Beilke knows the story.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I leaned against him, anything to escape the million questions in my mind. ¡°Tell me a


    story.¡±


    ¡°A hundred years ago or may be more, a Bielke shifter fell in love with a faerie. Ignatius k*ssed the top


    of my ear, whispering his words while shivers prickled down my spine. ¡°The story changes slightly


    depending on who you ask, but every iteration confirms that this faerie was beautiful.¡±


    I winced suddenly, reminded of my precious faerie de that was most likely lost to the ruins of the


    burning house by now. It had been a gift from Rita, a delicate little weapon that had always served me


    well. And now it was gone.


    Sensing my sadness, Ignatius dropped his hand from my shoulder, wrapping his arms around my


    waist. His hot breath on my neck had my hairs standing on end, but his arms around me were a source


    offort.


    ¡°All the shifter wanted was to be with his faerie lover. But back then, people weren¡¯t very trusting of


    faeries. Everyone thought


    They brought bad luck and ruin. He had to keep her a secret. Even so, they eventually had a kid


    together. But when their romance was discovered, the shifters chased the faerie off of Bielke territory.


    They hunted her down to this very ce.¡±


    ¡°Charming,¡± I mumbled, but I was intrigued by the morbid tale all the same. ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°The faerie was killed while she tried to flee, and her lover arrived just toote to save his beloved.¡±


    Ignatius held me a little tighter then and I leaned back against his chest, watching the golden light of


    day spread across the sky like fire. ¡°Is that the end?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Ignatius pecked a k*ss on my neck.


    ¡°That would be a terrible story. No, after discovering his fallen love, the shifter flew into a rage. He


    attacked her killers and


    |||


    an 26


    cut them down. His anger was so powerful that it shook the mountains. One of the boulders from the


    mountains broke loose and tumbled down to this very spot, crushing the shifter where he crouched


    over the b*dy of his facrie wife.¡±


    ¡°This is a very depressing story,¡± I mused, lolling my head to lean against his own. ¡°What happened to


    their kid?¡±


    ¡°Their kid abandoned the Bielke pack, and started a park of his own. Right here. He wanted to build a


    sanctuary where shifters could live free from violence and bloodshed. He was the first Alpha of the


    Stonespoke park.¡±


    ¡°So why is it called Stonespoke?¡±


    ¡°Because that very holder that crushed the shifter and his lover is cursed, or enchanted. It¡¯s said that


    anyone standing nearby on the night of the full moon will be able to hear the shifter and the faerie,


    professing their love for one another even in death¡±


    I turned in his arms, swiveling my head to look him in the eye. ¡°Why are you telling me this Ignatius?¡±


    He touched his nose to mine, a small smile on his lips. ¡°Because I would shake mountains for you.¡±


    I wanted to tell him everything that was weighing heavy on my mind. I wanted to tell him that I¡¯d love


    him forever. But before I could open the floodgates and pour out my innermost thoughts, we were


    approached by a grave-faced Angie.


    She held her phone our to Ignatius, tilting the screen for us to see the pixted face of Johan. ¡°You¡¯re


    going to want to see


    this


    ¡°What is this? Ignatius¡¯s tone took on a sharper edge and 1 watched him warily from the conrer of my


    eye


    It¡¯s being broadcasted to every cellphone in the region from what I can gather, Angie spoke grimly,


    tempered fear had dted her pupils to dark moons, ¡°I would seem the vampires understand


    technology afterall.¡±


    I leaned closer to Ignatius, struggling to hear what the fake savior on the small screen had to say.


    Ignatius had his eyes glued to the fake shifter¡¯s pixted features. Fine creases bracketed his mouth


    and his eyes darkened to a deep, stormy blue.


    The fake Johan¡¯s voice crackled through the flimsy speakers of Angie¡¯s cell, ¡°The Bielke can¡¯t help you,


    can¡¯t protect you They are weak and our enemies are aware of this, the vampires will not stop their


    attacks until every shifter is ground beneath their bootsTM


    I nced over my shoulder as dozens of the nearby shifters began checking their phones.


    Everyone watched the same broadcast, gripping tightly to their cellphones while the fake Johan ryed


    his message, ¡°M and my loyal followers can help you, I am here to lead all shifters into a new age of


    prosperity. An age free from the thre of vampires, and liberated from the control of the Bielke pack.¡±


    I swallowed the cold stone that had lodged in my throat. Johan continued on, ¡°I am aware that the


    poison of the Bielke pack does not run through all of its people. There is a singr source


    Your alpha cannot protect you. He has led us all to ruin. Therefore, I am calling for an uprising. I will


    step forward to lead the Bielke pack. And for the sake of every shifter, I call for Ignatious Armound to


    step down as Alpha¡±


    The shifters around us exploded in uproar, but another distinct scream could be heard over the din.


    Julian, the young shifter from before, emerged from the wounded tea.


    He rushed toward us crashing to the ground before me to grip my sleeve in urgency. ¡°The bitten


    shifters. They¡¯re not turning into Vampires¡±


    His eyes were wide and wild, vacant with the kind of dissociative ze thates with witnessing


    something horrifs, ¡°You have to do something. They¡¯re dying. Everyst of one them¡±


    I dislodged the quaking boys lists from my sleeve, already climbing to my feet. ¡°Show me¡±


    As the young boy led me away to the tr


    tent filled with the dead and the dying. I fixed my eyes on my mate. Ignatius gripped the cellphone,


    unblinking as he stared at the strOTIL


    SEND GIFT


    |


    He seemed obliviotis terthe chaos around him, apathetic to the shifters who looked to him for guidance.


    He flexed his forearm, closing his fingers tight until the flimsy device crumpled in his hand,

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    The take jli ume


    nit fiercely loyal


    besults of the


    Fore: Wipers sprees the ghost cut troops and


    quizes best hand and wanted to protect their own Carolees from that ame


    picsoms exterampant thingher the engin in matter of hours


    a


    mei no denber, merely wanted


    Everriding was ying in thepm Tem and them t became dearer and clearer as the upheaval


    spread


    ¡°All at theur attacks, they were nned.


    thur kept, burn minor) kisi, aiddirsing mily tie and mom, jetes walked in ealier ide of her ¡°Johan- That


    Lake He i working with The vampires || 12 mm) 4 blond sin Timoell. They ted


    to make the Belle Tooli help


    the


    and br


    mably cold.


    something Yoel geme horribly whing


    (D) was beatdral reliefat preling surprise to find that seemingly no lielke shifters who had stayed behind


    were harmed. Hyldes all what had feel the night before cher


    Eserin we questioned had the same ount Thest thing they could remember was the Bielle solders


    setting off the i on Whatever dads they hail been in they sinily emerged a few hours liecbure we


    returned


    Nub*dy had been hamed But something was indeed deeply seating


    my throat when I thought of P


    ma. Turmbadto get home. I wouldn¡¯t be able to hemathe


    Thall abandoned my (at just munade of Bedde territory


    hint along with the rest at the soldier.


    Tenatis and The Ange in charge rustig home m Cadman¡¯s chechildren.


    treat them be Mu


    and transpor


    cartey hospital that would be able to


    than 1 cold My egy was spent Iuld hurther healing without sending myself into aatose


    wake up from


    Aururls hd pode face fustier than I and to real


    Hur i had shed off a few years


    had sted i had taken too much out of me, bu ny alevaly dugte as the pcess Even after borzongengy


    Thats des de made a Back in the ten fingul juba had wind the hard de eory


    ?????? ??????


    Fri Jan 26


    But we had waited and watched long after their hearts had stopped beating. They would not rise again.


    587


    ¡°to¡¯s photte is dead. Ignatius interrupted my thoughts. His piercing gaze caught mine in the rearview


    mirror. I turned mutely to look at my mate.


    Ignatius drove recklessly, pressing his foot to the gas pedal with herce urgency, one hand gripping the


    wheel, the other relentlessly dialing to¡¯s number agam.


    We swerved outside our house and I leapt out of my seat before the car load even stopped moving My


    heart damping wildly in my chest, I threw open the front door, calling for my children with barely


    concealed panic.


    ¡°Elias Amelie¡± The house was silent and my heart seizes up. ¡°to¡±


    Renatras sudestepped from behind me.unching himself up the stairs to check the bedrooms with a


    fearsome primal drive


    I made my way through the downstairs area, checking all of the twins favorite hide-and-seek spots. The


    cupboard under the sink was empty. As was the broom closet and the trunk at the foot of the stairs.


    ¡°Ehas, Amelie!¡± I threw open the door to my studio, fear bubbling up my throat when my cries echoed


    back, unanswered. Where are you!¡±


    ¡°Dorothy¡±¡± fignatius¡¯s yell had me barreling up the staircase, bursting into the children¡¯s yroom


    behind him.


    Inside. I saw to. He sat in the center of the room, his knees curled to his chest. The shutter donned


    a ck eye and a bleeding hip and he refused to lift has eyes to face us. ¡°You¡¯re too line¡±


    What are you talking about. to? Ignatius stooped to shake the stricken man by the shoulders


    aggressive in his fear and fury. ¡°Where are the twins?


    te looked up suddenly and his eyes rolled back in his head. I swallowed a shriek at the sight of the


    bloodshot white that filled his sockets


    ¡°A message for Ignatius Armoundt. it was to speaking, but the words sounded jarring and


    monotonous, like the robotic voice of an answering machine. It was as if someone was using his b*dy


    like a vessel, a living megaphone. ¡°If you¡¯il like to get your children back intact, give up your post as


    Bielke Alpha¡¯


    Ilutched a hand to my chest, unable to swallow the audible gasp of pain that escaped my lips Ignatius¡¯s


    shoulder twitched at the sound of it. He grabbed to by the neck of his shirt, lifting him off his feet in a


    violent rage born from a father¡¯s tear and love


    ¡°Where are they to? What have you door with our children?¡±


    Seemingly undeterred by the rough handling, to the pupper continued speaking in the same,


    droning tone. It was a sound that made my skin crawl, hearing a friend who was usually so expressive


    sounding like a pull-string doll


    But it was what he was saying that terrified me the most


    ¡°Announce your resignation and your children will be delivered back into your care. You and your family


    will then be hanshed from Bielle territory along with all who remain loyal to you.¡±


    Ignatius was shaking in outrage, for pricking through his skin as he grew more monstrous in form.


    to¡¯s shirt began to tear. and his legs swayed in the air, stiff like a hanged man.


    ¡°Refusal is not advised¡± to croaked like a mechanical tin man ¡°Failure toply with these


    demands will result in the


    ately death of your children You have until midnight¡±


    My guttural cry of anguish shook the rafters and I pressed a list to my teeth, shaking my head frantically


    My deepest fears were being realued, the same fear that had chatched my heart in a cold fist the


    moment I had felt our children move inside


    My children were vulnerable, born into a world that 1 danperujs


    or on any Vampi


    that i


    rotect them from 1 getteil ever condemning them to this


    Fri, Jan 26


    For a brief moment, at the sound of my outburst. to¡¯s eyes seemed to focus again and he locked


    onto me. ¡°Oh god, Dorothy, you were right. The dreams. I should have realized: I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry¡±


    But just as suddenly as he had taken back control, it was wrenched from him again by some unseen


    force, and he spasmed and jerked in Ignatius¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Your children will be bitten.¡± to cackled mercilessly, his pupils swimming in sockets full of blood as


    the vessels in his eyes burst. ¡°By now you have seen the fate of those bitten by House Lethia! A


    torturous slow death-


    to¡¯s rambling was cut short with a sickening thump as Ignatius punched him hard and he dropped to


    the ground like a rag doll.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Ignatius¡± I rushed forward to clutch his forearm as he braced his knuckles to shatter to¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? He¡¯s under some kind of mind control.¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Our children are gone Dorothy!¡± He turned his rage on me, flinging his arm from my grasp and


    unraveling before my eyes, ¡°They have Elias! Amelie..¡±


    He sank to his knees at the thought of our daughter, his voice cracking as he said her name I caught


    him as he dropped. cupping my arms around him as he unleashed a violent sob over my shoulder. His


    hands fisted at my hack, gripping the Jabric of my shirt with shaking fingers.


    have to do it,¡± he whispered incredulously, clutching me to his chest so rightly, I feared Imight break a


    few ribs


    ¡°I have to step down?


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT


    E

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Are you seriously considering this?¡± Angie vented, pacing up and down the meeting room in agitation.


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s another way? What about a stealth mission? I can-¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything to jeopardize the children¡¯s safety. Angie, Ignatius growled, the deep rumbling in


    his chest warning Angic to drop it. There is no other way.¡±¡°¡±


    ¡°The campires have eyes everywhere. They¡¯ve been watching us from the beginning, they¡¯ll know if we


    try to go against their wishes. But we have a n, I ventured, curling my knees to my chin where I sat


    on the edge of therge council table.


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on exposing this fake Johan after this is over. But right now, we just need to get our kids


    back.¡± My voice was small, betraying my anxieties as I tucked my head between my knees.


    Angie looked from me to Ignatius, her own expression twisting into one of anguish at the thought of the


    children. Angie was loyal to the Bielke, but she was loyal to us too. She didn¡¯t want the children hurt


    either.


    Far stood silent and sober at her side, having agreed with our decision the moment she heard what the


    vampires had done.


    I checked the time, tilting my b*dy to glimpse therge, yellowing stic clock that hung above the door


    of the meeting room. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time. Ignatius. We need to go now!


    The possessed to had ryed the coordinates of where we were to go once Ignatius announced his


    retirement. After which Ignatius had knocked the man out and bound him in silver chains.


    It had hurt him to have to cor his friend, after to had spent so long shackled by the Tally. But we


    couldn¡¯t afford him. wreaking havoc under the sway of some vampiric mind control Until we could figure


    out how to help him, we needed to be sure that to would stay put


    Ignatius too looked at the clock, a dark cloud passing over his features. Outside the meeting room,


    Bielke shifters waited impatiently in the grand hall. The murmuring crowd could be heard through the


    walls.


    Everyone was afraid Coming home to a pack that couldn¡¯t recall the past few hours was rming, and


    distrust brewed among our fellow shifters.


    The atmosphere was tense, the air crackling with energy as Ignatius stepped out to face his people.


    They looked to him forfort and guidance. They wanted to hear words of encouragement and fierce


    loyalty, the same kind that had stirred them to stand together against the Tally army three years ago..


    The meeting hall was full to bursting, packed tight with dozens of weary shifters, all waiting to hear


    some much needed good news. Ignatius could give them no such thing. As he stepped up to the


    podium, the hall fell silent.


    It was so quiet that the crashing ocean waves could be heard in the far distance.


    Ignatius licked his dry lips, steeling himself for what he had to do. I came to stand beside him, looking


    out over a sea of pale, weary faces.


    These were people I had fought alongside, people I had healed and protected, people who had


    protected me in return.


    The soldiers and civilians who stared back at me had a special ce in my heart. These were people


    who had epted me as one of their own, who had offered up their very life force to ensure the


    survival of me and Ignatius both.


    It felt like a betrayal, abandoning them when they needed us most. If our suspicions about the fake


    Johan were right, then we were handing our people over to the enemy, an unforgivable sacrifice.


    Even if some of them had turned on us, out of fear and desperation, even those who saw salvation in


    the form of Johan¡¯s ghost, they were still out people to protect.


    11:07 Fri, Jan 26


    Ignatius cleared his throat before addressing the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m sure by now you¡¯ve all seen the broadcast


    from the so-called Jn.


    Whispers buzzed through the swarm of bodies. I curled my fingers around Ignatius¡¯s hand, squeezing


    slightly to reassure him.


    ¡°After much contemtion, and running through the options. Ignatius continued, has voice rough and


    gravelly, every word a knife-twist in his heart, Thavee to a decision. I want only what is best for the


    Bielke people.¡±


    ¡°When you crowned me as Alpha of this pack, I took a wow to protect our own. I am eternally grateful


    for each and every one of you. You have proved your unwavering loyalty time and time again¡±


    He paused, took abored, heaving breath. ¡°However, I am unable to keep my vow, in light of the


    recent vampire attacks. I have failed you. And so, as of this very moment, I will be stepping down as


    Alpha of the Bielke.


    The sudden cries of outrage and disbelief were deafening, and I stepped closer to my mate as he


    struggled to finish his sentence. ¡°And Johan will be ruling in my ce.¡±


    The uproar that followed was heartbreaking. Shifters jostled and shoved one another, usations and


    insults were flung around the room as Ignatius bowed his head and pulled me our of the meeting hall.


    I had felt a physical shockwave roll through my b*dy after Ignatius spoke, as he ended his reign of the


    Bielke park. An Alpha no longer.


    From what I could hear, it was clear that some took Ignatius¡¯s retirement as a clear sign that Johan had


    been in the right all along. Others saw it as a hopeless surrender, a sign that there was no beating the


    vampires. Not when even their own Alpha wasn¡¯t willing to fight.


    I ran behind my mate, struggling to keep up with his long strides. ¡°Ignatius, I-


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s almost midnight. His voice was as cold and cutting as his expression.


    There was no time to mourn, no time to exin. No time to bid our people goodbye. I caught Angie¡¯s


    eye as we left, the she- wolf had her arms folded tightly across her chest. From the look in her eye, her


    message was clear as day: Don¡¯t die Red Not yet anyway. Not like this.


    ¡°We¡¯lle back.¡± I whispered, gripping Ignatius¡¯s hand as he tugged me along. I promise we¡¯lle


    back.¡±


    Before his announcement, Ignatius had appointed Angle to track down the fake Johan. Fae he asked to


    stay behind, to bring some semnce of order to the distraught Bielke pack.


    He would not leave his people high and dry, nning instead to let Far console and guide them until


    Angie could unveil the fake Johan¡¯s true form. By then, we would have our children back.


    We stepped out into the dark, leaving the distressed shifters at our back. Ignathis¡¯s b*dy burst into wolf


    form, shifting from Two legs to four as he threw himself headlong into the forest. I followed suit, my


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    white wolf sleeping soundlessly through the trees beside his shaggy, silvery form.


    Rence and Tor had both been writhing in turmoil since we realized our children had been taken. Now,


    they howled together, their agony erupting outward in the form of long, sorrowful wails.


    Now no longer Alpha, something had broken within Ignatius, and I could feel his power waning,


    weakening. He could feel it too, andbatted this grim realization with cold ferocity.


    ¡°They¡¯ll pay for this, came a vicious growl. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was for or Ignatius I was hearing in my


    head. ¡°If those demons have hurt them, they¡¯ll pay with their lives tenfold.¡±


    ¡°I think we know who¡¯s behind this,¡± I whispered back as we darted through the woods. The truth had


    be infinitely clear when the vampires¡± n was revealed.


    They didn¡¯t intend on wiping us out, they wanted to take over. And while there were a few hold shifters


    who held a grudge against Ignatius, there was only one possible reason the vampires had targeted the


    Bielke


    |


    58%


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Ignatius answered in my head, bristling with unbridled rage. ¡°The dhampir child. Elliot¡¯s


    bastard. He¡¯se to im his birthright.¡±


    Rabbits and other small forest creatures darted out of our way as we pelted through the trees.


    Overhead, the moon evaded us, ducking behind a cover of clouds and offering nofort.


    With our life fracturing and shattering around the both of us, we pressed on, racing through the


    shadows in search of that which was most precious to us.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    -Angie


    I crept along the outskirts of Belile territory, taking care not to wander too close to the cloaked shifters


    who gathered around the clearing. Their numbers had grown since Fae and I hadst spied them.


    They were joined by a legion of vampires who reclined around the fires, feasting on the bloody


    carcusses of fallen Belile soldiers. I wanted to wretch, staring into the empty eyes of people I had


    fought alongside,


    Now lifeless and broken, bloodbanks for the parasites to gorge on as they saw fit


    Following Ignatius public retirement, I had slipped off unseen and made my way back to the scene of


    the battle. When I made it to Stonespoke a few hours earlier, the ground was still wet with blood.


    1 traced the vampires scent from there, eventually catching and following the putrid odor that Johan


    gave off. It had led me back to Belile, where the battle had started, where we had to leave our dead in


    the urgency of the light.


    Fac stayed behind to calm the iling Bielke. The thought of my mate alone with a crowd of desparate,


    terrified soldiers had me uneasy. But they were soldiers I¡¯d trained myself, and I had to have faith in


    their loyalty to me. They wouldn¡¯t hurt one of their own,


    Although, they weren¡¯t the only danger out there. Without an alpha to guide them, the Bielke was


    vulnerable. Prime candadites for a spontaneous attack.


    Focus, you idiot¡± I pressed my fist to my temple, unwilling to let the dire situation dissuade me from my


    task.


    This imposter needed to be unveiled, our people needed to see Johan¡¯ for what he truly was before he


    could ascend to alplia.


    I peeked through the trees at the gathering, eyeing the small white tent on the far end. If Johan was


    anywhere, it would be there. It was time to expose this imposter for the blood-sucking parasite he was,


    I wasn¡¯t sure how exactly I nned to do that, but I pressed on anyway, circling the gathering as I


    slinked closer to the mysterious white tent. Staying out of sight was far from easy, with both shifters and


    vampires standing guard nearby


    But my secent was masked and my step was light, and I eventually saw an opening.


    Crouching on the balls of my feet and wing my nails into the dirt. I moved closer to the tent. The light


    breeze worked in my favor, rustling around me as I crawled on. The grass was long enough to hide my


    creeping form an environtent that was part of my nature ¨C and I knew intinctivly how to use it to my


    advantage.


    I crept as close as I could to the singr tent, unil there was nothing but a bare patch of dirt between


    me and my end goal. I eyed the shifter who stood guard nearby, bolting toward the pping canvas the


    moment he had his head turned.


    I crawled under the the folds of the tent, wriggling on my belly and scrambling to my feet with my


    des drawn.


    Inside it was dark Pitch ck, in fact. My stomach turned at the overwhelming stench of death that hit


    me in the face.


    I braced myself for an attack, peering into the shadows of the tent. I had no idea if vampires could see


    in the dark, and I wasn¡¯t willing to take any chances. I listened intently, but the tent was silent as the


    grave. If the imposter vampire was int here, he didn¡¯t make a sound.


    After a few moments of tense waiting, I ventured to speak. ¡°I know you¡¯re in here?


    I was quietly relieved that my voice retained an air of control. I hoped the imposter could not see how


    violently my hands.


    The darkness gave no answers, and I wondered if I had been wrong in my assumptions. It could have


    been a trap, some borate n to lure me into their clutches.


    11:08 Fri, Jan 26


    5861


    But nothing leapt at me-from the shadows, and outside I could hear the cloaked fanatics talking among


    themselves. None of them suspected anything,


    The tent could have been empty. Perhaps the fake Johan had left before I¡¯d arrived. But then again,


    that overpowering scent. The ungodly sensation of rot that denotated the presence of a corpse.


    The vile odor was strongest in here, as if the enigmatic man was standing right in front of me.


    I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. My voice, when I spoke was a small croak, ¡°Show yourself.¡±


    Still, the shadows gave up none of their secrets and I shifted on the balls of my feet. Sweat broke out


    on my brow and 1 sucked in a deep breath.


    Transferring both my des to one hand, I reached into my back pocket for my cell. Flicking it on, I


    shone the blueish light at the ground before me. The meager light illuminated nothing more than my


    dirty boot.


    I took a small step forward, and then another. My heart hammered in my chest and I fought to keep my


    breathing even. I took another step and froze.


    The weak circle of light now included more than my feet. There was a pair of pale, bare feet of another,


    a mere inches from


    me


    Sitting a shrick. I jumped back, lifting my des in one hand and my feeble lightsource in the other.


    With that close proximity, the vampire could have torn out my throat in a heartbeat


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± I shouted in a whisper.


    But the figure in the darkness gave no reply.


    I bared my teeth, swallowing my fear, and stepped forward again. The man in the shadows made no


    movement, no sound at all Gritting my teeth. I lifted my cell, shining the light in front of me to face my


    silent opponent.


    All at once I understood why the nun before me was unresponsive. The murky light of my cell reflected


    off broad shoulders, a bare chest covered in strange runes and deep scars, ruthlessly carved into the


    skin with a dull de.


    His neck curved upward in a delicate arc, and stopped abruptly at a gruesome stump. That stump was


    a gaping hole, clotted with viscous fluid that had dried hard.


    The man, the b*dy, had no hend.


    Breathing rapidly in through my nose and out through my mouth to calm myself the way Rita had taught


    me ¨C I examined the b*dy in the dim light. It was propped up against arge wooden pole, hanging like


    a disjointed ragdoll with arms outstretched.


    Along with the head, the left hand was missing


    Stooping to the ground, I found the missing parts scattered in the dirt. My fingers brushed a severed


    hand, cold ligaments frozen in a state of rigor mortis. Shuffling around, my hand finally closed on the


    severed head.


    1 gingerly touched the cool skin, lifting it to the light to get a better look. When vacant, empty eyes


    stared back at me, my b*dy reacted involuntarily. Thrusting the head out of my hands, I choked back a


    whimper and scrambled away.


    There was a thump as the head it the ground and rolled,ing to a stop at the foot of the corpse.


    I didn¡¯t need to take another look. Those dead brown eyes had confirmed it. This was the b*dy of Johan


    the real Johan, in the Blesh.


    My mind raced to exin it, how this lifeless corpse had walked upright, talked so eloquently. How this


    b*dy had cut off it¡¯s owin head and put it back on again. I thought back to the Tally army, to Moiraly¡¯s


    puppets.


    The vengeful she wolf had dabbled in necromancy, coaxing her fallen victims to rise again with the


    power of witchcraft and ck magic. But those corpses were not as convincing as this one had been.


    11:07 Fri, Jan 26 G


    Moirah¡¯s dead soldiers couldn¡¯t speak, couldn¡¯t move in a way that looked remotely human. Whatever


    puppeteer controlled the corpse of Johan, he was a master of the art.


    I flung my mind back to the day Fae and I had stalked the gathering, the way this b*dy had fallen apart


    on the pedestal when. Fae had bit down on a certain vampire¡¯s hand. The man¡¯s face emerged from


    my memory, dark almond eyes, a cascade of jet-ck hair down his back.


    That same vampire had retreated from battle, disappearing moments before Johan and his army


    arrived at Stonespoke. The vampire who seemed hellbent on sinking his teeth into me, who very nearly


    hit Far before he was called away.


    The j pupper anaster.


    Sudden movement at my back had me whirling around, des at the ready. Firelight poured in through


    the p in the tent where a vicious-looking shifter had entered,


    The thering man eyed me with cruel intention, dirty ws elongating as he stalked closer.


    ¡°Spying are we?¡±


    ¡°Actually. I was just leaving. It stinks in here.¡± I lifted my des, curves glinting in the orange glow. ¡°Or


    maybe that¡¯s just you,¡±


    The shifter chuckled, a husky gruff sound, as he dropped the p of the tent behind him. We were both


    instantly swallowed up by the darkness.


    A sudden, searing pain as ws raked across my skin, shing into my forearm. I yelped quietly and


    turned on my heel, listening for the shifter¡¯s heavy footsteps as he circled me.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    When he attacked again, I blocked him, and his ws nced of the t side of my de. I responded


    with a swipe of my own, grinning as I sliced off what I think was an ear.


    The shifter¡¯s furious roar was suddenly cut short. It gurgled in his throat before it could rise to a


    crescendo and I retreated: further away into the tent. Then, abruptly, the man fell silent, and I heard his


    b*dy thump to the ground.


    A fierce bright light clicked on, shining into my eyes and burning my retina.


    I lifted a hand to shade my face, de pointed forward in warning. ¡°Take another step and I¡¯ll gut you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no way to greet your mate, you feral bitch.¡±


    Relief flooded my b*dy and I rushed forward into my lover¡¯s arms.


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡±


    Fae hugged me back, nuzzling her face against my heaving chest ¡°Call it intuition. I followed you after I


    felt something was


    wrong


    -1 found Johan, I muttered grimly, and had to mp a hand over Fae¡¯s mouth when she shone her


    torch at the macabre puppet.


    Her cry came out as a muffled squeak,


    rmed voices outside told us it was time to leave. We crawled out the back of the tent, hightailing it


    into the forest with wreckless abandon. Behind us, the gathering discovered their murderedrade.


    Far had butchered him from behind, and their furious howling echoed through the trees.


    ¡°We need to get back to Bielke!¡± I wheezed, carreering over gnarled roots and kicking up dirt as I ran.


    ¡°We need to tell them the truth:


    Far ran beside me, clicking off her torch so no one could track us in the dark


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will work pow,¡± she huffed. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this. Something happened


    while we were out fighting


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I slipped in a puddle of mud, my mate hauling me upright again before I could hit


    the ground.


    Fae¡¯s tone was grim. ¡°If vampires can control Johan¡¯s corpse and speak through to on a whim, who


    knows the extent of their abilities?¡±


    Her next words left me feeling cold and so very alone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Bielke are on our sule anymore,¡± she said.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126


    -Dorothy-


    We slowed down before reaching the coordinates. By then, we were deep within the forest. The fauna


    grew so thickly that it was nearly impossible to traverse on foot.


    Ignatius put a finger to his lips, touching my mind gently with a whisper. ¡°It could still be a trap. Tread


    carefully,¡±


    As we walked, I tried to organize my thoughts and make sense of the whirling storm of emotions that


    gued me. There was fear, that was a given. Fear for our children and for our mate. Fear of vampires


    and monsters in the dark.


    There was anger too, a bubbling brew of quiet rage at everything that had gone wrong.


    ¡°What are we going to do about to?¡± I asked quietly, takingtius hand so he could help me over a


    fallen tree. ¡°He¡¯s not to me for this. They got to him somehow.


    ¡°I know. Ignatius kept his eyes on the ground, clearing the way for me as best he could. ¡°We need to


    figure out how they controlled him. We can¡¯t fight them if we don¡¯t know the full scope of their powers.


    We fell silent again and I pondered questioning him about the Sekanne. The vampire¡¯s words were still


    ringing in my head, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that my mate knew more than he was letting on.


    But before I could answer. Ignatius put a hand out in front of me, eyes fixed on something up ahead.


    They¡¯re here.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The faintest hint of metal on the breeze. I sniffed the air, crinkling my nose when the vampires rusted


    scent became apparent. The smell of spoiled meat and blood, an uncanny minima of fear.


    There were two of them.


    We both paused in our stride, waiting with baited breath for the figures to approach. A few feet in front


    of us was a small clearing, and the trees bowed low to the ground in an almost perfect circle.


    I peered into the clearing, squinting in the dim moonlight


    The vampires waited in the shadows on the opposite side. I could vaguely make out the shape of two


    people, each carrying a small bundled load in their arms.


    A voice floated to us from across the clearing, a regal, condescending tone that made me want to pick


    up mud and fling it back at the shadowy figures. ¡°You cane out from there, shifters: I can smell


    you. You mutts have a terrible stench¡±


    Ignatius started forward with an infuriated grunt, but I caught his arm to halt him, raising my voice for


    the vampire to hear. ¡°We¡¯lle out if you do. And only if you bring our children.¡±


    A long pause before the vampiric man replied, ¡°Alright then, if you insist. But please do understand,


    should you try anything foolish I won¡¯t hesitate to tear out your daughter¡¯s throat.¡±


    Ignatius stiffened at my side, fur pricking through his skin as he growled.


    A small chuckle from the shadows. She is such a little thing. It would be a shame to have to maime her


    At that. Ignatius burst into the clearing, striding toward where the vampires were slowly emerging. I


    followed quickly behind. him, watching our new aquaintances warily


    The man was tall and slender, painfully beautiful with skin the colour of sand dunes in the moonlight.


    His long ck hair was held back in a half-braid. In his arms he carried Amelie, seemingly asleep.


    My heart stopped for a moment when I saw her lolling head, but her chest rose and fell evenly. She


    was alive, and so was Bliss, who was carried by the other vampiric being


    11:07 Fri, Jan 26 G


    The woman, too, was tall: A-slender willowy figure under her flowing skirts. Pale and hauntingly


    beautiful in the shimmering moonlight, she looked like a ghostly apparition, her dress flowing behind


    her like she was floating.


    The vampiresid the children out on the ground, and Ignatius and 1jolted forward to scoop them up.


    Ignatius lifted Amelie to his chest and I picked up the unconcious Elias. His heady heavy on my


    shoulder and his b*dy twitched slightly like he was fighting monsters in his sleep.


    ¡°What have you done to them?¡± 1 directed my question at the fernale vampire, the more kindley looking


    one of the two.


    While her eyes were wide and full of sorrow, the other mans lips curved into a cruel sneer.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they waking up?!¡± I demanded..


    The woman merely howed her head, avoiding my eyes.


    It was the man who answered me, his tone dismissive and blunt. ¡°A necessary measure to keep them


    safe from themselves, Your children kicked up quiet a fuss¡±


    Ignatius held Amelie close to his chest, baring his fangs at the vampire. The man took a cautious step


    back, which was odd considering the vampire¡¯s supposed strength.


    I was partially convinced that this was the vampire that Angie and Fae had run into during their hunt for


    Johan. He fit the description perfectly, It would seem he was somewhat afraid of Ignatius, I saw the


    sh of fear in his eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯ll wake soon. he snubbed sourly before gripping the vampire woman¡¯s arm. ¡°Come, Emma, our


    work is done here.¡±


    The ghostly woman nodded obediently. She gave me a final, mncholic half smile before turning


    away.


    Who are you? Are you the son of Elliot Armoundt?¡± I called after them, clutching Elias in my arms.


    ¡°What do you want with the Bielke?¡±


    The man onlyughed, shing me a cynical grin over his shoulder. ¡°No, I am not the legendary


    dhampir you¡¯re looking for. My master didn¡¯t see it necessary to waste his time with the likes of you.¡±


    His voice echoed around us as the two vampires melted into the shadows. ¡°As for the Bielke, you


    needn¡¯t worry your pretty lile head about it. All will be clear soon enough¡±


    After their scent had dissipated, Ignatius and I exchanged weary nces. The sky hung low and sullen


    above us. The clearing was quiet, the still night punctuated only by the asional rustle of small


    creatures underfoot and the distant howl of a lone


    coyote


    ¡°Ignatius?¡± I ventured quietly, but my mate had already read my mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he whispered. ¡°That was too easy.¡±


    We huddled together in the clearing, looking over our children in earnest. We checked each child¡¯s


    neck and wrists for any bite marks but could and nome,


    After a moment, Amelie stirred and opened her eyes. I nearly wept with relief upon seeing our


    daughters¡¯ bright blue irises: as she blinked up at us.


    ¡°Mamma?¡±


    ¡°Oh thank the goddess!¡± I leaned over to k*ss her forehead, holding her little face in my hands. ¡°You¡¯re


    alright.¡±


    Ignatius was c


    choked  his reddened eyes wet as he smiled down at his daughter. When we were sure Amelie was


    unharmed, both our eyes turned to Elias,


    Ours son¡¯s eyes remained closed, but his eyelids flickered in a rapid pattern, as if the young boy was


    dreaming the most terrible of dreams.


    -Unknown-


    She visited me again while I was alone, her face apparating in therge dusty mirror as I strode by. Of


    all Morganna¡¯s tricks, this was the one I hated most, I had shattered every mirror in my side of the wing


    when I learned of her cunning ability.


    1 should have enforced the same tactic in this godforsaken territory that smelled of mutt and ocean


    brine. I did not condone prying eyes, even if they were of my blood.


    I was inclined to throw my coat over the reflective surface, to ignore her voice in my head. Instead, I


    hared my fangs, my own reflection reced by the skeletal face of my mother.


    ¡°What do you want? I don¡¯t have time to spare.¡±


    You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Morganna rasped, her reflection blurring in the grime of the mirror. ¡°Why


    did you let them


    §Õ§à


    nated me endlessly, my mother¡¯s inclination for eavesdropping. It was what had filled her head with


    ideas of prophecy in the first ce. A little Morgama, listening in when she shouldn¡¯t.


    They be back in our grasp soon enough. I pulled on my coat, brushing course hair from my eyes.


    Morganna had liked it short, so I kept it long


    My mother¡¯s response was a hiss, spat from her lips like a viper¡¯s venom. ¡°You should have killed them


    when you had the chance. They are a threat that needs to be culled.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up, Morganna.¡± I had lost my patience with the women long ago. Lost my respect for her too.


    If there had ever been any to begin with. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a burden to me now, I don¡¯t need your


    guidance nor do I need your whispers in


    I turned to face her, wiping the grime from the mirror to see her clearly. Even in the crystiline ss, my


    mother appeared somewhat blurry, like the very atoms that made up her being had begun to dissolve


    ¡°Look at yourself. You¡¯ve got one foot in the grave already. I¡¯d suggest you hurry up and get on with it.¡±


    Morganna shed her fangs, wizened lips pulling up over rotting gums, For a brief second, her face


    was that of a young woman, the person Morganna had been before the poison set in


    In the next instant it was gone. Reced by drawn, papery flesh over protruding cheekbones and


    sunken yellow eyes.


    You¡¯re a fool, Gius. A damned fool.


    The mirror cracked under the force of my fist. fracturing my mother¡¯s face before shatteringpletely


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127


    -Dorothy-


    Ignatius and I emerged from the forest not far from Bielke territory. We staggered up the winding roads


    towards town, aiming for the healing centre. It had been almost an hour by then and Elias had still not


    opened his eyes.


    Ignatius carried Amelie on his back. Our daughter wrapped her little arms around his neck tightly,


    acutely aware of how dire the situation was. Her wide-eyed gaze was fixed on her brother and nothing


    we could say would bring a smile to her lips.


    Elias Lay still in his father¡¯s arms, my own having given out after trekking through the woods with the


    little bundle.


    Both of our cellphones were dead and we had no way of signaling for assistance. Ignatius had tried to


    touch to¡¯s mind, even though the werewolf was surely still shackled up in our house.


    But no matter who he tried to contact telepathically, Ignatius mind hit a nk wall every y time.


    He was no longer their Alpha, and the mental connection between leader and pack was severed the


    moment he had stepped down


    So we walked, trailing along the silent road toward Bielke territory. It was risky to approach and we


    knew that. The vampires could have taken full control in the time that we¡¯d been gone. But we had no


    other choice, Elias needed help.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    And Ignatius needed to protect his people.


    My feet were aching in my sneakers, my lungs heaving after the long journey. My hair had escaped its


    braid and trailed loose over my shoulders.


    Ignatius had dark circles under his eyes. We did not look like Alpha and Luna. We looked tired and


    disheveled, trudging on by sheer force of will.


    We had only just stopped so that Ignatius could hand Elias back jo me when a shout had us whirling


    around. A few meter back, two figures spilled out of the forest and into the road, waving manically.


    It¡¯s Angie and Fac!¡± I hopped to secure Elias on my hip, lifting my free arm to wave back at the


    approaching she-wo


    Both women were breathless by the time they reached us, and the two of them looked just as


    bedraggled as Ignatius an Angie¡¯s entire front was streaked with dirt like she¡¯d been crawling on her


    belly, and Fae donned a spray of drying blood


    her shirt.


    The smaller she-wolf noticed Elias in my arms, her gaze trailing up to Amelie who peaked over her


    father¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You got them back!¡±


    ¡°Elias won¡¯t wake up.¡± My voice broke as I looked down at the sleeping child. I don¡¯t know what they did


    to him. But we need to get him to a healer¡±


    I had already tried waking him with my own healing abilities, but to no avail. The process had backfired


    somehow, and I ended up scalding the palm of my hand when Elias¡¯ own dormant powers bucked back


    against mine.


    All I had managed to do was exhaust myself.


    Far covered her mouth with her hands in horror and Angie¡¯s lige set into a hard line.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance Bielke territory isn¡¯t safe,¡± Angie said softly, locking eyes with Ignatius. ¡°Fae could


    feel it before she left. Something¡¯s not right.¡±.


    ¡°But what about Johan?¡± I asked desperately. ¡°Did you find the imposter? Surely if we can prove to


    them that he¡¯s a fake they¡¯ll see reason¡±


    ¡°We found Johan, Angie spoke over me, but there was no victory in her words. ¡°It¡¯s not what we


    thought.¡±


    My heart had already broken for Johan three years ago, but it shattered again when Angie exined


    what had be of his b*dy. It was a horrifying fate, even for the man who had died a monster.


    There was no time to dwell on what the vampires had done, however, Angie and Fae agreed to escort


    us to the nearest healer, from the safety of Angie¡¯s van.


    Hidden in the back, the vampires wouldn¡¯t realize we were back on Bielke turf. We could scope out the


    ce ande up a better n of defense.


    We found the beaten white van hidden in a cul de sac further up the road. Ignatius helped me in and


    we settled down with the children in our arms.


    A silence settled over our dismal group and my stomach twisted itself into knots as we approached


    what had only hours before been our home.


    When we arrived at Beilke terratory, I was an anxious wreck. Pecking out the back window, I looked


    across the quiet streets. Something about thendscape felt eerie and ethereal, as if a dreamlike haze


    had settled over thend.


    The moon was shrouded by drifting gray clouds, and every star bad been swallowed up by the fog that


    hung low over the Bielke pack.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Angie met my eye in the rearview mirror. ¡°How¡¯s Elias doing!¡±


    I looked down into the ashen face of my son, a terrible feeling in my gut. ¡°He¡¯s still out cold.¡±


    Far stared out of the window of the passenger side, a frown creasing her forehead. ¡°Will the healers


    even be there? It¡¯s awfully quiet outside.¡±


    1 saw Angie¡¯s lips move in response, but her voice was drowned qut by the sudden screech of metal.


    The entire van jolted as something collided with the back fender. Fae shrieked, ttening herself


    against the passenger seat.


    Angie grappled with the steering wheel, trying to regain control of the vehicle. But there was no saving


    the skidding wheels from sending us careening off course.


    I screamed as the stench of burning rubber filled my nose, curling myself around Elias while Ignatius


    pulled both me and our children into a protective bear hug. We were all thrown against the side of the


    van as the vehicle toppled over, ss shattering all around us.


    Despite Ignatius attempts to protect me, the back of my head collided with the metal interior of the van.


    I felt warm blood streaming, soon to stain my hair an even deeper shade of red.


    Stars exploded across my vision, and I fought to stay conscious, even as a splitting headache arched


    up the nape of my neck. I blinked the blood from my eyes peering out from under Ignathus whoy half


    on top of me with our children sandwiched


    between us.


    Through the shattered front window, I could see figures surrounding us. Far more than we could


    possibly fight.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    -Ignatius-


    I was the first to crawl out of the toppled van. Dorothy followed ine, nked by Angie and Fae who


    carried the children. My head was pounding, and a small trinkle of blood ebbed down my forehead and


    into my eyes


    Even with my blurred red vision I could see the faces of my people. Under the blinding streetlight,


    Bielke shifters blocked the road in front of us. People I knew and recognized, all donning the same


    zed look in their eyes.


    My gaze trailed to another mangled car smoking on the side of the road. Most likely the car that had


    rammed us. If Gideon¡¯s van wasn¡¯t the sturdy brick thut it was, we might have all been crushed in the


    crash.


    My heart leapt to my throat when I squinted at the car wreck and spotted a ssy-eyed to behind


    the wheel. He was breathing. I was sure of it. But his nose looked like it had an unfortunate


    confrontation with a meat grinder.


    Three more figures stood beside the car wreck, and the overwhelming scent of rust and metal reached


    my nose. Two of them I recognized, the male and female vampires who had met with us in the woods,


    The ck-eyed man wore a sneer that contorted his fine features, while the woman kept her eyes on


    the ground and her hands folded behind her back.


    The third vampire, the man who eyed me with a hatred so vicious it was ptable in the air, was a


    stranger with an uncanny resemnce to myself. Dark-eyed andnky, wild white hair down to his


    shoulders, he could have been my doppelganger.


    His protruding fangs were that of the vampires, but his dark brows and angry eyes were Elliot¡¯s.


    This was a reflection of myself, the man I could have be had I taken a different path. A darker


    path. This was a stranger who shared my blood. A younger, wilder apparition of the boy I used to be,


    Elliot¡¯s dhampir abomination. My brother.


    I


    ¡°Angie¡± I spoke quietly, keeping my eyes fixed on my distant kin Get Dorothy out of here. Get the kids


    somewhere safe.


    I heard an inhale from Dorothy, most likely an argument in the making, but we were all silenced when


    the dhampir began to speak. It was a voice so eerily simr to my own. with only a distinct lilt that


    differed from my own husky tone.


    There is nowhere ¡°safe¡± for you and your children. The man was smug as he spoke, gleefully indulging


    in reminding me of my resignation. ¡°There is no ce for a banished Alpha and his pathetic family.


    Certainly not here.¡±


    ¡°What have you done to my people!! I demanded, ncing around at the ssy-eyed shifters who


    stood by like zombies.


    We were surrounded by friends and familiar faces. But for the first time, that wasn¡¯t aforting


    thought. The Bielke were not on our side anymore. Whatever control this man had exerted over them,


    they were in no position to help us.


    The man shrugged, beaming at the hoard of puppets like he was proud of his work. ¡°I merely gave


    them a little push is all That¡¯s all I need to gain control, an unstable mind. They were already feeling


    hopeless, you saw to that yourself when you stepped down¡±


    The man shed his fangs in a wide grin. ¡°You brought on the downfall of the Bielke. You abandoned


    them¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t give us a fucking choice Suddenly Dorothy was standing at my side, hery-eyed and furious.


    ¡°You stole our children!¡±


    I shoved her behind me, wary of the surrounding shifters who had begun to stalk closer and closer to


    our small defenseless party. My hand at the back of her neck came back sticky and red with congealed


    blood.


    Only then did I notice how pale she looked, the tightness around her eyes.


    Dorothy was injured, Angie and Far were banged up too. We had two children in our care, one of them


    unconscious. If it came to a light, we had no hope of winning.


    ¡°You can have the Belke,¡± Lagied to keep my voice calm and even. I took a vow to protect my people,


    but I couldn¡¯t keep that vow if I ended up dead. ¡°You can have the Bielke and whatever birthright you


    think I robbed from you. All I ask is that you let us go freely.¡±


    My top priority was getting Dorothy and our children to safety. If that meant groveling then so be it. I


    would be back to tear this blight limb from limb soo cough.


    The vampire voorman to his right touched his elbow. ¡°Let them go. Calus. Surely we¡¯ve done enough


    here?¡±


    But the white-haired vampire -Cams, had other ideas. He narrowed his eyes at me, shing a wry smile


    and a glint of fangs. ¡°Unfortunately I can¡¯t do that. You won¡¯t be leaving Bielke territory alive.¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s scream had me leaping into action, bringing my fist up to smash into the shing jaws of a


    newly shifted Bielke soldier who had broken away from the crowd. The wolf went sprawling, bottom jaw


    hanging awkwardly where I¡¯d crushed it,


    Fri, Jan 26


    The rest of the crowed lurched towards us, spurred into action under the sway of their dhampir master.


    Even if I could have fought them all. I didn¡¯t want to. These were my people, they were in this


    predicament because of me,


    And so I ran, pulling Dorothy along as she stumbled beside me.


    1 caught a glimpse of the grinning dhampir as we retreated behind the van, his eyes locked onto mine.


    I understood this man¡¯s intentions in a single brief moment of synergy between us.


    His eyes promised death to the Bielke Alpha and all that I held dear.


    ¡°This way!¡± Fac¡¯s cry reached my ears, and I scooped Dorothy up into my arms when she began to


    sway, following the smaller she-wolf as she darted toward another abandoned vehicle.


    Angie got there first, wrenching the door open and tossing a crying Amelic into the back. Fae leapt in


    after her with Elias, and I shoved Dorothy in after them


    I felt jaws snap shut on my ankle, and twisted to bring my elbow down on the head of another wolf


    shifter. The Bielke member yelped when my elbow hit it¡¯s mark, releasing me for a brief instant before


    snapping at my calf


    I kicked at the cowering shifter, only to be approached by more, all snapping and thering to tear me


    apart


    ¡°Get the car started. Angie!¡± I yelled over my shoulder, fighting off shifters without dealing anysting


    damage.


    There could be no murder, not here.


    Not like this


    Angie tinkered with some wires under the steering wheel, swearing out loud when shifters rocked the


    car. Dorothy shrieked for her to hurry up, and I glimpsed my mate¡¯s face pressed against the ss of


    the window, watching me with wide-eyed


    Letrol.


    I felt ws tear into my chest, ripping right through my jacket, and teeth tearing into my skin. In a few


    more seconds 1 would have been down and out. But Angie pulled through just in time and I heard the


    glorious sputter of the engine heaving to life.


    Dorothy forced the door open, pulling me into the car is Angle stepped on the gas. There was a loud


    yelp as we took off and the car jostled us into a haphazard heap. We all tried not to think about who we


    might have driven over in ourst-ditch escape n


    A furious scream came from the dhampir man, and his voice ring out over the sound of the engine.


    Dozens of shifters took off after us, their howls filling the air like a death toll..


    ncing back at our pursuers. I spotted vampires in the mix tog. Some in their ethereal human form


    and others fully morphed into monstrous bat-like beings


    Caius had an entire army at his disposal, a legion of vampires and one of the strongest wolf packs


    under his control. We didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    ¡°Head for ck Rock,¡± Fae instructed Angie, pointing her toward the stormy coastline thaty beyond


    the trees. ¡°We need to get to the library.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to read them a bedtime story?!¡± Angie¡¯s voice rose into a panic squeak. ¡°We need to get


    out of here!¡±


    ¡°We will!¡± Fae¡¯s voice donned an air of authority and she shed us a ferocious scowl. ¡°If we stick to


    the roads they¡¯ll run us down in no time. Just trust me.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Dorothy piped up, woozy from the blood loss and deathly pale. ¡°We need to get to the


    library. It¡¯s the only way we¡¯ll make it out of this alive.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is in the library?¡± I roared, but Dorothy¡¯s eyes hall funered closed and she slumped


    forward in my arms.


    Fri, Jan 26


    ¡°Goddammit! Fine, head for the library.¡±


    08761


    Angie answered with a growl of her own, before turning the wheel sharply and sending us careering


    into the woond path that led to the ocean.


    The library stood like a dagger pointing at the sky. The rickety, turreted building perched on the jagged


    ck rocks of the tumultuous Northern coastline.


    The sea was so choppy tonight that the sea spray coated the windows of the ancient building and


    foamy water pooled around the stone steps.


    We all mumbled out of the car at once, gunning for the library with vampires and shifters hot on our


    heels. Fae stayed behind a moment longer, hauling two spare bottles of petrol from the back of the car.


    She ushered us inside, and we worked together to m therge creaking doors shut before the first


    shifter collided with the other side.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Angie demanded, wiping sweat from her forehead, ¡°We¡¯re trapped in here!¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not Fae pointed down the long corridor, past the dusty bookshelves toward the back of the


    building. ¡°Dorothy will show you. You found the maps didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Dorothy had grown so weak she was practically hanging on my shoulder, but she nodded and


    straightened up with a determined glint in her eye. ¡°Yeah. There was a drawing in Elliot¡¯s notes.¡±


    ¡°A what?!¡± It was my turn to sound dumbfounded as I looked between Fae and my mate


    Dorothy took Elias from Angie¡¯s arms, taking Amelie¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°I found a drawing in Elliot¡¯s notes


    that I thought was interesting. It was a map. ording to Fae, there¡¯s abyrinth of tunnels inside the


    Bielke cliffs. One of the entrances is right here in this building.¡±


    Fae felt our eyes on her and shrugged. In case you¡¯ve forgotten, my mother was the Bielke librarian


    long before we were born. She always said this building held far more secrets than any of us would


    ever know.¡±


    A howling outside the door had us snapping back into action. Fac picked up the can of gas and thrust it


    into my hands


    ¡°Douse the ce. We have to make sure they can¡¯t follow us.¡±


    Angie helped Dorothy down the corridor and Fae and I stayed behind to pour gas over every mmable


    surface. It broke


    my heart, having to burn down such an ancient entity.


    But if our assants were to follow us into the tunnels, we¡¯d end to dead before we ever made it out the


    other end.


    The howling outside grew louder, and the library door creaked and groaned under the strain as shifters


    rammed it from the outside. When we were done, we dumped the cans and Fae flicked on a lighter


    from her back pocket.


    *Ready?


    ¡°No. Burn it


    We took off after Dorothy and Angie as the fire ignited behind us. mes licked along the bookshelves,


    engulfing the entire library into a raging red ze.


    Dorothy had thrown open arge metal gate, hidden in the floor beneath an ancient oak desk. One by


    one, we climbed down into the dark. Dorothy reached out her arms from below, while I handed her


    Elias and then Amelie, who clung to me with trembling hands,


    1 jumped down fast, shutting the metal gate above our heads as wolves hourled and the ancient


    building burned.


    5B%Chapter 129


    -Dorothy-


    We trudged through the damp tunnels for what felt like years, following the sluggish stream of water


    underfoot as it meandered through the hollow cliffs. I had managed to heal myself during brief


    moments of rest, but a headache still pounded behund my temple like a sledgehammer


    Initially, we had been worned that some shifters might follow us into the tunnels after the fire died down,


    but we heard no echoes of pursuit in the days we traveled the tunnels.


    If anyone had tried to follow us, they were lost in the catbs and would eventually run out of food


    and water. It was a bittersweet thought. We were safe, but our people were not,


    How many had died during our escape?


    Angie offered to carry Amelie after my arms grew stiff and tired and I¡¯d obliged, but Ignatius refused to


    let go of Elins. I walked behind my troubled mate, my gaze trailing his broad, slouched shoulders as he


    forged ahead.


    None of us spoke much, there was nothing more to say. Somehow, in the span of a few hours, the


    vampires had managed to turn an entire pack against us Friends and family alike, all under the control


    of Ignatius blood kin.


    The Bielke had been broken apart and we had nowhere else to go.


    Cauis had been right about one thing. No pack would be willing to shelter a banished Alpha. That was


    a taboo almost as terrible as a rejected mate, Ignatius had suggested that we leave him behind.


    Certain small packs might at least be sympathetic toward a single mother and her children. But I


    refused. The vampire- Caius, had already divided us from our people. I¡¯d be damned before I let him


    split our party up even more.


    I felt numb inside. Now that the adrenaline had worn off after our escape. I could barely keep my eyes


    open. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the events of that night.


    How had Caius managed to take control of the minds of an entire pack? How had he managed to turn


    our people against us so mercilessly? What were we supposed to do now?


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Ignatius murmured and 1 nced up.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed the faint light getting brighter as we walked. But steady streams of golden light poured


    in from an opening ahead of us and a fresh breezebatted the musty air of the tunel


    We had been walking aimlessly through the tunnels without a map. I had only the vaguest idea of


    which direction would lead us out of Bielke territory, But it seemed that had been enough to get us


    through the maze of tunnels that sn*ked through thend.


    I held my breath as we walked toward daylight, half expecting to find a hoard of vampires waiting for us


    on the other side.


    But as we broke through the tunnel opening, tearing down vines and branches that had grown in the


    way, we were greeted by fresh air and the empty green forest beyond.


    There was no longer a hint of sea salt on the breeze. Instead, I caught a scent that felt rather familiar,


    but the memory was hazy in my mind.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked as we emerged, with Angle and Fae in tow


    y of it


    Ignatius, sniffed the air, looking left and right at the forest that spread in both directions. ¡°Down South


    We¡¯re near Kull


    territory¡±


    So that¡¯s why at felt so familiar. All at once, I recalled the pack I had grown up in. My caretaker, Anita,


    and the many others. Some kindly, some not. These were the woods in which Ignatius and I had first


    danced together. It had been snowing then, and we had been younger.


    That felt like lifetimes ago


    We all stood side by side, at a loss for what to do next. We had no allies, no pack, nowhere to go. We


    had no n, no future. We¡¯d been walking for days with no food or water. We were weak and listless,


    cracked lips and dry throats,


    Amelie could barely lift her head from Angie¡¯s shoulder. And Elias still had not woken up.


    It was Angie who said what we were all thinking, ¡°What the fuck do we do now?¡±


    We spent the rest of the day gathering firewood. Then we built some semnce of sanctuary in the


    form of a small campsite. a safe distance from the cave exit. Ignatius didn¡¯t want to risk the vampires


    following us.


    Our first mission was food, and a clean water since.


    Angie and Ignatius set off to hunt down food and fresh water, while Far and I stayed behind to start a


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    fire and watch over the kids. We ripped up as much heather as we could find, and ttened it into a


    Everyone moved robotically, going through the motions of basic survival and nothing more. Later that


    night, roasting rabbit over a fire, we were forced to confront cair new reality


    I was feeding small berries to Amelic, whoy spread-eagled on the hearth in utter exhaustion. Angie


    mechanically carved away at a piece of tree bark with her de and Fac nigged weeds from the


    ground absentmindedly.


    Ignatius stared into the fire. The mes reflected in his eyes, dancing dangerously as he stewed in his


    anger.


    I was hesitant to speak. Everyone was at their breaking point, and one wrong word could have them


    boiling over. Angie¡¯s small family was under mind control, as was Fae¡¯s mother. So was to. All


    people who were dear to us, abandoned under the rule of a vengeful half-shifter


    ¡°I always thought I might end up a rogue. You move around long enough, you kind of get used to it I


    said wryly.


    But my attempt to lighten the mood fell fat when everyone blew out a deep breath in frustration


    Angie rubbed at her eyes, streaking a line of dirt across her face like a scar ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever.


    We need to keep moving. That guy -Caius, he¡¯s never going to stoping after its. You saw how he


    looked at you, Ignatius.¡°


    Ignatius didn¡¯t respond My mate merely kept his eyes on the tice, all of his emotions shoved down deep


    to brew internally until he was mentally fit enough to manage them


    ¡°And then there¡¯s Elias,¡± Angue continued. We all lifted our eyes to look at the sleeping boy, Elias had


    stopped twitching and some colour had returned to his cheeks. but he showed no sign of waking up


    anytime soon. He needs a healer. And soon. He hasn¡¯t eaten any thing in days.


    It felt like something inside of me had cracked m two. The vampires had been responsible for the death


    of my people, and nove all these yearster, they have taken from me again.


    It was as if the pirs that my new world was built on had crumbled into sand. Fear and fury broiled in


    my chest, and yet outwardly I was a nk face. An empty husk


    ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡± Angie fixed her gaze on Ignatius, her words slightly forceful to propel him out of


    this quiet, cold state.


    Ignatius exhaled through his nose, clenching his fists around his knees. ¡°We get the twins somewhere


    safe, find a healer. And then I¡¯m going back to face Caius


    I shifted the now dozing Amelie off of myp, leaning toward my mate. ¡°You¡¯re not doing it alone. That


    would be suicide.¡±


    Ignatius ignored this, turning the rabbit on the skewer in silence Anger rose in my chest and I got to my


    feet,


    ¡°You promised me! You promised you wouldn¡¯t leave ust You can¡¯t abandon your children because of


    some vendetta.¡±


    ¡°They have my people! Our people! Ignatius voice boomed around us, spooking the remaining rabbits


    that lurked near our


    fire.


    III

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    -Dorothy-


    We trudged through the damp tunnels for what felt like years, following the sluggish stream of water


    underfoot as it meandered through the hollow cliffs. I had managed to heal myself during brief


    moments of rest, but a headache still pounded behund my temple like a sledgehammer


    Initially, we had been worned that some shifters might follow us into the tunnels after the fire died down,


    but we heard no echoes of pursuit in the days we traveled the tunnels.


    If anyone had tried to follow us, they were lost in the catbs and would eventually run out of food


    and water. It was a bittersweet thought. We were safe, but our people were not,


    How many had died during our escape?


    Angie offered to carry Amelie after my arms grew stiff and tired and I¡¯d obliged, but Ignatius refused to


    let go of Elins. I walked behind my troubled mate, my gaze trailing his broad, slouched shoulders as he


    forged ahead.


    None of us spoke much, there was nothing more to say. Somehow, in the span of a few hours, the


    vampires had managed to turn an entire pack against us Friends and family alike, all under the control


    of Ignatius blood kin.


    The Bielke had been broken apart and we had nowhere else to go.


    Cauis had been right about one thing. No pack would be willing to shelter a banished Alpha. That was


    a taboo almost as terrible as a rejected mate, Ignatius had suggested that we leave him behind.


    Certain small packs might at least be sympathetic toward a single mother and her children. But I


    refused. The vampire- Caius, had already divided us from our people. I¡¯d be damned before I let him


    split our party up even more.


    I felt numb inside. Now that the adrenaline had worn off after our escape. I could barely keep my eyes


    open. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the events of that night.


    How had Caius managed to take control of the minds of an entire pack? How had he managed to turn


    our people against us so mercilessly? What were we supposed to do now?


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Ignatius murmured and 1 nced up.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed the faint light getting brighter as we walked. But steady streams of golden light poured


    in from an opening ahead of us and a fresh breezebatted the musty air of the tunel


    We had been walking aimlessly through the tunnels without a map. I had only the vaguest idea of


    which direction would lead us out of Bielke territory, But it seemed that had been enough to get us


    through the maze of tunnels that sn*ked through thend.


    I held my breath as we walked toward daylight, half expecting to find a hoard of vampires waiting for us


    on the other side.


    But as we broke through the tunnel opening, tearing down vines and branches that had grown in the


    way, we were greeted by fresh air and the empty green forest beyond.


    There was no longer a hint of sea salt on the breeze. Instead, I caught a scent that felt rather familiar,


    but the memory was hazy in my mind.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked as we emerged, with Angle and Fae in tow


    y of it


    Ignatius, sniffed the air, looking left and right at the forest that spread in both directions. ¡°Down South


    We¡¯re near Kull


    territory¡±


    So that¡¯s why at felt so familiar. All at once, I recalled the pack I had grown up in. My caretaker, Anita,


    and the many others. Some kindly, some not. These were the woods in which Ignatius and I had first


    danced together. It had been snowing then, and we had been younger.


    That felt like lifetimes ago


    We all stood side by side, at a loss for what to do next. We had no allies, no pack, nowhere to go. We


    had no n, no future. We¡¯d been walking for days with no food or water. We were weak and listless,


    cracked lips and dry throats,


    Amelie could barely lift her head from Angie¡¯s shoulder. And Elias still had not woken up.


    It was Angie who said what we were all thinking, ¡°What the fuck do we do now?¡±


    We spent the rest of the day gathering firewood. Then we built some semnce of sanctuary in the


    form of a small campsite. a safe distance from the cave exit. Ignatius didn¡¯t want to risk the vampires


    following us.


    Our first mission was food, and a clean water since.


    Angie and Ignatius set off to hunt down food and fresh water, while Far and I stayed behind to start a


    fire and watch over the kids. We ripped up as much heather as we could find, and ttened it into a


    Everyone moved robotically, going through the motions of basic survival and nothing more. Later that


    night, roasting rabbit over a fire, we were forced to confront cair new reality


    I was feeding small berries to Amelic, whoy spread-eagled on the hearth in utter exhaustion. Angie


    mechanically carved away at a piece of tree bark with her de and Fac nigged weeds from the


    ground absentmindedly.


    Ignatius stared into the fire. The mes reflected in his eyes, dancing dangerously as he stewed in his


    anger.


    I was hesitant to speak. Everyone was at their breaking point, and one wrong word could have them


    boiling over. Angie¡¯s small family was under mind control, as was Fae¡¯s mother. So was to. All


    people who were dear to us, abandoned under the rule of a vengeful half-shifter


    ¡°I always thought I might end up a rogue. You move around long enough, you kind of get used to it I


    said wryly.


    But my attempt to lighten the mood fell fat when everyone blew out a deep breath in frustration


    Angie rubbed at her eyes, streaking a line of dirt across her face like a scar ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever.


    We need to keep moving. That guy -Caius, he¡¯s never going to stoping after its. You saw how he


    looked at you, Ignatius.¡°


    Ignatius didn¡¯t respond My mate merely kept his eyes on the tice, all of his emotions shoved down deep


    to brew internally until he was mentally fit enough to manage them


    ¡°And then there¡¯s Elias,¡± Angue continued. We all lifted our eyes to look at the sleeping boy, Elias had


    stopped twitching and some colour had returned to his cheeks. but he showed no sign of waking up


    anytime soon. He needs a healer. And soon. He hasn¡¯t eaten any thing in days.


    It felt like something inside of me had cracked m two. The vampires had been responsible for the death


    of my people, and nove all these yearster, they have taken from me again.


    It was as if the pirs that my new world was built on had crumbled into sand. Fear and fury broiled in


    my chest, and yet outwardly I was a nk face. An empty husk


    ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡± Angie fixed her gaze on Ignatius, her words slightly forceful to propel him out of


    this quiet, cold state.


    Ignatius exhaled through his nose, clenching his fists around his knees. ¡°We get the twins somewhere


    safe, find a healer. And then I¡¯m going back to face Caius


    I shifted the now dozing Amelie off of myp, leaning toward my mate. ¡°You¡¯re not doing it alone. That


    would be suicide.¡±


    Ignatius ignored this, turning the rabbit on the skewer in silence Anger rose in my chest and I got to my


    feet,


    ¡°You promised me! You promised you wouldn¡¯t leave ust You can¡¯t abandon your children because of


    some vendetta.¡±


    ¡°They have my people! Our people! Ignatius voice boomed around us, spooking the remaining rabbits


    that lurked near our


    fire.


    IIIChapter 129


    He stood up in a sh, rowering over me. ¡°This is bigger than ust can¡¯t just abandon the Bielke!¡±


    ¡°So let me help you!¡± I yelled back, baring my teeth automatically. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me behind!¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± I gripped his shirt, nearly tearing what was left of the bloody fabric. ¡°Why is it so important to


    leave me on the


    sideline


    Because you¡¯re the only good thing I have left Ignatius gripped my shoulders, practically shaking me as


    he roared his


    response


    Below us, Amelie stirred and she blinked up at her father from the heather, Ignatius looked down at her


    like he was waking from a dream, still clinging to my shoulders as if he was afraid Til disappear if he let


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    go.


    Looking at the distraught expression on his face, my heart softened and I touched a hand to his cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. None of us are.¡±


    I saw his eyes soften for a second, and he blinked away the wetness that pooled there.


    I gently pulled him into a tight embrace, touching his mind with mine to save Angie and Fac further


    difort.


    I know what you¡¯re feeling. I know your heart. You have a duty to your people, and I know that you will


    fulfill that duty when the time is right. But you need to ept that I¡¯m going to be there every step of the


    way. You may die for me. Ignatius, but I won¡¯t allow you to live for me


    Cold lips pressed to my neck in response.


    A sudden sound from the forest had us breaking apart, our small group immediately on high alert.


    Ignatius and I stood over our children. Angie and Fae stood back to back, des at the ready.


    Something was moving though the forest toward us, something that smelled an awful lot like a shifter,


    Or two, or three.


    The four of us bared our fangs when another group of shifters broke through the treeline. The group


    looked startled at firs eyeing the twins at our feet. Ignatius snarled a warning, until they backed up


    slightly.


    One of the shifters, a bottle blonde she-woll, raised her hands in surrender. We¡¯re not here to hurt you.


    You¡¯vee from Bielke night¡±


    Angie lifted her des. ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡±


    The girl ignored this question and her gaze settled on me. ¡°Hey, Dorothy. Long time no see


    I was battled for a moment, unable to ce where I¡¯d met this bored-looking blonde bombshell before.


    But then the memory came back to me and I gasped quietly,


    ¡°Alissat


    Back at the Khall pack, before I¡¯d grown a spine and a new family, there had been a shufter named


    Mavis, Mavis and her cruel gang of pretty packmates. Alissa had been one of them. Granted, she had


    never outright hurt me, but she had stood by while the others did their worst.


    ¡°You know her? Ignatius murmured in my car


    Alissa smiled sheepishly. ¡°I know you have no reason to trust me, all things considered. But we¡¯re here


    to help. We heard about what happened on Bielke turf. The Khall is willing to offer you asylum.


    She eyed Ignatius warily. ¡°All of you.¡±


    |

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130


    -Dorothy-


    ¡°Do you think we can trust them?¡± I whispered to Ignatius, eyeing the Khall shifters while they spoke to


    the healers in the


    Alissa and her crew had taken us straight to the Khall healing center. The same ce where I¡¯d


    rejected Johan all those years ago. Now, we were here on different terms, desperately seeking help for


    our unconscious baby boy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have a choice, Ignatius murmured, keeping his expression neutral as he leaned back


    against the wall. ¡°What reason would they have to betray us? They¡¯re just as concerned about the


    vampires as the rest of us¡±


    I guess I folded my arms across my chest, ufortable to be back on Khall turf. ¡°But something


    doesn¡¯t feel right. The Khall have always been resentful of the Bielke. Why wouldn¡¯t they just leave us


    in the woods to fend for ourselves.


    Before we could continue our whispered conversion, a familiar face made an appearance and I felt my


    heart lift slightly at the sight of the grinning old hat.


    Well if it isn¡¯t Ignatius Armounds. The wicked old woman whacked Ignatius with her clipboard. ¡°Had I


    known the trouble you¡¯d get this poor girl into, I would have never let you visit her in the first ce.¡±


    Even Ignatius had to crack a smile upon seeing the grumpy old healer again. It had been her who first


    helped me with my inquries, courtesy of Mavis and her gang. This healer had guided me through a


    brutal rejection with Johan, and a budding rtionship with Ignatius too.


    The old healer¡¯s face fell then and she took my hands in her wizened ones. ¡°I don¡¯t know what was


    done to that child of yours, but I promise we will do our best to help him.¡±


    I was hesitant to leave Elias alone, but the kind healer made me feel a little better about it. At least with


    her, our be in good hands.


    son would


    After talking with the nurses, Alissa came back to look us over. The Khall Alpha wants to see you. I¡¯ll


    escort you to the elder


    council hall


    ¡°Can I see Anita?¡± I blurted out and Alissa raised an eyebrow at me while 1 backtracked ¡°It¡¯s just, I


    haven¡¯t heard from her in months. I was starting to get worried¡±


    A hint of sympathy passed across Alissa¡¯s features, so fast I almost missed it. But then she shook her


    head. ¡°Unfortunately that won¡¯t be possible right now. I¡¯ve been instructed to escort you straight to


    Alpha Jeb.


    It was odd, how nice they were all being to us. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Khall wanted


    something more from us They had to have some other motive for taking us in other than the kindness


    of their hearts


    We agreed to meet with Jebediah, and Ignatius shook the older shifter¡¯s hand stiffly. We were


    ufortably aware of how bedraggled we looked. I wished they had at least allowed us time to


    shower before presenting us to the elder council.


    Maybe the elders took some kind of peny pleasure in seeing their formidable foes looking so worn


    down


    Jebediah shook my hand gravely ¡°Firstly, I want to give you my condolences. I can only imagine how


    difficult the past few days have been for you both¡±


    I dipped my head slightly in response and the Alpha sighed quietly before turning back to Ignatius.


    ¡°As for your pack, we heard what happened with the vampires. We¡¯ve been suspicious of vampire


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    activity for a while, and I have gone out of my way to guard the Khall against such threats


    Ignatius kept his mouth shut, eyeing the man with suspicion. It was a knock to his pride, losing his title


    to a dhampir outsider. But it was a knife to his heart to know that he¡¯d failed his people where others


    had seemingly seeded.


    Jel cleared his throat, ufortable with my mate¡¯s icy silence. ¡°We¡¯ve been spying on these


    monsters since they first


    08 Fri, Jan 26


    started showing up again. We have intel on their army and how they operate¡±


    The old Alpha sped his hands together, bowing his head to Ignatius.


    The Khall would be willing and able to help you free the Bielke from vampiric control. All I ask is that


    you remember our kindness in future. Should we ever be in search of allies, I would like to know that


    the Bielke will fight at our side.¡±


    Ignatius spent over an hour discussing the matter with Jebedaiah. By the time the Alpha excused


    himself, my mate looked even more discouraged than before.


    We followed Alissa to our temporary suite within Jeb¡¯s mansion in stony silence. Later that evening,


    Ignatius and I hadid out the Khall¡¯s proposal for Angie and Fac.


    Stifled by the prim and proper ways of the Southern pack. Ignatius and I decided to go for a walk. Both


    of us could do with a bath, but the thought of spending one more minute in thevish suite the Khall


    had given us was unthinkable.


    Back home, our people were suffering, Wallowing in thep of luxury just didn¡¯t feel right.


    We left Angie and Fae behind to watch over Amelie. The two she-wolves promised to guard her with


    their lives, but both of them looked like they were about to pass out standing up.


    We made them both promise to get some rest and, and before we left, I spotted Fac ogling over the


    various scented soaps in


    Ignatius and I walked until we came across a river. I could recall a river from back when I used to


    wander this forest, but it would seem the shape of it had changed over the time I¡¯d been gone. Before it


    had been nothing more than a babbling brooke. Now the waters cut the forest in two, flowingzily


    Northwards. Towards home.


    I came to stand by my mate¡¯s side, and both of us looked over the ssy water. Our reflection was


    distorted by the small rippling movements. We were a blurry echo of the people we used to be.


    ¡°Do you think Jel¡¯s telling the truth?¡± I nced at Ignatius, but my mate kept his eyes on the water.


    ¡°About helping us fight the vampires!¡±


    Ignatius ignored the question. Instead, he stripped off the tattered remains of his shirt and dropped it at


    his feet. ¡°Lets swim. I can¡¯t stand this vampire stench.


    1 gestured over my shoulder with my thumb. ¡°You know there¡¯s a shower back that way?¡±


    Ignatius shifted to face me, gripping my jaw with a wed and bloody hand. ¡°Stay with me. Please, I


    can¡¯t bear to go back there yet.¡±


    His voice came out ragged and raw, barely human. He blinked a few times before stepping away when


    he realized he¡¯d probably startled me,


    I touched my cheek where his hand had been, before removing my own blood-stained shirt. ¡°Alright, I


    could do with a


    I was hesitant to immerse my n*ked b*dy in the deep, murky waters, but Ignatius was right. We stank of


    rust and metal and smoke. Our days on the run had left us coated in a thickyer of grime, and I felt a


    deep sense of relief when my b*dy cut through the cool water.


    I


    Ignatius watched me as I shook my hair out of its braid, more akin to a dreadlock at this point, I sank


    under the water, running my fingers through the clump of knots.


    ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll help you. Ignatius sat hip-deep in the shallows and I floated over to him. I braced


    myself against his chest while he used his ws to help me unravel thest of my dirty locks. When it


    was brushed, my hair hung down past my hips


    I had considered cutting it time and time again, especially whenever Elias gave it a painful tug. But I


    couldn¡¯t bring myself to slice away that part of myself. There were memories in hair, and mine was


    heavy with them.


    11:08 Fri, Jan 26 G


    After Ignatius was done tugging wads of cars from my scalp, we switched ces so I could clean his


    matted locks. I pressed my hands to his shoulder, fingers resting on newly healed welts and scars as I


    gently pushed his head underwater.


    Since he had stepped down as Alpha, he wasn¡¯t healing as quickly as he should have. I risked a few


    morsels of energy to heal him with my palms.


    This earned me a deep growl and a brief scolding before an eventual disgruntled, ¡°Thank you


    When we were thoroughly clean and a little more at ease, we wished what was left of our clothes at the


    edge of the river.


    I pulled on my underwear and tattered shirt that ended just below my butt. It would save me some


    semnce of modesty when we returned to the Khall


    Ignatius pulled on his damp jeans, ditching his shirt in exchange for a bare chest covered in scars. He


    brushed damp hair from his eyes and gave me the ghost of a smile. ¡°You¡¯re going pantless?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. My own torn pants looked like they¡¯d been eaten by moths. The forest had not been


    kind to the thin fabric. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice.¡±


    I turned to head back to our suite, but Ignatius touched a hand to my shoulder, turning me slowly in his


    arms. His hands. settled on my hips and 1 curled my own around his neck. He stared at my lips for a


    moment, and 1 melted against him when his mouth met mine.


    I love you, he murmured, pressing his damp forehead to mine I¡¯d shake mountains for you.¡±


    We were interrupted by someone approaching. We both turned on the spor, paranoid after everything


    that had happened. But it was Alissa who stood behind us, watching us with a kind of pained


    expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt. But There¡¯s someone here to see you


    Ignatius kept his arms around me, wary of the quiet she-wolf, ¡°Who?¡±


    Her eyes met mine and I felt the jolt of realization twisting like a knife in my chest. I saw sympathy in


    her eyes, but I also saw guilt. The faintest familiar scent reached my nose.


    I barely had time to warn Ignatius before the vampires descended upon us


    SEND GIFT

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131


    -Ignatius-


    There was no time to react, the vampires had surrounded us in an instant. I reached out to protect my


    mate, but my fingers brushed empty air as Alissa pulled Dorothy against her chest.


    Dorothy¡¯s cry was cut short when Alissa put a small de to her neck, stilling her while two vampires


    got me in a headlock.


    In my weakened state, I was in no position to fight back. And even if I was stronger, Leouldn¡¯t do it.


    Alissa held her de to my mate¡¯s neck in warning, pleading with her eyes and urging me toply.


    I mared as the vampires brought me to my knees, twisting my arms behind my back and mping


    silver shackles around


    Dorothy stood stuff against the other she-wolf, calmn and controlled. But I saw terror in her eyes, and


    her mind was loud with tumultuous thoughts that propelled outwards into my own


    Alissa sermed upset by the ordeal, but her role in the attack could not be denied. The Khall had


    betrayed us. They never had any intention of helping the Belke. They had taken us in to hand us over


    to Caius. We were a bartering tool to ensure the safety of Jeh¡¯s pack.


    Fury burned in my veins as the vampires jeered at us, locking a silver cuff around my mate¡¯s neck. The


    Don¡¯t fucking touch her!¡± Elbowing one of the vampires, I tried to get to my fret, but a sharp jab to the


    back of my head. had me downed and reeling in the dirt.


    I turned my face to the side, catching Dorothy¡¯s eye as she looked on in horror. Her raging thoughts


    mirrored my own. If they hade for the two of us, then they hade for Angie and Fae too. And


    our children.


    My heart ached painfully at the thought of our kids. Elias was alone with only the healer to protect him.


    Amelie we had left in the care of ourpanions. We might never see either of them again.


    Dorothy hissed at the bloodsuckers and kicked out at one of thein when they began to drag her away.


    My atte her were quelled by one of the attackers kneeling on my back. Barely healed wounds burst


    open under his wei


    gave way to adrenaline.


    ¡°¡±Leave her alone!¡± My voice was a roar, violently training my vocal chords as I struggled beneath the


    boot of a sat vamp


    Dorothy in turn struggled towards me, reaching out her hands. My mate¡¯s eyes locked onto mine, tears


    trailing down h checks. We fought to hold one another, to have onest touch before we lost each other


    forever.


    Her fingers grazed my face, before she was wrenched away by the cor. I saw her bare legs kicking


    up dirt as she struggled to relieve the pressure on her throat.


    I got onest glimpse of the woman I loved, her stricken face framed by wild red locks, before


    something hard and heavy hit the side of my head and the ck chasm of unconsciousness enveloped


    me.


    -Dorothy-


    When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the forest. I stared up at a nk ceiling and waited


    for my memory to return. From the throbbing ache in my temple, it was clear that I¡¯d been knocked out


    cold with something potent. My limbs were stiff and I shivered violently in my sparse clothing.


    Thest thing I could remember was Ignatius, and the look in his eye before a vampire knocked him


    unconscious. My mate had been feral, starling viciously while our attackers dragged me away. I saw


    pain in his eyes, and my heart had twisted


    when I realized I would have to break my promise


    I swore to hom that I¡¯d always be there, that he wouldn¡¯t have to lose anyone else,


    11:08 Fri, Jan 26


    Chapter 13t


    I swallowed a sob, and noticed that the cold silver cor was still locked around my neck. Groggily, I


    examined my surroundings, blinking slowly while my blurry vision became clearer. I recognized this


    ce. I had been here before.


    I was home.


    In fact, I was lying on my bed, our bed, in the grand bedroom of our home by the sea. But Ignatius


    wasn¡¯t here with me, 1 was alone And my silver cor connected to a chain that was wound and


    Groaning as blood rushed back into my aching limbs, I sat upright. The chain jangled as I moved to


    inspect the lock that kept me captive on the mattress.


    ¡°What is this¡± Panie began to set in as I tugged on the chain. The links were solid, and unless I


    managed to w the cor off my neck, I couldn¡¯t move further than a five foot radius around the


    headboard.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake


    I jolted in fright and spun to face the shifter behind me. to stood at the door, watching me with the


    same expressionless eyes as when we had found him in the yroom


    Ashiver ran through me when I looked upon my old friend. to was bere in the flesh, but it wasn¡¯t his


    soul that resided behind those eves,


    It was as if someone had thrown a veil over the true to, and neither he nor his wolf could get through


    the mesh.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on. to 1 jerked the chain, raising my voice at the subdued shifter. ¡°Where is Ignatius?


    Where are our children?


    They will be dealt with in due time, to shrugged, but he didn¡¯t move from the doorway. Instead he


    kept watching me with those dark, ssy eyes, until my skin crawled and I wrapped my arms around


    myself.


    I was ufortably vulnerable, still draped in only a flimsy shift and underwear. But to didn¡¯t seem


    to care about that, He looked on like a man devoid of emotion. Like something essential had been


    removed from his heart.


    I closed my legs tightly anyway. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been sent to prepare you for your meeting with Caius


    Canus can go fuck himself. I want to see my mate!


    I was in no position to be making demands, but the man¡¯s uncanny coolness was making me


    ufortable. My wolf bowled to escape the chains.


    to ignored my request and instead loped to stand before me at the edge of the bed. ¡°Do you know


    what truths your mate hid from you!¡±


    1 frost, narrowing my eyes at the unsettling shifter. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    But that terrible pain in my chest was back, the twisting in my stomach that told me Ignatius had been


    hiding something from me. It would seem to knew what it was. I was sure I knew the answer


    already, only my heart had been slower to admit it than my head had been


    to noticed my slight pause, when my breath caught in my chest. He leaned closer. ¡°So you already


    suspect it, do you? Why won¡¯t you just admit it then?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not true.¡± My throat was dry, and my words came out a whisper.


    to cocked his head to the side. ¡°Yes it is. You know it is. Ignatius knows what happened to your


    pack. He knows what part Elliot yed in n. And heid in from you¡±


    ¡°Stop My eyes pricked with tears, my throat closed up as I begged him to stop. ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡±


    I refused to believe his lies. But the widening chasin in my chest could not be closed again. If Ignatius


    led known, and


    11:08 Fri, Jan 26


    +h


    withheld the truth from me he had to have had a good reason. I wanted to believe that with all that was


    left of my shattered


    heart.


    ¡°Your mate didn¡¯t tell you because he thought you unworthy. It was inevitable that fate would find you


    again after all these years. You¡¯re back in the hands of the vampire, where you were always meant to


    be, Ignatius knew that the time woulde eventually Your mate was too weak to bother fighting for


    you any longer.¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I shuffled back on my hands and feet, until my back hit the headboard and the cor around my


    neck twisted painfully.


    But to was relentless, delivering his words with a nk, apathetic expression. ¡°Your mate was weak


    for stepping down. He was foolish for believing that some underhanded tactics would be enough to get


    his title back. He was unworthy of the Alpha title, just as you were unworthy to be his Luna.¡±


    to straightened up and folded his arms.


    ¡°Caius is the rightful ruler of the Bielke. The savior of the shifters. His reign is backed by lore and


    prophecy, Legend speaks of a dhampir child who will unite the vampires and the shifters and carry us


    all to a new age of prosperity. Caius is that very child and his ascension begins nove


    Just before he¡¯d finished speaking, two more figures joined to at the edge of the bed. I recognized


    the dark-haired vampire nude, and the somber, ghostly female from earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, shifter. The woman touched a hand to to¡¯s shoulder, and her mncholic eyes met


    mine for a moment before she dropped her gaze to the floor. ¡°Cuius will see her now


    It was Catus who had cast control over to, who had poisoned the minds of the Bielke people. I was


    sure of it. I wondered why to had been sent to prepare me for our conversation in the first ce.


    Either he wanted his introduction as the dhampir messiah to precede him, or he had sent to to break


    me down mentally


    first


    The cogs turned in my head as I watched a fourth figure enter the room. A broken mind was a


    malleable mind.


    He had gotten to to when the shifter was weakened. He had gotten to the Bielke when they believed


    their Alpha abandoned them. He wanted to get to me, when I was crushed by the notion of my mate¡¯s


    betrayal.


    Strong hands suddenly gripped my shoulders, pressing me into the mattress. I looked up into the


    piercing dark eyes of Caius, the dhampir outcast.


    He had looked fairly handsome from afar, but up close he looked like a monster. His teeth were a little


    too pointed, his angr face warped to demonic proportions. Stringy white hair fell over his shoulders,


    fading to a dark ck at his roots


    He dyed his hair. He wanted to look like Ignatius.


    Unlike Ignatius, his eyes were a deep, dirty brown. Ellior¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Hello, little Luna,¡± his breath stank of blood and bile. ¡°Are you ready to join our crusade?¡±


    I would rather die than side with this monster, this man who had taken everything from me. I would fight


    him to my very


    Cauis roared in fury when I spat at his face. He released me for a second, wiping at his eye and


    hissing. His backhand left me winded and woozy on the bed. My cheek stung where his hand had


    connected, and the impact of his ring left bruising there.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you want,¡± Caius seethed.


    He motioned for the vampire woman to step closer. When she hesitated, he roared. ¡°Now, Enmal This


    is why I brought you along¡±


    I looked from Caius to Enma, breathing rapidly. When I tried to get up, Canis forced me down again. He


    pressed his forearm to my chest, leaning in close to my car while the woman pressed her fingers to my


    temple.


    58:


    Chapter 13)


    A burning sensation Tared-in my head, a fire spreading outwards from where the woman¡¯s fingers


    touched my skin. I screeched when the burning became too painful to bear, twisting under Caius as he


    chuckled in my car.


    ¡°Unlike my own ability. Enma¡¯s mind control is permanent. We¡¯re going to wipe your memories clean.


    liule Luna. You should be happy, all your problems are about to disappear.¡±


    1 screamed, a piercing wail that went on and on. I fought against the dhampir man, trying in vain to


    twist my head away from the woman¡¯s touch. But Caius gripped my face, nails digging into my cheeks


    and holding my head in ce.


    Heughed loudly when tears streamed down my cheeks, mocking my futile struggle. ¡°When you¡¯ve


    been reduced to at nk canvas. I¡¯m going to make you my Luna. And you will stand at my side while


    execute your mate.¡±


    I fought him, both mentally and physically, raging against the darkness that touched my mind.


    I raced through my memories, of Ignatios and our children, of Angie and Far and everyone I had ever


    loved. I tucked them into the furthest corners of my mind, burying them deep, hiding them from the all-


    consuming shadow that breached my


    vision,


    But eventually, there was no more fighting, no more struggling. Only aplete and utter darkness that


    sucked me down into its ck and silent depths.


    SEND GIFT


    COMMENT

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132


    -Unknown-


    Who are you?


    It was silent in my head them, but I could have sworn I heard someb*dy calling to me. Someone had


    touched my mind, dug their nails in anul begged me to remember. Remember what?


    Who was it Someone important. Someone precious. Someone couldn¡¯t bear to let go of. But their voice


    was gone, as had never been there. And I was left with an overwhelming feeling of loss, an all-


    consuming grief that nearly drove me to tear out the heart that caused me so much pain.


    Who are you?


    My own memories gave no answer. There was nothing there but me. My mind was a sprawling, dark


    space, devoid of light, of life. Whe am 1


    ¡°Vte¡± Are you awake, dear?¡± An unfamiliar voice coaxed me to consciousness.


    Topened my eyes to see a ceiling I didn¡¯t know. The voire called again, and lifted my head to see a


    strange, pale woman peering at me from the doorway She stiled slightly when she caught my eye and


    hastily entered, shutting the door behind


    her.


    ¡°You slept in today, are you feeling alright?¡±


    I sat up slowly, taking in my surroundings. I was in a room I didn¡¯t recognize, in avish bed fit for a


    king. Next to the bed was a stall cot, and I could see the tousled red hair of a sleeping child poking out


    from under the nkets.


    Who¡¯s that? Was that me speaking? Even my hoarse voice felt unfamiliar. My throat hurt like I¡¯d spent


    the night screaming.


    I put a hand to my throat. The skin there felt raw and tender to touch.


    eyes looked so sad that I wanted to reach out andfort her. ¡°That¡¯s


    The woman looked over at the sleeping child. Her ey your son. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°My son?¡± That felt right somehow. I felt a connection with the small child who slept soundly under the


    covers. But the woman¡¯s next words made me shiver slightly, for reasons I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Caius is waiting for you downstairs. Your husband.¡±


    1 frowned, looking down at my hands in myp. Why did that name make my skin crawl? I rubbed my


    eyes, racking my brain for information. But there was nothing


    The woman perched on the bed beside me and cupped my check in her hand. ¡°You¡¯ve had a terrible


    fever these past few days. Perhaps it has affected your memory.¡±


    Her lips parted like she wanted to say more, but she shook her head and pulled her hand away,


    straightening up and brushing her palms on her skirt. ¡°Not to worry, they shoulde back to you


    eventually, Would mydy like some breakfast!¡±


    ¡°No I struggled to speak, wrestling internally with the strange emotions that raged in my chest. ¡°No, I


    want-


    I want to hold him one more time.


    pressed a fist to my forehead, scrunching my eyes closed as I searched for words that wouldn¡¯te.


    Hold who? Why was there such a painful longing within me?


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Poor thing. The woman kept her hands behind her back this time, shifting ufortably from one foot


    to the other. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.


    The woman stepped out and I was left with my thoughts. I couldn¡¯t understand it, but something felt so


    very wrong. The answer to all of my questionsy on the tip of my tongue, but when I tried to bite down


    it was gone. I couldn¡¯t bury my teeth. into anything solid.


    I looked up when the woman returned, apanied by another new stranger. This figure was a man,


    white hair framing his sharp features.


    The man looked at me with what could only be described as unabashed pride. He shed me a smile,


    almost smug as he strode toward me. ¡°Ah Vte, you¡¯re finally up¡±


    I stiffened when he gripped my chin, peering into my eyes like he was searching for evidence of


    something. With his face close to mine, he asked, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    My eyes darted to the woman behind him. But she merely hung her head. Meeting the man¡¯s gaze, I


    gave a half-hearted answer, ¡°Caiud My husband.¡±


    The words felt blocky and wrong on my lips.


    The man smiled broadly, nting a quick k*ss on my forehead that had me shrinking away from his


    touch. ¡°So you do remember. What a relief. You¡¯ve been quite unmanageable over thest few days,


    I¡¯m d to see that the fever has passed.¡±


    ¡°I was sick?¡± I leaned away from him, breathing a quiet sigh of relief when he stepped back.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he shook his head, berating me like one would scold a child. ¡°You made life very difficult for


    everyone, throwing things around and kicking up a fuss. But you¡¯re better now, and have a surprise for


    you.¡±


    I corked my head to the side, eyeing him auspiciously. ¡°What kind of surprise?¡±


    The man, Caius, tossed his head back, flicking his hair over his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going to be executing


    a traitor in three days¡¯ time. The man is quite a celebrity among these parts. Once he¡¯s out of the


    picture, we will finally be in full control of this


    Jan 20


    Jand


    ¡°What did this traitor d do


    Caius narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°He questioned my rule, he conspired against me. If it weren¡¯t for me,


    he would have killed you. For that, he has to die¡±


    I don¡¯t know what came over me, but I was driven to know more about this alleged traitor. What had he


    done to hurt me?


    Caius took my hand then, and 1 forced down thepulsion to pull away. ¡°And when he¡¯s gone, I¡¯ll


    finally make you my true queen. You will belong to me, mind, b*dy, and soul.¡±


    1 didn¡¯t like the sound of that. Something in my chest howled that every part of this was wrong, wrong,


    wrong. But it was his next words that stopped my heart.


    ¡°By the summer solstice, you will be my Luna, and Ignatius Armpundt will be dead¡±


    Something in me broke. It was a violent rupture that had me hunched over and pressing my clenched


    fists over my heart, Cauis drew his hand back in disgust, storming out of the room while I wept


    inconsbly for a man I did not know,


    -Calus-


    ¡°It¡¯s not working¡± I raged, mming my list against the wall while Haedin looked on in bemusement.


    I pointed a finger at the dark-eyed vampire. ¡°Your sister¡¯s abilities aren¡¯t as good as you promised! That


    damned mutt way crying for her mate! I thought you said she wouldn¡¯t remember anything!¡±


    Hardin merely shrugged, distracted by the fabric that he twisted in his hands. He¡¯d taken it from the


    home of that shifter he was so interested in. It was all he had until we could to track her down.


    He had been more than a little upset to learn that both her and her she-wolf lover had escaped our


    ambush at the Khall


    Now, he brought the fabric to his nose, inhaling deeply with eyes closed like it was some kind of


    intoxicating drug. To Hardin, it probably was. The vampire executioner had always been a little


    unhinged. Even without his talent with necromancy, he would still make people ufortab


    Irritated, I lifted a de from my pocket and lobbed it in his direction. The glinting de wedged itself


    into the wall next to his head, quivering slightly while Haedin slowly opened his eyes


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, sire,¡± he saidzily, tugging the de from the wall. ¡°Enna has only just


    begun. The she wolf¡¯s memories are gone. Now it¡¯s time to start nting new memories. These things


    take time.¡±


    I was unconvinced. I folded my arms, baring my fangs when the vampire began carving runes into the


    desk in front of him. ¡°She still loves him.¡±


    Maybe so,¡± Hardin continued nonchntly, twisting the dagger into the smouthed wood, but those


    feelings can be redirected. Have patience, Stre, it won¡¯t be long before that she-wolf is the perfect,


    obedient bride.¡±


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