It was only at that moment that Ophelia discerned the shadow that lingered in Noah's crimson glare.
Luke with his free hand grabbed Noah by the collar, in his mind he had already killed Noah a thousand times. The veins in his hand were ready to burst with tension and anger. Noah pressed down with his knee when he felt him fight back. Luke winced in pain, cold sweat dripping down his temple.
“Perhaps you have come to forget the position you are in,” Noah hissed through the tightened jaw, pressing the palm of his hand on Luke’s neck. “Here is a kind reminder that you are a prisoner. If it hadn’t been for your sister's empathy you would be dead by now. She has been more than kind to allow you to rattle that mouth of yours. However, if you dare disrespect her again–”
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Ophelia waited for the tea and snacks she asked for before filling in Merrick and Hero on why they were there. They sat in the reception of her room, silently sipping on their tea. The soft breeze from the open window lightened the atmosphere between them. Amid the small chit-chat, Ophelia couldn’t her mind wandering back to her brother from earlier.Did she manage to truly melt a bit of the ice around his heart? Or was she just scrapping at the surface?“Ella,” Hero said, breaking the silence and bringing Ophelia back from her trance. “If I have another cup of hibiscus tea I might turn into a Hibiscus flower.”“I don’t mind the tea,” Merrick said, shooting a glare toward Hero. “Though I would love to know what’s the occasion. I doubt we are here just
The four members of the newly created small council didn’t meet after that night with the tea. They laid low as they agreed to avoid unwanted attention. It has already been a few days since they agreed to meet. The first time they met, they failed to get any information that could help them advance.It was harder than they thought, especially with having to peek over their shoulder wherever they went. They couldn’t trust anyone with any information…or at least that’s what they thought.Ophelia, Noah, and Hero gathered in Ophelia’s room. They waited upon Merrick, however, he wasn’t alone.Oswald Fort stood by his brother’s side with his arms crossed over his chest. It was obvious in his expression that he wasn’t here for a cup of tea. Merrick stood st
Ophelia half-dazed when she rushed out of her chambers, her mind was wandering off to horrid thoughts. It was her muscle memory that led her through the hallways. It was past midnight now, the moon was high in the sky, its light crept through the glass windows aligning the walls of the hallways. The rattling of branches were muffled in the background as she steadily walked her way, no noise was loud enough to break her trance. Her steps were hesitant, almost heavy. She questioned if it was right to visit her brother so late at night. He must be fast asleep, she thought. A peek through the door would be enough, she said in the back of her mind. A peek was all she needed to sooth the beats of her racing heart. She was worried to her stomach about Luke. The mere idea of walking up to him hurt – or maybe worse, it made her body shudder with fear. She might not trust her brother yet but, she still him dear to her heart. She was already feeling heavy with the interrogation nearing them, th
‘Run,’It was the only word that resonated in Ophelia’s mind. Barely 12 she ran through the dark cold woods. Her breath was a mess, the world was loud inside her ears despite the empty woods. All she could hear were the screams she left behind - they didn’t leave her ears. The agonizing yells from her pack were still in the back of her mind. How long has she been running? She wasn’t sure. The blood dripping from the wound on her arm was falling to the snow-covered dirt. Leaving a trail behind her every step as the air left her longs to fog her vision in the unbearable cold. She thought she knew the woods like the back of her hand, however, now she barely saw ahead of her. Ophelia couldn’t think straight anymore, the last bit of her energy was directed to keeping her on her feet and running. It was her survival instinct as a wolf that kept her alive. She stumbled to the ground and that’s when she felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, her platinum white hair falling to her face
Noah lost track of the time as he sat there best the bed. The figure of the little mysterious girl was carved in the back of his mind like a stone. She was lying still on her back this whole time. It was hard to believe that she was still alive. Noah even asked Nurse Sarah if the little girl was even breathing. The nurse saw the worry in his eyes, she ruffled his ink-black hair and reassured him that the little girl was okay. Nurse Sarah leaned into Noah’s height with a hand on his shoulder and pointed to the little girl. “Do you see the steady rhythm of the rise and fall of her chest?” the nurse asked, her voice calming in Noah’s years. “That means that she is okay,” she added and turned to look at him. “If the rhythm stops, come and get me, okay, little Lord?” Noah scoffed. “I’m not that ignorant,” he continued. “Will she wake up soon?” For a minute there Nurse Sarah had a look of doubt in her eyes as she spared a glance at the pale figure lying on the bed. Her heart hurt seein
Tick-tock, tick-tock. Noah found himself repeating the rhythm of the watch hanging atop the little girl’s head. He couldn’t bring himself to look straight into her violet eyes. He could already feel his cheeks heat from the embarrassment. The little girl avoided looking at him as well, but rather than embarrassment, she was flustered and confused. Where is this place? How did she get here? The pretty nurse has already told her but, her young mind found a hard time grasping the information all at once. She was one day at the Crescents and now she was on the other side of the continent.Ophelia could still see the smoke and ash blurring her vision. In the corner of her eyes, she could swear she saw her little brother, Luke, getting dragged away by the strangers with crests on their arms. The hallucination sent chills down her spine.“So,” She snapped out of her daze, part of her was thankful for that. She turned to look at the red-eyed boy, and she surprisingly felt at ease. She wan
Ophelia gladly ate the food served on her bed. She never realized she was this hungry until the smell of freshly baked bread teased her nostrils. The night before, she declined dinner saying her stomach was too upset to handle it. Nurse Sarah bought her a cup of sweetened warm milk instead, it helped calmed her down and before she knew it, she was in dreamland. The taste of the sweet jam and bread made her feel alive for the first time since that wretched night. The smell reminded her of home, the way her mom made breakfast when the first rays of the sun got into the kitchen. How Luke always whined that they were having the same breakfast again and he wants pancakes instead. The memory made her crack a smile, but along with it came a strong feeling of torment. It made her feel more lost than she already was. “A happy memory?” Ophelia snapped out of her dwelling and looked to her side, Noah. She forgot that he was there as her mind went astray. She found herself thinking of his qu
“This…” Sarah mumbled, breaking the silence. “This is the Crescent pack territory?” She already knew the answer. It was obvious, through the dirt and ash she could make out the platinum white hair of the Crescent wolves. However, she couldn’t help but ask. Because no matter how much she stared at the photos, it made it all the more impossible. “But that’s not possible!” Sarah added when no one answered. “The wolves of the Crescent are the strongest out there! How could they just be wiped out like that?!” Bernard had his elbows on the table while supporting his head on his knuckles. The same question was ravishing his brain. As an Alpha wolf, it hurt his dignity to admit it but there was no way he could deny it either. The wolves of the Crescent are the strongest of their species, their entire elimination was impossible - or at least that’s what they thought. “Who had such power to do this?” Valarie asked, turning to her husband. “I don’t know,” Bernard muttered. At the word