Alpha Malachi stood on the balcony of the southern tower of Lindersay that overlooked the shrine on one side and the vast forest that surrounded the castle on the other.
He was deep in thought as he watched the shadows move inside the jungle. He knew what they were…who, they were. Rogues. And yet, in his three centuries as Alpha of Lindersay, this was the first time he had seen them act bizarrely.
“An isolated attack or a warning?” Malachi mused to himself as he watched the shadows with narrowed eyes. He got the vague feeling that he was being watched, not by the woman who had come to a halt at the top of the stairs, but by someone inside the forest. But he couldn’t pinpoint the direction. That was another first for him.
“Come, Ezra.” He spoke softly as he heard the soft footfalls turn back. “I was about to leave myself.”
“It’s alright.” Came her soft, melodic voice. “I thought I might be disturbing you.”
Malachi turned to face the golden haired woman that had come to stand beside him, just as thunder cracked the night dark sky. Neither of them was startled, but they did turn to look at the sky as rain began to pour first in a slow drizzle and then heavily.
Ezra smiled at the sky as yet another thunder struck. “I’ve come to love the rain and thunder.” She whispered, knowing that Malachi would hear her.
“I wish I could say the same.” Malachi shook his head as he narrowed his eyes at the sky.
“Something troubles you,” Ezra tilted her head to the side, looking at him with intense blue eyes. “What is it?”
The cold wind blew back Malachi’s hair from his face. He had let it grow longer once again and now it reached past his shoulders. It was a blessing and a curse. He liked his hair longer, but it also reminded him of how soft female hands had once run their fingers through them…hands he could no longer touch.
“The rogues have become more organized, clever.” He turned his eyes of pure blue to the woman beside him. “It’s as if they are now following an Alpha.”
Ezra’s eyes widened in surprise. “A rogue Alpha? That’s impossible!”
“Is it really?” Malachi gave her a rueful smile.
Ezra had almost forgotten how beautiful he looked when he smiled. How long has it been? When was the last time she had actually seen him smile genuinely? She couldn’t remember, but it has been centuries.
“Do you think it’s…?”
“It’s possible, yes.” Malachi looked at the sky as yet another thunder illuminated the night. “I guess there is no way to know until they come for us.”
“Then it’s a good thing the new recruits will be arriving tomorrow.” Ezra watched the shadows move in the dark with a heavy heart.
“Yes.” Malachi nodded in agreement. “Have the Lunar Maidens prepared for the welcoming ceremony?”
“Everything is as you requested…Alpha.”
Flora’s P.O.V
I watched the couple standing on the southern tower interact with each other. From afar and probably even from close up, they would seem like two individuals just having a good conversation. But something about them had always been…different.
Malachi and Ezra were much more than just acquaintances and anyone with a keen eye could tell.
When I had first opened my eyes at Lindersay, without my memory, without any recollection of who I was, I had thought that Malachi was a god in wolf form. A wolf god perhaps? I had even harbored a minor crush for him like most women in Lindersay did. But as the days had passed by, I had realized that my interest in Malachi was just that, a woman appreciating a man and nothing more.
Ezra had become the mother figure I had desperately needed and Emma and Daphne had become my best friends. These people were my family now and Lindersay, my home. There was so much I had to learn in the past two years and so much left for me to know, so many mysteries yet to solve. However, there were two mysteries that always inhabited my mind.
First: what was the relationship between Ezra and Malachi?
And second: why did I get the feeling that someone was waiting for me in the woods beyond Lindersay?
Neither one of these seemed to be actual mysteries; just my imagination running wild at best. Malachi and Ezra were friends who had lived in Lindersay for a long time and the only thing waiting in the woods for me was death at the hands of the rogues.
However, I couldn’t shake this gut feeling that whatever lay beyond the palace gates was my destiny and the truth behind Malachi and Ezra’s relationship was the only way to unlock my lost memories.
Flora’s P.O.V“Is everything ready?” Ezra asked as she peeked her head through the door to the ceremonial hall.The giant overhead chandelier scattered its golden light on her hair, making it glow and I wasn’t the only one who thought she looked beautiful as several giggles went around the room.“Flower garlands are ready; the incent sticks are burning and the celebratory dinner is being prepared in the kitchen.” I listed off my completed duties to her as I went to greet her at the door. “Daphne finished cleaning everything this afternoon and Rosa is taking care of arranging the rooms for the soldiers.”“She isn’t back yet?” Ezra looked a little concerned. “The soldiers are supposed to arrive in half an hour.”“I’ll go ch-”“I’m back!” Rosa called out before I could finish my sentence, as she came to stand next t
Flora’s P.O.VGetting past security was surprisingly easy.I don’t know if it’s because they were excited for the feast or something else was the matter, but security was low and even though the entire palace was buzzing with activity, we seemed to go unnoticed.Joshua looked thankful as we made it past the gates without any complaints. Although we were stopped by the guards, I explained to them that I needed herbs for the injured soldier and we were immediately allowed through, but with an extra guard. I felt relieved that now I had two escorts instead of one and both had guns to defend us in case any rogues were lingering in the woods.It was a ten minute walk to the destination where most herbs were found. It’s not that herbs didn’t grow near the castle, but with constant picking, the herbs had stopped growing as much near the castle and now, we had to walk further into the woods to get the necessary
Flora’s P.O.VEverything around me seemed to disappear, as if we were the only two people in the world. My heart was beating wildly inside my chest, but I didn’t understand why. I felt a pain in my chest, a strange kind of longing.The red took a step forward and I instinctively flinched back, making it halt with its paw mid-step. My eyes once again connected with the red rimmed gold of its iris and I saw confusion swirl in them.The wolf wasn’t just a rogue, but a powerful one. I could feel its strength by the way he held his body, even in wolf form. And the shove of power I got from him was very similar to Malachi’s…the power of an Alpha. But how could that be? How could an Alpha become a rogue?Suddenly, I saw flashes of images dance in front of my eyes.A red wolf chasing me across the forest. I was running away from it, as fast as I could. The sun was setting in the horizon but there was no s
“Ricky’s body was found near the patrol parameter half an hour ago.” Malachi looked down at the woods as he spoke; the world covered in a veil of darkness. “He’s dead. It looks like the Alpha got rid of the newbie.”“A Rogue Alpha?” Ezra looked puzzled and worried as she stood behind Malachi.It was unheard of, just as unheard of as the fact that rogues could now turn other wolves with a bite. Rogue killing rogues however, wasn’t a new phenomenon.But how did these rogues turn it into a disease? Or was the soldier already on the verge of becoming a rogue? There were too many questions and very little answers.“I had heard legends of them as a child.” Malachi said now as he turned to Ezra. “They were a myth no one wanted to believe in, especially the Moon Goddess. She always thought turning her back on the wolves who worshipped her would be the ultimate punishment, leading them to beco
Flora’s P.O.VA necklace? The heaviness felt like a pendant but I didn’t open my eyes until he whispered in my ears to open them. My hands instantly went to my throat as I felt the chain and then the pendant…It was a heart. The pendant was attached to a silver chain and the heart was a beautiful emerald green, with a touch of blue at the centre…the exact colour of my eyes. It looked impossibly beautiful…it was a symbol…Pendant…Emerald green…eyes…his eyes…Flora…“Thank you… I’ll cherish it forever.”Flora…“Flora?”Gasping, I sat up in bed, only to clutch my head as the world began to spin.“Easy, easy…” Soothing voice, calming hand on my shoulders.“Mercy?” I looked at the aged wolf in
Flora’s P.O.VI held the pendant in my hands two hours after I had found it and I couldn’t find it in me to let it go.I had taken a long, hot shower and was now dressed in a night gown in white as I sat on top of my soft, comfortable bed and looked at the pendant with unbroken focus, as if it could simply start talking and give me all the answers I was hoping for.The dream I had when I was unconscious…was it even a dream or was it a memory? If it was a memory…then why didn’t I remember more? Why didn’t I remember the face of the person who gave me this necklace?A heart shaped pendant symbolized love, right?I had a lover in my past? Was it someone I truly loved? Was it someone I couldn’t live without? Was it my mate?Were the speculations really true? Daphne and Emma had told me after I had woken up that there were a lot of speculations about my past. That a lot of rumors were g
Flora’s P.O.V“Mate.”Shocked gasps and whispers sounded from all around me but it felt like everything was so very far away.Did I hear him right? Are my ears ringing?But when I looked up into topaz eyes, I could see the shock and realization there as well. Andre was looking at me with his eyes wide, pupils’ dilated as the others in the room looked at us in wonder.Mate?Mate…The word, the concept…it all felt foreign…like I was hearing them for the first time. I had found my mate, right? Andre Saltzman…the general of the new recruit army…was my mate…But didn’t I feel anything?“What is your name, My Lady?” Andre came forward, almost invading my personal space before I hastily took a step back.The action made him and quite a few others frown but he didn’t comment. Instead he waited patiently for
Flora’s P.O.VEach gunshot felt like a bullet to my heart. Each wail of pain a knell.I turned away from the scene and briskly walked back to my room even as several of the maidens still stood at the tower balcony, almost like they were enjoying the killing.Yes, they were rogue wolves and yes, the troops were brought in for our protection…but this seemed like a slaughter.These rogues were once normal wolves. Friends and family of the people who had lived in Lindersay for centuries. How could Malachi allow this? Andre was supposed to scare them, not slaughter them!Malachi’s acceptance to this entire proposal by Andre seemed like a betrayal to me even though I had no reason to feel so. Everything about it felt morally wrong! The soldiers had been brought in to protect us! They weren’t supposed to go on a killing rampage! If they wanted to be violent like this…what difference did we have left with th