The preparations for the final match are being organized by Andy and I, we ensure that the arena is cleaned up and ready for use tonight. Cora is in charge of handling the feast, whether we win or not. I’m surprised that Erika is approaching me later in the day, I’ve not seen her for days now.“Can I have a word with you?” She asks and I nod.“It’s been a while though,” I say.“Zane, I want to inform you that I’ll be leaving this pack after tonight’s match. I don’t have any other choice than to leave.”“Erika, I’m not sending you away. You can stay as much as you want, you are not clashing paths with Cora and she’s not bothered about you,” I tell her.“I know that and it's the exact reason why I am going to leave. I don't have a place in this pack anymore, people are already gossiping about what I'm doing in the pack house. Zane, we don't share the mate bond anymore.”It's true about what she just said, we don't share the mate bond anymore and this means that Erika does not have any
Cora’s episodes seem to take a break after she took the reliever, although she is now more distant than before. It worries me that she is not even bothered to walk around her room, she simply lies in bed and says nothing.Mother has already assured me that she is going to meet with Noah to discuss and know what his plans are, the only way to remove Maeve’s mark on Cora’s neck is by telling her to remove it herself. Cora is passing through a lot of pain and it breaks my heart to see her in this awful state.“What are you thinking about, Alpha?” Conrad asks me.I’ve been pacing around the office for hours trying to figure out how I’m going to help Cora get over this trauma.“I’m worried about Cora, ever since she experienced that incident at midnight pack, Cora has withdrawn herself from everyone. She’s no longer joyful and bold, she’s just there looking so empty.”“Eleanor has already proposed a plan to sort things out, all you have to do is to pray that her plan works out and offer wo
ELEANOR I pull the red cloak over my body to cover myself properly like a witch I am, I hold a lantern with a single fire flame in it. The light is dimmed and an incense is burned out, its smoke rising to the sky. I go far from my coven so that I will not be traced by any third party that Noah might have organized.Instead, I wait on the other side of the woods towards the north and stand at the centerfield, my hands are stretched out with the lamp hanging firmly. I have to appear as a high-ranked witch in other to make them feel comfortable around me, I detect their steps soon.Noah is not alone, someone else is with him. I cloak myself first, making me invisible for the moment until they come into view. Noah is with the shaman of the midnight pack, I unveil myself to them and they startle.“Greetings, the last and most powerful witch,” Noah greets with enthusiasm.“Just call me Eleanor,” I scoff.The shaman nods, “Greetings, Eleanor.”“You wanted to see me, why?”I look stern and d
Following Noah and the shaman back to the midnight pack makes me revisit the past, my mind plunders on how much things have changed since the extinction of witches. This was the reason why I had left the midnight pack because I knew that there was a threat to my existence. The pack hasn’t changed a bit, the mysterious clouds that lightened the days are still in the sky. The people are staring briefly at our car as we pass the streets, heading to the north. I prepare myself mentally for whatever I am going to face with Maeve’s energy, I am aware that her energy has waxed stronger for her to be able to embed her tattoo on Cora’s neck. The ruins that remain from the wrecking of the witch’s coven are livid, the memories refresh in my mind. As we near the covens, I feel Maeve’s energy. She must be expectant to see me here.“We have banned people from coming here since Maeve’s energy was unlocked, we felt that it is safer for this area to be empty,” Noah says.“As you should, Maeve’s ene
The quietness of my coven seems to make me uncomfortable, I feel like something is about to pop out and crash. Feeling tired, I lay on my comfy bed and closed my eyes. But the shuffling of branches from afar gets me on my feet again, I make my invisible and stand in front of my coven, watching ahead to know who is coming.Mireya’s figure comes into view and I hiss, unveiling myself to her. At first, she looks startled to see me in front of her but she waves it off soon.“What brings you here, Mireya?” I ask her.She huffs with pride, “Your son has made a terrible mistake and he does not want to correct it.”“Mireya, when you successfully convinced Alpha Ksovtik to take you as his wife and kick me out, did you forget that you made a promise to him to take care of Zane as your son?”She bats her lashes frantically at me, “Well I did but he is no longer with us and the responsibilities are back to you. My main concern now is giving my son the life he deserves…”“And that life involves th
CORA After Eleanor leaves me alone, I try to force myself to sleep. Shifting uncomfortably on my bed becomes a habit in seconds and at last, I force my eyes open and sit up. My hand flies to the tattoo on my neck and I caress it gently, I still can’t believe that it was burning so hot a moment ago. I sigh and head to the window, staring outside as the faded moon illuminates the sky. My eyes become hazy and I smile with satisfaction, knowing that sleep will soon take over. I return to the bed and close my eyes, I drift into sleep immediately but instantly regret falling asleep. Where I find myself is the pathway to the cottage at midnight pack, I don’t know how I ended up there but I sense that it’s not going to turn out well. The cool air blows out and I shiver as cold creeps up my skin, I head to the cottage with no other choice. At least the warmth will help me feel warm until I figure out how to get out of this place.The inside of the cottage is not what I expected, instead, sk
I jerk out of bed as soon as the first rays of sunlight come through my window, I change my clothes quickly and head to Zane’s room. Luckily for me, he is still in bed.“I need to talk to you,” I tell him. Confronting Zane is what I needed to do so I can know what decisions to make later.He opens his slowly then sits up and gives me a confused look.“Why are you here so early?” He questions.I go closer to him and look him directly into his eyes, I fold my arms too while he wonders why I’m acting weird.“I remember everything that happened that night at midnight pack, how could you pretend like you don’t know what my episodes are about?”Zane ruffles his hair like a busted teenager, “This is not the right time to talk about this, Cora.”“You can’t just say that it’s now or never.”He lays back on his bed and closes his eyes, probably thinking of what to say to end the conversation.“Whatever Maeve told you about me is simply a bluff and she intends to break free,” he says calmly.“Ma
My heart races with expectations, hoping to hear him say that he wants me to stay. A little bit of hope - just a little bit- to relax my nerves and make me feel okay.“Cora, I…” he hesitates again.“I’m listening, Zane.”“Cora, I agree that you should leave.”His words pierce into my heart like a broken shard, I feel the pain of those hurtful words that come out of his mouth.I must admit, I’m disappointed to hear him say that. It wasn’t what I expected him to say. But maybe I placed too much hope on him, I should’ve simply stayed still and not brought up the possibility that leaving was the best option.But then again, Maritsa is around the corner. She is waiting patiently for me to return to the Citadel pack so we can reunite and strengthen our bond. Zane is not aware of this reason, he must assume that I’m leaving because I don’t want him anymore.What other choice do I have than to accept this with a heavy heart? My feelings are mixed right now - probably confused about what to do