~ NoxI was in total darkness. Alimbo.It was like being asleep but not too far gone, held back and tethered by conversations that streamed into my consciousness. These tethers were like ropey tendrils coming from a place in the darkness, pulling me closer and closer to…something. At the back of my mind I knew it was pulling me closer to waking up. The strongest of these tethers belonged to Zora, and the more she spoke to me and touched me, the closer I got to waking up. Everyday I waited for her. Her conversations with me became like the very air that I breathed. Until today, something felt wrong. I had been feeling that way since the day before. I could feel her fear, excitement, anxiety, relief, ache, confusion, insecurity as well as her strength, love, happiness and joy. Must have been the mark she gave me. It gave me direct access to her emotions more than our bond ever gave me. It made me curious as to what could be going on presently to get her to feel all the things I
~ Tyler I was on my afternoon run when suddenly I felt weak and sick to the stomach. The more I ran, the weaker I felt and eventually I had to lean a hand on a nearby tree and pant for air.Greg, my Beta who had been my running partner slowed to a jog and watched me apprehensively. "You good?" My vision went blurry and I shook my head to shake it clear. Eventually, I had to lower myself to a sitting position, and close my eyes. "Gods!" Greg muttered and I felt him kneel by my side. "Here, drink this." Greg said, offering me a bottle of water. I took a sip and swallowed but my mouth tasted bitter. Then I began to shiver, while feeling a fiery heat burn me up from the inside. "What's going on? How do you feel?" I managed to tell him through chattering teeth. "That sounds like the effects of poison." Greg muttered. "I'll be right back." He said and when I managed to open my eyes into slits, I saw his form retreating into the woods, and bending down to pick some things. I must hav
~ TylerI maintained my sitting position, unfazed by his approach. Troy reached me and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me up. Angered by his assault, I pushed him back with force till he was pinned against a wall. His wolf came to the surface and so did mine. We growled at each other but I was too focused on maintaining my authority that I didn't catch his swipe. Pain lanced through my side as Troy got me good with his claws. I roared in pain before grabbing him and throwing him a few feet away. Troy crashed into a nearby drawer, shattering it completely. The rest of the Alphas had risen to their feet by now with features of alarm on their faces. Being a wolf well advanced in years, Troy didn't get up as fast as he should. So I started to advance on him, fuelled by my anger and ready to tear him to shreds. Emilia suddenly stepped in my way, placing a hand on my chest and standing between me and Troy. For the first time since I had met her, I saw the look of fear and worry o
~ ZoraI heard those familiar sounds again. Beep. Beep. Beep.I opened my eyes and found that my eyelids were too heavy. My head ached and I had the worst bitter taste in my mouth but the air was rich with the smell of flowers. Lots of it.Looking around I quickly learned that I was in a hospital room but it was filled with flowers of different kinds, most of which were tulips and roses of different colors.I tried to recollect how I got here. For a start, the first memory that came to me was my first meeting with Mabel after which I woke up in hospice care. But I knew something else happened after that."Zora?" Someone with a voice of honey called my name. A voice I had been waiting to hear for a while now. Moving my head to the side, my gaze landed on two stormy eyes."Nox?" I said or rather tried to say but my voice came out dry and scratchy. A pinch at the back of my throat and I began to cough. In an instant, Nox poured me some water and lifted my head off so I could sip some.
~ ZoraThe moment Nox told me he fired Roman, I was too shocked to say a word, so I kicked him out of my room and went to sleep. It took me a couple of hours to get better and the moment I did, I left the hospital. At first, I felt sad as I was being escorted by my guards out of the hospital building, but when I got out, my mouth dropped open. The lands spread out before the hospital in Sector Three was now almost unrecognizable. Where there had been demarcations to keep the sick in, there was nothing now. The lands had almost been cleared of tents!Still in awe, I went to the area where loved ones usually stayed and told my guards to wait for me. They obliged and I walked half a mile ahead until I saw a hut. Getting to the door, I took a deep breath, but as I was about to knock, I heard a voice, "It's open. Come in." So I turned the knob and slowly pushed the door back. Stepping in, I closed it behind me as I took in the one room residence. The walls were made of clay and the ro
~ NoxAfter I watch my mate disappear into the woods, I turn to face my best friend. Roman had his arms crossed, staring at me with a cold gaze. The fact that he hadn't invited me into his house showed how pissed he really was at me. Well, so was I.I folded my arms, mirroring his stance and stared back. Roman's right brow peaked in question but I didn't oblige. "So you're not going to say anything?!" He deadpans."What do you want me to say, Rome?""I deserve an apology, Nox!"I remain silent. "Over twenty years of friendship, part of which I have been in service to you and you condemn me for one mistake?!"My jaw tightens as I lift a brow. "Mistake? She could have died, Roman. Do you understand what that means?"Roman's angry gaze immediately softens and his defensive stance slackens. He looks away from me in what I could assume was guilt or shame. "You could have doomed me forever. If she had died, I would have died right along with her. Up here," I pointed to my head. "I'm s
~ ZoraRoman left for The Underground while Nox and I drove back home. On the way, I reached out to my sister but didn't get any feedback from her. I immediately made my concerns known to Nox. "After you became hospitalized, I suspected that Troy might do something, so I informed her of everything and also told her I had arranged for her and your parents' extraction. They are set to leave your former pack this evening in the middle of the night." I sighed a breath of relief but I still wasn't completely at ease. I checked my phone again but still had no response from Hailey. Throughout the ride home, worrisome thoughts and assumptions about the safety of my sister and my parents plagued me. The moment we got home, I noticed people going in and out of our compound. When they saw our car, they immediately turned back with smiles, peering in through the window, smiling and waving. "What's going on?" I asked Nox."Well, you're the hottest celebrity in town. People are still bringing
~ ZoraWe were able to get about five hours of sleep before we prepared for Kirsten's funeral. I mentally said a prayer of thanks for being forced to nap as I now felt instantly better. Nox looked better as well and the bags under his eyes seemed to have reduced drastically. While we prepared, I kept mulling over the thought of him having a past love but I decided it wasn't yet time to ask. Once he was dressed, he left so Emelda could come in and help me dress. We settled for a simple black knee length gown, on black transparent thigh high stockings with a semi-large brim hat that had a dark net attached to it.We decided I wouldn't go with flashy earrings but instead of a pearl necklace, I wore a simple pendant with a crescent moon at the bottom. Soon, I was in the passenger seat of Nox's car heading to the place where the funeral would take place. My phone buzzed and I checked it to see a message from Hailey."Hey Sis."A feeling of relief and excitement floods my system and I fi