✵ AERIS POV ✵

I sat sandwiched beside the large fluffy bed, in the dark silent room, my ash long hair flowing to cover my legs , my knees were bent and drawn to my chest and my bowed head rested there.

The soft sobs that emanated from my lips was the only audible thing.

My body jerking movements as I cried was the only movement I gave as I reminisced that dark night.. The night my joy was taken from me.

The night my parents were murdered.

As real as it was, it still felt like a dream.

A nightmare per say.

I could still remember the fluid harmony as I played the flute, my favorite thing to do, while my parents ate joyously at dining table.

I could remember their happy smiles until it all happened.

The deadly troupes of the Ember Wolves swam like ants into our home and drew out my parents to the dark moon night.

Their pleas as the heartless ruthless alpha of the Ember Wolves sat like a king on his royal seat played in my mind.

The movement of the sword as itb!slashed through their necks and my ear deafening scream played and that made me snap out of my reverie.

I drew in a sharp intake of breath, lifting my head as that horrifying moment of that horrible night played in my mind

The night of my parents death.

The painful slash I always felt whenever I thought of it came on my chest again and I gripped it.

It hurt.. It hurt like hell.

The thought of losing my parents haunted me but the thoughts of never seeing them again scared me to my wits

It made me wanna go crazy, it made me wanna loose it.

They were all I got, they were my joy, my happiness, my life in fact.

And loosing them felt like it was cut in halves.

That hurt but what hurt the most was the fact that I couldn't do no thing.. I could just stand and watch my parents die.

I lifted my head from my knees as that thought cut through me.

My ash hair spiraled to my back and the dark glow of the morning as it filtered in through my window only added to the dullness I felt.

The house suddenly felt lifeless, nothing suddenly made sense anymore.

Since their deaths two days ago, everything became abnormal in my eyes.

They died in cold bloods two days ago but it felt so much like two minutes.

It was still fresh in my memory.

I sighed as I stood from the ground walking to the dull mirror in my room.

I stared at it and watched as my reflection stared back at me with its lifeless ashen eyes.

I could feel how pale my face was and how dry my skin would have become.

My long disheveled ash hair made a birds nest on my head and tangled as the flown on my body.

I sighed as I straightened out the locks with my fingers.

It did little in arranging my thick hair but at least it did something.

I was still staring at my unhealthy awkward mirror reflection when I heard the soft gentle tap of two knocks on the door.

I knew who it was at once without even asking.

I heard the door creak forcefully open and the splitting sound of the door separating from it hinges filled the air and the slamming sound of it falling on the floor followed. I sighed turning around to meet the worried face of my fiance.. Caelan.

We were mates and we'll I fell in love with him so I chose him.

He was handsome and strongly built with a slim physique.

A lot of girls had eyes on him and that was one of the reasons I felt lucky to have him cause out of the millions of prying eyes and crushing hearts, he chose me.

"Aer.. You lucked yourself in for two days and refused to let me in, I kept leaving with the hope that you'll let me in soon but you still locked yourself so I had to break the door..." Caelan said walking towards me, the worry in his eyes an assurance of his undying love for me, and his words speaking of his care and understanding of me.. Seriously if glad but then now wasn't my positive expression time cause I was totally down.

Everything took a huge toll on me and it wrecked my sanity.

He walked closer to me and I felt his strong palms hold the side of my arms as he stared down at me.

He towered over me in height slightly so I had to look up at him.

"Are you okay..." he asked, the worry laced in his eyes doubled.

I bit my lower lips as I stared directly into the handsome oceanic eyes of his and I felt my tears gather at the edge of my eyes and drop down my cheeks in rivulets as a new slash occurred in my heart by an invisible sword.

Caelan sighed and me to himself in a comforting hug and I hiccuped as I wrapped my arms around him.

"they were all I got Cee, they were all I got" I whispered as I buried my face in the crook of his neck.

Cee was the pet name I gave him and he gave me Aer.

"it's okay Aer.. You've got me now" he assured and more tears came out of my eyes.

I suddenly disengaged from him and took a deep breath.

"Aeris you should come out, you've locked yourself up for long, I know the pain of. Loosing a parent, cause I lost mine but then that shouldn't make you want to kill yourself okay.. Its breaks my heart seeing you like this and it hurts my wolf as well." he said still holding my arms and I just stared at his lips as it moved.

My eyes moved to his clean dentitions and I had seen a slight elongation of his fangs.

I sighed again and got away from his grasp.

I turned around and faced the mirror again.

"Can you go out.. I wanna be alone" I said softly and I felt him come closer.

"come out OK.., freshen up and Pls don't lock yourself in again.. I love you Aer" I felt his breath on my neck and felt his lips press that part lightly.

I heard his footsteps exit and I turned away from the mirror..

I needed to go out, my friend Isla must be so worried. I had stayed in for too long and it was unhealthy.

I raised my eyes to stare around the place.

I hadn't clean up for two days so it was quite dirty and I knew I smelled bad, suffocatingly bad, probably one of the reasons Caelan asked me to freshen up , since I hadn't changed from my clothes the night my parents died.

Remembering that incident and the way the bastard Alpha Lord sat and watched rekindled the dousing fire of fury in me.

It was that Alpha.. That damn Alpha of Ember Wolves..

How dare he.. How dare he kill me parents.

My parents would still be alive if he had not ended them before their time.

I barged out through the broken door of my room outside forgetting anything relented to clean up as anger encircled my mind.

"Aeris.. Aeris.. Aeris wait up where are you headed..." I felt Caelan hold me and him spinning me to face him.

We were outside the confines of my suffocating house.

"I want to end his goddamn life, I want to end him for killing my parents. I want to end him Caelan" I yelled and he pulled me into that bone squeezing hug again.

"it's okay.. Aeris Pls.. You're gonna be okay" he assured but I was having none of that.

"okay. You're asking me to be okay.. where were you when those Wolves soldiers raised the sword in the air, where were you when they bought it down.. You weren't there, you only came after they were hurt.." I yelled painfully.

I know this wasn't the fault of Caelan but I guessed I just needed someone to keep pinning the blame on.. To me everyone was at fault for it.

Everyone.

" Am sorry.. Am sorry I couldn't do anything.. I'm sorry Aeri.. "

" it's enough Caelan, leave me be" I said and turned around walking out of the house fully to the scantuly filled streets.

I balled my palms into a fist as I walked on the road and I felt my chest tighten in pain as I stared around.

Almost everything reminded me of them.

I walked passed the fields and I could picture them and me there, them clapping as I danced.

I looked away quickly and my eyes went to the huge square, where funfares and whatnot are always heard.

I could remember a future seer came here once and he had seen a bright future of me.

But then he was fake, yes he was.. If not why didn't he see this coming..

Why didn't he my parents were gonna die by the cruel hands of The Alpha.

He was fake, totally fake.

" Aeris.." I heard my closest friend, Isla's voice and I turned to face her.

"Aeris.. I'm so sorry.. I heard about it.. I"

"I'll kill him Isla" I balled my fist in anger looking away from her.

"What.." her eyes turned confused as I turned to face her back.

"I'll kill that Alpha.." I said angrily and heard her gasp.

"Aeris are you crazy, it's Alpha Declan we're talking about here and you killing him is way beyond impossible.., there is no way in hell you'll be able to kill that demon.

He's way strong, and he's a heartless monster, one sway or mistake from you and its off with your head.

He killed an entire army by himself, you think you can defeat such man.. "Isla yelled but every thing she said blew past my ears like dust.

All I could feel was a demented rage and all I could see was the bloody inscription of revenge.

" What is today Isla "I asked gently moving forward a bit.

" ohh.. That's was one of the things I wanted to tell you... Its the time of Nekroth Aeris, you shouldn't be out this time, they'll be abducting girls and do the sacrifice to know the one that's suitable for the ritual, remember they need girls who hasn't discovered their Wolves yet..

It's way too dangerous so plsss.. I know you locked yourself in for days but then you can spend the time at my... "

" I'm not coming with you Isla", I cut her short feeling the strong strings of determination for a tight knot in my eyes and a blatant adamance to any opposition circumnavigating my mind.

"you're not.. Then where are you going" she asked and I smirked sinisterly staring at a particular direction as I felt my throat parched in anger and my heart burn with a dying need for revenge.

"no where.. I'm letting my self get caught.." I said and turned to look at her to see her shocked expression.

"What.. Aeris, get back to your senses. You'll be sacrificed to Tharros in the next three months and it's not a pleasant sight PS.. No girl sacrificed to Tharros ever comes out.. Not to talk of alive " she yelled.

"I'm in my senses.. I meant it when I said I'll kill the alpha.." I said feeling my breaths go high.

"I meant it when I said I'LL KILL DECLAN" I said determined in a fit of boiling rage.

EMBER WOLVES

✵DECLAN'S POV✵

My elbows was balanced on the couch and my Jaws rested on my palms as I got reports from my beta.

It was another Time of Nekroth, and a sacrifice had to be done to pacify Tharros.

It's been happening since decades ago..

The sacrifice.

And it only happened at the full moon night, and now was another.

All these were a fault of mine anyways, I released Tharros for a good course but bastard changed the story entirely.

Now I have to live with always sacrificing girls who haven't discovered their Wolves yet.

Not like I cared but the stress wasn't worth it.

" Ravenwoods pack is planning an attack according to the information I got, they are angry about the unplanned attack them, they were unprepared yunno and also.."

"Fillion call Davis" I cut him short, feeling the sharpness of my voice pierce through the air.

I was feared by all, referred to many as a demon, hated and wanted dead.

So the msg Fillion, my beta was passing wasn't surprising, the only thing that made me wonder was the fact that those puny fools was planning an attack.

Scoff, those whiffs.

"OK Alpha" Fillion nodded and walked out.

I closed my eyes rubbing the skin in between by brows feeling my frown deepen.

I was always on frown, smiles and whatnot were just not my thing.

Besides my poker face always drew respect from my pack and me without smiles made them crawl in fear.

The dominance I possessed and the amount of fear I evoke from others was one thing that made me proud.

Fillion walked in soon and I raised my lashes a bit to see Davis approaching.

Davis was my gamma and he was more than scared of if me.

I could literally hear the high rate of his beating heart.

As an Alpha, I had high senses naturally but mine heightened cause I trained it.

The petrified look on his face made me recline in my seat and relax.

" Tell me.. Are you done with preparations.. Are your men ready" I asked airily although, even I could feel the deep sharpness and authority my voice contained.

I was actually enquiring from Davis if he had readied his men for the abduction spree, we needed the girls tonight to nurture and keep them for three months to Tharros taste.

"Y.. Y.. Y.. es Alpha.. Th.. e.. ey.. are.. Rea.. Dy" he stammered and I could literally feel the shivering in his voice.

"Send them out now " I ordered having the information I wanted.

"you seriously don't have to be so harsh" Fillion said and I raised a brow.

Of all, Fillion was the only one who was less scared of me, although he still had his respect.

I ignored his talk when a figure stepped in sassily.

Melantha.

My future Luna.

But then she wasn't my mate.

I accepted her only because of my late father's wish.

He wanted me to get married to his best friends daughter.

He was scared I'll never get married when he was gone so I engaged her to alleviate his worries.

My eyes scanned her from head to toe as she stepped in and she smirked as she got closer.

"Hey Alpha.." She smirked biting her bottom lips sexily.

"What.." I asked simply finally getting up from the couch I sat on.

I preferred here to the court room where I had to sit and listen to the different arguments and worries of the pack.

I had time for that and now was my resting time.

Fillion walked out of the room immediately she got to me and crossed her legs around my waist

"Hey" She winked placing her palms on my chest.

"Stop being a slut and state your purpose" I demanded not sparing her a look after the first.

"C'mon is it bad that I come visit my future husband" she outed wrapping her arms around my neck and i frowned harder than before.

"I've got things to do.." I said and unhooked her body from mine.

"Alpha.. You promised father you would never hurt me" I heard her say as I stepped out.

"I'm still keeping that shit" I said walking out fully leaving her to the deadly silence of the room.

✵AERIS POV✵

The buzzing sounds of combined voices made the bustling place even more crowded.

I stared around finding everything boring.

An auction was taking place some few distance from where I sat and my gaze was just focused there.

Isla's palms were soothing my back in gentle taps and i sighed as the gentle breeze blew my hair to my face.

I watched as the expensive jade stone was given to the highest bidder and I couldn't be more bored.

The boring activities continued to take ace when the heavy sounds of foots colliding with the ground spread to my ears, my sharp senses became alert and I raised my heard turning to face my back.

Everyone already stopped their activities and I frowned as the sounds became clearer.

"Soldiers from the Alphas pack, run for your lives" a man screamed and the market square scattered immediately.

I turned back around to see people running and leaving their wares outside, and when it seemed two legs were not enough, alot of them began shifting to their different Wolves form.

It was natural for them to run cause wherever the Alphas soldiers broke into, it was never for peace and today being a time to pick the girls for Nekroths sacrifice, it was not so astonishing.

I watched as a girl growled out shifting in the process and then she ran so speedily I nearly couldn't see her shadow.

"Aeris we have to get out of here" I turned to the direction of Isla's voice to see she already shifted to a beautiful brown wolf.

Seeing people being able to shift to their Wolves made me feel annoyed, useless and stupid.

I was born with a wolf but the goddamn thing refused to get out of me, even communicate with me.

I hate myself for that fact, I hate my damn wolf.

I looked away from Isla bowing my head.

"I'm not coming" I declined and I heard her gasp.

She came to stand in front of me as the heavy footsteps became clearer and drew nearer.

"Aeris I know you're pained about your parents death, I know you're hurt and whatnot but then that's not a criteria for you to kill yourself.

Letting yourself get abducted and getting yourself trapped in the devilish den of Alpha Declan is tantamount to wishing for death.

I know you want revenge, but the think about yourswlf first.. What if you die while trying if you eventually get picked '' she worriedly asked shifting back to her human form as she held my shoulders.

"no Isla.. I won't die.. I'll be killing someone instead" I said determination filling my voice.

"argh.. You're too stubborn" I heard her groan and the footsteps of the wolf's came closer.

"Aeris.. I don't want you to be abducted but I can't risk my life too" she said and I raised my heard to see her shifting back to a wolf with an apologetic look.

She tuned around and started running away.

I turned to see the battalion of Wolves drawing near to the empty square and the next thing I felt was something sharp pierce my neck as I fell from the chair to the dusty ground.

"Aerissssss" I heard the panic stricken voice of Cee scream and that was all I remembered as I blacked out.

*

I woke up to wailing and chattering voices.

I squeezed my face at the discomfort my felt and the chill that crossed my veins spreading round my body.

I don't know why but I felt my thighs were bare and the upper fabric I wore was being tugged from my body.

I gasped and snapped my eyes open at the voices I heard.

"Gosh, this one stinks, gas she ever bath in her life" I heard a man say and I made to turn my head but winced at the pain.

"oh she's awake" I heard the same voice repeat.

I blinked blurriness out of my gaze and tuned to the man who was busy ripping off my clothes.

I looked down to see he had already ripped off my skirt, leaving me in my undergarments.

I was sitting on the bare ground so that was were the chill came from coupled with the fact that I was half naked.

"hey stop what you're doing, stop.. Stop taking off my clothes" I yelled, trying to get his arms off even in my weak state but then my struggle was tantamount to ant's.

I tried to get his arms off again but fell something hard land on my face.

My eyes did a tumble in my head and the slap plus the ongoing effect of the dart which I was darted with earlier and the fact that I locked my self up without food for two days, weakened me badly.

The slap made my head blank and I got deaf for some seconds.

I could tell the man said something but in a woozy whine in my ears.

I literally could hear nothing and when my ears began functioning again, I heard the faint call of my name from a very familiar voice.

I looked up and my eyes cleared immediately I saw who was with me in this cell full of different girls.

"Isla" I called and almost immediately I was pushed forward by the man since they were done ripping my clothes off.

I turned around to glare at the man who pushed me and found him giving me a sinister dark smirk.

I didn't know why but I encrypted his face in my head. He definitely would pay for a these.

I turned to face Isla back and found her sobbing, she was stripped off her clothes too..

Literally all the girls here were stripped off their clothing.

"how did it happen" I asked and she wrapped her hands around me immediately hugging me.

" I came back for you, I heard Caelan calling out your name and I had run back to see he had been darted, so he passed out.

I wanted to save you and one of the Wolves saw me, I tried running but he was faster, he happened to be the gamma, Davis." she said and I sighed hugging her back.

" don't worry you won't be picked and I thought they only picked girls who had not discovered their Wolves "I wondered as we disengaged.

" I had already shifted back to human when he saw me, I was so scared, I forgot I was supposed to shift back to a wolf.. And now... And now.. I'm caught "she cried and I sighed sitting with my back to the cold walls of the place.

I looked around to see the wailing faces of everyone.

They were all sad because they were taken but me...

I slowly stretched my lips to a wide smile.

Step 1 in getting to Alpha Declan was accomplished, all I needed now was to be chosen for the sacrifice to Tharros the blood tasty god and end Declan.

It was crazy I was given myself out to death and I didn't care.

Even if the death was gonna lead me to hell which is what I so want, I wouldn't care.. As far as the bastard I wanna send to a place beyond hell goes.

"stand up all of you and get out of here" I heard the man say.

"out out now" he ordered again.

He seemed to be the subordinate of Davis.

His eyes moved towards me and that smirk returned.

He walked towards me slowly and he pulled me up rashly immediately he got to me.

"get up b!tch "he yelles and i groanes feeling so weak.

He pushed me forward and I almost fell to my knees.

I breath heavily as I walked out Into the dark hallway and I shivered as the raw cold hit my skin.

Gawd, I was only wearing panty and tied light materials around my boobs. This was torture.

And I was enduring all these to accomplish my mission.

I had to end him, I must end him.

The tunnel like hall led to an opening and I came out after consistent pushing from the man.

We were taking to a wide field and on that field, different different poles stood proudly.

We were taken there or rather pushed there and the bastard pushed me to the pole roughly and I groaned as I hurt my back.

I could feel my blood trailing down my back, the pole was rough.

I stared at him with no fear and his smirk widened.

I felt like slapping that out of his face.

"Touch eh" he smirked and tightened the rope which he used in binding my arms to the pole.

" argh" I groaned out in pains as he tied tighter.

He laughed sinisterly and I scoffed as the pains seeped in through my skin.

It hurt alot.

I looked around for the one who ended my parents, who I'll soon send to hell.

The thought of how beautiful his name would be on the gravestone made the pains I felt dissipate and a smile came on my face.

It was odd to smile in this tensed situation where the others are crying but then I cared less. I was happy because I believed I'll be achieving my aim.

✵DECLAN'S POV✵

I walked stealthily into the large field were the rituals to take the right girls are always conducted.

Most of the villagers of my pack were there waiting to see the unfortunate girl.

The place was crowded.

I arrived and stop to scan the large amount of girls tied half naked to the pole.

I stared them one by one, the petrified look on their faces so visible, until my eyes came in contact with one, an odd one who smiled in this situation.

I frowned finding her countenance odd and not only that..

I felt a strange connection to her, like our souls were bonded.

The beautiful smooth waves of her ash like hair as the air blew it, and as her eyes moved to lock with mine, I felt the connection again as I stared at the pair of eyes that matched the coloura of her hair.

"mate" I heard the faint mutter of my wolf and I frowned deeply.

"Mate.. Mate" it growled like a dog hungry for food.

I groaned as I looked away from her but didn't fail to see the cutting glare she passed to me.

I could feel my in sides burning and my wolf trying to force itself out.

"mate mateee" it struggled and I groaned again.

"calm down Ilan she can never be our mate" I yelled in my head but that seemed to make him angrier.

I folded my fist feeling my fangs elongate.

"Ilan" I yelled trying to control it.

I looked up to see the priest arriving.

He walked up to the girls and began his ritual of trying to find the right girl.

While this happens I tried my possible best to control my wolf.

Hell knows none of these girls might be alive if I shift.

Whenever I shift to my wolf, it was for destruction, I would no longer be in control but my wolf will.

Ilan is always angry so him accessing me meant an inescapable danger.

I fell on a knee immediately as Ilan became more angrier and determined to access me.

Who was this girl..

Who was this girl that made Ilan this crazy.

I felt my eyes changing coloura immediately and my nails elongation as well.

"Shit Ilan stop" I yelled out this time attracting nearby people.

"Alpha" I heard Fillion call out but I guess he didn't move.

He might just die if he got closer to me.

" She has been found, the girl for the ritual meant to pacify Tharros '' I heard the priest voice yell and slowly I raised my heads to the direction gritting my teeth to see him holding the hand of the ash haired girl.

Theee was a smirk on her lip now and as our eyes met I heard Ilan scream angrily.

"MATEEEEE'